Sweet as Honey (The Honeybee Sisters #1) by Jennifer Beckstrand (Goodreads Author) - 5 Stars!

I loved this book! I do like to read about the Amish and their ways.  The author sure did her research I learned more about bee keeping than I would have ever imagined.  Also, the rules on courting.  The girls lost their parents and their Aunt has cared for them for years.  She is quirky and different.  She only follows the rules of the Amish in order to raise her sisters’ daughters in the way she wanted them raised.  Paul thinks he has Lily all sewn up for a wife and then Dan Kanagy comes back to the community and he’s been in love with Lily since they were young and she was a gawky teenager.  He wanted to get her attention so he called her names, he thought all of that was an affectionate way to get her attention.  So he starts in when he returns to Wisconsin.  Lily still feels like that teenager who was always really hurt when Dan called her names.  Paul is worried when Dan starts working to be forgiven by Lily so that he may gain her interest.  Paul tells lies and may get caught up in them.  His Father has taught him no better.  Dan would do anything to make Lily happy even step aside but he doesn’t believe Paul for a minute.  Who will win her hand?  It’s a fairly simply romance with the usual doubts and times of being insecure by the men and the women but it is made more interesting by those that are trying to stay true to their Amish faith at the same time.  I did really enjoy this story and read it all in one day. 

Description as found on Amazon:

“Sweet as Honey is a warm, wonderful book filled with delightful characters, humor and tenderness. Jennifer Beckstrand writes lovely stories, sure to touch your heart.”--RaeAnne Thayne, New York Times bestselling author

Smart, kind, and good-hearted, the three Christner girls are affectionately known as The Honeybee Sisters in the beloved Wisconsin Amish community where, under the care of their aunt, they've grown into skilled beekeepers--and lovely, sought-after young women. . .

Though she has blossomed into a beauty, Lily Christner doesn't really believe it. Deep down, she still feels like a lonely, gawky teenager. Maybe that's why she's all but promised herself to Paul Glick, the one boy who never teased her in her awkward girlhood--unlike Dan Kanagy, whose creative name-calling left her in tears many a time. Now he's back in town after two years away--and being surprisingly sweet, suspiciously attentive--and making Lily unsettlingly yet deliciously nervous. It seems Dan wants Lily's forgiveness--and her heart. But can he convince her--not to mention her protective schwesters and aendi--that despite the past, her future lies with him?...

 Praise for Jennifer Beckstrand and her Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series

"Full of kind, sincere characters struggling with the best ways to stay true to themselves and their beliefs." --Publishers Weekly

"Readers will treasure this series and put the first outing on their keeper shelf." --RT Book Reviews

"A delightful voice in Amish romance. Sweet and funny." --Emma Miller (less)

A Reluctant Bride by Jody Hedlund – Five Stars!

The author did a wonderful job on writing this book as well as doing background historical research!  When reading the book, you can almost imagine things like the way London looked in the slums back during that time it is written with such great description prose.  I loved the characters in this book and loved reading the after story about how the author came to read this book. I couldn’t just put it down I had to read all of it.  That in and of itself should make you wish to read this book!

I received this book from NetGalley.  I do this review for the benefit of the author of my own volition. It came in the kindle format.  #NetGalley.com #AReluctantBride #JodyHedlund

Description as found on NetGalley.com:
Living in London's poorest slum, Mercy Wilkins has little hope of a better life. When she's offered an opportunity to join a bride ship sailing to British Columbia, she agrees. After witnessing so much painful heartache and loss in the slums, the bride ship is her only prospect to escape a bleak future, not only for herself but, she hopes, someday for her sister.

Wealthy and titled Joseph Colville leaves home and takes to the sea in order to escape the pain of losing his family. As ship's surgeon, he's in charge of the passengers' welfare aboard the Tynemouth, including sixty brides-to-be. He has no immediate intention of settling down, but when Mercy becomes his assistant, the two must fight against a forbidden love. 

With hundreds of single men congregating on the shore eager to claim a bride from the Tynemouth, will Mercy and Joseph lose their chance at true love, or will they be able to overcome the obstacles that threaten to keep them apart?

The Reluctant Brides Collection – 6 Historical Stories of Love that Takes Persuasion by Rosey Dow; Cathy Marie Hake; Susannah Hayden; Yvonne Legman; Collen L. Reece; Janet Spaeth

The Reluctant Brides Collection – 6 Historical Stories of Love that Takes Persuasion by Rosey Dow; Cathy Marie Hake; Susannah Hayden; Yvonne Legman; Collen L. Reece; Janet Spaeth

Christian Historical Romance

I so enjoyed reading these stories of women who were put into the position of mail order bride, in this Christian historical romance collection of stories.  Each one was well written and an easy enjoyable read.  They were well thought out, well researched, and fun to read.  Each story was very different than the last as each was written by a different author.  If you like this type of romance, these stories will transport you to a different time and place.

I received this collection of stories from NetGalley.  I willingly am writing a review as I believe these stories are well written enjoyable and wish to help the authors by writing a review in my own words.  #TheReluctantBridesCollection #NetGalley.

Description

Six Historical Stories of Love That Takes Persuasion

Take an adventurous ride along on the bumpy trail to love as six independent women of yesteryear are cautiously courted into matrimony by men, they have both intrigued and hurt. Will troubles douse the sparks of love before anyone can become a bride?

