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Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
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Every year, the booksellers at Powell’s submit their Top Fives: their five favorite books that were released in 2023. It’s a list that, when put together, shows just how varied and interesting the book tastes of Powell’s booksellers are. I highly recommend digging into the recommendations — we would never lead you astray — but today...
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Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
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Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
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Customer Comments
dgottreu has commented on (91) products
To Swim At Midnight
by
Suzanne D. Williams
dgottreu
, August 28, 2014
To Swim At Midnight by Suzanne D. Williams is a Christian love story but with a somewhat different plot than most Christian novels. Tristan Scott has returned to the lake where he spent the best summer of his life. His father has died and Tristan has to sell the lake house to pay the debts left by his father. He does not want to sell the house for it is filled with memories that he can’t forget and the best memory is Brie Angler. She and he shared a midnight swim that he will never forget. It has been five years since he has seen Brie but in driving by the house where Brie lived, he sees her in the yard and all the memories come rushing back. When Tristan stops to talk with Brie, he gets the shock of his life when he sees a very young boy who looks exactly like him. Tristan is at the lake house with his current girlfriend and she is not happy with the way he is acting for of course she has learned about Brie. Suzanne has done it again with another great story. This Christian story is different for the main character does not become a Christian in the story. However, the reader is left with the feeling that he will become a Christian for Brie is now a Christian and is rearing their son with Christian values. The characters were so well developed that I was feeling each of their emotions right along with them. The dialogue of all the characters seemed to be exactly what would have been said in all the situations. I was pulling for Tristan and Brie to get together but I did feel a little sorry for the girlfriend. The author did have her speak her mind but she was not cruel as she could have been. There was some suspense in the plot line for I did not know if Tristan would marry the girlfriend or if he would end up with Brie. This story definitely showed the power of love and how it can change circumstances. The story had a good ending and I would like to see a sequel. I definitely recommend this book even though it is not your typical Christian romance. Thanks to the author, Suzanne D. Williams, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Match of Wits
by
Jen Turano
dgottreu
, August 13, 2014
A Match of Wits by Jen Turano is a most delightful story that had me laughing out loud several times in each chapter. Agatha Watson is an investigative reporter for the New York Tribune and is now in Colorado hoping to outwit someone in New York who wants her dead. To Agatha’s dismay, the newspaper has provided her with a bodyguard and she tries daily to shake him and go off on her own. Her dear friend, Zayne Beckett, is also in Colorado but neither of them wants to run into the other. Agatha does run into Zayne in a saloon where he is drunk and looks as if he has not bathed, shaved, or washed his clothes in months. She know that she is the one that must get him back home to New York and his family. Zayne does not want to go home but Agatha insists and when they arrive in New York after many trying situations, he finally realizes that Agatha is in real danger. He tries to become her protector but she rejects his efforts and what follows is a royal battle of wills that makes for some exciting moments and sometimes a good laugh. Jan Turano did an excellent job in developing all the characters in this story. They were so well written that they definitely came to life on the pages of the book. They were so realistically portrayed that I was right there beside them in every adventure. The description of the scenes made them come to life and pulled me right into the middle of what was happening. I cannot remember reading any book in which the dialogue gave me so many laughs. And there were many twists and turns to the plot line and these kept me guessing until the end of the book. There was enough suspense to keep me reading when I should have been doing other things. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys an historical novel that is filled with lots of laughs. I also think that men might also enjoy the book. Bethany House provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Full Steam Ahead
by
Karen Witemeyer
dgottreu
, August 11, 2014
Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer is another delightful story from this author. Nicole Renard is a beautiful, rich, and head strong young woman and when she returns home to Galveston, Texas, she meets Darius Thornton a reclusive and obsessive scientist. He was aboard the Louisiana when a boiler exploded causing the death of many passengers. Darius is determined to built a better boiler and this experimenting causes him to work for long periods of time not bothering to eat or sleep. When he meets Nicole, he thinks that she is just another pretty face but she convinces him that she could be a great help to him as his secretary for she could organize his notes and findings. Not only is she pretty but she has a head full of knowledge concerning shipping and boats and this helps her becomes an excellent assistant to Darius. Nicole’s father has never let her forget that she is not a son that can take over his shipping business. The author did an excellent job in developing all the elements of the story. Nicole was so real that I could just see her doing all the things that she did to get herself into trouble. And Darius with all his experimental explosions was quite loveable in spite of his obsessiveness. Each time there was an explosion in the story, I felt as if I should duck and run for cover. The dialogue of Nicole and Darius gave me some good laughs as did all her antics. In addition to the romance, there was the mystery surrounding the Lafitte Dagger to keep one guessing. This story was a page turner and I could not stop reading until I finished the book in one sitting. I highly recommend this book, especially if you are a fan of Karen Witemeyer. Bethany House provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Tattooed
by
Suzanne D. Williams
dgottreu
, August 07, 2014
Tattooed by Suzanne D. Williams was a great story and once I started I could not stop reading until I had finished the book at two in the morning. I don’t really care for tattoos but after reading a few pages I forgot about the tattoos. Holden Lang was a rock drummer and had fame, fortune, and a body covered with tattoos. His newest tattoo was “Laura” the name of the woman he hoped to marry. Laura refused his marriage proposal so he went to the tattoo artist who did all his tattoos and had her cover the name with another tattoo. Unfortunately, her ex-husband came into the shop and in a fit of jealously he threw Holden through the window of the building and then began beating him senseless. Charity Caswell just happened to be in the area looking at a site to rent for her bookstore when Holden came flying through the window. She called 911 and then all the mix ups began. The EMT thought she was Holden’s wife and that information spread through the hospital and then to the news media. At this point the story REALLY became interesting. Even thought I do not care for tattoos or rock music, I think this may be my favorite story by Suzanne Williams. I was lost in the story from the very beginning. Her development of the characters of Holden and Charity were so well done that I felt as if we were good friends. All the other characters were also well developed and I felt as if I knew each one personally. Suzanne has a knack for scene development and I was feeling every punch that the ex-husband was giving Holden. I also experienced all the feelings of doubt and other misgivings that Charity was dealing with for they were so vividly written and I could almost feel the pain of Holden as he went through physical therapy. There were twists and turns in the story and one that dealt with Charity and her ex-fiance was a complete surprise. This was a story that touched my heart and showed how God is willing to heal the body, soul, and mind if we just ask, have faith, and believe. I liked the comment that we are “tattooed” on God’s heart. Never thought about tattoos that way. I hope there will be a sequel about Charity and Holden and I would also like to read a story about Julie and Eric. I highly recommend this book to all that enjoy a great Christian love story and one that shows what the love of God can do in a person’s life. Thanks to the author, Suzanne D. Williams, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Play It For Me
by
Suzanne D. Williams
dgottreu
, August 07, 2014
Play It For Me by Suzanne D. Williams is the last book in the Italian Series and I for one hate to see the series end. Niccolo Cavatelli is a well known cellist but has cut himself off from the outside world. His entire world is music and even though he hears notes night and day, they do not contribute to the security he so strongly desires but adds to his isolation as does his lack of faith and trust in God. Nancy Dennis, a lady in her fifties, has stayed with Niccolo for the past three years. She is with him day and night, six days a week, and also travels with him when he has concerts. She is finally taking a week vacation and her niece, Kati Dennis, will be staying with Niccolo. There is an instant attraction between Niccolo and Kati and this leads him to write his greatest song but a thoughtless word from Kati sends Niccolo into a rage and it appears that he has lost the music. Just as with the first four books in the series, Suzanne has done a great job in developing the characters. My heart went out to Niccolo and I wanted to help him regain his life and music. Kati was so very real also but when she uttered the words that sent Niccolo into a rage, I wanted to shake some sense into her. All the scenes were so descriptive that I felt as if I were in them along with the characters in the story. When Niccolo went into his destructive rage, I was almost holding my breath for I could not believe what he was doing. But his actions did make Kati stop and think and she realized what she had done to cause him to lose his temper so violently. There were several turns and twists to the plot line but everything worked out for the good in the end. There was a happy ending but it also contained a little sadness. This story was about Niccolo but it was also about the love and salvation of God for His children. I highly recommend this book to all that enjoy a great Christian love story that also shows what the love of God can do in a person’s life. Thanks to the author, Suzanne D. Williams, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Undetected
by
Dee Henderson
dgottreu
, July 31, 2014
Undetected by Dee Henderson is another great book by this author. Mark Bishop is the Commander of a ballistic missile submarine but when someone asks him what he does for a living he simply replies, “I’m in the Navy.” This is an extreme understatement for his job carries responsibilities that are not seen in any other job in the military. Mark is a widower and with all his heart he wants to come home to someone after spending several months at sea in a submarine with hundreds of men. He is attracted to Gina Gray but feels that maybe she is too young for him. Gina does ocean science research and her job is so important and secret that she has round the clock military protection. She would love to be married but due to a failed relationship, she spends nearly all her time working, sometimes even sleeping at her office. This work situation leaves her no time for a social life. She has just made a very important discovery and she needs Mark Bishop’s help to prove her theory. Fortunately, this will give them time together to get to know each other. As with all her books, Dee Henderson did an excellent job in the development of all aspects of this story. It is very evident that she did the research necessary to write such a detailed story about life on a submarine and other jobs in the Navy. Also, she wrote in such a way that it was easy to understand what was happening on the submarine and with Gina’s work. All the characters were so well developed that I felt as if each one was a friend with Mark and Gina being close friends. Gina did not want to spend time on the submarine and this segment of the story was so real that I was feeling the same fear as Gina. There were several twists and turns to the plot line and these just added to the enjoyment of the story and kept me guessing as to what was going to happen. The characters and dialogue were so well developed that I had the feeling as if I were right in the middle of the action taking place on the submarine. I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves a well written story that is also a learning experience. There is romance and enough mystery to keep one reading and guessing. Bethany House provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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It Don't Rain In Texas
by
Suzanne D. Williams
dgottreu
, June 20, 2014
It Don’t Rain in Texas by Suzanne D. Williams is a fun filled romance with a little bit of suspense that adds to the story. Lewis Dauger abandons the car stolen from an old girlfriend and then walks six miles to a truck stop near Amarillo. He goes inside with his main intent to find a ride south and when he spots Serena Hernandez sitting at the bar he knows he has found his transportation. They leave the truck stop and after a very long drive they stop at a seedy motel where Serena rents a room that happens to have only one bed. Don’t worry this is a clean, Christian story. After talking for a while and getting to know a little about each other, Serena pulls out her Texas Ranger badge and then Lewis pulls out his FBI badge. Considering their professions and the chemistry between them, the rest of the story is filled with fun and excitement and even danger for they end up in the middle of a manhunt due to the biggest prison escape in Texas. As is normal for Suzanne, she did an excellent job in the development of this story. The characters are somewhat quirky but lovable and by the end of the first chapter you feel as is they are old friends. The dialogue is sometimes very funny and other times it makes you think. There were a few twists and turns to the plot line but they just added some delightful suspense. This story was a little less than ninety pages and once I started reading I did not stop until I read the last word. The story has a very happy ending but there was a surprise right at the very end that I was not expecting. But the surprise left me with a good feeling. I recommend this book to everyone that enjoys a light hearted and fun filled romantic story with a little suspense thrown in to add enjoyment of the story. Thanks to the author, Suzanne D. Williams, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Seasons of Tomorrow
by
Cindy Woodsmall
dgottreu
, June 10, 2014
Seasons of Tomorrow by Cindy Woodsmall is the fourth and final book in the Amish Vines and Orchards series. Rhoda Byler’s life has been a series of ups and down but she has finally admitted that she loves Jacob King but is in love with Samuel King and is now living an almost peaceful life. Jacob leaves the Amish settlement in Maine to work as a builder, a vocation that he loves. He still feels responsible for Sandra and gives her financial help but her young daughter has a piece of his heart. While away on a building job he literally runs into Esther and he immediately feels an attraction to her but thinks that she is married. Leah King goes against all the rules of the Old Order Amish and has fallen in love with Englisher Landon Olson. This relationship could have a very negative influence on the new Amish community in Orchard Bend, Maine. To add even more turmoil to the lives of all in the new Amish settlement, Rhoda’s sister-in-law Phoebe contracts a deadly virus and everyone is not only fearful for her life but for the life of the child she is carrying. Cindy did an excellent job in the development of the characters, plot, dialogue, and scenes. I already knew and loved the characters but this book make each of them even more loveable. The dialogue between the characters drew me into the book and kept me interested to the last page. Her description of the scenes were so realistic that I was right there in the orchard helping with all the before harvest work and then helping to pick apples. Scenes with Rhoda cooking up apples for her different products were so real that I could feel the heat from the stove. There were several twists and turns in the plot line and the story also had a good bit of suspense which added greatly to my enjoyment of the story. Several of the characters had problems that had to be solved and I really like the way that the author solved everyone of them. I was quite happy with the ending. I really liked the way that the author gave a short synopsis of the three previous books at the beginning of this book. I listened to the first three on audio and it was nice to have a refresher of what had already happened. If you would like more information check out this site, the author’s website, and the author’s bio. I highly recommend this book to all readers that love an Amish novel. I do suggest that you read the books in order for it just makes for more enjoyable reading, at least in my opinion. Blogging for Books provided this book to me for free in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Miting An Old Order Amish Novel
by
Dee Yoder
dgottreu
, May 22, 2014
The Miting by Dee Yoder is the most enlightening Amish novel that I have ever read. Leah Raber is torn between her Amish beliefs and her desire to read the Bible which is forbidden by the Old Order Amish Church. She has no desire to go through rumspringen as many of the Amish teenagers do, she only wants to be free to read her Bible, to understand her relationship with God, and to attend a Bible study conducted by an ex-Amish couple. She does not understand how so many of the Amish “rules” are not in the Bible so she asks questions and this causes her family and the bishop to call her rebellious. Leah’s best friend Martha is also Amish but her family and the church do not prevent her from being abused by a family member. This and all the other unanswered questions cause Leah to finally leave the Amish life. She adapts well to the Englisher world but she is suffering greatly from homesickness. She finally goes back to her family but the miting/shunning is extremely severe and very painful but if she will give up reading the Bible, the miting will be lifted. Leah also wonders if everything that is happening to her will prevent her from having a lasting relationship with Jacob Yoder. I have read many Amish novels but none has ever explained shunning so well. I knew what shunning was but it had never really registered with me how devastating it could be to the individual being shunned. I was surprised at the large number of things that the Amish are not allowed to do, many in my opinion seem ridiculous. Dee Yoder did an outstanding job in the development of this story. Every character in the story came to life and I felt as if I knew them. Many I loved and several I could barely tolerate. All the scenes were so realistic that many times I was in tears as I was reading, and if not in tears then sometimes fighting mad. There were a few twists and turns in the story but they added to the suspense of the story. Would Leah stay Amish or become English and will Jacob become part of her life? After reading this story, I have great respect for those who want to leave the Amish life for the freedom to read and study the Bible and to accept Christ as their Savior. I never realized how very hard that could be. I definitely hope that there will be a sequel for I want to know more about Leah and Jacob and would also like to know if Martha ever found happiness. I very highly recommend this book to all who would like to know more about the Amish while reading a very enjoyable story that will touch the heart. Kregel Publications provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Dead Ringer
by
V. B. Tenery
dgottreu
, May 14, 2014
Dead Ringer by V. B. Tenery is on my list as one of the best mysteries I have ever read. Mercy Lawrence was walking down the sidewalk in Bermuda when she is grabbed by Thomas Wallace and forced into his limousine. The man insists that she is his missing wife, Traci, and he intends to return her to their home on a private island in the Mediterranean. Their son is recovering from surgery and the father feels that having his mom at home will help in his recovery. Thomas believes she is his wife for the airport facial recognition identified Mercy as Traci Wallace. Unfortunately, Traci has made enemies of some ruthless men and since Thomas says that Mercy is Traci, Mercy is in grave danger. Thomas is an ex-CIA agent and is called back into service for a rescue mission and this only adds to all the danger and problems following Mercy and Thomas. The entire book takes place between May 5 and September 14 but what a four months of excitement, terror, murder, death, happiness, love, and other emotions. This story grabbed my attention at the first sentence and did not let go until I read the last word. V. B. Tenery has a great ability for writing suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat and reading until the wee hours of the morning. She had so many twists and turns in the plot line of the story that I never knew what was going to happen next, but this just made the story that much more enjoyable. The characters were so realistic that I almost forgot that I was reading fiction. She made me love them, hate them, or fear them but I definitely felt something for every character. All the scenes were extremely well written and while reading this story I almost felt as if I were going through training for a CIA mission and then taking part in that mission. And I was right beside Mercy when she was trying to escape from her captors. All in all this was a very well written book that kept me guessing from chapter to chapter. And to make it even better, it had a happy ending. I highly recommend this book to all lovers of suspense and mystery stories with lots of danger and some romance in the mix. Thanks to the author, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Shining Light
by
Judith Miller
dgottreu
, April 27, 2014
A Shining Light by Judith Miller takes place in West Amana, Iowa, and is a most enjoyable story. Andrea Wilson and her young son Lukas leave Baltimore to return to her father’s farm in Iowa after she receives news that her husband has been lost at sea. Unfortunately, Andrea’s father has sold the farm and then died when the house burned and he was trapped inside. The generous people of the Amana community invite Andrea and Lukas to live with them for a while. Andrea finds that she really likes the way of life in the community and dreads the day when she and Lukas will be asked to leave. Dirk Knefler, the tinsmith, is attracted to Andrea and he forms a very strong friendship with Lukas who is in desperate need of a father figure in his life. Andrea and Lukas are happy in the simple life when another problem rears its ugly head. All the characters in the story were extremely well developed with most of them being very loveable but one was impossible to love. I liked the way the author had the story told from the perspective and in the voice of the main characters with the name of the character at the beginning of a chapter. Although I loved the entire cast of characters, well except for one, my favorite was Lukas for he was such an adorable little boy with a heart full of love. There were several surprises in the plot but they only made the story more interesting. I appreciate how the author had God as a very important part of the story and how God working through Dirk, helped Andrea find peace and have her faith restored. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the workings of the Amana community. I definitely recommend this book to anyone that loves a great story with a happy ending. Bethany House provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Sensible Arrangement
by
Tracie Peterson
dgottreu
, April 26, 2014
A Sensible Arrangement by Tracie Peterson is a most delightful book and one that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Marty Olson answers an ad for a “Lone Star Bride” and leaves her Texas home to travel to Denver to marry Jake Wythe. Jake is a banker and his boss insists that his top employees be married. Both Marty and Jake have been married before and this marriage is to be one of convenience only. After the wedding, Marty is almost overwhelmed with all the demands of Denver high society. Jake hates the society scene as much as Marty but to keep his boss happy and maybe even to keep his job, they have to put on a happy face and attend all the society functions. The state of the economy threatens Jake’s job and this causes him to think even more about returning to ranching in Texas. Even though Marty dislikes all the things she is expected to do as a member of high society, she does not want to return to Texas. Will all the demands of high society and the problems with the economy draw the couple together or will the marriage remain one of convenience? In this one hundredth book by Tracie Peterson, she did an excellent job in the writing of all elements of the book just as she did in the first ninety-nine. Marty and Jake were so well written that I could not help but care for them. By the end of the book I felt as if they were lifetime friends. There were several different plot lines going on in the story but Tracie tied them all together in a very satisfactory way. This story is filled with history, politics, banking business, mystery, romance, and even a failed stage coach robbery. There were several times that I would laugh at what was happening but the funniest situation was when Marty told Jake her greatest desire. At the beginning of the book, Marty felt as if God had deserted her but through the help of her household servants, she accepted God’s forgiveness and love. In spite of all the problems, the story had a wonderful ending. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I highly recommend this book to everyone that likes an historical novel filled with romance and set in the American West at the end of the 19th century. Bethany House provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn
by
Lori Benton
dgottreu
, April 24, 2014
The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by Lori Benton is a great story that is set in the post-revolutionary days of America. Tamsen Littlejohn’s stepfather is trying to force her to marry wealthy Ambrose Kincaid and as a result she decides to leave her home and seek freedom in the unknown West that is located across the mountains of North Carolina. Frontiersman, Jesse Bird, is persuaded by Tamsen to guide her across the mountains to the Watauaga Settlement in Western North Carolina. Tamsen is unaware that she will face trials and hardships that will challenge her faith and her physical endurance. Ambrose thinks that Tamsen has been kidnapped so he enlists the help of her stepfather to help him find Tamsen and bring her back. Even as Tamsen and Jesse face many challenges, she is wondering if maybe this frontier life is what she has been searching for and maybe where God is leading her. Tamsen and Jesse both trust God to see them through all the trials that they will face on their journey. Lori Benton did a superb job in the writing of this book and it is evident that she did a great deal of research into this period in history. When I finished the book, I felt as if I had crossed the mountains and wilderness with Tamsen and Jesse for the author developed their characters and described their travels so well that I was right beside them each step of the way. The storyline had many twist and turns and each one just made the story that more enjoyable. I liked that Tamsen and Jesse stayed true to their beliefs in God and sought His guidance in all that they did. There was also a good bit of suspense and I was not sure how the story was going to end but the ending was great. I would like to see a sequel to this book. I highly recommend this book to anyone that likes a great historical story set in the post-revolutionary days of America. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers through their Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Sweet Olive
by
Judy Christie
dgottreu
, April 24, 2014
