First Line Friday: Heart of a Warrior

Welcome to First Line Friday, hosted by Hoarding Books! Today we’re traveling back in time to the Oregon Trail as it wove through the Rocky Mountains in the historical romance Heart of a Warrior by Angela K. Couch. The first line is:

Autumn 1859

Eyes clamped shut against the subsiding ache in her abdomen, Christina Astle sucked in cool mountain air.

About the Book

Heart of a Warrior

The Man She Fears Is Her Only Chance For Survival . . .

All Christina Astle wants is to reach Oregon before her baby is born, but the wagon train is attacked, and her husband killed, stranding her in a mountain labyrinth. Raised in the East, within civilization’s embrace, survival is not a skill she’s learned. Neither is evading the lone warrior dogging her trail.

Disgusted by the greed and cruelty of men like his white father, Towan has turned to the simpler existence of his mother’s tribal people. He is not prepared for the fiery woman who threatens to upturn his entire life … and his heart.

This is an Inspirational Historical Romance published by Pelican Book Group. You can find this book blurb as well as various purchase links on Goodreads.

About the Author

Angela K Couch To keep from freezing in the Great White North, Angela K Couch cuddles under quilts with her laptop. Winning short story contests, being a semi-finalist in ACFW’s Genesis Contest, and a finalist in the International Digital Awards also helped warm her up. As a passionate believer in Christ, her faith permeates the stories she tells. Her martial arts training, experience with horses, and appreciation for good romance sneak in there, as well. When not writing, she stays fit (and warm) by chasing after four munchkins. (from her website)

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Book Review: An Uncommon Beauty

Happy Wednesday! Today’s book review is An Uncommon Beauty (Abiding Love Book 2) by Kari Trumbo. 

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ABOUT THE BOOK

WHAT’S A SHERIFF TO DO WHEN LOVE TEMPTS HIM TO BREAK THE LAW? 

THE WRONG MAN FOR THE JOB 

After failing to catch a rustling ring right under his nose, Sheriff Carl Rainer sees anger and mistrust everywhere he looks. Seeking to do right by the town, he makes an arrest that will either turn the tide or force the mayor to fire him. 

THE RIGHT WOMAN IN THE WRONG TIME 

Esther Greening is a woman ahead of her time. As former co-owner of an orphanage, she steps in as temporary teacher of the Albertville school when the sheriff arrests the last one for murder. However, a threat against one of her former charges sends Esther running to the girl’s rescue in direct defiance of Carl’s insistence that she keep safe. 

A PAIR THAT CAN NEVER BE 

With a law that forbids a white man to marry a black woman, a relationship could get either of them thrown out of town. But when a former rustler abducts Esther, Carl will stop at nothing to get her back. 

What will it take for Carl and Esther to gain the support of the town and for love to conquer prejudice?

AMAZON |GOODREADS |

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MY THOUGHTS

An Uncommon Beauty drew me in from the first page. It’s a story filled with romance, action, and suspense, and it’s a story about people standing beside their friends.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kari Trumbo is a bestselling author of Christian and sweet romance.

She writes swoony heroes and places that become characters with historical detail and heart.

She’s a stay-at-home mom to four vibrant children. When she isn’t writing, or editing, she home schools her children and pretends to keep up with them.

Kari loves reading, listening to contemporary Christian music, singing when no one’s listening, and curling up near the wood stove when winter hits. She makes her home in central Minnesota, land of frigid toes and mosquitoes the size of compact cars, with her husband of over twenty years. They have two daughters, two sons, one cat, and one hungry wood stove

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | GOODREADS | BOOKBUB

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Post by Contributor Allyson Anthony

First Line Friday: Hope in the Mountain River

It’s time for First Line Friday, hosted by Hoarding Books. Grab the book nearest to you and share the first line! The book we’re featuring on Diversity Between the Pages is Hope in the Mountain River (Call of the Rockies book 2) by Misty M. Beller!

and the first line is….

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“Is he friend or enemy?” Elan’s blood pounded through her veins as it did when the warriors from her tribe struck their targets with tomahawks—blow upon blow, louder and louder with each passing moment.

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ABOUT THE BOOK

This epic journey is not at all what she expected.

