The Runaway

The Runaway Author: Claire Wong

Publisher: Lion Fiction

Release Date: February 17, 2017

Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

One small move of defiance can send a full village out of control.

Seventeen-year-old Rhiannon Morgan has finally had her fill of her aunt. She’s tired of her small village’s hypocrisy, especially from her Aunt Diana. So, she takes matters into her own hands and sets off to live in the woods a short distance from the village. Once there, she begins to craft her own imaginary world full of stories of heroes that she learned from the village storyteller. But back in the village, life begins to unravel for many of its occupants. A dark secret from the past begins to reveal itself causing a chain reaction that could ensure that history repeats itself.

This was a fascinating debut novel. Wong really brought the character of Rhiannon to life in a relatable way. Being essentially orphaned and having to live with her Aunt’s family and the uncle that she actually made a connection with died a few short years later. Now she has developed a thick skin, she pushes people away rather than being accepted by them. Diana too developed a habit of pushing people away, but also bullied others into getting her way as a leader. The story is ultimately about forgiveness in many different fashions.

I liked that the stories that the children were told were actually based on fact rather than myth, but isn’t that always the case? Just because something seems farfetched or not attainable doesn’t mean that it is true.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Dark Deception

Dark Deception Author: Nancy Mehl

Series: Defenders of Justice #2

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: June 6, 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A fast paced, gripping story that will leave readers wanting more until the very last page. By far the best I have read by Nancy Mehl.

After surviving an attack by a serial killer four years ago, Kate O’Brien has been living a quiet life in the small town of Shelter Cove, Arkansas in the witness protection program. It has been a struggle to get her life back to something she can be happy with, especially in the beginning when she wanted to end it all. The man that attacked her has been in prison, but now there is new evidence showing he might not be the murderer. Kate is subpoenaed to testify in the new trial. Afraid to face her past, Kate refuses to go until Tony DeLuca, the deputy Marshal who was assigned to protect her during the original trial, comes to escort her back. This is one assignment Tony has no problem taking. He has had a hard time getting over Kate O’Brien. She made an impression on him and he hasn’t been able to get her out of his mind. As Tony arrives and prepares to take Kate back, the case takes an interesting turn that ends up putting both him and Kate in danger.

I have been a fan of Nancy Mehl for a while now and I must say that Dark Deception is her best yet. The character development and the situations they found themselves in were what I enjoyed the most. Part of it could be that that Kate is a twin and so am I. Seeing how Kate had to deal with that loss was played out really well. A few instances with Tony could have been fleshed out better to make him more believable in his role. But other than that, I don’t have many negatives to say about this book. The scenes were tight, the characters were written to play out as I felt they actually would, and the suspense was very well written. It can be difficult writing romantic suspense and find the right balance between the two in order to keep the story flowing just right. With each book, I feel Mehl is getting better and better at fining that stride and getting the dynamic just right. I recommend this book to fans of Mehl and romantic suspense novels that will keep you guessing till the end.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Divide

The Divide Author: Jolina Petersheim

Series: The Alliance #2

Publisher: Tyndale

Release Date: June 6, 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

The stunning sequel to The Alliance is even better than I imagined!

For the last six months, Leora Ebersole and Jabil Snyder have moved the Mennonite community from their village up to the mountains in order to escape disaster. Every night, Leora still wonders about the fate of Moses Hughes, who stayed behind to give the community a chance to get away before a gang overtook their village to plunder anything that was left. But the winter has been very harsh and people are beginning to starve. The men who hunt and gather for food are starting to grow weary of providing for those who are not able to help. Worse yet, a sickness comes into the camp, threatening to kill many of the other members that are already in a weekend state. Can they survive the winter? Much less the outside world?

Okay, I realize that the synopsis is a bit vague and doesn’t really hint much on the fate of Moses and whether he continues to be a main character in the story. But that is because you really need to read this to find out for yourself. Let’s just say that there was so much tension in the Jabil-Leora-Moses triangle in the first book, that Petersheim found a way to continue that tension throughout this story. Now the title definitely draws you into believing that some event or relationship within the story causing a divide between the community. And that is true, but it is not just the Mennonite community that it divides. There is another group that is in this story that must make a decision similar to drawing a line in the sand. And the reason behind it is shocking.

