A Champion in All of Us

She's a little bit country...

He's a little bit city...

Opposites attract and sparks fly when Penny Scott and John McCall 

are thrown together against their will...

Or rather, kidnapped.

Abducted at gunpoint by 3 masked men, John and Penny work with each other

 to escape from their captors only to find themselves stuck in the vast wilderness of Nevada.  

Will they be able to allude recapture, discover the reason behind their being held hostage,

 and survive in the wild West? 

Will they both become 'unexpected champions'? 

I enjoyed the unique twist of the "opposites attract" plot line. 

Normally, Ms. Connealy is known for her tough, stubborn, honorable cowboys. 

Her hero, John McCall, was a departure from the majority of her heroes. 

 John or "McCall" as Penny refers to him is a Pinkerton Agent accustomed to living in larger cites 

out East and wearing fancy 3 piece suits.  Penny Scott is also a different heroine than readers are accustomed to expecting from this writer. She is decidedly more rough around the edges, not overly feminine and is more comfortable wearing trousers, boots and a hat. 

 I think because they weren't what I had expected I enjoyed the story more. 

One aspect that kept my interest in the book was the way in which the author has both

 the hero and the heroine learning from one another. 

Penny teaches John wilderness skills, and John in turn shows Penny some tricks at being a 

detective; getting into disguise, playing different people etc. to obtain useful information.  

 I found myself laughing out loud A LOT in The Unexpected Champion. 

Penny's dry sense of humor and sarcasm tickled my funny bone. 

There were several times she voiced what the reader was thinking

 and this quality made her a memorable character. The Unexpected Champion 3rd and final installment in Ms. Connealy's High Seirra series, and is not to be missed. 

Reading is Adventure,

 Emilee 

~~ The Unexpected Champion was provided to me by the author herself and Bethany House in return for my honest opinion. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and the author .I was not required to write a positive review. All viewpoints expressed are my own. ~~

A Return of Devotion: Finding Forgiveness

Scorned gentlewoman Daphne Blackmoor has spent the last twelve years building a life of meaning and purpose raising her son and other illegitimate children. Her world is altered once again when the children are placed in loving homes and Haven Manor, where she works as a housekeeper, changes ownership.

William, the marquis of Chemsford is the new owner. He sees Haven Manor as a place where he can escape from his past, hoping to find peace and quiet. 

Daphne's character struck a chord with me. She's a dreamer, a hard work, an introvert and has a deep love for the children she cares for. The quote below describes Daphne well. "A caretaker, a mother of sorts. Perhaps a friend. More recently a housekeeper. But I don't know who I am when no one else is in the room" (Hunter, 321). 

William and Daphne are similar characters in the fact that they are both running from their pasts and seek refuge in Haven Manor. He finds himself drawn to Daphne. She's unlike anyone he's ever met.

William helps Daphne see that you can live as though you are forgiven, but not be really living your life by just merely existing. 

I was so honored to have the opportunity to read and review, A Return of Devotion. It did not disappoint! I laughed a lot and cried a little, and by the end I found myself so grateful to Ms. Hunter for penning such a beautiful story of forgiveness and learning to live your life there after. 

  

Reading is adventure,

  Emilee 

   

~~ A Return of Devotion was provided to me by the author herself and Bethany House in return for my honest opinion. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and the author .I was not required to write a positive review. All viewpoints expressed are my own. ~~

Isn't it Loverly: My Fair Lady Film Review

My Fair Lady graces the silver screen just in time for the post-Valentine's afterglow

in honor of its 55th anniversary.

Prior to its glamourous film adaption, My Fair Lady was a hit on Broadway.

Julie Andrews played the coveted role of cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle.

While up and coming Andrews wanted to play the lead on the screen adaptation,

producer Jack L. Warner didn't want an unknown,

and cast the timelessly beautiful Audrey Hepburn. 

Hepburn was a well-known, Oscar-winning actress who lent an easy elegance to the role of Eliza. The one downfall... Hepburn was not a singer.

Warner Brothers studio decided to use Marni Nixon's singing voice for the vocals.

Nixon's other credits include dubbing for actress Deborah Kerr in both The King and I (1956) and An Affair to Remember (1957). 

 Mixing up a few quotes from My Fair Lady;

"don't sit there like a bilious pigeon, but get your bloomin' arse moving"

and go watch this timeless musical! 

Interesting Film Trivia:

In 2006 My Fair Lady was raked #6 in AFI's Greatest Movie Musicals of All Time.

When Rex Harrison accepted the Oscar for Best Actor for his role as Professor Higgins he thanked his "two fair ladies" referring to Julie Andrews and Audrey Hepburn. (Harrison played the professor on Broadway and on the big screen). 

