The Gift of Friendship - A Review

Published - February 2016, Revell Books
Author - Dawn Camp
Title - The Gift of Friendship
Format - ebook, hardcover
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About the book (from Amazon):Whether next door or in the next time zone, our friends provide some of our most important relationships. We cherish time spent with them, bemoan time spent apart, and look forward to the next time we can have coffee or rush to greet them as they walk toward our door. And nothing warms our hearts like stories of true friendship.

Collecting over fifty true stories from some of today best writers, Dawn Camp offers readers a chance to sit back and experience the gift of friendship. With its beautiful photographs and poignant prose, this collection is a great gift for a dear friend and the perfect pick-me-up any time you need a boost. Contributors include Crystal Paine, Liz Curtis Higgs, Tsh Oxenreider, Myquillyn Smith, Jennifer Dukes Lee, Lisa-Jo Baker, Jessica Turner, Lysa TerKeurst, Bonnie Gray, Holley Gerth, Renee Swope, and many more.

My Thoughts:

I'm not one to normally pick up nonfiction, but this one caught my eye.I LOVED it. It reminded me a lot of the Chicken Soup books. There were chapters that had me in tears. Other chapters had me laughing. But each of them made me think and appreciate the friendships I have in my life. 

I realize this is a rather short review, but it's hard to put into words exactly what this book is and does. I'd say go find a copy and read it for yourself.

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

Recommended to fans of Chicken Soup for the Soul

Rating - 5 stars

Merchant of Alyss - A Review

Published - January 2016, Revell Books
Series - Legends of the Realm Book 2
Author - Thomas Locke
Title - Merchant of Alyss
Format - ebook, paper
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Hyam has settled into life as he knows it now. The citizens of Falmouth admire him for his rescue from an evil magician, and Hyam enjoys the peacefulness of having Joelle by his side. But he feels he is missing something big, and he is. The magical abilities he lost during the Battle of Emporis have shown no signs of returning and he often wishes that he never had known magic at all. When a wagon full of ancient artifacts arrives in Falmouth, Hyam soon discovers that the scrolls are Milantian, and that he can read them. Power surges through him as he handles what appears to be blank scrolls, but what he reads is very disturbing and talks of war. With Joelle and several others, Hyam sets out on a journey that will hopefully bring answers, not knowing the danger that the journey will have for all involved or that he will have to face his own troubled past.

This is the second book in the Legend of the Realms series, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it. Locke has created a world that is very magical and concrete. Hyam has grown on me from the first book. He's come to grips with his loss of abilities and is struggling to find himself. When he gets an opportunity to be useful again, he takes it.

I enjoyed seeing Hyam's and Joelle's relationship develop further. And when she is captured by an evil sorcerer, he will do anything to get her back. There are other characters that are memorable as well. Shona is one I'm not sure about right now. I think she'll be a  good leader, but I don't like her interest in Hyam. But that's just me.

Full of magic and adventure, this is a book that most fantasy lovers will certainly enjoy!

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

Recommended to fans of Narnia, Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time, fantasy, Brandon Sanderson

Rating - 4 stars

A Sweet Misfortune - A Review

Published - February 2016, Revell Books
Series - Virtues and Vices of the Old West Book 2
Author - Maggie Brendan
Title - Sweet Misfortune
Format - ebook, paper
Find on Amazon

Summary from Amazon:
Rachel Matthews isn't one to rely on others to take care of her. Destitute and alone, she still wants to make her own way and her own money--even if she's forced into the life of a dance hall girl. Horrified by her circumstances, Rachel's brother sends a friend--the widely admired cattle baron John McIntyre--to rescue her, then sets off to earn enough money to buy back the family ranch. But when months pass without her brother's return, Rachel isn't sure she can take one more day in John McIntyre's home--especially once she discovers that he's the one who holds the deed to her family's ranch.

My Thoughts:
This was a quick read. A really quick  read, and for that I was very grateful. It's also not very in depth, but it was still a fun, good book.

I loved watching John and Rachel interact. Sometimes, they were quite hilarious. Other times, I wanted to shake them both. But still, their story was a light-hearted read.

