This Time Around

 The subtitle of this book tells it all--three sweet romances.  And all three stories are sweet, almost enough for a diabetic coma 😉.  Melissa Ferguson is the only author not known by me, and for me, hers was the least appealing novella.  Someone else will like it, but I was reading this book on the heels of a thought-provoking book that had me reeling after I finished it.  

In Denise Hunter's offering, Allie has volunteered to drive the 1957 Chevy her parents had restored to her grandparents 50th anniversary.  There are a couple of problems, the major one being that her parents don't trust her and the second one being she can't drive a stick shift.  So, being the resourceful girl that she is, she enlists the aid of her best childhood friend, Luke.  Along the way, they get lost, encounter a hail storm, and lose the car to some joy-riders.  It's quite the rollicking tale that brings healing to Allie and her relationship with her family.  It also opens a door long-since closed to Luke and Allie.  

In Melissa Ferguson's story, Theo is called home to his family's Christmas tree farm when the manager is injured in an accident.  What he doesn't know is that his first love, Skye Whitesides has come home to help out.  The tension between the two of them is based on unrealistic expectations and misunderstandings. Once all that is cleared up, then, . . . . 

Kathleen Fuller is better known to me as an Amish fiction writer, but her contemporary story is the best of these three. Sophie owns Petals and Posies, the local florist shop in Maple Falls, Arkansas.  Joe is a friend who has been intrigued with Sophie since their school days.  Kathleen has thrown in a villain in the character of Landon, an attorney who is trying to tear down all the legacy businesses in Maple Falls to make way for a new development. 

For a couple of afternoons of mindless entertainment, this book is a perfect fit.  It's a great "palate cleanser" to come after a thoughtfully deep book. Four stars. 

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

If It Rains

 

This is not a book to be enjoyed.  It is a book to be consumed, deliberated over, and digested at length.  There aren't many light-hearted moments to be had in this book, but it is a story that needs to be told and retold.  Taking place in Boise City, Oklahoma, and during the dust bowl era, If It Rains chronicles the story of two sisters caught in untenable situations that move the reader to strong emotions and even stronger reactions.  

Melissa has married into the leading family of the town, but her marriage isn't all it's cracked up to be. Her new husband shows his true colors the very first night of their marriage and becomes worse as the plot moves on.  The only reason he married her was to get her father to sell him his land because it has the only water source in the area, but soon after that, the water dries up, just like the rest of the county.  That only makes Melissa's husband even angrier. 

Kathryn is Melissa's younger sister and was born with a club foot, and she can only walk with the use of a leg brace. When their father sells the land, Kathryn, her father, and his second wife decide to go to Indianapolis to live with the wife's father, a doctor, who can help with Kathryn's foot.  Along the way, Kathryn gets lost in a dust storm and gets left behind.  She has to make her own way to Indianapolis, surviving on her wits and the kindness of strangers.  Once she makes it to Indianapolis, Kathryn finds that her step-mother deliberately left her in a ditch to die during that dust storm.  

These characters demonstrate resiliency, dogged determination, and a grasp of life that won't be let go.  Melissa is not content to pay lip service to the Christian charities of her church, but works to make a difference if only in one life. The power her husband has in the community makes it hard for her to truly live it out, but she does the best she can to help and befriend one woman who is living hand to mouth with five children to feed.  Kathryn finds within herself the power to lead her own life under her own terms with her own strengths--especially after finding strength she didn't know she had. 

Jennifer L Wright has taken pages from a history book and put them into a format that the average reader can understand and empathize.  The Dust Bowl Era was an especially hard time of American History especially due to the already depressed economy and the lack of understanding what conserving the land really meant.  Reading books like this helps readers to understand the hard-scrabble life people had during this bleak time of history.  In fact, this book puts me in mind of a classic John Steinbeck novel, The Grapes of Wrath, and could be considered on a par with that book.  

Five Stars. 

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

At Lighthouse Point

 I have to say that I am enjoying the new fiction that Suzanne Woods Fisher is writing.  While I have always enjoyed her Amish fiction, this contemporary Christian fiction showcases her writing talents in new and satisfying ways for her readers. 

At Lighthouse Point is the third and final novel of the Three Sisters Island series, taking place on Three Sisters Island in Maine.  While all three sisters of the Grayson family are important characters in this book, the focus is on the youngest sister, Blaine.  She's been in Paris for the last two years at Le Cordon Bleu school of cooking and is returning home.  She's brought with her a friend she met in Paris who helped her at a time when she was at her lowest, and even helped her into the school and to find a job.  

