The Redgrave Murders by A.L. Sowards

ABOUT THE  BOOK

Loss is inevitable, as Evie Hampton knows all too well. But despite losing her mother to cancer and her older brother to a war, she knows she’s one of the lucky ones. After all, she still has her father, a distinguished professor of medieval history. And she has Gary Redhawk, the man she loves despite the emotional scars he carries from the Second World War—and despite her father’s opposition to their relationship.

When a freak accident sends Evie’s car careening off the road, she chalks it up to poor maintenance, or sheer bad luck making another appearance in her life. Little does she know a host of hardships is just beginning—the car was her father’s, and the brake lines were deliberately cut. Someone wants them dead—but why? All fingers point to Gary, a man with a troubled past and no solid alibi, but Evie is unwilling to believe he’s involved. Determined to uncover the truth, she begins to piece together a startling picture of deception and vice. But as she closes in on the truth, it is clear that someone is determined to silence her—and the next attempt on her life may be a deadly success.

MY REVIEW

I really enjoyed the who done it!! It gave me a break in my normal reading genre. I also loved it because it was told in first person genre.

The author has done a really great job with the characters' emotions and in bringing them to life!! This is an actionpacked adventure if you're in the mood for such a read!! She makes you feel like you're really in the book!! I didn't want to leave but I had to. So sad. Hopefully there will be a sequal to this awesome book!! . 

Evie and Gary make a great team to find out who was creating havoc in their town. Even though back in those days if you dated anyone that was different was frowned upon. 

I really didn't care what Evie's dad thought. Sometimes I wanted to smack him. I thought her dad was an extremely narrow minded man. I don't care for people like that and that's what makes the relationship between Evie and her dad strained. It's such a shame really. My own dad was like that towards me as well. 

I thought Gary was perfect for her. He was kind, caring and always looking out for her. He was a war veteran. I never thought it was fair when the men went off to fight for our country that they never come back the same as when they left. There's really no telling what they've seen and found over seas. War is a cruel thing. I wish we didn't have them. 

I thought that it was great when Evie was there for him too. I think Evie is special in her own right. 

Have you ever met someone and you feel like you've know them for life? Evie is just such a person to me. I love characters like that don't you? 

I can't wait for ya'll to see what happens in this book!! You'll love the surprise!! 

I will be looking forward to more from this author.

I strongly recommend it and no compensations were received. All opinions are my own!! 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

I love books, so that makes Goodreads my favorite social media site. As a reader, I enjoy a variety of books. As a writer, I create historical novels with a wholesome mix of action, adventure, and romance. My novels include a Whitney Award winner and several Whitney finalists.

I grew up in Washington State, then came to Utah to attend BYU. I’m still in Utah, where I live with my husband, three children, and an ever-growing library. I'm usually reading a couple books at once and working on multiple writing projects too. Other than that, my life is pretty ordinary. I'm grateful for that. I'll let the characters in my books have all the adventures.

About My Goodreads Ratings: 

I joined Goodreads as a reader first, but since I’m an author too, I’ve made some changes to how I rate books. 5 star books are ones I enjoyed enough that I’d like to read them again. They’re books I connected with and highly recommend to others. 4 star books are good books that I thought were worth reading once, and they’re also recommended. If I can’t give a book at least 4 stars, I won’t rate it, but I may include more information in a review to help others decide if it’s a good choice for them. 

Yours Truly, Thomas

ABOUT THE BOOK

For three years, Penny Ercanbeck has been opening other people's mail. Dead ends are a reality for clerks at the Dead Letter Office. Still she dreams of something more--a bit of intrigue, a taste of romance, or at least a touch less loneliness. When a letter from a brokenhearted man to his one true love falls into her hands, Penny seizes this chance to do something heroic. It becomes her mission to place this lost letter into the hands of its intended recipient.

Thomas left his former life with no intention of ending up in Azure Springs, Iowa. He certainly didn't expect a happy ending after what he had done. All he wanted to do was run and never look back. In a moment of desperation, he began to write, never really expecting a reply.

When Penny's undertaking leads her to the intriguing man who touched her soul with his words, everything grows more complicated. She wants to find the rightful owner of the letter and yet she finds herself caring--perhaps too much--for the one who wrote it. 

MY REVIEW

Rachel has outdone herself on this one!! She has you hooked from page 1!

I'm really gonna have to say that I didn't want to come back to the present. I wanted to stay!! 

I didn't want to leave Penny, Thomas, Margaret and Honeysuckle.

I have to admit though that dog made me laugh until I cried! Silly dog!!

I do feel sorry for people like Penny's mother who is so very short sighted to see the wonderful daughter she has. Plus other wonderful things life has to offer.

