Heart of the West

Love women who are full of fire and determination, especially when it comes to what they want in life over what their influential parents want for them instead. Kate Donahue had to run away quite literally to head west after receiving her certification as a doctor. The man she was suppose to marry wanted nothing but someone who might make him look good as a senator and being a doctor was not in the plans, despite how much her mother and father begged her to reconsider. She waited for everyone in her household to leave and she simply packed up what she could and bought a train ticket heading to Craig, Colorado where she read an advertisement promising new business in the growing town. Surely they would need a doctor.

When she arrived she wasn't looking for any man's attention, and yet that is precisely what Stanley Jones was used to getting his way and he wasn't about to take Kate's no for her final answer. He reminded Kate of the same kind of man she walked away from in Long Island. She wasn't about to be curtailed by another one now. Yet for the Jones family, it seems they were used to things going there way and it none of the town's proprietors were going to say anything to contradict their wishes, even if it meant keeping the local law close and in their pocket. So Kate would be on her own to start up a medical practice but she received less than warm invites from those in town. For sure she would have the women in town who would come to her for medical needs, but how was she going to make a living working in trade and bartered services. Her parents reminded her if she walked away from their wishes she would forfeit her entire inheritance so she would have to find a way to stretch what little savings she had left.

She doesn't plan on falling for anyone in town but when Stanley Jones begins to bark orders to a small crippled boy named Logan and an Irish sheep rancher by the name of Lucas McCurdy she was about to go against the Jones family in a bad way. Knowing that they wouldn't do anything to her personally, they vetted their anger in other ways like trying to intimidate and frighten off McCurdy to take his sheep and head back to Ireland. Logan was another story as his brother was Stanley and he was proud to boss his little brother around, not that he would amount to much being as crippled as he was. It is going to take more than grit and raw determination to make her way in Craig, but then again, what does Kate have to lose by giving up? She certainly has no plans on heading back home any time soon and she vows to make sure that Stanley understands that loud and clear.

I received Heart of the West by Carolyn Twede Frank compliments of Covenant Communications. I absolutely LOVE it when authors choose to right about a strong and determined female character that defies what society deems is appropriate. Kate Donahue is by far one of my favorites. I love that she had already gotten her doctor's certification and now it was all about following her dream to head west and so glad I picked up this novel to enjoy. Even more is the delectable recipe for Lavender's Cinnamon Rolls. Can't wait to mix up a batch. My only hope is that this author has more western romances up her sleeve and now I have her name on my watch list. This one easily garners a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about Heart of the West, Carolyn Twede Frank or where you can pick up a copy of this novel, please click on the links below:

Heart of the West by Carolyn Twede Frank

You can find Carolyn Twede Frank on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Heart of the West, please visit Covenant Communication's website. 

Too Far Down

I've been a huge fan of westerns since high school. There is just something about the rugged old west, handsome cowboys and the constant struggle against the good and the bad. Mary Connealy is just the right Christian author that fans of westerns will LOVE. Her series, the Cimarron Legacy is filled with intrigue, non stop action, and of course romance! Her latest novel in the series, Too Far Down which is the third book, picks up with Cole Boden, who is now running a mining operation in Skull Gulch, in the New Mexico Territory in 1881. Just as it seems that things have been settling down, a series of explosions begin to rock his office raining down boulders and rocks.

As he leaves to investigate, he discovers that dynamite has been lit in various lengths to allow them to go off one at a time at each of the mines that have covered the hillside. What is more evident is that this is a planned operation, that someone has deliberately set these to prevent anyone from stopping them and even more to prevent anyone from continuing to mine. Cole discovers it at his mine first and is able to warn other miners in time to cut the fuses before the entire mountain comes down. However, the damage has been done to his own mine. Buried beneath the rubble, lie his own men trapped beneath the mountain and as he gathers together people to help dig them out, not all of them will survive.

When his brothers arrive from the Cimarron Ranch, they begin to put the pieces of the puzzle together that once more this has gotten personal and someone is out to ensure that one by one, the Boden men and their families are put to rest so that their land and ranch holdings can be sold and the Boden legacy dissolved. Now they have to put together a plan to figure out just who is up to no good and put a stop to them before anymore lives are lost. He just doesn't expect Melanie, who goes by Mel to offer to help and no matter how much he tries to reason with her, he know she is just about as good as any of the men who have been asked to help. Perhaps with the help of a beautiful young woman, he might just be able to convince others to open up and discover the truth, quicker than if he or his brothers question them. But what is he willing to risk by putting Mel in possible danger?

