Stay Tuned for the Continuing Saga of Leah's Garden

In Fields of Bounty, Lauraine Snelling and Kiersti Giron wrap up the Leah's Garden series, although there are a couple of loose ends that could be tied up in another book in the series.  This novel focuses on Lilac and her infatuation for Ethan Pritchard, but the main focus, I believe, is listening to God, seeing God's protection over us, around us, 

Lilac does a lot of growing in this book, and she learns a lot about herself, and in learning who she really is, she also learns the purpose God laid out for her life.  She learns that running ahead of God brings pain, that what seems good may not be best.  

I found many biblical principles at play in this book that made me do some deeper reflection, although that may not have been the primary anchor for the book.  

The characters have continued developing throughout the series.  They struggle, they grow, and they mature.  It's the kind of thing that readers want to see, even though this is a "feel-good" type book.  I love the way the book ended with Lilac being content with her situation and the love of the sisters being so full and wholesome.  The way they cooperatively work together is an example many of us should follow. 

There are a couple of loose ends that could be tied up in another novel in the series, but it won't keep me up at night if there is not another installment. 

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a packet of seeds for your flower garden.  

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

 

The Escape Game

I absolutely love this series Barbour Books has put out about the women of World War II, not just those who served in the Armed Forces, but those who supported the efforts of the Allies during the war.  The Escape Game is the newest offering in the series and while Beryl's support isn't as overt as some of the other characters in the other books, her support is necessary, none-the-less.   I appreciate that all of these books are based on actual happenings with a bit of artistic license to flesh out the story.  The skill of the writers who put these novels together make them interesting to read and hard to put down.  

Beryl is a secretary for the owner of a game manufacturing company by day, caretaker of her mum by night, and in between she's an Air Raid Patrol warden.  James is Beryl's brother who is serving in Africa.  Kenneth is a pilot from the United States flying for the Royal Air Force in the Eagle Squadron.  Beryl, James, and Kenneth are friends from their days at Oxford. 

When Kenneth's plane is hit and goes down, he becomes a prisoner of war.  One of the things drilled into him during training is that if you are captured, make every effort to escape. When Beryl's company starts making games to aid the POWs to escape, Beryl writes to let her brother and Kenneth, who are POWs in the same camp, know to look for the game, and its significance.  She has to couch it in terms that won't get noticed by the censors. 

Marilyn Turk has woven this novel with twists and turns that keep the readers on the edges of their seats. While addressing the home-front issues of the war in Great Britain, she has pulled together a cohesive story that has such a satisfying outcome it leaves the readers wanting more.  The prologue sets the stage for the narrative to play out, while the epilogue brings the plot full circle.  

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a Monopoly game to escape the cares of this world for a few minutes. 

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

 

Everything Is Just Beginning

I cracked open this book, not really sure why I requested to read it, but the farther into it I got, the more compelled I was to continue on.  One of the forces that drove me on in reading it was some of the main characters shared my maiden name--Wheeler.  I mean, just because of that, I have to read it. 

Everything is Just Beginning is a rather sad, angsty book wrapped around deep-seated hurts and  anger.  Some of the characters are less than reputable, some are upstanding in spite of their past, some are the kinds of people who reach down to lift others up.  It takes all kinds to make a world and it takes all kinds to make a novel worth reading. 

Erin Bartels has centered this novel in Detroit, Michigan, around the music business and shows the readers just how involved the music world is for those who would try to break into it and become successful.  The plot line in this novel has a few twists and turns that take the reader by surprise, and there are a few issues that are dealt with on such a deep level that it requires thought and contemplation to fully get the ideas being presented through the words and actions of the characters.  Michael and Natalie are incredible young people with a moral compass and maturity that is rare in someone of their youth.  They have their faults and foibles, but they also have their strengths that make them the kinds of characters readers love.  

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a new set of guitar strings.  

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

 

Gigi, Listening

The girl who reads this book could become dissatisfied when her friends don't offer her an all-expenses, all inclusive trip to meet the man of her dreams.  COULD become dissatisfied.  The first thing that struck me about this book is the selflessness of the girls who came together to give this trip to GiGi, who has fallen in love with a voice on an audio book.  The book that Zane narrates is the book GiGi's father was reading in the book store when he met her mother.  There are so many layers to this story and so much of the plot deals with appearances that aren't always what they seem to be.  

