Category Archives: Howard Books

June 22, 2016 · 11:58 pm

Review: Almost Like Being in Love by Beth K. Vogt

Title: Almost Like Being in Love by Beth K. Vogt
Destination Wedding Series Book Two
Publisher: Howard Books
Genre: Contemporary, Inspirational, Romance
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

From the author of Somebody Like You, a RITA finalist, and one of Publishers Weekly’s top ten books of 2014, comes the story of a woman who has everything for a perfect wedding—except the groom!

Winning an all-expenses paid Colorado destination wedding might seem like a dream come true for some people—but Caron Hollister and her boyfriend Alex Madison aren’t even engaged. How is she supposed to tell him she’s won their wedding and honeymoon when he hasn’t asked her to marry him? Being “perfect for one another” seems like the absolute best reason to get married. But what if their supposedly faultless relationship is merely a safe place to protect his secrets and a way to keep their families happy? After quitting her job, Caron accepts her best friend’s offer to visit Colorado. She needs to catch her breath. Who knows, maybe visiting the destination wedding site will make a future with Alex seem like a reality.

Kade Webster just landed the biggest deal of his life with his company, Webster Select Realty, participating in the Colorado Springs Tour of Homes. He never imagined he would run into the woman who broke his heart—Caron Hollister—right when his career is taking off. Seeing her again, Kade can’t help but wonder why Caron walked away from him years ago, leaving him with no explanation. When Kade learns his home stager won’t be able to help with the Tour of Homes, he vaults past all the reasons he should stay away from Caron, and offers her a temporary job helping him on the project. This time, their relationship is purely business.

Spending time with Kade has Caron questioning everything. The man intrigues her—at times infuriates her—and reminds her of what she lost. Has she been settling for what everyone expects of her? Just because others believe she and Alex are an ideal couple, does that mean they should get married? And how can Caron say “I do” to one man when she’s wondering “what if?” about another?

Review:

Almost Like Being in Love, the second installment in Beth K. Vogt’s delightful Destination Wedding series, is a heartfelt story of change, forgiveness and ultimately, love.

Caron Hollister’s hard work and long hours have resulted in a successful career as a realtor in her father’s firm.  She and family friend Alex Madison have been dating for two years and while he has not officially popped the question, it is understood they will someday marry.  After her father makes a shocking business decision that crushes her dream of becoming a full partner in his company, she knows it is time to sever their business relationship.  Uncertain what she wants to do next, she decides to visit her best friend Margot in Colorado where Caron unexpectedly runs into her ex-boyfriend Kade Hollister.  After she returns to Florida, she is surprised by Alex’s reaction when she tells him she won a prize for destination wedding in Telluride and their once conflict free relationship begins to feel a little off balance.  A surprising temporary job offer from Kade sounds like the perfect solution to her suddenly complicated life but will working with Kade resurrect the love she once had for the ex-Army Ranger?

After a few missteps as a teenager, Caron became a dutiful daughter who wanted nothing more than to gain her father’s approval.  She tailored her extracurricular activities to please him and even as an adult, her decisions continue to reflect her need to make him happy. After she quits her job at his realty company, Caron is hurt by Alex’s lack of support which leaves her questioning their relationship.  With both her professional and personal life in turmoil, she eagerly accepts Kade’s temporary job offer but spending time with him adds to her confusion. A surprising job offer seems to be the answer to her prayers, but will Caron find the validation she has been searching for?

On the surface, Alex seems to have a perfect life.  He works for his dad and he is so easygoing that nothing seems to bother him.  However, a long ago tragedy forever altered his family and he feels helplessly trapped by his father’s expectations and the family’s long held secrets.

Kade is also scarred by events that transpired in his childhood and he has residual abandonment issues that were reinforced after his relationship with Caron ended.  With no real explanation for the break up, his feelings for her remain conflicted but it does not take long for him to realize he still loves her.  Although Kade would like nothing more than to reunite with Caron, he has no choice but to accept her decision to Florida when her job with him comes to an end.

With a gentle undercurrent of faith, Almost Like Being in Love is a heartwarming novel that deals with realistic issues that readers can easily relate to.  Caron’s indecisiveness and need for parental approval is a little frustrating but it is extremely gratifying once she begins to make decisions based on what is best for her.  Alex’s struggles with his family are heartbreaking but he finally seeks the help he needs to break free from his unhealthy relationship with his family.  Kade must decide whether or not to go after what he wants regardless of the risk to his heart.  A reflective story about love, forgiveness and  new beginnings, this newest addition to Beth K. Vogt’s Destination Wedding series can easily be read as a standalone.

