What Happens Next - Christina Suzann Nelson

 

From christianbook.com:
Podcaster/ex-reporter Faith Byrne gained a following telling tales of triumph after tragedy. But her own life is in shambles---her children are summering in Hawaii with her ex and his new wife. When Dora Crane, mother of Faith's childhood friend who went missing, asks Faith to investigate the long-abandoned case, will they finally find answers and healing? 

This was a compelling mix of mystery and introspection for the characters involved.  How does one move on from such a tragic loss? If a family member is so stuck in the past that they can't see the present with the people still there, do they move on alone and leave the stuck family member behind? Or do they then lose 2 family members?

I could appreciate the journeys the characters had to take and I was invested in finding out what had happened to Heather.  It was an odd juxtaposition to see things through her ten-year-old eyes, compared to those who had aged without her, but as she was forever ten in their memories, it made sense.

I give What Happens Next 3.5 stars.  As always, this author's writing is engaging, raw, and fairly realistic.

You can find the book HERE.
You can find the author HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

Sadie on the Rocks - Joanne Bischof

 

Sadie finds herself at a crossroads: in her 30s, single, with no current dating prospects, and sick of the dating game, tired of writing about the dating life that she's not part of, and wondering what else life has for her, she decides to forge a new path.  She wants a job she can be proud of, and she wants to find more passion in her life, so she makes new choices and tries out a new hobby - rock climbing.  Can she find purpose and direction in her life, and contentment in her current chapter?

While this book is highly introspective, and low on action, Sadie's thoughts and journey are well-developed and would be encouraging to a reader on a similar journey.  She reaches out to engage others and bless them with her compassion and availability, and I loved watching her use her time and energy to develop a new passion while also looking for opportunities to engage with those around her.  Her bravery in letting go of things that didn't fit with her vision and faith were inspiring, and I hope that readers can gain courage from her choices.

I give this book 3.5 stars, but I would guess that others who can relate more to Sadie would find it much more engaging.  I hope that there are more Suddenly Sadie stories to follow her journey.

You can find Sadie on the Rocks HERE.
You can find the author HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

Sunrise - by Susan May Warren

 

Dodge Kingston has been gone from his family ranch for a long time, and probably wouldn't have returned now, except for the fact that his father is in the hospital.  With an offer in the wings, a strained relationship with his father, and an unknown status with his high school sweetheart, adding in disaster after dangerous disaster, what will he choose for his future?

This was a fairly typical storyline for this author: lots of dangerous, life-or-death situations, a harsh environment, pasts that need dug up in order to move forward, and big decisions to be made.  I really enjoyed the Alaskan component of the story; the terrain and character of the land played such a big part in shaping the story and the characters.  The side characters, especially, were rooted in Alaskan culture and the lifestyle and gave a good picture of the wildness of the land.

The one issue I took with this story was that the relational drama of the main characters seemed to take precedence over what would have likely been forefront in their minds in reality.  They seemed to care more about their romance than their friends and family in danger.

I give this book 3.5 stars: engaging, high action, good elements of faith, but too much unrealistic drama.

You can find Sunrise HERE.
You can find the author HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

More Than We Remember - Christina Suzann Nelson

Three women, isolated by their separate circumstances, yet oddly united through one terrible tragedy.  How will Addison, Brianne, and Emilia get through their hardships alone? Yet, is there anyone they can trust to help them?  Who else can understand their personal pain?

There were so many stories happening in this book that it took awhile to keep them straight, but the author did a good job weaving them together and having everything tie up in the end.  Tie up in the sense that the reader wasn't left hanging on any of the big questions, but not tied up so neatly that the characters avoided consequences for their choices and actions.  The message throughout this book is that nothing is as easy as it looks on the surface, and everyone's story has bumps in it that you can only find out by getting to know them. 

I give this book 3.5 stars; I think there were still a few hiccups in the story shifts, and there were almost too many characters to get to know, but overall there were a lot of good glimpses of tough situations, and examples of how people could grow through the tough times, especially if they're willing to accept help from others.

You can find More Than We Remember HERE. 
You can the author's website HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

The Dating Charade - Melissa Ferguson

Cassie has had so many bad blind dates that she has a full escape plan in place.  She is ready to walk away from the dating scene when Jett Bentley shows up and decides to pursue her, the girl who he admired from afar in high school.  Each has stated up front that they're not interested in having kids, but it's not quite the whole truth for either of them.  When complicated situations leave each of them with 3 kids in their individual custody, they must decide how to, or whether to, fill the other one in, with the risk of scaring them away for good.