Love is special. Love can be found in the most unusual places. Love can come softly or hit you full in the face so that you didn't know what hit you.

Forgiveness is important too. Forgiveness is more for yourself so that you can live in peace knowing that you did all you could do. If you don't it can eat you up from the inside out. The other person walks away and doesn't think twice!! I definitely learned this the hard way. I couldn't forgive my father until two years ago. I got tired of it eating me up on the inside and out. 

My father was a horrible man. I'm not sure what he really done but other ppl has told me and his words were hateful towards me.

So in a way he reminds me of Penny's mother.

I love the town of Azure Springs and it's people especially Margaret!! Margaret cracked me up.

Margaret should be a councilor if she was a real person. I feel like she wouldn't make fun or tell other people's secrets. She'd be a fun lady to get to know. I hope her story gets told!

I received this book from the publisher. No communication was received. All opinions are my own 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachel Fordham has long been fascinated by all things historical or in the words of her children “old stuff”. Often the historical trivia she discovers is woven into her children's bedtime tales. Despite her love for good stories she didn’t attempt writing a novel until her husband challenged her to do so (and now she’s so glad he did). Since that time she’s often been found typing or researching while her youngest child naps or frantically writing plot twists while she waits in the school pick-up line. In addition to her passion for storytelling she enjoys reading, being outdoors and seeing new places. Rachel lives with her husband and children on an island in Washington state.

Lulu's Cafe by T.i. Lowe

ABOUT THE BOOK

When a damaged young woman is given a chance to reclaim her life in a small South Carolina town, she must reckon with the dark secrets she left behind in order to accept the love she deserves.

On the run from a violent past, Leah Allen arrived in tiny Rivertown, South Carolina, battered and broken, but ready to reinvent herself. By a stroke of fate, Leah is drawn to the Southern hospitality of a small caf�, looking for a warm meal but finding so much more. Lulu, the owner, offers her a job, a place to stay and a new lease on life. Through Lulu's tenacious warmth and generosity, Leah quickly finds herself embraced by the quaint community as she tries to put herself back together. Given she's accustomed to cruelty, the kindness is overwhelming.

Soon Leah meets Crowley Mason, the most eligible bachelor in town. A lawyer and friend of Lulu's, Crowley is wary of Leah's sudden, mysterious arrival. Despite his reserve, something sparks between them that can't be denied. But after all she's been through, can Leah allow herself to truly love and be loved, especially when her first urge is to run?

Exploring the resiliency of both the heart and the spirit, Lulu's Caf� gorgeously illustrates how old scars can finally heal no matter how deep they seem.

MY REVIEW

This is a new author to me and I'm totally in love. I love love this book but I must say I was totally blown away as I've not read much about this subject. I feel like this could help another woman that is in this situation!! Well done T.I. !!

You have done an excellent job with this story and the characters.

Oh course we can leave out the grits and greens! Yuck!!! Even my husband says so!!

I'm so happy for Leah and by the way I love that name! It almost resembles my middle name Lee so I guess in a way you did use my name. I feel honored lol! But back to Leah I loved reading about her and how she changed for the better. 

But anyway, I loved the setting in which this story takes place. Beautiful!! 

Lulu is a wonderful person! I'd love to meet her in person ( I wish) because I'd love to get to know her. She's a kind, compassionate woman who loves to help others including Jessop ( snicker at some of the things he does until we learn his real story). You see, behind every person in this world there is a story. If we had a hundred Lulus' this world would be so much better off.

Then we have Crowley who's harboring secrets of his own as well. I love his personality. In some ways he reminds me of me. Always suspicious until you get to know someone because you don't know how they will act or if their true colors will come out. I totally "get" it.

I had fun reading this book because I felt like I was in the story flying right along with Leah and Crowley.

I cried in some places because in some places this story was very emotional. I had to put it down several times so that I could finish it.

I'm wondering how people could just do stuff to other people?

I do love the message the author has to offer though. There is hope at the end of a very long tunnel. Hope is everything. For some it is all we have left. Oh and I can't leave out Thankfulness for a loving God and a whole heap of wonderful Southern People!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale with no compensations received. All opinions are my own!!!

P.S. I highly recommend this book to everyone!! Y'all need to read this book and have some tissues on hand!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bestselling author T.I. Lowe sees herself as an ordinary country girl who loves to tell extraordinary stories. She knows she's just getting started and has many more stories to tell. A wife and mother and active in her church community, she resides in coastal South Carolina with her family.

For a complete list of Lowe's published books, biography, upcoming events, and other information, visit tilowe.com and be sure to check out her blog, COFFEE CUP, while you're there!

