Force Collector ~ Review

Force Collector

Journey to Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker

By Kevin Shinick

Narrated by Euan Morton

Karr Nuq Sin has a sensitivity to certain objects - objects that have a history that ties them to the Force. Only his grandmother believes him that touching the objects brings on visions - visions that show jumbled memories of the past. Karr's parents are convinced that he has a health issue and they drag him from one specialist to another. 

But the day he meets Maize Raynshi changes everything. For one he finally has a friend and she is about to offer him the opportunity of a lifetime - the chance to search for more Jedi artifacts and discover the truth about himself. And if he has to take part in a little rebellion, well let's just say it's time for Karr to cause a little bit of trouble.

Now this book doesn't really have much of a tie-in to The Rise of Skywalker rather it is a standalone title aimed at the YA audience. This book offers a glimpse into a world, a galaxy, that has for the most part grown-up without the Jedi. They have been feed lies about who they were. Few know that the deception perpetrated by Emperor Palpatine was not a Jedi insurrection but rather a Jedi slaughter with the Jedi as the victim. This book is a hunt for the history of the Jedi and a search for purpose. Overall a nice addition to the new Star Wars canon. 

I listened to the audio version (thanks to my library) and the book is well presented. The narration by Euan Morton has no issues - the narration is excellent with good pacing and clear speaking. I highly recommend this book especially if you are looking for a fairly quick read/listen. The playtime is just under 8-1/4 hours and in my case 2 weeks worth of commute listening.

About the Book:

Karr is a teenage boy like many others in the galaxy. He goes to school, helps his parents with the family business, likes speeders and droids. But Karr also has a secret: when he touches certain objects, he gets searing headaches and blacks out. And along with the pain sometimes come visions of people he doesn't know and places he's never been.

Karr's parents worry that he's sick; his grandmother is convinced the visions come from the Force. But it's been years since anyone has heard from the last of the Jedi-Luke Skywalker. Are there any Jedi left to guide Karr in the use of his abilities? Is anyone even willing to talk about the Jedi and what happened to them, as their memory continues to fade and the First Order rises? Stuck on his isolated home planet, Karr becomes a collector of historical artifacts, hoping to one day find an object that will give him a vision about the secrets of the Jedi.

When his grandmother dies and his parents announce they're sending him away to a school on the other side of the planet, Karr reaches his breaking point. He needs to know what his destiny holds, and whether the Jedi are involved. Accompanied by Maize, the blunt, unpredictable new girl at school with ties to the First Order, and RZ-7, Karr's solicitous droid companion, he sets off into the larger galaxy to find the truth. His adventures will take him from Utapau to Jakku to Takodana and beyond as he learns more about the Jedi than he could have expected?and about his own place in the Force.

Seeking the Truth ~ Review

Seeking the Truth 

True Blue K-9 Unit #5

By Terri Reed

Rachelle Clark is determined to be more than a fluff-piece reporter and the only way she sees able to do that is to secretly work on her own investigation into the murder of Jordan Jameson. When she gets the assignment to cover the local K-9 unit's participation in the upcoming national police dog field trials and certification competition she views this as the perfect chance to interview Officer Carter Jameson. Just one problem with her plan - Carter Jameson and the Jameson family have anything but warm fuzzy feelings towards reporters.

Carter Jameson has better things to do than deal with yet another reporter out to make a name over his brother's murder. But when Rachelle's safety and life are in danger he knows that he has to do whatever it takes to keep her safe. Now he just has to keep his heart safe because falling in love is not an option. As the danger increases it appears that Rachelle's investigation into Jordan's death has placed her right in the crosshairs of a killer.

This is the fifth book in the True Blue K-9 Unit series. Each book can be read as a standalone though there is a series arc that ties all the books together. The series arc is the murder and subsequent search for who and why. If you like clean-reading suspense with a touch of romance you will enjoy this book and series that features New York's finest four-legged officers.  So sit back and get ready to spend a few hours in New York with a top K-9 unit.