This is one of those cases where I almost let a cover and title keep me from reading a good book; I was expecting the whole book to read like the introduction - a woman running from disastrous dates, a firefighter rescuing old ladies.  While that beginning was humorous, and would have made for a fun light-hearted book, but instead, the story got much much deeper.  Touching on infertility, foster care, child abuse and neglect, and unmet dreams and expectations, Jett and Cassie traveled a very emotional path both separately and together.  With well-placed revelations about each of the characters, the story blended past hurts and current struggles.  My one disappointment was that when Jett and Cassie came to a seemingly impassable argument, there was no real work to resolve it; somehow, it magically became a non-issue. 

I give this book 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.  I loved this book for all of the tough topics it tackled, but I did wish that the characters would have reflected a little more on how to work through some of them.  I have not been closely involved with foster care, but I did appreciate that the book didn't make it all seem perfect and peachy, for either the parents or the children.

You can find The Dating Charade HERE.
You can find the author's website HERE.
(This is her debut novel, and I'm looking forward to more from her!)

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

Sweet on You - Becky Wade

Sweet on You is the conclusion to the Bradford Sisters trilogy, and gives the readers the story of Britt and Zander.  Britt runs her own chocolate shop, Sweet Art, in Merryweather Historical Village, and Zander has just returned from a year and a half of travelling around the world in order to attend his Uncle Frank's funeral.  Zander has been in love with Britt forever, but she has always seen him as one of her best friends.  Should he make his feelings known, or should he try yet again to move on?  And what is the truth about Uncle Frank's death, was it really just an accident? 

I love Becky Wade's sweet romances, and I love the Bradford sisters.  I didn't quite connect with Britt as much as Nora and Willow in the previous novels, but I did enjoy seeing how everyone was doing, and seeing Britt and Zander work through their relationship changes.  I also loved seeing snippets of the caring things they'd done for each other over the years, without the other's knowledge.  It certainly made for a "sweet" friends to more romantic tale.  The mystery component of the book, while intriguing, wasn't even the highlight of the book for me; I enjoyed revisiting these sisters and their expanding family so much more!

I give this book 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.  Overall, this series comes together nicely, and I hope that maybe the author finds another reason to end up in Merryweather so that we can check in on the Bradfords!  I definitely recommend reading them in order, starting with True to You, followed by Falling for You, and concluding with Sweet on You.

You can find Sweet on You HERE. 
You can find the author's page HERE.
She's also very active on Facebook HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

The White City - Grace Hitchcock

Winnifred Wylde is the daughter of an Inspector, and is known for seeing a crime around every corner.  However, when she thinks she sees a woman being taken during the Chicago World Fair, her father assigns a bodyguard, Jude Thorpe, and eventually allows her to go undercover to see what she can find out.

I have read many books centered around the Chicago World's Fair; knowing that this one was based on actual events gave it a very different feel.  I really appreciated the author's notes at the end, straightening out what was fact versus what she added to the story.  The slightly unsettling thing was that this book made it so easy to get wrapped up in Winnie's story and dilemma over Jude, that it was easy to lose sight of the fact that it was based on a real serial killer.  While the suspicious character was always depicted as shady, the depth of his evil nature didn't really come through until everything wrapped up in the end.  It certainly would have made it a more disturbing book to go more in depth along the way, but I think I would have liked some more hints or clues as to what he was really up to.

I'm not sure how much the police were looking into the case at the time, but maybe more of a tie in with a real investigation into the disappearances, laid against Winnie's amateur (and dangerous!) sleuthing could have given it more of a suspense and danger tone, rather than a romance book that happened to have a murder in it.

I did really enjoy Winnie's and Danielle's love of books, and Danielle's habit of taking Winnie's books to read herself.  I loved Winnie's few interactions with the bookstore owner, and that's the sort of relationship/character development I'd love to see more of.

I give this book 3.5 stars; I felt like it straddled the line of a romantic/fictitious suspense vs. a real-crime book.  Had it landed squarely on either side of the line, I think it would have fared better. (No pun intended).  I have already downloaded the next in the series, and I am looking forward (maybe with one eye closed!) to the continuation of the series.

You can find The White City HERE.
You can find the author's site HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publishers, in exchange for my honest review.

