Mariah's Quest by Dianna Crawford & Sally Laity

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: April 16, 2012

Bound to serve. . .longing to love. Mariah Harwood, one of three indentured sisters, stands on a Baltimore auction block in 1753. The dashing young gentleman who buys her just may be her ticket to marriage, wealth, and freedom. Once in Colin Barclay’s possession, Mariah grows to realize her pursuit won’t be as easy as she planned. Colin Barclay is as charming and rash as Mariah is reckless. He willingly outbids the other men for Mariah’s indenturement papers, but as he claims the grateful beauty, her overbearing sister dampens his anticipation by making him solemnly promise to deliver Mariah untouched to his family’s plantation. Undeterred, Colin welcomes the challenge of seducing Mariah—no strings attached. But best-laid plans soon go awry when Colin is wounded in battle. As he faces a world of bitterness, Mariah finds she needs more than charm to win his heart. Can she summon the inner beauty and faith to prove her love?

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*** NOTE: This review contains spoilers. Please take heed and proceed at your own risk. 

Fellow readers, I have turned a corner. For the first time, I am awarding Laity and Crawford less than four stars. I'm sorry ladies, I really am, but a generous three is all I can muster for Mariah's Quest. The book didn't pack the same punch as your previous collaborations. Consider this a warning folks, there be spoilers ahead. 

Let's start with the blurb. Mariah is depicted as a scheming young woman with her eye on an advantageous marriage and freedom from her indentured status. I can agree with that, but the blurb also states "her pursuit wont be as easy as she planned." Huh? Where does that come from? Colin spends their first day together devising a means by which to keep her in his family home thereby increasing his access to the lady in question and limiting his competition for her affection. The single hurdle to their romance takes shape in the formidable mistress of the house, Cora Barclay, but we'll come back to her later. My point is the blurb offers a much overblown exaggeration of the situation. 

The blurb also describes our heroine as "reckless." Again I find I am scratching my head. Colin and Mariah are alone for maybe two pages of the entire book and Mariah spends most of that ink worrying over her reputation. She frets over walking into the woods with Colin without an escort, nearly jumps out of her skin during their only real kiss and worries how their being alone in the Barclay home will be perceived by the neighbors. By definition, reckless means marked by a lack of proper caution or careless of the consequences. Mariah Harwood doesn't fit the mold, a borderline prude maybe, but certainly not reckless. 

If Colin Barclay wasn't a fictional character I would encourage him to file a slander suit. The Barclay heir never actually tries to make Mariah his mistress. He privately flirts with the idea on a couple of occasions, but from the beginning he is half in love with the English rose. No joke, the two spend only a handful of private moments together before he proposes. Proposes friends. As in for better or worse, till death do us part, joined together in the eyes of God, holy matrimony. Doesn't sound much like a country playboy to me, but what do I know. 

I'm already tiptoeing around the romance so I'll just say it. Laity and Crawford may have seen sparks flying, but I sure didn't. Colin is obviously interested in Mariah but the first time he leaves her side he goes prowling the local assembly with his cousin. He comes back to Mariah with a ring but it didn't seem like appropriate behavior for a besotted lover. Of course, Mariah isn't much better. She flirts with the attentions of various men in Colin's absence, most notably the Barclay's horse trainer. Maybe I am off base here, but the pair seem infatuated with rather than genuinely attached to one another.  

Our lovers aren't the only two who seem to suffer from inconsistent characterization. Cora Barclay is right there with them. The Barclay matriarch comes out swinging, making it clear that any dalliance between Colin and Mariah will not be tolerated, not even if Mariah ends up with child. In 1753 that is nothing short of brass. Unfortunately, Cora soon loses her nerve, merely tolerating Mariah's presence and accepting her inability to remove the girl from the Barclay home and her son's affections. For the most part anyway. She makes a halfhearted attempt at shaming Mariah in front of the  Barclay peers and there is a lovely moment when she shouts her displeasure at Mariah's ineptitude as her son's mistress. Not to fear though, by the day of the wedding Cora is singing Mariah's praises from the hilltops. Can someone please explain to me where this character comes from? I don't get it. Unless she suffers from some sort of personality disorder. Then it all makes perfect sense.  

Under usual circumstance, I praise Laity and Crawford for the skill in which they integrate history into their plots. Not this time. It takes half the book for the the characters to get into events in the Ohio River Valley and by the time we realize Colin, Tuck and Nate actually saw action, the battles are over and the wounded have returned home. Having waited two thirds of the novel for anything of historic significance to happen, I felt entirely cheated.

