The Brickmaker's Bride by Judith Miller

Description:

Yearning for a fresh start, Ewan McKay travels with his aunt and uncle from northern Scotland to West Virginia, promising to trade his skills in the clay business for financial assistance from his uncle Hugh. Hugh purchases a brickmaking operation from a Civil War widow and her daughter, but it's Ewan who gets the business up and running again. Ewan seeks help from Laura, the former owner's daughter, and he feels a connection with her, but she's being courted by another man--a lawyer with far more social clout and money than Ewan. Besides, Ewan has resolved he'll focus on making the brickmaking operation enough of a success that he can become a partner in the business
and be able to afford to bring his sisters over from Scotland.

But when Hugh signs a bad business deal, all Ewan's hard work may come to naught. As his plans begin to crumble, Laura reveals something surprising. She and her mother may have a way to save the brickworks, and in turn Ewan may have another shot at winning Laura's heart.

Opinion:

This review has been a long time coming. I started this book mid-October and finished it this morning! I have not read a book in awhile that took me so long to read. It was a okay book, but it progressed so slow throughout the entire story. After reading other reviews about it I assumed it would pick up in the second half of the book, but nothing changed. Almost every scene seemed unnecessary and some of the characters confused me. It seemed like Judith could not decide on whether she wanted the character to be likable or not and so I was left perplexed with his personality and behavior. 


The romance between Ewan and Laura seemed rushed, and I felt like their characters were to perfect. Neither of them really had secrets, and if they did they confessed right away. I didn't see a struggle to make the relationship work. It just did automatically, and I don't feel like that is a real representation of how life actually works.


I felt like all the details of a Brickyard were forced down my throat, I would zone out quite often because of all the information that was being handed to me instead of entertainment. When I realized I was zoning out I didn't even care to backtrack and reread because I wasn't interested, and I was pretty sure I didn't miss anything that was important to the story.


I know this is a pretty harsh review, but I have to be honest. Just because I didn't like it doesn't mean others won't. The concept of the story was a good foundation, I just don't believe it was executed very well.


Rating: 3 Stars

The Reliance by M.L. Tyndall

Description:
Tormented by his wife's apparent demise, Edmund Merrick sails away to drown his sorrows--only to find himself trapped in the dark world of a demented Frenchman. When his mind clears from its rum-induced haze, will Edmund find the will to escape?


Seemingly abandoned by her husband, Charlisse is thrown into the clutches of the vengeful pirate Kent. Will she be swept away by the undertow of treachery and despair? Can Edmund and Charlisse steer their way to the faith-filled haven they so desperately seek, or will they ultimately lose their love and lives to the sea?


My Opinion:
I was pleased with how great of a sequel this was for The Redemption. I knew it was going to be hard for it to at least match in entertainment. Knowing that Merrick thought his wife was dead made me go insane for almost the entire book. How he buried himself in his sorrow was expected because of his past, but I could not believe how much it hit me and how shocked I was by some of the things he did.


I was also surprised with Charlisse and how she could be so strong and weak at the same time. I was put through both Merrick and Charlisse being torn away from God at points and fighting the undying faith that they knew is impossible to shake. They both were haunted by thoughts that degraded their self worth, telling them that they would never be good enough or that they were failures.


In this book, a girl name Isabel was introduced. I was supposed to pity her and the situation she was in, but I could not get myself to. I despised most of her attitude except for the times she was helping Charlisse. The other times I wanted to hit her myself. All I can do is hope that she grows on me in the next book, The Restitution.


One another note, I have not read many Pirate books, and I am always scared that when I pick on up it will be the cheesy, stereotypical pirate story. MaryLu is a genius and really knows what she is doing when she sits down to begin one of her novels. I will continue to enjoy reading her books for a long time.


Stars: 4  

Deluge by Lisa Bergren

Description:

WARNING TO MY BELOVED RIVER TRIBE: HARD THINGS HAPPEN IN THIS BOOK. Get your Kleenex ready...If you're not ready for some special characters to perish from plague and in battle, you won't want to read it. Seriously. You can walk away now and you can make up your own ending in your mind. BUT, that said, there's also a ton of romance and suspense and fun too! To embrace life, and live it to the fullest, we must appreciate the day--and occasionally face down death--and our beloved Forellis and Betarrinis learn that all over again. Ready? Ready. We can DO this... --Lisa

IT'S ONE THING TO BATTLE FOR LIFE...BUT WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN DEATH ITSELF COMES HUNTING?

The Bettarinis and Forellis have found rich fulfillment together in medieval Italia. But after fighting off countless enemies, they now must face the worst foe of all. As the Black Death closes in upon them, threatening everything and everyone they hold dear, Lia and Gabi–and the knights they love–must dig deep within to decide how they might remain safe…and if they need to risk it all in order to truly live as they’re called.

