Leaving November
By Deborah Raney
ISBN 978-1-4165-5829-3
Howard Fiction
Contemporary Women's Fiction
Back Cover Copy:
There is one thing she has vowed never to abide in a man. Could the horrible rumors be true? Is her life repeating itself?
Eight years ago, Vienne Kenney moved away from Clayburn and all its gossip to pursue a law degree in California. But now she has failed the bar exam again. Is she destined to be stuck forever, a failure--just like her father--in this two-horse Kansas town?
Nine months ago, Jackson Linder left Clayburn with no explanation to anybody. Now he, too, is back. He isn't sure he's ready to face the rumors and well-meaning questions of the town's busybodies. Yet he's determined, once more, to make his art gallery a success--in spite of the secret that haunts him every day. . .
My Review:
I've loved Deborah Raney's writing since I first picked up BENEATH A SOUTHERN SKY. I call her books, relational books. They're all about relationships and what keeps them from happening. I love her characters with just enough flaws. She always weaves a spiritual thread through the lives as they play out.
I highly recommend this excellent read.
For Pete’s Sake
By Linda Windsor
ISBN 978-0-06-117138-3
Avon Inspire
Contemporary Romantic Fiction
Back Cover Copy:
Has Ellen Met Her Her Match With The Handsome Widower Next Door And His Eleven-year-old Son?
Ellen isn't sure true love exists. That is until she landscapes the estate of the widower next door, Adrian Sinclair. Adrian has it all--at least on the surface. A successful businessman, he's engaged to a beautiful woman and he'll soon have a stepmom for his troubled son, Pete. Yet from the moment Ellen rescues a stranded Adrian on her Harley, his well-ordered world turns upside down. With his business under investigation for espionage and his son pushing for the tomboy next door as his new mom, Adrian's facade of happiness shatters.
As Ellen and Pete bond, she realizes that Adrian is about to marry the wrong woman. Despite her resolve to remain "neighbors only," Ellen is drawn to Adrian. But how can she be the one when he's engaged to a sophisticated beauty who is everything Ellen isn't?
As Ellen's three best friends step in to help her navigate this uncharted territory, Ellen must ask herself whether she's ready to risk the heart that she's always held close. Will Ellen trust that God brought this family into her life for a reason? Or will fear cause her to turn away from God's plan and her one true chance at love?
My Review:
I love Linda Windsor's writing. She has a way of putting words together that brings humor into almost every situation. This book exemplifies that skill. Her characters tug at your heart and pull you into their lives. Characters with flaws just like the rest of us.
This second book in the Piper Cove Chronicles is a fitting sequel to WEDDING BELL BLUES. I could hardly put it down for a minute. I highly recommend it to you.
Hidden Deception
By Leann Harris
ISBN 978-0-373-44302-4
Love Inspired Suspense
Contemporary
Back Cover Copy:
Memories of a Mother's Murder
Her own father had killed her mother. Afterward, Elena Segura Jackson had been adopted by a loving Santa Fe family. For years she'd tried to focus only on the present and the future--not the past. But now another murder, in her family's antique shop, brings the old memories rushing back. Detectibe Daniel Stillwater, widowed father of a little girl, vows to find the killer. In Daniel's presence, Elena dares to feel safe. Yet the killer keeps coming back, wreaking havoc in the shop, looking for. . .something.
Like a moment when the good detective isn't by Elena's side.
My Review:
Leann Harris's debut Love Inpired Suspense brings a vivid tapestry of setting. The action takes place against this backdrop. I loved the sense of being in the places with the characters and learning so much more about antiques, art, and jewelry. The food made my mouth water. And the fight scene near the end of the book is interesting and powerful.
The Oak Leaves
By Maureen Lang
ISBN 978-1-14143-1345-0
Tyndale
Contemporary (Historical)
Back Cover Copy:
A legacy she never expected.
A love that knows no bounds.
Talia Ingram has an ideal life: a successful, devoted husband; a beautiful one-year-old son; and another child on the way. But her world is shattered when she discovers a shocking family secret in the nineteenth-century journal of her ancestor Cosima Escott.
Only in reading Cosima's words can Talia make peace with the legacy she's inherited and the one she's passed on to her son.
My Review:
I interviewed Maureen Lang earlier this year about the sequel to this book, but I didn't want to read that one until I read the first one in the series. I picked it up late Sunday and started reading.
I could hardly put it down, even when I needed to. The writing is excellent, drawing the reader into the heart of the story. Two stories really. I loved the contemporary one, but was drawn even more to the historical one. The way Maureen went back and forth weaving them together to deal with strong emotions that test faith is phenomenal. And the spiritual thread is powerful, something every Christian needs when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles in their lives.
This book should be on everyone's "Must Read" list.
On Sparrow Hill
By Maureen Lang
ISBN 978-1-4143-1346-7
Tyndale Fiction
Contemporary/Historical
Back Cover Copy:
A legacy she never wanted. A love she'd only hoped for.
