Murder at the Courthouse - A Review

Published - October 2015, Revell Books
Series - Hidden Springs Mysteries Book 1
Author - Ann H. Gabhart
Title - Murder at the Courthouse
Format - ebook, paper
Find on Amazon

After spending a few years as a detective in Columbus, Michael Keane is glad to return to his hometown of Hidden Springs as a deputy sheriff. The job is way less stressful and he's able to relax a bit more because nothing ever happens in Hidden Springs. Well nothing except for the dead body on the courthouse steps. The sight of the body makes the town uneasy, but only slightly. After all, the man was a stranger. But Michael senses that there's more to the murder than what is on the surface. His suspicions come to fruition when a respected citizen is murdered right on Main Street. Michael knows the cases are connected, he just has to figure out how. As he investigates, he finds himself led on a chase that questions all he's believed about his hometown.

I really enjoyed this book. It's what is classified as a true cozy mystery. The small town is filled with characters that are a hoot.

I did find the book to be one of those that was very easy to put down and come back to later. Sometimes days later. But I wanted to know how the puzzle pieces were all going to fit together and I kept on.

Of all of the list of suspects, the author did  a good job in having the culprit be one I wasn't expecting. I enjoyed meeting Michael and Aunt Lindy. I look forward to more of them in the next book.

I received this book for free from Revell via NetGalley for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of cozy mysteries, Lorena McCourtney, Jan Karon, Mindy Starns Clark

Rating - 4 stars

God Gave Us Sleep - A Review

Published - September 2015, Waterbrook Press
Series - God Gave Us Series
Author - Lisa Tawn Bergren
Title - God Gave Us Sleep
Format - hardcover, ebook
Find on Amazon

Little Cub has a problem. She is having so much playing with her friends that she doesn't want to come inside to go to bed. Mama patiently answers her questions and soon Little Cub manages to fall asleep. But her sleep isn't very restful. The next day Little Cub learns why it is so important to get plenty of sleep.

This book was absolutely delightful! I fully expected it to be as I'm familiar with others in the series. I love the way that the illustrations enhance the story. And the way that Little Cub learns the importance of sleep is just precious. I cannot wait to share this book with my best friend's little ones. It's targeted at the preschool age, but I think both older and younger children will enjoy it.

I received this book for free from BookLook Bloggers for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to parents of young children, preschool teachers, preschool church workers, nursery teachers, librarians,

Rating - 5 stars

Top Ten Tuesday - Halloween Freebie

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke & the Bookish.

This week, the theme is a Halloween themed one. And it's a freebie but still Halloween specific. Last year, I did a post on the Top Ten Books/Movies to get in a Halloween mood. You can find it here. So this year, I decided to go with the top ten Book Characters that would it would be fun to be.

1. Curious George - Do monkeys get any cuter than George?
2. The Red Baron from the Peanuts books/comics - Snoopy always fighting the Red Baron. How fun would it be to dress up as one complete with the biplane that he flew in during WWI.
3. Scarlet O'Hara - I'm a sucker for the Civil War costumes. So dressing up as Scarlet would be quite fun. Though trick or treating in that hoop skirt would be rather difficult. And alas, I don't have her 17 inch waist.
4. Frodo Baggins - Or any of the hobbits really. Their cloaks and personalities are so much fun.
5. The Grey Lady - She's the Ravenclaw House Ghost. But she's a pretty cool character in the Harry Potter books and it would be fun to be her.
6. Arwen from Lord of the Rings - At least in the movies, her costumes are GORGEOUS!
7. Pippi Longstocking - She's another one it would be fun to dress up as. I'd have to find red hair somewhere.
8. Dorothy Gale from the Wizard of Oz - While Judy Garland made her famous, I think wearing that blue & white dress with the SILVER shoes (that's what she had in the book) would be fun. Especially if I could find the perfect picnic basket and the little dog to go with it.
9. Laura Ingalls Wilder - I actually think I did this one one year. And it wasn't for Halloween either.
10. Clifford the big red dog - This would be a lot of fun to manage to pull off.

