Wings Of The Wind

Wings of the Wind is a well written book with drama, suspense, history and a love story all tied in together.  It has a little bit of everything which made it a fun book to read.  It's the third book in the series, but I wouldn't have known that, with how easy this book was to read.  Some sequels are hard to follow if you haven't started from the beginning, but that wasn't the case with this one.  It could easily be an independent novel.

The characters in this book were fun and easy to picture.  The descriptions of the land and scenery were written so naturally, that you could almost feel as if you were there.  I loved reading this book and when I finally finished it, I was sad to see it end.  If you enjoy historical fiction, I'm sure you'll love this book.

I believe this is the first book that I've read by Connilyn Cossette, and I can't wait to see what else she has written.  As much as I loved this book, I can't wait to get my hands on the first two books in this series. 

* I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publisher, in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

What are you reading?

Treasured Grace

I really enjoyed reading Treasured Grace.  It's different than anything I've read in quite a while.  The characters are fun, and I loved the setting.  The story is set back in the mid 1800's when conflict starts to arise between the Indians and the settlers out west.

This book is one that I could sit back and relax while reading, and then be on the edge of my seat the next minute.  It has a few twists and turns that kept me wondering what was going to happen next and I think it also has just the right amount of conflict and romance. 

I've read quite a few Tracie Peterson books, and I have to say that this one, was one of my favorites.  I'm anxiously awaiting the next book in this series.  If you're looking for a good book to read, I would highly recommend Treasured Grace. 

* I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publisher, in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

What are you currently reading?

XO,

What I've Been Reading Lately

I've read a few books lately, and thought I'd share them with you.  If you've read any of these, I'd love to know what you thought of them.

The Captive Heart, by Michelle Griep

This one was probably my favorite book of 2016.  I finished it not long ago, and I'm still thinking about it.  I just found the characters in this book so fun.  Especially the male character.  He comes across as so rugged and gruff, but I think he's quite endearing and humoring!  This is one of those books that I wished was twice as long.  I couldn't get enough of their story.

Two By Two, by Nicholas Sparks

 

This was the weirdest book that I've read by Nicholas Sparks.  I wouldn't have known it was written by him, if the cover didn't say so.  I picked this one up on Cyber Monday, and wow, was it different.  This book stressed me out, and I kept telling Dan that I wasn't sure that I could finish it.  Ultimately, I had to know what happened, so I kept reading.

I can't say that I liked it, but I can't say it was bad either, because obviously I kept reading it.

Anyone else read this one?  What did you think?

The Innkeeper Of Ivy Hill, by Julie Klassen

This one was different than I expected as well.  It was a lot slower paced than I normally prefer, but once I realized that it was supposed to be more of a 'Little Women' kind of book, if that makes sense...  I just took my time and enjoyed it for what it was.  Which is a book about a woman trying to save the family inn, back in an 1800's English village.  I can't say that I loved this book, but I found it quaint and kind of relaxing compared to some of the faster paced books.  (I had received this one from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Dan and the kids gifted me this for Christmas.  The Undoing of Saint Silvanus, is Beth Moore's first novel.

It's a long one with 480 pages.  I loved the New Orleans setting, and the characters.  I think Beth Moore is a great author and did great for her first novel... it was just a little too long in my opinion.  It had some suspense, but not enough to keep me interested for quite that long.

An Uncommon Courtship, by Kristi Ann Hunter

An Uncommon Courtship is about a couple who are forced to marry to save her reputation.  They are forced into a marriage that neither of them signed up for or wanted.  They have to figure out how to love and be married to someone they don't even truly know.  These kinds of books are some of my favorites.  So much awkward tension and humor.  These two characters are a bit different than some that I've read before, but I still enjoyed it.  They just have you shaking your head from time to time.  (This is another one I received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review)



To Suit A Suitor, by Paula Kremser

I just finished this one over the weekend, and I really liked it.  The characters were cute, as well as their story.  It's another fun and easy read.  She has been trying to catch a husband for the past 3 seasons, without any luck.  She promises her mother that she will marry whomever her mother chooses if she'll just allow her to escape from London for a time.  But before she even arrives at her cousins house, she has an encounter with a man, she's thankful she'll never see again (or so she thinks). 

So that's what I've been reading lately.

Today, I'm linking up with Johannah.  I can't wait to see what everyone else is reading.

 Have you read any of these?  What are you reading?  What should I be reading?

Beyond The Silence

I've read a lot of Tracie Peterson's books over the years and I was excited to get my hands on this one. She wrote this book with Kimberely Woodhouse, and I loved it.

In Beyond The Silence, Lillian heads west to become a Nanny for a little boy who is no longer speaking, after witnessing the death of his mother.  Lillian takes care of the little boy, while also developing feelings for his father, who happens to be her employer.  Meanwhile, there is a bit of suspense with the killer still at large.

This book is well written and has good character definition.  As soon as I started reading this book, I knew I was going to like it.  The story took right off from the beginning and kept my interest the whole way through.  Which is seemingly harder and harder to find in books these days.

If you are looking for a fun, easy read, with a bit of suspense, I just know you'll like this one.

