No Other Will Do by Karen Witemeyer

"Harper's Station is my Dream and my Responsibility... I refuse to be run off my property!" - Emma Chandler, No other will do by Karen Witemeyer.


In Karen Witemeyer’s latest novel No Other Will Do, We are introduced to Emma Chandler, A strong young women who is determined to be who she wants to be no matter what anyone tells her.
The Year is 1894, Women are told they are to help around the house and watch children, etc.  But in Harper’s Station things are a bit different. Emma and her Suffragette Aunts have established this colony to be a women’s only colony that would allow women who are in need to have a fresh start. They all had specific jobs like gardening, raising chickens, sewing, selling quilts, running a store and running a bank. Also it was a safe place for them to live. Everything was going well until someone starts threatening the Colony. The women find several notes telling them to leave the Colony or else. Then during a meeting, a masked man comes into the Church and starts shooting! Thankfully all of the shots were above the women’s heads and no one was hurt. But this latest attack has Emma worried.  They all decide that they need someone to help guard the Colony and help them fight against the assailant. Emma immediately writes her old friend Malachi Shaw. Malachi was an orphan who was saved many years ago by Emma’s kindness.  When Malachi receives Emma’s Telegraph, He immediately boards a train and comes to her rescue. When he arrives in Harper’s Station, he is shocked at how much she has grown into a beautiful young woman, because he has not seen her since they were both kids.  Malachi is determined to protect the women at all costs but during his very first night there, someone sets the church on fire!  When they finally were able to put out the fire they notice they someone carefully burned a message on the wall that said “LEAVE OR DIE” .Emma feels like she has failed the people she cares about but Malachi convinces her that she is doing a great job and that she must continue leading the women or else the assailant will win. Malachi knows that he is in love with Emma but he feels like he is not worthy of someone like her and Emma finds herself falling in love with Malachi but she thinks that he just sees her as an old childhood friend. So they try to avoid being alone together because it is hard for both of them to hide their feelings from the other. Several more events take place during the story involving the assailant and now it appears that there is a traitor among them. When Emma disappears, things really escalate. Malachi receives a note that says to have everyone out of Harper’s Station before Sunset or else Emma dies along with anyone in the town.  Will Malachi and the others flee or will they be able to save Emma before it is too late?       Will Malachi and Emma finally tell how they feel or will they just ignore the other until Malachi has to leave?  
Well, Towards the end of the book....

Oops,I can’t tell you! You will have to read the book to find out!


What did I think of the book?
I LOVED  reading this book! Karen Witemeyer is one of my favorite authors and I highly recommend her books. This book specifically was amazing. the Prologue was one of my favorite parts. I love how the author describes the relationship between Emma and Malachi, How they both had fallen in love with the other but were too afraid to say anything. ( But the readers see that they are an absolute perfect couple.) I love the  faith that Emma shows during the trials they were facing.  The author threads a lot of humor within the story and within each character and there is a bit of suspense and danger threaded in the story as well. This book is the first of the Ladies of Harper Station series and I cannot wait until the rest of the series!
Overall I rate the book 5 out of 5 Stars!


Check out all of her other books on her website! 
Here is the link:
http://www.karenwitemeyer.com/books.html


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.

The Quieting by Suzanne Woods Fisher

         "When you dig into the past, it's like you're finding genealogical layers that tell a story."            - Abigail in The Quieting by Suzanne Woods Fisher.

