Tuesday, February 8, 2022

The Prince and the Prodigal by Jill Eileen Smith


 


This is the Biblical account of Joseph and his brothers. Jill Eileen Smith has a unique way of showing what life was like at the time and fleshing out the scriptures into a full blown story. I have loved all of her work so far. I really enjoyed this account.

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my own honest opinion.

The Souls of Lost Lake by Jaime Jo Wright


 



Wren Blythe lives at a church camp with her father and older brother.  Her best friend Eddie lives there with his parents.  Both work at the camp.  A small child has gone missing and they join in the search and rescue effort.  Running parallel to this story is the story of Ava Coons who right around 1920 wandered into town dragging a bloody ax and began the legend and campfire story of Ava Coons.  


This is a somewhat strange story that pulls the happenings in this small community over a century and the lives of these people together.  It comes to a startling conclusion.  I'm still pondering whether I want to read this type of Christian "suspense" in the future.  


I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley.  All views expressed are only my own honest opinion.

Monday, January 10, 2022

Shaped by the Waves by Christina Suzann Nelson

 






Cassie has returned with her 5 year old daughter, Lark  to a small town on the coast of Oregon where she grew up.  Her Aunt Shasta, who raised her, has Parkinson's and is in need of care.  Shasta lives above the coffee shop she runs and the whole town is a network of friends that help each other.  Cassie feels like she has returned to her safe place even amidst all the angst of seeing her aunt / surrogate mother in the midst of deteriorating health.  Cassie becomes embroiled in the mystery of who her real mother was and how she ended up living with Shasta at a young age.  This is a lovely book and keeps you guessing about the outcome while dealing with family issues in a thoughtful way.  


I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley.  All views expressed are only my own honest opinion.

Saturday, January 1, 2022

The View from Coral Cove by Amy Clipston


 


This is a lovely romance based in a small beach community in NC..  Maya Reynolds comes to run the Toy Shop she inherited from her recently deceased Great-Aunt CeCee.  Maya is an author who writes romance novels but she has reached a block since her own relationship ended abruptly when her fiance broke up with her..  She meets a local Vet, Brody Tanner and a friendship develops.  There are a lot of twists and turns in the story but it is just a sweet tale throughout.    Amy Clipston is one of my favorite authors and she has not disappointed this time. 


I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley.  All views expressed are only my own honest opinion.

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

The Bookseller's Promise by Beth Wiseman


 

This seemed like a very odd story at first but as I got into it I really enjoyed it.  Beth Wiseman is a great teller of Amish tales and she really picks out interesting issues to write about.  Apparently this is the first in a series so it will continue to be interesting.  Jake Lantz runs a bookstore that he inherited from his grandfather.  His employee Eva is a few years younger than him and came to work for him when she was just a teen.  There is romantic interest between both of them but there are doubts on both sides about how to transition into a relationship.  Meanwhile, Yvonne flies in to try to talk Jake into selling an old book he has in the basement that he promised his grandfather he would never sell.  Yvonne has a client who is very anxious to own this very rare book.  The story goes from there into a very twisted and complicated tale that still keeps you reading to the end.  If you were wanting an uncomplicated, feel good tale, move away from this one.  If you want an intriguing, thought-provoking story, grab this one.  

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley.  All views expressed are only my own honest opinion.

Until Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin

 


This is a wonderful historical romance.  Lucie Girard is a ballerina who has bought her Jewish friends' American bookstore in Paris to allow them to escape the Nazis.  Paul Aubrey is a widower who runs a branch of his family's automobile manufacturing company in Paris.  Both are part of the underground resistance, unbeknownst to each other.  When the United States finally enters the war they are to be put into interment camps and it becomes imperative that they escape the country and flee back to the US.  

There is so much history her but also a great family story.  This book is culturally rich and a well crafted tale.  I highly recommend it.  

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley.  All views expressed are only my own honest opinion.

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Stolen Angels (Detective Ellie Reeves #5) by Rita Herron


 


It's a few days before Christmas and a six year old is abducted from the school bus stop.  The whole town is in an uproar and it is up to Detective Ellie Reeves and her colleagues to find the girl and solve the mystery before Christmas.  The story explores both child trafficking and missing children.  It is heartbreaking what the families go through both victims and perpetrators.  This is a gripping story and very well researched and written.  I have found a new favorite suspense author!


I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley.  All views expressed are only my own honest opinion.