Month: April 2018

Famously beautiful model Willow Bradford is taking a temporary break from her hectic schedule to work as the innkeeper at her family’s small-town bed-and-breakfast. She was enjoying the peace of her hometown, Merryweather, Washington, right up until she came face-to-face with Corbin Stewart, the man she loves to hate. A thoughtful rule-follower by nature, Willow threw caution to the wind four years ago when she entrusted her heart to Corbin–and suffered the consequences when it all fell apart.

Former NFL quarterback Corbin is forceful, charming, and accustomed to getting what he wants . . . except where Willow Bradford is concerned. Unable to forget her, he’s never stopped regretting what happened between them. When their paths unexpectedly cross again, he’s determined to make her give him a second chance.

When a decades-old missing persons case finds Corbin and Willow working together, they’re forced to confront their past and who they’ve become–and whether they can risk falling for one another all over again.

Review

I’m a huge fan of Becky Wade. Ever since I read My Stubborn Heart in a matter of hours at a bookstore, I’ve always been excited about her novels. My thoughts:

What I liked

Willow and Corbin. Since I had read the first book, I was aware of the fact that there was a history between Willow and Corbin…and one where that led to them not liking each other. I will admit to being worried that the reason they weren’t together was because of something silly. There is no reason to worry. It completely made sense to me why they were so angry with each other in the beginning. The romance was handled with a deft hand and even though Willow and Corbin almost hate each other in the beginning, you slowly begin to see them fall for each other. It was lovely.

Contemporary. This book dealt with contemporary issues and concerns. Everything that they encountered and discussed felt real. I love that Wade can write a contemporary christian book without avoiding certain topics and without inventing problems.

Mystery. The small mystery that Willow and Corbin are solving was rather fascinating. While some of it was predictable, I still found myself invested in every layer that was revealed.

Secondary characters. I love Willow’s sisters and I’m so excited for the next book. Also, I’m not a huge fan of kids in books, but Corbin’s niece stole the show several times.

Spiritually, the novel deals with forgiveness and not just forgiving others but forgiving yourself.

What I didn’t like

It was actually very difficult for me to put my finger on what didn’t quite work for me (and not everything worked), but I think it’s that this book is…a bit slow. It’s very character driven (which I usually really love) as opposed to plot driven and so sometimes that meant that things moved along in such a way that made me wonder where it was going.

Also, even though the romance did not quite fall under the category of ‘missionary dating,’ it felt like missionary dating. There were moments I wasn’t sure why they were spending so much time together if they weren’t exactly on the same page when it came to certain…things.

Romantic scale: 8

Overall, I did enjoy this book. It was different, but if you like Becky Wade and contemporary romance, worth reading.

**I received a copy from BethanyHouse. My opinion was not affected in anyway.**

 

 

When stable hand Nolan Price learns from his dying mother that he is actually the son of the Earl of Stainsby, his plans for a future with kitchen maid Hannah Burnham are shattered. Once he is officially acknowledged as the earl’s heir, Nolan will be forbidden to marry beneath his station.

Unwilling to give up the girl he loves, he devises a plan to elope–believing that once their marriage is sanctioned by God, Lord Stainsby will be forced to accept their union. However, as Nolan struggles to learn the ways of the aristocracy, he finds himself caught between pleasing Hannah and living up to his father’s demanding expectations.

At every turn, forces work to keep the couple apart, and a solution to remain together seems further and further away. With Nolan’s new life pulling him irrevocably away from the woman he loves, it seems only a miracle will bring them back together.

Review

This is the first book that I’ve read from Susan Ann Mason. However, I had to try it because I found the premise to be totally fascinating–a stable boy being the son of an Earl? Yes, please.  My thoughts:

What I liked

Father-son relationship. I love books based off of relationships be it romance or familial. Whenever Nolan and his father were on the page together, for me, the story slowed down. I wanted very much to see them come together.

The story. Mason managed to surprise me with the romance. I did not expect what I read and that kept me turning the pages well into the night. I’m not going to lie, as a regency-purist I didn’t know how she was going to make this situation work. But she did (even if it was a bit Disney-esque).  Also, there are several situations where the author could have let miscommunications ruin it and I like that she didn’t. She made Nolan and Hannah face each other.

Spiritually, the characters must learn to trust God, and to realize that He might have a bigger plan.

What I didn’t like

Father-son relationship. It was kind of disappointing. While I felt like, at the end, both men came to understand each other, I never felt them connect. The Earl kept upsetting Nolan. Nolan kept upsetting the Earl. I kept wishing for their relationship to strengthen.

This book went too long. I loved the beginning, even the middle, but by the end I was skimming.

Romantic scale: 7.5

Overall, a very good book and rather surprising at times.

** I received a copy from Bethanyhouse. My opinion was not affected in anyway.**

 

 

Catherine Whitfield is sure that she will never again be able to trust anyone in the medical profession after the town doctor’s excessive bleeding treatments killed her mother. Despite her loneliness and her broken heart, she carries bravely on as Cimarron Creek’s dutiful schoolteacher, resigned to a life without love or family, a life where dreams rarely come true.

Austin Goddard is a newcomer to Cimarron Creek. Posing as a rancher, he fled to Texas to protect his daughter from a dangerous criminal. He’s managed to keep his past as a surgeon a secret. But when Catherine Whitfield captures his heart, he wonders how long he will be able to keep up the charade.

With a deft hand, Amanda Cabot teases out the strands of love, deception, and redemption in this charming tale of dreams deferred and hopes becoming reality.

Review

I read the first book in this series and really enjoyed it. Amanda Cabot is a very good writer. My thoughts:

What I liked:

The writing. The story is not complicated and yet the writing completely pulled me in. I understood Catherine and Austin. Their motivations and fears became important to me as a reader.

Catherine. We are introduced to Catherine in the first book and I was very much looking forward to being in her head. I wasn’t disappointed. Catherine has some issues in the past that she must confront in this book and she does it in such a way that she doesn’t diminish as a character.

The suspense premise. Austin has such an interesting past. I had never heard or read of any person with a background like his.

The secondary characters. Of course we come in contact with characters from the first book, but then there are some children who come in completely steal the show.

Spiritually, the novel deals with trusting God and spiritual dreams. I’m not going to lie, the spiritual dreams felt a bit reaching to me, but I suppose it worked.

What I didn’t like:

The romance. Several times throughout the book, the important moments in Catherine’s romantic relationship is quickly summarized. We are told she and her guy became friends. But we don’t get to see it come to past (though we see the fruition). We are told that they fell in love. We don’t get to see it.  The relationship happens quickly so that there is one.

This was a pet peeve, but there is the return of a character that is mentioned in book one and I could not understand why the author chose to do it that way.

Romantic Scale: 6.5

Overall, not my favorite in the series, but still very enjoyable.

**I received a copy from Revell. My opinion was not affected in anyway.**