Freed By Hope by Jenna Brandt – Civil War Series! Great Romance/History Read - 5 Stars

Hope and Davis were always friends as Davis’s sister is best friends with Hope.  So in seeing so much of Faith, Hope sees as much of Davis.  The relationship is in the early beginnings when the American Civil War started up and Hope’s Father came home having lost a leg as well as a son to the war.   He’s very embittered and verbally abusive, also absolutely against Hope having anything to do with Davis.  Davis really wants to join up and serve in the war although Hope and his Family are very much against it.  He doesn’t see that he’ll be able to marry Hope with her Father so against things.  This story portrayed the hardships people, soldiers and citizens alike, had to suffer due to the war.  The characters were really likeable and I enjoyed the story and the history.  It is a love story and although it is 2^nd in a series, I never read the first book or thought I was missing anything by not having read the previous story.  Jenna Brandt melded the story and history together well along with romance and the story was very well written.  It can be read in a few hours and I highly recommend it!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Description as shown on GoodReads:

Hope Hammond is best friends with Faith Abernathy and has grown up around her brother Davis. Recently, an attraction has surfaced between the friends. As the new relationship starts to form, problems caused by the American Civil War have reached a boiling point for the Hammond family, leaving little room for Hope to focus on love.

Davis Abernathy wants to be a soldier and fight for the Confederacy, but his family is against him joining the war effort. The only thing he wants more that serving with honor is to marry Hope, but their relationship can’t progress with her father refusing to let them be together. Frustrated, Davis makes a hasty decision that will change all their lives forever.

Can Hope’s family find a way to mend? Will Davis’s decision ruin his chance to be with Hope? And will the Civil War destroy any future the couple plans to have together?

*Author’s Note: This book was previously published under the title, Love’s Unending Grace while it was a part of Melissa Storm’s First Street Church Kindle World as well as Courted by a Soldier in The Rockwood Springs Series. Both versions were set in WWI but the book has been edited to remove references to that world and era and has been updated with new content, characters and historical information to reflect the civil war era. Names and places have been changed for historical accuracy

Pam of Babylon #1 by Suzanne Jenkins - Warning Mature Content 5 Stars!

Wow loved this book.  I have to put in a disclaimer if you are not comfortable with sexual terms in book this one is definitely not for you!  This book took me by surprise, just when I thought it couldn’t get much worse for the main character, Pam, it did and it kept coming!  Shocking is what I can say about the content of this book.  It is real though, gritty and things like this really do happen.  Although I don’t know if it is to this extent. This book turns into twenty books…..and I never have wanted to  buy or get on Kindle Unlimited any books entire series until now.  I am up to book four and it is still holding my interest and I’m still invested in the characters.   You could read any of the books out of turn and she gets you up to speed quickly without having you reread entire sequences of the prior books.  Great author.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Description as found on Good Reads:

Warning readers! Mature content.

The first in a series of 21 books.

Deemed "an intriguing first novel" by Kirkus Reviews, this poignant tale follows Pam, a beautiful Long Island housewife who learns of her husband’s dark secrets only after his sudden death

Her seemingly perfect life is shattered when her husband dies of a heart attack and she comes face to face with his lies and infidelities.

This poignant, affecting drama follows a courageous widow who confronts the horror of a destructive marriage when the people her husband left behind come to share their painful stories

Woman On The Edge by Samantha M Bailey – 5 Stars - A Great Thriller!

Wow!  This book had me from the first page.  I had to keep reading where ever I was in the house taking minutes here and there to keep reading.  This was a great thriller.  A Morgan Kincaid coming to the subway platform to wait, another woman comes up and says, “ Take my baby” she shoves the baby in her arms and then she jumps in front of the coming subway car.  I mean what more do you need to know about this book that’s enough of a hook to have you reaching for it to read until the end to find out how it ends.  I loved the book and heartily recommend this one to anyone who loves a good thriller, mystery.

I received this book through Netgalley.com to read and review if I wished to.  I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
#WomanOnTheEdge. #SamanthaMBailey. #Netgalley.com.

Description on Netgalley.com:

A moment on the subway platform changes two women’s lives forever—a debut thriller that will take your breath away.

A total stranger on the subway platform whispers, “Take my baby.”

She places her child in your arms. She says your name.

Then she jumps...

In a split second, Morgan Kincaid’s life changes forever. She’s on her way home from work when a mother begs her to take her baby, then places the infant in her arms. Before Morgan can stop her, the distraught mother jumps in front of an oncoming train.

Morgan has never seen this woman before, and she can’t understand what would cause a person to give away her child and take her own life. She also can’t understand how this woman knew her name.

The police take Morgan in for questioning. She soon learns that the woman who jumped was Nicole Markham, prominent CEO of the athletic brand Breathe. She also learns that no witness can corroborate her version of events, which means she’s just become a murder suspect.

To prove her innocence, Morgan frantically retraces the last days of Nicole’s life. Was Nicole a new mother struggling with paranoia or was she in danger? When strange things start happening to Morgan, she suddenly realizes she might be in danger, too.

Woman on the Edge is a pulse-pounding, propulsive thriller about the lengths to which a woman will go to protect her baby—even if that means sacrificing her own life.

