Sandy Wishes (Sanderling Cove Inn Series #2) by Judith Keim

 

Sometimes, wishes do come true…
Brooke Weatherby is tired of being the dependable one, the boring one of everyone at Sanderling Cove. She agreed to come to the cove for the summer unaware her two cousins, Charlotte “Charlie” Bradford and Olivia “Livy” Winters, would also be there to help manage The Sanderling Cove Inn while her grandparents take a long road trip in Europe. More than anything, she wishes for independence from her role as a sometime caretaker of her mother, so she’s free to find true love.
Unknown to her and her cousins, the five grandmothers at Sanderling Cove have invited their beloved grandchildren to spend as much time as possible this summer at the cove, hoping that romance might flourish among them.

One grandson, Dylan Hendrix, is a well-known artist who decides to take a break from Santa Fe and experiment with different kinds of paintings inspired by the scenic Gulf Coast of Florida. As he and Brooke get to know each other, he encourages her to discover her own artistic talent. Brooke’s world opens to colors and possibilities she never dreamed of as her life begins to change.

Grandmothers can be very determined when it comes to seeing their grandchildren happy. A family saga full of love. Be sure to read all the books in the series – Waves of Hope, Sandy Wishes, Salty Kisses.

Another of Judith Keim’s series books celebrating love and families, strong women meeting challenges, and clean women’s fiction with a touch of romance—beach reads for all ages with a touch of humor, satisfying twists, and happy endings. Be sure to check out her other delightful books and series that readers adore.

My thoughts:

I was in the mood for something fun and lighthearted and this book seemed perfect.  That’s not to imply that there wasn’t a fair amount of family drama because certainly is, as Brooke deals with the health crisis of her mother.  I liked watching Brooke come into her own, while still trying to be help her mother while running the Inn with her cousins and enjoying her independence. I genuinely liked the storyline, characters, and setting.

I hadn’t read the first book in the series but I easily caught up with what had been happening in the lives of this family and that the end goal for the grandparents is to see their grandchildren happily married.  As I stated earlier, this was the perfect book for a fun and lighthearted book, with just a touch of drama.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley. Opinions are my own.

When Tomorrow Came by Hannah Lynder

They Waited Their Whole Lives for Their Papa to Return
 
Nan and Heath Duncan, siblings abandoned by their papa and abused by their guardian, have no choice but to survive on the London streets. When a kind gentleman rescues Nan from such a life, the siblings are separated and raised in two vastly different social worlds. Just when both are beginning to flourish and years have healed some of their wounds, their long-awaited papa returns and reunites them—bringing demands with him. Nan is expected to marry a rich suitor she’s never liked, and Heath is expected to forsake his gentle spirit and become the hardened man his father always was.

Dangers unfold, secret love develops, fights ensue, and murder upsets the worlds Heath and Nan have built for themselves.

They’ve waited their whole lives for their papa to return, for tomorrow to come—but now that it has, will they be able to see through to the truth and end this whirlwind of a nightmare before it costs one of their lives?   

My thoughts:

It took some time for me to get interested in this novel.  I don’t know if it was because I was unfamiliar with the authors writing style or if was just me. However, once I got a few chapters in, I found myself caring much more for the characters than I anticipated.

I loved Nan and Heath Duncan, brother and sister who had such a difficult childhood.  They were abandoned by their father, mistreated by their guardian and it was just one of the saddest beginnings that had me rooting for them to find love, happiness, and the care they both deserved. I don’t mean to imply there is only darkness in the storyline because that is definitely not the case. I really disliked how the two young siblings were separated, but understood why it had to happen.  There are several good and decent people who help both Nan and Heath along the way who are so needed and made for a heartwarming part to the plot.

I am so glad that I kept reading this as it was so much better than I thought it would be while finding a new to me while finding a new to me author.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.  Opinions are my own/

 
 

Finding Us (Pictures of the Heart #2) by Tracie Peterson

 One candid photograph will change the lives of four people forever.

While taking photographs at an exposition in Seattle in 1909, Camera Girl Eleanor Bennett snaps an image of a woman in widow's clothes with deep sorrow etched in her expression and a young infant in her arms.

Eleanor longs to study botany at the University of Washington and soon becomes fast friends with botanist Bill Reed, but she can't stop thinking about the widow in the photograph. She is stunned to learn Bill recognizes the woman as the sister-in-law he believed lost in a shipwreck.

As Eleanor and Bill hunt for Amelia Reed to reunite her with her grief-stricken husband, they must stand together to face the danger that follows and learn to trust that God will direct their paths.   

My thoughts:

In this second book in the Pictures of the Heart series we reconnect with characters from the first book and meet several newcomers.  I love the suspense, a little danger but most of all the sweet romance that have played an important role both novels.

