WINDS OF WYOMING by Rebecca Carey Lyles

This was a story full of mystery, suspense, and of course romance. The ranch in Wyoming was one I would like to visit and I would love to sit and visit with dear sweet Dymple! She was quite the character and the way she mixed up her words had me laughing out loud at times.

The real story though centered around Kate Neilson who is trying to leave her rough and troublesome past behind her and start fresh working at a ranch in Wyoming. She decides not to share her prison time with anyone, or the fact that someone has followed her here and wants to do her harm. Mike Duncan is trying to help his Mom run this "dude" ranch since his father past away. He has a passion and love for the buffalo, for the ranch, and is beginning to have feelings for Kate. But too many things are happening since she came "on board" and that makes their future together very unstable.

I liked the story line and the characters in this story. They seemed very real and had real problems to deal with. Life can be hard for people, but what I liked is how God can change folks and turn things around for good. I thought the author ended it rather abruptly, but I liked the ending. I look forward to reading more by this author.

THE BATTLE FOR VAST DOMINION by George Bryan Polivka

This was a great ending to this series of books. The author brought it all together very well and several things happened that took me by surprise, which is always a plus for me. This story was as the title states, a "battle" fought between good and evil by pirates on the high seas. There was no lack for adventure as you were reading. You had the Evil Hezzan of Drummun, the Firefish and the Achawuk Territory to contend with. If you started with this book in the series then you are going to be a little lost I think. You really need to read these books in the order they were written ("The Legend of the Firefish", "The Hand That Bears the Sword", and "The Battle for Vast Dominion".)

In this story Packer Throme is now King of the Vast Dominion and must lead his people and show them that his power comes from above. He must lead his small fleet into enemy territory and then it all comes to an epic end when everyone converges in the Achawuk Territory to take on the Firefish. What a battle! What an ending! This really was an excellent mythical adventure with alot of lessons to be learned and alot of truth being taught as you read. This was not my typical genre of books that I read, but I must say it held my attention and kept me captivated as I was reading. I would easily recommend folks reading this series.

THE HAND THAT BEARS THE SWORD by George Bryan Polvka

This is book two in this series and I highly recommend you read these stories in the order in which they were written. Polivka writes this series with alot of action and adventure (and a little romance, which is something I always like in my reading). His characters are alive with struggles, failures, fears and hopes and what I thoroughly enjoy is how he weaves biblical truths into this fantasy world filled with pirates, dragons, and Kingdoms to conquer.

This book begins with Packer and Panna Throme, recent newlyweds who find the "honey-month" cut short when Packer must once again set sail on the high seas to protect his Kingdom of Nearing Vast against the evil Drammuns who have set sail to overtake Nearing Vast. The firefish once more play a big part in this story but with twists and turns I wasn't expecting. While Packer is gone Panna must await his return and try to free herself from the Prince who has her a captive in his palace.

I love pirates stories, but don't usually read alot of fantasy type story lines. This series though has captured my attention and kept me captivated and wanting to read book 3 to see how this story will end!

THE LEGEND OF THE FIREFISH by George Bryan Polivka

Two things intrigued me about this series even before I started reading them. One was the covers on the books which I thought were very well done, and two was the fact that my daughter-in-law knew the author. My two sons always give me a hard time about all the romance stories I read and said I should step outside by box every now and then, and I think this series was a step for me (although it did have a little romance in it). If you like a good pirate adventure as well as fantasy and a well-told tale, then this story will grab you from the beginning. There are sea monsters to slay, battles on the sea to be fought and pirates all over the place. But what really made an impact was the way ones faith and beliefs were woven into the story in such a realistic and though provoking way.

Packer Throme lives in a little fishing village and feels the need to stow away on a notorious pirate ship to hunt the legendary Firefish. He leaves behind his "true love", Panna, not knowing she will embark on a quest to find him on her own. She too will encounter a dangerous adventure on land.

This was a story that clearly had good guys and bad guys, adventure and alot of action. It wasn't my usual story line, but I must say it had me staying up late just to be able to finish the book and see what would happen next. I will continue to read the rest of the books in this series and see what happens next.

COVETED BRIDE by Regina Tittel

Another winner in the Ozark Durham Series! A warm hearted romance that keeps you reading till your done and them makes you wish for more. Not your typical boy meets girl in this story, but boy meets girl with 6 children! Lindsey Buchannan is a mother to 6 and a husband who has just died and has made his last request that she marry Keaton Durham. Keaton has seen Lindsey from afar and has always had a great affection for her. Keaton is a true godly gentleman (which is very hard to find, but very refreshing to know they do exsist - and not just in books). He gently and patiently must wait for Lindsey to come to trust him and learn to love him. Lindsey bears scars from emtional abuse by her deceased husband and must regain confidence in her ability to make a life of her own. Keaton must convince her he is someone she can trust. Then there is someone out to try and do damage to this family and he needs to be caught and stopped before one of the children are seriously injured.

