The Waiting by Suzanne Woods Fisher

http://www.litfusegroup.com/Blog-Tours/the-waiting-blog-tour.html

Jorie King is waiting. Waiting for Ben Zook to return to Lancaster County. Waiting for Ben to join the church and to settle down. Waiting for Ben to marry her.

News arrives that Ben has been killed and Ben's brother Caleb becomes a source of comfort for Jorie. Their friendship developes into more and they talk of a future together. Suddenly both of their worlds are turned upside down. How will they cope with all the changes in their lives and also with gossip and the insensitive, ignorant behavior of some outsiders.

There are many twists to this story that will grab you and make you not want to put this book down. You will want to know what happens because it will really tug at your heart. I really enjoyed reading this story and getting to know a little more about the lives of some of the Amish people in Pennsylvania. I'm sure that if you like to read this type of story too, you will want to get this book and read it from cover to cover.

The Waiting was provided to me by Litfuse to read and review.

Within My Heart by Tamera Alexander

Rachel Boyd is a young widow and the mother of two small boys. Her husband Thomas died leaving her with his dream to maintain a ranch in the Colorado Rockies. Is running a ranch Rachel's dream too or does she have other dreams that would better use her natural gifts?

Dr. Rand Brookston came to the west to bring modern medicine to the wild Rockies. His example of good medicine gradually leads the people of Timber Ridge to understand that he is there for them and will help them with their medical needs and also by listening to their fears and offering his advice. He likes Rachel Boyd, but she keeps him at a distance. Many obstacles seem to lie in the path of love. Will Rachel and Rand find a way to be together?

I enjoyed reading this historical romance. Once Rand and Rachel began to open up to each other about their own fears and needs, things began to get better for their relationship. I guess the lesson to be learned is that honesty clears the path to better understanding.

This book was provided to me by Bethany House Publishers.

Love's First Bloom by Delia Parr

Reverend Livingstone ministers to fallen women, helping them to find a better life. When one of these ladies is murdered, he fears that he will be accused of the murder and seeks to protect his daughter and the child of the murdered woman. He sends them to a secret safe home under assumed names. Ruth Livingstone is not happy about leaving her father and pretending to be a fallen but redeemed woman with a child and taking on a new name. Ruth must be on her guard against newpaper writers seeking to find the daughter of the Reverend Livingstone, thinking that she may be hiding evidence of his guilt or that she may also be a victim of murder.

Ruth is taken in by a couple who also help Reverend Livingstone with caring for the special ladies who have been saved. While living in their home in Tom's River, New Jersey, she meets Jake Spencer who appears to be a man with an injured back, but who is in fact a newspaper reporter looking for her. Love blooms between the two, but neither of them know all the facts about the other. As pressures mount from many sources, it appears that Ruth and Jake may not be able to be together.

I really enjoyed this story and recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical romance type stories. The book is well written and the story unfolds nicely and leads to a very sweet ending.

This book was given to me by Bethany House Publishers to read and review.

In Every Heartbeat by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Three friends who grew up in the same orphanage go off to college to pursue their dreams for the future. Libby aspires to be a famous journalist, Pete is called to become a minister and Bennett just wants to fit in, be accepted by a fraternity and have fun. Making friends and finding their own place on campus is the main driving force at first. Gradually they each begin to pursue their own interests outside of campus. Libby begins to write romance stories for a women's magazine, Pete seeks out his birth parents to confront them about throwing him out of their home at a young age and Bennett bears his resentment that he will never measure up to Pete and Libby.

Libby and Pete's quests cross paths when Libby finds out that a young boy is to be executed for a crime that she believes he did not commit. This boy turns out to be Pete's brother. Many problems arise as the story continues and Libby wakes up to the fact that God loves her and she has an awakening to His love. I don't want to reveal too many plot lines. The book is well written and you will just have to read it yourself. There really is so much more to this story and well worth reading.

This book was provided to me free, to read and review, by Bethany House Publishers.