Carolina Gold by Dorothy Love

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (December 10, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140168761X
• ISBN-13: 978-1401687618

::From the back of the book::

The war is over, but at Fairhaven Plantation, Charlotte's struggle has just begun.

Following her father’s death, Charlotte Fraser returns to Fairhaven, her family’s rice plantation in the South Carolina Lowcountry. With no one else to rely upon, smart, independent Charlotte is determined to resume cultivating the superior strain of rice called Carolina Gold.  But the war has left the plantation in ruins, her father’s former bondsmen are free, and workers and equipment are in short supply.

To make ends meet, Charlotte reluctantly agrees to tutor the two young daughters of her widowed neighbor and heir to Willowood Plantation, Nicholas Betancourt.  Just as her friendship with Nick deepens, he embarks upon a quest to prove his claim to Willowood and sends Charlotte on a dangerous journey that uncovers a long-held family secret, and threatens everything she holds dear.

Inspired by the life of a 19^th-century woman rice farmer, Carolina Gold pays tribute to the hauntingly beautiful Lowcountry and weaves together  mystery, romance, and historical detail, bringing to life the story of one young woman’s struggle to restore her ruined world.

::My Review::

I have to admit I loved Charlotte. She was a very admirable woman whom I could not help take as my favorite character. Concerned about keeping her promise to her father and bring her dreams to life of restoring Fairhaven she also put the needs of others before her own often, and had a very kind heart. No matter what hurdles are thrown her way she perseveres, and stands her own ground. Meek but firm and loving but careful, she is no fool in any matters.

Nicholas was an equally lovable character although he did frustrate me at times. I will admit it is refreshing to see a dedicated father in a historical novel. Most fathers in novels pay little attention to their daughters especially. However Nicholas doted on his daughters and it was easy to picture the love for them. I also love how Nicholas paid little attention to other women and even though he didn't let it publicly be known clearly held Charlotte in his favor among all.

Love is in abundance in this book. And it shows how God really wants us to be on helping thy neighbor and showing love and understanding to all who may need it. This book is the perfect example of life having it's ups and down but keeping your faith rooted in God always. No matter what set backs Charlotte faced, no matter what was going wrong in her restoring her family plantation she kept her faith and accepted what was. She still held to hope and she strives to find the truth of matters. She is a careful planner and a wonderful example of great women everywhere. 

The scenes in the story are all very easy to picture and I was swept away in this novel. Historic details were right on point and I felt as if I was right there with the characters throughout. I couldn't wait to see what was happening next, and felt as if I was there through all of it.

There were many interesting characters in this book, and my only complaint was that it had to end. I liked to epilogue at the end and it was nice to see how a few things ended up for Charlotte although a little insight into the other characters would have been equally as nice. Especially Nicholas's young girls. Still I loved this book immensely, and if you love historical fiction then this is a book for you.

In a time when women were not seen fit to run their own plantation Charlotte did all she could and cared not what anyone thought. A wonderful read!

Here's a little preview for all of you who are curious to get reading it yourself. :)

This book is available in:  PAPERBACK   KINDLE   NOOK

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of the book mentioned above from Thomas Nelson in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

A Bride for Keeps

Paperback: 336 pages

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (October 1, 2013)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0764211684

ISBN-13: 978-0764211683

::From the back of the book::
 Everett Cline will never humiliate himself by seeking a mail-order bride. Not again. He's already been jilted by three mail-order brides and figures a wife just isn't in his future. However, a well-meaning neighbor hasn't given up on seeing him settled, so she goes behind his back to bring yet another woman to town for him.

Julia Lockwood has never been anything more than a pretty pawn for her father or a business acquisition for her former fiance. A mail-order marriage in faraway Kansas is a last resort, but she'll do anything to leave her life in Massachusetts and the heartbreak she's experienced there.

Although Everett doesn't see how a beautiful, cultured woman like Julia could be happy sharing his simple life, he could really use a helpmate on his homestead. Determined to prove she's more than just a pretty face, Julia agrees to a marriage in name only. Faced with the harsh realities of life on the prairie and hesitant to explore the tentative feelings growing between them, can Everett and Julia ever let each other in long enough to fall in love?