This year, I've got my costume all planned out. My church is doing a Trunk or Treat that night and we can dress up. And since Halloween falls on a Saturday, I can double my costume for that night with my Mary Kay event of "Dress as your favorite cosmetic item." with only a few minor removals from the costume. I'm planning on wearing my poodle skirt to the Trunk or Treat. So the poodle skirt, white shirt, white shoes, and a few other pieces to my costume will give me my current "favorite" product.

Here's a picture of me being my really and truly favorite product a couple of years ago. The product is Night Solution. It's in a clear bottle with pink, blue, and white beads. The bottle's spout is black. So I was Night Solution.

Saturday Scribbles Vol 30

Happy Saturday my friends.

There's a movie coming out in December that I'm pretty excited about. This movie had its first official trailer released on Monday during Monday Night Football. Not that I watched it. I mean, football? Me? You've got to be kidding me! But anyway, the movie is the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens. Immediately after the trailer came out, it broke the Internet. Seriously. Advance ticket sales caused the Internet to break down. It's rather funny really.

You see, I'm one of those people who grew up watching the original trilogy. I didn't see New Hope or Empire in the theaters until they were re-released in 1997-ish. But I remember seeing Return of the Jedi in the theaters. I fell in love with Wicket. For years, probably around sometime in junior high, my brother and I would have a Star Wars marathon on Christmas Eve. We'd end up finishing them on Christmas Day. I don't know how or why we started it then, but we did. This lasted through most of college for me.

I saw all three of the prequels in the theater. My brother & went on Opening Day for Phantom. Then we took Mom again later. Then I tagged along on midnight releases for both Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. The Revenge of the Sith was especially memorable. Every screen at the theater we were at showed it. And it was like one big party. I remember my theater having light saber duels, $1 hotdogs, $1 drinks, and random trivia. Plus the people dressing up in costumes. One of my friends had gotten to the theater very early. And then the rest of our group would show up and join him in line as we got off of work. When the movie finally let out around 3 am, trying to leave the parking lot was like waiting to leave a sporting event or a concert. I think it took me about an hour or so to get home AFTER the movie let out.

I'm older now. I won't be seeing the midnight show. I doubt I'll see it on Opening Day. I will see it though. Probably during one of the days I'm off before Christmas. Because, it's Star Wars. I mean Harrison Ford is back as Han. And Carrie Fisher. And Mark Hamill. And of course R2D2. There really isn't any question about it. I will see it.

One of my good friends is just now watching the series. I'm loving reading her comments on Facebook about each movie. I think she's up to A New Hope (Episode 4) now. I'm hoping that she gets caught up before the Force Awakens comes out. Because otherwise she'll probably have to avoid ALL social media.

I think the last time I was this excited about a movie was either for Les Miserables or one of the Harry Potter movies.

Imposter - A Review

Published - October 2015, Revell Books
Series - The Bishop's Family Book 1
Author - Suzanne Woods Fisher
Title - The Imposter
Format - ebook, paper
Find on Amazon

About the book (from Amazon):
Katrina Stoltzfus thought she had life and love all figured out: she was going to marry John and live happily ever after. Those plans started to crumble when her father moved the family to Stoney Ridge, then completely collapsed when John decided to marry someone else. Katrina is devastated. How could she have felt so loved, yet been so deceived?

As she struggles to face a future without him, a widow asks for her help to start a new business and Katrina quickly agrees. She needs time to heal her broken heart, to untangle her messy life, to find a purpose. What she doesn't need is attention from Andy Miller, a farm hand who arrives at the widow's farm just when help is most needed--and who always seems to say the right thing, and be in the right place, at the right time. Is Andy
for real, or too good to be true? Deceived once before, Katrina is determined to keep her feelings in check. 

