Twice Promised by Maggie Brendan

Greta Olsen is still heart broken after the death of her army officer fiancé, so she jumps at the chance to become a mail order bride.  After all, her sister was a mail order bride and everything worked out for her.  However, when Greta arrives in Black Hawk, Colorado, she finds that she is not the only bride and her would be husband Jess didn't even order one bride let alone two!

Competing for Jess is a bit of a mess for loveable, spunky Greta and sweet and quiet Cora.  Zach is held responsible for his actions as he was the one who ordered the brides for his brother.  Soon he is offer up in the marriage meat market and the women are chosen based on a china pattern.  Did the men chose the right 'china pattern' for themselves?  

I like that they are both lovely women and you really want things to work out for the both of them.  Cora and Greta become friends even though they are in such a difficult and uncertain situation.   You are kept wondering who is the best husband for each woman.  Jess and Zach are two very different brothers; Jess is a taciturn mercantile owner and Zach is an easy going rancher.  When you add in a loveable, but intrepid and meddling grandmother into the mix you have the recipe for a delightful book.

"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".

Full Disclosure by Dee Henderson

After reading many of Dee Henderson's other books, I was expecting a fast paced suspense romance.  This was not what I got in Full Disclosure.

Paul Falcon is an FBI agent who meets Ann Silver when she dumps a case that is connected to one he has been working on for a decade onto his lap.  Paul is intrigued, Ann appears to be interested and that is the height of the romance in my opinion.  Yes we find out that Ann can do all things...write, fly, paint, maintain friendships with a surprising amount of influential people.  And not only does Ann do all this, but she is also one heck of a cop who is humble as well.  What I don't get is how Ann can be all these things and be unable to love.  I don't buy it.

Now we have Paul Falcon...if we go by the cover, he is so good looking I might even trade in my husband for him.  Not only is he physically attractive, he is a hard working, likeable and respected FBI agent who makes time for his large family.  I don't think the attraction is believable.  Family oriented Paul would not settle for a recluse who doesn't want children.

Full Disclosure was also missing in suspense.  Perhaps there was a bit of it near the end, but since the book lacked in romance, it needed suspense to hold my interest.  It took me a looonnnggg time to read this book.  It was not the page turner I hoped it would be.

"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".  

With Every Letter by Sarah Sundin

Mellie Blake just doesn't fit in.  She grew up in foreign places with her father and never learned to make friends.  Tom MacGilliver's father was a killer and he was never able to make more than superficial friendships because of his parentage.  Tom and Mellie begin to exchange letters anonymously and soon find that their friendship helps them grow in their areas of weakness.  Mellie is a source of encouragement for Tom who doesn't know how to lead his men without being abusive.  Tom teaches Mellie how to open up to friendship and gives her a safe place to share her fears.

Eventually they are stationed near each other and Mellie discovers who Tom is.  However, Mellie is plagued with the fear and conviction that she is unattractive and that Tom would be disappointed if they should ever meet.  Will they ever be able to overcome the obstacles that keep them apart?

This book is a must read.  I have read a few horrible books lately and this is definitely the opposite of that!  The setting was great!  Beginning with Mellie's training in the US to the transfer to upper Africa, the setting added to the story.  I also enjoyed learning about Mellie and Tom's respective jobs as it added a richness to their love story.

What do you need as a prospective buyer to purchase this book?  Great characters?  Check.  Great setting?  Check!  Great plot?  Check!!  This is definitely a buy.  I can't wait for the next book.

"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".

Against The Tide by Elizabeth Camden

I want to read every book that Elizabeth Camden writes!  She is able to create complex characters that draw you in right from the start.

Lydia Pallas grew up on the boats that her immigrant parents owned until the day they never returned for her after school.  Although Lydia never hears from them she is secure in their love and the belief that they would never have left her unless they had perished.  The rest of her childhood was spent in a loveless orphanage.  When Lydia matures she obtains a job as a translator for the navy.  This gives her a sense of security as she goes about her work on her pristine desk and then home to her comfy home and predicable life.

Enter Alexander Bainbridge, a man who is more Adonis than human, who disrupts Lydia's life and draws her into adventures of intrigue.  'Bane' is complex himself, having been stolen as a child he became a drug lord of sorts and since he became a Christian he has been trying to atone for his crimes of trafficking opium.  When he meets Lydia, he feels that he has found the other half of his heart, but he can not allow himself to act upon the attraction he feels for her.  His powerful former captor is still trying to kill Bane who is... the bane of his existence (pun intended) and he can not risk Lydia in his battle.

What this story boils down to is: great characters and a plot that compels you to read until the end!  I loved this book as I loved her other book The Rose of Winslow Street.  I can't wait until her next book comes out!

"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".  

Love's Reckoning by Laura Frantz

This was a hard book to read.  Silas comes to the Lee household as an apprentice blacksmith.  He is unaware that he is expected to marry one of Liege Lee's daughters.  The despicable Elspeth has been 'given' Silas and she begins her campaign to woo Silas, but Silas is drawn to the gentleness in Eden.

The characters in this book are awful!  Eden is weak and lets everyone walk all over her.  Elspeth is so vile that I would not read a book if it was about her.  The father, Liege is a bitter and verbally abusive man and his wife is a spineless, voiceless coward.  The only redeeming character in the book is Silas; he has strength, compassion and ambition.

Not only are the characters horrible, but the plot is depressing.  It was painful watching the disfunction of this abusive family as darkness and evil are unfurled.  Just when you think light might enter the story, Eden's nephew is murdered and she is raped.  Only the last few chapters have any redeeming quality to them.

Boring and painful!

"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".

Over The Edge by Mary Connealy

I just love a book that starts with a bang and keeps on going!  Callie is on her way to find her abandoning husband to shoot him when her stage coach is attacked.  Callie, being the tough Texas girl that she is, sends her baby out the back door with the preacher and his wife so that she can fight the outlaws and give her baby a chance to get out of this disaster alive.

Enter Seth, an injured and mostly crazy man; he can't remember getting married.  When he comes upon the stage coach and a bloody Callie, he almost loses his head when Callie starts shooting at him.  Callie is furious, but now that he's met his beautiful wife again he wants to make his marriage work.  Being abandoned with a baby on the way wounded Callie and she isn't convinced that Seth won't do that to her again.  She determines not to let Seth out of her sight until she can trust him not to run off again.  She isn't going to have a 'real' marriage again either until she can trust Seth not to hurt her.

There is also the matter of the stolen diamonds that continue from the previous two books in this series...  Can Callie and Seth overcome his mental issues and her trust issues in spite of the danger swirling around them?

Mary Connealy is one of my favourite authors for a reason!  She's funny and she knows how to grab your attention in a hurry and keep it.  I have read 12 of her books and have loved them all!

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".