A Name Unknown

A name unknown Author: Roseanna M. White

Series: Shadows over England #1

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: July 4, 2017

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Are a thief and an author really that much different?

Rosemary Gresham is one of the best thieves in England, even pulling off a museum heist. Now with England on the brink of war with Germany, everybody’s loyalty is being examined. Who better to find documents to exploit someone’s disloyalty than a thief? That is exactly what Rosemary has been hired to do. Peter Holtstein has the King’s ear and many believe that he is loyal to Germany given that his German parents left England so that Peter could be born in Germany to maintain citizenship. But this may be the biggest challenge Rosemary has ever accepted. Disguised as a librarian hired to help catalogue Peter’s massive library, Rosemary must try to find letters or record archives that prove his is sympathetic to Germany. But she isn’t allowed in his study where he spends most everyday typing. What could he be doing that involves typing all day?

This was a fun and well thought out story. I always enjoy literature during the Great War period as it typically provides a lot of conflict throughout the story, but this particular story had mostly inner conflict that occurred within Rosemary. Her character development was fun to watch. She grew from being a street rat thief to finally believing in God after seeing someone who chose to do good to help her. The romance was brief but the growing feelings for each other were a welcome part of the story. It didn’t center around that, it actually centered around the theme of God’s love and that is what made the story so worthwhile. I’ll be very interested in the future installments of this series.

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

Freedom’s Price

Freedom Author: Christine Johnson

Series: Keys of Promise #3

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: June 6, 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Can Pirates of the Caribbean characters come to life in an alternate book?

Catherine Haynes is facing a difficult situation. With both of her parents now deceased, her cousin has taking control of their estate, but must pay a stipend to Catherine until she is wed. Now he is in a hurry to get her married and sell the estate. Rather than succumb to his wishes, Catherine decides to take a severance from him and sail to her mother’s homeland of Louisiana to meet the family that doesn’t know she exists. Along the way, she is shipwrecked on the island of Key West, where she meets dashing Captain Tom Worthington, who may be the only man she has met that can match her wit, which infuriates her more. Even so, Catherine and Tom find themselves drawn to one another even though each has their own plans. Would it be better to stay with Tom in Key West or venture to an uncertain future in New Orleans?

This was a fun historical fiction read that had me picturing Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann from Pirates of the Caribbean. Not because of their situation, but because of their personalities. There was lots of fun, wit, and action throughout the book. But there were also valuable lessons learned about trust and love. Johnson did a great job of setting the scene in pre-Civil War New Orleans. I hadn’t realized that England had already abolished slavery by that time period, so I was happy to get to do some research based on the book. I also love the Key West area, so anytime I get to go there in my mind is well worth it.

Even though this was the third in the series, it is easily a standalone. I recommend reading it even without a copy of the first two.

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

Ascension of Larks

Ascension Author: Rachel Linden

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: June 20, 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Making the hard choice is never easy, but in some cases, it is a leap of faith that just might prove worth it in the end.

Magdalena (Maggie) Henry loves her life of traveling and being a renowned photographer. She is a free spirit and has never been tied down to anyone or anything before. When her best friend Lena calls to say her husband, Marco, has died in an accident on the lake, she drops everything to go help her friend. Maggie has always been secretly in love with Marco and being at their house with the family is harder than she thought it was going to be. Maggie gets a call from her boss to give her a once in a lifetime opportunity to compete for the biggest award in the photography community. Naturally, she doesn’t want to pass it up. However, she must now decide between her career and being there for some of the only family she has ever had is the hardest decision she has ever had to make. She knows what her heart is telling her to follow the magic of being with a family and settling down, but will she be able to make the decision?

This is not my normal go to book for a quick enjoyable read, but was worth every minute of my time. The setting was beautiful! I love the islands of the Pacific Northwest, and every time Maggie went for a run I imagined myself on the beach with her. While this is marketed towards women, it is one that male readers can still find enjoyable. Lena finding out the problems her husband has left her with is something that probably happens far more often than any of us realize and was addressed well. Lena had a hard time dealing with the stress of everything but was fortunate enough to have wonderful people in her life she could rely on to help her through the difficult times. The few almost romance scenes were done well and not rushed. I can’t stand to read a scene where you know the relationships are being rushed and completely not believable. There are religious aspects to the book but nothing that is too “in your face” that might put readers off. Linden did a fantastic job of writing a smooth flowing dialogue as well as narrative scenes. I enjoyed the message Linden drove home of no matter how bad your situation is, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, but at the same time seeing the other side can show you a little bit of what you are missing in life. I recommend this to readers that enjoy a story with heart and a message that will touch them and help them if they are struggling through a difficult time.

