The Cursed Dagger ~ Review

The Cursed Dagger
Ian Quicksilver #2
By Alyson Peterson

Ian Quicksilver has made a mess of it.  Not intentionally mind you, but he's in a mess none the less. He's finally regained his memory of who he really is - the Prince of Bankhirian and heir to the throne and the Quicksilver bloodline. The problem is it took nearly 16 years to remember and he only has until his 16th birthday to win the heart of Arianna, the Princess of Garfel. And Arianna doesn't remember who she is yet.

The curse that Silivus has placed them and their two planets under is about to cost them everything. And Silivus is determined to thwart any and all of Ian's attempts at winning Ari's heart. Not that he needs much help in that department with Ian's lack of skills and Corbin hanging around to provide protection.

But when Ari contracts a strange illness and time down to days, Ian has no choice but to accept Silivus's challenge in order to save the girl, his family, their worlds and the galaxy. But how do you win a challenge without knowing the rules? Ian is about to find out.

Fast paced adventure that picks up where Ian Quicksilver:The Warrior's Return ended. This book has a lot to keep you turning the pages - a quest, a challenge, evil magician, wise protector, death, a cursed dagger, and a dragon. Yes, a dragon and it's caught up in that challenge that Ian agreed to before knowing the rules. And if Ian loses so do the rest of us - goodbye galaxy!

Fans of YA fantasy will inhale this second book on the Ian Quicksilver series and I'm personally hoping for a third book - it could happen with how the story ends. Hint evil has a way of coming back and Silivus certainly falls into the evil category bending the rules just enough to work them to his favor.

And always remember

Never accept a challenge without knowing the rules...

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book:
In order to break an evil curse, Ian Quicksilver, heir to the Bankhirian throne, has two weeks to get Princess Arianna to fall for him. But first he must take care of a rampaging dragon and a maniacal magician before they destroy his home town, all while keeping his cover as a normal tenth grader at Puckerbush High! He'll have to find the courage to save two worlds-and pass his classes-in this witty sci-fi adventure.

About the Author:
Alyson Peterson lives in a mountainside gully—of all places—in northern Utah with her neurotic, shed-tastic dog, two ninja kids, and superhero husband. She spends her time painting, breaking bones at her Martial Arts class (mostly her own) and reading as many books as she can get her hands on. Alyson is the author of “Ian Quicksilver: The Warrior’s Return.”

An Elegant Facade ~ Review

An Elegant Facade
Hawthorne House #2
By Kristi Ann Hunter

Lady Georgina Hawthorne has to be perfect, it is the only way to secure a good marriage.  Only a titled marriage can protect her from the secret she has been hiding for years. This is her debut season and she is determined to be the most sought after lady of the season.

There's just one problem her older sister Miranda is about to embark on her fourth season, something that Georgina fears could reflect badly on her own person. A sister on the verge of eternal spinsterhood was a most unfortunate association, indeed.

But when Georgina finds herself continually coming into the company Colin McCrea, she quite put out fearing that an association with this untitled business man might lower her standing in society. And being around Lady Georgina while his friend Ryland, the Duke of Marshington, pursues Miranda is not something Colin delights in.  Though he does enjoy a lively exchange of words with her when they meet.

And to Georgina's horror Colin seems dangerously close to discovering her hidden shame. But when a crisis occurs Colin may be Georgina's only hope in keeping her secret hidden.

An Elegant Facade and A Nobel Masquerade tell much of the same story but from the viewpoint of different characters Masquerade told Miranda and Ryland's story and Facade tells Georgina and Colin's.  An lovely and moving story as Georgina struggles with creating a version of herself to show her family, friends, and society to who she truly is in her heart. The illusion, though beautiful and lovely, is shallow and cold.  The time has come to decide who she wants to be, but will she remove the mask or claim it for the rest of her life.

I was provided a copy of this book through the Bethany House blogger program in exchange for my honest review.


About the Book:
Lady Georgina Hawthorne has always known she must marry well. After years of tirelessly planning every detail of her debut season, she is poised to be a smashing success and have her choice of eligible gentlemen.

