Book Review - Deadly Currents

Cressida Valentine is in danger. Not the kind of danger one would expect to find in the process of finishing the book her father was researching before he died, but the kind that requires a bodyguard around the clock. After all, the subject of her research is the stuff of maritime mystery, hardly international intrigue. Yet somehow, every time she gets close to a source who can help demystify the ghost ship off the Washington coast, someone gets hurt, something gets damaged, or someone dies. The Specter’s Bounty body count exceeds her crew and Cressida just might be next.

Elizabeth Goddard hoists the sails on the third book in her Hidden Bay series with Deadly Currents, and it is no pleasure cruise. It is, however, a “cancel everything and curl up in front of the fire with lots of drinks and snacks because nobody is going anywhere until this is resolved” excursion. For proof, I submit the incredible patience of  the husband who got a late supper because I genuinely lost track of about three hours when the book got “really good.” I promise I meant to be cutting sweet potatoes instead of clutching my Kindle for dear life as the action unfolded in a way that I simply could not put down. Cressida is tenacious and probably more like her mother than she would care to admit. Braden has his own battles, but taking on Cressida and protecting her from herself is one he cannot refuse. The residents of Hidden Bay are practically family by this point in the series, and the ghost ship has a pull few can resist. With characters like these and a storyline crafted as intricately as any seafaring vessel, it is no wonder Deadly Currents pulls you into its world and only spits you back out when it is done.

Deadly Currents, the third book in the Hidden Bay series by Elizabeth Goddard, is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to the author for allowing me a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - Sunrise Reef

If you are also a longtime resident of Hope Harbor, I welcome you home. If you are a visitor, I hope you enjoy your stay. In the decade since Irene Hannon released her first Hope Harbor novel, many people have found home in this place where hearts heal and love blooms. Some are characters in the eleven novels of the series, but many are readers who have fallen in love with the town and its cast of vibrant characters.

Sunrise Reef is the eleventh Hope Harbor novel and focuses on Bren Ryan, one of our favorite baristas at The Perfect Blend. With a past full of heartache, Bren has started to find healing in her new home. Everything seems well settled for her until the day she finds herself in need of a temporary home, accosted in the middle of the night, and opening her arms to a stranger who feels like a kindred spirit. Noah Ward has a laser focused plan for his visit to Hope Harbor, and the sooner he can convince his father to move back to St. Louis, the sooner he can end this faux vacation and get back to work. That laser focus is how Noah has climbed to success in his world and how he will achieve his goal. This naturally means that Bren and Noah inevitably collide in glorious fashion on a regular basis. Hannon takes this seriously and delivers one run-in after another that will have to make or break this opposites-attract couple in a cozy and adorable page turner that keeps all of Hope Harbor on their toes.

Not one to shirk her supporting character duty, Hannon creates a supporting cast like no other. A job partially done by the lovingly crafted characters of the previous novels, the supporting characters are rounded out by some new additions, including Emma Blair. Emma has been riding a wave of bad luck for several years and it seems to have run out when her car dies in Hope Harbor. Fortunately, it never seems to be bad luck for anyone to get stuck in Hope Harbor, and though I enjoyed the way Hannon developed her story, I do hope Emma gets her own book someday. Sunrise Reef is a charming addition to the Hope Harbor series, but I am not going to judge too harshly if you decide to read it as a standalone. It will flow just fine. However, for real richness, indulge in the series and build all that backstory that comes with a decade of knowing and loving the residents of this hopeful little seaside town with big heart.

Sunrise Reef, the eleventh novel in the Hope Harbor series by Irene Hannon, is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - Break My Fall

Break My Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn is a return to Gossamer Falls and our friends, the Quinn family. This time, Dr. Meredith Quinn has seen and heard too much during her trips to neighboring Neeson in her mobile dentistry van, a fact that becomes painfully obvious when she finds herself stranded on the side of the road with an empty gas tank that should have still been full. It is a good thing Chief Grayson Ward is nearby to save the day. But why is he sticking so close to Meredith, especially when he keeps pushing her away? Drugs and trafficking run rampant in the county next door, but Gray has a problem with letting crime run amok on his doorstep. Fortunately, he has allies in his fight. Unfortunately, the woman he cannot let himself love is in the crosshairs of the worst of the perpetrators. And we all know what happens to those carefully constructed walls when the people who construct them find themselves in the line of fire.

