Where the Road Bends

Author: Rachel Fordham

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: June 7, 2022

Where the Road Bends is a perfect blend of romance, twists, and a journey of hope.

Norah King has one goal, to save her family’s land. It’s 1880 in Iowa and the land is all she has left. To save the land, she might have to marry a man she doesn’t love or know very well. Right before she is to be married, she finds a man injured on her property and tries to help him. This one act is enough to endanger the life she has worked for and change her future, maybe for the better.

Have you ever read a book where the characters win your heart from the very first chapter? This book did that for me, Norah was able to pull at my heartstrings and had me rooting for her to find the love her heart wanted. Noah and Quincy had the perfect witty banter to keep a smile on my face while turning the pages. This was a straightforward historical romance with not much mystery or anything else to it. Fans of this genre will not want to pass this one up.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Apostle’s Sister

Author: Angela Hunt

Publisher: Bethany Hosue

Release Date: June 1, 2022

Hunt always amazes with her Biblical fiction!

Aya has enjoyed her life as a merchant’s daughter in Tarsus. Her Jewish family is well respected among both Jews and gentiles. She has enjoyed her life of singing and learning the Torah scrolls with her brother Sha’ul before he moved to Jerusalem to become a temple scholar. But all that changes when her father decides to have her betrothed to another scholar. She and her brother have both of their weddings in the same week and soon she moves to Jerusalem as well. There she hears of the workings of a man named Yeshua, but believes like her brother that he must be stopped. After Yeshua is executed, her brother seeks out his followers to shut down the sect known as The Way, but on the way to Damascus, he has an encounter that changes his life forever. Aya cannot believe that her brother has been converted and doesn’t know who to respond when he sends her letters. Soon after her husband and parents die and she feels completely abandoned, but there is only one who can save her.

This is biblical fiction at its best. It’s very subjective as Paul’s sister and son are mentioned by reference only in the bible, but it is a great work to craft a story as seen through the eyes of his sister. Hunt placed many of Paul’s well-known stories throughout the book and gave some backstory on his time in Tarsus as well so that readers can understand how he was born a Roman citizen. Great job with the history of that era as well as incorporating common characters. One of the top reads of the year!

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Falling for the Cowgirl

Author: Jody Hedlund

Series: Colorado Cowboys #4

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: October 11, 2022

The fourth book in the Colorado Cowboys series will take readers on a fun journey with great characters!

Ivy McQuaid has lived her life in a family full of boys with four older brothers. While living on their ranch, she wants to have her own family and a home of her own. The land she wants to buy with the money saved is in danger when an old love resurfaces in her life. Jericho Bliss has been gone for two years searching for war criminals and doesn’t want to get anyone else involved in his dangerous life. But the heart wants what it wants and right now his wants Ivy! No matter how hard he tries to avoid his attraction to Ivy, she is hard to resist. When Ivy is in danger Jericho, must decide what he is willing to do for love.

For fans of historical romance, this will be a fun and fast read. Ivy McQuaid makes for a great female lead that made the story fly and kept me engaged as a reader. This is the fourth in the series and fans of the series will enjoy this new edition and the love angle is swoon worthy. I loved the way Jericho did all he could to keep everyone safe and yet love won his heart over but also put in jeopardy all he cares for. Love is a powerful thing and can keep a story moving. This story was moved by the love within the pages. Each chapter had great tension and really moved the story forward with the way I cared for the characters and what they were going through. I recommend this book and series to fans of historical romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Worthy of Legend

Author: Roseanna M. White

Series: The Secrets of the Isles #3

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: September 13, 2022

Another historical romance with a great ending to a fun series.

Emily Scofield and her friends have spent the summer searching for pirate treasure and now must hide their treasures. Emily’s brother wants to impress their father and will go to any means necessary to do it, even taking his sisters treasure for his own. Bram Sinclair loves stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. This love takes on a whole new meaning when a diary is found that could lead to a secret area with special artifacts relating to King Arthur. Bram and Emily work together to find this new treasure and keep it away from her family.