I really hope that they make these two books into movies. I think they would be awesome to watch. And Petersheim has mastered the art of cliff hangers at the end of chapters to make you keep turning the pages to see what is going to happen. Spoiler alert: (two of the main characters from the first book get killed off)! Once again, the events in this book could easily happen at any time, but I hope that they never do. But if they did, I can assure you there would be natural division just as described. This is one of the must reads of 2017!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Riverbend Reunion

Riverbend Reunion Author: Henry McLaughlin

Series: Riverbend Saga #3

Publisher: CreateSpace

Release Date: December 14, 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

The third book in the Riverbend Saga brings Michael Archer back to what he has been running from for years and is the best in the series!

Michael Archer feels like the luckiest man in the world. He has just married, Rachel, the woman he is madly in love with, and they have a bright future to look forward to. He has finally decided to settle down after running from his past for years. But when he receives a cryptic telegram from his sister Ellie telling him to come home, he feels led to go. He is hesitant to go because the last time he was home he was saving his sister from their father, who he then stabbed with a pitchfork. Thinking he had killed his father he runs and doesn’t look back. Going back might just be the hardest thing he has ever had to do.

After reading all three books in the Riverbend Saga, I can easily say that Riverbend Reunion is the best. The first two focus on Michael and all he goes through. With the third, it starts with his sister Ellie and what led to Michael leaving home. The story then continues for almost a third of the book with Ellie before switching back to Michael. I thought this was an interesting approach, keeping the main character from the first two books mostly absent till a third of the way through, but it worked. I enjoyed getting the story of Ellie and how she handled all she went through before going back to Michael. His story in Riverbend was fleshed out enough that it was easy for him to leave and go home to deal with the family issues he had been harboring for years. I can tell that McLaughlin is growing and improving as a writer with each new book. The characters are relatable and the story itself is much more tight with the suspense in just the right places. I’m not sure if there is going to be another in the series, not only do I see potential with a few of the characters being delved into a little further, but also feel it has been wrapped up well if this is the end. The nice thing about this book was there were no spots were the story came to a stop and I felt like I wanted to be done, I was invested and wanted to see what happened with the characters. Overall it was very well written and I will be recommending this to readers that enjoy a good western tale with a lot of suspense and redemption throughout.

Riverbend Justice

Riverbend Justice Author: Henry McLaughlin

Series: Riverbend Saga #2

Publisher: CreateSpace

Release Date: January 6, 2016

Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

With more action and suspense than the first, this new installment is sure to be a hit with readers.

Michael Archer is having a hard time getting over the guilt of having taken a life, even if it was to try and save another. Before dying, Sam Carstairs asked Michael to clear the name of his son Ben, the original reason for Michael coming to Riverbend. After dealing with his demons, he and a few new friends head to try and clear Ben’s name. It is going to be harder than they could have imagined, records are missing and more bodies keep turning up. It takes Michael being shot and beaten up, a young girl kidnapped, and hurting the girl he is falling in love with to make him put aside all his pain and fears to get to the bottom of what is going on.

Henry McLaughlin has followed up his hit debut novel with an even better, more suspenseful sequel, Riverbend Justice. At first, I got a little tired of Michael and his attitude of self-pity; luckily, it quickly changed and he became the man he should be. The mystery of what Michael was trying to solve was even more interesting here than the first. The characters flowed well with each other and the entire story. There is a faith message throughout, but also a lot of action. I do feel this book is more developed than the first in several ways. Even though it is independently published instead of with a publishing house, the story touches a nerve and keeps you into the story because of the feelings and emotions it brings up. McLaughlin does a great job bringing you back to the old west with the language he uses to set up the scenes and the characters. Michael and Rachel are right for each other, that is obvious from the first book. In Riverbend Justice, I found myself connecting more and more with Rachel; she has had a hard past but has turned herself into a strong, independent woman that is not only capable of taking care of herself but also helping to take care of those around her, my kind of lady. Overall this was a very enjoyable read that I will recommend to lovers of western romances with a nice dose of suspense thrown in for good measure.