It's easy to see how GiGi built up a picture in her mind of who Zane was going to be, and to have those illusions shattered could have really hurt GiGi if Zane hadn't been late to the party in the first place.  

While I do read a lot of romance novels, I generally try to stick to the Christian novels.  So this one was a departure for me, but Chantel Guertin's writing in this novel shows an author who puts a lot of thought into how the plot is going to play out.  There are some characters who are there to set the stage for GiGi's adventures, some who figure into the warp and weft of her trip, which encompasses most of the plot lines of the book, and some of the characters just add color, which is a fine role--every novel needs those colorful people.  

GiGi Listening is, on the surface a fun novel, but it has deeper layers that push the reader into some introspection.  It's a great novel to read for an hour at a time, then take the time to digest its fuller meaning.  Every reader will find a favorite character other than GiGi to connect with in this book.  It's just a given.  

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and an all-inclusive trip that is more than just a trip. 

Kensington Books provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

A Mark of Grace

There have been few books that have been as disappointing for me as this one.  From the very beginning, the reader knows who the romantic couple is, who the bad guys are, and very quickly, how the bad guys were going to get caught.  There wasn't a lot of guess work for the reader. It was less than satisfying to read this book.  

Ruth Anniston had been attacked by a mountain lion in an effort to save one of her Harvey Girl waitresses.  She bears scars on her face and her leg.  Frank Henderson is the head chef at the El Tovar Harvey House and he is in love with Ruth.  

When discrepancies start showing up in the books for the El Tovar, Mr. Owens asks Ruth and Frank to find where the money is going.  They spend all their spare time together to try to piece out the mystery.  Oliver Benton has a vendetta against Fred Harvey, who has passed on by this time, but Oliver wants to bring down the Harvey House empire. He enlists Howard, a chef, to infiltrate El Tovar and shortchange the supplies, cook the books, and embezzle from the restaurant. 

All of this is revealed in the first quarter of the book.  The rest of it meanders toward the ultimate ending of bringing down the bad guys, Ruth and Frank getting together, and the Harvey House is saved. 

I've read a couple of Kimberley Woodhouse's other books and found them to be much more interesting than this one.  This is the final book of the series and to me it feels like she was just trying to get through the series to move on to bigger and better things.  Someone else may love this book and find it more engaging.  This is just how the book struck me. It just missed the mark for me. 

Two Stars

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

 

The Maid of Ballymacool

Michael Wray is called in by his parents to go to Ballymacool boarding school to find out why his cousin is having such a hard time.  Adelade is not settling into the school very well and he has come to discover her difficulties and to ascertain a way to curb her misbehavior as well as help her fit in better. 

One of the first people he meets at Ballymacool is Brianna Kelly, the scullery maid of the school.  She works from early morning until past midnight on kitchen duties. She gets one half day a week off, but rather begrudgingly.  

The mistress of the school is Maureen Magee, who rules the school with an iron hand.  She and Mr Daid, the teacher, combine forces to make the school a most unpleasant place.  They both heap abuse on the workers and the students as a show of force to keep the power within their own hands.  Michael's presence has worked to upset their little applecarts of dictatorship over the school.  While keeping tabs on his cousin, he is also intrigued and drawn to Brianna.  He hates the way she is treated by Miss Magee and stands up for her whenever he can.  

There are secrets and mysteries surrounding Brianna and the school, that she doesn't even know herself.  I kept thinking those secrets were going to go one direction, but I was totally surprised by what the secrets actually were when they were finally revealed.  That is only because of the skill of the author, Jennifer Deibel.  She has woven a compelling tale that keeps the reader involved from the very first words until the final page.  This is not a romance novel with a bit of mystery, this is a novel that has romance, mystery, a bit of "mean girl" vibes, and a lot more.  This is a novel that has a significant spiritual truth of seeing oneself as God sees.  The Maid of Ballymacool is at times heart-wrenching, and at times heart-warming.  It is maddening, gladdening, and satisfying. 

Jennifer used quite a few Irish idioms throughout the book and provided a glossary for understanding those that cannot be discerned through context clues.  I really appreciated that.  It was a bit cumbersome to flip back and forth to figure things out, but that was not overly distracting because it made understanding the conversations so much better.  

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a friend who will champion for you at every turn. 

