Book Review: Mothering from Scratch by Melinda Means and Kathy Helgemo

Back Cover: Find Your Own Mothering Style

Trying to follow someone else's rules for mothering can take the joy out of being a parent. But Mothering From Scratch shows you how to develop your own style that helps you be the best mom for your kids.

Full of solid biblical truth, this book will help you

• explore your personality and examine your strengths and weaknesses in order to find what works for you
• tap into the resources surrounding you and get mentoring and support from other moms
• push past the fear of change or doing it wrong and allow room for grace in your mothering

Melinda Means and Kathy Helgemo provide a flexible, customizable approach to help you discover your optimal parenting style.

My Review: Being a mom is hard enough without trying to live up to everyone else's unspoken rules for parenting. When I got married, I wanted to be the ultimate homemaker but I soon discovered that I hate sewing and detest cooking. I had to find the style of homemaking that fit my strengths and my family. Almost seven years later, I'm still figuring out what that means. When I was first pregnant, I had images of how motherhood would work for me. I knew my strengths as a teacher and my love for toddler and older children. I was unprepared for the child God gave me. My son has the makings of a great leader. He is driven, stubborn, and almost too intelligent. He has stretched me in ways that I didn't know were possible. More often than not, I've wondered how I would ever survive this thing called motherhood without damaging the precious child I've been entrusted with.

Reading Mothering from Scratch gave me a glimpse into why I often feel over my head. When I try to run my home by following someone else's set of rules, I'm left completely defeated and all the joy gets sucked out of life. When I'm too busy, distracted, or overwhelemed to nourish my soul with the Word of God, I have nothing left to nourish the relationships my family. Mothering from Scratch isn't going to tell you how to raise your children or run your household, but it is going to show you how you can embrace your strengths and find the structure and "rules" that work for your family. Over and over I saw myself in the pages of this book. I've been through the struggles. I've felt the pressure to do more, preform better, and be what I perceive other mothers to be. The truth is, none of us are perfect. What we see on Facebook is often only the good times in other people's lives. Everyone struggles, but we don't have to be overcome with the struggles we are facing. There is hope that each one of us can be the best mom that we can be. But that will only happen when we stop trying to live our lives following another woman's blueprint. I'm learning to embrace my strengths and weaknesses. You can too.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to every Christian woman struggling silently with her role as a mother.

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

Book Review: Like a Flower in Bloom by Siri Mitchell

Back Cover: He Stole the Work She Loved.
Will She Let Him Steal Her Heart as Well?

It's all her uncle's fault. For years Charlotte Withersby has been free to pursue her love of plants and flowers by assisting her botanist father. But now that she's reached the old age of twenty-two, an intrusive uncle has convinced her father that Charlotte's future--the only proper future for a woman--is to be a wife and mother, not a scholar.

Her father is so dependent on her assistance that Charlotte believes he'll soon change his mind...and then Edward Trimble shows up. A long-time botany correspondent in the South Pacific, Trimble arrives ready to step in as assistant so that Charlotte can step out into proper society--a world that baffles her with its unwritten rules, inexplicable expectations, and confounding fashion.

Things aren't perfectly smooth between Trimble and her father, so Charlotte hatches a last gasp plan. She'll pretend such an interest in marriage that the thought of losing her will make her father welcome her back. Only things go quickly awry, and she realizes that the one man who recognizes her intelligence is also the person she's most angry with: Edward Trimble, her supposed rival. Suddenly juggling more suitors than she knows what to do with, Charlotte is caught in a trap of her own making. Will she have no choice but to leave her beloved flowers behind?

My Review: The voice of the main character comes out so clearly through this book. I love how Charlotte has no clue about social niceties and is blissfully unaware of her penchant for getting herself into awkward situations. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing 1850's English country society seen though her eyes. Filled with humor and social faux pas, this book also causes one to think about what a person should be willing to give up in order to live up to society's expectations. Charlotte loves her work with flowers. Botany is in her blood and she can't imagine a world without rambles, illustrations, and writing about plants. Unfortunately, in that day science was not considered a worthy pursuit for a woman. Mitchell did a fantastic job taking us on a journey with Charlotte as she discovers she is stronger than she knows and can bloom better when she embraces who she really is. Of course, it means she has to be frankly honest with everyone, including the man she's come to love.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to readers of historical romance and fans of Siri Mitchell.

