The Carpenter's Daughter by Jennifer Rodewald

This has been one of my favorite books of the summer! I absolutely loved Sarah. I loved that she wasn't society's idea of beautiful. I loved that she was physically strong and yet insecure emotionally. There was so much detail and thought put into her story. The only person I loved more than Sarah was Jesse. My heart ached for the misunderstandings that ensued. The redemption part The Carpenter's Daughter happened a little fast for me, but redemption can happen at any point and can be triggered by anything, so it wasn't implausible. This was a great book and it was bittersweet to come to the conclusion. I look forward to future stories from Jennifer Rodewald!        

Leaving Oxford by Janet W. Ferguson

Set in a beautiful southern college town, Leaving Oxford had me hooked right away. The pacing was steady and did not feel rushed. I loved the community to which Sarah belonged. I completely sympathized with her annoyance at the charmers in the story. I loved the story of overcoming that graced these pages and the sweet love that evolves. I am looking forward to the next stories in this series.

A Season To Love by Nicole Deese

I am biased. I love Nicole's storytelling. The characters are real. They are lovable despite their flaws. Sometimes you want to smack them for not seeing the obvious and other times they surprise you by doing exactly what you thought they wouldn't do. The one thing I can guarantee is that they will be so endearing you will be disappointed when the story comes to an end. Definitely read this book and read A Cliche Christmas if you haven't already. Both are beautiful modern day romances that are worth the read.

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

I fell in love with this book, this character and this author. Unfortunately, I never finished my review when I read it. Yelena is such a strong, fearless and relentless heroine. If you love fantasy and young adult stories, you cannot miss this series. It is one of my all time favorites and I went on to devour anything else Maria Snyder wrote. I highly recommend this series.

Liberation of Lystra

The final story in the Chataine's Guardian triology (although there are additional stories of Lystra). There isn't too much that can be shared without spoiling some of the story line from the first two books. Chataine Dierdre is now Surchataine and ruling Lystra with her husband. They must travel to another kingdom to try and abolish the evil that is being committed there. However, once there they are taken captive and must struggle to find a way out. Back home in Lystra, there child has been left in the care of his nursemaid. There is a plot against the yound Chatain's life. He is the next in line to the throne and with both of his parents gone, one of the governing servants decides it would be easy to stage a coup. The usurper is cunning enough to spread rumors of discontent so that no one is truly sure who is loyal and who is trying to overthrow the kingdom. A nailbitting conclusion and yet I was sad to see it end.

Stone of Help by Robin Hardy

This is a continuation of the Chataine's Guardian series. The beginning of the book find the Chataine pregnant and disgruntled with her live. In an act of rebellion, she demands to be left unattended or guarded. She asks for a moment alone by the lakeside. Unfortunately, her act of rebellion results in her being lured away into a trap. A trap that results in the loss of her baby and freedom. She is sold into captivity and begins to blossom into a woman who follows God. Her time in captivity is not lost, as she grows and learns that even in captivity she can be a blessing to others.

Chataine's Guardian by Robin Hardy

I love a good princess story. This one begins as the young princess is found needing a protector. Her father assigns Roman, a young man several years the princess' elder. She runs the whole spectrum of torturing the poor soldier. She ignores him, is demanding, treats him like a dog and yet he is constant in his loyalty to her and his service. Being headstrong, she ofter finds herself in danger or tough situations. Yet Roman is always there to fix whatever situation she creates. Her turning point is seeing him punished by her father for an action that she took. Soon, she realizes that she is in love with the soldier. Yet, she is forced to travel from kingdom to kingdom at the request of the eligible young princes that would seek an alliance with her father's kingdom. This story of adventure and love is woven with a beautiful picture of God's love through out.