The Third Jihad by Michael Youssef

This book provides a very thorough and thoughtful history of Islam and its various groups.  It is very much a warning of what is happening in the world through the zeal of radical Islamists.  The author goes over significant happenings in the past and in news of recent years and builds a case for an ongoing plan of Islamic Extremists to take over the world and make it over in the image of Islam. This book is a must read for Christians, especially American Christians who have become complacent over the years. We need to understand the background and the thought processes of our Muslim neighbors so we know how to pray for them and how to interact with them. We need to understand what is happening in the world and the motivations of the extremists and be actively involved in opposing it. We do need to keep in mind, however, that, as Christians, our reason for being here is to tell the world about Jesus (the Great Commission). We must remember that every person is loved by God and it is His desire that they hear the Gospel. We need to be constant in prayer.  In fact, the final chapter is entitled “Don’t Be Afraid,” and encourages us to pray specifically and intentionally about these things.

I received a copy of this book for Tyndale in exchange for a review. 

The Unexpected Champion by Mary Connealy

This is the third and final installment of this series.  It doesn't disappoint!  Everything came to a satisfactory conclusion but there were a lot of bump in the road on the way.  The characters were really fun -- Penny, a spinstress who has been following her brother all over the West to Army outposts for several years and is very outdoor-savvy, and John McCall, a pinkerton agent who is very street and big city smart.  John has come to the West in search of Penny's nephew, having been hired by his grandparents to find him.  Penny is determined that her nephew will stay right where he is, away from those awful, grasping grandparents.  John is determined to fulfill his task.  But meantime, they are kidnapped together by the resident bad guys and after that ordeal are forced by the sheriff and his wife to marry (or they will hang John, who they suspect to be the kidnapper).  Hilarity ensues as John and Penny go in search of the real kidnappers and Penny learns all of John's Pinkerton tricks of the trade such as disguises and ferreting out information.  Mary Connealy is always one of my favorite authors because she always injects humor into the stories and I thrive on that kind of rhetoric.

 

I received a Kindle copy of this story through NetGalley for the purpose of making a review.  I would have gotten ahold of it anyway, no matter what, because I haven't missed one of Mary C's books yet and I'm not going to start now.  

The Last Second by Catherine Coutler and J.T. Ellison

This is the newest installment in a long series by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison.  An it did not disappoint!  The series is about various FBI, CIA and other special agents working together on international cases.  In this story, a disgruntled astronaut that has struck out on her own has been planning for a long time to cause a nuclear event that will put the world back in the dark ages as far as communications and modern conveniences are concerned and become the leader of the world.  Time is of the essence for them to find her and halt her next move.


There is plenty of action and suspense in this story and a host of fun characters who manage to solve these crimes and enjoy each other in the process.  I received a free Kindle version of this book from NetGalley for the purpose of making this review.  Thoroughly enjoyed it -- highely recommmend!

A Faithful Gathering by Leslie Gould

This is an Amish story that deals with some sticky issues for the Amish like military service and medical service.  Leisel was raised Amish but she has always been interested in being a nurse so she breaks away and becomes a nurse.  She has an English boyfriend , Nick who is also a nurse.  Leisel is still bound by her Amish beliefs even though she has no intention of joining the Amish church. When Nick decides to join the Air Force, Leisel cannot get her head around it because she does not believe in war.

The story goes back and forth between Leisel and the story of her grandfather, an Amish man who was an ambulance drive in France during WWII in a Civilian group that used conscientious objectors.  Leisel’s Aunt tells her the story of her grandfather and also the story of the aunt’s fiancé who died in Viet Nam doing medical service as a conscientious objector. 

The story is an examination of the main character’s beliefs and her final conclusion of what is God’s will for her life.  The story is very well crafted and keeps you guessing till the end.  It portrays some of the conflicts between the Plain world and the English world and how people on both sides choose to deal with the differences.  I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to those who love Amish stories and also those who love WWII stories.  I was given a Kindle edition of this book for the purpose of a review.

