River to Redemption by Ann H. Gabhart

Another fabulous novel so well written that you get close to the characters right away. A cholera outbreak severely affects a town and the residents in it. The story is written around a true story of what took place at the time. There are places in the story that you wish would last longer and places where you can't read fast enough. You don't want to miss a word, but you just have to know how it turns out. It does turn out in some ways unexpected, but refreshing, and with wonderful illustrations of God's work in our lives.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Author and Revell/Baker Publishing Group - Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

#RiverToRedemption #NetGalley

Description from the Publisher:
Orphaned in the cholera epidemic of 1833, Adria Starr was cared for by a slave named Louis, a man who stayed in Springfield, Kentucky, when anyone with means had fled. A man who passed up the opportunity to escape his bondage and instead tended to the sick and buried the dead. A man who, twelve years later, is being sold by his owners despite his heroic actions. Now nineteen, Adria has never forgotten what Louis did for her. She's determined to find a way to buy Louis's freedom. But in 1840s Kentucky, she'll face an uphill battle.
Based partly on a true story, Ann H. Gabhart's latest historical novel is a tour de force. The vividly rendered town of Springfield and its citizens immerse readers in a story of courage, betrayal, and honor that will stick with them long after they turn the last page.

My Reviews:
Goodreads
Powells
Amazon
Google Plus
Twitter
BookFun

Caught by Surprise by Jen Turano

Chuckle, then roll on the floor and laugh. And then it's melt-your-heart tender - you really know where this character is coming from. You want to pray, give them a shoulder and cheer them on - both the girls and the guys. All are both strong and soft at the same time, on a faith filled journey. Hold your  breath from laughter and hold your breath from danger. Oh and throw in a lot of romance. Wow another hit from Jen Turano! A fabulous continuation of the series and return to people you love. Hold your sides and get some oxygen.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Baker Publishing Group, Bethany - Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

#CaughtBySurprise #NetGalley

Description from the Publisher:
Miss Temperance Flowerdew is on her way to work when a stranger suddenly grabs her off the street and sends her on a Chicago-bound train before she can figure out what happened.
When Mr. Gilbert Cavendish is called upon to rescue a missing woman, he follows the trail to Chicago only to discover that the woman is his good friend Temperance. Before they can discover who was behind the abduction, they're seen alone together by a New York society matron, putting their reputations at risk.
Gilbert is willing to propose marriage--except Temperance will have none of it. She's finally stepped out of the shadow of her relations and won't give up her independence. But when it becomes clear the misunderstanding in Chicago has escalated into a threat on her life and followed her to New York, accepting Gilbert's help in solving the mystery may lead to more than she ever could have dreamed.

My Reviews:
Goodreads
Powells
Amazon
GooglePlus
Twitter
BookFun

A Most Noble Heir by Susan Anne Mason

Nolan goes from stable boy to aristocracy, and is determined to marry his sweetheart who is also a servant. This Christian Historical romance has twists and turns, frustration and danger. As you'd expect things are not at all smooth for them.  Very entertaining with bouts of tension, lessons in love and forgiveness. Love that cover!

#AmostNobleHeir #NetGalley
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher from the Baker Publishing Group, Bethany - Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Description from the Publisher:

When stable hand Nolan Price learns from his dying mother that he is actually the son of the Earl of Stainsby, his plans for a future with kitchen maid Hannah Burnham are shattered. Once he is officially acknowledged as the earl's heir, Nolan will be forbidden to marry beneath his station.
Unwilling to give up the girl he loves, he devises a plan to elope--believing that once their marriage is sanctioned by God, Lord Stainsby will be forced to accept their union. However, as Nolan struggles to learn the ways of the aristocracy, he finds himself caught between pleasing Hannah and living up to his father's demanding expectations.

At every turn, forces work to keep the couple apart, and a solution to remain together seems further and further away. With Nolan's new life pulling him irrevocably away from the woman he loves, it seems only a miracle will bring them back together.