Sweet Olive by Judy Christie is a most delightful book and a joy to read. Camille Gardner is a “landman” which is someone who works for an oil company and whose job it is to get property owners to sign over the mineral and water rights to their land. Camille is in Samford, Louisiana, against her wishes but her uncle Scott, and boss, forced her to accept the job. Camille once spent the worst weeks of her life in Samford so her plan is to get the signatures in record time and get back to Houston where she plans to work in an art gallery. After meeting the artist in the Sweet Olive area of Samford, Camille definitely has a problem for she has fallen in love with the artists and greatly admires their works of art which are proudly displayed in their yards and she completely understands why they do not want oil drilling on their land. Shortly after arriving in Samford, Camille meets Marsh Cameron who just happens to be the attorney representing the Sweet Olive landowners. Sparks begin to fly between the two and all of them are not about the oil deal. The author did an excellent job in the development of this story. The characters were so well developed that they came alive on the pages of the book. I especially liked all the artists and was hoping that they would not give in to the oil company. When the author was describing the homes and art of the residents of Sweet Olive, I could very clearly see each one in my mind’s eye. And then add the descriptions of the personalities and lives of the artists, and I immediately felt as if they were close friends. Camille was very realistically portrayed and I could feel her doubts and pain and her growing affection for Marsh. I definitely liked that the author had Camille finally turn back to God and let Him lead her life. She found what had been missing in her life��"faith, friends, and love. There were several twists and turns in the plot and quite a bit of suspense . The story had a great ending and proved that honestly is the best policy. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. I highly recommend this book to anyone that likes a great story set in the south, Louisiana to be exact. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Murder Simply Brewed Softcover
by
Vannetta Chapman
dgottreu
, April 23, 2014
Murder Simply Brewed by Vannetta Chapman is a most enjoyable Amish story. Amber Wright is in charge of the Amish Artisan Village in Middlebury, Indiana, and is having a great day until she learns that one of the shop owners has been found dead. Hannah Troyer, a young Amish employee, finds Ethan Gray the owner of A simple Blend on the floor near the espresso machine and at first it appears that he died of a heart attack. Amber hires Hannah to take over the running of the coffee shop and the two become good friends while trying to solve the mystery of Ethan’s death for they are convinced that he was murdered. Amber and Hannah face several dangerous situations for someone does not want them to solve the mystery. Tate Bowman who owns the property next to the Village gets involved in trying to solve the mystery and he also finds himself drawn to Amber. Hannah is also learning that her friend Jesse Miler has feelings for her that are more than friendship. The author did an excellent job in the development of all parts of the story. One part that I personally did not like was when the boa constrictor came into the story for I have a great fear of snakes and that part of the story gave me the heebie jeebies. The way the Amish and Englischers worked together in this story was extremely well written and was a joy to read. Every character was very believable and every one of them came to life on the pages of the book. Scenes came to life and I could picture myself working right along with Amber and Hannah to solve the mystery of Ethan’s death. There were several twists and turns in the story and each one just added to my enjoyment of and interest in the story. I especially liked the way that God’s grace was evident throughout the entire story. This book has it all��"Amish and Englischers working together, a murder mystery, and romance. I highly recommend this book to all lovers of Amish fiction for this story is an exceptionally good one. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Down Fall
by
Suzanne D. Williams
dgottreu
, April 23, 2014
Down Fall by Suzanne D. Williams is a Christian romance that leaves the reader with a good feeling. Jacob Flynn left Georgia and fled to Florida hoping to lessen his grief and erase the memories caused by the death of his wife and son in childbirth. Almost immediately after reaching Florida he runs into temptation in the form of Aurelia Cotton, another man’s wife, and to make matters worse she is pregnant. Aurelia’s husband has given Jacob a job and a place to live. Jacob soon learns that Aurelia also feels an attraction to him but they both uphold their Christian faith and strive to avoid temptation. Suzanne did a great job in the development of the characters in this story It would have been easy to write the story in a worldly way but she upheld her Christian beliefs. I was completely drawn into the lives of Jacob and Aurelia and felt as if they were close friends and I wanted to help them solve their problems. The dialogue throughout the story was well thought out and showed the personality of each character. The plot was very well written and I was not always certain as to how things were going to end. The story could have had a much different ending but Suzanne gave it just the right touch. I definitely recommend this novella to anyone who likes a good clean romance that gives you a good feeling. Thanks to the author, Suzanne D. Williams, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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At the Edge of a Dark Forest
by
Connie Almony
dgottreu
, April 18, 2014
At the Edge of a Dark Forest by Connie Almony is a wonderful story of love between a man and a woman and the love of God for man. Cole Harrison is a veteran of the Iraq War and he came home missing his left leg and his right arm. He also has a disfiguring scar on his face and head but that was not a result of the war. Carly Rose is the daughter of the man that developed artificial limbs that work almost like human limbs but the business was almost destroyed by the dishonesty of Carly’s two brothers. She is determined to help her father rebuilt his company and she approaches Cole to try the artificial limbs and then hopefully he will invest in the company. Connie did an superb job in the writing of this story and developed every element of the story in a way that touched my heart. The characters were so realistically portrayed that I almost forgot that they were fictional characters in a book. Every scene in the story was so true to life that I was right in the middle of the action. At times the dialogue was so intense that I had to take a deep breath and keep on reading. Cole felt that if he treated Carly with disdain and spoke harshly to her that she would leave him alone but she would not be discouraged by his speech and actions. I have not read such a touching story in quite some time. There were a few laughs in the story but most of the time I was reading with tears in my eyes. However, do not let that keep you from reading the story for I am just a softie and get very emotionally involved in books that I read. The story had a great ending! I highly recommend this book to everyone that enjoys a book that shows what love can accomplish��" the love of a woman for a man and the love of God. Thanks to the author, Connie Almony, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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A Place to Call home
by
Merrillee Whren
dgottreu
, April 17, 2014
A Place to Call Home by Merrillee Whren is a wonderful story of love and forgiveness of God and man. Kurt Jansen has just been released from prison where he has served six years for the charge of manslaughter in the death of his wife. He has insisted that he was innocent from the very first and is looking for a restoration job so that he will have money to hire a private investigator to find the real murderer and a lawyer to help him get custody of his six year old twins. He is referred to Molly Finnerty for she has a house that she wants to restore and turn it into a bed and breakfast. Molly finally decides to give Kurt the job since she is a supporter of the prison ministry in her town. And, she has secrets of her own that involve the death of her husband and a short stay in jail.. Merrillee did an outstanding job in the development of all elements of the story. The characters are so real that one almost forgets they are fictional individuals. Molly and Kurt came to life in the story and I was pulling for them to solve all their problems and hopefully fall in love. All the settings are so well described that I felt as if I were right in the midst of the story. There were several twists and turns in the plot and a good bit of suspense. Who did kill Kurt’s wife? Would Kurt be able to get custody of his children? Would Molly finally let go of her secrets about the death of her husband? I was somewhat surprised when the true murderer of Kurt’s wife was revealed. I like when a book has a strong Christian message and this one did, both Molly and Kurt had a relationship with God and looked to Him for guidance and forgiveness. In addition to Molly and Kurt, there were other strong Christians in the book. I highly recommend this book to all that enjoy a great story with romance, suspense, Christian values, and a happy ending. Thanks to the author, Merrillee Whren, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Minding Molly
by
Leslie Gould
dgottreu
, April 17, 2014
Minding Molly by Leslie Gould is an Amish story with a little different twist. I don’t remember reading any Amish books that had such a domineering female main character. But by the end of the book I liked her and actually felt sorry for her at times. Molly Zook always wants to be in control of any situation and she is having a huge problem with her mother. Her mother wants Molly to marry Mervin Mosier for this will save the family farm. However, Molly is working very hard to get Mervin to renew his interest in her best friend Hannah. To add to the problem, Molly meets Leon Fisher and is instantly drawn to him. He is from Montana and is now living in Pennsylvania and working at a nearby farm training horses. Molly plans a camping trip in the hopes of getting to know Leon but it seems that he is more interested in Hannah than her. The author did an excellent job in the development of the characters and they came to life on the pages of the book.. Usually I really like the main character of a story but I had to read almost the entire book before I began to like Molly. The other characters definitely were a group with a wide range of personalities. Some I liked and others were somewhat unlikeable. Scenes were well developed and I felt as if I were right where the action was happening. Sometimes I just wanted to shake Molly and her sister and tell them to shape up. At times the dialogue seemed a little immature but it did fit some of the characters. I was glad that by the end of the story, Molly had softened and was learning to let God lead her. There were a few twists and turns to the plot that kept me guessing as to which woman would end up with which man. All in all the story had a happy ending. I recommend this book if you like Amish fiction and also like a bossy main character. Bethany House provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Hands of Darkness Lure of the Serpent Book 2
by
Heather James
dgottreu
, April 04, 2014
Hands of Darkness by Heather James was a good book but I had a hard time getting involved in the story. Evelyn Barrett can no longer practice law so she has taken a job as a police consultant and will be working with Detective Thatcher. She worked with him to help solve the kidnapping and murder of her young daughter. At the beginning of the book she is almost at the end of her pregnancy and has the baby before the middle of the story. Working as a police consultant allows her to be at home with her newborn son and to work only hours that are convenient. At least that was the way it was supposed to be. The first case she works on involves a very sadistic serial rapist and murderer who is very methodical in his killings. He leaves absolutely nothing at the scene that would lead to his identity so Thatcher and Evelyn have a very tough job in bringing him to justice. The case becomes very personal for Evelyn when her good friend Jen is raped but somehow manages to survives. The author did an excellent job in the development of the characters. I had a problem liking the main character for she had so many quirks in her personality that simply rubbed me the wrong way. The description of scenes, especially ones that involved a dead body, were so real that I felt as if I were a witness to what was happening. I love a good police drama, even with murder thrown into the mix, but this story just seemed almost too dark for my taste. The villain was so evil that I cringed every time I read what he was thinking and doing. Evelyn seemed to be a devout Christian but it seemed that a great deal of the time, the devil controlled her tongue. And it bothered me that she would get a bee in her bonnet and strike out alone and not tell Thatcher what she was going to do. That trait finally got her into a lot of trouble and danger. I was a little disappointed with the ending but I guess it was the only way the story could end. In spite of the darkness of the story, there was a time or two that I actually laughed at whatever was happening or being said. I gave the book a four star rating because I could not honestly say that I loved the book and give it five stars. I would recommend this book only if you are really into dark murder mysteries with a murderer that seems to have a soul that is pure evil. Kregel Publications provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Catch a Robber
by
Gloria Repp
dgottreu
, March 31, 2014
Catch a Robber by Gloria Repp is the fourth delightful story in this series. Pibbin the tiny frog with the big heart is off on another adventure and this one will take him to Shadow Swamp which is inhabited by very large creatures. But he is loyal to his friends so he will put on a brave face and do whatever is necessary to free Skitter the lizard from the Rabbit’s jail. A necklace has been stolen from Grannie Primrose and the rabbits are sure that Skitter is the thief. Nisk has mended his ways and is helping Pippin and Leeper to hunt for Skitter’s cousin for they believe the cousin is the real thief. With the help of several friends, Pibbin is able to rescue Skitter from the jail and she is taken to Gaffer’s house to recover from her ordeal. When Pibbin goes to visit her he is shocked at her appearance but after drinking water she is much better. Pippin has picked a bouquet of flowers for Skitter but when he goes to take them from his backpack, all he finds are yellow seeds that smell like lemon. Skitter is overjoyed for she had been wanting some Lemon Tickseed and Pibbin has brought her some. She promises him that she will make him some red bug cookies with lemon. Gloria continues to write an excellent story about the life of a tiny tree frog. In this story we see the animals showing bravery, loyalty, honesty, and great concern for others. All the little characters in the story still seem to have human traits and this adds so much to the story. The dialogue is very well written and it contributes to the human-like qualities of the animals. Some of the little animals have habits that are not desirable but usually they become better by the end of the book. Nisk has definitely become a better squirrel but he still has a problem with his speech. As with the other books, the illustrations are top notch and add a lot to the story and the photos of real frogs at the end of the book are a good addition. This time the cookies are red bug with lemon and with lemon they have to be good. I have a great fear of snakes but in this book the snakes are quite likeable for Gloria gives them such poetic dialogue. I highly recommend this book for young children and I think it would be a great book for them to read to a younger sibling or to their parents. Even adults will enjoy reading it for themselves. Thanks to the author, Gloria Repp, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Trapped
by
Gloria Repp
dgottreu
, March 31, 2014
Trapped by Gloria Repp is the third story in the Pibbin series. It is a delightful story and I am sure that I enjoyed it as much as any young child. The story begins with Pibbin on his way to give out cookie chips so that he can win a blue star to put on his backpack. He sees an open door and goes into the largest tunnel he has ever seen. He hopes that it is the home of a chipmunk and not a big snake that will eat him for sure. At the end of the tunnel he ends up caught in a net but manages to get down and away from Nisk who has put up the net. Nisk has a problem for he spells everything backwards, he also puts the words backwards when he speaks, and he has a personality that is not very likeable. Soon Pibbin learns that baby Duffy Squirrel is missing and goes to Duffy’s home to talk with his big brother Alix. Alix feels that it is his fault that his baby brother is missing so he and Pibbin set off to enlist the help of others in Friendship Bog. Pibbin is tiny in size but he has a heart as big as an elephant and will do everything in his power to find his lost friend. Nearly everyone is willing to help but a couple of characters seem to hinder more than help. Before Duffy is found, Pibbin and everyone helping him have several obstacles to overcome before they finally rescue Duffy. Once again Gloria has written another winner of a book featuring the little tree frog Pibbin. In this story the main theme seems to be about teamwork and friendship. As in the first two books, the animals almost seem to take on human characteristics. They show love, fear, happiness, anger, and several other human traits. It is easy to forget that one is reading about animals due to the dialogue that Gloria has written into the story. Colorful illustrations are scattered throughout the book and add greatly to the enjoyment of the story. My favorite cookie in this book was grasshopper cookies for they have a bit of color and crunch. I also had a good chuckle when Pibbin licked a bunch of black ants off a stick. I am sure that for kids such things add to their enjoyment of the story. I highly recommend this book for any child old enough to read and would even suggest that they read it to their parents. We adults can learn things from books written for children. I think even those too young to read would enjoy having it read to them. Thanks to the author, Gloria Repp, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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The Rogue Trust
by
Deanne Durrett
dgottreu
, March 03, 2014
The Rogue Trust by Deanne Durrett is a great story of a young woman who is the heir to a huge fortune that was created to honor a Vietnam war hero. The story begins with Becca receiving a bouquet of fourteen yellow roses and just gets better and better from that point on. Becca McGee is working hard to provide a good life for her twelve-year-old daughter, Amy K. Becca has been widowed for three years but still wears her wedding ring and really has no desire to date. J.T. Harrison is the young, good looking lawyer that is handling the inheritance and Becca seems to think that he is a jerk, a stalker, and an imposter. Neither want to admit there is an attraction and J.T. has his work cut out for him in convincing Becca to accept the inheritance and to give him a chance to get to know her better. The stealing of Miss Honey, Amy K’s cat, is just one of the many events that put a good deal of suspense into the story. One thing that was not in the story that I kept expecting to read was the amount of the inheritance. The reader is only told that it was a huge inheritance and that Becca would be able to do anything that she had ever wanted to do. The author did an excellent job in the development of all the elements that make up this story. The characters were very believable and nearly all were very likeable. I was living Becca’s life right along with her for I have sometimes day dreamed about what I would do should I be fortunate enough to inherit a large sum of money. Becca’s struggles are real and the author did a great job in the way she portrayed Becca working through each problem. All the scenes were so well scripted that I felt myself taking part in everything that was going on. There were several twists and turns to the plot but each twist just added more to the story. I simply adored Becca’s daughter, Amy K, for it was so good to read a novel with a sweet and obedient preteen. I very much enjoyed the friendships and family interactions that were woven throughout the story along with the characters dependence on God for direction. I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves a good romance spiced up with a little suspense and that has love and friendship all through the story. Thanks to the author, Deanne Durrett, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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All Things Hidden
by
Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse
dgottreu
, March 01, 2014
All Things Hidden by Tracie Peterson & Kimberley Woodhouse was a most enjoyable story which also taught me some American history. Harold Hillerman felt called to take his medical practice to the Alaskan frontier. He moved his wife and two daughters to Alaska early in the twentieth century but his wife and younger daughter had only contempt for the land and the people and moved back to Chicago. Gwyn stayed in Alaska with her father and worked in the medical clinic with him as his nurse. In the era of the Depression, one of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal projects was The Matanuska Colonization. This brought two hundred families to the area where Gwyn lived and soon her doctor father was greatly overworked. Dr. Jeremiah Vaughan was stripped of his medical license in Chicago, and to get away from the situation and his broken engagement, he moved to Alaska to help Dr. Hillerman who had been his mentor and friend since he was a young boy. Gwyn’s life had been hard since her mother left but she had great friends among the Alaskan natives and she felt that Alaska was the most beautiful place that God created. The authors did an excellent job in writing this book. Even though it is a fictional story, they accurately presented actual historical events that took place throughout the book. The development of the characters was so well done that they came to life on the pages of the book and I felt as if I knew everyone of them personally. I even found myself taking part in the conversations in my mind. The plot had a lot of twists and turns and just when I had things all figured out, the plot would change. All the scenes were so well written that in my mind I could see exactly what was happening and was right in the middle of the action. Their descriptions of the mountains and landscapes of Alaska were so vivid that I could see them in my mind’s eye and it also made me want to visit Alaska. The story was filled with love, hate, suspense, murder, friendship, romance, forgiveness, and trust in God. I found this story to be uplifting, entertaining, and informative. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great story filled with suspense, romance, murder, history and has vivid descriptions of the beauty of Alaska. Bethany House provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Sluagh: Demon of the night
by
Darrell Case
dgottreu
, February 12, 2014
Sluagh: Demon of the Night by Darrell Case is a book that grabs you on page one and does not let go until you reach the last page. When Max Furman was a child he was abused by his mother, often telling him that she should have killed him when he was an infant. His heart turns to stone and one day when he is fourteen he kills his baby sister which is his first kill. When Max becomes an adult he becomes a serial killer of young boys between the ages of four and seven and goes undetected for eighteen years. Max has always hidden the bodies where they will never be found but he longs for recognition so he starts to display the bodies of the murdered boys. The FBI starts working the case and the media calls Max the Ghost. Max needs a place to hide so he forges a resume and becomes the pastor of a church. Andrew and Antoine were angels created at the same time and were close friends. When the rebellion came, Andrew stayed loyal to God but Antoine became one of Satan’s demons and Max’s personal demon. Wow, what an imagination this author possesses which allows him to write such a great story. I read the book in one sitting except for the time I took to attend Sunday night church. I just could not put the book down until I knew what was going to happen and how the story would end. I think this may be the most suspenseful book that I have ever read. The author did an excellent job with every element of the story. The plot had some twists which added to the mystery of the story. Max was so well developed that the reader could see his psychotic character and at the same time see the spiritual warfare that was going on in the story. All the characters in the story came to life and some I truly liked and some I really hated. All the action scenes were so vividly written that I could almost imagine myself right in the middle of the action. Although the story is about a serial killer who murders very young boys, the author balanced the story by writing how God and his angels worked to overcome the evil and to bring about justice. I highly recommend this book to everyone that likes a very suspenseful Christian story filled with angels and demons and that keeps you on the edge of your seat and biting your nails. I don’t think that I would recommend for anyone under the age of thirteen and then I feel the parent should check it out first. Thanks to the author, Darrell Case, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Suit
by
Suzanne D. Williams
dgottreu
, February 08, 2014
Suit by Suzanne D. Williams is a great story that makes for very enjoyable and entertaining reading. Ludwig Fabrinni is a man that many would envy. He has a great job, money to buy anything that he wants, and he definitely wants and has a wardrobe full of expensive suits. Even though he feels that he has everything that anyone could ever want, he does not have love in his life. He is the director of a publishing company which publishes mainly educational books. Ludwig’s life hits a snag when his boss makes him the head of the new romance department. When Kirsten Friedman comes into his life everything changes. Both Kirsten and Ludwig have been in love before but now they are going to learn the meaning of real love. Things really get weird when Ludwig receives an email that was not intended for him. Typical of Suzanne, she does an excellent job developing the characters and their dialogue is right on target with each one saying what you are hoping they will say. All the action taking place in the story was very well written and I almost felt myself to be right in the middle of what was happening. There was a good bit of suspense in the story which added greatly to the fun of the story and kept me guessing as to what was going to happen next. I was expecting the story to have a happy ending and I was not disappointed, in fact it was even better than I had imagined. As with all of Suzanne’s books, Christian values are woven throughout the story. I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series. When I first started reading the book I thought that Suit was somewhat of an unusual name for a book title but by the time I finished the book I thought that it was the perfect title. I highly recommend this book to everyone that loves a feel good romance with Christian love and forgiveness woven throughout the story. Thanks to the author, Suzanne D. Williams, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Deep Focus
by
Gloria Repp
dgottreu
, February 07, 2014
Deep Focus by Gloria Repp is another great story about forgiveness that also has a very compelling mystery and enough romance to keep the romantic reader happy. Gloria does an excellent job in the development of all elements of the story. One thing that really appealed to me was the adorable little girl, Ginni. I loved her use of the word “entrancing.” As I read this book I was living the story right along with all the characters. I highly recommend this book and I even think that men would enjoy it as much as women. I received a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. Note: I was a beta reader for this book and that is when I read about Ginni and her use of the word “entrancing.” Gloria and her editor decided that it would be better to change the word to “enchanting.” It was not the word itself that caught my attention but Ginni’s use of an unusual word. No matter which word she used, Ginni was an adorable little girl and her dialogue added enjoyment to the story.
