Adoring Addie By, Leslie Gould (The Courtshio of Lancaster County 2)

 

Rating 2.5 out of 5 Stars

After reading Courting Kate, I had wanted to buy Adoring Addie right away.  However, the reviews on Amazon were less than stellar, and while I don't live and die by others' reviews, I still held off.  I found Adoring Addie on the shelf at our base library and was excited to give it a try for free. 

Summary:
Addie lives in an oppressive Amish household.  She is the only girl of several siblings and pretty much runs the house without help.  When she falls in love at first sight with Jonathan, she finally feels some hope.  However, there is a long term feud between the two families and many people and circumstances that are determined to keep them apart. 

Review:
I found myself enjoying this book at first, but it quickly became quite unrealistic to me.  Love at first sight may actually happen, but it was not believable to me in this book.  Also, Addie's personality was confusing to me.  She constantly would proclaim to have "never" disobeyed or gone against her parents, but all of her internal thoughts screamed "rebellion" and almost hatred of her parents.  I don't really blame her, but it seemed to be a contradiction.
I also felt the ending was too quick.  There were so many things going against them and in one chapter they seemed to fix everything.  Again, just pretty unrealistic. 
Because I enjoyed Courting Kate so much I would definitely try the next book in this series if one were to come out, but this was just not my favorite. 

Candle in the Darkness By, Lynn Austin

Rating 4 Stars

Summary:
Caroline is living in Richmond, VA right in the middle of the War Between the States.  She loves her country and does not want it divided.  She loves her husband, who fights for the Confederacy, but she disagrees with slavery.  She loves her father's slaves and they are more a family to her than her mother and father ever were.  Along the way, an old friend convinces her to help her country by spying for the North.  This struggle to do what is right, to go against her father, precious friends and the man she loves may cost her everything.

Review:
This is my first Lynn Austin book so I had no idea what to expect.  It was a little darker than I usually like to read, but it was so "real"...gritty and tough.  This was also my first read of Civil War fiction since I usually stick to Medieval, Colonial or Revolutionary times.  It was fascinating and heart breaking all at the same time.  Descriptions of the hospitals filled with injured, dead and dying soldiers and the resistance she met just trying to talk about a different side to slavery really helped me to understand how bloody this war was and what agony everyone in this country must have gone through.  I absolutely loved Eli, her father's slave and Caroline's father figure in many ways.  Hearing his Godly thoughts on so many difficult situations really encouraged and convicted me.

The only thing I disliked about this book was that she was spying.  It seems like such a crummy thing to do.  She was listening in on her father and his friends and hosting parties just so she could overhear information to pass on.  Her fiance and best friends had no idea, and while I understand she was doing it in the name of peace, unity and emancipation, it still really rubbed me wrong.  I understand that the author was showing that through this she was "obeying God, not man", but lying and cheating is hard to stomach...especially against one's family.  But I'm sure I'm wrong since she did it for all the right reasons and what she was fighting for was right also.  She knew she could lose her chance to marry and even be hanged, but she believed in what she was doing and kept on.

Will I read Lynn Austin again?  I don't know.  Her writing was superb and the content very rich, but I just light lighter books in general.  However, if I see one at the book sale I will pick it up for sure and give it a read.  

The Reckoning by MaryLu Tyndall. Book 5 of the Legacy of the King's Pirates

 
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

So once upon awhile back I read book one of this series and really, really enjoyed it.  I was excited to move onto book two, but a look at the reviews on Amazon discouraged me (I hate when happy endings are undone in sequels) and I moved onto other books and authors.  So fast forward to our recent vacation where I had some superb reading time.  This book showed up on my kindle app.  I don't know how.  Either I bought it by mistake while searching Amazon or my darling 3 year old bought it for me.  Whichever it was, I decided that it must be meant to be and I should at least give it a try.  It was great.  Absolutely worth my time. 

This book was the 5th in the series so occasionally there would be brief scenes with characters I didn't know, but I was able to follow along and appreciate them.  That being said I believe it absolutely could be read as a stand alone and I'm encouraged to go back and read through the rest of the series. 

Our hero is a little bit of a mess.  She's got cancer, her superficial boyfriend just dumped her because of it and her parents are divorced leaving her with a mom who trusts depression/anxiety pills more than God and a Dad whose only care is getting richer than the money bags he already is.  She in turn has her own issues with anxiety (huge for me because I deal with this) and trust issues. 

After a wretched day of being dumped Morgan hides on a replica ship to avoid being seen by her jerk face ex.  While there she manages to transport herself back in time...to a pirate ship...with a really good looking captain.  His name is Rowan (isn't that a great name?) and he is quite taken with this little lady who is convinced he and his crew are being paid by her father to send her on a pirate adventure to help her forget about cancer.  Adventure ensues and the lucky reader is taken on a ride of excitement and romance...and questions...will she stay in the past or be returned to the future? 

