The Midwife’s Choice by Delia Parr

This is the second book in the At Home in Trinity series. I did not read the first one but this one stands alone. It does, however, leave some loose ends to be resolved in the next installment. Martha Cade is the local midwife. She and the local doctor help each other in their practices. The local mayor is an old boyfriend that she is being reacquainted with. She misses her two grown children and is presently living with two ladies who own the confectionary shop because the tavern that had been in her family for several generations had recently burned down. The story revolves around these people, some of Martha’s patients and other townsfolk. There is a lot of stuff going on. It almost was so much different stuff going on that it didn’t seem real. Martha didn’t really seem like a very nice person much of the time and the actions and conversations of the characters seems a little strange at times. I did enjoy the story, however, even though I would have liked a story with a little better flow.

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Rising Darkness by Nancy Mehl

This is #3 in the Finding Sanctuary trilogy and it did not disappoint.


Sophie is coming to Sanctuary (a small town in Missouri) to check out a lead on a story for the newspaper she works for in St. Louis. It is believed that a wanted criminal may be hiding out there. Sophie doesn't want to reveal her true purpose for being there or her true identity because she doesn't want any other reporter to scoop her big story. Almost immediately she runs into Jonathan Wiese, the man she loved in her hometown, who is now the pastor of one of the local churches in Sanctuary.


This story keeps you turning pages to see what happens next to the detriment of your regular daily chores and routine. It is just not a book you want to put down even if the fire alarm goes off. I love the way this author tells a tale and the lovely, genuine people she populates her stories with. I highly recommend this series and all other books by this author!


Bethany House gave me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review but I can guarantee that I would have bought it anyway because I've been anxiously awaiting this third installment of the series.

I can't say enough about this book! Every Christian and every pastor should read this book. This is what the Christian faith should look like in America today. Christianity is going strong all over the world and the people in those other countries are sold out to Jesus Christ and believe in miracles and they receive them! We in North America are trying hard to neutralize the gospel and make it comfortable for us but that's not what it is all about. In this one part of the Bronx, NY, Dimas Salaberrios is living out the real thing. Like Nicky Cruz of The Cross and the Switchblade book by David Wilkerson, Dimas started out dealing drugs at a young age. He went through some fiery times until he finally surrendered to the call of God on his life and gave his heart and soul to Jesus Christ.


I couldn't put this book down. I was thrilled to find evidence that real faith was alive and well still here in America and that people were being told about the Gospel and were receiving it gladly. If all of us would get off our comfortable pews and go out and proclaim it, God would heal our land as promised in the scriptures. Read this one as soon as you can. It will thrill and excite you!


I received this book from Tyndale House in exchange for a fair and honest review and I am so glad I did. I've already passed my copy along to my pastor to read and will likely be buying more copies so I can pass it on to more people to read.

Fire and Ice (Wild at Heart) by Mary Connealy

This is the third book in the Wild at Heart Trilogy. Bailey Wild has dressed like a man and done manly things like homesteading on her own for the last several years. Rancher Gage Coulter built the biggest ranch in the area on his own. They both need something from the other and it’s all complicated by her father and the arrival of his mother.


This is a book that really reels you in and holds you to the last page. This is probably the best book of the trilogy and one I’ve been anticipating since the first one. I love the characters in this book as I do all the characters Mary Connealy creates. Her books are so much fun and I laugh all the way through them. She is one of my favorite authors.


I recommend you buy all three books in the trilogy and read them. Great fun!


Bethany House provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I would have bought it in any case because I’ve been watching anxiously for its release.

DEADLOCK by DiAnn Mills

This book is part of the Houston FBI series that DiAnn Mills has written. FBI Agent Bethany Sanchez and her new partner Thatcher Graves are investigation a series of serial murders in Houston. Complicating matters is that Bethany's brother Lucas is out of prison and harassing her every chance he gets. Bethany and Thatcher have different methods of looking at cases and so they are getting used to each other.