I've seen the end of you by W. Lee Warren, M A Neurosurgeon’s Look at Faith, Doubt, and the Things We Think We Know.

I’ve never read a book like this.   This book was so well written and with such honesty.  I had a lot to think about when I finished the book and it stayed in my head for days.  I’ve had to call people up and tell them they need to read it! 

The chapter Voices was so enlightening for me.  His conversation with Pastor Jo, his many conversations with Pastor Jo were so thought provoking for me.  His patient Rupert Chang and his meeting with that patient’s family following his death, that story had me reading with tears going down my face. 

This was the true story or stories from a Neurosurgeon who believes in science and believes in God, and has had his doubts regarding God.  I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in reading other people’s thoughts and feelings on the subject.  This from a doctor who deals with life and death on a daily basis and with all types of people.  He’s been to war; his first book was after he returned where he would operate to put men back together.

I received this book as an advanced reader copy from the publisher Penguin Random House in exchange for a review of my opinion or thoughts on the book upon reading it which I have gladly written.  I gave this book five stars and recommend this book to everyone!

Description as found on Good Reads: This gripping inspirational memoir grapples with the tension between faith and science--and between death and hope--as a seasoned neurosurgeon faces insurmountable odds and grief both in the office and at home.

Dr. W. Lee Warren, a practicing brain surgeon, assumed he knew most outcomes for people with glioblastoma, head injuries, and other health-care problems. Yet even as he tried to give patients hope, his own heart would sink as he realized, I've seen the end of you.

But it became far more personal when the acclaimed doctor experienced an unimaginable family tragedy. That's when he reached the end of himself.

Page-turning medical stories serve as the backdrop for a raw, honest look at how we can remain on solid ground when everything goes wrong and how we can find light in the darkest hours of life.

I've Seen the End of You is the rare book that offers tender empathy and tangible hope for those who are suffering. No matter what you're facing, this doesn't have to be the end. Even when nothing seems to makes sense, God can transform your circumstances and your life. And he can offer a new beginning.

The Tycoon's Sister (Silverpines Companion Tales Book 6) By Jenna Brandt - 4 Stars

Well Jenna Brandt has done it again!  She’s written a sweet historical romance that centers around a wealthy woman suffragette who gets herself in hot water. The book was entertaining from beginning to end. I wanted to shake the female Elizabeth Holt a few times, boy was she sassy and rude, she got her comeuppance and ended up being sent out of Boston out to Silverpines, Texas.  She does not want to stay with her brother and sister-in-law and believes the time she has to stay there can’t end soon enough; she soon finds out her Aunt isn’t going to take her back in Boston. She meets George the local livery man and is rude to him but he seems to like it!  The book was a fun read all the way through and if you haven’t read any of the five books that came before this like myself, it doesn’t matter you will still enjoy this book as much as I did!

I was sent an advance reader copy from the author, and the review was written with my own words and thoughts. 

Here is the Description as found on Good Reads

She’s a women’s suffrage advocate with her own substantial wealth, he’s a livery worker saving for a future he may never get. What happens when she comes tumbling into his life?

Elizabeth Holt has her own inheritance that she wants to be in charge of, but her aunt and brother think her incapable of running her own life. When she makes one mistake in Boston, her aunt sends her to stay with her brother in Silverpines. When she arrives, she is less than happy about the situation, and she doesn’t want to be stuck in the remote town filled with strangers.

George Caldwell left his home in Rockwood Springs, Texas to chase the woman he thought he loved. After being rejected not only by her, but by a second woman he met in Silverpines, George wonders if he will ever find the right woman to love. When the uppity Elizabeth Holt gets dumped by her horse into his proverbial lap, he knows she can’t be the one, or could she?

The Girls of Pearl Harbor by Soraya M. Lane (Goodreads Author) - 5 Stars!

Loved the book. Couldn’t put it down.  The nurses stationed on Pearl Harbor were loving the island of Hawaii until war broke out and they were in the middle of taking care of soldiers.  I had never read much about the war of Pearl Harbor and found this so interesting.  The girls got moved to an area where all of the action was taking place once war actually broke out…the US were totally involved in the war.  They were in an area of Africa that was actually Mediterranean Arab country and then for a short time they went to the front lines.  The book was so well written the characters so interesting, the history so well researched as well as the surgery’s and the medical end of the war for the nurses that also was very extensively described.  I read the book in a day, I’m just slow about getting reviews up on some days.

I don’t know where this book came from, I believe it came from a contest I entered.  Either way, the review and the thoughts on the book are all my own and absolutely willingly given.  This book is absolutely a 5 star book!

Description from Good Reads:

From the bestselling author of Wives of War comes a harrowing tale of four brave young nurses whose lives change forever in the wake of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

When Grace, April, and Poppy join the US Army Nurse Corps, they see it as little more than an adventure, one made all the better by their first station: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Joined at the hip, idealistic Grace, exuberant Poppy, and brave but haunted April frolic in the sun, attending parties, flirting with the handsome soldiers, and becoming fast friends with seasoned nurse Eva. Like the Hawaiian sun, their future seems warm and bright—until the infamous morning of December 7.

