Rachelle J. Christensen

Romance, Suspense, Mystery Author

Book Review: The First Lady of Three Rivers Ranch by Liz Isaacson

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Book Thoughts by Rachelle

The First Lady of Three Rivers Ranch was my first introduction to Liz Isaacson’s sweet western romances and I’m hooked! It was really fun to read a story set back just a couple decades ago when there were still rotary telephones. It made for an interesting courtship when Heidi and Frank were getting to know each other.

I loved Heidi’s character. She was a bit flighty and unsure of the next steps to take and it made it more believable for Frank to sweep her off her feet. The setting was well-written and it was fun to daydream about what it might be like to live on a working ranch. For Heidi, baking for lots of cowboys turns out to be quite the job and it sets off a chain of events that will change her life.

This is a fun, sweet read and although it is book 8 in the series, I read it first.

Here’s more about the book:

A ranch owner, a baker, and the love that binds them…

Heidi Duffin has been dreaming about opening her own bakery since she was thirteen years old. She scrimped and saved for years to afford baking and pastry school in San Francisco. And now she only has one year left before she’s a certified pastry chef. She’s home for the summer when she goes to Three Rivers with her sister–and meets Frank Ackerman.

Frank’s father has recently retired, and he’s taken over the largest cattle ranch in the Texas Panhandle. A horseman through and through, he’s also nearing thirty-one and looking for someone to bring love and joy to a homestead that’s been dominated by men for a decade.

Since the death of his mother, Frank doesn’t feel like Three Rivers Ranch is a home. But when he convinces Heidi to come clean the cowboy cabins, she changes all that. With her culinary skills, she brings the cowboys together in ways Frank can only imagine. She builds what he’s always wanted for the ranch–a family.

But the siren’s call of a bakery is still loud in Heidi’s ears, even if she’s also seeing a future with Frank. Can she rely on her faith in ways she’s never had to before or will their relationship end when summer does?

Other books you may enjoy:

Second Chance Ranch: Christian Contemporary Romance (Three Rivers Ranch Romance Book 1) by [Liz Isaacson, Elana Johnson]   

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Book Review: Minor Adjustments by Rachael Renee Anderson

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Book Thoughts by Rachelle

I’ll admit that a straight romance is usually not on the top of my to-read pile because I like a little meat with my story. This is exactly the reason I enjoyed Minor Adjustments. Rachael develops her characters well with physical and emotional details that have them walking off the page. Her interactions with the cute, four-year-old Ryan were realistic and fun. I could tell she had definitely done her homework when it came to setting part of the story in Australia. I loved reading and learning little tidbits and nuances about the country and character of the people there. And the plot line was well-developed with some surprises that kept me thinking about this book and how things would turn out for Devon, Ryan, and Stella. Minor Adjustments is sure to please with its clever dialogue and intriguing characters.

Here’s more about the book:

Chicago businessman and bachelor Devon Pierce is completely unprepared to be the guardian of Australian four-year-old Ryan Caldwell. But Ryan’s solicitor, Stella Walker, won’t take no for an answer. Little does Devon know this “minor” adjustment will grant him a future he never expected to have. Told in a fast-paced, poignant, and witty style, Minor Adjustments will take you on a journey of humor, growth, romance, and love.

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Book Review: Beyond the Lavender Fields by Arlem Hawks

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Book Thoughts by Rachelle

Beyond the Lavender Fields was beautifully written with a love story that develops during the French revolution in 1792.
Gilles is a clerk at a local soap factory with dreams of becoming a doctor and a passion for the Jacobin fight against a failing monarchy. Marie-Caroline is a royalist from a privileged background–her father owns the soap factory. An unlikely friendship develops after Gilles’ humiliating attempt to steal a kiss from Marie-Caroline.
It was really fun to see Caroline’s fiery personality, courage, and humor as she continues to tease Gilles throughout the book with her repeated phrase, “I do not want to kiss you.”

The book is written from Gilles’ point of view and we see Caroline’s POV through letters that she writes to a cousin. Gilles develops throughout the book as he questions all of the factions of the revolution including his own. His character is strong and his choices are admirable.

At times the historical aspect of the book felt a little heavy. I admire the amount of research the author must have done to portray this time period accurately. The events definitely pulled on my heartstrings as I read of the turmoil in France during this time.

The love story that develops slowly is sweet, yet strong and satisfying.
I love that the author includes French terms and a pronunciation guide for names because I like to know that I’m pronouncing things correctly in my head.
Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this novel with a unique look into a part of history that might often be overlooked.

Here’s more about the book:

1792, France Rumors of revolution in Paris swirl in Marseille, a bustling port city in southern France. Gilles Etienne, a clerk at the local soap factory, thrives on the news. Committed to the cause of equality, liberty, and brotherhood, he and his friends plan to march to Paris to dethrone the monarchy. His plans are halted when he meets Marie-Caroline Daubin, the beautiful daughter of the owner of the factory.

