Review

A Love for Lizzie by Tracey J. Lyons

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When Lizzie Miller’s father had a heart attack, her neighbor was there to escort her to the hospital even though, as Amish, they didn’t drive cars. Yet Paul Burkholder wants to be more the just a friend.

Marrying Lizzie isn’t Paul’s only dream. He wants his own furniture business in town. Lizzie avoids strangers because an injury from a terrible accident that claimed her brother’s life left more than an emotional scar.

She hides her scarred face from stares of strangers. She pushes Paul away because she knows no man will ever want to marry her.

They both carry guilt from the long-ago accident. They’ll need each other’s strength to recover.

I enjoyed this Amish romance. It’s the author’s debut romance.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Christianbook.com

Out from the Shadows by Pam Thorson

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31 Devotions for the Weary Caregiver

 This author knows the caregiver’s path well. She writes about it in an honest way that will touch the hearts of other caregivers.

While dealing with the hardships of daily life, her message resonates with hope. I loved the honest outpouring of her heart.

I remember the days when this was my life. My father was the primary caregiver for my mother yet my sister and I were secondary caregivers. We were constantly at their home. I would have considered this book a treasure of support had it been available to me during those difficult days.

This devotional is truly a gift to all the weary caregivers out there.

Excellent book!

-Sandra Merville Hart

 Amazon

Secrets of Confidence by Ramona Richards

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A 60-Day Devotional for the Inner You

What a treasure! This book is filled with 60 days of devotional thoughts designed to build, restore, or renew a woman’s confidence that lies with God.

Drawing from Biblical examples and from the author’s own experiences, this book contains short devotions that begin with a scripture reference.

Topics covered include encouraging others, inner peace, endurance, courage, reliance on God, risk, and facing difficult times.

Each devotion takes less than five minutes to read yet gives food for thought as you begin your day.

I’ve read novels by Ramona Richards and enjoyed them. Recommend!

-Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

 

 

Surrounded by Art by Thomas R. Schiff

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Panoramic Views of America’s Landmark Museums

Beautifully done book!

If you love history, museums, architecture, or photography, you will love this book. The panoramic views that this photographer has perfected inspire the imagination.

My niece looked at the photographs captured in this book and told me we had to visit these museums.

I looked at the beautiful shots taken at such places as Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Cincinnati Art Museum, Contemporary Arts Center, Chrysler Museum of Art, Des Moines Art Center, Seattle Art Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Fine Arts, and many others with an appreciation for the beauty captured.

The book includes an interview with Thomas R. Schiff, the photographer.

I would place this book in the category of coffee table book, gift book, and photography book.

A true page-turner!

-Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

Carolina Reckoning by Lisa Carter

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A page-turner!

Alison Monaghan finally has the proof she never wanted—a photograph that proves her husband has been unfaithful to her. She’s ready to confront him when he returns from his latest trip.

She never sees him alive again.

Instead he is found dead on a lonely road near a historic park where he serves on the board.

Mike Barefoot, the homicide detective assigned to the case, immediately suspects Alison even as his heart goes out to her teenaged son and daughter. It isn’t long before Mike trusts in Alison’s innocence, yet protecting her becomes a challenge.

Driven by a need to discover the truth, Alison takes a job at the historic park near the location of her husband’s death—against Mike’s advice.

Her growing feelings for Mike can’t prevent her from seeking the truth. Danger lurks as Alison digs deeper. Is any place safe?

I found myself pulling for the whole family because the author shows their struggles with cruel acquaintances they’d once considered friends. The budding romance between Mike and Alison also shows how they both struggle with past relationships and circumstances. Can they overcome mounting obstacles before someone else dies?

Recommend! I will look for more novels by this author.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Christianbook.com

 

 

 

The Trouble in Willow Falls by Pat Nichols

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Willow Falls Series Book 2

Willow Falls is a quaint town in North Georgia. Unfortunately, that town is dying.

Emily Hayes, mother of twin baby girls, has difficulty finding time to rewrite her recently rejected novel. Her husband doesn’t know how long he can keep their store open with dwindling numbers of customers.

Rachel Streetman, Emily’s twin, pursues an acting career in nearby Atlanta.

Emily and Rachel both agree to put aside their careers to write and direct a play that just might bring tourists back to Willow Falls.

