Category: Contemporary

About
When Amish farmer Pete Treger moves to Paradise Township, Pennsylvania, seeking a better life, he meets sisters Cate and Betsy Miller. Both are beautiful, but older sister Cate is known more for her sharp tongue and fiery temper than her striking appearance. Betsy, on the other hand, is sweet and flirty–and seems to have attracted most of the bachelors in Lancaster County!

However, the sisters’ wealthy father has made one hard and fast rule: elder sister must marry first, before the younger can even start courting. Unfortunately for poor Betsy, and for the men who want to court her, her older sister, Cate, doesn’t have any suitors–until Pete comes to town, that is.

Though he finds both sisters attractive, something about Cate’s feisty demeanor appeals to him. Soon the other bachelors in the district convince Pete to court Cate. She hardly seems receptive to his overtures, though. Instead, she’s immediately suspicious of his interest.

Review
I enjoyed this novel far more than I had anticipated. Though I have never read The Taming of the Shrew, I am familiar with the story and have seen movie adaptations. Thus, I was thinking that this novel could not surprise me. I was wrong. The novel starts off much as you would expect it to, but about midway through, the novel takes a distinctive turn that I am 99% sure didn’t happen in Shakespeare (since I’ve never read it, I’m not sure). After that point, I couldn’t put the novel down. I really liked Cate, I could totally understand her hang-ups and feel her pain. Pete, was an interesting guy, but at the end of the novel, though I knew things about him, I felt like I didn’t know him. I kind of wish he had been more romantic as well, though he had a good reason to act the way he did. And Betsy? Well, who needs enemies when they have sisters like that one. I really like how Cate saw what shrewishness does to people. That was a nice touch. Spiritually, Cate has to turn to God and realize that He does love her and care for her. And more importantly? He is her source. Really good book. Recommended.

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

About

Ever since Laci was a little girl she’s been growing out her pretty,
brown hair and chopping it off to send to Locks of Love. When Greg moves into
town and finds out what she’s doing, he thinks it’s a great idea…so he starts
doing it too! It’s just one of the things that reserved, young David must
tolerate as their friendship grows throughout the years. As they near adulthood,
they grow not only closer to each other, but closer to God as well. David finds
himself content in every way, but when tragedy occurs David must struggle to
find his way back to God.

Review

I just love a male protagonist, especially if he’s younger, and it took no time at all for David to win my heart. I especially like David because his personality was like that of an old man in a little body. He wasn’t particularly charismatic or fun, and that made him still charming all the same. Of course, the begining of the novel leads to the understanding that something awful happened in David’s life, so you might read this novel feeling a little tense, waiting for the hammer to fall. And it does fall. There are tears, but there is also so much laughter, and when the novel ends, so much hope. The romance in this novel was so original, and so cute. I loved it. Spiritually, I love the emphasis and the impact of going to church youth group and doing missions. I love that the main theme of this book is loving and forgiving the unlovely. Its beautifully portrayed. Highly Recommended!

About
Shiloh Jacobs is planning her wedding without family, without money, and without a clue—and trying to make a go of small-town Southern life. Until she stumbles on an unsolved case about a missing woman that makes her run in the opposite direction—right into the would-be killer’s web of plans. In the midst of sorting through her tragic past and strained relationships, Shiloh finds herself on the run from a madman—and hoping she can make it to her wedding alive.

Review
It was nice to return to Staunton, Virginia again. I think that this novel took me a minute or two to get into, but that’s most likely because the first few chapters were reviewing what happened in the previous novels. Ms. Spinola threw a mystery in the novel that was captivating and interesting…I kept trying to guess who done it! But the best parts of the novel, in my honest romantic opinion, were between Adam and Shiloh. Spiritually, Shiloh has to learn to forgive herself and move past her past. Though there were moments where I had to suspend my disbelief, this was overall a good novel. Recommended.

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

About
Ann Silver is a cop’s cop. As the Midwest Homicide Investigator, she is called in to help local law enforcement on the worst of cases, looking for answers to murder. Hers is one of the region’s most trusted investigative positions.

Paul Falcon is the FBI’s top murder cop in the Midwest. If the victim carried a federal badge or had a security clearance, odds are good Paul and his team see the case file or work the murder.

