Misery Loves Company by Rene Gutteridge was my "surprise book" so far this year. I knew the author was good and the synopsis of the book sounded right up my alley of suspense fiction. As I started reading it, I wasn't sure that I had made the right decision, then... I hit the part of the book that was the hooker and kept me reading, trying to figure out who and just what was happening.
The main character, Jules is mourning the death of her police officer husband and rarely leaves her house. She loves to write reviews on her blog and has a large following. That seems to satisfy her since she feels she cannot write a book with the talent she feels she is lacking. She is at the grocery store and sees her favorite author, Patrick Reagan who is also a recluse. She has read all his books but has not favorably reviewed his last three. Plot shifts, Jules finds herself in a strange room with a splitting headache and realizes she has been kidnapped, but by whom and why. As she looks up, on the ceiling of the room are the words-Don't tell me it's terrifying. Terrify me. Those were not just any words, they were the words she had written on her blog. She is being held captive by Patrick for a reason which he will not tell her and he even tells her that her husband's death was not an accident. Jules is terrified, but does she have a reason to be? That is what keeps you reading and guessing. She and Patrick share lots of things, especially about God. Loved this part when she is talking to Patrick. My husband told me that God is invisible so we won't search for Him with out eyes. So we'll depend less on what seems concrete and more on the faith it takes to see without our eyes. And then when we see Him, we'll know we've been seen"
The storyline is strong with chapters going back and forth from Jules and Patrick to those trying to find out where she is before it's too late. Loved learning more about how authors observe their world, and how their heads put it all together for the reader.
As I said in the beginning, this was a great surprise and one book I will reread to highlight the "nuggets" that the author dispersed throughout the book. Please pick this up to read--you will be surprised by it also.
Thanks to Tyndale Publishers for this free copy just for my honest opinion.
-- Grace Elizabeth --
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Sweet Mercy
Sweet Mercy by Ann Tatlock is just what the title suggests, it is one "sweet" story that I am thankful I requested to read. I have read other books by Ann Tatlock and have not been disappointed and I was mesmerized by this book.
The story takes place back in 1931 when times were very different, since it is set during the Great Depression and Prohibition. Eve Maaryat lives in St. Paul Minnesota and thrilled to move to Ohio when her dad loses his job with Ford Motor Company. They get to live with her uncle at his Maaryat Island Ballroom and Lodge where her father will work and the family will help out. Eve believes she will leave all the gangsters in Minnesota and will find "good people" and this will be a "safe haven" for her family. She soon will encounter an interesting mix of people and will forge an unlikely friendship with a strange young man-Link. Now comes the interesting part of the story-Eve finds out things and people are not what they appear to be. Will she risk exposing people and force her family to make more decisions? Can't say anymore without giving a good part of the storyline away. I was totally surprised when the ending was coming-never saw where the story was heading.
This is one story I will read again-it was that good. It was also a story set in-some ways-simpler times and just made for an interesting read. Love when these "sweet" stories really turn out "sweet". Make sure this book is on your summer reading list.
Thanks to Bethany House for sending me this book for free just for my honest opinion.
The story takes place back in 1931 when times were very different, since it is set during the Great Depression and Prohibition. Eve Maaryat lives in St. Paul Minnesota and thrilled to move to Ohio when her dad loses his job with Ford Motor Company. They get to live with her uncle at his Maaryat Island Ballroom and Lodge where her father will work and the family will help out. Eve believes she will leave all the gangsters in Minnesota and will find "good people" and this will be a "safe haven" for her family. She soon will encounter an interesting mix of people and will forge an unlikely friendship with a strange young man-Link. Now comes the interesting part of the story-Eve finds out things and people are not what they appear to be. Will she risk exposing people and force her family to make more decisions? Can't say anymore without giving a good part of the storyline away. I was totally surprised when the ending was coming-never saw where the story was heading.
This is one story I will read again-it was that good. It was also a story set in-some ways-simpler times and just made for an interesting read. Love when these "sweet" stories really turn out "sweet". Make sure this book is on your summer reading list.
Thanks to Bethany House for sending me this book for free just for my honest opinion.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Afloat
This review of Afloat by Erin Healy is a hard one to write. She has been one of my top favorite writers and I have read everything she has written and loved them until now. The teaser to the book really tweaked my curiosity and requested this book.
I don't really know where to start this review since most of my reviews are very positive and I have loved the book. The storyline centers on and interesting project of apartments floating in the cove of a river. It is to be a wonderful idea and an investors dream. A sinkhole happens and the problems begin. Rain and lots of rain flood the cove and the people who are not dead are left and cut off from everyone. How will they survive and is this the end of the world? The ones left are very divided on how to survive and get to land. There is the developer, project engineer, single mom and her son and others who all have different ideas on rescue.