In my review of Rose's Pledge, I commented on what I felt to be recycled material. Mariah's Quest isn't as blatant as its predecessor, but it isn't without issue and does share certaion similarities with a character highlighted . Little Amy, the youngest of the Barclay clan, spends an inordinate amount of time in the stables among the horses and is less than thrilled with more feminine pursuits of the day. These are traits she shares with Emily Haynes of the Freedom's Holy Light series. Taking this into consideration I believe the Barclay and Haynes families would enjoy one another. Both have large land holdings, profit from the raising of horse flesh and neither mistress of the house is particularly impressed by their son's choice of indentured bride. 

Was I impressed? Decidedly not. Do I regret reading the book? No, but I really expected a lot more from it. Will I read the third installment? Probably. I really want to believe that Mariah's Quest was a fluke accident, a rare misstep by two authors I genuinely appreciate. 

Recommended to fans of The Midwife of Blue Ridge and the Freedom's Holy Light series.

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Yes. In her quest for Colin, she'd be diligent. Extremely diligent. After all, as her instructress, Miss Simkins, loved to remind her, Rose, and Lily, "A man has no need to buy a cow if he can get the milk for free."

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Island of Wings by Karin Altenberg

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ 

Obtained from: Netgalley 

Read: Oct. 9, 2011 

A dazzling debut novel of love and loss, faith and atonement, on an untamed nineteenth-century Scottish island. Exquisitely written and profoundly moving, Island of Wings is a richly imagined novel about two people struggling to keep their love, and their family, alive in a place of extreme hardship and unearthly beauty. Everything lies ahead for Lizzie and Neil McKenzie when they arrive at the St. Kilda islands in July of 1830. Neil is to become the minister to the small community of islanders, and Lizzie—bright, beautiful, and devoted—is pregnant with their first child. As the two adjust to life at the edge of civilization, where the natives live in squalor and babies perish mysteriously, their marriage—and their sanity—are soon threatened.

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St. Kilda is an archipelago some 40 miles from North Uist on the western edge of Scotland. Geographically remote, isolation emerged as the predominant theme of life in this sequestered corner of the world. Nowhere is this concept better illustrated than in Altenberg's portrayal of Lizzie McKenzie. Newly married and pregnant, Lizzie views St. Kilda as an adventure. Soon after her arrival, her fantasies are shattered by tragedy and she is forced to acknowledge the true nature of her situation. Removed from the natives by a difference of both culture and language, Lizzie must push the limits of her own character or perish.

Historically, Altenberg did her homework in regards to both the islands and their inhabitants. The descriptions of the native culture were extraordinarily detailed and skillfully folded into the plot. The additional exploration of the nature of faith, ethics and the relationship between a man and wife added an appealing emotional quality to the novel. Thoroughly impressive as Island of Wings is Altenberg's debut novel.

The flowery prose is somewhat overwhelming but underneath there exists a captivating story of hope and commitment. There is no denying that Island of Wings is a beautiful interpretation of the harsh realities of life on St. Kilda but is also a insightful tale of human nature and our ability to overcome. Powerfully moving if one can navigate the composition.

Recommended to fans of Confessions of a Pagan Nun: A Novel by Kate Horsley and the Women of Genesis series by Orson Scott Card.

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Time was no longer linear in this place where no one could remember who built the houses, cleits and dykes and where the seasons were marked by the comings and goings of the migrating birds. The ancestors were near the living, and the world of men was closely linked with the rock, the sea and the birds with which they shared these elements. Time and space seemed suspended, so that here and now was always and everywhere.

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Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington by Tricia Goyer & Ocieanna Fleiss

Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Personal Kindle Library

Read: Nov. 10, 2011 

The Second World War has stolen Rosalie's fiance from her. But rather than wallow, Rosalie throws herself into her work at the Boeing plant in Victory Heights, shooting rivets into the B-17 bombers that will destroy the enemy. A local reporter dubs her Seattle's Own Rosie the Riveter, and her story lends inspiration to women across the country. While Rosalie's strong arms can bear the weight of this new responsibility, her heart cannot handle the intense feelings that begin to surface for Kenny, the handsome reporter. Fear of a second heartbreak is a powerful opponent - but will it claim victory over love?

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I’ve steered clear of the Love Finds You series for a long time. I can’t put my finger on what it is but something about the books told me to look elsewhere in my literary wanderings. Still, I am a WWII nut and the subject matter of this particular title proved a real temptation. My resistance crumbled entirely when Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington turned up as a kindle freebie. No offense to the authors or fans but next time around I hope I listen to my gut. I prefer grittier storytelling and this was just too sugar coated for my taste.

I had a real problem with Rosalie’s lack of emotion in the face of loss. Her grief over her fiancé’s death should have been palpable but for me it read only lukewarm. Additionally, I couldn’t give weight to Rosalie’s ‘fear of a second heartbreak’ when her first was never properly developed. What grief she experienced seemed to stem more from her own inadequacy and guilt than any real affection. Her belief that marrying Vic would have been a mistake further undermined the authenticity of her emotions and went a long way in minimizing the internal conflict touted so prominently in the book description.

