Seven Brides for Seven Texans- Erica Vetsc, ect.

My Rating: 4 Stars

Description: Meet the seven Hart brothers of the 7-Heart ranch in central Texas. Each man is content in his independent life, without the responsibilities of a wife and children—until their father decides 1874 will be the year his grown sons finally marry, or they will be cut from his will. How will each man who values his freedom respond to the ultimatum? Can love develop on a timeline, or will it be sacrificed for the sake of an inheritance?

My Thoughts: For a collection of novellas, this one is pretty good. Each takes about an hour to read, making them perfect for those days when you want to enjoy a story but have limited time to do so. The premise is a little farfetched, as I find it hard to believe that a father (at least one who wanted his children to be happy) would require all SEVEN sons to get married in one year.

As with other collections of works by multiple authors,  some of the Hart stories are better than others. For instance, Chrisholm's story was engaging, despite the length, and most of the stories followed suit. However, one issue I found with a series of novellas told about one family yet written by more than one author is that the depiction of the family differed from story to story. Most everything was the same (personalities, characteristics, ect.) but, particularly with how the father related to his sons, there where some differences that bothered me.

If you enjoy these collections, then this is a fun one to pick up and the length of each story makes it a lot easier for busy people to enjoy. And unlike many others, these novellas actually read like complete stories rather than a compilation of writing samples.

I have provided an honest review after having received a copy of this book through Netgalley.

The Cautious Maiden- Dawn Crandall

My Rating: 3 Stars

Description: Violet Hawthorne is beyond mortified when her brother Ezra turns their deceased parents' New England country inn into a brothel to accommodate the nearby lumberjacks; but when Violet's own reputation is compromised, the inn becomes the least of her worries. In an effort to salvage her good name, Violet is forced into an engagement with a taciturn acquaintance; Vance Everstone.

As she prepares for a society wedding, Violet learns that her brother had staked her hand in marriage in a heated poker game with the unsavory Rowen Steele, and Ezra had lost. Now Rowen is determined to cash in on his IOU. With danger stalking her and a new fiance who hides both his emotion and his past, Violet must decide who to trust and who to leave behind.

My Thoughts: I am fairly torn on this novel. The first few chapters were not as interesting as I had hoped (outside of the hair repining scene) because Vance and Violet's brother continuously refused to tell her information that they should have, seemingly all in the name of building suspense.

Once Violet and Vance's engagement came about, the story quickly turned around. The relationship between the two was amazingly realistic and dealt with the issue of temptation before marriage, which I think is an important subject matter. As well, the author managed to show the role faith should have in someone's life without preaching or really even talking about it. The reader knows that Vance is different than he used to be and that Violet now often sees him reading his Bible, which allows the reader to actually SEE just how large a part God plays in his life instead of having to be told.

Yet the ending of the book was also not my favorite. It seemed to suddenly splinter into a number of different conflicts when only one of them was really necessary. For most readers, this ending will not matter as much as it did to me (obviously, based on the novel's ratings). However, in my opinion it was far too many sudden changes in how the characters were behaving for me to enjoy it as I had the rest of the book.

Because of how much I enjoyed the middle of the book, I will likely pick of the rest in the series. They should still be worth the read and I have hope that I might enjoy them more.

I have provided an honest review after having received a copy of this book through the Bookfun network and the author.

Child of the River- Irma Joubert

My Rating: 5 Stars

Description: Persomi’s dreams are much bigger than the world of poverty and deprivation that surround her in the Bushveld of the 1940s and 1950s in South Africa.

Persomi is young, white and poor, born the middle child of illiterate sharecroppers on the prosperous Fourie farm. Persomi’s world is extraordinarily small. She has never been to the local village and spends her days absorbed in the rhythms of the natural world around her. Her older brother, Gerbrand, is her lifeline and her connection to the outside world. When he leaves the farm to seek work in Johannesburg, Persomi’s isolated world is blown wide open. But as her very small world falls apart, bigger dreams become open to her—dreams of an education, a profession, and of love. As Persomi navigates the changing world around her—the tragedies of WWII and the devastating racial strife of her homeland—she finally discovers who she truly is and where she belongs.

A compelling coming of age story with an unlikely and utterly memorable heroine, Persomi’s English language publication solidifies Irma Joubert’s important place in the canon of inspirational historical fiction.

My Thoughts: This is an absolutely fantastic book. I can't remember a novel that has ever left me teary eyed before this one, and I usually hate any that have brought me even close because the characters lives where typically futile, with little hope in the end. But even though Persomi's childhood, and even parts of her adult life, where heartbreaking, there were very few moments which felt hopeless.

Persomi is the kind of person who never lets life crush her. Though she has her broken moments, she soon rallies and moves forward, refusing to back down from her convictions. Dealing with the politics of WWII, in which Irma realistically portrays a society which more or less sided with the Germans, and Apartheid, Child of the River not only shows a woman with incredible strength of character but also revels a time in history where social strife mirrored current social issues in the US.

Originally published in 2010, there is no way the author could have foreseen just how relevant this work would be years later and in another language. But I think that this book can teach a lot about holding on to ones own convictions while still putting major differences aside to love and care for those around us.

