"The Perfect Match" by Susan May Warren

Deep Haven Series Book 3

Book Description

Ellie Karlson arrives in Deep Haven to fill the job as interim fire chief. The locals in this small town, including Pastor Dan Matthews, a volunteer firefighter, are shocked that a woman would take over this dangerous position.

But as Dan and Ellie work together to solve a string of mysterious arsons, their mutual respect for each other builds.

My Thoughts:

A story about a female fire chief.  I was intrigued.  It was so interesting learning about the behind the scenes happenings of a volunteer fire department such as we have in my town. 

Ellie is as tough as they come but still has issues of needing to prove herself to everyone, even herself.  Relationships are just complications in the road to her greater goals. 

She also has a faithful hound (a theme in this series that I loved), a basset hound.  I'm partial to basset hounds as we've had a few.  They are wonderful but hard-head dogs.  Maybe that is why the author chose that breed for Ellie.  hmm?

Dan has made minor appearances in the other books of the series but he ended up being nothing that I thought he would be.  He was a very interesting character as a preacher/fire fighter who has always held women at arms length until he meets Ellie.

The dynamics of their relationship were fun to "see" unfold throughout the book.

This whole series by Susan May Warren was one of my favorites ever.  I really enjoyed reading them back-to-back and getting to know the community of Deep Haven.

If you get the chance, read this series.  I know you'll enjoy all three books!

"Tying the Knot" by Susan May Warren

Deep Haven Series Book 2

Book Description:

EMT Anne Lundstrom is running from her past. But it?s about to catch up. She thought she'd escaped it when she moved out of the city and into the quiet town of Deep Haven. She certainly never expected to get roped into helping Noah Standing Bear run his summer camp for inner-city kids.

Yet Noah has a charisma she can?t ignore, and romance is in the air. But when the very danger she was trying to escape threatens her peaceful haven--and her life--Anne must find the courage to face her fears and embrace the one man who can help her understand her past.

My Thoughts:

Wow!  This book was so romantic.  So dramatic.  So suspenseful.  So action-packed.  So good!

The beginning of the book had me wide-eyed and hooked right away.  Then meeting Noah Standing Bear hooked me even further.  What a man!  lol.  Native American, long dark hair and riding a motorcycle instead of a mustang.  Swoon....

I loved the storyline of this book.  How sometimes we think we need to run away from something to escape but sometimes we need to sink ourselves into it to really find release from the bad memories and emotions.  Sometimes we give up too soon or just can't see the direction God wants us to take.

There was a faithful hound in this book also, but I can't for the life of me remember what kind or its name.  Anyone know?  I've already passed the book on to another reader.

Book 3 in the series is "The Perfect Match".  That review will be coming soon!

"Happily Ever After" by Susan May Warren

Deep Haven Series Book 1

Book Description:

She thought her hero was just a fairy tale... — Mona Reynolds knows exactly whom she wants to marry. The only problem is, he isn't real. — Mona's dream is about to come true. With the help of her best friend, Liza, she's transforming an old Victorian house in the lovely lakeside town of Deep Haven into the Footstep of Heaven Bookstore and Coffee Shop. If only she could swing a hammer.

Luckily for Mona, Joe Michaels -- a handsome, mysterious handyman -- agrees to help in exchange for rent in the apartment above her garage. But when disaster threatens her dream, Mona turns to her handyman for more than just household solutions and finds that some fairy tales have surprise endings.... 

My Thoughts:

I loved this book.  Mainly because it was about creating a bookstore, renovating, and a tall-dark-handsome hero!

But really.  This was an excellent book.  I loved that it took place by the lake.  My dream is to someday live in a cabin on a lake.  That is why we usually rent one for our family vacation each year.  This book just increased my desire.  Maybe one day...

I fell in love with "Rip" the chocolate lab.  I often thank God for the companionship of animals.  Especially my hounds.  Even though they sometimes drive me crazy!

The storyline was well written and kept me guessing and wishing for more when the book ended.

Luckily there are two more books in the series and I read them all in one weekend.  They were all excellent and I'll be reviewing book 2 and 3 soon.

Please see my left sidebar for the great places I'll be linking to!

