Kristi Ann Hunter is my favorite author of Christian novels set in the Regency era, and I have enjoyed reading each one of her books. I was delighted to learn that her new 2020 release is the beginning of a brand new series (her third series from Bethany House, I believe?) called “Hearts on the Heath”.
“Vying for the Viscount” is the first story of this new series, and from chapter one I was swept away to the time period made so famous by Jane Austen’s stories. In a way, Kristi’s new novel is reminiscent of an Austen story, with all the wit and wisdom underlying the ridiculous-sounding customs of courtship and all the rituals relating to it. Continue reading
I always learn some interesting history lessons when I pick up a Judith Miller book from Bethany House Publishers! In her new release of “A Single Spark”, I discovered unique facts about the arsenals responsible for producing munitions during the Civil War, and how the vast majority of employees in these facilities were women. Although necessary for the Union Army to win the war, these were dangerous positions for many reasons including close contact with gunpowder, as well as the possibility for treasonous activity within the production sites. . . As was the case in “A Single Spark”! 
I can always count on Jody Hedlund to deliver a compelling story that is filled with a memorable romance, a unique peek into history, and a plot that sweeps readers away. Her newest installment in “The Bride Ships” series from Bethany House, “A Bride of Convenience”, does not disappoint!
Each summer I look forward to a new release from one of my favorite authors of Christian Historical Fiction… Karen Witemeyer! Her summer 2020 release from Bethany House is actually the first book in a new series called “Hanger’s Horsemen” and was well worth the wait! If you love western adventures, clean romances, and stories that will tug at your heartstrings, look no further than “At Love’s Command”. 
“What Momma Left Behind” by Cindy K. Sproles was a unique book in so many ways. Published by Revell in the summer of 2020, this book is set in the Appalachian Mountains in 1877, when influenza and typhoid outbreaks were running rampant in the region and left few families untouched by tragedy. Because of this setting, Cindy’s novel is definitely not a light and carefree story – but one that is inspiring and rich in historical details. 
It feels like a long time since I’ve read anything by beloved author Janette Oke and her daughter Laurel Oke Logan, so I was delighted to hear that they are once again releasing a new series of books from Bethany House! This time it is the “When Hope Calls” series based on the Hallmark TV show of the same name – and it is distantly connected to the “Return to the Canadian West” / “When Calls the Heart” series as well. But anyway, aside from all the connections this new story makes, “Unyielding Hope” is a lovely story in its own right! 
Ever since finishing Susie Finkbeiner’s first novel, “All Manner of Things”, I’ve been waiting expectantly for a second story from this amazing debut author. Well, the time has finally come, and “Stories That Bind Us” released from Revell in the late spring of 2020! Just as before, Susie’s new story quickly worked its way into my heart and imagination, until it felt like I, too, was living in the “Godlilocks-sized town” of 1960s LaFontaine, Michigan. (“Not so big that someone could be completely invisible. Not so small that everyone knew the business of everybody else. It was just right.”) 
Jocelyn Green always leaves me in awe when I finish one of her books. With masterful prose, she manages to bring history to life in ways that make me feel as though I am living alongside her characters from the past, feeling every emotion and witnessing every event just as they do. “Veiled in Smoke”, her new release from Bethany House Publishers, is the first story in “The Windy City Saga”. This dramatic novel brings the tragic event of Chicago’s Great Fire of 1871 to vivid existence in our imagination, following two sisters as they experience the fire – and it’s aftereffects – firsthand. 
Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse make an amazing author duo, and this spring they give us the opportunity to embark on a brand-new journey with the first book in their new series, “The Treasures of Nome”. Published by Bethany House and once again set in Alaska, this saga tells the story of the Powell sisters, who live with their mother and grandfather near the 1904 gold-rush boomtown of Nome. “Forever Hidden” zooms in on middle sister Havyn. Although she is the keeper of a few secrets that she’s never shared with anyone, she is content with her life on the farm – and completely unprepared for the changes that are about to turn her life upside down. 
“Hope’s Highest Mountain” is the first in the new “Hearts of Montana” series, and what a start it was!
Prairie Sky Book Reviews 