Sixty Acres and a Bride

Holy FREEEEEAAAAAK!  (Pardon my French.)  This book was breathtakingly beautiful.  I seriously could not stop reading!

Book Rating:  Best of the Best

I am often suspicious when I start a new book, and I haven’t decided if that is a good thing or a bad thing.  Anyway, I was extremely skeptical when I started this one.  No reason, really.  I just was.  But, it didn’t take long before I was consumed by my need to finish this book!  This is Regina Jennings first novel, and there’s no way it will be her last.  If you are keen on Tamera Alexander’s style of writing, you will like this book.  To me, their styles are quite similar.

So, this is a modern take on the Biblical story of Ruth and Boaz.  It’s a great, GREAT romance!  I smiled, and sighed and giggled my way through it.  Now, if you are like me, then you probably like to read these books knowing that there’s gonna be a good kiss sometime before you’ve gone through half the book. Not so here, my friends.  You gotta wait a long, long time. I mean, a long time.  But whoo-ee, it’s worth it!

Rosa (a lovely, sweet and hard working Mexicana) has married into the Garner family, and embraced the Christian faith.  She and her mother-in-law return to Texas from Mexico after their husbands die, only to find they may lose their land due to back-taxes.  They do everything they can think of to get the money, but in the end it still isn’t enough.  How in the world will they save their land and livelihood?

Enter, Weston Garner.  (Do you hear the angel chorus?)  He is really the perfect leading man, in my opinion—strong, with dashing good looks, kind, loves God, has a fun personality and is also romantic.  Who could want more?  Are you crazy?  Anyway, their relationship throughout the book grows slowly, but substantially.  I felt like the issues they were dealing with were very real, and I appreciated that greatly.

The Christian message of the story was wonderful.  Some books have a constsant flow of scriptures, prayer, etc. throughout the book and this one didn’t have as much of that as I have seen before.  But the stuff that was there was very good.

If you don’t like this book, I’ll eat my hat.

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Blue Moon Promise

I am drawn to HCRs set in Texas like a moth to a flame.  So I couldn’t resist this book!  It was my first taste of Colleen Coble, I really enjoyed her style!

Book Rating:  Up All Night'er

Overall, the story was great fun and the romance was swoon-worthy.  This book is a nice, easy read, no doubt about it!

Lucy Marsh has had a rough go of things in the past several months.  And now that her father has passed away it’s all she can do to keep her and her two younger siblings together.  When an old family friend comes and offers her a way for them to stay together, her desperation makes it impossible for her to pass up.  The proposition?  Marry the man’s son, sight unseen, (with the father as proxy) and move to Texas the next day.  (I just love those kinds of books!!  So fun!!)

Anyway, Mr. Nate Stanton (a lovely cowboy!!) is none too thrilled to learn about his new wife and her siblings that are now also under his care.  However, as you can rightly assume, this new hubby and wife fall in love over time and everything works out well in the end.  Are you surprised?!  *teehee*  (I don't think I would like it if it didn't turn out well!)

In conclusion, if you want a no brainer, read it.  You'll enjoy it.  The references to the scriptures and God were great!  I was very impressed with that.

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A Lady Like Sarah

It was one of those nights.  I had gotten sucked into this book and there was no stopping me.  Even though I was deathly tired—my eyes were burning and blood-shot, and my head was pounding from what felt like the weight of two anvils.  Must……keep…..reading…..must………keep………reading.

The next day was a blur.  Was it worth it?  Oh yes it was.

Book rating:  Best of the Best

What a unique idea for a story!  Sarah Prescott comes from a family of outlaw brothers.  She has never known a “real” family, and believes she will never have one.  There is a price on her head and a hangman’s noose waiting for her in Rocky Creek.  Even though the charges against her are trumped-up, what chance does she have?  She’s a Prescott.

Justin Wells is a preacher en-route to Rocky Creek.  He’s looking to start-over after an embarrassing debacle in his hometown of Boston.  When he stumbles upon Sarah and a dying U.S. Marshall, his journey to Texas takes a very unexpected turn.  

Sarah is feisty, and knows how to take care of herself, but she secretly yearns for the love of someone like Justin.  He in turn, never would have expected this beautiful (and wanted!) young woman to steal his heart.

I love, LOVE this story.  What a great example of pure, childlike faith!  Sarah is essentially converted in this story, and I love how she trusts in God, literally, to the bitter end!  Beautiful!  I went away feeling like I need to show God that I can trust Him with that same faith.

The romance is wonderful and the story will melt your heart.  I can’t wait for you to read this!  It’s hard for me to say which of these books in this series is my favorite—they are all so different and inspiring.  Justin’s love for Sarah is magnificent!  That’s what love is all about, people!  So, just go read all the books and don’t do as I did...  Read them in order!

