Rules of Murder

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Drew Farthering loves a good mystery, although he generally expects to find it in the pages of a novel, not on the grounds of his country estate.

 

With the help of beautiful and whip-smart Madeline Parker, a guest from America, Drew proposes to use the lessons he’s learned reading his mysteries to solve the crime.  Before long, he realizes this is no lark, and no one at Farthering Place is who he or she appears to be—not the butler nor blackmailer, the chauffeur nor embezzler.  Trying hard to remain one step ahead of the killer—and trying harder to impress Madeline—Drew must decide how far to take this dangerous game.

 

Review

 

As soon as I started reading this novel, I was reminded of J.B. Fletcher and her escapades on the classic TV series, Murder, She Wrote.  Jessica was the quintessential proper lady with a quick wit and sharp eye, and Drew Farthering is the proper English gentleman with an equally quick wit and eye for detail and clues.  Set in very proper 1930s, this novel was a refreshing read.  I loved the camaraderie between Drew and his best friend, Nick, and the spark of romance between Drew and Madeline was very sweet.  The thread of faith throughout the story was wonderful and provided a nice backdrop for character development.   

 

This is an old-fashioned mystery filled with lots of criminal chaos, suspicious characters, red herrings, and dramatic conclusion.  It kept me guessing to the very end and I will definitely be reading book #2!!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Trouble in Store

 

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Fired from her most recent governess position, Melanie Ross must embrace her last resort:  the Arizona mercantile she inherited from her cousin.  But Caleb Nelson is positive he inherited the mercantile, and he’s not about to let an obstinate woman with newfangled ideas ruin all he’s worked for.  In hope of turning her interest elsewhere, he determines to get Melanie married off, and luckily, there are many single men in town quite willing to take her off his hands.

 

The problem is, Caleb soon realizes he doesn’t want her to marry any of them.  He’s drawn to her more every day, and he has to admit some of her ideas for the store offer unexpectedly positive results.

 

But someone doesn’t want the mercantile to succeed, and threatening words have escalated into destruction and danger.  Will Melanie and Caleb’s business—and budding romance—survive the trouble that’s about to come their way?

 

Review

 

Trouble in Store offers a little bit of everything:  mystery, romance, and humour all set in a classic old Western town.  Caleb and Melanie have several humorous clashes (one most notably involved a broom that had me in stitches), as they both try to run the store their own way, not trusting the other’s input to provide any real impact.  And Caleb’s little mischievous son, Levi, strives to have the spotlight with all his escapades. 

 

The mystery woven throughout the novel was also highly intriguing and kept you guessing until the end with its exciting climax.  Trouble in Store is another fine read from Carol Cox.  I’ll be looking forward to her next novel!

 

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Small Town Girl

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How long can two people stand on the brink of love without plunging in headfirst?

 

In the autumn of 1941, rumors of war whisper through Rosey Corner.  The town practically vibrates with apprehension, as if it is holding its breath.  But for Kate Merritt, it seems life is letting out a prolonged sigh.  As Kate watches her sister marry the man Kate has loved since she was fifteen, her heart is silently breaking.  And even the attentions of Jay Tanner, the handsome best man, can’t draw her interest.

 

Then suddenly, Pearl Harbor changes everything and Kate finds herself drawn to Jay in surprising ways.  Could she truly be in love with him?  And if he enlists, will she ever see him again?

 

In her gentle and textured style, Ann H. Gabhart tells a timeless story of love, sacrifice, and longing that will grip your heart and stir your spirit.  Fans of Gabhart’s Angel Sister will love seeing Kate Merritt all grown-up, as well as other characters they have come to love.

 

Review

 

This story captured my attention from the beginning.  It starts with Kate, helping her sister get ready to marry a man that Kate had loved for a long time.  Feeling as if all was lost, and trying her best to be happy for her sister, Kate puts her best foot forward, and finds herself drawn to the best man, Jay Tanner.  He is all that she never thought she would fall for.  Jay is like an unpredictable hurricane, blowing into each place for a short while, stirring up emotions, before moving on.  There is seemingly no stability with Jay and so much mystery.  Yet Kate makes the choice to throw caution to the wind and take a chance with Jay, for the excitement that he brings and the joy that takes over her heart every time she sees him. 