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

Book Review: Love Unexpected by Jody Hedlund

Back Cover: 1859
Presque Isle, Michigan

What Is the Secret That Could Shipwreck Both of Their Lives?

All Emma Chambers ever wanted was a home, but when her steamboat sinks just outside Presque Isle, she's left destitute and with no place to stay.
An unlikely solution arises when the lighthouse keeper arrives in town. He's just lost his wife and is having a difficult time caring for his child. So a traveling preacher gets the idea that the keeper and Emma might be the answer to each other's dilemma. After a hasty marriage, she finds herself heading to the lighthouse with this handsome but quiet stranger. Nothing in her aimless life, though, has prepared her for parenting a rambunctious toddler, as well as managing a household.

Emma soon suspects Patrick may be hiding something from her, and then she hears a disturbing rumor about the circumstances surrounding his late wife's death. It seems as if her wish for a home and family of her own could end up leading her once more into turbulent waters.
My Review: Who could put down a book that starts with pirates, a near death experience, and a marriage to a complete stranger? I couldn't. This novel is a fantastic start to Jody Hedlund's new Beacons of Hope series. I loved the threads of redemption, forgiveness, and second chances woven through the narrative. Little Josiah (the toddler in the novel) was a delightful and challenging addition to the tale. Having a young child of my own, I could identify with Emma's frustration and fear as she responded to his tantrums and antics. After reading this book I want to take a tour of the lighthouses on the Michigan coast. Perhaps I can talk my husband into it one of these days.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to readers of historical romance, lovers of Michigan history, and fans of Jody Hedlund.

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

Book Review: A Most Inconvenient Marriage by Regina Jennings

Back Cover: Abigail Stuart Thought She was Jeremiah Calhoun's Widow.
But Jeremiah Calhoun Is Very Handsome, Very Alive, and Very Perplexed.
Most Inconvenient Indeed.

With few options of her own, nurse Abigail Stuart agrees to marry her patient, a gravely wounded soldier calling himself Jeremiah Calhoun. They arrange a quick ceremony before he dies, giving Abigail the rights to his Ozark farm and giving Jeremiah the peace of knowing someone will care for his ailing sister after he's gone--a practical solution for both of them.

After the war, Abigail fulfills her side of the bargain--until the real Jeremiah Calhoun shows up, injured but definitely alive, and wastes no time in challenging Abigail's story. Abigail is flummoxed. After months of claiming to be his widow, how can she explain that she's never seen this Jeremiah Calhoun before? How can she convince him that she isn't trying to steal his farm? And will she find a way to stay, even though this practical arrangement has turned into a most inconvenient marriage?

My Review: This book is brimming with trouble. Jennings captured some of the confusion of post civil war Missouri. It was enjoyable seeing how she got her characters out of the terrible predicament she put them into a the beginning of the book. This book is full of frustratingly funny instances. The children living near the Calhoun farm are a hoot and are constantly keeping everyone on their toes. I was frustrated at the number of times Jeremiah changes his mind about who he's going to marry. Honestly, I'm not sure I would have stuck around for his contradictory behavior. At the same time, sometimes the things we think we want are not the things we really need, as the character discover throughout the story.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this novel to readers of historical romance.

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

Book Review: The Secret of Pembrooke Park by Julie Klassen

Back Cover: Abigail Foster is the practical daughter. She fears she will end up a spinster, especially as she has little dowry, and the one man she thought might marry her seems to have fallen for her younger, prettier sister.

Facing financial ruin, Abigail and her father search for more affordable lodgings, until a strange solicitor arrives with an astounding offer: the use of a distant manor house abandoned for eighteen years. The Fosters journey to imposing Pembrooke Park and are startled to find it entombed as it was abruptly left: tea cups encrusted with dry tea, moth-eaten clothes in wardrobes, a doll's house left mid-play...
The handsome local curate welcomes them, but though he and his family seem acquainted with the manor's past, the only information they offer is a stern warning: Beware trespassers drawn by rumors that Pembrooke Park contains a secret room filled with treasure.

