GREATER LOVE by Robert Whitlow

Tami Lynn is about to take the Bar Exam and has some really big decisions to make. She has to decide where she will begin her practice of law. There is two offers on the table. One in a firm that Tami worked at last summer and one just getting established with women she's acquainted with. She will also have to decide who will win her heart. Will it be Zach or Vinny? You also meet a young girl name Jessie who is on the run and very soon the paths of Tami and Jessie will intersect. The case is a lot more than what's on the surface and will ultimately cost the life of someone close to Tami.

I liked many aspects of the story. Tami was a sweet, innocent girl who really wanted to do God's will for her life. She was respectful to her parents and those in authority over her. I liked the whole idea of a love triangle between Zach, Tami and Vinny. I also liked Mr. Callahan and thought he gave wise council to Tami. The story did have some suspense and I have to say I really wasn't sure who Tami would choose as her life's mate until near the end.

Now for the things I think just didn't fit. Sister Dabney was a character I did not like. I don't agree that women preachers/prophetesses is Biblically correct. But the part that I really felt was incongruent was the fact that an ultra-conservative girl like Tami, who even out of college is still submissive to her parents, goes to Sister Dabney's church and even follows her "prophet type" advice. It just wasn't realistic to me. I liked Zach and Vinny but never really felt the struggle between them having to do with Tami. They felt like shallow characters to me. I'm being honest when I say that I struggled through this book because of those items but was committed to finish it. I know his books have gotten some good reviews but the story just didn't work for this reader. Thank you Thomas Nelson (Booksneeze) for providing this complimentary review copy.

SIXTEEN BRIDES by Sephanie Grace Whitson

A Group of widows called the The Emigration Society, lead by Hamilton Drake,are headed for the plains of Nebraska at the promise of homesteading land without a husband. They are all very different women and each has a certain opinion of what the others are like. When a couple of ladies overhear Mr. Drake telling someone else what he really has planned for these ladies, they band together (at least 6 of them) and give this new life all they've got. Will they truly be able to make it on the rugged frontier and was each of the ladies correct in their assumption about the other?

I really enjoyed this post-Civil War story. The hardships that widows endured were something we really can't comprehend today. The story followed the six women so that it was really like reading six separate stories that all intertwined. The author did a really great job in vacillating between the women without the reader becoming overwhelmed or disconnected. I liked how she allowed you to see the strengths and weakness of not only the women but of their love interests as well. I liked all of the characters because they were all so different. They each brought something different into the mix. But I have to say I was drawn to Ruth and Lucas. Ruth was not afraid to speak her mind and was very practical. Lucas was someone who made my heart go pitter-pat. As you make your way through the story there are lots of little spiritual nuggets to pick up along the way. Although I like a little more romance than what was in this story, I have to say that the build of each relationship was very natural. It really felt like you were reading it in real time. You sort of knew who each would end up with but it was really fun and entertaining to watch it happen! Thanks Librarything Early Reviewers for providing this copy.

BEGUILED by Deeanne Gist & J. Mark Bertrand

Rylee Monroe walks dogs for very wealthy people in Charleston. When break-ins begin occurring in her clients' homes and unusual items are taken and given as donations they soon suspect that the "Robin Hood burglar" might just be Rylee.

Logan Woods is a reporter for the paper. He's covering the "Robin Hood" story and wants to be the one who solves the case. He meets Rylee while trying to get some photos and the dog she's walking chases him through the park. They are both drawn to each other but she has trust issues and he's just not sure what he thinks of Rylee. As he continues to dig up facts about the story the pieces all seem to center around her. Is she trying to hide something from him? And is getting the story more important than his feelings for Rylee?

I really enjoyed Beguiled. It was what I would call a "cozy mystery". The story kept me turning pages from the beginning until the end. I wasn't really sure who the guilty party was until near the end. The characters were interesting and fun. Logan was a true-to-life hero. I liked his interaction with Rylee. Rylee was a very genuine person. She had lots of things from her past that she was dealing with but was still a kind and loving person. I would recommend this to those who like a cozy mystery with a dash of romance. Thank you Bethany house for providing me with a complimentary review copy.

