Trouble in Paradise

HATCHER, ROBIN LEE

TROUBLE IN PARADISE

Her aunt's bequest was the answer to Shayla Vincent's prayers. The rustic, secluded cabin was the perfect spot to start her long-deferred writing career. Ian O'Connell was her new neighbour -- a rugged rancher caring for his two adorable nieces. Yet Shayla had already helped bring up her siblings. Raising another family when her career goal was within her grasp was the last thing she wanted, even as the brown-eyed cowboy had quickly become the first.

ANOTHER GREAT CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE BY ROBIN LEE HATCHER. SHE DOES A WONDERFUL JOB OF CAPTURING ALL THE NERVES AND SECOND-GUESSING OF A BURGEONING ROMANCE -- THE COMPLICATIONS, MIS-COMMUNICATIONS, WORRIES ABOUT LOSING ONESELF IN THE FACE OF BEING A COUPLE. AN INTERESTING TWIST TO THE STORY IS SHAYLA BEING AN ASPIRING AUTHOR. THERE ARE SOME GREAT SCENES WHERE SOMETHING OR SOMEONE SPARKS HER IMAGINATION AND SHE LOSES TOUCH WITH REALITY AS SHE 'WRITES' IT INTO HER BOOK. MAKES FOR SOME FUNNY MIX-UPS.

Highland Blessings

TAYLOR, JENNIFER HUDSON

HIGHLAND BLESSINGS

Kidnapped on her wedding day:

Scotland, 1473. Highland warrior Bryce MacPhearson kidnaps Akira MacKenzie on her wedding day to honor a promise he made to his dying father. When he forces Akira to wed him, hoping to end a half-century old feud between their clans, she struggles to overcome her anger and resentment. Her strength in the Lord becomes a witness to Bryce. She learns to forgive, and he begins to trust. How will God turn a simple promise into a beautiful Highland blessing?

But there is a traitor in their midst and murder is the ultimate weapon...

THIS DEBUT AUTHOR TOOK ON THE CHALLENGE OF WRITING A MEDIEVAL ROMANCE FOR THE CHRISTIAN MARKET AND SHE DID A FANTASTIC JOB! BRAWNY, BOLD AND SLIGHTLY UNTAMED HIGHLAND WARRIORS ARE A STAPLE OF THE SECULAR PUBLISHING MARKET, BUT RARELY FOUND IN THE CBA TRADE. I LOVED THE UNIQUE SETTING AND THE COURAGE OF BOTH THE AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER (ABINGDON PRESS) TO GIVE CHRISTIAN READERS SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO READ.

BRYCE IS A DROOLWORTHY CANDIDATE FOR A ROUGH AND TUMBLE HERO, BUT IT'S HIS TENDERNESS THAT STOLE MY HEART FROM THE VERY FIRST CHAPTER. WHAT A LETHAL COMBINATION!!!

AND AKIRA IS SUCH A CONTRADICTION OF GENTLE CHRISTIAN AND FIERY WARRIOR WOMAN. SHE KEEPS BRYCE ON HIS TOES, CONSTANTLY DELIGHTING (AND INFURIATING) HIM WITH HER SURPRISING BEHAVIOUR. OF COURSE HE FALLS HARD, AND SHE DOESN'T REALIZE IT UNTIL TRAGEDY STRIKES AND THEN, JUST WHEN YOU THINK THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO BUILD A LOVING LIFE TOGETHER, SOMETHING SINISTER CREEPS INTO THEIR MIDST.

TAYLOR DOES A MAGNIFICENT JOB WITH THE TIME-PERIOD AND I ESPECIALLY APPRECIATED THE AUTHENTICITY SHE GAVE THE SCOTTISH DIALOGUE. IT WASN'T OVERDONE SO READING IT WAS EASY BUT IT HELPED IMMERSE ME IN THE SETTING, ADDING FLAVOUR TO A RICH READING EXPERIENCE.

