Relative Silence ~ Review

Relative Silence
By Carrie Stuart Parks

Piper Boone has withdrawn from the world and her family following a tragic loss. The Boone family calls Curlew Island home - an island that is almost exclusively theirs. But the island is cursed and so is the Boone family, at least that is how the locals explain all the tragedies that have befallen the family.

When Piper is at the scene of another tragedy the only thing that keeps her from being a victim is the quick reactions of Tucker Landry. Tucker is dealing with his own personal tragedy and his guilt. But there is something about Piper that draws him to her and if he isn't careful he might fall to the Boone family curse too.

Someone seems to be targeting the Boone family. Is it random due to their high profile and wealth? Or is it personal? Or is it just nothing more than being in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Piper is starting to come out of the fog she's been living in over the last fifteen years and she is determined to get answers and reconnect with what she has lost. Is she really part of "The perfect home on the perfect island for the perfect family"? Or is it just a fantasy her mother is determined to portray to the public while secrets abound?

Relative Silence is full of unexpected twists that will keep the reader in suspense. Who can be trusted? That is the question and anyone who may know something - well, let's just say they will be keeping their silence. This is one suspense-filled book you won't be putting down anytime soon. But be warned this is no cozy mystery.

I received a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own


About the Book:

A powerful family with dark secrets.

After a personal tragedy, Piper Boone retreats to her childhood home—a secluded mansion for the wealthy Boone family, who are practically American royalty. When catastrophe strikes, her family is put in the spotlight, and the line between victim and suspect gets blurred.

A forensic artist with his own haunting past.

Tucker Landry is drawn to Piper in the midst of the trauma, but the connections being made to her family might prove to be their undoing. With a hurricane beating down on the private island, there isn’t much time to find answers.

The truth will determine whether she lives or dies.

Above the Star ~ Review with Giveaway

Join Us for this Book Series Tour from Jul 7 to Aug 10, 2020!

Above the Star
The 8th Island Trilogy #1
By Alexis Marie Chute

Ella Wellsley is dying. Her mother, Tessa, has given up all hope that further treatments will help. Her father, Arden, disappeared several years ago, but Ella knows that he never gave up hope of a cure being discovered. His hope is her hope, and as long as Grandpa Archie is around, she will hold onto that.

When Archie stumbles upon a clue that may lead him to Arden, he plans a family trip to the Canary Islands.  What he finds leads him a most inhuman being who offers him the promise of a cure, but there is a price. 

What follows is the most unbelievable journey - the cruise ship that Archie and his family are traveling on is accidental transported to the island of  Jarr-Wyn. What follows is the most terrifying series of events that the Wellsleys had ever seen, and Archie is left with grief at the destruction and death his desire has wrought upon innocent bystanders.

Above the Star is but the first book in The 8th Island trilogy, a series that promises to reveal more as it continues. The storyline is excellent if a bit bloody and violent. Not bedtime reading by any stretch of the imagination unless your dreams are never troubled literary influences (I for one am not so I will admit to staying up late to read this). The book is intriguing, as the history of this world is slowly revealed. But this is a dying world, and those who call it home are fighting to survive. The fragile peace that exists between the races is threatened by the arrival of humans.  

If you are a fan of Scifi, fantasy, and parallel worlds, this is a book you don't want to miss. The unimaginable is real, and the impossible is probable, but not everything seen with the eyes is real until it is. 

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I offer my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

Book Details:

Book Title:  Above the Star by Alexis Marie Chute
Category:  Young Adult Fiction (13 to 17 yrs), 368 pages
Genre:  fantasy, adventure, coming of age, ya, adult
Publisher:  SparkPress.
Release dates:   Jun 2018
Tour dates: Jul 7 to Aug 10, 2020
Content Rating: PG: Battle scenes and death depicted.