About the Book:

Her investigation could prove fatal…

In this exciting True Blue K-9 Unit installment

By secretly investigating the New York City K-9 Command Unit chief’s murder, reporter Rachelle Clark puts a bulls-eye on her back. Single dad and K-9 unit officer Carter Jameson thought Rachelle was reporting on police-field-dog trials—not his brother’s death. Though he’s not happy about her true purpose, the danger is real…and he and his trusty German shepherd must save her.

Dreams of Savannah ~ Review

Dreams of Savannah

By Roseanna M. White

Cordelia "Delia" Owens dreams up stories, stories of heroes doing deeds of daring, of knights coming to the rescue of a maiden in need of rescue. She apparently doesn't see the darkness in the world around her if her stories are any indication, but the light and lightness she brings to those around her is why so many enjoy her presence. Delia's secret wish is to be rescued by Phineas "Phin" Dunn and be swept away in a romance. But war is upon them and Phin is on the eve of his joining up.

With Delia's promise to wait for him forever Phin joins up with the Confederate's Navy, but war opens his eyes to new horrors. And when he is betrayed he is feared lost. But the promise of "Forever" gives him something to live for. And Luther's care opens his eyes even further to the evils of slavery - Luther, a free black man, whose wife was stolen and sold as a slave. 

With her family pressuring her to marry, Delia struggles to cling to her belief that Phin will come back to her. But can a man who has seen and experienced what he has, truly return as the same person? As the world she knows begins to crumble around her Delia must decide what she believes and where her loyalties lie - is it with the South, her family, or the people she has come to know and love? 

Dreams of Savannah offers a glimpse it the world that was the South, a world divided but what freedom truly means. Is it for a few or for all? Everything worthwhile comes with a cost and sometimes that cost is fighting for what is right even in the face of opposition This is the lesson that both Delia and Phin must learn as they see beneath the world of privilege that they grew up in - a world that has been built on the backs of those held in bondage.

Dreams of Savannah is a departure from what one has come to expect from Roseanna M. White. Rather than setting her book in England, we are taken to Savannah, Georgia, at the height of enthusiasm for the Southern cause. Should Phin and Delia have been more aware of the plight of those enslaved in their households? Probably, but all too often, even in today's world, we are blinded to the sins of the world around us until it directly impacts our personal or professional lives. This is, unfortunately, a sad truth that most people have fallen into - we need to see with empathy beyond our own known world, to try to see the other side and hopefully gain a small measure of understanding.

This book while touching on the horrors of war and slavery does not get into all the gritty and gruesome evils that one might expect. This book is on the clean/gentle reads side of the spectrum of the genre. This is a good read and the discussion question at the back of the book offers the reader a chance to think deeper about the subjects touched on. Good for reading on your own or as a book club selection.

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:

Cordelia Owens can weave a dream around anything and is well used to winning the hearts of everyone in Savannah with her whimsy. Even when she receives word that her sweetheart has been lost during a raid on a Yankee vessel, she clings to hope and comes up with many a romantic tale of his eventual homecoming to reassure his mother and sister.

But Phineas Dunn finds nothing redemptive in the first horrors of war. Struggling for months to make it home alive, he returns to Savannah injured and cynical, and all too sure that he is not the hero Cordelia seems determined to make him.

As the War Between the States rages ever nearer and Savannah’s slaves start sneaking away to the islands off the coast to join the Yankees, both Phin and Cordelia get caught up in questions they never thought they’d have to ask–questions that threaten the very dreams of a future they’d cherished.

Only You ~ Review and Free eBook

Only You

A Deep Haven Collection Novella #0.5

By Susan May Warren

Ree Zimmerman has always been in love with Seth Turnquist - well since he saved her from the playground bullies when she was seven years old. But he's never seen her - instead he was in love with her BFF Amelia Christensen. When Seth left Deen Haven behind Ree never thought she'd have a chance to win Seth's heart. 

Seth has decided to cut all ties with Deep Haven - sell the house he built, celebrate his grandfather's 80th birthday, and leave the dreams he had behind. It was time to start over - he never expected to reconnect with Ree. But Ree was Amelia's best friend and there could never be anything between them...Or could there? 

If you love books that are about second chances Only You is one you will want to enjoy. But second chances can never happen if you don't take risks. Are Ree and Seth willing to take a chance on love? Can one only have one true love and how do you know who is the one for you? As Ree and Seth try to answer this question all of Deep Haven is watching, after all in a small town everyone knows your name and your secrets.

