"The Last Pirate of New York" by Rich Cohen is a True Story!

The Last Pirate of New York by Rich Cohen tells you the story of Albert Hicks aka The Last Pirate.  You will have to read the book to find out why this is so.  You go back to the 1880s in this book which I found interesting.  The writer did his homework in making me really get the feel who Hicks was.  This is a quick read, read it in two days.
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 62:  Because he believed he'd already gotten away with it.  He'd sunk the ship and left the bodies at the bottom of the harbor.

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"Fire & Ice" (Book 3 of Wild at Heart series) by Mary Connealy

Fire & Ice by Mary Connealy is the third and final book in the Wild Heart series. This book focuses on Bailey and Gage. Bailey prides herself on being able to take care of herself and be as good a rancher as any man and Gage is determined to get his cattle to graze in the canyon that Bailey blocked with her cabin. While Gage starts blasting away the mountain to give him another way into the canyon, he and some of his men nearly get killed when a trap someone set for them results in an avalanche! He accuses Bailey but she sets him straight and convinces him it wasn’t her that set that trap. After making it through a lonely winter, she is actually happy when Gage Coulter comes to her door, but is floored at what he wants.

This third book continued to be entertaining and is a great ending to this series. I loved how Bailey and Gage gradually grew to love each other. I really liked all three sisters in this series and was sorry to see it end. Once again, this book had adventure, mystery, romance and humor. I loved this series and flew through all three books once I started it.  I highly recommend this series for light reading.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 14:  "This is why you've been as good as hiding from me ever since the first time I came across you in your sister's cabin, all the way back before Kylie married Aaron.  You didn't want me to know you were a woman."

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"Now & Forever" by Mary Connealy (Book 2 of Wild at Heart series)

Now & Forever by Mary Connealy is the second book in the Wild at Heart series that focuses on Shannon and the mountain man, Tucker, who sometimes works for Gage Coulter. After tucker gets clawed by a bear and Shannon and he fall off a cliff into the river to get away, they rely on each other to find a way out. They spend five days and nights in an underground cave before they are rescued, at which time they get married! Most of the story is the mystery and adventure of someone trying to chase them off their homestead by getting their sheep killed and burning their barn. Although Shannon is a tough woman, she cries a lot in this book.

I liked this book as much as the first in this series, but was a bit disappointed in the ending. (5 stars)

Teaser from page 28: She’d go find her sister, who would turn out to be the first woman ever to survive this rattlesnake of a river. And if anyone could do it, it was Shannon. And no one was more apt to help her than Matthew Tucker.


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"The Bartered Bride Romance Collection" by Various Authors

The Bartered Bride Romance Collection is a collection of nine historical stories of arranged marriages during the 1800s.  The short, clean romance stories are written by a variety of authors:  Cathy Marie Hake, Kelly Eileen Hake, JoAnn A. Grote, Amy Rognlie, Lynette Sowell, Janell Burnham Schneider and Pamela Kaye Tracy.  Many have a flavor of Christian fiction mixed in as well.  I enjoyed this book very much but did not read it all at once.  I read some stories and then read something else and came back to it a couple times just to give me some variety.  These were all light, fun reads though and I enjoyed the humor in most.  

My favorites were the stories about the four sisters, Maddy, Corrie, Bess, and Bertie, who were sent to Lindwick (fictional western town) by their brother-in-law in response to an ad for brides.  Below is the teaser from Halter to Altar, page 155:

"We're just what you asked for on the bridal order.  Sturdy, dependable, plain--"
It was too outrageous to believe.  Jim shook his head.  "Ladies, something has gone terribly wrong.  I ordered plain, ordinary bridles for my horses--not brides!" 

I recommend this book if you want an enjoyable, entertaining historical fiction read.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

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The Maid, The Eighth Day (The 12 Days of Christmas Mail-Order Brides Book 8) by Rachel Wesson

The Maid, The Eighth Day (The 12 Days of Christmas Mail-Order Brides Book 8) by Rachel Wesson is about a mail-order bride who finds out the man she came to marry is no stranger after all. He was engaged to her older sister before the war and is now a doctor. This book is all about her finding out the truth of Colin’s past. It is a heartwarming story about two kind, compassionate people that I enjoyed and that is a quick read. Although this is part of a series, it can also be read as a stand-alone.
(Karen’s review, 4 stars)

Teaser at Kindle Loc. 65 She couldn’t stop herself from looking out the window. He couldn’t have followed her, changing her name had made sure of that.

