MARRYING MR. WRONG by Melissa Jagears, Reviewed by Trixi Oberembt

If two people were completely ill-suited to each other, it was Tim O'Connor and Gwen McGill! Tim is a hard working ranch hand just trying to provide for his mom and siblings; Gwen is a rich socialite. They both fight against prejudices and unfair judgments in a town full of gossips. Plus, their social classes set them far apart from each other. I had fun reading how Jagears was going to get these two together!

I love the character growth in both of them and how they find the strengths to rise above what others think of them. Especially people who judge them by what their no-good fathers did. It's a hard won happily-ever-after kind of story of faith and love. Throw in a little danger to push these two together and you got a great story to keep you turning pages until the perfect ending. I was left with a smile on my face!
*I received a complimentary copy from the author and was under no obligation to leave a favorable review. All opinions are my own. *

BackCover Blurb: 

Can a man who’s completely wrong for her help her find Mr. Right?

Gwendolyn McGill wants to be loved and accepted for who she is, but that’s hard to do in a small town where everyone judges her by the scandal her father caused. Unfortunately, the man she hoped would sweep her away from all the wagging tongues is no longer interested in marrying her. Unable to leave town, she’s determined to prove she’s more than just a pretty face who knows how to bat her eyelashes.

For years, Timothy O’Conner has loved Gwen from a distance, knowing someone like her would never be attracted to a lowly ranch hand with a blemished face like him. When Gwen unexpectedly shows up at the ranch, asking him to help her learn how to attract a man of quality, Tim’s feelings become even harder to suppress.

When danger pushes them together, they discover there’s more to each other than either of them imagined. Though God is no respecter of persons, is the desire of their hearts strong enough to defy society’s expectations?

Marrying Mr. Wrong is the fourth book in the Frontier Vows Series by award-winning Christian romance author Melissa Jagears. If you like to read about unexpected characters falling in love, you’ll enjoy this tender love story that has the perfect mix of romance and adventure.

 

Utmost Publishing, January 2022

Available in digital ebook and paperback  

Buy Marrying Mr. Wrong at Amazon

THE DEBUTANTE'S CODE by Erica Vetsch, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

*Thorndike and Swann Mysteries

"Disappointment was only a short step away from resentment, she found. For years she had made excuses . . . How did she honor her parents as God intended when their decisions thwarted the desires of her heart?"

Returning home after years away at finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is met at the docks with disappointment; rather than the count and countess meeting her for a joyous reunion, her Uncle Betrand is there instead; short on excuses and anxious to be on with his business. With her debut into London society less than twenty-four hours away, Juliette cannot understand why her parents have assigned the dowager Haverly to chaperone her through the presentation. As it turns out, the entire debut proves to be most unusual, most unusual indeed, for who would imagine concluding a glorious evening being witness to a most unusual crime?

When Bow Street runner Daniel Thorndike is called out to investigate the details surrounding a stolen painting, he invites himself into a lavish party scene, the guests being some of London's most recognizable elite who exhibit predictable displeasure about being questioned by the police. Upon further study, his attention cannot help but hover around the lovely Lady Thorndike, whose intelligence spills over into her every expression. Subsequently, when the one crime broadens into several, Daniel is forced to turn his focus back to the lady and her uncle, unknowingly becoming caught up in something far bigger than whether or not he can sustain his own career.

What a rare find! A conventional mystery wrapped tightly within the embellishments of a fine Regency historical. It's clever, it's interesting, and it's incredibly enjoyable, for following the clues sends readers toward the same dead ends as the characters, who themselves are not even sure whom to trust. Needless to say, the author also smoothly incorporates the topics of abandonment, honesty, integrity, faith, doubt, and even love, for who hasn't uttered this sort of prayer; "God what should I do? Where can I turn?".

Readers will be clamoring for more of "Thorndike and Swann"! 

*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

SEE PAULA'S REVIEW

BackCover Blurb:
Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes in this new Regency mystery series

Newly returned from finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is ready to debut in London society. Due to her years away, she hasn't spent much time with her parents, and sees them only as the flighty, dilettante couple the other nobles love. But when they disappear, she discovers she never really knew them at all. They've been living double lives as government spies--and they're only the latest in a long history of espionage that is the family's legacy.

Now Lady Juliette is determined to continue their work. Mentored by her uncle, she plunges into the dangerous world of spy craft. From the glittering ballrooms of London to the fox hunts, regattas, and soirees of country high society, she must chase down hidden clues, solve the mysterious code her parents left behind, and stay out of danger. All the while, she has to keep her endeavors a secret from her best friend and her suitors--not to mention nosy, irritatingly handsome Bow Street runner Daniel Swann, who suspects her of a daring theft.

Can Lady Juliette outwit her enemies and complete her parents' last mission? Or will it lead her to a terrible end?

