Until the Dawn by Elizabeth Camden

  40 miles up the Hudson River lies one of the oldest mansions in the United States. Dierenpark is the name of the Vandermark mansion that was built it 1635.  It is a magnificient home that overlooks the river.  People come for a day trip to paint this home and hear the stories of mystery that surround the Vandermark family.  The gothic style architecture only adds to the macabre mystery of Dierenpark, which is Dutch for paradise.  This house is far from a paradise for this family.  The house has been vacant for years, being taken care of by only a few servants.

Sopia Van Riijn is one of the caretakers of this house who has taken a few liberties that servants should never do.  She has an interest in a new study of weather forecasting.  She set up a weather station on the roof of the mansion to help local farmers learn about storms that may come their way.  The problem is that the Vandermark family never gave their permission to have this set up on their roof.  So when Quentin Vandermark arrives, Sophie finds herself in a precarious situation.

Quentin Vandermark returns to Dierenpark on the request of his grandfather.  Quentin, who is an architect by trade, is tasked with the  job of demolishing the mansion.  His other task is to build a relationship with his young son, Pieter, who was kidnapped a year ago and locked in a closet for months at a time.  Pieter is leary of people, but quickly befriends Sopie.  Quentin hires Sopie to be a nanny to Pieter.  Quentin’s demeaner with people is rather harsh, and he fires the skeletal staff upon arrival.

Sopie’s pure and gentle spirit proves to be a balm to Pieter’s wounded spirit.  She helps Pieter to discover the wonders of the world that every young boy loves to encounter.  He quickly becomes adept at catching bugs and frogs, and even learns to read the weather instruments that Sopie has on the roof of the mansion.  Sophie’s sweet spirit also work magic on Quentin, and we see his heart start to change and grow to enjoy being around his son once again.

Camden’s masterful weaving of characters and complicated plot keeps you turning the pages of this novel.  The mystery of the mansion slowly unwinds while the reader becomes deeply involved with the characters.  The mystery builds to the last chapter with a jaw dropping surprise.  Readers will enjoy Camden’s attention to detail and rich characterization.  A delight to read.

My thanks go to Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-copy of this book to read for my review.

Not by Sight by Kate Breslin

Espionage WWI style

Grace Mabry thinks she knows how to fight a war, and those who are not doing participating in the war should be ashamed of themselves.  Grace's brother is a hero fighting for England in France.  Jack Benningham, Viscount of Walenford, is a spoiled playboy who can afford to ignore the call to arms. That is what the public sees, but reality is he is a highly trained spy working to catch a dangerous enemy.  Grace and Jack have an encounter at a ball, where Grace gives the notorious playboy a white feather.  The white feather is a symbol of cowardice.  Grace hopes to shame Jack into joining the fighting force.  When Jack receives this feather from the beautifully enchanting woman, he looses track of his quarry.  He quickly chases after the spy, and gets caught in an explosion and looses his sight and ability to fight for his country.

Breslin's attention to detail and history, draw the reader into her story.  The intrigue of who the elusive spy is woven throughout the story and keeps the reader guessing.  The misunderstandings and misconceptions that the characters have of each other brings a sense of humor and delight to the story as Grace and Jack discover their true characters.  This war time romance is delightful.  I am becoming a Kate Breslin fan.  She breathes fresh air to dust off history in a way that resonates in your heart and soul.

My thanks to Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley for providing me with the free e-copy of the book to read and review.

Taken by Dee Henderson

  Classic Henderson, raw honesty with surprising twists.

Shannon Bliss has finally escaped from the people who took her so many years ago.  She has been giving clues to Matthew Dane, head of Dane Investigations.  Matthew's daughter was taken and he did everything in his power to get her back.  He was able to get her back, but the cost was high.  The aftermath was a long road to recovery, but they made it.  His daughter is now a normal college girl.  Shannon know this history and trusts Matthew to take care of her as she has escaped from her kidnappers, and there is a trail of missing children that Shannon is releasing to Matthew so families will have closure.  Shannon shows up in the hallway of a hotel where Matthew was a speaker at a conference.  The story takes off from there on a trial of twists and turns.  Along the way, Henderson has cameo appearances of characters from previous books.  I love this, it feels like these characters continue to live along with me.

