Author: Miranda Beverly-Whitemore

Publisher: Crown

Release Date: May 31, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Beautifully written novel split into two stories of both historical and present date.

Cassie Danvers just wants to get swallowed up by the house she inherited from her grandmother. Orphaned by her parents death at the age of eight, Cassie was raised by her grandmother June.  She then moved to New York City to find her career in photography but then found out her grandmother had brain cancer.  Now Cassie just lets the house fall apart around her.  Then one day there is an incessant ringing of the doorbell.  She finally answers it to find a young man tell her that she has been named the sole heir in Jack Montgomery’s estate. Jack was a famous movie star and apparently believes that Cassie is his granddaughter. Jack’s daughter Tate wants Cassie to have a DNA test to find out what is true, but before she will agree to it, she wants to try to find out the truth of her grandmother.

In June 1955, June and her friend Lindie live in St. Jude, Ohio. The town has been selected to be filmed in the upcoming move Erie Canal.  Lindie cannot believe her luck as she finds that the famous Jack Montgomery will be coming to town.  June seems to not care as she has accepted a marriage proposal, but hasn’t seen her fiancé in months.  After Jack and June meet, a romance is kindled, but the also famous Diane DeSoto wants Jack all to herself.  What is the true story behind Jack and June that sets the future course for her granddaughter Cassie.

This book was a really great read! I was unsure of what to think when I first read the cover, but after the first page, I was hooked.  I love it when authors tell two stories that are intertwined between the characters, especially when they are set in two different times.  The only problem I had was trying to decide which of the two stories I enjoyed more!   The main characters were easily relatable and the antagonists were easily despicable.  The setting was great and everything was completely believable.  I could see Twin Oaks both in 1955 and in 2015.  It was a little odd to have the house give its version of details every now and then, but it still fit right in.  I’ve not read any of Miranda Beverly-Whitmore’s books before, but this makes me want to pick up another.

Throughout the book there is some occasional strong foul language and some mild love scenes. I would recommend this book for mature audiences.

Author: Lucie Whitehouse

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Release Date: May 3, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Rowan Winter is about to discover how far she will go to find out the truth when her estranged friend is found dead. She knows there is more to the story and is determined to find out the truth.

When Marianne Glass falls to her death it is ruled an accident. She and Rowan haven’t spoken in almost a decade but Rowan knows there is more to the story and doesn’t believe it was a simple accident.  Rowan used to be close to Marianne and her whole family.  She didn’t have a mother and her father wasn’t around, so the Glass family became part of her family.  Since they haven’t spoken in the last ten years, Rowan doesn’t know much of Marianne’s adult life or how to investigate what happened to cause her fall.  As she searches for answers, danger follows her at every turn and something hidden from her past makes her worry about her own fate.

I wanted to like this, I really did. I tried to get into the story but it wasn’t happening.  There was too much narrative that didn’t always make sense and slowed the progress and at times the narrator had me scratching my heard to try and figure out what was happening.  There was lots of jumping from past to present to explain what happened to affect the characters now.  The author didn’t have very good transitions to make clear where we were at in the story which made it hard to understand at times.  I couldn’t really connect with the characters either.  There were too many thrown out that didn’t seem to matter much to the story, then when we were with the characters that did matter I had trouble caring about them.  The ending played out nicely though.  It wrapped things up tying it all back with the beginning much better than I expected.  Overall it was not the best book and not one I will be picking up again.  I know there are many out there that will really enjoy the story, especially the setting in the London Art world.

Author: Steve Anderson

Series: Kaspar Brothers

Release Date: March 29, 2016

Publisher: Yucca

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Intriguing historical fiction set in post WWII Munich that reveals some of the darker secrets of post war policy.

Harry Kaspar serves as a Captain in the military government set up in Munich after the United States has occupied Germany. One night he answers a knock on his door to find a German police detective saying that a murder has been committed and a young girl is asking for him by name.  Upon finding a man in old US fatigues with a sabre in his chest, he learns the girl knows his estranged brother, which he hasn’t seen in years.  In an effort to find out more about what the girl knows, he heads down a trail that reveals some ghost from his past as well as his brother Max.  Harry learns that Ukrainian Cossacks are being shipped back to the Soviet Union against their will and are then slaughtered by Stalin’s agents.  Outraged, Harry pledges to help, but who can he trust to help him see them to safety?

