Carol Moncado

On his way to interview for a position at a church in the Piney Woods of Texas, Crockett Archer can scarcely believe it when he’s forced off the train by a retired outlaw and presented to the man’s daughter as the minister she requested for her birthday. Worried this unfortunate detour will ruin his chances of finally serving a congregation of his own, Crockett is determined to escape. But when he finally gets away, he’s haunted by the memory of the young woman he left behind–a woman whose dreams now hinge on him.

For months, Joanna Robbins prayed for a preacher. A man to breathe life back into the abandoned church at the heart of her community. A man to assist her in fulfilling a promise to her dying mother. A man to help her discover answers to the questions that have been on her heart for so long. But just when it seems God has answered her prayers, it turns out the parson is there against his will and has dreams of his own calling him elsewhere. Is there any way she can convince Crockett to stay in her little backwoods community? And does the attraction between them have any chance of blossoming when Joanna’s outlaw father is dead set against his daughter courting a preacher?

I’m a big fan of Karen’s books and have been looking forward to this sequel to Short Straw Bride since I heard it was on it’s way!

I loved Travis as a hero in Bride and adored all the brothers – including Crockett. Here he’s just what every [Christian] girl wants. A man strong enough to stand up to an outlaw [even if said outlaw is your father], gentle enough to take care of you [even if you don’t really need taking care of], a hard worker, and absolutely positively in love with his Savior.

As always, Karen weaves a tale that sucked me in and ended way, way too soon. Joanna and Crockett are meant for each other, despite the obstacles life throws in their way.

The twists and turns are believable and the outcome of some of the situations are, well, divinely inspired. And the resolution absolutely sigh-worthy.

Karen does have a novella coming out later this year with the fourth Archer brother – as part of a collection with a number of other authors I love – including Mary Connealy. Yay!

Though I did thoroughly enjoy Stealing the Preacher, I did like Short Straw Bride better – mostly because it’s my favorite kind of plot – sudden marriage :D.

Overall rating: 9 out of 10 stars

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

Claudia’s life did not start easily. The illegitimate daughter of Julia, reviled and exiled daughter of Caesar Augustus, Claudia spends her childhood in a guarded villa with her mother and grandmother. When Tiberius, who hates Julia, takes the throne, Claudia is wrenched away from her mother to be brought up in the palace in Rome. The young woman is adrift–until she meets Lucius Pontius Pilate and becomes his wife. When Pilate is appointed Prefect of the troublesome territory of Judea, Claudia does what she has always done: she makes the best of it. But unrest is brewing on the outskirts of the Roman Empire, and Claudia will soon find herself and her beloved husband embroiled in controversy and rebellion. Might she find peace and rest in the teaching of the mysterious Jewish Rabbi everyone seems to be talking about?

This is the second book I’ve read by Ms. Wallis Taylor and the second book I’ve read this year dealing with the crucifixion of Christ with a character typically vilified used as the protagonist. The first, Iscariot by Tosca Lee, had Judas and this novel features the wife of Pilate as the main character with Pilate a strong second.

I was immediately drawn into the world of Rome and the intrigue in Tiberius’s household. Even though I knew Claudia would end up marrying Pilate, I hoped she wouldn’t end up married to some old dude first ;). Or that Pilate wasn’t [I’ll be honest – have no clue how old I thought he was prior to this]. Tiberius’s right hand man has it out for Claudia and they are sent to govern the unruly Jewish people.

Life is both easy – she is a wealthy Roman noblewoman – and hard – her husband can be a hard man and seems to have been promoted above his ability at that time. Claudia learns about the Jewish faith from several around her and, eventually, hears of a new prophet, from Galilee – Jesus.

The perspective of Pilate, given what happens with Claudia and her encounter with Jesus, gives new theoretical insight into his rationale and maybe, just maybe, what he did wasn’t as unforgivable as many might think. Was he backed into a corner? He was a piece of a greater plan leading the salvation of the world.

Though a much lighter read than Iscariot, both bring fresh perspective to the crucifixion of Christ – something ordained before the foundations of the earth.

I especially enjoyed the ending. I won’t spoil it but it was happier than I’d anticipated.

