All the Blue of Heaven by Virginia Carmichael - Review of the first book in the Colors of Faith series

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Eight years ago, Allie Hathaway scandalized the wealthy elite of Chicago when she ran away to San Francisco. Now a world-renowned portrait painter, her life is filled with laughter and friendship, including being a mother to her orphaned niece. Life is perfect, so why can't she forget her first love? Thomas Bradford has come a long way from being the Hathaway family's carriage boy. A veterinary degree, ambition and hard work have made him one of Chicago's most sought-after bachelors. If only he could forget those stolen moments with Allie, Thomas might be able to enjoy his success.

The Great Quake of 1906 stuns the nation and Allie's art studio burns to the ground, destroying years of valuable work. She's forced to return to Chicago with little Janey, the only spark of hope in a life reduced to ashes. Her faith is crushed by her tragic reversal of fortune.

Thomas knows better than to fall for the beautiful young painter again, but he's never been very wise around Allie Hathaway. The carriage man's son is all grown up and Allie doesn't expect a second chance at a love that was refused eight years ago. Her life is in shambles and she has a child to support, so why won't her heart accept the truth? Once their love was torn apart by circumstance, but Thomas and Allie must decide whether to forge a future of hope together.

MY  REVIEW

I found this book to be a slow starter but it did gain my interest. The characters have some emotional baggage to deal with from their past,so with that and over indulging mothers pushing them in opposite directions, they have to try to forge ahead with their future, be it separate or together. If you like to see faith return to a person once they seem to have lost it this would be a good book for you.

Tried & True by Mary Connealy - Review of the first book in the Wild at Heart series

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Kylie Wilde is the youngest sister--and the most civilized. Her older sisters might be happy dressing in trousers and posing as men, but Kylie has grown her hair long and wears skirts every chance she gets. It's a risk--they are homesteading using the special exemptions they earned serving in the Civil War as "boys"--but Kylie plans to make the most of the years before she can sell her property and return to the luxuries of life back East.

Local land agent Aaron Masterson is fascinated with Kylie from the moment her long hair falls from her cap. But now that he knows her secret, can he in good conscience defraud the U.S. government? And when someone tries to force Kylie off her land, does he have any hope of convincing her that marrying him and settling on the frontier is the better option for her future?

MY  REVIEW

Kylie and her sisters, through their father pushing them, have lived a lie for many years, in a time when it is almost considered a crime for women to wear britches. As the youngest and most feminine Kylie finds her family frowning upon the life she wants to live. Can she really become the woman she wants to be or will she find herself continuing to live her fathers dream?

Mary is still on her pedestal as a writer as far as I'm concerned. She has turned out yet another entertaining book for me, which means I'm looking forward to the rest of the series, "Now & Forever" and "Fire & Ice" both due out in 2015. I think I have read almost every one of her books and never been disappointed.

His Chosen Bride by Rhonda Gibson - Review

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This Texan Had No Intention of Becoming a Groom. . .

Until he found out he had a year to find a bride--or risk losing the family ranch. Any of the four mail-order brides recently arrived in Granite, Texas, would make a good wife. So why can't Levi Westland stop thinking about the one who refuses to have him? The marriage of convenience Levi offers isn't enough to persuade Millie Hamilton. Truth is, it's no longer enough for Levi, either. . . .

Millie just needed a place to escape to. Now that she's paid Levi back his traveling expenses, she can forge her own way. If he knew the truth about her past, Levi's admiration would vanish. But the only thing harder than risking her heart may be watching Levi marry anyone but her.

MY  REVIEW

Oh yes, another book for you to run out and get, you won't be disappointed. Rhonda has done a wonderful job on this 'non-series' of books. Yes, I think these four books should be considered a series and not stand alone novels, lol, just my opinion. If you look at my three previous reviews you will see the titles that go along with this one. I hope you enjoy the books as much as I have. I'm also looking forward to reading Rhonda's new book, "A Pony Express Christmas", due out November 4, 2014.

Taming the Texas Rancher by Rhonda Gibson - Review

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Though he'd never planned to wed, Daniel Westland must marry and produce a grandchild before his brother does in order to inherit the family ranch. Leave it to him to pick a mail-order bride who insists on being courted! Yet every time Daniel wonders if Hannah Young is even suited to rugged living, the petite schoolteacher her gumption.

What ma;n sends away for a bride but doesn't really want to get married? Hanna came to Granite, Texas, hoping to find love and security, and she can't settle for less than a true partnership.  If the brooding, handsome rancher can just learn to trust in Hannah, their future could be as filled with promise as this bountiful land.

MY  REVIEW

As I am reading the books in this 'series', as I'm calling it, each one seems to get better than the last. I really enjoy Rhonda's books. This mail-order bride book does take a different story line than most I've read and I found it quite interesting. Another book I can happily suggest for others to read.

