Jane and Tyrone are oil and water. They certainly don't mix. Getting married (accidentally) to each other just isn't in the plan...for either of them.Jane and Tyrone are oil and water. They certainly don't mix. Getting married (accidentally) to each other just isn't in the plan...for either of them. Besides which, they both have places to be. Jane wants to head to college. Tyrone is starting up a business of "female-free adventures." How they can pull off a marriage for the sake of appearances is going to take some doing.
This book was every big as delightful as the first book in this series. I love the Harding family and can't get enough of them. Funny, interesting, and filled with a lot of feel-good emotion, I sat down and read this story in a matter of a couple hours simply because I couldn't put it down. Very highly recommended, especially if you love Christian historical romance!...more
Everyone is hiding something in this not-so-typical mail order romance. Lydia and Beau both have too many secrets, not enough trust, and too much chaoEveryone is hiding something in this not-so-typical mail order romance. Lydia and Beau both have too many secrets, not enough trust, and too much chaos in their lives. How they can come together when there's an entire family needing attention, rustlers running rampant, and someone's past about to catch up to them will keep you turning pages quickly to find out what happens next.
I really loved this story, so much so I had to dive right into the second book without even stopping for breath. It's just that good!...more
Actress Faith Butler is stuck in the middle of nowhere with two small children, one very ill. But what's an actress to do in the middle of Wyoming inActress Faith Butler is stuck in the middle of nowhere with two small children, one very ill. But what's an actress to do in the middle of Wyoming in the late 1800s? Simple, get the job of a housekeeper and hope to move on as soon as her youngest is well enough to travel. Well, the plan seems simple enough but things get complicated when this particular beauty meets the beast of the castle...her ranch.
In this sweet story, I couldn't help but fall in love with every character. I liked that Faith was an actress, which gives us something a little unusual in the Old West. The children are darling and precocious and the side romance with Gertie is too funny and cute for words. I really did love this book. My only complaint is the subplot at the end felt a little too contrived to be believable, but you know, I'm willing to like the book anyway. It really was just good, clean fun....more
This is another of those books that pleasantly surprised me. A woman hires a Pony Express rider to get her to California in time for her sister's weddThis is another of those books that pleasantly surprised me. A woman hires a Pony Express rider to get her to California in time for her sister's wedding. It seems an impossible premise, that turned out to be a whole lot of fun. I liked the characters, I liked the adventure. And I really love how the whole resolution came about. Nicely done! I'll definitely look for more books by this same author....more
Alaska. Who were the first people there...and what did they think of the strange white men who came to their shores to trap animals in the relentlessAlaska. Who were the first people there...and what did they think of the strange white men who came to their shores to trap animals in the relentless pursuit of furs and later gold?
To a young native woman in the wake of the tsunami that has killed everyone but herself and her sister, life looks impossible. When the strange man from Minnesota comes into her life, she is desperate enough to take the chance he offers - to travel with him and find a new home somewhere else along the coast, to find a new village.
The journey takes eleven moons, and the way is hard. A young woman angry at God comes to faith in such a realistic portrayal that I inwardly cheered for this author, amazingly, escaped the trap of preachiness that plagues so many Christian fiction authors.
I enjoyed learning about a place that I knew little about. I loved discovering the characters and exploring a piece of history that is outside the norm of what you see in historical romance. This was a good solid story and one I hope to revisit if I can ever stumble across the sequel. For fans of Christian historical romance, this is a book I definitely recommend....more
I really had a hard time accepting the premise of this book.
Two brothers, twins. One a criminal. One not. One a pastor. One a rancher. Throw a girl iI really had a hard time accepting the premise of this book.
Two brothers, twins. One a criminal. One not. One a pastor. One a rancher. Throw a girl in who is supposed to marry the pastor and see if she can figure out which man is on the most wanted poster. And then join in a plot to stop him.
Oy. Really irritated at this book.
I kept wanting the honest brother to QUIT SHIELDING HIS BROTHER. For heavens sake, it just doesn't make sense to take the blame for outright crime to do what exactly...give him time to repent? He's obviously not going to choose that route. And to go on the run and accept that you are going to likely HANG for your brother's crimes? Makes him almost as bad as the evil one in his own way, doesn't it?
