In Firefly Valley Book Review

Texas Crossroads Series

Book Two

SUMMARY:  She's lost her dream job - but has she found the man of her dreams?

     Devastated by a downsizing, Marisa St. George has no choice but to return to the small Texas town where she grew up.  Though it means a giant step backward, she accepts a position as business manager at the struggling Rainbow's End resort.  The only silver lining:  Blake Kendall, a new guest who might make her believe in love at first sight.  But will Marisa's dreams of happily-ever-after be turned upside down when she discovers Blake's real identity?

     This warm and witty story of dreams deferred and mistaken identity will have you believing in second chances.

REVIEW:  This is a good story about secrets, forgiveness, and love.  Love can overcome secrets and help you forgive past wrongs but it can only come through God.  Marisa is a strong character that loves those around her and slowly learns how to forgive.  She is also one that most people should be able to relate to.  Everyone has family members who have problems that affect those around them, whether it is alcohol, drugs, anger issues, spending issues, hoarding, etc.  Quite often, you end up responding to instances around you with a skewed sense.  Marisa responds quite negatively to anything to do with alcohol.  While that could be constructed as a good thing, she doesn't like a particular author whose main character drinks.  Unfortunately, the author is someone Marisa cares about a great deal.  When asked to forgive someone who was very close to her for events that happened long ago, Marisa sees things through her childhood pain and struggles with forgiving.  As God's love grew in her, she was able to forgive those around her and love them better than before.
     This is a good book and a superb follow-up to the first one.  You probably should read the first book before this one. A few of the minor characters become more relevant and you understand where Rainbow's End Resort has come from and where it is going.  I'm patiently waiting for the third book to be released next year to see how it all comes together.

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of the Texas Dreams series, the Westward Winds series, Christmas Roses, and At Bluebonnet Lake.  Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards and the Booksellers' Best.  She lives in Wyoming.  Learn more at www.amandacabot.com.
    

At Bluebonnet Lake Book Review

Texas Crossroads Series

Book One

SUMMARY:  Her life is set to warp speed.  His is slowing to a crawl.  But love has its own timing.

     Marketing maven Kate Sherwood's world is fast-paced, challenging, and always changing.  The last thing she wants to do is grind to a halt at Rainbow's End, a dilapidated resort in the Texas Hill Country.  Still, she cannot deny her ailing grandmother's request to visit the place where she and her deceased husband spent one glorious week fifty years ago.  There, Kate meets Greg, who appears to be the resort's unassuming handyman.  But there's more to Greg than meets the eye - billions more, in fact.

     Kate isn't looking for romance, but she can't deny the sparks of attraction that fly every time she and Greg are together.   Could there be a future there?  Or will Kate's long-sought promotion take her back to the big city?

     Amanda Cabot invites you to step into a place away from the pressures of the day.  You might be surprised by what you find at Rainbow's End.

REVIEW:  This was a fun book.  Kate's grandmother, Sally, is fun-loving and keeps Kate on her toes.  Kate loves the woman who raised her and would do anything for her, even taking a month off work to spend time with Sally in a run-down resort.  The author made Rainbow's End and Dupree, Texas come to life.  The employees of the resort and the shop owners in town are fun and interesting.  There were a few surprises.  I loved how everything tied up in the end.  

     There was one thing I found difficult.  The quickness of the relationships of Kate and Greg and Sally and Roy was a little much.  I understand that it is just a book but I prefer my heroes and heroines take more than a month to decide to get engaged.  Other than that, I loved the book and would recommend it to others.  I am looking forward to the rest of the series to come.

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of the Texas Dreams series, the Westward Winds series, and Christmas Roses.  Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards and the Booksellers' Best.  She lives in Wyoming.  Learn more at www.amandacabot.com.

Sincerely Yours Book Review

A Novella Collection

SUMMARY:  Four unexpected letters.  Four intrepid women.  Four lives changed forever.

     Spanning a century and a continent, these romantic novellas will lead you on a journey through the landscape of love.  Four young women find their lives altered after each receives a letter that sets her on a new path.  From a Hudson River steamboat to a lush drawing room, from a carousel carver's workshop to a remote hospital, you'll be swept into the lives of women who are making their way in the world and finding love where they least expect it.

MOONLIGHT PROMISE by Laurie Alice Eakes

Camilla Renfrew is a highborn English lady fleeing false accusations when she runs smack into love on a steamboat bound for the new Erie Canal.  But can this unexpected attraction survive the treacherous journey?

 LESSONS IN LOVE by Ann Shorey

Marigold Montgomery Bentley writes marriage advice for Kipler's Home Weekly even though she is single.  Everyone assumes from the initials that "M.M." is a man.  When the editor asks to meet Mr. Bentley, can Merrie come up with a ruse to keep her writing job?