Joel Vargas can’t believe he’s lost his older brother in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains after surviving their harrowing voyage across the Atlantic. And he can’t shake the feeling that Adam—his only living relative—is in dire trouble. No matter what the cost, he and his band of friends won’t stop until Adam is found. He’s not sure if two Indian women they meet on the way will be a help or hindrance.

After the devastating loss of her daughter and husband to a sickness that swept through their Nez Perce camp, Elan is desperate to find an escape from her grief. As she and her friend journey through the mountains toward the great river, a band of white men is the last thing she expects to find, especially as winter blows in full force.

When the dangers increase, accomplishing Joel’s mission becomes the only hope for all their survival. If the elements don’t consume them, Elan has a feeling life will never be the same for any of them.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes another epic journey through breathless landscapes and intense adventure.

GOODREADS | AMAZON

Let me know the first line of the book closest to you & then head over to Hoarding Books to see who else is participating!

POST CREATED BY BETH ERIN

Book Review: “Legacy of Love” by Terri J. Haynes

Happy Friday! Who else is looking forward to it finally feeling like Fall outside?!?

Today, I’m excited to bring you a review of “Legacy of Love” by Terri J. Haynes. It’s one of the novellas in The Runaway Brides Collection from Barbour.

ABOUT THE BOOK

What is a woman of the 1800s to do when she feels powerless to choose her own spouse and marry for love—run!

Amy’s home is at stake if she doesn’t marry her neighbor. Delia’s father wants her to marry into a political family. Georgiana is posing as a wealthy man’s wife in order to hide from her groom. Callie is fleeing one wedding and racing to marry a stranger. Emily flees her wedding with the help of a mysterious coachman. Josey’s best friend leaves a letter proposing marriage unanswered in order to elope. Bernadine becomes the ward and pawn of her evil uncle. Where will each turn when they have only God to trust?

Seven women facing the marriage altar make the decision to flee, but who can they now trust?

Legacy of Love by Terri J. Haynes

1877, Kentucky

Delia McClure longs to create a family legacy like her father, a former slave, who now owns a general store in a black community outside Lexington. But can Delia consent to her father’s choice of a husband for her when she has come to love another?

BUY THIS BOOK: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Barbour

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MY THOUGHTS

Haynes is quickly becoming one of my fave Barbour collection authors – both novellas of hers that I’ve read to date have been engaging and romantic, both touching and really fun to read.

In “Legacy of Love”, part of The Runaway Brides Collection, we have one of my very favorite tropes – friends who fall in love. Josiah and Delia live in very different economic situations – Delia, the daughter of a former slave turned wealthy merchant & Josiah, a hard worker who promised his dying parents he would take of his little sister Grace. The two have become good friends, however, in spite of their societal differences – and beneath the surface some deeper feelings are simmering. That first kiss? Whew! Mercy, it’s the stuff of swoons and weak knees and husky voices. The emotion behind it – and the realizations it prompts – leaves it in ‘memorable kisses’ territory for sure.

But the other thing I loved about this story is the compelling history that frames it. Along with the layered diverse characters Haynes has created, the perspective that she brings to the Reconstruction period is one I was, sadly, unfamiliar with. The tidbits about the Exodusters & the black migration to the West (specifically in this case to Kansas) is something that was never covered in my American history classes in school, nor in the citizenship materials I used to teach international adults in more recent years. Yet, it should have been, because the courage shown and the sacrifices made by those who left behind the familiar for the unknown deserve to be remembered and honored.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Terri J. Haynes, a native Baltimorean, is a homeschool mom, writer, prolific knitter, freelance graphic artist and former Army wife (left the Army, not the husband).

She loves to read, so much that when she was in elementary school, she masterminded a plan to be locked in a public library armed with only a flashlight to read all the books and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She is a storyteller at heart. Her passion is to draw readers into the story world she has created and to bring laughter and joy to their lives.

Terri is a 2010 American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis contest finalist, and a 2012 semi-finalist. She is also a 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Quarterfinalist. Her publishing credits include Cup of Comfort for Military Families, Crosswalk.com, the Secret Place Devotional, Vista Devotional, Urbanfaith.com and Publisher’s Weekly.

Terri and her husband pastor a church where she serves as executive pastor and worship leader. Terri lives in Maryland with her three wonderful children and her husband, who often beg her not to kill off their favorite characters.

