Category Archives: Bethany House

Within My Heart by Tamera Alexander

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Within My Heart by Tamera Alexander

Have you ever lost a spouse? If so, did you ever get married again?

Widowed, Rachel Boyd is struggling to raise her two boys alone while trying to keep her failing ranch afloat. She finds herself attracted to Rand Brookston, the new doctor in town. However, she’s not over the death of her husband, plus, her father was a doctor, and she knows how hectic a doctor’s life can be. Is Rand really the right man for her?

Rand struggles with fears from the past, fears that haunt him every night. He’s afraid of the dark, sleeping with his lamp on, plagued with traumatic memories. He cares for the people in the small town, often deferring payment since he knows that it’s imperative to give others medical treatment. Rand’s love of medicine and caring for others is shown by how he cares for a critically ill friend. He’s also attracted to Rachel, but, wonders if he’ll ever overcome his fears, so that he can be free to fall in love.

I enjoyed this book. The characters were rich and deep and there were a lot of secondary characters that added depth to the novel. If you like historicals, then you’ll probably enjoy this book. I also enjoyed reading about the life of a doctor during historical times. The author did great research and I recognized some of the medicine used by Rand. I currently use a lot of herbal remedies for ailments and I noticed that during historical times, they used lots of herbal remedies since Western medicine, as we know it today, was not yet used (far as I know).

So, have you ever lost a spouse? If so, how long did you wait before you got married again?

The Hope Within By Tracie Peterson

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The Hope Within by Tracie Peterson

Do you have a hard time bonding with your in-laws?

When Diane’s husband (Cole) father gets ill, he must return to his childhood home before his father dies. He brings Diane and his children with him – his father has never met Diane nor has he ever seen Cole’s children. Once they arrive, Diane and her children get a mean, chilly reception from Cole’s mother and sisters. Cole’s mother’s attitude places a splinter in Cole’s and Diane’s marriage, placing the welfare of their children in jeopardy. But Cole feels torn, he wants to please his mother as well as his family – he wants to make everything right but has a hard time doing this. Diane’s in-laws fail to bond with her, in spite of her repeated attempts at friendship.

This was a good historical story that touches upon a lot of issues, including race, familial relationships, and rape. The book was a quick read and I highly recommend it.

So, do you have a hard time bonding with your in-laws? Leave a comment!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

The Calling Of Emily Evans by Janette Oake

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The Calling of Emily Evans by Janette Oake

Do you think women should be allowed to preach, leading their own church?

I enjoyed this book. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a Janette Oake book.

After Emily Evans is finished with her Bible school training, she feels called to start a church. As a young woman, her options are limited – how can a female be chosen to start a church. The church committee sends Emily to a remote town to start her church – alone. I thought the premise of this story was extremely interesting – it’s a historical story, yet, there’s a woman leading a church. I loved seeing Emily trying to fit into the small town life, attempting to share the gospel with the town’s inhabitants.

This story also shows how the people in Emily’s town struggle with their faith. There’s a battered wife who struggles to raise her children and another woman who is raising her children alone.

I loved reading about Emily leading her small church, writing her sermons each Saturday, sharing her faith in God. I also loved her title – Emily was known as a deaconess. I’d never heard that term until I read this story.

So, what do you think about women in the pulpit? Do you think women should be able allowed to start their own churches?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

My romance collection is on sale for 99 cents each.

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Stealing The Preacher by Karen Witemeyer

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Stealing The Preacher

Have you ever dated a preacher?

Crockett Archer’s life is about to change forever. When some bandits kidnap him from a passenger train as a birthday gift for a daughter, he wonders why God has placed him in such a circumstance.

When Joanna Robbins meets her “gift” she’s flabbergasted. She needs a preacher for their abandoned church, and Crockett Archer seems a perfect candidate. However, Crockett has other plans, he’s already set to take a pastoral position elsewhere.

