Saturday, April 13, 2019

Valentine's Book Exchange: The Honor Series by Kristen Heitzmann

This past Valentine's Day several friends and I decided to do an Elfster Valentine's Day Book Exchange which was a great success! I won the book exchange jackpot! I received a whole series from my secret Valentine (maybe not so secret: Kayla???):
 The whole idea of the exchange was to gift someone with a book YOU love, so this was a whole series someone loved. This series was by an author I wasn't familiar with, Kristen Heitzmann. The titles, in order were Honor's Pledge, Honor's Price, Honor's Quest, Honor's Disguise and Honor's Reward. They are published in the category of Christian fiction but don't let that get in the way of taking a chance on this series because I have to say, I fell in love with the characters and the world this gifted author created.
The series takes place in the late 1870s and revolves around a young woman, Abbie Martin, who is so engaging, you'd want her for your best friend. She is 17 at the start and someone who is brave, outspoken, a loyal friend, and not afraid to be herself. She is a tomboy who loves the land she's grown up on in and around Rocky Springs, Colorado. Her father owns the local newspaper and her mother keeps house on the farm they own. Abbie can ride and shoot and climb trees and catch fish with a spear, things she learned alongside her best friend from childhood, Blake McConnel.
This first story begins with Blake calling out a man by the name of Montgomery Farrel, a southerner who had bought a ranch in the area. He's ready to shoot Mr. Farrel for paying a little to much attention to Abbie in town that morning.
Abbie intervenes and the Sheriff hauls Blake away to a jail cell to cool off. Later she gets Monte Farrel to drop the charges which he does due to her insistence and her charm and... though she is oblivious to the fact, her beauty.

So begins this series that will have you reading one after the other to see what lies ahead for Abbie as she goes from this spitfire 17 year old to an equally headstrong young woman, falling passionately in love, having her heart broken more than once and racing off on sometimes heart-stopping adventures on behalf of those she loves.
 Along the way, a ranch hand, Cole Jasper, is introduced. He's just one of the many memorable characters you'll meet, and wish you could know in real life.
 Some things in this frontier life will surprise you, some things are shocking, and sometimes you'll shout "Oh No!" at the books or booohooo at other parts. If you are looking for something that will captivate you, grab your attention, and make you want to reread it from the beginning, then look no further than Ms. Heitzmann's Honor series!


Monday, April 8, 2019

Made for Each Other: "The Plus One" by Sarah Archer

Kelly Suttle is a robotics engineer and feels considerably more comfortable in that world than the one her wedding shop owner mother would prefer her to inhabit. That of the eligible potential dates for her popular sister's upcoming wedding.
Although Kelly is excellent at what she does at work, somehow, her parents can't see that as important and no matter how hard she tries to interest them at their weekly family dinners she can't seem to get their attention.
Maybe it's her parents unhappy marriage that set her on the path to independence and against romance but now she finds herself on the spot with her mother pushing her to find a plus one.  How can she meet and win over a suitable man in time for the wedding? There don't seem any men out there that will fill her very picky criteria on the dating sites.
Then she has an idea. She is currently working on the prototype for a companion robot, one that will care for and do the bidding of its human master. Why not take it one step further and build a boyfriend?
Ms. Archer's the Plus One is a brilliant debut. It is funny, touching and poignant. Kelly is an intriguing character, both sympathetic and abrasive. Ethan, her robotic boyfriend, is captivating and will win you over as much as he wins over his creator. This is one you'll think about long after you turn the last page. Highly recommended!
A Big Thank You to Edelweiss for the DRC