My Reviews:
Goodreads
Amazon
Google Plus
Twitter
Pinterest
Book Fun

Beyond Soap by Sandy Skotnicki; Christopher Shulgan

The Real Truth About What You Are Doing to Your Skin and How to Fix It for a Beautiful, Healthy Glow

What you don’t know CAN hurt you. I have an autoimmune disease, and I am very sensitive to a lot of things. More and more of us are. Especially chemicals. I had not thought about how many chemicals are in our soap, lotions, shampoo, conditioners, deodorants and other products that we use daily. Something else to think about, those in gels, shampoos and conditioners flow over our entire body when we take a shower – and may irritate. They're finding that many bacteria are not only safe, but necessary, and we're killing them with these products.

Sandy is a practicing dermatologist and has run into many cases where chemicals have caused terrible problems for people. She has written a detailed explanation as to what products – including those listed as NATURAL – can be harmful, right down to what to watch out for. I learned a lot from this book and have been putting her advice into practice. I’ve purchased some of the products on her recommended list, and have seen great improvement. This book is an investment in your health and wellbeing! I highly recommend it.

#BeyondSoap #NetGalley
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Netgalley bloggers book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”.

From the Publisher:

In this surprising and remarkably practical book, one of North America's leading dermatologists reveals the harmful effects of modern skincare habits and provides a step-by-step guide to preserve the microbiome, fight aging, and develop beautiful, problem-free skin.

Women and men are having more skin problems today than ever before. Sensitive skin prevalence is growing and the number of people reacting to cosmetics is climbing. Why? Dermatologist Sandy Skotnicki argues that the cause is a key element of our contemporary lifestyle: the grooming and beauty habits that the advertising and personal-care product industries have encouraged us to pursue. Those miraculous cleansers, creams and balms we're buying to protect our outer layer may actually end up harming the body's largest organ.
     In Beyond Soap, Dr. Skotnicki argues that the best state for normal skin is the natural state--the one that avoids disturbing the bacteria that accompanied the body throughout its evolution. A combination of diagnosis and prescription, Dr. Skotnicki explains the problem with society's current cleansing and beauty habits, then provides a practical guide on how to fix things with a 3-step product-elimination diet that will help you remove unnecessary and potentially harmful ingredients from your beauty and skincare regime, returning the skin to the condition nature intended. Beyond Soap also includes indispensable advice on how to wash and care for the skin, followed by a common-sense beauty regimen intended to stave off aging, reduce skin problems and return the face and body to its natural glow.

My Reviews:
Goodreads
Amazon
Google Plus
Twitter
Pinterest
BookFun

Backcountry Brides Collection

Eight 18th Century Women Seek Love on Colonial America’s Frontier
by Angela K Couch, Debra E Marvin, Shannon McNear, Gabrielle Meyer, Carrie Fancett Pagels, Jennifer Hudson Taylor, Pegg Thomas, Denise Weimer

Informational Colonial Historical Christian fiction with some of the strongest women you'll ever meet. And handsome rugged men with true hearts, to love this kind of woman. Living hard lives in harsh environments.  Hope, love and faith come through each time. Excellent - makes a great summer read. You'll learn as you read.

#TheBackcountryBridesCollection #NetGalley

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Harvest House Publishers and the Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”.

Publisher's Description:
Love on Colonial America’s Frontier  
Travel into Colonial America where eight women seek love, but they each know a future husband requires the necessary skills to survive in the backcountry. Living in areas exposed to nature’s ferocity, prone to Indian attack, and cut off from regular supplies, can hearts overcome the dangers to find lasting love?
 
Shenandoah Hearts by Carrie Fancett Pagels
1754 - Great Wagon Road, into the Shenandoah Valley (Virginia)
As the French-Indian War commences, Magda Sehler wonders if Jacob Owens lost his mind to have abandoned his Philadelphia business and moved to the Shenandoah Valley. Or has he lost his heart?
 
Heart of Nantahala by Jennifer Hudson Taylor  
1757 - (North Carolina)
Joseph Gregory plans to buy a lumber mill, but Mabel Walker becomes a formidable opponent. When she’s forced to make a painful decision, she must choose between survival and love.
 
