Serial Burn by Lynette Eason - A Book Review

  

Lynette Eason consistently provides good romantic suspense for readers to enjoy. Fans will be happy to know that, unlike many series, Lake City Heroes is not ending with this third installment. There is another adventure coming, this one featuring Air Marshal Kristine Duncan and FBI Agent Andrew Ross.

Serial Burn, as its title implies, revolves around an arson investigation. Deputy State Fire Marshal Jesslyn McCormick lost her family in a fire twenty years ago. Now it appears that the arsonist is trying to finish the job by killing Jesslyn as well. This action-filled story is wrapped in the theme of hope, hope through God's forgiveness, hope through the knowledge that God is on His throne and in control, and hope in the relationship we have with Him and with those He puts in our life.

While there were a few instances when I asked myself if people really talk like that, the book is overall well-written with characters readers will care about, subtle clues that will seem trivial at the time, and backstories revealed that enhance the story. I am grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Serial Burn from Revell via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own. 

Always Look Twice by Elizabeth Goddard - A Book Review

     

While being the second book in Goddard's Uncommon Justice series, Always Look Twice works well as a stand alone read. As I read, I had a suspicion that I was stepping into a series, but it in no way impacted my ability to understand and enjoy this book.

Harper Reynolds and her sister, Emily, were nearing the end of a year's traveling and camping together, a trip designed to help Harper heal from the emotional trauma of her childhood and her job as a crime scene photographer. Little did they know of the trauma that was yet to come as they camped near their childhood home. Harper's reconnection with her childhood best friend, deputy and rancher Heath McKade, was both a comfort and a challenge for both of them. Both broken and afraid to take emotional risks, neither was sure what to do about the attraction between them, nor did they have time to process it with the violent acts being perpetrated in the small town of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Always Look Twice is a story of hope, redemption, and second chances. It is engaging with a fast moving plot and characters one can care about. I am very grateful to have received a copy from Revell via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to write a positive review, and received no monetary compensation.

Hope's Highest Mountain by Misty M. Beller - A Book Review

   

Hope's Highest Mountain is not only a story of hope midst pain and sadness, it is a story of strength, an inner strength forged through reliance on God. While most of us will never face the challenges faced by Ingrid Chastain as she traveled through the wilderness of Montana seeking to deliver vials of life-saving medicine, we will each encounter times when we need the sustaining strength that comes through trusting and relying on God. This story will inspire those seeking such strength.

Hope's Highest Mountain is well written. Beller paints beautiful mental images of Montana's mountain grandeur that invite feelings of fear and awe. She engages all of the reader's senses: the taste of simple trail fare, the iciness of wading through deep snow, the warmth of snuggling beneath heavy furs, the sounds of the forest, and the smell of sickness. I highly recommend this book and am grateful to have received a copy from Bethany House via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to provide a positive review and received no monetary compensation.

All Manner of Things by Susie Finkbeiner - A Book Review

    

Susie Finkbeiner captured the essence of America during the Vietnam War era. Through the vessel of the Jacobson's family story she explores the impact of war on soldiers and those they leave behind, social unrest, racism, the effect of an uncertain future on the already turbulent times of adolescence and young adulthood, and the search for God within it all. The emotions in this book are real and raw. The characters will join those from other books of great depth who continue to reside with you in the recesses of your mind. Above all, the theme of hope will ring true.

Susie Finkbeiner is a new-to-me author, but one I will continue to look for in the future. I am very 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 write a positive review and received no monetary compensation.

Who I Am With You by Robin Lee Hatcher - A Book Review

  

Who I Am With You is the story of Andrew Henning who lived in Kuna, Idaho and married Helen Greyson in 1929. The Great Depression had a profound effect on the Hennings' lives, but together they recovered emotionally and spiritually. It is also the story of Andrew and Helen's great-granddaughter, Jessica Mason, who, pregnant and widowed, lived in Hope Springs, Idaho during current times. Jessica lived for a long time acting a part and pressing down true feelings, but through her great-grandfather's Bible and her new neighbor, Ridley Chesterfield, is ready to allow God to do a new work in her. Ridley, too, is seeking a new direction after being falsely accused of underhandedness, and having his integrity questioned. He felt that a time apart from society and alone with God would provide that direction, but was totally amazed at where God lead him, and with whom.

Who I Am With You is a tale about who we can be through God in spite of our mistakes and circumstances. It is about the person we can be aided by those whom God places in our lives, about deciding to love and to allow ourselves to be loved, and deciding to forgive and trust again. I recommend this book to those who love a sweet, heart-warming story, and especially to those who need hope in their lives.

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