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Book Description:

When frumpy senior citizen Archie goes in search of his missing son in the Spanish Canary Islands, he stumbles upon a higher mission: locating a magical cure for his ailing fourteen-year-old granddaughter, Ella. Using a portal-jumping device called the Tillastrion, Archie and a stone-headed creature named Zeno are transported to Jarr-Wya, a magnificent yet terrifying island in a connected realm―along with Ella and her strong-willed mother, Tessa.

What they find on Jarr-Wya is an island tortured by a wicked Star anchored in the sea, and a raging three-way battle for dominion between the stone-wielding Bangols, the fiery Olearons, and the evil Millia sands. Ella's wit and resourcefulness emerge in this new world, while Tessa is forced to confront her long-buried secrets and a confusing new love triangle. When Ella is captured, Tessa and Archie―with the help of a company of peculiar allies―set out to save her and unravel the terrible mystery of her cure. A mesmerizing, stay-up-all-night adventure of three unlikely heroes, Above the Star reminds us that even the smallest act of bravery can transform our lives and the fates of the worlds around us.

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Amazon.ca
B&N ~ Chapters-Indigo ~ Target
Book Depository ~ Google Play
Add to Goodreads

Series Description:

The 8th Island Trilogy includes Above the Star, Below the Moon, and Inside the Sun. Over the three books, we follow the adventures of a quirky family, the Wellsleys. The main characters are frumpy senior citizen Archie, his daughter-in-law, Tessa, and his ill fourteen-year-old granddaughter Ella.

Archie, searching for his missing son, accidentally transports his family—and a cruise ship full of people—to a magical planet. There, they uncover the truth: all worlds are dying. Yet hope is not lost. A way to restore all that will soon be destroyed is revealed, along with the realization that Ella will play a role no one could have imagined—especially not her.

On the mysterious island of Jarr-Wya, many races of creatures battle for dominion, and magic lurks around every corner. When the world falls dark, that is when bravery must shine the brightest, and the Wellsleys will reveal the strength they never knew they possessed—as well as the power of love to save the day. 

"A Wrinkle in Time meets The Princess Bride."

Review by Lee Lee Thompson, The Perpetual You Magazine

"Chute's novel weaves STAR WARS-like characters with a WONDER-like message to form an enrapturing read for booklovers of all ages."
US Review of Books

"Fast and bizarre… Never a dull moment. "
Foreward Reviews

 SERIES DETAILS:
Series Title:  The 8th Island Trilogy by Alexis Marie Chute
Category:  Young Adult Fiction (13 to 17 yrs) (368 to 448 pages)
Genre:  fantasy, adventure, coming of age, ya, adult
Publisher:  SparkPress.
Content Rating: PG: Battle scenes and death depicted.

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 Meet the Author:

Alexis Marie Chute is an award-winning author, artist, photographer, art curator, filmmaker, and public speaker. She has received over 40 noteworthy distinctions for her visual and literary work. Her award-winning fantasy series The 8th Island Trilogy includes, Above the Star, Below the Moon, and Inside the Sun. The series has been described as "A WRINKLE IN TIME meets THE PRINCESS BRIDE" by The Perpetual You magazine, and "Fast and bizarre… never a dull moment" by Forward Reviews. The 8th Island Trilogy "weaves STAR WARS-like characters with a WONDER-like message to form an enrapturing read for booklovers of all ages" – US Review of Books. Chute's bestselling memoir, Expecting Sunshine: A Journey of Grief, Healing, and Pregnancy After Loss, was a top Kirkus title of 2017 and received a plethora of other literary distinctions. The memoir was accompanied by the feature documentary of the same name, which has screened internationally for the last three years. Chute received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art and Design from the University of Alberta, Canada, and studied at Media Design School in Auckland, New Zealand. She graduated valedictorian with her Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA, USA. Chute is a highly regarded public speaker. She has presented on art, writing, bereavement, and the healing capacities of creativity around the world. Contact the Author/Artist for bookings info@alexismariechute.com When not in her art/photo studio or at her computer, Chute loves to spend quality time with her family, read fiction and non-fiction, watch reality TV, paddleboard, and canoe. She is not a winter person but lives in frosty Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, with her husband and their three living children.