Christmas with Miss Austen - Laura Briggs

Publisher's Description -

- from christianbook.com

Julia Allen is a waitress by day, painter by night, and a famous 1800s authoress on weekends. Moonlighting as Jane Austen for a historical open house is a strange hobby for a contemporary artist, but Julia loves the role—until she falls asleep and gets locked inside after all the visitors are gone! Rushing home from the dark, historical mansion, she collides with a stranger in the snowy park, and discovers later her shortcut cost her the rare copy of Austen's Northanger Abbey borrowed from a friend's treasured collection. Book historian Eliot Weston thinks he imagined the Regency-era figure, but the book he finds in her wake proves otherwise. The first edition of Jane Austen's novel is authentic and incredibly rare, but he fails to find any trace of its owner. Reminders of the unusual encounter keep popping up, however, like the pretty modern artist eager to buy an identical volume. Coincidence? Or Divine intervention making it clear this is anything but an ordinary Christmas for these two hearts?

This was a super cute, quick Christmas read.  Julia and Eliot were fun characters, and the misunderstanding of the lost book wasn't so drawn out as to feel tedious.  I enjoyed the juxtaposition of Julia's contradictory characteristics of modern artist and Austen portrayer, and I liked the addition of Eliot's sister's obsession with Austen to drive some of the connection.  The one thing that bothered me, though, was the question of if this historical open house is such a big deal in this town as to sell out its tickets, why did it never occur to Eliot that the figure in the park was an actress?  However, it was easily overlooked in the interest of the plot, and left the story still enjoyable.

I give this cute seasonal book 3.5 stars.  

You can find Christmas with Miss Austen HERE.You can find the author's page HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Mind Games - Nancy Mehl

As the daughter of a convicted serial killer, Kaely Quinn, formerly Jessica Oliphant, has a unique perspective on the criminal mind.  Honing her skills as a profiler for the FBI, Kaely has come under scrutiny for her past, and has been forced to change locations to continue her career.  However, the evil in her childhood continues to pursue her, with a news reporter hounding her for her story, and now it seems, a serial killer is targeting her.  Can Kaely profile and find the culprit, or is she too close to the source and too far from her memories of that part of her life to see clearly?

Books about murderers are always tough to read, without feeling that shadow of darkness that clings to their stories.  Yet, within that dark place, there is so much room for the Light to shine.  Kaely Quinn has known so much darkness, and yet she manages to continue to cling to God, knowing that He is bigger than the evil she confronts on a daily basis.  She is a complex character, battling with not just the criminals she profiles, but with the nagging guilt that she should have seen that evil in her father, even as a child.  She may have trust issues, and she may choose her friends carefully, but she is trying to move forward and do her work well. 

While the plot of this book is a bit stomach-twisting, with innocent bystanders being put in jeopardy so that the villain can take out his or her anger on Kaely, the characters are really well written, and there are several plausible options for the suspect.  The author sends her reader down multiple paths of possibilities, while never outright hiding the true criminal.  Kaely's relationships served the purpose of giving insight into her as well, showing where she puts her trust and how she does what she does. 

I give this book 3.5 stars; I am intrigued by Kaely, and am interested in following the hints laid down at the end of this book into the continuing series. 

You can find Mind Games HERE.
You can find the author's page HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Keturah - Lisa T. Bergren

Keturah and her sisters, Verity and Selah, are ladies of society, used to nice things and proper respect due their station.  However, left as orphans upon their father's death, they are left with difficult decisions.  Keturah, as the eldest, determines that she must travel to the family's sugar cane plantation in the West Indies, and try to get their crops to flourish again to keep the family's finances afloat.  Her sisters agree to travel with her, and they are joined by their long-time family friend Gray, as he also travels to test his fortune in the sugar cane fields on his family's neighboring estate.  Their determination and faith will have to see them through many more hardships and surprises than they are prepared for.  Can Keturah set the scars of her past and her stubborn independence aside in time to save her family from financial failure, or worse?

I am not usually drawn to historical fiction, although I am a fan of Lisa T. Bergren.  Her children's books, in particular, are delightful, and I enjoyed her YA series, The River of Time.  I found the setting of this book, in colonial times in the West Indies, to be fresh and intriguing.  Keturah's experiences upon the island were not whitewashed, and as her eyes were opened to the harsh lives of the slaves, so will be the reader's.  While I'm not entirely sure that the storyline could have been even remotely possible - women living on their own, doing men's work, hiring a black overseer - it is an interesting fictional tale.  Watching Keturah work through her hurts and doubts is something that many readers can relate to, even if their own scars are vastly different.

