A Love Like Ours by Becky Wade

A Love Like Ours by Becky Wade. Bethany House, 2015. 352p. (9780764211096) Series: The Porter Family, #3

We finally get to meet tall, dark and brooding Jake Porter! And he is that. Tall. Dark. And brooding. For two books now, Undeniably Yours and Meant to Be Mine, we’ve gotten bits and pieces of his story. And this book doesn’t disappoint.

Goodreads Summary:

Former Marine Jake Porter has far deeper scars than the one that marks his face. He struggles with symptoms of PTSD, lives a solitary life, and avoids relationships.

When Lyndie James, Jake’s childhood best friend, lands back in Holley, Texas, Jake cautiously hires her to exercise his Thoroughbreds. Lyndie is tender-hearted, fiercely determined, and afraid of nothing, just like she was as a child. Jake pairs her with Silver Leaf, a horse full of promise but lacking in results, hoping she can solve the mystery of the stallion’s reluctance to run.

Though Jake and Lyndie have grown into very different adults, the bond that existed during their childhood still ties them together. Against Jake’s will, Lyndie’s sparkling, optimistic personality begins to tear down the walls he’s built around his heart. A glimmer of the hope he’d thought he’d lost returns, but fears and regrets still plague him. Will Jake ever be able to love Lyndie like she deserves, or is his heart too shattered to mend?

My Review:

Real life jockey Chantal
Sutherland, one of
the inspirations for Lyndie
(from Becky's Pinterest)

Even though this is Jake’s story in the Porter Family Novels series, Lyndie is who I remember best. She’s fun, determined, stubborn, creative, caring, strong. The list goes on. She's exactly who Jake needs. He just doesn't want to accept that fact. Her character traits shine through her actions as the author does a nice job of showing not telling us.

Lyndie’s neighbor Amber is another memorable character and I really enjoyed the side story of Amber’s foray back into the dating world. While dragging Lyndie along with her. :-)

Plus she’s the same Amber from book one, Undeniably Yours. Which is also a great book – I just now got sidetracked and read almost half of it because I’d forgotten the details of Amber’s past. And as soon as I’m done posting this I’ll finish the book.

Celia’s bakery from book two plays an important role in the beginning and the Porter family gets together for dinner a number of times, so for all you fans of the first two books, you can see how everyone is getting on. There is a fourth book coming in the series, so hold on to your hats because the lone Porter girl’s story is coming next.

But what I like best about this book is not the romance – though that is very well written and the tension of it drives the book, but the issues that the author brings to light and weaves into her tail. Life isn’t a walk in the park and this book reflects that. Jake struggles with PTSD. Lyndie’s sister has cerebral palsy.

If you enjoy contemporary Christian romance, with an honest take on life then get a hold of this book.

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon ($11.17); Buy it from ChristianBooks.com ($9.99); Buy it from Barnes & Noble ($11.25); Buy it from an Independent Bookstore near you 

(Prices good as of June 22, 2015 always double check for yourself)

Disclosure: I received these book for free from the author and publisher via NetGalley. 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.

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com or Independent Bookstores use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer

Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer. Bethany House, 2014. 348p. (9780764209673)

I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while and finally was able to read it this week. When I first heard that Karen Witemeyer’s next book was not going to be about an Archer brother I was saddened, but I quite enjoyed this book.

Goodreads Summary:

When love simmers between a reclusive scientist and a wealthy debutante, will they abandon ship or is it full steam ahead?

Nicole Renard returns home to Galveston, Texas, to find her father deathly ill. Though she loves him, Nicole's father has always focused on what she's not. Not male. Not married. Not able to run Renard Shipping.

Vowing to find a suitable husband to give her father the heir he desires before it’s too late, Nicole sets out with the Renard family's greatest treasure as her dowry: the highly coveted Lafitte Dagger. But her father’s rivals come after the dagger, forcing a change in Nicole’s plans.

