Out of the Embers by Amanda Cabot - A Book Review

   

Out of the Embers is set in 1855 Mesquite Springs, Texas, and is the story of two orphans, twenty-three- year-old Evelyn Radcliffe and six-year-old Polly whose last name is a guarded secret. Evelyn lost both of her parents to murder, and for much of the book the fate of Polly's parents is unknown. It would seem that the two are in danger, but the source of that danger is a mystery, a mystery that had my carrying around my Kindle, reading or listening at every opportunity. Amanda Cabot is a master at building and sustaining suspense. I cannot wait for book two in her Mesquite Springs series.

I am grateful to have received a copy of this book from Revell via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review, and received no monetary compensation.

Legacy Restored by Robin Patchen - A Book Review

   

Not a mystery, but a crime drama this time, with a dash of romance of course. Legacy Restored is just as wonderful as Robin Patchen's previous books. Whenever I am asked about my favorite authors, I always include Robin Patchen in that list.

In this book, Jack Rossi's youngest sister, Angelica (Angel) shows up on his doorstep. (Fans will recognize Jack's name from previous books.) Angel has accepted Christ, and is living a new life, but has once again found herself in trouble, but this time not of her own making. The trouble may not be made any easier when Jack takes Angel to live in a house being renovated by Donovan Gilcreast who blames Angel for the death of his own sister. Paired with having to work with a police detective who wants nothing more than to see her back in prison, Angel must totally rely on her new-found faith in Christ to help her make the hard choices.

Difficult themes of addiction, repentance, and grief populate Legacy Restored. Romance and intrigue are the purveyors they ride upon. Fear and trust, resentment and love, regret and hope are the emotions that sweep the story forward. I recommend this book, and am very grateful to have received a copy from the author in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review, and received no monetary compensation.

The Trouble With Tulip by Mindy Starns Clark - A Book Review

    

I inherited this book and two more in Mindy Starns Clark's Smart Chick Mystery series when my mom passed six years ago. I just got around to pulling this one off of the shelf, and it was just the type of read I needed, a fun, quirky mystery. The story of Jo Tulip, author of a household tip column, and her best friend, photographer Danny Watkins, is filled with several important themes such as repentance, forgiveness, and surrender, while remaining an uplifting, cozy mystery read. I felt like it cleared my palate between some weightier books. I have already pulled the sequel off of the shelf, and am looking forward to reading the continuing story of Jo Tulip as I also read Jesus in Me by Anne Graham Lotz and Hope's Highest Mountain by Misty M. Beller. Happy reading, everyone!

Strands of Truth by Colleen Coble - A Book Review

   

Many have taken DNA tests through currently popular companies and learned of surprising connections. Strands of Truth is a story about one of the possible abuses of such information. Coble has created a mystery that begins with two sisters using DNA to locate family, who also locate trouble as well as answers to two cold cases, a story of truly getting more than you bargained for. Mystery fans will be quite happy with what they get from Strands of Truth, an engaging mystery with carefully sprinkled clues throughout. Unexpected connections await.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Strands of Truth from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Secrets of Cedar Cabin by Colleen Coble - A Book Review

Secrets of Cedar Cabin continues the story of Shauna Bannister's search for her missing siblings. She successfully located her brother, Grayson Bradshaw, in the previous book in the Lavender Tides series. Now they are working to locate their baby sister, Bailey Fleming. In fleeing from her mother's murderer, Bailey surprisingly ended up in Shauna's hometown. The events leading to her discovery, and the terrifying events that followed will keep the reader tied to this story, not to mention Bailey's budding romance with FBI agent Lance Phoenix whose search for his missing sister intersected with Bailey's flight. Don't be surprised when the words, “Well, I didn't see that coming!” rush from your lips. This book is Coble at her best.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A Sparkle of Silver by Liz Johnson - A Book Review

   

It has been a very long time since I have read a book about a treasure hunt. A Sparkle of Silver was about finding one of the greatest treasures there is to be found, true love, and this on the heels of finding mercy. This isn't really a spoiler because we all know how romance novels are going to end, but you will have to read the book, with all of its twists and turns, to find out if Ben and Millie find the hidden treasure they initially set out to find, and if so, if it lives up to their expectations.

At the same time that I was nearing the end of this book, I read an article in a magazine written by a Christian with stage IV cancer. Her premise is that Christians, even those who do not adhere to a prosperity theology, often have an underlying idea that if their faith is strong and their actions good enough that life will work out for the best. I was seeing that play out in A Sparkle of Silver until the moment when Millie's Grandma Joy, in a particularly lucid moment, discusses her loss of memory and God's role in it. The wisdom poured out in that moment is worth the time given to reading this book. It is a gift when out of time given over to pleasure reading, a diamond of wisdom, the treasure we seek, is found amongst the trappings of a romance novel.

