The Hope of Azure Springs by Rachel Fordham

It was with a bit of skepticism that I began reading this book. It is this author’s first published novel and I didn’t know what to expect. I was happily surprised.  She tells a heartwarming, tender story of a young girl who despite living in dire circumstances, always has hope for the future.  The story opens with Em witnessing a murder and her being seriously injured in the same attack. Em had been separated years before, from her younger sister.  They had been placed on an orphan train after their parents’ deaths. She had never given up the hope of finding her again.

The local sheriff, Caleb, doesn’t like to leave a case unsolved and he takes a particular interest in this one. Em is in danger because she has seen the murderers and needs protection.  Caleb enlists the help of a local family to care for her.  There she finds tenderness and acceptance.  Em loves to tell fairy tales to the young daughters of the family.  This story resembles a fairy tale with the dashingly handsome     and brave Prince, Caleb, and the poor, mistreated but loving and kind heroine, Em.

This is from the publisher’s website:

“Alone in a strange town, can she find healing for her new home . . . and herself?

Seven years ago, orphaned and alone, Em finally arrived at a new home in Iowa after riding the orphan train. But secrets from her past haunt her, and her new life in the Western wilderness is a rough one. When her guardian is shot and killed, Em, now nineteen, finally has the chance to search for her long-lost sister, but she won't be able to do it alone.
For Azure Springs Sheriff Caleb Reynolds, securing justice for the waifish and injured Em is just part of his job. He's determined to solve every case put before him in order to impress his parents and make a name for himself. Caleb expects to succeed. What he doesn't expect is the hold this strange young woman will have on his heart.
Welcome to the charming town of Azure Springs, Iowa, where people care deeply for one another and, sometimes, even fall in love.”

This is a refreshingly heartwarming and tender story with a touch of danger and mystery. It is a very clean, easy to read novel.  I can’t call it a Christian novel because there isn’t much mention of God or the Bible but it is full of morality, forgiveness, hope, and integrity.  

Go Here to read an excerpt.

I look forward to reading more from this author.

Go Here  to learn more about the author

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell 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.”

A Rebel Heart by Beth White - a book review and blog tour

This is book one of The Daughtry House Series and I can’t wait to read the second one.  The author does a

very good job of incorporating faith and Christian values in this book without being ‘preachey’ so it is aptly called a historical Christian novel.

The book begins with a prologue that portrays some of the horrors of the Civil War.  What happens then influences the characters throughout the rest of the story. 

The story revolves around three sisters and their fight to retain their family plantation.  They are forced from lavish opulence to near starvation.  Assistance comes in the form of a mysterious northerner.  The author lets the reader in on the secret and mystery but the characters are left to figure it out.  

The characters are well developed and interesting and we see them trying to come to terms with issues of prejudice and the loss of a former lifestyle. The story is easy to read and the plot engaging.  There is a good balance between faith, romance and mystery.

This is from the publisher’s website:

“Five years after the final shot was fired in the War Between the States, Selah Daughtry can barely manage to keep herself, her two younger sisters, and their spinster cousin fed and clothed. With their family's Mississippi plantation swamped by debt and the Big House falling down around them, the only option seems to be giving up their ancestral land--until a hotel management agent for the railroad offers her hope for the future.

If she'll turn her home into a hotel, Levi Riggins says, he can all but guarantee it will be saved. Selah isn't sure she entirely trusts the handsome Yankee. Yet what other options does she have? She'll have to stay on her guard . . . but she never expected to have to guard her heart.”

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the second book of the series.

If you like easy to read historical novels based in the Civil War era then I think you’ll like this one. 

You can read an excerpt HERE.

Learn more about Beth White and her other books HERE.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell 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.”