Remember Me

Author: Tracie Peterson

Series: Pictures of the Heart #1

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: March 1, 2023

The start of another great series by Tracie Peterson!

Addie Bryant was forced by her father and brothers up to the Alaskan territory when they wanted to search for gold, but she never thought that her brothers would sell her to the highest bidder just to have some gambling money. Being sold to the owner of a brothel was horrible, but fortunately for Addie the owner only wanted her for himself and took her as a wife. After he is killed in a gambling incident, Addie discovers that everything is left to her and she is a wealthy woman, much to the scorn of her brothers that want her money. She manages to slip away out of Alaska entirely and hopes to never see them again.

Years later in Seattle, Addie is working as a camera girl at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Expo. Her brothers were arrested for burglary but have been released for good behavior while moving pieces to the expo. They also pick up jobs as custodians at the expo and pick a few pockets while they are there, hoping to run into Addie and her money. Addie’s first true love, Isaac, also shows up at the expo with his class of children and can’t believe he has found her after years of searching. But the past doesn’t heal all wounds and Addie isn’t sure who or what she can trust.

As always, Tracie Peterson crafts a fantastic story where she brings history to light with lovable characters that must overcome hardships. Having this set up in the Pacific Northwest was a nice change and I love how she managed to bring the expo to life for her readers. I also love how she molded Addie and Isaac into who they needed to be to move past hardships brought to them. I know they may not be in the next book, but I can’t wait to see where this goes.

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

After the Shadows

Author: Amanda Cabot

Series: Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing #1

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: March 21, 2023

Amanda Cabot takes her readers on a journey as she transports them to the Texas Hill Country in the late 1800’s on a wonderfully delightful novel.

When her husband is killed in a bar fight, Emily Leland has no sorrow. Her husband was abusive and with no husband she heads home to Sweetwater Crossing, Texas. Going home is not as easy as she expects; her father has mysteriously passed away and she has no home to return to. After a fight with her sister, she is left alone and with no money. With a broken heart and the mystery of her father’s death, Emily turns to the aid of Craig Ferguson, the schoolmaster that is widowed and the only one willing to help her.

Amanda Cabot always finds a way to thrill me with her writing. She has a way of writing historical romance where I feel pulled into a different time and place seeing myself right alongside these characters and the struggles they face. I’m from Texas so seeing a story set in the hill country close to me was fun and very engaging. Emily is a strong female protagonist even with all she has had to suffer through, and I found myself rooting for her to find love and succeed. All great stories have that one moment that feels different from the rest and this story had that with a few chapters left. I recommend this book to fans of Cabot’s writing and those that love historical romance.

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

Code Name Edelweiss

Author: Stephanie Landsem

Publisher: Tyndale House

Release Date: March 7, 2023

Landsem connects the darkness of the rise of the Nazi party on home turf in the USA.

During the summer of 1933, Germany has just named the new chancellor, Adolf Hitler. The Great Depression has been affecting people across the globe and the United States has felt its effects. In the film industry in California, people are losing their jobs, but there is also growing tension between Germany and the film industry due to several of the studio owners being Jews. Liesl Weiss loses her job as a secretary and finds herself begging an unknown stranger, Leon Lewis, for a job. She discovers that he is a Jewish lawyer who has been watching the change of tides as Germany’s new Nazi party has come into power. He asks Liesl to take a job as a spy with the Friends of New Germany group and report to him what she discovers using her new code name, Edelweiss. As she places herself and her family in danger, the information is too dangerous to ignore, and she knows that she must stand for what is right.

This is my first book by Landsem and as someone who loves this era of fiction, it will definitely not be my last. She quickly pulled in my attention with the Liesl’s story and that of some of her counterpart spies with what was happening in the Los Angeles area during the 1930s. I’ve always heard that not much emphasis was put on the war until after Pearl Harbor, but discovering this was based on a true story with sleeper Nazi Germany cells throughout the United States was really unnerving. The character development was great and I would love to see more come out of this story in the future!

