The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck.

The Wedding Chapel (Zondervan, November 2015)

For sixty years, a wedding chapel sat silent, waiting for love. But times have changed and the hour has come when it just might be too late.

Retired hall-of-fame football coach Jimmy “Coach” Westbrook never imagined anything would come of his labor of love—the wedding chapel he built for Collette Greer, the woman he fell for back in ‘49. But now an offer has come to turn the chapel into what it was meant to be—a place for love—and Jimmy sees no reason to hang onto his dream any longer.

Photographer Taylor Branson is trying to make a life for herself in New York. Leaving her hometown of Heart’s Bend, Tennessee, she put a lot of things behind her, including her family’s abysmal marriage rate. But love surprises her when she falls head-over-heels for Jack Forester, a top ad man. Their whirlwind romance results in an elopement, and a mountain of doubt. Jack, while genuine in his love for Taylor, can never seem to overcome his own demons to find the words of his heart.

When Taylor takes an assignment in Heart’s Bend, the job does more than send her back to her hometown, but into a world of family secrets buried beneath the sands of time.

When Taylor’s journey intersects with Coach’s, they rediscover the heartbeat of their dreams and that the love they long to hold is right in front of them. And worth every waiting moment.

Rachel Hauck is an award-winning, best selling author of critically acclaimed novels such as "The Wedding Dress," "Love Starts with Elle," and "Once Upon A Prince." She also penned the Songbird Novels with multi-platinum recording artist, Sara Evans. Booklist named their novel, "Softly and Tenderly," one of 2011 Top Ten Inspirationals. She serves on the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers and is a mentor and book therapist at My Book Therapy, and conference speaker. Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and pets.

My Take: This story is told from several different points of view and unlike other books that I have read you do not become more involved in one story line over these others but you are equally invested in all four.  This also is told from the past and the present , the past being in 1949 and in 2015.  This story kinda of hit home a bit as one couple in the book got married quickly after a whirlwind romance and my daughter had a similar story but unfortunately her husband decided not to fight for their marriage and she became divorced yesterday, this couple decided to fight.  Not everything was clean cut and everything was fine but it made for a good story. 

I received a review copy of this book for my honest review. 

Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

From Goodreads.com:

Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water. 

Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.

Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.

But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….

With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own. 


My Take:  I really enjoyed this book.  It was a little bit of a different take on a dystopian  take on the future.  Water is scarce and Lynn's Mom teaches her that she needs to protect their pond no matter what.  You shoot whoever comes near without asking questions.  After Lynn's Mom dies she meets some other people who teach her to have a bit more compassion to  a point until some savage men come and decide to take whatever they want including people.  The ending was satisfying and I look forward to reading the next novel in the series. 

I read this book on my Kindle from my personal book collection. 

November Wrapup and Dec tbr.

I had a pretty good reading month in November.  I completed 5 books. (Hopefully I will finish a sixth one but don't know if I will be able to get it finished before midnight).

Here are the books I finished in November



Unwind by Neal Shusterman



The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh Audio




Audacious by Beth Moore Audio



An Endless Christmas by Cynthia Ruchti



Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

And the book I hope to finish tonight



Silent Night Pursuit by Katy Lee


My TBR for December



Winter by Marissa Meyer




Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis



In a Handful Dust by Mindy McGinnis



The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness




Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff



The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare



The Copper Gauntlet by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare



Fatal Trauma by Richard L. Mabry, M.D.



The Iron Warrior by Julie Kagawa



The Girl from the Train by Irma Joubert



At Love's Bidding by Regina Jennings



A Thousand Shall Fall by Andrea Boeshaar

Lifer by Beck Nicholas

From Goodeads.com
The Bourne Identity meets Under the Never Sky in this intergalactic tale of love and deception from debut novelist Beck Nicholas.

Asher is a Lifer, a slave aboard the spaceship Pelican. A member of the lowest rung of society, she must serve the ship’s Officials and Astronauts as punishment for her grandparents' crimes back on Earth. The one thing that made life bearable was her illicit relationship with Samuai, a Fishie boy, but he died alongside her brother in a freak training accident. 

Still grieving for the loss of her loved ones, Asher is summoned to the upper levels to wait on Lady, the head Official’s wife and Samuai’s mother. It is the perfectOPPORTUNITY to gather intel for the Lifer’s brewing rebellion. There’s just one problem—the last girl who went to the upper levels never came back.

On the other side of the universe, an alien attack has left Earth in shambles and a group called The Company has taken control. Blank wakes up in a pond completely naked and with no memory, not even his real name. So when a hot girl named Megs invites him to a black-market gamingWAREHOUSE where winning means information, he doesn’t think twice about playing. 

