Tag: fiction

Book Review:  His Road to Redemption, by Lisa Jordan

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Title:  His Road to Redemption
Author:   Lisa Jordan
Genre:   Romance
Rating:  3.8 out of 4

A veteran in need of a fresh start will get more than he bargained for…

 Veteran Micah Holland’s scars go deeper than anyone knows. An inheritance from his mentor could be a new beginning—if he shares the inherited goat farm with fiercely independent Paige Watson. Now the only way they can keep the farm is to work together. But first Micah must prove he’s a changed man to keep his dream and the woman he’s falling for.

This was a sweet, fast read. I felt like the point-of-view was a little more distant than it should have been—it was more telling how the characters felt/acted than showing—but it was a decent read. I liked how involved both of the main characters were with their families, and their desire to want to help others.

Lisa Jordan has written for Love Inspired since 2011. His Road to Redemption is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  After the Plague, by Imogen Keeper

Image belongs to Mindless Muse Publishing.

Title:  After the Plague
Author:   Imogen Keeper
Genre:   Romance, fantasy
Rating:  4 out of 5

99% of the population dies due to a strange unnatural virus, leaving 1% grieving, scared, desperate, capable of anything, plunged into a world without laws, and no one to enforce them anyway.

 Frankie has zero skills to survive, but when she loses the love of her life, she discovers an untapped well of hope and courage inside herself – to find the others, the left-behind survivors who must now rebuild in the face of gathering clans, rising dictators, and everpresent danger.

 When Yorke, a lone soldier, who never wanted a family, finds Frankie, he has a single burning conviction: if anyone will make the rules in this strange new lawless world, it will be them.

 Before the apocalypse they were strangers. Now their lives will forever be entwined.

I read all three of these stories—Broken, Lost, and Found—pretty quickly. I enjoyed both Frankie’s and Yorke’s points-of-view, as well as the characters themselves. This was an interesting dystopian viewpoint, too:  far enough in the future to change daily life (like the prevalence of solar-powered homes so the characters can find one to stay in pretty easily), but not so different that the reader doesn’t feel completely at home. I’m also intrigued by what the red-haired woman who has taken over the White House is up to, so I’ll likely read the fourth volume in this series, Safe, very soon.

Imogen Keeper lives outside of Washington, D.C. After the Plague is her dystopian saga.

(Galley courtesy of Mindless Muse Publishing in exchange for an honest review.)

 

Book Review:  The Witching Tree, by Alice Blanchard

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:   The Witching Tree
Author:   Alice Blanchard
Genre:   Mystery/thriller
Rating:  4 out of 5

As legend has it, if you carve your deepest desire into the bark of a Witch Tree, then over time as the tree grows, it will swallow the carvings until only a witch can read them.

 Until now.

 Detective Natalie Lockhart gained unwanted notoriety when she and her family became front and center of not one, but two sensational murder cases. Now she’s lost her way. Burned out and always looking over her shoulder, Natalie desperately thinks that quitting the police force is her only option left.

 All that changes when a beloved resident–a practicing Wiccan and founder of the town’s oldest coven–is killed in a fashion more twisted and shocking than Natalie has ever seen before, leaving the town reeling. Natalie has no choice but to help solve the case along with Detective Luke Pittman, her boss and the old childhood friend she cannot admit she loves, even to herself. There is a silent, malignant presence in Burning Lake that will not rest. And what happens next will shock the whole town, and Natalie, to the core.

I’ve read the first book in this series, but I missed the second. I did enjoy this one, but it felt far too much like an advertisement for Wicca or I would have rated it higher. Seriously. You cannot tell me every single person in a group is good/peaceful/gets along with everyone (or, alternately, bad/racist/horrible/whatever adjective of choice) and expect me to believe you. If I leave out the pro-Wicca-all-of-us-are-peaceful-angels slant (which accounts for a good third of the book), this was an enjoyable mystery and thriller. But as is, the town of Burning Lake comes off a little too good to be true.

