She Walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell

Set in the 1890s, during the Gilded Age. 

Clara Carter and Lizzie Barnes, both barely 17, are best friends, have been all their lives.  Their mothers were friends, until Clara's mother dies.  Clara's aunt, and Lizzie's mother decide that each girl should be presented to society, by debuting a year early, in hopes that they snare the heir of the De Vries fortune as their husband.  This puts Clara and Lizzie as rivals, and both the aunt and mother try to keep them separated, though it doesn't always work. Clara meets Franklin  De Vries the heir, and his younger brother, Henry.  She and Lizzie are the two Debutantes who attract a lot of attention, including Franklin, and both are  pushed to entice Franklin to choose them.  Who will he choose? And does Clara really want him to choose her.
Along the way, Clara learns much about herself, her mother who died when she was very young, and the father who turns out to be nothing like what she always thought he was.  The subplot is very interesting, and it made the whole book.

Bethany House Publishers
392 pages
I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House to read and review, no other compensation was received.  I am not required to write a favorable review, all opinions expressed here are my own.

Plain Paradise by Beth Wiseman

Linda Huyard is 17, in love with Stephen Ebersol, and has lived Amish all her life.  Suddenly her life changes when she is told she was adopted, and her birth mother would like to get to know her.  Abe and Mary Ellen have misgivings, but they agree, when they find that Josephine has a tumor on her brain stem, and only has a few months to live. No one tells Linda that her birth mother is dying.
Josephine is Englich, or non Amish, and her style of living is so different than the Amish way. 
This book explores beliefs, and how different people deal with dying.  It is a very intense and gripping story, with a twist at the end.
I really enjoyed this book, and I feel I'm  better equiped to handle life, after reading it. It asked questions, and answered some that I have had.

This book was a gift from a friend, and I was not required to write a review, but I enjoyed the book and felt that someone else might like to read it.

16 Brides by Stephanie Grace Whitson

Convinced to sign up to homestead in  Nebraska,where women are allowed to homestead without a husband,  16 single women and widows board a train in St Louis, to make the trip west.  They were promised free passage back to St Louis, if they didn't wish to stay.  What they aren't told, is that that they are really expected to marry some of the men who are already there, and that is how their way was paid.
When they reach Plum Grove, the last stop before their final destination, Cayote Nebraska, one of the ladies overhears some comments, and some of the ladies decide to stay there.
They are:
Caroline, the southern belle, whose only mistake was to marry a Union Officer, so her parents no longer have anything to do with her.
Sally,  whose husband had beat her, and broken her arm, before she divorced him.
Ruth, whose Union General husband had died, leaving her with no will to live, but a young son to care for, so she has to go on.
Hettie, who boards the train at the last minute, and carries a secret she doesn't wish to share.
Elle, whose husband had made her feel worthless, because she was tall.
Mama, Elle's mother, who tries to convince her daughter that she is beautiful in her own way.
Together they homestead 4 tracts, and meet the challenges of Prairie life, wild fires and learning to depend on themselves and their neighbors.

Have you ever read a book that you weren't ready to end?  This is how I felt about this book.  I'd have loved to have had at least another 100 pages.  I only hope that the author will continue this story in another novel.

Bethany House publishers
I was not paid for this review, I did receive a copy of the book to read and review.  The opinions expressed here are my own.

Forget me Not by Vicki Hinze

When she woke, after being carjacked and taken halfway across the country, she didn't know where she was, or even her name.  A business card in her pocket gave the name of Crossroads Crisis Center, and had the name Susan written on it.  Also in her pocket was a necklace with a cross.  When Clyde, the man who found her, tried to take her to the hospital, she asked him to take her to the crisis center, instead, maybe they knew her there. 
Benjamin Brandt, owner of the crisis center has lost his wife and child in a horrible murder.  He has been looking for the killers and the reason behind the murders for 3 years.  When he is notified that a woman, similar in looks to his dead wife, Susan, has shown up, claming amnesia, and saying her name is Susan, he suspects that someone is playing games with him.  Then he sees the necklace, identical to one his wife wore when she died.
From that point on, things start to happen, people are trying to kill the woman, who has no idea why.  They work together to help her regain her memory and try and figure out why someone is after her, and what is the reason.

This is a book that I could not put down, it is a very well written and grab the edge of your seat type mystery. I couldn't figure it out until close to the end   If you love a good mystery, you will enjoy this book.

I received a free book to read, and review, the opinions expressed here are my own. 
Multnomah Books

Disaster Status by Candice Calvert

Fire fighter Scott McKenna, bolts through the ER doors of Pacific Mercy Hospital carrying a small child having seizures, followed shortly by farm trucks filled with many sick people . ER doctor and staff are soon dealing with possible hazardous material contaminating the local water supply caused by a plane carrying pesticides crashing into a building which contained chemicals which, when mixed, become very toxic.


McKenna, who, because of a family tragedy, which he feels he should have been able to prevent, is a by the book only guy. Nurse Erin Quinn seems to set him on edge, when she shows up without a name badge, her refuses her help.

Well written, and I'm always happy to see that characters other than the hero and heroine are not just stick figures, but are a real part of the story.

