Buried Wilderness Secrets by Jaime Jo Wright - A Book Review

  

If you pick up this book because you are a fan of the books published by Love Inspired Suspense or the romantic suspense genre in general,you won't be disappointed. The story is well written. The author's protagonists are very well developed, and empathy is easily felt for each of them. The romance is sweet and believable. The suspense is good, but not too difficult to solve. Even though the book is short, the author does a wonderful job of avoiding an abrupt ending.

If you are picking this book up because Jaime Jo Wright is the author, please set that thought aside. Authors, I am sure, dread being pigeon-holed as much as actors do being type-cast. Both should feel free to spread their wings and try new things. If you join Jaime Jo Wright on this flight, you won't be sorry.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Buried Wilderness Secrets via Love Inspired Suspense via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas - A Book Review

 

You know how when you go to a favorite restaurant and occasionally something other than your favorite dish on the menu, and while it's good, it just doesn't live up to your favorite? That's kind of the way I feel about These Blue Mountains; it's good, but it is hard to live up to The Finder of Forgotten Things and These Tangled Threads, my two favorite Sarah Loudin Thomas books. Sometimes it is important for me to be aware of the lens I am looking through when reviewing a book, and in this case to realize when past experiences cloud that lens. If Thomas was a new-to-me author I know my reaction to this book would have been a great deal more enthusiastic. It does have a lot going for it. Most of the characters are people who are easy to care about and to empathize with; some of the ones who aren't become so; and the antagonist (even if deceased) does his job well, setting a whole series of events in motion. While I have read a lot of WWII books lately, this one takes a different approach. Rather than have the characters in the thick of things, this book allows readers to experience how those in Germany and America viewed and responded to the changes they saw coming, and to realize how the experiences of WWI and the Depression impacted the lens through which they looked. These Blue Mountains may provide new knowledge for those, including me, that were unaware of WWI enemy alien internment camps in the United States. The information provided about Black Mountain College had me searching the internet to learn more. The themes of forgiveness and reconciliation and of moving forward following adversity are well-written within an original plot. So preconceived notions set aside, I do highly recommend These Blue Mountains and am grateful to have received a complimentary copy from Bethany House via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

The Collector of Burned Books by Roseanna M. White - A Book Review

  

I was enjoying this WWII story a great deal,but it seemed like a fairly typical story of this genre. Then chapter eleven changed everything, nothing was typical from that point forward. A story I was enjoying became a story that I absolutely couldn't put down.

In addition to being an enthralling story, The Collector of Burned Books is a story filled with wisdom centered around faith and the value of the written word. Just like the value of faith increases as one practices it, the value of the written word increases as one partakes of it, especially when one reads books that challenge one to think.

I am grateful that Roseanna M. White has given me food for thought that challenges me to extend mercy even when difficult, and when harsh justice might seem well-deserved. She also has motivated me to consider creating a more well-rounded to-be-read list. My thanks goes to Tyndale House Publishing for providing me with a complementary copy via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Perilous Tides by Elizabeth Goddard - A Book Review

  

Romantic suspense books can become very patterned and predictable. Elizabeth Goddard avoided that quite well when writing Perilous Tides with a quite unpredictable, original plot. Jo Cattrel has been hiding out in the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state for three years, ever since her mother's telling Jo to hide if anything ever happened to her, followed not long afterward by her murder. Having connected with her biological father following her mother's funeral, Jo had settled down into her new life, her real problem being the rejection by her almost boyfriend, well that and always feeling like she had to look over her shoulder. There is a reason for the saying about being paranoid doesn't mean someone isn't after you, and after her they are! Now Jo is ready to take a stand and hunt down the person who is hunting her. There will be a lot of pain along with the danger she will face while tracking down this threat.

This intense story is filled with twists, turns, and dead ends. Sometimes it is difficult to discern whom should be trusted and whom should not. Throughout, the reader will be thoroughly enthralled. I highly recommend Perilous Tides and the Hidden Bay series of which it is the second book. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy from Revell via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Wyoming Wilderness Survival by Jill Elizabeth Nelson - A Book Review

  

Wyoming Wilderness Survival is a good, quick romantic suspense story. The romance was sweet and the suspense intense as Tracey Graham; her protector, Callum Mitchell; his two-year-old son, Brody; and Callum's dog work to survive in the wilderness of Wyoming as they flee from a crew sent to murder them all. Callum's skills as a former Idaho State Police officer are invaluable in their endeavor to stay alive as is his knowledge of the area, but being chased by a band of mercenaries while caring for a toddler and lacking adequate provisions certainly complicates matters.

I appreciate romance that follows a godly path, yet is not so idealistic that it avoids difficulties that accompany any maturing relationship. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Wyoming Wilderness Survival from Love Inspired via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.   

 

Vanished by Dr. David Jeremiah with Sam O'Neal - A Book Review

   

This book reads as if it may have occurred just weeks or months in our future. As the price of daily necessities rises along with the temperature, and people across the globe deal with more frequent earthquakes, weather events, conflicts between nations, and pandemics; a group of people with varied areas of expertise work for the United States Army to find solutions to the world's woes. Of course their unsolicited intervention can sometimes be a source of additional conflict. The time these people devote to these efforts to save millions of others takes a toll on their families and their own health, both mental and physical. The tension in this book is palpable, and keeps the reader turning pages. The sense that this may be closer to reality than fiction is its own source of tension, but also one that keeps readers reading into the night. Yet, there is hope, and its source is revealed as the story progresses.

I highly recommend Vanished. It may very well be a book that you will want to share with friends and family. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

A Bookseller in Madrid by Mario Escobar - A Book Review

  

While the prologue and epilogue are set in the 2020s, the story of A Bookseller in Madrid is set from 1933 to 1946, including the Spanish Revolution of 1934, the Spanish Civil War, the Spanish Republican Insurgency, and the impact Germany had on the Spanish political scene. Mario Escobar uses his fiction set during some of history's most difficult and cruel times to examine and learn from those who perpetuated the horrors and those who survived them, building empathy for the latter. Based on the lives of two real booksellers of the times, Escobar's fictional bookseller, Barbara Spiel faces adversity with bravery, using books and her bookstore to provide a safe haven for souls and minds amongst the deprivation, chaos, and inhumanity, even while striving to keep her own family together. Escobar brings commonalities to the surface between social concerns of current times and those of the past as his characters seek stability and hope.

While creating a story that evokes compassion and empathy, Escobar also emphasizes the importance of books in reminding society of what it means to embrace humanity as well as the importance of the Christian church in truly embracing and demonstrating sacrificial love. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of A Bookseller in Madrid from Harper Muse via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

The Highland Heist by Pepper Basham - A Book Review

  

While Hurricane Helene may have pushed back the deadline of The Highland Heist, it was well worth the wait. This fourth book in Basham's Freddie & Grace mystery series is every bit as delightful as all the rest. Lady Astley might not be the most adept at demonstrating the manners of a well-bred lady, but she is quite adept at solving crimes, especially with the assistance of her husband. This time the crime is her brother-in-law's murder with her sister being a prime suspect. Things are complicated further by the clock's ticking on the discovery of a hidden treasure.

The Highland Heist is a lighthearted read. The protagonists' reliance on God is a testimony to the other characters as well as to the reader, yet the faith-based element is tastefully done and not heavy-handed. While it will work well as a stand-alone read, the book will be best enjoyed by reading the series in sequence.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Highland Heist from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. I highly recommend Pepper Basham's historical novels.