The Mistress of Tall Acre, Laura Frantz

Rating-I don't know...

This book is about 400 pages.  It was just OK until about page 327 (I would have rated it a 3 maybe) when it started to pick up and get exciting (then it would have been a 4.5).  How do I feel about that?  I don't know...that maybe the book could have been about 250 pages and been just as good or better?  Hmm...I seem to either love or be pretty disappointed in Ms. Frantz's books.  My favorite book ever (tied for first at least) is Courting Morrow Little, so I will always read Ms. Frantz's work.  I have to be honest.  Sometimes I wonder if when I read a certain type of book I'm just not in the "mood" for it at that time.  Perhaps another time I would have loved this book?  I guess I just did not feel myself falling in love with these characters the same way I have in her other books or felt the same "heart tug" throughout the book.  But again...maybe it's just me!  I will definitely be reading some lighter fiction next as a palate cleanse before I get back into anything deep again. 

The Outlaw Takes a Bride, Susan Page Davis

Rating 3.75 out of 5

A cowboy who is accused of murder rides out to his brother's ranch to find him recently murdered.  Fear and familial resemblance causes him to take on his brother's identity.  This tangled web gets especially tricky when a mail order bride shows up with the understanding she will be married right off the train.  A friend who seems to be more help than trouble, a wife who thinks she's married to someone else and a gang out outlaws keeps this book moving with excitement and feeling.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book.  Having never read or heard of this author, I worried that it might not be the best.  But CBD had it on sale quite cheap and amazon had good reviews so I decided to give it a try.  I was glad I gave it a shot!

While I would not read this book a second time (most likely), I really did enjoy reading through it.  At first the dialogue was a bit painful, but as the book went on it got so much better.  I was never bored reading this and found myself sneaking away to read more.  Where's mom?  Reading in the bathroom again? 

Chasing the Sky, Tracie Peterson

Rating 3.75 :)

What is a young woman to do?  Hannah is responsible for her small brother and sister, her father is missing/probably dead and a man shows up at their ranch saying he is the rightful owner.  Throw in trouble with local Indians, an unwanted, not to mention pushy and ugly suitor and a unwavering faith in God and you have an exciting story in this first in the Land of the Lone Star series. 

This book did not get the best reviews on Amazon, but I had found it at the library book sale and decided to give it a try.  I'm glad I did!  While it was not the best book ever or anything, I found it very true to Ms. Peterson's style.  Slow and steady with a few swoon worthy scenes mixed it.  There was excitment and characters that I loved and hated.  I may even check out book two at the library. 

One other thing that I enjoy about her books is that I'm always motivated to do more at home.  The author highlights the women's' abilities to cook well for their men and to make their homes look welcoming.  These are not my strong suits and I enjoy some encouragement in that area.  This fact may be one of the reasons I love western and pioneer historical fiction.  What amazing women. 

At the Wood's Edge, Lori Benton

Rating 3.5 stars

A sudden decision changes the lives of many, leaving some to the ruin of guilt and the others to the chains of vengeance. 

I was really excited to get this book in the mail.  Burning Sky, Ms. Benton's first novel, is one of my favorite books ever.  The pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn was also good, but not as good as Burning Sky.  Unfortunately, At the Wood's Edge was my least favorite of the three.  It is not at all that the writing was poor or that that character's lacked depth.  It was that there was a little too much history in this historical fiction for my taste.  Also, my personal preference is that a book deals with a hero and heroine as opposted to many main characters.

The second book in this series is coming out this year and I do hope to read it at some point.  Burning Sky was so good and I really want to love one of Ms. Benton's books like that again. 

Under a Blackberry Moon

Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars

Under a Blackberry Moon takes us about where The Courage of Katie Calloway leaves off, but this time the main focus is on Moon Song, the beautiful Indian mother and widow.  While almost being attacked in Bay City, it is decided that it is the right time for Moon Song to travel home to her people in upper Michigan.  Being confident and competent she plans to head out on foot, but her employer will not hear of it and takes up Skypilot on his offer to accompany her. 
Skypilot is a lumberjack who was once a preacher.  He is a friend of Moon Song and looks at taking her home as an adventure.  However, when the trip turns dangerous he starts to view her in a very new light. 

Have you ever thought that just maybe you don't like reading anymore/  I was feeling that way until i picked up this book.  In just two days i had the book finished and my love of reading restored.  It was fascinating to read about the lives and growth of the character and the culture of the Indian people and the horrid breakdown of their lives and society as they knew it.  If I had to say something that I did not like about this book it might be that I felt that Skypilot did all the work in the relationship, and that Moon Song was more independent than I am used to in a heroine, but it really seemed realistic so I cannot even count it as a con.    Will I read this again/  Probably not, but it was such a fun journey to read this time and so glad that I found it on sale at CBD. 

The Golden Braid, Melanie Dickerson

 
Rating 3.5 out of 5
I am always a bit worried when I try a new genre and especially a new author.  A book review blog I follow had great things to say about Melanie Dickerson, but I was a nervous about reading "grown up" fairy tale books.  Seeing this beautiful cover on the library's self made me want to give it a try, however and I was very pleasantly surprised!  This was quite an enjoyable read and I will certainly read Melanie Dickerson again. 

We all know the story of Rapunzel so I won't give you a summary, but I will say that this story kept me interested the entire way through and was super clean and sweet without being corny or preachy.  Technically this is a YA fiction book, but as an adult I didn't find it immature reading at all.  I highly enjoyed this trip through fairy tale land and it's happily ever after! 