"Indivisible" by Kristen Heitzmann

Book Description:

An inseparable bond. — An insatiable force. —

Battling his own personal demons, Police Chief Jonah Westfall knows the dark side of life and has committed himself to eradicating it. When a pair of raccoons are found mutilated in Redford, Colorado, Jonah investigates the gruesome act, knowing the strange event could escalate and destroy the tranquility of his small mountain town.

With a rising drug threat and never-ending conflict with Tia Manning, a formidable childhood friend with whom he has more than a passing history, Jonah fights for answers -- and his fragile sobriety.

My Thoughts:

Kristen Heitzmann books have always drawn me in because they are so suspenseful and I can't put the book down until I've read every word.  This book was the same.  I started reading it yesterday afternoon while cooking and finished it before I went to bed last night.

It was amazing!  I loved the way it went back and forth between the characters both main and supporting.  They were all so unique and so interesting.  Their stories were all so well thought out and portrayed within one book.

The dynamics between the hero and heroine were crazy!  They had a history that they couldn't put in the past so that they could live in the present.  I was on the edge of my seat/bed until the very end to see if they would overcome the obstacles between them.

The side stories were also very intriguing and I actually didn't mind veering away from the main story as much as I usually do.

All in all, a great read!  I now want to learn how to make my own candles and get back to trying lots of new baking recipes.

Very, very interesting!

"Love is Monumental" by Annalisa Daughety

A Walk in the Park Book 2

Book Description:

Discover the Washington Monument along with park ranger Vickie Harris who loves her job. But while life in the District of Columbia is exciting and fun, shy Vickie has resigned herself to the likelihood of being single forever. — She's never been head-over-heels in love. . .not even really been kissed!

But when a handsome professor asks the reserved, research-loving ranger for assistance on a project, will Vickie agree? Will she come out of her shell long enough to discover that Love Is Monumental?

My Thoughts:

Well, I LOVE history and LOVE going to State and National Parks, so this book had it going for me from the start.  I really liked book one of the series, "Love is a Battlefield", and looked forward to reading this book.

I thought the characters were very realistic.  Finally a man in a romance novel that has no clue!!!  It was so refreshing to see the hero actually be unromantic and just plain clueless.  It made me feel so much better about my very concrete thinking husband.

Let me explain...lol.  Sometimes after reading a romance, I get a little bit mad at my husband.  Why can't he be as romantic or say nice things or give compliments all the time like the fictional hero does?  Why does he no longer YEARN to just be near me?  hehe

Well, because he's a real man with real man concerns.  Working 40+ hours a week, helping to raise our girls, do work around the house, serve in the church etc.  And we've been married for 10 years.  (Should that make a difference though?)  And I admit that I have a lot going on as well and probably don't gush over him as I did when we were dating, childless and had a lot less responsibility.

So, I really liked this book.  I could identify with the leading lady being reserved and a bit shy.  And I really liked the leading man.  Clueless and all.

I'm really looking forward to reading book three of the series:  "Love is Grand"!

Catching Up on Book (non)Reviews

I am so behind in book reviews.  I had thought to only feature one book review per week but in doing so, I've accumulated a long list of books I've read but not reviewed.

Not good because, (1)  I'll never get caught up, (2)  After a while I start to forget the little details (3)  That list stresses me out!  lol

So, I think I'll go back to reviewing as I read.  I'll still try to have a book review on Tuesday, but they will also be popping up throughout the week also.

Now, to let you know the books I've read but not had a chance to review.

1.  Cowboys Touch by Denise Hunter
2.  LFYI Bridal Veil, Oregon byMerrilee Ferrell
3.  Art of Romance by Kaye Dacus
4.  Menu for Romance by Kaye Dacus
5.  The Bride Blunder by Kelly Eileen Hake
6.  Finding Stefanie by Susan May Warren
7.  Double Trouble by Susan May Warren
8.  Licensed for Trouble by Susan May Warren
9.  Moon Over Tokyo by Siri Mitchell
10.  Anonymous Bride by Vicki McDonough
11.  An Eye for An Eye by Irene Hannon
12.  Head in the Clouds by Karen Witemeyer
13.  Courting Miss Amsel by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Ahhh....  That feels so much better.  Starting over with a clean slate.

