What I'm Reading - March 20, 2017

This post contains affiliate links. 

This weekly reading list meme is hosted at Book Date. Join in to see what others are reading and maybe get some ideas of what to read next! I also link up with Tales of a Pee Dee Mama for D.E.A.R. Monday (Drop Everything And Read).

I finished reading . . . 

The Faery Bride by Lisa Ann Verge - a decent story, but regularly ruined by pages of tawdry se* scenes. I skimmed, and skipped over the unnecessary junk, and won't take the time to write a full review, so consider this my review: This author appears to be a good story teller, although not award-worthy in my opinion. This story blurs the line between fantasy and historical fiction, but is essentially a "Beauty and the Beast" tale in which a Welsh nobleman keeps an Irish healer captive in an attempt to have her cure his affliction - the disfigurement of his face. It turns out that he is building a castle on land where a circle of standing stones had been, and the disfigurement is a curse from the Sidh. It's unfortunate that the story isn't told on its own merit, and that rather than have the characters develop a true relationship, the author is content to leave them to unbridled lust as if that is enough. As I said, a fairly good story cheapened overall, and made downright disgusting in places. It's about to be deleted from my Kindle, and I cannot in good conscience recommend it to anyone. (For which it earns my "hours I will never get back" tag.)

I'm currently reading . . .

Shepherd, Potter, Spy and the Star Namer by Peggy Miracle Consolver - watch for my full review of this YA historical novel in a couple of weeks!




My Heart Belongs in Fort Bliss, Texas: Priscilla’s Reveille by Erica Vetsch - Enjoying this light historical romance set in Texas just after the Civil War.




The Trees Will Clap by Bonnie Mae Evans - just started on this for a review too! Look for my full review later this spring.

Next on the stack...

All in Good Time (The Gilded Legacy) by Maureen Lang
Sanditon by Jane Austen
Lady Susan by Jane Austen

 

     

 On my blogs last week . . .

Here on Just A Second:

Scripture and a Snapshot - Surround Me
Teaser Tuesday/First Chapter First Paragraph - Priscilla's Reveille

And on my homeschool blog, Homeschool Coffee Break:

Homeschool Highlights - St. Patrick's Day
Irish Brigade Monument - Blogging Through the Alphabet
Virtual Refrigerator - Peacock Feathers
Favorite Pi(e) Recipes for Pi Day
I Lost An Hour!

What are you reading?

©2008-2017 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Scripture and a Snapshot - Surround Me

Therefore let all the faithful pray to you

while you may be found;

surely the rising of the mighty waters

will not reach them.

You are my hiding place;

you will protect me from trouble

and surround me with songs of deliverance.

~Psalm 32:6-7~

Scripture & a Snapshot is hosted by A Glimpse of Our Life.

Glimpses is hosted by Embracing Every Day, a lifestyle blog by Barbie Swihart.

Sunday Scripture Blessings is hosted by Peabea Scribble Pad.

©2008-2017 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Teaser Tuesday/First Chapter First Paragraph - Priscilla's Reveille

This post contains affiliate links. 

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia at The Purple Booker. To play along, just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers!
• Share the title and author, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers! 

 Three months was a long time. A lot could happen in that span. She might give up and go home before then, or she might even discard some of her ridiculous notions about the army and accept the suit of some eager officer or enlisted man. Not him, of course, but she'd get offers, of that he had no doubt.

~My Heart Belongs in Fort Bliss, Texas: Priscilla’s Reveille by Erica Vetsch, page 74

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

First Chapter/First Paragraph/Tuesday Intros is a weekly link-up hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea. To participate, share the first paragraph (or two) of a book you're reading, or thinking about reading.

Trans-Pecos Territory of West Texas, 1874

Only the army would think a place like this worth defending.

   Priscilla Hutchens clamped her teeth together to keep them from rattling right out of her head. Grabbing the wagon bow, she sought to find an anchor as the converted military ambulance jounced up a slight rise. The howling wind, which a cheerful enlisted man called a "freshening breeze," tore at the canvas cover overhead. That same enlisted man had rolled up the stained fabric along the sides of the ambulance, and as a result, Priscilla had an unfettered view of . . . pretty much nothing.

   She'd had no idea when embarking on this rescue mission that so much "empty" existed anywhere. Miles and miles of brush, sparse clumps of grass, cacti, and bare ground stretched away to the edge of the world. In the distance, a humpbacked ridge of mountains poked up from the desert--a dusty, purplish lump on the otherwise flat expanse. The small company of soldiers, horses, and wagons she traveled with could be the last inhabitants on earth.

Here's the blurb:

A Custody Battle Brings 

Two Stubborn Individuals Together 

at a Remote Texas Fort

Fashion artist Priscilla Hutchens has a grudge against the army that has ruined her family and taken the people she holds most dear. When her niece and nephew are left orphaned at Fort Bliss, Texas, she seeks custody of them immediately. There is just one thing standing in her way -- the post surgeon, Major Elliot Ryder, who also has a claim to the children. Priscilla and Elliot will cross swords, but each will have to lay down arms if they are to find a lasting peace on which to form the family both are longing for.

