Conspiracy by Colleen Coble - A Book Review

  

The final book of Coble's Sanctuary series which is connected to the Tupelo Grove novels that she coauthored with Rick Acker, is an amazing conclusion. Veterinarian Paradise Alden is once again in the cross-hairs. The mystery is the identity of the one who has her in their sights. Blake Lawson had thought life had gotten back to normal after the mystery of who was sabotaging his family's wildlife sanctuary had been solved. All too soon he realized that danger still lurked as Paradise pressed on in her investigation to discover the identity of her parents' murderer. Coble keeps the tension high throughout Conspiracy. While the ending is truly satisfying, readers will not be ready for the book or the series to end. This series is written in the style that put Coble's name on my list of favorite mystery authors years ago.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

The Spy Keeper of Marseille by Roseanna M. White

  

It's been a long time since I've read a really good WW II novel. This story was a great one with which to return to the genre. The fact that it involved the French resistance is a bonus for me. The Spy Keeper of Marseille emphasizes that each of us has strengths and talents that can be utilized in causes that we are passionate about. We must be willing to be brave and to make sacrifices for what is right. Zelie Bellarose, widowed mother of two children who live with their grandmother while their mother works as a keeper of spies, exemplifies this as does pianist Marcel Laurent. Together they rally the fine arts world into an alliance to spy on enemy soldiers and leaders. This book's themes, the intrigue, and the danger are all well written and compliment one another.

I highly recommend The Spy Keeper of Marseille and am to have received a complimentary copy from Tyndale House Publishers via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

The Bachelor Spy by Pepper Basham - A Book Review

  

Pepper Basham is offering fans of her Freddy and Grace Mysteries another delightful mystery along with some special surprises along the way. This fifth book has multiple mysteries going on at once, frequently becoming entangled with one another. Basham keeps both her characters and her readers on their toes. Sorting the good guys from the bad guys is a frequent challenge. Humor, challenges, and life lessons are well-balanced. There is plenty of lightheartedness to act as the sugar to help the medicine, or in this case the morals to the story, go down. The ending is satisfying and pleasing on several fronts. I highly recommend The Bachelor Spy, but suggest reading the Freddy and Grace Mysteries in sequence in order to get maximum comprehension and reading pleasure. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Bachelor Spy from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. This is a series that I will likely reread one day. 

Sisterchicks do the Hula! by Robin Jones Gunn - A Brief Comment

  

As I make my way through a second reading of Robin Jones Gunn's Sisterchicks series I am realizing that sixty-seven year-old me is enjoying them in a different way that forty-something me did. I was especially drawn to the historical information of our fiftieth state in Sisterchicks do the Hula. I had never really had a desire to visit Hawaii, but now I would love to go visit their historic sites, especially those related to the state's early missionaries. The story also highlights many interesting points about the culture, things that are being lost as commercialization has increased. As always is true of a Robin Jones Gunn book, there are many spiritual lessons to absorb along the way. 

The Christmas Quilt by Teresa Slack - A Brief Comment

  

The title drew me to this book when the Kindle copy was offered for free on Amazon. While my copy had quite a few typos, I truly enjoyed this sweet, yet intriguing, story. Mourning the loss of her grandmother, Ivy Greer comes across an old trunk containing a beautiful, Christmas-themed quilt, that her grandmother had obviously created for her. Shocked when the man who had always been like an uncle to her quickly took the quilt from her, Ivy sets out to solve the mystery of the quilt.

Theresa Slack is a new to me author. I will be keeping a look out for other books by her. This story has a wonderful plot, and is realistic. The dialogue was well written. The ending played well and didn't seem rushed. All hallmarks for me of an enjoyable read. 

Shattered by Dr. David Jeremiah and Sam O'Neal - A BookReview

   

Shattered in the second book in Dr. David Jeremiah and Sam O'Neal's end time series. I highly recommended the first book when it came out last year. Shattered, not so much so. If you read Vanished, I would suggest you go ahead and read Shattered because the story as a whole remains interesting. It's some of the details in this book that has me lowering my star count. There was so many times I stopped reading to explain to my husband why something I just read was not logical or that it just struck me as off. So, that annoyance factor was high, but as I said, the series' story as a whole is interesting. The first book takes place leading up to the Rapture. This second book occurs leading up to and just past the halfway point of the Tribulation. I am hoping that the next book in the series is more like Vanished than it is like Shattered, focused and with characters acting in a reasonable manner based on the circumstances.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Shattered from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

 

The Island Bakeshop by Roseanna M. White - A Book Review

 

 

This second book in Guideposts Island Shop series features Harper Dailey, baker extraordinaire. Baker's hours don't allow much time for a social life, but Harper always makes time for a weekly friends group dinner. It doesn't hurt that Beckett Mills is usually in attendance as well, even if he had shown little interest in her at the dinner or during his frequent visits to her family's bakery. Yet, he immediately intervenes when entering the bakery to find Harper living her worst nightmare.

The Island Bookshop is an intense story dealing with healing from a range of abuses and neglect, but even healed wounds leave scars. Roseanna M. White handles this theme with sensitivity, and a focus on the importance of talking through one's hurts and a reliance on God, the great Healer. Trusting relationships are key. White allows readers the opportunity to get to know her characters, to develop empathy for them. This story is appropriate for romantic suspense fans, and would be equally appropriate for young adult readers who may or may not have yet encountered the signs of a toxic relationship. It might open up an avenue of conversation with a trusted adult.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Island Bakeshop from Guideposts via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.