Praise for the series:
"Disgustingly good. Bergren is a diabolical PLOT GENIUS." --LoganTurner.com
"Smart...SURPRISING...Sweet." --Colleen Houck, best-selling author, on goodreads
"Can you say 'SWOON'?" --SmallReview.com
"400 pages of NON-FREAKING STOP..." --YearningtoRead, Amazon

My Opinion:

I waited to read this book for 2 years. I don't know if you have ever waited that long to read a book that you had been anticipating, let alone wait 2 years for the LAST book of a series, but it is HARD! Even EXCRUCIATING!!! I know that I am not the only one who went through this, thank goodness I had other people who knew why I was so emotional when this book kept on being postponed. But let me FREAKING tell you that the wait was worth it! I wish that Lisa could keep writing about the Forelli's and Bettarini's because they have become my favorite family to read about ever! However, I know that all works of writing must come to an end at some point. I understand. It's a bittersweet thing to know that my journey with them has ended, but I'm glad that I can re-read the books again and again to reminisce about.


Let me first start with what everyone wants to hear about- Lia and Luca. I'm not going to give anything big and important away, but trust me, Luca was at the top of his game! He was nowhere near failing in the swoon department. Now, I am DIE HARD team Marcello, but Luca definitely was tempting me to come to his side. It is crazy how real Marcello and Luca are to me. I try not to do this, but whenever I am reading another book I am always comparing them to these two, and I have not found any who have surpassed my respect for them.


I didn't quite know what to expect from Deluge, I knew it was going to be a hard and heart wrenching story. However, I was pleased to have some comic relief sprinkled in certain segments. Actually, about the first half of the book was pretty light and happy. There were some parts where I could see tension and frustration was on the rise, but for the most part it was fun to read and watch the 'She-Wolves' back at proving their 'prowess'.


There was an extremely interesting twist to this book that I was not expecting. You would think that after waiting for so long to read this, I could have thought of every single possible scenario that could have taken place. Nope. I was thoroughly impressed with the fact that I could not guess what was going to happen. I can see how some people might not like the twist that she put in the story, but I believe it was a great idea.


One little thing that I was a bit frustrated about was that some of the things that Lisa described seemed to modern. At one part Lia was getting shoes made for her, and to get her foot measured she placed her foot on a row of different outlined feet on a step in the shop. It sounded to much like those rugs you would see in the shoe section at a store for little kids to find what size they were. There were a couple other things that I spotted like this that I just thought seemed to modernized for the 14th century. What do I know though? I'm sure they were civilized and had their own systems for things back then. It wasn't the cavemen era!


Lisa warns that tough things happen in this book, and I eco her statement. GET YOUR KLEENEX'S AND HAVE THEM READY! Make sure it's a brand new box as well! I could not recommend this book with anymore enthusiasm than I already have! I hope all you will quickly get this uploaded onto your reading devices and start as soon as you can!


Stars: 5

The Redemtion by M.L. Tyndall

Description:
Lady Charlisse Bristol sets off on a voyage in search of a father she never knew, only to find herself shipwrecked on a desert island. Near starvation, she is rescued by a band of pirates and their fiercely handsome leader, Edmund Merrick. Will Clarisse win her struggle against the seductive lure of this pirate captain? While battling his attraction to this winsome lady, Edmund offers to help Charlisse on her quest-until he discovers her father is none other than Edward the Terror, the cruelest pirate on the Caribbean. Can Edmund win this lady's love while shielding her from his lecherous crew and working to bring her father to justice?


My Opinion:
This was a great book, I regret taking so long to read it. You know how you may start reading a book, but then NEVER have time to read it, so when you actually sit down to enjoy your book because it's been so long since you last picked it up, you sorda lose focus? I cannot be the only one that that happens to. I was entertained while reading this but I KNEW I would have loved it so much more if I read it faster. Some people say that they like to read a book slow so they can savor the story, kinda like we do with our food. However, it's the opposite for me... the faster I read it the more I think I get out of it.


This book was very fast paced, I know, ironic that I choose to say that right? But it's true! The story progressed well and I never lost track of where the characters were physically or emotionally. I felt that they both were easy to connect with, as well as the others characters like Charlisse's father. Even though he was Edward the Terror who frightened everyone who crossed his path, after I saw his inner turmoil, I may have not liked him, but I pitied him.


I liked the beginning of the book, it was something new that I hadn't read before. I actually wish that part had been lengthened more with Charlisse on the island. I liked how Charlisse and Merrick both got over their issues. Charlisse had some very mental issues that she had to overcome, and I hurt for her because she felt like she was such a wicked human being, even though she was the sweetest and wittiest I have read about in awhile.


Merrick, after overcoming his past, became the dream guy that all girls would swoon over and want to call theirs.


I definitely would recommend this book to all of you and I cannot wait to read the next in the series. :)


Stars: 5

Mortal by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee

Description:

Centuries have passed since civilization's brush with apocalypse. The world's greatest threats have all been silenced. There is no anger, no hatred, no war. There is only perfect peace...and fear. A terrible secret was closely guarded for centuries: every single soul walking the earth, though in appearance totally normal, is actually dead, long ago genetically stripped of true humanity.

