Come Back to Me

Author: Jody Hedlund

Series: Waters of Time #1

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: June 1, 2021

A fun twist to a time slip with some time travel!

When Marian Creighton receives a phone call from one of her father’s colleague’s in Canterbury telling her that he has fallen into a coma, she hops on the first flight across the pond to find out what is wrong. Her family has been a mess since her mother had a rare genetic disease that was fatal and was passed along to her sister. She quickly discovers that this may be connected to his lunacy in searching for a single cure for all diseases. As she begins to uncover his research, she discovers he has some artifacts that are tied to holy water stored centuries ago. She also finds that she is not the only one looking for items that he left hidden. When Marian ingest some of the residue from the artifact, she finds herself transported back to the middle ages, during a very inconvenient time to be without protection. Can she find her way back to the present? And will she want to?

For my first Jody Hedlund novel, this was quite a ride. I’ve read several time slip novels, but none that have the same character split centuries apart. It was a little bit romance, a little bit time travel, and a little bit time slip, but it was quite entertaining. For those that enjoy the unlikely romance aspect in a novel, this one is for you. And if you enjoy a little bit of high stress situations with some suspense, this will fall into your favorites as well. Hedlund did a great job of both character development and world building. It makes me look forward to what is going to happen in the second book of the series!

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

Don’t Hate the Player

Author: Alexis Nedo

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA

Release Date: June 15, 2021

A fun read for all the video game fanatics out there.

Emilia Romero likes to be an ordinary kid, playing field hockey and keeping up with her grades. The problem is she is not normal; when she gets home, she turns on her persona of a hard-core gamer and competes as the only female member of a highly competitive esports team. While it is hard to keep her two lives separate, she feels it is the best way to stay safe since female gamers are not highly accepted and often harassed. When Emilia goes to compete in the tournament, her two worlds collide when she is recognized by a member of their rival team. Jake Hooper has wanted to be with Emilia for years and now that his team has made it to the tournament he is shocked to see her and find out she has been leading a double life with no one knowing of her gaming life. They both work to help their teams win the tournament but also keep others from finding out about her secret.

This book is perfect for gamers and those into that world. If you are not a big gamer, this will be a hard one to keep your interest. The characters and their relationships are written well giving us a drive to see them succeed with the goals they have set throughout. Setting a lead character of a girl gamer is different and unique right now and will really hit a spot with a select group of readers. I enjoyed the way this showed the problems that girl gamers face, just like so many facets of life, females will face lots of challenges when it comes to a more male dominated area. Many of the secondary characters got on my nerves at times and I had to brush past them to try and enjoy the rest of the story. I enjoy finding different types of books that are not the same old same old that tend to be the most picked up and read. I would recommend this to young readers that enjoy video games and that lifestyle.

Aftermath

Author: Terri Blackstock

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: May 11, 2021

A story of betrayal, heartache, loss and how to deal with tragedy in the hardest of times.

Taylor Reid and her friends go to enjoy a night out at a concert when an explosion separates them and only Taylor makes it out alive. Dustin Webb is arrested in association of the bombing and swears he is being framed. He calls the one person he thinks can help with his biggest problem, his next-door neighbor from when he was growing up, Jamie who is now an attorney. Jamie puts her career on the line by agreeing to help Dustin, whom she knows could never have had anything to do with what they are accusing him of. Together they must figure out who framed him for the bombing and why before anything else happens to hurt themselves or others.

It has been a long wait for a new Terri Blackstock book, and I have to say she did not disappoint with Aftermath. The writing was very well done and kept the suspense throughout all while writing a clean and engaging story. Terri Blackstock has been one of my favorite authors for a very long time, writing fun, exciting, novels all while keeping an element of faith. As the story progresses, readers see flashbacks of Dustin and Jamie’s time growing up together and makes it hard to keep from rooting for them to succeed, not only in proving his innocence but also in finding a relationship together. There is a lot of exploration in this novel, between why the characters act the way they do and how each choice affects the others involved. A few lose strings that didn’t get tied up but not enough to keep the story from being a really enjoyable read. I recommend this to readers that have enjoyed Blackstock’s writing before and are aching for a great new romantic suspense read.

