THE ROAD TO MAGNOLIA GLEN by Pam Hillman, (Release Day!) reviewed by Paula Shreckhise

 

The Road to Magnolia Glen is book two in the Natchez Trace series and furthers the story of Conner and Isabella from The Promise of Breeze Hill. The heroine, Kiera, is a fiesty Irish lass. The hero, Quinn, is a responsible, determined, hardworking young man who has yet to realize his dream. 

I so loved the setting of this book in the Natchez Trace of 1792. I had fun picturing the docks of the early town and the Plantations of Breeze Hill, Braxton Hall and the estate owned by the Wainwrights. The Young sisters: Kiera, Amelia and Megan and the O’Shea brothers: Quinn, Rory and Patrick meet onboard ship on their journey to the Colonies. Quinn is taking his brothers to meet their eldest brother, Conner, at Breeze Hill. The Young sisters have come because their brother-in-law has secured a husband for Kiera in Natchez. Little did they know that Pierre LaBonne, her so called intended, is a scheming liar and holds papers saying he owns them.

Can Quinn and Conner keep Kiera and her sisters from the nefarious clutches of the vile LaBonne? By helping the girls, are they endangering themselves and their loved ones?

The characters were so engaging from the O’Shea brothers, to the Young sisters, to baby Jon Wainwright. The  evil LaBonne and his lackeys were villainy at its best.

If you enjoyed the first book in this series, then you will want to read this installment to see what is going on at Breeze Hill. The excitement level is just as great and the story keeps getting better!

* I was provided a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher Tyndale House, Inc. on behalf of the author. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*

BACK COVER BLURB:
1792, Natchez Trace, MS
Bitter since his eldest brother abandoned their family in Ireland, Quinn O’Shea travels to Natchez, Mississippi, ready to shuck the weight of his duty and set off on an adventure of his own. It’s time Connor, as head of the family, took responsibility for their younger siblings. While aboard ship, a run-in with three Irish sisters lands Quinn in the role of reluctant savior. Though it may delay his plans, he cannot abandon the Young sisters, especially the tenacious yet kind Kiera.

Upon arriving in the colonies, Kiera Young prepares to meet her intended and begin her new life. But she soon discovers the marriage her brother-in-law arranged was never meant to be, and a far more sinister deal was negotiated for her and her sisters.

Quinn offers to escort his charges safely to Breeze Hill Plantation and his brother’s care, fully intending to seek his freedom elsewhere. But the longer he remains, the greater his feelings toward Kiera grow and the more he comes to realize true freedom might be found in sacrifice.

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AN UNEXPECTED REDEMPTION by Davalynn Spencer, reviewed by Trixi Oberembt

“If God can make everything new again, in spite of the hard, painful parts, then we should let Him.”

In this first book that I've read by Davalynn, I found myself  “thrown off” the train in the middle of the night just as Elizabeth Beaumont–aka Betsy Parker—was and plunked in the middle of fighting a fire and a town I never thought I'd be back to. Yep, it was that real from the first line! 

My only regret, I never read 'An Improper Proposal' first so therefore I didn't have the backstory to exactly who Elizabeth was and why she never thought she'd return to her hometown. It took me a couple of chapters or so to really get into it and feel like I wasn't missing something important. Well worth my time reading it however, because I fell in love with the characters and Olin Springs, Colorado!

Sheriff Garret Wilson seems to get a kick out of goading Elizabeth every chance he got, finding new ways of stoking the fire of her anger just to see sparks fly. He irritated me on more than one occasion! But as I read further, he somehow wiggled his way in my heart...obstinate man! He's just as tight-lipped as Elizabeth is about his past and where he came from. Trying to get information out of these two was like pulling a nail out of a solid wood plank—pardon the cliché! However, Davalynn slowly coaxed it out of them with her persistent and gentle writing; kind of like gentling a skittish filly. Both of them need to face the past head-on with the grace and forgiveness that God extends to each of us and rid themselves of self-inflicted guilt. There's also the backdrop of a mysterious arsonist to catch and a suspicious character to figure out.