I thank Revell Publishing and LibraryThing.com for providing me with a copy of A Sparkle of Silver in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review and received no monetary compensation.

Freedom's Light by Colleen Coble - A Book Review

   

     I have been a big fan of Colleen Coble's mysteries for a long time, but this is the first of her historical novels that I have read. While her voice is different in this genre, it is just as delightful.

     Freedom's Light takes place during the American Revolution. Hannah Thomas has fled an distressing situation in her hometown in South Carolina, married an older man, for whom she has great respect but little passion, and moved to the coast of Massachusetts. When her husband answers the call to serve in the military, Hannah finds herself as a young widow and keeper of a lighthouse. She has no friends in the legalistic Congregational Church and no support from her late husband's family. Only her deep love for God sustains her during long, lonely days and from the repercussions of her nontraditional attitudes. God provides for Hannah in some very unexpected ways. The reader will easily become immersed in Hannah's story, feeling the “waves” that batter her like the ocean waves batter the ships off the coast from her lighthouse.

      I recommend Freedom's Light to historical fiction and romantic fiction fans. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review and received no monetary compensation.

Christmas By the Sea by Melody Carlson - A Book Review

   

     Carlson has written over two hundred books among which are many Christmas stories. All of the ones I've read, including Christmas By the Sea, are sweet, encouraging holiday stories that would make wonderful Hallmark type Christmas movies.

     Wendy Harper and her son Jackson are headed to Maine to see the seaside cottage she often visited while growing up, the one she had inherited from her grandfather. While Jackson dreams of making a permanent move to Maine, Wendy must face the reality that selling the cottage is the only way to pay off the debts incurred during her husband's battle with cancer. While the characters are endearing, the ending is somewhat predictable, and in true Christmas movie tradition includes a rapidly progressing romance. The main theme of the story is trusting in God's provision.

     If you would like a sweet, quick read, this book fits the bill. I thank NetGalley and Revell for providing me with a copy of Christmas By the Sea in exchange for an honest review. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review, and received no monetary compensation.

A Daring Venture by Elizabeth Camden - A Book Review

     Who would have ever thought a lawsuit, The Aldermen of Jersey City vs. the Jersey City Water Supply Company, from the early 1900s would make such an interesting backdrop for an historical romance novel? Once again Elizabeth Camden has developed an original plot embedded in a story with historical accuracy and importance. Today we are accustomed to advances in all areas related to public health, and even young children understand the idea of germs and bacteria too small for the naked eye to see. For the most part we do not question what is in our water (although there are times we probably should). In the early 1900s city water in the United States was filtered, but chemical purification was quite controversial. Deaths from cholera, typhoid, and other waterborne diseases were still an issue, but so was adding chemicals to kill the bacteria that caused those deaths. Camden places the heroine of this story on a team with other scientists working to insure water purification through chlorination while placing her romantic interest in the opposition. As if that did not create enough tension to keep the story moving, she added a character bent on vengeance and just a tad of scandal. The result is a compelling read that will grasp the reader's attention from start to finish.
     I thank NetGalley and Bethany House for providing me with a copy of A Daring Venture in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation and was under no obligation to write a positive review.

A Rebel Heart by Beth White - A Book Review

    This book has it all, mystery and romance in the historical setting of the Reconstruction period. It also deals with the social issues of the time on a personal level. I had very much enjoyed White's Gulf Coast Chronicles series and was not disappointed by this first book in the Daughtry House series. I must admit my interest was piqued by the setting, Tupelo, Mississippi, as I visited family there throughout my childhood. White truly captures the time and place, and fills it with intriguing characters.
     Selah Daughtry, the oldest of three sisters, is aided in retaining her family home by an undercover Pinkerton agent, Levi Riggins. Her mother had been brutally murdered by a band of renegade soldiers during the war and her father's whereabouts were unknown. Once Riggins' plan was in place, Selah was aided by her sisters and cousin, a foster son of sorts, a childhood friend and many who were once slaves on her family's plantation in her efforts to convert the plantation into an exclusive hotel as the railroad moved into the area.
     Levi Riggins used his talent in gathering intelligence, developed while serving in the Union Army, to move into a career as a Pinkerton detective following the war. Following leads as he worked to uncover the person or persons behind a series of train robberies, Levi ended up not only saving Selah's life, but providing her with a livelihood. Now he seeks to find a way to solve his case and bring their lives together as one.
     I highly recommend this, and all of Beth White's books. Her stories have depth, are well developed and paced, and her vocabulary in this book may increase your own. I thank NetGalley and Revell Books for providing me with a copy of A Rebel Heart in exchange for my honest review. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review and received no monetary compensation.

