Spring Break

Spring Break

A Year of Weddings Novella Collection

Rachel Hauck, Lenora Worth, Meg Moseley

 Every month a new wedding novella comes out from a different author. This book is a collection from the spring collection.

March Bride

Susanna has fallen in love with prince charming - literally. She's only a few weeks away from marrying a true prince. But she's just a small town girl from America. Now she's being asked to give up everything she feels is her true self to become a citizen of Brighton and a princess. 

This story is a sequel to a full length novel. I enjoyed getting chance to revisit this couple. But since I read the previous story I can't say that this book would work well as a stand-alone. It picks up where the other book left off and fits right before the next book in that series. But those who enjoy this author will really like this story, as I did.

April Bride

Stella hasn't seen her fiance, Marshall, in almost a year. He's returning from Afghanistan after an IED almost killed him. He's alive, but something is wrong. And with their wedding only weeks away the two must find a way to work through Marshall's PTSD and brain trauma or the wedding will be called off.

I enjoyed this novella a lot. It had all of the right elements for a short story. There was drama with elements of faith and trust through out. The story line was a bit fairy tale, but it was super sweet and romantic. So for a short story, I enjoyed it and it made me want to read more by this author.

May Bride

Ellie has moved to Atlanta to get away from her controlling mother and the rural town she grew up in. When she meets Gray she falls quickly in love. But both of them must deal with her ultraconservative mother and her unbending ideas.

The romance between the couple was sweet and while it had a rushed feeling was nice. But the parts dealing with Ellie's mother were over the top and didn't seem to match with the rest of the story. I just couldn't fit those two pieces together. Overall the story wasn't my style, but the whirlwind romance will appeal to some romantics.

 I received this book free of charge from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest review.

Anna's Crossing

Anna's Crossing

An Amish Beginnings Novel

Suzanne Woods Fisher

Anna begins the journey to America with several fellow Amish. But she doesn't want to go. She's required to go because she is the only one who speaks English and must act as an interpreter. But she's leaving behind her only family, her grandparents. She hopes to find a way to return to them when her duties are finished. But delays, complications, and a carpenter named Bairn seem to get in the way of her dream.

I'll be honest and admit that I'm not a huge fan of bonnet fiction. But I have read this author before and enjoyed her. So I thought I'd give this book a chance. I'm very glad that I did. It definitely isn't typical for the genre. The characters had depth and were real. The details painted a picture instead of just telling the story. There was drama, intrigue, and faith. It was an interesting twist on bonnet fiction that I actually enjoyed reading. If you enjoy reading about history or about some of the immigrants to America, you'll enjoy this book.

I received this book free of charge from Revell Reads in exchange for my honest review.

All Dressed Up in Love

All Dressed Up in Love

A Year of Weddings Novella Book 4

Ruth Logan Herne

Greg, a lawyer, has inherited his mother's bridal shop upon her death. All of his employees are out for various reasons and he's desperate. So when Tara, a law student, responds to an ad he placed, he hires her to work in his shop. The two are immediately attracted to each other, but both have plans to move on. 

The romance moved quickly, but I expected that with a novella. The plot was fun and was filled with a lot of details for such a short story. I enjoyed the characters and it was nice to see the secondary characters had as much depth as the main ones. I liked how the author was able to pull faith into the story without making it seem preachy or an after thought. In summery, it was a sweet story that made me want to check out more by this author.

I received this book free of charge from BookLook Blogger in exchange for my honest review.

Sister Eve, Private Eye

Sister Eve, Private Eye

A Divine Private Detective Agency Mystery Book 1

Lynne Hinton

Sister Eve Divine has been living in a monastery for twenty years. But when her father lands in the hospital her sister decides it's time for Eve to come and do her duty. Their father is a retired police officer turned detective. The missing person case he's working on at the time of his illness turns into a murder case. So Sister Eve steps up and helps her father solve the crime.

I love a good mystery and a faith based mystery with a nun sounded fun. The story started out slow and never picked up for me. There wasn't any humor, the story seemed to center more around family drama than the mystery, and I couldn't relate to the story. The main character had some characteristics that didn't fit with the persona the author was trying to portray. She waffled between immaturity in her emotions and faith, and being a responsible woman who'd been a nun for twenty years. It was a little bit confusing. But I think with a good editing and some extra mystery thrown in this could be a really good series. It just isn't quite there yet.

I received this book free of charge from BookLook Blogger in exchange for my honest review.

After a Fashion

After a Fashion

A Class of Their Own Book 1

Jen Turano

Harriet Peabody has dreams of opening a dress shop. But this dress shop is special. She'll be creating original gowns from the cast offs of the rich so that the poor can have something beautiful as well. But she's currently working as a hat maker in the back of a shop. When a job goes wrong and she's fired, she is rescued by the man who was involved in the whole fiasco. Harriet only accepts Oliver's deal because she wants to the money to open her shop. She never dreams of the adventures she and her roommates will encounter because she agreed to pose as Oliver's girlfriend for a few weeks.

This was a fun book to read. I finished it quickly, because the plot moved swiftly and didn't stall with descriptions or needless additions. The author made the characters flawed, amusing, and multifaceted. I enjoyed all of the twists and turns that the story took. The secondary characters were engaging as well and I can definitely see them reappearing in the series. I'm not sure if the plot was feasible for that time period, but the story was so fun to read that I didn't really care. Based on this book I will be checking out the other books in the series as they come out.

I received this book free of charge from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

Worry Less

Worry Less So You Can Live More

Surprising, Simple Ways to Feel More Peace, Joy, and Energy

Jane Rubietta

Worries bother a lot of people. So the author has taken this part of her life and broken down how she overcame her worry and became more at peace with herself and God. She gives ideas and tools for banishing the worry and replacing it with more positive thoughts. 

I tend to be a worrier. So I was really looking forward to this book. The cover is gorgeous and the concept is so needed in today's world. But the execution just wasn't there for me. The author gave some very detailed stories and references to showcase worry. But a lot of them tended to border neurosis (the author's words). She talked a lot about bringing out the inner child that is being smothered by the outer adult so that you can let go of your worries. There weren't as many scripture references to back everything up as I'd expected. So much of it just didn't apply to my situations in life. While it was an entertaining read, I just couldn't find anything that was helpful.

I received this book free of charge from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

The Adventures of Pajama Girl

The Adventures of Pajama Girl and the Coronation of the Cupcake Queen

Sandra Hagee Parker

 

Something special and wonderful happens to Ellie every night when she goes to sleep. When she puts on her pajamas she finds that her dreams match the print on her pajamas. So Ellie, otherwise known as Pajama Girl, helps rescue the princess parade in Cupcake Kingdom when she puts on her cupcake pajamas.

Bright, colorful illustrations fill each page as the author weaves a magical story about two little sisters and the amazing dreams they have when pajamas are put on each night. Life lessons about stealing, jealousy, and friendship are woven into a sweet story about sisters who help each other and other people. My daughter loved the story and the illustrations.

I received this book free of charge from First Look in exchange for my honest review.