Nightstalkers

meg nightstalkersCover final.indd Author: Steve Alten

Series: Meg

Publisher: Tor/Forge

Release Date: June 14, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Giant Prehistoric creatures have escaped captivity and are now being hunted while hunting to survive.

The fifth installment of the MEG series follows Bela and Lizzy, siblings who have escaped the institute they were being held in British Columbia. Jonas Taylor is trying to recapture or even kill them but others have different plans. Jonas’s son David is after them for his own reasons, revenge. After losing the love of his life to them he has come together with a Dubai Prince to track the 120-foot, hundred-ton Liopleurodon that escaped form the Panthalassa Sea. David is having a hard time letting go of his loss and has nightmares regularly. He doesn’t consider himself suicidal but he is willing to risk his life multiple times to pursue his cause. While father and son go on this adventure from different angles, the sisters are causing all kinds of trouble everywhere they go.

The first thing I have to say about this is I read this without having read any others in the series. I think that hurt my overall enjoyment and understanding of the book. However, one of the best aspects of the novel and Alten’s writing is the tension. He knows how to ratchet it up at just the right moments and keep it up. There were a lot of characters and at times it became tough to follow the storyline. Had I read the previous installments, I think this would have been less of an issue for me. For those that enjoy Sci/Fi thrillers this is one to add to the list to read. There were a few semi-graphic sex scenes, (nothing very bad by any means), and also some harsh language that would make this unsuitable for young readers. While this isn’t my favorite of the year I know many people will enjoy this story and will be recommending it to those that enjoy a book from this genre.

Delilah: Treacherous Beauty

Delilah Author: Angela Hunt

Series: Dangerous Beauty

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: June 7, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Why did Delilah betray Samson? As always, the story is more than just skin deep.

Samson and Delilah’s story is very well known from text in the Bible in the book of Judges. However, we only know the story of Delilah as a woman in the valley of Sorek and the story is primarily based on Delilah’s betrayal of Samson to the Philistines. But why did she betray Samson if he loved her? The story in the Bible is about Samson the judge. It follows his story from birth until death, but we only get a glimpse of Delilah and it is dedicated to treachery. So, what is her story? What motivated her to perform this act so famously known?

One of the greatest attributes to the writing of Angela Hunt is that she does such a great job of researching her main characters and the time period that the story is set in. Delilah is no exception. Told in alternating first person views of Samson and Delilah, the story really comes to life. Delilah’s story begins when she is seventeen and is brought from Egypt to Gaza with her mother in their new life with her stepfather and stepbrother. Hunt really brings events to light that help the reader relate to her characters as well as help understand the motivation behind their actions. She also humanizes her characters and does a great job in both Samson and Delilah. Samson is really brought more in a human role than as a super strong man that he is known for. The frustration and loneliness that he must have faced is portrayed very well throughout the entire book. Even the repentance of his actions and his understanding of Delilah’s portrayal really showed.

All of the high points of the story are included from either point of view or sometimes form both, which is really neat. Some other stories from the Bible are reference accurately from other characters that also help explain the current time setting and customs of different tribes. As I said earlier, Hunt always does a great job of research and also makes me go read and reread the stories that she is interpreting. This concludes the third book in the series and I hope the fourth is not far behind!

June

Author: Miranda Beverly-Whitemore

Publisher: Crown

Release Date: May 31, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Beautifully written novel split into two stories of both historical and present date.

Cassie Danvers just wants to get swallowed up by the house she inherited from her grandmother. Orphaned by her parents death at the age of eight, Cassie was raised by her grandmother June. She then moved to New York City to find her career in photography but then found out her grandmother had brain cancer. Now Cassie just lets the house fall apart around her. Then one day there is an incessant ringing of the doorbell. She finally answers it to find a young man tell her that she has been named the sole heir in Jack Montgomery’s estate. Jack was a famous movie star and apparently believes that Cassie is his granddaughter. Jack’s daughter Tate wants Cassie to have a DNA test to find out what is true, but before she will agree to it, she wants to try to find out the truth of her grandmother.

In June 1955, June and her friend Lindie live in St. Jude, Ohio. The town has been selected to be filmed in the upcoming move Erie Canal. Lindie cannot believe her luck as she finds that the famous Jack Montgomery will be coming to town. June seems to not care as she has accepted a marriage proposal, but hasn’t seen her fiancé in months. After Jack and June meet, a romance is kindled, but the also famous Diane DeSoto wants Jack all to herself. What is the true story behind Jack and June that sets the future course for her granddaughter Cassie.

