Book Review: Love Comes Home by Ann Gabhart

Back Cover: When the flush of victory fades, there remains a winding road to an uncertain future.

World War II is finally over and the people of Rosey Corner are joyfully welcoming the boys home. The Merritt sisters in particular are looking toward the future. Kate is eager to start a family and live out her dream of happily ever after with Jay. Evangeline craves a beautiful house and encourages Mike to pastor a big-town church. Victoria wants what can never be. And Lorena is growing up and wondering more and more about her birth family.

Each sister must learn to hold her plans with a loose hand, trusting that God will guide and strengthen them as they share the joys and sorrows of life in their little corner of the world.

My Review: I cried! After watching the Merritt sister grow up in the pervious two books of the Rosey Corners series, I feel like I know these girls. Now, the war has ended and the boys come home - well most of them. This book touched me in a deep way. Tears came to my eyes more than once during the reading of this novel. I would strongly suggest having a box of tissues ready before diving into this drama. Gabhart's story is easy to read and the characters live on in my mind. I do hope that there is another book in this series.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to readers of historical fiction who enjoy stories in the WWII era. I would suggest reading the first two books in the series first (Angel Sister and Small Town Girl).

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Book Review: Small Town Girl by Ann H Gabhart

Back Cover: How long can two people stand on the brink of love without plunging in headfirst?

In the autumn of 1941, rumors of war whisper through Rosey Corner. The town practically vibrates with apprehension, as if it is holding its breath. But for Kate Merritt, it seems life is letting out a prolonged sigh. As Kate watches her sister marry the man Kate has loved since she was fifteen, her heart is silently breaking. And even the attentions of Jay Tanner, the handsome best man, can't draw her interest.

Then suddenly, Pearl Harbor changes everything and Kate finds herself drawn to Jay in surprising ways. Could she truly be in love with him? And if he enlists, will she ever see him again?

In her gentle and textured style, Ann H. Gabhart tells a timeless story of love, sacrifice, and longing that will grip your heart and stir your spirit. Fans of Gabhart's Angel Sister will love seeing Kate Merritt all grown-up, as well as other characters they have come to love.

My Review: Small Town Girl continues the story that began with Angel Sister. It was fun to visit these characters again and see how they grew and matured between the end of the previous book and the start of this one. Once again we see Kate Merritt, but this time we start with her sisters wedding, and meeting the best man, Jay Tanner. He's a player, but before long Kate finds herself strangely attracted to him. With her new brother-in-law's warnings about Jay echoing in her ears, Kate has to decide what to do with her heart. Then Pearl Harbor is bombed, and the world is turned upside down. Kate is faced with the greatest challenges of her life. Will she learn to love, or will she allow misunderstands to separate her from happiness? You'll have to read to find out.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to readers who enjoy WWII era Christian fiction.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Book Review: Words Spoken True by Ann H Gabhart

Excerpt: "You planned this whole thing, didn't you?"

"Why, I'm sure I don't know what you could mean, Mr. Garrett, but of course I wanted Adriane to come. She writes such wonderful notices of my little benefits. You should really read them to get some pointers."

"That sounds like excellent advice," Blake said as he started to stand up. "And now if you'll excuse me, I'll get us something to drink."

"I'm not the least bit thirsty, Mr. Garrett, and I would think you'd enjoy meeting the competition." Mrs. Wigginham kept a firm hand on his arm to keep him from making his escape. "It is whispered that our sweet Adriane writes half of what appears in the Tribune. While that is shocking to be sure, it also makes her rather interesting, don't you think?" Mrs. Wigginham leveled her eyes on him as she went on without waiting for an answer. "Now do be a good boy and allow an old lady her fun." Words Spoken True, pg 52.

Back Cover: One woman stands ready to defend her newspaper . . . even if it means losing out on love

Adriane Darcy was practically raised in her father's newspaper offices. With ink in her veins, she can't imagine life without the clatter of the press and the push to be first to write the news that matters. Their Tribune is the leading paper in Louisville in 1855.

