WITH YOU ALWAYS By Jody Hedlund

When we think we have it rough, it is nothing compared to the real hardships our ancestors endured in the founding of our country. In "With You Always" we meet Elise Neumann and her sisters. They are grateful for the meager housing and food they are receiving compared to living on the streets. 

When rioting occurs in the streets because the poor are starving and can't find jobs to support their families, Elise meets Thornton Quincey who comes to their aid and helps protect them until things quieten down in the streets. They come to a casual acquaintance and admiration for each other; but Elise doesn't realize who Thornton really is and Thornton doesn't recognize any of the real struggles that Elise and her family are going through.

Thornton is from a well to do family. In fact, his family are Railroad Barons and his father wants the legacy to be left to whom he thinks can best run it. The father, in failing health, gives his twin sons a challenge to build a town on the rail line that prospers and to fall in love and marry within six months. 

Elise, in the meantime, finds her self traveling Thornton's rail line to a job where she hopes to send money home to bring the rest of her family out to a better life. But she finds things are not what she is expecting. She issues her own challenge to Thornton after she discovers his real identity.

Will Thornton become a better man if he accepts and meets Elise's challenges? Will Elise discover that Thornton is a man worthy to lose her heart to and will she lose her heart to a man that must choose another?

I adjure you to accept the challenge to read this book. It is well worth finding the answers and deserves to be on your reading shelf. I received this novel for an honest review from Bethany House.

CHERISHED MERCY By Tracie Peterson

Cherished Mercy is the final novel in a series by Tracie Peterson about the early pioneers on the Oregon Trail and the historical events such as the Massacre at the Whitman Mission. Mercy is the youngest sister who survived and is now grown. She has been asked to join some missionary friends, the Brownings in a much more primitive area to aid the wife. Eletta, in her pregnancy. The area is in turmoil as the Indians and white settlers are in conflict. Her family encouraged her not to go but she feels called and her faith leads her to trust her instincts and help her friends

Adam Browning is the brother of Eletta's husband. He has Indian blood himself and has bitter feelings from an earlier rejection by his fiancee when his heritage was revealed. He doesn't want another relationship and further he doesn't trust that Mercy has the strength or right motive for coming.

Complicating matters, the Brownings are the adoptive parents of Mercy's sister Hope's daughter born of rape during the massacre. Though Mercy is aware of the child's heritage, the Brownings don't realize she knows.

So Adam and Mercy, both, have traumatic pasts and complicated feelings filtered through misinformation that makes any relationship for them difficult; however as things come to a head and a tragedy strikes, they must learn to trust in and lean on each other.

This was an enjoyable read that created great closure to a very informative historical series. I received this novel form Netgalley for an honest review. I recommend this series if you enjoy historical romance.

LOVE HELD CAPTIVE By Shelley Shepard Gray

Major Ethan Kelly and Captain Devin Monroe have more than their friendship in common; both served with distinction for the Confederacy and both ended their service in a military prison. Now they both find themselves in love with women that have suffered during the war, as well but at the hand of a fellow service member and prisoner.

Lizbeth Barclay finds herself at the mercy of her former abuser and runs right into the room of Major Ethan Kelly. She works at this establishment, owned by her relatives, as a maid and hopes to hide out in this unoccupied room until it's safe. However she quickly finds Major Kelly is in residence. But she still loses her job when her cousin finds her there. Major Kelly, recognizes her from the war and feels compelled to come to her rescue and protection.

Captain Monroe decides to call on the woman who has captured his imagination since the war and hopes to court her. She decides to be honest with him and share her secret for how she survived the war and he leaves angry and disappointed. She feels hurt and disappointed and believes she'll never see him again.

Enter Colonel Adam Bushnel, a villain, anyone would despise, definitely not a man of honor especially when he shoots Captain Monroe in the back.

Ms. Gray definitely has a keeper here. All her characters are survivors in need of mercy, grace, and forgiveness. The romance is tender and sweet and worth the time to read. I received this novel from Netgalley for my honest review.

BELOVED HOPE By Tracie Peterson

Beloved Hope is the second in a series Heart of the Frontier by Tracie Peterson. It can be a stand alone but there is helpful information to be had if you read Treasured Grace first. 