::My Thoughts::
Let me just start by saying if your a fan of historical fiction that keeps you guessing, particularly when it comes to romance...this is the book for you. I enjoyed this book immensely and was sad to see it end. The plot left me on the edge of my seat guessing what would happen next. The tension between Everett and Julia was so strong the reader can definitely feel it. The author did a fantastic job of bringing everything to life in this novel. Clearly both characters have unmistakable feelings for each other, but due to their unfortunate pasts neither of them will express their feelings.
Poor Everett put his hope in mail order brides only to have himself left being jilted by every one of them.
Julia having a frightening past with love is extremely leery of marriage. However becoming a mail order bride will help her escape the life where she isn't appreciated.
When both characters come together they finally agree upon a marriage in name only, but as feelings surface things are no longer as easy as they thought their arrangement would be. I won't deny that I've seen this plot type time and again, but the twists this one takes makes it new and exciting. I honestly did not know what would happen. I would go into greater detail but I don't want to spoil anything.
This is a very inspirational romance and it is very easy to get swept away in the historical setting. I felt as if I was right there alongside the characters. I found myself siding with each of them on separate occasions as well as becoming frustrated with each one of them at times. This book is the perfect example of faith and how God will work everything out to your own good. It was all in all an amazing read, and one I won't soon forget. I can't wait to see more from this author.


 ::About the author::

Melissa Jagears, an ESL teacher by trade, is a stay-at-home mother on a tiny Kansas farm with a fixer-upper house. Her passion is to help Christian believers mature in their faith and judge rightly. Learn more at www.melissajagears.com

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my unbiased review.

The Quarryman's Bride ~ Review

Series: Land of Shining Water

Paperback: 336 pages

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (June 1, 2013)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0764206206

ISBN-13: 978-0764206207

::Description::
Emmalyne Knox and Tavin MacLachlan were engaged to be married. However, a horrible disaster that took the lives of Emmalyne's young sisters put a stop to that immediately. An age old tradition of the Knox family states that the youngest daughter will not marry but instead take care of her parents in their old age. As Emmalyne's heart sinks she cannot bear to let her parents down and takes on the selfless act of giving up her one true love and future to honor her family's tradition.
The Knox family moves away taking with them all of Emmalyne's hopes and dreams but leaving behind her heart. After eleven years circumstances bring the Knox family side by side working with the MacLachlan family and Emmalyne's and Tavin's paths cross again. The only question to remain is will true love conquer all?


::My Thoughts::
I LOVED this book. This was right up my alley and I enjoyed every minute of it. True love at it's best. I felt the author did a fantastic job on the whole novel. Even explaining day to day duties will take you inside the feelings of Emmalyne and other characters in the novel. In the 1800s, before, and likely after family traditions were often put above all else. Very few dared to go against age old traditions and instead accepted them as their lot in life good or bad. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen with Emmalyne and Tavin throughout the novel. Honestly I couldn't read a page fast enough to find out what would happen next. The other characters in the novel such as Fenella, Emmalyne's mother, etc., were also just as interesting. There are a few surprise character's included but it helped boost the story and make it all much more intriguing. This book is filled with happiness, sadness, devastation, intrigue, and love at both it's worst and finest. I can't wait to read the other novels in the series. I felt the entire novel was completely believable and I didn't have trouble following any of it. I definitely recommend this book to all you historical Christian romance readers or just historical romance readers in general! I was right back in the 1800s with this novel and couldn't wait to see how things would turn out.


This book is available in   Print   Kindle   Nook   Audible   ...and more! Make sure to check for other forms! :)


Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my unbiased review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

