Review and Giveaway: When You Are Near by Tracie Peterson March 28, 2019

About the Book

Book: When You Are Near

Author: Tracie Peterson

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: March 5, 2018

After her father’s death, Lizzy Brookstone, a trick rider in the all-female Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza, wants nothing more than to quit her role as the star of the show and live a quiet life on her family’s ranch. But returning home would bring Wesley DeShazer, the ranch’s foreman and the man who broke her heart, back into her life. In addition, the Brookstones’ new manager fears that Lizzy’s departure could doom the already cash-strapped show.

Hope grows in Lizzy during a stopover at Fleming Farm. Ella Fleming not only has a natural talent for trick riding and could easily replace Lizzy, but she’s eager to join the show to flee a forced betrothal. However, while there, one of the show’s wranglers is killed in a manner Lizzy finds suspicious. And during her escape from the farm, Ella stumbles across a secret that could affect all of their lives, as well as the future of the Brookstone Extravaganza.

Click here to purchase your copy.

About the Author

Tracie Peterson (www.traciepeterson.com) is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 100 novels. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Montana.

Guest Post from Tracie

Introducing…When You Are Near!

I’m excited about the new Brookstone Brides series and had so much fun researching for the various characters and locations. This is a story about a fictional Wild West show with all female performers. Prior to the rodeos we see today, the Wild West shows traveled throughout America and Europe to entertain people and give city dwellers a taste of what the American frontier was like. At least their version.

Buffalo Bill Cody was famous for his shows, which brought Native Americans and their culture into the world of people who might otherwise never have even seen an “Indian.” Pawnee Bill was another entertainer who sought to keep these shows alive.

For the fictional show in my novels, I wanted to focus on three female characters who became a part of the Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza for varying reasons. Lizzy Brookstone is the heroine in book one, When You Are Near, and as the daughter of one of the show’s owners, she has enjoyed a starring role as a trick rider.

For research I went to Pueblo, Colorado to the ranch of Karen Vold, a famous trick rider and rodeo star. Linda Scholtz, a famed trick rider, was teaching a clinic there along with Karen at the Red Top Ranch Trickriding School.

These are two remarkable Christian trick riders who have long worked to keep the sport alive. I spent three days getting to know them and what they do and learned so much. And just to prove that we weren’t all work and no play, I thought I’d share my attempt at trick riding. What I won’t do for research!

The series will have three books, as usual, and each book will focus on a different lady and her skills. Mary is a trick shooter like Annie Oakley, and Ella is a Roman rider who stands on the backs of two horses for her part in the act. It was so interesting learning about each of these types of performers, and I hope you’ll get a chance to read all three and enjoy the stories of the Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza.

Blog Stops

Among the Reads, March 26

The Power of Words, March 26

Christian Author, J.E. Grace, March 26

Inklings and notions, March 26

The Meanderings of a bookworm, March 27

Chas Ray’s Book Nerd Corner, March 27

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 27

Vicky Sluiter, March 27

Carpe Diem, March 28

The Avid Reader, March 28

Genesis 5020, March 28

The Lit Addict, March 29

Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 29

Back Porch Reads, March 29

Just the Write Escape, March 30

Splashes of Joy, March 30

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 30

Emily Yager, March 31

Daysong Reflections, March 31

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 31

Life of Literature, April 1

EmpowerMoms, April 1

For the Love of Literature, April 1

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, April 2

Through the Fire Blogs, April 2

Stephanie’s Life of Determination, April 2

For Him and My Family, April 3

Remembrancy, April 3

Inspiration Clothesline, April 3

Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, April 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, April 4

Pause for Tales, April 4

Older & Smarter?, April 5

Stories By Gina, April 5

Book by Book, April 5

Bigreadersite, April 6

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, April 6

Connect in Fiction, April 6

Godly Book Reviews, April 7

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, April 7

Texas Book-aholic, April 7

Blossoms and Blessings, April 8

janicesbookreviews, April 8

A Reader’s Brain, April 8

The Becca Files, April 8

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Tracie is giving away a grand prize of When You Are Near, Tracie’s A $25 Barnes and Noble Gift card, and the three books in The Heart of Alaska series and three other winners will receive a copy of When You Are Near!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/dcdd/when-you-are-near-celebration-tour-giveaway

My thoughts:

I haven’t read many books by Tracie and I don’t know why. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to this series.