Claudia was a pleasant read and I’ll be looking for more by Ms. Wallis Taylor.

Overall rating: 8.75 out of 10 stars

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

Thanks to the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange of my honest review.

Julianne used to believe in fairy tales; she’s been watching for Prince Charming to come charging in on his white steed ever since the day her mother read her Cinderella for the first time. But she’s never come close to finding the perfect man-instead she’s always tripping over her childhood best friend, Will. And who finds their Prince Charming on a 10-speed bicycle on the other side of the cul de sac? Well… Julianne does. Only she doesn’t have a clue.

She and Will are attorneys now, and they’ve joined up in private practice in a beautiful Cincinnati office building that overlooks the Ohio River. And then one day Julianne is on her way to court, and runs right smack dab into Prince Charming. But when she looks again, all she finds is a metaphoric sign she is certain came straight from Heaven: The Prince’s toolbox has fallen off the back of his truck, and a work boot along with it. What better way for God to grab the attention of a Cinderella-in-training than to show her a glass slipper…errrr, work boot?…waiting to be reunited with its owner?

So she sets out to track down the mysterious Prince Charming. He’s the most gorgeous guy she’s ever seen…and a caring animal rescuer, too. Surely he must be the soul mate God has prepared her for.

But, Julianne’s prince is starting to look less and less charming all the time. No matter how she tries to romanticize him, he just keeps tumbling down off that dumb pedestal. And with the Bar Association dinner coming up that will honor her for her outstanding charity work over the year, Julianne wants so much for her friends and colleagues to see her with someone besides her best friend Will. To make matters worse, Prince Charming has no designs on wearing a penguin suit and attending a stuffy old dinner. With her pride pressing in on her like sticks from a cactus, Julianne sinks to the bottom of the proverbial barrel and actually offers to pay Paul to be her date.

Julianne is on a collision course with God’s perfect plan for her life…if only she could open her eyes and see it before it’s too late.

After I requested this book via NetGalley [but before I had been approved], I “applied” for a position on Sandie’s Launch Team for this book and I am so glad I did.

It wasn’t quite what I expected, but nonetheless and wonderful read. Julianne and Will are simply perfect and I love the chemistry between the two of them.

The only problem?

Julianne seems to cut off her nose to spite her face when it comes to Will. She simply can’t let herself believe there could be a future for them – no matter how many times God seems to give a sign.

Instead, she does her best to turn the rescuer of a poor dog into her Prince Charming, but it simply isn’t to be. He does bring “Charming” into her life, but this man? He’s a poor substitute for the real thing.

This is the first in Sandie’s series of modern fairy tale retellings and I’m looking forward to the next one. While I agree – completely – of Julianne and Will’s perfection for each other, I’d love to see Mr. Not-So-Charming get a story of his own – wherein his “faults” are “fixed.” Or at least he finds his own Ms. Right. I’ve not got a clue what Sandie has planned, but I’d guess that’s not it.

Even so, I loved this Cinderella retelling and can’t wait for the next one.

Overall rating: 9 out of 10 stars

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

If Molly Hatfield’s purple attire doesn’t blind you, her dazzling smile will.  She doesn’t just sing to the cattle, she puts on a whole show. If only she wasn’t so stubborn about her brother’s care.  Or so distrustful of a certain handsome doctor…

There is nothing Molly wouldn’t do for her teenaged brother, Donny. Blaming herself for the accident that left him wheel-chair bound, Molly has dedicated her life to his care. But in 1896, gainful employment for a woman is hard to come by. So when Molly learns that an eccentric rancher in Cactus Patch, Arizona, is looking for an heiress–someone to take over management of the ranch in exchange for future ownership–she jumps at the chance to provide a real home for her brother. 

If she proves to have a knack for ranching and agrees to remain single for life, the ranch can be hers. Neither stipulation worries Molly. She’s resourceful and hardworking. And she gave up dreams of marriage long ago when she dedicated her life to her brother’s well-being.

However, Molly didn’t bank on meeting Dr. Caleb Fairbanks, the town’s handsome and charismatic young doctor, whose backfiring automobilie almost gets him killed when Molly thinks she’s being shot at and fires back. 

