Bonnie Blythe

‘Texas Whirlwind’ is the story of Emma, a young single woman who has adopted some toddler twins from Haiti. Emma takes the twins to a local doctor for a checkup, only to discover that he is a former boyfriend, Travis. The story alternates their viewpoints, as well as that of one or two other characters.

Travis is very good with the twins, and it's clear almost from the beginning that he and Emma will get together eventually. Much of the book is then taken up with their introspective wonderings, which I found a bit tiresome after a while.

There’s a dramatic incident around the middle of the book, leading to a great deal of tension in the latter half, and I thought that was well-paced and exciting. I couldn’t quite believe in the villains as they’re one-dimensional and there doesn’t seem to be any real motivation for what they do, nor when, at the end, one of them has a change of heart. I thought the ending, while in a sense satisfactory (and predictable) was rather too abrupt.

The Christian side of the book is almost incidental. The main characters belong to a church, and prayer is seen as essential (and sometimes transcribed). But it's not at all pushy, Christian-wise.

Overall I thought it a pleasant read; the adoption theme is quite unusual, and the two main characters, introspection apart, are likeable and believable.
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Charity Conrad is a Barista in a coffee house where her perky personality seems to bring sunshine into everyone's life, based on the fullness of the tip jar. But her perkiness masks some of the loneliness she feels inside. Daniel Tabor loves getting coffee from Charity. After a little game of 'give me your smile' he decides to get to know her better. Charity is unprepared for the feelings Daniel evokes. He loves family and wants to see Charity reconcile with her sisters. Charity knows that's impossible. About as impossible as a future with Daniel.

I thoroughly enjoyed Project Love. I was curious to find out about Charity's life and how things turned out for her. Daniel was the kind of guy any girl would wish for. I liked the way he challenged Charity (even though it made her mad). It made me think of my own husband who does the same thing and I too get mad but it's helped me to be a better person (as I think it did in Charity's case as well). I also loved Daniel's faith and the way it impacted his life and those around him. This whole series was really about reconciliation and forgiveness of three estranged sisters. The ending was completely satisfying and brought all three stories to an excellent conclusion! I so appreciated all the splashes of humor especially at the end. You could read this as a stand alone but after reading all three books in the series, I would recommend reading them in order most especially to enjoy the ending of Project Love!

For more information about this book as well as Bonnie's other books, I encourage you check out her website . You won't be disappointed! http://www.bonnieblythe.com/

*This complimentary copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*… (more)

Hope Conrad runs a whale watching business. She's hoping this season will be a good and profitable one because she sure needs the money. But her hopes are dashed when Captain Eric Bandon's boat damages her boat while docking. The good captain offers a solution to help her out. One she really doesn't like, but knowing she needs the money to keep the business going, she accepts Eric's offer. Eric is drawn to Hope and he's hoping his debonair ways will win her over. Hope is attracted to Eric but he both challenges and frustrates her in almost every aspect of her life. Will Eric convince Hope of the possibility of a future together? One that could perhaps include contacting her estranged sisters?

Bayward Heart finds us peaking into the life of Hope Conrad. Hope is a strong woman (much like Faith was in Rock and a Hard Place) but she also has some deep issues that keep her from doing the things she would really like to do. I could certainly relate to that. Eric was a lot of fun and you can't help but love 'em, although sometimes he got a little carried away. I loved watching how Eric was with Hope. How he never gave up. I couldn't help but be reminded that that is how the Lord is with us. Aren't we glad He never gives up. Bayward Heart is book two in the Cascade Brides Series but could easily be read as a stand alone. If you're looking to get away for a little while, I recommend you set sail along with Hope and Eric. Maybe you'll even see a whale or two!

*This complimentary copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*… (more)

Bonnie Blythe is just a great Christian romance writer. I always enjoy myself when reading her books. In this story, which is book 2 in her Oregon in Love Series, Julia Wilcox finds herself recovering from a bad car accident at her brother and sister-in-law's B and B in Oregon (you meet them in book 1-"Restorations"). She is weary and a little dissatisfied with her life and wakes up most days wondering how she can "muster the energy to accomplish anything at all".

Marc Dorin is a teacher at a Portland college, wishing he could support himself "strictly by freelance, leaving the noise and frenetic pace of city life behind". Both Marc and Julia needed to remind themselves that God is in control of their future.

I loved the way this book started, with Marc having a very bad day and things just seemed to get worse and worse for him, including his first encounter with Julia at the Bed and Breakfast. It was kind of funny. The chemistry between Julia and Marc was definately there, they just needed to work on the commitment issues and their communication skills a little. It was a thoroughly enjoyable story, but then Bonnie Blythe's books usually are! If you want to curl up with a good Christian romance, then I suggest you try Lights and Shadows. Although this is book 2, you can easily read it as a stand alone, although I aways recommend you read them in the order they were written (#1-Restorations, #2-Lights and Shadows, #3-Milagro for Miranda).

Usually this is where you thank a publisher or author for sending you this book to read for your honest review. Well I want to thank a great book-reading-buddy, Sherry K. for letting me borrow another one of her books to read. It is great having a friend who loves reading as much as me and who watches out for good stories and shares them with me!

You can check out Bonnie's other books on her website. http://www.bonnieblythe.com… (more)