The Sacred Path of Tears by M.B. Tosi

The Sacred Path of Tears is a journal written by a young Cheyenne Indian woman, nicknamed Mokee, during the Indian Wars in Kansas in the late 1860s. After Mokee and her companion observe the Sand Creek Massacre, they warn the other Indian camps along the Smoky Hill River. They take cover in a barn near Salina, Kansas, where they are discovered by a widow and her two sons. Mokee’s companion leaves to join the fight against the white soldiers but hating war, Mokee, with her lighter coloring, gains a safe haven with the widow’s family. She finds a mentor in the well-educated widow and embraces the opportunity to read and write English. As her life unfolds, Mokee is torn between two worlds at war and the two men she loves, one a white settler and the other her companion, who has become a Cheyenne Dog Soldier. Though war is her constant shadow, Mokee tries to find the purpose for her life and a path of peace in her war-torn world.

My thoughts...

There's not much about this book I liked. I did finish reading it but it wasn't easy. The writing style was poor, I don't feel the writer did enough research and nothing felt real about the details or the characters, they just didn't come alive. The plot was a good one. I give it two stars.

I received a ecopy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Need You Now by Beth Wiseman

When big-city life threatens the safety of one of their children, Brad and Darlene Henderson move with their three teenagers from Houston to the tiny town of Round Top, Texas.

Adjusting to small-town life is difficult for the kids, especially fifteen-year-old Grace who is coping in a dangerous way.

Married life hasn’t always been bliss, but their strong faith has carried Brad and Darlene through the difficult times. When Darlene takes a job outside the home for the first time in their marriage, the domestic tension rises.

While working with special needs children at her new job, the widowed father of one of the students starts paying more attention to Darlene than is appropriate. Problem is, she feels like someone is listening to her for the first time in a long time.

If Darlene ever needed God . . . it’s now.

Experience a family’s triumph over lies, betrayal, and loss while still clinging to the One who matters most.

My thoughts...

I really liked this book, it's the first Beth Wiseman book I've read and it makes me want to check out her Amish stories. The main character is easy to get to know, Darlene, a wife and mom who loves her husband and children dearly. Their lives have gotten better since leaving the city and her children seem to be adjusting well. Things are good so she takes a full time job. Then things begin to fall apart. I could feel Darlene's pain as she faces a problem with her oldest daughter and discovers things about her husband that sends her to the arms of another man.

The characters are realistic and likeable, God is intertwined throughout the story. Overall, a very enjoyable book.

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Scent of Cherry Blossoms by Cindy Woodsmall

Annie Martin loves the Plain ways of her Old Order Mennonite people, like those revered by her beloved grandfather. Retreating from a contentious relationship with her mother, Annie goes to live with her Daadi Moses in Apple Ridge.

But as spring moves into Pennsylvania and Annie spends time amongst the cherry trees with the Aden Zook, she wishes she could forget how deeply the lines between the Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonite are drawn.

Can Annie and Aden find a place for their love to bloom in the midst of the brewing storm?

My thoughts.....

Not only is the book cover charming but the story itself is, it's such an enjoyable read. This book has it all... heartbreak, betrayal, romance. The characters are so real, interesting, and likeable. Each has their own problems to deal with and reading their story is compelling and inspiring.
I learned about the differences between the Amish and the Mennonite communities and could visualize the cherry blossoms.

If you love Amish fiction you'll love this book!

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Prize of my Heart by Lisa Norato

Massachusetts, 1815.
Will His Love Endure Once He Learns Her Secret?

Three years ago, Captain Brogan Talvis's late wife abandoned their son, leaving no clue as to the boy's whereabouts. After searching relentlessly, Brogan discovers his son was adopted by a New England shipbuilder. And the man's daughter, Lorena Huntley, acts as loving guardian to the child.

Lorena, who hides a dark truth, finds herself falling for the handsome captain and ex-privateer who's come to secure ownership of one of her father's ships. She's unaware of Brogan's own secret when another's deceit has her sailing toward Europe against her will.

Haunted by thoughts of Lorena in peril, Brogan is compelled to choose between the boy he longs for and the woman who has captured his heart.

My thoughts...

Set in 1815 Massachusetts you can't help but fall in love with the characters in this heartwarming story. Norato did her research well as you feel you are right in the midst of the shipping industry.
This book has secrets you can't guess, there are many twists and turns that makes it a fun read even though you know there is a romance brewing. A good clean read full of biblical truths. I enjoyed it!

ISBN: 978-0-7642-0942-0
Price: $14.99

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Stand By Me by Neta Jackson

Sometimes the person you most need is the one least like you.