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

Naomi’s Hope

Naomi's Hope Author: Jan Drexler

Series: Journey to Pleasant Prairie #3

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: June 6, 2017

Reviewer: Jennifer S. Roman

The third and final installment in the Journey to Pleasant Prairie series finds a newcomer, Cap Stoltzfus, joining the two groups of Amish who have arrived in LaGrange County, Indiana, in the 1840s. One group is from Ohio, and one group is from Pennsylvania. Although one group is considered more progressive than the other, they live and work together across a wide area separated by marsh and forest. They make miles-long treks on Sundays for church services and during the week to help their neighbors with chores. Cap finds himself settling in nicely, and is especially happy when he meets Naomi Schrock, a single girl who lives with her family and son near Cap’s new cabin. She has rescued a young boy whose family perished in a deadly storm, and even though her neighbors accept it, some people gossip that the boy, Davey, is the product of a sinful relationship. Cap is determined to get to know Naomi while finding out the truth of Davey’s coming to live with Naomi.

Meanwhile, a new preacher has arrived in the settlement, and he brings back horrible memories for Cap. Shem Fischer used to bully Cap when they were boys, and while Cap does his best to forgive Shem and put that experience in the past, he can’t help but feel that Shem is stirring up trouble throughout the settlement. Rumors fly, people refuse to help one another, and there is talk of breaking the church into two different sects. Shem seems to be behind all of it, but Cap has no proof. It’s up to the other members of the church to see Shem for his bad behavior and keep him in check.

I have enjoyed the first two books in this series, so I was excited to read the final book, as well. I have to admit that I had no idea there could be such Peyton Place-like drama playing out in an Amish settlement in the middle of Indiana, but after reading this book, it’s a whole new possibility. People are quarreling over where to hold church, how to plant and harvest crops, and what to serve for Sunday dinner. Married people have their eyes on someone other than their spouses, and rumors fly like birds. This is probably not typical of the average Amish settlement, but in this book, it was quite common. While the Amish are not immune to drama and conflicting personalities, it seems like this is an awful lot for a small new community.

I enjoyed the characters this book has, including the many newcomers. Several main characters and side characters have personal conflicts that need to be addressed, and they realize that until they give them up to God, the issues won’t go away. This causes stress in a few relationships, and the people involved learn how to work together instead of apart. There are many lessons for the characters to earn, the biggest being to trust God above all others. While some of the drama may be a bit over-the-top, the storylines and true commitment to living a simple life make the book a worthwhile read.

This is a charming book that does not contain violence, sex, or foul language. For this reason, I recommend this book for young adult readers and up. Fans of Amish fiction, Amish romance, or a good clean story about the settling of America will enjoy the story.

Alabaster

Alabaster Author: Chris Aslan

Publisher: Lion Hudson

Release Date: November 18, 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A well-known story told from a different perspective.

Miriam and Martha have had their share of a rough life. When they were children, their mother died leaving them with their father and younger brother. Even so, they still made the best of it. That is until the day that their father helps a leper, who leaves them a small alabaster jar for helping before he dies. Nothing seems that odd until one day Miriam notices a small white patch on his back. Soon the priest and his wife come to observe the patch and quarantine the family. But the patch does not recede, so their father must leave the community for good and venture out to the lepers. But fate does not stop there. Martha has no money for a dowry and remains single, but she is quite the busybody. Miriam gets married to a young man who helps the priest, but his mother and sister are scornful to her and it might have been better never to marry. Their brother, Eleazar, runs away from the community with a friend when they are of age, with intentions never to return. That is until they meet the doctor in the north that has been able to cure leprosy.

This book was a great read that keep playing with my mind. Once the book got started, I began to wonder if this might be one of the well-known stories of Jesus in the bible. The more I read, the more it sounded likely. And then I discovered that it was. It was told from a completely different perspective than I had ever heard it before. But it was still masterfully told. The emotions of Miriam were vastly different than I would have pictured them, but there were still very believable. I love it when stories like this pop up and change the way I have always observed things. Well done!

There is some implied sex scenes, one of which is a rape scene, but it is not graphic. I would recommended this to young adult readers and up.

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

Sandpiper Cove

Sandpiper cove Author: Irene Hannon

Series: Hope Harbor #3

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: April 4, 2017

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

The third book in the Hope Harbor series brings the romance to a whole new level. Romance lovers will not want to miss this one.

