Library of Clean Reads: Bethany House

Showing posts with label Bethany House. Show all posts

Friday, April 10, 2015

Dauntless by Dina L. Sleiman

Dauntless by Dina L. Sleiman
BethanyHouse
ISBN: 978-0764213120
Published
Trade paperback, pages

My Review
Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

There aren't many YA historical novels and it's a genre I truly enjoy reading, which is one of the reasons I decided to read and review Dauntless. Besides, the Robin Hood offshoot storyline was too good to pass up.

Lady Merry Ellison finds herself orphaned and an enemy of the king after her father's failed assassination attempt upon the king. She hides in the forest with a group of orphaned children from her village which was destroyed by the king's men. Because she is nobility, she takes the lead and feels responsible for these children even though she is but a teen herself. Together, Lady Merry with her band of teen village boys, learn how to survive in the forest by stealing from the rich. They become notorious as "The Ghosts of Farthingale Forest".

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Monday, December 31, 2012

Sixty Acres and a Bride by Regina Jennings

Sixty Acres and a Bride by Regina Jennings
Bethany House
ISBN: 978-0764209901
Published Feb 1, 2012
Trade paperback, 368 pages

I love the book cover of this novel. When I read the synopsis and saw that it was a spin-off of the story of Ruth and Naomi from the Bible, I decided I wanted to read it.

Young widow Rosa Gardner returns with her mother-in-law to their Texas family ranch only to discover that they have three months to pay back taxes. Rosa is originally from Mexico and she stands out when she arrives to town because she wears colourful clothing different from the other women and she is carefree and uninhibited. Weston Gardner, who is still grieving the loss of his wife five years ago is captivated by Rosa but must let go of his guilt regarding his late wife's death.

I really enjoyed this story mainly because of Rosa's character. We saw the West through her eyes and I thought she was funny, smart, hardworking and lively. She brought the story to life. Weston was a fine character but half the time I didn't get why he said certain things and I was frustrated by their relationship, especially toward the end. He was a Christian man but his behaviour at times was erratic.

The build-up of the story was great. It's a story about acceptance, the struggle for independence, the love of one's land and the beauty of family love. I loved the Mexican butterfly dance scene that portrayed some of the differences between American and Mexican courtships. I thought this was an interesting spin-off of the Biblical story of Ruth. The romance was okay, whereas the story itself was very good.

Note: This book is rated C = clean read.

Reviewed by Laura

Disclosure: This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen

The Maid of Fairbourne Hall by Julie Klassen
Bethany House
ISBN: 978-0764207099
Published Jan 1, 2012
Trade paperback, 416 pages

This is the second book I read by Julie Klassen, and just as in the first book The Silent Governess, I thoroughly enjoyed this historical fiction story.

When Margaret Macy's stepfather wants to marry her off to his nephew so that her inheritance--due on her twenty-fifth birthday only three months away--would be within reach of his greedy hands, she flees disguised as a housemaid. She never really planned on working as a servant but ends up doing just that and in the home of her former suitor and admirer Nathaniel Upchurch. As her stepfather's search closes in and she struggles to keep her identity from the master of the house, Margaret learns a great deal from her life as a lady to one of a housemaid.

Klassen weaves a great story, especially because our main character gets to experience the belowstairs world of a 19^th-century English manor. It's gruelling work. I cringed when she had to enter the rooms of the male family members in the early morning to empty out “the slops” of their chamber pot, pick up their discarded clothes and light the fire in the grate. Only a determined and impulsive young woman like Margaret put up with and learned from her servitude as she waited to claim her inheritance and thus be free from her stepfather's constraints to marry a man she did not love or want.

Klassen builds the story well, and we get to appreciate the characters as they grow and change. Klassen brings alive the world of upstairs, downstairs and she writes confidently of that era with knowledge. I particularly liked and appreciated the quotes at the beginning of every chapter taken from the literature of that time. It precluded what the chapter would reveal, and I sometimes found myself going back to the quote after I read the chapter and smiling at the application.

Although considered Christian fiction, this book will appeal to any who enjoys a clean but well-written and character-driven novel. I continue to be a fan of this wonderful storyteller.