She would love to hear from you!! 

ti.lowe@yahoo.com

twitter: TiLowe

facebook: T.I. Lowe

My Dearest Dietrich by Amanda M. Barrett

ABOUT THE BOOK

A staggering love illuminating the dark corners of a Nazi prison

Renowned German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer is famous for his resistance to the Nazi regime and for his allegiance to God over government. But what few realize is that the last years of his life also held a love story that rivals any romance novel.

Maria von Wedemeyer knows the realities of war. Her beloved father and brother have both been killed on the battlefield. The last thing this spirited young woman needs is to fall for a man under constant surveillance by the Gestapo. How can she give another piece of her heart to a man so likely to share the same final fate? Yet when Dietrich Bonhoeffer, an old family friend, comes to comfort the von Wedemeyers after their losses, she discovers that love isn't always logical.

Dietrich himself has determined to keep his distance from romantic attachments. There is too much work to be done for God, and his involvement in the conspiracy is far too important. But when he encounters a woman whose intelligence and conviction match his own, he's unprepared for how easy it is to give away his heart.

With their deep love comes risk--and neither Dietrich nor Maria is prepared for just how great that risk soon becomes.

Based on detailed historical research and including photos from both Maria's and Dietrich's lives, this is a true love story at once beautiful and heartrending. My Dearest Dietrich sheds new light on a world-famous theologian . . . and the woman who changed his life.

MY REVIEW

I wanted to think about how I would do this review because I wanted to do this book justice.

I loved how Amanda has done her research and then how she was able to let the story flow from her pen and her heart. This story is truly from the heart.

The author has shown us that true love can come from anytime and anywhere and in this case it was the 2nd world war.

Maria and Dietrich were my two favorite characters. I love them for their bravery and willingness especially Dietrich to put themselves above and beyond to help others.

There was one kid I wanted to pound into the ground however what that kid was taught is the parents fault. Maybe I should pound the father into the ground? 

Maybe I should stop here before I really give it away. 

I did enjoy this book and I recommend it. I do recommend some tissues nearby. You'll need them!!

I received this book from the publisher/author with no compensations received. All opinions are my own

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

ECPA best-selling author Amanda Barratt fell in love with writing in grade school when she wrote her first story—a spinoff of Jane Eyre. Now, Amanda writes romantic, historical novels and novellas, penning stories of beauty and brokenness set against the backdrop of bygone eras not so very different from our own. Her novel My Dearest Dietrich: A Novel of Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Lost Love, releases from Kregel Publications in June 2019.

She’s also the author of My Heart Belongs in Niagara Falls, New York: Adele’s Journey, as well as seven novellas with Barbour Publishing. Two of her novellas have been finalists in the FHL Reader’s Choice Awards. 

Amanda lives in the woods of Michigan with her fabulous family, where she can be found reading way too many books, plotting her next novel, and jotting down imaginary travel itineraries for her dream vacation to Europe.

Connect with her on Facebook and visit her online at amandabarratt.net.

Summer by the Tides by Denise Hunter

ABOUT THE BOOK 

From the bestselling author of The Convenient Groom (now a beloved Hallmark Original movie) comes a heartfelt story of family secrets, forgiveness, and unexpected romance.

Following a painful betrayal, Maddy Monroe's love life is a wreck, and her restaurant career is in shambles. When her grandmother goes missing, she and her estranged sisters converge at the family beach house in Sea Haven, North Carolina. Being with uptight Nora and free-spirited Emma at the place where their family broke apart is a struggle, and undercurrents of jealousy and resentment threaten to pull the sisters under. In the midst of the storm, sparks begin to fly between Maddy and Gram's maddening neighbor, Connor Murphy.

As the sisters pack up the family belongings, memories of idyllic, slow-paced summers are resurrected. But long-buried secrets also come to light as Maddy discovers that all was not as it appeared that last summer in Sea Haven--nor today in the seemingly perfect lives of her sisters.

As family tensions rise and Connor causes tumult in Maddy's heart, the sisters must find a way to accept each other for the women they've become before the bitterness of the past destroys their hope for a future. 

MY REVIEW

This is late I know but I was saving this book for last. Man I loved this story!! 

You sure could feel the tension between the sisters which I kind of thought was dumb because it all happened some years ago. 

Denise is a wonderful storyteller and I do love her books. I love the way she slowly draws her reader in and before you know it the book is done!! 

I really enjoyed being at the beach and sailing with the characters and I loved going down memory lane with the sisters. I thought the memory lane part was kind of fun. 

