Well, Bless Your Heart

 

I am in a reading funk where nothing is appealing to me, but this book even less than most.  It begins with Rae Sutton's mother dying and all that goes into funeral planning and settling the estate.  Rae's husband is estranged (okay, divorced) from her and he brings his side piece to the viewing.  And there we have the opening drama.  

Rae's mother wants Rae to move into her house, because it's paid for, there's money to start a business of her own, and it gets her away from the memories of her husband's betrayal.  Moving back also puts her daughter, Molly, in a new school district and on a new basketball team, which seems to be working well for Molly and Rae, because Molly's coach takes a shine to Rae.  

When Rae starts renovating the house, she finds a letter her mother wrote and stuffed under the carpet about how her ex-husband came to talk to her, realizes the mistake he made, and how he wants her back.  

Like I said, I'm in a reading funk right now and this book just hit me as cheesy.  From the get-go, I do not like going to funerals (but I'm sure not many people do), I do not like any of the fol-de-rol that goes into making a funeral happen, and the last thing I want to read about is someone's last services.  I would rather have passed on this book altogether if I had known how much of it was going to be centered on death. 

What's right about the book is the relatability of the characters,  and the genuineness of the setting.  The characters are not over-the-top in their reactions or emotions. 

This was my first book by Susannah B Lewis, and right now I'm not sure if I'll take another chance with her writings. 

First, I want to say this is all my opinion and someone else may find this book a great read.  Two Stars

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

I'll Be Seeing You In All the Old Familiar Places

Robin Lee Hatcher has been writing for a long time.  She writes about places she knows and her characters seem like they might be friends of hers. Her newest offering is a book that takes place in modern day along with memories taking the reader back to World War II.  

Brianna is taking a history class that she thought would be an easy pass, but the professor throws a monkey wrench into the syllabus with a project that is fifty per cent of her grade.  She has to interview the oldest member of her family to find out the implications of the eras they lived in.  Daisy is her 98 year old great-grandmother, who has a colored history that has huge implications for Brianna.  In telling her story, Daisy has to deal with her own past and how it has affected her in the long term.  

I found this book compelling and engrossing, so much so that I was not able to put it down.  Brianna is at a stage where she wants to assert her independence, but she gets pulled in by a pretty face. Daisy constantly warns her that there is more to a man than his looks and that his character, his core mean a lot more than any handsome visage could. 

I truly enjoyed watching Daisy's and Brianna's relationship grow and change, how they came to  understand each other, and how the secrets they were choosing to keep could eventually harm them. 

There is romance, intrigue, entitled animosity, grief, and real true love expressed in this book.  There are mistakes with long-lasting repercussions, and mistakes avoided. There are estrangements and reconciliations.  All of these flesh out the story in a way that make this book so readable and that's why I absolutely loved it. 

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and an A on your history project. 

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

Mulberry Hollow

 

Yesterday, while I was still reading this book, I read back over the reviews of other Denise Hunter books that I've read.  I wasn't surprised by what I said in any of my reviews.  Denise is a quality writer who writes vastly enjoyable books.  I did find that I was up and down with my opinions of what she had written. In this second book of the Riverbend Gap series, I was pleased that this one, to me, was better than the first one.  I kind of picked her apart on the trail culture, having known quite a bit of it, myself.  I have provided trail magic, I have trail-angeled, I have spent a lot of time going through the logistics of sending resupply packages to family members who were on the trail--making sure they arrived in time and contained all that they were supposed to contain.  

Mulberry Hollow is a neighborhood in Riverbend Gap, just off the Appalachian Trail.  Avery Robinson is the only doctor in Riverbend Gap and needs to hire another doctor to help her take calls and clinic hours.  Avery also lives under a cloud of the possibility of Huntington's Disease--it's what killed her mother. When Avery returns to her apartment above her clinic, she finds a man collapsed at the door of the clinic running a high fever and seriously dehydrated. She wants to call an ambulance but he declines saying that he has no insurance. Wes Garrett is fulfilling a bucket list item for his best friend, Landon, who was killed while they were building shelters in Columbia--finishing the Appalachian Trail.  Instead he has contracted an upper respiratory infection that prevents him from getting back to the trail.  Avery takes care of him in the clinic and in return for her care, he offers to refurbish her carriage house that will be offered as housing to whatever new doctor she can recruit. 

Avery has two over-protective brothers who come to check on her and her handyman with alarming frequency.  One is marrying her nurse, the other manages a campground and is building a new cabin at the campground.  Neither of them has the time to accomplish what Wes can do, but they aren't cutting the man any slack.  

There were only a couple of disappointing parts to the book.  When the new doctor comes on board, I wanted her to fall for Avery's brother instead of the deputy.  I wanted a hint at someone who was going to come in for Avery's brother and make him happy.  As it is, I see two more possible books coming out of this series, but maybe the deputy and the new doctor will be a minor part of Avery's brother's story.  

The first book in the series I gave four stars, so I will give this one five stars, two thumbs up, and a hunky handyman to do your refurbishing jobs. 

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.  

Lumberjacks and Ladies

I like to read anthologies of short novels to fill odd times when I have to wait for an appointment or something.  Barbour Books is one of the best publishers for these kinds of books.  They know how to collect the best authors to make these books so enjoyable. 

Lumberjacks and Ladies has four stories that take place in logging areas around the northern United States, starting in Maine, going to Michigan and Wisconsin, then ending up in Idaho. Each of the authors writes about the area where she lives or grew up, so the setting descriptions seem to be on point. The characters are likable and each has their own set of faults and foibles to make them more real.  

The only thing I didn't like about the collection is that the stories didn't touch a "need" for me, but I think that is more taste than any fault of the authors.  The writing was good, and I found that made it easier to read through the stories.  I think the best one was the last one that took place primarily in Idaho.  A bit of mystery is involved in the plot and made the story far more compelling.  It also involved a couple of the characters turning their lives around, and becoming more compassionate people. 