This book was a really great read! I was unsure of what to think when I first read the cover, but after the first page, I was hooked. I love it when authors tell two stories that are intertwined between the characters, especially when they are set in two different times. The only problem I had was trying to decide which of the two stories I enjoyed more! The main characters were easily relatable and the antagonists were easily despicable. The setting was great and everything was completely believable. I could see Twin Oaks both in 1955 and in 2015. It was a little odd to have the house give its version of details every now and then, but it still fit right in. I’ve not read any of Miranda Beverly-Whitmore’s books before, but this makes me want to pick up another.

Throughout the book there is some occasional strong foul language and some mild love scenes. I would recommend this book for mature audiences.

Defy the Night

Defy the night Author: Heather Munn & Lydia Munn

Publisher: Kregel

Release Date: February 1, 2014

Reviewer: Jen ROman

It’s the beginning of World War II, and young teen Magali lives in France with her parents, brother, and some political refugees. While France is still considered “safe,” at least where she lives, Magali knows things are actually quite dangerous. Jews, even French Jews, are being rounded up and put in French concentration camps. Her refugee friends keep a watchful eye everywhere they go. Food is scarce, and German soldiers are starting to appear in their plateau town.

Magali wants to do something to help the war effort, and when she sees women rescuing children from the camps, she knows that’s what she is meant to do. It takes some deft persuasion skills on her part to convince her parents to let her leave school for a year to focus full-time on this undertaking. She travels with a woman known as Paquerette, and she enlists a group of select friends to work with them. Together, these brave women rescue hundreds of children and take them on a lifesaving but arduous journey to a safe home, where they will be loved and given a new chance at life.

Although these women are authorized to take the children to safety, things could change at the drop of a hat, so Magali and Paquerette are constantly on edge. Throughout these dangerous journeys, they experience all kinds of odd situations: a child runs away and bites someone; they have a sickly baby die; Magali flirts with a German soldier to draw attention away from the group; and, most importantly, Paquerette is arrested and Magali has to take the children back home on her own. Magali starts out as a foolish, naive young girl of fifteen, but by the time her tenure is over, she is a seasoned, worldly woman of sixteen. She sees horrors that nobody should have to face, let alone endure, and she uses her wits to save her charges on numerous occasions.

This book covers a topic that not many others do: the evacuation of thousands of Jewish and refugee children out of camps and into safe homes. While France was not yet occupied at the time, there were definite German “rules” in place and the locals were afraid. They didn’t know what to expect, whom to trust, or how they were going to get through, yet they did. Many formed intricate networks to make fake papers for others, and still others used those papers to smuggle Jews and refugees out of France. Magali was a member of just one of many groups working to get children out of the camps. Even then, there was an age limit on who could be released; older teens had pretty much no chance of getting rescued.

While this story is fiction, it is based on true events and real people and places. How people react to a challenging situation is often said to show their true character, and in this book, readers can see what kind of people there were. Some went with the flow, some quietly rebelled, some openly rebelled, and others put others ahead of themselves. Seeing how each character reacted was both interesting and heartbreaking. The characters, while not overly developed, showed a good portion of society to see how events affect each and every one of us. The book was informative and educational, and the topic was interesting. I really enjoyed this book for the view into something that not many people know.

Defy the Night is set during a time of world history that most people know about but don’t necessarily understand. It discusses concentration camps, filthy conditions, and the heartbreaking separations of families. People are persecuted for their religious beliefs or for their home country. While it doesn’t contain flagrant violence, the images of how people were treated are disturbing and chilling. There is no profanity or sex of note. For this reason, I recommend this book for mature teens and older.

Keep You Close

Author: Lucie Whitehouse

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Release Date: May 3, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Rowan Winter is about to discover how far she will go to find out the truth when her estranged friend is found dead. She knows there is more to the story and is determined to find out the truth.

When Marianne Glass falls to her death it is ruled an accident. She and Rowan haven’t spoken in almost a decade but Rowan knows there is more to the story and doesn’t believe it was a simple accident. Rowan used to be close to Marianne and her whole family. She didn’t have a mother and her father wasn’t around, so the Glass family became part of her family. Since they haven’t spoken in the last ten years, Rowan doesn’t know much of Marianne’s adult life or how to investigate what happened to cause her fall. As she searches for answers, danger follows her at every turn and something hidden from her past makes her worry about her own fate.

I wanted to like this, I really did. I tried to get into the story but it wasn’t happening. There was too much narrative that didn’t always make sense and slowed the progress and at times the narrator had me scratching my heard to try and figure out what was happening. There was lots of jumping from past to present to explain what happened to affect the characters now. The author didn’t have very good transitions to make clear where we were at in the story which made it hard to understand at times. I couldn’t really connect with the characters either. There were too many thrown out that didn’t seem to matter much to the story, then when we were with the characters that did matter I had trouble caring about them. The ending played out nicely though. It wrapped things up tying it all back with the beginning much better than I expected. Overall it was not the best book and not one I will be picking up again. I know there are many out there that will really enjoy the story, especially the setting in the London Art world.

