Carol Moncado

In 1882, Sarah Whittier dreams of opening an art studio run by immigrant women. She plans to use the house left to her by family friend Josiah Cady as collateral for her studio. But will all be lost when the inheritance is challenged by an angry man claiming to be Josiah’s son and legal heir? Rumor of gold nuggets hidden in the house, place Sarah’s life in danger. Her future uncertain and her safety threatened, Sarah has nowhere to turn. That is, unless she can soften a vengeful man’s heart–and they both learn that love is finer than any gold.

Ms. Herriman’s sophomore effort is every bit as good as her first. In fact, it’s a bit more my speed as it’s set in the US rather than the British Isles. I thoroughly enjoyed Irish Healer, but I loved the foray into San Francisco.

Both Sarah and Daniel have reason to distrust each other and to stay as far away from each other as possible. Rumors of treasure left by Josiah – Daniel’s long-absent father and Sarah’s employer/father figure – brings out the worst in many people, including the two of them from time to time.

A brilliant cast of characters comes to life as the streets of San Francisco become the backdrop to a love story that overcomes all odds. Daniel has his twin ten-year-old sisters to take care of and Sarah wants nothing more than to help immigrant women better their lives

With a twist at the end you have to read to believe [be careful reading Amazon reviews – someone gave it away :(], the two struggle to reconcile reality with their perceptions and set aside preconceived notions to see what might be between the two of them.

I look forward to Ms. Herriman’s next offering!

Overall rating: 8.5 out of 10 stars

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

Jilted by a fortune hunter, cowgirl Cassidy McClare is a spunky Texas oil heiress without a fortune who would just as soon hogtie a man as look at him. Hoping a summer visit with her wealthy cousins in San Francisco will help her forget her heartache, Cassidy travels west. But no sooner is she settled in beautiful California than Jamie McKenna, a handsome pauper looking to marry well, captures her heart. When Jamie discovers the woman he loves is poorer than he is, Cassidy finds herself bucked by love a second time. Will Jamie discover that money can’t buy love after all? And can Cassidy ever learn to fully trust her heart to a man?

With delectable descriptions and a romantic sensibility, bestselling author Julie Lessman brings the Gilded Age to life in this sumptuous new series. Readers will faithfully follow Lessman to the West Coast for more romance, passion, and surprising revelations found in Love at Any Cost.

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I adore Julie Lessman. She’s utterly adorable, so sweet, and such a wonderful encourager.

Even if she does make me cry.

At least two Facebook status updates, the day I read this, railed at Jules for that fact. I already had a headache [stupid weather system coming through], but I trust Julie [and Pepper Basham had already assured me it all ended up good in the end].

In Julie’s first departure from Boston and the O’Connor family, she finds a winner in San Francisco and the Cousins McClare.

Cassie is a spunky cowgirl, reminiscent [in a great way] of a Mary Connealy heroine, uprooted from her Texas ranch and transplanted to Nob Hill. Jamie is an up and coming lawyer, working three jobs at times to pull himself, his mother and his crippled sister out of Barbary Coast and into respectability.

From page one, sparks fly and they find more in common than either could have imagined. But the one thing that drives them apart is faith in God – Cassie’s faith and Jamie’s lack.

Jamie convinces Cassie to open her heart to the possibility of an “us” while she convinces him to open his heart to the Creator of the universe.

But when things are looking good, something happens to rip them apart. One thing after another. One obstacle is overcome and another thrown in their path. The obstacles don’t feel forced or like Julie sat around and said “Huh, what else can I throw at them?” but organic to the story.

Can Cassie truly open her heart, let Jamie earn her trust? Can Jamie look at his past in the light of shocking revelations and realize that God’s hand has been in his life all along?

Tears of joy, tears of sorrow and God’s plan through all of it. A Julie Lessman novel through and through.

Oh – did I mention the secondary story? Cassie’s aunt Caitlin and her late husband’s brother, Logan? They made me cry as much as Cassie and Jamie did. But, stinker that Julie is, their story is going to span all three novels in the Cousins McClare series. It irritates me to no end that I have to wait for them ;). I may have to go find her and coerce the rest of the story out of her with cookies.

The good thing about this series? The books are coming more often than Julie’s last two series. The bad thing? It’s still nine months until the next one. Sigh.

Overall Rating: 9.25 out of 10 stars

Available April 15, 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

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

A Love Worth Fighting For

When Slade McKennon comes looking for Mia Cooper, the Dawson sheriff’s only mission is to keep her safe. But the wounded DEA agent isn’t ready to trust the man whose past is so entwined with hers. Slade lives by his own code of honor—one that prevents the widowed father from pursuing the woman he’s known most of his life. But for the first time in ages, Mia feels safe. And she’s finally starting to seal up the scars on both her body and her heart. Can Slade and his sweet but aching son provide the healing touch of love?

I think this is my first book of Brenda’s [though I have several on my bookshelf, but amid all of the other books in my TBR stack I’ve not gotten to them :(]. I wish I had. I will, one of these days.

But her newest release, The Cowboy Lawman, was a great way to be introduced to her and to Cooper Creek.

