SURRENDER THE NIGHT by MaryLu Tyndall

Rose McGuire lived in fear because of the things that had happened to her. After losing her parents and being attacked she is now living with her aunt and uncle. During the War of 1812 when the British soldiers invade Baltimore, Rose finds herself alone on her family farm when a heartless lieutenant finds her and begins to assault her. Enter British Lieutenant Alexander Reed who saves her from her fate but finds himself shot in the process as well as killing his commanding officer. Though Rose hates the British for all the things they've done she shows mercy to Alex by hiding him and tending his wound. Should she be found out her whole family could be executed. Slowly she begins to see that Alex is not like the rest of the British soldiers. He stirs something inside her like no one ever has. She seems to feel safe when she's around him. Rose has a suitor though who wants her land and her and will stop at nothing to gain what he wants. What will happen if he should find out that she's helping the enemy?

Surrender the Night is one of those stories that grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let you go until you turn the last page. MaryLu does a fantastic job of bringing history to life. She made me feel like I was right there in the midst of war asking myself the whole time, "How would I have handled that?". I really liked our lead couple. I could easily relate to Rose. Alex was an excellent hero. You really felt the anxiety in both Alex and Rose as they each dealt with many emotions. I love what I felt was the theme of the story which was 'nothing is impossible with God'. We see the characters struggle with the same issues we struggle with today. Trusting God with what seems to be impossible. It was also great to see Noah and Marianne again as well as Luke Heaton and some other favorites from Surrender the Heart. I highly recommend Surrender the Night. Looking forward to Surrender the Dawn. Great job as always MaryLu! A thank you goes to the author for providing me this copy for my review in exchange for my honest opinion.

BEYOND EVER AFTER by Carie Lawson

Haven McCord Castlin has loved Brody Castlin since she was seven years old. But marriage didn't turn out to be what she'd hoped for. It seems like all they ever do is fight. The closeness and friendship they once shared has disappeared. Feeling the need to get away she asks Brody if she can go to the African Mission. Her brothers, Case and Zane have told Brody of the dangers there so he offers her a summer truce and says he'll go with her to make sure she's safe. Brody loves Haven but doesn't know how to make her happy. He feels undeserving of her love and knows her family would always resent him. He thinks the only way to truly make her happy would be to set her free. What they find in Africa is more than what they expected. Each of them learn and grow as they work together but will it be enough to cover past hurts? Will they find the strength to fight for true love?

Beyond Ever After is one of those stories that continues to linger in your mind long after you close the book. It was hard to put down and I found myself thinking about the story until I could pick it up again. We have witnessed Haven and Brody's relationship in Beyond Africa and Beyond Summer and I was very curious as to why their marriage was the way it was. Why Brody seemed so distant from her family. This story is Brody and Haven's journey. My heart hurt for our lead couple as we find out their history of mistakes and bad decisions. What a toll that takes on a relationship. One thing I really respected about Brody was that, for all the mistakes, he was man enough to take responsibility for what he'd done. You could understand why Haven was an emotional mess. Brody was hard to read sometimes. I loved watching Brody and Haven in Africa as they learned to work in together and hold their tongues. The Lord was working in each of them. I must say this author wrote such a clear description of the African orphanage that I could see the children's faces, feel the rain and heat on my skin and see the beauty as they walked the jungle paths. I enjoyed catching up with Case & Lilly, Zane and Carly and of course Preston and Grace. The McCords are such a great family. I have to say I absolutely loved the ending! BIG SIGH! If you have never read a Carie Lawson book you are missing out! I would HIGHLY recommend Beyond Ever After! But to really get the most out of this story I recommend you read this series in order. Awesome job, Carie! Can't wait for Beyond Baseball! A thank you goes to this author for providing me with this complimentary copy for my review!

NO SAFE HAVEN by Kimberley and Kayla R. Woodhouse

The two words that come to mind when I think of No Safe Haven is "Totally Awesome". This mother/daughter duo has delivered a heart-pounding adventure, loaded with memorable characters, edge of your seat suspense and sweet romance. It's a tale that will stay with you long after your close the book.

Jenna and her daughter Andie are trying to move on with their life. It has been a year since Marc was killed. Andie, who has always suffered from a rare nerve disorder, just got good news from the doctor. While flying back home their pilot sabotages their private plane and they crash into a high part of a remote mountain in Alaska. Cole Maddox was on the plane because of a promise he made to Marc. He needs to keep Jenna and Andie safe but they're having a hard time trusting him. To make matters worse a snow storm is brewing and headed their way.

