The Secret of Pembrooke Park by Julie Klassen

I really loved this book.  It was full of mystery and intrigue and a bit of romance.  It was a super fun read that kept you guessing every minute what and who was behind the things going on. Who was the bad guy?  Who was the good guy?  Could you trust anyone?  Any my heart goes out to the main character who was just trying to survive.  I can relate to her and her curious nature on many levels.  This also teaches us about love and how the one we think we will love until we die may not be the one that is really right for us or deserving of our love.  There are many players that come to be way more important than was thought at the beginning.  It involves your heart and mind. It was another great read by Julie Klassen.  Can you help find the hidden treasure?? You will enjoy every minute of it!
*I got this book for free through Bethany House Publishers for an honest review.

The Brickmaker's Bride by Judith Miller

I got this book free from Bethany House for my honest review.  And honestly, I loved it!!  It really was a great story.  I learned more about brickmaking than I ever knew I wanted to know..LOL.. but I enjoyed learning it!  Who knew color mattered?  Or how it was smoked?  I loved learning about it. The characters are larger than life.  Some miserable - others down right lovable!!  You can feel their hurt and pain and joy and love.  It is well written and a nice read.  It involves the hard decisions we need to make about our future and whether someone would find us lovable as we are.  Should we just assume someone will not care for us because of a flaw?  Or should we allow them to make that choice.  The lesson I learned was that sometimes we decide things for others and it is not even a concern of theirs.  What others value and what we think they value can be very different things and we should never decide for them.  Also, the thought that people can change is strongly stressed. I am sure you will enjoy this read. Judith Miller tells a nice story and keeps you engaged.

A Bride In Store by Melissa Jagears

I got this book free for an honest review from Bethany House.  So what is my honest review?  I really do NOT know!!  I am so torn about this book.  First of all it took me FOREVER to get through it. There were parts where I was like reading like a mad woman.. but then there were parts I just had no desire to pick it up.  I guess that indicates some good parts and some mediocre parts.  The writing was a little hard to follow as far as who was saying what.  It would say.. She said... and then a new paragraph with talking and it sounded like something she would say but seemed to be something he would say also.. I went back and reread quite a few parts I was confused on.  Then I caught some issues that bothered me.. like first they were eating mashed potatoes and then they were cutting the potatoes.. hmmm...  CONFUSED!  Ok, so I can overlook all that if the story is intriguing.  And in some areas it was, but it also felt like it dragged on and went over and over the same issues to the point of killing them.. So, do I agree with the premise of the book.. that you must sacrifice a dream to find true love and be totally selfless.  Nope.  I think you have to give in some areas and definitely should not be selfish.  But our life is not revolved around the love of one person. That person can change or become abusive and we have given up our dream for them.  Not a good plan.  Yes, I believe material things should not be our focus or our careers should not take first place in our life and how the story ended up (in the epilogue) it seems as if the decisions made were correct, but I don't know if I agree with the overall message of the book.  But all it all it was a decent read. I would give it 3.5 stars.. leaning more toward 4 but not a full 4.  Am I sorry I read it? NO!  Would I read another of her books?  Yeah, I would give them a chance, but not top of my list.

With Every Breath by Elizabeth Camden

I am having a hard time reviewing this book.. I cannot find the words to express just how much I loved it.  The characters are amazing. The writing is wonderful. The story line keeps you guessing until the very end. The subject matter is hard to think about but so educational.  I never knew so much about Tuberculosis.  This book grabs your heart and your mind.  I struggled right up to the end because I could totally relate to what the girl was going through. I felt her pain because I have a similar situation.  Its between taking a chance on  love or are you taking a chance on feeling pain that you could avoid?  I cannot say much more or I will give the plot away.  But trust me when I say I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. It's my second book by Elizabeth Camden and I am looking forward to reading more of her stories.  I highly recommend this book to all ages and backgrounds.  You get a good idea of how medical things were handled at this time period and how far we have come today.  I got this book free from Bethany House for an honest review..and I HONESTLY think its one of the best I have read in a long time.  I encourage you to read it and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!