Connect with the author: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook  ~  Instagram ~
                                              Pinterest ~ YouTube ~ LinkedIn

Tour Schedule:

July 7 – Splashes of Joy – series spotlight/guest post/author interview/giveaway
July 7 - Working Mommy Journal – book review of Above the Star/giveaway
July 7 - fundinmental - series spotlight/giveaway
July 7 - Corinne Rodrigues | Booksnista - series spotlight/giveaway
July 8 -Leels Loves Books – book review of Above the Star/giveaway
July 8 –Book Bustle – book review of Above the Star/giveaway
July 8 - Living in a Bookworld – series spotlight/giveaway
July 9 - Confessions of the Perfect Mom – book review of Above the Star/giveaway
July 9 – I'm Into Books – series spotlight/guest post/giveaway
July 10 - She Just Loves Books – book review of Above the Star/giveaway
July 13 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of Above the Star/giveaway
July 13 - Books and Zebras – book review of Above the Star/giveaway
July 14 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of Above the Star/giveaway
July 14 - Cheryl's Book Nook – book review of Above the Star/giveaway
July 15 – Rockin' Book Reviews – book review of Above the Star/giveaway
July 15 - Blooming with Books – book review of Above the Star/giveaway
July 16 – Working Mommy Journal – book review of Below the Moon/giveaway
July 16 - Books and Zebras – book review of Below the Moon/giveaway
July 17 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of Above the Star/giveaway
July 17 - Writer with Wanderlust – series spotlight/guest post/giveaway
July 17 - Rajiv's Reviews - book review of Above the Star/giveaway
July 20 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of Below the Moon/giveaway
July 20 - Rockin' Book Reviews – book review of Below the Moon/giveaway
July 20 - Adventurous Bookworm – book review of Above the Star/giveaway
July 21 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of Inside the Sun/giveaway
July 21 - Stephanie Jane – series spotlight/giveaway
July 21 - Leels Loves Books – book review of Below the Moon/giveaway
July 21 - Merlot Et Mots - book review of Below the Moon
July 22 – T's Stuff – series spotlight/author interview/giveaway
July 22 - She Just Loves Books – book review of Below the Moon/giveaway
July 22 - Blooming with Books – book review of Below the Moon/giveaway
July 23 - Rockin' Book Reviews – book review of Inside the Sun/guest post/giveaway
July 23 – Confessions of the Perfect Mom – book review of Below the Moon/giveaway
July 24 - Books and Zebras – book review of Inside the Sun/giveaway
July 24 - Rajiv's Reviews - book review of Below the Moon/giveaway
July 27 –  Book Bustle – book review of Below the Moon/giveaway
July 27 - Adventurous Bookworm – book review of Below the Moon/giveaway
July 28 –  Working Mommy Journal – book review of Inside the Sun/giveaway
July 28 - Olio by Marilyn – book review of Below the Moon/giveaway
July 28 - Library of Clean Reads – series spotlight/giveaway
July 28 - Merlot Et Mots - book review of Above the Star
July 29 – 411 on Books, Authors, and Publishing News – series spotlight/guest post/giveaway
July 29 - Blooming with Books – book review of Inside the Sun/giveaway
July 29 - Rajiv's Reviews - book review of Inside the Sun/giveaway
July 30 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of Below the Moon/giveaway
July 30 - Cheryl's Book Nook – book review of Below the Moon/giveaway
July 31 – She Just Loves Books – book review of Inside the Sun/giveaway
July 31 - Pen Possessed - series spotlight/giveaway
Aug 3 – StoreyBook Reviews – series spotlight/author interview/giveaway
Aug 3 - Leels Loves Books – book review of Inside the Sun/giveaway
Aug 4 –  Confessions of the Perfect Mom – book review of Inside the Sun/giveaway
Aug 4 - Cheryl's Book Nook – book review of Inside the Sun/guest post/giveaway
Aug 5 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of Inside the Sun/giveaway
Aug 5 - Adventurous Bookworm – book review of Inside the Sun/giveaway
Aug 6 – Olio by Marilyn – book review of Inside the Sun/giveaway
Aug 6 - Olio by Marilyn – series spotlight/author interview/giveaway
Aug 7 - Jazzy Book Reviews – series spotlight/guest post/giveaway
Aug 10 - Books for Books – series spotlight
Aug 10 - Merlot Et Mots - book review of Inside the Sun/author interview
Aug 10 –Book Bustle – book review of Inside the Sun/giveaway
TBD – Falling Into A Good Book – book review of Above the Star/giveaway
TBD – Falling Into A Good Book – book review of Below the Moon/giveaway
TBD – Falling Into A Good Book – book review of Inside the Sun/giveaway

