"Love in Disguise," by Carol Cox

"Love in Disguise," by Carol Cox

Jobless and down to her last dime, Ellie Moore hears about a position with the Pinkerton Detective Agency and believes it's the perfect chance to put her acting skills and costumes to use. Reluctantly, the agency agrees to give her one assignment, one chance to prove herself. Disguised as Lavinia Stewart, a middle-aged widow, Ellie travels to Arizona to begin her investigation. When the need arises, she also transforms into the dazzling Jessie Monroe, whose vivacious personality encourages people to talk.


Mine owner Steven Pierce is going to lose his business if he can't figure out who's stealing his silver shipments. In his wildest dreams, he never expected to receive help from a gray-haired widow... or to fall in love with her beautiful niece.


Then the thieves come after Lavinia and Jessie. Ellie isn't safe no matter which character she plays! Should she give up and reveal her true identity? What will Steven do when he realizes the woman he's falling in love with doesn't really exist?


Set in 1880s Arizona, Love in Disguise blends romance, humor, and mystery for a can't-put-down read.


For me this wasn't "a can't-put-down read," I personally found it hard going and not a book that I found compelling.  The leading character Ellie just didn't do it for me with this story line and the romance part of the book was a bit forced and not believable.  The story itself seemed a bit far fetched to say the very least.


Stars out of 5 : 2.5 It's a light read for a day when you have nothing to do and don't want a book with a too deep story that you have to really think about when reading.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

"Touching The Sky," by Tracie Peterson

"Touching The Sky," by Tracie Peterson

Though their first encounter is hardly auspicious, Laura Marquardt soon discovers herself drawn to the dashing Captain Brandon Reid. As an officer over the colored troops, he eagerly supports her desire to educate blacks and seek harmony in a town where the defeat of the South is a bitter reality.

When Laura's sister marries her Confederate beau, Laura finds herself in a difficult situation after overhearing a discussion with frightening consequences. In her heart she feels she should confide in Brandon, but Laura fears to do so may endanger her sister's life. Yet as the stakes continue to rise and Brandon's motives for pursuing her come into doubt, Laura questions where to turn... and wonders if her own dreams of love may be forsaken.


Must say it was quite a slow going book to start with; but the more you got into it, the more interesting it became.  You just have to persevere and stick with it.  I will say the book left me wanting to know what will happen next in the series, and am looking forward to reading that book which is published in September of this year.


Stars out of 5 : 3 not a great book, but not a horrible book.  It was one of those books that filled in a couple of nights and one which I really had to think about to try and remember what had happened in the book.  As I said I am looking forward to the next in the series, as Laura's sister was more of a star in this book to my mind and features in the next book and was a more memorable character.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

"Waiting for Sunrise," by Eva Marie Everson

"Waiting for Sunrise," by Eva Marie Everson

Sometimes finding your future means making peace with your past

Patsy Milstrap wishes she could leave her past behind. Though she tries to put on a brave front for the sake of her family, the wounds still ache, and the scars on her soul are still deeply felt. At her concerned husband's gentle insistence, they take a vacation from South Carolina on Cedar Key, an idyllic island on Florida's Gulf Coast. A week in paradise will do them good, he says.

When a familiar--and most unexpected--face greets her at a seaside restaurant, Patsy knows she can no longer run from the past. But what will opening old wounds mean? And what will the future hold?

With a large helping of Southern charm, Waiting for Sunrise is a touching story of family, young love, and the need for forgiveness. Eva Marie Everson expertly draws out the bittersweet moments of life, weaving them into a tale that will envelop your soul.

This book is a must read.  It shows you how your childhood can affect your future.  How you can push things into the back of your mind and then they can surface and it can cause devastating things to you mind and soul.

This book takes you back and forth between the past and the present of Patsy's childhood and family.  It shows you what Patsy's mother did to protect her child and the sacrifices she made for her children.

This is not a book you can read in a day, but it is a book where you will want to know what will happen next.  I will admit to having a good cry at the end, as it was such a well written ending.

