Hidden Affections Falls Short

Annabelle Tyler is en route to Philadelphia to start a new life after her husband's betrayal and divorce.  Re-marriage to  handsome, eligible bachelor and notorious womanizer, Harrison Graymoor is not part of her plan.

When their stagecoach is attacked, the bandits handcuff Annabelle and Harrison together. To protect themselves against the elements they spend the night in the coach unchaperoned...

Propriety mandates he marry her to salvage her reputation. Harrison assures her they can have the marriage annulled.

For two people who are vehemently opposed to marriage, precarious situations and the people in their lives seem intent on  keeping them together.

Hidden Affections is the first book I've read by author Delia Parr. There were aspects I liked about this book and others I struggled with.
Annabelle was sweet and unpretentious. Genuine in her love for God and in her walk with Him. At times, I found her almost too perfect. This made her hard to relate too as a character.

Harrison was a man who was deeply wounded by past losses of his family.  He'd closed his heart off to love thinking if he never married he wouldn't get hurt. His character evolves and he sees his view is misguided.

Normally, plots that involve 'marriages of convenience' intrigue me, but I felt like Hidden Affections came up short.  My primary issue with this book is that both characters were so set on getting a divorce. In the beginning this story had promise, but for me the ending was not what I was expecting.

The great thing about books and booklovers is each work and each individual's preferences vary...(while I didn't) you may love the book!

Living Life One Limb at a Time

 Widow Lady Keturah 'Ket' Banning Thomlinson and her younger sisters unexpectedly find themselves heiresses of Tabletop, their recently deceased father's West Indies sugar plantation. With his loss, the girls soon realize how much debt he's accumulated over his lifetime Their only recourse is to travel to the notorious island of Nevis and salvage what's left of their inheritance. This action flies against all convention of the time, women didn't travel unchaperoned let alone run plantations. 

Childhood friend Gray Covington owns property adjacent to the Banning sisters.  He seeks to make a success of his plantation and has gambled every penny of his inheritance into this task. He's been in love with Keturah since they were young and he's hopeful that by making his fortune he'll be able to ask for her hand.
   Ket's abusive first marriage has made her tenacious and determined to never ever have to rely on a man for anything. This kind of thinking went against the tradition of the period, basically that a women's sole purpose was to find a husband that would provide for her. 


Will Ket be able to make Tabletop profitable and save their legacy? And more importantly, will she be able to change her views on re-marriage and come to  realize Gray's in love with her before it's too late?


Keturah was my first introduction to books penned by Lisa T. Bergren and will not be my last. I"m hopeful that younger sisters Verity and Selah get their own stories in the Sugar Baron series. 


         
       Reading is an adventure,
                        Emilee 

~~Keturah was provided to me by 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 opinions expressed are mine alone. ~~  

A Loyal Heart is Medieval Romance at it's Finest

Loyalty to family is a concept imbedded into Lady Olivia Norfolk's DNA.

When Ludlow Castle is under siege, she and her younger sister Isabelle are taken captive by their father's enemy Lord Pitt.

Commanding this attack is Sir Aldric Windsor who discovers firsthand how feisty and strong-minded Olivia can be.

He soon finds out just how far her allegiance reaches...doing anything to save her sister's life and obey her father's order to steal a sacred relic from her captor.

Lady Olivia is thrown into the dungeon for "attempted" thievery and sentenced to be executed. To save her life, Aldric considers a mandate that he be betrothed to Olivia. This promise to marry a lowly knight would have been a stark punishment for a noblewoman such as Olivia. It meant she would most likely live out her remaining days in poverty and anonymity.
So while Aldric knows that his plan is the only way to save Lady Olivia's life, he's deeply conflicted about actually going through with the betrothal.

Olivia was a distinctive heroine. She's fiercely devoted to her family and is skilled in combat. Her skills with weapons made me want to know how to fight with a sword! Throughout the story her commitment to those she loves is tested. Her views of loyalty change. As you can see from this passage in the book, "Loyalty wasn't a birthright. It was earned...Instead I had to live in allegiance to God and His ways first." (Hedlund, 245). She was challenged on what loyalty really means to her and not just her father.Through all the challenges Olivia faced I found myself hopeful that she would find the strength to make the right decision, and celebrated with her when she made the tough choices.

