The Blizzard Bride by Susanne Dietze (The Daughters of the Mayflower series, book 11)

The 11th book of the Daughter of the Mayflower series just released this month. The Blizzard Bride by Susanne Dietze will take readers back to the year of 1888 when the infamous Children's Blizzard happened on January 12th in the plain states.

From the Back Cover:
Abigail Bracey arrives in Nebraska in January 1888 to teach school...and to execute a task for the government: to identify a student as the hidden son of a murderous counterfeiter--the man who killed her father.
Agent Dashiell Lassiter doesn't want his childhood sweetheart Abby on this dangerous job, especially when he learns the counterfeiter is now searching for his son too, and he'll destroy anyone in his way. Now Dash must follow Abby to Nebraska to protect her...if she'll let him within two feet of her. She's still angry he didn't fight to marry her six years ago, and he never told her the real reason he left her.
All Dash wants is to protect Abby, but when a horrifying blizzard sweeps over them, can Abby and Dash set aside the pain from their pasts and work together to catch a counterfeiter and protect his son--if they survive the storm?

My Thoughts:
I enjoyed learning about a piece of American history that I had not read about before. The only time I had heard about this blizzard was from my daughter when she read the "I Survived" book about this historic event. This book has it all...mystery, imminent danger, cataclysmic event, and of course a love story. This was my first time reading a book by Susanne Dietze, and I really enjoyed reading this novel. It caught my attention right from the first page, and I loved the added suspense of spying and sleuthing. This book was a fun addition to the Daughters of the Mayflower series. You can see all of the books from that series by clicking here and visiting their website. If you're looking for a fun read through history, I'd encourage you to take a look at this fun series.

My Rating: ★★★★★

This is a video I found about the Children's Blizzard on YouTube:


***I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

The Rebel Bride by Shannon McNear (The Daughters of the Mayflower series, book 10)

The Daughters of the Mayflower series has a new addition to their collection of novels. The Rebel Bride by Shannon McNear is book 10 in the series and takes readers back to the stormy time when the Union and the Confederacy clashed at the battle of Chickamauga in Northern Georgia.

From the Back Cover:
During the clash between Union and Confederacy, quiet Tennessean Pearl MacFarlane's family farm is overrun by both Rebel and Yankee wounded from a nearby battle. She is determined to remain unmoved by the Yankee cause--until she faces the silent struggle of Union soldier Joshua Wheeler, a recent amputee.
The MacFarlane family fits no stereotype Josh believed in; still he is desperate to regain his footing, as a soldier, as a man, as a Christian, in the aftermath of his debilitating injury. He will use his time behind enemy lines to gather useful intelligence for the Union--if the courageous Rebel woman will stay out of the line of danger.
Forced to nurse wounded soldiers while her family seems to fall apart, can Pearl persevere if not for the strength of a man who should be considered her enemy?

My Thoughts:
Shannon takes a different approach to this novel in that she looks at the American Civil War from both sides of the conflict. She takes time at the beginning of the novel to talk about the research she did for this book and how it helped to shape the book she wrote. Shannon showed through her writing that both North and South alike fought for what they believed were the right things, and sometimes war isn't so neat and tidy. I think overall her message of following Christ no matter what is going on around you showed through out her story. There were parts in the book where the story line seemed to move on the slow side since the soldiers were convalescing in her home most of the time.  But over all, it was a good story and reminds the reader that there are always two-sides to every story.

Find out about all the Daughters of the Mayflower series by clicking here.

My Rating: ★★★★

***I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review."

The Way of the Brave by Susan May Warren

Susan May Warren is well-known for her Christian Suspense novels in the Christian fiction world. So fans of her work will be excited to see a brand new series coming on the market. The Way of the Brave is the beginning of a new series called Global Search and Rescue.

From the Back Cover:
Haunted by the memory of a rescue gone wrong, former pararescue jumper Orion Starr has no desire to join Hamilton Jones's elite rescue team. But he also can't shirk his duty when the call comes in to rescue three lost climbers on Denali in Alaska.

Jenny Calhoun's yearly extreme challenge with her best friends is her only escape from her guilt. The former CIA profiler and psychiatrist green-lighted an operation against the Taliban that ended in ambush and lives lost. When her cathartic climb on Denali turns deadly, she'll be forced to trust her life to the most dangerous of heroes--the man she nearly killed.

Orion and Jenny will have to put their wounds behind them to save their friends... and their hearts.

My Thoughts:
The majority of this story takes place on the top of Mount Denali. Twenty-six years ago,  I had the opportunity to go to Alaska on a missions trip, and Mount Denali National Park was one of our sightseeing stops. It really is quite a beautiful sight to see the highest point in North America.

So after starting this book, it was fun to realize that the characters were going to traverse a mountain that I've actually seen with my own eyes. The characters have much to overcome with regard to the past trauma they have lived through. Life is never a neat and tidy package. It's filled with messy situations and wrong choices, and Susan May Warren paints that well in this book. The book is filled with adventure and leads the reader through exciting and dangerous events.
A few things to be aware of before reading this novel. First, much of the book talks about climbing. So if that doesn't interest you, this book may have you feeling bogged down by all the climbing jargon. Another thing is the leading intimate references in the book. I was a little surprised by this. Early on, one of the guy characters talks about how he probably would have taken a little 'tussle in the sheets' with this girl. And then at the end of the book, there is a bedroom scene that while it doesn't go anywhere, I really didn't see the need to include the suggestive scene. So, I'm a little disappointed that this was included in the book. While these two references were small, I really hope the next book doesn't continue in this vain because I have enjoyed reading her books.

 My Rating: ★★★★

Keep an eye out for book 2--The Heart of A Hero which is supposed to release on

June 2, 2020.

About the Author:

Susan May Warren is the USA Today bestselling, Christy and RITA award-winning novelist of over sixty-five novels. An eight-time Christy award finalist, a three-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Carol Award.
A seasoned women’s events speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: The Story Equation.
She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, and Novel.Academy, a school for aspiring novelists. You can find her online at www.susanmaywarren.com.



***I received this complimentary book from Revell Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.