When Audrey Hepburn entered the set wearing Eliza's ball gown for the first time she looked so beautiful the cast and crew stared at her in silence for a few moments, then broke out in cheers.

During production, on November 22, 1963 Audrey Hepburn announced the assassination of President Kennedy to a shocked and devastated crew. 

Searching for You...Conclusion to the Orphan Train series

First book review of 2019!

I was thrilled when Jody Hedlund's 3rd and final book in the Orphan Train series

Searching for You

was published! 

In her first two books the author started dropping breadcrumbs about

the youngest Neumann sister, Sophie.

I was eager to read her story.  

Terrified of being separated from younger 'siblings' Olivia and Nicholas,

Sophie's been on the run for the past two years. Although not related to them (Olivia and Nicholas) by blood she is the only mother figure they've known in their short lives.

Heartbroken and desperate when the children are placed in a separate home,

she turns to family friend Reinhold Weiss for aid. 

Due to his lifelong friendship with the Neumann family,

and because he's always been an honorable man, he agrees to help her. 

Sophie is a very sympathetic character; kind, hard-working and willing to do whatever it takes

to keep her small make-shift family together.

She'd been hurt by what she initially perceived as her older sisters abandonment.

However, she comes to see that they were doing what they thought was best for their family.

When the author made Reinhold the hero of Searching for You,  I was so excited because I felt like I'd gotten to know him well in With You Always (book 1) and Together Forever (book 2)

and he deserves his own happy ending. 

I loved the theme of Searching for You; God can take the broken pieces and make them whole and He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve. The way in which Sophie comes to this realization is beautifully written and probably my favorite part of the story.

"She'd never expected to end up here at this moment.

But God has worked out the details more perfectly then she ever could have imaged."

(Hedlund, 338)   

Looking for emotionally gripping historical stories?

Look no further than the Orphan Train series.  

Reading is adventure,

Emilee

        

Countdown to 2019 Book Style!

New Year's Eve is known for countdowns.
In the spirit of remembering what was and anticipating what is to come,
here's my top 5 Favorite Reads of 2018!

FIVE! 

FOUR!

THREE!

TWO!

and (drumroll) ONE!

More Than I Bargained For

Author Regina Jennings' 2nd book in her Fort Reno series captures the readers attention from page 1 with her humor and charming storytelling.

Hattie Walker's longing for independence has a two month ultimatum tied to it. She has sixty days to prove to herself she's a talented and renowned artist. Failure means return home to Van Buren and marrying as per her parents wishes.  Her plans are disrupted when her stagecoach is attacked and she's rescued by a group of Arapaho Indians...not realizing they are friendly and mean her no harm.

Lieutenant Jack Hennessey hears word that a stagecoach has been robbed and a young woman is the lone survivor and witness. He saddles up to rescue her. Imagine his surprise when the "survivor" turns out to be the only woman he's ever loved and  never stopped carrying a torch for....Hattie Walker.

Wanting to impress her, Jack asks the Arapaho to arrange for a prisoner transfer; making it look very ceremonial.  Needless to say, something gets lost in translation and they both get more than they bargained for. 

The Lieutenant's Bargain had everything that hooks me as a reader: An interesting storyline, relatable and complex characters, and wit. Ms. Jennings builds Jack and Hattie's relationship in an intriguing way.  The key moments shared from their childhood, that helped shape them into who they would become as adults, was unique and very well done. She expertly keeps the reader interested with the 'will they won't they' ploy. 

A couple of elements of this story which stood out to me and I enjoyed was seeing how both Jack and Hattie communicate differently. Jack is better at using letters to convey his feelings and Hattie is able to capture moments and memories through her art. 

Another component of the story I liked was how the main characters realized their sins and shortcomings and how they dealt with them head-on versus simply acknowledging them and not taking action to change. 

 The Lieutenant's Bargain is written to be a stand alone. If you haven't read book 1 in the series (Holding the Fort) you won't be lost.  However, if you have, you'll enjoy being reunited with some of the main characters. 

If you are a fan of Ms. Jennings' novels you need to add The Lieutenant's Bargain to your list of books to read in 2019 or try to squeeze it in these last days of 2018!

Reading is adventure,

Emilee 

~~ The Lieutenant's Bargain was provided to me by the author herself and Bethany House in return for my honest opinion. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and the author .I was not required to write a positive review. All viewpoints expressed are my own. ~~

Merry Christmas

So all this was done that it might be fulfilled

which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 

 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child,

and bear a Son, and they shall call

His name Immanuel,”

which is translated,

“God with us.” 

Matthew 1:22-23