To Love and Cherish

Melinda is and excellent choice for a lady's maid.  Having grown up in the demanding world of the elite socialites, Melinda knows how to placate her demanding lady Mrs. Mifflin making herself invaluable.  What Melinda doesn't know how to do is make her expectations for marriage clear to Evan who is her beau on Bridal Veil.  Melinda and Evan separate for the season as each work their different jobs.

Evan wants to marry Melinda, but he holds off until he can get a promotion and support her as he feels is necessary.  When a hurricane hits the island in her worry Melinda rushes to the island to find out what happened to Evan and hopes to finally tie the knot despite the fact that everything is in a shamble.  Of course things happen to keep them apart and make them doubt the other's devotion...

Evan is a pretty dense fellow in my opinion.  That he couldn't understand Melinda's hopes for marriage and explain his position is ridiculous.  Melinda herself had some unreal expectations and I found that she annoyed me.  Despite the fact that their was a hurricane and then intrigue near the end of the book, I found this read to be plodding.    

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.   Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".  

Mary Magdalene by Diana Wallis Taylor

Who is Mary Magdalene?  She is a woman who was possessed by seven demons.  Imagine living with that!  Mary is kidnapped as a girl and is never the same after that.  She is afflicted with an illness that her parents cannot get treatment for.  Everywhere she goes she is called Mad Mary and she despairs of ever getting married and having a family.  Mary's story follows her through her debilitating illness, her healing at the hand of Jesus, and then her following of Jesus in his ministry.

I thought the author did a fair job of showing what it was like to live with demons in your person, but I never really felt the terror that Mary must have felt.  However, it was very thought provoking for me when Mary left Magdala to follow Jesus.  It had never crossed my mind that Jesus also had women with him and not just the disciples.  I was also mesmerized with the story of Jesus's faithful followers when he was crucified.  How the disciples and his other followers such as Mary would have grieved.  It was a confusing and heartrending time for them.

This is exactly the type of book that makes you examine your relationship with Jesus as you insert yourself into history.  It fills in the blanks of Mary's story as well and brings her to life.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

Whispers in the Wind by Lauraine Snelling

In the first book of this series, Cassie Lockwood left the Wild West Show where she had performed and lived her whole life.  Because of her 'uncle's' mismanagement of the show, Cassie is left with only her father's gypsy type wagon and a couple friends.  The story continues in the second book with Cassie arriving at the ranch she owns half of.  She and the Engstrom's try to figure out how it will all work out between them.

The mother Mavis is very welcoming because she has always known that a Lockwood might come back to claim their share of the ranch.  Mavis' son Ransom, however, had no such warning and he is having a difficult time even being civil to Cassie.  On the other hand, the other son Lucas figures that he is in love with Cassie.

Cassie has her own worries.  She has no where else to go and has formed a family with the friends that she brought with her.  Worry is her constant friend as she attempts to forge a home for her family and support them financially.  Will Cassie finally have the home she desires?

I liked the idea of this book, but I find that it is sloooowww.  The most exciting part of the series was at the beginning of the first book when the author describes Cassie life and act in the Wild West Show.  After that the series so far has moved at a snail's pace.  I wish the author would inject more humor and more of Cassie's riding skills into her story.  Perhaps I would enjoy the book more if she did.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".