Christmas by the Sea, book #21

Just finished this book up today ... sweet little end to our Christmas season!


When Wendy Harper inherits her family's beachside cottage in Seaside, Maine, she sees it as a way to finally pay off the debts that have mounted since her husband died. But before it can be sold, the neglected property must be renovated. She and her 12-year-old son Jackson move in--temporarily, she reminds him--in order to do the work themselves, even though Christmas is coming. The charming town, along with local craftsman Caleb Colton, pulls on both Wendy and Jackson, who even registers himself for school in a bid to get his mom to move them there permanently. Wendy knows that the most responsible thing to do is to sell the cottage and return to Ohio, but the lure of the sea is hard to resist.  (picture and description at Amazon)

Here's a new year to stories to read!

O:)
Melissa

Baby, It's Cold Outside, Book #20

So this book is not at all what I anticipated it being, but what a delightful surprise it was.  I didn't realize until the end how neatly it copies the story of The Mitten, a Ukrainian fairytale,  (Which, for the record, I seriously thought Jan Brett wrote!  :) ) It is a little dark at times, and might take you a bit to get into, but it is 100% worth it!

Five near-strangers. One snowstorm. A Christmas that none of them will ever forget. Dottie Morgan has no desire to share her home or her heart over the Christmas holidays. After all, her Christmas spirit froze over when Dottie lost her son in World War II. Alone and bitter, she’d like nothing more than to hide and let the Christmas season pass her by. After serving as a mechanic the Army’s motor pool, Violet Hart returned home to a community that didn’t quite know what to do with her. She’s not a soldier, but she’s not the girl-next-door, either. She’s resigned herself to being the spinster of Frost, Minnesota.  Former soldier Jake Ramsey is on a mission—return the letters written by Violet to his best friend, lost in battle. But Jake has been in love with Violet for years—about as long as he’s been keeping a secret that just might break her heart.  And then there’s Gordon Lindholm, the farmer from across the field who harbors his own grief—and love—for the woman he can’t forget.  When a blizzard of the decade traps Dottie in her home, along with Violet, Jake, Gordon and a wandering child in need of rescue, the strangers must band together to survive. And in doing so, they just might discover the magic of Christmas and a miracle that will heal all their hearts.  (picture and description from Amazon)  

Trust me, you will want to add this to your Christmas reading list!

O:)
Melissa

Last Christmas in Paris, Book #19

Its pretty sad that I have only read 19 books so far this year, but it has BEEN A YEAR!!!!  At least all of the ones I have read have been good!

This one was no different.  I honestly didn't remember what it was about, but it was on list of Christmas stuff to read it, so I got lucky it was cheap on Amazon for my paperwhite.  It wasn't really about Christmas all that much, and it was much longer than I thought, but once I finished this morning, I was on the floor.  It was just so much, so much love, so much history, so much reality of WW1, so much .... highly recommend!!

August 1914. England is at war. As Evie Elliott watches her brother, Will, and his best friend, Thomas Harding, depart for the front, she believes—as everyone does—that it will be over by Christmas, when the trio plan to celebrate the holiday among the romantic cafes of Paris.But as history tells us, it all happened so differently… Evie and Thomas experience a very different war. Frustrated by life as a privileged young lady, Evie longs to play a greater part in the conflict—but how?—and as Thomas struggles with the unimaginable realities of war he also faces personal battles back home where War Office regulations on press reporting cause trouble at his father’s newspaper business. Through their letters, Evie and Thomas share their greatest hopes and fears—and grow ever fonder from afar. Can love flourish amid the horror of the First World War, or will fate intervene?  Christmas 1968. With failing health, Thomas returns to Paris—a cherished packet of letters in hand—determined to lay to rest the ghosts of his past. But one final letter is waiting for him… (picture and description at Amazon)

Now on to really Christmas books that happen at Christmas!

O:)

Melissa

The Mastepiece, book #18

Needless to say, its been a while since I finished a book.  Also needless to say, starting a new book for book club with 512 pages may not have been the best idea.  Also also needless to say, between work still being quite time consuming and fall TV shows starting back, its taken me a good bit to finish this book.  

BUT!  I finally finished today and it was worth it!  Francine Rivers rarely disappoints and while I had some trouble getting into it, once I was in I was hooked. Allow yourself plenty of time to read it and you will not be disappointed!

