Carol Moncado

Blaine Donovan has a secret, but so far his plan to keep the rest of the world in the dark about who he really is and what’s really going on in his life has worked. If he can just finish school before the demons catch up with him, he knows he can make life make sense once again. However, when he runs into Melody Todd, a semi-friend he had thought was long-gone, life takes a turn Blaine wasn’t at all expecting. 

Still hurting from watching her best friend marry someone else, Melody Todd has given up on dating, guys, and herself. In fact, when Blaine shows back up in her life, she does what she always does with the eligible guys who look her way—she sets him up with someone else. But Blaine soon proves to be much different than he at first seems. Too many things are not adding up the way they are supposed to, and the more Melody digs, the more she sees that the Blaine she knows is not the real Blaine at all… 

We met Blaine in book 2 of this series and had an opinion about him and who he was from the beginning.

From just about page one of this book, those assumptions are blown out of the water.

In many ways, it’s a lesson about “judging a book by it’s cover” or at least its first impression.

Blaine especially, isn’t who he seems at first and he goes to great lengths to keep Melody from seeing the truth. She discovers it anyway and they work together to solve the problem that keeps presenting itself.

Through it all, he helps Melody overcome the pain from watching her best friend [AJ from White Knight] with his new wife.

Staci weaves a story about honesty, reserving judgement, and helping those in their time of need. And allowing God to set you on the path He wants when the time is right.

I loved the epilogue, bringing all three couples together one last time to give us a hint about where they’re headed in the future.

Overall rating: 8.25 out of 10 stars

Thanks to Staci for a copy in exchange for my review.

To save others’ lives, they will risk their own…

Houston firefighter, Jeff Taylor is a fireman’s fireman. He’s not afraid of anything, and no situation is too dangerous to keep him on the sideline if lives are at stake.

Lisa Matheson runs a semi-successful ad agency that’s on the brink of falling apart. Her employees are incompetent, and her schedule has become exhausting. When she takes on a client with a brilliant idea for a big conference, she thinks that maybe, finally this is her lucky break. However, the fire station wasn’t what she had in mind for finding conference speakers. When she falls for a handsome but shy firefighter, it’s possible that life might just be going her way for a change. The only problem is she can’t control Jeff and the death wish he seems to have…

I’ve been looking for an excuse to read this series by Staci for some time – ever since I picked this book up for free a couple years ago. But those of you who frequent this blog know… I read a lot. But almost all of what I read, I read because I’m reviewing it which doesn’t leave a ton of time for “just because” books. So when Staci asked for reviewers for book 3, I jumped at it.

From page 1, Stacy sucked me in. Drawing me into the world of Lisa’s marketing and Jeff’s firefighting. Jeff and his firefighting buddies are exactly what you’d expect from a group of firefighters. Hunky and protective. And always willing to go the extra mile for their friends.

Lisa and Jeff have to work their way toward each other. Lisa needs to learn to let go of her perfectionism and Jeff needs to realize he doesn’t control life or death, no matter his skill as a firefighter.

The technology – especially with Eve – did throw me a bit in this series until I realized they came out several years ago. Once I realized that, it was all good ;).

Overall rating: 8 out of 10 stars

Beautiful Rachel wants nothing more than for her older half sister Leah to wed and move out of their household. Maybe then she would not feel so scrutinized, so managed, so judged. Plain Leah wishes her father Laban would find a good man for her, someone who would love her alone and make her his only bride. Unbeknownst to either of them, Jacob is making his way to their home, trying to escape a past laced with deceit and find the future God has promised him.

But the past comes back to haunt Jacob when he finds himself on the receiving end of treachery and the victim of a cruel bait and switch. The man who wanted only one woman will end up with sisters who have never gotten along and now must spend the rest of their lives sharing a husband. In the power struggles that follow, only one woman will triumph . . . or will she?

The third in the Wives of the Patriarchs series focuses on Jacob and Rachel – and Leah, Rachel’s much-despised older sister. The two women don’t like each other very much, and never have. Half-sisters, Leah is older, but Rachel’s mother is Laban’s favorite. Plus Rachel is by far the more beautiful of the two.

When Jacob arrives, he and Rachel are immediately smitten with each other and he agrees to work for Laban for seven years in exchange for Rachel as his wife. We all know the story. Laban and Leah tricked Rachel and Jacob, with Jacob marrying Leah instead.

Ms. Smith, obviously, uses her imagination along with meticulous research to fill in the blanks. Rachel and Leah, sharing a husband. Jacob loving one of them. Or can he learn to love both? Can they learn to get along?