This book kept building and I couldn't put it down. It kept me in suspense right up to the end and I was wildly satisfied with the outcome. The only down side (and I haven't noticed this in DiAnn Mills' other books) was that I was sometimes confused by the dialog between Bethany and Thatcher because it was almost like they were speaking in shorthand and weren't filling in enough details for me to make sense of the conversation.


The family dynamics and the faith of both Bethany and Thatcher were well developed and woven into the story in such a way that it enhanced the story and made the characters more enjoyable.


I received this book from Tyndale House in exchange for a fair and honest review. I have been trying to read everything from this author since I discovered her last year and I will definitely be watching closely for her next book.

DiAnn shares about her new novel Deadlock, in this extended interview

What inspired DiAnn Mills to write her new novel, Deadlock

Diann talk about her novel, Deadlock

DiAnn talks about her characters in her new novel, Deadlock

When Love Returns by Kim Vogel Sawyer

This is Book 3 in the Zimmerman Restoration Trilogy. I recommend you read all three because much of the story started in Book 1 continues on through Books 2 and 3. In this book Suzanne is back in Kansas helping out at the Bed & Breakfast while her adopted daughter makes a trip back to Indiana to look for her birth mother. Meanwhile, Suzanne's birth child is right there with Suzanne but she doesn't know who her birth mother is. This book explores the dilemmas that are faced by birth and adoptive parents and by the children they raise. But it is all masterfully woven into a marvelous story. The characters became so real to me I almost felt I could travel there and stay in the B&B and get to know them all. Kim Vogel Sawyer has a gift for writing spellbinding stories with intricately crafted characters and interweaving their faith into the tale. This book is my favorite of the three because it pulls it all together and ties up a lot of situations that the family was facing throughout the trilogy.

I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review and as part of the "Street Team." I can honestly say that I would have bought it the minute it was available for sale if I had not been on the team. This lady is one of my favorite authors and is from my home state of Kansas. I almost feel like we're related somehow. ;-)

After you read this trilogy if you are as captivated as I am by the story, and if you are new to this author, go back and find anything you can that she has written because all her books are keepers!

Chivalrous by Dina L. Sleiman

The sequel is rarely as fine a pearl as the original but this one is as good or better than the original. This book is delicious!

Lady Gweneth would rather be a knight like her three brothers than the lady her father expects her to be. Her father wants to arrange a marriage for her with a brute of a man who has no respect for women but Gwen has her heart set on Allen of Ellsworth who has newly arrived in their dukedom. A cousin of the Duke is working very hard to take over the Dukedom as he considers it his rightful inheritance. We met Allen in book one (Dauntless) and later in the story we meet up with the other main characters from the first book.

I loved this book, the characters, the attention to detail of how people lived and dressed and what they ate in the 1200s. I really enjoyed the attention the main characters gave to scripture and their prayers and relationship with God. It was all seamlessly part of the story.

Bethany House gave me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review but I would have bought it anyway and will rush to purchase any subsequent books from this author!

Below is my review of Book 1 of the Valiant Hearts series that I wrote a few months ago.







March 15, 2015 Dauntless by Dina L. Sleiman

All I can say is WOW! I loved this book! I love this time period, I love these kinds of stories and I want more! (And I don't want to wait till the Author's next installment. I want her to speed write!)


Lady Merry Ellison and Timothy Grey were once betrothed but her father's opposition to King John put a damper on the situation. Her parents and brother were murdered by the King's men and Merry and some of the village children were forced into exile by the circumstances. They formed a little band for survival and lived off their wits in the woods. Timothy, thinking Merry was dead too, eventually went to work for a nearby landholder. When he discovers Merry is still alive he doesn't know what to do. To let others know is to put her in danger.


This was so much fun -- a Robin Hood type of story. The characters are interesting, the time period is interesting, the political intrigue is fascinating and the storytelling is superb!