Charity's Cross, MaryLu Tyndall

Rating 5 out of 5
Charity is involved in an accident that kills her husband and she runs in fear. She has spent their marriage enduring horrid abuse and is relieved to be free of him. However, his brother is determined to find her and make her pay for the death of his brother. Charity escapes on a ship and after docking in port realizes her brother in law is after her. She jumps over the side and treated to an unwanted rescued by the handsome, reformed pirate Elias Dutton. He immediately feels responsible for her safety and they set out on an adventure where he must rescue her more than once. Feelings develop along the way, but will the skeletons in Charity's closet keep them from each other?

So once upon a time I read a MaryLu book that I didn't like. It was LONG and I felt like I was constantly waiting for something exciting to happen. Ok, well there was a lot of fighting between ships and things, but basically nothing between the hero and heroine. By the end I was so frustrated I almost didn't read her books anymore. However, I found one on sale and liked it. Then I found another and really liked it. This one was even better, and it is the first five star book I've read in a long time. This book was so much fun to read. I'm kind of a sucker for a damsel and distress and a strong hero with a jaded past. While Charity was in big trouble and needed almost constant rescuing, I did not find her character to be weak or faint. Elias was a little bit bigger than life, but I'm not reading fiction for real life that's for sure! While I have never had too much of an interest in pirates, this whole series (The Charles Towne Belles) is definitely making me see the romanticism of the Caribbean's blue waters, handsome pirates with cutlasses and an exciting life at sea.

A Thousand Shall Fall, Andrea Boeshaar

 
 Rating 4.5 out of 5 Stars

 Carrie Ann is a small but sassy Virginian caught in a tough spot during the civil war.  Her father has gone off to be a journalist for the war, her mother is touched in the head and her sisters are not behaving like ladies.  Not to mention she is living in horrid conditions in an Inn while working there to pay for room and board since their house burned down.  After her little sister runs off with a no account peddler, Carrie Ann dresses up as a Union Solider to go and find her.
She had not gotten far when she finds herself caught up in a tree and meets the dashing Colonel Peyton Collier.  She travels with his company a bit and helps with the wounded until she is placed at the Colonel's home with his spinster Aunt.  A slip of the tongue and Carrie finds herself in a hilarious yet precarious predicament...and falling in love.

This book was an absolute delight to read.  It was funny, fast paced and had a touch of romance, too.  I don't even know how I ended up buying this one.  I think maybe a book reviewer posted that it was free for a short time?  Must have been because now it is 10 dollars on Kindle and I almost never spend that kind of money on a book.  However it happened, I am sure glad I came across this one.  After a string of mediocre books that were hard to even get through, I had begun to lose hope in Christian fiction.  A Thousand Shall Fall has restored my hope!  While I have a list of "to-reads" I hope to read more from this author in the future! 

A Bride for Keeps, Melissa Jaeger

 Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

 How well could a marriage between a girl hurt by men and a man that has been jilted 3 times really go?  Talk about some HUGE trust issues and defensive walls.  I won't give away too much but let's say it led to a happy ending with excitement, tears and character development along the way.  Lately I had almost given up on Christian Romance, but this book I really enjoyed.  I hope to read some more like this!  The characters, setting (Kansas!!) and plot really hooked me. 

A Place in His Heart, Rebecca Dimarino

 














Rating 2.5 out of 5 Stars
 Rating 2.5 out of 5 stars
Mary and Barnabas marry for convenience after the death of Barnabas's beloved first wife, Ann.  While Mary loves him, Barnabe refuses to let himself love her and instead holds onto his late wife's memory with all his power.  Will he ever learn to love her? 

I really did not enjoy this book very much.  The characters were hard for me to get my head around and understand.  The dialogue was almost painful for me to read, but I am giving it the chance that it was just true to the time period.  A lot of the hints about the main character led me to almost believe he was unfaithful, but that wasn't the truth at all...maybe this was just to help me understand how not attentive he was to her feelings?   I really wanted to see what happened in the ending, but was disappointed there, too. 

To Win Her Heart, Karen Witemeyer

 
Rating 3 out of 5 stars

Summary:
Eden is a wealthy and beautiful woman living in Texas.  After being hurt badly in the past by a lying suitor who was only after her inheritance, she decides that the spinster life is for her.  She pours her time into the lending library she has started in her home with her own personal book collection.
Levi is fresh out of jail.  In his past he was a rebellious youth with a taste for fighting.  During one match an opponent was killed and Levi went to jail.  While this would normally be horrible, it led to Levi's salvation and a promise never to fight again.  Now he's in a new town with a fresh start.  But will his past stay...in the past? 
Here comes handsome, strong Levi to town and Miss Eden seems to be rethinking her "no man" decision.  Will Levi pursue her?  What about the nasty town sheriff?  He's interested in Eden and intent on shedding light on Levi's past.  Will the town turn on Levi?  Will Eden be able to trust him?

Review:
I had a hard time getting into this book.  In fact, I almost stopped reading it, but really did want to know what happened.  However, around 75% the story really picked up and I thoroughly enjoyed the last 25%.  This seems to be a theme of mine with Ms. Witemeyer's books.  They just seem too long to me for some reason?  It was a fun, easy read though and I love a happy ending. 

My Life as an Amish Wife, Lena Yoder

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

This is not a book I ever would have thought to read.  It's not historical and it's not even fiction!  However, a friend of mine raved about it and I thought I'd get a sample on my kindle to try.  Later I realized that I had accidentally bought it and decided I must be meant to read it.  I am very thankful I did. 

My Life as an Amish Wife is almost like reading the day to day diary or journal of an Amish farmer's wife.  She writes about her work, children and friends and the events of their life over seven years.  It's marvelous and inspiring.  Reading about her waking up at 4 and the list of things she would do each day really encouraged me to work harder and be more domestic in general.  Never did I feel at all like she was bragging about her life or what she accomplished day to day.  She was always very humble and also honest about her struggles.   I have to admit I was a little jealous of the sense of community she shared with her church neighbors.  What a blessing.