Aldric was a honorable and clever hero. He has a very compelling and heartbreaking back story that makes you want to root for him all the more. Because he is a man of integrity, you find yourself secretly longing that he'll outwit the schemes working against them. You champion him in his quest to save Olivia and overcome his fears with love.

I sped through A Loyal Heart within a day and a half. Every spare second I had I was eagerly devouring Ms. Hedlund's tale bursting with adventure, danger, political intrigue, and romance. This is medical romance at it's finest, so I highly recommend running, not walking to your nearest bookstore or library and grabbing this book off the shelf.

Reading is an adventure,

Emilee

A Chance at Forever is a beautiful story of forgiveness

Get ready to be challenged by A Chance At Forever (Teaville Moral Society Series). While this is the third and what I consider the best book in the series, you will not be confused if you haven't read books 1 & 2.

The heroine, Mercy McClain finds joy and fulfillment in her work at the orphanage and being on the school board. Her past comes back to haunt her in the form of Aaron Firebrook. He was the boy that relentlessly plagued her about her missing hand. She thought she'd forgiven him, but with his appearance in town again all her old emotions bubbled back up.

George "Aaron" Firebrook is all grown up and has applied for a teaching position in his former hometown of Teaville. This decision is two-fold. He hopes to show the townsfolk he’s a changed man and ask forgiveness of those he wronged, especially Mercy.

When her boss, Nicholas Lowe hires Aaron to serve a dual role at the orphanage: gardener and tutor. Mercy is upset by this because dodging him becomes impossible. 

However, Mercy's resolve to avoid her former tormentor crumbles as she soon finds herself seeing Aaron in a different light as a new man that's been changed by God.

The change that Mercy goes through to forgive Aaron is a complete transformation and shows the redeeming love of God. It is a beautiful reminder for why true forgiveness is so essential for everyone, and how the author brings that concept full circle. While she always wanted to be seen as Mercy, she didn't fully live out the meaning of her name, until she offered true forgiveness to someone she absolutely hated.

Aaron's character was complex and compelling. Because he is so earnest in his growth to change as a person and to make amends for past mistakes, you find yourself sympathizing with his character and hoping that others see how he's reformed and to have his past no longer define him. 

I found Mercy's character truly inspiring and convicting in my own life. I wanted to be able to forgive as she had. The powerful motivation this book inspires in your own life should not be missed.

I really liked how the author Ms. Jagears had her characters dealing with their flaws and shortcomings rather that merely acknowledging them and not making an effort to change. This made her characters more authentic and loveable.

While I'm sad to see the Teaville Moral Society end, A Chance at Forever was a beautiful ending to a poignant series. 

Reading is an adventure,

Emilee

Teaville Moral Society Book 1

Teaville Moral Society Book 2

~~A Chance at Forever was provided to me by 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 opinions expressed are mine alone. ~~  

Perfectly Imperfect

Following her stellar Out of Egypt series,

author Connilyn Cossette brings her fans an exciting new Biblical saga.

Seven years after her captivity in Jericho, Moriyah is still searching for peace

and hiding her facial scar behind a veil.

This mark is a constant and disgraceful reminder

that she's been branded by the Canaanite gods.

Readers are first introduced to Moriyah as a secondary character

in Wings of the Wind (Out of Egypt Book 3) and I was thrilled her story continues

in A Light on the Hill (Cities of Refuge Book 1).

She's been content to live in her widowed father's house 

cooking delectable meals for him and their few close friends.

Upon her father's announcement he's arranged a marriage for her to a widower with twin sons;

she's uncertain how this man will accept her,

but she's determined to honor her father and wed. 

When the meeting goes dreadfully wrong,

Moriyah flees for her life to a city of refuge accompanied by her father's faithful servant,

and Derek (the younger brother of her decided husband), intent on seeking justice. 

Over the course of their journey, Derek and Moriyah develop feelings for one another...

and so goes the story. 

Ms. Cossette does a brilliant job of creating tension between the duo.

Both Derek and Moriyah have feelings of guilt about their attraction to one another. 

Derek sees past Moriyah's blemish.

"So much is concealed behind this marred skin. Such life.

Such beauty, hidden in plain sight. (Cossette, 159).

