With this Ring? review!!!!!!

With this Ring? by

Karen Witemeyer, Regina Jennings,

 +Mary Connealy,  +Melissa Jagears

Book Description:
Humorous Historical Romance Novella
Collection Offers Love and Laughs
Four top historical romance novelists team up in this new collection to offer stories of love and romance with a twist of humor. In Karen Witemeyer's "The Husband Maneuver," Marietta Hawkins decides to grab the reins when the ranch foreman she loves seems to be leaving forever. Regina Jennings offers "Her Dearly Unintended," where friends stranded by a rising river pretend to be newlyweds when a dangerous stranger arrives. 

Mary Connealy's "Runaway Bride" finds a Texas ranger getting more than he expected when he rescues a young woman fleeing a dangerous arranged marriage. And Melissa Jagears' "Engaging the Competition" finds a young woman forced to assist the man she's often sparred with after an accident leaves him helpless. Each tale is a fun blend of history and romance that will delight readers.

My Opinion:

The Husband Maneuver by Karen Witemeyer

LOVE IT!  As always Karen spins out a tale that I didn't want to put down and I don't want to end! :)  Her style of writing never ceases to drag me into the story and not let me go until the last page!  I'm SO happy that Dan and Marietta get their story told and boy howdy is it a GREAT story!  I laughed, I sat at the edge of my seat, there may have been a tiny bit of swooning at times! LOL!  Seriously though I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this story and would read it again and again!  I especially love the format Karen uses for this novella, by starting each chapter with a Dime Novel chapter!  So not only was I hooked on one story I was hooked on two at the same time! :D


Her Dearly Unintended by Regina Jennings

WONDERFUL!  Regina's unique and entertaining tales always become fast favorites!  This one is no exception!  I LOVE the characters, their history, and the twists!  OH I laughed and devoured each chapter.  Regina has a tendency to leave me staying up late at night with the words "Oh just one more chapter" on my lips! ;)  The whole plot is highly entertaining from beginning to end and the picturesque detail she always adds to her stories make you feel like you're right there be it getting wet in the rain or smelling scorched milk! ;)  This is a MUST read and I can't express how much I love her style of writing as well as her locations!

Runaway Bride by Mary Connealy 

AWESOME!  Returning to these characters was like meeting old friends again!  I'm so happy that the ranger gets his story!  I absolutely LOVE how Mary writes, and the action scenes?...EXCELLENTLY done!  All of my favorite characters come together again to fight side by side against yet another bothersome villain!  And boy is this guy a piece of work?! I LOVE how Mary gives us a look at where all of these well loved characters have ended up after their stories, bringing in families and remembering to even tell us about sub characters outcomes!  This is one of my favorite stories and one of my all time favorite series!  I highly, HIGHLY recommend it all!

Engaging the Competition by Melissa Jagears

LOVELY!  I LOVE the title of this one and it fits this story excellently!  I loved and felt a kin to Charlotte as the story went on, but while I also like Harrison he did bother me sometimes with how he read Charlotte the wrong way at times.  Misunderstandings stand between these two and trouble stirs around bullies as bad guys!  Bringing these two together took some doing let me tell you! :)  But it all comes together in a highly satisfying story! 

Overall: I simply LOVE novella collections!  Especially with all of my favorite authors!  Whoever came up with this concept is a genius! ;)  With this Ring? is a fabulous collection of western romances and has become one of my all time favorite collections I've read thus far! :)

Songs: "God Gave Me You" by Dave Barnes
Songs etc. May be changed and/or added in the future. ~ASC

Isaiah 29:11

~ASC

*I requested and received this book from Bethany House for the purpose of reviewing it.  This in no way affected my opinion and the above are my true thoughts and feelings about With this Ring?. ~ASC

Beyond the Silence Review!

Beyond the Silence 

by 

Tracie Peterson and Kimberly Woodhouse

Book Description:

(Bethany House, January 2016)

The shadows over this olive grove hide more than just the truth.

Lillian Porter has always wanted to fulfill her mother's dream of going west, so when she hears about a nanny position in Angels Camp, California, she defies her grandfather and takes a chance on a new future. But she quickly wonders if she made the right choice. Murky rumors swirl around Woodward Colton, her new employer, but the gossip doesn't match the man Lillian comes to know.