While this is book 2 of a series, it stands completely alone. It's set a few years earlier than book 1, and none of the characters overlap. I'll still read book 3 because I'm enjoying this series.

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

Recommended to fans of Karen Witemeyer, Maggie Brendan, westerns, historical romance

Rating - 4 stars

On Lone Star Trail - A Review

Published - February 2016, Revell Books
Series - Texas Crossroads Book 3
Author - Amanda Cabot
Title - On Lone Star Trail
Format - ebook, paper
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Concert pianist Gillian Hodge was injured by a reckless motorcycle rider. As a result, she may never be able to play professionally again. In hopes of trying to figure out what to do next, she heads to Texas and her friend Kate's resort of Rainbow's End. T.J. Benjamin lost his wife a little over a year ago. Not only did he lose his wife, his faith took a pretty strong beating. Now he's traveling by motorcycle across the country/state checking off the things on his wife's bucket list. When a sudden thunderstorm sends him and his bike crashing in front of Gillian, T.J. has to wonder at God's sense of humor. As the two work together to entertain the teens in the RV camp at Firefly Valley, they discover that two reluctant hearts can find love.

In this conclusion to the Texas Crossroads series, hope is found again. I really enjoyed this one, like the others in the series. I loved getting to know T.J. and Gillian. I also loved watching them both overcome their struggles.

It was also fun to catch up with the other characters in the series and check in with them. That's one thing that I love about most series, while the novels stand alone, they typically give updates on the characters from the previous books.

I loved seeing them interact with the teens and basically become role models for these kids. When one of the girls runs away, even though TJ and Gillian's relationship is at a rocky place, they both drop what they are doing and join forces to find the girl.

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

Recommended to fans of women's fiction, contemporary romance, Irene Hannon, Susan May Warren

Rating - 4 stars

Note from Dawn - I have several reviews that must go up today, so I'm going fill your inboxes today. 

Saturday Scribbles Vol 2.7

It's Saturday, and that means another edition of Saturday Scribbles for you, my readers.

In Houston, I've been watching the trail riders this week. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo begins next week, I think. Watching the trail riders is rather fun though.

I've been to the rodeo once. It was fun, but not really my thing. I've got a friend whose daughter is showing a pig at the rodeo this year. So I hope she does well.

But the rodeo takes over Houston for the next couple of weeks. There is a concert every night, and the grounds at NRG stadium almost have a fair-type atmosphere to it. And the food. From what I've been told, you can get just about anything. And have it fried!

Have you ever been to a rodeo?

Always Watching - A Review

Published - February 2016, Revell Books
Series - Elite Guardians Book 1
Author - Lynette Eason
Title - Always Watching
Format - ebook, paper, audio
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Olivia Edwards is the owner of the Elite Guardians Agency. This bodyguard agency is unique in that all of the operatives are women. When one of her employees is critically injured protecting protecting popular radio Wade Savage, Olivia steps in to fill the role. Until he's attacked, Wade had no idea that his father had secretly hired the Elite Guardians to protect him from a stalker. Olivia has her hands full keeping not only Wade safe, but his daughter as well. His stalker has only gotten bolder as the time has gone on, and now it's up to Olivia and her team to find the stalker before it's too late.

Every Lynette Eason book I've read is one that I've enjoyed. This one was no difference. I love how she creates suspense while building deep characters.

This particular series is going to stand out because of the simple fact that the bodyguards are all women. I was quickly engrossed into the action in this book.

Olivia has a troubled past that she has learned to hide. She doesn't let people get close to her. Yet she can't help but be drawn to Wade and his daughter. Wade wants what is best for his daughter. He's smart enough to realize that sometimes he has to ask for help. The way that these two characters interact was fun. They fought their attraction to each other for a while.

Early in the book, there are three candidates for the identity of Wade's stalker. My focus was on one in particular, but I turned out to be wrong. Not in the three candidates, but in my choice of the three as the stalker.

I loved how they finally figured out who the stalker was and brought the person to justice.

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

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

Recommended to fans of Dee Henderson, Lynette Eason, Colleen Coble, Irene Hannon, Dani Pettrey, romantic suspense.