A successful LA artist, Roman Velasco appears to have everything he could possibly want―money, women, fame. Only Grace Moore, his reluctant, newly hired personal assistant, knows how little he truly has. The demons of Roman’s past seem to echo through the halls of his empty mansion and out across his breathtaking Topanga Canyon view. But Grace doesn’t know how her boss secretly wrestles with those demons: by tagging buildings as the Bird, a notorious but unidentified graffiti artist―an alter ego that could destroy his career and land him in prison.

Like Roman, Grace is wrestling with ghosts and secrets of her own. After a disastrous marriage threw her life completely off course, she vowed never to let love steal her dreams again. But as she gets to know the enigmatic man behind the reputation, it’s as if the jagged pieces of both of their pasts slowly begin to fit together . . . until something so unexpected happens that it changes the course of their relationship―and both their lives―forever. (picture and description from Amazon)

Now it's time to read Christmas books!

O:)
Melissa

Now and Then and Always, book #17

Wow but wow.  It may look like I haven't read as much lately which is unfortunately true. Work has kept me swamped but this was so good I read myself to sleep (which took all of five minutes!) every night!!

“It was just a house. Just a weathered old house in a hidden grove, shuttered and still . . . ” Last year, after traumatic circumstances forced her from her job as a nanny, Mara Bristol finally found a place to belong—the winsome Everwood Bed & Breakfast at the edge of Maple Valley, Iowa. For months, she’s helped its owner, Lenora, maintain the ramshackle property despite their shortage of guests. But when Lenora fails to return from a month-long trip and the bank threatens foreclosure, Mara worries she’s once again alone . . . abandoned . . . about to lose the only true home she’s ever known. Detective Marshall Hawkins is no closer to whole today than he was two years ago . . . the day his daughter died. Between his divorce, debilitating migraines, and a dependence on medication, his life is falling apart. And when a reckless decision on the job propels him into administrative leave, he has no other plan but to get in his truck and drive. A one-night stay at the Everwood was supposed to be just that. But there’s something about the old house—or maybe its intriguing caretaker—that pulls him in. Together, Mara and Marshall set out to save the Everwood. But its secrets run deeper than they could’ve imagined. As they renovate the house and search for its missing owner, they’ll each confront the pain that brought them to the Everwood in the first place . . . and just maybe discover a faith and love to help them carry on. [pic and description at Amazon]

Here's hoping I can wait A VERY LONG TIME to read the next one in the series [it doesn't come out until next year :(  ]

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa

Amish Outsider, book #16

Loved this sweet little goodie by a new author!  But unfortunately have to wait until April 2020 to read the next in the series!!

In the wake of his estranged wife’s murder, widower Michael Forster returns to the Amish community he’d left as a teen. He wants a fresh start for himself and his daughter, Allie, away from those who still believe he’s guilty. In River Haven, a quieter life seems possible. If only Allie’s Amish schoolteacher, Catherine Brandt, was easier to ignore.


A problem solver by nature, Cathy can tell Allie’s withdrawn demeanor isn’t due to shyness. But getting through to Allie also means breaching her father’s hardened defenses. What starts as persistence soon grows into an attraction neither Cathy nor Michael saw coming. When the past suddenly threatens both his daughter and the woman he loves, Michael must risk everything to save them. (picture and description from Amazon)

Happy Reading!!

O:)
Melissa

Seamless, book #15

Loved, loved, loved this Bible Study I quickly did!  Since our dear Lifeway stores are going out of business :( I grabbed this book up because I had had my eye on it for a good while.  Katie actually did this earlier this year and really enjoyed it.  Neither of us watched the videos that went with it, but we didn't feel like we missed anything.  There may have been extra nuggets we didn't get, but not watching the videos did not take anything away from it.  

Even though I may not have learned too much new from it, I loved her easy writing style that made you feel like she was actually at the table having coffee with you.  She honestly admits she is not a Bible scholar, but you can tell she did extensive research, with probably only about 1/4 or less of what she learned actually in the book.  Her purpose for the book was not an in depth study, but more of an overview of how all the stories in the Bible fit together in God's big plan for us, His beloved bride.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who may not have had as much time in the Word - or new Christians - or old Christians who may never have gotten it - to see how all the stories come together with one purpose.  

In 7 sessions, Seamless covers the people, places, and promises of the Bible, tying them together into the greater story of Scripture. Whether you've grown up hearing Bible stories or you're exploring Scripture for the first time, the full story of the Bible can be overwhelming. Experience the Bible as a whole as you gain clarity and confidence in your understanding of Scripture. Discover a biblical context that reshapes and brings to life stories from the Old and New Testaments. (picture and description - and more info - at Lifeway Stores)

I am now simultaneously trying to finish up my book club book AND some of my book club buddies and I are starting a new Bible Study!!