To an extent, I was disappointed the book ended before Joseph was sold off to Egypt, but a girl can dream Ms. Smith might write that story someday too ;).

My heart ached for all three of them. Leah just wants to be loved but has little hope of that as she ages (though she’s certainly not old by today’s standards). Jacob intended to marry only one woman and be with her for life, but ended up married to not only two sisters, but eventually, two of their maids as well. Rachel had to share her husband, though she had more of him than any of the other women.

I’m saddened this is the end of the Wives of the Patriarchs series, but I look forward to her next project (which, I believe, is a series of novellas – The Wives of King Solomon).

Overall Rating: 8.75 out of 10 stars

Thanks to the publisher and author for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Regina Beswick was born to be a princess. But she’s content to be a small-town girl, running a classic auto restoration shop, unaware a secret destiny awaits her. One that will leap from the pages of her grandmother’s hand-painted book of fairytales.

Tanner Burkhardt is the stoic Minister of Culture for the Grand Duchy of Hessenberg. When he is tasked to retrieve the long-lost princess, he must overcome his fear of failure in order to secure his nation’s future—and his own. Yet lurking in the political shadows is a fierce opponent with sinister plans to abolish the throne forever.

Overwhelmed with opposition, Regina must decide if she’s destined to restore old cars or an ancient nation. Together—with a little divine intervention—Regina and Tanner discover the truth of her heritage and the healing power of true love.

 

 

 

Ms. Hauck captured us with the story of Nathaniel and his princess in Once Upon a Prince. King Nathaniel struggled with how to deal with the semi-independent Duchy of Hessenberg, until near the end when a descendant was discovered.

Princess Ever After is the story of that princess. Regina is happy with her life, though she’s afraid her “when I have no one else to go with” date is about to propose and she doesn’t love him – not like that. She’s loving her car restoration company and has no desire to go back to the corporate life. She loves being her own boss and working with her wacky crew.

Along comes Tanner, upsetting her not-so-perfectly ordered world. He wants to sweep her away to become princess of her own country, the country her grandmother fled as a youth. Portions of her grandmother’s diary in the last days of Hessenberg being it’s own entity are used to fill in the blanks for the reader as Regina learns of her grandmother’s story.

As Regina learns her family history, Tanner is coping with secrets of his own. He’s falling in love with Regina, but his past returns to haunt him.

What decision will Regina make? Will she be able to overcome the opposition forces mounting against her from within her new country? But is there a place for her back home?

And how will Tanner’s secrets affect her feelings for him?

All in all, another solid offering from a solid writer. I’m looking forward to book 3 and look for the review of A March Bride, a novella featuring King Nathaniel and Susanna in the weeks leading up to their wedding, coming soon.

Overall rating: 8.75 out of 10 stars

Thanks to the publisher for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Elizabeth Harding arrives in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to establish her medical practice thanks to the wooing of her two older sisters who extolled the beauty of the land. She’s certain she’ll have a line of patients eager for her expertise and gentle bedside manner. However, she soon discovers the town and its older doctor may not welcome a new physician. Even more frustrating, the handsome young attorney next door may not be ready for the idea of a woman doctor. For his part, Jason Nordling has nothing against women, but he’s promised himself that the woman he marries will be a full-time mother.

Despite their firm principles, Elizabeth and Jason find that mutual attraction–and disdain from the community–is drawing them ever closer. And when the two find themselves working to save the life and tattered reputation of a local woman, they’ll have to decide how far they’re willing to go to find justice–and true love.

 

 

As with the first two books, Ms. Cabot does an excellent job of transporting us back in time to the late 1800s and not-as-wild-as-it-used-to-be-but-not-quite-civilized Wyoming.

Elizabeth is a doctor, having completed all of her schooling, proving time and again that she was just as good – and probably better – than the men in her school. Now that she’s hung out her shingle, she hopes to have patients. Not too many at first, of course, but enough to pay her rent. When it comes right down to it, though, she knows doing the right thing is more important than what the gossipy types think. There’s no time for a beau.

Jason is a moderately successful lawyer. He’s paying his bills, though he’s certainly not rich. After a difficult case, he feels his reputation needs to be salvaged. He likes Elizabeth but doesn’t think she’ll be successful – and she certainly isn’t what he wants in the woman he’ll eventually marry and be the mother of his children.

So the attraction they both feel gets put on the back burner until…

Well, that’s where picking up the book comes in ;).

Overall rating: 8.25 out of 10 stars

Thanks to the author and the publisher for a copy in exchange for my review.