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

The Maid of Ballymacool

Author: Jennifer Deibel

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: February 21, 2023

A clean wholesome read that fans of Christian Historical Romance will not want to miss!

Brianna Kelly has only every called Ballymacool Boarding School home. The only home she has ever known makes her very protective of it and the people there. The niece of a local man comes to the school to take care of her unruly behavior. One discovery leads to another making Brianna question her past and how it will all affect her future.

Historical Romance is a genre that can be a quick read with a very lighthearted air and while there isn’t much danger or high stakes moments there is plenty of tension to drive the story forward. The story that Deibel has crafted is fun and just what I needed for a lighthearted quick weekend read. Not a lot of fluff or anything that wasn’t worth reading in the story. While Historical fiction isn’t my favorite genre to read it is a great one to sit down if you are wanting a clean wholesome read. I would recommend this one to readers that enjoy historical Christian romance.

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

The House on Foster Hill

Author: Jaime Jo Wright

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: November 21, 2017

A creepy fantastic mystery that is classic Jaime Jo Wright!

Kaine Prescott has been working to get over her husband’s death; she has almost given up on getting the police to believe it wasn’t just an accident while moving across the country. She buys an old, abandoned house without visiting it in her grandparent’s hometown. Wanting a fresh start, she sets about trying to make the house into a home when eerie things start happening and the house’s past comes back to haunt her. With help from a few new friends, Kaine quickly finds there isn’t much she can do to avoid the past and is forced to face it head on. Almost a century earlier, Ivy Thorpe helped to find the identity a woman found dead on the property and try to solve a crime before anyone else gets hurt.

This is the debut novel by Jaime Jo Wright, and I didn’t realize I hadn’t read it until recently. I picked it up and loved every minute of the story. Jaime Jo Wright is a master of time-slip, mystery novels, she has a way of sucking readers in and not letting them catch a breath until the very end. I love picking up her books and knowing I am going to be fully immersed into a world of fiction that is entertaining, mysterious, and totally enjoyable. The way the two timelines tie together by the end is so well done, especially for a debut novel. The characters are engaging and relatable, even the romance aspect was played out perfectly scene-by-scene. This is the type of book that I recommend to readers that enjoy suspense, mystery, and a little bit of romance.

Daughter of Eden

Author: Jill Eileen Smith

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: February 14, 2023

Historical Biblical fiction is not something easily written well, but Jill Eileen Smith is able to knock it out of the garden with Daughter of Eden.

Being one of the very first in the world can make for a hard time. When Eve first looks upon her Creator, she is nearly blinded. It is more than she can take as she is handed over to one like her but not. Adam is different from her but also the closest thing to herself in the garden they live in. Each day their Creator comes to be with them, and it is the moment she looks forward to each and every day. That is until Eve dooms them both with a single act that changes the world. What was once a friendly place is now a world without smiles and an unknown future out of Eden.

Daughter of Eden is one of the best well written historical biblical fiction novels I have read in a very long time. The way Smith writes about Eve and all that took place in a way not thought of before brought me to Eden and right along with Adam and Eve. The story of the garden of Eden is familiar to all, even if you haven’t read the bible, you know the story but maybe not in this way. It is not easy to take such a well-known story and characters and be able to make readers see them in such a different way. The great thing about fiction is it is able to do this. I recommend this book to anyone that wants a different view of how things went down in the Garden of Eden and see Eve in a different light.

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

Double the Lies

Author: Patricia Raybon

Series: Annalee Spain Mystery #2

Publisher: Tyndale House

Release Date: February 7, 2023

Annalee Spain is back in her most intense mystery yet!

Annalee Spain is back for another mystery, but this time she is at the center. When a handkerchief of hers is found next to the body of a dead pilot, she becomes the prime suspect. It doesn’t help that the Denver police department is run by Klan supporters, which makes her an even bigger target. Her leads lead her from Denver up into the mountains as she tries to clear her name and find her boyfriend, Jack.