Keep Reading!

O:)
Melissa

Just a Kiss, book #14

Sweet, quick read while I was in a Denise Hunter mood.  Finished out the Callahan brothers series.  

Riley Callahan’s plans to reveal his secret feelings for his best friend are derailed when his life is drastically altered in Afghanistan.  Watching the love of his life fall for his brother was enough to send Riley straight to boot camp. But over a year later, he’s officially a marine, and Beau and Paige are no longer an item. When Riley’s tour in Afghanistan is up, he intends to confess his feelings to Paige and win his best friend’s heart once and for all.  But all that changes when an IED takes the life of a comrade and leaves Riley an amputee. Now he’s heading home, injured and troubled. His plans to win Paige are a distant dream. She deserves so much more than the man that’s left. All he can do now is put some healthy distance between them. But upon his return he discovers his family has arranged for him to stay with Paige.  Paige is a nurturer at heart and happy to take care of her best buddy. By all appearances Riley is adjusting miraculously well to his disability. But as the days pass, Paige begins to see that the smiles and laughter are just a mask for the pain he’s hiding. To make matters worse, her job is in serious jeopardy. The animal shelter that she’s poured her heart into has lost its funding, and she has three months to come up with the money needed to save it.  As the weeks wear on, Paige’s feelings for Riley begin to shift into uncharted territory. Why is she suddenly noticing his arm muscles and the way his lips curl at the corners? Will she be able to deny her feelings for another Callahan brother? And will Riley let his heart heal so he can let Paige in? (picture and description from Amazon)

Deciding whether to take a reading break since I have been going nonstop for the last few weeks or just get right back in...

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa

Summer by the Tides, book #13

Similar to the other book I read, but different just the same.  Loved this for sure!!

When her grandmother goes missing from the family beach house, Maddy and her estranged sisters converge in Sea Haven, North Carolina. Being with uptight Nora and free-spirited Emma in the home where their family broke apart is a struggle Maddy is not in the mood to face, especially since she's recovering from her ex-boyfriend's betrayal.  As the sisters wait for word of their grandmother, they begin to pack up the family belongings--and unpack memories of the idyllic summers of their childhood. But with those memories come long-buried secrets, and Maddy discovers that all was not as it appeared that last summer in Sea Haven. Meanwhile, Gram's neighbor, Connor Sullivan, seems overly interested in Gram's whereabouts. Maddy is drawn in by his quick smile and steady gaze in spite of herself.  Undercurrents of jealousy and resentment threaten to pull the family under again, maybe for good this time. As tensions rise, the sisters must find a way to accept each other for the women they've become--and Maddy must decide if falling in love again is worth the potential heartbreak.  (picture and description from Amazon)

Hope by Book Club Buddies love it as much as I did!

O:)
Melissa

Just 18 Summers, book #12

Poignant.  Fitting.  Sad.  Happy.  Sigh ...

After the tragic death of Butch Browning's wife, Jenny, four families begin to realize how precious―and fleeting―their time together is. Each is at a different stage in life: Butch is facing single parenthood. The O'Reillys are expecting their first child. The Andersons are approaching an empty nest, and the Buckleys are so focused on providing their children with everything that they've forgotten what they truly need. With just eighteen summers before their children are grown, how do they make the most of that time when life so often gets in the way? As summer flies by, each of these parents must learn about guilt and grace . . . and when to hold on to their kids and when to let go.  (picture and description at Amazon)

Keep reading!

O:)
Melissa

On a Summer Tide, book #11

Sadly, our local Lifeway store is going out of business.  There are layers to the sadness of this, but it is a fact of life and there is no turning back.  While visiting the store one of the last times for book club last week, BFF Deanie picked up several fiction books to think about purchasing.  She changed her mind about this one and another one, but then I decided I wanted them so I bought them. I was not disappointed!!

