Lonestar Angel

I am admittedly a big fan of Colleen Coble. I have reviewed quite a few of her books and have enjoyed all of them. When I started Lonestar Angel I kept turning back to check the copyright date. It read very much like a rookie's novel. No matter how often I checked it was still published in 2011. Perhaps if it had been a different author or a new one I wouldn't have been quite so confused.

Just as Eden is about to get engaged her ex-husband Clay shocks her with the news that not only are they not divorced but their child that had been kidnapped as a baby and considered dead was alive.In a whirlwind moment Eden and Clay set off for a camp in Texas for foster children where their now five year old child is one of the little girls on site. The story unfolds with intrigue and suspense as Clay and Eden try to figure out which child belongs to them someone is even more determined to stop them from being reunited. Insert Eden's Columbian drug-lord father and countless near death experiences and you've got a gripping tale. In the midst of it all Clay and Eden begin to fall in love all over again as God works in both of them.

This book just confused me and I couldn't seem to get past that! I'm still confused even writing a review about it. It is so different from Coble's usually well thought out plots and so far-fetched it is most definitely fiction.It will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens but for me personally I just couldn't get past the randomness of this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Blogging for Books (Thomas Nelson) book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Lightkeeper's Ball

The Lightkeeper's Ball by Colleen Coble

First of all I have to say that the cover of this book is absolutely amazing. I know you can't judge a book by it's cover but I couldn't help but find myself staring at the beautiful color and dress. I know, I know, that has nothing to do with the book.

Olivia Stewart is an heiress and from the famed Four Hundred (those considered the wealthiest and most distinguished in America). However, not all is well in paradise. Her father has died and her once engaged sister has been found dead as well. The family' security rests in Olivia marrying well. Olivia wants to find out what happen to her sister Eleanor. She travels to Mercy Falls, California to find out what really happened. Travel under an old family title she "sneaks" into Mercy Falls and begins her investigation of Eleanor's former fiance Harrison Bennett.

From the beginning Olivia's visit is met with peril. She's thrown overboard before even landing. Harrison rescues her...or did he push her overboard in the first place? Harrison and Olivia's paths continue to cross and Olivia begins to think he may not be the man she originally thought him to be. A plane crash, an attack, and more keep Olivia guessing throughout the whole book.


As always Coble does an excellent job of waving mystery and intrigue into beautiful period stories. I have always loved her depth of historical references and her characters are charming. I will admit I was a bit lost in this book. It's the third in a series but I've read the one previous to this and I was still lost. It's a bit confusing for the reader to have Olivia have a different name in Mercy Falls. I also felt the whole incognito thing to be extremely far fetched. If you can get beyond that, and try to follow the names, you'll find a good read.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishers for providing a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Lightkeeper's Bride

The Lightkeeper’s Bride by Colleen Coble

Reviewed by: Melissa J. MacDonald

Genre: Historical, Mystery, Romance

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Date: 2010

Settle in, you’re going to love this one.

It’s 1890 on the coast of Northern California in a sleep (or not so sleepy) town called Mercy Falls. Katie Russell is in her mid-twenties and her parents are expecting her to make a good marriage match to the wealthy bachelor Bartholomew Foster. Katie finds Bart a bit dull and finds her job as a telephone operator anything but. One evening while working the lines Katie overhears a disturbing exchange between her friend Eliza and a very familiar male voice. With that one overheard phone call the story takes off in ways you’ll never see coming.

Eliza has disappeared and her baby Jennie has been left behind. The new handsome lighthouse keeper Will seems to keep showing up in all the right….er wrong places. Will has his own set of problems as he witnesses piracy and murder and tries to take care of a one-year-old. Not to mention there is a certain telephone operator that is taking his life by storm. In the midst of clue gathering, pirate fighting, and disease fleeing romance springs up where….well exactly where you would expect it and it’s delightful.

Aye mateys you’ll be on the edge of your seat with this one! I consider myself a bit of a savvy mystery reader but even I was a bit fooled by one character in particular. Coble does a fantastic job of helping you enter into the story. With her descriptive words you’ll be sure you’ve taken off on a mystery sailing adventure with all the main characters. Will seems to bounce back from each deadly wound like the superhero we all want our men to be and you’ll find yourself sighing as he rescues Katie from the dastardly pirates.

This is the second book in The Mercy Falls series but can easily be read as a standalone. However, I guarantee once you travel to Mercy Falls you’ll want to stay for awhile. You might find yourself strapping on your skates at the local roller skating rink, stopping in at the haberdashery, or listening on the party line to hear all the latest gossip. Whatever the case you’ll be glad you were introduced to this special little town.

Rated PG- for mild action and murder scenes

This book was provided for me by Thomas Nelson Publishers through Radiant Lit. To see this at Radiant Lit, click here.