LOST AND FOUND by W. Jay Pilgrim, MD

This review may seem a little long, but there is much to say about my opinions of this story. First off a few likes; I thought it was a very unique and interesting story line and very well written. It held my attention all the way through and felt for the most part it was very true to life on alot of the situations presented in this story. The author did state at the beginning that he hoped this would be "an entertiaing and thought-provoking tale of love" and I must say it was that.

Dana McGlynn is a nurse in a small town in Minnesota working for a Dr. Cameron Majors for 3 1/2 years. All of a sudden their interest in each other is sparked when Dr. Cameron sees her all dressed up for night out. Since Dana has been interested in him for a long time, their romance hits the fast track. Dr. Cameron is a "biker" in his off time, with a secluded mansion he lives in and although Dana loves finding out both things about him, there is alot she doesn't know about Dr. Cameron. He really is a long lost rock star who at one time Dana had a brief moment with that changed both their lives forever. It is just that it has been 16 years and neither one of them recognizes the other in their new life style.

Some of the things I found hard to comprehend. First off, even after 16 years, if you followed someones career and had their pictures posted up everywhere, I think that even then Dana should have had some idea of who the Dr. truly was. I also had a hard time with the life style that Dr. Cameron had when off duty, and how it didn't seem to go with his dedication he had as a believer in the Lord. I also had a hard time with the "freedom" Dana felt in her lack of dress in front of Dr. Cameron. As I stated earlier, it was a good premise for a story, but some of the situations in the book left me bewildered and disappointed. I did feel there was a good presentation of what the scriptures have to say on certain subjects and I did appreciate the way Pastor Mallory was presented and what he had to say. I have mixed feelings about this book.

THE HEAVENLY SURRENDER by Marcia Lynn McClure

OK ladies (I say ladies because I know the men will not be into this book - at least any men I know); find a nice rainy do-nothing day and sit back and enjoy a wonderfully romantic story.

Genieva Bankman has willingly agreed to arrive in Brevan McLean's town and to marry him. He agreed to marry her because he needs a wife to help him on his farm and take care of things in the house. Both his brothers live near by and have good marriages and loving wives, but Brevan is only looking for "help". They both are bullheaded and can be very feisty, so it was fun to read and "watch" them learn how to handle each other. There is a family though that wants the McLean land and so there is danger as well as romance in this book and some humor. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and closed the book with a nice contented sigh. Marcia Lynn McClure definately knows how to write a good healthy (and clean) romance!

IT HAD TO BE YOU by Janice Thompson

This is the third book in the Weddings by Bella series and I highly recommend you read them in order so you get to know the characters from the beginning. A phrase the Rossi family has is "Live well, laugh often, love much"; and that is what these books are all about. They know how to live well, you will find yourself laughing often and they do know how to love much. This story stood out to me in that old folks can fall in love and love well just as well as the young. There was alot of folks falling in love in the story and alot of weddings to be planned.


Bella's long feuding relatives, Laz and Rosa, are finally getting married and Bella is planning their wedding. She is planning a 40's style wedding that will be a day they will always remember, right down to the big band. But Laz's old mobster friend who comes in to town for the wedding almost breaks up it up. Bella finds herself trying to plan her own wedding and everyone else's too. And her fiancee, DJ is a dream come true guy who is the perfect match for Bella (Italy meets Texas).

There is never a dull moment in this story. As it says in the book, the Rossi's "love with passion, celebrate with passion and look at life with passion, and welcome new members with equally as much passion." It is filled with fun, food, love and romance. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this series and getting to know all the quirky characters in and around the Rossi clan. (My only disappointment with the book is I felt the cover should have definately had cowboy boots on the characters.)

SWINGING ON A STAR by Janice Thompson

This book was a pleasure to read. I was laughing and smiling and just enjoying myself as I read more of the Rossi family and Bella's Club Wed business. It is a story filled with weddings, great Italian cooking, and a delightful Italian family deep in the heart of Texas! I could easily see this series of stories made into a delightful and fun-filled movie. From Guido the talking parrot, to Bella and her boyfriend, DJ, you won't lack for something happening on every page. If you have ever watched the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" you will get a slight feel for this family. Janice Thompson made my day with this story and the ending was just about perfect. What girl could ask for a better proposal!

Bella Rossi is working on pulling off a Renaissance themed wedding and as a surprise the best man is a hot Hollywood actor. They need to keep him hidden until the wedding so he ends up staying with the Rossi family. Trying to avoid the paparazzi, have the TV show "Food Network" coming in to film Aunt Rosa's cooking and keep the wedding plans going keeps Bella very busy. But her Texas born sweetheart is there to help her through it all and he is a keeper! There are so many wonderful characters in this story that I couldn't possibly name them all and talk about them, you just have to read about them and get ready to laugh, smile and enjoy!