So this one wins the prize for having characters I most want to give a hard shake and perhaps a smack upside the head for acting stupid. Yet, I liked the girl. I liked her father and the couple she stays with. And because there's a fair amount of honesty about just how quickly a church can turn against someone....I'll give it two stars instead of one....more
I wish I would quit wandering into the middle of a series like this. I hate the feeling that there's all kinds of people I should already know as I stI wish I would quit wandering into the middle of a series like this. I hate the feeling that there's all kinds of people I should already know as I start a book. That said, the history of the books that come before, is handled well and I think I was able to catch up all right.
Maddie lives on the frontier - out in the brand new city of Seattle. She's come West to make a life for herself and her siblings. She seems to have done it, so enter Michael Haggarty who has brought her brother and sister to live with her. Certainly not the matronly woman she thought she was hiring.
Of course there are sparks. Both individuals are set on never marrying. So naturally they fall in love with each other. The children are believable, though at times I really wanted to give Ciara a good shake.
Overall a decent story that I enjoyed. I'll go back and look for the rest of the series if I can. My only complaint is that while the cover is lovely, it seems to have very little to do with the story at all....more
I wavered on this book between wanting to shake the heroine. And the hero. In fact, they annoyed me to no end. And I couldn't wait to see how their stI wavered on this book between wanting to shake the heroine. And the hero. In fact, they annoyed me to no end. And I couldn't wait to see how their story came out.
This is one of the better written Christian romances I've read in a long time. I loved the side characters, I loved how dastardly the bad guys were. And I love how complicated everything got before it could get better. And math. Who doesn't love math?
Highly recommended if you like spunky heroines, a hero that's not perfect, but still almost too good to be true, and tales of twisted dysfunctional family situations....more
Here's an example of why I get fed-up with Christian romances and quit reading them for long stretches - there just isn't any genuine passion in the bHere's an example of why I get fed-up with Christian romances and quit reading them for long stretches - there just isn't any genuine passion in the books. Even Christians feel it. I know that for a fact. I honestly felt in this book that there was more passion felt between our heroine and a would-be rapist than that was between her and the hero - and I say that ONLY because she at least was curious about kissing the predator, but didn't seem to have the same curiosity for Lancelot.
(and Lancelot? I shook my head at the name...I do so again now as I write this)
Without any level of passion (which can be portrayed as physical attraction without having to run down the path of erotica willy-nilly) I found it hard to believe that our couple even wanted to be together by the end of the book. Granted they were 'fond' of one another...but it's not enough to base a lifetime on. Ugh...I have to avoid getting on a soapbox here...
The thing is, I felt her love for Rees at the start of the book. That was genuine emotion. Why did she become so flat from there? Why was he never more than a cardboard cutout who can spend a little time with his Bible and be cured of wanting to hurt the man that had tried to destroy the woman he "loves"? It just isn't realistic. Any of it. And while I know we read romance for a bit of happy escapism, if I don't care about the characters or feel their pain OR their passion...then what good is the story? It just becomes a diversion for a hot summer day. Sorry, that just isn't good enough.
I'm giving 3 stars because there was a lot of potential there. I liked the characters of Megan and her beau and Rees and his very pregnant wife....more
This is book is book two in a series, so maybe that threw me off a bit. There was an entire situation that left me a bit at sea until I figured out thThis is book is book two in a series, so maybe that threw me off a bit. There was an entire situation that left me a bit at sea until I figured out the players and what was at stake. I don't like that that entire over-reaching plot was really not moved forward at all in the course of the book, nor was the girl even brought out except in a rather rushed couple of chapters at the end. That left me more than a little disappointed as the entire book was supposed to be about this and we barely saw it.
Still was a sweet story, and I liked the couple enough to give the book three stars. May or may not look up the rest in the series....more
I fell into this series with this book, so I felt like there was a lot of catching up to do, and a lot of references to things I knew nothing about. TI fell into this series with this book, so I felt like there was a lot of catching up to do, and a lot of references to things I knew nothing about. The author tried to give an overview, came out a little bit more of an information dump sometimes. As with many third books of trilogies, by the time you summarize the first two books, what comes out in a matter of sentences sounds like too unbelievable of a story to accept on any level. That's the challenge of trying to do stand alone books in a series.
