THE ACCIDENTAL GUARDIAN by MARY CONNEALY

THE ACCIDENTAL GUARDIAN by MARY CONNEALY is best described as a cowboy romance story with a fair share of suspense and a really good Christian message.
Cowboy Trace Riley comes across Deb and Gwen Harkness and two small children, Ronnie & Maddie Sue Scott, literally in the wilderness after the wagon train they were on was attacked and burnt. Trace, whose father was killed in a similar manner, makes it his business to guard the trails and keep a look out for trouble. He has become almost a mythical figure, the guardian of the trails.
For years he lived alone with only his stallion, Black, and his dog, Wolf, for company. Adam and Utah who work with him now are most surprised when he comes home with the women and children. I love the way these rough men adapt to the situation, although they are not at all used to having women and children around.
It is a delightful book and I really enjoyed it for the great story and biblical truth running through it.

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A MOST NOBLE HEIR by SUSAN ANNE MASON

In A MOST NOBLE HEIR by SUSAN ANNE MASON the themes of class distinction, unconditional love, loyalty and family life are explored. The novel takes place at Stainsby Hall in Derbyshire in 1884. It reminds me of Downton Abbey with the descriptions of life upstairs with the nobility, and downstairs in the servants' quarters!
Edward, Earl of Stainsby, is shattered when he finds out that his stable hand, Nolan Price, is indeed his son from his first marriage, and that he has married Hannah, one of his maids. In Edward's eyes Hannah is now beneath Nolan, and he does his best to break up the marriage. There is quite a battle of wills between father and son and the stress of it all affects Hannah badly. Hannah, Nolan, and even Edward each have areas in their past that need to be dealt with before they can have any peace in the situation in which they find themselves.
I don't want to spoil the story for you, but will just say that there is romance, intrigue, and a good Christian message. I really enjoyed this book.


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A LIGHT ON THE HILL by CONNILYN COSSETTE

A LIGHT ON THE HILL by CONNILYN COSSETTE is a beautifully written story which takes place after the fall of Jericho and during the time that the land was being divided amongst the tribes of Israel. In spite of the fact that there were still Canaanite cities to be conquered, the Israelites were encouraged to farm the land that was already theirs.
In 1399 B.C., Moriyah, a young Hebrew girl, bearing the mark of the Canaanite goddess Ashtoreth, which was branded on her face when she was captured at the age of thirteen, is living on her father's vineyard in Shiloh. She is ashamed of what the mark means, although she managed to escape before being made into a temple prostitute. She hides behind a veil and there are few people she trusts because of the relentless gossip that surrounds her.
Her life changes forever when her father, who loves his daughter and wants to make sure she is looked after when he dies, offers his vineyard as a dowry to Pekah's son, Raviv, a widower with twin sons. Tragedy occurs, she flees for her life and shows incredible courage in the face of danger.
The story is fast paced, the characters well portrayed and the setting in the Promised Land of Canaan is described well. We see how Yahweh speaks to Moriyah, as she commits to obedience to the Law. I love the descriptions of the Tabernacle and the Feasts of Yom Kippur and Succoth and the meaning in it all for those of us who serve Yeshua. Also the description of Shechem, one of the cities of refuge, which also is symbolic of the Father's protection and forgiveness of sins. It is a book which really makes this time in Jewish history come alive for us. There is a strong message of hope, loyalty and love. I really enjoyed this novel and cannot recommend it highly enough for the inspirational story and strong biblical content.

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LONE WITNESS by RACHEL DYLAN

LONE WITNESS by RACHEL DYLAN is a legal drama, full of suspense, with a good dose of romance and a strong Christian message.
Sophie Dawson is a prosecutor with the White Collar Crime Unit of the Fulton County District Attorney's Office. On her way home from work late one evening, she stops at a Quick-Stop to get a snack, and witnesses a double homicide. She sees the shooter clearly. The shooter turns out to be the little brother of one of the most vicious gang bosses in Atlanta. Because of the danger involved, her father employs Cooper Knight, a private investigator with a law enforcement background, to protect Sophie.
There are many twists and turns in the story, with things not always being what they seem. Sophie is not sure who to trust, especially when she has a few very narrow escapes.
There is much drama in the courtroom which is so well described, the characters are very real, and it is altogether a most enjoyable read. It is the first book I have read by this author and it most certainly will not be the last!

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A CHANCE AT FOREVER by MELISSA JAGEARS

In A CHANCE AT FOREVER by MELISSA JAGEARS brings up such issues as marriage, relationships between parents and children, prostitution and its effect on children, anger, shame and forgiveness. Although the subject matter is harsh, the story she tells is one of redemption and second chances. I really enjoyed this heart warming and well told story which is solidly based on biblical principles and radiates hope, even in the most dismal of situations.
When Aaron Firebrook goes back the the high school in Teaville, where he traumatized the children with his awful bullying, to apply for a position as a maths teacher, he doesn't get a very good reception from a woman on the board who turns out to be Mercy McClain whose life he made a living hell at school. Mercy was born with a deformed arm which made her an easy target.
Aaron, or George as he was known at school, has turned over a new leaf, made a sincere commitment to the Lord and has come back to Teaville to try and make up for his rotten behaviour. It is understandable that Mercy is extremely wary of having anything to do with him herself, and is adamant that he should not be allowed to have anything to do with children. However, when she sees his behaviour towards young and old alike at the orphanage where she works with her brother and sister in law, she is no longer sure how to feel.
There are twists and turns in the story and the Christian message is strong. I can highly recommend this most enjoyable novel.


