Whispers In The Wind

By Lauraine Snelling



About The Book

She's Come This Far.... Must She Turn Back Now?

After fleeing North Dakota and the now defunct Wild West Show, Cassie Lockwood and her companions have finally found the hidden valley in South Dakota where her father had dreamed of putting down roots. But to her dismay, she discovers a ranch already built on her land.  Cassie's arrival surprises Mavis Engstrom and forces her to reveal secrets she's kept hidden for years. Her son Ransom is suspicious of Cassie and questions the validity of her claim to the valley. But younger son Lucas decides from the start that he is in love with her and wants to marry her.  Will Cassie be able to build a home on the Bar E Ranch and fulfill her father's dream of raising horses, or will she be forced to return to the itinerant life of her past? 

My Review

I liked this book - but didn't love it.  I love the author's books so I was surprised that I didn't really like this one until I realized that I should have read the first book and maybe I would have liked this one more.

The main character, Cassie (good name), doesn't keep your attention.  Reading the book was sluggish and I found myself wanting to skip a few pages or chapters to see if it improved further into the book.  Since this is a series, I also found that there were no loose ends or unanswered questions at the end that would entice me to want to read Book 3. 

Overall I was disappointed.

NOTE:  I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my review. 

I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Tidewater Inn

By Colleen Coble

About This Book

Welcome to Hope Beach. A place of intoxicating beauty . . . where trouble hits with the force of a hurricane.  Inheriting a beautiful old hotel on the Outer Banks could be a dream come true for Libby. The inn cries out for her restorer’s talent and love of history. She’s delighted to learn of the family she never knew she had. And the handsome Coast Guard lieutenant she’s met there on the island could definitely be the man of her dreams.  But Libby soon realizes that the only way she can afford the upkeep on the inn is to sell it to developers who are stalking the island. The father who willed her the inn has died before she could meet him, and her newfound brother and sister are convinced she’s there to steal their birthright. Worst of all, her best friend and business partner has been kidnapped before her eyes, and Libby’s under suspicion for the crime.  Libby’s dream come true is becoming a nightmare. Her only option is to find her friend and prove her innocence, or lose everything on the shores of Hope Island.

My Review

This book started off with a bang - a kidnapping in the first chapter.  It is not a mystery story but a story with family, secrets, danger and many other things.  Libby owns her own business and inherits a beautiful inn worth millions.  She visibly sees her business parther,  Nicole, kidnapped but no one believes her when she arrives on the island.  In fact, they suspect her of foul play.  She finds that her father has been alive for years (recently died) even though her mother told her he died.  As she unravels his life story, she finds that she has siblings - and they don't initally like her.  Coast Guard Lt Alec Bourne seems to believe Libby's story and her innocence.  That is all I'll reveal of the story -- you have to read it to find out the rest.

Colleen Coble writes a fast-paced story with action, dialogue, great plotline, etc.  The story is multi-faceted and you quickly become emotionally involved with Libby and you want the story to end well!  There are several conflicts within the story and they are all resolved by the end.  If you read Ms. Coble's Rock Harbor series - you'll love this story because Bree and her search dog appear in this story :-)  I look forward to the next book in this series - Rosemary Cottage comes in July 2013 !!!

NOTE:  I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson in exchange for my honest review.  I was in  no way obligated to give a positive review.

The Bride Wore Blue

by Mona Hodgson



Book Description
At last, the sisters are reunited! The youngest Sinclair, the family“ baby”, is moving from Maine to Cripple Creek, Colorado and joining Kat, Nell, and Ida. But Vivian is a young woman with a will of her own, and made some decisions back in Portland that have begun to haunt her. Will she be able to live up to the expectations of her three perfect and now happily-settled sisters?

The sisters warmly welcome Vivian to the mountain west, but the wild-and-woolly mining town isn’t ripe with opportunities for a respectable young woman. The youngest Sinclair sister is determined to make her own way, so when she’s off ered a job as a hostess in a sporting house, she takes it, thinking the position is appropriate for a tainted, unlovable woman like herself. Although she’s convinced she’ll never be asked to entertain privately, Vivian keeps her employment a secret from her sisters, knowing they’d be mortified—as will Carter Alwyn, the kind and godly sheriff ’s deputy who’s sweet on her.

Vivian is descending into a life of secrets, lying to the very people who love her and could help her heal from her mistakes. Will an outpouring of grace remind her that she is still God’s beloved and that her past can be washed as clean as Rocky Mountain snow?

My Review
I really enjoyed getting to know the Sinclair sisters through the author's book and look forward to reading future books in this series.  Her writing is true to the era, but easy to read and easy to visualize yourself in Cripple Creek in the late 1800s.  Vivian and her sisters are very believable characters and the story is interesting although the theme of the book, as so many Christian novels, is one of guil/shamet, forgiveness (one's self), finding grace and finding love again. Of course, the love story was a bit predictable but I still enjoyed reading it and would recommend it for lovers of historical fiction.

Read an excerpt here. 

NOTE:  I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.