After a boiler explosion aboard the Louisiana nearly took his life, Darius Thornton has been a man obsessed. He will do anything to stop even one more steamship disaster. Even if it means letting a female secretary into his secluded world.

Nicole is determined not to let her odd employer scare her off with his explosive experiments, yet when respect and mutual attraction grow between them, a few fear arises. How can she acquire an heir for her father when her heart belongs to another? And when her father’s rivals discover her hiding place, will she have to choose between that love and her family’s legacy?

My Review:

Photo credit

This book has a more historical fiction feel to it than the author’s previous books. While the characters are all completely made up the reader still gets a good picture of the dangers of steam engines before the Steamboat Act of 1852. Exploding boiler engines isn’t something I’ve ever thought of.

Perhaps I have Beauty and the Beast on my brain from the recent Rogglewood Press contest announcement, but Darius Thornton definitely had a bit of beastliness about him in his rough temperament, ill-kempt appearance, and haggard looks from lack of sleep. Nicole is quite the stubborn character and I love her penchant for math and science. Today the author posted about the woman who received the top score in the Cambridge University mathematics tripos exam - the most prestigious mathematics exam in the world.

The danger surrounding the Renard family and the dagger served to get Nichole out of town but I found that her interactions with Darius is what kept me turning the pages. Not any concern over the Jenkins brothers – well, except of course during the dangerous part. Darius is the perfect hero – flawed, passionate, sensible, strong, and has the right background.

My favorite characters though were the butler, Wellborn, and the housekeeper, Mrs. Wellborn. Both wise people who know exactly what is best to do and say in just about any situation.

If you enjoy historical fiction with strong female characters, analytical male characters, love at almost first sight (took barely a week or so) and danger, than this is a book for you.

Go read it! Find it at a librarynear you; Buy it from Amazon ($10.62 / $9.99); Buy it from ChristianBooks.com ($9.99 / $9.69); Buy it from Barnes & Noble ($10.62 / $9.99)

(Paperback / ebook prices good as of June 5, 2014 always double check for yourself)

Disclosure: I borrowed this book from the library. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission.

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Blog tour and review: Meant to Be Mine by Becky Wade

A book tour hosted by Prism Book Tours.

Welcome to my tour stop for

Meant to Be Mine

by Becky Wade

Meant to Be Mine
(A Porter Family Novel #2)
by Becky Wade
Christian Romance
May 2014 by Bethany House Publishers

My Review:
One of the things that stood out to me the most in this book is Becky’s talent for painting a scene so incredibly well. I felt like I was on the sidewalk looking at that tacky wedding chapel with Celia and Ty. That I was standing in the parking lot when Celia and her little girl saw the car.

 Becky also made the characters come alive. I really wanted to shake some sense into Ty and ask, “What in the world do you think you’re doing!?!” Sorry all you Team Ty people, I still favor Matt from My Stubborn Heart. Maybe I’m just not used to encountering smart men from good families in Christian fiction that want a divorce so they can marry a gal who strings them along. Though he is very charming and caring and generous to both Celia and her daughter.

 I really enjoyed that cute little girl, getting to meet the characters from Undeniably Yours and the uniqueness of a romance where the characters are already married. Plus we get to know a little more about Jake Porter. And I’m very much looking forward to his story!

 Read this if you enjoy contemporary romance with twists, cowboys and cute little girls. And great (clean, but sweep you off your feet) kisses.

Book Description:
Ty Porter has always been irresistible to Celia Park. All through high school—irresistible. When their paths cross again after college—still irresistible. This time, though, Ty seems to feel exactly the same way about Celia. Their whirlwind romance deposits them at a street-corner Las Vegas wedding chapel.

From Becky's pinterest board

The next morning they wake to a marriage certificate and a dose of cold reality. Celia’s ready to be Ty’s wife, but Ty’s not ready to be her husband. He’s a professional bull rider, he lives on the road, and he’s long planned to settle down with the hometown girl he’s known since childhood.

