Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Long Time Gone by Mary Connealy



Someone will stop at nothing to claim the Boden Homestead!







Hey Readers,
Can you believe that April is in 2 days!!!!
I truly feel like Christmas was last week and now as I look around outside I see flowers that are blooming, trees that are flowering and grass that is growing. All of which are why my allergies are going crazy!
Spring is here in full swing and what better way to spend your Spring Break then reading a good book! ( preferably on a balcony facing the ocean, with that wonderful ocean breeze... Sitting on the beach is also a good option)
So I have another book that should be on your "Must Read" list if you :

  • Like western stories with adventure, mystery and romance.
  • Read the first book in the The Cimarron Legacy Series, No Way Up
  • Or would like to read something new or different. 

So here is the summary if you would like to check it out! 


So Long Time Gone by Mary Connealy is the continuing story of the Boden Family’s fight for their homestead.  It seems that someone wants the family dead so they can take their ranch, so they are taking the Boden family out one by one. First someone attacked their father (in the first book) Then someone shot Heath ( Who is related by marriage, Also in the first book) And at the start of this book The oldest son Cole is shot in the abdomen . Justin (The next oldest) knows that the wound could possibly be fatal and is not prepared to live without his brother. The Doctor arrived with his temporary assistant Angie and things are not looking good, Justin prays that they reached his brother in time because without him...

When Angie DuPree  arrived at the Boden homestead she was almost shocked at the love and worry she saw in the Boden family. She was a only child so she did not know the bond siblings could have and when she got married, she married a creep who did not love her and was so controlling that he would not even allow her to meet with friends outside of their home. (She is a widow now. Her husband died about a year before.)   She along with the Doctor worked on Cole, Praying that he survived. Finally after 5 days, Cole’s fever broke and the Doctor determined that he would recover with no lasting injuries.  Angie is so relieved for the family, especially Justin, who she has a small crush on.  She knows that he likes her a little but she does not pursue it because she wants to prove that she is strong by herself, She knows that when she was young, she leaned on her mother, then on her husband once she was married and now she wants to prove that she can be strong on her own with God's help. She is also worried that if she lets Justin court her that she will lean on him and not on her strength or Gods. Justin warns her that by hanging out with his family that she will be putting a target on her back, But Angie does not let that shake her. The Bodens ( especially Sadie and Justin) are her friends and she will not abandon them. When the danger starts to get closer to the ranch, Can they guard their home safely, or will it cost them their lives? 
Justin is determined to court Angie, but he has to figure out how to get past her stubborn self. He has never met anyone as kind and as sweet but he knows that behind her sweet self is a troubled past. He does not want to bring her into the danger his family is facing but he also cannot imagine not being with her.  
When someone is kidnapped as bait to draw the Boden family out into the open, It is a race against the clock as they track them down. Will they be able to reach them in time? 
Will Justin be able to convince Angie to give him a chance? 

You will have to read the book to find out!


What did I think about the book? 
So as I said before, This is the second book in the Cimarron Legacy series and I would definitely recommend reading the first book No Way Up before reading this one. It would help you to understand the story better if you knew what happened before though you could read it as a stand alone because in the middle of the book they give a small overview of the main events that happened in the first book.  I love that the story continues right where the first book left off. The characters are great, especially Angie and Sadie. I LOVE the overall story especially learning about the events that led Angie to come to Skull Gulch. One of my favorite parts was when Justin and Angie were discussing their past and they notice that all the events that happened whether good or bad all led them to where they were right now.  I cannot wait for the next book to come out so I can find out what happens to his brother Cole.  Overall I give it 5 out of 5 Stars!  *****

If you want to check out more books by Mary Connealy ( which I highly recommend) Here is the link to her website, you can check them out.
http://maryconnealy.com/

You can read her the prequel to the Cimarron Legacy, called The Boden Legacy for free by downloading her free ebook. 
Here is the link to Barnes and Noble, Amazon and Christian Book Distibutors
http://maryconnealy.com/the-boden-birthright/



Happy Reading :)


  I would like to thank Bethany House for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy. I was not asked to write a favorable review, Just a honest one.





Thursday, March 23, 2017

A Stolen Heart by Amanda Cabot


The future Lydia dreamed of was gone. But perhaps a better one awaits..."




 


Hey Readers,



 Have you ever thought "This is not what I planned!" We all have interruptions to our plans in life because we are not the author of our lives. I recently did a Bible Study by Priscilla Shirer* who called these interruptions "Divine Interventions". because we can only see this small piece of the puzzle of our lives and we want, what we want, the way we want it. But God is still God and he sees the bigger picture and knows what is best for us. See Jeremiah 29: 11 for more details :)

But the character in my latest "Must Read" had a major life interruption. She thought that she knew exactly what she was going to do, who she was going to marry and how they were going to live but of course, that is not what happened... 


A Stolen Heart by Amanda Cabot is the story of Lydia Crawford, who traveled from New York to Texas to meet her FiancĂ©. The only problem was when she arrived, she discovers that he is already married and not only is he married but it seems that he has disappeared leaving his pregnant wife behind.  Lydia not knowing what she should do decides to stay in Cimarron Creek since she has no family left in New York and she gave up her job already. But did she really want to stay in a town with resentment for Northerners and an abundance of secrets?

Sheriff Travis Whitfield is determined to uncover the mysterious disappearance of Edgar Ellis. Did he run away or did someone attack him. Is he dead or alive?  Then he has the puzzle of Miss Lydia Crawford. He knows that she came looking for Edgar but will not say what their relationship was. He knows that since their last names are not the same, they are not brother and sister but it is strange that she showed up so soon after he disappeared...

Then mysterious things start happening, Stores are robbed but the thief did not take the most valuable things and there were no signs of a break in, a barn was set on fire, pigs were poisoned and it seems that someone attacked Mrs Opal. Are all of these things connected?  There has never been trouble in Cimarron Creek before Lydia came, could the events be connected to her? Then when Lydia is accused of murder it is up to Travis and Lydia’s Friend Catherine to clear her name. Can they prove her innocence before the town decides her fate?
 










What did I think?

So A Stolen Heart is Book one in the Cimarron Creek Trilogy and I cannot wait for the next book! I loved the characters and the way Mrs. Cabot described the town and the residents there. Though the genre is Historical Romance there was so much more to the story,  There was romance, suspense, mystery and a small bit of danger.

My only issue was the end. It came to such a climatic ending and then it was like “Poof” everything was as it should be, almost like nothing had happened.  It just seemed to come together too easy at the end but otherwise it was a fantastic book. 
Overall I give it 4 out of 5 Stars  **** 


So this was not the first book that I have read of Mrs Cabot and all of her books so far are great! If you would like to see what other books she has written, Here is the link: 



Happy Reading :) 



I would like to thank Revell , A division of Baker Publishing Group for allowing me to review this book in exchange for a free copy, I was not required to write a favorable review, just an honest one.




* Divine interventions are spoken about in Priscilla Shirer's book Life Interrupted and her Bible Study Jonah Navigating a life interrupted. Check out all the details by clicking on the links below