This catches Abigail's attention. Hoping to restore her family's finances--and her dowry--Abigail looks for this supposed treasure. But eerie sounds at night and footprints in the dust reveal she isn't the only one secretly searching the house.

Then Abigail begins receiving anonymous letters, containing clues about the hidden room and startling discoveries about the past.

As old friends and new foes come calling at Pembrooke Park, secrets come to light. Will Abigail find the treasure and love she seeks...or very real danger?

My Review: I am a huge fan of Julie Klassen's novels. The Secret of Pembrooke Park is a great story of mystery, family, and forgiveness. Of course, Klassen also wove in a very sweet love story. Pembrooke Park is shrouded in secrets and my desire to find the treasure kept me turing pages. At times, I was as frustrated as Abigail because it seemed that the answers were within reach only to have some roadblock keep us from full disclosure and discovery. I will admit, I correctly guessed where the story was going before the end arrived, but I was still eager to finish the tale and discover if I was correct. I was delighted with the one element that caught me by surprise. Klassen is a master architect when it comes to writing novels set in 1800's England. If you haven't read her books, you have missed some amazing novels, and The Secret of Pembrooke Park is no exception.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to fans of Julie Klassen and Jane Austen.

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

Book Review: The Patmos Deception by Davis Bunn

Back Cover: An Ancient Island Holds an Ancient Secret . . .

Nick Hennessy, a young Texas journalist yearning for his big break, finds himself in Europe--his assignment, to investigate the alarming disappearance of invaluable Grecian antiquities. Nick has the credentials--and cover ID--to unearth the truth. And he knows just the researcher to help him...

Carey Mathers, fresh from her studies in forensic archeology, has accepted a job with the prestigious Athens Institute for Antiquities--a dream come true, really, particularly when the Greek isle of Patmos, where the Apostle John received his vision of the Apocalypse, was a particular focus of her research.

Dimitri Rubinos, for whom the Greek islands represent his life, holds on by his fingernails to the family charter boat business. But his country's economic chaos isn't the only thing that has turned his world on its head...

My Review: Once again Davis Bunn delivers a novel full of suspense, mystery and intrigue. I could not put this book down. From the moment Carey landed in Greece and discovered there was no promised job, I was hooked. As the story unfolded more questions begged to be answered. I love the way Bunn weaves interesting historical facts into the narrative. I have an urge to visit Greece and see the beautiful places described between the pages. I do hope Bunn writes more books about these characters and the other ancient texts they will help preserve.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I highly recommend this novel to readers of romantic suspense, lovers of international intrigue, and students of ancient Christian history.

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

Book Review: Playing by Heart by Anne Mateer

Back Cover: Lula Bowman has finally achieved her dream: a teaching position and a scholarship to continue her college education in mathematics. But then a shocking phone call from her sister, Jewel, changes everything.

With a heavy heart, Lula returns to her Oklahoma hometown to do right by her sister, but the only teaching job available in Dunn is combination music instructor/basketball coach. Lula doesn't even consider those real subjects!

Determined to prove herself, Lula commits to covering the job for the rest of the school year. Reluctantly, she turns to the boys' coach, Chet, to learn the newfangled game of basketball. Chet is handsome and single, but Lula has no plans to fall for a local boy. She's returning to college and her scholarship as soon as she gets Jewel back on her feet.

However, the more time she spends around Jewel's family, the girls' basketball team, music classes, and Chet, the more Lula comes to realize what she's given up in her single-minded pursuit of degree after degree. God is working on her heart, and her future is starting to look a lot different than she'd expected.

My Review: This book provides an interesting mix of mathematics, music, and basketball at the start of the 1900s. The thing I enjoyed most about this story is how the main character, Lula, had to come to understand what she wanted for her life, not just what other people want for her life. Lula is so afraid of becoming the person she's been teased about - the flakey girl who flits from activity to activity without finishing anything she started. But she's bound to disappoint someone when her father's dream for her to become the first woman PhD in Oklahoma collides with her siblings' desire for her to help care for her sister's family after the brother-in-law dies unexpectedly. As Lula works to care for others, she is able to hear the promptings of her own heart.