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The Vicar's Wife
by
Katharine Swartz and Kate Hewitt
dgottreu
, February 07, 2014
The Vicar’s Wife by Katherine Swartz was an enjoyable book even though at the beginning it was somewhat depressing, at least to me. Jane and Andrew Hatton have moved to England from New York City and are living in the old vicarage in the village of Goswell. Andrew is delighted to be back home in England but Jane is very unhappy and feels that neither the house nor England will ever feel like home to her and their three children, Natalie, Ben, and Merrie. Jane found a piece of a shopping list that had belonged to Alice James the wife of the vicar during the 1930′s. Jane can’t seem to forget the woman and goes all out searching for information about Alice. She and Alice are very much alike in that both are not sure about living in the vicarage and also seem to be searching to find out who they really are and to overcome their fears and learn what is really important in life. The author did an excellent job in the development of the characters. In fact her portrayal of Jane was so well done and seemed so real that I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and give her a good shaking. Alice also came alive on the pages of the book and I wanted to give her a hug for she was trying so hard and it seemed that almost everyone was against her. There were a few twists in the plot and it was interesting to read how each one turned out. There were also a few surprises near the end of the story. The dialogue of the characters was well written, in fact so well written that at times I found myself talking to them, at least in my head. Natalie, Ben, and Merrie were completely real in the story again showing the skill of the author in developing the character of each one. I really liked the way that the narrative changed between Jane and Alice with each chapter. Even though I found the beginning of the book somewhat depressing, by the end of the story I found that I actually liked Jane for she finally realized what she wanted in life and began to work for it. I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy English authors and stories set in the English countryside. Kregel Publications provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Love & Roses
by
Suzanne D. Williams
dgottreu
, January 22, 2014
Love and Roses by Suzanne D. Williams is a great story that I could not put down until I had finished it in one sitting. On the title page Suzanne wrote that the book was a feel good romance and that is very true. When I finished reading the story, I had a smile on my face and was wishing that the story would continue. After Ian McKinney’s wife hired someone to kill him, he made up his mind that his friends and job were enough to make his life complete and he had no intention of ever dating again. Shortly after making this decision, Allison Hoff entered his life. She was the widow of a policeman killed in the line of duty and she was having a hard time going on with her life. On a whim Allison invites Ian to be her date for the Fourth of July police dance. Then everything seems to go wrong. True to form, Suzanne did an excellent job in the writing of this story. The characters came alive on the pages of the book and I immediately liked Ian and Allison and was hoping that they would become a couple. The dialogue was well thought out and written. Sometimes I wanted to just shake Allison because of her refusal to let go of her dead husband and move on with her life. I felt this way for Ian was such a great guy and Allison finally came to realize that fact. The plot was well thought out and well developed and made for a very interesting and entertaining story. I was very happy with the way that the story ended. I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves a great feel good romance that also includes love for God and forgiveness. Thanks to the author, Suzanne D. Williams, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Love After Snowfall
by
Suzanne D. Williams
dgottreu
, January 17, 2014
Love After Snowfall by Suzanne D. Williams is a quick easy read and a very enjoyable story. Clementine Button has been widowed for a year and is doing fine living alone in the wilds of Alaska. When she goes out hunting for moose, everything changes for when she shoots the moose she also shoots Ezekiel Knapp. Since there is no one near to help her, she takes Ezekiel to her house and tends to his wound. However, when she removes the bullet, she realizes that it is not her bullet. This information brings fear to Clementine for she realizes that someone is out in the woods and is putting her life as well as Ezekiel’s in danger. Clementine knows that she must get Ezekiel to a doctor to save his life and not try to save him herself as she had done with her husband. Suzanne did an excellent job in the development of the characters and their dialogue as well as all other elements of the story. From the first page, I was drawn into the story and was living it right along with Clementine. There were a few twists and turns to the plot and each one made the story more interesting. There was just enough suspense in the story to keep me guessing as to the identify of the villain. I was actually surprised when he was revealed. I liked that Ezekiel had a strong faith in God and that he worked to get Clementine to renew her faith in God. The ending of the story was not a big surprise but it was a great ending. I highly recommend this book to everyone that enjoys a good Christian romance that also has a good deal of suspense woven into the story. Thanks to the author, Suzanne D. Williams, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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The Advent of Murder
by
Martha Ockley
dgottreu
, December 13, 2013
The Advent of Murder by Martha Ockley did not grab my interest at the beginning but the more I read the more interesting the story became. Faith Morgan is the new Vicar of Little Worthy and she is very involved in getting everything ready for the Advent season. It seems that she has so many things to do that she seldom gets enough sleep. When Faith goes to visit one of her parishioners, she learns that a young man from the choir has been murdered. Faith was a policewoman before she became the Vicar, and she cannot help getting involved in the murder investigation in spite of all the other things that she must do before Christmas. Detective Inspector Ben Shorter is Faith’s ex-boyfriend and he resents her involvement in the investigation but once in a while he accepts her ideas. Characters and their dialogue were very well developed and the characters seemed to come to life on the pages of the book. The plot had many twists and turns and I was kept guessing until almost the end of the book as to the identify of the murderer. There were also several mysteries in the story which added greatly to my enjoyment. The story had quite a few rather unusual characters but they added interest to the story. After finishing the book I had the feeling that maybe Faith had been a better policewoman than she was a Vicar. I was a little surprised at the ending but it was a satisfactory ending. I would recommend this book if you like mysteries set in England and written by British authors. Kregel Publications provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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All for a Story
by
Allison Pittman
dgottreu
, December 08, 2013
All For a Story by Allison Pittman is a very good story that takes place during the Roaring Twenties in Washington, D.C. Monica Brisbane writes a gossip column for Capitol Chatter, a less than stellar newspaper. This job allows her to spend her nights dancing and drinking at the local speakeasys where she gathers information for her column that she writes under the name of Monkey Business. When the owner of the newspaper dies, his nephew, Max Moore, moves from California to take over the leadership of the paper. Max wants to turn the Capitol Chatter into a newspaper that is respectable with Christian values. Max gives Monica a challenging assignment which is to infiltrate and then report on the Anti-Flirt Society. After meeting with the young women in the group, Monica begins to question her way of life. The author has a way of pulling the reader into the story. When I first started reading the story I did not care for Monica but as I kept reading I began to see her in a different light. All the characters came to life on the pages of the book and I felt as if I knew every one of them, some I loved and some I greatly disliked. The scenes that took place in a speakeasy were so well developed that I could almost smell the smoke and liquor. I especially liked the way that the author developed the character of Max. He was a Christian and was determined to turn the inferior newspaper into a paper of value. Probably the best part of the story was watching Monica turn her life around. The book has a satisfactory ending and I would like to see a sequel to read more about Max and Monica. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story that takes place during the Roaring Twenties and that also includes a great deal of history and a little romance. Tyndale House Publishers via Net Galley provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Gunpowder Tea
by
Margaret Brownley
dgottreu
, December 07, 2013
Gunpowder Tea by Margaret Brownley is a most delightful story that begins in New Orleans in 1897 and then moves to the Arizona Territory. Miranda Hunt is the only female operative working for the Pinkerton National Detective Agency. She is being sent to the Arizona Territory to capture the Phantom, a very elusive outlaw who is the head of a group that rob trains and banks. It is believed that the Phantom is hiding on the Last Chance Ranch and when Miranda sees an ad for an heiress for the ranch she knows that she has found the perfect cover. To add to her cover she has assumed the name of Annie Beckman. Unknown to Annie, Jeremy Taggart, a detective with Wells Fargo, is also working undercover at the ranch in the hope of capturing the Phantom. His undercover name is Branch. They are attracted to each other but their lives and careers depend on the case being solved so they avoid each other as much as possible.. The author did an excellent job in the development of the plot. There were many twists and turns that kept me guessing from page to page as to what would happen next. I don’t think I have ever read a novel in which the suspense kept me guessing until almost the very end of the book. I was really surprised when the identity of the Phantom was revealed. Margaret Brownley definitely has a knack for writing mystery/suspense novels. All the characters simply came to life on the pages of the book and I felt as if most of them were my friends by the time I finished the book. Dialogue was very realistic and scenes were well developed and I felt as if I were right in the middle of the action taking place. The “words of wisdom” that began each chapter gave me a lot of good laughs. I had never heard of gunpowder tea but after reading this book I would like to find some and give it a try. The story had a good ending and I hope that the author writes a sequel to let us know what happens to Miranda and Jeremy. I highly recommend this book to anyone that loves a great western romance with lots of suspense and action. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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The Dawn of Christmas: A Romance from the Heart of Amish Country
by
Cindy Woodsmall
dgottreu
, November 21, 2013
The Dawn of Christmas by Cindy Woodsmall is a wonderful story dealing with second chances and learning to trust. Sadie was engaged to Daniel and shortly before the wedding she caught him kissing her cousin but he tried to convince her that she did not see what she thought she saw. In fact, most people in the community did not believe Sadie. Her family decided that it would be best if she moved away and this gives her the opportunity to spend time in Peru as a missionary. After four years, Sadie is ready to go back home and her family welcomes her back. Soon after Sadie arrived back home she is out walking and finds Levi lying in the snow seriously injured after being thrown from his horse. He distrusts women after watching his brother suffer when his wife left him with a young son to rear alone. Their families and friends begin to meddle in their lives by trying to get them romantically interested in each other. To keep the peace, Sadie and Levi decide to pretend that they are courting and this leads to lots of interesting situations.. This story was very well written and all the characters were so well developed that they came to life. Through the dialogue of the characters I could feel their pain and sorrow. All the scenes were so descriptive that I was right in the middle of the action. Both main characters had suffered from the actions of others and I really liked the way the author had them turning to God for guidance and for the ability to forgive the ones who wronged them. It was interesting to follow Sadie and Levi in their journey of learning to trust again. I definitely recommend this book to all readers who are lovers of Amish fiction that involves a great romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers through their Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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The Women of Christmas: Experience the Season Afresh with Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna
by
Liz Curtis Higgs
dgottreu
, November 21, 2013
The Women of Christmas by Liz Curtis Higgs is a wonderful book for the Christmas season or for any time of the year. The book covers the lives of Mary, Elizabeth, and Anna in the months before the birth of Jesus and a few weeks after His birth. Each woman is presented through Bible scriptures and the narrative of the author. Mary is newly betrothed but she is pregnant, Elizabeth is old and barren but she also becomes pregnant, and Anna is old, widowed, and lives in the Temple waiting for the arrival of the Messiah. Of course the story also includes Joseph a carpenter who is betrothed to Mary, Zechariah a priest who is the husband of Elizabeth, and Simeon also a priest and living each day waiting to see the promised Messiah. The one thing that all three women have in common is that their hearts belong to God. And Mary and Elizabeth are blessed to have husbands that love and obey God. Liz Higgs does an excellent job in presenting the story of these three women and showing the involvement in and contribution of each of them in the Christmas story. The style of the writing made for easy reading and enjoyment. Liz wrote a paragraph or two to introduce each woman and then a verse of scripture was given and Liz would then give her interpretation of that verse, another verse was given, Liz would interpret, and this style of writing was continued throughout the entire book.. This form was also used for the three men in the story. This style of writing made the Christmas story so easy to understand and brought new thoughts to mind even though I have been hearing and reading the Christmas story for decades. A study guide is presented at the end for individual or small group study. This is a small book but it packs a big punch. I definitely recommend this book to all who would like to know more about Mary, Elizabeth, and Anna and their participation in the Christmas story. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers through their Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Unforeseeable
by
Nancy Mehl
dgottreu
, November 12, 2013
Unforeseeable by Nancy Mehl is a great murder mystery that takes place in modern day Kingdom, Kansas, in a Mennonite community. Callie Hoffman is engaged to the new Mennonite pastor, Levi Housler, and works in the restaurant owned by his sister-in-law, Lizzie Housler. Life is good and then a murdered woman is found on the road on the outskirts of Kingdom. It so happens that the murdered woman has been killed by a serial killer and it seems to be the same serial killer that was murdering women twenty years ago. With the new county sheriff questioning everyone in Kingdom, it is only natural that everyone in town is upset and on edge. Callie is troubled for it seems that Levi knows more about the murder than he should or is telling. The story is filled with suspense and near the end when Callie is threatened, then the suspense really gets scary. This story is very well written and all the characters simply come to life on the pages of the book. All the action scenes are so realistic that I was holding my breath many times as I read what was happening and I was right there in the middle of whatever was taking place. I especially liked the way that the author had the people of the town putting their faith in God and being forgiving of others. Callie was especially working to become closer to God and praying for guidance so that she would do God’s will and not her own. The author keeps the reader guessing until the end of the book when the revealing of the murderer is quite a surprise, at least it was to me. I was very happy with the way the story ended. I highly recommend this book to lovers of a good murder mystery with a twist, it takes place in a modern day Mennonite community. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Plain Scandal An Appleseed Creek Mystery
by
Amanda Flower
dgottreu
, November 12, 2013
A Plain Scandal by Amanda Flower is a wonderful story of Amish life in the town of Appleseed Creek, Ohio. Chloe Humphrey is not Amish but she has chosen to live in Appleseed Creek where she works at the local college as a computer specialist. A buggy accident that turned out to be murder has been solved but now the people in the community are living in fear for someone is going around cutting the hair of Amish women and the beards of Amish men. Chloe has helped the local police solve other crimes and when she finds a local man stabbed in the back with his beard cut off, she decides that it is her responsibility to help solve the murder and bring peace back to the community. To add to Chloe’s problems, she and her roommate Becky are having problems with their new landlord who is becoming more of a jerk with every passing day. Becky and Timothy, sister and brother, have left the Amish way of life and are comfortable with their relationship with God and living as Englisch. The romance between Chloe and Timothy continues to develop in spite of all the chaos going on in the community. Also, the new Bishop and the Deacon are ruling the Amish community with an iron hand and are warning everyone to have no association with Chloe, Becky, and Timothy. The author did an excellent job in the writing of this story and with every element of the story. There was suspense woven throughout the story and it kept me guessing from page to page. Every character was expertly developed and I felt as if I were living right there in the community of Appleseed Creek and was friends with all the characters. Well there were a few that were not friend material but the author gave reasons to dislike them. All the scenes were so well described that I could see myself taking part in whatever was going on. The plot had several twists and turns but everything was brought together for a satisfactory ending. I very highly recommend this book to everyone that likes a great Amish story that also contains a good deal of suspense. I received a complimentary copy of this book from B & H Publishing Group via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Traces of Mercy
by
Michael, Jr. Landon and Cindy Kelley
dgottreu
, November 11, 2013
Traces of Mercy by Michael Landon, Jr. & Cindy Kelley is a great story and I was hooked from the first paragraph. At the beginning of the book a young sniper for the Confederate Army has just killed his one hundred and fourteenth Union soldier. He shoots at an officer in the Union Army but when the smoke clears the officer is riding away with a young soldier lying across his saddle. In an effort to get into position to finish the killing of the Union Officer, he comes upon the officer talking with his dying brother. Then the story jumps to a doctor’s office in St. Louis, where a young girl is being treated by the doctor but she is suffering from amnesia and can tell the doctor absolutely nothing about her past. After she recovers, he takes her to the home of the nuns in the area where she is given a home, and the name of Mercy because of a medallion she is wearing. The story gets even more interesting when two handsome men appear in the story. One is a well to do Union sympathizer and the other is a former Union officer and both have feelings for Mercy. The authors did an excellent job is writing a story that kept me guessing from the beginning to the end. There is a great deal of suspense and mystery and many twists and turns in the plotline but at the end of the story everything comes together with a satisfactory ending. All the characters were so well developed that they came alive for me and some I loved but others I really did not care for. The fight scene at the beginning of the book was so well done that I could almost smell the smoke from all the guns and cannons. I especially liked the way the authors wove the love of God throughout the story. I was a little disappointed in the way that the story ended. I love series but I also like for each book to be a stand alone story but I guess I can wait for the second book of this series to find out what happens to Mercy. I highly recommend this book to all who love a good Christian historical romance that takes place in the nineteenth century during the Civil War Era. I received a complimentary copy of this book from David C. Cook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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A Bride for Keeps
by
Melissa Jagears
dgottreu
, November 05, 2013
A Bride for Keeps by Melissa Jagears is a most delightful story about mail order brides and all the problems that can occur when they arrive at their destination. Everett Cline is having problems keeping up with all the work on his farm so he decides to write for a mail-order bride. To say that Everett is unlucky when it comes to mail-order brides is putting it mildly. Though technically not a mail-order bride the first woman jilted him, the second was dead when she arrived, the third was already married to the town’s shopkeeper when she disembarked from the train, and the fourth left after a week for a man with a larger farm. Everett is determined to never write for another mail-order bride but Rachel, the wife of Everett’s good friend, decides to write for Everett but does not tell him until the bride arrives on the train. When Everett sees Julie he is sure that she will never marry him for she is the prettiest woman he has ever seen and he just knows that she will not want a farmer for a husband. Julie Lockwood left her home in Massachusetts to become a mail-order bride in Kansas for she finally had all she could take of being nothing but a pretty face for her father or simply a business acquisition for her former fiance. Everett is sure that Julie cannot be happy as the wife of a farmer and Julie does not want to ever get married, but after a short time, they decide to marry but it will be a marriage in name only and this leads to all kinds of problems that make for a great story. All the characters in the story were very well developed and each one came to life as I read about them and by the time I finished the book I felt as if I had several new friends. Not only was the dialogue well done but at times it was very entertaining. Quite a bit of action took place in the story and it was so well written that I was right there in the middle of everything that was happening. I even felt the pain when Julie broke her leg. At times there was even some suspense in the story for I was wondering if Everett and Julie would ever come to love each other. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good historical romance novel set in the early days of the American West. LibraryThing provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Glittering Promises
by
Lisa Bergren
dgottreu
, November 05, 2013
Glittering Promises by Lisa T. Bergren is the third and last book in the series and is just as great a story as the previous two. Cora Kensington and the rest of the Kensington and Morgan families are now in Italy for the last leg of their grand tour. Not only are they having to guard against kidnapers but they are hounded by the press looking for any story about Cora and her new wealth that makes her one of the richest women in America. Cora is in love with Will but Pierre de Richelieu’s determined pursuit of Cora causes her to have a doubt or two. Cora is adding to her problems by doubting many of her decisions as she tries to determine exactly what she wants out of life. All the characters come to life on the pages of the book and I felt as if I knew every one of them personally. The author does an excellent job in describing all the scenes as the group tours through Italy. I felt as if I were right in the middle of the group and seeing what they were seeing. There were several twists and turns to the plot but the author brought them all together at the end. There was a good deal of suspense in the story and I was kept guessing until the end exactly what would happen. I would think that I had the mystery solved and then something else would happen and I had to start over trying to solve the mystery. Just as in the first two books, the author’s extensive research was evident throughout this third book. In the end, things worked out as they should and there was a happy ending. I would like to see the author write a fourth book dealing with Cora’s life after the tour. I highly recommend this book to all who enjoy a really good historical novel set in the early part of the twentieth century. I received a complimentary copy of this book from David C. Cook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Return to Me