Follow Terri online: Website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Book Spotlight: A Song for the Stars

Happy Wednesday!

I hope your week is off to a good start! I’m sharing a book spotlight on Ilima Todd’s A Song for the Stars. If you haven’t read it, be sure to put it on that TBR pile!

*Please be aware this is not Christian fiction but it is clean. There are references to gods but that is because this is historical fiction.

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About the Book

Inspired by a true story

Hawaiian Islands, 1779

As the second daughter of a royal chief, Maile will be permitted to marry for love. Her fiancé is the best navigator in Hawaiʻi, and he taught her everything he knows—how to feel the ocean, observe the winds, read the stars, and how to love.

But when sailors from a strange place called England arrive on her island, a misunderstanding ends in battle, and Maile is suddenly widowed before she is wed.

Finding herself in the middle of the battle and fearing for her life, Maile takes John Harbottle, the wounded man who killed her fiancé, prisoner, and though originally intending to let him die, she reluctantly heals him. And in the process, she discovers the man she thought was her enemy might be her ally instead.

John has been Captain James Cook’s translator for three voyages across the Pacific. He is kind and clearly fascinated with her homeland and her people—and Maile herself. But guilt continues to drive a wedge between them: John’s guilt over the death he caused, and Maile’s guilt over the truth about what triggered the deadly battle—a secret she’s kept hidden from everyone on the island.

When Maile is tasked with teaching John how to navigate using the stars so he can sail back to England, they must also navigate the challenges of being from very different cultures. In doing so, they might also find the peace that comes when two hearts become one.

Amazon | B&N | Goodreads

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Follow the Author

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Book Review: Cheyenne Sunrise by Janalyn Voigt

Thank goodness it’s Friday, y’all. Are you looking forward to the weekend?

Well, if you’re looking for a good read to pass the time, check out today’s book review for the second book in the Montana Gold series!

About the Book

Can a woman with no faith in men learn to trust the half-Cheyenne trail guide determined to protect her?

Young Irish widow Bry Brennan doesn’t want another husband to break her spirit. When she and her brother Con join a wagon train headed to Montana Territory, Bry ignores her fascination with Nick Laramie, the handsome trail guide.

Nick lives in an uneasy truce between the settlers and his mother’s tribe without fully fitting in among either. With no intention of dragging a woman into his troubles, he stifles his yearning for Bry.

The perilous journey throws the two together, leaving Bry no choice but to trust Nick with her life. Can she also trust him with her heart? Answering that riddle forces Bry to confront her unresolved questions about God’s love.

Based on actual historical events during a time of unrest in America, Cheyenne Sunrise explores faith, love, and courage in the wild west.

GOODREADS | AMAZON

My Thoughts

“What else can I do but cling to my Savior?”

Voigt is a new author to me, and this book in particular examines our propensity to judge an entire race or people group based on the actions of a few. It also explores intricacies of an abiding faith, even when life is falling apart.

Bry Brennan and her brothers know what it’s like to be lumped into a single group and judged for their heritage. Yet they must wrestle with the same tendencies when they are introduced to Nick Laramie, the trail guide for the wagon train Bry is on with her brother Con. Born to a French father and a Cheyenne mother, Nick is rejected by both worlds.

Nick’s struggle is tough to read about (in a good ‘this is stretching me’ kind of way) because he is a man of character, yet people so easily assume the worst about him. White people and other Native Americans are guilty of making him not welcome in either culture.

What I loved most about this story was that it was so much more than a token “overcoming the barriers and attitudes toward a mixed-culture romance”.  That aspect is certainly an element in their story, no question. But the author takes us on a deeper journey, refusing to romanticize the history of the time and presenting an authentic picture of life as they would have known it, no matter how much we might want to turn away from the reality. Yet, even as she paints a raw portrayal of racism, grief, and tragedy, she also frames it against the backdrop of grace and the perfect love of a Savior who is for all.

About the Author

Janalyn Voigt is a writer and professional speaker with a photography habit and a passion for travel. Her unique blend of adventure, romance, suspense, and fantasy creates worlds of beauty and danger for readers. She is represented by Sarah Joy Freese of Wordserve Literary.

