The Accidental Guardian by Mary Connealy

Series: High Sierra Sweethearts
Publication Date: 3 April 2018
Publisher: ARC from Netgalley.com and Bethany House Publishers

“You are a blessed miracle from God, you and your men. You saved us and now you care for us. It’s the Bible’s very definition of a Christian.”
–Deb Harkness

It is certainly no surprise that a woman who dedicates her book to her husband also known as her “very own romantic cowboy hero” writes about cowboys, ranching, and the west, three things she seems to know real well. This little western gem is set southwest of Lake Tahoe, Nevada in October of 1867.

The Harkness sisters, Deborah and Gwen, are on their way west through the Sierra Nevada Mountains when their wagon train is attacked. Fortunate enough to survive, the girls are left on their own with two small children until Trace Riley appears.

Trace gathers up the women and children and heads for his desolate, rather run down ranch, tucked in a valley of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Being a single man living at the ranch with a couple of work hands, his priority to this point time has not been a house or housekeeping. The women have their work cut out for them.

Two more awkward people have never inhabited the same space! In fact Trace and Deborah are so awkward they are endearing. A bit of romance runs through the novel as well as some intrigue! A great story that carries the themes of family, friendship, faith, and social responsibility!

Readers of inspirational historical fiction and western fiction will like this novel. Read and enjoy! The Accidental Guardian is book one in the series and I personally can’t wait to get my hands on book two.

This ARC copy was received from Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. The above thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.

 

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After Anna by Lisa Scottoline

Publication Date: April 2018

ARC copy from Netgalley.com and St. Martin’s Press

 

Excerpt:  Maggie realized that life wouldn’t be as much fun if we knew where its treasures were hidden. Sometimes you had to search for them. Sometimes you had to fight for them And sometimes, they were at your feet.

To Maggie Ippoliti a call from her teenage daughter Anna whom she hasn’t seen in 17 years is an unbelievable gift, one she certainly hadn’t been expecting. Having been declared an unfit mother due to postpartum psychosis, Maggie lost touch with her daughter at 6 months. Never once has she been allowed to see the girl since that time due to the vindictive nature of her ex-spouse.

Dr. Noah Alderman, well respected pediatrician in the community and husband of Maggie, welcomes his stepdaughter into their home with no knowledge of what the future will hold for his family. Noah’s son, Caleb, is a trusting young boy of ten whose life is turned upside down by the events that will unfold in the month following Anna’s arrival.

Alternating chapters–Noah’s viewpoint during the trial and Maggie’s perspective before and during the trial–disclose the story detail by detail. The mystery that surrounds Anna and her death add suspense and intrigue to the story. I definitely didn’t see the ending coming. Read this interesting story and see if you can put the details together!

This ARC copy was received from St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. The above thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.

#AfterAnna #Netgalley

 

The Weaver’s Daughter by Sarah E. Ladd

Publication Date: April 10, 2018

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

ARC copy from Netgalley and Thomas Nelson Publishers

 

“Everyone makes mistakes in their life. It is how you respond to them and learn from them that matters.”

                                                                                                 -Henry Stockton

Love, loyalty, and forgiveness play lead roles in this latest Regency novel from Sarah E. Ladd. The story is set in Amberdale, a small village in Yorkshire, England in January of 1812. Tension continues to increase in the village between the local weavers and the millworkers and owners. The two factions cannot get along with each other as one’s progress spells the end of the other’s future. Henry Stockton, heir to the Stockton Mills, returns home after serving in the war a changed young man.

Kate Dearborne, a busy young woman who oversees a good portion of her father’s weaving business, struggles to accept the role her father now demands of her as a subservient and minor player in the business. In a home already broken by her father’s demands, Kate feels the conflicts in every aspect of her life. Her beloved brother, Charles, left home years earlier and went to work for the Stockton Mills as he anticipated a changing way of life coming to an end.

This changing way of life—the conflict between men and machinery—creates vast adjustments for many people in the village. The story examines the values of family loyalty, business loyalty, love, and forgiveness. As Kate, the weaver’s daughter, and Charles, the mill owner, discover an attraction to each other that goes beyond the boundaries set by their families, they must decide where their loyalties lie and where the future will take them.

This ARC copy was received from Thomas Nelson and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. The above thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.

 

The Pirate Bride by Kathleen Y’Barbo

Publication Date: April 2018

Series: Daughters of the Mayflower, Book 2

Publisher: Barbour Books

ARC Copy from NetGalley.com and Barbour Books

“It all comes down to politics, I suppose. Or maybe it was just God’s way of letting me know that it was time to stop and follow Him instead of trying to do things my way,” he said as he reached down to retrieve the valise.

–Jean Luc Beaumont 

                                                           

The Pirate Bride is the adventurous tale of one very bright young girl’s unique journey to womanhood. At 13 Maribel Cordoba crosses paths with Jean Luc Beaumont, captain of the Venganza, and his band of privateers, also known in some circles as pirates in the year 1724.  Little does she know that her future will bring her back eventually to the handsome captain and his swashbuckling crew.

