Sunday, June 21, 2015

"To Capture Her Heart" by Rebecca Demarino

Book Description: In an uncertain time, she faces a choice that will change her life forever
It is 1653 and Heather Flower, a princess of the Montaukett tribe, is celebrating her wedding feast when a rival tribe attacks, killing the groom and kidnapping her. Though her ransom is paid by an Englishman, she is bound by her captors and left to die--until she finds herself rescued by handsome Dutch Lieutenant Dirk Van Buren.

Still tender from her loss, Heather Flower begins to heal in the home of the Hortons, English friends of her people. Torn between her affection for Dirk and her longtime friendship with Ben Horton, Heather Flower must make a difficult choice--stay true to her friend or follow her heart. 

Exploring a unique slice of history, Rebecca DeMarino transports you to the wild land that would eventually become Long Island, New York. 

"A masterful weaver of history and heritage, Rebecca DeMarino laces tender love stories with vibrant threads of history and hope, wooing the heart and waking the soul in this rich New World saga."--Julie Lessman, award-winning author of The Daughters of Boston, Winds of Change, and The Heart of San Francisco series

Rebecca DeMarino is the author of A Place in His Heart, book one of The Southold Chroniclesa series inspired by her ninth great-grandparents, Barnabas and Mary Horton. She inherited her love of baking and gardening from her mother; a love of horses, reading, and writing from her dad; and the wanderlust gene from both parents. Rebecca lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Tom. Learn more at www.rebeccademarino.com.

Author Info:  
Rebecca DeMarino writes love, legends and lore as a historical romance author and lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She inherited her love of baking and gardening from her mother, a love of horses, reading and writing from her dad, and the wanderlust gene from both parents. Her travels have taken her from Alaska to Nebraska and Florida, from Long Island to England and Italy, and from Washington DC to Texas, California and Guam. But usually you can find her at home, enjoying her grandchildren and baking crisp little ginger cakes. When Rebecca traveled to Horton Point, Long Island, with her mother, Helen Jean Horton Worley, in 1999, passions collided: her love of faith, family, travel, history, and writing. Rebecca's debut novel, A Place in His Heart, is a historical romance based on Mary and Barnabas Horton, Rebecca's ninth great-grandparents. Book two of The Southold Chronicles series, To Capture Her Heart, is now available for pre-order. From PUBLISHER WEEKLY ~ DeMarino's ... strong suit is recreating history and relating it to readers.

My Review: "To Capture Her Heart" book two of The Southold Chronicles, by  Rebecca Demarino is a wonderful story of history and a love story combine. The story is a cotinuation of "A Place in His Heart", book one of The Southold Chronicles. It can be a stand alone but I encourage you to read both books to get the whole story of the Hortons, but then again book 2 makes perfect sense without reading book one. 

"To Capture Her Heart" is a sad but powerful story that love conquers all. It isn't a story that is fast paced but this reader couldn't stop thinking about Heather Flower, a princess of the Montaukett tribe, while I was doing my household chores. I wanted to get back to the pages of this book.

I especially like the fact that the ending was a surprise, you don't know the ending till the very end! By this I mean I thought I have the ending figured out but I didn't.

Heather Flower is taken along with other women from her tribe on the day of her wedding and her groom is killed. She is rescued by Dirk Van Buren, and they fall in love, but Heather Flower is a Indian and Dirk is a Dutchmen.  The Hortons are longtime friends and everyone is encouraging her to marry Benjamin Hortons! Should she remain a widower or marry Benjamin or is there another option for her?

I like the fact that this story is interwoven with historical facts as well as Spiritual truths.  I really recommend "the Southold Chronicles" to any reader that likes a clean love story and history readers and to readers of Christian Fiction. I don't know what genre this book is catalogued as but I am not much on the genre as I am the story and this story is a five star one! I cannot wait to get and read the next book in this story. I don't know when it is coming but it is Patience's story.