Henderson's raw honesty of struggles with faith shows up in this book as well.  Shannon shows how people can hang on to God when your seemingly perfect world, turns upside down and inside out in just a moment of time.  I love how Shannon explains things to Matthew as she tells him she is like a catcus.

"I am a cactus, Matthew.  Not an orchid.  They're beautiful, but they can't handle heat or a tough environment.  The circumstances throughout my life have made me who I am.  I can plan.  Strategize.  Think across long periods of time.  Put me in a room with those who hate God, and I can still thrive.  God has made me into a tough, battle-hardened believer.  I am very grateful to have those eleven years behind me.  But I used them.  I chose to survive with my faith intact.  I chose to come out strong and together.  I endured, and now I'm going to thrive.  I don't expect life to be easy.  I do expect God to be there with me."

This is why I love Henderson as a writer.  She is honest about how we struggle with faith.  Her characters will struggle and yet hold on to their love for God.  This helps me to dig deeper in my faith.  I wonder if I can do the same has Shannon and choose to survive the tough times I have.  Or do I simply give up because things do not seem to go my way?  This is for me to work out with God.  I am grateful there are people that make me think about my faith and how it needs to be stronger.  This book will challenge you in your faith.  It will push you to take a look at how you live, and hopefully push you to reach out for the only one who can help you endure the hard things in life and thrive.  This is a relationship with Jesus Christ.

My thanks to Bethany House publishers and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

From the Start by Melissa Tagg

Kate Walker writes romantic screen plays for television.  Yet her personal life is the polar opposite.

Colton Greene was forced to retire from football at the height of his career.

A football player + a screenplay writer + a tornado= A winning combination.

A tornado demolishes Kate's hometown of Maple Valley, Iowa.  So she drives home from Chicago, and arrives late at night.  She tries to sneak into her own bed, only to find a man already asleep there.  Once the uproar settles, Colton moves across the hall to sleep in a bed that his too small for his 6 foot four inch frame.  Colton is in town to try to get his life together, and help out a friend.

Kate and Colton team up to write his post career biography, in hopes of launching his career as a football analyst.  The only problem with this plan is, he freezes in front of the camera.  So what is it that God wants him to do now that football is off the table?  As Colton helps to repair the town of Maple Valley, he discovers that God is rebuilding his life in ways he never could have imagined.

Kate's big dream has always been to make a difference with her writing.  Her current job barely pays the bills.  She get a job offer to go to Africa and write for the non-profit foundation her mother started.  Kate is thrilled with this opportunity and will write Colton's story before leaving.  Kate digs deep into Colton's life, because she doesn't want to write a "fluffy" story.  She wants to get to know the real man.  While digging, she discovers a man with a heart of gold.

Tagg does a beautiful job with her characters.  We come to care for this family, and we will learn more about them in future books.  She weave in the right amount of humor and romance.  Along the way she shines a mirror on the rough patches of life.  Colton and Kate have to make decisions where there is not clear choice, and the reader earns that while life is sticky, God is with us every step of the way.  This authentic voice will speak to your heart.  You will fall in love with the small town values and Walker family.  I eagerly anticipate the next book in this series.  This one was a touchdown in my mind.

My thanks to Bethany House Publishers and NetGalley for the e-copy to read for my review.

After a Fashion by Jen Turano

  This story is a mixture of My Fair Lady and Anastasia.  This delightful book is the first in a series entitled a class of their own.  I look forward to the other books in this series.

Harriet Peabody is a working girl, who gets a job offer to pretend to be the fiancee of wealthy Mr. Oliver Addleshaw. The story begins with Harriet delivering some hats to a spoiled high class girl at the house of Mr. Oliver Addleshaw.  Harriet isn't used to dealing with someone who is so spoiled, and quickly finds herself in a mess. Mr. Addleshaw offers Harriet an new job, since she was about to lose her old job.  Needing to make money to pay her rent and other expenses, she reluctantly accepts this new job.  She finds herself the pretend fiancee of one of the richest men in America. Because she doesn't belong to the upper class, like Eliza Doolittle, she must learn all the social graces in a short amount of time.  Many interesting and funny scenes happen as the couple plays up their romance. 