Journey now to Fort Bliss in West Texas of 1874, where a battle is about to be waged between hearts.

What do you think? Would you continue reading?
If this one appeals to you, I just found out that it's free today for Kindle - don't know how long that will last!

©2008-2017 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

What I'm Reading - March 13, 2017

This post contains affiliate links. 

This weekly reading list meme is hosted at Book Date. Join in to see what others are reading and maybe get some ideas of what to read next! I also link up with Tales of a Pee Dee Mama for D.E.A.R. Monday (Drop Everything And Read).

I finished reading . . . 

To the Farthest Shores by Elizabeth Camden - Another wonderful historical romance from one of my favorite authors! (Read my full review HERE.)

Here, There Be Dragons (Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica) by James A. Owen - Very enjoyable YA fantasy. Hope I remember to hunt up the second in the series once I have the time to read it. (Read my full review HERE.)




Baseball Faith: 52 MLB Stars Reflect on Their Faith by Rob Maadi - Finished last weekend, but review didn't post till the end of the week! (Read my full review HERE.)



I'm currently reading . . .

Shepherd, Potter, Spy and the Star Namer by Peggy Miracle Consolver - working on this historical novel for a Homeschool Crew review. My full review will appear on Homeschool Coffee Break during the first week in April and then I'll share a review here as well.




My Heart Belongs in Fort Bliss, Texas: Priscilla’s Reveille by Erica Vetsch - Got a quick start on this on the weekend.




The Faery Bride by Lisa Ann Verge - I had this one in my Kindle, and the main character is Irish, so I'm giving it a try. I have to say I'm skeptical that it might turn out to be a bodice-ripper, but we'll see.

Next on the stack...

The Trees Will Clap by Bonnie Mae Evans

All in Good Time (The Gilded Legacy) by Maureen Lang
Sanditon by Jane Austen
Lady Susan by Jane Austen

      

     

 On my blogs last week . . .

Here on Just A Second:

Recent Reads - To the Farthest Shores
Scripture and a Snapshot - An Example
Recent Reads - Here, There Be Dragons
Recent Reads - Baseball Faith

And on my homeschool blog, Homeschool Coffee Break:

Hagia Sophia - Blogging Through the Alphabet
Homeschool Highlights - Under the Weather
Virtual Refrigerator - Peaceful Lake
From the High School Lesson Book - Let's Get To Work!

What are you reading?

©2008-2017 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads - To the Farthest Shores

This post contains affiliate links.

To the Farthest Shores by Elizabeth Camden - It's been six years since nurse Jenny Bennett last heard from Ryan Gallagher, so she is shocked to see him living on the Presidio Army Base. The wound to her heart that she thought was healing is torn open again when she finds that he has a young daughter and apparently plenty of other secrets - and perhaps lies - he's hidden from her during those years.

Ryan has kept the truth from Jenny, partly because his service to his country demanded it, and partly because he thought he was protecting her from further hurt. More than anything, he wants the chance to win her back, but to do that he'll need to make sure Finn, the man he's grooming as his replacement for the overseas mission, can pass the tests and be trusted to do the job. If Finn can't stay sober or can't pass the test, Ryan will be expected to go back to Japan. Ryan enlists Jenny's help as a skilled nurse to supervise Finn's withdrawal, which also keeps them all in close quarters at Ryan's secluded home.

If Ryan's plan works, Finn will be prepared to take over the mission, and Ryan will have the time to win Jenny's trust and forgiveness and a chance to start over with her. But Jenny can't shake the fear that Ryan is still not being completely honest, and Ryan doesn't understand what Jenny needs from him. Even while they struggle to keep the past from standing between them, there are apparent attempts on Ryan's life, and Finn's preparation time is running out.

This was another riveting tale from Elizabeth Camden, with interesting characters who battle their own insecurities and guilt over their past mistakes. Jenny must learn to accept and extend forgiveness, and Ryan must learn to trust Jenny completely and to demonstrate his love for her in a way she can understand.

From the publisher:

The unpredictability of her upbringing prepared army nurse Jenny Bennett to face any challenge at the Presidio Army base, but the sudden reappearance in her life of the dashing naval officer who broke her heart six years ago is enough to rattle even her.

Lieutenant Ryan Gallagher is one of the few men in the world qualified to carry out a daring government mission overseas--an assignment that destroyed his reputation and broke the heart of the only woman he ever loved. Honor-bound never to reveal where he was during those years, he can't tell Jenny the truth, or it will endanger an ongoing mission and put thousands of lives at risk.

Ryan thinks he may have finally found a solution to his impossible situation, but he needs Jenny's help. While her loyalty to her country compels her to agree, she was too badly hurt to fall for Ryan again despite his determination to win her back. When an unknown threat from Ryan's past puts everything at risk--including his life-- can they overcome the seemingly insurmountable odds stacked against them in time?

By the same author: Against the Tide, From This Moment, Until the Dawn, Into the Whirlwind

Visit the Baker Publishing Group for more info on where to buy.

©2008-2017 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/