If you read Never Fall Again, you are already a member of the Gossamer Falls community and are practically a Quinn, as well. Meredith and Mo, Cal and Cassie, Donovan and Gray are our people and we know them. Of course, we also know something has got to give between Meredith and Gray. And happy dance of happy dances, we get just that in Break My Fall. Blackburn’s characters stick with you; they are vibrant and relatable, and it is easy to want good things for them. The tension is very real, both in the romance and in the action of trying to keep headstrong Meredith safe when her primary concern is taking care of others. And the romance is so sweet. Maybe I am just a sucker right now, but I think it is more likely that this book is just one of the most downright delicious romances I have read in I don’t know how long. No need to worry, though… Mo keeps it from getting too sappy. Because that is just gross. (By the way, now that my hopes for Meredith and Gray are fulfilled, i have turned my sights on Mo and Bronwyn. Someone has some explaining to do there!) I like when characters from parallel storylines converge, and I have a great appreciation for the way Blackburn weaves in some beloved characters from her other novels to give this one some extra depth. Break My Fall absolutely earns 5 stars, and also a little heart in the margin of my book tracking spreadsheet!

Break My Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn, the second book in the Gossamer Falls series, is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - Storm Warning

Storm season in the Pacific Northwest is particularly harrowing this year, as it finds Remi Grant facing her demons and running for her life. A chance run in with a foreign physicist has made her the target of arms dealers and government operatives hungry to get their hands on the dead man’s technology. Hiding was an effective strategy until it was not. Now the winds, waves, and storms pummeling her beloved coast are just added complications as she struggles to stay alive. Hawk Beckett is also a complication; he seems to arrive at just the right time and is oddly attached to Remi, unless there is an ulterior motive. Struggling to regain her memory seems more urgent when she cannot tell who to trust. But Hawk knows a thing or two about trust; learning that his brother and his mentor are both involved in this situation with Remi in one way or another is enough to shake all he thinks he knows.

Elizabeth Goddard knows romance and suspense. Storm Warning is no exception. With characters so well developed they feel like family and settings so vivid you cannot help but feel like you are there, Goddard pulls you in and holds your attention securely through the entire story. Storm Warning is a gutsy, action packed wallop that is the first in a series I can’t wait to continue.

Storm Warning, the first book in the Hidden Bay series by Elizabeth Goddard, is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - Serial Burn

It has been burning for a while now. Serial Burn is the third book in the Lake City Heroes series from Lynette Eason, and friends of the heroes have hoped for a bit of accelerant on the sparks flying between Jesslyn and Nathan. They both know a thing or two about fire; one claimed the lives of her family when she was a child, leading her to pursue a career that would allow her to someday find the person who killed her parents and sisters. He holds his fire related secret close, along with the guilt and shame burned on his soul. Their personal tragedies and perceptions are a wall of flames between them and should stay that way. But when fires start popping off around Lake City and someone starts targeting Jesslyn, things heat up in a way neither of them expects.

Jesslyn is not the only one well versed in fire, as Lynette Eason pens a well researched novel that engulfs the reader. Her knowledge allows the story to flow in a way that keeps the reader from tripping over technicalities and allows maximum enjoyment of the fast paced action paired with the slow burn romance. And of course, relatable characters are a keystone of an Eason novel, especially since we have been friends of the heroes for two books already and are fired up for the next. So, if those things are your jam, I recommend getting into Serial Burn. But if you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen!

