This book was "Beyond All Dreams!"

Elizabeth Camden has quickly become one of my favorite authors!  I do not know if there is a word to describe the elation I felt when I finally had the chance to read this book!  Beyond All Dreams brings us the story of Anna, a research librarian working in the Library of Congress, and Luke, a congressman from Maine. Their histories share a lot of the same sorrows that build an almost impenetrable wall between them that their mutual attraction does its best to tear down. 

Mrs. Camden possesses a vast knowledge of medical conditions and I enjoy how she uses her knowledge of these conditions to enhance the storylines of her books. These conditions, while minor, give the main characters (secondary characters more in this book) a lot of depth and draws the reader into the story.  

Another thing I enjoy about her stories is the way she weaves her stories around historical events.  Beyond All Dreams occurs prior to the Spanish-American war.  Although her story is fiction, it gives the reader an understanding of events from a different point of view.  The historical events also give the reader an understanding of what drives the characters in the story.  This book gives insight into the historical events that history books do not. 

This story is a perfect choice for anyone who likes historical romance.  Miss Camden's characters are real and believable, with faults and characteristics that make them relatable to the reader.  I give this book 5 stars and look forward to Mrs. Camden's next release. 

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

                                                       

Top 14 from 2014

2014 was a great year and I thought I'd share a few of the highlights.

1.

Anytime I have all my kids together is a great time. 

My nephew came from across the pond to spend the summer. 

This aunt had a blessed heart this summer.

2.

Raeli and I enjoyed an OBU football game in October. 

We were joined by a couple of friends. 

The Bison lost but we don't care.  Woohoo! Go BISON!

3.

I spent a few days in LA where I got to spend time with my good friend Jami and see some art.

Van Gogh anyone? A major accomplishment was making it through LA traffic.  Yes, I drove. 

4.

Oklahoma sunrises and sunsets are the best!

 

5.

Ryan joined me in LA.  I think the beach was his favorite part (besides his new friends that is).

 

6. 

Picking this little man up from the airport!  I was excited to see him after almost 3 years.

 

7.

On our way to LA, we stopped off to see my Uncle Bob and his family. 

He took us to see the Grand Canyon.  There are no words to describe the experience.

 

8.  I spent a week of my vacation with Raeli and other kids at KBA. 

We had a couple of kids get saved.  It was a great week. 

I'm blessed to have a job with a lot of vacation time that I can use for the Lord. 

 

9.  Crochet - what Grandma tried to teach me finally took off.  It has turned into a hobby that has made me some extra money.

 

10. Pets - we have a couple of extra cats now.  Nick "found" one when he was visiting. 

Qia and Coco are as ornery as ever.

 

11.  On the way to LA, Ryan and I also stopped to see my Aunt Tammie and her family. 

It was good to see them as we had not seen them in a while.

 

12. Family reunion - we saw almost the rest of the family at the annual Short Family reunion. 

We changed things up a little this year.  I think this was my favorite year so far.  I know Nick had a blast.  He really enjoyed the hot tub. 

 

13.  Babies - there are babies all around.  Many are not born yet, but hearing the news of all the pending arrivals brought many a smile to my face in 2014. 

 

14. My walk with the Lord - I grew a lot in 2014. I still have a lot of growing to do.  God answered a lot of prayers, and has remained silent on a few.  It's a day by day process.  Every journey is just a little bit at a time, rushing will make you miss all the scenery.  Church is great.  I'm blessed to be part of a great church family.

 

 

Jennings does it again with "A Most Inconvenient Marriage"

I just (I mean JUST) finished A Most Inconvenient Marriage by Regina Jennings. I don't know how she does it, but Mrs. Jennings manages to incorporate just the right mixture of humor, romance, and seriousness in this book to make it a really great read. I found it hard to put down.  Certain sections had me in stitches, while other sections had me near to tears. This was an excellent book and I look forward to reading the books she puts out in the future. 

Abigail thinks she is (was) married to Jeremiah Calhoun, a man she believes died as a result of injuries sustained in the Civil War. When she discovers that he is in fact alive, she doesn't rightly know what to do with herself.  And he doesn't rightly know what to do with her.  What seems inconvenient at the moment is in fact most convenient for all parties involved. What follows is a tale with as many ups and downs as the mountains of Missouri where the story is set.  Mrs. Jennings creates believable characters who go through joyous and sad occasions just as any real person would. They are not "perfect" characters, they have faults just like the rest of us, which makes them "real" characters. 

I really enjoyed reading about the lives of Abigail and Jeremiah and learning about their personalities.  "Watching" as they makes decisions about their lives, and the paths they should take makes me think about my own life.  The mixture of humor, romance, and drama creates the perfect panamora for a great book. When I say humor, I mean the rolling around with tears running down your face humor. This is a good book for anyone who enjoys romance with some adventure and a lot of humor thrown in. 

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

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.