I give this book 3.5 stars.  I am looking forward to the rest of the series, to see how their lives continue to develop, and to read more of this exotic location.

You can find Keturah HERE.
You can find the author's website HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

Home - Ginny Yttrup

Melanie Vander has an approaching deadline for her sixteenth book, but she can't seem to find the same sort of escape in her characters this time.  Rather, her characters seem to be pulling her in a direction she doesn't want to go, forcing her to examine not only their lives and backstory, but her own.  Meanwhile, her husband, Craig, is trying to keep his business and family financials above water, while watching his wife run away yet again, and Melanie's friend and neighbor, Jill, is facing her own rising issues.  Where can these folks find safety?  What does it take to find one's way home?

I have read a lot of books where the main character is writing a story, and the "story" turns out to be the book the main character is a part of.  This book sort of did that, but with the twist of the main character (and author?) using her main character to work through emotions and grief that she'd been unable to process in real life in real time.  The other characters in the book, however, who surround Melanie in her real-life are suffering their own emotional crises, and as she works through her character's problems, she is able to begin coming out of her hole to help them.  As she says in a phone call to her friend, Jill, "New is good, I think.  Let's do new."  There was a good balance of Melanie understanding her own problems through Chloe, but then working them out in her real-life relationships.

I loved how this book worked its characters through their problems; even though the easy thing was to run away, to ignore the things that kept coming to the surface, each character was eventually able to confront the hard things in their lives.  Nothing was glossed over, sometimes the only solution to the problem was not a fun one, and I appreciated that.  Usually, there's a conveniently timed rich uncle, or promotion, or romance waiting in the wings, but these characters faced everything in their own way, eventually together, and together, they made real-life choices with real-feel consequences.  My only complaint might be that I want to see where they all go from here!

I give this book 3.5 stars.  It's never easy to be vulnerable in fiction, and a lot of readers probably want their fiction to turn out like a fairy tale, but there's not a lot of truth or growth in that.  Sometimes, we need to see that faith holds true even when the world around us does not.

You can find Home HERE.
You can find the author HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Traces of Guilt - Dee Henderson

Lieutenant Evie Blackwell is taking a "vacation."  A vacation that involves trying to solve several missing person cold cases centered in Carin County, Illinois, as a test case for a special task force that the Governor Elect is trying to form.  Gabriel Thane is the current Sheriff, son of the former Sheriff, and as such, becomes Evie's partner in sifting through the old evidence and searching for new links that may help them to solve these cases that have not been forgotten within the local community.  These cases may be linked by more than just the memories and relationships of the Thane family.

When Ann Falcon first appeared in this book, and mentioned "three brothers," I was excited to think maybe we'd finally gotten the story of the third Bishop brother.   Alas, it was not to be, but instead centered around three new brothers - the Thane brothers: Gabriel, Josh, and Will - who are equally interesting and engaging.  I enjoyed getting to know this new family, but I feel like they were such rich characters that they would have been better served if they'd gotten their own books.  Even still, the author manages to tuck quirky little personality traits into such a full story, like a habit of leaving SweeTarts behind.  This family would have made for a rich trilogy, and instead, their story felt under-served by condensing it into a single book.

The loose tie-in of Ann is an interesting thread to hold these stand-alone novels together.  This particular installment was made more interesting by the introduction of Evie Blackwell, who, it appears, is going to get her own series.  The concept of a task force to solve cold cases is intriguing, and I hope that the series does each case justice, as well as giving its lead characters room to grow.  This one hooked me, but I wanted tighter focus on a few characters and one or two cases, rather than trying to tie so many people, romances, and mysteries together into one novel.  I hope that Evie stays in touch with the Thane family, so that we can as well.

I give this book 3.5 stars.  I look forward to reading more about Evie (and I still want to read about Jim Bishop!).

You can find Traces of Guilt HERE.
You can find Dee Henderson's site HERE.
You can find more from the publisher, including an excerpt and author Q&A HERE.