Enter the Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Unknown Operative ~ Review

Unknown Operative
The Carrie Chronicles #4

By Ethan Jones

Carrie O'Connor has a job to do, and she's determined to get it done with no loss of life. Unfortunately, something goes wrong, and the hostage retrieval operation ends in the loss of an asset. Carrie being Carrie, feels that she must ensure that the asset is returned to his family. This means entering a hostile country with little to no backup.

When word reaches Carrie that the family they were attempting to find has been targeted, her operation takes on a new urgency and objective. Now she just has to convince the powers that be to let her right the situation.

Once again, things go wrong as someone uses this opportunity to betray Carrie and her team. If Carrie makes it out alive, someone is going to pay for what they have done. A page-turning international thriller not to be missed! 

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations. All thoughts expressed are my own

About the Book:

They’ve crossed the line…

Carrie O’Connor, elite CIS operative, while rescuing two hostages in the Central African Republic, suffers the loss of a loyal local ally. Carrie understands the severity of the situation only later, when she discovers his daughter is kidnapped, along with a group of young school children.   

They’ve gone too far…

Carrie and her partner anxiously take on an even deadlier mission: rescue the children before it’s too late. As Carrie suspects the terrorists have the backing of a corrupt, high-ranking politician who will stop at nothing to hold on to power, she fears the worst.

They’ll have to pay…

Can Carrie change her strategy at the eleventh hour to ensure no child is lost and outplay the terrorists so that they get what they deserve?
Find out in Unknown Operative, Carrie’s latest adrenaline-filled spy thriller. Buckle in for a long, white-knuckle ride until the very last page.

A Dream Within A Dream ~ Review

A Dream Within A Dream
A Coffey and Hill novel #3
By Mike Nappa 
     and Melissa Kosci

Trudi Coffey is enjoying an Atlanta Hawks game while on a consult in Boston. Unfortunately, enjoying the game is soon out of the question thanks to the FBI, who is searching for her ex, Samuel Hill. From there it just seems to spiral out of her control. A stranger with a gun confronts her asking for her help. There is just one problem the stranger seeking her help was sent by Darrent Hayes. Oh yes, this day, this week just keeps getting better and better.

When Trudi returns to Atlanta, Samuel is nowhere to be found, and worse more than one person is looking for him. With enemies at home and abroad looking for Samuel, Trudi does the only thing possible she starts looking for him herself. With the help of Eula, she starts working on finding Samuel with the very few details she knows.

Samuel needs help but he wants to keep Trudi as far away from the danger that is out to bring him down. Needing to keep Trudi safe and learn just what someone known as The Dream knows is of utmost importance to him. If he can get Trudi to help keep Dream safe while helping him remember could be the one thing that will keep her out of the danger hunting him. But someone seems determined to use Dream for their own purposes. Can their unlock the secrets hidden within his mind in time or are these two dangers on a collision course with Trudi, Samuel, and Dream caught in the middle?

A Dream Within A Dream is told in the voices of the three main characters, Trudi, Samuel, and Dream. For the most part, Trudi and Samuel's thoughts are straightforward, looking to whatever may come next. Dream's thoughts are a bit all over the place as his past is slowly revealed throughout the book. The action is almost non-stop as Trudi and Samuel work towards their goal - keeping Dream safe, discovering just what he knows that is so important, and staying alive for the foreseeable future.

