Proper English governess Eleanor Morgan flees to the colonies to escape the wrath of a brute of an employer. When the Charles Town family she’s to work for never arrives to collect her from the dock, she is forced to settle for the only reputable choice remaining to her—marriage to a man she’s never met. Trapper and tracker Samuel Heath is a hardened survivor used to getting his own way by brain or by brawn, and he’s determined to find a mother for his young daughter. But finding a wife proves to be impossible. No upstanding woman wants to marry a murderer.

Review

Ms. Griep is a bit of a hit or miss author for me. This was a hit.

What I liked:

The time period. There’s a lot of historical fiction out there, but not a whole lot that takes place prior to the American Revolution. I enjoyed the set up of Native Americans, endentured servants, and that push and pull between being British and being American.

The premise. It was the marriage of convenience storyline that made me want this book. They can be done really poorly, but I was a fan of the way this one was done. Mostly.

Culturally diversity. I am always a fan of cultural diversity and there is plenty of that here.

Eleanor and Samuel. I liked both of them. I will admit that I could see why Eleanor fell for Samuel, but not so much why Samuel fell for Eleanor. That said, I did enjoy the fact that when certain secrets were revealed, they chose to work together as a team as opposed to accusing each other. I liked experiencing this world through the eyes of proper Eleanor and experiencing the world through the eyes of a man of that world.

Spiritually, both characters have a relationship with Christ and learn to walk out their faith in difficult circumstances.

What I didn’t like:

99% of the ‘problems’ that the main characters faced was due to lack of communication. I realize it wouldn’t be common in those days for husbands to share everything with their wives, but still, so many things could have been avoided.

Romantic scale: 8

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It wasn’t perfect, but it was still really good.

**I received a copy of this novel from Netgalley. My opinion was not affected in anyway.**

 

It’s that time of year where old and new shows alike return to TV. I realize that there are TV programs on in the summer, but the only thing I watch in the summer is food shows…so….yeah. Here’s a quick rundown of what I’m watching this season:

I randomly stumbled across this series on Amazon because I was having Downton Abbey withdrawals. So.Good. And also: Aiden Turner.

My ‘guilty’ pleasure would be DWTS:

Go ahead. Judge me. I never miss an episode.

Next up:

I started it because I was hearing good things and…superhero. I stayed because of the romance. Watch it! I’m not going to say anything else.

What’s new?

Maybe. I liked the pilot and Kiefer Sutherland. The jury is still out….

What show have I been watching faithfully, but might give up?

The ending of last season? Just annoying.

So, what are you watching?

Former bad girl Katie Stone can feel the weight of her reputation settle over her as she drives home for the first time in years. Feeling deeply guilty about her past mistakes, Katie wants to do the right thing for once. But the small town where she grew up is not nearly as forgiving as she’d hoped. Despite it all, she’s determined to help her parents cope with her mother’s recent illness, and Katie finds a surprise ally in the man next door.

Asher Powell never minded being the son of a small-town pastor until a recent breakup leaves him wounded by lifelong members of his church. He remembers his new neighbor as a mean-spirited high school troublemaker, but he senses that her newfound faith and desire for forgiveness are sincere.

Through an unexpected friendship, two people from different worlds find peace, hope, and a second chance they never dreamed was possible.

Review

Tammy L. Gray is hands down one of my absolute favorite contemporary romance novelists because she manages to deal with the times and write solid storylines.

What I liked about this book:

Um….Everything.

I loved the premise of Katie coming back home, learning how to walk out her faith, and still being forced to confront the past. She is placed in some tight positions, but she managed to make me like her more each time.There were secrets in this book (which I usually really can’t stand), except they were handled so well.

I also loved that Asher Powell, who is essentially the guy who has been saved since he was little, was going through a crisis of his own. It worked in the sense that he wasn’t too perfect for Katie. He was flawed, but those flaws only served to make him a stronger hero. I liked that he’s a nerdy, has a great relationship with his parents…and kind. Kate and Asher still have their problems, but they work through them. Together.

Spiritually, the book deals with several topics, but forgiveness is the main issue. It’s interwoven so nicely, it doesn’t feel like it’s done with a heavy-hand. There was also this sub-theme of no one can fix you but Jesus. So often secular romance novels act like one person can make another person whole and “fix’ them. Two broken people do not make a whole person.

Romantic scale: 9

Overall, I loved this book. The main characters faced problems, but nothing was drawn out. At no times did I feel like the author was creating drama for the sake of drama.

So

Lady Sabine is harboring a skin blemish, one, that if revealed, could cause her to be branded as a witch, put her life in danger, and damage her chances of making a good marriage. After all, what nobleman would want to marry a woman so flawed?

 

Sir Bennet is returning home to protect his family from an imminent attack by neighboring lords who seek repayment of debts. Without fortune or means to pay those debts, Sir Bennet realizes his only option is to make a marriage match with a wealthy noblewoman. As a man of honor, he loathes the idea of courting a woman for her money, but with time running out for his family’s safety, what other choice does he have?

 

As Lady Sabine and Sir Bennet are thrust together under dangerous circumstances, will they both be able to learn to trust each other enough to share their deepest secrets? Or will those secrets ultimately lead to their demise?

