A Place In His Heart by Rebecca DeMarino

Wow! For a debut novel this one is a whopper! I was hooked from the first page and it only got better. I kept finding excuses to sit down and read. That is the kind of book I enjoy reading.

Putting your faith in God and following His leading is not always an easy path and there were many times in this book when either Barnabas or Mary though about giving up, but didn't. Picking up and leaving not only everything you know but your country to go to a new country that is still being formed can be a frightening thing but with their strong faith and belief they were doing the right thing, Barnabas and Mary set off on their journey.

Barnabas "Barney" and Mary did not have your conventional relationship. He was a widower with 2 small boys who was deeply grieving his late wife and Mary was trying to find a way out of marrying a man her father picked. Thus the arrangement worked for both of them.

I love how the author let the reader in to all the emotions and trials this couple faced. There were times when I could have happily slapped Barney and told him to wake up but the author did such a wonderful job of portraying the man and his inner turmoil that I understood where he was coming from. Mary, on the other hand, did not understand. She did everything she could to make him happy and her frustration was portrayed so well by the author. Make no mistake, Mary is a strong woman!

I was sorry to see this book end. I had come to love Mary and Barney and their story isn't over yet. Readers will find at the end of the book a few pages by the author where she reveals this book was based on her family history and what she found in doing her research. Just in reading that I hope there is another book in the series that continues Barney and Mary's story. It will be fascinating!

I highly recommend this book, especially if you are a history buff. This book is rich with the history of the time. I cannot wait for Book 2 in the series!

Fair Play by Deeanne Gist

So many emotions running through this book and I loved every one of them! The authors attention to detail really enhanced the story and the supporting characters did nothing to detract from the main characters story but only made it richer. The story took surprising turns around every corner.

I loved Billy Jack! She is a woman who was clearly in the wrong century! Boldly modern for her time she bucks every tradition, especially when it comes to a certain very traditional Texas Ranger. Watching their love grow and the frustrations they both feel because of their stubbornness makes the reader keep turning pages. Miss Pantalets-Trousers as he affectionately dubs her when he first lays eyes on her via her ahem backside frustrates Hunter Scott to no end. But there is something about her he finds appealing. Dr. Tate, as he soon comes to find out, is a force to be reckoned with!

The reader will laugh out loud at times and want to cry at times while reading this book but all the emotions are necessary for a richly told story. I highly recommend this book!

I was give a free copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Finding Love At Home by Jerry S. Eicher

This was one of those books I couldn't put down until I found out what happened. Having read the first two books in the series I could not wait to find out if Debbie and Alvin get their happily ever after and if Ida finally finds love. All of my questions were answered in this book.

The one thing that struck me when I finished the book was "what happens next?" It took a long time for Debbie to finally find love and when she did it was a long and winding road and not the one she expected. In fact, it seemed to me Debbie's story got cheated when she finally found love. It was almost as if her love story was an after thought. I wish there had been more development of Debbie's romance and future marriage. Maybe in another book? I hope so. I really grew to love this family. I loved all 3 Beiler Sisters, even Lois, and I will miss them.

Jerry S. Eicher has a wonderful way of weaving a story so the characters come alive and you can imagine what they are going through as you read. Thank you Mr. Eicher for a wonderful series. I am looking forward to your next book.

I was given a review copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Seeing Your Face Again by Jerry Eicher

Have you ever felt you were in the wrong culture? Well Debbie did. She always felt the pull of the Amish way of life and when Amish neighbors agreed to let her move in hoping to keep their daughter from "going English" she was overjoyed. But it didn't work. Their daughter Lois had the same pull, in the opposite direction. She always wanted to be English so she moves next door and lives with Debbie's family. Both girls seem completely committed to their new lives but are these new lives causing trouble for those around them? And what of the one daughter left in the Amish home. Will she ever find love? This book will answer all the questions although I was not prepared for some of the answers.

This book kept me turning pages long into the night. The author has a way of making you feel all the emotion in the book. I felt like I was living it with them. Now on to the final book in the series. I will hate to see this series end. I will miss the Beiler Sisters.

I was given a review copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Quaker and The Rebel by Mary Ellis

I enjoyed this book although at times I felt like I was getting bogged down in history. But the history only led to the richness of the story. I also learned a few things along the way!

Emily and Alexander come from 2 different worlds and both have secrets. Big ones that could threaten all they hold dear. But through it all their unexpected love continues to grow. Although Emily does her best to fight it, for Alexander it is love at first sight. Even when both feel betrayed by the other they cannot deny what is happening between their hearts.

The author does a wonderful job of weaving historical content with a love story. You actually feel like you are right there with them through all the fears and tears. The supporting characters in the book are as developed as the main characters and add fullness to the story.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical romance.

Gathering Shadows by Nancy Mehl

Oh my gosh! I was riveted to this book! I could not put it down! I love books with a mystery or a little suspense attached to them and this one did not disappoint! Definitely a page turner from the first chapter! For once I didn't figure out "whodunit" until it was revealed. I had my ideas but I was wrong!

Wynter/Emily has strong memories of her abducted brother even though she was a little girl at the time. His abduction tore her family apart. But could this photo be her brother? Or is she just grasping at straws? The news reporter in her says she needs to follow up om this so she goes to the tiny town of Sanctuary to pursue it. She soon finds there are many secrets in Sanctuary and someone doesn't want her to be there and they will do almost anything to keep her from finding out the truth. But will she find her brother? You will have to read the book to find out!

I cannot wait for Book 2 in this series. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a really good page turner. I read this book in about 4 hours. I couldn't put it down, it was that good.