The Memory Weaver by Jane Kirkpatrick

★★★★★

Eliza Spalding Warren was just a child when she was taken hostage by the Cayuse Indians during a massacre in 1847. Now a mother of two, Eliza faces a new kind of dislocation; her impulsive husband wants to make a new start in another territory, which will mean leaving her beloved home and her mother's grave – and returning to the land of her captivity. 

Haunted by memories and hounded by struggle, Eliza longs to know how her mother dealt with the trauma of their ordeal. As she searches the pages of her mother's diary, Eliza is stunned to find that her own recollections tell only part of the story.

Based on true events, The Memory Weaver is New York Times bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick's latest literary journey into the past, where threads of western landscapes, family, and faith weave a tapestry of hope inside every pioneering woman's heart. Get swept up in this emotional story of the memories that entangle us and the healing that awaits us when we bravely unravel the threads of the past.

With each Jane Kirkpatrick novel I read, I appreciate more and more her ability to bring history to life with her stories. In The Memory Weaver, Kirkpatrick explores the life of Eliza Spalding Warren, after surviving as a hostage of local Native Americans. As she returns to her family and continues to grow up, she remains haunted and affected by the memories and begins to realize the power and effectiveness of her memory. This story, presented in a way that seems realistic and authentic, intrigued me from start to finish, and I would certainly recommend it for fans of historical fiction. I enjoyed it with its thought-provoking aspects and look forward to reading more from Jane Kirkpatrick in the future.

Thanks to Revell Reads, I received a copy of The Memory Weaver and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

Promises Kept by Scarlett Dunn

About the Book

★★★★✩

Lady of marriageable age with two young boys, in need of husband.
I am a good cook and hard worker.

Victoria Eastman grew up in a Texas saloon – an experience that made her tough, resourceful, and determined to forge a new life. So she places an ad in a gentleman’s newspaper… and soon finds herself a suitable arrangement on a farm in Promise, Wyoming. Only problem is that her would-be husband turns up dead the day she arrives.

Rancher Colt McBride is known for his true grit and business smarts. Yet when it comes to his new neighbor, Victoria, he’s stumped: Who is she, really? She’s lovely to look at, of course, and has proven herself a gentle soul. She’s even causing him to question his staunch bachelorhood. But any kind of future may be shattered when a stranger reveals a secret about Victoria’s past – one that could destroy them both. Unless, together, they can take a leap of faith – right into each other’s arms…

Scarlett Dunn’s Promises Kept, the first book in her McBride Brothers series, certainly offers a promising Wild West romance. Packed with action and adventure in addition to the undeniable attraction and romance, Dunn’s novel would not let me stop reading. Victoria Eastman travels across the country for a husband, as well as a stable home, but nothing seems to turn out as expected. With danger seeming to lurk at every turn, her prospects for home and family are complicated - especially with the handsome cowboy Colt McBride for a neighbor. Victoria plays an excellent female lead, strong and determined to provide for her boys even in the face of her many challenges, while Colt makes for a splendid male lead with his protective nature, kind heart and obvious strength. (And of course, surrounding these two is a colorful cast of likable and dislikable characters that always manage to keep the storyline interesting.) An entirely enjoyable read, Promises Kept would be a great choice for any interested reader of historical romance.

Thanks to Pump Up Your Book, I received a copy of Promises Kept and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

About the Author

Scarlett Dunn lives in Kentucky surrounded by all manner of wildlife, and enjoys long “God walks” where most inspiration strikes. Possessing an adventurous spirit, and a love of history, particularly the pioneers of the West, she has a special place in her heart for all cowboys, past and present. Readers can visit her website.

The Perfect Arrangement by Katie Ganshert

★★★★★

Meeting Nick was truly an accident – but Amelia finds that he’s one of the few people she can count on.

Amelia Woods is a small-town wallflower who inherited her grandmother’s flower shop. Despite her success in business, her love life has ground to a halt. And then her temptation to spy on her ex-boyfriend’s wedding leads her to a horrifying fender-bender – with Nick, the groomsman who happens to be her ex’s new brother-in-law.

Meanwhile, William, Amelia’s younger brother, has proposed to his girlfriend. Amelia would be excited except she has evidence that the fiancée is not who she says she is. How can she be supportive and yet be the protective big sister too? It seems Nick is the only one available for any advice-giving, and he’s pretty good at it – and pretty fun to talk to. Amelia and Nick continue online conversations about everything, but always lingering in Amelia’s mind is the fear that he’ll realize who she is and what she was doing at the church that day of the accident.