Roseanna White has finished this series with the best book yet. This is a series that needs to have all books in the series read to fully enjoy the story. I loved the premise of this story and the characters had excellent chemistry to make the story fly. Usually, historical romance aren’t as quick of a read for me but this one flew by and I couldn’t wait to see how the treasure hunt would end. Of the three books in the series. this one read the quickest and had the best storyline. The way this story is written with multiple viewpoints gives the readers so much more to the story and makes it more enjoyable for readers. I would recommend this story to anyone that loves historical romance and add to that a fun treasure hunt mystery.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Under the Starry Skies

Author: Tracie Peterson

Series: Love on the Santa Fe #3

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: October 4, 2022

Great conclusion to the Santa Fe love series!

Cassie Barton lives alone in the bustling town of San Marcial, New Mexico after her father was killed in a train derailment accident suspected to the be work of Pancho Villa and his gang. Her sister left years ago after their mother died and has since become married and lives in Denver. Now over 30, Cassie feels that she may never marry and has settled into work as a seamstress until she is knocked down by a group of young railway works and breaks her hand. Her longtime friend, Brandon DuBarko, arranges for his workers to pay her wages while she is out of commission, but she hopes that maybe he has more in mind than just helping her out.

Brandon DuBarko is one of the most respected railway foremen in the Santa Fe’s employment, but he has a past that he has been trying to forget for years. When his friend Cassie is hurt, he plans to help her get back on her feet and begins to enjoy time with her as he did with her dad for years. What he never counted on were the feelings that he would develop for her. Can she love him if she discovers his past?

For the final story of Love on the Santa Fe, readers meet the likely couple of Cassie and Brandon. I say likely, because they have known each other for several years through Cassie’s father, but never really had a quality connection until he was gone. The romance never really felt forced, just more like it was expected to happen, which it eventually did. There are a couple of common characters between books with the Pastor and his wife, but I really wish that the main characters between the books would have made random appearances to pull the series together a little more. All that said, this also makes it very easy to have three standalone novels with no connection other than the Santa Fe railway through New Mexico. Fans of Peterson will continue to enjoy her writing.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Enchanting the Heiress

Author: Kristi Ann Hunter

Series: Hearts of the Hearth #3

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: March 1, 2022

Another historical romance from Kristi Ann Hunter that is sure to entertain and bring enjoyment to readers.

Harriet Hancock uses her status as an heiress to help others in Newmarket. This is not something she flaunts, instead she tries to go about anonymously and keeps her distance to protect a deep held secret. After a friend asks for her help on a personal project, Harriet has reservations but can’t help but want to be there for her friend. Harriet enlists the help of Jonas Fitzroy, a stable hand that only agrees to help to keep his twin sister safe. The more they work together, the closer Harriet and Jonas become, and it is hard to resist the attraction between them, but they both wonder if it is enough to risk their hearts for what might happen?

A lot of historical romances are the same but this one had a different vibe to it and I enjoyed that. The characters were not what I expected, but in the best way. Jonas was not the typical male protagonist of a story like this, he doesn’t want much, he isn’t trying to form a relationship, he just wants to keep his sister safe and is willing to do what he needs to make sure that happens. The romance here flowed freely and went with the pace of the story very well. I think the one thing that bothered me about this story was the slow start, once it was going it wasn’t bad at all, but the start was a bit slow for my liking. This is the kind of story that fans of Hunter, and historical romance novels will not want to miss out on.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

In Honor’s Defense

Author: Karen Witemeyer

Series: Hanger’s Horsemen #3

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: June 7, 2022

A fun and whimsical historical romance that fans of the genre will greatly enjoy.

Luke Davenport thought the hardest thing he would ever have to live through was his time on the battlefield. He’s fought for those around him unable to fight for themselves and now he is the only one of his Horsemen brothers left to battle his demons within. Fighting and protecting others is in his blood; when a job comes up for him to track down bandits, he knows it is perfect for him. Damaris Baxter has moved to Texas to care for her nephew, Nathaniel, after her brother passes away. Having a family was never something she wanted until it was thrust upon her, now she craves to provide support and stability to Nathaniel. When Luke tries to help Nate and grows fond of Damaris, he also finds a family he never knew he needed and wants desperately to keep.

Karen Witemeyer tackled some very tough topics with this book but did so in a way that readers won’t be turned away be the hard issues. That is a hard task for any author to attempt, let alone do well, but this is a case of an author that knows what she is doing. The Characters of Luke and Damaris lead us through the story with grace and ease, readers will feel for the characters and be drawn into the story with all they are having to deal with. This is the third in the series and the continuation of characters and their stories makes for a great read. Historical fiction can sometimes be a slow read for me, but I felt like this story went quickly and kept my attention throughout. I would recommend reading this series in order to get the most out of it. Readers that enjoy historical romance will surely want to add this to their collection.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

To Tame a Cowboy

Author: Jody Hedlund

Series: Colorado Cowboys #3

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: May 3, 2022

An old west romance that shows how healing the heart can help in more ways than one.

