Linda GoodnightBesprekingen

This book was the perfect mixture of romance and suspense. This book kept me enagaged and guessing. I would higly recommend this novel.

3.5 stars (rating shown may differ depending on site).

A friend (MH) sent me this book.

Sage's coping mechanism for years has been to run away, so little wonder that she grabs her niece and nephew and runs away. I understand the run away before they hurt you or abandon you mentality.

Bowie's and Sage's history makes the pace of their relationship more believable. Their histories also make their understanding of Paisley and Ryder work.

I liked learning a little about leather working through Bowie. I liked Ms. Bea having a gathering place (bakery) where many ages felt comfortable and safe and being concerned about leaving her town with no other place like that.½

I enjoyed reading book three of the Honey Ridge series so I had to read book one to see how it started. Excellent, I loved both families during different time periods who inhabited the home at Peach Orchard Farms and how they overcame difficulties put on them, or of their own making. I now want to read book two.

This book is on sale in the Kindle store this month, and I enjoyed the sample, so I scooped it up. It's pretty much exactly what it says on the tin: Annalisa Keller is running for her life after being assaulted by her boyfriend on a deserted road near the infamous Whisper Falls, Arkansas. The story of the falls is that if you pray behind the waterfall, God will answer your prayers, and she is certainly praying for assistance: battered, bruised, and with a broken arm, she needs all the help she can get.

The falls skirt Austin Blackwell's land, and he spotted her as she was tripping through the mountains. He's concerned because of her obviously broken arm and goes after her. He hauls her into town to the doctor, pays for her pain meds, and takes her back to the ranch he shares with his sister, Cassie. Annalisa hides in shame and tries to lie to him about what happened, but he isn't buying it. After a few days, she tells him what happened, but she also tells him that she's not going to rely on him to sort things out for her. She wants to start her life over, and Whisper Falls is as good a place as any to do it.

Austin wouldn't really know. He's made a recluse of himself on his ranch, and with good reason: there's a pretty ugly secret from his past that he's running from, one that no one but his sister knows about. He's determined to hide in his own shame, and does it for most of the story. It's a pretty spectacular secret; the author pulls no punches there, I have to give her credit for that.

The inevitable happens: Annalisa and Austin live in fear of her ex coming back, which he eventually does. It turns into a showdown with the town, and it's a fairly decent climax to the story. A bit dramatic, but everyone's secrets come pouring out, and both Austin and Annalisa learn what real love is, both romantic and familial, as the townspeople absorb their backgrounds and stand with them anyway.

The romance was quiet and sweet, and I enjoyed Austin and Annalisa's journey towards each other and facing their respective pasts. The "God stuff" was laid on a little too thick for my tastes, but I knew what I was coming in for with a LoveInspired novel, so no surprises. I do appreciate that the two don't immediately tie the knot at the end (having known each other for less than a year after a three-month jump in the epilogue), but the author also shoves in a long-lost family reunion at literally the last second that was completely unbelievable. Maybe it would've fit if the book wasn't category length, but it just stuck out like a sore thumb to me.

This was more of a library-level of enjoyment than a bought-book level of enjoyment for me. I'm curious about the rest of the series, as I did enjoy the townsfolk (very small town/women's-fiction-y vibe in that sense), but I don't think I'll be buying any more of the books.

This is book 3 and once again I didn’t read book 1 and it didn’t matter because even though there are references to past circumstances, it still reads as a stand-alone story. The novel takes place in two time periods, current day at the Peach Tree Inn, and later on in 1875 at the Peach Tree Farm which is the same property. In the current time Grayson Blake has come home to Tennessee to buy the old gristmill across from the Peach Tree Inn and make it into a restaurant. He and his brother Devlin are staying at the Inn while the work starts at the mill. As soon as he arrives he sees that one of the Inn’s owners is his childhood crush Valery Carter, a former ballet dancer who he thought had found fame and success in New York. Although Grayson still feels attracted to Valery they are complete opposites, he is all business all the time and she is a party girl with lots of admirers, or so it seems outwardly; but both have secrets and baggage from the past. As much as their relationship doesn’t stand a chance, it also looks like the mill project won’t be happening either when they unearth a skeleton buried in the basement. There are a lot of civil war artifacts found at the Mill and the Inn and that leads us to the other time period with Ben and Tandy and more characters that drew me into their lives. This author did a great job pulling all the stories together and each character adds so much that I felt attached to them emotionally, wanting the best for them and fearing the worst. I now need to read from the beginning and just picked up The Memory House which is book 1.