A bourgeoise and royalist, Marie-Caroline has been called home to Marseille to escape the unrest in Paris. She rebuffs Gilles’s efforts to charm her and boldly expresses her view that violently imposed freedom is not really freedom for all. As Marie-Caroline takes risks to follow her beliefs, Gilles catches her in a dangerous secret that could cost her and her family their lives. As Gilles and Marie-Caroline spend more time together, she questions her initial assumptions about Gilles and realizes that perhaps they have more in common than she thought.

As the spirit of revolution descends on Marseille, people are killed and buildings are ransacked and burned to the ground. Gilles must choose between supporting the political change he believes in and protecting those he loves. And Marie-Caroline must battle between standing up for what she feels is right and risking her family’s safety. With their lives and their nation in turmoil, both Gilles and Marie-Caroline wonder if a revolutionnaire and a royaliste can really be together or if they must live in a world that forces people to choose sides.

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Book Review: Finding Jack by Melanie Jacobson

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Book Thoughts by Rachelle

I bought Finding Jack for my teenage daughter. She loved it and let me read it too. It was so much fun! I love Jacobson’s talent for snark, sweet romance with a slow burn, and characters with depth, not fluff. Her humor is laugh-out-loud funny and the storyline kept me racing through this book. I finished it in 2 days. More!

Here’s more about the book:

Can their online flirtation become something real?

When smart, practical Emily finds herself in the crosshairs of an Internet prankster, her orderly world goes topsy-turvy. Instead of getting mad at the handsome stranger behind the joke, she finds herself drawn to him. But Jack Dobson, though hilarious and thoughtful, has a lot of secrets. Despite her growing feelings for her new and unexpected long-distance friend, his biggest secret of all might be the one that breaks the spell they’ve been weaving around each other.

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Book Review: Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber

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Book Thoughts by Rachelle

Twelve Days of Christmas is a quick read and I absolutely loved it! Debbie Macomber never disappoints and this book had me laughing, smiling, and feeling the joy of Christmas in a sweet romance. It’s fun to read a Christmas book that is uplifting and light for the holidays and brings more meaning to the season. I love the idea of killing someone with kindness. I think I will try it out!

Here’s more about the book:

Friendly and bubbly, Julia Padden likes nearly everyone, but her standoffish neighbor, Cain Maddox, presents a particular challenge. No matter how hard she’s tried to be nice, Cain rudely rebuffs her at every turn, preferring to keep to himself. But when Julia catches Cain stealing her newspaper from the lobby of their apartment building, that’s the last straw. She’s going to break through Cain’s Scrooge-like exterior the only way she knows how: by killing him with kindness.

To track her progress, Julia starts a blog called The Twelve Days of Christmas. Her first attempts to humanize Cain are far from successful. Julia brings him homemade Christmas treats and the disagreeable grinch won’t even accept them. Meanwhile, Julie’s blog becomes an online sensation, as an astonishing number of people start following her adventures. Julia continues to find ways to express kindness and, little by little, chips away at Cain’s gruff façade to reveal the caring man underneath. Unbelievably, Julia feels herself falling for Cain—and she suspects that he may be falling for her as well. But as the popularity of her blog continues to grow, Julia must decide if telling Cain the truth about having chronicled their relationship to the rest of the world is worth risking their chance at love.

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Book Review: The Feisty One by Cami Checketts

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Book Thoughts by Rachelle

This Billionaire Bride Pact Series is so scrumptious! I love reading clean romance and especially Cami Checketts’s because her little dashes of suspense really heighten the tension in the story. The Feisty One was a great love story in that Maryn and Tucker were so diverse with great backgrounds and lots of experiences that kept me turning the pages to get to know these characters. I love how when I thought things were wrapping up nicely, everything changed and allowed for even more excitement and romance in the story. This is a fun, fast read with a touching romance that is tastefully clean!

Here’s more about the book:

Can he hide his heart or will the reporter take everything? Maryn Howe isn’t intimidated by billionaire recluse, Tucker Shaffer, or his enormous log cabin in Island Park, Idaho. Maryn needs this interview and she’ll get it at any cost, even if the last four reporters were physically removed from his presence. Tucker Shaffer has no desire to change his less than flattering public image; but his PR people persuade him to give it one more try. Ready to make nice with whoever comes through the door, Tucker is blindsided by a petite blond with an extra-large personality. As the snow piles up and the questions keep coming, Maryn discovers the secret Tucker Shaffer has spent the last four years torturing himself with. She suddenly sees him in a new light and she flees-right into danger and into Tucker’s arms. But the danger has just begun and now Maryn has to make a choice-trust in Tucker or lose it all.

Other books you may enjoy:

The Resilient One (Cami's Billionaire Bride Pact Romance Book 1) by [Cami Checketts, Lucy McConnell]   

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