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"Oregon Disaster--Trails of the Heart Book 5" by Rachel Wesson

Oregon Disaster by Rachel Wesson is Book 5 in the “Trails of the Heart” series and centers on Sarah, who ran off to marry Edwin Morgan, a violent drunk miner, womanizer and hateful man against her parents’ wishes. Walking Tall had Bear, one of his men, follow her to make sure she was all right and in the process, they fell in love. Tala, Bear’s wolf/dog, helps protect them against a mountain lion. Bear looks after Sarah and she falls in love with him in spite of the fact that he is part Indian

I liked this book a lot because Bear and Tala were in it a lot and Sarah matures and finally shows some concern for others. She is a feisty girl though and wins Bears heart and respect. This book is about forgiveness, and overcoming one’s past. I loved the ending! (Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Teaser from Loc. 933-34 on Kindle: “You can’t leave me with that wild animal” “He is better company than you usually keep.”


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"Oregon Discovery" (Trails of the Heart Book 4) by Rachel Wesson

In Oregon Discovery by Rachel Wesson, we meet Tilly and her friend, Fiona, who was her servant.  This book has highs and lows.  Lots of death, but also a reunion and a wedding.  This book jumps a few years with the children in the previous book now in their teens and centers on Almanzo.  Tilly is engaged to a much older man, Richard, that her father has chosen for her.  The man is despicable and Tilly is determined never to marry him!

I enjoyed this book and look forward to finishing this series.  Almanzo is a great character who has both sadness and happiness in his life in this book.  My favorite part was when Fiona and Tilly were held at the Indian camp where Red Wing took care of them and where Tilly was called "Fire Daughter" because of her hot temper.  This is an entertaining historical read I would recommend, but only after reading the previous books in this series.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from Kindle Loc. 84-86:  "He believes women should look decorative.  Our sole aim in life is to please our menfolk and produce an heir.  Anything else is against God's wishes."  Tilly's face screwed up as she repeated what her father had drummed into her for as long as she could remember.

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"Oregon Destiny"--Trails of the Heart Book 3 by Rachel Wesson

Oregon Destiny—Trails of the Heart Book 3 by Rachel Wesson continues with focus on Indians, the Captain’s revenge, and the romance between feisty Becky and the Captain. They finally reach Oregon but are disappointed in the town so continue farther.

There is a nice balance between adventure and relationship building in this one. Again, another fast, entertaining and interesting read about families on a wagon train going to Oregon.  I am enjoying this light series very much.
(Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Teaser from Kindle Loc. 673-77: “He asked why pretty lady made herself look like ugly boy.” David and Johanna laughed but Becky didn’t find his comments amusing. She glared at the Indian.


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"Oregon Dreams" - Book 2 in Trails of the Heart series by Rachel Wesson

Oregon Dreams – Trail of Hearts Book 2 by Rachel Wesson centers on Johanna and Rick with a side story about Rebecca and Captain Scott Jones. There is a lot of traveling in this book and Johanna gets closer to Rick’s nieces, Carrie and Sarah. Sickness hits the camp and Johanna and Rebecca basically become the nurses with help from Eva, Mrs. Newland and Rick. Rebecca enjoys wearing trousers and a flannel shirt to go hunting because being short on men, they had to double up on guard duty Almanzo, a young boy, is found unconscious with a high fever just outside their camp. Johanna nurses him back to health in her wagon. There are many near death experiences and Johanna and Rick get engaged. We find out what Rick and Johanna’s dreams are when they reach Oregon and learn a bit more of the Captain’s background.

I enjoyed this book as much as the first of this series. The relationship between Rebecca and the Captain is quite humorous and entertaining. Johanna and Rick’s relationship is sweet. The suspense during the river crossing and through the mountains kept me glued to the book.
(Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Teaser from Kindle Loc. 137-38: Johanna didn’t say anything but she couldn’t help but pity Captain Jones a little. He really had no idea what he had let himself in for with her sister.