Within just a few horrifying hours, their sparkling hopes turn to black rubble and ash. Now embroiled in a war they never could have imagined; they must decide what truly matters to them and face grief as they never have before. Death may await them—but so do hope and purpose. In the midst of the carnage, can they find happiness and learn to fight not just for their country’s honor but for themselves?

Cilka's Journey (The Tattooist of Auschwitz #2) by Heather Morris - 5 Stars!

Cilka's Journey (The Tattooist of Auschwitz #2) by Heather Morris 

I read The Tattooist of Auschwitz before I read this book and found both fascinating.  After I finished the book which was so well written, well researched, the people and descriptions of the camps seemed so real I have to hand it to the author she did a great job.  I read about how she traveled to camps and in writing her first book she kept coming up with information about Cilka’s life.  She wrote about her, weaving in as much truth about her life as she was able to find.  I have always been fascinated with this time period in the world and have read many books on Auschwitz, reading about the second camp in Siberia was very interesting and finding that anyone could come through all that she did in order to survive as well as find love after all that she went through was just amazing.  This book is a must read for anyone who enjoyed reading about the Tattooist of Auschwitz, or even if you haven’t.  Great read!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”  I received the kindle copy of this book from Netgalley.  #Cilka’sJourney.  #TheTattooistofAschwitz2. #HeatherMorris.  #Netgalley.

Description as found on GoodReads:

From the author of the multi-million copy bestseller, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, comes the new novel based on an incredible true story of love and resilience.

Her beauty saved her life - and condemned her.

Cilka is just sixteen years old when she is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp, in 1942. The Commandant at Birkenau, Schwarzhuber, notices her long beautiful hair, and forces her separation from the other women prisoners. Cilka learns quickly that power, even unwillingly given, equals survival.

After liberation, Cilka is charged as a collaborator for sleeping with the enemy and sent to Siberia. But what choice did she have? And where did the lines of morality lie for Cilka, who was sent to Auschwitz when still a child?

In a Siberian prison camp, Cilka faces challenges both new and horribly familiar, including the unwanted attention of the guards. But when she makes an impression on a woman doctor, Cilka is taken under her wing. Cilka begins to tend to the ill in the camp, struggling to care for them under brutal conditions.

Cilka finds endless resources within herself as she daily confronts death and faces terror. And when she nurses a man called Ivan, Cilka finds that despite everything that has happened to her, there is room in her heart for love.

The Arrangement by Robyn Harding - 5 Stars!

Top of Form

The Arrangement by Robyn Harding – 5 Stars!

Wow I loved this book. I could hardly put it down. I received a kindle version through Netgalley.com.  I did not see the ending coming. I did I knew what was supposed to happen I just didn’t see how it did happen.  The book was so interesting. The author sure did her research!  She even signed up on a web site so she could speak with some Sugar Babies.  She found out about alternate forms of Sugar Daddies such as Splenda Daddies, etc.  I won’t go into the a description of the book as it is found below.  I just want to say how well written the book was, it was totally an unputdownable, and the characters were well written.  The story was fascinating even though it was totally fiction there are actually people who do this to get by, get a Sugar Daddy to help them with their finances in exchange for favors.  If you love romance, mystery and a new world you haven’t read about before then you definitely need to pick up this book!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.” I received the book through NetGalley.com.  #TheArrangement. #RobynHarding. #NetGalley.

Description as found on NetGalley.com

Natalie, a young art student in New York City, is struggling to pay her bills when a friend makes a suggestion: Why not go online and find a sugar daddy—a wealthy, older man who will pay her for dates, and even give her a monthly allowance? Lots of girls do it, Nat learns. All that’s required is to look pretty and hang on his every word. Sexual favors are optional.

Though more than thirty years her senior, Gabe, a handsome corporate finance attorney, seems like the perfect candidate, and within a month, they are madly in love. At least, Nat is…Gabe already has a family, whom he has no intention of leaving.

So when he abruptly ends things, Nat can’t let go. She begins drinking heavily and stalking him: watching him at work, spying on his wife, even befriending his daughter, who is not much younger than she is. But Gabe’s not about to let his sugar baby destroy his perfect life. What was supposed to be a mutually beneficial arrangement devolves into a nightmare of deception, obsession, and, when a body is found near Gabe’s posh Upper East Side apartment, murder

The Winemaker’s Wife by Kristin Harmell – 5 Stars!

This book was about two couples who were living on an estate where they produced wine.  It was interesting to learn about the winemaking process as well as how the lives of the people who lived there were affected by the Germans during World War II.  It was well researched and historically correct I believe. I enjoyed it very much.  I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read stories about people living during this time.  I am not going to give a description of the book as it is shown below as found on GoodReads. 

I received this book in the mail one through a contest on Goodreads.  I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #TheWinemakersWife. #KristinHarmell. #Goodreads.

Description as found on Goodreads:

The author of the engrossing international bestseller The Room on Rue Amélie returns with a moving story set amid the champagne vineyards of northern France during the darkest days of World War II, perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale.

Champagne, 1940: Inés has just married Michel, the owner of storied champagne house Maison Chauveau, when the Germans invade. As the danger mounts, Michel turns his back on his marriage to begin hiding munitions for the Résistance. Inés fears they’ll be exposed, but for Céline, half-Jewish wife of Chauveau’s chef de cave, the risk is even greater—rumors abound of Jews being shipped east to an unspeakable fate.