As the curator for Quentin Hollinworth's famly estate, Rebecca Seabrook is focused on just two things: making hers the most successful historic home in the country and forgetting the childhood crush she's had on Quentin since her father worked as his family's valet. After all, they don't exactly run in the same social circles.
But when she and Quentin uncover letters in the family vault written over 150 years ago by Berrie Hamilton--one of Quentin's ancestors--Rebecca discovers that Quentin isn't the only one with a legacy to appreciate. Only Berrie's words can prepare Rebecca for the dramatic turn her life is about to take.
My Review:
This book is the sequel to THE OAK LEAVES, which I reviewed earlier this month. I loved this novel just as much--maybe even more. Not only did I get one developing romance, I got two, more than a century apart, with differing outside influences.
I've always love the Cinderella story--commoner girl falls in love with a prince (or an aristocrat as in this case) or vice versa. The last time I picked up a prince/commoner book, because I like to read this kind of stories, I finished the book with a letdown feeling. It was not a Christian publication, and I sorely missed the spiritual thread I've come to love in inspirational fiction. Somehow, I felt as if I had just wasted my time reading the story.
Not so with this book. There's a strong spiritual thread in both stories that play out on the pages of this novel. And I loved the characters and settings. England and Ireland, beautiful.
Ransomed Dreams
By Amy Wallace
ISBN 978-1-59052-747-4
Multnomah
Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Back Cover Copy:
Chained to Yesterday.
When tragedy struck and Gracie Lang lost everything, her faith crumbled, and nothing but the drive for justice propelled her forward. But after two years of dead-end searching, the truth Gracie seeks is the very thing her stalker will stop at nothing to hide.
Forgiveness Unlocks the Future.
An FBI agent in the Crimes Against Children Unit, Steven Kessler spends his days rescuing other people's children and his nights caring for his son. He's through with God, embittered by his ex-wife who abandoned them both, and definitely doesn't expect what's coming next.
The Past Is the Key.
A plot to kidnap a British ambassador's daughter dangerously intersects Steven's and Gracie's worlds--a collision that demands a decision. But are they willing to pay the high ransom required to redeem dreams and reignite hope?
My Review:
When Amy Wallace's second novel was chosen as the ACFW Book Club July selection, I remembered that I had the prequel to that story in my to-be-read pile. I pulled it out. When I first obtained the book, I was busy with a book deadline myself, so it was pushed aside.
If I had known how good this debut novel is, I wouldn't have waited so long to read it. A well-drawn plot with plenty of twists and turns, multi-dimensional characters who capture your heart, and a romance that has you wanting it to move faster make for a page turner. And the spiritual battles of the hero and heroine touch hearts, because we all face similar battles in our lives. I highly recommend this good read.
Healing Promises
by Amy Wallace
ISBN 978-1-60142-01-7
Multnomah
Contemporary Suspense
Defenders of Hope Series, Book 2
Back Cover Copy:
Facing a New Threat
When FBI Agent Clint Rollins takes a bullet during a standoff, it might just save his life. But not even the ugly things he's seen during his years working in the Crimes Against Children Unit could prepare him for the overwhelming powerlessness of hospital tests revealing an unexpected diagnosis. If only Sara weren't retreating into doctor mode. . .he needs his wife now more than ever.
Frozen in Fear
Sara Rollins is an oncologist with a mission--beating cancer when she can, easing her patients' suffering at the very least. Now the life of her tall Texan husband is at stake. She never let the odds steal her hope before, but in this case, the question of God's healing promises is personal. Can she hold on to the truth she claimed to believe?
Faith Under Fire
As Clint continues to track down a serial kidnapper despite his illness, former investigations haunt his nightmares, pushing him beyond solving the case into risking his life and career. Clint struggles to believe God is still the God of miracles. Especially when he needs not one, but two. Everything in his life is reduced to one all-important question: Can God be trusted?
My Review:
I loved RANSOMED DREAMS, the prequel to this book. I loved HEALING PROMISES even more. This book takes the reader to the deep, dark places all of us have to face sometime in our lives. And the author doesn't sugarcoat any of the emotions and doubts. Instead she brings them to the forefront and shines the light of eternity on them.
Played across the backdrop of the hard things Clint and Sara have to face is a strong suspense story.
I fell in love with most of these characters in the previous book. In this one, I've learned so much more about each of them. I can hardly wait for the third book in this series.
The Spinster Brides of Cactus Corner
By Frances Devine, Lena Nelson Dooley, Vickie McDonough, Jeri Odell
ISBN 978-1-59789-583-5
Barbour
Historical Novella Collection
Back Cover Copy:
The Cactus Corner Singles Scene Is Shrinking. . . .
Many were unmarried by choice, others by circumstance, but single women living in the 1800s carried the unfortunate label of "spinsters." Once branded, can a spinster find love?
India Cunningham is happy running the ranch her father left her when a man she doesn't remember from her childhood arrives to help her. Can she trust Joshua Dillinger, or is he there to steal her land?