Sometimes love hurts--and sometimes it can heal in the most unexpected way. Camden Grayson loves her challenging career, but the rest of her life could use some improvement. "Moving on" is Cam's mantra. But there's a difference, her two sisters insist, between one who moves on . . . and one who keeps moving.  Cam's full-throttle life skids to a stop when her father buys a remote island off the coast of Maine. Paul Grayson has a dream to breathe new life into the island--a dream that includes reuniting his estranged daughters. Certain Dad has lost his mind, the three sisters rush to the island. To Cam's surprise, the slow pace of island life appeals to her, along with the locals--and one in particular. Seth Walker, the scruffy island schoolteacher harbors more than a few surprises.  (picture and description from Amazon)

We have picked another book similar to this for book club this month which is on my paperwhite.  However, we are going to the beach next week (HALLELUJAH!!!) so I think I'm going to take a paperback to read instead.  On our vacation I plan to spend as many waking hours as possible ON THE BEACH!!!

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa

Calico Spy, book #10

So sweet Katie got this book from my mom for Christmas and she said she was really enjoying reading it, but the lure of Youtube videos is pretty strong in that one.  :)  I had been itching to read this, so finally she just gave it to me and told me to tell her what happens.  I gladly took it off her hands and consumed in less than a week.  You know me, it's hard to go wrong with 1880s westerns, especially with a handsome sheriff like Branch Whitman!

Pinkerton operative Katie Madison’s newest case takes her to Calico, Kansas, where two Harvey House restaurant waitresses were murdered in mysterious circumstances. Calico’s sheriff, Branch Whitman, has never met a Pink he liked and is stunned to learn the pretty redhead’s true identity as she works undercover as a Harvey girl. A tornado hits town, and a past deception puts Branch’s eight-year-old-son in danger. Now the Sheriff has no choice but to work with Katie—or chance losing everything he holds dear.  (Picture and description at Amazon)

For more information on Harvey girls, check out this website!

This week is Book Club, so we will have to wait and see what is next ... or I could still start on my new books I got for my birthday!!
Keep Reading!!

O:)
Melissa

GI Brides : Love Letters Unite Three Couples Divided by World War II, Book #9

Although I do love me some Grace Livingston Hill, I wasn't quite feeling it this time around.  This collection actually has three books in it, so we decided this month we would just pick however many of the three wanted to read and report back at Book Club.  I chose to read just one, More Than Conqueror.

When Charlie Montgomery, a handsome soldier, declares his love for Blythe Bonniwell, she realizes she should be offended. But she isn't -- in fact, she's honored! Blythe returns Charlie's love, and promises to remain faithful to him while he is away at war. Though thrilled at Blythe's response, Charlie knows all too well that the special mission he has been assigned to means that he is facing almost certain death. He can offer Blythe little hope for his return, or for their future happiness. Yet, in the midst of fear and peril, Charlie and Blythe find a source of strength and peace that will keep them united forever. (picture at Amazon, description at Google Books.)

I got some amazing new books for my birthday that I have been anxious to get into, so I'll just have to chose which one is next!

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa

From a Distance, book #8

Enjoyed my foray into nonfiction, but absolutely LOVED getting back to the pioneers and ANOTHER AMAZING BOOK BY TAMARA ALEXANDER!!!  Just like all her other ones, enough detail to make you feel like you were there, but not enough so that you lose the story line!

What happens when the realization of a dream isn't what you imagined. . . and the secret you've spent a lifetime guarding is finally laid bare?

Determined to become one of the country's premier newspaper photographers, Elizabeth Westbrook travels to the Colorado Territory to capture the grandeur of the mountains surrounding the remote town of Timber Ridge. She hopes, too, that the cool, dry air of Colorado, and its renowned hot springs, will cure the mysterious illness that threatens her career, and her life. Daniel Ranslett, a former Confederate sharpshooter, is a man shackled by his past, and he'll do anything to protect his land, and his solitude. When an outspoken Yankee photographer captures an image that appears key to solving a murder, putting herself in danger, Daniel is called upon to repay a debt. He's a man of his word, but repaying that debt could bring secrets from his past to light. Forced on a perilous journey together, Daniel and Elizabeth's lives intertwine in ways neither could have imagined when first they met . . . from a distance.  (picture and description from Amazon)

Only problem is, this is book 1 in a series of 3.  And I got other books to read!  

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa

The Pretender: My Life Undercover for the FBI, book #7

Needless to say, it's been a while since I have read some non-fiction.  I can't help it, I'm a fiction junkie!  But Rebecca brought this book home from school and I knew I had to snag it and read it first.  I do love my pioneers and indians in my books, but I love me some good detective/FBI shows on TV.  

This book was amazing!!!  Marc is an excellent storyteller, mixing in super scary stories with hilarious anecdotes.  It took me a while to plug through it, with everything else going on, but I loved every word in it!!  It's 5 star for me!!