Serial Burn, the third book in the Lake City Heroes series by Lynette Eason, is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - The Indigo Heiress

With vivid descriptions of the locations and characters that tug your heartstrings, The Indigo Heiress grabs hold of the reader and keeps us enthralled from page one until the very last. Laura Frantz pens a fully immersive experience, beginning with the Virginia plantation where Juliet Catesby and her sister Loveday carry out the work necessary to maintain the legacy of their ancestors. Managing the tobacco, indigo, and social responsibilities with grace, the sisters also carry on a secret work that puts many lives in danger. However, Royal Vale, their beloved home, is in an entirely different kind of danger. The kind that sees a marriage of convenience as the only option, amidst the struggles of a Virginia planter on the brink of a revolutionary war. Leith Buchanan, is facing his own struggles. The kind that can hopefully be swept aside with a marriage that will shift the gossip and provide a mother for his twins. There is no time for affection in his life, therefore a marriage of convenience will do. Unfortunately, the Catesby sister he has chosen is less than thrilled with this prospect. Affectations and misunderstandings abound as Juliet and Leith learn to lean on each other through the trials they face.

This is a book best read with tissues at hand. The misunderstandings that build walls between Juliet and Leith, and the wounds that lie beneath the surface, are sometimes heartbreaking. And they are written so well that the reader feels each hurt keenly. But fear not, because the joys are sweet as the sadness is bitter, making for a thoroughly enjoyable read.

The Indigo Heiress by Laura Frantz is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine. 

Book Review - Midnight on the Scottish Shore

Cilla van der Zee is trapped. As a member of the Dutch resistance, her role is to infiltrate the Dutch Nazis and gather information for the underground newspaper. But the cost is too high and Cilla too headstrong to follow her cousin’s advice, which is how Cilla becomes a Nazi spy, and how she ends up in Scotland. The mythical creature washed up on the shore near Lachlan Mackenzie’s home is a threat to his sanity and his nation’s welfare, which is why he promptly turns her over to the authorities. When Cilla and Lachlan are forced to work together to advance the Allied mission, they must find a way toward a tentative trust for the greater good. 

Sarah Sundin writes with a secretive urgency that one cannot resist when reading her work. The reader feels this and is tugged into the covert operations described within, hardly able to resist the need to churn ahead with the storyline as the characters develop and the reader develops feelings for the characters. It is not only Cilla and Lachlan slinking through the darkness to accomplish a great task for the greater good, but the reader is there in the moment, as well. I must also admit that the timing and Biblical theme of this novel coincides with my own study of the Beatitudes and packs a punch of truth with themes of mercy, forgiveness and freedom, which both increases my understanding of those themes and enjoyment of this invigorating novel.

Midnight on the Scottish Shore by Sarah Sundin is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine. 

Book Review - Heart of the Glen

Heart of the Glen will capture your heart and sweep you away to Donegal, where the sheep  graze contentedly under the watch of their shepherd and give wool to make the stellar tweed only Owen McCready can weave. The struggles facing the McCready family seem to stack like peat for the fire, stoking frustration in Owen as he endeavors to carry the load on his own, until the situation becomes one where he must swallow his pride and allow help from outside. Saoirse Fagan knows about needing help; it is the reason she is in the McCready barn. And she knows about carrying the load, as she has been doing that on her own for a good long time now, but it just might be that Saoirse can help Owen carry his while while lightening her own for a bit.

Jennifer Deibel uses the Old Testament story of Gideon to remind us that God is in the details, even when we cannot see Him. Her descriptions of the place and the people draw the reader in, making it all feel so very real and leading us to friendship with the characters and investing us in their health and well-being. Saoirse, Owen, and Aileen quickly become family to us, so that we weep with them in their trials and cheer for them in their joys. Grab a cuppa and a cozy blanket, bonus points if it is tartan, and sweep yourself off to the heart of the glen!

Heart of the Glen by Jennifer Deibel is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - Of Gold And Shadows

Michelle Griep has a new release and it is rich with intrigue. Of Gold and Shadows is the first book in the Time’s Lost Treasures series, a Victorian era adventure involving Egyptologist Ami Dalton and Oxford’s most eligible bachelor, Edmund Price. Ami is accustomed to not belonging; raised by her widowed father, a well respected Egyptologist and Oxford professor, she developed a strong sense of self and a passion for all things Egyptian. In need of an expert, and unable to contract her father for the position, Edmund brings Ami to his country estate to value an extensive collection of artifacts. Intrigue abounds on all levels: mythical, criminal, and personal as Ami’s lesser known exploits surface to interfere with Edmund’s artifacts and someone interferes with Ami and Edmund. With intricate scene setting and relatable characters, Griep pulls us along on a goosebump inducing romp through jolly old England, minds and hearts alert for danger and romance.

