Night Night, Angel

Author: Amy Parker

Illustrator: Virginia Allyn

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: September 28, 2021

Great sleepy time story for kids celebrating the blessings of Christmas.

Read about your favorite Christmas traditions through the eyes of a young arctic fox. From snowman building and lights to carols and gifts, the young fox and family visit many of our typical ideas for Christmas as well as the true Reason for the Season, Jesus. With fun rhyming words and vibrant pictures, both children are parents are sure to enjoy this story.

It is very short and is a good book to read right before it’s time to turn out the lights. The words are in a larger font so that new readers will be able to read along or on their own. Both boys and girls are sure to love reading this during the Christmas season!

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

Every Knee Shall Bow

Author: Bryan Litfin

Series: Constantine’s Empire #2

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: October 12, 2021

Yet another well researched novel!

Flavia and her mother have taken up the life of nuns following the Bishop Ossius on a journey. They receive word that her uncle has passed and left his fortune to Flavia to be used for the young Christian church. On the journey back to Rome, the vessel that Flavia and her mom are aboard is taken captive by human traffickers who intend to hold the bishop hostage for ransom and sell off all the women to the highest bidder. Will Flavia manage to get out of this mess?

After being banished to the Roman navy, Rex has had enough of the harsh treatment of the sailors. He mutinies against the soldiers and those who side with him take over control of the ship. Now pirates on the open sea, Rex has been claiming cargo to keep his crew paid. When he hears of a skirmish where the Bishop has been kidnapped and nuns sold into slavery, Rex knows it is probably Flavia. He makes the decision to try to rescue her at any cost.

If you’ve read the first book in this series, then you will enjoy the continued adventures of Rex and Flavia. Two unlikely characters thrown together. Flavia, a devout Christian follower who somehow managers to find herself in life threatening situations, and Rex, a hardened soldier who gave up his country for love. And the story is set against the backdrop of the Emperor Constantine’s empire converting the state religion to Christianity.

This book will not be for everyone. Litfin dives deep into research to set up accurate portrayals of the time period as well as supporting historical characters. If you like this type of history (as I do), then you will enjoy sitting down and spending some time with this book. Both the story of Rex and Flavia is captivating while getting to explore more of this time period. Most ancient Roman novels are set during previous periods, so it is fun to learn more during this time and see it from the viewpoint of members of the early church.

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

All That is Secret

Author: Patricia Raybon

Series: Annalee Spain Mystery #1

Publisher: Tyndale

Release Date: October 5, 2021

A great new mystery series begins!

When theologian professor Annalee Spain receives a cryptic telegram hinting at foul play for her estranged father’s death, she takes a hard look at her life in Chicago and decides that she should follow the trail. She’s always been daring, known as the colored professor at the bible college, but in 1923, it doesn’t always pay to be daring. Aboard the train to Denver, trouble manages to find her as someone seems to want to keep her away. As she explores the events related to her father’s death, she finds a trail that leads to more danger mixed with high-ranking members of the KKK. Along with colorful supporting characters, Annalee must charter the skills of her favorite literary detective, Sherlock Holmes, if she hopes to find the truth.

I always love getting the start to a new series and mysteries are the best. This one sets the characters paths for future installments and I just love Annalee Spain. She has spunk and is daring, but also has times of self-doubt that made her seem human. There wasn’t a tremendous amount of descriptive scenery set throughout the book, but it did not take way from the story line at all. There were hints and traces of 1923 Denver, but the mystery is what really drove the story. I can’t wait to see how the relationship between Jack and Annalee blossoms in the future and I’m curious about how young Eddie will progress and grow as a character. The book is colorful, exciting, and mysterious; just what anyone needs for these upcoming cold nights.

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

The Last Line

Author: Robert Dugoni

Series: Tracy Crosswhite #8.5

Publisher: Amazon Original Stories

Release Date: October 21, 2021

A great addition to the Tracy Crosswhite series with a focus on Del, one of the detectives working with Tracy and the gang. Fans of the Crosswhite series will not want to miss this great short story!

Del Castigliano has left his life and work in Wisconsin after a failed relationship and other problems and decides to head to Seattle and work as a detective in his new city. He goes to work under veteran detective Moss Gunderson who hands him his first big case, two bodies are found in Lake Union and Del is tasked with finding out who they are and what happened to them. The more he digs into the case, the more questions he has. Del pulls in another rookie, Vic Fazzio, to help him answer he many questions he is acquiring. Together they work to find the missing pieces of information and determine if the answer were kept from him on purpose and who he can trust in the department.