This book is the prequel from the all-new Deep Haven Collection series that is from Sunrise Publishing.

I got this book free with no expectations - All thoughts expressed are my own.

Want to enjoy this prequel too? 

Well, it is free from Sunrise Publishing and available here for download.

About the Book:

He ran from his broken heart…

Seth Turnquist never thought his heart would mend after being shattered by his former love, Amelia Christiansen. But three years away from Deep Haven fighting fires as a smokejumper have burned her away, leaving fresh soil for a new love. Still, he’s ready to put Deep Haven in his rearview mirror for good, which means selling the custom log home he built for Amelia and walking away from the family business. But what he doesn’t realize is that the seeds for a second chance have already been planted…

She loved him from the sidelines…

Ree Zimmerman couldn’t let herself love Seth—not when he was her best friend’s boyfriend. And after Amelia broke his heart, there simply wasn’t anything left in him for Ree except friendship. But that never stopped Ree from dreaming of a happily ever after with the lumberjack from Deep Haven. When he returns home for his grandfather’s birthday, she’s not about to let him walk away, again…

Return to Deep Haven in this charming homecoming story about the second chances that await us when we let the past go.

Active Defense ~ Review

Active Defense

Danger Never Sleeps #3

By Lynette Eason 

Heather Fontaine is haunted by her past - her childhood and the death of an Afghani teen. And now she is being stalked. But she has no idea who or why. But Heather being Heather refuses to ask for or accept help from her friends.  Now those who mean the most to her are being threatened and she knows she has to disappear if she wants to keep everyone safe.

When Heather disappears after a party, her friends aren't about to wait around for her reappear. And Travis Walker, who wants more than friendship with her, is going to put his skills as a security expert to good use. But with few clues to go on, keeping Heather safe is going to test them all.

Active Defense is an intense read that gives nothing away so that the reader, like the characters, is kept in the dark as to just who is behind all the unrest in Heather's life. As the layers, in this case, are slowly revealed more questions than answers come to light. Can they find the link that will tie everything together before it is too late? That is a question you will have to answer for yourself, but I will say you won't regret the time spent discovering it.

This is the third book in the Danger Never Sleeps series but if you haven't read the previous books that isn't a problem as each can be read as a standalone book. The book is well-paced, the characters fully developed, and the storyline attention-grabbing. If you like Romantic Suspense this book is one you will want to add to your 2021 to-be-read list. So sit back, curl up in your favorite corner, and escape into the pages of this book.

I was provided with 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:

As a former field surgeon in Afghanistan, Heather Fontaine is used to life-or-death situations. She just didn't expect them to follow her home. When she returns from a party to find that someone has broken into her house--and threatened her friends--she assumes it is the stalker who has been following her and creeping her out. She hopes to find safety and peace of mind by leaving the city and hiding out in a small town. But trouble has followed her even there.

Luckily, a stalker isn't the only one watching Heather. Travis Walker has been secretly watching out for her for weeks. As the owner of his own security agency, it's what he does. Together, Travis and Heather must figure out who wants her dead--and why--before it's too late.

Bestselling and award-winning author Lynette Eason will have you looking over your shoulder as you dive into this fast-paced, suspense-filled story about losing control and finding something even better.

Texas Witness Threat ~ Review with Giveaway

Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for 

Texas Witness Threat by Cate Nolan, 
hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

 

Texas Witness Threat

By Cate Nolan

She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. When an unexpected rainstorm causes Assistant US Attorney Christine Davis to seek shelter. But what seemed like a temporary refuge is about to become her worst nightmare when she witnesses a murder and becomes the killer's next target. 

When a woman darts in front of his car Texas Ranger Blake Larsen does the only thing he can - offer her his assistance. But when the crime she reports can't be verified he is the only hope she has of staying alive long enough to find the proof she needs. Finding the proof  Christine needs while staying ahead of a killer is about to take all of Blake's skills and the support of the Texas Rangers.

