Back in the Saddle

Back in the Saddle

Double S Ranch Book 1

Ruth Logan Herne

Colt left his ranch home years ago with a very strained connection to his father. Now he's returning with his tail between his legs due to some stock market upsets. His father is ill and Colt feels like it's time to come home. But he's positive that there won't be any fence mending. His father is too hard for that. But it isn't his father that meets him at the door of his childhood home. It's a beautiful woman holding a gun. Angelina is the house manager and hasn't met Colt, but she has heard of his reputation and isn't impressed. Changes have come to the entire Double S Ranch. Now the family and employees must learn to move with the changes or be left behind.

I'll be honest, the first few chapters of the book did not pull me in. I couldn't connect and was really wishing I could stop. But for some reason about a fourth of the way in, it grabbed me and kept me for the rest of the book. I finished wishing the second book in the series was already out. The author did a great job of setting the scene so the reader could picture the landscape, family drama, town relationships, and growing romance that made up the book. While it took a while, the characters grew on me and I liked their authenticity and faith. The characters deal with some really tough issues and handled them with grace, at least most of the time. I liked how the author didn't sugar coat real problems, but had the characters working them out with faith and grit. The importance of family is really emphasized and the overall theme of faith and trust in God is throughout the story. Overall, this was an enjoyable story by a new to me author and I look forward to reading more of her work.

I received this book free of charge from Litfuse Publicity in exchange for my honest review.

Forever My Little Boy

Forever My Little Boy

Loving Your Son for Now and for Always

Karen Kingsbury

Little boys are amazing miracles from God. If you have a son then you know you are truly blessed. But they grow up so quickly. As parents, we love our children through each stage as they grow and get closer to leaving us to make their own path in life.

The author has written a lyrical book that tells this story of the parents heart from the first moment of life until they are truly on their own. The illustrations are precious and fit well with the text. The book is one that will bring a tear to your eye, but will be a treasure to keep or pass on to another parent. The book would make an excellent gift for that new parent who is just welcoming their little boy into the world. While a few of the pictures and words appear to be geared more towards the mother, this book would work just as well for a father.

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

Like Never Before

Like Never Before

Walker Family Book 2

Melissa Tagg

All Amelia wanted was a family. When she couldn't provide that her husband left her. Amelia landed Maple Valley and fell in love with not only the town, but the people. These people became her family. So when her small town newspaper is on the brink of disaster, Amelia will fight with everything she has to keep it going for her adopted family.

 Logan has no idea what to do with the newspaper business that he's suddenly inherited. His home is in California and his business is on the brink of taking off. So he's hoping that a quick visit to family and an even quicker sale of the business will put him back home in time to help with a presidential campaign that will take his business to the next level.

I absolutely loved this story. I've enjoyed this author from the beginning when I read her first book. But I think she just keeps getting better. This book was my favorite. The Walker family is authentic. They have good and bad qualities that feel real to the reader and make them personable and relatable. The plot didn't have everything happening the way the main characters wanted, instead it was closer to reality, with ups, downs, and surprises. Faith was mixed with traditions, family ties, and a small town community to create a story that will come alive for the reader and draw them in to the story. The romance was sweet, clean, and often times mixed with angst. But it fit the two main characters personalities so well and made me fall in love with them. It was the type of book that I rushed to finish so I could see how it ended, and then wished that I'd savored it because I didn't want it to end. I'm eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series and would highly recommend not only this book, but any of her previous ones as well.

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

13 Weeks to Peace

13 Weeks to Peace

Jennifer Jill Schwirzer

We often experience guilt for things that happened in the past. But is this how God wants us to feel? The author uses thirteen chapters to show how God loves us, heals us, and nurtures us. He wants us to find peace in Him. Each chapter contains stories from the author's personal experience or the experiences of her clients. She ties in scripture to illustrate her points. Scattered through each chapter are exercises or worksheets that can be found in the back of the book. These worksheets give a better idea of the concept the author is trying to present. Each chapter ends with discussion questions that relate to the topic.

I picked this book because I'd heard about the author. The title and description sounded like it would be a good fit for our small group at church. The book was very heavy on the psychology and light on scripture. The author talked a lot about herself and gave very few practical insights that the every day person could use. It really felt like she was making the assumption that everyone was severely damaged and wrote the book accordingly. It was incredibly boring to those of us without a mental health degree. We only made it five chapters into the book before my group rebelled and chose another book.

A Virgin for Vasquez

A Virgin for Vasquez

Cathy Williams

Sophie made a terrible mistake many years ago when she chose family obligations over love. Now Javier is the only one who can save her family business and keep Sophie and her brother off the streets. But Javier feels like a little revenge is in order after what Sophie put him through. But what starts out as revenge quickly becomes something else entirely.

This was a complicated layout for a simple plot. It hits all of the marks for wounded hero, misunderstood heroine. The romance was more hot than clean and the ending is a given. But if you enjoy emotionally driven plots with lots of angst than you'll love this book. The author stays true to the style of romance and writes a romantic, dramatic conclusion for the couple.

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

If You Were Me and Lived In. . .

If You Were Me and Lived In. . . Elizabethan England

Carole P. Roman

What would it be like to live in another time? This book will tell you all about what it would be like to be a young child during the Elizabethan time in England. Follow a young family as they cook, dress, play, and live in London. Interesting details about their lives are mixed with illustrations that tie into the subject and help show what life was like back then. The book is non-fiction, but is written in story form to make for enjoyable reading. The back of the book includes a list of important people complete with pictures and facts, and a very intensive glossary.

My kids and I really enjoyed this book. I was pleasantly surprised at how much information was packed into the book. The children loved reading about the different things, but didn't really realize that they were learning. It was just fun. This book would be great for family reading, but would also make an excellent addition to a history curriculum in schools or a home school setting. 

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

Emergency Response

Emergency Response

 First Responders Book 4

Susan Sleeman

Darcie, an EMT, is on the way to visit a friend when she's grabbed from behind. The attacker is clearly intending to strangle her. Darcie manages to escape and runs towards her friend's house. But when she hears and feels shots whizzing by her head, she places a call to her friend Noah, a police officer. Soon Noah and Darcie are in a race to see who wants Darcie dead as more and more attempts are made on her life.

The book begins with the tension high and never really lets up. The author has set the scene with the attempted murder and carries the suspense throughout the entire book. It felt like there was a little more emotional drama with the two main characters than the other books, but with their backgrounds it fit well with the romance that was blooming. I enjoyed getting to know more about the other people on the First Responders team as well. The elements of faith that were subtly woven throughout the story were a great addition that gave heart to the book. The author does a great job of pulling you in to the story and making you feel a part of the scene. The characters are real and relatable. This is another great book that can definitely be read as a stand-alone. But the series is great, so I'd highly recommend picking up the previous books first.

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