Dancing With Fireflies by Denise Hunter

★★★★★
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Jade returns home to Chapel Springs after years of protecting her fragile heart. Then along comes Daniel, making her long to dance again.

Creative and complicated, Jade McKinley felt like a weed in a rose garden growing up in Chapel Springs. When she left, she thought she’d never look back. But now, pregnant, alone, and broke, she has no other choice but to return.

The mayor of Chapel Springs, Daniel Dawson, has been an honorary member of the McKinley family for years. While his own home life was almost non-existent, Daniel fit right into the boisterous McKinley family. He’s loved Jade for years, but she always saw him as a big brother. Now that she’s back, his feelings are stronger than ever.

As Jade attempts to settle in, nothing feels right. God seems far away, she’s hiding secrets from her family, and she’s strangely attracted to the man who’s always called her “squirt." Finding her way home may prove more difficult than she imagined.

After reading Denise Hunter’s “A December Bride,” I couldn’t resist the opportunity to return to Chapel Springs in Dancing With Fireflies, hoping for just as much heartwarming romance. Page by page, I fell in love with the characters of Jade and Daniel, hopefully anxious for their happily-ever-after. But their journey is by no means as simple as “heartwarming.” In her novel, Hunter addresses several emotionally wrenching and challenging situations, and my heart broke again and again for these characters. I simply could not put this book down until I knew how it ended. Though it is the second novel in the Chapel Springs series and some of the characters’ backstory (I’m assuming) is found in Barefoot Summer, I found the plot of this novel understandable on its own – I would not have a problem recommending this novel to anyone with an interest in inspirational romance. And once again, I thank BookLook Bloggers for providing me with a free copy of this book and the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

A December Bride by Denise Hunter

★★★★★
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What started as a whim turned into an accidental – and very public – engagement. Can Layla and Seth keep up the façade in Chapel Springs this holiday season – for the sake of her career… and his heart?

Under normal circumstances, Seth Murphy – the best friend of Layla O’Reilly’s ex-fiancé – would be the last person she’d marry. But the news of their upcoming (and phony) nuptials convinces a big client that Layla may be high-society enough to work for his agency – a coup that would put her fledgling home-staging business on the map. Seth has secretly loved Layla for years, even when she was dating his best friend. Maybe she’ll never forgive him for the way he hurt her back then, but he has to try. And Layla is willing to keep up their engagement farce until she’s landed her client. For Layla, it’s the chance to save her career. But for Seth, it’s his last chance to win her heart.

As the first installment of A Year of Weddings, Denise Hunter’s “A December Bride” starts the series off right. A story beginning with an engagement of convenience and ending with a happily ever after always delights me and I couldn’t stop reading until I reached the end. A quick and easy holiday read, this novella still offers intricate characters and situations that compelled me to continue reading. Like with other novellas in this collection, “A December Bride” can be read on its own or out of collection order, and again, I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in inspirational romance, looking for a quick afternoon read. As usual, I thank BookLook Bloggers (formerly BookSneeze) for providing me with a free copy of this book and the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

Echoes of Mercy by Kim Vogel Sawyer

★★★★★
Find chapter one of Echoes of Mercy here.
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Sometimes a secret must be kept for the truth to be revealed. 
 
When a suspicious accident occurs at the famous Dinsmore Chocolate Factory in Sinclair, Kansas, Caroline Lang goes undercover as a factory worker to investigate the circumstances surrounding the event and how the factory treats its youngest employees – the child workers. Caroline’s fervent faith, her difficult childhood, and compassionate heart drove her to her job as an investigator for the Labor Commission and she is compelled to see children freed from such heavy adult responsibilities, to allow them to pursue an education. 

Oliver Dinsmore, heir to the Dinsmore candy dynasty, has his own investigation to conduct. Posing as a common worker known as “Ollie Moore,” he aims to find out all he can about the family business before he takes over for his father. Caroline and Oliver become fast friends, but tension mounts when the two find themselves at odds about the roles of child workers. Hiding their identities becomes even more difficult when fate brings them together over three children in desperate need. When all is revealed, will the truth destroy the love starting to grow between them?

As my first Kim Vogel Sawyer novel, Echoes of Mercy left me thoroughly impressed. Not only did the setting of turn-of-the-century factory life keep me enthralled, but the characters felt engaging and authentic. I especially enjoyed the unexpected variety in character perspectives Sawyer uses. So often authors simply focus on the two romantic interests to tell the story, but Sawyer allows more characters to contribute to the telling of the story. I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone with an interest in historical inspirational romance. I am very grateful I received a copy of this novel from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group, with the opportunity to read and honestly review it.