I was provided with a free copy of this book by Tyndale Publishers to read and review.  No other compensation was given.  The opinions expressed here are my own.

 

A Summer Secret by Kathleen Fuller

This is book 1 in the series  Mysteries of Middlefield.

Mary Beth is 13, with three brothers, including her twin, Johnny.  Being the only girl, she feels the need for a place of her own, to think, write, and draw, and just get away from her brothers.  She discovers that place, in an old barn near their home, and even though she is forbidden to go there, she continues slipping away to her secret hideaway.  Johnny follows her, and wants to share.  Then they discover that some else has also been there, and has eaten the snacks, and drank the juice boxes Mary Beth has left.   They finally meet Sawyer, who is a orphan, his parents had been killed in an auto accident.  He has run away from foster care, after being mistreated.  They start slipping food from their home, and clean clothes to him, and even invite him into their home while their parents are away.
Mary Beth soon gets irritated at Sawyer, when she finds he has read her journal, where she has written down her private thoughts, and he runs away.  The barn catches fire, and they fear that Sawyer is inside.

Though this book is meant for younger readers, I must say that I enjoyed it a lot.  It is well written with a very good theme, and I'm glad I had the chance to review it.  I'm going to read the rest of the series, even if I'm not picked to them.

Tommy Nelson a division of Thomas Nelson Publishers
268 pages

  I recived no compensation for this review other than  a copy of this book from BookSneeze. Opinions expressed here are my own.

AND THE WINNER IS!!!!!!!!!!!!

TRose, or better known by her blog NanaDiana
With a guess time of 4 hrs and 5 minutes
It actually took me 3 hrs and 37 minutes to read the book...
Diana, I will ship the book on Monday.

Book Giveaway UPDATE

 I will be giving the copy of

The Heart Mender

By

Andy Andrews

away tomorrow

So if you are interested, get those guesses

in quickly

Hearts Awakening by Delia Parr

Ellie Kilmer is basically homeless, depending on cousins to give her shelter after her parents are dead. Plain in looks, a spinster at 31 years of age, and in need of a letter of reference to be able to find a position, she takes a temporary position suggested by the minister. Cooking, cleaning, and caring for 2 small boys, ages 3 and 5, while their father, Jackson Smith, tends his orchards. The youngest boy, Ethen, hasn't spoken since his mother's death, several months earlier.

After a few days, Jackson asks Ellie to be his wife, in name only, so that she doesn't have to travel the several miles back and forth daily. Insulted, she first refuses, but rethinks his offer, and they go that day and marry. She finds herself falling in love with her new husband, though she never says a word. Shortly afterward, she discovers that Jackson is still in love with Dorothea, who married someone else, but who is now a widow, and returning to the area. Will Jackson set their marriage aside, and marry his first love?

This is a very enjoyable book, easy to follow story, and I'm glad I got a chance read it. It is wonderful for a rainy day, when you just want to sit and relax.

I was given a free copy of this book to read and review. The opinions expressed here are my own. No compensation was given for my review.
Bethany House publishing, a division of Baker House Publishing.

The HEART MENDER by Andy Andrews & a Book give away

The Heart Mender,
A story of Second Chances by Andy Andrews.

While digging out the roots of a dead Wax Myrtle tree in his yard, author Andy Andrews discovers a rusted metal can, which holds 8 buttons, a ring, an Iron Cross, and 3 photos, one of a man, woman and small child, another which includes Adolph Hitler. Intrigued, he soon discovers that during WWII, German submarines had cruised the waters of the Gulf, and destroyed American vessels. Digging deeper into history, he comes up with the following story.

Helen Mason had lost her husband in the early part of WWII. Bitter and unhappy, she moved in with an aunt, who was dying of cancer. Shortly thereafter the aunt passed away, leaving the small house and everything she owned to Helen.

Unable to sleep, Helen roams the beach many nights. On one occasion, she sees what she thinks may be a dolphin beached on the sand. Getting closer, she discovers it is a German sailor, Josef Landermann, who has been shot and dumped off the U Boat.. She takes her anger and frustration out on him, blaming him for her husband’s death.

OK, now you have to read the book from here, as I refuse to give away the rest of the story.

It is a beautiful, heartwarming story of healing and learning to let go of pain and hurt.
I LOVED this book, and now that I’ve finished it, I want to reread it, because I know I missed some things, that a 2nd reading will uncover.

Thomas Nelson Publishing

ISBN: 978-0-7852-3103-5



I received no compensation for this review, I did receive a free book from BookSneeze to read and review.

The opinions expressed in this review are my own.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was sent an extra copy of this book, to share with one of my blog readers. 
Here are the rules to the GiveAway. 
You must live in the USA to win the contest.   
You have to guess the closest to how long it will take me to read the book. 
Every time I sit down to read, I will record the time started and time stopped.   
You can post your guess as either 220 minutes or 3 hrs 40 minutes, either will be acceptable.

I will post the winner on May 15th

The book has 248 pages
32 lines per page
I'm a moderately fast reader. 
OK, I've finished the book.  I'll post the review at the top of this page, but I will not end the contest until  the date listed above.