A Mighty Fortress (Hymns of the West #1), book #39

 

What sounded to be a good book ended up being a bust.  Or maybe, since I hadn't read this author before, I didn't know what I was getting into. Although this book was published in 2013, it read more like a Grace Livingston Hill book (written in the early 1900s).  She has written several books in this series, as well as various other series.  Probably not reading any more of hers.  

Joshua and Ruth Brookings travel by stagecoach to finally join their parents in Montana. Attacked by murderous outlaws, the teens barely escape with their lives and must survive in the rugged wilderness of Wyoming and Montana all while escaping the man who's hunting them.  Seven years ago, Jed Stuart ran away from home and joined Tom's gang. Jed is tired of the lawlessness and wants out. The only problem? He is the boss's right-hand man and will never be able to leave. And what's one more stagecoach robbery, anyway?  Can Joshua lean on God's strength to keep himself and his sister alive until they find a town? Will Jed be able to face his anger or will it consume him completely? All three are running—the hunter and hunted. What will happen when they meet again?  Dive into a thrilling tale of suspense, resilience, and redemption. (picture and description at Amazon)

Just because you get a bum book, though, doesn't mean you should stop reading! :)

Melissa

Sandpiper Beach (Hope Harbor #3), book #38

 

Another sweet unexpected couple from Hope Harbor :)

Hope Harbor police chief Lexie Graham has plenty on her plate raising her son alone and dealing with a sudden rash of petty theft and vandalism in her coastal Oregon hometown. As a result, she has zero time for extracurricular activities--including romance. Ex-con Adam Stone isn't looking for love either--but how ironic is it that the first woman to catch his eye is a police chief? Yet wishing for things that can never be is foolish.  Nevertheless, when Lexie enlists Adam's help to keep a young man from falling into a life of crime, sparks begin to fly. And as they work together, it soon becomes apparent that God may have a different--and better--future planned for them than either could imagine.

On Tuesday we meet for the Faculty Book Club and Thursday will be regular Book Club!  I'm so excited!!

Keep Reading!

Melissa

Blackberry Beach (Hope Harbor #7), book #37

 

It never gets old in Hope Harbor ...

Katherine Parker is on the cusp of having everything she ever wanted--fame, money, and acclaim. So why isn't she happy? In search of answers, she comes incognito to Hope Harbor on the Oregon coast for some R&R. Maybe in her secluded rental house overlooking the serene Pacific she'll be able to calm the storm inside.  Coffee shop owner Zach Garrett has found his niche after a traumatic loss--and he has no plans to change the life he's created. Nor does he want to get involved with his reticent new neighbor, whose past is shrouded in mystery. He's had enough drama to last a lifetime. But when Katherine and Zach are recruited to help rehab a home for foster children, sparks fly. And as their lives begin to intersect, might they find more common ground than they expected . . . and discover that, with love, all things are possible?  (Picture and description at Amazon)

Gonna squeeze in another one before I start on our Book Club book!

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Melissa

Piece de Resistance, book #37

 

Aah, the thrilling conclusion!  This author kept me entertained all the way through all three books, right up until the end of this one.  And it ended just the way I hoped it would, although it was a little touch or go there for a while.  I highly recommend this sweet little series; at about 300 pages each they are quick and fun reads!

Having earned her chef's hat, Lexi Stuart bids au revoir to her glamorous and deliciously satisfying pastry mentorship to find life unexpectedly complicated.  She's now in charge of a high-end catering bakery, but there's a catch: she must make this lavish bakery a successful business in just a few short months. In over her head and at a loss for creative marketing ideas, Lexi can't compose the perfect recipe for success.  Stir in a complicated relationship with her French beau, then add a dash of romance with her down-to-earth lawyer, and life suddenly contains more oh là là than Lexi can handle.  (Picture and description at Amazon)

Now it's time to hunt for a new Book Club book!