by
Lynn N Austin
dgottreu
, November 05, 2013
Return to Me by Lynn Austin is a great Biblical and historical story about the return of the Jews to Jerusalem when King Cyrus of Babylon permitted them to leave and return to their homeland. He also gave them permission to rebuild the temple and promised to help with the expenses of rebuilding. Iddo is a priest who has been praying for years for the return of the Jews to Jerusalem but his family has grown comfortable in Babylon and have strayed from God. At the beginning of the story Iddo comes off as rather pompous and determined to get his own way in all matters. His wife asked Iddo how she could believe in God’s love when all he ever emphasized was God’s laws and wrath and did not talk about the love and forgiveness of God.. Iddo’s oldest grandson, Zechariah, is torn between staying in Babylon with his parents and their comfortable way of life and the beliefs of his grandfather. After hearing God’s voice, Zechariah decides to return to Jerusalem. The rebuilding of the temple is begun but is constantly beset with problems. Many of the problems are caused by the Samaritans who resent the return of the Jews. King Cyrus dies and his son orders the rebuilding to stop. After many years the prophet Haggai comes on the scene and encourages the people to again start the rebuilding of the temple. Shortly after Haggai comes to Jerusalem, Zechariah is called to be a prophet. Dinah, Iddo’s wife, and Yael, a young girl when the story begins, play a large role in the story. The author did an excellent job with all elements of the story, Just for my own information I checked several things in the Bible and it is very evident that Lynn Austin did her research before writing this book. The story came to life for me and I was transported back to Jerusalem along with all the characters. In the description of the journey from Babylon to Jerusalem, I was trudging right along with the travelers. All the scenes in the story were very well written and I felt a part of each one and was living the story right along with the main characters. All the characters came to life and I felt as if I knew everyone of them personally, even some of them as good friends. If you are familiar with the Bible then you know how the story ends but reading the story as written by the author makes for a most enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book to everyone that enjoys a great historical story set in Biblical times. Bethany House provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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The Reichenbach Problem
by
Martin Allison Booth
dgottreu
, October 18, 2013
The Reichenbach Problem by Martin Allison Booth was a good read but not quite a five star book. Conan Doyle is taking a two week vacation in a small, peaceful town in Switzerland where the Reichenbach Falls are located. Doyle hopes to come to terms with his fame and the impact that fame has on his life as the author of the Sherlock Holmes books. He has more or less come to greatly dislike Holmes and is thinking of writing one more book to kill off the detective. In Zurich, a fellow passenger by the name of Holloway strikes up a conversation with Doyle and from that time on seems to dog every step that Doyle takes. Shortly after the men arrive at their destination, a fellow tourist turns up dead at the Falls and Holloway insists that he and Doyle must investigate and solve the murder or prove that it was an accident and not murder. Doyle’s hope for peace and quiet are completely destroyed when he is accused of being the murderer. To make matters even worse, Holloway believes that the spirit of Sherlock Holmes is now living in him. For the first two hundred pages of the book I had trouble making myself continue to read. In my opinion there was just too much dialogue and not enough action. In addition, the author’s use of words such as escritoire for a desk was rather distracting for me. When I finally reached page two hundred and one, the story began to get very interesting and I sat up until the wee hours of the morning to finish. If the first two hundred pages had been reduced to about one hundred and added to the last one hundred, then it could have been a five star book. One thing in the book that really bothered me was that Doyle would go off on a two week vacation and leave his young child and pregnant wife at home alone. And Doyle’s reaction to two of the women in the story was upsetting since he kept saying that he deeply loved his wife. All through the story I kept wondering why the local police did not investigate the death of the tourist. My favorite character in the story was Father Vernon for he seemed to be the only character who was what he said he was, and I certainly agreed with his opinion on the séance. I do not want to appear completely negative about the book for it was well written with no grammatical errors which detract from a story, at least in my opinion. Booth appears to be very knowledgeable about Conan Doyle and it would be nice to know which scenes he fictionalized. I thoroughly enjoyed all the mystery in the book and the author skillfully brought all the subplots together at the end of the book. Near the end of the book, Doyle said of himself, “I was disgusted with myself; with my prejudices, my presumptions, my insensitivity, my cruelty and my weakness.” The author did a very good job in making me as the reader feel that same way about Doyle. But at least by the end of the story he seemed to have changed for the better. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read mystery books written by British authors. Kregel Publications provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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The Mystery of the Indian Carvings (Adventures of an Arctic Missionary)
by
Gloria Repp
dgottreu
, October 15, 2013
The Mystery of the Indian Carvings by Gloria Repp was written primarily for middle school age readers, but I thoroughly enjoyed the story even though I am many decades past that age. Julie is a new Christian but she still struggles with her quick temper. Julie’s stepmother does not want her around so she is sent to Bartlett Island, Canada, to visit her dad’s brother and his family. Uncle Nate is working on a top secret project and he demands that the house be quiet at all times. His wife seems to be in a constant state of nervousness and his daughter lets Julie know in no uncertain terms that she does not want Julie in the house. To add to the problems, two very valuable artifacts are stolen from the house. Julie begins to wonder if maybe Karin is the thief for one of the items shows up in Julie’s room. Julie loves the island and spends a great deal of time exploring with Siem, the dog, who seems to be her only friend. In her exploring she meets an Indian shaman who befriends her and she also becomes friends with the young Indian boy that Uncle Nate is tutoring. Julie’s life becomes more bearable when she starts reading her Bible and praying to God for guidance in dealing with her cousin Karin. As is normal for Gloria, she did an excellent job in developing all aspects of the book. I really enjoyed the characters for she described them so well that they came to life on the pages of the book and I even felt as if Julie were a dear little friend. The dialogue between all the characters was right on target and definitely what one would expect the character to say and their actions were true to life also. The scenes were so well described that at times I was right there in the woods with Julie exploring and getting lost. There were several twist and turns to the plot but all the loose ends were brought together for a very satisfactory ending that was a complete surprise to me but a happy one. I thoroughly enjoyed all the Indian lore that was included in the story. I had only one problem with the book and that was that it ended too soon. I certainly hope that the author will write a sequel for I want to know what happens between Julie and her cousin, Karin. I highly recommend this book to any age over ten but even some younger readers might enjoy the book. Thanks to the author, Gloria Repp, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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A Plain Disappearance
by
Amanda Flower
dgottreu
, September 18, 2013
A Plain Disappearance by Amanda Flower is one of the best Amish stories that I have read. Chloe Humphrey grew up in the Amish community but when her mother died, her father remarried and his new wife did not want Chloe to live with them so Chloe’s best friend’s family took her in and treated her as one of their own and she became an Englischer. Chloe has now moved back to Appleseed Creek to work at the college as head of the computer department. Timothy Troyer also grew up Amish but several years earlier he left the order and now lives as an Englischer. His sister Becky is planning to leave the Amish life also and is Chloe’s roommate. Chloe is just beginning a relationship with Timothy and on their first date they find the body of Katie Lambright, an Amish teenager. Near where the body is found, they also find evidence that Timothy’s friend Billy may be involved in the murder. As it turns out Billy is not who he said he was and has been living in the community under a false identity. Amanda did a great job in the development of the plot of this story. There were several different subplots but they all meshed together very well and made for a most enjoyable story. All the characters and scenes were very well developed and I actually felt as if I were having all the adventures right along with them. My favorite character was Timothy’s seven year old brother Thomas who was absolutely adorable and stole whatever scene he was in. All the characters came to life on the pages of the book. It did seem a little odd that a police officer would ask Chloe for help but since the Amish were very hesitant to talk with the police, Chloe could ask questions and hopefully get answers. I like a good suspense story and this is one of the best I have read. It was near the end of the book that I decided that the murderer had to be one of two people. And then came the big surprise, Katie was killed by someone else and there was also the surprise as to why she was killed. This is the first book I have read by this author but I am definitely going to read the two previous books in this series. I hope that the author will write a fourth book for I would like to know if Chloe and her father will be reunited and have a good father/daughter relationship. I very highly recommend this book. If you like Amish and suspense, this is a great book to read. B & H Publishing Group provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Critical Pursuit
by
Janice Cantore
dgottreu
, September 15, 2013
Critical Pursuit by Janice Cantore is a great book with a lot of suspense woven into the story. The main character is Brinna Caruso, the one person in the police department to call when a child is kidnapped. When Brinna was six she was kidnapped but fortunately she was found and now that she is a police officer, she and her K-9 search dog will let nothing stop them from searching for missing children no matter what the cost. Jack O’Reilly lost his wife a year ago when her car was hit by a drunk driver. Jack worked in homicide but he is no longer in the department due to his state of mind and his overwhelming desire for revenge against the drunk driver. Jack is assigned to be Brinna’s partner on patrol duty and this causes some tense moments between the two. Brinna is not sure that she can depend on Jack if trouble arises and he is not sure that he can hold up his end of the partnership. A man who fits the description of the man who kidnapped Brinna surfaces and this greatly adds to her problems for she is determined to capture the man and see that he receives the justice he deserves. Janice Cantore is a retired Long Beach, California, police officer and is well qualified to write a great story that keeps one sitting on the edge of their chair or chewing on their fingernails. I really like the way that the author developed the characters to let the reader know exactly what they were thinking and feeling. Each character was so well developed that they became real people. Due to her career in police work, the dialogue rings true and is interesting to read. Her description of the action scenes was so real that I was right there in the middle of what was happening. The story is filled with lots of suspense that kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. At the beginning of the book, Brinna and Jack are both fighting against God and His love and are unwilling to forgive others, but as the story develops, their hearts start to soften. I especially like that the author wrote a true to life police novel and did so without using profanity or vulgarity. In spite of all the terrible things that happen in the story, it does have a happy ending. The following links are provided for readers interested in more information about this book and the author. If you would like to read the first chapter it is available as a PDF. Other items that may be of interest are the author’s photo, Janice Cantore’s website, Janice Cantore on Facebook, and you can visit Janice on her blog. I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes a great police story that contains a lot of suspense and has a good ending. Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Death on Lindisfarne
by
Fay Sampson
dgottreu
, September 13, 2013
Death on Lindisfarne by Fay Sampson is a good book but it took me while to get into the British style of writing. There was very little humor in the story but I did get a good laugh at the author calling the clerical collar a dog collar. Aidan has been a widower for six months when he decides to take his eight year old daughter, Melangell, to Lindisfarne to show her all the places that her mother loved and wrote about in her books. They were there for a week long retreat and were joined by eight other people in addition to Lucy, a Methodist minister, who was leading the retreat. Lucy is trying to help Rachel, a young girl who is working to overcome her drug addiction, and not too far into the story, Rachel’s body is found on the beach. At this point the suspense of the story begins to happen. Did Rachel commit suicide or was she murdered and if murdered who is the guilty person? There are also several less important questions that add to the suspense of the story. Aidan lets the group assume that he and his wife, Jenny are separated. Lucy has things in her past that she does not want to reveal such as why she left the police department four years ago. James, a minister, staggers into the house dripping blood from a cut on the head and cannot tell the group how he was injured. Sue is at the retreat with James as his assistant and she seems to worship the ground he walks on but he treats her with complete disdain. David and Frances are a very different couple and seem to constantly find something to complain about. Elspeth is a professor at Oxford and a most disagreeable woman. Valerie, her companion, is the complete opposite and is always doing her best to keep Elspeth from antagonizing the rest of the group. The author did an excellent job in making all the characters come to life. Some were loveable and some were completely unlikeable. Scene descriptions were very well done and in my mind I could picture myself in the action right along with the characters in the story. There were several twist and turns to the plot and several mysteries to be solved. The author had me guessing until almost the end of the book exactly who had murdered Rachel and why. From the very first I wanted to know how to pronounce the name of the spunky little eight year old Melangell. She was my favorite character for she was about the only one who had no secrets to hide and was completely honest in everything she said. In fact, most of the time she appeared to be more mature than the adults. I have to be honest and say that I really did not care all that much for the history of the Holy Island of Lindisfarne and the Northumbrian saints that were included in the book. I would have enjoyed the book much more if it had just been about the group at the retreat. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a book with a lot of suspense and who also likes British history. Kregel Publications provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Harriet Beamer Strikes Gold
by
Joyce Magnin
dgottreu
, September 12, 2013
Harriet Beamer Strikes Gold by Joyce Magnin is a most delightful story about a seventy plus widow and all the adventures she has and all the scrapes she gets into. Harriet is living in Pennsylvania but her son, Henry, convinces her to move to Grass Valley, California to live with him and his wife, Prudence. Harriet has reservations about moving but she and Humphrey, her basset hound that loves donuts, make the move across the country. Shortly after arriving in California, Harriet learns that she is to be a grandma and that a “Grammy suite” is going to be added to the house. Harriet is almost as excited about the suite as she is about the expected grandchild for now she will have a place to display her enormous collection of salt and pepper shakers. Harriet is always getting involved in one adventure or another and she gets drawn into the life of a young girl after listening to her explain that her dad has a gold mine to lease but he needs money right away. Harriet falls completely and gives money to the man but she decides to keep the venture from her son. When her best friend, Martha, comes to visit, she has doubts about the mine and convinces Harriet to go to the police. Both women are fond of the man’s daughter and do everything they can to help her. All the characters were very well developed and they came to life as I read the book and I felt as if they were friends of mine. Descriptions of scenes were so realistic that I could see them clearly in my mind and even see myself in the middle of what was going on. There was even a good bit of suspense in the story. Prudence has had two miscarriages and at one point it seemed that she was going to have a third. There was a surprise when they learned there would be twins. The biggest suspense was if Harriet would ever see a speck of gold and would Martha decide to sell her home in Pennsylvania and move to California? I do not want to spoil the ending but I will say that it is a happy ending. I highly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a good Christian story and especially one that has an adventurous female senior citizen as the main character. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan as part of the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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The Preacher and the Prostitute
by
Brenda A. Barrett
dgottreu
, September 12, 2013
The Preacher and the Prostitute by Brenda Barrett is a very enjoyable story that shows how God forgives those who think they are the worst of sinners. In her past life, Maribel was a prostitute, a star in porn videos, and a model for nude posters. That is all behind her since she became a Christian and had her sins forgiven by Jesus. Maribel has a beautiful singing voice and has decided that she will use her voice to praise God. She had hoped to remain unnoticed in church but being young, single, talented, and beautiful, that was not going to happen. The first person to notice Maribel was a jealous female church member who was dead set on digging into Maribel’s past. Brian, the young, single, and handsome pastor definitely noticed her and returned her feelings of attraction. Love soon developed between the two and Maribel knew that she had to tell Brian about her past before she could accept his marriage proposal. The author did an excellent job in the development of the characters and their dialogue making all come to life on the pages of the book. Scene descriptions were very well done and I felt as if I were right there on the island of Jamaica watching all the action from the sidelines. I appreciate the fact that even though Maribel was a prostitute, the author did not go into explicit descriptions of what she did. She just let the reader know what Maribel had done in the past and left it there. Maribel and Brian were so real that I thought of them as friends and not just characters in a fiction novel. I must say that I was quite disappointed in one of the actions of Brian. There was some suspense in the story mainly dealing with Maribel’s past and what the future was going to be like. Maribel finally got up enough courage to tell Brian of her past but you will have to read the book to learn if he forgave her, if she forgave herself, and if they were married or went their separate ways. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to read a good Christian story that deals with the forgiveness of God and the forgiveness of self. Thank you to the author, Brenda Barrett, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Simple Change
by
Judith Miller
dgottreu
, September 09, 2013
A Simple Change by Judith Miller is a well written wonderful story that begins in 1881 in Kansas City, Missouri but most of the story takes place in the Middle Amana Colony in Iowa. Jancey Rhoder is very happy teaching the orphans at the Kansas City Charity Home and is more or less comfortable with her suitor, Nathan Woodward. Her mother is quite ill and the doctors cannot determine exactly what is wrong with her and can offer no hope for recovery. Her mother and father lived in the Amana Colony until they married and moved to Kansas City. Now her mother wants to return to Amana to spend her last days, and her father is agreeable to the move. Jancey is torn because she wants to spend as much of her time as possible with her mother but she does not want to leave the children she teaches. Nathan definitely does not want Jancey to move but she is not too concerned about how he feels. The family moves to Amana and Jancey finds it a very different kind of life but she is not unhappy and fits in quite well with the women in the Colony. She cannot teach in Amana for women are not allowed to teach school but she is able to help a couple of the young girls with their reading skills which helps her adjust to not being able to teach at a school. Ritt is the son of the family that owns the house where Jancey and her parents live and since he and his family live upstairs, they have many occasions to meet and they quickly become friends and find that they are attracted to each other.. Nathan shows up for an unexpected and unwelcome visit and sparks start to fly in more ways than one. The author did an excellent job developing the characters, plot,dialogue, and all other elements of the story. The characters simply came alive on the pages of the book and by the time I finished reading, I felt as if they were friends, or at least some of them were friends. It was evident that the author did her research on the Amana Colony and it was very interesting to read about the daily life of the people living in the Colony. A very enjoyable way to have a history lesson. Descriptions of scenes in the book were very well done and with each I felt as if I were living and working in the Colony right long with the characters. The fire scene was so real that I could almost feel the heat from the flames. I highly recommend this book to everyone that appreciates a great story with a happy ending. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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After the Snow Falls
by
Carey Jane Clark
dgottreu
, August 19, 2013
After the Snow Falls by Carey Jane Clark is a very thought provoking story. Celia Bennett faces the worst situation that any mother can when her eight year old son collapses on the soccer field. After several tests at the hospital, Celia and her husband Jeff are devastated to learn that their son Caleb has a brain tumor. Frustrated with prescribed treatments, Celia searches for an alternative medicine but that ends in even more frustration. Celia’s father, Alfie, deserted her and her mother, Adele, thirty years ago but he has now come back into their lives. Her mother believes him when he says that he is a changed man and she forgives him and lets him back into her life. Celia has too much hate in her heart to forgive her father and she is also suffering from a loss of faith in God. Since I am a mother I can imagine what Celia was going through but at times I became upset with her for her refusal to even consider forgiving her father. And she was so determined to do everything herself and not ask God for help. Celia and Caleb spent a great deal of time at Ronald McDonald house and there things began to change for both of them. The author did an excellent job in writing a very emotional story that could have been just a tearjerker but it was done so well that even though I did cry several times, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. . After reading the first page I was hooked on the story and could not stop reading until I had finished the book. All elements of the story were very well developed and I felt as if I knew all the characters and I even felt their pain and joy. The scenes were so well described that I was right there in the middle of whatever was going on and lending my support. The dialogue was right on target. Caleb’s illness and Alfie’s return provided just the right touch of suspense. I especially liked how the author included forgiveness, loss, hope, love, and the love and forgiveness of God as an integral part of the story. I have not mentioned anything about the ending for I do not want to spoil the story for future readers. Highly recommended as a very good book but be prepared for tears as it is a very emotional story. Thanks to the author, Carey Jane Clark, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Prairie Song: A Novel, Hearts Seeking Home Book 1