Emotional depth wasn’t the only thing I noted as lacking. I also felt a distinct absence of creativity throughout the book but nowhere is it more obvious than with our leading lady. Christening the rivet wielding heroine Rosalie was as uninspired as Kenny’s exploitation of the Rosie the Riveter comparison in the newspaper. Thank you Captain Obvious. Is it really any wonder his boss wouldn’t give him a hard story? His breakthrough piece was half written in the American psyche before he even touched pen to paper. It might work for other readers but this was just too cutesy for me to get into.

One thing I did appreciate was the attention to detail. The story and writing style weren’t for me but there was an obvious amount of effort put into recreating war era America. The lingo, the pastimes, the prejudice experienced by women in the work place, all of it speaks volumes about the ladies who put Victory Heights together. The end result didn’t hold much water with me but even so, I applaud the effort that went into writing it.

Before descending my soapbox I want to note an observation not of the book itself but of some the other reviews. Many of those who issued lower ratings cite surprise over religious themes as the cause. With all due respect I can’t give these reviewers a lot of credit. I realize the blurb doesn’t hint at the inspirational content but that is the case with a lot of religious fiction. If you don’t appreciate the subject matter, take time to learn how to recognize it so you know what to avoid. That sounds harsher than I mean it to but there are plenty of indicators if you know where to look.

Both Amazon and Goodreads classify the novel as religion based entertainment. Summerside Press bills itself as “an inspirational publisher offering fresh, irresistible Christian fiction” on their website and in the publication information of the book itself. Tricia Goyer’s website and author bio states she was named ‘Writer of the Year’ at the Mount Hermon Christian Writer’s Conference in 2003. According to her author bio, Ocieanna Fleiss contributes to a bi-monthly column in the Northwest Christian Author. The Love Finds You series “features real towns and combines travel, romance, and faith in one irresistible package” per the series information in the back of the book. The copyright segment clearly states that “unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, King James Version.” The acknowledgement section even provides a few clues as it thanks the Emmanuel Orthodox Presbyterian Church and Jesus Christ before concluding with “Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto they name give glory. Psalm 115:1.”

Before you ask the answer is no, I do not seek out Christian fiction. It is my affinity for historic fiction that leads me to many of these titles. I’m not particularly religious but the subject doesn’t bother me. All the same, I like to be aware that I am venturing into the realm of faith based lit. It might sound complicated but once you know where to look these titles are easy to identify. Don’t blame the book because you didn’t do your homework. If it really inhibits your enjoyment you will find that spending an extra two minutes to research a particular title is more than worth your time

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All her life she never thought she'd love a man, not with the passionate commitment she loved Kenny with. And now, the one thing she dared not to dream of came to her like an unexpected gift.

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Irish Healer: A Novel by Nancy Herriman

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: Oct. 26, 2011 

Fiction in the ever-popular Historical/Romance genre -- during the deadly 1832 cholera epidemic in London, a heartsick Irish healer must find the strength to overcome her most fearsome obstacles. Accused of murdering a child under her care, Irish healer Rachel Dunne flees the ensuing scandal while vowing to never sit at another sickbed. She no longer trusts in her abilities—or God’s mercy. When a cholera epidemic sweeps through London, she feels compelled to nurse the dying daughter of the enigmatic physician she has come to love. James Edmunds, wearied by the deaths of too many patients, has his own doubts about God’s grace. Can they face their darkest fears? Or is it too late to learn that trust and love just might heal their hearts?

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I don’t often find books like this. The Irish Healer by Nancy Harrimann is a beautiful novel with a message that both secular and nonsecular readers can enjoy. The Irish Healer is inspired fiction and incorporate strong religious themes but I think the personal journeys of Harrimann's cast have wide appeal.

I love getting lost in a good book and one of the easiest ways for an author to make that happen is to create characters and situations a reader can relate to. At the beginning of Harrimann's story, James is struggling with the death of his wife and Rachel is questioning her value as a healer after losing a young patient. Self doubt is something everyone can understand and most of us have experienced the loss of a loved one. By incorporating these very common emotions Harrimann was able to craft two notably compelling and unique leading characters.

The story itself is simple but I think it works in Harrimann's favor. Nothing here seems overly contrived. James and Rachel are brought together in very realistic circumstances and bond in similar fashion. The authentic quality of the story is something I really appreciate. The comprehensive depiction of evolving affection is much more affecting than the more dramatic and less believable love at first sight scenario.

Historically not as strong as I would like but The Irish Healer is a heartwarming tale of personal trial and triumph. Recommended to fans of The Song of Acadia Series by Janet Oak and Davis Bunn. 

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He signaled for Rachel to join him. When she came to his side, he slid his arm around her waist and tucked her close. Her slim, small body fit perfectly, as if made to be a part of him.