Texas Witness Threat is a well-paced read that takes the reader into the heart of the Lone Star State. This book is part of the Love Inspired Suspense collection and it is a clean Romantic Suspense read that won't leave the reader blushing or squirming uncomfortably. The action, at times, can get a little intense but nothing to keep the reader up all night unless it is to keep reading because you just don't want to put the book down. If you want to escape to Texas while enjoying all the comforts of home this is the way to do so. So find your favorite corner and curl up with a cup of tea and get ready to spend a few hours away from your everyday.

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

About the Book:

Title: Texas Witness Threat 
Author: Cate Nolan
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Release Date: January 1, 2021
Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

She saw something she shouldn’t have… 

Assistant US Attorney Christine Davis is positive she witnessed a murder, but with no body, the police aren’t convinced. Now someone wants her dead, and Texas Ranger Blake Larsen is the only one who believes her. For Blake, protecting Christine must stay more important than their growing feelings for each other. But can he keep her safe from an unknown enemy who wants her silenced?

PURCHASE LINKS*: 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound | Christianbook | BookBub

---

 

About the Author:

Cate Nolan lives in New York City, but she escapes to the ocean any chance she gets. Cate loves to leave her real-life behind and play with the characters in her imagination. She's got that suspense writer gene that sees danger and a story in everyday occurrences. She particularly loves to write stories of faith enabling ordinary people to overcome extraordinary danger.

Connect with Cate:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

---

Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a Texas Witness Threat and Christmas in Hiding 

(print or ebooks, winner's choice)!

The full tour schedule is linked below. The giveaway began at midnight January 5, 2021, and will last through 11:59 PM EST on January 12, 2021. The winner 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.

The giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

---

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

 

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

Her Lady's Whims and Fancies ~ Review

Her Lady's Whims and Fancies

Lord's for the Sisters of Sussex #3

By Jen Geigle Johnson

Miss Kate Standish has a passion for fashion - a passion that has allowed her to be on the leading edge of what is about to be the new look of the season. She's always been able to give the dresses that she and her sisters were passed down a look to give them a new look. And she is determined to use her passion and skills to ensure that she will never again be hungry. With her eldest sister June soon to be wed, Kate is looking forward to seeing, and perhaps meeting, Lord Dennison at the event. As the most fashion conscience man around she hopes to observe him up close and perhaps become acquainted with him.

Lord Dennison has no time for young women caught up in their own selves, not after having his heart broken and rejected by the woman he hoped to marry. But he hadn't met Kate Standish yet. Unfortunately for him, his broken heart has turned his tongue acerbic and Kate's first acquaintance with the man she has secretly admired is anything but pleasant. 

Can two people so well-suited find their way past a disastrous first meeting? Having received the brunt of Lord Dennison's anger, Kate determines to put him in his place by submitting an anonymous piece to Her Lady's Whims and Fancies focusing on his latest fashionable masterpiece. 

When Kate and Logan finally get the chance to get to know one another they find that they have much in common. But the secret that Kate is keeping could destroy what they could have together. When Kate attempts to fix the situation things go horribly wrong. Can she reveal the truth to her sisters and get their help or will she be too late?

This is the third book in the Lords for the Sisters of Sussex series and it is a fun Regency era read. It is nice to be able to revisit the sisters as their situation continues to improve. This book can be read on its own though the first two books in the series provide backstory that explains certain aspects of this book. Sit back and enjoy this offering from Jen Geigle Johnson with a cup of your favorite tea blend.

About the Book:

She has a secret to hide. 

He has a hurt to cover. 

But they both start having too much fun to notice.

Miss Kate is full of spontaneity and dreams of fashion. Put her in a room with Ackerman's fashion plates, the makings of a new bonnet, and a strong cup of tea, and she would be happy for hours. But she is not your typical Regency miss. No one knows that she is the designer behind London’s famous fashion section, the woman who knows every fashion trend before it happens.

Lord Dennison, the ton’s best most brightly dressed dandy, the prodigy of Beau Brummel himself, is often the subject of Her Lady’s Whims and Fancies, a gossip column in the Morning Star newspaper. He moves in circles with the most fashion-conscious set. But he hides a deep hurt and doesn’t plan to ever ask another girl to marry him…ever again.