Book: More Than Words Can Say

I have a new book to share with you today from one of my very favorite authors of historical fiction, Karen Witemeyer.  This is the second book in the Patchwork Family series.  If you are not familiar with this author and her books I hope you will check them out.

About the book:

After fulfilling a pledge to a dying friend, Zacharias Hamilton is finally free to live life on his own terms. No family entanglements. No opportunities to disappoint those he cares about. Just the quiet bachelor existence he's always craved. Until fate snatches his freedom away once again when the baker of his favorite breakfast treat is railroaded by the city council. As hard as he tries to avoid getting involved, he can't turn a blind eye to her predicament . . . or her adorable dimples.

Abigail Kemp needs a man's name on her bakery's deed. A marriage of convenience seems the best solution . . . if it involves a man she can control. Not the stoic lumberman who oozes confidence without saying a word whenever he enters her shop. Control Zacharias Hamilton? She can't even control her pulse when around him.

When vows are spoken, Abigail's troubles should be over. Yet threats to the bakery worsen, and darker dangers hound her sister. As trust grows between Zach and Abby, she finds she wants more than his rescue. She wants his heart.

My thoughts:

Another fabulous book by Karen Witemeyer!  Zach and Abby have such an interesting relationship. They married and then went through a period of courtship.  It was sweet to see their relationship grow through the book.   It is clear they love each other even when they aren't sure. 

One of Abigail's struggles is that she doubts that her husband would find her attractive because she does not feel she has a perfect figure.  She considers her sister the "pretty one." I really liked this quote from the book and had to share it.   I recently had a similar conversation with my husband so this really spoke to me to read it in the book.

I thought parts of the book were predictable but there were several "surprises" as well. There was quite a bit of focus on the physical aspects and attraction in marriage but was all in a tasteful manner.  

And one more quote:  

I reviewed the first book in the Patchwork Family series More Than Meets the Eye here.  

Visit the author's website here and check out her other wonderful books.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review. Thank you.

Have a day of blessings!
    Bethany

Book: More Than Meets The Eye

One of my favorite authors of historical fiction, Karen Witemeyer, has a new book in a new series.  It is More Than Meets the Eye in the Patchwork Family series.  Let me tell you about it today! 

About the book:
Many consider Evangeline Hamilton cursed. Orphaned at a young age and possessing a pair of mismatched eyes--one bright blue, the other dark brown--Eva has fought to find her way in a world that constantly rejects her. Yet the support of even one person can help overcome the world's judgments, and Eva has two--Seth and Zach, two former orphans she now counts as brothers. 

Seeking justice against the man who stole his birthright and destroyed his family, Logan Fowler arrives in 1880s Pecan Gap, Texas, to confront Zach Hamilton, the hardened criminal responsible for his father's death. Only instead of finding a solitary ruthless gambler, he discovers a man not much older than himself with an unusual family. When Zach's sister, Evangeline, insists on dousing Logan with sunshine every time their paths cross, Logan finds his quest completely derailed. Who is truly responsible for his lost legacy, and will restoring the past satisfy if it means forfeiting a future with Evangeline?

My thoughts:
I have enjoyed the other books by Karen Witemeyer and was excited to start a new series.  Wow I loved this one!  I had read such good reviews of this one before I read it, and it did not disappoint.  Each time I read one of her books I think it may be her best one yet! 

I liked the background of this story and how Eva came to be with her brothers Seth and Zach.  Their bond is very special which I appreciated seeing throughout this story. Another thing I thought was a fun touch to the story is that Eva has a pet pig. 

One thing I would mention is that suicide is referenced in this book.  Logan's father took his own life years prior, and Logan shares about this and how it affects him and his mother.  I thought this might be important to know that it may be a trigger for someone who is dealing with a suicide in their own life. 

If you enjoy historical fiction be sure to check this one out!  I look forward to the next book in this series.  Visit the author's website here.

I received a copy of this book from the Bethany House reviewers program for my honest review.  Thank you. 


