A Love Like Ours By: Becky Wade

Back of the Book

Former Marine Jake Porter has far deeper scars than the one that marks his face. He struggles with symptoms of PTSD, lives a solitary life, and avoids relationships.

When Lyndie James, Jake's childhood best friend, lands back in Holley, Texas, Jake cautiously hires her to exercise his Thoroughbreds. Lyndie is tender-hearted, fiercely determined, and afraid of nothing, just like she was as a child. Jake pairs her with Silver Leaf, a horse full of promise but lacking in results, hoping she can solve the mystery of the stallion's reluctance to run.

Though Jake and Lyndie have grown into very different adults, the bond that existed during their childhood still ties them together. Against Jake's will, Lyndie's sparkling, optimistic personality begins to tear down the walls he's built around his heart. A glimmer of the hope he'd thought he'd lost returns, but fears and regrets still plague him. Will Jake ever be able to love Lyndie like she deserves, or is his heart too shattered to mend?

My Thoughts

Wow, A love like Ours has all the things you want in a christian novel.  I found myself laughing (and reading parts to my husband) and then wanted to cry in just a few short pages.  Jake is kind, quiet and dealing with so much you just want to hug him and smack some sense into him at the same time.  Lyndie is sweet and stubborn and willing to put her trust in the Lord.  With some equally entertaining side characters and more of the Porter family you will not be able to put it down.

A Love Like Ours brings the best of the Porter family, and aspects of Wades first book My Stuborn Heart (that has been my favorite 'till now) to make the perfect entertaining novel.  This novel is clean, funny, heart warming, and just plan wonderful.

Every Bride Needs A Groom By: Janice Thompson

Back of the Book

Small-town girl Katie Fisher is planning her wedding. Sure, her boyfriend hasn't managed to pop the question just yet, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't enter a contest in Texas Bride magazine to win the dress of her dreams, right? But when her boyfriend breaks up with her and takes a job in another town--the very same day Katie wins her dream dress--her world is turned upside down. Should she claim her prize? And will the hunky former pro-basketball player who runs the swanky Dallas bridal shop--yeah, you read that right--catch on to her humiliation if she does?

Janice Thompson designs a romance sure to delight, with plenty of fish-out-of-water moments, a hilarious supporting cast, and more of the wedding biz world her readers adore.

My thoughts

If you are a fan of the Wedding by Design series you will enjoy this book.  Every Bride needs a groom is a funny unique story about Katie and her journey to leave her small town.  Katie has a large, overbearing, eccentric southern family.  Even though Katie and Brady are the main characters, a lot of the book focused on the relationship between her Grandma and aunt.  This book was entertaining but when I got to the end I expected...more.

I was given this book free from Revell Publishing for my honest review.

Chance of Loving you By: Terri Blackstock, Candace Calvert & Susan May Warren

Back of the book

An anthology by three bestselling romance authors

For Love of Money by Terri Blackstock Trying to launch her own design firm while waitressing on the side, Julie Sheffield was drawn to the kind man she waited on at the restaurant last night . . . until he stiffed her on the tip by leaving her half of a sweepstakes ticket.

The Recipe by Candace Calvert Hospital dietary assistant Aimee Curran is determined to win the Vegan Valentine Bake-Off to prove she’s finally found her calling. But while caring for one of her patients—the elderly grandmother of a handsome CSI photographer—Aimee begins to question where she belongs.

Hook, line & Sinker by Susan May Warren Grad student Abigail Cushman has agreed to enter the annual Deep Haven fishing contest. She’s a quick learner, even if she doesn’t know the difference between a bass and a trout. But nothing could prepare her for competing against the handsome charmer she’s tried to forget since grief tore them apart.

One chance for each woman to change her life . . . but will love be the real prize?

My Thoughts

As an anthology I love the stories, and while they all shared a mutual theme they were each different and entertaining.  Click on the authors name to view their website.

For Love of Money by Terri Blackstock

    The basic idea of a lottery ticket as a tip is not new, the rest of the story was all its own.  Both Characters are entertaining and I found parts of myself in both of them.  This book has a great plot that really asks us if money can buy happiness.

The Recipe by Candace Calvert

    The recipe has some great scenes that I found really entertaining, and the contrasting personalities between Aimee and Lucas were wonderful.  It has a few choppy sections but they did not detract from the story.

Hook, line & Sinker by Susan May Warren

     This book was released in 2011 as an ebook, but is definitely worth being printed.  Hook, line & sinker is a wonderful story, it has great characters and a perfect conclusion.  Even though this is a short novel it has all the plot and depth of a full length book.

This anthology was wonderful and I look forward to reading it again and again.

I was given this book Free from Tyndale House Publishers for my honest review.

From the Start By Melissa Tagg

Back of the Book

Kate Walker used to believe in true love and happily ever after. While her own love life may have left her brokenhearted, it hasn't kept her from churning out made-for-TV romance movie screenplays...until a major career slump and a longing to do something meaningful send her running back to her hometown of Maple Valley. 

Permanently sidelined by an injury, former NFL quarterback Colton Greene is temporarily hiding out in a friend's hometown to avoid the media and the reminders of all he's lost. Maple Valley seems like the perfect place to learn how to adjust to normal life. The only trouble is he's never really done normal before.