by
Mona Hodgson
dgottreu
, August 06, 2013
Prairie Song by Mona Hodgson is a very well written Christian, historical romance and most of the story takes place as a wagon train travels west. Anna Coben lost her brother in the Civil War and the loss has pushed her mother and grandfather into a state of depression and grief and Anna feels that a change will help them. Because of this, she decides to leave all her friends in the St. Charles, Missouri quilting circle and travel by wagon train to California. Caleb Reger has secrets from his past and he hopes that doing his job on the wagon train will help him forget. Above all he wants to avoid Anna for he feels that not only is she beautiful but that she is trouble. The wagon train is made up of a very diverse group of people but during the five months of traveling, they begin to work together for the good of the entire group. There are many problems along the way such as petty thefts, damage to wagons, sickness, and even death. The thefts are never solved and hopefully they will be in the second book of the series. The author did an excellent job in the development of every element in this story. She grabbed my attention on the first page and held it until the last page. The characters were so realistic that I felt as if they were close friends. In my mind’s eye, I could see myself walking along beside one of the wagons for the author made everything in the wagon train come alive. I could even feel the aches and pains of the people walking beside the wagons or riding on them. Descriptions of the scenery seen along the trail were so realistic that in my mind I could see wagons and people, hear the noises made by the animals and even smell the food when it was cooking. There was some suspense in the story and the plot line had a few twists and turns that added to my enjoyment of the book. The way that the author portrayed the problems of Caleb’s past and Anna’s sorrow were well written and showed the forgiving and comforting love of God. I greatly enjoyed every word of the story and liked the ending. I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series so that I can continue the journey with all the characters. The following links to resources related to this book are included here for any reader that is interested. For interesting inside information about the author’s way of writing you can check out her website. This site will provide more information about the book and the publisher. To learn more about the author, read her bio. I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes a Christian, historical romance that takes place in the nineteenth century during the westward expansion of America. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers through their Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Heartsong Presents #1054: Cooking Up Love
by
Cynthia Hickey
dgottreu
, August 03, 2013
Cooking Up Love by Cynthia Hickey is a most delightful book. Tabitha McClelland has just taken a job as a Harvey House waitress and to reach the job she has to travel across the country but at least she gets to ride on a train and does not have to endure the trip via stagecoach. At this time in America, well bred young ladies did not work outside the home but Tabitha has no choice for she is on her own and has to support herself. When she reaches Topeka, Kansas, she meets Adam Foster who is the chef at the restaurant where she will do her training. He is a widower and Tabby is drawn to him but family is everything to him and she only wants freedom and to be on her own. Fraternizing between the male and female employees is strictly forbidden by the Harvey House owner but the feelings that Tabby and Adam have for each other are just too strong to ignore. Adam’s dream is to open a restaurant in California with his family and he prays that he can convince Tabby to join him as his wife and to share his dream. The author did an excellent job with the development of the characters. Everyone of them came alive on the pages of the book and I felt as if I knew each of them personally. Scene descriptions were so realistic that I could feel the sway of the train as I traveled with Tabby to her new job. The author made Tabby’s training so real that I was feeling her pain and all her other emotions that were attached to the training. I especially liked the way that the author kept God’s love and forgiveness prominent in the book as Tabby dealt with her memories and grief and as Adam trusted God for guidance. The author also did a good job of educating me about the Harvey Girls. I had a passing knowledge of them but this book gave me a look into the outs and ins of the job. I had no idea that the training was so intense and that there were so many strict rules and regulations. Not only was this a great romance story but it also presented a bit of American history in a most enjoyable way. I recommend this book highly to everyone that likes a great Christian historical romance with a happy ending and that also teaches a small history lesson. Thanks to the author, Cynthia Hickey, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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A Hopeful Heart
by
Amy Clipston
dgottreu
, July 24, 2013
A Hopeful Heart by Amy Clipston is a wonderful Amish story with a different twist than most Amish novels. Hannah Glick has been widowed for four years and has sixteen year old twin daughters and a six year old son. She works as a housekeeper at the local hotel and in an embarrassing situation, she meets Trey Peterson a wealthy businessman who lost his wife and daughter a year earlier. Her brother-in-law, Joshua, has loved Hannah since they were children and the desire of his heart is to become her husband and a father to her children. As Hannah and Trey continue to see each other regularly at the hotel they realize that they are beginning to feel more than just friendship for each other. Hannah has been Amish all her life and loves her community and family but she has always had dreams that can be fulfilled if she decides to leave the Amish community and marry an Englisher. Rumors about Hannah and Trey fly through the Amish community and Hannah must decide if she wants to remain Amish which would require that she kneel and repent before the entire church or if she wants to leave the faith and marry Trey. Characters were so well developed that they became alive on the pages of the book and I felt as if I knew every one of them personally and that they were my friends. The plot line had a surprise or two that kept me guessing if Hannah would remain Amish or marry Trey. The author’s description of the farms with their houses, barns, animals, and buggies were so expertly done that I could clearly picture each one as I read about it. The emotions of the main characters were so real that I was crying or laughing right along with them and I wanted to give the mother-in-law a good shaking. I really like the way that the author included Dietsch words throughout the story for in my opinion they add authenticity to the story. I really liked that this story was somewhat different than all the other Amish stories that I have read. Usually the problems happen to the community as a whole or to one of the characters but in this book the main character has to decide if she will stay in the Amish community or if she will marry an Englisher. I am sure there are other Amish books that deal with that problem but so far this is the first one I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great Amish story. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan as a part of the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Misery Loves Company
by
Rene Gutteridge
dgottreu
, July 22, 2013
Misery Loves Company by Rene Gutteridge is a very intense story that grabbed my attention on the first page and with each following chapter the story became even more intense. Jules Belleno lives in seclusion since the death of her policeman husband and spends her time writing book reviews on her blog and posting comments on FaceBook. She only leaves her home to make short trips to the grocery store. On one fateful day when she is at the grocery store, she meets her favorite author and that is the last thing that she remembers. Jules wakes up in a strange bedroom and sees written on the ceiling the exact words that she used in a review of a book written by her favorite author, Patrick Reagan. She realizes that she has been kidnapped by Patrick and everything that happens in the days that follow causes Jules to question her husband’s death, to question her life in general, and to even question her faith in God. Colonel Jim Franklin, Jules’ father, and Chris Downey, her husband’s best friend and fellow policeman, are the only two individuals that take her disappearance seriously. Chris even goes against authority in his search for Jules and as a result he uncovers things that endanger his own life as well as the life of Jules. The author did a very good job of keeping the reader hanging on every word and wondering what was going to happen next. The characters were extremely well developed to the point that I could feel Jules’ pain and almost feel sympathy for her alcoholic father. During the entire time that Jules was in the cabin with Patrick, I felt as if I were right there in the room with them for the author did an excellent job of portraying the emotions of both characters. There were many twists and turns in the plot line and just when I thought I had everything figured out the author would surprise me. As all the action was taking place in the last half of the book, I could feel the tension in the air and the danger lurking behind every corner. The author’s description of all the scenes were very realistically done and while reading I could picture everything in my mind and see and feel exactly what was happening. I wish that the author had written exactly how Jules was kidnapped rather than just writing that she was at the grocery store talking with Patrick Reagan and that was the last thing she remembered. But I am sure the author had a reason for not elaborating on the kidnapping. I really like the way that the author kept God foremost in Jules’ life and how she was able to influence others. I highly recommend this book to anyone who like a very suspenseful Christian novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen next. For anyone interested in information about the author visit this Tyndale site or check out the author’s webpage. Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Trouble in Store
by
Carol Cox
dgottreu
, July 15, 2013
Trouble in Store by Carol Cox is a very well written Christian historical romance that takes place during the mid nineteenth century in Arizona Territory. Melanie Ross was the governess to three children and the untruthful words of the young boy led to her dismissal from the job. Being homeless and with very little money, Melanie decides to travel to the Arizona Territory to run the mercantile that her cousin left to her. When she arrives in Cedar Ridge she learns that her cousin’s partner has left his half of the store to his nephew Caleb and Caleb has no intention of sharing the mercantile with Melanie. She sets about changing displays in the store and Caleb has to admit that some of them are worthwhile. To hopefully get her out of the store and his life, Caleb convinces several of the men in town to ask for her hand in marriage. Many men propose but Melanie refuses them all and Caleb has to admit that he is glad for he is starting to have feelings for her. It appears that someone in the town does not want the mercantile to succeed and has been leaving threatening notes and soon the threats become destructive and dangerous actions. Carol Cox did an excellent job in the development of the characters in this story. From the very first page, Melanie was like a good friend and I was almost glad that she was dismissed from the governess job for that gave her a chance to spread her wings and find happiness and love and to get away from three children that were a trial even for their mother. Even though Caleb was not very nice in his treatment of Melanie at the beginning, I was hoping that he would open his eyes and see what a great lady Melanie really was and fortunately the author gave him a change of heart early in the book. Not only did Melanie and Caleb become so real that I felt they were close friends of mine, most of the people in the town were also like old friends. There were several twists and turns in the plot line and suspense was woven throughout most of the book. The author did a great job of keeping me guessing as to which person in town was threatening Melanie and Caleb. I was somewhat surprised when the culprit was revealed for I was totally wrong. I especially like the way that the author had both Melanie and Caleb putting their trust in God and praying for help to be able to forgive others. The story has a great ending and I hope there will be a sequel. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a well written Christian historical romance set in the west in the mid nineteenth century. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Pennsylvania Patchwork
by
Kate Lloyd
dgottreu
, July 05, 2013
Pennsylvania Patchwork by Kate Lloyd is a very enjoyable Amish story that is just a little different than most Amish fiction. Holly Fisher and her mother Esther have lived in Seattle all of Holly’s life and she just learned that her grandmother Anna is still alive and living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. As a teenager, Esther and Samuel, her future husband, left the Amish way of life and hitch hiked across the country to California. Samuel went to Vietnam and Esther moved to Seattle with friends when Holly was born. All her life, Holly has longed for a large family but was told that her relatives were dead. Finally Esther and Holly decide to go back to Lancaster for a visit and Holly is drawn into the Amish way of life and the slower pace of living. Soon she meets Zach the local veterinarian and sparks fly between the two and before long Zach asks Holly to marry him. In the meantime, a handsome Amish man enters Holly’s life and her friend from Seattle comes for a visit. She went from having no man in her life to having three men competing for her attention. Kate Lloyd did an excellent job with the development of the characters for they were all so real that it seemed as if I knew them personally. The dialogue was very well done and I especially liked that Deutsch words were sprinkled throughout the book for they added authenticity to the story. At times I felt sad due to all the things happening to Holly, Esther, and Anna and at other times I simply wanted to shake them until their teeth rattled. Scenery descriptions were so realistic that in my imagination I could see the farms with all the building and animals and could even detect all the smells of the kitchen and even the barns. All the interactions between all the characters made for a wonderful story that left me feeling great when I had finished the book. One part of the ending was a complete surprise and definitely not expected. There were many ups and down throughout the book but there was a happy ending. I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a well written Amish story. I do think that you might enjoy this book more if you read Leaving Lancaster first for this one is a continuation of Holly’s story, however, it is not necessary to read the first book to enjoy the second. I received a complimentary copy of this book from David C. Cook at Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Out of Darkness
by
Darrell Case
dgottreu
, July 05, 2013
Out of Darkness by Darrell Case is a compelling story that kept me on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last. David Padgett is the pastor of one of the largest churches in the world, an author with numerous best sellers, and a motivational speaker who receives forty thousand dollars for each appearance. In addition to this, his ministry on TV and radio reaches millions each day and his internet site receives thousands of hits each day. David’s wife, Anne, is also a motivational speaker and their son, Robert, is being groomed to take over when David retires. Everyone thinks that David has reached the top of the success ladder but the police have a very different opinion, they think he is a serial killer. Twenty-five years ago David was suspected of the murder of a college classmate but the murder was never solved. One of the production assistants at the church commits suicide and a very wealthy member of the congregation is murdered and all the clues point directly to David. He is arrested and charged with all three murders for the police think that the suicide was actually murder. David feels that everyone including God has forsaken him and he falls into the deep pit of despair that has plagued him for two decades. As David sits in jail he thinks back to how happy he and Anne were when they were just starting out in a very small church and had very little money. Darrell Case has a talent for writing a suspense novel that gets me hooked on page one and does not let go until I have finished and then I sit there thinking about all that happened in the book. The plot line has many twists and turns but was so well developed that the plot was easy to follow. All the characters in the book were portrayed very realistically and all came to life on the pages of the book. Some of them I loved but several characters were quite unlovable. I became so engrossed in the lives of the characters that I was crying with some and laughing with others. The author did an excellent job in the description of the action and I felt as if I were right there in the middle of whatever was taking place at the moment. The church and grounds were so well described that I could picture it all in my mind. I was very happy with the ending of the book but it could have ended differently. I really like the way that Darrell had the forgiveness of God as a dominant theme in the book. I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes a great story with suspense that keeps you guessing almost to the last page and who also likes for the love and forgiveness of God to be throughout the entire book. Thanks to the author, Darrell Case, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Deja Vu Bride
by
Debra Ullrick
dgottreu
, July 01, 2013
Deja Vu Bride by Debra Ullrick was a very enjoyable story and a quick and easy read. Olivia Roseman has lost nearly everyone she has ever loved and as a result she has turned her back on God. She was fired from her latest job because she reported her boss to the police for an attempted sexual attack. Now she is jobless, penniless, and homeless. Her ex-boss threatened that he would get even so she moved from Wheeling to Charity, West Virginia. She applies for a job at Cole Chevrolet and Erik, the owner who has a deep faith in God, senses that Olivia has reached the end of her rope. After seeing her portfolio of airbrush designs, he hires her to airbrush paint his monster trucks. Erik decides that he will do everything he can to help Olivia but she creates one challenge after the other. As Erik’s feelings for Olivia grow, he prays that she will renew her trust in God and that she will open her heart to him. The description of all the action at the rally was so realistic that I felt as if I were sitting right there in the stands and cheering with the rest of the people. Not only could I see what was going on, I could hear all the noise from the roaring motors. Character development was excellent and the dialogue was so well done that I wanted to jump right into the conversations. The author made the characters so loveable that I could not help but cheer them on in all their endeavors. Of course, Olivia’s ex-boss was not even likeable but that is the way he was supposed to be portrayed. The story was inspiring and showed that God never leaves us even if we do pull away from Him. Not only did Debra write a great romantic story but there was enough suspense to add more enjoyment of the book. I have never been to a monster truck rally but after reading this book I feel as if I have experienced the thrill of a rally. I highly recommend this book to everyone that enjoys a heart warming romance and also likes a little suspense in the story. Thanks to the author, Debra Ullrick, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Forewarned
by
Debra Ullrick
dgottreu
, June 27, 2013
Forewarned by Debra Ullrick is a wonderful, suspenseful book that kept me on the edge of my chair and chewing on a fingernail. Jasmine Moore lives in Steamboat Springs, Colorado but due to a near fatal accident, she can no longer stand the frigid cold of the winters in the area. Jack Warren has been Jasmine’s friend since they were young children. He has been in love with Jasmine for years and wants only to marry her and love her for the rest of their lives but she has a problem with trust even though she wants the same thing. Because the cold is so painful for Jasmine, she spends most of her time inside which leads to boredom. She decides to start chatting with friends online and connects with a man with the screen name of Simonrapport who sounds like every woman’s dream. Jack warns her about chatting with men online and even though she has slight feelings of danger, Jasmine continues to chat with Simon and soon finds herself in great danger. The plot of the story was very well done and all the twists and turns in the action kept me guessing from page to page and I found it almost impossible to put the book down when I needed to do something other than read. All the characters were expertly developed and their dialogue was well written and easy to follow which made for an easy read. The realistic descriptions of the scenery had me feeling the cold of the snow and the joy of walking in the woods. The story was quite inspiring and without being critical or preachy, the author revealed that online chatting with strangers can lead to danger. Except for the bad guys, all the characters in the story showed by their daily living that God played a very important part in their lives. Jasmine and Jack were often praying for guidance and protection and God provided for their needs. I very highly recommend this book to everyone who likes a story with a heart touching romance and lots of suspense to keep you guessing to the very end. Thank you to Debra Ullrick, the author, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Shattered
by
Dani Pettrey
dgottreu
, June 19, 2013
Jennifer: An O’Malley Love Story by Dee Henderson is a novella that introduces Jennifer, the youngest of the seven O’Malleys and one of the characters in the O’Malley series. Jennifer is a pediatric doctor in a large hospital in Dallas and during one of her visits to the ER she meets Tom Peterson, a surgeon at the hospital. The mutual attraction between the two is almost instantaneous. As their relationship develops she is wondering how to introduce him to her brothers and sisters for she knows that they will all put him through the third degree with their questions. Tom is amazed at the compassion that Jennifer shows to all her patients and how deeply she feels the loss when one dies. Tom invites Jennifer to attend church with him and at first she is hesitant but then she starts to enjoy church and reading the Bible. Just as she is learning to trust God, she receives news that at first makes her doubt God and His love. The author has a real talent for writing romance novels and this novella does not disappoint. She did an excellent job of developing the personalities and dialogue of the characters and they were so real that I was laughing or crying right along with them. The plot was somewhat predictable concerning the romance but there was a surprise twist near the end that was not expected. One thing that I really like about Dee Henderson’s novels is that in every book she writes, God has an important role in the life of the characters. I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves a heartwarming romance and also likes for the characters to love God and have faith in Him. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Red Dawn Rising
by
Sue Duffy
dgottreu
, June 18, 2013