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I really enjoyed this Love Inspired, clean, romance. I bought this at a local store and I voluntarily chose to review this story. I've given it a 5* rating It's a second chance for this couple with a child unknown to him. Lots going on in this story and plenty to enjoy. Add a agent that's a scoundrel and there is more underlying their relationship.

LOVED it!!!!

A friend (MH) sent me this title in a box of books. I don't think I've read any in the subseries previously though I have read other titles by this author.

I liked the Buchanon family--or what little I got to know of them in this book since Quinn was a bit estranged from them as he tried to hide his problems. I liked Gena's idea of helping more in the small town setting (compared to what she might have in the bigger city).

I don't recommend detoxing the way Quinn did (without medical advice or supervision of any type).

I liked that Quinn found a purpose in helping current students learn football even though he wasn't the same player he'd been at their age. It is true that sometimes you can help others even if you can't still do the thing yourself.

I also liked the kittens.

I kind of felt like the plot is a reworked one: kid's mother dies but she makes kid's guardian promise not to tell the kid who his father is or to tell the kid's father that the kid exists. Guardian ends up in contact with the father and finds out he's not the ogre the kid's mother made him out to be.

To be honest I'm more of a horror fan than a romance fan. However, I do have one weakness. I love reading books set in the American South and I don't even mind romance that much if I get a good mystery and that was what appealed to me with this book.

A skeleton found that dates back to the Civil War. I was curious and I wanted to know more. Now, this is the third book in a series, I haven't read the previous two books, but that doesn't hinder one from enjoying this book. If you are anything like me will you probably be eager to get the two books after finishing this one.

Now, the story isn't filled with that many surprises. It was easy to figure out most of what would happen next. However, it's an enjoyable book. Sure, I had moments when I thought the drama between Grayson and Valery dragged out a bit. I mean I wanted to know more about the skeleton from the Civil War not the skeletons from Valery's past. Or rather, it was not hard to figure out what she was hiding and I just wanted her to tell Grayson. But, then again she's a southern belle, and her mama has sworn her never to talk about her problems. Because, you never talk about your problems, you drink instead.

There is also parallel storyline from just after the Civil War about the family that used to live at Peach Orchard Inn before it was an inn and just a farm and I quite enjoyed the back and forth between the present story and the one in the past. Now I just want to know what happened to Valery's nephew that went missing years before. Hopefully, a book in this series will deal with that.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

To be honest I'm more of a horror fan than a romance fan. However, I do have one weakness. I love reading books set in the American South and I don't even mind romance that much if I get a good mystery and that was what appealed to me with this book.

A skeleton found that dates back to the Civil War. I was curious and I wanted to know more. Now, this is the third book in a series, I haven't read the previous two books, but that doesn't hinder one from enjoying this book. If you are anything like me will you probably be eager to get the two books after finishing this one.

Now, the story isn't filled with that many surprises. It was easy to figure out most of what would happen next. However, it's an enjoyable book. Sure, I had moments when I thought the drama between Grayson and Valery dragged out a bit. I mean I wanted to know more about the skeleton from the Civil War not the skeletons from Valery's past. Or rather, it was not hard to figure out what she was hiding and I just wanted her to tell Grayson. But, then again she's a southern belle, and her mama has sworn her never to talk about her problems. Because, you never talk about your problems, you drink instead.

There is also parallel storyline from just after the Civil War about the family that used to live at Peach Orchard Inn before it was an inn and just a farm and I quite enjoyed the back and forth between the present story and the one in the past. Now I just want to know what happened to Valery's nephew that went missing years before. Hopefully, a book in this series will deal with that.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

Maybe I'll come back to this later but right now I'm just not in the mood.

well written story of 2 different women in 2 different times (present day and during the Civil War) who have difficult lives but manage to overcome. There is a romance for each but the central theme is really overcoming tragedy. My favorite character was Eli who was the modern day hero. He had been an out of control rich kid who ended up in prison, totally disowned by his family. He is out now and totally down on his luck when he becomes the heroine's handy man in order to provide for the son he has only now found out he has a six year old son born while he was in prison. His character was really the most clearly defined of any in the book and I just loved how he accepted his situation was his own fault and how he'd changed and was determined to lead a better life and be a better man for his son.

Claiming Her Legacy is the first book I’ve read by Linda Goodnight even though she’s authored a good number of books.

Goodnight brings the reader along as Willa and her two half-sisters fight to keep their home and Gideon fights his demons with whiskey. The first half of the book is focused on character development and setting up the second half of the book and drags once in a while, but the wait is worth the payoff.