This book as a little bit of everything, mystery and romance.

Lizzy is a strong character with a unique gift for riding yet she is feminine and kind. She truly cares for others.

I also enjoyed the setting as it is different than when I typically read.

The other characters that are introduced are interesting as well and promise to good reads in the future.

Grab your copy at your local bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christianbook.com or your favorite retailer.

A copy of this book was given to me through Celebrate Lit Team. All opinions are my own. 

Profound Good by Blake Healy March 27, 2019

 

About:

What you see of God is only part of the story.

From the time Blake Healy was a small child, he has seen angels, demons, and other spiritual things. He sees them with his naked eyes, as vividly and clearly as anything else. Everyplace he goes, every person he meets, every day that goes by, he sees in the spirit.

After thirty years of seeing in the spirit, one thing has consistently been the most painful for him to see. It is not when he sees someone trapped in demonic oppression. It is not when he sees the gaping wounds of emotional trauma. It is when he sees the goodness of God go unclaimed by His people.

In this book Healy takes readers on a journey of rediscovering the goodness of God. It fills the churches we visit every week. It moves across the sea from nation to nation. All we have to do is learn how to see it and receive it, and then we will watch every corner of the world be completely transformed by the power of His profound good.

My thoughts:

I read Blake’s The Veil and loved it. I long to see in the spirit. So when I saw this book I knew I had to read it. I think I liked it even better than his first book.

In this book we get to see more of what Blake sees but also with the reminder that God is profoundly good and sees us in ways we can’t imagine. When we feel scared or broken God sees us perfectly.

This will spark a hunger in you for more of God, all that he has to offer. At least it did for me. I want everything God wants to give me, nothing less.

Visit Blake here.

Grab your copy at your local bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christianbook.com or your favorite retailer.

A copy of this book was given to me. All opinions are my own. 

Falling for the Centerfield March 26, 2019

About:

Everybody thinks Cole is a ladies’ man, but his heart belongs only to one.

Major League Baseball Player, Cole Hunter, has strong ties to his college days and the university he shared with five of his best friends, now known as the #BellTownSixPack. When an old acquaintance, Harlow Ember, walks in, wearing his jersey and his signature sunglasses, he knows this woman might have what it takes to capture his heart. But none of Cole’s typical efforts to gain a girl’s attention seem to work on Harlow.

Harlow Ember is asked to report on a charity event for children back in Belltown sponsored by Cole Hunter and the Six Pack. Even though Cole attracts her in all the right ways, she has goals of her own that don’t involve losing her heart to one more guy who will end up leaving her cold. While her trust is at an all-time low, her interest and attraction are a raging pull in the other direction.

Will her hurts from the past and the secrets he hides work in their favor or end things before they can even begin?

Welcome to Belltown! Six baseball players meet in the college town of Belltown, Massachusetts, becoming best friends, their lives intertwining as they each get called up to the Major Leagues.

My thoughts:

This was a fun read. I reviewed the first book a couple of weeks ago so it was fun to read about another of the guys in the Six Pack. They sound so charming. But there is more then meets the eye with each of them so it’s nice to get that deeper look at what is really going on in their lives.

Harper is a spunky character trying to find her way in the world. As much as she tries to not find her way with Cole she just might find out that’s the way to go.

Grab your copy at your Amazon, or your favorite retailer.

A copy of this book was given to me. All opinions are my own. 

The Curse of Misty Wayfair by Jaime Jo Wright March 25, 2019

About:

Left at an orphanage as a child, Thea Reed vowed to find her mother someday. Now grown, her search takes her to turn-of-the-century Pleasant Valley, Wisconsin. When the clues she finds lead her to a mental asylum, Thea uses her experience as a postmortem photographer to gain access and assist groundskeeper Simeon Coyle in photographing the patients and uncovering the secrets within. However, she never expected her personal quest would reawaken the legend of Misty Wayfair, a murdered woman who allegedly haunts the area and whose appearance portends death.

A century later, Heidi Lane receives a troubling letter from her mother–who is battling dementia–compelling her to travel to Pleasant Valley for answers to her own questions of identity. When she catches sight of a ghostly woman haunting the asylum ruins in the woods, the long-standing story of Misty Wayfair returns–and with it, Heidi’s fear for her own life.