Captured by Love by Jody Hedlund

WOW!  Jody Hedlund has outdone herself this time!  This is by far my favorite book of hers so far. I loved it!  (I bet you didn't pick that up, huh?) This is a story that involves a young girl trying to grow up and please everyone but herself.  She struggles with memories that are not so favorable toward her mom and her sister and does not want to become like that. She feels just that is happening.  There is a war raging around her and inside her.  The thing that grabs me about this book is that you really do not know what is going to happen.  Even in the very end of the story - you are still unsure.  I was sure at one point I wanted it to work out one way, but then I could see that it might be best for all to work out the other way. In other words, I was drawn into the struggle with her.  This really provided me an escape to 1814 and I loved being there. The writing is superb and the story line is engaging.  What more can I say, but read this for yourself and see how it feels to be a young gal like Angelique. Find out the choice she makes and why.  This book gets a 5 star in my book... can I make it any higher??  I certainly would!

Truth Be Told by Carol Cox

I enjoyed this story. A bit of mystery and a bit of romance and bit of spunk!  A great combination!  Amelia unexpectedly takes over her father's newspaper business with an air of confidence and she learns some serious lessons. Its not as easy as it looks and revealing truths about things can be dangerous business.  Who can she trust?  The one person she wants to trust works for a company surrounded by some serious rumors. Is he sincere or just playing games?  Her older trusted friend and employee suddenly returns to bad habits. And she learns her dad was not the innocent man he appeared to be.  Or was he?  There are a lot of mysteries to sort out here and it keeps you reading. For me a few parts were slow - but I cannot entirely blame the story. My life has been a bit chaotic and my brain is somewhat fried..lol. SO it may have been a bit on my part too. I guess I was looking for a little more action to keep me reading. But overall I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It is educational and a clean read with no cursing or sex scenes.  The romance is heartwarming but not over the top and the ending is satisfying.  I am sure you will want to add it to your TO READ list this summer!  
*I was given this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest opinion of it.

Gathering Shadows by Nancy Mehl

I recently received this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.  I LOVED IT!  I mainly stick to Historical Fiction, but I do like a good mystery now and then. This was truly a GOOD mystery!  It kept me guessing all through the book.  I thought I had it figured out then something else happened to throw me off.  Its not only a mystery to be solved, but a lesson in forgiveness and finding yourself.  Being who you really are, no more, no less.  Makes you question if you are doing what you really want to in life and how God fits into that plan.  It is not preachy, but shows the importance of faith.  It also teaches us the importance and real meaning of family.  This is the first book by Nancy Mehl I read and I plan on reading some more REAL soon!  There was no cursing or inappropriate subject matters.  It is a good read for any age. I highly recommend this book and can assure you - you won't be disappointed.  I am glad i got a chance to review it. Thank you Bethany House and Nancy Mehl for giving me the opportunity!

My review: Caught in the Middle by Regina Jennings

I got this book for free from Bethany House in exchange for my honest opinion of it.  My opinion?  I loved it!  It is about a girl who has had a rough time up to this point and hides herself in trousers (!!) and baggy clothes and in the wilderness as much as possible as a Buffalo Hunter.  Then there is Nicolas who is a straight laced business man trying to climb higher and higher on the ladder of success.  Which one needs saving?  You may be amazed at the answer and the solution. I had a hard time connecting to Nick to be honest.  I was bored by his parts in the book until the end. I saw that he was a good guy, but would have liked to love him right away.  It may be my lack of interest in business and railroad, but I have read other books that are similar and I wasn't as bored.  But Anne was a heart stealer from the beginning with a story of mystery.  I slogged through Nicks parts to see where she would end up.  Toward the middle/end of the book his parts started picking up and he started to get a bit more interesting.  I LOVED the end and how things worked out. Not how I would have liked them to end, but probably the best.  Made me think about the hard choices in life and how to get through them. Overall it was a great story and I recommend it to any age group. It was a clean read, with no swearing or sex.  Just some good cuddling..hehe..