Amy

Because it’s not always love at first sight!

When her mother died from pneumonia, Penny Cartwright was heartbroken. But now, after burying her younger brother just 12 years later, she is devastated. Anger, guilt, and sorrow cloud Penny’s mind, and the last thing she wants is to be reminded of her pain—but that’s exactly what happens when a stranger comes to town.

Trevor Reynolds has been chasing fame for more than a dozen years, but his musical career can’t get off the ground. While on the road, an accident kills his young drummer, Brad Cartwright. Trevor wasn’t behind the wheel, but he still blames himself . . . and so does Brad’s sister, Penny. Now Trevor finds himself in Kings Meadow, determined to follow through on his final promise to his friend.

Still feeling the pain of Brad’s death, Penny and Trevor must learn that forgiveness is the only thing that can heal their hearts. And if they do forgive, something beautiful may rise from the ashes of heartbreak.

Robin Lee Hatcher ‘s newest book is a ‘keeper’ in more ways than one!  It may be a love story at heart, but there’s much more happening within the pages of this book.

This isn’t your ordinary love story.  There’s not a simple obstacle keeping the two main characters apart, and finding love isn’t simple on either end.  Penny’s been seriously hurt in the past, and she’s still grieving the loss of her brother.  She’s not ready to trust her heart with anyone, and staying in control sounds great to her.  Forgiveness isn’t an easy road to walk.

Trevor’s finding that out.  While he wasn’t directly to blame for the accident, he feels guilt for his part in it, and he knows that Penny’s brother had his head on a bit straighter than he does himself.  Brad’s life and the legacy he left on Trevor’s heart inspires him to begin making changes, but choosing between love and life and fame and long-held dreams … that’s a hard road to walk, too.

I would’ve loved this book if it were just that: the story of two hurting souls trying to heal and finding love with each other in the process.  That’s a doozy of a story, and Hatcher crafts it expertly.  The ride isn’t smooth but the love is sweet and the story draws you in.  Just like an info-mercial, though, there’s more!  Hatcher sends the reader back in time to hear Brad’s interactions with the main characters of the book. You read crucial interactions that feed what’s happening with the characters now.  Even though Brad is gone before the book begins, he’s still a major player in the story – and you feel like you know him well when you turn the last page.

I love that.  It takes a gifted author to make a dead man a main character in a story, but Hatcher pulls it off, and she does so well.  As you read, you share the pain of the characters, but you also learn their lessons and experience their joy as their journey progresses.

I couldn’t put Keeper of the Stars down.  I was enthralled from the first page to the last.

It’s definitely a keeper.

Click here to read other reviews on this blog hop or here to purchase your own copy now.

Want a sample?  Click here to read a chapter for free.

Best-selling novelist Robin Lee Hatcher is known for her heart-warming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. The winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance, two RT Career Achievement Awards, and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award, Robin is the author of over sixty novels.

Connect with Robin: website, Twitter, Facebook

I received a free copy of Keeper of the Stars from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

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Mommynificent

The shadows over this olive grove hide more than just the truth.

Lillian Porter has always wanted to fulfill her mother’s dream of going west, so when she hears about a nanny position in Angels Camp, California, she defies her grandfather and takes a chance on a new future. But she quickly wonders if she made the right choice. Murky rumors swirl around Woodward Colton, her new employer, but the gossip doesn’t match the man Lillian comes to know.

Still, something dark did happen in the family’s past. Lillian’s seven-year-old charge hasn’t spoken in over a year. Gently, Lillian tries to coax him out of his shell, hoping he’ll one day feel safe enough to share what scared him. But the Colton olive farm is no longer a safe place. Lillian encounters suspicious characters on their land and mysterious damage done to the farm. When the housekeeper is brutally attacked, the town once again suspects the worst. Will discovering the truth help Lillian clear the name of the man she has come to love—or will it endanger her even more?

Tracie Peterson’s newest book “Beyond the Silence” is a fast-paced adventure story you won’t want to miss.  The action doesn’t stop – both the emotional and the dangerous varieties.  I loved the way that the mix of characters reacted with each other to keep the drama level high.  The crime is violent and harsh, but Lillian’s sweetness tempers that nicely, keeping the story safely in the adventure and not the high crime category.

The other characters interact well to keep the story moving.  From the simple kindness of the man with the mental disability to the fierce protectiveness of the shopkeeper’s wife, the townspeople have a love-hate relationship with Mr. Colton that feed his spiritual journey.  Lillian and the Coltons all have similar lessons to learn, and the tumultuous relationships with the townspeople spur those on.

I hoped with every turn of the page that this would be a new series.  It didn’t seem as if Lillian’s story would conclude completely within these pages, which had me cheering – because that meant that there would be at least one more book on the way.  In the end, however, the authors found a way to tie up every last loose end, so perhaps this is a stand-alone novel after all, but I would be most happy if there were more books related to this one.

I think the best books are those that keep you thinking about the characters or the plot long after you’ve turned the last page.  When you come back again and again to the characters’ predicament and analyze what happened to them, how they might handle other situations, you know you’ve got a winner on your hands.

Beyond the Silence is just such a book.

Click here to read other reviews on this bloggy hop or here to purchase your own copy now.

Darla’s father was responsible for a terrible fire at Charm’s lumber mill which killed five Amish men. And though he, too, lost his life, the town of Charm hasn’t looked at her family the same since. Even Lukas Kinsinger—with whom Darla used to have a close friendship.

Now her brother’s anger at the town is spilling over onto Darla, and she has the bruises to prove it. The accident already cost five lives, but if something doesn’t change soon, Darla fears it will cost her—and her family—even more.

Lukas Kinsinger wants to mourn the loss of his father, but he can hardly find the time to breathe. Suddenly the head of his father’s lumber mill and responsible for taking care of his three siblings, he’s feeling the pressure. He has also never felt more alone—especially with the new tension between he and Darla. But when he learns of her troubles at home, Lukas knows he can’t simply stand by and watch. Someone has to help her before another tragedy occurs.

As Lukas and Darla attempt to repair their families, they discover something deeper than friendship growing between them. But will Lukas and Darla’s love be accepted after so much loss? Or will the pain of the past overcome any chance of future happiness?

Shelley Shepard Gray’s first book in her Charmed Amish Life series is set in the quaint Amish village of Charm, Ohio, and tells the stories of the Kinsinger siblings who are each struggling to find both forgiveness and love in the face of tragedy. 

My biggest problem with Amish fiction is that many of the stories feature the same main problems:  what if I love someone who’s not Amish? and Should I stay within the Amish faith or leave?  Those are very valid concerns, and quite respectable story lines within the genre, but ….

That’s what makes Shelley Shepard Gray’s newest book A Son’s Vow one of the best Amish stories I’ve read in years:  her characters face incredibly realistic problems, yet their faith shines through brightly.  Nobody will mistake Gray’s new cast of characters as living with rosy glasses on; in one way or another, everyone is facing problems head-on.  These problems take Amish fiction to a new level:  we’re no longer talking only about love, but about physical abuse and forgiveness and abandonment.

Gray deals with these deep topics with wisdom and compassion.  I appreciate the way that her characters took time to determine a Biblical course of action.  They stood up for others, whether the people attacking them were Amish or English.  They took time to invest in relationships, regardless of the faith background of the other person. 

I’m glad that this book is the first in a new series.  I’ve read many of Gray’s books, and while she’s an excellent writer, this is definitely the best one yet.  I look forward to returning to Charm.

Click here to read other reviews in this bloggy hop or here to purchase your own copy now.

Shelley Shepard Gray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.