Alice Blanchard is an award-winning author. The Witching Tree is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Nursing Her Amish Neighbor, by Marta Perry

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Title:   Nursing Her Amish Neighbor
Author:   Marta Perry
Genre:   Romance
Rating:  4 out of 5

Seeking a break from her nursing duties, Miriam Stoltzfus returns home to Lost Creek—and encounters her most difficult patient yet. Her childhood neighbor, Matthew King, is suffering after an accident left him injured and his younger brother dead. But he doesn’t want anyone’s help. Can Miriam guide him through his grief to prove he’s still the strong, confident man she remembers?

I enjoyed this sweet Amish romance. I’m always fascinated by reading stories set in Amish communities, and this one didn’t feature any of the sometimes harsh (to outsiders) rules that I’ve read about in the past. Miriam and Matthew are both relatable characters struggling with their own burdens, and I loved how they helped each other through their difficulties.

Marta Perry lives in Pennsylvania and South Carolina. Nursing Her Amish Neighbor is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.)

 

Book Review:  The Last Dance of the Debutante, by Julia Kelly

Image belongs to Gallery Books.

Title:   The Last Dance of the Debutante
Author:   Julia Kelly
Genre:   Historical fiction
Rating:  4.5 out of 5

When it’s announced that 1958 will be the last year debutantes are to be presented at court, thousands of eager mothers and hopeful daughters flood the palace with letters seeking the year’s most coveted invitation: a chance for their daughters to curtsey to the young Queen Elizabeth and officially come out into society.

 In an effort to appease her traditional mother, aspiring university student Lily Nichols agrees to become a debutante and do the Season, a glittering and grueling string of countless balls and cocktail parties. In doing so, she befriends two very different women: the cool and aloof Leana Hartford whose apparent perfection hides a darker side and the ambitious Katherine Norman who dreams of a career once she helps her parents find their place among the elite.

 But the glorious effervescence of the Season evaporates once Lily learns a devastating secret that threatens to destroy her entire family. Faced with a dark past, she’s forced to ask herself what really matters: her family legacy or her own happiness.

This was such a good read! I loved reading about the debutantes, but all the pageantry sounded awful, frankly. Lily was a wonderful character. I enjoyed seeing how she went from a student to a society girl before realizing who she truly wanted to be. The glamor of being a deb didn’t enthrall her for long, and she learned to stand on her own feet and make her own decisions—and friends—as she learned the truth about her past.

Julia Kelly lives in London. The Last Dance of the Debutante is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  The Women of Pearl Island, by Polly Crosby

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Title:   The Women of Pearl Island
Author:   Polly Crosby
Genre:   Fiction
Rating:  DNF

When Tartelin answers an ad for a personal assistant, she doesn’t know what to expect from her new employer, Marianne, an eccentric elderly woman. Marianne lives on a remote island that her family has owned for generations, and for decades her only companions have been butterflies and tightly held memories of her family. 

But there are some memories Marianne would rather forget, such as when the island was commandeered by the British government during WWII. Now, if Marianne can trust Tartelin with her family’s story, she might finally be able to face the long-buried secrets of her past that have kept her isolated for far too long.

I read about 25% of this but just couldn’t connect with any of the characters, so I had to stop reading. The writing is good, it just wasn’t a good fit for me right now.

Polly Crosby lives in Norfolk. The Women of Pearl Island is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Park Row in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour:  Snowbound with Her Mountain Cowboy, by Patricia Johns

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Title:   Snowbound with Her Mountain Cowboy
Author: Patricia Johns   
Genre:   Romance
Rating:  4 out of 5

Mountain resort owner Angelina Cunningham has her hands full with a massive winter storm. Which is exactly when her ex-husband arrives, injured and suffering temporary amnesia. Ben King has always been her weakness. Though he doesn’t remember her, he’s still as charming and sweet as ever, and Angelina is falling for him all over again. But can their rekindled love outlast the storm and the return of their past mistakes?

This was a sweet, clean read and I enjoyed it. I liked both Angie and Ben and seeing how they handled life now differed from how they handled it then. It was fun watching them fall for each other again, and wondering how they would get things worked out.

