All Is Bright by Colleen Coble

A romantic, Christmas wedding at her seaside hotel gives Delilah a chance to shine with her unique gifts. But will her light be snuffed out before the bride and groom say “I do”? 

As manager of the Tidewater Inn, Delilah Carter has been planning a spectacular Christmas wedding for her friends at the grand hotel overlooking the ocean. While picking up still more twinkly lights and some last-minute groceries for the reception dinner, a huge truck runs her off the freezing, wet roads into the dark night. Her car stops just short of an enormous tree and the truck speeds off into the night. Delilah escapes with her life and has almost convinced herself the whole thing was an accident, but then she begins to receive threatening phone calls. With the wedding just hours away, she’s distracted and anxious. Then Sheriff Tom Bourne stops by the inn and volunteers to help.

Tom has always had a soft spot for Delilah, and he’s determined to protect her. But he is pulled away by a bizarre Christmas stunt that has the neighborhood reeling, and Delilah is attacked again.

Will Delilah have to cancel the Christmas wedding at Tidewater Inn? And will Tom’s protection be enough to save Delilah from the shadowy figure looming in the background?

I have always loved reading Colleen Coble’s books and this was no exception.  We meet Delilah and Tom who are both lonely people heading into Christmas.  Delilah masks her loneliness by helping others.  Tom masks his by keeping busy with Sheriff work.  When Delilah is attacked Tom has the perfect opportunity to stay close to her.  As they are trying to discover who is attacking Delilah, we are caught up to date on the lives of the other characters from “The Hope Beach Series”.  The only problem I had with the book is that it was too short.  It would have been nice to have a little more character development.  I realize novellas are short, so that wasn’t a possibility.  Overall it was a very book and I would recommend this book to anyone.

I was given this book by the publisher for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way

Falling Like Snowflakes by Denise Hunter

Speeding north through rural Maine, Eden Martelli wonders how her life came to this—on the run with her mute five-year-old son dozing fitfully in the passenger seat. When a breakdown leaves them stranded in Summer Harbor, Eden has no choice but to stay put through Christmas . . . even though they have no place to lay their heads.

Beau Callahan is a habitual problem solver—for other people anyway. He left the sheriff’s department to take over his family’s Christmas tree farm, but he’s still haunted by the loss of his parents and struggling to handle his first Christmas alone.

When Eden shows up looking for work just as Beau’s feisty aunt gets out of the hospital, Beau thinks he’s finally caught a break. Eden is competent and dedicated—if a little guarded—and a knockout to boot. But, as he soon finds out, she also comes with a boatload of secrets.

Eden has been through too much to trust her heart to another man, but Beau is impossible to resist, and the feeling seems to be mutual. As Christmas Eve approaches, Eden’s past catches up to her.

Beau will go to the ends of the earth to keep her safe. But who’s going to protect his heart from a woman who can’t seem to trust again?

I have always enjoyed Denise Hunter’s books and this one is no exception.  Eden’s character was that of a strong woman who had been victimized by her husband into believing she was a worthless mother.  All she could think about is getting her son to safety.  But her attraction to Beau was getting in the way of her reasoning.

Beau was the strong defender hero of this book.  He knew something was off with Eden but he just couldn’t place it.  Being a former deputy sheriff he had connections to get answers to his questions.  What he found out terrified him.  He made it his mission to protect Eden and her son from anyone that came to harm them.  The only thing was who, was going to protect his heart. 

The only criticism I have for this book is that towards the end of the book some of Beau’s and Eden’s kisses got a little heavy and in the epilogue he patted her backside.  To me that was just being a little too familiar. It’s a clean book. But I just didn’t care for that.   That being said I would recommend this book. And I am anxious to read Zac’s and Riley’s stories.

I was given this book by the publisher for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way.

Last Chance Hero by Catherine Armstrong

The inhabitants of Last Chance, New Mexico, could not be more pleased. Dr. Jessica McLeod has opened an office right on Main Street. Andy Ryan, the best athlete the little town ever produced, has ended his short career in the NFL and has come home to coach the mighty Pumas of Last Chance High. Unfortunately, Dr. Jess immediately gets off on the wrong foot when she admits that she's never seen a football game, isn't really interested in doing so, and, in fact, doesn't know a first down from a home run. Meanwhile, Coach Ryan is discovering that it's not easy to balance atop the pedestal the town has put him on. When this unlikely pair is drawn together over the future of a young player--whose gifts may lie in the laboratory rather than on the football field--they begin to wonder if they might have a future together as well.

