romance

LOTS to LOVE about AMBERLY by Mary Elizabeth Hall

/ Dora Hiers / 6 Comments
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Amberly, The Crestmere Series, Book 1
In a world that might have been… 
Snatched by coldblooded enemies as a declaration of war, Eleanor Williamston finds herself caught in a deadly snare-miles from home and lost in the wilderness. Her heart is drawn to the handsome palace guardsman who rescues her, but is torn when he challenges her political ideals-and then reveals something he’s kept hidden that will make her choice even more difficult. Marsten longs for a God-fearing wife, but cannot marry the lady he desires. The sassy young schoolteacher he rescues catches his eye, but he fears she’ll turn out to be like the beautiful women who’ve broken his trust in the past. Journey with them through the spectacular but treacherous Aspian Mountains while they evade enemy pursuit and wrestle through the challenges of wilderness and budding love, only to run headlong into Ellie’s anti-royalist family-and a whole new onslaught of foes. 

Sharing my thoughts~

“I’m beginning to wonder if you were truly abducted,” he chided again, “or just given away.”

Fast-paced, flirty dialogue and wonderfully vivid descriptions will whirl you away into the world of Bretalia.

“Behind them, pale violet mountains marched toward the distant horizon, and crows cawed while they circled. Mist rose in swirling ribbons from the water. Wildflowers swayed in a gentle breeze which stirred along the rocky bank, sending forth a fresh, earthy scent.”

When Marsten rescues Eleanor Williamston from an evil Norlander’s clutches, Eleanor can’t help but fall in love with the handsome royal guardsman. But as the daughter of Amberly’s mayor, an anti-royalist and Freedom Falcon leader, she’d grown up believing Bretalia would be better off without the Crown’s rule. Marsten strives to convince her that God ordained monarchy for her beloved country. She debates revealing her identity, and Marsten is keeping a few secrets of his own.

“Honor God through adversity–He’ll bless you for it…Life is but a breath–preparation for the next.”


Simple spiritual sentiments weaved throughout the story, not overbearing or preachy, but with gentleness and love, even as Marsten and Eleanor debate politics.

Although I felt the declaration of love occurred a bit too soon, that didn’t mean the conflict ended or that the romance resolved. No, the author just ramped up the conflict, all the way to the last page!


Fast and furious, with a compelling plot to keep your turning pages, Amberly is a great read for anytime of the day or year!

Disclosure: I purchased this book. All opinions in this review are my own, and I received no compensation.

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Have you read A BRIDE FOR KEEPS by Melissa Jagears?

/ Dora Hiers
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About the book~
Everett Cline will never humiliate himself by seeking a mail-order bride. Not again. He’s already been jilted by three mail-order brides and figures a wife just isn’t in his future. However, a well-meaning neighbor hasn’t given up on seeing him settled, so she goes behind his back to bring yet another woman to town for him.

Julia Lockwood has never been anything more than a pretty pawn for her father or a business acquisition for her former fiance. A mail-order marriage in faraway Kansas is a last resort, but she’ll do anything to leave her life in Massachusetts and the heartbreak she’s experienced there.

Although Everett doesn’t see how a beautiful, cultured woman like Julia could be happy sharing his simple life, he could really use a helpmate on his homestead. Determined to prove she’s more than just a pretty face, Julia agrees to a marriage in name only. Faced with the harsh realities of life on the prairie and hesitant to explore the tentative feelings growing between them, can Everett and Julia ever let each other in long enough to fall in love?

Sharing my thoughts~
Wow! A Bride for Keeps is one of those books that I wondered if the hero and heroine would actually find their happily ever after!

Poor Everett. Mail order brides never chose him, and he’d given up after four tries. So when his too-helpful neighbor persuaded her friend Julia to travel all the way from Boston to wed, Everett practically ignored her. Not only is he scared of rejection, but she’s so beautiful. She’d never make it through a Kansas winter, and he doesn’t want to give the town more reason for gossip.