Joanna finds herself smitten with handsome Crockett. Is he really an answer to her prayers? Can Crockett soften her father (Silas) heart, opening him up so that he can accept Jesus into his life?

I really enjoyed this book. It started off with a bang and just kept moving along at a good, steady pace. I really loved the inspirational message in the book. Joanna really feels that Crockett may be the right preacher to lead their church and to soften her father’s heart. Also, Joanna is still grieving over the death of her mother. She finds solace in her art studio painting pictures – a talent she’s inherited from her mother.

Crockett is different than most preachers. He’s a former hardworking rancher, who lived on a secluded ranch with his  brothers for several years. Unlike most preachers, he’ll physically fight when he needs to. He has a deep heart for God and feels called to preach.

The characters and the scenery in this book were so amazing and well done. I loved this book and look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.

Have you ever dated a clergyman? If so, what happened? How long did you date? Did you ever marry?

My romance collection is on sale for 99 cents each.

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The Deposit Slip by Todd M. Johnson

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The Deposit Slip by Todd M. Johnson

What would you do if a deceased relative left you with a 10-million-dollar deposit slip? Would you wonder what happened to all that cash?

I thought the premise for this novel was very exciting. After Erin Larson’s father dies, she goes through his safe deposit box at the bank. Erin is shocked when she finds a deposit slip for ten million dollars. However, the bank claims to have no record of the deposit, and they claim the bank account does not exist.

Erin is determined to find out what’s happened to this money. She attempts to hire a lawyer to take on her case – she hires several since most of the lawyers are scared off of the case due to some legal reasons. Meanwhile, her life is in danger – people in her small town want to stop her from bringing her case to trial.  Her car is vandalized, but, she refuses to give up.

Meanwhile, due to a tip, Erin is able to find a lawyer, Jared Neaton. Jared left his large law firm to form his own law practice, and, so far, his practice has not been successful. The bills are piling up and he can barely pay his legal secretary’s salary. In spite of Erin’s wild, shot-in-the-dark case, he feels compelled to represent her, even though he knows he may lose, and risk losing even more money than he has to spare.

When Jared returns to his small hometown as Erin’s lawyer, the ghosts from his past haunt him. He’s forced to face the problems he’s had with his ex-con father since he’s now living in his dad’s home. Jared’s faith has also diminished, and he has not been to church in years.

Like I said, I found the premise of this book to be intriguing because I usually enjoy reading novels involving money and financial matters. Although the plot was good, I found it hard to connect with the characters. I’m not sure why. I thought the story was well-written, so, it’s probably just one of those quirky things about my taste in novels. Although I “kinda” was interested in finding out what happened next in the book, I just didn’t get emotionally involved with the story. When I read a book, I want it to elicit some type of emotion from me, and I just couldn’t seem to get to that point with this novel.

However, I could imagine lots of people enjoying this book. So, if you like mystery and suspense titles, then, you should give this one a try. Many thanks to Bethany House for providing me with a free review copy.

So, what would you do if a deceased relative left you with a 10-million-dollar deposit slip? Would you search for the money?

~Cecelia Dowdy~

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Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer

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Short-Straw Bride by Karen Witemeyer

Can you imagine dreaming about your childhood Prince Charming for years, and then marrying him as an adult?

When Meredith Hayes stepped onto the forbidden Archer land as a child, she was only trying to obtain her scattered lunch pail that had been hoisted by a town bully. Dared by other schoolmates, she bravely steps onto the land only to have her leg caught in a steel trap. When handsome Travis Archer comes to her rescue, she discovers that the reclusive Archer brother is not mean and evil as the townsfolk claim. He gets her out of the trap, setting her on her way home.

