by admin | Dec 19, 2014 | Books, Historical, Pinkertons, Romance, Western
MY REVIEW:
“Petticoat Detective” is another fun to read western romance with a twist by Margaret Brownley. I always enjoy books by this author and this one was no exception.
When undercover Pinkerton detective Jennifer Layne is mistakenly thought to be wanting to work in Miss Lillian’s Parlor House and Boots, she decides to play along since there is probably no better way to learn the identity of the Gunnysack Bandit. She soon finds that pretending to be a lady companion will be more difficult than she expected. Jennifer is not the only one looking for the Gunnysack Bandit. Tom Colton, an ex Texas Ranger is searching for his brother’s murderer and his search leads him right to Miss Lillian’s. Despite a mighty strong attraction, both Jennifer and Tom also harbor suspicions about each other.
The plot of “Petticoat Detective” is well paced with plenty of surprises along the way as well as drama and romance. The story contains an abundance of humor including several unlikely business combinations and quirky characters. I particularly liked Jennifer’s character. Despite her uneasiness with how she was expected to dress for her “new job”, Jennifer grew to care for the other women who worked for Lillian and even Lillian herself. She got a personal taste of how others avoid or mistreat undesirable people which affected her own outlook.
“Petticoat Detective” is one of my favorite books of the past month or so and I highly recommend it to those who enjoy historical romance novels, especially westerns. I certainly look forward to the next novel in this series.
This book was provided for review by LitFuse Publicity.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Pinkerton detective Jennifer Layne is no stranger to undercover work. But posing as a lady companion named Amy at Miss Lillian s Parlor House and Boots is a first for her. She s finally landed a high-profile case and is on the trail of the notorious Gunnysack Bandit, when one of Miss Lillian s girls essential to her investigation meets an untimely demise. Only a handful of people are in the house at the time of her death, including handsome Tom Colton, a former Texas Ranger determined to clear his brother s name. Amy has many reasons to suspect Tom of murder—and one very personal reason to hope that she s wrong about him.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Thrills, mystery, suspense, romance: Margaret penned it all. Nothing wrong with this, except Margaret happened to be writing for the church newsletter. After making the church picnic read like a Grisham novel, her former pastor took her aside and said, “Maybe God’s calling you to write fiction.”
Margaret wasn’t sure that was true, but she wasn’t about to take chances. She now has more than 28 novels and is a New York Times bestselling author. Not bad for someone who failed 8th grade English. Just don’t ask her to diagram a sentence.
by admin | Dec 18, 2014 | Books, Christmas, Historical, Romance, Western
MY REVIEW:
The end of The 12 Brides of Christmas is fast approaching with bride number eleven “The Snowbound Bride”. I have thoroughly enjoyed this series thus far and hate to see it come to an end with the next novella. I would be hard pressed to choose my favorite among them but once again the latest installment has taken that place – at least temporarily.
I loved the story about an orphaned city girl who has been raised by an uncle and grandmother with all the comforts and privilege of wealth but love has been missing from the equation. Ara has fled the city to accept a position in Colorado to avoid marrying the man her uncle has chosen for her. Complications find her hiding in the back of a wagon in the midst of a snowstorm and eventually snowed in on a remote ranch with Nate and his mother. With a match-making dog and mother, how can Ara and Nate avoid romance?
“The Snowbound Bride” was entertaining with a sweet romance, a bit of drama, and a touch of humor. My only complaint is that it ended much too soon. Loved the characters and the dog Beetle. Do yourself a favor and pick up “The Snowbound Bride” and others from this new Christmas series.
This book was provided for review by Shiloh Run Studios.
On the run from a heartless uncle, Arabella Taube hides in Nate Horne’s farm wagon just as a harsh winter storm sweeps into Colorado. Despite Ara’s mysterious background, Nate’s mother thinks she is the answer to a prayer and the hope for his future.
More About The Snowbound Bride with Davalynn Spencer
Davalynn Spencer’s The Snowbound Bride feels very close to home. Her home in Colorado, that is, where she loves seeing the snow come down every Christmas!
“During my childhood, Christmas was always about Jesus, and I have continued with that joyous celebration in my home as an adult. Scent plays a part as well—the tree, clove-studded oranges, hot cider, cinnamon bread. Christmas always smells good.”
“After I married, I moved to Colorado and discovered snow! Of course there is snow elsewhere, but its crystalline beauty here against our blue Colorado skies is breathtaking. I wanted to express the contrasting power and beauty of a snowy holiday in my book, as well as the simple joy of receiving the Christ child.”
Set on a ranch not far from where Davalynn currently lives, The Snowbound Bride tells the tale of a woman fleeing a vicious relative, only to wind up snowbound with total strangers for more than the holidays.