Bethany House gave me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review but I would have bought it anyway and will buy any subsequent books by this author. Loved it!!

Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohlke

This is one of the most interesting WWII books I have read. It kept me in suspense throughout. Like most WWII books, it is sad. But it is also hopeful and enjoyable.

The story is about Hannah, who knows nothing about her mother or her mother's past. Even though her mother raised her, she never was forthcoming about her past. When her mother, Lieselotte, dies and leaves everything to her she discovers some interesting papers in the lockbox at the bank. They lead her to a German grandfather who is still living. But he has secrets to keep too. She goes to spend time with him in order to try to find out who her mother really was but finds more questions than answers.

If you love to read about WWII and about the holocaust you will really enjoy this book. I highly recommend it to all and even suggest that it be used as an extra credit reading assignment for homeschoolers studying American or World History.

I received a copy of this book from Tyndale in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Potter's Lady by Judith Miller

Rose McKay has just graduated from a design school and convinces her brother to invest in a Pottery factory. There she meets Rylan Campbell who is 2nd in command at the Pottery Works. Her designs and business ideas will make a success of the business in her opinion but Rylan is not so sure because he is not a fan of change.

The story of the workings of the pottery factory was very interesting to me. The time period and the characters were well developed by the author and became real as a result. I was fascinated by all the intricacies of the process and it brought to mine some wonderful pottery collections we have made in both the U.S. and Europe. It makes me want to collect even more!

Judith Miller always tells a good story and I am always happy to get a new book by this author. Bethany House provided me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Stealing Jake by Pam Hillman

This story is set in a small coal mining town not too distant from Chicago in the late 1800s. Livvy is a former street child who is now helping run an orphanage. Jake is the deputy sheriff and part owner of a collapsed coal mine. Both have their pasts to overcome but a series of robberies around town, a bunch of starving street children and rumors of a sweat shop set up right within their borders leave a lot of investigating to do. Livvy wants to help the kids, Jake wants to uphold the law.


This book is well written and with all the cute, vulnerable children is a tugger of heartstrings. I couldn't put it down. I would love to read more from Pam Hillman.


Tyndale House gave me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

In Good Company by Jen Turano

Jen Turano is a new author for me but she is going onto my favorite authors list immediately. This book was pure joy. Mix a madcap nanny, a very serious gentleman, some matchmaking older ladies, 3 adorable kids, a gaggle of interested servants, 3 puppies and a whole flock of peacocks and what could be more fun. Jumping from New York City to Newport, RI to Boston, there is plenty of action, a mystery to solve and love is in the air!

Be sure and block out enough time to read the whole book because I can guarantee you won't want to put it down. The characters are delightful. The plot is well planned and the goings on of all the characters are just plain fun!

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House for the purpose of writing a fair and honest review and I am so grateful this is the book I chose this month!

Blessing (#2 in Quaker Brides series) by Lyn Cote

This is about a Quaker widow, Blessing Brightman, who is an influential and wealthy part of the Cincinnati community in the mid-1800s. She is part of the Underground Railroad and is an avid Abolitionist and Women's Rights advocate. She meets Gerard Ramsey, a spoiled heir to a Boston family, when he comes to rescue his cousin from the clutches of her best friend.


This is a rich historical novel with many interesting things to learn about this whole time period and the people who populated it. Speakers that came to Cincinnati included Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass.


The book started out slow and for a chapter or two I thought it was going to be tough to get through but then it started to flow and I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning to finish it.


I will now be looking for book 1 of this series and waiting for book 3 to appear. I will also be looking for other books by this author. I love finding a new author to add to my "favorites" list.


Tyndale gave me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you Tyndale for a great experience!