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The Guardian Duke: A Forgotten Castles Novel by Jamie Carie

Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: Nov. 2, 2011

The Guardian Duke is award-winning novelist Jamie Carie’s most exciting story yet, a uniquely arranged Regency-era romantic adventure where hero and heroine know each other through written letters but have yet to meet. Gabriel, the Duke of St. Easton, is ordered by the King to take guardianship over Lady Alexandria Featherstone whose parents are presumed dead after failing to return from a high profile treasure hunt. But Alexandria ignores this royal reassignment, believing her parents are still alive and duly following clues that may lead to their whereabouts. Gabriel, pressured by what are actually the King’s ulterior motives, pursues her across windswept England and the rolling green hills of Ireland but is always one step behind. When they do meet, the search for earthly treasure will pale in comparison to what God has planned for both of them.

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*** NOTE: This review contains spoilers. Please take heed and proceed at your own risk. 

As an avid reader I hate admitting this but I am confused as to what this book was trying to do. There are many aspects to the novel but none of them felt fully developed. Half-baked is a wonderful way to go when you making chocolate cookies or eating Ben and Jerry’s but it doesn't work as well with literature.

Lady Alexandria, as a character, lacks cohesiveness. She doesn't know how to write a proper letter to a duke who she believes by definition must be old, monocled and suffering from gout but she has no difficulty leaving the only home she has ever known, travelling across the country, tracking the movements of her parents a year after their last correspondence or booking passage to Iceland? Either she is an inexperienced aristocrat who has no idea how to cope with life off her island or she a determined young woman who is more than capable of taking care of herself despite the conventions of the day. She can’t be both.

Alex’s motives also seemed inconsistent. She is so determined to find her parents that she defies the king’s wishes but she tarries in Belfast to watch Baylor compete in a local contest and is more than content to order fine clothes and attend the opera and a masked ball in Dublin? I’ll grant that she intended to seek out information at both Dublin events but she seemed to lose her drive and focus during her sojourn there. I was left questioning where the heroine was coming from. 

Gabriel suffers from hearing loss mysteriously brought on when he is named guardian of the supposedly orphaned Alexandria Featherstone. The affliction plagues him the first half of the novel but disappears without mention when he leaves London. Naturally the condition reappears as he prepares to leave for Ireland which is why I am upset that there was so little attention paid to his momentary recovery. It is a good idea but the execution is sketchy. It needs to be all or nothing. Commit to the story line or forget it entirely. 

Jamie Carie is an inspired fiction writer and B&H is a religious publishing group but The Guardian Duke doesn’t feel like most of the religion based fiction I've encountered. Alex mentions God and faith in her letters and lets loose the occasional prayer but just the same, I found it incredibly easy to forget heroine is in fact a devout character. There is too much religion to say the book shouldn't be classified as inspired fiction but I also feel there isn't enough to it to feel like it solidly belongs in the genre. Again, half-baked.

In terms of storytelling I was frustrated that there was no real climax. There is this huge build up and then… nothing. There is an art to writing series. The books need to be connected but each edition also needs to feel like a complete story in and of itself. For me, The Guardian Duke felt like an extended epilogue.

On the upside, I did like what Carie did with the letters. I live in an age where people fall in love online, essentially losing themselves to someone else’s words. Carie’s handling of the letters between Gabriel and Alex and the emotions each felt upon reading the correspondence translated very well throughout the book.

Light regency romance recommended to fans of the Daughters of Mannerling by Marion Chesney. 

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It was a  sad truth that lies had always flown out of her mouth with the ease of a bard telling a tall tale. She couldn't seem to help it.

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#BookReview: Rose's Pledge by Sally Laity & Dianna Crawford

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Step back into the early days of America, where Rose Harwood and her sisters become indentured to the highest bidders. When Rose’s new owner takes her deep into Indian Territory, a young frontiersman named Nate Kinyon tags along, hoping to save Rose from the machinations of a grubby trader and the appraising looks of young braves. How much is he willing to pay—in dollars and sense—to redeem the woman he loves? And how much is Rose willing to sacrifice for his protection?

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Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆   |   Obtained from: Netgalley   |   Read: October 20, 2011

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Rose's Pledge begins in Bath but quickly takes us across the sea and deep into the wilderness and the center of a political firestorm about to erupt into what we know as the French and Indian War. Bonded in service, Rose Harwood has little choice in traversing miles into the unknown and soon finds herself living among the natives in a world she never imagined. Over the course of the novel we witness both the evolution of her faith and initial outbreak of conflict in the Ohio River Valley.

First off, I have to say I jumped at the chance to review this book because a) I love history and b) Sally Laity and Dianna Crawford are the ladies who turned me on to inspired fiction. Many authors in this genre focus on their message but these two ladies have mastered the art of weaving a remarkable amount of history into their novels in addition to their spiritual message. There are strong religious themes in their work but I find the context of their stories on par with some of my favorite secular writers. Needless to say I was excited to find the two had reunited and were collaborating once again.