Oliver is worried about an upcoming business deal.  He knows that people tend to play matchmaker for him, and he finds this to be a problem.  So to avoid this issue, he makes a plan to already be engaged.  He just didn't count on Harriet trying to change him.   You will laugh out loud and find yourself cheering for Harriet.  You will hold your breath to see Oliver's reactions.  Then you will groan, as Harriet's devious Aunt tries to take control.  

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to other people.  Turano does a great job of developing the characters and putting them into some humorous situations. I enjoyed the scenes that had Harriet trying to be lady like, only to find her making a mess of things.  I loved how she stood up for herself, and didn't let people push her around. I look forward to reading about the other two girls, and hope that Harriet and Oliver's new adventures are mentioned in the upcoming books.

My thanks to Bethany House Publishers and Net Galley for providing me with an e-book to review. 

A Matter of Heart warms the soul.

  A Matter of Heart by Tracie Peterson warms the soul with adventurous characters and a hint of mystery.

Jessica Atherton is a spoiled, rich girl who is concerned only with herself.  She begins to take a good look at herself when her almost fiancee marries someone else.  The girl was not as pretty as Jessica, and this confuses her.  Taking a look at herself and finding out the truth sets her on a quest to change her inside beauty to be as beautiful as her outside beauty.  This quest is not an easy one as everyone thinks that Jessica is only concerned with surface things.  As time goes by, and her actions prove her desires to change, people see Jess's heart and warm to her changes.

Austin Todd is a haunted man.  He recently moved to Texas to get away from his tragic past.  He worked for the Treasury Department and enjoyed his job, but when tragedies struck, he took on a different position working for the Texas Rangers.  This position keeps him moving and rarely home to be haunted by memories.  Through the love and kindness of neighbors, Austin finds that he wants to be home.  He is fascinated with Jessica and her forthright manners.  Can he leave his past behind and fall in love again?

Peterson has once again created characters that you care about.  This is her third book in her Lonestar Brides Series.   I haven't read the previous books, but didn't feel confusion or loss for not having read them.  This is a great stand alone title. The journey that Austin has leaving a painful past and starting a new life was beautifully written.  Jessica's journey of self discovery was also fun to read.  The mystery and intrigue with the safety deposit box was a great surprise in the middle of the story, but one that I enjoyed.  Peterson does an outstanding job with her storyline.  Her pacing is never rushed, and her attention to detail draws the reader in.  The reader cares for the characters and then the mystery comes along to keep you reading.  There are some cliffhangers that will leave you turning pages quickly to find out what really happened.  This is a great read with a touch of sweet romance.  Once again Peterson has hit her mark.

My thanks to Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a free ebook to read and review.

Miracle in a Dry Season will give hope to weary souls

  Miracle in a Dry Season is a hopeful novel that was introduced with the novella Appalachian Serenade.  I was glad I had read the novella, but you do not need to have read that story.  Each book will stand on its own merits.  This touching story tells how a small town learns the true meaning of forgiveness.

Perla is a quiet mother to a captivating five year old, Sadie.  Perla left her home to return to the small town of Wise, West Virginia.  This is where her aunt and uncle live, and Perla lived there for a short time as a small girl.  In order to feel useful, Perla offers to cook for her aunt and uncle who run the town's mercantile.  Perla has a gift that when she cooks the food seems to multiply and everyone is filled.

Drought has come to Wise and we soon discover that peoples' souls are affected by a spiritual drought as well.  The land waits for the rain, while people's souls wait for true forgiveness to break their hardened souls.  This comes in some surprising ways.  Renewal comes once there is rain and forgiveness.  Some people are quick to forgive, while others take a bit more time.

This book was very insightful.  I kept putting myself in place of the characters wondering if I would be quick to forgive.  Thomas puts in some common struggles we all share and if you stop to ask yourself  if you would forgive, you might be surprised to discover your answer.  I know that I was taken by surprise.

The romance of the book is hinted at in the story and heats up to a quick resolve at the end of the story.  I would have liked the romance to have had a bit more prominence in the story, but yet the lessons that I learned in the story about myself made this a story that was well worth my time.  I look forward to reading more from this author.

My thanks to Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley for the e-book to read and review.