Knight Kyle and the Magic Silver Lance

knight-kyle Author: Oliver Potzsch

Series: Adventures Beyond Dragon Mountain

Publisher: Amazon Crossing

Release Date: December 1, 2016

Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Dungeons, Dragons, and much more makes this a great book for young boys!

Knight Kyle lives in Fairyland East along with elves, trolls, dragons, giants, and all sorts of magical creatures. He, along with others, is in search of his great-grandfather’s lost silver lance. Legend has it that the lance comes with invincible power. It has been missing for many years and Kyle knows it is his destiny to find it. He is up against his worst enemies, Rasputin, an evil robber, and Balduin, a magician. Working with Kyle is Lady Constance, the brave lady of the house, Elf Aurin, and Dragobert the dragon and Prince Nepomuk. Together they go on crazy adventures and have the best time ever.

All children enjoy a good magical story. With Knight Kyle, you get that along with many valuable lessons, making this a great book for young readers. I was able to read this in a single day turning the pages quickly to take the next adventure with our young heroes. The pages are filled with teaching moments about sharing, not excluding others just because you may not like them. Another good lesson how it might be hard but never lose hope, just when you are about to give up is when what you have been reaching for will be within your grasp. Kyle and his friends work together and have so much fun on their adventures. The one down point of this was poor editing. I received this on an e-reader and had several paragraphs repeated. I can’t blame poor editing on the author, but feel this shouldn’t have been overlooked. Young children will surely enjoy this magical tale and hopefully learn some good life lessons along the way.

Casting the Net

casting-the-net Author: Pam Rhodes

Series: The Dunbridge Chronicles

Publisher: Lion Hudson/Kregel

Release Date: February 22, 2014

Reviewer: Jennifer S. Roman

Neil Fisher is a new vicar at St. Stephen’s in Dunbridge and has his work cut out for him. In only his second year as curate, he has do deal with enough issues to make Peyton Place look tranquil. His overbearing mother Iris decides to come stay with him for an extended visit and insists on reorganizing his entire home to suit her needs, but of course under the guise that he “needs her help.” Not long after performing a christening for a desperately-wanted baby, he is forced to handle two devastating funerals of congregants. He breaks up with his steady girlfriend Wendy because he realizes he doesn’t truly love her, and she does everything she can to make his life miserable. His attentions quickly turn to Claire, the church gardener, who even though she is an Atheist, is a perfect partner for him. They have to deal with the fallout of a man of God involved with a woman who doesn’t believe in God while also untangling the messy lives of their followers. All in all, Neil’s second year with St. Stephen’s keeps him on his toes and often puts him into precarious and sometimes hilarious predicaments.

This is the second in the Dunbridge Chronicles, about the life of Neil as a curate and the many people of St. Stephen’s who welcome him as their leader. Of course, just because they go to church and are involved in the church life does not mean they are perfect; they need Neil’s help just as much as anyone else. Fortunately, Neil takes his ministry out and about and is always around his congregation. Whether it’s performing a baptism or wedding, or participating as a judge in a church-sponsored bake-off, or even spending time playing darts and drinking a pint in the local pub, Neil manages to entangle himself in the various tangled webs of those around him. He feels very unimportant and even lacks confidence in his skills, yet his people work out their problems, renew their faith, and increase attendance under Neil’s leadership. He relies heavily on Margaret, his co-pastor, for guidance and advice, but when something horrible happens to her, he successfully plows on doing the best he can.

This book is written about the life in the church, yet it provides many funny moments that will resonate with church-goers and non-church-goers as well. It doesn’t have one main plot but instead relies on the various veins of the many characters’ lives to carry the story through. It continues in another book, as a spurned Wendy decides to take matters into her own hands. This is a quick and charming read that will make people laugh and understand that nobody is perfect.

There is really nothing in this book that could be found offensive to readers, so anyone interested in a fun book about a church-going community will find it entertaining. There are some people cohabitating out of wedlock and one couple even conceives a baby that way, but there is no mention of violence, assault, or other objectionable behaviors. The book takes place in England and uses British terminology, so there may be some profanity that is not obvious to American readers, but it is mild if noticed. This should be a fun and easy read, so I recommend it for readers high school level and above.

