Love Without End Book Review

A Kings Meadows Romance

Book One

SUMMARY:  For two single parents with bruised hearts, it'll take more than a little courage to get back on the horse when it comes to love.

     Kimberly Welch lost her husband to a heart attack in the blink of an eye.  But she's losing her daughter slowly, in the day-to-day tension.   In three difficult years, Kimberly has gone from Seattle socialite to Kings Meadow charity case, and her daughter is not responding well to the changes.  She's becoming a sullen, cantankerous teen.

     Chet Leonard lost his teenage son in a car accident.  Then his wife abandoned him and their two remaining boys.  He tries to keep his mind on the family ranch, but if the last two years have taught him anything, it's that sometimes you just have to let the memories hurt.  Let the memories hurt, and leave well enough alone.

     But when Chet volunteers to help tame Kimberly's daughter's horse, everyone gets more than they bargained for . . . especially when eighty-four-year-old Anna McKenna shows up.

     Nana Anna has reappeared in Kings Meadows after decades away, bringing with her the magnetism and transformative joy that come from a life well lived . . . just the kind of magic that a couple of unlucky-in-love single parents need to conjure up a little courage and raise a new family from the ashes of tragedy.

REVIEW:  Robin Lee Hatcher's latest book captured my attention from the beginning and held it to the very end.  I like how Chet stays engaged in his teenage sons lives and the relationship they have.  Kimberly is a good mom who struggles to keep it together after losing everything.  Even though her relationship with her daughter, Tara, was difficult, Kimberly never gives up hope that they will be close again.  My favorite character of all is Anna.  I love her spunk and energy!!  She is someone I would love to have in my life, to challenge me to continue pursuing Christ and everything that goes with it.  I like how Anna's story is woven in between the pages of Chet's and Kimberly's.
     This is a good book that I think everyone will enjoy.

This book was provided by Litfuse Publicity Group and Thomas Nelson Publishers for review without compensation.

Robin Lee Hatcher is a best-selling author known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love.  The winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance, two RT Career Achievement Awards, and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award, Robin is the author of over 60 novels.

The Heart's Pursuit Book Review

SUMMARY:  A jilted bride, desperate to save her family from ruin.  A bounty hunter seeking vengeance for a ravaged past.  An arduous trek toward justice - or redemption.
     Silver Matlock and Jared Newman know traveling together is a bad idea.  Bad for Silver's already tarnished reputation in her small Colorado town.  Bad for bounty hunter Jared's secret, single-minded mission for revenge.  But Silver is determined to track down the rogue who left her at the altar and stole the last remnant of her father's fortune.  And Jared's in a hurry to hunt down the murderer who destroyed his family - even if Silver is too distractingly beautiful for comfort.
     The pair takes off over mountain and desert, past bleak homesteads and raw mining towns, hot on the trail of the two villains who took what wasn't theirs to take.  Soon supplies dwindle, secrets emerge, and suspicions arise, putting Silver and Jared at odds when they need each other most.  To confront an enemy deadlier than desert rattlesnakes and rocky cliffs, Silver and Jared must learn to forgive and trust and face the questions they haven't dared voice:  What happens next?

REVIEW:  This book was different than most historical romance books I've read.  Silver's determination to find her former fiance and return her father's money is one to be admired.  She doesn't think about herself or her reputation but only her father.  She sticks with Jared, never complaining even when things are looking bad.  I like how she encourages Jared to take an orphan, Dean, left behind when the two men they are chasing kill his parents, even though they are low on supplies.  Also wondering "what happens next?" towards the end of the novel, the ending was refreshing.  An enjoyable ending to a surprising book.

This book was provided by Litfuse Publicity Group for review without compensation.

Robin Lee Hatcher is the bestselling author of seventy books.  Her numerous awards include the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance, and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award.  Robin and her husband currently reside in Idaho.  For more information, visit www.robinleehatcher.com.

Beloved Book Review

Where the Heart Lives Series

Book Three

 SUMMARY:  A most unwelcome guest surprises Diana at her engagement party - the husband she thought was dead!

     Diana Brennan came west on the orphan train and was given a home with a loving couple who cherished and spoiled her.  At 17, she fell hard for Tyson Applegate, the son of a wealthy mine owner.  After a whirlwind courtship and marriage, Tyson took off for adventures around the world, including fighting with the Rough Riders in Cuba.  Receiving no word of him in years, Diana is ready to move past the old pain and marry again, just as soon as Tyson is declared legally dead.

     But when Tyson returns, supposedly a changed man, he wants to reunite with his wife and run for the senate.  While Diana suspects the election is his real reason for wanting her by his side, she agrees to maintain his home and to campaign with him, but when it is over, win or lose, she wants her freedom.  

     He agrees with one condition - she must give him a chance to change her mind about him.

REVIEW:  Beloved is written with two time lines going on at the same time.  You read about Diana and her struggles with Tyson after he returns but, sprinkled throughout the story, you also read Tyson's story before he met Diana, their meeting and courtship, their brief time together as a married couple and what happens to Tyson when he leaves Diana and after he "disappears."  At first, I couldn't quite figure out what was going on, but the more I read, the back story (mainly Tyson's) came through and I was able to follow along quite nicely and see that Tyson's spiritual relationship and his feelings for Diana were genuine.
     There were a few times I felt Brook Calhoun's character was stilted and unnecessary, like the author was needing an adversary and he was an afterthought.  It also would have been nice for Diana to meet her siblings earlier in the novel instead of in the Epilogue.  I did like how Tyson's father, Jeremiah Applegate, had changed over the years and was more accepting of Tyson and Diana's relationship and how he found one he wasn't looking for.
     All in all, this was a good book, one I enjoyed.  The series was interesting and one I wouldn't mind reading again.