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"Oregon Bound" by Rachel Wesson (Book 1 in Trails of the Heart)

I just started a new historical romance series: (Trails of the Heart) with the first book, Oregon Bound by Rachel Wesson, and loved it! This first book is about the Thompson family moving to Oregon from Illinois with a wagon train. The father is the one who decided to sell his farm and start all over in spite of his wife wanting to stay. His eldest daughter, Eva, did not want to go either because she was in love with David, the son of the town drunk. Her father did not approve of him because of his background and had her matched up in his mind with Harold, the merchant’s son. Eva had two younger twin sisters, Becky and Johanna, and a younger brother, Stephen.

This is a quick read and I enjoyed it a lot because of the interesting characters, the humor and the different relationships. I liked the characters and especially Eva and her twin sisters who each had different personalities and strengths. I also liked how they teased one another but also supported each other throughout the book. There was always tension between Eva and her father because of her desire to be with David and her father’s prejudice against him. Eva’s mother is fierce and intuitive and loves her family very much. I really liked how she came around to being on Eva’s side and stood up to her husband. David proved over and over that he was better than Harold. I look forward to continuing on with this very enjoyable series.
(Karen’s review, 5 stars)

Teaser from Loc. 816-17 on Kindle: “Eva, we are going to Oregon. You’ve got to accept that and stop being such a misery guts.”


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"Cathy--Clover Springs Mail Order Brides Book 11" by Rachel Wesson

Cathy, Book 11 of the Colorado Springs Mail Order Bride series by Rachel Wesson is about drug addiction in the 1800s. When Cathy’s adoptive parents died in a boating accident, the doc gave her some medicine to which she became addicted. Her cousin, Archibald, was appointed her guardian and her father suggested they marry. No love between them though. With the help of Cathy’s maid, she ran off to Clover Springs to find her long lost sister, Mary. Cathy was afraid Archibald was poisoning her and he threatened to put her in an asylum! Shortly after arriving in Clover Springs, she fainted in the street which was how Abe O’Malley met her when he carried her over to the doctor’s office.

This book started out a bit slow and at first, I felt sort of bombarded with a bunch of new characters. I would have liked more of Cathy’s married life with Abe. I thought there should have been more catching up with the sisters. This book seemed to end abruptly. Wilma and her girls were just like a little distraction in this book which focused almost completely on Cathy and Abe. I liked it, but not as much as the others in this series.
(Karen’s review, 3 stars)

Teaser from Loc. 570-71 on Kindle: “My parents, the people who adopted me, hid them from me. My letters to Mary are in the bag.”


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"Eleanor" by Rachel Wesson - Book 10 in Clover Springs Mail Order Brides Series

Eleanor by Rachel Wesson is another good 1800 historical fiction story about how the ex-slaves longed to find their family members that they got separated from as slaves.  Eleanor is the new school teacher in Clover Springs who came from England.  This is a beautiful story of true friendships between blacks and whites as well as how racism still existed after the slaves were freed. 
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from Kindle Loc. 207-8:  Seems I was an embarrassment to my family.  Despite my pale skin, I am the daughter of an ex-slave.

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"Thanksgiving in Clover Springs" by Rachel Wessen

Thanksgiving in Clover Springs (Clover Springs Mail Order Brides Book 7) by Rachel Wesson centers on Little Beaver and Asha, a pregnant Indian girl from a rape by a white soldier. It has very little to do with Thanksgiving which was only right at the end of the book! Some Indian customs and life on an Indian reservation are revealed. Little Beaver is a great character so I enjoyed this book about him.
(Karen’s review, 3 stars)

Teaser from Loc. 119 on Kindle: A bundle of what looked like rags shrank back from him. It wasn’t an animal but a child.