I've got to say this story kept me flipping pages from beginning to end. I really didn't get anything done because each page held me spellbound. You become totally involved from the very first page. The characters were so well drawn and the dialog was superb. One thing that I really enjoyed was Andie's simple faith and the way that it affected everyone she was around. It was so uplifting and encouraging. I loved the tension between Cole and Jenna. It just felt tangible to me. The description of the mountain and the snow storm was so good that it made me shiver. I also like the way the story was layed out with the date/time and thoughts of each character. Reading about how the rare nerve disorder affects daily living was very thought provoking. I highly recommend No Safe Haven. I look forward to Race Against Time. Great Job Kimberley and Kayla!!! A thank you goes to LibraryThing for providing this complementary copy for my review.

THE PRAIRIE PRINCE by Marcia Lynn McClure

Katie Matthews had a difficult life. Her father is harsh to her and her mother to the point of abuse when he's been drinking. She survives by running to a particular place on her father's property where she can daydream and feel at peace. She's devastated when her father sells it off. Soon though she meets the new owner, Stover Steele. They are drawn to each other right away but Stover thinks she's a little young and he still has his three little sisters to raise and Katie believes that someone like Stover would never be interested in her. Stover finds himself, however, coming to Katie's rescue quite a few times. He sees her gentle spirit and it angers him at how harsh her father is with her. Will Stover and Katie have the chance to find true love or will fear and danger find them first?

This was a really great romantic read. Katie was such a sweet girl and you truly felt bad for her and her mother having to live with such a harsh and loveless man. One thing I thoroughly enjoyed about this story was Stover's three little sisters. They were so active and always getting into innocent trouble. It just made me smile wide! I also loved the secondary story between Stover's sister Piller and Katie's brother Jared. It's almost like having two stories in one. Hillary was a girl in the story who was trying to win the attention of Stover away from Katie by not be honest. I really appreciated that Stover saw right through her antics. Many times a 'smart' hero will fall for the lies and that makes me frustrated. There was a big gasp at the end right before a big sigh! If you're looking for a total 'get away from your troubles' type read then try The Prairie Prince. It comes complete with lots of great kissing scenes and a shirtless hero nicely tucked inside a very clean romance. Who could ask for more?

MONTANA DAWN by Caroline Fyffe

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.

Because I loved Where the Wind Blows I had to read this one too. I must confess that I didn't enjoy this tale quite as much. One reason I think was because of Faith. I really did like Faith as a person and you could certainly understand her ambivalence in trusting 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. 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. I respect this author for keeping the story clean (other than a few 'words') and even giving some very good advice. I'll be watching for more by this author.

WHERE THE WIND BLOWS by Caroline Fyffe

I'm always on the hunt for good books. I ran across Where the Wind Blows and saw all the great reviews. In several of the reviews it mentioned that this was a clean and sweet read so I decided to try it. I must say it was great story! Chase Logan is heading for a new job and on his way he must deliver the news to Jessie Strong that her husband, Nathan, is dead. He sure didn't expect to find such a young wife though. She allows him to stay in the barn and explains that she is expecting a very special delivery. The morning he's to leave, the delivery shows up. Three-year-old Sarah whom they were to adopt. The one escorting Sarah assumes Chase is Nathan. Jessie knew it was only pretend and only for a little while but Sarah was already calling him da. She was fooling herself to think she could have such a life with such a good man. Besides they weren't even married. But the longer they were around each other the harder it was to think of not begin together.

This was such a great romantic western. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. I loved the watching Chase & Jessie together. Chase was an excellent hero. I appreciated the way he respected Jessie and took great care with her. Jessie was a feisty gal but not unreasonable or selfish. The romantic tension between Chase & Jessie was tangible. I enjoyed the secondary characters as well. Sarah was a cute little girl. It's no wonder she melted Chase's heart. Gabe was a teen who would probably be a lot like Chase when he grew up. The characters fit so naturally into the story. There were some very tender moments that melted my heart, some moments that made me smile, and a few places where I was biting my nails. The author allows you to hear the main characters' thoughts and I think it enhances the story, at least for me, when you know why they are behaving a certain way. I must say that other than a few 'words' this could make it into the edgy Christian Fiction category.

THE HEART'S WARRIOR by Leigh Bale

This was a great viking era tale. Kerstin is a healer but she is known to everyone as the 'Witch of Moere' because she uses herbs. She is betrothed to one she loves but the King commands she marry Jonas, the Beast of Hawkscliffe, to ensure peace between their families so they may fight a common enemy. Though she greatly opposes the marriage she finally agrees. There is a strong attraction between Jonas and Kerstin but they don't trust each other. Kerstin believes he is cruel and wants to see her dead and Jonas believes Kerstin poisoned and killed his brother. Slowly but surely they begin to see each other in a different light. Jonas is kind when he could be cruel and Kerstin is helping his people. But there is a traitor in the group. When Kerstin finds out who it is she sets out to warn Jonas. But will she make it in time? and will they ever find peace in their marriage?