When Céline recklessly follows her heart in one desperate bid for happiness, and Inès makes a dangerous mistake with a Nazi collaborator, they risk the lives of those they love—and the champagne house that ties them together.

New York, 2019: Liv Kent has just lost everything when her eccentric French grandmother shows up unannounced, insisting on a trip to France. But the older woman has an ulterior motive—and a tragic, decades-old story to share. When past and present finally collide, Liv finds herself on a road to salvation that leads right to the caves of the Maison Chauveau.

The Sisters Of Summit Avenue by Lynn Cullen - 4 Stars

The Sisters Of Summit Avenue by Lynn Cullen – 4 Stars

Two sisters in this novel set in the Midwest during the Great Depression.  Each sister has something that she wishes she had, that her sister has.  Neither is truly happy.  Their Mother finds a way to bring them together after years of not seeing each other and hopes that she can restore peace between these two, but Mom has her own secrets.  One of the sisters’ husband has the infamous “sleeping sickness” which was a real thing I’d never heard of.  The other married to a doctor works as a Betty, one of the many “Betty’s” working in Betty Crocker’s test kitchen which was another thing I didn’t know was such a big deal back in the day.  The book was an interesting read, but it didn’t pull me in and keep me so interested that I couldn’t put it down.  It may have been me, I had injured my leg and was recovering while trying to read the book, picking it up and putting it down.  The book was good, historically correct, very interesting.  I did like the book!

This book was received through NetGalley.com in the kindle format. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.  #TheSistersOfSummitAvenue. #Netgalley #LynnCullen.

Description

From Lynn Cullen, the bestselling author of Mrs. Poe and Twain’s End, comes a powerful novel set in the Midwest during the Great Depression, about two sisters bound together by love, duty, and pain.

Ruth has been single-handedly raising four young daughters and running her family’s Indiana farm for eight long years, ever since her husband, John, fell into a comatose state, infected by the infamous “sleeping sickness” devastating families across the country. If only she could trade places with her older sister, June, who is the envy of everyone she meets: blonde and beautiful, married to a wealthy doctor, living in a mansion in St. Paul. And June has a coveted job, too, as one of “the Bettys,” the perky recipe developers who populate General Mills’ famous Betty Crocker test kitchens. But these gilded trappings hide sorrows: she has borne no children. And the man she used to love more than anything belongs to Ruth.

When the two sisters reluctantly reunite after a long estrangement, June’s bitterness about her sister’s betrayal sets into motion a confrontation that’s been years in the making. And their mother, Dorothy, who’s brought the two of them together, has her own dark secrets, which might blow up the fragile peace she hopes to restore between her daughters.

An emotional journey of redemption, inner strength, and the ties that bind families together, for better or worse, The Sisters of Summit Avenue is a heartfelt love letter to mothers, daughters, and sisters everywhere.

Wish Me Home by Kay Bratt - 5 Stars! If You Are A Twin Or Know Some...Read This Book!

Wish Me Home by Kay Bratt!  5 Stars!!

I loved this book so very much.  This book is about a woman on a journey, one in which she is fleeing a situation which her twin sister created.  The story is about all of the people she meets along the way and how they affect her life, helping her out before sending her back on her journey, some trying to harm her and the dog she meets at the beginning who she ends up taking along with her because he won’t stay behind.  This book was heartwarming, and engrossing and the characters so well thought out.  In the end it is also about the sister and her twin she left behind, and their relationship as twins.  The book had me thinking of my own sisters who are twins, the relationship I never really understood because I am not a twin.  We lost one of my sisters a couple of years ago and I was thinking of her a lot while reading this book at one point it had me almost in tears.  I don’t need to give you the description it is shown below.  I read about the author after I finished the book, she is a twin and her Mom was a twin.  I guess you could say she understands twins far more than I. 

I can only say this book was so well written that you want cheer the woman on when things go her way and you want to grieve with her when she is having a struggle and the ending is so very well written.  If you are a dog person this story really will lift your heart also.  I loved the way the story is written around Hemingway also, and the quotes of his sprinkled through the story.  I’ve never been to the Florida Keys but feel as if I had visited them through this book.  For all of those reasons you should pick up this book and read it.  It won’t let you down!

I received this book through Netgalley.com in the kindle format. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #WishMeHome.  #NetGalley #KayBratt

Description as found on Netgalley:

In her first work of contemporary women’s fiction, bestselling author Kay Bratt draws on her own life experiences to create a raw, yet inescapably warm, novel about friendship and a wary heart’s unexpected capacity to love.  A hungry, stray dog is the last thing Cara Butter needs. Stranded in Georgia with only her backpack and a few dwindling dollars, she already has too much baggage. Like her twin sister, Hana, who has broken Cara’s heart one too many times. After a lifetime of family troubles, and bouncing from one foster home to another, Cara decides to leave it all behind and strike out alone—on foot.

Cara sets off to Florida to see the home of her literary hero, Ernest Hemingway, accompanied only by Hemi, the stray dog who proves to be the perfect travel companion. But the harrowing trip takes unexpected turns as strangers become friends who make her question everything, and Cara finds that as the journey unfolds, so does her life—in ways she could never imagine.