ONE LITTLE WORD by Amanda Cabot

Lorraine Caldwell will lose her family fortune to a reckless cousin if she doesn't marry quickly.  When she learns her long-lost brother is alive, she hopes she's found the answer to her problem.  What she finds instead is a mysterious carousel carver who turns her life upside down.

A SAVING GRACE by Jane Kirkpatrick

Grace Hathaway must rescue a dear friend from a remote and notorious clinic that promises healing by delivers only heartache.  In a place laced with deceit, where lives hang in the balance, whom can she trust to help her?

REVIEW:  These four novellas were fun and easy to read.   Although each story is different, they show how life can change, even with the receipt of a simple letter.  What I liked most about Laurie Alice Eakes' story is that her characters didn't decide to get married after only knowing each other for a few days even though there was a strong attraction between them.  Instead, at the end, Nathaniel asks to court Camilla to get to know her better.  That is something you don't see very often in novels these days.  It was a lovely story.

Ann Shorey's brief novel is the typical mistaken identity with a bit of a twist.  I thought it interesting that a single young lady is writing a column on godly marriages. Some of the advice she gave was good; some, I had to remember that the story was set in 1858 and not 2014 and was probably typical of that day.  The last article she wrote was very interesting.  It also had double meaning to Colin, her piano teacher and sweetheart.  This is a sweet story with a happy ending.

Amanda Cabot's main character Lorraine was a go-getter.  Even though she grew up having everything she wanted, she wasn't afraid to pitch in and help her brother's inn while he was gone on his honeymoon.  Even though she was a complete failure, she did not let it get her down and kept trying until she found something she was good at: organizing events for the guests at Lilac Hall.  Her tenacity was refreshing.  I liked how Amanda worked out all the details between Lorraine and Jonah at the end of this book.

Jane Kirkpatrick's story is based on true events that happened in the Pacific Northwest near Seattle.  Grace is a friend that we all need to have.  When her longtime friend, Rebecca, enters a questionable treatment center to get help over losing her husband, Grace goes to help her.  I like how she risks her own life to save her friend and other residents of this facility. 

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

Here is a link to a giveaway Jane Kirkpatrick is having on her blog: http://janeswordsofencouragement.blogspot.com/.  

With Autumn's Return Book Review

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Westward Winds Series

Book Three

SUMMARY:  She's planning on instant success.  She didn't plan on love.

     When Elizabeth Harding arrives in Cheyenne to open her medical practice, she is confident that the future is as bright as the warm Wyoming sun.  Certain she'll have a line of patients eager for her services, she soon discovers the town may not welcome a new physician - especially a lady doctor.  Even Jason Nordling, the handsome young attorney next door, seems to disapprove of her chosen profession.

     When a web of deceit among Cheyenne's wealthiest residents threatens to catch Elizabeth and Jason in its snare, they must risk working together to save one of Elizabeth's patients - even if it means falling in love.

 

REVIEW:  This book about the last Harding sister is good but frustrating, but not in a bad way.  For a modern day woman with so many freedoms, I get aggravated when I read about the prejudices many people had about women, especially becoming doctors, the social restraints in place during the late 1800s, and the bad medicine that was rampant.  But, I love how Elizabeth rises above those biased against her to show them that a woman can be a doctor, and a darned good one.  She has a big heart and doesn't turn her back on anyone in need, even Phoebe, the madam of the local high-priced brothel, when she falls and breaks her ankle and Sheila, the pregnant prostitute who wanted to keep her baby.  Elizabeth fights against the liberal use of bad patent medicines that are used to help cure patients but, instead, makes them worse off than before.

     This is a good book with some suspense mixed in and a wonderful ending.  A great way to send off this series.  

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

 

Amanda Cabot is the bestselling author of the Texas Dreams series, as well as Christmas Roses, Summer of Promise, and Waiting for Spring.  Her books have been finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards and the Booksellers Best.  She lives in Wyoming.  Find out more at www.amandacabot.com.

Waiting for Spring Book Review

Westward Winds Series

Book Two

SUMMARY:  A new identity may protect her family - but can it protect her heart?

     After the loss of her husband and the birth of her baby, Charlotte has had a long, hard year.  But she can find no rest from the ghosts of the past and flees to Cheyenne to put the pieces of her life back together.

     Wealthy cattle baron and political hopeful Barrett Landry must make a sensible match if he is to be elected senator of the soon-to-be state of Wyoming.  He needs someone with connections.  Someone without a past.  Yet he can't shake the feeling that Charlotte holds the key to his heart and future.

     Will Charlotte and Barrett find the courage to look love in the face?  Or will their fears blot out any chance for happiness?

