From the author’s website:

As the business-savvy Sinclair sister, Ida has never wanted to settle down.

Instead of love, she craves success.

But while searching for one, she just might find the other.

Ida Sinclair has joined her sisters, Kat and Nell, in the untamed mining town of Cripple Creek, Colorado for one reason: to work for the infamous but undeniably successful businesswoman, Mollie O’Bryan. Ida’s sisters may be interested in making a match for their determined older sister, but Ida only wants to build her career.

Under Mollie's tutelage, Ida learns how to play the stock market and revels in her promising accomplishments. Fighting for respect in a man's world, her ambition leaves little room for distractions. She ignores her family's reservations about Mollie O'Bryan's business practices, but no matter how she tries, she can't ignore the two men pursuing her affections—Colin Wagner, the dashing lawyer, and Tucker Raines, the traveling preacher.

Ida wants a career more than anything else, so she shrugs off the suitors and pointed "suggestions" that young ladies don’t belong in business. Will it take unexpected love—or unexpected danger—for Ida to realize where her priorities truly lie?

 

      This is the second book in The Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek series. It is the first one I’ve read and it works easily as a stand-alone novel. The author woks enough of the storyline from the other sisters into the book so the reader doesn’t feel as if something is missing. Although the romance is a major part of the story, equally important is the spiritual and life lessons each of the characters learns. At first, Ida never questions her drive to be a “woman of business” in the growing frontier town in Colorado. But subtle and not-so-subtle opposition begin to cause tiny doubts. She also trusts her own ability to be a good judge of character, after two near disasters in her relationships shake up her confidence.

     Relating to the characters is easy thanks to the well-molded development of the story. Each of the main characters has the opportunity to make choices and grow. The secondary characters are likeable and add to the storyline. Overall, I would recommend this book and this author.

     I received my copy through Blogging for Books in exchange for this review. This arrangement does not require that I write a positive review.

Mona Gansberg married Bob Hodgson in 1972, and became Mona Hodgson 38 years ago. They have two grown daughters, a son-in-law, three grandsons and a granddaughter.

In 1987, Mona Hodgson began writing articles, poems, and short stories for publication and has had several hundred printed in more than 50 different publications. Her publishing credits now include two historical novels, nearly 30 children’s books, and contributions to 11 books for adults. 

Mona is a speaker for women's retreats, schools, conferences for educators and librarians, and at writers' conferences throughout the United States and Canada. She holds professional memberships in the American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Women Writing the West, Christian Authors Network, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, the Society of Southwestern Authors, and  Arizona Reading Association.

What does Mona like to do when she’s not writing? Picnic, Hula-Hoop, read to kids, visit museums, play tennis (on Wii), sink her toes into wet sand at the beach, retreat with her sisters, explore new places, gaze at sunsets and share lunch with a friend.

  From the author’s website:
Unknown to her tiny town of Deep Haven, Isadora Presley spends her nights as Miss Foolish Heart, the star host of a syndicated talk radio show. Millions tune in to hear her advice on dating and falling in love, unaware that she’s never really done either. Issy’s ratings soar when it seems she’s falling in love on-air with a caller. A caller she doesn’t realize lives right next door.

Caleb Knight served a tour of duty in Iraq and paid a steep price. The last thing he wants is pity, so he hides his disability and moves to Deep Haven to land his dream job as the high school football coach. When his beautiful neighbor catches his eye, in a moment of desperation he seeks advice from My Foolish Heart, the show that airs before his favorite sports broadcast.

Before he knows it, Caleb finds himself drawn to the host—and more confused than ever. Is his perfect love the woman on the radio . . . or the one next door?

        Susan May Warren does it again! The lives of four people each with their own private pain are woven together using the common threads of small-town life and a desire for resolution of inner suffering. Issy, the former high-school football coach’s daughter, suffers from PTSD. The crippling fear and panic attacks keep her locked within the confines of her own house and yard. Caleb, a physically and emotionally injured war vet, fights for the job of the new football coach while trying to impress the girl next door. Seb, the former high-school football hero, returns to town hoping to score the job of the new coach and forgiveness from the girl he wronged so many years ago. Lucy, the owner of World’s Best Donuts, fights losing her business and the emotions stirred up by the returning hero of her high school days. Each one seeks peace and love. Each one knows that only God can give the victory. With His help, they each find healing in My Foolish Heart.