Hope struggles with the trauma and violation she endured as a captive during the massacre at the Whitman mission. Even more a reminder, it the fact that she became pregnant and bore a child as a result, a child she gave up. Now she is being asked to testify at the trial for some of those who perpetrated the crime.

Lance Kenner, an army lieutenant, commissioned to protect the defendants observes the young woman in the courtroom and becomes intrigued; then he finds her, as she slipped past his men into the jail, with a gun pointed at the man who had raped her repeatedly. He calmly disarms her and escorts her home. Thus Hope begins, reluctantly, a relationship with the Lieutenant which they labeled only friendship.

However, Lieutenant Kenner has a history of his own and harbors a revengeful heart against the man who killed his brother. That man unbeknownst to both him and Hope, until later, is Hope's brother-in-law, Alex, married to her sister Grace.

Everything comes to a head when Lance, now out of the military, is asked by her family to go after Alex, who has been severely injured by a bear and bring him home.

Will Hope learn to let go of her hurts and to love and trust again? Will Alex let go of his plans for vengeance and learn to forgive, instead?

Beloved Hope has many lessons to teach us of faith, love and Hope. I recommend this for your reading shelf, especially the whole series. I received this book from Bethany House and Netgalley for my honest review.

TO WAGER HER HEART By Tamera Alexander

This is a wonderful historical novel, very educational, with enough romance to satisfy your heart. Many of us have no idea of what the freed slaves suffered. Contrary to history, many were no more welcome in the north than in the south. Pulling themselves up from the boots of slavery to a better life through education was, for some, just a dream.

I really enjoyed the relationships and descriptions of the struggles of those at Fisk University. I know from growing up in the south that there are those of us who believe in treating a person as Jesus would have no matter the color of their skin and I know those who do mistreat others for the color of their skin.

As for the romance, the story of Alexandra Jamison and her sacrifices to become a better person and of Sy Rutledge, a man of integrity, striving to clear his father's name and treat his memory with honor--tugs at the heart strings and is very believable as the relationship takes time to build. It is a page turner with an ending worth waiting for.

I received this novel from netgalley for an honest review. Like most of Ms. Alexander's novels I highly recommend this for your keeper shelf.

SWEETBRIAR COTTAGE By Denise Hunter

Denise Hunter always writes good stuff. Most anything she writes could and should be on your keeper shelf. Sweetbriar Cottage is no exception. She deals with a very difficult subject of child abuse as it affects the adult and especially their marriage. I really liked how she allowed you to see the relationship of estranged husband and wife through each of their eyes.

Josephine has kept her secret, never revealing it to her husband even through the intimate times of marriage; but she only has told his best friend, a Pastor, during counseling and whom Josephine is afraid has revealed her deepest darkest secret.

The book opens with Noah Mitchell discovering that his divorce has not been final the last few years and confronting his supposedly ex-wife about it. When she arrives with revised papers, they become trapped in the midst of a snow storm that last 3 or 4 days and then further find themselves in a life threatening situation.

What do you do when your wife has hurt you but now reveals to you the childhood trauma that led to her actions but does so thinking she is about to die? Do you forgive her, and if so what then?

To find out the answers and more, I highly recommend this read. I received this novel from Netgalley for my honest review.

A LOVE SO TRUE By Melissa Jagears

Evelyn Wisely, the heroine of A Love so True has you on her side from the beginning. Of course you first meet her through the eyes of the hero, David Kingsley. David is on a mission to secretly get his father's business up to speed and then sell it, unbeknownst to his employees; however David has dreams and ideas of his own, and the more he becomes involved the more he wants to make it work and prove a point to his father.

In the meantime, David is intrigued with Evelyn and continues to follow her and insert himself into her Red Light District projects with the children. Over time, even over Evelyn's strong objections to David's overtures, both find themselves falling in love with each other; but Evelyn has a really big secret--one that could keep them apart for good.

David's Dad shows up and everything climaxes when Evelyn reveals to David her secret. David heads back home and Evelyn finds that her problem has resolved itself but is it too late.

Melissa Jagears does a great job with a roller coaster romance and also with dealing with complicated social issues. Her Teaville Society series introduces you to many characters with much depth. I recommend it for your reader shelf. I received this from Netgalley and from Bethany House Blogger Reviews for my honest review.