Have a day of blessings! 

Bethany

Book: Hearts Entwined

About the book:Four top historical romance novelists team up in this new collection to offer stories of love and romance with a twist of humor.

In Karen Witemeyer's "The Love Knot," Claire Nevin gets the surprise of her life awaiting her sister's arrival by train. 

Mary Connealy's "The Tangled Ties That Bind" offers the story of two former best friends who are reunited while escaping a stampede. 

Regina Jennings offers "Bound and Determined," where a most unusual trip across barren Oklahoma plains is filled with adventure, romance, and . . . camels? 

And Melissa Jagears' "Tied and True" entertains with a tale of two hearts from different social classes who become entwined at a cotton thread factory. 

Each tale is a fun blend of history and romance that will delight readers.

My thoughts:
It was fun to read this collection.  Let me share my thoughts on each of these.  Maybe you will find a new author you enjoy. 

"The Love Knot" was a great story.  I believe I have read all of Karen Witemeyer's other books so I was familiar with this setting of Harper's Station and characters.  The main character of this story is Claire.  She has a delivery arrive by train from her sister that surprises her, makes her deal with her past, and changes her life.

"The Tangled Ties That Bind" is by another author with whom I am familiar...Mary Connealy.  I have read several of her books, but it has been a while.  The characters in this book were vaguely familiar to me from those books I'd read. 

"Bound and Determined" was the hardest for me to get into as I was reading this collection.  I don't know if I've read others by Regina Jennings or not.  The camels made it odd at first.  But once I got going it was a cute story.  I really appreciated the lessons learned by the characters in this story as they journeyed together.

"Tied and True" is a great ending to this collection. Marianne and Calvin come from different social classes.  They are in love but one feels they can never be together because of their different social standings.  Can they overcome this?   

I like how these books fit together so well yet are so very different from each other.  The publisher did a great job choosing authors for this novella.  You should read this book if you enjoy historical fiction. 

I received this book from the publisher for my honest review.  Thank you.
Have a day of blessings!
  Bethany

Heart on the Line

Today I have another wonderful read to share with you from Karen Witemeyer.  It is book #2 in the Ladies of Harper's Station series.  

About the book:
Grace Mallory is tired of running, of hiding. But when an old friend sends an after-hours telegraph transmission warning Grace that the man who has hunted her for nearly a year has discovered her location, she fears she has no choice. She can't let the villain she believes responsible for her father's death release his wrath in Harper's Station, the town that has sheltered her and blessed her with the dearest friends she's ever known.

Amos Bledsoe prefers bicycles to horses and private conversations over the telegraph wire to social gatherings with young ladies who see him as nothing more than an oddity. His telegraph companion, the mysterious Miss G, listens eagerly to his ramblings every night and delights him with tales all her own. For months, their friendship--dare he believe, courtship?--has fed his hope that he has finally found the woman God intended for him. Yet when he takes the next step to meet her in person, he discovers her life is in peril, and Amos must decide if he can shed the cocoon of his quiet nature to become the hero Grace requires.

My thoughts:
I believe I enjoy each Karen Witemeyer book a little more than the last one!  The characters and story lines are always unique and a little different from your typical historical fiction romance. When you start reading you can sort of guess what will happen but lots of unexpected things are thrown in along the way which make for a great read!  I like the characters of Heart on the Line and how the reader gets to know them.  I appreciate that the hero of the story, Amos, does not fit with the qualities of your stereotypical hero.  I thought the story line having these two "meet" over the telegraph wires was a fun idea and made for a great story.

This was a fairly quick read for me because I wanted to find out what would happen next.  This is a great series, and I highly recommend this book to you if you enjoy historical fiction.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review.  Thank you.
Have a day of blessings!
   Bethany

No Other Will Do

About the Book:
Men are optional. That's the credo Emma Chandler's suffragette aunts preached and why she started a successful women's colony in Harper's Station, Texas. But when an unknown assailant tries repeatedly to drive them out, Emma admits they might need a man after all. A man who can fight--and she knows just the one.