But it’s how he is with her brother that really alarms her. Caleb sees past the wheelchair and genuinely likes Donny, but Molly fears he’s putting unrealistic ideas into her brother’s head. Falling in love with Caleb would threaten everything she’s worked for, even her brother’s future happiness.   It’ll take an act of congress to convince her otherwise–and maybe even a little help from above.

I believe this is my first book by Margaret Brownley. I have several but haven’t had the chance to read them.

Though I haven’t read the first book, I didn’t feel lost or like I needed to read it to understand this one. Having grown up in Phoenix, this had extra appeal for me.

Molly is spunky and resourceful – and admirable for sticking next to her brother even if it costs her a chance at happiness.

Caleb and his dog, Magic, are wonderful. If only his new automobile wouldn’t put him on the other end of Molly’s shotgun.

All in all, this is a great read and I’ll be sure to pick up more of Margaret Brownley’s books as the opportunity arises.

Overall rating: 8.25 out of 10 stars

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

Susanna Truitt never dreamed of a great romance or being treated like a princess—just to marry the man she has loved for twelve years. But life isn’t going according to plan. When her high-school-sweetheart-turned-Marine-officer breaks up instead of proposing, Susanna scrambles to rebuild her life. The last thing Prince Nathaniel expects to find on his American holiday to St. Simons Island is the queen of his heart. A prince has duties, and his family’s tense political situation has chosen his bride for him. When Prince Nathaniel comes to Susanna’s aid under the fabled Lover’s Oak, he is blindsided by love. Their lives are worlds apart. He’s a royal prince. She’s an ordinary girl. But everything changes when Susanna receives an invitation to Nathaniel’s coronation. It’s the ultimate choice: His kingdom or her heart? God’s will or their own?

This is the third book [I think] I’ve read by Ms. Hauck and definitely my favorite. In fact, I can’t wait for my hard copy to arrive so I can reread it ;). [By the time this posts, it may well be in hand :D.]

I absolutely loved Susanna and Nathaniel. I loved the royal background of his country and the pomp and circumstance that goes along with having a prince around.

But I completely adored how well he fit in with her family when no one knew who he was! Loved, loved, loved that!

The problems, as in most romances, seem insurmountable, and, as in most romances, they are overcome. But Ms. Hauck does an absolutely masterful job keeping us in suspense about how exactly they’re going to sort it all out.

I think I know who the heroine of book 2 in this series is going to be and I can’t wait until it comes out. Yes, I’m getting a bit ahead of myself as I read this one about two months before its release, but hey, a girl can be an insatiable reader.

Overall rating: 9.5 out of 10 stars

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

Successful career gal Kendall Haynes is tired of wishing on stars for a home and a family. Can God’s dreams for her be even better than her own?

What does a girl do when life doesn’t go according to her plan? At thirty-six, Kendall Haynes has seen some of her dreams come true. She’s a family physician helping kids with severe allergies and asthma achieve more fulfilling lives—a childhood struggle she knows all too well. But are Kendall’s dreams of having it all—a career, a husband, children—nothing more than a childhood fantasy? God says He knows the plans He has for her—why can’t Kendall figure them out and be content with her life?

Griffin Walker prefers flying solo—both as an Air Force pilot and in his personal life. But a wrong choice and health problems pulled him out of the cockpit. His attempts to get out of “flying a desk” are complicated by his parents’ death—making Griffin the reluctant guardian of his sixteen-year-old brother, Ian. How did his life get so off course? Can he get his life back on track…or has there been a divine plan all along?

Catch a Falling Star reminds readers that romance isn’t just for twenty-somethings and that sometimes letting go of your “wish I may, wish I might” dreams is the only way to embrace everything God has waiting for you.

Anyone who knows me knows I adore Beth Vogt. She was one of my greatest encouragers last year when half my face suddenly stopped working and such a wonderful friend.

Last year, when her debut novel released, I mentioned I was scared to death [or at least a bit worried] that I wouldn’t like it. Of course, I needn’t have worried [and in fact loaned Wish You Were Here to my sister just this weekend – er, the weekend before I wrote this post anyway ;)].

