A Bride In The Bargain

In 1860s Seattle, a man with a wife could secure himself 640 acres of timberland. But because of his wife's untimely death, Joe Denton finds himself about to lose half of his claim. Still in mourning, his best solution is to buy one of those Mercer girls arriving from the East. A woman he'll marry in name but keep around mostly as a cook. Anna Ivey's journey west with Asa Mercer's girls is an escape from the griefs of her past. She's not supposed to be a bride, though, just a cook for the girls. But when they land, she's handed to Joe Denton and the two find themselves in a knotty situation. She refuses to wed him and he's about to lose his land. With only a few months left, can Joe convince this provoking--but beguiling--easterner to be his bride?

This is an AMAZING book. Rich in detail, and excellent character development...and the back cover doesn't give away the story (like so many back covers do)! Thoroughly thrilling, keeps you guessing and has an amazing wrap up.

Again, my wife who is a HUGE fan of this type of story loved this book. I watched her reading it and she barely could put it down! I highly recommend this book if you are into this type of genre, hands down a winner!

How Do I Love Thee by Nancy Moser

She dreams of love for others but never for herself...

Elizabeth Barrett is a published poet--and a virtual prisoner in her own home. Blind family loyalty ties her to a tyrannical father who forbids any of his children to marry. Bedridden by chronic illness, she has resigned herself to simply existing. That is, until the letter arrives...

"I love your verses with all my heart," writes Robert Browning, an admiring fellow poet. As friendly correspondence gives way to something more, Elizabeth discovers that Robert's love is not for her poetry alone. Might God grant her more than mere existence? And will she risk defying her father in pursuit of true happiness?

This was a decent read. My wife who loves these types of books wasn't super impressed by the story. It did lag, was slow and sadly at points desperately boring. The attention to detail and character development however was stellar. The plot and execution thereof was lack luster at best.

I will give credit to Nancy Moser because capturing the essence of historical characters who actually lived (especially one as famous as Barret) takes guts and a really large amount of effort.

Finding and Unseen God

This is a narrative story of the life of a former Atheist. Alicia shares with us the readers her life, her thoughts and her emotions throughout her journey of finding God when she didn't even believe He was there.

She experiences God in way she says: "Her rational mind wouldn't let her deny". It is a beautiful story that is hard to put down. Alicia also gives great wisdom for Christians on how to reach Atheists...and how NOT to reach Atheists with the Truth of our God. Her candor, depth and wisdom are a treasure that should not be ignored!

I enjoyed this book more than I could have ever guessed. When I read the write up on the book from Bethany House's website, I knew I had to read it...I just wasn't aware of how much I would truly enjoy it.

I have an Atheistic teen within my ministry and I was curious to "get into the mind" of a former Atheist. In fact, (what I didn't know) she was a teen Atheist and talked, acted and thought like the Atheist in my ministry! I was so pleased to understand the teen Atheist's perspective, it really gave me a depth of understanding that I never had.

I am serious when I say that this book will open your eyes. It will bring you to a place of understanding and rejoicing. Alicia's story was one that God desired to be told and tell it she does.

I highly recommend this book. It's a quick read (165 pages) and is completely narrative in nature. It sucks you in and doesn't let you go.

It helped me to understand my teens better and for that, I am truly grateful!

To buy this book, go to: Bethany House: Finding and Unseen God.

A Love To Last Forever---Book Review

"Beth Gallatin has always wanted to settle down in one town, with one man, and raise a family. But with her father's roaming ways, she found solace in reading romances instead. The passing of her father, however, means that Beth and her sisters can, for the first time, dare to claim the rugged Montana frontier as their home.

Nick Lassiter has loved Beth since she first came to town, but she's always seemed to think of him more as a brother. Just when he finally gets Beth to consider him, an unexpected arrival from Nick's complicated past threatens the affection growing between them.

As a past fraught with unwise choices and guilt invades their world, will Nick and Beth find the courage to embrace love?"

---From Back Cover---

This is not my normal genre of reading, plus this was book two in a series, so my perspective could be a bit off.

This book was extremely hard to get into. There were definitely connecting ideas and story-lines that connected me to book, 1 but, I felt like the back cover really didn't end up being what the book was about. Sure, the romance was there and the couple ends well, but there was SO MUCH going on in this book that the main story got LOST. It seemed like every tow pages some new dramatic thing was going on. Someone moving out of town. Someone moving into town. Someone getting shot. Someone getting better. Someone getting sick. Someone getting married and on and on.

Again, I understand that this is book 2 in a series and not my normal genre AT ALL, but my wife who is an avid reader of this type of book agreed with me...it was just too much drama. The ending is by far the most dramatic portion of the book. I guess that's supposed to "lure you in" to the next book...but again it was over-the-top.

I appreciate Tracie's story-telling ability, she does a GREAT job of bringing a story to life...just very dramatic in the way she goes about it.

All in all, I'd say this book was decent. I like Bethany House and the great books they put together! If you like dramatic romance, get this book because your heart will be beating the whole time wondering what crazy thing will happen next. If your the calmer romance type...this book will give you a heart attack.