I have to admit that Raybon really upped the suspense and mystery in the second book of the Annalee Spain series. The first book was good, but book two is great! She had me second guessing myself the whole way through and I still didn’t have it solved before the big reveal at the end. Raybon does a great job of introducing racial issues in her writing without throwing them in her readers faces. It makes you really consider what she is talking about through everything all the while you are enjoying a great mystery. It does tie in with the first book, but you can still enjoy it as a standalone.

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

The Sound of Light

Author: Sarah Sundin

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: February 7, 2023

Sundin does it yet again with a fantastic story that brings little known parts of World War II history to light!

As the Germans march into Denmark, not a single shot is fired in opposition. But those that have opposing views of the Germans know they must get out before it’s too late. Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt uses his rowing skills to row his friend Svend to neutral Sweden before the Germans can arrest him. Henrik is propositioned with an opportunity to work against the Germans, but to do so will require him to give up his life of nobility and his identity.

Dr. Else Jensen was ecstatic when she received the opportunity to work alongside Niels Bohr at is institute. But when the German occupation begins, she hears rumors of the atrocities committed against Jewish people and those who oppose their views. She hears stories of a legend known as the Havmand, or merman, who swims the sound between Denmark and Sweden to cause disruption and chaos to the Germans. Can Else be as brave as the Havmand and do her part to thwart those causing suffering?

As I’ve come to expect, Sarah Sundin delivers yet another fantastic story set within World War II. This time she has chosen the setting of Copenhagen, Denmark and shines light on its occupation by the Germans. I love how she manages to find the local stories and legends during wartime and bring those to life for her readers. I love the story between Henrik and Else and how they had to overcome personal obstacles to become the people they needed to be. There is an underlying tone of forgiveness throughout this book, especially for Henrik and when he had to overcome to forgive those of his past.

For the first time (at least that I’ve noticed), there are some common characters from other books that make an appearance. You’ll have to hunt to find them, but I hope that there might be more there in the future! Great story!

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

A Mark of Grace

Author: Kimberley Woodhouse

Series: Secrets of the Canyon #3

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: January 3, 2023

Anyone that has read a Kimberley Woodhouse book knows they are in for a great read and will not be disappointed with A Mark of Grace!

After surviving an injury that would have put anyone else out of commission, Ruth Anniston has come away alive but angry with God. Being scarred makes it hard for her to work anywhere but behind the scenes as a supervisor at the El Tovar Hotel. By being hidden away from the eyes of others, it keeps her chances of romance and finding love slimmer and slimmer. The hotel she works discovers money disappearing and Ruth ends up as one of the suspects. Frank Henderson works as the head chef of the hotel and wants to help prove Ruth’s innocence as the thefts continue. As the tensions mounts, their feelings for one another rise and they try to save the hotel and each other.

Kimberley Woodhouse is a staple among Historical Christian Romance and for good reason. Her novels have a way of transporting readers to a time and place once forgotten making readers feel right in the moment with these characters. Ruth and Frank have a great chemistry with each other and move the story along at a great pace. The writing is crisp and clean that left out all the fluff that can bring down a story. Lots of adventure throughout this story with lots of wonderful inspirational moments that readers looking for spiritual moments in their books will enjoy. This is the perfect mix of romance, adventure and tension that will leave readers smiling by the turning of the last page.

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

The Victor

Author: Patricia St. John

Publisher: Kingsley Press

Release Date: September 17, 2011

An interesting take on Christian historical fiction that middle grade readers will enjoy.

Philo is worried about his family. His sister, Illyrica has been possessed by a demon causing their family lots of stress. When he and his younger sister hear stories of a prophet from Nazareth that has been healing the sick, they hope their sister can be healed. When they mention the prophet’s name around their sister, she goes into a fit of rage. When things are at their darkest, Philo runs away but no matter where he goes, he hears of the amazing work the Jewish prophet is doing and all his miracles.

I picked this book up at Baker Book House on a family trip and just read it. An interesting fictional telling of Jesus and the miracles performed during his short time on Earth. This is a short and quick read that is probably most appropriate for middle school or high school age kids to read and fully understand. I was able to read this in a single day and thought the writing was well done and an interesting way to tell a story like this.