Review: Left at the Altar by K.M. Daughters

Left at the Altar by K.M. Daughters

Publisher: White Rose Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 1

Blurb

Despite Sam Mackenzie's deep-rooted belief that marriage can turn two loving people into monsters, his all-encompassing love for Emma Jordan spurs him to propose before leaving the country bound for Valselo, the Adriatic village where millions believe the Mother of God speaks to three visionaries.

Despite Emma's love for Sam, she is unable to envision a life in a remote town on a distant continent. Emma refuses his proposal and spends the next three years making a life without Sam. When she's left at the altar, a loving conspiracy between her parents and parish priest-Sam's uncle-brings Emma to Valselo and an inevitable reunion with Sam. God seems to be orchestrating a second chance, but both believe they have had good reasons to turn away from God's guidance. Will they listen to Our Lady's messages which call humanity to open their hearts to God's mercy and love? Or will they lose each other a second and final time?


Clare's Review

Emma’s world is destroyed twice in three years—once when Sam leaves and again when Jonathan leaves her standing at the altar. When she is talked into attending a religious pilgrimage to the very place Sam left her for, she goes reluctantly—on the condition she can avoid Sam, the one man she still loves after all this time. On arrival she realises she can’t escape her past after all as Sam is waiting at the airport.

This short story by K.M. Daughters is as enthralling and enchanting as all their others as both Sam and Emma learn to put what God wants first, faith and love really do go hand in hand.

4 1/2 Tea Cups!

      

Review: Save Your Heart for Me by Caroline Clemmons

Save Your Heart for Me by Caroline Clemmons

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Historical Romance

Heat Rating: 1

Blurb

Six years ago Beth Jeffers fled her abusive husband. Now, she wants nothing more than to protect her son Davey and help her mother operate a boarding house. The women in her family have no luck with men, and she has no intention of letting any man mar her son's life. Not even Matt Petrov, no matter how much her heart urges otherwise.

Federal Marshall Matt Petrov fell in love with Beth the first time he saw her. She was another man’s wife, so he kept his longing to himself. But when he and the lovely widow cross paths again, he intends to seize his chance at happiness.



Wendy's Review

Caroline Clemmons' story of the old west was an adventure of romance and mystery. A wholesome story of better times when times were tuff but you always had a hero on a horse.

Beth Jeffers was a woman with a past she wants to put behind her with a husband that had nothing good in him. The only thing that came out of the marriage was her precious son Davey. She works night and days at her mother's boarding house trying to keep the gossip off the tongues in town.

Matt Petrov lived next door to Beth and her husband years earlier and hated how her husband treated her. So when he came into to Winton Crossing the last person he expected to see was Beth. But as soon as he did he knew that the love he felt for her was there. Through the years things didn't go as Matt planned and he knew that Beth deserved the best and he wasn't it.

When disaster strikes the boarding house again, Matt moved in for protection, not willing to let anything happen to Beth and her family. But when love comes into the equation there is no getting around it.

Helping a friend that was in Winton Crossing helped bring Matt a family he was happy to oblige.

This wholesome story was a wonderful read and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

5 Tea Cups!

      

Review: A Face in the Clouds by Marianne Evans

A Face in the Clouds by Marianne Evans


Publisher: White Rose Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 1

Blurb

Reporter Paul Hutchins is all about finding facts and uncovering the truth. Verification, authenticity and quantification are the fuel of his spirit…Until he falls in love with producer Sandy Pierson.

Sandy sees Christ alive in every aspect of her life. No need for quantified facts. Faith is the fuel of her spirit . But her love for Paul puts her at odds with God's call toward faith and all of its mysteries.

Paul considers Christianity to be well-meaning myth—hyperbole. To Sandy, it’s everything—and she can accept nothing less from the man she loves.

Can a miracle happen? Can the touch of God Himself keep their relationship from shattering?


Clare's Review

Marianne Evans does it again in this amazing short read 'A Face in the Clouds'. Grabbing the attention right from the start it doesn’t let up until you turn the last page. Paul’s struggle with what is seen vs unseen is something that everyone can empathise with. As much as he wants to please Sandy by sharing her faith and removing the last obstacle to their love, he can’t in all honesty do that. He prefers fact to faith. Yet when he sees something no one else does, he’s not prepared for the resulting impact. I have never come across the form of ministry mentioned in this story, but reading it made me want to check out the web link in the letter from the author at the end and I’m glad I did. Definitely a 5 star keeper, this bonus book of the Woodland Church series shouldn’t be missed.

