"Beloved" by Robin Lee Hatcher

  

Diana is ready to begin a new chapter in her life-until the husband she believed dead reappears at her engagement party.

Diana Brennan came west on the orphan train and was given a home with a loving couple who cherished and spoiled her. At 17, she fell hard for Tyson Applegate, the son of a wealthy mine owner. After a whirlwind courtship and marriage, Tyson took off for adventures around the world, including fighting with the Rough Riders in Cuba. Receiving no word from him in years, Diana's infatuation with her dashing husband died an ugly death, and she is ready to move past the old pain and marry again, just as soon as Tyson is declared legally dead.

But when Tyson returns, claiming to be a changed man, he wants to reunite with his wife and run for the senate. While Diana suspects the election is his real reason for wanting her by his side, she agrees to maintain his home and to campaign with him, but when it is over, win or lose, she wants her freedom.

He agrees with one condition---she must give him a chance to change her mind about him.

Beloved is the perfect conclusion to Hatcher's latest series.  Diana has the ultimate problem - she's prepared to marry again and secure her future when her thought-to-be-dead husband reappears and ruins her plans.  Figuring out what to do next takes both Diana and Tyson on a faith journey that involves a sick dog, demanding parents, a kidnapper, thief, a senatorial election, and a few mysteries, besides.  I like the way that each of these obstacles were used not only to advance the plot in action but to allow the characters to grow in their faith, as well.

For while you simultaneously want to cheer on Diana and Tyson's marriage while beating him up for being a selfish cad, ultimately you want them to grow.  To grow together and to grow up in maturity.  It becomes less about the love story and more about the faith, although the growing of the faith allows forgiveness to fall and love to bloom.

I was excited to read this third installment in the series as I've read the other two and enjoyed them.  I don't think the ending would have been as clear if I hadn't read them, however, for one very specific reason:  a character from one of the other books appears during the climax of this book, and as soon as a resolution is reached, the book jumps from the end of this book to a scene which closes out the series.  I think it suits the series well but is a bit abrupt for this book, so it might help smooth out that transition if you read the series in order.

All in all, Hatcher is a master of historical love stories.  This one is certainly no exception.

Read other reviews in this bloggy hop here or purchase your own copy here now.

Robin is the author of 65+ novels and novellas. Her home is in Idaho, where she spends her time writing stories of faith, courage, and love; pondering the things of God; and loving her family and friends.

Learn more at: http://www.robinleehatcher.com

I received a free copy of Beloved from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

"A Bride for All Seasons" Review

It All Started with an Ad in a Mail Order Bride Catalogue . . . Melvin Hitchcock of the Hitching Post Mail Order Bride Catalog isn't dishonest---not exactly. If he tweaks his clients' applications a bit, it's because he's looking out for their best interests. This charming bouquet of novellas introduces four Hitching Post prospects in the year 1870, each one eager for second chances . . . and hungry for happiness. Year in, year out, they'll learn that love often comes in unexpected packages. And Then Came Spring by Margaret Brownley Mary-Jo has been unlucky all her life. But who would guess she'd travel halfway across the country to meet her match . . . only to find him dead! An Ever-After Summer by Debra Clopton Ellie had no idea she's not what Matthew ordered. And what's wrong with being a "Bible thumper" anyway? She's determined to show him she's tougher than she looks---and just the girl he needs. Autumn's Angel by Robin Lee Hatcher Luvena would be perfect for Clay if she didn't come with kids. But kids are a deal breaker, especially in a rough-and-trouble mining town. The trouble is, there's no money to send them back. . . Winter Wedding Bells by Mary Connealy David's convinced he's not long for the world. He needs someone to mother his boys when he's gone---nothing more. Can plucky Irish Megan convince him to work at living instead of dying? A Bride for All Seasons has something for everybody.  With faithful characters and not, some interested in love and others running from it, from robust cowboys to opera singers and those just shy of dying, there's a character for everyone in this anthology.   My favorites, of course, were Mary-Jo and Ellie.  I love their pluckiness in the face of diversity, and Megan comes in hard on their heels for just the same reason.  Their sheer determination and grit reminds me of just how easy many of us find basic life now - and how blessed we are if we have made our own love match. The premise of the story was pure hilarity -  or, it would be, if it had not left so many people in such dire straits.  Can you not picture a skinny little bean-pole of a man seeing himself as Cupid and trying to 'improve upon' the ads that were sent to his mail-order-bride catalogue?   The only issue I had with this book is that the stories are short - which, by definition to fit inside an anthology, they must be.  Most of the characters had the depth built into their backgrounds to be much more than a short story, and so I kept expecting more twists and turns than the author had time to build in.  I think that's a good thing, that I wasn't ready to turn the last page on these characters, so I'm definitely looking forward to the next adventure penned by these four. You  can read other reviews on this bloggy hop here; or, click over here to purchase your own copy now. Margaret Brownley is a NEW YORK TIMES best-selling author and has penned more than twenty-five historical and contemporary novels. @margaretbrownley    Robin Lee Hatcher is a Christy and RITA award-winning author. Her books often appear on bestseller lists. @robinleehatcher    Mary Connealy is a Carol Award winner, an a RITA, Christy and Inspirational Reader's Choice finalist. @MaryConnealy    Debra Clopton is an award winning author of sweet, heartfelt, western romance that face life with a smile. With over 2 million books in print, Debra has her first book coming as a movie starring LeAnn Rimes. @debraclopton I received a free copy of A Bride for All Seasons from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.