Georgie Gail is a rural switchboard operator, and proud of her independence. She may live in a man’s world, but she does a man’s job…or at least she did, until the telephone company sends out Luke Palmer to look over her shoulder.

Luke Palmer is more than just an employee of the telephone company. He is a Texas Ranger, sent there to apprehend a notorious gang of train robbers. Repairing telephones and tangling with the tempestuous telephone operator is the last thing he wants to do.

But when his stake-out puts Georgie in peril, he realizes more than his job is one the line.

LOVE ON THE LINE is the latest high-powered romance by bestselling author, Deeanne Gist. I have read almost all her books and have loved almost all of them, including this one. I absolutely love the tension between the hero and heroine.

Georgie and Luke don’t exactly make good impressions on each other on their first meeting…nor the second or the third. Readers will root for this unlikely hero and heroine. Be prepared for some unexpected surprises. The author’s note at the end of the book is interesting as well. $14.99. 368 pages.

Title: POINT OF NO RETURN
Author: Susan May Warren
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
January 2011
ISBN: 978-0-373-44434-3
Genre: Inspirational/romantic suspense

Mae Lund would do anything for two things. One is the opportunity to fly. The other is her nephew, Josh. When she’s leaving her hated job of flying tourists (too calm) she gets a phone call from her sister, stating that Josh had gone missing. In Georgia. The country. Mae calls the first person who comes to mind, her ex-boyfriend, Chet Striker.

Chet is surprised to hear from Mae after so long. After all, they hadn’t parted in good terms. He needed a pilot, she was the best of the best, but he hadn’t wanted her to fly into the heart of danger. Mae had never quite forgiven him for refusing to offer her the job. Chet is hesitant to help her with Josh though, because the Georgian officials had a price on his head. If he enters the country again, he’s dead.

But Mae is insistent, she is going to Georgia. And the next thing she knows is Chet is there too, taking a risk on his life to help her find Josh. Or is he there to find the missing Princess that Josh had allegedly run away with? It didn’t matter. Chet and Mae together were like mixing oil and water. The sparks flew. The anger grew. And they had no idea where to look for Josh. Plus the very people that want Chet dead are also on their trail.

POINT OF NO RETURN is the first book in Ms. Warren’s new series Missions of Mercy. I was looking forward to reading this book since I heard that it was coming out since I liked Ms. Warren’s previous books set in the former Soviet Union. Filled with danger, intrigue, and romance, they can’t be beat.

Mae and Chet are both strong willed characters suffering from the back-lash of bad decisions they’d made in their lives. I hoped they’d be able to find their peace, find Josh (and the Princess), and love. Once I started the book, I had to keep reading. Mae is the queen of sarcasm and her witty comebacks were funny. Plus the action and suspense were non-stop. Discussion questions are included at the back of the book. $5.50. 220 pages.

Highland Blessings

Akira MacKenzie’s joyous wedding is blemished by not only the absence of her intended husband but her own kidnapping at the hands of their enemy clan, the MacPhearsons. The middle brother carries her off to keep the oath he made to honor his late father’s wish of seeing the warring clans allied in peace. Despite Bryce’s attempts to see the peaceful alliance the clan chiefs have contracted on behalf of their offspring, his elder brother (now the clan chief following his father’s death) has already reneged on the marriage plans to join the tribes by releasing Akira and her father from the contract their fathers negotiated.

When the MacKenzies receive the letter withdrawing Evan’s commitment to wed Akira, she chooses to wed her childhood friend. However in the process of her abduction the clan rivalries are reignited by some of the younger generation without their laird’s blessing. Akira’s brother as well as her childhood friend mount a rescue party to retrieve her before it’s too late. The anger sparked is difficult to restrain especially for the man who considers Akira his. Unfortunately for both parties, the warring clans both lose Akira’s husband to be before any marriage occurs. However at risk Bryce may be, he still insists on seeing the alliance consumated as he promised his father. As the next eldest son of the clan Laird, Bryce is quickly installed to replace his brother but travels back to Akira’s home to request her father’s permission despite his position as her abductor. Though Bryce sees Akira as a MacPhearson, she is still deeply connected to her biological clan and many of the MacKenzies and MacPhearsons wish to fuel the ongoing conflict between their respective communities. She is not recognized as a MacPhearson by a number of Bryce’s subjects and as his intended bride is also no longer recognized as a MacKenzie by some of her father’s subjects. She has lost her family and although legally she has gained a new one, she is treated as if she belongs to neither by members of both.

In the end will Bryce and Akira not only find a common ground to build upon but grow to love and cherish one another as marriage was created to do? Can he take the trust he never earned and prove to a scared and lonely woman that she not only belongs in his life but to his clan as well? Though life was never easy in any era the clan rivalries and life in 15th Century Britain was harsher than modern minds can grasp conclusively yet Akira’s faith continued to grow and set a solid foundation for her to build from.