Hooray, for Summer reading!!! I love that I have a little extra time for reading in the summer, especially when it is stormy outside. So on to the book that I just finished reading. The Quieting by Suzanne Woods Fisher  is the story of an Amish girl named Abigail Stoltzfus who loves to research people’s origins and family histories because she believes that history repeats itself.  For the last few months she has been helping her father with his genealogical research in an attempt to help him out of his slight case of depression.  When her family sends both her and her sister Laura to help their Uncle David, She is excited because her Uncle lives in the same place as the client they are helping. But what she did not realize was that her Grandmother has a different reason for bringing her to help her Uncle. Her Grandmother wants her to find a husband because there has to be several eligible bachelors there... Right?  Nope, there is only one and his name is Dane Glick. (AKA Dane like rain) Dane is smitten with Abigail from the moment he first hears her voice. He decides right away that this girl was the one God had sent for him. However Abigail is not interested in Dane at all , not because of anything he did but just the fact that she prefers  the company of books, old newspapers and old Bibles instead of boys. It could also be because she gets so nervous around boys and when she gets nervous she starts to sneeze, a lot. Oh, and one other thing. Dane is related to a Minister who did something wrong at the church and is at odds with Abigail’s Uncle David.  As the conflict at the church gets worse.  Abigail’s Uncle decides that they may have to resort to a Quieting, which is when a Minister has his ordination revoked.  Abigail is puzzled by the way Dane treats her. It is not possible that he could like her, I mean really like her... right?  She is boring (or so her sister says) She has no sense of humor , is honest to a fault ( really,  She just says whatever is on her mind no matter what it is ) and is fascinated with the past not the future.  When Abigail finds information that could help resolve the matter at the church but in the process may hurt her fragile relationship with Dane, Will she use that information to settle the issues at the church or will she keep quiet about what she learned?  Will Dane be able to convince her that she is who God made her to be and that he loves her for the way she is?
Well, I guess you will have to read to the book to find out!


What did I think about the book?
It was a really good book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.  I loved the characters, especially the relationship between Abigail and Dane. This is a book 2 in the Bishop's Family series but I read it as a stand alone.  The book contains a bit of seriousness as you read about the issues in the church but there are also the moments where Abigail and Dane interact or the moments that Abigail decides to help around  her  Uncle’s house ( you will have to read the book to understand what I mean.) and it brings a bit of humor to the overall story, that being said, I think the author balances the seriousness and the humor very well so  that neither overwhelms the story.  I recommend this book to anyone is looking for a Amish book with slight bit of romance and an intriguing story line.  Overall I give the book 4 out of 5 stars ****

Hey, Don't forget to check out her other books!!!
 http://suzannewoodsfisher.com/books/



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.

Sea Rose Lane by Irene Hannon

 Love has crashed into BJ Stevens...              
Literally.
                                                 
In Irene Hannon’s latest novel, Sea Rose Lane, BJ Stevens was driving to an elderly friend’s home when she is rear ended by Eric who was talking on his cell phone. She is furious that he would be so careless and not pay attention to the road. She decides not to press charges since there is substantial damage to his car and virtually none on her beloved pickup truck.    
 Eric is having a bad day, a world class, “This day could not get any worse” kind of day. He lost his job that he thought was secure because it was one of the largest firms in the state and now he has crashed into a pickup truck and messed up his expensive BMW.  And then he has another surprise because as he enters his father’s driveway,   he notices  the pickup truck is parked at the top .Eric discovers that the driver, BJ Stevens is an architect and she is the one who is overseeing his father’s dream of turning the family home into a Bed and Breakfast.   At first BJ and Eric  CANNOT stand each other. even thought they both feel this ”electric attraction” to each other, neither wants to see what it is or where it goes because BJ has been in a bad relationship before and Eric has always prioritized his job before dating. When Eric accidentally insults Luis, A man from Cuba who works on BJ’s team, he discovers how depressed Luis is and by the grace of God is able to stop him from doing something foolish. Eric finds out that Luis is very discouraged because he lost his wife on the way to the United States and he cannot practice medicine here even though he was a doctor in Cuba and though he is grateful to BJ for giving him his job and teaching him the trade but he is depressed about his circumstances.  BJ has a dream to help elderly people who are alone by providing a companion that would be paid by room and food but the Helping Hands board ( the charity where BJ volunteers) tells BJ that her project has too much liability risks. When everything looks hopeless for her project God puts Luis and BJ’s elderly friend Eleanor on her heart and she decides she would like them to test her project. With the Board Members permission, they try to get Luis and Eleanor together but Eleanor is not comfortable with having a stranger live with her and Luis does not want charity. Will BJ be able to convince them to try this out or will they continue to be stubborn and miss this opportunity?
 As BJ and Eric work together to  find a solution to some problems they are facing they find themselves growing closer to each other. But then Eric gets a job offer that is even better than his previous job, will he take the job and leave BJ heartbroken or will he turn down this prestigious job for a chance on love?
Guess you will have to read it to find out!

