Books, Movies, and Chinese Food

Summary from BN .com: When her father orchestrates a surprise trip to the summer house of her childhood, Bailee Cooper is unprepared for what follows. What is intended to be a happy reunion for Bailee and her sisters, Geena and Piper, quickly becomes shrouded by memories from the past. Together again, the three sisters sift through their recollections of fifteen years ago...of an ill mother, and of their father making a desperate choice. They vowed, as children, to be silent--but one sister believes the truth must now be revealed. Yet can they trust their memories? Mark Delahunt arrives in the wake of this emotional turmoil. Determined to win Bailee's affection, Mark becomes the strong fortress for her in this time of confusion, and what was once a tentative promise begins to take root and grow. Caught between the past and an uncertain future, can Bailee let God guide her to heal the past and ultimately to embrace love? Tracie Peterson's contemporary books are few and fa...

Summary from BN.com: When Audrey Cunningham's father proposes that they move to Bridal Veil Island, where he grew up, she agrees, thinking this will help keep him sober and close to God. But they arrive to find wealthy investors buying up land to build a grand resort on the secluded island—and they want the Cunninghams' acreage. Contractor Marshall Graham can't imagine why the former drinking buddy of his deceased father would beckon him to Bridal Veil Island. And when Boyd Cunningham asks him to watch over Audrey, Marshall is even more confused. He has no desire to be saddled with caring for this fiery young woman who is openly hostile toward him. But when Audrey seems to be falling for another man—one who has two little girls Audrey adores—Marshall realizes she holds more of his heart than he realized. Which man will Audrey choose? And can she hold on to her ancestral property in the face of overwhelming odds? Who know that there were so many islands in this country? I ...

Summary from BN.com: At long last, Deborah Vandermark is preparing for her own wedding...but the groom suddenly goes absent. Tragedy has befallen Christopher's family in Kansas City, upsetting the doctor's future with Deborah. With five siblings now under his care, can he return to Texas and impose a ready-made family on Deborah? Deborah herself finds her resolve faltering as her fears about marriage and career start to overwhelm her. How can she marry and be a mother to Christopher's siblings, and still be able to pursue her work and training as a physician? When an old adversary reveals a contract that may spell ruin for Vandermark Logging, Deborah's life seems to be spiraling out of control. How can God possibly work this for good? And can Christopher and Deborah find a way to claim the future they long to share when so much stands in their way? This book is pretty much what you expect when you read a Tracie Peterson book. That's good if you like her previous b...

Summary from BN.com: The future should be bright for Deborah Vandermark, who is now pursuing her interest in medicine alongside Dr. Christopher Clayton, who is courting her. But the lumber town is resistant to the idea of a woman physician, and she feels thwarted at every turn. A more devastating blow occurs, however, when Christopher breaks off their relationship to return home to his troubled family. Despite her own love life going awry, Deborah is still intent to be a matchmaker for both her widowed mother and her brother, who has caught the eye of the spit-fire daughter of the local pastor. But what will Deborah do when faced with the truth about Christopher's family? Is there hope for the two of them...or will Jake Wyeth's attentions finally catch Deborah's eye instead? While I had enjoyed the first book in the series tremendously, I felt this one to fall a bit short. The story is nothing new in Christian fiction, it's typical inspirational historical romance. T...

The logging industry in eastern Texas is booming, and Deborah Vandermark plans to assist her family's business now that she's completed college. Unexpectedly, her best friend, Lizzie Decker, accompanies her back home--fleeing a wedding and groom she has no interest in. Deborah, the determined matchmaker, puts her sights on uniting her brother and dear friend in a true love match. Deborah soon meets Dr. Christopher Clayton, a much-needed addition to the town. As their lives intersect, Deborah realizes that she has a much greater interest in medicine and science than the bookkeeping she was trained in. But when typhoid begins to spread and Lizzie's jilted fiance returns, Deborah wonders if true love can overcome such obstacles...for those dearest to her, and for herself. Reading this book was a breath of fresh air from Tracie Peterson. I've felt that her last few series haven't been up to par with some of her best works. The last two series, I was a bit disappointed a...

Britta Lindquist left Sitka six years ago in an attempt to distance herself from the love of her life, Yuri Belikov. Upon her return, she finds Yuri absent and his wife about to deliver a child. When tragic circumstances ensue, Britta suddenly finds herself caring for Yuri's children--and her life intertwining with the man she's tried so hard to forget. But Britta's other great love is for the violin, and her talent is recognized by Brenton Maltese, a conductor from England. He proposes she accept the coveted first chair position in his orchestra and also his hand in marriage. At a crossroads, Britta must determine what her heart truly longs for--and if she's willing to fight for it. Before I begin this review, I would to note that I only just not realized that I have not read the second book this series. I have no idea how I did this, as I normally try to read all books in a series before reviewing the newest addition. As such, this makes a lot of sense when I look bac...