I received an e-book copy of this book from Bethany House, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Her One and Only - Becky Wade

Dru Porter is the youngest of the Porter siblings, and as the only girl, has spent her whole life trying to keep up and prove herself.  She has served in the Marines, she rides a motorcycle, and now she is a bodyguard.  Er..."Executive Protection Agent."  Her newest client is Gray Fowler, a tight end for the Dallas Mustangs, and she is tasked with keeping him safe from a stalker who seems to be escalating his threats.  Dru has vowed to not get personally attached to her clients, but Gray might have other plans.

I have really enjoyed the Porter Family Series; Ty, Jake, and Bo were characters bigger than life, with family bonds and romantic storylines that made for light-hearted, fun reading.  Dru's story didn't feel quite as fleshed out, leaving me feeling like I didn't really know her.  I enjoyed her interactions with Gray, and I thought that his story of needing to learn about forgiveness and about his relationship with God was well done.  I just wanted to know Dru as well as I felt I knew the Porter brothers. The scenes with her family, as well as the intertwined story of Meg and Bo, were some of the most engaging in the book.  Seeing her among her family helped define her, and gave warmth to the coldness of her persona as a bodyguard.  I wish that there was a way for the author to tie these characters into future books so that we didn't have to let go of them yet!

I was excited to receive this book, and I did enjoy it; I just wanted to know Dru more!  
I give this book 3.5 stars.  Within the series, I felt the least invested in this installment, but I was still glad to catch up with the Porter family.

You can find Her One and Only HERE.
You can find the author's website HERE.
You can connect with her on Facebook HERE.  (She and Katie Ganshert have an ongoing Pinterest war on Facebook, and it is SO much fun!)

I received a copy of this e-book from Bethany House, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Playing the Part - Jen Turano

Playing the Part is the third installment in the series "A Class of Their Own," where we get a deeper look into the life of Lucetta Plum, the actress friend of Harriet and Millie.  Independent, intelligent, and secretive, Lucetta is not impressed by admirers or gentlemen seeking her hand.  Rather, she keeps a personal bodyguard to fend off unwanted intentions and lives her life on her own terms.  Until a particularly determined admirer attempts to force her hand, and her life takes an unexpected turn - not only leaving her to depend on others, but entwining her in her protectors' own mysterious situation.

I really enjoyed both previous books in this series, In Good Company, and After a Fashion.  I love Jen Turano's witty, bright, and strong heroines.  Unfortunately, I felt that this story fell a little short of the previous two.  Maybe it was because the character of Lucetta Plum doesn't really let herself be known by the people in her life, it also makes her feel aloof to the reader.  Although many of her secrets, as well as Bram's - the leading male character - were eventually revealed, it was more of an exchange of portfolios than a true revelation of character.  Bram, however, was a delightful counterpart to Lucetta, a "collector of misfits," as she describes him.

Perhaps my discontentment with this story is similar to that of how I felt of the conclusion to Ms. Turano's last series - "The Ladies of Distinction" series.  She creates such fabulous relationships between her characters, but then marries them off one by one, book by book, and the final character is left to stand alone in her own story.  The friends make token appearances, and a few of the side characters carry over, but we're introduced to so many brand new characters without the support of the ones we've come to love, that it's missing that extra special something.

Regardless, I still enjoyed this series, and I particularly enjoyed the ending of this book.  I give it 3.5 stars, rounded to 4 - not my favorite of the series, but still a fun read.

You can find Playing the Part HERE.
You can find Jen Turano's site HERE.
You can connect with her on Facebook HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

From Scratch - C.E. Hilbert

Maggie McKitrick has opened a bakery in Gibson's Run, Ohio.  Other than bickering with her police chief landlord over her rented space, she seems to be settling in with new friends and a growing business.  But what brought her to Gibson's Run, and why is she so easily spooked by a few out-of-place incidents?  Why does Chief Taylor feel that he's not getting all of the answers he's looking for, even as they set their differences aside?

I am a sucker for books about bakers and chefs; and I loved those scenes within this book, where Maggie is creating and interacting with customers and friends over the fantastic desserts she has crafted.  The highlight of the book, however, was watching Maggie take root in this life she'd begun without any ties.  As strangers became friends, and friends became family, it was uplifting to watch her be able to trust God in settling her in this place, allowing herself to stop hiding and confide in someone about her past.  It was also refreshing to have that happen before it was revealed through other means.  There are some disturbing sections regarding the reason for her running, but they're not over-the-top, and they serve as the means for Maggie's life as it is and give foundation to her deep faith in God.  While the online descriptions of the book promote it heavily as a romance, I would say that's only a minor portion of this bigger story of faith, friends, and family.  I do hope that this will become a series, and that we will get to look more into the characters of Gibson's Run, and perhaps the remaining Taylor brothers?