Her Redcoat by Pegg Thomas
1763 - Fort Michilimackinac (Michigan) during Pontiac’s Rebellion  
Laurette Pettigrew grew up in the northern frontier. Henry Bedlow arrived against his will. Their chance meeting changes everything. Will a deadly clash of cultures keep them from finding happiness?
 
A Heart So Tender by Debra E. Marvin
1764 – (New York)
As thousands of Native warriors converge on Fort Niagara, jaded British Lieutenant Archibald Walsh and idealistic schoolmistress Susannah Kimball learn the greatest risk lies in guarding their hearts.
 
A Worthy Groom by Angela K. Couch
1771 - Sapling Grove settlement on the Holston River (Tennessee)
The Cowden temper has been Marcus’s lifelong bane. A trait Lorinda Cowden curses. Now, winning the heart of his bride hinges on fighting a war without raising a fist.  
 
Across Three Autumns by Denise Weimer
1778-1780 – (Georgia)
Fighting Loyalists and Indians, Jenny White settles for strength over love . . .until Scottish scout Caylan McIntosh leads her family on a harrowing exodus out of Georgia’s Revolutionary “Hornet’s Nest.”
 
The Counterfeit Tory by Shannon McNear
1781 – (South Carolina)
Tasked with infiltrating an infamous Tory gang, Jed Wheeler has no wish to endanger the leader’s cousin, Lizzy Cunningham. He risks not only his life. . .but his heart.
 
Love’s Undoing by Gabrielle Meyer
1792 - Fur Post on the Upper Mississippi River (Minnesota)
When Englishman Henry Kingsley meets Abi McCrea, the daughter of a Scottish fur trader and Indian mother, will their worlds keep them apart, or have they finally found somewhere they truly belong? 

My Reviews:
Amazon
Google Plus
Powells
BooksAMillion
Goodreads
Twitter
Pinterest
BookFun

The Love Letter by Rachel Hauck

I was prepared to not like this story. I don't generally like modern themes. And this was not just modern, but Hollywood too. The initial appeal of this story for a historical fiction lover like me is that the core of the story is a letter written at the beginning of the Revolutionary war. As I read I found that the author made it personal, both in old and new eras, and it grew on me. The modern characters became just people and meshed with the old. Their stories wove back and forth, over and under, like ribbons, then did a mobius flip. Wow what a journey. And when completed, how smooth it actually was.  Esther and Hamilton, Chloe and Jesse - each on their own journey, yet bound together - with a path to Jesus meant for each, illustrating the mountains, valleys and triumphs only He brings to lives.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the Thomas Nelson--FICTION - Netgalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”.

#TheLoveLetter,tnzfiction #NetGalley

Description from the Publisher
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Dress comes a story of long-lost love and its redemption in future generations.
Romance has never been actress Chloe Daschle’s forte—in life or on screen. But everyone knows who to call for a convincing death scene . . . and it might be killing her career.
When Chloe is given a peek at the script for an epic love story, she decides to take her destiny into her own hands and request an audition for the lead female role, Esther Kingsley. The compelling tale, inspired by family lore and a one-page letter from the colonial ancestor of scriptwriter Jesse Gates, just might break her out of this career-crippling rut. Jesse would rather write about romance than live through it after his past relationship ended in disaster. But once on-set together, the chemistry between Jesse and his leading lady is hard to deny.
Centuries earlier, in the heart of the Revolutionary War, Hamilton Lightfoot and Esther Longfellow wrote their saga off the silver screen. Esther’s Loyalist father opposes any relationship with Hamilton, but Esther must face her beloved father’s disapproval and the dangers of war in order to convince Hamilton of their future together. Hamilton has loved Esther for years, and on the eve of battle pens the love letter she’s always wanted—something straight from the heart. 
Set in stunning upcountry South Carolina, The Love Letter is a beautifully-crafted story of the courage it takes to face down fear and chase after love, even in the darkest of times. And just maybe, all these generations later, love can come home in a way not even Hollywood could imagine.

My Reviews:
Amazon
Indigo
Goodreads
Powells
Google Plus
Twitter
Pinterest
BookFun