I received Too Far Down by Mary Connealy compliments of Baker Publishing Group and NetGalley. While I have not read the previous two novels in this series, I hope to rectify that very soon. It seems that the previous novels give more insight into the grudge against the Boden family as well as the relationships and marriages between Heath and Justin are explored in each of them while this novel focuses on Cole and Melanie. For those that love non stop action, dangerous situations, and strong and determined female characters, readers will LOVE this series. I easily give this a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about Too Far Down, Mary Connealy or where to pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Too Far Down by Mary Connealy

You can find Mary Connealy on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Too Far Down, please visit Baker Publishing Group's website. 

The Promise Bride

Love Christian western romance novels? What about Christian murder mysteries? What if you could find both in the same novel? You might just want to pick up The Promise Bride by Gina Welborn and Becca Whitman. I really LOVED this first novel in the Montana Bride series, and features Emilia Stanek who wants a better life for herself, her two siblings and her father, working for Spiegel as a Customer Service Manager. Living in a run down tenement in Chicago in the late 1800's, she struggles with the filthy living conditions and what the outcome will be if they don't find a way to live. So she answers an ad for a mail order bride in Montana. A new life out west, clean air to breathe, and a man willing to take her entire family into his ranch home in the Montana Territory.

After spending the last ten months working, she finally has almost enough money for all of them to travel to Montana, until their landlord demands $30 to pay for the cost of the repairs he is charging all of his tenants. Her father, tells her to take her two siblings and he will follow them in three months. She agrees as only a last resort and hopes she can convince Phineas Collins to help her bring her father to Montana as soon as possible. Her marriage was by proxy and she can't wait to get to Montana to file the paperwork to make her legally his wife. Only the one thing she didn't plan for was to learn upon arriving by train that Finn, or Phineas was found murdered. The Sheriff tries to convince Emilia to take herself and get back on the train headed home since there is nothing for her in Montana.

Emilia knows she can't go back to living like she was, and this time she has to think of her family first. So she becomes determined to file her paperwork and try to work the ranch in hopes she can raise enough money to bring her father to Montana. Her siblings Luci and Roch just want to head home, but she knows they need to try to find a fresh start. What she is completely unaware of is that the person or persons who murdered Finn, might just try to kill her unless they find out why he was murdered, and that she will also inherit all of Finn's debts as well. Her first impression of the ranch is a far stretch from what she expected and to top if all of Sheriff McCall refuses to let her go about unprotected until he can bring the killer to justice.

I received The Promise Bride by Gina Welborn and Becca Whitman compliments of Zebra Books, a division of the Kensington Publishing Corporation and NetGalley. I really love the raw determination that Emilia has. To walk away from everything she knows and to take care of her siblings with a future she had hoped for is far from what she gets. Armed only with her willingness to rise above the tragic circumstances facing her, she will prove everyone wrong who ever thought she would need protection and that she would run back home when faced with adversity. Doesn't hurt to have a man standing by ready to lend a hand whether she wants it or not. I give this novel a 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait for the next book in the series but don't forget to check out the novella Come Fly With Me which proceeds this one.

For more information about The Promise Bride, Gina Welborn, Becca Whitman or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Promise Bride by Gina Welborn and Becca Whitman

You can find Gina Welborn on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

You can find Becca Whitman on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Promise Bride, please visit Zebra Book's website. 

Whispering Pines

The pines on LeMaster's ranch is a special place where the four winds converge. It is where the Sioux people hear the voices of their great spirits who have passed away. The Sioux have a special connection to the land. The pines are where their ancestors offered praise to their creator. Church is our special place where we worship God. It is the heavenly sounds where the winds come together in the trees. They say different people hear different things and only the people of pure heart hear the pleasing sounds.