5 Tea Cups!

      

Review: Rodeo Rescue by Teri Wilson

Rodeo Rescue by Teri Wilson


Publisher: White Rose Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 1

Blurb

With the ink still dry on her new veterinary license, Rodeo Queen Ruth Davis returns to Angel Springs as the new town vet. It seems her plans to save the world as a veterinary missionary are on hold. But, when her first patient arrives in the arms of battered rodeo man, Dodge Atwell, she realizes God has bigger plans than she ever dreamed possible.

The last thing Dodge wants, or needs, in his life is Ruth. Her annoying habit of quoting Scripture only serves to remind him that she’s everything he’s not—Pure, innocent, good.

When Dodge returns to her clinic, with yet another rescued dog, Ruth cannot help but become fascinated with the man and his scars—the physical ones there for the world to see, as well as spiritual ones she senses lurking beneath the surface.

Could the reluctant animal savior be the hero she’s been waiting for all her life?


Clare's Review

Ruth Davis, Angel Springs new vet, doesn't want to be there. She wants to be a missionary working in the vet clinic she spent time in while training. After all, she lost her fiancé to it, as well as her hopes and dreams. Dodge Atwell, her first client, turns up with a badly treated dog. When he does so the second night, she begins to wonder if this is God's plan for her after all.

I was totally hooked from page one. Ruth and Dodge’s love story leaps from the page, pulling you in and barely letting you up for breath. Ruth’s faith only serves to remind Dodge of everything he isn’t, yet he can’t keep away…from the animals that need rescuing or from the one woman who is at the forefront of his thoughts no matter what he does.

Ms. Wilson has penned another keeper that is definitely worth a read. Whether you like animals or rodeo, this story has plenty of both, combined with heart stopping moments. An unputdownable read for the summer.

4 1/2 Tea Cups!

      

Review: Kylie's Kiss by Delia Latham

Kylie's Kiss by Delia Latham

Publisher: White Rose Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 1

Blurb

On a dare, Kylie Matthews lands smack in the middle of Solomon's Gate-Castle Creek's new Christian dating agency-and she finds herself revealing exactly what she's waiting for in a relationship: "The kiss that steals my breath away."

What she doesn't reveal is her lack of self-esteem or her irrational reaction to facial disfigurement. Neither is applicable to her quest to find the perfect match. But that seemingly superficial malady becomes all-important when her first agency-arranged date is Rick Dale-a man who is everything Kylie is searching for. He's handsome, smart, fun. Rick has it all...including an angelic six-year-old daughter with severe scarring on one side of her face.

Hard at work founding a therapy camp for young female victims of deformity or disfigurement, Rick wants Kylie to be a part of those plans. She'd love to say yes...but how can she, when every contact with the facility's guests-and Rick's own daughter-will make her violently ill?

Kylie is ready to admit their relationship doesn't stand a chance, but she's forgotten that God makes a way where there seems no way.


Clare's Review

Kylie Matthews is as real a heroine as they come. Chunky with a bad hair day every day of the week, a pretty low self-esteem and a fear that has fairly well ruined her life, she could well be any one of us. Rick Dale is less than impressed when his blind date seeker from Christian dating agency Solomon’s Gate turns out to none other than the woman who tried to park her car in the back of his truck at a red light. The more he gets to know her, the more he likes her, but his secret could stop things before they even get started.

Kylie’s Kiss is the second in the Solomon’s gate series, but you don’t need to have read the first to enjoy this one. With some recurring characters and a whole cast of new ones, it stands alone on its own merit. With sections that had me laughing out loud one minute and reaching for the tissues the next, Ms. Latham has written another enthralling story that is definitely a kindle keeper.

5 Tea Cups!

      

Review: Eli: Warriors for the Light by Karen Michelle Nutt

Eli: Warriors for the Light by Karen Michelle Nutt

Publisher: Amazon Digital
Genre: Fantasy Romance

Heat Rating: 1

Blurb

At a very young age, the Rules of Conduct for the Fallen Angels were drummed into Eli Grigori’s head. Rule number one: Do not befriend a human. Rule number two: Do not interfere in their lives. Rule number three: Do not have relations with a human. Rule number four: Under no circumstances will you ever reveal your true self. He managed to break all of the above.

