A Love Transformed by Tracie Peterson

Tracie Peterson brings 1917 history to life in Book 3 of the Sapphire Brides Series A Love Transformed.  World War I has begun in Europe and the Germans are sinking British and American ships along the Atlantic Coast.  Clara is living comfortable in New York City with her husband and children.  It was an arranged marriage and therefore no love between Clara and Adolph, but she is making the best of her situation, even assisting her husband with his business by designing unique jewelry sets with Yoho sapphires only found in mines in Montana.  Clara has fond memories of spending summers at her Aunt Madeline and Uncle Paul's sheep ranch in Montana.  She also met her first love Curtis there, but was forced to leave him because her mother wanted her to marry for wealth.  So when her husband dies, Clara goes back to Montana to live the life she has always wanted. However, Curtis doesn't feel worthy of Clara's love and he is wounded on the outside too.  Clara's mother and brother-in-law will stop at nothing to have her back in New York City for their financial gain. 
This is the first novel in the Sapphire Brides Series I have read, but I truly enjoyed it, so I may need to find the first two in the series.  I love the history that Tracie Peterson writes about.  I didn't know much about the Americans that would spy and aid the Germans.  I have read other series by her, but that was over 15 years ago.  She didn't disappoint!  She also writes more about the spiritual struggles of the main characters than other Christian authors.  Curtis was struggling with forgiveness of himself, and the sins he had committed. The Biblical wisdom from Clara's aunt and uncle reminded me of my grandparents. Peterson outlines the whole plan of salvation for readers too, so it can be a witnessing tool for non-Christian readers.  I would recommend this novel to any reader, especially those interested in World War I history.  Thank you Bethany House Publishers for sending me a free copy to review.

No Way Up by Mary Connealy

Mary Connealy has started a new series of novels called The Cimarron Legacy.  Bethany House Publishers sent me a free copy of Book 1 in exchange for an honest review.  No Way Up takes place in New Mexico Territory in the 1880's.  The ranch patriarch Chance Boden is injured in an avalanche.  Not sure if he will survive, he asks his 3 adult children, Cole, Justin and Sadie, to come to the reading of his will.  He is requiring them to live together on The Cimarron Ranch for one year beginning now, or they will all lose their inheritance.  Justin and Cole are constantly bickering, with Sadie in the middle. Justin has working the ranch alone, while Cole has been managing the gold mines on the other side of their land.  Sadie has been volunteering at an orphanage in town, but now has to give it up to live on the ranch too. Heath Kincaid is the cowhand in charge while Chance is injured and looks forward to having Sadie around more, even though her brothers remind him time and again that he is just a cowhand and not fit to court their sister.  When Heath discovers that the avalanche was no accident, and there is a gunman out on top of Skull Mesa hunting down the Boden's, Heath and Sadie must work together to solve the mystery. This is a novel filled with action and cowboy conversation, with the history of the New Mexico Territory thrown in for good measure. Heath and Sadie are involved with some advanced rock climbing and I like that part.  Heath Kincaid is the younger brother of the characters in the Kincaid Brides series of Mary Connealy, so there is a connection to her other books too.  Connealy always has strong women characters and this novel was no different.  I liked how Sadie shared the gospel with one of her enemies even after all the evil he had done.  The story doesn't end with this one novel either; Connealy still leaves some mysteries to be solved in future novels. 

Her One and Only by Becky Wade

The Porter Family Series continues with the story of Dru Porter, the former Marine, who is hired to be bodyguard to NFL star Gray Fowler.  Gray has been receiving increasingly threatening letters on a weekly basis.  Gray is used to danger and being on the defensive, and therefore thinks having bodyguards protecting him is unnecessary. Dru's last assignment ended badly and she is out to prove her expert skill and competence as a protective agent.  After all she has three older brothers who have taught her everything she knows and a reputation to uphold.  However, she doesn't count on feelings of attraction and compassion for Gray, who is keeping secrets of his past. The more aloof and detached Dru makes herself, the more competitive Gray becomes to try to win her heart.  It's a game to Gray; he is used to getting whatever woman he wants, thanks to his fame and good looks. Dru is looking for a lasting commitment, the love she sees that her brothers' have for their wives.  Gray has been on his own since high school and never had a family to care about him.  The more time he spends around Dru and her family, he realizes there are couples out there that would sacrifice their life for the one they love.  Yet his past keeps resurfacing and he realizes that he can't move forward and heal from his childhood unless he forgives and walks away from the pleasures of sin.
I love how Becky Wade continued the stories of the other Porter family characters.  I could really see how Dru's life was shaped because of her family.  She knows how a God-centered life should be and won't settle for less.  After Gray has spent time with the Porter family, he realizes how empty his life is without God as the center of it.  He was depending first on his own strength, and then his own wealth and fame to make him happy.  He was living in his past and thought he could not escape from it.  The novel is so real-life and the suspense is just enough to keep you on the edge. The struggles between Dru and Gray is believable and I felt like I was a part of the Porter family.  Thank you Bethany House for providing me a free copy to review.

Like Never Before (Walker Family Series #2) by Melissa Tagg

Melissa Tagg has done it again; she has brought to life the characters of Amelia and Logan in Maple Valley, Iowa.  Logan Walker is a widowed speechwriter who lives in busy LA with his 3 year old daughter.  He is on track to be a part of the upcoming presidential campaign, the career he has always dreamed of in Washington, DC.  So when Logan inherits the newspaper of his hometown from his mentor, he only wants a quick sale so he can move on with his life.  Amelia Bentley has come to Maple Valley after her broken marriage and has felt at home at the newspaper. The Walker family has made her feel like a part of their family, and she can't let the whole town lose their local newspaper.  Logan finds himself enjoying being back in his hometown again, and knows his daughter needs to be around family, as well as a speech therapist who can help her finally speak after losing her mother.  Logan also needs to find his way back to God, and let Him have control again. Amelia is afraid to chase after her dreams.  She is willing to fight for the town where she feels safe, but not ready to take a chance on love again. 
I loved seeing the family relationships among the Walker siblings and how they came to their Dad, Case Walker for advice. He has been through hard times himself when he lost his wife to cancer, but his example of a positive marriage is just what his four children need to see and his wise counsel is real-life.  The need for Logan to get his priorities straight between his career and his daughter, and the conflict he faces by wanting to spend time with Amelia, but feeling guilty for not always being there with his daughter is what so many single parents especially feel in today's world.  I loved seeing other Maple Valley characters from previous novels in this story too.  I also loved the history that Melissa Tagg weave in about Amelia Earhart and the small town mystery that Amelia Bentley is trying to solve. I can't wait for more stories about the Walker family!