Lost Kin

Lost Kin Author: Steve Anderson

Series: Kaspar Brothers

Release Date: March 29, 2016

Publisher: Yucca

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Intriguing historical fiction set in post WWII Munich that reveals some of the darker secrets of post war policy.

Harry Kaspar serves as a Captain in the military government set up in Munich after the United States has occupied Germany. One night he answers a knock on his door to find a German police detective saying that a murder has been committed and a young girl is asking for him by name. Upon finding a man in old US fatigues with a sabre in his chest, he learns the girl knows his estranged brother, which he hasn’t seen in years. In an effort to find out more about what the girl knows, he heads down a trail that reveals some ghost from his past as well as his brother Max. Harry learns that Ukrainian Cossacks are being shipped back to the Soviet Union against their will and are then slaughtered by Stalin’s agents. Outraged, Harry pledges to help, but who can he trust to help him see them to safety?

I’m a huge fan of WWII history, fiction or non, but I have to admit that I haven’t read much on the post occupation part. That is why this novel was so intriguing. However, I always felt like there was something more to the story that I was reading and discovered that there are two other novels out there, one dedicated to each brother. Even so, it didn’t really take much away from the overall story.

The real story focuses on the sad fact that the United States and British government agreed to send back certain factions of people to the Soviet Union whether they wanted to go or not. The Soviet Union then executed them for fighting alongside Germany during the war against Russia. I cannot begin to imagine what the soldiers who were just “following orders” must have gone through in this process. Anderson does a great job bringing this to light with a suspenseful story. If you like WWII historical fiction, then reading about the Kaspar brothers will keep you happy!

There is some strong language throughout the book as well as some scenes of innuendo. I would recommend this book for mature audiences.

Incarnation

Incarnation Author: Laura Davis Hays

Publisher: Terra Nova Books

Release Date: March 1, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

An interesting take on the destruction of Atlantis mixed with present day incarnation.

Kelsey Depuis has been living in her father’s shadow her whole life. He was a famous scientist who was well known for his research. After he died, Kelsey was offered a job in Santa Fe, New Mexico by one of his former students. However, after moving to Santa Fe, Kelsey has started to have recurring dreams about water. With some help form a dream therapist, she begins to feel another presence from a past lift named Iriel, who lived at Atlantis. One day she meets a lawyer named Stan Dresser, who ignites a spark in her life. Soon, she and Stan are addicted to one another. Eventually, Kelsey realizes that Stan is also in the past life, but his motives are not pure. With some help, Kelsey escapes to a remote Caribbean island where her company is doing biological research and tests. But her arrival has stirred things up from the past. As actions begin to grow darker and violence rises, can Kelsey save herself from her former life?

I have to admit that when I started this book I didn’t get what I expected. There was a whole lot more than I had anticipated. I didn’t expect to get as much of Iriel’s back story. I thought it was going to focus more on the present. However, it really combined the two very well. The story was a little slow to set up, but once it got going to really moved. Kelsey is really just a confused thirty-two year old woman who has lived in her father’s shadow, had her life made miserable by her mother, still grieving the death of her brother, and just wants to be loved. So much so that she gets into a really abusive relationship. I know that there was a connection back to Atlantis that keep the relationship going, but I really, really wanted her to move on and quit going back to him. Then the antagonist is so strong throughout much of the book that I really, really wanted him to just go away, but he didn’t. In the end, every bit of the dialogue was needed to finally put the whole story to bed.

There is quite a bit of strong language in different parts of the book as well as fairly frequent sexual activity in Parts II and III. I would recommend this book for mature audiences.

Remember My Beauties

Remember My Beauties Author: Lynne Hugo

Publisher: Switchgrass Books

Release Date: April 18, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A tale of a dysfunctional family to the extreme, horses that have the potential to bring people together, and a whole mess of things trying to tear them apart.

Remember My Beauties is a tale of a dysfunctional family to the extreme. Jewel is left to take care of her aging parents and their horse farm while her brother and sister abuse drugs, alcohol and disappear. To top matters off her daughter, Carly is now hooked on drugs and living with a man that is only taking advantage of her and keeping her hooked. When her brother comes back home and her parents let him stay over her objections she gives them a choice, it’s either he goes or she does. As Jewel reaches her breaking point, so do many other aspects of all their lives.

