A passion Denied by Julie Lessman

The third book of Julie Lessman,is about the bookworm Lizzie who at the age of thirteen had in her life Brady,a friend of Collin who shows everything in a man that a girl wants.But the problem is..he doesn't want anything with her.What could be worse that don't be loved back?
Well,she always loved to read romance and fairy tales in her novels,but now she has her own love story to make,I loved the fact that this book took us to a place where every girl has a dream to meet the perfect man,flawless,handsome and then reality arrives showying that is not always that easy.For me,it was a little confusing the reason why Brady didn't want a realationship with her,but once I figure it out,I was able to fully enjoy the book,it was very nice to see the path of someone who thinks that everything has to be perfect in romance,but the truth in the book was:pray,grow and then you are able to recieve a so waited blessing from God.
Do I have to say that the kisses were amazing?!
:)

Little taste of it:

Boston, Massachusetts, Spring 1922







Oh, to be a calculating woman! Elizabeth O’Connor sighed. She dodged her way down the bustling sidewalk of Boston’s thriving business district, wishing she were more like her sister, Charity. She chewed on her lip. Regrettably, she wasn’t, a definite character flaw at the moment. And one that would have to change.
She pressed her nose to the window of McGuire & Brady Printing Company and peered inside. John Morrison Brady was bent over a press, his lean, muscled body poised for battle with a screwdriver in his hand. Her chin hardened, and her smiled faded. That man suffered from a terminal illness that would be the death of their relationship: friendship. Elizabeth straightened her shoulders. And the worst kind of friendship at that—the big-brother kind.She opened the door, spurred on by the tinkling bell overhead, and took a deep breath. Now to turn the right one …



Her brother-in-law, Collin, looked up from his desk where he tallied invoices for printing jobs just completed. A slow grin spread across his handsome face before he let out a low whistle, causing a pleasant wash of heat to seep into her cheeks. “Sweet saints above, Lizzie, is that really you? What are you trying to do? Break a few hearts?”

Her gaze flicked to the back room where Brady lay on a flat wooden dolly beneath their Bullock web-fed press. She studied his long legs sprawled and splattered with ink, then looked back at Collin with a shaky smile. “Nope, only one. But I suspect it’s forged in steel.”

Collin chuckled and glanced over his shoulder, stretching his arms overhead. “Yep, I’d say so, but I admire your tenacity. You might say you’re the little sister he never had. But I suspect that pretty new hairdo and stylish outfit could go a long way in changing his mind.”
She grinned and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Thanks, Collin. One can only hope.” She tugged on her lavender, low-waisted dress, then smoothed out its scalloped layers with sweaty palms. “And pray, I suppose, since it is Brady we’re dealing with here.”
Collin stood and draped an arm around her shoulders. He lowered his voice and gave her a squeeze. “He’ll wake up one of these days, Lizzie. I just hope it’s not too late. You’re too pretty to be waiting around. And he’s a slow one, you know.”

She sighed and leaned against him, staring at Brady with longing in her eyes. “Now there’s a news flash for you.”
Collin laughed and gave her a gentle prod toward the back room. “Show him no mercy, Lizzie.”
She nodded and made her way to the rear of the shop, her pulse tripping faster than the tap-tap-tapping of Brady’s trusty screwdriver. She stopped at the foot of the press and sucked in a deep swallow of air. “I have a notion, John Brady, that whenever you want to get away from the world, you disappear under that silly machine.”
A deep-throated chuckle floated up between the rotors of the press. He rolled out, flat on his back. The smile froze on his face. “Beth? What’d ya do to your hair?”
Heat flooded her cheeks. “I had it bobbed. Do you like it?”
He sat up and rubbed his jaw with the side of his hand, screwdriver angled as if he were playing a violin. “Yeah … it’s pretty, I guess. In a newfangled sort of way.”
She twirled around to give him the full effect, her smile brimming with hope. “Well, I am a modern woman, in case you haven’t noticed.”
He lumbered to his feet. His tall frame unfolded to eliminate everything else in her view. He squinted and scrunched his nose, causing smudges of ink to wrinkle across his tanned cheek. “Mmmm … makes you look old.”
I am old, Brady, a fact you refuse to acknowledge. Almost eighteen, remember?”