And I didn’t need to worry about her sophomore offering either.

I loved Kendall and pulled for her as she struggled with trying to have it all – as her best friends seemed to be doing just that. Griffith is a man’s man but struggling when the thing he loved more than anything was taken away from him.

Their mutual love of Jeeps and concern over the health of Griffith’s allergy stricken little brother bring them together time and again, as they both struggle with God’s plan. Is it the “other man” who keeps popping up in Kendall’s life? And what about the professional accusations streaming her way?

Beth keeps the pages turning – or the arrow of the Kindle clicking anyway – and she weaves a wonderful tale of God’s love, redemption, and Jeeps.

I cannot wait to see what Beth has next for us.

[But I did miss the llamas… ;)]

Overall rating: 9 out of 10 stars

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

Tired of running from her past, nurse Kate Callison intends to become Austin Grace Hospital’s permanent ER director and make Texas her home. Despite staff friction, she’s moving ahead. Then unthinkable tragedy wraps the ER in crime tape, bringing swarms of media, legal chaos—and a search-and-rescue hero who seems determined to meddle in her life. 

For Wes Tanner, nothing beats finding someone who’s lost; he’s known that helpless terror firsthand. So he’ll expand his team’s lifeline of hope: K9 tracking, swift water rescue, even horse-mounted searches. He’s ready for anything—except Austin Grace’s prickly and dismissive ER director. 

As Kate and Wes discover more about each other, new respect becomes something deeper. Kate wonders if her heart might have finally found a home. Then an unsolved missing persons case—and a startling new one—become catalysts that threaten the loss of all she and Wes have found.

First, I need to whimper and whine. /whimper/A year between books is Too. Long./whine/

Okay – with that out of my system… 😉

For now…

As I’ve said about more than one author, I adore Candy Calvert. She’s the first author I connected with online when I started my own writing journey – and the first author [outside of my local area] I met in person at my first ACFW conference. If you’re not following her Facebook page – Candace Calvert Books – you should be – just don’t head over when you’re hungry. Because she makes the most delicious food and sometimes she posts pics. But she doesn’t share /pout/. [Okay – she probably would. But we’re not anywhere near her – so she doesn’t ;).]

Right.

Grace Medical.

Rescue Team.

Isn’t Wes hunky?

I love Kate. And I love Wes. And I love that he cares so much about the people in his life that he spends time searching for a toddler-sized doll an Alzheimer’s patient thinks is real. I love that his step-mom is, in so many ways, his real mom – and they’ve adopted kids, including ones with special needs. I also love his [eventual] willingness to admit he might have been wrong and judgmental.

He originally describes Kate as a cactus and he wouldn’t be far wrong. Through the time and care of those around her – including Wes and her estranged-but-wants-to-make-amends father – she becomes a bit less prickly. At every turn, it seems, she’s confronted with the one decision that truly haunts her past.

As she does her best to find a missing person, even in a dangerous situation, she’s forced to confront her past and tell Wes about it, though it could cost her everything.

As always, Candy has woven a wonderful tale of love, loss, redemption, grace, forgiveness [of others and ourselves] and of a Savior is powerful enough to save.

I received an ecopy to review but won a hard copy of an ARC from Candy. In it, there was a note. Spoilers for about three pages from the end. As much as I itched to open it early, I didn’t. I’ll admit I was hoping it was something to do with that secret Kate had, but it didn’t. Sigh. Oh well. [By the time you read it, it’ll be in the text so…]

As always, I’m eager for the next installment from Candy – the third in the Grace Medical series, newly retitled Life Support. If only it weren’t so far away. Sigh.

Overall Rating: 9.25 out of 10 stars

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

Set during the Industrial Revolution and the Great Exhibition of 1851, Follow the Heart is a “sitting-room romance” with the feel of a Regency-era novel but the fashions and technological advances of the mid-Victorian age.

From the acclaimed author of To Die For comes a stirring novel told that sheds new light on Elizabeth I and her court.Like Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir, Sandra Byrd has attracted countless fans for evoking the complexity, grandeur, and brutality of the Tudor period. In her latest tour de force, she poses the question: What happens when serving a queen may cost you your marriage–or your life?