I continue to enjoy Regina Tittel's writing. It is filled with wonderful romance, and always with a spiritual emphasis and a struggle to overcome. The 6 children in this story were a joy to read about and the way they took to Keaton so quickly showed how much love they needed from a man who would take time to love them. If you love a good clean romance that will leave you feeling good and wanting more, then you won't be disappointed by the books in this series. I can't wait to read the next book in this series, Cherished Stranger! Thanks Regina for a job very well done!
Paperback: 222 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (April 30, 2012)
ISBN-10: 1475269048
ISBN-13: 978-1475269048

THE BRIDE WORE BLUE by Mona Hodgson

This is book 3 in the Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek series and I have two observations right up front: 1) I loved the covers and the titles of each of these books and 2) the more books in the series I read the more I grew to enjoy the Cripple Creek town and the Sinclair sisters. They really grow on you. I was pleasantly surprised to see that book 4 is coming out in this series in October 2012. I will look forward to reading it!

This story was about the youngest Sinclair sister, Vivian. She arrives in Cripple Creek and finally all the sisters are in Cripple Creek, Colorado. Vivian is warmly welcomed by her sisters, but Vivian is keeping a secret from her sisters and she can't bring herself to confide in those she loves. She also can't find a job doing what she loves most, designing clothes. She can't seem to find a job doing anything. Her choices are limited and she makes some wrong decisions. She finds herself wrestling with pride, deceit, lies, hiding and sneaking and it all catches up with her in the end. There is one man in town though who never gives up on her and his ability to forgive and show grace to her is the beginning of Vivian's healing.

It is not often that when you read a series of books they get better as you go, but in this series I would say the more I read, the more I was pulled into the lives of the people in the town and in the family. There is also a dear Miss Hattie in the story who I have come to love. My one slight critique is that in the town of Cripple Creek news gets around faster than the wind blows, so I am not sure how Vivian was able to keep her one job a secret for as long as she did. Other than that I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

There is always a good message or lesson to ponder after reading these stories and I appreciated at the end how you can't judge someone always by their outward appearance or situation in life until you come to know all the facts about that person. I also enjoyed the fact that the author always incorporated into each of her stories historical people that actually existed in the late 1800s. Good job Mona Hodgson! And thanks goes to LibraryThing for sending me this book for my review.

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (May 8, 2012)
ISBN-10: 0307730301
ISBN-13: 978-0307730305

TOO RICH FOR A BRIDE by Mona Hodgson

The town of Cripple Creek and the folks in it are starting to grow on me, and so are the Sinclair sisters. They each have their own distinct personalities. This was book two in this series and it really is a good idea to read them in order so you get to know the town and the sisters better.

This story was about the oldest Sinclair sister, Ida, who arrives in Cripple Creek ready to be a successful businesswoman in a town that doesn't look favorably on women who involve themselves in the man's business world. Ida has no interest in pursuing a relationship with either Colin Wagner, the lawyer, or Tucker Raines, the preacher, but then sometimes the heart just doesn't listen to ones well laid out plans.

This story was a good sequel to book one and had a lighthearted tone to it, but also dealt with some lessons on forgiveness, family loyalty, and learning to put the right goals first place in ones life. It had alot of good messages woven throughout this story and I enjoyed my time in Cripple Creek and look forward to book 3 (and just learned that there is a book four coming out soon).

TWO BRIDES TOO MANY by Mona Hodgson

Let me start this review with how much I liked the cover and the title. It had me wanting to read the story. This is the 1st book in the Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek. For me this was a lighthearted romance that started slow, but ended well. Two "spunky" sisters head to a mining town to meet and marry men they have only met through letters. Kat and Nell Sinclair arrive in Cripple Creek and it wasn't exactly what they were expecting, but they don't give up easily. Kat finds out her intended is a drunken scroundrel, and Nell can't find her intended anywhere. So the ladies find themselves alone in a wild western town, when a fire breaks out over the town. Kat and Nell jump in to help and find themselves a part of Cripple Creek real quick. Now they must wait on the Lord for answers to their future and for their husbands.

I didn't find anything I disliked about this story, but it also didn't grab me as one of those stories you can't put down till done. It was just a nice romantic read where problems arose, but were quickly worked out and where you pretty much know how things are going to work out, and you just enjoy watching it happen. I will continue to read this series and see what happens to the rest of the Sinclair sisters.

