THE CHISHOLM TRAIL BRIDE

Barbour Publishing 03/15/2020 

- 4 stars – recommended

•°o•:*:•.Very Enjoyable Book.•:*:• o°•

The synopsis of this book is very inaccurate. Despite that, I really enjoyed the story. Wyatt Creed is not a Pinkerton man.  He is 14 and on a  cattle drive with his friend, 12-year-old Eliza Jane Gentry and her father (the boss) and a brat of a boy named Benjamin Barnhart.  Things with Wyatt’s angry drunk of a father get out of hand, and the 2 boys end up in an altercation that changes their lives forever.  Eliza grows up thinking that Wyatt was killed that night on the cattle drive and years later thinks she is falling for Ben whose political ambitions have him doing whatever it takes to succeed. Eliza is stubborn, just like her dad and they butt heads often.  Eventually, she learns a whole lot of truth, but not before getting into a whole lot of trouble. Wyatt has made a new life for himself as a well-respected detective with his own agency, but he’s never forgotten the little girl who was his dear friend.

“Hurrying inside, she took a seat in the back pew and listened to a sermon based on 1 John 3 about living as God’s children. She left feeling not only uplifted, but also secure in the knowledge that her current troubles had not escaped the Lord’s notice.”

“Tea would be lovely. Earl Grey if you have it.”

I received an eCopy from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review with no further compensation or expectation.

So far in this series, twelve books have been written by varied authors so they loosely reference each other’s characters in the family tree, and therefore need not be read together or in order. You can read about them at DaughtersOfTheMayflowerDotCom.

PUBLISHER’S SYNOPSIS – HOWEVER, WHOEVER WROTE IT CLEARLY DID NOT READ THE BOOK:

Stubborn Hearts Clash on a Cattle Drive
Eliza Gentry’s pursuit of marriage to the son of her family’s sworn enemy has cost her greatly. Furious at his daughter’s choices, her father sends her off with the cattle drive heading toward Fort Worth and the Barnhart ranch, but under the watchful eye of Wyatt Creed, a Pinkerton man he has hired to see to her safety. With danger at every turn—not the least of which to his heart—can Wyatt Creed keep his focus with Eliza Gentry around? Is the Chisholm Trail a place for falling in love or a place to die at the hands of cattle thieves?

GIVEAWAY TEA and CHOCOLATE plus a review of The Blizzard Bride

I happened upon a lovely giveaway
on an IG account I follow & thought
some of you might be interested too.

Available 02/01/2020
CLICK HERE for Amazon Link

PUBLISHER’S SYNOPSIS:
A Blizzard Changes Everything

Abigail Bracey arrives in Nebraska in January 1888 to teach school…and to execute a task for the government: to identify a student as the hidden son of a murderous counterfeiter—the man who killed her father.

Agent Dashiell Lassiter doesn’t want his childhood sweetheart Abby on this dangerous job, especially when he learns the counterfeiter is now searching for his son, too, and he’ll destroy anyone in his way. Now Dash must follow Abby to Nebraska to protect her…if she’ll let him within two feet of her. She’s still angry he didn’t fight to marry her six years ago, and he never told her the real reason he left her.

All Dash wants is to protect Abby, but when a horrifying blizzard sweeps over them, can Abby and Dash set aside the pain from their pasts and work together to catch a counterfeiter and protect his son—if they survive the storm?

•°o•:*:•.Really Enjoyed Entire Book.•:*:• o°•

This was a pleasant read for me.  Late 1800s – Abigail and Dashiell (great name!) are forced to work together, undercover, to catch a counterfeiter. They haven’t seen each other in years; not since they were about to get engaged, but they harbor a variety of feelings for each other that only time and the good Lord can help them work through. I appreciated the mystery aspect of the story as well as the gentle working of the Lord to help them with forgiveness and trust, particularly Abby. Dash struggles with “word blindness” aka dyslexia, of which very little was known back then.  He’s really hard on himself and lacks confidence. But, he is a strong hero in so many ways and others are able to help him recognize that as the story progresses. Mr. Yates was a very special character.  His side story was exactly what I hoped it would be and knowing where he ended up was a tender moment for me.  I also quite liked the school children and their, er, um, friend Stripey (smile).

The historical notes about the actual blizzard (The Children’s Blizzard or The Schoolchildren’s Blizzard) were both tragic and interesting, particularly the way the storm hit; one moment a nice warm day, and suddenly snow and ice whipping at them and covering everything without warning as referenced in the story. Living in California, I have never experienced the likes of that!

