Willowleaf Lane by RaeAnne Thayne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Willowleaf Lane by RaeAnne Thayne


This is the first book of this author for me and I loved it....


Charlotte Caine grew up in a house full of boys, six before she was born, She was a shy little girl and that is probably because she couldn't get a word in.  The boys loved their sister and were very protective of her though.  She lost her Mom at early age and Dad and the boys raised this little girl.
Charlotte had low esteem and in school was overlooked by many because she was the fat girl, overweight most of her life.  She had a huge crush on Spencer Gregory who was a "Hunk" in school.
Spencer grew up in a home that was wonderful until his dad died and then because his Mom couldn't handle life without him she started drinking.  When not drinking or drunk she was a wonderful Mom and he loved her much. Spencer knew he had to help from an early age and he did by working in hardware store and with his paper route.  He even washed dishes at the diner where Charlotte's Dad owned and run it.
He was not the best student and many afternoons would find Charlotte helping him with his homework.
Spence's pitching arm with his paper route helped him get into baseball and as the years went on the "big guys" began talking to him about the pro games.  He left town and never looked back to become a big time baseball player....
Years later Spencer returns to his hometown and meets Charlotte again who now has lost weight and is a pretty woman.  to say there were "Sparks" when they met again is an understatement.  Charlotte had a love-hate relationship in her mind because she felt he had hurt her and now she didn't want anything to do with him but being the kind of girl that Charlotte was, she now had to learn to let go of a lot of bad memories.
Do you think you could have met Spence again and became friends with him?  I felt so many emotions reading, as these two worked their way through so much back into each others lives.
I definately will be reading more of this author, and if you have not before I suggest you do.


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Grace Given by Beth Shriver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Touch of Grace series book 2 "Grace Given" by Beth Shriver


Amish folks have moved into Tx looking for more land for their large families to grow..This story starts with two young sisters being harrassaed by some english teens, this will later become a problem that the whole community is faced with.
Elsie is devastated when she awakes one morning to find her friend Jake has left the community along with her sister Katie.  We will read how this takes a toll on Elsie and she has to learn to forgive her sister. Can she? Jake and Katie had feelings for one another that no one knew about not even Elsie who cared more for Jake then he did for her.
There is a constant in Elsie's  life though as Gideon Lapp, a good friend, he seems always to be able to make her feel better.  Gideon too has a secret(he cares more for Elsie then she knows).  In time Gideon and Elsie become closer as she opens her heart more to him and realizes that he can be "the one".
Katie's Daed has closed his feeling off after she left so abruptly and wishes all to not talk about her in the family.  An illness finally has Elsie seeking to speak to Katie and let her know which seems to open a doorway and soon Katie ask to come home again.
You will enjoy reading this story of forgiveness and "grace given" when second chances are needed in this family.
I received this book from "The Booketeria" to read and give honest review, thank you


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The Prodigal Son Returns by Jan Drexler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Prodigal Son Returns written by Jan Drexler


Bram-aka Dutch has been gone from the community for a long time-12 yrs.
He went on to become friends with some of Chicago's bad boys. During his time on the streets and with folks like this he learned many (Un-amish) ways.  After a time he met a guy with FBI that took him on and taught him to be double agent so to speak...working with mob and then informing FBI of things they needed to know.........now his cover was blown and he needed a safe place to lay low..thus
Bram decided to become himself and go back to the amish community and settle in..He didn't count on meeting The Miller family and esp Ellie Miller.
Ellie was now a widow and though it had been almost 2 yrs since she lost her husband she could not even think of marrying again and she clung to Hope that she could move back to the farm they has lived on as a family. she had 3 children and lived near her parents for awhile.  When she met Bram he wore "English"clothes and talked like them too so she knew she would not be thinking of him as anyone to get close to.
Ellie's dad liked Bram when he came by to buy a horse from him and told him he was thinking of buying a farm and living the amish life again.
Can someone who has had such a worldly job and lived so long outside the community return again?  John Miller seem to think so...
Do you think Ellie will open her heart after such a long time of holding herself away from even her friends in the community..staying home and not getting out much.
I am thankful that God gives second chances and this story sounds like two people need it pretty bad..I enjoyed reading this story.


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No Safe Harbor by Elizabeth Ludwig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

No Safe Harbor is book #1 from series "Edge of Freedom" by Elizabeth Ludwig

Its 1897 in Ireland and Cara Hamilton has lost all hope of seeing her twin brother again until the letter gives her the Hope that he is alive and in American and she feels she must go find him and bring him home..Now she stands on the deck of a ship headed for America and wonders has she lost her mind.
Traveling such a long way by ship in those days was not an easy task, she was lucky to have been befriended by an older gentlemen who made sure she was little more comfortable saying she reminded him of a daughter he had lost. He gave her the name and address of a boarding house in New York that turned out to be a life saver when she came to the city and knew it would take awhile to find her brother.  He told her in the letter to not trust anyone and to wait for him and he would find her...
The boarding house was a god-send because she found friends and a kindly woman that owned it who were great help in her finding a job.
Can you imagine embarking from a huge ship into a large American city in those days not knowing where you would go or how you would live.  Cara was braver then I...
You will enjoy reading this story by Elizabeth that is filled with adventure and suspense, danger seems to be everywhere and she is not sure whom she should trust and finds herself praying daily for her brother to find her soon...