Rating - 4 stars

Beyond the Silence - A Review

Published - January 2016, Bethany House Publishers
Authors - Tracie Peterson & Kimberley Woodhouse
Title - Beyond the Silence
Format - ebook, paper, audio
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Lillian Porter longs to fulfill her mother's dream of going west. When she learns of a nanny position in Angels Camp, California, she jumps at the chance to go. Yet upon her arrival, Lillian learns that there are rumors flying around town about her employer, Woodward Colton, a local olive farmer. According to the gossip, he murdered his wife. Lillian tries not to listen to the rumors, especially after meeting Woody's son, her new charge. Jimmy hasn't spoken since the day he witnessed his mother's murder. As Lillian becomes a part of this family, she sees how much both father and son are hurting. Can she help draw them both out? And when it becomes clear that danger is still threatening the Colton family, will Woody be able to keep Lillian safe like he couldn't with his wife?

This book started off a little slow for me. But as the story unraveled, I was captivated. I've read a lot of Tracie Peterson's books in the past, but I think that this was my first Kimberley Woodhouse book.

The characters were complex. Way more than I expected. Woody's a troubled man who knows he is innocent but is seen as guilty in the eyes of the town. Jimmy stole my heart. The child who hasn't spoken since his mother's death has a lot to say. I loved how Lillian worked with him and figured out a way to get him to respond. Then there's Harry. The simple-minded gentle giant who has a heart of gold.

I've got to admit, that I learned a lot about olive growing in this book. And that some olives are better for olive oil and others for the table. I never imagined the process that it takes to grow & process olives.

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

Recommended to fans of historical fiction, Tracie Peterson, Jody Hedlund, Mary Connealy

Rating - 4 stars

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Books I Enjoyed Last Year that isn't my Typical Genre

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

Today's topic is the books I enjoyed over the last year or so that weren't in my usual genre. My usual genres are Christian Historical Fiction, Christian Contemporary Fiction, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, and Romance. At least those are the ones that I read the most in. So here is my list of 7.

1. Brooklyn on Fire  by Lawrence H. Levy- This is one I'm currently still reading. It's not my normal as it has a large cast of characters and I'm trying to figure out how they all relate. It's also a mystery set late 1800's Brooklyn.

2. Curio  by Evangeline Denmark - Yes, it's a YA novel. But it's really classified as steam punk, a genre I've never read before. It was different, but I enjoyed it.

3. Until We Meet Again by Renee Collins - Another YA novel. This one is a time travel romance, and that's not one I normally pick up.

4. Eternally Bound  by K.A. Young - Another YA time travel novel. This one had me completely lost until the end.

5. Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton - I like YA. And I like fantasy. This one I really knew next to nothing about, but ended up enjoying it.

6. God's Daughter by Heather Day Gilbert - Yes it is in a genre I enjoy, Christian Historical. The difference is that it very early American history. As in BEFORE the Pilgrims came. It's about an early Viking settlement. So it was different, and good.

7. Thunder by Bonnie Calhoun - Christian fantasy is touch and go for me. I'm interested in reading the second in the series because I have a lot of questions.

Cold Shot Giveaway

Hello, my wonderful readers. It's been a while since I last did a giveaway, so it's time for one.

So what am I giving away today? My 2nd copy of Dani Pettrey's Cold Shot.

Here's how this one will work.

The giveaway will be live at 7pm CST today (so, yes that's 2 posts in one day).

It will close at 7pm CST on Saturday Feb 27.

The winner will have 3 days to get back with me or another winner will be chosen.

The book should be mailed on Saturday March 5, 2016.

The Giveaway Tools giveaway is below. It opens at 7:00 PM CST.

The winner has been notified.

Entry-Form

Cold Shot - A Review

Published - February 2016, Bethany House Publishers
Series - Chesapeake Valor Book 1
Author - Dani Pettrey
Title - Cold Shot
Format - ebook, paper
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Griffin McCray's life hasn't gone as he planned it. He and his three childhood friends, Declan Gray, Parker Mitchell, and Luke Gallagher, would all enter various branches of law enforcement. Griffin and Luke would go to Baltimore PD, Declan to the FBI, and Parker would become a crime scene analyst. Then Luke vanished, and the friendships have crumbled. Griffin's now a park ranger at Gettysburg after having life as a SWAT sniper when a case went bad. Nothing ever happens in the park. Until the one evening that Griffin catches two grave robbers near Little Round Top. Only these skeletal remains aren't of the Civil War variety. He calls in forensic anthropologist Finley Scott, and soon the case heats up. Griffin is reunited with Declan and Parker, and the three try to identify the victim. Only someone doesn't want that to happen. Finley's life becomes in danger and Griffin will do all that he can to protect the woman he's coming to love - even face down the demons of his past.

