Trusting Grace by Maggie Brendan

Set on a farm in Gallatin Valley, Montana, Grace Bidwell who longed to have children had unexpectedly lost her husband. Broken, she had to run the farm and take care of her father, Owen, who is sick.  She needed help and fast.  She placed an ad for a hired hand hoping that someone would respond quickly.

Meanwhile, handsome Robert Frasier arrived with three meager children Tom, Sarah, and Becky.  However, they were not his own.  After he lost his farm and newly wed wife, Ada, Ada's sister burst into the court room with the children. Robert surprised and angry packed his belongings, his newly found out children and traveled to wherever there was an available job.  When he arrived in Gallatin Valley to pick up a few items he noticed Grace's ad and immediately inquired about the job. 

Robert, however, purposely didn't tell Owen or Grace about his children and hid them in the wood which made things a little complicated, especially when Grace found out.  Grace gave Robert no choice to leave the children unattended in the woods but to come live on the farm with her and her father. Robert knew to comply. If not, it could cost him his job.  

Grace immediately fell in love with the children. Robert saw her nurturing side and how she interacted with the children and started to grow feelings towards Grace.  However, Robert vowed that he would never fall in love let alone trust another woman after what Ada had done to him.  Both Grace and Robert both realized they needed to stop looking into the past, a past filled with hurt, anger, and resentment to find peace and a future they are both longing for.

For those who love historical fiction, pick up this charming and lighthearted story about faith, trust, and unexpected love.  

Dani Green 

Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris

When psychic Manfred Bernardo moved to Midnight, Texas, he was expecting to be the eccentric in the sleepy, little town. Little did he know what Midnight had in store for him. Across the street, Fiji Cavanaugh owns a New Age shop and claims to be a witch. The minister has a wedding chapel and a pet cemetery, and the family that owns the convenience store are surely hiding something. Manfred’s landlord, Bobo, owns the local pawn shop (open 24/7) and looks to have secrets of his own. When the town holds a picnic near the river, they discover the body of Bobo’s missing girlfriend, Aubrey. As the investigation into her death begins, life in Midnight gets even weirder: dangerous looking strangers wander the streets, a private detective comes snooping around, and that’s just the beginning.

Charlaine Harris made her name with the Sookie Stackhouse novels, which became the TV show, True Blood. Midnight Crossroad is the first in a new series that looks to have all of the depth of her earlier books along with quite a bit of lighthearted humor. While the characters may seem outrageous, Harris writes them with such uniquely human qualities that it’s easy to see yourself or someone you know in each of them. This is a great book for readers who like a good dose of fun and fantasy along with their mysteries.

The second book in the series, Day Shift, comes out May 5.