Of all the tools available to law enforcement, the living, breathing undercover operative remains the gold standard. This is true in TV shows and in the real world. In the era of electronic surveillance, UC work enforces accountability; it prevents mistakes, and of all the boots on the ground, undercover agents are often the most valuable.  The FBI generally has about 100 UC agents working full-time in the field. In the 1990s and 2000s, Marc Ruskin had the most diverse, and notorious, case list of all, and the broadest experience within the bureaucracy, including overseas. He worked ops targeting public corruption, corporate fraud, Wall Street scams, narcotics trafficking, La Cosa Nostra, counterfeiting―and gritty street-level scams and schemes.  Sometimes working three or four cases simultaneously, Ruskin switched identities by the day: Each morning he had to walk out the door with the correct ID, clothes, accessories and frame of mind for that day’s mission. Meet Alex Perez, Alejandro Marconi, and Sal Morelli, just a few of Ruskin’s undercover personas. And how is the right UC agent chosen, how is a bogus identity manufactured and “backstopped,” how is the Bureau's long-term con painstakingly assembled? No one has ever given us the inside story like Ruskin. The Pretender is the definitive narrative of undercover ops―the procedures, the successes, the failures--and the changes in the culture of the new-era FBI. (picture and description from Amazon)

So now it is less than one week to Book Club and I haven't even cracked my book!  I gotta get on the ball!


Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa

The Dance, book #6

After reading last month's Book Club Book, I had to read some more of Dan Walsh.  This one was really good and almost hit a little too close to home.

Jim Anderson is a successful businessman, and his wife, Marilyn, is the perfect wife. And why wouldn't she be? He gives her everything she needs. That's why Jim never expected to come home one day and find Marilyn gone.After 27 years of marriage, Marilyn has had enough of feeling unloved and neglected. She wants to experience some measure of happiness before she's too old to enjoy it, even signing up for dance lessons, something Jim would never do. What will it take for Jim to finally become the man Marilyn needs him to be? (picture and description at Amazon)

Keep reading!  

O:)
Melissa

When Night Comes, book #5

I've only read 5 books in 2019 and it is April?!?  Clearly I need to get on the ball here!

That said, its been a while since I've had a stay-up-all-night-to-finish-a-book-because-I-can't-wait-to-see-what-happens night, but this one did it.  Good writing, good story, slowly released details of plot and did not dump them all at once ... I'd highly recommend it!

Jack Turner comes back to Culpepper to give a series of lectures for his old history professor. Within days, he starts having bizarre experiences at night. Like he’s traveling back in time, experiencing the epic events in his lectures firsthand. He has no control over these experiences and can’t make them stop. Joe Boyd thought he’d left big city crime back in Pittsburgh when he took a detective job in Culpepper, Georgia, a sleepy southern college town. His peaceful life ends when two students turn up dead in two weeks. The coroner is saying natural causes, but something doesn’t add up.  Rachel Cook, a teaching assistant at Culpepper, can’t believe Jack is back in her life again. She’s had a crush on him since she was fourteen, but Jack never knew. He instantly seems attracted to her, but she can tell…something is deeply troubling him.  Watching all this from a distance is Nigel Avery. He’s certain this experiment’s about to unravel. It’ll be his job to tie up all the loose ends when it does. (description and picture at Amazon)

I think I need to now go and find the rest of this series!

O:)
Melissa

The Memory Weaver, book #4

I always love to read Jane Kirkpatrick, but this book was not one of my favorites by a long stretch.  We moped with the main character through 90% of the book before anything good happened, and then BOOM! It was over.  

Eliza Spalding Warren was just a child when she was taken hostage by the Cayuse Indians during a massacre in 1847. Now the young mother of two children, Eliza faces a different kind of dislocation; her impulsive husband wants them to make a new start in another territory, which will mean leaving her beloved home and her departed mother's grave--and returning to the land of her captivity. Eliza longs to know how her mother, an early missionary to the Nez Perce Indians, dealt with the challenges of life with a sometimes difficult husband and with her daughter's captivity. When Eliza is finally given her mother's diary, she is stunned to find that her own memories are not necessarily the whole story of what happened. Can she lay the dark past to rest and move on? Or will her childhood memories always hold her hostage? (photo and description from Amazon)

Here's hoping the next book will be better!