Justice Betrayed by Patricia Bradley - A Book Review

     This is the seventh of Patricia Bradley's eleven books that I have had the pleasure of reading. She quickly became one of my favorite mystery writers, and remains in that group with Justice Betrayed, the third book in her Memphis Cold Case series.
     Homicide detective Rachel Sloan is not so sure how serious to take the Elvis tribute artist who showed up at her desk in full Elvis attire, until that is he mentions a connection to the unsolved mystery of her mother's murder. As the case progresses it becomes deadly serious as connections begin to appear between more cases, both past and present, and Rachel's own life appears to be threatened.
     Lieutenant Boone Callahan, Rachel's superior officer, has mixed emotions about Rachel's move to the homicide division of the Memphis Police Department; working in the division would eliminate the possibility of renewing their relationship, and he couldn't help feeling protective of her as it became apparent that her current case was becoming personal. His own past as an army officer in Iraq was impacting their situation almost as much as Rachel's history with the suspects and victims in this case. What would it take to sort through all of these issues, and would it be too late?
     I read Justice Betrayed in two days, putting other responsibilities on the back burner while becoming immersed in this story. I highly recommend it to mystery fans. If you are a fan of Colleen Coble, Lynette Eason, or Sandra Orchard, you will enjoy Patricia Bradley as well. I thank NetGalley and Revell Publishing for providing me with a copy of Justice Betrayed in exchange for an honest review. I received no monetary compensation and was under no obligation to give a positive review. 

The Theory of Happily Ever After by Kristin Billerbeck

My favorite part of this book is the quotes at the beginning of each chapter from the book Science of Bliss written by our fictional main character, Dr. Margaret K. Maguire, a scientist who studies happiness. It is surprising that someone who had personally experienced so little happiness could possess so much knowledge of it. From childhood Margaret, who goes by Maggie, had worked to please her parents, to keep them happy. This resulted in very little true happiness for her, and landed, her caught in an engagement with a man who made her feel unworthy and whom she desperately tried to make happy, well at least until he broke their engagement to marry an aerial dancer/trapeze artist. Whisked away from a two-month Hallmark movie and gelato binge and onto a singles cruise by her two best friends, who neglected to mention that she would be required to give a talk on happiness to a ship full of happiness seekers, Maggie is on a search of her own to discover personal happiness. What could go wrong? You will have to read The Theory of Happily Ever After to find out. Kristn Billerbeck deals with serious issues in a lighthearted manner without making light of them.

     I will admit that as a sixty-year-old grandmother who has been happily married for almost forty years, I may not be in the best demographic group for this book. I think I would have appreciated it more in my twenties or even my thirties. I do thank Revell Publishing for providing me with a copy of The Theory of Happily Ever After in exchange for an honest review. I received no monetary compensation for providing the review and was not obligated to provide a positive review.

Innocent Lies by Robin Patchen - A Book Review

    

     Readers will be glad that they once again returned to Nutfield, New Hampshire. We have been wondering throughout this series what brought Eric Nolan to this small, New England town, and Patchen is now ready to reveal the answer, one that I am sure none of us saw coming. Readers will enjoy encountering old friends and making new ones of Kelsey and Daniel around whom this story centers. The antagonists of Innocent Lies are darker than those previously encountered in the Hidden Truth series, being involved in the sex trafficking business, a business that sells bodies and threatens to steal souls.

     Patchen’s ability to write believable dialogue, build sensory filled settings, and navigate complex plots is once again on display in Innocent Lies. She has gifted the series’ readers with a special gift at the end of this book. While all of the books in this series work as a stand-alone read, it is my opinion that readers will get greater enjoyment of reading the books in order to benefit from the back story as new characters are introduced. I once again thank Robin Patchen for providing me with a copy of her work in exchange for an honest review. I received no monetary compensation for this review.

If I Live by Terri Blackstock - A Book Review

     

     If I Live is the third book in Terri Blackstock’s If I Run series. It follows Casey Cox who has been framed for a murder committed by someone in the police department. She is aided by her friend Dylan Roberts, a private investigator who was hired to find her, having convinced him that her life would be in danger in the hands of the police until it is determined how far the corruption goes within the department.

