SILVER BELLS by Debby Mayne

Carol Scheirer is a widow who never thought she would find love again, that is until her feelings began to change for Alex Knight, her late husbands best friend. Alex has always been a close friend to Carol but lately he's been helping her with some family issues. He's a great guy and she would like to let her heart love again but she feels she need to have the blessing of her grown children. Can Carol and Alex work through the family issues and find the love and happiness they long for?

Silver Bells is an enjoyable, easy read. While most stories center around young people falling in love, this story was about two people of retirement age. That was a different dynamic that I enjoyed. Alex was a man of strong faith who waited on the Lord. I liked the way he influenced those around him and how it affected Carol and her family. If you're looking for a quick, enjoyable read you might try Silver Bells.

POSTMARKED EVER AFTER by Mary L. Ball

Serena Gray, who is recently widowed, moves closer to her mother who is dealing with the early stages Alzheimer. She receives a letter addressed to her late husband letting him know he has a daughter he knew nothing about. Serena's job as an ER nurse can be emotional, but when a child experiences a brush with death and later recounts to Serena a dream he had with a message meant for her, it's downright unnerving. Serena would like to find her late husband's daughter but only knows her first name is Nicky. Adam Knox is the principal of a school and raising his daughter as best as he can since his wife died of cancer. When Serena meets Adam they are drawn to each other. She finds it interesting that his daughter's name is Nicky but when she finds out that Adam's wife's name was the same as the woman who wrote the letter, she's knows this is the daughter from the letter. As Adam and Serena begin to date and find themselves building a close relationship, Serena knows that the truth about the letter stands between them. Should she tell Adam about it or not?

Postmarked Ever After is a sweet story about love, loss and a second chance at love. You'll find characters that are easy to relate to and a believable storyline that causes you to keep reading. What made this story such a pleasure to read was that it wasn't loaded with tons of conflict. It played out very well and you find yourself rooting for the lead couple as they find their way. The message that the Lord's time is perfect was well done and an encouragement to the reader. We don't always understand why things happen the way they do, but we know that whatever happens, God is always guiding us through, if we ask him. If your looking for and enjoyable Christian romance with a good message than I recommend you pick up Postmarked Ever After.

*This complimentary copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*

For more information about this story or other stories by this author, I recommend you visit her website at http://marylouwrites.weebly.com/

A RANCHER FOR CHRISTMAS by Brenda Minton

Breezy Hernandez has never really had a home. Now she finds herself in Martin's Crossing where her late brother left her a house and joint custody of his twin daughters. She is to share custody with Jake Martin; a very tall, handsome, intimidating Rancher. Jake Martin has always been responsible from the time he was young. He has a hard time trusting, most especially women. He's leery of Breezy because he knows she doesn't stay in one place very long. Breezy would love to have a home and a family but knows that's just not possible for her especially with someone like Jake. As they work together caring for the twins they find themselves drawn to each other. Will Jake open his heart to Breezy and learn to trust her? Will Breezy find the home she's looking for or will she move on?

I loved this story. It's one that just warms your heart through and through but also had a touch of mystery. I have read several books in the Cooper Creek Series and was sad to see it end. But for the Cooper Creek fans out there, you'll be happy to know that Martin's Crossing is just as good. As a bonus, Breezy (Mia's sister) was the main character in this story and you'll get to catch up with a few familiar faces from Cooper Creek, which was fun. I appreciated how the author tied them together. The folks in Martin's Crossing will quickly find their way into your heart as you get to know them. The Martin brothers as well as the secondary characters were fun and endearing. I loved the chemistry between Jake and Breezy. You can just feel it radiate off the pages. As I was reading I was reminded of how the Lord watches out for us and that he makes everything beautiful in His time. He makes beauty from ashes. A Rancher for Christmas is a wonderful story that will put you in the Christmas mood. This is book 1 in the new Martin's Crossing series. And how about that cover? I loved spending Christmas in Martin's Crossing and look forward to going back again real soon!!! So, throw a log on the fire, grab a cup of cocoa, curl up and find out if Breezy gets 'A Rancher for Christmas'.

*This complimentary copy was provided by Harlequin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

For more information about this book or other books by Brenda Minton, I encourage you to visit her website at http://www.brendaminton.net/

Series: Love InspiredMartin's Crossing
Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired (November 18, 2014)
ISBN-10: 0373879261
ISBN-13: 978-0373879267

THE LAWMAN RETURNS by Lynette Eason

Clay Starke is a deputy who returns home to find out who murdered his brother, Steve. He's not suppose to be investigating the case officially, but he's hoping to find out information along the way. Sabrina Mayfield is a social worker who was friends with Steve. When a young man calls her for help she responds and finds he's disappeared. Clay and Sabrina find themselves working together to try to figure out what happened and how it's connected to Steve's murder. They also find that they've become targets of the murderer. Will they manage to figure out who the killer is before it's too late?

