Hope Harbor

I always really enjoy books written by Irene Hannon, and Hope Harbor was another that I enjoyed reading even though it was a lot different than her suspense books. In Hope Harbor, Tracy Campbell has returned home to the family cranberry farm in Oregon after the loss of her husband. Michael Hunter is a tourist in the community after the death of his wife. Although romance was the last thing they were looking for, they seem drawn to each other and the similar situations in their past.

 

This book has a great cast of characters, so you aren’t solely focused on Tracy and Michael. I also really liked how this book shows God has a plan for all of our lives and we need to trust Him. Also, there is a focus on forgiving oneself and letting go of the guilt that can so often become crippling. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books in the future by Irene Hannon.

 

This book was provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for my review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Warrior Chicks

I recently read Warrior Chicks: Rising Strong When Life Wants to Take You Down by Holly Wagner, and I really enjoyed getting to read this book about some of the difficulties and battles we may face in our lives. I especially liked that this book was broken down into short sections so I was able to read a section each day as a devotional. I think everyone would enjoy reading this book, but it might be especially poignant for someone who is going through a difficult situation in their life, like a medical condition or a difficult marriage. The author of this book knows first-hand how important it is to be strong during difficulty since she battled cancer. Her story, along with the stories of others, really kept me interested throughout this book.

 

I cannot wait to share this book with my sisters to read, since I know they will enjoy it and get lots of advice and strength for any of the struggles they may face in their life.  

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Revell, a division of Baker Books as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Refining Fire

Although I didn’t read the first book in the Brides of Seattle series by Tracie Peterson, when I started reading the second book, Refining Fire, I was immediately hooked. Luckily I was on a beach vacation, so I basically read this book nonstop the whole time I was away. I liked all of the characters, and Abrianna was an especially endearing character.

 

Abrianna lives with her aunts at Madison Bridal School, and some of the residents of the school are her closest friends. She is the sort of character who always is putting together new skits or having great ideas and then recruiting all of her friends to help her. In Refining Fire, Abrianna is determined to serve those who are less fortunate than her by opening a food house with her friends Militine, Thane, and Wade. As you can imagine, there are many obstacles she has to overcome in order to make this undertaking a success.

 

Militine is a young woman who lives at the Madison Bridal School with no plans to get married. She had a difficult past, and she finds it hard to put her trust in a man after her experiences. Thane, who serves as an escort for the women of the school, also has a past filled with difficulties. From the first page of the story, it’s clear these two have a lot in common and have shared similar past experiences. I really liked seeing their relationship grow within the pages of this book.

 

Each of these characters was interesting to read about, and I liked learning more about their pasts and what brought them to this point in their life. I was especially interested in seeing the romance develop between the characters. There were some interesting aspects of this time period also addressed in the book. I liked the focus on the volunteer fire department at the time, as well as reading about the differences in how a church chose a new pastor in 1888. I cannot wait to read the final book in the series, and I’m planning to go back and read the first book as well!

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Bethany House, a division of Baker Books as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

To Capture Her Heart

Heather Flower is a princess in the Montauk Tribe, who is facing the murder of her husband and her own kidnapping in the book To Capture her Heart by Rebecca DeMarino. Heather’s ransom is paid, but she is left alone in the forest and is eventually saved by a Dutch Lieutenant, Dirk Van Buren. After her rescue, she decides to live with her aunt as opposed to going back to her tribe. She then faces the decision of choosing between a relationship with her childhood friend Ben Horton, or Dirk, who saved her life. In addition to the romance of the book, there is a focus on the history during this time as well as Heather’s reluctance to lose herself and her culture since she is no longer with her trible.

 

I really enjoyed this book, but I think it would be helpful to read the first book in the series so you are able to know all of the characters that are mentioned in this book. I’m looking forward to reading future books in this series.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Revell, a division of Baker Books as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Blessing

Blessing, by Lyn Cote, is a book about Blessing Brightman, a Quaker who left her community to marry a man who was not who she thought he was. After his death, she determines the rest of her life will be spent helping orphans, fighting for women’s rights, and supporting abolition. Soon, Gerard Ramsay enters her life, and nothing is the same.

