Susan May Warren's When I Fall in Love ~ Reviewed

When I Fall in Love
Susan May Warren
Series: Christiansen Family
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (July 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1414378432

Description: 

Hawaii was the last place Grace Christiansen ever imagined she’d vacation, much less fall in love. But when her family surprises her with a cooking retreat in paradise, she is pulled―or maybe yanked―away from her predictable, safe life and thrown headfirst into the adventure of a lifetime.

Max Sharpe may make his living on the ice as a pro hockey player, but he feels most at home in the kitchen. Which is why he lives for the three-week culinary vacation he takes each year in Hawaii. Upon being paired with Grace for a cooking competition, Max finds himself drawn to her passion, confidence, and perseverance. But just when Grace dares to dream of a future beyond her hometown, Max pulls away.

Wrestling with personal demons, Max fights against opening his heart to a love he knows he should never hope for. And as his secrets unfold, Grace is torn between the safe path in front of her and what her heart truly desires. If love means sacrificing her ideal happily ever after, Grace’s faith will face its toughest test yet.

Review:

  When I Fall In Love is book three in a series about the Christiansen Family.  This story revolves around Grace Christiansen.  She is a homebody who is afraid to try new things, especially after her rejection from culinary school.  After catering her brother’s wedding, she is surprised to find out that the family has bought her a three week vacation in Hawaii to attend a culinary event.  Terrified of the thought of going alone, she initially refuses, until her sister, Eden, admits she wants her to go to gain more experience to cater her own wedding.  In the meantime, Eden’s fiancé, Jace, recruits his hockey playing friend, Max Sharpe, who goes to the same culinary event every year, to watch out for Grace.  Neither Max nor Grace are looking forward to meeting the other one, but when they do, there is an instant connection.  Their feelings begin to grow for each either, however, the secret Max is keeping may keep them apart forever.

                I LOVED this book!  After reading the first two, I began to feel invested in the Christiansen family.  It was exciting to see them back, to see what was happening with characters that were in the background before, and see the featured characters from other books go about their lives.  I can relate to Grace’s character a lot, being a homebody myself, afraid to take risks and not good with change.  Watching her character grow was inspiring to me.  

Reviewed by: Sarah Meyers

Dan Walsh's Keeping Christmas ~ Reviewed

Keeping Christmas
Dan Walsh
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Revell (September 1, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800721195
Description:

For the first time since their children were born, empty nesters Judith and Stan Winters spent Thanksgiving without the kids, and it's looking like Christmas will be the same. Judith can't bring herself to even start decorating for the holiday; her kids always hung the first ornaments on the tree, ornaments they had made each year since they were toddlers. Sure they were strange-looking--some could be called downright ugly--but they were tradition. A tradition she's heartbroken to miss this year.

With Judith refusing to decorate the bare spruce tree in their living room, Stan knows something must be done. And his only hope for saving the holiday is found in a box of handmade ornaments. 

Fan-favorite Dan Walsh invites readers to enjoy this nostalgic Christmas story that celebrates all of our most cherished seasonal traditions, especially the importance of family. Readers will join in remembering the things that make their own Christmas season so special.

Review: 

Dan Walsh is back doing what he does best, writing sweetly inspirational fiction that touches home with so many folks. 

In Keeping Christmas we go along for the bumpy ride of what to do when what you knew changes drastically.  Judith and Stan have faced their first Thanksgiving alone since becoming a family. All three of their grown children have moved away and, as many families face, the budgets are too tight to head home for the holiday. As Stan enjoys the minimal fuss and bustle, Judith slowly sinks into a depression. 

When they find out none of the kids can afford the trip back for Christmas it's all Stan can do to attempt to pull his wife out of her funk. Fortunately, a few good friends help and slowly Judith begins to feel a small stirring of hope again. 

This is one of those books that will appeal to those who snap up Walsh's books. Those seeking a warm, fuzzy, feel good read will likely adore the story as well. It's short and sweet enough for a cozy weekend read. 