When I first that Dani Pettrey had a new series coming out, I promptly added it to my never ending to read list. Over the past few years, she's become one of my favorite romantic suspense authors with her Alaskan Courage series.

Going into this new series, I knew it would be about different characters. I wasn't sure what to expect, honestly. This book opens with a bang. And it moved very quickly. I did find it to have a lot more of character building than I expected. I mean the author has introduced each of the main characters for not only this one, but the others in the series.

I liked both Griffin and Finley. I thought that they worked well together. I also loved the interaction with Parker, Declan, Avery, and Kate. As their stories come up, I'm looking forward to reading them. I'm hoping that Declan's story is next, but I don't know.

The suspense was built up in the book. I thought that the killer was one person and ended up being completely wrong. Fans of romantic suspense will enjoy this.

I received a copy of this book for free first from the author to promote, and then a 2nd copy  from the publisher to review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Irene Hannon, Dani Pettrey, Dee Henderson, romantic suspense

Rating - 4 stars

Saturday Scribbles Vol 2.6

Welcome to Saturday Scribbles. It's something different today. My cat, Kiki, has decided to share her thoughts. Enjoy. ;)

Sunday Feb 14, 2016 6:00 AM
The two legged human isn't awake yet. I must have my breakfast. Maybe if I crawl on top of her? Nope still nothing.

Sunday Feb 14, 2016 7:30 AM
Oh good. That noisy thing that wakes my human up, it just went off. Now I can have breakfast. Wait. You're not supposed to go there. Seriously? Feed me now! Purrrrr, that feels good.

Sunday Feb 14, 2016 9:00 AM
My human has just left. Now this place is mine! What to do first? Chase the shadow? Jump on top of the bookcase? Ok, nap it is.

Sunday Feb 14, 2016 1:00 PM
Is that a car? Yes! Doesn't my human know I'm starving?

Sunday Feb 14, 2016 8:00 PM
What? Why are you going to bed this early? It's not time for you to sleep yet. You are messing up MY schedule. Ok then. I'll eat, but I'm coming for you.

Monday Feb 15, 2016 2:30 AM
Nudges the human. Hey, I'm hungry. Feed me. Hey it worked! She's getting up. No that's not where my dish is at. Feed me!

Monday Feb 15, 2016 6:30 AM
Why are you still here?Shouldn't you be going to that place you go every day? Ok, I'll snuggle.

Wednesday Feb 17, 2016 12:15 PM
My human is home early! That means I won't starve! Now feed me please. Move over, you're in my spot. That's where I take my nap, not you.

Friday Feb 19, 2016 10:00 PM
I have my human trained well. I purr, she pets me. She feeds me. She scratches my belly. I guess I'll keep her.

Top Ten Tuesday - Valentines Freebie

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

This week is a Valentines Day Freebie. So since I didn't plan this better, I'm just listing my top ten favorite romance authors. And yes, these are Christian romance authors.

1. Julie Lessman - Her books are so in dept. Her newest one, Isle of Hope, doesn't stray away from hard topics of adultery, teen pregnancy, and more. But it's full of grace.

2. Karen Witemeyer - I love her historical western romances. My favorite is Stealing the Preacher.

3. Janice Thompson - She does contemporary romantic comedy. I ALWAYS laugh my way through her books. 

4. Jody Hedlund - She's probably one of my favorite authors of all time right now. Her books are character driven and wonderful.

5. Robin Jones Gunn - Her book, Waterfalls, is still one of my all time favorite books. 

6. Becky Wade - I think I fell in love with her books when she started the Porter Family series.

7. Melissa Tagg - Her books take me to that feel good place. 

8. Denise Hunter - I've loved the ones of hers that I've read, and I'm particularly excited about her new one coming out next month, I think.

