New Years Wishes

May your New Year be filled with new books!

 

Dial E for Endearment ~ Review

Dial E for Endearment

You Are on the Air #5

By Heidi Gray McGill

Everly Johnson is JOY Radio's go-to talk show host for advice - most seeking relationship advice which Everly is happy to give. Her fans love her and are forever sending "gifts" to the station. But what her fans don't know is that Everly can't see - that a condition stole her sight. When a chance encounter in the park results in Everly meeting Cameron Boyd - more of a collision of the canine variety - Everly finds someone who just may be the one who touches her heart.

Cameron has been crushing on Everly it seems like forever - he has a standard Friday night date with her every week - or rather with her weekly radio program. And someday he hopes to build up the courage to call in and talk to her. His only real companion and family is his dog, Max, whom he hopes will work his doggy charm on Everly if he ever meets her face-to-face. When Everly lets slip a favorite park, Cam hopes his chance at a meeting with the woman who has captured his attention may finally come about.

Instead of Everly, Cam meets Evie a young woman with whom he has a bodily collision that involves mud and a body of water. Max and Cam are charmed by this young woman who doesn't allow her blindness to limit her. 

A friendship follows but can Cam find what he has been searching for with Evie or has Everly and her radio program worked their way into his heart? This is a sweet contemporary story that finds several people looking for love - a love that accepts them for who they are and not the expectations others have for them. 

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:

As Blowing Rock, NC’s JOY Radio talk show host, Everly has discovered fulfillment, but she hasn’t found love, at least not for her—not even from her mother.

Everly Johnson is every man’s dream of the perfect date, even though her audience has never met her. As host for the EnJOYing God’s Best program on JOY Radio in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, she receives countless gifts of flowers and candy from her listeners, some callers being more ardent than others. Everly has no interest in such offerings and promptly bestows the bounty on her mother’s assisted living facility. Everly wants words--heartfelt, meaningful endearments meant for her ears only. She wants a man who will open her eyes to everything she cannot see to, make her feel like she’s more than just a voice behind the microphone.

Cameron Boyd is every woman’s dream of the perfect man. He’s intelligent, has a strong work ethic and career, lives on his own, and is downright adorable. But being an introvert can make eye contact with a pretty girl a challenge, let alone saying something coherent--unless it is the one-way conversation he has each Friday with Everly Johnson. Date night for Cam involves sitting alone on his back porch overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains while he dreams of things to say if he were ever to meet her face-to-face.

A chance meeting changes everything. Will Cam be able to step out of his comfort zone and into the world he has only been able to envision in his mind? Will Everly trust this stranger with her life as well as her heart? Tune into JOY Radio to find out! 

Between the Lines ~ Review

The Lines Between Us

By Amy Green

Gordon Hooper thought Dorie Armitage was the one for him. But then the attack on Pearl Harbor happened and Gordon's pacifist leans came out. For Gordon it wasn't a spur of the moment decision to avoid the war but rather a personal decision that he had determined for his life years ago. Unfortunately, for him Dorie disagreed with his reasoning and his influence over her brother Jack, who also became a conscientious objector. 

Objecting to serving wasn't their goal as they became smokejumpers for the US Army under the oversight of the National Forestry Service. For years, Dorie refused to acknowledge her brother's existence and became a willing and able member of the Women's Army Corps. But when she receives word that Jack was injured in a fire and his recovery is in doubt she does the only thing she can - she investigates Jack's accident. Dorie is convinced she can get to the truth behind Jack's accident and bring the guilty party to justice. She just has to get Gordon the go along with her plan and not reveal her true identity or her purpose for being at the camp.

Between the Lines is an examination of following one's conscience and living with the fallout even when one's views aren't popular and come at great cost personally and professionally.  While some consider Gordon, Jack, and those of like-mindedness to be cowards, were they instead an act of heroism.  

This book is set in the 1940s and the various prejudices that were in effect at that time are briefly touched upon.  This is a look at the point-of-view of two very different people and how these viewpoints brought them to serve their country in how they could serve and live with their own convictions.  At this time if you didn't fit the mold of expectations there was a cost. I enjoyed this book with its honest portrayal of the time - it fits with what my grandmother spoke of and even articles and books one can easily come across with a little research. 

I read this book while listening to the audio version of it. Both are excellent and well worth the time spent. If you enjoy audiobooks for your commute, the narration was well presented. The book's pacing was perfect for engaging one's attention throughout. I highly recommend this book - perfect if you need a book club selection or are just a fan of historical fiction, especially with a WWII era setting.

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

About the Book:

Since the attack on Pearl Harbor, Gordon Hooper and his buddy Jack Armitage have done “work of national importance” in the West as conscientious objectors: volunteering as smokejumpers, parachuting into and fighting raging wildfires. But the number of winter blazes they’re called to in early 1945 seems suspiciously high, and when an accident leaves Jack badly injured, Gordon realizes the facts don’t add up. 