My Rating:

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

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

Book Review: Tried and True by Mary Connealy

Back Cover: Saddle up for a wildly fun ride with the Wilde sisters!

Kylie Wilde is the youngest sister--and the most civilized. Her older sisters might be happy dressing in trousers and posing as men, but Kylie has grown her hair long and wears skirts every chance she gets. It's a risk--they are homesteading using the special exemptions they earned serving in the Civil War as "boys"--but Kylie plans to make the most of the years before she can sell her property and return to the luxuries of life back East.

Local land agent Aaron Masterson is fascinated with Kylie from the moment her long hair falls from her cap. But now that he knows her secret, can he in good conscience defraud the U.S. government? And when someone tries to force Kylie off her land, does he have any hope of convincing her that marrying him and settling on the frontier is the better option for her future?

My Review: I love the Wilde sisters! The antics of these three women are a hoot. Tried and True is the story of Kylie Wilde, the youngest of the three girls. Like her sisters, she pretends to be a man to claim her homesteader exemption for her service in the Civil War. Kylie is such a fun character to read about. She's the girlies of the sisters and I can't help but wonder how she survived her time during the war. The poor girl starts the story almost killing herself trying to fix her roof and her adventures just compound from there. This novel is a humorous and delightful read. I can't wait to read the next books in this series. From what I've learned of Kylie's sisters, I know I'll enjoy their stories as much as I did hers.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I highly recommend this book to readers of historical fiction set in the West.

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

Book Review: Captured by Love by Jody Hedlund

Back Cover: Michigan Territory, 1814

A voyageur and a young woman swept up in a time of upheaval and danger discover firsthand the high price of freedom.

The British Army has taken control of Michilimackinac Island and its fort, forcing the Americans to swear an oath of loyalty to the crown in order to retain their land. Pierre Durant is a fur trader who returns after being away from the island for years, only to find the family farm a shambles and those he cares about starving and at the mercy of British invaders.

Torn between the adventurous life of fur trading and guilt over neglecting his defenseless mother, Pierre is drawn deeper into the fight against the British--and into a relationship with Angelique MacKenzie, a childhood friend who's grown into a beautiful woman. She now finds herself trapped by the circumstances of war and poverty, and the cruelty of her guardian, Ebenezer Whiley.

As tensions mount and the violence rages on, Pierre and Angelique must decide where their loyalties rest and how much they'll risk for love.

My Review: Reading Hedlund's fiction is like stepping right into the past. As a Michigan born girl, I enjoy Hedlund's novels due to their connection with my home state. The premise of Captured by Love drew my attention. Like many of my fellow Michiganders, I have been to Mackinac Island many times. I've visited the fort on the hill and peered into the Black Hole. I loved the way this novel brought the history of the island to life. After reading this book, I want to visit the island again and relive this tale. I am very interested in reading Jody's next series about the Michigan light houses.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to fans of Jody Hedlund and readers of historical fiction.

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

Book Review: Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer

Back Cover: When love simmers between a reclusive scientist and a wealthy debutante, will they abandon ship or is it full steam ahead?

Nicole Renard returns home to Galveston, Texas, to find her father deathly ill. Though she loves him, Nicole's father has always focused on what she's not. Not male. Not married. Not able to run Renard Shipping.

Vowing to find a suitable husband to give her father the heir he desires before it's too late, Nicole sets out with the Renard family's greatest treasure as her dowry: the highly coveted Lafitte Dagger. But her father's rivals come after the dagger, forcing a change in Nicole's plans.

After a boiler explosion aboard the Louisiana nearly took his life, Darius Thornton has been a man obsessed. He will do anything to stop even one more steamship disaster. Even if it means letting a female secretary into his secluded world.

Nicole is determined not to let her odd employer scare her off with his explosive experiments, yet when respect and mutual attraction grow between them, a new fear arises. How can she acquire an heir for her father when her heart belongs to another? And when her father's rivals discover her hiding place, will she have to choose between that love and her family's legacy?