     Before I started reviewing books, I read Terri Blackstock’s Sun Coast Chronicles series, her Cape Refuge Series, her Restoration Series, and some of her Newpointe 911 series. I would have given each and every book a five-star rating. I loved them all, and often recommended Terri Blackstock to friends. It had been awhile since I had read one of her books, so I was really looking forward to the opportunity to review If I Live. I am sorry to say that I was very disappointed. While the plot was quite good, I was so distracted by the writing style, so different from my memory of her other books, that I was unable to enjoy the time I invested in reading this one. That’s not to say that I think that would be true for all readers, we each have our own personal preferences, and this style may totally suit someone else. Each chapter begins with a character’s name, and the character seems to be talking to the reader telling their side of the story, describing what they are doing, seeing and hearing. Dialogue intersperses this monologue. I felt as the story did not flow smoothly even though the plot was well thought out.

     I do appreciate NetGalley and Zondervan Publishers for providing me with a copy of If I Live in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for providing this review.

Twisted Lies by Robin Patchen - A Book Review

  

     Twisted Lies is book two in Patchen’s Hidden Truth series, and is every bit as wonderful as the first. Both books pull at the reader’s heart strings because young children are at risk. In Twisted Lies four-year-old Ana, adopted daughter of Marisa Vega, has been kidnapped, and the kidnapping is linked to the life Marisa led before fleeing to Mexico. Also linked to that life is former New York Times reporter, Nate Boyle. Can Marisa count on him to help her find her daughter before it is too late? Will Nate be able to work past the PTSD caused by the role he played in protecting another mother and child?

     While being drawn into Ana and Marisa’s story, the reader will also be pleased to encounter lead characters from book one in the Hidden Truth series, Convenient Lies.  Brady, Rae and Sam are on hand to help find Ana and to help bring her kidnapper to justice. By the end of the book, the reader will be looking forward to reading book three, Generous Lies, the story of Sam (Samantha) and retired FBI agent, Garrison Kopp.

     Once again, I was impressed by Robin Patchen’s skill in writing dialogue, keeping it fresh and real. The story is well-paced, and clues to the mystery’s solution well-delivered. I really appreciate Robin’s providing this book in exchange for my honest review, and like other readers, I am excited about reading book three.  

The View from Rainshadow Bay by Colleen Coble - A Book Review

  

     Colleen Coble can always be counted on for hours of reading enjoyment. Her latest novel, The View From Rainshadow Bay, is no exception. Coble consistently sets her romantic mysteries in locations that are intricately woven into the storyline. In this novel her readers will spend time in the Pacific Northwest with Shauna McDade, a young widow and single mom. Shauna’s life spun out of control beginning with her husband’s falling to his death while mountain climbing with his childhood friend, Zach Bannister. Now Shauna is in the uncomfortable position of having to rely on Zach, not only to fill in for her husband on a father and son outing, but to provide safe shelter for herself and her son Alex. As readers of romantic fiction could already guess, both Shauna and Zach find their feelings toward one another changing as they both share a living space as well as work together to solve a rash of murders in the small town of Lavender Tides.

     The theme of The View From Rainshadow Bay comes from Romans 8:28: And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. This is a verse that many of us have had to rely on when facing tough times, and we can find encouragement in Shauna’s story. That said, this book is not preachy in any way, and would be equally enjoyed by Christians and non-Christians. The mystery is intriguing, and Coble provides many possible antagonists for the reader to sort through in an effort to identify the murderer. The romance adds tension to the story without taking over.

     I thank NetGalley and the Thomas Nelson publishing company for providing me a copy of The View From Rainshadow Bay in exchange for an honest review. I received no monetary compensation. 

Oath of Honor by Lynette Eason - A Book Review

     I am a huge Lynette Eason fan. I especially enjoyed her Hidden Identity and Elite Guardians series. This first book in her Blue Justice series has an interesting premise, lots of suspense and some unexpected surprises. It is the book that introduces us to the St. John family, a family of eight, largely made up of law enforcement officers. It focuses on Izzy St. John and a long-time family friend, Detective Ryan Marshall who is also the brother of Izzy’s murdered partner, Kevin Marshall. Their pursuit of Kevin’s murderer draws them into an investigation involving organized crime and dirty cops, some of which might be very close to home. While I did enjoy the book, and would recommend it, there were spots where I felt like I’d missed something, reread, and still felt like a piece was missing. These were few and far between, and I still thoroughly enjoyed this newest offering by Eason.

     I thank NetGalley and Baker Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of Oath of Honor in exchange for this honest review. I received no financial compensation. 