Now and Forever (Wild at Heart #2) by Mary Connealy

Shannon Wild is working her homestead and tending her sheep when she manages to knock mountain man Matthew Tucker off the side of a mountain into a raging river. Of course she falls in with him and the two embark on a wild and wooly journey for survival. We met Shannon in book one of this series along with her two sisters who were all masquerading as men so they could have a homestead. They had also fought in the civil war in the same way. Mary Connealy always tells the story in a very amusing way and there is no end of belly laughs and chuckles as you take a merry romp through her tales. I am always waiting (impatiently) for the next installment. Book number three will be the oldest sister, Bailey's story and it promises to be a rip-snorter! Can't wait! I absolutely adore all of Mary Connealy's books and even with my policy that there are too many great books out there to be rereading anything and it's better to pass them on to others, with this author I have made one of my rare exceptions and all her books are on my shelf as keepers.

Bethany House gave me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review, but quite honestly it was on my list to buy this month anyway so I would have gotten it one way or the other. I love Bethany House and all their authors so sometimes it's hard to choose what I want to review in a given month but this one was a no brainer.

Centralia by Mike Dellosso

This was an interesting suspense novel. It is about Peter / Jed whose reality is set on end when he realizes that there are things he doesn't understand about his past. He has been part of a secret government agency and has had his brain altered by them. He must dig through all the differing fragments of thoughts and memories running through his brain and fight off all the very real thugs that are chasing him to try to get him back into the program or destroy him.


The author uses the real "burning city" (underground) of Centralia, PA as the location of the secret facility and the blending of facts about that and the story are interesting.


This book was intense and required a lot of concentration to try to figure out what was going on but it was riveting and I had trouble putting it down to do other things. I loved how the little girl's faith was the key and when Peter / Jed remembered his faith and put it into action, God's protection became real to him.


I was given a copy of this book by Tyndale House in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Taken by Dee Henderson

Every time I think Dee Henderson has reached the mountaintop in her career she outdoes herself again. I loved this book! There is no immediate danger or violence in this book but the suspense is ongoing. The characters are intriguing and the plot is riveting.


Shannon Bliss was abducted at age 16 and eleven years later she resurfaces outside Matthew Dane's hotel room asking for his assistance in getting back to her life. Matthew's daughter Becky had been through a similar experience and Shannon had read about it in the newspaper and chose him to help her too.


I love the enduring faith of the characters that is just a part of their personalities and who they are. I love that they consulted God when the going got tough. I love that they relied on each other and a set of trusted friends (some were my old friend from previous Dee Henderson books). I love how laid back they were even in times of extreme stress and the simple things that they enjoyed about life. I would love to have friends like these.


This book brought new insight on the difficult transition for people who have been victims of horrible crimes like kidnapping. The PTSD that they deal with is as serious as that of our armed forces. All such victims should be treated with respect and given all the help they need to recover.


I highly recommend this book to all my reading friends.


I received this book from Bethany House in return for a fair and honest review. Confession time, I would have bought it regardless. I can't pass over a Dee Henderson book and wait anxiously for the next one to come down the pike.

Chance of Loving You (Romance Collection)

This is an anthology by
Author Terri Blackstock - view author info
Author Susan May Warren - view author info
Author Candace Calvert - view author info

Terri Blackstock and Candace Calvert are two of my favorite authors and I have also read Susan May Warren’s work in the past.

The first story, by Terri Blackstock, is about a couple who meet in a restaurant and end up sharing a winning sweepstakes ticket (10 million each). It was not Terri Blackstock’s normal fare and it felt contrived, as if she was trying to make something up to fit this spot in the book. The characters were not very likeable and the circumstances and reactions of the two were not very credible.

The second story, by Candace Calvert, is about a dietary aide in a hospital who falls in love with the CSI Photographer who is regularly visiting his grandmother in the hospital. This is typical Candace Calvert fare and I loved it!

The third story, by Susan May Warren, was hard to follow at first but it turned out to be a fun story. It’s about a couple who grew up together and went to the same college but misunderstanding had forced a wedge between them that neither wanted. A fishing tournament throws them together again and sparks fly.