For Rose Langstry she has always dreamed that one day she would marry the right man in those pines but she is headed home to help Granny out on their small farm. She and her sisters left to seek an education out east and now one by one, they are making their way home again. But when her stagecoach happens upon a hanging in progress, she is appalled that one of them is her brother Frankie, and she will do whatever she can to ensure he is not hung. But when Morgan LeMasters tries convince her that Frank and his gang have been caught stealing horses and cattle, and they deserve to be hung, she argues that until all the evidence is brought before the judge, these men need to go to jail. Rose is convinced that her brother is innocent. Just as they head out for town, the stage coach takes a spill over a cliff, leaving Rose unconscious and Frank in control as he uses his sister as a bargaining chip for his freedom.

The men agree to let Frank go, with the vow that Morgan will find him and bring him to justice. But he will have to convince Rose and Granny of Frank's criminal past and he won't rest until Frank is convicted. The ongoing feud between Frank and Morgan is a long one and while no one really knows the details of it, they know that both men will not stop until one of them is dead. Does God have other plans for them or will justice be found within the whispering pines?

I received Whispering Pines by Scarlett Dunn compliments of Zebra Books, Kensington Publishing Corporation and Net Galley. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise. This is such a wonderful novel about the way we judge people's characters despite the way we think we know everything there is to know about them. It shows how far Rose is willing to go to help her brothers find redemption and healing even if it means she overlooks their apparent faults. She doesn't believe anyone is beyond God's help. In this case it will be a loving and protective man who learns what it means to trust and to forgive and what vengeance will result in when they take matters into their own hands instead of leaving it up to God. I can't wait for the next novel which readers get a sneak peek at in the conclusion of this novel. Each sister is on their way home and with it, a novel dedicated to the Langstry Sisters. This is the first novel in the series and well worth 5 out of 5 stars in this readers opinion.

For more information about Whispering Pines, Scarlett Dunn or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Whispering Pines by Scarlett Dunn

You can find Scarlett Dunn on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

To read more reviews on Whispering Pines, please visit Kensington Publishing's website. 

Beloved Hope

A man can't live without hope. Nor can a woman and in Beloved Hope by Tracie Peterson, Hope Flanagan comes face to face with her past she longed to forget that happened two years ago. The Whitman Massacre had led to the deaths of more than just Dr. Whitman and his wife, but also the only man Hope wanted to marry and loved with all her heart. Watching him being killed in front of her while she watched the life seep out of him was hard for her, but not before being taken captive by the Cayuse Indians who staged this. She was raped and left with an unborn child of the man who had taken more than just her innocence. She wanted nothing more out of life including her own. But after giving birth and placing that child into the hands of a couple who wanted a baby, Hope could not seem to find her way back to any normal sense of life. Even two years later, she built up such a wall around her, that all she wanted was to be left alone and far away from friends or even finding another man to love.

Now that she has been asked to testify in the trial of the five Cayuse Indians responsible for the murders of those at the Whitman Mission, she knows she can never let the possibility of the one man who took more than just her life away, walk away if they found him not guilty. In fact there was fear of that in light of those in the US government who wanted to grant peace between the white men and the Indians, even if it meant letting them go free. Hope was going to make sure the last thing this Indian did was to walk free. Perhaps that is why she managed to sneak past the armed guards and found her way into the jail cell that held the man who had taken everything from her. Now she was going to ensure he never lived another day, when she pulled the gun from her pocket. She just needed to find a way to pull the trigger and then it would all be over.

Lieutenant Lance Kenner wasn't about to let Hope make a mistake and when he saw her holding the gun on one of his prisoners, he assured her that this man's life wasn't worth her time. He knew that her and most of the women in Oregon City were trying to come to terms with what had happened and Hope was so sure that no man would want her ever again. But Lance Kenner was not like the men she had met before. Being from New Orleans and having lost his own family, all he was looking for when he met Hope was simply a friend to help get him through this trial so he could be done with serving his time and get back to running the plantation his family had left him. But it seems that they both might just need the right friend in order to gain more than just their hope back, but also to learn to trust God and understand that forgiveness isn't about letting someone off the hook, it's about letting go of the hurt they have caused you that you continue to carry with you every single day.