NEVER SAY NEVER by Lisa Wingate

Kai Miller didn't have a stable upbringing or a place she could truly call home. As she heads for her job on a cruise ship she finds that a hurricane that was suppose to veer off is heading straight for them. Knowing that leaving town would be best, she grabs some belongings, her friends 2 dogs and heads out in her VW van. In the big traffic mess associated with evacuation Kai comes across three ladies who are heading for the cruise ship. The ladies have run out of gas and Kai offers to give them a ride. Eventually Kai's van runs out of gas and a bus load from the Holy Ghost Church picks them up to help and they seek shelter at the church.

Kai ends up in Daily Texas where she meets the nephew of one of the three ladies, Kemp Eldridge. He plays professional baseball but has injured his shoulder and returned to Daily for recovery and to help out some kids. Nothing has really captured the attention of Kemp except baseball until he meets Kai. Kemp's reputation says he won't be hanging around and Kai desperately wants some place to call home. Daily feels like that kind of place. Will it work out for Kai and Kemp? What about Jen, Jenny, Jennifer?

This was a very fun story. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters. It was filled with so much good-ole-fashioned southern humor, which is a blast to read. I found myself laughing out loud in several places. The three ladies were a hoot and I so enjoyed the interaction between them. There was definitely chemistry between Kai and Kemp. You could feel the pull between them as they struggled with what to do with their feelings. This is a light and easy read with no major issues to deal with and the ending is well worth reading the book. This is the third book in the Daily Texas Series but I didn't feel lost by not having read the first two stories. Thank you Bethany House for the complimentary review copy.

Lethal Dreams by Anne Patrick

Dr. Erin Jacobs loves her job of helping big name sports figures recover from injuries that could end their careers. Having been in their position she knows how to encourage and motivate them. With her fun and loving personality she is very well liked by her friends as well as her patients. So why would anyone want to hurt her?

Detective Logan Sinclair and his partner find themselves the victims of a shooting. As the shooters are speeding away they nearly hit Erin who is riding her bike home. She quickly spots the two officers, checks for pulses and calls for help on their car radio. As soon as that's done Logan hears her whisper that she needs to get out of there. He is intrigued by Erin. He finds out that she was a cops wife and that her husband was killed in the line of duty, which explained her reaction. Now she is helping him with the recovery of his shoulder and in the meantime trying to find out the mystery of the shooting and how it relates to Erin.

This was a great read! I loved the chemistry between Logan and Erin. Erin was a great character. Even though she had been through so much herself she had a big heart and lots of love for others. She was doubting her faith but you could certainly relate as to why that was. Logan was a to-die-for hero. His soft and gentle ways sure won my heart! He had such a strong faith and inner strength. I loved all the secondary characters as well. I found myself caring about these people as I read the story. Anne Patrick has an easy writing style that draws you into the story and makes you feel like you're living it with the characters. There was a twist and turn at the end that I never saw coming. I love that! I recommend you pick up a copy of Lethal Dreams.

The Clouds Roll Away by Sibella Giorello

Raleigh Harmon is an FBI investigator who has just returned to her home to Richmond Virginia only to find she's investigating a cross burning. It appears to be a hate crime but the accelerants used in the burning are unusual and deadly. As she continues to dig, things become more puzzling and complicated to the point she's wondering who the bad guys and the victims really are. She's having a hard time with her supervisor who is not convinced she learned anything on her previous assignment. Her mother is behaving in an usual manner. DeMott Fielding is trying very hard to win her heart. Will Raleigh be able to handle all the pressures in her life? Will she be able to hang onto her faith?

I enjoyed reading The Clouds Roll Away. I thought the author displayed an honesty in the nature of her characters and their struggles. Both good and bad. I liked her style of writing and the bits of humor splashed throughout the story. Especially when she would make references to Christmas songs. DeMott was a man I wished I had seen more of because I liked what I saw. I wanted more between him and Raleigh. I feel like I might have understood the story better if I had read the previous books in the series. I would recommend this book to those who like a police procedural type story. Thank you Thomas Nelson for providing me with a complimentary review copy.