The plot originally came to her as a contemporary story, but she wondered what the situation would look like in the 1880s. “Once I began exploring the differences, the characters took on color and ran off with the tale!”
Davalynn’s paternal family came west, one uncle served as the doctor on a wagon train, long ago. She used some of that experience in her research, coupled with investigations she made from a recently released trilogy of western stories.
“My characters in The Snowbound Bride are working ranchers trying to make a living off the land and their horses in the 1880s.
“Like many families of that time, they don’t have a lot of money for baubles and store-bought trinkets, so decorations as well as gifts are homemade. Dried berries and popcorn adorn the freshly cut tree, and hand-made cookie cutters fashioned from empty tins are used to make star-shaped cookies tied on the tree with yarn. One character is particularly talented, and carves a nativity scene from willow branches.”
An unexpected character turned up while she wrote:
“Beetle the dog surprised me. Almost as suddenly as he surprises Ara! He stepped out of my heart and onto the page without any planning, and established himself as an important background character. I love animals, and all my stories have dogs or cats or horses—sometimes all three.”
The theme of The Snowbound Bride is simple and yet important:
“Trusting God’s leading is key in my life, and I believe it is for others as well. However, I still want to see where I’m going and it doesn’t always work that way. That’s where the trust comes in. The Lord has this incredible way of using things that we think are failures or mistakes or disasters, and often those very things become our greatest blessings.”
Who is Davalynn Spencer?
Novelist and speaker Davalynn Spencer is an award-winning journalist whose background spans the city crime beat and the national rodeo circuit. She’s both the wife and mother of professional rodeo bullfighters. When she’s not writing inspirational romance or teaching as an adjunct professor, she enjoys speaking and leading worship at women’s retreats. She makes her home in Colorado where she continues to be amazed by God’s creative splendor.
For more information about Davalynn, visit her webpage: http://davalynnspencer.com/
In social media, you can find Davalynn on Facebook and Twitter
Davalynn ends with a word to readers: “I hope readers will enjoy this brief trip into Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, warm themselves by the home fires of love, and come away with a good helping of faith and fresh hope.”
Click below to purchase from your favorite online vendor!
by admin | Dec 5, 2014 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Western
MY REVIEW:
As a reviewer for the past five or six years and as an avid reader for more years than I can count, I have obviously read many romance novels. Most of the time the primary characters are fairly young, even those who have lost a husband or wife. That is not a bad thing, but in “Love Without End” I enjoyed the story that featured a couple who were just a bit more mature with children in their teen years. As I get older myself, I find I enjoy reading about more mature characters once in awhile.
Both Chet and Kimberly are alone. Chet’s wife walked out on him after their son’s death and Kimberly’s husband died suddenly leaving her in a world of debt. Each is determined to be a good parent to their children and somehow get through life the best way they can. In “Love Without End” Chet and Kimberly find that God may just have other plans for them.
I enjoyed reading about the growth of Chet and Kimberly’s relationship with each other and in their faith. A bonus was reading the chapters that detailed Nana Anna’s history in King’s Meadow and on the Leonard ranch. I loved Anna’s character and how her wisdom and love for Chet, Kimberly, and their children helped each of them to heal from their own pain. A novel that focuses on following God’s plan for your life, “Love Without End” is a worthwhile read. I look forward to future books in the King’s Meadow series.
This book was provided for review by LitFuse Publicity.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Chet and Kimberly have both failed when it comes to love. Will they risk their hearts to love again?
Chet Leonard’s life was forever changed when his 17-year-old son died and then, soon after, his wife walked out on their family. Over two years later, all he wants to do is hold onto his horse ranch and raise his remaining sons to be honorable men.
Kimberly Welch, widowed mother of Tara, a rebellious 15-year-old, has reached the end of her finances and nearly the end of her rope. She and Tara come to King’s Meadow to try to piece their lives back together again. Kimberly has no intention of becoming involved with the residents of this remote mountain community and certainly not with any man.
When octogenarian Anna McKenna returns to King’s Meadow and to the Leonard ranch, she becomes an agent of change and healing for the two hurting families. With her help, Kimberly and Chet may discover that true love has no end.
Learn more at Robin’s website.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Best-selling novelist Robin Lee Hatcher is known for her heart-warming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. The winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance, two RT Career Achievement Awards, and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award, Robin is the author of over sixty novels.
Find out more about Robin Lee at http://robinleehatcher.com.
Fire Up the Romance this Holiday with @RobinLeeHatcher’s “Love Without End” Kindle Fire Giveaway!