I was given a copy by the author for my honest review.
http://www.amazon.com/Capture-Her-Heart-Southold-Chronicles/dp/0800722191/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437280242&sr=8-1&keywords=to+capture+her+heart

Saturday, June 6, 2015

"Autumn Winds" by Charlotte Hubbard

Winds of change are blowing through Willow Ridge, and they're bringing a stranger to the Sweet Seasons Bakery. At first, widowed Miriam Lantz has misgivings about Ben Hooley, a handsome but rootless traveling blacksmith. But as she gets to know the kind-hearted newcomer, she wonders if his arrival was providential. Perhaps she could find love again--if only there weren't so many obstacles in the way. With Bishop Knepp relentlessly pursuing her hand in marriage and the fate of her beloved café at stake, Miriam must listen to God and her heart to find the happiness she longs for and the love she deserves. 









Charlotte Hubbard sold her first historical romance in 1990, and she's been a slave to her overactive imagination ever since. As she writes, her stories invariably take on a life of their own, different from the way she proposed them: unforeseen characters and plot twists come along, and they keep her guessing right along with her readers!

Charlotte has lived in the Midwest most of her life. When she's not writing, she loves touring historic homes, trying new recipes, crocheting, and playing with her Border Collie, Ramona. She's a Presbyterian deacon, sings in her church choir, and plays in the percussion ensemble. She's married to a fine man who--bless him--has never once suggested she get a real job!

My Review:
Just finished "Autumn Winds" by Charlotte Hubbard. And it gets 5 stars from me.This is the 2nd story in Seasons of the Heart series and I liked it better than the first " Summer Of Secrets" In this book the bishop is stilling trying to get Miriam to marry him. A storm brings a new man, Ben. into the town and into Miriam's restaurant/bakery and Miriam falls fast for him. Ben wants to build a mill in the town. Micah and Rachel get married.The bishop also tries to hide that he has a website with his picture on it and has a car and has been driving it. Can a bishop be banned?  This book also has recipes in the book for the food that is served at the restaurant. I hope this story continues in a new book.

Thursday, June 4, 2015

"Summer of Secrets" by Charlotte Hubbard

Summer has come to Willow Ridge, but Rachel Lantz is looking forward to a whole new season in her life--marriage to strapping carpenter Micah Brenneman, her childhood sweetheart. When a strange Englischer arrives in the café claiming to be the long-lost sister of Rachel and her twin Rhoda, Rachel feels the sturdy foundation of her future crumbling--including Micah's steadfast love. As the days heat up and tempers flare, Rachel and Micah will learn that even when God's plan isn't clear, it will always lead them back to each other. . . 




Author Biography
Charlotte Hubbard sold her first historical romance in 1990, and she's been a slave to her overactive imagination ever since. As she writes, her stories invariably take on a life of their own, different from the way she proposed them: unforeseen characters and plot twists come along, and they keep her guessing right along with her readers!

Charlotte has lived in the Midwest most of her life. When she's not writing, she loves touring historic homes, trying new recipes, crocheting, and playing with her Border Collie, Ramona. She's a Presbyterian deacon, sings in her church choir, and plays in the percussion ensemble. She's married to a fine man who--bless him--has never once suggested she get a real job!

My Review:

"Summer of Secrets" by Charlotte Hubbard gets 5 stars from me. The main setting is a restaurant and a bakery. Eighteen years ago Rebecca /Tiffany (one of the triplets) is swept downstream in a flood and is thought dead! But then she comes in the Sweet Season cafe and she hasn't been raised Amish so that causes trouble with the Bishop who wants Miriam( the girls mother) to marry him. This story is just a really good story that will have you cheering for Miriam and Rachel and Micah and Rebecca/Tiffany. It will also make you wish you could tell the Bishop he is Wrong. One thing about this story that makes it enjoyable is that it could have happen. It has happy and sad things. I loved the ending but will leave that to you to discover for yourself. In the back of the book are recipes for the food served in the restaurant. The story continues in the next book "Autumn Winds".