There is a bit of a formula to the book, but only in the sense that the whole boy meets girl, falls for girl, loses girl all happened before the plot begins.  Suzanne has also brought some new characters into the story that only add to the flavor of the book. Some of these characters have history with the Grayson family, including Granddad Grayson, who had never been around since Blaine was five years old.  

One of the things Suzanne does well throughout this series is she gives rise to each girl's voice and perspective in the book that centers on each girl.  Blaine's perspective is somewhat misunderstood by her sisters, but it is explained through the inclusion of Blaine's memories.  What Blaine finds through the events in the story is that her dream can be attained and it is a welcome accomplishment for her. 

Jean-Paul, the friend visiting from Paris, is the cause of some tension between Blaine and an old friend, Artie.  Blaine has always loved Artie, but he frosts her out at every turn until they finally have a chance to sit down and talk about what separated them in the first place. Jean-Paul is the voice of reason throughout the book, giving sage advice that is always biblically based, in spite of the many accidents that happen to him.  

This is a five star book, two thumbs up, and a melt-in-your-mouth brownie to eat while you read. 

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

Three Words for Goodbye

Maddie and Clara are sisters who stay at odds with each other.  Clara, being elder, has always tried to boss Maddie around, but Maddie has her own mind.  It's been a while since the two of them have had much interaction.  Their grandmother, Violet, has some unfinished business and wants the two girls to go to Europe and finish it on her behalf.  She has paid for all of their transportation, lodging, and food, while giving them time to experience the beauties that Europe has to offer.  She has supplied them with letters instructing them what she needs them to do for her.  She knows her time on earth is short and wants nothing left to chance.  Violet knows first-hand how important sisters are and that forgiveness is the only cure for estrangement. 

Clara is engaged to be married to a man who has hired someone to surreptitiously spy on them and report back to him.  He is a business mogul who wants pretty arm-candy that he can control and mold into the perfect little homemaker.  I'm sorry--I wasn't using my inside voice on that last statement.  He's a rather despicable little character who doesn't understand his fiancee at all.  He sends her gifts along the way that show he has no idea who she really is.  Even the engagement ring he gave her is not one she likes.  

Maddie is an aspiring journalist who has a serious dislike for Clara's intended. She knows that he's not above running rough-shod over people to further his business.   Maddie is also a woman who lives by her own rules and doesn't care who knows it. 

Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb have collaborated on this entertaining novel that captures the readers from the very beginning and doesn't release them until long after they have finished the book.  The characters who populate the story are relatable and believable.  The settings are beyond imagination and the intrigue is just enough to carry the story through.  These ladies have used actual historical events to give color and interest to the narrative.  The time period of the novel is one of the darkest eras in modern history.  

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a trip through Europe to say "good bye."

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

 

 

The Forest of Vanishing Stars

First, my immediate impression of this book is that it is weird. A toddler gets kidnapped from her wealthy parents by a woman who is 80+ years old, and then taken into the forest to learn the most basic survival skills.  The woman, Jerusza, teaches her reading, math, science, and a bit of politics.  Jerusza also changes the toddler's name from Inge to Yona-meaning dove, because of the dove shaped birthmark on her wrist. Jerusza has pre-sight into the world that is coming and teaches Yona what she must know to survive in the forest and what Yona must know to teach others the same survival skills. 

Soon after Jerusza dies, Yona meets a very ill young girl and her family on the edge of the forest. She nurses the girl and her father back to health, but they refuse to allow her to take them deeper into the forest and lose their lives because of it.  Yona does encounter more people who are escaping the Jewish ghettos in Poland and teaches them the skills they need to survive, up to and including building underground bunkers for the winter months.  

Yona's experiences are confusing at best. She's been taught to live a solitary life, but gets thrown into a community of people who are trying to escape the evil in the world.  She knows much of the healing arts with herbs and other plants, she knows how to forage for food and what forest plants are safe to eat.  She knows when to move, and how to cover her tracks. 

Kristin Harmel has put together a book that is based in fact with some creative license thrown in for good measure.  It is a cohesive story, but the weirdness really threw me for a loop. I can't really put my finger on what makes it seem weird to me, it just is.  

Three stars

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

 

The Librarian of Saint-Malo

Mario Escobar is a Spanish author who writes very historically accurate novels that are well-researched with relatable characters and plots that give quite a bit more insight to the  times.  