When a cascade of events is set in motion by some surprising information, the little Amish church is turned upside down. Soon, everyone has a stake in the outcome, and the community struggles to find the best response to an imposter in their midst. Can they forgive even the most deceitful deeds?

My thoughts or rather my coworker, Bonnie's thoughts:
Dawn here: Every once in a while I'll accidentally request a book that I didn't want to review. That's what happened here. Amish fiction is not one of the genres I enjoy reading, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to give an honest review. So I asked one of my co-workers, Bonnie, if she'd like to read the book and review it for me this month. You see, Amish fiction is a genre that she enjoys. She was happy to do so, and asked me when the review had to be posted by. I told her the end of October. What follows is her review of the book. The thoughts and opinions expresses are that of Bonnie and not me. I did receive the book for free from Revell Books for the purpose of reviewing. In order to provide a truly honest review, I passed the book along to Bonnie.

Widowed David Stolfus feels that he has come to the Garden of Eden as a minister in Stoney Ridge, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Amish community. He is fulfilling his calling as a minister and running a little store. Little does he realize that things are not well in the garden. For one thing, the new bishop, Freeman Glick, enjoys power too much. Freeman and his brother, Levi use their influence to intimidate the members of the church. When David resists, Freeman tries to split the community. It does not help when David’s children have problems of their own that are embarrassing.

David’s oldest daughter, Katrina, is still struggling with the  loss of a relationship with a boy she knew before they moved. Jesse, David’s 16-year-old son is trying to find an interest while he deals with a desire for lots of money. Of course, his greed gets him into trouble. Ruthie, David’s 14-year-old daughter, is trying to protect her younger sisters, Molly, 11, and twins Lydie and Emily, 8. Molly struggles to learn to cook for the family.

Freeman and Levi’s sister, Birdy, has recently started teaching and has found her niche. Loving nature, especially birds, she is able to help the children appreciate God and His world. Molly finds Birdy a great deal of help in her endeavor to learn to cook properly.

Katrina finally finds that she loves helping Thelma, the widow of the last bishop, with her moss business.

The author, Suzanne Woods Fisher, paints such great descriptions of the characters, that they come to life from the pages. From the very beginning of the book, I felt a desire to keep reading to find out what happened to each character. The story has some unique twists that make is even more delightful.

Rating - 5 stars

Dawn here again: This book would be recommended to fans of Amish fiction, Suzanne Woods Fisher, Beverly Lewis. 

No compensation was given for this review. It expresses the honest thoughts and opinions of Bonnie. 

Intertwined - A Review

Published - October 2015, New Hope Publications
Author - Jennifer Slattery
Title - Intertwined
Format - ebook, paper
Find on Amazon

Tammy Kuhn is an organ procurement specialist. She is very outspoken about her faith and that has led to her being under scrutiny by her supervisor. She's also a single mom trying to make her children the best life possible when their father doesn't seem to care about them. Nick Zimmerman also has his own custody battles going on. His ex-wife refuses to let him have their sons on their agreed upon visits. Yet when she needs him to keep the boys while she goes on vacation, Nick is thrilled to have the chance to connect with his boys. They are together for only a day or so when there is an accident, and one of his boys finds himself in a fight for his life. When the unimaginable happens, Nick meets Tammy in the hospital ICU waiting room. As both struggle with their lives, they begin to reconnect with each other. They were once high school friends. But will the trials make them stronger or not?

First of all, the title's subtitle of "contemporary romance" is very misleading. The romance is an after thought. Really. This book should be classified as contemporary fiction instead.

While this was a quick read, it wasn't what I expected. This is a new to me author, and I appreciate the fact that she dealt with issues most authors don't touch. Yet, while it was good, I didn't find it to be great. I probably won't reread the book.

And while it it was good, I found the first half of the book much more interesting than the second half. The characters just seemed to stop being developed after the first half.

