Love's Silver Bullet by Julie Lessman

About the Book:

Sheridan has had her heart set on marrying Jake since she was a little 4 year old girl. Coercing him into playing wedding and school with her whenever she could, Jake always had a tender heart towards his boss's little niece. But now that Sheridan is a full-grown woman Jake's feelings of affection are taking a different turn and the only thing he can do is distance himself from Sheridan. He has a promise to keep to his boss, and with his past there is no way he could ever marry Sheridan.

My Review:

Holy frog spit y'all! Julie Lessman the "Caffeinated Drama Queen/Kissing Queen can write a great western! I have been waiting for Sheridan and Jake's story and it definitely did not disappoint! From the beginning I felt that Jake and Sheridan belonged together. Sparks still fly between Libby and Finn which is always entertaining. And Blaze has learned well from his uncle Finn so he and Maggie have their moments as well. With Finn having a promise to keep to his dead sister, he enlists the help of Blaze, Dash and Jake to keep all men away from Sheridan. Which makes it very interesting when men start showing an interest in her! There are a lot of twists and turns to get to the HEA that I crave in a book, but it was well worth waiting for. I ranted, I raved, I was tempted to throw my Kindle, but in the end I sighed with contentment that all ended well for the characters that I had come to care for as if they were real!

Favorite Quotes and Scenes:

"Because as human beings, professed Christians don't always live up to the ideals of Jesus because we are fallible"--a twinkle lit in her eyes--"but the Word of God is not. So, if you want to truly know how to be a Christian, it's best to learn at the feet of the Master through His Word, not actions of professed Christians, which don't line up with the Bible." I love love love the spiritual lessons that the author imparts in her writing, and I love this reminder that our eyes need to be fixed on Jesus and not others. 

"Marriage is a partnership, not a dictatorship." Maggie actually said this when talking with Sheridan, but it is Libby's fondest quote and I loved it!

"I see." Clay slapped his hat on with a tad of temper. "Well, pardon me, sir, but one would think a young woman soon to be nineteen who is going off to college would be old enough to decide for herself."
   Hip cocked, Finn gave a slow nod as he perched hands loosely on his thighs. "One would think that I suppose, Clay, if one were a young man looking toward his own interests rather than that of a young woman's. But as the guardian of that young woman, not only do I think I know what's best for her"--Finn pinned him with an unflinching stare--"but i also have the power to insure it. Thank you again for a wonderful evening, and I bid you good night," he said with a polite doff of his hat, smile compressed as he mounted his phaeton.
    And if I have my way--goodbye."This scene is a bit long for a "quote" section, but I just loved it. Because it showed that Finn wasn't just overbearing, but he very much cared for Sheridan and had only her best interests at heart and he knew how to deal with dandy's that came along to swoop away the innocence of a young woman. 

"Her mind traveled back to the kisses Jake had given her the night before she'd returned to school, and for the first time in almost five months, she was shocked to realize she didn't want that to be her focus anymore..." "But months of soul-and Bible-searching had convinced her getting to know God was more wonderful, bringing things into true perspective."Once again I appreciate the spiritual moments that the author brings to her writing. I loved to see that Sheridan started maturing from a young girl only interested in romance to a woman of faith ready to let the Savior direct her path and thoughts. 

"I love him, Grace," she whispered with a sudden sheen of tears, "as sure as the buds on those trees bursting into spring, but I've come to realize that the cost of love is steep." A lump bobbed in her throat as she expelled a shaky sigh. "Because it means putting it before self." Once again I loved Sheridan's maturity in her faith and even being able to put her love for Jake above her own desires. 

Wrap Up:

An excellent and entertaining story from a wonderful author. I highly recommend you check out the prequel FOR LOVE OF LIBERTY and book one LOVE'S SILVER LINING you won't be disappointed!

Check out this video for the book:

Marshmallow Malice by Amanda Flower

Finally Juliet and Reverend Brooks are getting married. Unfortunately the nuptials are interrupted by a drunk woman. What is her connection to Reverend Brooks? When the woman ends up dead on the doorsteps of the church the morning Reverend Brooks and Juliet are to leave on their honeymoon, the town of Harvest begins to wonder what message is someone trying to leave for the good Reverend.

Bailey King is determined to stay out of this murder. After all there is no connection among the Amish with the dead woman...or is there?

I love the mixture of murder and humor that the author portrays in each of her cozy reads. The characters in these books have me cracking up most of the time. I love that Bailey's friend Cass from New York is among the guests of Juliet's wedding. She is feisty and she always stands up for Bailey when Bailey won't stand up for herself. Of course Jethro the pig is up to his old antics and gets himself and Bailey into trouble, but everything works out in the end. An old girlfriend of Bailey's boyfriend Aiden is on the spot this time around and attempts to woo Aiden away. And the Sheriff makes some veiled threats that are a bit intimidating. I'm a little worried to see what trouble he is going to cause. Once again, I enjoyed this cozy read and am looking forward to joining Bailey and her friends and pets in the next Candy Shop Mystery.

Funny Meeting You Here by Holly Schindler

A compilation of 6 short stories that will warm your heart and give you a little chuckle as you read! Each story is about a chance meeting whether between people or, in one case, a person and dog. Each story held it's own charm for me, but there was one that grabbed my heart and made me sigh with happiness, sadness, a bit of laughter and a lot of hope: HOW GREEN IS YOUR THUMB touched me for some reason. It was about a man who's wife had passed away and he was doing the best he could to carry on without her. I loved that he honored her memory, but also was moving on with his life, not stuck in their past. Here are a couple of favorite lines from the story:

"He'd never understood it. The attachment to stuff, that is. Any more than he'd ever understood the need to make people into saints after they died." People would kind of give him the side-eye when he referred to his wife as 'pushing up daisies' but that is the way they had referred to death when she was alive so why not? He didn't commemorate her memory by making a saint of her. He knew her limitations and they had laughed about them while she was alive, why not laugh about them when she's gone? 

"But he did have a giant bungee cord left over from his rock climbing days when he and Tillie were out in that Winnebago of theirs. So he buckled the harness on and attached the cord to the railing of his balcony. Then he jumped and used the momentum to swing back up to her own ledge and then...

Oh, come on. He was a white-haired guy who only liked to pretend he could be a regular Indiana Jones. he was not exactly a member of Cirque du Soleil." This had me cracking up because I could picture this old dude swinging by a bungee from the balcony. Plus I was sitting there going WHAT?! and then read the next several paragraphs and cracked up! 

"He couldn't believe it. Suddenly, out of nowhere, in the time of his life when he had gotten so used to drought, a deluge. Amid young green shoots that had taken firm root." Such a sweet ending! I just sighed with contentment!

And then this last quote from the last line of Part III of AIN'T NOBODY RIDES THE BUS WHO DON'T HAVE TO, "Such is the joy of unexpected meetings. They always change the color of the world." And ain't that the truth?!

If you enjoy quick reads then this book will be a treat for you. It filled all of the warm happy spots in my heart just a little bit more!