THE FAMILIAR STRANGER by Christina Berry

This was a book I couldn't put down until I finished! It was wonderfully written and kept me turning the pages to see what was happening next, and then wondering why it ended so quickly. It is a story of a married couple whose marraige is crumbling, but it doesn't come to light just how much until the husband, Craig, gets in a serious accident and loses his memory. The wife, Denise, finds out just how much she has to forgive her husband for as he slowly mends and facts come out. The biggest problem though is Denise likes this "new husband" so much better without his memory because he is much more loving and kind. Craig struggles to remember anything, but realizes what a jewel his wife is as she sticks with him amidst all the heartaches and hardships.

I loved how the author gave each chapter from first the husbands viewpoint and then the wife's thoughts in the story. She nailed both characters and made them feel very real and relatable. This was the author's debut book and she definately hit a winner. There was inspiration, romance, intrigue, and a great deal of soul searching. I was completely captivated by this story and would love to read more by this author. This was one I will remember long after I have read the story as it was very thought provoking.

Love and forgiveness, they really do go hand in hand and is what makes a marraige. Easy to say, hard to live and not possible without help from the Lord. Can't say enough about how much I enjoyed this story. Only wish the ending hadn't left you where it did. Wish it would have led to a sequel!???

File Size: 454 KB
Print Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Moody Publishers; 1 Original edition (August 25, 2009)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
ASIN: B003719G86

THE COURTEOUS CAD by Catherine Palmer

This is the last story in the Miss Pickworth series and the author finished well! There were even folks I had met from her English Ivy Series in this story, which was fun to see. This story was all about Miss Prudence Watson, who appeared in the first two books and who is the youngest of the Watson sisters. She has come along way and has changed a little in each story. Now she finds herself touring the English countryside and comes across a cause she wants to fight for; the inhumane working conditions of the local worsted mill in Otley. Her and the owner of the Mill, William Sherbourne, have a hard time getting along, but they harder to fight it, the harder they fall at the end into each others arms. It is a story of forgiveness on many different levels.

I enjoyed this story and Catherine Palmer does an excellent job of making you feel you were walking the streets of Otley, Yorkshire in 1817. You feel saddened at what the poor people had to endure working in the mills and a little astonished at the children and the dangerous jobs they had to work at. There was such a class distinction then and even good people had a hard time thinking there was anything wrong with thinking that the poor will always be poor and the rich were just born to be rich. I like a book that brings to life the history of the time it is writing in, and throws in some good romance as an added extra! I have read quite a few of Catherine Palmer's books, and so far I have enjoyed them all!

THE BACHELOR'S BARGAIN by Catherine Palmer

This is book two in this series and could be read as a stand alone very easily, although there are characters in this book that you would know much better if you read book one first. The year is 1815 in Devon, England, a time when there were royalty, nobility, merchants, and laborers and each person remianed in their class distinction in society. So when lowly Ann Webster accepts a marriage proposal made in jest by Ruel, the Marquess of Blackthorne, everyone is appalled and in shock. Ruel is a man who has "found his education boring, most of his pers simpering, and his propsects for the future deadly dull. Travel, adventure, and gambling - whether at cards or in speculative exploits - were the only things that interested him." For many reasons Anne goes through with the marriage, even though she knows Ruel is incapable of loving her. Can a lowborn lady who is headstrong, stubborn and impatient heal a man's heart and hope to transform him and help him see what love really looks like?

This was a story that dealt with history and the making of lace, but more than that it dealt with breaking through the boundaries of the class system at that time. There was alot of battles of the wills between these two characters, along with some mystery as to who was really in danger and why. A little bit of everything all wrapped up in a story I very much enjoyed. Looking forward to moving on to book 3 next!

THE AFFECTIONATE ADVERSARY by Catherine Palmer

In the back of this book the author writes, “My prayer is that God will use this series to provide you with respite from the cares of the world and challenge you to keep your focus always on Jesus Christ.” I must say, reading book one of this series, it did just that for me.
This is the story of two people who are learning how to handle riches and the loss of riches in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. I must say Sarah, in this story, was a little harsh in her understanding of how to handle riches and at times I was quite frustrated with her. She also had a hard time understanding what real love is as she didn’t have an example of it growing up (how sad). Charles on the other hand, had to deal with being happy and content without riches. There was a lot of thought provoking verses from scripture that each of these characters used and it truly had me thinking on Jesus Christ and what His word does say about money and the love of it. I also felt myself being taken back in time to the early 1800s and enjoying myself there. There was action and adventure at the beginning of the book and unrequited romance throughout the story. Sarah and her two sisters held a special bond that I enjoyed. I am looking forward to reading the next two stories in the series.