Against The Tide by Elizabeth Camden Book Review

From the back cover:

   After a childhood rampant with uncertainty, Lydia Pallas has carved out a perfect life for herself. She spends her days within sight of the bustling Boston Harbor, where her skill with languages has landed her an enviable position as a translator for the U.S. Navy.
   Lydia's talents bring her to the attention of Alexander Banebridge, a mysterious man in need of a translator. Driven by a campaign to end the opium trade, Bane is coolly analytical and relentless in his quest. He cannot afford to fall for Lydia and must fight the bittersweet love growing between them.
   When Bane's enemies gain the upper hand, he is forced to turn to Lydia for help. Determined to prove her worth, Lydia soon discovers that carrying out Bane's mission will test her wits and her courage to the very limits.
   When forces conspire against them from without and within, can their love survive?

My take:

   Against the Tide by Elizabeth Camden is a breath of fresh air! It is a very different Christian/Historical Fiction read. Lydia Pallas has had a very unconventional upbringing and has always had a knack for languages, including learning English upon arriving in Boston at the age of nine. 
   We catch up with Lydia several years later as she is working for Admiral Eric Fontaine at the Navy Yard as a translator. Lydia is very content at this point in her life with a good, respectable job, an apartment of her own, and several friends. During her tenure at the Navy Yard working for Admiral Fontaine, Lydia begins to have interactions with Alexander Bainebridge. Over time, Bainebridge turns to Lydia for help with the translation of various, seemingly useless documents. 
   Lydia is prepared to quit translating these documents after she begins to suspect that Bainebridge has feelings for her and is using these random documents as a means with which to see her. Bainebridge offers her a job working for him in his quest to root out the opium trade on the East Coast and across the world. However, this position is short lived as circumstances change suddenly and Lydia's life begins to unravel.
   I found it unusual that this book had illegal activities in it. Although, like it is discussed in the book - "Is it moral?" Against the Tide is a sequel to The Lady of Bolton Hill. While reading Against the Tide, I felt that I had read similar subject matter before and couldn't put my finger on it until I came across The Lady of Bolton Hill in the back of the book. 
   You can check out the book here or at Amazon. I received this book free from the publisher through the Bethany House Bloggers Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

To Love and Cherish Book Review

From the back cover:

Escape to a Beautiful, Historic Island Resort

Bridal Veil Island, Georgia

1898

Melinda Colson has been waiting months for Evan, the assistant gamekeeper at the Bridal Veil Island resort, to propose. Without an offer of marriage, she must return to Cleveland with the family she works for as a lady's maid.

Evan isn't afraid of hard work, and he hopes to be promoted soon. He wants to marry Melinda--but not until he's sure he can support her and a family.

Letters strengthen their romance until a devastating storm strikes the island. With no word from Evan, Melinda knows she must journey back to Bridal Veil in search of her beloved.

But the hurricane isn't the last calamity to shake up Bridal Veil. Melinda finds a new job on the island, but still no offer of marriage comes her way. Has she given her heart to the wrong person? Will she ever find a man to love and cherish?

My take:

 This is the second book in the Bridal Veil Island series. Melinda Colson is a companion to the affluent Mrs. Dorothea Mifflin. They own a cottage on Bridal Veil Island and winter there. Melinda and Evan met on the island  several years ago and their friendship has grown into talks of marriage. They write to each other during the year and spend their winters together on the island. 

  The books starts with Melinda being on Bridal Veil for the Season with the Mifflin's. She is meeting Evan for a picnic and just knows that he will ask her to marry him. Although, Evan and Melinda have a conversation that is the product of miscommunication and their perspectives on how their relationship should progress, and how quickly. Melinda leaves Bridal Veil Island earlier than expected because Mrs. Mifflin is going to have an important visitor in a couple of weeks. 