Long Way Gone

long-way-gone Author: Charles Martin

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: October 4, 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A fantastic, fast paced, emotionally gripping read! I couldn’t put it down until I knew what was going to happen next!

Cooper O’Connor knows how to make music. Not for personal gain or profit, but how to actually reach into people’s souls and touch them with his notes. But he also knows trials and tribulations. One day after playing an impromptu set up with an older man in Leadville, Colorado, Cooper sees a woman thumbing a ride down the road. He dismisses it, but as he arrives home in Buena Vista, he sees her again with a smashed guitar and a gash on her forehead. As he quickly gets out of his jeep to help her before she passes out, he realizes that it is a blast from his past. The one and only Daley Cross, who was once well known on the country music circuit, has just passed out in his arms. Now in the hospital, Daley wakes up and realizes that Cooper has been the one to rescue her. Cooper yearns to start over in a relationship with Daley, but also knows that the past twenty years has had other people spinning a few lies to Daley about why he left Nashville. The journey ahead dives back into the past with an accident that left Cooper with a gunshot wound and left in a burning building. Can Cooper tell Daley the truth? And will Daley believe him?

This is easily one of the top ten books that I have read for the year! I apologize if my synopsis is a little vague, but there is so much in this book that must be left for the reader to learn on his or her own. The way it is set up, I could easily spoil a large part of the story and I really don’t want to do that. However, I suppose that I could give you a little bit more.

The book is broken up into three parts. It begins is present day set mainly in Buena Vista, Colorado but also in Leadville, which are both mountain towns. I’m a big fan of each because my husband and I used to frequent Ski Cooper in Leadville and traveled through Buena Vista to get there, so I know a bit about the layout of both towns. I was a little saddened to see that the Quincy St. Steakhouse (located in both towns) wasn’t mentioned (really good filets at a great price). Back to the story, part one focuses on Cooper and Daley’s relationship after being separated for twenty years. This part only last for a few days. Then part two heads back to memory lane with Cooper’s upbringing as the son of a revival tent preacher through his journey to Nashville and eventual return to Buena Vista. Part three then picks back up where part one left off.

There is some parallel to the story of the prodigal son, but not identical. Cooper takes the inheritance he feels he deserves and insults his father and eventually returns home, but the journey and the return are not quite what you would expect from the story. I warn readers that this book has some very raw emotion in it that can easily get to you. A great story about unconditional love! Even so, I couldn’t put it down.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest and thorough review. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Devoted

the-devoted Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher

Series: The Bishops Family #3

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: October 4, 2016

Reviewer: Jennifer S. Roman

The latest installment of the Bishop’s Family focuses on the message that we need to give freely even we do not have that much to give. Bishop David Stoltzfus has noticed that even though his community has become prosperous, something is missing. People are not as available as they used to be; they are bending some fundamental rules; and volunteerism has fallen. Just recently, a barn-raising had to be rescheduled because the materials order was not placed and there were not enough hands available for assistance. While he is dealing with his community’s issues, his daughter Ruthie tries to reconcile her feelings for Luke Schrock. She thinks she loves him, but she knows he is the town troublemaker. Any time she opens up to him, he does something to hurt her. To take her mind off of Luke, she decides to tutor newcomer Patrick Kelly in Pennsylvania Dutch because Patrick wants to join the Amish. David’s sister Ruth, who has left the Amish to become a doctor, moves to Stoney Ridge to open a practice that caters to the Amish. So many things happening at once are sure to cause plenty of changes at the Amish community, some for the better, and some not.

As is typical of the previous two books in this series, Woods Fisher writes a story about a member of the core family, in this case the bishop’s family, and throws in some other characters and their stories. She has developed the characters from the very beginning; in fact, many characters come from her other series. New characters are added to provide more interest, and some move away once their story is told. I’ve enjoyed her books so far, and this one was no exception. There is usually someone struggling with a moral dilemma, and in this case, it’s the bishop himself. David notices that his parishoners are becoming complacent and even selfish, as they are not there to help and minister to one another as they have in the past. He notices that they are giving a lot less even though they have more; in the past, when they had less, they gave more freely. He has to come up with a way to address this without creating fractions within the community.