As a debut author from an imprint I was not familiar with, Hudson has proved to be well worth the taste of her talent and creativity this book provided. The narrative was intricately pieced together through characters and events that I could never claim familiarity with and leaves the reader feeling as if they’ve traveled to the locale and period of the events that unfold between these warring clans. I hope that Hudson will continue the stories of these clans who are trying to move forward from a distant and murky past of conflict and violence. Regardless of what she writes and where her books transport readers as she grows her bibliography, I look forward to more riveting, action packed volumes from this author. (ISBN#9781426702266, 352pp, $13.99)

***Thanks to Abingdon for a review copy on behalf of Christian Bookworm Reviews.***

The Lightkeeper’s Daughter

Thomas Nelson
January 12, 2010

When she was too young to remember the events or her parents, Addie was rescued from a shipwreck by the local lighthouse at the scene of the wreck. The couple who took her in raised her as their own though her adoptive mother lacked the love her father lavished onto his “princess”. As an adult, a man who is acquainted with her biological family discovers her as a result of seeing a picture that so thoroughly resembled her true mother he came and revealed the true circumstances to both her and Mrs Sullivan who had taken on the care of the lighthouse following her husband’s death of consumption.

Addie or Julia Eaton (her birth name) was thrust into unfamiliar environs and despite craving the love Mrs Sullivan never exhibited toward her Julia struggled with changing herself to meet the expectations of the family she never knew she had. When she joined the Eaton household as governess to her half sister’s young son, she and her sister’s husband find themselves tangled up in not only the web of lies and deceit surrounding the Eaton family’s past, the losses they have suffered in  their short lifetimes, and hope seems distant at best. As Julia comes to care for her nephew and his father stumbling through raising his child without a mother’s care she also begins to discover things are not as they appear nor are the family she begins to make a place among who they want everyone to believe they are.

Coble deftly intertwines the threads of mystery, suspense, history and just a hint of romance into a tapestry of light and shadows rife with characters that draw the reader into Coble’s narrative of life on the Pacific coast as well as Julia’s struggle to reclaim the past that was ripped from her before she was able to make her choice about the person she dreamed of being. As the skeletons are exhumed from the closets of her unknown past so the dangerous truths threatening her very existence begin revealing the inherent risks of reclaiming her identity and the blessings anonymity provided to her childhood years.

Coble has managed to create a world of the past peopled with characters who have only begun to draw my imagination into their circumstances and atmosphere. It appears that Coble has more to share with readers about Mercy Falls and its residents. As such I will be impatiently awaiting the continued story of the Eatons, Sullivans, and those surrounding them.

(ISBN#9781595542670, 320pp, $14.99)

Thanks to Thomas Nelson for a review copy on behalf of Christian Bookworm Reviews.

SPRING’S RENEWAL

Author: Shelley Shepard Gray

Publisher: Avon Inspire

April 2010

ISBN: 978-0-06-185236-7

Genre: Inspirational/Amish

Clara is the local Amish school teacher. When Clara was five-years-old, she was severely burned in a kitchen fire, and now her mother tells her that no one will have Clara since she is deformed. Clara is resigned to staying home and caring for her demanding and ailing mother, but she dreams of someone loving her for herself.

Tim Graber came to Sugarcreek as a favor to his aunt and uncle as they need help on the farm. He has a sweetheart back home whom he intends to marry, but when he meets Clara he is torn and confused about his feelings.

Clara’s scars mean nothing to Tim who is charmed by her quiet nature and loving ways. But then tragedy strikes. What will it take for Tim and Clara to admit their love for each other despite their differences?

SPRING’S RENEWAL is the second book in the Seasons of Sugarcreek series. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the first book, Winter’s Awakening, though out of the two books, SPRING’S RENEWAL is the better. I am looking forward to Autumn’s Promise coming in August of this year.

Readers will need to read these books in order. The main romances stand alone, but there is an underlying story that readers will need to start from the beginning to have any idea what is happening there.

I thoroughly enjoy reading Amish stories, and understand why they are so wildly popular. The characters are well developed, the story and plot lines excellently done. Discussion questions and a preview of Autumn’s Promise are included at the end of the book. If you like Amish fiction, don’t miss SPRING’S RENEWAL. $12.99. 289 pages.

Montana Rose

Fire up your love of romance with Montana Rose, where Cassie Griffin, a seemingly spoiled pregnant woman, is widowed one day and wedded the next. Marrying handyman Red Dawson seems the only alternative to Cassie’s being hitched to a brutal rancher. But can this “China doll” bear exchanging smooth silk for coarse calico? Red was reluctant to be yoked to an unbeliever, but sometimes a man has no choice. Will Red change Cassie’s heart by changing her name? Wade Sawyer is obsessed with saving Cassie from a marriage of convenience. How far will he go make her his own?

