By Way of the Moonlight

 

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For as long as she can remember, Allie Massey, a gifted physical therapist, has dreamed of making her grandparents' ten-acre estate into a trauma recovery center using equine therapy - a dream her grandmother, Nana Dale, embraced wholeheartedly. But when her grandmother's will is read, Allie is shocked to learn the property has been sold to a developer.

Decades earlier, headstrong Dale Butler's driving passion is to bring home the prized filly her family lost to the Great Depression, but with World War II looming, she's called upon in ways she never could have imagined. And while her world expands to include new friends and new love, tragedy strikes close to home one fateful night during the Battle of the Atlantic, changing her life forever.

As Nana Dale's past comes to light in Allie's search for answers, Dale's courage and persistence may be just what Allie needs to carry on her grandmother's legacy and keep her own dreams alive.

Review

By Way of the Moonlight is a sweeping tale that pulls on the heart-strings. As a horse-lover, I thoroughly enjoyed the central equine theme. I couldn't stop thinking about my own horse-filled days in my 20s and the richness my the feisty Thoroughbred mare had brought to my life.

This is a meaty novel, but in large part to the incredible unveiling of Dale's past. Dale's life journey takes on many twists and turns as she lives through the Great Depression and World War II. There are many little fascinating historical tidbits sprinkled throughout the pages of this book which highlight just how difficult those times were. Even within Dale's family, she struggles with her mother's expectations of their outward appearances to society even while Dale just wishes for endless days of riding with her beau. The familial and societal struggles brought such emotional depth to this story that kept me turning the pages until the satisfying end.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  

Where the Road Bends

 

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As Norah King surveys her family land in Iowa in 1880, she is acutely aware that it is all she has left, and she will do everything in her power to save it - even if that means marrying a man she hardly knows. Days before her wedding, Norah discovers an injured man on her property. Her sense of duty compels her to take him in and nurse him back to health.  Little does she realize just how much this act of kindness will complicate her life and threaten her future she's planned.

Norah's care does more than aid Quincy Barnes' recovery - it awakens his heart to possibilities. Penniless and homeless, he knows the most honorable thing he can do is head on down the road and leave Norah to marry her intended.  But walking away from the first person to believe in him proves much harder than he imagined.

Review

Where the Road Bends is a very enjoyable sweet, historical romance. I particularly liked the heroine, Norah. She's spunky and determined and doesn't let much faze her. Rather, despite the trials she encounters in life, she plows ahead with an admirable determination and strong faith. This isn't your predictable western romance - it's one that is full of heart and a unique storyline. The hero and heroine are equally strong characters and I loved the light-hearted banter between them.

A wonderful read!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  

The Sweet Life

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Dawn Dixon can't believe she's on a groomless honeymoon on beautiful Cape Cod...with her mother.  She was supposed to be here with Kevin, the man she loves. Still, Mom was the right choice. Dawn's heart may have been broken, but Marnie Dixon is in need of mending as well.

But Mom - being Mom - creates a mess when, on a whim, she buys a run-down ice cream shop in the town's tightly regulated historic district with big plans to fix it up. She's never remodeled anything. And she's never even made ice cream!

Dawn knows she has to stay and fix this fiasco. But her mother's money pit ice cream shop may have created da chance for a happy ending...one Dawn could never have expected.

Review

The Sweet Life had me craving ice cream the whole way through...and a quick road trip to give my own Mom a hug! This novel explores mother-daughter relationships in all its complexities. Dawn and Marnie are complete opposites, yet love each other fiercely.  They butt heads over everything. It made me a little weary at times just reading all their disagreements! BUT as the story progressed, so did Dawn and Marnie's character growth. I love stories where you can see exactly how the main characters change and allow God to work in their lives. It makes for such a satisfying read. 

The Sweet Life is a feel-good book perfect for a hot summer day at the beach - with an ice cream in hand of course!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  

When the Day Comes

 

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Libby has been given a powerful gift: to live one life in 1774 Colonial Williamsburg and the other in 1914 Gilded Age New York City. When she falls asleep in one life, she wakes up in the other. While she's the same person at her core in both times, she's leading two vastly different lives.

In Colonial Williamsburg, Libby is a public printer for the House of Burgesses and the Royal Governor, trying to provide for her family and support the Patriot cause. The man she loves, Henry Montgomery, has his own secrets. As the revolution draws near, both their lives - and any hope of love - are put in jeopardy.

Libby's life in 1914 New York is filled with wealth, drawing room conversations, and bachelors. But the only work she cares about - women's suffrage - is discouraged, and her mother is intent on marrying her off to an English marquess. The growing talk of war in Europe only complicates matters.

But Libby knows she's not destined to live two lives forever. On her twenty-first birthday, she must choose one path and forfeit the other - but how can she choose when she has so much to lose in each life?

