Review: In Dreams Forgotten (Golden Gate Secrets, #2) by Tracie Peterson

Blurb (from Amazon):

Judith Gladstone came to San Francisco after her parents died to find her last living relative, an aunt she has never met. Instead she has fallen head over heels in love with Caleb Coulter, her friend's brother. Caleb has promised to help Judith find her aunt, but she can tell he thinks of her only as a friend, and she struggles to hide her feelings.

When Caleb traces Judith's aunt to the wealthy Whitley family, Judith is reunited with her long-lost relatives. The truths she learns about her past and her parents are shocking and overwhelming, however, and the more she gets to know her new family, the more danger she uncovers. Someone does not want Judith in the picture, and they will do whatever it takes to get rid of her.

My Review: 

In Dreams Forgotten is the second installment from Tracie Peterson’s series, Golden Gate Secrets. I thought this book was a great read. I enjoyed the sweet, clean romance with the little mystery and suspense. I, also, enjoyed learning history about San Francisco, California.

I give In Dreams Forgotten four and a half stars. I look forward to continuing the Golden Gate Secrets series. 

I highly recommend for readers who love to read a hard to put down historical. 

I received this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion. 

Review: The First Love by Beverly Lewis

Blurb (from Amazon):

It's the summer of 1951, and Maggie Esh is in need of some hope. Sweet-spirited and uncommonly pretty despite struggling with chronic illness, she is used to being treated kindly by the young men of her Old Order Amish church district. Yet Maggie wishes she were more like other courting-age girls so she could live a normal, healthy life.

To make matters more complicated, Dat has recently remarried, less than a year after her mother died. And while her stepmother is kind, Rachel is much younger than Mamm, and she simply doesn't understand Maggie or her illness the way Mamm did.

When tent revival meetings come to the area, Maggie is curious, and the words of the Mennonite preacher challenge her to reconsider what she knows about faith. Can she learn to trust God even when hope seems a distant dream?

My Review:

The First Love is yet another great read by Beverly Lewis. She never fails to write a fabulous Amish tale and this one does not disappoint. I enjoyed Maggie and Esh's story of love, hope and inspiration. I loved the plot line and I found it to be unique, as well as, heartwarming.

I give The First Love a well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for those who love faith filled Amish fiction.

I received this book from the publisher, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

Review: Lone Witness (Atlanta Justice #2) by Rachel Rylan

Blurb (from Amazon):

Prosecutor Sophie Dawson's first job in the White Collar division of the Fulton County D.A.'s office is to build a case against a local bank employee who may be cheating clients. But when circumstances beyond her control leave her as the only witness to a double homicide involving a vengeful gang, her world is turned upside down.

Former Atlanta police officer turned private security guard Cooper Knight is hired to ensure that Sophie is kept safe. But as threats escalate, they don't know who they can trust.

Sophie is determined not to back down, but her bank case gets more complicated by the day, and the gang will stop at nothing to keep her from testifying. Sophie wants to take a stand for what's right--but can Cooper, who is determined not to be distracted by their growing attraction, keep her safe so that she can finish her pursuit for justice?



My Review:

Lone Witness is book two from Rachel Dylan's series, Atlanta Justice. I liked the first book of the series, Deadly Proof, but enjoyed this one so much more. I was captivated with Sophie from the start, especially when she was introduced to Cooper. He would do anything to protect her. Their story was full of mystery, suspense, action and adventure. 

I give Lone Witness 4 1/2 stars and I am looking forward to the third release from the Atlanta Justice series. I recommend this suspenseful read. 

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

Review: The Road Home by Beverly Lewis

Blurb (from Amazon):

Sent from Michigan to Pennsylvania following the tragic death of her Amish parents, Lena Rose Schwartz grieves her loss and the separation from her nine siblings. Beside the fact that Lena has never been so far from home, she hasn't met the family she will now be living with. But worse than that is having to live apart from her close-knit brothers and sisters. How will they manage without her to care for them--especially six-year-old Chris? And will her new beau, Hans Bontrager, continue to court her despite the many miles between them?

