At Love's Bidding

    BOOK REVIEW: After helping her grandfather at their Boston auction house, Miranda Wimplegate discovers she's accidentally sold a powerful family's prized portrait to an anonymous bidder. Desperate to appease the people who could ruin them forever, they track it to the Missouri Ozarks and make an outlandish offer to buy the local auction house and all its holdings before the painting can move again.
    Upon crossing the country, however, Miranda and her grandfather discover their new auction house doesn't deal in fine antiques, but in livestock. And its frustratingly handsome manager, Wyatt Ballentine, is annoyed to discover his fussy new bosses don't know a thing about the business he's single-handedly kept afloat. Faced with more heads of cattle than they can count--but no mysterious painting--Miranda and Wyatt form an unlikely but charged partnership to try and prevent a bad situation from getting worse.
     MY REVIEW:  I found this to be an entertaining, humorous book. Regina Jennings did a wonderful job with her characters and the storyline. There are several dimensions and the story keeps moving well with plenty of mystery--and surprises.
       Miranda accompanies her grandfather to Missouri to seek out a painting they accidentally sold. But Miranda's job gets complicated with her grandfather's sudden mental decline--he is fascinated by the oddest things and buys huge quantities of them to sell back home, things that would never sell in Boston.
        And then there was the actual auctionhouse--what a funny scene to see Grandfather trying to sell cattle in Missouri as he would antiques in Boston, with Wyatt watching frustratedly and the buyers getting annoyed.
        Then of course, the painting is introduced, but in a very surprising way--let's just say there is quite the twist in this book. And an interesting ending.
         As with books like this, there were sparks between Miranda and Wyatt, but I appreciated that there was more to the story than that.

Treasures in Dark Places

        Treasures in Dark Places by Leanna Cinquanta tells her life story and details her mission work.
        Called by drastic measures, Leanna goes to India. Not only does she go alone with no mission backing, but she also lives with the people--drinks their water and eats their food. This alone would be reason to fail, but she definitely has the Lord on her side, and by His might, she is "moving mountains".
         I found this book to be well-written; it held my attention. The first half of the book tells of Leanna's life from little on up until she leaves for India. My first impression was that she should have written more about her ministry, but after reading the book I realized that knowing her background really is key to understanding how she accomplishes what she does.
         Leanna strongly disbelieved in God until one night she meets Him face-to-face. From that moment, she lives entirely for Him, giving up her dreams to meet His in India. Her mom is reborn as well, but her dad makes life difficult for them in that area--he doesn't allow them to attend church or read the Bible. However, Leanna copies select Scriptures onto a sheet of paper that she can read behind a book, and memorizes it as well.
        Leanna's ministry in India has grown rapidly. She has started her own organization, TellAsia Ministries. There are several natives that are preaching and ministering to their people, and several schools are being run to teach children to read. Their biggest focus is rescuing children from abuse/trafficking, and they have found that educating the millions of poor children is one of their best weapons in fighting that battle.
       I really enjoyed reading this book, and was blessed to see what a difference one person can make when doing God's will.

                          I received this book from CHOSEN in exchange for my honest review. 

An Uncommon Courtship

        BOOK REVIEW:  Lord Trent Hawthorne couldn't be happier he is not the duke in the family. Free to manage his small estate and take his time discovering the life he wants to lead, he has grand plans of someday wooing and falling in love with the woman of his choice. When he finds himself honor bound to marry a woman he barely knows, his dream of a loving marriage like his parents' seems lost forever.
        Life for Lady Adelaide Bell was easier when she hid in her older sister's shadow--which worked until her sister got married. But even with her socially ambitious mother's focus entirely on her, the last thing she expected was a marriage of convenience before she's been introduced to society.
        With nothing going as expected, can Trent and Adelaide's marriage of obligation survive their own missteps and the pressures of London society to grow into a true meting of hearts and minds?