This was a very interesting story of the way different relationships within a family can affect each and every member of a family in so many ways. I really felt for Jewel. She was trying to help and do all that she could for her parents, all the while getting very little appreciation and respect. Then when the “prodigal son,” so to speak, comes back he is let back into their lives as if he has never done any of the horrible things they all know he is guilty of. It’s hard to not be resentful of that type of thing. It is rare in a book that you see almost every character change in some way throughout the story. Usually it is one or two that really reach their peak and grow. Here, almost every character had that shift in their story line and it was nice. It may not have been full-fledged redemption for everyone but a change was evident. I enjoyed how the story was told from different viewpoints, even from the horses a time or two which was a nice touch.

I will say that this is not a book for a young audience. There are mature themes and language throughout. I wish the harsh language would have been toned down. For me that would have made the story more enjoyable. The length was just right. I read it in a little over a day and enjoyed the fast pace of the story and how things played out in the end.

All Summer Long

All Summer Long Author: Melody Carlson

Series: Follow Your Heart

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: June 7, 2016

Reviewer: Jen Roman

Tia D’Amico has been cooking at her family’s Italian restaurant for years, but when she is invited to be a chef aboard her aunt Julie’s yacht in San Francisco, she jumps at the chance. Not only is this the opportunity to expand her culinary reputation, but she is bound to find new people, and possibly a love interest, there. She is shocked to find Leo, the boat captain who greets her, as the boy she met and had her first kiss with at sailing camp ten years before. She does her best to hide her lingering feelings about him, especially since he introduces her to his newly-engaged fiancee, Natalie. Natalie is a career-oriented lawyer who is not only smart and beautiful, but also nice, so she is very intimidating to Tia. Natalie doesn’t have a lot of female friends, though, so she hopes that she and Tia can be buddies. It’s not that Tia doesn’t want to be her friend, but she finds it difficult when she is trying to suppress her feelings for Leo. Also, somehow Tia always gets caught between Natalie and Leo in really uncomfortable situations. As the summer progresses and Leo and Tia work closer and closer together on the boat, things get complicated until there is bound to be a disaster.

Written in easy yet interesting language, All Summer Long offers readers a romantic escape to San Francisco without their ever leaving their homes. The scenery and landmarks are described with accuracy and care, and the language used to bring San Francisco to life immediately creates a scene in the reader’s mind. The characters are interesting and well-developed, and while the storyline is somewhat predictable, it is enchanting and fun. Foodies will enjoy the descriptions of Tia’s culinary masterpieces, and adventurers will love the descriptions of the boat and its voyages.

I enjoyed reading about Tia and her journey from a self-described simple girl to a chef upon a high-class dinner cruise boat, and about how she handles situations. She jumps into the boat remodel headfirst when her aunt has to be with her uncle during a health crisis, and she still manages to have fun and meet new people. She considers herself to be plain and simple, but she is much more complex than she believes. As she makes a few personal revelations and does some emotional maturing, she becomes a person who earns respect of her peers and her family.

All Summer Long is a fun, quick read that will leave readers enchanted with the magic of San Francisco, and they will quickly and easily appreciate the characters who make the story what it is. There is brief, mild profanity, but no sexual situations or violence. Older teens and adults should enjoy this book for its simple romance and fun setting.

Sea Rose Lane

Sea Rose Lane Author: Irene Hannon

Series: Hope Harbor

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: June 7, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

With characters that are meant to be together and a story that intertwines them in a natural way, Sea Rose Lane is not to be missed.

Eric Nash was on the fast track to making partner at his law firm when he suddenly found himself out of a job. Not wanting to stay and dwell on the loss, he headed to the town he grew up and finds his dad is transforming his childhood home into a bed and breakfast. The last thing he wants is a relationship, but when the architect and construction chief, BJ Stevens hammers her way into his life it is almost unavoidable. BJ isn’t looking for romance either. She has been burned in the past and is trying to focus her energy on her work and helping the seniors in Hope Harbor. They both fight their feelings as hard as possible hoping that they can move past and keep from having heartache or a blossoming romance that is a force all its own.

Irene Hannon is one of the top writers when it comes to Christian romantic fiction. She knows how to tell the story with characters that are meant to be, even if those characters don’t want to admit it to themselves. I have read several of Hannon’s novels and enjoy her romantic thrillers. Usually these are heavy on romance and light on the thriller aspect. This novel was not a thriller and the romance flowed throughout with an even pace and made the character’s trajectory of coming together very natural. I have not read the first in the Hope Harbor series but didn’t find that to be a problem with understanding any of the story here. I liked BJ, a strong independent woman who was perfectly capable of taking care of herself but didn’t let that keep her from dreaming about being with a man she knew could make her happy. This was a very quick read with likable character and a story that was very enjoyable. I will recommend this to anyone that enjoys a good contemporary romance.