I got "Caught in the Middle" real quick!

Nicholas Lovelace and Anne Tillerton. I don't think I could have been more excited knowing that this book was about these two characters. Granted, I did wonder how their story would turn out given the difference in their backgrounds. Well, I wonder no more! Caught in the Middle was my favorite of the three Ladies of Caldwell County books. Anne was introduced in the first book, but I never guessed what depth there would be to her character!  Nicholas was introduced as well, but Anne was the more intriguing character I have to admit. 

Regina Jennings far surpassed my expectations with this book, and my expectations were pretty high given the quality of her first two books (as well as her novella in A Match Made in Texas - check out this book as well)!  The story is like a roller coaster, opening with excitement and the reader is taken up and down and around with exciting, romantic, funny, and sentimental moments all along the track. I had a very hard time putting this book down.  Nicholas' and Anne's lives blend together in a perfect tale that will leave your heart warmed by a blanket of smiles. With a baby thrown in, you don't know what to expect past each page in this book!

If you like historical fiction at all, then you will want to read this book and the other books in the series: Sixty Acres and a Bride and Love in the Balance.  Each book shows that everyone has a chance at love, no matter what is in the past. "Love keeps no record of wrongs..."

Give this book a chance. You'll be glad you did!

            

Book trailer for A Beauty So Rare

So watching this book trailer, I know I'll probably cry through this book. But that's ok. That's my favorite kind of book. You can watch it here:

http://youtu.be/TGpDawUqbhk

Here is the link to an excerpt:

http://www.tameraalexander.com/cmsdocuments/ABeautySoRareExcerpt.pdf

"The Dancing Master" made my heart dance...

              

The Dancing Master, Alec Valcourt, arrives in town with his mother and sister and takes up residence with his uncle.  Little does he know, that the way he makes is living is not allowed in Beaworthy.  Soon after he arrives in town, he meets Julia Midwinter.  Julia is the daughter of the most prominent lady in the town.  She is a lively and carefree girl, and longs for more freedom and adventure than she can find around her. Alec is trying his best to support his mother and sister in the only way he knows.  After Julia and Alec meet, they become entwined in an adventure that neither one of them expected, filled with mystery and maybe more adventure than Julia was looking for.  Alec is trying to keep the secrets of his past hidden, and Julia is trying to find out the secrets have been hidden from her all of her life. 

 

I have read most of Julie Klassen’s books and I have to say that this was one of my favorites.  It ranks very high on my list of her books.  I am a Jane Austen fan, and I loved catching the nods she makes to Austen’s works in this novel.  Ms. Klassen’s weaving of mystery and romance engage the reader from the start and keep them guessing until the end.  There are enough clues revealed throughout the story to keep the reader enthralled.  At the first, Julia seems like a shallow character, but her personality soon comes out in full force and I could not help but love her.  And what's not to love about Alec?  If you enjoy Jane Austen and like historical romance set in England, then this would be a great book for you to read.

I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for an unbiased and honest review. My opinions are my own.  

 

A review of Tide and Tempest by Elizabeth Ludwig

Tide and Tempest is the third book in Elizabeth Ludwig’s Edge Of Freedom series.  I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books and I patiently waited for this book to come out.  Well, my patience paid off!  Tillie McGrath was introduced in the previous books.  A little bit of her history was revealed in the prior two books.  She arrived in New York from Ireland, having traveled on Captain Keondric Morgan’s ship.  The book starts with Captain Morgan checking in on Tillie, having not seen her since he dropped her off two years before.  He has discovered some information that may affect her life, and in his quest to see her remain safe himself becomes endangered. 

 

I have to say that I loved this book and had a very hard time putting it down. Keondric is a very well rounded character and I fell in love with him from the first.  Tillie is also a great character and very easy to love.  Cass Morgan, the captain’s brother, is an excellent secondary character and really helps tie the story together.  I really love how Ms. Ludwig continued with the mystery from the first book, and keeps the reader guessing all of the way through.  Each book in the series reveals a little more until you get a full picture of what was going on.  What is great about this book is that the author also retells what is going on and gives enough details about the story, so the reader still knows what is going on even if she hasn’t read the first two books.  If reading this book first, you will definitely want to go back and read the first two. 

 

If you love history and romance and mystery, then this book is an excellent recommendation for you as all three genres are covered.  I highly recommend this book.

*I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for an unbiased review. My opinions are my own. *

Learning to persevere

Recently, I watched man rake his yard. The yard wasn't huge but it took him a couple of hours because he had to use a walker to help him stand. He didn't stop until he had all of the leaves in bags. Something that would keep some (moi) from completing a job, didn't stop this man. If only I had that tenacity...

Usually, I let something small keep me from completing a project. I can be doing well, everything going fine, and something small will make me stop completely.  I'm sure the man above could have had several things go wrong. But he did not stop until his job was complete. The lessons we can learn from the people around us...might teach us a lot. 

Participation required...

While I was a student at Oklahoma Baptist University, there were a couple of pertinent questions that always got asked. Name? Major? Hometown? These are the three questions that were always asked when meeting a fellow student for the first time. As I became involved in Bible studies and ministry groups on campus, I discovered another pertinent question: What is your life verse? 

My life verse in college was Proverbs 3:5-6. (There's a really nifty story about the summer Olympics that goes along with it but that's for another post.)  Back to this post, I would have to guess that the life verse of at least 50% of the other students was Jeremiah 29:11.  This was an oft-quoted verse at OBU. 

I like the concept of this verse but I think many people have the wrong idea about what it means (besides not knowing the historical context of how it relates to the Babylonian captivity - but again, that's another post.) Yes, God planned each one of us and formed us in the womb (Psalm 139).  He created each of us with a plan and purpose in mind.  

However...these plans and purposes do not come about on their own. There is a another ingredient that is needed. Participation. God also created each of us with a free will.  We have a choice of whether or not to follow God's plan for our life.  I, myself, have spent the last few years of my life only partially participating, and I believe that God has so much more for me.

My Thoughts on Sex and the Single Christian Girl

Purity seems to have become almost a dinosaur in our world today.  It may not be extinct, but it's certainly not as prevalent as it used to be. I'm sure we all heard the "True Love Waits" story and how we should "save ourselves" for our future spouses.  Movies and other media give us a different view of true love, however.  Purity is so much more than just waiting for "the one," and many things in the world tempt people into abandoning their purity. 

Using experiences from her own life and from real people, Mrs. Ellis discusses how to fight these things that tempt people away from purity, namely Satan. As an older, never-married, not-much-dated, single woman, I was almost afraid that I wouldn't be able to relate much to this book. I was very pleased to find that this book is not targeted for a specific demographic, and that any single women (and even those who are married) will draw a lot from this book.

Mrs. Ellis provides very relevant, Scripture-based strategies to help any woman with maintaining purity in our dark world. She stresses that sexual purity is not just for dating relationships, but that it is very vital in our Christian walk.  She provides hope for those who may fear that it is too late for them to have purity.  Mrs. Ellis tells us how to fight the lies the enemy uses to draw us away, and also how to stay strong in Christ. I cried through many chapters because the message of the book really touched me in many ways.  I would recommend this book for all single women of any age, and also married women, because purity is important to everyone.

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a honest and unbiased review. My opinions are my own.