A Vote of Confidence
by Robin Lee Hatcher

Gwen, and independent woman with a soft heart, decides that she is just what Bethlehem Springs needs in a mayor.  She prays and struggles with her decision to run when another candidate joins the race.  Will he be the better mayor just because he is a man?  Gwen is not a quitter, and decides that she is the best candidate for this town.  Will her heart agree in the end?

A Rose by the Door by Deborah Bedford

Gemma is just looking for somewhere to belong.  She belonged with her husband, and then he passed away.  Now she and Paisley, her daughter, are on a journey to find the only family they have left…the only family that might accept them.

Bea is just tired of hoping.  When her son left years ago, she hoped and prayed every day for his return.  Now, there is no hope left.  There is no child to hold, love and mother.  When did all of Bea’s family disappear…or did they?

This is a heart warming story about overcoming struggles and striving to love those God has blessed your life with.

Beguiled by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand

Rylee is a Christian and a dog walker.  Her clients aren’t hard to please, but their owners won’t be too thrilled when they find out that local robberies are all being linked to her.  Will Rylee be able to figure out the mystery of the connection  between the robberies and her?  Will anyone believe the truth?

Logan is a reporter who is constantly digging for the truth.  Where Rylee  is concerned, he may have bitten off more than he can chew.  His research for his first book is focused on the robberies…but will he follow the facts or his heart?

The authors did a good job in this book of interweaving romance and suspense.  It’s nice to read a suspense novel that has romance with “purity”.  I really enjoyed this read.

Like a Bird Wanders

Julia is a young lady who breaking  free of her “religious” roots while going to college.  She believes she’s found just the man to trust to show her the world!  Will Julia see this world that she’s breaking into as an adventure or a mistake?  Will she remember the lessons the women in her family have tried to instill in her?

Grace, Julia’s great-grandmother, is watching Julia travel down the same path that she took.  How do you tell someone you love that you’ve already been where they’re going in life and it’s a mistake?  Will Grace be able to reach Julia by the letters and journals she’s left behind?

As the history of this family begins to unfold, the authors show you a glimpse of what could be Julia’s future if she continues on the road she’s chosen.  Grace’s past is a surprise to Julia and instills in her a determination…

Most of this book is written in letter/journal form.  This format took some getting used to.  Because of this format it took me a while to get into the story, but once I did I was thrilled to discover the past memories of this family and how they related to Julia.  The ending was a bit abrupt to me…I would have liked a little more resolution, but overall I enjoyed this book.

These three authors do a fine job of creating a family history that will benefit it’s future generations!

Never Say Never by Lisa Wingate

I’ve heard it said that a hurricane brings people together like nothing else…  In this book, Wingate does that in the literal sense with her characters!

Kai, a cruise ship worker, is surprised to wake up and realize that her ship has left without her!  With a hurricane on her tail and a convicted conscience, she struggles to make it far enough inland to remain safe.  Along this journey inland she makes several friends.  When her friends take her into their hometown, Kai finds something she didn’t know she was even missing…a place that feels like home.  Will there be a reason to stay in this town when the weather is clear?

Kemp, an injured pro-baseball player, had to return home to heal and rest.  When the town is overrun with hurricane victims, he does whatever he can to help.  When he is introduced to Kai he begins to think that maybe this hurricane is a blessing in disguise!  Will love prevail over the storms of his life?

Wingate did a great job of helping you understand her characters and why they do the things they do.  She pulls you into the story so that you can feel the hurricane raging around the characters.  This was a great read.

Not a Sparrow Falls by Linda Nichols

This book was a wonderful read.  Nichols creates her characters using “real life” personality and religion.  It’s refreshing to read a Christian romance novel with characters who aren’t perfect from the start.

Mary, a woman who is running from the demons of her past, stumbles upon the greatest blessing of her life yet…a family who needs her.  She struggles daily to reconcile who she was with who she is becoming.  How much should she tell this family of her past?  What will they think of her?

Alasdair, the perfect ideal of what a christian man should be, is starting to wonder if God is playing jokes on him.  He’s lost his wife, possibly his family, and now his career is in jeopardy!  How much can one man handle?  Will Alasdair be able to save his faith and his family?

How often does God send a beacon of hope in the form of a nanny?

Nichols intertwines the lives of her characters in a way that is realistic and draws you into their story.  This is a fantastic read for those who aren’t looking for a story about the perfect lives of Christians…but are searching for a story that demonstrates the perfect love of God.

Corner of Blue by Sharon McAnear

What a fantastic read!  Set in Texas, this story deals with the issue of romance and prejudice in a loving and heart-warming way.

Jemmabeth is a girl trying to find her way in life and this book is about her journey through romance.  She has known love, but decides that she wants to see if there is anything or anyone more exciting out in the world.  She finds excitement, but happiness still eludes her.  When she returns home to nurse a broken heart, she realizes that what she had in the past wasn’t so bad.

While staying with her grandma, Jemmabeth discovers a blossoming friendship from “across the tracks”.  She strives to change the towns point of view by refusing to care what others think about her new friend.  Will their friendship survive the prejudice of the town?

This book touches on many issues in Jemmabeth’s life.  McAnear does a great job of bringing Jemmabeth to life and making you love her.  This was a book that is well worth the time to read it…but be forewarned that it is a series.  Be sure and have all the books in The Jemma Series so you won’t be left on the edge of your seat with no conclusion!

I decided I would read and write a review of this book for the website, but I couldn’t do it.  The book is full of the worst kind of violence from beginning to end (at least until I stopped reading…I wasn’t able to finish it!).

If you are thinking of reading it, be forewarned that it is filled with extreme accounts of and memories of violence.

The Brethren by Beverly Lewis

Annie’s People 3

Secrets in the Amish community…this novel will uncover them all!

Annie is itching to paint again…and there is only one face that comes to mind.  Will she be able to keep her promise to her father?  Will she ever see Ben again?  Of all the secrets around her, why can’t she forget the tragedy of Isaac Hochstetler?

Ben is struggling with a secret revealed.  His first reaction is anger.  His second reaction is seeking answers.  Will he find what he’s looking for by returning to the Amish community he’d recently fled?  Will Annie be pleased to see him?  What will her reaction be to the news he has to share?

Louisa is getting back into the grind of her English lifestyle.  While she settles back in she begins to wonder if there is a way to keep the peace she found while in Amish country with her all the time.  Will Julia have the answers Louisa seeks?

Lewis does a great job of bringing all the mysteries to light in this novel.

The Englisher by Beverly Lewis 

Annie’s People #2

Lewis presents a continuation of Annie’s life in this novel.  Annie is torn by so many desires…she loves her art, she’s discovering and interpreting her feelings for Ben, and she’s trying to figure out how the church fits into her life.  Will the rules of the ordnung be enough to make her submit?  Will her future hold love and happiness?

Ben is always trying to do what is best.  In this novel he is trying to decipher the feelings in his own heart.  Could he love Annie?  Is there any way to make that love work if she decides to join the church?  Will he be strong enough to give her up if she needs him to?

Louisa is struggling to soak up the peace that is all around her.  She’s having man troubles.  Trey, a long lost affection, is striving to get Louisa to give him a chance to discover all they had lost in the past.  Louisa is pleased by his attention.  Will she choose to love again?  While she is on her extended stay in Amish country, are there no other “love” interests?  Could an Amish boy catch the eye of an English girl?

Lewis does a great job of continuing the story and answering several questions readers may have.  I really enjoyed this book.