Rugged and Relentless by Kelly Eileen Hake

Rugged and Relentless is book #1 in the Husbands for Hire series by Kelly Eileen Hake. This series follows four women as they move to Hope Falls to begin new lives and search for husbands. What I love most about this whole series is that from one book to the next the story picks up right where it left off so you don't miss a thing. In book one we find 4 friends, sisters Evelyn (Evie) and Cora Thompson, Cora's soon to be sister-in-law Lacie and her cousin Naomi heading off the Hope Falls to help nurse Cora's fiance back to health and the search out husbands for themselves. We have heard of mail order brides but mail order husbands? That is excalty what these women set out to do.  Thus they come up with the idea to place an advertisement and hire for husbands. They get more than they bargained for as two dozen men descend on the small town.

Jake (Creed) Granger is haunted by the death of his brother, promising vengeance, and by the cooking of a beautiful lady back East. Imagine his surprise when he discovers her in Colorado surrounded by other men who might marry her. As he tracks his brother's killer to Hope Falls it gives him time to not only seek vengeance but to get to know this fiesty cook better.

I won't spoil the rest of the story but I enjoyed the interaction between Evie and Jake and couldn't wait to see if they would ever get together. The only thing I didn't like about this book was how it seemed as though the ending was rushed. That being said if you enjoy this book you want to read book two as it starts right where book one leaves off.

Prairie Fire by Catherine Palmer

Book two in the Town Called Hope series, this books picks right up where the first one ended. In this book we follow Catrin Murphy an Irish immigrant and Jack Cornwall. If you have already read book one then you know that Jack Cornwall is Chipper's uncle and he devoted a lot of time to tracking Seth Hunter and Chipper down to reclaim his dead sister's son. Book one ended with Jack giving up and heading back home. This book picks up with Jack hiding out in the O'Toole's barn because he is injured and Catrin finding him and nursing him a bit in secret. The have a strong attraction to each other but Catrin had a strong faith in God and Jack doesn't. Jack leaves but promises to come back. While gone his faith in God is strengthened and he realizes that he needs to make changes in his life if he has a future with Catrin. Jack returns to Hope with his mom and "crazy" sister in tow. I don't want to spoil any more of the story so lets just say there are a lot of misadventures and prejudices along the way. The author shows a different side of the inhabitants of Hope and how many people, even Christians, can hold on to prejudices. The character development was better in the first book and I would have liked more background on both Mrs Cornwall and Lucy but still a great story. I loved the turn of events at the end of the book and look forward to the next installment!

Prairie Rose by Catherine Palmer

A Town Called Hope, the inspiring series set in post Civil War Kansas, is the creation of best-selling romance writer Catherine Palmer. In the fast-paced Prairie Rose, impulsive nineteen-year-old Rosie Mills takes a job caring for the young son of widowed homesteader Seth Hunter in order to escape the orphanage in which she was raised. Rosie's naive view of love and her understanding of what it means to have a Father in heaven are quickly put to the test. Afraid of being wounded again, Seth struggles to freely open his heart—to his hurting son, to a woman's love, and to a Father who will not abandon him. Together Rosie and Seth must face the harsh uncertainties of prairie life—and the one man who threatens to destroy their happiness.

This is one of the best Christian romance books I have read. I liked that there was a lot of reference to God and scripture, you don't see a lot of that and it was very refreshing. I also enjoyed watching Rosie "grow up" throughout the book. Even though the book doesn't span a great amount of time, we watch Rosie transform from a 19 year old "kid" into a woman, taking care of young Chipper, transforming Seth's soddie into a home, and helping to transform their settlement into a real town. I won't go into much detail because I don't want to spoil it for you but if you like Christian romance this series is definately for you. I am looking foreward to reading the next installment Prairie Fire.

Beyond Hope's Valley by Tricia Goyer

"After an extended stay in Montana, where Amish traditions are different than in her home state, Marianna Sommer returns to Indiana for two reasons, first to help her brother and his girlfriend prepare for a baby and their wedding. Second, to plan her own wedding to Aaron Zook -- a marriage she’s been dreaming about ever since childhood. And yet, although she had missed the idyllic farms and families of her upbringing, Marianna is surprised that Indiana is somehow making her long now for Montana.

