Isle of Hope (By: Julie Lessman)

Isle of Hope

By: Julie Lessman

Storyline
Lacey Carmichael has returned to her hometown in Georgia, where she left a trail of broken hearts and burned bridges ten years ago in an act of rebellion. Now that she has turned a new leaf, God leads her back to make amends with her father, her best friend and Jack - the fiancée she left behind. Last Lacey knew, he was a young Godly man attending seminary to become a pastor. But upon her return, she is shocked to find Jack is now a doctor and running from God after a wild lifestyle. Additionally, both Lacey's father and best friend refuse to forgive her. How will she persevere in reconciliation when she faces so many obstacles? A rich cast of characters entertains us as we move through this good read. 

However, a few plot inconsistencies distracted us from getting as hooked into the story as much as we would have liked.

Depth

Wowza, this book does not shy away from the ugly realities of life! Broken families are at the root of the issues here and all the pain and destruction caused by a single family member's actions. We have the pleasure of knowing characters' inner thoughts and feelings, and author Julie is a master at bringing hope into even the most devastating of situations.

Faith

God is at the center of Lacey's desire to return home and make amends. And her calling isn't an easy one - many are the bridges she burned and the hurt she inflicted all those years ago, and bitterness runs rampant among some of the characters. However, even the most broken of people are restored and given new life in Christ's forgiveness and redemption.

Squeal Factor

Author Julie is one of the best at writing romance! She has an incredible ability to make us, as the readers, feel what the characters are feeling. Her romantic scenes get our hearts racing, and the love stories are genuine and deep.

Overall

Julie Lessman is one of our favorite authors, but unfortunately this newest read fell just shy of the mark for us. As mentioned above, a few plot inconsistencies distracted us from being swept away into the story. But the main reason for our less than stellar rating was simply the long length of this novel. Although the story was excellent, the conclusion felt like it was too long in coming. We will say, however, that the characters stuck with us long after we finished and we hope the remainder of the series will hit the bulls-eye!

Find it on Amazon: Isle of Hope


Note: We were given this book in exchange for our honest review 

Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor (By: Melanie Dobson)

Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor

By: Melanie Dobson

New-to-us author Melanie Dobson has caught our attention and we are eager to introduce our friends to her phenomenal books!

Storyline
Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor's story is told alternating between one generation and the next. It begins in 1950's England where Walter and Maggie Doyle are are joining their lives together, but secrets shadow their newly spoken vows. As the years pass, they face challenges that threaten to tear them apart including a special needs daughter, Libby, and a suspicious death of the boy next door. Fast forward to today, and Libby's sister Heather is headed back to England to wrap up the estate of her recently deceased father, Walter Doyle. What she thinks will be a simple task instead unearths secrets and shocking revelations about her childhood that urge her to extend her visit and search for answers. In addition to this, she must also come face to face with her first love from years ago and finally confront the problems that broke them apart. 

Melanie Dobson has an incredible gift for plot twists, revealing mysteries slowly and tying up loose ends. Her writing is masterful and we have yet to read one of her books that hasn't earned a five-star rating in our storyline criteria. We were completely swept away in Walter, Maggie and Heather's story!

Depth

Many deep issues of life are explored in this book. One of our favorites was that of children with special needs, and what they faced in the mid 1900's, before doctors fully understood their needs and before society appreciated their strengths. Melanie delicately writes Libby's unique beauty, and even writes from her point of view occasionally. Also tackled in this book are issues of lies, betrayal, mistakes, forgiveness, and second chances.

Faith

Faith is quite prevalent throughout this read! Most of the main characters seek God's guidance and forgiveness for the ways they have gone wrong. Walter Doyle was an especially inspiring character, as he sacrificed for his family, chose to love the unlovable and took the high road on many occasions, just as Christ did for us. Redemption is beautifully illustrated in several of the characters' lives!

Squeal Factor

We enjoyed several romances in this story, all of which warmed our hearts! While there may not have been much to get our hearts racing, one thing these 2 chicks really appreciated was characters choosing purity, even after mistakes had been made in the relationship previously. Not easy, but all things are possible when trying to please the Lord! He is the author of love, after all!

Overall

This dramatic family saga takes the reader on a beautiful journey through the English countryside and it is downright impressive! Full of rich imagery, entertaining characters and insightful life lessons, we couldn't stop turning the pages until the end.

Find it on Amazon: Shadows of Ladenbrooke Manor

So Fair a Lady (Amber Lynn Perry)

So Fair a Lady

By: Amber Lynn Perry

So Fair a Lady is book one in the Daughters of His Kingdom Series and it kicks the series off with a bang! You would never guess this is the author's debut novel. We can only hope she writes more - and quickly! We thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of this wonderful book that is set in the colonial era right before the Revolutionary War.