1 Comment

Filed under Almos Like Being in Love, Beth Vogt, Christian, Contemporary, Destination Wedding Series, Howard Books, Inspirational, Rated B+, Review, Romance

June 29, 2015 · 11:58 pm

Review: Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Beth K. Vogt

crazy calledTitle: Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Beth K. Vogt
Destination Wedding Series Book One
Publisher: Howard Books
Genre: Contemporary, Christian, Romance
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Wedding bells and storm clouds collide in the first engaging novel in a brand-new series about destination weddings, the power of love, and the possible mishaps and missteps that happen on a couple’s journey down the aisle to “I do.”

Paramedic Vanessa Hollister has put her adolescence behind her, including the unwanted label of being the new kid in town over and over again, thanks to her father’s military career. She’s overcome what her mother called “the biggest mistake of her life” and is planning an elegant destination wedding in Destin, Florida with her new fiancé. But will the reappearance of her first husband from her what-were-you-thinking teenage elopement disrupt her dream of an idyllic beach wedding?

As a professional storm chaser, Logan Hollister is used to taking risks. However, a reckless decision during the last tornado season has him questioning the future of his team, the Stormmeisters. Coming face to face with his ex-wife eight years after their divorce compels him to confront his greatest regret: losing Vanessa. Does their past give him the right to interfere with her future?

A fast-moving, powerful hurricane throws Vanessa and Logan together as they evacuate to a storm shelter along with other residents of the Florida Gulf Coast. Forced to spend time together, the pair battles unexpected renewed feelings for each other.

Vanessa and Logan are faced with a choice: Should they accept, once and for all, their teenage marital mistake? Or is God offering them a second chance at happily ever after?

Review:

Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Beth K. Vogt is a wonderful second chance at love romance. This faith based love story is the first installment in the unique and appealing Destination Wedding series and it is a sweet novel that is heartfelt and touching.

After moving frequently for her father’s military career, Vanessa Hollister learned the hard way that relationships are temporary. She is a little jaded and based on her previous experiences, she is reluctant to make friends with classmates she is only going to have to say goodbye to in the not too distant future. But Mindy and Logan sneak past her defenses and they become close friends. Soon after, she and Logan begin dating but when their plans for attending college together are threatened, they make an impetus decision to marry over spring break. However, when Logan accepts a scholarship to a college in OK, she refuses to leave FL and they try to make their long distance marriage work. But immaturity, an inability to see the other person’s point of view and a lack of communication take their toll and the two divorce.

Fast forward eight years and Vanessa is planning her second wedding when her practical fiancé Ted Topliff convinces her to combine their nuptials with a medical conference in Destin, FL. Although she has NO desire to return to the town where she met and married Logan, she reluctantly agrees to his suggestion. After she arrives in town, Vanessa reconnects with her best friend Mindy and the two are soon immersed in wedding plans. With many of preliminary details taken care of, Vanessa is about to return home when a hurricane makes landfall. While at a local shelter waiting out the storm, she is dismayed to run into Logan. They are thrown together both during and after the storm and as they reminisce about their shared past, they are surprised to discover they each have a few regrets about their failed marriage. Logan asks Vanessa to give him a second chance, but will she agree?

On the surface, Vanessa and Logan still appear to be the same two people they were eight years earlier. Vanessa still has troubling forming relationships while Logan stubbornly makes decisions that affect other people without discussing his plans with them first. However, Vanessa is finally beginning to realize that she wants a more from her life than just work but it takes much of the story for her to reconcile this need with her upcoming marriage to a man who continually makes his career a priority instead of her.

An error in judgment while chasing a tornado causes Logan to doubt his ability to keep his team members safe. With the funding for his storm chasing team in jeopardy and haunted by fears of endangering his crew again, he is convinced it is time to change careers. However, after insight from an impartial observer, Logan finally makes an effort to discuss the reasons behind his decisions with his team members and he learns the importance of compromise in relationships.

Logan and Vanessa spend much of the novel apart as they work through their individual issues. Their past is revealed through flashbacks and this provides valuable information about why their marriage ended. As they look back on their relationship, they begin to understand how they contributed to the problems in their marriage, but, most importantly, they learn from their mistakes.

Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Beth K. Vogt is a wonderful romance between two imperfect but sympathetic protagonists. The storyline is well developed and delightfully unique. The premise of the Destination Wedding series is unusual but this adds to the story’s charm. All in all, a beautiful love story that fans of Christian fiction are sure to love.

