Just for the Summer

Author: Melody Carlson

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: March 19, 2024

A sweet contemporary romance that will put a smile on readers’ faces.

Ginny Masters lives in Seattle and works at one of the hotel boutiques. It is a good job but hard and a boss that demands a bit much at times. Jacqueline Potter has trouble finding a job with her hospitality degree, so she works at her grandfather’s Idaho fishing lodge. The two get together and decide that for the summer they should switch things up and see if it helps their lives on every front including their love lives.

Melody Carlson is becoming a go-to for me when I want a good contemporary romance read. This was a fun read about switching places and finding something when you least expect it. Ginny and Jacqueline were so fun to read and see what they were going through and how it changed when they switched places. This is the kind of book that readers can sit down and fly through the pages in one sitting, an easy-breazy kind of book that all can enjoy. I recommend this to those that love contemporary romance reads and if you have read Melody Carlson you know you will love this one.

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

Set in Stone

Author: Kimberley Woodhouse

Series: Treasures of the Earth #2

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: March 12, 2024

Set in Stone is much more than a Historical Romance, it is adventurous, fun and just a great read.

Martha Jankowski has always dreamed of working as a paleontologist and as her dreams come true and she is about to uncover a huge find when another team of paleontologists try to come and steal her find. Jacob Duncan has been working as a student digging for dinosaur bones when he meets Martha Jankowski, and they clash over the dig and feelings that rush to the surface between the two of them.

Set in Stone is another Kimberley Woodhouse book that readers of her work will not want to miss. This was just what I have come to expect from Woodhouse, a good book with a story that has heart, humor and an adventurous storyline. Martha was a protagonist I enjoyed reading, her love for paleontology made her more interesting, especially for being set in the time period it is with this being an unusual occupation for a woman. This was more than a historical romance and I loved it. This is a book that readers of historical fiction will love.

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

A Love Discovered

Author: Tracie Peterson

Series: The Heart of Cheyenne #1

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: March 5, 2024

Set in the wild frontier, Tracie Peterson will have the hearts of readers swooning before turning the last page.

Edward Vogel gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he is invited by a friend to help establish the new town of Cheyenne. He isn’t sure about heading out west, but when he gets the opportunity to leave behind painful memories, he thinks it might be for the best. He asks his friend Marybeth to marry him and after the death of her father, marriage might be the only way for Marybeth to keep her young sister with her. Being thrown together in marriage and now in a new town they find more than their hearts in danger of being hurt.

An unexpected love was a good read but not great. I was expecting a little more with this one and felt it fell short of my expectations. I am thankful for good, clean Christian fiction and this one was good and clean but not memorable. It had all the elements of a good historical romance, and I enjoyed the story of Edward and Marybeth as they moved west. Fans of Petersons books will enjoy this one and if you haven’t read Peterson’s work before this is a good one to start with as it is the first in a new series. I do see good potential for the rest of the series and will likely be reading them when they become available.

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

The Seamstress of Acadie

Author: Laura Frantz

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: January 9, 2024

With great characters and a heartfelt story, The Seamstress of Acadie is a great historical read by Laura Frantz.

Sylvie Galant is a seamstress in 1754 in the middle of tensions between the French and British on Canada’s Acadian shore. She and her family have land in between the two and with the unrest it is hard to stay on the outside. William Blackburn is a British Army Ranger and he encounters Sylvie and warns her of an upcoming invasion. He quickly falls for her and resigns but is too late to keep her from losing what she had with her family. Now she is trying to work through the mess that has been made and figure out a life for herself.

If you are a lover of historical novels this is one you won’t want to miss. Laura Frantz has crafted a beautiful story that readers will fall in love with. This story had a great romance that was brought along at just the right speed. For a little while I was worried there wasn’t going to be a happy ending, but the story played out well in just the right way. While the reading of this was a little bit slower for me it was a good read and just right for those that enjoy historical romance.

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

The Lady with the Dark Hair

Author: Erin Bartels

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: March 26, 2024

Another great story from the pen of Erin Bartels!

Viviana must continually change her name and appearance to keep one step ahead of the authorities. After pretending to be a man, she is able to join a war effort with her twin brother, but during one of the battles, an accident occurs, and her brother is killed, and she is blamed for the murder after she is exposed as a woman. Working across Europe by yourself in 1879 is hard enough but finding work and a place to hide makes it worse. While in France working as a maid at the Renaud household, she accidentally becomes acquainted with the famed painter and is salesman friend, Vella. Through this chance encounter, she discovers that she is an artist, but can never come out into the spotlight.

In present day Michigan, Esther and her family hold claim to the last known painting by Impressionist era artist, Vella. But when the portraits is claimed to have not been painted by Vella after all, Esther must cross the Atlantic on a trip to Gibraltar to discover the truth behind both the painting and her family’s history. Will Esther discover more to her life along the way?

Erin Bartels does a great job weaving together the timelines of two women spanning over a century. Both women felt stifled in their current situations but were able to make something of a name for themselves as they moved throughout time. It’s too hard to choose what timeline I preferred, but I found myself more drawn to Esther as she had to take care of her mother and wouldn’t venture outside of comfort zone due to fear. Bartels’ stories are always uplifting for women and this is no exception. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

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

Never Fall Again

Author: Lynn H. Blackburn

Series: Gossamer Falls #1

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: March 12, 2024

Lynn H. Blackburn at her best with the start of her newest series. Never Fall Again is a top-notch romantic suspense story!

