The Loyal Heart Book Review

A Lone Star Hero's
Love Story Series

Book One

SUMMARY:  Robert came to Galveston to fulfill his promise to a dying man and look after his widow.  He didn't expect to find love in the unlikeliest of places.

     Robert Truax, former Second Lieutenant and Confederate officer in the Civil War, made a promise to his comrade Phillip Markham.  If anything happened to Phillip, Robert would look after his beloved wife, Miranda.  She was his life, his world, his everything.

     After the war, Robert is left to pick up the pieces and fulfill his pact.  When he arrives at Miranda's home in Galveston, Texas, things are worse that he imagined.  Phillip's name has been dragged through the mud, everyone in town believes him to be a traitor, and his widow is treated as an outcast.  Even more disturbing is her emotional well-being.  Miranda seems hopeless, lost, and so very alone.

     Robert had thought his duty would be simple.  He would help Miranda as quickly as possible in order to honor a promise.  But the moment Robert laid eyes on her, his plans changed.  He's mesmerized by her beauty and yearns to help her in any way he can.

     He makes it his duty to protect Miranda, turn her reputation around, and to find some way to help her smile again. But it doesn't prove to be an easy task - Robert knows something about Phillip that could shake Miranda to the core and alter her view of the man she thought she knew so well.

REVIEW: A secret pact was made between a group of officers while in captivity during the Civil War - anyone who survived the concentration camp would look after the others' families.  I love how these men did not renig on their promise after they were released but honored their word.  In this particular story, Robert has gotten word that Phillip Markam's wife was having some difficulties.  I like how when he realizes just how bad off Miranda is and sees the affect the townspeople's  hatred towards her and Phillip, Robert steps in and makes things right.  I'm not sure I totally agree with him keeping the real reason for his being there a secret but I understand why he did it. 
     Miranda deals with severe depression after the loss of her husband.  With the financial straits and the attitudes of the townspeople adding to her burdens, Miranda thinks there is only one way out.  I like how Robert pulls her out of the doldrums and encourages her to keep on living.  I like how he fights for her.
     This is the first book in this series.  It will be intriguing to read the others as they are released.

This book was provided by Fiction Guild and Thomas Nelson Publishers 

for review without any compensation.

Shelley Shepard Gray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers' prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner.  She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail.  She also spends a lot of time online.  Please visit her website:  www.shelleyshepardgray.com.  Find her on Facebook at ShelleyShepardGray.

Whispers in the Reading Room Book Review

 

Chicago World's Fair Mystery Series

Book Three

SUMMARY:  Lydia's job at the library is her world - until a mysterious patron catches her eye . . . and perhaps her heart.

     Just months after the closure of the Chicago World's Fair, librarian Lydia Bancroft finds herself fascinated by a mysterious dark-haired and dark-eyes patron.  He has never given her his name; he actually never speaks to a single person.  All she knows about him is that he loves books as much as she does.

     Only when he rescues her in the lobby of the Hartman Hotel does she discover that his name is Sebastian Marks.  She also discovers that he lives at the top of the prestigious hotel and that most everyone in Chicago is intrigued by him.

    Lydia and Sebastian form a fragile friendship, but when she discovers that Mr. Marks isn't merely a very wealthy gentleman, but also the proprietor of an infamous saloon and gambling club, she is shocked.

     Lydia insists on visiting the club one fateful night and suddenly is a suspect to a murder.  She must determine who she can trust, who is innocent, and if Sebastian Marks - the man so many people fear - is actually everything her heart believes him to be.

REVIEW:  Everything is not always what it seems or looks like.  Appearances and actions can be deceiving.  Lydia is believed to be a wealthy debutante, but in reality her father's death left her and her mother penniless and destitute.  Sebastian looks to be the finest of gentlemen, well educated and refined but he was raised on the wrong side of the tracks and learned everything he knows from reading anything and everything he can.  

     I like how Lydia doesn't accept society's "norms" and kinda does what she wants. She wears her glasses all the time, when society thought such practice was very unacceptable and frowned upon.  When she realizes her fiance Jason has a very bad temper and he hurts her in public, Lydia does not sit back and take it but refuses to marry him.  She is willing to do what it takes to make sure her mother is taken care of and feels secure.  