I’m a huge fan of WWII history, fiction or non, but I have to admit that I haven’t read much on the post occupation part. That is why this novel was so intriguing.  However, I always felt like there was something more to the story that I was reading and discovered that there are two other novels out there, one dedicated to each brother.  Even so, it didn’t really take much away from the overall story.

The real story focuses on the sad fact that the United States and British government agreed to send back certain factions of people to the Soviet Union whether they wanted to go or not. The Soviet Union then executed them for fighting alongside Germany during the war against Russia.  I cannot begin to imagine what the soldiers who were just “following orders” must have gone through in this process.  Anderson does a great job bringing this to light with a suspenseful story.  If you like WWII historical fiction, then reading about the Kaspar brothers will keep you happy!

There is some strong language throughout the book as well as some scenes of innuendo. I would recommend this book for mature audiences.

Author: Laura Davis Hays

Publisher: Terra Nova Books

Release Date: March 1, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

An interesting take on the destruction of Atlantis mixed with present day incarnation.

Kelsey Depuis has been living in her father’s shadow her whole life. He was a famous scientist who was well known for his research.  After he died, Kelsey was offered a job in Santa Fe, New Mexico by one of his former students.  However, after moving to Santa Fe, Kelsey has started to have recurring dreams about water.  With some help form a dream therapist, she begins to feel another presence from a past lift named Iriel, who lived at Atlantis.  One day she meets a lawyer named Stan Dresser, who ignites a spark in her life.  Soon, she and Stan are addicted to one another.  Eventually, Kelsey realizes that Stan is also in the past life, but his motives are not pure.  With some help, Kelsey escapes to a remote Caribbean island where her company is doing biological research and tests.  But her arrival has stirred things up from the past.  As actions begin to grow darker and violence rises, can Kelsey save herself from her former life?

I have to admit that when I started this book I didn’t get what I expected. There was a whole lot more than I had anticipated.  I didn’t expect to get as much of Iriel’s back story.  I thought it was going to focus more on the present.  However, it really combined the two very well.  The story was a little slow to set up, but once it got going to really moved.  Kelsey is really just a confused thirty-two year old woman who has lived in her father’s shadow, had her life made miserable by her mother, still grieving the death of her brother, and just wants to be loved.  So much so that she gets into a really abusive relationship.  I know that there was a connection back to Atlantis that keep the relationship going, but I really, really wanted her to move on and quit going back to him.  Then the antagonist is so strong throughout much of the book that I really, really wanted him to just go away, but he didn’t.  In the end, every bit of the dialogue was needed to finally put the whole story to bed.

There is quite a bit of strong language in different parts of the book as well as fairly frequent sexual activity in Parts II and III. I would recommend this book for mature audiences.

Author: Lynne Hugo

Publisher: Switchgrass Books

Release Date: April 18, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A tale of a dysfunctional family to the extreme, horses that have the potential to bring people together, and a whole mess of things trying to tear them apart.

Remember My Beauties is a tale of a dysfunctional family to the extreme.  Jewel is left to take care of her aging parents and their horse farm while her brother and sister abuse drugs, alcohol and disappear.  To top matters off her daughter, Carly is now hooked on drugs and living with a man that is only taking advantage of her and keeping her hooked.  When her brother comes back home and her parents let him stay over her objections she gives them a choice, it’s either he goes or she does.  As Jewel reaches her breaking point, so do many other aspects of all their lives.

This was a very interesting story of the way different relationships within a family can affect each and every member of a family in so many ways. I really felt for Jewel.   She was trying to help and do all that she could for her parents, all the while getting very little appreciation and respect.  Then when the “prodigal son,” so to speak, comes back he is let back into their lives as if he has never done any of the horrible things they all know he is guilty of.  It’s hard to not be resentful of that type of thing.  It is rare in a book that you see almost every character change in some way throughout the story.  Usually it is one or two that really reach their peak and grow.  Here, almost every character had that shift in their story line and it was nice.  It may not have been full-fledged redemption for everyone but a change was evident.  I enjoyed how the story was told from different viewpoints, even from the horses a time or two which was a nice touch.

I will say that this is not a book for a young audience. There are mature themes and language throughout.  I wish the harsh language would have been toned down.  For me that would have made the story more enjoyable.  The length was just right.  I read it in a little over a day and enjoyed the fast pace of the story and how things played out in the end.