The book is a heartwarming tale with out of the ordinary characters that represent the best and worst of humanity.  The storyline twists and turns through the years as Maribel inadvertently keeps remembering her pirate days from the past as they come back to play a role in her future. Sprinkled with historical details and intertwined with faith, the book is a fun read for lovers of historical and inspirational fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and hope you do too! Book Three in the series, The Captured Bride by Michelle Griep,  is next on my to-be-read pile.  #ThePirateBride

This ARC copy was received from Barbour Books and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. The above thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.

 

 

The Room on Rue Amélie by Kristin Harmel

Publication Date: March 2018

Publisher: Gallery Books

ARC copy from Netgalley and Gallery Books

 

“We just have to believe, Ruby. We have to believe that things will work out just the way they’re meant to.”

                                                            –Thomas Clarke, pilot

 

Ruby Henderson Benoit, a beautiful young American citizen, arrives in Paris in 1939 having little knowledge or understanding of what her life will become over the next few years. Life seemed romantic at the time when she married Marcel Benoit, a handsome Frenchman and moved to Paris to live in his family’s apartment with a view of the tip of the Eiffel Tower. Being young and in love clearly influenced their life in those first few months before the realities of the coming war set in.

The arrival of the war brings emotions and complications neither Ruby nor Marcel can foresee. Marcel turns into a different person than the one Ruby married. As the changes become more evident and the war marches closer to their doors, Ruby and Marcel both make decisions that will impact their lives forever.

Charlotte Dacher, a bright young 11 year old Jewish girl, plays a key role in Ruby’s new life.  Charlotte’s survival depends on Ruby and Ruby’s responsibilities give her a reason to survive the all consuming war.  The novel follows Ruby and Charlotte through the war years as they struggle to survive and assist others in unfortunate circumstances brought on by the war.

A very good historical fiction book that delves into WWII and the Resistance! A compelling cast of secondary characters adds life to the story and the plot definitely holds your interest all the way through. A terrific book for fans of historical fiction!

This ARC copy was received from Gallery Books and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. The above thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.

Out of the Ashes by Tracie Peterson

Series: Heart of Alaska

Publication Date: January 2018

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

ARC Copy from NetGalley.com and Bethany House Publishers

 

“Sometimes answers aren’t what we want them to be. But I suppose that is when we need to rely on God for direction—for understanding of how it all works out to be His plan for us…”

–Jean-Michel Langelier

Jean Michel Langelier and Katherine DeMarchis are at the center of this novel set predominantly at the Curry Hotel in the wilds of Alaska. These two people who once meant so much to each other have been separated for over five years by war and an abusive marriage. Jean Michel, suffering in his own private world, and Katherine, tormented by her own demons, meet once again at the Curry Hotel. Can two such damaged people hope for any kind of future?

The book packs outdoor adventure, unexpected explosions and illness, and the historical details of everyday life at the Curry into its pages. The themes of faith and hope dominate much of the novel as well. Along with our primary characters, the novel offers a varied cast of secondary players such as Collette, Jean Michel’s very spoiled sister, Cassidy, the hotel’s cook, Mrs. Johnson, John, Allan, and Thomas, workers at the hotel along with Katherine’s very upright grandmother who orchestrated the entire trip. An interesting read for anyone with an interest in historical Alaska and those encouraged by inspirational fiction! And we have book three to look forward to!

This ARC copy was received from Bethany House and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. The above thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.

Winter Sisters by Robin Oliveira

Publication Date: February 27, 2018

Publisher: Viking

ARC Copy from NetGalley.com and Viking

 

“It’s either hide forever or see forever. He wanted to say, You need to choose. He wanted to say, Follow me, I’ll show you.”

                                                            –Thoughts from Dr. William Stipp 

Winter Sisters is the poignant story of two young girls and their struggle to survive after being caught in a snow storm and disappearing. In March of 1879 a raging blizzard hit Albany, New York leaving Emma and Claire O’Donnell stranded outside their school. The young girls, seven and ten years old, were picked up by a stranger offering to help them make it home. Little did the girls know that they were not headed home nor would they ever see their parents again.

The O’Donnell sisters’ story sadly unfolds as Mary Sutter Stipp and her husband, William, begin their search for the lost girls. The story of their kidnapping and subsequent time in captivity is one of absolute horror for any parent to imagine. The details are disclosed as the novel tells the tale of the girl’s release and their life following these difficult events. Three families’ lives are entwined in this novel; the Sutter-Stipps, the Van der Veers, and the O’Donnells.  The weaving of their stories and the complexities engages the reader from the very beginning of the novel.

This book will appeal to readers of historical fiction. It is a very deep and not very happy story.  The historical detail is interesting and the characters are extremely complex. I enjoyed meeting characters from Ms. Oliveira’s previous novel, My Name is Mary Sutter.  In spite of the subject, the novel is an excellent, well told story. The subject is handled with honesty and dignity. I highly recommend the book.

This ARC copy was received from Viking and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. The above thoughts and opinions are wholly my own.