Katie Ganshert: Wildflowers From Winter

Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert
Review By Mary A. Hake

Wildflowers from Winter provides an intimate look into one woman’s life and her struggle to overcome her tainted past. Bethany Quinn is dealt several tough blows as her dream life of being a successful architect begins to crumble. Can she renovate herself as she has the buildings she’s worked on? She’s forced to return to her despised rural hometown for a time, where she is thrown into assisting her former best friend and her grandfather’s hired hand.

This powerful novel deals with loss and finding one’s way through grief. Don’t read the back cover copy first—it gives away too much of the story. I like the joy and adventure of discovering things as I read. And this book is one you won’t want to miss. Even though it deals with sorrow, readers will find hope in the midst of pain.

The insights gleaned can spill over into anyone’s life journey, just like wildflowers bloom profusely following a severe winter. Katie Ganshert’s strong characterization and flowing prose in this debut novel make me long for her next one.


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Christian Romance: Hallee Bridgeman

Sapphire & Ice by Hallee Bridgeman
Review by Teisha Priest


From the beginning, I genuinely liked both characters and wanted to see how their story would turn out, and there was a surprise twist near the end of Sapphire Ice that I did not see coming! (Who doesn’t love a good twist?) And the supporting characters were also well-written and interesting.


Sapphire Ice is definitely a character-driven story, which was one of the things I loved most about it. I liked how clearly the gospel was presented; it felt very much like an integral part of the story rather than just something “tacked on”.


I was slightly disturbed that Tony started dating Robin who was not a fellow believer. However, he did make the decision not to marry her unless she shared his faith. And later he has to deal with the consequences of his choice to date an unbeliever in the first place. So the book doesn’t promote dating unbelievers in any way. The ending of the book felt just a tad rushed, but the author still wrapped the story up nicely.


All in all, I enjoyed Sapphire Ice. In my opinion, it’s a very promising start to a trilogy. I’m definitely looking forward to Hallee’s second book in the series!


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Historical Romance: Lisa Norato

Prize of My Heart by Lisa Norato
Review by Kathleen Smith




Lorena Huntley has a huge dilemma, she has attracted the hearts of more than one man who is captured not only by her beauty but by her heart as well. However one of those men is fast becoming more than just a friend to her if she can keep her emotions in check.

One of those is her strong-willed protector. Being one of the only men in her life besides her father, he has grown to love her in a remarkable way. He is Andrew Benjamin Huntley, otherwise known as her adopted brother of just five, but with a heart of gold in keeping Lorena from any man who wishes her harm, even if he is truly a giant and a pirate.

This is where we meet Captain Brogan Talvis, who happens upon a chance meeting with Lorena mistaking her for a simply maid in the Huntley household, and when he gains the opportunity to flatter her not only with his charm and good looks, he falls flat on his face. The victim of a simple sling shot and a rock, thanks to Andrew who has finally slayed his giant and now runs away with Lorena to the safety of their house before he awakens.

When Captain Brogan is invited to the Huntley household for dinner and a possible business proposition, he has his eye on more than one prize. Andrew Benjamin is actually his long lost son that his late wife abandoned without telling him where to find him. Now that he has, he must find a way to gain the trust of not only Lorena but for Benjamin as well. But will he have what it takes to win her heart in order to steal back his son, or will his moral convictions of doing whats best for his son override his desire?

I received Prize of My Heart by Lisa Norato compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. Here we find an interesting turn of events where we have a roguish sea captain bent on acquiring the one prize he hasn't been able to find, his son, until now. Thinking he would simply take the boy out for a boat ride and then sail off with him, he finds that trust is something he will have to earn in order to make his plan work. There seems to be no way to gain Benjamin's attention until he can win Lorena's trust first. This is truly a love story in the making as we see the rough outer exterior of Brogan blend with the warmth of love for his son. As tough as it is to want to race out and claim your son, he must realize it's not that simple and must be patient. Something that is going to be a challenge for him since he's been a privateer for most of his life. He simply has taken what he wants but that will not be the case now. This one rates a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion and will capture the heart of all sea loving romance fans.

You can read more reviews by Kathleen Smith at her blog Reviews From The Heart.

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Books by Lisa Norato at Amazon