Still, something dark did happen in the family's past. Lillian's seven-year-old charge hasn't spoken in over a year. Gently, Lillian tries to coax him out of his shell, hoping he'll one day feel safe enough to share what scared him. But the Colton olive farm is no longer a safe place. Lillian encounters suspicious characters on their land and mysterious damage done to the farm. When the housekeeper is brutally attacked, the town once again suspects the worst. Will discovering the truth help Lillian clear the name of the man she has come to love---or will it endanger her even more?

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1PtlZWv

About the authors:

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 100 novels. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Montana.

Connect with Tracie: website, Facebook

Kimberley Woodhouse is a multipublished author of fiction and nonfiction. A popular speaker/teacher, she's shared her theme of Joy Through Trials with over 150,000 people at more than a thousand venues across the country. She lives, writes, and homeschools with her husband of twenty-plus years and their two awesome teens live in Colorado.

Connect with Kimberley: website, Twitter, Facebook

My Opinion:
Great read!  This is the first book I've read from these two together and I have to say they do make a great team! :)  I loved Lillian from the beginning and grew to love her even more as the story progressed.  She's the kind of characters you'd love to have as you best friend! :)  This is a different style in that we read from the bad guys point a view a LOT more than I remember in any other book.  I liked this because then I knew what he was up to, but I didn't like this because I REALLY DON'T LIKE him! ;)  As far as bad guys this guy REALLY is BAD!  I love all the other characters though from the main characters of Lillian, Woody, and Jimmy to the other awesome characters of Mrs. Goodman, Harry, Pastor Seymor and beyond!  The ending is fabulous also!  The book as a whole is AWESOME, but even if the beginning wasn't good the end would have MORE than made up for it!  But happily this is an amazing read all the way around!  From the beginning to the end suspense and intrigue weave with healing and romance to make a must read that will leave you wanting these two to write another book! ;)

Songs: "Worn" Tenth Avenue North, "Before the Morning" by Josh Wilson, "Pushing Back the Dark" Josh Wilson, "It's Not Over Yet" by for KING & COUNTRY, "Something Beautiful" by Steven Curtis Chapman, "Hurricane" Natalie Grant, and "Soar" Meredith Andrews
Songs etc. May be changed and/or added in the future. ~ASC

Isaiah 55:8-9

~ASC

*I requested and received this book as a member of Litfuse for the purpose of reviewing it.  This in no way affected my opinion and the above are my true thoughts and feelings about Beyond the Silence. ~ASC

http://litfusegroup.com/author/petersonwoodhouse

A Son's Vow 5 Book Giveaway!!!!!

Three months ago, everything changed for Darla Kurtz and her family. Don’t miss A Son’s Vow, book one in Shelley Shepard Gray’s new series, Charmed Amish Life. Set in the quaint Amish village of Charm, Ohio, the series tells the stories of the Kinsinger siblings who are each struggling to find both forgiveness and love in the face of tragedy. As Lukas and Darla attempt to repair their families, they discover something deeper than friendship growing between them. But will Lukas and Darla’s love be accepted after so much loss? Or will the pain of the past overcome any chance of future happiness?

Enter to win a copy of A Son’s Vow—five winners will be chosen! Click the image below to enter to win. The winners will be announced February 11 on Shelley’s blog!

Click the above picture or here to enter!

{MORE ABOUT A SON’S VOW}

A Son’s Vow (Avon Inspire, January 2016)

Three months ago, everything changed for Darla Kurtz and her family.

Darla’s father was responsible for a terrible fire at Charm’s lumber mill which killed five Amish men. And though he, too, lost his life, the town of Charm hasn’t looked at her family the same since. Even Lukas Kinsinger—with whom Darla used to have a close friendship.

Now her brother’s anger at the town is spilling over onto Darla, and she has the bruises to prove it. The accident already cost five lives, but if something doesn’t change soon, Darla fears it will cost her—and her family—even more.

Lukas Kinsinger wants to mourn the loss of his father, but he can hardly find the time to breathe. Suddenly the head of his father’s lumber mill and responsible for taking care of his three siblings, he’s feeling the pressure. He has also never felt more alone—especially with the new tension between he and Darla. But when he learns of her troubles at home, Lukas knows he can’t simply stand by and watch. Someone has to help her before another tragedy occurs.

As Lukas and Darla attempt to repair their families, they discover something deeper than friendship growing between them. But will Lukas and Darla’s love be accepted after so much loss? Or will the pain of the past overcome any chance of future happiness?