That said, I liked that our rich socialite wanted to learn how to wield a hammer. She's sassy and interesting. Colton I didn't like as much, he seemed too drawn up in guilt and caregiving to really come into his own. I think if I'd liked him better I would have rated the book higher. As it was, the story was enjoyable but not fabulous. A solid read and I might even go back and track down the first two books at some point. But it's not a priority....more
Feisty heroine, brooding hero. A good combination that seems to be reminding a lot of people of Austen according to the reviews.
Can I say she irritatFeisty heroine, brooding hero. A good combination that seems to be reminding a lot of people of Austen according to the reviews.
Can I say she irritated me with her bossiness, irrational fears, and the way she held on to opinions long after evidence had been given to the contrary? Honestly Kate, I wanted to shake you so many times! Trevor made for an excellent hero - I admire his dedication and even willingness to experiment on himself. But Kate? *sigh*
What interested me in this novel was the fight against tuberculosis more than anything. And Tick. I loved Tick. For Tick alone this review is four stars. The bit of intrigue kept me guessing and saved me from throwing the book across the room when Kate became too tiresome.
Maybe if I'd been able to sit and read this through in one sitting it would have gone better. After so many glowing reviews I feel kind of guilty about having bad things to say about this book at all. Still, as I'm going to four stars instead of the three I was first tempted to, I'll consider that we're even on this one.
Besides, I liked Tick. I might have mentioned that already....more
Her father needs an heir, Nicole needs a man she can trust. And the one she finds needs...an assistant in blowing things up?
Unexpected and delightful,Her father needs an heir, Nicole needs a man she can trust. And the one she finds needs...an assistant in blowing things up?
Unexpected and delightful, I absolutely loved this book and will happily read anything else this author writes. The romance is real and full of fun and passion, and the historical aspects take you to a time and situation which is fresh and new. I loved everything about this book....more
More a story about mothers and daughters than a romance, this book takes a widow and widower with a lot of hurts, adds in some really interesting charMore a story about mothers and daughters than a romance, this book takes a widow and widower with a lot of hurts, adds in some really interesting characters including the most crotchety old woman I've met to date in fiction, and throws in a fire, a boarding house, and a whole lot of healing. Overal an enjoyable story that I blew right through, the perfect book to just sit down and relax with. And don't worry, the prerequisite happy ending is there just to keep the warm fuzzy quotient up when you turn the last page....more
I absolutely love that Miranda finally got her own book!
After seeing Miranda hovering on the edges of Marcia's life and then Phoebe's we find out moreI absolutely love that Miranda finally got her own book!
After seeing Miranda hovering on the edges of Marcia's life and then Phoebe's we find out more about this rascal of a girl who seems always to be in the thick of everything. Clever beyond measure, Miranda seems to understand how to fix every life but her own. In this story we find her own tragically failed romance, and how reaching out to help a child in need really does change everything.
I love this trilogy and am fascinated by the time period in which it takes place Grace has such great characters, and while sometimes she tends to be a little over the top, I never mind it. Every one of her books is a treat from start to finish....more
Phoebe Deane is kept as a prisoner almost in her brother's house. Forced to work very hard in exchange for her being able to live there, she has littlPhoebe Deane is kept as a prisoner almost in her brother's house. Forced to work very hard in exchange for her being able to live there, she has little pleasure in her life. What's worse, her only way out would be to marry an abusive man who was responsible for the death of his first wife. A chance encounter shows Phoebe another way, and a friendship with the indomitable Miranda (who we met in Marcia Schuyler) changes everything.
Told with a lot of melodrama, this particular story is one of Grace's earlier works and is one of her few historical romances. At times I wanted to scream at how invisible and unheard poor Phoebe was. I loved Miranda, but then I always love Miranda, as she's the best part of these books.
Worth reading? Obviously! But then I know I'm biased. I love everything Grace Livingston Hill wrote....more
The story opens with an outlaw who steals a preacher for his daughter's birthday and never stops the crazy wild pace from that point on. Beautiful romThe story opens with an outlaw who steals a preacher for his daughter's birthday and never stops the crazy wild pace from that point on. Beautiful romance with just the right amount of passion, lots of thrills, and an ending to leave you satisfied. Karen Witemeyer is amazing and I love every book I've read by her. This one is no exception!...more
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