As two women across time seek answers about their identities and heritage, they must overcome the threat of the mysterious curse that has them inextricably intertwined.

My thoughts:

I LOVED this book. I seriously couldn’t wait to get back to it every time I put it down.

It is a bit spooky so if you struggle with that this might not be the book for you.

There is so much meat to this book. It really is about identity and finding it in your Creator and following Him. My heart ached, tears gathered and truth won!

Even though this was an entertaining read I loved the faith aspect, as well, that was woven throughout. It wasn’t preachy but left no guess as to the Who this book is really about.

If like books that are a bit different that I highly recommend this one.

Visit Jaime here.

Grab your copy at your local bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christianbook.com or your favorite retailer.

A copy of this book was given to me. All opinions are my own. 

Review and Giveaway: The White City by Grace Hitchcock March 21, 2019

About the Book

Book: The White City

Author: Grace Hitchcock

Genre: Christian Historical/Suspense

Release Date: March, 2019

Mysterious Disappearances Taint the Chicago World’s Fair

Step into True Colors—a new series of Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime

While attending the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, Winnifred Wylde believes she witnessed a woman being kidnapped. She tries to convince her father, an inspector with the Chicago police, to look into reports of mysterious disappearances around the White City. Inspector Wylde tries to dismiss her claims as exaggeration of an overactive imagination, but he eventually concedes to letting her go undercover as secretary to the man in question—if she takes her pistol for protection and Jude Thorpe, a policeman, for bodyguard.

Will she be able to expose H. H. Holmes’s illicit activity, or will Winnifred become his next victim?

 

Click here to order your copy.

 

About the Author

Grace Hitchcock is the author of three novellas in The Second Chance Brides, The Southern Belle Brides, and the Thimbles and Threads collections with Barbour Publishing. The White City is her debut novel and releases March 2019 with Barbour Publishing. She holds a Masters in Creative Writing and a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in History. Grace lives in southern Louisiana with her husband, Dakota, and son. Visit Grace online at GraceHitchcock.com.

 

Guest Post from Grace

True Colors—Fiction Based on Strange, But True, American Crime Stories

True, riveting stories of American criminal activity are explored through 6 unique stories of historical romantic suspense in the exciting new True Colors series.

In book one, The White City, Winnifred Wylde believes she witnessed a woman being kidnapped while attending the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. She tries to convince her father, an inspector with the Chicago police, to look into reports of mysterious disappearances around the White City. Inspector Wylde tries to dismiss her claims as exaggeration of an overactive imagination, but he eventually concedes to letting her go undercover as secretary to the man in question—if she takes her pistol for protection and Jude Thorpe, a detective, for bodyguard.

Will she be able to expose H. H. Holmes’s illicit activity, or will Winnifred become his next victim?

The Real Criminal Behind the Story

While Winnifred Wylde is a fictional character, Doctor H. H. Holmes was very real and became infamously known as America’s first serial killer. Learn more about him HERE.

 

Blog Stops

Just the Write Escape, March 14

A Baker’s Perspective, March 14

The Lit Addict, March 14

janicesbookreviews, March 14

The Power of Words, March 15

Multifarious, March 15

Back Porch Reads, March 15

Livin’ Lit, March 16

Lis Loves Reading, March 16

Just Your Average reviews, March 16

Rev. Rebecca Writes, March 17

For the Love of Literature, March 17

Bibliophile Reviews, March 17

Reflections From My Bookshelves, March 18

Through the Fire Blogs, March 18

By The Book, March 18

A Reader’s Brain, March 18

Girls in White Dresses, March 19

Stories By Gina , March 19

EmpowerMoms, March 19

Inklings and notions, March 19

All-of-a-kind Mom, March 20

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 20

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 20

Bigreadersite, March 21

Genesis 5020, March 21

Blossoms and Blessings, March 21

The Becca Files, March 21

Emily Yager, March 22

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, March 22

Pause for Tales, March 22

Inspired by fiction, March 23

Mary Hake, March 23

Book by Book, March 23

Real World Bible Study, March 23

Blogging With Carol, March 24

Stephanie’s Life of Determination, March 24

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, March 24

Maureen’s Musings, March 25

amandainpa, March 25

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 25

Older & Smarter?, March 26

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 26

Chas Ray’s Book Nerd Corner , March 26

Godly Book Reviews, March 27

For Him and my Family, March 27

Texas Book-aholic, March 27

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Grace is giving away a grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of The White City!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/dd7d/the-white-city-celebration-tour-giveaway

My thoughts:

This wasn’t quite what I was expecting but I still enjoyed the read. It was a bit lighter than I was anticipating, but still an interesting read none-the-less.

