A Dream of Miracles by Ruth Reid

Book Description:
Amish widow Mattie vows never to love again . . . until a suspicious outsider with a shadowy past comes crashing into her fragile world. 
Mattie Diener can barely keep it together. A young Amish widow and mtother of two young children, she faces the lingering heartbreak of lost love, her son’s mysterious illness, and a torrent of accusations that threaten to undo her.
Bo Lambright is a fast-rising social services investigator whose high-society mother won’t rest until she finds his Mrs. Right. Despite Bo’s worldly success, the raw ache of a shadowy past and a series of unsettling dreams have left him reeling.
When Mattie and Bo cross paths, all signs point to disaster. Yet as they face a crucible of trials and tragedies together, longings begin to stir that seem destined only to end in more heartbreak. Is a miracle possible—not only of healing but of forbidden love? What secrets lie in Bo’s dreams? And will Mattie find the courage to face her uncertain future . . . or will she simply run away?

My Thoughts:
I have to say this is one of the most original Amish stories I have ever read.  Mattie is a widowed mother of two who is trying to get help for her son.  When CPS is called, she and Bo Lambright cross paths.  Bo understands more of Mattie's world than others.  Bo has disturbing dreams that bother him a great deal.  Still, he is of the world and she is not, and yet they find themselves attracted to each other.  
I was looking for this book to go a certain path and it didn't.  I shudder when I think of Mattie having to answer all the questions about her parenting and having to deal with CPS over this!  The terrible ordeal she has to go through is heartbreaking.  Bo was more than I expected him to be.  He has his issues, and understands what was going on in Mattie's case, but is also attracted to her!  I didn't put this book down once I started it. 
It was a solid 5/5 for me.  I will look for more from this author!

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book (via the FictionGuild).  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Blood Lust by Alexandra Ivy

Book Description

Blessed and cursed by their hidden abilities, the Sentinels have no choice but to live, and love, on the edge of humanity…

The Sentinel assassin, Bas, is facing the greatest challenge of his outcast existence. His young daughter, Molly, has been kidnapped. But her disappearance has brought the return of her mother, Myst, whom Bas has never forgotten--or forgiven. 

Haunted by a vision that she's destined to create a weapon that will destroy thousands, Myst was never impulsive--until she met the irresistibly handsome Bas. But with the Brotherhood, the enemy of the high-bloods hunting for her, Myst had to stay on the run, to keep her child, and the world, safe. Now, with the most important thing in both their lives at stake, she and Bas must embark on a treacherous journey to save Molly, to confront the truth of Myst's fate--and to face their fierce desire for one another. 

My Thoughts:

I have followed this series because I adore the characters and writing style, and this book was more of the same!  Bas has searched for Myst since they had a fleeting 'moment' in his office.  When she returned and left their baby for him to raise, he tried convince himself she was the worst.  She walks in and once again turns his world up-side-down and isn't the woman he tried to believe she is.  Myst had her own reasons for leaving and hiding.  Now she wants to bond with her little girl and keep the brotherhood away from both of them, which is easier said than done.

I liked Bas from the last book.  While he wasn't the most endearing person, he was a totally devoted father.  Myst was a wonderful character.  Loving mother, selfless woman and scared girl.  The Mave and Tagos are in this book and wow!  I wasn't expecting Bas to trust them at all but the back story helped with that.  Myst's determination not to let herself be used by the brotherhood was understandable and sad.  I loved the connection Myst and Bas have, while it is a craving, it is also just a need to be together.  

It was a 5/5.  Absolutely cannon wait to read the next book in the series.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book (via netgalley).  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Wild Within by Christine Hartmann