Best-selling author Erica Vetsch is back with a rollicking, exciting new series destined to be a hit with Regency readers who enjoy a touch of mystery in their love stories. Fans of Julie Klassen, Sarah Ladd, and Anne Perry will love the wit, action, and romance. 

Kregel Publishing, Dec, 2021

Available in digital ebook and paperback:

Buy The Debutante's Code at Amazon, Christianbook.com, and Baker Book House

 

SUNRISE by Susan May Warren, Reviewed by Winnie Thomas

“Forgiveness isn’t for the person you’re forgiving. . . It’s for yourself. It’s what you do to be set free.”

I’m always excited to begin a new series by Susan May Warren, and the first book in her Sky King Ranch series is fantastic. Set in the wilds of Alaska, and starring Dodge Kingston, one of a set of triplets, this book drew me in from the first page and kept me holding on for dear life amidst all the action.

When Dodge returns to Alaska after ten years away, he doesn’t count on seeing his old girlfriend, Echo Yazzie again. And he isn’t happy that he still has feelings for her. Dodge is a wonderful hero—courageous, daring, and compassionate, but he and Echo both have baggage from their pasts to work through.

“Stop telling God what you want, and let him work his will in you. You might find answers.”

With lots of action, adventure, suspense, a dash of romance, and themes of forgiveness, second chances, and letting God prevail in your life, Sunrise has something for everyone. I’m looking forward to Ranger’s and Colt’s stories and more Alaskan adventures.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Revell through Interviews and Reviews. All opinions are my own. 4.5 stars 

SEE REVIEWS BY NICOLE, KIM, and REBECCA

BackCover Blurb:
Coming home was never the plan

After a terrible family fight, pilot Dodge Kingston left home to join the Air Force. A decade later, he's headed back to the destiny that awaits him as heir to Sky King Ranch. But that's not all that's waiting for him at home.

Echo Yazzie is a true Alaskan woman--a homesteader, dogsledder, and research guide for the DNR. After her childhood best friend and former flame, Dodge, fled Denali, she settled into life on the Alaskan range. She's made her peace with being left behind--by her mother and by Dodge. And she's strong enough to live without them.

When one of Echo's fellow researchers goes missing, Echo sets out to find her, despite a blizzard, a rogue grizzly haunting the woods, and the biting cold. What she doesn't know is that there are more than just the regular dangers of the Alaskan forests stalking her . . .

As Dodge sets out to find Echo, he can't ignore the feelings he still has for her. But will he be able to find her in time? And if he does, is there still room for him in her heart?

Revell Books, January, 2022

Available in digital ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook:

Buy SUNRISE at Amazon, Christianbook.com, or Baker Book House

MAGGIE'S STRENGTH by Pegg Thomas, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

*Forts of Refuge, Book #2

"If Maggie was going to survive, she'd have to do it on her own. Again."

Having been kidnapped as a young child during an Indian raid, the thoughts of escape have barely crossed Maggie Kerr's mind; it was too dangerous, but after being promised as a bride to a cruel Huron warrior, Maggie senses a sliver of opportunity and takes it. She's both terrified and hopeful that she can reach Fort Detroit and claim refuge as a British citizen. There is only one thing standing in her way, a river; swift, deep and wide.

Baptiste Geroux is caught between war and peace; as a slightly lame French farmer, he routinely gives the neighboring Indians food from his fields in exchange for allowing him to remain on land they could, at any moment, consider their own. With a British fort just across the river, he also trades with the British while remaining neutral within the area's strained relations. But the day he encounters a lovely young woman along his shore, deep down in his heart Baptiste knows that his life will never be the same.

What a wondrous story! Not only did I learn a wealth of information about the history of this area, whose inhabitants suffered greatly under the complexity of relationships between the French, Indians, and British, but the author managed to navigate the details in a way that I could easily understand . . .  however, the historical backdrop tactfully faded into the background as the sweetest of love stories took center stage. The absolute sweetest! It's a book that I anticipate reading over and over again. 

*I purchased this book and was under no obligation to provide a positive review. 4 stars

BackCover Blurb:
Maggie Kerr is a survivor. Taken captive at age eleven during the battle at Fort McCord, she's learned to adapt and to trust no one. Promised in marriage to a Huron warrior she fears, Maggie risks everything in a run for her freedom.

Content to ignore the rising animosity between the British and the Ottawa villagers he calls his friends, Baptiste Geroux plants his fields, limping behind his oxen and waiting for his brother to return from the west. Until the day a woman in danger arrives on his farm.

When more tribes join Pontiac in an all-out war, Maggie and Baptiste take refuge at Fort Detroit. He’s distrusted for being French. She’s scorned for being raised by the Hurons. Together they forge a fragile bond—until Maggie's past threatens their chance at happiness.

Spinner of Yarns Publishing, October 2021

Available in digital ebook and paperback:

Buy Maggie's Strength at Amazon