Ol’ Hallow’s Eve is the day the veil between worlds is thin. It’s the only day out of the year the preternatural beings are allowed to walk among the humans as their true selves. With Eli’s wings bound and his glamour stripped, the Elders send him back in time before Ryden O’Sullivan knew the truth about him. If she is truly his soul mate, then her heart should recognize him.

There are those among the Watchers who are afraid Eli might succeed in his quest for love. If he does, everything will change within the brethren. Hashasheen demons, assassins for hire, are sent to take out Eli and Ryden. Eli is a warrior and will fight to keep Ryden safe, but time may be his biggest enemy.

The Elders gave him until the end of Ol’ Hallow’s Eve. Ryden must fall in love with him by then or his life will be forfeited.



Clare's Review

Eli is a watcher – a half angel half human – fighting for the right to live with the woman he loves. A human. Stripped of his powers and his wings and granted a day to make Ryden fall in love with him again, he soon realizes it’s not going to be as easy as it seems. Especially with a bounty on his head.

Ms. Nutt has written an intriguing story with never a dull moment. A relatively short story, I needed complete silence to read as it required some concentration. The first couple of pages consist of a long list of glossary terms, which I duly read. These then got repeated – with the same explanations - during the first few pages of the novel as the terms came up. The head hopping mid-scene is little disconcerting at times and another reason I ended up reading this one at 3am when the kids weren’t around. Eli and Ryden’s story is the first in a series and in a way it would have been nicer to have seen more of them, rather than concentrating on the reason Eli was banished in the first place.

3 Tea Cups!

Review: The Artist's Granddaughter by Robin Bayne

The Artist's Granddaughter by Robin Bayne


Publisher: White Rose Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 1

Blurb

When Megan bids on her grandfather's painting, the last thing she expects is to be outbid by Michael Kirk, her first love. He left town years ago leaving her reputation--and her heart--in tatters.

She must keep her grandfather's final legacy in her family, but Michael claims to need it for his career. He also claims to want Megan back in his life, and her betraying heart doesn't mind the idea...but does Michael want her or the painting?


Clare's Review

Megan is desperate to keep her grandfather's last painting in the family, to the point of bidding her entire life savings on it. Losing the auction on the final bid is bad enough. Losing it to Michael, the man she loved and lost everything to – including her reputation - is another thing all together.

In this story, Robin Bayne has woven an intricate set of characters and situations that leap from the pages. I read this in one sitting, unable to put it down. Megan still loves Michael and does all she can to resist falling for him again. The tender love story lingers long after the last page is turned. Definitely one to keep and read again.

5 Tea Cups!

      

Review: Reluctant Bridesmaid by Wendy Davy

Reluctant Bridesmaid by Wendy Davy

Publisher: White Rose Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Heat Rating: 1

Blurb

Jordan Harrison no longer trusts relationships, so when her widowed mother is swept away by a handsome, wealthy architect, Jordan fears the hasty engagement will end in disaster. After all, how well can her mother know the guy after only a few months? Intent on saving her mother from certain heartbreak, Jordan races to Breckenridge Manor to delay the wedding, but runs into more than she’s bargained for—a handsome, understanding man intent on helping her heal past wounds and open her mind to new possibilities.

Known as the man with nerves of steel, Tanner Breckenridge lives up to his reputation, but it doesn’t take long for him to discover he has a soft spot for Jordan Harrison, the daughter of his father’s future bride. Loyal to his father, but captivated by Jordan, Tanner puts his heart on the line and risks everything for a chance at love.


Clare's Review

Jordan has only one thing on her mind when travelling to attend her mother’s wedding…to stop it. She definitely doesn’t intend endorsing it, attending it, or falling in love with the handsome stranger who stops to help her when she crashes her car. Especially when the stranger turns out to be Tanner—the son of the man her mother is marrying after the shortest engagement in history.

I read this in two sittings, pausing only to sleep and work. Another classic from Wendy Davy, this story pulls you in and doesn’t let you up for air. With twists and turns that keep you guessing right up until the very end, this one is a kindle keeper.

4 1/2 Tea Cups!