I loved returning to the exposition in 1909 in Seattle, the detailed descriptions made me feel like I was seeing the sites, getting caught up in the excitement of the visitors while trying to find out if one of the missing characters would be found. This is a story filled with loss, faith, new found love and the hope of being reunited with a loved one. There is just enough of suspense and romance that me fully engaged throughout.  I loved the characters, except for the deranged creepy one, but he did add an intriguing element to the plot.  I look forward to the next book in the series.

I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley. Opinions are my own.

 

In This Moment (Timeless #2) by Gabrielle Meyer

 

Maggie inherited a gift from her time-crossing parents that allows her to live three separate lives in 1861, 1941, and 2001. Each night she goes to sleep in one time period and wakes up in another. Until, that is, she turns twenty-one, when she will have to forfeit two of those lives--and everyone she knows in them--forever.

In 1861, Maggie is the daughter of an influential senator at the outbreak of the Civil War, navigating a capital full of Southern spies and wounded soldiers. In 1941, she is a Navy nurse, grappling with her knowledge of the future when she's asked to join a hospital ship being sent to Pearl Harbor. And in 2001, she's a brilliant young medical student, fulfilling her dream of becoming a surgeon, yet unable to use her modern skills in her other paths.

While Maggie has sworn off romance until she makes her final choice, an intriguing man tugs at her heart in each era. The mysterious British gentleman. The prickly, demanding doctor. The charming young congressman. She's drawn to each man in different ways, only complicating the impossible decision she must make, which looms ever closer.

With so much on the line, how can Maggie choose just one life to keep and the rest to lose?

My thoughts:

I loved the first book in the Timeless series so I was curious to find out if this novel would be as amazing, and it exceeded my expectations. Each of the three timelines held my attention throughout the entire book, they moved seamlessly, they were all intriguing, each of the supporting characters were interesting and the storylines were masterfully written.

I loved Maggie in 1861 where she is the daughter of an influential senator, Maggie the Navy Nurse in 1941 and the medical student, Maggie in 2001.  All of those were trying times in history and I loved how she navigated through each time period, I certainly didn’t envy her lives or the choice she would have to make by her when she turns 21.  I was both surprised and happy with the choice she ultimately made.

Overall, I thought this was a fascinating novel with well-crafted characters and three amazing storylines. I strongly recommend reading both books in the series because they are terrific.

I received a copy from the publisher though Netgalley.  Opinions are my own.

A Hope for Healing (Secrets of Bliss Valley #4) by Jo Ann Brown

  Sometimes the greatest act of courage is trusting your heart…

After loving and losing the perfect husband, widow Rosemary Mishler can’t imagine ever marrying again. Yet the small Amish community of Bliss Valley keeps playing matchmaker—and the arrival of newcomer Gideon Wingard only makes things worse. But when a little Englisch girl is abandoned in her kitchen and is discovered to be her late husband’s child, Rosemary realizes that her perfect husband clearly had some secrets of his own…

Gideon left his community to escape the matchmakers—only to stumble upon more. And he can’t quite steel himself against the pull of Rosemary’s somber gray eyes and his need to help her with the small kind who’s been left to her care. With his feelings for Rosemary and the little girl growing stronger every day, Gideon can see himself putting down roots in Bliss Valley. But is the hope of love enough for him to plan a future…and a family?

My thoughts:

This is such an emotional story, it pulled me from the very beginning.  My heart went out to Rosemary Mishler who is mourning the untimely death of her husband, a man she loved unconditionally and trusted completely.  I liked Gideon Wingard who came to Bliss Valley with the intention of escaping matchmakers only to encounter more of the same in his new community.

What we think is perfect isn’t always the case, especially when you find a young child in your kitchen and that child is the daughter of your deceased husband.  I loved watching the relationship flourish between the two main characters and the unexpected but eventual love and acceptance of the child that was left behind.

This is such a wonderful, heart wrenching read with characters that I still think of long after finishing A Hope for Healing,

I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley. Opinions are my own.

Once Upon a Buggy (The Amish of Apple Creek #2) by Shelley Shepard Gray

May Schott would do anything to change the tragic moment when she stepped too close to the fire that left her best friend, Carl Hilty, devastatingly burned. After Carl left Apple Creek for extensive surgeries, May patiently prayed for one chance to ask his forgiveness. Now, six years later, Carl Hilty is coming home.

The reunion goes nothing like May anticipated. Overwhelmed with emotion at seeing Carl again, she is speechless, unable to look away. And Carl’s own stone-cold silence leaves her certain that whatever attraction they once shared has been replaced by his hatred of her.

