WITH EVERY BREATH by ELIZABETH CAMDEN

Title: With Every Breath

Author: Elizabeth Camden

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (August 5, 2014)

Pages: 368

Every book that I have read by ELIZABETH CAMDEN has blown me away. She is a phenomenal writer AND storyteller. There are those that write well, and those that create a good plot. But it’s those that can do both that produce a novel that a reader gets wrapped up in and will remember for a long times.

Kate Livingston is intelligent and ambitious. Hesitant, she gives in and accepts an offer for a job from the insufferable Trevor McDonough. A man she hasn’t seen since their high school days.

Trevor McDonough is good at keeping his distance from those that might hurt his wounded heart. That goes double for Kate Livingston. If she knew the secret he carried, she would think twice about the attraction she has for him.

As always, ELIZABETH CAMDEN produced a novel that is not only entertaining, but enlightening. I am not only left with a warm feeling you get from reading an amazing story, but filled with a new sense of knowledge and understanding about a subject I may not have pursued on my own.

WITH EVERY BREATH by ELIZABETH CAMDEN is not a novel you want to miss. I loved the characters growth. MS. CAMDEN does an amazing job transforming Trevor. Only a remarkable writer can do what MS. CAMDEN did with his character, and still have the reader loving him.  

There is no question that when I spot an ELIZABETH CAMDEN novel, I will be reading it in the near future.

*Please see my profile for more information on this review.

THE SONG

Too often Christian movies fail to show a realistic picture of a faith based life. The journey of a Christian is unique to the individual. A common misconception is that people of faith have not experience the trials and tribulations others have. That once they give their life to the Lord, it’s easy going.

What I love about THE SONG is the journey Jed King embarks on.  An aspiring singer who thinks his career is over before it starts, crosses paths with a woman of faith that inspires a song within, stirring up the passion he lacks.

Rose Jorden is a wholesome girl who is committed to her faith and family. Jed King promises a life of love that soon turns her world upside down.

THE SONG is packed full of one man’s trials and tribulations. It’s a story about aspirations, commitment, temptations, love, faith, hope, redemption, restoration, forgiveness, and new beginnings.

Jed King is a man with a past, struggling to follow in his father’s footsteps as he faces the price that often comes with a career in music. The uniqueness of THE SONG is the depiction of a realistic life. One of drugs, drinking, and other temptations that often comes with fame.

THE SONG is a great representation that some things are worth fighting for. You will be left with a sense of hope. Hope that no matter what we go through in life, as long we have God as our center, we can get through it.

MEANT TO BE MINE by BECKY WADE

Title: Meant to be Mine

Author: Becky Wade

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (May 6, 2014)

Pages: 384

There are books that are good, and then there are ones that when you read the last word, you let out a long sigh. That would be a sigh that is quickly followed by a warm and tingly sensation, and what comes after reading an amazing book. that is exactly what happened with MEANT TO BE MINE by BECKY WADE.

A friend of mine read MEANT TO BE MINE and proceeded to let me know I MUST read it. She's read some of my writing, knows my fascination for cowboys. She knew the fact that the hero is a bull rider, would be enough to entice me. Needless to say, she was right.

Celia Park has had a crush on Ty Porter since the day she laid eyes on him in high school. Years later in Vegas, it didn't take long to realize her feelings for the cowboy hasn't changed.

Ty Porter is making a living doing what he does best - riding bulls. A few days in Vegas with Celia Park, gives way to his reckless side. Doing something that would change the course of their lives, and cause him to focus a hundred percent on his career and little else.

MEANT TO BE MINE is the first book I've read by BECKY WADE, and won't be the last. In fact, only minutes after finishing, I ordered UNDENIABLY YOURS, the first of the Porter brother's books. I can only hope MS WADE has another in the making for Jake Porter. My interest is already spiked regarding Ty's brother with so few words.

The very first page of MEANT TO BE MINE captured me, pulling me in. A slow reader, I stayed up late into the night, reading until I could no longer keep my eyes open, finishing some ninety pages. If I had the time to sit and read all day, I would have. When I had less than a hundred pages left, I woke the next morning realizing I wasn't about to get anything done until I completed this incredible story.