That being said, the words 'indentured servant' set off warning bells. There are a lot of directions to take the concept but all the same, Laity and Crawford tackled the subject pretty extensively in The Gathering Dawn. The bells grew significantly louder in a scene where Rose stood on the deck of the Seaford Lady as it arrived in port. The brief conversation she shared with Seaman Polk is more than a little reminiscent of the exchange between Susannah Harrington and Seaman Yancy Curtis on the deck of another ship upon their arrival in the colonies in the opening scene of the aforementioned novel. Much to my relief the story took a new direction and bells soon ceased. Unfortunately, the respite was short lived. Not only does Nate Kinyon have the same solution to Rose's situation as Daniel Haynes did for Susannah but he is as inarticulate as his counterpart when it comes to propositioning the lady in question. At this point it really didn't surprise me that the ladies themselves reacted in an identical manner and brushed off their suitors with the same level of indignation.

As a fan I found this recycling sharply disappointing but it begged the question as to whether or not I should downgrade my rating. Having just completed Long Trail Home, a book where recycled material played a key role in determining my overall opinion, I wondered if it was hypocritical to let this one slide. Ultimately I decided that as a reviewer I needed to mention the similarities but it would not factor in my rating of the novel. Before you start rolling your eyes be assured I struggled with this one. The simple explanation is that Long Trail Home paralleled other books in the Texas Trail series where Rose's Pledge resembles a completely different collection that was published nearly two decades ago. Additionally, Rose's Pledge covers a significantly wider historic scope, the details of which provide more than adequate compensation for us older readers.

On the subject of content I want to mention the sub-story of Hannah Wright. She appears in a single chapter but I found her scenes to some of the most powerful of the entire novel. I  wont lie, the imagery wont appeal to everyone, especially readers whose imaginations are as vivid as my own. Ever a fan of realistic depictions in literature, the graphic quality of these scenes appeals to my historian nature. White settlers and traders who pushed west of the established colonies traversed an invisible line, essentially their movements placed them in the middle of a war zone. Tragically , many of these individuals were caught in the crossfire as England, France and assorted Indian nations vied for control of the territory. Hannah represents these individuals and the description of her experience was appropriately intense.

All things considered, I enjoyed Rose's Pledge and while I look forward to the next installment of the Harwood House series, it is not without trepidation. Mariah's character draws comparison to Jane, the flighty marriage obsessed sister of Daniel Haynes and I don't know if I'll be as inclined to dismiss the rehashing a second time. Recommended to fans of The Midwife of Blue Ridge and the Freedom's Holy Light series.

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If Rose wanted him to be one of those Christians who shunned anyone who came from another country or had darker skin, she was barking up the wrong tree. As far as he was concerned his God didn't mind folks having a little fun now and then either.

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#BookReview: Long Trail Home by Vickie McDonough

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The Long Trail Home is third in a six-book series about four generations of the Morgan family living, fighting, and thriving amidst a turbulent Texas history spanning from 1845 to 1896. Although a series, each book can be read on its own.When Riley Morgan returns home after fighting in the War Between the States, he is excited to see his parents and fiancee again. But he soon learns that his parents are dead and the woman he loved is married. He takes a job at the Wilcox School for the blind just to get by. He keeps his heart closed off but a pretty blind woman, Annie, threatens to steal it. When a greedy man tries to close the school, Riley and Annie band together to fight him and fall in love.But when Riley learns the truth about Annie, he packs and prepares to leave the school that has become his home and the woman who has thawed his heart. Will he change his mind and find the love he craves' Or will stubbornness deprive him from the woman he needs' Through painful circumstances, Riley and Annie learn that the loving and sovereign hand of God cannot be thwarted.

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Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆   |   Obtained from: Netgalley   |   Read: October 17, 2011

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Every series has one. The installment that just isn't on par with the rest. I want to be clear and say this is not a bad book. It is as well-written and endearing as the two preceding novels but the truth is I simply didn't enjoy this one as much as I did the others.

Where Lone Star Trail featured the wave of German immigration in the mid 1800s and Captive Trail focused on the plight of an Indian hostage, Long Trail Home centers on the Wilcox School for the Blind. I mean no offense to the visually impaired or McDonough when I say this but the history just wasn't as interesting to me. Unlike the other books, I've actually studied this topic and there wasn't a lot of new material for me to absorb. I believe McDonough's story will appeal to a lot of readers but personally, I am the wrong person to truly appreciate it.