I received this book for free from the author for my honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of contemporary fiction

Rating 3 stars

Vendetta - A Review

Published - October 2015, Revell Books
Series - Nikki Boyd Files Book 1
Author - Lisa Harris
Title - Vendetta
Format - ebook, paper, audio
Find on Amazon

Nikki Boyd is driven. She's a member of the Tennessee Missing Persons Task Force, and strives to make sure that other families don't suffer the way hers has. Ten years ago, her sister went missing. The case is still unsolved, and Nikki will do anything to make sure that other families get answers to their missing persons cases. A day of rock climbing is cut short when Nikki is called to assist with the disappearance of a teen girl. At first, this appears to  be like any other missing person's case until a Polaroid photo of the missing girl shows up. For Nikki, this may be the first real break in her sister's case. But is she too close to the situation? Because the closer that she gets to the finding the girl and who abducted her, Nikki starts to feel less like the hunter and more like the prey.

I've enjoyed Lisa Harris's books in the past. This one was no exception. It was different though. Her previous books had an obvious romantic element in it, this one, there is a hint of the romance, but it's not obvious. I'll be interested to see how that relationship develops.

This book was very easy to read. The action started off immediately. And then when Nikki got pulled to assist with the missing teen, it got even more exciting. I also found that it was a quick read.

I like Nikki. I like how determined she is. It'll be fun to see how much more she grows and develops as the series progresses. I'm really looking forward to see how her relationship with one particular guy progresses and if he will admit his feelings or not.

I received the Kindle version of this book from Revell Books via NetGalley for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Lynette Eason, Irene Hannon, romantic suspense

Rating - 4 stars

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Wishes I'd Wish that the Book Genie Would Grant Me

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke & the Bookish.

So I'm back with the Top Ten today. I really really like this week's topic. It's the top ten wishes I'd ask from a book genie. It could be new books by favorite authors, a reading super power, a library, etc.

1. I want the library from Beauty & the Beast. I mean seriously. It's every book lover's dream.

2. I want my second all time favorite author, Lori Wick, to come out of retirement and write more books. I've loved hers for YEARS. And she's still one of my go-to-authors for rereads.

3. My monstrous to be read list could be read within my lifetime. I mean, it's seriously HUGE.

4. I'd get to meet my all time favorite author, Robin Jones Gunn. I would so much love to meet her and chat. Because she's just wonderful. 

5. Narnia, Middle Earth, Hogwarts, Camp Half Blood, and other fabulous places actually exist (beyond the amusement park in Florida) and I could visit them.

6. When I buy the hard copy of a book, that I'm able to get the Kindle version for FREE!

7. I'd love to see Winnie the pooh come to life like the Velveteen Rabbit does. 

8. That books just don't end. That they continue beyond the ending for as long as I want them to. 

9. All of my books would easily fit within my bookshelves and moving them would be easy. 

10. That from the amount of time I spend reading, I'd be able to burn calories faster than if I'd go out and exercise. 

Mapmaker's Children - A Review

Published - May 2015, Crown Publishers
Author - Sarah McCoy
Title - Mapmaker's Children
Format - hardcover, paper, audio, ebook
Find on Amazon

About the book (from Goodreads):
When Sarah Brown, daughter of abolitionist John Brown, realizes that her artistic talents may be able to help save the lives of slaves fleeing north, she becomes one of the Underground Railroad’s leading mapmakers, taking her cues from the slave code quilts and hiding her maps within her paintings. She boldly embraces this calling after being told the shocking news that she can’t bear children, but as the country steers toward bloody civil war, Sarah faces difficult sacrifices that could put all she loves in peril.
   Eden, a modern woman desperate to conceive a child with her husband, moves to an old house in the suburbs and discovers a porcelain head hidden in the root cellar—the remains of an Underground Railroad doll with an extraordinary past of secret messages, danger and deliverance. 
   Ingeniously plotted to a riveting end, Sarah and Eden’s woven lives connect the past to the present, forcing each of them to define courage, family, love, and legacy in a new way.

