The Red Cottage by Hannah Linder - A Book Review

    

The Red Cottage has a Regency Cornwall setting, a sometimes brooding Scottish hero, a damsel in distress with two handsome men vying for her hand, and unknown assailants. Well disguised clues and red herrings abound. Author Hannah Linder has readers in the palm of her hand until the very end, an ending that is not rushed and completely satisfies. The themes of true love, resilience, and forgiveness versus retribution are well written into this dramatic tale.

I highly recommend The Red Cottage and am grateful to have received a complimentary copy from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Dark Design by Nancy Mehl - A Book Review

  

Author, and former St. Louis police officer, Erin Delaney moved to the small town of Sanctuary located in the Smoky Mountains seeking a more peaceful existence. She had her border collie, Chester, with her and they had been befriended by the local police chief, Adrien Nightengale and his golden retriever, Jake. After Erin was called to Fredericksburg, Virginia to assist in an investigation into a serial killer, strange things began to happen back in Sanctuary. Was there a connection? Was Erin being targeted, or were the events circumstantial? Readers will enjoy following Erin's investigation along with her friends Kaely and Noah in Virginia and Adrian's miles away.

Nancy Mehl has once again given readers a spine tingling serial killer thriller that surprisingly leads to deep spiritual insights: insights into life after death, into the freedom of living without a spirit of fear, and into the light God brings into our lives when we accept His gift of grace. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Dark Design from Bethany House via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall by Jaime Jo Wright - A Book Review

  

Eeriness to the max, Jaime Jo Wright's signature style, The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall is loaded with it. The mystery of Traeger Hall spans over one hundred years. The stories told here include the years leading up to its closing, and the years leading up to and just after its opening. The question is, will anyone ever know the true stories, stories that include ghosts, treasure, abuse, betrayal, secrets, and murder.

Once again Jaime Jo Wright thrills her readers, leaving them on edge, reading far too long into the night, and then wishing away that spooky feeling with the confidence that all will be made right in the end. She also leaves them longing for her next release. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Mrs. Lincoln's Sisters by Jennifer Chiaverini

  

While Mrs. Lincoln's Sisters is a work of fiction inspired by history, every incident that I fact checked, and there were many, did indeed occur much in the way they were presented in the book. I found learning about Mrs. Mary Todd Lincoln's life both interesting and saddening. I was unaware of her mental health struggles both before and after her husband's death. Jennifer Chiaverini did a wonderful job of portraying Mrs. Lincoln and her relationships with her sisters, her husband, and her children. I look forward to continuing to make my way through her oeuvre.

Sense and Suitability by Pepper Basham - A Book Review

  

Set in the early 1800s in St. Groves,England, Miss Emmeline Lockhart, a gentleman's daughter, is entering her third season in society with a still tender heart, no great motivation to attend parties or balls, and a secret. Simon Reeves, the new Viscount of Ravenscross, must find a wife whose dowry can save the floundering estate he has inherited. This means giving up the woman who his heart truly belongs to in order to provide for his family. Fans of Pepper Basham, and sweet romantic fiction of the Regency era can easily guess how this story will end, but getting there is so much fun! While there are periods of tension and disappointment, humor and good will carry the day in this lighthearted story. Emmeline's willingness to demonstrate compassion rather than hold tightly to hurts leads to many good things, even though getting there was quite bumpy. While we as readers enjoy the humor, perhaps some consideration of how we might do likewise would be beneficial.

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

Girl Lost by Kate Angelo - A Book Review

  

As I read, I most often visualize myself within the story. While reading Girl Lost, I found myself visualizing the story as if I were watching the story play out on a television screen with an Alex Rider style of production; well, at least until the final chapters. The story was enjoyable and I was surprised to read in the author's letter to the reader that the science involved in the story was not as sci-fi as I had thought.

Girl Lost is a romantic suspense and medical thriller all in one. Its story highlights the themes of allowing God to use the scars of our past to aid others and how brokenness can create family and community, building relationships that allow people to support one another's healing. The well-written story beautifully develops these themes, and even though readers will likely never find themselves in the particular situation the main characters of this book find themselves in, the lessons found within its pages will be easily applied within their lives.