The Seven Trilogy by Sara Davison

Welcome to the blog tour and giveaway for The Seven Trilogy, romantic suspense novels by Sara Davison, hosted by JustRead tours!

ABOUT THE BOOKS

Title: The End Begins (Seven Trilogy #1)  

Author: Sara Davison  

Publisher: Ashberry Lane/WhiteFire Publishing

Genre: Romantic Suspense

One of them is a prisoner and one of them is free. The same one.

Bookstore owner Meryn O’Reilly and Army Captain Jesse Christensen are on opposite sides of a battle. When martial law is declared, Jesse and his platoon are sent to Meryn’s city to keep an eye on the Christians and make sure they are not stepping outside of the confines of the law.

Fiery and quick-tempered, Meryn chafes under the curfew and other restrictions to her freedom. Jesse is equally amused, intrigued, and terrified by her spirit, knowing she could find herself in prison if she shows defiance to the wrong soldier.

His worst fears are realized when she commits a crime he cannot protect her from. Now they both face an uncertain future, and the very real threat of losing everything, including their lives. With time running out, Jesse works feverishly to convince the authorities to show leniency to Meryn. And to convince her that love can overcome any barrier that lies between them.  

PURCHASE: Goodreads | Amazon

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Title: The Darkness Deepens (Seven Trilogy #2)  

Author: Sara Davison  

Publisher: Ashberry Lane/WhiteFire Publishing

Genre: Romantic Suspense

(formerly The Dragon Roars)

Their Secrets Protect Them … But Secrets are Hard to Keep

No one in the army can find out that Captain Jesse Christensen has become a believer. He and bookstore owner Meryn O’Reilly are forced to meet in secret, facing imprisonment or worse if they are found together. Their relationship deepens, but so does Lieutenant Gallagher’s hatred for the Christians in their city. As Gallagher’s power grows, it becomes clear that his connections go much further up the chain of command than anyone realized, putting all believers, especially Jesse, in extreme danger.

Meryn wants to give her heart to Jesse fully, but her past holds her back. Although circumstances conspire to keep her silent, she needs to tell him her secret. When he finds out what she has been keeping from him, nothing will stand between them anymore.

Or nothing will ever be the same.  

PURCHASE: Goodreads | Amazon

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Title: The Morning Star Rises (Seven Trilogy #3)  

Author: Sara Davison  

Publisher: Ashberry Lane/WhiteFire Publishing  

Genre: Romantic Suspense

In the Midst of all the Fear and Confusion, Only One Thing is Clear … This Isn’t Over Yet

Jesse Christensen is out of the army, but the real battle has just begun. Major Gallagher has taken over the city and his oppression of believers has intensified. But is Gallagher acting in a professional capacity, or is he carrying out a personal vendetta?

Meryn O’Reilly faces a dark and uncertain future after shocking revelations devastate her life. She is determined to follow God’s call, but her plans could cost her everything. She and Jesse struggle to surrender fully to a God who is always in control, even when circumstances suggest otherwise.

With the world descending into chaos around them, Meryn and Jesse face the greatest barrier to their love yet—a barrier that may prove too strong to breach.  

PURCHASE: Goodreads | Amazon

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sara Davison is the author of the romantic suspense novels The Watcher and The Seven Trilogy. She has been a finalist for eight national writing awards, including the Word Award for Best New Canadian Christian author, a Carol, and two Daphne du Maurier Awards, and is a Word and Cascade Award winner. Sara has a degree in English Literature and currently resides in Ontario, Canada with her husband Michael and their three children, all of whom she (literally) looks up to.