I thought it was rather dirty what Grandma did but everyone does things in desperate situations I guess you'd call it that. Scaring everyone half to death!! I was even holding my breath about that one!

I admired Maddy because in a way, she reminds me of my father in law who was always trying to keep the peace in the family. Maddy is my girl. She's sensitive, smart and good at what she does. 

Nora is the sly one. I didn't really care for her much. I didn't like her attitude when the story first began. 

Emma and her pooch. I loved her pooch. I could picture in my mind what the little dog looked like and I even wanted to reach out and pet her!! ( The dog of course). 

Everyone has their ups and downs and these pair of sisters certainly have those!! Even Conner and we sure can't forget him! I mean, I couldn't have done all of that myself and in the end I think he finally realized he couldn't either

Fear is the biggest factor in our lives. Satan loves to make us fear! He also likes to make us do mean things to other people. He wants to control us. but, only if we let it,. God can prevail and help us in our times of trouble if we only turn to HIm. 

I think this is my favorite book by Denise Hunter and I've read a few. 

The cover certainly is inviting!! I probably wouldn't have any luck with the hammock. I'd be picking myself up off the ground until I got the hang of it or something!! 

I wish that I could give this book 5 stars or more though. I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley. No compensations were received and all opinions are my own!!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Denise Hunter is the award-winning author of more than 30 novels, including "The Convenient Groom" and "A December Bride", which have been made into Hallmark movies.

Denise writes heartwarming, small-town romances. Her readers enjoy the vicarious thrill of falling in love and the promise of a happily-ever-after sigh as they savor the final pages of her books. 

Denise and her husband live in Indiana, where they raised three sons, and are currently enjoying an empty nest. In 1996, Denise began her first novel, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her books contain a strong romantic element, and her husband says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too! 

The Pink Bonnet by Liz Tsolma

ABOUT THE BOOK

A Desperate Mother Searches for Her Child

Step into True Colors -- a new series of Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime

Widowed in Memphis during 1932, Cecile Dowd is struggling to provide for her three-year-old daughter. Unwittingly trusting a neighbor puts little Millie Mae into the clutches of Georgia Tann, corrupt Memphis Tennessee Children’s Home Society director suspected of the disappearance of hundreds of children. With the help of a sympathetic lawyer, the search for Millie uncovers a deep level of corruption that threatens their very lives.

 

How far will a mother go to find out what happened to her child?

MY REVIEW

I love reading a good book on a Sunday afternoon and this is no exception!!

What can I say except I love a fast paced book from the beginning.

You'll fall in love with Percy Vance and Cecile Dowd along with the poor children that are involved with this evil scheme.

I wanted to choke the life out of Willard and turn around and do the same thing to him!! Slimy man!!

Same with evil Miss Tann! I sure wouldn't want to come across her in a dark alley!! Or her cronies!!

Otherwise I'm not sure what to say except that I was completely floored in places of the book. I even had to pick my jaw up off the floor and in other parts I just shook my head when things happen.

My little heroin is Millie Mae. I love her stubborness and will power! I believe it's what helped her get through this mess!! I wanted to yank her out of the book and make her mine!! 

Sometimes I think the government takes children all for the wrong reasons and puts them in worse situations than they came out of.

Then there are the ones who really need but they don't do anything about it. So sad really.

There really wasn't anything that I didn't like about the book. Though I do wonder if that's how Joan Crawford adopted Christina and Christopher. 

This author has done a wonderful job on this story and I especially loved the historical tidbits at the end where she tells us how she came about her research for this particular story and yes I did learn something new that I didn't know before. 

It's why I love reading historical fiction.

Fans of Liz Tsolma will be sure to love this book!!

I received a complimentary copy from Barbour publishing in exchange for no compensations received. All opinions are my own!! 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Liz Tolsma has lived in Wisconsin most of her life, and she now resides next to a farm field with her husband, their son, and their two daughters. All of their children have been adopted internationally and one has special needs. Her novella, Under His Wings, appeared in the New York Times bestselling collection, A Log Cabin Christmas. Her debut novel, Snow on the Tulips, released in August of 2013. Daisies Are Forever released in May 2014. When not busy putting words to paper, she enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping with her family. Please visit her blog at www.liztolsma.blogspot.com and follow her on Facebook and Twitter (@LizTolsma). She is also a regular contributor to the Barn Door blog. 

Fire Storm by Nancy Mehl

ABOUT THE BOOK

FBI Profiler Kaely Quinn visits Nebraska to care for her ailing mother. She cant help but notice suspicious connections among a series of local fires, so she calls on her partner, Noah Hunter, to help find the arsonist. Together they unwittingly embark on a twisted path to a mad man who is determined his last heinous act will be Kaelys death.