My Review: Karen Witemeyer is my go-to author for historical romance. I love her novels and Full Steam Ahead is a great example. Witemeyer's characters are wonderfully complex and believably flawed. Where else will you find a knife throwing debutant working for a reclusive scientist haunted by nightmares? The chemistry between the two leaves little doubt on what they feel for each other, but both have other concerns that keep their hearts in check. I devoured this novel in a single day (not an easy feat as a mother of a two-year-old bent on world domination). I love the little surprises that pop up in the pages. Just when I think I have the characters figured out, they do something unexpected (but completely believable.) I can not wait for Witemeyer's next book to come out.

My Rating:

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

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

Book Review: For Such a Time by Kate Breslin

Back Cover: Powerful Retelling of the Story of Esther

In 1944, blonde and blue-eyed Jewess Hadassah Benjamin feels abandoned by God when she is saved from a firing squad only to be handed over to a new enemy. Pressed into service by SS-Kommandant Colonel Aric von Schmidt at the transit camp of Theresienstadt in Czechoslovakia, she is able to hide behind the false identity of Stella Muller. However, in order to survive and maintain her cover as Aric's secretary, she is forced to stand by as her own people are sent to Auschwitz.

Suspecting her employer is a man of hidden depths and sympathies, Stella cautiously appeals to him on behalf of those in the camp. Aric's compassion gives her hope, and she finds herself battling a growing attraction for this man she knows she should despise as an enemy.

Stella pours herself into her efforts to keep even some of the camp's prisoners safe, but she risks the revelation of her true identity with every attempt. When her bravery brings her to the point of the ultimate sacrifice, she has only her faith to lean upon. Perhaps God has placed her there for such a time as this, but how can she save her people when she is unable to save herself?

My Review: This novel gripped me in a way that I did not expect. I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling of the story of Esther - on of my favorite characters in the Bible. Often, retellings stay so close to the Biblical account that they are completely predictable, but this story kept me flipping pages. I feared for the characters. I had to know what was going to happen to them. The plight of the Jews during WWII has had a profound impact on my understanding of that war. I think Breslin did an excellent job showing what life was like for them and the difficult decisions that the leaders of the ghettos were forced to make. Honestly, I wish that the events in this novel were true, instead of fiction. I don't want to give away the end of the story, but I wish there had been an Aric von Schmidt leading a transit camp. This novel is powerful, and I am sure to be thinking about this book for a long time to come.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to readers of historical fiction, especially those who enjoy stories set during WWII.

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

Book Review: Shadow Hand by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Back Cover: This is a story about blood.
And love.
And the many things that lie between.

By her father's wish, Lady Daylily is betrothed to the Prince of Southlands. Not the prince she loves, handsome and dispossessed Lionheart, but his cousin, the awkward and foolish Prince Foxbrush. As her wedding day dawns, Daylily flees into the dangerous Wilderlands, her only desire to vanish from living memory.

But Foxbrush, determined to rescue his betrothed, pursues Daylily into a new world of magic and peril, a world where vicious Faerie beasts hold sway, a world invaded by a lethal parasite.

A world that is hauntingly familiar.

My Review: I have enjoyed each addition to Stengl's Tales of Goldstone Wood series. These books take the reader on epic adventures where good and evil collide. Without fail, these tales leave me turning the pages, eager to discover where the twisted plots will lead. Shadow Hand is no exception. This story mixes history with the present world in an unexpected way. While I enjoyed the story, I can only give this book four out of five stars because I never connected with the sniveling Foxbrush. His hero status was a bit too fantastic for complete enjoyment. Still, I was satisfied with the ending of this epic tale, and can't wait to read what Stengl has in store for us with her next book.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to readers of fantasy, but would highly suggest that you read the other books in the Tales of Goldstone Wood series first.

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

Book Review: Love Comes Calling by Siri Mitchell

Back Cover: A girl with the best of intentions. 
A heart set on Hollywood.
An empty pocketbook.