This book like the previous two in the series has a tie to Edgar Allen Poe and his works. If you are in a mood for suspense with more than a few twists you will love A Dream Within A Dream.  Now you don't need to read the two previous books but I'd recommend doing so as there are references to both that will make more sense with familiarity with them. Overall a good read and one that will keep you turning the pages long after you should have put the book down.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts I expressed are my own.


About the Book:

 He may be the key to solving one of the

greatest unsolved art heists in history

Trudi Coffey hasn't seen Samuel Hill in weeks. Then the FBI shows up asking questions about him. After a strange encounter with an armed man demanding her help and an attack by a member of the Boston mob looking for someone named Dream, Trudi manages to find Samuel--or rather, he finds her. He's made some pretty powerful enemies, but right now his full attention is on protecting Dream from the mob. Because Dream has something they want--the map to the location of artwork stolen from the Gardener Museum during the infamous 1990 heist.

With danger closing in from all sides, Trudi and Samuel will have to call on all of their allies to keep Dream safe and discover the identity of the people who have been hunting down Samuel. The real questions are whom can they trust? And who will make it out of this thing alive?

The Crushing Depths ~ Review with Giveaway

Welcome to the Takeover Tour for The Crushing Depths by Dani Pettrey 

with JustRead Publicity Tours! 

The Crushing Depths

Coastal Guardians #2

By Dani Pettrey

Rissi Dawson was more than a little shocked when Mason Rogers walked through the office doors as the newest member of her CGIS team. He knew about her past and just what she had gone through during her teen years. She was also in love with him but it has been years since she's seen him.

Mason Rogers has wondered for years about the teen girl he befriended in the children's home they both lived in. But he aged out and couldn't be there for her anymore. Now he and Rissi are working for the Coast Guard Investigative Services and assigned to the same case. But what sounds like a fairly straightforward case quickly evolves it something more and it could cost them their lives.

An accident on an oil drilling platform resulting in the death of a man requires an investigation. But soon a series of accidents has Rissi and Mason convinced that something is going on. Is it sabotage? The work of environmental activists? Or is it the ancient curse that is a local fishing legend? With time and someone or something working against them, Rissi and Mason have their hands full.

Meanwhile, Noah Rowley is working a case of his own, Brooke Kesler, Coast Guard medic, is dealing with a stalker. Brooke has her suspicions of who is behind the escalating harassment but the evidence just isn't there. Doing this as a favor for his sister Noah is more than a little surprised by his protective feelings towards Brooke, but once the case is over he'll have no problem going back to confirmed bachelor status.

As both cases reach a critical point, a tropical storm bears down on the North Carolina coast. Can you say suspense? And a word of caution, don't start this book if you have only a limited time to read, believe me, you won't want to put it down. Experience speaking here, I started it and stayed up until 6:00 am with that all too familiar promise "Just one more chapter," only coming true when there were no more chapters to be read. Whoops, who needs more than half-an-hour of shuteye anyways.

This is yet another page-turner from Dani Pettrey. Though it is the second book in her Coastal Guardians series one could easily read it without having read the first book, The Killing Tide. I do recommend reading the first book so you are properly introduced to all the characters. But get ready for several hours of suspense-filled reading that will totally capture your attention. Fans of Dani's previous work won't be disappointed. If you are new to the author's work but are familiar with Love Inspired Suspense or authors Lynette Eason, Lisa Harris, Rachel Dylan, Nancy Mehl, Lynn, Patricia Bradley, Sandra Orchard, or Lynn Blackburn you should enjoy this book. And don't be surprised if an unexpected twist gets tossed into the mix. Overall a good read to escape the summer heat with.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Title: The Crushing Depths 

Author: Dani Pettrey 

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers  

Release Date: June 30, 2020 

Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense

They know the power and peril of the ocean. 
But as they get closer to the deadly truth . . . 
An even greater danger lurks just beneath the surface. 

