Book Review - The Anonymous Bride by Vickie McDonough

Ooo-whee! There are mail-order brides flocking into Lookout, Texas and all bent on marrying one man - the town marshal, Luke Davis. Too bad Luke doesn’t know anything about it!

His ornery cousins, Mark and Garrett thought they would help Luke get over Rachel Hamilton by finding him a new bride, but they didn’t count on so many women showing up to claim one man and they didn’t know that Luke’s heart was forever Rachel’s.

What ensues after the brides arrive is too much for anyone to handle, especially Rachel Hamilton, who runs the boarding house where all the brides are staying until this whole mess can be sorted out. How can she be expected to house and care for women who are set on marrying the only man she ever really loved?

I was confused by the title The Anonymous Bride when I first saw it, but it made perfect sense after reading the book.

I thoroughly enjoyed the read. Vickie McDonough gives us lots of characters to fall in love with. My favorite was Jack (Jacqueline), Rachel’s feisty little tomboy daughter, who’d rather run around barefoot in overalls than wear a calico dress. And she’d just as soon go fishin’ with the boys than learn to cook or do handwork. I guess I can relate to Jack because I was raised with 5 brothers and a passel of cousins – most of which were boys. You had to be rough and tumble if you wanted to survive in my family. And fishin’ was one of my favorite ways to pass a summer day – still is.

While the whole town wondered which mail-order bride the marshal would pick, I had no doubts that Luke and Rachel would iron things out and find love again. My main concern is what the other brides are going to do now. None of them can return home, so they’re going to have to find a job or another man to marry.

Since The Anonymous Bride is book 1 in the Texas Boardinghouse Brides series, my guess is that the other brides will find their men in one of the next two books in the series, so I’m picking up book 2 off my to-be-read shelf right after I finish this review!

Do yourself a favor and pick up the series. If you like inspirational westerns with a humorous undertone, you'll love these books.

Happy Reading,
Jan

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Twice a Bride by Mona Hodgson (Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek Series)

Two sisters.

Two missing misters.

When Kat and Nell Sinclair set out for Cripple Creek, Colorado with letters of intent to marry in their hands, their hopes are high but when their intended husbands fail to show up at the train depot upon their arrival they find themselves forced to fend for themselves until they can discover what happened to their missing bridegroom.

Kat soon discovers her man is not at all what he made himself out to be and wastes no time confronting him about his dishonesty, complete with dumping a pitcher of water over his head.  Nell, however, is holding out hope that her intended will show up and sweep her off to wedded bliss.

In the meantime, the girls must figure out a way to make a living in this wild frontier town, filled with unsavory men, wild “working women” and the threat of wild fires destroying the town.

I loved this book, from the first time feisty Kat struts herself into the saloon to the time she bravely walks into the local brothel in order to help the orphaned daughter of one of the “fallen angels.”

Mona Hodgson has populated this wild west town with truly memorable and lovable characters that pull together to carve out a life for themselves.  I’d highly recommend this book and fully intend to pick up the other books in the series.

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I wrote this book review several weeks ago, then had the pleasure of meeting the author at Crossroads Books and Coffee where she was doing a book signing to promote her Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek series. What a fun visit that was!

We chatted about the Sinclair sisters, Aunt Hattie and Boney (characters from the series). I tasted Aunt Hattie's Lemon Scones and got a little insider info on her next series. Can't tell you now, but keep watching this blog!

Until that new series comes out - pick up the complete
Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek Series, now.

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A Merry Little Christmas - Book Review

Sigh….

That’s the first response I have after reading A Merry Little Christmas.

A sigh for the end of a perfect love story…

a sigh for mended relationships, for justice and for living your dreams…
and finally, a sigh that I blew through this book too fast and now I have to wait until Anita Higman dreams up another fantastic book for me to read!

The back cover of this book says that it’s “a cozy holiday read” and that’s just how I feel, cozy and content. If you’re looking for the perfect Christmas gift for your reading friends, you can’t go wrong with A Merry Little Christmas.

The characters are lovable and laughable and I would love to have folks like them for my neighbors and friends. The author even makes shoveling hog manure sound like a most honorable activity!

Join Franny Martin, an adorable and feisty farm girl and Charlie Landau, a handsome and wealthy city boy as they fall in love and overcome all obstacles to be together.

And Ms. Higman…please, please get busy on that next best-seller!

You can pick up your copy of A Merry Little Christmas here  and don’t forget to pick up a few for your friends!

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(Copyright© 2012 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)

Where God Finds You - Book Review

I first heard of Anita Higman when I stumbled across a web site called Spyglass Lane Mysteries. After downloading the first book in her Volstead Manor series and devouring it, I quickly nabbed the second in the series and then had to wait an agonizing couple of months until the third book came out. They were fun and entertaining and I couldn't wait to read more from this author.

Imagine my surprise when Anita's next book was listed as a non-fiction devotional. But knowing this author's talent for bringing a story to life, I couldn't wait to read it.

Where God Finds You - 40 Devotions Bringing Bible Characters to Life is another Anita Higman hit with me. It's a unique devotional that brings the Bible to life by retelling the stories of popular Bible characters from a first-person point of view.

You feel the agony and joy of the woman who was healed by touching Jesus' garment. You experience the awe and holy moment when Mary receives the message from an angel that she will carry the Christ child and you'll walk on the water with Peter as he steps out of the boat in faith, only to be swallowed up by the angry waves when his faith wavers.

Each story is told with exquisite detail, pulling you back in time, right into the story. Each is then followed up with a section called The Story From God's Word (the Biblical account of the the story) and The Story From Then to Now (practical application for today). The special added feature of discussion questions makes this devotional perfect for small groups or personal contemplation.

You can pick up a copy of Where God Finds You at Amazon, Barnes & Noble or your local Christian bookseller.

Discover the Bible all over again with Where God Finds You.



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(Copyright© 2012 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)

Book Review – For Such a Time as This by Ginny Aiken

Eli Whitman, president of the Bank of Bountiful has two problems – his children Luke and Miranda - they’re out of control. Olivia Moore has a problem. She’s been praying for a way to help her family through the drought that threatens to take everything her parents have worked for.

Releases in August, 2012

Eli and Olivia’s paths cross when Luke “borrows” a neighbor’s pig and chases it and several girls down Main Street. Olivia takes control of the situation perfectly. Could Olivia be the nanny that Eli needs? Could Eli be the answer to Miranda’s prayers? Perhaps God has a greater plan at work in throwing these two together.  Perhaps He has brought Olivia into the Whitman household for such a time as this.

Inspired by the biblical story of Esther author, Ginny Aiken writes a delightful story of love, healing and God working in our lives to bring about His greater purposes.

I loved this story! The characters were delightful from Cooky, the feisty cook and housekeeper in the Whitman home to the rambunctious Luke. Throw in the to-old-for-her-age, Miranda and Olivia Moore has her work cut out for her. The one thing she didn’t count on was the handsome, Eli Whitman.

This is the first book I’ve read by Ginny Aiken, but you can bet it won’t be my last!

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If you enjoyed this post, please feel free to share it with your friends using the Facebook, Twitter and other share buttons below. Thanks! (Copyright© 2012 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)