     Sebastian struggles with getting close to anyone, even Vincent and Bridget, who work closest to him constantly.  I like how they stick by him and support him when it looks like Sebastian is being arrested.  Bridget risks her life to help Sebastian when he is followed into a bad part of town by a disreputable and dangerous man.  

     This was an engrossing book, capturing my attention at the beginning and keeping it until the very end.  Even though it is the third book in this series, I did not feel like I was missing anything since I had not read the first two.  The story flowed seamlessly.  It is one I would highly recommend.

This book was provided by The Fiction Guild for review without compensation.

Shelley Gray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers' prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner.  She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail. She also spends a lot of time online.  Please visit her website at www.shelleyshepardgray.com.  Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/ShelleyShepardGray.

Among the Fair Magnolias Book Review

 Four Southern Love Stories

SUMMARY:  During the most turbulent decade of our nation's history, four Southern women - their destinies forged by birth and heritage - face nearly impossible choices on their journeys in life . . . and in love.

To Mend a Dream by Tamera Alexander

Savannah Darby would do almost anything to revisit her family home.  so when the new owner Aidan Bedford seeks to redecorate the house for his fiancee, Savannah jumps at the opportunity.  But can she find the box her father supposedly hid there during the war before her assignment is completed?  And before she sees yet another battle lost on the home front - this time, a battle of the heart.

An Outlaw's Heart by Shelley Gray

Seven years ago Russell Champion was betrayed by the two most important women in his life.  Now Russell returns home, but is it too late to make amends with his mother and find closure with his true love?

A Heart So True by Dorothy Love

Abigail Clayton hopes to reconcile with Dr. Wade Bennett and become his wife.  But her father insists she marry her distant cousin Charles Kittridge so the plantations of the two families will be joined.  With her wedding looming, Abby must choose between duty to her family and the yearnings of her own heart.

Love Beyond Limits by Elizabeth Musser

Emily Derracott loves her childhood friend Thomas McGinnis, but she cannot marry a man who doesn't share her strong convictions about the freedmen.  Besides, she harbors a secret love for someone else.  But the prospect of becoming his wife is not only improbable - it is completely impossible.

REVIEW:  This book consists of four novellas, all set in the 19th century: one before the Civil War' two a few years after the Civil War; and the other towards the end of the century.  They are completely separate and are each interesting in their own way.  Check it out for yourself and see what you think.

     To Mend a Dream was probably my favorite of the four.  I liked how the story flowed.  It didn't feel rushed and the timing of everything worked.  My favorite part was how everything worked out in the end.  It is also set in Nashville, one of my favorite cities to visit.

     An Outlaw's Heart was probably my least favorite.  :-(  I had a hard time getting into the story.  I like the concept of this novella and how Russell was able to see his mom.  I also liked how events worked themselves out in the end.  But, the whole thing covered just two days, maybe a week at the most, and just felt rushed.

     A Heart So True was set in Coastal South Carolina just before the Civil War.  I liked this story and how the events worked out.  Part of me was frustrated with Abigail and Wade not coming out early on and telling each other how they felt but I wonder if it was just because of the societal constraints of the time period and the "freedom" we have now.  I like how Abigail stood up to her father in regards to who she wanted to marry and how she wasn't afraid to spend the day with Wade even though his mother protested. 

     Love Beyond Limits is set in Georgia not long after the end of the Civil War when the Klu Klux Klan was terrorizing the countryside and anyone who believed differently from them.  This story is different from any I've read before.  It takes into account the lives of the former slaves, how they fared in the south after the War and how they are trying to adjust to freedom, getting an education and life in general.  Emily's family lives and works alongside of their former slaves and she teaches at the Freedman's school located on the family plantation.  Her relationship with Thomas left me scratching my head.  I understand not wanting to marry someone because their beliefs are different from yours but that bit of information is not widely told in the book.  To me, it seemed like I needed to read between the lines.  I did like how everything worked out by the end of the story, especially the part about Thomas and some misunderstandings that came into play.

This book was provided by Litfuse Publicity Group and Thomas Nelson Publishers 

for review without compensation.