When an accident claims the life of an oil-rig worker, Coast Guard Investigators Rissi Dawson and Mason Rogers are flown to the scene thirty-eight miles from shore. Tensions aboard the rig are high, and the death has everyone on edge. Environmental activists are threatening to do whatever it takes to stop the "plague on the environment" from continuing its work. Meanwhile, rumors are circulating on board about an ancient curse lurking in the depths below.

Mounting evidence shows that the death might not have been an accident. Was the man killed by one of the activists or, more frighteningly, a member of his own crew? Rissi and Mason have to sort through not only numerous suspects, but also their own haunted pasts and their attraction to each other.

Just as the case seems about to break open, worse news arrives: a tropical storm has turned their way. Now they're cut off from any rescue--right where the killer wants them.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Christianbook

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Praised by New York Times bestselling author Dee Henderson as "a name to look for in romantic suspense," Dani Pettrey has sold more than half a million copies of her novels to readers eagerly awaiting the next release. Dani combines the page-turning adrenaline of a thriller with the chemistry and happy-ever-after of a romance. Her novels stand out for their "wicked pace, snappy dialogue, and likable characters" (Publishers Weekly), "gripping storylines" (RT Book Reviews), and "sizzling undercurrent of romance" (USA Today).

Her Alaskan Courage series and Chesapeake Valor series have received praise from readers and critics alike and spent multiple months topping the CBA bestseller lists. Dani has also been honored with multiple awards, including the Daphne du Maurier Award, two HOLT Medallions, two National Readers' Choice Awards, the Gail Wilson Award of Excellence, and Christian Retailing's Best Award. She researches murder and mayhem from her home in Maryland, where she lives with her husband. Their two daughters, a son-in-law, and two adorable grandsons also reside nearby.

For more information about her novels, visit www.danipettrey.com.

CONNECT WITH DANI: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive an Up All Night Suspense Survival Kit including:
a Book hangover mug,
Booklovers Readers Fuel coffee,
a Coastal Rain candle (tin not pictured)
so you can share the ambiance of Rissi and Mason stuck in a storm,
a Library scrunchie to pull your hair up,
Snack Mix (can be swapped out if food allergies exist),
and Reading socks!

Be sure to check out each stop on these tours for more chances to win. 

The full tour schedule is here. 

The giveaway began at midnight July 6, 2020, and

will last through 11:59 PM EST on July 13, 2020. 

Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of the close of the giveaway

and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of the prize. 

US only, void where prohibited by law or logistics.  

For our giveaway rules and policy, click HERE.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

A Bride of Convenience ~ Review

A Bride of Convenience
The Bride Ships #3
By Jody Hedlund

Zoe Hart's goal in joining the Bride Ships is two-fold - obtain a better life in British Columbia and to find her brother, Zeke. She never expected to take on the care of an abandoned baby just days later, but Violet needs her. Pastor Abe (Abraham) Merivale is helping Zoe get supplies she needs while hoping to reunite Violet with her grieving father.

But when finding a husband becomes imperative to keeping Violet, Zoe lets the eligible bachelors know that she needs a husband. There is just one problem with her plan, Violet's mixed heritage is a definite deterrent in Zoe receiving many offers. One miner alone promises not only can she bring Violet along, but he just may be able to help her locate Zeke. Pastor Abe knows that Dexter is among the worst possible choices for any woman to make if only he can get Zoe to see the truth in time. In a most intriguing chain of events, Abe and Zoe find themselves wed hastily.

But this marriage of convenience has a few drawbacks, especially when both Zoe and Abe start having confused feelings for one another. And then there is Abe's bishop who is anything but supportive of Abe's new married state - with, of all things, a common laborer. And offering a home to a Native child is just not to be done. Marriage is not quite either expected, and they both have some serious work to do if they hope to have a marriage partnership that is more than just a convenience and in name only.

A Bride of Convenience, the third book in the Bride Ships series, focuses on women from a different bride-ship than the first two books in the series. Zoe is determined to not have her heart yet again broken, but she's determined to make sure that Abe doesn't come to regret his decision to marry her and bring Violet into his home. Abe wants, no needs to prove to Bishop Hills that having a wife and won't distract him from his ministry. Can two such determined people come to understand just what God's purpose in their marriage of convenience is?