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Where God Finds You: 40 Devotions Bringing Bible Characters to Life by Anita Higman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Where God Finds you:40 Devotions Bringing Bible Characters to Life
written by Anita Higman


Anita tells us she is no one special and was reluctant to write a book like this but after much prayer felt led to put scriptures together with some strong Characters from the Bible into Devotions daily or to just sit and read, soaking up words God wants you to hear.


Ancient Bible characters sometimes seem just that "Ancient".  Anita brought them to life for a few minutes as I read seeing them through her eyes.  I enjoyed reading about so many different characters ..some even without a name like "The Woman who touched his robe to receive healing by her belief".
Another was "The Woman who let down her hair and tears fell on Jesus feet, she dried the tears with her hair and kissed his feet in adoration".
I wonder why the Bible tells us of people without names,then I think.. "He loves even the least of us...."

This is a different type of devotional and well worth reading, thanks Anita for listening to the still small voice of our Lord and writing...

I was given this book by Bookclub network to review, thank you.


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A Place to Belong by Lauraine Snelling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series Wild West Wind by Lauraine Snelling book #3"A Place to belong"


When their show went bankrupt, Cassie was devastated that her Uncle would let them all go, she left with an old wagon-her horse "Wind Dancer" -George the old buffalo who was gentle as a lamb and little else...Cassie soon found an old letter and  realized that her father had been part owner of Bar E Ranch in South Dakota, she had a place to go.
Cassie Lockwood knew all there was to know about a wild west show, how to shoot-working with buffalo and other animals but here in South Dakota where her father Adam had lived and worked she was like a "fish out of water"...Cassie had always yearned for a home in one place and a family to share things with but this was going to take some getting used to.
Lucas Engstrom wanted to court and marry her soon after he met this wonderful pretty girl. He loved her spirit and truth be known they were "kindred spirits" because Lucas was a go getter,he was not happy being at the ranch working each day and would many times find reasons to be gone from the ranch.  He was not like his solid take charge responsible brother Ransom, they were as different as night and day. She come to care for the family but knew in her heart of hearts that she cares for Lucas like a brother not a husband.  She loved his mother Mavis who becomes like a mentor teaching her all she needs to know about running a home in this wild country.  Many a marriage had been good ones on a close friendship that turned to love later through years of working together in a home, could she marry Lucas and become part of the wonderful ranch she is fast coming to love....
Cassie was a quick learner and did many of the chores well but she was more comfortable with her horse "Wind Dancer" whom she had been a trick rider with in the shows then in the home.
As time moves along Cassie feels as if she has found a place to Belong on this ranch with these wonderful people yet her heart yearns for the "Wild West Shows" she had been a part of for so long.
Can she have both?  read and learn how hard times shows them they can.  I enjoyed reading this series from Lauraine


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I was given this book by Bethany House Publishing for an honest review, thank you for the opportunity to read this wonderful author...

Against the Tide by Elizabeth Camden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Against the Tide by Elizabeth Camden

I picked up this book because of its beautiful cover and when reading I found a story that is full of suspense,romance and adventures.
The character Lydia Pallas tugs at your heartstrings when you see her lose her parents at a young age and grow up in an orphanage.  Her young life was spent on a boat and she yearned to go to school though she didn't know the english language.
something happened after she was dropped at school and she never saw her family again.
Alexander Banebridge was taken from his parents at a young age and he spent many years a prisoner of a dangerous criminal who kept young boys away from their parents to make them help him in his criminal path.  Alexander learned how to make the man care for him so he would be able to have a life beyond the mansion he was held prisoner in.  He became the son the professor never had and was taught "all his skills"....
In his teens "Bane" crossed paths with the fontaines and was able to break away from the clutches of the "Professor and his evil deeds with opium" he vowed to never marry and to rid the world of the opium that he had helped bring to the USA.  I fell in love with this quite determined young man who gave up any thoughts of a personal life to help mankind because he wanted to right a wrong that he had been apart of.  I yearned for he and Lydia to have a relationship as they both had been through rough times, having their early youth determined for them.
another character is Admiral Fontaine that Lydia met and worked for when he learned that she knew many languages and would be a valued translator for him at the navy yards.  The admiral was a widower with two small children and a strict employer yet a fair one who had helped Lydia when she needed it, knowing she was a strong young honest woman.
Lydia lived frugally near the Boston Harbor and loved the sounds there reminding her of her early years living on the boat.
 Against the Tide was not my usual type of read but I fell in love with the characters and now am anxious to read the next book that will tell the story of the "Admiral"  new author for me but she wove a wonderful story that I spent many hours enjoying, come read her if you have not yet....


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