Winnie is a spunky character and nothing gets in her way when she sets her mind to something.

Jude is a dashing and strong hero and I was rooting for him.

But there is an added element that had me wondering where this story was going to go and what part this other person played in the overall story.

This read more like a light mystery.

Visit Grace here.

Grab your copy at your local bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christianbook.com or your favorite retailer.

A copy of this book was given to me through the Celebrate Lit Team. All opinions are my own. 

 

Glory Carriers by Jennifer Eivaz March 20, 2019

About:

We were created to reflect something or Someone. What we behold, we reflect. The more we behold the Lord, the more we look like him–and the more we see his glory released into our lives and the lives of those around us.

The glory of God is irresistible. Yet seeking to sense his presence or experience his glory for its own sake misses the point. His glory is the natural outpouring of a deep relationship with the Holy Spirit. In these pages, author and speaker Jennifer Eivaz shows how you can enter into more intimate fellowship with the Spirit of God, experience miraculous encounters, and begin to see more miracles, more deliverances, and more lives dramatically changed. Here is the inspiration you need to step into the supernatural and follow God’s leading–and carry his glory to the darkest places and see his kingdom come.

My thoughts:

I enjoyed this fresh look at how we can carry God’s glory with us everywhere we go and shift the atmospheres around us.

Jennifer also talks about different types of glory that is available and how can see that in the Bible.

She give a lot of great examples of people in the Bible that carried God’s glory with them, along with her own personal experiences.

Visit Jennifer here.

Grab your copy at your local bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christianbook.com or your favorite retailer.

A copy of this book was given to me through Netgally.com. All opinions are my own. 

Other Bodies by Joel Ohman March 19, 2019

About:

For fans of The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, and Divergent comes a YA dystopian/light romance with a strong female protagonist who is forced to question everything…

In a world where immersive VR suits distort what is real from what is not, and the AI Personhood Act blurs the lines between body and bot, the choices sixteen-year-old Hattie Martins faces are very personal.

Welcome to Hattie Martins’ dystopian Philadelphia, where everything is not as it seems…

Just as her life is looking up–a new job, new friends, a new date–Hattie discovers not all progress in her beloved, futuristic Philadelphia is for the best. Societal regrets can become personal regrets in an instant. Choices don’t always come with second chances, and when they do the cost can be unimaginable. How far will she go to undo her greatest regret? And worse yet, what will she become if it’s too late?

In a world where bots are equal to bodies, what does it mean to be alive?

What is real?

Which bodies matter?

What about the other bodies?…

In this blistering new young adult novel from the #1 bestselling author of the Meritropolis series, readers will question everything they know about life and reality in a unique dystopian adventure that is equal parts moral dilemma and romance.

If you enjoy Veronica Roth, James Dashner, or Suzanne Collins then this is the story of the year you won’t want to miss. BUY NOW.

*Subject matter includes references to euthanasia, abortion, and teenage pregnancy. There are NO sex scenes and NO curse words. This is a stand-alone book with a complete story from beginning to end. There are NO cliff-hangers and this is NOT a part of a series.*

My thoughts:

Loved this. Not that this was a warm-fuzzy book. It definitely was not.

The picture the author paints of babies after they have been aborted is heart breaking and all too vivid. I just couldn’t help but think that if someone read this they would rethink their pro-choice stance.

However, he did a great job of making the reader understand the thought processes that a teen might go through when she finds out she is pregnant. It can look hopeless. But there is always another way.

This has that dystopian feel yet I could easily relate to the characters and what they were going through. I highly recommend this book.

Grab your copy at your local book store, Amazon, or your favorite retailer.