That's all it takes for Ellis Eton to find herself working as a telephone operator for a look-alike friend. For Ellis, this job will provide not only acting practice but the funds to get her a start in the movies. She's tired of always being a disappointment to her traditional Boston family, and though she can't deny the way he makes her head spin, she knows she's not good enough for Griffin Phillips, either. It's simple: avoid Griff's attentions, work, and get paid. But in typical Ellis fashion, her simple plan spirals out of control when she overhears a menacing phone call...with her very own Griff as the target.

With an endearing heroine as her lead, Siri Mitchell takes readers on a madcap tale of love and discovering one's true desires!

My Review: I have enjoyed Siri Mitchell's books in the past and was very excited to read this new release. However, a few pages in, I realized how difficult is was going to be to connect with the main character. Ellis Eton has ADHD. While it is interesting in one sense to see what it might be like in her mind, it also makes the book difficult to read. More often than not, I found myself shaking my head at the flighty behavior of the character. I couldn't trust anything she had to say. The story does have redeeming qualities. While Mitchell shows us what the mind of ADHD might look like, she also gives us a good example of realistic change in the character. The plot is full of twists and turns as Ellis tries to solve the mystery. The book followed Mitchell's easy to read, engaging style. Not everyone shares my disregard for flighty heroines.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to fans of Siri Mitchell and readers of historical romance.

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

Book Review: Death by the Book by Julianna Deering

Back Cover: WHEN THE VILLAGE OF FARTHERING ST. JOHN IS Stunned BY A SERIES OF MURDERS, DREW FARTHERING IS DRAWN again INTO THE SLEUTHING GAME.

Drew Farthering wanted nothing more than to end the summer of 1932 with the announcement of his engagement. Instead, he finds himself caught up in another mysterious case when the family solicitor is found murdered, an antique hatpin with a cryptic message, Advice to Jack, piercing his chest.

Evidence of secret meetings and a young girl's tearful confession point to the victim's double life, but what does the solicitor's murder have to do with the murder of a physician on the local golf course? Nothing, it would seem--except for another puzzling note, affixed with a similar-looking bloodied hatpin.

Soon the police make an arrest in connection with the murders, but Drew isn't at all certain they have the right suspect in custody. And why does his investigation seem to be drawing him closer and closer to home?

My Review: It all started with a note, written in a fancy hand, giving connections to Shakespeare, and stuck to a body by a hairpin. I was hooked and couldn't wait to read what was going to happen next. I pieced together the mystery along with Drew and tried to figure out the connection between the victims. I loved the twists and turns that the story brought and triumphed as I thought I solved the case, only to find out I'd been fooled again. In my mind, this book was going to receive a solid five star rating... that was until I reached the end. I can't express my disappointment with the ending of this book without giving spoilers, but suffice it to say, I wish that it had come together differently. Unfortunately, because the ending left me flat, I can only give this story four stars. Still, it is worth the read, because you may not agree with me about the ending.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to readers of mysteries and fans of Agetha Christie.

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

Book Review: A Draw of Kings by Patrick W. Carr

Back Cover: Dark Forces Have Gathered and the Final Battle for Illustra Has Begun

Their journey to Merakh should have made Errol and his companions heroes of the realm. Instead, they've been branded enemies of the kingdom.

In the wake of the king's death, Duke Weir is ruling the country--and he intends to marry Adora to bring an heir from the royal line. With Errol and the others imprisoned and the identity of the rightful heir to the throne still hidden in secrecy, Illustra is on the verge of civil war--and threatened by hostile forces gathering on every side.

A dangerous mission to free Errol is attempted, but the dangers facing the kingdom mount with every passing moment. The barrier has fallen, ferrals are swarming toward the land, and their enemies draw ever closer. Will the discovery of the true heir turn back the tide of Illustra's destruction?

My Review: Once again, Errol Stone and his friends are on a dangerous journey, but this time the fate of the entire kingdom rests in their success. A usurper has taken the throne, and everything may be lost. The spring is coming and with it the war that could destroy them all. This novel will suck you in and keep you turning pages long into the night. I stayed up until two in the morning, because I could not put the book down until I found out what happened. The pages are full of epic battle scenes and danger at every turn. You don't want to miss the exciting conclusion to this fun fantasy series.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to readers of the Staff & the Sword series and lovers of fantasy. I would suggest reading the first two books first, so this one makes sense.