At Lighthouse Point

Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher

Series: Three Sisters Island #3

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: May 4, 2021

The Three Sisters Island series predictably wraps up with the third sister, but maybe in a way readers didn’t expect!

After completing her dream of traveling Europe and graduation from Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, Blaine Grayson returns home to Three Sisters Island off the coast of Maine. But she never expected what she finds when she comes home. Both her sisters are pregnant! The diner she loves has become run down. And her family took out a kitchen remodel project at Camp Kicking Moose to be ready for the busy season. Only the layout and material selection are completely wrong! Her longtime childhood friend Artie won’t even look at her. What has happened while she was away? As she settles back into island life, old wounds between sisters began to flare up and she finds that she has to begin to forgive so that she can move one with the life she wants, which opens up possibilities she never imagined.

All three books of this series were fun reads where each sister learns something about themselves. This was Blaine’s story and even though it is mostly focused on her, we see that the two other sisters still have plenty of room to grow, especially Cam whose personality is so hard to turn off that readers will have a hard time feeling sorry for her. I loved how Jean Paul was a constant figure throughout the book that helped everyone see their true potential and help the family heal. Great story!

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

Never Miss

Author: Melissa Koslin

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: May 4, 2021

An absolutely fantastic debut by Melissa Koslin! So much suspense, action and truly believable moments. Can’t wait to see what she comes out with next.

Kadance Tolle spent years as a sniper for the CIA and is the best. Her entire family has the special skill when it comes to being a crack shot, but none as good as Kadance. She has left the family business of being an assassin and the rest of the family is not happy about it. While on the run, she saves the life of Lyndon Vaile and ends up in the middle of a deadly plan to release a manmade virus as a weapon. Lyndon has been researching the virus for years and is one of the only people that could possibly stop the attack. Kadance and Lyndon must work together to stop the mastermind behind the attack and save as many people as possible. After years on the run, Kadance hasn’t trusted anyone in a long time and is surprised by how quickly she believes Lyndon and risks everything to help him.

The debut novel by Melissa Koslin is one of the best that I have read in a very long time. After reading the book, I looked up a little more about Koslin and found out she is a fourth-degree black belt in Taekwondo, which became apparent as she used this knowledge within the pages of her writing to make it all the more real. Sometimes fight scenes are poorly written and not believable. This novel had some of the best authentic fight scenes I have read. I have been in martial arts for four years and as I read these scenes I actually pictured myself in the fight throwing the moves and in the action. That is what I loved best about this novel, the believable scenes and action that moved the story forward. Each scene was well written with I really loved the characters.

Kadance was so well written and relatable, with all she went through she was so strong and when she felt weak and let the emotion take over, I was fully able to picture myself in her shoes. I am an emotional person, but I also try to be strong; seeing Kadance channel her strength but also willing to admit she was feeling something for Lyndon and not block out that emotion helped me to connect to her. One of the best additions to the story was probably Mac. There were a few inconsistencies throughout the story, but they were minor and only noticeable if you are paying close attention to those details.

Overall, for a debut novel I was blown away by Koslin’s way to write scenes and characters that flowed well and sucked readers into the story. I recommend this story to readers that enjoy a fast-paced thriller with action, suspense and a deadly virus on the loose.

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

Blackberry Beach

Author: Irene Hannon

Series: Hope Harbor #7

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: April 6, 2021

Fans of the Hope Harbor series will enjoy this newest edition with a few new characters and some favorites making recurring appearances.

Katherine Parker has escaped to Hope Harbor to try and make some very difficult life decisions in peace. The rental house she has come to try and relax is tucked away overlooking the pacific and Katherine uses the time away from everyone to think about the direction her life needs to go. With the last year being wrapped up in scandal and more attention than she would like, the slower pace of life in Hope Harbor is just what she wants.

