Mist of Midnight: A Novel (The Daughters of Hampshire) by Sandra Byrd

Book Description:
In the first of a brand-new series set in Victorian England, a young woman returns home from India after the death of her family to discover her identity and inheritance are challenged by the man who holds her future in his hands.

Rebecca Ravenshaw, daughter of missionaries, spent most of her life in India. Following the death of her family in the Indian Mutiny, Rebecca returns to claim her family estate in Hampshire, England. Upon her return, people are surprised to see her...and highly suspicious. Less than a year earlier, an imposter had arrived with an Indian servant and assumed not only Rebecca's name, but her home and incomes. 

That pretender died within months of her arrival; the servant fled to London as the young woman was hastily buried at midnight. The locals believe that perhaps she, Rebecca, is the real imposter. Her home and her father's investments reverted to a distant relative, the darkly charming Captain Luke Whitfield, who quickly took over. Against her best intentions, Rebecca begins to fall in love with Luke, but she is forced to question his motives—does he love her or does he just want Headbourne House? If Luke is simply after the property, as everyone suspects, will she suffer a similar fate as the first “Rebecca”? 

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Mist of Midnight, drew me in from the very beginning. Byrd has masterfully written a very intriguing and compelling Gothic Romance novel. The characters come to life right off the page and keep you on your toes, guessing as to who you can and cannot trust. Hope battles doubts, and the story comes to ahead wonderfully at the end. A very satisfying read and conclusion! I look forward to Byrd's next novel Bride of a Distant Isle.

A Season to Love (Love in Lenox, Book 2) by Nicole Deese

Book Description:

At this point in her life, bravery is not a trait Willa Hart would readily claim. She believes her seven-year-old daughter, Savannah, who never knew her father and successfully tackled chemotherapy, is truly the courageous one. Yet after Willa has a fateful encounter with handsome young doctor Patrick McCade, her outlook—and her view of herself—begins to change.

Patrick, a thrill-seeking world traveler and temporary resident of Lenox, Oregon, sets out to show Willa the value of adventure, even within her tiny town. But just when their friendship shows signs of turning into something more, Patrick’s life as a traveling doctor calls him back. Will his last days in town signal the end of their journey, or will Patrick and Willa find the courage to transform a single season into a lifetime?

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A Season to Love - Loved it!

Seriously, Deese is gifted at writing heartwarming characters, delightful interactions and a story with heart! Open up this novel and by Chapter 2, you should be hooked good!

Let me say, I think if we are honest, all of us can find a little of Willa in us. Willa struggled with letting her fears determine so much of her life, her craving for control but in the end those things do not give freedom but become chains. I loved seeing her work through these fears and especially the sweet moments with Patrick.

This is one novel you do not want to miss out on!  I am really looking forward to Deese's next book! I am hoping to see more of these characters in the (I hope) not too distant future!

You're the One That I Want (Christiansen Family, Book 6) by Susan May Warren

Book Description:

Owen Christiansen has been in a downward spiral since an injury ended his NHL career. But a job on an Alaskan crabbing boat offers a fresh start . . . maybe even a shot at romance with Elise “Scotty” McFlynn, the captain’s daughter.

Used to being one of the guys, to never relying on anyone, Scotty doesn’t believe in happily ever after—especially with someone like Owen. Her instinct is confirmed when Casper Christiansen arrives to drag his prodigal brother home, bringing with him a truckload of family drama—and even worse, the news that Casper is wanted for questioning in connection to a crime back in Minnesota.

But Owen is more than the sum of his mistakes, a truth both he and Scotty discover when she escorts both brothers to Deep Haven as part of her new job on the Anchorage police force. Thrust into an unfamiliar world of family, faith, and fresh starts, Scotty begins to see potential for a happy ending . . . if she’s brave enough to embrace it.

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To say I have been anticipating this book would be to put it mildly. There is a fear with that, that maybe you have built something up so much in your mind, that reality can not compete. I had that moment with each book in the series, and in each and every one, Susan May Warren did not fail to write not only a well written, captivating story, but one with heart and depth that reaches you and holds on. One of the things I love about her books, is her ability to write real people, not perfect people but people with faults and the way she brings deep truths to light and teaches us lessons on faith, grace, hope, love and so much more; all the while doing it without being preachy. Her messages of faith are so woven into the fabric of the story, that it just feels natural and flows. Her characters could be us or someone we know, and every battle and victory feel real.

The other thing about her writing is... well, let's just be honest the romance is so well done! She comes at it from several different angles but no matter what it speaks to you and you eat it up! This series has been phenomenal! Seriously, I have loved it and I hate that it is now at an end. Come on, I really want more! I have loved this family, their highs and lows, the love, the grace, the romance and so much more! I love the way they love big and large, the interactions, on and on I could go.

You're the One That I Want, is Owen's story but really it is so much more. It is the wrap up story for the whole gang; especially dealing with Owen, Casper and Raina. Which is something I have been waiting to see play out for a while now. Seeing them deal with the consequences of sin, the prodigal coming home, relationships and fractures in them, on and on... this story is powerfully packed. I jumped in and could have read straight through, if life would have allowed it. I had to settle for reading it in snatches and longing to jump back in it when I was away. I did not want this one to end; maybe because it is the end of the series too. I just wanted the story to keep going. I wanted a little more time with Owen and Scotty. Warren wraps things up, don't get me wrong; I was joyful and content at the final page.

All this to say, read this book! If you haven't read the series, read it! I would read them in order.

This is some top notch storytelling! Loved it!