Lawyer Anika Windsor is pitted against her first and only love, law school beau Tucker Truesdale. Can these two opposites find a true and lasting love, or will their differences keep them apart forever?
Elaine Daly has dedicated her life to caring for orphaned children and has no desire for a husband. But when the new doctor Dan Murray comes to town, he changes her world. Can he also change her heart?
Jody McMillan is determined to raise enough money to buy a vacant property to expand the overcrowded orphanage. Unknown to her, Aaron Garrett has already bought the lot. Can they come to an agreement? Or will both lose what they want, including the one they love?
Two of the novellas in this collection are finalists in the Book of the Year contest sponsored by the American Christian Fiction Writers--THE SPINSTER AND THE COWBOY by Lena Nelson Dooley and THE SPINSTER AND THE TYCOON by Vickie McDonough. Also, THE SPINSTER AND THE LAWYER by Jeri Odell is a finalist in the IRCC contest.
My Review:
I hardly ever read my books after they come out, and I have never given a review of any of them. But after the finalists were announced, I decided to read this collection as if I were only a reader.
These stories are good, and they're intertwined, so the characters from the previous stories are featured in the next one. I like the way the books complemented each other. This collection is a fun look into life in Arizona in the 1890s. I think you'll enjoy reading the stories. I know I did.
Skizzer
By S. J. Kiesling
ISBN 978-0-8007-3140-3
Revell
Contemporary Suspense
Back Cover Copy:
"Something both terrible and wonderful has happened. I can't explain now. . ."
--Becca
Clair Trowling is on a quest. After receiving news of her sister Becca's abrupt disappearance, Clair must piece together the shadowy remnants of a past she's long forgotten in order to find her.
A cryptic note scrawled in Becca's handwriting leaves more questions than it answers. When a stack of mysterious letters along with a rare necklace is found, Clair races to discover the secrets that hold her family captive.
Suspenseful and full of intgrigue, SKIZZER takes you on a transcontinental hunt for answers, weaving seamlessly between the distant past of childhood and the urgency of the present.
My Review:
According to the category from the publisher, this is a suspense. I found it more of a mystery. Instead of the breathless, suspenseful read, it was more sedate, but a very interesting delving into the past--both distant and near.
The book seems gentler than a suspense, but not any less interesting. I loved the varied settings employed by the author. And I cared about the characters and what was going to happen to them. I think you'll like reading this book.
Bayou Paradox
By Robin Caroll
ISBN 978-0-373-44293-5
Love Inspired Suspence
Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Back Cover Copy:
It Can Cure You. Or It Can Kill You.
The untamed Louisiana Bayou is not for the faint of heart. But until now, Tara leBlanc has always considered it a sanctuary, its lush foliage a source of medicinal healing. What evil has infiltrated her haven? Two elderly women she loves lie near death, and Tara knows their illnesses are no accident.
Only one man can save Tara from the same fate: Sheriff Rene "Bubba" Theriot. the strong-willed lawman throws his all into protecting her, laying his heart on the line as well as his life. Now they both stand to lose it all as a killer gets ready to pounce. . . .
My Review:
One again, Robin Caroll had delivered a fascinating story with heart-stopping suspense. The sense of setting she employs will have you feeling the humidity and heat, smelling the thick undergrowth, and seeing the beauty all around.
I loved watching Tara's spiritual growth through the story. I understood her stubbornness and her passion. And the sheriff made a wonderful hero. Just the kind Tara needs. Bring on the next one, Robin.
Finding Stephanie
By Susan May Warren
ISBN 978-1-4143-1019-0
Tyndale
Contemporary Romance
Noble Legacy - Book 3
Back Cover Copy:
Stephanie Noble Is Afraid Life Is Passing Her By.
When she put her dreams on hold to help run the family ranch, she never imagined they would slip out of sight. Luckily for Stephanie, those dreams are about to come knocking at her door.
Lincoln Cash has gained fame and fortune on the big screen, but a crippling secret leaves him one last chance to make his mark on the movie industry. With dreams of hosting a new film festival, Lincoln intends to remodel a sprawling ranch in eastern Montana to make it the new Hollywood hot spot.
Unfortunately, a house fire threatens his plans. So does opposition from his new neighbor Stephanie Noble, who's not thrilled about his Tinseltown changes. What Lincoln and Stephanie don't know is that the fire won't be the last disaster to threaten Lincoln or his future. Someone is out for revenge. . .but who? And who is the real target?
My Review:
As usual, Susan May Warren has given us a strong romance with suspense woven in. I like that. I really want to see the deep pains the hero and heroine are hiding from everyone, even each other. I love the way she brought them to the place where they could open up to each other and help heal those hurts. In the background of the developing romance was the ever-present person planning to do evil things. I loved it.
Susan took a major step by making the hero someone with a debilitating secret. This sucked the reader into his life quicker than anything else could have. The character development and growth in the book are awesome, with biblical lessons we all need to learn woven into the story.
Susie, when I grow up as a writer, I want a book where my name is larger than the title. You certainly deserve it.
Readers, you won't want to miss this wonderful story.
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