What did I think of the book?
I thought that the book was well written, The characters were likeable and the story line was good. I did not like how many different elements there were in the story but it was cool how the author brought the multiple characters and stories together at the end of the book.  I know that it is contemporary romance but I did not like the "New Age" references like, "Positive energy". Oh, one other thing that I did not care for was Charley. I know his tacos sounded good but the way he knew things that had just happened was creepy, like if he was an angel or something. This is book 2 in the Hope Harbor series but like all of  Mrs. Hannon's novels you can read it as a stand alone.  ( which is a awesome thing since I did not read the first book )
Overall if you are looking for a romance novel that has a lot of twists and turns, I recommend this one.  I rate the book 3 out of 5 stars***


I did not care much for this book but I LOVE her Romantic Suspense novels!!! Check out all of books by clicking the link below!
http://www.irenehannon.com/books.html

 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.

The Alliance by Jolina Petersheim

 "Sometimes life isn't as cut-and-dried as we'd like it to be. We just have to know that, regardless of what happens, God can work all things together for good." - Moses, in Jolina Petersheim's  The Alliance.




What would happen if one event turned your world upside down?  If all that you had been taught suddenly you are unsure of. Would your faith be shaken?  Would you give up on God now that your  future is uncertain...


In The Alliance by Jolina Petersheim, A young Mennonite girl named Leora Ebersole has had several events shake her faith, Her Father left, her mother died and overnight she has become the caretaker of her brother Seth, Sister Anna and her Grandmother.  As her life starts to become normal again, a plane crashes into her backyard.  The pilot, Moses Hughes is rescued from the wreckage but the townspeople notice something strange.  At the same time his plane crashed, all the cars stopped working, the saw at the mill stopped running and all of the electricity was shut off. Even the Englischer’s Cell phones would not turn on. Moses thinks that an EMP, (an Electro-Magnetic Pulse) was  detonated somewhere in the area but he is not sure how widespread the outages may be. He tells them that if it was an EMP bomb, then the electronics will never work again. Leora and Moses work with the community on how to get through this situation. Because they are a Mennonite community, they do not rely on electronics to survive so they are not as affected as those in the nearby city of Liberty.  Their biggest threat is running out of food because they want to be able to help anyone who comes by the Community.  Moses is also worried about people from the surrounding cities attacking the small community for their food. The Elders say to trust God but Moses does not believe that anymore, especially after some of the events in his past. So the Community and the Englischer’s decide to put away their differences ( most of them anyway) and form an alliance with the following rules,  No Violence is to be used  unless they are fired upon first and everyone must obey the laws of the Community while they are living within its walls.  Then something happens to Leora’s family that makes her question her faith and beliefs even more, because now she wants revenge. Moses knows the guilt and frustration that can lead to revenge but he also knows the way revenge can eat your life away. He realizes that his pacifist friend Leora is not thinking clearly.  But will he be able to help her before she does something that she will regret for the rest of her life?   As the danger gets closer, Will the small community trust that God will protect and provide for them or will they succumb to fear and give up their Pacifist belief and fight? 
You will have to read it to find out!