My thoughts:
This is a new author to me. So I wasn't sure what to expect. I was drawn into the story rather quickly. Despite the fact that it took me a few months to read the book. That's due to other review commitments I had going on. I've always been fascinated with the Civil War time period and this is set partially in the prewar months. 

I really enjoyed both the modern story and the historical one. As Eden uncovers the secrets of her house, Sarah's story is told. I knew really knew that there were maps for the slaves to follow. I mean, I knew about the follow the drinking gourd and understood that meant the Big Dipper/Little Dipper.

The detail in this book was amazing. I really enjoyed getting deeper into history of an era I already loved. 

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books program for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Gone With the Wind, Sara Gruen, Lisa Wingate, contemporary fiction, historical fiction

Rating - 4 stars

Knit, Purl, Pray: 52 Devotions for the Creative Soul - A Review

Published - October 2015, Worthy Publishers
Author - Lisa Bogart
Title - Knit Purl Pray
Format - ebook, paper
Find on Amazon

Summary (From Amazon):
Knit, Purl, Pray is for the knitter who recognizes that when she is creating
something beautiful with yarn, it is also a way to be quiet and reflect. The
devotions make connections between knitting and all manner of things from joy and
service to boredom and confession. These reflections help the reader think about
the craft they love in a new way and perhaps see their problems as something
that can be unraveled and reworked into something beautiful. Each new day is an
opportunity to create something new.

My Thoughts:
Those of you who know me, know i don't usually pick up a nonfiction book. This one caught my attention though. Not because I knit (I don't), but because I am creative and crafty. I mean, I crochet (a craft that shares some similarities to knitting) and I scrapbook. So I was intrigued. 

Whenever I've requested a devotional to review, I always wish that I actually could enjoy it the way it is designed - in this case over 52 days. But I couldn't do it that way as the review needed to be up by Oct 15. 

Still this book was good to read. It is very easy to read and I loved the connections made between the craft and the actual time spent creating the piece. Things like being bored or just passing time. The book itself brought to mind that we are like a tapestry that is still in progress of being made. When it's completed, it's going to be something amazing. But right now, we're still a work in progress. Just like the blanket I'm working on. 

There's a lot I can learn from this book. I'll probably eventually purchase a paperback copy to be able to access it easier than the pdf version that I received from the publisher.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think I'd like to go back through it the way it's supposed to be read and get more out of it.

I received a pdf version of this book for free from Worthy Books as part of the First Look Blog Tour. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of knitting, devotions, women's ministry

Rating - 4 stars

Drawing Fire - A Review

Published - June 2015, Tyndale House Publishers
Author - Janice Cantore
Series - Cold Case Justice Book 1
Title - Drawing Fire
Format - ebook, paper
Find on Amazon

Homicide detective Abby Hart became a detective for the sole purpose of possibly solving her parents murders. But she's good at her job. There's a serial killer stalking elderly women in Long Beach, California. Her best lead happens to be the only witness to see a suspect flee from the scene of the latest murder, PI Luke Murphy. Luke was in the area searching for a runaway he's tracking when he happened to see the suspect flee the scene of the crime. Abby soon learns that this latest victim has ties to the governor, a man Abby would like to question about her parents' murders. She also learns that Luke has been haunted by the same case for years. His uncle was also murdered at the same time as her parents. The two begin to compare notes and discover that they have more questions than answers. But someone doesn't want them reopening the case. This person will stop at nothing to ensure that the case remains closed.

I've read some of Janice Cantore's books before and I've enjoyed them. This book was a fast paced thrill ride to the finish. I honestly don't know why it took me so long to get to reading it other than lack of time.

Anyway, I really enjoyed getting to know Abby and Luke. Both of them were shaped by one incident. I thought I knew the direction that the story was heading, and I was quite wrong. So the twists and turns kept me interested until the end. I do want to know what will happen to them in the next book.