The book is written in a fairly simple style, yet the characters and plotlines are well-developed. It’s easy to conjure up a mental image of the community and the people, and that’s the fun of it. While I can’t personally see myself in exactly the same situation because I am not Amish, I can definitely relate the message to my daily life. Readers can easily come away with an important life lesson, yet it is entertaining and not preachy. The characters face many of the same struggles as we in the Englisch world do, and it’s interesting to see how they handle them.

This latest work from Suzanne Woods Fisher is heartwarming, uplifting, and entertaining. I enjoyed reading about her characters and their dilemmas, and believe that other fans of Christian or Amish fiction will as well. There is a nice mixture of romance, personal struggle, and acceptance that make it an engaging read. While there is mention of alcohol abuse and some mild violence, I believe this book can be safely enjoyed by mature teens and older readers.

When Love Arrives

when-love-arrives Author: Johnnie Alexander

Series: Misty Willow #2

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: September 20, 2016

Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Getting revenge is never as easy as it sounds, something Dani Prescott is about to find out.

Dani Prescott has grand ambitions of getting revenge of Brett Somers, the man who bad mouthed her mother, the pilot of the plane crash that killed his parents. Her mother died in the crash as well. After watching him in an interview that blamed her mother, she set out to find something on him that would make him look just as bad. Now she finds herself out on a date with him. Not what she had planned. As things progress she starts to think he might not be the man she thought he was and her plans quickly unravel. Brett knows Dani is hiding something, he just isn’t sure what. He doesn’t want to push her, he has secrets of his own. As both of their secrets come to light, they have to decide if what they were starting to feel for each other will outweigh the truth of the past.

When Love Arrives is a story that readers of the Christian, contemporary romance genre will really enjoy. The story starts with Dani and Brett meeting and Dani’s plans falling apart as she finds herself on a date with Brett. Thinking maybe she can use this to her advantage, she agrees to go and has an unexpectedly nice time. I can understand being upset if someone bad mouths a family member you care about, but the extremes that Dani goes to, or plans to go to, in order to get back at Brett are a little farfetched. She sets out to get revenge on him and instead falls in love with him. I can kind of see that happening but some things just didn’t fall in place as well as they could have.

Overall there is nothing that stands out in this story as something that will really grab you and hook you. I liked the aspect of Brett finding out he had a son and the way he played that out. In trying to establish him as a good guy instead of the young, immature, screw-up he had been in the past was a nice way to go about showing his changes. The story had a nice flow and didn’t take very long to read. I didn’t realize until I was finished that this was the second book of the Misty Willow series but I didn’t see that as a problem. Having not read the first, I don’t think it would matter if you read them in order or started with this one. The overall theme of finding forgiveness instead of looking for revenge was nice. The only way to be happy is to find those good positive things instead of hanging onto the negative. A lesson we all need to remember from time to time.

The Raven

the-raven Author: Make Nappa

Series: Coffey and Hill #2

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: September 13, 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Trudi Coffey and Samuel Hill are back with another case even more peculiar than their last! Who is The Raven and what is Nevermore?

The Raven, a deception specialist as he likes to call himself, has made his home in Atlanta and works the streets wowing crowds with his tricks. If he happens to pick a pocket or two along the way to help him make ends meet, that is something he is willing to live with. That is, until he winds up with the wallet of a city councilman. He doesn’t find the large sum of money he is hoping for; instead he finds photos of the councilman and his “personal assistants” in compromising positions. The Raven intends to blackmail him for his biggest score yet, unfortunately the councilman’s ties with the Ukrainian Mafia get in his way and he is quickly in over his head as he learns of a life-threatening plot code-named, “Nevermore.” All this inadvertently puts him in the path of Trudi Coffey whom he instantly falls for. Trudi and her ex-husband Samuel work together to sort out the clues to this new puzzle and try to figure out their feelings for each other. Together, they work to rescue The Raven and save the lives of countless others about to be affected by Nevermore.

