REVIEW: Love Held Captive by Shelley Shepard Gray

Set in San Antonio, this book covers about a month’s worth of time. During the story Lizbeth is approached inappropriately by Bushnell. This leads her literally to the room of Ethan. Ethan and Lizbeth met, though only he knows it, during the War when Ethan’s team was scavenging for supplies for the Confederacy. She has haunted his dreams for the years inbetween; he is surprised to run into her in San Antonio.

Devin and Julianne may be star-crossed lovers; their backgrounds are quite different. But, the book keeps emphasizing that war changes everyone.

The antagonist in the story is Bushnell; a fellow Confederate soldier who has been a pain to Ethan and Devin for many years. To wrap up the trilogy of the four soldiers, Devin and Ethan call on Robert Truax and Thomas Baker to help them settle the score with Bushnell.

Thanks to Zondervan for providing me an ARC for a review in my own words.

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REVIEW: Heart on the Line by Karen Witemeyer

Grace Mallory works for Western Union as a telegraph operator. This gives her an income and a unique communication method. She needs this as she’s “on the run” for most of the book, hiding out from corrupt security men who took her father’s life. Amos Bledsoe is the operator in a nearby Texas town. He overhears a telegraph conversation that is meant for Grace, and he springs into action.

The story had intrigue, mystery, humor and a lovely love story.

Thanks to Bethany House Publishers for providing me an ARC for a review in my own words.

REVIEW: Broken Ground by Karen Halvorsen Schreck

Repatriation Act of the 1930s is the story line behind this interesting novel.  Follow newlywed Ruth Warren and her husband Charlie to the oilfields of Texas where he works.  An awful explosion turns Ruth’s world upside down and she is forced to return to her parents’ home in Alba.  She wants badly to escape and the friendship of the town library spurs Ruth to higher pursuits.

As Ruth’s world grows beyond Alba, she encounters groups of Mexican farm workers being captured and returned to Mexico. Concerned and intrigued by what is happening, Ruth looks beyond her grief to find her role in California’s agricultural migrant community.

I thought this story was thought-provoking.  It makes you think about modern day farm worker immigrants, both legal and illegally in the US.

Thanks to Howard Books for providing me an ARC for a review in my own words.

REVIEW: The Same Sky by Amanda Eyre Ward

Carla, a preteen from Honduras, and Alice, a 40-something, childless but married woman, both have a great desire for a complete family.

Carla leads an incredibly difficult life of poverty in Honduras.  Her mother has left the family to find work in the US.  She sends money regularly, along with some clothes and very important shoes.  However, she is able to only send enough money for one of her three children to be transported to the US to join her.  After several heart-wrenching turn-of-events, Carla (at 12!) decides to undertake the perilous journey to enter the US and find her mother.

Alice feels adrift from her husband due to a series of failed infertility treatments and a withdrawn adoption.  She is searching for a way to be a mother and it includes some investment of time with a wayward teen.

Alice and Carla, who live under the same sky, are brought together in an amazing way by God’s hand.  I will think differently about the children who stream across the border into the southwest US.  Wow.

This was an ARC for which I’ve provided a review in my own words.

REVIEW: The House that Love Built by Beth Wiseman

I have to admit that THE HOUSE THAT LOVE BUILT harbored more secrets than I was expecting.  Each time you turn around, there’s another big event.  I enjoyed the book and found it easy to keep turning the pages expectantly.  Widow Brooke Holloway and new-to-town Owen Saunders are each trying to move on from their old marriages.  We also meet teenage Hunter who has his own present to escape.  Owen’s willingness to help Hunter is a bit convenient.  However, how much less societal trouble we would have if we all would step in and help.  There is a whole cast of folks in the story with interesting backgrounds such as Uncle Denny and newlyweds Patsy and Harold.  Enjoy this book as it blends families and builds a new house of love.