Yours Truly, Thomas

Yours Truly, Thomas
By Rachel Fordham
Published by Revell
Release date: July 2, 2019

Thomas was headed west in a wagon train, running from his past, when an injury left him stranded in Azure Springs, where the townspeople seem determined to keep him from wallowing in his misery. Slowly, he comes to see that maybe Azure Springs is exactly what he needs—and that maybe he can be a better man than he was in the past.
After her beloved father’s death and the loss of her family’s wealth, Penny has survived the best she could, finding a job working at the Dead Letter Office. Often intrigued by the letters, Penny is particularly touched by a letter from Thomas to Clara; her soft heart wants Thomas, who seems so sad without his lost love, to have a happy ending. Penny, who longs for love in her own life, is determined to help Thomas’s lost letter make it to Clara. Although she isn’t supposed to get so involved, she can’t help caring—and perhaps caring too much.

This started out a little slowly for me, but I really enjoyed it overall. Penny is just this bright, sunshiney type character, and I loved seeing her impact on Thomas’s life. I love stories of people changing for the better, so I just adored Thomas, who is so tortured by his best but desperately wants to be better than he was. The romance was just really sweet and I loved it. The writing is simple but that went really well with the storyline and the setting and everything.

4 stars.

I read a review copy provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Until the Mountains Fall

Until the Mountains Fall (Cities of Refuge #3)
By Connilyn Cossette
Published by Bethany House
Release date: July 2, 2019

When Rivkah’s husband dies, her father arranges for her to marry her husband’s brother, according to Torah law. Rivkah can’t stand the idea of marrying Malakhi, who tormented her as a child, and when she can’t convince her father to call off the marriage, she flees, planning to find work as a scribe. However, she soon finds that life outside the city of refugee she has always lived in is vastly different than what she anticipated. When Rivkah runs away from him, Malakhi, who has loved her for years, throws himself into his work and tries to bury his feelings for her. When he is wounded in a fight against the Canaanites, he thinks he has also lost his identity as a soldier for Israel. Still reeling from his injuries and lost hopes, Malakhi is shocked when Rivkah’s father receives word from her, years after she ran away. When his father asks to try to find her, Malakhi can’t deny the request—but he is determined to guard his heart this time. A story of a prodigal daughter, this was just beautiful to read. The themes of forgiveness and not giving up hope were tenderly woven into the story. I loved the setting of ancient Israel and seeing how the Israelites were impacted by disobedience to God’s law and how they were threatened by their enemies because of that disobedience and discord between the tribes; that historical background was just so fascinating. As for the characters…well, I have loved reading about all of the characters in this series and getting to know their hearts, and Rivkah and Malakhi were no exception. Rivkah was stubborn and couldn’t see the good in Malakhi, and yet he persisted, and I loved that—and I loved seeing how Rivkah came to see who he really was. Malakhi was just great—hardworking and big-hearted. I also loved getting to see Rivkah’s and Malakhi’s family members again.
I can’t wait for the fourth book in the series! (Although this is the third book in a series, it could be read as a standalone--but the other books are fantastic, too!)

4.5 stars.

I read an ARC provided by the publisher via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Heart of a Vicar

The Heart of a Vicar (Jonquil Brothers #6)
By Sarah M. Eden
Published by Covenant Communications

Harold Jonquil is trying to be the best vicar he can be--and yet, despite his efforts to suppress any un-vicar-like tendencies (like singing drinking songs!), Harold seems to be failing. He isn't connecting with his congregation as well as he would like, and his brothers constantly remind him of his shortcomings. When Sarah Sarvol, the girl he fell in love with years before but couldn't pursue a relationship with, returns to the area to live, she quickly points out his shortcomings and even tells him she'd make a better vicar than him...and Harold soon sees that she has a way of connecting with people that he lacks. Has he been wrong to dedicate his life to being a vicar?
When Sarah and her brother Scott return to England so Scott can assume his responsibilities as their cankerous and cruel uncle's heir, Sarah is determined to be happy--even if it means seeing Harold Jonquil, the man who broke her heart. She's shocked by the changes in him, none of which seem to be for the better, and trying, to break through the hollow and indifferent exterior he projects to see if there is more below his surface, she challenges him to a contest to see who can be a better vicar. As Harold starts to show signs of his old self, though, Sarah finds that her old feelings for him start to resurface, but having been hurt by him once, does she dare trust him with her heart again?

