Title: The Painter's Daughter
Author: Julie Klassen
Genre: Christian Fiction
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
source: publisher
Sophie Dupont, daughter of a portrait painter, assists her father in his studio, keeping her own artwork out of sight. She often walks the cliffside path along the north Devon coast, popular with artists and poets. It's where she met the handsome Wesley Overtree, the first man to tell her she's beautiful.
Captain Stephen Overtree is accustomed to taking on his brother's neglected duties. Home on leave, he's sent to find Wesley. Knowing his brother rented a cottage from a fellow painter, he travels to Devonshire and meets Miss Dupont, the painter's daughter. He's startled to recognize her from a miniature portrait he carries with him--one of Wesley's discarded works. But his happiness plummets when he realizes Wesley has left her with child and sailed away to Italy in search of a new muse.
Wanting to do something worthwhile with his life, Stephen proposes to Sophie. He does not offer love, or even a future together, but he can save her from scandal. If he dies in battle, as he believes he will, she'll be a respectable widow with the protection of his family.
Desperate for a way to escape her predicament, Sophie agrees to marry a stranger and travel to his family's estate. But at Overtree Hall, her problems are just beginning. Will she regret marrying Captain Overtree when a repentant Wesley returns? Or will she find herself torn between the father of her child and her growing affection for the husband she barely knows?
I was so excited for new Julie Klassen. I've loved all of her books, which is no small feat. While I still enjoyed this one, I don't think I loved it quite as much as all of her other books.
Of course, this one one starts with quite the scandal. Sophie has yet to tell anyone that she's pregnant, when she finds herself abandoned by the father. When his brother Stephen arrives to collect his stuff and find where he's gone, he proposes. Sophie accepts, and they return to his home. They are just getting to know each other, when Wesley comes back.
As always, Klassen writes her characters so well. I enjoyed Sophie and Stephen, and thought they were well fleshed out. I feel that we really got to know them. Klassen always does a really great job of writing secondary characters, and we get to know them just as much as the main characters. I always appreciate authors who do that, and love seeing the other stories and characters intertwining with our main story.
I usually do not like historical either, but Klassen always has a way of writing that draws me in. With her beautifully detailed setting, and surprising plot twists, Klassen's writing will hook you from the start. I wouldn't say this one was quite as plot twisty as her others, and there was nothing too unpredictable, but I still found this to be a great story.
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Title: Undaunted Hope
Author: Jody Hedlund
Series: Beacons of Hope, #3
Genre: Christian Fiction
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
source: publisher
Tessa Taylor arrives in 1870s Upper Peninsula, Michigan, planning to serve as a new teacher to the town. Much to her dismay, however, she immediately learns that there was a mistake, that the town had requested a male teacher. Percival Updegraff, superintendent and chief mine clerk, says she can stay through winter since they won't be able to locate a new teacher before then, and Tessa can't help but say she is in his debt. Little does she know that Percival will indeed keep track of all that she owes him.
Determined to become indispensable, Tessa throws herself into teaching, and soon the children of the widowed lighthouse keeper have decided she's the right match for their grieving father. Their uncle and assistant light keeper, Alex Bjorklund, has his own feelings for Tessa. As the two brothers begin competing for her hand, Tessa increasingly feels that someone is tracking her every move, and she may not be able to escape the trap that has been laid for her.
When I saw that the main character in this one was a secondary character from book 2, I was intrigued. Tessa was not the most liked character from that story, so I was interested to see how the author would turn the tables. And in fact, Tessa might have been my favorite of the MC's from this series.
Tessa has been running since the events of the previous book. She is trying to put her past behind her, and has matured into a lovely young lady. She arrives as a teacher for this new town, only to find that they are not willing to have a female teacher. She talks them into agreeing to let her stay through the winter, and then throws herself into proving she deserves to stay.
Tessa has become a very strong, independent character, and I loved her for it. She hates the way the townspeople are treated, and starts to do something about it. I loved seeing this change in her. She still has a lot to work through, but it's obvious she is now a very different person.
I loved the other characters in this one too, from the kids to Alex and his brother. I did have issues with Alex when he and his brother tried to make decisions for Tessa as if it was their right, but Tessa quickly put a stop to that, which I admired her for. All in all, I thought this was a great addition to the series.
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Title: At Love's Bidding
Author: Regina Jennings
Series: Ozark Mountain Romances #2
Genre: Christian Fiction
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
source: NetGalley
After helping her grandfather at their Boston auction house, Miranda Wimplegate discovers she's accidentally sold a powerful family's prized portrait to an anonymous bidder. Desperate to appease the furious family, her grandfather tracks it to the Missouri Ozarks and makes an outlandish offer to buy the local auction house if they promise not to sell anything until he arrives.
Upon their arrival, however, they discover their new business doesn't deal in fine antiques, but in livestock. And its manager, ruggedly handsome Wyatt Ballentine, is frustrated to discover his fussy new bosses don't know a thing about the business he's single-handedly kept afloat. Faced with more cattle than they can count--but no mysterious painting--Miranda and Wyatt form an unlikely but charged partnership to try and salvage a bad situation getting worse.
This is only the second book I've read by Regina Jennings, and while I don't think I liked it as much as the first book in this series, I did still enjoy this second installment.
Miranda has always done what she is told. She just wants to be a good daughter and keep the peace. But when she is charged with accompanying her grandfather to find a lost painting, Miranda has to learn how to take charge. I liked Miranda. She was sweet, and just wanted what was best for her family. And we get to see her grow and learn what's best for herself as well.
I did like Wyatt, as well as the other characters, some of which we saw book 1. The plot didn't really hook me though, as I put the book down a few times, and wouldn't pick it up again for a very long time in between. The communication issues did frustrate me a little bit, as I was screaming at them to "just talk already". I also got a bit lost there at the end, with everything that happened. It seemed a bit fast, everything at once. However, I did think this was a cute story, and I did enjoy it.
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Title: Every Bride Has Her Day
Author: Janice Thompson
Series: Brides with Style #3
Genre: Christian Fiction
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
source: publisher
I have loved this series, and I thought this was a cute, fun end to the series. I love Janice Thompson's books for how fun and sweet they are, and this one was no different.
I did have a few more issues with this one. I felt like...nothing happened. As in, there was no real plot. Yes, I know Katie is getting married, but it seemed very lacking. I felt like a lot of the conversations were repeated, even Katie's inner monologue. They were just saying the same things over and over again, and nothing was really happening. Also, I know it's a romance, and they tend to be slightly unrealistic anyway, but the amount of engagements/weddings/etc. in this one seemed over-the-top and excessive. I mean, I could see why Jane was feeling a little bitter.
But in true Thompson fashion, the story was hilarious and quirky and sweet. It was still a fun read, and I'm glad we got to see the whole gang one last time, all together. I thought it was super cute, and I can't wait for more from Janice Thompson.
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