So fun and exciting.  Have fun reading it!! 

Courting Morrow Little

Rating 5 super shiny stars!!!

This book. This Book! THIS BOOK!!!!!  What a masterpiece this one is.  Recently I decided to go back and read some of my all time favorites and I immediately thought of Courting Morrow Little.  The drama, passion (clean of course) and action kept me glued to every one of the 370 pages.  And the hero?  Wow...just wow!  We could use a few more men like him around...just sayin...

Morrow lives in Kentucky during a time of unrest among the Indians, British and Americans.  After her family was killed in an Indian attack when she was five, she has been sheltered by her father, her one remaining family member.  One night, an Indian brings his wounded son to their door and her father helps to heal him.  After that they return again and again...and Morrow and the Indian boy grow...and then they fall in love.  It sounds so simple, but let's just say that being pursed by angry American soldiers, kidnappings and two people writing a love story amongst a life of unknowns make this one that can't be missed. 

There are so many quotes in this book that had me clutching my kindle-apped phone to myself and swooning onto the couch!  The writing can be described as nothing other than beautiful and it generously fed my hopeless romantic soul.  This book comes into about a 3 way tie for my favorite book ever.  Read it, read it, read it. 

Out of the Ashes by Sandi Rog

Hello book blog!  It has been quite awhile since I have been on here to review.  The end of the school year/awana/baseball, etc. has kept me so very busy and I have not read as much.  Also, what I did read was just not worth reviewing.  Not that it was terrible, just not unforgettable.  BUT...the past three weeks I was on vacation visiting my home for the first time in several years and managed to read several books that really made an impression on me...for the good of course.  I had almost wondered if I just didn't like to read anymore, and am so thankful that I found these wonderful, although not well known, books!  OK, first up...

 

Out of the Ashes, by Sandi Rog
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

This cover blows me away.  Oh to have a neck and waist like that!  And the dress...can I have one of them, too?  And of course as long as we're handing out dreams a fairy tale story like the one in this book would be just fine. 
Ameila, our heroine, is living in a small town in Colorado with her cruel father.  Often left in a small cabin in the woods to fend for herself, she often spends nights sitting up in the rocker with a shotgun in her lap.  Afraid and unprotected she finds herself the target of an unscrupulous young rouge in town. 

Enter our hero, Nathaniel.  Nathaniel may currently be of great wealth, but his past included being a street rat, working for food and hopping railroad cars.  A orphan as a result of the great Chicago fire, he found kindness in the form of a sweet young girl who gave him her money and blew him a kiss.  Amelia.  Fast forward...he still remembers it all.  He searches for her, finds her, protects her and...marries her at gunpoint although completely innocent of all charges.  Will this unusual union turn to love?  Will Amelia allow herself to believe he actually wanted her?  I promise you a beautiful, exciting and, of course, HAPPY ending. 

The Blue Enchantress by Mary Lu Tyndall

 
Rating 4.5 out of 5 Stars

So book one left me feeling a little unsure about this series, but the ending was a cliffhanger and I just happened to have book 2 at home so I dove it.  So Good!!!  This book was full of excitement and lots of romance and drama.  Personally, I was able to relate to this heroine so much more than in the first book and  I felt for her struggles and loved watching her grow and come to know the Lord. 

The Red Siren by Mary Lu Tyndall, Book 1 Charles Towne Belles Series

 
Rating 3.5 of 5 stars

I find I either love or am bored by Ms. Tyndall's books.  While they are very well written I find that some of them are a little heavy on the adventure part.  While adventure is great, there needs to be a lot of drama/romance to even it all out for me.  The Red Siren was more adventure, but there was enough romance to keep me hanging on to the end.  I also did not really relate with the heroine, a lady pirate, just because I am not a type A, take charge person like she is.  However, I think many people would really love this book.  One thing I can say is that Ms. Tyndall's books are always above reproach in their cleanliness and in her theology.  I know she loves the Lord and sees him as the One True God. 

The Mercenary's Marriage, by Rachel Rossano

Rating: 5 Stars

A mercenary in a medieval like fantasy land claims a bride from the spoils of war.  She's never been loved, never found men trustworthy and now finds herself married and cared for.  However, danger in the form of retaliation against her new husband lurks. 

