Hidden Affections by Delia Parr

I recently received this free copy of Hidden Affections from Bethany House Publishers. I had never read anything by Delia Parr, but found that I liked her writing style. The setting takes place around Philadelphia in 1831. Annabelle and Harrison find themselves forced into marriage after being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Harrison is an elusive bachelor who does not want to go through the pain of loving and losing, since he has experienced this first hand in his own family. He feels that God has forsaken him and has become self-centered and cynical as well as very wealthy. On the other hand, Annabelle looks for God's blessings everyday and for ways to help the unfortunate, even though she has nothing after being cheated out of her small inheritance. As they go to live in Harrison's mansion, she makes friends with the servants and has a way about her that changes Harrison. He looks for ways to please her, yet is still determined to not love anyone because of fear of being hurt. The storyline flows smoothly and kept my interest. The characters seemed to come alive and made me wish I had lived in this time period with them. I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys historical Christian fiction!

Spring For Susannah by Catherine Richmond

I received a free copy of this new book from Thomas Nelson. Set in the Dakota Territory after the Civil War, Susannah is to be a mail-order bride to her pastor's brother Jesse. Jesse is a strong Christian who tries to show Susannah how to have confidence in herself and trust God's perfect plan. Susannah has always been shy and has never been allowed to share her opinion with others. Their getting to know each other has some funny dialogue. She discovers that she is a survivor of the wild frontier and that God has been in charge all along, when Jesse sets off to find work and she is left to fend for herself. The book is true to the time period and I liked how Catherine Richmond tells the story of life in the wilderness and the immigrants that are there. There were some slow parts in the middle, and sometimes the scenes would jump from one place to another and I wasn't sure whose thoughts I was reading. Yet, I liked the transformation in the confidence of Susannah. If you like the historical Christian fiction from this time period, you will for sure like this one!

Fairer Than Morning by Rosslyn Elliott

Thomas Nelson sent me a free copy of Fairer Than Morning to review. This is the first novel in The Saddler's Legacy series, based on the true story of the Hanby family who were citizens of Westerville, OH. Will Hanby is a saddle-maker's apprentice in Pittsburgh with a very evil master. He longs to be free and loved by God. When Ann and her master saddler father visit Pittsburgh, Ann sees the cruelty that Will regularly receives. Ann has been proposed to by Eli, an inspiring doctor who shares her interest in poetry. She must choose between the 2 young men, when Will escapes his master and comes searching for Ann. I read this book quickly because of the suspense between Will and his master. I enjoyed the historical accuracy of this book and learning the truth of how many endentured apprentices were treated. Some of the violent acts were hard to read b/c of the cruelty involved, even though I knew that was truly what happened in that time period. The characters deepen their personal relationship with God throughout the book and that is a plus! I look forward to reading the second book coming out in February 2012.

The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen

Bethany House publishers sent me this book to review. The setting is 1814 in England. Mariah has been banished from her house for inappropriate behavior and sent to live in her distant aunt's gatehouse. She begins to secretly write novels to pay the rent. Matthew is a former Navy captain that comes to lease the estate, and as he begins to see more of Mariah, he wonders why she is there. The story is about how they interact with each other. This was my first book by Julie Klassen. Although, I usually like books in this time period, this one I didn't care for. It moved too slowly, and was hard to get excited about. There was some mystery, but not enough. It reminded me of Wuthering Heights or Pride and Prejudice. The characters didn't come alive for me, nor did I see enough about their relationship with God. I probably would not recommended this book to my family and friends.

The Lightkeeper's Ball by Colleen Coble

Thomas Nelson sent me The Lightkeeper's Ball to review this week. This is Book 3 in the Mercy Falls series, yet this can also be a stand-alone book. I had only read Book 1 before this, and while they do bring in the characters from the first 2 books, you don't need to read them to understand the plot. Olivia Stewart is from a wealthy NY family, and travels to California to investigate her sister Eleanor's death. Olivia's parents had prearranged a marriage for Eleanor and Harrison Bennett, and since Eleanor's death, Olivia is expected to marry Harrison. She is suspicious of anyone that had contact with her sister, and she decides to use her rarely used English title so that no one can identify her before she solves the mystery. Harrison has a passion for building airplanes and his dad believes it is a useless pursuit in 1907. His dad wants him to marry Olivia to solidify the family's financial future. When the truth is discovered at a charity masquerade ball, Olivia learns that even little white lies can hurt those she loves. I loved the mystery and suspense in this book! Plus, with the history and romance thrown in, I couldn't put the book down. This makes me want to read more of Colleen Cobles novels. I would definitely recommend the book, especially to those that love this time period.

A Cowboy's Touch by Denise Hunter

Denise Hunter's latest novel, A Cowboy's Touch has just been published by Thomas Nelson. The setting is Montana at a ranch owned by widowed cowboy, Wade Ryan. There are secrets he is keeping and investigative reporter Abigail Jones is determined to find the answers. She is in Montana for the summer to spend time with her elderly aunt and get away from the stress of her job in Chicago. Somehow she finds herself as Wade's daughter's nanny for the summer, and her life slowly becomes entangled with theirs. Wade has fears of letting another woman into his life, fears of letting someone down again and guilt over his wife's death. Abigail has fallen away from God and immersed herself into her career, but the longer she stays in Montana, the less important her career seems to be. She reflects back to how an incident in her childhood affected her career choice and her pursuit of the truth. She must decide in the end if people are more important than her latest article.
I LOVED this book! I don't know how Denise Hunter makes the characters come alive for the reader. I couldn't put the book down! I felt like I was living in Montana for the summer and was friends with the people of Moose Creek. I can't wait for her next book!!!!!

Seek Me with all your Heart by Beth Wiseman

I received a copy of Seek Me with all your Heart by Beth Wiseman this week from Thomas Nelson Publishers. Using some of the same characters from her Daughters of the Promise series, she tells the story of a new Amish community that has begun in Canaan, Colorado. David Stolzfus's family has moved there from Lancaster County, PA and he doesn't know why. He doesn't like their new home and is trying to earn enough money so he can return to PA. Emily Detwiler's family has moved there from OH b/c of a tragedy they are trying to put behind them. However, Emily can't seem to forgive and forget. David and Emily both struggle with understanding God's will for their lives. I read this book in one day; I couldn't put it down! I liked that the characters were interconnected from Beth Wiseman's previous series. The setting was modern day and it was easy to become a part of the characters lives. I can see why it won the Women of Faith Novel of the Year!