Mike Nappa has found a unique blend of mystery and intrigue with the Coffey and Hill series. With this second book in the series, I wasn’t sure if it would pick up where Annabel Lee left off or not. A few characters from the first are mentioned but for the most part this is all about the next case for Coffey and Hill, Nevermore and The Raven. Nappa has crafted a way for you to find sympathy for the so-called bad guy as well as the other characters. It took me very little time to get into this story and once I was in was no putting it down. There were twists throughout and a nice ending that kept things rolling and open for the next in the series. Several of the characters were what kept the story going. One such character is Mama Bliss who is the kind of character that is a force to be reckoned with. It was a satisfying ending with how everything played out, one I was happy with. I encourage mystery lovers to seek out Mike Nappa and the Coffey and Hill series, they won’t be disappointed!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Baker Publishing Group in exchange for an honest and thorough review. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Domino Effect

Domino Effect.jpg Author: Davis Bunn

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: September 6, 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

With the economy on the brink of collapse, one woman must devise a plan to save civilization from utter financial ruin!

Esther Larsen is the leading risk analyst at her bank, Carolina First Mercantile. Ever since the 2008 bank bailout fiasco, she has been compiling information on the reasons why the banks failed and what to watch for in order to prevent it from happening again. In present day, Esther begins to see signs within the markets that these events are going to occur again but on a much higher magnitude. What’s worse is that she suspects that her bank in the one leading the charge. Like most risk analyst, she has always been a loner. That hasn’t stopped her from building a house to fill with a family one day, but that day has never come. Her parents died when she was young and even though she went to live with her grandparents, her older brother stepped into the role as a primary caregiver. Unfortunately he had a recent automobile accident that also killed his wife and he seems to have lost the will to live. Esther has put him in one of the best rehabilitation facilities, but he still continues to show less improvement. When Esther starts to put a plan into action to help people survive another banking industry crash, her bank’s CEO must stop her. Perhaps she has been put in this situation for such a time as this!

It is interesting how many books with lead characters name Esther parallel the traits of the well-known Queen Esther of the bible. This book is no exception, but it is done considerably different than I have ever seen it before. She still works to save people, but instead of being eradicated for their religion, it is done through a financial aspect. Many readers will remember the events of 2008 and undoubtedly this book could easily happen in the present day. The current events mixed with the financial aspect make this book a quick, suspenseful page turner.

For those that don’t know, Davis Bunn also writes under the alias of Thomas Locke. His most recent book Flash Point also has a lead character that is a risk analyst at a bank. However, the similarities of the main character pretty much end there. In The Domino Effect, Esther is a strong central character, but is very lonely. She keeps everyone at arm’s length to protect herself. Throughout the book, she lets down her guard and begins to let people in. This allows her to release some grief she didn’t know about as well as begin a romantic relationship and step into a surrogate mother role for two young girls.

Very well done story by Bunn. I strongly recommend you pick this one up for fall reading!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest and thorough review. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Christmas Angel Project

Author: Melody Carlson

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: September 6, 2016

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

The Christmas Angel Project shows us what the holidays are all about and how angels are all among us.

Book clubs are a nice way to make friends. But when one friend is the glue that holds the rest together, it is hard to stay organized if something happens to that one friend. When Abby, the leader of a club of five women, dies the rest of the group doesn’t know if they want to continue the club. It is right before Christmas and they feel the need to stay together a little longer to honor Abby’s memory. Abby had prepared gift bags for each member of the group and after she passes her husband hands them out. Inside is a small angel ornament specific for each person. It is almost as if she knew she were fixing to die and wanted to leave something for her friends to keep them going. They decide the best way to honor Abby, who was a sort of guardian angel to each of them, is to become angels to those around them. They each use their own unique talents to help others and find that in the process they become blessed themselves.

Melody Carlson puts a delightful spin on the holiday story of helping others to spread the Christmas cheer. The Christmas Angel Project is the type of story that can be read at any time of year to help us remember that sometimes the best way to help ourselves feel better is to do something for someone else. One of the characters is on the verge of depression, but after she works on her Angel project she finds that she no longer feels depressed. By helping others she has inadvertently helped herself out of the lousy mood she has been in for a very long time. That is a take away we can all use at any time of the year, not just Christmas. There are a lot of characters to follow at times for such a short book but they all come together at the end to bring the story to a pleasant close. It is a sweet book that should be read and used as an example on leading a life that will help you to feel like an angel on earth for at least a short while. You never know who you might be the angel for. I recommend this for all to read especially around the holidays.