Review

Brilliant. Amazing. My brain is tripping over how to express how much I adored this book! From the strikingly unique premise, to the cliff-hanging conflicted, and strong message of resting in God's sovereignty, When the Day Comes has sky-rocketed itself to my favourite read of 2022 (and my top-ten list of all time). It's THAT good! With a story jam-packed with TWO thrilling adventures and more than a few surprises, this is far from your typical historical romance. The two timelines the author chose encapsulated countries on the cusp of war, cultivating a tense plot that made this book so hard to put down. I was growing rather unsatisfied with only being able to read snatches of the story at a time in my busy schedule, so I made a date with this book and parked myself in the patio chair one night, determined to not put it down until I finished the last page! Of course, finishing this incredible story brought rather turbulent emotions and my only consolation to my sadness was knowing this is the birth of a new series. I cannot wait to continue this time-travel journey! 

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

All That it Takes

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When the ever-cautious Val Locklier moves cross-country with her son for a secure job, everything she'd planned unravels within the first week. After Val reluctantly agrees to rent an apartment from her best friend's brother, an unexpected chance at an elite filmmakers' mentorship ignites fresh hope for a dream career. But as Val's community begins to expand, so do her insecurities, especially those heightened by her growing attraction to a certain friendly landlord.

Pastor Miles McKenzie returns home from a short-term mission trip to discover that not only does he have an intriguing new tenant living upstairs, he's also been reassigned to a local ministry on life support. Disillusioned and restless, he distracts himself by throwing his energy into a host of new projects - not the least of which is pursuing Val - without stopping to consider the future.

As Val struggles to stop hiding behind the camera and Miles wrestles with shattered expectations, they'll find that authentic love and sacrifice must go hand in hand.

Review

Nicole Deese is my new favourite author. I absolutely adored All That it Takes. It's poignant, heartfelt, and such a wonderful read. It gave me lots to ponder as it hit on "our plan v. God's plans", overcoming trials, looking out for others in need, and being selfless in a selfish world. Miles and Val both learn that the ordinary person (even those with limitations) can be a missionary in their own back yard. While some are called overseas, others are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus in their hometown. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. There are a lot of hurting people in this world and All That it Takes reminds us to look beyond ourselves to see the hurt of others and seek their needs above our own. We are commended to look after the "least of these" right down to the tiniest human. 

I loved this story and highly recommend it!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

Sea Glass Cottage

 

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Christi Reece is desperate. The onetime golden girl's life has tarnished, and a cascade of setbacks has left her reeling. She needs help, and she's certain Jack Colby is in a position to provide it.

When she shows up in Hope Harbor, however, Jack wants nothing to do with the woman who betrayed him. He's built a new life on the Oregon coast - and there's no room in it for Christi, even after she takes refuge in a charming but mysterious cottage nearby. Yet it soon becomes apparent his opinion of her may need revising...especially when he ends up needing her help.

Can these two hurting souls open their hearts to a new beginning?

Review

There's a reason Irene Hannon is a three-time RITA award winner. I love her roller-coaster romantic suspense fiction, and her contemporary romances are simply timeless. When I pick up a Hope Harbor novel, I know I'm in for a sweet story full of hope, love, faith, and second chances. 

Sea Glass Cottage explores how people can truly change - and for the better. It's not easy to trust someone who betrayed you. Not to mention, trusting them with your heart? This is Jack's battle as he can't erase how Christi deeply hurt him. And on the flip side, Christi desperately wants her past to be left there - in the past - and to be known by who she is today. Irene Hannon does an incredible job fleshing out these struggles between Jack and Christi in the lovely seaside town of Hope Harbor. This is a story not to be missed by lovers of Christian contemporary fiction!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

 

The Master Craftsman

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In 1917, Alma Pihl, a master craftsman in the House of Faberge, was charged to protect one of the greatest secrets in Russian history - an unknown Faberge Egg that Peter Karl Faberge secretly created to honor his divided allegiance to both the people of Russia and the Imperial tsar's family. When Alma and her husband escaped Russia for their native Finland in 1921, she took the secret with her, guarding her past connection to the Romanov family.

Three generations later, world-renowned treasure hunter Nick Laine is sick and fears the secret of the missing egg will die with him. With time running out, he entrusts the mission of retrieving the egg to his estranged daughter, Ava, who has little idea of the dangers she is about to face. As the stakes are raised, Ava is forced to declare her own allegiance - and the consequences are greater than she could have imagined.

Review

I felt like I was stepping into a National Treasure movie! This was quite the adventure story - or should I say, treasure hunt? I had heard of the Fabergé Eggs before, but the history Kelli Stuart fleshes out about Peter Karl Fabergé and the stories behind the famed eggs was beyond fascinating. Be sure to search the internet for photos of the discovered Eggs as they are absolutely breathtaking in beauty and detail. And while we have some Eggs today, there are some known to be lost. And off of this, the author begs the question, "What if there was another Egg?"

The Master Craftsman was an intriguing and thought-provoking story. And don't despair - this book is not just a history lesson about the Eggs.  It's an adventure story full of intrigue and danger with characters in the midst of relationships as complex as the Eggs themselves. An enjoyable read!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.