I must say that all these books were very good and definitely worth taking the time to read!

Until next time...Happy Reading!

"A Woman Called Sage" by DiAnn Mills

Book Description:

They took away everything she loved ... now, she's out for revenge. Sage Morrow had it all: life on a beautiful Colorado ranch, a husband who adored her, and a baby on the way. Until five ruthless gunmen rode up to their ranch and changed her life forever.

Now Sage is a bounty hunter bent on retribution. Accompanied only by her majestic hawk, she travels throughout the Rocky Mountains in search of injustice, determined to stamp it out wherever it's found. The stakes are raised when two young boys are kidnapped and Sage is forced to work with Marshall Parker Timmons to rescue them. But Sage may ultimately get more than she bargained for.

My Thoughts:

I've never read a Diann Mills book that I didn't like, so I settled in with this book anticipating a great experience.  A Christian romance where the leading lady is a half-Native American, tough, gunslinging, bounty hunter.  I was so intrigued by the description alone.

As I read this book I was drawn in and fell in love with the characters.  I could feel Sage's pain.  The mystery was one I couldn't wait to solve.  I thought I had it figured out.  What was the connection?  I had me turning page after page into the wee hours of the morning.  Luckily, it was a Friday night and I could sleep in.

I loved this book.  I loved the characters, the setting, and the story.  This book is a must read.

Please see my right sidebar for the great places I'll be linking to!

"Finding Faith" by Denise Hunter

The New Heights Series Book 3

Book Description:

Set in the high-pressure world of a Chicago television newsroom, author Denise Hunter brings to life a story of intrigue and integrity, of secrets divulged and promises kept. Paula Landin-Cohen's new job as an investigative reporter quickly puts her in the spotlight as she pursues a story that becomes nationally followed as the Switched at Birth Mystery.

Finding what really happened to the young couple's baby will assure her a coveted role as news anchorwoman but she also faces the challenges of a shaky marriage, a colleague who fiercely asserts his desire for the job, and a past decision that haunts her.

My Thoughts:

This book followed in line with the first two books of the series in that it was an exceptional read.

It picks up Paula's story where book 2 leaves off and then follows her to Chicago and a news story that changes her life in a very personal way.

The issue of abortion and the consequences thereof were continued throughout this book.  I don't want to give too much away but still want to convey how intriguing this story was.

Another great book from Denise Hunter!

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Now that my reviews of the series are over, I do want to mention that each book has some factors that are very coincidental and not very realistic.  But that is the greatness of fiction.  The author can take unrealistic happenings and turn them into a great story.

Please see my left sidebar for the great places I'll be linking to!

"Saving Grace" by Denise Hunter

The New Heights Series Book 2

Book Description:

As if the jolt of becoming a single mom to her two sons wasn't enough, Natalie Coombs is facing new stresses as the director of the crisis pregnancy center.

A teenager who comes in for testing brings back memories of another pregnant girl whose life tragically ended in suicide. Desperate to reach out to this client, Natalie crosses professional boundaries and incurs the wrath of a mysterious assailant.

Even within her family, all is not well as her relationship with her sister becomes increasingly tense. Natalie is compelled to carefully count the cost of following her heart and her convictions amid betrayal, physical danger, and strained family relationships.

Filled with human drama, readers will be easily drawn in as national issues become highly personal in this gripping tale of conflict and commitment.

My Thoughts:

This was the second book I read while on vacation.  It wasn't your typical vacation-light-reading topic matter.

As I sat on the pier, I was drawn into this story.  Abortion is such a serious topic.  I felt myself pleading in my heart for the young mother to listen to Natalie and what she knew was right.

My heart broke so many times throughout this book.  It was a roller coaster of emotions.  There were times when I soared along with the characters.

The huge twist in the storyline, (that I won't give away but I did have it figured out) is unbelieveable.  How much are we willing to forgive?  How much am I willing to forgive?  I don't know if it would be as much as portrayed in this book.

This was a very thought provoking book.  Like I said, not the average vacation read, but I am so glad I had it with me that week and was able to really give the topic the attention it deserves.

It lingered with me and I even found myself telling a few friends at church about it.