I received this book for free from Tyndale via NetGalley for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Irene Hannon, Dee Henderson, Lynette Eason

Rating - 4 stars

Magnus Chase & the Gods of Asgard : The Sword of Summer - A Review

Yes, I realize that today is Tuesday. Which normally means a Top Ten Tuesday post. Not happening today. I'm not overly thrilled with the topic. So instead, it's a review of Rick Riordan's newest, Sword of Summer.

Published - October 6, 2015, Disney Hyperion
Author - Rick Riordan
Series - Magnus Chase & the Gods of Asgard
Title - The Sword of Summer
Format - hardcover, ebook, audio
Find on Amazon

Two years ago, Magnus Chase lost his mother. She saved his life by pushing him out of the apartment before a fire kept her from joining him. He's now homeless. Living on the streets of Boston has taught him a few things. But he never expected that his street smarts would not come in handy the day that his uncle finally catches up with him. Soon he finds himself using magic he didn't know he was capable of to save hundreds of innocent lives. In the process, Magnus gets killed. But sometimes, in order for like to really start, you just have to die. He soon discovers that doorways between worlds are more common than one might expect. And that things aren't always what they seem. Even death.

Last fall when I said goodbye to the Heroes of Olympus, I was excited to see what was coming next from Rick Riordan. This time, he takes us into Norse mythology and it is nothing like the movies. This has probably been one of my most anticipated books this year.

The first person narration took me a little to get used to, since the five books in Heroes weren't told in first person and it has been a while since I read Percy Jackson. But I have to admit, I loved Magnus pretty quickly. I especially loved his connection to Annabeth.

There are some memorable characters in this book. There's Sam. There's Blitz and Hearth. Not to mention the usual interaction with gods and other beings. I actually found this book to have way more humor in it than I originally expected. I look forward to reading more about Magnus's adventures in the next book of the series.

I read this book for pure pleasure. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Percy Jackson, Heroes of Olympus, Kane Chronicles, Harry Potter, mythology, young adult.

Rating - 4 stars

Love in the Details - A Review

Published - October 27, 2015, Zondervan Books
Author - Becky Wade
Series  - A Year of Weddings Novella Series 2, Book 12
Title - Love in the Details
Format - ebook, audio
Find on Amazon

Eight years ago, Holly and Josh were college freshmen and completely in love. He was on a scholarship at MIT and she was at UT San Antonio. When out of the blue, Holly breaks up with Josh. The break up crushes both of them, and over the years neither has really forgotten the other or the love they shared. When his best friend's wedding draws Josh back to his hometown of Martinsburg, Texas, he knows that he will have to work with the local church's wedding coordinator. He doesn't expect it to be Holly. As the two work closely together, old feelings that never went away are pulled to the surface. Holly never told Josh the true reason she broke up with him. Now, she has a chance to tell her secret. But will the painful reason of their breakup years ago create a chasm that can never be healed? Or is the time right now for the two of them to have a future together?

I loved every aspect of this book. Becky Wade has fast become one of my favorite authors. So I KNEW that this was going to be delightful. I was right. I loved how Josh and Holly were both changed from the teens they once were into the adults they became. I also loved how each became stronger as a result of their breakup.

Josh literally had me sighing just a little as he spent more and more time with Holly. And when he found out the true reason she broke up with him, he was able to recognize that it was a good thing for the time. And I loved how Holly was so sweet and caring to everyone. She even managed to get on the goodside of the professional wedding coordinator.

This is recommended to anyone who enjoys happy endings, and fluffy romance.

I received this book for free from BookLook Bloggers for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of weddings, Becky Wade, Melissa Tagg, novellas

Rating - 5 stars

Note - review will be posted on Amazon on or around October 27, 2015.

Saturday Scribbles Vol 29

It's Saturday. I've been a bit MIA for the past few weeks. I'm sorry. I've just not had time to figure out what I wanted to say on my Scribbles.