An Unexpected Surprise by Rosey Dow, a writer and motivational speaker from Delaware.
Angie McDonald has placed an ad for a mail-order bride—for her widowed brother-in-law and his motherless daughter. But when the beautiful Saundra arrives, Angie wonders if she’s made a mistake and woven a very tangled web. When will Angie learn to leave matters in the hand of God?

Ribbon of Gold by Cathy Marie Hake, a retired nurse and bestselling author from Southern California.
Carter Steadman recently inherited ownership of the Steadman Mills. He is shamed when Isabel Shelly, one of his workers, boldly informs him of the inhuman working conditions at his mill. Carter is inexplicably drawn to this woman who has so little, yet gives so much. Her mere presence is forcing him to make a decision beyond his wildest imaginings.

Light Beckons the Dawn by Susannah Hayden, a writer and editor from Colorado.
Percy Morgan has hidden her past and stifled her future with a gruff exterior and immersed herself in work at a remote lumber camp. Faced with friendships offered by the few women in camp and the attentions of the camp doctor, Percy must decide if she can take a risk and reopen the pain of the past so that healing can begin.

Reluctant Schoolmarm by Yvonne Lehman, a multi-published author and writers’ conference speaker from North Carolina.
When Christa Walsh steps off a train in the backwoods of  North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains and reluctantly into the role of teacher, she finds the job more rewarding than she expected, winning the hearts of the children—and along the way, warming the heart of the man whose deception landed her the position.

School Bells and Wedding Bells by Colleen L. Reece, an author from Washington state with over six million books in print.
Freshly jilted and ready to take on the world, Meredith Rose Macrae enters an isolated Idaho hamlet with the force of a tornado. Neither she nor Last Chance will ever be the same. And Brit Farley, rugged head of the local school board, faces the challenge of exchanging the new teacher’s school bells for wedding bells.

Rose Kelly by Janet Spaeth, a bestselling author from North Dakota.
Rose believes a woman can do any job just as well as a man. But moving to Dakota Territory for six months to write articles on the homesteaders, she suddenly realizes that she may have taken on more than she can handle when trampling upon Eric Johansen private past.

Jenna - The Outback Brides of Wirralong - by Barbara Hannay - 5 Stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book I read it in one day!  I could just feel the sparks flying between Jenna and Sam Twist.  A great romance that has of course many obstacles, just written so real, no explicit sex, yet you can almost feel the sparks flying between the two people as you read about their interaction with each other.  I really enjoyed this book!

I received this book through NetGalley.  The review is my own as I enjoyed the book and want to assist the author in promoting her book because I enjoyed it so much.  I received it in a kindle format. #Jenna #NetGalley.

Description

Can she keep a safe distance? Jenna Matthews is a city girl, no question. Despite a childhood spent in the Outback, she’s committed to her fast-paced life and the competitive world of corporate law. When her best friend asks her to be bridesmaid, Jenna finds herself in Wirralong and wildly attracted to the best man. A fling? Why not? Dangerously sexy Sam Twist runs his vast family sheep property and is as keen as Jenna to keep their relationship at fling status. Then the authorities turn up on his door step and Jenna jumps in to help despite Sam’s protests. She soon learns that after years of drought, there are others in the district who need her skills. Her dilemma? Spending too much time around Sam is perilous. He could rob a girl of her heart.

Window On The Bay by Debbie Macomber – 5 Stars! A very real romance times two!

Window On The Bay by Debbie Macomber – 5 Stars!  A very real romance times two!

I think this was my favorite book of Debbie Macombers!  A clean romance with adults who have grown children.  Two friends find very different men when they really aren’t looking for them.  They have been divorced for a while and dating really isn’t something they are looking forward to.  They want to finally book that trip to Paris they’ve been planning for years and years.  It was just fun to read about the men and women coming together with so many mistakes on each side.  Very real and very interesting!

I received a kindle format of this book to read and review from NetGalley.com.  My review is totally my opinion which I do willingly to help authors if I like the books!  #WindowOnTheBay #NetGalley

Description

When a single mom becomes an empty nester, she spreads her wings to rediscover herself—and her passions—in this heartwarming novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.
 
Jenna Boltz’s life is at a crossroads. After a messy divorce from her surgeon husband nearly twenty years ago, she raised her two children on her own, juggling motherhood with her beloved job as a Seattle intensive-care nurse. Now that Paul and Allie have gone to college and moved out, Jenna can’t help but wonder what her future holds.

Her best friend, Maureen, is excited for Jenna’s newfound independence. Now is the perfect time to finally book the trip to Paris they’ve been dreaming of since their college days. But when it comes to life’s other great adventure—dating—Jenna still isn’t sure she’s ready to let love in . . . until an unexpected encounter begins to change her mind.

When Jenna’s elderly mother breaks her hip, Dr. Rowan Lancaster saves the day. Despite his silent, stoic exterior, Rowan is immediately smitten with Jenna. And even though Jenna is hesitant about becoming involved with another surgeon, she has to admit that she’s more than a little intrigued. But when Jenna’s children approach her with shocking news, she realizes that she needs to have faith in love and embrace the unexpected—before the life she has always dreamed of passes her by.