Patricia Johns lives in Canada. Snowbound with her Mountain Cowboy is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.)

 

Book Review:  Small Things Like These, by Claire Keegan

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Title:   Small Things Like These
Author:   Claire Keegan
Genre:   Fiction
Rating:  4 out of 5

It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church.

This was a very short read–I think I finished it in about an hour. Stellar, evocative writing, but I found it very bleak and quite slow. Probably just not a good fit for me, despite how vivid and detailed it was.

Claire Keegan is an award-winning author. Small Things Like These is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Grove Atlantic in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review and Blog Tour:  Forever Home, by Elysia Whisler

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Title:   Forever Home
Author:   Elysia Whisler
Genre:   Romance
Rating:  3.5 out of 5

Newly retired from the Marine Corps, Delaney is looking for somewhere to start over. It’s not going to be easy, but when she finds the perfect place to open her dream motorcycle shop, she goes for it. What she doesn’t expect is an abandoned pit bull to come with the building. The shy pup is slow to trust, but Delaney is determined to win it over.

Detective Sean Callahan is smitten from the moment he sees Delaney, but her cool demeanor throws him off his game. When her late father’s vintage motorcycle is stolen from Delaney’s shop, Sean gets to turn up in his element: chasing the bad guy and showing his best self to a woman who’s gotten under his skin in a bad way.

Delaney isn’t used to lasting relationships, but letting love in—both human and canine—helps her see that she may have found a place she belongs, forever.

Solid writing here and well-developed characters, but I’ll probably never read anything else from this author again. I enjoyed reading Delaney’s point-of-view and her background was interesting until, 73% of the way through the book (Yes, I checked.), she revealed that her previous relationship was with a woman.

The way it was said, oh-so-casually, without any previous mention of it (or any further mention of it, either) and without the slightest reaction at all from the male lead (or Delaney herself), made it feel like virtue signaling from the author, not a believable part of this character. This was after a previous episode of virtue signaling in the form of a minor background character had already taken place. This is a major part of this character’s life, and she never once thought of it until 3/4ths of the way through the book? Not believable. When an author break’s my trust as a reader like that, it negates anything else I found appealing in the book.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review:  City of Time and Magic, by Paula Brackston

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title:  City of Time and Magic
Author:   Paula Brackston
Genre:   Historical fiction
Rating:  5 out of 5

City of Time and Magic sees Xanthe face her greatest challenges yet. She must choose from three treasures that sing to her; a beautiful writing slope, a mourning brooch of heartbreaking detail, and a gorgeous gem-set hat pin. All call her, but the wrong one could take her on a mission other than that which she must address first, and the stakes could not be higher. While her earlier mission to Regency England had been a success, the journey home resulted in Liam being taken from her, spirited away to another time and place. Xanthe must follow the treasure that will take her to him if he is not to be lost forever.

 Xanthe is certain that Mistress Flyte has Liam and determined to find them both. But when she discovers Lydia Flyte has been tracking the actions of the Visionary Society, a group of ruthless and unscrupulous Spinners who have been selling their talents to a club of wealthy clients, Xanthe realizes her work as a Spinner must come before her personal wishes. The Visionary Society is highly dangerous and directly opposed to the creed of the Spinners. Their actions could have disastrous consequences as they alter the authentic order of things and change the future. Xanthe knows she must take on the Society. It will require the skills of all her friends, old and new, to attempt such a thing, and not all of them will survive the confrontation that follows.

I love this series! This is a time travel novel that doesn’t gloss over the likely challenges of everyday life in the past (At least, they’d definitely be challenges for someone from the present.). I wouldn’t even be able to dress myself!

I thoroughly enjoy the writing and worldbuilding, but the characters are my favorite part of this series. Xanthe herself is flawed yet determined, and the supporting characters are just as likable. The conflicts, challenges, and choices she faces had me completely enthralled.

Paula Brackston lives in Wales. City of Time and Magic is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)