Quotes I enjoyed: *“Say your prayers, men, and keep your wits about you.”

**Hildie poured some of the hot water into her floral teapot before dumping the remaining contents into a pitcher. ***Hildie had a teacup read for her. “Something to invigorate the body and warm our hands.” ****These women had no idea how much their friendship meant to her. God knew, though.

5 stars - recommended!

I received an eCopy from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review with no further compensation or expectation.

So far in this series, twelve books have been written by varied authors so they loosely reference each other’s characters in the family tree, and therefore need not be read together or in order. You can read about them at DaughtersOfTheMayflowerDotCom.

Barbour Publishing 02/01/2020

Connect with the author at: http://www.susannedietze.com/

Until Next Time,
Hugs and a Cup of Tea!

THE REBEL BRIDE

Amazon Link

Link to Pinhurst Pottery
During the Civil War, the confederate
soldiers had to melt down their tin
cups in order to make bullets. The
potters of North Carolina made them
pottery “cups” they could use-
a style that was large enough to
double as a bowl for stew as well as
a coffee mug. Signed with God Bless You.
All Nichols Pottery is hand made and signed.

Lydia ushered her to the kitchen and made her sit, then pressed a cup of something warm into her hands. “Drink this,” she whispered.

Hands shaking, Pearl could hardly lift the cup. She tasted mint and- was that whiskey?...

“I’ve never seen you so upset…” “I just shot a man,” she snapped. “Two, actually.”

After another gulp of her tea, she folded an arm on the tabletop, lay her head upon it, and let the tears come.

The Rebel Bride – Book #10 Daughters of the Mayflower Series by Shannon McNear

•°o•:*:•.Rich, Close-up View of Civil War Era Characters.•:*:• o°•

I found this 1863 historical, faith-filled romance interesting, but for me the topic is a bit heavy.  War is hard. These people did their best to get through it and deal with the matters at hand.  The Civil War was especially hard on our country as family members choose sides or multiple sons did not return.  The lack of medical training and supplies that left men broken – so much to think about here. But, Pearl does her best to do as she is told and house wounded Yankee soldiers in her Rebel home.  With the help of her father, she learns to see the men as humans and not just the enemy.  Likewise, I appreciated how Josh was able to learn the same lesson as Pearl showed him and the others hospitality in nursing, feeding, and caring for them even though they were prisoners forced on her by the military (as were many in the surrounding farm homes). I think my view of the cause of the war has changed.  I thought it was primarily about slavery, but this book gave me a better understanding that it was about the Northern States wanting to be united (Unionists), believing that’s what the forefathers intended and what was best for our country, while the Southern States wanted Secession (Secessionists) – governing themselves freely and that slavery was only a small part of the issue. I learned several tidbits from the beginning and the back of the book.  For example, I always assumed Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, was black, not white. The Fifteenth Wisconsin was mostly comprised of Norwegian immigrants, plus some Swedish, Danish and Dutch who were full of pride to fight for their new homeland. The character Berndt Thorsson is a tribute to those men. Both sides used flags and torches to signal each other across battle lines, which was a system created by Albert J. Myer – an assistant surgeon who later became the first Chief Signal Officer.

Quote I enjoyed: “If we have not the comfort of knowing our Savior, Pearl, and doing our best each day to serve and follow Him, what do we have? Are not all equally lost, whether North or South, white or black, without knowledge of Him? We must seek to know God, and Him only. ‘I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.’”

I believe the author has treated the topic with respect and passion.  I would recommend this book as a solid read for those enjoying historical, Christian fiction with a touch of romance.  The Civil War details are not the forefront of the story, but rather the backdrop as we get to know the characters and the challenges they are dealing with.

I received an eCopy from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review with no further compensation or expectation.

So far in this series, twelve books have been written by varied authors so they loosely reference each other’s characters in the family tree, and therefore need not be read together or in order. You can read about them at DaughtersOfTheMayflowerDotCom.

Barbour Publishing 12/2019

4 stars

Until next time, hugs and a "cups" of tea!

Link to Product

The Express Bride-5 Stars-Daughters-of-the-Mayflower-Series

•°o•:*:•. VERY HAPPY .•:*:• o°•

After not enjoying the last book in the series, I was so very pleasantly surprised at how much I did enjoy book no.9 in the “Daughters of the Mayflower”: series.  Once I found out it centered around the Pony Express, I decided to accept the invitation to read it.