A Cold Creek Secret by Raeanne Thayne Book Review

This is the kind of romance novel that makes you sigh in wonderment. One of the best romance novels I have had the pleasure of reading. I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next, and there are plenty of cliffhangers that will leave you salivating.
Here’s a bit about the novel:
Mimi Van Hoyt desperately needs to talk with her ex-step mother. However the timing couldn’t be more inconvenient since she finds herself caught in the midst of an Idaho snow storm. She crashes her car into a creek where she is basically knocked unconscious. Lucky for her Major Brant Western is home on leave and sees the accident. What he thought would be a relaxing week off from duty turns out to be a rescue mission. He pulls Mimi from the wreckage and as the snow keeps falling they are forced to take shelter with each other in Brant’s ranch home.
The last thing famous socialite Mimi wants is for her identity to be revealed, especially under the circumstances she is in. She takes on the identity of Maura Howard hoping that nobody will recognize her. The last thing she wants to be known for is the silly socialite the tabloids portray her to be. With plenty of careless antics she has found herself caught in over the years she can’t help but to be thrilled at being someone other than herself if even for a short time.
Major Brant Western knows all about her real identity, but goes along with her fibs to placate her. What does he care if she wants to be someone else? Their time will be limited, and the story of spending time with none other than Mimi Van Hoyt will make a great story for his army buddies.
However forced to live under the same roof they begin to develop feelings for each other. Brant soon realizes that there is more to Mimi than meets the eye. Each person is too stubborn to admit feelings for each other, and there are plenty of obstacles in their way which doesn’t seem to help matters.
Will they ever be able to come together, or are their two worlds just too far apart to bring this unlikely couple together?
The story plot is excitingly unexpected. Not your normal romance read considering the two characters being thrust together is an army Major and a socialite celebrity. It was pleasantly surprising, as were the characters. Just when I thought I had figured out the characters personalities something happened to surprise me. For me it was a quick read, mainly because I just could not put it down. I couldn’t wait to see what would unfold next in the plot, and what the characters would do next.
The writing style was comfortable and flowed very easily. Everything was easy to imagine, and felt so real. I fell in love with all the characters depicted, and I highly recommend this novel to any fellow romance reader looking for a great read.

Check out my star rating for this book on Goodreads
　
Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher. However, all opinions expressed are solely my own.

Restless In Carolina Book Review

After reading the summary of this novel I was quite eager to get my hands on it. It seemed like it would be a down to earth, tangible read and I wasn‘t disappointed. Let me give you a little rundown on the summary:

Bridget Pickwick Buchanan has been angry at God ever since her husband passed away. Unable to break herself from her widow’s weeds and move on with her life she decides to stay rooted in the past. She refuses to talk to God, and even goes so far as to refuse to say the words happily ever after when reading a story to her young niece. She views all admirers as “widow sniffers” and refuses to let a man within ten feet of her.
Her family becomes concerned and tries attempt after attempt to get her to move on with her life as the bitterness takes further hold of her, and she stays rooted in her past.
Being environmentally conscious, Bridget needs to secure a buyer for her families estate. One that won’t turn the property into something as terrible as an industrial park. She decides to approach J.C. Dirk who has many green property developments in the hopes that he will keep her families estate environmentally stable. Dare she even hope for a wildlife retreat? But is J.C. Dirk what he really claims to be? Or will Bridget find herself in the middle of a sore mistake, one that could leave her ruined, and crushed?
It started off a bit slow for me as I think some stuff was explained in too much detail. The book did get a bit off track at times, but not so much so that you would feel lost in the story. After the first few chapters I started getting really into it. By close to the middle of the book I was riveted in the entire story as well as the characters. This is actually the third book in the Carolina series by Tamara Leigh. I haven’t read the other two, and to be quite frank didn’t really even know there were two ahead of this one. This is a great stand alone book. You don’t have to read the other two novels to know what is going on. The book pretty much explains everything and I never felt at all lost. I do plan on reading the first two just for the simple fact that I enjoyed this book so much. I really felt comfortable with Bridget Pickwick Buchanan as she tries to guard her heart as well as keep her families best interests in check. She is a tough and yet kind soul whom isn‘t afraid at all to speak her mind. And I particularly identified with her animal loving tendencies and the need to be herself.

The story was comical at many points, particularly the ones where her niece and nephew were concerned, I couldn‘t help but to laugh at loud. I love that the fictitious characters in this novel relate so closely to actual people in the real world. Time and again we have had things happen in our lives that may have made us question God. Whether we are trying to find our way back to God, or just trying to increase our relationship with him Bridget is easily relatable for many of us. It’s easy to get swept up into the Pickwickians world, and I felt sad when my stay with them were over. You will find yourself feeling as if you are in the midst of the characters, and to me, that is truly a wonderful feeling. I urge you to PEEK INSIDE THIS BOOK HERE and read some of it for yourself. You can also check it out HERE

And if your on Goodreads you can read my review by clicking this link
　


Disclaimer:
Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are mine alone.　
　

