Blue Moon Promise by Colleen Coble

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About the book:

Book Number One in the Under Texas Stars series

A love like Lucy and Nate’s only comes along once in a blue moon . . .

Lucy Marsh's worldly resources are running out, but she's fiercely determined to care for her younger brother and sister. When she discovers that their father's recent death was no accident, Lucy is eager to leave town. She accepts a proxy marriage she believes will provide safe refuge. But trouble follows her to Texas where her new husband is surprised to suddenly have a wife and children to care for.

Nate Stanton always hoped he'd marry someday, but running the family ranch meant he had no time for romance. When his father deposits Lucy Marsh—a city girl—on his doorstep, with two siblings in the bargain, he expects ranch life will send her running on the first train out of town. But Lucy is made of tougher stuff than Nate imagined. When danger moves in, Nate finds he'd give anything to protect Lucy and the children he's grown to love. Even if it means giving up his ranch.

About the author:

Best-selling author Colleen Coble's novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, ACFW Book of the Year, RWA’s RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers' Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has nearly 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers and is a member of Romance Writers of America. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana.

For more about Colleen and her other books visit www.colleencoble.com

My Review:

I just loved this book. It was so much fun to read and at many times I found myself laughing out loud. Watching Lucy and Nate figure out how to love each other, live with each other and work alongside one another was downright funny. They each had so much to learn from each other and about each other but with God and time they learn they are perfect for each other. On top of the budding romance Colleen throws in the mystery of what really happened to Lucy's father. Oh the twists and turns this book takes and in the end it is nothing like what was expected. Colleen Coble tells a western tale set in 1877 Texas that weaves together romance, mystery, secrets, lies and humor. I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5!

About the Party:

Blue Moon Promise is a story of hope, romance, and suspense . . . immersing the reader in a rich historical tale set under Texas stars.

To celebrate Colleen is teaming up with her publisher Thomas Nelson for a "Blue Moon Promise" Facebook Chat party where she will giveaway a KINDLE Fire and a Texas-sized gift basket (fabulous Texas treats and fun Lucy-inspired housekeeping products)!

RSVP today at  http://www.facebook.com/events/265518396856118 for the Facebook Party and mark the date on your calendar!

         Kindle Giveaway and More! Save the Date - 3/13!

                                                          

To see what others are saying about this book check out the blog tour at:  http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13458569/bluemoonpromise

Sarai by Jill Eileen Smith

About the Book:

He promised her his heart. She promised him a son. But how long must they wait?

When Abram finally requests the hand of his beautiful half sister Sarai, she asks one thing--that he promise never to take another wife as long as she lives. Even Sarai's father thinks the demand is restrictive and agrees to the union only if she makes a promise in return--to give Abram a son and heir. Certain she can easily do that, Sarai agrees.

But as the years stretch on and Sarai's womb remains empty, she becomes desperate to fulfill her end of the bargain, lest Abram decide that he will not fulfill his. To what lengths will Sarai go in her quest to bear a son? And how long will Abram's patience last?

Combining in-depth research and vivid storytelling, Jill Eileen Smith brings to life the beautiful and inscrutable Sarai in this remarkable story of love, jealousy, and undaunted faith.

My Review:

Sarai is book 1 of Jill Eileen Smith's new Wives of the Patriarchs series and tells the story of Abram and Sarai. Jill Eileen Smith does a spectacular job at portraying the emotions of the characters and the setting. She has definitely researched the bible and other texts to make this is accurate as she can and I did not feel like she changed the story. I enjoyed getting to read the story of Sarai and Abram in a different way but at the same time had a hard time getting into it since I already knew what was going to happen. Biblical fiction is a great way to read the stories and the bible and get another view of them as long as they are accurate, which this one is. While I do not know if biblical fiction is a genre I enjoy reading I am glad I gave this one a chance and know many others will love it. Final rating 4 out of 5 stars.

*I received this book from Revell Books in exchange for my honest review.

Heiress by Susan May Warren

About the Book:

They can buy anything they want— fame, power, beauty, even loyalty. But they can’t buy love.

