A Matter of Character by Robin Lee Hatcher

From the Back Cover:
The Sisters of Bethlehem Springs series delivers exactly what readers have been waiting for---smart, confident women who are not afraid to defy convention, live their own dreams, and share their lives if the right man comes along.

It's 1918, and Daphne McKinley, heiress to a small fortune, has found contentment in the town of Bethlehem Springs. But Daphne has a secret. A series of dime novels loosely based on local lore and featuring a nefarious villain known as Rawhide Rick has enjoyed modest popularity among readers. Nobody in Bethlehem Springs knows the man behind the stories ... except Daphne. When newspaperman Joshua Crawford comes to town searching for the man who sullied the good name of his grandfather, Daphne finds herself at a crossroads, reassessing the power of her words, re-thinking how best to honor her gifts, and reconsidering what she wants out of life.

My Review:
Thank you to CFBA and Zondervan for my copy of this enjoyable Christian fiction novel. Set in a small town in Idaho's 20th century, a romance with a bit of a mystery is skillfully plotted incorporating wonderfully complex characters. The author writes in third-person narrative so that the reader can "get into the head" of each character.

The plot is interspersed with journal entries written by Joshua's deceased grandfather, Rawhide Rick, a true villain of the Old West. At first, this interruption felt a bit clumsy to me, but I soon adapted and ended up pleased with the overall effect. Although the reader can guess how the story will end, the plot is so well done that it's fun getting there.

This is the third in a series, but is a stand-alone novel. I loved it!

Robin Hatcher is conducting a contest for the new book. Join in the fun here.

If you would like to read the prologue and first chapter, click here.

If you would like to buy a copy, click here.

Bodacious Blogging Book Reviewers Award

Thank you to Julia from Dark Glass Ponderings for presenting my book blog with the Bodacious Blogging Book Reviewers Award. The rules are:

If you are given this award you must first accept it by leaving a comment on the post you were nominated on. Then copy and paste the post and add it to your own blog. Make a list of the last five books you read and pass the award on to five other bloggers. Please also identify the blog from which you got the award and don't forget to tell the others that they have a blog award!

☆ ☆ ☆


I would like to present the Bodacious Blogging Book Reviewers Award to the following:

1. Thoughts from an Evil Overlord

2. Bermuda Onion

3. Window to My World

4. Jo-Jo Loves to Read

5. Joy's Blog

☆ ☆ ☆

My last 5 books read:
1. A Corpse at St. Andrew's Chapel by Mel Starr
2. A Woman Called Sage by Diann Mills
3. Brilliant Disguises by Bill Thornton
4. In Harm’s Way by Irene Hannon
5. A Matter of Character by Robin Lee Hatcher

A Woman Called Sage by Diann Mills

From the Back Cover:
They took away everything she loved ... now, she's out for revenge. Sage Morrow had it all: life on a beautiful Colorado ranch, a husband who adored her, and a baby on the way. Until five ruthless gunmen rode up to their ranch and changed her life forever. Now Sage is a bounty hunter bent on retribution.

Accompanied only by her majestic hawk, she travels throughout the Rocky Mountains in search of injustice, determined to stamp it out wherever it's found. The stakes are raised when two young boys are kidnapped and Sage is forced to work with Marshall Parker Timmons to rescue them. But Sage may ultimately get more than she bargained for. In this exciting historical romance set in the late 1800s, murder, intrigue, kidnapping, and questions of faith will keep you in suspense until the final pages.

My Review:
Thank you to CFBA and Zondervan for my copy of this western mystery. The plot keeps the reader interested as Sage, a part Indian bounty hunter searches for the killer of her husband and unborn child. She's been trained in the ways of the Ute Tribe to survive in the wild, and these skills enable her to hunt for the killer. Her adventures keep the pages turning.

In addition, romance weaves its spell with three suitors! That's the only glitch I see: after all, how can one disinterested woman capture so many hearts?

An interesting character is Hawk, a red-tailed hawk that Sage has nursed from infancy. They have a unique bond, and he communicates with her--not verbally, of course. If you like western adventure stories, you'll like this one.

If you would like to read the first chapter, click here.

If you would like to buy a copy, click here.

Lone Star Legend by Gwendolyn Zepeda

If she can find the time, Sandy Saavedra will stop to breathe. New management has turned work upside down and her father's upcoming marriage-something he forgot to mention to Sandy-means there's no peace at home, either. But it's okay. No matter what's thrown her way, Sandy can deal. Because Sandy has a secret, and his name is Tío Jaime.

A short drive out of Austin delivers Sandy into the wide-open spaces of the Hill Country, to the front porch of grandfatherly hermit Tío Jaime. There, in the company of pepper plants, a shaggy dog, and fresh squeezed lemonade, the old man imparts down-to-earth advice. Overbearing boss? Work smarter; she'll leave you alone. Disrespectful boyfriend? Pack your bags; a real woman tolerates only a real man. His simple perspective reminds Sandy she can make her own choices-something she's been forgetting lately.

Feeling inspired, Sandy posts their chats online. But as she introduces the world to her personal Eden, her own life heads straight to hell . . .

My Review:
I entered a giveaway and won this lighthearted, behind-the-scenes look at a professional writer who maintains two blogs and writes for an online Latina gossip magazine. Using a pseudonym, Sandy S. writes about her life and lives to regret it when she becomes a bit of a celebrity. The situation is reversed as others gossip about her, revealing her true identity. Sandy's privacy evaporates.

The theme is a warning to all bloggers and online writers: if you don't want people to know what you think, don't publish your thoughts. Guard your privacy.

The characters are well written, and although the plot is a bit expected, I think that this is a book worth reading.