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

Book Review: Wildwood Creek by Lisa Wingate

Back Cover: With love and loss tangled together, how was she to know where her life would lead?

Allie Kirkland has always heard the call of her father's unfinished destiny. When she's offered a production assistant's job on a docudrama filming in the hills near Moses Lake, Texas, the dream of following in her director-father's footsteps suddenly seems within reach. The reenactment of the legendary frontier settlement of Wildwood is a first step into the film industry. A summer on set in the wilderness is a small price to pay for a dream.

But in 1861, the real Wildwood held dangerous realities. Town founder Harland Delavan held helpless residents, including young Irish schoolteacher Bonnie Rose, in an iron grip. Mysterious disappearances led to myths and legends still retold in the region's folk songs. Eventually, the entire site was found abandoned.

When filming begins, strange connections surface between Allie and the teacher who disappeared over a century ago, and everyone in Wildwood--including Blake Fulton, Allie's handsome neighbor on the film set--seems to be hiding secrets. Allie doesn't know whom she can trust. If she can't find the answers in time, history may repeat itself...with the most unthinkable results.

My Review: Wildwood Creek is the forth of Lisa Wingate's books to take us to Moses Lake. Unlike the others in the series, I really feel that this book stands alone. While characters from other stories in the series do appear, a reader won't have to be familiar with these characters to understand what is happening in this novel. Wildwood Creek has a distinct feel to it. The story weaves two women's lives together though a century separates them. I loved the back and forth between the present day story and the historical narrative. While both stories are told in the first person, I found it interesting that the present day story was told in past tense, while the historical part was told in present tense. I think that really helped my mind separate the two stories, and yet it gave the historical piece an intimate feel. I must admit, this is my favorite book of the Moses Lake series.

My Rating:

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

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

Book Review: All Things Hidden by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse

Back Cover: Gwyn Hillerman loves being a nurse at her father's clinic on the beautiful Alaskan frontier. But family life has been rough ever since her mother left them, disdaining the uncivilized country and taking Gwyn's younger sister with her.

In Chicago, Dr. Jeremiah Vaughan finds his life suddenly turned upside down when his medical license is stripped away after an affluent patient dies. In a snowball effect, his fiance breaks their engagement. In an attempt to bury the past, Jeremiah accepts Dr. Hillerman's invitation to join his growing practice in the isolated Alaska Territory.

Gwyn and Jeremiah soon recognize a growing attraction to each other. But when rumors of Jeremiah's past begin to surface, they'll need more than love to face the threat of an uncertain future.

My Review: I was absolutely intrigued with the historical context of All Things Hidden. I've read a lot of historical novels, but I can't remember reading another book about depression era Alaska. The uniqueness of the time and place of the setting enhanced my enjoyment of the novel. The main character, Gwyn, is well developed and likable. While she isn't perfect, I was happy to accompany her through her story. I loved how the authors created tension between Gwyn and Jeremiah (the handsome young doctor running away from scandal in Chicago). Jeremiah has so much to lose. I held my breath most of the book waiting to see if the truth would set him free or if it would be the final condemnation to end all his dreams. I won't give away the outcome. In my opinion, this was a very enjoyable book, even if I didn't find the antagonist as believable as I would have liked.

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 Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Book Review: The Dancing Master by Julie Klassen

Back Cover: Finding himself the man of the family, London dancing master Alec Valcourt moves his mother and sister to remote Devonshire, hoping to start over. But he is stunned to learn the village matriarch has prohibited all dancing, for reasons buried deep in her past.

Alec finds an unlikely ally in the matriarch's daughter. Though he's initially wary of Julia Midwinter's reckless flirtation, he comes to realize her bold exterior disguises a vulnerable soul--and hidden sorrows of her own.

Julia is quickly attracted to the handsome dancing master--a man her mother would never approve of--but she cannot imagine why Mr. Valcourt would leave London, or why he evades questions about his past. With Alec's help, can Julia uncover old secrets and restore life to her somber village...and to her mother's tattered heart?