Now, several years later, Meredith is an adult and she suffers from a gimp leg as a result of the steel-trap accident. Over the years, she’s dreamed about Travis Archer as being her Prince Charming. She’s now devastated that her current guardians, her aunt and uncle, want her to marry terrible Roy Mitchell. Roy only wants to marry Meredith for her land – having control over her land could greatly increase Roy’s wealth. After overhearing Roy give orders to set fire to the Archer property, hoping to force them to sell their land, Meredith feels she can’t sit around and watch the Archers suffer. She sneaks onto the property to warn them of the attack, wanting to return the kindness that Travis showed her several years ago. However, the Archer brothers, especially Travis, are dumbstruck when a woman comes limping onto their property with her warning.

The Archers are recluses, hardly receiving any visitors as they ban others from their property. Meredith’s sudden presence throws a HUGE monkey-wrench into their lives. When she’s kicked by a mule and injured, she’s forced to spend the night on the Archer property. Staying overnight with a houseful of men ruin’s Meredith’s reputation and she’s forced to marry one of the Archer brothers – Travis, of course! 🙂

This book was a real treat for me to read and I loved how the story unfolded. Travis and his brothers have little contact with the outside world due to a promise Travis made to his dying father. Since they live as hermits, their lives are thrown into turmoil when Meredith arrives. Meredith’s kindness, thoughtfulness, and gentle nature reach out to Travis’s wounded spirit, making him see that shutting others out is not always the right thing to do. I also thought the marriage of convenience between Travis and Meredith was touching. I guess I felt that way because I know that Meredith has been dreaming about Travis for years, and Travis is smitten when Meredith shows up on his property again, years later.

The characters in this novel are so well-developed and the plot was excellent. The story moved forward and you were anxious to see what happened to Travis and Meredith once they tied the knot.

Many thanks to Bethany House for sending me a free review copy. I highly appreciated this wonderful novel!

Have you ever had a childhood crush that lasted for years? Leave a comment!

~Cecelia Dowdy~

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Submerged by Dani Pettrey

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Submerged by Dani Pettrey

Have you ever read a book and thought, “This would make a good movie?” Well, that’s how I felt about Submerged. While I was reading, I kept thinking that this novel should be placed upon the silver screen.

When Bailey Craig returns to her small Alaskan town of Yancey for her Aunt Agnes’s funeral, she stumbles upon a mystery. Her aunt was the passenger in a small plane that went down into the water. It appears that the plane’s fate was NOT an accident. As Bailey stays in her aunt’s store, The Post, she looks for clues as to why somebody may want her aunt dead.

She also comes into contact with Cole, her old high-school boyfriend. Bailey loved Cole all those years ago, however, she was not good enough for him. Known as being an easy lay, her reputation with the town made it impossible to accept Cole’s love. She breaks his heart, leaving Yancey, never to return until her Aunt Agnes dies.

When Bailey returns to Yancey, Cole is stunned to see her. Still beautiful, he longs to get to know her again, surprised to discover that his love for her has not died after all these years. He finds himself wanting to protect Bailey from the unjust comments from the town’s men – some have not forgotten about Bailey’s lewd high school reputation, and the taunting remarks deeply hurt Bailey’s feelings.

Cole and Bailey work together, along with the Yancey police force, to solve the mystery of the downed plane. People are murdered in the small, quiet town, making the townspeople leery. Tourism is a big draw to Yancey and hopefully the town’s livelihood won’t be affected once news of the murders has been leaked. Cole and Bailey recall their younger years as they dive together, trying to piece together the clues that will assist them in solving the mystery. Time is of the essence – they need to figure out the identity of the murderer before other victims are claimed.

Bailey struggles with her deep feelings for Cole. She loves him, and loves the deep camaraderie and affection he shows for his family. Craving a deep family relationship, Bailey wonders if she’ll ever fit into Cole’s loving family. An only child, she’s never had a healthy relationship with her immediate kin. She was abandoned by her mother when she was a teen and she’s always felt like an odd duck, left out of deep family relationships.

Two diaries, an orb, Russian royalty, and an undersea Alaskan town all play into this unique plot that will keep you turning the pages.

