Reader Views

From A Distance (Timber Ridge Reflections, Book 1)

"From A Distance" is a tale of hope, of dreams and the road to accomplishing them. Elisabeth is a budding journalist. Society may think that she is past her prime, that she should just worry about getting married, but she sees a dream that she is about to capture and cannot rest until she does. Elisabeth dreams big, and she will do whatever it takes to get her to her desired goal. Is everything fair game? Are there things that are not acceptable in our pursuit of what we want, or is it every woman for herself? Decisions made in the past will impact the future; however, there is grace to forgive. Will it be enough?

This is a five-star read for sure. It is believable, well-thought-out, well-written, and intriguing. I could not put it down because the storyline was a dream to read, and as I read, the only thing that I didn’t like was that the end was coming! "From A Distance" is filled with interesting topics from that day: female rolls, corsets, male-female relations, propriety, the wild west, slavery, racism, mistrust, civil war, healing from lives lost in the war and much else that I am always interested to read about.

All humans are flawed, and in this book the flaws are not smoothed over, and they are not made pretty. Flaws are evident and they cause guilt to surface. I admire the way Tamera Alexander portrays loss and life, but especially her take on forgiveness. This book contains so many relationships, and they feel completely real -- mainly because they are deep -- deep enough to have times when forgiveness is necessary. Forgiveness is something that is either given or not. I loved the realness of the problems and the distances formed through hurt and pain in "From A Distance." It felt so real, so relatable, and through the flaws of the characters, I was able to really feel a bond. A great read all around!

From A Distance (Timber Ridge Reflections, Book 1)
Tamera Alexander
BethanyHouse (2008)
ISBN 9780764203893
Reviewed by Bethany L. Canfield for Reader Views (9/08)

Finding Stefanie

Susan May Warren has another hit novel on her hands with “Finding Stefanie,” the third installment in the Noble family saga.  It is the tale of Stefanie Noble, twin of superstar bull-riding champion, Rafe Noble and younger sister of Silver Buckle co-owner, Nick Noble.  Living in her brothers’ shadows never used to bother Stefanie, but lately she’s unsure of where she belongs. Enter Lincoln Cash, movie star, and Stefanie’s new neighbor.  Will these two develop a relationship out of the crushes they have on each other?  Or will they clash over Hollywood coming to Montana?
 
Unlike Warren’s two previous novels, “Finding Stefanie” concentrates on Stefanie’s journey to come into her own.  Women will find themselves relating to her as she struggles to find out God’s purpose in her life.  The minor characters are also celebrated by Susan’s writing.  The themes explored are disability, second chances, truth and romance.  These are just some of the themes that book clubs can explore in their discussions.  My favorite part was the suspense that builds up until I found myself second guessing the answer, only to find out I was wrong.  The relationship of Lincoln and Stefanie was the heart of this novel and their romance doesn’t disappoint the fans of this series.  One of my favorite lines from the book is from Lincoln.  “He came to Montana thinking his life was imploding. He never dreamed it would get so big.”
 
Even if you haven’t read the other two books in the series, “Finding Stefanie” stands on its own. You should go back and read the other two books in the series, “Reclaiming Nick” and “Taming Rafe,” about Stefanie’s brothers.  “Finding Stefanie” by Susan May Warren is a fulfilling conclusion to the Noble family and I was sad to see these characters go.

Finding Stefanie
Susan May Warren
Tyndale Publishing House (2008)
ISBN 9781414310190
Reviewed by Tracy Kokemuller for Reader Views (8/08)

Easy Lovin’

Little does Abigail Fairfax know what she is letting herself in for, when her friend Justin asks her for a favor. It is far from an easy favor to grant. Justin works for the Customs Bureau. Her home is needed for a stakeout in order to track crime. She is reluctant to allow this to happen, but is finally convinced that all will work out.

