The best of Lisa Wingate Christian, historical, fictions so far!
351420
I laughed, I cried, I could not stop reading this sure-to-be classic. Loved the setting, the characters and the theme  of prayer & God's abiding presence.  (be sure to read the Author's notes about "prayer boxes")
3390366
I love all of Lisa See's books and her characters.  She always has me going to my computer to read more about people, places and events contained in her historical novels.  Ms. See has a way with words that makes me feel the emotions experienced by the characters and when the book ends I want more which she delivers in the next novel.  I highly recommend her to anyone who likes Historical Fiction.
3610766
I LOVE Lisa Wingate's books (I've read most of them!), and this one did not disappoint!  I'm amazed at the stories she has running through her head, and how they then appear on paper (and Kindles and Nooks) as stories I love to read, and usually can't put down!
  This is a story of Allie Kirkland, a modern-day production assistant, who is chosen to appear in an 1861 re-enactment as a teacher in the now-abandoned town of Wildwood.  The story flashes back and forth from modern-day to 1861, revealing a mystery that Allie gets caught up in.
  I really enjoyed visiting Moses Lake again, and the characters from her previous Moses Lake books who make the town so interesting and fun!  It's not necessary to read the previous books in the series for this book to make sense...it's a standalone book, but it's just fun to see how/what the characters introduced in previous books, are doing.
  I highly recommend this book, and can't wait to see what wonderful story Lisa will write next!
4070950
"Among The Fair Magnolias- Four Southern Love Stories" is actually four separate stories written by four different authors: Tamera Alexander, Shelley Gray, Dorothy Love and Elizabeth Musser. Each story is somewhat of a historical fiction novella.

"To Mend A Broken Dream" by Tamera Alexander is the story of a young girl named Savannah Darby who lost her parents and her childhood home at a young age. She now decorates houses for a living to try to support herself and her younger siblings. Savannah jumps at the opportunity when she finds out she will need to redecorate her childhood home for the young attorney, Aidan Bedford. Will she be able to find the secret treasure her father stashed so long ago? And what could be in it?

"An Outlaw's Heart" by Shelley Gray is about a young man named Russell Stark and his return visit home. He knew when he arrived, his past would confront him head first, but he knew it was important to see his mother one last time. What he didn't expect was running into the woman he loved so long ago, and that perhaps he still does love her.

"A Heart So True" by Dorothy Love is about a young girl named Abigail. Her family expects her to marry a distant cousin, Charles, but her heart belongs to another...Dr. Bennett. Her father cares more about social status than what Abigail really wants. Will Abigail's father find out the truth about Charles?

"Love Beyond Limits" by Elizabeth Musser is the story of a girl who lives in the era of plantations and slavery. Emily loves her childhood friend, Thomas, but she doesn't feel that he shares her same convictions about slavery. On the other hand, she loves one of the freedmen that works on her family's plantation. Her father would never let her have a relationship with the freedman but she doesn't know if she can share a life with Thomas. I loved this story because it had two huge twists at the end!

I usually have a hard time reading Novellas or short stories because I just want them to keep going on and I feel that they were too short. I can honestly say that I really enjoyed this series of stories! I think each author did a fantastic job of keeping readers engaged and interested. Also, what I think is really neat is that "Magnolias" which are mentioned in the title of this book, are mentioned in each story but in a different way. I'm a sucker for that kind of stuff and I loved it!

I would definitely recommend this book to others who enjoy a good love story! I rate it as 5 stars. I received this book for free from Litfuse in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion. http://litfusegroup.com/author/fairmagnolias
2965466
If you like Christian books and historical fiction, this is a great choice! I really enjoyed the character development, the romance, the historical drama and the excellent Christian teaching woven throughout the story.  I will definitely be looking for more of Lynn Austin's books.
1942418
Lisa Wingate has presented a wonderfully crafted view of life in the Blue Ridge Mountains in this book.  It is a masterful blending of the past and the present.  It is also a talented blending of a story within a story.
Lisa has truly topped her previous stories with this one. I highly recommend this book, especially for those who are interested in reading an open honest book set in the south.
I read this book as part of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Book.
1950726
With Passion, Love, History, Family, and Church - "The Winds of Change" -- Unveils the Most Heartwarming Love Story to Date!