Be prepared for some sleepless nights, y'all!

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Belonging

If you ever want a fabulous read--one that is low on “heavy” and high on “fabulous” pick up a Hatcher book.  Belonging is the first in a three book series (I am reading them in order this time…go figure!) and it’s a great start!

Book Rating:  Up All Night’er

This lovely story takes place in a wonderful little town in Idaho.  Felicia Kristoffersen is the new school teacher, and even though she is thrilled to be there—and determined to do her very best, she knows that there are some people who aren’t thrilled about her arrival.

Colin Murphy was devastated by his wife's death five years ago.  Now, he has only one concern: his daughter Charity.  He wants her to get a good education, but he is afraid that Felicia is inexperienced, and more concerned about getting married than really being a teacher, and he knows it will break Charity’s heart.

This beautifully simple romance will sweep you away to a delightful world.  The characters seem very real to me, and I love that the spiritual message is so clear.

So, find yourself a nice little bowl of your favorite night-time treat (in my case, some homemade granola… Hey, there’s nothing boring about that, compadre!), grab this book and relax.  You deserve it!  Bon appetit!

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A Vision Of Lucy

This is the second book that I’ve read which focuses on photography as a budding art form.  (The first one being From a Distance…)  Of the two, I have to say I actually like A Vision of Lucy more.  I know, I know.  The former won a Christy Award.  That's great n'all, but it doesn’t change my opinion in the least.

Book Rating:  Best of the Best

This is the third book in a three-book series, and I read it first. (Don’t ask me why I keep doing that because I seriously don’t know.)  But you don’t have to read them in order for these books to make sense, so that’s the good part.

If you haven’t ever read a Brownley book you are in for a real treat!  Like a hot-fudge-Sunday-with-a-cherry-on-the-top kind of treat!!  Her style is descriptive and playful without being over the top or cheesy.  I smiled my way through this book, and I was sad to see it end.  And that goes for all the books in this series!  I’ve read several series from a few authors and so far, I like this series best.

Trouble seems to follow Lucy Fairbanks wherever she goes.  Not that she’s out looking for it, mind you.  She simply wants to take photos for the town newspaper so bad, she will do anything to get the perfect shot.  It’s on one of these quests that she’s nearly killed by a run away stage coach and is saved by the “wild man” that lives just out of town.  (Um, side note here…you know it’s gonna be a good book if there’s a kiss before you’ve even read 20 pages!  Boo-ya, baby!)

David Wolf is a man torn between two worlds.  (He is also a man that is exceedingly rugged and super-duper good looking!  Just wanted to clear that up in case you were wondering…)  He can’t seem to escape this young woman who brings disaster.  And despite his efforts against it, he finds he is falling in love with her.

All the books in the series are SO romantic, and have a perfect blend of action and just a dash of drama.  LOVE IT!

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Book Give-away!!

                                                Extra!  Extra!  Read all about it!  

Who doesn't like getting free stuff?!  If you "follow" my totally awesome blog you will be entered to win Karen Witemeyer's new book Short-Straw Bride which comes out next month!  The drawing will begin June 1! So, all you book worms out there better "follow" my totally awesome blog, and maybe the lucky winner will be you, baby!

A Suitor For Jenny

This book was amazingly delicious!  I devoured it so fast you would have thought it was a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos.  No, I’m serious.  I read it that fast.

Book Rating:  Best of the Best

I loved the premise of this story:  Girl goes to town looking for husbands for her sisters, but insists she doesn't need one herself.  (Of course you can imagine she ends up with one...teehee...)  I knew I had to read this!

Jenny Higgins is a very determined, hard working girl who comes to Rocky Creek because she read in a newspaper that this town had the highest number of eligible bachelors in Texas.  Too bad it was a misprint—but she doesn’t know that.  She has been caring for her sisters since their parents died many years ago and the responsibility has weighed very heavily on her.  In their dire circumstances it made her do things she never wanted to do, and now she believes no one will ever truly love her.  All she needs to do is find men who can care for her sisters financially so they will never starve again.

Rhett Armstrong (hel-LO!  His name alone is super hot!) is the town Marshall and when someone bursts into his office claiming the town is being taken-over by three women looking for husbands, he dismisses it.  But, over time he can’t believe how true that statement really was.  And little does he know how “Colonel Jenny” will change is life forever.

Now, as you know, I won’t divulge any more of the yummy details, so that’s why you just gotta go read it yourself.  But I will tell you, that I thought the romantic tension was magnificent, the characters were SO fun and the spiritual message was inspiring.  I loved it all.

I know you’re wondering.  Which would I rather choose: a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos or this book. Sorry, Doritos.  I would choose this book.

Happy Reading!
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