Tamera Alexander is a USA Today best-selling author whose richly drawn characters and thought-provoking plots have earned her devoted readers worldwide, as well as multiple industry awards.  After living in Colorado for seventeen years, Tamera has returned to her Southern roots.  She and her husband make their home in Nashville, where they enjoy life with their two adult children, who live nearby, and Jack, a precious - and precocious - silky terrier.  And all of this just a stone's throw away from the beloved Southern mansions about which she writes.  Visit her at www.tameraalexander.com; on Facebook: tamera.alexander; Twitter: @tameraalexander; and Pinterest: tameraauthor. 

Shelley Gray is the author of The Heart of a Hero series.  Her Amish novel (written as Shelley Shepard Gray) The Protector recently made the New York Times bestseller list.  A native of Texas, she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in Colorado and taught school for ten years.  She and her husband have two children and live in southern Ohio.  Visit her at www.shelleyshepardgray.com; on Facebook: ShelleyShepardGray; and on Twitter: @ShelleySGray.

Dorothy Love, a native of West Tennessee, makes her home in the Texas Hill Country with her husband and their golden retriever.  An award-winning author of numerous young adult novels, Dorothy made her adult debut with the Hickory Ridge novels.  Visit her at www.dorothylovebooks.com; on Facebook: dorothylovebooks; and Twitter: @WriterDorothy.

Elizabeth Musser writes "Entertainment with a soul" from her writing chalet - toolshed - outside Lyon, France.  Elizabeth's highly acclaimed, bestselling novel The Swan House was named one of Amazon's Top Christian Books of the Year and one of Georgia's Top Ten Novels of the Past 100 Years (Georgia BackRoads, 2009).  All of Elizabeth's novels have been translated into multiple languages.  Two Destinites, the final novel in the Secrets of the Cross trilogy, was a finalist for the 2013 Christy Award.  For over twenty-five years, Elizabeth and her husband, Paul, have been involved in missions work with International Teams.  The Mussers have two sons, a daughter-in-law, and three grandchildren.  Visit her at www.elizabethmusser.com; on Facebook: Elizabeth-Musser; and on Twitter: @LizzieSwanHouse.

Hopeful Book Review

Return to Sugarcreek

Book One

SUMMARY:  In the Amish town of Sugarcreek, love comes in many forms.  But will it come at all for Miriam?

     Miriam Zehr has worked at the Sugarcreek Inn longer than she cares to admit.  The restaurant is a favorite of town residents as well as the many tourists who come to taste the famous Amish fare.  Though she always tries to have a smile for every customer, deep down Miriam knows something's missing: a family of her own.

     Miriam has never felt particularly beautiful, especially because she's always been a bit heavier than other girls her age.  When Junior, the man she's pined for all her life, suddenly seeks her out, she's thrilled to be noticed ... until she realizes he's only asking her to help get the attention of Mary Kathryn Hershberger, her pretty friend.

     If Miriam helps Junior court Mary Kathryn, she'll get to spend a lot of time with him, but she might lose him in the process.  Are these few stolen moments worth a lifetime of sacrifice?  Is Miriam right to even hope for the life she dreams of?

REVIEW:  This book shows life can be difficult, whether we see it or not.  Miriam wants to have her own family but hasn't had a suitor.  Mary Kathryn is trying to hide from an abusive and controlling boyfriend and anyone of the male persuasion who wants to get close.  On the outside, both women look to have it all together but inside, don't.  

     Sometimes I had a hard time keeping my attention on the story.  I liked how Mary Kathryn was trying to stay safe but questioned some of her decisions: working in a job she hated, telling her parents where she was living when she knew they would tell her former boyfriend and his family, and going out with Junior but being resistant the whole time they are out.  Also, there were a few other stories mixed in, I guess from her Seasons of Sugarcreek series, that I had some difficulty completely following because I was not familiar with their backgrounds.  

     I did like how Miriam stepped in as a reading tutor to help Junior's sister, who was having a difficult time understanding what she read.  I also like how Junior, after being turned away as Mary Kathryn's suitor, stepped up to defend her when Mary Kathryn's former boyfriend showed up and started harassing her.  They didn't let their hurts get in the way of helping a friend in need.  

     This book also has a lot of extra features in the PS section with discussion questions, information about the author, a recipe and a sneak peek at the next book in this series.

     While this book isn't at the top of my list, it is still a pleasant read.

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

 

Shelley Shepard Gray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers' prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner.  She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail.  More information can be found at www.shelleyshepardgray.com.