 So what did I think about the book?
 I think that the book was well written and it makes you think, "What if something like this would happen?"  It is written in a different style then most books with the characters Leora and Moses alternating in telling the story from their point of view.  Though there was that small bit of hope that you hold on to until the end of the book, it was a little bit dark for me. The Characters were suffering this catastrophe so of course, everything is not peachy, but I like a book with some humor and this book did not have any.  I may read the second book in the series because I like the characters and I would like to see what happens.  But Overall I give the book 3 out of 5 stars.  I would recommend this book to someone who likes dystopian fiction or an end of the world storyline.



Don't forget to check out her other books! 
http://www.jolinapetersheim.com/books/


Happy Reading :)


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

Sins of the Past, A Romantic Suspense Novella Collection

“No more letting the past rule the future, right?”

                                            

                                         “ No, The sins of the past are just that.  In the past. As far as the east is from the west, Gone                        - Blackout by Lynette Eason

Have you ever done something wrong and you thought you got away with it because no one saw you? It is written in the Bible in Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. That means that no matter what you do, whether it is good or bad , whether is is done in public or in secret, You can be sure that your sins will find you out.

That is exactly what the three stories in the collection have in common. 

 I just had the opportunity to read Sins of the Past a Romantic Suspense Novella Collection and it was AWESOME!!!

The first novella in the book is...
Missing by Dee Henderson. It is the story of John Graham, The Chief of Police in Cheyenne, Wyoming who received a call that his Mom had been missing for about 24 hours.  As soon as John gets to Chicago where his mom lives, John gets paired up with Lieutenant Sharon Noble who is in charge of the missing persons unit.  They search her retirement home, question the neighbors and look at security cameras but nothing seems out of the ordinary. Everything seems to suggest that she just stepped out for a moment, her purse was still in her apartment, her needlework was next to the couch and her car was parked in the same spot that it always is. The only things that were missing were her keys and her coat.  The case seems to get colder after 48 hours and there are still no solid leads until John notices one thing that is out of place, If his mom was last seen buying groceries at the grocery store, Where are the groceries that she bought?     

The Second is...

 Shadowed by Dani Pettrey. It is the story of Open water swimmer Libby Jennings and Alaskan Fisherman Ben McKenna. When Libby shows up for a whale watching tour in the rain, Ben decides to go ahead with the tour even though she is the only one who showed up. While they are on the tour they see an Orca pod and they notice that one of the whales pushing something to the surface. Ben is able retrieve the object. But unfortunately it turns out to be the body of a one of Libby’s competitors, Kat Stanic. Libby and Ben with the help of Sheriff Jim start poking around trying to piece together what happened after it is confirmed that Kat did not accidentally drown... She was murdered.  Libby starts to feel like someone is watching her, then her hotel room gets ransacked!  After several close calls, Libby decides to still compete in the upcoming competition. Ben thinks it is a bad idea but cannot convince Libby otherwise. With the threat still out there, Will Libby and Ben discover who killed Kat or will they both be silenced for good?                               

The Third and final novella is...

Blackout by Lynette Eason. It is the story of Macy Adams who is afraid of a past she cannot remember.  One night Macy went to get her phone that she left on the window ledge and was shocked to see that her phone was gone and the window was open. As she cautiously looks around her house, feeling like someone is there, she glances toward the kitchen door and she sees the face that she sees in her nightmares...
Chad Latham, A Homicide detective and Macy's neighbor hears her scream and runs over to see if he can help. After calling the Police about the break in they find her phone with a note around it.  Macy, freaked out by the note and the break in decides to tell Chad what little she remembers about a robbery she witnessed years ago, but is interrupted when a homemade bomb is thrown at them.  It now appears that someone is trying to keep Macy from remembering what happened that fateful night or to silence her so she cannot tell anyone.  When someone connected to the robbery shows up and demands that Macy tell him where the loot is, She discovers that she may have been more involved in the event then she thought. As her memories slowly come back, Will she be able to remember enough to free herself from her past or will her past haunt her forever? 

 So what did I think about the book?

 I loved this book! It is a book containing three amazing stories by three fantastic Authors.  