Five and a half years pass. Celia’s buried her dreams so that she can afford to raise her daughter. Ty’s achieved all of his goals. Or thought he had, until he looks again into the eyes of the woman he couldn’t forget and into the face of the child he never knew he had.

How much will Ty sacrifice to win back Celia’s trust and prove to her that their spontaneous marriage can still become the love of a lifetime?

Amazon *  Barnes & Noble * Book Depository * ChristianBook

About the Author

During her childhood in California, Becky Wade frequently produced homemade plays starring her sisters, friends, and cousins. These plays almost always featured a heroine, a prince, and a love story with a happy ending. She's been a fan of all things romantic ever since.

Becky and her husband lived overseas in the Caribbean and Australia before settling in Dallas, Texas. It was during her years abroad that Becky's passion for reading turned into a passion for writing. She published three historical romances for the general market, put her career on hold for many years to care for her kids, and eventually returned to writing sheerly for the love of it. She’s delighted to be penning warm, wry, and heartwarming contemporary romances for the Christian market. Her CBA debut, My Stubborn Heart, was a finalist in both the RITA and INSPY awards. Undeniably Yours kicked off her Texas-set Porter Family series. Her newest contemporary romance, Meant to Be Mine, has just hit shelves!

These days Becky can be found failing but trying to keep up with her housework, sweating at the gym, carting her kids around town, playing tennis, hunched over her computer, eating chocolate, or collapsed on the sofa watching TV with her husband.

Website * Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest

Tour-Wide Giveaway

Prize #1: $50 Visa gift card and a paperback or ebook copy of Meant to Be Mine (open internationally)
Prize #2: 1 lb. of Starbucks coffee and signed copies of Undeniably Yours and Meant to Be Mine (US Only)
Prize #3: Box of See's Chocolates and signed copies of Undeniably Yours and Meant to Be Mine (US Only)

May 4 - 18

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May 5

Tressa's Wishful Endings

I Am A Reader

Rina's Reading

May 6

The Wonderings of One Person

JoJo's Corner

Heidi Reads...

May 7

Copywrite1985

Kindle and Me

Redpillows

AddLibrarian

Little Lisa

May 8

Katie ' Clean Book Collection

Christy's Cozy Corners

Tell Tale Book Reviews 

The Written Adventure

Elle in Organic Shoes

Life Isn't Always a Fairytale

May 9

My Love for Reading Keeps Growing

Reviews By Molly

Batch of Books

Getting Your Read On

Coffee Books and Me

May 11 - Grand Finale

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WoW #33 : A Match Made in Texas by Witemeyer, Connealy, Jennings & Cox

Hosted by Breaking the Spine.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

A Match Made in Texas : a novella collection
by Karen Witemeyer, Mary Connealy, Regina Jennings, and Carol Cox

Bethany House January 2014

About
In Dry Gulch, Texas, 1893, a young woman with a tender heart that longs to help those in need takes it upon herself to meddle in the affairs of three acquaintances who are in dire straits. Wanting to stay anonymous, she relies on unusual methods to hire men and women of good character who she thinks can solve the problems facing her “targets.” How was she to know that her meddling would turn into a cupid’s arrow? And what will she do when her friends turn the tables on her with a matchmaking scheme of their own?

Four novellas in one volume.

Why I want to read it

Karen Witemeyer (author of Short-Straw Bride) and Reginna Jennings (author of Sixty Acres and a Bride and Love in the Balance) are both contributors! Mary Connealy (prolific author, including Montana Rose) is also a part of the project! I haven't read any of Carol Cox's books but have read good things. Sounds like a fun set of stories from some excellent authors!

Pre-order it:

Amazon and ChristianBooks and Barnes and Noble

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Safe in His Arms by Colleen Coble

 Safe in His Arms by Colleen Coble. ThomasNelson, 2013. 320p. (9781595549143) Series: Under Texas Stars, #2

Last year I read book one in this series, Blue Moon Promise, and while I didn’t love book one, I did enjoy it enough to want to find out what happens to other characters in the story.