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer

Carrie Stuart Parks's The Bones Will Speak ~ Reviewed

The Bones Will Speak by Carrie Stuart Parks
Series: A Gwen Marcey Novel (Book 2)
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (August 11, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1401690459



Description:

A killer with a penchant for torture has taken notice of forensic expert Gwen Marcey . . . and her daughter.

When Gwen Marcey’s dog comes home with a human skull and then leads her to a cabin in the woods near her Montana home, she realizes there’s a serial killer in her community. And when she finds a tortured young girl clinging to life on the cabin floor, she knows this killer is a lunatic.

Yet what unsettles Gwen most is that the victim looks uncannily like her daughter.

The search for the torturer leads back in time to a neo-Nazi bombing in Washington state—a bombing with only one connection to Montana: Gwen. The group has a race-not-grace model of salvation . . . and they’ve marked Gwen as a race traitor.

When it becomes clear that the killer has a score to settle, Gwen finds herself in a battle against time. She will have to use all of her forensic skills to find the killer before he can carry out his threat to destroy her—and the only family she has left.

Review:

Gwen, a forensic artist, is nearly recovered from a recent health crisis. One day while working in her yard her dog proudly trots over to her with a portion of a human skull. 

One grisly discovery soon leads to more until its certain that there is a serial killer on the loose. And once that chilling truth unfolds there is a similarity to his victims that makes Gwen's blood grow cold. 

Now fully aware that he is hunting her family, Gwen must act to save her life and her daughter from this monster. 

This is a gripping novel that was hard to put down. Not for the faint of heart or feathered friends because there are some seriously intense scenes in this book. I didn't read book one so it took me a few pages to get a feel for Gwen and the authors voice. After that it became a page turner. I do love a good procedural novel so the forensic details were an added bonus. If you love great suspense give this one a shot. 

This book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review. 

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer

Sandra Byrd's Mist of Midnight ~ Reviewed

Mist of Midnight: A Novel
by Sandra Byrd
Series: The Daughters of Hampshire
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Howard Books (March 10, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1476717869

Description: 

In the first of a brand-new series set in Victorian England, a young woman returns home from India after the death of her family to discover her identity and inheritance are challenged by the man who holds her future in his hands.

Rebecca Ravenshaw, daughter of missionaries, spent most of her life in India. Following the death of her family in the Indian Mutiny, Rebecca returns to claim her family estate in Hampshire, England. Upon her return, people are surprised to see her...and highly suspicious. Less than a year earlier, an imposter had arrived with an Indian servant and assumed not only Rebecca's name, but her home and incomes. 

That pretender died within months of her arrival; the servant fled to London as the young woman was hastily buried at midnight. The locals believe that perhaps she, Rebecca, is the real imposter. Her home and her father's investments reverted to a distant relative, the darkly charming Captain Luke Whitfield, who quickly took over. Against her best intentions, Rebecca begins to fall in love with Luke, but she is forced to question his motives—does he love her or does he just want Headbourne House? If Luke is simply after the property, as everyone suspects, will she suffer a similar fate as the first “Rebecca”? 

A captivating Gothic love story set against a backdrop of intrigue and danger, Mist of Midnight will leave you breathless.

Review:

Captivating from paragraph one, Mist of Midnight had me seeing a couple midnights I had no intention of staying up for. 

Written in a shrouded gothic tone, Mist of Midnight starts with the return of Rebecca Ravenshaw to her family estate. Now, this is a return that is already fragile as Rebecca is coming home from India where the rest of her family perished. She is a virtual stranger to England. When she arrives at her estate she discovers it occupied and that her arrival is met with suspicion. It seems that Rebecca Ravenshaw had already claimed the property and died a tragic not-to-be-talked about death. As days go on, Rebecca uncovers more puzzles and bizarre behaviors, even from the only one she begins to trust, Luke Whitfield, the man in line to inherit should Rebecca prove to be an imposter or show up dead.

Loved this. So dark and broody and outright creepy in places. My historical itch was fully scratched with the social shunning of Rebecca and the calculating folks who watched and waited for her to fail at her endeavor. The twists and turns in this tale offer up a great story in the process. If you love historicals and tense, rich writing with deep characterization you have to give this one a deeper look.