I loved Slade. The tough cowboy/deputy is also Mia’s best friend’s widower and the man she’s always made certain to remain just friends with. Because Slade and her BFF were meant to be together from the beginning, she never let anyone know about her feelings for the man – really, not even herself.

But now, Slade’s taken it upon himself to make sure she’s okay after being shot in the line of duty and the more he’s around – the more his little boy’s around – the more she wishes she could be a part of their lives, that she could somehow be the wife and mother her best friend had been.

It’s up to Slade to decide if he’s really ready to move on and, if he is, if his late wife would be okay with them moving on together.

Brenda drew me in, kept me hooked, and left me wanting more. I let her know, minutes after I finished reading, that I fully expect a certain secondary character to get a story one of these days. The business in Cooper Creek isn’t done.

The only thing that bugged me was… not a lack of emotion at one point, but, in my mind, there would have been MORE emotion. The particular incident [whether good or bad] was taken too much in stride, but overall it didn’t diminish my enjoyment at all.

Overall rating: 8.5 out of 10 stars

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

Does a second chance at life and love always involve surrender?
 
A three-year old son, a struggling café, and fading memories are all Robin Price has left of her late husband. As the proud owner of Willow Tree Café in small town Peaks, Iowa,  she pours her heart into every muffin she bakes and espresso she pulls, thankful for the sense of purpose and community the work provides.
                                      
So when developer Ian McKay shows up in Peaks with plans to build condos where her café and a vital town ministry are located, she isn’t about to let go without a fight.
 
As stubborn as he is handsome, Ian won’t give up easily. His family’s business depends on his success in Peaks. But as Ian pushes to seal the deal, he wonders if he has met his match. Robin’s gracious spirit threatens to undo his resolve, especially when he discovers the beautiful widow harbors a grief that resonates with his own.
 
With polarized opinions forming all over town, business becomes unavoidably personal and Robin and Ian must decide whether to cling to the familiar or surrender their plans to the God of Second Chances. 

Last year, I hated that I didn’t love Katie’s debut novel, Wildflowers from Winter. I didn’t NOT like it, but I didn’t love it like I wanted to. But when I discovered my favorite secondary character would be the heroine in Wishing on Willows, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.

I had to wait a whole year…

But it was worth the wait.

I loved Robin and I loved seeing the characters from Wildflowers. Ian and Robin meet and sparks fly – but not necessarily the good kind as Ian wants nothing more than to drive Robin and the cafe she and her late husband had dreamed of out of it’s home.

Both Robin and Ian feel pressured to fulfill the dreams of those around them. In Robin’s case, it’s the dream she shared with her late husband. For Ian, it’s the pressures of his parents and their company which depends on him to land this deal.

They both try to take matters into their own hands, but ultimately, they realize only God holds the key to their problems.

Can they come to a true compromise? Both giving something while both also gain something in the process? And can they fall in love even if they can’t?

Just as well-written as Katie’s first project, Wishing on Willows doesn’t disappoint and I can’t wait to see what else she has in store for us in the future.

Overall rating: 8.5 out of 10 stars

Recently widowed Annalisa Werner has the feeling her husband was murdered but can’t prove it. Alone with her young daughter in 1881 Michigan, she has six months left to finish raising the money needed to pay back the land contract her husband purchased, and the land is difficult to toil by herself. She needs a husband. With unmarried men scarce, her father sends a letter to his brother in the Old Country, asking him to find Annalisa a groom.

For nobleman Carl von Reichart, the blade of the guillotine is his fate. He’s been accused and convicted of a serious crime he didn’t commit, and his only escape is to flee to a small German community in Michigan where he’ll be safe. He secures a job on Annalisa’s farm but bumbles through learning about farming and manual labor. 

Annalisa senses that Carl is harboring a secret about his past, yet she finds herself drawn to him anyway. He’s gentle, kind, and romantic–unlike any of the men she’s ever known. He begins to restore her faith in the ability to love–but her true groom is still on his way. And time is running out on them all.

I’ve read all three of Jody’s books and loved them all. This is the first of the three that were not based on true stories.

First, I loved the cover! Especially the cravat blowing in the wind ;).

Jody does an excellent job of bringing the past, particularly the German subculture in rural Michigan. The characters are vivid and realistic. Human without being completely unlikable [except one ;)]. Both Annalisa and Carl captured my heart from the beginning and I rooted for them to get together. The chemistry between the two was undeniable, even though Annalisa was to marry someone else. Can they find a way around seemingly unsurmountable odds?

Though the hardships and realities of life in rural America crash in, we’re left with a wonderful satisfying ending, like we’ve come to expect from Jody.

I can’t wait for her next release – a retelling of John and Abigail Adams, another one that is sure not to disappoint.

Overall Rating: 8.75 out of 10 stars

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for an ecopy in exchange for my honest review.

The young heroine in Sinners and the Sea is destined for greatness. Known only as “wife” in the Bible and cursed with a birthmark that many think is the brand of a demon, this unnamed woman—fated to become the mother of all generations after the great flood—lives anew through Rebecca Kanner. The author gives this virtuous woman the perfect voice to make one of the Old Testament’s stories come alive like never before.