Filled with mystery and romance, The Dancing Master brings to life the intriguing profession of those who taught essential social graces for ladies and gentlemen hoping to make a "good match" in Regency England.

My Review: Julie Klassen never disappoints. I know, when I pick up one of her novels, I am in for a delightful trip to the past with characters that are deep and real. Klassen has no qualms about putting her characters in difficult situations. Alec Valcourt, The Dancing Master himself, is thrust into life in a small village. Little does he realize that dancing has been forbidden, by unwritten law, for the last two decades. With a new dance master in town, Lady Amelia Midwinter's old wounds of the past fester. Julia Midwinter would do anything to get away from her strict mother, but is she prepared for the truth that Lady Amelia has been hiding all these years? Will anyone come away unscathed?

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel of love and grace. I can't wait for Julie Klassen's next book.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this books to fans of Jane Austen and readers who love the historical era of Regency England.

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

Book Review: Unspoken by Dee Henderson

Back Cover: Charlotte Graham is at the center of the most famous kidnapping in Chicago history.

The task force of FBI and local cops found her two abductors, killed them, rescued her, but it took four very long years. The fact she was found less than three miles from her home, had been there the entire time, haunts them. She's changed her identity, found a profession she loves, and rebuilt her life.

She's never said a word--to the cops, to her doctors, to family--about those four years.

A family legacy has brought her back to Chicago where a reporter is writing a book about the kidnapping. The cops who worked the case are cooperating with him. Her options are limited: Hope the reporter doesn't find the full truth, or break her silence about what happened. And her silence is what has protected her family for years.

Bryce Bishop doesn't know her past, he only knows she has coins to sell from her grandfather's estate--and that the FBI director for the Chicago office made the introduction. The more he gets to know Charlotte, the more interested he becomes, an interest encouraged by those closest to her. But nothing else is working in his favor--she's decided she is single for life, she struggles with her faith, and she's willing to forego a huge inheritance to keep her privacy. She's not giving him much of an opening to work with.

Charlotte wants to trust him. She needs to tell him what happened. Because a crime cops thought was solved, has only opened another chapter...

My Review: I've become a fan of Dee Henderson in recent months. I've enjoyed her romantic suspense novels, and am looking forward to reading her previously published works. I was more than excited to hear that this novel was coming out. I expected an engaging tale full of danger and adventure. I was a little disappointed. The best part of the story, in my opinion, happened off the page and I had to hear about it second hand. Henderson was being true to her character by writing the scene this way, but I still felt short changed as a reader. On another note, if I ever wanted to collect coins, I don't any longer. I've had coin overload after this novel.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to fans of Dee Henderson and readers of romantic suspense.

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

Book Review: A Bride for Keeps by Melissa Jagears

Back Cover: Everett Cline will never humiliate himself by seeking a mail-order bride. Not again. He's already been jilted by three mail-order brides and figures a wife just isn't in his future. However, a well-meaning neighbor hasn't given up on seeing him settled, so she goes behind his back to bring yet another woman to town for him.

Julia Lockwood has never been anything more than a pretty pawn for her father or a business acquisition for her former fiance. A mail-order marriage in faraway Kansas is a last resort, but she'll do anything to leave her life in Massachusetts and the heartbreak she's experienced there.

Although Everett doesn't see how a beautiful, cultured woman like Julia could be happy sharing his simple life, he could really use a helpmate on his homestead. Determined to prove she's more than just a pretty face, Julia agrees to a marriage in name only. Faced with the harsh realities of life on the prairie and hesitant to explore the tentative feelings growing between them, can Everett and Julia ever let each other in long enough to fall in love?

My Review: I didn't know much about this book when it came up for review, but based on the back cover blurb, I decided to take a chance on it. I'm glad I did. This is a fun story with a twist on the mail-order bride theme. I enjoyed these characters and the situations that they get involved in. I love the meddling friend and how everything works out in the end, even though the main male character needs to have his head knocked in for being so stubborn. I'm looking forward to seeing what Jagears puts out next.

My Rating:

My Recommendation: I recommend this book to readers who like mail-order bride stories.

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