Four Stars. 

Barbour Books and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

Mrs Witherspoon Goes to War

 

I've read a couple of the books in this series, and I have thoroughly enjoyed them, but this one just kept me on the edge of my seat.  

Peggy Witherspoon was also called Mama Bird, the WASP pilot and mother to two little girls. She was also the widow of a pilot who was shot down in Germany. While at the time, the WASPs were not part of the military, but were adjunct to the Army.  They were not allowed to fly any missions, but were used for training other troops or for ferrying cargo.  While these were important functions, the ladies in the WASPs felt they could do more.  As it was, the WASPs were required to do the maintenance, repairs, and all inspections on the planes they flew, something Peggy was quite adept at doing.  She had bought a plane before she married and with a manual, took it apart, repaired it and put it back together. 

When ferrying a plane from Connecticut back to Bolling Field in Washington, DC, Peggy notices smoke coming from the instrument panel of the plane. Major Howie Berg, the one in charge, orders her to ditch the plane and bail out, but Peggy will not do that because there is no safe place to let the plane crash without causing collateral damage in the way of civilian casualties.  With the help of another WASP pilot, she lands the plane safely, only to find out that the mechanics in Connecticut had allowed a frayed wire to pass inspection. The Major was not pleased at her disobeying his order, but in contemplating her reasoning, he would have commended a male pilot for the same actions. He just can't wrap his mind around allowing a woman to be the person she is called to be and at the same time protecting her as he'd been taught to protect women his whole life. 

On a supply run to Cuba, Peggy finds out that there are three American soldiers who have been taken prisoner and are being held on the northwest end of the island. She is not one who can let the situation lie, even though no one in any position of power will do anything about it.  She goes to the airplane graveyard at Bolling Field to find a worthy candidate for rebuilding. Nightingale and Brownie join with her in the endeavor. Somehow Maj. Berg finds out what they are doing and while he cannot give his approval for the mission, he aids them as much as he is able without jeopardizing his career. 

Mary Davis has given Peggy a full gamut of emotions and has made her a well-rounded character that is not only strong, but also likable and relatable.  Peggy has lost touch with God, but finds her way back to Him and finds the fullness of life He intends for her to enjoy.  Howie is a wounded pilot who will probably never fly a military mission again, but works hard to overcome his handicaps. He knows firsthand some of the things Peggy is going through and that makes him a sympathetic character.  Nightingale/Jolene is a "takes no prisoners" type of character who is Peggy's equal in the air and on the ground.  Brownie is an extraordinary navigator who can memorize maps at the drop of a hat.  Her abilities complement the other two. Peggy's mother and daughters add just the right amount of mischief to the plot and make it all the more enjoyable.  

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, with a fantastic dolphin rescue at sea. 

Barbour Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

The Attractiveness of Wisdom

 

I thought this book would have a great storyline, but I was sorely disappointed. Hamilton is newly divorced even though it was not what he wanted in spite of his ex-wife's cheating on him for years.  The way that Judy Kelly has written Hamilton's character makes him one of the most unsympathetic protagonists I've ever encountered in a book.  His ex-wife's complaints about his controlling nature are not unfounded and it amazed me that his youngest son would let him get away with being called "Buddy Boy" even though he was upper middle school going into high school.  

After the divorce, Hamilton's health required him to take a sabbatical from his job for a few months.  He took an unexpected trip to Hawaii where he met Anita, a woman who lost her fiance' within a week before the wedding. They challenged each other to step out and do something out of their own comfort zones. For Hamilton, this meant taking dancing classes. The dance teacher needed someone to help organize her office, so Ham took the job and ended up being the dance teacher when she sprained her ankle.  

Much of the first half of the book involved Hamilton and Franny, the dance teacher, working and giving instruction to the dance students. Most of the instruction consisted of using videos with Ham demonstrating after the video. Through the class, he met Emma and fell in love with her.  To say more about Ham's and Emma's relationship would be to spoil the ending.   I felt that more of the book dealt with Ham's and Franny's relationship than it did with Ham's and Emma's. 

Much of my dislike of this book is probably a matter of taste. I felt the plot moved slothfully slow and there just wasn't enough to hold my interest.  Someone else will like this book immensely.  It can be read at a leisurely pace.  Two and a half stars, rounded up to three. 

Black Rose Writing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own, and they are just that--opinions. 

Mistletoe Mix-Up

 

This novella is a cute story about a college student with nowhere to go for Christmas and an opportunity to house-sit and make a little money between terms. The problem is he goes to the wrong house--owned by people with similar names and a similar address in two different towns. 

Evan Edwards is a music major at East Texas University whose mother is on another honeymoon with another stepfather in a long line of stepfathers in Evan's life.  When Francis Cartier posts a flyer at the college for a house-sitter, Evan's professor suggests Evan call and ask about it.  Everything is copacetic.  Evan has a place to go and a job to do.  The only problem is he goes to Candle, Texas, instead of Crandall, Texas.  

In Candle, he meets George and Rise' (George's daughter), who are neighbors of Fin and Carol Carter.  With Rise's help, he decorates the Carter's home for them, gets roped into playing the piano for the children's Christmas pageant on Christmas Eve at the church where George and Rise' attend, and then finds out he's been at the wrong house the whole time.  With little time to spare and not a whole lot of energy, he hies himself over to Crandall to do the correct house. He gets it done in time for Francis and Caroline to come home.  He finds out that the Cartier's are hosting a benefit gala to honor Francis' sister, Dominique Miller, who was his original piano teacher from the time he was nine years old until he went to college. 

In the beginning of the book, Evan doesn't have much faith in anything--even himself.  He doesn't know what he's going to do when he finishes college, although he'd like to pursue an advanced degree. 

