Author: Kristy Cambron

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: June 7, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Cambron strays from her WWII historical novels and it pays off with a great new story of the circus!

In the early 1900s, Mable Burton decides to leave the life she has in Ohio and journey off to Chicago to live all of the magazine clippings that she has saved in a cigar box. One day as a restaurant hostess, a mysterious well-dressed man comes in asking for a table.  Without a reservation, Mable must turn him away, but he asked for the manager.  Soon he has the best table in the restaurant and has a shocking request, he would like Mable to show him around the world’s fair in Chicago!  On the walk, Mable realizes that this man is the circus king, John Ringling.  They feel a connection, but still part ways until several years later they reunite by chance in Atlantic City just as Mable is getting ready to discard her cigar box dreams.

A few years later in England, Lady Rosamund Easling is hurrying home after participating in a trick riding competition. She accidently loses control of the automobile she is driving and sinks in the river.  Fearing that she is near death, a man on the riverbank jumps in and saves her and then has her car pulled out of the river as well.  Fearing word will get back to her father, Rosamund quickly bids the gentleman adieu and rushes home in time for an estate dinner.  Rosamund is shocked at dinner when the same man appears, whose name is Colin Keary.  When she learns that he has come to buy her horse from her father, Rosamund is beside herself with grief, as this was a gift from her brother who was killed in the Great War.  When she learns that Colin is purchasing him for the Ringling Brothers circus, Rosamund decides to leave her home and continue working with her horse.  But will she be able to return after the circus life?

Kristy Cambron’s first two novels center around concentration camps in World War II that are coupled with a story set in present day. So this story was a little bit different given the two stories are only a few years apart and the characters actually intersect each other more than once.  However, I was far from disappointed and greatly enjoyed this new book.  There was an immense amount of research that had to go into this novel given that very little is really known about Mable Burton (Ringling).

I have to say that Cambron has a way of bringing you to the setting of her novels. Just as in her two previous novels, I made the journey alongside the main characters.  I was in the stands eating cotton candy with Mable by the children.  I strolled the rose garden in Ca’ d’Zan.  She possesses such a masterful quality that I can’t help but see the sights, smell the aromas, and even feel the emotion.

There were some twists and turns that brought about different series of events that I anticipated. It reminded me of the move Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken in some ways, but it was still its own story.  I’m so happy that Kristy has started writing these wonderful stories.  She is truly one of my favorite authors.

Author: Susan Williams Beckhorn

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Release Date: June 7, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Two creatures brought together, alone they will die, but together they just might be strong enough to survive.

Kai was born with a club foot and has been labeled Tabat, a disgrace to his family and tribe. He wants nothing more than to become a hunter like his brother and the other men of their clan.  However, that is difficult since he is forbidden to use or touch a weapon.  On the day he was born, his father left him to die with the wolves.  Fate had other plans.  The wolves kept him alive and his mother came for him.  Ever since he has had a bond with the wolves that has become stronger than he has felt with anyone else.  One day he finds a motherless cub about to die.  He risks becoming an even bigger outcast with his tribe to care for the cub.  As the seasons change, the wolf cub grows bigger and becomes a threat to the clan.  It is only a matter of time before something happens and Kai knows his people won’t hesitate to kill his wolf.  He can’t let that happen.  Together they leave and head in the only direction he knows no one will look for him, north.  There is danger that will test the bond he has with his wolf and his will to survive.

There is more to this story than it first seems. The tribe’s willingness to shun Kai because of his deformity and lack of support for anything he tries to do leads him to find comfort in the only ones ever willing to help him, the wolves.  At times it seemed as if the family dynamic was going to come around but never did.  The best thing about Kai was his determination.  Everyone else might have given up on him but he wasn’t going to give up on himself.  Kai and his wolf become a pair that rely on each other.  That bond is what drives the story.  It is hard for a story to be driven without the human to human bond and connection but here it played out well.  This was a very fun read that I think kids will enjoy.  It flows smoothly with creative moments between boy and wolf.  I always like to cheer for the underdog.  In The Wolf’s Boy I had two underdogs to cheer for and watch as they developed a strong bond and became a team to be reckoned with.  This is the first I have read of Susan Williams Beckhorn.  Her writing was fun and just what young readers need to enjoy a good book.

Author: Jen Swann Downey

Series: The Nina Librarians

Publisher: Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky

Release Date: June 7, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

The follow up to the first Ninja Librarian is funny, fast, and highly entertaining.

