Perfectly Matched by Maggie Brendan - a review

Perfectly Matched is the third book in Maggie Brendan's "The Blue Willow Brides" series.  The first in the series Deeply Devoted (read my review here) and the second in the series Twice Promised (read my review here) were absolutely wonderful and I gave them both 5 star ratings. Unfortunately I didn't love this book as much as the first two.

The heroine of the story is Anna Olsen who has left her sisters behind in order to travel to Denver, Colorado to become the mail order bride of Edward Parker. Now I must admit I absolutely love the character of Anna. She has a compassionate heart for animals and begins rescuing them much to Edward's dismay. In time he comes around and helps her in her quest to open up a branch of the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) but most of the book was over before he came around.

Edward Parker never pulled me into his story. He is obsessive-compulsive and on their wedding day he tells Anna that they will not consummate their marriage for ten days. Then he hands her a note of her "wifely duties" telling her what to do and what days to do it on. All throughout the book I tried, I really tried, to like Edward but I just couldn't do it. In fact, I was actually hoping Ms. Brendan would let both characters see that their marriage was a mistake and have it annulled so that Anna could marry Daniel, Edward's best friend. I truly believe they were better suited to each other.

Besides Edward's character the one thing that made me not love this book was the fact that after they finally consummated their marriage it seemed like every other page they just couldn't wait to be together. I truly felt this took away from the story.

I have always thoroughly enjoyed reading books by Maggie Brendan but I am sad to say Perfectly Matched, is not one of my favorites. Does this mean I'll stop reading her books? Absolutely not. I will definitely read her next book.

On a 5 Star scale - 3.5 stars.

I would like to thank Revell Publishing, a division of Baker Publishing Group for my review copy. I received my copy for free in order to ready and give my honest opinion, which I have done.

"Available October 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing"

Smiles & Blessings,

Congratulations to 

LORI

the winner of A Marriage CAROL by Chris Fabry and Gary Chapman

Smiles & Blessings,

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance review of A Bride for Keeps by Melissa Jagears

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

A Bride for Keeps

Bethany House Publishers (October 1, 2013)

by

Melissa Jagears


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 


A Word From The Author:

I am a stay at home mother on a tiny little farm with a fixer-upper house. As much as I love writing and reading about homesteaders, I am so glad I’m a homesteader during an era with modern grocery stores to take up for my slack. I am an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher by trade, and I still work occasionally in that field along with being my church’s financial secretary and writing novels.

My husband and I have been married since 2001 and have a daughter and two little boys. My husband shares my fascination with traditional living except for being more hands on. He loves blacksmithing, knife smithing, traditional archery, hunting, etc. Generally whatever a mountain man does, he does it or has or wants to attempt it. He comes in handy for research! And of course, the rest of the family gets involved. I have my own blackpowder rifle, named Calvin, that my husband made for me. And I’m pretty sure my daughter is probably one of very few her age who can instruct adults how to shoot a longbow properly. The boy digs random holes in my yard to make “cement” with dirt and water making our yard a tripping hazard. The baby does what babies do. 


ABOUT THE BOOK

A Tender Tale of Love on the Prairie Perfect for CBA Readers!


Although Everett Cline can hardly keep up with the demands of his homestead, he won't humiliate himself by looking for a helpmate ever again--not after being jilted by three mail-order brides. When a well-meaning neighbor goes behind his back to bring yet another mail-order bride to town, he has good reason to doubt it will work, especially after getting a glimpse at the woman in question. She's the prettiest woman he's ever seen, and it's just not possible she's there to marry a simple homesteader like him.


Julia Lockwood has never been anything more than a pretty pawn for her father or a business acquisition for her former fiance. Having finally worked up the courage to leave her life in Massachusetts, she's determined to find a place where people will value her for more than her looks. Having run out of all other options, Julia resorts to a mail-order marriage in far-away Kansas.


Everett is skeptical a cultured woman like Julia could be happy in a life on the plains, while Julia, deeply wounded by a past relationship, is skittish at the idea of marriage at all. When, despite their hesitations, they agree to a marriage in name only, neither one is prepared for the feelings that soon arise to complicate their arrangement. Can two people accustomed to keeping their distance let the barricades around their hearts down long enough to fall in love?


If you would like to read the first chapter of A Bride for Keeps, go HERE.



MY THOUGHTS:

I love reading debut novels, especially when the voice is so fresh and exciting that I can't wait until the author has a new novel on the shelf. That is how I feel about a new favorite author, Melissa Jagears.  

First, I would like to say, I love the cover of A Bride For Keeps, it depicts the story well. But what lies within the covers of this book is truly magical. The mail order bride story was fresh, the characters were believable and I found I was drawn in from the very first page. I fell in love with Julia and Everett. They were well written and were real enough to walk off the page and into my heart. 

I think the one thing that touched me the most was how Ms. Jagears had Everett lead Julia to the Lord. She wrote it in such a way that a unsaved person could actually be led to the Lord through her words. Masterfully done!