Add to the storyline-power failure, daytime darkness, explosions, murder and dark histories.
I realize this book was to be about the supernatural possibilities and the human spirit but it left me not really ever figuring out who was who and what was what. The storyline jumped from plot to plot and I never felt the character development happened. I did like the character Zeke and how he related to Vance. Seemed like the most Christian part of the book. In the story the young son saw beautiful shining lights in the dark ocean. I felt the author never explained these and I never did understand what they were. It seemed the story had good intentions but never really "happened" and the ending just left me glad it was over.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson for sending me this book for free just for my honest opinion.
I don't really know where to start this review since most of my reviews are very positive and I have loved the book. The storyline centers on and interesting project of apartments floating in the cove of a river. It is to be a wonderful idea and an investors dream. A sinkhole happens and the problems begin. Rain and lots of rain flood the cove and the people who are not dead are left and cut off from everyone. How will they survive and is this the end of the world? The ones left are very divided on how to survive and get to land. There is the developer, project engineer, single mom and her son and others who all have different ideas on rescue.
Add to the storyline-power failure, daytime darkness, explosions, murder and dark histories.
I realize this book was to be about the supernatural possibilities and the human spirit but it left me not really ever figuring out who was who and what was what. The storyline jumped from plot to plot and I never felt the character development happened. I did like the character Zeke and how he related to Vance. Seemed like the most Christian part of the book. In the story the young son saw beautiful shining lights in the dark ocean. I felt the author never explained these and I never did understand what they were. It seemed the story had good intentions but never really "happened" and the ending just left me glad it was over.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson for sending me this book for free just for my honest opinion.
Gone South
This review is not a glowing account of how I liked this book. I absolutely loved Meg Mosely's first book
and was thrilled to get this book to review. I really thought that I would love this book, but it fell short in so many areas of me liking it and just being able to finish it.
The storyline evolves around Tish McComb who is single with her dreams of marriage and family killed when her fiance was killed five years ago, She is going about in a dead end job and has the opportunity to buy her
great-great-great grandparents' Civil War house in Noble Alabama. The only problem is, she is a northerner and her grandparents were not "the best of people" and there is a lot of animosity toward Tish. Two people come to her aid-a local antique dealer willing to give her a chance and a prodigal looking for acceptance.
These are the three main characters in the story with the plot weaving from each to each which left me totally bored and waiting for "something" to happen with the storyline. Unfortunately for me, it never materialized and I hung in till the end and felt relief when I finally ended this book.
I am not one usually to find fault with the books I read-I love Christian fiction and enjoy a good plot that holds my interest and I hope her next book is one that fits that criteria for me.
Thanks to Waterbrook for sending me this free copy for my honest opinion.
and was thrilled to get this book to review. I really thought that I would love this book, but it fell short in so many areas of me liking it and just being able to finish it.
The storyline evolves around Tish McComb who is single with her dreams of marriage and family killed when her fiance was killed five years ago, She is going about in a dead end job and has the opportunity to buy her
great-great-great grandparents' Civil War house in Noble Alabama. The only problem is, she is a northerner and her grandparents were not "the best of people" and there is a lot of animosity toward Tish. Two people come to her aid-a local antique dealer willing to give her a chance and a prodigal looking for acceptance.
These are the three main characters in the story with the plot weaving from each to each which left me totally bored and waiting for "something" to happen with the storyline. Unfortunately for me, it never materialized and I hung in till the end and felt relief when I finally ended this book.
I am not one usually to find fault with the books I read-I love Christian fiction and enjoy a good plot that holds my interest and I hope her next book is one that fits that criteria for me.
Thanks to Waterbrook for sending me this free copy for my honest opinion.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Shattered
I loved book one of the Alaskan Courage series and could not wait till number two came out. It was well worth the wait!!. Fantastic read. This book was one I could not put down (not many happen like that) and it was one book I did not want to end.
Piper McKenna's brother shows up at her house with blood covering him. A woman has been murdered and her brother Reef is the main suspect. Her brother has been gone and now with his return, he is charged with murder. Piper is determined to find the killer and protect Reef. Enter-Landon Grainger who loves the McKenna family and is falling in love with Piper throughout the investigation. Lots of different story lines with each of the McKenna's which kept the book so interesting. That is just a snippet of what the story is about. There are so much twists and turns and you think you have it figured out-then something else changes. Dani Pettrey has weaved a masterful storyline full of interesting characters, family squabbles, great suspense, romance and a wonderful blend of Christian forgiveness and thoughts by Piper. Cannot wait for number 3-it will be another winner.
Thank you to Bethany House for this free copy for my honest opinion.