 

REVIEW:  This book is the second in the Westward Winds series.  Even though this one stands well on it's own, to get a full understanding of what Charlotte is running from (which is important to the storyline) and to better comprehend Charlotte herself, it is beneficial to read the first book Summer of Promise.

     Charlotte's character is one of strength that has been developed under duress.  She is a single mom raising a child who is blind when most parents at this time in history would send them away.  Charlotte is worried when someone from her husband's past starts looking for her thinking she has money her husband stole.  She owns one of the most popular dress stores in town where she designs and sews the one-of-a-kind garments herself.  Charlotte also thinks of other and helps those in need when she can, either by giving them a job and a place to live or remaking old dresses into new ones suitable for those who cannot afford one at all.

     This is a great story worth checking out.  I can't wait until the third and last book is released.

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

Available January 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Amanda Cabot is an accomplished author under various pen names and a popular speaker.  The author of Paper Roses, Scattered Petals, Tomorrow's Garden, and Summer of Promise, she is also a charter member of Romance Writers of America, the cofounder of its New Jersey chapter, a member of the ACFW, and an avid reader.  She lives in Wyoming.  For more information, visit www.AmandaCabot.com. 

Christmas Roses Book Review

SUMMARY:  Celia Anderson doesn't have a husband on her Christmas wish list.  But when a traveling carpenter finds lodging at her boardinghouse, she admits that she might remarry if she found the right man - the kind of man who would bring her roses for Christmas.  It would take a miracle, though, to find roses during a harsh Wyoming winter.
     But Christmas, after all, is the time for miracles...

REVIEW:  This is a sweet story by Amanda Cabot.  I like how Celia doesn't bow down to the common idea that she remarry.  If she did, she wants it to be different from her first marriage, which was arranged.  She is determined to give her daughter the best she can, even if that means avoiding the intentions of her well-meaning suitors.  Mark Williams has one goal in his mind - to find the father that left when he was a young boy.  I like how Mark pitches in around Celia's boardinghouse, helping wherever needed while he takes a break from his search.  Once he finds someone connected with his father's past, Mark helps the man by working on his cabin and treating him like family.  My favorite part is the Christmas roses Celia gets and all that is tied into them.  This is a fabulous book that will warm your heart.

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

 Available September 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Amanda Cabot is a popular speaker and the author of Paper Roses, Scattered Petals, Tomorrow's Garden, and Summer of Promise, as well as a number of novels under various pen names.  She's an avid traveler who finds inspiration for new stories in her travels and enjoys sharing new parts of the country with her readers.  A former Easterner, she now lives in Wyoming.

Summer of Promise Book Review

Westward Winds series

SUMMARY:  Though she had planned to spend the summer in Vermont, Abigail Harding cannot dismiss her concerns over her older sister.  Charlotte's letters have been uncharateristically melancholy, and her claims that nothing is wrong ring false, so Abigail heads west to Fort Laramie, Wyoming.  When her stagecoach is attacked, Wyoming promises to be anything but boring.  Luckily, the heroics of another passenger, Lieutenant Ethan Bowles, save the day.
     Abigail plans to marry when she returns to Vermont, just as soon as she attends to her sister.  As the summer passes, she finds herself drawn to this rugged land and to a certain soldier determined to persuade her to stay.  When summer ends, will she go back East, or will she find her heart's true home?

REVIEW:  The story is very intriguing.  Set in Wyoming in 1885, bandits (some are deserters from Fort Laramie) are robbing stagecoaches, guns are stolen from the fort, and Lt. Bowles is trying to figure out why some of the soldiers are deserting the Army and what he can do to keep them from leaving.  I like how Abigail and Ethan develop a friendship first and that it takes months for them to realize their true feelings for each other instead of a few days or a couple of weeks as in most books.  Also interesting is how Abigail faces her fears (snakes, guns, etc) instead of running from them. I also like how she reaches out to the many German-speaking soldiers by teaching them basic English and other skills. 
     There are a few minor stories weaved throughout the main one.  It would be interesting to see if they are developed more in the later stories.  There are also a few loose ends that the author mentions will be tied up in the future.  This is the first book of a three part series covering each of the sisters:  Abigail, Charlotte, and Elizabeth (briefly mentioned).  Charlotte's story is due next and should be available in the spring of 2013.

This book was provided by Revell for review without compensation.

Available January 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Amanda Cabot is a popular speaker and the author of Paper Roses, Scattered Petals, and Tomorrow's Garden as well as a number of novels under various pen names.  She's an avid traveler who finds inspiration for new stories in her travels and enjoys sharing new parts of the country with her readers.  A former Easterner, she now lives in Wyoming.  Sign up for her newsletter and learn fun facts about Amanda and her books at www.AmandaCabot.com. She can also be found on Facebook as Amanda Cabot.