As months pass, secrets that were hidden in winter’s frozen grasp thaw and take on a life of their own. The truths about a child, about a past relationship, and about God’s plans are being revealed. Walking through a valley of questions, Marianna must hold on to hope as she decides where and with whom her heart truly belongs."

This is the final book in this Amish series. If you haven't read the first two already I highly recommend them. You can find them in my previous reviews. In this final book we see Marianna back at "home" in Indiana. She is trying to fit back into the community while trying to help her brother prepare for a wedding and a baby that is on the way. But, does she still fit here, and will she ever be able to forget about Montana or the one she left there? This book moved a little slow for me but I was just too anxous to get to the end and find out with whom or where Marianna would truley decide to be. This book did not disappoint! A great read but if you haven't read the previous books in this series you may be a little lost, I recommend the whole series!!

A Bride's Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas by Erica Vetsch

A suprisingly good read! I'm not sure what I expected when I started this book but it did not disappoint. The author did a wonderful job of portraying the era. Set in Dodge City, KS at the time of Bat Masterson. I enjoyed the energy and spunk of the main character, Adeline Reid. Throw in a romance and a good mystery and what more could you want? This book also has a wonderful Christian theme. Several characters deal with pasts that seem to haunt them and you get to see all that come to light as they struggle through it. Overall I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!

Ten Plagues by Mary Connealy

What a wonderful book. I loved that it kept you in suspense throughout the entire book. I enjoy a good mystery as well as a good romance and it isn't very often that you get both in one book. The romance flowed smoothly and fit perfectly with the story line. I also liked the fact that it had a strong Christian theme to it. A lot of books who call themselves "Christian" barely mention God but this book does a great job. The characters deal with real life struggles of Faith and past mistakes. The reader gets a chance to see them work through those issue and ultimately stand strong in their faith. Some of the plot is predictable but that didn't matter, it was still a great read!!

The Journey by Wanda E Brunstetter

This was a wonderful Amish story. Book one in the Kentucky Brothers series. There are a lot of characters in this story and it took me a while to keep them all straight so this may be a spin off from another series. This story is about Titus who has a twin brother named Timothy. Timothy is settled with a good job, a wife and child. Titus on the other hand is not settled and contantly feels like he is being compared to his brother. When an opportunity arrises to move to another state Titus jumps at the chance. Will this finally be a way to make it on his own without being under the shadow of his brother? After several things go wrong his mom is hoping he will return home but Titus is determined to make Kentucky his permanent home. Will he find love in Kentucky or will the allure of his ex Phoebe keep him clinging to the past? A great read and I am already looking forward to the next book in this series. Be looking for that review soon!

Gaby, God's Little Angel

Women of Faith - Over the Top!

I am so excited to have been chosen to attend this event and blog it! Due to some unfortunate circumstances (email issues) I didn't even know I had been chosen until I got the tickets in the mail today. Talk about a shock. I didn't think I had been chosen. I am beyond excited and now I have to rush to find someone to go with me and find a hotel (hope I can still find one). From what I have read there are still tickets available for this event so if you haven't registered to go, there is still time!! I will be blogging after the event to let you know all about it. Stay tuned...

Along Wooded Paths by Tricia Goyer

LOVE, LOVE, LOVED this book!  Can't wait for the next in this series. After reading book one (Beside Still Waters) I was drawn in to this story and the people. It kinds left me hanging and I was anxious for the next book. I was so excited to have the opportunity to read and review this book. Book two (Along Wooded Paths) picks up right where the first book left off. Marianna is still trying to decide who her heart belongs to, Ben or Aaron. Things get even more complicated for Marianna when Aaron comes for a surprise visit to try to win her heart back. I won't give too many details because I don't want to give the story away but as I read this book I felt like I was going through the emotions with Marianna. I couldn't decide who I liked better Ben or Aaron. The book ends much like the first one, leaves you wanting more and anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. I still have so many questions and even though it appears that Marianna has made a choice, I have a feeling things will change (at least I hope they do). If you read the first book and loved it, this is a must read for you!! If you haven't read the first book yet I encourage you to read it first or there may be things you don't understand in this book. (This book comes out October 1, 2011)