Fire up the romance this holiday with Robin Lee Hatcher‘s latest offering in the King’s Meadow Romance series, Love Without End. For two single parents with bruised hearts, it’ll take more than a little courage to get back on the horse when it comes to love.
Celebrate love rising from the ashes of tragedy with Robin by entering her Kindle Fire giveaway.
One grand prize winner will receive:
- A Kindle Fire
- Love Without End and the rest of the King’s Meadow Romance series from Robin Lee Hatcher
Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on December 14th. Winner will be announced December 15th on Robin’s blog.
{NOT ON FACEBOOK? ENTER HERE.}
by admin | Nov 26, 2014 | Books, Christmas, Historical, Romance, Western
MY REVIEW:
“The Christmas Tree Bride” is the eighth installment in the 12 Brides of Christmas series of novellas. Like the preceding novellas, it is a short and sweet romance that takes place during the Christmas season.
Featuring Polly Winfield who helps her parents run a stagecoach stop in Wyoming Territory, the story depicts the sometimes lonely life and hard work involved in running a stage stop. Polly’s isolation is somewhat relieved by the presence of new driver Jacob Tierney during his layover between runs. When he learns how important having a Christmas tree is to Polly, Jacob promises to bring her one in time for Christmas.
By their very nature these novellas must be short and to-the-point but some of them make me long for an extended version and “The Christmas Tree Bride” is one of those. I would have loved to read more detailed interaction between Polly and Jacob. Nevertheless, I have enjoyed each of the novellas thus far and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
This book was provided for review by Shiloh Run Studios.
Polly Winfield lives at the stagecoach station that her father operates and often sees Jacob Tierney, one of the drivers. But winter arrives on the prairie bleak and uneventful, and she confesses to Jacob that all she longs for is a Christmas tree. Will a stagecoach accident prevent him from making her wish come true?
More About The Christmas Tree Bride with Susan Page Davis As a veteran writer of 50 novels, Susan Page Davis loves historical fiction and often finds inspiration from her family history. While her own family always had a Christmas tree–no surprise since she grew up in Maine–she was interesting in writing a story set in a place where trees were hard to find.
In The Christmas Tree Bride, Polly moves to Wyoming Territory with her parents and helps run a stagecoach stop during the time period prior to the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.” I added characters to help keep the stage line moving, and also envisioned what sort of romance might take place there.”
In the course of writing the novella, Susan was surprised when one of her secondary characters, Billy Clyde, the shotgun rider, developed a strong personality of his own.
“I set The Christmas Tree Bride in 1867 because I love that time period and the excitement of westward expansion,” Susan explained. “I knew a tree was something a girl would miss,” for her first Christmas away from her greater family. Susan’s own family enjoys large family get-togethers during the holidays.
As part of her research, Susan investigated what trees grew in Wyoming and also learned the type of Christmas cards sent at that time. (Which, of course, was just after the ending of the Civil War).
Her heroine, Polly, reflects certain aspects of Susan’s character. She’s impulsive and desires to please and help others. Among the spiritual themes is a simple one: “God provides the things we really need, even when it seems unlikely.”
The setting for The Christmas Tree Bride is familiar to Susan as she married a man from Oregon and has driven the east to west route and back again several times.
“Most of my ancestors stayed in New England, but my great-great grandfather on my mother’s side did go west after the Civil War, driving cattle out there. He also did some gold mining. My husband’s family, on the other hand, took to the wagon trails and left some vivid tales behind.”
Given her experiences writing historical fiction, Susan wouldn’t mind visiting Winfield Station, “but I don’t think I’d want to live there!”
Who is Susan Page Davis?
A native of Maine, Susan has spent most of her life there, with forays to her husband’s home state of Oregon, and is now relocated to Kentucky. She homeschooled her six children. Like several other 12 Brides of Christmas authors, Susan descends from patriots who defended their country during the American Revolution, and has used some of their inspiring stories in her own writing.
You can learn more about Susan on her webpage: www.susanpagedavis.com
Susan Page Davis blogs on the twenty-third of the month on the Christian Fictional Historical Society website.
In addition, you can find Susan on Facebook
by admin | Nov 11, 2014 | Books, Historical, Romance, Western
This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingDreaming on DaisiesDavid C. Cook (October 1, 2014)byMiralee Ferrell
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Miralee and her husband, Allen, live on 11 acres in Washington State. She loves to minister to women (as a certified Lay Counselor with the AACC) or through her writing, riding her horse, working in her flower beds and playing with her dogs—her 7 lb, long-haired Chihuahua, Lacey, spends a lot of time on her lap while Miralee is writing. Miralee speak at various women’s functions and has taught at writers’ conferences. She’s been writing since 2005, and her first book released in 2007. Since then, she’s had 10 more books release, both in women’s contemporary fiction and historical romance, and she’s had the honor of being a best-selling and award-winning author.
