Snow on the Tulips by Liz Tolsma was an amazing book. This book takes place during WWII which just happens to be one of the time periods in history that I love learning and reading about. I also loved this book because my grandma’s family is from the Netherlands and she is working on her family history right now so I feel like I know the people. I loved this book but it was a hard read for me because I knew that this book is fiction but things like this had to have actually happened to people there. This is a book that I know I will hold on to because the author does an amazing job of telling the story and of making you feel like you are there going through everything with the characters. I loved the love story as well in this book and I was sad when it finally did come to an end because I love the characters and in the end I felt like I knew them. If you love WWII and love stories than I know you will love this book!
About Snow on the Tulips
A stranger’s life hangs in the balance. But to save him is to risk everything.
The war is drawing to a close, but the Nazis still occupy part of the Netherlands. After the losses she’s endured, war widow Cornelia is only a shadow of the woman she once was. She fights now to protect her younger brother, Johan, who lives in hiding.
When Johan brings Gerrit Laninga, a wounded Dutch Resistance member, to Cornelia’s doorstep, their lives are forever altered. Although scared of the consequences of harboring a wanted man, Cornelia’s faith won’t let her turn him out.
As she nurses Gerrit back to health, she is drawn to his fierce passion and ideals, and notices a shift within herself. Gerrit’s intensity challenges her, making her want to live fully, despite the fear that constrains her. When the opportunity to join him in the Resistance presents itself, Cornelia must summon every ounce of courage imaginable.
She is as terrified of loving Gerrit as she is of losing him. But as the winter landscape thaws, so too does her heart. Will she get a second chance at true love? She fears their story will end before it even begins.
About Liz Tolsma
Liz Tolsma has lived in Wisconsin most of her life, and she now resides next to a farm field with her husband, their son, and their two daughters. Add a dog and a cat to that mix and there’s always something going on at their house. She’s spent time teaching second grade, writing advertising for a real estate company, and working as a church secretary, but she always dreamed of becoming an author.
The Bargain by Stephanie Reed was an okay book. I have to say that this book wasn’t the easiest for me to get through. I am not sure why I had a hard time getting through it but I did. I liked the story and the characters. There were parts in the book that I didn’t like and I think they could have done without but all in all it was a good book. I didn’t like the ending but that is only because I felt bad for the characters and I wanted so much more for them but that is just what happens to me because I feel like the characters are real.
It’s 1971, and Betsie Troyer’s peaceful and predictable life is about to become anything but.
When their parents flee the Amish, nineteen-year-old Betsie and her seventeen-year-old sister Sadie are distraught. Under the dubious guidance of a doting aunt, the girls struggle to keep the secret, praying their parents will return before anyone learns the truth-a truth that may end all hopes of Betsie’s marriage to Charley Yoder.
About Stephanie Reed
Stephanie Reed lives onthe outskirts of Plain City, Ohio, site of a once-thriving Amish community. She gleans ideas for her novels from signs glimpsed along thebyways of Ohio, as she did for her previous books, “Across the Wide River” and “The Light Across the River.”
The Journey of Josephine Cain by Nancy Moser was one of the best books I have read in a long time. I read this book from cover to cover in about 6 hours because I really couldn’t put this book down. I loved the characters and the authors writing. In this book you get to go along with Josie (Josephine) as she goes and to visit her dad as he works on the Transcontinental Railroad. This book takes place right after the civil war has ended and they are working on the railroad as a way to bring the country together and also give men jobs.
Right before her father leaves to go and work on railroad he brings home a man named Lewis that ends up courting Josie. I have say from the minute Lewis was introduced I couldn’t stand him. I am not sure what it was about him but I didn’t like him at all. The longer the story went the less and less that I liked him.
Her first trip out to visit her dad she meets Hudson who from the minute they introduced him I hoped that Josie would end up with him. He fought in the civil war with 2 of his brothers. One of the brothers ended up dying and then after the war ended he and his youngest brother went to work on the railroad because they needed to send money home to their parents.