"A Heart Revealed" provides the perfect fusion of an abiding faith and romantic passion. The heroine, Emma Malloy, is a most sympathetic and lovable heroine. The reader may even come to think that Emma is 'too good to be true'...but she's not. She's real. She's worthy. She's someone a man could love without reservations. Yet, she's all too human.

"A Heart Revealed" tells a heartwarming love story which is central focus of this romance novel. Yet, "A Heart Revealed", is much more than a love story. It's a family history. It's a small slice of American history. And while it may rightly be called Christian Fiction, it could just as well be classified as historical fiction about an Irish Catholic family in Boston at the turn of the century and beyond.

I must say, that this series of books, "The Daughters of Boston" and "The Winds of Change", is very personal to me. I come from an Irish Catholic family that lived in the area during the years covered in this O'Connor family saga. A lot of my family still lives in the Boston area. Everything in the book is so real to me. The Catholic Church, the priests, the beliefs, practices and attitudes are all vividly real to me. I knew priests like Father Mack. I looked up to good men like the heroes in this saga. I don't think I've enjoyed a family series any more than I have this one by Julie Lessman. There's love and respect for her work found on every page. This whole Lessman series has the imprimatur of a life work.

Over 100 Reviews & Counting

As of today, "A Heart Revealed" , has been reviewed 114 times on Amazon alone. So I won't say too much about the story itself except that it's really four stories in one.

There is Luke & Katie's story. There's Mitch & Charity's story. (Charity is more 'Charity' than ever before!) There's Sean & Emma's story. (We get to see the real Emma at last). There's Patrick & Marcy's story. (Complete with Gabe's story). As expected, all these threads are woven together into a narrative that is greater than the sum of its parts. The reading enjoyment begins on the first page and continues right up to the dramatic conclusion.

The story:

The fifth O'Connor to face love and marriage, Sean O'Connor, is the hero in this story. Emma Malloy is the heroine. She is married but estranged from her husband who lives back in Ireland. He abused her often and finally when he scared her face with hot oil, she left him. Emma is a saint to all who know her but she is much more than meets the eye. Even the people who know her best don't really know her. This is a very complicated story which surprised me again and again. I loved it pure and simple.

I believe that each book read in this "O'Connor Family" series leverages the reading enjoyment gained from reading the next book. I highly recommend reading the books in order; however, "A Heart Revealed" stands on its own and will provide a wonderful reading experience. I also think it would be enjoyable to read "A Heart Revealed" first and then go back and read the rest of the books in order. I often do this when I have not read the early books in a series.

To make it easy to learn about and find the other books in the series, I am listing them below.

Book One: "A Passion Most Pure"
Book Two: "A Passion Redeemed"
Book Three: "A Passion Denied"
Book Four: "A Heart Undaunted"
Book Five: "A Heart Revealed"

"A Heart Revealed" - The Best Book Yet!
1312423
I so enjoyed all four of these stories! They are set in the Missouri Ozarks near where I live, so it was fun to read the familiar names and descriptions from Branson and Springfield. They are clean, Christian romances with two of the stories centering around the Fleming family who owns a theater in Branson and the other two stories being about friends of the family. The characters in the next story are familiar from the one before so you get to peek back at the happy couples from before to see how they are doing. Two of the ladies in the stories deal with the challenge of blindness and a couple of the stories had a thread of mystery running through them. Helen Gray is becoming one of my favorite authors. I've read several of her other books and enjoyed all of them.
2565607
Absolutely the very best that I have read from Tracie Peterson so far. "A Promise to Believe In" is creative, moving, funny, adventurous, and endearing. I just loved it. It had all of the elements that I have come to love of historical novels from Tracie Peterson.

In many historicals, a reader can find a novel telling the story of three characters, in this case sisters, and then the next two books in the trilogy will continue the story of a different character. This is the first book that I have read that I knew was more about one sister than the others, but it did not feel that way. I got some insight and background on each sister and was feeling for them and loving them all from the beginning in different ways, yet not more than the other. It makes me even more excited for the continuing books that I would have been otherwise.