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THE HEART'S APPEAL by JENNIFER DELAMERE

THE HEART'S APPEAL by JENNIFER DELAMERE is a charming love story which takes place in London in 1881. Not only is the historical setting well described, but there is also a strong Christian message.
Julia Bernay is a student at Queen's College on Harley Street where she hopes to qualify to study at the London School of Medicine for Women. She is a nurse but feels the Lord calling her to become a doctor and go to Africa as a medical missionary. Having grown up with her sisters at George Muller's orphanage, she is a well grounded Christian and trusts her Lord implicitly. Julia meets Michael Stephenson, a young barrister, his sister Clarissa, and Laura Maynard, the youngest daughter of Viscount Delaford, in a carriage on the London Underground. There is an accident, Julia saves Michael's life, and life changes for all those involved.
The plot has many twists and turns, the characters are well portrayed and it is an altogether lovely book. This is the first novel I have read by this Author, but it most definitely won't be the last!



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THE HEART BETWEEN US by LINDSAY HARREL

THE HEART BETWEEN US by LINDSAY HARREL is an inspirational romance with a really good message of reconciliation and restoration.
When Megan Jacobs visits Mandy Abbott's parents and reads the journal written by the young girl whose heart beats in her chest, her life changes direction. Having always wanted to travel, having read travel books and dreamed about traveling as she lay in hospital, she decides, with not a little trepidation, to fulfill Mandy's bucket list. Her best friend, Caleb, who also has had a heart transplant, believes in her and encourages her. She has always dreamed of being a writer, especially a travel writer, and writes a blog about her journey, which becomes very popular.
Megan's twin sister, Crystal, is persuaded by her fireman husband, Brian, to go with Megan and try to mend her relationship with her sister. Crystal is a successful architect who is ambitious and controlling.
As they travel together, the sisters come to understand one another much better.
Relationships are looked at in this story, the most important of which is the one with the Man who truly is in control of our lives, and who watches over us.
I enjoyed the story and the way it was told. I really can recommend this novel.


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ALIAS RAVEN BLACK by BARBARA ELLEN BRINK

ALIAS RAVEN BLACK is the second novel in the Second Chances series by BARBARA ELLEN BRINK. It can be read as a stand alone, but I recommend reading Running Home first.
We meet Brenna Blackman again, who also calls herself Raven Black. She has lived a life of crime, after running away from her father at sixteen, and wants to straighten up now and live a more normal life. She is skiing at her favourite place when she is found by her father and Thomas, the P.I. her father has employed to find her, and also by the F.B.I. The agents whisk her away, insisting that she work undercover as a nanny to crime boss Anthony Giordano's children in exchange for them letting her off her crimes. She has to try and get information for them so they can put him away for good. The plot has many twists and turns and things are not always as they seem.
It is heartwarming to see how Raven relates to Rico and Maria who don't receive any affection from their self-centered father and who miss their mother. She knows what it is like to be ignored by her father and her heart bleeds, especially for Rico who can't seem to please Giordano no matter what he does.
It is a story of redemption, of second chances, of unconditional love. We are reminded throughout of the One who loved us enough to give up everything to save us.
I really enjoyed the book for the good story and the strong Christian message.



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THE LOVE LETTER by RACHEL HAUCK

THE LOVE LETTER by RACHEL HAUCK is a beautifully written inspirational romance, which starts in the eighteenth Century with Hamilton Lightfoot and Esther Kingsley, and carries on into present time as their story is told in the film, Bound by Love.
The screenplay was written by Jesse Gates. It not only tells the story of unrequited love in Esther and Hamilton's case, but it also shows the turmoil in Jesse's heart caused by a relationship which ended in tragedy. It is as though he is making things right by finishing their story. Hamilton is Jesse's eight times great grandfather and the inspiration for the film is a letter from Hamilton to Esther where he declares his love for her.
Chloe Daschle, daughter of famous producer, Raymond Daschle and actress, Rachel Hayes, knows all about unrequited love! She is haunted by relationships that ended badly for her. She feels very strongly about marriage and what it really means as opposed to what it has largely become in Hollywood circles.
She has had some success as an actress, but has become known as "queen of the death scene", as the characters she plays always die! When Chloe reads the screenplay of Bound by Love, she is moved by the story and begs her father's good friend, Jeremiah Gonda, to play the part of Esther.
I don't want to spoil the read for you, so I won't say any more about the story. I really enjoyed the book. Not only is it a love story set against the backdrops of the Revolutionary War and Hollywood, but the strong Christian message is woven throughout the novel. I will definitely be reading The Love Letter more than once!

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RUNNING HOME by BARBARA ELLEN BRINK

RUNNING HOME by BARBARA ELLEN BRINK is the first in the Second Chances series, and I am about to order the second book in the series! It is a heart warming story, with a fair share of nail-biting drama, romance, and a really good Christian message.
We feel Ivy's pain when her husband of eight years, Todd Winter, leaves her and their two children, Caleb and Riley, and disappears with his latest girlfriend. To make matters worse he is wanted by the FBI for criminal activities connected to a top secret disc he stole from the place he worked.
Samson Sinclair is an FBI agent who is assigned to Ivy. He has been told to find out what she knows. He is committed to keeping Ivy and her children safe.
The plot is well worked out, the characters are true to life, and it is altogether a most enjoyable read.




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