Wonderful Regency! My Review of The Elusive Miss Ellison - Regency Brides A Legacy of Grace 1 - by Carolyn Miller

About the book:

"Handsome appearance counts for naught unless matched by good character and actions." That's the firm opinion of not-so-meek minister's daughter Lavinia Ellison. So even though all the other villagers of St. Hampton Heath are swooning over the newly returned seventh Earl of Hawkesbury, she is not impressed. If a man won't take his responsibilities seriously and help those who are supposed to be able to depend on him, he deserves no respect from her. In Lavinia's pretty, gray eyes, Nicholas Stamford is just as arrogant and reckless as his brother--who stole the most important person in Livvie's world.

Nicholas is weighed down by his own guilt and responsibility, by the pain his careless brother caused, and by the legacy of war he's just left. This quick visit home to St. Hampton Heath will be just long enough to ease a small part of that burden. Asking him to bother with the lives of the villagers when there's already a bailiff on the job is simply too much to expect. That is, until the hoydenish, intelligent, and very opinionated Miss Ellison challenges him to see past his pain and pride. With her angelic voice in his head, he may even be beginning to care. But his isn't the only heart that needs to change.

These two lonely hearts may each have something the other needs. But with society's opposition, ancestral obligations, and a shocking family secret, there may be too many obstacles in their way.

Fans of Georgette Heyer, Lori Wick, and Julie Klassen will enjoy the spirited exchanges between the bluestocking minister's daughter and the bruised war hero as they move past pride and presumption to a humbled appreciation of God's grace and the true strength of love.

My review:

I absolutely loved this book!  The writing was wonderful with such witty dialogue!  It reminded me very much of Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth.  The romance was very sweet.  Lavinia was a great, spunky character, always trying to do good and spur Nicholas to do the same.  However, she wasn't perfect and realized her shortcomings as the story progressed.  I loved her independence and strength but ultimately that she depended on the Lord as she was thrown into many difficult situations.  Nicholas reminded me very much of Mr. Darcy in the way he could seem distant from everyone and prideful, but Nicholas was much gruffer and not quite as genteel.  I was frustrated with Nicholas sometimes as he made a few wrong decisions or said the wrong thing, which led to some misunderstandings.  It was especially wonderful to see Nicholas grow and change throughout this story, from a self-centered, guilt-ridden man to one who saw the caring and special woman Lavinia was and the God who loved them both.  There was a wonderful scene as Nicholas comes to understand the gospel message by reading the Bible for himself and I liked how the message was explained clearly.   I especially liked how body language was used to show how they felt rather than left out or said outright.  There was a lot of rich detail in the story that really made the time period come alive, from the situation of the tenants to the manners and customs of the people.  This was a wonderful book to imagine as I read.  I can't wait for the next one!  I highly recommend it, especially if you love Regency romance!

I received this book free from Kregel Publications.

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Cute Story! Fetching Sweetness - Love Unleashed 2 - by Dana Mentink

About the book:

Standing Between Stephanie and Her Dream
Is One Hundred Pounds of Lovable Trouble

It should have been so simple for Stephanie Pink: Meet up with Agnes Wharton in a small town in California, retrieve the reclusive author's valuable new manuscript, and be promoted to a full-fledged literary agent.

But Agnes's canine companion, Sweetness, decides to make a break for it before Stephanie can claim her prize. Until Agnes has Sweetness safely back at home in Eagle Cliff, Washington, Stephanie will never set eyes on the manuscript she needs to make her dreams come true.

When Stephanie tracks the runaway mutt to a campground, she meets Rhett Hastings—a man also on the run from a different life and a costly mistake. Rhett agrees to help Stephanie search for the missing dog...thus launching a surprising string of adventures and misadventures.

Once Sweetness gets added to the mix, it's a recipe for love and loss, merriment and mayhem, fun and faith in the backwoods of the Pacific Northwest.

My review:

This was a cute story with some crazy hijinks!  Sweetness was pretty amusing as he kept getting into crazy situations and dragging Stephanie and Rhett along for the ride.  He was such an adorable, sweet dog.  I liked how he kept rescuing animals along the way.  It was also funny to see the humans' different ideas of what constituted food as Stephanie was throwing cheap meals together and Rhett was used to having a chef.  I liked seeing how Rhett was trying to be a better man after coming to Christ and trying to make up for a horrible decision he made that hurt his sister years ago.  It was interesting to see how impulsive Stephanie could be and the kinds of situations she found herself in. I loved how she needed a book to read at all times; I can totally relate!  She was also dealing with some anger at God over the death of her brother when she was a teenager, so that made for some disagreements with Rhett over faith.  There was a little bit of romance and a few surprises along the way.  I liked that they were both trying to find what their path should be in life, even though they might have had a pretty firm idea of what that should be for a long time and they were definitely stepping out of their comfort zones.  This book two is a stand-alone and completely unrelated to book one, just the presence of dogs in common!  I'd recommend this book if you like cute stories involving dogs!