         I enjoyed all the football discussions. It makes me eager for autumn! The dog adds a touch of humor, but also is significant in the development of two of the characters. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great story, written well, with a soul-stirring theme.

My copy was provided for review by Tyndale House.

Susan May Warren is the award-winning author of seventeen novels and novellas with Tyndale, Steeple Hill and Barbour Publishing. Her first book, Happily Ever After won the American Fiction Christian Writers Book of the Year in 2003, and was a 2003 Christy Award finalist. In Sheep’s Clothing, a thriller set in Russia, was a 2006 Christy Award finalist and won the 2006 Inspirational Reader’s Choice award. A former missionary to Russia, Susan May Warren now writes Suspense/Romance and Chick Lit full time from her home in northern Minnesota.

From Book Sneeze website:
Tying the knot may be the toughest thing Nick Polchak has ever tried to do.
       Nick Polchak is comfortable with bugs. Their world is orderly. He knows where he stands and exactly how to interpret the signs they give him. But a fiancée and an upcoming wedding? Not so much.
       That's why—a mere four days before the nuptials—Nick finds himself driving to Philadelphia for the monthly meeting of the Vidocq society. Being among a group of forensic professionals consulting on cold cases will surely allow him to feel useful and normal.
        But while there he discovers that a close friend has been murdered . . . and in classic Nick style, begins to follow the trail of evidence rather than returning to his fiancée. Fearing that his one-track mind won't lead him home by Saturday, Alena and three of her dogs go to track him down.
      When she finally finds him, nothing is as Alena expected . . . because the twists in this case will surprise even the most dedicated Bug Man fans.

This is the first book I have read by Tim Downs. All I have to say is that I wish I had discovered him sooner! Although this is the fourth book in a series, I was able to jump right into the storyline. Reading the first few lines, I smiled. By the time I reached the bottom of the first page, I giggled. From that point on, I laughed out loud at the often sarcastic but completely realistic comments of the main character Dr. Nick Polchak. The writing is sharp. The plot is believable. Although some of the science is a little more in depth than I cared for, it is interesting.

One of my favorite TV shows is Bones. If you like the character Dr. Brennan, you will LOVE Dr. Polchak. Nick speaks his mind, which sometimes lands him in jail. He chases leads, which may make him target practice for a bad guy. He is relentless in searching for answers. But the best, the absolute BEST, is the twist in the cold case he is following.

But it isn’t just about solving the case. Tim Downs presents a character that believes he is next to flawless, but realizes through the story that he is indeed flawed. Nick’s journey from Virginia to the Poconos in Pennsylvania aids him in a journey learning about himself.

If you enjoy mysteries, suspense, and a touch of romance, you will enjoy following the adventures of “The Bug Man” who receives help in the Nick of Time.

This book was provided for review for free by Book Sneeze. It does not influence my review.

Tim Downs is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Indiana University. After graduation in 1976 he created a daily comic strip, Downstown, which was syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate (Doonesbury, Calvin & Hobbes, The Far Side) from 1980 to 1986. His cartooning has appeared in newspapers and magazines worldwide. Tim has written eight novels in the mystery/suspense genre, beginning with Shoofly Pie (2003) and Chop Shop (2004). His third novel, PlagueMaker, was awarded the Christy award as the best CBA mystery/suspense novel of 2006. His fourth novel, Head Game, was released in January of 2007, followed by First the Dead (2008), Less than Dead (2008), Ends of the Earth (2009), and Wonders Never Cease (May 2010). His hobbies include woodworking, design, and writing about himself in the third person. Tim lives in Cary, North Carolina, with his beautiful wife Joy. They have three grown children.