Hearts in Defiance by Heather Frey Blanton

Blurb:

MEN MAKE MISTAKES. GOD WILL FORGIVE THEM. WILL THEIR WOMEN? 

Charles McIntyre built the lawless, godless mining town of Defiance practically with his bare hands … and without any remorse for the lives he destroyed along the way. Then a glimpse of true love, both earthly and heavenly, changed him. The question is, how much? Naomi Miller is a beautiful, decent woman. She says she loves McIntyre, that God does, too, and the past is behind them now. But McIntyre struggles to believe he’s worth saving … worth loving. Unfortunately, the temptations in Defiance only reinforce his doubts. 

Billy Page abandoned Hannah Frink when he discovered she was going to have his baby … and now he can’t live with himself. Or without her. Determined to prove his love, he leaves his family and fortune behind and journeys to Defiance. Will Hannah take Billy back or give him what he deserves for the betrayal? 

Gritty and realistic, this is the story of real life and real faith in Defiance. 

Donna's Review:

What can I say? This book was as good as the first, A Lady in Defiance, which I reviewed here. In fact, it might have been better.

The plotting is tight. The story is gripping from the very first page. Blanton's prose, while not particularly beautiful or unusual, provides an easy, enjoyable read.  

By far, what I loved the most, however, was the way Blanton's characters jump off the page. Charles McIntyre is a changed man from the first book, but he has baggage from a sordid past that refuses to go away. He doesn't care so much for himself, but he hates the fact his past affects the one woman he has ever dared to love - Naomi Miller. Naomi patiently bears up under the strain of a man working hard to change his ways, and Blanton's potrayal of both McIntyre and Miller is gritty, raw, and heartbreakingly realistic. Naomi, too, is struggling to shed her past and the memories of her husband. When his twin brother arrives, she finds herself fighting a battle of her own, and Charles must come to terms with her feelings as well. 

Particularly intriguing is the appearance of the father of Hannah's baby and his determination to make amends for not standing by Hannah. The fact Hannah has eyes for another young man does not deter him, and I really had no idea who she would choose by the end of the novel.

I will say, the ending was deeply satisfying, until the last page. The book does not really end on a cliffhanger, so to speak. However, it does beg the question - will there be a 3rd book? 

I sincerely hope so.

Still, 5 roses for this one.

Length:  368 pages

Prices:

Print:  $ 13.46

Digital:  $ 2.99

Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/Hearts-Defiance-Romance-Rockies-Book-ebook/dp/B00MR11OPA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443571529&sr=8-1&keywords=hearts+defiance

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Texas Roads (A Miller's Creek Novel Book 1) by Cathy Bryant

 

Blurb:

Dani Davis just wants a place to call home. With lovable-but-quirky town folks, quaint country charm, and loads of business potential, Miller's Creek, Texas seems like the perfect place to start over...except for the cowboy who gives her a ride into town. She secretly finances renovations to the downtown area until malicious rumors and a devastating discovery propel her down a road she never expected to travel.

Steve Miller is determined to rescue his dying hometown. When vandals jeopardize the renovation, he can’t help but suspect Dani, whose strange behavior has become fodder for local gossips. Can Steve and Dani call a truce for a higher cause, and in the process help Dani recognize the true meaning of home?

Donna's Review:

The book started off great. I was really excited at having found a new author, especially one that could construct sentences that didn't hurt my head. However, shortly into it, it began to lag a bit. It did pick up at the end, but in between there were times I could have read or not read.

Still, while an enjoyable read for the most part, I did not like the fact the only real reason Dani and Steve were separated the entire novel was due to more or less a simple misunderstanding(s). Because they each are absorbed in their own issues, they never really confront the other person and, as a result, they never really tackle their relationship . Because of this, the plot is weakened, whereas bringing a couple's issues front and center, and having them deal with them, provides loads of conflict and actually drives the story forward.

This is also a typical Christian novel where one person isn't a Christian and comes to accept Christ as their savior. While not overkill for readers of that genre, those that do not like to read this kind will find it trite (in the sense it's typical of this genre) and irritating near the end.

Four roses for this one for an easy, enjoyable read that is well plotted and sweet but not necessarily memorable.

Length:  311 pages

Prices:

Paperback:  $11.69

Digital:  $0.99

Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/TEXAS-ROADS-Millers-Creek-Novel-ebook/dp/B00480OH1G/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1443905699&sr=1-1&keywords=texas+roads+cathy+bryant

Thanks for visiting:  Julie, Donna & Rochelle

Waiting for Summer's Return by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Blurb: 

All alone on the Kansas prairie, Summer Steadman has few options. With her husband and children lost to illness, she has no desire to continue on farther west to where she and her husband planned to build their future. Instead, she seeks employment in a small Mennonite community in order to be near the graves of her family. Widower Peter Ollenburger, the local gristmill owner, needs someone to teach his young son. When he hears of a "learned woman" in town, he believes she is the answer to his prayers. He soon discovers, however, that helping this outsider may have troublesome consequences. There is little this father will not do for his son, but as the boy begins to look at Summer as more than a teacher, Peter must make a choice. Does he marry this woman to give his son a new mother, or does he marry only for love? Will Summer's broken heart ever be able to love again?

Donna's Review:

Kim Vogel Sawyer's website  advertises “gentle stories of hope” and Waiting for Summer’s Return certainly delivered. 

Bostonian Summer Steadham is stranded in a Mennonite town in Kansas after the deaths of her husband and four children of typhoid. In order to remain close to their graves, she takes a job as a tutor for widower Peter  Ollenberger’s ten year old son, Thomas . Peter is a sweet, admirable, hardworking man. He is infinitely patient with  Summer  which, in her grief stricken state, she needs. I liked him, but I sure wanted him to lose his temper at least once. He really was almost too good to be true. I really could find no fault in the man.

As a matter of fact, I couldn’t find fault with any of the characters beside the townspeople at the beginning who don’t like Summer because she is not a Mennonite. As a result, I did not find enough high energy conflict in the book to keep me interested in reading every word. I skipped over the substory of Summer’s conversion to the Mennonite faith as well as her ministering to her mother-in-law near the end of the book. I found it preachy and too slow for me to wade through reading. I kept waiting for an explosion between Summer, an obvious outsider, and the Mennonites, who were clearly displeased with her arrival in their community. After a few harsh words between Peter and church elders, one woman befriends Summer and the rest soon follow.

The one creeping fault in Summer’s character is her selfish and persistent decision to drag her husband and children from Boston to a life on the Kansas prairie over their wishes. I waited for the gut wrenching emotional turmoil that would set her towards the struggle of taming her selfish side. It never happened. She acknowledged it briefly, and that was the end of the matter. Even Peter’s son, ten year old Thomas, is too good to be true.

The book is well written. The prose flows nicely. The plotting does move along even if it is not a high energy - high stakes sort of novel or romance. 

If you’re a fan of sweet romances and don’t mind long sections devoted to Christianity, then you will enjoy Sawyer’s portrayal of two people trying to move past their pain to find love. If you like grittier fiction, like Kirsten Heitzman and Judith Pella, or fiction with a Christian worldview without any overt plot about Christianity, then you will be disappointed.

Three Roses for this one based on my preferences and nothing else. 

Thanks for visiting - Rose, Julie, Donna, and Rochelle

Length: 348 pages

Prices:

Print: $12.80

Digital  $4.99

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Waiting-Summers-Return/dp/0764201824/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431639260&sr=8-1&keywords=waiting+for+summer%27s+return