Magnolia Dutchess by Beth White

Fiona Lanier is the only woman in the tiny Gulf Coast settlement of Navy Cove. While her shipbuilding family races to fill the demand for American ships brought by the War of 1812, Fiona tries to rescue her brother who was forced into service by the British Navy.

Lieutenant Charlie Kincaid has been undercover for six months, obtaining information vital to the planned British invasion of New Orleans. When a summer storm south of Mobile Bay wrecks his ship and scatters the crew, Charlie suffers a head injury, ultimately collapsing in the arms of a beautiful mermaid who seems eerily familiar. As Charlie's memory returns in agonizing jags and crashes, he and Fiona discover that falling in love may be as inevitable as the tide. But when political loyalties begin to collide, they'll each have to decide where their true heart lies.


My Review
This is the first book of Beth White's I've read and it certainly won't be my last. The rich historical detail, complex characters, and tough situations kept me turning the pages.

Fiona Lanier is content with her rather free-spirited life until a man's body washes up on the beach. She recognizes him as Charlie Kincaid, an acquaintance from years past. Problem is he has no memory of who he is or how he got there, her attraction to him is still strong, and he's currently the enemy--a British soldier during a time of war against America. 

As Charlie stays with the Lanier's, and falls deeper in love with Fiona, his memory slowly returns. Torn between duty and patriotism, war and love, Fiona and Charlie are forced to discover what they're made of--and God's will for their lives.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical romance. Clean read for all ages. I gave this book 5 stars!

Like Never Before by Melissa Tagg

Maple Valley became Amelia Bentley's haven after her heart and her dreams of a family were shattered. But her new life as a newspaper editor is shaken when the small-town paper is in danger of closing. Her one hope: A lead on an intriguing story that just might impress the new publisher...if only she new who he was.

After his biggest campaign success yet, widowed speechwriter Logan Walker now has the chance of a lifetime--a spot on a presidential campaign. But his plans are interrupted when he finds out he's inherited his hometown newspaper. He travels home intent on selling the paper and spending some much-needed time with his young daughter before making the leap into national politics.

But instead of a quick sale and peaceful break from his hectic career, Logan finds himself helping Amelia chase her story. She's scrappy, but wounded. He's dependable, but lost. They may butt heads more than expected, but a series of leads on Maple Valley's quirky unsolved mystery is just the start of the sparks that fly in the office and in their hearts.


Bethany House Publishers, 2016


My Review
Like Never Before is the second book in the Walker Family series. Melissa Tagg creates the perfect small town of Maple Valley, Iowa--a place where the reader can crawl into the pages and live, a place you'll never want to leave.

Amelia Bentley's dream is to purchase the Maple Valley News, restore the fledgling business, and save her job along with her fellow employees'. Her mentor has passed away, leaving the business to Logan Walker, a writer Amelia has admired for years. When Logan puts his life in LA on hold to return to Maple Valley and sell his new inheritance, he's reminded of the charms of small-town life, as well as Amelia's charms. Selling the Maple Valley News may not be as simple as Logan thought.

I loved this book because the author immediately drew me in with her fresh, spunky writing, the characters were well developed and lovable, and there was a fun mystery from the past weaved in as well.

I give this book 5 stars!

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Learn more about Melissa Tagg and her books at www.melissatagg.com.

Playing the Part by Jen Turano

A Class of Their Own #3

Bethany House Publishers, 2016

Lucetta Plum is an actress on the rise in New York City, but is forced to abandon her starring role when a fan's interest turns threatening. Lucinda's widowed friend, Abigail Hart, is delighted at the opportunity to meddle in Lucetta's life and promptly whisks her away to her grandson's estate to hide out.

Bram Haverstein may appear to simply be a somewhat eccentric gentleman of means, but a mysterious career and a secret fascination with a certain actress mean there's much more to him than society knows.

Lucetta, who has no interest in Abigail's matchmaking machinations, has the best intentions of remaining cordial but coolly distant to Bram. But when she can't ignore the strange and mysterious things going on in his house, it'll take more than good intentions to keep her from trying to discover who Bram is behind the part he plays.

