The Lady in Residence by Allison Pittman - A Book Review

    

Wow! Simply wow! This book kept me awake long into the night, a ghost story that I could actually feel good about reading, characters whose stories tangled themselves in my mind refusing to let me rest until I got answers. Was Hedda's early 1900s story of abuse, love, loss, fear, and determination wrapped up in Dini's contemporary story of being orphaned, living a life dominated by isolation, fear, and determination, or was it the other way around? Who was the most haunted, the most obsessed? I encourage readers who enjoy just a touch of the macabre alongside an old mystery and a bit of romance to read The Lady in Residence, preferably at a time when they've got several uninterrupted hours to immerse themselves in the tale.

I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of The Lady in Residence from Barbour Books via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed her are my own.

What You Said to Me by Olivia Newport - A Book Review

    

So many series these days are trilogies, often one book per sibling in the series' main family. I was quite excited to discover that Olivia Newport has added a fourth book to her Tree of Life series featuring only child Julian Parisi-Duffy, a genealogist. In this installment her father, Nolan Duffy, has arranged for her to have “help” with a genealogy project searching for a large number of people who were stolen from their families and placed in adoptive families decades ago, the help being an angry teenager in an alternative sentencing program. As with the other books in this series, there is also an historical backstory which is equally if not more compelling than the contemporary one.

Newport writes believable characters who care deeply for one another and for strangers soon to be friends. She places them in situations that are relevant to today's readers. The historical situations also have themes relevant to today. In this book that is mental health and its impact on future generations, both good and bad. While What You Said to Me is a good stand-alone read; it does carry on events from prior books, and leaves the reader hoping for more.

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

The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox - A Book Review

   

This will likely remain in my top ten books of the year. Amanda Cox's background as a counselor has obviously influenced her ability to write with grace and empathy about such difficult topics as abandonment, PTSD, infertility, homelessness, depression, anxiety, domestic abuse, and suicide. While that list is daunting, to say the least, Cox has woven each of them into this story of healing and beauty. Don't pick up this book when you are in need of a quick read, because it deserves to be savored, but by all means pick it up. I am very grateful to have received a copy from Revell via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

The Haunting At Bonaventure Circus by Jaime Jo Wright - A Book Review

   

I am giving The Haunting at Bonaventure Circus five stars, but I will say that if I had not been familiar with Jaime Jo Wright's books, and had not trusted that she would be true to Christian values, there were places I would have closed the book and moved on. My trust was not misplaced, and I am very glad that I read on. The book takes place in Bluff River, Wisconsin, home of the Bonaventure Circus and the Watchman. Pippa Ripley is the protagonist in 1928, as Chandler Faulk is in the present day. In 1928 the circus was still in its hey day, but animal rights activists were already bringing attention to the circus. The Bonaventure Circus and the Ripley family were being plagued with unsettling events and circumstances. In present day, Chandler Faulk, as a representative of her uncle's company, is stirring up the past as she seeks to renovate and repurpose Bluff River's old train depot, one that was home to the circus train, and the circus owner's office. Her attention is divided between her career and parenting her son, Peter, while trying her best to reflect confidence and bravery.

Jaime Jo Wright is a wonderful author. Her plots are unique and edgy. I am grateful to have received a copy of this book from Bethany House via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

The Reckoning of Gossamer Pond by Jaime Jo Wright - A Book Review

 

     The Reckoning of Gossamer Pond is a story of grace. Both Libby Sheffield's journey to grace in the early 1900's and Annalise Forsythe's in current times were painful but necessary. They had to learn to forgive themselves for their past mistakes, but first they had to bring them into the light and face them. This was made much more difficult by living in a town which was keeping more than its own share of secrets.

     Jaime Jo Wright has once again demonstrated her prowess in writing time split novels. The smooth flow with which she transitions between time periods, and the intricacies with which she ties them together make her a standout author in this genre. Wright has given her readers historical romance, contemporary romance and suspense all together in one delightful package. She has created characters that are intriguing and that have depth. The reader can easily identify with the circumstances of their lives and the difficult choices set before them. Wright puts forth an honest picture of the church with its beauty that God intended as well as its ugliness caused by our fallen natures. As was previously stated, this novel is a story of grace. Who among us doesn't need that?

     I thank NetGalley and Bethany House for providing me with a copy of The Reckoning of Gossamer Pond in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review and received no monetary compensation.

The Love Letter by Rachel Hauck – A Book Review

     I enjoyed The Writing Desk, also by Rachel Hauck, and looked forward to reading The Love Letter, another time split novel. I really enjoyed the story of Hamilton Lightfoot and Esther Longfellow set in the Revolutionary War era. The contemporary story being carried out between Chloe Daschle and Jesse Gates was something I read through waiting to get back to Hamilton and Esther, that is until chapter twenty-two. At that point Jesse did something that totally grabbed my interest, and then, in my mind, the stories of the two couples truly began to merge.
     The Love Letter is a heart warming love story, and Rachel Hauck demonstrates through her story crafting the impact the love of and for Christ has on our earthly relationships. It is through His love that we receive the gift of grace freeing us to love well.
     Jesse Gates' screenplay based on his ancestor Hamilton's love letter ha been placed under contract to be made into a movie. Chloe Daschle, who had been typecast as “the queen of dying,” was thrilled to be cast as Ester, a role in which she would be allowed to live. Neither Jesse or Chloe's past had them looking for a relationship, but there was undeniable chemistry from the moment they met. Which of these couples, if either, would be destined to have a love that went the distance? Hauck's readers have some surprises in store.
    I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I do recommend this book to fans of romantic fiction. The time split stories run smoothly together, and the dialogue reads well.

The Lost Castle by Kristy Cambron - A Book Review

    

     If you are looking for a lighthearted, mindless sort of read, this is not it. If you are looking for a read that will work that gray matter and stimulate your brain cells, then this book is for you. First of all, it is set in three different historical time periods, and it fluctuates between past and present within those time periods. Second, each time period has its own set of characters, and the reader is trying to determine the less obvious connections between the characters across the time periods. Third, while following the story, the reader is also searching mental files created in those long-ago world history classes trying to recall facts related to the French Revolution and the French Resistance during World War II. While that may all seem daunting, The Lost Castle is worth the effort. It is a tale of the power of the human spirit, and the beauty of upholding one’s convictions. It is a story of healing and rising from the ashes. It is a story not to be missed.

     Born into nobility, Aveline Sainte-Moreau cannot understand or countenance the treatment handed out to the Third Estate by the members of the First and Second Estates. Her heart went out to the poor, down trodden and unrepresented people of France, a decidedly unpopular point of view among her family and peers. Viola Hart, survivor of a London bombing, felt compelled to use her language skills in service of her country, despite the misgivings of her brother and the danger involved. Ellie Carver realizes that Alzheimer’s is stealing her grandmother from her, just as the plane crash stole her parents when she was just a child. Now she must travel to France to discover her grandmother’s story, a story that may change everything. A special castle, a Sleeping Beauty, binds these brave ladies’ stories together.

     Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for providing me with a copy of The Lost Castle in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for providing the review. As always, thank you, Kristy Cambron, for sharing your great talent. 

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.