Review

Home of Our Hearts by Robin Jones Gunn

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Christy & Todd: The Married Years Series, Book 2

Sometimes it’s hard to keep a promise.

Christy had promised her best friend that she’d be at her wedding—only it’s in Kenya.

Todd’s long ago promise that he’d be at his dad’s wedding is now coming true. The problem is that the ceremony is in the Canary Islands where his dad will live with his bride. Thousands of miles will separate Todd from his father in the future but that’s not all—the Todd and Christy had been living in his father’s home that must now be sold.

Loss of jobs, financial difficulties, and serious illness of a family member plague the young couple expecting their first child.

This young adult novel is an easy read. Lovable characters easily drew me into their world. They made me want to spend more time with them so it’s great that this is a series.

I enjoyed this story.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Christianbook.com

House of Secrets by Ramona Richards

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This Love Inspired Suspense novel kept me on the edge of my seat!

June Eaton is a strong woman, a leader in her community because of her deceased husband’s position as pastor of the church. She moved from the parsonage after his death three years ago, though longing to stay in the Victorian home with all its hidden rooms and compartments.

Sheriff Ray Taylor cares about June—and those feelings shift into overdrive when she finds the new pastor murdered at the parsonage. June is in constant danger from the murderer because she interrupted the pair. Yet the danger opens old wounds for her that are difficult to overcome.

This book is a page turner! I was constantly worried for June and what would happen next. The parsonage fascinated me. Loved these believable characters. The sheriff is a true hero in a tough situation.

Well-written. Recommend!

-Sandra Merville Hart

 

The Silent Noisy Night by Jill Roman Lord

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This children’s picture book is a sweet story of the night Jesus was born.

With all the stable animals making noises and the angels singing their praises to God, it wasn’t a very “silent” night at all.

I loved this book and bought it to read to my two-year-old grandson. He loves books about animals and children—I can’t wait to read it to him.

Children up to age six will enjoy this story.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Christianbook.com

Holiday Homecoming by Jean C. Gordon

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Part of The Donnelly Brother Series

This Love Inspired novel is a Christmas romance!

Natalie Delacrioix had turned down Connor Donnelly’s marriage proposal at Christmas several years ago to pursue career opportunities in broadcasting. Only things didn’t go as planned. She’s out of a job and back at home helping her mother recover from health issues … and wondering how her first glimpse of Conner since rejecting his proposal will go.

Conner, now the pastor of a congregation, hopes that Natalie volunteering to lead the Christmas pageant as choir director will mend the breach between them … somehow. He can’t forget her rejection of his Christmas proposal. Will he be disappointed again?

I enjoy novels set during the holidays. This lighthearted romance took me to the snowy New England area of the United States. I enjoyed the story.

-Sandra Merville Hart

The Ornament Keeper by Eva Marie Everson

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A great book!

This contemporary novella is about a couple separated at Christmas. Felicia and Jackson were nearing their twenty-year anniversary when he moved out.

In spite of the separation, their three children are excited about continuing family traditions of selecting a live tree and decorating for Christmas. Felicia reluctantly agrees but tells them she’ll put on the ornaments herself.

The memories stirred by these decorations take Felicia—and readers—through the painful mistakes both she and Jackson made in their marriage.

I loved this story. The characters are believable though sometimes Felicia’s choices frustrated me. The story is woven in such a way that readers experience the children’s pain and loss as they try to cope with the situation. Though told in Felicia’s perspective, the honesty of the writing showed Jackson’s heartache and loneliness as well.

This well-written story is brutally honest. Inspiring. Recommend!

-Sandra Merville Hart

Christianbook.com

 

A Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs

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This historical romance is set in Stirling, Scotland, during Christmas of 1894.

Meg Campbell should never have come home for Christmas. She missed her parents, but her brother, Alan, always managed to poison her visits with his bitter remarks. On Christmas Eve, she couldn’t leave Stirling quickly enough.

Gordon Shaw’s business in Stirling had been accomplished without anyone recognizing him as the one who’d caused an accident a dozen years ago that crippled a boy, Alan Campbell. Gordon couldn’t leave Stirling quickly enough.

A chance meeting on a train might have ended there—except for the falling snow that created its own problems.

I loved this multi-layered story with relatable, wounded characters. Higgs reaches deeply to touch their hearts and, in doing so, touches the hearts of readers.

Well-written. Moving. This one will stay with you.

Recommend!

-Sandra Merville Hart

Christianbook.com

 

Liar’s Winter by Cindy K. Sproles

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Lochiel Ogle has a mark on her face. Her family hides her away in their mountain home so others won’t see the “mark of the Devil.” Her own mother is afraid of her. Her father is the only one who acts as if he cares for her. Then her brother, Gerald, tries to kill her.

When he finds out she did not die, he is determined to finish what he started.

Lochiel runs for her life and learns some secrets that Gerald had been keeping from her. Life-changing secrets.

This story snagged my interest from the beginning. I have a hard time reading stories with such a cruel character, but I stuck with it because the story compelled me to keep reading. I stayed up late to finish the book because I had to know what happened.

Sproles has crafted a book about so much more than events. Lochiel’s journey of fear is also a journey of discovery—about life, prejudice, superstition, and God’s love.

Well-written. Moving. This one will stay with you.

Recommend!

-Sandra Merville Hart

Christianbook.com

 

To Everything a Season by Lauraine Snelling

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Song of Blessing Series – Book 1

The town of Blessing, North Dakota, experiences a growth spurt in 1905. The new hospital keeps its two doctors busy and they request student nurses from Chicago. The doctors will receive help; the nurses will receive training.

Miriam Hastings is in nursing school in Chicago. Her family relies on the little bit of money she can give them. Her younger brothers and sisters do whatever jobs they can to feed themselves and their ailing mother. Miriam can’t go to Blessing and leave the family who needs her. But she must.

Trygve Knutson quits his job leading a construction crew that often keeps him on the road. He falls in love with the new nurse and dreams of their future.

There are multiple story threads in this novel, written in multiple viewpoints. This is book one of a new series, yet it constantly references events that took place in other novels in earlier series. The characters in the huge Bjorklund family are lovable, yet for me, as a new reader to the whole series, I couldn’t keep the characters straight. Nor does there seem to be any one main character—unless she is Ingeborg Bjorklund.

I do believe that readers familiar with the series will catch on to the plot more quickly. There is a Bjorklund Family Tree in front of the book that shows names and family relationships.

Perhaps true to many series novels, it ends with a cliffhanger. It worked! I want to know what happens next …

-Sandra Merville Hart

Christianbook.com

 

Mist O’er the Voyageur by Naomi Musch

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Brigitte Marchal disguises herself as a man to join Rene DuFour’s voyaguers on their journey west, the direction her father went. Brigitte faces danger if she remains in Montreal from a cruel suitor—she’d rather take her chances rowing the canoes on the dangerous rivers and lakes ahead, hoping to find her father.

Rene discovers her secret early in the journey and vows to protect her from the crew on the journey of months.

But the beautiful Brigitte captures the eye of many men in her search for her father—as the honorable Rene captures hers.

Musch has woven a mesmerizing tale that immerses readers into a dangerous adventure from the start. With believable and honest characters encountering situations true to the period, this suspenseful story captivated my attention and didn’t let go until the end.

Musch’s depth of research enabled her to transport readers back in time. I highly recommend this novel to lovers of historical romance.

-Sandra Merville Hart

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