A HEART'S BETRAYAL by Collen Coble

Emmie Croftner is devastated at the death of her beloved husband, Monroe, until his wife shows up at the door with his child. Emmie is shocked and hurt but begins to realize the reality of what that really means where she's concerned. With no money or hope of staying in Wabash, she decides to make her way to Fort Laramie to be with her good friend, Sarah Montgomery. If things aren't tough enough, Emmie soon finds out she's pregnant. Isaac Liddle, a soldier at the fort, and a close friend of Rand Montgomery, is very taken with Emmie, not only with her beauty but her sweet personality. When they’re assigned to a new fort and have to travel over rugged territory, he sees that she's also able to adapt well to less than comfortable conditions. Emmie is drawn to Isaac but after her experience with Monroe, she's not sure she can trust a man ever again.

This latest installment picks up where the previous book left off. Its focus is more on Emmie Croftner. She is the sister to Ben and Labe Croftner from the previous books. Emmie is a sweet gal and you feel bad for the position she's put in because of her 'husband'. You get a glimpse of the hardships that come with living in a fort that’s in hostile territory, as well as the rugged countryside. The description of the book mentions that Isaac begins to court Emmie but it never really moved beyond friendship. I suspect that may come in the next installment. A Heart's Betrayal is a good addition to the series and I'm now looking forward to seeing what develops next.

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

For more information about this book or other books by Colleen Coble, I encourage you to visit her website at: http://colleencoble.com/

MARRIED 'TIL MONDAY by Denise Hunter

Ryan McKinley has spent the last three years trying to get over his ex-wife, Abby.  It's not working though.  He still loves her and is hoping one day to win her back.  He even bought their dream home when it came up for sale.  The trouble is, it's a daily reminder of how empty his life and his house is without Abby.  Ryan feels like his prayers have been answered when Abby's mom calls him to invite them to their big anniversary celebration.  Abby has a very strained relationship with her parents, especially her dad, so she never told them about the divorced.  Ryan insists he's going to Summer Harbor with or without her because he wants to see her cousin and his best friend, Beau Callahan.  Knowing she has to do this to save face with her parents, she reluctantly agrees to let Ryan travel with her.  Abby doesn't relish the idea of traveling several days in the car with her still handsome ex, let alone pretending they're still married, but all she has to do is get through the week and then things will go back to normal...or will they?  Ryan plans to use their week together to win back his wife, but time is limited and Abby's defensive walls are fully erect...or are they?

WOW!  What a powerful story and one that is definitely going down on my favorites list.  It's also one I know I'll read again.  I absolutely loved every minute from beginning to end.  Throughout the Chapel Springs series we've gotten to know Ryan and how much he loves Abby, but we don't know Abby at all.  This story changes that.  Page by page, her life is revealed and we see more clearly just who she is.   We also learn about Ryan and Abby's marriage and what happened between them.  From tense to tender, I loved all the interaction and dialog between Ryan and Abby.  And Ladies, if you love romantic tension as much as I do, then you are in for a real treat because this story is loaded with it!   One person I appreciated getting to know was Abby's best friend, Gillian.  She was a great example of a good friend.  I also enjoyed seeing all the McKinley clan again and catching up with what's happening in their lives.  We find that the Lord is always there through difficult times and the importance of staying close to Him.  I appreciated the message that although your upbringing affects who you are, it doesn't have to define your future.  I have loved all the books in the Chapel Springs series, (Barefoot Summer, Dancing with Fireflies, The Wishing Season and Married 'til Monday) but I must say, this is my favorite; maybe because I have a real heart for struggling marriage/second chance stories.  Married 'til Monday is a top-notch story from a top-notch author and one I HIGHLY recommend!

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

One of my many favorite quotes:

Her eyes traveled down to his lips. She wanted them back on hers more than she wanted her next breath. She let loose of the wispy edges of her dream, pulling him forward. His lips met hers again, and her soul gave a contented sigh. She ran her palms over the scruff of his jaw, eager to touch, hungry to taste. He obliged her, deepening the kiss. Her hands climbed the solid wall of his chest. Her fingers dove into his hair while he worked his magic on her mouth. He touched her like she was heirloom china, delicate and precious. He always had. She’d missed this, ached for it in the quiet of night when loneliness was like a cement block on the center of her chest. 