With money and powerful business connections but no title, Colin McCrae is invited everywhere but accepted nowhere. He intends to marry someday, but when he does it will not be to a shallow woman like Lady Georgina, whose only concerns appear to be status and appearance.

But beneath her flawless exterior, Georgina's social aspirations stem from a shameful secret she is desperately trying to keep hidden--and that Colin is too close to discovering. Drawn to each other despite their mutual intent to avoid association, is the realization of their dreams worth the sacrifices they'll be forced to make?

Catching Heat ~ Review

Catching Heat
Cold Case Justice #3
By Janice Cantore

With Kelsey Cox getting a plea bargain in exchange for what she knew about the murders of Abby Hart's parents, Abby should be feeling relief.  Instead she's in a state of frustration - the truth about Governor Rollins's wife Alyssa has yet again been protected.  How can Abby prove what she suspects if everyone, including the Governor, is willing to protect this woman with an agenda to get him into ever greater positions of power?

Abby is determined to uncover Alyssa's secret - the one that will put her away and get justice for her parents and anyone else who ever crossed Alyssa.  There's just one problem the person who is partnering with Abby to find the truth thinks she is becoming obsessive in a hopeless search.  But Luke Murphy is wrong and Abby knows it, she just needs to find the loose thread that will unravel Alyssa's safety net.

When a cold case involving a murdered college student brings Abby, Luke, and Woody to San Luis Obispo, Abby sees her chance to quietly dig into Alyssa's teenage past. Thanks to a clue that the press had never pursued a story about Alyssa's past during any of Lowell Rollings's previous campaigns, Abby's suspicions are raised. But finding a clue so many years ago may be impossible. And finding some one who remembers Alyssa? Another daunting task.

But when a case takes a dangerous turn, Abby may not get the chance to get the answers she's spent her life searching for.  And she may not be the only causality in this case...

This is a another thrilling suspense from Janice Cantore that will keep you turning the pages. This is definitely a can't-put-it-down-until-the-end book. There are a few unexpected twists that add to the what happens next feel.  And the climax is not what I was expecting when this series started.  And, yes, you need to read all the books in the series in order to fully experience the true impact and change that has come into the lives of these people who are involved in this incident that occurred nearly 30 years ago.

I was provided a free copy of this book by Tyndale House Publishing in exchange for my honest review.


About the Book:
Twenty-seven years after the deaths of Detective Abby Hart’s parents, she’s desperate to find the proof that will put the mastermind—the governor’s wife—behind bars. When she joins a newly formed task force and teams up with PI Luke Murphy, Abby is sent to San Luis Obispo to work the cold case of a murdered college student. Realizing their investigation will bring them near the town where Alyssa Rollins grew up, Abby decides to do a little digging of her own into the Triple Seven fire.

Luke is eager to help Abby close the books on a case they both have personal stakes in. But as she uncovers long-held secrets, Abby stumbles into an explosive situation, and Luke fears that her obsession may prove deadly.

Get a preview of the book @ Tyndale.com

Reclamation ~ Review

Reclamation
Sequel to Eruption
By Adrienne Quintana

Foreknowledge is Power

Jace Vega can't remember her life and it is imperative that she remember.  She is the key to stopping Victor Trent and Omnibus, if only she could remember.

The last thing Jace remembers is the eruption of Mount Hood and their last minute escape. How could she have lost the last three years of her life?  And where were Corey and her father?

With these thoughts foremost on her mind Jace is unprepared for the world that Omnibus and Victor have created.  Movements and purchases are tracked by personal chips. Without a chip you are severely limited, though it is a voluntary choice.

With few clues to work with Jace must discover where everything began to prevent it from happening again.  As her memories begin returning in random, yet increasing regularity she knows time is running out to find the Point of Origin.

Which life will she return to if she succeeds? The one she remembers with Corey or the one she now has with Damien?  With trust at a premium Jace needs to find her father, one of the two people she knows she can trust.  But getting to her father is a problem with Victor searching for her.

