Duck Days of Spring

Meet Me in St. Louis

A few weekends ago we spent the day downtown St. Louis.  We enjoyed a riverboat cruise and we a trip to the top of the Arch.  Here are a few pictures of the sites we seen. :):):)

Swept Away - A Book Review

When a cowboy focused on revenge encounters a woman determined to distract him there’s going to be trouble in Texas!

Back of the book excerpt:

Swept away when her wagon train attempts a difficult river crossing, Ruthy Macneil isn't terrible upset at being separated from the family who raised her.  All they've ever done is work her to the bone.  Alive but disoriented, she's rescued by Luke Stone so unfortunately, there are more chances to die in her immediate future.

Luke is on a mission to reclaim the ranch stolen from his family.  But the men currently on the property won't let it go without a fight.  Luke plans to meet up with friends who will help him take back the land, and since he can't just leave Ruthy in the middle of nowhere, she's going to have to go with him.

The more time Luke spends around the hardworking young woman, the more he finds himself thinking of things besides revenge.  Will Ruthy convince him to give up his destructive path and be swept away by love?

My thoughts:

I quickly became a fan of Mary Connealy when I read The Kincaid Bride Series and I was very excited for the chance to read Swept Away thinking it would be just as great as her last series. Unfortunately I was disappointed.

The author is known best for her historical romantic comedies and usually she has me chuckling through her books, however for this novel I felt it to be more silly than funny. I felt at times she was trying too hard to be funny. I also felt the story to be a bit unbelievable. I didn't feel that Ruthy, a young lady during that time period would be so willing to stay with a bunch of men and be so comfortable with it.

I did love the fact that the Kincaid Bride character's were intertwined with this series. Although none of the Kincaid brothers are in the book, the author connects the families and explains how they are related. I found this interesting and can't help but hope that in the future books of this series that we might see a reappearance of some of my favorite characters!

Although there were some suspenseful moments and lots of action I found the book to be rather boring. My favorite characters where not the main characters, but instead Dare and Glenna. The next book in the series is about them and the author included the first chapter of that book at the end of this one so I will give this series one more try when that book comes out. Hopefully I'll be pleased.

I will say that I have read a lot of super good books lately so maybe the bar has been raised and I am being too picky. Either way though, this book left me bored and wanting...wanting for it to be over.

***This book was provided to me by Bethany House Publisher in exchange for my honest review.

All In Good Time - A Book Review

About the book:

Dessa Caldwell has a dream to open Pierson House a refuge for former prostitutes, in Denver's roughest neighborhood.  After exhousting all charitable donations, Dessa still needs a loan.  her last hope hinges on the owner of Hawkins National Bank.

Henry Hawkins owns the most successful bank in town, but he has a secret.  His initial capital came from three stagecoach robberies.  To protect his past, he's built a fortress around his heart that no one can penetrate...until the day Dessa Caldwell ventures into his bank requesting a loan.

Though Henry is drawn to Dessa's passion, that same passion drives her to make rash decisions about Pierson House....and about whom she can trust.  One man might hold the key to the future of her mission-but he also threatens to bring Henry's darkest secrets to light.  As the walls around their hearts begin to crumble, Henry and Dessa must choose between their plans and God's, between safety and love.

My Thoughts:

I have mixed emotions about this book.  I thought the character's where interesting and the story line was good, but at times I felt it was a little slow paced and I had a hard time getting into the story.  Its starts with a Prologue and you read about Henry robbing a stage coach.  I was instantly entertained and thought it would be a great story, but when I began to read the chapters it didn't have the same "zing" for me as the prologue did.  I absolutely loved Bees in the Butterfly Garden by Maureen Lang so maybe I set the bar for this book too high.  Dessa really is a great character and  I thought it was kind of humorous how she was so over-zealous about her mission that sometimes it clouded her thinking and judgement.  I also enjoyed reading as Henry's cold heart begin to soften.  Another thing I love about Maureen Lang's writing style is how she intertwines a deep faith in God into the story.  All in all I would  say it is a good book.  Not great, but good.

***This book was provided to me by Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my review.

The Heiress of Winterwood - A Book Review

This is an excellent book!  It is a regency novel about Amelia Barret who is an heiress to a large estate.  She grew up without a mother and when her dear friend dies after giving birth she promises to take care of her baby.  Within the next few months Amelia raises baby Lucy as her own.  She loves her as much as a real mother could and is determined to do everything in her power to keep Lucy in her care.  The thought of Lucy growing up without a mother is more than Amelia can bare so she devises a plan.  When Graham, Lucy's father, a Captain who has been away at sea for a long period of time, returns home Amelia knows she must do something drastic. She asks Graham, a complete strange, to marry her.

When tragedy strikes and Lucy disappears and an ominous ransom note is left, Amelia and Graham are determined to bring the baby that they both love back home safely.

From the very first paragraph of this book I was hooked.  I loved the characters and the Author Sarah Ladd penned the story in such a way that captivated my interest!  This book has it all!  Suspense, adventure, history and love.   The only negative thing I can say is that I got very little sleep until it was finished.  I couldn't put the book down!!!  I can't wait to read more from this Author!


***This book was provided to me through the booksneeze book review program in exchange for my review.