For more information about this book or other books by Denise Hunter, I encourage you to visit her website at:  www.denisehunterbooks.com/

CAN'T BUY ME LOVE by Beth K. Vogt

Bellamy Hillman grew up in a large fun-loving family. She's a pretty simple gal who loves, bargains, her dog grooming job and spending time on Pinterest. She also happens to be marrying her dream guy, Reid Stanton. Reid is a creature-of-habit kind of guy, not spontaneous like Bellamy. Now they're planning a destination wedding so they can be married in the same place as Reid's parents and grandparents. The Stantons are a wealthy family and Bellamy quickly gets caught up in the desire to have everything perfect so she doesn't embarrass Reid or his family, and as a result, makes a unwise decision. One that just might cost her everything she wants.

Can't Buy Me Love was loaded with living, breathing characters that just grab a hold of you from the beginning and stay with you until the end. Within its 140 pages, you'll find the perfect balance between funny and touching moments. Honestly, I couldn't put it down. I love how Bellamy and Reid each had a good friend who was honest with them, even if it wasn't what they wanted to hear. Friends are influential, be it good or bad. Reid and Bellamy were a great couple. But just like with every good couple, troubles arise. How did they handle them? You'll have to read the book to find out. I will say that the ending is worth the price of the story! Beth Vogt never fails to deliver a story packed with real-life characters, true human emotion as well as some great humor. She's one of my favorite authors and this is just another reason why. Now I'm looking forward to Crazy Little Thing Called Love.

For more information on this book or other books by Beth K. Vogt, I encourage you to visit her website at www.bethvogt.com/

CONVENIENTLY YOUR by Regina Tittel

As a widow, Jessie Thompson has been struggling to make ends meet. To help her out, her neighbor, Corbin Vaughn, pays her to take care of his children. Corbin lost his wife to cancer several years ago. Jessie and Corbin have a certain chemistry that's both wonderful and frustrating. After several unexpected expenses, Jessie reaches a point where she has to sell her house. That would mean moving to an apartment and losing the income from watching Corbin's kids. Corbin suggests that marriage would solve all their problems. After much prayer and consideration, she agrees to marry him. Their marriage does solve several problems but it also opens up a whole set of new ones.

Conveniently Yours is an entertaining story that keeps you fully engaged from beginning to end. I loved the banter between Jessie and Corbin but I also loved their chemistry; lots of sizzle. The children will find their way into your heart with their cute personalities as well as their antics. One thing that touched my heart was the way Jessie interacted with the folks at the homeless shelter. I really admired her. I appreciated how Jessie and Corbin both put their faith into action by the things they did for those around them. Something we should all be doing. Conveniently Yours is lively tale and one I would highly recommend. I can't wait for the next book!

Here’s a favorite quote from the beginning of the book:
"Jessie stood in the entrance of the master bedroom. The amphibians returned, playing leapfrog in her middle. She stared at Corbin’s bed. “You don’t expect us to share that, do you?” Corbin rested his forearm against the other side of the doorframe. His mouth rose in a curious smile as he looked from the bed to her. “Uh, yeah. That’s what husbands and wives usually do.” “But you haven’t even held my hand!” Her voice came across stronger than normal. Corbin turned and leaned his back against the frame, narrowing the space between them. “You want me to … hold your hand?” Fully indignant, Jessie squared her jaw and faced him. “If you expect to hold anything else, that would be a good place to start.”

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

For more information about this book or other books by Regina Tittel, I encourage you to visit her website at www.reginatittel.com/.

WHENEVER YOU COME AROUND by Robin Lee Hatcher

Charity Anderson harbors a painful secret of something that happened to her during college; a secret that causes her to avoid family and friends and her hometown of Kings Meadow.  She's now a successful writer and owns a home of her own away from Kings Meadow.  When her home sustains damage from flooding, she needs to find someplace quiet to write so she can meet her deadline.  With her parents on a summer European tour, she decides, reluctantly, to stay at their house, in Kings Meadow, while repairs are being made to hers.   Buck Malone had big dreams for college and a career, but all that changed when his father was diagnosed with cancer.  He decided to stay in Kings Meadow and care for his family.  Watching the pain his mother experienced in losing his father, he decides to remain a bachelor.  He loves Kings Meadow and sharing its beautiful landscape, with tourists, as a wilderness guide.  When Charity's dog causes injuries to Buck that lay him up for a while, she feels obligated to help care for him.  As they spend time together, they find themselves becoming fast friends.  Will it ever be more than that or will past secrets and bachelorhood win out?