Local coffee shop owner Zach Garrett has left the corporate life to follow his dreams of opening a coffee shop in the quant town of Hope Harbor. His family life is rough, and he has plenty to keep him busy at the shop without getting involved with his new neighbor. When Katherine and Zach end up working on a project in town together, they both notice the sparks flying between the two of them. The more time they spend together, the harder the decisions become, and both must decide if love is worth fighting for or if they are better parting ways now before they get hurt.

Blackberry Beach is the latest installment in Irene Hannon’s Hope Harbor series. At first, I thought the story line was going to go the way of Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks, with Katherine running and hiding from an abuser; I was wrong on that front and once I realized that the pace slowed up a little, but not much. I’ve said this with most of the Hope Harbor books and I’ll say it again, Charlie is the best character and what keeps me coming back for more. I was happy to see him in a fair number of scenes and his interaction with so many different characters. For a contemporary romance it is top notch; a fast read with characters that interact in believable and relatable ways. If you are into romance reads such as these, I recommend this one, even if you haven’t read the others in the series you will still be able to enjoy this by itself.

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

Present Danger

Author: Elizabeth Goddard

Series: Rocky Mountain Courage #1

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: April 6, 2021

A fantastic start to a thrilling new series! Goddard gives readers a thrill ride with a perfect setting and engaging characters that make a wonderful story.

After being with the FBI for years, Jack Tanner has come back home to Montana to his aunt and work as a detective for the local police. When he is called to out on a search and rescue mission in the national forest, he ends up finding a dead body. In order to find the killer, he must work alongside US Forest Service Special Agent Terra Connors. He and Terra have a history and it isn’t a good one. He left her to join the FBI and seeing her again brings up all the feelings he thought he had left behind. It doesn’t take long for Terra to tie the murder victim with dangerous traffickers involved in archaeological artifacts. Each new clue they turn up brings the danger closer to home and Terra and Jack have little time to find the killer before someone else gets hurt or worse.

Elizabeth Goddard has started this new series with a bang! The action started at the beginning and had me hooked. Terra and Jack have a complicated past which makes their working together that much more difficult and makes the story that much more entertaining. Giving them history shows the tension between them as they work the case more believable. The setting in the rugged mountains kept me engaged in the story. I loved the way Terra worked hard to prove herself with her past and living up to her mother’s reputation, even with all the odds stacked against her. Both Terra and Jack have pasts they are either trying to live up to or get away from and show they are better than that. With each of them holding on to the past, it is hard of them to see what is right in front of them in the present.

As with most romantic suspense novels, the romance side is difficult if rushed and I don’t want to give away anything but the relationship felt a little forced at the end to me, that would be my only negative comment on the whole book. So many great characters in this book and such a great story that I can’t wait to see what comes next. I recommend this story to those that love a good romantic suspense read and will enjoy the start of a new series.

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

The Curator’s Daughter

Author: Melanie Dobson

Publisher: Tyndale House

Release Date: March 9, 2021

A great blend of historical and contemporary makes for a terrific read!

In 1940, archaeologist Hannah Tillich is searching for the Holy Grail for Himmler’s antiquities group. As a child who went through Germany’s defeat and humiliation in the great war, Hannah is proud of the Third Reich and their work to reunite Germans. But when she learns that she has been reassigned to work as a museum curator in her home of Nuremburg, she finds the façade begins to crumble. Soon she is forced to marry a SS officer, who has fully bought into Hitler’s vision. After being unable to conceive, her husband presents her with an adopted daughter, who she comes to love as her own. When she learns what is happening to Jews across the continent, she comes up with a plan to save their stories that just might cost her own.

In 2019, Ember Ellis is pursing her post doctorate on hatred of the Jewish people while working at a Holocaust museum. She is no stranger to the hatred of people as she was raised in a white supremacy convent and was able to escape when she was fifteen. When she reconnects with a former teacher whose mother was a friend to Jewish people in World War II, she sets off to Nuremberg to find out what information she can. But somebody is watching Ember and doesn’t seem to want her to discover the truth or expose any secrets best left forgotten.