Dorrie and her brother Marcus are back and finally joining Petrarch’s Library as apprentices. Now they have to train to one day be able to go on missions to rescue people whose words have gotten them into trouble.  They have classes and training with the other apprentices.  Before long, Dorrie finds herself close to a member of the Stronghold, the Library’s biggest enemy.  She tries to spy and find out what the enemy is up to.  If she isn’t careful, those she has come to care about could be in grave danger.

I stumbled upon this and thought it sounded interesting. My biggest problem is I didn’t realize this was the second in a series.  I’m sure several aspects would have made much more sense having read the first.  Even so, I did enjoy the story.  A group of kids working in a library going back and forth in time and places to save those who have gotten themselves into trouble with their writing.  For young readers, this is a great series with lots of twists and turns and adventure throughout.  I would highly recommend reading the first before diving into The Sword in the Stacks.  Not only to better understand this story, but also for another interesting adventure.

Author: Lisa T. Bergen

Series: River of Time: California

Publisher: Bergen Creative Group

Release Date: April 8, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A fun romantic tale of finding love when you would least expect it!

Zara Ruiz is a young girl that wishes for adventure, finding love, and a family. All the things she doesn’t presently have.  While walking the beach, she discovers a priceless object in a tide pool.  As she touches it, she is thinking of her wishes and is thrust a hundred and eighty years into the past.  Here she meets a handsome rancher, Javier de la Ventura, a man with big dreams and wishes of his own.  He along with his family and a vast land that is familiar to her and yet completely different from what she has known is what is in front of her with no foreseeable way to return home.  Now Zara must decide if she’s discovered what she has wished for in the past, or if her heart’s three wishes can only be found in her own time.

There is the saying “be careful what you wish for because you just might get it.” Well, with this new series by Lisa Bergren, I am wishing for the next one right now.  I was turned on to her writing with her Remnants series, which is one of my favorite series by far.  When I saw this coming out, I decided to give it a go as well.  I haven’t read any of the River of Times books that many compare this too as a possible prequel story but have to say I extremely enjoyed Three Wishes.  The characters were fun and easy to connect with and not at all over the top with how they got together.  I didn’t think I would enjoy the romance of the two main characters as much as I did, but it all played out well.  The story was just long enough, not so long that I found it dragging like so many novels tend to do. There were a few predictable moments but nothing to take away from the story. Three Wishes was a delightful read, and I can’t wait for the next book to come out.

Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: May 3, 2016

Reviewer: Jen Roman

In this second installment of the Bishop’s Family series, David Stoltzfus faces a tough moral dilemma.  He knows that one of the church leaders, Freeman Glick, has rigged the ballot system to make himself the new bishop of Stoney Ridge.  David knows he has to speak up to right the wrong, especially since Freeman does not see the error of his ways, but he wants to be sure he is doing the right thing.  Meanwhile, his meddling and overbearing mother, known as Mammi, arrives to “help” him and brings his two nieces, Laura and Abigail, in tow.  Laura quickly fits in with David’s family, but Abigail, intelligent, direct, and honest to a fault, manages to set herself apart from everyone else by her know-it-all attitude and blunt observations.  While helping her father with a genealogy project, she meets someone who finds her ways to be refreshing and even admirable.  Just as she starts to get close to him, however, she learns some interesting secrets about his family that might cause him to rethink his high esteem of Abigail.

Many readers of Amish fiction know a lot about the Amish ways and the various differences between communities, but not many have read about a quieting, in which a church leader is removed from his position and a new leader is chosen.  The details of how it happens and the meetings leading up to the quieting are discussed, and readers get to see how agonizing of a decision it really is.  While it may seem cut and dry, there are many gray areas that make the decision, even if it is right, difficult to carry out.  David toys with the idea of just ignoring the information he has about Freeman’s actions, but he knows that the problem will just fester if not addressed head-on.  Knowing that Freeman’s sister Birdy, also David’s love interest, is the one who brought Freeman’s deception to David’s attention also causes concern.  David wants to be with Birdy, but doesn’t know what a quieting on her brother will do to their relationship.

This is a second installment of a series, and The Quieting picks up just as David learns that Freeman has rigged the ballots used to choose the next bishop.  Rather than recount a lot of what happened previously, the story jumps right in to David’s dilemma and throws his visiting relatives, Mammi, Laura, and Abigail, into the mix.  Many pieces from the previous book are mixed in to make this current book interesting, but it takes some attention to detail to catch up on all the previous goings-on that affect the current story.  This is not to say that it can’t be done, but it does prove to be difficult.