Red Dawn Rising by Sue Duffy is a very powerful book that will cause the reader to do some soul searching and deep thinking. Cass Rodino is a set designer on Broadway and lives in an upscale apartment left to her by her father. Cass seems to be living in a different reality than others. She has a secret that causes her constant heartache but she is afraid to reveal the secret, even to her best friend Jordan who lives across the hall from her. Evgeny Kozlov is a former KGB assassin who last year tried to kill Liesl Bower, an internationally known pianist. This year he is back in America to protect Liesl and to stop Ivan, a former colleague, who has plans to destroy America. Cass and Evgeny are both working to save Liesl and end up in a CIA/FBI dragnet and thus begins a most exciting race to save Liesl and America. The book was not a quick read that I could finish in one sitting but required that I pay attention to keep all the characters straight and to remember who was doing what to whom and why. The author’s style of writing made it easy to keep track of all the different characters and she did a wonderful job of making them all come to life in the story. There were so many characters and all were so very different but she made each extremely interesting, some being loveable and some despicable. The plot of the story was filled with numerous twists and surprises that made for very interesting reading. Just when I thought someone was a good guy he would turn out to be a bad guy or the bad guy was really a good guy. Since the book deals with political intrigue, there was a great deal of thrilling and frightening action. While reading the book, I kept wondering just how much of the “fiction” could really be “fact.” It is definitely a book to make one stop and think and to pray for God’s protection of America and the rest of the world. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a very suspenseful story with romance and a little humor to relieve the tension of all the political intrigue. The Kindle version of Red Dawn Rising will be free June 20 and 21. Download your free copy here: http://ow.ly/kex3i Kregel Publications provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Graces Pictures
by
Cindy Thomson
dgottreu
, June 14, 2013
Grace’s Pictures by Cindy Thomson is a heart warming story set in 1900 and takes place in New York City. Grace McCaffery is a recent immigrant from Ireland and she has an extremely hard time trusting anyone, especially policemen. Grace feels very unworthy due to the abusive words her deceased father often spoke to her. Most of the time he was drunk and yelled at her telling her she was worthless, simple minded, and other derogatory words. Her mother tried to combat his words by telling Grace that she was smart, important, and able. Grace does not have much faith in God for she feels that He does not care about her. Grace is befriended by Mrs. Hawkins from the Benevolent Society and helps her to get a job as a nanny and housekeeper. Grace is determined to earn enough money to bring her mother to America and she thinks that maybe her new Brownie Camera may be the way to make extra money. While walking in the park, she unwittingly takes a picture of a mob leader and this causes a great deal of trouble for Grace. Owen is from a well to do family and feels called of God to be a policeman and help those less fortunate and downtrodden. He finds Grace attractive and wants to help her but she believes that no policeman can be trusted. Because of all her troubles, Grace finally has to trust a few people and this helps her learn courage and forgiveness. The characters were very realistic and each one simply came alive on the pages of the book. Grace was so real that at times I just wanted to give her a lecture about trust. I suppose if I had grown up as she did that I would not have trusted anyone either. All the scenes were so well described that I was enjoying the walk in the park, tea with the ladies, or whatever was taking place. The plot was filled with suspense, romance, and history and there was never a dull moment in the action. It was evident that the author did her homework when it came to research and I thoroughly enjoyed all the historical facts that she included in the book. Not only did the author write a book that was very enjoyable to read, she gave us things to think about. I recommend this book highly to anyone that likes a great story set in the early twentieth century, is based on historical facts, has romance, and a lot of suspense. Tyndale House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Not by Sight
by
Kathy Herman
dgottreu
, June 12, 2013
Not by Sight by Kathy Herman is a great book and filled with enough suspense to keep any reader happy. Five years ago, Abby’s father and two year old sister disappeared without a trace. At the beginning of the book, Abby sees a young girl in town and she is sure that it is her missing sister. She takes a photo with her cell phone but when she shows the photo to her mother, her mother refuses to listen. Abby is determined to continue the search for her sister and her best friend Jay offers his help. As they work at gathering information about the young girl, Abby receives a call from an unknown man who insists that she stop the search. When the same man calls the second time, Jay hears the voice and a long forgotten memory comes back to haunt Jay. Abby and Jay will not stop the search and their perseverance pays off for they do locate the girl but then trouble really begins to happen. The author did an excellent job writing suspense into the story and by the time I finished reading the book I had no fingernails left. She also did a great job in the development of the characters and their dialogue and actions. Many times I wanted to shake the mother and tell her to wake up and listen to her daughter but then I would think that had I gone through what she had I might have acted the same way. The plot was filled with twists and turns that kept me guessing as to what would happen next. Having lived near Beaver Lake many years ago, I especially enjoyed the descriptions of the scenery in the area. I was impressed with the way that the author handled the family’s faith in God. The mother and older son had lost faith but the other members were strong in their faith. Many times the only thing that Abby and Jay had as they searched for Riley Jo was their faith in God. I would recommend this book to everyone who likes a wonderful story filled with adventure, suspense, budding romance, family love, and the love and forgiveness of God. I received a complimentary copy of this book from David C. Cook at Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Icecutters Daughter
by
Tracie Peterson
dgottreu
, June 11, 2013
The Icecutter’s Daughter by Tracie Peterson is a wonderful story and a great addition to the list of other great stories by Tracie. Merrill Krause is almost twenty-one years old and has been taking care of her father and four brothers for ten years since her mother died. Her mother’s dying request was that she would look after the men of the family. She works right beside the men doing whatever job needs to be done on the farm and dresses in trousers and other men’s clothing. In fact, she is better at working with the Belgian horses than the men. Merrill has done an excellent job but in the process she has become what many consider a very unladylike woman, and many just cannot get past her wearing of men’s trousers to see the outstanding woman that she has become. Rurik Jorgenson comes to visit his uncle and help in his furniture building business and enjoys the work. Town, and people so much that he decides to make his visit permanent. He is immediately drawn to Merrill but she cannot accept the fact that such a handsome man would be interested in her. Add Svea,the sister of Rurik’s best friend, into the mix and the story get more interesting and suspenseful page by page. Tracie did an excellent job with the characters making them come to life on the pages of the book and also making the reader either love them or greatly dislike them. The scenes were so well written that I was right there in the middle of all the action that was taking place. There were numerous surprises in the plot and it also had a great deal of suspense. It was evident that the author did a good deal of research before writing the book and all the history that she included made the book not only enjoyable but increased knowledge of the area and what was happening at the time. I had often wondered where people in the late nineteenth century obtained ice. As with all her books, Tracie kept God prominent in the lives of most of the characters and throughout the book one saw the love and forgiveness of God portrayed. I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes a great story. And if you are already a Tracie Peterson fan then you will definitely want to read this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House at Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Though My Heart Is Torn
by
Joanne Bischof
dgottreu
, June 10, 2013
Though My Heart is Torn by Joanne Bischof is a great story of love that is set in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the early twentieth century. Lonnie and Gideon O’Riley have settled into a happy marriage and are the parents of a young son. The marriage had a rocky beginning but Gideon has come to love his wife and to also love God. Lonnie received a letter from her father telling her that her mother was gravely ill and she should come home. When Lonnie and Gideon arrived at her father’s house, they found her mother in great health. The truth that hit them both like a ton of bricks was the fact that Gideon was still married to Cassie Allan. He married Lonnie thinking that the marriage had been annulled. The rest of the story deals with how each person deals with this problem. The author did a great job in developing the characters, plot, dialogue, and action scenes. The characters seemed so real that at times I just wanted to reach out and give them a good shake or a big hug. There was quite a bit of suspense in the plot because of Gideon being married to two women at the same time. Everything in the book seemed so real that I was going through everything that was happening with the characters. I appreciate the way that the author had God being important to the characters and how His love and forgiveness were part of their lives. The book has a good ending but I would have been happier to see a few things cleared up. I am sure they will be answered in the next book in the series. I definitely enjoyed the book but think it would have been even better had I read the first book of the series before reading this one. However, the author gives enough information that one can figure out what happened earlier. I highly recommend this book but I do think that one might enjoy it more if the first book of the series, Be Still My Soul, is read first. But do not hesitate to read even if you have not read the first book. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers through their Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Stealing the Preacher
by
Karen Witemeyer
dgottreu
, May 30, 2013
Stealing the Preacher by Karen Witemeyer is a very well written and inspirational historical romance novel that gave me a great deal of enjoyment including several good laughs. Joanna Roberts has been praying for months for a preacher to bring life back into the abandoned, local church. Her dad, who is a reformed outlaw, takes it upon himself to “answer” her prayers and get her a preacher for her birthday. Crockett Archer is on his way to the Piney Woods of Texas to interview for the job as pastor of a local church. Crockett’s train is stopped and he is kidnapped and taken to Joanna who is very upset with what her father has done. Crockett manages to escape but he cannot get Joanna out of his mind for her dreams for a church in the community depend on him and being the kind of man he is, he comes back to help her. Of course there is an attraction between Crockett and Joanna but her father is dead set against the possibility that his daughter could marry a preacher for he has no use for preachers, the church, or God. The author did an excellent job developing the plot, characters, dialogue, and scenes. The plot had a few twists and turns and enough suspense to make it interesting. The characters seemed very real and one could not help pulling for the good guys and booing the bad guys. All the scenes were so well described that I felt as if I were an observer in what was going on. One scene near the end of the book had some nail biting suspense that had me sitting on the edge of my chair wondering what was going to happen. Through the entire book one kept wondering if the father would ever change his ways, if Crockett would stay in the community, and if Crockett and Joanna would end up together. You will have to read the book to learn the answers for I do not want to spoil the ending. I highly recommend this book to all who like a great historical romance novel that inspires and also provides some good laughs and has enough mystery to add to the enjoyment of the book. The book is also recommended because it is a Christian novel and the love and forgiveness of God is shown throughout the entire book. I received this book free from Bethany House at Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Sisters of Mercy Flats: Volume 1
by
Lori Copeland
dgottreu
, May 30, 2013
Sisters of Mercy Flats by Lori Copeland was a great read and provided me with several good laughs and the author’s descriptions of all the action taking place provided lots of good, clean entertainment. The three beautiful McDougal sisters, Anne-Marie, Amelia, and Abigail, can unscrupulously separate a man from his money as quick as a wink and then have no regrets about their actions. Their justification is that they give half the money to the mission where they grew up as orphans. The sisters, dressed as nuns, pull one too many swindles and find themselves in an enclosed wagon on the way to jail. A band of Indians attack the wagon and in the ruckus, the wagon plunges down a ravine. Three men on horseback come from three different directions at the sound of the attack and when they climb to the bottom of the ravine they are surprised to see three nuns in the jail wagon. At the sound of more Indian warriors approaching, Anne-Marie is grabbed by a Crow Indian, Amelia is rescued by a man named Morgan Hale and poor Abigail is left at the mercy of Mr. Hershall Digman, an awkward and seemingly incompetent shoe salesman who seems to spend most of his time trying to keep his bowler hat from blowing away. When they stop for the night, Abigail steals his horse and rides to the nearest town where she finds secret papers in Digman’s saddlebags and her first thought is that he is a Confederate spy. The man who comes riding after Abigail is definitely not a clumsy shoe salesman but a handsome Army Captain and he will do just about anything to get his papers back. Abigail just wants a ride home but she has to team up with the captain so that he can carry out his mission. They have absolutely no trust in each other and neither trusts God any longer, feeling that He has abandoned them. Since historical western romance is one of my favorite genre of book, I thoroughly enjoyed every word of this book. There was quite a bit of suspense in the story and at many times the action going on was frightening. The romance in the story was partly one-sided and was on again off again but was a most enjoyable addition to the story. The dialogue, plot, characters, and scenes were so well developed that I was living the story right along with Abigail. I found the story to be most inspiring for even when everything seemed lost for Abigail and the captain, God’s faithfulness was ever present. I would recommend this book to everyone who likes historical fiction that takes place in the west and has the added interest of it being set during the Civil War and also contains a good romance story as well. The book was not written as a comedy but I had some great laughs at the antics of the three sisters and the bumbling shoe salesman. I hope that the author writes two or at least one more book to let us know what happened to the other two sisters, Anne-Marie and Amelia. I received this book free from Harvest House Publishers through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
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Grave Consequences
by
Lisa Tawn Bergren
dgottreu
, May 23, 2013
Grave Consequences by Lisa T. Bergren was a great story about the continuing travels of the Kensington’s and Morgan’s. It is still the summer of 1913 and the Kensington and Morgan siblings are continuing their Grand Tour in spite of the attempted kidnappings and other problems they faced during the first half of the tour. Cora’s journey of a lifetime is also giving her a chance to get to know herself, to realize what she truly believes about God, and to discover what she really wants out of life. Cora is also still trying to decide if it is Will or Pierre that she truly loves and this indecision seems to put a lot of plans in danger. As the group travels through Austria, France, and Italy, they realize that the man attempting to kidnap Cora is still following them. The two fathers have joined the group for the travels through Italy. It is in Italy that the kidnapper makes his final move which leads to a lot of suspense. It is somewhat of a surprise when the identify of the person who hired the kidnapper is revealed. I had a feeling that the person was involved but was still surprised at how and why he was involved. Just as in the first book, the author again did an excellent job developing the characters and bringing them to life. The plot had several twists and turns and the suspense just kept building with each chapter. Just as I had everything all figured out, something else would happen and I was again left wondering. With Will now the bear of the group, the lectures about what they were seeing were more interesting for the group. As he was describing all the things they were seeing, I was seeing them in my mind right along with the group. The dialogue and interactions of all the characters were also very well developed. The author’s extensive research was evident throughout the book. I recommend this book just as highly as I did the first in the series. Actually this book just might be a little more exciting, at least for Cora but that excitement is tempered with a good bit of fear. There also seems to be more interaction between Cora and Will which I really enjoyed. I received a complimentary copy of this book from David C. Cook at Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Glamorous Illusions
by
Lisa T. Bergren
dgottreu
, May 21, 2013
Glamorous Illusions by Lisa T. Bergren gave a glimpse into the life of the super rich at the beginning of the twentieth century. The year is 1913 and Cora has returned home from Normal School for the summer. Her dad has a stroke and recovers quite well. Then he has another stroke and this time he is completely incapacitated. Cora is working herself into a state exhaustion to keep the small farm going in spite of the drought that is plaguing the entire area. Cora is in the barn working when a fine carriage appears at the door of the farmhouse and two very well dressed men alight from the carriage. One man, a doctor, goes inside to examine Cora’s father. The other man, Wallace Kensington, the copper king of Montana, is talking to Cora’s mother and when Cora walks up her mother introduces him and then he drops a bombshell. He is Cora’s birth father. She does not believe him but then her mother convinces her that what he says is true. He is there to offer her the deal of a lifetime. She is to take the Grand Tour of Europe with his other three children and three of their friends and in return he will send her father to the best hospital in Minnesota, pay her mother three times the worth of the farm, and pay for the rest of her education at the Normal School. Cora argues that she can keep the farm going but after talking more with her mother she accepts Kensington’s offer in spite of her doubts. During the Grand Tour not only will Cora get to know her brother and two sisters, but she will come to learn a lot about herself. The author did an excellent job developing the characters and they definitely came alive on the pages of the book. There were lots of twists and turns in the plot and many times one was left wondering what was going to happen next. There were also several times when I was sitting on the edge of my chair wondering if Cora or someone else was going to get out of the trouble they were in. There was even one incident when death seemed likely for one of the travelers. The dialogue in the novel was very enjoyable and whether it was Cora talking with Will, the two youngest girls talking and giggling, or any other individual speaking, the dialogue was great. When the Bear, leader of the group, was lecturing about the museums, art works, buildings, cities, and other items I could almost see what the group was seeing and felt as if I were right there with the group. The author obviously did a great deal of research for this novel and it shows throughout the entire book. I highly recommend this book to all who like to read historical novels about the lives and loves of the super rich in the early twentieth century. I received a complimentary copy of this book from David C. Cook at Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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John Newton The Angry Sailor
by
Kay Marshall Strom
dgottreu
, May 19, 2013
John Newton the Angry Sailor by Kay Marshall Strom was a very enjoyable book. John Newton’s father was a sailor and many times was gone from home for years at a time and because of this John spent all his time with his mother who bragged to friends that he would be a great preacher one day. John was reading when he was three, at four he had memorized entire chapters of the Bible, and at six he was studying Latin. A few days before John’s seventh birthday his mother died and he was cared for my neighbors. When his father finally came home he brought a new wife who cared nothing for John and convinced his father to send him to boarding school. John endured two years at the boarding school hating every minute and finally convinced his father that he should become a sailor. John’s career as a sailor began in 1736 when he was eleven years old. He was initiated into the life of a sailor during a raging storm when he had to work the pump to keep the water off the deck of the ship. This terrible beginning was nothing compared to the trials that John would face for the next several years. He was the prisoner of a slave trader for quite a while and the outcome of that was that John himself became a slave trader and sailed his own ship filled with slaves. Even after being miraculously saved from death in a storm when he begged God for help, John did not give up being a slave trader. It took more interventions from God to finally get John to give up slave trading. At last John realized that slavery was wrong and that God had a plan for his life. Just as his mother had said so many years before, John became a great preacher. He also wrote one of the most beloved songs of all times, Amazing Grace. The author did an excellent job writing this book for the characters and action scenes seemed to come to life on the pages of the book. The plot and dialogue was well thought out and held my interest so well that I read the book in one sitting. Even though the book was written mainly for adolescent boys I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book even though I am a woman and over seventy. I knew that John Newton was a slave trader, became a great preacher, and wrote Amazing Grace but that was the extent of my knowledge about the man. Thanks to the author, I now have an even greater respect for John Newton. I recommend this book to anyone of any age who wants to know more about the life and times of John Newton. I received a complimentary copy of this book from eChristian in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Reign Chronicles of Queen Jezebel
by
Ginger Garrett
dgottreu
, May 16, 2013
Reign The Chronicles of Queen Jezebel by Ginger Garrett is a fictional account of Ahab and Jezebel taken from I Kings and II Kings in the Bible. In the Bible, Jezebel was described as a very wicked woman but the author’s imagination just became too much for me. Biblical fiction is one of my favorite genre but I just could not get into this book, in fact I was not able to finish it. I was really looking forward to reading the book but it was a disappointment for all the sacrificing of babies and the vivid descriptions of the worship of Baal just became too depressing for me to continue reading. I read over half the book and I will say that it was well written with the plot and characters being well developed. Just too well developed for my taste. It was obvious that the author did a lot of research before writing the book. I have read the story of Jezebel many times in the Bible and I know how the story ended. If one is not bothered by reading about infant sacrifices and the sexual perversion of the temple priests, then I could recommend this book. I received a complimentary copy of this book from David C. Cook at Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Giving Love: Cottonwood Series- Large Print
by
Sophie Dawson
dgottreu
, May 15, 2013