When Blake Garrett, a brash young editor from the North with a controversial new style of reporting, takes over a competing newspaper, the battle for readers gets fierce. After Adriane and Blake meet at a benefit, their surprising mutual attraction is hard to ignore. Still, Blake is the enemy, and Adriane is engaged to the son of a powerful businessman who holds the keys to the Tribune's future. Blake will stop at almost nothing to get the story--and the girl.

Set against the volatile backdrop of political and civil unrest in 1850s Louisville, this exciting story of love and loyalty will hold you in its grip until the very last page.
My Review: Feisty, intelligent and completely unconventional. I liked Adriane Darcy from the first page and liked her more and more as the story progressed. The scenes and events that Ann Gabhart portrays in this book are fascinating. There is danger, intrigue and mystery around every corner. And there is always the race to see who will get the best headline for the next day's paper. The love element in the story was beautifully done, though a little surprising for Christian fiction since it went further than a lot of stories in this genre do. Still it was tasteful. I'm glad that I had an opportunity to read this book.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to readers of historical fiction.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Book Review: Angel Sister by Ann H. Gabhart

Excerpt: Nadine Merritt heard her husband step up on the porch. She'd been staring into the dark waiting for that sound for hours. One minute she would send up impassioned prayers that he'd make it home safely, and the next she would berate herself for not turning over, going to sleep, and leaving him to his just deserts. Victor was a grown man. He made his own choices. She couldn't make them for him. The trouble was, he wasn't the only one who had to live with the choices he made. They all did. Not just Nadine, but the girls too. Angel Sister, pg 15.

Back Cover: Its 1936 and Kate Merritt works hard to keep her family together. Her father has slipped into alcoholism, her mother is trying to come to grips with their dire financial situation, and her sisters seem to remain blissfully oblivious to all of it. Kate could never have imagined that a dirty, abandoned little girl name Lorena Birdsong would be just what her family needs.

In this richly textured novel, award-winning author Ann H. Gabhart reveals the power of true love, the freedom of forgiveness, and the strength to persevere through troubled times, all against the backdrop of a sultry Kentucky summer.

My Review: It is amazing the things that can change the course of a person's life. At times it is unfathomable to understand how addictions can take a good man down the road of destruction. This is the story of two people who have never been able to live up to the expectations of their fathers. It is a story of overcoming the difficulties that we face everyday. It is a story of love and forgiveness, and mostly of second chances. It is the story of how one girl changed the lives of everyone that she met, and she might even change your life too.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Book Review: The Seeker by Ann Gabhart

"'But, Edwin,' she interrupted him. 'We are to wed next month.'

He did have the grace to look uncomfortable, but he didn't back away from her. 'That was more your decision than mine, Charlotte. While I regret disappointing you, Elder Logan assures me a man should not allow himself to be pulled into an unwanted and sinful union simply to avoid a bit of embarrassment. Not when his eternal salvation is at stake.'

'Marriage is not sinful,' Charlotte said. 'I fear you have been listening to bad advice from those who simply want to gather your land in with theirs.'" The Seeker, pg 16.

Charlotte Vance has her whole life planned out. She will marry Edwin Gilbey and thus combine their two great properties. It would not be a marriage of love, but Charlotte is determined that is the way things are going to be. That is, till Edwin comes up with an idea of his own - to join the Shakers. Charlotte's world crashes down around her with her father's surprise marriage, the crumbling of her own dreams, and the arrival of an artist named Adam Wade. Will Charlotte have the courage to do the unexpected? Will she lose her beloved home to her stepmother's schemes? Can she save her "people" from being sold down river? Will she ever be able to sort out her feelings about the Shakers, Edwin and Adam?

Ann Gabhart takes us into the heart of Kentucky as it teeters on the edge of the Civil War. This story gives an interesting look at the war and the life of the peaceful Shakers and their strange doctrine. Personally, I was a little disappointed in this story. It didn't grab me the way that some other books do. Still, if you like Amish fiction, you will probably enjoy The Seeker.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.