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

Defending You by Robin Patchen - A Book Review

  

The action begins early in chapter one and never stops until the final chapters. Cici Wright witnesses a murder just after recognizing stolen jewelry involved in another murder years ago. She flees the backroom of the jewelry store where she was conducting an appraisal, taking the bag containing the stolen items with her. The murderer and his associate, having come in search of those very items, take up the chase. A chase that has them showing up at every turn and bringing more help along. Cici's connections hire and send a bodyguard to assure she arrives safely home. Both were quite surprised and not a little unsettled to recognize one another from their hometown high school. Asher Rhodes, once a skinny nerd, in now a filled-out, former Navy Seal who had plenty of reason to be wary of his high school crush. Keeping her alive turns out to be more than he bargained for in many ways.

As always Robin Patchen has provided readers with a compelling, action-filled, clean romantic suspense story. While I am partial to the stories about CiCi's cousins, I am enjoying the stories about her and her sisters very much. I just purchased the first three books of this series, The Wright Heroes of Maine, for my husband, and look forward to building his Kindle library with more of Robin's books.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Defending You from the author without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

 

The Speed of Soul: Four Rhythms for a Quiet Life in a World of Noise by Tommy Brown - A Book Review

 

This short book gave me much to ponder. I appreciate that it provided both sage advice which I readily contemplated embracing in my own life as well as statements with which I wrestled, deciding whether to synthesize or reject based on my current knowledge. The Sound of Soul caused me to think deeply, to pause and discuss those thoughts, and to consider life changing paradigm shifts. The text centers around 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 in which Paul urges believers to love deeply, live quietly, mind their own affairs, and to work with their hands. Tommy Brown fleshes out each of these, explaining how they assist one in finding their center and steadying their soul. While readers are not likely to accept everything he says at face value, there is much here to learn, and wrestling with the other things brings its own kind of awareness.

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

In the Light of the Sun by Angela Shupe - A Book Review

  

I have read lots of WWII novels, but very few have focused on what life was like in Italy and none have focused on the Philippines. In the Light of the Sun does this by placing Rosa Grassi in Italy with her grandmother and her sister, Caramina, with their family in the Philippines. Both sisters aspire to careers as sopranos in the opera like their nonna. While they both deal with cruelty, dwindling resources, and separation caused by the war, these things take different forms for each of the sisters.

The author's mother, aunts, and godmother grew up in the Philippines. This story is inspired by the stories they shared about the beauty of their country, the closeness of their family, their faith, and the role music played in their lives, things that helped them survive and thrive in wartime. Shupe also did considerable research, and this is evident in the details of this story.

While it took me a bit to get into the story, once I did, I was all in. I enjoyed the strong sensation of being there, especially in the jungle scenes, and feeling a strong sense of empathy for both main and secondary characters. Much of the story revolves around music, Rosa's training, Caramina's dream of one day training, and the importance of music in their daily lives. Even those, like me, who don't have a great interest in music, won't be weighed down or distracted by this focus. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of In the Light of the Sun from Random House Christian Publishing Group via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

The Giving Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini - A Brief Comment

  

Quiltsgiving occurs the week following Thanksgiving at Elm Creek Manor. The Elm Creek Quilters offer a week long free stay to quilters who agree to donate the quilts they create that week to Project Linus. In The Giving Quilt we get a peek into the lives of a small group of these quilters, learning about their life struggles and the impact the week long retreat has on their lives.

This story is sweet and well-told. Readers get to vicariously experience the value of community and will hopefully be inspired to find and actively engage in a community of friends if they do not already do so. I highly recommend this author and this series. 

The Heart of Bennet Hollow by Joanne Bischof - A Book Review

  

The Heart of Bennet Hollow is an Appalachian retelling of Pride and Prejudice. The daughter of a semi-retired geologist for the mining industry, Lizbeth Bennet, longs to help her father save the family farm and especially her beloved livestock. Socially awkward William Drake was one of several coal barons looking into purchasing the New River mine. He was, unfortunately, the only coal baron considering the well-being of the townspeople, the miners, and the farmers whose land was entangled with the mine. Meeting Lizbeth had only served to deepen that concern.