His Country Girl Review

I can’t believe I never posted this! I swear I had the review typed up and it was waiting in my drafts. I somehow just ended up bypassing it in all the hubbub lately. I greatly apologize.
So here is my review on His Country Girl by Jillian Hart:

Taken from the back of the book:

To fulfill a sick boy's wish, rodeo star Tucker Granger surprises little Owen in the hospital. But no one is more surprised than single mother Sierra Baker. She figures the carefree champion for a different kind of man. One who doesn't spend hours talking "cowboy code" with a hospital-bound child. One who can't have her dreaming of a second chance at love. Somehow, Tucker ropes her heart and fills it with hope. Hope that this country girl and her son can lasso the roaming bronc rider into their family forever.

~

　
　My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. It was so exciting! The passion between Sierra and Tucker is electric, almost as if you can feel it yourself. I can’t believe how inspiring it was, and how each character just seems so very alive. There is no small character in this book. Every character has a shining personality that just emanates off the pages. As a mother I can greatly relate to Sierra Baker, especially her unmatched love for her son Owen. My sons always come first to me, and just like Sierra I try to process how everything no matter how big or small will affect them. All the words are so visual and I think all in all it was a wonderful book! I think we could all learn a little something from this book about loss, love, faith, and perseverence. It also shows how we can't let past hurts faze our future. If we allow our past hurts to stand in the way, there will be no future. But if we follow God's path for us, even if we aren't sure of where it leads, we will end up exactly where we want/need to be.
This book is part of a series, but it does very well as a stand alone book. You also get a glimpse of another romance going on in the novel which is just as endearing. I would tell you who, as I would love to rave on and on about this book, but I would rather leave it up to you to find out! I definitely recommend this.



Disclaimer: I received this book for free, however all opinions expressed are mine alone.

It's The Bee's Knee's

Lilies In Moonlight
By: Allison Pittman
　

The Bee’s Knee’s

After reading this novel I can assure that Allison Pittman is now one of my favorite authors. I absolutely ADORED this book! Everything about this book is wonderful. The feel of the cover is just so velvety and soft that I had to double check sometimes that I was indeed holding a book! And the story is so fascinating and REAL that I felt as if I was there the entire time watching real occurrences unfold before my very eyes! It was just so beautifully written, delivered a great message, and I could NOT put it down. I found myself rushing through daily chores just to be able to read more of this novel! If this was a movie as well I would definitely be there opening day to see it, and it is such a great story that it would indeed make a terrific movie!

I think this book is so easy to relate to. Especially the main character Lilly Margolis. A flapper who rebels against her mother’s stern Christian ways and lack of love she finds herself in many different places following different men. Yearning for love she has hope in every relationship and throws caution to the wind taking up with them. Will she realize that God is the only one who’s love should matter? As a salesgirl for Dalliance Cosmetics Lilly finds herself at an immaculate rather high class home and meets the senile yet charming Betty Ruth Burnside. However finding that her mere watered down cosmetics are not good enough for the kind old woman Lilly rushes out expecting never to return. A rather unsavory friend Dina takes Lilly along to a party, and there Lilly has too much to drink and finds herself facedown in the backyard garden of millionaire Cullen Burnside and his senile mother. Lilly suffers from a sprained ankle and bruised body so the Burnside’s take her in and nurse her back to health. Finding love within the Burnside’s home Lilly is reluctant to leave. She becomes almost best friends with the senile Betty Ruth Burnside and gives the woman so much joy that she becomes indispensable to the Burnside household. But with Betty Ruth’s memory quickly faded her son and heir Cullen wonders just how long Betty Ruth will know Lilly. What if she wakes up one day and has no idea who Lilly is or where she came from? If that day comes will Lilly leave quietly and be able to let them go? And will Cullen himself be able to LET Lilly go?
 Every character in this book will touch your heart, even the very minor ones. I think there is a relatable character in this novel for everyone. There is just so much kindness, love, reality, etc in every character and setting. I was amazed and this is definitely one of the best written novels I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I HIGHLY recommend this book, and it is by far the BEST book I have read this year. I was so eager to find out the ending and yet reluctant for it to end! It is definitely going on my shelf of favorites, and I hope you’ll give it a chance as well. I promise you won’t be disappointed. Pick up your copy of this book today by VISITING THIS LINK<<<available in print or eBook

Disclaimer:Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are mine alone.