Across the Blue

It is the infancy of flight and Bella Grayson is enthralled with all things aviation.  She has a deep desire to write as a journalist on her father's newspaper, The Daily Times.  In order to prove her point to her father, she writes a letter to the editor anonymously and when it is printed, she points out to her father that she is, in fact, the author. 

In writing Across the Blue, Carrie Turansky has taken the history of the development of flight and made it into a readable novel that engages the reader from the first page till the author's notes at the end.  She still follows the romance novel formula, but it truly doesn't distract from the lovely narrative Carrie is telling.

1.  Boy meets girl:  Bella and her family have bought an estate called Broadlands to be their home away from London.  James Drake lives on one of the tenant farms with his mentor Professor Steed.  Bella and James meet when he lands his plane on the Broadlands grounds.

2.  Boy gets girl: Bella begins to spend time with James, asking questions, observing his work on the plane, and getting to know him.  James begins falling for Bella in their moments together. 

3.  Boy loses girl: Bella's family wants her to marry and settle down.  She's been through three seasons in London and hasn't found a suitor she wants.  Her parents want her to encourage another pilot, Mark Clifton, who is more than happy to interfere with James and Bella's growing fondness.

4.  Boy gets girl back:  In a flying competition in France, one of the legs of the competition require that the pilot also carry a passenger.  Bella is James' passenger and Bella's father is Mark's passenger.  When Mark's plane crashes, James gives up his place in the competition to save Bella's father and Mark. 

This is a five-star book with far more depth than I have described here.  Two Thumbs Up, and a plane ride off the cliffs of Dover. 

My thanks to Waterbrook/Multnomah Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book.

Perennials

Julie Cantrell writes interesting books, but like my last review, faith wasn't an integral part of the book.  However, Julie has hit on some tough family dynamics that nearly every family has experienced--sibling rivalry.  Bitsy and Lovey have a rivalry that defies explanation, and Bitsy has an irrational jealousy of Lovey that refuses to heal, despite Lovey's attempts. 

Julie uses the flashback device throughout the book quite successfully to keep the reader informed of what's going on with the characters and how they are feeling and why. 

Lovey has an important job in an ad agency and is trying to bring in an account that will solve a lot of financial problems for her firm when her father calls her and asks her to come home for his fiftieth anniversary with her mother.  He is not one to allow no to be the answer to his request, especially this time. 

Bitsy resents that Lovey came home and has taken part of the limelight away from her. But Lovey meets Fisher--a childhood friend--again who is able to put some new perspective on Bitsy's irrational attitude. 

I was ready to give up on this book, but it hooked me in at just the right time and held onto me until I closed the last page. 

Much of the book revolves around perennial flowers and the garden that Bitsy and Lovey's father is having built for their mother.  He takes the group around to towns close by Oxford, Mississippi, to collect cuttings for the garden and to keep their mother from guessing what's going on. 

This is truly a five star book, two thumbs up, and hydrangea cuttings for your Mary Garden

My thanks to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read and review this book.

Blue Ridge Sunrise

Denise Hunter usually writes sweet books of small town life and romance.  I found that Blue Ridge Sunrise didn't fit the "sweet" description.  Too many of the books I have read lately have only given "ink service" to faith within the narrative and its characters.  This one in particular didn't seem to give that much word space to faith, but I do have to admit I didn't finish the book.  When the kissing scenes become R rated, I'll put the book down and move on. I can get my own R rated kisses in real life.  I don't need to know how the hero "punished her lips" or how it was the best kiss she'd ever received.  I've read some of Denise's other books and enjoyed them, but this one missed my mark. 

Two Stars. 

My thanks to Thomas Nelson for allowing me to read and review this book.

The Regency Brides Collection

Barbour Books is making their mark on the novella anthologies with the Regency Brides Collection, they have departed from their normal nine novella format to have only seven novellas in the book. This is a good thing in my mind.  I just wish they'd come down to only four.  From a reviewing standpoint, four seems to be my highwater mark for keeping the plots of the stories straight.  That being said, this collection is quite light hearted and fun. 

My favorite one of this collection includes a governess of three children and their guardian.  The children's antics make the story fun and engaging. 

The authors of this collection know what they are doing in preparing a full plot to go in a small package. 

Five Star Collection, Two Thumbs Up, and an afternoon cup of tea while entertaining visitors.

My thanks to Barbour Books for allowing me to read and review this book.

Belle and the Beast

Sarah Price has started a new series of Amish Fiction based on well-known fairy tales.  The first one is a modern-Amish retelling of Beauty and the Beast. 

Belle is the youngest daughter of Melvin Beiler and the one who does most of the work around the house while Melvin works on his inventions.  Little do Belle and her sisters know is that their father has frittered away his money on his newest invention and the mortgage is about to come due.

Adam Herschberger is a man scarred from a fire that killed his mother.  Children look at him and run from him, calling him a beast.  Townspeople look the other way when he comes into town, or they stare with undisguised disgust. 

Adam has bought the Beiler farm and has put into motion the eviction of Belle and her family.  He has paid a generous amount for the farm, but it won't take care of all the bills and give them enough to find another place to live.   Belle approaches Adam to see how she can save the farm so her family won't be homeless.  He is willing to allow her family to stay on the farm if she will marry him and give him a son to inherit her family's farm. 

Melanie Dickerson has written several Young Adult books based on fairy tales and I have enjoyed all of them, but I love how Sarah Price has not only put this one together, and how she's planted the seed for the next ones in the series.  Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and some homemade cheese from your very own dairy. 

My thanks to Kensington Books for allowing me to read and review this book.

A Place at Our Table

So here's the deal.  Kayla's brother, Simeon, was killed in a fire as a firefighter. For that reason alone, she doesn't like firefighters.  When her family's barn catches fire, Jamie Riehl is one of the firefighters who responds to the call.  Kayla is attracted to him, and he to her, but her mental block against his profession stands in the way.  Jamie and his friends who are all part of the crew that put out the blaze show up the next week to put up a new barn for Kayla's father.

Circumstances, events, happenings all conspire to keep these two star-crossed lovers apart.  Kayla hates him for what he does, but then she loves him for how he stands in to help her family.  When his life falls apart, he hides from Kayla and anyone else in his life.  He hates himself, he can't love Kayla.  Their story switches back and forth so quickly I got reader's whiplash just trying to keep up with whether they are together or not. 

Most of the time, I really enjoy the writings of Amy Clipston, but this one didn't really tickle my fancy as much as her other writings did.  I still say it's a solid four stars.  A Place at Our Table does tackle grief in all its emanations.

My thanks to Zondervan for allowing me to read and review this book.

The Promise of Dawn

Lauraine Snelling's claim to fame is her novels about Scandanavian immigrants to the Midwest--including several families in the Blessing series.  The Promise of Dawn is the beginning of a new series that still gives a nod to the characters in the Blessing series.

Einar and Gerd write to their relatives in Norway seeing if Rune and his family can come and help.  Gerd is not doing well and Einar needs help felling trees.

Just as Rune and Signe leave for Amerika (sic), Signe finds that she's pregnant one more time.  When they reach Einar's farm, they find all is not what it was purported to be.  Einar is an angry man who looks to take out his frustrations on anyone in proximity.  Gerd is bedfast and unable to do anything for herself.

Signe sees much of this as a challenge--getting Gerd back on her feet, standing up for her boys, and ultimately, making sure they get their due from Einar. 

Lauraine has given a full development to her characters, as well as genuine conflict.  She's a quality writer who puts out quality narratives. She's given us a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a slice of cornbread with your dinner.

My thanks to Bethany House for allowing me to read and review this book.