Ezechial Zachariah (EZ) McAllister is a true Texan. Things are always bigger in Texas, right? He is a charmer but also a co-worker of Justin's. With EZ living in Abigail's home, there is a lot more at stake than just catching a criminal. How can the two of them exist in the same house without creating sparks between them? It would definitely be easier if they weren’t both so attractive and so available.

“Easy Lovin’” is a terrific book which combines two of the most popular themes in fiction books, romance and mystery. By reading this book, you can feed your romantic side as well as try out your sleuthing abilities. Elaine Charton has written an exciting yet gentle loving book which you will love. She has a wonderful style which makes you feel like you are right there with these two people as they try to avoid giving into what they both really need. It is very easy-to-read and flows beautifully. The only thing you won’t like is once you start reading “Easy Lovin’,” is it won’t be easy to lay down until you have read each exciting page to an extraordinary conclusion.

Easy Lovin’
Elaine Charton
Swimming Kangaroo Books (2007)
ISBN 9781934041659
Reviewed by Lori Plach for Reader Views (7/08)

My Father’s Daughter

“My Father’s Daughter” contains all of the best elements of a great novel.  The author Teresa Marotta immediately swept me into the intriguing adventure.  It begins in Columbia, South Carolina in the year 1892.  Feisty, strong-willed, 22-year-old, red-head Amelia Porter is dealing with her father’s unexpected death.   He traveled every year to trade with the Cherokee.   He was murdered by a rogue Native American.  Unusual for the times, Amelia works in her father’s business.  As she is sorting through his paperwork, she discovers his journals.  While reading them, she discovers that she has a half-sister who is part Native American.  Her sister and family have been secretly hidden from the authorities on land that her father bought to protect them.

As Amelia reads on in her father’s journals, she discovers that although her sister has been kept a secret from her, her father had written books for her to read, as a child that told her about this woman named Taunais.  While Amelia was allowed to be raised with and education and permission to have business responsibilities normally assigned to men, her sister was trained to track, hunt and fight like a warrior.  This was done in secret, so that most members of the tribe were unaware of her capabilities.  Her father only wanted her  to have them if she needed them.

Amelia becomes determined to go to Taunais to tell her of their father’s death.  Nobody is willing to support her with this idea, because the journey is too treacherous for a woman to undertake.  Not allowing this to detour her, Amelia finds a way to sneak along behind two traders who worked with her father.  The journey is not only arduous, but incredibly dangerous.  Amelia is afraid to admit that she feels she is being watched.  She also is afraid to admit that she is finding herself falling for Andrew.  Both issues must find resolution.

“My Father’s Daughter” is definitely a must read for fans of historical fiction.  Not only does it have an incredibly compelling, well-developed plot, with interesting characters, it also has some scenes that will make you laugh out loud.  I love a tale with a strong female heroine.  This story not only has one, but two.  It also has a sexy, strong-yet-caring male hero.  In addition to a wonderful plot, “My Father’s Daughter” also has a strong thread about the importance of personal values running through it.  This touch greatly adds to my respect for the hero and heroine, and definitely adds to the suspense.  This is definitely a must read for all fans of historical fiction.

My Father’s Daughter
Teresa Marotta
Crary Publications (2008)
ISBN 9780974343860
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (8/08)

Truffles by the Sea

“Life is like a box of a chocolates; you never know what you are going to get.” Perhaps you know this quote from the movie “Forrest Gump.” Do you ever feel that way when you go to a bookstore too? Sure the book looks interesting on its cover but it is just as delightful inside the covers?

For “Truffles by the Sea” the answer is definitely yes. From its front cover with its sea of chocolate and relaxing beach chair and umbrella to the end of this book, you will be discovering one treasure after another. Julie Carobini has created a sequel to “Chocolate Beach” that is as equally delicious as her first in the series.

Gaby Flores is a gal who has had a run of bad circumstances in her life. She has recently suffered through another broken relationship, seen her apartment building burn to the ground and discovered that a delivery driver has run off with a great deal of her business. But is that going to get her down? No, she has to pick herself up, dust herself off and go on with her life.