Piper McKenna's brother shows up at her house with blood covering him. A woman has been murdered and her brother Reef is the main suspect. Her brother has been gone and now with his return, he is charged with murder. Piper is determined to find the killer and protect Reef. Enter-Landon Grainger who loves the McKenna family and is falling in love with Piper throughout the investigation. Lots of different story lines with each of the McKenna's which kept the book so interesting. That is just a snippet of what the story is about. There are so much twists and turns and you think you have it figured out-then something else changes. Dani Pettrey has weaved a masterful storyline full of interesting characters, family squabbles, great suspense, romance and a wonderful blend of Christian forgiveness and thoughts by Piper. Cannot wait for number 3-it will be another winner.
Thank you to Bethany House for this free copy for my honest opinion.
Avenged
Finished number 3 in the Pacific Coast Justice series and this too was a "winner". I have enjoyed each one of Janice Cantore's books immensely. She is a retired police officer and her books hint at the type of work she did and I can see Carly Edwards as her in these books. They are written to entertain as well as show you the backstage of law enforcement and she throws in suspense to boot.
Carly Edwards comes upon three gangbangers shot execution style and fears that her city might be on the verge of a gang war. To compound the tension Carly finds weapons from a gang leader and finds out they were stolen from a military base. She and her husband Nick, head of the gang unit, are trying to find out the culprits behind all of these problems. In her investigation, her reputation is questioned by a reporter trying to discredit her professionally.
I found myself thinking I knew the culprit, then he was murdered off, so I went after another one and guessed wrong again. Loved the cat and mouse of the storyline, but loved that Carly's faith and trust in God had grown since the last book. She was fighting God for control in her life and finally figured out to "let go and let God". Loved how Nick and Carly have grown as individuals and a couple since the last book. I hate to see this series end since Nick and Carly were such great characters with lots of flaws that all of us have. Pick up her Pacific Coast Justice series and you will not be disappointed-promise
Thanks to Tyndale publishers for this free copy for my honest opinion.
Carly Edwards comes upon three gangbangers shot execution style and fears that her city might be on the verge of a gang war. To compound the tension Carly finds weapons from a gang leader and finds out they were stolen from a military base. She and her husband Nick, head of the gang unit, are trying to find out the culprits behind all of these problems. In her investigation, her reputation is questioned by a reporter trying to discredit her professionally.
I found myself thinking I knew the culprit, then he was murdered off, so I went after another one and guessed wrong again. Loved the cat and mouse of the storyline, but loved that Carly's faith and trust in God had grown since the last book. She was fighting God for control in her life and finally figured out to "let go and let God". Loved how Nick and Carly have grown as individuals and a couple since the last book. I hate to see this series end since Nick and Carly were such great characters with lots of flaws that all of us have. Pick up her Pacific Coast Justice series and you will not be disappointed-promise
Thanks to Tyndale publishers for this free copy for my honest opinion.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
A Matter of Trust
There are your favorite authors that can't write fast enough. Lis Wiehl is one of my favorites and was thrilled to see she had written a new book. She keeps getting better and better with each book. This is one of the best suspense books I have read.
This is a Mia Quinn mystery. The storyline starts with a intriguing murder that sets this book into many plots, twists and remarkable characters. Mia is talking with a friend from the prosecutors office and hears a gunshot over the phone. She realizes her colleague is dying and heads over there while her son stays on the phone in case she says anything-bad idea. She wants to head up the murder investigation but with so much on her plate she needs help and the storyline unfolds. Mia is a new widow with lots of debts, troubled teenage son, a four year old who wakes up screaming at night and just trying to keep her job. As they dig deeper, more complications unfold and she finds herself a target.
I was so absorbed by this story and the different themes. She touched on being a successful prosecutor, trying to be a mom and holding it all together. Appearances can be deceiving and Mia learns this from the strong characters throughout the book. This is one book I will keep and cannot wait for the sequel. Please Lis-write faster!
Thanks to Thomas Nelson for this free copy for my honest opinion.
This is a Mia Quinn mystery. The storyline starts with a intriguing murder that sets this book into many plots, twists and remarkable characters. Mia is talking with a friend from the prosecutors office and hears a gunshot over the phone. She realizes her colleague is dying and heads over there while her son stays on the phone in case she says anything-bad idea. She wants to head up the murder investigation but with so much on her plate she needs help and the storyline unfolds. Mia is a new widow with lots of debts, troubled teenage son, a four year old who wakes up screaming at night and just trying to keep her job. As they dig deeper, more complications unfold and she finds herself a target.
I was so absorbed by this story and the different themes. She touched on being a successful prosecutor, trying to be a mom and holding it all together. Appearances can be deceiving and Mia learns this from the strong characters throughout the book. This is one book I will keep and cannot wait for the sequel. Please Lis-write faster!
Thanks to Thomas Nelson for this free copy for my honest opinion.