Like Moonlight at Low Tide: Sometimes the Current Is the Only Thing That Saves You by Nicole Quigley

★★★★★
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When high school junior Melissa Keiser returns to her hometown of Anna Maria Island, Florida, she has one goal: hide from the bullies who had convinced her she was the ugliest girl in school. But when she is caught sneaking into a neighbor's pool at night, everything changes. Something is different now that Melissa is sixteen, and the guys and popular girls who once made her life miserable have taken notice. When Melissa gets the chance to escape life in a house ruled by her mom's latest boyfriend, she must choose where her loyalties lie between a long-time crush, a new friend, and her surfer brother who makes it impossible to forget her roots. Just as Melissa seems to achieve everything she ever wanted, she loses a loved one to suicide. Melissa must not only grieve for her loss, she must find the truth about the three boys who loved her and discover that joy sometimes comes from the most unexpected place of all.

I thoroughly enjoyed Nicole Quigley’s first novel, Like Moonlight at Low Tide. As a story geared toward young adults, it provided a welcome change of pace from all the inspirational romance I have been reading lately. (Of course, I very much enjoy inspirational romance, but every now and then, something a bit different is great.) Quigley creates a genuine and enthralling set of characters that captured my imagination, exploring themes of bullying, peer pressure, tragic loss and redemption. As Missy struggles to better her life, my heart, at times, broke and at others, soared, as I felt the emotions with her. I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone with an interest in inspirational young adult fiction. As usual, I thank BookSneeze for providing me with a free copy of this book and the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

A February Bride by Betsy St. Amant

★★★★★
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Allie left the love of her life at the altar – to save him from a lifetime of heartbreak. When a Valentine’s Day wedding brings them back together, she struggles against her family’s destructive history. Can Allie ever realize that a marriage is so much more than a wedding dress?

History repeats itself when Allie Andrews escapes the church on her wedding day – in the same dress passed down for generations and worn by all the women in her family – women with a long history of failed marriages. Allie loves Marcus, but fears she’s destined to repeat her family’s mistakes. She can’t bear to hurt Marcus worse. Marcus Hall never stopped loving Allie and can only think of one reason she left him at the altar – him. When the two are thrown together for his sister’s Valentine’s Day wedding, he discovers the truth and realizes their story might be far from over. Can Allie shuck expectation and discover who she is as a bride and in the Bride of Christ? And if she ever walks down the aisle, what dress will she wear?

As the third installment of A Year of Weddings, Betsy St. Amant’s charming “A February Bride” is another delightful afternoon read. Fast-paced due to its novella format, this story kept me wondering how the couple would return to the altar. With a sweet and sentimental conclusion, I couldn’t help but shed a couple tears. As with “A January Bride,” this novella can be read on its own, and again, I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in inspirational romance and another free afternoon. I greatly appreciate Booksneeze for providing me with this free copy and the opportunity to write an honest review.

A January Bride by Deborah Raney

★★★★★
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What will happen when novelist Madeleine Houser’s “pen pal” friendship with a lonely widower takes an unexpected turn?

Who can work in a house that's overrun by contractors and carpenters? Not Madeleine Houser, a successful novelist who gladly accepts the help of her octogenarian friend, Ginny, to arrange for a temporary office in the charming bed and breakfast owned by Ginny's friend, Arthur. Maddie's never met the innkeeper – but a friendship grows between them as Maddie and Arthur leave messages for each other each day. To Maddie's alternate delight and chagrin, she seems to be falling for the inn's owner – a man who's likely many years her senior – and who she's never even met.

The second novella in Zondervan’s A Year of Weddings – a collection of wedding-based novellas by best-selling inspirational romance novelists – “A January Bride,” by Deborah Raney, is an enjoyable and light read. By no means is the plot a surprise (with the giveaways in both the title and the collection’s premise), but the story does have its quirks. The character interaction and misconceptions are delightful and I thoroughly enjoyed my chance to read this novella. Though it’s part of a collection, it can definitely be read without the other novellas, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone with an interest in inspirational romance and a free afternoon. Again, I greatly appreciate BookSneeze for providing me with this free copy and the opportunity to review it honestly.