Giving Love by Sophie Dawson is the third book in the Cottonwood series and is a touching story of love between a man and a woman and of the love of parents for their children. Katie Reed’s husband and three month old son died in a fire and Sheriff Drew Richards’ wife Rachel died in childbirth just the week before. Drew is at the cemetery to ask a huge favor of Katie. His baby Annie was born early and her stomach will not tolerate cow’s or goat’s milk and Katie is the only woman in the community who can nurse Annie. She agrees to feed Annie and to care for Joel who is three years old and missing his mama terribly. Drew eats all his meals at home and spends as much time as possible with Joel but he sleeps at the jail at night so that there will be no gossip in town about him and Katie. The arrangement works just fine and then one day Joel in all his three year old wisdom suggests that he and Drew marry Katiemama. After lots of soul searching by Katie and Drew, they decide to get married but both are sure that they will never love again. Drew is trying to solve several petty thefts that are happening in the town but is having absolutely no luck in catching the thief. Only old and worn out clothing and food are taken. Aggie decides that she will solve the mystery and in her typical take charge way she begins by putting a plate of food and warm clothing on her back porch railing at night. After a few nights she manages to catch the thief. Will not say more about the thefts but will say that solving the mystery brought great joy to Aggie. Aggie gets a wonderful surprise when her brother, David Nathaniel Ryder II, comes to town with his wife and grandson. He is known as Nugget Nate because of all the large gold nuggets that he found in his gold mine. He is one of the richest men in America but to see him and hear him talk you would think he was just a poor, uneducated, and maybe even a little simple minded mountain man. He might talk as if he were uneducated but he has business savvy that is not taught in any school and every business venture he undertakes just adds more millions to his fortune. As with the first two books in this series, the author did a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life and the characters from the first two books show up in this book also. And the scenes in the book were so real that I felt as if I were right in the middle of what was going on. She has a special ability for developing the character and dialogue of young children. Little three year old Joel stole my heart with the first word out of his mouth. The dialogue of Nugget Nate made for lots of good laughs. One character that everyone in town disliked was Beulah Taylor, the wife of the bank owner. She was a first class snob and a down right mean gossip. The person and action that finally reached Beulah and brought about a change in her life was one of the highlights of the story but I do not want to reveal what happened for I do not want to spoil the story. Not only does the story have romance but there is nerve wracking suspense when Katie is injured in a fall in the kitchen when Joel bumps into her. The love of God, forgiveness, and the power of prayer are an important part of this story. I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes a wonderful story with romance, a little suspense, quite a bit of humor, and also has the message of God’s love and forgiveness. I would suggest that one read the first two books before reading this one for I think they are more enjoyable in order. Unless you are one of those readers who never cries when reading a book, I would suggest that you have a box of tissue close at hand. A big thank you to the author, Sophie Dawson, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Never Ending Spring
by
Darrell A. Case
dgottreu
, May 10, 2013
Never Ending Spring by Darrell Case is a wonderful story of love, murder, forgiveness, and redemption. The year is 1949 and Jack Johnson is a very successful farmer in Sullivan County, Indiana and even though he really has no money worries he is a man with a troubled and grieving heart. When his five year old son was accidentally killed he blamed God for the accident. When his daughter Kristie and Jim her minister husband are murdered right at the entrance to the church, Jack almost goes off the deep end with grief and is convinced that God hates him. Jack feels that the sheriff is not working hard enough to solve the murder so he begins his own investigation which leads to the dead of an innocent man. This does not stop Jack from searching for the truth and because of this the murderer begins to plot the killing of Jack and his family. Jack’s wife Ruth and granddaughter Emily pray daily that Jack will come to accept God as his Savior and this troubles his heart. As his daughter was dying in his arms she said to him, “Jim and I will be waiting for you, Mom and Emily on Heaven’s shore” and Jack cannot get the words out of his head and heart. The development of the plot, characters, dialogue, and scenes were extremely well done by the author. There were twists and turns to the plot including two other deaths besides the minister and his wife, a fire that was arson, and the deadly bite of a rattlesnake. All the characters were real and I would almost forget that I was reading a fictional story and not the local news. I also felt as if I were right there in the scenes when all the action was taking place. Darrell Case has a great talent for writing a suspense story. Throughout the story there were subtle hints as to the identification of the murderer but the author kept me guessing until the very end. I do not want to spoil the story for future readers so will not state if Jack came to accept Jesus as his Savior or if he did not. One thing that I really liked about the story was the way that the author kept God as a very important part of the theme of the story. I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes a great story that just comes to life as you are reading and also has a mystery to solve. The best recommendation is that it is a Christian book with God as the center of the story. Thank you to the author, Darrell Case, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Healing Love: Cottonwood Series
by
Sophie Dawson
dgottreu
, May 08, 2013
Healing Love by Sophie Dawson is a great historical, romance novel set in Cottonwood, Iowa, in 1875. Lydia Walcott’s parents died when she was thirteen and she has been enduring almost daily beatings by her brother Cyrus for the past seven years. After Cyrus breaks her arm, gives her such a beating that one entire side of her face is black and blue, and cracked several ribs, she decides that she must leave or the next time he just might kill her. Lydia manages to walk to the home of her friend Aggie who has been like a mother to her and with Aggie’s help she escapes on the westbound train. She ends up in Cottonwood, Iowa, and since the train was late and does not arrive until nighttime, she cannot find a place to stay and ends up sleeping in an empty stall in the livery. Dr. Sterling Graham returns to town from a late night trip to deliver a baby and because he is so tired from driving in the ice storm, he decides to sleep on the cot that is set up in the livery for his use. Two of the biggest gossips in town are the first ones to the livery the next morning and leave immediately to start spreading rumors about the doctor spending the night with a woman in the livery. Absolutely nothing happened for neither the doctor nor Lydia knew that the other was in the livery. Sterling’s reputation and his medical career and Lydia’s hope for a new life are threatened so it seems that the only possible way to end the gossip is for Lydia and the doctor to marry. Lydia agrees to the marriage when she is assured that Sterling is a God fearing Christian. Even after the marriage, gossips in the town continue to spread the story with each one adding more untrue “facts.” Will a young woman who is very fearful but has a strong faith in God and a somewhat prideful young doctor who also has a strong faith be able to make a marriage work? Sterling treats Lydia’s injuries and has nothing but compassion for her and she finally comes to realize that he will never hit her or injure her in any way. Lydia and Sterling both work hard to make the marriage work but there always seems to be the issue of trust on Lydia’s part and the fear that her brother will find her. The author did an excellent job developing the plot, characters, dialogue, and scenes. Not only was there romance in the story but there was the suspense concerning Cyrus and if he would find Lydia. The characters seemed like real people and I found myself in tears because of the many things that Lydia had faced in her young life and was still dealing with the results. Sterling was a very loveable character and I was hoping for the marriage to work. The story has a great ending. I was very impressed with the way that the author kept God in the lives of all the main characters. I am really looking forward to reading the other two books in this series. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good historical romance with a good bit of suspense woven throughout the story and that also has a God centered message throughout the book. A big thank you to the author, Sophie Dawson, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Rain Dance
by
Joy E. Dekok
dgottreu
, May 05, 2013
Rain Dance by Joy Dekok is a book that every woman should read. I am definitely Pro-Life but had never really thought all that much about abortion and how the women that had abortions felt after the fact so this book was really an eye opener for me. The story centers around two women who meet at their obstetrician’s office. Jonica who is infertile is there to tell the doctor that she and her husband no longer want to try to get pregnant using the latest medical methods. Staci is there to set up an appointment for an abortion because her pregnancy is not convenient for her since she is just getting started in her law practice. As different as the two women are, they form a real friendship and Jonica who is a devout Christian shares her faith in God with Stacie and then prays and waits for God to work on Stacie’s heart. The plot of the story was well developed and the author wrote on the subject of infertility and abortion with a great deal of understanding and with deep feelings for the women involved. Even though the story is fiction, it reads like real life and strives for healing and understanding for women who are either infertile or have had an abortion or even thinking of having one. The author also helps the reader to realize that these women need our compassion and support. The plot takes a twist when Stacie finds photos of her mother holding a baby boy but she cannot remember having a baby brother. Stacie cannot forget what she saw and begins a search to find out about the brother. This search and what she learns adds a new dimension to the story. The author made the characters in the story so real that I wanted to just give each of them a hug and tell them that Jesus loved them. I was deeply touched by this book and I cannot remember the last time I cried so much while reading a novel. I highly recommend this book to all women and think that men would also benefit from reading it. The story is not only about the two women but includes their families as well. The story has a great ending.. I had wondered about the title of the book but at the end it is clear why Rain Dance was the perfect title. A big thank you to the author, Joy Dekok, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Love's Enduring Gift
by
Catherine Francis
dgottreu
, May 04, 2013
Love’s Enduring Gift by Catherine Francis is a great love story with the man and woman both living their Christianity and keeping themselves pure for marriage. Scott and Lynn work in the same building but for different employers. He has watched her take a walk each day on her break and one day he decides that the time has come for him to meet her. He went outside and stood on the walkway so that she would bump into him since she was reading a book as she walked. He asked her out for dinner but even though she said yes she debated with herself all afternoon if she should go or not. Scott is from a very close knit family but Lynn has almost no contact with her family. After a couple of dates, Scott invites her to his birthday barbeque where she will meet his family. Again she hesitates but she goes and that is the beginning of a beautiful relationship with both Scott and his large family.. Lynn has been engaged before but she suffered great hurt and humiliation from the man and his mother. Because of this, she has a hard time trusting people, especially men. Scott’s family accepts her as the lovely woman she is and very soon Lynn accepts the love of the family and begins to feel as if she is really one of the family. The characters all seem to come alive in the book and one feels as if they are real people. The plot is well developed and near the end there is a little suspense added to the book which adds interest but also sadness. All the scenes were so real that I felt as if I were part of the family and taking part in all the activities. I especially liked that the author had all the main characters living their Christianity and not just saying they were Christians. It was refreshing to read a love story in which the man and woman were true to their beliefs and kept themselves from doing things that they would regret later on. They remained true to the Biblical teachings of purity before marriage. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a book that has a heartwarming romantic story, has a great Christian message, and has a very happy ending. Thank you to the author, Catherine Francis, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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The Forever Stone
by
Gloria Repp
dgottreu
, May 03, 2013
The Forever Stone by Gloria Repp is a wonderful story of forgiveness, hope, restoration, healing, and love, both between a man and a woman and the forever love of God. I was hooked from the first page and had trouble putting the book down to do other things that needed to be done. In fact when I was about two chapters from the end I just kept reading even though I should have been working on a quilting project that has a time limit. The book started out great and just got better and better. Madeline, known to her friends as Mollie, is a young widow who feels that she must get away from her domineering mother, two dysfunctional aunts and an uncle who is a doctor and is such an arrogant and dishonest man that Mollie has come to distrust all doctors. Mollie’s policeman father was killed two years earlier and she cannot come to terms with his death. A year ago her abusive husband was killed in a car accident and Mollie has finally gotten up enough courage to leave her family and in so doing she hopes to have the chance to renew her faith in God, find herself, and to realize her dreams. Mollie’s Aunt Lin, her father’s sister, invites Mollie to come to New Jersey to help her in the restoring of a very large mansion that she has inherited. Of course her family try everything they can think of to keep her from going to the “wilderness” and even try to force her to marry again. When Mollie arrives at the mansion, she is disappointed to see that it is in such sad shape but she really has nothing else to do or anywhere to go so she settles in to working on the house. When Mollie goes into town for supplies, she meets Timothy and immediately she accepts his friendship and he becomes somewhat of a father figure. At the same time she meets Nathan and when she learns that he is the local doctor, she gives him the cold shoulder. Mollie also meets Kent and he shows an interest in her but she has a feeling that something is just not quite right with him and that he is hiding something. This is a very well written novel. There are many extremely interesting characters in the story and the author skillfully weaves each of them into the story and they all come alive and are an important element in the story. The plot has many twists and turns but again the author developed it so well that all the subplots came together in a very interesting way. The book not only had a good romance going on but there was also a puzzling mystery, arson, theft, a missing person, fraud, and possible murder, which just added to the already great story. All the scenes were so real that I felt as if I were a part of the action that was taking place. At the end of the book all the different mysteries had been solved but I will not reveal how things worked out for Mollie. And for me an important part of the story was the way that the author dealt with faith in God, His grace, His forgiveness, and His forever love. I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes a great story with romance, suspense, and a happy ending. A big thank you to the author, Gloria Repp, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Avenged
by
Janice Cantore
dgottreu
, April 29, 2013
Avenged by Janice Cantore is a well written, extremely suspenseful, and just an all around very good book. As Office Carly Edwards is beginning her graveyard shift with the Las Playas Police Department, she finds three young gang bangers that have been shot execution style. Her husband, Sergeant Nick Anderson, who is head of the gang unit for the LPPD, agrees with Carley that the city may be on the verge of a gang war. Carley is involved in a high speed chase and when she finally stops the car being driven by a gang leader, she finds the car is loaded with weapons that have been stolen from a military base. To make matters even worse, the thieves have also stolen several explosive devices. This incident and the heightened tensions between rival gangs puts the LPPD on high alert. While Carly is preparing to testify at a major murder trial, a very militant reporter is trying to discredit Carley and destroy her professionally. This problem along with the threat of a gang war causes Carley to rely even more on her faith and trust in God. She has had problems before in her career but this one is more serious than any of the others. During the search of an abandoned building, Carley comes face to face with one of the men who wants her dead and he causes her to fall about fifteen feet from the balcony where they are standing. When the paramedics arrive they find the man dead on the balcony and Carley’s gun in her hand with two missing bullets. The author does a fantastic job with the development of the plot, characters, and dialogue. The action scenes were so real that I was holding my breath part of the time and thinking that maybe I should hide to be safe. There were several sub plots in the story and each had a few twists and turns in the plot line and when I would think I had the puzzle solved, there would be another twist to the story. The author definitely knows how to hold the interest of the reader and keep them guessing how the story will end. The story had a great ending but you will have to read the book to learn all the solutions to all the problems that the police had to solve. Janice Cantore is a retired police officer and her twenty-two years of experience add greatly to the authenticity of the story. For me this makes the story more enjoyable and definitely believable. I also like the way the author had the two main characters seeking God’s guidance in their work and all parts of their lives. I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes a great police drama with lots of suspense, a little romance, characters with a strong faith in God, and a happy ending. Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Josiahs Treasure
by
Nancy Herriman
dgottreu
, April 23, 2013
Josiah’s Treasure by Nancy Herriman was a most enjoyable historical novel that was also filled with a great deal of inspiration. In San Francisco in 1882, Sarah Whittier has a desire to open an art studio that will be run by immigrant women who have a talent for art or a talent for running the business. She has been the caretaker and companion of Josiah Cady who amassed a fortune in the gold fields and at his death he left everything to Sarah. Josiah rescued Sarah from her past and loved her like a daughter and he left everything to her for he thought that all his family was dead and he died never knowing the truth. Daniel Cady, Josiah’s son, finally arrived in San Francisco from Chicago after a lengthy search to find his father. He thinks that his father deserted the family and is determined to take the inheritance from Sarah. Daniel is very bitter toward his father but when the truth is finally revealed as to why Josiah left his fortune to Sarah instead of his family, he decides that he must help Sarah and try to keep her safe after rumors circulate in the town that gold nuggets are hidden in the house. Daniel knows that overturning his father’s will is going to be difficult, but after meeting Sarah his heart is torn between caring for his twin sisters and the attraction he is starting to feel for Sarah. The author did an excellent job writing the story with a well plotted mystery and lots of exciting action. The characters were so well done that they seemed to leap off the page and become real. I thoroughly enjoyed the romance in the story as the author took us on a journey of faith for both Sarah and Daniel. Both had fought to find faith and then worked to keep it and not lose it when troubles came. In their search for the hidden gold, they both found that the greatest treasure to be found in life was love. The story was very inspiration and gave me something to think about after the story was finished. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes an historical novel set in the West in the nineteenth century, has a really good romance story line, a great deal of mystery, and that is also a Christian story. I received this book free from Worthy Publishing and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Redeeming Reputation: Redemption Tales Book One
by
George H., Sr. McVey
dgottreu
, April 22, 2013
Redeeming Reputation by George H. McVey was one of the best, if not the best, western novel that I have ever read. I absolutely loved the main character, David Nathaniel Ryder the Third, for he loved God, was a preacher, handsome, well educated, well mannered, quick with a gun, and was just an all around great guy. We first meet Nathan on the train to Franklin, Missouri, when two outlaws board the train and demand that everyone give them their money and valuables. Nathan gives them his money without a fight but when one of the outlaws hits a young boy with his gun, he goes into action. He manages to outwit the two outlaws and they end up bound with ropes and waiting for the Sheriff. Nathan is stopping in Franklin to meet his grandfather and then the two of them will travel on to Redemption, New Mexico, where Nathan will become a circuit riding preacher but when Nathan reaches Franklin he receives a telegram telling him that his grandfather has died. While Nathan is checking into the hotel he sees a beautiful woman being harassed by a drunk who thinks she is a woman of the evening. Nathan steps in to rescue her and the drunk pulls his gun but immediately the drunk finds himself looking down the barrel of his own gun. Within a very short time the entire town knows about Nathan and he has gained the reputation as a fast gun slinger. Dressed in his fancy eastern clothes, Nathan is not readily accepted in the town of Franklin but when the people in town learn that he is the grandson of David Nathaniel Ryder, better known in the west to everyone as Nugget Nate Ryder, a very successful miner, he is accepted into the community with open arms. Grace Hopewell, the woman than Nathan rescued from the drunk just happens to be in town to also meet “Uncle Nate” for he has secured a teaching job for her in Redemption, New Mexico, and was to accompany her on the trip to her job. Nathan has to stay in Franklin to meet with his grandfather’s lawyer and when he does he receives the surprise of his life when his grandfather’s will is read. After the reading of the will he is ready to leave and head west but he has acquired the nickname of Preacher and because of his skill with a gun, every outlaw around seems to want to challenge him to a gunfight. He only wants to get to Redemption and begin the job that he feels God has provided for him. Every time he tries to do God’s bidding, another gunslinger comes along and the body count keeps rising. The author did an excellent job developing the plot, characters, dialogue, and action scenes. The characters and action were so real that I was right there on the boardwalk in the town of Franklin and experiencing all the action and feeling all the frustrations of Nathan and Grace. I appreciated the way that the author kept Nathan’s love of God and his striving to do God’s will as an important part of the book. Nathan wanted to fulfill his obligations to the town and Grace but he desperately wanted to redeem his reputation. He wonders how he can reconcile his gun slinger reputation with the reputation he desires as a man of God and as a peacemaker. The adventures of Nathan and the love between him and Grace provided me with a great deal of entertainment and quite a few laughs. As stated earlier, not only was this the best western I have ever read, it had a wonderful ending. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series. I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes a great story set in the old West. Even if one is not particularly fond of westerns, I think you would still enjoy reading this book. I want to thank the author, George H. McVey, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Winter's End: Seasons of Faith-Book Two
