Review of Judith Miller's The Brickmaker's Bride

The Brickmaker's Bride by Judith Miller tells the story of Laura Woodfield and Ewan McKay. Laura's father was killed in the War between the States, leaving his daughter and wife the responsibility for his brickyard. Laura and her mother are trying to sell the brickyard and Ewan and his uncle inquire about purchasing the brickyard from them. 

The Brickmaker's Bride was the first book by Judith Miller that I had read. It started kind of slowly and it took me a little while to get into it. After the first few chapters, the storyline picked up and it was easier to read. I thought the storyline was easy to follow and that the story was well-written. The story ended a little abruptly, but I think that this might because there are more books to follow.  The main characters are believable and the secondary characters add a lot to the storyline.   

This book would be a good read for anyone who likes historical fiction with a little romance thrown in.  

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. 

Playing by Heart left a melody in mine...

Playing by Heart is the latest release by Anne Mateer.  Lula Bowman has finally achieved her dream of teaching mathematics on the university level, a high achievement for a woman in the early 1900s.  She makes the difficult decision to put her dreams on hold when a phone call from home makes her realize that she is needed by her family for a time.  She goes home to help her sister, and winds up teaching music at a high school.  Along with the music classes, Lula signs on to coach basketball.  She knows nothing about the sport and must rely on the boys' basketball coach, Chet Vaughn, to learn about the game.

Chet is drawn to Lula from the start.  Lula is a little more reticent about looking for love.  For starters, as a teacher, there are certain conduct rules she has to follow, especially where men are concerned.  Secondly, she plans to return to university once her family no longer needs her.  As Lula becomes better acquainted with Chet, her feelings toward him start to change.  Once the melodies of their love start to harmonize, there will be no stopping until the whole love song is played.  However, Chet and Lula both face opposition from their family members, those who think their opinion about how Chet and Lula should proceed with their lives is more important. 

Anne Mateer has set high standards with every book she has written.  I only had one expectation when I was reading this book, and that was that this would be a good book.  Playing by Heart more than exceeded this expectation.  It is evident that the book was well-researched, and this comes through in the writing.  There are some plot twists in the book that I did not expect, but in my opinion that made the book even better.  This book broaches the subject of a woman succeeding in an academic and career world dominated by men, in a time where women were expected to stay home, but also in which many women had to step forward to fill the shoes of men who were off fighting in the war.  It brings to light many of the difficulties that these women faced, and the struggles and strength it took for them to survive during these times. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I recommend it for anyone who enjoys Christian historical romance.  I look forward to reading more by Ms. Mateer in the future. 

The real thing...

I like Richard Armitage as an actor. I enjoyed him as John Thornton in the BBC version of North and South and I've enjoyed him as Thoren Oakenshield in the Hobbit movies. The next step? To "like" what I thought was his Facebook page. I discovered that his Page is actually a fan page, and not the real thing. 

It's kind of the same way with Dr. Pepper. I like Dr. Pepper. Occasionally, I buy the cheap version: Dr. (Fill in the blank with imitation of your choice). This is one time I know I have the imitation, and I don't enjoy it as much as the real thing, but I suffer through it, usually because I buy the cheaper drink. 

I think it can be the same way with God. Sometimes what we think may be God turns out to be an imitation. The Bible says satan poses as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14-15) and we know his primary goal is to afflict us and keep us from doing God's work through whatever he thinks will stop us. He may use things we think are from God to stop us.  We may not realize that it is not God at first, but it shouldn't take long to figure out.  We might have to do some praying and searching to make sure what we are hearing is from God. 

I think it can also work like the Dr. Pepper.  We know we have the imitation and not the real thing, but we are not willing to do the work to get the real thing. We are content to sit by, and miss out on he bigger blessings that God has for us.  God is SO much more than Dr. Pepper though. Maybe it's time to give Him a taste and see what the real thing tastes like. He promises that when we search for Him with all our heart we will find him (Jeremiah 29:13).

Taste and see that The Lord is good, blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him! Psalm 34:8

With Every Breath by Elizabeth Camden - a review

Elizabeth Camden is an author that has really grown on me.  Each book I have read by her has been better than the last.  This book was no exception.  I started it late one evening, and could not put it down until I had finished it.  I will be recommending this book to every one I know. 

Kate Norton Livingston is a working woman in a time when most women stayed at home to take care of family and children.  She longs to do more with herself as a career.  She has always strived to do her best, throughout school and in her career.  She finds the opportunity to move up the career ladder with the help of a man she never expected to see again.  Trevor McDonough was Kate's strongest competition in school, and she never expected that he would be the one to offer her the chance to move ahead in a working world dominated by men.  Kate agrees to go to work for Trevor as he tries to find a cure for tuberculosis.  As they try to guard themselves from whoever is trying to stop their work and from the secrets from the past that cannot remain hidden, Kate finds herself drawn to Trevor in a way she never expected.