Note: This book is rated C = clean read.
I will count this book toward the following challenges: What's in a Name Challenge

Reviewed by Laura

Disclosure: This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Blue Moon Bay by Lisa Wingate

Blue Moon Bay by Lisa Wingate
Bethany House
ISBN: 978-0764208225
Published Feb 1,2012
Trade paperback, 384 pages

Heather Hampton is an architect working for a big firm in Seattle when she finds herself reluctantly going back to her hometown of Moses Lake to find out why her family suddenly decided not to sell their farmland. Everyone is keeping secrets from her, from her mother to her brother, her uncles and also her once high-school crush Blaine Underhill. Something is going on and Heather is determined to find out and then skedaddle back to her high-powered job where she doesn't have to face her painful past.

Heather has big issues with the death of her father when she was a teenager and her estranged relationship with her mother. She is angry, frustrated and hurting because her family is keeping things from her. I was kept guessing until the end about what was going on with Heather's family. There were times when I thought they should have trusted Heather and told her rather than lie to her and string her along. I was frustrated with their behaviour too!

Overall, I enjoyed Blue Moon Bay, although I found it took time to get into it. It dragged in some spots, and finally picked up toward the end and came to an action-packed ending. Heather gets to grow as a character and she begins to appreciate her past memories as not being all bad. She reconnects with Ruth, the Mennonite woman who took care of their household when she was a child. Through conversations with Ruth about family and God, Heather gets to thinking of her own life and if she is really happy with her life.

Wingate reveals her characters slowly and the picture of their lives is like a jigsaw puzzle that slowly comes to life, so you need to be patient as a reader. In this way this is more of a character-driven novel. The romance was under-developed though, and after such a long story, the ending seemed a little abrupt. If you like contemporary stories of small-town folks, Southern characters, with a little bit of mystery, you will enjoy Lisa Wingate's latest novel.

Note: This book is rated C = clean read.

Reviewed by Laura

Disclosure: This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product. This book is available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

The Captive Heart by Dale Cramer

The Captive Heart by Dale Cramer
Bethany House
ISBN: 978-0764208393
Published January 1, 2012
Trade paperback, 352 pages

This is the first Amish-themed historical fiction book that I read and I loved it. Cramer managed to keep my interest throughout the story with real characters facing difficult and life-changing situations. Although the book cover and the synopsis would lead a reader to believe this is a just a romance, it's really more of a family saga taking place in the 1920s, and Miriam's struggle with her feelings for Domingo, a half-breed Mexican man who isn't Amish.

Miriam's parents, Caleb and Martha Bender moved their ten children and their families to Paradise Valley in Mexico to pioneer a new Amish colony. But life is difficult because of the bandits that roam the mountain range and disease that hits the small colony. The Amish people are gentle and will not resort to violence to protect themselves. They rely on their faith and this theme, along with that of God's forgiveness is strong and well-suited to the story without overwhelming the reader.

The characters are well-rounded with strong traits and flaws that made me care about them and their outcome. I loved Miriam's strength and her relationship with her younger sister, Rachel. She wasn't afraid to do what was right even if it was unconventional. Domingo was courageous, as was his sister Kyra, and true to himself. He respected Caleb, who he worked for, and he was a man of principle. He was kind, yet could be fierce to protect those he loved. And the author succeeded in making him a sexy man in an Amish novel!

The author deftly drew me right into their conflicts, and I was transported to the dusty and dangerous mountain range of Mexico where there was plenty of action with the bad guys. None of it was predictable and I read this book quickly to see how it would all turn out. There was a scene that left me in tears. The ending was realistic and left me searching more works from this author, which I now want to read. (This is the second book in the Daughters of Caleb Bender series.) I have to mention one last thing that endeared me to this author's writing. He includes a character who is mentally disabled, portrays her realistically (I've worked with this population) and gives her a role that made me cheer.

I am Dale Cramer's newest fan. If you like Christian historical fiction that is well-written, clean, with a great plot and memorable characters, you should try this author. Not to be missed.

Note: This book includes some scenes of violence with bandits who attack. It is not gratuitous or over the top.