I love this book.  It is short, a novella, but for some reason that I can't quite put my finger on...I just love it.  Honestly, I think  I have  read it about five times.  Anytime I'm looking for a quick, enjoyable read I pull this one up on the old kindle.  Well, what girl does not want to be rescued, protected and married to a big, handsome...mercenary??  Anywhoo...love this.  Love all Ms. Rossano's books.  Clean yet passionate.  Oh, and her books are great because you actually get to see the H and h together for the entire book instead of two sentences in the end...which is a huge pet peeve of mine in the Christian Historical Romance world! 

(please excuse the excessive use of the word love in this post)

Outlaw's Bride, by Lori Copeland

 
rating: 3 stars


A retired judge has a program to try and rehabilitate convicts who seem to be worthy of a second chance.  His young and pretty housekeeper acts as assistant.  A handsome, young man shows up after being convicted of bank robbery...what will happen???

This was a fun, quick read.  While it didn't change my life or anything, it was worth my time and I enjoyed it.  I have to admit there were a couple of cheesy parts and didn't really understand the Judge's obsession with Kitty...his cat, but these were easy enough to get past because the rest of the book was well written.  I won't read this one again, but it was perfect as a one time, library loan. 

Before the Scarlet Dawn, by Rita Gerlach

Rating based on writing- 4 stars
Rating based on my enjoyment of the book- 2 stars

Eliza is a woman full of beauty and life.  Living in England in the late 1700s, she is the daughter of a vicar with few prospects.  When a wealthy man desires to marry her, she is brave enough to refuse him based on the fact she does not love him.  The death of her father and the needs of another wealthy gentleman she fancies herself in love with lead her to the Colonies.  Troubles abound with war, Indians and sickness.  With the return of her husband from the war things go very, very wrong...

Well, if I needed to sum this book up in one word it would be...DEPRESSING.  I was pretty interested in the beginning of the book, things started picking up in the middle and then, BAM, everything went downhill.  Yes, I believe this absolutely could have been a realistic look into the life of a woman in the late 1700s, and I (a far cry from a feminist) have a new-found appreciation of the rights and choices that women have.  Like, if I disappoint my husband I will not be left to starve and be rejected by all society and end up destitute and dead.  My personal preference when I read is to have a realistic historical story, BUT a happy ending will come at the end.  Ideally there would also be good things that happened within the book.  Obviously, many enjoy reading these dramas, and I respect that. However, I wish there was a description in the summary that would warn me away from them.  Life, in my opinion, has enough trials and reading (my escape) should be an uplifting experience!

If someone were to be less emotionally involved with the books they read they might find this a very interesting book full of drama and twists, but a true romantic at heart like myself might not quite has the stomach for it. 

The Lady and the Mountain Man, by Misty M. Beller

Rating 4.5 Stars
This was the perfect book to read after two emotional, Amish dramas!!  It was such an easy, but so very enjoyable read.  A woman looking to escape her past answers a mail order bride ad only to find that when she gets there her to-be husband has recently died in an accident.  Have no fear, ladies...he has a brother!  And of course he is tall, dark, handsome and filled with painful memories that only the heroine can help him forget.  Great characters, a strong but feminine leading lady and plot just deep enough to be interesting in the midst of love.  It was completely clean...and Christian, but still romantic.  And believe me, that is a tough line to toe and most can't do it nearly as well as Ms. Beller did.  Brava. 

Levi's Will, by Dale Cramer

Rating 4 stars (out of 5)
Levi's Will was another book  I had ordered and was very anxious to read.  I very much enjoyed his series, The Daughters of Caleb Bender, and was excited that this book contained a character or two from that series.  It may have not been the best book to read after The Choice as they are both pretty emotional and sad at times, but it was beautiful and oh so memorable.  This book touched me and really made me think hard on forgiveness of others at a time I really needed it.  While I would probably not read it again (it's more of a memoir and I don't find those good repeat reads),  I am so glad that I did read it.

Loosely based on the author's father, this story follows the life of an Amish boy who runs away from his community leaving his family and pregnant girlfriend behind.  He joins the military, gets married, makes a bunch of mistakes and learns to forgive, be forgiven and finds the Lord.  I cried in this one...real tears...that hasn't' happened since Where the Red Fern Grows in 8th grade.  Emotional, real, beautiful. 

The Choice, by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Rating 4.5 (out of 5 stars)
What a gem I found in this book!!  Carrie is planning to run away with her Amish boyfriend turned baseball star when tragedy strikes.  Baseball star chooses baseball over her (and what's right if you ask me) and Carrie is left to make a swift choice about marriage to a man she hardly knows.  She agrees to it...and then the ride begins.
I had never read a book by Ms. Fisher and can certainly say I will be looking for more of her books in the future.  The Choice is not your typical Amish fiction and I loved every page.  Well, except when it was really sad, then I didn't love it, but I kept turning those pages! It is free on kindle so there's no excuse not to give it a try!  Just don't plan to get much done once you start reading! 