         MY REVIEW:   I have really enjoyed this series, and this book is no exception. Trent is the second brother in the Hawthorne family. He did not have a strong role in the previous two books, but a noticeable one nonetheless. This book displays his full humor and character, plus that of Lady Adelaide's. I found it to be a highly interesting and enjoyable book. I can only hope that the series continues. :)
         I am a fan of this era, and I like Kristi's style of writing. Plus, the Hawthorne family is one of high societal standing, which I especially enjoy reading about. A very good combination if you ask me. I am hoping that the story continues with Griffith, the oldest sibling. It should be a very interesting story, judging by his role in previous books.
        One of the things I really appreciate about the Hawthorne family is their faith and love--both for God and each other. They all support each other and live for God. I realize this is a fiction story, but I think it can still be applied to our lives. One instance is when Trent is asking Griffith for advice, and Griffith says that this happened because God wanted it to--He is going to make it work, simply trust Him.
        I really liked this book and am  really glad I was able to read it.

                     I received this book from BETHANY HOUSE in exchange for my honest review.

Maybe It's You

     BOOK REVIEW:   Nurse Sloane Ferrell escaped her risky past--new name, zip code, job, and a fresh start. She's finally safe, if she avoids a paper trail and doesn't let people get too close. Like the hospital's too-smooth marketing man with his relentless campaign to plaster one "lucky" employee's face on freeway billboards.
     Micah Prescott's goal is to improve the Hope hospital image, but his role as a volunteer crisis responder is closer to his heart. The selfless work helps fill a void in his life left by family tragedy. So does a tentative new relationship with the compassionate, beautiful, and elusive Sloane Ferrell.
     Then a string of brutal crimes makes headlines, summons responders......and exposes disturbing details of Sloane's past.
     Can hope spring from crisis?

      MY REVIEW:   This is the first of Candace Calvert's books that I have read. I have heard good things about her, and would have to agree that she writes some good books.
     In MAYBE IT'S YOU, Sloane and Micah are bumping into each other through their work, and a few not-quite-so-work-related incidents, such as a young girl that Sloane tries to help and a friend of Micah's who is looking for a front-page story.  As time goes by, they each struggle with painful things from their past that start coming out.
     I liked how Candace constructed Sloane's character--she is very capable and good at her job, and has a heart of gold as well, which is perfect for her job. And Micah's character was quite good as well. He is in the marketing business, but puts people above news. Not to mention he volunteers on the crisis team--not at all an easy task.
     She also included a good "Christian" vein, for lack of better description.

           I received this book from TYNDALE PUBLISHERS in exchange for my honest review. 

Paths to Power

            BOOK REVIEW:   "Until this is corrected, we can hope for very little power in our churches..."     To what is Tozer referring? A lack of obedience. Obedience is what no revival, no reformation, and no Spirit-filled person has ever been without.
     It separates true faith from dead faith.
     It bears fruit and is followed by power.
     It is costly, but we cannot afford to withhold it.
In PATHS TO POWER, A. W. Tozer delivers a charge to weak chruches: Rise up, gather the wood, and ascend the mountian. Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. But his belief cost him something. Does ours?

             MY REVIEW:    This is a very short, very compact book by Tozer, but it is packed with truth. He firmly believes that the church today needs power from God. He describes this power as:
 1. Spiritual energy of sufficient voltage to produce great saints once again. 
 2. A spiritual unction that will give a heavenly unction to our worship, that will make our meeting places sweet with the divine Presence. 
  3. That heavenly quality which marks the church as a divine thing. 
  4. That divine afflatus which moves the heart and persuades the hearer to repent and believe in Christ. 
He says also that "the church must have power; she must become formidable, a moral force to be reckoned with, if she would regain her lost position of spiritual ascendancy and make her message the revolutionizing conquering thing it once was."
        I really liked this book--it may be one of my favorites by Tozer. He also brings out the issue of letting God do His part,while doing your own part. For instance, God is the only one who can redeem us from sin, but we have to repent on our own--we can't expect God to do everything while we sit by and watch. Tozer writes: "Universal atonement makes salvation universally available, but it does not make it universally effective toward the individual."  Just because atonement and salvation are available to every man doesn't make him automatically saved--he has to repent and accept.