This comedy of errors book is a delight to read and won't take much time. Jody Bailey Day has created characters with flaws that make them all the more relatable and real.  The settings are easily imagined, and the premise promises a lot of fun to be had while reading the story.  It takes less than two hours to read which makes it perfect for curling up on the sofa with a comfy blanket and a mug of hot chocolate. 

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a peppermint stick to stir the cocoa. 

Pelican Book Group and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Her Darling Mr Day

 

First, this is the second book in the American Royalty series by Grace Hitchcock.  It can be read as a stand-alone, but there are some repeat characters, so the reader won't lose any context. 

Second, while the first book was an historic take on "The Bachelorette," this one is more of a season of "Survivor" without the immunity idols. 

Third, no one in their right mind seeks to summer in New Orleans, Louisiana. The heat and humidity are enough to send people running to the hills--far, far north of NOLA.  And let's not forget hurricane season. 

The book includes skullduggery, competition, mystery and intrigue, cattiness on a very high level, and very little faith expressed by the characters. Pirates, jealousy of siblings, fathers setting up their children to compete for their accolades, it was just a general mess of dysfunction, and not something I enjoyed reading.  I know there are people who will enjoy Grace's writing, but for me, it wasn't my taste. 

Flora Wingfield has found out that Teddy Day is back in New Orleans, so she convinces her father to take the family there for the summer. Florian Wingfield has five daughters, with four of them being of marriageable age--and Flora is nearly on the shelf. She has loved Teddy for a long time and sees this as her opportunity to seek his affections and attentions. Teddy has had his heart broken twice and Flora knows she has to step carefully.  Her sister, Tacy, wants the attention of one of the men who has his sights set on Flora.  Olive and Ermengarde are content to wait to find the loves of their lives, and Nora is not quite old enough to be on the marriage market.  

Teddy and his brother, Carlisle, are the sons of a luxury ship builder and he pits them against each other to bring in the most orders for the business by the end of the summer.  The winner gets controlling interest in the company, while the other gets a significant share, but not as much.  This is where Teddy finds that Flora has a talent for designing interiors that make his  boats much more desirable. 

There are a bevy of girls vying for Teddy's attentions and believe that they have the inside track to his heart. They are not above being underhanded and catty in trying to secure his attentions. 

At best, I can give this book three stars.  The nasty attitudes and actions of the characters are extremely off-putting.  Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

Bleeker Street Book 3

 

The last person Eunice wanted to see in the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency Office was Arthur Livingston; the last time she saw him, she shot him in the arm.  It was only a flesh wound, but still.  When she finds out whom he wants to find, she wants to turn down his inquiry immediately. The catch is that Arthur is looking for her!  She wore a disguise of widow's weeds and weeping veils. Arthur is not put off by Eunice's initial refusal to take his case, and comes back day after day to convince her to take his case.  

Jen Turano writes interesting historical fiction with quite a humorous twist, She mixes in social justice, a bit of mystery, and, of course, romance.  This series is entertaining to read and the characters are "real characters," who make the book so much fun.  There are laugh out loud moments, grace moments, forgiveness moments, and poignant moments. There were a few moments when I thought things got a little bit silly, but overall, this was a great read and one I would read again if in need of a rom-com in the historical fiction genre. One of the most important things this book has is that the characters' faith is lived out in a way that puts their money where their mouth is.  That was heartwarming to see. 

Four strong stars. 

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

The Lady of Galway Manor

The time is post World War 1, the location is Galway, Ireland, the major players are Lady Annabeth De Lacy and Stephen Jennings, the situations are tense from the get-go.  Lady Annabeth's father is the new landlord for the Galway area of Ireland.  The locals, for the most part, are resistant to the British rule of the area and plan to make a point of telling the British Government they are not welcome.  Lady Annabeth, or Anna, as she likes to be called is a rather creative type person who wants to learn silversmithing and the making of the Claddagh designs in jewelry.  Her father arranges an apprenticeship with Stephen Jennings and his father.  Stephen reluctantly takes her under his wing and teaches her about the jewelry, the people, and the customs of the area.  

The De Lacy family is in dire financial straits due to Lord De Lacy's mismanagement of family funds. He has been posted to Galway as a last ditch effort to bring his standing with the nobility up to snuff, only he doesn't tell his family this.  What he tries to do is to coerce Anna into a marriage with a man many years her senior, a man whom Anna knows to be a bully, but a man who is willing to bail them out financially.  Anna does not want this marriage at all, and her younger sister, Emmaline is willing to take it on because she wants to live in the nobility/society circles.  Anna doesn't want her sister to take on this man because of his reputation and age.  She feels it is too great a sacrifice.  

Jennifer Deibel has taken real conflicts and woven them into the warp and woof of a completely readable novel.  She has also taken the best and worst traits of mankind and made believable characters who are flawed and real.  The events in the book help to move the plot at a steady pace and keep the reader engaged.  There wasn't much I didn't like about the book.  The autonomy that Jennifer has imbued into Anna gives her the ability to design special jewelry for customers and for herself.  

Five Stars, two thumbs up, and a Celtic Cross Claddagh 

Revell Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

Love's Fortress

From the get-go, Jennifer Uhlarik has crafted a novel that proves all is not as it seems on the outside and that one must look deeper than rumors and innuendos.  She has taken actual historic events and paired them with a tale of discovery, heartache, and a wee bit of romance. Jennifer has shown a person can't always judge circumstances by appearances. 

Dani Sango has come to town to see what her late father has left her in his will.  All she's ever been told about him is that he was a deadbeat and an art forger who spent time in the penitentiary.  As she goes through the messages on his answering machine, she hears one from an art curator about something her father wanted to show him.  While in her father's house, she is accosted by her father's business partner and his employee, thinking she's an intruder. Once the misunderstanding is cleared up, she finds that she has a true friend in her father's partner who will stand beside her until she can figure out what's what.  