Calculated Revenge

NELSON, JILL ELIZABETH

CALCULATED REVENGE

It’s been eighteen years since Laney Thompson’s sister was abducted and killed, but the pain Laney feels has never faded. And now the murderer is back, taunting Laney with mementos of her sister and threatening Laney’s young daughter. School principal Noah Ryder is her best hope for protecting her daughter—if she can convince the former investigator to take the case. As the threats accelerate, a string of clues leads Laney to uncover old secrets. Unless Noah steps in with his expertise, how can she piece together the puzzle before her child—like her sister—is lost to a killer’s revenge?

NELSON'S DISTINCTIVE VOICE KEEPS THIS LOVE INSPIRED SUSPENSE BOOK FRESH. THE MYSTERY IS SOUND AND KEPT ME GUESSING RIGHT TO THE END -- I WAS HALF RIGHT LOL. THE CONNECTION BETWEEN LANEY AND NOAH IS IMMEDIATE AND THE ROMANTIC DEVELOPMENT DOESN'T TAKE A BACK SEAT TO THE SUSPENSEFUL PLOT. RATHER, THEY MIRROR EACH OTHER AND GROW TO EQUALLY PAGE-TURNING CONCLUSIONS. I THINK NELSON MANAGED TO PACK A LOT INTO THIS SHORTER WORD COUNT LINE AND CALCULATED REVENGE LEFT ME A HAPPY AND SATISFIED READER.

Thanks to Amber at http://seasonsofhumility.blogspot.com/ for gifting me with this Rose Award. It's presented to bloggers that encourage and support up and coming blogs.

This is a gift that keeps on giving and I'd like to pass it on to http://hcprojectjournal.blogspot.com/ Hannah exudes joy and excitement and her enthusiasm for books is contagious. She also manages to ferret out the neatest reading challenges -- a bibliphile after my own heart!

When the Heart Cries

WOODSMALL, CINDY

WHEN THE HEART CRIES

Despite being raised in a traditional Old Order Amish family, seventeen-year-old Hannah Lapp desires to break with custom, and marry outside the cloistered community. She's been in love with Mennonite Paul Waddell for three years, and before returning to college for his senior year, Paul asks Hannah to be his wife. Hannah accepts, aware that her choice will change her relationship with her family forever.

On the evening of their engagement, tragedy strikes and in one unwelcome encounter, all that Hannah has known and believed is destroyed. As she finds herself entangled in questions that the Old Ways of her people cannot answer, Hannah faces the possibility of losing her place in her family, in her community -- and in the heart of the man she loves.

CINDY WOODSMALL HAS A KNACK FOR CREATING CHARACTERS THAT YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT FROM THE VERY FIRST INTRODUCTION...HOWEVER SHE ALSO HAS A KNACK FOR TWISTING THEIR LIVES INTO A COMPLICATED MESS THAT WRECKS HAVOC WITH YOUR EMOTIONS.

I FEEL POSITIVELY GUTTED AFTER JUST FINISHING WHEN THE HEART CRIES. THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PLOT, THE AGONIZING DECISIONS SOME OF THE CHARACTERS MAKE, THE INJUSTICES THAT AREN'T RIGHTED, THE ILL-FATED TIMING....ACK! I WAS ALTERNATELY SPEED READING AND PUSHING THE BOOK ASIDE IN ORDER TO CATCH MY BREATH.

BUT THROUGH THE DESPERATION WE CATCH A GLIMMER OF HOPE AND THIS FIRST BOOK OF THE SISTERS OF THE QUILT SERIES READS LIKE THE PROLOGUE OF A JOURNEY JUST BEGINNING . POSITIVELY RIVETING AND MIGHT I SUGGEST HAVING ALL THREE BOOKS IN THE SERIES ON HAND SO YOU DON'T HAVE ANY LAG TIME IN BETWEEN? THE WAITING IS UNBEARABLE AND IT'S ONLY BEEN A HALF HOUR SINCE I FINISHED WHEN THE HEART CRIES!