I give this book 3.5 stars.

You can find From Scratch HERE.
(Although it says that's due to be published April 1, 2016, it appears to be available now)
You can connect with the author on Facebook HERE.

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Hidden Places - Erin Healy

The family lodge in the small town of Evergreen, Colorado was built with the purpose of hiding people who needed a safe place of refuge, but over the years has become a place of secrets and discord among the family itself.  11-year-old Kate is good at keeping secrets, but some secrets aren't safe for a child.

The complexity of this story makes it tough to discuss succinctly.  You can talk about the family relationships, or the consequences of a bad decision, or the importance of speaking up when you see something wrong.  You could discuss gang violence and how violence begets violence.  There's the thread of family legacies and what should be passed down through the generations.  Or you could converse about the role of a Good Samaritan.  This book has so many layers and characters that swirl around each other and contribute to a brutal, yet redemptive, tale, that a short review wouldn't do it justice.  And a long review would only spoil the story.

While I can't wholeheartedly recommend this book without reservation, due to its brutality and violence, I can say that there's much to be taken from the narrative of lives gone wrong, and the simplicity of a child's trusting and helpful nature, if you can get past the hard parts.  For without darkness, how would we recognize the light?

i give this book 3.5 stars.

You can find Hiding Places HERE.
You can find the author's website HERE.
Or connect with her on Facebook HERE.

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

To Know You - Shannon Ethridge, Kathryn Mackel

Julia Whittaker lives a good life running a boutique wedding planning business with her husband Matt.  Even as they share their success, however, not all is well.  Their son, Dillon, has suffered from a liver disease that requires a transplant, and time is running out to find a donor.  Every person in their lives that has been willing to be tested has not been a match, and their options are almost out.  Except for the option of locating Julia's two daughters who were born out of wedlock within 18 months of each other to different fathers and each given up for adoption before Dillon was born.  Can Julia face the risk of seeking out her daughters for her son's sake?  Will they be willing to even meet with her, much less hear her out and be willing to be tested for a surgery to help a brother they've never known?  What about their new families and all of the twists and turns that this will cause in relationships with siblings, adoptive parents, birth parents and more?

While I've read several books where a previous child given up for adoption turns up out of nowhere to wreak havoc on a "stable" marriage, this was a turn on the adoption story that I'd not read before.  Julia had been upfront with her husband about her past, and he knew that there were daughters, and the men who'd fathered them, in Julia's past life.  Her love for Dillon, her fear of his dying, but the risk of opening herself up to these daughters she'd loved enough to let go of was an interesting storyline that worked pretty well.  How do you get someone to agree to something this big when you've had no relationship established in the past?  How quickly can you find common ground to relate to each other on when every day could be the last day to make the decision?  Although some things happened perhaps a little too quickly for real life (would anyone just jump on a private jet with the "mom" you'd just met, to fly across the country?), for the most part, people's reactions and emotions were realistic.  There were a lot of tangled knots to work through, and they were handled fairly thoroughly.  There was a side plot with Julia's second daughter that I wasn't entirely sure needed to be in the storyline, but it did draw the characters together and further their relationships.  It felt like it was there for the shock value, though, and may be tough for some readers to handle.

I give this book 3.5 stars.  I wish that I'd read it before Veil of Secrets, but even still, it was enjoyable and I didn't feel like I knew *too* much of what was going to happen.

You can find To Know You HERE.
You can find Shannon Ethridge's site HERE.
You can find Kathryn Mackel's site HERE.

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

A November Bride - Beth Vogt

In A November Bride, personal chef Sadie McAllister has just been dumped by text. Again.  She grapples with lingering childhood insecurity over the teasing she endured, and wonders if she'll ever find someone who makes her feel beautiful.  Just as she's offered a great job several states away, her long-time friend and serial dater, Erik, asks her out.  On a real date.  Can she trust him?  Will they ruin their friendship?  Or can they build something beautiful out of a lifelong friendship?