Goodreads Summary:

Born and raised on sprawling Texas land, Margaret O’Brien prides herself on her competence as a rancher. But her father believes she’s made for more than just dawn-to-dusk work. He wants her to have the love of a good man, to raise children, to build a life. But Margaret gave up such dreams years ago. She’s convinced no man would have her, that the ranch is her life now.

So when Margaret’s father hires Daniel Cutler as a new foreman, she’s frustrated and suspicious. Then an overheard conversation links him with a gang of bank robbers, and she’s downright worried. Daniel swears he’s not involved, but Margaret’s not convinced. She knows the man still has secrets. But would a criminal be so kind and talk so convincingly of his faith? As a series of tragic “accidents” threatens all she holds dear, Margaret must decide what to trust: her own ears, her best judgment . . . or what her heart keeps telling her.

My Review:

Interesting observation: the girl on the book cover on the Barnes & Noble site has different color hair than on any other site.

First off I need to confess that I read this book back in March and I still haven’t written the review. I know, I’m sure you’re thinking what a terrible prompt reviewer I am. But I guess I just didn’t love this book as much as I was hoping or expecting too and thus just put it off. I did manage to give it 3 stars on Goodreads though.

Which makes it really hard to go back and write the review now. [Takes a break to go skim most of book.] Ok, I’ve read with a tad of skimming 33% and I’ve got to admit I’m hooked again. I remember how some things turn out but can’t remember the details. Guess I’ll be up late tonight reading the rest of it after I post this. :-)

The story draws you in and it’s easy to picture Margaret’s ire with Daniel. The characters are well rounded and biblical truths are gently woven in.

The author is known for suspenseful fiction and this is no exception. There are several mysteries that are waiting to be figured out and most of them swirl around Daniel. It’s nice having his point of view as well. Though that just adds to the mystery.

If you suspenseful, historical, Christian romance then this book and most of the author’s other books are worth checking out.

3.5 stars

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from ChristianBooks.com; Buy it from Barnes & Noble

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. 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.

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

The House that Love Built by Beth Wiseman

The House that Love Built by Beth Wiseman. Thomas Nelson, 2013. 320p. (9781595548894)

This was a new to me author and I wasn’t quite sure how much I would enjoy the story based on the summary. Happily I had no cause for concern and quite enjoyed Broke and Owen’s story.

Goodreads Summary:

Brooke has only loved one man. Owen's heart is filled with bitterness. Can a mysterious house bring them together for a second chance at love?

In the small town of Smithville, Texas, Brooke Holloway is raising six-year-old Meghan and ten-year-old Spencer on her own two years after her husband's death. Being a single-mom and running the family's local hardware store keep her busy.

While Meghan longs for a daddy, Spencer has threatened to run away if Brooke even goes out on a date. But the last thing on Brooke's mind is falling in love. When a stranger moves to town and buys a house with a mysterious past, Brooke can't contain her curiosity. As she spends time with the new owner, she wonders if maybe God is giving her another chance at happiness.

Owen Saunders fled the big city to start over in a small, rural town famous for baking the world's largest gingerbread man. Then he bought an old house to restore-for all the wrong reasons. If anything needs restoration, it is Owen's heart in the aftermath of his failed marriage. With little hope and lost faith, Owen is tempted by happiness when he meets Brooke, but his heart remains sealed shut.

As they learn more about Owen's house, one thing becomes obvious to both of them: God has put them together for a reason.

My Review:

There were so many stories woven into the plot – yet it wasn’t overwhelming as the stories are woven together quite seamlessly and make the tale a lot richer.

I really liked the mystery surrounding the house and the restoration work that was part of the story; those aspects (and a few other plot twists) kept it from becoming a ‘grieving man meets grieving woman and fall in love while helping heal each other’ story.

While writing this review I ended up rereading most of the books since I originally read this back in the spring. And I enjoyed getting to visit again with Brooke and Owen and Hunter and the rest of the characters. There’s a fair amount of kissing but it’s not described in any swoon-inducing detail, just simply and sweetly stated.

