Author: Tracie Peterson & Kimberley Woodhouse

Series: Heart of Alaska #2

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: January 29, 2018

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Another great historical romance set along the Alaskan frontier at the Curry Hotel!

Katherine Demarchis has recently been windowed (and released) from her abusive husband, who was also a US senator. Now a shell of her former self, her grandmother Maria Harrison is bound and determined to get her to find her happiness again.  The last time that she was actually happy was with a young man that she truly loved when she lived in France.  Her grandmother suggest a summer spent in Alaska with a sightseeing trip along the way.  Knowing that she will be constantly badgered by her grandmother if she doesn’t agree, she relents and hopes that just maybe she will be released from the blackness along the way.

Jean-Michel lives with the torments of war in Syria from the Druze revolt. He returned home in France to his sister Colette and their father, but their father took ill rather quickly and passed away.  With his share of the business bought out, Jean-Michel and Collette do not have to worry for money and father wrote them letters before he died suggesting that they take a trip after he is gone.  Shortly thereafter, Jean-Michel receives a letter from Maria Harrison telling him part of the horrors of his lost love Katherine and sends tickets to join them in Alaska this summer.  Might this be what Jean-Michel needs to let go of the past?

Traveling back to Curry again was an absolute treat, especially getting to see so many of the central characters from the first book. The storyline intertwined between that of Jean-Michel and Katherine, Colette, and Allan and Cassidy.  As with the first book, the main characters do not have a central relationship with God which would allow them to release the baggage that they carry throughout much of the book.  As they progress, they find they cannot do this alone.  The suspense is also kicked up a notch when the influenza virus hits the curry hotel and some of the characters take ill, possibly never to be heard from again.

The book is filled with history, suspense, humor, and a resounding theme of forgiveness. I recommend this book to all ages that love a great story about the history of Alaska.

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

Author: Laura Frantz

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: January 2, 2018

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Another great work of historical fiction! Lovers of the American Revolution era will enjoy this romance.

Young Lady Elisabeth “Liberty” Lawson is set to be engaged to Miles Roth, who appears to be a well-respected member of the town in the Tory party. However, when he disappears on the eve of the American Revolution, several accuse him of being a British spy and have no sympathy for young Liberty.  With no one to help her, the skilled lace maker is on her own until she receives help of a patriot named Noble Rynalt, who is known for his generosity but is very cautious of his political dealings.  Liberty must decide between what her family desires and what she knows is right in her heart.

As always, Frantz brings her settings to life with descriptive scenery, language, and notable characters. Within moments of beginning this book, I was quickly transported to Colonial Williamsburg and began walking the streets, hearing the distinct sounds, and smelling what must have been at the time.  Granted, it helps having been to the reenactment colony, but even without that it is easy to get lost in the setting.  As with her previous novels, Frantz has a knack for setting characters up in perilous situations that will keep you engaged through the entire book as you quickly turn the pages to find out what is going to happen next.  Readers will also find themselves pondering Liberty’s situation as she finds her feelings changing from one man to another and hoping that she makes the right decisions in her life.

If you love historical fiction, especially set in the American colonies, you need to start your year off with this book.

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

Author: Valerie Fraser Luesse

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: January 2, 2018

Reviewer: Jennifer S. Roman

Alabama in the 1960s is still a time of segregation and prejudice.  Additionally, a class system is in effect, separating the old established “haves” from the “have nots.”  Missing Isaac explores both the prejudice and the classism of the time.

At the beginning of the book, Pete McLean’s world is turned upside down when his father, a white cotton farm landowner, is killed in a freak farming accident.  He and his mother must continue the family business while mourning the loss.  Pete especially does not take the death easily.  Fortunately for him, one of the black farmhands, Isaac Reynolds, steps in and takes Pete under his wing.  He takes him fishing and doesn’t lecture or assault Pete with questions; instead, he creates a comfortable silence in which Pete is able to mourn and come out of mourning on his own time.  Isaac even does the unthinkable: he takes Pete to a blacks-only barbecue joint in the black community; he risks getting in trouble with both black and white people, but does it to help Pete.  Pete and Isaac establish an unconventional friendship, but it works for both of them.

The second tragedy in Pete’s life is the sudden disappearance of Isaac.  Witnesses last saw him on the way home from a poker game, and he was never seen again.  Pete’s deep love for his friend gives him the determination to find out what happened to Isaac despite the segregation.  The sheriff of their small town doesn’t spend much in the way of money or man hours looking for a black man, and frankly, nobody expects him to.  Isaac’s own family knows that nothing will be done even if by some miracle someone does find out what happened to him.

Through Pete’s journey into healing after the loss of his dear friend, he comes upon a Pickett girl from the hollow and strikes up a friendship with her.  She is from the wrong side of the tracks, and neither her family or the people in Pete’s world are happy about their new relationship.

So much changes throughout the story that affects Pete and how his life is defined.  He learns about how people treat one another and how people value others’ lives differently.  Along the way, he learns he does not have to be like that and that every person deserves respect.

I usually spend my time quickly reading through a book so that I can find out what happens next.  I had a feeling I would want to slowly savor this one, so I made a point to do that.  I am so glad I did; I was able to absorb and enjoy each part of the book, whether happy or sad.  I think I enjoyed it much more by taking my time, and I am sure other readers will too.  There is a lot to learn from the behavior of the various characters, and every one has something to say.  The themes are just as relevant today as they were back then, and the storyline itself is engaging and thought-provoking.  While parts of the story jumped around and confused me at times, they managed to circle back by the end of the book so that everything made sense.  This is truly a well-thought-out book that deserves time and attention from its readers.

Violence and profanity appear throughout the story, but nothing is outright flagrant.  Adults and mature teens should enjoy Missing Isaac for its relevant themes, well-developed characters, and fascinating storyline.

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

Author: John House

Publisher: W&B Publishers

Release Date: August 28, 2017

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Can what is gained by revenge be saved by love?

Paul Roper believes that the town of Bakersville, Georgia destroyed his life as he knew it at the age of 14. His family was the typical family that loved each other, but one day in 1962 set a motion of events in order that eventually led to the death of his parents.  Shortly thereafter, he and his sister were placed in foster care and eventually split up.  Paul endured abuse in a juvenile detention center as well as other foster homes and felt that disaster followed him wherever he went.  At the age of 18, he was able to enlist in the army and soon found himself shipped off to Vietnam to endure even more horrifying experiences of death and destruction.  Eventually he found his way to becoming very competent with explosives and upon being cycled back stateside, took up an interest in firefighting and inspections.  When the legislature required that all cities and counties have a fire inspector, Paul finds that he may finally have the opportunity to extract his revenge on the town of Bakersville and rid the world of it once and for all.

This book was definitely a little different than my normal selections, but still held my interest through the entire book. It starts off in 1962 in the South with a lynching, suicide, sexual and emotional abuse, and the rarely seen darkness of the time period.  Add the Vietnam war to the mix and you’ve got a very clustered book.  Even so, the flow of the book stayed progressive making me want to get to the next chapter to see what was going to happen next.  Then there was also an unexpected love story that eventually changed Paul’s life for the better, but not before he almost ruined it for life.  I was glad to see that justice was finally served by the character who truly deserved to dish it out.

There is a lot of foul language throughout the book as well as some fairly strong sex scenes as well as implied homosexual rape. I recommend this book for mature audiences.

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