Yet even as Lena Rose holds on to hope for a reunion with those she loves most, she discovers that Lancaster holds charms of its own. Is she willing to open her heart to new possibilities?

My Review: 

The Road Home is Beverly Lewis‘s latest Amish novel. Lena’s story starts off sad and tragic. I could never imagine what she has gone through with so much loss. She has to make so many difficult choices and learn how to live a new way of life. I was rooting for her happiness throughput. The story was slow at times but not enough to put the book down. I just had to know where Lena was going to next. 

I liked The Road Home and I give it four stars. I recommend this book for those who love clean, inspiring, Amish books. 

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.



Follow me on Bloglovin, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, GFC, Etsy or Email

Blog Tour: In Places Hidden (Golden Gate Secrets #1) by Tracie Peterson

Blurb (from Amazon):

On her way to San Francisco to find her brother, Caleb, who went missing three months ago, Camriann Coulter meets Judith and Kenzie, who both have their own mysteries to solve in the booming West Coast city. The women decide to help each other, including rooming together and working at Kenzie's cousin's chocolate factory.

Camri's search for her brother, an attorney, leads her deep into the political corruption of the city--and into the acquaintance of Patrick Murdock, a handsome Irishman who was saved from a false murder charge by Caleb. Patrick challenges all of Camri's privileged beliefs, but he knows more about what happened to her brother than anyone else. Together, they move closer to the truth behind Caleb's disappearance. But as the stakes rise and threats loom, will Patrick be able to protect Camri from the dangers he knows lie in the hidden places of the city?



My Review:

In Places Hidden is the first installment from Tracie Peterson’s new series, Golden Gate Secrets. I thought it was good. I found it interesting to see what San Francisco was like over one hundred years ago. The story had some suspenseful element to it that kept me wanting to know more.

I give In Places Hidden 3 ½ stars and look forward to see what happens in the next book from the Golden Gate Secrets series.

I received this from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion. 

Review: Out of the Ashes (The Heart of Alaska #2) by Tracie Peterson / Kimberly Woodhouse

Blurb (from Amazon):

After the death of their father, Collette and Jean-Michel Langelier are no longer tied to post-war France. While his sister dreams of adventure, Jean-Michel is hoping to finally escape reminders of the horrors he faced in the war. When Jean-Michel receives an unexpected invitation for them to visit Alaska and the Curry Hotel, it seems an opportunity for a change he needs. 

Katherine Demarchis is a young widow who does not grieve the dangerous husband she was forced to marry. Now she just wants to retreat to a quiet life, content to be alone. First, though, she's agreed to accompany her grandmother on a final trip, but never expects to see a man from her past. 

Katherine and Jean-Michel once shared a deep love that was torn apart by forces beyond their control. Reunited now, have the years changed them too deeply to rediscover what they had? And when Jean-Michel's nightmares return with terrifying consequences, will faith be enough to heal what's been broken for so long?


My Review: 

Out of the Ashes is book two from the Heart of Alaska series. I have not read the first book in the series and did not feel as though I was lost or missing anything. So, I believe this one can be read as a stand alone. But I would like to read In the Shadow of Denali in the near future to see what had happened prior to this one.

Out of the Ashes has several stories going on at the same time. I found the book interesting, but it could be a little confusing at times trying to keep up with all of the characters. The story has a good amount of faith and that I enjoyed.  I did not find too overwhelming and made me really think. I give this book 4 stars and recommend it for those who love to read sweet, clean, and inspiring historical reads. 

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

Follow me on Bloglovin, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, GFC or Email

Review: The Ladies of Ivy Cottage (Tales from Ivy Hill) by Julie Klassen

Blurb (from Amazon):

Return to Ivy Hill in The Ladies of Ivy Cottage as friendships deepen, romances blossom, and mysteries unfold.

Living with the two Miss Groves in Ivy Cottage, impoverished gentlewoman Rachel Ashford is determined to earn her own livelihood . . . somehow. When the village women encourage her to open a subscription library with the many books she has inherited or acquired through donations, Rachel discovers two mysteries hidden among them. A man who once broke her heart helps her search for clues, but will both find more than they bargained for?