Love Lessons

DALEY, MARGARET

LOVE LESSONS

Homeschooling his daughter is new to devoted single father Ian Ferguson. To ensure his child gets a good education, the busy CPA hires a temporary tutor. Twenty-three-year-old college student Alexa Michaels is too young -- and too pretty -- to be right for the job. Yet his daughter is coming out of her shell and learning. Still, Ian is traditional, and sweet Alexa -- who graduated from the school of hard knocks -- is challenging some of his old-school ways. Can this dad learn some valuable lessons about love, family and faith from the least likely teacher?

First in the Helping Hands Homeschooling series.

MARGARET DALEY HAS WRITTEN A THOUGHT-PROVOKING, HEART-FELT STORY ABOUT OVERCOMING ADVERSITY AND LEARNING TO TRUST -- AND LOVE -- AGAIN DESPITE PAST HURTS. I FOUND THE UNIQUE HOME SCHOOLING ANGLE REFRESHING. GREAT SUMMER READ.

Chalice of Roses

BEVERLEY, JO

PUTNEY, MARY JO

HARBAUGH, KAREN

SAMUEL, BARBARA

CHALICE OF ROSES

From the bestselling and award-winning authors of dragon lovers comes an anthology of fantasy, romance, and eternal love. In these four new novellas, history and destiny spark passion, and all depends on the fate of one mystical cup: the Holy Grail.

A man must marry and summon the Grail to bring peace to England. A Regency lady must keep it safe from Napoleon's spies. A modern sorcerress must keep the Grail from falling into Nazi hands, and an American must put the chalice at risk to rescue her one true love. These are four passionate and enchanting stories of desire and destiny inspired by one of our most powerful legends.

FANTASTIC, FUN READ. EACH NOVELLA STANDS UNIQUE EVEN THOUGH THEY EACH HAD TO WEAVE IN SOME OF THE SAME STORY ELEMENTS. LOVELY MIX OF FANTASY AND REALITY AND THE ROMANTIC THREADS ARE ALL VERY SATISFYING. PLEASE NOTE: NOT INSPIRATIONAL FICTION SO THE LOVE SCENES ARE MORE 'FLESHED OUT' :-) BUT TASTEFULLY DONE. A GREAT ESCAPE READ.

Anna Finch and the Hired Gun

Y'BARBO, KATHLEEN

ANNA FINCH AND THE HIRED GUN

When an aspiring reporter and a Pinkerton detective get tangled in Doc Holliday's story -- and each other -- sparks can't help but fly.

Despite her father's attempts to marry her off, Anna Finch dreams of becoming a reporter. A chance encounter with legendary gunslinger Doc Holliday gives her the opportunity of a lifetime, but Pinkerton agent Jeb Sanders is about to ruin everything.

Though her father hired Jeb to keep her out of mischief, Anna's inconvenient attraction to her hired gun only multiplies her troubles. She doesn't realize Jeb has a score to settle with Doc Holliday, or that her association with the famous outlaw will affect more than just her marriage prospects. Between her father's desperation to see her wed and Jeb shadowing her every move, getting the story and fulfilling her journalistic ambition just got far more complicated than she ever imagined.

I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING MORE ORIGINAL THAN 'DELIGHTFUL' BUT THAT SUMS UP THIS BOOK PERFECTLY. FUNNY, WITTY AND CLEVER, I HAD A SMILE ON MY FACE THE WHOLE TIME I WAS READING. ANNA FINCH AND THE HIRED GUN IS PURE ROMANTIC COMEDY, FULL OF ONE LINE ZINGERS, COMICAL SITUATIONS AND BRILLIANT DEADPAN HUMOUR -- EVEN IN THE FACE OF DANGER. THE ACTION SCENES ARE RIDDLED WITH DRY HUMOUR AS WELL. ROLLICKING, HYSTERICAL AND JUST PLAIN FUN TO READ.