I would HIGHLY recommend A Bride For Keeps to anyone who enjoys reading Historical Romance and if you know of someone who likes to read and you've been praying for them to get saved, this book could help.  Believe me, the story has elements of truth for today and could help someone who thinks they aren't worthy of His love to realize that they are.  

On a 5-Star Scale - 5 HUGE stars! Well done Ms. Jagears!

I would like to thank Christian Blog Alliance and Bethany House for my review copy.  I received my copy for free so that I could read it and give my honest review, which I have done.

Smiles & Blessings,

Merry 

the winner of Sandra D. Bricker's book,

 If the Shoe Fits

Smiles & Blessings,

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

Okay. I did it. I have been hearing people talk about Francine Rivers and her book Redeeming Love for a few years now. I've heard nothing, and I mean nothing, but over the top, spectacular reviews. So I did it. I thought if a book is getting such rave reviews it must be good right? Wrong. Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers was the best novel I have ever read. It was outstanding! I found myself crying off and on throughout the book but at the end, well I sobbed. When I say sobbed, I mean uncontrollably.

Redeeming Love is the retelling of the story of Hosea and Gomer in the Bible. The characters of Michael Hosea and Sarah are phenomenally created and grow before your eyes into the people God would want them to be. Okay, Michael was already there but Sarah had a long way to go.

At the tender age of 8 years old, Sarah's mother dies and she is sold to Duke who soils her and keeps her until one day she escapes but finds herself back in a brothel just in another part of the country, a town known as Pair-a-Dice. While walking down the street one day, Michael Hosea, who is in town to conduct business with the local general store, sees Sarah (who is now known as Angel) and he clearly knows that she is the woman God has chosen for him. Through several visits to her, to talk only, and when she suffers a terrible beating by Magowan, the man who keeps all the girl's in line, Michael convinces her to marry him and takes her away to his farm, many miles away. Michael grows to love her while nursing her back to health. When she awakes she wants to go back to Pair-a-Dice.

The story takes twists and turns of Angel leaving Michael, Michael going after her and bringing her back, to Angel falling in love with Michael only to leave again. If I tell you anymore you will miss out on the blessing that this book bestows upon the reader page after page.

This book touches the reader at their inner core. If you find that you have issues in your life that you need to take to God, this book will give you the prompt you need. Believe me. God can speak to the reader through this book.  If you know someone who is lost or has backslid, this book would be a wonderful book to place in their hands.

On a 5-Star Scale - 5 HUGE STARS!!!!!

I would like to thank Blogging for Books and WaterBrook Multonomah Publishing Group for my review copy.  I received my copy for free in order to read and give my honest review, which I have done. 

To find out more about the author, Francine Rivers, please visit her website here.
To order your own copy of Redeeming Love visit the publisher here.
To read the first chapter of Redeeming Love please go here.

Please enjoy the video

I guarantee reading Redeeming Love is a life-changing experience!

Smiles & Blessings,

A Marriage CAROL by Chris Fabry & Gary Chapman - a review with giveaway

For anyone who loves Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, you might just find Chris Fabry & Gary Chapman's book, A Marriage CAROL an enjoyable read. While it is not a long book, a mere 113 pages in length, this little hardback book packs a wallop of a message.

On a snowy Christmas Eve, Jacob and Marlee Ebenezer are on there way to see the divorce lawyer to sign the papers signaling the end of their marriage. With the weather getting worse by the minute Jacob chooses to take the short cut to town and soon finds a truck bearing down on them as they are headed into a curve. The next moment Marlee awakens finding the keys in the ignition, the airbags deployed but no sign of Jacob.

Marlee heads out in the snow looking for Jacob and comes upon a house.  Here she meets the owner, Jay, and learns that the power is out and they have no phone service. Jay goes out with the hope to find Jacob for Marlee but is unsuccessful. What transpires next is Marlee sees her past, present and future.

This book will take you on one woman's journey of finding herself before it is too late.  It is packed with sound advice and is a story that can be read anytime of the year, not just at Christmas.  I would highly recommend this book, especially to anyone who might be thinking of going down the awful road to divorce.

On a 5-star scale - 4 1/2 stars!

I would like to thank Moody Publishers for my review copy of A Marriage CAROL, I received my copy for free in order to review and give my honest opinion, which I have done.

* * * * * * * * * 

************ GIVEAWAY RULES  ************

1.  Giveaway is open to US and Canada

2.  No PO Boxes please.

3.  You MUST be a Google Friends Connect follower of my blog (please be sure to leave the name you follow under in your comment)

4.  For extra entries you may do one or all of the following:

    -- become an email subscriber +1

    -- invite a friend to become a follower of my blog.  If they become a follower & mention your name, you will both receive 2 extra entries

5. Include an email address where I can reach you if you are selected as the winner of this giveaway.  Please enter your email address in this format    winner[at]yahoo[dot]com

Giveaway will run through October 19th and the winner will be selected using Random.Org

Smiles & Blessings,