The Promise of Palm Grove by Shelley Shepard Gray

About the book:

The Promise of Palm Grove (Avon Inspire, January 2015)

Leona must decide: Does she follow the path set out before her? Or take a chance with only the promise of what could be to guide her?

A young Amish woman finds herself torn between the man she's pledged to wed and the man her heart desires in this heartwarming story of chance, duty, and choice in the face of love---the first volume in the beloved New York Times bestselling author's new Amish Brides of Pinecraft series.

Amish bride-to-be Leona is thrilled to be in Florida, on a mini-vacation in the pretty town of Pinecraft. Her girlfriends think she's happy because she's away from the stress of wedding planning. They have no idea that Leona's real joy is in being away from her fiancé.

Edmund is a good man, and will make a decent husband . . . just not for Leona. The more time she spends with him and his overbearing ways, the less she wants to be his wife. Her cousins are sure Edmund is the right man for her---and their certainty makes Leona begin to doubt herself. But when a chance encounter with a wayward cat brings her face-to-face with a handsome, fun-loving Amish man named Zachary Kauffman, Leona's faced with two vastly different futures.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1aQJuw2 

About the author:

Shelley Shepard Gray is a two-time New York Times bestseller, a two-time USA Today bestseller, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Holt Medallion winner. She lives in Southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail.

Find Shelley online: website

My Take: One of my go to authors when I am in the mood to read about the Amish is Shelley Shepard Gray.  She has started a new series that takes you to a place that I haven't read about much in all my reading of amish fiction Pinecraft Fla.  I have heard about this place in Florida where the Amish and Mennonite go for vacation so I was eager to read this book. Shelley has once again filled her story with characters that you will like and maybe even some you might not like.  She has also filled it with situations that everyone can relate to, once again showing us that the Amish aren't really so much different from us.  I enjoyed reading about this new location and learning alittle more about it.  I look forward to the next book in the series. 

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

How to Catch a Prince by Rachel Hauck

About the book:

How to Catch a Prince (Zondervan, February 2015)

She caught her prince once. Can she catch him again?

American heiress Corina Del Rey's life was devastated by war. Every thing she loved was lost. But after five years of grief, she's shed her grave clothes and started over in the sunshine along the Florida coast.

But some things are not so easily forgotten. When a secret from her past confronts her face to face, she realizes she must follow her heart. Even if it cost her everything.

Prince Stephen of Brighton Kingdom is a former Royal Air Command lieutenant turned star rugby player, trying to make sense of his life after the devastation of war.
When his brother, King Nathaniel, discovers Stephen's pre war secret, he must deal with an aspect of his life he longed to forget. But how can he do so without exposing the truth and breaching national security?

Yet, true love has a destiny all it's own. As the cathedral bells peal through Cathedral City, Corina and Stephen must chose to answer the call of love on their hearts.
Or let it be lost forever?

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1BD8DVo

About the author:

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.

Find Rachel online: website, Facebook, Twitter

My Take:  When I was a little girl my friends and I dreamed of growing up and marrying a prince one day.  I don't know if it was because of all the Disney movies we watched or the fairy tales we read but I think that is why everyone was enthralled by the wedding of Princes Di and most recently the wedding of Kate and William.  These books help to capture that feeling.  I also like how Rachel Hauck weaves in spirituality into her stories so as you get the point but you don't feel as though you are being preached to.  This is the final book in a trilogy and you really should read the other two books before you read this book as there are some recurring characters. 

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

Miracle at the Higher Grounds Cafe by Max Lucado

About the book:

Miracle at the Higher Grounds Cafe (Thomas Nelson, February 2015)

What if you could ask God anything? What would you ask? And how would he answer?

Chelsea Chambers is on her own. After a public split from her NFL superstar husband, Chelsea takes a bold step out of the limelight and behind the counter of the Higher Grounds Café, an old-fashioned coffee shop in dire need of reinvention. But when her courage, expert planning, and out-of-this-world cupcakes fail to pay the bills, this newly single mom finds herself desperate for help. Better yet, a miracle.

Then a curious stranger lands at Chelsea's door, and with him, an even more curious string of events. Soon, customers are flocking to the Higher Grounds Café, and not just for the cupcakes and cappuccino. They've come for the internet connection to the divine. Now the café has become the go-to place for people in search of answers to life's biggest questions.

When a catastrophe strikes and her ex comes calling, Chelsea begins to wonder if the whole universe is conspiring against her quest to make it on her own. After a shocking discovery opens her eyes to the unseen world around her, Chelsea finds the courage to ask, and heaven answers in a most unexpected way.

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

About the author:
More than 120 million readers have found comfort in the writings ofMax Lucado. He ministers at the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, where he lives with his wife, Denalyn, and a sweet but misbehaving mutt, Andy.

Find Max online: website, Facebook, Twitter

My Take:  I enjoyed this book which mixes great story telling with the realities of other realms that influence our lives.  I felt for Chelsea and what her husband did.  I also felt for her after she inherited her mother's cafe and found out that she had a considerable debt that was owed.  And the children , who can't feel for the children who find themselves in this position through no fault of their own but because of the poor choices of their parent or parents.  The power of prayer is emphasized throughout the book especially when the God Blog is discovered.  Manny is more than meets the eye and turns out to be a true guardian angel.  Great book that helps one think about what is happening in other realms. 

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

Twisted Innocence by Terri Blackstock

About the book: Twisted Innocence (Zondervan, February 2015) Holly Cramer's past choices have finally caught up to her, but she never expected them to endanger her baby. Though Holly's stumbled through most of her adult life as a party girl, she longs to live a more stable life for her daughter. Then police show up to question her about the whereabouts of Creed Kershaw, Lily's father. She has kept his identity a secret from friends and family---she never even told him about the pregnancy. Now he's a person of interest in a drug-related murder case. Determined to keep him out of their lives and turn him over to police, Holly uses her private investigating skills to search for him. But her bravado backfires when he turns the tables and takes her and the baby hostage. As desperate hours tick by, Holly realizes his connection to Leonard Miller-the man who has gunned down several members of her family. Creed claims he's innocent and that Miller is after him too. His gentleness with Lily moves her, but she can't trust a man who has held her at gunpoint . . . even if he reminds her so much of herself. Dangers old and new threaten Holly and her baby, and lives are demanded as sacrifices for love. Through a complex web of mistakes and regret, redemption is the one hope Holly has left to hold on to. Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1hDkeXy    About the author: Terri Blackstock has sold over six million books worldwide and is a New York Times bestselling author. She is the award-winning author of "Intervention," "Vicious Cycle," and "Downfall," as well as such series as Cape Refuge, Newpointe 911, the SunCoast Chronicles, Restoration, and Moonlighters. Find Terri online: website, Facebook, Twitter My Take:  This is the third and final book in the Moonlighter series by Terri Blackstock.  I have liked Terri's books in the past and this book was no different.  This book starts out with a bang and the twists and turns don't stop coming.  I especially like how the siblings helps each other out when they need to whether it is to babysit or to track down a criminal.  I thought that the last quarter of the book was the most exciting just because all of the pieces were coming together and the momentum kept building.  I was satisfied with the ending to this series.  Even though this was the third in the series you could very well read this book by itself and enjoy it.  You will want to pick up the whole series though to enjoy the story of these wonderful characters. I received a review copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange  for my honest opinion.