The Tidewater Sisters by Lisa Wingate

Tandi Jo Reese has finally found a safe place to build her life and hope blooms strong as her wedding nears. However, when Tandi receives notice of a lawsuit against her, she is convinced she must confront her sister, Gina, who, most likely, is the cause of this issue. However, when she arrives in Tidewater, she finds the past she needs to confront is far more vast than she knew.

The Tidewater Sisters by Lisa Wingate is the postlude novella to The Prayer Box. In a sense, the novella could stand-alone as Wingate gives the essential background information, but I don't think it would be particularly engaging to me if I hadn't read The Prayer Box. It was my previous enjoyment of these characters that helped me enjoy The Tidewater Sisters.

As is common for novellas, there's limited character development, but Wingate does an admirable job in other areas. The plot never dragged. The relationship between Tandi and Gina rings with authenticity. She remarkably portrayed the reality of dysfunctional families without a miraculous, neat, wrap-everything-up-in-a-fake-way ending. However, she managed to give Tandi a hopeful and healthy future.

Bottom Line: If you enjoyed The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate, you'll enjoy revisiting Tandi Jo Reese in The Tidewater Sisters.

Opal by Lauraine Snelling

After the burning of the Dove House, Ruby Torvald married Rand Harrison and moved to his ranch. Ruby's younger sister, Opal, loves ranch life. At 14, she can shoot, rope, train horses and participate in roundup. Unfortunately, a little thing called school keeps getting in her way. One day after leaving school early due to a headache, she decides to take a detour on the way home. It's a decision that changes her life forever. Her friend, Atticus, ends up injured and is taken away from Medora. As she struggles with guilt and uncertainly, she comes to find that she is being shaped by a God who can make her more than a simple ranch hand.

In Opal, the author takes us deeper into the character of Opal Torvald than either of the first two books in the series do. I thought she did a remarkable job of demonstrating the difficulties of Opal's situation and her personal growth without losing all of Opal's childhood innocence. The one thing I did not like about the book was that the author never addressed what Belle's reaction to the burning of the Dove House was. Belle was mentioned several times in the book, but never was her reaction noted. Somehow, I kept expecting it to come, but I got to the end and it never did. Other than that, it was a easy, comforting read. The storyline is actually much more complex than the synopsis above, but for sake of brevity, I gave the broad overview. Several new characters were introduced, including one who is extremely interested in Opal. I think the complexity really drew me in and made it all the more enjoyable.

Ruby by Lauraine Snelling

At the request of her dying father, Ruby Torvald resigns her position of governess and takes her younger sister, Opal, to meet him and to claim their inheritance. What her father fails to mention is that their inheritance is the Dove House – a saloon filled with gambling, liquor and “hospitality services.” When Ruby and Opal arrive, they are understandably shocked. After the death of their father, they face the daunting reality that they must claim their inheritance to keep Ruby's promise to their father. Ruby's determination to restore the Dove House to a respectable family establishment is met with resistance on all sides. Ultimately she finds that her strength alone is not adequate for the task, but there is One whose strength never fails.

Somehow this book was not what I expected, but in a good way. I found myself cheering Ruby on as she struggled against the many challenges. The characters seemed authentic and Opal's character was especially amusing. This is only the first book in the Dakota Treasures series and the ending was somewhat resolved and somewhat open. I am eager to continue reading the rest of the books in this series.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

The Bennet sisters are in danger of being poor and homeless should their father die and at least one of them not be married. When a new neighbor, Mr. Bingley, moves to the neighborhood and appears to be single, Mrs. Bennet is determined that one of her daughters will marry him. What ensues is an interesting courtship between Mr. Bingley and Jane Bennet, the oldest of the sisters. During the course of this courtship, Jane's younger sister, the headstrong Elizabeth, encounters the brooding Mr. Darcy, a dear friend of Mr. Bingley. Their first impressions of each other are not amiable and lead to dislike on both sides. The dislike is enforced on Elizabeth's side by her new acquaintance, Mr. Wickham. She openly accepts Mr. Wickham's reports of Mr. Darcy and her prejudice grows. A surprising proposal by Mr. Darcy and its aftermath lead Elizabeth to rethink her prejudices. What she can not know is that Mr. Darcy's pride is also being reanalyzed by himself. Will the two ever be able to overcome their pride and prejudice? And if they can, what will be the result of it?

This was the first time I have read Pride and Prejudice and it has cemented Jane Austen as one of my favorite authors. The story line was intricate, marked by detail, humor and romance. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are an enjoyable match and I sympathized with Elizabeth's irritation. I was especially amused by the character of Mr. Bennet. His wit had me laughing, while at other times, his parenting skills appeared to be sorely lacking.

Austen masterfully crafted this story that was published when she was only 21. I am a little in awe of Jane Austen. The two other books by her that I have read were good, but, in my opinion, this one is the best.

This Barnes & Noble Classic edition included an Introduction and Notes by Carol Howard. The Notes were especially helpful in understanding certain portions and the introduction was good. However, the introduction contained a lot of spoilers and I am thankful I read it after reading the book.

Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility is the classic tale of Elinor and Marianne Dashwood, two sisters who share a remarkable bond of love despite their differences. Marianne is given to emotionalism; Elinor is refined and self-controlled. Both women indulge in unhealthy extremes of these mindsets throughout the story and yet they find that they are in many ways alike as they walk through life and search for love.

Jane Austen is one of my favorite historical authors. Her characters are real and I found that I could identify with Marianne especially. The only thing I found to be questionable was the character of Margaret. She was rarely present and did not seem to contribute much to the story.

The version of this book that I read was very insightful. Throughout the story there were notes in the side margin that explained certain words that may have been unfamiliar to some readers. The notes also mentioned parallels between Jane’s life and the lives of her characters. Having seen the 1995 version of the movie, I had some expectations as to what the book would be like. As with most films that are based on books, I found that I enjoyed the book more than the movie simply because the book gives so much more depth to the characters and their situations.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. 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 Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."