Julia Lockwood’s father and ex-fiance were only concerned about her good looks, and used her as a commodity, with no regard for love or her feelings. When she arrived in Kansas, Everett’s features remind her of her ex-fiance, almost frightening her off. But she’d traveled all this way, and her friend wouldn’t lead her astray. Besides, without any other living relatives, she has no other options.

He needs help on the farm. She needs protection and a roof over her head. They strike a deal, and along the way Everett decides he wants this bride for keeps. This book is so much bigger than the romance, although it’s sweet, and at times, frustrating. A Bride for Keeps shows us that no matter the dark shadows of our past that continually rise up and taunt us, with God’s help, we can overcome. God covers us with forgiveness and healing, and breaks the chains of fear so we can move on with our lives. It’s about a loving God who never gives up on us and showers us with grace. A Bride for Keeps is a definite keeper for my kindle shelf!

Disclosure: Sending a big thanks to NetGalley and Bethany House Publishing for providing me with an advance review copy. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.

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Have You Read THE COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS COURTSHIP by Brenda Minton?

/ Dora Hiers
The Cowboy’s Christmas Courtship
by Brenda Minton
About the book~
With her mortgaged farm, rebellious brother and two jobs, Layla Silver is struggling to keep afloat for the holidays. But does she need Gage Cooper riding to her rescue? Back in high school, Gage was nobody’s hero. Now he’s an injured bull rider home for Christmas to make amends for his checkered past. And something about the stubborn, beautiful Layla has him wanting more than forgiveness. Can a wandering cowboy turn a Christmas courtship into an everlasting love? 
Meet the Characters~
“When a guy looked death in the face, in the form of a one-ton bull, it made him think about how he’d treated the people in his life.” 
Injured bullrider Gage Cooper headed back home to Dawson, Oklahoma, to recover. While he was recuperating, he intended to make things right with a few people, starting with Layla Silver. But, with his large family and a granny intent on marrying him off, he didn’t plan to stay home long. Besides, he couldn’t look at his blind brother without being angry at God.
“She was not a good judge of character. She was the person who kicked the dog out of the house for chewing up the shoes and then let him back in, thinking he wouldn’t do it again.”

Layla Silver had learned from a young age not to allow people to get too close. Her mother always hid her black eyes, and Layla assumed that’s what people did: hid behind closed doors. So when her parents were killed in a car accident, she gave up dreams of college and a family of her own and assumed responsibility for her eight-year-old brother. Now he was a rebellious fifteen-year-old and she was worn out from working two jobs and feeling incredibly alone, but that didn’t mean she could allow herself to fall for Gage just because he flashed that dazzling smile at her. She knew he hid a lot of anger behind that cocky grin. And besides, he never stuck around long.
“Layla was the kind of woman a man married. He made a habit of staying away from the marrying kind.”
Sharing my thoughts~
What an intense opening scene between Layla and Gage. You know there’s a history between them, but the author doesn’t offer many details and that’s just the way I like opening scenes. Gage stops to help Layla, and sees her like he hadn’t before: strong, quiet, and never accepting help. Initially, he wants to help her because he feels he owes her, but somewhere along the way, his motivation changes into something deeper, something longer lasting. 
What a love story! I enjoyed the progression, from Layla’s high school crush and Gage’s feeling that he had to right a wrong  into something powerful and beautiful. Gage does such sweet things for Layla, and she can’t help but fall in love with the changed man.
“…he wondered why all of a sudden, his life no longer fit. It felt like a favorite pair of boots that were suddenly too small.”
I always like it when a romance runs deeper and treads into serious territory, and this one didn’t disappoint. Gage found himself asking tough questions, like why his brother was blinded and Layla could never catch a break while he skipped through life with hardly a care.
Although this book has a holiday setting and title, I’d recommend The Cowboy’s Christmas Courtship as a great read for anytime of the year!
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Disclaimer: Sending a big thank you to Harlequin Love Inspired and NetGalley for providing me with an advance review copy of The Cowboy’s Christmas Courtship. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.
Have you read The Cowboy’s Christmas Courtship? 
Do you agree with my review? What were your thoughts?

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