High Desert Haven, Sherpherd's Heart Series, Book Two; by Lynette Bonner

I wasn't sure if I'd like this book. In Book #1, Jason is a lousy excuse of a man, although he does redeem himself in the end.  Now in Book Two, Jason is the main character and I wasn't sure he had what it takes to be the 'leading man'.  I was quite pleasantly surprised.
I loved the leading lady as well.  I didn't like that she seemed so strong in the Lord and yet didn't really catch on to the villain.  You'd think she would have prayed about that a wee bit more.  I really enjoyed seeing more of the characters from the previous book but it was such that you could easily read this as a stand alone or out of order if you wanted.  You might miss some little things but overall, it'd be fine.

Looking for work, Jason takes a job as ranch manager and finds he wants to manage Nicki almost as much as he wants to manage the ranch.  One feisty girl and one stubborn man.  Hopefully they can begin to work together because someone is after the land they are on and will stop at nothing to get it.  When Jason is arrested for committing a crime, Nicki feels that maybe she has misread his heart badly.  Whatever happens, God must know the big picture....right?

Can't wait to start Book #3!

 

Rocky Mountain Oasis, The Shepherd's Heart, Book 1 by Lynette Bonner

Brooke has been sold as a mail order bride.  But the man she ends up married to is not the actual man her uncle sold her to.  This man, Sky, is different than the other men she has had in her life.  Can she learn to trust and learn to love when she is afraid to give her heart away?  Will he hurt her just like the others have?

I really enjoyed this book.  The way she reacts to sudden movement or what she thinks is Sky's anger was just heart wrenching.  I found myself hoping that she would just be open and honest right from the beginning.  Sky's reactions to her and his vows to her were so gentle and sweet that I thought he was the perfect choice to show her what a real husband is supposed to look like.

With a little suspense and intrigue and a touch of romance, this was an enjoyable read.  I downloaded this (Book One) free from Amazon to my kindle and I have purchased book two and three from Amazon, and will read number four when it comes out in the fall of 2012

Texas Whirlwind, By Bonnie Blyth

Emma has come back to Texas.  Living there for a year in her teens and then having to move on was really rough on young Emma.  That was the pretty much the longest she had ever stayed in one place.  Her relationship with her parents is strained, her fiance is no longer in the picture and she has adopted two little girls from an orphanage in Haiti.  Coming back to Texas puts her into contact with her old flame, Travis, who is now the doctor that was recommended to care for the twins.  Will old love rise up?  Or is it as dead as a doornail?  When the adoption is contested, things really hit the fan.  And chaos ensues.

I really enjoyed this book!  The 'bad guys' were really despicable!  I loved it.  I hated them.  I wanted to go slap somebody.  I wanted good to win and I wanted love to conquer all.  Did I get my wish?  You'll have to read it to find out!

Bonnie Blyth's writing is really well done.  When I get emotionally involved in a book, I know it's going to be good.  The characters were really brought to life for me.  I could actually picture Steven standing in her livingroom and what he said and did gave me the shivers.  Bonnie had me hooked an I will definitely read more of her work.

Highly recommend.

To Protect and Serve, The Courage Series, by Staci Stallings

I really enjoyed this book (that I downloaded for free from Amazon to my Kindle app). My uncle is a firefighter and often I have wondered how his family handles his line of work. This book gave me a really in-depth look at how both a firefighter and his family can feel. Jeff is a very shy firefighter who has absolutely no interest in dancing or clubs. So when he is dragged there by his friends for their graduation celebration, he resigns himself to just endure the evening. Lisa's little sister is getting married and the bachelorette party is at a little club downtown. Lisa is so focused on her work that had they not come to pick her up, she would have missed it...and she is the maid of honour. Now, that would have been disastrous! Jeff and Lisa meet and, after a lot of second guessing themselves, start dating. When Jeff is in a particular heavy fire, something goes terribly wrong. And after that, nothing seems to go right. His past comes back to haunt him and the life he thought he might have with Lisa slips through his fingers. Working like dogs, Jeff and Lisa think if they can keep their brains occupied, their hearts will eventually get over the unrequited love. This book had me teary, smiling, and even chuckling out loud at times. I think Staci is a great author that can bring such realness to the book that it feels like you're right there in the thick of the action. Her life lessons are deep, though surprisingly simple. You say to yourself, "Duh" (as in 'I can't believe I have never looked at it that way') over and over. I will definitely read more of her work. To compare her to Dee Henderson or Irene Hannon is not a stretch; I can easily see her becoming one of top ten favourite authors if her next book is as good as this one! Definitely recommend.