A member of the Women’s Army Corps, Dorie Armitage has long been ashamed of her brother’s pacificism, but she's shocked by news of his accident. Determined to find out why he was harmed, she arrives at the national forest under the guise of conducting an army report...and finds herself forced to work with Gordon. He believes it’s wrong to lie; she’s willing to do whatever it takes so justice will be done.

As they search for clues, Gordon and Dorie must wrestle with their convictions about war and peace and decide what to do with the shocking secrets they discover.

The Explorer's Daughter ~ Review

The Explorer's Daughter

The Reluctant Heirs #1

By Kate Renae

Adeline Dawson has lost everything with her father's death. Her new brother-in-law, Roger has arranged for her to stay with his family. He has plans for her and if she doesn't fulfill them she will never see her sister again.

William Wakefield is lord of Fairstone Hall and Della has been tasked with removing a possession from his home. Determined to save her sister from William's brother Della is more than a little surprised when William turns out to be different from Roger. But can she trust him with the secret she is keeping?

 The Explorer's Daughter is a delightful Regency piece that has a generous helping of mystery with a dash of romance thrown in. Adeline's introduction to Fairstone Hall is less than spectacular as she is forced to undertake the journey in less than ideal circumstances thanks to her brother-in-law. And thanks to her interactions with Roger, Della is less than comfortable in William's presence as she isn't sure just how similar he is to his brother.  But as the story progresses we get to know William better and understand what has shaped him. 

The mystery is the strongest aspect of the story and makes this debut novel and author worth reading. The story concludes with not all the questions answered by the end but I assume that they may be answered in the next book as this is the first book in a series.  I loved some of the unique twists that occur that kept the reader wondering what was going to happen next.

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:

When Adeline Dawson arrives at Fairstone Hall, she comes with a secret. William Wakefield, the young, brooding earl who resides there, knows of Adeline only as his recent sister-in-law. But the stubborn, beautiful woman soon catches his intrigue. He’s determined to overcome his reserved manner to know her better, and Adeline is equally determined to protect her secret at all costs. A secret that could cost her everything….

The Glass Cottage ~ Review

The Glass Cottage

Prescott Family Romance #1

By Alyssa Schwarz

What can I say - this book has it all romance, contemporary and historical settings, a mystery (maybe two), and second chances. The Glass Cottage opens in 1883 with a young woman seemingly in danger and the prologue leaves us with Iris's fate literally a cliffhanger. We are then taken to the present day with Abigail Prescott about to have one of the worst days ever. But this change in circumstances brings Abigail back to her childhood home and to Great Aunt Josie.

Abigail never planned to return home and she never expected to see Benjamin Green again - not when he had moved away during their senior year. But she and Ben are both back in the town that found them inseparable all those years ago. And the restoration project that Abigail is helping Aunt Josie with has gained another helping hand - Ben. Now if only Abigail could find a way to be less klutz prone in Ben's vicinity she would be forever grateful - damsel in distress is not her favorite situational condition.

As Ben and Abigail work to restore The Glass Cottage to they come across some interesting discoveries in the attic, including an old journal that gives the reader a glimpse of Iris's life before the dramatic events of the prologue. Determined to find Iris and preserve what she can of her life sends both Abigail and Ben on a journey of discovery. What they discover will forever alter their lives and the paths they are on.

The Glass Cottage was a delightful read and it is the first book in the Prescott Family Romance series and it was an excellent series debut. I, for one, can't wait for the release of the second book, which if it is as good as this book will prove to be another exciting and satisfying read.

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:

Series: Prescott Family Romance #1
Publisher: Independently Published

Release Date: October 5, 2021 Genre: contemporary romance, dual-time, contemporary fiction, Christian fiction, Christian romance, clean romance, small town fiction Could a nineteenth-century diary be the answer to Abigail's prayers? Iris wanted nothing more than to live her own adventure, just like in her books. On the tails of the Colorado gold rush, certain discovery could upend her world before it's even begun. Over a hundred years later, Abigail Prescott is brought back to the sleepy mountain town she once called home to help her great Aunt Josie restore the old antiques shop, The Glass Cottage. Looking for peace and God's new direction for her life, the last thing she expected to encounter was a ghost from her past. The boy who got away, her childhood best friend, Benjamin Green. Could this be a chance coincidence, or something greater? Together, they work to fix up Aunt Josie's shop and inadvertently stumble upon an old and tattered journal. With more questions than answers, Abigail embarks on a journey of self-discovery to trace down the mysterious Iris, but the truth is not always what it seems. In this tale of friendship, of love lost, and love found, Abigail must decide for herself: Is every story worth saving, and if so, at what cost?