He chuckled. “Seventeen, Beth, and I’ll give you the half.” He turned and ambled to the sink to wash his hands. His husky laugh lingered in the air. She stared at the work shirt spanning his back and barely noticed the ink stains for the broad shoulders and hard muscles cording his arms. He dried his hands on a towel and turned to lean against the counter. The corners of his mouth flickered as if a grin wanted to break free. “You’ll always be a little girl to me, little buddy, especially with those roses in your cheeks and wide eyes. I suspect I’ll feel that way when you’re long gone and married, Beth, with a houseful of little girls all your own. That’s just the way it is with big brothers.”
She notched her powdered chin in the air. “You’re not my brother, John Brady, and no amount of touting will make it so.” She propped hands to her waist and gave him a ruby red pout. “And I’m not a little girl. I’m a woman … with feelings—”
“Beth, we’ve been over this before.” He slacked a hip and ran a calloused hand over his face. His brown eyes softened with compassion. “I see you as my little sister, nothing more. These ‘feelings’ you think you have for me—”
“Know I have for you, Brady! I know it, even if you don’t.” Her chest rose and fell with indignation.
He groaned. “All right, these feelings you know you have for me … I’ve known you since you were thirteen, Elizabeth, and I’ve been a mentor in your faith since fourteen. It’s natural for you to think you have feelings—”She stomped her foot. “Know, Brady, I know! And if you weren’t so socially inept and totally blind—”
He rose to his full six-foot-three height, making her five-foot-seven seem almost petite. The chiseled line of his jaw hardened with the motion. “Come on, Beth, totally blind?” His gaze flicked into the next room as if he were worried Collin was listening.
Tears threatened and she wanted to bolt, but she fought it off. This was too important. Fueled by frustration long dormant, she slapped her leather clutch onto the table and strode forward. She jabbed a finger into his hard-muscled chest. “Yes, blind, you baboon! And don’t be looking to see what Collin thinks, because he knows it too. Honestly, Brady, as far as the Bible, you’re head and shoulders above anyone I know. But when it comes to seeing what God may have for you right in front of your ink-stained nose, you don’t have a clue.” She dropped a trembling hand to her quivering stomach. Oh, my, where had that come from?

He stood, mouth gaping. A spray of red mottled his neck. “Beth, what’s gotten into you?”
She faltered back, shocked at the thoughts and feelings whirling in her brain. With a rush of adrenalin, she crossed her arms and stared him down, energized by her newfound anger. “You’ve gotten into me, John Brady, and I want to know straight out why you refuse to acknowledge me as a woman? Am I not pretty enough? Smart enough? Mature enough?”
The ruddiness in his neck traveled to his ears. He took a commanding stride toward her and latched a hand on her arm. With a firm grip, he pushed her into a chair at the table and squatted beside her. “Beth, stop this! I’m close to thirty, which is way too old for you. You’re young and beautiful and smart, and more mature than most girls … women … I’ve met. You’re going to make some lucky man a wonderful wife.”

She stared at his handsome face, the contrast of gentle eyes and hard-sculpted features making her heart bleed. Wisps of cinnamon-colored hair curled up at the back of his neck, softening the hard line of his jaw, which was already shadowed by afternoon growth. She swallowed hard, the taste of dread pasty in her throat. “Just not you,” she whispered.
A muscle flinched in his cheek. He smothered her hands between his large, calloused ones. “Beth, I love you, you know that—”
She looked away, unable to bear the empathy in his eyes. “But you’re not attracted to me—”
As soft as a child’s kiss, he lifted her chin with his finger, urging her eyes to his. “Of course I’m attracted to you—your gentle spirit, your thirst for God, your innocence—it draws me to want to protect you and care for you—as a friend and a brother.”
She whirled around, hand fisted on the knob. “And one more prayer, Brady, if you don’t mind. Pray that I hate you, will you? Shouldn’t be too hard, I don’t think. You make it so easy.”