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars

Every time that I pick up and read a book from Mary Connealy I am in awe at the topics and issues that are addressed in such a loving and in depth manner. This specific book deals with marriage, courage, abuse, healing, strength, and new faith. The lives of the characters are so real and so easily comparable to real life that it is extremely difficult to remember that it supposedly just a fictitious story in novel format.

Cassie is a woman who was brought up in a closed environment where she was unable to think or be for herself. She was then thrust into a life where the static existence that she formerly knew was practically ripped to shreds as piece by piece she learned to think for herself. Belle is a wounded woman who has endured so much pain at the form of broken hearts in marriage that any hope she once had has dwindled. It is now time for her to either accept the painful defeat of life or find hope in an attempt of grace in action. This book tells the story of Cassie and gets a good foot in the door of the tale behind Belle’s life. (Cannot wait for another book in the series to find out more!!)

Many people know and think about abuse and how it is a physical pain, but often they forget about the emotional and spiritual scars that are endured as well. Within this tale, various characters find ways of adapting and moving forward in life from years of proverbial abuse. Some make the right decisions and some do not. Watching these characters and their mistakes and correct actions can cause a reader to grow as well.

This book is filled to the brim with situations where a reader can learn through someone’s pain instead of their own. Also in the style of Mary Connealy, conversations and events fill a reader full to giggling whether they want to or not. Their were points where I’m not sure if I should blame my own pregnancy or not for the giggles brought me to tears. For me personally, another best part of this book was reading about two characters and their own experiences with pregnancy. This is the first book with a birth that I have been blessed to read that was more than she’s pregnant and in the last chapter has the babe. I was enthralled by the experiences and interactions that it proved to provide with neighbors and spouses.

And now, I impatiently wait for the next book in the series or other from the imaginations of Mary Connealy!!

View all my reviews.

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc (July 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1602601429
• ISBN-13: 978-1602601420
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches

Author: Jenny B. Jones

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

February 2011

ISBN: 978-1-59554-539-8

Genre: Inspirational/contemporary romance

You are cordially invited to the wedding of the year with the most unlikely bride and groom.

Save the date … and say your prayers.  (from the back cover)

Lucy Wiltshire runs a home for homeless girls who’ve outgrown the foster care system. Some of them are trying to attend college or get a job to better themselves so they don’t end up on the streets, but it’s a hard life. When funding for the home is cut by the Sinclair Enterprises, Lucy is up in arms. They are the primary donor and without them she has no hope of succeeding.

Alex Sinclair has it all. He’s an ex-pro-football player, a wealthy family, fans and paparazzi. The only thing he doesn’t have is the votes needed to win the seat in congress that he’s hoping for.

When Alex and Lucy meet, he’s charged with keeping the fiery woman away from board members. But the paparazzi catch them in some interesting photographs. To everyone’s surprise, Alex’s ratings start going up. All because of Lucy. So Alex and his campaign advisors come up with the most unlikely plan—ask Lucy to pose as his fiancée in return for the money she needs. But is the world ready for this disaster in the making?

SAVE THE DATE is a laugh-out-loud romance that will tickle your funny bone in some spots and leave you in tears in the next. This is a book that takes an unlikely couple and pairs them up. I wasn’t sure whether I hoped that they’d work things out or not?

I totally loved SAVE THE DATE and if you are looking for a lighthearted romance then this is definitely a book to consider. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. This book is going on my keeper shelf to read again when I have time. Discussion questions are included at the end of the book. $14.99. 312 pages.

Madeline Mercer came from old Boston money, but when her father dies, then his business partner starts trying to force her to marry him. When Maddy’s friend dies and leaves Maddy to care for her newborn daughter, Maddy knows she must flee Boston to keep her adopted daughter alive. But her father’s business partner makes it sound as if Maddy is penniless. Where can Maddy go?

When Maddy’s trusted servant comes home with an ad for a mail order bride in Golden, New Mexico, Maddy is doubtful that this is the answer. But with the threats from the business partner growing, fear for her safety encourages her to flee. But what will she find in Golden? And will she even be allowed to stay?

LOVE FINDS YOU IN GOLDEN, NEW MEXICO is a very good read by Ms. Dooley. I think this is the best book I’ve ever read by this author. I loved getting to know Maddy, her servants, Philip and Jeremiah, and the situations that dictated their decisions.

Golden, New Mexico is a real town that prospered during the gold rush days, but nowadays there is little more than a church there. It was interesting to read about this town and the people that might have inhabited it. The characters are very realistically developed and the story line compelling. If you enjoy historical romances then pick up a copy of LOVE FINDS YOU IN GOLDEN, NEW MEXICO. $12.99. 349 pages.