When I first read the synopsis for this book, I thought maybe it would be an Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade type of adventure, mainly because of the holy grail search during World War II. Even though it wasn’t all action and adventure, it easily captivated me at the first page through the very last sentence. Dobson did a great job of paralleling not only the two main characters to each other, but also to the story of Saint Katharine. There are lots of hidden nuggets throughout this book that readers will love to find.

There are three main points of view throughout the book: Ember, Hannah, and Lilly. At times, Lilly’s POV can through you off early in the book, but it quickly pieces things together as it moves along. It also felt more like it was set in the future at times with the march against the Holocaust museum, but that could have easily happened in 2019. It’s sad that there is still so much hate in the world. Dobson did a great job of putting that on display and showing how love can help diffuse it. I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Crush

Author: Tracy Wolff

Series: Crave #2

Publisher: Entangled Teen Publishing

Release Date: September 29, 2020

A fantastic follow up to the smash hit Crave. Crush is even better with so much drama, adventure, excitement and much more. Don’t miss out!

Grace thought she was getting used to life at Katmere Academy; that is, until she is turned into a Gargoyle for months trying to protect Jaxon, her mate from Hudson, from his brother everyone thought was dead. When she returns, she has no memory of her time frozen as a gargoyle. One thing she didn’t expect when returning is she is not alone. Hudson is now living inside her mind and nothing is as it seems. All along she has been told how horrible Hudson was and he had to be stopped, but none of that lines up with the voice in her head. The biggest trials are just ahead and not only is Grace’s life at stake, but also the lives of all that she has come to care about so much in such a short time since arriving at Katmere and discovering that the creatures she read about in fairy tales are actually real and all around her.

Wow! That’s all I can say about this book. For a sequel to come out blazing at page one and not stop is a hard feat to accomplish but Tracy Wolff has nailed it with Crush. So much tension, drama, suspense, action, and oh so much more on every single page! For an almost 700-page book, the action did not slow down which very rare. As I read through this story, I was enchanted to say the least by Grace and all she was going through. The way Wolff brought about the character of Hudson, which readers heard about in book one but to now have him really be a part of the story, and in such a way that is so different than expected, shows how very talented Tracy Wolff is as an author.

Not once throughout the 700 pages did I feel the action slow down, and the ending has left me aching for more. The last several chapters and what Grace had to go through were absolutely worth the buildup and played out beautifully. This was one of those novels that as I’m reading, I can actually see it playing out in my mind as a movie which I love. My one complaint, as with the first book, is that the books is targeted to a young adult audience but has far too much harsh language for my liking when that is the target audience. I know that a lot of people won’t have a problem with that, but for me, especially with a young adult audience, I wish it could have been toned down some. I will say though that the writing had me so captivated that I could glaze over the harsh language and not let it bother me, which showed the writing has to be incredibly good as it was here. Even so, I still am going to recommend this to an older audience for the adult themes. Those that love a great paranormal romance will not want to miss out on this one.

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

Dreams Rekindled

Author: Amanda Cabot

Series: Mesquite Springs #2

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: March 2, 2021

Come back to the quaint western town of Mesquite Springs, TX and read Dorothy’s story!

Dorothy Clark has always resigned herself that she will never marry. After her father died, her mother fell into deep depression, and Dorothy doesn’t want to allow an event to do that to her. Since her brother got married, she is helping run her sister-in-law’s restaurant, Polly’s Place in their absence. She has always dreamed of being a writer, but never really had an opportunity. When a newspaper man relocates to Mesquite Springs to start up a paper, Dorothy feels that she might have finally found her chance for her writing. But will he stir up more than just words in her?

Mesquite Springs is such a fun town to visit in a book, but do the townsfolk sure get divided easily. In the first book it was the mayoral race that did it and in this book its about the local pastor. Readers will have a great time trying to figure out what is going to happen with all the different shady characters that show up in town.

I liked seeing Dorothy grow more in this book. She had a little bit of growth as a supporting character previously and really blossomed into this book. She wasn’t shallow, she is actually very intelligent and good hearted. I can’t wait to see what is in store for the final book of the trilogy. I think I know who the main characters will be and am excited to see how it is going to play out!

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