  Melinda is becoming increasingly unhappy in her employment with the Mifflin's for a variety of reasons including: her mail being read by a maid, Mrs.Mifflin's treatment of Melinda, and Melinda's attitude being affected by her time with the Mifflin's. Melinda's brother Lawrence comes into town and is unhappy that Melinda is working for the Mifflin's. Meanwhile, a hurricane hits Bridal Veil Island and nearby areas. The reporting of the hurricane to Cleveland is very spotty. Melinda and the Mifflin's hear varying reports of the storm and eventually lie to Melinda about Evan and the hurricane so Melinda, with Lawrence in tow, set off for Bridal Veil Island. 

  Melinda and Lawrence arrive at Bridal Veil Island which is in desperate need of workers to help clean up after the hurricane and make improvements before the upcoming season opening. They are both employed at the Island and Evan is given additional job duties. Melinda and Evan seem to be at odds for most of the book. Eventually, due to an emergency they, along with Lawrence, seem to mend their relationships. 

  Overall, this was a very good book. I was really glad that this series continuation was available so quickly. This book was very different than that of the first in the series and that made it all the more interesting. I cannot wait for the next installment in the series. Although, I don't like that the series are not connected other than they are set in the same location. 

I received this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review!

When Hope Blossoms Book Review

From the back cover:

Amy Knackstedt hopes a new start in Weaverly, Kansas, will help heal the pain of losing her husband and provide a better future for her three children. But her new neighbor, Tim Roper, is not pleased to have an Old Order Mennonite family living next to his apple orchard. Tim left the Mennonite faith years ago and doesn't want any reminders of his former life.

Yet when circumstances throw Amy and Tim together, they form a friendship that surprises them both. Will past hurts always be a barrier between them, or will this tentative relationship blossom into something more?

My take:

This novel was very interesting to read. I haven't read a novel involving Mennonites in a long time. I think it is very interesting how many authors choose to depict their stories involving Mennonites when there are only "pockets" of this religious group across the country. I'm not aware of their statistics, but to my knowledge the closest group to me is found in Tennessee. This group of people should be very much appreciated and applauded for their unwavering lifestyle and nonconformity, for the most part. They are living life "set apart" very literally. 

The novel starts with Amy Knackstedt and her children Bekah, Parker, and Adri moving into their new house in Kansas. They have moved next door to Tim Roper and his apple and grape orchard. Tim and Amy have a rough start, because Tim wants Amy's kids to keep their distance from his orchard to protect it from further harm. Eventually, the children grow on Tim, and Tim, in turn, grows on Amy. They are pushed together through a variety of events that seem quite normal and could happen to any of us. It's not as though there are very unusual circumstances bringing them together. Both Tim and Amy have heartaches of their own they have to work through and overcome before they can move on. Tim and Amy are both reluctant of each other because of their lack of  faith and because of their faith respectively.

The children are definitely obviously attached to Tim and he to them, I don't necessarily see that Tim and Amy could develop that much of a friendship as depicted in the ending, maybe a start to this with the outcome happening eventually but not in the timeframe as depicted in the novel. Tim seemed like a much more developed character than Amy was. Even Amy's daughter Bekah seemed more developed than Amy. I would have liked to have seen more of the interaction between Tim and Amy's family and the local Mennonite order and Tim and Amy. It is always very interesting to me to see the depiction of the Mennonite faith and there interaction with others. Overall it is an ok book 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Check out Kim Vogel Sawyer!

I received this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Short-Straw Bride Book Review

http://youtu.be/B15ATNlSxI8

From the back cover:

Four brothers. Four straws. One bride.

No one steps on Archer land. Not if they value their life. But when Meredith Hayes overhears a plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch, a long-standing debt compels her to take the risk.

Years of constant vigilance hardens a man. Yet when Travis Archer comes across a female trespasser with the same vivid blue eyes as the courageous young girl he once aided, he can't bring himself to send her away. And when an act of sacrifice leaves her injured and her reputation in shreds, gratitude and guilt prompt him to attempt to rescue her once again.

Despite the fact that Travis is no longer the gallant youth Meredith once dreamed about, she vows to stand by his side. But will love ever be hers? Or will Travis always see her as merely a short-straw bride?

(Also found on the Bethany House site.)