This book was provided by Lituse Publicity Group, Booksneeze, and Zondervan for review without compensation.

Robin Lee Hatcher is the bestselling author of seventy books.  Her numerous awards include the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance, and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award.  Robin and her husband reside in Idaho.  For more information, visit www.robinleehatcher.com.

GIVEAWAY!!!!

I am having a give away!!!  The prize is a copy of each of the books Belonging and Betrayal by Robin Lee Hatcher and No Safe Harbor by Elizabeth Ludwig. 

To enter, all you have to do is to comment on my post here on my blog, comment on my Facebook post about the giveaway or like my post on Facebook.  It's that easy!!  The contest ends on Saturday, January 12th so enter soon and often.  I will notify the winner on Sunday, January 13th.

If you would like to get more information about these books, you can click on the links below:

Belonging

Betrayal

No Safe Harbor

Good luck!!

Betrayal Book Review

Where the Heart Lives Series

Book Two

SUMMARY:  Can two wounded hearts find a way to trust again?

     Julia Grace has no desire to enter into another marriage.  But with her dead husband's half-brother threatening to take away her Wyoming ranch, Julia realizes marriage may be the only way to keep what is rightfully hers.

     A man well acquainted with betrayal, drifter Hugh Brennan finds himself drawn to the attractive widow.  Yet when he looks into Julia's eyes, he recognizes the same hurt that haunts him.

     A thoughtful romance from the turn of the twentieth century, Betrayal will take you to the high desert of western Wyoming, through the crags of the Rocky Mountains, and into the souls of two seekers learning to trust God's love no matter the circumstances.

REVIEW:  Another great book by Robin Lee Hatcher.  My heart went out to both Hugh and Julia as I read their stories.  Hugh has been betrayed by his father, someone he should have been able to trust, and ends up taking the fall for a crime committed by him.  Wanting to protect her daughter and keep her from the life of prostitution that she lead, Julia's mom finds her a husband and hopefully a good life.  But, soon Julia's life turned into a nightmare when Angus starts abusing her.  I like how both Hugh and Julia find people they can trust but mostly, I love how they are drawn to the Lord and find strength in Him when they had none.  I love how the author shows the strength of their faith and how they finally allow the Lord to restore the years of pain.  One of my favorite parts comes at the end when Julia's former brother-in-law gets his comeuppance.  If you are interested in reading a book that shows how God will restore the years the locust has eaten, this is the book for you.

     This is the second book in the series.  You don't need to read the first to understand this book but it is helpful to fully understand where Hugh is coming from in regards to the relationship with his father and his pursuit of his sisters.

This book was provided by Zondervan for review without compensation.

Robin Lee Hatcher is the bestselling author of over sixty books.  Her well-drawn characters and heartwarming stories of faith, courage, and love have earned her both critical acclaim and the devotion of readers.  Her numerous awards include the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, two RITA Awards for Best Inspirational Romance, and the Romance Writers of America Lifetime Achievement Award.  Robin is a lifelong resident of Idaho.  For more information, visit www.robinleehatcher.com.

Belonging Book Review

Stay tuned to this blog for information on a give away coming soon. 

Where the Heart Lives

Book One

SUMMARY:  Can two bitter pasts make one sweet future?

     In the high desert town of Frenchman's Bluff, Idaho, Felecia Kristoffersen has set out to create a future for herself that is better than her painful past.  Alone in the world with only her faith to sustain her, she must prove herself as this tiny community's new school teacher.  She cannot, must not, fail.  But there are those who never wanted her there to begin with.

     Five years after the death of his wife, local merchant Colin Murphy cares about just one thing: raising his daughter, Charity.  Colin wants to give her the educational advantages he never had.  The new schoolmarm's inexperience doesn't sit well with him, and if this teacher up and marries like the last one did, Charity's heart will be broken once again.
     A woman who hasn't known love.  A man who lost the love he had.

     In the midst of the wide, sage-covered plains, each is about to discover that life's bitterest circumstances truly can work together for good.

REVIEW:  This book is really good.  There are a lot of things about this book that strike me and memorable.  One of my favorites is how the author lays out Felecia's faith.  It seems like all Felecia experiences is hardship and pain.  But instead of lashing out and becoming angry, she lets it draw her closer to the Lord and lets Him give her strength and direction.  I also like the secondary story of Felecia's search for her brother and sister.  When they were separated after being adopted off the Orphan Train, Felecia never forgot them and kept searching for them when she got the chance.  If you are interested in a book about a faith and love that endures, this is the book for you.

This book was provided by Zondervan for review without compensation.

Robin Lee Hatcher is the bestselling author of over sixty books.  Her well-drawn characters and heartwarming stories of faith, courage, and love have earned her both critical acclaim and the devotion of readers.  Her numerous awards include the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, two RITA Awards for Best Inspirational Romance, and the Romance Writers of America Lifetime Achievement Award.  Robin is a lifelong resident of Idaho.  For more information, visit www.robinleehatcher.com.