Rachel's friend and hostess, Mercy Grove, has given up thoughts of suitors and fills her days managing her girls' school. So when several men take an interest in Ivy Cottage, she assumes pretty Miss Ashford is the cause. Exactly what--or who--has captured each man's attention? The truth may surprise them all.

Meanwhile, life has improved at the coaching inn and Jane Bell is ready to put grief behind her. Now if only the man she misses would return--but where is he?

As the women of Ivy Hill search for answers about the past and hope for the future, might they find love along the way?

My Review:

The Ladies of Ivy Cottage is book two from Julie Klassen‘s Tales from Ivy Hill series. I enjoyed the story. However, it was hard to get into at first for me. Once I got about half of the way through, I did not want to put it down from then on.

I give this book 3 1/2 stars and hope to read the third book of the series when it releases in the future and see what will happen next.

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100 percent my own honest opinion.

Follow me on Bloglovin, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, GFC or Email

Review: The Sound of Rain by Sarah Loudin Thomas

Blurb (from Amazon):

Judd Markley is a hardworking coal miner who rarely thinks much past tomorrow until he loses his brother--and nearly his own life--in a mine cave-in. Vowing never to enter the darkness of a mine again, he leaves all he knows in West Virginia to escape to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It's 1954, the seaside community is thriving, and Judd soon hires on with a timber company.

Larkin Heyward's life in Myrtle Beach is uncomplicated, mostly doing volunteer work and dancing at the Pavilion. But she dreams of one day doing more--maybe moving to the hollers of Kentucky to help the poor children of Appalachia. But she's never even met someone who's lived there--until she encounters Judd, the newest employee at her father's timber company.

Drawn together in the wake of a devastating hurricane, Judd and Larkin each seek answers to what tomorrow will bring. As opposition rises against following their divergent dreams, they realize that it may take a miracle for them to be together.

My Review:

The Sound of Rain is an okay read for me. I liked how it began in West Virginia Appalachians with Judd. I was enjoying how it all began, but then when he moved away to South Carolina I was not as interested. The story seemed to slow down a bit while he was there. I really can not explain it, just felt like the connection with him was lost. I was relieved when he was introduced to Larkin. She  was not a likable character at first but she grew on me. I admired her determination to become her own person. I thought she carried the story much better and I was able to keep reading.

Overall, the Sound of Rain is worth a read and I give it three stars.

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.



Follow me on Bloglovin, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, GFC or Email

Review: Cherished Mercy (Heart of the Frontier #3) by Tracie Peterson

Blurb (from Amazon):

Mercy Flanagan survived the Whitman Massacre as a child, and now her heart's cry is for peace between the native peoples and the white settlers inhabiting Oregon Territory. Unfortunately, most of the settlers would rather the tribes were removed from the land completely, one way or the other, and tensions are rising. Mercy has grown tired of Oregon City and feels that she has a larger purpose in life, so when she learns that family friend Eletta Browning is pregnant, she travels south to the Rogue River Valley to help.

At the Rogue River Mission, Mercy meets Eletta's brother-in-law, Adam, who has suffered a broken engagement. Mercy finds him attractive, but Adam seems determined to focus on ministering to the local tribes and keeps Mercy at arm's length.

When tragedy strikes and tensions in the territory reach the boiling point, Mercy is pushed to the limit of her strength. She and Adam must rely on their firm faith in God in order to make it out alive.

My Review:

Cherished Mercy is the third installment from Tracie Peterson's Heart of the Frontier series. I have not read the others in the series and did not feel lost or feel like I was missing something that had happened in the earlier books. So, I would say it can be read as a stand-alone.

I enjoyed Cherished Mercy. I felt like I was transported back in time to the early frontier and experience the struggles and horrors the people went through to live. I thought it was a wonderful story to show the power of forgiveness, hope, faith and love.

I would give this story 4 stars and recommend it for those who love a good, clean historical.

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.

Follow me on Bloglovin, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, GFC or Email