He also helps Moriyah realize she's been living in a prison of her own making.

From page one, Moriah's story captivated me.

The author does an exceptional job of maintaining a balance of sympathizing with her,

but also causing her to grow and come to terms with her imperfections. 

~~ A Light on the Hill was provided to me by Bethany House and author Connilyn Cossette 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 opinions expressed are mine alone. ~~  

Too Far Down Wraps Up The Cimarron Legacy

 The third and final book in  Cimarron Legacy (Too Far Down) marks a couple of milestones for me. 

 Specifically, I've had the pleasure of reading and reviewing 5 of Ms. Connealy books making her the author that I've critiqued the most.

Also, this is the first time I've reviewed an entire series. (No Way Up October 2016 & Long Time Gone April 2017).

Too Far Down starts off with an explosion...a mining explosion! Recently recovered from a gunshot wound, Cole Boden sustains minor injuries and loses five of his miners. The eruption was made to look like an accident, but as Cole investigates he's discovering it was all set up intended to spark a series of actions targeting the Boden clan and the Cimarron Ranch (CR). Younger half-siblings, Justin and Sadie along with their spouses are there to help him in unraveling the mystery surrounding the attacks on their family.

Neighbor Melanie "Mel" Blake is a cowgirl through and through and also "... a savvy woman who could hold her own." (Connealy, 139).  She is surprised when she finds herself falling for Cole, the polished Harvard graduate.  Returning from his decade in Boston, Cole is astounded to find himself noticing Mel in a new light."He'd never thought about her looks before...But they'd grown up together so, you'd've thought he'd've noticed how beautiful she was." (Connealy, 19).

In terms of Ms. Connealy's typical heroes, Cole is somewhat of a departure. He's a college graduate who pairs tailored 3 piece suits with his Stetson and gun.  Initially, Cole is resentful of his father's will stipulating that he and his siblings all move back home and live at the CR. However, over time, Cole realizes the wisdom of his father's plan

Author Mary Connealy skillfully crafts Too Far Down tying up all the loose ends and bringing the conspiracy full circle.

A Song Unheard is a Beautiful Melody Blending Mystery, Suspense, and Intrigue

A Song Unheard (Shadows Over England Book 2)

Willa Forsythe, the younger 'sister' of Rosemary, is a professional thief and a violin prodigy from a young age. Now 23, she's been commissioned by "Mr. V" for a mission that utilizes her skills as a pickpocket, but also "...her skill [on] the violin [ which is] unsurpassed." (White, 67).

Her assignment: to obtain a cypher key from world-renowned violinist Lukas De Wilde.

  Lukas De Wilde's reputation proceeds him, and not in a positive way.

He's seen as a bit of a play-boy. However, fame, fortune, and war have changed him.

At one time, he relished the prestige that his prominent violin playing brought him,

but now "with the world having gone mad. Not just with the war, with everything." (White, 77)

he's changing his tune.  His sole focus is spent on trying to rescue his mother and sister,

both trapped in enemy occupied Belgium.

Willa's initial meeting with Lukas prompts him to offer her violin lessons.

He sees natural musical ability as surpassing his own and he wants to help perfect her form

and teach her how to read music.

She is a complex heroine who is a series of contradictions. Stubborn and sensitive at times,

she loves her 'family' and is fiercely loyal and protective of them. As a violin wonder she doesn't realize how good she is and has trouble accepting praise from others. More importantly, Willa has a hard time believing that God is interested in or cares for her.

Ms. White's over-arching theme is that God speaks to us in different ways.

In Willa's case He uses music.

The author skillfully weaves her tale of suspense, mystery, and intrigue all the while slowly unraveling it to draw the reader in.

A Song Unheard was difficult to put down.

The cover art for Ms. White's Shadows Over England series is beautiful,

capturing the WWI time period.

A Name Unknown (Shadows Over England Book 1)

An Hour Unspent (Shadows Over England Book 3)

I'm ecstatic to announce the 3rd and final book An Hour Unspent (Shadows Over England)  comes out September of this year. Isn't the cover gorgeous?! I love how the darker jewel tones of the books look together. Can't wait to add this to my shelf! 

~~ A Song Unheard was provided to me by Bethany House and author Roseanna M. White 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 opinions expressed are mine alone. ~~