I loved absolutely every minute of this story.  Elizabeth Camden creates a depth within her characters that draws the reader into the story, almost as if the reader is there in the same room.  I found it virtually impossible not to fall in love with the characters, and to feel their sadness and triumphs.  The historical aspect of the story shows the time and research that went into writing the story.  I loved this book and will be waiting with anticipation for Ms. Camden's next story.

*I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for a honest and unbiased review.

 

The wait is over - A Match of Wits review

A Match of Wits by Jen Turano tells the story of Zayne Beckett and Agatha Watson.  Readers were introduced to Zayne and Agatha in the first book, and if they were like me, were ready and waiting to read this story.  Zayne and Agatha have had a chemistry from the first, and it is still very strong in this story.  Agatha is working as a journalist for the New York Tribune and is traveling the country in search of stories.  It is during one of her journeys, that she runs into Zayne after a separation of two years.  What ensues is a fascinating tale of wits and mutual attraction between these two characters, with peeps from former characters in between. 

Ms. Turano weaves this tale with a quirky blend of humor, romance, and adventure.  She may have me close to tears when relating to a character in one point, and then rolling in laughter a couple of pages over.  Her way of writing keeps the reader interested and makes the book move quickly.  It is apparent to everyone but Zayne and Agatha that they would be a good match.  Zayne is trying to find someone for Agatha to marry and protect her from the enemies she has made in her quest for stories.  Agatha is trying to protect Zayne from past hurts and bring him back to his family. 

Anytime Agatha and Zayne are involved, an adventure is waiting to unfold.  This book was no different.  While I did not enjoy this book as much as I had enjoyed her prior novels, I was happy with the way the story turned out.  Agatha and Zayne were great characters and it was great to see them fall in love (or renew a love that they had in the past but never acknowledged).  Their antics through out the book make for a great read.  This book would be a good read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction with romance, humor, and adventure thrown in. 

*I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. 

 



Undetected by Dee Henderson

Unusual.  Unexpected.  Unpredictable. Unlikely to be put down anytime soon. That’s how I describe Undetected, the latest novel by Dee Henderson. Undetected is the story of Mark Bishop, Commander of the submarine USS Nevada, and Gina Gray, a genius in the scientific world.  Gina has made several breakthroughs in naval warfare for the Navy that has put the USA leagues ahead of other countries.  Once her brain gets going, it can’t stop.  She had made another major breakthrough and shares it with Mark, whose high rank can get it into the hands of the people that most need to know about it.  These breakthroughs, while extremely helpful, can put both their lives in danger, should the information slip into the wrong hands.

 

I absolutely love how I cannot anticipate anything in Dee Henderson’s books. She really knows how to keep the reader guessing, and Undetected was no different.  Ms. Henderson is very thorough in her research, and this is very evident in her writing.  Her descriptions of the different areas and the activities of the submarine were very enlightening, and helpful in understanding the entire story line.  The reader has to be careful not to get bogged down by the technical descriptions, but perseverance is rewarded by the end of the book.  It seemed a little slow starting off, but it does not take long to be entranced by the story.  There are several on-the-edge-of-your-seat moments (more in this book than in the last couple of books).  This book is a good book for anyone who enjoys books with a lot of action, and anyone who has enjoyed Ms. Henderson’s other books.  I definitely look forward to her future releases. 

          

                 

Review of Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer

Karen Witemeyer’s books have been on the top of my must-have list since the first one I read.  So, if you can imagine, I was “Full Steam Ahead” to read this latest book, and I did not let up on the steam until I had finished.  Nicole Renard is on the search for a husband to fulfill her father’s requirements for an heir (all the while trying to keep the family’s greatest treasure safe) when her journey brings her to Darius Thornton. Darius is searching for a way to make steam travel safer for people and has a hard time finding someone who can help him with his research.  He finds the perfect research partner in Nicole.  As they come to know more about each other, the steam is not the only thing heating up between these two. Throughout the boiling and the cooling phases of their relationship, Nicole and Darius find more than they ever dreamed in each other. 

 

Karen Witemeyer’s astounding attention to the details of the process and the history of steam ships was very evident in the book.  I could tell that she had really completed the necessary research to be so very thorough in explaining the processes of steam ships.  It greatly added to the story line.  Understanding the working of a steam ship was paramount to understanding Darius.  Nicole seems like she might be a bit shallow at first, but she has a maturity and depth that soon becomes apparent.  Readers will quickly fall in love with these two great characters, and the sub characters that fill in the rest of the story.  Well, there were a couple I didn't like, but I'll let you figure that out on your own.  All in all, this was a great book and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical romance.  There’s adventure, romance, and everything else needed to make for a very enjoyable read.