In 1565, seventeen-year-old Elin von Snakenborg leaves Sweden on a treacherous journey to England. Her fiance has fallen in love with her sister and her dowry money has been gambled away, but ahead of her lies an adventure that will take her to the dizzying heights of Tudor power. Transformed through marriage into Helena, the Marchioness of Northampton, she becomes the highest-ranking woman in Elizabeth’s circle. But in a court that is surrounded by Catholic enemies who plot the queen’s downfall, Helena is forced to choose between her unyielding monarch and the husband she’s not sure she can trust–a choice that will provoke catastrophic consequences.

Vividly conjuring the years leading up to the beheading of Mary Queen of Scots, Roses Have Thorns is a brilliant exploration of treason, both to the realm and to the heart.

I think I liked this book best of the three Sandra Byrd books. Partly because I LOVE seeing the “after” in a Happily Ever After. Elin/Helena marries more than once and finds true love early on. Of the three leading ladies, she is the most “historically real” rather than “based on historically real.” Maybe that’s why I liked it better. I understand the delaying of love/marriage in the others, but for me, that aspect was the most satisfying in this one – even though they went through many ups and downs as most marriages are wont to do.

Elizabeth I – the Virgin Queen – and the 9th longest serving monarch in English history [3rd longest queen after Victoria and Elizabeth II] is responsible for many of the explorations that lead to the U.S. [Virginia anyone?] and the defeat of the Spanish Armada [though God and the weather played a role there as well].

The glimpse into her inner court was a wonderful one. I felt her pain – and understood her choice to remain single, even as I wished for her happiness with the love of her life. I longed for a more peaceful reign than her father, or her brother, or her older sister – Bloody Mary. In many ways, it was, though it wasn’t without strife. Many of the things we saw in the first two books [the reformation, the translations of Tyndale and others of the Bible into English, etc] come to fruition in Roses Have Thorns.

As always with a good book, I didn’t want it to end, but I was glad to have a long, satisfying story with both Elizabeth and Helena. My favorite part? The “E” ring. I loved that and how it related back to To Die For and Elizabeth’s mother – Anne Boleyn.

The only thing I wish? That there were more coming, but, alas, I don’t think there are.

Overall Rating: 8.75 out of 10 stars

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

The author of To Die For returns to the court of Henry VIII as a young woman is caught between love and honor.  

Juliana St. John is the daughter of a prosperous knight. Though her family wants her to marry the son of her father’s business partner, circumstances set her on a course toward the court of Henry VIII and his last wife, Kateryn Parr.

Sir Thomas Seymour, uncle of the current heir, Prince Edward, returns to Wiltshire to tie up his concerns with Juliana’s father’s estate and sees instantly that Juliana would fit into the household of the woman he loves, Kateryn Parr. Her mother agrees to have her placed in Parr’s household for “finishing” and Juliana goes, though perhaps reluctantly. 

For she knows a secret. She has been given the gift of prophecy, and in one of her visions she has seen Sir Thomas shredding the dress of the king’s daughter, the lady Elizabeth, to perilous consequence.

As Juliana learns the secrets of King Henry VIII’s court, she faces threats and opposition, learning truths about her own life that will undo everything she holds dear.

Henry VIII wasn’t someone I knew much about before reading these two books by Sandra. Other than the whole “blame his wives for having girls then chopping off their heads” thing. And the “Henry the Eighth I am, I am, Henry the Eighth I am” thing.

After reading To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn, I thought I knew what to expect from Henry in this novel and I wasn’t terribly disappointed. I did wish for Kateryn to have more of a chance at happiness once Henry passed and she became the Dowager Queen [no spoilers here – only what is pretty commonly known].

Julianna doesn’t just live through the turmoil of being close to one of Henry’s wives, but also through personal experiences I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. She survives it all with grace and as much dignity as she can muster.

Her knight in shining armor [literally? ;)] Jamie is wonderful and the resolution with their relationship is enough to make a girl give a waffy sigh and revel in the ending for a few minutes before getting back to the “real world.”

Not long after I finished this one [less than an hour actually], I started the next one – look for it tomorrow.

Overall rating: 8.5 out of 10 stars