 Oh my goodness! I've heard Sarah M. Eden say a couple times that she can't wait to introduce us to the real Harold Jonquil, and now I see what she meant.. We've seen quite a bit of Harold in the other books in the series, but always through his brothers' eyes, and he was definitely my least favorite Jonquil, based on what I saw through his brothers--he had a holier-than-thou attitude and seemed entirely lacking in real feelings. Well, by the end of the first chapter of this book, I was ready to punch his idiotic (but lovable) brothers in their noses and slap myself upside the head for ever believing anything they said about him! The author did a terrific job of showing his true character--with tons of feelings and vulnerabilities and insecurities. He was just a wonderful character, and I loved getting to see who he really is and seeing how Sarah helped him be more willing to show his family and his parishioners who he really was. I also loved seeing Sarah's bright personality and how she was determined to be happy in spite of difficult circumstances. And while I was put out with the other Jonquil brothers for their shabby treatment of Harold, I loved seeing what was going on in their lives and seeing how they did come through for Harold when he needed them, and I especially loved seeing Harold find his place among them and his community. This was just a beautiful book, and I adored everything about it.

This is an easy 5 stars and one of my picks for the best books of 2019.

I read an ARC provided by the publisher via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A Proper Scandal

A Proper Scandal
By Esther Hatch
Published by Covenant Communications

After being orphaned years before, Grace Sinclair was taken in by the vicar and his wife. Now, as a grown woman, her beauty is making it difficult for the vicar's daughters to find suitors, and so, Grace is sent to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousin. She heads to London where she soon finds that her uncle-by-marriage is a horrible person who intends to use Grace for his own purposes. While he makes it clear he wouldn't mind forcing himself on her, he restrains--only because he needs her to wed the son of a man whom he owes money in order to keep himself out of debtors' prison. So, with her virtue intact, she has strict instructions that within two weeks, she must be caught in a compromising situation with Mr. Barton so that he will be forced to marry her. While creating such a scandal is abhorrent to Grace, staying in her uncle's home seems worse, especially when she meets Mr. Barton and finds he might be one man she could actually fall in love with. Nate initially seems determined to stay away from her, but when he starts to soften toward her, Grace wonders if she can actually follow through with tricking him into marriage.

 This book was so funny and yet heartfelt, too. Grace was really sweet and unconventional (I had just had to laugh at some of her interactions with Nate!)--and woefully bad at creating her needed scandal. I liked seeing how she wore down Nate's resistance just by being herself. I also love Nate and how he's such a gentleman and doesn't take advantage of Grace even when he's given ample opportunities. I found both characters to be well-developed and just loved being able to watch their journey together. If you're looking for a fresh clean romance that will have you laughing, this is your book!
5 stars and one of my picks for the Best of 2019.

I read an ARC provided by the publisher via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

More Than Words Can Say

More Than Words Can Say
By Karen Witemeyer
Published by Bethany House
Release date: June 4, 2019

Abigail Kemp is not going to lose her family's bakery so when the city council tells her she must have a man's name on her deed, she's determined to find a way to make that happen...even if it means she'll have to ask a man to marry her and convince him to let her run her business her way. She decides on Zacharias Hamilton, the handsome bachelor who quietly comes into the bakery every morning for breakfast.
 Zach is dumbfounded when Abigail approaches him. He's been enjoying his bachelorhood and doesn't want to give that up, and yet, he's got a soft spot for a woman in distress, especially one as sweet and pretty as Abigail, and pretty soon, he finds himself with a wife who just might be perfect for him.
Although finding a husband should have solved Abigail's problems, things don't go as smoothly as she expected because someone still seems determined to cause trouble for her. But in Zach, she finds someone who is willing to stand by her--but can she also get him to love her?

Loved it. I love Abigail, who underestimates her worth because she thinks she's plump and plain, but who is determined to be successful in her business and is unfailingly kind to everyone. I love Zach, who doesn't even begin to realize what a catch he is and how his actions are exactly what Abigail needs to show her that she matters (I also have a soft spot for him because he's so attracted to Abigail, loving her imperfect figure, the very thing about her that she thinks a man wouldn't want). I love a man who is rough around the edges but has a heart of gold, so Zach was exactly the type of hero I wanted to read about. I loved seeing their relationship develop and how good they were for each other. I thought the plot was interesting and the themes were great but not overbearing. I love how Karen Witemeyer writes--she brings humor and great characters and great storylines together in books that are just a pleasure to read, and that was definitely the case here. Just a great book!
4.5 stars.

I read a copy of the book provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.