Missing- Dee Henderson  was a good novella, it was better then the last book (Taken) that I read of Mrs. Henderson's. The ending was different, I kind of knew who did it but I was not expecting the why. 

Shadowed- Dani Pettrey  This is the first book that I have read of hers and I LOVED it! It had just the right amount of suspense, a pinch of romance and a little bit of mystery, but it had nothing graphic. The characters were believable and the plot was very engaging. I truly did not want to put it down.  My favorite thing in the book was how strong Kat and Ben’s faith were and how no matter what happened they still knew that He was in control. I especially like the name of Ben’s boat “I>WAVES” but you will have to read it to find out the meaning behind the name. 

And finally Blackout- Lynette Eason  is another amazing story. I have read a few of her books and have loved all of them. This story is exciting with lots of action. From the first page, you are caught up in the story. It is the perfect ending to the Romantic Suspense collection. 

Overall, I give it 5 out of 5 stars ***** and recommend it to anyone wanting to read a exciting, "edge of your seat" suspense novella. Also novellas are good if you do not have much time to read because they are smaller then a normal book.      

Happy Reading :) 

If you want to check out the other works by these Authors, Check out the links below.

 http://www.deehenderson.com/
http://www.lynetteeason.com/books/ 
http://danipettrey.com/books/ 



 Also there is a mystery going on... Someone kidnapped one of the Characters!!! 
More info at 
https://bethanyfiction.com/2016/04/26/sins-of-the-past-mystery-and-mayhem-tour/ 

Join the fun before it ends on June 2nd 2016.
 
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.

The Greatest Book Ever Written!

Attention all Teens and Pre-Teens!

So when I had the opportunity to review this book, I was not sure if I would because this blog is typically Christian Fiction (Suspense, Mystery, Romance, Amish, Young Adult, Etc...)  with the exception of a couple of non-fiction books. But then it hit me, The name of this blog is NOT  “The List of Must Read Christian Fiction”  BUT “List of Must Read Books” and this is the most important “Must Read” of all time.  The Author of this book has created a masterpiece that has Romance, Action, Suspense and Truths to help us live by, The best part and the part most people forget? IT IS ABSOLUTELY, 100%, 

                                        WITHOUT A SHADOW OF A DOUBT , TRUE!

Can you guess which book I am reviewing?    Yes, It is The Bible.

I received the Girls Slimline Bible in the New Living Translation today and was very surprised at how different it was from any other Bible that I own. To start, It has a beautiful fuzzy royal blue cover with hot pink letters outlined in neon green that spell LOVE on the front but the O in LOVE is not a O but a heart which adds a cute girly touch, The Entire Bible is outlined with a silver glittery trim that really accents the fuzzy cover and bright colors. The back cover is still the fuzzy royal blue but instead of saying LOVE, it has in smaller letters BOLD FAITH. It also has above the words  a small Cross that is hot pink outlined with neon Green. Looking at the side of the Bible you will notice that the pages are all outlined in neon purple. Finally going to the inside of the Bible. When you open the Bible the first page is colored a beautiful Neon “Highlighter” Pink with outlined hearts on the front page and written in bold letters are the words BECAUSE OF CHRIST AND OUR FAITH IN HIM, WE CAN NOW COME BOLDLY AND CONFIDENTLY INTO GOD’S PRESENCE. Ephesians 3:12.  Going deeper into the pages of the Bible, This Bible is made to look cool and is designed for Tweens and Teens. It does have a Neon Bookmark for easy “Page saving”, the words of Jesus are written in red  so you can identify them easier, there is a Dictionary/Concordance and a set of Bible time maps on the back.  While New Living Translation is Ok, it is not my choice translation ( I prefer NIV, New International Version, but everyone is different)  It is a more literal translation meaning that it easier to understand  which is why it is a nice choice for younger girls.  The only thing that I am missing is little notes or bits of information written within the pages of the Bible, With “Things to think about”, or “Did You Know” sections . Overall I like the Bible and would recommend it for girls, Pre-teens and Teens

As a bonus I asked two people younger than I am what they thought about it and they said...