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer

Colleen Coble's The Inn at Ocean's Edge ~ Reviewed

The Inn at Ocean's Edge (A Sunset Cove Novel)
by Colleen Coble
Series: A Sunset Cove Novel (Book 1)
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (April 14, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1401690262


Description: 

Claire’s visit to a luxury hotel in Maine awakens repressed memories, threatening all she holds dear.

In 1989, Claire Dellamare disappeared from her own fourth birthday party at the Hotel Tourmaline on the island of Folly Shoals, Maine. She showed up a year later at the same hotel, with a note pinned to her dress but no explanation. Nobody knows where Claire spent that year—and until now, Claire didn’t even know she had ever been missing.

But when Claire returns to the Hotel Tourmaline for a business meeting with her CEO father, disturbing memories begin to surface . . . despite her parents’ best efforts to keep them forgotten.

Luke Rocco lost his mother under equally mysterious circumstances—at the same time Claire disappeared. After a chance encounter reveals the unlikely link between them, Claire and Luke set out together to uncover the truth about what happened that fateful year.

With flashbacks swimming just beneath her consciousness and a murderer threatening her safety, Claire’s very life depends on unscrambling her past . . . even if her family refuses to acknowledge it. Someone—maybe everyone—is hiding something from Claire Dellamare, and it will cost her everything to drag the truth out into the light.

Review: 

Colleen Coble has crafted quite the twisted tale in this novel.

Claire Dellamare, high powered heiress, steps into a world that feels freakishly familiar when she surprises her father to help him close on an important deal. After a panic attack upon entering the lobby of the Hotel Tourmaline Claire convinces herself that she is overreacting. But then the details about her past begin to unfurl. When she witnesses a murder that few believe even happened she finds herself a suspect and in danger. The mystery deepens as does the danger. Claire finds herself trusting Luke, the handsome local who wonders if she has suppressed memories important to him as well as her own memories of what happened that fateful night his mother disappeared.

This is a fast moving novel with intense drama within the first few pages. The tension does not let up as the reader finds out more and more surrounding the mystery that seems to tie Claire to Luke's mother.

I generally like my fiction to move a little slower paced, but found I was compelled to go along for the ride. As I tried to put all the puzzle pieces together with the mystery of what happened to Claire, I got caught up with the characters as they helped me meet my goal. This novel would be a terrific summer read. Even on a sandy beach, if you dare.

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer

Beth Wiseman's The Promise ~ Reviewed

• 
  The Promise
  Beth Wiseman
  Paperback: 320 pages
  Publisher: Thomas Nelson (September 30, 2014)
  Language: English
  ISBN-10: 1401685951
  
  
  Description:
  
  
  
  
  Mallory’s search for happiness leads her to a faraway place. There she finds heartache, betrayal—and danger.
  
  Mallory Hammond is determined that no one will stand in the way of her goal—to save a life. She had that chance years ago, and she failed to take it, leaving her adrift and in search of the real meaning of her life. Finally, she meets a man online from a volatile corner of the world who offers her the chance to find that purpose. But she will have to leave everyone she loves behind in order to take it.

Tate Webber has loved Mallory for many years. He understands that Mallory will never be happy with him until her deepest heart’s desire is satisfied. When Mallory decides to travel across the world to fulfi ll her dreams, Tate begs her not to go but tries to give her the space she needs. Mallory embarks on her dangerous journey only to discover how swiftly and easily promises can be broken. And Mallory can only pray that she will make it out alive.

Inspired by actual events, The Promise is a riveting love story that asks the question: how far will we go for love?

Review:

Mallory struggles to find herself and a god she can trust while driven by an old promise to save someone's life. This passion has placed her in the right place at the right time to do just that. 

All it will take is a small financial sacrifice, a few weeks out of her life and the willingness to trust a kind relative of her boss, far, far from home. 

Against the advice of all those who care about her, Mallory steps onto a plane and into a nightmare. 