Amazing book!  You must read this series.  Book 3, "Finding Faith", will featured next Tuesday.

Please see my left sidebar for the great places I'll be linking to!

"Mending Places" by Denise Hunter

"The New Heights Series, Book 1"

Book Description:

Hanna can forgive anything. But can she forgive this?

One Woman Harboring a Painful Past:   Hanna Landin's past holds her captive. But the rugged mountain guide she hires to help the family's floundering mountain lodge makes her wish she could move beyond it. Can she save her grandmother's lodge from threats of sabotage? Can she forget that terrible night?

One Man Hiding a Mysterious Secret:   Micah Gallagher lives with a load of guilt from past mistakes. He can conquer the slopes of the Grand Teton, but can he conquer the fear in his heart? His new boss seems determined to make him try, but Micah is strong enough to resist her...or is he?

Two Lives Indelibly Intertwined Together:  Hanna and Micah face the past. But it's more horrifying than either of them feared, and Hanna faces the ultimate challenge of forgiveness. Micah will do anything to protect Hanna. But can he protect her from himself?

My Thoughts:

You might remember this was one of my "take on vacation" books.  Because just look at that cover.  Don't you wish you were sitting in one of those Adirondack Chairs, because I know I wish I was in the other one right beside you!

This book was unlike anything I'd ever expected to read.  Especially on vacation.  It delves so deeply in the issue of forgiveness that it is unreal!  Not only forgiving others but sometimes the even more difficult aspect of forgiving ourselves and accepting God's forgiveness.

I loved these characters.  Hanna was so determined and had a plan.  That plan didn't include Micah.  Ever.  No man was.

Micah was a dreamboat.  Rugged mountain tour guide.  Need I say more.  But he hadn't always been a Christian good guy and had things in his past that haunted him.  Badly.

This book took my emotion on a rollercoaster ride.  All while sitting peacefully by the lake.  lol

The story of Hanna and Micah was amazing enough, but the author, Denise Hunter, also introduces Hanna's two sisters.  These sisters will be the leading ladies in the next two books of the series.

I also read the second book of the series, "Saving Grace", while on vacation. It features Hanna's sister, Natalie.  Another great read.  I'll tell you more about it next week...

Please see my left sidebar for the great places I'll be linking to!

"LFYI Carmel by-the-Sea California" by Sandra Bricker

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Make sure you go to my "Summer Celebration" giveaway each day and enter to win!  Click on each day below.

Day 1 - Summer Fling Sun Hat
Day 2 - "LFYI Golden New Mexico" & $10 Starbucks Giftcard
Day 3 - $10 Shop Credit to JeweleightB's Etsy Shop & a "Bikini" Mug Cozy
Day 4 -$15 Shop Credit to GoodNeighborCandles


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Description:

Annie Gray has an epiphany: she is not living the life she's always dreamed of. She decides to start fresh, drawing inspiration from her favorite classic Hollywood films.

First, Annie moves into the picturesque Carmel bungalow belonging to her grandmother -- a retired film star.

Next up: landing an exciting job as a private investigator's assistant. But Annie's new boss is no Humphrey Bogart, and the work isn't quite what she pictured.

Just when everything in Annie's screen-worthy plan teeters on the brink of disaster, she has another epiphany. Will this one land her in the arms of her own leading man?

My Thoughts:

I bought this book while on vacation because it looked like it would be a great vacation-by-the-lake read. I was right!  I also love everything written by Sandra D. Bricker so I knew I wouldn't be disappointed.

This book was so fun.  There were so many references to old movies, actors, actresses, and Hollywood.  Doris Day even makes an appearance!  Loved those movies, too!

Annie is trying to redirect her life's path into something more rewarding, challenging and fulfilling.  I love that her new job is with a PI.

"Bench" is her temporary boss and their dynamics are great.  I really like how he constantly calls her "Annie Gray".  He is really a character but as the book unfolds I that he really had true character.

This is a another great book from Sandra.  It was a great summer vacation read!  I highly recommend it.

See my right sidebar for the great places I'll be linking to!