Danger in the shadows by Dee Henderson

That name alone can say a lot..humor,suspense,well written story.
This was the first book of the series of O'Malley,tell us a story about Sara,a witness of kidnapping and death of her twin as child,Dave the well know player who is determined to get to know her.The story occurs in middle of security,smart dates,the author knows how to make believable situtions and you can't help feeling the tension,sotimes I actually cried and feeling the pain for those,first book that literally took my breath away!But I think that I'm not the only one with the same question:Where's Dee Henderson nowadays?

The perfect match by Susan May Warren

This book was one of those you wish for a long time and read very,very slow to enjoy every word..well at least for me.The story about the couple was so refreshing,cozy,funny,and she tried not to make people perfect and flawless as christian,I loved the feeling throughout the story,the truth about abide in Jesus's love was refreshing!You won't regret reading this one!

And an exciting first chapter here.
http://www.susanmaywarren.com/c1_thePerfectMatch.html

Alaska Brides Review

I have to be honest here.I didn't found a welcoming idea read a book from three different authors,and so short stories,but I can tell that I was surprisingly wrong!
The first story is the one that I honestly found a little "weak",there is too many details about the land,the gold,the wood..and nothing of real romance.Too sweet,the story of Meredith,who lives with her twin brother and Ian who is going after gold in Alaska,well at least in the end,we see some action.
The second was the one which make you like the book,I actually laugh out loud at some points,the story took a turn really funny and charming with the story of Amy,who just found out her father was killed and Braden a man who lost his wife,witty and sassy dialogue make me love to read Mary Connealy's books!
The third was the one story with romance gutwreching because the author knew exactly how to make the reader suffer!I was at some points saying:I can't believe this is gonna happen for real!

Yellow Rose Bride by Lori Copeland

Half of times that I choose to buy a book to read,is because I read a chapter before,I find Lori's books this way.I remember reading the first chapter and think:'Wow,can two people to be that mature to hide their true feelings to keep the peace between their families?!'
The story is about a dreesmaker Vonnie Taylor and Alec Baldwin who were married for a day and had their marriage annulled,seven years later she was asked if she could sew his new bride!They have to keep themselves civil,mature,but is hard when you're still so in love with each other!I loved it!Let's not forget how wonderful,fast-witty sentences that woman has!
Here is a excerpt.

The most memorable event in Vonnie Taylor's life took place in rural Amarillo in the late summer of '98 when Adam Baldwin predictably announced his engagement to Beth Baylor.

