Beyond the Desert Sands by Tracie Peterson

 ...from the publisher...

Accustomed to an opulent life with her aunt, the last thing twenty-five-year-old Isabella Garcia wants is to celebrate Christmas in her parents' small silver-mining desert town, leaving her handsome beau, Diego Morales, behind in California. Adding insult to injury, she must bear the company of Aaron Bailey, the

disapproving Santa Fe Railroad businessman her father has sent to escort her home, who clearly finds her spoiled.

But she is surprised to see how much the town of Silver Veil has grown and how fragile her father's health has become. Then a surprise visitor shows up with news that entirely upends the comfortable life she's been leading.

Faced with all these changes, Isabella struggles to sort through her future and who she wants to be. But trouble is brewing, and there are those who hope she stays just as she is, even if it costs her everything.

...my thoughts...

Beyond the Desert Sands, by Tracie Peterson, is book two in her Love on the Santa Fe  series.  Fans of Tracie will enjoy this book.  The story focuses on a young lady who I had a difficult time liking at first.  She was deceived by romantic notions that overshadowed reality of a life that truly blessed her.  

From the start, when she reluctantly left California to join her parents, she was resentful, spoiled and deceived by romantic notions of love. Her deceptions clouded her judgment about her parents and a young man who would be there through thick and thin for her and her family.  This young woman had so much to learn that I had hoped that she would come to see Diego for the person he was and that she would see how much her parents truly loved her.  

I recommend this book to all fans of Tracie Peterson and to all the new readers who may have heard of Tracie but have yet to pick up a copy of her books.

Reviewing: Sea Glass Cottage by Irene Hannon

...from the publisher...

Christi Reece is desperate. The one-time golden girl's life has tarnished, and a cascade of setbacks has left her reeling. She needs help, and she's certain Jack Colby is in a position to provide it.

When she shows up in Hope Harbor, however, Jack wants nothing to do with the woman who betrayed him. He's built a new life on the Oregon coast--and there's no room in it for Christi, even after she takes refuge in a charming but mysterious cottage nearby. Yet it soon becomes apparent his opinion of her may need revising . . . especially when he ends up needing her help.

Can these two hurting souls make peace with their past and open their hearts to a new beginning?

Come home to Hope Harbor--where hearts heal . . . and love blooms.

Bestselling and award-winning author Irene Hannon delivers another heartwarming and romantic story set in the enchanting seaside community of Hope Harbor that is loved by readers the world over. Once you visit, you'll never want to leave.

...my thoughts... 

Hope Harbor is one of those places you want to visit over and over again.   You can feel the sand in your toes and feel the breeze from the moment you arrive.  Once again, Irene Hannon has captured the heart of the healing power of being on the Oregon Coast. 

 Christi is a compelling character who, when she arrives, arouses a few suspicions for her motives.  You are kept guessing for a while and soon, you have become her champion.  Life has its twists and turns and what you do to recapture your life depends on the choices you make.  This is a story of forgiveness and second chances for Christi.  

I couldn't help but feel for Jack. He was a man who overcame poverty and loss only to have his heart ache for long ago hurts he thought he put aside.  His life is overturned and it is Christi who comes to his aid. He risked a lot to allow her to help him.  In the end, it all works out and once life in Hope Harbor settles in for the calm after personal storms.  I recommend this for all who long to be at the ocean and love to read about endearing characters.

Reviewing: Stgrength in the Storm by Laurel Blount

...from the publisher...

 In this touching Amish romance, a brokenhearted woman and a steadfast man discover that the safest place to weather tragedy is in each other’s arms.

After the murder of both her parents, Emma Hochstedler returns to the small community of Johns Mill, hoping to resume her quiet existence. Reclaiming her place proves harder than expected—especially now that a movie is being made about her family’s loss. But then, an old friend offers her a lifeline that gives her new purpose.
 
Amish builder Samuel Christner is the biggest—and the strongest—man in town. In fact, the gentle giant has only one weakness—Emma. Even though she broke his heart, he won’t let his childhood sweetheart face her troubles alone. He hires Emma as a nurse for his elderly aunt…and finds himself falling for her all over again.
 
But while romance blooms, storm clouds gather. And when darkness falls, it will take all Sam’s strength—and all their love—to see them through.

 ...my thoughts...

I didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book; it is a new to me author and it started slow for me.  Once I picked the book up again, I found the story very compelling.  I really felt for Samuel, who lost his heart to Emma long before most boys begin looking at Emma. Not only was he strong, he was a force to be reckoned with.  As the story unfolded, he seemed to be everywhere he needed to be. 

Emma was such a timid young woman and understandably so after the tragic deaths of her parents.  She came into her own, however, once she became the full time caregiver for Samuel's difficult, spinster aunt. Emma's beauty, coupled with her unspoiled nature allows her to move into her new role, overcoming a past that has held her back since her parents' deaths.  She believed she too would become the spinster aunt  over time but God had plans for her that she least expected.

