Saturday, November 24, 2018

Review of "The Christmas Heirloom" (a novella collection by Kristi Ann Hunter, Karen Witemeyer, Sarah Loudin Thomas, and Becky Wade)

Have ya'll read any of the other books by these four amazing authors? If you haven't, this will be an excellent introduction for you. If you have and already love them all like I do, I think you'll be especially pleased.

Let's be real, novellas are not always...well, the best. It can be hard to provide any real character development, story arcs are short, context can be missing or hard to find....but that is not the case in any of the four novellas in this lovely Christmas book.

Set in chronological order (1827, Kristi Ann Hunter; 1890, Karen Witemeyer; 1958, Sarah Loudin Thomas; and present day, Becky Wade) with a fun concept that ties them all together: a beautiful (and full of meaning) heirloom is passed through multiple generations, and it plays a special part to the main character in each of the stories. They are all woven together beautifully (and even go so far as to connect to some of the author's other full length novels.)

My favorite of the four stories is easily Becky Wade's present day novella, because frankly the more about the Bradford Sisters she writes, the better.

It is easy to strongly recommend this collection - and what better time of the year than now! Get one for yourself and give some as a gift!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

Review of "Hidden Peril" by Irene Hannon

Book two in the author's "Code of Honor" series, this story continues the arc of three friends who grew up in differing but challenging situations. Together, the three friends vowed to do whatever they could to make the world a better place when they grew up.

Kristin Dane was the only girl in the Treehouse Gang, and she has truly lived her life in a way that fulfills that vow. She runs a company called World Craft, specializing in selling beautiful things from all over the world - all made by people in developing countries who are trying to make a living wage and build sustainable businesses. When it turns out that one of her suppliers may have been unwittingly compromised by terrorism, Kristin is sucked into a web of danger that she just may not get out of.

Luke Carter is currently a detective for St. Louis PD, but this is not his first rodeo into law enforcement. His wife Jenny also passed away three years prior, and saying he is a little leery in the relationship department is an understatement....so the fact that he is intrigued by Kristin is very different for him. Luke is also concerned about solving the mystery, and it seems like he and his team are hit with one dead end after another. Meanwhile, people are dying, so he needs to figure it out fast - and make sure Kristin stays safe.

Now for my opinion: I have always enjoyed Irene Hannon's books. She is on my regular "get when the new one comes out" list. I do have to say that out of all the novels I've read in the past six months in this genre (suspense/light romance), that this one was not terribly compelling for me. It was totally acceptable, and I will still give it four stars, and I will still recommend it. It probably just won't be very memorable or on my list of favorites.

Note: Your reading experience is always enhanced by reading books in a series in order, however, I think this one could be read as a standalone, or out of order. Very little reference is made to book 1 and to my knowledge no spoiler secrets are given - so, your choice!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for my honest review.

Review of "Wait for Me' by Susan May Warren

I have truly enjoyed each of the books in the Montana Rescue series! We have been waiting a long time for Pete Brook's official story, haven't we? And it is finally here.

Pete may not have a perfectly innocent past, but since he has been in love with Jess Tagg, a more dedicated man you would be hard pressed to find. No one can say he doesn't always at least try to do the "right thing", and his bravery knows few boundaries.

Jess Tagg, aka Selene Taggart, has been sucked back into her (on the surface) fairy tale world and seems happy; but anyone who has lived for 10 minutes as an adult will know that appearances don't always tell the whole story.

When Jess (along with Shae and Ned) is essentially kidnapped from Ben and Kacey's wedding reception, Pete will stop at nothing to find her. The challenge is, who is behind it all? Who is the real target? And who can they possibly trust?

As I typically note when reviewing a book in a series, your experience will always be enhanced by reading the books in order; for this series we are in pretty deep. I suppose this one could technically be read as a stand alone.....but for this series in particular, too many mysteries were solved along the way and if you don't read them in order you will sincerely lose much of the fun.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for my honest review.

Review of "In Too Deep" by Lynn Blackburn

I have been eagerly waiting for this book ever since I finished the first book in the series, "Beneath the Surface". Author Lynn Blackburn has found a unique niche in this genre, hitting the exact right blend of suspense, dialogue, believable characters, and romance for my personal taste....all the right notes are hit in this book.

Atypical wealthy person turned-police officer-and-crusader-for-justice Adam Campbell loves his career. He has also made peace with the place he holds in his uber wealthy family. In love with the brilliant Dr. Sabrina Fleming since they met two years ago, he has yet to truly share his heart. When they are reconnected to solve this mystery, Adam knows that he cannot go on working with her unless he is straightforward about how he feels.

Dr. Sabrina Fleming is so crazy smart that she sometimes misses social cues - and occasionally, doesn't even recognize her own feelings. To her surprise, Adam is not only interested, but seems quite serious. However, she is sure that she is not a good fit for him or his family. Combined with the fact that her life seems to be repeatedly in danger, Sabrina puts all her energy into solving the mystery. But is the mystery she is trying to solve the right one?

The supporting cast is interesting, and there are multiple surprises throughout the story. Note: they are not only unexpected, they are surprises that make big picture sense (vs. just being for shock value.)

This book can be read as a standalone but your experience will be much richer if you read number one first. I enthusiastically recommend these books and this author!

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book by Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest review.