Review: At Love's Bidding

The Wimplegates own and operate an auction house in Boston, MA. During a recent auction, an unauthorized painting gets sold and sent away. To save the family's reputation and business, Miranda travels with her grandfather to Missouri in hopes of finding the painting and saving their family.

Regina Jennings has created a clever and memorable story. It brought to mind the delightful uniqueness of Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer. Both stories were written around occupations that are unfamiliar to me. I love reading! It's such a fun way to learn about the world!

Jennings pits a city auction house alongside a country auction house. The rules, rhythms, and stock are vastly different! The Wimplegates auction "priceless artifacts" that are described as "treasures." The Ozark auction house that Grandfather purchased in hopes of finding the painting (as well as other unknown treasures) is a "sale barn" with livestock. The hilarity of overcoming and understanding a new auction house is a fantastic part of the story, but the book also goes in-depth.

Jennings writes about families. Families are wonderful and complicated. The Wimplegates, Ballentines, and LeBlancs are the main families in the story. They want to heal relationships, care for one family members, and right wrongs. Relationships are not easy and each family shares their high and lows as the novel progresses. It was very well written with love, drama, hurt, healing, and faith.

At Love's Bidding is book two in Jennings' series Ozark Mountain Romance. Book one is
A Most Inconvenient Marriage published in January 2015. The books are tied together and the characters from book one appear in the book two, but if you haven't read book one you can jump into book two right away and enjoy it. Book three in the Ozark Mountain Romance series is also available! Book three is a novella available in the book With this Ring? I can't wait to read it!

Time Period: 1873
Location: Boston, Massachusetts and Pine Gap, Missouri USA

Reviewed from a complimentary copy. Thank you, Regina Jennings and Bethany House!

Title: At Love's Bidding
Series: Book 2, Ozark Mountain Romance
Author: Regina Jennings
ISBN: 97800764211416

Review: Beauty for Ashes & Amorelle

Grace Livingston Hill is making a comeback! I read (and collected) many of her titles when I first stumbled upon Faith Fiction. I enjoyed the sweet romances and honest messages. As more Christian authors came into the reading scene, I set aside GLH for other stories. Finding Barbour's new editions of old classics was surprising and refreshing. I recently enjoyed Beauty for Ashes and Amorelle.

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Beauty for Ashes by Grace Livingston Hill

I recall the stories, but not the details when I reread these stories. I distinctly remember returning Beauty for Ashes to the library and thinking, "This is one of my favorite books." I can't recall the original why, but I still think it is an outstanding novel.

Gloria Sutherland's world turned upside down in one moment - her fiance dead in the arms of another. How does one move on from emptiness? Gloria and her father take a trip and end up at the old family homestead in the country. Gloria opts to stay, but doesn't know how she will overcome the boredom and emptiness that lies ahead. Unexpectedly, a neighbor's young son arrives and befriends Gloria. He offers a new look at life and a lifestyle of hope and joy.


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Amorelle by Grace Livingston Hill

Amorelle needs to make a new start. Her father's sickness takes him away and she needs to move from the church parsonage. She goes to her uncle's home faraway and adjusts to a new lifestyle with her step-aunt, step-cousin, and uncle. A young man from her cousin's crowd soon becomes enamored with Amorelle because of her different ways from the other girls. Amorelle agrees with her new relationship, until circumstances draw her away from her uncle's household and fiance.


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Each of the novels take place around the 1930's, but the messages are true to today's audiences. In both novels, Gloria and Amorelle are searching for answers and looking for a place to call home. After so much upheaval, they want a direction for their life.

Gloria's worldview is slowly changed by the neighbors who befriend her. They show her the difference between men of the world and men of God. I was impressed with the education of Murray MacRae. In addition to his business classes, he also took theological courses in college because he thought all Christians should understand their Bibles. I agree that it is important, too. Murray and his friend invited Gloria (and later her sister) into their lives and never forced their faith on them. They shared their lives and answered questions about their lifestyles and beliefs.

Amorelle's adventure went from small town girl to woman of the world very quickly. After loosing family who loved and cared for her, she found love in an unexpected corner. Love can be wonderful, hurtful, selfish, and giving. It comes down to the root or base of their love. Gathering advise from trusted friends can be very beneficial. Returning to God's Word will also open the heart to understanding love.

Reviewed from a NetGalley copies. Thank you, Barbour Publishing, Inc.!

Review: April Gold

April Gold by Grace Livingston Hill


The Reed family's circumstances took a drastic turn. Father passed away unexpectedly and he defaulted on his house payment. Mother, Thurlow, and Marilla need to move and find employment. College is a distant dream for Thurl and Rilla. Will they survive their new circumstances in their new neighborhood?

I've read many Grace Livingston Hill books, but I never picked up April Gold until the new publishing by Barbour. Although Marilla is pictured on the cover, everyone in the Reed family is featured in this story. I would say Thurlow is the lead character in April Gold. It's a tale of how each of the Reeds overcome their new lifestyle - a move to a neglected neighborhood and entering employment. They question God and find He is with them in their new life. Even with pain in their lives, they learn to lean on the Lord and find joy in their circumstances.

Reviewed from a NetGalley copy. Thank you, Barbour Publishing, Inc.!

Review: Adoring Addie

Adoring Addie by Leslie Gould

Everyone believes Addie Cramer and Phillip Eicher will court and be married. Addie isn't so sure that she should be married to Phillip. When Jonathan arrives in town, he takes her breath away, but being a Mosier causes trouble.

Gould's second Amish tale with a Shakespearean twist is a great read! Addie Cramer and Jonathan Mosier replay a new version of Romeo and Juliet with a family feud between the Cramers and the Mosiers. I loved that Addie gave all her brothers nicknames to describe their personalities. I was intrigued on how the death scene would play out and it was slightly cheesy, but appropriate for this story. Adoring Addie is book two in the The Courtships of Lancaster County series.  Adoring Addie can be read as a stand alone, but it's better after reading book one in the series, Courting Cate. The third title in the series, Minding Molly, is scheduled to come out next year. I look forward to reading it!

Reviewed from a NetGalley copy. Thank you, Bethany House!