Robert Dugoni is my favorite author for a reason, he is one of the only writers I know that can whip out a 53-page short story and have it read as a novel and keep me aching for more. His Tracy Crosswhite series is my favorite and this was a fun look into the lives and history of some of the secondary characters we don’t know as much about. There is so much more to develop with this series and these characters and Dugoni is just the guy to give us the stories we want. Del is seen throughout the series but this look into how he came to be at Seattle PD helped me understand him better and why he acts the way he does with Tracy and the others in the beginning novels of the series. If you are a fan of the Crosswhite series or Dugoni in general, I highly recommend you adding this to your collection

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

Object Lessons

Author: Stephanie Kane

Publisher: Cold Hard Press

Release Date: October 15, 2021

Readers who love murder mysteries that are linked to other crimes will love this!

Adam and Eve Castle have a business where they create dioramas to train police officers on different crime scenes. To some, it is just a scene of a crime with no real effect. But to art conservator Lily Sparks, she sees connections that others don’t and is able to quickly come to conclusions that even the Castles sometimes miss. When murders start to happen that mimic the dioramas, Lily quickly puts the two together and must work to convince others of the connections, even if it means she must stop them herself.

Initially, I thought this book was going to be based on true crime events, but after diving in, I quickly realized it was true crime based on the dioramas. My biggest drawback on this was reading it as a standalone. It is written as a continuation of characters that have been developed previously and as a reader, I missed some back story that I felt was important. The scenes were written so that they were pretty interesting, but sometimes it was a little disjointed between scenes. I think I would have enjoyed it more had I started from the beginning, especially to understand Lily and Paul’s relationship better.

There is quite a bit of foul language and some implied sex throughout, but nothing graphic. Even so, I still recommend this for mature audiences.

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

Lost Island

Author: MarcyKate Connolly

Series: Hollow Dolls #2

Publisher: Sourcebooks Young Readers

Release Date: October 5, 2021

The follow up to Hollow Dolls picks up where the story left off and takes readers on a magical adventure full of surprises complete with all the magical adventures kids love in books.

After learning the truth about her mother, Simone is in a frenzy trying to keep her friends safe from Maeve and her powers. Now, Simone is in search for others with power to keep her Mother from taking their powers and using them for evil. An old legend leads her on a hunt for the Island she used to call home. Together with Sebastian and help from the librarians they set off to save others before it is too late. The closer they get to the island the more Simone sees that Maeve will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

MarcyKate Connolly has crafted a fun and magical adventure for young readers. With lots of suspense, action, drama, and adventure, readers will fly through the pages of this book. Most of the characters from the first book are back and we see a deeper depth with Simone and several of the characters. I really connected with Simone and the way she cares for her friends and wants to do all that she can to keep them safe. Her attitude and the way she was written really kept the story moving forward at a great pace for me. My only complaint would be the end and the last few chapters. Things were wrapped up a little too conveniently and felt rushed to me. I wish there would have been more development instead of it all ending so abruptly. Overall, it was still a good story that I enjoyed reading and would recommend to young readers that want a fantasy adventure.

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

Hollow Dolls

Author: MarcyKate Connolly

Series: Hollow Dolls #1

Publisher: Sourcebooks Young Readers

Release Date: January 7, 2020

An intriguing tale of magic, powers, and the lengths some will go to get the powers others have.

Simone is one of the few with powers, she is a mind-reader. With her power she knows many things, but the one thing she can’t remember is her own past. She is on a mission to find her family and the home she was taken from. Helping her search is Sebastian, another child taken with powers, the ability to take memories from people and was used against her while they were held captive. They come across a man that has been taken over by a body walker; Simone wants nothing more than to leave the life of magic behind her. But the more she looks into the history of where she came from and how to get back home, the more evil she sees around her. Before it is too late, Simone must dig deep into herself and find the courage to stop the evil around her before those she cares about get hurt.

Hollow Dolls is a fun, entertaining magical story that will keep young readers engaged with the characters and following along on their journey. Simone is a very real protagonist, even though she has magical powers, it is easy to connect with her and the passion she has to find her family and get back all that was taken from her. The dynamic between her and Sebastian moves the story forward during their scenes and all they have had to work through together. Several points throughout the story I started to feel as if I knew what was going on and what would happen next, some of my thoughts proved true and some not so much. The story wraps up with a solid cliff-hanger ending that will leave readers aching to find out the rest of the story in the follow up. While I didn’t enjoy this book as much as others I have read by Connolly, it was still an enjoyable read that I would recommend to other young readers looking for a magical adventure.

