Review of "Relative Silence" by Carrie Stuart Parks

I always eagerly wait for a new CSP release and this one did not disappoint!

Piper Boone (short for Sandpiper - all the siblings in her family are named after birds) is one of the remaining members of the Boone family. They are wealthy, powerful, and politically connected; brother Tern is a Senator. What's left of the family has arrived on Curlew Island for their annual stockholders meeting and retreat.

Piper's toddler daughter died in an accident near the island 15 years ago and it has drastically changed her life's trajectory. Suffering from nightmares and likely depression, Piper is still trying to figure out what her next steps should be when the unthinkable happens - a mass shooting at a local café where she is having lunch.

Forensic artist Tucker Landry is just getting back on his emotional feet from his own tragedy when he saves Piper from the shooter. He is wounded in the process, but will recover. He and Piper connect over shared interests and a mutual attraction. They soon discover that the mass shooting was only the tip of the iceberg (or should we say island....?)

As Piper and Tucker navigate the dangerous mystery -people keep dying!- with the help of marine patrol Office Mandy Chou and teen Hannah Mueller, will they be able to solve who is behind it all before it's too late? And either way, will the hurricane kill them all first?

There are also numerous quirky and fun things that make this novel atypical. The movie quotes and how Piper uses them to self soothe and help solve the mystery; Four Paws Rescue; Nana the Newfoundlands (yes the plural is on purpose), and so much more. I totally did not figure out the antagonist before the truth was revealed, which I always appreciate. In hindsight there were enough clues to make it clever, but it was definitely not obvious. I will gladly recommend this book along with all other Carrie Stuart Parks novels.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book by Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion.

Review of "Before I Called You Mine" by Nicole Deese

Nicole Deese has written a beautiful and touching story about one woman's adoption journey. Based on the author's dedication and "Author's Note" at the end of the book this book is very personal. I hope you will check it out.

When first grade teacher Lauren Bailey meets the dinosaur loving uber-creative substitute-who-is-actually-a-tech-developer Joshua Avery, she forgets for a minute that she is currently remaining single for a very good reason: to remain eligible to adopt internationally from China. This book follows her journey through many ups and downs as she navigates not only the adoption process, but learns how to trust God more deeply.

As I didn't know a ton about the specifics of adoption this book was very interesting. Adding in the many different elements that I don't find to be typical for this genre turned it into a home run. For example, Lauren's family relationships can best be described as strained; Joshua's dad was her inspiration for teaching and the fangirl parts are especially fun; the patience of Joshua is amazing - and everything is woven together in a unique, touching, and amusing way. There are some good LOL moments. It did not end how I expected and I liked it. It did not evolve as I anticipated either, but I liked that too. If you are looking for a well-written and unique topic book this will be a home run for you.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.