In a parallel plot line, Broken Bow and his brother are being moved from the Plains to St Augustine, Florida--against their will.  Sally Jo and her fiance', Luke, watch as they come into town and into the fort where they and others will be housed during their "incarceration."  Sally Jo's father is a federal judge who, in his quest to seek the best for his daughter, stands between her and what she really wants.  Luke has a stutter and to Sally Jo's father, he isn't good enough for her. The commandant of the fort desires to educate the men who have been brought in from the Plains and to teach them the skills they will need to live in a "white man's world."  

Brad is the assistant art curator for a museum in Tampa, Florida, who is dealing with a family emergency at the same time as he's trying to find out about the art piece Dani's father contacted him about.  He's not all that excited about the art piece because of the timing.  His family emergency is taking all of his time and mental efforts just to hold onto his sanity.  

For some "time slip" novels, I have a hard time keeping the stories straight in my head as I read them.  I did not have that trouble with this one.  The two stories are more of a parallel, where one gives background to the other and makes a complete picture in the reader's mind.  The fort at St Augustine is  quite near and dear to my heart, as it was where my father was stationed for his basic training in the Coast Guard during World War II. It has a rich, deep history that should be mined for its significance in the story of our country.   

The situations in the contemporary part of the novel are believable and to a degree, enjoyable.  Some of them are tragic, but that just adds life to what Jennifer has put down on paper. The characters are quite engaging and, for the most part, likable.  There are a couple the reader would like to take out and hang just for the heck of it, but I think that goes for a multitude of characters in many books.  This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a priceless art piece no forger could copy. 

Barbour Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

Shadows of Swanford Abbey

This novel reminded me of a Perry Mason episode. You have to understand that Perry Mason is one of my all-time favorite television shows (a lot of family history and good memories watching it).  But the premise of every Perry Mason episode is that someone gets murdered, all evidence points to an innocent party, and it's up to Perry and his private detective to find the missing keys and get the charges dropped from the innocent defendant, while proving who actually did commit the murder. Woven into this particular novel by Julie Klassen is a bit of mental illness exacerbated by addiction. 

Rebecca Lane has been asked to return to her hometown and help her brother out.  He has written a novel that he wants to have published.  The last one he wrote was stolen by another author, Ambrose Oliver, but he had no proof.  This time, he has covered his bases and set a trap for Oliver.  To fulfill her brother's request, Rebecca ends up staying at Swanford Abbey, which is said to be haunted by the abbess who started the Abbey.  This legend allows the for all the nefarious events to unfold, culminating in the murder of Oliver.  

Because Rebecca is back in her hometown, she is able to rekindle a friendship with Sir Frederick, a man who was a childhood crush, but also a scholar under the tutelage of her father, the local vicar. Frederick is the one who taught her to ride horses, engaged in her less-than-ladylike pursuits, and was her closest friend.  She finds that he is also staying at Swanford Abbey due to renovations going on at his house.  When Oliver is murdered, he is the magistrate in charge of the case.  He's the Perry Mason, with Rebecca being his Della Street. 

Some of the themes Julie has used in this book are: reconciliation, forgiveness, and healing.  Those themes make this book worth reading.  The only thing I didn't like about it was the predictability of the book.  The romance is tipped off early on in the book, the final solution to the murder is easy to suss out, even the events that bring about the murder are not surprising. Four Stars

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

Proposing Mischief

 Regina Jennings writes her historical novels with a touch of humor to keep the reader engaged. In this second book of her Joplin, Missouri, series, she relates the story of Boone Bragg and Maisie Kentworth. Maisie is quite a handful at best and an absolute calamity waiting to happen at worst.  Because of an unfortunate entanglement with an unscrupulous man, Maisie is pretty much exiled to her family ranch in order to stay out of trouble.  After fixing a fence one day, she decides to go exploring in the mine that is near her family's land holdings.  She breaks into the mine, takes a pickaxe with her, and takes her frustrations out on the mine walls. What she doesn't expect is to find a cavern full of crystals behind the mine.  She comes back out to find Boone Bragg at the mouth of the mine and takes him down to see the cavern.  That she is trespassing never crosses her mind, she's just exploring.  

Boone has problems of his own--as Maisie describes it, single women all over town are covering themselves with flypaper trying to attach themselves to him.  He wants nothing to do with them, he wants nothing to do with social climbers, and he wants nothing to do with women in general.  When Maisie shows up at his business's board meeting, he sees a way out of his "women dilemma." He offers Maisie a marriage contract. It offers her freedom, and it keeps him out of the marriage market.  

This plot is like a train wreck, you know what's going to happen, but you can't look away.  The calamities and  events that move through the plot are almost constant, like moving from the frying pan, to the fire, and hopping back and forth while trying to stay ahead of the game. (Sorry, I mixed a few metaphors there.)  Yes, the book is entertaining, yes, the characters are relatable, and by gum, the settings are unbelievably magnificent.  Many of the characters are the same ones that populated the first book in this series, Courting Misfortune, and play pivotal roles in this offering.   Four stars. 

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

Ring Those Bells

Ciara Knight writes sweet books that entertain for a while.  Creekside is a small town in the Smoky Mountains, where everyone knows everyone else's business. She has put into this book a few throw-away characters, where the reader sees them once and then not again for the rest of the book.  I am not sure how I feel about this, there may have been a better way to set up the situation.  But I am not an author, so I don't know.  

Keith has been furloughed from his job as a deep-sea fisherman in the South Pacific, so he has come home for the first time in three years. His mother is so happy to see him, but she's a helicopter parent of the highest degree.  His first act upon reaching town is to find a little boy whose mother is looking for him.  He is disheveled, looking like a wooly bear, and she believes that he is harming her son.  Once an understanding is reached between them, they become friends.  When the boy's mother, Noelle, loses her nanny for her son, Keith offers to stand in for a short time until she can find a new nanny for her son.  