Reclamation picks up where Eruption left off and from there the intensity builds to a climactic conclusion. Get ready the race against time and manipulation is about to begin and one wrong decision could give Victor everything he has ever wanted.

If given the chance to send your knowledge of today to the past, would you take the risk? Foreknowledge is power and whoever controls this knowledge can control the world.

This is an excellent book and must be read after you have read Eruption or believe me you will be as in the dark as Jace.  There are a few surprises along the way - especially in regards to what changes have been made to the past and the manipulation that was done to achieve the results that got us to this point.  Highly recommended to readers who enjoy a story that is driven by futuristic technology.

I was provided an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.


About the Book:

Reclamation

Sequel to Eruption,

A Technothriller Exploring the Power of Foreknowledge

and the Dangers of Technology Dependence

When Jace Vega wakes up three years after the eruption of Mount Hood, her life is in turmoil. The future seems to match the images on the tablet, but Corey is missing, and nothing about her relationship with Damien feels right.

As Victor Trent continues to amass power, using information terrorism to make the world dependent on Omnibus technology and his private military force, Omnibus Global Security, Jace knows she doesn’t have much time if she’s going to stop him.

Jace’s reawakening begins a race to the place where it all began: the Point of Origin. If she can only remember where it is.

About the Author:

Adrienne Quintana is a graduate of the University of Phoenix and the co-author and illustrator of a children’s book, Isabella’s Pink Umbrella. Adrienne and her family live in Litchfield Park, Arizona. For more information, visit Adrienne’s website adriennequintana.com.

Saffire ~ Review

Saffire
By Sigmund Brouwer

Sigmund Brouwer has a way with words that transport one into a story.  Saffire is set in 1909 in the American Zone of the Panama Canal. This marvel of construction is going to create a passage between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

But there is a mystery tied to this construction and James Holt has made it his mission to help young Saffire, a mulatto girl who is looking for her mother. Saffire is convinced that her mother did not desert her, but can find no one to help discover the truth. But something about Saffire's story touches James heart. Something about this young girl reminds him of his own daughter.

James Holt's search leads him outside the safety of the American Zone where he discovers there is more than a missing woman. There is political unrest and even the possibility of German intervention stirring up rebels.

The construction of the canal is explained in part and it is a fascinating process.  Also of interest are the musings of James Holt as he observes these events, pitying future generations because the greatest achievements of humanity have already occurred.

Though the main story takes place over just a few days the story doesn't feel rushed or too short. This is a world that is in the midst of change. Those who are native to Panama feel they have exchanged one master for another. The racial injustices and inequalities faced by those who were not white are shocking and yet, sadly, not surprising. Sigmund Brouwer creates a story that creates a vivid canvas that teems with life.

 I love the historical aspect and the research notes that the author provides at the end of the book.This is a highly recommended read, perfect for a book club setting or individual pleasure reading.

I was provided an advance review copy of this book by Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.


About the Book:

I reminded myself that once you start 

to defend someone, it’s difficult 

to find a place to stop. But I went ahead 

and took that first step anyway. . .

  
For President Teddy Roosevelt, controlling the east-west passage between two oceans mattered so much that he orchestrated a revolution to control it. His command was to ‘let the dirt fly’ and for years, the American Zone of the Panama Canal mesmerized the world, working in uneasy co-existence with the Panamanian aristocrats.  

It’s in this buffered Zone where, in 1909, James Holt begins to protect a defenseless girl named Saffire, expecting a short and simple search for her mother. Instead it draws him away from safety, into a land haunted by a history of pirates, gold runners, and plantation owners, all leaving behind ghosts of their interwoven desires sins and ambitions, ghosts that create the web of deceit and intrigue of a new generation of revolutionary politics.  It will also bring him together with a woman who will change his course—or bring an end to it.
  
A love story set within a historical mystery, Saffire brings to life the most impressive-and embattled- engineering achievement of the twentieth-century.

