Honor Redeemed by Christine Johnson

Her future--and her heart--hang in the balance.

Keys of Promise book #2

Two Men Vie for Her Affection--Survival Will Depend on Choosing the Right One.

 
Two years ago, Prosperity Jones waved farewell to her beloved David as the army sent him to faraway Key West. Now with her parents gone, she has but one prospect for the future: make the dangerous journey from Nantucket to Key West to reunite with David and secure a happier life. 

Arriving penniless in the South, Prosperity is dismayed to find David married to someone else. Scrambling to survive and nursing a broken heart, she gains the friendship--and the affection--of a kind doctor. Could he be the answer to her loneliness? Or will her life be upended by circumstance yet again?

 
With a deft hand, Christine Johnson fills the reader's senses with the sights, sounds, and smells of Key West in this heartwarming story of honor lost, honor redeemed, and a love forged in adversity.

Publisher: Revell, 2016

Genre: Historical Romance

Time Period: 1852

My Review

After losing both her parents, Prosperity Jones uses what little money she has left to sail to Key West, seeking refuge in her fiance Lt. David Latham. Upon arrival, she finds David only to discover he's already married. To a woman of ill repute no less. Without money to return home to Nantucket, she secures a laundress position at the local hospital to support herself. 

David can't stand his wife. She's vile, lazy, and demanding. Living in the same town with Prosperity, the woman he truly loves, is torture. But he must accept the consequences of his sin, a child conceived from a night he can't recall. 

As changing as the sea, David and Prosperity's lives shift with every lie exposed, challenge rendered, and threat to their happiness. 

This is the first book I've read of Christine Johnson's and it won't be my last. Book one in this series is not required reading before this one. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good, steady historical romance. I gave this book 4 stars!

No Way Up by Mary Connealy

The fight for the Cimarron Ranch

HAS JUST BEGUN!

When Cimarron ranch patriarch Chance Boden is caught in an avalanche, the quick actions of hired hand Heath Kincaid save him. Badly injured, Chance demands that his will be read and its conditions be enforced immediately. 

Without anyone else to serve as a witness, Heath is pressed into reading the will. If Justin, Sadie, and Cole Boden don't live and work at home for the entire year, the ranch will go to their low-down cousin Mike. 
Then Heath discovers the avalanche was a murder attempt, and more danger might follow. Deeply involved with the family, Heath's desire to protect Sadie goes far beyond friendship. The danger keeps them close together, and their feelings grow until being apart is the last thing on their minds.

Publisher: Bethany House, 2016

Genre: Historical Romance

My Review

All three Boden children have established their own way of life and none of those paths fits their father's wishes. When Chance Boden gets injured in an avalanche, the terms of his will are put into action immediately. To keep the ranch from going to a greedy distant relative, the Boden children must live together and work the ranch for the next year. 

Sibling rivalry, clashing personalities, and a handsome--and very opinionated--ranch hand, Heath Kincaid, make living arrangements difficult for Sadie Boden. Then when Heath discovers the avalanche was a pre-planned attack, the hunt for the culprit, and their motive, take them all on a wild journey they never expected. 

With adventure, humor, and a sweet romance this book will not disappoint Connealy fans. 

I gave this book 4 stars!

From This Moment by Elizabeth Camden

Romulus White has tried for years to hire illustrator Stella West for his renowned scientific magazine. She is the missing piece he needs to propel his magazine to the forefront of the industry.
But Stella abruptly quit the art world and moved to Boston with a single purpose: to solve the mysterious death of her beloved sister. Romulus, a man with connections to high society and every important power circle in the city, could be her most valuable ally. 


Sparks fly the instant Stella and Romulus join forces, and Romulus soon realizes the strong-willed and charismatic Stella could disrupt his hard-won independence. Can they continue to help each other when their efforts draw the wrong kind of attention from the powers-that-be and put all they've worked for at risk?


Publisher: Bethany House, 2016
Genre: historical romance



My Review
When two creative talents clash, sparks fly and tempers flare. Will they be willing to set aside their egos to find true love?

Famous lithograph artist Stella West has moved to Boston to find who murdered her sister. Despite the police's claim her death was accidental, Stella lurks around City Hall for any clue of foul play. She crosses paths with Romulus White, half-owner of Scientific World, the very man behind the letters she'd received in England, begging her to work for him. When Romulus offers her a deal she can't refuse, he gets more than what he bargained for--attraction, frustration, and danger.

Since a lot of romances are plotted with polar opposite heroes and heroines, I loved how Stella and Romulus were just alike--independent, confident powerhouses who are used to getting what they want. This made for great conflict and romantic tension. Once I started this book I couldn't hardly put it down.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical romance or elements of mystery. I gave this book 4.5 stars!

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For more on Elizabeth and her books, visit her website at www.elizabethcamden.com.