Book Review - Present Danger

Elizabeth Goddard starts her latest series with a crash-bang and doesn't stop until the entire mystery is unraveled. Following up her Uncommon Justice series with Rocky Mountain Courage, Goddard fires hard right from the start of Present Danger. The plane crash and missing artifact are just the beginning of the dangers surrounding Detective Jack Tanner and USFS Special Agent Terra Connors. Their shared history and traitorous chemistry certainly don't help ease the stress of their investigation, and the question of who can be trusted is a tricky one at best.

It was nice to revisit some of our friends from Uncommon Justice, and I have to admit that I read Present Danger while making a list of characters whose stories I would like to follow through the remainder of the series. Divulging that list just might merit a spoiler alert, though, so I'll have to keep that information to myself. (I really hate spoilers and would never do that to you!) I can safely say the preview of book 2 reveals that Goddard's series will follow a pattern I hoped to pursue. On that note, I recommend you check out Present Danger for yourself and let me know if you agree!

Present Danger by Elizabeth Goddard is currently available from your favorite local bookseller, or online:

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

Book Review - Blackberry Beach

Irene Hannon says Hope Harbor is where hearts heal... and love blooms. Blackberry Beach, the seventh Hope Harbor novel, stays true to that motto as Katherine Parker and Zach Garrett tend to the wounds of their hearts, while love blooms in spite of the challenges ahead of them. Katherine, weary of what Hollywood takes as the price of fame, slips into Hope Harbor under the radar to try to find some peace and direction for her future. Zach is happy and settled into his new life in Hope Harbor, but the two most important relationships in his life are missing. Hannon gives us a delightfully beachy romance built around these issues and a handful of other delightful characters, including the surprisingly insightful Charley and a seagull couple who teach the local residents about the joy of partnership.

When reviewing series books, I like to read the entire series. Somehow, I managed to miss this tidbit before beginning this seventh-in-the-series book. It reads well as a stand-alone, but I look forward to reading the first six. Hope Harbor is a lovely town with lovable characters and is sure to have many more enjoyable stories to share.

Blackberry Beach by Irene Hannon is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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

Book Review - The Shell Collector

I would like to preface this review by saying that I want to grow up to be just like Maeve, the wise and caring surrogate grandmother figure and the shell collector of Nancy Naigle's latest tale of the intersection between grief and survival. Amanda and her young children are still struggling through the grief of their heartbreaking loss when they move into the fixer-upper bungalow on Whelk's Island. And although her children are the first to meet their shell collecting neighbor, they are hardly the only ones to benefit from the way Maeve rolls in like the tide to bring new joy to those around her. Maeve's own learning experiences with heartache and her gentle pull allow Amanda to open up and begin the process of learning to be who she is in this life after loss. Her experience in life and razor sharp intuition are a bountiful source of insight. Her care for the people around her is great, and I absolutely adore the way Naigle uses these relationships to express the precious treasure our elderly neighbors have to offer, if we will only open ourselves to the gifts that surround us.

Romance, restoration, and a fair amount of serendipity enter the story through Paul. Another Whelk's Island newcomer. A man who knows his own grief and struggle. And another beneficiary of Maeve's interest. The relationship between Amanda and Paul is a tenderly crafted element that shines beautifully to further illustrate our shell collector's ability to know true beauty when she sees it.

The Shell Collector by Nancy Naigle is available for pre-order now and releases May 11, 2021. Order now from your favorite local bookseller or online to get your sweet hands on this homey little tome as soon as it releases!

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Thank you to the author and the publisher 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 - The Paris Betrayal

I learned a very valuable lesson from The Gryphon Heist and Chasing the White Lion: When James R. Hannibal releases a new book, jump on it like it's a live grenade in a crowded square. This lesson served me well when Hannibal was looking for a street team for his upcoming release and I digitally raised my hand. *pick me! pick me!* And I did NOT embarrass my nephews in a public place when I was notified that I had been chosen, but they might tell you a different story. Speaking of a different story, I'll outline my conclusion for this one and then tell you how I got there. Are y'all ready for this?

I could tell you that I was hooked between Hannibal and Betrayal, but that would be judging a book by its cover. That made me want to read the synopsis, and that, my dears, was the hook in the nose. After an op in Rome goes sideways, Ben Calix returns to Paris to find himself under attack. His Company contacts have him pegged persona non grata. This is severance. The Director has closed the door on him, and Ben has no reasoning for what is happening. But one man is on the prowl and ready to scoop Ben into the folds of his own organization. Jupiter is poised and ready to welcome Ben with open arms, and the antidote to a plague of his own engineering.