Author Notes:   https://www.joelohman.com/other-bodies-authors-note/

Tell a story:  https://www.joelohman.com/how-do-you-change-someones-mind-about-abortion-tell-them-a-story/

Author Bio:   https://www.joelohman.com/about/

Book Link:   https://amzn.to/2Lmnwbc

A copy of this book was given to me. All opinions are my own. 

The Warrior Maiden by Melanie March 18, 2019

About:

From New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson comes a fresh reimagining of the classic Mulan tale.

“When it comes to happily-ever-afters, Melanie Dickerson is the undisputed queen of fairy-tale romance, and all I can say is—long live the queen!” —Julie Lessman, award-winning author

She knew a woman was expected to marry, cook, and have children, not go to war. Can she manage to stay alive, save her mother, and keep the handsome son of a duke from discovering her secret?

When Mulan decides to take her father’s place in battle against the besieging Teutonic Knights, she realizes she has been preparing for this moment her whole life—and that her life, and her mother’s, depends on her success. As the adopted daughter of poor parents, she has little power in the world. If she can’t prove herself on the battlefield, she could face death—or, perhaps worse, marriage to the village butcher.

In her disguise as a young man, Mulan meets Wolfgang, the German duke’s son who is determined to save his people even if it means fighting against his own brother. Wolfgang is exasperated by the young soldier who seems to be one step away from disaster at all times—or showing Wolfgang up in embarrassing ways.

From rivals to reluctant friends, Mulan and Wolfgang begin to share secrets with one another. But war is an uncertain time and dreams can die as quickly as they are born. When Mulan receives word of danger back home, she must make the ultimate choice. Could she be the son her bitter father never had? Or would she become the strong young woman she has been created to be?

This fresh reimagining of the classic tale takes us to fifteenth-century Lithuania where both love and war challenge the strongest of hearts.

My thoughts:

Okay, the beginning of this book I couldn’t help but have songs  from the Disney version of Mulan in my head.

I like the differences in this book compared to the movie. I was wondering how Melanie would work around some issues. Like Wolfgang falling in love with Mulan. Can’t do that when he thinks she’s a dude. But she fixed that in a very skillful way.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and how Mulan was strong yet feminine. She doesn’t loose who she is and stays true to herself.

If you enjoy fairytales with a twist I am sure you will enjoy this book.

Visit Melanie here.

Grab your copy at your local bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christianbook.com or your favorite retailer.

A copy of this book was given to me through the BookLook Blogger program. All opinions are my own. 

 

Review and Giveaway: Uninvited by Beckie Lindsey March 14, 2019

About the Book

Book: Uninvited

Author: Beckie Lindsey

Genre: YA

Release Date: 9/16/2018

Every girl has a secret she hopes the light will never find—

but the demons already have.

Battles between unseen forces of good and evil have made unlikely friends out of high school juniors Krystal, Mackenzie, Tammi, and Sadie, who share similar secrets from their traumatic pasts.

As Krystal’s lifelong friendship with Bryce grows into something more, her new friendship with Mackenzie is tested.

While Tammi and Sadie heal from their injuries caused by a horrific accident, their deeper wounds fester as tension grown between them.

When a handsome nurse and a sultry singer join the group, things become even more tangled.

Will the relationships survive the epic spiritual battles raging around them? Or will the demons keep them chained to their secrets?

 

Click here to purchase your copy.

 

About the Author

Beckie Lindsey is an award-winning author, poet, blogger, and the editor of Southern California Christian Voice, a division of One Christian Voice, a national news syndicating agency. She is a major coffeeholic and enjoys a good book with a cat on her lap. She also loves to hike and hang out with family and friends. Beckie and her husband, Scott have three adult children, two adorable cats and live in California.

 

Guest Post from Beckie

WHY I WRITE YA AND THE BFA SERIES

 

I believe a teenager still exists inside each of us.

 

We hear a familiar tune from our “glory days” and are instantly tapping our toes. Mentally, we’re back in high school —poofy bangs, scrunchie, neon off-the-shoulder sweatshirt — and all. Oh, wait. That’s me back in the ‘80s!

 

Ah, yes. There is something wonderfully awful about those coming-of-age years.

 

From the first kiss to the first breakup, there are memories we cherish and some we don’t care to ever revisit. Being a teen can be exciting, confusing, painful, joyous, or even all of those things at once!

