romance

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!
Purchase Link

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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Have You Read GUNPOWDER TEA by Margaret Brownley?

/ Dora Hiers
Gunpowder Tea
by Margaret Brownley

About the book~
In a case that could change her career, Miranda uncovers a love that will change her life.

When Miranda Hunt sees the classified ad for an heiress to the legendary Last Chance Ranch, she knows assuming the identity of Annie Beckman is the perfect cover. As one of the finest agents for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, Miranda has been tasked with apprehending the Phantom – an elusive and notorious train robber thought to be hiding on the sprawling ranch.

But she isn’t the only one there with something to hide. Wells Fargo detective Jeremy Taggert is working the scene undercover as well. And although their true identities are a secret, it is impossible for Jeremy and Miranda to hide the spark that flares between them.

But neither is about to let romance interfere with such a huge case. Besides, Miranda hasn’t removed Jeremy from her list of suspects yet. The closer they come to uncovering the identity of the Phantom, the more dangerous he gets – and no one on the ranch is safe.

But neither are their hearts – the longer Miranda and Jeremy spends working together, the harder it becomes to keep their feelings in check. Their careers – and their lives – depend on solving this case. Love will have to wait.

My summary… 

After growing up in a household of brothers and feeling responsible for her mother’s untimely death, undercover operative Miranda Hunt tries to please her father and follows in his footsteps, determined to be the best operative Pinkerton employs. So when her boss assigns her to track down the Phantom, she’s thrilled about the “assignment of a lifetime.” Not so thrilled that she’s attracted to her prime suspect, David Branch, really Jeremy Taggert, an undercover Wells Fargo detective who infiltrated the Phantom’s robbery gang. 

“There should be a law against handsome thieves.”

My thoughts…

Wow! If you thought Waiting for Morning was fabulous (and I did!), wait until you read Gunpowder Tea! I can’t think of one element that could be improved. Not one. And don’t you just love the cover? It perfectly incorporates the tone of the book. Playful, yet suspenseful, combined with daily afternoon teas featuring a certain grumpy Miss Walker, the owner of the Last Chance Ranch, who says, 


“…of course I have enemies. Making enemies is so much easier than making friends, and they’re far less trouble to maintain.” ha!

Margaret Brownley hooked me with the opening chapter, laugh out loud funny, and kept me glued to the pages with a compelling, fast moving plot. When I closed the book, I was wearing a goofy grin. That’s just the kind of book I love to read! What about you?

And I always love a book more when it addresses certain sensitive topics, and this one did. Miranda came from a mixed heritage, an Indian mother and white father. 

“Her Indian heritage was first thing people saw. Many didn’t bother looking for anything else.” 
So many years later, are we really any better at 
appreciating and valuing every human being?

No worries about picking up Gunpowder Tea before the first two books in the series. Each book is fine to read as a stand alone. But now that I’ve been introduced to Margaret Brownley’s books, I can’t wait to scoop up the first book in the series, Dawn Comes Early. What are you waiting for -> Purchase Link

Disclaimer: Sending a big thank you to Margaret Brownley and Thomas Nelson Publishing for providing me with an advance review copy of Gunpowder Tea. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.

Have you read Gunpowder Tea? 
Do you agree with my review? 
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Have You Read NORTH COUNTRY HERO by Lois Richer?

/ Dora Hiers
North Country Hero
by Lois Richer

About the book~
Back home to heal, army veteran Kyle Loness can’t wait to leave the town that holds such sad memories. He never expects beautiful newcomer Sara Kane to enlist his help with the town’s new youth center. What does he know about helping kids? But the more time he spends with the troubled teens—and Sara—the more the jaded soldier feels his defenses crumbling. It might take Sara—and the kids—to open his guarded heart to love again. 

My summary~
Reeling from an injury and angry at God, Kyle Loness is only in Churchill, Canada, to settle things after his father’s death. He plans to get the house ready to sell, and get out. Sara Kane heads to Churchill to cook for Lives Under Construction, a youth center for boys. A former foster child, she has plenty of love to go around. Determined to find her biological family, she seeks out computer savvy Kyle for help.

What I liked…
I really liked Sara. Although she suffered a rough childhood, she still managed to find the good in everything and everybody. Instead of being weak and wimpy, her experience made her strong and determined. Sara showed kindness to the wounded soldier, and although Kyle tries to distance himself, her sweet, generous spirit draws him in.

At a crucial point in the book, Sara couldn’t discern God’s voice or the path He wanted her to take. It took being alone, really alone, for her to recognize His will. I could relate to that. When my world clamors with noise, I need that “alone” time with Him.

and not so much…
I felt the faith element tended to be a bit on the heavy side. That said, the author tackled a couple tough topics with this book, feelings of unworthiness and struggling with why bad things happen, and I thought she handled them well. 

Overall…
I enjoyed North Country Hero and how the characters overcame their feelings of unworthiness and worked through their faith issues realistically. North Country Hero is definitely worth picking up for a nice, leisurely read. 

Disclaimer: Sending a huge thanks to Harlequin  and NetGalley for providing me with an advance review copy. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.

What about you? Do you sometimes worry that you can’t hear God’s voice or that you missed His direction? Does it take getting alone with Him for you to discern His will?
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