Dear Grandchild, This Is Me – A Wonderful Book To Give Any Grandparent

Preserving A Legacy:

I was part of the launch party for this book put out by: waterbrookmultnomah.

I am not a Grandmother, but I just lost my Grandmother of 104 this year. I am 60.  I was blessed to have a Grandmother who kept a journal and she borrowed my typewriter and wrote a book about her life.  I was blessed to have spent a lot of time in both of her homes, when I was young as well as the last few years before she died.  We also sat and asked her about her life and caught it all on video my Mother and I.  I had a special friend who was becoming a Grandmother for the very first time.  She knew what my Grandmother meant to me.  I told her she needed to fill this book with many memories in case she didn’t live a really long life, so that her new Grandson Caden and the children to come, would know everything about her and her family as well as her extended family. I told her to be sure to put many stories and pictures inside because it would be treasured for years to come beyond her life.  I know my husband never met his Grandparents.   I never met any Grandparents on my Fathers side.  I actually was blessed to have two Fathers and never met any parents in those families.  This book is such a present to give to your grandchildren and I can only encourage you to buy one and fill it with stories for your grandchildren for years to come. Keep adding to it.  It will be so treasured.  My Grandmother blessed me, I can only say you really need to bless your Grandchildren by purchasing this book and filling it in.  It has suggestions, questions places to put pictures or discs.  Watch the video I put on Facebook that tells about the book.  I thought it was fabulous and recommend it highly.

Here is the information that I received in an email about the launch of this great book:

About Dear Grandchild, This Is Me

Preserving a family legacy can feel like a daunting task, but this new keepsake journal makes it easy for grandparents to capture memories, wisdom, and stories in one beautiful package.

Being a grandparent is an incredibly rewarding experience. Dear Grandchild, This Is Me--designed for any grandmother or grandfather to complete--will allow grandparents to collect these priceless memories in one heartfelt keepsake.

Special Features:
  •  Built-in envelopes to stash special, private letters for specific occasions in your grandchild's future.
  •  A sheet of adhesive photo corners to adhere photographs and special memories throughout.
  •  Off-the-record questions to prompt fun stories.
  •  A family tree to track your ancestry.
  •  Space to share your favorite recipes, or those passed through the generations.
  •  A world map to showcase your travels.

Within these pages you'll find a place to answer questions that speak to a grandchild of any age from the simple questions about favorite things to deeper questions about childhood memories, identity, and faith. This book will be a tangible way to keep a loved one close at all times.

About WaterBrook

Everything Beautiful includes illustrations from nine artists, offering a variety of styles to suit the tastes of a wide audience. Featured illustrators include Holly Camp, Jennifer Tucker, Lisa Shirk, Ann-Margret Hovsepian, Katie Howe, Terra Cypher, Cari Logston, Jenny Stewart, and Laura Marshall.

Christian Auther about 9 Pioneer Couples Risk All for Love and Land! 4 Stars!

9 Pioneering Couples Risk All for Love and Land

by Mary Connealy; Darlene Franklin; Ruth Logan Herne; Carla Gade; Pam Hillman; DiAnn Mills; Erica Vetsch; Becca Whitham; Kathleen Y'Barbo

Christian Romance

Nine compelling stories about women who end up as homestead brides.  Each story is different and all of them were well written I did enjoy them.  I’ve always loved reading about the people who lived years back and were those who built houses some made of sod, lived with almost nothing compared to what we all have today and built lives that were strong in faith and love.  These romance stories were all Christian based.  There was no strong language or hot love scenes, these are simpler stories that are sweet and easy to read.  I enjoyed each of the stories in a different way.  I’m not going to rate each story separately. I won’t describe each story as the description is detailed below as found on Netgalley.com

I received the collection through Netgalley.com in the kindle format.  I like to read books by new authors, several different genres, and I like to post my opinions on the books to be helpful to the authors, the publishing houses and to Netgalley.com.  I do also post reviews on Facebook, my blog and Amazon.  #TheHomesteadBridesCollection. #Netgalley.com.

Below are the descriptions of the books included in the collection:

Love Stakes a Claim on the Great Plains

Through nine historical romance adventures, readers will journey along with individuals who are ready to stake a claim and plant their dreams on a piece of the great American plains. While fighting land disputes, helping neighbors, and tackling the challenges of nature the homesteaders are placed in the path of other dreamers with whom romance sparks. And God has His hand in orchestrating each unique meeting.

Homestead on the Range by Mary Conneally
Widower Elle Winter meets new homesteader Colin Samuelson on the Nebraska prairie, but the attraction between them is soon dampened by the discovery that they have seven children between them. Soon their children are working against them to bring the two families together.
 
Priceless Pearl by Darlene Franklin
Rick Eady grew up knowing how to make do with little, while America Barton grew up having plenty. When they secure claims near each other in the Oklahoma Land Rush, Rick often comes to the aide of the inept Barton family and their pretty daughter.
 
Proving Up by Carla Olson Gade
Elsa Lindquist applies her scientific theories to growing trees on the Nebraska plains, intruding on a handsome homesteader’s hard work and experience. Will their dreams come to ruin, or will love prove their success?
 
