When Calls the Heart (Canadian West Bk 1) by Janette Oke

I really enjoyed this book. Set in Canada in the early 1900s. Elizabeth, a teacher in Ontario is encouraged to visit Alberta where her half brother resides with his family. After consideration Elizabeth makes the trip West, to rural Canada where she accepts a teaching post. She meets and falls in love with a Mountie called Wynn, who firmly believes that he should not marry because of the harshness of the terrain, but can Elizabeth encourage Wynn to change his mind.

Divas don't knit by Gil McNeil

I thought this would be very chick litty, but it was a lovely read and as a reader it was easy to identify with the main character.

Jo is the mother of two young boys, her husband a reporter who spends lots of time away from home announces that he wants a divorce. As he leaves Jo he has a fatal car accident. Jo discovers that her husband has managed to take a second mortgage out on their home....Jo tackles the chaos of her domestic life by moving out of London to the coast to take over and run her grandmother's wool shop which she renames McKnits. Jo is about to start of a new beginning and make some fascinating new friends.

The characters have a real feel to them as does the storyline, we can feel Jo's pain and concern through the pages of the book. A lovely, gentle read which I am pleased to say has a sequel.

Author's Web Site

Irish Chain by Earlene Fowler

An old boyfriend returns home to visit his uncle, nothing particularly odd, until the uncle and another resident are discovered murdered. Benni can't resist.....meanwhile, Benni is asked to gather some data for a local history for publication about the Japanese community during the war, a fascinating subject with secrets as Benni soon discovers....

As Always, Jack: A Wartime Love Story by Emma Sweeney

Emma following the death of her mother stumbles across a series of letters which were sent from her father to her mother in their courting days, at the backend of World War Two. After 6 months of corresponding, they had in reality only spent two weeks together. Upon being decommissioned and returning to the States Jack immediately visits the father of his sweetheart to ask for consent to marry. They did marry and had a family together, the author Emma was still being carried by her mother when her father died. To all intents and purposes, Emma did not know her father, but as she grew up developed a picture in her mind of the type of person he was. The letters that she found enabled Emma to flesh out the character he had. Emma does in order to find more answers about her father's life visit his family home, and meets several Aunts and the area where they grew up. I would have liked to have explored that a bit further, and perhaps there is scope for another book....The book overall was an enjoyable one, this edition had some lovely illustrations and background paper reinforcing that this book was essentially a series of letters, from an era when communication was about writing letters, involving pen, ink, paper & stamps and not our modern methods.

This book also made me think of my grandparents. They married in September 1939 and by November of the same year my Grandfather was in the Army stationed in Africa. There is very sadly, no letters from this time of separation, in fact there was very few photos, not even of their wedding. There is one though which I have inherited of my Grandfather in a relaxed portrait with written, on the back "Your love one, George X"

Morning Comes Softly by Debbie Macomber

As I had to spend 4 hours on the train today, I thought that I would read a light enjoyable book to ease the journey.

Travis is grieving for the loss of his brother and sister in law. Now the sole guardian of his two nephews and a neice Travis realizes that if he can not find a housekeeper he should advertise for a wife. Mary replies to the advert. A slightly frumpy librarian, who does not want to be left on the shelf. Following their marriage, Mary and Travis realise that they do love each other and the children.

This has a different slant to many of Macomber books, but what a lovely way to spend a train journey!

Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich

Continuing with the eventful life of Stephanie Plum, this time with Diesel, with only vague appearances of Ranger & Morelli. I can't believe though, that we have made it through a Plum book with no car blown up!

Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran

The very gentle story of three sisters who flee their home Country of Iran to start a new life in Ireland, via London. Establishing yourself in a foreign country is never easy, and given the turbulant times of Iranian history, the sisters have their work cut out for them as they try to be accepted into the local community. What better way than through tempting the community with aromatic foods from Iran. Interspersed with recipes, which sound delicious!