Malachi Shaw finally earned the respect he craved by becoming an explosives expert for the railroad. Yet when Emma's plea arrives, he bolts to Harper's Station to repay the girl who once saved his life. Only she's not a girl any longer. She's a woman with a mind of her own and a smile that makes a man imagine a future he doesn't deserve.

As the danger intensifies, old feelings grow and deepen, but Emma and Mal will need more than love to survive.

My Thoughts:
I always enjoy books by Karen Witemeyer.  The reader gets transported to a different time period in her writings, and she does such a good job of making you feel like you are there and part of the story. I really liked the characters of Emma and Malachi.  I liked their past and the way they've stayed connected through the years and that Emma knew she could count on him to come help when the need arose.

This book has some surprising twists as the trouble and threats at Harper's Station increase. I enjoyed her previous book series and am glad this one will be a series too so I can find out more about the other characters. If you enjoy historical fiction, check out this book (or any by this author)!

Visit Karen Witemeyer's author site here or find her on Facebook.

This book was sent to me for my review from the publisher. Thank you.

Have a day of blessings!
    Bethany

A Worthy Pursuit

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer.  Her books have all been enjoyable, and this one is such a great read.

About the book:
A teacher on the run. A bounty hunter in pursuit. Can two enemies learn to trust each other before they both lose what they hold most dear?

Stone Hammond is the best tracker in Texas. He never comes home empty-handed. So when a wealthy railroad investor hires him to find his abducted granddaughter, Stone eagerly accepts. 

Charlotte Atherton, former headmistress of Sullivan's Academy for Exceptional Youths, will do anything to keep her charges safe, especially the orphaned girl entrusted to her care. Charlotte promised Lily's mother she'd keep the girl away from her unscrupulous grandfather, and nothing will stop Charlotte from fulfilling that pledge. Not even the handsome bounty hunter with surprisingly honest eyes who comes looking for them.

When Miss Atherton produces documentation that shows her to be Lily's legal guardian, Stone must reevaluate everything he's been led to believe. Is she villain or victim? Then a new danger forces Charlotte to trust the man sent to destroy her. Stone vows to protect what he once sought to tear apart. Besides, he's ready to start a new pursuit: winning Charlotte's heart.

My thoughts:
I loved the characters and story line of A Worthy Pursuit. Charlotte and Stone are both such strong, no nonsense type main characters. Their relationship changes throughout the book as they get to know one another. The children are so unique, and I appreciate the way Charlotte mothers them even though they are not her own. 

I read most of this while feeding my new baby, and it was hard to put the book down!  There was plenty happening to hold the reader's attention.  I liked the ending and would love to see more about these characters. As I finished I thought how this could be a great movie.

Be sure to check out this book. If you like historical fiction, you will love this one!  

This book was provided to me by Bethany House publishers for my review. Thank you.

Learn more at Karen Witemeyer's webpage and find more books to enjoy!

Have a day of blessings!
 

Full Steam Ahead

"God sees things in a scope so broad our narrow-focused minds can't even comprehend."

This quote really made me stop and think as I read Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer.  I have read the other books by this author and was looking forward to this new one. 

My thoughts:
Nicole Renard is on a mission to find an heir for her father that will be able to run the family company, Renard Shipping. The family has possession of a very special dagger. The competitors of the shipping business are doing what they can to get their hands on the dagger. Nicole is out to protect the dagger and find a husband for herself at the same time.

Nicole meets Darius Thorton when she is searching for employment.  She will work temporarily for him as his secretary to earn a little money on her way to find a husband. She appreciates that he accepts her mathematical abilities and the ideas she presents to help him in his experiments and research, but she doesn't understand the man's behavior. 

Both of these characters held my interest, and it was enjoyable to read their story.  One thing in particular I liked was the setting of this book was different from many of the historical fiction books I read.  The information about the shipping industry and the experiments with the boilers was all new to me.  I found this to be a nice change from the other historical fiction I've read.