While Kate plays things safe and Colton is all about big risks and grand gestures, they both get what it's like to desperately need direction in life. An unexpected project gives them both a chance to jumpstart their new lives, but old wounds and new dreams are hard to ignore. Starting over wasn't part of the plan, but could it be the best thing that's ever happened to them?

My Thoughts

From the start is one of those perfect books, the one you tell people they must read, but are reluctant to loan out your copy because you're afraid you won't get it back. Every scene in this book is spot on and hilarious, the scene when Colton and Kate met made me laugh so hard I had to go back and read it again.  Kate's family is just that, a family.  They have such normal family dynamics they were easy to understand and relate to. From the Start is clean, entertaining and fun.

Together With You By: Victoria Bylin

Back of the Book

When a Lost Child warning blares over the mall's PA system, Carly Mason finds the little girl playing with a stuffed rabbit. Something about Penny Tremaine is different. An ex-social worker, Carly recognizes that the child suffers fetal alcohol effects, and a piece of Carly's past suddenly confronts her. Never again will she become personally involved with a client. The risks are far too great. But something about Penny--and Penny's handsome father--tugs at Carly's heart.

Dr. Ryan Tremaine is trying to put his life back together. With his ex-wife remarried and on a trip far away, his two teenage sons and Penny are living under his roof full time. Ryan has put his faith in his Sink-or-Swim list, a plan to reconnect with his children. The first step: recruit Carly Mason to be Penny's nanny.

Ryan never anticipated being so drawn to Carly, an attraction Carly seems to fight as much as he does. Could Carly be the missing piece that helps his family stay afloat, or will their blossoming romance only complicate things further?

Known for her realistic and engaging characters, Victoria Bylin delivers an emotion-packed story reminiscent of The Sound of Music, one that reminds us all to believe in the power of faith and love.

My thoughts

Together with You was nothing like I thought it would be from the back of the book.  Ryan's divorce comes after he has an affair that results in a child with Fetal Alcohol Symptoms.  Ryan is gritty, strict and out of touch, Carly is smart, down to earth and loving.  In the beginning I wanted to tell Carly to stay away, but then as the story progresses and you see the changes in Ryan I wanted to push them together. Bylin does an amazing job showing the effects our choices have on others, and how powerfully guilt holds us back from growth.

Together with you is not a heartfelt hallmark type book, it deals with the aftermaths of some really bad choices and some tough issues on faith, I would recommend this book because it made me think and the writing was extremely good.

I was given this book free from Bethany House Publishing for my honest review.

Double Cross By: DiAnn Mills

Back of the Book

FBI Agent Laurel Evertson’s investigation into a scam targeting the elderly takes an unexpected twist when key evidence leads her to Morton Wilmington, a felon she arrested five years ago on her first undercover assignment. That case has haunted her since, and though she’s vowed to forget Wilmington—and what she sacrificed to put him away—he is now her best lead.

Houston Police Officer Daniel Hilton fears his grandparents may be the scammer’s next targets, and he’ll do anything to protect his family—even force interagency cooperation. But he’s quickly drawn to Laurel’s empathy and zeal and agrees to follow her lead . . . even if it means teaming up with a felon.

As the unlikely trio uncovers evidence suggesting the scam is more extensive and deadly than they imagined, both Laurel and Daniel find themselves in the crosshairs of a killer. Together they must decide if they can trust Wilmington’s claims of redemption, or if he’s leading them straight into a double cross.

My thoughts

Double Cross was entertaining with a solid DiAnn Mills plot.  It had intriguing characters and a few twists and turns.  As the story developed little clues were given so that I thought I had it all figured out but in the end I was wrong.  I enjoyed Daniels character, he was well thought out and easy to understand.  Laurel was harder for me to connect with, and if there were sparks between them I never felt it.  Even though all the twists and turns get straightened out in the end, the conclusion felt rushed and choppy.  This is the second book in the series, but I never found the connections to the first so you should be fine reading this even if you missed the first.

DiAnn Mills is a wonderful author, check out her website for other books.  Double Cross is a clean entertaining novel but not my favorite DiAnn Mills book.

I was given this book free from Tyndale Publishing for my honest review.

Buried Secrets By Irene Hannon

Back of the Book

After seven years as a Chicago homicide detective, Lisa Grant has hit a wall. Ready for a kinder, gentler life, she takes a job as a small-town police chief. But the discovery of a human skeleton by a construction crew at the edge of town taxes the resources of her department. A call for assistance brings detective Mac McGregor, an ex-Navy SEAL, to her doorstep. As they work to solve the mystery behind the unmarked grave, danger begins to shadow them. Someone doesn't want this dead person telling any tales--and will stop at nothing to make certain a life-shattering secret stays buried.

Master storyteller Irene Hannon is back with an exciting new series featuring former special forces operatives now in the thick of the action in civilian life. Hannon is at the top of her game in this can't-put-it-down thriller that will have readers up until the wee hours devouring every page.

My Thougths

Awesome, amazing, and highly entertaining!  I have been counting down the days for this book ever since I read the teaser at the back of Deceived and it was well worth the wait.  Buried Secrets has such a unique plot and I soon found myself totally engrossed in the story. Lisa was spunky and sharp, and Mac was sweet and understanding. As the mystery develops and the plot thickened, the book got better and better.   Like all her past books Hannon made characters you will love, a plot you can't stop reading, and an ending worth the wait.  Now the count down begins again for the next book.

I was given this book free from Revell Publishing for my honest reveiw.