Race Against Time by Kimberley and Kayla R. Woodhouse

While out exercising her sprint dog team Zoya witnesses a murder. Not only does she see the man being shot, but then the murderer turns and shoots at her as well. From that moment on Zoya's life is changed. She is plunged into an abyss of shaken faith that she doesn't know if she can ever climb out of.

Anesia is Zoya's mother. She owns a thriving business of raising prize sprint dog teams. Anesia and Zoya have always been close. They have always been able to share everything with each other. After all it is just the two of them. Zoya's father died before she was ever born. Anesia has had to be strong to face the stigma of never having been married to Zoya's father. Anesia would do anything to protect her daughter, but is at a loss as to how to help her out of the abyss that Zoya has plunged into.

Sean has trekked across the country trying to escape from his father's tyrannical rule over his life. When he arrives in North Pole, Alaska he senses it is time to stop traveling and settle down. He applies for a job in Anesia's kennels. Anesia hires him to care for the kennels, but also to protect her and Zoya from the men that are still out to kill her. 

Zoya has allowed her anger at God to fester in her soul. A question that she asks Sean at one point is, "Why does God allow the bad junk to happen?" She no longer feels that God is there with her. She resents that He allowed her to see the murder. She resents that He has allowed the killers to still be out there threatening her. She pulls away from her family and her best friend Andie. She doesn't want them to know how much she is struggling with her anger towards God. She feels that they would never understand. The only voice she seems to hear is the one telling her never to trust Him again.

Race Against Time is the sequel to the book No Safe Haven by the mother/daughter authors Kimberley and Kayla Woodhouse. Race Against Time starts out heart pounding and ends just as strong! I was on the edge of my seat several times. I have to admit too that I had to put the book down a couple of times because the action was so intense I had to get up and walk around before I continued! The action wasn't the only thing that held my interest though. Zoya's struggle with her anger towards God was heart-breaking. The relationship growing between Sean and Anesia was special. I loved that the characters from No Safe Haven (Jenna, Andie and Cole) were also part of Race Against Time. And I'm hoping that Kimberley and Kayla are working on a 3rd book to the series because I think there is still lots more of the story to be told!

Along Wooded Paths by Tricia Goyer(Big Sky Novel #2)

In the sequel to Beside Still Waters Marianna is still confused about her feelings for Ben. With Marianna being Amish and Ben being English a romantic relationship would not be allowed.

Aaron has tried to put Marianna out of his mind. He even tried to focus his attention on Naomi for a while. Being unable to forget Marianna he decides to travel to Montana and try and win her heart.

After an accident keeps Aaron in Montana and in Marianna's family home for weeks, Marianna becomes even more confused. How can she have feelings for both Ben and Aaron?

The community in which Marianna and her family are now living is a mixture of Amish and English. Whereas before in Indiana The Amish did not mix with the English here in Montana Marianna finds herself working for them and caring for them in a way she never thought possible. Marianna is also discovering a more personal relationship with the Lord and struggling to make that relationship mesh with the Amish way of life she has been taught since her birth.

I am thoroughly wrapped up in this series! At the end of Along Wooded Paths is a sample chapter for the next book in the series entitled Beyond Hopes Valley which just whetted my appetite and caused me to hope it will come out soon. But since Along Wooded Paths will not be released until October 2011, I doubt that my desire will be satisfied!

Pirate Of My Heart by Jamie Carie

When Lady Kendra's father dies she is left in the care of her scheming Uncle. He insists that she marry the man of his choosing or go to America to live with an Aunt and Uncle that she has never met. Choosing what she hopes is the lesser of two evils Kendra boards the Angelina to set sail for America.

Captain Dorian Colburn is not very happy about taking on a passenger. He is even less happy when he finds that his new passenger is a woman. From the moment Kendra and Dorian meet sparks fly. He is determined to never let another woman into his heart. But there is something about Kendra that touches his very soul. 

When Kendra reaches her Aunt and Uncle she is surprised to see how low they have become since settling in America. From being nobility in England to poor farmers in America, all because of her Uncle's penchant for gambling everything away.

From the moment Kendra arrives this Uncle too plots to marry her off to a scoundrel. What he doesn't count on is the interference of Dorian and his family who live close by.