She moves to a tiny waterfront apartment in a rather rich neighborhood. She has been dating many different characters which add a lot of variety to her life. Some of these characters are very colorful, but reading about her adventures in dating will have you laughing. Throughout the book your appetite for creative, fun and Christian friendship will be satisfied page after wonderful page.

There are numerous storylines taking place in this book. However, the transition between the different storylines is very smooth. Gaby’s friends Bri and Livi are two of the sweetest friends you could ever meet. But not everything is always smooth sailing. She has many bumps along the road. This book is very inspirational when you see how Gaby has moved on with her life rather than just lie down when the chips are down. Her reliance on God and his timing reigns through.

If your mouth is watering for something sweet and delicious, don’t reach for the chocolates and load yourself up with sugar. Reach for “Truffles by the Sea” even though you might want to have a box of chocolates close by, because once you start reading this book you won’t want to lay it down until its very last page. “Truffles by the Sea” by Julie Carobini is a treat for people who enjoy good Christian romantic literature! Sink yourself into this treasure today!

Truffles by the Sea
Julie Carobini
Bethany House (2008)
ISBN 9780764204272
Reviewed by Lori Plach for Reader Views (7/08)

Calico Canyon: Lassoed in Texas, Book 2 (Truly Yours Romance Club #24)

“Calico Canyon” takes place in Mosqueros, Texas in 1867.  It centers around teacher Grace Calhoun, who settled in Mosqueros, hoping to escape from her past.  She is used to teaching girls, but when the five Reeve boys (twins and triplets) show up, she has her work cut out for her.  Being typical boys, they play pranks and misbehave.  Their widowed father, Daniel, is no better.  When Grace confronts him about the boy’s behavior, he does not want to hear it.  He takes it up with the school board who listens to both sides of the story.  Not being able to come to a conclusion, the board fires Ms. Calhoun and expels the five Reeve boys from school.  After being fired, Grace goes back home.  She senses danger and realizes her abusive adoptive father, Parrish, has found her.  Come to find out, she has been running from him because he had been conducting shady business about which she turned over evidence to the authorities.  Trying to escape his clutches, she jumps out the window and hides in a nearby wagon.  The wagon belonged to none other than Daniel Reeves.  Unbeknownst to Mr. Reeves, he takes off with Grace in the back.  While his sons are helping him take everything out of the wagon, one of the younger ones asks “if he brought home a ma.”  Of course, no one knew what he was talking about until they all see Grace cold and unconscious.  They bring her inside and nurture her until she is well.  The boys and Daniel are not happy about the situation because of the previous encounter at the school.  This dislike permeates throughout most of the story until they discover Grace’s past and whom she is running from.  This leads to everyone being in danger with only love prevailing.

I loved the interaction between Daniel and Grace.  Throughout the book, I was hoping that they would realize they belonged with each other. The history and details of 1800 Texas were interesting and well researched.  It was also suspenseful as Parrish was a very scary man.  To think that he would adopt orphans to work in his carpet mill and then control and beat them was disturbing.  If you want to be “Lassoed in Texas” and then some, I would definitely recommend you read “Calico Canyon.,” by Mary Connealy.  You won’t be disappointed.

Calico Canyon
Mary Connealy
Barbour Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9781597899383
Reviewed by Wendy Cleveland for Reader Views (6/08)

The Shrew Untamed

Anyone expecting to meet Kate and Petruchio, the characters from “The Taming of the Shrew,” unchanged and still at odds, is in for a big surprise after encountering them in James Carter’s “The Shrew Untamed.” Kate, formerly a bitter harpy, and Petruchio, a loud, boisterous and fortune-hunting gentleman from Verona, have found unexpected happiness in their marriage and have learned to truly care for each other. The opening scenes of the book find them on their way from Verona to Pisa, where they plan to visit Kate’s sister Bianca and her husband, Lucentio. It quickly becomes obvious that they’ve found comfort and contentment in each other and their relationship is no longer strained, but playful and enjoyable.