I received Beloved Hope by Tracie Peterson compliments of Baker Publishing Group and Net Galley. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise.  This is the second novel in the Heart of the Frontier Series which picks up two years later after the Whitman Massacre that Treasured Grace covered in the first novel. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to face your accusers and I understood the feelings of hatred and anger that Hope must have felt. You would hope there would be a release of those feelings once the guilty have been punished but as most of us know, it doesn't happen like we would want to believe it would. Unless we choose to let go of those past feelings and let God handle it, we will continue to drag around that chain until it grows too heavy for us and life simply continues to pass us by. I give this a 4.5 out of 5 stars and can't wait for the third novel that must revolve around Mercy's life, the youngest of the Flanagan sisters.

For more information about Beloved Hope, Tracie Peterson or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Beloved Hope by Tracie Peterson

You can find Tracie Peterson on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Beloved Hope, please visit Baker Publishing Group's website. 

Trusting Grace

"Grace Bidwell pushed her way through the busy mercantile store in the bustling town of Bozeman, certain that it would be the most beneficial place to post a HIRED HELP sign for everyone to see."

I love looking at the opening sentence of novels I read. I often times think back and wonder given that opening sentence is it enough to make me want to read further and how much thought do authors give in deciding how any novel will begin. For me, a serious lover of anything pertaining to the western romance genre, I absolutely LOVED, Trusting Grace by Maggie Brendan. This is the third novel in the Virtues and Vices of the Old West series, with The Trouble with Patience and A Sweet Misfortune leading the way.

Grace Bidwell is a young widow who is taking care of her father who has suffered what they believe might be a stroke, and tries valiantly to run the farm while he recovers. But Grace knows she will need help not knowing when her father might recover and she simply can't manage to run the house and get the potatoes in the ground to have a healthy harvest. She just hopes she can find a man suitable to help.

Robert Fraiser is trying his best to be a father to three young children he just learned are now his. After losing his wife, he realizes she never trusted him enough to let him know she had them. Now that his sister-in-law is done trying to care for them with four of her own, Robert struggles to find a job to help get them all at least into a suitable boarding house. But it may take awhile. The children, Tom, the oldest, Becky and Sarah know that they have been a burden to Robert and try and figure out a way to find money to get them off of sleeping wherever they can find room under the stars and living in a wagon, hunting off the land to provide any food for all of them. When Robert lands a job working for Grace, he doesn't tell her about the children, because he wants to provide for them on his own. Yet he doesn't realize that Grace has longed for children she believes she will never have since losing her husband and now caring for her father. Seems like they both have issues with trust that they will need to resolve if any of them have hopes for a better future.

I received Trusting Grace by Maggie Brendan compliments of Baker Publishing Group and Net Galley. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free andments were received, unless specified otherwise. I love that Grace is a strong and determine woman who believes she can manage on her own, yet cares so deeply for her family, friends and a delightful trio of young children she finds on the street in town. She truly has a beautiful spirit and self-esteem but it will take both her and Robert working on their own issues of trust from past marriages before they can ever hope to make something of the feelings developing for all of them including the children. My favorite has to be Sarah, whose child like faith in God is so pure and honest that she never fears God and his angels are watching out for them all. 5 out of 5 stars and now I have to go back and read the previous two novels in this series. This one can be read as a stand alone as I did, but believe that the characters you meet in this novel has their own stories to share in the previous novels in this series.

For more information about Trusting Grace, Maggie Brendan or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Trusting Grace by Maggie Brendan

You can find Maggie Brendan on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Trusting Grace, please visit Baker Publishing Group's website. 

Treasured Grace

It is often hard in these days of comfort and technology to remember a time when life wasn't so filled with the luxuries we take for granted every single day. Take life for those who wanted a fresh start by heading west via the Oregon Trail. Not only did they face the hardships of packing what little they could in a wagon and selling everything else, but they had to hope that what they did bring would help them make the journey to their new homes despite the odds clearly stacked against them. From the environmental challenges and unpredictability of the weather, you had issues when your wagon broke down and repairs might not be able to made, or when your ox or horse was injured and you were stuck. Even worse was when you came down with illness, you had to make do with what you had or what skills someone else might possess.

