The Rebel Bride By Shannon McNear Book 10 of the Daughters of the Mayflower series Release date: 12/1/19 Rating: 4/5
I love learning new things and this wonderful story is full of perspectives I never considered or wasn’t taught when learning about the Civil War and its effect on everyone involved. The author shares even more about her research at the end of the book and I really appreciated the extra history lesson.
When a young woman is beside herself with loss and overwhelmed with her responsibilities, can she pull herself together and treat wounded soldiers of the enemy? Pearl’s father constantly reminds her of what the Bible says regarding enemies and she can’t deny one particular soldier has caught her eye. Will Josh be able to thank Pearl for all has done to care him and fellow soldiers?
This story was fascinating and researched beautifully. The descriptions and the characters seemed very realistic and painted quite the picture. The writing was well done and the reader can’t help but want to keep reading to figure out what happens next. I loved how the author used the Psalms throughout the story as encouragement and hope for the weary souls of war.
Highly recommend for those interested in the Civil War.
My thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of the book. All opinions are my own. No positive review was expected.
A disguised warrior on a mission to save a dying kingdom,
but God has more planned.
Aria has left home with one goal. Find the weapon used to defeat the horde of the Black Knight and save what remains of her kingdom.
But things are not going as planned.
Disguised as a male knight, she saves the young prince of the neighboring kingdom, and tales of her fighting prowess spread like a raging fire. Now, within the castle walls of a foreign kingdom, a young girl masquerading as her page serves as her only confidant. But the widower king and his enemies are taking notice of her. The legendary weapon, however, is nowhere to be found.
What is God doing?
Aria needs to save her home without losing her heart.
Michelle Janene lives and works in Northern California, though most days she blissfully exists in the medieval creations of her mind. She is a devoted teacher, a dysfunctional housekeeper, and a dedicated writer. She released her first novella Mission: Mistaken Identity in the fall of 2015, God’s Rebel in 2016, Rebel’s Son in 2017, and has been published in several anthologies. She leads two critique groups and is the founder of Strong Tower Press—Indie solutions for indie authors.
My Review
Hidden Rebel by Michelle Janene Book 3 of the Changed Heart series Rating: 4/5
I don’t think I realized that this book was part of a series but it didn’t hurt my experience at all. This story can be read as a standalone novel. The story is action-packed and full of adventure. I do love a good strong heroine who can fight. Was the story a bit predictable? Perhaps, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and didn’t want the story to end.
Aria has a mission that she is determined to see through to the very end. She is a trained knight disguised as a man who ends up saving a neighboring king’s younger son. She is desperately seeking help from this king to fight off the Black Knight that is slowly taking over her home. She searches for the only weapon that can defeat the darkness. Will this widower king be able to help her? Will she be able to fulfill her God-given destiny?
There are quite a few characters but I never felt lost while reading. Certain characters are more fleshed out than others but for the most part, every character gets a moment to shine. As a woman, it is always nice to read about a young woman who can defend herself – even better than a man. However, she is humble about her abilities and doubts her prowess. Her faith is extremely important to her and is what grounds her. Her visions from God guide her on this journey. The different relationships Aria forms are endearing and made me laugh and smile.
This was definitely an enjoyable read. Parts of the story are a bit slow but it’s definitely worth reading to the end. I will definitely need to read the other books in this series.
My thanks to the author and CelebrateLit for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.
More from Michelle
The main character of Hidden Rebel is a princess who is also a warrior. She needed to move between court and the battlefield with minimal issues. Aria also took the verse that women should not dress as men seriously. I wrote about a fighting skirt for her.
It appeared to be a pleated skirt with several long panels. Those panels weren’t sewn together other than at her hips. When Aria moved it was clear the skirt panels where over tight trousers and tall boots.
I thought about the skirt so much I created my own. I have worn it to local Renaissance Faires.
A lost letter, a new love, and old secrets beckon this summer at the Bluebell Inn.
When their parents die in a tragic accident, Molly Bennett and her siblings pull together to fulfill their parents’ dream: turning their historic Bluebell, North Carolina home back into an inn. The situation would just be temporary—three years at the most—then they would sell the inn and Molly could get back to chasing her own dreams.
Adam Bradford (aka bestselling author Nathanial Grey) is a reclusive novelist with a bad case of writer’s block. Desperate for inspiration as his deadline approaches, he travels to the setting of his next book, a North Carolina lake town. There he immediately meets his muse, a young innkeeper who fancies herself in love with his alter ego.
Molly and Adam strike up an instant friendship. When Molly finds a long-lost letter in the walls of her inn she embarks on a mission with Adam to find the star-crossed lovers and bring them the closure they deserve. But Adam has secrets of his own. Past and present collide as truths are revealed, and Molly and Adam will have to decide if love is worth trusting.
Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 25 books, including A December Bride and The Convenient Groom, which have been adapted into original Hallmark Channel movies. She has won The Holt Medallion Award, The Reader’s Choice Award, The Carol Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist. When Denise isn’t orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking green tea, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband are rapidly approaching an empty nest. To learn more about Denise, visit her website DeniseHunterBooks.com; Facebook: AuthorDeniseHunter; Twitter: @DeniseAHunter; Instagram: deniseahunter.
My Review
Lake Season by Denise Hunter Book 1 in the Bluebell Inn Romance series Rating: 5/5
Let me start by saying that I am already a huge fan of Denise Hunter. She has a way of weaving together a story of loss, hope, forgiveness and redemption that makes the reader gasp, laugh, and sigh with relief. The third act in this novel is not be missed. She made me cry and lose sleep, so you’ve been warned.
This story is a story within a story. The reader is gradually introduced to the older story while the main focus in on the current story. Molly and her siblings are finally opening the renovated Inn that their late parents had purchased. She is determined to finish what her parents started and then eventually get back to her life and plans. Adam is a writer looking for inspiration for his next book and he may have just found his muse in Molly; however, he values his privacy, which is why he writes under a pseudonym. Little does he know that Molly is his biggest fan. During the renovating, Molly finds an old love letter that never got sent (the Inn used to be a post office) and gets to Adam to help her find and track down the couple.
Molly and Adam both have past regrets and hurts that affect their prospective relationship. If they can find a way to allow God to heal them, they may find unimaginable treasure this Lake Season.
Hunter writes her characters in such an authentic way that just draws the reader in. Her portrayals of Molly and Adam are spot on and her ability to weave another couple’s story within Molly and Adam’s story is beautifully done and not to be missed. But really, go read this book right now. You won’t regret it.
My thanks to the publisher, Netgalley, and CelebrateLit for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.
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Hello. This blog is all mine and I will do my best to post what interests me and what books I read with honest reviews. I am a lover of good Christian fiction with a touch of romance, mystery, intrigue, humor, fun, etc. I invite you to join me as I read my way through books and life. I am currently pursuing my residency training as a family medicine physician!!! I have to carefully choose what I want to read for fun. My name is Kim and you are entering the Wong Mind.