Storyline
Eliza Campbell is mourning her father's death and what she learned from him on his death bed: he had been a spy for the Sons of Liberty and in his last moments, urged her to seek and find "the truth." As a result, Eliza turns down a proposal from her beau Samuel Martin, a British Officer, knowing she first must do as her father asked. She is determined to find out why he turned from his allegiance to the king. 

Thomas Watson, a patriot, has been blackmailed for too long by none other than Officer Martin. He plans to flee Boston and settle down in the small town of Sandwich, MA. Little does he know his actions place Eliza and her sister, Kitty, in danger. Having known their father, he vows to do whatever he must to ensure their safety and winds up taking them along to Sandwich. 

Thomas, Eliza and Kitty must stay hidden as Officer Martin searches for them. As truth is revealed and secrets come to light, will allegiances change? Being in close quarters with each other does nothing to help Eliza with her growing feelings towards this man who knew her father and fought for the same liberties. Thomas also struggles with wanting to protect these women, but risks losing his heart to the eldest in return.

Depth

During this time the political world was in turmoil and many people were confused as to what was right and which side they should pledge their allegiance to. Eliza and Kitty both are thrown into change and must choose whether to join their late father's cause or do nothing and remain passive. Much is the same with our world today. We must seek truth, both politically and spiritually, and in doing so, we find the courage to stand firm in our beliefs.

Faith

Both Thomas and Eliza have strong faith in our Creator. Seeking Him and His will for their lives during this time of division is important to both. Would He call them to honor and submit to their authorities, or is it a time when oppression must be fought against? All will be called to determine which path they will walk down but they must do so by seeking the Lord and striving to follow His guidance.

Squeal Factor

We loved the romance this book offered. From the first meeting, to the development of feelings and the journey thereafter is simply satisfying. This read is filled with tender moments, sigh worthy kisses and deep affection.

Overall

Thank you to author Amber Lynn Perry for writing an emotional, historical romance that kept us turning the pages late into the night. So thankful we read it and these 2 chicks eagerly await the rest of the series!series!

Find it on Amazon: So Fair a Lady

Novella - Love in the Details (By: Becky Wade)

Love in the Details
By:Becky Wade




We already know Becky Wade can write a fabulous novel; now it was time to see what she could do with her first novella. Well, Becky, you officially are a talented author no matter how short your story is! Love in the Details was a delightful novella from the beginning to the end.

Holly and Josh were high school sweethearts with a rare kind of bond and love. Because of decisions to attend separate universities and believing she is doing what is best for Josh's future, Holly abruptly breaks up with him in their first year of college. Both heartbroken and alone, they must face the world without each other and move on with life. But will they ever get over the love they shared?

Fast forward eight years: Holly still lives in her hometown and is the wedding coordinator at her local church. Josh, now a successful tech guru living in Paris, is back in town to be best man in a friend's wedding. But little did he know he would be working with the wedding coordinator/ex-girlfriend. As these two face each other, old feelings that never really died begin to surface again. Will either be brave enough to tell the other how they feel? Will Josh learn the truth about their breakup?

You'll love these two characters and will enjoy getting swept away into a story filled with faith, forgiveness, second chances and sweet romance. Becky, thank you for writing such a great novella. It's always a pleasure to read your stories!

Find it on Amazon: Love in the Details

Note: We were given this book in exchange for our honest review.  

Novella - The Perfect Arrangement (By: Katie Ganshert)

The Perfect Arrangement

By: Katie Ganshert

This novella is one of the Year of Weddings Novella Collection. We enjoy reading these little stories from Zondervan, as a new author writes a wedding tale each month of the year.

 In The Perfect Arrangement, Amelia is shy and likes her quiet life as owner of the Forget-Me-Not flower shop, but her love life has been non-existent since her long standing college relationship that ended years ago. When she finds out her ex-boyfriend is getting married, she can't help but be curious and decides to just "drive by" the chapel on his wedding day. Not paying attention, she rear ends someone - well, a very cute someone - in front of the church while she is spying. Frantic and needing a fast getaway before she gets caught, she leaves this man with her business card and quickly moves on.

Nick is intrigued by this girl who rear ended him. After contacting her, he and Amelia begin a lengthy back and forth email discussion. Soon, both of them eagerly are writing back and forth, and hoping just maybe the other is feeling the same excitement! However, lingering on Amelia's conscience is the fear that Nick will find out the real reason she was driving by the church that day - and what would he think of her then?

This novella is cute and fun to read! Unfortunately, however, we could not give it a higher rating because some parts were just too repetitive for a short novella. Several times we read what happened, only to re-read it again in the emails exchanged between Nick and Amelia. A novella is short enough but this made us feel our time was cut too short.