The Occupied

The Occupied Author: Craig Parshall

Publisher: Tyndale House

Release Date: September 1, 2016

Rating: 4 1/2 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

When the struggle with the devil becomes too intense, Trevor Black is forced to face it head on.

While in his teens, Trevor Black encounters spiritual forces beyond his own understanding that unknowingly follow him into adulthood. He has become a top notch attorney in New York City and is living the dream with a six-figure salary and a trophy wife. Before he can enjoy his success, he is somehow granted the ability to sense the invisible and see the dark forces at work in the world. These dark forces turn their work towards him. All of a sudden, he finds himself out of a job and being looked at as a religious kook. His past comes back to haunt him as one of his hometown friends is murdered and the method is shockingly close to that of the murders he had been looking into in New York. He makes his way home to find out what happened to his friend and see if he can help solve the case. As he investigates, he realizes he is going to face his own demons as well as the supernatural ones.

It is hard to write a good supernatural mystery that seems as if it could actually take place, but Craig Parshall has done just that. The story follows Trevor from childhood all the way to adulthood. For that long of a span of time, it might seem to lose some of the story at times but luckily that wasn’t the case. Parshall did an excellent job of spanning the time without losing the reader. I haven’t read many supernatural books that keep me hooked and believing what is written. It is just a difficult thing to write about so I have steered clear of it. I feel as if this is the start of a new series and I am very curious to see where it might led from this point on. Parshall has grabbed me with this story and I don’t have any desire to jump away from Trevor Black and what is to come. I recommend this to anyone that enjoys a good mystery with a supernatural twist to it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House in exchange for an honest and thorough review. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Catching Heat

Catching Heat Author: Janice Cantore

Series: Cold Case Justice #3

Publisher: Tyndale

Release Date: September 1, 2016

Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

As the final installment in the Cold Case Justice series concludes, Abby and Luke look for closure in the case that has haunted them for decades.

It has been 27 years since the deaths of Detective Abby Hart’s parents and she still searches for answers and justice for them. She can’t prove it yet, but she knows the governor’s wife, Alyssa Rollins, is the one behind her years of pain. She has teamed up with PI Luke Murphy on the cold case squad and together they head to San Luis Obispo to try and solve the cold case murder of a college student. Their new investigation will put them near the town where Alyssa Rollins grew up. Hoping to find more information that will help put her behind bars, Abby and Luke try to work their cold case along with the investigation into Rollins. As they continue to work closer together, their feelings develop even further putting a personal stake into all that they do. Abby goes over the top in the investigation and Luke is afraid her obsession might be too much to handle.

Janice Cantore has become one of my favorite authors. Her writing is clean, and always keeps me turning the page. With Catching Heat, I was looking forward to a nice conclusion to the Cold Case Justice series. While questions were answered, I found this to be my least favorite of the series. It was still a great read, I just found myself bothered by the amount of time spent focusing on the relationship and romance aspect of the story. There wasn’t as much suspense as I would have liked. The end took it up to a nice level but throughout there wasn’t the normal suspense Cantore normally provides. Abby and Luke were meant to be together, that was obvious, they both spent too much time trying to deny their feelings for each other instead of facing it head on. There was a lot to this story. Not only were they trying to solve the murder of Abby’s parents, but they were also looking into multiple other cases at the same time. It seemed as if Cantore was trying to bring up the suspense with the extra cases but instead it took away from the main focus of the story. Cantore is a great writer of the police procedural if she sticks with the formula that works and doesn’t try to put too much into the story. Overall my favorite aspect of the whole series was the way Abby was a female but didn’t have to rely on a male to keep her safe or do any of the dangerous work for her. Just like all of Cantore’s characters she is strong, and capable of handling whatever she encounters. I look forward to the start of the next Janice Cantore series for another great read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House in exchange for an honest and thorough review. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.