CONNECT WITH SARA: website | Facebook | Twitter

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 TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive:

a set of all 3 books in The Seven Trilogy (US/CAN only)

$25 Amazon gift card

Enter via the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Giveaway will begin at midnight January 7, 2019 and lasts through 11:59pm January 21, 2018. Void where prohibited by law. Winners will be notified within a week of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

My Review:

These books are a marathon read – by that I mean plan out enough time that you can read through all three in a short space of time.  You will not want to put them down once you start.  This series begins in 2053 with a terrorist attack attributed to The Horsemen, allegedly a Christian terrorist group.  The story takes place in Canada but the distrust of Christians extends to the USA and most other countries.  In Canada, widespread panic has led to martial law being declared and citizens’ rights being bypassed.  A curfew has been declared for all Christians and their Bibles confiscated.   Capt. Jesse Christensen is a soldier who has been tasked with enforcing the new laws in the small town of Kingston where his military base is located.  Meryn O’Reilly is a local Christian and bookstore owner that is annoyed by the new restrictions and both fascinated and annoyed by the Captain.  As the oppression continues, other terrorist attacks occur and other oppressive rules are put in place.  As Meryn, her siblings and friends and church family deal with these situations, two things occur.  Some marginal Christians deny the faith so that they can be relived of the rules and some people that were not practicing Christians are intrigued by the situation and seek out more information for themselves and some become Christians.  Meanwhile, another soldier at the base, Lt. Gallagher, seems to have a grudge against all Christians and also a vendetta for Capt. Christensen.  As he gains more power and gets promoted, life for all of the Christians and for some of the soldiers like Jesse and his friends, life becomes dangerous until finally some of the illegal happenings are dealt with and the real culprits ferreted out.  Sadly, the general feeling about Christians is still prevalent in the country and in the world so while much of the oppression is over at the end of the story, the climate is still not good for Christians.

I was impressed by how this was all presented and it looks like a legitimate prediction for the future for Christians if the current climate continues.  It would do us all a service if we were to read and heed and start praying now.   The people in this story are the approximate ages my grandchildren and great grandchild will be at that time.  I loved the author’s handling of the real internal conflicts and musings of the characters and the accurate portrayal of Christian thought and feelings.  I would definitely read another book or series by this author and look forward to any new books she comes out with in the future.

I received a complimentary copy of these books and a positive review is not required.

Breach of Trust (Atlanta Justice Series) by Rachel Dylan

This is the third book in the Atlanta Justice Series.  Mia is a corporate attorney who is representing a tech firm in a lawsuit. The situation soon becomes much bigger than she bargained for when espionage and murder become part of the mix.  A friend of a friend, Noah,  who owns a PI firm is hired to help Mia sort things out.  Of course we know Mia and Noah from the previous two stories but they become the focus of this one.  There is so much going on in this book that it takes till the last page to figure out everyone’s true character and what exactly transpired.  This book is well thought out and well crafted to give the reader the maximum enjoyment.  Starting this series I thought the author was very brave to write stories around corporate attorneys, whose lives must be rather dull, but the attorneys in these books did not end up in dull situations and there was a lot of intrigue involved.  I know that anyone who loves justice stories (FBI, attorneys, police officers etc) will love this series and this book in particular.  Some authors come up with a weak story by the time they get to the third book of a series but this author has gotten better with each one. 

I received this book from Bethany House through NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion and  review.  I highly recommend it!

Flights of Fancy by Jen Turano

This is an entertaining story about a Miss Isadora Delafield, a New York city heiress in the 1880s. Her high society mother wants her to marry a visiting Duke from England but Izzie has heard alarming tales about the deaths of the Duke’s former wives.  She accepts help from her best friend and  a couple of others who are also alarmed at the prospect of the Duke getting his hands on Izzie and her fortune.  Izzie steals away under the guise of answering help wanted ads in Pennsylvania, a prospect of which she is woefully unprepared.  Mr. Ian MacKenzie hires her and soon realizes that she is not who her references portrayed her to be.  Much occurs after this to include 4 orphaned children, an old couple, and various cows, horses, chickens and assorted other farm animals. This was a fun read!

I have enjoyed everything of Jen Turano’s that I have read thus far and highly recommend this book if you want some lively entertainment. 

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House through NetGalley in exchange for a review.