"Sworn to Protect" by DiAnn Mills

Call of Duty - Book 2

Book Description:

Border Patrol Agent Danika Morales has sworn to protect the southern borders of our nation, but that oath has cost her. Two years ago, her husband, Toby, was killed trying to help the very immigrants Danika was responsible for sending back to Mexico. His murder was never solved. But now, a recent string of attacks and arrests leads her to believe that someone in McAllen is profiting from sneaking undocumented immigrants into the country . . . and it may somehow be tied to Toby's death.

 

My Thoughts:

 

I liked this book even more than the first of the series, Breach of Trust.  It was so full of action, drama, suspense, and mystery.

 

I enjoyed gettting to know the characters and what there beliefs about the immigration policies were.

 

I loved the relationship Danika has with her daughter and extended family.  I also appreciated the fact that the author uses Christian counseling to help her characters through tough situations and tramatic pasts.  Sometimes life gives us more than we can comprehend and make well-thought-out decisions about without the perspective of an unbiased person to talk through issues with.  It should not be something that needs to be hidden.

 

And it wouldn't be romantic suspense with a little romance, would it?  It was a great romance also.

 

Waiting impatiently to read Book 3 of the Call of Duty series!

 

 

 

 

"The Girl in the Gatehouse" by Julie Klassen

Book Description:

Miss Mariah Aubrey, banished after a scandal, hides herself away in a long-abandoned gatehouse on the far edge of a distant relative's estate. There, she supports herself and her loyal servant the only way she knows how—by writing novels in secret.

Captain Matthew Bryant, returning to England successful and wealthy after the Napoleonic wars, leases an impressive estate from a cash-poor nobleman, determined to show the society beauty who once rejected him what a colossal mistake she made. When he discovers an old gatehouse on the property, he is immediately intrigued by its striking young inhabitant and sets out to uncover her identity, and her past. But the more he learns about her, the more he realizes he must distance himself. Falling in love with an outcast would ruin his well-laid plans.

The old gatehouse holds secrets of its own. Can Mariah and Captain Bryant uncover them before the cunning heir to the estate buries them forever?

My Thoughts:

Julie Klassen has become one of my favorite authors.  I have read all her books and each one is thorougly researched and written so well, that I usually find myself staying up until the wee hours of the morning to finish reading it.

This book containted so many aspects that make a book a great read.  Mystery, romance, jilted love, family rifts, war heros, social classs strife, a crazy man walking on the roof of the town's "poorhouse".  All very, very interesting.

The characters were very real and showed human frailties, mistakes, consequences and forgiveness.

I really, really liked this book and wish that I could go visit the gatehouse.  The picture on the front of the book is beautiful.

I'm looking forward to this author's next book!

"Lady in the Mist" by Laurie Alice Eakes

The Midwives Book One

Book Description:

By virtue of her profession as a midwife, Tabitha Eckles is the keeper of many secrets: the names of fathers of illegitimate children, the level of love and harmony within many a marriage, and now the identity of a man who may have caused his wife's death.

Dominick Cherrett is a man with his own secret to keep: namely, what he, a British nobleman, is doing on American soil working as a bondsman in the home of Mayor Kendall, a Southern gentleman with his eye on a higher office.

By chance one morning before the dawn has broken, Tabitha and Dominick cross paths on a misty beachhead, leading them on a twisted path through kidnappings, death threats, public disgrace, and . . . love? Can Tabitha trust Dominick? What might he be hiding? And can either of them find true love in a world that seems set against them?
 
My Thoughts:
 
I thought this book was very interesting.  The time period, the occupation of both the leading lady and leading man, the area.  Very interesting.
 
What I also foudn interesting was the author's formatting.  It was different.  It was intriguing.  It was sometimes a bit confusing but not majorly so.  What I mean:
 
Most of the chapters left the reader hanging, a bit like a soap opera before a commercial or on a Friday afternoon.  The following chapter either went to another scene with different characters or sometimes just a different scene but it didn't pick back up where the previous cliffhanger left me hanging.  Some scenes were omitted and the reader had to piece together and sometimes infer what occured in the break.
 
This happened with just about every chapter.  I read some reviews were readers absolutely did not like this formatting.  I didn't mind it.  It was actually a bit exciting and kept me very intrigued to find out or to figure out what was happening.
 
