The London Restoration by Rachel McMillan - A Book Review

    

Author's notes are often found at the end of historical novels providing information that separates fact and fiction. I love that in The London Restoration that information precedes the story. The information is fairly lengthy and quite detailed, but I encourage readers to take the time to read it before jumping into the tale of Diana and Brent Somerville, the churches of London that they love, and the spies that meet there. Set following the end of World War II, there is a concern that a new type of war is just around the corner. While the book took me a bit to get into, I was so happy to have continued reading, as this ended up being a five star story. I am grateful to have received a copy from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Acceptable Risk by Lynette Eason

  

Acceptable Risk is the second book in Eason's Danger Never Sleeps series, but it works quite well as a stand-alone read. While the story takes place stateside, some of its roots can be traced back to Afghanistan. Army investigative reporter, Sarah Denning, and her friend, former special forces member Gavin Black, work together to find how seemingly unrelated events might be connected. A kidnapping of students and teachers, threats to a Lieutenant General, and unexplained and unexpected suicides are what they have to work with, all while coming under attack themselves. As usual with Eason stories, the action is rapid and the plot compelling. I read the book in one day, not something I often do, but, not to be cliché, I truly couldn't put this book down. I am grateful to have received a copy of this book from Revell via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here is my own.

Piecing It All Together by Leslie Gould - A Book Review

  

Jane Berger is the owner of the Plain Patterns Quilt Shop. She also writes a local history column for the town's newspaper. Jane has a knack for matching her stories to people who need to hear them, and the circle's quilts to the people who need to own and be encouraged by them. Savannah Mast returns to visit her Amish grandmother, the one she used to visit during the summer as a child. Her world had fallen apart, and she didn't know where else to go. Savannah could not have anticipated what awaited her there.

Piecing It All Together is an entertaining read with a story line that isn't typical in the Amish books I have read. The theme of conquering one's fears and worries by turning them over to God is well developed. I look forward to future books in this series and more of Jane Berger's stories from the past. I am grateful to have received a copy of this book from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Minutes to Die by Susan Sleeman - A Book Review

   

Minutes to Die is the second book in Sleeman's Homeland Heroes series, and I enjoyed it even more than the first. Kiley Dawson has her first opportunity to take lead on a case being run by the elite Rapid Emergency Deployment (RED) team, made up of inter-agency law enforcement officers. For her the case quickly morphed from wanting to solve her friend's murder to the need to protect millions of people from an imminent threat. Kiley was less than thrilled to have ICE Agent Evan Bowers join the team, still blaming him for the death of her colleague, Agent Olin Foster, during an op gone bad. Can the pair put aside their personal issues in order to thwart the worst threat to the county since 2001? This fast-paced romantic suspense story will keep you up searching for the answer to that question and more.

I am grateful to have received a copy of Moments to Die from Bethany House via NetGalley with no obligation. All opinions stated here are my own. 

A Life Once Dreamed by Rachel Fordham - A Book Review

   

A Life Once Dreamed is set in the Dakota Territory in the 1880s. The town of Penance had grown as minors, loggers and their families moved to town. Agnes Pratt was totally unprepared, having been brought up in a wealthy household in Buffalo, New York, but after teaching school there for six years, she had acquired many life skills and developed close relationships with the townfolk. She'd chosen a single-life finding fulfillment with her students. Was the life she had built about to be knocked down by the appearance of the new town doctor, someone she thought never to see again?

This story was a pleasant read. Fans of historical romance know how these stories go, so there aren't too many surprises here, but following the story as it progresses makes for an enjoyable reading experience. I am grateful to have received a copy from Revell via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

The Black Midnight by Kathleen Y'Barbo - A Book Review

    

This book is a great example of truth being stranger than fiction. I loved the story, but thought parts of it weren't very realistic only to learn from the author's notes at the end of the book that those were the true parts of the story! The story explored a serial killer who operated in Austin, Texas in the mid-1880s and a serial killer in London a few years later. While the police investigated, two Pinkerton agents are also on the perpetrators' trails. The question is, are the two killers one and the same?

I have enjoyed Y'Barbo's books in the Daughters of the Mayflower series, and am thrilled for her to have joined Barbour's True Colors series. She is a wonderful author and a thorough researcher. I recommend this book, series, and author. I am grateful to have received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.