Overall this wasn’t a bad book.  I liked Jess and Ryan.  They were as different as night and day.  He lived and breathed football.  She lived and breathed medicine.  Jess also didn’t know anything about football.  And didn’t really have any desire to learn.  This book is about their journey to discover love is right around the corner and that there is more to life than they had thought.  The only problem I would say I had with the book is that it ended rather abruptly.  I turned the page and there wasn’t anything else.  The ending was ok but it just seemed the book stopped.  I would have like to see some resolution on some of the issues that were raised during the course of the book. 

I would recommend this book for anyone seeking a light Christian romance novel. 

I was given this book for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way.

Through the Deep Waters by Sarah Sundin

War is coming. Can love carry them through the rough waters that lie ahead?

It is 1941 and America teeters on the brink of war. Handsome and outgoing naval officer Ensign Jim Avery escorts British convoys across the North Atlantic in a brand-new destroyer, the USS Atwood. On shore, Jim encounters Mary Stirling, a childhood friend who is now an astute and beautiful Boston Navy Yard secretary.

When evidence of sabotage on the Atwood is discovered, Jim and Mary must work together to uncover the culprit. A bewildering maze of suspects emerges, and Mary is dismayed to find that even someone close to her is under suspicion. With the increasing pressure, Jim and Mary find that many new challenges--and dangers--await them.

This book brought out the struggles the American people has with the world conditions around them prior to the United States involvement in WWII.  I didn’t remember from history class that US ships were sunk before Pearl Harbor. 

I did like Jim and Mary’s characters.  Although I did think Mary was a little wimpy when her friend came to town.  Jim was also a little wimpy when he didn’t confront Mary with his feelings.  Otherwise it was a good book and one I would recommend to others.

I was given this book by the publisher for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way.

Counting on a Cowboy by Debra Clopton

After losing everything she held dear, Abby never wants to love again. But a certain cowboy may just spur her to wonder if love might be worth the risk.
Running from a past that haunts her, Abby Knightly is drawn to the cozy town of Wishing Springs, Texas. Maybe this small town could offer hope and healing and a future for Abby . . . if she’s brave enough to reach out and take it by the reins.
Bo Monahan isn’t interested in the new romantic destination his little town has become—or the women who might be looking at him like he’s their next Mr. Right. Between taking care of his Pops and his growing stirrup business, he isn’t looking for serious romantic commitments. But when the infant son he never knew about shows up at his doorstep, his world is turned upside down.
This confirmed bachelor might not think he needs a wife, but he sure needs help. Even Abby can see that, and despite her best efforts to keep her distance, she can’t help but be drawn to this new father-son duo. As Abby throws herself into helping Bo navigate fatherhood, hope sparks between them, revealing that maybe, just maybe, they can navigate their dark pasts and emerge together into a future as bright as the Texas sun itself.
Cons:  I had some trouble understand Abby.  She sells her house and moves to Wishing Springs, TX all because of a blog in a newspaper.  I know she has lost her husband in a terrible accident and blames herself and is having trouble forgiving herself.  But I would have thought she would have at least visited before moving there.  Then she is very indecisive about helping Bo with the baby.  One minute she is going to help then the next she’s not.
Now onto Bo.  He has a child he didn’t know anything about.  I understand that happens.  But all of a sudden he decides to stop sleeping around.  But he gets carried away one more time. No explanation about why he decided to stop sleeping around. For a Christian novel this was disappointing to me as I would have thought this would have been a perfect place for the author to show why he quit sleeping around.  Also, faith was hardly mentioned at all in the book.
Pros:  I did finally start to like Abby.  But I still had some issues with her.  The concept of the story was good and I liked how the Monahan clan and town of Wishing Springs rallied around Bo to help him take care of the baby.  I think Bo was the more believable character in this novel.  Bo was willing to take on the responsibilities of his actions and raise his son.  It was comical in spots in how he went about trying to take care of a baby. 
Overall it wasn’t a bad book just could have been better. It was good enough that I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. The first book in the series “Betting on Hope” was better. 
I was given this book by the publisher for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way.