"I do declare that Adam Baldwin is the best-looking man in Potter County." Hildy Mae Addison's eyes were riveted to the gorgeous sight. "Just looking at him makes my heart flutter like a butterfly's wings!"
"Hildy Mae!" Mora Dawson slapped a hand across her mouth. "You should be ashamed of yourself."
"For what?" The young woman giggled. "I know a good-looking man when I see one."
"Very good looks," Carolyn Henderson concluded.
Vonnie edged away, eyeing the tray of cherry tarts, attempting a show of enthusiasm she didn't feel. "My, doesn't the pastry look wonderful?"
Mora sighed. "I wonder if Beth knows how lucky she is."
Carolyn nodded. "She knows. And even if she didn't, she'd say she did."
Giggles broke out. Beth was known to go to any lengths to keep peace. At times she could be insanely agreeable. Yet, everyone knew the Baldwin/Baylor marriage was arranged by the senior Baldwin. Remember that, Vonnie. Arranged…but Adam had consented.
"Ladies," Vonnie cautioned. "Beth is a lovely person."
The murmurs readily concurred that Beth was the nicest person anyone could hope to meet. And the luckiest. When the eldest Baldwin son's engagement to Beth Baylor was announced, the town's eligible female population had groaned with envy.
Vonnie casually bit into flaky crust, feigning indifference to the conversation though her insides churned like a waterwheel. And now, the nicest person in Potter County would marry the best-looking man in Texas.
How utterly ideal.
The girls nodded when JanieBennett and her fiancé, Edward Lassitor, strolled by.
"Evening, Jane, Edward."
"Evening, Hildy." Jane flashed friendly smiles at the women. "Mora, Carolyn, Vonnie."
Simultaneous pleasantries prevailed.
"Janie's so nice," Carolyn said as the couple walked on. "I can scarcely wait to see her gown. Vonnie, you can't keep us in suspense any longer! What's it like?"
"Ah, but you'll have to wait until the wedding." Vonnie tried for a teasing tone, doing her best not to allow her true feelings to show. Beth might be the nicest girl in the county, but few wouldn't agree that Vonnie Taylor was the prettiest. Coal-black hair, amethyst-colored eyes, dimples men found irresistible. Half Cherokee, half white. Yet no one ever spoke of Vonnie's mixed heritage. Not even P.K. Baldwin.
"You're not serious! You're honestly going to make us wait until the wedding?" Mora and Carolyn chorused.
Hildy's generous lips formed a pout. "You're cruel!"
Her words held no malice. Vonnie knew she wasn't just pretty fluff. Brides came from as far away as the West Coast to purchase one of her exquisite gowns. At the tender age of twelve, she had shown an astonishing ability with needle and thread. By fifteen, anyone who saw her work marveled that she was so gifted. She could craft a simple piece of lace into a work of art.
"I'll bet the gown's frighteningly expensive," Mora guessed.
Carolyn sniffed. "Edward can afford it."
"Edward won't be paying for it. Tool Bennett is paying for everything," Mora confided in a hushed whisper.
"Who said?"
"I overheard Mrs. Bennett telling Martha Gibbings at the church social last week. The wedding is costing a fortune, but Tool won't hear of anything less than the very best for his only daughter."
"Oh dear," Hildy's voice dipped to a reverent whisper. "Will you look at those eyes? Have you ever seen such a deep blue! There's not a man here who could hold a candle to him." To Vonnie's consternation Adam Baldwin was once again the focus of attention.
"He's so handsome he makes my teeth ache," Hildy confessed. "And he's engaged." She brightened. "To our Beth—though I'm absolutely blue with envy."
Vonnie had to agree she was blue, emotionally. Adam, in dark gray trousers, frock coat and burgundy vest, was the best-looking man—not just in Potter County, but the world. But then she was partial to this particular Baldwin. Painfully so.
She picked up a silver tray of bizcotela and brightly offered it around. "Cookies, anyone?"
"I've heard he's quite the gentleman," Carolyn said as she thoughtfully selected a sweet. "Beth said he hung wash for her when she was feeling poorly last week."
"He didn't!"
"He did! Beth said so herself." Carolyn bent closer. "But she made me promise absolute secrecy, so don't breathe a word of it to anyone."
Three heads bobbed. Three pair of covetous eyes returned to Adam's sculpted features. He was deep in conversation with the governor.
"I tell you, son," the governor blustered, "the railroad coming in is the best thing that's ever happened to us!"
"Oh," Hildy murmured. "He sees us." She flashed a grin. "Personally? I'd take any one of the Baldwin brothers."
Carolyn giggled. "To where, darlin'?"
"Who cares?" Mora and Carolyn parroted in unison. Vonnie shook her head.
The four men bore a striking resemblance; it was impossible to say who was the most attractive. They had dark brown, wavy hair, the irresistible Baldwin sky-blue eyes, and skin tanned to nut brown by the hot Texas sun.
Adam, Andrew, Joey, Pat. The brothers were the crème de la crème of Potter County, easily at home in buckskin or expensive Boston tweed.
"Why, Carolyn, what would James say if he heard you drooling over the Baldwin brothers?" Hildy chided.
Carolyn's cheeks pinked and she daintily lifted her cup to her mouth. "James and I are only friends."
"Of course, you are." Vonnie finally entered the good-natured conversation, encouraged by the change in subject.
Hildy suddenly froze, her mouth formed around a cookie. "He's walking this way."
The women's eyes focused on Adam effortlessly weaving his way across the crowded room. His gaze lightly skimmed Vonnie as he approached the four women. "Ladies?"
Carolyn blushed cherry-red. "Mr. Baldwin."
He cocked his head. "Something wrong?"
"Oh, my stars, no," Hildy said. She glanced at Vonnie.
"No?" He smiled, showing even, white teeth beneath a dark tan. "Then I trust you're having a good time?"
"Oh, wonderful," Hildy said.
"Everything's so nice," Carolyn murmured.
"The food's delicious," Mora assured him.