Reviewed by Laura

Disclosure: This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

The Rose of Winslow Street by Elizabeth Camden

The Rose of Winslow Street by Elizabeth Camden
Bethany House
ISBN: 978-0764208959
Published Jan 1, 2012
Trade paperback, 342 pages

Liberty (Libby) Sawyer lives with her father in Massachusetts in a stately house on Winslow Street. On an evening when she and her father are not home, their house gets broken into and taken into possession by Michael Dobrescu, newly arrived from Romania with his two young sons, Luca and Andrei and a young woman called Lady Mirela. Michael claims the house is rightfully his, inherited through his uncle, who used to live there almost 30 years ago.

In the weeks to come, as Libby and her father wait for the trial that will determine who the house truly belongs to, she visits her house to retrieve some of her things and gets to know the Dobrescu family. She develops a relationship with and keeps visiting the family, despite her father's repeated warnings not to have anything to do with the people who kicked them out of their own house.

This was an interesting premise and I did enjoy reading the story. There were a lot of things going on and I enjoyed the multi-level plot and well-developed characters. But there were also a few things that didn't make sense to me. First and foremost, how could the American court allow an immigrant family to break into an American citizen's home and stay there, while the owners (respectable people) had to find another place to live (in this case, Libby and her father stayed with her brother and his family)? Wouldn't it have made more sense for the courts to remove the interfering family (who broke the law by breaking and entering) until the court hearing could determine whose house it really was? Is it okay then for anyone to walk into any house and claim it's theirs and be allowed to live there until proven otherwise? Seriously!

Okay, now that I got that off my chest, let's move on. I liked Libby because she was kind, courageous and certainly not attached to material possessions because it didn't seem to bother her that strangers took over her house, were sleeping in her bed, wearing her clothes, etc. Having said that, I think she was also naive and fell for Michael's strapping shoulders and tall physique before she knew too much about him. However, although she was pretty, Libby had no suitors. As a child she failed to learn how to read (I'm assuming dyslexia) much to the chagrin of her professor father. She was ashamed because of this and I think sold herself short. She also had no friends her age she could confide in. She was a loner and I could see why she was instantly attracted to the buoyant Dobrescu clan.

But she was also a gifted artist, producing many stunning paintings. She also sketched the designs of all of her father's inventions. She understood the mechanics of it. Wow! She also knew a lot about botany which she shared with Michael who cultivated perfume. This aspect of the story fascinated me, and because it was important to the story, kept my interest in it high.

The court proceedings were interesting and revealed further information about Michael and his family. Lady Mirela's story was sad and the way she comes to find happiness in the end was heartwarming. Michael was a perplexing character for me throughout the book. There were times when he annoyed and frustrated me and other times when I liked him and the way he was devoted to his family above all else. He was different, that's for sure.

The novel comes to a satisfying conclusion, and I was happy for the part that Lady Mirela plays in it. The romance was okay, and the author's humour was an additional bonus that helped this part along. I also liked how Libby handled her father, even though he mistreated her at times. I certainly gleaned positive messages throughout the novel which, for me, were gems (messages about the qualities of humility, patience, fairness, forgiveness) that redeemed the novel from its rocky unrealistic start.

Note: This book is rated C = clean read.

Reviewed by Laura

Disclosure: Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.

Friday, February 3, 2012

A Wedding Invitation by Alice J. Wisler

A Wedding Invitation by Alice J. Wisler
Bethany House
ISBN: 978-0764207334
Published 2011
Trade paperback, pages

Samantha Bravencourt lives a quiet life near Washington D.C. working at her mother's clothing boutique. She gave up her teaching after she returned from teaching in a refugee camp in the Philippines because her mother fell sick with breast cancer. Samantha visits her aunt in North Carolina and ends up meeting Carson Brylie, a fellow teacher who she met and fell in love with in the Philippines but who did not reciprocate her love. They end up working together to help one of their former Vietnamese students, a young refugee woman now living in America, but Samantha fears having her heart broken again.