The beautiful and wealthy heiress daughters of August Price can buy everything their hearts desire. But what if their desire is to be loved, without an enormous price tag attached? When one sister betrays another for the sake of love, will she find happiness? And what happens when the other sets out across the still untamed frontier to find it—will she discover she’s left it behind in the glamorous world of the New York gilded society? What price will each woman pay for being an heiress?

Set in the opulent world of the Gilded Age, two women discover that being an heiress just might cost them everything they love.

My Review: 

What a fantastic book this was! I loved every minute of it and found myself not wanting to put it down which is most likely why I read it within a day. Heiress is book one of Susan May Warren's Daughters of Fortune series and it is one not to be missed!  

Glamour, glitz, power, wealth, but where is the love. All Esme and Jinx want is to be loved,by there father and a husband when the time comes but set in the world of Mrs. Astors 400 in the early 1900's makes this hard if not impossible. Will Esme and Jinx find the love they are seeking while be surrounded by clouds of lies? This book took my emotions on a roller coaster from the first page to the last. This is not your normal happy, happy book, for many parts it is down right heartbreaking but so true for that society. A society where women are meant to plan parties, produce heirs and run the house while the men do as they please. Through it all the women take joy in their children and want it to be better for them in the future. This is a solid 5 star book and I can not wait to read the next in the series, Baroness.

* I received this book through the author and Amy Lathrop for the pupose of this review, an honest opinion was all that was requested. Thank you! 

Dawn Comes Early by Margaret Brownley

About the book:

Disgraced dime novelist Kate Tenney fled the city that banned her latest novel for the emptiness of the desert. Answering an ad to be “heiress” to a vast cattle ranch in the Arizona Territory, Kate hopes ranching turns out to be as romantic as she portrayed it in her novels.

But what awaits her is a life harder than the one she just left. There is no room for mistakes on a working cattle ranch, and Kate is ill-prepared for her new life. She quickly learns that dawn comes early. But she is tenacious.

Having been abandoned by a string of men, Kate has no intention of ever marrying. But she didn’t expect to meet Luke Adams, either. Luke awakens feelings inside Kate she doesn’t recognize, and his steady presence is a constant distraction. She has only written about love in the past, never known it herself. But her feelings for Luke stand in the way of all she has to gain if she is chosen as the heir.

Perhaps God brought Kate to the barrenness of the desert to give new life to her jaded heart.

My Review:

Kate Tenney thinks she is cut out for ranching based on the sole reason that she writes stories about it, but she learns quickly how hard it is yet very rewarding. Join Kate on her adventures, which are rather numerous at times, as she learns to be a rancher and as she learns what she really wants in life.  

This was a very fun book to read and I am looking forward to the next book in the series, Waiting for Morning, which comes out in January 2013. Having never read Margaret Brownley before I was excited to try her out, well I am sold and will be reading more of her books. I just loved Kate in this book! Her spirit and determination to learn how to be a rancher was both inspiring and encouraging. So many people today and in the past would just give up when things were hard and seemed hopeless, but not Kate! This is a great book for anyone who loves a good western story filled with romance, hard work and some humor. Final rating 4.5 stars out of 5!

* I received this book through booksneeze.com in exchange for my honest review.

A Hope Undaunted by Julie Lessman

About the Book:

What happens when the boy she loved to hate becomes the man she hates to love?

The 1920s are drawing to a close, and feisty Katie O'Connor is the epitome of the new woman--smart and sassy with goals for her future that include the perfect husband and a challenging career in law. Her boyfriend Jack fits all of her criteria for a husband--good-looking, well-connected, wealthy, and eating out of her hand. But when she is forced to spend the summer of 1929 with Luke McGee, the bane of her childhood existence, Katie comes face-to-face with a choice. Will she follow her well-laid plans to marry Jack? Or will she fall for the man she swore to despise forever?

My Review:

A Hope Undaunted is the first book in Julie Lessman's Winds of Change series but it may as well be book 4 of her last series since it continues telling the story of the O'Connor family. This is Katie's story and what a story it is filled with so much drama and passion.