Her Best Catch, by Lindi Peterson

Allison is in her late twenties, lives at home with her mom and grandma and goes to church every Sunday.  When she meets Ashton, famous baseball pitcher, she starts to forget her priorities and her convictions.  She wants a happy ending but is she willing to compromise? 

I found this book a little long and drawn out.  Some of the dating angst seemed so teen-ish.  I would assume that by the time a woman hits her mid-twenties she knows herself well enough to forego all the mind games that one tends to experience in their youth.  Hey, maybe I'm wrong about that. 

I'll read more of her work, I don't like to judge an author too quickly or too harshly.  I will read a couple more of her works before deciding if she is worth my time.  So far, I'd say yes....if I bought the book at a discount.  ;-)

Rebel, by Linda Windsor

This is the third in the 'Brides of Alba' series.  I have read one and three so I'm pretty confident when I say that they can be stand alone's.  I read number one, having downloaded it (from Amazon for free) to my kindle and enjoyed it so much that I went to my local Christian bookstore and sought out one and two.  They didn't have number two so I went ahead and bought number three.  And I wasn't disappointed.  I will likely buy number two very soon!

In this series finale, we find Alyn, a "disallusioned, somewhat hopeless, non-priest, not quite scientist"~ man who just wants to go home.  It's about 6 AD and, sadly, Alyn arrives to find Merlin has died and Arthur is now accepting counsel from Cassian, a druid who seems to have his own best interests at heart, rather than what is best for his country.  Alyn also finds Kella, a scribe, a girl he grew up with who is no longer a girl but a feisty young woman who still doesn't listen to him.  She is as frustrating as she is beautiful.  Together the two must carry out orders from the queen.  Kella's heart is breaking.  Having found out her fiance is dead and her father is missing, the secret she harbours near bursts from her mouth the minute she first sets eyes on Alyn, the boy she loved as a youth.  She places her hope in him, hoping Alyn will help her find her loved ones. 

I love this series.  Linda Windsor's writing is terrific.  She kept me hooked the entire book through.  Her descriptions are complete while not being overly wordy.  I like that she has really done her research and even offers hints and tips at the end if you'd like to read more about that time period. 
Because I have read parts of two series now, I did see some reference from one to the other which I thought was intriguing.  I will definitely track down the ones I am missing.  Highly recommend!

Free Kindle Books!

I can't believe I haven't mentioned this yet!  Most books I review are books I have downloaded for free. 

On Facebook, if you search "Inspired Reads," you'll come across a page you can 'like'.  This will now allow Inspired Reads to post to your news-feed, free (or severely reduced prices) Christian books.  Some fiction, some non-fiction, self help, etc.  If you search 'Pixel of Ink,' you'll receive notifications of some Christian material and lots of non-Christian material.  So, ya, be careful what you download.....some stuff you just can't unread (or un-see).  Be careful little eyes!

Personally, I have downloaded 431 free e-books since I came across those pages last August (so, that would be about one year).  I downloaded the free kindle app for my PC laptop and have been happily reading ever since.  I would guesstimate that I have easily read 100 of those books.  I have cookbooks, self help, fiction, non-fiction, some biographies etc. 

I have purchased one book during this time and it was reduced to $2.99....

So ya, happy reading!!!  Thank you Amazon!

(To Clarify:  You download by clicking the link on the freebie list page which takes you to the free e-book download made available by Amazon.)