              I received this book from MOODY PUBLISHERS in exchange for my honest review. 

The Scarlet Thread

    BOOK REVIEW:  Sierra Madrid. Woman of the nineties. Bold. Determined. Her life was about to be tuned upside down.
    Mary Kathryn McMurray. Young pioneer on the Oregon Trail. She was filled with anger at being uprooted form her home.
    Two women, centuries apart, are joined through a tattered journal as they contend with God, husbands--even themselves--until they fall into the arms of the One who loves them unconditionally.

     MY REVIEW:   I really liked this book. Francine Rivers put in a lot of flashbacks, and though they weren't clearly defined, a person could easily tell where the story was. Some authors can't write in flashback without loosing their readers. Francine can.
     This is the story of two women--Sierra in the present, and Mary Kathryn introduced through her journal, which is being read by Sierra. Each struggles with accepting their husband's decisions to move. Neither of them can accept it, and almost ruin their marriages. But when they let God through to their hearts, He shows them that He knows best for them and their families.
    Sierra's father was against her marriage to Alex in the beginning and predicts his hurting her. Now after ten years, Sierra finally believes him when Alex declares that they are moving to the city. She loves their little house, their neighborhood, kid's school, and being so close to family. After the move, she can't accept the change, especially when Alex starts working crazy hours, and seems to pay her no attention.
    Mary Kathryn's husband, James, has "the fever" and declares that they are joining a wagon train to Oregon. But once they get there, he decides to go on to California. Mary Kathryn as well can not accept the change, and her husband also starts pulling away.
    As these two women battle against their circumstances and watch their families pull apart, they are joined by a single discovery, one that draws them to each other--even without knowing each other--by a striking scarlet thread.

In Wartime

       BOOK REVIEW:    Ever since Ukraine's violent 2014 revolution, followed by Russia's annexation of Crimea, the country has been at war. Misinformation reigns, more than two million people have been displaced, and Ukrainians fight one another on a second front--the crucial war against corruption.
       With IN WARTIME, Tim Judah lays bare the events that have turned neighbors against each other and mired one of Europe's largest countries in conflict seemingly without end.
       In Lviv, Ukraine's western cultural capital, mothers tend the graves of sons killed on the other side of the country. On the Maiden, the square where the protests that deposed President Yanukov7ych began, pamphleteers, recruiters, buskers, and mascots compete fro attention. In Donetsk, civilians who cheered Russia's President Putin find their hopes crushed as they realize they have been trapped in the twilight zone of a frozen conflict.
      Judah talks to everyone from politicians to poets, pensioners, and historians. Listening to their clashing explanations, he interweaves their stories to create a sweeping, tragic portrait of a country fighting a war of independence from Russia--twenty-five years after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

       MY REVIEW:   This book was not quite what I expected. I tried to get into it, but I really couldn't. I did read the whole book, or rather, skimmed, but I can't even tell you what I read. I think the problem is that it is written for those who already know what happened. If such was the case, it would be an interesting book, as the author interviewed many people on whom an impact is being made by the current issues. However, I don't know anything about what is going on, therefore, this book does not tell me much.
       However much I did not understand the book, I can't fault the writing. It appeared to be very well-done, and I could tell that Tim had done extensive research on the project. It was merely from the wrong angle for me.
      The author, Tim Judah, is a reporter for THE ECONOMIST. He has covered several major issues, and currently resides in London with his family.

        I received a copy of this book from BLOGGING FOR BOOKS in exchange for my honest review. 
     