O:)

Melissa

Whispers and Dreams, book #3

At first I thought this book would be hard to read, since it seems to be written in "real time" first person [remember, NOT an english major! :)] but there were only a few clunky parts.  Really cute story.  Light and fun!  Reminds you to chase your dreams.  

Melissa had her whole life planned – the perfect job, the perfect guy, the perfect family, in the perfect town, but as she is preparing to walk the aisle on her wedding day, she can’t ignore the Whisper any longer. As she listens to the Whisper she’s led to a place she never knew existed – a tiny mission church that ministers to a Native American community. There she meets a little girl with a secret and a handsome missionary with a heartbreaking past. Will she continue to follow the Whisper to a strange and exciting, but scary and unpredictable life, or will she wise up and settle for the perfectly plotted comfortable life she thought she always wanted? (picture and description from amazon)

Excited to start our next Book Club, it's back to cowboys, pioneers and indians!!

O:)
Melissa

Brunch at the Bittersweet Cafe, book #2

After finally recovering from the first book of the year, and knowing Book Club was coming up, I was ready to jump into this yummy goodie.

While it was not as quite the same level of intensity as the last one, it was exceptional and kept me on the edge of my seat, especially as it got closer to the end.  I mean, usually in books like this you can pretty much guess how it is going to turn out, but I literally was not sure which way it was going to go!  It was a good ride, all the way to the end!

Baker and pastry chef Melody Johansson has always believed in finding the positive in every situation, but seven years after she moved to Denver, she can’t deny that she’s stuck in a rut. One relationship after another has ended in disaster, and her classical French training is being wasted on her night job in a mediocre chain bakery. Then the charming and handsome private pilot Justin Keller lands on the doorstep of her workplace in a snowstorm, and Melody feels like it’s a sign that her luck is finally turning around. Justin is intrigued by the lively bohemian baker, but the last thing he’s looking for is a relationship. His own romantic failures have proven that the demands of his job are incompatible with meaningful connections, and he’s already pledged his life savings to a new business venture across the country—an island air charter in Florida with his sister and brother-in-law.  Against their better judgment, Melody and Justin find themselves drawn together by their unconventional career choices and shared love of adventure. But when an unexpected windfall provides Melody with the chance to open her dream bakery-café in Denver with her best friend, chef Rachel Bishop, she’s faced with an impossible choice: stay and put down roots with the people and place she’s come to call home . . . or give it all up for the man she loves. (picture and description from Amazon)

Happy Reading!

O:)
Melissa

With This Pledge, book #1

New Year and New Books to read!

This was our book for book club this month and what can I say except that I have a new favorite book.  Tamara Alexander is highly talented and does her research well.  I felt as if I was actually there walking through all the feels with the characters.  Of course, considering every day I drove to work I WAS right where a lot of the action happened.  

The author is a local chick and I just found out she is having a reading and book signing THIS SUNDAY (1/20/19) at Carnton and I just signed up to go!

This is a must read for Civil War history buffs!

What can a woman - a mere governess - do against the scourge of slavery?  Elizabeth "Lizzie" Clouston's quietly held principles oppose those of the Southern Cause--but when forty thousand soldiers converge on the fields of Franklin, Tennessee, the war demands an answer. The Carnton home, where she is governess, is converted into a Confederate hospital, and Lizzie is called upon to assist the military doctor with surgeries that determine life or death. Faced with the unimaginable, she must summon fortitude, even as she fears for the life of Towny, her fiancé and lifelong friend.  As a young soldier lies dying in Lizzie's arms, she vows to relay his final words to his mother, but knows little more than the boy's first name. That same night, decorated Mississippi sharpshooter Captain Roland Ward Jones extracts a different promise from Lizzie: that she intervene should the surgeon decide to amputate his leg.  Lizzie is nothing if not a woman of her word, earning the soldiers' respect as she tends to the wounded within Carnton's walls. None is more admiring than Captain Jones, who doesn't realize she is pledged to another. But as Lizzie's heart softens toward the Confederate captain, she discovers his moral ground is at odds with her own. Now torn between love, principles, and pledges made, she struggles to be true to her own heart while standing for what she knows is right--no matter the cost.  From the pages of history and the personal accounts of those who endured the Battle of Franklin, Tamera Alexander weaves the real-life love letters between Captain Roland Ward Jones and Miss Elizabeth Clouston into a story of unlikely romance first kindled amid the shadows of war. (picture and description from Amazon)


Not even sure how to pick up another book after that ...

O:)
Melissa