Recent Reads - Love's Rescue

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Love's Rescue by Christine Johnson - It was easy to get drawn into this historical novel set in Key West in 1850. Elizabeth Benjamin grew up in the Keys, but was sent to live with an aunt in Charleston after a mishap that cost her little brother the use of his legs. Elizabeth was expected to make an advantageous marriage, but her heart belonged to Rourke O'Malley, a wrecker back in Key West. When she received news that her mother had passed away, Elizabeth returns to Key West with her aunt in tow, determined to look after her father and brother. On the voyage, the ship they are traveling in is wrecked and none other but Rourke is there to rescue Elizabeth and salvage the goods from the ship.

To Elizabeth's surprise, her father doesn't seem glad to see her, and he is still trying to force her into a marriage that will benefit him. Elizabeth begins to find evidence that her father hasn't been completely honest, and that he has not been the morally upstanding man she'd always thought. Her hopes of a future with Rourke ebb and fade, as she realizes her family will not accept him and worries that he doesn't return her feelings.

Rourke has waited four years for Elizabeth to return, but now that she is back in Key West, her father is determined that she'll marry someone else. To complicate Rourke's position, his first mate has been secretly married to Elizabeth's servant, and Rourke has promised to get them both away to freedom. If Elizabeth's father finds out, Rourke will lose everything. When Elizabeth uncovers her father's secret, she decides to not only help her maid escape, but to leave with her. Unfortunately the plans go awry, and both Rourke and Elizabeth are left with some almost impossible decisions - will they be able to do what is right, even at great personal cost?

©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 - All in Good Time

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All in Good Time (The Gilded Legacy) by Maureen Lang - The setting for this novel is Denver, Colorado, during the late 1880s. Henry Hawkins has become a successful and respected banker, but he has a secret that compels him to avoid friendships and socialization - the capital he used to start his business came from stagecoach robberies.

Dessa Caldwell has come to Denver in order to open a home to rescue women from prostitution and poverty. Her long-time friend and mentor in this mission has recently passed away, and Dessa is impatient to continue the work and open Pierson House in her friend's memory. When the 'perfect' house becomes available, Dessa just needs a little more financial backing and goes to Henry's bank for a loan. To Henry's surprise and dismay, his uncle and partner grants the loan, and Henry finds himself attracted to the young woman.

Pierson House is opened, but Dessa faces many challenges in reaching out to the women she wants to help, and although she is also drawn to the serious banker, she's under the impression that he thinks she is foolish and rather hopes she'll fail in her mission. At first, Henry thinks the loan for Pierson House is a bad investment, but as he gets to know Dessa, he grows more supportive - and protective - and realizes that he needs to find forgiveness for his own past in order to move forward in hopes of a relationship with her.

This was quite an enjoyable read, and I felt that even the uncomfortable subject of women and young girls involved in prostitution was sensitively handled. Dessa's passion to help women who seemed to have so few choices was a driving force in the story, but the darkness of their circumstances didn't make the story itself gloomy or  overshadow the romance aspect. 

By the same author: Bees in the Butterfly Garden

©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 - Far Side of the Sea

You have searched me, LORD,

and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;

you perceive my thoughts from afar.

You discern my going out and my lying down;

you are familiar with all my ways.

Before a word is on my tongue

you, LORD know it completely.

You hem me in behind and before,

and you lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast.

~Psalm 139:1-10~

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/

What I'm Reading - May 23, 2017

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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!

This was my long weekend, so I'm posting this a day late.

I finished reading . . . 

The Chapel Car Bride by Judith Miller - Finished this book the week prior, but didn't get the review posted immediately. (Read my full review HERE.)

I'm currently reading . . .

Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims by Rush Limbaugh - I've got this whole series to review, and it's fun reading!




Love's Rescue by Christine Johnson - This is my current Kindle read, about a young woman in Key West. She loves a man her family won't allow her to marry, and she is finding out that her father may not be the morally upright man she'd thought.