1 Comment

Filed under Beth Vogt, Christian, Contemporary, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Destination Wedding Series, Howard Books, Rated B, Review, Romance

April 29, 2015 · 11:57 pm

Review: Tiffany Girl by Deeanne Gist

tiffany girlTitle: Tiffany Girl by Deeanne Gist
Publisher: Howard Books
Genre: Historical, Romance
Length: 544 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

From the bestselling author of It Happened at the Fair and Fair Play comes a compelling historical novel about a progressive “New Woman”—the girl behind Tiffany’s chapel—and the love that threatens it all.

As preparations for the 1893 World’s Fair set Chicago and the nation on fire, Louis Tiffany—heir to the exclusive Fifth Avenue jewelry empire—seizes the opportunity to unveil his state-of-the-art, stained glass, mosaic chapel, the likes of which the world has never seen.

But when Louis’s dream is threatened by a glassworkers’ strike months before the Fair opens, he turns to an unforeseen source for help: the female students at the Art Students League of New York. Eager for adventure, the young women pick up their skirts, move to boarding houses, take up steel cutters, and assume new identities as the “Tiffany Girls.”

Tiffany Girl is the heartwarming story of the impetuous Flossie Jayne, a beautiful, budding artist who is handpicked by Louis to help complete the Tiffany chapel. Though excited to live in a boarding house when most women stayed home, she quickly finds the world is less welcoming than anticipated. From a Casanova male, to an unconventional married couple, and a condescending singing master, she takes on a colorful cast of characters to transform the boarding house into a home while racing to complete the Tiffany chapel and make a name for herself in the art world.

As challenges mount, her ambitions become threatened from an unexpected quarter: her own heart. Who will claim victory? Her dreams or the captivating boarder next door?

Review:

Tiffany Girl by Deeanne Gist is another delightfully charming and meticulously researched historical novel set against the backdrop of the Chicago World’s Fair. This story takes place in New York and focuses on the “Tiffany Girls”-the women hired by Louis Tiffany to complete the stained glass windows for his exhibit for the World’s Fair after the male workers go on strike.

Flossie Jayne is a typical young woman of the time period who is expected to marry and raise a family. Her discontent over having to hand all of her earnings to her father coincides with the newly changing roles of women in society so she eagerly accepts the opportunity to work for Tiffany. In order to keep her salary, she moves into a respectable boardinghouse where she immediately shakes things up by engaging her fellow boarders in playful activities. The only person who refuses to participate in the nightly parlor games is Reeve Wilder, a reporter for one of the local papers. Reeve is a traditional man of the times and he is not in favor of women entering the workforce.

Flossie is sheltered and naive but she has a good heart. Her parents adore her and they effusively praise her artistic endeavors. Flossie is a hard worker but she is a little surprised by how slowly she moves through the Tiffany Girl ranks. Her innocence is endearing, but this becomes her greatest weakness as her lack of experience leaves her vulnerable to exploitation.

Reeve is a bit standoffish and keeps to himself. He is also a bit cynical and at first, he finds Flossie annoying and pushy.  Reeve cannot help but be concerned for her but his warnings to not be so trusting fall on deaf ears. Although the pair form an unlikely friendship, both of them have some growing up to do before they can take their relationship to the next level.

Once again, one of the best parts of reading a novel by Deeanne Gist is how she incorporates history into the plot. With Tiffany Girl, she changes the setting but she still utilizes the Chicago World’s Fair to gently educate readers about a little known piece of history. The resulting story is informative and quite fascinating, but it is the richly developed cast of characters that brings this enchanting tale vibrantly to life. They are multi-dimensional with relatable flaws and their experiences throughout the novel provide them the opportunity to grow and mature.  While there is a romantic element to the storyline, it is very understated. An absolutely marvelous novel that fans of historical fiction are sure to enjoy.

1 Comment

Filed under Deeanne Gist, Historical, Howard Books, Rated B+, Review, Romance, Tiffany Girl

May 12, 2014 · 11:57 pm

Review: Somebody Like You by Beth K Vogt

somebodyTitle: Somebody Like You by Beth K. Vogt
Publisher: Howard Books
Genre: Contemporary, Christian, Romance
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Can a young widow find love again with her husband’s reflection?

Haley’s three-year marriage to Sam, an army medic, ends tragically when he’s killed in Afghanistan. Her attempts to create a new life for herself are ambushed when she arrives home one evening—and finds her husband waiting for her. Did the military make an unimaginable mistake when they told her Sam was killed?

Too late to make things right with his estranged twin brother, Stephen discovers Sam never told Haley about him. As Haley and Stephen navigate their fragile relation¬ship, they are inexorably drawn to each other. How can they honor the memory of a man whose death brought them together—and whose ghost could drive them apart?

Somebody Like You is a beautifully rendered, affecting novel, reminding us that while we can’t change the past, we have the choice to change the future and start anew.