Prairie Promises by Ruth Logan Herne
Jack O’Donnell storms onto the Nebraska homestead determined to take his widowed mother back East with him. But he finds her fit and determined to stay; plus she has taken a pregnant widow—rumored to be crazy—under her wing who wouldn’t survive without his mother’s help.
 
This Land Is Our Land by Pam Hillman
Caught in an early blizzard, orphan Mollie Jameson is frantic to make it to Lincoln, Nebraska, to claim land her father homesteaded six months ago. If she can’t get there in time, her family will be homeless. Then in steps a foot-loose and fancy-free cowboy willing to help them along the trail, but can they trust him to race for the land office with their deed?
 
Flaming Starr by DiAnn Mills
Starr Matthews arrives at her Texas homestead only to find it already claimed by a widower and his children, who have been praying for a mother. Starr has money, but she has no skills; while Aaron Conrad has the homesteading skills, but no money for supplies. Can they work as a team?
 
A Palace on the Plains by Erica Vetsch
Julie Farrington arrives at a Nebraska homestead as hired seamstress for an upcoming wedding. Cyrus Haskell is content being a widowed father and doesn’t need to be distracted by who he considers a high-falutin’ city girl—until a natural disaster puts her worth to the test.
 
Waiting on a Promise by Becca Whitham
Marta Vogel’s fiancé left over a year ago to claim land in Oklahoma, and she is tired of his excuses that keep her from joining him. Karl Reinhart is locked in a bitter land dispute. When Marta arrives uninvited and unannounced, her presence is more than a trifling distraction. She just may cause him to lose everything.
 
The Bogus Bride of Creed Creek by Kathleen Y'Barbo
The last thing Iz McBride expects to find when he returns home to his Texas ranch is a pregnant wife. Apparently, his pregnant wife. Yet everyone in Creed Creek seems to love Cora McBride. The only trouble is, she’s an imposter. Now Iz must decide whether to evict the woman or marry her.

Yours Truly Thomas – Christian Author Rachel Fordham – 5 Stars!

For three years Penny Ercanbeck has worked in the dead letter office.  She loves what she is doing…..she has to open others mail if there are no clues to the correct address on the outside of the mail.  She comes across letters from a man who is real pain who writes to his sweetheart, and always signs the letter “Yours Truly Thomas”.  Penny has no idea Thomas had no intention of the letter reaching the recipient.  He just wants to get his pain, anguish and sadness for a sweetheart.  His pain touches Penny so much she actually travels to the town to try and find the recipient.  She finds out there is no way to send the letter on.

She comes up with the idea to track Thomas down.  He isn’t where he planned on traveling to.  He was going out west but he got stuck in Azure Springs.  Penny wants to find this man to tell him why his letters are not being answered.  She has no idea how she’ll be received and she is going against every rule they have at the post office by going to Azure Springs.  She doesn’t know exactly where it is he lives but knows he had to stop and ended up staying in Azure Springs.  Great book fast read, couldn’t put it down.  I loved the ending.  The author developed the characters well and wrote a well-researched story.  I don’t want to put any spoilers in here.

I received this book in kindle format from #Netgalley.com “I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Description as found on NetGalley -

For three years, Penny Ercanbeck has been opening other people's mail. Dead ends are a reality for clerks at the Dead Letter Office. Still she dreams of something more--a bit of intrigue, a taste of romance, or at least a touch less loneliness. When a letter from a brokenhearted man to his one true love falls into her hands, Penny seizes this chance to do something heroic. It becomes her mission to place this lost letter into the hands of its intended recipient.

Thomas left his former life with no intention of ending up in Azure Springs, Iowa. He certainly didn't expect a happy ending after what he had done. All he wanted to do was run and never look back. In a moment of desperation, he began to write, never really expecting a reply.

When Penny's undertaking leads her to the intriguing man who touched her soul with his words, everything grows more complicated. She wants to find the rightful owner of the letter and yet she finds herself caring--perhaps too much--for the one who wrote it.

Elevator Pitch by Linwood Barclay – 5 Stars!

       

Honestly if I could give this more I would.  I think this is my favorite book of the season, of those authors I had never read before.  It is a thriller, compelling you to keep reading after the first couple of pages.  The story was well thought out, well timed, no lags, and the characters were well fleshed out and I liked the way they included in the story.  I know I should have figured out how it ended before it did, honestly though I couldn’t figure out which character did it…..and why.  I could see where it was going but couldn’t figure out who fixed those elevators. When reading it really makes you think…..do I really want to take an elevator?  I’m not including a description of the book as it is shown in Goodreads which you can see below.

I won this book in a Goodreads contest as an Advanced Reader’s Edition.  I love to read these discover new authors and write reviews about their books when I’m done, to help others discover the newest great new book!  #LinwoodBarclay. #ElevatorPitch. #takethestairs. #willammorrowbooks.

Description from Goodreads:

The New York Times bestselling author of A Noise Downstairs and No Time for Goodbye returns with an edge-of-your-seat thriller that does for elevators what Psycho did for showers and Jaws did for the beach—a heart-pounding tale in which a series of disasters paralyzes New York City with fear.