As Amelia works to craft the perfect flower arrangements for other people – including a ninety-year-old “fairy godmother” named George – she begins to wonder if real love is better than the dream. And if it is, will Nick still be interested when he learns who she is?

As expected, Katie Ganshert delivers a delightful bit of romance in “The Perfect Arrangement,” a novella full of flowers, classic movie references and charming email banter. When Amelia literally runs into Nick (with her car, by accident), their chance meeting begins an unexpected but very fun exchange of emails. Naturally, their friendship doesn’t develop without its fair share of complications, but I really enjoyed getting to know Amelia, with her shy quirks and love of arranging flowers in her small Wisconsin town, as she determined whether a chance at love was worth the risk. All in all, “The Perfect Arrangement” easily makes another lovely addition to A Year of Weddings that won’t leave fans of the collection disappointed. I loved it and would definitely recommend.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers, I received a copy of “The Perfect Arrangement” 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.”)

About the Author

Katie Ganshert graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison with a degree in education, and worked as a fifth grade teacher for several years before staying home to write full-time. She was born and raised in the Midwest, where she lives with her husband, their young son, and their goofy black lab, Bubba. When she’s not busy writing or playing or reading or snuggling, she is obsessing over the paperwork and the waiting that comes with adoption. Visit her website.

Waiting on Wednesday: A Respectable Actress

Hosted weekly by Breaking the Spine 
to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.

Title: A Respectable Actress

Author: Dorothy Love

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Expected Publication Date: October 2015

When the illustrious India Hartley is accused of murder, she has to uncover the deceptions of others to save herself.

India Hartley, the famous and beautiful actress, is now alone in the world after her father’s death and embarks upon a tour of theaters across the South. Her first stop is Savannah’s Southern Palace. On the eve of the second night’s performance, something goes horribly wrong. Her co-star, Arthur Sterling, is shot dead on stage in front of a packed house, and India is arrested and accused of the crime.

A benefactor hires Philip Sinclair, the best – and handsomest – lawyer in Savannah to defend India. A widower, Philip is struggling to reinvent his worn-out plantation on St. Simons Island. He needs to increase his income from his law practice in order to restore Indigo Point, and hardly anything will bring him more new clients than successfully defending a famous actress on a murder charge.

Because India can’t go anywhere in town without being mobbed, Philip persuades the judge handling her case to let him take her to Indigo Point until her trial date. India is charmed by the beauty of the Georgia low country and is increasingly drawn to Philip. But a locked room that appears to be a shrine to Philip’s dead wife and the unsolved disappearance of a former slave girl raise troubling questions. Piecing together clues in an abandoned boat and a burned-out chapel, India discovers a trail of dark secrets that lead back to Philip, secrets that ultimately may hold the key to her freedom. If only he will believe her.

A Reluctant Bride by Kathleen Fuller

★★★★★

When tragedy strikes an independent Amish woman, she must accept a marriage proposal from the man she vowed never to marry.

As the oldest daughter in an Amish family, Sadie's life was mapped out since the day she was born. She would join the church, marry an Amish man, and eventually she and her husband would take over her family's store. But when her parents unexpectedly die in a buggy accident, her life goes into a tailspin. Determined to keep her parents' legacy alive, Sadie works harder than ever to provide for herself and her younger sisters.

However, the bishop is unwilling to let a young woman manage the property and business all on her own. He gives Sadie two choices: marry his son, Aden, or relinquish the business and land to the community. Not willing to give up on her dream, she weds Aden, resigning herself to a loveless marriage.

But while working with Aden at the store, Sadie realizes he isn't the same boy who had betrayed her in the past. In fact, she begins to look forward to the time they spend together, getting to know the man with a kind heart and gentle smile. Just when Sadie starts to let her guard down and perhaps develop feelings for her new husband, several dangerous secrets are revealed. Now everything Sadie has worked so hard to protect is threatened, and she must find a way to save her family – and herself.

Kathleen Fuller’s A Reluctant Bride is a novel full of heartbreaking circumstances, well-kept secrets and unwanted proposals. When tragedy strikes her family, Sadie Schrock, who never wanted to marry, has no choice but to enter into a loveless marriage agreement with a man she despises, Aden Troyer. These two serious-minded characters, both burdened by their pasts, only being to adjust to their convenient marriage, when they uncover secret after secret hidden within their growing Amish community. While their story is a bit predictable in terms of outcome and romance, it still kept me intrigued with premise and character development, and I really enjoyed following along as Sadie and Aden become better acquainted. Fans of Amish fiction will not be disappointed with A Reluctant Bride - I would recommend it.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers, I received a copy of A Reluctant Bride 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.”)