Some kinks that are thrown in for good measure are an old girlfriend, old hurts, and Keith's intrusive mother, but the road to true love is never smooth or easy.  Throughout the whole book, Keith insists that he's going back to fishing and wasn't staying around. But, the more he gets to know Noelle and her son, the more inviting it has become for Keith to stay around.  The ending of the book leaves some loose ends untied.  And that leaves me with an unsatisfied feeling when I finished the book.  For that reason alone, I can give this four stars.  The book is an enjoyable, sweet read.  

Author Collective 20 and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

Flying Falling Catching

I was introduced to Henri Nouwen's writings in 2003 when I attended a conference on deepening my prayer life.  I started collecting his works and read him voraciously.  He had a lot to teach me and I was a sponge trying to absorb everything he taught.  When this book showed up as a potential book for me to read and review, I jumped on it.  I am so pleased that HarperOne chose me to read and review it through NetGalley.  

While there are many spiritual truths put forth in this book, this is more of a spiritual memoir than a teaching book.  Henri departed this life twenty-five years ago, but the legacy he left behind is one of graciousness, enthusiasm, energy, and depth.  There is just no other way to put it.  He was a deep man, with faults and foibles, but also a deep abiding love for the God he served.  

Much of this book deals with the Flying Rodleighs trapeze artists with the Barum Circus in Europe.  On a whim, Henri and his father attended the circus for something to do and that began the five year friendship Henri had with the Rodleighs.  Henri got to see the behind-the-scenes life of these performers  and even take part in sharing life with them.  In turn, they gear him up to take a ride on a trapeze.  The description of his joy in being on the swing was just priceless--something on the order of that if he didn't have ears, his smile would have met in the back of his head. 

Carolyn Whitney-Brown dealt with some of Henri's struggles with dignity and compassion, and she put together the book that Henri wanted to write about the Rodleighs. Throughout the book, she describes his last days and the care that was taken by the emergency personnel when he had his initial heart attack.  This is a poignant, funny, spiritually deep book that will keep the reader engaged from beginning to end.  I learned much, but most of all I learned to love the man himself for who he was.  He lived his life as well as he felt he could.  He took the time to learn from those around him, even when their communication skills are non-existent. He was always ready to share with those who needed something--a word of encouragement, a friend to stand beside them, or even a meal.  He was an extraordinary, yet ordinary person, who lived his life as well as he could. 

Five Stars

HarperOne and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

Much Ado About A Latte

Maple Falls, Arkansas, is a small town where everyone knows not only your name, but also your business.  It seems like a nice place to grow up and to raise a family, because even if everyone's nose is in your business, they care about you.  

Anita is a waitress at the Sunshine Diner, but the building next door is vacant and she wants to open a coffee shop in it.  Tanner Castillo is her high school crush/tutor, and he's also the chef at the Diner.  George, the owner, has decided to sell the diner and Tanner thinks it would make a good investment.  What's really aggravating about the situation with the empty building and the diner is that Anita and Tanner keep their plans a secret and both of them become angry when their plans are revealed.  It takes a bit for them to overcome their anger and to work together for the benefit of both of them.  

Kathleen Fuller is widely known for her Amish fiction, and this is the second in her Maple Falls series.  It's a lot of fun to read about a fictional town in Arkansas close to where I grew up.  Even the small town politics is familiar to places where I've lived.  Recognizing various places named within the story make it all the more compelling for me.  It is so easy for me to imagine the settings and the surroundings.  All of that added to my joy in reading the story.  I did get a bit put out with the knot-headedness of Tanner and Anita about keeping their business private and not telling the other what they were doing since their actions affected both of their businesses.  But that just added realism to the novel.  I could also understand Anita's feelings of inadequacy after being raised with over achieving brother and sister by over achieving parents.  Anita's mother set my teeth on edge with her somewhat narcissistic ways.  Even though she is a psychologist, she never stopped to listen.  My biggest pet peeve in all the world is not being listened to.  Just ask my husband.  😆  All of this makes the tale more believable.  I hope another novel in Maple Falls will be coming out soon!  

Four Strong Stars

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

The Do-Over

 

This is quite a good book that has twists, turns, and unexpected events, but I am not sure what the title has to do with the plot of the book.  Maybe I just missed the point.  Who knows? 

McKenna Keaton is a driven woman working in a high stress, high profile, New York City law firm as a junior partner.  In a meeting where McKenna believes she is going to be promoted, she is accused of embezzlement.  She is placed on administrative leave until the whole situation is cleared up.  At one point, she is told the investigation found out that she did embezzle the money, even though she knows she didn't.  

McKenna's youngest sister is getting married soon and is going to have an engagement party as well as having her sisters fitted for their bridesmaids dress fittings.  McKenna hadn't been sure she was going to make it for the weekend, but the loss of her job coincided with Taylor's weekend.  

McKenna has decided not to tell her family why she has really come home.  She just lets them believe that she's there for all of Taylor's events.  

Her brother-in-law was invited to a benefit for Hank Blume, a documentary producer, and took McKenna along, because McKenna's oldest sister wasn't feeling up to it.  McKenna finds out that Hank Blume is actually a classmate, Henry Blumenthal.   Sparks fly.   

The Do-Over is highly entertaining.  The story between McKenna and Henry is sweet, the relationships of McKenna and her family underwent a number of changes and cleared a lot of air with some humor thrown in for good measure.  The characters are believable, the settings are totally enchanting, and the movement of the plot is satisfying.  Bethany Turner has done a masterful job in putting words to paper to make an enjoyable story for her readers.  

Four Strong Stars. 

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.   All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

Meet Me in the Margins

 

Savannah has a secret--she's written a novel that she wants to have published.  The reason it is so secret is that she is an editor for a publishing company that doesn't "do" fluff, Pennington Publications.  Their market is higher tier literary fiction--not romance.  

