"Love Unexpected" by Jody Hedlund is Enjoyable and Heartwarming

Love Unexpected by Jody Hedlund is a heartwarming historical romance novel about Patrick, a lighthouse keeper with a 2-yr.-old boy (Josiah) who marries Emma the first day he meets her, the day of his wife’s funeral.  He has left his former criminal lifestyle and has become a God fearing man of God, but is Emma really safe with him?  How did his former wife die?  Can Patrick really put his past behind him?  Can Emma trust him?  Has he really changed?  Will she stay when she discovers the truth about him and his boy?  I’m not saying, you’ll have to read the book.  This is the first of the “Beacons of Hope” series and I look forward to reading more.

I enjoyed this heartwarming clean romance novel and was rooting for Patrick and Emma all the way.  It is a good read based on true lives of lighthouse keepers in Michigan from the 1800s.  I was surprised to learn pirating existed on the Great Lakes back then. 

(Karen's review, 4 stars)  

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Rekindled" by Tamera Alexander

Rekindled by Tamera Alexander is about Kathryn and Larson, a married couple struggling to save their ranch in the Colorado territory in 1864.  Larson takes off on what he expects to be a 3-day business trip but doesn’t return until five months later, scarred but more in love with his wife than ever.  Having a new found faith in God, he prays she will still want him.  She prayed during that time that God would take care of him and bring him home, but when he returned, she didn’t even recognize him! 

This is a fantastic historical Christian fiction novel that kept my interest right from the first page to the last.  It has touching moments, action, some mystery and a strong romantic plot.  I liked how the chapters alternated between Larson’s perspective and Kathryn’s.  The main theme of this book is to appreciate what you have and not judge others by outward appearances.  This is the first book in the Fountain Creek Chronicles series.  I LOVED IT and couldn’t help but pull for the couple to be reunited. 

(Karen's review, 5 stars)

 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"The Invention of Wings" by Sue Monk Kidd is GREAT! (Updated)

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd set in the early 1800s tells the story of Sarah, a young white Quaker girl and Handful, a young black slave girl given to Sarah for her 11th birthday.  The story concentrates on both of them as they grow up and face their own adventures.  It is a great read right from the start.  I loved both girls.  This is the number 1 fiction book right now and I am not surprised.  I think it would make a fantastic movie and highly recommend it!  
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd is about slavery in Charleston during the early 1800s.  The story is told by Sarah, the daughter of a Judge, and Handful, the slave Sarah was given for her eleventh birthday.  It is the story of the lives of both these girls and their families.  Not only does it point out the injustice and brutality of slavery, but also addresses the women’s rights issue.  From a young girl, Sarah’s desire was to be a lawyer but no one encouraged her because she was a girl.  She gave Handful back to her mother but later offered to buy her back several times so she could set Handful free, but her mother would not give in.  Sarah searches for purpose and meaning to her life while Handful seeks to fulfill her mother’s dream of one day being free.

Although this book is very sad, it held my interest because I had to keep reading to find out what happened to Handful and her mother.  This is  great historical fiction novel about slavery and the abolition movement.  If I hadn't recently read the Sisters of Shenandoah series by Michael Phillips, I would have given this book 5 stars, but since I liked that series a bit better, I have to give this one 4 stars.

(Karen's review)

 

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Joining in with the Feline Friday hop.  It's easy, just post a picture of a cat.

"The Color of Your Skin Ain't the Color of Your Heart" by Michael Phillips (series)

In this 3rd book of the Shenandoah Sisters series--The Color of Your Skin Ain't the Color of Your Heart by Michael Phillips, Katie and Mayme continue to fight to save the plantation with the help of Henry and his son, Jeremiah.  Mayme gets a big surprise and Katie is thrilled to see her Uncle Templeton again and find the gold that was hidden in her house.  Will it be enough to pay off the loan on the plantation?  Will the bad men steal it from her?  How many more will find out her secret that her parents have died and what will happen to the four girls living on their own?    

This book has more surprises pop up, more action and some humor too.  I enjoyed this one too and look forward to finding out what happens next in the last book of this series. 
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Loved "A Bride For All Seasons--The Mail-Order Bride Collection" by Four Different Authors

Great Beach Read--Very Enjoyable!

Do you like reading clean historical romance books?  Do you enjoy mail-order bride stories?  I do, so when I saw A Bride For All Seasons—The Mail-order Bride Collection, I just had to read it and was not at all disappointed.  In fact, it is a collection of four novellas by four different authors:  And Then Came Spring by Margaret Brownley, An Ever After Summer by Debra Clopton, Autumn’s Angel by Robin Lee Hatcher, and Winter Wedding Bells by Mary Connealy.  I loved them all!

This book is so cool because all four mail-order bride stories are tied together by the common matchmaker, Melvin Hitchcock of The Hitching Post, a mail-order bride catalogue with the highest rate of successful marriages.  None of the couples that were matched up in this book got what they expected because Melvin edited their letters, at times l just omitting something that he felt would prevent the client’s chances of finding a match!  Consequently, all the couples have trust issues to begin with and it was fun to see how the couples get past that and become happily married in time.  (See My two teasers.)

Out of the four authors, I was only familiar with Mary Connealy, but now I have a whole list of books to read by the other three authors as well!  This book is a fun, entertaining read.  There are also three discussion questions for each novella in the back.  This would be a great Book Club read!
(Karen's review)

Check out my progress on learning to Juggle (part 2) using The Great Juggling Kit book.

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

Linked up with Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop today for the prompt:  Book review!  What are you reading this summer?