MY REVIEW

I think this is by far the best Nancy Mehl book I have read so far beside her Mennonite series. 

This book is full of action packed and keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what would happen next and when you read this book you will actually be surprised to see who it actually was!! I know I was because I thought I had him pegged along with Kaely.

Kaely is a great detective or FBI agent. In a lot of ways she reminds me of my husband. A workaholic. I don't feel like your workforce defines who you are. McDonald's Tried to do it to me and I wouldn't let them. 

Kaely has some personal issues going on as well also a lot me and I'm sure the rest of us as well!

But overall, Kaely is stubborn like me and has to have her way especially in the workforce but I must admit she's good at what she does!!

I liked Noah too!

I could feel Noahs hesitancy throughout the book. In a lot of ways he's like me full of doubts and wanting to be protective of the ones he loves. I loved his and Kaelys' bantering back and forth and in some places I could actually see the flames and image what it must've been like. I can't say this story left me without a few nightmares but that's what made this story exciting right!!

I wanted a change of reading so I thought I'd give this book a try and I was not disappointed!! Well done Nancy Mehl now I need to read Mindgames!! But I have a feeling this one will be my favorite! 

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. No compensations were received 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nancy Mehl lives in Wichita, Kansas with her husband, Norman, and her very active puggle, Watson. First published in 2001, she has now authored nine books, including an omnibus mystery collection, Cozy in Kansas, which contains three of her previously published Ivy Towers mysteries. Book three in the series, For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls, won the American Christian Fiction Writers Mystery Book of the Year award. Nancys main writing interests lie in mystery although her new Harmony Series leans more toward the romantic suspense genre. Nancy runs a HUD program for the city of Wichita and is president of a volunteer organization, Wichita Homebound Outreach. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Kansas Authors Club. You can find out more about Nancy by visiting her Web site at: www.nancymehl.com"

The King's Mercy by Lori Benton

ABOUT THE BOOK

When captured rebel Scotsman Alex MacKinnon is granted the king's mercy--exile to the Colony of North Carolina--he's indentured to Englishman Edmund Carey as a blacksmith. Against his will Alex is drawn into the struggles of Carey's slaves--and those of his stepdaughter, Joanna Carey. A mistress with a servant's heart, Joanna is expected to wed her father's overseer, Phineas Reeves, but finds herself drawn instead to the new blacksmith. As their unlikely relationship deepens, successive tragedies strike the Careys. When blame falls unfairly upon Alex he flees to the distant mountains where he encounters Reverend Pauling, itinerate preacher and friend of the Careys, now a prisoner of the Cherokees. Haunted by his abandoning of Joanna, Alex tries to settle into life with the Cherokees, until circumstances thwart yet another attempt to forge his freedom and he's faced with the choice that's long hounded him: continue down his rebellious path or embrace the faith of a man like Pauling, whose freedom in Christ no man can steal. But the price of such mercy is total surrender, and perhaps Alex's very life.

MY REVIEW

A captivating book that will leave you hanging on until the very end! I just love love Lori's books!! I love how they leave you thinking about the book long after it ends! I know I know I keep repeat ing myself but hey! That's what i!I'm supposed to do right? Well, anyway I just enjoyed being talk back to that time and place and I kept wanting to scream at Joanna and wanting to beat Phineas up retched man!! I could imagine being and living on Severn. A beautiful place the way the author described it. I could actually hear Alex working in the blacksmith shop and all sorts of action going on! I think the thing I liked most was how Joanna stood up for what she believed in and stuck to her guns. I didn't think it was fair that she was forced to grow up but we have no control over what life deals is but we can choose how we deal with it. Alex is fascinating. From his accent right down to his body build if y'all know What I mean? lol! But seriously I enjoyed watching him change not the man I knew he could be! The reverend I thought was especially the best kind of person! I felt like he was the kind of friend that I can turn to if I wanted to tell deepest, darkest secret. If course if I actually had one! I love how he could look into your soul and without saying anything know what you're thinking before you say it! I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Waterbrook and Multnomah. No compensations were received and all opinions are my own! 

ABOUT THE AUHTOR

Lori Benton was born and raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American and family history going back to the 1600s. Her novels transport readers to the 18th century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history, creating a melting pot of characters drawn from both sides of a turbulent and shifting frontier, brought together in the bonds of God's transforming grace.

When she isn’t writing, reading, or researching 18th century history, Lori enjoys exploring the mountains with her husband.

Burning Sky, Lori's debut novel, was a finalist for the ECPA 2014 Christian Book Award, and winner of the 2014 Christy Award for First Novel, Historical, and Book of the Year.