The thing about Ben Calix, is that he knows he hasn't done anything to deserve severance. This is a set-up, and if he has been fed bad intel then he needs to find the right information and find a way to get it to the Director. Because it's the right thing to do, even if it is no longer his job. The action hits like a strike to the solar plexus followed by a series of rubber bullets to the kneecap and topped off with a KA-BAR hilt to the temple, but no worries, since you'll shake it off and beg for more. Why? Because Ben needs to push through to the answers and deliver them to the man who turned his back on Ben, but can still save the world.

You wouldn't know that the majority of the writing for The Paris Betrayal, including the threat of pandemic, was done before our world faced its own pandemic. I appreciate the work James R. Hannibal did to frame this masterpiece respectfully in light of what we've all experienced over the past year, but there's also no denying that our pandemic experiences make Jupiter's plot even more terrifying. And make you crave Ben's success maybe more than ever.

The Paris Betrayal by James R. Hannibal releases May 4, so you can preorder now to receive your copy as soon as it becomes available. Also, check out the super awesome preorder giveaway from James R. Hannibal, for all you super awesome preorder-ers!

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

Book Review - Miriam's Song

 There are a handful of authors who come to mind when I think of biblical fiction; Jill Eileen Smith, author of series like The Wives of King David and Wives of the Patriarchs, is high on that list for a very good reason. Smith has a knack for taking women who are briefly mentioned in the history of our faith and making them feel real to our generation. She does this once again in Miriam's Song, walking us through the life of the woman we tend to think of as Moses's sister without realizing what her reality may have looked like.

From the time of her famous brother's birth, throughout her life in Egypt and the time of their deliverance from the hands of Pharaoh, Miriam serves her people and her God with all that is in her. Still, her heart aches for more. He speaks to her in dreams, but she longs to meet Him face to face the way that He meets with Moses. The delicate handling of this complex situation is what singles Jill Eileen Smith from the crowd and makes Miriam's Song a must-read.

Miriam's Song is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online from the following:

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Thank you to 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 - Facing the Dawn

From the very beginning of Facing the Dawn, I felt like I could relate to Mara Jacobs. We both think we really ought to have it all together, and we both really don't have it all together. However, the main character of this novel by Cynthia Ruchti struggles with the weight of her family's world on her shoulders. A son prone to scrapes with the law, a daughter with a penchant for trouble, and the little boy of the family who struggles with more than a little boy should have to carry, all relying on Mara to keep the family afloat while their humanitarian dad is doing great things halfway around the world. When it all comes falling down around her ears, Mara finds that going through it alone isn't God's plan. Pushing through the wall of grief and the rippling consequences of her husband's death is a burden that Mara doesn't want to share. Being surrounded by people who love her carries her along the arduous path toward restoration.

I greatly appreciate the way the author carried the story. At times I felt that there would never be enough time left in the book for Mara's healing; I noticed that pages kept turning and still the journey was so slow that it could not possibly be accomplished by the time I ran out of text. I also appreciate the value of those who came alongside Mara to support her and who are supported by her, in spite of the fact that she seems to be depleted to the point of dysfunction. The story comes full circle in due time.

Facing the Dawn is currently available from your favorite local bookseller, or online from the following retailers:

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Thank you to 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 - Unknown Threat

US Secret Service Special Agent Luke Powell knows that his colleague and friend, Thad, was murdered. He knows that someone is targeting him and the rest of his team. He suspects that the events are linked, but he's too close to the situation to see the big picture. And the agents of the Raleigh RAIC are struggling to connect the dots while constantly dodging bullets. Enter FBI Special Agent Faith Malone. Sure, Luke and Faith work well together on interagency events, but Luke has very personal reasons not to trust the FBI and he can't keep his mind from wandering to unprofessional thoughts about Faith. How will they ever figure out who is targeting the Raleigh Secret Service agents? And how will Luke and Faith ever figure out what may or may not be going on between them?

Lynn H. Blackburn can craft romantic suspense that will utterly blow your mind, and she proves it again with the debut of her Defend and Protect series in Unknown Threat. Action and romance combine eloquently to give the perfect balance of "Oh-my-gravy" and "What-the-what?!?" I thought I had it all figured out about half a dozen times before I gave up trying and followed where she took me. Now I sit and anxiously await the release of the next book in the series, because we all know it will be amazing, too!

Unknown Threat by Lynn H. Blackburn is available now from your favorite local bookseller, or use the links below to order your copy online today.

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Thank you to 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.