My take:

This is the first book of Karen Witemeyer's that I've read. Although, she has only published three other books. I love historical fiction and any element of the Old West and Cowboys you can throw into a story! I couldn't put this book down. I haven't read a book at all in several weeks and picking this one up was a mistake! I didn't think I would be able to go to bed without finishing it! (I did manage to finally put it down to go to sleep, but woke up early and finished it!) The description of the Archer brothers make them all sound very ruggedly handsome and very gentlemanly. Meri's position as the typical damsel in distress was very interesting and in the end portrayed her as an individual who grew into her own person not a helpless female, which I don't care for (the helpless females). The story of Meredith and Travis takes awhile, but it doesn't overpower the storyline. This book has left me wanting to know about the stories of the other Archer men. I hope that the story continues. Although, as other reviewers have mentioned there isn't as much spiritual content in this as I would have expected, and liked to see. If you are looking for a gripping historical/Christian fiction read this is for you!

I received this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.

My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade

From the back cover:

Kate Donovan is burned out on work, worn down by her dating relationships, and in need of an adventure. When her grandmother asks her to accompany her to Redbud, Pennsylvania, to restore the grand old house she grew up in, Kate jumps at the chance.

Upon her arrival in Redbud, Kate meets Matt Jarreau, the man hired to renovate the house. Kate can't help being attracted to him, drawn by both his good looks and something else she can't quite put her finger on. He's clearly wounded--hiding from people, from God, and from his past. Yet Kate sets her stubborn heart on bringing him out of the dark and back into the light... whether he likes it or not. 

When the stilted, uncomfortable interactions between Kate and Matt slowly shift into something more, is God finally answering the longing of her heart? Or will Kate be required to give up more than she ever dreamed?

My take:

This one of those books, from a new author, Becky Wade, that grabs your attention early on. You feel a connection with Kate early on in the book and want to find out how her story progresses. 

The cover art gives you the feeling of two normal, perhaps small town people. You get an unexpected character in Matt Jarreau, who is anything but your average small town handyman, he is a world class athlete. Kate's social worker character was somewhat expected, but is definitely a good fit for the person you find in Kate's character. 

Venturing to Redbud, Pennsylvania to Gran's hometown seems like a logical move to keep Kate from burning out. The relationship or lack of relationship between Kate and Matt seems to set a very good foundation for the main storyline. However, you find that Kate is a very strong character and will give up her wants for God's plan for her life and that of Matt's. The seemingly leap from lack of relationship between Kate and Matt to the ending seemed a little bit of a stretch, but indeed could happen in reality, certainly with God's help. 

I very much enjoyed this book and ended up reading it very quickly, as I do most books. I would love to see this evolve into a trilogy to see what happens with some of the other characters in the book. I look forward to reading more from Becky Wade!

Check out Becky Wade! 

I received this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review. 

To Have and To Hold: Bridal Veil Island by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller Book Review

This is the first book I can say for certain that I have read by these authors. The setting for the book (The South, a fictitious island off the coast of Georgia to be exact) is a place I can connect easily with because I have lived in the South my entire life. I am somewhat of a history buff so I greatly enjoy Historical Fiction such as this.

The book takes place in a post-Civil War South on what was once solely a family estate, but due to rising takes is being taken over by developers. The main character, Audrey Cunningham, moved back to her childhood home, and her father’s ancestral home, on Bridal Veil Island from Pittsburgh. Her father is a recovering alcoholic who has recently found God.  In what appears to be an answer to prayer, developers begin construction on a resort on the island and an old friend of her father, Marshall Graham, comes to visit and eventually to work on the island.

Boyd Cunningham, Audrey’s father asks Marshall Graham to look after Audrey. This proves to be a difficult task if their first impressions of one another are to be believed. Construction on the island proves to be a treacherous task, with accidents at every turn, and Marshall’s position seems to hang in the balance, along with his stay on Bridal Veil Island.

I agree with other reviewers that the courtship/romance happened pretty fast, but this seems to be typical of this era, at least from a literary perspective. I look forward to reading the other books in this series. Bethany House Publishers provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.