The Tutor's Daughter

       BOOK REVIEW:    Emma Smallwood, determined to help her widowed father when his boarding school fails, accompanies him to the cliff-top manor of a baronet and his four sons. But soon after they arrive and begin teaching the two younger boys, mysterious thins begin to happen. Who does Emma hear playing the pianoforte at night, only to discover the music room empty? And who begins sneaking into her bedchamber, leaving behind strange mementos?
      The baronet's older sons, Phillip and Henry Weston, wrestle with problems--and secrets--of their own. They both remember the studious Miss Smallwood from their days at her father's academy. But now one of them finds himself unexpectedly drawn to her.....
When suspicious acts escalate, can Emma figure out which brother to blame and which to trust with her heart?
      Filled with page-turning suspense, THE TUTOR'S DAUGHTER takes readers to the windswept Cornwall coast--a place infamous for shipwrecks and superstitions--where danger lurks, faith is tested, and romance awaits.

     MY REVIEW:    I think this is one of my favorites by Julie Klassen. There is a fair bit of mystery and intrigue--one can very easily tell that something is amiss, but as to what, that is harder to determine.
     Julie's main female characters often lack a personal relationship with God, but by the end have been saved through the testimony of the male character's faith. That is a cool thing to find in each book.
     As I have mentioned before, Julie writes about the lower classes of society; sometimes both characters are such, and other times one is higher nobility. It is interesting to see all the different classes and professions she writes about. In this book, Emma and her father are respected, but placed little higher than the servants.

60 Days of Happiness

       BOOK REVIEW:   Would you like to experience true happiness?
When it comes to happiness, most of us have the same questions. Why can’t I be consistently happy? Is it wrong to be happy when there’s so much pain and suffering in the world? And perhaps the biggest one: How can I be happier? Some Christians make an artificial contrast between joy and happiness, while others claim God wants us to be holy, but not happy. In fact, he wants us to be both, and the two go hand in hand!
In 60 Days of Happiness, noted theologian and New York Times bestselling author Randy Alcorn shares sixty timeless devotions demonstrating that God not only wants us to be happy in him and enjoy his gifts, he commands and empowers us to do so.

      MY REVIEW:    This book is divided into 60 chapters, for 60 days. It looks like a really cool, well-thought-out, well-written book. Each chapter is three-five short pages long, and gives food-for-thought on the purpose, definition, and source of true happiness in God. I am excited to read this day-by-day and see what all Randy brings out.
A few of the chapter titles that look particularly interesting are:

• What role do our attitudes play in our Happiness?
• When are good things wrong, and when are they right?
• Must we choose between our Happiness and God's Glory?
• What does Thankfulness have to do with Happiness?

And of course there are many more--56 to be precise. :)

Randy Alcorn has written several books, such as: HAPPINESS, HEAVEN, and GOD'S PROMISE OF HAPPINESS. He is the author and founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM). It is an organization which teaches God's Word and ministers to those who need it. Before that, he was a minister for fourteen years.

             I received this book from TYNDALE PUBLISHERS in exchange for my honest review.

God's Gift

    BOOK REVIEW:   In God's Gift, Christian and his sister, Mary, believe they get more presents at Christmas. However, Jacob and Jeremiah believe they get more presents on Hanukkah. The children learn that Christmas and Hanukkah are about celebrating the gift God has given to His children. It's not about how many presents are under the tree at Christmas or the eight days of presents for Hanukkah. It's about God's provision fro those He loves. God gives the gift of the Messiah to the Christians and the gift of Light to the Jews. The true gift from God is learned in this colorful holiday story.

       MY REVIEW:    This is a beautiful, hardcover kid's book. Christian and Jacob are fighting over who gets the most presents--Christian says he does at Christmas, and Jacob says he does at Hanukkah. The boy's mothers teach them the real meaning of the season and have them tell each other what they have learned. Christian tells Jacob about the baby in the manger, and Jacob tells Christian about the oil in the lamp that burnt for eight days. In the beginning of the book, each child had prayed for toys. In the end, they thank God for His many and wonderful gifts to them.
       In the very beginning of the book, the boys are helping their fathers put up their Christmas/Hanukkah gifts. Christian and his father put up a tree and strings of sparkling lights, while Jacob and his father put up the Star of David, and blue and white lights. It is interesting to see the difference between them.
      This is the second of Lee Ann Mancini's books that I have read. They are bright, colorful,and glossy. Fun even for me to read. :) And the stories are very good--teaching children valuable life lessons that will help them to live for and love God. It can be hard to find good books like these.