MS WADE knows not only how to write, but how to create a story that ropes you in and doesn't let you go. I LOVED the characters...all of them. Each is districted. What she did with the characters may not have worked for other authors, but for MS WADE, it did.

If I had to pick one quality of the story that made MEANT TO BE MINE stand-alone from other novels I've read, I would have to say it would be the uniqueness of the path the author took the characters on. There were several situations that were easily predictably, not that I had problem with it, because I didn't. But MS WADE caught me completely off guard by NOT doing what the reader would expect. Not once, not twice, but several times. And I LOVED it.

I can't wait for UNDENIABLY YOURS to arrive to read about Bo Porter, and looking forward to the story about Jake in the future. I guess I've just found myself a new favorite author.

THE LAWMAN’S OKLAHOMA SWEETHEART (LOVE INSPIRED HISTORICAL/BRIDEGROOM BROTHERS) by ALLIE PLEITER

Title: The Lawman's Oklahoma Sweetheart (Love Inspired Historical\Bridegroom Brothers)

Author: Allie Pleiter
Publisher: Love Inspired (June 3, 2014)
Pages: 288
 

If you look at my reviews, it’s no secret that I’ve read several of ALLIE PLEITER’s books. And yes, I have a few of my favorites. And yes, I prefer her historical over her contemporary. I have yet to read an author who has the ability to change her voice with each genre she writes, the way MS PLEITER, can.

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I was when I spotted the upcoming cover for THE LAWMAN’S OKLAHOMA SWEETHEART (LOVE INSPIRE HISTORICAL/BRIDEGROOM BROTHERS) by ALLIE PLEITER. My heart started to race, not just from the choice of the picture, but the title. You see, I am a cowboy/western/ranch, freak. Yes, I will admit to it.

As I began to read THE LAWMAN’S OKLAHOMA SWEETHEART, I was immediately drawn in. Not just drawn in to the first paragraph, or even the first chapter, but from the first page to the last.

Sheriff Clint Thornton is all about the law. When a team of bad guys attempt to harm his good friends sister, Clint will stop at nothing to insure Katrine’s and her brothers safety.

Katrine Brinkerhoff will never forget what the good Sherfiff did for her. But the lie he insist they keep to protect her brother, is nothing short of heart wrenching.

Clint and Katrine’s growing attraction is left unspoken. After all, they both have secrets that won’t allow their feelings for one another to take root.

MS PLEITER did an amazing job with THE LAWMAN’S OKLAHOMA SWEETHEART. I didn’t think her writing could get any better or different then what I’ve read in the past, but was I wrong.

Being a HUGE fan of western settings, I tend to be judgmental. I place THE LAWMAN’S OKLAHOMA SWEETHEART right at the top of my list of beloved cowboy stories. Up until now, two others of MS PLEITER’S novels were my favorite PLEITER books. They have just moved down a notch, being replaced with this amazing novel as number one.

MS PLEITER did an remarkable job with the plot, incorporating her typical witty lines that will leave you in wonder. The characters are distinct and three-dimensional. From start to ending I was captivated. Some books start out great, then fade a bit, then pick up speed in the end. THE LAWMAN’S OKLAHOMA SWEETHEART continued on a steady up climb, not stopping until the very last word.

Every aspect of the writing process in a novel is important. However, the wrong ending can ruin all the good efforts one puts into a story, literally going from becoming a great book, to leaving a sour taste in your mouth. It’s a shame that the last few pages of a story can hold the power to destroy a book. Sadly, something I’ve experienced firsthand.

However, that was not the case in THE LAWMAN’S OKLAHOMA SWEETHEART. As the story ended, I was a bit surprised the author chose that route, but not in an unpleasant way. I was satisfied with the way it ended.

But then I started the prologue! MS PLEITER spared nothing in taking her story to a whole other level. It’s done beautifully, with believability that brought me to tears. It warmed my heart, and made me want to cheer, and love the story all the more. Truly one of the best endings I’ve ever read. 

So taken I was by the story, I desire to purchase the other books in the series to read about the other men I encountered in THE LAWMAN’S OKLAHOMA SWEETHEART. Looking forward to any future – what I like to call “cowboy books” – by MS PLEITER.