Sunday, February 25, 2018

The Cat, The Quilt and the Corpse by Leann Sweeney - Review of the first book in the Cats In Trouble Mystery series




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Recently widowed Jillian Hart is rebuilding a life for herself and her three beloved cats---Chablis, Syrah, and Merlot---as a quilter in a small South Carolina town. The quilts she makes are for cats as smart, special, and sweet as her own, and business is thriving.

But when she returns from an overnight quilting show, she discovers Chablis sneezing---and since Chablis is allergic to humans, that can mean only one thing: Someone has broken into her house. When she realizes her Abyssinian Syrah is missing, Jillian suspects catnapping.

Spurred by Chablis's and Merlot's mournful meowing, she investigates---and discovers more missing cats and a murder. Now she's got to save more than one cat in trouble---not to mention herself.


MY  REVIEW
Very entertaining and I found it hard to put the book down. I'm not an animal 'lover', I like animals but not a fan of having pets, although I have had both cats and dogs that I've become attached to.
I think this is the first one of Leann's books that I've read and she is now on my list to follow. I will have to get the rest of the books in this series.

Friday, February 23, 2018

Hidden in Plain Site by Karen Ann Hopkins - Review of the fourth book in the Serenity's Plain Secrets series




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(copied from Amazon.com)

Some Amish communities aren't so cozy.

When a cold case heats up, Serenity won't stop until she discovers the truth.

In this installment of the bestselling Serenity's Plain Secrets' series. Serenity must work with US marshals to uncover the truth behind a shockingly brutal fifteen-year-cold murder.

Desperate for answers, Serenity finds herself in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where she unravels secrets that threaten to tear her and Daniel apart. But digging up the past is dangerous and the quaint Amish settlement isn't as safe as it seems.

If Serenity chooses to trust the man she's come to love, it could mean a happily ever after...or her final act.


MY  REVIEW
This story didn't seem quite as good to me as the previous three, but still worth the read. This cold case may affect Serenity's personal life, just after she decided she could be happy spending the rest of it with Daniel. I have been enjoying this series for the most part, not crazy about some of the language and some sexual scenes.

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Frontier Matchmaker Bride by Regina Scott - Review of the eighth book in the Frontier Bachelors series




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The Lawman Meets His Match
Successful Seattle matchmaker Beth Wallin has her most challenging assignment yet---find Deputy Hart McCormick a bride. Beth's still smarting after the handsome lawman spurned her affections a year ago. But if she finds Hart a wife, Beth will gain favor with the city's most influential women...and perhaps free her own heart, as well.

Marriage is the last thing on the deputy's mind. After tragically losing his sweetheart, he vowed never to love again. But as sweet, spunky Beth introduces him to potential fiancees, Hart finally feels a spark...for her! The stubborn bachelor will be Beth's first matchmaking miss, unless they can both admit that she just might be his perfect match.


MY  REVIEW
I am writing this review with a tear in my eye! This is the last book in the series, as far as I know anyway, since the Harlequin is phasing out five mass market original series and the Love Inspired Historical is one of them!

I have really enjoyed this series and am so sad to see it end. The Wallin family has so much love and faith for each other as well as other people. I can highly recommend this book but you really should read it in order to totally fall in love yourself and not ruin any spoilers by reading out of order.

I was given a copy of this book in return for an honest review. This review are my true feelings and opinions.

Secrets in the Grave by Karen Ann Hopkins - Review of the third book in the Serenity's Plain Secrets series




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(copied from Amazon.com)
Just when Sheriff Serenity Adams thinks life is getting back to normal, the death of a young, pregnant Amish woman rocks the community, is it circumstance...or murder? It's up to Serenity and her ex-Amish boyfriend, Daniel Bachman, to discover the truth about the new shaman-type medicine man who's brought his dark secrets to Blood Rock.

But Serenity has secrets of her own, and if she and Daniel don't work it out, the reappearance of a woman from his past could threaten to ruin their relationship.

The deeper Serenity delves into the magical world of Amish herbal medicine, the phenomenon of laying of the hands and other cultural healing oddities, the more she wonders if miracles are real. What she witnesses with her own eyes may be too fantastical for her to believe.

In this riveting third installment of Serenity's Plain Secrets, beliefs are challenged, a way of life is questioned and family skeletons are unearthed, leaving no one untouched.


MY  REVIEW
A great story here! Karen keeps you guessing, you think you have it figured out, OH but wait, not so fast, KEEP READING. Yes, I have really liked the story, even though there are some spots I don't appreciate, fewer in this book than the previous two I think, but I keep reading the stories because the stories are so good.

Sunday, February 18, 2018

Whispers from the Dead by Karen Ann Hopkins - Review of the second book in the Serenity's Plain Secrets series




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(copied from Amazon.com)
SOME AMISH COMMUNITIES AREN'T SO COZY

Sheriff Serenity Adams and Daniel Bachman are once again partnered up in a criminal investigation, when they travel to a northern Amish settlement that has been riddled by arsons for the past two decades. Serenity quickly discovers that there is a lot more going on than barn burnings in the touristy community of Poplar Springs. This group of Amish has their own secrets to hide.

