PASSIONATE ABOUT SCHOOL LIBRARIES
The Words We Lost
Nicole Deese
Bethany House Publishers
Published 11 April 2023
♥♥♥♥♥
I absolutely adore the stories Nicole Deese crafts and The Words We Lost was no different. Poignant and strongly emotional, this is a story of loss, grief, long-held grudges and pain and the things that bring people back together.
Faling For the Cowgirl
– Jody Hedlund –
Colorado Cowboys #4
Bethany House Publishers
Published 10 October 2022
♥♥♥♥♥
Falling For The Cowgirl is the fourth book in the Colorado Cowboys series and the long awaited story of Ivy McQuaid.
Sister to the four McQuaid brothers, Ivy more than knows how to stand her ground and hold her own on a horse and cattle ranch. But it’s her dream to have her own spread. She’s been entering cowboy competitions, disguised as a man, to raise the funds she needs to buy the land. But when Jericho Bliss rides back into town, everything is thrown into chaos. Of course, he immediately sees through Ivy’s disguise and threatens to tell her brothers if she doesn’t stop with the dangerous competitions. And then there are the feelings she’s long carried for Jericho. And he’s never done anything but treat her like a sister. What Jericho can’t tell Ivy is that he is now a Pinkerton Agent, hunting down a dangerous killer, and following his feelings for Ivy could get her hurt. It’s something he’s vowed never to do, but it is hard to ignore the deep friendship between them and the blazing attraction they share.
Love and the Dream Come True
– Tammy L. Gray –
State of Grace #3
Bethany House Publishers
Published 2 August 2022
♥♥♥♥
Love and The Dream Come True brings to a conclusion the A State of Grace series. It comes full circle on so many of the characters we have seen grow, heal and fall in love. It’s perfect that this last book features musician Cameron, who has been part of so many of the previous books.
The Deadly Shallows
– Dani Pettrey –
Coastal Guardians #3
Bethany House Publishers
Published 5 July 2022
♥♥♥♥
I didn’t even know I was in the mood for a good suspense novel when I started Deadly Shallows but that’s exactly what I got.
Inventions of the Heart
– Mary Connealy –
The Lumber Baron’s Daughter’s #2
Bethany House Publishers
Published 1 July 2022
♥♥♥♥
Inventions of the Heart is the second book in the Lumber Baron’s Daughters series and it continues on right where book one finished, so I’d recommend this historical novel to those who have already started to read this series.
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In Honor’s Defense
– Karen Witemeyer –
Hanger’s Horsemen #3
Bethany House Publishers
Published 7 June 2022
♥♥♥♥
Aside from my Australian dictionary not much liking this book’s title, there was a lot I liked about In Honor’s Defense. It is apparently the third and, sadly, final, book of the Hanger’s Horsemen series. What a series it has been. Full of adventure, danger and romance.
A Time To Bloom
– Lauraine Snelling –
Leah’s Garden #2
Bethany House Publishers
Published 7 June 2022
♥♥♥♥
A Time To Bloom is the delightful second book in the Leah’s Garden series. It picks up where book one left off, with the story of the Nielsen sisters. Forsythia and Dr Adam are now married and living in town while Lark, Del and Lilac continue to work to build their homestead and dreams of a garden, farm and boardinghouse. Del is also teaching school for the town.
By gosh, these are busy women. I don’t know how they do it. Thankfully, they have gathered around them a wonderful community. Forsythia, Adam, his nephew Jesse, their three children, and now Del’s school children and their families. The sisters’ brother Anders also comes to visit, bringing his friend RJ. There are also new challenges for the sisters and their growing family to face. Plagues of grasshoppers, families damaged by violence, and a schoolhouse destroyed by a twister. With the amount of work to do, especially with the harvest and wanting to start on their boardinghouse, the Nielsen sisters need all the help they can get, but they also know that if they want to achieve their dreams it’s up to them to make it a reality.
Each of these books features all the sisters, but while Lark and Forsythia took more of the focus in book one, Del takes the spotlight in this second book. She is starting the school year without a school house. Worse the towns people, even her sisters, don’t seem to realise how important it is to her. New in town, RJ battles both memories and pain from the war. The injury that cost him his eye continues to bring him debilitating pain, causing him to offend Del right from the start. As Del continues to strive hard for her students and their families, she finds an unexpected ally in RJ and her own work helps to bring him peace and a place in of belonging in this little town he finds himself in. Their romance is slow to develop and we only really get anything more than friendship right at the very end of the book, but I enjoyed the friendship they build, as well as all the details of the lives of these busy sisters and their community.
I’m looking forward to continuing the story of these incredible sisters and the people they bring together around them.
The publishers provided an advanced readers copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.
Category: Adult fiction.
Genre: Christian historical
Themes: Romance, teaching, homesteading, farming, sisters, family.
Advisory: References to domestic violence.
Published: 7 June 2022 by Bethany House Publishers
Format: Paperback, ebook. 352 pages.
ISBN: 9780764235726
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Turn to Me
– Becky Wade –
A Misty River Romance #3
Bethany House Publishers
Published 3 May 2022
♥♥♥♥
Turn to Me is the third novel in the Misty Rover Romance series, that has (along with two novellas) introduced readers to the Miracle Five. In this third book, we finally get Luke Dempsey’s story of redemption and facing the hurt and guilt of his past. Readers will also be happy to see Ben get his own happy ending (though he totally should have got his own book. Why didn’t he get his own book!?!).
To Tame a Cowboy
– Jody Hedlund –
Colorado Cowboys #3
Bethany House Publishers
Published 3 May 2022
♥♥♥♥♥
I’ve enjoyed four historical romance novels this week and To Tame A Cowboy is by far my favourite. The romance is off the charts!! My goodness, it is as sexy and swoony as a Christian novel would dare. A story of new hope and lives rekindled. Horses, freedom and romance (have I mentioned the romance yet?)
Savannah’s future is set – marry a man who will bring fortunes to her father and allow her grieving parents the lives they want. On the eve of her wedding, Savannah decides she needs more time to face her future and she flees. She finds work at the Healing Springs ranch as their veterinarian. She spends most of her time with Brody as he works to tame the wild mustangs that roam the area. The two are drawn to each other, but Savannah is conflicted about her future and Brody is haunted by his memories of his time in the war. With a fiancé awaiting her return, Savannah must decide between her duty to her family and her growing feelings for Brody.
All That it Takes
– Nicole Deese –
Bethany House Publishers
Published 5 April 2022
♥♥♥♥
All That It Takes is the companion novel to All That Really Matters. It is a beautiful story about heartbreak, falling in love when you least expect it, supportive communities and finding your place in the world. It is so full of delightful moments, I was smiling 99% of the time while reading. It’s just so incredibly sweet, but at a deep, heartwarming and powerful level.
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