The Colonel's Lady, Laura Frantz

Rating 3 Stars
So  I was thrilled to get this book in the mail and so excited to read it.  Laura Frantz is so talented and can spin such a beautiful tale.  But...
This book was fine.  Really, it certainly wasn't bad or anything, but i just felt like it never got going until the very end...which was really good, but it was a long time getting there.  However, a look at Amazon proves I am pretty much alone in my thoughts on this book as there are 355 reviews and the average is 4/5 out of 5 stars.  I really think I just might have not been in the right "mood" for this book.  Maybe in the future I'll pick it up again and see if it's different this time. 

Baron of Godsmere by Tamara Leigh

RATING: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Three feuding families ordered by the king to marry each other or else forfeit their lands, a brave lady who schemes to thwart her enemy and a forced marriage that ends in love.  "sigh" and swoon.  Bravo Tamara Leigh!  You never fail to disappoint.  

Sooo I just finished this and...WOW...just...WOW.  Tamara Leigh is one of my two very favorite authors and I could not wait for this book to come out.  It kept me up way too late and I am so very glad that it is book one of what promises to be a very exciting series!  As a girl who is quite partial to the days of chivalrous knights, Ms. Leigh's medieval fiction never fails to pull me in.  The Baron of Godsmere had a twisty and complex plot that didn't live me bored or confused (I love history, but there better be some drama in there...this IS Christian romance) but instead on the edge of my seat.   This is one I will most definitely be coming back to read again.

Oh, and Ms. Leigh had better write fast...I am dying to know what happens next!!!!

The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by Lori Benton

RATING: 4 starts (out of 5)

 I had long been awaiting this book on the reservation list at the library!  After reading Lori Benton's first novel, Burning Sky, I am very excited to read everything she write.  I have to admit I liked Burning Sky a bit better, but this one was awesome, too.  Beautiful characters, heartfelt interactions and exciting plot are present in this novel.  

Tamsen is a (beautiful) young woman with a cruel step father who is determined to marry her off to the "right" suitor.  When said suitor seems to be a carbon copy of the horrid stepfather she accepts the help of Jesse Bird (an Indian-raised, frontiersman) in escape.

 This book was SO worth my time.  Lori Benton spins this novel flawlessly.  It was real and beautiful without being cheesy.  And well, who doesn't love a book where a rugged man saves the girl?  Can't hurt for sure! 


 

The Judgement and The Mercy, books 2 and 3 of Beverly Lewis's "The Rose Trilogy"

RATING: 3 Stars (of 5)
Drama, drama, drama with the Kauffman family.  I was so excited to get this book and was thrilled to find both book 2 and 3 at the closer of the two libraries we visit each week.  However...I just struggled with it a little.  While it was interesting and kept me turning pages it was just so depressing!  Am I the only one who feels like trilogies that are really one long book seem to have a super downer of a book two?  It tugged at my heart and in general made me feel melancholy.  Of course, the writing was very well done and the characters developed...just not my favorite feeling to get while reading! It's an escape for me!







RATING: 3.5 Stars (of 5)

I was a little hesitant to read this after my experience with book two, but just had to know what happened to all these characters.  Getting through the first third of the book was a little difficult...another thing I've noticed about trilogies on book three is that they kind of drag along for awhile???  Maybe it's just me...Anyway, after the first third of the book things picked up AND started to get exciting and less depressing! In fact, I was pretty much thrilled with the way everything worked out in the end.  Not a life changing, knock me down sort of read, but a good one none the less. 

The Thorn, by Beverly Lewis..Book One of the Rose Trilogy

On a whim I picked this book up at our local library.  it has been several years since i have read any Beverly Lewis and I was concerned that it would not be an engaging as some of the books  have been reading lately . There was nothing to worry about...I loved it.

This story centers around two sisters.  Rose is the "good" Amish daughter, following the rules and loving the Lord while taking almost full time care of her invalid mother.  Hannah...Hen for short...ran off a few years ago to marry a handsome outsider.  A few years and a baby later, Hen is pretty positive she made the wrong choice in leaving.  But what to do now?  With a non believing, Amish disliking husband she is put into a hard spot.  Meanwhile, Rose is pulled between the two young men in her life.  Her loyalty to the Bishop's troublesome foster son is causing trouble with her beau, Silas.  How will this all work out??

I enjoyed this book from the very beginning.  Recently I had decided to only read at bedtime and nap-time so as to keep my mind focused on the work of my home.  Well...ahem...I did pretty well until the last quarter of the book when I found myself sneaking off to read it or fitting in a chapter before the timer on the stove went off!  I have already requested the next book in the series from the library.  Awesome writing, exciting story...hurry up library and get me number 2!