This is Christian fiction but it’s not the preachy kind and I almost wish there had been a little bit more about God and/or the Bible. Both Brooke and Owen are mad at God for various reasons and have let their faith take a back burner so there really isn’t much in the story until the end.

If you enjoy sweet, clean, contemporary romance stories where the characters overcome bitterness and difficult situations in their past then you might enjoy this one.

I'd rate it 3.5 butterflies, but since I haven't added .5's into my scale yet I'll let you figure out what falls in between 'It's a fluff book - no real substance, but a fun read' and 'Worth the read and the re-read'.

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from ChristianBooks.com; Buy it from Barnes & Noble

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. 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.

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer

Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer. Bethany House, 2013. 347p. (9780764209666) Series: Archer Brothers, #2

As you may remember I could hardly wait couldn’t wait to read the first book, Short Straw Bride, last summer. So much so that I sat on the floor of a freezing cold Barnes and Noble. Needless to say, I was looking forward to Stealing the Preacher as well. The Archer brothers can’t meet women under normal circumstances! Now I’m quite curious how the last brother will fare.

Goodreads Summary:

On his way to interview for a position at a church in the Piney Woods of Texas, Crockett Archer can scarcely believe it when he's forced off the train by a retired outlaw and presented to the man's daughter as the minister she requested for her birthday. Worried this unfortunate detour will ruin his chances of finally serving a congregation of his own, Crockett is determined to escape. But when he finally gets away, he's haunted by the memory of the young woman he left behind--a woman whose dreams now hinge on him.

For months, Joanna Robbins prayed for a preacher. A man to breathe life back into the abandoned church at the heart of her community. A man to assist her in fulfilling a promise to her dying mother. A man to help her discover answers to the questions that have been on her heart for so long. But just when it seems God has answered her prayers, it turns out the parson is there against his will and has dreams of his own calling him elsewhere. Is there any way she can convince Crockett to stay in her little backwoods community? And does the attraction between them have any chance of blossoming when Joanna's outlaw father is dead set against his daughter courting a preacher?

My Review:

There are so many unusual things in this book! A parson is the sole target of a train robbery and is kidnapped to serve as a birthday present. That same parson almost gets strung up by an angry father. He also goes to work for a retired outlaw and starts falling in love with said outlaw’s daughter. All while trying to do his job as a preacher.

The characters have character, even the secondary ones. I especially liked Bessie, the boarding house proprietress, and her interactions with the marshal. The boy Jackson was also a real pleasure to get to know and to see how the others poured into his lonely life.

What I enjoyed the most was how the author wove scripture into the story without being “preachy” and even Crockett’s sermons fit right into the story line. Crockett isn’t perfect and certainly questions why on earth things aren’t going the way he envisioned them. “For those who love God all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28 ESV) – that could be the theme verse of the book.

A fun book set in Texas in 1885 that made me smile, laugh, shake my head in disbelief and wish the characters well. If you like quirky yet serious, clean, Christian romance then you probably will enjoy this one.   

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from ChristianBooks.com; Buy it from Barnes & Noble

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley. 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.

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade

Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade. Bethany House, 2013. 384p. (9780764209758) Series: A Porter Family, #1

Last summer Becky Wade’s debut novel, My Stubborn Heart¸ was published and I absolutely loved it. So I was quite excited to hear that her next book was coming out this spring. Undeniably Yours is a fast paced Christian romance complete with cowboys and a psychopath. (Never thought I’d put those last six words together!)

Goodreads Summary:

When Meg Cole’s father dies unexpectedly, she becomes the majority shareholder of his oil company and the single inheritor of his fortune. Though Meg is soft-spoken and tenderhearted–more interested in art than in oil–she’s forced to return home to Texas and to Whispering Creek Ranch to take up the reins of her father’s empire.

The last thing she has the patience or the sanity to deal with? Her father’s thoroughbred racehorse farm. She gives its manager, Bo Porter, six months to close the place down.

