The Courageous Brides Collection by Johnnie Alexander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
There were some AWESOME stories in this collection! Well worth the money for the book, even though there were three stories I didn’t finish. My two favorites were “The Doctor’s Woman” by Michelle Griep and “The Battlefield Bride” by Renee Yancy. These collections are starting to grow on me. I’ve not – in general – a fan of short fiction, but when it’s done well, they are a pleasure to read.
Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico by Lena Nelson Dooley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is a different twist on the typical mail-order bride story. Madeline Mercer comes from a family with money, she’s used to servants and fancy things. When her father dies, she is in a very different situation. Jeremiah agrees to help his elderly mentor, Philip, even though his scheme of writing back east for a bride seems crazy. When Jeremiah meets Madeline, he knows she’s trouble. He just doesn’t realize how much.
Good, solid characters and description of the setting. The ending was a little too neat and tidy for me, but it wasn’t bad and it didn’t detract from the overall story.
Writing Deep Viewpoint by Kathy Tyers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
If you’re a writer, if you even think you *might* want to be a writer, then you need to read this book. Point of view (POV) is a difficult thing to explain. Kathy Tyers has made it simple, digestible, and understandable. Get it. Read it. APPLY it. You’ll be a better writer if you do.
Generous Lies by Robin Patchen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is book three in Robin Patchen’s “Hidden Truth” series. They are all good! One of the things I love about this one is that it tackles the very timely – and scary for parents – issue of teenage drug addiction. Opioid addiction is on the news every night. People are dealing with this all across the country and all across the economic spectrum. Patchen does a very credible job of exploring how it can affect a family.
Aside from that important issue, the story is engaging from the start, picking up from the previous book. Any of these can be stand alone stories, but I recommend reading them in order. Garrison and Sam are introduced in the previous books, but in “Generous Lies” it’s their story. We liked them before, but now we really get to know them. And they don’t disappoint! No spoilers here but I highly recommend reading the whole series.
My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island: Maude’s Mooring by Carrie Fancett Pagels
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love Mackinac Island. (Pronounced Mack-en-naw) I’ve been going there since I was a child. And who didn’t fall in love with the island watching “Somewhere in Time”? It’s a magical place. So I couldn’t wait to read another book set in one of my favorite places.
Maude Welling is an island native from a long line of island natives. Her mother and her grandmother were both strong women who worked hard managing their businesses, which in turn employed a great many people. With her mother and grandmother gone, Maude expects to inherit Winds of Mackinac, the hotel her family has owned for generations. But her father is against her running it alone, and her fiance just returned to the island … with a bride.
Ben Steffen came to Mackinac Island in search of a story that would establish his newspaper reporting career. What he didn’t know, was that his boss had set him up to settle a personal score. Posing as someone he’s not, he falls for the beautiful island girl who was jilted by her suitor. But how can he pursue her while posing as someone he’s not?
This story is full of twists and turns and unexpected characters. The island itself plays a huge role, with the sights, smells, and sounds coming through behind the scenes. Well worth reading!
The Angel of Forest Hill by Cindy Woodsmall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This story hits some hard life issues, like the death of a loved one and emotional abuse by family members. Not the usual fluff seen in much of Amish romance. It’s a modern-day spin on the marriage of convenience theme that is both believable and relatable. Nothing fast or flashy here, but an illustration of the healing of time and steady faith. The ending was, admittedly, a little too neat and tidy for my tastes, but the story is well worth reading.
A Rebel in My House – Civil War Romance Series by Sandra Merville Hart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Set during the battle at Gettysburg, “A Rebel in My House” tells the story of a woman swept up in an event that changed the course of a war. If you’ve never thought about the how the war and the battles impacted civilian lives, this story will open your eyes. Full of rich details of the time period, Sandra Merville Hart also explores the differences between North and South in a realistic, not stereotypical way. Amid those details, she weaves a story of love and trust. Well worth reading.
Pegg Thomas