Spunky Allison McClare is determined to be a fearless, independent woman, resorting to a mammoth hat pin for protection on her way to and from the school where she teaches. But when she takes a notion to explore the wild Barbary Coast she quickly discovers she is no match for rum-soaked brute strength. 

Detective Nick Barone would rather do almost anything than teach this petite socialite jiu-jitsu, but it seems he has little choice in the matter. Sparks fly every time the two meet until a grudging friendship develops into something deeper. But when Nick suddenly leaves town, Allison realizes he’s a fraud just like all the rest of the men she’s cared for. Does she dare love again?

The lushness of the glorious Gilded Age beautifully showcases Lessman’s passion as a writer in this engaging love story written with humor and heart. From the glamour of San Francisco’s Nob Hill to the seedy gambling dens of the Barbary Coast, Dare to Love Again is a journey to find a love that never fails. Fans will love revisiting the world of the cousins McClare, and new readers will seek more of Julie’s passion-filled novels.

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I adore Julie Lessman – both her books and Julie personally. I’ve been watching for this book since the last one came out and when the Revell Reads email popped up in my inbox, I jumped on it!

Filled with Julie’s trademark humor, smooches, and hunky heroes [both Nick and Jamie from last time and a couple others who may or may not be the hero of book 3 – or perhaps competing for the heroine’s hand???]. I loved the secondary story of Logan and Caitlyn and look forward to its resolution in book 3.

Alli McClare is spunky and spirited and I loved her from the very first page. Nick Barone [that’s with a long e sound, by the way ;)] could be surly and cantankerous with those who didn’t know him well or those who were on his bad side. But underneath beats the heart of a teddy bear. Alli doesn’t see this for a while and the two are sniping at each other from the very beginning.

As much as I loved this, I don’t think it was Julie’s best. Perhaps because it’s a bit shorter than her first two series*? I’m not really sure, but several times there are jumps in time – of several weeks, during which time the relationship between Alli and Nick softened or progressed. While Julie did a great job of setting it up so it’s plausible that the relationship has improved when we come back two or three weeks later, but I would have loved to see some more of that development.

There was one thread that I felt was dropped, and I won’t spoil it but has to do with Nick and Uncle Logan’s animosity. It’s possible this thread will continue through to book three so while I’ll ask Julie about it most likely, it’s also possible the resolution is still coming.

A couple other things kind of bugged me which leads to a bit lower rating than I would have expected, but those are personal pet peeve annoyances and not anything to do with the quality of the plot or Julie’s writing.

Overall Rating: 8 out of 10 stars

*What is the plural of series anyway? Serieses? Seri?

Special thanks to Revell Reads for a copy of the book in exchange for my unbiased review.

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Here’s my 2013 book list… It’s not complete. I didn’t keep up with it. I read a bunch of books I didn’t review [and therefore didn’t record]… But on this list is… 83 books. Which means I probably read at least 100. I know I read Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer twice… ;). I also read a bunch of manuscripts for friends that aren’t on this list – like Kristy Cambron’s upcoming release and one by Laurie Tomlinson, off the top of my head. I know there were others.

The Vast Majority of them were reviewed on the blog, but yeah, no links here. This year… one of my resolves is to do better…

2013:
January

1. Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska by Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss (8.5 stars)
2. Lily’s Plight by Sally Laity and Dianna Crawford (8 stars)
3. Home for Good by Jessica Keller (8.25 stars – posting 1/23)
4. Claiming Mariah by Pam Hillman (9.5 stars – posting 1/22)
5. Swept Away by Mary Connealy
6. Safe in His Arms by Colleen Coble (9.25 stars)
7. Isle of Shadows by Tracy L. Higley (7.75 stars)
8. Waiting for Spring by Amanda Cabot
9. Change of Fortune by Jen Turano
10. Submerged by Dani Pettrey
11. Shattered by Dani Pettrey
12. Picture Perfect by Janice Thompson

February

1. Iscariot by Tosca Lee
2. Rebekah by Jill Eileen Smith
3. Defending the Duchess by Rachelle McCalla
4. Love in the Balance by Regina Jennings
5. The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson

March

I’m sure I read some but I didn’t keep track – and all the book reviews from this month were read earlier :p.

