Book Review: Captured by Love

Captured by Love 

by Jody Hedlund

Michigan Territory, 1814

A voyageur and a young woman swept up in 

a time of upheaval and danger discover firsthand 

the high price of freedom.

The British Army has taken control of Michilimackinac Island and its fort, forcing the Americans to swear an oath of loyalty to the crown in order to retain their land. Pierre Durant is a fur trader who returns after being away from the island for years, only to find the family farm a shambles and those he cares about starving and at the mercy of British invaders. 

Torn between the adventurous life of fur trading and guilt over neglecting his defenseless mother, Pierre is drawn deeper into the fight against the British--and into a relationship with Angelique MacKenzie, a childhood friend who's grown into a beautiful woman. She now finds herself trapped by the circumstances of war and poverty, and the cruelty of her guardian, Ebenezer Whiley.

As tensions mount and the violence rages on, Pierre and Angelique must decide where their loyalties rest and how much they'll risk for love.

This was a really good book! It captured my interest from the beginning and I read it pretty steadily. The story was gripping and often had me wanting to know what would happen next and how it would all end. I liked the mysteriousness of it and the war stuff, and the romance was sweet, though they focused a little too much on the physical side of things, like kissing, and touching and how gorgeous she was and how his muscles bulged under his shirt. (lol!) But other than that stuff getting to me a little it was a great book!

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

Book Review: Through the Deep Waters

Through
     the

                         Deep Waters

by

Kim Vogel Sawyer

A past filled with shame

can be washed away

with a love that conquers all. 

Born to an unloving prostitute in a popular Chicago brothel, timid seventeen-year-old Dinah Hubley was raised amid the secrets held in every dark grimy room of her home. Anxious to escape, Dinah pursues her dream of becoming a Harvey Girl, waiting tables along the railroad in an upscale hotel. But when she finds out she isn't old enough, her only option is to accept a job as a chambermaid at the Clifton Hotel in Florence, Kansas. Eager to put everything behind her, Dinah feels more worthless than ever, based on a single horrible decision she made to survive.

The Clifton offers a life Dinah has never known, but blinded to the love around her, Dinah remains buried in the shame of her past. When a handsome chicken farmer named Amos Ackerman starts to show interest, Dinah withdraws further, convinced no one could want a sullied woman like her. Despite his self-consciousness about his physical disability and her strange behavior, Amos resolves to show Dinah Christ's love. But can she ever accept the gift she so desperately needs?

I loved this book! Kim Vogel Sawyer is one of my favorite authors and I've yet to read a book by her that I didn't like. It was well written and had good characters, though a couple of them annoyed me at times, but they redeemed themselves by the end of the book. One thing I like about Kim is that she doesn't drag scenes on forever, which keeps the book moving at a nice pace. This novel was very sweet and emotional, and probably one of the most inspiring books I've read. While some Christian books I've read seem to have hardly anything to do with God in them, Kim always has a way of incorporating Him into her stories in a beautiful way. I give this book a five star rating.

I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: A Moment in Time

A Moment in Time by Tracie Peterson

ALICE CHESTERFIELD is a WOMAN PURSUED.

Having survived an attack that left her scarred and her father dead, 

she is never free from the fear

and memories of the man who is responsible.

Texas seems to be an answer to Alice's prayers, and when she has the opportunity to relocate to a ranch near Dallas, Robert Barnett captures her attention. Unlike any man Alice has ever known, Robert doesn't worry about the obstacles that stand in their way---and he hardly seems to notice the scar she bears.

Bur there are storm clouds gathering; devastating information about her family comes to light, threatening Alice's peaceful sanctuary. 

Disillusioned, Alice must learn to place her trust in God as she seeks a measure of peace for her future. . . and for her heart.

I honestly did not care for this book much. It was slow moving at parts (especially in the beginning, which seemed to have a lot of boring scenes that dragged on and didn't hold my interest). I've read many books by Tracie Peterson before and loved quite a few of them. This one seemed as if it was written in a rush, with sloppy and clipped sentences, while conversations would drag on forever at times. Also, by the synopsis above you'd think the book is all about Alice and Robert, wouldn't you? Well just about the same amount if not more of the book followed a different character, especially in the beginning.

I feel that Alice was a weak lead role and the whole book just kind of felt like you were reading a history book that told what was and had happened but had very little depth to it. Also, the romance between Alice and Robert was barely there. They meet one minute and there's a cute moment between them, but then the book goes on to focus on some other things, and when it comes back to them they're in love with each other, though neither one tells the other and there's a major lack of communication between them.

Now there were some parts, when they FINALLY got to Texas (about a third or more into the book), that were somewhat interesting and kept me wanting to read more, so if I overlooked the other things it was an alright story. 

I hate to be too harsh but there it is, my honest opinion. It wasn't an overall horrible book, but not one I'd recommend unless you really think you'd like it.

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

Book Review: A Table by the Window

A Table by the Window by Hillary Manton Lodge

Every cook knows finding the right 

balance between savory and sweet 

is a tricky business.

The youngest heir to a French-Italian restaurant dynasty, food writer Juliette D'Alisa has spent her life negotiating her skill with words and her restaurant aspirations. When her brother Nico offers her a chance to open a restaurant together, she feels torn---does she really have what it takes? Should she risk leaving her journalism career? 