 * I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House Publisher, in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Have you read any of Tracie Peterson's or Kimberley Woodhouse's books before?

The Mexican Slow Cooker

I don't mind making dinner each night, as long as I can come up with something to make.   I love it even more when it's something quick and easy that I can make, while still being healthy. 

Crock pot meals are some of my favorites.  I love getting dinner ready in the morning, and letting the crock pot do the work.  My house smells yummy all day, and I don't have to scramble at 5:00 to start preparing something.  Lets be honest... by 5:00 I'm getting tired, and slowing down.  I want most of my house work done by then.

 I'm excited to have gotten this cookbook.  Slow cooker... check.  Mexican food...  check.  What's not to be excited about!  

I've been looking through this book and I'm excited to try out a few of these recipes.  There is a soup called 'Sopa de Queso', which is a cheese soup with green chile's and potato.  I just know it's going to be good, how could it not be?! 

Also, with Gracie being gluten free, I am really excited to try out the Fajitas.  I've never had a true recipe for these before.  I've just always bought a packet of Fajita mix.  Lame, I know.  Well, this recipe looks to be completely gluten free and not that much harder than using the packet.  This one is definitely going on my dinner planning list. 

 This book has a little bit of everything in it.  There are different varieties of tacos, burritos, rice recipes, etc.   Also, there is a dessert in here, that I can't wait to make.  It's an apple cake with a special syrup and walnuts.  Yum!

The only thing that I didn't love about this cookbook, was that most of these recipes aren't cooked solely in the slow cooker.  It appears that quite a bit of the recipes will also require a pan and sometimes a food processor.  I would rather just put everything into a slow cooker and not have all the extra dishes and hassle.

Overall, I'm excited to be adding this cookbook to my collection. 

You can see a glimpse inside this cookbook, here.

 * I received this book from Blogging for Books, in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own. 

Are you all a fan of Mexican food?

A Refuge At Highland Hall

Now that it's the middle of November, with the weather getting colder by the day, I'm happy to be a homebody and snuggle up under a blanket, with a hot cup of coffee.  Since I'll be all snuggled up, I obviously need a puzzle to work on or a good book to read.

I received this book in the mail a couple of weeks ago, and boy, did I want to like it. 

Unfortunately, I never could get into it.  When I decided upon this book, I saw that it was a novel, but I didn't notice however, that it said it was the third book in a series.  Within the first chapter I started having doubts about choosing this book.  I prefer when the author pulls you immediately into the story, starting in the first chapter... that wasn't the case here.  I thought this book was just starting off slow and that it would pick up.  It did pick up a bit, but not enough to hold my interest.  I made it to the 7th chapter and finally gave up.

I felt that there was very little character descriptions, such as what they looked like and their unique personalities, so it made it really hard to imagine the characters and take much interest in them. Also, there seemed to be too much description over things that weren't important, such as random, uneventful, day to day happenings, when there was such important information still lacking.

I have to say though, that this book has gotten a lot of high ratings, from reviews on multiple sites.  Obviously people are loving, it.  It just wasn't for me.

  

*I received this book from Blogging for Books, in exchange for this review.  All opinions are my own.

Checking in and sharing some books.

I just wanted to check in and let you know that I'm still around.  Life has been busy lately and even though it's been busy... I haven't had much to write about that's very interesting.  My niece and nephew have been staying with us for the last week and we've been hanging out and having fun.  I've been terrible and haven't taken many pictures lately.  I took a couple quick pictures of the kids on Easter looking for eggs, but I didn't even attempt to take any "nice" pictures of them all dressed up.  It seems, we've been running from one thing to the next.

People had always told me when I had young kids, that the older they get, the busier your life gets.  I always thought, yeah right.  Well it seems to be true.  And from what people are still saying, it's going to continue to get even busier for me.  I believe them this time!  I guess it's time to invest in some running shoes.  ;)

I've been trying to get my work done as early as I can and then I've been trying to read for a bit before the kids get home everyday.  I just finished the last book in a series of 3.  They take place back during the civil war, and each book is through the eyes of a different person.  The first book gives a view through the eyes of a Southern Belle, the 2nd through a well to do Northern gal and the third gives a  view through the Slaves eyes.   They were all really good!!!  They are the "Refiner's Fire" series by Lynn Austin.  I don't know that I've ever read any of her other books before, but I was really impressed with her as an author, while reading these, and I'll be looking to what other books she has out there. 

At the moment, I'm in the middle of a book called, "The Ransom" by MaryLu Tyndall. 

It's the 4th book in a pirate series.  I had read the other 3 books, years ago and now that I'm reading the 4th, I'm actually anxious to go back and reread the first one, (The Redemption) as I remember it being one of my favorites.  They are just another good set of books if you are needing something to read this Summer.

 

 I saw this on pinterest and isn't it the truth! 

Even though fictional books are my cup of tea, I do like to throw in other interesting reads as well.  I have been wanting to read a biography for a while now.  I think it would be interesting to read one on Jackie Kennedy.  Do you all have any recommendations of a biography that you liked?

Linking up today with Andrea

 

I hope you all have a great weekend!