Month: March 2013

About

Winter Reeves is an aristocratic Patriot forced to hide her heart amid the Loyalists of the City of New York. She has learned to keep her ears open so she can pass information on British movements to Robbie Townsend, her childhood friend, and his spy ring. If she’s caught, if she’s hung for espionage…well, she won’t be. Robbie has taught her the tools of the trade: the wonders of invisible ink, drop locations and, most importantly, a good cover.

Bennet Lane returns to New York from his Yale professorship with one goal: to find General Washington’s spy hidden among the ranks of the elite. Searching for a wife was supposed to be nothing more than a convenient cover story for his mission, but when he meets Winter, with her too-intelligent eyes in her too-blank face, he finds a mystery that can’t be ignored.

Both believers…and both committed to a separate cause. Will their faith in God lead them to a shared destiny or lives lived apart?

Review

I found this book to be lovely and engaging. I so adored Bennet. He’s kind of the antithesis of what a hero should be and yet so heroic. He was hands down my favorite character in the book and I enjoyed reading through his eyes. I also liked Winter. There were moments when she was borderline annoying, but just when I thought I wouldn’t like her, she would go and do something to change my opinion. I found their relationship to be intriguing and I kept wondering how they were going to finally get together. I enjoyed the backdrop of the revolutionary war. I felt like I learned about history without being taught a history lesson. Spiritually, I love how Winter was so prayerful and how the novel showed the importance and power of prayer and how God is always speaking to us. Great book. Looking forward to the next one! Highly Recommended!

About

Molly Lovelace dreams of being a society leader in 1879 Lockhart, Texas, but being smitten with handsome wrangler Bailey Garner doesn’t seem the quickest route. If only he would settle down so he could support a family.

Bailey imagines doing great things for God, but his greatest obstacle is Molly. As long as he thought they’d be married, he excused their stolen kisses, but when she keeps refusing, he vows to earn her love. In town, he tries his hand at several different trades, but everywhere he turns he runs into the mysterious stranger Edward Pierrepont. No surprise that Molly’s always making calf eyes at the wealthy adventurer.

As pressure from Molly’s parents grows she is forced into a hasty decision. Had she weighed all her options and will she find love in the balance?

Review

This book presented a different take to the romance novel because it already starts with the heroine in love with someone. I found it to be an interesting way to begin a novel and I was curious as to where it was going. When I figured it out, I wasn’t completely thrilled, but the writing is such that you want to turn the pages. Character-wise I just loved Bailey, faults and all. Personally, I never really considered him to have any. The guy was just human. And he was easy to like, fun to read about, and I thought a character who was fairly rock steady. Molly, on the other hand, was hard to read. She probably makes the most growth in this novel and really, the author did a fabulous job with her development, but the choices she made often irritated me. I realize they had to be made in order to hone in on the point of this novel, but it wasn’t quite what I like to read. Spiritually, I love the theme of redemption and forgiveness which was beautifully done in this book. This was a unique book and really not a bad novel, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

**I received this novel from Netgalley. My opinion was not affected in any way.**

About

Recently widowed Annalisa Werner has the feeling her husband was murdered but can’t prove it. Alone with her young daughter in 1881 Michigan, she has six months left to finish raising the money needed to pay back the land contract her husband purchased, and the land is difficult to toil by herself. She needs a husband. With unmarried men scarce, her father sends a letter to his brother in the Old Country, asking him to find Annalisa a groom.

For nobleman Carl von Reichart, the blade of the guillotine is his fate. He’s been accused and convicted of a serious crime he didn’t commit, and his only escape is to flee to a small German community in Michigan where he’ll be safe. He secures a job on Annalisa’s farm but bumbles through learning about farming and manual labor.

Annalisa senses that Carl is harboring a secret about his past, yet she finds herself drawn to him anyway. He’s gentle, kind, and romantic–unlike any of the men she’s ever known. He begins to restore her faith in the ability to love–but her true groom is still on his way. And time is running out on them all.

Review

Let me just begin by saying that Ms. Hedlund has some of the best premises. A mail-order groom? Sounds odd, but totally works in this novel (though its a bit more complicated than that). Also, I love the way the author throws herself into the story. The story reads as though its realistic, never once, was I jarred by anything in the novel and Annalisa read like a woman of her times. Her development throughout the book made complete sense and I did not find her to be annoying in any way. Carl, though, was probably my favorite. What a hero. He’s funny, he’s kind,and even though there is a bit of deception going on in this book, I never felt let down by his character. The story is not complex, but the romance was lovely and worth every page. Spiritually, Annalisa has to come to the recognition that she is important to God, he hasn’t forgotten her. Great read. Recommended!

**I received this novel courtesy of Netgalley. My opinion was not affected in any way.**