by
Rebekah Lyn
dgottreu
, April 20, 2013
Winter’s End by Rebekah Lyn was just as enjoyable to read as the first book in the Season of Faith series. Stephen Longbottom is the acting concierge manager at the Hotel Lago while Lizzy is up in Vermont on a romantic vacation. One gets to wonder for a while just who she is with in Vermont. While Stephen is being driven to distraction by the demands of the board of directors of Silken Pleasures, a multimillion dollar company in New York, Lizzie is having a wonderful time learning to ski and being with the man she loves. Michelle Burton and her band, Tangled Web, have been trying for a very long time to break into the music field and finally they get to open for Wonderland in a club in down Orlando. The crowd goes wild for the band and when Michelle gets home she is too wound up to sleep so she decides to bake a batch of scones and go into work early. What had been the best night of her life quickly turned into the worse day of her life when she reached work and made a discovery. Jeff has become a Christian but is fighting the temptation to slip back into his old life. Ian, Emma, and Ron are also main characters in this second book. The ending of the book was heartwarming. The plot, characters, dialogue, and action scenes were all very well developed by the author. I was on that ski slope with Lizzy and was also feeling Stephen’s stress as he dealt with unreasonable people. Rebekah has a knack to pulling the reader right into the story. This book has more romance than the first and there were some great scenes with Lizzy and her man. Don’t want to give away which guy she chose. There was also a good mystery woven through the book. God’s love and forgiveness and faith and hope are an important part of the book and are seen in the lives of all the characters. They all learn that after God forgives, then one must forgive herself or himself. The author had one of the characters explaining God’s love and forgiveness in a way that really caught my attention. “God works on us one piece at a time, like putting together a broken vase, because we are all broken when we come to Him. He works with patience and tenderness, fitting the pieces back together. Sometimes a piece needs extra time for the glue to dry so it will stay in place, but He will hold onto that piece until it does finally stick. So today one more piece of your vase has been repaired.” I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a well written romantic story with a good bit of mystery and that is also a Christian story. I definitely hope that Rebekah Lyn will write at least two more books in this series, Spring and Fall. Thank you to the Author/Publicist for providing this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Escape to Big Fork Lake
by
Mary L. Ball
dgottreu
, April 19, 2013
Escape to Big Fork Lake by Mary L. Ball is a wonderful story of love between a man and a woman, the love of God for everyone, and a gripping mystery. Sam Blacker loses her job, daily fights off the advances of a drunken neighbor, and is just generally unhappy. Out of the blue she receives an inheritance from a friend that she met once a year for lunch and conversation. Sam loves living in the big city but after a brutal attack by the neighbor, she decides to accept the inheritance which requires her to move the the small town of Big Fork Lake, Alabama, become the owner of an inn, and live there for one year. At the end of the year she can stay and run the inn or sell the inn and leave. Very shortly after moving into the apartment that is part of the inn, Sam meets Noah Frye and he awakens desires of the heart that Sam had hidden for a long time. Noah is a Christian but Sam decides that she can live with that. Things are going well when she discovers a dead body in one of the cabins. She is arrested for murder and nearly everyone in the town but Noah believes that she is guilty. At this same time, Sam is beginning to feel the pull of God on her heart. The author did an excellent job developing the plot, characters, dialogue, and describing the scenes. The book was a combination of a great romance story and a very intriguing mystery. I was quite surprised when the murderer was revealed for I thought that another person was guilty of the crime. One thing that I really liked about the story was the treatment by the author of the love between Sam and Noah. She showed that Christians face temptations of the flesh just the same as non Christians but they deal with the temptations in a very different way. Many authors write a Christian romance but the man and woman seem more like brother and sister. I do not want to give away the ending so will not reveal how the love affair turns out or who committed the murder and why. I highly recommend this book to anyone who like a very good romance and a mystery that keeps one guessing. A big thank you to the author, Mary L. Ball, for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Summer Storms
by
Rebekah Lyn
dgottreu
, April 15, 2013
Summer Storms by Rebekah Lyn was a most enjoyable book about the ups and downs in the life of Lizzy Reynolds. She has finally moved on after the death of her mother and father and loves her work as the concierge at Hotel Lago in downtown Orlando, Florida. Lizzy lives outside the city but her dream is to own one of the historic houses in the downtown area. In searching for a more affordable place to live, she finds a house for rent in the historic district that she can afford. However, there is a big problem. The house has been vacant for years and is in need of a great many repairs and the yard could pass for a jungle. After praying, soul searching, and going over and over her budget, Lizzy decides to rent the house. One of the most touching parts of the book was the way that so many people pitched in to help Lizzy repair the house. Two of the main helpers were Emma and Ron who were “adopted” parents. Jeff Robbins has refused to enter the family business of real estate which caused a break with his parents. He is very happy as the contractor in charge of building a high rise in the downtown area. Jeff meets Lizzy when she brings cookies to the work site for the workers and he is intrigued by her and also somewhat attracted to her. He offers to help with the repairs on her home and through him she then meets Ian who does a great deal of work on the house. Ian is also quite attracted to Lizzy and they share a common bond in the fact that they are both Christians and they also want to see Jeff become a Christian. All the repairs were finally finished but then disaster struck when two hurricanes hit Orlando and did a great deal of damage to the house. Now Lizzy has to decide if she even wants to repair the damage or just give up on the house. The author did a great job developing the plot, characters, dialogue, scene descriptions, and describing the action taking place. I felt as if I were walking the streets of the historic district with Lizzy and I was standing on the sidelines watching as she was dealing with difficult people checking into the hotel or demanding a special services. There was some romance in the book but it was not the main focus. The book had enough suspense to keep any reader happy. I would think I had the plot all figured out and immediately it would change. I was a little surprised at the ending but it was a very good one. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a well written and easy to read book that is also a great Christian story. Thank you to the Author/Publicist for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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My Life as a Bush: ...and My Heart for Imitating Jesus
by
John Morgan
dgottreu
, April 14, 2013
My Life as a Bush…and my heart for imitating Jesus by John Morgan was a most inspirational and entertaining book. I have to admit that I had never heard of John Morgan. I like the way the book was organized with each chapter relating a professional experience of John’s as he impersonated President George W. Bush. Each chapter also included John’s testimony of his life as an imitator of Jesus as he follows Jesus in his daily walk as a Christian. John told how the principles that he uses to impersonate the President are Biblical commandments that can help Christians become authentic imitators of Jesus As much as John Morgan enjoys and has fun impersonating the President, in his personal and private life, he works hard to be more like Jesus. Each chapter begins with a Bible verse and ends with questions for reflection that are good for personal study or to use in a small study group. The most important point of the book is that of living a life that makes us more and more like Jesus but not impersonating Jesus. I thought it was quite interesting and funny how John got started as an impersonator. He was awakened quite a while after midnight from a sound sleep and told by his wife, “I’ve found your new career��"impersonating the president.” After he did some research and learned how profitable it was to be an impersonator, he decided that it was worth a try. John spent months studying the President to be able to imitate facial expressions, mannerisms, hand gestures, walk, hair style, speech patterns, and any other facet of the President’s life that made the impersonation more real. I would recommend this book to everyone, Christians and non Christians alike. I received this book free from Book Club Network in exchange for an honest review.
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So Shines the Night
by
Tracy Higley
dgottreu
, April 10, 2013
So Shines the Night by Tracy Higley is her latest novel in the Seven Wonders of the World series and deals with the Temple of Artemis. The main theme for the story is based on Biblical scripture found in the nineteenth chapter of Acts. Tracy has a unique gift for writing historical, Biblical novels and that is plainly seen in this novel that takes place in Ephesus around the year 57 AD. Daria, a widow, is a very unusual woman in that she is very well educated in several languages, philosophy, history, and other subjects. After meeting Lucas, a wealthy merchant, in Rhodes in an unusual and somewhat funny situation, he invites her to come to Ephesus with him to be his personal tutor so that she can teach him the Persian language. Daria has discovered secrets in Rhodes that endanger her life so she eagerly accepts the offer from Lucas. Daria and Lucas are both searching for a second chance at happiness and love and at the same time searching for truth and freedom, but they go about it in entirely different ways. Lucas changes when they reach Ephesus and begins to sink into the world of the evil sorcerers. The danger escalates when Lucas is thrown in prison and Daria is afraid for his life and sanity and puts herself in danger to try to help him. Daria and Lucas encounter Paul and his Christian followers and are drawn to the people of The Way but they seem to be unable to accept the fact that there is only One God and that He forgives everyone of all their sins. In their search for God, Daria and Lucas are helped by Paul, Timothy, Aquilla, Priscilla, and other members of the Christian group known as The Way. Daria is given a place to live with Aquilla and Priscilla and their loving ways help her to accept God’s love and forgiveness. There was a lot of spiritual darkness in the book but this was typical of this period of time in Ephesus. One of the most frightening scenes was the struggle between the Christians and the sorcerers in front of the Temple of Artemis. Also, the description of the shop owned by the leader of the sorcerers where unsuspecting women were given mind altering potions gave me goosebumps but even that did not seem quite as frightful as the prison where Lucas was being held. There was a good deal of suspense throughout the story but especially near the end during the trial of Lucas and the events following the trial as he was on his way to be executed. As in all her other books, Tracy did an excellent job with the plot, characters, dialogue, and the description of all the scenes. The story became so real to me that I felt as if I were traveling the roads in Ephesus and meeting with Paul and the early Christians and being a part of all the action. I found the message of the book to be quite inspiriting and it inspired me to want to do better in my Christian walk with God. I was definitely entertained by the book even though at times I was shaking in my shoes due to all the horrible things that were taking place. The ending is so gripping that I was sitting on the edge of my seat and found myself holding my breath at times. Tracey certainly has a gift for writing suspense into a story. In spite of all the suspense and danger taking place, there was still enough romance in the story to keep the relationship between Daria and Lucas interesting. I highly recommend this book, especially to those who like historical, Biblical novels that deal with faith and the power of God interwoven in a great story and also based on historical facts. This is the third novel that I have read by Tracy Higley and I think it is the best of the three. In fact I will go so far as to say that this is the best Biblical novel I have read by any author. I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Invisible
by
Ginny L Yttrup
dgottreu
, April 02, 2013
Invisible: A Novel by Ginny Yttrup was not quite what I was expecting but I was surprised by the way the book affected me. The novel is centered around four main characters and each is struggling with a problem that causes them unhappiness. The three main women in the story become great friends and as they help each other they start to see themselves as being created in God’s image. At the end of the book the author states that this is not a self help book but “a story of freedom from the bondage of shame. Freedom found through believing the truth of God’s Word.” Ellyn Demoss is a chef, owns of a restaurant, loves butter, and often wonders if she loves butter more than God. She is overweight and even though she has a very poor self image, she sees only good in others. Dr. Becker, a widower, has been Ellyn’s doctor for years and when he shows a romantic interest in her she thinks that there must be something wrong with him. Sabrina Jackson is a counselor suffering from depression who left her practice and family to spend a year alone in Mendocino, California to heal. Sabrina seems to be hiding from God, is deeply grieving over the deaths of two people dear to her, and does not seem to be really working on healing. She is also the opposite of Ellyn being slim and exotic. Twila Boaz is a recovering anorexic who has a strange tattoo on her cheek and another tattoo on her wrist which translated means that she is made in the image of God. She has a very strong faith in God and works very hard to overcome her problem with anorexia. She seems to be happiest when she is helping someone especially if it means helping them get closer to God. My favorite character is Dr. Miles Becker who has such a faith filled relationship with God that others can see Jesus in him. He is kind and loving to everyone and plays a significant role in the life of the three women as he helps them to see themselves as God sees them and to help them work through their problems. The author did an excellent job in the development of all the characters, the plot, and the dialogue. She did not reveal each character’s problem immediately but slowly developed the story and brought each person’s problem to light. However, I would have liked to have known exactly how much Ellyn weighed. Not really important to the story but just something that I wanted to know. I also wondered about her age but finally near the end of the book her age was revealed. I found the book to be very inspirational and it made me want to work on my own self image and to work on having a closer relationship with God. I would recommend this novel to anyone who needs or wants to be inspired and likes a good story with a great ending. I received a free copy of this book from Handlebar Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
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Katie's Journey to Love: Volume 2
by
Jerry S. Eicher
dgottreu
, April 01, 2013
Katie’s Journey to Love by Jerry Eicher is the first Amish fiction that I have read that was not written by a woman author. Jerry did an excellent job and I will be reading more of his novels. Katie and her mother had been living an unhappy life after the death of Katie’s father but her mother’s hardened heart was finally softened by the love of Jesse. Mabel, Jesse’s daughter, had been running the household since her mother’s death and was very resentful of her stepmother and Katie and took all her spite out on Katie. Katie was Amish but had become good friends with some of the Mennonite girls at the Mennonite youth gatherings. Ben, who is Amish, had also started coming to the youth gatherings and began paying attention to Katie which she accepted and encouraged. Katie was invited by three of her Mennonite friends to travel with them to Europe to visit the places where the Amish faith began. The only problem was that Katie had no money for the trip but an unexpected gift of money came to her. While she and her friends were in Europe she learned that Ben had been arrested. Once again Katie’s world was falling apart but she found healing by visiting the Alps and other lands where her forefathers had suffered so much for their faith When Katie returned home she was determined to develop a friendship with Mabel and to forget Ben. The book was a most enjoyable read. There was some suspense and romance but it was more just a book about life and its problems and how the problems were solved. The author did an excellent job developing the plot and the characters and the dialogue and the description of the scenes were very real and I felt as if I were right there in the middle of the action. I found the book to be inspiring as I do all Amish novels and I was definitely entertained. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a well written good book and especially to those who like Amish fiction.. I received this book free from Harvest House Publishers through Net Galley in exchange for a review.
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God Is on the Cross: Reflections on Lent and Easter
by
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
dgottreu
, March 06, 2013
God Is On the Cross by Dietrich Bonhoeffer is a devotional book containing reflections on Lent and Easter that would normally be read over the days from Ash Wednesday to Easter but since I do not personally celebrate Lent, I just read the entire book as I would any other book. It is a wonderful book full of insight, inspiration, and encouragement which is just as relevant for any season of the year as it is for Easter. The book contains forty devotionals with the themes of prayerful reflections, self denial, temptation, the purpose of suffering, and the meaning of the cross. All devotionals are taken from the writings and sermons of Bonhoeffer and each day also contains pertinent scripture from the Bible. Letters from Bonhoeffer to his parents, friends, and fiancee and a few passages from other Christian writers are included in the book. I was touched by all the devotionals but the message that touched me most was Bonhoeffer’s definition of Easter. “Easter is not about immortality but about resurrection from a death that is a real death with all its frightfulness and horrors, resurrection from a death of the body and the soul, of the whole person, resurrection by the power of God’s mighty act. This is the Easter message.” And as so many today seem to think, Easter is NOT about the Easter bunny and colored eggs. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to delve deeper into the true meaning of Easter and what it means to the world. This book was provided to me free by Westminster John Knox Press and Net Galley without any obligation for a positive review.
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God's Smuggler
by
Brother Andrew and John Sherill
dgottreu
, March 01, 2013
God’s Smuggler by Brother Andrew and John & Elizabeth Sherrill was narrated by Simon Vance who did an excellent job of reading the book. As a young boy, Brother Andrew had daydreams of becoming a spy and working undercover behind enemy lines. When he grew up and became a Christian, he became an undercover agent for God by delivering Bibles to Communist countries. Brother Andrew found himself in many situations where he seriously wondered if he would end up in prison or worse, but every time God came through in a miraculous way. There were several times when his car was searched from bumper to bumper yet the guards did not seem to notice the Bibles in plain view on the seat beside Brother Andrew. At one time he was talking with a Russian guard and commented that the Russians seemed to know all about him. The guard told him that God’s Smuggler was required reading for the Russian police. I learned so much listening to this book and one of the things that really stuck in my mind was the fact that in Bulgaria there are churches that do not have even one Bible. At least this was true when the book was written in the sixties. Brother Andrew was so successful because he trusted God, prayed to God for help, and believed that God was with him and would answer his prayer. I would recommend this book to every Christian, possibly even consider it required reading. Even non-Christians might enjoy reading the book. I received this audio book free from christianaudio Reviewers Program in exchange for posting a review. (http://christianaudio.com).
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Christmas Stories: Heartwarming Tales of Angels, a Manger, and the Birth of Hope
by
Max Lucado
dgottreu
, March 01, 2013
Christmas Stories by Max Lucado is one more great book by this author. This book is a collection of Christmas stories both old and new with the stories taking place in Bethlehem, England, Texas, and Heaven. The first story covers two hundred years in the life of a candle making family in England. Every twenty-five years an angel touches one candle and the candle maker then gives that candle to a deserving individual in the church. Probably my favorite story was “Night in the Stable” where the author describes what could have been the scene when Jesus was born. All the stories are heartwarming and bring enjoyment to the Christmas season. I am a devoted fan of Max Lucado and when I saw that this book was available I immediately downloaded and started reading and did not stop until I had finished the book. No one writes about the Christmas season the way Max Lucado does and this book was no exception. As with all his books, the author was inspiring and the information was presented in a very enjoyable way. In “Night in the Stable”, Max put his words into the mouths of Mary and Joseph and the other characters but he kept the Biblical truth in the story. The author definitely held my attention in all the stories and they even made me do some serious thinking about Christmas. Max is one of my favorite authors for his books always offer inspiration and encouragement. I would recommend this book to everyone who loves Christmas. Even one who is not crazy about Christmas most likely would enjoy this collection of stories. I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Shattered
by
Dani Pettrey
dgottreu
, March 01, 2013
Shattered by Dani Pettrey is one of the best suspense novels that I have ever read and when I started reading I could not put the book down. Dani definitely has a gift for writing suspense/mystery novels. After five years away from home, Piper’ McKenna’s brother Reef returns home one night covered in blood. A snowboarder who was not particularly liked by anyone has been murdered and Reef has been arrested for her murder. Piper is determined to help Deputy Landon Grainger find the evidence to prove her brother innocent. Landon has been an “adopted” member of the McKenna family for years and loves Piper like a sister but she drives him crazy with what he feels is interference in the murder investigation. They end up in the back country of Canada tracking down leads and find the murder case becoming more deadly with each step. To their surprise and delight, they find themselves becoming more than just friends. The story was an excellent, suspenseful mystery from the first page to the last. At times the action taking place was quite frightening but that was balanced out with the romance. The author did a great job of developing the plot and characters. I would think that I had the mystery solved and then something else would happen and I had to look for another solution. The dialogue took me through many different emotions and the descriptive scenes were so real that I felt as if I were participating in the action. Even thought at times I was holding my breath from fear, I was completely entertained by the book. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes to read a compelling mystery novel that also has a lot of romance throughout the entire book. When I finished reading this book I went to the library and checked out a copy of the first book in the series and am not eagerly awaiting the release of the rest of the books in the series. I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.
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