Learn more about Miralee and her books on her Website.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
When her father’s debts, brought on by heavy drinking, threaten Leah Carlson’s family ranch, she fights to save it. When handsome banker Steven Harding must decline her loan request, he determines to do what he can to help. Just as he arrives to serve as a much-needed ranch hand, Leah’s family secrets—and the pain of her past—come to a head. They could destroy everything she’s fought for. And they could keep her from ever opening her heart again.
This is western historical romance that offers hope and healing to the deepest wounds in a woman’s past.
If you’d like to read the first chapter of Dreaming on Daisies, go HERE.
MY REVIEW:
I’m not sure how but I missed the first two books in the Love Blossoms in Oregon series. Now that I have read Dreaming on Daisies, I guarantee that I will definitely acquire them. I would love to read the backstories on some of the characters I met in this book.
Although the third book in the series, I can attest to the fact that Dreaming on Daisies can easily stand on its own merit. Although it is evident that many of the supporting characters probably had more pivotal roles in the earlier novels, knowing their background is not essential to the enjoyment of this one. Dreaming on Daisies may be historical fiction but many of the issues that confront Leah Carlson and Steven Harding are very little different than those faced by actual people in modern society. The author deftly illustrates the emotional, physical, and financial toll that addiction, abandonment, and unforgiveness can have on so many individual lives.
Dreaming on Daisies is an emotionally charged story with wonderfully realistic characters and a believable plot. Leah was a surprisingly strong young woman whose determination and work ethic managed to hide her vulnerability – most of the time. Steven may have appeared to be a city slicker banker but his dreams for the future included land and a home of his own – and those dreams may have begun to include Leah in them. Despite her apparent strength, there was something about Leah that brought out Steven’s protective instincts and his desire to help her pulled him directly into her family drama and secrets.
I thoroughly enjoyed Dreaming on Daisies with its strong emphasis on faith, forgiveness, and reconciliation. I look forward to reading the preceding novels of this series as soon as I can.
by admin | Nov 1, 2014 | Books, Historical, Romance, Western
MY REVIEW:
It has been awhile since I read a novel by Kelly Eileen Hake and I had forgotten just how much I have enjoyed them in the past. Her characters are always so very well fleshed out that they seem as if they could be a part of your own circle of friends and acquaintances. Hake’s books always have just the right balance of humor and drama and include wonderful examples of how both honorable and dishonorable people tend to act.
I loved all the Darlyn sisters as well as hero Greyson Wilder and his sidekick Miles. The Darlyn sisters exemplified the love and loyalty that should exist between family members yet were unique individuals in their own right. Their father had taught each of them skills considered not to be appropriate for women in order to enable them to protect themselves and each had excelled in the skill of her choice. Anyone would have to admire Grey, a man tortured with guilt over the death of his wife but who couldn’t stop himself from running to the aid of anyone in trouble and standing up for the underdog. He also could not stop himself from falling in love with the oldest Darlyn sister Bea.
“Trails and Targets” is one of those books that makes me wish I had the entire series in hand right now. I can’t wait to read the next installment in the Dangerous Darlyns series. Kelly, I hope you are writing fast!
This book was provided for review by The Book Club Network.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
The four Darlyn sisters discover the family farm is mortgaged to the hilt when their father falls desperately ill. Plagued by a creditor with designs on more than their land, will a traveling stranger be the answer to their prayers? Greyson Wilder, searching for buffalo bones, is surprised to find himself saddled with a slew of sisters, instead. But it’s the eldest—sharpshooting Beatrix—who hits the mark of his lonely heart.
Armed with courage, cleverness, and some seriously unconventional skills, Grey and Bea just might find a new future to fight for. Join the fun on a journey filled with trouble, Trails & Targets!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kelly Eileen Hake received her first writing contract at the tender age of seventeen and arranged to wait three months until she was able to legally sign it. Since that first contract a decade ago, she’s fulfilled twenty contracts ranging from short stories to novels. In her spare time, she’s attained her BA in English literature and composition, earned her credential to teach English in secondary schools, and went on to complete her MA in writing popular fiction.
Writing for Barbour combines two of Kelly’s great loves-history and reading. A CBA bestselling author and member of American Christian Fiction Writers, she’s been privileged to earn numerous Heartsong Presents Reader’s Choice Awards and is known for her witty, heartwarming historical romances. A newlywed, she and her gourmet-chef husband live in Southern California with their golden lab mix, Midas.