Author: Melody Carlson

Series: Follow Your Heart

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: June 7, 2016

Reviewer: Jen Roman

Tia D’Amico has been cooking at her family’s Italian restaurant for years, but when she is invited to be a chef aboard her aunt Julie’s yacht in San Francisco, she jumps at the chance.  Not only is this the opportunity to expand her culinary reputation, but she is bound to find new people, and possibly a love interest, there.  She is shocked to find Leo, the boat captain who greets her, as the boy she met and had her first kiss with at sailing camp ten years before.  She does her best to hide her lingering feelings about him, especially since he introduces her to his newly-engaged fiancee, Natalie.  Natalie is a career-oriented lawyer who is not only smart and beautiful, but also nice, so she is very intimidating to Tia.  Natalie doesn’t have a lot of female friends, though, so she hopes that she and Tia can be buddies.  It’s not that Tia doesn’t want to be her friend, but she finds it difficult when she is trying to suppress her feelings for Leo.  Also, somehow Tia always gets caught between Natalie and Leo in really uncomfortable situations.  As the summer progresses and Leo and Tia work closer and closer together on the boat, things get complicated until there is bound to be a disaster.

Written in easy yet interesting language, All Summer Long offers readers a romantic escape to San Francisco without their ever leaving their homes.  The scenery and landmarks are described with accuracy and care, and the language used to bring San Francisco to life immediately creates a scene in the reader’s mind.  The characters are interesting and well-developed, and while the storyline is somewhat predictable, it is enchanting and fun.  Foodies will enjoy the descriptions of Tia’s culinary masterpieces, and adventurers will love the descriptions of the boat and its voyages.

I enjoyed reading about Tia and her journey from a self-described simple girl to a chef upon a high-class dinner cruise boat, and about how she handles situations.  She jumps into the boat remodel headfirst when her aunt has to be with her uncle during a health crisis, and she still manages to have fun and meet new people.  She considers herself to be plain and simple, but she is much more complex than she believes.  As she makes a few personal revelations and does some emotional maturing, she becomes a person who earns respect of her peers and her family.

All Summer Long is a fun, quick read that will leave readers enchanted with the magic of San Francisco, and they will quickly and easily appreciate the characters who make the story what it is.  There is brief, mild profanity, but no sexual situations or violence.  Older teens and adults should enjoy this book for its simple romance and fun setting.

Author: Irene Hannon

Series: Hope Harbor

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: June 7, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

With characters that are meant to be together and a story that intertwines them in a natural way, Sea Rose Lane is not to be missed.

Eric Nash was on the fast track to making partner at his law firm when he suddenly found himself out of a job. Not wanting to stay and dwell on the loss, he headed to the town he grew up and finds his dad is transforming his childhood home into a bed and breakfast.  The last thing he wants is a relationship, but when the architect and construction chief, BJ Stevens hammers her way into his life it is almost unavoidable.  BJ isn’t looking for romance either.  She has been burned in the past and is trying to focus her energy on her work and helping the seniors in Hope Harbor.  They both fight their feelings as hard as possible hoping that they can move past and keep from having heartache or a blossoming romance that is a force all its own.

Irene Hannon is one of the top writers when it comes to Christian romantic fiction. She knows how to tell the story with characters that are meant to be, even if those characters don’t want to admit it to themselves.  I have read several of Hannon’s novels and enjoy her romantic thrillers.  Usually these are heavy on romance and light on the thriller aspect.  This novel was not a thriller and the romance flowed throughout with an even pace and made the character’s trajectory of coming together very natural.  I have not read the first in the Hope Harbor series but didn’t find that to be a problem with understanding any of the story here.  I liked BJ, a strong independent woman who was perfectly capable of taking care of herself but didn’t let that keep her from dreaming about being with a man she knew could make her happy.  This was a very quick read with likable character and a story that was very enjoyable.  I will recommend this to anyone that enjoys a good contemporary romance.

Author: Kristy Cambron

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: June 7, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Cambron strays from her WWII historical novels and it pays off with a great new story of the circus!

In the early 1900s, Mable Burton decides to leave the life she has in Ohio and journey off to Chicago to live all of the magazine clippings that she has saved in a cigar box. One day as a restaurant hostess, a mysterious well-dressed man comes in asking for a table.  Without a reservation, Mable must turn him away, but he asked for the manager.  Soon he has the best table in the restaurant and has a shocking request, he would like Mable to show him around the world’s fair in Chicago!  On the walk, Mable realizes that this man is the circus king, John Ringling.  They feel a connection, but still part ways until several years later they reunite by chance in Atlantic City just as Mable is getting ready to discard her cigar box dreams.