I have to admit each time Bishop Hills makes an appearance, I like him less and less. As a reader, one can hear the main characters' thoughts, and it can, at times, be exasperating that they just don't talk and clear the air, so to speak. Just think of all trouble they could save themselves in the long run by saying what they are feeling. Of course, then we would have a far less intriguing book to read. And this indeed is and was an enjoyable book to read. This can be read as a stand-alone title, and the reader will have no getting caught up in the story.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion - all thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:
Unemployed mill worker Zoe Hart jumps at the opportunity to emigrate to British Columbia in 1863 to find a better life and be reunited with her brother, who fled from home after being accused of a crime.

Pastor to miners in the mountains, Abe Merivale discovers an abandoned baby during a routine visit to Victoria, where he joins efforts with Zoe, one of the newly arrived bride-ship women, to care for the infant. While there, he's devastated by the news from his fiancee in England that she's marrying another man.

With mounting pressure to find the baby a home, Zoe accepts a proposal from a miner of questionable character after he promises to help her locate her brother. Intent on protecting Zoe and frustrated by his failed engagement, Abe offers his own hand as a groom. After a hasty wedding, they soon realize their marriage of convenience is not so convenient after all.

The Key to Everything ~ Review

The Key to Everything
By Valerie Fraser Luesse

Peyton Cabot's father came home a changed man - the war and its horrors were too much - they broke him. Seeking to numb his pain he has sought refuge in bourbon, but it just may be his downfall.

There was nothing Peyton could do to stop the accident from happening and now his father's body was as broken as his spirit. With another family tragedy on top of his father's injury, Uncle Julian seeks to seize control of the Cabot family fortune and further destroy Peyton's father. Peyton's willing to do all he can to help his mother and protect his father, even if it means the summer he planned to spend with Lisa is only a lost dream.

When Peyton's parents send him to spend time with Aunt Gert in Saint Augustine his summer is about to become one he never imagined. Hoping to get a chance to better know the man his father used to be Peyton sets out to follow the journey his father made when he too was just fifteen years of age. Can he learn what his father discovered all those years ago? Or have too many changes come?

As Peyton pursues his journey he grows into a person he hopes his father would be proud to call son. But, as his mother tells, this journey is more than pedaling a bike. Peyton has choices to make - choices that will stay with him long after he puts his bike away and returns to his life. He makes discoveries about his family that will forever alter how he sees them.

This is an excellent read and one I would have no hesitation recommending to most readers. It is set in the post-WWII South but it has a timeless message that is for any era. There's right and there's wrong and those who pick the right with no thought of gain are few and far between.

The Key to Everything is well-paced with an emotional tug throughout most of the book. It is a celebration of family and of life. Sometimes we have to risk everything to obtain that which is most important and the journey from here to there often helps us to see more clearly just what is truly important. Valerie Fraser Luesse brings her characters to life so that reader has no choice but to be drawn into their lives and care about what matters to them. In my opinion, this book is worthy of more than one read and I applaud the author's work.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.


About the Book:

"Promise me you'll never come back here, Peyton.

It's too much-it's just way too much."

Peyton Cabot's fifteenth year will be a painful and transformative one. His father, the heroic but reluctant head of a moneyed Savannah family, has come home from WWII a troubled vet, drowning his demons in bourbon and distancing himself from his son. A tragic accident shows Peyton the depths of his parents' devotion to each other but interrupts his own budding romance with the girl of his dreams, Lisa Wallace.

Struggling to cope with a young life upended, Peyton makes a daring decision: He will retrace a journey his father took at fifteen, riding his bicycle all the way to Key West, Florida. Part declaration of independence, part search for self, Peyton's journey will bring him more than he ever could have imagined--namely, the key to his unknowable father, a reunion with Lisa, and a calling that will shape the rest of his life.