This was a very good story and one that kept me interested the whole way through.  I enjoyed getting to know all the life-like characters as well as spending time in Kings Meadow.  Charity was interesting and I felt like she was a picture of what happens when you let an event define who you are.  It's easy, as a reader, to judge Charity, but I think we've all been there, to some degree.  Buck was just an-all-around great guy.  Fun to be with, gentle and kind, someone you could count on.  But as much as I liked the story, I found myself frustrated.  There is a build-up of one of the characters to the point where you expect something to happen, and it never does.   It felt anticlimactic.  You'll understand when you read the story.  I also felt the ending was to abrupt compared to the pacing of the story.  The message of how God forgives us and cares for us shines through.  If you've ever done something that made you feel like you didn't deserve God's love, then you would easily relate to Charity.  This is the second book in the series but can be read as a stand-alone. Overall, I really enjoyed my trip to Kings Meadow and I would love to visit there again.

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

For information about this book or other books by Robin Lee Hatcher, I encourage you to visit her website at: http://www.robinleehatcher.com/
 

A HEART'S DANGER by Colleen Coble

Sarah Montgomery is trying to move on with her life, a life without Rand Campbell.  She knows Rand is determined to marry Jessica.  However, Sarah becomes concerned for Rand when she over hears Ben Croftner and Jessica plotting together.  To make matters worse things are very unsettled with the Indians in the area.  Will Ben and Jessica's plan work to keep Sarah and Rand apart or will Rand figure out the truth before it's too late?

This installment was full of action and excitement and I found myself turning pages rather quickly to see how it would all turn out, and at about 112 pages it didn't take me long.  But even though it wasn't lengthy, it felt very satisfying.  With each book, you'll find yourself really caring about these characters and what happens to them.  Since this is written in a serial type format, you'll want to read them in order and so far each book has picked up where the previous one left off.  I will say that this one is my favorite in the series so far and I'm really looking forward to the next one.

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

For more information about this book or other books by Colleen Coble I encourage you to visit her website at: http://colleencoble.com/

SECOND CHANCE HERO by Winnie Griggs

Nate Cooper was only trying to help his dying sister when he broke the law.  Something he deeply regrets and spent time in prison for.  While in prison, he learned about working with leather and making saddles.  Now he's out of prison and looking to start over again where no one knows his history.  A good friend encourages him to move to Turnabout, Texas.  Verity Leggett is someone who likes things safe.  She's a widow raising her daughter alone and dreams of opening a millinery shop one day.  In the meantime, she works as a nurse in her uncle’s clinic.  Nate and Verity get better acquainted when Verity's daughter, Joy, chases after a cat and runs in front of a stage coach.  Nate saves Joy but sustains injuries of his own.  As Verity cares for Nate, they find themselves drawn to each other.  But what will happen when play-it-safe Verity finds out about Nate's past?

I will start off by saying that the cover is what drew me to read this book.  It intrigued me and I wanted to find out more about the man on the cover.  This is the first time I've read anything by this author and I found her writing style easy to read.  The characters were flesh and blood type characters.  I really liked Nate.  His strength and character came shining through.  I loved how he dealt with Verity and Joy and even his dog, Beans.  Verity had a bubbly personality but I had a hard time connecting with her.  Sometimes she was so unfair in the way she acted, but I know we can be that way too.  The story moved at a steady pace with no major conflicts or catastrophes, which is nice.  I did feel like things were wrapped up a bit to quickly at the end.  It didn't really feel natural to me.  The verse listed at the beginning of the story was "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." - 2 Timothy 1:7.  I thought it went well with what Verity and Nate each dealt with.  This is part of a series but I read it as a stand alone and didn't feel lost.  If you enjoy an easy-to-read historical, you might want to check it out and see if Nate is a Second Chance Hero.