Of Gold and Shadows by Michelle Griep, the first in her new Time’s Lost Treasures series, is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - Tea with Elephants

Robin Jones Gunn takes readers on an awe inspiring and faith filled journey to Africa in her latest release, Tea with Elephants, which is the first book of her new Suitcase Sisters series. This delight for the senses has a soul stirring storyline, which follows long distance best friends through a swanky safari while they deal with personal struggles that are an easier load to bear when shared. Fern and Lily both board the plane to Nairobi with heavy hearts, exploring their stages of grief while reveling in the messages from Heaven that come through the various people they meet. Big hearts, big adventures, big animals, and big blessings abound over cups of tea and shared confidences. Gunn paints such vivid pictures of the settings and people the Sisters meet throughout their journey; it is no surprise that I eagerly await the next chapter in the Suitcase Sisters saga!

Tea with Elephants, the first novel in the Suitcase Sisters series by Robin Jones Gunn is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - The Blooming of Delphinium

Holly Varni had managed to slip under my radar with her debut novel, On Moonberry Lake, so I went back and read the first Moonberry Lake novel before starting The Blooming of Delphinium. I noticed quickly that she writes with wit; zippy dialogue between lively characters draws the reader into Moonberry Lake as a new resident in their own right. Settled in my new literary home, I then proceeded to The Blooming of Delphinium, and stayed firmly entrenched in Moonberry until I reached the end.

Delphinium is at a crossroads, facing foreclosure on the building in which she both runs her floral shop and lives in the apartment where her beloved grandmother lived, she has to find a way to appease the bank without sacrificing her dream. If only that was the sum of her troubles, which are compounded by the small army of old men playing poker in their undershirts in her cooler. It is a small army that grows into a motley crew of senior citizens as the eccentric elderly ladies start tagging along. But big blessings come in slightly frustrating packages sometimes, and these seniors find an understanding ally in Delphinium. It seems the seniors want what we all want: a compassionate listener and a purpose in life. Delphi’s challenges add up quickly as the zany seniors work their mischievous magic to solve their problems and hers in one goofy swoop. Varni’s settings are cozy and homey, but it is her characters that really bring these stories to life. Just as Delphi finds her heart for these larger than life seniors, they will keep you in stitches while you fall in love with them. Along with these relationships, Delphi learns a lot about romance and finds revelations about her family that change her perspective of her parents and herself.

The Blooming of Delphinium, the second book in the Moonberry Lake series by Holly Varni is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Walmart

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine. 

Book Review - The Color of Home

Audrey Needham looks like she is at the top. By all appearances, she will soon be promoted by her boss, who is currently in the spotlight as the Bay Area’s top designer. Audrey just has to get through this big meeting and then two weeks out of office. If only those two weeks were not in Charity Falls, Oregon. If only her great-aunt and uncle didn’t live across the road from the place where Audrey’s dad was taken from her in a fire. If only she didn’t have to face that place every day of her time helping Daisy and Dean, as she helps them prepare to move into their memory care apartment. And to top off the struggles, she is still nestled in the dramatic Cascades when her job disappears on the Bay Area fog, leaving her with a lot of time to weigh her options and embrace the stirrings of her soul. A series of chance encounters with a handsome, but surly, resident of Charity Falls leave Audrey feeling more lost and unsettled. But in a series of moments of clarity, the dark sadness of the past is pulled into the light, where Audrey can find the bright hope of her future.

Painted vividly with all the colors Pantone has to offer, The Color of Home is a tangible testament to the power of immersion. From allowing herself to be fully immersed in her career to the realization that Audrey has drifted from her roots as an artist, the reader is pulled deep into her metamorphosis. In committing to Daisy, Dean, and Charity Falls, the outer trappings are washed away like pigment from a brush to allow the next right thing to be revealed. Kit Tosello has created a cozy community with lovable characters for the reader to fully immerse themselves in and enjoy.

The Color of Home by Kit Tosello is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.