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

 

The Tapestry of Grace

I have read several of Kim Vogel Sawyer's books and for the most part, I truly enjoy them.  The Tapestry of Grace is Kim's newest novel and I must say it's my favorite of her novels so far. This novel is a slice of life in historical Kansas. 

Some of the main players are: Augusta and her daughter Juliana, Konrad and his twin boys, Martina and Gerhard, There is a full cast of minor players who add to the richness of the tapestry of the novel.  

Augusta is enjoying her time off from teaching school for the summer and getting ready to plant her garden for the coming year's food. Konrad is trying to balance being father and wage-earner to two rambunctious twins who lost their mother when they were younger.  Martina hides the fact that her husband, Gerhard, drinks himself into oblivion every night and believes she is at fault because of her inability to carry a child to term.  

Martina decides to start a women's group at church to reach out to fill the needs of widows and orphans within the church.  Augusta feels that Konrad's situation fits the purpose of the group, but Martina objects to helping a man, until she realizes there are multiple solutions to Konrad's situation.  One of the solutions was for Gerhard to take one of the twins as an apprentice.  Martina gets it in her mind that the boy will become their son.

Konrad enlists Augusta's help in finding him a new wife for his boys.  He has quite the list of qualifications and  requirements for his new wife, but in his mind, all of them are for the good of his boys. 

This is a book of awakenings, of realizing God may have something better for His children than they can even imagine, or reconciliations, and of forgiveness. There is so much to digest within this book that makes it a more contemplative read.  It is hard to put down, because the way the plot presents itself  keeps the reader involved from the very first page all the way through to the very end of the book.  

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a women's group that really wants to help those in need. 

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

 

A Match in the Making

Jen Turano is known for her humorous romance stories.  I loved her Bleeker Street Investigative Agency series and now she has the new Matchmaker series beginning with A Match in the Making.  I've read many of her earlier books and mostly enjoyed them.  Some of the humor was a bit slap-stick for me, but this one, while a bit light, was not so much rollicking in funny mishaps, was a bit more sedate and understated in its comedy.  

Gwendolyn Brinley has been a companion to her cousin, Catriona Zimmerman, but needed a break.  So she became the employee of the local match-maker.  Unfortunately the match-maker broke her foot so Gwendolyn was thrust into the role of assistant match-maker for Society's summer season in Newport.  

Walter Townsend is in need of a wife to be the mother of his three recalcitrant children.  Gwendolyn has been tasked with finding him a wife, along with two other ladies her employer has assigned to her for the summer.  

Gwendolyn is the only one who was able to reach the children and find out what they want in a mother.  And she is the only one who can maintain discipline among them.  As she observes the chosen candidates interact with the children, she sees how truly inept they are with children in general and Walter's children in particular.  She tasks the children with watching the women at their father's ball to decide which one they feel would be the best mother to them.  When the children make their announcement, it leads to Gwendolyn's being sacked as a match-maker.  

One of the things I liked about this book is that the male characters are shown to be just as vapid as the female characters, they are all on a par with their pettiness, gossip, and posturing to show themselves in their best light while not really having a good light to show.  The humor in this book is more understated, mature, and is not directed at the main characters as much as it is to the society members as a whole. 

This will be a fun summer read, while lying in a hammock with a large glass of iced tea. 

Four Strong Stars

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

 

The Sound of Light

I think I have figured out how to write a best-selling novel.  It's much like giving birth to a baby.  The beginning pangs are enough to catch the mom's attention, and then it builds until the final transition where the baby is finally born and the moments of high intensity elation are calmed into a satisfying end.  I imagine authors go through the same kind of emotions where the idea is conceived, mulled over for a time, built up, pushed through to the plot climax, and then the loose ends of the book are brought together in fulfillment of the whole story.  These are the emotions I felt as I read Sarah Sundin's latest World War II novel.  Many of her early WWII novels had decidedly American characters, whereas her later stand-alone novels have quite a few European characters. Not a criticism, just an observation.  The great romance story formula was an undercurrent in this novel, but it comes across in an organic way that does not hinge on conflict between the characters.  Instead the part where boy loses girl was a matter of Hemming being arrested and Else having to leave Denmark without knowing where he was, how he was being treated, or even if he still lived. 