Upon arrival at Lucentio’s house they discover that Bianca’s marriage is extremely strained and unhappy, so Petruchio proposes a bet – if Kate manages to transform her sister’s marriage into a happy one within three days, he will give her a gold coin. Kate gladly accepts a challenge and sets out to teach her sister about the means and ways of molding the husband into somebody she could learn to like and love. Bianca, shallow and self-centered, not only misunderstands Kate’s teachings completely, but in the process nearly manages to destroy Kate’s marriage as well. Luckily for Kate and her husband, there is enough love, respect and trust in their relationship, so they manage to rescue their marriage and after playing one last prank on Bianca and Lucentio, take their leave.

Funny and sassy, “The Shrew Untamed” is a light, but not lightweight read. James Carter manages to showcase a lot of behavioral patterns that still ring fresh a good 300 years after the original play was written, making us realize how little the relationships between men and women have really changed. The story flows well and draws one in quickly, with the single discordant note being the severe lack of proper positioning of commas throughout the book. I stopped counting after the first fifty. There is a big difference in the meaning of “Know this woman!” and “Know this, woman!” At times such oversights made it quite challenging to read. Overall lack of quality editing shows in other spots as well, most notably when Lucentio is described as the butt of a virility joke, since he is still “fatherless” after a year of marriage. Hopefully such errors will be fixed in the next printing, which this witty book certainly deserves. A must for lovers of plays, of the Bard as well as anybody who enjoys a good, intelligent argument; this is a refreshing play that would be great entertainment for audiences everywhere. I will be taking my copy of “The Shrew Untamed” to the artistic director of our community theatre next week and I do hope they will consider putting it on the stage in one of the upcoming seasons.

The Shrew Untamed
James Carter
Olympus Books (2008)
ISBN 9780741443496
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (6/08) 

Along Came a Cowboy: The Pinky Promise Sisterhood, Book 2 (Truly Yours Romance Club #22)

The subtitle on the cover “A Romantic Showdown in Small-Town Arkansas” summarizes “Along Came a Cowboy” perfectly.  Dr. Rachel Donovan is a successful chiropractor living in Shady Grove, Arkansas.  She tries to keep to herself and away from the southern scandals until one of her patients, Alma Westwood, brings along her son Jack to one of her appointments.  Alma tries to be the matchmaker, but Rachel doesn’t have it.  Come to find out, Jack lives and runs his ranch right next door to her parents.  Because of something that happened in her past (we won’t mention it here), Rachel shuns the very idea of “cowboys” which Jack is.  Sadly, Rachel is also an outcast with her parents from this event which makes their interactions very awkward.  Her pregnant sister Tammy and her husband Rick do not live in town.  Their teenage daughter Jennifer, who mistakenly finds out she’s adopted, decides to spend the summer with Rachel so she can help her find out where her real mother is.  Throughout all of this, Rachel is trying to harbor her real feelings for Jack. She doesn’t want to get involved with a cowboy, nor does she want her niece to either, since Jennifer likes her parent’s ranch-hand Dirk.  Rachel starts to feel more at ease with Jack after she is nominated and starts working on the Shady Grove Centennial Rodeo Committee.  Whew!

Since this is a romantic cowboy story, the ranch elements (bull riding, barrel racing, etc.) were really well written and easy to understand for those of us (like me) who are not familiar with the ranch life.  I particularly enjoyed the part where Rachel’s niece wanted to train become a bull rider. 

Although there were a lot of characters and subplots to keep track of, it was a moving Christian love story that focused on the importance of being in God’s grace at all times.  There were many lessons that could be applied to everyday life especially the fact that you need to overcome (and be thankful for) the past to move on with the future.  “Along Came a Cowboy” was a very romantic, uplifting story suitable for those who enjoy a great Christian novel.