But I've got a topic for today. Over the past few years, I've noticed a trend emerging. Charm bracelets are making a comeback. Growing up, I remember having those really big plastic charms that were on necklaces and bracelets. Then they went away. But over the past few years, I've seen charm bracelets appearing again. I've got one myself. Mine is a Mary Kay charm bracelet, and I earn charms based on my activity.

Well one of my sweet adopted "nieces" LOVES that bracelet. So I thought "surely there are some children's charm bracelets." Google became my best friend. There were the really expensive ones like James Avery. But as much as I love these girls, I wasn't about to get them a James Avery bracelet. But then I stumbled across it. A site called CharmIt! that is specifically designed with charms and charm bracelets for little girls. The charms are absolutely adorable too! Here are a few pictures.

Kitty charm

One of the many puppy charms

Cupcake charm

There are literally HUNDREDS of charms on this site. And they're affordable too. I can't tell you how much fun I had going through the various categories to figure out which charms would be perfect.

Fire & Ice - A Review

Published - October 2015, Bethany House Publishers
Series - Wild at Heart Book 3
Author - Mary Connealy
Title - Fire & Ice
Format - ebook, paper, audio
Find on Amazon

Bailey Wilde is the oldest sister. She's the one who served in the war the longest and as a result has the fewest number of years to work off her homestead. She's built her house across the entrance to a canyon that is prime grazing land. The problem is that Gage Coulter owns the canyon. And she's cut off his only access to his land. That makes him mad. Over the past few months, the two have butted heads. Gage still doesn't know she's a woman, though the secret's out about both sisters. When he does find out, he's madder than ever. Both of these two don't speak for months due to the harsh winter. For Bailey, the long winter is longer than ever and she's the loneliest she's ever been with both sisters married and moved away. When the first thaws of spring arrive, the melting snow brings Gage to her doorstep. He's desperate. Sure he wants the land, but he really needs a wife and thinks Bailey would be perfect. In a moment of desperation, she agrees to his proposal. But these newlyweds soon discover that things aren't going to be all roses. Someone still is set on harming Bailey, and Gage realizes he will do anything to protect the woman he's coming to love. Can these two strong people manage to catch the culprit and fall in love in the process?

This book was a delight to read. I certainly recommend  reading this series in order as there are hints of Gage and Bailey throughout. Their story though, was positively delightful.

The chemistry between the two is very strong. I loved how determined Gage was to get to his land. And Bailey was equally determined not to let him. Well at least to an extent. And when they did finally get married, I loved how understanding Gage was of Bailey's fears.

I really think that this book was the best in the series and my personal favorite of the series.

I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Mary Connealy, Karen Witemeyer, romantic comedy, historical fiction

Rating - 4 stars

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Bookish Things I have quit

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke & the Bookish.

Welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday.

This week the topic is the top ten bookish things I've quit. And this can include series I've abandoned, authors I won't read anymore, etc. So my list is a combination.

1. Karen Kingsbury - I stopped reading her books about 2 years ago because I was frustrated with recycled plots, and stories about fame & fortune. I've not missed reading her books either.

2. George R R Martin - I abandoned his Song of Ice & Fire series several years ago. I don't think I've even read book 5, Dance with Dragons. As a result, I've abandoned his books too.

3. Song of Ice and Fire series - Since it has taken Martin FOREVER to write book 6, I've given up. From what I understand, the TV show has caught up to where he's at in the books, so I don't know how that will work.

4. Divergent Series by Veronica Roth - I'm just not that interested in finishing the series. I read the first one. It was ok.

5. House of Winslow series by Gilbert Morris - I gave up on this series around book 20. I've got no interest in picking it back up.

6. Jessica Dotta - I read her first book and didn't like it, so I've not picked up anything else of hers.

7. Tad Williams - I've read several of his books over the years. And then I just sorta lost interest in him.

8. Stephenie Meyer - I seriously doubt I'll read anything else she writes. Wasn't impressed with the Twilight series.

And that's all I can think of.