Journey to Riverbend

Journey to Riverbend Author: Henry McLaughlin

Series: Riverbend Saga #1

Publisher: Tyndale

Release Date: January 24, 2011

Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A Christian western with a lot of gunslingers, kidnappings and much more to enjoy.

After unsuccessfully trying to stop the hanging of a man, Michael Archer has a mission. He promised Ben Carstairs that he would find his father for him and try to reconcile with him, even though he is being hung for a crime he didn’t commit. Michael tried to stop it but couldn’t get the evidence he needed. Now Michael must travel to the town of Riverbend to find Sam Carstairs, a ruthless business man that kicked his son Ben out and isn’t likely to give Michael the time of day. As he arrives in Riverbend, Michael meets and quickly finds himself attracted to Rachel Stone who is running from her past and is hesitant to start any kind of relationship. Sam Carstairs isn’t in town and Michael waits for him. Soon word gets to town that Sam has been kidnapped on his way home and Michael feels led to join the search party to find Sam and bring the news of his son. It is a dangerous road ahead and not everyone will make it home alive.

This was the winner of the Christian Writing Guild’s Operation First Novel contest. The writing is well done and the characters are very relatable. I did feel that it had some unneeded content, especially in the last third where the action needed to pick up speed and instead stalled. There were a lot of characters, that is a hard thing to pull off and I think it could have helped to cut out about half of them, especially with the search party scenes. The overall concept of the novel was good, having the characters consider the actions they take and the consequences to their choices. Even though this is a historical novel, these concepts can be applied to everyday life and we can all learn from the characters and how they deal with their actions and the consequences. As a debut novel, this was very well done and I recommend it to lovers of historical fiction with a good message.

Loveable

Loveable Author: Kelly Flanagan

Publisher: Zondervan

Release Date: March 21, 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

The kind of book we all need to read to remember that we are worthy of love and can do all the things we want if we don’t give into fear, shame, and self-doubt.

In a world where our self-worth is based on how many likes we get or how many friends we have, it is nice to take a step back and remember that life is about more than that. Dr. Flanagan is a clinical psychologist and father that became famous for the letters he writes to his children. He posted these letters on his blog which went viral and brought about an appearance on The Today Show. Flanagan shares that we are all here for a reason and if we will learn to trust our self-worth and let others love us, we can find that purpose.

Loveable is the kind of book that will awaken something deep within us all that has easily been forgotten. With social media so popular and the basis for how we judge our self-worth, it is easy to forget that life is about so much more than that. The human interaction we crave is so important. Being with people and letting them actually be with us, on a deeper level, is so important. We need to be more like an onion, peel back our layers of protection and expose our vulnerable selves. It may hurt, but in the end, we will all be better for it. I enjoyed what he had to say towards the end, take a breath and just go for it. Whatever it is that might be holding you back, just go for it and be better because of it. You don’t want to wake up on your last day and regret the things that were so deep inside of you that you were afraid to even try. You might fail, in fact most of us will fail more than once, but that’s ok. Take the good with the bad and make it all better. Offer the love and respect that you so crave to everyone else and watch it eventually make its way back around. Be the change you want to see and show the love you want to receive. That’s what life is all about.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Way of Letting Go

Letting go Author: Wilma Derksen

Publisher: Zondervan

Release Date: February 21, 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

After a life changing event, how do you learn to move on and forgive? This is one of the hardest things there is to do.

No matter the topic, being hurt by a friend or family member or losing a loved one, learning to let go of that pain is a very difficult thing to do. Wilma Derksen gives us 15 misconceptions to look at about grief and how it led her back to hope. Wilma’s world falls apart when her teenage daughter doesn’t come home from school one day. Seven weeks later her body is found. It isn’t until decades later that an arrest is made in the murder. Wilma shares how she let her choice to forgive and let go of the heartbreak to be able to move on with her life. She encourages trying to find a happy ending through the heartbreak and listening to her advice will hopefully help some break free of the pain they are holding on to.

