The Sheepish Scribe

Courting Hope by Jenna Mindel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Nothing ruins your day like learning your old flame is your new boss – and your new pastor. Especially when your old flame never returned the feelings – and was involved in your sister’s accidental death.

Hope Petersen would like nothing more than to quit and walk away, but if she does, she loses her chance of opening a Christian preschool. Sinclair Marsh would rather use the money to build a youth center for the teens.

Working side-by-side as pastor and secretary, they are thrown together far too often for comfort. Sinclair hardly recognizes his “buddy” from their teen years. Hope can’t trust Pastor Marsh isn’t the same reckless young man she knew as Sin.

Sparks fly from the first page in this rollicking and spirited romance. Plenty of twists to keep the reader turning the pages. I can highly recommend this book!

Widow of Gettysburg by Jocelyn Green

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A gut-punching novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat all the way through.  You'll re-live the battle of Gettysburg at a whole new level.  From the viewpoint of the civilians caught between armies, you'll hear the cannon, smell the gun powder, and hide your eyes from the carnage around you.

Powerful.  Sobering.  Inspiring. 

This isn't a light afternoon read.  This book will challenge how you view one of the most important battles ever fought in the history of our country.  It will also inspire you to look again at the ordinary citizens who do extraordinary things.  Many of the citizens of Gettysburg lost everything in the battle.  Fields were destroyed.  Homes were damaged or destroyed.  Possessions were stolen or wrecked.  Food and animals were taken.  Then the soldiers - those who could - left.  The dead remained.  And so did the wounded... for months and months.

Follow the Widow of Gettysburg as she survives the battle, the aftermath, and the revolution of who she really is. 

Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a fun read with interesting characters.  Loved the pluckiness of Joanna and Crockett's steady character.  More character than plot driven, they include a flirty young woman, a grouchy old woman, the young scamp of a neighbor boy, and Joanna's father - the ex-outlaw and his gang-members-turned-ranch-hands.  How they all mesh together after a less than cordial start makes for a good story.  Through it all runs a deep thread of faith that binds them together.  Well worth the read!  Suitable for any age.

A Noble Groom by Jody Hedlund

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A could-not-put-it-down ending. Loved this reverse Cinderella story. My mother's family were German immigrant farmers in Michigan, so the whole story hits close to home. But it's also a well written, heart-thumping romance.

Carl Richards can't ever tell the German immigrants who have taken him in who he really is when the soft and spoiled son of nobility finds himself down-and-out in a foreign land. Annalisa Werner's first marriage wasn't ideal, or even happy, but she's willing to marry the man her father chooses for her sight unseen. Until Carl arrives. Annalisa must learn to trust, but can she trust a man with a shady past?

Highly recommended and a book I would read again - it's that good.

Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin by Pamela S. Meyers

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Meg Alden wants to make it in a man's world. She bucks tradition, her father, and her boss to wiggle her way toward the glass ceiling. But when a report's position opens at the small press in Lake Geneva, the job goes to a stranger - a man - who steals more than just Meg's dream job.

Suitable for all ages, this is a fun read that allows a peek into the vastly changing world of America in the 1930s.

Every Hill and Mountain by Deborah Heal

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Engaging story with a high-tech paranormal element.  This is the third book in the series and I highly recommend reading the books in order.  I read this one first and struggled to connect to the characters and sort out the references to past action.  Once that clicked, I was caught up in the story as it unfolded.

The concept is a computer program that can take you into the past to virtually experience the lives of others.  An invaluable research tool, it could also be a disaster in the wrong hands.  Abby and her friends set out to learn more about Kate's family tree but in the process, they uncover a dark secret that has shadowed a small town for over a century.

This book is not suitable for young readers.  There are some adult scenes and references to rape and brutality involving slavery.  Not an overtly Christian book, it does contain a solid moral message.  I recommend this one to readers who enjoy history with some paranormal or fantasy elements.

Broken Trust by Sharon Dunn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nice story about redeeming relationships tucked into an action packed agenda. At times it stretched credibility - but the characters are so engaging that I could overlook those. A female sheriff and a handsome Federal Agent reopen an old romance while working to uncover a subversive group tucked into the rugged wilds of Montana. Worth the read.