And I can’t help but wonder whether we’ll see some of these secondary characters in future books.

Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

I am a sucker for a good frontier story. I blame Little House on the Prairie for a portion of that devotion, but I think it’s more about the grit and determination it must’ve taken to live during such primitive times, and Claiming Her Legacy shows a side that is hard to imagine.

Willa Malone is not only mourning the death of her father, who was killed in a senseless robbery while mining for gold, but is also tasked with caring for her two younger sisters, working their flailing homestead, and trying to repay the many debts that were left by her father. The desperation this poor woman feels is palpable, and my heart went out to her, almost feeling the weight mount on my own shoulders. She didn't ask for this lot in life, but she is fighting with everything she has, as this is truly her last shot. Talk about strength! I can only imagine that desperation!

Gideon Hartley, the washed up bounty hunter that Willa pesters like a gnat to help her find her father’s killer, is a character we all can identify with. He has quit the tracking life and has succumbed to escapism in the form of drinking, a vice that he can’t seem to free himself from. Though not all of us can understand that kind of thirst I believe we all have had a similar struggle in some form or another, and thus can identify the inner struggle that Gideon endures throughout the story.

Claiming Her Legacy is a novel that has it all. Suspense, intrigue, love, and hope shroud this story, enveloping you in this world. You will find yourself cheering for the girls, hoping that they will all get their happily ever after. They are truly inspiring in their own right, flaws and all. The ending is sheer perfection and I found myself with a goofy grin on my face, completely satisfied with this novel.

It’s truly a charming read and one that I highly recommend.

*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I received from the author/publisher through JustRead Tours. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own.

Willa Malone and her sisters are left in a hard place after their father is killed by a wanted outlaw. His debts threaten to take away their land, the only thing the sisters have left. Without any other option to pay back the loan on their farm, Willa decides she must hunt her father's killer for the reward money. When she asks handsome, troubled trail guide Gideon Hartley for help, she finds there is much more to him than he shows. Battling inner turmoil, dark pasts, rough wilderness, and dangerous gunmen, the two press on in an unforgettable and life-changing adventure.

Author Linda Goodnight writes a book that immediately catches your attention. I knew this was going to be a good read after just a few pages. Willa Malone and her sisters are relatable and feel like real people. Their struggles, along with Gideon and other characters, are raw and heartfelt. I truly enjoy when I feel like I can relate with the fictional people I am reading about. The action, adventure, and suspense throughout the book was well paced and addicting. The redemption, forgiveness, and grace rooted in scripture throughout was refreshing and inspiring. A sweet, clean romance tops off a wonderfully written western Christian fiction novel.

Willa Malone and her sisters are left in a hard place after their father is killed by a wanted outlaw. His debts threaten to take away their land, the only thing the sisters have left. Without any other option to pay back the loan on their farm, Willa decides she must hunt her father's killer for the reward money. When she asks handsome, troubled trail guide Gideon Hartley for help, she finds there is much more to him than he shows. Battling inner turmoil, dark pasts, rough wilderness, and dangerous gunmen, the two press on in an unforgettable and life-changing adventure.

Author Linda Goodnight writes a book that immediately catches your attention. I knew this was going to be a good read after just a few pages. Willa Malone and her sisters are relatable and feel like real people. Their struggles, along with Gideon and other characters, are raw and heartfelt. I truly enjoy when I feel like I can relate with the fictional people I am reading about. The action, adventure, and suspense throughout the book was well paced and addicting. The redemption, forgiveness, and grace rooted in scripture throughout was refreshing and inspiring. A sweet, clean romance tops off a wonderfully written western Christian fiction novel.

The story by Macomber was less than her best. Ashley acts like a teenager who is love sick for an older man. Although they are now 26 and 40 they both seemed like they had not dated, known each other for years and now notice each other and think they look amazing. Both very Christian stories. Story by Goodnight was much better. Jesse was so believable. He tried to just be a nice person but was so open to new ways of thinking. Learning that people can be nice cause they want to be rather than his get even attitude. Lindsey, owner of a tree farm, went overboard on wanting to be alone but used religion as a way to care about others. She was too willing to be a mother.

Not for me.
Christian romance.

This book came to me via two friends, one of whom passed it on to the other and the second passed it on to me.

My main complaint about this line of books is the repetitive nature of the plots, which is found in both of the stories here. Goodnight's story is basically the female character doesn't want to talk to the male character because he hurt her in the past. Manley's story is two people who have been hurt by love in the past not wanting to love again because of the hurt it could bring. Both themes have been used ad nauseum in this genre so if one wants to wow me, the story has to be something special. These really aren't, though I did enjoy the interaction of the girls in Manley's story.