Shelley Shepard Gray’s first book in her Charmed Amish Life series is set in the quaint Amish village of Charm, Ohio, and tells the stories of the Kinsinger siblings who are each struggling to find both forgiveness and love in the face of tragedy.

Learn more and purchase a copy of A Son’s Vow.

{MORE ABOUT SHELLEY SHEPARD GRAY}

Shelley Shepard Gray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.

Find out more about Shelley athttp://www.shelleyshepardgray.com.

‘Beyond the Silence’ by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse (Plus a Giveaway and Facebook Party)

Lillian Porter takes a chance on a new job and a new future . . . but rumors surrounding her job make Lillian begin to wonder if she made the right choice in Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse's Beyond the Silence. There are rumors in town that her new employer, Woodward Colton, caused the death of his wife. This accusation doesn't match the man Lillian comes to know . . . but soon the Colton olive farm is no longer a safe place. Lillian encounters suspicious characters on their land and mysterious damage done to the farm. Will Mrs. Goodman and Jimmy be able to speak what they know in time to save Lillian from tragedy?

Tracie and Kimberley are celebrating the launch of Beyond the Silence with a Loaded Fire Prize Pack giveaway (details below) and an author chat party on February 11!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• One copy of Beyond the Silence
• A Kindle Fire 7
• A $50 Amazon gift card to load your Fire with books

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on 2/11. The winner will be announced at the Beyond the Silence Facebook party. RSVP for a chance to connect with Tracie, Kimberley, and other readers, as well as for a chance to win other prizes!

RSVP today and spread the word—tell your friends about the giveaway via FACEBOOK, TWITTER, or PINTEREST and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 11th!

The Painter's Daughter Review!!!!!!!

The Painter's Daughter by Julie Klassen

+Julie Klassen 

Book Description:
Sophie Dupont, daughter of a portrait painter, assists her father in his studio, keeping her own artwork out of sight. She often walks the cliffside path along the north Devon coast, popular with artists and poets. It's where she met the handsome Wesley Overtree, the first man to tell her she's beautiful.

Captain Stephen Overtree is accustomed to taking on his brother's neglected duties. Home on leave, he's sent to find Wesley. Knowing his brother rented a cottage from a fellow painter, he travels to Devonshire and meets Miss Dupont, the painter's daughter. He's startled to recognize her from a miniature portrait he carries with him--one of Wesley's discarded works. But his happiness plummets when he realizes Wesley has left her with child and sailed away to Italy in search of a new muse.

Wanting to do something worthwhile with his life, Stephen proposes to Sophie. He does not offer love, or even a future together, but he can save her from scandal. If he dies in battle, as he believes he will, she'll be a respectable widow with the protection of his family.

Desperate for a way to escape her predicament, Sophie agrees to marry a stranger and travel to his family's estate. But at Overtree Hall, her problems are just beginning. Will she regret marrying Captain Overtree when a repentant Wesley returns? Or will she find herself torn between the father of her child and her growing affection for the husband she barely knows?

My Opinion:
LOVE IT!  Wow!  This is an AMAZING read!  I love The Painters' Daughter even more than I loved The Secret of Pembrooke Park!  I truly did not want to put this book down and devoured all of it's 400+ pages!  
The emotional involvement ran deep for me!  From frustration over irritating characters to joy over loved character's triumphs!  After finishing I wanted to start all over again!  I immediately fell in love with Stephen and just about as fast Wesley irked me! LOL!  Sophie's growth in confidence and Faith makes a beautiful journey and all characters, no matter how small their part, are excellent and well developed!  I don't want this story to end, but at the same time I love how Julie wrapped everything together!  The Painter's Daughter is my new favorite of Julie's works.....until maybe the next one I read! ;)  Faith, love, pain, passion, forgiveness, trust, sin, redemption, anger, jealousy, misunderstandings, friendship, truth, revelations, secrets, humor, fear, battles, courage, and SO much more make up a fabulous story from beginning to end that is almost impossible to put down!  

Songs: "Something Beautiful" by Steven Curtis Chapman 
Songs etc. May be changed and/or added in the future. ~ASC

Psalm 15

~ASC

*I received this book from Bethany House and Julie for the purpose of reviewing it.  This in no way affected my opinion and the above are my true thoughts and feelings about The Painter's Daughter. ~ASC

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: 

old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."

2 Corinthians 5:17

May 2016 be a Blessed and Safe year!

Hugs ~ASC