Gwen Gallatin learns or at least God attempts to put her in positions to learn of his love and grace and this book is a fabulous tool to learn some pure motives to check your own thoughts and opinions of yourself and those around you.

An absolutely pleasure filled read full of the glory and grace of God in the characters and their actions. I can definitely see a continuing story building of how good will triumph in the name of God. Keep the books coming Tracie, I want more!!
676943
Really love Lisa Wingate's books. This is short little "novella" type work that gives a little background to "the Prayer Box", which I loved. Very quick read. I find Wingates books very refreshing in today's literature---I love her reverence for and connection to past, to family, and to finding personal wisdom and understanding. I love that she writes a clean, engaging story without resorting to sordid and graphic sex and violence. Her characters are imperfect but able to draw appropriate responses from the reader. I have often found her books to be page turners I read into the night. I am always a little sad when they are "over" --and the stories have enough surprises to keep me coming back. There are similar themes in a number of her books, but they are not what I would call formulaic plots. Very enjoyable. I am working my way through her catalog of works.
4643119
This book slants toward the mainstream more than some of Lisa Wingate's other books.  Lisa manages to show real people who live life and yet the faith is always in the background.  I love that.  Excellent read!
2391539
If you are looking for a historical christian read with a lot of humor, run out and grab a copy of this book today!!

I may be mistaken but I'm pretty sure I've never read anything by Jen Turano prior to picking this one up to read. I am already anxiously awaiting the next story in this series as I love the style of writing Jen uses to convey her story. The humor in the book is very appropriate and a few times I even found myself snorting because the situation was so funny! Sometimes, they are even subtly funny, which to me makes it even more interesting.

Miss Permilia Griswold is a known wallflower in social circles. She bumbles through events and then faces the wrath of her step-mother and step-sister. They simply don't understand why Permilia insists on being frugal with her purchases, especially when it comes to social attire!! Imagine Miss Permilia's horror when Asher Rutherford comes here way at the largest social event of the year, held at the Vanderbilt mansion! Of course, she loses all sense of polite society graces and actually appears that she may have insulted the greatest fashion merchant in the area. Something really attracts Asher to Permilia and she to him and they find themselves dancing. Permilia manages to blunder through that as well and can only save Asher's reputation by composing an article utilizing her secret talents as Ms. Quill.

During a rather daring adventure during the Vanderbilt event, Permilia finds herself in a predicament, overhearing a plot that could change many events in coming days. How will she protect those she cares about?

There were so many elements in this book that made it extremely enjoyable. As previously mentioned, I loved the humor scattered throughout. Without trying to spoil too much, during a scene with the Huxley sisters, I couldn't help but think of a Miranda Lambert song ("Mama's Broken Heart"--even though the storyline of the song did not match their story) and it made a very serious situation a little humorous to me. I also loved the adventure scattered throughout this story. Permilia is full of sass and is surely a very independent woman of her time. The romance is subtle but the forces of attraction are very strong.

I would recommend this book to lovers of historical christian fiction who enjoy humor and romance. I am looking forward to the next book in this series!!

Many thanks to Bethany House Publishing and Jen Turano for providing a complimentary review copy of this book through NetGalley. The thoughts expressed in this review are my own.
137492
There is just something about Biblical fiction that always warms my heart. The story about Martha is another fabulous title from Ms. Taylor! Now I am even more hooked on her writing. I found myself reading several portions of this story out loud to my husband. For me, there is something special about a book where the Scripture is actually part of the story. I found the writing to be smooth flowing as well, and very insightful.

While staying true to the Biblical account of the story of Martha, so much more was added to bring this story to life. And the part where Lazarus is raised from the dead was even more incredible when seen through Martha's eyes. Technically we don't know what Martha was really thinking, however, the author did a great job of showing what she may have thought at the time. It was very believable and showed her motivations and reasons for her struggles and frustrations very well.