April

1. Sinners and the Sea: The Untold Story of Noah’s Wife by Rebecca Kanner
2. A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund
3. Wishing on Willows by Katie Ganshert
4. The Cowboy Lawman by Brenda Minton
5. Love at any Cost by Julie Lessman
6. Josiah’s Treasure by Nancy Herriman
7. Strand of Deception by Robin Carroll
8. Poison by Jordyn Redwood
9. Always the Baker, Finally the Bride by Sandie Bricker
10. Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade
11. To Die For by Sandra Byrd
12. The Secret Keeper by Sandra Byrd
13. Roses Have Thorns by Sandra Byrd

May

1. Follow the Heart by Kaye Dacus
2. Rescue Team by Candace Calvert
3. Catch a Falling Star by Beth Vogt
4. Once Upon a Prince by Rachel Hauck
5. Waiting for Morning by Margaret Browning
6. If the Shoe Fits by Sandie Bricker

June

1. Claudia, Wife of Pontius Pilate by Diana Wallis
2. Jenna’s Cowboy by Sharon Gillenwater
3. Emily’s Chance by Sharon Gillenwater
4. Megan’s Hero by Sharon Gillenwater
5. I know there were more… 🙂

July

1. Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer
2. Jennifer by Dee Henderson
3. Harvest of Gold by Tessa Afshar
4. It Happened at the Fair by Deanne Gist
5. The Face of the Earth by Deborah Raney
6. Bride Wanted by Renee Andrews
7. Intentional Walk: An inside look at the St. Louis Cardinals by Rob Rains

August

1. Though My Heart is Torn by Joanne Bischof
2. The Wishing Tree by Mary Beth Whalen
3. Rosemary Cottage by Colleen Coble
4. Frame 232 by Wil Mara
5. The Icing on the Cake by Janice Thompson

September

1. Barefoot Summer  by Denise Hunter
2. Love’s Awakening by Laura Frantz
3. Fired Up by Mary Connealy

October

1. Made to Last by Melissa Tagg
2. First Date by Melody Carlson
3. Peril by Jordyn Redwood
4. Welcome to Last Chance by Cathleen Armstrong
5. Unspoken by Dee Henderson
6. A Bride for Keeps by Melissa Jagears
7. A Bride for All Seasons by various
8. Twice Promised by Maggie Brendan
9. Perfectly Matched by Maggie Brendan
10. The Anonymous Bride by Vickie McDonough
11. Second Chance Brides by Vickie McDonough
12. Finally a Bride by Vickie McDonough

November

I know I read some but no reviews…

December

1. Stones for Bread by Christa Parrish
2. My Hope is Found by Joanne Bischof
3. Daughter of Jerusalem by Joan Wolf
4. I, Saul by Jerry Jenkins and James McDonald
5. When Love Calls by Lorna Seilstad
6. Stranded by Dani Pettrey
7. Rebellious Heart  by Jody Hedlund
8. Truth-Stained Lies by Terri Blackstock
9. Solomon’s Song by Rebecca Kells Dorr
10. In Golden Splendor by Michael Reynolds
11. Princess Ever After by Rachel Hauck
12. A March Bride by Rachel Hauck
13. A December Bride by Denise Hunter
14. Taming Rafe by Susan May Warren
15. Reclaiming Nick by Susan May Warren
16. Bright Copper Kettles by Candice Sue Patterson

Irish immigrant Seamus Hanley is a lost soul, haunted by his past as a U.S. Army deserter and living alone in the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains in 1849. But after witnessing a deadly stage coach crash, he finds purpose in the scattered wreckage — a letter with a picture of a beautiful and captivating woman named Ashlyn living in San Francisco at the height of the Gold Rush.

Moved by her written plea for help, he abandons all and sets out on an epic journey across the wild and picturesque American frontier. While being pursued by those who want to hang him, Seamus encounters fascinating characters including a young Pauite Indian who makes the ultimate sacrifice in helping Seamus to cross the snowy Yosemite Valley.

Battered but changed for the better, Seamus reaches San Francisco on Christmas Eve as the city burns in the tragic fire of 1849. But there is little time for rest, as an even greater, more harrowing adventure involving Ashlyn is about to begin.

This is Michael’s sophomore offering and he does not disappoint. From the beginning, he grabbed my interest and didn’t let go. He has a way with descriptions that I envy and wish I could emulate.

The story lines are interesting. The characters are memorable. I laughed and cried with them. From Seamus’s neighbor at the beginning to the appearance of his uncle near the end, nearly every character had some definable quirk that made him or her unforgettable. The final resolution was a bit of a twist I didn’t see coming.

Michael is an author to watch. I normally read books with a bit more romance in them, but Michael held my interest regardless.

I’ve just downloaded his upcoming release, Songs of Shenandoah,  for review and look forward to reading it soon.

Overall rating: 8.25 out of 10 stars [mostly because I prefer more romance]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ecopy in exchange for my honest review.