 

Gerard is a young man determined to break free of his controlling father, who is trying to force him to marry a woman he doesn’t love. When arriving in Cincinnati, Gerard meets some unsavory characters, as well as Blessing Brightman. Throughout the book there is romance, mystery, and suspense. I found myself not wanting to put the book down, and I really enjoyed this story from start to finish.

 

I liked seeing Gerard change from someone who would do anything to spite his father into someone who grew up into a person who would do anything to keep Blessing, and those in her care, safe. This shows that anything is possible when you have faith and the right person in your life to help you grow. I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to read more of the books in the Quaker Brides series!!

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Tyndale as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Gone Without a Trace

Gone Without a Trace e is the newest book in the Logan Point series by Patricia Bradley. The book follows Livy Reynolds, a homicide detective whose cousin disappeared two years ago. Livy is also dealing with the fact that she cannot stop thinking about her actions during a work confrontation with a young man. Soon Livy comes into contact with Alex Jennings after she travels to Logan Point. Alex is an investigator who is trying to find a second missing girl from the community. As they look into these disappearances, they become closer to one another.

 

I really liked this book and the two main characters. Although they both had issues in their past, they were still very likable. The book had the perfect amount of suspense to keep my completely entertained and wanting to read more. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fast-paced read with the perfect amount of romance.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Revell, a division of Baker Books as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Give Yourself a Break

Give Yourself a Break: Turning Your Inner Critic into a Compassionate Friend by Kim Frederickson gives a Biblical approach to being less hard on one another, especially having self-compassion. The book would be in the self-help category, and although I have not read many self-help books in the past, I found this one to be interesting and to give some good, Biblically sound, pieces of advice when relating to having compassion for yourself. This is something I really struggle with, so the book was great for me to read and have some tips to put into practice in my daily life.

 

This book was a relatively quick read, and I read a few chapters every night. I think this would be a great book for counselors to read and for them to be able to share this book with some of their patients who may struggle with being too hard on themselves.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Revell. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Innocent

The Innocent, by Ann H. Gabhart, follows Carlyn Kearney as she enters into the Shaker Community after losing her husband in the war and her home when she was unable to pay the man she was purchasing the property from. When the Sheriff, Mitchell Brodie, arrived at her door, she was forced to find a new home for herself and her dog, Asher. The Shaker Community of Harmony Hill, only a few miles away from her home, seemed like the best choice. They would provide food and shelter for her while the Sheriff took care of her dog. While the Shakers attempted to live a “perfect” life, there were things going on in their community that made it a dangerous place to live.

 

I really liked reading about the relationship between Carlyn and Sheriff Brodie, and his willingness to wait for her to move past her sadness after the death of her husband. It was also interesting to read about the Shaker Community and the different beliefs they hold. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in historical romance books.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Revell. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Five Brides

Five Brides, by Eva Marie Everson, tells the story of five women who are roommates in Chicago in the early 1950s. They are all extremely busy trying to provide for themselves, and they rarely have a moment to spend together. One rare Saturday they decide to spend the afternoon in Chicago together, and during that trip they find a perfect wedding dress. Since none of them have enough money to purchase the dress on their own, they decide to split the cost of the dress and all wear it on their wedding days.

 

The concept of this book was really interesting, and it reminded me a little bit of one of my favorite childhood movies: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, where four best friends all fit into the same pair of jeans. I liked that this book really focused on the individual lives of each of the roommates. They all wanted different things out of their lives, and they really did all go in completely different directions. No matter where their lives ended up, it was nice to see them stay connected through letters and the wedding dress that originally connected them all.

 

Although this book was pretty long, I really did not want to see it end. I liked each of the characters, since they all had distinct characteristics that made me connect to them in their own way. Some were completely focused on their careers, while others just wanted to be married with a family or a husband. I will definitely be reading more books by Eva Marie Everson in the future after I enjoyed this book so much!