Wednesday, June 26, 2013

A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund

Life as a German immigrant is hard, but when Annalisa Werner's husband dies, she is left to contend with the man who wants her land, the rigors of a struggling farm, the responsibility of raising her daughter and the preparations for her unborn child. Her father arranges for a distant cousin to marry Annalisa and take over the farm. Love is not needed. Carl Richards lived an easy life as a nobleman's son until he was falsely accused of murder. He travels to America as a fugitive and finds shelter and food as hired help for Annalisa. Their views on love and marriage are as different as their past lives.  As Carl and Annalisa work together to grow a harvest to save her farm, they both find that they have much to learn about love.  Can this relationship survive the revelation of Carl's past and the arrival of Annalisa's groom? Read more in A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund.

A Noble Groom is the first book I've read by Jody Hedlund and I'll definitely be on the lookout for her books in the future. I love it when I'm surprised by a book.  I expected a romance with a medium-level of tension. The progressively playful banter and spark of attraction made for a sweet blossoming of love that maintained my interest throughout the book. However, quite unexpectedly, I found high drama interlaced with healing and growth. This marvelous combination was an excellent complement to the story line. I confidently recommend A Noble Groom to any fan of Christian romance.

Visit the publisher's website to read an excerpt from A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. 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."

Sunday, June 16, 2013

A Nobel Groom = An Awesome Read!

I just have to say that A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund is an awesome book! By far, the best novel I've read this year. Ring of Secrets is a close second. Hopefully, I'll post my review later this week. Just had to share how much I loved it!


Sunday, June 9, 2013

Unrivaled by Siri Mitchell

Sometimes things have to get worse before life can get better.  Charlie Clarke and Lucy Kendall are both at low points in their lives.  Charlie finds himself behind bars for another man's crime and reluctantly agrees to work for his father as a way of creating a new start. Lucy returns from Europe to find her father gravely ill and his candy business, City Confectionery, near closure.  Determined to create a new candy that will trump Royal Taffy, the candy recipe that was stolen from her father by the owner of Standard Manufacturing, Lucy's endeavors put her directly at odds with Charlie, the new promotions manager at Standard Manufacturing and son of the recipe thief. Any attraction and relationship between two people from such opposing stances seems impossible; yet, Lucy and Charlie find themselves drawn to each other over and over again. Read more in Unrivaled by Siri Mitchell.

I enjoyed reading Unrivaled by Siri Mitchell. The chapters alternated between Lucy's and Charlie's points-of-view (pov) and, contrary to my expectation, Charlie's pov was actually my favorite. Lucy's immaturity was annoying at times – Charlie probably thought the same thing about her quite often – but the character growth that she experienced soothed the irritation. The story line was intriguing and I liked reading about the actual candy-making process.  I'm not sure if there is a sequel planned, but I did feel like there were a few open ends that weren't fully resolved. In spite of that, I found the ending to be a sweet treat and I do recommend this book to anyone looking for a clean, sweet romance.

Read an excerpt from Unrivaled by Siri Mitchell on the publisher's website.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. 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."