A few years later in England, Lady Rosamund Easling is hurrying home after participating in a trick riding competition. She accidently loses control of the automobile she is driving and sinks in the river.  Fearing that she is near death, a man on the riverbank jumps in and saves her and then has her car pulled out of the river as well.  Fearing word will get back to her father, Rosamund quickly bids the gentleman adieu and rushes home in time for an estate dinner.  Rosamund is shocked at dinner when the same man appears, whose name is Colin Keary.  When she learns that he has come to buy her horse from her father, Rosamund is beside herself with grief, as this was a gift from her brother who was killed in the Great War.  When she learns that Colin is purchasing him for the Ringling Brothers circus, Rosamund decides to leave her home and continue working with her horse.  But will she be able to return after the circus life?

Kristy Cambron’s first two novels center around concentration camps in World War II that are coupled with a story set in present day. So this story was a little bit different given the two stories are only a few years apart and the characters actually intersect each other more than once.  However, I was far from disappointed and greatly enjoyed this new book.  There was an immense amount of research that had to go into this novel given that very little is really known about Mable Burton (Ringling).

I have to say that Cambron has a way of bringing you to the setting of her novels. Just as in her two previous novels, I made the journey alongside the main characters.  I was in the stands eating cotton candy with Mable by the children.  I strolled the rose garden in Ca’ d’Zan.  She possesses such a masterful quality that I can’t help but see the sights, smell the aromas, and even feel the emotion.

There were some twists and turns that brought about different series of events that I anticipated. It reminded me of the move Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken in some ways, but it was still its own story.  I’m so happy that Kristy has started writing these wonderful stories.  She is truly one of my favorite authors.

Author: Susan Williams Beckhorn

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Release Date: June 7, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Two creatures brought together, alone they will die, but together they just might be strong enough to survive.

Kai was born with a club foot and has been labeled Tabat, a disgrace to his family and tribe. He wants nothing more than to become a hunter like his brother and the other men of their clan.  However, that is difficult since he is forbidden to use or touch a weapon.  On the day he was born, his father left him to die with the wolves.  Fate had other plans.  The wolves kept him alive and his mother came for him.  Ever since he has had a bond with the wolves that has become stronger than he has felt with anyone else.  One day he finds a motherless cub about to die.  He risks becoming an even bigger outcast with his tribe to care for the cub.  As the seasons change, the wolf cub grows bigger and becomes a threat to the clan.  It is only a matter of time before something happens and Kai knows his people won’t hesitate to kill his wolf.  He can’t let that happen.  Together they leave and head in the only direction he knows no one will look for him, north.  There is danger that will test the bond he has with his wolf and his will to survive.

There is more to this story than it first seems. The tribe’s willingness to shun Kai because of his deformity and lack of support for anything he tries to do leads him to find comfort in the only ones ever willing to help him, the wolves.  At times it seemed as if the family dynamic was going to come around but never did.  The best thing about Kai was his determination.  Everyone else might have given up on him but he wasn’t going to give up on himself.  Kai and his wolf become a pair that rely on each other.  That bond is what drives the story.  It is hard for a story to be driven without the human to human bond and connection but here it played out well.  This was a very fun read that I think kids will enjoy.  It flows smoothly with creative moments between boy and wolf.  I always like to cheer for the underdog.  In The Wolf’s Boy I had two underdogs to cheer for and watch as they developed a strong bond and became a team to be reckoned with.  This is the first I have read of Susan Williams Beckhorn.  Her writing was fun and just what young readers need to enjoy a good book.

Author: Jen Swann Downey

Series: The Nina Librarians

Publisher: Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky

Release Date: June 7, 2016

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

The follow up to the first Ninja Librarian is funny, fast, and highly entertaining.

Dorrie and her brother Marcus are back and finally joining Petrarch’s Library as apprentices. Now they have to train to one day be able to go on missions to rescue people whose words have gotten them into trouble.  They have classes and training with the other apprentices.  Before long, Dorrie finds herself close to a member of the Stronghold, the Library’s biggest enemy.  She tries to spy and find out what the enemy is up to.  If she isn’t careful, those she has come to care about could be in grave danger.

I stumbled upon this and thought it sounded interesting. My biggest problem is I didn’t realize this was the second in a series.  I’m sure several aspects would have made much more sense having read the first.  Even so, I did enjoy the story.  A group of kids working in a library going back and forth in time and places to save those who have gotten themselves into trouble with their writing.  For young readers, this is a great series with lots of twists and turns and adventure throughout.  I would highly recommend reading the first before diving into The Sword in the Stacks.  Not only to better understand this story, but also for another interesting adventure.