I loved how this story ended and everything about this book. The author does such a good job of making you feel you are right there with the characters. You also understand where the characters are coming from and why they do the things that they do.
About The Journey of Josephine Cain
When a socialite from the nation’s capital embarks on a journey to the Wild West, her life is changed forever.
A setting populated by hundreds of laborers, outlaws, and Indians is hardly the place for a wealthy general’s daughter. But Josephine Cain is determined to visit her father, who supervises the day-to-day work involved in the grandest ambition of post-Civil War America: the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. Life with the railroad is far from the proper life Josephine is used to, and she faces deadly gunfights, harsh weather, and vigilante uprisings. She is torn between the West and the East; between her privileged upbringing and the challenges of a new frontier; between the pull of the suitable beau her parents approve of and an attraction to a rough but charming Irish railroad worker. But if Josephine is willing, she just might find a new life, a unique purpose . . . and true love.
About Nancy Moser
Nancy Moser is the best-selling author of more than twenty novels. She is a winner and two-time nominee of the Christy Award, and her latest novel was named to Booklist’s “Top 10 Romance Novels of 2011.” Nancy and her husband have three grown children and three grandchildren, and they live in the Midwest.
Gunpowder Tea by Margaret Brownley was a super fun read. I think the thing I loved most about this book is that it had a very unique plot. The main character Miranda is and undercover detective in trying to figure out who is the Phantom is. I have to say that the first chapter had me laughing and I knew from that first chapter I was going to love this book. This entire book was a cute story and I am going to go on and read the other two books because I love this authors writing. If you want to read a super cute story than this one is for you.
About Gunpowder Tea
In a case that could change her career, Miranda uncovers a love that will change her life.When Miranda Hunt sees the classified ad for an heiress to the legendary Last Chance Ranch, she knows assuming the identity of Annie Beckman is the perfect cover. As one of the finest agents for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, Miranda has been tasked with apprehending the Phantom—an elusive and notorious train robber thought to be hiding on the sprawling ranch.But she isn’t the only one at the ranch with something to hide. Wells Fargo detective
Jeremy Taggart is working undercover as well. Their true identities may be a secret, but it is impossible for Jeremy and Miranda to hide the sparks flaring between them.
Neither is about to let romance interfere with such a huge case. Besides, Miranda hasn’t removed Jeremy from her list of suspects yet. The closer they get to uncovering the identity of the Phantom, the more dangerous he gets—and no one on the ranch is safe.The longer Miranda and Jeremy spend working together, the harder it becomes to keep their feelings in check. Their careers-and their lives-depend on solving this case. Love will just have to wait.
“In the exquisitely intriguing finale to her Brides of Last Chance Ranch trilogy, Brownley blends faith and romance with a dash of mystery to serve up a cozy, fulfilling story set in the Arizona Territory of the 1890s . . . .This enchanting account of the hardships and wonders of the Old West features many delightful characters. The story stands on its own merits, independent of the first two in the series, drawing readers into a world that is difficult to leave.” —Publishers Weekly
About The Author Margaret Brownley
Thrills, mystery, suspense, romance: Margaret penned it all. Nothing wrong with this—except Margaret happened to be writing for the church newsletter at the time. After making the church picnic read like a Grisham novel, her former pastor took her aside and said, “Maybe God’s calling you to write fiction.” So that’s what Margaret did. She’s now a New York Times bestselling author and a Romance Writers of America RITA finalist with more than 25 novels to her credit. Her first non-fiction book Grieving God’s Way: the Lasting Path to Hope and Healing has won much critical acclaim. She is currently working on the third book in her Brides of Last Chance Ranch series. Not bad for someone who flunked 8th grade English. Just don’t ask her to diagram a sentence.
