So I never got the chance to use Overdrive until I got here to the UK and luckily, both the base library and the local town library both use the service. I decided to try out Overdrive by first building a wish list, and from there picked up this book. I had heard of, but never read, this author's works before. This book is #2 in the Ladies of Distinction series. Note: this series is categorized as Christian/inspirational historical romance.

Summary:

Miss Arabella Beckett has one driving passion: to help the downtrodden women of America. Naturally, she supports the women's suffrage movement and eagerly attends rallies and lectures across the country. On her travels, she makes a simple offer of assistance to a young woman in need that goes sadly awry and lands both ladies in more trouble than they can manage. An independent sort, Arabella is loath to admit she needs help and certainly doesn't need help from an arrogant, narrow-minded knight in shining armor.

Mr. Theodore Wilder, private investigator extraordinaire, is on a mission. A mission that began as a favor to his good friend Hamilton Beckett, but swiftly evolved into a merry chase across the country. By the time he finally tracks down Hamilton's sister, Arabella, he is in a less than pleasant mood. When the lady turns out to have radical ideas and a fiercely independent streak, he soon finds himself at his wit's end.

When they return home to New York, circumstances force their paths to continue to cross, but the most peculiar feelings growing between them certainly can't be love. When the trouble Arabella had accidentally stirred up seems to have followed her to New York and threatens her very life, the unlikely couple must face the possibility that they might have landed in the most peculiar circumstance of all: love.

Review:

Wonderful read with really low grade Christian praying in a few spots. There is a lot of action of the kidnapping kind, but better was the romance trope used. It was not quite friends-to-lovers, but there was a lot of back and forth sniping in the first half of the book which showed both Theodore and Arabella had quite the witty banter. That quick wit came through a number of kidnapping scenes (Arabella got taken three times) but the conversations were what I was smiling at. The secondary characters were great and the witty banter continued among conversations with and without the main couple.

I look forward to reading more of Ms. Turano's works, I have a few of them already on my NOOK. I would recommend this book.

Although this is the second book in a series, the book can be read as a stand-alone. I picked up this HQ Love Inspired Historical because it was a Christian fiction book...with a secret love child. Seriously, I wanted to know how the author (Penny Richards) could pull it off. I was really impressed with how well done the execution of a secret child in a religious-themed book turned out. I wanted to give it the full 5 stars, but a couple of things kept me from doing so.

Summary:

All Roads Lead to Home 

Gabe Gentry used to live entirely in pursuit of carefree pleasure. It cost him his relationship with his brother, and with the one woman who believed in him. Now, with newfound faith, he's coming home to Wolf Creek, Arkansas, hoping to find redemption and forgiveness, and maybe even a second chance at love. 

Physician Rachel Stone never thought she'd lay eyes on Gabe again. After their brief time together, Gabe disappeared, leaving Rachel devastated and secretly pregnant with his son. His return stirs up her bitterness…and her attraction. But Gabe's already burned her once; how can she trust him again, now that her son's heart is on the line, as well?

First off, what I liked:

1. Female doctor in the 1870s -1880s as the female MC. She was damn capable too.

2. Secret love child in an inspirational....definitely no Mary Sues in this bunch of characters. Good choice in having the kid be eight years old - more bonding can be established by a new dad at this age back in that historical era.

3. Freaking honesty - this book was very character-driven due to the level of honesty and respect everyone had for each other. The plot did slow down to crawl in the middle of the book, but picked up steam once Gabe's mom came back into town.

4. I didn't know it was the second book in a series until a couple of chapters into the book. Yet I didn't need to read the first book to understand this book.

What I didn't like the book:

1. Rachel forgave Gabe loooooonnnnnngggggg before she forgave herself for having sex outside marriage. It was a bit repetitive to read over and over how Rachel berated herself for sinning, yet gave Gabe her forgiveness willingly when he stated quite clearly he wanted to be a big part of his son's life.

2. Cast of characters towards the last 1/3 of book gave off sequel bait vibes.

3. One of the bad guys in the books was Native American....yeah, could have done without that.

I think I will pick up the first book once my TBR pile goes down a little bit more. Recommend.

I haven't kept up with the #Bookaday UK things since I sincerely don't have any books that fit in the day's theme - until today! Happy Bastille Day!

This is a re-read/keeper shelf that will be handed down to my daughter when she is ready. Yeah, this is the brightest gem in a great 80s YA series that stands up to my adult reading as well as my younger self's reading. A historical family saga set in both France and Sweet Valley, California.

This book was a wonderful and fast read. Operation Berlin Airlift (OBA 1948-1949)  is the often-overlooked middle child of the post-WWII rebuilding-OBA-Korean War military family that led to the early years of the Cold. War. Yet, the event had remarkable importance that still goes unnoticed by most historians and history buffs.

 This was the  first mission using the newly-created United States Air Force. This operation was almost all Air Force, and General Curtis LeMay was in large and in charge. The sections of the book with LeMay were a real treat, since I dealt with mostly sanitized, overly politically-minded officers when I was in.

Second, the sheer numbers of money, equipment, and supplies were incredible for a non-war event (more than 2.3 million tons of cargo into West Berlin according to most estimates). The men who worked on the aircraft and pilots were recalled just a few years after their tour of duties in the European and Asian theaters and had to readjust their lives and military education to meet the needs of the new branch of service.

The equipment (planes, tools, etc) used to move the supplies into Berlin were war weary as the men, yet aircraft maintainers were dedicated to the cause and kept the planes in the air. I may be biased, as my husband is an aircraft maintainer, currently working on aircraft that is 65 years old and still flying.

There is also political and cultural touchstones in the story as well. This was the beginning of the Cold War, long before the Berlin Wall was erected or the Cuban Missile Crisis of the Kennedy years. Not to minimize those events, but OBA deserves some respect for what the Airmen did to save west Berlin from starvation, disease, and death from the weather. Highly recommend. 5/5 stars.