     
         I received this book from the author through BOOKCRASH in exchange for my honest review. 

Sweet & Sour Sausage Balls

            This has become one of our favorite dishes, and is quite easy to make. We always eat them over mashed potatoes, which is another favorite.

From this, 

and this.

                              

To this, 

and this.

This time, I doubled the recipe and used 1lb sausage and 1lb hamburger. I figured it would work as that is the ratio in Lasagna. We actually liked it better; it wasn't as spicey as if it were all sausage.

And finally, this.

The Girl in the Gatehouse

     BOOK REVIEW:   Mariah Aubrey lives in seclusion with her secrets, will an ambitious captain uncover her identity . . . . and her hidden past?    Banished from the only home she's ever known, Mariah Aubrey hides herself away in an abandoned gatehouse on a distant relative's estate. There she supports herself and her loyal servant the only way she knows how--by writing novels in secret.
    When Captain Matthew Bryant leases the estate, he is intrigued by the beautiful girl in the gatehouse. But there are many things he doesn't know about this beguiling outcast. Will he risk his plans--and his heart--for a woman shadowed by scandal?
    Intriguing, mysterious, and romantic, THE GIRL IN THE GATEHOUSE takes readers inside the life of a secret authoress at a time when novel-writing was considered improper for ladies and the smallest hint of impropriety could change a woman's life forever.

    MY REVIEW:   Julie Klassen writes about society in the 1800's. But rather than focusing on the highest scales, she writes about the lower and often unknown scales.
     This particular book is the story of Mariah Aubrey, who is sent away from home to live in the gatehouse of an aunt due to an unfortunate scandal. When funds get low, she gets a few novels published, anonymously.
     The owner of the estate, Mariah's distant cousin Hugh Prin-Hallesly, rents the estate to Captain Matthew Bryant, who wants the estate in order to win back the lovely Isabella. Little does he know how related he is through Isabella to Mariah's scandal.
      In close proximity to the gatehouse is the poorhouse. Mariah befriends a few of the children, and stumbles upon mystery or two. She and her loyal companions/servants become quite attached to some of the occupants, and are quite disturbed by what they learn. But, have no fear--everything works out for the best in the end.
             ----Another lovely book that I was happy to read.

A Love Transformed

        BOOK REVIEW:   Clara lacks for nothing in her lavish New York mansion--except love.   When her husband, Adolph, dies suddenly, Clara Vesper is stunned. Not grief-stricken, as their marriage had never been a love match, but staggered by what might become of her and her children. For years she designed the sapphire jewelry that made her husband's company a fortune,  but she has little money in her own name and soon discovers that she has inherited nothing. Fearing for the welfare of her two small children, she decides to take them to her aunt and uncle's ranch in Montana, the only place she has ever been happy.
        But much has changed since she last visited the Montana ranch, both for Clara and for those she was forced to leave behind. And when dangerous secrets from her late husband's past threaten everyone she loves, Clara must fight to remain where she can fulfill her dream.

        MY REVIEW:    This is the third and final book in Tracie Peterson's Sapphire Brides series. It is preceded by A TREASURE CONCEALED and A BEAUTY TRANSFORMED.
          I personally think every author should follow Tracie's example. When you visit her page, you see book after book after book, series after series after series. It is lovely to see so many books by a favorite author! :)
          This book is the tale of Clara Vesper after the death of her husband. When prodded by her mother and brother-in-law, she runs to Montana to start a new life for herself and her young twins. But she doesn't bargain on her old love being there.
          Of course, one can assume the ending of this tale. After standing up to her mother and her brother-in-law and discovering the truth of her husband's death, she marries ______ and lives happily ever after.
          I like Tracie's books, and I liked the preceding books in this series. Unfortuantely, this book was not one of my favorites.