But sometimes the past is better left buried. As Asher and Blank’s worlds collide, the truth comes out—everyone has been lied to...

My Take:   This was a very enjoyable book.  Asher was my favored character and she seemed to just get stronger and stronger as the story went on.  The story line that the Lifers had to pay for their ancestors debt was very nterestng .  Lady seemed to be a bt unhinged but she seemed to now how to push her son Davyd's buttons and wanted to do just that.  t was a bt hard to enjoy the story line that had to do with Blank when one became so invested n the story of the Lifers on the ship. 

Chapter - by Chapter.com provided a review copy of this boo n exchange for an honest opinion.

Among the Fair Magnolias by Tamera Alexander, Shelley Gray ,Dorothy Love, Elizabeth Musser

About the book: 
Among the Fair Magnolias (Thomas Nelson, July 2015)

In the most turbulent decade of our nation's history, four Southern women---destinies forged by birth, hearts steeled by war---face near impossible choices on their journeys in life . . . and in love.

To Mend a Dream by Tamera Alexander
Savannah Darby would do almost anything to revisit her family home. So when new owner, Aidan Bedford, a Boston attorney and former Union soldier, seeks to redecorate the house for his fiancée, Savannah jumps at the opportunity. But the clock is ticking. Can she find the box her father supposedly hid there during the war before her assignment is completed? And before she sees yet another battle lost on the home front. This time, one of the heart.

An Outlaw's Heart by Shelley Gray
When Russell Stark returns to Fort Worth, he's determined to begin a new life. But when he arrives at his mother's homestead, he discovers she's very ill, and the woman he loved is still as beautiful and sweet as he remembered. With time running out, Russell must come to terms with both his future and his past.

A Heart So True by Dorothy Love
Abigail knows all too well what is expected of her: to marry her distant cousin Charles and take her place in society. But her heart belongs to another. A terrible incident forces Abby to choose between love and duty.

Love Beyond Limits by Elizabeth Musser
Emily has a secret: She's in love with one of the freedmen on her family's plantation. Meanwhile, another man declares his love for her. Emily realizes some things are not as they seem and secrets must be kept in order to keep those she loves safe.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1Igkc7H

About the authors:

Tamera Alexander is the best-selling author of numerous books including A Lasting Impression andThe Inheritance. Tamera is a two-time Christy Award winner, two-time RITA winner, and a recipient of the prestigious Library Journal Award. A native of west Tennessee. website, Twitter, Facebook 

Dorothy Love makes her home in the Texas hill country with her husband and their golden retriever. An award-winning author of numerous young adult novels, Dorothy made her adult debut with the Hickory Ridge novels.website, Twitter, Facebook

Shelley Gray is the author of The Heart of a Hero series. Her Amish novel (written as Shelley Shepard Gray), The Protector, recently made the New York Times best seller list. website,Twitter, Facebook

Elizabeth Musser, a native of Atlanta, Georgia now living in France, is a novelist who writes what she calls 'entertainment with a soul.' For over 25 years, Elizabeth and her husband, Paul, have been involved in mission work with International Teams. website, Twitter, Facebook

My Take:  I don't usually read novellas because I usually want a little more to my stories.  These four stories were just the right length and didn't leave me wanting for more.  These stories are set during the period after the Civil War in the south so there are alot of issues that need to be addressed in each of these stories.  I think my favorite story was To Mend a Dream.  If you have read any of these authors give yourself a treat and try these stories which are just right for that inbetween time when you don't now what to read next.

I received a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion from Litfuse.

Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Becky K Vogt

About the book: 
Crazy Little Thing Called Love: A Destination Wedding Novel (Howard, June 2015)

Wedding bells and storm clouds collide in the first engaging novel in a brand-new series about destination weddings, the power of love, and the possible mishaps and missteps that happen on a couple's journey down the aisle to "I do."

Paramedic Vanessa Hollister has put her adolescence behind her, including the unwanted label of being the new kid in town over and over again, thanks to her father's military career. She's overcome what her mother called "the biggest mistake of her life" and is planning an elegant destination wedding in Destin, Florida with her new fiancé. But will the reappearance of her first husband from her what-were-you-thinking teenage elopement disrupt her dream of an idyllic beach wedding?

As a professional storm chaser, Logan Hollister is used to taking risks. However, a reckless decision during the last tornado season has him questioning the future of his team, the Stormmeisters. Coming face to face with his ex-wife eight years after their divorce compels him to confront his greatest regret: losing Vanessa. Does their past give him the right to interfere with her future?