All in all this was a fun book and I will recommend it to my friends that like these types of stories. This book was provided to me by Tyndale House in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Tiffany Girl by Deeanne Gist

This is the most fun book I've read this year. I always love Deanne Gist's books but this one is extraordinary!


Flossie is a "New Woman" in the 1890s. She wants to strike out on her own as a single woman and artist. She accepts a job for Mr. Tiffany (of Tiffany stained glass fame) when he hires women to replace the men from his factory that are on strike. Against her parents' wishes, she moves out and takes up residence in a boarding house. Being an only child, she is hungry for family and embraces the other residents of the boarding house as her new family. One of the residents is a writer, Reeve Wilder, a man who also wants a family in the worst way but handles the acquiring of one from a whole different perspective. This novel take place in New York City and also in Chicago at the World's Fair. The author has done extensive research and I almost feel like I have visited that World's Fair and also have learned much about the culture of the time. There are so many fascinating aspects of our ancestors' lives that I have learned through Ms. Gist's work and I can't wait to find out what she will teach me next.


I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. However, if I had not I would have bought it at the first opportunity anyway because I would not have wanted to miss this one! These characters are engaging, likable and "fun to watch." Once I dove into this book I didn't want to come up for air. I am now adrift at the end of the story and wishing I was still experiencing it. I think this will be one of those rare books that I will actually visit again. There are so many books to read out there that I hardly ever read one again but I may have to make an exception for this one. Of course, I'm sure Ms. Gist is working on her next masterpiece so perhaps I will just wait and see. Delicious!

Finding Me by Kathryn Cushman

Kelli Huddleston has always been told that her mother and siblings died in a house fire. But when her father and stepmother die in a car accident and Kelli has to go through her father's things, she finds a whole different scenario emerging and decides to go find out for herself what really happened.

I was not familiar with Kathryn Cushman's work before but I intend to be very familiar in the future. What a great author to add to my "favorites" list!

This book kept me hooked until the very end. I needed to find out what happened more than I needed my sleep. The book and its characters found a home in my heart. Highly recommend!

Bethany House gave me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

When Grace Sings by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Briley Forrester, hotshot big city reporter, is in the tiny Old Order Mennonite town of Arborville to dig up some dirt on the residents. He and his boss think there must be more to the story than the outward appearance of these people. He stays at the Bed and Breakfast run by Alexa Zimmerman. She's not Old Order Mennonite but she lives plain since her extended family, the Zimmerman's are. Both Briley and Alexa have issues from the past that haunt them. Briley was abandoned at 5 and raised in foster homes. Alexa was abandoned as an infant and raised by Suzy Zimmerman.

Also featured in the story are Steven Brungardt and Anna-Grace Braun who are "published" to be married. Steven has inherited a farm in Arborville from his deceased grandfather. Steven doesn't want to be a farmer, he wants to be a teacher but he doesn't want to disappoint his parents and Anna-Grace. Anna-Grace isn't sure she wants to go to Arborville either because she has discovered that her birth parents are from there. She doesn't want to know who they are but she doesn't want to run into them either.

This story is a continuation of When Mercy Rains and this book is number 2 in the Zimmerman Restoration series. Book 1 deals with Suzy Zimmerman's return to her family with the daughter she raised (Alexa) and seeing for the first time since birth her own illegitimate daughter that had been adopted by a cousin.

Time out! I need to grumble at the author a little: Mrs. Sawyer, you left us hanging on Suzy at the end of book one. Now at the end of book two you leave us hanging on Suzy, Alexa AND Anna-Grace. Book 3 (since this is a trilogy) better be Faith Restored or some such and resolve all three of these. They are all begging for resolution.

Just so you know, that rant above was in fun. I love Kim Vogel Sawyer. She is arguably my FAVORITE of all favorite authors. She provided this book to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. I would have snarfed it up anyway because I've been waiting (impatiently) for this next installment in the story. Please speed-write book number 3, Mrs. Sawyer.