*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 Winnie Griggs, I recommend you visit her website at www.winniegriggs.com/

TAKEN by Dee Henderson

Shannon Bliss is finally free after being abducted eleven years ago.  The first thing she does is find Matthew Dane, a retired Boston cop who's now a private investigator.  Her decision to look him up was based on a newspaper article about how he helped to find his daughter (who was once abducted) and how he helped her cope with the aftermath.  Although Shannon is now free, she must endure reliving many unpleasant memories while giving authorities the information they need to convict the Jacoby family, with whom she was forced to stay.  Matthew intends to be the buffer for her and he quickly surrounds himself with trusted friends and colleagues who will help make Shannon's transition a little easier.  Shannon trusts Matthew, especially with the journals she kept during those eleven years and Matthew knows, that though they're difficult for him to read, he must know what happened to her to understand how best to help her. As Matthew and Shannon work through each situation together, they find themselves drawn to each other and enjoying each others company, but they can never be more than friends, or can they?

This was a story I really did enjoy reading.  It wasn’t an edge-of-your-seat type story but it did compel me to keep reading and find out Shannon’s story.  Shannon was an interesting person and one I appreciated getting to know.  Her inner strength and unwavering faith was something I admired given all she had been through.  I really thought Matthew was a great guy.  Especially the way he handled Shannon and her whole situation, but also how he was with his daughter. He’s someone you would want in your corner.  The story starts out where Shannon and Matthew meet and from there the story of Shannon slowly unfolds.  They form a great friendship but I would have liked to see that more fully developed.  One character that was really intriguing to me was Flynn. You’ll know what I mean when you read the book. Although there was a conclusion, I found myself longing for an epilogue or just to have the story carried out a little further.  One thing that was nice was getting to catch up with the people you've come to know in Dee's most recent novels. I like books that are tied together yet not a series. Overall I thought it was a good story.

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

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

THE RANCHER TAKES A BRIDE by Brenda Minton

Oregon Jeffries came to Martin's Crossing a year ago to introduce her daughter Lilly, to her father, Duke Martin.  She just hasn't been able to find the right time.  When Lilly is hit by a car, she knows she must tell Duke the truth.  Duke Martin used to have a drinking problem.  That's why he doesn't remember Oregon or even the possibility of having a child.  A wife and child is something Duke never wanted or needed, until Oregon and Lilly entered his life.  Now he wants nothing more than to be a family.  Oregon is frightened and amazed with the way Duke is caring for her and Lilly.  A girl could get used to that, but she knows from her childhood experience that a normal, loving family just isn't possible, or is it?

This is the second book in the Martin's Crossing series and one I absolutely loved.  It's gentle pace made it a real pleasure to read.  I really enjoyed my trip back to Martin's Crossing and catching up with Breezy and Jake, Brody and Joe (the stranger in town).  The chemistry between Oregon and Duke sizzled.  The dialog and interaction between them is what I really like in a story.  Oregon is a sweet woman of strength.  One who could easily be a good friend.  Duke is a strong, loving, swoon-worthy hero.  Trusting the Lord is hard when the important people in your life have walked out or not lived up to their word.  Duke and Oregon will discover that the Lord is there with them even through the difficulties, just like He is for us.  I found myself highlighting lots of great quotes.  Here are two of my favorites: 

(Between Oregon and Duke)
“We do have to talk,” she insisted. He groaned, shaking his head. “Don’t look at me like that. When you look at me that way, talking is the last thing I want to do. That look, all sweet and sleepy, makes me want to do this.” She started to ask what he meant, but her words were cut off as he claimed her lips in a softly insistent kiss.

(The Pastor from his Sunday Sermon)
“Trust begins with accepting that God’s got this, no matter what this is. God’s got it. To be effective in prayer and to understand what we call ‘unanswered prayers,’ we have to comprehend that we see in bits and pieces, but God sees everything.” 

You can easily read this as a stand-alone but I encourage you to read ‘A Rancher for Christmas’ first for a richer reading experience.  If you enjoy a good romance with a gentle pace, one that will help you escape dishes and laundry for just a little while, then I highly recommend a trip to Martin's Crossing.  Tell them I said hello.

*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/