I've established that I wasn't a fan of the subject matter but is that alone enough for a two star rating? Not in my world. The major factor was key elements that felt recycled from the other Texas Trails books. Annie's desire for a home and sense of belonging mirror Taabe/Billie's motivations in book two and Riley's situation with Miranda was all too reminiscent of Wande's experience with Konrad in book one. These books are marketed as a set so I have to assume that most readers will read the other installments. As book three of the collection, Long Trail Home should not feel like a rehash of its predecessors.

Obviously Long Trail Home is not one my favorite reads but the book has a few things going for it. I was pleased by the way McDonough approached Riley's struggles with PTSD and his determination with regards to aiding the women of the Wilcox school. Recommended to fans of the Spirit of Appalachia series by Gilbert Morris and Aaron McCarver.

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Having him around would make things so much more difficult for her. She'd have to stay on guard, always careful no to look into his eyes or walk too fast or do anything out of character for a blind person. Keeping an eye on the children would be a hundred times harder, as would gathering eggs and milking Bertha. Why had he stopped here? Why hadn't he kept riding or asked some rancher for work?

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#BookReview: Captive Trail by Susan Page Davis

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The Captive Trail is second in a six-book series about four generations of the Morgan family living, fighting, and thriving amidst a turbulent Texas history spanning from 1845 to 1896. Although a series, each book can be read singularly.

Taabe Waipu has run away from her Comanche village and is fleeing south in Texas on a horse she stole from a dowry left outside her family's teepee. The horse has an accident and she is left on foot, injured and exhausted. She staggers onto a road near Fort Chadbourne and collapses.

On one of the first runs through Texas, Butterfield Overland Mail Company driver Ned Bright carries two Ursuline nuns returning to their mission station. They come across a woman who is nearly dead from exposure and dehydration and take her to the mission.With some detective work, Ned discovers Taabe Waipu is Billie Morgan. He plans to unite her with her family, but the Comanche have other ideas, and the two end up defending the mission station.

Through Taabe (Billie) and Ned we learn the true meaning of healing and restoration amid seemingly powerless situations.

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Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆   |   Obtained from: Netgalley   |   Read: October 16, 2011 

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I think I have mentioned I have a habit of picking up books because I’m attracted to the covers. This is yet another example. The contrasting blues and oranges are eye catching but there is something about the girl’s face, half hidden behind her hair that grabbed my attention.

Captive Trail offers a unique look at one of the many dangers faced by frontier families for it was common practice among the Texas tribes to take captives. Some were tortured and/or ransomed but many were assimilated into the tribes as slaves or family members. The experience is illustrated in the Texas Trail series through the story of Taabe aka Billie Morgan. Picking up eleven years after the events of Lone Star Trail, Taabe/Billie has lived more than half her life among the Comanche. Faced with an unwanted marriage, Taabe/Billie makes a desperate bid for freedom and the past she barely remembers.

I have to hand it to Davis. Like the previous novel, Lone Star Trail, the author had to struggle with a multilingual cast. Instead of flooding the text with bits of Comanche, Davis focused on the frustration the characters felt at their inability to communicate. As a reader, I really appreciated her handling of the issue. It was easy to read but at the same time, it offered a very personal perspective on the characters.

I was also impressed by Davis' handling of the more controversial events of Taabe/Billie's time with the Comanche. I don't want to give anything away so I wont go into detail but it is a very realistic possibility in the life a captive. A applaud the author's decision to include it. 

Captive Trail is a heartwarming edition to the Morgan Family saga and a charming follow-up to Lone Star Trail. Recommended to fans of the Spirit of Appalachia series by Gilbert Morris and Aaron McCarver.

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Once Taabe had drawn back the curtain over the doorway and peered in. Several candles flickered within. Unlike the other rooms, this one had a floor of flat stones. Sister Natalie was kneeling at a low bench, facing the wall farthest from the one slit of a window. On the wall was a figure like the one in Taabe's room, only larger. The dying man on the torture rack. Taabe shivered and dropped the edge of the curtain. Someday, when she knew enough words, she would ask Sister Adele about that man.

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#BookReview: Lone Star Trail by Darlene Franklin

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The six-book series about four generations of the Morgan family living, fighting, and thriving amidst a turbulent Texas history spanning from 1845 to 1896 begins with Lone Star Trail.  Although a series, each book can be read on its own.

Judson "Jud" Morgan's father died for Texas' freedom during the war for independence. So when the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas (the Verein) attempts to colonize a New Germany in his country, he takes a stand against them.

After Wande Fleischers' fiancé marries someone else, the young fraulein determines to make a new life for herself in Texas. With the help of Jud's sister Marion, Wande learns English and becomes a trusted friend to the entire Morgan family.

As much as Jud dislikes the immigrant invasion, he can't help admiring Wande's character. She is sweet and cheerful as she serves the Lord and all those around her. Can the rancher put aside his prejudice to forge a new future?  Through Jud and Wande, we learn the powerful lessons of forgiveness and reconciliation among a diverse community of believers. 