From page one I just knew I was going to love this story and I think it just may be my favorite book or at least tied with A Passion Redeemed from Julie so far!!! I loved Luke McGee in this book with his kind heart to orphans, his sense of wanting to do what is right and wanting to help out a friend in need. No wonder Katie likes him, who wouldn't?  Be prepared to laugh and cry throughout this book and fall in love with Katie, Luke and the rest of the gang, though only if you have read her first series. You wouldn't want to miss out on Faith, Charity and Lizzie's stories. I have completely fallen in love with the O'Connor family and can not wait to read more about them. Julie Lessman has definitely become one of my favorite authors! Final rating 11 stars out of 10!

Heart's Safe Passage by Laurie Alice Eakes

About the Book:

One woman tak,es the treacherous journey toward redemption . . . and love.

All Phoebe Lee wants out of life is to practice midwifery in Loudon County, Virginia. But when she refuses to accompany her pregnant sister-in-law to help save her husband from an English prison during the War of 1812, Phoebe finds herself pressed aboard a British privateer.

Captain Rafe Docherty promises to get Phoebe's brother-in-law out of prison in exchange for information Rafe needs to exact revenge on the man who destroyed his family. As he realizes his attraction to Phoebe, she determines to get ashore before her patient goes into labor--and before her own heart is in danger. But an enemy in their midst threatens to end their plans--and their very lives.

My Review:

Heart's Safe Passage is the second book in Laurie Alice Eakes Midwives series but stands along rather well. I did not have time to read book one, Lady in the Mist, and was able to follow along really well. I think that it helps that most of the book is set on a ship and so the main characters from the first book play a very very small role in this book. Laurie Alice Eakes does a great job at setting a story just about entirely on a ship and keeping it interesting and weaves together a romance of two very different people.  I sadly though did not find this to be a favorite book. I had a hard time getting into the story and staying focused on it. I know we all read book that we love and ones that we don't and in the end it is only our personal opinion. Just because I did not care for it does not mean others won't like it either. It is heartbreaking to not like a book that you looked forward to reading. Oh, before I forget the cover is stunning and really helps set the setting. Final rating 3.5 out of 5 stars.

*I received this book from Revell in exchange for my honest review.

A Passion Denied by Julie Lessman

About the book:

Has she fallen in love with a man who cannot love her back?

Elizabeth O'Connor has been like the little sister John Brady always wanted, sharing his love of literature and his thirst for God. But in the throes of the reckless Roaring Twenties, Lizzie has grown up. Suddenly she wants more from the man who has been her friend since she was a child. When this shy little bookworm blossoms into a beautiful young woman bent on loving John, she discovers that his past won't let him return that love. But Lizzie refuses to give up--until his shocking secrets push her away.

Can true love survive the betrayal and deceitful of a painful past . . . or will it be shattered like the fairy-tale dreams of a girl in love?

Brimming with romance, longing, and redemption, A Passion Denied, will quicken your pulse and gladden your heart with a riveting story of the true power of love.

My Review:

Julie Lessman has written another fantastic novel about the very passionate O'Connor family and takes you on a grand adventure. Once I started this book I had a very hard time putting it down and found myself reading over half of it (480 page book) in one night! I may have lost some sleep due to it but it was so worth it and I would do it again. The twists and turns that Julie takes you on is very similar to riding the most twisty roller coaster you can think of. There is no way of predicting how the story will play out and that is what makes it fun to read. Predictable is boring and boring is one word that will never describe a Julie Lessman book! There are so many things I loved about this book including seeing Lizzie and John Brady fall in love, John dealing with his past, everything about Charity and so much more. Way to go Julie on another amazing book!


A Passion Denied is book three in Julie Lessman's Daughters of Boston series and don't even consider reading these books out of order. If you have not read this trilogy yet don't walk but run to your nearest christian bookstore and pick up these wonderful books filled with so much passion, both romantic and spiritual and discover this amazing family! This is definitely a 10 start book out of 5 stars!