As elegant as the Sacramento residence she operates, Isabelle Labrie keeps her past concealed, like the treasure she hides under the Golden Hotel. It’s 1853, the heyday of the California Gold Rush. Isabelle is full of hope, staking her claim on the city’s refined clientele and her future on a sweetheart’s promise to marry her when he returns from the gold fields. Then, unexpected guests—fugitive slaves seeking safe passage to the North—force her to confront her past and reconsider her path.

While Isabelle learns to trust God’s provisions, a law student in Virginia must confront his father’s cruelty and rescue a young slave from his family’s tobacco plantation. As the two escape to freedom, and Isabelle risks everything to harbor runaway slaves, the past and present are set on an inevitable collision course—one that reveals hidden treasures of the heart.

A beautiful woman stands by the side of the road, barefoot and bleeding, a child in her arms. Someone just tried to kill her, but she wouldn’t recognize him if she saw his face. She doesn’t even remember her own name.

A suburban cop surveys a kitchen in disarray—a woman and child missing, a chilling note. This crime scene is unlike any he has ever seen.

The man who calls himself Gideon waits and plans. He sees himself as a destroyer of evil, one who rids the world of abominations. He has already killed five. He will kill again.

And somewhere in the wilderness, in a secret geocache near where the wild swans gather, lies the unspeakable clue that links them all together.

Michigan’s rugged and beautiful Upper Peninsula is the setting for this absorbing tale of love and loss, beauty and terror, grievous sins and second chances. A deftly woven thriller from the bestselling author of the Rock Harbor novels.

Everyone has a plan, until life crashes in

Raleigh Harmon earned a brazen reputation during her years with the FBI. Now, having parted ways with the Bureau, she hopes to rebuild some of those broken relationships—including a new romance with alpha-male agent Jack Stephanson.

That’s the plan …

But when a dead body literally crosses her path in the mountains of Washington state, Raleigh’s forced to choose between her personal life and her forensic skills to track a killer–a killer unlike any she’s ever encountered, and a murder with clues that don’t add up.

When she realizes the killer will strike again, Raleigh knows the only way to stop another murder is to put herself at the top of the killer’s list.

With innocent lives on the line, and the FBI watching her every move, can Raleigh save another innocent girl from a gruesome end–or will she only wind up with more regrets, and literal dead ends?

Lots to look forward to!

Geesje de Jonge crossed the ocean at age seventeen with her parents and a small group of immigrants from the Netherlands to settle in the Michigan wilderness. Fifty years later, in 1897, she’s asked to write a memoir of her early experiences as the town celebrates its anniversary. Reluctant at first, she soon uncovers memories and emotions hidden all these years, including the story of her one true love.

At the nearby Hotel Ottawa Resort on the shore of Lake Michigan, twenty-three-year-old Anna Nicholson is trying to ease the pain of a broken engagement to a wealthy Chicago banker. But her time of introspection is disturbed after a violent storm aboard a steamship stirs up memories of a childhood nightmare. As more memories and dreams surface, Anna begins to question who she is and whether she wants to return to her wealthy life in Chicago. When she befriends a young seminary student who is working at the hotel for the summer, she finds herself asking him all the questions that have been troubling her.

Neither Geesje nor Anna, who are different in every possible way, can foresee the life-altering surprises awaiting them before the summer ends.

Review

Lynn Austin is a dicey author for me. There are some books of hers I absolutely love. I have read and reread and recommended and still think about some of her books. And there are one or two I try to actively forget I ever looked at. This was, unfortunately, one of those.

What I liked about the book:

Ms. Austin manages to weave not only history throughout the book in an effortless way, but an entire culture. It never feels forced or fake (at least no on my end) when she talks about Dutch history.

Anna and Derk have some real issues that they must deal with that show how difficult it can be to make a decision for God sometimes. To compromise or not to compromise….I thought the author did a fantastic job of setting up the problems and how to face them.

There’s a little mystery of who Anna is. While you figure it out rather soon, it was still very engaging. I was definitely reading the book for the big reveal.

What I didn’t like:

Where to start….I have read many Christian novels. Some make you want to put the book down and just spend some time with Jesus. They make me think, if I wasn’t saved, I would get saved. And then others…others make you feel like Christians are such losers no matter which way you slice it. This one was the latter. Greeje experienced so many tragedies and was supposed to be this great woman of faith. I’m not saying she wasn’t, but this just didn’t work for me. There was no joy, very little peace. I felt like these people got saved to go to heaven and avoid hell (not that that is wrong, per se), but her faith lacked a relationship with Jesus. I don’t know, it just really bothered me.

There’s a bit of a summary when Greeje tells her story…which means there’s a distance for the reader. A lot of the times, I didn’t care what happened to Greeje because she felt so far away as a character.

The ending. That wasn’t an ending. That was a semi-colon. I have no words…none…

The romance….what the?….!

When I finished this book, my first thought was grab another so I can forget this one and be happy again.

Romantic scale: 3

So, not my favorite book at all. I didn’t care for the message, and I don’t want to say anymore so I don’t spoil things, but no. Just no.

** I received a copy from Netgalley. My opinion is not affected in anyway.**

Lately, my blog has been quiet…so what have I’ve been up to?

Finishing Through the Rivers!!! It is currently in the hands of my editor! Woot! Woot!

I’ve also been plotting my next two books!

I did take another break from reading….I’ve been having a hard time finishing books.

But never fear! I did finish some books!

I still love reading, I just feel like lately many books have felt the same, and I’m tired of hunting down new things. That said, there’s a lot of books to look forward to! But if there are any awesome recommendations, let me know!