Nine years have gone by since an unlikely hero named Rom Sebastian first discovered a secret and consumed an ancient potion of blood to bring himself back to life in Forbidden. Surviving against impossible odds, Rom has gathered a secret faction of followers who have also taken the blood-the first Mortals in a world that is dead.

But The Order has raised an elite army to hunt and crush the living. Division and betrayal threaten to destroy the Mortals from within. The final surviving hope for humanity teeters on the brink of annihilation and no one knows the path to survival.

On the heels of Forbidden comes MORTAL, the second novel in The Books of Mortals saga penned by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee. Set in a terrifying, medieval future, where grim pageantry masks death, this tale of dark desires and staggering stakes peels back the layers of the heart for all who dare take the journey.

The Books of Mortals are three novels, each of which stands on its own, yet all are seamlessly woven into one epic thriller.

My Opinion:

I so wish I could say this book was well worth the read, since the first one was such a good book. However, this one lacked the luster that the previous one had. Nothing stood out to me that would make me rethink the way I walk with God. I think this book had the potential to make me rethink the way I live, if the people in the story would have talked in plain English so I could have understood them thoroughly. Instead, the characters talked about things that seemed quite important, but said it in ways that just zoomed right over my head!


On top of that, most of their actions were a bit crazy! I knew going into the novel that Ted Dekker's characters are usually out of the norm and seem to be a bit mental, but usually their is a reason behind that. In this book it just seemed unnecessary, and their actions went far beyond how they acted in Forbidden. I don't think a persons personality and the way they speak is going to completely change in a few years, in that case ever.


Furthermore, a lot of this story was repetitive. I felt like I was having deja-vu, but NO, they just kept on having the same conversations! ***SPOILER*** "Is Jonathon the savior? Or his blood?", "They have 12,000 Dark Bloods, we have 1,200 Mortals. How are we going to defeat them?" It just seemed like a whole bunch of planning, instead of taking action, which their was very little of!


Most of the characters had terrible morals, even the Mortals. Their was a scene where, even though not terribly long, it showed how sexual and unscrupulous they, being the mortals, were. I was most of all mad at the leader of the mortals... Concubines? Are we really going back to that? This man was supposed to show honor, respect, and most of all LEADERSHIP! So now he's condoning sexual behavior that's NOT between a man and a wife??? I know people had concubines in the bible, but it also clearly states in the bible that it is a SIN!


And here is the thing that peeved me off the most. ***Spoiler*** Triphon was thrown around like he did not matter and like he wasn't an important character! He was killed, so he didn't get much 'screen time', then he was brought back to life just to be killed again, and then he CAME BACK TO LIFE AGAIN! (BTW, his deaths were so horribly done I couldn't even get emotional about them, even though he is my favorite character! I just got furious because, even if he was to die, they didn't even try to give him a memorable death!) All I can say is that if he dies in Sovereign, and they don't give him the 'screen time' or memorable death he deserves, then I don't know what I will do. That might just ruin the whole book for me right there.


I am sad to say that I would recommend skipping this book if you are reading the series. It's not worth the read in my opinion, which is a complete shocker based just upon who wrote it. This was not at all what I was expecting for a sequel, and I am extremely disappointed.


Stars: 2

Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer

Description:

Nicole Renard returns home to Galveston, Texas, to find her father deathly ill. Though she loves him, Nicole's father has always focused on what she's not. Not male. Not married. Not able to run Renard Shipping.

Vowing to find a suitable husband to give her father the heir he desires before it's too late, Nicole sets out with the Renard family's greatest treasure as her dowry: the highly coveted Lafitte Dagger. But her father's rivals come after the dagger, forcing a change in Nicole's plans.

After a boiler explosion aboard the Louisiana nearly took his life, Darius Thornton has been a man obsessed. He will do anything to stop even one more steamship disaster. Even if it means letting a female secretary into his secluded world.

Nicole is determined not to let her odd employer scare her off with his explosive experiments, yet when respect and mutual attraction grow between them, a new fear arises. How can she acquire an heir for her father when her heart belongs to another? And when her father's rivals discover her hiding place, will she have to choose between that love and her family's legacy?

My Opinion:

An unexpected surprise! Based on the cover I assumed this book was going to be a straight forward comedy. Even from the description, a dagger? I thought, "this is going to be humorous." Even though there were some funny scenes, it was much more serious then I presumed. An the story pulled off the seriousness of situations quite well. I actually wanted to cry when I saw how past tragedies haunted Darius for over a year.


I loved how Darius made everyone who worked for him feel like family, and how he even called them as such. It was touching how much he cared for people and how quickly he took them on under his wing, even though it was more them carrying his weight for so long.


Darius and Nicole's romance came along pretty fast. I found it a little odd how for a while Darius refused to spend time around Nicole, then all of the sudden he can't be dragged away from her company. I thought the tension between their relationship should have been dragged out a little longer. The speed that everything transpired in was to quick for this story. But, after their relationship got rolling they were the cutest couple you could lay eyes on, and Darius definitely became swoon worthy.


There is nothing left that I could critique about Full Steam Ahead. One small thing that I would have done differently, but other than that. Beautiful story!!!


Stars: 4