Book Description:
A year after a family tragedy, Grace Mori embarks on the journey of a lifetime… 
Two thousand, six hundred miles of blistering heat, wilderness, and soul searching—that’s what Grace signed up for when she decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. It’s not a voyage for beginners, but with no husband and her family still recovering from her brother’s death, Grace is more alone than ever. 
This trail meant something to her brother, and she’ll hike it in his memory, but she can’t do it alone. So with her brother’s gear and a small group, Grace takes the most important first steps of her life. 
Grace finds something more than peace and magic on the trail… 
When her first day of hiking ends in heat stroke, Grace is rescued by a handsome, red-haired hiker who calls himself Lone Star. Grace has an immediate connection with him, and their brief encounter leaves her fearing her soul mate has slipped through her fingers. Although he vows to keep in touch, Grace doubts she’ll ever see him again. 
When fears become reality, the only people Grace can rely on may be killers... 
Grace is surprised to find notes left at supply posts along the trail. Lone Star’s eloquent letters keep Grace going, clinging to the hope she’ll find him—and happiness—at the end of her journey. But as the trail becomes more perilous, menace grows within the group. And when Lone Star’s letters mysteriously stop coming, Grace fears the worst. 
As tensions flare and a killer emerges, Grace must battle to survive…and reunite with the man she’s sure is her future.

My Thoughts:
Good book!  Grace is on a journey of healing and self-discovery.  Not to mention a dangerous trail that isn't for the faint of heart.  That being said, she does have an issue and meets a man she immediately connects with.  He doesn't stick around but promises to be in touch.  As she hikes, a bigger threat than she ever anticipated appears and she must do what she has to so she can survive.
I wasn't certain about this book.  I loved the cover and the description was good, but I just wasn't sure how the author was going to weave it all together.  I must say I completely enjoyed it!  Grace is a great character.  I loved the reason she did this hike and the scenery was gorgeous (seriously, you can 'see' it as you read!).  I enjoyed the back stories of the characters, but was left wanting more in Lone Star.  I did like the mix of mystery, romance, suspense and outdoors.  Learned a bit about hiking as well!
This was a 4/5 for me.  I am glad it is the first in a new series!
Thank you to PUYB for the review copy of this book.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Torment by R.S. Broadhead

Book Description:
A mental hospital.
Reese Salt doesn’t know where she is or where she came from. She’s battling a darkness inside that makes her do things … inhumane things. This is how Reese wakes up after being locked away in a hospital for the mentally insane for over a year.
A year of being away from everything.
Reese’s next journey takes her across the world for training she needs to fight her greatest enemy—Dermetheus. The man who destroyed her life and plans to destroy the world. Can she find the strength to battle the beast inside to be who she needs to be?
With Reese being absent, things are chaotic for everyone left behind in Jackson. Shayla is forced to step up as leader and can’t seem to catch a break from the forces moving against them. Are they fighting a losing battle? Will Reese ever return?
Hope seems lost.
All they can do is believe in themselves in a time of despair. No matter what happens.
War is coming. 

My Thoughts:
Holy cow, I couldn't wait to start this book to find out what was happening to these characters!  Reese is in a mental hospital because of the events in the end of the last book.  She is trapped inside herself and has to figure out who she is before she can become who she needs to be.  Shayla is dealing with everything, and not too well.  She misses her best friend, her boyfriend and life how it used to be.  The whole group has suffered but they need Reese to fight the darkness and return to complete her destiny.I wasn't sure I was going to like who Reese has become in this book, but I did.  She isn't the same, but she isn't too different either.  I felt terrible for Shayla.  She and Fuzz are having to deal with more than the rest and on a completely different level.  The story has plenty of action and a lot of finding yourself.  I was certain the author was going to bring a certain character back but maybe in a future book!  I cannot believe how the author left the story and left me wanting more of it!
A 5/5 for me.  I cannot wait to see where this goes next!  If you haven't read these books, start with book 1 to get to know the characters and back story. Thank you to the author for the review copy of this book.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Fan the Flames by Katie Ruggle

Book Description

In the remote Rocky Mountains, lives depend on the Search & Rescue brotherhood. But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder...

As a Motorcycle Club member and firefighter, Ian Walsh is used to riding the line between the good guys and the bad. He may owe the Club his life, but his heart rests with his fire station brothers...and with the girl he's loved since they were kids, Rory Sorenson. Ian would do anything for Rory. He'd die for her. Kill for her. Defend her to his last breath-and he may just have to.

Every con in the Rockies knows Rory is the go-to girl for less-than-legal firearms, and for the past few years, she's managed to keep the peace between dangerous factions by remaining strictly neutral. But when she defends herself against a brutal attack, Rory finds herself catapulted into the center of a Motorcycle Club war-with only Ian standing between her and a threat greater than either of them could have imagined.

