A Tree, A Book, and A Breeze

Whispers From the Shadows Roseanna M. White Harvest House Publishers I thought the first book in this series was enjoyable, but I actually ended up liking this novel even better. I found the storyline more enjoyable, and I liked the characters better, too! I especially liked Gwyneth, and her fragility and quiet spirit was a nice change from the overly feisty heroines that have taken over fiction nowadays. The only quibble with this book that I had was 1) the beginning was a little confusing and I had a little trouble keeping the characters straight and 2) some characters called each other by their first name (or called them by first name sooner than they should have), which wouldn’t have been appropriate for the time period. However, aside from that, Whispers From the Shadows was a great follow-up to Ring of Secrets . Objectionable content: someone is murdered; there are a few kisses. Rating: 8 ½ I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my ...

Burning Sky Lori Benton Waterbrook Multnomah The 18th century New York frontier bred courage in those who survived its perils. Willa Obenchain has courage to spare. Returning to her white parents' abandoned homestead after twelve years of Indian captivity, Willa believes a solitary life is the only way she'll never lose again what's twice been lost: her family, and her heart. As she begins the backbreaking work of reviving her farm, Willa's determined isolation is threatened. First by injured botanist Neil MacGregor, found unconscious on her land, and also by her Mohawk clan brother Joseph Tames-His-Horse, a man who cannot give up the woman he calls Burning Sky. Willa is a woman caught between two worlds and the residents of the nearby frontier village, still reeling from a bloody revolutionary war, are reluctant to welcome her home. As tensions rise, challenging her shielded heart, Willa must find a new courage--the courage to again risk embracing the blessin...

The Living Room Robert Whitlow Thomas Nelson Amy Clarke’s dreams are coming true—and that’s the problem. Legal secretary by day, romance novelist by night, Amy Clarke lives with a precious secret. For years, she has traveled to a holy place in her dreams—a sublime place she calls the Living Room. When she awakes, her faith and energy are supernaturally restored. And when she dreams, she receives vibrant inspiration for her novels. As she begins to write her third book, the nature of her dreams shifts. Gone are the literary signposts. Instead, her dreams are studded with scenes that foreshadow real life. Before long, the scenes begin to spill over into her waking hours too. As Amy becomes entangled in a high stakes case at work, her visions take on a dark hue—implicating someone dear to her, causing her to question everything. And convincing her to trust someone with his own shadowy secrets. Things are not always what they seem. But as fiction, dreams, and real life b...

Hello all! I just thought I'd let you know that I'm cleaning out my bookshelves and I'm selling a good many on ebay! I have 7 volumes of the Love Come Softly series, Kelly Eileen Hakes Prairie Promises series, Love in Disguise by Carol Cox, and a set of two advanced reader copies (including one that is not yet available in stores!) I'm planning to post more soon, as well. You can find them here .

The Rose of Winslow Street Elizabeth Camden Bethany House Publishers Returning from their summer home, the last thing that 19th-century New Englanders Libby and her father expect to find is a Romanian family inhabiting the house they've lived in for 20 years. But that's exactly what happens---sparking a fierce legal battle as both clans insist the house is rightfully theirs. Can they find common ground? I wasn’t sure what to expect when I got this book. The first book by Elizabeth Camden that I read was The Lady of Bolton Hill , and though it had some parts I really liked, it wasn’t one of my favorites. On the other hand, I loved Against the Tide . So I wasn’t sure where The Rose of Winslow Street would be on that spectrum. Would I love it, would I find it just okay, or would I find it somewhere in between? I’m going to admit that at first I didn’t think I was going to like it. It was really hard to like Michael right after he had just barged into someone e...

Prairie Song Mona Hodgson Waterbrook Multnomah For some reason I really liked the cover of this book. I’m not sure why, because it isn’t really original, but it just gave a pleasant home-y feeling and a bit of nostalgia. I was hoping that this novel would remind me of my Oregon Trail-playing days. As it was…I’m going to have to say something about this book that I think is nearly the worst thing that can be said: it was boring. It was a real struggle for me to connect to this book. Every part of the plot just seemed rather like it had been done before, and I didn’t find it interesting. I did like how it was about several different couples/families on the trail, but even that could be a problem, as sometimes it was hard to remember who was who. Overall, I think this book is skippable, unless you’re one who absolutely loves western fiction and would like to try it. Rating: 5

this is the cover of the book I had, but I thought this cover was really pretty! Before Midnight Cameron Dokey Simon and Shuster I’ve heard of this series for a long time now, but I hadn’t gotten a chance to read any of the books until just recently. I really did enjoy this retelling of Cinderella, although there were things about it I didn’t care for. However, it was one of those books whose flaws you don’t notice until you’re done reading and sit back and reflect on the story. One thing I did like about this book was the way it was written, and that it really drew me right in. The twists on the story of Cinderella were interesting, and a few were unexpected. Another thing I liked was that the main character was called Cendrillon , the original French version of the name Cinderella , and that her nickname was Rilla. However, the romance wasn’t really as great; it felt like almost an afterthought. The Prince was barely in it, and their relationship wasn’t given ...