ONE TRUE LOVE by Lori Copeland

This was the final book in this series and I would encourage everyone to read these books in order in this series, because it will really help you get to know the 3 ladies in the series better. I would also like to give high praise to the people who designed these covers because they did a really good job and they all went well with each story.

Copper is an outspoken, fiesty lady who has a love of teaching kids. Copper's friends Audrey and Willow have both found love in the town of Thunder Ridge and Copper has found a good teaching position close by. But when the schoolhouse catches fire, Copper suffers a serious injury trying to rescue some of her students. The only doctor who might possibly help her is in another town far away. The wagon train, led by Josh Redlin (who by the way, I thought was a rugged yet gentle man who I enjoyed very much) is headed to Colorado and they will take Copper with them until they come to the fort the doctor is at. The problem here is that Copper and Josh can't ever seem to get along so it makes life very interesting. But the more Copper sees Josh in action, the more she sees who he really is, and some of her weaknesses also comes to light. She comes to depend on him and in the end she will need to trust him completely; will she fail the test?

This was lighthearted at times, but also had alot of tragedy and sadness in it. We can't understand why some very bad things happen to some folks, but our trust must be in a God who we know is good. Heartache, death, love, friendship and alot of "conflicts" between Copper and Josh make this a good ending to a really good series.

THREE TIMES BLESSED by Lori Copeland

I loved the cover of this book and thought it went very well with the story line. You can read this as a stand alone book, but I highly recommend you read this series in order as they all 3 really tie in together and you won't feel like you are missing out on anything.

If you liked the way book one began and the way Willow rode into town, then get ready for another grand entrance into Thunder Ridge, Texas by Audrey Pride! Audrey and Copper are moving to Thunder Ridge to be with their good friend Willow and supposedly they both have teaching positions in nearby towns. Thunder Ridge is a town where it never rains, so when Audrey and Copper arrive and it starts raining the town is at first thrilled. But the deluge doesn't seem to end, a wagon train is stuck outside their town in the mud and they have an epidemic on their hands. Audrey finds herself helping with the sick, caring for the dead (she gets a job at the morgue because her teaching position falls through) and trying to find a way to let Eli Gray know that she is the girl for him. But Eli has lost his beloved wife in childbirth while he was away at war and isn't ready to open his heart to another. But with all the town is going through, Eli and Audrey find themselves depending upon each other and needing each other.

This book was not as lighthearted as book one, but did have some humor in it. There was alot of sadness going on in the story and alot of rain. At times I would put down my book and forget the sun was shining outside because when reading this story you are living with rain, rain and more rain and Lori Copeland did a good job of making you feel wet and miserable at times. I enjoyed the story and I am going to read book 3 next, which picks up where book 2 left off. A very good series with lighthearted laughter, tender romance, warm friendships and some heated debate by 2 people who you know are going to turn the dislike into love (at least I hope so! I will find out in book 3!).

TWICE LOVED by Lori Copeland

I enjoyed reading this story. It was lighthearted and fun. Willow Madison arrives in Thunder Ridge, Texas to stay with her Uncle and hopefully to marry rich Silas Sterling, a man 30 years older than her, but who can provide for Willow and her 2 friends and her Uncle. The Civil War is over, which Willow and her 2 friends helped fight in, and they are destitute. Now this scenario may not sound like a fun and lighthearted story, but from the minute Willow rides into town with her horse and wagon, you will find yourself slightly amused.

Tucker Gray finds himself slightly annoyed with Willow when she rides into town and they don't exactly get along well throughout the story, but you will find yourself smiling and enjoying the arguing they find themselve doing every time they meet. Willow must decide though what path God wants her to take; the one of duty and commitment to a man she doesn't love, or giving herself to the man she is head over heels in love with?

I finished the book and felt refreshed and in a good mood. The folks in the story are all good characters I enjoyed getting to know to know them all, and look forward to reading the next two books in this series.

