To Honor and Trust by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller

Callie is a young governess working for the Bridgeport family. She travels with them to Bridal Veil Island where they vacation for the winter. The three young children are drawn to her, and she enjoys this more laid back family, but she has many things on her mind. What is the next step going to be in her life? Her parents are missionaries in Africa and would love for her to join them. Is that the way God is leading her? Or should she continue the job in front of her?

Honesty is very important to Callie, and when she starts spending more time with Wesley Townsend, one of the children's golf instructors, she begins to care for him. But will she allow him to take more of her heart when she finds out the truth about who he really is? Will she be able to let go of her past and allow herself to be cared for by someone in return?

For a historical fiction piece, it read very much like a modern story. Near the end of the book is when more of the history of the early 1900s started appearing. The characters were enjoyable to get to know, and the author kept surprises coming, which kept you on your feet.

This book was reviewed for Bethany House Publishers.

Courting Cate by Leslie Gould

 
There's a new guy in town, Pete Treger. He's looking for something better in Lancaster County. What he are a couple attractive girls, two sisters. Betsy, the younger sister, is the calmer, sweeter, and some may say more attractive of the two. Her older sister Cate calls things like they are, not afraid of stepping on anyone's toes along the way.

Betsy has one man in particular looking to court her, but her father has come up with a rule that she is not allowed to court until Cate gets married. This seems to be impossible. After all, who wants to be with the more dominant of the two sisters? People try to get Pete to court Cate so Betsy can continue with her life, but is he willing to go for someone who gives him more attitude than anything?

This was an enjoyable read. It was easy to get into, and the characters were relatable and realistic, not always perfect. The relationship that developed between Cate and Pete was interesting to see unfold, and it didn't happen as I expected. I thought the events in the middle of the book were  going to be the end, so it was interesting to see how the dynamic changed between these two people as the author changed their circumstances. 

All Things New by Lynn Austin

War changes everything. Josephine and her family experience that first hand when they return home to Virginia after the Civil War. Nothing is the way it was. The servants that filled their plantation are now free. Her dad and brother have been killed, and another brother returns home completely changed. How are they going to put together the pieces of their broken lives?

This book had a very hard time keeping my attention. I felt like it started slowly, and I couldn’t relate to the characters. However, I did like that this story wasn’t from the perspective of just one character. I was able to understand each main character. Usually I enjoy historical fiction, but this is not a book I will revisit in the future. There was a lot of description throughout this book, and I felt like that got in the way of some of the storyline. It did not live up to my expectations. There was a good message to this story, though: learning to make the most of the way things are and to trust God through uncertainties.

The Bridesmaid by Beverly Lewis

Joanna Kurtz continues to be a bridesmaid, but she wishes she would grow closer to becoming a bride. That possibility enters her mind when she meets Eben Troyer, a young Amishman. The only problem is he’s from Indiana, and she’s from Pennsylvania. Being with him is dependent on Eben’s brother, a brother who turned his back on the Amish way of life. Their father needs help running the farm, and without Leroy, it falls on Eben’s shoulders.

Like many of Beverly Lewis’ books, this was an enjoyable read. I like how she tied in characters from the previous book in the Home to Hickory Hollow series.  The events in this story flowed nicely, and the relationship Joanna and Eben developed seemed natural and realistic, including all the bumps and doubts that go along with a long distance relationship. One character I did not enjoy was Joanna’s sister, Cora Jane. She brought down the mood of the book, and her tense relationship with Joanna wasn’t developed all that clearly. Overall, this is a book worth revisiting.

This book was reviewed for Bethany House Publishers.

Article Published by Inspire a Fire

We all have certain gifts, and there are ones we know have not been given to us. I reflected on this idea in an article that was published by Inspire a Fire. 

http://www.inspireafire.com/not-my-gift/

Over the Edge by Mary Connealy

Seth Kincaid found himself married after fighting in the Civil War. His spitfire of a wife, Callie, goes in search of him after he disappears from their homestead. When she finds him, she wants to wring his neck for not remembering her. Seth, on the other hand, is interested in getting to know this woman who is called his wife. He wants to rekindle the spark they once had. Will they ever make it to a place where they both want the same thing, or will their differences keep them apart? 

This book opens with an action scene, which really grabs your attention and makes you want to keep reading to find out what will happen next. Since this is how it started, I thought there would be a lot more throughout the book, but there wasn’t. There is one more action scene closer to the end.

While Seth is trying to win Callie back and remember her, there is a subplot in the story, but I didn’t feel like it got enough attention to fit in well…until near the end. I found myself thinking those few chapters were more of a distraction than anything.

This book was not a page turner. I struggled my way through it because it did not keep my attention, and I will probably not read it again. 

This book was reviewed for Bethany House Publishers. 

When Hope Blossoms by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Amy moves with her children to a small town in Kansas. Back home, there is speculation that her husband's death was not an accident, so she needs a fresh start. Amy comes from a Mennonite background, one her new neighbor, Tim Roper, left many years ago. He doesn't want any reminders of his past, but those memories have a way of surfacing. Can God use the unlikeliest of people and circumstances to bring healing?

I found this book to be mediocre. It had a hard time holding my attention. When I started reading this book, I thought the love interest would develop much earlier. What was there seemed to be a little contrived, so I did not like that. However, I enjoyed the characters, mainly Amy's children and Tim. Amy was to be a main character, but I felt like most of the book focused on Tim and the children instead of her, so I did not feel as much of a connection to Amy as I anticipated.

This book has been reviewed for Bethany House Publishers.