Life gets busy around Christmas what with kids and parties and gifts to make, so what better to do than add a light read while I am working no my to do list? Redemption Ranch by Leann Harris was a lucky library find. Another ranch based book (of course the title… duh), this book is much more than a horse and pretty girl story. There really is a whole lot of redemption going on.

The Second Chance Ranch is an amazing place for children, for veterans, for broken souls who need some healing. Tyler Lynch is one of those souls. His faith rocked by the death of his partner during a bomb retrieval, his soul already hardened by his life as a foster child… there is so much to love about his character. I love that this book deals with the plight of the returned veteran. The difficulty of survivor’s guilt and sleepless nights due to nightmares.

Beth is part of the family business at the ranch. Terrific with animals and kids, very intuitive with those in need. She herself has been soured in love at a young age and is honestly always acting with the very best intentions. She is optimism and joy in an amazing package.

The child in this story is the brother of the soldier that Tyler could not save. He is also a broken soul and his path to joy and strengthened faith is the catalyst for a lot of the goings on in the story.

I really appreciated how the author delved into life after war. Add in the emotional turmoil of the families left behind and you get a bit of an insight into the less than glamourous life of our returned heroes. (and those who never return) I did find a bit of the drama slightly… more… than I generally enjoy but I am finding that this is a common theme in these Love Inspired books. A call for a moment or two of extreme stress. 

Redemption Ranch was an enjoyable read with characters you can’t help but connect with. If you enjoy some horses, ranches, faith journeys and healing this could be the book for you!

From introspective or paranormal to light hearted romance… the key to a healthy book diet is to diversify right? Honeymoon for One by Chris Keniston begins with a broken heart and an impulsive choice. Michelle is raising her younger sister alone after the death of both of her parents in a car accident years previous. We meet up with her as she waits to speak to her fiance Steven and her best friend Beth who has some new for her. A week away from her marriage and her whole life falls to shambles…. or so she thought. 

On the suggestion of her friends, with her teenaged sister already set up with responsible supervision she heads to Vegas on her own for her honeymoon trip. Determined to cut loose and live more than she has to date, the stable and somewhat boring Michelle becomes Micki, a girl alone in Vegas and ready for adventure. 

Enter Kirk, the wealthy unknown, on a leisure trip and looking to have the best (no strings attached) time possible. (I will warn you there are some sexual situation though not highly graphic.) After the fun in Vegas Michelle returns to her boring job only to find that the individual responsible to revitalizing her company is… KIRK! Without having exchanged more than first names and as impersonal anecdotes as possible what can a girl do when her supposed ONE night stand is thrust into her life for the immediate future! 

Honeymoon for One is an enjoyable comedic contemporary romance. The characters are entertaining and engaging and you even get some occasional peeks into the life of Beth and Steven together when they run off immediately after telling Michelle the news and get married. Chris Keniston does a  terrific job of making you giggle and want to ride along with Michelle as she learns to ease up on her sister, forgive what at first seems unforgivable and realize that true love is not always comfortable and safe!