An Uncommon Courtship by Kristi Ann Hunter is a Regency Era novel and it's book 3 in the Hawthorne House series. I have had the pleasure of reading all of the books so far and I have loved all of them, including the prequel novella. This has probably been my least favorite, but it is still a good book. Adelaide has a perfect reputation after living in her sister's shadow, but one move lands her in a compromising situation. Trent has plans to fall in love and marry the woman of his choosing, but his choice is taken away when he finds himself honor-bound to marry Adelaide whom he doesn't ... Continue Reading...

An Uncommon Protector by Shelley Shepard Gray is all about trust in the time of hardship. Laurel is a widow who needs help and protection on her ranch. Thomas is a prisoner who longs to be free. Desperate to save her ranch, Laurel uses the last of her money to pay Thomas' fines and he agrees to work for her for one year. More trouble soon finds them and they must struggle against current issues and deal with past hurts - together. I had the pleasure of reviewing book #1 in the "A Lone Star Hero’s Love Story" series as well and this just continues the wonderful story of a group of ... Continue Reading...

Heart on the Line by Karen Witemeyer is an adorable historical romance that delves into the world of telegraph operators. Grace was witness to a terrible crime and she is hiding in the small town of Harper's Station (a sanctuary for women in need). She works as the town's telegraph operator and has formed a friendship with Amos, a fellow operator in a neighboring town. Amos learns of Grace's troubles and comes to Harper's Station to help, but trouble is about to find them both! This is book #2 in Witemeyer's series "Ladies of Harper's Station" (you can find my review of book #1 here) and ... Continue Reading...

Love's Faithful Promise by Susan Anne Mason Love's Faithful Promise took me by surprise. This is a great case for "Don't judge a book by it's cover!" (which I'll admit to doing on a regular basis). From the simple cover I wasn't expecting to get such a wonderful and charming story. Both Deirdre and Matthew are head-strong characters who have both built walls around their hearts. With a plethora of secondary characters and a wonderful setting of Deirdre's family home, Love's Faithful Promise is a great read for anyone who loves inspirational romance. I received a complementary copy of ... Continue Reading...

A Heart Most Certain by Melissa Jagears When you think you know what you want life is easy, or its supposed to be, right? Lydia is a very persistent person and will not let a little thing like Nicholas Lowe's refusal to donate to the Teaville Moral Society stop her. She needs to secure his donation to impress her potential future mother-in-law and the man who is courting her and they need those sewing machines to make blankets for the poor. Lydia needs the future she has planned to escape her father's debts and help her sick mother too. Nicholas proves to be as stubborn as she, but ... Continue Reading...

The Captive Heart by Michelle Griep I'm a mom and I homeschool my kids. I don't tell you this to brag or anything, just to preface this review by saying my day is usually so busy I only have time to read in the evenings after the kids go to bed. That being said, this book is so great I read it in one day. I knew from the description it would be interesting and I couldn't wait to start reading it. The kids were all occupied with afternoon reading or play so I dove right in. Sometime after 1am I finished it. The unusual setting made the book all the more captivating. This isn't your ... Continue Reading...

To Love a Stranger by Colleen Coble Bessie and Jasper are stuck for the moment, married by proxy. Bessie is angry with her sister for corresponding with Jasper in her name and agreeing to become his bride. Bessie has little choice but to keep the commitment made in her name and travel to the Utah territory to meet her new husband. She is not who or what Jasper is expecting. Jasper was expecting a tall, vibrant and beautiful woman, but the real Bessie is everything but. This Bessie is timid and frail-looking, and not what anyone would consider a beauty. He feels duped and angry at ... Continue Reading...

The Loyal Heart by Shelley Shepard Gray Amid the tragedy and pain of post-war Texas, this book is full of heartwarming and heart wrenching drama. I really enjoyed the bit of suspense thrown in as well. I love Civil War era books and this one is especially interesting because we get a close-up look at life for imprisoned soldiers. This book does a wonderful job painting a picture of what life was truly like for southerners after the war. Miranda is living a solitary life while being threatened from several sources and ostracized by the whole town. Rumors of her husband's actions in ... Continue Reading...

A Beauty Refined by Tracie Peterson I have been a fan of Tracie Peterson for a very long time and her ability to weave a complex tale never ceases to amaze me! Her newest series is set in Montana and the small but beautiful sapphires mined there. Though I missed book one (I'll have to catch up on it later), book two in the "Sapphire Brides" series is a great suspense story with a splash of love. While the love story between Phoebe and Ian was a little lackluster to me, I truly enjoyed this story for several other reasons. My favorite part was learning about the process of refining ... Continue Reading...

No Way Up by Mary Connealy If you love western adventure you will love this new one from Mary Connealy! This is the first in her new series called "The Cimarron Legacy" and it is full to the brim with suspense, family love, and a sweet romance. I really like Heath Kincade (the youngest brother of the Kincade brothers from Connealy's "The Kincade Brides" series, which are all fantastic too!). Heath is just a ranch hand at the Boden cattle spread but he is soon thrown in the middle of their troubles when the boss is nearly killed and his kids are all called back home to stay. Heath is ... Continue Reading...

Sarah's Surrender by Vickie McDonough This is the 3rd of the series "Land Rush Dreams". I hoped the unusual theme of the early 20th century land runs and lotteries would make this book shine, unfortunately there was too much detracting from the story. Before I get into what I didn't care for, I did enjoy the descriptions and had no trouble imagining the settings and events which is always nice in a novel. I also liked Luke's persistence. He seemed to carry the love story of this book and I finished it hoping for the best because of him. The biggest problem I had with this story was ... Continue Reading...

The 12 Brides of Summer Collection by Mary Connealy, Amanda Cabot, Miralee Ferrell, Diana Lesire Brandmeyer, Margaret Brownley, Susan Page Davis, Pam Hillman, Maureen Lang, Amy Lillard, Davalynn Spencer, Michelle Ule, Vickie McDonough I've read lots of novellas recently, but I think this is my favorite collection so far! All but one or two are some of the most interesting stories I've come across in a while. I think you'll enjoy these short and sweet stories that only take about 3 hours to read (or less if you're a fast reader.) The Honey Bride by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer - 4 ... Continue Reading...