Lexi Graham is the Hope Harbor police chief and is being pulled in too many directions at once. She has her son to take care of along with the residents of Hope Harbor, who have been dealing with a string of theft and vandalism. All of this is more than enough to keep her busy and leave zero time for anything else, romance included. With being so busy, she is caught completely off guard when she finds herself attracted to one of the victims of vandalism, Adam Stone. To make matters more complicated, Adam is an ex-con. He came to town after getting out of prison trying to make a new start. When Lexi catches one of the vandals, she talks to Adam about trying to be a mentor to the boy who is going through a tough time at home and could use his influence. Adam isn’t sure he is the right person to help the boy, but feels God leading him to try. Together Adam and Lexi work to make a difference in the lives of those they can reach and see if there is anything left to make work between the two of them.

This story is one of second chances. Lexi needs a second chance at love and Adam needs a second chance to prove he can be a good person. He doesn’t come to town looking for love and doesn’t think he deserves it either. I like the way he doesn’t want feel as if he isn’t good enough for Lexi, (even though deep down that is how he feels.) He has several people in town looking out for him who tell him that he doesn’t have to be the same person that spent time in prison. He did his time and now he needs to be willing to move on from that. I love the message of knowing it is ok to make mistakes as long as we learn from them and move on to do the work God has planned for us to do. Sometimes we tend to beat ourselves up over things that we need to let go of. If God can forgive us, then we should be able to forgive ourselves and move on too. Irene Hannon is one of the top Christian Romance writers and it is for good reason. She can weave good story with a message and characters we want to see happy. Sandpiper Cove has all of that and more. It is the third in the series, some of the characters are the same, Charley is back and you can’t help but love him, and some are new. You don’t have to read all to enjoy each separately, which is nice. I recommend this to readers that love a good, clean romance story that will put a smile on your face.

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

Long Time Gone

Long Time Gone Author: Mary Connealy

Series: The Cimarron Legacy #2

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: February 28, 2017

Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A charming western romance with action and adventure at just the right spots.

After the patriarch of the Boden family is injured in what appears to be an accidental landslide and sent to Denver for treatment, the rest of the family is left to handle the ranch and quickly uncover it was no accident. Justin Boden is now in charge of the ranch and after seeing his father hurt and now his brother Cole, shot and in critical condition, he feels in over his head. The doctor trying to save Cole has an assistant, Angie Dupree, that is a distraction to Justin. Angie came to town to stay with her aunt after her life didn’t go as planned. Justin and the rest of the family must work together, with the help of Angie, who he is quickly falling for, and a few others to figure out who is out to get their family. Things are turning out to be much bigger than they first thought and danger is around every corner and deadlier than they could have imagined.

The best thing about a Mary Connealy book is that it is a quick read that is enjoyable. However, sometimes the books can be unmemorable, especially when you read a lot. It has been a while since I read the first in the series and didn’t remember a whole lot of it before starting this one. In a way that is good because I can say that if readers haven’t read the first book, they will still enjoy this one. It does help for some background information with the parents and what the family is facing. But it is not completely vital to have read the first before starting this one. I read these and enjoy them while I am reading them and then move on to the next on my list, whereas with some I hate to put it down because it was so good. I liked the storyline of Justin and Angie, I could see where they were heading and everything felt natural for the characters as they got to where they needed to be. I’m hoping the third book will go into Cole and his relationship to come, ( I could be wrong but I’m guessing he will fall for Melanie.) I recommend this book to readers than enjoy a good, clean, historical romance with cowboys, action and a little humor sprinkled in for good measure.

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

When Tides Turn

When Tides Turn Author: Sarah Sundin

Series: Waves of Freedom #3

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: March 14, 2017

Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A historical romance that is as frustrating as real love, which makes it all the better!

Tess Beaumont has always been thought of as just a pretty face, and she is tired of it. The Navy has recently opened programs for women and Tess decides this is her chance to put her brain to use as much as her pretty face has been in the past. It is hard work and initially she still must overcome the perceptions she has lived with all her life, but eventually the hard work pays off and she sees herself making a difference. Love is the farthest thing from her mind, until Lt. Dan Avery shows up. She has known him for years, especially being close with his sisters. But when he shows up in uniform, something deep inside her stirs with feelings she hasn’t had in years. She is determined to stay the course with her work and not let love get in the way. Dan feels the same way, he doesn’t want love to distract him from his duties, even though he can’t deny the attraction he feels for Tess. As things heat up in the Navy, there are also conspiracies Tess begins to investigate within her own circle of friends that put her in danger.