 

Throughout the story, Kate learns that love comes at you when you least expect it, and often from the most unlikely of persons.  Even while your heart is seemingly fixed on another, as Kate’s was, one can quickly realize that what you think is love, is not love at all.  Jay shows Kate what love is all about.

 

Love is the music in the air, the song in your heart.  Love is the stolen looks and the small touches.  Love is the kisses that make your toes curl and your heart dance.  Love lifts you up inside, even while the world is on the cusp of war.  Love gives you dreams about tomorrow and that unquenchable happiness throughout the day.

 

Love is also beautiful and moving, everything that this story is.  Wonderfully written, Ms. Gabhart has penned another great story that will capture many hearts in the years to come.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

 

A Most Peculiar Circumstance

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Miss Arabella Beckett, defender of the downtrodden women of America, is returning from her travels in support of the women’s suffrage movement when she suddenly finds herself in a spot of trouble.  Arabella, always loath to accept help, is particularly reluctant to receive assistance from the arrogant, narrow-minded knight in shining armor who shows up just in time.

 

Private investigator extraordinaire Mr. Theodore Wilder is on an assignment that began as a favor to his good friend Hamilton Beckett but swiftly evolved into a merry chase across the country.  When he finally locates Hamilton’s sister, and she turns out to have radical ideas and a fiercely independent streak, he’s at his wit’s end.

 

Much to their chagrin, Theodore and Arabella’s paths continue to cross when they return to New York.  When the trouble Arabella accidentally stirred up in her travels follows her home and threatens her very life, the unlikely couple must face the possibility that they have landed in the most peculiar circumstance of all:  love.

 

Review

 

Like oil and water.  Or fire and gasoline.  Arabella and Theodore simply do not mix.  When they are together, barbs are traded, fireworks explode, and their conversations are like warring armies leveling their full artillery at each other.  It is simply impossible that these two stubborn people could have an even civil conversation.

 

Much less fall in love.

 

She is an outspoken suffragette intent on giving women the right to vote, and he is an obstinate man who still believes that women’s purpose in life is to make their husbands happy, clean house, and raise children.  While their snide remarks and sharp snippets lofted at each other make their interactions highly amusing, it had me wondering, how on earth would these two ever get along?  But as Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy had to lay aside their own initial judgments of each other in the classic Pride and Prejudice, so do Arabella and Theodore have to learn to compromise, and do it without sacrificing their individuality.

 

While some couples find love in a storybook fashion, where everything is sugary sweet, others, like Arabella and Theodore, find it in a fiery chemistry, and in what soon becomes friendly sparring. They learn to recognize the other’s strengths and weaknesses, and support each other accordingly.  As Jen Turano displays so aptly in her novel, there is nothing wrong with general disagreements between couples.  It’s how you handle those disagreements that makes or breaks you.  And of course, with God’s help, nothing is impossible.

 

A Most Peculiar Circumstance is another delightfully witty novel by Jen Turano that will be going on my “favourites” list.  It is chock full of fun and laughter and some dangerous intrigues to make a really well-rounded novel.  I have an inkling of who the next “couple” will be, and I cannot wait to read their story!   

 

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

 

Stealing the Preacher

 

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A cowboy who wants to be a preacher.
An outlaw’s daughter who wants to change his mind.

 

On his way to interview for a position at a church in the Piney Woods of Texas, Crockett Archer can’t believe it when he’s forced off the train by an outlaw and presented to the man’s daughter as the preacher she requested for her birthday.  He’s determined to escape—which would be much easier if he could stop thinking about Joanna Robbins and her unexpected request.

 

For months, Joanna had prayed for a minister.  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.  But just when it seems her prayers have been answered, 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 he ended up right where he was supposed to be?

 

With her signature blend of humor, history, and lively western romance, two-time RITA Award finalist and bestselling author Karen Witemeyer delivers a Texas love story sure to steal your heart.