My other complaint is that if you pay attention in Goodnight's book, the result of Manley's book is already known. In fact, for quite a while, I was griping that the publisher should have put Manley's book first in the collection to avoid telegraphing that--but then, in Manley's book, there's at least one line that indicates the main characters from Goodnight's book are seeing each other. So, which story occurred chronologically first? Taken together, both stories have inconsistencies that say they can't even be taking place at approximately the same time.

The Matchmakers/
Troubled Waters/
By the Silvery Moon***
Healing Voyage

A friend sent me this in a box of books and I feel bad rating it so low because of that, but the plot is one I've seen before and the author didn't make me care enough about the characters, so I felt like I was forcing myself to read the book.

The plot reminds me a bit of one on the TV show "Touched By An Angel" where Randy Travis played a former-con-man-gone-straight. In both cases, a man from the past shows up and instead of trusting that the people who know him now will support him if he tells the truth, chooses instead to try to hide his past by appeasing the man-who-knew-him-when. I believe in both cases, the man from the past is a con-man himself.

The romance is just as silly--Jace tells himself he's giving Kitty's repair jobs priority because her late husband was a hero. And it may have started out that way, but it's obvious to all that there's more going on than that--though as usual for this plot, it takes them chapters and chapters to work through it and figure it out and then get together.

In The Rain Sparrow, Linda Goodnight once again weaves past and present into a compelling novel that is quite captivating. This second installment in the fabulous Honey Ridge series pairs up troubled novelist Hayden Winters with meek librarian Carrie Riley and their resulting romance is sweet and delightfully free from angst.

Hayden Winters is staying at the Peach Orchard Inn while researching his latest writing project when his path unexpectedly crosses with Carrie's during a thunderstorm. Immediately following their meeting, Hayden begins experiencing incredibly realistic dreams about Thad Erikkson and Josie Portland. Josie and Thad's struggles to overcome their political differences in post-Civil War Honey Ridge prove to be quite illuminating as Hayden tries to reconcile his dysfunctional past with an abusive, drug addicted mother. He finds a kindred spirit in eleven year old Brody Thomas, whose home life closely parallels Hayden's experiences. Both he and Carrie offer Brody a safe haven when things at home become too difficult. Hayden's feelings for Carrie are quickly deepening into love, but he does not know how a future between them is possible since he has been less than honest about his past.

A very private person who tries to stay as far out of the public eye as possible, Hayden channeled his pain from his childhood into a very lucrative career as a mystery writer. Although now in his late thirties, he has never quite made peace with the traumatic events from his childhood nor has he been able to completely cut his destructive mother out of his life. Hayden has carefully fabricated a fictitious history for himself that is far different than reality but after he meets Carrie, he begins to feel guilty for his dishonesty. He convinces himself someone as squeaky clean as she seems to be will never understand the horror of his past and Hayden continues to go to great lengths to keep his two lives separate.

Following a public humiliation years earlier, Carrie lets her fears rule her life. Unable (and unwilling) to give her heart to another man, she leads a quiet life and never takes risks of any kind. She is kind-hearted, very loyal and caring but she is also very insecure. But as she gets to know Hayden and spends time with Brody, Carrie discovers she is stronger than she gives herself credit for. She finds the courage to stand up for the two people who have begun to capture her heart while at the same time conquering some of the fears that have kept her from enjoying life to the fullest.

Hayden's dreams about Thad and Josie are interspersed with the present and this part of the storyline offers a heartbreaking peek into the difficulties both Northerners and Southerners endured following the end of the Civil War. Thad served with the Union army during the war and following a tremendous loss he journeys to Tennessee to work in the grist mill that Josie's family owns. He is immediately taken by the spirited young woman, but Josie has a hard time letting go of the animosity she feels towards northerners. She is also still mourning the loss of her fiancé, a confederate soldier whose fate is unknown following his disappearance during the war. As Josie and Thad's lives become more deeply entwined, their uneasy truce gives way to a budding romance but will Josie's loyalties to her friends and the Confederacy ruin their chance at happiness?

Despite some rather series subject matter, The Rain Sparrow is an uplifting novel of healing and love. The storyline is well-written and remarkably free of unnecessary drama or conflict. The characters are three-dimensional and vibrantly developed with true to life characteristics that are easy to relate to. This second installment in Linda Goodnight's Honey Ridge series is just as engrossing and heartwarming as the first and can easily be read as a standalone (but I highly recommend The Memory House as well).