A great read and time well spent in the pages of this book. Plenty of reminders of our own struggles with regret and guilt and where we can take those; to the cross Christ provided for us! I also enjoyed getting to know each of the characters. I think Maggie has to stand out to me with her wisdom and taking Elizabeth (Betsy) under her wing showing her the unconditional love of a friend and the Lord. Yep, this is one book I'd recommend to anyone who loves western historicals sprinkled with faith, love and forgiveness! 

BACK COVER BLURB:
 Sweet Historical Western Romance
An Unexpected Redemption - Book 2 in the Front Range Brides collection of stories about strong women who find and defend love in 1880s Colorado.
He doesn’t need her sass. She doesn’t need his approval. But they both need a second chance.

Abandoned by her faithless husband for the Dakota gold fields, rancher's daughter Elizabeth Beaumont returns to her hometown determined to prove she’s not the impetuous girl she once was. Armed with a new skill and old determination, she’s intent on making it on her own. Discovering that the new sheriff lives downstairs in the same boarding house wouldn’t be nearly so frustrating if he’d stay out of her affairs, quit calling her Betsy, and stop making her wonder if she could love again.

Sheriff Garrett Wilson’s first attempt at law enforcement cost an innocent bystander his life, so he exchanged his deputy’s badge for a drover’s bedroll. Now he’s back wearing a star in a Front Range cow town, hunting an arsonist and falling for a woman who wants to know the secret behind his deepest scar. He can run again from his painful past, or he can stay and fight for the town that needs him and the woman who’s worked under his skin and into his heart.

*I received a complimentary copy from the author and was under no obligation to leave a favorable review. *

Available in digital ebook and paperback:
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TOGETHER FOREVER by Jody Hedlund, review by Paula Shreckhise

Together Forever is the second book in the Orphan Train Series.

As usual, Jody Hedlund has woven a terrific tale. She capably turns her research into a realistic story that tugs at your heart. She puts you right in the story through the setting and you feel the plight of the poor orphans who were riding a train out West in hopes of finding a family who could love them.

As agents of the Children’s Aid Society, the job of Marianne Neumann and Andrew Brady is to take thirty-one children on a long train journey from New York City to Illinois. Their purpose is to place them out with people who agree to take them. Not only does Marianne desire to find good homes for the orphans. She is looking for her missing sister, Sophie, who she believes has ended up in a town along the train line. Drew is still trying to find his way in the world — out from under the expectations of his father, who wants him to go into the ministry or law. But Drew would rather help children in a different way, much to his father’s disappointment. As they travel together, Drew and Marianne try to fight their growing attraction.

Will Marianne find her sister? How can Drew and Marianne bear to part with the children they have come to love? Will they be able to place all the children and will they be going to good homes?

This was a very interesting subject, showing the logistics of placing orphans in a hopefully stable environment. It also showed the faith struggles that Drew and Marianne went through in the middle of seemingly insurmountable circumstances that could have crippled them.

This book is for fans of historical Christian fiction. It is filled with hope, forgiveness and redemption.

BACK COVER BLURB:
Marianne Neumann has one goal in life: to find her lost younger sister, Sophie. When Marianne takes a job as a placing agent with the Children's Aid Society in 1858 New York, she not only hopes to give children a better life but seeks to discover whether Sophie ended up leaving the city on an orphan train.

Andrew Brady, her fellow agent on her first placing trip, is a former schoolteacher who has an easy way with the children--firm but tender and funny. Underneath his handsome charm, though, seems to linger a grief that won't go away--and a secret from his past that he keeps hidden. As the two team up placing orphans amid small railroad towns in Illinois, they find themselves growing ever closer . . . until a shocking tragedy threatens to upend all their work and change one of their lives forever.

*I received this book from the publisher, Bethany House. I was under no obligation to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*

Available in paperback, digital ebook, and audiobook!
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Selah Award Winner for Historical Romance...My Heart Belongs in Ruby City, Idaho!