Kristina, About 10 years old says “The Bible is great! I LOVE the bright colors and that the cover is so fuzzy, it also has SPARKLES! The orange bookmark is so cool!  The bright pink color on the inside is fantastic; it is an awesome Bible... Can I have it?"

I also wanted the perspective of a girl a little bit older, She is graduating high school  ( Congrats!!!)

Stephanie,  18 years old says “ I like how fuzzy the cover is, It makes it very comfortable on your hands. It is extremely lightweight.  It really does not look like a Bible, more like a journal or maybe a sketchbook, So it could be a great witnessing tool. "

.

You can check out more details by clicking on the link below!

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/girls-slimline-bible-nlt-tyndale/1120848943?ean=9781414397672&st=PLA&sid=BNB_DRS_Core+Shopping+Books_00000000&2sid=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP648&k_clickid=3x648 

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

Silence in the Dark by Patricia Bradley

"Where are you God?"
                                   
                  " Never will I leave you..."
                                    

So I just finished reading Silence in the Dark by Patricia Bradley, It is the story of Bailey Adams, a Missionary and School teacher in Mexico, who has attracted the unwanted attention of the local drug cartel, The Calatrava. While Bailey was eating breakfast with one of her young students named Maria and Maria’s Uncle Joel, she runs into her ex-fiancé Danny Maxwell (which was AWKWARD). Right after Breakfast there is an attack on the restaurant, Bailey and Maria manage to hide in an underground cellar but Joel is kidnapped by the Cartel.  Danny, with the help of a mysterious stranger named Angel, is able to locate Bailey and Maria and narrowly escape an attack while boarding his plane.  They all rush to the states praying that the trouble will not follow them, but they know in their heart that if the Cartel wants them, they will stop at nothing to silence them.  While waiting for the Cartel to make a move they stay at her parent’s Bed and Breakfast, Bailey and Danny both do some “soul searching” as Bailey discovers one of the reasons that she left for Mexico was to escape the memory that has haunted her since childhood ( I can’t tell you what that was, it would be a Spoiler!  ) and to avoid Danny after she broke off the engagement.  Danny has mentioned to her that he never stopped loving her and asks if she loves him too, but Bailey is too conflicted inside with the events off the past and with the Cartel after them that she does not give him an answer.   Joel finally manages to contact Bailey and she is both amazed and suspicious that he escaped the kidnappers.  He demands that she give him Maria so he can take her back to Mexico, but something does not feel right about it so she does not allow him to take Maria but invites him to stay with them at the Bed and Breakfast. As the Cartel starts closing in you find that people are not who they seem to be, Friends turn out to be enemies... No one knows who they can trust. Then one of the characters are given a choice, give Bailey and Maria to the Cartel or they will be killed.  Will they give Bailey and Maria up to save their own life? Will Bailey be able to give  Danny an answer to his question or will the Cartel silence her forever...  

Guess you will have to read it to find out!   

 So what did I think about the book?

I thought that the book was well written, with a good plot and interesting characters.                                 When I read the book I was not aware that it was book 4 in the Logan Point series, so needless to say I read it as a standalone. I would recommend reading the others so that you can have more insight on some of the characters, but the book was also good by itself. The book started out strong but lagged a bit in the middle but definitely came through at the end.  There are so many characters in this book that it can be confusing BUT it added to the mystery of who is a friend and who is a foe...

My favorite part of the book was when Bailey realized that she never was, nor will ever be in complete control of her life, That God is always in control and that He will NEVER leave her no matter where she goes.

Overall I liked the book and will have to check out the 3 previous books. I recommend the book for someone wanting a suspense novel that has several twists and turns, and of course a little bit of romance.

I give it Overall  4 Stars ****

Hey, Don’t forget to check out the previous books written by Patricia Bradley by clicking on the link below ->            http://ptbradley.com/books/

 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.