Winners and My Review of Love's Reckoning

The "End of Summer Bash" is always such a fun event to host - thanks to wonderful authors who give of their time (and their books!) to make this a festive occasion, and thanks to dear readers who stop by to share their enthusiasm and excitement! So thank you so much to the authors and readers who made this year's event a good time! =)

Now, here are the winners of this week's giveaways (chosen using the "List Randomizer" on Random.org):

• Abbi Hart won a copy of With Every Letter!

• Amanda Moring won a copy of Veil of Pearls!

• Lacee Hogg won her choice of one of the "Tales of Goldstone Wood" books!

• Melanie won an e-copy of Fair Valley Refuge!

• Abbi Hart won a copy of Love's Reckoning!

Congratulations to all the winners! Be looking for my e-mail, and please respond by Wednesday (September 12th), or another winner will be chosen. Thank you once again to the authors for the great giveaways!

And now here is my review of Love's Reckoning (by yesterday's guest, Laura Frantz!) for the Revell Blog Tour...

Here's a description of the book from Revell:

"On a bitter December day in 1784, Silas Ballantyne arrives at the door of blacksmith Liege Lee in York County, Pennsylvania. Silas is determined to finish his apprenticeship quickly and move west. But because he is a fast worker and a superb craftsman, Liege endeavors to keep him in York by appealing to an old tradition: the apprentice shall marry one of his master's beautiful daughters.

Eden is as gentle and fresh as Elspeth is high-spirited and cunning. But are they truly who they appear to be? In a house laced with secrets, each sister seeks to secure her future. Which one will claim Silas's heart--and will he agree to Liege's arrangement?

In this sweeping family saga, one man's choices in love and work, in friends and enemies, set the stage for generations to come. This is the Ballantyne Legacy."

My Rating

Spring/Summer

My Review

Ever since my first "trip" to the American frontier with author Laura Frantz (in The Frontiersman's Daughter), I've been awed and swept away by her writing style. Frantz writes historical romance in a sweet, rich way that somehow manages to be humble while still maintaining a sense of grandeur and mystique.

Love's Reckoning continues that trend of excellence in characterization and setting descriptions and tension. It's a story of an unexpected love that is forced to face envy, misunderstandings, and hardships. It's a story of an enduring love that seeks the welfare of another and yet never completely loses sight of its own joy.

As the beginning of a series, this book maintains its own storyline - of how handsome and faith-filled Silas Ballantyne and the woman he loves (and who loves him) ultimately find their way together - while still introducing a broader storyline of a family's legacy that will take longer than one book to be resolved. While Love's Reckoning is certainly satisfying on its own, there's a certain character whose path I would like to know more about... And the teaser for the second book in the series definitely makes the reader's longing for more to the series that much more real!

I believe my favorite Frantz book remains Courting Morrow Little, but Love's Reckoning is anything but disappointing, as it is a well-written, beautiful love story that has its own unique, wonderful charm (as all of her books do).

*With thanks to Revell Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.*

“Available September 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”