My Thoughts:
Yummy book!  Ian Walsh is a firefighter and a member of a motorcycle club.  He lives two different lives, straddling the line between them.  Rory has crushed on Ian since they met years before.  Her parents were a bit odd so she doesn't do well with the whole social interaction thing, but she does like her interactions with Ian.  Ian is implicated in the murder (from the first book in the series Hold Your Breath), but no one who knows him think he truly did it.  Ian can't stand the thought of Rory in danger and helps her when she needs it.  That puts him at odds with his club and both of them in even bigger danger.
I loved Ian from the first time I 'met' him in the first book.  He is such a good guy and so amazingly hot!  I loved how he was supposed to be bad with the club, but he never really was bad.  He just loved them like family so would do anything for the Club. He seemed so much more at home with the guys at the fire station.  Rory was awkward and seemed to think herself more of an outcast than most people saw her as.  I loved that she was willing to venture out of her comfort zone.  She made friends and enemies fast.  Plenty of action, hot characters and danger hand me turning the pages all night to finish this one.
Absolute 5/5 for me.  I cannot wait for more in this series!

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book (via netgalley).  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Every Bride Has Her Day by Janice Thompson

Book Description:
Another Delightful Romance from the Queen of Romantic Comedy 
Katie Fisher is ecstatic. Pro basketball star Brady James has proposed, and she can't wait to start planning their life together. She's confident she'll make it down the aisle this time--but it still may be easier said than done. A high-society Houston bride has Katie and the Cosmopolitan Bridal team scrambling to get the perfect dress done in time for her spectacular wedding. Meanwhile, Katie finds herself bombarded with everyone's competing visions regarding her own special day--and she's beginning to worry that her own ideas will get lost in the crossfire. Will she ever manage to settle all of the details for "her" perfect day? Or will bridal shop chaos and overzealous friends and family make a mess of everything? 
Fan favorite Janice Thompson gives readers what they've been clamoring for: another funny, romantic romp with a Texas twang.

My Thoughts:
This is another good book from Janice Thompson.  Katie is finally engaged to Brady!  She is super excited to plan her wedding.  Fitting that into her and Brady's schedules may be a bit of a challenge with the Wedding she is already planning needing to get special attention and go off without a hitch.  Still, she has ideas for her wedding and family and friends that will help make her visions a reality, right?
This is the third in this series and I was happy to catch up with these characters again.  Katie is crazy busy but wants certain things for her wedding to Brady.  Brady is just as busy with his basketball schedule.  The family and friend are sorta helping but sorta not.  If you read this book by itself, you will still enjoy it but I think you should start with book 1 and fall in love with the characters and read their story through!
It was a 4/5 for me.  These characters are so wonderful and fun!

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Sovereign by Alexia Purdy

Book Description:
The City of Temple harbors all kinds of supernaturals, and danger lurks where it’s least expected. 

Seeking help from the untrustworthy Unseelie faeries, Lily and Declan, her zombie-like servant, race to take down the KelHan gargoyle army and save all they hold dear, including her love, Ephrem. But things are not as they had thought, and time has finally run out for them all. 

In this stunning fourth installment to The ArcKnight Chronicles, all is fair in love and war. 

My Thoughts:
Could not wait to get my hands on this book.  This is the conclusion of the Arcknight Chronicles and is great!  Lily is still trying to save her family and the packs from the gargoyle army.  She awakens Declan, Mila's first husband who is now a zombieish creature.  They determine going to the faeries for help is the best course of action, but will the price of their help be more than she can take?
Lily is still the strong character that I've grown to love.  She is fiercely loyal to her family and pack, even if they aren't the same to her.  Ephrem was great and I loved the battle scenes.  I wasn't certain I would like Declan at all, but he was a well written character.  I wasn't surprised by the traitor but completely enjoyed the scene where it all came out and thought it was perfect for this story.  
Absolutely a 5/5.  I say you start with book one and have a book marathon if you haven't ever tried this series.
Thank you to the author for the review copy of this book.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Artemis's Hunt by Lisa Davis (Audiobook)

Book Description:

Artemis, goddess of the hunt, has lived with heartache for the last 1500 years, believing her only love is dead. That's what her father - Zeus, king of the gods - told her. After recent events brought the truth to light, Artemis must gather the courage to face her lost love again.

