Trapped in Yosemite by Dana Mentink - A Book Review

  

With dozens of books to her name, surprisingly Dana Mentink is a new-to-me author. I will be on the look out for her titles in the future. Trapped in Yosemite is a wonderful suspense novel. I don't usually like books in which the romance develops too quickly, in this book that wasn't an issue as Von Sharpe and Stella Rivers has once been engaged. That ended eighteen months before an earthquake and a murderer threw them back together. Finding their way in extreme circumstances and adjusting to the changes that had occurred in their lives over their time apart both helped and hindered in defining their new relationship, or if there was ever to be a relationship. Being trapped at the Mountain Dog Wilderness Guides Camp with dwindling resources, fractious campers, and a murderer lurking about with his sights on Stella, caused a roller coaster of emotions in both Von and Stella, and that wasn't even the half of it! Mentink has written a believable suspense story that highlights God's grace and His willingness to give repentant people second chances, something we need to be willing to do as well.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Trapped in Yosemite from Harlequin via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Swindoll's Living Insights New Testament Commentary by Charles R. Swindoll

  

Typically I consult commentaries when I am looking for more information on a particular verse or section of Scripture. I recently read the book of Revelation along with Charles Swindoll's commentary on that book. I had read Revelation straight through many times, but I gleaned so much more this time thanks to Swindoll's knowledge and his ability to connect things together in ways I would never have seen on my own. I was so excited about how this commentary enlightened my understanding of this Scripture, and I had stopped so many times to share insights with my husband, that we purchased the entire fifteen volume set of this New Testament Commentary for both ourselves and one for our son who is a pastor. I am now a little over halfway through the first volume that covers Matthew Chapters One through Fifteen. My own grasp of this book of the Bible was already greater than my understanding of the symbolism and imagery of the book of Revelation, but I am still excited about the new things I am learning. I highly recommend this set of commentaries, and look forward to reading through the New Testament with greater understanding compliments of Dr. Swindoll's wonderful writing and teaching style. 

One Wrong Move by Dani Pettrey - A Book Review

   

One insurance investigator, one FBI agent, four private investigators, and two cases to solve make for an intense read. While two too-quick romances don't always add up, in this case they are not greater than the suspense so the reading pleasure is not decreased. Bullets are flying everywhere, riddles are dropped as clues, and the investigators travel by land, air, and sea. There is non-stop action as the investigators divide to conquer. Themes of dealing with one's past and forgiving those who caused much grief, even if one of those people is oneself is well-developed. Readers see the contrast between bitterness allowed to take root and becoming a new creature in Christ.

I highly recommend One Wrong Move to fans of romantic suspense. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy from Bethany House via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Fatal Witness by Patricia Bradley - A Book Review

   

Patricia Bradley had me hooked by the end of the first paragraph. Danielle Bennett AKA Dani Collins had a nine-year hole in her memory. A hole that included anyone she had known and loved during the first nine years of her life other than her Uncle Keith. Now circumstances were lining up to pull her into that hole, and into a killer's sights.

Once again Bradley has woven a tale of mystery and suspense with plenty of clues and misdirection. Fatal Witness is a book that won't easily be laid aside. While the story includes a touch of romance, it does not overshadow the suspense. While readers may consider the correct character in the role of villain, it is doubtful they will feel confident in that prediction until almost the very end. Bradley shows herself to be a master of the plot twist, and in doing so brings hours of reading pleasure.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Fatal Witness from Revell via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

All My Secrets by Lynn Austin - A Book Review

   

Adelaide Stanhope had always lived the privileged life of the Gilded Age high society, that is, until her father's untimely death and the restrictions placed on the family's wealth by her great grandfather's will. Now there are hard choices to be made, choices made more difficult by the vastly different opinions of her mother and grandmother. The lives of these three women change as they learn many lessons over the next year, lessons readers of each of the story's represented generations could learn from as well.

This novel focuses on priorities: allowing them to be formed for us or choosing to form them on our own, determining what position one should have within their own priorities, and contemplating where and how God's will impacts one's priorities. These are meaty questions, ones Lynn Austin masterfully walks her characters through as they negotiate their changing circumstances. A secondary theme of how to live with or to move on from mistakes and hard feelings is equally well-handled. The story is beautifully written and is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking.

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

What I Promise You by Liz Tolsma - A Book Review

  

This is Liz Tolsma's second book in her Echoes of the Past series. Each of the books works as a stand-alone read with no crossover storylines or characters, but I would highly recommend reading the first book, What I Would Tell You, because it is a wonderful read. What I Promise You is a slower-paced story. At first I was thinking the author could have omitted the middle timeline, but realized at the end of the book how that timeline actually pulled everything together. The earliest timeline, set in the early 1940s, tells the story of Noémie Treves, a secular Jewish woman, following her imprisonment at Camp de Rivesaltes in Vichy France. Noémie loses everything through the Nazi's cruelty, even her identity. Through the work of two Christian women, her life was spared, but would she be able to truly live life again? In the 2022 timeline Caitlyn Laurent struggles to cope with her best friend's death as she tries to live out the goals they had intended to achieve together. While her life was spared in the automobile accident, would she truly live her own life, or was she destined to live the life Lindsey had wanted to live?

The themes of finding and living one's calling, adapting to life's unexpected circumstances, and trusting God's plans for one's future are all explored within these two ladies' stories. While I cannot say this is my favorite Liz Tolsma story, I can say that it is well-researched and well-written, and I recommend it to fans of historical fiction. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.