The Christian Book of Mystical Verse

      BOOK REVIEW:   Featuring Isaac Watts, John & Charles Wesley, Christina Rossetti, and many more!     Compiled and arranged with great intention by the late A. W. Tozer, this collection of verse takes readers on a spiritual journey--beginning with an overture of praise then flowing into meditations on the work of Christ, our need of Him,and the common Christian experience. Covering nearly the whole spectrum of religious feeling--penitence and confession, thanksgiving and praise, admiration, and more--this collection comforts hearts and aids in thoughtful, spiritual worship.
      With selections grouped by theme and indexed by title, author, and first line, The Christian Book of Mystical Verse is organized for repeated use--a treasure for exalting God with words that mirror His beauty.

       MY REVIEW:  This is a very neat book. It is all hymns/poems/prayers, and divided into sections. There are familiar ones, and new ones. I think it would make an excellent devotional, or a study book, or a book just to have around if ever you need a topical poem/hymn/prayer.
     One of my favorites so far is by Gerhard Tersteegen, Allured into the Desert. The first two stanzas are:
             Allured into the desert,
            With God alone, apart,
            There spirit meeteth spirit,
            There speaketh heart to heart.
            Far, far on that untrodden shore,
            God's secret place I find;
            Alone I pass the golden door,
            The dearest left behind.

                             There God and I none other;
                             Oh far from men to be!
                             Nay, midst the crowd and tumult,
                             Still, Lord, alone with Thee.
                             Still folded close upon Thy breast,
                             In field, and mart, and street,
                             Untroubled in that perfect rest
                             That isolation sweet.

I am very excited to have this book, it is a very nice book. I like that Tozer took the time to compile and publish these verses for the rest of us to read and enjoy.

             I received this book from MOODY PUBLISHERS in exchange for my honest review. 

Echoes

    BOOK REVIEW:   While recovering from a broken engagement, Lauren Phillips manages to keep busy working full-time and studying to finish her college degree. But one day, everything changes when Lauren enters the wild, uncharted territory of the Internet on her home computer and connects with a mysterious--and intriguing--man she knows only as KC.
    Despite a busy schedule, Lauren's e-mail relationship with KC quickly becomes the thing she loves the most in life . . . and the source of dreams she cannot bear to relinquish. When the opportunity comes for them to meet after a year of corresponding, Lauren faces a tough choice: is she willing to risk everything . . . including another broken heart?
 
    MY REVIEW:   I liked this book better than the second one. And, there is a twist at the end. I like twists in books.
    Lauren works in a bank, though her true love is to teach school--English, to be precise. In the end, she gets her teacher's degree and manages to land a position in her dream location. A small country school in a town with friends. What could be better? I thought it was a cool ending.
    I really don't know what else to write--I'm at a loss. So,                 ...THE END...

Whispers

BOOK REVIEW:  Teri Moreno went to Maui hoping to start one special relationship. But romance takes a complicated twist when the Spanish teacher from Glenbrooke, Oregon, finds herself enjoying the attentions of three men: the handsome marine biologist who called her back to the islands; a charming old crush from high school; and a clumsy, endearing Australian with a wild past.
     Swept up by her feelings, yet determined to make the right choice, Teri makes powerful discoveries about God's law and His grace in this new release of WHISPERS, now book two int he heartwarming Glenbrooke Series from Robin Jones Gunn.