Having read The Heart of Bennet Hollow, I have now checked out Pride and Prejudice and look forward to reading the original story. I had always thought about reading it; The Heart of Bennet Hollow inspired me to carry through. Joanne Bischof DeWitt does a wonderful job of showing understanding and respect to a culture that is often stereotyped and belittled. This story of family, romance, stewardship, and care was a charming read. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy from Tyndale House Publishers via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

The Stories We Carry by Robin W. Pearson - A Book Review

  

The bookstore setting drew me to The Stories We Carry, but then the story was a bit tedious because so much of it never left the bookstore. The theme of our stories shaping us was well-developed along with themes of acceptance and pushing past our past. The main character, Glory Pryor, is difficult to like, and she is not the only one. Glory's husband, Eli, whom she married late in life is, however, is a bit easier to develop a fondness for. Four-year-old Bennett will capture readers hearts; his mother will likely not, at least not initially. The pace of the story is what led to my giving this book three stars. It is very slow to develop, and I was glad when the book drew to a close.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Stories We Carry from Tyndale Book Publishers via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Out of Time by Irene Hannon - A Book Review

  

I was in the mood for a good romantic suspense story and Irene Hannon did not disappoint. Out of Time's lead character and her benefactor are fresh as is the story's setting. Giving the main character, historical anthropologist Cara Tucker, severe hearing loss and cochlear implants added an interesting element to the story. Having multiple people with motives for creating mischief, or worse, on Natalie Boyer's secluded estate enhanced the suspense portion of the storyline. The Christian element was present, but not in-your-face. Christian characters lived out their faith but, as in real life, not perfectly. Opportunities were there for grace to be extended and received. Grace refused was also seen with devastating consequences.

I highly recommend Out of Time and this author's other suspense novels. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy from Revell via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

The Sisterhood by Tasha Alexander - A Book Review

  

This dual timeline story is set in 1907 London and AD 60 Britannia. The theme of the book deals with rights for women with the emphasis on suffrage. While I am a fan of dual timeline stories, over 1800 years was a bit too great a gap for me. I was almost half-way through the book before I gleaned the significance of the connection between the two storylines. Honestly, after around one-third of the way through I had begun just skimming the chapters set in AD 60 as I had not developed an interest in that part of the book, and that didn't change even after I understood its role in the book as a whole. The 1907 storyline was quite interesting with a married couple serving as investigators in the murders of two debutantes, reminiscent of Pepper Basham's Freddie and Grace mystery series. I am sure I would have given The Sisterhood a higher rating if I had only based it on this storyline.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Sisterhood from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Let the Biscuits Burn by Abby Kuykendall - A Book Review

  

The themes of this book concerning hospitality being a spiritual gift for some and a spiritual discipline for others, and about the importance of surrendering one's plans, desires, and comfort to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and to lead others into a relationship with Christ should ring true with all Christians. While the author does stress the difference between the concepts of entertaining and hospitality, and does provide a bit of information on practicing hospitality in various settings, she largely focuses on practicing hospitality in one's home. I tend to have a broader view of hospitality, but understand that this is the focus she has chosen to highlight in this book. She goes a long way in trying to make practicing hospitality accessible to all and supports that with a collection of tips at the end of the book. Overall as I read, I felt like the book was targeting an audience of 20 to 40 somethings in middle- to upper-income homes, although some of the suggestions were more broadly applicable.

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

The Women of Oak Ridge by Michelle Shocklee - A Book Review

  

I have read many books set during WWII, but none have been anything like The Women of Oak Ridge. This book has a very original plot. Through its dual timeline in the 1940s and late 1970s, the story of Maebelle Willett slowly and carefully unfolds. We first meet young Maebelle as she answers President Franklin D. Roosevelt's call to serve her country after being approached by a recruiter to work for Clinton Engineer Works, a Tennessee company involved in war work. We meet Maebelle as an older version of herself as her niece comes to spend the summer with her to do research on how living and working in the secret city of Oak Ridge, Tennessee impacted the lives of those who, mostly unknowingly, helped in the making of the first atomic bombs, and therefore in the death and destruction that resulted. The Women of Oak Ridge becomes a story of spies and espionage, a story that reveals how easily lines between right and wrong can become blurred. It also reveals the toll secrets and unforgiveness, even if it is for ourselves, can take on one's life.

