A Heart's Promise by Colleen Coble - a book review

I'm woefully behind on my book reviews, hence, the double posts today......

A Heart’s Promise by Colleen Coble

Colleen Coble’s books , in my mind, are always great!  This is a small portion of what was originally published as two complete novels and I would love to get my hands on a copy of the complete books.  I’ve read two of the small “books”  but not in sequence.  While it is possible to follow the story (there is enough information to allow you to follow it), it would be more enjoyable to read them all in order.  This is book five of six.

I love the characters that the author invents.  They are always interesting and often comical. The historical settings are always interesting and her descriptions bring them vividly to mind. 

From the back cover:

 “Emmie makes a promise to her friend that, if fulfilled, could mean the end to her dreams of a future with Isaac.
Emmie Croftner let Isaac Liddle go to avoid telling him about her past. But Isaac remains determined to win Emmie’s heart and hand. Though Emmie resolves to keep her heart in check, it hurts when she sees that another woman has set her bonnet for Isaac.
Then Emmie’s dear friend extracts a costly promise: if anything happens to her in childbirth, Emmie will marry her widower and raise the baby herself. And it seems Emmie may have to fulfill that promise. But can she live happily without Isaac?”

The story is set around the time of the Civil War in Wyoming.  The ruggedness and danger of the setting is very well portrayed and makes for an exciting, if not, short read. 
If you are looking for a fast, short read, these “books” will be just right for you.  And if you’re fortunate enough to collect all six, even better!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson and BookLook through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Sea Keeper's Daughters by Lisa Wingate - a book review

I’m probably one in a million reviewers who didn’t give this book 5 stars.  It started very slowly for me and

while there were portions that were interesting enough to make me want to keep reading, they were too spread apart.  I’d give it 3.75 stars if I could but ratings being what they are, I’ll give it a 4.  There are basically two stories running simultaneously and both are fairly interesting.   There is the contemporary story of the main female character, Whitney.  Then there is the historic story concerning her grandmother. The author has done her homework concerning the historical aspect of the back story.  She introduces many of us to a program long forgotten called the Federal Writers Program.  There are many mysteries and questions that, by the end of the story, she answers beautifully. 

This is from the back cover:

“From modern-day Roanoke Island to the sweeping backdrop of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains and Roosevelt’s WPA folklore writers, past and present intertwine to create an unexpected destiny.

Restaurant owner Whitney Monroe is desperate to save her business from a hostile takeover. The inheritance of a decaying Gilded Age hotel on North Carolina’s Outer Banks may provide just the ray of hope she needs. But things at the Excelsior are more complicated than they seem. Whitney’s estranged stepfather is entrenched on the third floor, and the downstairs tenants are determined to save the historic building. Searching through years of stored family heirlooms may be Whitney’s only hope of quick cash, but will the discovery of an old necklace and a Depression-era love story change everything?”

I usually confine my reading to Christian romance and I can’t honestly say that this book fits that category but it is a clean novel and there was nothing objectionable in it.  For those readers who really like to work at reading, this book would be a good choice.  For those of us who prefer a light-hearted, fast paced romance, one that we can start and finish in a few days,  this is probably not a good fit.

Go here to read an excerpt....

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishers through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Not by Sight by Kate Breslin - a book review

The World War 1 era has always intrigued me.  It was the period my grandparents lived through and I love reading about what life may have been like for them.  This novel is set in this time period.  I wish I could say that I loved it, but it didn’t hold my interest like I expected it to.  It’s a typical ‘beauty and the beast’ story with a very predictable ending.  There is some mystery involving uncovering traitors and spies but it the author didn’t go deep enough to make it interesting for me.  The romantic aspect develops very slowly and again, is very superficial.  I wish there had been more about the actual war.  The only in-depth descriptions seem to be when the female main character, Grace, is describing the landscape to the main male character, Jack, who is blind.  There were some humorous moments involving escaping livestock, sewing mishaps and ditch digging.

As always, I encourage you to make your own determination.  You might really like this book. I hope you do!

You can read an excerpt here.

This is the blurb from the back cover: 

“In the spring of 1917, all of Britain's attention is on the WWI war front and the thousands of young men serving their country on the front lines. Jack Benningham, dashing heir to the Earl of Stonebrooke, is young and able-bodied but refuses to enlist despite the contempt of his peers.

A wealthy young suffragette, Grace Mabry will do anything to assist her country's cause. Men like Jack infuriate her when she thinks of her own brother fighting in the trenches of France, so she has no reservations about handing him a white feather of cowardice at a posh masquerade ball.

But Grace could not anticipate the danger and betrayal set into motion by her actions, and soon she and Jack are forced to learn the true meaning of courage when the war raging overseas suddenly strikes much closer to home and their fervent beliefs become a matter of life and death.”

You can learn more about the author on her website.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House and Baker
Publishing Group through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

       Photo Credit: ©Samantha Panzera Photography

Lost posts

Blogger seems to have deleted all of my posts from July 2014 through now.  They sent me some complicated instructions on how to repost them but not being very tech savy, I couldn't figure it out.

I'm not sure why they can't just fix it but that isn't an option, at least, they aren't offering.

You might be able to see a short blurb for each lost post on Bloglovin'.

Hopefully any new posts will stay posted.  I'm sorry for the inconvenience.  As you can tell, this is a very frustrating situation.

This situation has prompted me to revisit an idea I have been thinking of for a couple of years.  This blog is the blog that is associated with the book publishers that I review books for.  I have been advised by several other bloggers to use a different provider.  I am considering starting a personal blog with word press for any posts other than book reviews.

What do you think?