CentralEast2

After reading the Quilted Heart Novellas, I was more that ready to read Prairie Song.  The novellas introduced many of the characters and then you got to interact with them on their journey west.  The wagon train has left St. Charles and they are making their way westward.  Caroline is acting as a nanny for a family so that she can make her way on her own and while the children are no really a problem, she does have a few interactions with their grandmother.  She also finds herself growing more attached to the captain of the trip.  Anna is traveling with her mother and grandfather and finds herself keeping busy keeping an eye on her mother and butting heads with one of the trail hands.  A very enjoyable book and I am eagerly awaiting the next book to see how their journey west continues. More from the author can be found at   http://www.monahodgson.com/ “I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”

This is a great read and introduction to the Dearing family.  I really enjoyed seeing the family dynamics and how it could be hard to fit into the family if you didn't really have the right personality.  I liked how Tamel managed to keep trying to stay a part of the family and how Christina finally managed to realized how to become a part of a family.

I enjoyed reading this book by Carol Cox.  Melanie suddenly finds herself without a job and is in a quandary about what to do next, when she runs across a letter from her cousin.  Her cousin had a store in Arizona and while he has passed away, she feels like his partner will give her a job in the store and heads for Arizona.  When she gets there, she finds the partner has died as well, but soon convinces his relative to allow her to live above the store and work there. Caleb has taken over working at the store and doesn't like the changes that Melanie wants to make and tries to get her married off, but after realizing that she might be in danger living at the store, he soon begins to care for her himself.  The have to figure out who is leaving threatening notes and work on changing the public's perception of what is going on with the store and some people who were associated with the store. I received this book free to review.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It kept me turning the pages to see where they would wind up next and what clue they would uncover. The relationships of the book were great too seeing how they developed. I think I will have to go and find the first book and eagerly await a new one.  (   )

A nice preview to the upcoming full length book.  This is a third in a set of novellas for her upcoming book and really serves to give you a taste of what is to come and wanting to know how things will turn out.  After learning that her husband is dead, Caroline first stays to take care of her aunt, but after her aunt dies, Caroline comes to live with her sister's family.  This really doesn't work well and she decides to join up with the wagon train going west.  She has to overcome some things to go in this trip, but eventually it seems that all will work out. More from the author can be found at   http://www.monahodgson.com/ “I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”

One Glorious Ambition by Jane Kirkpatrick is a fictional book based on the life of Dorothea Dix. Dorothea's story is told from childhood into adulthood. She advocated for the mentally ill and opened a school for the less fortunate.  She worked hard at her causes and did this during a time in history when women didn't really speak up and participate in things such as this.  I have read other books by this author and this one was just as enjoyable as the rest. More from the author can be found at http://www.jkbooks.com/index.html “I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”

Having read the first book in this series, I was very eager to continue reading in this series. Lonnie and Gideon have settled into married life after a not so blissful start and their family is starting to grow.  They have moved away from and are settling into life in the Blue Ridge mountains when an interruption to their peace comes in the form of Cassie Allen.  Cassie interrupts their lives by claiming that Gideon is her husband.  This causes much heartache and pain in their lives and is a big test of their marriage and faith. More from the author can be found at http://www.joannebischof.com/ “I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”