Michelle Shocklee's careful research and skillful storytelling is masterfully displayed in The Women of Oak Ridge. Her use of the dual timeline to reveal information that carries the story forward and develops her characters is carried out with great precision, intricately weaving the story together. 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. 

Canyon of Deceit by Diann Mills - A Book Review

  

While Canyon of Deceit is filled with danger and intrigue, Diann Mills also weaves in a story of pain, regret, and a struggle with forgiving oneself and moving past the past. Through her two protagonists' efforts to locate a kidnapped eight-year-old daughter of a Russian professor teaching in Houston,Texas, they face the elements and terrain of the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, terrorists, and multiple attempts on their lives. But through it all they find forgiveness, faith, and love. This book truly is a wild ride, one that includes helicopter crashes, explosives, lots of waiting, and a tumble down a mountainside. There is a mystery to solve as to who is behind the chaos, and another mystery for us to both accept and appreciate as we begin to see God's using it all for good, no matter what man's intentions had been.

Canyon of Deceit is an entertaining read that is highly engaging. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy from Tyndale House Publishers via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

The Dragon's Prophecy by Jonathan Cahn - A Book Review

  

My husband and I listened as the text-to-speech feature on my Kindle read The Dragon's Prophecy to us over several days. We were both amazed at the correlations Jonathan Cahn was able to draw between Scripture, Jewish traditions, the Hebrew language, and the history of Israel to the events of October 7, 2023. The information he provides is easily fact checked and much of the information is not obscure, but is available through mainstream news sources. The brilliance is in how Cahn links the information together, demonstrating the patterns that appear over time as Satan seeks to invert the reality of God and His people. Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NLT) states, “History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new.” So, it is not surprising that Satan's actions repeat themselves. When this is made clear to us concerning recent events, it may allow us to see things through a different lens.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Dragon's Prophecy from Frontline via NetGalley without obligation. The book is very interesting. I am anxious to reread the book, taking notes along the way this time through. All opinions expressed here are my own.

A Sea View Christmas by Julie Klassen - A Book Review

  

A Sea View Christmas is the fourth book in Julie Klassen's On Devonshire Shores, and it is just as lovely as the others. The Summers family relocated to Sidmouth on the Devonshire shores after the death of Mr. Summers. In order to survive the daughters, along with their mother, opened and operate a guest house. Their stories and those of their guests make for delightful reading for fans of early 1800 historical fiction. Sarah Summers, the second eldest sister,has been a steady feature in each book. Now it is her time to shine, although she may be the last to realize it. Family, hospitality, and loving one's neighbor as yourself are consistent themes throughout the series with a touch of romance to help move the story forward.

A Sea View Christmas will delight readers with nostalgic Christmas and New Year games and traditions. Klassen's writing is filled with enough lighthearted fun to balance the weightier parts of the story, just as Sarah must learn to balance responsibility and the enjoyment of life. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

The Bitter End Birding Society by Amanda Cox - A Book Review

  

I greatly enjoyed the most recent, beautiful, and poignant story by Amanda Cox. As with her previous stories, The Bitter End Birding Society is filled with beautiful souls who are finding their way back from painful circumstances often not of their own making. It is truly an encouraging story of beauty from ashes, beauty once hidden by loss, despair, and self-reproach and rediscovered by being re-introduced to the Creator through His creation. Nature has a way of healing hurting hearts when one allows oneself to sense God's presence and to let down one's defenses.

This story is the type that makes me very stingy with five star reviews because I need something to separate the truly special stories, like this one, from those that are merely very good. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Bitter End Birding Society from Revell via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Gelato at the Villa by Robin Jones Gunn - A Book Review

  

It is thrilling to be off on another travel adventure with two sweet friends courtesy of Robin Jones Gunn. There is always so much food, art, culture, and did I say food? And as always there are also important life lessons to be learned and shared. These lessons evolve over time as we travel to Venice, Florence,and San Mamete, meeting hosts who truly understand the meaning of hospitality and generously offer it to people along the way. We are blessed to see the impact that has on the lives of the recipients.