The characters, and there are many, in this book are mostly interesting and engaging.  Abigail, as expected, is a bit difficult to take, and her story is not as interesting because of it.  The ancillary characters, which include family members, friends, and people of the community, all have storylines that weave into one another.  They create this rich fabric of a story that fascinates and entertains all at the same time.  Many of these characters are also found in other series by Suzanne Woods Fisher, so she really has created a world of the Amish that can go on for seemingly forever.  It will be interesting to see where the next book in the series, The Devoted, takes this group of God-fearing and charismatic individuals.

Suzanne Woods Fisher writes in a style that is simple yet interesting, and often at times conversational.  This helps the stories get told quickly and thoroughly, so readers know not only what people are doing, but what they are thinking.  I enjoy her style and this book was yet another success in telling an interesting story about a group of people that most don’t understand.

The Quieting is an interesting read that delves into the part of Amish life that many outsiders don’t see.  It reflects the lifestyle of the Amish and for that reason does not use profanity.  There is no violence.  The only issue I had was that while the story can stand alone, there is a lot of work involved in trying to figure out what happened before and who each character is.  Still, teens and adults will find this book of the Bishop’s Family series charming and entertaining.

Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde

Publisher: Lake Union

Release Date: May 24, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

An unforgettable tale of courage and strength in the trial of a lifetime.

Ethan Underwood is tired of no one believing he is seventeen, he knows he doesn’t look it and sometimes doesn’t act it, but he is fixing to have to show bravery beyond his years. After his father betrays him and his mother, he wants nothing to do with him.  Unfortunately his mom has to go help take care of her ailing parents and Ethan is gets stuck going to stay with his dad who has moved to the Blythe River National Wilderness area.  They don’t have much to say to each other and barely co-exist together.  One day his dad goes for a run and doesn’t come back.  When he hasn’t returned the next day, Ethan notifies the rangers who set out with a search party.  After two days they find nothing and call the search off.  Ethan may not like his father, but he doesn’t want to leave without trying to find him.  With the help of three locals, they set out to find his father and Ethan soon realizes this quest has become about more than finding his Dad.

I have to say I was surprised by how much I enjoyed I enjoyed this book. I really related to Ethan on so many levels.  I never have people believe I’m as old as I say I am and my relationship with my father is not the best.  Maybe not for all the same reasons as Ethan has, but even so it could be much better.  Leaving Blythe River could have all been tied up nice and neat like a half hour sitcom where everyone hugs at the end, but it played out totally believable. Every character has a purpose and played well with each other.  I especially enjoyed the dynamic between Sam and Jone with Ethan.  There was a tiny bit of humor sprinkled in to lighten the mood at just the right times.  I read this in two days and enjoyed the writing very much.  I haven’t read anything by Catherine Ryan Hyde before and am starting to think I have been missing out on some really good stories.  I was especially pleased with the ending, I don’t want to give anything away but the way it played out was very satisfying.  I would recommend this to those that enjoy a good coming of age story where the characters really grow and develop throughout.

Author: Mike Dellosso

Series: Jed Patrick

Publisher: Tyndale

Release Date: June 1, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Jed Patrick returns as does the Centralia agency who is bent on having him back.

Jed Patrick has worked tirelessly to get his life back and keep his family safe with new names, new locations, and new identities. Just when he thinks it is enough, trained men who claim to be there to help break in and take his little girl and threaten his wife.  He now knows his family will never be truly safe until he eliminates the agency set on hunting him down.  Jed has enough information to bring them down.  He just has to find the right way to use that information.  Without knowing who to trust, the decision of what to do becomes harder and harder.  His life and the lives of those he loves are in danger at every turn and he starts doubting himself like never before.

If you are a fan of the Bourne series, this is one to read. I didn’t realize when starting that it was the second in a series, but that didn’t seem to be too much of a problem as I continued reading.  A few parts probably would have been a little clearer but not enough to be an issue.  I am a fan of Bourne and enjoyed the Jed Patrick story as well.  The pace was quick and tense.  I will say that I was pleasantly surprised by one aspect of the writing, but I don’t want to say too much and give away a big spoiler.  I am rarely surprised in reading a novel but this one did surprise me.  I know several reviews of the first said the writing was subpar and predictable but I didn’t feel that way at all.  I thought it was done very well.  I did see some similarities to the Jason Bourne series and even a few others here and there, but overall the story was very well written and enjoyable.  If the series continues, I will be sure to pick up the future books as well!