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"Ellen" by Rachel Wesson

Ellen is Book 6 in the Clover Springs Mail Order Bride series by Rachel Wesson that I am enjoying very much! The author introduces one main character in each book and the reader sees how the small town in Colorado gradually builds up. I’m loving it! Ellen is Katie’s sister. Ellen got a chance to attend a University to become a school teacher, but discovered it was harder than expected and returned to Clover Springs. She starts teaching again in Clover Springs and Father Molloy comes for a visit with two orphans who are mixed breeds. Talk of an orphanage for the town comes up and plans go forward. Some matchmaking ensues for Ellen and Samuel Higgins, but can a fire destroy their dream?

I didn’t feel Ellen was as a dynamic character as the first five so this book was not quite as good as the others in my opinion, but it went quickly and I still enjoyed it. (4 stars)


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"Clover Springs Mail Order Brides Box Set" by Rachel Wesson

There are five books by Rachel Wesson in the Clover Springs Mail Order Brides Box Set:  Katie, Mary, Sorcha, Emer, and Laura. All are set in the 1880s.  If you are a fan of the TV show, "When Calls the Heart," I think you would like all of these!

The first, Katie, is about Katie and her sister heading west to get away from their mean uncle and aunt in Boston. Katie agrees to marry Montes Cassidy but on the way, the train is robbed and the engineer killed. She is stuck in a town called Clover Springs and meets lives at a boarding house owned by Daniel’s mother. She met Daniel on the train and sparks fly between them, but Montes agrees to come to Clover Springs to marry her. Katie wants to get of the wedding, but feels strongly about keeping her word.

The second in this series is Mary. She was Katie’s friend who came over from Ireland with her younger sister and her parents, but her parents died on the ship. Katie’s Uncle did not want to take in Mary and her sister, so they lived at the orphanage. Mary’s sister was adopted, and Katie set her up as a mail order bride for Davey, her brother-in-law. In this book, Katie has a child and Mary and Davey hit it off once Davey shares his past with Mary.

The third in this series is Sorcha. She was a friend of Mary’s from the orphanage and agreed to be a mail order bride to join Mary in Clover Springs. She came to be a wife to an older man with two little girls who had lost his wife and son and is still grieving and very overprotective, understandably. He was only interested in providing a mother for his girls but found himself falling in love with Sorcha.

The fourth in this series is Emer, Sorcha’s sister who was raised by their mother, a member of an outlaw gang. When her mother planned to sell her to sell and give her to Bill, the leader of the gang, Emer at 14 years old, took off to find her sister who she thought was still in Boston. Father Malloy arranged for a well-to-do family, the Shipley’s to take her to Denver with them so she could get to Clover Springs.

The fifth in this series is Laura who also used to room with Mary and Sorcha at the orphanage. She has a photographic memory and a birthmark which caused people to believe she was a witch. She married Johnny, a saloon owner who turned out to be very bad. He forced her to use her memory to help him cheat and win at cards. She finally went to Clover Springs when her husband got shot and found happiness with some old and new friends. There is some interesting action in this book and Little Bear helps save Laura’s life.

I thoroughly enjoyed this entire series because each book kept my interest all the way through Every book is very balanced between adventure, romance and humor. They are all clean and reminded me of the TV show “When Calls the Heart.” I loved them all! I found out there is a next one named Ellen and hope to read that one as well. I highly recommend all these if you like historical fiction and/or western romance.
 (Karen's review, 5 stars)


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"Marrying Miss Marshall" by Lacy Williams (Wild Wyoming Hearts Book 1)

Image from Amazon

Marrying Miss Marshall by Lacy Williams is an historical romance that I thoroughly enjoyed! This takes place in Wyoming territory in 1889 where the town of Calvin has a female Marshall, Danna Carpenter. She was appointed to replace her husband when he died in the line of duty. Chas O’Grady is a detective from Boston investigating cattle rustlers as well as revenge on the man who killed his brother and his sister-in-law. The Marshall and Chas meet when the Marshall rescues him from being trampled by a stampede! Although he’s shocked to see a woman Marshall, he grows to admire her and soon becomes her deputy since he needs a job.

This entertaining book has a good story line in addition to the love story between Danna and Chas. It has quite a bit of adventure which kept my interest and I liked both Danna and Chas. Danna’s dog, Wrong Tree, also added interest for me.
(Karen's review, 5 stars)

Teaser from page 7: Chas’s heart thundered in his chest, much like those hooves that had been so close to taking his life. This time for a different reason.