I received this book free from Harvest House Publishers.

Standing Between Stephanie and Her Dream
Is One Hundred Pounds of Lovable Trouble
It should have been so simple for Stephanie Pink: Meet up with Agnes Wharton in a small town in California, retrieve the reclusive author’s valuable new manuscript, and be promoted to a full-fledged literary agent.

But Agnes’s canine companion, Sweetness, decides to make a break for it before Stephanie can claim her prize. Until Agnes has Sweetness safely back at home in Eagle Cliff, Washington, Stephanie will never set eyes on the manuscript she needs to make her dreams come true.

When Stephanie tracks the runaway mutt to a campground, she meets Rhett Hastings—a man also on the run from a different life and a costly mistake. Rhett agrees to help Stephanie search for the missing dog…thus launching a surprising string of adventures and misadventures.

Once Sweetness gets added to the mix, it’s a recipe for love and loss, merriment and mayhem, fun and faith in the backwoods of the Pacific Northwest.
- See more at: https://www.harvesthousepublishers.com/books/fetching-sweetness-9780736966238#sthash.s0vLVKrs.dpuf

Standing Between Stephanie and Her Dream
Is One Hundred Pounds of Lovable Trouble
It should have been so simple for Stephanie Pink: Meet up with Agnes Wharton in a small town in California, retrieve the reclusive author’s valuable new manuscript, and be promoted to a full-fledged literary agent.

But Agnes’s canine companion, Sweetness, decides to make a break for it before Stephanie can claim her prize. Until Agnes has Sweetness safely back at home in Eagle Cliff, Washington, Stephanie will never set eyes on the manuscript she needs to make her dreams come true.

When Stephanie tracks the runaway mutt to a campground, she meets Rhett Hastings—a man also on the run from a different life and a costly mistake. Rhett agrees to help Stephanie search for the missing dog…thus launching a surprising string of adventures and misadventures.

Once Sweetness gets added to the mix, it’s a recipe for love and loss, merriment and mayhem, fun and faith in the backwoods of the Pacific Northwest.
- See more at: https://www.harvesthousepublishers.com/books/fetching-sweetness-9780736966238#sthash.s0vLVKrs.dpuf

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Amazing Book! Treasures in Dark Places: One Woman, a Supernatural God and a Mission to the Toughest Part of India

About the book:

Skinny-armed toddlers with wide, hungry eyes and bloated bellies watched us beneath thatched eaves, a black string around their waists and heavy mascara smeared around their eyes to fend off the demons. Their rescue and freedom were why I had come. But now that I was here, what was I, one small woman, to do in the face of overwhelming poverty and evil?

From the beautiful Himalayas to the mighty Ganges River of northern India, a soul-stealing spiritual darkness ravages the land. More than 35 million children are orphaned and destitute. Over 25,000 girls are abducted annually for sex trafficking. Dictators and loan sharks force millions into physical slavery while witch doctors and centuries old idol worship imprison even more in spiritual bondage.

God’s heart breaks for them. And in His great mercy, He called one unlikely young woman to shine His light in this dark place.

With warmth and disarming honesty, Leanna Cinquanta shares the rigors, heartaches and miraculous experiences of living hand-in-hand with God, invading the blackness and liberating His treasures. You will be amazed and encouraged at how the supernatural love of Jesus can transform not just one heart, but the hearts of a nation.

My review:

This was an amazing story I had a hard time putting down!  It was fascinating reading about her unique childhood and how God called her to Himself and to start this ministry.  I especially loved her stories of what happened once she got to India and the unique way God wanted her to minister.  I enjoyed learning about the culture and spiritual practices of the people there.  More than one story brought tears to my eyes.  There were also a few harrowing moments as she dealt with the spiritual forces coming against her.  It's unfathomable to think of the poverty so much of India's people live in while we have so much in America.  It's especially heartbreaking to think of all the children being kidnapped into sex slavery.  I thought the story was going to be more about her ministry to the children, but that was a later part that's still being realized.  It's amazing to think that we can have a part in rescuing children by donating to her organization!  I highly recommend this book!

I received this book free from Cross Focused Reviews.

About the Author:  Leanna Cinquanta (PhD, Regent University) is the founder of TellAsia Ministries and part of an international apostolic team. Through her influence, more than 10,000 churches have been planted in an area that was only 5 percent Christian. When not in India, she travels and speaks publicly, mobilizing others to invade dark places with God’s love and liberty.

Connect with Leanna:

• Facebook
• Twitter (@LeannaCinquanta)
• LeannaCinquanta.com
• TellAsia Ministries