Bethany House

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Heart-wrenching and Dramatic – a guest-post by Hayley!

Irish Meadows header

Irish Meadows imageTitle: Irish Meadows
Author: Susan Anne Mason
Publishing House/Publication Date: Bethany House/June, 2015
Genres: Christian Historical Romance
Time Period: 1911
Number of Pages: 375
Series: Book #1 in the ‘Courage to Dream’ series

You should read this book if you… Love drama. While not a particularly adventurous book, Irish Meadows is very dramatic when it comes to matters of the heart… or in this case, four different hearts! The poor characters journey through such heartache that we can feel their pain, and eventually begin to wonder if the agony will ever end! We are not disappointed however, for the ideal happy ending awaits us as we near the end, with one particularly happy surprise to provide the cherry on top. Continue reading →

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An Unforgettable Adventure!

DauntlessAre you ready for the fictitious experience of a lifetime? If you are an adventurer at heart, get set to be carried back in time to the middle ages, to the realm of Wyndeshire in England, where the forest holds secrets that are about to be revealed…

Dauntless, the first book in the Valiant Hearts series by Dina L. Sleiman, is an exhilarating, heart-wrenching tale reminiscent of the legend of Robin Hood. Written for a young adult audience, I strongly believe that readers of any age who enjoy compelling tales of adventure will find it impossible to put down. Just a few delightful aspects include: Continue reading →

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Heartwarming and Down-to-Earth (and our first fiction review in a long time!)

The Midwife's Tale imageTitle: The Midwife’s Tale

Author: Delia Parr

Publishing House/Publication Date: Bethany House/2015

Genres: Christian Fiction; Historical Romance

Time Period: 1830 (early Victorian Era)

Number of Pages: 336

Series: Book #1 in the ‘At Home in Trinity’ series

You should read this book if… You enjoy laid-back stories that are compelling and heartwarming, while focusing on character development and growth. Equally enjoyable in this story are the many, obviously well researched facets from history, namely relating to the midwife profession of years past. Also, this novel features an older than average protagonist, perhaps increasing the appeal to a middle-age audience. Continue reading →

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Difficult to Get Through

Everyday Grace imageTitle: Everyday Grace: Infusing All Your Relationships with the Love of Jesus

Author: Jessica Thompson

Publishing House/Publication Date: Bethany House/2015

Genres: Christian Living; Inspirational Non-Fiction; Relationships

Number of Pages: 208

You should read this book if… You are searching for wisdom to strengthen the relationships in your life with God-given grace. Continue reading →

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Where Trust Lies review

Where Trust Lies headline

It’s been released! Finally, the long-awaited book 2 of the Return to the Canadian West series is available for patiently waiting fans. Where Trust Lies is the result of the mother-daughter collaboration by bestselling authors Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan, and was published in January of 2015 by Bethany House. Because this book is the sequel in a closely-knit series, it is highly recommended to read book 1, Where Courage Calls, before delving into the continuation of Beth Thatcher’s story. Interestingly, both books are also companion volumes to Hallmark Channel’s original television series, entitled When Calls the Heart. This exceptional program Continue reading →

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Like a Flower in Bloom review

LikeaFlowerinBloom_mck.inddNearly everyone can admit to an admiration of the color, mystery, and sheer imaginative variety of one of the most beautiful and smile-inducing elements of our world… Flowers! Not everyone, however, possesses the passion and enthusiasm for botany that Charlotte Withersby does – in fact, her entire life revolves around researching, documenting and collecting flowers. Just who is Charlotte Withersby, you may ask? She is the delightfully unorthodox heroine of a new Bethany House historical novel, brought to life by author Siri Mitchell in her latest inspirational release, Like a Flower in Bloom.

Set in England in 1852, this captivating story captures the struggles of one young woman who, although fictitious, represents Continue reading →

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The Secret of Pembrooke Park review

SecretofPembrookePark_mck.inddMany fans of historical fiction enjoy the Regency setting of Jane Austen’s era – a period of elegance and etiquette, when young ladies spent their days preparing for ‘the season’, and personal success was measured by the mastery of social graces. On the other hand, some readers prefer more intrigue, suspense, and action in their historical novels, even though it may be unorthodox for the time period. In either case, bestselling author Julie Klassen delivers a tale that is sure to appeal to both ends of the spectrum in her newest release from Bethany House, The Secret of Pembrooke Park. To fans of her previous works, including The Dancing Master, Ms. Klassen suggests that this novel may be her best work yet. Does her untypically strong focus on the mystery woven throughout the romance prove her right, Continue reading →

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Playing By Heart review

Playing By Heart imageWhat happens when circumstances force an ambitious young woman pursuing her post-graduate degree in mathematics to abandon her scholarship, move to her pregnant, newly-widowed sister’s home, and begin teaching music lessons? And what would she do if the only way to obtain the desperately needed job was to also coach girls’ basketball – a game she knows nothing about? Well, if you are curious to discover the answers to these questions, you will need to find a copy of Anne Mateer’s newest 2014 release by Bethany House – Playing by Heart.

Likely the most unusual aspect of this book will jump out at readers as they begin Chapter 2… Continue reading →

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Colliding With Destiny review

Colliding With Destiny imageColliding With Destiny is a non-fiction book discussing the Biblical life story of Ruth, wife of Boaz and matriarch in the lineage of David.   It is author Sarah Jakes’ second book published by Bethany House in 2014, following only months after the release of her debut work. Promoted as a personal study about the journey of transformation for a Biblical woman, Colliding With Destiny actually focuses just as much, perhaps even more, on personal anecdotes, examples, comparisons and ideas drawn from Ms. Jakes’ own life and difficult past. Although this may prove beneficial to readers with a similar story, those looking for Continue reading →

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Truth Be Told review

Truth Be Told imageAfter reading Carol Cox’s new releases from the past two summers, I was excited to read her 2014 publication from Bethany House, entitled Truth Be Told.  Similarly set in Arizona in the late 1800s, Ms. Cox’s newest novel revolves around the interesting – and clearly very accurate to history – elements of small-town newspaper publication.  Although the story begins at a leisurely pace, it continues to pick up speed until the climax when, well, let’s just say I do not recommend reading this portion just before turning out the lights and going to sleep… Continue reading →