This is a wonderful book from Bethany House Publishers.  They sent it to me for my honest review.  I hope you will check out this one and all the others by this author!

Have a day of blessings!

A Match Made in Texas

If you enjoy historical fiction, I have a fun book to share with you today. It is called A Match made In Texas, and it is a collection of four novellas.

First is "A Cowboy Unmatched" by Karen Witemeyer. Neill Archer is hired by someone whose identity remains a mystery to repair the roof of widow Clara Danvers.  (Neill is one of the Archer brothers that we meet in previous books by this author.)  Clara really doesn't want to accept the help, but with a baby on the way she realizes she does need it.

Next is "An Unforeseen Match" by Regina Jennings.  In this story Clayton Weber ends up at the front door of Grace O'Malley to do some work to earn some money to get to the land rush after his horse dies.  Grace has a home of her own and members of he community bring her meals since she is going blind. As Clayton works on her home, she finds out he has secrets of his own and works to find out the mystery behind this man.

The third novella is called "No Match For Love" by Carol Cox in which Lucy Benson becomes caretaker to the aunt of Andrew Simms. Andrew has concern for his aunt Martha to be alone after some strange things she has told him she has seen on the ranch. Lucy does not know how to care for a home yet Martha begins teaching her, and a friendship is formed. When Lucy sees strange things at the ranch, she realizes Martha isn't crazy and wants to prove that to Andrew.

The final novella of the collection is "Meeting Her Match" by Mary Connealy. Hannah Taylor,  the town teacher, has recently endured many losses. She has been a matchmaker for others through the years, but she has not found love for herself.  She wonders if she will be alone for the rest of her life. She cares for the son of the banker, Marcus Whitfield, but he never speaks to her so she does not think he is interested.

I enjoyed this book, and I found myself not wanting the stories to end!  I felt each one could continue with the storyline into another book. I like that they were set in the same town of Dry Gulch  and had some continuity of characters. The characters of the first three were mentioned in the fourth, and I felt it was a good ending.

This book was provided to me by Bethany House publishers for my honest review. Thank you.

Have a day of blessings!

Stealing the Preacher

 

Today I'd like to share with you Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer.  If you have not read anything yet by this author,  you should!  I have read all of her books and have enjoyed each one.  This one is a great read!

About the book: 
A cowboy who wants to be a preacher. An outlaw's daughter who wants to change his mind.

On his way to interview for a position at a church in the Piney Woods of Texas, Crockett Archer can't believe it when he's forced off the train by an outlaw and presented to the man's daughter as the preacher she requested for her birthday. He's determined to escape--which would be much easier if he could stop thinking about Joanna Robbins and her unexpected request.

For months, Joanna had prayed for a minister. A man to breathe life back into the abandoned church at the heart of her community. A man to assist her in fulfilling a promise to her dying mother. But just when it seems her prayers have been answered, it turns out the parson is there against his will and has dreams of his own calling him elsewhere. Is there any way she can convince Crockett he ended up right where he was supposed to be?

My thoughts:
I was happy to read more about Crockett, one of the Archer brothers introduced in a previous book.  I thought this book had a unique, creative plot with Joanna's father (Silas) being a former outlaw and stealing Crockett from a train.  I enjoyed both Joanna and Crockett and felt like I could relate to Silas actually as he learned more about God and his need for Him.  The conflict at the end was unexpected for me as I would never have imagined what happened, but I thought it was a good addition to the story.  I'll leave it at that so I do not spoil the story!  I was glad to read a little bit here and there about the other Archer brothers too.  This is another great book by Karen Witemeyer, and I look forward to more books from her. 

One more thing... I really like the cover and the pretty dress on the model.  Also, as a reader I would enjoy having a book in the future about Jackson.  I thought he would be a great main character. 

Have a day of blessings!

I received this book from Bethany House for my honest review.