He nodded. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourselves." His eyes returned to Vonnie. Offering his left arm, he smiled. "Would you do me the honor of having a glass of punch?"
Vonnie's breath caught when his eyes skimmed her with easy familiarity. She swallowed. "Of course."
Mora, Hildy and Carolyn stood aside as Adam escorted her to the refreshment center.
Sipping from a cup, Vonnie met Adam's eyes in silent challenge. Eyes the color of a Montana sky stared into hers. Indeed, Adam Baldwin could make a woman's head spin.
"You look lovely tonight."
"Thank you. We were commenting that Beth is positively radiant."
His eyes flicked briefly to his fiancée, who was chatting with Carolyn's father, the honorable Judge Clive Henderson. "Beth is a beautiful woman."
His voice set off the same familiar rush of emotion deep inside Vonnie. The resonant baritone left her feeling slightly giddy. Seven years had failed to change anything.
"You're very fortunate. Beth will make a wonderful mate."
"Yes, so I'm told."
"Have you set a date?"
"Not yet."
The woodsy spice of his cologne circled her. Beneath crystal chandeliers, where dappled prisms of light swirled among the smiling couples, she'd never felt more miserable.
Discreetly stepping closer, Adam whispered softly against her ear. "Why are you here?"
"You need to ask?"
Faking a blissful smile, Vonnie gripped the cup tightly. Her dress of yellow silk trimmed with black lace ruffles whispered delicately against the coarse fabric of his dark gray trousers.
His voice held a slight edge now. "Do you plan to make a scene?"
She peered up at him, her eyes wide as if the mere thought of making a scene was scandalous. "Me? Heavens, no. Why would I make a scene?"
"Strong hunch," he said, tight-lipped.
"I wouldn't miss this for the world. We're a close-knit community. If any member of the church failed to show up at an event of this magnitude, the neighbors would talk."
A muscle tightened in his jaw.
She smiled, skimming the room.
"My mother seems to be enjoying herself. She's eaten at least six petits fours." Vonnie focused on the fragile-looking woman sitting inside the veranda doorway. Cammy Taylor, a quiet, unassuming lady, sipped punch, giving polite interest to Vera Clark's endless chatter. Vera appeared to take Cammy's nodding courtesy for rapt attention, but Vonnie knew better. Her mother wasn't interested in Vera's gout. She came tonight to spite P.K. Baldwin.
Adam's warm breath fanned her ear, and for a giddy moment the room tilted. "I notice your father isn't worried about proprieties."
"Father?" She laughed. "A team of wild horses couldn't have brought him here."
Coolness shadowed Adam's eyes.
She tilted a violet glance up at him and clarified, though it wasn't necessary. "I believe his exact words were, 'I'd sooner be in a room of rattlers.'"
Chiseled lips parted to reveal a row of perfectly matched teeth as he accepted the lethal thrust. "You'll be sure to give Teague my best."
"He'll be thrilled."
Lifting a dark brow, Adam appeared to be waiting for the other shoe to drop. When she didn't respond, he said quietly, "There's bound to be more you have to say."
"Yes. I hope you both will be very happy."
She set the cup aside and quickly walked away. Ignoring the shocked expressions on her friends' faces, Vonnie swept by them and disappeared onto the veranda. Adam covered the awkward moment by casually threading his way through the crowd, following her.
Acknowledging the various greetings, he trailed close on Vonnie's heels, pulling the veranda double doors closed behind him for privacy.
"All right," he accused. "Say what you came here to say."
"You really want to hear it?"
"Vonnie, don't make a scene," he warned.
Whirling, her eyes locked with his in a spirited challenge. "Over you? Don't make me laugh."
"What are you really doing here tonight?"
Her brow lifted with mockery. "Who would have a better reason to be here?"
"You're going to be difficult about this, aren't you? I hope we can handle this in a civil manner."
She wrapped her arms around her waist and stepped to a low wall covered in dying bougainvillea. "I'm not sure I can be civil."
Propping a boot on the flowered garden ledge, he stood silent. Finally he said, "You're looking good."
Moving another step away, she surveyed the brilliant sky. The stars looked so close she was sure she could reach up and touch them. She could remember only one other night when they'd been so bright, so perfect.
"You're not obligated to say that."
He looked away impatiently. "I wasn't saying it because I thought I had to say it."
"Then, thank you." Her voice was even more unsteady than she'd feared.
Silence stretched between them.
"Why did you come?" he repeated. Grasping her by the shoulders, he shook her gently. "What did you expect?"
What did she expect? Resentment flooded her. What did she expect? Tears burned her eyes and she blinked.
Turning away, he said, "Stop looking at me that way."
She closed her eyes to keep from seeing him at all.
His voice held quiet desperation now. "I don't know what you expected." He struggled for the right words. "You didn't think it would just go away, did you?"
"I don't know what I thought, but I didn't expect you to marry Beth." She heard the hurt in her voice.
For the briefest of moments she thought she saw compassion in his eyes. But then it was gone. She steeled herself against the feelings roiling inside. "Congratulations. With the Baylors' land and your family's wealth, the Baldwins will control a sizable chunk of Potter County."
"I'm not marrying Beth to spite you."
"Then why are you marrying her?" Vonnie held her breath as she waited for the answer. If you say you love her, I'll die.
"You know why I'm marrying her." He refused to meet her eyes.
She averted her gaze. Yes, she knew—his father had arranged the union. P.K. had always wanted the Baylor land.
Lord, how can I bear this? I love him beyond words. How can I let him go to another woman—even to Beth, who would make him a devotedwife? Calm me, Lord, help me be strong, and help me veil how this is tearing me apart.
This time he was the one who looked away. "What does love have to do with it?"
...............