A BILLION REASONS WHY by Kristin Billerbeck

First of all, I would like to thank BookSneeze and Thomas Nelson for giving me this book to review. The cover they put on this book was a real draw and went perfect with the story line. This was a fun book to read, with lots of dialogue and witty conversations. I found myself smiling a lot through this story.
Katie McKenna thinks she has a billion reason why she should NOT marry “billionaire” Luc DeForges and a billion reasons why she should marry Dexter. But while reading you will soon discover that her reasons just don’t hold up. Katie is . . . “everything a man wanted in a wife: the girl next door, nurturing with just enough fight to keep it interesting, intellectual, generous to a fault, and of course. .. the heavenly figure.” Luc is her “soul mate” and always has been, but once you have been rejected, it is really hard to trust your heart again. Luc knows what he wants, but has to work really hard to convince Katie she can trust him.
This story was full of fun characters. Katie’s Mom was a real fun character to get to know. The author had a way of taking a tense situation and turning the moment into a light and sometimes hilarious moment. And what girl doesn’t want to be swept off her feet by a man with a jet plane and more money than he knows what to do with, but hasn’t let wealth go to his head; someone who only has eyes for you. This was a story full of romance and fun and I had a good time reading it.

JOURNEY TO RIVERBEND by Henry McLaughlin

First off I would like to thank Tyndale House Publishers for giving me this book to read and review. It was a book that grabs you with alot of characters at the very beginning and alot of action going on. It kept and held my attention all the way through. And the thing that got my attention first off was the beautiful cover on the book. Good job!

Michael Archer is a man who has watched Ben Carstairs hang and is honoring his last request - to let his Father know he tried to do right and that he loved him. So when Michael sets out to find Sam Carstairs, the father, he has no idea what is in store for him. It is a journey that lasts the whole way through the book. When Michael arrives in the town of Riverbend he meets the "stunning" Rachel Stone, who has a past that won't leave her alone, even though she is trying to start fresh in this town. Her and Michael both have memories they would like to forget and they both have a faith in God to help them through tough times. When Sam Carstairs gets kidnapped before Michael has a chance to give him his message, Michael goes along with the posse to rescue him. The posse's journey is a long one and you get to know the sheriff and other men as you travel with them.

This was a book filled with action and danger but also with love and understanding. It was written with an honesty to it, where bad things will happen and not everything will turn out the way you might like it to. Good people die, bad people don't, and the man might not get the girl in the end. Life isn't easy even when someone turns their life over to God, but He does help them through the tough times. I liked how this author wrote, but the ending was a little vague. I am hoping he left it that way for a sequel.

SWEET VIOLET by Catherine Palmer

This is the 3rd book in this series and although you could easily read it as a stand alone, it would help you know some of the secondary characters more if you had read the other books in this series. Violet Rosse was born in England but raised in India and has only known what Moumita, a Hindu widow hired as her ayah, has taught her. Edmund Sherbourne has come to India to preach the gospel to the people of India. He has been there for years though with no converts. He finds himself at a crossroads and decides to go back to England for a time. Violet, who is a very headstrong lady, must go to England too, as her father has arranged for her to marry a man back in England. Violet does not want to go and Edmund helps to get her there. They both seem to have impossible dreams and together they embark on an adventure that will unite them together.

I enjoyed getting to feel and picture the country of India and the culture of the land. I also appreciated the way the author showed to me how ignorant one can be of the things of the one true God when you grow up in a culture that doesn't know or belive in the Bible as the final authority. It was good to read how Edmund needed to change some of his tactics and views to reach the people of India. I enjoyed the descriptive nature of this story and the conversations Violet had with Edmund. It was refreshingly real, fun and frustrating at time, but always enjoyable. This was a book I enjoyed and a series I am glad to have read.

WILD HEATHER by Catherine Palmer

This story is of 2 families who for generations have let bitterness and hatred keep them from ever seeing any good in each other. It is set in the early 1800's in Otley, England. I cannot imagine living in a small town and attending the same church and never having even looked across the aisle at the faces of people, because of the bitterness and hatred in my heart. But one day Randolph Thorne mistakenly steps upon the hem of Olivia Hewes Chatham and the enemies come face to face with each other. From then on things start to happen. Olivia and Randolph begin to realize that peace is possible and that God would have them choose peace. It was interesting to see how the fussing and fighting had affected the whole community.

This was another good story in this English Ivy Series, and you can easily read it as a stand alone story. There was alot of sound biblical lessons to be learned in this story and I enjoyed the way the town pastor and his wife helped both Olivia and Randolph in the quest for answers.

ENGLISH IVY by Catherine Palmer

I found this story to be very well written and it gave me a better understanding of the times back in the 1800's in England. I felt for Ivy and the limited choices she had as a young woman. I enjoyed getting to know Colin Richmond, the gentleman Ivy wanted to love and who wanted to love her in return, but the dictates of society got in the way. It was a good story on trying to figure out the will of God for someone's life and I enjoyed the way the author ended her story. Very well done Catherine Palmer. There was romance, mystery, deceit, danger and love all wrapped up in this story.