Stars out of 5 : 4.5 Great book well worth the read and not at all difficult to immerse yourself into.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

"The Director's Cut," by Janice Thompson

"The Director's Cut," by Janice Thompson

Tia Morales is used to calling the shots. She's the director of the popular sitcom Stars Collide, and her life on the set is calculated and orderly. Well, most of the time. Life outside the studio is another matter. If only she could get other people to behave as well as her stars do! When she starts to have feelings for handsome cameraman Jason Harris--with whom she's been butting heads for months--it's enough to send a girl over the edge. Will she ever learn to let go and take life--and love--as it comes?

Full of the humor and crazy family dynamics Janice Thompson fans have come to love, this colorful story gives you an inside look at Hollywood and a healthy dose of romance.

 

Another in the Backstage Pass series by Janice.  So although not mandatory, it is helpful if you have read other's in the series, as the characters do overlap from one book to another.  It is another of those "light reading" books which will hold your attention but will not over tax your brain.

 

It's no big surprise as what is going to happen, but getting there Janice adds her usual humour and twists and turns.  Tia's family is a great addition to the storyline.

 

Stars out of 5 : 4 Good book to read on a lazy day.

 

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

"Short Straw Bride," by Karen Witemeyer

"Short Straw Bride," by Karen Witemeyer

No one steps on Archer land. Not if they value their life. But when Meredith Hayes overhears a lethal plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch, a twelve-year-old debt compels her to take the risk.
Fourteen years of constant vigilance hardens a man. Yet when Travis Archer confronts a female trespasser with the same vivid blue eyes as the courageous young girl he once aided, he can't bring himself to send her away. And when an act of sacrifice leaves her injured and her reputation in shreds, gratitude and guilt send him riding to her rescue once again.

Four brothers. Four straws. One bride. Despite the fact that Travis is no longer the gallant youth Meredith once dreamed about, she determines to stand by his side against the enemy that threatens them both. But will love ever be hers? Or will Travis always see her merely as a short-straw bride?

Have to say I enjoyed this book.  It was what I call a "light read,' nothing too taxing on the brain and enough twists and turns in it to keep you interested.  The main characters Meredith and Travis were perfect for one another and I enjoyed how Karen added the "sexual tension," between them without making it smutty.

I feel this book could be the beginning of a series as there are four brothers in the family, all with different stories to tell that would make for a good series of books?  No idea though if this is a series it doesn't say?

Stars out of 5 : 4 The storyline kept you interested.  It's a good book for an afternoon sitting in the garden or on the beach.  You won't learn anything life altering in this book, but you will be entertained.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group". 

"Homestead," by Jane Kirkpatrick

"Homestead," by Jane Kirkpatrick

This book draws you into the world of modern homesteading, when Jane and her husband purchase "Starvation Point," in Eastern Oregon and begin to create a home and farm out of the land.

She takes you through the trials and tribulations they experience trying to make it happen; and believe me there are some trials that would make a weaker person throw their hands up in the air and walk away from it all.

What they go through just to get a telephone line to the property would make me want to pull out.  Never mind the 7 mile "road," fondly called "the reptile road," which they have to travel to get to the property from the "main road."

Everything we take for granted, like water and electricity was a journey and a trial just to get it hooked up.  Never mind all the wildlife that they encounter along the way, especially the snakes.....icky!!!

All along the book is a strong bond with God and one another that keep them going.  The book is divided into four parts and I must admit the first three parts kept me enthralled, however I found my mind wandering with the fourth part as it wasn't as interesting as the first three parts.

Although we do not live in the same circumstances as Jane and her husband I did have moments when I thought, "Yep been there and done that," as all the jobs around this place seems like two sets forward and one step back!!!

Stars out of 5:4 Loved it, just a shame that last part of the book wasn't as interesting.  If you would love to homestead but know it won't ever happen, why not read this book and homestead with Jane and her husband. 

Footnote: Jane and her husband moved from Starvation Point back to a place near Bend, Oregon in 2010, after 30 odd years there.