Beach Wedding at Emerald Isle, NC by Grace Greene - A Book Review

  

This book was difficult to read in that is dealt with some hard truths, truths we likely all need to come to grips with at times in our lives. Previous encounters with Maia had been filled with light and sweetness. Maia was a character with a true servant's heart. In Beach Wedding we see a different, darker, side of Maia, the side that occurs when bitterness and resentment crowd out the light. Sometimes though, the light when it returns seems all the brighter when juxtaposed against the darkness. I am grateful for this beautiful story and its lessons and reminders. Thank you, Grace Greene, for providing me with a complimentary copy without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Elementary, My Dear Watkins by Mindy Starns Clark – A Brief Comment

  

I finally finished Clark's Smart Chick Mystery series starring Jo Tulip and Danny Watkins. The final book, Elementary, My Dear Watkins, was by far my favorite in the series. Jo's life is in danger, and Danny is working overseas. There are strange things going on at Jo's grandmother's estate and in the family business, providing additional suspects to a growing list of people who may wish to do Jo harm. Clark definitely saved the best for last in this series. 

Worthy of Legend by Roseanna M. White - A Book Review

  

Worthy of Legend is the third book in Roseanna M. White's The Secrets of the Isles series. While it will work as a stand-alone read, it will be more fully enjoyed by reading the series in order. Who wouldn't want to read a well-written series that is full of lords, ladies, folklore, and hunts for pirate treasure? The books are set on the beautiful Isles of Scilly in the early 1900s. In this book the characters have enjoyed a wonderful summer of adventure together, but as autumn draws near, might they make time for the greatest treasure hunt of all? Throughout all of the group's exploits might they find an even greater treasure than the one they seek, the knowledge of God's mercy? Readers might also discover a deeper level of showing mercy, especially to those who seemingly deserve it the least. They will certainly enjoy the hunt.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Worthy of Legend from Bethany House via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Come Down Somewhere by Jennifer L. Wright - A Book Review

  

Come Down Somewhere is Jennifer L. Wright's second novel, and I am happy to have discovered her work early in her career as it means I will not miss out on her future novels. This book is one you will want all of your book-loving friends to read. It is not your typical WW II novel as it is set in New Mexico. Wright follows the lives of two young women, their families, and their evolving friendship as the United States plans for and carries out the first test of a nuclear weapon in the Jornada del Muerto desert in New Mexico. Come Down Somewhere is proof that not all great novels have a happily ever after.

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

Still My Forever by Kim Vogel Sawyer - A Book Review

  

Still My Forever is set in a Mennonite community in 1905 Falke, Kansas. Twenty-one year-old Ava Flaming lives with her parents, caring for her ailing mother, and nursing her own broken heart. Gil Baty, who was briefly Ava's fiance before moving to New York to pursue a career in music, has returned to Falke to nurse his wounded spirit. While I have no musical talent, and not a great amount of interest in music, I was enthralled by this story that is wrapped in music. I believe you will be as well.

Kim Vogel Sawyer has a way of making her characters matter to her readers, and in doing so she is also able to help her readers embrace her characters' life lessons, lessons easily applied to our daily lives, lessons that go down with a spoonful of sugar which is the enjoyment of a story well-told. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Still My Forever from WaterBrook via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Escape From Amsterdam by Lauralee Bliss - A Book Review

Helen Smit of Amsterdam Noord is just embarking on adulthood, attending Teacher's College of Amsterdam, that is until her country's government surrenders to Germany and changes come to the Netherlands. Erik Minger is a young man employed in a grocery store in which his family has invested. It appears that his future lies in business management, that is until the government began restricting where certain people groups are allowed to shop and do business. In Escape From Amsterdam we follow these two characters from 1939 into 1945, along with three children who come into their care, and those who love and support this special family.

Lauralee Bliss' writing style in Escape From Amsterdam is beautiful in its simplicity. It stays laser-focused on the need to remain steadfast in one's faith in God and in the work of Christ in spite of one's circumstances. Bliss clearly demonstrates showing greater love by laying down one's life for another, which at times may mean being willing to die for someone, but also may mean giving up the kind of life one hoped to live.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Escape from Amsterdam from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

The Bride of Blackfriars Lane by Michelle Griep - A Book Review

  

It was so much fun to rejoin Kit Turner and Inspector Jackson Forge in their many antics as they seek to bring criminals to justice in some quite unconventional ways. Set in 1885 London, the pair has a bit more leeway than today's law enforcement. The tension created in Kit and Jackson's relationship by Kit's arriving several hours late for their wedding adds additional interest to the tale. While I thoroughly enjoyed this entertaining read, I must admit the ending fell a little flat, with both main characters arriving at a plan that did not match up with the conversations leading up to the climax. Nevertheless, the book is rollicking fun, and I do recommend it.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Bride of Blackfriars Lane from Barbour Publishing without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.