Bo’s determined to resent the woman who’s decided to rob him of his dream. But instead of anger, Meg evokes within him a profound desire to protect. The more time he spends with her, the more he longs to overcome every obstacle that separates them–her wealth, his unworthiness, her family’s outrage–and earn the right to love her.

But just when Meg begins to realize that Bo might be the one thing on the ranch worth keeping, their fragile bond is viciously broken by a force from Meg’s past. Can their love–and their belief that God can work through every circumstance–survive?

From Becky Wade's
pinterest board
for the book

My Review:

I enjoyed the way Meg was committed to doing what she thought was the right thing even when she really didn’t enjoy it – her job with the oil company. Not sure I could be that dedicated.

Bo was a fabulous hero: strong, caring, had self-control, can defend his lady’s honor in a fight (yep! it’s a great scene). But he is also very down to earth and sensible.

From Goodreads I learned that this is the beginning of a series, A Porter Family. We didn’t really get to know any Porters other than Meg and her uncle a bit in this book, I’m quite curious who the next books will be about. My guess was that it’d be about the single mom Meg took in but she’s not exactly a Porter. So I don’t know.
[Update: I just reread what I wrote a year later after reading the next book in the series. Silly me! Porter is Bo's last name, not Meg's! Oops.]

The chemistry between Meg and Bo was very tangent. Meg’s stress level faded away when she was in Bo’s company. They do kiss and hug quite a bit, but that’s as far as it goes. While reading about these sorts of couples it makes me wonder if such chemistry, electricity really can exist between a man and a woman. Or if it’s just a secret pact all novelists sign. Maybe I should read more biographies and/or autobiographies.

All in all, this was an enjoyable, contemporary Christian romance that kept me turning the pages, especially towards the end. But My Stubborn Heart is my favorite of the two books the author has written.

Win a copy from Goodreads (ends May 1, 2013): http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/49541-undeniably-yours

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from ChristianBooks.com

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher through NetGalley. 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. 

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Love in the Balance by Regina Jennings

Love in the Balance by Regina Jennings. Bethany House, 2013. 360p. (9780764209918)

Last spring I read Sixty Acres and a Bride and absolutely loved it so I was eager to read the author’s second book. Both draw on Bible stories for inspiration but it took a while for me to figure out that Love in the Balance is based on the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Goodreads Summary:

Molly Lovelace dreams of a life without cares in Lockhart, Texas. She also dreams of handsome wrangler Bailey Garner, her ardent but inconsistent beau. The problem is, with Bailey's poor prospects, she just can't fit the two dreams together.

Then mysterious stranger Edward Pierrepont sweeps into town--and her life--and for the first time Molly wonders if she's met the man who can give her everything. But he won't be in Lockhart long and while he talks about their glorious future together, she can't quite get Bailey out of her mind.

What's a girl to do with all these decisions when love is in the balance?

My Review:

Since Sixty Acres is the story of Ruth I wondered if the author would continue the story and let us read her ideas of what happened to Ruth and Boaz, aka Rosa and Weston. That wasn’t the case. Instead the author drew from a different biblical story and gave the reader Molly Lovelace’s story.  

Molly wasn’t always a very enjoyable heroine to read about, but her flaws are very human flaws and her mistakes are understandable. Somewhat. The reader is told more than shown the pressure her parents exert on her to marry well.

While there are several kisses, a honeymoon, and passionate thoughts, all those scenes are handled nicely and nothing is described in too much detail.

The way the characters matured and the struggles they faced were well written. I really liked getting to know some of the minor characters a bit better. I just read an interview with Regina Jennings on another blog and learned that the third book in the series will be about Anne Tillerton. Can’t wait!

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy it from ChristianBooks.com

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher through NetGalley. 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. 

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.