Landry Hutton got out of a bad family situation with her daughter and has spent the last three years rebuilding their lives at The Haven outside of Gossamer Falls, North Carolina. She teaches art classes and gives her daughter the best life she can. Wanting to build a house close to her work, she hires Callum Shaw to do the construction and the attraction between the two is hard to deny. Cal had a hard past with dating someone with a kid that broke his heart and is hesitant to get involved with anyone at the moment. Cal is about to start construction when Landry is the victim of vandals who destroy her work and set fire to her studio. He vows to keep Landry and her daughter safe, something that proves to be harder than expected.

Never Fall Again is the newest edition in Christian Romantic Suspense and it is a great addition. While it did start just a little bit on the slow side, it picked up speed quickly and never slowed down. Landry and Cal had a great chemistry, especially when all the family got involved. Such a large extended family is going to make for an interesting series as it moves forward. The tension was tight throughout, and Blackburn did a fantastic job keeping me engaged and wanting to see a happy outcome for all these characters. At times I can get tired of romantic suspense books because they tend to end up all alike, but this one was different and had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what the outcome would be. I’m happy to say this one hit the mark. I recommend this book to fans of Blackburn and those that love hard-hitting romantic suspense.

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

The Foxhole Victory Tour

Author: Amy Lynn Green

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: January 23, 2024

This book very quickly became my favorite by this author without a doubt. Amy Lynn Green has outdone herself with this one.

Maggie McCleod is a one of a kind, she is smart, sassy and often finds herself in trouble. She plays in a wartime orchestra until her tongue gets her in trouble and she ends up on an overseas adventure with the USO. While on tour, she meets Catherine Duquette, who signs with the USO to leave behind a life of privilege and find answers in the disappearance of the man she loved. Together the two women join with a group from the tour and when their manager says one of them is up for a special job in Hollywood their close group quickly changes. Not only are they all fighting for the position, but they must keep themselves alive during wartime.

Amy Lynn Green has written her best novel yet with The Foxhole Victory Tour. I was immediately drawn to these characters and all they were going through. I wanted nothing more than to see them come out the other side happy and healthy. There was plenty of tension throughout that drove the story and kept me turning the pages way past my bedtime. This story had so much heart and soul that I found myself choked up at times, something that not many authors can do. The characters as so spunky and full of everything I love to see in a historical novel.

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

The Irish Matchmaker

Author: Jennifer Deibel

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: February 13, 2024

Fans of Deibel’s Irish story weaving will be in love with her newest release!

Catriona Daly and her father have a matchmaking business. She is no stranger to the game of love and hopes to use it as her ticket away from the small village that only comes to life once a year for the matchmaking festival. But can her matchmaking skills keep her from falling in love herself?

Each book that Deibel writes brings a new sense of Irish merriment to her viewers. Transported back to 1900s Ireland, she quickly weaves her readers into the countryside with dialect and prose that can’t help but transport them there in a flash. I’ve loved all her books, but I really think that this one takes the cake. The characters are fantastic, especially little Sara, and the storyline moves along so quickly that I wanted to read it again (and did!) Such a fun, clean historical romance!

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

Embers in the London Sky

Author: Sarah Sundin

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: February 6, 2024

Yet another fantastic story set in World War II by Sundin!

Aleida Martens has decided to leave the cruelty of her husband and the potential Nazi invasion of her beloved Netherlands. But her husband beats her to it, and they leave with their young son. Along the way, Aleida falls asleep, and her husband passes their son to a couple on the road, with no intention of ever seeing him again. As fate would have it, he does not as he is soon killed by Nazi plane fire. Aleida does manage to escape to London, where she searches in vain for her son while working at the Ministry of Health to place children in homes away from London as the London blitz begins. She prays that she will be able to use this position to track down her lost son.

Hugh Collingwood loves being a reporter to report the truth, but the BBC has begun to bow to the Ministry of Information to censor broadcasts and keep the truth from those living within England. He pushes the limit to its limits, often getting in trouble and reprimanded for his work. Imagine if they knew he had asthma, he’d never get to go back onto location for his work. One day he meets a young woman refugee from the Netherlands who lost her son and vows to help her tell her story. What he never anticipated was falling for this young woman.

Sundin is a master at bringing great stories set in historical World War II events. Each book is different. Either set in a different location, time period of the war, and what the characters are experiencing. I loved this story and how it unfolded throughout the pages. I kept cheering for them to finally realize they were meant to be, but still enjoyed the pace that is required to make them realize it. Sundin never fails to amuse and amaze me with her stories and her knowledge of historical events. I can’t wait to see what she comes out with next!

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

Fatal Witness

Author: Patricia Bradley

Series: Pearl River #2

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: February 6, 2024

Another great romantic suspense by Patricia Bradley that kept me up way past my bedtime.

Mae Richmond had been searching for her missing granddaughter for over two decades. When she sees a picture in a magazine of a woman she knows has to be her missing granddaughter, she sets in motion all she needs to find her. Dani Bennett saw her parents murdered when she was a child but doesn’t remember it and since that day, she has lived with her “Uncle Keith” who was always overprotective, but she never understood why. When she is contacted by her grandmother and goes back home to try and find all the memories, she can’t seem to remember. But it all goes wrong when she makes it back and finds someone coming after her for what she doesn’t know.

While this was a good romantic suspense, it had moments that left me underwhelmed. I flew through the pages but somewhere less memorable than others. Patricia Bradley is a great romantic suspense writer, but this story did fall a little flat for me. The story was a little on the more original side with the focus being more on Mae and her mission to find her granddaughter, which was what kept me connected to the story. Mae was a fun and spunky character, and it would be nice to see more from her in coming stories. Dani couldn’t remember some of her past, but she didn’t let that define her future and I liked that about her. The romance aspect came on a little strong with Mark and some at times I wasn’t as interested in seeing them come together as a couple as I would have liked. I do recommend this book to those that love romantic suspense, it is the right book for that genre.

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