My Review

Playing the Part gives a whole new meaning to a night at the theater. The life of an actress may seem glamorous, but it's anything but for Lucetta Plum. Keeping admirers at bay has always been a nuisance, but when her step-father bargains her while gambling--and loses--a dangerous stalker forces her to flee the city for safety. Lucetta's friend and chaperon, Abigail, suggests hiding out in her grandson's castle. But Bram Haverstein is harboring several secrets of his own, some that include Lucetta. 

With mystery, intrigue, and lots of humor, Playing the Part will keep you entertained. I gave this book 3.5 stars. 

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Jen Turano is a graduate of the University of Akron with a degree in Clothing and Textiles. She pursued a career in management for nine years before switching to full-time motherhood after the birth of her son. When she's not writing, Jen can be found watching her teenage son participate in various activities, taking long walks with her husband and dog, socializing with friends, or delving into a good book. She lives in suburban Denver, Colorado. Learn more atwww.jenturano.com. 

Roots & Sky by Christie Purifoy

A Journey Home in Four Seasons

When Christie Purifoy arrived at Maplehurst that September, she was heavily pregnant with both her fourth child and her dreams of creating a sanctuary that would be a fixed point in her busily spinning world. The sprawling Victorian farmhouse sitting atop a Pennsylvania hill held within its walls the possibility of a place where her family could grow, where friends could gather, and where Christie could finally grasp and hold the thing we all long for--home.

Publisher: Revell, 2016

Cover and Author Photos: Chelsea Hudson Photography

Design: Peter Gloege| LOOK Design Studio

"Lord, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells."  Psalm 26:8

My Review

Roots & Sky follows a woman on her journey to live out her dream in an old farmhouse, away from the bustling city, a place where she can have a garden, teach her children, and follow the Lord. But with each restoration she and her husband tackle, Christie's paradise takes on a new form and so do her dreams. This author reveals how God's handiwork is stamped in the most ordinary, and sometimes unusual, places.

Christie Purifoy's poetic prose and artistic descriptions painted vivid pictures in my mind, layer upon layer with each chapter. I connected with this story because I, too, have an old farmhouse where the work never ends, yet it is my sanctuary. I, like Christie, have journeyed through the wilderness of life, longing for an oasis. I've also relaxed  in the oasis, too content to see the water slowly drying up, the palm leaves disintegrating, the  dry desert dust approaching to smother signs of life. And I believe each and every reader will find that connection within themselves, also. 

I recommend this book to anyone who is living their wilderness journey right now, to anyone who has just stepped out of the desert. To anyone who needs a story of hope, a reminder that God is always there. 

I gave this books 5 stars!

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For more on Christie, visit her website at www.christiepurifoy.com. While you're there, follow her blog These Farmhouse Bookshelves for a closer view of Maplehurst. 

Cold Shot by Dani Pettrey

Four best friends,

and then one went missing...

In college, Griffin McCray and his four best friends had their lives planned out. Griffin and Luke Gallagher would join the Baltimore PD. Declan Gray would head to the FBI and Parker Mitchell would go on to graduate school as a crime scene analyst. But then Luke vanished before graduation and their world--and friendships--crumbled.

Now Griffin is a park ranger at Gettysburg, having left life as a SWAT-team sniper when a case went bad. The job is mostly quiet--until the day he captures two relic hunters uncovering skeletal remains near Little Round Top. Griffin just wants the case to go away, but charming forensic anthropologist Finley Scott determines that the body is modern--a young social justice lawyer missing since spring--and all evidence points to the work of an expert sniper. When FBI agent Declan Gray takes over the case, past and present collide. Griffin soon realizes he'll need to confront some of the darkest days of his life if he--and those he cares about--are going to escape a downward spiral of murder that crosses continents.

