Love in Disguise by Carol Cox

Ellie Moore has spent many years as the wardrobe mistress, make-up artist and general assistant to an actress who is about to leave for Europe. Ellie loses her job and must look for another one quickly as she hasn't much money to survive on, in wintry Chicago. As she tries to find new employment, she overhears two men discussing a job that needs another woman to pretend to be the niece of a widowed woman in the warmer area of Arizona. It sounds like the perfect opportunity for Ellie, so she follows the two men into what turns out to be the Pinkerton Detective Agency. After a few more encounters with the agency, she convinces them to hire her for the job to be a detective investigating the theft of silver shipments.
This book was fun to read. The woman that Ellie was supposed to play the niece to, throws a very big wrench into the works which leads to a real challenge for Ellie. Tell the truth to the Pinkertons and lose her new found job or pretend that all is fine and play more than one role. Although at times I had some doubts about things like the make-up and costuming all done by Ellie alone, it just didn't deter me from really enjoying this book very much. I do recommend this book to everyone.
This book was provided to me by Bethany House Publishers to read and review.

Deadly Image by Tamelia Tumlin

Lexi Yates and her 3 year old daughter Anna, have started a new life in the town of Gator Bayou in Louisiana. Lexi's husband died in a car crash and she just wants a new place to live away from all of the familiar scenes of her formerly happy life with her deceased husband and the sad ending to what should have been a long and wonderful life together. Little Anna disappears one day and the local police seem to believe that Lexi has done something to her young daughter. Even the FBI seem to distrust her words and actions. With all the stress of waiting for word about her daughter, dealing with the police, the FBI and family and neighbors has taken a toll on Lexi. She suffers from stress and recurring nightmares that seem to be more frequent and scary. She must find Anna and put an end to the bad feelings and fear of what is happening to Anna.

This book has several mysteries contributing to the story. Memories from the past, what her parents know but aren't saying contribute to a lot of questions but make the story more interesting. Although I was able to guess at what was haunting Lexi fairly early on, reading the story to verify what I thought was a good read. I do recommend this book to anyone who likes a mystery and some romance too.

This book was provided to me to read and review by the author. 

For more information about Tamelia Tumlin and her books please visit her website at http://www.tameliatumlin.com/ 

Tamelia will be giving away two $10.00 Amazon gift cards. So don't forget to visit her website and read about how to enter to win.

http://www.tameliatumlin.com/

Lucy Come Home 

by Dave and Neta Jackson

Lucy Come Home follows Lucinda Tucker in the year 1943. She is traveling with her family who are migrant farm workers moving from one farm to the next in the hope of finding work. The story also follows  "Bo" Bodene who works with the traveling circus along with his father James "Jeb" Bodene. Lucinda and Bo meet when the migrant farm workers and the circus both come to Lapeer, Michigan. The two young people get to know each other and really do like each other. As their story progresses, something really horrible happens which forces them to leave everything they know and care about and seek a safer place to live.

Historical fiction helps to give everyone a chance to learn about times from our past and to have a better understanding of various factual occurences. The dust bowl, WW2, migrant farm workers are some of the actual things told to us with fictional characters. The lives and times that many of our ancesters lived through are amazing to read about. Lucy Come Home has Lucinda/Cindy/Lucy Tucker as part of a migrant picking family. Bo Bodeen works with a traveling circus. They meet when they both come to Lapeer, Michigan to begin working. Although these two characters are fictional, their story could be anyone's who lived during those hard times in our history. I really enjoyed reading this book, but at first I was a bit surprised by the time leap from the '40's to the more recent times in our history. Who was this 80 year old woman telling about the Manna House where homeless women lived. Then I realized that this was Cindy who now called herself Lucy. The book was written by Dave Jackson and his wife Neta, and it appeared that one wrote the old parts and the other wrote the more modern parts. There seemed to be some differences in how Cindy and Lucy spoke, even though they were the same person. In spite of that slight problem, I did enjoy the book and the story it told. There is an underlying faith in God that kept popping up for Lucy, that sustained her even when she wasn't so strongly aware of the presence of God in her life.

