Daughters of the Northern Shore by Joanne Bischof

From the publisher:

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 Norgaard orchard 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 imperiled due to a grave illness brought to him at 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.

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This is the sequel to Sons of Blackbird Mountain but there is enough backstory in this book that you don't have to read the first book to understand the story line.  Bischof does an outstanding job of describing the setting of the various stages of this story.  I love reading her writing. It is exquisite to read. You feel as if you are in the story partaking of the emotional impact as each event occurs.  

I enjoyed the family scenes and the bonding of the brothers and sisters-in-laws.  The problem I have with this book is that I feel that Haakon is not realistic.  In the first book he is an  unhinged violent man.  In this book everyone forgives him and he becomes a meek and mild man everyone looks up to.  There is a small "conversion" like experience but not in enough depth to make this reader "believe" in the change.  The theme of the book seems to be forgiveness and restoration of relationships.  That is a beautiful goal in any family.  The problem I have is there is a difference between forgiveness and being able to have a relationship again with the person who has harmed you.  In this case Haakon committed an act of violence against his soon to be sister-in-law.  I think the story would have been more authentic if he had just loved her but not been driven to such drastic actions to create a violent scene between Haakon, Aven and Thor.  

This book  is still well written and I would read other books by Joanne Bischof in a minute.

I received this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

A Tender Hope by Amanda Cabot

From the publisher:
As far as Thea Michener is concerned, it's time for a change. With her husband murdered and her much-anticipated baby stillborn, there is nothing left for her in Ladreville. Having accepted a position as Cimarron Creek's midwife, she has no intention of remarrying and trying for another child. So when a handsome Texas Ranger appears on her doorstep with an abandoned baby, Thea isn't sure her heart can take it.

Ranger Jackson Guthrie isn't concerned only with the baby's welfare. He's been looking for Thea, convinced that her late husband was part of the gang that killed his brother. But it soon becomes clear that the situation is far more complicated than he anticipated--and he'll need Thea's help if he's ever to find the justice he seeks.

Amanda Cabot invites readers back to Cimarron Creek for a tender story of loss, betrayal, and love in the majestic Texas Hill Country.
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This is the 3rd book in the Cimarron Creek Trilogy.  If you have enjoyed the other books you will definitely enjoy this one as well! This story is more than just a "sappy romance." There is heartbreak, mystery and danger as well as romance.  Readers will enjoy the mystery and keep turning the pages to quickly find out what is next.  

This is a good realistic book that will educate readers about the Midwest and the time period of the characters.  I always like this as I gain more than just a good story but also some understanding of the time period.  

I received this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Courting Mr. Emerson by Melody Carlson

From the publisher:

When the fun-loving and spontaneous artist Willow West meets buttoned-up, retired English teacher George Emerson, it's not exactly love at first sight. Though she does find the obsessive-compulsive man intriguing. Making it her mission to get him to loosen up and embrace life, she embarks on what seems like a lost cause--and finds herself falling for him in the process.

A confirmed bachelor, George vacillates between irritation and attraction whenever Willow is around--which to him seems like all too often. He's not interested in expanding his horizons or making new friends; it just hurts too much when you lose them.

But as the summer progresses, George feels his defenses crumbling. The question is, will his change of heart be too late for Willow?

With her signature heart and touches of humor, fan favorite Melody Carlson pens a story of two delightfully eccentric characters who get a second chance at life and love.
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Melody Carlson introduces this book as if it is a light-hearted romantic comedy (which certainly there are parts of that!) but then becomes a much richer and deeper book.  In this book George and Willow must work through such areas as denial, grief, being an atheist, and other difficult issues.  In real life we know that everything doesn't perfectly work out and this book (while it definitely has a satisfying ending) is not one that ignores the hard in the lives of the characters.

This book is engaging and enjoyable.  It also is a way to learn about certain issues or to work through them with the characters.

I received this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Almost Home by Valerie Fraser Luesse

From the publisher:
With America's entrance into the Second World War, the town of Blackberry Springs, Alabama, has exploded virtually overnight. Workers from all over are coming south for jobs in Uncle Sam's munitions plants--and they're bringing their pasts with them, right into Dolly Chandler's grand but fading family home turned boardinghouse.

An estranged young couple from the Midwest, unemployed professors from Chicago, a widower from Mississippi, a shattered young veteran struggling to heal from the war--they're all hoping Dolly's house will help them find their way back to the lives they left behind. But the house has a past of its own.

When tragedy strikes, Dolly's only hope will be the circle of friends under her roof and their ability to discover the truth about what happened to a young bride who lived there a century before.

Award-winning and bestselling author Valerie Fraser Luesse breathes life into a cast of unforgettable characters in this complex and compassionate story of hurt and healing.
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This is a novel split between multiple characters. Sometimes this makes it hard to really focus on one character.  But it is also nice because you are able to get different view points of characters.

Dolly's character is layered as you feel that at first she might just be sunshine and roses but as you get to know her you see the layers that are there.  She is the one character that the others all others connect to.

Readers will enjoy learning history as well as the town of Blackberry Springs, Alabama.  The family house turned boarding house was a place anyone would like to stay!

I received this book from the publishers. All opinions are my own.