TITLE:  Whisper to My Heart
AUTHOR:  JoAnn Durgin
DATE:  2016
STARS:  *****

After a decade of touring the globe, Manhattan-based classical concert pianist Annalise Redmond needs a break. What’s a Juilliard-trained musician to do when she wants to live a “normal” life for six weeks? 

Weston Galloway, a former firefighter and member of an Atlanta-based construction crew, is as much into soul-winning as building the new bank in little Darling, Georgia. 

Anna’s barely been kissed. Weston’s not looking for love. When these two souls collide in small-town Americana, is their time together destined only to be a precious memory or will they listen to the whispers in their heart and dare to dream of a future together? 

Throw in Anna’s quirky sister and brother-in-law, Weston’s challenging coworker, spirited employees at The Darling Diner, and a cast of lively townsfolk, and you won’t want to miss this journey to Darling! 

Author JoAnn Durgin excels at creating realistic, compelling heroes and heroines and their supporting casts of wonderful characters—sometimes eccentric, always intriguing. Whisper to My Heart is no exception, and I loved this story. Its appeal began as soon as I read the back cover blurb. Music has always been important to me, and the love of my life is a builder. So Whisper and I had a bond before the first page.

From the opening scene of Anna’s near-disaster, through her and Weston’s stumbling, heartfelt conversations, to the deeply satisfying ending, I was enthralled. I love the little town of Darling, Georgia, and all its inhabitants. Roz pushed her way into my heart, while others charmed their way in.

Anyone who enjoys a good read with a strong Christian message, fantastic characters, and a charming small town full of realistic, multi-layered people will love Whisper to My Heart. It easily earns five stars from me. Highly recommended.
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This book was a gift and will remain part of my treasured library.

TITLE:  Pinky Promise (Riverbed Romance #2)
AUTHOR:  Valerie Comer
DATE:  2015
PUBLISHER: GreenWords Media
STARS:  *****

Kelly Bryant's young daughter wants a daddy and sets her sights on her new best friend's single father. The man may be charming, sweet, and a believer, but Kelly is embarrassed. She extracts a pinky promise from her six-year-old to stop proposing to men on her behalf.

Ian Tomlinson isn't looking for a wife but does need care for his daughter during spring break the week after his move to Riverbend. He hates to ask Kelly — and plant ideas in the girls' minds — but he's rather low on options.

How can two single parents fall in love for real with a pair of mini-matchmakers pushing from both sides — pinky promises or not?

I received this novella as a gift when I subscribed to Valerie Comer’s newsletter, and it turned out to be a sweet treat, just what I needed. I’d already read the first book of this series, Secretly Yours, a while ago, so I expected an enjoyable story. What I didn’t expect was to fall in love with two precocious, unrelated “twins.” Elena and Sophie stole the story, but they’re such adorable scene-stealers, they made my day.

This is a novella, not a full novel, so the timeline is tight, but it didn’t feel rushed. The inevitable romance between Kelly and Ian seemed realistic. Sometimes love blooms quickly, as I know from experience, and I loved the journey from initial attraction, through doubts, to the happy ending.
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I had to chuckle at the author’s blatant product placement, a mention of her Farm Fresh series. It fit into the story, so why not?
This lighthearted story took only a few hours to read, but Pinky Promise made those hours enjoyable. This book earns five stars from me.

TITLE:  A Brother’s Bond (Sacred Bond Guardians Book One)
AUTHOR:  Lee Tobin McClain
DATE:  2015
STARS:  *****

After rescuing a beautiful stranger from a seemingly random rock slide, a snowstorm leaves disabled veteran Adam Calloway no choice but to put her up at his remote mountain getaway. But when he realizes who Karen Smith is and why she’s here, all he knows for sure is that he has to get rid of her… and fast. Because Karen wants to find out what really happened to her younger brother, killed in these mountains nine years ago. And if she solves the cold case, she’ll destroy Adam’s fragile sister whom he’s vowed to protect with his life. 

As Adam and Karen wait out the storm together, they care for Adam’s sister and her child and face mysterious threats from the outside world. Why does Karen keep getting warning texts on her phone? Who would toss a brick through Adam’s picture window? And what kind of maniac would try to set fire to a house with four people inside, one of them a vulnerable child? 

Working together to keep everyone safe, Adam and Karen come to admire each other’s strengths, and the two loners begin to fall in love. But Karen is getting closer to the truth that could put Adam’s sister behind bars and leave her son without a mother. The threats keep escalating. And Adam starts to wonder if he can fulfill the vow to serve and protect that he made as a teenager at the Covenant School . . . and whether he really understands anything at all about what happened all those years ago… 

This is the first book by author Lee Tobin McClain that I have read, but it won’t be the last. A Brother’s Bond is a superb romantic suspense, with flawed and intriguing characters, danger around every curve (literally!), an innocent at risk, and high stakes all around. The mountain setting is critical, and the mystery the heroine is trying to solve—the same one the hero wants to conceal—kept me turning the pages right to the end.

The faith journey of the main characters is an integral part of the story, and I appreciated their struggles to reconcile the pain they’d suffered with the God of love.

A Brother’s Bond earns five stars from me. Highly recommended. This book is part of my personal library.