It all begins on a Monday, when four people board an elevator in a Manhattan office tower. Each presses a button for their floor, but the elevator proceeds, non-stop, to the top. Once there, it stops for a few seconds, and then plummets.

Right to the bottom of the shaft.

It appears to be a horrific, random tragedy. But then, on Tuesday, it happens again, in a different Manhattan skyscraper. And when Wednesday brings yet another high-rise catastrophe, one of the most vertical cities in the world—and the nation’s capital of media, finance, and entertainment—is plunged into chaos.

Clearly, this is anything but random. This is a cold, calculated bid to terrorize the city. And it’s working. Fearing for their lives, thousands of men in women working in offices across the city refuse leave their homes. Commerce has slowed to a trickle. Emergency calls to the top floors of apartment buildings go unanswered.

Who is behind this? Why are they doing it? What do these deadly acts of sabotage have to do with the fingerless body found on the High Line? Two seasoned New York detectives and a straight-shooting journalist must race against time to find the answers before the city’s newest, and tallest, residential tower has its Friday night ribbon-cutting.

With each diabolical twist, Linwood Barclay ratchets up the suspense, building to a shattering finale. Pulsating with tension, Elevator Pitch is a riveting tale of psychological suspense that is all too plausible . . . and will chill readers to the bone. 

Into The Jungle by Erica Ferencik – I gave this jungle romance 4 Stars!

This book didn’t grab me from the beginning….it was a slow burn.  I would read a few pages, get distracted and put it down.  When I got half way through I found I was reading more and more before I put the book down.  Closer to the end I had to keep reading I was invested in the characters and had to find out how it was going to end.  There are mystical qualities that I didn’t expect to find with this book.  The author did a fabulous job at researching the flora, fauna and people of the Bolivian jungle.  You will learn a lot as you read this book, it’s very interesting, captivating towards the end and you’ll have to finish the book with a better knowledge of what it is like to live in the jungle.  I won’t talk about the characters or story of the book as I’m going to include the description as found on Goodreads.

I won a review copy of this book from #Goodreads, #ScoutPressBooks, and the author #EricaFerencik of #IntoTheJungleBook.  The review includes my own thoughts and I do this review thoroughly willingly…..I like to support authors!

Description as found on Goodreads:
In this pulse-pounding thriller from the author of the “haunting, twisting thrill ride” (Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author) The River at Night, a young woman leaves behind everything she knows to take on the Bolivian jungle, but her excursion abroad quickly turns into a fight for her life.

Lily Bushwold thought she’d found the antidote to endless foster care and group homes: a teaching job in Cochabamba, Bolivia. As soon as she could steal enough cash for the plane, she was on it.

When the gig falls through and Lily stays in Bolivia, she finds bonding with other broke, rudderless girls at the local hostel isn’t the life she wants either. Tired of hustling and already world-weary, crazy love finds her in the form she least expected: Omar, a savvy, handsome local man who’d abandoned his life as a hunter in Ayachero—a remote jungle village—to try his hand at city life.

When Omar learns that a jaguar has killed his four-year-old nephew in Ayachero, he gives Lily a choice: Stay alone in the unforgiving city, or travel to the last in a string of ever-more-isolated river towns in the jungles of Bolivia. Thirty-foot anaconda? Puppy-sized spiders? Vengeful shamans with unspeakable powers? Love-struck Lily is oblivious. She follows Omar to this ruthless new world of lawless poachers, bullheaded missionaries, and desperate indigenous tribes driven to the brink of extinction. To survive, Lily must navigate the jungle--its wonders as well as its terrors—using only her wits and resilience.

Primal, gripping, and terrifying, Into the Jungle features Erica Ferencik’s signature “visceral, white-knuckle” (Entertainment Weekly) prose that will sink its fangs into you and not let go.

Layover by David Bell – 5 Stars!

I loved this book. It was fast paced, interesting, I was invested in the characters and wanted to keep reading to the end to find out what finally happened between Joshua and Morgan.  It was well written and a very compelling read.  The description below gives you the story line. I just want to say, pick it up, you’ll have to read it to the end!  You will love the book, I did!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.” I participated in the June 2019 Goodreads giveaway for “Layover” by David Bell.  #Layover #DavidBell #PenguinRandomHouse

Description as found on Good Reads:

In this high concept psychological suspense novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Somebody's Daughter, a chance meeting with a woman in an airport sends a man on a 
pulse-pounding quest for the truth... 

Joshua Fields takes the same flights every week for work. His life is a series of departures and arrivals, hotels and airports. During yet another layover, Joshua meets Morgan, a beautiful stranger with whom he feels an immediate connection. When it's time for their flights, Morgan gets up to leave, leans over and passionately kisses Joshua, lamenting that they'll never see each other again.

As Morgan slips away, Joshua is left feeling confused by what just happened between them. That's when he looks up and is shocked to see Morgan's face flashing on a nearby TV screen. He's even more shocked when he learns the reason why--Morgan is a missing person.

What follows is a whirlwind, fast-paced journey filled with lies, deceit, and secrets to discover the truth about why Morgan is on the run. But when he finally thinks every mystery is solved, another rears its head, and Joshua's worst enemy may be his own assumptions about those around him...