In Linda Goodnight's The Innkeeper's Sister, events from the past and present are interwoven into another marvelous addition to the heartwarming Honey Ridge series.

Valery Carter was instrumental in pulling her sister Julia from despair, but she is helpless when it comes to ending her own self-destructive behavior. Haunted by a long ago decision and plagued with guilt in the aftermath of a terrible loss, she vows time and again to change her coping mechanisms. Valery is continually frustrated when her attempts to discuss her issues with someone near to her heart never seem to accomplish anything except to distress both of them. She is quite surprised by her attraction to guest Grayson Blake since he is nothing like the men she usually dates. Shamed by the mistakes she has made and her own disappointment to control her unhealthy coping methods, will Valery decide to give him (and their relationship) a chance?

Unlike his fun-loving brother and business partner Devlin, Grayson is a workaholic who likes a well-ordered life. He takes their business very seriously and he is very concerned about keeping their projects on time and in budget. Grayson is not one to take risks and despite his irritation at how their current renovation came about, he is committed to making it a success. Chafing at the delay after an unexpected discovery on the grounds of the Civil War era grist mill brings their work to a hopefully short-lived halt, Grayson surprises himself by spending time with Valery. Will this out of character willingness to take a step back from his busy life provide him with the opportunity for an unexpected romance?

Equally compelling are the chapters which flashback to the Portland family and son Benjamin's post-Civil War decision to follow through with a promise he made to his beloved childhood companion Tandy. Over his family's strenuous objections, he sets to locate out Tandy but will this endeavor culminate in heartache? And what, if any, connection does the grist mill discovery in the present have to do with the events that played out in the long ago past?

The Innkeeper's Sister is another heartfelt novel of healing, new beginnings and love. The cast of well-drawn characters is appealing and the problems they are attempting to overcome will resonate with anyone who has ever made a choice they later regret. The romance between Grayson and Valery is slow-growing and although Valery has rather serious issues to work through, Grayson is always supportive despite her occasional missteps. The peek into the post-Civil War life is quite fascinating and offers an insightful look into difficulties Southerners endured long after their defeat. Linda Goodnight skillfully weaves together storylines from both the past and the present into a compelling novel that old and new readers of the Honey Ridge series will love.

4.5 stars.

The Memory House by Linda Goodnight is a heartfelt novel of redemption, forgiveness and healing. This beautifully written story has two gentle and sweet romances that take place in two different time periods, but they both tie together in the present at a renovated plantation which is now a Bed and Breakfast. It is a very charming novel with very light supernatural elements that I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend.

In the present, Julia Presley is still deeply mourning the loss of her son six years earlier, but opening the B&B with her sister Valery has given her a measure of peace. She is slowly rebuilding the life that slipped away during her deep depression after losing her son Mikey and she loves taking care the visitors that stay at the Peach Orchard Inn. While she and Valery completed many of the renovations on their property, there is still work that needs to be in some of the outlying buildings and she agrees to newcomer Eli Donovan's offer to complete the project at a steep discount along with room and board.

Eli and Julia are both struggling to overcome the tragedies of their respective pasts. Julia is a little further along in the healing process while Eli is just beginning to pick up the pieces of his tattered life. Both are keeping secrets but Eli's are much more serious and could have a detrimental effect on Julia's emotional well being and her B&B. Right away, Eli is forced to admit the reason he is town is his young son Alex and while Julia is dismayed at this revelation, she allows him to continue working for her. But it is not until unforeseen circumstances force Eli to take more responsibility for Alex that true healing begins for Eli, Alex and surprisingly, Julia.

In the past, Charlotte Reed Portland finds her life upended when Union soldiers arrive at the plantation where she lives with her husband and young son, Benjamin. She unexpected finds common ground with Captain William "Will" Gadsden as they work together nursing his wounded men. Their feelings for one another soon run much deeper than friendship but there seems to be no future for them since Charlotte is married and Will eventually returns to battle. Will and Charlotte secretly exchange letters that Julia and Eli discover during the B&B renovations and they are both captivated by the Civil War era romance that has a few parallels to the difficulties they are currently experiencing.

Although Linda Goodnight tackles some very serious topics in The Memory House, the novel is surprisingly free of angst and very uplifting. The storyline is hopeful as both Julia and Eli break free from the sorrow of their pasts while they unexpectedly find love. Their romance is sweet and while it is slow growing, this makes their relationship more believable. All in all, it is an immensely satisfying journey of healing and redemption that fans of contemporary romances are sure to love.