Book Review: Heart on the Line

Heart on the Line

Karen Witemeyer
Bethany House Publishers

Grace is in trouble Hiding from the very people who killed her father, she has something that they want. She just out to figure out where it is. Amos Bledsoe has been communicating with Grace over the wire for some time. When he realizes she is in trouble, he travels to Harper's Station to help. Can the two of them solve the mystery before trouble shows up to town?

If I'm terribly honest, the first time I started this book I wasn't sure. It didn't hook my attention the way Karen's books normally do. I'm used to spunky, quick witted heroines and dashing, tough heroes so I put it on hold after a few chapters when the main characters weren't up to my "expectations". I ended up setting a reminder to pick it up another day when I could give it the chance it needed. A few days turned into a few weeks, and then I panicked when I realized I still had it on my to-do list and hadn't finished it. So I picked it back up.

AND IT WAS DIFFERENT THIS TIME. Knowing that the characters were different than what I was expecting, I found myself enjoying the story! Especially when a set of secondary characters showed up later in the book. In my opinion, they were the real reason I got hooked. I could have read an entire book about them! And Grace and Amos did end up becoming the heroine and hero that I needed them to be-they just did it in their own way, not the way that I expected them to. Karen did a great job of growing her characters, not evolving them. Because you shouldn't have to change who you are to overcome hard times. You can grow through hard times. And I think that's what Karen did with Amos and Grace. Their characters experienced growth, not change. And that growth ended up resulting in a sweet story line mixed with all the adventure I have come to expect from a Witemeyer novel.

Sorry my review is longer than normal, but I think that this book was important to me as a reader. Heart on the Line was not what I expected. But I think that Karen used this book to teach me a valuable lesson. I can't change characters into who I expect them to be. But that doesn't mean I can't still enjoy their story.

Book Review: An Elegant Facade

An Elegant Facade

Kristi Ann Hunter

Bethany House Publishers

Georgia needs to find a husband.

To be exact, Georgia needs to find a titled husband that will allow her to live a comfortable life with the protection that a well established man can give to her. Plagued by flaws that the rest of the world can’t see, she knows that only the best match will keep her reputation intact. Colin is a shrewd businessman who owes his own success to his hard work. He may find himself surrounded by people with titles, but he is merely a gentleman with his own insecurities. Both Colin and Georgia have their own fears to conquer. As their friendship deepens, will these fears keep them from realizing they may be the best match for each other after all?

I have to admit something. It took me a long time to read this book. I LOVED the first book, A Noble Masquerade, and I thought I would love this book as quickly as I loved the last. However, Georgia annoyed me a little at first. I couldn’t figure out why she had such a need to be perfect. So….I stopped reading. It wasn’t until recently that I decided to give Georgia another chance.

A great storyteller entrances their audience by creating a powerful story with captivating characters and storylines. However, an excellent storyteller knows how to shock their audience. When I realized WHY Georgia acted the way she did, it all fell into place. And I felt shocked. So much so, that it made me realize how much the author truly developed the character so that you almost had to dislike her at first so that you could truly understand the depth of her facade.

So, long story short, I would definitely recommend this book. I look forward to the next book in this series, and I know you will, too!

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this honest review.