 

No matter how different your teenage experience was from mine, one thing is true for us all: these years have an enormous impact on who we become as adults. We can all sympathize with the plight of puberty and the longing for independence and acceptance. Yeah, there’s still a teenager in all of us!

 

These are the reasons I write YA.

 

My hope is to use the power of storytelling to move past barriers and open hearts to accept how much God loves and desires a personal relationship with us.

 

At every age, we all need the grace and love of Jesus.

 

In the Beauties from Ashes (BFA) series, I write about relatable characters with difficult issues and traumatic pasts to enlighten readers about the unseen spiritual battle referred to in Scripture. Each character has a secret that has left them vulnerable to the battle in an invisible realm where demonic creatures fight to keep them chained to their pasts and angels of light work to free them.

 

The characters and their issues are complex, just like real life. In fact, some of the topics are often considered too taboo to talk about openly. But what is left in the dark, festers and grows. It is only in the light that we can be free. In the BFA series, readers experience the character’s quest for truth, love, grace, and freedom while hopefully finding the same for themselves.

 

Blog Stops

Real World Bible Study, March 12

Through the Fire Blogs, March 13

Blogging With Carol, March 13

Genesis 5020, March 14

Seasons of Opportunities, March 15

Godly Book Reviews, March 16

Remembrancy, March 17

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 18

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 19

Ashley’s Bookshelf, March 19

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 20

The Becca Files, March 20

Texas Book-aholic, March 21

janicesbookreviews, March 22

Bigreadersite, March 23

A Reader’s Brain, March 24

Inklings and notions, March 25

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Beckie is giving away a grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/dcc2/uninvited-celebration-tour-giveaway

My thoughts:

I really am enjoying this series. It gives such a good look at what could be happening in the spirit realm.

I would say you should read the first book to fully enjoy this one.

In this book you catch up with all the characters from the first book and see what is going on with them, how God is beginning to work in their lives and how the enemy hates that and will stop at nothing to keep them from know the Truth.

This is a YA novel but I think even adults will enjoy it as well.

Grab you copy at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your favorite retailer.

A copy of this book was given to me through the Celebrate Lit Team. All opinions are my own. 

Daughters of Northern Shores by Joenne Bischof March 12, 2019

About:

Sequel to the critically-acclaimed Sons of Blackbird Mountain 

Aven Norgaard understands courage. Orphaned within an Irish workhouse, then widowed at just nineteen, she voyaged to America where she was wooed and wed by Thor Norgaard, a Deaf man in rural Appalachia. That the Lord saw her along the winding journey and that Aven now carries Thor’s child are blessings beyond measure. Yet while Thor holds her heart, it is his younger brother and rival who haunts her memories. Haakon—whose selfish choices shattered her trust in him.

Having fled the farm after trying to take Aven as his own, Haakon sails on the North Atlantic ice trade where his soul is plagued with regrets that distance cannot heal. Not even the beautiful Norwegian woman he’s pursued can ease the torment. When the winds bear him home after four years away, Haakon finds the family on the brink of tragedy. A decades-old feud with the neighboring farm has wrenched them into the fiercest confrontation on Blackbird Mountain since the Civil War. Haakon’s cunning and strength hold the power to seal many fates, including Thor’s which is already at stake through a grave illness brought to him as the first prick of warfare.

Now Haakon faces the hardest choice of his life. One that shapes a battlefield where pride must be broken enough to be restored, and where a prodigal son may finally know the healing peace of surrender and the boundless gift of forgiveness. And when it comes to the woman he left behind in Norway, he just might discover that while his heart belongs to a daughter of the north, she’s been awaiting him on shores more distant than the land he’s fighting for.

My thoughts:

I loved the first book in this series and couldn’t wait to read this one. It was great to catch up with these characters again and get to know Haakon a bit more and see how God would work in this life.

The setting for this book is beautiful and the I loved the character development of Thor and Aven. My heart went out to Thor I hoped nothing was seriously wrong.

This is not your typical read, I really had no idea what was going to happen or how things would play out and I think that is what I loved about it most of all.

If you enjoy historical romance that is more than that you will enjoy this book.

Visit Joanne here.

Grab your copy at your local bookstore, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christianbook.com or your favorite retailer.

A copy of this book was given to me. All opinions are my own.