I enjoyed this wonderful book by Laurel Blount.  I didn't realize it was book 2 in a series but it was definitely easy to read as a standalone story.

Reviewing: Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin

 ...from the publisher...

As the Nazis march toward Paris in 1940, American ballerina Lucie Girard buys her favorite English-language bookstore to allow the Jewish owners to escape. Lucie struggles to run Green Leaf Books due to oppressive German laws and harsh conditions, but she finds a way to aid the resistance by passing secret messages between the pages of her books.

Widower Paul Aubrey wants nothing more than to return to the States with his little girl, but the US Army convinces him to keep his factory running and obtain military information from his German customers. As the war rages on, Paul offers his own resistance by sabotaging his product and hiding British airmen in his factory. After they meet in the bookstore, Paul and Lucie are drawn to each other, but she rejects him when she discovers he sells to the Germans. And for Paul to win her trust would mean betraying his mission.

...my thoughts...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a heart wrenching, suspenseful novel of such a time when the world was so uncertain. Times when worlds collided, and people were praying that the war would end and somehow the world could return to peace once more.

Until Leaves Fall in Paris, by Sarah Sundin is a compelling read, especially today. Full of wonderfully complex characters, once again Sarah has done impeccable research. Lucie did her best to keep Green Leaf Books open until she had to return home to the states. But until that time, she was creative in her ways to keep customers coming back to her little haven among the shelves. It was just that spirit of creativity that captured Paul's attention when he took his young daughter Josie to the story hour. Filled with puppets regaling children’s tales, Paul took notice in how Josie came to life at the bookshop and resolved to return each week to give her some joy. 

 It was amazing how Paul and Lucie found each other under trying circumstances as the situation became ever so dangerous in wartime Paris. To the outside world, they led double lives in order to survive. Their courage and love are captured by an author who can keep you in suspense while making you keep turning those pages until the very end.

I recommend Until Leaves Fall in Paris, a story as timely today as it was close to eighty years ago. A time when so many lives were changed forever by a world that was out of control.

Reviewing: Marrying Mr. Wrong (Frontiers Vows Book 4) by Melissa Jagears

 ...my thoughts...

You’ve got to read this book because there truly are diamonds in the rough in this world.  Sometimes they are shiny on the surface, and you need to scratch below the surface to find the true person.  More often, though, we see the rough side, and these are the people we often pass by without taking time to notice the pure goodness hiding beneath the surface.  When you take the time to look, you will reap the rewards.

 Marrying Mr. Wrong, book four in the Frontier Vows series finds an unlikely match between Gwendolyn McGill and Timothy O'Conner. Imagine the town mayor's daughter hooking up with a boy from the wrong side of the tracks, so to speak.  Except that this first daughter of this  small western town was knocked down a few pegs. When her father was brought to justice for numerous crimes he thought enough money and ill-gotten land deals could put him out of reach, his children were left behind to face what no child needs to face.  Scandal and shame. 

Once Spoiled and naive, Gwen is urged by her brother Bo, to forgo the empty trappings of a Denver Dandy and consider Timothy O'Connor.  After accepting his bargain, she sets out to try in 30 days what she believes would be an easy attempt at wooing Mr. O'Conner.  What she soon learns is that she can't win everyone with her smiles and flirtatious act.  

Timothy, for his part, is a bit perplexed when Gwen shows up at Nolan's ranch, w here he is employed, under the pretext to help out Corinne, who has been feeling poorly. (Newlyweds, whose story is quite a fun read: Pretending to Wed )You can practically see him scratch his head every time Gwen leaves because, she was not raised to cook, clean or any other work a rancher would expect of his wife.  Yet he does admire her pluck in coming back again and again.

Try as you may, she doesn't seem to fit in.  Or does she? Sometimes, a woman shows her true strength and spirit when she is put to the test.

 p.s. I have enjoyed reading the Frontier Vows series and hate to see it end, unless Melissa Jagears can find an honest woman for Gwen's brother Bo to wed!

...from the publisher... 

Gwendolyn McGill wants to be loved and accepted for who she is, but that’s hard to do in a small town where everyone judges her by the scandal her father caused. Unfortunately, the man she hoped would sweep her away from all the wagging tongues is no longer interested in marrying her. Unable to leave town, she’s determined to prove she’s more than just a pretty face who knows how to bat her eyelashes.

For years, Timothy O’Conner has loved Gwen from a distance, knowing someone like her would never be attracted to a lowly ranch hand with a blemished face like him. When Gwen unexpectedly shows up at the ranch, asking him to help her learn how to attract a man of quality, Tim’s feelings become even harder to suppress.

When danger pushes them together, they discover there’s more to each other than either of them imagined. Though God is no respecter of persons, is the desire of their hearts strong enough to defy society’s expectations?

Marrying Mr. Wrong is the fourth book in the Frontier Vows Series by award-winning Christian romance author Melissa Jagears. If you like to read about unexpected characters falling in love, you’ll enjoy this tender love story that has the perfect mix of romance and adventure.