In other words, it kept me guessing.  And I liked it!
 
I also really liked the forgiveness theme that was stressed throughout the book.  We can do nothing to earn forgiveness.  It is freely given and yet we sometimes feel like we need to "make up" for our mistakes before we can "feel" forgiven.  Like we need to atone.  But Christ was and is our atonement. 
 
Thank You, Lord!  Because I could never do enough to earn my forgiveness or salvation.
 

"A Matter of Character" by Robin Lee Hatcher

Sisters of Bethlehem Springs ~ Book 3

Book Description:

The Sisters of Bethlehem Springs series delivers exactly what readers have been waiting for -- smart, confident women who are not afraid to defy convention, live their own dreams, and share their lives if the right man comes along. —

In "A Matter of Character", book three in the Sisters of Bethlehem Springs series, it's 1918, and Daphne McKinley, heiress to a small fortune, has found contentment in the town of Bethlehem Springs. But Daphne has a secret.

A series of dime novels loosely based on local lore and featuring a nefarious villain known as Rawhide Rick has enjoyed modest popularity among readers. Nobody in Bethlehem Springs knows the man behind the stories ... except Daphne.

When newspaperman Joshua Crawford comes to town searching for the man who sullied the good name of his grandfather, Daphne finds herself at a crossroads, reassessing the power of her words, re-thinking how best to honor her gifts, and reconsidering what she wants out of life.

My Thoughts:

Well, Robin Lee Hatcher is one of my favorite all-time authors and I haven't read a bad book from her yet.  I had no doubt that the 3rd and final book of the "Sisters of Bethlehem" series would be just as good as the first 2.

Book 1:  "A Vote of Confidence"

Book 2:  "Fit to Be Tied"

Click on the title to see my reviews for the first two books.  They are both in the format that I used to do my reviews.  Do you think I should go back to that format or stick to a "My Thoughts" type of review?  Or, I could maybe combine the two.  That's an idea.

I was impatiently waiting to get my hands on "A Matter of Character".  I thought it would be so interesting to read a book by a female author about a female author when being a female author wasn't cool.  Did you follow that?

It was also very interesting to learn about the Spanish Flu.  I had no idea.  We've heard of the Bird Flu, the Swine Flu but even before that was the Spanish flu.  What was so absolutely thrilling was that in today's paper it actually had an article that mentioned the Spanish Flu!  How coincidental!

That is what I love about reading.  I love learning new things and getting some romance thrown in with it.

I definitely loved this series and greatly look forward to Robin Lee Hatcher's next series.  I hear she's already working on it!  Yay!

"Sarah's Garden" by Kelly Long

A Patch of Heaven ~ Book One

Book Description:

When Sarah realizes that she has fallen in love with an Englisch doctor, she must choose between loving a man and losing her family.

Deep in the heart of Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains, shy Sarah King is happiest when working in her vibrant Amish kitchen garden, but new family responsibilities lead her into the confusing world of the Englisch. Sarah finds her life turned around when she encounters the community's new Englisch veterinarian, Grant Williams. His blue-gold eyes and his obvious concern for her people attract her immediately.

Sarah seeks solace and direction from the Lord as she creates a quilt pattern which details her struggle between two worlds.

The Lord is guiding Sarah to follow His will, but will she listen?
 
My Thoughts:
 
This book started with Sarah being so very timid and afraid of really socializing with people especially when she has to take over the running of hte family's road-side stand.
 
Completely opposite, I thought Grant was very forward and took a lot of liberties.
 
As the come to know one another and each other's cultures, things even out a bit.  Grant realizes that he has to take his relationship with Sarah seriously and not just something to pass the time.  Sarah becomes more comfortable being around people and really opens up not only to Grant but also to the other Amish in her community.
 
I enjoyed this book but the ending seemed to come a little too easy.  Maybe just compared to other Amish books that I've read. 
 
The author does point out in the beginning that each Amish community is very different from each other.  We tend to think that they are all alike in their behaviors and beliefs.
 
Either way, I look forward to reading more about Jacob and Lilly in the next book of the serious.  "Lilly's Wedding Quilt".  It looks like it is going to be a great read!