Pirate Of My Heart is an exciting romance filled with romantic tension and suspense. Also, who can resist the amazing cover of the book? I would have picked it up just for that, but thanks to B&H Publishers I received my copy free. It is well worth the read!

Kiloton Threat by William G. Boykin and Tom Morrisey

Blake Kershaw is a U.S. Special Forces Officer sent into Iran to help a nuclear scientist escape. This scientist has information to help the U.S. stop a nuclear attack that would most assuredly start World War III.

There were many exciting/suspenseful elements of this book and even a love interest for Blake. The story was well-written and detailed. While I do have a pretty eclectic preference in reading material, military/war books are not at the top of my reading list. But if you are a fan of Tom Clancy or any other military writer out there then this will be a book for you!

My rating is:

The River Queen by Gilbert Morris

Julienne Cuvier has only known prosperity. When her father dies the family finds that he has left them only debts. The only thing that Julienne can think to do is to get a river boat that her father purchased years ago in working order.

Dallas Bronte is a washed up river boat captain that has drowned his problems in the bottle. After saving Julienne's life he is the one that she turns to to help her get The Natchez Queen up and running. What the two of them don't count on is the sparks that fly between them.

Dallas and Julienne set out to make money by hauling loads of cotton and other cargo up and down the Mississippi River. Their dreams soon turn to being able to make the Natchez Queen a passenger boat. Unfortunately they are unable to borrow money to make the needed restorations. This is when Julienne makes a rash decision that affects not just her, but her crew, her family and Dallas.

The good news first: I loved the characters and I loved the setting of the story. The bad news is that this just does not seem like a book that was written by Gilbert Morris. Realizing that I have an ARC copy of the novel, I know this is not the final print. But it seemed to me throughout the whole book that this was the original manuscript with no editing having been done whatsoever. This novel is supposed to go out for sale on November 15, 2011. Between now and then there has GOT to be some serious editing done. The sentences were disjointed, not cohesive, seemed to be out of order. Words were left out, there were many typo's. Mr. Morris seemed to forget who his characters were as he changed Dallas' name to Dante once. He switched Julienne's name to Julie at the beginning of the book, but didn't continue with the nickname. I have read several of Gilbert Morris' books and have never noticed the sloppiness in writing that was in this novel. Here is to hoping that Mr. Morris has an EXCELLENT editor! I would have given the book 4 hearts if I hadn't of been so frustrated with the writing.

 

The Chair by James L. Rubart

Corin Roscoe is a thrill-seeker. He has been for a long time. It is almost as if he has a death-wish. He always has to push the envelope to the very edge of danger. Unfortunately this life of danger has cost him a very important relationship-his brother Shasta.

Years before Corin and Shasta tried a risky ski jump at Corin's insistence. The result was that Shasta is now paralyzed from the neck down. Shasta refuses to speak to Corin. Has refused to speak to him for the last 10 years. Corin would do anything to take back what happened to Shasta.

When Nicole shows up in Corin's antiques store and gives him a very special chair Corin doesn't know what to think. It seems that The Chair is centuries old and made by a famous carpenter. Could The Chair really have been made by Christ himself? And if so, could it really have special healing powers? It begins to look that way when first a young boy who sat in the chair is cured of his asthma, then a friend of Corin's is healed of an old football injury. And finally Corin is healed of a life-long fear of small places.

Of course when you are in possession of something this special people are going to want it. Danger starts lurking at every corner. A famous preacher has offered to buy the chair. Someone else is threatening Corin and those he loves if he doesn't hand over the chair. But Corin has need of the chair himself. Will it be able to heal his brother Shasta? Or is The Chair just what it seems? A nice old antique not capable of healing anyone.

This is a story about restoration and redemption. For that I enjoyed it. But there were other pet-peeves in the book that turned me off. One was the author's frequent use of silly metaphors. An example: "the door squealed like a pig in labor"  I found myself saying, "REALLY?" There were several of those type of sentences that just hit me as being a bit too hokey. One of my favorite sentences in the book was: "The greatest healing would never be physical, but a healing of the heart." That rang so true to me and to the story.