The Frontiersman's Daughter Book Review

Available August 2009 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group...

The Frontiersman's Daughter
by Laura Frantz

Leal Click leads a life tucked away in the Kentucky wilderness, as a famed frontiersman's only daughter. Her father's ties to the Shawnee Indians, some secret and others not so secret, darken the only life she's ever known.

Confused by her father's disapproval of her childhood love and a Shawnee, would-be-suitor's attempts to woo her, Lael's father sends her away to an elegant finishing school. For reason's she can't understand, Lael suffers through more than five long years at the school until finally, due to unexpected circumstances and overwhelming loss, her chance comes to return to her beloved Kentucky home. Upon her return, she finds that her seemingly lost chance at love may not be so lost after all, but is not at all what she expects. What she learns about herself in her longing for love will prove to be grander than the beautiful view of her dear Kentucky wilderness.

This book was a hard one to put down. Even after reading the last page, the story stays with you. It draws you into a different place, where you can almost smell the perfume of wild roses drifting on a warm breeze.

Laura Frantz has created a set of characters, each unique and inspiring. Lael Click's determination and grit is what paved the way across long-ago, uncharted America.

I hope we will see much from this author in many books to come. A fantastic story and MUST READ for ANY fiction fan!

The Believer Book Review

Available August 2009 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group...

The Believer
by Ann H. Gabhart

Elizabeth Duncan and her two younger siblings are left desperately alone following the sudden death of their father. Left as a bookmark in the family Bible, a simple Shaker's seed packet guides them to new hope. After the advances of a dangerous and unwanted suitor, Elizabeth leads her young brother and sister secretly to the community of "Believers" who will turn away no one.

For Elizabeth, one Shaker stands out among the rest. Young Ethan is committed to his belief, having never harbored feelings of anything other than sisterly toward any female, he is unprepared for his immediate attraction to the young woman seeking shelter among his people.

Matrimony is sinful in the eyes of the Shakers and any feelings of attraction to the opposite gender are strongly rebuked. As Ethan struggles with his feelings toward Elizabeth, she strives to keep herself from being a stumbling block to his faith. But something draws them close at every turn.

Will Ethan hold fast to the rules that are proving so hard for him to release and learn what being a "Believer" really is?

This book gives a good look into the inner goings on of Shaker villages. The story is brought to life with the detail Ann Gabhart gives to her setting, characters, and storyline. A well written story that is sure to touch you with a sweet sense of finding the truth in God's Word.

Things Left Unspoken Book Review

Things Left Unspoken
by Eva Marie Everson

Lonely Jo-Lynn Hunter is searching for that something to fill the void in her life. As an interior designer, she begins to find comfort when the death of her beloved great-uncle Jim brings her home to the area surrounding small-town Cottonwood, Georgia.

Jo-Lynn accepts a project to restore the historic home that Uncle Jim shared with his wife, Stella. The "big house" was built more than a hundred years before and had been handed down through Stella's family.

Little by little, secrets begin to unravel the legacy Jo-Lynn believed she was restoring in her family's home, but the revelations she uncovers will change the lives of those she loves the most.

Things Left Unspoken holds a little bit of history, with travels back to 1930s Georgia. The twists in this book are amazingly unexpected, a little suspenseful, and quite realistic.

A recommended read for both historical and contemporary readers! The more I read of this book, the harder it was to put it down.

Worth a Thousand Words Book Review

Worth A Thousand Words
by Stacy Hawkins Adams

Indigo Burns has the picture perfect life. Photography is her passion and she is on her way to the master's program at a prominent college of visual arts.

During what is supposed to be a relaxing summer spent interning as a photojournalist at her hometown's newspaper, Indigo's life begins to fall apart. Her boyfriend proposes one master's degree too early, health issues could keep her from the career she's always dreamed about, and her favorite aunt's life hangs in the balance after a frightening incident.

When the betrayal, disappointment, and fear blur the lens, will Indigo bring what really matters into focus?

Overall, a good read with a sweet story of learning to deny what we want and following God's plan for our lives.

A Passion Denied Book Review

A Passion Denied
Daughters of Boston - Book 3
by Julie Lessman

Buckle your seat belts, and keep your eyes on the pages! You're in for one great ride!

Little sister, Elizabeth O'Connor, has blossomed into a modern woman of the roaring 20s, bent on loving John Brady, a man who refuses to love her back. Her hopes are dashed until, with the help of her sisters, Lissie summons her courage, determined to open Brady's eyes and make him notice she is no longer the little "Beth" he sees her as.

Plans go awry, leaving them with hurt feelings and lonely hearts.

Brady finally finds acceptance in God's forgiveness from his deeply hidden past, a life so contrary from the godly man Lizzie has grown to cherish. With his revelation, will the pain and disappointment she feels push her away forever?

Can she deny John forgiveness, and her heart the deep love she longs for? Can she go through with a marriage to someone else?

Continuing the O'Connor's family saga, book three in the Daughters of Boston series, A Passion Denied, will take you on a roller coaster of emotions; hilarious heights, heartbreaking drama, and pulse-pounding tension, all intertwined in the amazing plots Lessman readers have come to love and expect.

Julie Lessman's rich words of God's love and forgiveness weave a story so real, so powerful, you will want to read it over, and over, again. This won't be the last we hear from one of the best writers, in any market, today!

The Measure of a Lady Book Review

The Measure of a Lady
By Deeanne Gist

Twenty year-old Rachel van Buren has been unexpectedly thrust into the parental role to her two teenage siblings. And boy do they not like that!

Carrying out rules that a proper young lady should live by in 19th century San Fransisco seems next to impossible. Where gold fevered men and women of ill repute are the sole citizens, Rachel finds her protective task more than she can handle.

Rachel must learn the hard way that she must trust God solely with her own life as well as those of her family and community. Will her ideas of what the measure of a lady should be remain unchanged or will she flee that horrible place the moment any ship leaves the port?

This book took a little longer to get me hooked into the story, but into the first few chapters I wanted to know what would happen next! In the end it left a few of my questions unanswered. So I would definitely read a sequel if Ms. Gist would write one!

Tracie Peterson's Alaskan Quest Series Review

Alaskan Quest Series
by Tracie Peterson

Book 1 - Summer of the Midnight Sun
Book 2 - Under the Northern Lights
Book 3 - Whispers of Winter


I really enjoyed this book series. It begins with the story of brother and sister duo Leah and Jacob Barringer. Orphaned at a young age it has been "just the two of them" for a long time. They live together in the rugged terrain of 1915, unexplored and very harsh, Alaska in the small Indian village of Last Chance Creek.

They search for God's will in their lives and wonder if either one will ever find the person they are meant to marry. God brings people into their lives and lots of drama is sure to follow.

This series is full of dog sled adventures and near death experiences in the frozen wilderness. If you're a fan of a little suspense with a tad of romance then you will really enjoy this series.

Tracie Peterson does a great job making you believe you are in the blistery winds right therwith her characters. Her research on the history of Alaskan Indians and their way of life adds a very real theme to the book!

This series does follow the characters from her Yukon Quest series. I didn't know that when I read this series and it made a great stand alone series anyway!