A sweet story with an unexpected, heart-warming twist.
343926
This is a quick-read, and one you won't be able to put down.  It's a story that you won't want to end, and will be sad when it does!
466155
Lots of unique, quirky characters in a very sweet story.
4773014
The Texas Ranchers New Family is a heartwarming story about two people who both have difficulty trusting others due to some past experiences. This sweet romance is full of delightful characters, including Coopers daughter Sophie. Pleiter did a remarkable job writing about a child with a physical disability. That alone makes this book worth reading, but there are many other reasons to love this story. Ultimately, Pleiter reminds us that we need to trust God with our lives, which includes taking the risk of trusting others.

Although it is a standalone novel, characters from other books in this series are a part of this book. (This didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book, but definitely made me interested in reading the other books in the series!)

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. All opinions are my own.
1514844
The characters make this story special. I quickly became attached to them, and soon fell in love. The love that the characters have for one another is heartwarming. Each character has a unique personality, with good and bad traits, that allows them to quickly become real in the mind of the reader.

The story is also heartwarming. I enjoy when everything falls into place. Not in a predictable way, but in a way that feels right when the story is fully told. When you take the reader on a journey full of turns and twists, and in the end, they know that they have arrived at the proper destination, you have accomplished something wonderful.

I loved this story.
2502498
Jonny has had an unusual childhood, missing most of the experiences that children usually have. His life so far has been spent hooked up to machines keeping his blood pumping through his body. His only hope is a heart donor, but he needs a perfect match. This is unlikely, and he believes that death may be fast approaching. One day a miracle happens, and a young person dies, giving him his heart!

After he gets his new heart, Jonny struggles. He just has to know who the donor was. In searching for the donor, Jonny finds his true heart, learning to deal with the physical heart as well as how to deal with the new experience of falling in love.

This is a charming young adult tale about a girl grieving the death of someone close to her. It is also about a boy given a second chance. The characters are realistic, well-written, and heart-warming, helping the reader to experience their pain and joy, too. I really liked this simple, yet profound book.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.
4637627
This is such a sweet story on many levels.  Finding faith and courage in yourself.  Finding  acceptance when you are different.  And along with all this finding a sweet, perfect love.  I hope you enjoy it.
2122218
This sweet story, while set at Christmas is not exactly a Christmas story, but is so engaging that I find it on my mind a month later. There is enough mystery, romance and surprise to delight anyone who wants a tasty morsel to please the palate. In my way of thinking it is suitable for reading to children as it is about children and cats. And the Queen's cat. Who is missing. Oh, just read it, you'll be glad you did.
1324917
This is a sweet, sad, ultimately uplifting book that moved me on levels that that most popular fiction simply can not do. the story of maggie and sam, the twists and turns in their lives kept me turning the pages. Ava has a special gift.
2895291
Read this sweet book in one sitting.  Main characters are Kari and Max.  Age old story about two people meeting when they are young, falling in love, circumstances and misunderstandings lead to separation, with a future meeting many years later.  It's cute and predicable, but what's enjoyable is in the execution.  There are other characters and plots (such as Kari's friend Lindsay) that make the tale interesting.  Also, Max's character was different and interesting.  He loves Kari, but is afraid to reach for his goal because he thinks he's going to die young anyway. And, the book ends with an epilogue, and I always love epilogues that give a hint at the happily ever after.
2262644
This was a lovely story. Sweet, funny and heartwarming. When Amanda escapes the city for small town life, she gets more than she bargained for, including a romance with a guy named Russ that takes her by surprise--and an old house that comes with a ghost Amanda can't believe in until she's forced to look at the world differently. This isn't just Amanda and Russ's story.  We also get to know brother and sister Casey and Parker and share their joys and heartbreaks.
2751295
Probably closer to 4-1/2 stars. I'm not sure what grabbed me about this story, and I suspected the twist early on, but it was just a really sweet story. Evie was brought up in foster care. When she was 10, a slightly older Leo moved into her foster home, which began a really deep friendship and eventually turned into love. Teenage love, sure, but it was impactful for them both. But when he moves away at 15, they make promises to each other and have plans to keep in touch. Heck, they have plans to marry when she turns 18. Sadly, Evie never hears from him again.