I absolutely LOVE Tracie Peterson's novels because they are written with such attention to detail and you find yourself getting a bit of a history lesson in the process. In her latest Heart of the Frontier series, Treasured Grace takes readers into the heart of Grace Martindale, who married the Right Reverend T. S. Martindale in an effort so they could both move west on the Oregon Trail. They agreed to keep the marriage as one of convenience over one filled with love. Along with that he agreed to bring along Grace's younger sisters, Hope and Mercy. They just didn't expect the Reverend to die along the way and leave Grace a widow. Now with no money to really begin a life, all she has is her talents as a natural healer and in a hostile world faced with increasing Indian threat at the Whitman Mission, the place where Martindale girl's are slated to stay for now. .

Unfortunately the local doctor who runs the mission doesn't take kindle to Grace's herbal remedies despite how well they might work. He isn't about to have anyone question his authority and he is about to ensure that she understands where a woman's place truly is and that is not working with anyone who has medical needs. She just doesn't plan on running into Alexander Armistead, a local trapper and hunter who will do all he can to ensure Grace's survival and greatly respects her ability to heal people through herbs and natural remedies. He isn't ready for marriage or love based on a past he isn't sure he can ever reconcile. As hostilities begin to rise between the Cayuse Indians and the people living at the Mission, they believe that the doctor is out to poison them when an outbreak of measles hit them all hard and it seems more Indians are dying than the white people are. Perhaps it might be time to even the odds in the Cayuse Indian's favor.

I received Treasured Grace by Tracie Peterson compliments of Baker Publishing Group and Net Galley. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise. In a note to the reader, Tracie Peterson shares that "the Whitman Mission massacre is a well-known piece of history that forever changed the western frontier." I would agree. It is difficult not to find hatred for a race of people that violent killed so many innocent people without due cause and creates a historical reference for racial tensions that went back into the 1800's as the white man insisted on taking whatever land they wanted despite how the Indian tribes felt. It truly was a difficult life to face and how many people lost their lives in the process or those that survived were forever changed by what they witnessed. I give this novel a 5 out of 5 stars and can't wait for more from Tracie Peterson in this wonderful series of novels she has started.

For more information about Treasured Grace, Tracie Peterson, or where to pick up a copy of this novel, please click on the links below:

Treasured Grace by Tracie Peterson

You can find Tracie Peterson on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

You can read more reviews of Treasured Grace by visiting Baker Publishing Group's website. 

Back in the Saddle

In true contemporary western style best selling author Ruth Logan Herne weaves a story of a modern day prodigal son who returns home to his families ranch in Gray's Glen, Washington, after watching all his investments take a plunge for the worst on Wall Street. Now it's time to turn in his corporate designer business suits for ranch attire and mount up to do what he can to help his ailing father Sam Stafford as he recovers from the hospital. Colt Stafford and his father Sam have a huge divide separating them and it will take lots of hard work, on both their parts to mend what's been broken since Colt left home.

Colt just isn't expecting to run into the housekeeper, Angelina Morales, his father has hired who seems to be more than what she appears on the outside. Armed with more than simply good lucks and the ability to cook up a hearty meal for all the hired help and family, Colt will have to prove his worth in her eyes as well. Since Colt left, it meant that his younger brother Nick had to step up in his absence even while raising two young daughters of his own. Now he isn't too happy to see Colt waltz back into the Double S as if everything is peachy, and undermine what he's worked so hard to obtain.

I guess that is what makes this novel so appealing is the element of redemption of any wayward prodigal. There is always that difficulty that comes from returning home, and having to answer for the decisions one has made along the way, that while it seemed they knew best, ultimately life becomes a humbling teacher. Colt being the oldest, you think he would know better, but that is just like most to think they are ready to leave the nest and attempt to make it own their own. Just like most who invested in the Wall Street ploys in 2008 only to have it fall flat when all those quick-rich schemes turned sour.

I received Back in the Saddle by Ruth Logan Herne compliments of WaterBrook Multnomah Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest and personal review. This is the first book in the Double S Ranch Series and introduces each of the brothers in this introduction novel to readers will know what to expect in each subsequent novel, a chance to get to know each of the brothers better as well as the entire family. For me this one rated a 4 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Back in the Saddle, Ruth Logan Herne or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Back in the Saddle by Ruth Logan Herne

You can find Ruth Logan Herne on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Back in the Saddle, please visit WaterBrook Multnomah's website. 