I highly recommend this work, both for the history and for Persomi herself. I can't wait to see more of Irma's novels translated and will be eagerly looking for them on shelves.

I have provided an honest review of this novel after having received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Scarlet Moon- S. D. Grimm

My Rating: 3 Stars

Description: The land of Soleden is dying because the sorceress queen hunts and kills the people who cared for all nature, the Feravolk. Through their special bond with animals, the Feravolk have become more than men. Faster, stronger, masters of camouflage and stealth. Only a Deliverer born the night of the Blood Moon can save them from extinction.

According to prophecy, Jayden is a Deliverer, but it’s not a destiny she wants. She has no sympathy for either side. The Feravolk killed her family, so they can die for all she cares. And fighting the queen with nothing but daggers and her special abilities—storm predicting—is a suicide mission. Destiny can pick someone else.

Except hiding from destiny proves difficult; Deliverers attract powerful Protectors. Jayden’s is one of the Feravolk, so he can’t be trusted. But he makes her feel safe. Makes her want to save his race. If she chooses to keep hiding, he’ll remain one of the hunted, but he’ll protect her even if it means his death if she faces the queen. Making the right choice has never been so excruciating, especially since the prophecy says nothing about the Deliverer’s success, or survival.

My Thoughts: I took an entire day to think through just how I felt about this book and what I wanted to include in my review. It was difficult because I both loved and disliked it, a fact which lead me to decide that in my opinion it is simply okay.

The story in this book is amazing. There is so much danger and honest emotions, with each character being completely distinct. It did take me a while to fully appreciate these characters simply because there are at least five point of view characters and because while Jayden's is in the first chapter, it then takes another six or so chapters before we come back to her. Once I knew that there wouldn't be any more POVs, I was able to engage with those that had already been introduced.

But while the story is fantastic, there is a lot that is left unexplained. While a number of my questions were partially answered toward the end, I spent most of the book trying to figure out how things worked and what everyone's purpose was. Grimm sprinkles information throughout in a way that is really easy to miss, leaving me with the feeling that I still don't fully understand how this story world functions and that I might have overlooked something important.

Certainly not everyone will feel this way. The issues I found will likely mean nothing to a lot of readers and Grimm's story will shine through for them. I still hope to continue with the series and maybe I will figure everything out the next time around.

I have provided an honest review after having received a free copy of this book through the Bookfun Network and the author.

Guest Post on Go Teen Writers

Hey guys,

       Wanted to let you all know that today I am guest posting over at Go Teen Writers. The topic is on how to handle anxiety and depression. Please stop by and join in the discussion!


Rebekah



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Saffire- Sigmund Brouwer

My Rating: 3 Stars

Description: I reminded myself that once you start to defend someone, it's difficult to find a place to stop. But I went ahead and took that first step anyway.

For President Teddy Roosevelt, controlling the east-west passage between two oceans mattered so much that he orchestrated a revolution to control it. His command was to 'let the dirt fly' and for years, the American Zone of the Panama Canal mesmerized the world, working in uneasy co-existence with the Panamanian aristocrats.

It's in this buffered Zone where, in 1909, James Holt takes that first step to protect a mulatto girl named Saffire, expecting a short and simple search for her mother. Instead it draws him away from safety, into a land haunted by a history of pirates, gold runners, and plantation owners, all leaving behind ghosts of their interwoven desires sins and ambitions, ghosts that create the web of deceit and intrigue of a new generation of revolutionary politics. It will also bring him together with a woman who will change his course or bring an end to it.

A love story set within a historical mystery, Saffire is brings to vibrant life the most impressive and embattled engineering achievement of the twentieth-century"

My Thoughts: Saffire likely would have been more accurately titled Panama, since a good portion of the novel is scenes in which the POV character mulls over the ambition and ingenuity that went into the construction of the Panama Canal. The plot centers around the greed and political maneuvering which took place during that time, with the hero being drawn into it both for his own financial needs and concern for the young girl Saffire.

The story has its ups and downs, shifting between scenes of high intrigue to others that read more like a historical reflection. Police corruption and an encounter with the "alligator" kept the plot moving while Brouwer's extensive research painted a picture of the entire construction, from idea to partial completion.

The book is well written, with a setting history lovers will adore. Yet for those who are only mildly interested in history, Brouwer's research into the canal is far more a focus of the story than it is just a setting. As a historically focused novel, it was interesting, but the plot did little to draw me back into wanting to pick it up and read it.

I have provided an honest review after having received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Gratitude Giveaway HOP

Thanks to Bookhounds for hosting this HOP!


This year I have much to be thankful for. I graduated college and will hopefully soon start a new job. Now it's my turn to share with you! Enter below for a chance to win either an ARC of Saffire by Sigmund Brouwer or an ARC of Karolina's Twins by Ronald H. Balson.

Both tell the stories of those searching for someone lost, yet each is set in a different time period. Saffire takes place during the construction of the Panama Canal while Karolina's Twins is set during the Holocaust. As such, Karloina's Twins is a much darker tale, though both will leave you thankful for what you have in life. This giveaway is US only.

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