When Tides Turn is a book that I initially wanted to give up on, but I’m glad I didn’t. The ending was well worth the wait; although, the first half of the book wasn’t my favorite. I did not like Tessa until the end. I think my problem with Tessa had to do with her attitude towards herself. She had a problem with being seen as a pretty face and the way it came across to me was more of her being conceited and full of herself. Yes, she might be pretty, but the way she kept thinking it and trying to keep it from being used against her in any way just rubbed me the wrong way. And then, when someone she cares for calls her beautiful, she blows up and loses it, not the best way to play that scene out for me. Other than that, I really enjoyed the book, especially the scenes with Tess investigating her group for spies and the danger that brought about. I am usually very much into military dramas but that part of the story didn’t get me as much for some reason. I found myself glossing over the parts on the ships and submarines to get to the rest of the story, it wasn’t as compelling as the rest. The relationship with her and Dan was a little rocky and back and forth, which is very much like real life, making it more believable. I think readers that enjoy Christian, historical romances will enjoy this one.

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

Christmas Embers

christmas-ebmers Author: Chautona Havig

Publisher: Create Space

Release Date: November 23, 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

When the thing you least expect to happen to you happens, how do you handle it?

Every year Emily Byrne plans a project she can do that is a way to give back. This year she sits in her daughter’s kindergarten classroom to draw portraits and write little stories of what each child’s deepest wish is. Everything is going good until Joey Cordell sits in front of her with tears in his eyes and says the only thing he wants for Christmas is to find his father. His mother is dying and came to Rockland to find his father. She had been living in Las Vegas as a prostitute and Joey’s father is a man she met there and she fell in love with after a few short hours. She knew he was married but as usual it didn’t make a difference to her. Emily meets her and promises to do all she can to help her find Joey’s father. As time runs out and Joey’s mother is about to die, Emily doubts she can find the father in time. With death seconds away, Emily promises to continue looking and to care for Joey who she has already fallen in love with. As the truth emerges, a family is crushed and the damage is going to be hard to overcome.

While reading this story, several times I pictured myself as these characters and tried to determine how I would act if this happened to me. I don’t want to give too much away in the synopsis or review, but I will say it is a story to be read by those in a marriage or preparing for marriage. Infidelity in marriage is a horrible thing. Some can get past it and some can’t. Seeing the way Chautona Havig crafted these characters, the situations they found themselves in, and how they dealt with it all put the reader in those situations as those characters. A few characters annoyed me, but not enough to pull me from the rest of the story. I really don’t know how I would feel if I was placed in this situation but am glad I read Christmas Embers to have a better understanding of the biblical principles behind infidelity and how it affects all those involved. A lot of this I didn’t know and am better for learning it all in this way. This was a very quick enjoyable read that I recommend to all.

Of Stillness and Storm

of-stillness-and-storm Author: Michele Phoenix

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: December 6, 2016

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A gripping, emotional tale of loss, love, and devastation.

Lauren lives with her husband, Sam, and son, Ryan, in Kathmandu, Nepal. She works as an English teacher at a local university so that Sam can do mission work in the remote villages in the mountain regions of Nepal. Unfortunately, rather than finding adventure in her home country, Lauren is getting frustrated with living in Nepal, dealing with the unsanitary conditions, traffic, pollution, monsoons, and only seeing Sam for a third of the year. Worse, Ryan has been closing himself off from them since before they left the states and barely answers questions when directed at him.

After coaxing from one of her stateside friends, Lauren sets up a Facebook account. Within a day, she has been contacted by another friend, Aidan, from the past who was a huge part of her life before college. As she is drawn into her conversations with Aidan, she finds herself shutting out her other life and her relationship with Ryan starts to suffer further. How can she work to save the relationships she already has?

First of all, let me say that if you read this book, it is going to affect you emotionally. It certainly did me. The story is told from Lauren’s point of view and switches between present day in Nepal and her past story including how she and Sam met, her relationship with Aidan, and Ryan’s plunge into depression. But ultimately, the story is not really about Lauren so much as it is about Ryan. Michele Phoenix has a ministry set up to support missionary kids and the struggles that they deal with. It is very evident that Ryan struggles with abandonment from his father, but doesn’t know how to express it. Even if he did, Sam would probably not have taken it as he should have.

Speaking of Sam, it was interesting to see a missionary as an antagonist throughout the story. I continually got frustrated with his character and even shocked that he would continue to abandon his family. He had a lot of personal ambition that I believe he took to make his vision come true, even when he had roadblocks in his way that could have been warnings.

This is a very difficult read emotionally and the ending may leave you with more questions than answers, but overall it is extremely well written and presented.

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