Will Pennington has been brought in to stop the financial bleeding from toppling the Pennington empire.  He's the son of the owner of the company and he recently left one of the big publishing houses in New York to help save Pennington.

This book gives a peek into the parts of the publishing world that aren't all hype and glitz.  It gives a nitty-gritty behind the scenes look into the actual process of getting a book from inside someone's head to actual words on paper bound in a nice, neat package for the consumer. 

Some of the plot lines that flesh out this novel include Savannah's over-achieving younger sister who polices everything Savannah eats, drinks, and every step she takes; all while planning her wedding to Savannah's former boyfriend, Ferris.   Throughout the book, Ferris is portrayed as a nice guy overall, but still the fly in Savannah's ointment.  It is not until the very end that his true, slimy colors are revealed. 

When Savannah drops her manuscript during one of the weekly meetings, someone picks up the pages and reads them, giving her harsh, but not un-due criticism of her writing.  She decides to ask for help from her mystery editor to get her manuscript ready for submission in forty-four days.  That's all the time the publisher she's chosen for her book has to give Savannah for the book.  

I am not sure why Will took such an interest in Savannah, nor what the original attraction was.  He seemed to seek out her advice on things at the publishing house when she was not one of the premier editors for the company.  She was definitely not one of his mother's pet editors and was rather on the outside of the inner circle.  It was surprising that Will took Savannah's opinions to heart and made sweeping changes within the company based on those opinions.  

The romance was very understated throughout the novel and when it did show up, it was very sweet.  Melissa Ferguson knows just how much humor to add into the mix to make her novels enjoyable reads. 

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review and I am surprised at what Thomas Nelson allowed in this book to be categorized as Christian Fiction.  While it's a minor part of the plot, Ferris and Olivia (Savannah's sister) living together is rather unexpected.  Still it is a four-star book.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.  

Every Word Unsaid

There is something familiar in Kimberly Duffy's writings that take the readers to exotic places without ever leaving their homes.  With the protagonist's travels, Kimberly once again takes her readers to India in the late 1800s to a time under British rule, unspeakable poverty, desperate conditions, and astounding beauty.  

Augusta "Gussie" Travers escapes her family's climb into social status by writing for Ladies Weekly magazine as "Miss Adventuress." She travels throughout the United States, taking photographs and writing articles that allow her readers to escape the drudgery of daily life.  Her writing is light-hearted and witty, and her photographs are breath-taking illustrations of her travels.  When her identity is leaked on the morning of her sister's wedding, she is denigrated and renounced by her family.  Her parents decide to exile her to her aunt's in Chicago, where she might learn some of the finer societal manners, and where she won't be able to harm their social status by her outrageous behavior. Her boss at Ladies Weekly offers to send her to India for a more exotic trip than she's been on before. 

As Gussie is leaving for Chicago in the company of her uncle--once a Pinkerton agent--she ditches the train she's on and heads to Boston to catch a ship to England and then India.  While in India she meets up with her childhood friends Specs and Catherine. And while in India, she finds that she has come home.  She has found the place where she is accepted for who she is, where she is valued for her thoughts and ideas, where she is treated with respect and honor--all things that have been missing from her family's treatment and opinions of her. She also finds love.  It's a topsy-turvy road to romance for Gussie (and dare I say it, a rather formulaic road to romance).

I am not sure where Kimberly came up with the title for Every Word Unsaid, because there were not many words left unsaid by the time the book is finished.  Gussie and Specs hashed, rehashed, and sometimes over-hashed their words with each other.  But this book is one that was surprisingly compelling. There are events that bring out anger, compassion, excitement, betrayal, understanding, and several other emotions. It will cause readers like me to lose sleep because they just can't put it down, but it's worth every minute.  I looked back to see that I have read all of Kimberly's books and they are all just as enjoyable as this one.  

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a ride on an elephant to fulfill a bucket list item. 

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

Saving Mrs Roosevelt

First off:  Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a signal buoy to relay information. 

Second:  Barbour Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

Third:  My reasons for choosing this book to read have much to do with my father's service in the Coast Guard during World War II and my love for novels set during this era.  

Daddy served on the USS Menges DE 320.  He was a Carpenter's Mate 3rd Class, which made him a Petty Officer, and he was Shore Patrol for his ship.  Among the Menges exploits is the fact that the crew members and the rest of the crews in the Hunter/Killer group of Destroyer Escorts received one of the few ribbons for the American Theater of the war for sinking a U-Boat off the coast of New Foundland.  The Menges was torpedoed, taking the back 1/3 of the ship.  It was towed to Algiers for temporary repairs, and then towed back to Boston and put into drydock for more permanent repairs.  The damaged stern was removed and the stern part of another DE was welded to the stern to make a slightly longer sea-worthy ship. 

Saving Mrs. Roosevelt is based loosely in fact.  There are some historical characters populating the book and actual events that help to build the plot.  The plot itself is moving, intriguing, compelling, engaging, and otherwise interesting.  Treason, betrayal, heroism, and grief all play a part in the book.  

Shirley Davenport wants to do her part to aid in the war effort. She's twenty-two years old and spends her days working with her father on his fishing/lobster boat.  When Captain Leo Webber comes to Lubec, Maine, to recruit women to serve in the newly formed SPARS branch of the Coast Guard, Shirley and her best friend, Joan,  go to enlist.  She's soon sent to Iowa for Basic Training and spends much of her time studying and learning basic protocols and customs of the Coast Guard.  

When threats are made on Eleanor Roosevelt's life, Shirley is chosen to go back home under the guise of a dishonorable discharge to see if she can find the source of the threats.  Her parents are hugely disappointed in her and the gossip mill in her small town has ostracized her to the point that it is hard for her to accomplish what she's been asked by her government to do.  