Waiting on Wednesday #20: Safe in His Arms by Colleen Coble

Hosted by Breaking the Spine.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Safe in His Arms by Colleen Coble
Thomas Nelson - January 2013
Series: Under Texas Skies, #2

About
Margaret suspects the new foreman on her father’s ranch is hiding something. Though Daniel promises she’s safe with him around, how can she be sure? Born and raised on a sprawling ranch in Texas, Margaret O’Brien prides herself on her competence as a rancher. She’s convinced she can do as good a job on the ranch as her brother who died in the war. But her father believes she’s made for more than just dawn-to-dusk work. He wants her to have the love of a good man, to have children, to build a life. But she gave up hope for such dreams years ago. The ranch is her life now.

When Margaret’s father hires Daniel Cutler as a new foreman, she’s frustrated and suspicious. Daniel swears he’s turned over a new leaf and isn’t involved with the thieves he used to run with, but Margaret is unconvinced. When she finds out he’s an undercover Texas Ranger, sparks fly. Can she help Daniel extricate his younger brother who is still involved? And can Daniel convince her he’s the safe haven he’s promised for her heart?

Why I want to read it

The first book in this series is Blue Moon Promise. I didn't particularly love it, but I'd still like to read book two. I really liked the author's Lonestar series and am hoping this series becomes as enjoyable. Besides the description makes it sound like quite the adventuresome tale.

Where you can find it

Amazon and ChristianBooks

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Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer

Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer. BethanyHouse, 2012. 363p. (9780764209659)

I could not wait to read this book. So much so that I read the first 70 or so pages on Google books and then went to Barnes and Nobel the next day and sat on the floor for two hours finishing the story. They had the AC set way to low and I was freezing, but it was well worth it.

Turns out I didn’t need to freeze in Barnes and Nobel because a few weeks later I received a copy from Bethany House to review. That was last June or July and my delay in writing and posting this review has nothing to do with what I think of the book. So if you haven’t read this yet, let this book review remind you of a great summer read that you missed.

Back Cover:

Four brothers. Four straws. One bride.

No one steps on Archer land. Not if they value their life. But when Meredith Hayes overhears a plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch, a long-standing debt compels her to take the risk.

Years of constant vigilance harden a man. Yet when Travis Archer comes across a female trespasser with the same vivid blue eyes as the courageous young girl he once aided, he can’t bring himself to send her away. And when an act of sacrifice leaves her injured and her reputation in shreds, gratitude and guilt prompt him to attempt to rescue her once again.

Despite the fact that Travis is no longer the gallant youth Meredith once dreamed about, she vows to stand by his side. But will love ever be hers? Or will Travis always see her as merely a short-straw bride?

My Review:

This isn’t your typical marriage-of-convenience story where the couple is in dire straits (think Love Comes Softly) or a mail-order-bride tale. Instead both Meredith and Travis secretly love or think highly of the other but are too prideful or misguided to acknowledge their feelings to the other.

Nor are they isolated or semi-isolated. Travis’ three brothers live in the house, two temporary farm workers are old friends of Meredith’s father, and a tradesman stops by with deliveries every few months.

Another difference is that the story is not solely about the couple falling in love and overcoming their personal obstacles. Instead, while that still is a part of the tale, there is more focus on what brought them together in the first place: the threat against the Archer’s farm that Meredith warned them against.

This book is full of good laughs - or if you're reading it in Barnes & Noble and can't laugh out loud, it'll make you smile like crazy. One lady saw me sitting on the floor with a big grin on my face and asked what I was reading. :-)

There is a fair amount of kissing – after all Meredith and Travis are a married couple in the process of figuring out that they are falling in love (hope that’s not a spoiler for you…). But the romance is sweetly and sincerely written.

Go read it! Find it at a library near you; Buy it from Amazon; Buy itfrom B&N; Buy it from ChristianBooks

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher for review purposes. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission.

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Remember - Anytime you visit Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com or ChristianBooks.com use an affiliate link to get there. Any purchase you make from a link on my site generates a small kickback. You need not purchase the item I'm featuring, any purchase counts. It costs you nothing extra and is an easy way to support this site.