 


All in Good Time (The Gilded Legacy) by Maureen Lang - Almost finished this one about a woman's efforts to provide a safe house for women, and a banker with a secret past. And their romance, of course!




Next on the stack... 

Wings of the Wind (Out From Egypt) by Connilyn Cossette

Sanditon by Jane Austen
Lady Susan by Jane Austen

   

On my blogs last week . . .

Here on Just A Second:

Scripture and a Snapshot - Waterfalls
Recent Reads - The Chapel Car Bride
Wordless Wednesday - Christ Lutheran Church
Teaser Tuesday/First Chapter First Paragraph - Wings of the Wind

And on my homeschool blog, Homeschool Coffee Break:

Homeschool Highlights - The Countdown Begins
Virtual Refrigerator - Photos
A Postcard from Maryland - Delivered to Castle View Academy
Qin Dynasty Funerary Art - Blogging Through the Alphabet

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 - Waterfalls

Why, my soul, are you downcast?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him;

my Savior and my God.

Deep calls to deep

in the roar of your waterfalls;

all your waves and breakers

have swept over me.

By day the LORD directs his love,

at night his song is with me --

a prayer to the God of my life.

~Psalm 42:5, 7-8~

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/

Recent Reads - The Chapel Car Bride

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The Chapel Car Bride by Judith Miller - I find myself drawn to historical fiction that features the railroad somehow, so the setting of this one caught my attention. Hope Irvine has begun traveling with her father, a preacher whose pulpit is in a railroad car converted into a chapel, and whose parish consists of railroaders and the people in the small mining towns on the railroad line. They travel from Pittsburgh, where Hope has been living, to the little coal mining village of Finch, West Virginia, where they will be ministering for some time.

Shortly after arriving in Finch, Hope meets Luke Hughes. He has been working in the coal mine and doing his best to support his mother and younger siblings after his father's death in the mine. The mining company has been struggling, and the work is not always steady. The friendship between Hope and Luke grows closer, and Luke begins meeting regularly with Reverend Finch to study the Bible, and even fills in preaching when needed.

The people of Finch are generally suspicious of outsiders, especially when the son of the mine owner shows up. Kirby Finch is a smooth talker, but lazy, and his motives are questionable. Hope tries to believe the best about people, and is glad of the opportunity he offers to help her take her Bible lessons to the children of neighboring towns, but gets increasingly uncomfortable when he persistently flirts with her. Luke is jealous as well as suspicious, and when he finds out what Kirby is really involved in, he has to figure out how to prove it and protect Hope from the danger she may be in.

I really enjoyed this sweet love story, and the little tidbits about life as a chapel car minister. Luke, Hope, Reverend Irvine, and many of the secondary characters were sweet and likable, although perhaps a bit too good to be true. The love story aspect was predictable, as most in this genre tend to be, but sweet all the same. Towards the end, a couple of the plot elements that placed Hope in danger were a bit far-fetched, but to be honest, it didn't strike me as I was reading but only in looking back to summarize the story, so I don't think it takes away from the overall charm of the book.

From the publisher:

After a sheltered life in Pittsburgh, Hope Irvine is ready for a new adventure. When her father takes a position as a preacher in a railroad car converted into a traveling church, she's thrilled at the chance to accompany him. While accommodations in their new chapel car home are tight, Hope couldn't be happier putting her musical skills to good use and ministering to the people of West Virginia alongside her father. But when their chapel car arrives in Finch, West Virginia, they find a coal mining community that has hit hard times and is suspicious of outsiders.

Luke Hughes works for the coal mine when he can, but the struggling company doesn't always offer steady work. When Reverend Irvine and Hope arrive in town, Luke is intrigued by what the reverend can teach him--and by the lovely and kind Hope.

When Hope's desire to bring supplies and Sunday School classes to neighboring counties leads to her traveling with a flirtatious young mine manager, Luke is hard-pressed to suppress his jealousy. But when he begins to suspect the manager's motives are less than charitable, can he prove it without hurting Hope, or worse, putting her in danger?