 

Review

 

Stealing the Preacher is another humorous and fun novel by Karen Witemeyer.  I’m so happy that she is doing a continuation of the Archer brothers, who were first introduced in her novel, Short-Straw Bride (you can read my review of that one here).  Just as in the previous story, Stealing the Preacher has awesome characters, a great story, and wonderful spiritual messages throughout.  There are also quite a few plot twists to keep you on your toes!   The humour that Karen intersperses throughout the story is absolutely priceless and sure to keep every reader entertained. 

 

Having read all of Karen’s novels, I’m convinced that she cannot write a bad story; each one is a winner in its own unique way.  If you enjoy romance involving a swoon-worthy, honourable man, humour, and a good ole’ Western story, you’re bound to love this one!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

 

The Guardian

 

 

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When Jodi Winfield comes to Lancaster to house-sit, the last thing she expects to find is a disheveled little girl alone on the side of the road.  The young teacher is mystified when she learns there have been no reports of a missing child, and the girl herself is no help, since she can’t speak English.  It’s as if the child appeared out of nowhere.

 

Then Jodi turns her attention to Hickory Hollow—and the cloistered world of the Old Order Amish—in search of answers.

 

Review

 

The Guardian is another lovely novel by Beverly Lewis.  Two viewpoints are intertwined throughout this novel – one from an Amish woman, and the other, an Englischer.  The novel starts out with a mother’s worst nightmare: having a child go missing. The anguish and heartbreak of the mother is easily felt, as well as the confusion and sadness of the child’s siblings when their mother cannot explain where their sister is.  Through it all, however, the mother stays strong in her faith and hope that her child will return well and safe, and a guardian angel is out there protecting her.

 

Readers are soon introduced to Jodi, a teacher, as she comes across a little Amish girl alone on the side of the road.  While she starts out trying to help the girl, and bring her home to her family, Jodi soon realizes that it will be the girl who helps her. 

 

Beverly Lewis has delivered yet another one of her classic, sweet Amish tales in her beloved Hickory Hollow in Lancaster County.  Hickory Hollow is where time stops, kindness is readily extended to a stranger, family values are fiercely protected, and God is highly revered.  As I have stated in other reviews of Beverly’s novels, her stories encapsulate “sweet escapes” to a place where one can learn to breathe again, away from busy work lives.  It is always a pleasure to read Beverly’s works and I will be looking forward to her next one.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Undeniably Yours

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When Meg Cole’s father dies unexpectedly, she’s forced to return home to Texas and to Whispering Creek Ranch to take up the reins of his empire.  The last thing she has the patience or the sanity to deal with?  Her father’s Thoroughbred racehorse farm.  She gives its manager, Bo Porter, six months to close the place down.

 

Bo knows he ought to resent the woman who’s determined to take from him the only job he ever wanted.  But instead of anger, Meg evokes within him a profound desire to protect.  The more time he spends with her, the more he longs to overcome every obstacle that separates them and earn her love.

 

Just when Meg realizes she can no longer deny the depth of her feelings for Bo, their fragile bond is broken by a force from Meg’s past.  Can their relationship—and their belief that God can work through every circumstance—survive?

Review

I loved this book.  I mean, I LOVED this book!  I breezed through this 378 page novel like nobody’s business.  I just couldn’t get enough! 

 

Where to begin?  The story was lovely and flowed very smoothly.  The characters were downright awesome and the dialogue was fabulously witty and sweet at all the right moments.  Bo Porter is the honourable knight in shining armour that every girl dreams about and Meg Cole is your typical girl who is trying to find her way, or calling, in life, and dealing with some insecurities along the way.  What I loved about Meg though, was even through her insecurities, she was ready to “take the bull by the horns” and work through everything.  She steps into her father’s shoes to run a huge and prosperous oil company; she didn’t back down and was willing to give everything a “try”.

 

And even after having a disastrous previous relationship, Meg was even willing to give Bo, a chance.  Their relationship starts out small before finally exploding into something so much more, like a slow burn that sparks into a wildfire.  The romantic tension between the two is shiver-inducing and mind-spinning (and yes - it's a clean romance!).  It is easily one of the best romantic novels I’ve read in a long time and will be going on my “favourites” list. 

 

All in all, a fabulous read, by a great and up-and-coming author, Becky Wade.  I’m so happy to see that this is the beginning of a new series.  Already can’t wait for the next novel!!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.