The Review:

In her latest release, Beth K. Vogt does a magnificent job of turning what could be a stereotypical romance storyline into an incredibly moving story that tugs, no yanks, at the heartstrings. Somebody Like You is a beautiful story of love, loss and healing that will move readers to tears as widow Haley Ames unexpectedly finds love with her husband’s estranged twin brother, Stephen.

Haley is a tough, strong, independent woman who has lost her way following her husband Sam’s death in Afghanistan. Grieving her loss is difficult enough, but trying to pick up the pieces of her life while preparing for the birth of their child is almost impossible. Haley prides herself on being able to handle what life throws her way but figuring out what comes next leaves her immobilized at this juncture. Coupled with her grief are her regrets of how she handled events in the weeks prior to Sam’s death. And learning the secrets that Sam kept raises questions that will never be answered and causes her to doubt herself and her marriage.

Stephen is riddled with guilt and regret after he learns about Sam’s death. Following their parents’ acrimonious divorce when they were teenagers, divided parental loyalties slowly destroyed their once close relationship. Stephen went to live with their father and stepmother while Sam lived with their mom and their visits soon became infrequent and strained. Sam’s decision to enlist in the army following graduation culminates in the twelve-year estrangement between the brothers. Stephen made a couple of half-hearted gestures to reconcile that led nowhere and after Sam’s death, he hopes Haley can fill in the blanks about the intervening years. Stunned to learn that Sam never mentioned he had a twin, Haley is at first unwilling to give him the answers he is looking for. But his persistence pays off and both he and Haley are surprised by their growing feelings for one another.

Stephen and Haley’s relationship is incredibly complex and not only are there issues standing in the way of them as a couple, they are also facing individual problems as well. Haley struggles to admit that sometimes, everyone needs help and that this does not make her weak. She is forced to face her fears and doubts about her marriage. Stephen wrestles with his guilt over letting his estrangement with Sam last without making a concerted effort to repair the rift between them. Making peace with his long ago decision means accepting the unintended consequences that go with it but that is easier said than done. Both Haley and Stephen have to come to terms with the fact that they have questions that may never get answered.

There is also a strong element of faith in Somebody Like You. Haley and Stephen have an unwavering faith in God and both believe in the power of prayer. It is no coincidence that Stephen enters Haley’s life just when she needs him the most, but they both have strong reservations about entering into a relationship with one another. It isn’t until God’s voice becomes too powerful to avoid that they accept the path He has chosen for them to follow.

Beth K. Vogt’s Somebody Like You is a captivating and heartfelt journey of healing, forgiveness and love that is poignant but uplifting. This must read novel is one that touches the heart and lingers long after the last page has been turned.

1 Comment

Filed under Beth Vogt, Christian, Contemporary, Howard Books, Rated B+, Review, Romance, Somebody Like You

May 4, 2014 · 11:58 pm

Review: Fair Play by Deeanne Gist

fair playTitle: Fair Play by Deeane Gist
It Happened at the Fair Series Book Two
Publisher: Howard Books
Genre: Historical, Romance
Length: 464 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss

Summary:

From the bestselling author of It Happened at the Fair comes a historical love story about a lady doctor and a Texas Ranger who meet at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

Saddled with a man’s name, Billy Jack Tate makes no apologies for taking on a man’s profession. As a doctor at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, she is one step closer to having her very own medical practice—until Hunter Scott asks her to give it all up to become his wife.

Hunter is one of the elite—a Texas ranger and World’s Fair guard specifically chosen for his height, physique, character, and skill. Hailed as the toughest man west of any place east, he has no patience for big cities and women who think they belong anywhere but home.

Despite their differences of opinion, Hunter and Billie find a growing attraction until Hunter discovers an abandoned baby in the corner of a White City exhibit. He and Billy team up to make sure this foundling isn’t left in the slums of Chicago. As they fight for the underprivileged children in the Nineteenth Ward, an entire playground movement is birthed. But when the fair comes to an end, one of them will have to give up their dream.

Will Billy exchange her doctor’s shingle for the domesticated role of a southern wife, or will Hunter abandon the wide open spaces of home for a life in the “gray city,” a woman who insists on being the wage earner, and a group of ragamuffins who need more than one breathing space?

The Review:

Fair Play by Deeanne Gist is an incredibly fascinating novel that whisks readers back in time to the Chicago World Fair. This beautifully written story seamlessly incorporates historically accurate details into a timeless romance that is sure to enchant old and new fans of the delightful It Happened at the Fair series.