I enjoyed Sadie and Erik's story; their friendship and the leap it took to let them move beyond it felt real, and even with the compressed storyline of a novella didn't feel extremely rushed.  As with many of the Year of Weddings novella, I did feel that the wedding itself was forced into a timeslot due to the construct of the series.  While I can appreciate the desire for a short engagement, especially between friends who have known each other so long, going from *just* friends to married in just a month feels incredibly short.  However, I did enjoy the unusual twist to the wedding scene.

I give this novella 3.5 stars; I enjoyed the characters, and their relationship - both as friends and as more.

You can find A November Bride HERE.
You can find the author's website HERE.  This is a new author to me, but one whom I intend to look for again!

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

Playing by Heart - Anne Mateer

Lula Bowman, formerly known by friends and family as Fruity Lu for her flightiness, has not only settled down but is pursuing a path to become the first female in Oklahoma with a PhD in mathematics.  She enjoys math and teaching, but she also desperately wants her father's approval for such pursuit, and she wants her family to take her seriously.  But when her brother-in-law dies suddenly, and her sister is left with four kids to raise, her family tells Lula that she is the only one who can put her life aside to come to Jewel's aid.  Can Lula put aside not only her dreams, but her father's?  Can she be taken seriously as a music teacher and, of all things, as a girls' basketball coach when she knows nothing of the new sport?  Can she put aside her own ambitions and listen to God's calling to serve her family?

The decision between one's own responsibilities and a family's needs is never an easy one; and this book did not make light of Lula's choice.  She struggled with her own need to be taken seriously, and delighting her father who had only noticed her when she chose an academic path.  Yet, her compassionate heart couldn't leave her sister stranded and she felt the weight of all Jewel had done for her when her mother died.  Even as she made the decision, however, life didn't suddenly fall into place and get easier.  There were continual choices to make and consequences to either decision.

I found the basketball storyline amusing - it's hard to imagine the start of the sport where girls were not to cross beyond their sections of the court, so as to not cause them "strenuous physical exertion." A time where coaches were not allowed to speak to their team during the game, and where there were 6 girls to a side.  But it was interesting to see Lula throw herself into learning the game, at least the academics of it, and watch her realize that, much like her music, she couldn't truly understand or enjoy it until she let her heart and passion get involved.

There were many strong points to this story - Lula's conflict of career and family, her struggle between academics and passion, and her turmoil over her job's code of conduct, and the direction her heart pulled her.  While definitely a romance, this book had several deeper themes to give the reader things to think about beyond its pages.

I give this book 3.5 stars.
You can find a copy of Playing by Heart HERE.
You can find the author's website HERE.


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

Full Steam Ahead - Karen Witemeyer

Nicole Renard is the only daughter of the successful business owner of Renard Shipping.  Rumors abound that her father's success is directly tied to his possession of the Lafitte Dagger, a rumor pervasive enough to drive her father's competitors to threats and violence to possess it themselves.  Determined to find her father a worthy heir, in the form of a husband that she chooses, Nicole sets off for New Orleans, only to be waylaid in a small town along the way.  The small town where Darius Thornton is known as the eccentric hermit who occasionally blows things up at his property outside of town.  Most people don't know that he is actually doggedly pursuing ways to prevent steamship disasters.  In need of money to continue her journey, Nicole ignores Darius' request for a male secretary and the town's warnings about him, and proves her worthiness as not only a transcriber of notes, but of a contributor to his experiments.  But what of her own pursuit, and pursuers?  Will she risk the lives of those she's come to care for if she's found, or will she run away again?  And what of the heir for her father?

Once again, I felt misled by a cover; I expected a much fluffier book, with a sort of wilting heroine.  I found much the opposite; Nicole Renard was an intelligent, brave, independent woman, with a strong sense of family loyalty.  She was willing to make necessary sacrifices for her father, but with an eye to not sacrificing her own well-being along with them.  I loved watching her relationship with Darius develop, as she proved that she was not only capable of copying his chicken scratch, but interpreting it and correcting it as necessary.  I may have a weak spot for heroines who excel at math. Ahem.  Additionally, watching the other characters come to care for her and her for them made the story warm and gave it depth.   Nothing was solved easily, but there was hope for all, and it was enjoyable watching it all come together.

I give this book 3.5 stars.  I'm glad that I picked it up to read, despite the cover!

You can find Full Steam Ahead HERE.
You can find Karen Witemeyer's site HERE.
I have enjoyed several of Ms. Witemeyer's books; you can find my review of Stealing the Preacher HERE.

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