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Melissa

Bon Appetit, book #36

 

The story continues!  Thanks to a day in bed with a migraine and the fact that it only had 290 pages, I whipped through this one pretty quick.  It was just as quirky and fun as the last one, leaving you hanging right up until the last chapter.

Lexi Stuart is risking it all. Saying au revoir to the security of home, her job, and her could-be boyfriend, she embarks on a culinary adventure in France to fulfill her dream of becoming a pastry chef.  Life in her new quaint French village should be everything she dreamed of, but settling in isn't nearly as easy as she imagined. Her optimism is greeted with both acceptance and resistance in the people and culture around her—soft and crusty at the same time— like the best baguettes. Determined to gain her footing, she presses into her work, meets new friends, and makes the acquaintance of a child named Celine and Celine's attractive, widowed father.  As Lexi lives her dream, she realizes she can have anything from life's patisserie display window, but not everything. How will she choose?  (picture and description at Amazon)

I'm kinda sad to read the last book because I don't want the fun to end, but I very curious to see how it will end for Lexie!

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Melissa

Let Them Eat Cake, book #35

 

While I'm in between books before Book Club next week, I decided to read this fun book and let me tell you, it was *sweet* 😊  I hope I have already purchased the second book because I'll be ready to pick it up tonight!

What do you do when you've got a degree in French and absolutely no job prospects? Of course, you slide into your favorite French bakery for a café crème! When a lighthearted conversation with the manager of the local patisserie turns into a job offer, Lexi Stuart gladly accepts.  She indulges in tasty pastries and wins over skeptical coworkers, but the glamour is minimal, and the pay is less than generous. Trouble by the handful is stirred into her life as she juggles the flirtatious baker she has her eye on and a handsome young executive who likes Lexi even more than her Napoleons.  As she folds together dilemma and delight, Lexi learns that trying to fulfill everyone else's expectations is not satisfying. Instead, she must risk everything safe and comfortable to find out if the dream is within her reach.  (Picture and description at Amazon)

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Melissa

Double Indemnity, book #34

 

Sigh, it's been a while since I read a Robert Whitlow book and I wasn't sure about going from Hope Harbor to World War II to this, but it took right off and I was sold in the first chapter!  He never fails to disappoint!

This was an actual paperbook I read for a change.  For my birthday/Mother's Day I was in Jackson and Katie took me to Books-A-Million and bought me two books! 😀This was one of them.  I am debating about reading the other one next.  I think it is called something like The Beach in Autumn so I was going to wait until it cooled off a bit, but since it is 81 degrees today in mid-September I might have to wait.  

Matt and Elena Thompson present the picture of perfection. But their enviable life isn’t all it seems. Their marriage is on the rocks, and financial disaster looms. Then Matt is killed in a hunting accident, and the questions and accusations begin to mount.  Attorney Liz Acosta, newly arrived in the mountains of north Georgia after graduating from law school, plans to get some job experience on her resume before returning home to seek a position with a big-time firm. Intellectual pastor Connor Grantham isn’t sure that shepherding a rural congregation is what he ultimately wants to do with his life. Drawn to philosophy, theology, and nature, he’s beginning to feel more at home in north Georgia—especially after he meets the brilliant and energetic Liz.  While Liz and Connor spend more time with each other and discover just how compatible two people from wildly different backgrounds can be, they’re also being drawn into the shadowy world of Matt and Elena Thompson. As the couple’s marriage counselor, Connor finds himself in the middle of their explosive arguments. As Elena’s attorney, Liz is caught in the tailspin created by Matt’s death.  Together, Connor and Liz attempt to solve the mystery of what really happened to Matt. If his death is ruled an accident, then the double indemnity clause in his life insurance would go into effect, essentially doubling the payout. But as Liz sorts through the legal paperwork of who stands to gain an immense sum of money from Matt’s death, Connor is accused of the unthinkable with much more at stake than millions of dollars. (picture and description from Amazon)

I could always go back to Hope Harbor to finish the last few few books, or I could jump around to something else.  Hhm...

Keep reading!

Melissa