A fast-moving, powerful hurricane throws Vanessa and Logan together as they evacuate to a storm shelter along with other residents of the Florida Gulf Coast. Forced to spend time together, the pair battles unexpected renewed feelings for each other.

Vanessa and Logan are faced with a choice: Should they accept, once and for all, their teenage marital mistake? Or is God offering them a second chance at happily ever after?

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1VkD0s8

About the author:

Beth K. Vogt believes God's best often waits behind the doors marked "Never." A 2015 RITA® Finalist and a 2014 Carol Award finalist, Beth is a contemporary romance novelist with Howard Books. Her 2014 novel, Somebody Like You, was one of Publisher's Weekly's Best Books of 2014. In 2015 she introduced her destination wedding series with both an e-novella, Can't Buy Me Love, (May) and a novel,Crazy Little Thing Called Love (June).

Visit Beth online:  website, Facebook, Twitter

My Take: This was a very enjoyable Summer read.   It is the perfect book to take with you to the beach. When Vanessa goes to Destin Florida to plan her wedding because her fiancee wants to kill two birds with one stone so he can attend a conference where he can get education credits for work. She doesn't want to return there because that s where she meet her ex-husband.  When she gets there she is throw together with him often even though there are both just visiting.  If you want a light fun read then this is for you. 

I received a review copy from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review.

A Bride At Last by Melissa Jaegers

About the book:  A Bride at Last (Bethany House, July 2015) Abandoned by his mail-order bride, Silas Jonesey has fought an uphill battle to recover from a pattern of poor choices. Now his prayers for reconciliation have finally come true and his estranged wife has contacted him with her whereabouts. Kate Dawson was supposed to be a mail-order bride, but upon realizing she'd been deceived about her intended groom, she's now settled into life as a schoolteacher. When the mother of a student passes away, Kate assumes she'll take on care of nine-year-old Anthony-until two men suddenly show up in town, claiming to be the boy's father. Silas can see Anthony loves Kate, so he enlists her help in reaching out to the boy and attempting to prove his paternity to the court. When a common interest in Anthony leads to an interest in each other and Silas and Kate begin to think they can overcome their rocky start, neither is prepared for the secrets and past hurts that have yet to come to light. Can Silas, Kate, and Anthony's wounded souls bind them together or will all that stands between them leave them lonely forever? Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1M44A97 About the author: Melissa Jagears, an ESL teacher by trade and the author of A Bride for Keeps and A Bride in Store, is a stay-at-home mother on a tiny Kansas farm with a fixer-upper house. She's a member of ACFW and CROWN fiction marketing, and her passion is to help Christian believers mature in their faith and judge rightly. Find Melissa online: website, Facebook My Take:  This was really an enjoyable book.  I did get irritated after awhile when the two main adult characters kept looking at each others lips and think about a kiss that they shared.  i felt at those times they had some very serious things that they should be thinking about other than kissing each other.  this didn't take away from how much I enjoyed this book.  As with most books like this alot of the problems the couple had could have been solved with better communication but that is the same with most couples I know.  this is the third in a series but it can be read as a stand alone.  If your like books set out west or books about mail order brides you will enjoy this book.  I received a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion from Litfuse.

July Wrap Up and August TBR

I unofficially participated in four readathons in July but I only finished 6 books.

I participated in the yearathon last month because the theme was Agatha Christie or mysteries.

I read two books during this readathon


Just Plain Pickled to Death by Tamar Myers


Death by the Dozen by Jenn McKinlay

Next was the Crammathon. I read one book during this readathon.


Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

Next was Week of Wisdom Readathon which I didn't finish any books.

Then was #tbr takedown 2.0 which I finished two books for this readathon.


Bride At Last by Melissa Jagears This satisfied a sequel.


Scarlet by Marissa Meyer This satisfied outside my comfort zone.

I also finished my audio book that I was listening to.


An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
read by Fiona Hardingham and Steve West

So That Was the six books I read during July

Here is my Tbr for August

Audio Book

The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Books

Landline by Rainbow Rowell


Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Beth K. Vogt


Among the Fair Magnolias by Tamera Alexander, Shelley Gray, Dorothy Love, Elizabeth Musser


Cress by Marissa Meyer


NOS4A2 by Joe Hill


The Ugly Stepsister by Aya Ling


Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo


Invasion by Jon S. Lewis



12 Brides of Summer by Margaret Brownley, Miralee Ferrell, Pam Hillman



Divergent by Veronica Roth

Influenza Bomb by Paul Mc Cusker, Walt Larimore M.D.


The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald


Glory Days : Living Your Promised Land Life Now by Max Lucado


The Scorch Trials by James Dashner


13 Stolen Girls by Gil Reavill



Irish Meadows by Susan Anne Mason