Driftwood Bay by Irene Hannon

From the publisher:
After tragedy robs her of everyone she loves, Jeannette Mason retreats to the tiny Oregon seaside town of Hope Harbor to create a new life. Vowing to avoid emotional attachments, she focuses on running her lavender farm and tea-room--until a new neighbor with a destructive dog and a forlorn little girl invades her turf. But she needn't worry. Dr. Logan West is too busy coping with an unexpected family, a radical lifestyle change, and an unruly pup to have any interest in his aloof and disagreeable neighbor.

Yet when both Jeanette and Logan find themselves pulled into the life of a tattered Christian family fleeing persecution in war-torn Syria, might they discover that love sometimes comes calling when it's least expected?
_________________________________________

Irene Hannon brings readers back to the beloved town of Hope Harbor.  This book will draw you to a town you may or may not have read about.  However, you don't need to read the other books to read this one.  Jeannette Mason is going to draw you in as she deals with her own pain and grief.  Logan's character is one that you will find yourself relating to as he enters a family situation and hilarious neighbor.  Beyond just these two characters you will find that this sweet story digs deeper into the hard things that are even now consuming our world.  The refugees and their story will challenge the way you think and feel.  

The beautiful town and natural characters will draw you in and leave you happy to have read this book.

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

The Edge of Over There by Shawn Smucker

From the publisher:

Before the Tree of Life, everything in Abra Miller's life had been predictable. But after the Tree and the lightning and the angels, everything felt tenuous, like holding a soap bubble in the palm of her hand. She spent years looking for signs of that other world, waiting for it to break through. When it didn't, her friendship with Sam Chambers grew cold and distant, and they both wondered how any of it could actually have happened.

Four years later, 16-year-old Abra's long-delayed quest to find the next manifestation of the Tree of Life is renewed when she sees a woman walking up the road--a woman who looks exactly like Sam's dead mother. The woman directs her to New Orleans where she will find the grave of Marie Laveau, one of seven gateways between this world and Over There. As Abra enters The Edge of Over There and begins her pursuit of the Tree once more, she doesn't know whom to fear or whom to trust. But she's starting to think that some doorways should never be opened.

______________________________________________________

This book had an interesting premise and I was excited to read it.  However, as the story progressed it felt like the book was taking  a lot of liberties. This is supposedly Biblical fiction but it felt like far from that.  If you like science-fiction and don't try to associate as a Christian novel then perhaps you can enjoy it.  That being said, I haven't read the first book.  The writer is talented, but I wish that this had not been written as Christian fiction.  Instead just do the book as fiction.

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

Made for This by Jennie Allen

If you have heard or read Jennie Allen before you will enjoy this book.  And if you never have read her before this is a great place to start!  This is a blend of two of her best loved books Anything and Restless.  But don't worry that this is just a copy and paste type of book.  Instead you will find new format and layout and fresh stories of how this has worked and impacted others. 

This is a beautiful journal-like edition with workbook graphics to help bring it all together.  This book will help you go surrender to God and ask Him what your purpose is.  This is a great book for yourself or to give as a gift. 

I highly recommend this book.

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

Justice Delivered by Patricia Bradley

From the publisher:

Carly Smith came by her trust issues honestly. A victim of sex trafficking, she's been at the mercy of merciless men, ignored by law enforcement officers who should have helped her, and seemingly rejected by her family. She can't even trust herself to do the right thing. Though she escaped her captors and is working hard on building a new life, the past continues to haunt her when she discovers that the man she couldn't bring herself to report to police for fear of reliving her captivity is still out there, luring vulnerable girls under the guise of being a modeling agent.

When her own niece is kidnapped, Carly must overcome her fears and come forward with the information she has before it's too late. When that proves to be not enough, she'll have to go after the perpetrators herself.

____________________________

This is the fourth book in the Memphis Cold Case series.  However, it can be read alone. Which is good, since I haven't read any of the other books.

This is a book that will keep you turning the pages.  A warning that there is violence and some hard topics to read.  However, as the book deals with human trafficking the characters and situations focus on redemption, rebuilding trust, and forgiveness.  I really enjoyed the way the book dealt with needing justice but also needing to rebuild lives.  I think many readers will be drawn into Carly's story and be inspired to do something in their own lives to help others in situations like those in the book.

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

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.

____________________________________

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.
__________________________________

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.
________________________________

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.