A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas

Synopsis:
The Wallflowers are four young ladies in London who banded together in their wild and wickedly wonderful searches for true love. Now happily married, they join together once again to help one of the world’s most notorious rogues realize that happiness might be right under the mistletoe.… It’s Christmastime in London and Rafe Bowman has arrived from America for his arranged meeting with Natalie Blandford, the very proper and beautiful daughter of Lady and Lord Blandford. His chiseled good looks and imposing physique are sure to impress the lady in waiting and, if it weren’t for his shocking American ways and wild reputation, her hand would already be guaranteed. Before the courtship can begin, Rafe realizes he must learn the rules of London society. But when four former Wallflowers try their hand at matchmaking, no one knows what will happen. And winning a bride turns out to be more complicated than Rafe Bowman anticipated, especially for a man accustomed to getting anything he wants. However, Christmas works in the most unexpected ways, changing a cynic to a romantic and inspiring passion in the most timid of hearts.  A Wallflower Christmas takes a trip to Victorian London, under the mistletoe, and on a journey of the heart. With her trademark charm, sensuality, and unforgettable characters, there’s no one like Lisa Kleypas to make you believe in the magic of Christmas.


my review-
It was good, but not great. The story was way too short to deal with the heroine/hero's story properly. It was good to catch up with the Wallflowers though:)
3 stars.

Courting Trouble by Deeanne Gist

Read For:

ROR Winter Challenge

Buck Stops Here Challenge (paid 20 Cents at Goodwill sale)

Reading My Shelves Project
Pick Your Poison Challenge
My Bucket List Challenge

I love the cover!

Synopsis:
Tired of Waiting for a Match-Made-in-Heaven, She'll Settle for One Made in Texas Whether it's riding bikes, catching snakes, or sliding down banisters, Essie Spreckelmeyer just can't quite make herself into the ideal woman her hometown--and her mother--expect her to be. It's going to take an extraordinary man to appreciate her joy and spontaneity--or so says her doting oil-man father. Unfortunately such a man doesn't appear to reside in Corsicana, Texas. It's 1894, the year of Essie's thirtieth birthday, and she decides the Lord has more important things to do than provide her a husband. If she wants one, she needs to catch him herself. So, she writes down the names of all the eligible bachelors in her small Texas town, makes a list of their attributes and drawbacks, closes her eyes, twirls her finger, and ... picks one. But convincing the lucky "husband-to-be" is going to a bit more of a problem. Join Deeanne Gist for another unforgettable tale and find out whether Essie's plan to catch a husband succeeds or if she's just Courting Trouble.




My Review:
This is the first "Christian romance" I've ever finished (only tried one other and it was not good).

This book was a delightful, enjoyable story that was written so that anyone, avid Christian, or just someone looking for a good story, will enjoy it. I loved the message of this story, that you need to love yourself, and not change yourself just to find a love that will only "accept" you if you mold yourself into THEIR idea of perfection. 


Dare I say it, this Christian book has some very forward thinking ideas on Woman's Rights as well as naysaying the idea that a unmarried woman who had "relations" being "soiled goods"!  Good for Miss Gist! I find it amusing that some of the other, more Christian readers reviews on Shelfari, had issue with Essie's one "fall from grace" and the "love scenes" (which were TAME in comparison to traditional romances!). Isn't the whole thing about being a Christian is forgiveness?


As to the Christian aspects-they were tastefully done, not "preachy" and did not have the character getting trod upon in the name of Christianity (which is what happened in the other book I tried). I liked that the message that you can do many "good works"-like some of the "church ladies and gents" in the book-but if you are still a judgmental and gossipy fart that spreads vicious rumors about others, you are not as "Christian" as you might think :).


 I loved the lead character and the townsfolk and I'll be seeking out the next book, Deep In The Heart of Trouble, to read about Essie's next adventures. 

My Book Bucket List for 2011

http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-book-bucket-list-for-2011.html

I'm really liking the idea of this challenge but I'm going to "tweak" it a bit for my needs.


 My dresser in my bedroom is covered literally with several hundred books! I'm going to make my "bucket list" for this challenge 50 of those. My only rule is-no go backs! If I start to read one and it doesn't grab me, it goes in the get rid of box, not back on top of the dresser. I want those 50 books G-O-N-E one way or another by 12/2011 :)

The rules:
I have MANY books on my shelves that I have not read.  "Too many books, too little time."  Maybe what I need to do is prioritize my reading.  

I have decided that for 2011, I will read 50 of the books that have been sitting on my "to read" shelf for too long, some for  three years or more.

I read at least two books a week, so it should be no problem, right?  I will remind myself of that when the end of 2011 comes, and see how many I may try to cram in at the last minute.  My problem when it comes to reading is , my intentions are good, but I am easily distracted.  There are so many books that I find and want to read, and some great books are moved farther on the back burner.  

 I am going to keep a list in my sidebar for the year, as I read them I will cross them off, that way there will always be a reminder for me when I get on my blog.  It won't become buried under all of my posts and forgotten.



My List:

1-The carolinians by Jane Barry
2-A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas
3-The White Witch of Rosehall by Herbert G.de Lisser
4-Killer Takes All by Erica Spindler
5-The Charmed Sphere by Cathrine Asaro
6-The Glass Slipper by Linda O. Johnston
7-Barbara Cartland: Three Complete Novels by Barbara Cartland
8-French Leave by Sheri Cobb South
9-Thornfield Hall by Emma Tenant
10-Soft Focus by Jayne AnnKrentz
11-Caroline and Julia by Clare Darcy
12-Blue Heaven, Black Night by Shannon Drake
13-suspicious by nora roberts
14-Guardian of Honor by Robin D. Owens
15-the rope dancer by Roberta Gellis
16-The code of love cheryl sawyer
17-molly by teresa crane
18-the sicilian amulet by jo manning
19-the jeweled daughter  by Anne Maybury
20-Emma Hamilton by Norah Lofts
21-a singular hostage by Thalassa Ali
22-pride prejudice and jasmin field by Melissa Nathan
23-Circle of Death by Keri Arthur
24-Love Came Just In Time by Lynn Kurland
25-Wizard's Ward by Deborah Hale
26-Olivia Joules and The Overactive Imagination by Helen Fielding
27-the secret life of bees by Sue Monk Kidd
28-A Witch's Lament by Catherine Anne Collins 
29-daneclere by Pamela Hill
30-Beatrice Goes To Brighton by Marion Chesney
31-Fancy Pants by Cathy Marie Hake
32-Courting Trouble by Deeanne Gist
33-The Art of Arrow Cutting by Stephen Dedman 
34-Hunter's Moon by Karen Robards
35-Moon Shadow by Laura Parker
36-The Day of The Butterfly by Norah Lofts
37-Ratcatcher by James McGee
38-Resurrectionist by James McGee
39-Danger Zone by Shirley Palmer
40-The Flowering by Agnes Sligh Turnbull
41-poison study maria v. snyder
42-Pride and Prescience by Carrie Bebris
43-Smuggler's Summer by Carola Dunn
44-Firedrake's Eye by Patricia Finney
45-the fifteen streets by Catherine Cookson
46-Lady Robyn R. Garcia y Robertson
47-Charity Girl By Georgette Heyer
48-Let There Be Blood by Jane Jakeman
49-Feathers In The Fire by Catherine Cookson
50-The Blackstone Key by Rose Melikan 

Red line=tried but quit it
Black line=finished