How was your first day at college?

Everyone has a funny,scary or boring story about their first day at college.
How was yours?

We'd love to know it!

Kari Jobe:Encouraging people to fall in love with God!

I was surfing in Internet a couple of weeks ago and watching some videos on youtube,then I stumbled at this interview with Kari Jobe,and it took my breath away!
In a video of about two minutes,I was touched to see someone with so much peace and passion for God,after that,I was looking like crazy for her songs and found out that there is hope to be someone living this life knowing that Jesus already paid the price for my sins and thus I can live a fun,exciting,joyful life,because he made me free!
I'd like to thanks her for letting the light of God shine through her.

Here is some her quotes that blew my world and made me wanting to find God more than anything in the world:

*People who don't live the word of God,I don't how they do it,it got so many truths!

*At least let's try,let's dare each other to understand God's love.

*If I don't go to the feet of Jesus,if I don't have a realtionship with Jesus,I can't invite people either,because would be very unfamiliar to me.

*If God this amazing today,I can't wait for tomorrow.

*Christian walk is not about rules,it's about having a relationship with God.

*Don't lose heart.Life is fun,life is exciting,only when you have Jesus in your heart.

Living with purpose,pleasing God with everything that I do,loving him with everything in me and be loved by him.That's my goal in life now.

True Devotion by Dee Henderson

I read this book after reading the O'Malley series,if you ever read one of the books,you know what is fast,believable,tense and christian fiction.
A story between "Bear" a SEAL who lost his best friend Nick, three years ago and now is trying to keep the promise that he made:watch over his best friend's wife,Kelly.
But as time goes by he found out feeling towards hear,could he keep his promise if he's falling for her?

What I like about this book,is the respect and true friendship between Kelly and Joe,while they trying to protect the friendship,the memory of Nick,the growing atraction..An author who know how to make wonder what is going to happen next,and hholding your breath until the very end.
I really liked this one.