Love's Rescue - A Review

Published - June 2015, Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group
Series - Keys of Promise Book 1
Author - Christine Johnson
Title - Love's Rescue
Format - ebook, paper
Find on Amazon

When Elizabeth Benjamin learns of her mother's death, she sets sail at once for her home on Key West. There she hopes to make things right with the brother she hurt four years prior. Her journey home isn't easy. First her ship wrecks and she is rescued by Rourke O'Malley, the man she has loved for years. Then her father wants to marry her off. And her brother won't have anything to do with her. Just when Elizabeth feels completely alone, she discovers her mother's diary. As long held secrets come to light, Elizabeth realizes that her only options are to deny her father and follow her heart or to be forced into a marriage with a man who is not the upstanding man her father believes. Will she do her duty or follow her heart?

The cover on this book drew me in immediately. I also loved the secondary plot involving Elizabeth's slave girl and Rourke's first mate.

I thought that Elizabeth really was rather spoiled. She didn't appeal to me at all, at first. Rourke, on the other hand, I loved immediately! I kept picturing the swashbuckling hero of Johnny Depp from Pirates of the Caribbean but with Orlando Bloom's looks. I love the layers to Rourke. Where he was deep, Elizabeth seemed rather superficial.

Still, the book was good. It was a quick read, once I got into it. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.

Fans of Christine Johnson's Love Inspired Historicals will enjoy this as will most historical fiction fans.

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

Recommended to fans of historical fiction, pirates, Love Inspired Historical

Rating - 4 stars

Taming the Texas Rancher - A Review

Summary (from Amazon)
Race to the Altar 

Though he'd never planned to wed, Daniel Westland must marry and produce a grandchild before his brother does in order to inherit the family ranch. Leave it to him to pick a mail-order bride who insists on being courted! Yet every time Daniel wonders if Hannah Young is even suited to rugged living, the petite schoolteacher shows her gumption. 

What man sends away for a bride but doesn't really want to get married? Hannah came to Granite, Texas, hoping to find love and security, and she can't settle for less than a true partnership. If the brooding, handsome rancher can just learn to trust in Hannah, their future could be as filled with promise as this bountiful land..

My Thoughts:
I read a lot of the Love Inspired Historicals every month. Some of them I will actually post a review on my blog, Goodreads, or Amazon. Some I won't. Sometimes, I'll only post the review on Goodreads. I know my reading schedule is so full that I do not have time to review EVERY book I read, though my facebook page may show I've completed it. But every once in a while, I will decide to post a review of one these books.

Rhonda Gibson is one Love Inspired Historical author whose books always delight me. In this one, I loved how both Daniel and Levi are expecting their brides to arrive, yet only one does. And Hannah expects to be courted. The journey that Hannah and Daniel go on is fun and full of some interesting twists. I typically read Rhonda's books in a couple of hours and never really want the story to end.

I read this book for pure pleasure.

Rating - 4 stars

Recommended to fans of Love Inspired, Love Inspired Suspense, Love Inspired Historical, mail order brides

Rhonda's newest book, His Chosen Bride is due out this May. You can pre-order it here.


Where to buy Taming the Texas Rancher
Amazon

Groom By Arrangement - A Review

Eliza Kelly didn't answer an ad to be a mail-order bride. Yet there is a groom on the way to meet her at the station. She mistakes blacksmith Jackson Hart for her prospective groom. When she suddenly finds herself guardian to a small boy and her reputation in tatters, Jackson offers a chance for her to save face by offering a marriage of convience. Will these two souls find true love?

It was delightful to return to Cottonwood Springs and to catch up with Seth and Rebecca from Marshal's Promise. I enjoyed reading Eliza and Jackson's story as well. The twists that occured weren't what I excpected especially when Eliza's sister suddenly shows up in town. This was a fun book to read one evening after work as it only took me a couple of hours to read it all.

This is due out in February 2013. I received my copy as part of Reader Service Book club.

Recommended to fans of Janet Tronstead, Janet Dean, Love Inspired Historicals, Love Inspired, Love Inspired Suspense.

Rating - 4 stars

Giveaway Winner

Thanks everyone for entering the giveaway of the Love Inspired Historical Bundle.


And the winner, according to random.org, is



CAROLYN BOYLES!!!!!


Congratulations! I've just sent you an email. I'm sure you'll enjoy the books.

Another giveaway will be sometime in April.

Giveaway

It's one of my best friend's birthday today. So I'm going to do something special just for fun.

Today I'm going to give away 4 Love Inspired Historical books to one person. This will last until Friday, April 6th when I pick a winner. I'll mail out the books on Saturday April 7th.

The books are:

The Protector by Carla Capshaw

Highland Hearts by Eva Maria Hamilton

Wanted: A Family by Janet Dean

A Gentelman's Homecoming by Ruth Axtell Morren

Here's how to enter:
1. Leave a comment telling my about your best or most memorable birthday.
2. To gain additional entries leave a second comment telling me these things (1 entry per item you tell me):

• following my blog
• Tweet about the giveaway (you need to mention me in the tweet - DawnJanis)
• Like my business's facebook page - Dawn's Mary Kay Business Facebook Page
• Register on my business website Dawn's Mary Kay website

Please include your email address in your comment so that I know how to reach you if you win. You can use this format to leave your email address dawn(dot)janis(at)gmail(dot)com

Forgot to say that I can only ship to the US.

Marshal's Promise - A Review

Mail-order bride Rebecca Ramsey arrives in Cottonwood Springs, New Mexico only to find that her groom, Jesse Cole, has been killed. US Marshal, Seth Billings, made a promise to Jesse to look after Rebecca. Rebecca has no money and no reason to return to her home in Maryland, so the offer of a job as housekeeper and cook for the marshal is just what she needs. As Rebecca begins to fall for the gentle marshal she senses that he is holding a secret from her. Will Seth open his heart up enough to share the secret his holding? And what will Rebecca do when she learns the truth behind Jesse's death?

I loved reading this book. I got home late Friday evening and was already over halfway with the book and before I knew it, it was 1 am and not only was the book finished, but I had to be up early to get ready to head to my Mary Kay Career Conference. The characters are very relaxing. I loved how both Seth and Rebecca depended on their faith. When Seth's secret is shared, Rebecca doesn't react the way that Seth thought. But she still needed time to process her thoughts.

I look forward to reading more set in the little town of Cottonwood Springs. At least I hope that there are more.

Rating - 5 stars

This book is due out in May, 2012. I received my copy through Reader Service.