Along Came a Cowboy
Christine Lynxwiler
Barbour Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9781597898966
Reviewed by Wendy Cleveland for Reader Views (5/08)

Mississippi Weddings: Unforgettable/To Love Again/With Open Arms (Heartsong Novella Collection)

With the soaring gas prices of 2008, perhaps you need another option for a vacation this year. Through the pages of “Mississippi Weddings” you can travel to Magnolia Bay, Mississippi. You will soon fall in love with the small town, its residents, hospitality and charm. 

You can meet one of the newest business owners who returned to her hometown to open up a second Color store. She started the business in Dallas but has returned to Magnolia Bay to help the city's failing economy and bring new life to it. She has a man in Dallas who wants to marry her but she isn't sure about marrying him because he was not her first love. When returning to Magnolia Bay, she reunites with Nick Chambers. Will her coming back home be a chance for the two of them to get back together and realize that they are meant to be together?

Ronni Melrose is brokenhearted. Her husband has died but his memory lives on. She remembers the good times she had with him but he has left a mess of finances. Ronni moves into Melrose Manor with her mother-in-law Claudia. Cole Barton is a nephew to Claudia but is more like a son to him. He wants to straighten out the financial mess that Claudia is found in. Would opening up a business in Magnolia Bay help the city's economy as well as be an answer to Claudia's problems?

While visiting Magnolia Bay through the pages of “Mississippi Weddings,” you don’t have to worry about the weather but the weather forecast is first and foremost in Dani's life. She is now the woman in charge of the city. There is a hurricane brewing in the ocean and it looks certain that Magnolia Bay is in for a direct hit. Thad was rejected by Meagan Chambers but he now has his sights set on Dani. She is afraid of getting into any relationship. Can Thad break down her resistance to him and make her see that they should be more than friends? Perhaps that hurricane is just what will sweep these two people into a relationship with lasting effects.

You don’t have to rely on sunny weather and buy any new clothes to go on vacation; in “Mississippi Weddings,” you can visit Magnolia Bay today!

Mississippi Weddings
Janet Lee Barton
Barbour Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9781597899888
Reviewed by Lori Plach for Reader Views (5/08)

Coinage of Commitment

Wayne and Nancy come from very different socio-economic backgrounds. Nancy was raised by privileged and wealthy parents. She never had to experience feelings of want. Wayne was raised by depression-era parents. He has had to work hard to obtain his goals. They meet while attending college in the 1960s. Wayne is attending college near Nancy’s Ivy League university. When they first meet, they are instantly attracted to each other. Although they hail from very different backgrounds, they realize that they do share something in common: their hopes and dreams about love. Both Nancy and Wayne share a common goal of being in a loving relationship that extends beyond what is typical in most relationships. They each developed these ideas long before they met.

It is their desire to have a happy, loving relationship that allows them to work through their class and religious differences. As with most relationships, they have a lot to work through in the beginning. When fate throws them a curveball, their lives are forever changed. Friends and family members have to help them both deal with drastic changes that occur for both of them. Their future is not what they expected it to be.

“Coinage of Commitment” is a beautiful romantic tale that also provides the reader with lots of food for thought. Wayne and Nancy both have created some beautiful idealistic views of what love should be. When I read about their thoughts on love, mentally I also reviewed my own. Through this book, Costelloe teaches us that it is important and worthwhile to wait for that special loving relationship that will have the most meaning for us. It is also worth taking a chance for true love. A relationship that evolves at this level will allow each partner to evolve together and to continue to evolve as individuals. He also shows us that it is also important to recognize when you have that a special love in your relationship and the importance of maintaining yourself as a person of integrity to fully appreciate the value of what you have.

Coinage of Commitment
R. Costelloe
Saga Books (2007)
ISBN 9781894936835
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (4/08)