Robin Jones Gunn is a gifted writer, one who touches women's hearts in a special way. Her writing is tender as she ministers to readers who identify or empathize with the hurts experienced by her characters. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Gelato at the Villa from Revell without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

 

The Union Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini - A Brief Comment

  

I only recently discovered Chiaverini's Elm Creek Quilts series and have been reading the books out of order as they become available to me. This has not kept me from enjoying them immensely. The Union Quilters is a clean read that tackles many social themes of the Civil War era. It is well-written with memorable characters. I will continue to keep an eye out for books by this author in bookstores and on the Libby app.

Last Light Over Galveston by Jennifer L. Wright - A Book Review

  

Last Light Over Galveston is a very original historical fiction book. It is a dual timeline story with the same main character in each timeline. In March of 1900 Kathleen McDaniel was beyond excited to return home to her father after two years at a finishing school in Switzerland. By May, she was a lady on the run with no money and no one to lean or count on. Finding herself in Galveston, Texas, Kathleen throws herself on the mercy of the nuns at St. Mary's Orphan Asylum, where she is given temporary shelter. She avoids thoughts of Croton-on-Hudson, New York and the night she fled from her father and the only home she remembered.

Kathleen's circumstances and personality so differed between her life in Croton-on-Hudson and Galveston, where she used an alias. I frequently had to remind myself that it was the same character. While she and her father are fictional characters, on-line research confirmed that the labor disputes while building a dam in Croton-on-Hudson to provide water to New York City and the 1900 Galveston hurricane were both true events. I was very disappointed that the author had not provided an Author's Notes section informing readers of her research and the basic facts of these two events.

The theme concerning where and how individuals find their personal identity was well crafted as Kathleen struggled to meet the demands of society and her family while attempting to reconcile those values with her longing to do something worthwhile, something to help others, as well as to see the value in those she meets in something other than their financial net worth. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Last Light Over Galveston from Tyndale House Publishers via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

EDIT - The author contacted me and let me know that unlike the ARC that I read, the final copy does have an Author's Note section with the information I was interested in. That is wonderful!

The French Kitchen by Kristy Cambron - A Book Review

  

This dual timeline story is set largely in France in the 1940s WWII era and the early 1950s, It focuses on Kathryn (Kat) Harris, AKA Cèléne, during the time she was working for the United States Office of Strategic Services. Kat and her brother remained close even after each chose a different parent to live with following their parents' divorce. Kat was much more suited to helping in her father's garage than attending her mother's society parties. Her proficiency with languages acquired at Wellesley College, the mechanical skills she had picked up at the garage, her innate talents, and her strong will made her a perfect candidate for the OSS. Unfortunately, one skill that she lacked that became crucial to the success of her mission was cooking, in particular cooking French Cuisine. On-the-job training had to suffice, and the skills she acquired remained useful to Kat after the war as she sought to locate her brother, or at least to learn what happened to him after she'd last seen him in France.

The French Kitchen is very well-written. Readers are transported in space and time. Their emotions become highly engaged, emotions of fear, longing for things to be different, courage, regret, and even of love and joy in the midst of chaos and pain. This is a gripping story that does not easily let go of a reader even as it draws to a close. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Final Approach by Lynette Eason - A Book Review

  

While Final Approach is the fourth book in Lynette Eason's Lake City Heroes series, one can jump right into it without feeling that they've missed something. This story focuses on Air Marshal Kristine Duncan and FBI Special Agent Andrew Ross. Both bring emotional baggage along that makes them hesitant to enter into a relationship beyond friendship, but it may be the physical dangers they know about and the ones they are unaware of that have the greatest impact on their relationship. Hijackers, kidnappers, shooters, and more rev up the excitement and tension in this romantic suspense story written in Eason's highly engaging style. The theme of coping with difficult familial relationships is well integrated into the suspenseful plot, and shows empathy for those who struggle with these situations, and encouragement for those who seek to extend grace.

I highly recommend this book, series, and author. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Final Approach from Revell via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.