Brody McQuaid may have survived the war, but he is not the same man as before he left, something inside of him died. He spends his days trying to save wild horses and time with his niece. The horses are being killed off by ranchers angry that the horses are feeding on the open grass and taking the land and food away from their cattle. Veterinarian Savannah Marshall ends up working with Brody to try and save the horses after running away from the man her father had chosen for her to marry. Now they both have the trouble of the ranchers and Savannah’s family coming after them.

When reading a historical romance, especially a western historical romance, you go in with a certain expectation as a reader. I am not usually entertained as much with these types of books but did find this one enjoyable. I don’t know if it was the horse aspect or what, but I did enjoy the story. This is the third in a series and I had not read the others but felt that this was still enjoyable on its own. Brody and Savannah had a great chemistry and even with all they were both dealing with they were able to work together and moved the story along at a great pace. If you enjoy western romantic suspense this will be a great one to add to your collection.

The Element of Love

Author: Mary Connealy

Series: Lumber Barons Daughters #1

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: March 1, 2022

New historical, western series will be a fit for genre lovers.

Laura Stiles and her two sisters have learned to handle their mother’s new husband without much of a problem until they learn he is planning to marry them off to his friends. Their father had a lumber dynasty that is supposed to be theirs, but now they must run away to find their own man to marry and be able to have legal claim to what their father left them. In their rush to get away, Laura brings her and her sisters into a mission group heading to California. They find themselves a perfect fit for the group with a skillset needed to help. The mission parson, Caleb has secrets in his past that he does not want to come to light, but he could be just the person to help Laura get her inheritance.

Let me start this review by saying this book is written for a specific audience, if you are not that specific audience you will not enjoy reading this. There are some books you can pick up and even if it is not what you would normally read you can still enjoy reading the story. Not here, I am not normally a fan of historical romance, but I grabbed this one for a quick read, it was quick but not very engaging. Lots of characters with not much development over the course of the 300 pages, especially when it came to our hero/heroine in the story. The plot was nothing deep that required special attention; something simple to breeze through pretty much sums up what this story was. Again, if the historical, western romance is your genre this will probably be one you love, if not maybe move on to something else.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Where the Crawdads Sing

Author: Delia Owens

Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group

Release Date: March 30, 2021

A fantastic debut novel that has me kicking myself for not picking it up and reading it sooner! Storytelling at its very best!

In the mid-1900s, a young girl is abandoned by everyone in her family and left to fend for herself in the Marshes of Barkley Cover in North Carolina. Kya Clark watched her mother walk away followed by her siblings and finally her drunken father. She keeps to herself and finds ways to make enough money to survive and avoid the authorities looking to get her in school. She is referred to as the “Marsh Girl” by everyone in town and does her best to avoid everyone she can until she meets a boy who captures her heart. Tate helps Kya feel like she is not such an outcast and they grow close until he leaves for college and she is once again alone. She also grows close to Chase Andrews until he betrays her. When Chase is found dead, Kya is immediately the first suspect. Kya has always been different but is she a murderer?

This book is many different things: it is intense, it is fun, it is intriguing and stunning as a debut novel. I’ve seen a few different reviews get nitpicky about certain aspects of the novel dealing with setting and some of the dialect but honestly that will not be a problem for most readers. I picked this up on a whim after hearing many people talk about it and zipped through it in two days. I was immediately drawn into the story and the way the characters were written. There is so much depth to Kya and growth as a character, this story works because of her. Following her through every traumatic event starting with her mom leaving her followed by the rest of her family until she is all alone and learning how to survive will leave the readers full of empathy for her and rooting for her to not only survive but find a way to thrive. My heart ached for her with each new tragedy she faced and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough in order to find out what was going to happen. I will say the ending had me smiling with how the story was wrapped up. This book has been out for a while and I’m a little late in the game reading this one but can’t wait to see how the story plays out in the movie. Readers that enjoy a great historical novel will not want to miss this one. I usually don’t enjoy historical type books but this one was so much better than I ever expected it to be.