Eight years later, Evie has built a comfortable life for herself. She's not wealthy by any stretch, but she has things that make her happy, jobs that support her, friends who will do anything for her because of who Evie is. She has a giving spirit, and so long as you don't give her reason to doubt you, she'd give you the shirt off her back if she thought you needed it. She's really a beautiful person, both inside and out. She's never really allowed any guys into her life, mostly because they weren't Leo, even long after she'd accepted that Leo threw her away as everyone else in her early life had done.

But she notices some guy stalking her. She doesn't really get a creepy vibe from him, but she knows he's been following her. Finally, she confronts him about his poor stalker skills and they strike up a friendship, despite the fact that Jake has told her Leo sent him to check up on her and that he died in a car crash. It really becomes much more than a friendship pretty quickly, but there are so many secrets about Jake. Evie is certain there's more to him, but she doesn't want to push and possibly rock the boat of their tenuous new relationship. But those secrets can't stay secret forever, especially when people keep saying things and doing things to make her doubt him.

My heart broke for Evie a few times in the book. Sometimes I wanted to shake her and make her settle down to really think about things that happened. At the same time, I could understand her so quickly accepting that she doesn't mean so much to him, that he can't possibly mean the things he says. She had such a crappy childhood. When the truth comes out, I was very happy with how things were handled by by parties. And the epilogue was precious.
1451071
If you are looking for a light read with a heart-warming story, give this book a try! Coming from someone who usually reads heavy, thought-provoking, work-to-get-through-it kind of books, it was a breath of fresh air and reminds me of a "chicken soup for the soul" kind of book. Chance combines themes of death, dying, love, and belonging in such a nice way. By the end I felt like the characters were real and I felt genuine emotion for them. It left a warm glow in my heart, I don't know how else to describe it.
1735983
It's a heart warming story and all the characters are very likable.  No big surprises but it's a sweet fun read.
525961
This is such a sweet book about relationships, the many forms of family, love, and learning to open your heart. There is even just a little bit of magic.
We meet Sanna and her father as they trudge along on the family orchard in Door County. We also meet Issac and his son, Bass, as they navigate a summer adventure. The real fun begins when these to sets come together with Issac and Bass working for the Lund's over the summer.
While there is an undercurrent of a romantic story between Sanna and Issac, the real focus of this book is how we deal with change and the relationships that make up the fabric of our lives. Sanna is at the core of things- she at times comes across as cold, but it's impossible not to like her as you get to know her.
This is a well written, heart warming story with great characters. The issues dealt with have the potential to be heavy, but the author has a light enough touch that they aren't. Reading this book reminded me of slipping into a warm bath - everything was just right and at the end of the day there was a peaceful feeling.
107097
This book is admittedly much different from the genres I typically read, so I was unsure at first of what to expect. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised! This delightful tale of a sparrows adventure reminded me of stories similar to Peter Rabbit and Frog & Toad. Felicity is an endearing main character whose observations about the world such as featherless two-foots put a smile on my face. Overall, this book is a very sweet story and would be great for young readers.
382754
This is a very lovely story of the unexpected transformations two lives.  Most notably, 'Leah' is transformed from the mousy widow of a Jewish Rabbi following all the mores expected of her, into a strong independent woman as she begins to make her own choices in life.  Unexpectedly she & her [rather nonreligious] brother-in-law suddenly marry, and have a series of adventures that bring them closer & closer...until the inevitable bond of love forms between them.  It's a very sweet & touching story.
3670526
A sweet story that teaches us that we shouldn't judge a book by it's cover or in this case, a dog by its breed!