Hannah's Choice by Jan Drexler

Hannah Yoder loves her quiet life on the banks of Conestoga Creek. In 1842, this corner of Lancaster County is settled and peaceful--yet problems lurk beneath the placid façade. Hannah strives to be the one person who can bind the threads of her family together in spite of her father's worries, her mother's depression, and her sister's rebellious ways. But her world threatens to unravel.

When two young men seek her hand in marriage--one offering the home she craves and the other promising the adventure of following God's call west--Hannah must make a choice. Will she stay true to the faith of her family or defy her father and abandon her community?

Let me preface my review with the fact that I much prefer mystery books to Amish.  Amish books aren’t my favorite books to read.  So far I am the odd one out.  I didn’t really care for the book.  Hannah is conflicted about anything that disagrees with her Amish upbringing.  It doesn’t seem that God enters into it at all.  It is the Amish way.  Not God’s way.  I do understand her not wanting her sister to run off with her gentleman friend.  He seems to be a womanizer. SPOILER ALERT:   I also didn’t like that Hannah’s main gentleman friend for the biggest part of the book lost out in the end.  Those people that like Amish books would probably like this.  For me I stick with reading mystery.

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

With This Ring by Karen Witemeyer, Mary Connealy, Regina Jennings, and Melissa Jagears

The Husband Maneuver
When ranch foreman Daniel Barrett seems ready to leave her life forever, Marietta Hawkins decides to grab the reins on their relationship. But to have any hope of maneuvering him into a proposal, she has to act fast or risk losing him completely.

This is the story of Dead-Eye Dan.  He was introduced in a previous book. Dan is the ranch foreman where Marietta or Etta as she is called is the ranch owner’s daughter.  She has been in love with Dan for years.  He is getting ready to leave and work his own spread. She will do anything to wrangle a proposal out of him before he leaves.  I found Marietta to be a little silly at times.  But I did enjoy this short novella.

Her Dearly Unintended
Josiah Huckabee just wanted to make sure Katie Ellen Watson was safe, but when the only bridge to her farm is washed out, the two find themselves alone. Alone, that is, until a menacing stranger appears. Maybe by pretending to be newlyweds, they'll save their reputations--but can pretending to be in love turn into the real thing?

This was probably my least favorite of the four novella’s.  I just wasn’t very fond of Josiah or Katie.  They were too intent on arguing with each other to pay too much attention to the stranger that came into their lives.  I also didn’t like the stranger.  Especially after I found out what his profession was.  Without giving anything away,  he was uncouth. 

Runaway Bride
Hired to help Carrie Halsey escape from a dangerous man intent on making her his wife, Big John Conroy never expected the job to interrupt his solitary Texas Ranger life. But now that he's promised to keep Carrie safe, he discovers he may just want to make a few more promises.

This novella was my favorite.  I have not read anything by Mary Connealy that I haven’t liked.  This  novella has characters from two of her series.  It’s not necessary to read either of the series.  But it might make some of the character references from other books a little easier to follow.  You would just plain enjoy the books too. 

Engaging the Competition
Harrison Gray and tomboy Charlotte Andrews have been rivals for years. With Charlotte intended for someone else, it seems they'll never settle their differences until an accident changes things completely. When Charlotte breaks Harrison's glasses--without which he's nearly blind--she must help with his teaching position, and working together forces these former adversaries to reconsider everything.

If I were to list the novella’s in order of favorites, this would be third.  Harrison might be nearly blind without his glasses.  But Charlotte doesn’t wear glasses and she can’t see what’s right in front of her face.  Of course everything works out in the end.

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

Step by Step by Candace Calvert

Three years after a tragic accident left her a widow, ER nurse Taylor Cabot is determined to move on, checking off one item after another on her survival list. Her relationship with a handsome plastic surgeon even gives her hope for the last point—“fall in love again.” At least until crisis chaplain Seth Donovan steps back into her life, reawakening unanswered questions about her husband’s death.

While in San Diego to train community volunteers, Seth hopes to learn why Taylor is backing away from the crisis team and from their friendship. But nothing prepares him for the feelings that arise when he sees Taylor again . . . and sees her moving on with another man.

When a community crisis hits home and puts lives at risk, emotions run high and buried truths are unearthed. Will hope make the survival list?

I had trouble getting into this book.  The characters were ok.  It seemed every time I turned a page a new character was introduced.  Evidently characters from the previous book were in the book too.  I had trouble keeping who was who straight. 

Taylor was trying to overcome the loss of her husband so she moves to a different town and starts a new life there.  The only problem she had was she brought all of her baggage with her.  As she struggles to find her way, the handsome plastic surgeon is there to lend assistance.  Also there, is Seth the Crisis Team manager come to assist the new recruits in San Diego.  Of course Seth wants to help Taylor as well.  Sloan’s story seems disjointed.  I realize she had a part in Taylor’s story.  But there should have been either more information about her or less.  What we got was confusing to me. 