Dr. Billy Jack Tate and Hunter Scott are older and very career oriented. Billy has worked hard to become a doctor, but establishing her medical practice in a male dominated field is virtually impossible due to the prejudices of the time period. Hunter is very proud of being a member the elite Texas Rangers and he has taken the position as guard at the fair solely to advance his career. They meet under somewhat embarrassing circumstances but despite their awkward introduction, they soon form an unlikely friendship. When love begins to blossom between them, will their differences threaten their future?

Billy and Hunter are both fairly stubborn and neither seems willing to compromise their principles. Billy is a city girl who enjoys the excitement of the hustle and bustle of living in Chicago. But it is also on the cutting edge of medical technology and she does not want to lose this valuable opportunity to hone her skills. She is often a contradiction as she fights to maintain her femininity while trying to downplay her more womanly attributes. Hunter has forged a very successful career as a Ranger and he cannot fathom a life without wide open spaces. His old-fashioned values lead him to unrealistic expectations regarding Billy’s role as a physician. Both are guilty of making assumptions about what the other is thinking and this leads to trouble when their relationships enters into romantic territory.

Billy and Hunter’s compassion and concern for an abandoned baby take them from the safe, protected world of the fair and into the poverty stricken tenements of Chicago. They witness firsthand the appalling living conditions and hand-to-mouth existence immigrants experience as they attempt to provide for their families. Children are robbed of their innocence as they roam the streets unsupervised and become juvenile delinquents. Most heartbreaking is the young age that many are forced into taking jobs so they can help contribute to their financially strapped households.

All of these elements contribute to the evolution of Billy and Hunter’s characters and relationship while providing a captivating backdrop for Fair Play. Deeanne Gist’s exceptional research is one of the highlights of her novels and she has again woven pieces of history into an unbelievably captivating romance that enlightens as well entertains. The setting of the Chicago World’s Fair is the only common denominator between novels in the It Happened at the Fair series, so each can be read as standalone stories.

2 Comments

Filed under Deeanne Gist, Fair Play, Historical, Howard Books, Rated B+, Review, Romance

March 13, 2014 · 11:58 pm

Review: The Shepherd’s Song by Betsy Duffey & Laurie Myers

shepherdsTitle: The Shepherd’s Song by Betsy Duffey & Laurie Myers
Publisher: Howard Books
Genre: Contemporary, Christian, Fiction
Length: 240 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Shortly before suffering a tragic car accident, Kate McConnell wrote the simple but powerful words of Psalm 23 on a piece of paper to give to her wayward and confused son. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. . . . As she loses consciousness from her injuries, she wonders if she’s done enough with her life.

When a lonely dry-cleaning employee finds Kate’s humble, handwritten copy of the psalm, it begins an incredible journey around the world, forever changing the lives of twelve very different people. From a soldier wounded in Iraq, to a young Kurdish girl fleeing with her family to Turkey, to a Kenyan runner about to begin the Rome Invitational Marathon, the power of the ancient words begins to take shape in various ways, drawing us into these stories inexplicably linked by the passing of the psalm from one recipient to the next.

Eventually, Kate’s paper makes it back to its starting place, and she discovers the unexpected ways that God moves and changes lives through even our smallest actions.

The Review:

Betsy Duffey & Laurie Myers’ The Shepherd’s Song is a beautiful story of faith inspired by the 23rd Psalm. Meant to help her son, Matt, find his way back to God, Kate McConnell’s handwritten copy of the Psalm unexpectedly touches twelve different lives as it makes an incredible journey around the world.

Each chapter in The Shepherd’s Song is about a different person who finds personal meaning from one verse from the Psalm. Beginning with Kate taking comfort in the line, “The Lord is My Shepherd”, the story then moves to an employee at her dry cleaners finding her note and the next part of the Psalm, “I Shall Not Want” changing his life. He then passes the note along to someone else, thus beginning the wondrous voyage that will profoundly alter so many lives.

Kate’s note travels from country to country, affecting a diverse set of individuals from different cultures and sometimes different religions. For some, the verses will help them find their way back to their lost faith. For others, it will begin their relationship with God for the first time. For another, it will help heal their sorrow. A young woman will find courage to begin a new life. One man will find his way back from the wrong path. But of course, the most compelling chapter brings the story full circle when the fate of Kate and her family is revealed.

The Shepherd’s Song is a touching and sometimes poignant novel that is quite captivating. Betsy Duffey & Laurie Myers bring readers a quiet story of faith that packs a powerful message that will linger long after the last page has been turned.

1 Comment

Filed under Betsy Duffey, Christian, Contemporary, Fiction, Howard Books, Laurie Myers, Rated B+, Review, The Shepherd's Song