Short-Straw Bride

I was happy to read Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer.  This is the author's fourth book.  (I also must say it makes the books a little more fun to read for me personally since I know the author in real life!)

From the publisher:

No one steps on Archer land. Not if they value their life. But when Meredith Hayes overhears a lethal plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch, a twelve-year-old debt compels her to take the risk.

 

Fourteen years of constant vigilance hardens a man. Yet when Travis Archer confronts a female trespasser with the same vivid blue eyes as the courageous young girl he once aided, he can't bring himself to send her away. And when an act of sacrifice leaves her injured and her reputation in shreds, gratitude and guilt send him riding to her rescue once again.

Four brothers. Four straws. One bride. Despite the fact that Travis is no longer the gallant youth
Meredith once dreamed about, she determines to stand by his side against the enemy that threatens them both. But will love ever be hers? Or will Travis always see her merely as a short-straw bride?   

My thoughts:
I hope you will consider reading this wonderful book!  I was drawn into this book from the prologue when young Meredith sneaks onto the Archer land to retrieve her lunch pail.  Travis comes to her rescue and has been held in her heart as a hero since that day, even though she hasn't seen him again.  Years later when Meredith hears of a plot to destroy the Archer ranch, she wants to warn the brothers. 

I enjoyed getting to know these characters, and I definitely look forward to reading more about these brothers.  It would make a great series in my opinion! I appreciate the lessons learned by both Travis and Meredith as their story progresses...lessons that make them better people and that the reader can learn from as well.        

Here is a short clip about the movie as well if you'd like to watch it. 


Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for sending this book to me for my honest review. 

Have a day of blessings!

Book review + GIVEAWAY! To Win Her Heart

Do you enjoy reading Christian historical romance?  I would like to share with you a wonderful book by relatively new author Karen Witemeyer. I reviewed another of her books, A Tailor-Made Bride, here.    

This book is called To Win Her Heart. Eden Spencer spends her days as the librarian in the town of Spencer, TX.  When a new blacksmith, Levi Grant, comes to town, Eden judges him as not worth her time.  However, he comes to her library to borrow a book and a friendship begins to develop between the two as they discuss various books through exchanged letters.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and did not want it to end!  There were several reasons why I thought it was a great book and would recommend it to you.  First, I enjoyed the characters--the two main characters and their character flaws, as well as some minor characters and the role they play in this story.  Second, I appreciate that this book was not totally predictable.  Too many times I read a book and pretty much have it figured out half-way through.  While there were parts I expected, there was plenty that I didn't suspect as well.  Mainly this came in an ending I did not see coming.  I loved how the author tied up the story.  Finally, the reader can learn several lessons from the characters of this book.  I much prefer reading a book that makes me think about my own weaknesses and where I can see myself in the shoes of a character and apply what they have learned through the book to my personal life.  These characters did that for me.   

If you'd like you can read the first chapter here.

And now for the giveaway!  Leave a comment on this post.  Make sure I have a way to contact you.  One winner will receive a personalized autographed copy of To Win Her Heart.  The giveaway will end on Friday, June 24 and a winner will be announced on Saturday, June 25.   

Have a day of blessings!
 

(I received this book from Bethany House Publishers for my honest review.)

Book: A Tailor-Made Bride

I borrowed A Tailor-Made Bride from our local library. It is the first book by author Karen Witemeyer.

Hannah Richards arrives in Coventry, Texas to open her own dress shop. She faces several obstacles in establishing herself in her new town. One of those obstacles is liveryman J.T. Tucker. He is disgusted with Hannah because he feels her dresses will turn women of Coventry to enjoy fashion more than true beauty. However, Hannah doesn't turn out to be anything like what J.T. has judged her to be.


I enjoyed getting to know the characters in this historical fiction book. This was a great book, and I look forward to reading more from this author. Her second book (Head in the Clouds) is available now with another book coming out in April.

"Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised." Proverbs 31:30

Have a day of blessings!