Labyrinth of Lies ~ Review

Labyrinth of Lies

Triple Threat #2

By Irene Hanson

Cate Reilly is done with undercover work - give her good old-fashioned detective work any day. But her days undercover are over. At least they were until a case that only she can handle is literally guilt-dumped in her lap. A teenage girl is missing from her boarding school and her father suspects foul-play and not the runaway situation that has been reported. What the St. Louis PD doesn't realize is that the school Cate's being sent into is already the target of a DEA undercover op. Zeke Sloan is already setting up operations when Cate joins the student population.

Zeke never thought he'd work with Cate again, much less see her, not after breaking her heart all those years ago when he walked away. But their two cases have put them together in a unique situation. Could they have a second chance at a future together or will the wounds from the past keep them apart once their respective cases are wrapped up? Only time will tell. 

When their cases take a dangerous turn Zeke and Cate will have to push for the answers they seek. Someone seems determined to stop them from finding the answers they seek and they may be willing to resort to lethal means if necessary. 

This is the second book in Irene Hannon's Triple Threat series, but this book can easily be read as a standalone title as the book focuses mostly on Cate and Zeke's undercover op work. There are a few scenes in which Cate's sisters Eve and Grace are involved but nothing the requires that the first book be read before reading Labyrinth of Lies. Overall this is an excellent read that keeps the reader guessing as to who is the ultimate mastermind behind everything. And I will say I love it when the identity isn't revealed early on in the book as it adds to the suspense.

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:

When the daughter of a high-profile businessman disappears from an exclusive girls' boarding school, police detective Cate Reilly is tapped for an undercover assignment. It doesn't take her long to realize that beneath the veneer of polish and wealth, things are not as they seem at Ivy Hill Academy. But the biggest surprise of all? The only man she ever loved is also working at the school.

Zeke Sloan has never forgotten Cate, but now isn't the best time for their paths to cross again. When their two seemingly disparate agendas begin to intertwine--and startling connections emerge among the players--the danger escalates significantly. But who is the mastermind behind the elaborate ruse? And how far will they go to protect their house of cards?

Queen of romantic suspense Irene Hannon invites you to scale the heights of human folly and plumb the depths of the human heart in this second gripping book in the Triple Threat series.

Kings and Captives ~ Review

Kings and Captives

The Journals of Voren #1

By Dana Pratola

Evangeline has been warned all her life to stay away from the lighthouse, but she is drawn there and the very fate her late mother feared is about to befall her. By venturing where a past kidnapping occurred Evangeline has placed both herself and Daniel, her best friend, almost-like a brother, in danger. Worse there is no way to stop the strangers who are about to pluck them from Earth and deposit them on a new and foreign world. Though those taking them are more than ready to inform Evangeline that it is she who is strange and foreign and not them.

Ryor must take a wife before he can become king, and his father has recommended (more like commanded) that Ryor's bride must be from Earth. Unfortunately Evangeline has become his woman of choice and refusal on her part is not really an option. Worse if she keeps resisting her life would be forfeit and Ryor is not above using his strength to force Evangeline to see things his way.  And if she wants to see Daniel live she may have to bow to his brutish will and become his bride and Princess of Voren.

This book is one of those love it - hate it books. The writing is good and the author draws you into the story from the first page but there are characters you just can't stand and you wish blights upon them. I want to know what comes next in book 2 as the author left the reader wondering what Evangeline was planning as payback. 

I do think that the main characters come off as brats who are too use to getting their own ways and as such are destined to forever be locked in an battle of temperament and wills. Ryor and Evangeline both seem unduly impressed with themselves and their superiority while failing to see their own flaws have gotten them into the situation they now find themselves in. 

Now for those seeking a clean, gentle read this book has a few scenes that knock it out of this category (and made me squirm as I read them I'd say PG-13+ in a few places). Voren is a planet that seems to feel any who are not of the blood of the royal family are nothing more than property - and the royal family can lay claim to anyone they want and just as easily discard them on a whim.

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

About the Book:

Ryor’s father wishes him to marry an Earth. He agrees, though for different reasons. Not only does he need her to bear him a child, but wishes to use her as a negotiating tool. When he finds a woman wandering in the woods of Washington State, she’s disagreeable and resistant to being taken from her home world. How could she not want to be a princess?

Evangeline wants to live life on the edge, but she’s found more excitement than she knows what to do with when she and her best friend Daniel are kidnapped and dropped onto an alien planet in another dimension. Her captor is literally prince of this world. And doesn’t he know it? She doesn’t want to marry him, but becoming princess of this strange world may be her only hope of saving Daniel. Though, it might not be so easy if Ryor learns she found his mother’s secret journal.