Beloved Enemy by Al Lacy

About the book:

Jenny's allegiance lay with the Confederate Army. But her heart belonged to the enemy. Faithful to her family and the land of her birth, young Jenny Jordan covers for her father's Confederate spy missions. But as she grows closer to handsome Union soldier Buck Brownell. Jenny finds herself torn between devotion to the South and her feelings for the man she is forbidden to love. Overwhelmed by pressure to assist the South, Jenny agrees to carry critical information over enemy lines. But when she is caught in Buck Brownell's territory, will he follow orders to execute the beautiful spy or find a way to save his Beloved Enemy?


My thoughts:

A great book for fans of the Civil War, plenty of fighting and an overall good story about a soldier from the north falling in love with a woman (who just happens to be a spy) from the south, not only is there love but also suspense so there is something for all.

This was the first book by Lacy I've read and it was pretty good.

Al Lacy is a good storyteller and I rate Beloved Enemy 4 stars. This book was generously provided by Waterbrook Press in exchange for a review.

Currently Reading

I plan on reading these two this week. This one is for review.

I love Ann Tatlock's books and am looking forward to this one as well!

Currently Reading

Shelter arrived yesterday and I started it last night, I'm liking it a lot. Watch for my review soon!

What am I reading?

A New Road Home--or Another Dead End? Within the course of a week, marriage expert Natalie is dumped by her husband, receives an urgent call home from her father, and discovers her estranged sister, Lindsay, is pregnant. A road trip on Route 66 may not help, but it sure couldn't hurt. Or so Natalie thinks, until Lindsay's boyfriend starts stalking them. Will their trip down the Mother Road bring the two sisters closer together, or turn out to be the biggest wrong turn of their lives?

I'm about halfway through the book and am enjoying it!

One woman, an impossible dream, and the faith it took to see it through. German immigrant and farm wife Hulda Klager possesses only an eighth-grade education—and a burning desire to create something beautiful. What begins as a hobby to create an easy-peeling apple for her pies becomes Hulda’s driving purpose: a time-consuming interest in plant hybridization that puts her at odds with family and community, as she challenges the early twentieth-century expectations for a simple housewife. Through the years, seasonal floods continually threaten to erase her Woodland, Washington garden and a series of family tragedies cause even Hulda to question her focus. In a time of practicality, can one person’s simple gifts of beauty make a difference? Based on the life of Hulda Klager, Where Lilacs Still Bloom is a story of triumph over an impossible dream and the power of a generous heart. “Beauty matters… it does. God gave us flowers for a reason. Flowers remind us to put away fear, to stop our rushing and running and worrying about this and that, and for a moment, have a piece of paradise right here on earth.

Will start this one today, I've not read any of Kirkpatrick's books before so I'm anxious to start.

Some great books!

These are not review books but I had to comment on how fantastic they are, if you haven't read them do so! Both are 5 star books!

About the book:

"I collect words. I keep them in a box in my mind. I'd like to keep them in a real box, something pretty, maybe a shoe box covered with flowered wrapping paper. Whenever I wanted, I'd open the box and pick up the papers, reading and feeling the words all at once. Then I could hide the box. But the words are safer in my mind. There, he can't take them." Ten-year old Kaylee Wren doesn't speak. Not since her drug-addled mother walked away, leaving her in a remote cabin nestled in the towering redwoods-in the care of a man who is as dangerous as he is evil. With silence her only refuge, Kaylee collects words she might never speak from the only memento her mother left behind: a dictionary. Sierra Dawn is thirty-four, an artist, and alone. She has allowed the shame of her past to silence her present hopes and chooses to bury her pain by trying to control her circumstances. But on the twelfth anniversary of her daughter's death, Sierra's control begins to crumble as the God of her childhood woos her back to Himself. Brought together by Divine design, Kaylee and Sierra will discover together the healing mercy of the Word-Jesus Christ.

About the book:

One dress. Four women. An amazing destiny. Charlotte Malone is getting married. Yet all is not settled in the heart of Birmingham's chic bridal boutique owner. Charlotte can dress any bride to perfection-except herself. When she discovers a vintage mint-condition wedding gown in a battered old trunk, Charlotte embarks on a passionate journey to discover the women who wore the gown before her. Emily in 1912. Mary in 1939. And Hillary in 1968. Each woman teaches Charlotte something about love in her own unique way. Woven within the threads of the beautiful hundred-year-old gown is the truth about Charlotte's heritage, the power of faith, and the beauty of finding true love.

Finding Our Way Home by Charlene Baumbich

About the book...

When principal ballerina Sasha Davis suffers a career-ending injury at age thirty-eight, she leaves her Boston-based dance company and retreats to the home of her youth in Minnesota. But Sasha’s injuries limit her as much as her mother’s recent death haunts her. Concluding she can’t recover alone, Sasha reluctantly hires a temporary live-in aide. Enter the übercapable Evelyn Burt. As large-boned as Sasha is delicate, Evelyn is her employer’s opposite in every way. Small town to Sasha’s urban chic, outgoing to Sasha’s iciness, and undaunted where Sasha is hopeless, nineteen-year-old Evelyn is newly engaged and sees the world as one big, shiny opportunity. Evelyn soon discovers Sasha needs to heal more than bones. Slowly, as the wounds begin to mend and the tables tilt, the two women form an unlikely alliance and discover the astounding power of even the smallest act done in the name of love. Finding Our Way Home is a story of second chances and lavish grace.

My thoughts...

I found the story to be decent but slow paced and predictable, the author took her time in getting to the point. The characters are likeable, however, I felt like I never really got to know them. There was no suspense, no thrilling moment, just a story about the ups and downs in the lives of normal people. The friendship between the main characters is sweet and nurturing.
I received an ecopy of this book free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Harriet Beamer Takes The Bus by Joyce Magnin

About the book...

Aging and widowed Harriet Beamer insists she’s getting along fine with her dog Humphrey in Philadelphia … until she falls for the fourth time, injuring her ankle and causing her son and daughter-in-law to cry foul.

Insisting Harriet move in with them in California, they make a bet that her ankle is broken and she foolishly promises to move if they’re right.
Four X-rays later, Harriet’s ankle – and her heart – are broken. She packs up, ships her huge salt-and-pepper-shaker collection to California, and prepares to move away from the only life she knows.

The catch? She’s doing it her way. Just wait until her daughter-in-law hears Harriet will travel cross-country only by public transportation and alternate means. What follows is a hilarious, heartwarming journey by train, metro bus, taxi, and motorcycle. Along the way, Harriet discovers that although her family thinks it’s time for her to be put out to pasture, God has a different plan. You can read Harriet's blog on her journey.

My thoughts...

This is the second Joyce Magnin novel I've read and I totally enjoyed this book as well as the first! Such a delightful story that combines quirky characters and humor. I will be looking for more by this author.

Harriet Beamer has gumption and is determined to get to her son's home in California by public transportation! It isn't always possible to take the bus all the way across the country though and this precious lady's journey is one that will keep you cheering her on and anxiously awaiting what will happen next!

Harriet loves people and strikes up a conversation with anyone that will... you will get a kick out of the characters that share a part of her travels.

Harriet Beamer is one lady I would love to meet!

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

About the Author:
Joyce Magnin is the author of five novels, including the popular and quirky Bright’s Pond series and the middle grade novel “Carrying Mason.”
She is a writing instructor and frequent conference speaker. Joyce lives in Pennsylvania with her son, Adam, and their crazy cat, Mango, who likes to eat nachos.