THE "CANADIAN WEST" SERIES BY JANETTE OKE

The "Canadian West" series by Janette Oke

Synopsis of Book #1, "When Calls the Heart":

"Nothing in her cultured East Coast upbringing prepared Elizabeth for a teaching position on the Canadian frontier. Yet, despite the constant hardships, she loves the children in her care. Determined to do the best job she can and fighting to survive the harsh land, Elizabeth is surprised to find her heart softening towards a certain member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police."

My Review:

I really enjoyed reading the entire "Canadian West" series by Janette Oke, which I read for the first time in 2019 and will definitely read again in the future—at which time I will add more of my thoughts on this series to my blog. For now I will say that this has become one of my favorite book series, and I highly recommend it to those who enjoy western historical fiction with a bit of romance.

The series order:
1. When Calls the Heart
2. When Comes the Spring
3. When Breaks the Dawn
4. When Hope Springs New
5. Beyond the Gathering Storm
6. When Tomorrow Comes

Note: As a devoted fan of the "When Calls the Heart" television series on the Hallmark channel, I must say that other than having one or two of the same names for characters, and being set the same time period in Canada, this book series shares very few similarities with Hallmark's series.

My ⭐ Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Credits: The cover image and synopsis seen in this post are courtesy of Amazon.com.

"BEST FAMILY EVER" BY KAREN KINGSBURY

"Best Family Ever" by Karen Kingsbury

Synopsis:

"Brooke is the perfect older sister. For that reason, Kari and Ashley work hard to make their parents just as proud of them as they are of Brooke. Each girl has her own talents. Brooke is an excellent student. Kari is a great soccer player. Ashley, a talented artist. And they are always there for each other.

But when the news comes that Dr. Baxter is moving the family from Ann Arbor to Bloomington, Indiana, and the Baxters need to leave the only home and friends they’ve ever known, no one is happy. Saying goodbye is hard but the family still has what’s most important—their faith and their love for each other. 

The first book in the Baxter Family Children series, #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury and Tyler Russell tell the story of what it was like to grow up in the Baxter family, the best family ever."

My Review:

"Best Family Ever" is packed full of wonderful life lessons and its characters are incredibly relatable. The Baxter kids in this book experience all sorts of normal childhood things, including social and academic struggles and successes, friendships, bullies, balancing hobbies and schoolwork, and the difficulty of moving long distance. They get through all of these things and more relying on their family and their faith in God.

This is such a great book for people of all ages, but especially for kids ages 8-12, grades 3-7. I wish so much that I had a book like this to read as a kid.

My ⭐ Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Credits: The cover image and synopsis seen in this post are courtesy of the author's website, karenkingsbury.com.