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

Wolf Soldier

Author: James R. Hannibal

Series: Lightraider Academy Volume 1

Publisher: Enclave Escape Publishing

Release Date: October 26, 2021

A perfect fantasy for young adults to read that will send them on a fantastical adventure full of magic, dragons, and an all-knowing Rescuer.

It’s been nearly two generations since the Knights of the Lightraider order disappeared and now the Keledan have gone behind the barriers and the Dragon Lands are taken over with darkness. The Rescuer freed them long ago, but the people forgot what the Rescuer did for them and turned their backs on him. Connor Enarian works on his family’s farm as a shepherd until he and three other young initiates are called to the Lightraider Order to cross mountains into Tanelethar and stop the dark invasion. Connor and his friends make it into the Dragon Lands and find a missing Lightraider and a talking silver wolf that is the key to saving them all.

James Hannibal has crafted a fabulous journey full of magic, adventure, dragons and so much more. A lot of fantasy novels can be hard to follow because of the world building that happens to make the story the way it needs to be set up. Hannibal did a fantastic job of creating this world, but not bogging down the pages with information that isn’t needed. I must admit, I’m not usually a fan of fantasy, (I’ve never read any of the Lord of the Rings books and have no desire to). But something about this book and the way James Hannibal writes appealed to me. Hannibal has a way with words and crafts a story that is entertaining and engaging all while being unique to others out there. This isn’t the type of story that can be read quickly or not paying attention to all the little details, if you do, there will probably have to be some rereading. I encourage other readers to give him a try if you are looking for something new, either this new fantasy series or even his suspense novels, you won’t be disappointed.

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

Wolf Point

Author: Ian K. Smith

Series: Ashe Cayne #2

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: October 5, 2021

A fantastic thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat and reading far past my bedtime!

When the body of Walter Griffin, a prominent Black Chicagoan, is found at a watery grave in Wolf Point and ruled a suicide, the case ends up in the hands of Ashe Cayne, who knows there is more to the story. Griffin’s children come to the detective and ask him to look deeper into the case than the rest of law enforcement to find what might have been missed. They know their dad never would have done such a thing, even if it means uncovering dark secrets, they want to know the truth. Everyone is a suspect and Ashe must watch his own back in order to not end up like Griffin.

When I read this, I didn’t realize it was the second in a series and am now itching to get my hands on the first Ashe Cayne novel. The writing was smooth and the story entertaining. Even though this was the second in a series, I didn’t feel that I was missing out on a lot; readers can easily pick this up as a stand-alone and enjoy without feeling lost. Smith did a great job of crafting a mystery while keeping readers turning the pages. A few points in the story went a little slow for me but not enough to slow the entire story. It was a fun and in-depth look into Chicago that really made me feel like I was in the city and following right along with Cayne as he went about solving the crime. Lots of great secondary characters that filled the pages with little bits of humor and enough tension that kept a great pace throughout the entire story. There is a bit of language, so it is not appropriate for a younger audience but great for the intended audience. I recommend this book for readers that love a great thriller with a protagonist they will want to read more and more about.

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

The Falling Girls

Author: Hayley Krischer

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: October 5, 2021

A story about the hardships of growing up as a female and trying to fit in and survive in the ever-changing world!

Shade and Jadis are closer than any two best friends could ever be. They share everything, clothes, toothbrushes and more. One day Shade decides to join the cheerleading team. She has always been into gymnastics and now wants to become part of the “in” crowd. Jadis sees her friend slipping further and further away the more time she spends with the cheer girls. When one of the cheerleaders dies under suspicious circumstances, Shade takes it upon herself to discover what really happened. She is afraid Jadis might have had something to do with it, and if it’s true, Shade feels she will somehow be responsible as well.

The Falling Girls had a great premise but fell a little flat for me. I know it has been a while since I was a teenage gir,l but the vapid shallowness of the characters running throughout the story really annoyed me. I grew up in a small West Texas town, sports were a big deal, which meant cheerleading was a big deal. But I never remember any of it being remotely close to this. Shade and Jadis were both very annoying, almost as annoying as the three Chloe’s on the cheer squad. Which also became very confusing having three characters with the same name.

I know this book is classified as a young adult, but I have a hard time recommending it to young readers because of the language and other mature content. There is plenty of high school drama, cliques and the power of friendship shown throughout the pages. There is also too much drama, irritation, annoying characters, and an overall flat storyline that just didn’t connect with me. If you are into high school drama in an exaggerated setting with lots of toxicity then this is the book for you, otherwise I wouldn’t recommend.

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