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"Winter Sisters" by Robin Oliveira

Winter Sisters by Robin Oliveira is a historical fiction novel.   A blizzard hits the town of Albany and when it finally stops, two little sisters are missing.  The search is on!  After awhile, the police give up and declare them dead.  When they reappear, the questions start:  Where were they?  Was someone holding them?  Are they okay? 

I thought this book was really good.  The pacing of the book is very well done.  There are also some other stories that are brought out as well.  The last part of the book, when a trial takes place, was very, very, good!
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

Teaser from page 17:  "Then a friend might have taken them in when no one came for them.  A thousand things could have happened."

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"Caroline--Little House, Revisited" by Sarah Miller

Caroline by Sarah Miller is about the Ingalls family and their move from Wisconsin to Kansas and their time in Kansas during the late 1800s. This book is told from Caroline’s point of view. She is the mother of two girls, Mary who is 5 and Laura who is 3. She is pregnant with a third during her trip to Kansas and has Carrie while in Kansas on the prairie. This book is closer to the actual historical account than the Little House on the Prairie books. In this book, the only characters that appear besides the Ingalls family is Mr. Edwards.

This book is historical fiction that gives a very clear picture of what pioneer life was like. It is slow moving but has lots of emotional scenes. I think women would definitely enjoy it more than men. I thought it was nice revisiting the Ingalls family again and learning more about Carolyn.
(Karen’s review, 3 stars)


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"Summer of Promise" is Historical Christian Romance

I liked the dog in this one!

Summer of Promise by Amanda Cabot is the first in the Christian Romance Westward Winds series. Back in the 1880s, Abigail teaches in an all-girls school in Vermont and is planning to marry a colleague named Woodrow who is very nice and well organized. Abigail is worried though about her older sister, Charlotte, who is married to an officer and lives at Fort Laramie in Wyoming. In reading her letters, Abigail got the feeling that something is not quite right so decides to visit her. On the way she meets Ethan, a lieutenant, on the stagecoach who saves the passengers from a couple robbers. Abigail finds that Charlotte is pregnant and seems very weak so stays to help her and cheer her up. When the army post gave orders to kill all the stray dogs running around, Abigail couldn’t help but pick a puppy for Charlotte who she named Puddles. Abigail discovers that Wyoming isn’t boring like she originally thought and finds that God has different plans for her than what she expected.

Teaser from page 58: “Oh, Ethan, he’s so cute. You can’t drown him.”

This book was pretty good but seemed to move a bit slowly. I really liked Ethan and Puddles the best! Although there is some mystery about who was robbing the stagecoaches and who was a traitor, it wasn’t really too hard to figure out. The romance was predictable, as is par for the course with Christian fiction books. I enjoyed some of the funny parts in this book very much, such as when Ethan was teaching Abigail how to shoot a gun. I will probably continue on with this series, but not right away. I need something a bit more gripping.
(Karen’s review, 4 stars)


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"The Kansas City Cowboys" by Johnny D. Boggs (Updated)

The Kansas City Cowboys by Johnny D. Boggs tells the story of 17-yr.-old Silver King.  He wants to be a working cowboy.  His mom wants him to be a baseball pitcher.  Who do you think won?  This novel takes place in the late 1800s.  I thought this was a fun read!  The characters were brought out very well.  I did not have to think too much with this one, just relaxed and enjoyed the read.
(Gerard's review, 8-4-17, 5 stars)

Karen's review:
The Kansas City Cowboys by Johnny D. Boggs is an historical fiction account of pro baseball in 1886. The story is told in the first person from Silver, a young pitcher who was pushed by his mother to be a baseball player. I found it interesting that a batter could tell the pitcher if he wanted high or low pitches and got 7 balls instead of 4 like it is today. The crowds were rowdy and crazy and the umpires were in danger! I thought this got off to a slow start but because I like baseball, stuck with it. Things picked up in the second half of the book so I’m glad I read it. (3 stars)

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