My first book is one that I signed up to get, but I was told that there was a large amount of requests for it, so I might not get one. Well, I didn't. But...our church library had already ordered it at my request! So I got to read it anyway! I thought I'd include it in my reviews.
Within My Heart by Tamera Alexander. I'm a big Tamera Alexander fan. I discovered her books in our church library about a year or so ago and just devoured them! The stories are set in the west during the 1800s, which is one of my favorite times in history to read about. Within My Heart is the third book in a series and I have been waiting for quite a while to see what it would be about. I will be honest and say that you can pretty much figure out, even by the back of the book, who the main romantic characters are going to be. Even with that little bit of predictability, there are always twists and turns in the story that make it exciting and a must-read. This book is no exception. There are some interesting story lines with each of the characters. I think my only criticism of this story is that I wanted to see more about the background story of the main male character, Rand. I also felt like the romance took a long time to develop between the two characters, which I think it was a little more realistic in that way, but I'm not necessarily the patient type : ). Overall, I would recommend it as a great read, strong and interesting characters, and a good ending. The major event at the end wasn't the event I had hoped for, but still good.
The Vigilante's Bride by Yvonne Harris...
I did request and receive this book from Bethany House and LOVED it! Another book set in the west, but this one was a good bit different than Within My Heart. This story begins with a young girl who has lived in an orphanage and is now at the age that she must be turned out. The leadership at the orphanage found an ad in a newspaper for a man who wants a mail-order bride. The girl, Emily, is on her way to marry a man she's never met, and on the way she is kidnapped off of the stagecoach. The kidnapper, Luke, is not your typical bandit. In fact, he is better described as a law enforcer in a place where there was no one to enforce the law. He wants to protect Emily from the man she is supposed to marry. Luke is no angel, though. He's definitely rough around the edges and isn't afraid to give Emily a hard time. The story that ensues is one of adventure, danger, some mystery, romance, and I even laughed out loud on a couple of parts. I would definitely recommend this book! It only took me about two days to read it!
Masquerade by Nancy Moser....I have saved the best for last! I do think that even though this isn't my typical favorite setting, it grew on me. Each night I went to read it, I loved it more and more! This book is the story of Dora and Charlotte (Lottie). Set in the 1880s, Dora has been a servant to Lottie since she was 13 years old, but the two girls have more of a friendship than a servant-master relationship. When Lottie's family, who live on a large manor in England, has some difficulty, she feels forced to sail to America and marry a man she's never met. As she gets closer to America, Lottie realizes that she's never had the freedom to experience life and adventure. So she convinces Dora to switch identities with her. What she doesn't realize, though, is how difficult it will be for her once she begins her journey. Through a series of events, Lottie is left penniless and alone. There are so many things I loved about the story. Even though the characters are fictional, the events, descriptions of places and people, dress, and many other things parallel what was real during that time in history. The author even includes some references to the facts in the back of the book, including some drawings of the fashion of that time. I also found it interesting to learn about the different aspects of society, about the conditions and culture of immigrants of the day, and more. The story was also unpredictable. I had no idea what decisions Dora and Lottie would make, which made me turn the pages until late at night! So...I would definitely recommend this book!
The great thing about these books, too, is that they're Christian fiction, so there are no concerns about bad language or sexual immorality. The characters are also seeking God for help, trying to share God's love with others, and seeking Scripture. I am so thankful for writers of Christian fiction! I have already enjoyed my first time being a reviewer and I look forward to donating these books to our church library so others can enjoy them, too! Happy reading! God bless!
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