Lady in the Mist by Laurie Alice Eakes

I have been a nurse for 30 years now and loved my time as a labor and delivery nurse. I've only known of one other midwife novel which is sad, very sad. Another reason I had to try out Laurie Alice Eakes' wares is that I love historical romances....Tabitha Eckles comes from a long line of midwives so, I had to read this book, just had to.

I was not dissappointed either. One of my most favorite eras in history is Early American which absolutely forced me to read this book....in one day. There is much goings on in Tabitha's port town and in this story as well. Spiritual struggle, murder, spies, just to name a few. But don't let me lead you astray, this is a great book for teens!

The main educational method for history for thousands of years is the telling of stories and the research that went into this book is what made it so good for me. This book does not disappoint. Enjoy!

Rugged and Relentless by Kelly Eileen Hake

I like reading a book that seems like the main characters have got all their 'ducks in a row' only to find out that their are sooo many outside possibilities. Knowing that I'm not the only one that happens to helps me get through my own dilemmas at times and helps me laugh.

The four women in this book are forward thinkers for the 1800s that they live in and I like people who think outside of the box. Evie owns a diner and has her rules, like "Hat's off while you eat--house rules."

I love Jake's responses to Evie's rules and how his banter touches her. I'm a lot like that myself. Jacob Granger's brother went out west to expand the family's business and he was killed in a card fight---a scandalous way for a young man to die. But Jake knows his brother well and is on the lookout for a murderer. When he gets to a ghost mining town to find a bunch of men giving 4 women way too much attention. They need help and he just knows a killer is here. I like a man who means to get justice...reminds me of Matt Dillon and you gotta love him. And a woman likes a man to protect her, too.

This light read is worth the afternoon's read, I've enjoyed seeing Kelly's writing evolve. Will she be the next DeeAnne Gist or Julie Lessman (They know how to ramp up the heat without writing in poor taste)? We'll see.Enjoy this light read as much as I did. This is a great read for teens.

Cowboy Christmas by Mary Connealy

Annette Talbot is in a traveling mission group when they encounter trouble and the next thing she knows, her captor wants her to wear a revealing dress and sing to a bunch of drunks! She escapes though and is running for her life. Why? Because she sings like an angel.
Elijah Walker is reeling from spending months investigating and bringing to justice his father's killer-a woman.
Is that the make up for another great Mary Connealy book? Sure as shooting, it is, partner. It's so good, it's won the 2010 Carol Award for Long Historical Romance!
Annette mistrusts all men now and Elijah mistrusts all women, too. Yet somehow, he can't help himself, he needs to help Annette. It doesn't help that his mother loves Annette either.
So begins the danger, hilarity, and romance.
I love historical fiction because it's a fun way to learn about history and this story shows how frontier women had to protect themselves from would be intruders, such as keeping a pipe up their sleeve as they worked through out their day, 'just in case.' I've been the victim of physical violence and knowing about strong women has helped me overcome it although it was years ago now and this book kicked up the 'suspense' meter just a bit. I love how Mary ends a section or chapter on one note and flips it around at the beginning of the next section or chapter. I laugh out loud nearly every time (and my family looks at me like I'm nuts for just a moment). The book ends at Christmas time so it didn't really feel like a Christmas story to me but the romance is quite good as usual. I absolutely loved the chapter heading graphics in this book, great idea! Just writing this review makes me want to read it again...
The sequel is Deep Trouble and I can't wait!!!