The Librarian of Saint-Malo is a hard book to read simply because of the subject matter--which is the subjugation of France by the Germans during World War II. While reading in a history book about the German occupation of France during World War II gives a wide-angle picture of the situation, reading this book gives a nitty-gritty look at the day to day lives of people who are in the thick of the turmoil. 

Jocelyn and Antoine are newly married when Jocelyn finds she has tuberculosis.  She is not quite totally recovered when Germany begins their invasion of France.  Because of the invasion, Antoine is called up to go fight.  It isn't long before he is wounded, captured, and taken to a German POW camp.  While Jocelyn works to keep the library of their town open and usable, she also has to house a German officer who is arrogant, narcissistic, and power- and money-hungry.  

There aren't many happy moments in this book, it is a book of realities and hardships that converge to tell a story.  It is a deep novel that requires a lot of cogitating and digesting for the reader, and that's a good thing.  Jocelyn's ideal is that libraries are important to preserve the thoughts and philosophies of the writers, to preserve the histories of those who have gone before, and to give power to the readers. 

Books don't have owners; they're free agents we just happen to hold for a brief time. . . . Every time someone opens a book, it comes alive once more.  Its characters wake up from their nap and start acting all over again.

This quote is one of my favorite parts of the book because it states so eloquently my feelings about books and reading.  It is this thought that carries Jocelyn through all that she experiences in this book. 

This book is worth every minute it will take to read it and digest it.  Five stars, two thumbs up, and a thought-provoking book to read in your free moments. 

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

 

Blackberry Beach

Katherine Parker is hiding from the paparazzi in Hope Harbor, just south of Coos Bay, Oregon, and taking a break  from her acting career.  She wants to remain as anonymous as she possibly can while she reconsiders what she truly wants from life.  

Zach Garrett is the owner of the local coffee shop who is estranged from his father.  He lives in a cabin on the beach that happens to be next door to the cabin Katherine is renting. 

When Katherine comes into Zach's coffee shop, he recognizes in her a need for a friend, and he wants to be that friend, especially with the encouragement of his friend, Charley, who runs a fish taco truck. Charley seems to have insight into the wounds people have endured.  With Charley's prodding, Zach tries to find ways to befriend Katherine, and after that, he finds he wants more than just her friendship.  

One of the funniest things in this book is that the author references another book she wrote.  One of the characters is reading an Irene Hannon mystery.  

Katherine and Zach are both seeking answers to the why of some of the events in their lives and how those answers can enhance and strengthen their own faith.  While this is not a particularly fast paced plot, the story develops quite thoroughly, the characters grow as people who are believable and relatable, and the setting is divine!

Five stars, two thumbs up, and a chocolate blackberry truffle. 

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

 

Paint and Nectar

While this is considered a "time slip" book, I consider it a contemporary fiction with historical components.  To me, time slip connotes characters slipping in and out of various time periods, where these characters stay in their own time periods, but are connected through history.  That being said, this is one of those books that will stay with the reader long after the last page has been turned.  Ashley Clark has included a genealogical element that brings the story to life. 

Eliza is a watercolorist who is prominent during the Charleston Renaissance of the early nineteen hundreds. William is an art forger who hates what he does, but feels he has to continue to pay a debt.  What is unforeseen is that William and Eliza fall in love, but because of a generations old feud between their families,  they end up marrying other people to fulfill family obligations. 

Lucy is an art historian and curator working at the museum in Charleston.  Because she spots a forgery of one of Eliza's paintings, she is given the opportunity to set up an exhibit of Eliza's works at the museum. During this time, Lucy is given a house that is on the historic register and once actually belonged to Eliza.  

Declan's father wants Lucy's house to find the silver that was hidden on the property during the War Between the States.  The silver dates back to Paul Revere and could be worth millions.  Declan is not as adamant about finding the silver, but must do as his father expects to keep his job.  That they don't see eye to eye is almost a given, considering the atmosphere between them.  

There are so many reasons to recommend this book:

• unexpected love
• following dreams
• finding truth
• finding faith
• intertwining stories
• settings that read like rich tapestries
• characters who resonate with the reader
• a bit of intrigue and mystery-solving
• a family feud resolved

This is a five star book with two thumbs up and a priceless silver ring.  

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

No Journey Too Far

 

When I see that a book by Carrie Turansky is on the list of available books for review, I always jump on the chance to read it.  Her writing grabs her readers, hooks them on the first page, and drags them through to the last page without letting go.  When I finish a Carrie Turansky book, I have felt all of the feels, I have laughed and wept, I have been angry, and I have connected with the characters. This is no less the case with No Journey Too Far.  