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Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆   |   Obtained from: Netgalley   |   Read: October 10, 2011

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I confess I did not intend on reading this particular book. It was the second book of the Texas Trail series, Captive Trail, that caught my attention but alas, I am something of a compulsive reader. I find it incredibly difficult to start a series anywhere but the beginning. So, naturally, I set about locating a copy of Lone Star Trail for my literary enjoyment.

I love the amount of Texas history in this book.  I went to school in CA which afforded me a wonderful education with regards to Father Serra and the forty-niners but not a whole lot else. I’m not joking, we skipped Lewis and Clark and most of western expansion with two notable exceptions: Little Big Horn and the Alamo. Funny when you think about it as the United States lost both but I digress. My point here is that Franklin exposed me to a chapter of American history that I didn’t even know existed and, I hope I don’t sound arrogant when I say this, that is really saying something.

Franklin’s story revolves around Jud, an American horse rancher and Wande, a young immigrant. In the mid eighteen hundreds, thousands of Germans left Europe to establish themselves in rural Texas. Many of these individuals were unprepared for what awaited them across the sea and few were welcomed when they reached our shores. In my humble opinion, Franklin competently recreated the challenges faced by the new arrivals but it was her exceptional handling of the xenophobic sentiments of the Americans that made her work so fascinating.

Lone Star Trail is a wholesome and enjoyable story but I am not without criticism. Creating a believable cast is difficult but a multilingual collection of individuals presents a unique set challenges for both the author and the reader. The use of the German language is admirable but it is really difficult to read. I realize Franklin was trying to stress the communication barriers but at the end of the day readability is the bigger factor.

On a personal note, the references to the famous breeder were tediously repetitive. I grew up watching live action classics on vault Disney so maybe I take for granted that not everyone on the planet is aware that Justin Morgan Had a Horse but even so, this was leaning towards overkill. Again, just my personal opinion, but once was enough. 

All together, Lone Star Trail is a pleasant opener to the Morgan Family saga. Recommended to fans of the Spirit of Appalachia series by Gilbert Morris and Aaron McCarver.    

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Wande couldn't be as selfless as she claimed. No one was. No German was. He wouldn't tell her that the man who had jilted hoer so cruelly had asked him to give her a job. Or that her presence in his house disturbed his peace of mind.

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#BookReview: Avery's Crossroad by Deanna K. Klingel

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The saga of Avery Junior Bennett and his hound dog Gunner continues into 1863 through 1865 in book two of this young adult Civil War series. Time and war age our young hero who finds himself at a moral, emotional, and political crossroad in his daily routine of doctoring during this cruel and punishing war. Serving the injured on both sides of the conflict, Avery is empathetic, yet stalwart. His feelings toward Claire, the nurse and friend always beside him, prove to be one of Avery's most puzzling challenges. Gunner, however, has his master all figured out. Mapping the war for his patient's on a piece of butcher paper, hung on the hospital wall, readers will follow the advance to the fall of Richmond along with Avery, mourn the loss of a president amid the jubilation of a Union restored, and shed tears of joy as the soldiers and their doctor find their way home in 1865.

#BookReview: My Heart Remembers by Kim Vogel Sawyer

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United by blood, divided by time, will three orphan train siblings ever find one another again? Orphaned in a tenement fire, three Irish-immigrant children are sent to Missouri to be adopted. Despite eight-year-old Maelle's desperate attempts to keep her siblings together, each child is taken by a different family. Yet Maelle vows that she will never stop searching for her brother and sister... and that they will be together one day in the future. Seventeen years later, Maelle is still searching. But the years have washed away her hope... and her memories. What are Mattie and Molly doing now? Where has life taken them? Will she ever see her brother and sister again?

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Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆   |   Obtained from: Personal Kindle Library   |   Read: September 5, 2011

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Sawyer covers a lot of ground in My Heart Remembers. Immigration, Ellis Island, crowded tenements, sweat shops, foundling asylums, orphan trains, early photography and religion. Against this backdrop she relates the story of three siblings, separated by tragedy and united ­by a common cause.

The Gallagher kids survive terrible misfortune only to be divided by circumstance. Left in an orphan asylum, the siblings are selected for relocation, unwittingly becoming 3 of the estimated 200,000 homeless youngsters who travelled west in search of families. Children were often separated from their siblings during the process and since there were no regulations, interested parties were allowed to take children in as anything from indentured servants to family members. Sawyer’s use of premise was reasonably moving.

The truly impressive aspect of the novel was Sawyer's incorporation of child labor. Young children were an integral part of the industrial revolution and an immensely popular source of cheap labor. Petey is a member of the supporting cast and the most captivating character in the entire book. His plight tugs at the heartstrings from the abuse he suffers as a shop boy to the horrific accident that leaves him crippled with an uncertain future. 