The Heart's Warrior was very engaging and kept me reading from start to finish. The characters were very well drawn and seemed natural to the story. I liked both Jonas and Kerstin. Jonas was a hulk of a man yet had a tender heart. Kerstin had fire and grit yet in her heart she really did want peace. There was a mystery concerning who killed Jonas' brother that you don't find out until the end. There is also a spot in the end that sucked the breath out of me. I loved it because it was unexpected. This would not be considered 'Christian Fiction' but it is what I would call "clean with an edge" (with the exception of a few words).

JOURNEY TO RIVERBEND by Henry McLaughlin

Michael Archer used to run wild, stealing, cheating and lying until it finally landed him in jail. Mostly he was running from the pain of a burden he carries with him. A certain preacher took an interest in him and finally lead him to the Lord. Now he finds himself doing that same thing for Ben Carstairs. He can't save him from being hanged but he's agreed to grant Ben's last request, to tell his father he was sorry and return his mother's necklace to him. So Michael heads for Riverbend to accomplish the task. He's not there too long before he meets the beautiful Rachel Stone. Rachel is drawn to Michael but she doesn't trust men and frankly when he finds out about her past he will definitely not be interested. But Michael is not like any man she's ever met. He's strong, gentle and protective of her. Could she ever have a normal relationship with a good man like Michael? Word finally reaches Riverbend that Ben's father was kidnapped from the stagecoach. Michael joins the posse and danger lurks everywhere. Michael wants to return to Rachel and see what God has in store but first he will have to face his deepest fear.

I must first off say that the cover of this novel is beautiful. It's what first made me want to read the book. The story itself was very good and held my interest the whole way through. In many ways I felt like I was watching a good western movie. The cast of characters were well drawn and definitely had life in them. The theme of trusting the Lord ran through the entire story. Many of the characters had pasts they were trying reconcile while learning about God's forgiveness. One thing that was a little frustrating for me was the ending. Although I liked it I wish, as a reader, it would have been more complete in how everything turned out. Almost like there should have been an epilogue. Overall it was a good story. I think Journey to Riverbend would appeal to both men and women. I look forward to future works by this author. A thank you goes to Tyndale (Booksneeze) for providing me with this complimentary review copy.

DEADLY TIES by Vicki Hinze

Lisa Harper's father was killed. Feeling desperate Lisa's mother, Annie, marries Dutch Hauk who turns out to be an abusive monster. He has plans for Lisa that will be a fate worse than death. But before he can do anything, Annie gives over custody of Lisa to a trusted friend. Dutch has made it his mission to keep Lisa and Annie apart. He's successful for a lot of years. But now Lisa and Annie have an opportunity to be a family except they didn't anticipate how far Dutch would go.

Mark Taylor is living with a burden he can't seem shake. Being a former Special Ops officer, he's been watching over Annie and Lisa. Mark has secretly loved Lisa from the time they met but he just doesn't feel he deserves her love. He has told her more about himself than anyone else. But her's afraid of failing her. When Lisa finds herself in trouble both Mark and Lisa need to muster all the strength they can and have trust in the One that will never leave them or forsake them.

Great Story! This author pulled you into the story right from the start. I haven't read anything by this author so didn't know what to expect. But this tale had it all, romance, mystery, suspense, intrigue. I must say that the subject matter was difficult to read about although Human Trafficking is a very real problem. This author handled it honestly without being overly descriptive. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in the story. Mark was a great hero and I really liked the interplay between him and his old team. Sometimes intense but with a lot of humor interjected. The villains were written in such a way that you felt threatened by them. Some suspense stories don't really come across that way but you certainly hated these villains. Lisa was a great character. Though she had lots of hardships in her youth she hadn't completely lost her faith. She was still bubbly and sweet. I liked watching Mark and Lisa together. I also liked the way the author always brought the reader around to the fact that God walks with us through our darkest times, that He's always there and using that circumstance to make us stronger for something that may come up in the future. To me that was uplifting. What was a little tough for me to grasp was Annie staying married to Dutch. Even if she didn't divorce him she needed to at least get to a safe place. Which Mark offered in the story. If you like Dee Henderson, Irene Hannon and Anne Patrick then you're sure to like Deadly Ties. It's Book 2 in the Crossroads Crisis Center Series but I must say I didn't feel lost in the story by not having read book one, Forget Me Not. Thank you goes to Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book for my review.