Sorting through her late grandmother's belongings, Juliette discovers an antique photograph of a man who looks strikingly like her brother. As the truth behind the picture reveals romance and startling secrets, Juliette struggles to keep the mystery hidden from her nosy family until she can uncover the whole story. 

Beginning a long-distance relationship with a Memphis-based immunologist just complicates Juliette's life-shifting decisions. How can she possibly choose between a promising culinary career and a doctor whose life is worlds away from her own? Is it possible her grandmother's past can help her move forward?

Let me start off by saying, this is not a book you want to read on an empty stomach! Seriously, unless I'd just eaten before reading it my stomach would growl every time! Which isn't a bad thing. It was a really good book; quick and easy to read. I love food and the culinary world so it was interesting to me. It reminded me a lot of My Big Fat Greek Wedding (which was even mentioned in the book) with more focus on the food and restaurant industry. So if you like food and that movie, you're bound to like this book! Also almost every chapter ended with a scrumptious sounding recipe, so I'll probably have to try some of those out. 

The only let down was that it is not a stand alone book. It ends right in the middle of things so now I have to read the next book in the series (which picks up right where this one left off) to see how it all ends! 

Anyway, and good and worth-while read that I recommend to anyone who likes those things I mentioned above. 

 

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for this honest review.

Book Review: Tidewater Inn

Tidewater Inn by Colleen Coble

Inheriting a beautiful old hotel on the Outer Banks could be a dream come true for Libby. The inn cries out for her restorer's talent and love of history. She's delighted to learn of the family she never knew she had. And the handsome Coast Guard lieutenant she's met there on the island could definitely be the man of her dreams.

But Libby soon realizes that the only way she can afford the upkeep on the inn is to sell it to developers who are stalking the island. The father who willed her the inn has died before she could meet him, and her newfound brother and sister are convinced she's there to steal their birthright. Worst of all, her best friend and business partner has been kidnapped before her eyes, and Libby's under suspicion for the crime.

Libby's dream come true is becoming a nightmare. Her only option is to find her friend and prove her innocence, or lose everything on the shores of Hope Island.

Because of this books theme, I thought it would be fitting to take it with me to the beach. I started it while we were there and read quite a bit on the trip home, and have been reading it pretty steadily up until just a little bit ago when I finished it! I've read a few books by this author and have liked almost all of them, this one is no exception. It was fairly well written and suspenseful enough to keep you reading on so you can find out what happens next. There were a few things in it that I found kind of corny and nerdy, but other than that a good read!

Book Review: Death in the Clouds

Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie

Twenty-one people have boarded the Prometheus at France's Le Bourget airport for a routine, one-day flight to London. But what begins as an ordinary excursion over the English Channel turns into a most extraordinary case of murder when a female passenger is shot with the venom-tipped dart of a South African blowpipe. Even more bizarre is that the killing could go completely unnoticed by any other passengers--including Hercule Poirot, the brilliant Belgian detective, sitting not fifteen feet from the victim.

This was another good read from Agatha Christie. I don't think I've read a single book by her that I didn't like. It wasn't my favorite of her books, but still suspenseful and well-written as always. I thought I had it all figured out, but, as happens most of the time with her books, I ended up being wrong in the end!

Book Review: A Broken Kind of Beautiful

A 

Broken Kind

              of Beautiful

 by 

Katie Ganshert

  

SOMETIMES EVERYTHING YOU EVER

LEARNED ABOUT YOURSELF IS WRONG.

Fashion is a fickle industry, a frightening fact for twenty-four-year-old model Ivy Clark. Ten years in and she's learned a sacred truth---appearance is everything. Nobody cares about her broken past as long as she looks beautiful for the camera. This is the only life Ivy knows---so when it starts to unravel, she'll do anything to hold on. Even if that means moving to the quaint island town of Greenbrier, South Carolina, to be the new face of her stepmother's bridal wear line---an irony too rich for words, since Ivy is far from the pure bride in white. If only her tenuous future didn't rest in the hands of Davis Knight, her mysterious photographer. Not only did he walk away from the kind of success Ivy longs for to work maintenance at a local church, he treats her differently than any man ever has. Somehow, Davis sees through the facade she works so hard to maintain. In fact, it seems that everyone Ivy comes across in Greenbrier challenges what she has come to believe about beauty and worth. Is it possible that God sees her---a woman stained and broken by the world---yet wants her still?

This book is beautifully written. I must admit I'm a little envious of Katie's writing style. She adds just enough detail to give you a feel for the surroundings without being too wordy. I loved the book at first because of this, but after a while I guess I just grew kind of bored with the story. It's a bit cliche and predictable and a little unrealistic. At one part someone drops a snow globe on CARPETED floor and it shatters... and at another part a guy hit a girl in the cheek with a beer bottle and the bottle shattered and cut her face... uh... I'm pretty sure her cheek bone would break before the bottle would! The glass in glass bottles is pretty thick! Stuff like that REALLY bugs me in books... but anyway, other than those things it was an interesting story and Ivy wasn't your typical heroine for these types of books so I guess that was nice. Although her character kind of annoyed me. I suppose it's sort of cut down the middle. It had good stuff and not so good stuff. But I'll give it 4 out of 5 because of the writing style and the story was interesting at some parts.

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for this honest review.