Runaway Amish Bride (Colorado Amish Courtships) by Leigh Bale

Book Description:
His Amish bride arrives…but he never proposed!
Surprises await in Colorado Amish Courtships
Widower Jakob Fisher isn’t interested in remarrying, even to pretty Abigail Miller. But thanks to his daed’s meddling, Abby’s sitting in his Colorado farmhouse, expecting to be wed. While Jakob can’t offer marriage, he can give Abby a job caring for his young children. But when he starts to fall for her, could Abby make Jakob’s familye happy and whole once again?

This was a sweet story and one that actually includes issues that non-Amish usually face.

As you can tell by the synopsis Jakob has lost his wife and child within the last year, he has also recently lost his father who had made arrangements without Jakob's knowledge to set up a marriage with Abby who has come from Ohio to Colorado to get married to Jakob. (wow that was a heck of a sentence!). Well, things don't go as planned and as per the usual plot line -Jakob doesn't feel that he can ever love again and Abby won't marry unless she is loved and comes first.

While this is a religious book it is not overly so if you are looking for a 'clean' and sweet romance this will hit the right buttons for you.

The only issue I had is that I wasn't sure if the research on the Amish was as careful as it should have been -I (in all of my Amish reading) have never heard of an Amish sect that worked on a Sunday and that includes the women cooking. They (in the books I have read) have always had cold meals that were prepared ahead of the Sabbath.

*ARC supplied by the publisher.

The Brightest Fell

Book Description:
Things are slow, and October “Toby” Daye couldn’t be happier about that.  The elf-shot cure has been approved, Arden Windermere is settling into her position as Queen in the Mists, and Toby doesn’t have anything demanding her attention except for wedding planning and spending time with her family.
Maybe she should have realized that it was too good to last.                When Toby’s mother, Amandine, appears on her doorstep with a demand for help, refusing her seems like the right thing to do…until Amandine starts taking hostages, and everything changes.  Now Toby doesn’t have a choice about whether or not she does as her mother asks.  Not with Jazz and Tybalt’s lives hanging in the balance.  But who could possibly help her find a pureblood she’s never met, one who’s been missing for over a hundred years?                Enter Simon Torquill, elf-shot enemy turned awakened, uneasy ally.  Together, the two of them must try to solve one of the greatest mysteries in the Mists: what happened to Amandine’s oldest daughter, August, who disappeared in 1906.                This is one missing person case Toby can’t afford to get wrong.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<SPOILERS>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Sorry about the spoilers, however, I did warn you!

I hate to say this but the reason this book got such low stars from me (but not 1 star like I think I should have, 'cause I did manage to finish the book) is that it was one of the most boring and predictable of this series. I actually fell asleep several times while reading this book and it makes me question whether or not I should keep on reading this series.

Toby had just returned from her bachelorette party (for which she just sat around sneering and rueing the fact that she couldn't get drunk)-Gods forbid that such a badass admit to having a good time even if it was a Karaoke Bar to or just go with the flow (I'm rolling my eyes here if you can't already tell)- when she is visited by her mother Amandine and is forced to search for her sister August. Bad things happen to Toby's beloved and to Jazz (naturally) Simon re-enters the picture of course, and they leave on a quest to find August. Naturally, the Sea Witch has her hand in what will be an epic disaster.

Most of the book was spent explaining things that we the readers already knew and re-explained them over and over again -much like how we used to hear about Toby's coffee addiction in past books. She has lost most of her Fae-ness (again) and of course gets hurt (what's new?)


We finally and thankfully get to the end and of course things couldn't go worse, she is asked not to return to Sylvester's court, Luna still hates her, Toby and her beloved DON'T get married etc, Simon is now on the loose and looking to pay back Toby. *sigh*

*ARC supplied by publisher

Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce

Book Description:
London, 1940. Emmeline Lake is Doing Her Bit for the war effort, volunteering as a telephone operator with the Auxiliary Fire Services. When Emmy sees an advertisement for a job at the London Evening Chronicle, her dreams of becoming a Lady War Correspondent suddenly seem achievable. But the job turns out to be working as a typist for the fierce and renowned advice columnist, Henrietta Bird. Emmy is disappointed, but gamely bucks up and buckles down.
Mrs. Bird is very clear: letters containing any Unpleasantness must go straight in the bin. But when Emmy reads poignant notes from women who may have Gone Too Far with the wrong men, or who can’t bear to let their children be evacuated, she is unable to resist responding. As the German planes make their nightly raids, and London picks up the smoldering pieces each morning, Emmy secretly begins to write back to the readers who have poured out their troubles.
Prepare to fall head over heels for Emmy and her best friend, Bunty, who are gutsy and spirited, even in the face of a terrible blow. The irrepressible Emmy keeps writing letters in this hilarious and enormously moving tale of friendship, the kindness of strangers, and ordinary people in extraordinary times.

For me, this was a very interesting read. I love historical fiction and had never read one for this time period. I'm glad I did because it brought home to me what it was (IS) like to live, work and play in a war-torn area of the world. I could never know what living with bombs raining down on me was really like and this author captures exactly what I imagined it would be like.

Some of this book left a bit to be desired since the heroine was so very naive, but that could be because of the time period and that most girls were just not used to being the 'strong' ones yet. And yes, those left at home to keep 'the home fires burning' were just as strong, in my opinion, as the boys defending flag and country.

A happily ever after for some a not so happily ever after for other's -I liked that this romance book showed that not everything was peaches and cream. There were humor and sadness and frustration in this book and they blended nicely.

I may not re-read this book but I certainly would recommend it to those that like historical fiction and especially to those who are younger than I am.

*ARC supplied by publisher.