MY REVIEW:  This is the second book in Robin Jones Gunn's The Glenbrooke Series. The first is SECRETS, about Jessica, the millionaire's daughter who goes to Oregon to teach English class.
    This book is about Teri, Jessica's co-teacher. Teri teaches Spanish, though.
    Teri goes on a vacation to Maui to visit her sister and brother, and while there, has a difficult time deciding which of the three men after her she wants to date. Of course, she chooses the wrong one which scares away the second one, and in the end she chooses the third as she should have all along.
     I enjoyed the story, though it was a bit traditional. I liked the first book better, for sure.

A Noble Masquerade

        BOOK REVIEW:  Lady Miranda Hawthorne acts every inch the lady, but inside she longs to be bold and carefree. Entering her fourth Season and approaching spinsterhood in the eyes of society, she pours her innermost feelings out not in a diary but in letters to her brother's old school friend, a duke--with no intention of ever sending these private thoughts to a man she's heard stories about but never met. Meanwhile, she also finds herself intrigued by Marlow, her brother's new valet, and although she may wish to break free of the structures that bind her, falling in love with a servant is more of a rebellion than she planned. 
        When Marlow accidentally discovers and mails one of the letters to her unwitting confidant, Miranda is beyond mortified. And even more shocked when the duke returns her note with one of his own that initiates a courtship-by-mail. Insecurity about her lack of suitors shifts into confusion at her growing feelings for two men--one she's never met but whose words deeply resonate with her heart, and one she has come to depend on but whose behavior is more and more suspicious. When it becomes apparent state secrets are at risk and Marlow is right in the thick of the conflict, one thing is certain: Miranda's heart is far from all that's at risk for the Hawthornes and those they love.

      MY REVIEW:   This now is the second of Kristi Ann Hunter's Hawthorne House series. I read it back-to-back with the first, so it is hard to distinguish where the first ends and the second starts. :) This is a full-sized novel of 500+ pages, which makes it even better than the first book. 
      Again, some sentences that I found particularly fun:
    "coming up with a good reason or twenty"
    "Miranda mercilessly squashed the mental chastisement"
    "Curiosity, a spies' greatest asset and deadliest liability."
    "She should take the letters; they weren't going to bite her."
    "He didn't know why everyone wanted to compliment a man on his ability to find a competent tailor"
I also really enjoyed this book. I was too impatient to wait for it to come into the library, so I read it online, and I don't like reading books online so that's saying something. :) 
     I don't want to spoil the surprise for anyone, but it occurs in the middle of the book, and to say anymore would require speaking of the last half, which of course would reveal the twist. So, I shall end my ramblings here, and let you read the book for yourself. I will say though, it is not one you would likely guess. But it does make for an interesting story. 
     The last two books of this series are An Elegant Facade and An Uncommon Courtship (the one I'm waiting impatiently to read). 
    

A Lady of Esteem

       BOOK REVIEW:  Amelia Stalwood lives in a London townhouse, but she's never actually met any nobility. Then, by chance, she meets the Hawthorne family, who welcome her into their world. When a nasty rumor is circulated, threatening her reputation, society turns its back on her. Will her new friends--and the marquis she's fallen for--do the same?

       MY REVIEW:  This is the first book of the HAWTHORNE HOUSE series by Kristi Ann Hunter. It is a novella, about 196 pages long, and only available in e-book format, sadly.
       I read the third book of the series a few months back, and have requested the fourth one without realizing that it is part of the set. So, I set about to read the first two book of the series.
      And I have discovered that I am also a fan of Kristi's books. I love them! The only problem I can find with her writing is that she only wrote this series. There should DEFINATELY be more. She writes in the same era as Julie Klassen. And she has a distinctive humor and unique vocabulary in her writing which I just love. A few examples are:  
       "But to have meant so little to him that when she was out of his sight neither he nor his solicitors remembered that she would continue to age?" and
       "he hopped lightly down the stairs" and
       "he thought it best that the ladies did not see him snickering at their spat".
 It just struck me as being different in a light, almost comical way. It is quite fun to read. I really wish Kristi had more books out there--I thoroughly enjoyed these!
     