Desperate to keep her safe, the woman’s father gives her to the righteous Noah, who weds her and takes her to the town of Sorum, a haven for outcasts. Alone in her new life, Noah’s wife gives him three sons. But living in this wicked and perverse town with an aloof husband who speaks more to God than to her takes its toll. Noah’s wife struggles to know her own identity and value. She tries to make friends with the violent and dissolute people of Sorum while raising a brood that, despite its pious upbringing, develops some sinful tendencies of its own. While Noah carries out the Lord’s commands, she tries to hide her mark and her shame as she weathers the scorn and taunts of the townspeople.

But these trials are nothing compared to what awaits her after God tells her husband that a flood is coming—and that Noah and his family must build an ark so that they alone can repopulate the world. As the floodwaters draw near, she grows in courage and honor, and when the water finally recedes, she emerges whole, displaying once and for all the indomitable strength of women. Drawing on the biblical narrative and Jewish mythology, Sinners and the Sea is a beautifully written account of the antediluvian world told in cinematic detail.

Sigh. This is a hard review for me to write. As I’ve mentioned before, I only offer to review books I anticipate liking, which means most of my reviews get pretty good star ratings. I generally enjoy Biblical fiction and the idea of the story of Noah’s wife was irresistible.

Sinners and the Sea is an interesting read that kept me “turning pages” (or pushing the arrow on my Kindle, anyway). But at the same time, I spent about half the book with an eyebrow raised at the the fantastical interpretations of parts of the story of Noah’s nameless wife. I’ve seen reviews praising the “mythical” elements as a creative and fascinating retelling of the story of Noah, but sadly, I can’t agree with that :/. For me, it stretched my incredulity way too far.

Noah’s wife has no name because of the wine-colored birthmark on her forehead. Her father believed by not giving her a name, it would shield her from the cruel taunts of the local people. It didn’t work. Eventually, she marries Noah to protect her. She’s 19. He’s 400. They live on the outskirts of a town that makes Sodom and Gomorrah look tame. Noah’s job is to get them to repent, but, well… he’s more than a little harsh about it. It’s not until the very end – like the last few pages – that I even begin to like him. When he finally gives a reason for why he was completely uninvolved with his sons as they were growing up, sons he desperately wanted, I kind of understand, but…

There’s a lot of mythical or fantastical elements I could write off as interpretation, etc. that simply didn’t resonate with me. Instead, it was too much for me. I probably would have decided not to even review it in the end, but there were a few other things that compel me to go ahead. There were a number of things that would offend many people I know.

• Several uses of the word d*** – and not just in the “God’s going to damn us all for evil” sense.
• Several uses of crass terms for male genitalia – not just euphemisms, though there were plenty of those as well
• Not too explicit descriptions of life in the nearby town, including prostitution, death, murder, mercenaries and a band of “pirates” that truly disturbed me.

All in all, most of it I could write of as a well-written but ultimately not for me. But with those other things, I’ve got to say something.

I will add the caveat that NetGalley copies are generally Advance (not final) copies, but my understanding is that the edits are generally minor (punctuation, spelling, homonyms, etc.) not more substantive.

With that, I did finish the book in a fairly short period of time. It was well-written, but ultimately, not something I could recommend.

Overall rating: 4 out of 10 stars (and, sadly, that feels generous :()

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

Potentially Lovely, Perpetually Human is a new blog by one of my oldest friends. Not OLD, of course, because that would be to admit that *I’m* old, but one of the few people in this world I’ve known over 30 years. We won’t say how many years over 30 that is ;).

When we moved to Phoenix right before I started first grade, I knew I’d be going to a Christian school. Amy, along with Mark and Jon, had gone to the same school in Kindergarten and the four of us would graduate high school together twelve years later. We all met oodles of other friends along the way, and, of course, a gazillion more since. But thanks to the advent of Facebook, I’ve come back in touch with Amy over the last several years [and Jon’s wife, another friend of ours; Mark, to my knowledge, is not on Facebook].

That’s me and Amy about 15 years ago when my hubby and I had a reception in Phoenix after getting married in Missouri. Isn’t she lovely?

Amy started blogging this week and her’s is a story I’d love for you to follow. She doesn’t have it set up to follow by email [yet? I don’t think…], but put this blog on your daily “websites to visit” list.

Her first three posts are:

It’s Time wherein she outlines her goals with the blog – and for sharing their journey.

The Story Begins is Amy and Jeremy’s love story in a nutshell [I remember the two of them when they first started dating!]

Our First Addition chronicles their early married life, up until their firstborn joined them.

Doing a whole blog about a friend of mine and her new blog… well, that should tell you how highly I recommend it. Not that I’ve done a ton of blogging lately [oy – the book reviews I’ve got coming! Maybe that’s what I should do with the rest of my day… there’s a doozy coming up…], but I can’t recommend highly enough that you check out Amy, Jeremy, and their story.

And Amy, if you see this, darlin’, I’m so incredibly proud of you and Can. Not. Wait. for a flyby in June! I’m praying our plans don’t change because I can’t wait to hug your neck. Love you to pieces!