Lacy Gallatin, the youngest of the Gallatin sisters, is a woman with a mission: to find her father's killer. Haunted by the belief that she's failed him, Lacy is also battling a desire to have something more than just revenge, something she can't quite figure out. Enter Dave Shepard, deputy sheriff for the area. Dave has been fervently trying to find the man who killed George Gallatin, but he always feels inadequate when it comes to the beautiful Lacy. When they are together, the tension crackles between them--both when they argue and when they kiss. Lacy finds him frustratingly irresistible but is it truly love? The final book of the Brides of Gallatin brings an end to the series of these three sisters. It's finally time to tell Lacy's tale and see the struggles she's felt since the day her father died. She's been handling everything alone and keeping it from her sisters. Honestly I just really could not get into this story. I enjoyed it for an easy aft...

Newly widowed Lydia Sellers discovers that through an unforeseen fluke, she is the sole recipient of her husband's fortune. But instead of granting her security, it only causes strife as her adult stepchildren battle to regain the inheritance for themselves. Lydia, longing to put the memories of her painful marriage behind her, determines to travel to Alaska to join her aunt. Lydia's arrival in Sitka, however, brings two things she didn't expect. One is the acquaintance of Kjell Bjorklund, the handsome owner of the sawmill. Second is the discovery that she is pregnant with her dead husband's child. What will this mean for her budding relationship with Kjell? And what lengths will her stepchildren go to reclaim their father's fortune? Lydia soon finds her life--and that of her child's--on the line. This latest offering from Tracie Peterson was deeply satisfying. This was a relief as I had felt her last output, The Brides of Gallatin series, to be a bit predict...

All Beth Gallatin has really wanted out of life is to settle down in one town, with one man, and raise a family. But with her father's roaming ways, she's always been denied that dream; instead, she found solace in reading romantic books. With her father's passing, she can, for the first time, dare to claim the rugged Montana frontier as her home. Nick Lassiter has loved Beth since she first came to town, but she's always seemed to think of him more as a brother. Just when he finally gets Beth to consider him, however, a challenger threatens the affection growing between them. But neither Nick nor Beth is prepared when they must face the consequences of Nick's complicated past. As a past fraught with unwise choices and guilt invades their world, can Nick and Beth find a love that will last forever? This book continues the story of the Gallatin sisters and this book focus on Beth, the sister with the romantic dreams and wishes. She's an avid reader of dime sto...

Gwen, Beth, and Lacy Gallatin fashion a life for themselves in the Montana wilds, operating a roadhouse that is located at the crossroads of two major stage lines. When their father is accidentally killed, the oldest sister, Gwen, reasons that she's cursed. After all, death seems to haunt her: her mother, now her father...and she was married for a mere ten days before her husband died from a bout of measles. As Gwen and her sisters struggle to maintain the inn on their own, an unexpected visitor adds to the mayhem. Hank Bishop claims to be searching for something in the possession of Gwen's late husband. But mayhem of another sort builds in Gwen's heart as she finds a growing attraction to this man. Can she dare to hope that love might again be hers? Every time Tracie Peterson announces she has a new book coming out, I immediately go and put it on my wish list. She is one of those authors whom I have read every book and is pretty much a standard in Christian fiction. Ever...

Tracie Peteron's best historical series to date Cassandra Stover owes wealthy widow Mrs. Jameston many thanks. She has been hired to be the companion for the elderly lady and will be able to help support her widowed mother and younger sister. Now living in a life of luxury, Cassandra starts to settle down and enjoy the nicer things in life. However just as she's beginning to relax, Mrs. Jameston's son returns to town. A selfish man who only thinks of himself, Sebastian begins to plot how to gain his mother's money even if it means killing his own mother and Cassandra. The Ladies of Liberty series has been a delight to read. While each book in the series can be read by itself, it is very refreshing to see a bunch of strong women in a time where women were seen and not heard. I really liked Cassandra's character. She was a faithful companion and not afraid to speak her mind. She's a very good and clean character but neither is she too perfect to be unbeliev...

Hide your face so the world will never find you Catherine Newbury is forced to leave England in wake of a scandal of which her father is caught in the middle. She flees to America where she creates a new name for herself as a fashion designer. Everyone in Philadelphia wants to be wearing her designs including the family of Carter Danby. The two met years ago in England but a chance reunion brings them together again in America. Catherine tries to hide her identity while Carter can't figure out why this young designer keeps triggering his memory. This was another enjoyable entry in this series. The writing in this story is top notch and keeps you wanting more. Peterson keeps her trademark writing with an enjoyable heroine and a storyline that you can't put down. I enjoyed reading about the fashion of the time period. It was very interesting to read about the lives of the fashion industry of that time period. I liked learning about what had to go on to design and create ...