Invisible As Air by Zoe Fishman - 4 Stars

I did find the story believable and well written.  The author has her characters written in such a way that you become invested in them and have to keep reading to find out how things are going to end.  It is one that many have had to do, fight the fight of addiction, after sinking as low as they can go.

I received the book from the Author through Good Reads. She gave away only so many copies and I was lucky enough to have my name drawn for one.   I gave this book four stars.  I enjoyed reading it.  My review was of my own volition I do this to help the authors.  #InvisibleAsAir 

Description as found on Good Reads:

Sylvie Snow a Mother of a twelve-year-old son, a Mother, A Wife, A career woman, she wears many hats.  She has been repressing her sorrow and guilt over carrying a child full term and then having to deliver a still born baby who hadn’t been kicking in the last week.  She’s sure it’s her fault but she talks to no one and she keeps her grief hidden.  On the 3^rd anniversary of Delilah’s death Sylvie takes one of the oxycodone pills meant for her husband who broke his ankle.  He’s not taking them.  She just wants   to see if it will help her cope with the day.  She becomes that day, happier, more calm, nicer, more patient and then she decides she needs another pill and another….This book is about Sylvie’s journey into addiction of pharmaceutical grade oxycodone.

The Escape Room by Megan Goldin (Goodreads Author) - 5 Stars - This is a thriller!

Wow this book pulls you in almost immediately!  I received it and started reading as soon as I was able.  The story is about a woman who graduates from school and gets herself a job at a very influential and powerful finance group in the world of Wall Street finance.  The book talks about the Escape Room and the four people who are struggling to solve with the problems given so that they can get out of the elevator.  Every other chapter is about Sara Hill and what happened to her, then it switches and is back to talking about the Escape Rom, which is the elevator.  I would read a chapter about Sara, then look so forward to the next chapter that tells about the people stuck in the elevator. 

I had to find out if they were able to get out alive!

The book was sent to me as a part of the early reader campaign for the book, “The Escape Room”, written by Megan Goldin, published by St. Martin’s Press.  This was a physiological thriller.  I couldn’t put the book down until I was finished with it.  You will start with a suspicion of what happens to the occupants of The Escape Room, but by the end you will find yourself tearing through to the ending to see what happens. #TheEscapeRoomBook #MeganGoldin #St.MartinsPress

Description as found on Good Reads:

Vincent, Jules, Sylvie, and Sam are ruthlessly ambitious high-flyers working in the lucrative world of Wall Street finance where deception and intimidation thrive. Getting rich is all that matters, and they'll do anything to reach the top.

When they are ordered to participate in a corporate team-building exercise that requires them to escape from a locked elevator, dark secrets of their team begin to be laid bare.

The biggest mystery to solve in this lethal game: What happened to Sara Hall? Once a young shining star—”now gone but not forgotten”.

This is no longer a game.
They’re fighting for their lives. (less)

The Things I Know by Amanda Prowse – NetGalley – 4 Stars

This book was really hard to get into. It was a slow starter for me and I kept with it in spits and spurts.  It was a pick me up, put me down book.  I was so glad I kept with it.  The main character is disabled and lives on her family farm. She is cared for but has a cousin who makes her life worse by being incredibly mean. She so longs for love, travel, the things other people take for granted.  Her brother leaving the farm for a life in the US on a ranch really is hard on her.  Then a visitor comes to stay at their B&B and her life is to change in all the best ways possible.  This book does unfold to become a really great romance that tugs at your heart strings as you go through the hurdles with these two as they find each other.  Stay with the book it’s worth it in the end!

Description From NetGalley:

From bestselling author Amanda Prowse comes a heartwarming tale of first impressions and lasting love.

Thomasina ‘Hitch’ Waycott loves living and working on the remote family farm and B&B. But she also wants more. To see the world. To own her own home. To fall madly in love.

But those are fairy tales, and if her life is a fairy tale, then she’s the ugly duckling. Her deformed lip, her crooked limbs and her weak heart have kept her from taking chances. But that’s about to change.

When Grayson Potts comes to stay, he’s unlike anyone Thomasina has ever met. He’s aloof, eccentric and exceptionally kind. He’s also totally unconcerned with the physical flaws that have always defined Thomasina.

The two form a bond that neither has had before. It’s possible that it could become something more, but Thomasina also wonders if it’s too good to be true. By putting her heart on the line, Thomasina may open herself to heartbreak. But she may also open herself to so much more.

A Note From the Publisher

Amanda Prowse likens her own life story to those she writes about in her books. After self-publishing her debut novel, Poppy Day, in 2011, she has gone on to author twenty-one novels and six novellas. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages and she regularly tops bestseller charts all over the world. Remaining true to her ethos, Amanda writes stories of ordinary women and their families who find their strength, courage and love tested in ways they never imagined. The most prolific female contemporary-fiction writer in the UK, with a legion of loyal readers, she goes from strength to strength. Being crowned ‘queen of domestic drama’ by the Daily Mail was one of her finest moments. Amanda is a regular contributor on TV and radio but her first love is, and will always be, writing. You can find her online at www.amandaprowse.com, on Twitter @MrsAmandaProwse, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AmandaProwseAuthor.