An inspirational, motivational, and practical speaker, Janalyn teaches on a variety of topics, including the writing craft, social media management, and branding. She has presented at the Northwest Christian Writers’ Renewal Conference and the Inland Northwest Christian Writers Conference as well as for local writing groups, at book events and libraries.

CONNECT: website | Facebook | Twitter

 

 

Book Review: The Butterfly Bride

Happy Friday, Reader Friends!

I pray you’ve had a great week. If you’re wondering what you should read for the weekend, be sure to check our recommendations page and past blog posts. You’re sure to find something worth reading. 🙂

Today, I’m sharing my thoughts on Vanessa Riley’s The Butterfly Bride. It’s book 3 in her series, Advertisements for Love.

Let’s get started!

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About the Book

Frederica Burghley wants to be married by Yuletide. Or else her father will set her up with one of his friends. The bonbon-loving illegitimate daughter of the duke wants to choose her own husband. Advertising in the newspaper seems like the way to go. But a sinister response, with threats against her life, leads her to enlist the help of her very handsome, dear friend Jasper Fitzwilliam, Lord Hartwell.

A father and widower, Jasper is not only tasked with keeping Frederica safe but also with helping his vibrant friend choose a suitable husband. The more he tries to keep the ever-surprising woman alive and find her a good match, the more Jasper realizes he cares for her. The two friends risk their lives for each other, so they should be able to risk their feelings for a chance at a deep and true love together. But he’s not looking for marriage and she’s not looking for convenience.

Links: Amazon, B&N, Goodreads

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My Thoughts

So I’ve been curious of Fredercia’s story ever since I read book 1 in the series. There was something about her that I found interesting. And in The Butterfly Bride we see the many faces Fredercia must wear because of her parentage and the prejudice against women of color and her background.

Now Lord Hartwell made an interesting hero. He’s a widower with three kids and has seen a lot of heartache. I found his background endeared him to me and I wanted to know if he could overcome his fears and take a risk at love.

There’s also a suspense thread in this book that I found very interesting. I put on my thinking cap trying to figure out who did it. I was happy I was correct and enjoyed following along as all the little pieces lined up.

And another note, as we stated in previous posts, we would introduce clean reads. In my personal opinion, The Butterfly Bride would classify as a clean read and not a CF one. There is mentioning of God but I didn’t see a spiritual arc throughout the read. Also, there are some intimate moments that were a little much for my preference but nothing I feel crosses the line for a clean read. Hope that helps!

*I received a complimentary copy via NetGalley. My review was not influenced nor required.

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About the Author

Vanessa Riley worked as an engineer before allowing her passion for historical romance to shine. A Regency era (early 1800s) and Jane Austen enthusiast, she brings the flavor of diverse peoples to her stories. Since she was seventeen, Vanessa has won awards for her writing and is currently working on two series. She lives in Atlanta with her military man hubby and precocious child. You can catch her writing from the comfort of her Southern porch with a cup of Earl Grey tea.

Follow: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram

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Post by contributor Toni Shiloh

Book Spotlight: A Light to My Path by Lynn Austin

Lynn Austin has forever been one of my favorite authors and her Civil War series is one of the many reasons why. Each book looks at three different young women whose lives are vastly affected by the way and A Light to My Path features Kitty, a slave in the south.

About the Book

Kitty, a house slave, always figured it was easiest to do what she’d always done–obey Missy and follow orders. But when word arrives that the Yankees are coming, Kitty is faced with a decision: will she continue to follow the bidding of her owners, or will she embrace this chance for freedom? Never allowed to have ideas of her own, Kitty is overwhelmed by the magnitude of her decision. Yet it is her hope to find the “happy ever after” ending to her life–and to follow Grady, whom she loves–that is the driving force behind her choice. Where will it lead her?

Where to Buy: Amazon | BN.com | CBD.com

About the Author

Lynn Austin has sold more than one and a half million copies of her books worldwide. A former teacher who now writes and speaks full-time, she has won eight Christy Awards for her historical fiction. One of those novels, Hidden Places, has also been made into an Original Hallmark Channel movie. Lynn and her husband have raised three children and make their home in western Michigan. Learn more at http://www.lynnaustin.org.

Connect with the author!
Website | Twitter | Facebook