Find it on Amazon: The Perfect Arrangement

Falling Like Snowflakes (By: Denise Hunter)

Falling Like Snowflakes

By: Denise Hunter

Denise Hunter has become one of our favorite authors because any of her books are almost a sure guarantee of an entertaining read! And with this newest novel, the first book in the Summer Harbor series, she has hit another home run.

Storyline
Eden Martelli is on the run from dangerous men who want to take her life and the life of her son, Micah. When her car breaks down and her cash is stolen, they become stranded in Summer Harbor, Maine and must find a way to make a living but stay hidden from those who would destroy them. When she meets the Callahan family - three grown brothers and their aunt - it seems God is providing not only a place to stay and a job for her, but a family to call her own as well. Beau Callahan slowly learns of the danger Eden is in and wants nothing more than to protect her and her son. But how can he do so when she is determined to keep hiding and running? 

This book captivated us from the first page and never stopped pulling us in. We were completely swept away into the story, so much so that we didn't want the book to end! Author Denise gave us her usual intriguing characters and dynamite romance, but she also ventured into the world of mystery and suspense and nailed it!

Depth

Eden faces a lot of fear in the wake of her past and the danger now at her door. She has to learn to let go of the fear in order to open herself up to a new life, but it isn't easy and takes some painful lessons to learn how. Beau is struggling with the loss of his parents and the responsibility of the family now that it's their first Christmas alone. Family relationships are complicated at times but they always come back to each other, despite the conflicts. We loved the way Denise writes families - flawed, funny, lovable and real.

Faith

"When you can't trust others, and you can't trust yourself, you can always trust God. He'll carry you through whatever comes your way." Faith is an important part of the character's lives, and they have to learn many things: giving fears to God, trusting the Lord, letting go at times, learning His character and knowing the Bible.

Squeal Factor

Eden does not feel she can ever trust a man again. But when she and Beau can no longer deny their strong attraction to one another, she lets her guard down just a little - and the chemistry they share is like fireworks! Denise is so good at writing deep, clean, passionate romance!

Overall

This book felt like a hot buttered roll right out of the oven. We savored every bit of it as it tantalized our taste buds and settled warmly into our bellies! We are putting this book on our Golden List because it was just that enjoyable. Now we are eager for the rest of the Summer Harbor series!

Find it on Amazon: Falling Like Snowflakes


Note: We were given this book in exchange for our honest review 

The Mistress of Tall Acre (By: Laura Frantz)

The Mistress of Tall Acre

By: Laura Frantz

Storyline
This book takes place following the revolutionary war. Times are hard as soldiers are getting back to life, and tension still remains between Tories and Patriots. General Seamus Ogilvy is now a widower and heading home to parent his young daughter, Lily Cate. His estate, Tall Acre, is in need of attention and so is his daughter! 

Sophie Mezies is all alone after losing her mother. Her father, who fought in the war, betrayed their country and family, and has returned to Europe. Even living with the bad reputation he left, Sophie is determined to stay in her home and make her life in America. When her neighbor, General Ogilvy, returns home, she hopes to at least have company from him and his daughter. Sophie quickly befriends Lily Cate and the two create a special bond. 

Seamus knows his daughter is in desperate need of a mother; he also knows Sophie is in need of a husband and home. Sophie agrees to marry Seamus out of convenience, but her heart longs for more from this man she has always been fond of. As the three become a family, mysterious happenings occur and they must bond together as they are threatened to be torn apart.

Depth

Laura Frantz did a great job writing about the struggles many faced after the Revolutionary War. Two sides - a General and a daughter of one who betrayed his country. Both have different wounds and heartaches. Some mystery in the second half of the book adds to the depth of the story and keeps you guessing until the end.

Faith

Sophie has great faith and it has sustained her through many hard times. Seamus' heart is hardened from the war and he has given up on prayer and trusting in the Lord. He eventually comes to realize he must turn back to the Lord, but we found his growth to be a bit lacking. More story seeing his need for the Lord would have been nice. However, we still appreciated what faith was present in the book.

Squeal Factor

Sophie and Seamus have a great deal of romantic tension as they become attracted to the other, but both fear it may be one sided. As their feelings start to present themselves, something always distracts them. When they finally profess their love for one another they share some intimate and sweet scenes together. br />

Overall

This book was enjoyable and we appreciated the original storyline, although we felt it dragged on at a few parts. Overall, however, it was an entertaining read and we look forward to trying out some of the author's other books!

Find it on Amazon: The Mistress of Tall Acre
 
Note: We were given this book in exchange for our honest review