9. Lori Wick - Lori remains one of my favorite authors. Her historicals are some of my go-to rereads. 

10. Dani Pettrey - Over the past few years, she's become one of my favorite romantic suspense authors. 

Saturday Scribbles Vol 2.5

Welcome to another edition of Saturday Scribbles my friends. I really have no idea where today's post is going to go, so hang on for the ride.

I have been suffering with forgetfulness lately. Take the other day for example. I came home from work and checked my mail. In my mailbox was a copy of a book I had requested to review. No big deal right? I get these all of the time. The problem? Well, this copy of the book was sent on behalf of the author and not my normal review request. Which means that evidently I'd agreed to be an influencer for the book with the author. And then when the publisher sent the email out for the February titles, I requested it. And I'd completely forgotten that I'd done so. Now I've got two copies of this really wonderful book. So that'll mean that you my lovely readers will soon have a chance to win a copy of it. Because I'll give one copy away. I'll still be influencing the book. I mean after all, I'll review it and talk about. Things that I do on a normal basis anyway. What book is it? That my friends is a secret at the moment. I will tell you that it is a new release, by one of my favorite authors, book one in a new series, and is romantic suspense. So which book is it? Some of you will know. Others will have to be surprised.  I hope that I'm able to have the giveaway up next week. I'm aiming for the 15th, but we'll see.

Evidently there is some really  big football game going on this weekend. Yes I know what teams are playing. Do I plan on watching it? Nope! As of right now, my plans include grocery shopping around 5:30/6:00 as there won't be anyone in the store, reading, and watching Season 8 of Stargate. I don't even watch the Superbowl for the commercials. Just because football doesn't interest me.

I was at my best friend's house on Thursday. Her mother in law was there. So I was chatting with her mother in law while playing Candyland with her 3 year old. Her mother in law asked me about work and so I was talking about how work was going. It had been an interesting day. I was teaching a class and the staff had pictures we had to take. Thankfully my class was very understanding about the morning being a little more chaotic than usual. My friend's mother in law asked me what class I was teaching. So I said, "Today, it was Excel Level 1." She then asked me what I meant by today. So I explained that I was a trainer for the City of Houston's HR department and that I teach a variety of classes - Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Business Writing, Customer Service, and more. It's fun. I am actually utilizing both my education degree AND my HR degree.

So that's it for today's Scribbles. It's a bit more random than usual today.

All Things Bright and Beautiful - A Review

Published - February 2016, Worthy Publishers
Author - Cecil Frances Alexander
Illustrator - Katy Hudson
Title - All Things Bright and Beautiful
Format - hardcover
Find on Amazon 

In the 1800's Cecil Frances Alexander penned the words to one of the world's favorite hymns "All things bright and beautiful..." Artist Katy Hudson takes those words and uses her watercolor paintings to capture and delight children in this latest version of the popular hymn.

I loved this book! The paintings are vibrant and very engaging. I remember growing up and learning some of the words to the hymn "All things bright and beautiful/All creatures great and small/All things wise and wonderful/The Lord God made them all." Yet this book covers all of the stanzas of the song.

I read this book to my best friend's daughters. The girls LOVED it. They loved seeing all the butterflies, birds, ladybugs, and beauty of the creation in the paintings. It also gave me some teachable moments when they realized that God made everything.

I received this book for free from Worthy's First Look blogging program for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to children ages 3-7, parents, teachers, librarians, Sunday school teachers

Rating - 5 stars

At Love's Bidding - A Review

Published - December 2015, Bethany House Publishers
Series - Ozark Mountain Romance Book 2
Author - Regina Jennings
Title - At Love's Bidding
Format - ebook, paper
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Miranda Wimplegate's family owns an auction house in Boston. When her grandfather mistakenly sells a painting that the owner's family did not wish to be sold, Miranda and her family are willing to do whatever it takes to return the painting to its rightful owners. Their research into who purchased the painting lead them to a small town in the Ozarks that has an auction house up for sale. Hoping to make amends, her grandfather purchases the auction house and all of its contents sight unseen. Miranda and her grandfather then travel across the county to their newly purchased auction house only to discover that the house specializes in livestock not antiquities. With her grandfather's health rapidly declining, Miranda has no choice but to enlist the help of the manager Wyatt Ballentine to help move the livestock from the auction house. Wyatt's dreamed of purchasing the sale barn for years. So when these city folks arrive in town, he's hurt to find out that they are his new bosses. Yet he understands his community. He sees that neither the pretty Miranda nor her grandfather know the first thing about livestock, so he helps them out. After all, the sooner they find what they are looking for, the sooner they will be gone and his life can return to normal. Neither Wyatt or Miranda count on the attraction and the sparks that fly between them.