The Lawman Returns was a good story. I enjoyed the suspense and the unexpected twists and turns. I also enjoyed getting to know Clay and Sabrina, but I didn't really feel any chemistry between them. There were some good romantic moments but to me, it felt like something was missing. The story itself keeps you interested as you try and figure out who killed Steve. I thought the author did a good job dealing with some complex family issues and how the faith and kindness of someone can make a difference in someone's life. This looks like a Christmas story and it does have some 'Christmas' in it but you could read it any time of the year and enjoy it.

*This complimentary copy was provided by Harlequin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Series: Love Inspired SuspenseWrangler's Corner
Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired (October 7, 2014)
ISBN-10: 0373446241
ISBN-13: 978-0373446247

For more information about this book or other books by this author I encourage you to visit her website at http://www.lynetteeason.com/

MONTANA DAWN by Caroline Fyffe (Audio Version)

Faith is pregnant and on the run with her stepson, Colton. After her abusive husband dies she wants to get away or they will force her to marry his brother, Ward, who's even meaner. The wagon gets stuck and she goes into labor. Luke McCutcheon and his brothers are driving cattle back to their ranch. As he's scouting around he finds Faith's wagon and here's the noises she making. He enters the wagon to see what's going on and gets hit on the head. When he comes-to he tries to explain to Colton that he's one of the good-guys and wants to help his mom. He delivers Faith's baby and they tell her she can come to the ranch to gain strength. As they are heading back they run into Ward. Luke can see the fear in Faith's and Colton's eyes but she won't talk to him. Ward is mean and true to his threats. Faith and Colton have come to love being at the ranch but she knows what Ward is capable of. He has something hanging over her head and will use it if she doesn't go along with him.

Montana Dawn was an enjoyable story but I must confess that Faith made me a bit crazy.  I liked her as a person and you could certainly understand her ambivalence in trusting Luke considering her life's situation, but her time at the ranch and with Luke and his brothers should have proved to her that she could trust him. They never gave her any reason not to. I guess fear affects everyone different.  One thing I really did like was the McCutcheon family. They were such a tight-knit family and really cared for one another. There was one particular part that was so touching where Luke told his sister that we all get hankerings but she needed to wait for the right one and until they married first.  Although this is not considered Christian Fiction,  I respect this author for keeping the story clean (other than a few 'words') and even giving some very good advice!

For this review I listened to the audio version of the Montana Dawn.  The narrator did a great job of bringing the story to life and I thoroughly enjoyed the whole listening experience.  This is great if your driving, want to relax in bed or just too busy to actually sit down and 'read' a book.  I would definitely recommend the audible version of Montana Dawn!

*This complimentary copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*

To find out more about this book or other books by Caroline Fyffe, I recommend you visit her website at http://www.carolinefyffe.com/

MARRIED BY CHRISTMAS by Karen Kirst

Caleb O'Malley witnesses the murder of a friend and is badly wounded in the process. He escapes but the cold and his wound is taking its toll. Rebecca Thurston is alerted by her dog that something is in the woods. When she investigates, she discovers it's Caleb. He was once a close childhood friend but Rebecca blames him for the accident that changed her life. She knows she must help him or he'll die, but she has no idea what helping him will mean to her future. Caleb has been plagued with guilt about the accident that changed the lives of his two best friends. Now he has brought trouble to Rebecca once again. Because they have been alone together (except for Rebecca's younger sister) for more than a week while she nursed him back to health, the town is demanding that they marry. Neither one wants to do that but Caleb doesn't want Rebecca or her sister to be the topic of gossip and he wants to somehow make up for the past by taking care of her now. The more time they spend together, the more they realize how much each of them has changed. Have they changed enough to forge out a future together or will they settle for only keeping the terms of their agreement?

Married by Christmas is an excellent story! Karen Kirst really has a remarkable talent for writing a heartwarming story, loaded with lots of romantic tension, lively characters and even some edge-of-your-seat moments. I read the first book in the Smokey Mountain Series (The Reluctant Outlaw) awhile ago and just loved it. When I saw this was up for review, I knew it was a must read. I can only say that I absolutely loved it! Caleb is a tortured hero who is haunted by past mistakes. His kind and gentle ways made him completely swoon-worthy! Rebecca was a woman of great strength and spunk, yet she really had a soft and tender heart. Together they were pure magic! I loved the whole theme of forgiveness and second chances running through the story. We know that the Lord forgives us, but sometimes it's hard for us to let our mistakes go. The verse listed in the beginning of the story was Lamentations 3:22-23 "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." That really fits the story well. I also enjoyed the element of danger in the story and thought it was nicely played. The O'Malley's are a great group and I now want to go back and read the ones I missed. Married by Christmas is a story with Christmas in it but can be enjoyed any time of the year. It's one I highly recommend and one I would definitely read again.

*This complimentary copy was provided by Harlequin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review *

Series: Love Inspired HistoricalSmoky Mountain Matches
Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired (October 7, 2014)
ISBN-10: 0373282834
ISBN-13: 978-0373282838

For more information about this book or other books by this author, I recommend you visit her website at http://www.karenkirst.com/