     
     

The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill

       BOOK REVIEW:   Welcome to the English village of Ivy Hill, where friendships thrive, romance blossoms, and mysteries await.   The lifeblood of the village of Ivy Hill is its coaching inn, The Bell. When the innkeeper dies suddenly, his genteel wife, Jane Bell, becomes the reluctant land-lady. Jane has no idea how to manage a business, but with the town's livelihood at stake and a large loan due, she must quickly find a way to save the inn.
      Despite their strained relationship, Jane turns to her resentful mother-in-law , Thora, for help. Formerly mistress of The Bell, Thora is struggling to overcome her losses and find purpose for the future. As she works with Jane, two men from her past vie for her attention, but Thora has promised herself never to marry again. Will one of them convince her to embrace a second chance at love?
      As pressure mounts from the bank, Jane employs new methods, and puzzles over the intentions of several men who seem to have a vested interest in the place, including a mysterious newcomer with secret plans of his own. With the help of friends old and new, can Jane restore life to the inn, and to her empty heart as well?

      MY REVIEW:    I was the tiniest bit disappointed about this book, and I can't even tell you why. I am a fan of Julie Klassen's books, and this wasn't quite what I expected. It is also a series, which is disappointing in the fact that one has to wait to hear the end of the story. :)  But once I accepted the fact that it was not the story I was expecting, I really enjoyed the book.
      I liked the storyline. Widowed Jane Bell has to overcome her reluctance to the job and save her husband's inn. She has three months to either pay off a huge loan, or convince the bank that further extensions are profitable. On top of that, new competition moves in to town.
      One part of this book that I found enjoyable was a race (I shan't say why) between The Bell and its competition to see whose staff could have the coach's horses changed out and on the road again the fastest. Their aim was for two minutes! The Bell's staff is frantically practicing and improving their methods. For you see, their normal times are closer to ten minutes, and they had only one week in which to become five times faster--a feat for which they had many doubts. And of course, at the actual race, there occurs a twist in the case of the winner.
       In conclusion, this is the first book in Julie Klassen's new Tales from Ivy Hill series. If you are like me, wait until all the books are out, and then read them all at once. But if you can exercise more patience than I, then by all means, read this book today. It is worth it!

                 I recieved this book from BETHANY HOUSE in exchange for my honest review. 

Atlas Shrugged

It is tilted to show the size of the book--2in. thick.

Well, where to begin?

I think I can safely say that this is the longest fiction book that I have ever read. It is 1168 pages long and took approximately 14 hours to read and the length of 7 days.

I had heard a bit about this book before I read it, which resulted in my trying too hard to guess what would happen in the end. I spent the first part trying desperately to figure it out, and the last part realizing what a futile effort it had been. :)   Although, I did guess two things right!

ATLAS SHRUGGED can be described as a mystery novel in form, and a political one in topic. Throughout the book, one is left guessing who certain of the characters are and when they will be revealed. And yet, the book is written about the author's (Ayn Rand) political premises. She writes about the earth being shut down under the wrong and overwhelming government rules and regulations. Her political party believes in stunting the growth of the strong to build up that of the weak. One character has declared that he will stop the motor of the world--and he does. But at what price? The lastest and greatest industrial men are disappearing; the railroad (main example of the book) is falling apart piece by piece; a national emergency has been called, resulting in more rules and regulations. In a final act of surrender, atlas shrugs.

For some reason I can't quite grasp, this is not an easy book to review. It is likely due to my misconceptions when I started it, the time it took to read it, and the intense detail and overall depth of the subject. But still, I enjoyed reading the book. Especially as things started falling into place. If you want better to understand what I am saying, you'll just have to read the book for yourself. It is preceded by THE FOUNTAINHEAD, which I have not read.

I did not read this book because it looked interesting, but to grasp its topic. While I enjoyed the story, there are some scenes and language that I did not like. It has really made me appreciate Christian authors. If it weren't for that, I would strongly recommend the book to everyone out there.