What I loved most about this story as well as Ms. Taylor's other story about the woman at the well was the way that she took a lot of the assumptions people have made over the years about both of these women and made their stories come to life in a way that made sense regarding those accounts. The author put flesh on the characters, showed their motivations, and made them so human that they are easy to identify with. No one is all evil just as no one is all good. This story will change the way you may have always thought about Martha. I  love stories that challenge my assumptions. I found that very refreshing.
566590
Once again Lisa Wingate spins a wonderful story that not only was delightful to read but filled with interesting information.  So well researched.  I can hardly wait for her next book!
4528432
Love this book by Lisa Wingate and all her others. Seller is reliable and delivery on time. Would highly recommend this product to others.
4496230
You all know how much I enjoy historical Christian fiction. It is my favorite genre of books to read. And one of the most well known authors in this genre is Lori Copeland. I don't think I have ever met someone who likes historical Christian fiction that has not heard of her before. So when I saw her new book, Love Blooms in Winter, I just knew it would be on my wish list:)

Like I said above, Lori Copeland is a well known name in Christian fiction. She did not disappoint with this book. It is somewhat humorous and yet, a lot of good lessons in here as well. Waiting on the Lord is well worth it and at times, you have to decide and take your chances.

The whole plot of the story is a young woman who takes care of an older lady, Pauline. Mae knows she is getting older and having trouble remembering things and she gets worried. When Mae goes looking for Pauline's relatives, all she can find is a piece of paper with a name and an address on it. So she writes this man, explaining everything that is going on. You also find out that Mae is almost engaged to a man in town but he will not propose to her. There is not a lot of excitement and there aren't many young single men. You get the idea:)

In the meantime, The young man she wrote, Tom, gets these letters but thinks at first they are a joke from his co-workers. When he finally decides to make a visit and see if he knows this older woman he also gets a raise in his job. So he has something to come back to. Well, as you can see, this gets pretty interesting:) I don't want to spoil it too much for those who have not read this book, but it gets pretty fun. There is a side plot too of Mae's best friend who happens to be a lady who raises pigs:D Boy does she get hysterical! One of my favorite parts is when Mae and Tom are in the general store and get playing around with the root beer. Guess who happens to walk in? You got it!

Needless to say, a fun quick read. This is a smaller book and good for the person who likes a faster read. Definitely worth the price though! Nothing questionable at all in this book! Give me more like it:) Looking forward to the next one in the series as well.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my review purposes from Harvest House Publishing. I did not receive any monetary compensation. All thoughts are 100% mine.
4455538
Beautiful, stunning, educating historical fiction. Lisa See does it again! I truly loved this book.
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, the latest book by Lisa See, is fascinating fiction that tells the story of mothers and daughters, and also talks about tea production, specifically the production of Puer. With fully realized characters and a beautiful story, this is perhaps my favorite of Lisa Sees books, and one I will read again.
The book starts out in 1988 and we get a look at how the Akha people in the tea mountains of China live. We read about their beliefs and how they enforce their beliefs, and these sections are interesting. When the book first began, I wasn't really sure if I was connecting to the story, but then a horrific childbirth scene happens that changes the trajectory of the novel, and I was hooked and could not put the book down.
Our main character is Li-yan, a young Akha girl who wants an education and to someday leave the mountains. Li-yan is a compelling heroine; one whom you root for and long for her to find her happiness. When Li-yan has her baby girl, and gives her up for adoption, the book starts to give glimpses into the babys life. The baby, who happens to be adopted by an American couple, is named Haley, and the book doesnt give us too much of her life; it gives us just enough, and this was wise of Lisa See, as the more interesting story here is that of Li-yan, and Li-yans mother, So-sa.
Li-yan comes from a long line of tea pickers, and the history of tea making and production, and the making of teacakes was fascinating.
Li-yans mother, So-sa, was my favorite character. So-sa, a midwife and medicine woman was full of mystery and depth. As this book is about mothers and daughters, and while the relationship between Li-yan and Haley is a driving force of the book, the relationship between Li-yan and her mother was compelling and fascinating as well.
Without going into too much detail as to the story, the one complaint readers might have is that everything may be tied up too neatly at the end. The book starts out with the line No coincidence, no story, and I thought the story and the plotting was excellent and the tidying up of the plot didn't bother me. It just felt right and truly satisfying.
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane will make fans of Lisa See very happy, and this is a book that book clubs will be discussing for years. I can hardly wait to discuss it with my own book club someday!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. This review first posted on my blog, luvtoread.