For more information about the book click here.

The Long Journey to Jake Palmer ~ Review

The Long Journey to Jake Palmer
By James L. Rubart

No good deed shall go unpunished ~ when Jake Palmer attempts to step in and help a stranger his life is destroyed.  Everything is put on hold for eighteen months, his marriage ends, and he is left with scars that are more than skin deep.  He helps others find their worth but he can't find his anymore.

A chance encounter on a plane with an elderly man is about to change Jake's life if he'll accept the challenge that is coming his way.  But to face the future and the present he must first confront the pain of his past. And he must be willing to fight for it.

When The Long Journey to Jake Palmer started out I didn't think there was going to be the spiritual thread for which James Rubart's books are known for.  I was wrong, when Jake starts searching for a legendary corridor for which the lake he is visiting is known for the spiritual comes into the story. The lost corridor of Willow Lake can only be located in the early hours of the day (think pre-dawn) and not all who seek it can find it. But finding it is rumored to give the seeker their deepest longings if they can find this corridor and enter it. But there is a price.

Fans of James Rubart will enjoy this latest offering from him. Everyone has a deep hidden secret one that holds them back from experiencing the life they were created to live. Sometimes it is a fear of not being enough. Or the pain of being a disappointment. Or shame of the physical, outward appearance. But God is waiting for us to seek Him out, so that we can move past what is holding us back from what He wants to give us. This is a moving story that will make you stop and think. I love the hidden gems of truth that the author weaves into his stories that are just waiting to be discovered.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher through the BookLook blogger program in exchange for my honest review.


About the Book:

What if there was a place where 

everything wrong 

in your life could be fixed?

Corporate trainer Jake Palmer coaches people to see deeper into themselves—yet he barely knows himself anymore. Recently divorced and weary of the business life, Jake reluctantly agrees to a lake-house vacation with friends, hoping to escape for ten days.

When he arrives, Jake hears the legend of Willow Lake—about a lost corridor that leads to a place where one’s deepest longings will be fulfilled.

Jake scoffs at the idea, but can’t shake a sliver of hope that the corridor is real. And when he meets a man who mutters cryptic speculations about the corridor, Jake is determined to find the path, find himself, and fix his crumbling life.

But the journey will become more treacherous with each step Jake takes.

The Christmas Angel Project ~ Review

The Christmas Angel Project
By Melody Carlson

You just know Christmas is around the corner when Melody Carlson's new Christmas book comes out.  And one can be assured of a delightful story that tugs at the heartstrings.

Abby Wentworth is an angel, everyone who knows her agrees and she's the friend that keeps her friends together.  But when Abby unexpectedly passes away her friends are sure nothing will ever be the same again. Without Abby who will they turn to when they need a sympathetic ear or shoulder to cry on or a boost of encouragement?

But Abby has last gift for her book club friends, one that she had just finished getting together for them.  And this gift may be the needed incentive to inspire her friends and give them a reason to continue on for a little longer.

Fans of Melody's annual Christmas stories will be delighted with this newest addition. Tragedy could tear them apart or help them find life's greatest moments are still ahead. Everyone needs something different and somehow Abby knew just what they would need to get through the holidays without her.

Melody's books are ones that family and friends enjoy as a yearly Christmas staple as they leave the reader with a warm feeling at the end.  These are Christmas stories that leave you in a proper Christmas mood - joyous with a hopeful spirit that looks forward to what comes ahead.  No the characters don't have perfect lives but they have a contentment that is uplifting.  This is a perfect afternoon read with a favorite cup of coffee, tea, cocoa, or cider and a few Christmas cookies to go with.  Would be an excellent book club selection for November or December.

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


About the Book:
Abby Wentworth is the glue that holds her book club together. So when she unexpectedly passes away on the cusp of the Christmas season, the rest of the women in the group are stunned, saddened, and sure that, without her, the group can't continue.

They gather "one last time" to open gifts Abby left behind, little knowing how it will change each of their lives--forever.

Revell has an excerpt that you can read online