In this book, the reader will find social injustice, wealth and social status, a bit of a Perry Mason drama, and a reunion of such magnitude it will tear one's heart out.  

First:  Grace is sent to a Barnardos Children's Home in Canada with her sister, Katie, and her brother, Garth, when her mother cannot take care of them due to illness, even though her mother would recover and desire to have Grace and her siblings back.  Grace is separated from her sister when a couple adopts her and tells her she had no family left when, in fact, that was not the case.  Grace's brother and sister were both indentured and had to serve out terms of their contracts.  Grace's sister was placed in a friendlier atmosphere than her brother was, but her brother met the love of his life while serving his indenture.  

After World War I, Grace's brother comes back to Canada to find Grace after she wrote a letter to the home where she was originally taken to find out about her family.  She is seventeen and her parents are planning her debut, so that she can make an "advantageous match" and marry into society.  Status and wealth seemed to mean everything to her parents. When Garth comes to the house where Grace is living, Grace's parents turn him away.  Garth and his friend Ron plot a way to get Grace away, if that is Grace's desire.  Their family is waiting in England for her. 

In a parallel plot, Garth has been waiting for letters from Emma, the woman he wants to marry, but time and circumstances have prevented her letters from getting to him and his letters from getting to her. One other purpose Garth has for coming back to Canada is to find Emma.  In a series of unfortunate events, Emma's landlady is murdered and the suspicion falls on Emma.  She leaves town and moves with Margaret, the cook of the boarding house, to Margaret's sister's place.  Margaret's sister has a restaurant where Emma and Margaret work to help out for their room and board. 

Emma is eventually found and arrested by the authorities, and Garth's brother-in-law-a Perry Mason-ish barrister, comes from England and defends Emma in court.   

It was easy to be angry with Grace's adoptive parents for the information they withheld from her, for the way they turned her brother away from their home, and for the way they pushed her toward a socially acceptable marriage; but their motives were good though misguided and their priorities needed an adjustment. 

Grace is a sweet girl who lived to please her parents, but always thought she fell short of the mark, so when Garth offered her a way out, she took it. Garth's friend, Ron, was a mainstay to Grace during the whole adventure.  

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a tearfully joyful reunion. 

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

Winning the Gentleman

 

I grew up behind a parimutuel horse racing track, and while I never went to the races, Daddy would take me to a break in the shrubs so I could watch the horses run.  From January to April, Oaklawn Park ran thoroughbred races, while the rest of the town geared up for the influx of people coming to watch the horses run, and to place their bets on which horse was the best.  Traffic was a nightmare unless you knew shortcuts or back ways to get around town.  But this is the world of modern horse racing.  So when I saw that this book was about horse racing, I decided to pick it up and see how romance and horses blended together.  

Aaron Whittaker was watching the circus performer ride on the back of the most beautiful horse he'd ever seen.  She looked like a faerie standing on the back of her horse and he was intrigued. Then he saw a young red-headed man working with the horse after the show and made inquiries to hire him to train the horses and to be the jockey for the stables he managed.  When an "agent" for the trainer negotiates the contract between Aaron and the trainer, she makes him write it out and sign it, so that it is binding.  The issue is that Sophie is the trainer, and Jonas is the caretaker for the horses.  Aaron essentially got a "pig in a poke." He thought he was getting Jonas, but in actuality he got Sophie. She was the one who trained the horses, and rode them.  

I enjoyed this book, the primary characters were multi-dimensional with secrets that could have destroyed them, but they determined not to let the secrets interfere. There are a plethora of minor characters who all only add to the color of the plot. This is not my first Kristi Ann Hunter book to read and I am sure it will not be my last.  It is a four-star book with plenty to offer for enjoyment. 

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

All That Really Matters

 

This book really surprised me.  My first impression is that the characters were vapid and didn't have much substance.  Molly McKenzie is a social media influencer for make-up and fashion.  She has a talent manager/boyfriend who encourages her to find a worthy cause to help her image and put her in the running for a NetFlix series on helping underprivileged youth.  Through her twin brother, she finds a group home for young adults who have aged out of foster care.  When she gets involved with the girls during the summer, she learns more about herself than she ever thought possible.  

Like I said, I thought the book was shallow and it was hard for me to plow through far enough to begin to see the growth of Molly and the other characters.  There is quite a bit of conflict that make the plot move, after a slow start.  I was pleasantly surprised and gratified at how the book ended up.  Nicole Deese left enough clues to make sure that readers would be looking for a sequel.  

Three and a half stars, but I'll round up to four. 

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