After hiding in the shadows of the big city, Carl has returned to connect with his family and to see if May can overlook his scars and accept his love—but it seems she wants nothing to do with him. He grudgingly agrees to stay with his family for a time before retreating once again. . . . But in Apple Creek, it’s easy to miss what everyone around you sees plain as day. For two people who belong together, it will take a few helping hands to heal the hurts of the past and make a miraculous new beginning.
 

My thoughts:

A retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in Apple Creek, Ohio, an Amish community.  I don’t normally enjoy this type of story, but this one was so well done that I soon got caught up in the lives of both the Schott and Hilty families, forgetting the retelling aspect.

May Schott feels guilty for the tragic fire that left Carl Hilty badly burned which subjected him to extensive surgeries and I would say, unimaginable pain.  Nothing goes right when Carl returns, May is unable to express her feelings for what happened to him and a rift between the two sets of parents.  On a brighter note, May has the most adorable Alpacas that added light heartedness to the storyline. I liked Carl so much, his character is genuine, but I did not care for his parents, until the end of the book.  Mr. Hilty was super strict and was on the verge of alienating his family, however he does have a good side and with forgiveness, the two sides let go of the past and look towards a happier future.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are my own.

 

 

 

A Brighter Dawn (Amish Memories #1) by Leslie Gould

Ivy Zimmerman is successfully navigating her life as a young Mennonite woman, one generation removed from her parents' Old Order Amish upbringing. But when her parents are killed in a tragic accident, Ivy's way of life is upended. As she deals with her grief, her younger sisters' needs, the relationship with her boyfriend, and her Dawdi and Mammi's strict rules, Ivy finds solace in both an upcoming trip to Germany for an international Mennonite youth gathering and in her great-great-aunt's story about Clare Simons, another young woman who visited Germany in the late 1930s.

As Ivy grows suspicious that her parents' deaths weren't, in fact, an accident, she gains courage from what she learns of Clare's time in pre-World War II Germany. With the encouragement and inspiration of the women who have gone before her, Ivy seeks justice for her parents, her sisters, and herself.

My thoughts:

This novel was so compelling that I did not want to put it down, but life demanded my time so I had to do grudgingly put it aside to do other stuff. I was anxious to get back to this dual time line novel of the Amish/ Mennonite communities.  I loved how this was not your typical novel, the present-day character has a gritty determination to find out what exactly happened that caused the accident that killed her parents. 

The author obviously was thorough in her research as is apparent in the 1930’s storyline where she tells the story of family members living in Germany.  I loved that the present-day characters visited Germany, seeing, and learning so much history and two old friends are reunited.  Ms. Gould is a gifted storyteller, weaving both storylines seamlessly with well-crafted characters of different ages and time periods.  Readers of historical and Amish fiction please do not pass this one up.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are my own,

 

 

After the Shadows (Secrets of Sweetwater Crossings#1) by Amanda Cabot

 Emily Leland sheds no tears when her abusive husband is killed in a bar fight, but what awaits her back home in Sweetwater Crossing is far from the welcome and comfort she expected. First she discovers her father has died under mysterious circumstances. Then the house where the new schoolteacher and his son are supposed to board burns, leaving them homeless. When Emily proposes turning the family home into a boardinghouse, her sister is so incensed that she leaves town.

Alone and broke, her family name sullied by controversy, Emily is determined to solve the mystery of her father's death--and to aid Craig Ferguson, despite her fears of men. The widowed schoolmaster proves to be a devoted father, an innovative teacher, and an unexpected ally. Together they must work to unmask a killer and escape the shadows of their own pasts in order to forge a brighter future.

Bestselling author Amanda Cabot transports you to 1880s Texas Hill Country for a brand-new series that will have you flipping pages to solve the mystery and get to the happily-ever-after you long for.

My thoughts:

This new series by Amanda Cabot starts off with family drama, intrigue plus the return of one of three sisters.  Emily Leland returns to her family home after the death of her abusive husband, but it isn’t the homecoming she expects, her father has died, the widowed new school teacher and his young son are left homeless after the home they were going to reside burns down and a sister who is beside herself when Emily opens the family home to boarders.

Emily and Craig are wonderful characters, she has a heart for those in need and I found him to be refreshing in his stance not to physically punish or make the children in his classroom feel dumb when they made mistakes or learned at a different pace than others did. Given the time period, it seems like punishment was meted out by those in authority which included teachers.  I loved the kindness and generosity they both bestowed upon their neighbors and especially a special needs child who had been somewhat of an outcast in the community.

The mystery, family dynamics and sweet romance made this new novel an incredible read.  I am looking forward to the next book in the series to reconnect with the characters in the 1880’s Texas Hill Country.  I highly recommend to readers of historical fiction and those who enjoy a well-written novel.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.  Opinions are my own.