Unfortunately, integration of historic fact doesn’t make a book. The characters are flat out boring. One dimensional characters make great villains but poor protagonists. The Gallaghers needed to experience internal conflict and growth. As it is we see them primarily as shallow beings wallowing in their own self-pity. Matthew eventually stands up for himself but as we were denied the narrative of his adolescence, the moment doesn’t pack much punch. Similar issues plague Sawyer in her characterization of Maelle and Molly.

Having been driven from the church by intolerance, I have no appreciation for statements such as “Given Isabelle’s cold treatment, she wouldn’t have taken the other woman as a Christian.” Being a Christian doesn’t make you a good person any more than standing in a garage makes you a car. Self-reverence and exaltation violate the base teachings of the Bible and frankly make me sick. Bad form.

A bland story with an all too convenient conclusion. Touching but too fluffy for my tastes.

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Had she ever considered how fortunate-how spoiled-she was while growing up? These children made her view the world in a different way, and she wasn't sure she liked it.

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#BookReview: Waterfall by Lisa Tawn Bergren

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Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Betarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives among the romantic hills with their archaelogist parents. Stuck among the rubble of the medieval castles in rural Tuscany, on yet another hot, dusty archaeological site, Gabi and Lia are bored out of their minds...until Gabi places her hand atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in fourteenth-century Italy. And worse yet, in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of two opposing forces. Suddenly Gabi's summer in Italy is much, much more interesting.

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Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆   |   Obtained from: Local Library   |   Read: Aug. 19, 2011

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Fair warning folks, I’m in the minority on this one so try to keep an open mind. My feelings won’t be hurt if you disagree with me, but I’d hate to think of my word being gospel as most readers seem to really enjoy this series.

Bergren’s prose is alright, but I personally found it rather immature and while I’m not part of the target age group for this novel, I can’t help feeling my sixth grade-self would have groaned over the verbiage in this piece. "I'd never encountered such Italian hotness outside of Roma." Yeah, I definitely would have balked at that.

Continuity is another element I felt Bergren mishandled. Most of the novel takes place in 1332, a time that is utterly foreign to Gabi Betarrini. She doesn’t understand the culture, she doesn’t understand the protocol and she doesn’t understand the terminology. Bergren exploits this detail to add humor to the piece, but I couldn’t help noticing that many fourteenth century scenes felt inauthentic. Call me crazy, but I find it difficult to find Gabi’s ineptness amusing when her situation lacks validity.

Waterfall was recommended to me because of its historic content, but the only thing I really liked about it was Bergren’s treatment of faith. The religious aspects weren’t grating or preachy and I felt the incorporation of content appropriate to both the story and situational drama.

I’m not ruling out the rest of the series, but they definitely aren’t at the top of my TBR list.

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I finally meet a guy who's interesting and who seems to have a half-interest in me and it is TOTALLY the wrong time and place.

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#BookReview: The Vigilante's Bride by Yvonne Harris

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Robbing a stagecoach on Christmas Eve and kidnapping a woman passenger is the last thing Luke Sullivan expects to do. He just wanted to reclaim the money stolen from him, but ends up with a feisty copper-haired orphan thrown over his shoulder who was on her way to marry Sullivan's bitter enemy. 

Emily McCarthy is an orphan out of options. Forced to marry because she was too old for her orphanage, she doesn't take kindly to her "rescue."  Still she trusts God can turn any situation to good especially when it seems Sullivan may just be the man of her dreams. But Sullivan's crossed a dangerous man unused to losing and Emily may just be the prize he's unwilling to sacrifice.

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Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆   |   Obtained from: Personal Kindle Library   |   Read: Aug. 10, 2011

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I really need to stop downloading kindle freebies. I’m sure there are good ones out there, but I never seem to snag them. Case and point, The Vigilante's Bride by Yvonne Harris, a cliché inspirational romance that left me both irritated and bored.

Orphans, saloon brawls, stage coach robberies, dinosaur eggs, it’s all here. Every trivial platitude of western literature, packed together in a single volume. Harris’ depictions of the Crow and their native land were equally disappointing. The author’s descriptions didn’t do justice to either and I felt the image she presented unrealistically thin and offensively stereotypical.

Speaking of imagery… “He had a nice square jaw and was certainly attractive for a gunfighter. Well, not really a gunfighter, but almost. And despite who he was and what he did, his chin was downright cute, with a Y-shaped cleft so deep it folded in on itself.” It folded in on itself? Really? What does that mean and why doesn’t it sound attractive?

Axel never developed into a despicable antagonist, I felt there was too much going on and I didn’t feel an ounce of chemistry between Luke and Emily. Bottom line, this is not a title that will remain in my library and not something I see myself recommending down the road.

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"What kind of man advertises in the newspaper for a wife, anyway? Is he crazy?"

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