Title: A Love Transformed
Author: Tracie Peterson
Publisher: Bethany House
Pages: 336
ISBN: 978-0-7642-1326-7
Publication Date: September 6th, 2016

Synopsis:

Clara lacks for nothing in her lavish New York mansion--except love.
When her husband, Adolph, dies suddenly, Clara Vesper is stunned. Not grief-stricken, as their marriage had never been a love match, but staggered by what might become of her and her children. For years she designed the sapphire jewelry that made her husband's company a fortune, but she has little money in her own name and soon discovers that she has inherited nothing. Fearing for the welfare of her two small children, she decides to take them to her aunt and uncle's ranch in Montana, the only place she has ever been happy.

But much has changed since she last visited the Montana ranch, both for Clara and for those she was forced to leave behind. And when dangerous secrets from her late husband's past threaten everyone she loves, Clara must fight to remain where she can fulfill her dreams.

Review:
I have long been a fan of Tracie Peterson's books. I have read them for years. I still look forward to her newest releases.

A Love Transformed is the third book in the Sapphire Brides Series. Even though I haven't gotten around to reading the first two books, it doesn't matter. This series can be read out of order without missing a beat or read as a stand-alone.

A Love Transformed was a very quick read for me. It started off quickly and kept the pace going through out the whole story. In the first sitting I read 100 pages without realizing it. The story was a good escape.

I really enjoyed the setting of this book. Not only did it bring you to New York then to Montana, but it focused on a time that is slowly becoming more popular, 1917. The time of WW1 and it was interesting to see the affect of the war over seas to how it affected people here.

Clara lived a rough life. She had everything she ever wanted, materialistic speaking, but not what she wanted for her heart. She was belittled and berated by her mother constantly. She only did things to keep the peace. She left a life she was happy with behind to please her mother, but as she got older, she knows that what she needs to focus on her and her children. Seeing how her mother parent, she knew that she wanted to be a better for her own kids and wanted them to have everything that was best for them. Not things, but confidence and know that they were loved.

Clara and Curtis both damaged from their past in certain, but both strong in their faith were good characters together. However, I really enjoyed Uncle Paul and Aunt Madeline the most. They offered that warm and inviting, homey aspect into the story.

This was a very enjoyable story.

Too Read
4 out of 5

About the Author:
Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 100 novels. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Montana.

Learn more at www.traciepeterson.com.





Thank you to the publisher, I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Waiting On:
Title: For the Record
Author: Regina Jennings
Publisher: Bethany House
Publication Date: December 6th, 2016

Synopsis:
From GoodReads

Jennings Offers Another Delightful Blend of History and Romance.

Betsy Huckabee might be a small-town girl, but she has big-city dreams. Writing for her uncle's newspaper will never lead to independence, and the bigger newspapers don't seem interested in the Hart County news. Trying a new approach, Betsy pens a romanticized serial for the ladies' pages, and the new deputy provides the perfect inspiration for her submissions. She'd be horrified if he read her breathless descriptions of him, but these articles are for a newspaper far away. No one in Pine Gap will ever know. 

Deputy Joel Puckett didn't want to leave Texas, but this job in tiny Pine Gap is his only shot at keeping his badge. With masked marauders riding every night, his skills and patience are tested, but even more challenging is the sassy journalist lady chasing him.

 Why I'm Waiting:
Regina Jennings has written several fun and romantic stories that I have enjoyed in the past and I can't wait to read this book! It sounds just as fun as her others. Plus I have to say, the cover is gorgeous and very eye catching.

What are you waiting on this week?

Topic:

Title: Saffire
Author: Sigmund Brouwer
Publisher: WaterBrook
Pages: 336
ISBN: 978-0-307-44651-0
Publication Date: August 6th, 2016

Synopsis:

I reminded myself that once you start to defend someone, it's difficult to find a place to stop. But I went ahead and took that first step anyway. . .

For President Teddy Roosevelt, controlling the east-west passage between two oceans mattered so much that he orchestrated a revolution to control it. His command was to "let the dirt fly," and for years, the American Zone of the Panama Canal mesmerized the world, working in uneasy co-existence with the Panamanian aristocrats.

It's in this buffered Zone where, in 1909, James Holt takes that first step to protect a defenseless girl named Saffire, expecting a short and simple search for her mother. Instead it draws him away from safety, into a land haunted by a history of pirates, gold runners, and plantation owners, all leaving behind ghosts of their interwoven desires, sins, and ambitions, ghosts that create the web of deceit and intrigue of a new generation of revolutionary politics. It will also bring him together with a woman who will change his course or bring an end to it.

A love story set within a historical mystery, Saffire brings to vibrant life the most impressive--and embattled--engineering achievement of the twentieth-century.

Review:
Sigmund Brouwer has been a favorite author of mine for years. He is one who can span many different eras and make history pop off the pages.

Saffire, like many of the other books that Sigmund has written, unfold a more intense and deeper story as you dive further into the pages. Right off the bat, this story opens up with political dealings behind closed door. People want the higher ups involved, but due to the political restraints, they have to do some backdoor dealings of sorts.

James Holt is a guy who is as far from the political intrigue as they come. He is honest and has high morals, but he is pulled into this by a very high placed friend. Everything starts off simple, a job that should only take a couple of weeks, but it grows as James helps a young girl, Saffire.

Saffire, when introduced makes an impact and I couldn't help but route for this girl in hopes that she could find her mom. She was a spitfire who knew her mind, but still a child trying hard to live in a world of politics and mystery.

There was so much to this book! It started off wondering about one thing, but it kept shifting and morphing. It made it hard to put this book down.

Too Read
4 out of 5

About the Author:
SIGMUND BROUWER is the best-selling author of nearly thirty novels, with close to 4 million books in print. Based on his inspiration for Thief of Glory, which Sigmund wrote as a way to learn and honor his parent's stories, especially of his father's boyhood in a Japanese concentration camp, Sigmund leads The Chapters of Our Lives memoir seminars across the United States and Canada. (www.thechaptersofourlives.com). Sigmund is married to recording artist Cindy Morgan and has two daughters. 

Thank you to Blogging for Books, I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.