Some fun facts from the book: Now called the Pony Express, it was the Central Overland California and Pikes Peak Express Company (COC&PP). It operated from 04/03/1860 until 10/24/1861 when the telegraph took over.  It went from St. Joseph, MO to Sacramento, CA in 10 days.

The story involves one mystery surrounding forged treasury notes and another involving a missing heiress. There are quite a bit of godly men sharing their faith, and our heroine seeking God as well that I enjoyed.

**Kansas City, MO**

Elijah Johnson is entrusted by his friend and business partner, Charles Vines, to find his long lost daughter before he departs from this world.  But, she’s been gone for 26 years!  It will take a lot of fortitude and brains to ferret out any clues that old; plus some guidance from the good Lord.

**Utah Territory, forty miles from Virginia City**

Meanwhile, in Carson Sink, Jacqueline Rivers has taken over her father’s station following his recent passing.  She is manager, hostess, cook, boss, big sister and surrogate mom to “her boys” who ride for and deliver the mail for the COC&PP. 

“Every time she watched a rider head out, she prayed until he was out of sight.  The number of riders and horses it took to cross the two-thousand-mile trail was extravagant.  But to get the news in a week rather than a month or more was huge.  It never ceased to amaze her, so every day she found herself praying for these young men who sacrificed so much.”

“Jack” is coming to grips with her loss and new duties when two men show up on the stagecoach seeking her help with two entirely different problems.

Michael, her adopted brother, was a fun character.  I appreciated his youth and humor.

Tea References:

“As she looked down at her cup of tea, the image of her mother, so dreamlike and beautiful, still hovered at the edges of her mind. If only she could keep it there and remember more.”

“But being the doting father he was, he usually gave in and ordered her something pretty.  She’d never forget the first time she asked him to buy a china tea set. His face had been almost comical.”

Cautionary Note: This book does contain some violence, including wife beating (not in grave detail) and also cold-blooded killing/shooting.

Extra tidbits about the P.E. are listed after the story, including the fact that it was a “huge financial flop”!  I also like the Express riders oath shared within the story.

I loved the final sentence which made me laugh out loud.

I was approached by Barbour Publishing and asked to review an eVersion of this book without fee, expectation or compensation.  My opinion is my own and offered freely.  Please read other reviews for a well-rounded purchasing decision.

© July 1, 2019, Barbour Publishing 5 stars

The Golden Bride Daughters of The Mayflower 8

•°o•:*:•. COULD NOT FINISH .•:*:• o°•

When a book becomes too monotonous and no longer enjoyable, I have to admit defeat and lay it aside over forcing myself to plod through it.  I normally finish a novel in 1-2 days, but with this, I keep looking for excuses to lay it aside and do something else.

The story feels forced and the subject matter is depressing. 1849 Gold rush period of California territory set in San Francisco when it is still primarily a tent city and debauchery reigns supreme.  A yet unnamed villain (I have completed 41% of the book at this point) wants to appear good and decent, but is secretly vying for power and money and now kidnapping legal, Chinese immigrants for slave labor. "The fortune to be made was in gambling, liquor, and women."

Our heroes are a sister and brother (Olivia and Daniel) and rich, recently come-to-Jesus gold mine owner (friend of the brother), Joseph Sawyer, who all want to see the town grow and succeed and direct the people towards God.  The young sister has made some bad choices and chapter after chapter laments those choices and cannot forgive herself.  While I appreciate the continued Christian theme, it seems forced rather than natural.  Also, I noted that while reading her relative's journal from the 1700s the entries were quoted in today's modern English.  I found that frustrating.

Of practical note, I highlighted: "the woman studied God's Word on her own and wrote down her thoughts and life applications in the journal."  Good advice for any of us.

A quote I liked written by her mother about the women in her ancestry: "My sweet Olivia, it's important to remember the hardships of those who have gone before us and to see how they persevered and survived."

I was approached by Barbour Publishing and asked to review an eVersion of this book without fee, expectation or compensation.  My opinion is my own and offered freely.  Please read other reviews for a well-rounded purchasing decision.

© April 1, 2019, Barbour Publishing, 3 stars – writing is not horrible, simply not my cup of tea.

F. Earl Christy, 1909

 I saw this on FB and thought it was funny :)