This story is filled with twists and turns that I didn’t anticipate, bringing constant challenges to the townspeople. Minor characters add depth and dimension in a refreshing way. So much effort is spent to save the dying town that the town itself almost seems like another character.

I am a fan of small towns, especially those that feel their heyday is in the past. Sometimes all it takes is a few people to believe in the possibilities and that is what this book demonstrates. I was pulling for the characters and the town throughout the novel.

I enjoyed this novel by Pat Nichols and am wondering what may happen in Book 3.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

A Manual of Etiquette With Hints on Politeness and Good Breeding

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Sophia Orne Johnson (1826-1899) wrote under the pen name of Daisy Eyebright. Her book, A Manual of Etiquette With Hints on Politeness and Good Breeding, originally published in 1868.

This book is a wonderful look at society in the United States shortly after the Civil War. It covers etiquette for the home with advice for children’s behavior and learning polite manners.

Social visits, behavior in traveling, table etiquette, dinner parties, letter-writing, the art of conversation, evening entertaining, and weddings are some of the topics covered.

Even marriage advice is given and, may I say, times have certainly changed!

I enjoyed reading this book as a lens into society and the way people lived 150 years ago. This is also the time period of my next Civil War series. This book offered many gems and even a few plot ideas for my research.

Lovers of history will enjoy this glimpse into the past.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

Hope’s Highest Mountain by Misty M. Beller

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Hearts of Montana Series, Book One

Ingrid Chastain shares the urgency of her father, a doctor, to deliver life-saving vaccines to a town in the Montana Territory but she is the sole survivor of a terrible wagon accident.

Dr. Micah Bradley has been living in the remote mountains for years … since his inadequacies cost his wife and daughter their lives. Yet when he stumbles on Ingrid after the accident, he must call on his skills again to set and heal her broken leg.

Before long, Ingrid insists on taking the vaccines to Settler’s Fort without further delay. Lives depend upon the medicine. Micah realizes she’s right. She can’t walk and he can’t leave her in the mountains to die. He’ll have to figure out a way to carry her to town, a journey of weeks by foot.

I fell in love with characters early in the story. There were several surprising turns, challenges, and dangers that kept my interest. This is a well-written story that makes me want to read the next book in the series.

Recommend! I will look for more books by this author.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Christianbook.com

Meant to Be Mine by Becky Wade

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Celia Park meets her former high school crush, Ty Porter, after one of his bull riding events in Las Vegas. Sparks fly in a whirlwind vacation romance that ends with a wedding at one of the city’s chapels. Celia is devastated to learn the next morning that Ty loves someone else he’s dated for two years.

Five and half years later, Ty hasn’t contacted Celia—about a divorce or anything else. She has a good reason to contact him but can’t trust the man who broke her heart. How can she trust him not to break the heart of his daughter, a little girl he doesn’t know exists?

A trip to Las Vegas with friends for a bachelor party takes him by the old chapel where he married Celia. He hates the way things ended. Despises himself for the way he treated her. They are still married. He needs to contact her.

But when he does, sparks fly—the angry kind … especially when he meets Addie, the daughter he never knew he had. Celia should have told him.

The story has several surprising turns that kept my interest. I loved Addie and Ty. After a while, I was frustrated with Celia’s continued lack of trust despite Ty proving himself as dependable and trustworthy over and over again. I felt that part dragged on a bit.

Interesting secondary characters added to the plot. Forgiveness is the underlying theme. I enjoyed the story.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Christianbook.com

My Boyfriends’ Dogs by Dandi Daley Mackall

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Bailey Daley, a sophomore in high school, is desperate for a boyfriend. She also loves dogs. The dogs seem to find her—boyfriends have alluded her so far.

Her best friend, Amber, doesn’t have a boyfriend either and her single mom is too busy stopping at every garage sale to look for a husband.

Bailey’s desperation blinds her to red flags in her dating relationships yet each one brings a new dog into her life. She figures that a guy with a dog must be the right boyfriend for her.

Wrong. A series of relationships each leave her with a new dog. When will she find Mr. Right?

This YA novel is engaging with lovable characters. The main character makes bad choices at times as the reader spots the red flags long before she does. An entertaining read with a surprise ending.

-Sandra Merville Hart