I was expecting a lot of excitement from this book, I guess from reading the synopsis, but it turned out to be just a lukewarm story for me. The first-person narration alternates between the present and the past, seven years previous, when Samantha and Carson were teachers in the Philippines. I enjoyed the scenes from the refugee camps from where the author draws from her own personal experiences. However, it seemed that I was always waiting for the story to get exciting and it just didn't. It was also slow and the plot was predictable.

I didn't feel connected to the characters either, although I did like Dovie, Samantha's aunt who took in quirky women and gave them a home and a place to belong. Samantha was juvenile to me and I didn't always quite understand her behaviour with Carson. Both she and Carson were static characters, they didn't grow as people although seven years had passed since they last saw each other. There was no palpable tension between them and I think that if the plot vis-a-vis the Vietnamese refugees had been better explored and this connection between them exploited rather than Samantha's lamentations, I would have been more engaged.

The themes of forgiveness and letting go of the past are good ones in the story, even if the romance is lacking. It's a clean Christian read and will appeal to readers who are looking for a light story with a feel-good ending.

Note: This book is rated C = clean read.

I will count this book toward the following challenges: A -Z Book Challenge, TBR Pile Reading Challenge

Reviewed by Laura

Disclosure: This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product. Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

A River to Cross by Yvonne Harris

A River to Cross by Yvonne Harris (Rated: C)
Bethany House
ISBN: 978-0764208058
Published Aug 1, 2011
Trade Paperback, 278 pages

Once in a while I like to read a good Western romance. There's something about cowboys and the rugged setting of the Wild West that I find appealing. A River to Cross takes place in Rio Grande, Texas in 1886, where Elizabeth Evans is kidnapped after her brother is killed for exposing the dangers along the U.S.-Mexican border. Texas Ranger Jake Nelson is commissioned to rescue her and to apprehend Mexican General Manuel Diego who is responsible for bad relations between the two countries.

Harris succeeds in bringing the setting to life for me, from the dusty, hot trails bordered by cliffs to the small Mexican town of San Miguel with its whitewashed mud houses and sandstone church. I learned about Texas Rangers and their role at a time when boundaries between countries were not so clear and disputed. Harris writes with confidence about the Old West and she infuses her narrative with subtle humour. It's clear she is comfortable writing about politics and the military.

Although I enjoyed this novel, there were a few things that I questioned or that didn't jive with me. Elizabeth sees her brother (with whom she was close) get shot and die just before she is abducted, but from the time she's rescued a few days later there is no mention of her mourning him at all. It was as if he never existed. Instead she is quickly enamoured with Jake, giggling with him, settling back into normal life and dating him on her return home. She never cried once for her brother or the dire circumstances of her family. It's like nothing happened. She has a little niece (her brother's daughter) with whom she lived and again there is very little mention of her seeing or comforting the child who just lost a father and had lost a mother not a year ago.

The romance seemed to take precedence over everything, making some situations very unrealistic and it was the least exciting aspect for me. The dialogue seemed awkward at times and did not always suit the characters. I think this book needed better editing. Elizabeth is a senator's daughter brought up in Washington as a socialite, yet she comes to the small town of El Paso and adapts without mishap to life in the rugged, dangerous West on her own, without a maid or chaperone. She cannot cook she declared and we see this when she dumped a whole pack of rice in boiling water and made an inedible mess, but not a month later she cooks meals for ten hearty Ranger men?

As much as I liked the setting, I did not care too much for the characters. There was no tension in their relationship and they felt like a “modern couple” rather than characters who lived in the 18^th century. The enemy Diego shows up a few times but didn't come across as a real danger, even if he did want to kill Elizabeth, which seemed a little far-fetched since she did not publish anything to warrant this in the newspaper business she took over from her deceased brother. Incidentally, this too was very little explored in the story although it was supposed to play a major role. Too bad, because I was looking forward to seeing how a woman tackled journalism in a world where men dominated. Instead, it was glossed over. Everything came across as easy for Elizabeth, with not much internal or external struggle.

Overall, this was a fast, simple read. If you like romantic antics within the setting of the Old West without caring too much if the plot is good, this book will do.

Disclosure: Thanks to Bethany House for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.