This book was provided to me to read and review by Litfuse Publicity.

http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/13501702/lucycomehome

The Messenger by Siri Mitchell

I am a big fan of both Siri Mitchell's writing and of historical fiction. The Messenger is a very well written story set in Philadelphia while occupied by British forces during the Revolutionary War. The two main characters who narrate the story are Hannah Sunderland a Quaker or Friend whose brother is being held by the British in a jail on Walnut Street. She wants to see her brother and help him but she is forbidden from taking sides or going to the jail. Conditions in the jail are squalid, cold and illness is prevalent. Jeremiah Jones has a grudge against the British for what happened to him while he fought during the French and Indian Wars. Hannah and Jeremiah become an unlikely pair of spies and helpers to assist our young nation struggling against the British. This story will draw you into the lives of the various characters and social expectations of that time. Hannah in particular has a real struggle with her family and with her faith as she does what she thinks is right for herself and for her brother. I do recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. You can't go wrong with this interesting book. 

The Messenger by Siri Mitchell was provided to me by Bethany House to read and review.

Sixty Acres and a Bride by Regina Jennings

 It is 1878 in Texas as the story begins. Rosa has lost her husband and father- in-law in a mining accident in Mexico. She goes with her mother-in-law to the family property in Texas to begin a new life. Rosa is quite exotic in appearance compared to the other ladies in Texas. Rosa wears bright lively colors that reflect her own Mexican heritage and also her optimistic joy about life. Blending in with the people of the town where she will live will not be easy, but Rosa isn't too concerned about what others will think or say about her. She has work to do and just wants to help her mother-in-law run the ranch and raise the money needed to pay off the delinquent taxes that must be paid in order to keep their property. When she meets the cousin of her late husband, there may be an attraction between the two of them but they both are carrying secrets that may keep them apart forever. 

This story grabbed and held my interest from beginning to end. I love historical fiction and reading about Rosa and her new family was a lovely story in spite of the troubles that she and her family had to face. Some of the characters in this story will anger you, but it's necessary to know about how things were at this time for women of any heritage. How Rosa faces the problems that confront her will renew your faith in God and how He is always an inspiration and a force living within all good people.

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

The Rose of Winslow Street by Elizabeth Camden

It is the summer of 1879 in the town of Colden, Massachusetts. Libby Sawyer and her inventor father are spending the summer at her brother's home on St. Catherine's Island. Libby loves this time away from the main house in Colden, because she is able to enjoy some free time painting whatever she wants to paint, rather then working as her father's artist sketching his intricate designs of his inventions. She also enjoys spending time with her young niece and the other children on the island. At home her father will not allow children into the house for fear of them causing damage to his property. This summer though word comes that a family of Romanians has moved into their home and claiming it is their's. The Sawyers will have to return to Colden to try and removed these people from their home.

There are many interesting characters within this book and each adds so much to the story. Lady Mirela is a bit of a mystery to the Sawyers. Is she really from nobility and just how is she related to Michael the head of the Dobrescu family ensconced in the Sawyer home. What sorrow is Lady Mirela carrying with her. Libby is also carrying around a secret shame. Why does Michael tear out all the beautiful rose bushes on the Sawyer property and also from the neighbor's property? Will the Dobrescu's be able to prove that they are the rightful heirs to the property that Professor Sawyer bought so many years ago? This book is really a good read with quite a few twists and turns to hold your interest throughout the book.

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

The Shadow of Your Smile by Susan May Warren

It's another cold, snowy day in Deep Haven Minnesota. Noelle and Eli Hueston have been married for twenty-five years, but things have deteriorated in their marriage to the point where they are getting ready to divorce each other, just as soon as their youngest son graduates from high school. Eli has been spending his time away from Noelle as much as possible out on the lake in his fishing shack and when he is home he sleeps in his den. Noelle is involved in an accident on a very slippery road and hits her head on the road, knocking her out. When she wakes up in the hospital, she finds that she has no memory of her married life and doesn't even recognize her children or husband.

The Shadow of Your Smile is a book about faith, love, trust and rediscovery. Noelle and her husband are not the only people who are dealing with the pain of loss and finding their own place in the world, there are her daughter's best friend, their sons and another woman who has lost her husband. We learn about each of their lives and the path to discovering a new life for themselves as they learn to accept the loss of a loved one from their lives. This book will grab you and keep you reading until the very end. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good read and an inspiring story of personal tragedy and strength.

This book was provided to me for free, to read and review by Litfuse.