A Beauty Refined | Book Review

Phoebe Von Bergen is excited to accompany her father when he travels from Germany to purchase sapphires in Montana. Little does she know that her father's plans--for the gemstones and his daughter--are not what they seem.  

summary via Amazon

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Wow...where to start!  I must admit, I'm not all that hard to please when it comes to novels.  As long as they're clean and entertaining, I'm happy.  But I feel that this particular story is an exceptionally well cut gem (pun totally intended - I'm not sorry).  I really enjoyed Tracie's first book in the Sapphire Brides series (review here), but this one completely and utterly surpassed it!  The plot was fabulous.  Kept me on the edge of my seat and turning pages as fast as I could.

Phoebe is not only the main character, but ended up being my favorite character, which doesn't always happen.  Very sweet, proper, very in control of her emotions, willing to experience new adventures. I found much to admire about her.  I appreciated her loyalty to her father, refusing to believe the worst about him until she was forced to.  We know from the beginning that he is a hard man, willing to do anything to keep is business (and secrets) safe, but it takes a lot for her to believe it.  I will say no more because spoilers.

Ian is very nice.  Not very exciting, but nice.  And I don't mean that in a negative way at all.  He's the type that girls would actually want to marry.  Maybe he doesn't lead a super exciting life, but he's steady, has a good job, and loves the Lord.  And, of course, good looking, so how could you go wrong?

I appreciate the strong Christian characters in this story.  When they live and talk their faith, it feels real and believable.  Not forced at all.  Which is rare in Christian fiction, unfortunately.  I also really, really appreciated the fact that Ian and Phoebe saved their first kiss for after they were married.  So many "Christian" novels are packed full of steamy, border-line inappropriate romantic scenes.  I would gladly hand this book to my daughter when she's in her later teens with an easy mind.

Well done Tracie Peterson!  I can't wait to read your next book!

: : I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review. : :

Her One and Only | Book Review

When NFL tight end Gray Fowler is threatened by a stalker, his team hires a professional bodyguard to watch him. But when Gray's "protection" turns out to be a woman half his size, he's indignant. Will Dru---a former marine and expert markswoman---prove to be up to the job? And meanwhile, who's guarding Gray's heart?  Synopsis from Christian Book Distributers

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I'll begin by saying that I was so excited to read the last book in the Porter family series!  It was fun to read the youngest and only girl's story.

Dru is one tough cookie! Which means she is very cool, but not relateable for me at all.  I am not tough.  Well, I guess I'm a different kind of tough.  Dru Porter reminds me, in many ways, of Natasha Romanoff from the Marvel superhero comics/movies.  She is strong, knows how to handle a bad situation, and she is not going to be intimidated or one-up-ed by the men in her life.  She is fun to read about.

I'm not in to sports.  At all.  Especially football.  But I still enjoyed Gray.  He has a sad backstory, which makes him slow to trust.  He wasn't the most interesting character, but his story line - especially wondering who his stalker could be - was.  That was what I enjoyed most about this book, the mystery, sleuthing feel of it.

I don't know that I would read this, or any of the Porter series, again.  They were more the "enjoy once" then the "read over and over" type of books.  Quite enjoyable, light reading.

: : I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review. : :

A Treasure Concealed | Book Review

Emily Carver wants a home where she can put down roots instead of following her gold-hungry father from one mining camp to another. She also longs for tenderness and love, both of which are missing in her life. Yet when she realizes she's losing her heart to the intriguing new man in camp, she fiercely fights her feelings, afraid that love will only result in disappointment and heartache.

Caeden Thibault, a young geologist, comes to Montana to catalog minerals indigenous to the state. He's a serious and guarded young man trying to escape the pain of his past. He has avoided all romantic entanglements, fearing he might become like his abusive father. But something about Emily Carver has caught his attention, something he never expected. . . .

Will these two broken souls allow God to bring healing and hope to their hurting hearts?

Synopsis via Amazon 

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The brief summary I read before requesting this book to review sounded like a lot of other Christian romance books out there - pretty much just fluffy and sappy. But the setting - gold mining in Montana in the Old West - intrigued me, so I went for it. So I was surprised when I really, really liked this book!

I enjoyed the character development immensely. Emily is a likable young lady, selfless in caring for her invalid mother, and searching for gold with her father. She longs for a home of her own, one that she won't have to pack up and leave in search of gold. Although her parent's are both strong Christians, she struggles with her own faith, wondering if God really does care about her.

Caeden, thought quite well off financially, comes from a broken family. His father was never there for him, and he hates the fact that his mother died unloved. Meeting Emily's family starts him down a path of discovery and faith.

I thought the Christian message was quite good throughout the story. The turning point for Emily was when she realized she was hanging onto her parent's faith, and hadn't accepted Christ for herself. I think a lot of us who where raised in a Christian home have a moment like that. Our salvation story isn't spectacular, but is simply the realization that we need Christ for ourselves.  Caeden's turning point was when he realized he was not like his dad (abusive, greedy, and scheming), that he could use his wealth for good, and most importantly that he needed Christ. 

There was still the oftentimes sappy romance...but that's not always a bad thing. :smile: Plus, it wasn't a "love at first sight" scenario.  The characters grew to love each other, which is much more enjoyable for me.  On the whole I found this to be a well written, charming, and encouraging read which I enjoyed for much.  I look forward to reading the next book in this series!

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Do you enjoy historical fiction? Christian romance? The gold rush? I want to know!

: : I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review. : :