Dauntless (Valiant Hearts) by Dina L. Sleiman

All I can say is WOW! I loved this book! I love this time period, I love these kinds of stories and I want more! (And I don't want to wait till the Author's next installment. I want her to speed write!)


Lady Merry Ellison and Timothy Grey were once betrothed but her father's opposition to King John put a damper on the situation. Her parents and brother were murdered by the King's men and Merry and some of the village children were forced into exile by the circumstances. They formed a little band for survival and lived off their wits in the woods. Timothy, thinking Merry was dead too, eventually went to work for a nearby landholder. When he discovers Merry is still alive he doesn't know what to do. To let others know is to put her in danger.


This was so much fun -- a Robin Hood type of story. The characters are interesting, the time period is interesting, the political intrigue is fascinating and the storytelling is superb!

Bethany House gave me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review but I would have bought it anyway and will buy any subsequent books by this author. Loved it!!

By Your Side by Candace Calvert

Macy, an ER nurse, and former foster child and Fletcher, a cop meet each other when they are involved in a sniper incident on the freeway. As it turns out they have mutual acquaintances in the the ER / First Responders community. As the sniper continues to show up (more than once when Macy was present) all kinds of theories evolve and Macy and Fletcher spend more and more time together. They seem to be the right mix to work through issues both have with their pasts and presents. Both characters are real and fascinating and people you would want on your friend’s list.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I like the medical / ER / Cop insight. It was very well researched. And the story kept developing to the extent that I didn’t want to put it down to resume normal daily activity. I’m looking forward to another installment from this author and I will definitely recommend this book to my friends who enjoy this genre.

I received this book from Tyndale House in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Sabotaged by Dani Pettrey

Reef McKenna and Kirra Jacobs have known each other since childhood and have been at odds most of that time but when one of Kirra's family members is kidnapped during the Iditarod they team together to find her and catch the criminals who have a plans that will endanger many people and animals.

This is book 5 in the Alaskan Courage series. I have loved every book in this series about the McKenna family in Alaska. I waited rather impatiently for this last installment and now I feel a sense of loss since this is the last book in the series, but I can't wait to see what Dani Pettrey has in store for us in her next series.

The characters in these books are friendly people who anyone would love to have has friends or family. The author makes the reader feel like they are a member of the family or at least a very close family friend. These are books that are hard to put down in exchange for the mundane of daily life so I generally start them when I have a large block of time when I can read with only brief pauses to eat or run to the bathroom. If I have to (sigh) go to bed and put the book down till morning it is most stressful.

I love the way the characters' Christian faith is intertwined seamlessly into the story and just becomes a part of their personality. It is not contrived or superfluous, it is part of who they are and what they are doing.

Dani Pettrey has become one of my favorite authors. Most books I read and pass on but Dani Pettrey's books go on my bookshelf.

Bethany House gave me a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. If they hadn't I'd have bought it anyway the first day it was released because I have been waiting for this one! All Bethany House books are winners but Dani Pettrey is one of their new shining stars.

Esther: Royal Beauty (A Dangerous Beauty Novel) by Angela Hunt

This is the story of Hadassah / Queen Esther told in a fresh new way. The story is told by Esther and by the eunuch Harbonah, personal servant of King Xerxes. It is true to the Biblical account but is fleshed out by other research and some fictional additions. This is a moving story enhanced by personal details about the characters. I was enthralled throughout and so intrigued by the variance of human nature displayed among the protagonists. This would be a good story to read when celebrating or researching the Jewish feast of Purim.


I love everything written by Angela Hunt so I was sure I would enjoy the story before I picked up the book but I have also read other very nice accounts of this story by other authors and done an entire Bible study on the Book of Esther by a well-known Bible teacher. So I wasn’t sure if I would find anything new here or if it would just be old hat. What I found was so much more than I anticipated and I will cherish this book and recommend it to others.


Bethany House provided me with a copy of this book for the purpose of an honest review.