No Other Will Do

Emma Chandler had a dream and in 1894, she began to make that dream come true in Harper's Station, Baylor County, Texas. It has been encouraged by her friend Victoria and other to help her dream up the idea of a women's colony, a place run by women to benefit women. A sanctuary for those needing to escape, and a place of opportunity for those looking to better themselves.

When Emma came into her inheritance at the age of 21, she'd heard about a small town of abandoned buildings for sale for pennies on the dollar. Residents had abandoned the old stagecoach town when the railroad came through nearby Seymour. Her aunts had combined their funds with hers in an investment pool, and they'd purchased the land. Thanks to a few well-placed ads in the area newspapers that first year and what some would call their growing notoriety since then, the colony boasted nearly fifty members, if one counted the children. Women surviving and thriving by supporting one another. And now some bull-headed, hateful man threatened to destroy all the had built. Emma knew her answer lay with the one person who could help when she needed it the most.

Malachi Shaw, had been raised when Emma found him huddled inside their barn many years ago and the aunts had taken an instant liking to helping him. He always believed that when he laid eyes on Emma, she was sent to him from heaven. His own angel. One that he would do anything for. When he received her telegram with the words, "In trouble. Need your help. Please come."  He dropped everything working for the railroad company as a blaster. He wasn't quite sure what he needed but he knew in his heart after everything she and the aunts had done for him, it was time to repay them for their kindness no matter what they needed. "Hang in there, Emma. I'm coming."

I received No Other Will Do by Karen Witemeyer compliments of Bethany House Publishers and Net Galley for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free ecopy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. There honestly hasn't been one novel that I've read of Karen Witemeyer's I haven't loved. Each of them is written is such an easy going manner you can sit back and inhale them in one sitting without realizing it. I couldn't wait to read this one and have to agree it's worth every single 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. Emma is a strong character that doesn't rely on a man to come to her aid, and is determined to do what she can to help the women who have come to rely on her as a leader. I love female characters written this way because I firmly believe there were women like that out west that had to rely on their wits and gumption to make it in a man's world. That is what I love most about Karen Witemeyer's novels.This is the first novel in the Ladies of Harper Station series!

For more information about No Other Will Do, Karen Witemeyer or where you can preorder a copy of this book due out in the summer of 2016, please click on the links below:

No Other Will Do by Karen Witemeyer

You can find Karen Witemeyer on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on No Other Will Do, please visit Bethany House Publisher's website. 

Last Promise

Perhaps my favorite novels are those that combine two different genres into one unforgettable story as Last Promise by Scarlett Dunn. This is the last novel in the McBride Brothers trilogy and highlights the final romance of Luke McBride, one of three brothers running the McBride Cattle Ranch. While his other brothers have found true love on the frontier, the last thing on Luke's mind is marriage. He loves the wild and single lifestyle and being graced with great looks and charisma, he has no problem finding suitable companionship in Promise, Wyoming especially with the soiled doves at the saloon in town. He only problem is convincing them, he is not ready to settle down and get married. He loves his life just fine.

Mary Ann Hardwicke is leaving her life behind in England where her father has all but made up his mind about her. He believes that her recent encounter with Edmund Stafford has left her compromised and thus the need for her to wed. But that isn't what happened, she was trying to get away from him and her dressed ripped when he wouldn't release her. Now her only hope to get some much need perspective from her controlling father is to leave west and stay with her Uncle George who owns a hotel in Promise, Wyoming. She just never expected to see such differences in cultures between being a future heiress in England and learning to make her own way out West.

When the two collide, Mary Ann's opinion of Luke is just what she sees, a man who is what she has read about, a pistolier, and she has made her mind, she isn't going to have anything to do with him, especially when he makes promises to the women he escorts around time to show them a good time. Luke is about to lose his senses when a beautiful woman arrives from the stage and literally takes his breath away with her beauty and poise. He just never expected a fight to happen right in front of her as one of the drunken men stumbled out of the saloon and right into one the women he was escorting to lunch. He just never expected to defend his own honor as well as hers. Now he will stop at nothing to turn her head and make her see a side of him that no one else but his family does or die trying.

