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. : :

A Noble Masquerade | Book Review

"Lady Miranda Hawthorne acts every inch the lady, but inside she longs to be bold and carefree. Approaching spinsterhood in the eyes of society, she pours her innermost feelings out not in a diary but in letters to her brother's old school friend, the Duke of Marshington.  Since she's never actually met the man, she has no intention of ever sending the letters and is mortified when her brother's mysterious new valet, Marlow, mistakenly mails one of the letters to the unsuspecting duke."
Synopsis from back of book
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A mysterious valet, danger, and suspense.  I love a good Regency era romance novel, and this fit the bill perfectly. The plot kept me interested, and I very much enjoyed the setting.

Miranda was a fun character to get to know.  She has a curious mind and a love of fun and I liked her a lot.  Marlow, the valet, is more than he appears.  I leave it at that.  Miranda's family was interesting, although her younger sister quite irritated me (she was supposed to though, so that's alright;), and I enjoyed getting to know them a bit as well.

I will definitely say that the ending surprised me!  Well, the end of the mystery surprised me, not the happily ever after.  I do love a good "happily ever after" ending, as predictable as they are.  I will say that the middle of the book dragged a bit for me.  I got a bit tired of Miranda being in a huff because someone had kept a secret from her.  However, all in all I enjoyed this book and would read it again someday.

What are some of your favorite Regency era historical fiction books and authors? I want to know!

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

A Love Like Ours | Book Review

Lyndie and Jake were inseparable friends as children.  But when Lyndie's family moves away, it will be years before they meet again.  Twenty, to be exact. Now adults, they've become very different people.  But there's one thing they still have in common - horses.  After being injured while serving his country in Iraq with the Marines, Jake struggles with PTSD.  Now working as a Thoroughbred trainer, he spends most of his time alone and avoids relationships.  But with Lyndie back in his life and exercising the horses he trains, how long will that last?  

An excellent spring/summer read, I read this book in one day.  There was no way I could put it aside for later once I'd begun.  Truthfully, I think the cover is quite sappy (although the colors are lovely), but the plot and sub-plots more then compensated for that.  Jake reminded me very much of the tall, dark, and brooding characters from Jane Austen's books (Mr. Darcy, anyone?).  I'm sure that was intentional.  Lyndie was sweet.  Sweet, caring, and thoughtful.  And she loves horses, so how could I not like her?  I especially enjoyed the interaction between Lyndie's family.  Her only sister is confined to a wheelchair because of health problems, and over the years she has helped to grow their faith.  Yes, I loved their family.  And unlike much of Christian Fiction, the faith they showed was not wishy-washy.  This was a great book and I will be seeking out other titles by Becky Wade.

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

Adventures in Saying Yes | Book Review

Written by Carl Medearis about his family's real life adventures in saying "yes" to Jesus, I found this an interesting, thought provoking read from the beginning.  The writing style is engaging and fun to read.  Although mostly told by Carl, there are also parts written by his wife, Chris, and their three adult children.

Not just about their unique life, this book encourages you to exchange fear for faith.  I know I find it easier to be fearful rather than faithful.  It's something that the Lord has been working on in me for quite some time.  The main point is to turn the control over to God and trust Him.

I found this book to be very encouraging, and it was extremely interesting to read about the Medearis' life in Beriut and their ministry in the Middle East to the Muslims.  Definitely on my recommended reading list!

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

Book Review | Deadly Echoes

Living in the rural town of Sanctuary, MO, Sarah Miller has found peace and contentment in Christ and teaching at the local school.  She's finally begun to put the past to rest, the tragic death of her parents which has haunted all of her life, and is delighted to have reunited with her sister, Hannah, and her niece after so many years.

But when Hannah is murdered, under circumstances so similar to her parents, all of the memories come rushing back.  The police write it off as a burglary gone wrong, as they did with her parents. Coincidence?  Maybe...but when Sarah receives a letter mailed by Hannah shortly before her death, things take a more serious turn.  They never found the person who murdered their parents...could the two tragedies be linked?  With the assistance of Deputy Sheriff Paul Gleason, Sarah begins digging deeper and uncovering facts that someone is desperate to keep hidden.  Someone who is desperate enough to come after anyone who gets in their way.

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This was a suspenseful read and I enjoyed every page!  I love a good mystery, and this was definitely one of them.  Very well written, clean romance, with the love of Christ shining brightly without being cliche, the plot drew me in right away.  The characters were believable, relate-able, and like-able.  I found Sarah especially so.  Always comparing herself to others, especially her sister, thinking that she's nothing special.  I think that's something a lot of us do.  I loved this part in the book, "We can't see ourselves clearly when we're standing in someone else's shadow...God created you to be Sarah."  God has made us each our own, unique person, with our own special talents.  If we're constantly comparing ourselves to others, then we won't see that.  Not only was this is fantastic mystery, but I came away from this book encouraged and uplifted.  I'd recommend it to anyone without hesitation.

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