I really enjoyed this book! I also loved how Bailey and Cole were still in love after all those years. The attraction between the two of them was deep and soothing, making you crave to see them work through their issues. This book shows that we need to freely accept God’s grace for our sins and not hold onto past hurts and pains – accepting God’s love with no boundaries can prove to be a blessing.

Many thanks to Bethany House for providing me with a free review copy.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

 

These Tangled Threads By Tracie Peterson And Judith Miller

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These Tangled Threads – Book #3 in the Bells Of Lowell series.

Daughtie Winfield is still trying to fit in with the society in Lowell since she left the Shaker village. She doesn’t agree with some of the Shaker beliefs, which prompted her to leave the religious sect. However, one Shaker belief that Daughtie accepts is equality among men. She feels that all men are created equal in the eyes of God and should not be discriminated against because of skin-color or nationality.

When Daughtie starts a friendship with an Irishman named Liam Donohue, her friends strongly object to the relationship. The Irish live in a separate section in Lowell – a paddy camp and the poverty and filth in the Irish neighborhood proves heartbreaking. Liam is a stonemason and he’s managed to build his own house and make a decent living for himself. He is smitten with Daughtie, however, he wonders if their relationship is a good idea. If Daughtie is seen keeping company with an Irishman, it’ll ruin her reputation.

The plight of slavery also comes into play in this book when a woman speaks in Lowell about the injustice of slavery. Both Daughtie and Liam are determined to do what they can to aid in the fight against slavery. Daughtie also points out that the prejudice against the Irish mimics the slavery issue – both groups suffer from deep prejudice that goes against God’s law.

This was the last book in the Bells of Lowell series and I enjoyed it as much as the first two. I especially liked how Daughtie used her Bible to make her point, making sure she didn’t care what others believed as long as what she was doing didn’t go against God’s word.

This book also touched upon a few political issues and work issues in the mills. The mill girls threaten a strike when their wages are lowered.

I recommend this series if you enjoy other books by Tracie Peterson.

I reviewed the first book in this series here. I reviewed the second book here.

~Cecelia Dowdy~

A Fragile Design By Tracie Peterson And Judith Miller

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A Fragile Design – Book #2 in the Bells Of Lowell series.

Bella Newberry flees from her home with the Shakers to seek out a new life in the town of Lowell. The Shakers think that marriage, sex, and pregnancy are sins, and she doesn’t feel that the Shakers’ beliefs match with God’s. With her Shaker friend Daughtie along, they arrive in Lowell to work in the mills. While Bella adjusts to her new life, she finds that Daughtie falters with living away from the Shakers. Daughtie misses her Shaker family and wonders if she’s made a mistake.

Meanwhile, Bella makes her stance known – she thinks that men and women are equal and that women should have the same opportunities as men. When she meets handsome womanizer Taylor Manning, she finds herself annoyed with him. He toys with women’s emotions and appears only to be seeking out his next conquest – Bella doesn’t want to be another conquest to Taylor. After all, she finds that she can’t trust men. Her father abandoned her as his daughter when they joined the Shakers, plus, Jesse, the man who was supposed to leave the Shaker village with her, failed to appear on their agreed-upon day and she was forced to travel alone with Daughtie.

While Bella works in the mills and tries to find better educational opportunities for the women in Lowell, a mystery shrouds the town. Women, mostly Irish women, are disappearing and nobody knows why. The police do nothing to find these women and you’re left wondering why these girls disappear. Since most are Irish, the case is not given much attention due to the prejudice against the Irish who live in the paddy camps.

This book was a feel-good, gentle, enjoyable read. I especially liked that Bella escaped from the Shaker village. I’m glad that she saw that the Shakers’ beliefs are not Christian. Also seeing her working in the mills is interesting, too. To see an entire group of women working for a company spinning fabric is a unique storyline during this time in history.

I reviewed the first book in this series here. There is still one more story to read from this series entitled These Tangled Threads. I will review that one sometime in the future.

~Cecelia Dowdy~