Serenity begins to unravel an extensive criminal underworld that threatens to destroy everything that the simple people of Poplar Springs hold dear, and once again puts her own life in jeopardy. And even though Serenity tries desperately to avoid it, things begin heating up between her and Daniel, making her wonder if true love and happiness are really within her grasp.

MY  REVIEW
Karen knows how to keep you interested in a story, a lot of twist and turns but very captivating. There are some swear words, the worst towards the end and I ended up skimming a few pages at the end where the sexual scene was. I would love to give this a five rating but because of those couple of things I am dropping it to a three. I so enjoyed the story that I will read the rest of the series.

Thursday, February 15, 2018

Hannah's Choice by Jan Drexler- Review of the first book in the Journey to Pleasant Prairie series




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When love and family conflict,
will she listen to her head. . .or her heart?

Hannah Yoder loves her quiet life on the banks of Conestoga Creek. In 1842, this corner of Lancaster County is settled and peaceful---yet problems lurk beneath the placid facade. Hannah strives to be the one person who can bind the threads of her family together in spite of her father's worries, her mother's depression, and her sister's rebellious ways. But her world threatens to unravel.

When two young men seek her hand in marriage---one offering the home she craves and the other promising the adventure of following God's call west---Hannah must make a choice. Will she stay true to the faith of her family or defy her father and abandon her community?


MY  REVIEW
Jan really takes you on a different road than most Amish novels take you. There is a lot going on, a lot of indecision, grief and love of family. She keeps you interested throughout and just when you think you know what Hannah will do, you quickly change your mind.

Saturday, February 10, 2018

A Rocky Mountain Romance by Misty M Beller - review of the second book in the Wyoming Mountain Tales series




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(copied from Amazon.com)
The Wyoming mountain country seems like the perfect place for Zeche Reid to find himself. When a blizzard sends him scrambling for cover, he stumbles upon a lady and her professor father holed up in a remote cabin. His protective instincts won't let him desert them to continue his travels, especially when the father's haunting memories from the War of Secession put his daughter's safety at risk.

Fighting her own nightmares after the war, Gretta Michelly is trying to settle into this rugged mountain land, but her bad memories are nothing compared to the demons that haunt her father. The haven they've found in these Rocky Mountains seems to be the solace he needs to find peace--until a mysterious sojourner appears on their cabin doorstep. She can't help but be drawn to the wild aura that surrounds the man, but that strength seems to be that very thing that intensifies her father's struggles.

As Zeche is torn between his craving to protect Gretta and the awful realization that he's the one putting her in more danger, he's forced to make a difficult choice. But when a run-in with an elk changes his plans and Gretta is faced with a danger Zeche is powerless to control. Zeche has to find a way to protect her at any cost. Even at the cost of his heart.



MY  REVIEW
A book with adventure, threatening accidents and daily fear. Engaging characters with histories that may interfere with their futures. Yes, another great read from Misty. This is a great series so far and I'm looking forward to the rest, Misty never fails me. 

Sunday, February 4, 2018

Plain Jeopardy by Alison Stone - Review




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AMISH COUNTRY SECRETS
Reporter Grace Miller's Amish hometown seems the perfect place to recuperate from surgery--until a tragedy puts her on the trail of her mother's long-unsolved murder. Now someone's set their lethal sights on her, determined to keep the truth behind her mother's death and a fatal car crash involving local teens hidden. After discovering that Grace is in danger, police captain Conner Gates drops everything to protect her...and help solve the cold case his father could not. But as they delve into the past, can they face down the dangerous foe hiding in plain sight, threatening to turn their blossoming love into a deadly trap?


MY  REVIEW
Another great Amish mystery by Alison. Grace can't stop investigating and writing her blog even with the danger it causes her and the police telling her to leave things alone, on both murders. She is tampering with more than one person should!

Loved this book but if you want to pick it up be sure and read "Plain Sanctuary" first. I see a third book dealing with Quail Hollow in May, "Plain Outsider", and I'm guessing there may be a fourth on coming in the future, I could be wrong on that but there is one sister I would like to learn more about.

A Pony Express Romance by Misty M Beller - Review of the first book in the Wyoming Mountain Tales series




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(copied from Amazon.com)
After growing up as an orphan, Josiah English wants nothing more than to have his own ranch and raise Arabian horses. Riding for the Pony Express seems like the ticket to his dream. And when he meets the stationmaster's beautiful sister, it seems he may be within reach of the happy life he craves.

Mara Reid is thrilled to finally meet the man of her dreams, and the fact that they both want to raise horses in the Sweetwater River Valley seems like confirmation straight from God.

But when the Express shuts down and Mara's family home is in peril, the danger looming over Mara's life may not be half as destructive as that threatening her heart.


MY  REVIEW
Oh how I have missed reading Misty's books, why did I punish myself!!! Misty never lets me down, it get pulled in on the first page and stay there to the end. If you like Historical Fiction you will love this one. Now on to number two in the series, "A Rocky Mountain Romance".