By the same author: The Potter's Lady,  The Brickmaker's Bride

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/

Wordless Wednesday - Christ Lutheran Church

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Just had to grab a couple of quick pictures inside this historic church in Baltimore a couple weeks ago. I do wish I'd been able to take a few more.

This post is linked at Wordless Wednesday, hosted by Life at Rossmont; and at Pictorial Tuesday, hosted by Peabea's 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 - Wings of the Wind

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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! 

Reluctantly, I obeyed, anticipating a reprimand from this older woman whose elegant presence made me acutely aware of the dirt beneath my fingernails and the loss of my hair. But the warmth of her honey-gold eyes surprised me as she reached out and gripped my shoulder lightly. "Eben protects me because he loves me, not because he sees me as weak."

~Wings of the Wind (Out From Egypt) by Connilyn Cossette, page 115

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

 

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.

ALANAH

14 NISSAN

1407 BC

NEGEV DESERT

Forging through the teeming mass of Canaanite soldiers in this vast army camp, I'd never felt more alone. A tendril of hair tickled the side of my neck and I jammed the errant strand under my bronze helmet, hoping no one had glimpsed the flash of red against my shoulder. The scaled armor I wore, heavy as it was, disguised my form to good effect. If I was vigilant to keep my guard raised, no one would ever know a woman walked among them until they found my body on the battlefield tomorrow.

Careful to widen my stance and tread with a heavier step, I ran my brother's name through my mind again and again, then repeated it under my breath for good measure. If I was questioned, the name Davash must spring easily to my lips, instead of my own. Any hesitation and there would be suspicion. I could not afford suspicion.

Here's the blurb:

Can vengeance give way to forgiveness when one woman's destiny becomes entangled with the very enemies she sought to destroy?

Motherless and raised alongside her brothers, Alanah, a Canaanite, is no stranger to fighting. When her father and brothers are killed in battle with the Hebrews, she disguises herself and sneaks onto the battlefield to avenge her family. The one thing she never counted on was surviving.

Tobiah, a Hebrew warrior, has spent his share of time on the battlefield and is shocked to find an unconscious woman among the casualties. Compelled to bring her to a healer back at the Hebrew camp, he's unprepared for the consequences of what he intended as an act of compassion.

In order to survive, Alanah must unite with her enemy. But will a terrible revelation drive her toward an even greater danger?

What do you think? Would you continue 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/

What I'm Reading - May 15, 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 finished reading . . . 

The Chapel Car Bride by Judith Miller - The title character is a young woman who travels with her preacher father in a railroad chapel car, providing ministry to railroaders and to a tiny mining community in West Virginia. (My full review is coming soon!)

I'm currently reading . . .

Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims by Rush Limbaugh - Yes, the primary audience for this series is considerably younger than me, but I was still so excited to be able to review this set of books!




Love's Rescue by Christine Johnson - A young woman returns to Key West after her mother's death hoping to care for her disabled younger brother. She is expected to make an advantageous marriage, and the man she loves is not considered suitable.

 


All in Good Time (The Gilded Legacy) by Maureen Lang - This has been more or less on hold while I've been reading things for review, and I only read little snippets. Hope to finish it soon though!




Next on the stack... 

Wings of the Wind (Out From Egypt) by Connilyn Cossette

Sanditon by Jane Austen
Lady Susan by Jane Austen

   

On my blogs last week . . .

Here on Just A Second:

Scripture and a Snapshot - Tell the Next Generation
Book Blogger Hop - May 12, 2017
Wordless Wednesday - Exotic Animals Rescued
Teaser Tuesday/First Chapter First Paragraph - Love's Rescue

And on my homeschool blog, Homeschool Coffee Break:

Homeschool Highlights - Another Busy Week
High School Essay Intensive (A Homeschool Coffee Break Review)
Virtual Refrigerator - Pacific Northwest Totem Pole
An Exotic Animal PhotoJournal

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/