While this book may be part of a series, I found that it stands alone. The cover on this one caught my eye. It's whimsical and looks like a lot of fun.

As I started reading, I couldn't help but be delighted. I've read a lot of Regina's books before, and I forget how she can write romantic comedy. I loved watching Miranda struggle with the fact that their auction house housed livestock and not priceless heirlooms. And how gentle she was with her grandfather. I just sighed a little then.

I loved the sparks between Wyatt and Miranda. I thought that their banter was great. I also figured out that there was more to Wyatt than we were first led to believe. Yet when it came out what exactly made there to be more to Wyatt than appearing, I loved Miranda's reaction.

I received this book from the author for the purpose of promoting. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Mary Connealy, Karen Witemeyer, Regina Jennings, Melissa Tagg

Rating - 4 stars

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Historical Settings I Love

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

Today's topic is about our favorite settings - either historical or futuristic. I chose to focus on my favorite historical time periods.

1. Ireland - I love anything Irish. My favorite historical settings in Ireland would be the period in which Linda Windsor's Maire is set. I'm pretty sure that it is 5th century Ireland.

2. Civil War - This would be the American Civil period of 1860-1865. 

3. The early 1800's in England - I've found myself reading a lot of regency era fiction, both secular and Christian. Depending on the author, it's become one of my favorite time periods.

4. WWII - Until I started reading a lot of WWII fiction, I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I do.

5. America's Revolutionary War - This would be anything set from 1770 - 1785. 

6. Medieval Scotland, Wales, Ireland, England - You know the time of knights and their lady-fair. 

7. Mid to late 1800's - Typically this would be the time frame of the American westward expansion. My first experience with this period was the Little House books I grew up on.

8. Fairy tale settings - Most fairy tales seem to be set in the medieval era. Which is one that I love. Come to think of it, most fantasy novels are set then too.

9. Turn of the century (1895-1900's) America - This was when America was growing by leaps and bounds. The novels I've read set during this period have intrigued me with the way that they show the progress of industry.

10. 1920's - This really depends on the book. I don't care for the Great Gatsby, but others set during this period, I've really enjoyed. 

Where She Belongs - A Review

Published - January 2016, Revell Books
Series - Misty Willow Book 1
Author - Johnnie Alexander
Title - Where She Belongs
Format - ebook, paper
Find on Amazon

Shelby Kincaid returns to her ancestral farm hoping to raise her two daughters in the same sort of environment she was raised. She's hoping that the move will allow for both her and her daughters to put aside their grief over the loss of their husband and father. She knows that the Sullivans, who bought the farm from her family, have done nothing to it, and she hopes to make it into what she remembers. AJ Sullivan never wanted Misty Willow. His grandfather left it to him as punishment, and AJ's let it fall into ruin. When Shelby contacts him, he hopes to make a clean break from the farm. At least that's his plan until he meets Shelby and her adorable daughters. Perhaps both of these two wounded hearts can find a second chance together?

This is the first book I've read by Johnnie Alexander and I loved it. I loved the detail that pulled the story together from the minor characters (AJ's dog, Shelby's daughters, the neighbors) to the dynamics between the major characters.

Shelby is hurt by the events of her life. She's not looking for new love. She just wants to start over. But I love how she comes to realize that maybe God's plan includes more than just a new home. And I loved AJ. When he is made aware of something from his past, he steps up.

AJ's cousins need some work. Since the next book is about his cousin Brett, I'm hoping to see him change even more than he has started to in this book.

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

Recommended to fans of women's fiction, Rachel Hauck, Susan May Warren, Denise Hunter

Rating - 5 stars