Groom by Arrangement by Rhonda Gibson - Review

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Eliza Kelly thought her humiliation was complete when she identified the wrong train passenger as her mail-order groom. She was only trying to tell Jackson Hart that the madcap scheme was not her idea. But now the stormy-eyed blacksmith has decided to stay, rumors are flying. And Jackson does the gallant thing--he offers the lovely widow a marriage of convenience.

Though he came to New Mexico to find his father, Jackson wonders if Eliza'smistake was his good fortune. Between caring for an orphaned youngster and protecting Eliza, Jackson feels whole again. If only he can persuade Eliza to marry him, her reputation will be saver...and so will their long-buried dreams of forging a real family.

MY  REVIEW

Another enjoyable book starts out by putting Eliza in a difficult situation and just continues when the marshal asks Jackson to take her back to Cottonwood Springs. I like the way Rhonda has them handle their 'problem' and she has written an ending that puts you on the edge of your seat for a short time. The truth that Jackson discovers will tear at your heart too.

Although these books are listed as novels and not a series I would suggest reading "The Marshal's Promise", "Groom by Arrangement", and looking ahead, "Taming the Texas Rancher" and "His Chosen Bride" in this order as they all deal with people from Cottonwood Springs. Thank you Rhonda for your mail-order bride books.

The Marshal's Promise by Rhonda Gibson - Review

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Mail-order bride Rebecca Ramsey arrives in the New Mexico territory full of dreams--but they're shattered when she discovers her intended husband ha been killed. If it weren't for U.S. marshal Seth Billings's housekeeping job offer, she'd have nowhere to go. Rebecca loves tending to Seth's home, but the strong and silent lawman is harder to figure out. What secret is he hiding?

Caring for Jesse Cole's would-be bride is the least Seth can do. If it weren't for him, the young man would still be alive. Seth had promised to look after Rebecca--and to keep her safe from Jesse's enemies. Now if only he can keep his heart safe, as well....

MY  REVIEW

You have to feel sorry for a woman when her stepmother accepts her little sister but forces you to accept the offer to be a mail-order bride and sends you cross country on your own. I was impressed with the way Rebecca handled the hand that was dealt to her even after her arrival in Cottonwood Springs. This was a touch and go story that held my interest throughout. I'm looking forward to reading "Groom by Arrangement" next.

Becca Fisher Amish Romance 40 Story Set by Becca Fisher - Review

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This collection features 40 Amish Romance stories by Becca Fisher including:

The Amish Wedding Series

Rebecca Lapp has her life back together after a tough break up. She's found a new man and is finally happy once again. But when her ex comes back into town wanting her back, Rebecca will be forced to make a decision that will change her life forever.

The Chasing Heaven Series

Hanna Bieler's wedding is more than just cause fore celebration. It gets her sisters wondering when they will get married who they'll fall in love with, or whether God has other plans for them entirely. But it becomes clear that although the Amish are simple people, their love lives are anything but.

The Let Love In Series

When Jenna loses her husband in a horrible accident, she never thinks she can love again. But she suddenly finds herself a single Amish mother and knows that her children need a father figure in their lives. So when a handsome stranger rides into town a year later and takes a liking to Jenna, she has to decide if she can ever let love in again, or risk losing a man that could bring her happiness.

The If I Stayed Series

Hannah and Sadie Miller have always been desperate to explore the world. So when rumspringa comes, they want to go to the big city. But are the sisters willing to risk losing everything that's important to them when their parents insist that they stay in Lancaster?

The Amish Christmas Series

Joshua Zook and Sadie Miller have been dancing around their feelings for months. But just as Joshua works up the nerve to admit how much he cares for Sadie, he realizes that he may be too late to win Sadie's heart.

MY  REVIEW

I enjoyed Becca's short stories and the quick wit that she used in most of them. It was interesting how members of the same family decided what they wanted to do for rumspringa and how it was dealt with when one wanted to go experience the Englisher life. I was impressed that she mentioned the "Broken Amish" and how the Amish felt about that show. The only problem I had was that there were too many stories to read all at once, they just seemed to be pretty repetitive after reading so many all at one time. I think it would be better to read maybe five or ten stories and take a break with some other books, then go back and read five or ten more, etc.

I got this book in .pdf format for my Kindle from Becca Fisher for an honest review. Since this was a .pdf format I used the book blurb from Amazon, where it is available to purchase for $2.99 (right now) for your Kindle. About half way through I was looking for something on my Kindle and noticed that I had purchased "Becca Fisher Amish Romance 45 Book Boxed Set", well I compared the two by writing the titles down for each book and could not make heads or tails of the two. The 40 story set (the .pdf format) didn't have that many titles listed, it was short 11 the nearest I could tell and the 45 book boxed set had 26 stories that matched the other 'book', not in the same order, and I could only find 40 books. Granted the 'missing' 5 could be included in the "Beachy Amish Romance Boxed Set" included in the set of 45. I would like to read the 5 additional books but don't now what to read.