Beyond the conflict that is part of every war--the ideologies, the posturing and maneuvering--one conflict among characters was relegated to that of Hemming and his  father, who was part of the Danish Aristocracy.  In fact, Hemming was titled in his own right. But father and son had their own difficulties that played out in ways that were resolved unexpectedly and all of the resolution hinged on each of their faiths. Another conflict was between Else and one of the professors at the Physics Institute, who didn't believe a woman was smart enough to be a physicist, much less one who could hold a PhD in physics. 

Else and Hemming met in the boarding house where they both stayed during the week.  Hemming was working at the shipyard and Else was working at the Institute.  When Else went to her grandparents' home for the weekend, she was surprised to find Hemming attending the same church.  Both held secrets and when those secrets were revealed, it became a greater concern for both of them.  They both worked for the Danish resistance and once Germany declared martial law, both were compelled to flee the country.  The only fly in the ointment is that Hemming was arrested before he could leave. 

As I read this book, I felt like the beginning of the plot moved too slowly, but this is novel is based on actual people and actual events, and it can't be pushed faster than history dictates.  Once the events start piling one on top of the other, the book becomes one that is extremely hard to put down.  The reader comes to respect the amount of time, effort, and research that has gone into bringing this part of history to the fore in such a readable and relatable fashion. This book is less about the romance of Hemming and Else and more about the things people had to do in desperate times.  Their romance provides a sweetness to a sour time in history.   

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a carving of a merman for your mantel. 

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

The Thing About Home

Casey Black is an Instagram Influencer with millions of followers.  She's about to have a seven-year vow renewal when her husband walks out minutes before the ceremony is about to start.  She goes home, goes live on Instagram and in one ten minute segment virtually destroys her career.  Needing a break from her life, she goes to South Carolina to find out about the people she came from.  There she meets the grandmother she never knew and finds more than just herself, she finds her true purpose and it's not with Instagram.  

Granna, as she calls her grandmother, teaches her how to cook, how to grow plants, and more about who she really is.  With the help of Nigel Evanston, she learns farming, and that not all of life needs to be lived online.  There are experiences to be had simply by living them.  

Granna gives Casey some journals and diaries of her grandmother, Odessa, and her grandfather, Elijah, that describe the incarnation of the Black family.  The hardships, the victories, and the daily-ness of life post-war in the 1860s and beyond.  

Throughout the book, Casey has had to make some hard decisions, but coming into her own and standing on her own two feet makes her who she is by the end of the book.  Besides Casey, Nigel, and Granna, there are some characters who become family members to the reader, especially Aunt Thea who knows someone connected to the family to do anything that needs to be done.  She is a great resource for workmen, mechanics, cooks, whatever you need, Aunt Thea knows who does it, and it's always a family member.  That kind of resource is invaluable.  

Rhonda McKnight has written a stellar book that at times frustrates, always engages, and inevitably compels the reader to continue.  It's hard to put down, hard to let go, and destined to become a favorite book by Rhonda's readers. Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a glass of sweet tea without too much ice.  

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

 

At Home on Marigold Lane

Bri MacLeod has moved back home after escaping an abusive marriage.  She suffered a traumatic fall that was never fully explained in the book.  Her recovery is taking longer than her surgeons would like.  One of her surgeons was her high school sweetheart, and his soon-to-be ex-wife is her other surgeon.  This makes a really tough situation.  

Cal is in a loveless marriage that is over except for the paperwork.  The reason he stays is because of his stepdaughter, whom he loves like a daughter.  

Side plot:  Cal's sister is a police officer on unpaid leave because of a couple of incidents surrounding her fiancé's death.  He goes to where she lives and moves her to Highland Falls.  By a stroke of luck, manipulation, or other machinations, his sister, Emma, and Bri have become roommates in a house on Marigold Lane. Emma's and Bri's initial relationship was a bit contentious until they had a chance to hash out what happened to their friendship.  

By trade, Bri was a relationship/marriage counselor who felt that her failed marriage disqualified her from practicing.  But, Emma needs the help and then Cal's soon-to-be ex wants Bri's advice, and Cal's step-daughter is having a crisis. What Bri doesn't know is that Emma has refiled for Bri's license and set up her business.  In all of this Cal and Bri begin to feel  the feels they felt for each other so many years ago.  

Debbie Mason has populated her book with a plethora of flawed characters who overcome the odds to find their true selves in this very readable book.  Four Stars.  

Forever Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.