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous Fanny Broadmoor is enjoying life on the Thousand Islands on her grandparents estate. She's living a life of luxury along with her cousins Amanda and Sophie. There's also a hint of a forbidden romance with Michael, the family boat keeper. But all that changes when her grandfather dies and Fanny's inheritance is thrown into chaos due to her uncle's greedy control. Will she able to gain control of what is rightfully hers or will her uncle's lecherous ways leave Fanny with nothing to her name? The writing duo of Peterson and Miller has turned out another historical fiction series. I really liked their other two series about the Lowell mills so I was looking forward to their latest release. I enjoyed reading about what it was like to be in high class society in the 1800s. It was fun reading about living in a rich resort for vacations, going to balls, wearing fancy dresses, having picnics and not having to worry about the outside worl...

Don't be so quick to judge Amy Halbert changed her name, took her share of the family money, and left home for good. Kathy Halbert stayed home, taking care of her ailing parents, giving up her dreams to keep the family together. 12 years later, Amy now called Sunny, returns to find the home she left changed dramatically. Kathy harbors angry feelings towards her sister and vows never to forgive her. However when she finds out what really happen to her sister, the judgment she had previously passed seems too harsh. This is not just another retelling of the prodigal son story. When I first started reading this book, I felt a sense of de ja vu. Didn't I just read a book this year with a version of the prodigal son story? I figured that this story would be the same like all the others where the prodigal gets treated like royalty while the older sibling is humbled and regrets feeling jealous. Boy was I wrong. This story is hard hitting and very heart wrenching. You can see where...

Girl Power - 1800s style Mia Stanley comes from an upper class society who would greatly look down upon her greatest ambition. Mia writes for Godey's Lady Book, focusing on issues that many women would avoid. She's now turned her attentions on the plight of the sea men's wives down by the docks. What she finds there horrifies her and makes her more determined to tell the world. However, Mia also finds that with her social standing comes responsibility to marry. She worries that the man she loves, her best friend Garrett might love someone else. Will her passion for saving lives overpower her yearning for love? I had always thought that Godey's Lady Book was just a fashion magazine, a precursor to Vogue. At least that's how it was always portrayed in Little House on the Prairie, with talks about hoop skirts and corsets. This book, however, portrayed it as a precursor to women's lib, giving women the opportunity to showcase their talents and try to make a ...

Book Giveaway Below! Pull out your winter coat again In the third book of the Alaskan quest series, Jayce and Jacob are shipwrecked on an Arctic island with a bleak outlook of leaving. Meanwhile their wives Leah and Helena are back at home in Alaska waiting for their husbands to get back home. Leah is still struggling with the fact that her children may not be really be Jayce's children and the aftermaths of what Chase had done to her. Helena is worried that Jacob still doesn't really love her. The two women bond together as they battle the harsh Alaskan setting, dealing with influenza, changes from their friends, and the outbreak of WWI. I've mentioned before I love really good book covers. This whole series has had some beautiful covers and this one is my favorite (the whole hair blowing in the wind thing). I want to say that it's Leah on the cover. I enjoyed reading the book as it tied up many story lines and described more historical detail about the time per...

Cold yet heartwarming Tracie Peterson's Alaskan Quest series reintroduces us to Jacob and Leah Barringer, first seen as children in her Yukon Quest series. Now grown up and independent adults, the two still live up in Alaska and have come to adore their new home. In Under the Northern Lights, the second book in the series, Leah has just married Jayce Kincaid and is ready to settle down and have a quiet life with him. Unfortunately for her, Jayce's evil twin brother Chase kidnaps her and Helaina Beecher, the Pinkerton agent searching for Chase. While the two women have to fight for survival against Chase, Jayce and Jacob go out to search for the women they love in hopes of rescuing them. When something happens that nearly destroys Leah, the four have to to depend on faith in order to move on. I love seeing characters reappear in books. I wanted to know what happened to Jacob and Leah at the close of the Yukon Quest series when they were children. Now as their adults, the p...

"The sad duty of politics is to establish justice in a sinful world." -Jimmy Carter Entangled is another entry in Bethany House's old Portraits series. Tracie Peterson is also one of my favorite authors. I actually enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Cara Kellser is forced to join politician Bob Kerns as his running mate for governor of Kansas. During the road to election and after, Cara finds out what type of man Kerns really is. She wants to get out but she fears for her life and the lives of those connected to her, specifically her daughter and state trooper Harry Oberlin. The characters of the bad guys in the story are deliciously evil as they are men who think only of themselves, and how they can keep profiting not thinking about their family or those close to them. If all politicians are like this: Beware! I enjoyed this book for the most part. My only main complaint is the character of Cara's daughter. She is supposed to be 11 years old in t...