Author: Jolina Petersheim Publisher: Tyndale Release Date: June 1, 2016 Reviewer: Jessica Higgins A new view of dystopian literature that can leave you questioning your personal beliefs. Petersheim…

Source: The Alliance

Author: Jolina Petersheim

Publisher: Tyndale

Release Date: June 1, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A new view of dystopian literature that can leave you questioning your personal beliefs. Petersheim hooked me on the first page and never let me go!

Leora Ebersole is coping with her life in the Mt. Hebron Mennonite community after her father abandoned her family, then a year later her mother died. Suddenly, a plane comes streaking across the sky and crashes in the field near her house.  As a group of Mennonite loggers pull the pilot free of the wreckage, Leora discovers that electronics are no longer working.  One of the loggers is an Englischer and his cell phone doesn’t work, neither does the phone in the wood shop.  Apparently, the customers at the community store, Field to Table, are also at a loss as their cars will no longer start.  While the remaining Mennonites go to the school house to hold an assembly to make sense of what is happening, Leora stays at her house with the injured pilot.  After he awakens, she learns that his name is Moses Hughes.  She explains what she has heard of happening and he confides in her that it might be an electromagnetic pulse that has been set off.  He explains that if this is the case, then the world is suddenly without power and humanity is going to get a lot worse.  Food and water will become scarce and gangs will be on the rise to control what little there is.  What would a pacifist community do if faced to choose between protecting their families or death?  The answer might surprise you!

Two years is far too long to go with a new novel by Jolina Petersheim. Even so, the wait has well paid off.  This story really dives to the heart of one of the beliefs of a Mennonite community.  Pacifism is the belief that violence is unnecessary, even when faced with a threat.  She does a great job of providing some history of how the beliefs originated and the past individuals that are revered for having the faith to stand strong in their beliefs as they were tortured or even killed.  Throughout the entire book, I often found myself wondering if I would be strong enough to turn the cheek to the events happening.

Leora is the protagonist throughout the story that battles her own faith. She recites the beliefs and questions the community when they appear to consider compromising, but inside she is lost and hurting from her past.  She blames herself for the events that have caused damage to her family and cannot seem to trust God.  She is a very easy character to relate with as several of us have the same issues.  Moses is the surprise character of the story.  He begins by trying to run away from his problems and doesn’t want anything to go with God.  However, by the end he is a different person who has learned from his mistakes.

There were plenty of twists throughout the book that kept it interesting and intriguing. By the time I was on the last chapter, I felt like I should only be about halfway through the book.  How could this all wrap up in one more chapter?  To my sincere happiness, the author let me know that there is going to be another book that will continue the story!  I hope I can make it until it releases!

Author: Brynn Kelly

Publisher: HQN Books

Release Date: May 31, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A case of mistaken identity, pirates, kidnapping and romance make for a fast paced thrill ride!

Holly Ryan just got out of jail when she is approached to play body double for a spoiled socialite. It sounds like the perfect gig, until she is snatched off the yacht and held for ransom by a tall dark mysterious stranger.  Fare Angelito tried to be finished with his past, he wanted nothing to do with the horrible things he had been a part of.  Now that his son has been kidnapped, he is forced to go back to the past he has left behind and return to his old ways.  What he doesn’t expect is to fall for the girl he has been told to kidnap in order to get his son back safely.  All alone and deep in the tropics, they find themselves drawn to one another and the passion is hard to contain.

Deception Island starts out with a punch and doesn’t let up.  The tension is set from the start and holds a pretty good pace throughout.  Most romantic suspense novels are too heavy on the romance and the suspense never really gets going.  I felt a good sense of suspense throughout with the romance sprinkled at appropriate places.  The attraction between Rafe and Holly was immediate and well developed.  I did have a problem for the first half of the book with both of them having two different names, their real ones and the ones they were using towards the other.  It was confusing and took me out of the story at times trying to keep straight who was talking.  The timeline going from being kidnapped to falling for one another was a little fast to be believable but in an intense situation these things tend to escalate quicker than normal.  At the heart of the novel was the bond between father and son and how strong that can be, even when it isn’t obvious to the father.

Overall Deception Island was a quick enjoyable read.  It is not for book for a young audience as it contains harsh language at times and some sensual scenes intended for the more mature audience.