I have read other books by Candace Calvert and have enjoyed them.  I usually go back and re read books.  This will not be one of those books.  I would tell my friends it was an ok book.  Though not  one I would highly recommend. 

Visit Candace Calvert at http://candacecalvert.com/

I was given this book by the Tyndale House Publishers for an honest review.  I was not compensated in anyway.

 

Where She Belongs by Johnnie Alexander

Shelby Kincaid is ready to move forward after the death of her husband left her devastated. With high hopes for the future, she longs to purchase her family's homestead, Misty Willow, so she can raise her young daughters in the only place she ever truly belonged. She plans to transform the abandoned house into the perfect home of her memories. But she has her work cut out for her.

AJ Sullivan never wanted Shelby's family homestead in the first place. His grandfather left it to him as punishment for not following his wishes, and he's let it fall into ruin. AJ's more than happy to unload it to this spitfire of a woman. But even after angry exchanges over the state of the house, he can't get her off his mind.

With writing that evokes a strong sense of place and family history, Johnnie Alexander deftly explores the ties that bind us to home--and the irresistible forces that draw us to each other.

This is the first book I have read by Johnnie Alexander.  It will not be the last.  I’m not sure what I was really expecting but I was delighted with what I found.  Shelby’s character was that of a widowed mother with two young daughters.  She was trying to bring back past memories of where she was the happiest.  At the home of her grandparents whit had been abandoned and left to fall down.  AJ Sullivan is just happy to get rid of the property his grandfather saddled him with.  There are family secrets on both sides that have been hidden for way too long.  Shelby had to learn that happiness wasn’t a place and AJ had to learn to forgive himself and his grandfather for what had happened in the past.  The ending had a twist I never saw coming.  The secrets that were revealed made the entire story. 

I highly recommend this book to everyone.  I was given this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way.

Thin Ice by Irene Hannon

If Ginny Reed is still alive--who is the woman buried in her grave?

After losing her parents and her sister, Christy Reed has been mired in grief. Now, life is finally starting to feel normal again--until an envelope addressed in her sister's handwriting arrives in the mail. And the note inside claims she is still alive.

FBI Special Agent Lance McGregor, a former Delta Force operator, is assigned to reopen the case . . . but he's coming up with more questions than answers. Is Christy a pawn in a twisted cat-and-mouse game--or the target of a sinister plot? As Lance digs deeper, one thing becomes clear: someone in the shadows has a deadly agenda.

As with all of Irene Hannon’s books, I enjoyed this book.  Lance is a newbie FBI agent on his first case.  I would have thought that for his first case he would have been assigned a partner.  But I don’t really know how the FBI works.  Just what I see on TV.  There were parts of the story where he acted more like a seasoned agent but overall he asks for help when needed.  He also had to keep reminding himself there were more rules to follow that when he was in Delta Force.  Christy’s character had a real strong personality.  As a former Olympic contender, she has had years of training and self discipline.  When she received a letter in her sister’s handwriting she didn’t bow to the request to not go to the police. 

As with most suspense/romance books, it seems the heroine and hero meet and instantly feel a connection with each other and in a matter of weeks are in love.  All this being said I did enjoy the book.  It’s not an edge of your seat suspense novel.  More of what I would call a mystery. I would recommend this book to anyone.

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

The Mountain Midwife by Laurie Alice Eakes

Ashley Tolliver has tended to the women of her small Appalachian community for years. As their midwife, she thinks she has seen it all. Until a young woman gives birth at Ashley’s home and is abducted just as Ashley tries to take the dangerously bleeding mother to the nearest hospital. Now Ashley is on a mission to find the woman and her newborn baby . . . before it’s too late.

Hunter McDermott is on a quest—to track down his birth mother. After receiving more media attention than he could ever want for being in the right place at the right time, he receives a mysterious phone call from a woman claiming to be his mother. Hunter seeks out the aid of the local midwife in the mountain town where the phone call originated—surely she can shed some light on his own family background.

Ashley isn’t prepared for the way Hunter’s entrance into her world affects her heart and her future. He reignites dreams of having her own family that she has long put aside in favor of earning her medical degree and being able to do even more for her community. But is it commitment to her calling or fear of the unknown that keeps her feet firmly planted in the Appalachian soil? Or is it something more—fear of her growing feelings for Hunter—that makes her hesitant to explore the world beyond the mountains?

This book is about the journey Ashley and Hunter take on the road to discovering who they really are and where they are going.  Ashley thinks her goal is to earn her medical degree and Hunter thinks he will continue to travel and dig tunnels.  Then God steps in. After 32 years, Hunter learns he is adopted. He heads off to the Appalachian Mountains in search of his birth mother.  What he discovers changes his life completely.  Ashley joins Hunter in his search for his birth mother.  Her grandmother is the midwife who delivered him. 

I’m not really sure how I would class this book.  It has some mystery and romance.  But it’s more of the story of Ashley and Hunter’s journey.  I have never read any books by Ms. Eakes.  This won’t be the last.  I found it to be a very good book and I would recommend it.

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