This book is part three in the Heroines of World War II series, but each is a stand-alone book.  These books do not have to be read in order because the plots do not overlap.  The authors chosen for this series are top-notch writers, and Candice Sue Patterson certainly fits this bill quite nicely.  I want to read more books by her. 

 

As Dawn Breaks

The year is 1918, and Rosalind Graham is about to married to what is known as a "scunner" in the local parlance, and she can't stand the thought.  Her uncle arranged the marriage to his own benefit, and the man is abusive at best.  Her friend from the munitions factory where she works, Tilly, is holding a shower for her after work and sends Rose to her cottage to get cleaned up before the party.  Tilly gives Rose her number badge so that no one will stop her on her way out.  Once Rose is at Tilly's cottage, she hears an explosion and sees that the factory has gone, along with Tilly and her other friends.  In Tilly's cottage, she finds a five pound note and a letter telling her to take advantage of making a new life away from Chilwell and her uncle and fiance.  Tilly ends up in Gretna Green, Scotland, working for a munitions factory there using Tilly's name.  

Alex is being sent home after injuries he suffered when his brother, Ian, crashed and died.  While Alex hadn't crashed, he tried to save his brother from the burning wreckage of the plane Ian was flying.  Now, Alex is being "discharged" to try to catch the Rhymer before he can blow up another munitions plant.  It just so happens that the next plant on the Rhymer's list is in Gretna. He comes home to find his parents have rented out his room to Tilly/Rose and his sister, Hannah, is working at the munitions factory as well.  

This is a book filled with espionage, double-dealing, secrets, and treason.  It's also filled with pranks, practical jokes, and winning over the opposition.  And, just to satisfy my romantic tastes, a bit of falling in love. 

Kate Breslin is one of those authors who knows how to fill a book with enough twists and turns to keep the reader involved from beginning to end. Sometimes I get impatient with a book and I want to skip to the end and find out how it all plays out.  I couldn't do that with this book, because there was quite a bit of unpredictability in the plot.  

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and some tatties and neeps. 

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

A Gift Most Rare

 

This is the most feel-good story of all feel-good stories.  Charlie is in the sixth grade, but he has a sensitive heart toward those who are hurting, especially the newly widowed Mr. Olsen and Viet Nam Vet, Parker.  When Skylar moves into town to work with Henry in the parks department, he recognizes Charlie's thoughtfulness and encourages Charlie in his endeavors.  Charlie is a typical sixth grade boy in all other aspects, with a group of friends who are all sports-minded like he is.  One of the boys in his group of friends is a bit of a loose cannon who is willing to step in and take credit for things he didn't do; at the same time, he races head-long into trouble while taunting the rest of the group to entice them into his trouble.  Skylar watches all of these shenanigans with a close eye.  

What the reader gets to understand is that Skylar is not exactly who he presents himself to be.  He is an angel in disguise, working inside and outside the hearts that are receptive to his help. 

There are characters the readers will absolutely love, a few they will absolutely dislike strongly, and a few that the readers will change their minds about.  Tom Leihbacher is a gifted author who has a great grasp of the work angels do in our world. A Gift Most Rare is an easy read that is compelling and entertaining.  Four Strong Stars.  I will be looking forward to reading more books by Tom.  

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc. and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

The Winter Rose

 

So I decided to lose sleep over this book last night.  I just couldn't put it down.  First, let me say that there is very little romance--as in ooey-gooey kisses and long, loving looks type of romance--in this book, but there are examples of deep, abiding love that lasts through the ages. 

This is what is commonly known as a time-slip novel, where there are parallel plots that cover more than one era.  In this case, it is World War II and present day.  Grace Tonquin has seen too much of the evil of men and works to save children from the Nazi regime and spirit them into Spain, and ultimately, to Lisbon, Portugal, where they can be shipped out of Europe. Her whole raison d'etre is taking care of the children.  Two of the children she is responsible for become as her own when she finds there is no uncle living in the United States to care for them.  She takes them with her back to Oregon to her family's vineyard. Elias, soon to become known as Charlie, is a bundle of rebellion, anger, and regret.  He's seen far more than a child of his age should see. His sister, Marguerite, is an artist from a very young age.  She has synesthesia--an ability to see emotions as colors--and can tell at a glance where danger lies, even though she is quite young. She thrives with Grace's love and gentleness, where Charlie kicks at the goads hard and often.  

Roland is the man who guided Grace and the children out of France, and who has fallen in love with Grace.  He has promised he will find her and come back to her, and he does, but not until after he was interred at Dachau Prison Camp for the waning years of the war.  Together they build a home for Elias and Marguerite and Louis--another child who was hidden away by Roland's aunt Helene. Louis never really connected to Grace and Roland, instead choosing to live with Grace's mother--a once upon a time movie star. 

Addie is a protégé of Charlie and Emma, who ran the Sale Creek Home for Girls.  She had gotten in trouble with the law and was offered this option or time in jail.  She chose the Home for Girls. Afterward, she got a scholarship to a Bible College where she met her husband who was a pastor of not very high integrity.  When Charlie gets sick and needs a bone marrow transplant, Addie goes looking for family members who might be a worthy donor.  She finds more to Charlie's story than she ever knew before, and in the meantime finds a bit of herself in the process.  

For having so many characters in the book, Melanie Dobson does a fantastic job of fleshing them out and making them come alive on the pages of the novel.  The Winter Rose is the kind of book that will make the readers think, and feel, and take stock of themselves.  Which is not a bad thing at all. 

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a hike over the mountains to safety. 

Tyndale House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

A Flicker of Light

 Once upon a time, there was a man named Miner McGee who sought after the greatest treasure and riches. He heard that there was a great diamond in the Montana mountains.  He hiked up the mountain and got caught in a blizzard.  When the authorities were about to go up the mountain to find him, they saw the light of his headlamp flicker on. 