I received Last Promise by Scarlett Dunn compliments of Zebra Publishing and Net Galley for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free eBook in exchange for my honest and personal evaluation of the book. What I love most about Mary Ann is that she is strong and determined. She is never the victim even though technically she is in regards to the situation with Edmund. She forms opinions quickly and is surprised to learn that she is not as effective in her character judgment as she thought. This make the story believable and had me inhale it one sitting. I love the chemistry between her and Luke and find myself relating to her quite a bit. I had hoped she might have more ground to stand on when her father discovers her instead of being forced back to England, but it doesn't end there. This is like a western fairy tale and I loved it. Well worth every single 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Last Promise, Scarlett Dunn or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Last Promise by Scarlett Dunn

You can find Scarlett Dunn on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

For more reviews on Last Promise, please visit Zebra Publishing's website. 

Robin

It is interesting to note that for readers of novels, the characters we fall in love with are not those we see with our eyes. We fall in love with them because the author has breathed life into them through the words that are carefully written to evoke a sense of believability in the imagination of the reader. We have no pictures to go off of and it is a movie created in our minds based on what the authors decides to use in their novels.

For Julane Hiebert, she has introduced us to Robin Wenghold, in her debut novel, Robin in the Brides of a Feather Series. Fans of western, romance, and historical genres' will absolutely LOVE this novel, tempered with a bit of Christian principles, namely forgiveness and unconditional love as well as honesty and commitment. Robin finds herself headed west from Chicago to Kansas to settle in with her Uncle John in hopes of earning enough money to send for her sisters to join her since the death of her father leaving them in a financial mountain of debt. What she gets is more than she ever bargained for. She believes she is there to help manage his cattle ranch with helping with the womanly chores, cleaning, cooking and laundry. Yet Uncle John can manage those perfectly. He was hoping to find an extra pair of hands to help manage the ranching duties like his previous wife used to do.

Robin is left in a quandary about what to do. Her physical limitations of walking with a limp prevents her from doing most anything requiring walking, or using her legs. She had hoped for a much different outcome. Her Uncle expected the same and feels that by advertising for a potential husband for Robin might be the solution for them both. She would be married and solve her financial issues and with them living on the ranch, he gets two birds with one stone. Only thing is, Robin isn't in agreement with that. She left one man in Chicago who wanted to do just that, but she is only willing to marry for love, not for convenience. On the arrival to the ranch she is caught in a storm that leaves her with more problems, a young boy who watched his mother die and the man, Ty Morgan who rescues them both. Could he be the answer to all their problems?

I received Robin by Julane Hiebert compliments of Wings of Hope Publishing and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review aside from a free copy of this novel in exchange for my honest and personal evaluation. Since this is the first book in the series, not all of the questions are answered by the time you finish. I believe those will continue with each subsequent novel. However, I did love the relationships that develop first with Robin and Uncle John and then with Robin and Jacob, the young orphan. I love that despite the challenges facing her physically, Robin is undaunted in her ability to succeed. That makes this a winner in my opinion and thus worthy of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Robin, Julane Hiebert or where she can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Robin by Julane Hiebert

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To read more reviews on Robin, please visit Christian Fiction Blog Alliance's book tour page. 

Miracle Maker

I love it when I find true movies that inspire and leave you with a great feeling and most of all that are suitable for all ages. Mainstay Productions has launched an incredible movie, Miracle Maker that I am sure that you will want to add to your family's DVD collection and I know it has made its way into mine. This movie is perfect to begin the celebration into the holiday season.

It conveys the story similar to A Christmas Carol of sorts, a town that is hit hard not by financial issues, but simply struggling to make ends meet to pay the rent to Mr. Booth, the man who quite literally owns everything in the small town. It makes things downright difficult as some families struggle to put enough food on the table and still try to make the rent. One thing is for certain, Mr. Booth does not need the money. He is a selfish and stubborn old man, who is bound up by an event from the past in which his daughter Lily is almost killed in a buggy accident. He trusted her care into the town's preacher, Thomas Keating who brought her back that fateful night but was also forbidden to have any more contact with her.

