Esther is a beautiful girl whose mother was a Babylonian Jew and whose father was a Persian officer in the army. After both her mother and father die unexpectedly, her uncle Mordecai takes care of Esther and raises her as a Jew. After Mordecai has a disturbing dream about a Jewish massacre, he is convinced they need a spokesperson in the palace of the King. One of the King’s best friends and advisors is an Edomite named Haman who hates all Jews. Mordecai prays and feels that the Jews only hope is to offer Esther as the King’s next bride; the previous queen had disobeyed the King and he had gotten rid of her. Because Esther’s father was of the royal line, she was eligible to be presented to the King, but she didn’t believe that the King would actually pick her. After months of preparation, Esther is presented to the King, and he chooses her for His bride. As they fall in love, Esther realizes that the King will never forgive her for deceiving him about her heritage and hopes that she won’t have to ever reveal that she’s a Jew but God has other plans. Will she do what needs to be done to save her people? Will she sacrifice everything? How will the King respond?

Loosely based on the story of Esther from the Bible, I thorough enjoyed this recounting. I didn’t want to stop reading the story even though I knew the ending. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the story and characters. The characters had motives and fears. They developed and grew throughout the story. They had their faults but also had strengths.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves the story of Esther and wants an honest portrayal of what she and the other characters may have been feeling.

I received this book for free from NetGalley but was not required to write a positive review.

Kate Winslow is the school director for Beacon of Hope School, a place for girls whom the system has given up on. After witnessing a horrific abduction and doing nothing, Kate couldn’t do nothing any longer and rely on her rich heritage and background. She wouldn’t just throw money at another charity like her family wanted her to because she wanted to do something personally to stop the prostitution of young girls. When one of her girls goes missing and another girl ends up dead, Texas Ranger Wyatt Sheridan steps into the picture to help solve the mystery and bring justice. Wyatt has a beautiful young daughter that is reaching the age where many young girls are being abducted and forced into sex slavery, which is one of the reasons that he is part of a special task force to stop human trafficking. Will Wyatt and Kate discover who the dead girl is and her possible connection to Kate’s missing girl? Will the withdrawal of funding from Kate’s family shut down the school for good or will she be able to find another donor? Will Wyatt be able to prevent both Kate and his daughter from being kidnapped, or even killed?

I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced novel. I am already a big fan of Margaret Daley and I was so excited to get to read this book before its release in March 2012. I felt the characters of Kate and Wyatt really complemented each other and unfortunately, the story of trafficking is only too common. The reason I am in India now is to combat the trafficking of young girls. The story has good pacing and development. The characters are real and have real fears. The characters trust in the Lord but still have their faults.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a good Christian romance filled with suspense. I can’t wait for the next books in the series.

I received this book for free from NetGalley but was not required to write a positive review.

Sherilyn Caine is the perfect wedding planner – she knows what needs to be done when and where and how. She is currently engaged to a man she has known less than a year and has recently moved from Chicago to Georgia, where she found the perfect job working with her best friend, Emma Rae Travis. Sherilyn should be an expert at planning weddings but when there are problems finding her dress and problems with ex-partners, will Andrew Drummond IV and Sherilyn be able to tie the knot? Will Andrew’s mother be a problem? Will Andrew’s ex get in the way? Could Sherilyn’s wedding dress mishaps be a sign the couple shouldn’t get married? Could Sherilyn’s secret drive Andrew away?

Honestly, I liked the book. It was a little slow in the beginning – I had a harder time getting into the story, but I did enjoy the recipes and lists that came at the beginning of every chapter. I was impressed with all of the fun recipes and bridal tips. I will definitely be trying some of the recipes because the book made the Australian Pavlova and Pettas sound so yummy. I thought Sherilyn and Andrew were good characters – maybe not as much depth and spiritual development as I would have liked but I they were real and had real problems to deal with.

The story feels a little unresolved at the end, but maybe that’s because it’s part of a series (which I didn’t realize until after reading). I definitely want to read the first book, Always the Baker, Never the Bride, if I get a chance. All in all I would definitely recommend this book as a Christian romance that is light and easy-to-read.

I received this book for free from NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review.

For all my readers, sorry it took so long to review my next book. I’m in India and life’s been a little crazy! 😉