My Bookshelf: Through the Deep Waters by Kim Vogel Sawyer

A past filled with shame can be washed away with a love that conquers all.

Born to an unloving prostitute in a popular Chicago brothel, timid seventeen-year-old Dinah Hubley was raised amidst the secrets held in every dark, grimy room of her home. Anxious to escape, Dinah pursues her dream of becoming a Harvey Girl, waiting tables along the railroad in an upscale hotel. But when she finds out she isn’t old enough, her only option is to accept a job as a chambermaid at the Clifton Hotel in Florence, Kansas. Eager to put everything behind her, Dinah feels more worthless than ever, based on a single horrible decision she made to survive.

The Clifton offers a life Dinah has never known, but blinded to the love around her, Dinah remains buried in the shame of her past. When a handsome chicken farmer named Amos Ackerman starts to show interest, Dinah withdraws further, convinced no one could want a sullied woman like her. Despite his self-consciousness about his handicapped leg and her strange behavior, Amos resolves to show Dinah Christ’s love. But can she ever accept a gift she so desperately needs?

Top Ten Tuesday: REWIND!

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is a rewind, which means everyone is either revisiting an old topic that they loved, or going back to do an older topic that they missed. I decided to revisit a favorite of mine and list some fantastic sequels that I’m looking forward to. (If you want to see my original post click here). All of the ones listed are sequels to some books that I absolutely loved, which has made me soooo ready to finally read the next installment in each series. Let’s get to that list! Oh, and if you want to see my review of any of the novels that come before these sequels, just click on the coral colored titles!

The Accidental Bride by Denise Hunter + A Linkup

When a wedding reenactment turns real, Shay finds she’s an accidental bride.

Shay Brandenberger is raising her daughter in Moose Creek, Montana, on her childhood ranch, nestled against the Yellowstone River. Despite the hard work, she can’t seem to keep her head above water—and now the bank is threatening to foreclose. She prays for a miracle, but the answer she receives is anything but expected.

Having agreed to play the bride in the Founders’ Day wedding reenactment, Shay is mortified to be greeted at the end of the aisle by none other than Travis McCoy, her high-school sweetheart—the man who left her high and dry for fame and fortune on the Texas rodeo circuit.

Then the unthinkable happens. Thanks to a well-meaning busybody and an absentminded preacher, the make-believe vows result in a legal marriage. But before Shay can say annulment, Travis comes up with a crazy proposal. If she refuses his offer, she may lose her home. If she accepts, she may lose her heart.

Shay isn’t sure if the recent events are God’s will or just a preacher’s blunder. Will trusting her heart to the man who once shattered it be the worst mistake of her life? Or could their marriage be the best accident that ever happened?

Currently—August

It’s August!!! I have to say, I’m not really all that excited about that because it means that school is coming, but on the other hand, it means football season is right around the corner! And as a huge football fan, that is a big deal for me. So, at least half of me is excited that it’s August, and I suppose that’s enough. I knew I’d have to go back to school eventually. Well, let’s get to what I’m currently up to this month!

My Bookshelf: Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer

When love simmers between a reclusive scientist and a wealthy debutante, will they abandon ship or is it full steam ahead?

Nicole Renard returns home to Galveston, Texas, to find her father deathly ill. Though she loves him, Nicole’s father has always focused on what she’s not. Not male. Not married. Not able to run Renard shipping.

Vowing to find a suitable husband to give her father the heir he desires before it’s too late, Nicole sets out with the Renard family’s greatest treasure as her dowry: the highly coveted Lafitte Dagger. But her father’s rivals come after the dagger, forcing a change in Nicole’s plans.

After a boiler explosion aboard the Louisiana nearly took his life, Darius Thornton has been a man obsessed. He will do anything to stop even one more steamship disaster. Even if it means letting a female secretary into his secluded world.

Nicole is determined not to let her odd employer scare her off with his explosive experiments, yet when respect and mutual attraction grow between them, a new fear arises. How can she acquire an heir for her father when her heart belongs to another? And when her father’s rivals discover her hiding place, will she have to choose between that love and her family’s legacy?

Top Ten Tuesday: A Gift Card? For Me?

So, let me start by telling you how much I LOVE this topic! I am absolutely obsessed with buying new—and used—books (like and good bookworm would be), so I can only imagine how fantastic it would be if I was turned loose in a bookstore with an unlimited budget! Because of the extensive list of all the books I would love to own, I knew as soon as I heard about this topic that I would have to find a way to slim the options down a bit. So, I’ve decided to list books by some of my favorite authors that I haven’t yet read but am dying to, and owning them would just make it that much easier. Well, let’s get to that list!

A Cowboy’s Touch by Denise Hunter + A Linkup

Abigail is just in Moose Creek, Montana for the summer to temporarily care for her great aunt. But a tender-hearted cowboy beckons her to stay.

Abigail Jones intends to spend just one summer in middle-of-nowhere Montana with her Aunt Lucy. Time away from her job is just what Abigail needs to reassess her life. The slow pace has her breathing deeply for the first time in years. And the majestic scenery encourages her to get reacquainted with herself…and God.

What she didn’t count on was the handsome widowed cowboy who owns the ranch where her aunt lives. When the rancher loses his daughter’s nanny, Abigail decides to lend a hand for the summer.

Wade Ryan can’t help being attracted to Abigail. But he’s given up everything to protect his daughter, and he’s not about to risk it all on a pretty face.

Under Abigail’s care, Wade’s home and daughter thrive. And with Wade’s touch, Abigail’ heart feels at home at last. But Abigail knows this elusive rancher is hiding something. Will her own secrets separate her from the cowboy who finally captured her heart?