Kathryn Davies is a bright young woman from a prominent Phoenix family. But after making a leap of faith at a Christian music fest, dropping out of med school, and moving to inner city Chicago, her family has all but disowned her. Kat’s enthusiasm for her newfound faith tempers the sting of their rejection.

When Kat discovers SouledOut Community Church, she longs to become a part of the multi-cultural church family. But her tendency to say whatever she’s thinking and her eccentric ways step on the toes of nearly everyone she meets—especially Avis Douglass, a woman she admires but who seems distant.

Avis is known for her mature faith and her reliance on listening to God more than people. Married to a kind and successful businessman, she is the principal of one of Chicago’s highest performing elementary schools, and a founding and active member of SouledOut. But the country’s economic downturn has thrown both her and her husband’s jobs in question. And Avis hasn’t heard from her youngest daughter in months—an estrangement that gnaws at her every day. Where is God in all this?

Kat’s flamboyant zeal for living a “radical” Christian life is a stark contrast to Avis’s quiet crisis of faith. But in God’s own mysterious ways, the two women discover they need each other in ways neither of them expected.

My thoughts...

Loved this book! Neta Jackson is one of my favorite writers, this book did not disappoint me. Getting to know one of the original Yada Yada Prayer Group women even better is such a pleasure. This series of books are at the top of my list and "Stand By Me" is right there with them. We all have problems but some people have more than their share and it seems like Avis is one of those people but God intervenes in an unexpected way and hope is restored. Kat is young and sometimes annoying to the people around her but her motives are pure. The relationship between these two women progresses slowly and Avis reminds us, the older women are to mentor the younger women in Christ.

I highly recommend this book as well as the original series, you will love every character, certainly identify with at least one of them, and look as forward to the next book as I am!

I received a copy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Softly and Tenderly by Sara Evans

Softly and Tenderly by Sara Evans is about a woman named Jade who has several crisis hit her once. Her husband is an addict, her sister is in danger on a daily in Guatemala and their mother has cancer.
Jade and her mother-in-law disover her father in law is having an affair and the last straw is when her friend dies leaving a young son behind who just happens to be her husband's son.

This book is one that will keep you turning page after page, the way Jade deals with the crisis' is intriguing. Her belief in God gets her through these devastating blows. A very good read!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the [...] book review bloggers 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 Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 <[...]> : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Vanished by Irene Hannon

In her newest romantic-suspense novel, critically-acclaimed author Irene Hannon asks herself what would happen if the victim of a deadly car crash on a secluded country road simply disappeared? Vanished is the gripping first novel in Hannon’s Private Justice series. It opens with a shadowy figure caught in the beam of reporter Moira Harrison’s headlights – followed by a solid thump before she loses control and crashes into a tree. But when Moira regains consciousness, the victim is nowhere to be seen.

The police say the disappearance never happened, but Moira can’t forget the look of sheer terror she saw on the person’s face in the instant it was caught in the glare of her headlights. Now her only hope of discovering the truth is a former police detective turned private eye—and her own investigate skills.

My thoughts...

Moira Harrison had gotten lost taking a detour while driving home one rainy night and ended up on a two lane highway. Out of nowhere a woman appeared in her headlights, Moira's car hits her before running off the road. Those terror filled eyes would haunt Moira until she could no longer stand it. She had to find out what happened to the woman.

I loved this book, though I wouldn't call it suspenseful it is a great mystery. The characters are likeable and fun, I liked the attraction between Moira and Cal, the PI she hires to investigate. Great storyline! 5 out of 5 stars.

I received an ecopy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“Available January 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

About the Author...

Hannon, a former communications executive for a Fortune 500 company, left the corporate world in 2003 to focus on her growing fiction brand. While continuing to write contemporary romance, she also delved into suspense. From the beginning, her romantic suspense books have garnered rave reviews. Booklist named Deadly Pursuit (Revell, 2011) one of the top ten inspirational fiction titles for 2011. The final book in her Guardians of Justice series, Lethal Legacy (Revell, 2011) received a starred review from Library Journal, which praised the book for its “compelling characters and edge-of-your-seat action.”

Irene Hannon is the author of more than 40 novels, including the bestselling Heroes of Quantico and Guardians of Justice series. Her books have been honored with two coveted RITA awards from Romance Writers of America, a Carol Award, a HOLT Medallion, a National Readers’ Choice Award, a Daphne du Maurier Award, a Retailers Choice Award and two Reviewers' Choice Awards from RT Book Reviews magazine. She lives in Missouri. For more information about her and her books, visit her web site at www.irenehannon.com and follow her on Twitter at @IreneHannon.

Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, offers practical books for everyday life. For more information, visit www.RevellBooks.com.