The Promise is a page turner. One of those where I felt compelled to sit down with Mallory and have a heart to heart. But her stubborn desire to do good would've left me as frustrated as her friends and family. The chilling part of this is that Mallory's story is based on true stories of women who have found themselves in similar situations. Definitely consider reading this novel if you are at all intrigued by Mallory's story or the story behind the story. 

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer

Susan May Warren's Always On My Mind ~ Reviewed

Always on My Mind (Christiansen Family Book 4)
Susan May Warren (Author)
Print Length: 400 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (December 18, 2014)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00LPQLIKY


Description:
After a failed dig in Honduras, aspiring archaeologist Casper Christiansen heads home to Minnesota to face his unresolved feelings for Raina Beaumont, the woman of his dreams. But when he arrives unannounced on her doorstep, he receives the shock of a lifetime: Raina is pregnant with someone else’s baby.

Heartbroken, especially when he discovers the identity of the baby’s father, Casper tables his dreams and determines to be dependable for once, helping his older brother, Darek, prepare the family resort for its grand reopening. Casper longs to be the hero of at least one family story, but a never-ending Deep Haven winter and costly repairs threaten their efforts—and the future of the resort.

Worse, one of Casper’s new jobs constantly brings him into contact with Raina, whom he can’t seem to forget. A tentative friendship begins to heal fresh wounds, but can they possibly overcome past mistakes and current choices to discover a future together?


Review:

I am a fan of novels by Susan May Warren. I enjoy her stories and her writing. Always on My Mind is the 4th book in the Christiansen Family novel series. I have not read the first three books so I was a little reluctant about reading this one. But even though this is a continuing story about the Christiansen family, I was able to enjoy this one by itself. The author is skillful at weaving in important details from past novels so that you understand the story. In this story, Caspar Christiansen has been away to an island near Honduras treasure hunting but also running away from issues back home. He decides to return and confront the woman he loves and find out if he has a chance with her. But he is shocked when he finds out the condition Raina is in and what her plans are. The story explores Casper and Raina’s feelings for each other and whether or not they will ever have a chance. Also, all the relationships within the Christian family are involved to some degree. The author does a good job of juggling lots of characters yet keeping the story going. There is also a mystery from the past, which is shared through a diary Raina finds. So there is a parallel story that is told along with Raina's own story. Raina has some deep wounds she is running from. Will she make the wrong decision about which man to love? Will Caspar be able to accept the choices she has made? Will they solve the local mystery by following clues in Aggie’s diary? What about Caspar’s older brother, Darek? Will he make a decision that could hurt his family?

   

I enjoyed reading how Caspar handles his own feelings and struggles by learning to pray and ask God’s help as he goes. This is a story about people of faith but they are shown as real people who struggle as we all do. They make mistakes, learn from them and grow. I got bogged down at one point in the story because of a charsacter I didn’t like but that could be a sign of good writing. I am glad I finished reading the book. It is well written and has elements of romance, friendship, mystery, faith, abusive relationships, pregnancy, sibling relationships and adventure. It even has a little bit of historical fiction shown through Aggie’s diary and other historical finds. At the heart of the story is a message about God’s unconditional love and how His grace can redeem any situation. I think anyone who is a fan of contemporary romance will enjoy this story.

I received a copy of Always On My Mind to review but I was under no obligation to give a positive review.

Reviewed by: Susan Aken

Serena Miller's Fearless Hope ~ Reviewed

Fearless Hope: A Novel Paperback
by Serena B. Miller (Author)
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Howard Books (April 8, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1451660375

Description:

When an Amish woman falls for the New York crime writer who buys her family farm, she must decide whether to follow the longings of her heart or the rules of her faith.

When Hope Yoder loses her husband, she is left trying to support her two small children—and one on the way—however she can. She ends up taking a job as a part-time housekeeper for the Englisch man who has bought the farm that once belonged to her family. 