The Ladies of Ivy Cottage by Julie Klassen - A Book Review

     This is my first visit to Ivy Hill, and I am looking forward to my next visit. Although I entered this series in book two of the Tales From Ivy Hill series, it worked quite well as a stand-alone read. I don’t believe too much was revealed to spoil my going back and reading book one. I am actually quite intrigued to discover what previously occurred between Jane Bell and Gabrielle Locke, as well as to learn what motivated the change in Jane’s mother-in-law, Thora. Klassen does a good job of balancing closure in this book with leaving enough of the plot line open to motivate her reader to read book three.

     Themes in The Ladies of Ivy Cottage deal with the struggle to ask for help from others, and maybe even from God. While the story is set in 1820’s England, this struggle may be even more prevalent in today’s society that values independence, self-reliance, and pulling oneself up by one’s own bootstraps. The book also deals with the importance of truth: the sometimes-high cost of truth, the fact that truth always has a way of coming out, and the strength of character that is displayed when one deals with a hard truth in a way that pleases and glorifies God. This too is a theme that is pertinent to modern living as we are daily faced in mainstream media and social media with discerning truth, holding our leaders to the truth, and behaving truthfully in our own lives even when the cost may be quite high.

     The main characters in this book are endearing. The three central characters inn keeper Jane Bell, school teacher Mercy Grove, and librarian Rachel Ashford now all working for a living were once ladies of nobility. They are evidence of changing times in England, as are their friendships with secondary characters that cross social boundaries. Changes, even positive ones, take time to accept by people of both genders and across all walks of life. This is evidenced by the reaction and interaction of characters throughout this story, as it is probably evidenced in each of our own lives.

     I recommend The Ladies of Ivy Cottage to historical fiction fans, they will likely be intrigued by the information on subscription or circulating libraries, forerunners of today’s public libraries, that is woven into the story. I also recommend it to fans of romantic fiction, and of course to those who love Christian fiction. I thank NetGalley and Baker Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I received no monetary compensation. 

The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright - A Book Review

    

     The theme of this book is hope, hope in knowing God’s promises are fulfilled in spite of our circumstances, not instead of them. An unidentified murder victim, who becomes known as Gabriella, leaves behind a diary of sorts that encourages that type of hope in Kaine, a victim of emotional abuse, many years later.  

     The House on Foster Hill is Jaime Jo Wright’s debut novel (She has had work printed in collections of stories.), but it reads like the work of a seasoned author. Fans of Christian mysteries will be interested to know that she was encouraged to write this story by well-known author Colleen Coble. Wright tackled the challenge of a time-split novel, and did so with great success. The connection among character and the smooth transition between the two time frames was well done. The mystery of Gabriella’s murder set in the early 1900s and the mystery of Kaine’s stalker and her husband’s murder set in present day are both intriguing, well-paced, and suspenseful. I will be on the look-out for Wright’s next novel scheduled to be released in July of 2018.

     I recommend this book to mystery fans, especially to those who like a little romance intertwined with the mystery. I thank NetGalley and Bethany House Publishers for providing me with a copy of The House on Foster Hill in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation. 

The Sound of Rain by Sarah Loudin Thomas - A Book Review.

   

     It was the settings that drew me to The Sound of Rain: the lowlands of South Carolina, a place I’ve wanted to visit; West Virginia, a place whose beauty touches my heart each time we are there; and Kentucky, a place that I am proud to call home. Judd Markley loved his home in West Virginia until he found himself buried in a cave-in in the mine in which he and his younger brother, Joe, worked. While he found the hot, humid air of South Caroline, the place to which he fled, quite oppressive, he cherished the opportunity to work above ground and to use his mechanical skills, and he decided that he might also cherish his boss’s daughter. Larkin Heyward, whose father owned Waccamaw Timber Company, had everything most girls her age could want: beauty, wealth, and popularity. Yet, something was missing. Larkin longed to follow her God given calling to be of help to others, to make a difference in the world, to go beyond the superficial life of a young socialite. She especially longed to help the people of Appalachia, but might she also long for a certain young timberman recently transplanted from the mountains of West Virginia?

     The Sound of Rain is a story of discovering, embracing and setting priorities, while looking to God for guidance in the process. It is also a story of relationships, and understanding others, accepting them for who they are and where they are in their life journey, taking their hand, and walking alongside them, moving together to a closer relationship with one another and with God.

     I recommend The Sound of Rain to readers who love a sweet romance along with a bit of drama, but with a full share of deeper meaning, a lesson worth pondering. I thank NetGalley and the Baker Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of The Sound of Rain in exchange for this honest review. I received no monetary compensation.