Learn more at Margaret’s website: http://margaretbrownley.com
After the Fall by Ariadne Wayne was a great book. It took me the first chapter before I really got into the book but once I got hooked I didn’t stop reading until I had finished reading it. This book was only 137 pages so it was on the shorter side and I have to say that I was sad because I really did enjoy the characters and the authors writing. This book follows along with Natalie and Alex as they have a fling that turns into something more. The plot was pretty predictable to me but I still loved the book and I can’t wait to check out more books by her in the future.
About After The Fall
New Adult Romance Date Published: 7/26/13
The first time Natalie and Alex met, Natalie fell hard. Literally. The pair embark on a 3 month fling and after the fall Alex leaves the country. Natalie struggles to get on with her life and as it turns out, Alex can’t forget her either
Torn between what he feels for Natalie and loyalty to his father, Alex makes a choice that will change his life forever. But his overwhelming need to regain his father’s respect could ruin everything.
About Ariadne Wayne
Ariadne Wayne wanted to be a journalist when she grew up. Real life got in the way as did her love of computers and after twenty years she decided to return to writing and is loving it. After a lifetime of making up stories in her head, she’s now recording them to share with others. Her quirky sense of humour often leads all kinds of places and sometimes into trouble. She balances writing with working full time and bringing up two children and a husband so struggles for air at times but loves every minute of it!
I received the first 2 books in the Home To Heather Creek to review and I have to say that I loved both of the books. I am going to talk about the books on their own so that you can decided if you want to read either of them or both of them. In the Before The Dawn you get to see the struggles of teenagers and their mothers parents who have stepped up to raise the children after their daughter and the children’s mother was killed. I have to say that I really loved the first book. There are parts where I was bored and I think could have been cut out but all in all I was a good book and I was excited to see what happened in the next book. Sweet September starts at the end of summer just as the kids are going back to school. I have to say that I loved this book more than I liked the first one and I am not sure why. I know this one was written by a different author and I think that may have something to do with it. I hope there are more books in this series because I love these characters and I was sad when I finished this book.
Before the Dawn begins just one week after the funeral of Charlotte’s daughter, Denise. Denise’s three children barely have time to process the death of their mother before they must move to the Heather Creek Farm they have never visited with grandparents they barely know. At age 16, Sam is fiercely protective of his younger siblings. Emily is 14 and desperately misses her friends. Young Christopher is only 8 and just wants to fit in. While Charlotte tries to help her grandchildren adjust to their new life, she also wrestles with her own grief and the enormous task of bringing her family together. Bob believes the fastest path to adjustment is a firm routine, with structure and chores, the same way they raised their own kids. However, that route led to Denise running away from home as a teenager and an estranged relationship with her family. Charlotte is worried about making the same mistakes she made with Denise. Is this her chance to make things right?
It is spring when the children arrive, and as Charlotte looks around the farm, she hopes the new life around them will signify hope and healing. The miracle of new life, along with God’s healing touch, reminds all of them that it’s always darkest just before the dawn.
Sweet September
Sweet September picks up at harvest time, as the children are settling into a new school year. While the harvest should be an exciting time, the children don’t seem to be getting into the spirit. Emily is struggling with farm life, Christopher spends most of his time alone, and Sam is failing school. Trying to learn from what did and didn’t work with her own kids, Charlotte is determined to get her grandchildren back on track.
As tenuous family bonds threaten to break apart, a mystery on the farm might be the one thing that can bond the family together. Charlotte sets out to uncover the truth, and as the kids unite to find answers, this cobbled-together family learns more about one another and the love that binds them together.
The lives of the Stevensons and their grandchildren unfold in this captivating story of the remarkable change that comes from the love of family, the kindness of others, sheer persistence and unshakable faith. As readers follow the Stevensons’ inspiring stories, it’s almost impossible not feel a part of this friendly, loving community, where God’s grace can be seen in every circumstance.
About The Author
Kathleen Bauer is the pen name for a team of writers who have come together to create the Home to Heather Creek series.
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