Evangelos, former god of messengers, was content living in the mortal world until he discovered he has a daughter and her mother is Artemis. When the goddess shows up at his place of employment with tales of renewing his god status, he's skeptical. Zeus wouldn't reverse the curse out of the goodness of his heart. There is always a catch. The god king wants something in return.

When Artemis explains she has to hunt down her stepmother, Hera, in order to get Evan back into Zeus's good graces, Evan demands to accompany her. However, the journey turns out to be a test that could bring them closer together or tear them apart forever.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this novella.  Artemis has believed her true love has been dead for the past 1500 years.  She recently found out her father, Zeus, had sent him to the human realm to live and he cannot come to Olympus.  He didn't know that Artemis had a daughter...his daughter until recently.  Now, Artemis comes to him, determined to get Zeus to lift his curse.  Though skeptical, with their daughter's help, they search for the goddess Hera to complete their mission.
I really liked Artemis.  I felt horrible for her and how she had to endure believing her love was lost forever.  Not to mention that she raised their daughter on their own.  The family interaction was amusing and how they all worked together trying to break Zeus' curse.  Hera is horrible and I didn't like how she completely didn't care that it was the only way Artemis could ever be happy again.
This was a 3/5 for me.  I enjoyed the secondary characters as much as the main characters.

Thank you to the author/publisher for the review copy of this book.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Sister Eve and the Blue Nun by Lynne Hinton

Book Description:
When Sister Eve returns to the monastery, the last thing she expects there is murder.

After solving several mysteries with her father at the Divine Private Detective Agency, Sister Eve finds herself torn between her calling as a nun and the thrill that comes with detecting. She knows she’s been using her father’s health as an excuse to extend her leave of absence from the monastery, but that excuse is running thin. She prays that a return visit to the monastery for a conference on the Blue Nun will help bring clarity to her calling, but when the conference speaker is murdered, Sister Eve’s two worlds collide.

Sister Eve knows the number one suspect, the victim’s brother and monk in residence, couldn’t possibly have committed the crime, and she’s determined to find the real killer. To do so means she must track down some mysterious newly discovered writings from the Blue Nun, said to date from the 17th Century, when the sister bi-located to the New Mexico region from her home in Spain. Could these texts from long ago be the key to today’s mystery? And will they offer any guidance to Sister Eve as she chooses which calling to follow?

My Thoughts:
This was an intriguing book.  This is the first book I have read in the Sister Eve series and it was easy to read and no confusion.  Sister Eve is a crime solving nun who must decide if she wants to stay a nun or join her father's detective agency.  She gets involved when a speaker at a conference is murdered and a monk she knows is the prime suspect.  She doesn't believe he could have committed murder, especially the murder of his brother,but that may be easier said than done.
I loved the way the author described the scenery in New Mexico.  It was quite vivid and I could 'see' it in my mind.  The mystery that Sister Eve was to solve really wasn't a lot of a mystery.  I think that may have been because as a reader you know more than the characters but there was more cozy than mystery in this one.  I felt bad for her pull to both worlds, the detective agency and her calling to be a nun.  The story flowed and was easy to read.
It was a 3/5 for me.  If you like cozy mysteries, you will likely enjoy this one.
Thank you to the author/publisher for the review copy of this book (via litfuse).  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

The Valley of Dry Bones by Jerry B. Jenkins

Book Description:
In The Valley of Dry Bones, Jerry B. Jenkins overlays the ancient End Times prophecies of Ezekiel onto the landscape of modern California. A clash of cultures, ethnicities, religions, and politics trigger terrorism blamed on a deadly drought that pits friend against friend with the future of the 
country at stake.

My Thoughts:
This was a good book.  Set in future California, that has now become a desert and has been evacuated, this book follows Zeke and the Holdouts.  Most of California is uninhabitable but some have stayed and stay under the radar.  The Holdouts witness to those who have stayed behind.  Zeke is an elder of the group and firm believer in God. I really loved Zeke.  He went to God with everything.  The whole scenario was scary and absolutely an 'end times' setting.  The trials the Holdouts went through were a roller coaster.  I think this book is specifically geared toward people who are already Christians and those who enjoy futuristic, apocalyptic books.  It really is quite well written.
It was a 4/5 for me.  I liked the overall story but had issues with some of the plot. Thank you to the author/publisher for the review copy of this book (via First Look Blog Tours).  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.