Reading through this book and sharing the heartbreak Wilma had to go through was very difficult. Being a mother, it is very hard to hear or even think of having to experience this kind of heartache. My kids are my world and I can’t imagine anything like this happening to them. I would like to say I would be able to forgive, but it would be incredible difficult. I loved everything she said about having to forgive and let go of the pain. If we hold on to that pain, we are never going to be able to move on with our lives and live them the way God intends us to. There were so many helpful scriptures and bible passages to look at for references to help through the dark times. It doesn’t have to be someone who has experienced the murder of a child that will benefit from the words here. Every day we all face something that we should let go of to be our happiest; it might be something as simple as a hurt feeling from a friend or loved one, or it could go much deeper and be much harder. No matter the circumstance we face, we all need to be able to try and be the best person we can be, and that won’t happen if we can’t let go of the negative things we are holding on to.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Blood Rose Rebellion

Blood Rose Rebellion Author: Rosalyn Eves

Series: Blood Rose Rebellion #1

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Release Date: March 28, 2017

Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

An enchanted tale of romance, magic, and family drama that brings the tension to new levels.

Anna Arden is sixteen years old and has been shunned by her family and society for a blood defect. Her family is part of a powerful magic group called the Luminate. However, she is Barren and unable to perform the simplest of spells. Everything goes wrong for Anna when she breaks her sister’s debutante spell, without even realizing she is doing it, and becomes exiled by her family and sent with her grandmother to Hungary. Things seem worse than ever when she finds that things are not as she thought. She is living with her cousins and starts to discover that magic and those around her are not as she was led to believe. A rebellion is quickly spreading across the country and Anna finds herself in the middle of the conflict with many believing she might be what they need if she will embrace her ability and help those she cares about.

Rosallyn Eves has woven a tale that will make you think of others out there but is its own story in many ways. There is magic and love that must be interwoven in order for the story to work, and it does work. For me, the story took a little bit to get going, but once it did, I enjoyed it and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Anna was her own kind of hero; she didn’t believe in herself until she realized everyone else was counting on her and she really could make a difference. Being set in the past and in such a different location I would have liked to see a little more world building to set the story in motion. The character development was done very well and was easy to connect with Anna and the others. Overall it was a very enjoyable read and one I will recommend to readers that enjoy YA and mystical reads.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Trusting Grace

Trusting Grace Author: Maggie Brendan

Series: Virtues and Vices of the Old West #3

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: May 2, 2017

Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Even the unlikeliest of characters have a chance at true love.

Robert Frasier feels scammed. He just lost his wife after a few short months of marriage and has now learned that she has three kids after his late wife’s sister drops them off at his door. To make matters worse, he has lost the family farm to debt and must now find a job to make ends meet. Wandering from town to town, Robert searches for a place to work. He finds work at a farm in Montana in the employment of Grace Bidwell. Hopefully Robert can work the farms to keep himself and his bedraggled children fed and clothed.

Grace Bidwell has always longed to be a wife and mother. But after her husband passed way before they had children, it seems that is an unlikely dream. She is now taking care of her widowed father whose health continues to get worse. Her new farm hand Robert is very unapproachable, almost as if he has something against her, but sometimes she still sees a softness to him. At least with his help she can manage to keep her farm.

A well written book by Maggie Brendan and my first to read by her. Even so, I don’t feel like I lost any portion of the story by starting with the third is a series. It just picked right up and took me along for the ride. I’m not sure if there were any history of the main characters in the previous two stories, but I don’t feel like I need them. The romance between the main characters was set at the right pace. Not too fast, but not too slow either. The relationships between the kids and Robert played out well too. They had a lot of problems getting started, but worked them out throughout the book and became a trusting family. Grace was a very strong woman, but still had a time of need for Robert when he managed to rescue her in a bad situation.

If you like western historical fiction with some clean romance, I recommend you give this a try.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.