Now Pastor Thomas tries hard to convey his feelings to Lily, who remains confined in the house, while he tries to find ways to make amends to her father. His own mother has been confined to her bed since the death of her husband and now relies on Tom to help her out. The town desperately needs a miracle and soon a mute boy takes it upon himself to send a message of help for a miracle maker. What arrives in town is nothing short of a miracle as they soon discover that miracles don't come from any one person, but from the hope the town provides to those in need through what they can offer one another. As one seed of love and hope is planted, soon an abundance springs forth and restores the town to it's former glory.

I received the opportunity to view Miracle Maker before its release compliments of Mainstay Productions for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation, aside from a link to watch the movie in exchange for my honest review. This is such a great family film because it shows how we can all begin planting our own seeds of love in a world that so desperately needs hope and faith. The DVD release of this movie is November 3rd nationwide and I hope you choose to add this to your DVD collection. For me, it will find a lasting home among mine and thus the reason for rating this movie a 4 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Miracle Maker, Mainstay Productions or where you can pick up a copy of the DVD when it releases, please click on the links below:

Miracle Maker by Mainstay Productions. 

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Season of Forgiveness

Emma Johnson believes that in order to reach some people, she has to live out what she believes. If Jesus dined and associated with sinners without judging them, than that is just what Emma will do and teach her growing family of seven boys. To say she is strong in her faith is an understatement and it permeates everything she does and says in raising her boys while her husband Jake drives the cattle on their growing ranch. But not everything for Emma has been easy. As a daughter of a white father and Indian mother, some of the people in the town of Riverbend can't see past their own race prejudices and treat her as less than worthy of God's kindness.

While Jake and her two older twins Jed and Jerry are on their way back from a long cattle drive, Emma is faced alone with caring for her five younger sons. Knowing how to shoot and take care of their needs, she still has an unsettled feeling, danger is lurking nearby. As she plans to head out for a picnic with the boys in hopes of adding some coneflower roots to her medicinal supplies, she encounters a man who has more on his mind than cause Emma harm. He plans on having a little "fun" before he takes her life. Only he wasn't counting on Emma being trained in how to use a gun and finds himself shot before he can do anything to do. Not only once in the shoulder, but when he failed to take her warning seriously, she shot him in the knee as well. But Emma isn't planning on letting him die. After she ties him up, she begins to treat his wounds.

Daisy Carson is trying to understand just where she keeps going wrong. Her father seems to find fault in everything she does, no matter how hard she tries. After losing her mother, it seems like her father can't seem to find joy in anything, except drinking, finding faults and insulting Daisy, making sure she understands she is worthless and if the punishments need to take on a physical nature to get his point across, he doesn't hesitate. Along with his drinking, he takes to assaulting Daisy at night when he visits her in her bedroom. Just when she thinks it couldn't get any worse, her brother believes that since their father can get away with treating Daisy that way, so can he. But just before he assaults her, the hired hands that work for her father, manage to arrange a rescue. They arrange to raise some money to ensure Daisy no longer has to be treated like that by her family. She takes a train and heads west in hopes of finding a new life in the mountains.

In the novel Season of Forgiveness by author Templa Melnick, each of the women in the novel find themselves in different circumstances that teach them just how powerful prayer is, and how the act of forgiveness can work to heal them in ways they could never imagine no matter how hard it is to do. With God's help each of the women learn the strength that comes from their faith as well as how important prayer is in helping them move forward in their futures despite what others may think of them. I received Season of Forgiveness compliments of Cladach Publishing for my honest review and did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review. I love how each of these women find their own strength in their faith and no two examples are exactly alike. Emma has to struggle with racial prejudice, Daisy has to deal with finding her own self worth, Dee, will need to come to terms with starting over with other's preconceived notions of who she was in her past despite trying to move forward and Sally needs to learn how to move on when her husband abandons her in search for gold. It is a testament to what we all have to deal with in learning to forgive others who have hurt us and realize that God's love supercedes what others may think. I easily rate this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars. This is the first novel in the Seasons of Riverbend series as well as the debut for Templa Melnick, and I personally can't wait for the next one!!!

For more information about Season of Forgiveness, Templa Melnick or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Season of Forgiveness by Templa Melnick

You can find more reviews and ways to order the book at Cladach Publishings website.

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