This was a story Juniper Jones often told her granddaughter, Bea, and it was Bea's favorite story.  Bea is at a cross-roads in life--her husband has lost his job, they have moved in with her father who doesn't seem to like her husband, and she just found out she's pregnant. Other kinks in the works are that Bea's mother passed away a couple of years ago and neither Bea nor her father have fully grieved her passing.  While the turmoil of moving in with her father and all that entails is going on, Juniper, her father's mother is sliding into Alzheimer's dementia, and her father's next door neighbor has the hots for him and he's just not ready for that kind of relationship.  

This book is about grief, about secrets, about standing on your own two feet, and about grace.  I am not sure what I expected for the end of the book to be, but I felt it was rather abrupt and wished the book had been longer even though Katie Powner tied up the loose ends rather nicely. I was just left wanting something more, I'm not sure what, but just more. For that reason alone I give it four stars.  I loved the setting--my daughter once lived in a small Western Montana town and was actually an EMT/first responder for her county there. Imagining the places, fictitious as they were, was not a difficult thing to do, and there is no better place to set a story like this one. 

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

Love on the Range

 

This is the third book in the Brothers in Arms series.  I read the first one and got a rather ho-hum impression of the book.  I didn't read the second one and found myself lost from the get-go on this third one.  It's hard to tell where all the characters fit in because I didn't read the second one.  Most of the time when I read something I don't particularly like by an author I have really liked previously, I will give that author the benefit of the doubt and just say it was a one off kind of thing.  Love on the Range and the whole Brothers in Arms series does not fit that description. The reader has to begin with the first book and read them in order to keep up with the characters and where they fit. Even doing this, the readers may find themselves a bit lost.  With so many in the mix, it is hard to keep in mind that this is Molly's and Wyatt's story. Everyone seems to be trying to take a starring role, and no one is willing to be a supporting cast member. 

I really wish I could have enjoyed the book more, but it didn't seem to have the element of fun I've experienced in other Mary Connealy books. Ultimately, how much a reader likes a book comes down to personal taste.  There will be other readers who absolutely love this book and will rate it highly.  I wish I were one of those readers, but I am not.  Two stars. 

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

The Heart of a Cowboy

 

I sincerely hope that Jody Hedlund is having as good time writing this series as I have been having reading it.  

Flynn is taking his younger brother and sister, and a herd of shorthorn cattle west to another brother's ranch in Colorado. 

Linnea and her grandfather are on a botanical expedition for the Smithsonian Institute along with some other botanists.  Linnea is newly widowed and all she wants to do is prove her mettle as a botanist to the point that she sometimes loses herself in her work and neglects her environment. 

In order to keep her safe, Linnea's grandfather pays Flynn to keep her out of trouble and act as a bodyguard, but Flynn is not to tell Linnea about it.  This arrangement gives Linnea and Flynn a lot of time together. Flynn begins to fall for Linnea but he thinks he doesn't want a wife.  He doesn't want to  put a woman through what his mother went through with his stepfather.  

The Heart of a Cowboy takes childhood trauma, and delicately moves through the healing that must happen for health to come.  It also takes on dealing with girls growing up without mother figures and feminine influence. Flynn has had to be both mother and father to his younger siblings since his mother passed away and his stepfather kicked him off the farm.  

There is a bit of "romance formula" in this book, but it is not so overwhelming to the story that it detracts from the plot, but it adds credibility to the plot.  It is ultimately an enjoyable read that will give a few hours of solid entertainment.  Four Strong Stars. 

Bethany House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

A View Most Glorious

I did not realize that this book was the third in a series, because it does so well as a stand-alone.  None of the books' characters seem to be repeated in the series, so the reader is not lost due to prior circumstances in the earlier novels.  

Coraline Baxter is a suffragette who wants to make her mark on the world in a way that does not include being arm-candy.  Her mother believes that standing is society for a woman is far more important than her brains. In fact, her mother believes that brains are a detriment to a woman, where Coraline believes that a woman has just as much intelligence as a man and can make sound decisions in business, politics, and life.  She is head-strong and quite argumentative, but not necessarily in a bad way.  Her suffragist friends entice her to climb Mt Rainier and show that women have just as much strength and ability as men do.  In order for her to make the climb, her mother makes a deal with her--if Coraline is successful, she can continue to live her life on her own terms: choosing her own husband, working at her stepfather's bank, and working toward the women's rights to vote. If Coraline is not successful, she must submit to marrying a man of her mother's choosing.  To fail is not something Coraline is willing to do.  And her stepfather will do whatever he has to do to help her succeed, and that includes hiring Nathan Hardee to guide them up the mountain.  

One thing that struck me in this book is the strength of Nathan's faith, the way he lived his faith in helping those around him, the way he showed his faith in how he did the job he was hired to do, and the very way he worshipped. It was more than  just lip service to him, and it impacts others around him. 

Regina Scott's handling of this novel and its incumbent quirks is nothing short of magical.  There isn't a bad guy, so to speak, in this book, but there is one sleazy character who is the character readers will love to hate (every story needs one).  The setting and the supporting cast of characters make this an extremely enjoyable read. 

Once again, five stars, two thumbs up, and an alpenstock to aid your climb. 

Revell Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.  

 

The Stolen Lady

During World War II, the Nazis under Hitler ravaged museums and stole art pieces that were priceless, which caused people to hide the national treasures .  Laura Morelli has taken the story of hiding the Mona Lisa during World War II and worked in the history of the painting from 500 years previously.  There are a lot of characters in this book, each in their own setting and with their own sets of issues.  Laura has also brought out the historical tensions in both of the situations, making this an informative read as well as an entertaining read. 

The stories are told in serial chapters focusing on one character at a time, and bringing the lives of the characters into their own spotlights.  This book will require a concentrated effort to keep with the plots and people, but the effort will be rewarded in the end.  

Four Stars. 

William Morrow and Custom House and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.