Publisher: Bethany House, 2016

Series: Chesapeake Valor, book #1

My Review

Gettysburg park ranger Griffin McCray enjoys working the night shift, patrolling the sacred ground where so many lost their lives during the Civil War. Then grave robbers interrupt his peaceful night, and Griffin comes to realize the body inside the grave doesn't belong to a Civil War soldier but to a modern-day woman. When forensic anthropologist Finley Scott is brought onto the case, Griffin's not only compelled to protect her life but to battle his electric attraction to her as well.

I can't say enough about this book! This story kept me guessing to the very end. I loved the instant romance between Griffin and Finley and their journey together. This author created many strong and lovable characters, ones I look forward to reading about again in future stories. Ms. Pettrey also left a surprise ending that has me highly anticipating her next book. 

I give this book 5 stars! 

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For more about Dani Pettrey and her books, visit her website at www.danipettrey.com.

When Life Gives New Slogans

Our first winter storm of the year.
This is my view from my living room window. 

When I started this blog a few years back, I was just beginning my writing career. I say "career" because it marked the first time I'd been paid for one of my stories.The figure on the check might have only been $0.75, but I was proud of that seventy-five cents. I bought a pop at the gas station.

At the time, I was a stay-at-home mom with a small toddler and two older children. Our hobby farm was thriving.

Some of my best thinking is done on the riding lawnmower, while cutting grass on the two flat acres of our ten-acre property. Here's where I adopted this blog's slogan "Hobby Farmer by Day, Author by Night."


Since then, my life has changed.

My toddler is now in Kindergarten, we can no longer claim to have a hobby farm (though we plan to rectify this come spring), I've once again joined the workforce, and I write every spare moment I get in between cooking, cleaning, working, laundry, church, and extra-curricular activities.

My new slogan is "Substitute Teacher by Day, Author by Whenever-I-Get-A-Chance-To-Write."

Not as catchy, but this is life for me at this moment in 2016. And that's okay. I'm enjoying my new job, I'm still plugging away on my stories during lunch breaks, while I'm cooking dinner, and after the kids go to bed (on the rare nights I can actually hold my eyes open).

Three years from now will my life's slogan change? Count on it.

But that's what keeps life interesting.

Thin Ice by Irene Hannon

IF GINNY REED IS STILL ALIVE--

WHO IS THE WOMAN BURIED IN HER GRAVE?

After losing her parents in a car accident and her sister to a house fire, Christy Reed has been mired in grief. Life is finally starting to feel normal again when an envelope arrives in the mail--addressed in her sister's handwriting. And the note inside claims she is still alive.

FBI Special Agent Lance McGregor, a former Delta Force operator, is assigned to reopen the case, but he's coming up with more questions than answers. If Ginny Reed is still alive--who is the woman buried in her grave? Where is Ginny? And is Christy a pawn in a twisted cat-and-mouse game--or the target of a sinister plot? As he digs deeper, one thing becomes clear: whoever is behind the bizarre ruse has a deadly agenda.

Bestselling author and two-time Christy Award finalist Irene Hannon warms readers' hearts as they root for a romance between Lance and Christy, but she pulls out all the stops as this high-stakes thriller chills to the bone in a race to the finish.


Publisher: Revell, 2016
Cover Design: Kirk DouPonce, DogEaredDesign.com


My Review
Former pro-ice skater Christy Reed has finally started moving forward with her life again after losing her sister in a house fire and her parents in a car accident--all within a six month span. Then she receives an anonymous letter stating her sister is still alive. Christy contacts the FBI where Special Agent Lance McGregor is assigned to the case.

Lance's immediate attraction to Christy makes this case personal from the get-go. As they come to know each other, the unresolved issues in Lance's past begin to haunt him. If he can solve the case and keep Christy safe, perhaps their relationship can become more.

This plot is full of surprising twists and turns. I loved the instant sparks between Lance and Christy and the integrity of both characters. I recommend this book to romantic suspense fans and anyone who loves a good mystery. I give this book 5 stars!

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Irene Hannon is the bestselling and award-winning author of more than fifty novels. For more on Irene and her books, visit www.irenehannon.com.