Their lives intersect when Ann arrives to pass a case off her desk and onto his. A car wreck and a suspicious death offer a lead on a hired shooter he is tracking. Paul isn’t expecting to meet someone, the kind that goes on the personal side of the ledger, but Ann Silver has his attention.

The better he gets to know her, the more Paul realizes her job barely scratches the surface of who she is. She knows spies and soldiers and U.S. Marshals, and has written books about them. She is friends with the former Vice President. People with good reason to be cautious about who they let into their lives deeply trust her. Paul wonders just what secrets Ann is keeping, until she shows him the John Doe Killer case file, and he starts to realize just who this lady he is falling in love with really is…

Review

Ms. Henderson is a very good story teller. She has an incredible way of starting a novel and pulling you and this one was no different. I was instantly intrigued when I started the novel and I was definitely turning the pages to see what would happen next. Yet, there were moments that I felt like the novel was a bit too long. Also, the romance between Paul and Ann was a little strange to me. Paul was very objective about the whole dating process in the sense that I didn’t know why Ann captured his fancy. That said, he was a great guy and I was certainly impressed with this character and the length, depths, and breadth he would go to, to impress Ann.  Ann on the other hand was really HIGH MAINTENANCE (there’s high maintenance and there’s HIGH MAINTENANCE, girlfriend was the latter). Maybe the problem was that she didn’t need Paul. Ever. And she didn’t seem to want him too. So, the romance was a little weird to me, but the book itself was certainly interesting. Spiritually, I love the way both Ann and Paul have a strong relationship with God and seek Him out in everything. They just live their faith.

About
To everyone who knows her, Annalise Decker is a model wife and mother. She’s a permanent member of the PTA, never misses her kids’ sporting events, and is constantly campaigning for her husband’s mayoral race.

No one knows that Annalise was once Deidre O’Reilly, a troubled young woman whose testimony put a dangerous criminal behind bars. Relocated through the Witness Security Program to the sleepy town of Deep Haven, Deidre got a new identity and a fresh start, which began when she fell in love with local real estate agent Nathan Decker. Twenty years later, Annalise couldn’t be more unprepared for her past to catch up with her. When Agent Frank Harrison arrives with news that the man she testified against is out on bail and out for revenge, Annalise is forced to face the consequences of her secrets. Will she run again, or will she finally find the grace to trust those she loves most with both her past and her future?

Review
Boy was this a page-turner. Soon as I started it, I could hardly contain my excitement to know what would happen next. Ms. Warren, as always, does an excellent job on character development so that by the end of the novel you feel like you know these people so well. The premise behind the book is don’t keep secrets. I’m not usually a fan of deception, but these people had some good reasons to keep secrets so at no point did I feel annoyance towards them. Spiritually, the novel addresses secrets in marriage and the concept of God’s grace which so conflicts with what we deserve. Highly Recommended!

In honor of the release of this novel, I am holding a giveaway. Just answer the question “which Susan May Warren novel is your favorite?” and you will be entered into the contest to win a copy of My Foolish Heart!

*Contest Rules: In order to win the copy, you must leave a comment and the winner will be randomly selected. If you are interested in participating in the contest, your comment must include your email address. If you are notified as the winner, please respond within 48 hours. Winner will be announced on October 9th!

About

Ride the rollercoaster of Shiloh Jacobs’s life as her dreams derail, sending her on a downward spiral from the heights of an AP job in Tokyo to penniless in rural Virginia. Trapped in a world so foreign to her sensibilities and surrounded by a quirky group of friends, will she break through her hardened prejudices before she loses those who want to help her? Can she find the key to what changed her estranged mother’s life so powerfully before her death that she became a different woman—and can it help Shiloh too?

Review

I’m glad I picked up this book. I really enjoyed it. At first, it took a minute for me to get into it, but once it picked up, I didn’t want to put it down. I will say, however, that Shiloh’s lack of knowledge concerning anything in the south was slightly unrealistic. I kind of felt like if you watch tv, then the people shouldn’t be too surprising. But, that said, it’s the unique way that southerners relate that really sells this book, so I was able to look past that and even embrace that aspect of this book. Spiritually, I love how everyone is trying to witness to Shiloh and to do it differently (some plant, some water, etc.). You could really see how evangelism is supposed to work and when Shiloh comes to know Jesus (oops spoiler alert, but come on what do you expect?) it makes complete sense. Good book! I recommend it and look forward to new coming out!