Logan Parker is a bestselling crime fiction writer from New York City who accompanies his fiancée on a trip to Holmes County, Ohio, but the trip takes a strange turn when he sees an Amish farmhouse for sale. Intrigued by a strong sense of familiarity, he enters the house and is overcome with a feeling of deep peace. He’s never been to Ohio before, but something in this house feels right, and he purchases the farm to use as a retreat. Something about the peacefulness of the house frees him from the crippling writer’s block that threatens to ruin his career, and something about the quiet Amish woman who comes to clean his home makes him less and less excited about returning to New York and the woman he is supposed to marry. 

Slowly, Logan and Hope are drawn together, and when they discover that they share a strange past, they must decide how that affects their future. Will Hope overcome her fear of embracing love again?

Review: 

Fearless Hope tells us about a young Amish woman named Hope Yoder. Her husband is tragically killed by a bull, leaving her with two young children and one on the way. Not wanting to take Alms from the community, she puts out an advertisement as a housekeeper. Meanwhile, Logan Parker, a bestselling fiction writer from New York, is going through a dry spell, and after a visit in Holmes County, buys a home that used to belong to Hope's family, hoping to find rest from the hustle and bustle of New York, and hopefully to overcome the writer's block he has been experiencing. After a chance meeting, he hires her as his housekeeper, and they settle into a routine. Obviously, they begin to develop feelings for each other. Even more strangely, Logan keeps having a sense of deja vu, on top of a strange sense of peace, like he's been to this community before. As they begin to grow closer, pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place, revealing secrets that have been kept from Logan for most of his life.

I had a hard time putting this book down. I believe it was part of a series, and I had not read the previous books, however, that didn't make it difficult to get into this story. At times, I would get caught up in the everyday parts of the story and forget that there was an underlying mystery to be solved and that would pique my interest anew each time. I really enjoyed this book and how it ended, and the tone of forgiveness by the people in it.

Reviewed by: Sarah Meyers

Julie Klassen"s The Secret of Pembrooke Park ~ Reviewed

The Secret of Pembrooke Park

By Julie Klassen

Bethany 2014

ISBN 0764210718

BACK COVER:

Abigail Foster fears she will end up a spinster, especially as she has little dowry to improve her charms and the one man she thought might marry her--a longtime friend--has fallen for her younger, prettier sister. 

When financial problems force her family to sell their London home, a strange solicitor arrives with an astounding offer: the use of a distant manor house abandoned for eighteen years. The Fosters journey to imposing Pembrooke Park and are startled to find it entombed as it was abruptly left: tea cups encrusted with dry tea, moth-eaten clothes in wardrobes, a doll's house left mid-play . . . 

The handsome local curate welcomes them, but though he and his family seem to know something about the manor's past, the only information they offer Abigail is a warning: Beware trespassers who may be drawn by rumors that Pembrooke contains a secret room filled with treasure. 

Hoping to improve her family's financial situation, Abigail surreptitiously searches for the hidden room, but the arrival of anonymous letters addressed to her, with clues about the room and the past, bring discoveries even more startling. As secrets come to light, will Abigail find the treasure and love she seeks...or very real danger?

MY REVIEW:

Warning: stock your freezer with frozen pizzas because you won’t be feeding your family until you’ve finished this book.

THE SECRET OF PEMBROOKE PARK is by far the finest to date of author Julie Klassen’s novels. Danger. Love. Intrigue. A mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end. You’ll find all the ingredients of a historical romance with a gothic flair in this latest release.

Heroine Abigail Foster struggles with feelings of self-worth, magnified by her younger sister’s beauty. When an opportunity presents itself for her to depart from family for awhile and prepare a country home for their residence, she jumps on it. In the process, she discovers a house full of mystery. . . and a very handsome curate to help the solve the puzzle.

William Chapman is everything a hero should be. Compassionate. Trustworthy. Big biceps. More than that, though, he truly cares about the souls of his parish, Abigail’s included. 

Which makes it even harder for Abigail to choose when the former love of her life shows up. Don’t worry. I won’t give anything away. You’ll have to wonder like I did until nearly the end of the story.

PEMBROOKE PARK is a fantastic tale, sure to make you drop all your responsibilities and hole up on the couch for a few days. Plan ahead and have plenty of tea and scones available, because seriously, you will NOT put this one down.

Reviewed by: Michelle Griep