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Book Review: A Light on The Hill

10 Jan

I lead a Bible study/book club at my church. We discuss a scripture topic for 2-3 weeks and then we have a book club night in which we discuss a novel inspired by the particular Bible story/scripture/or character that we have studied. It’s a great way to combine a love of reading with the truths that form its foundation. This month we are looking at the Cities of Refuge as described in Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Joshua and discussing A Light on The Hill by Connilyn Cossette. Cossette’s book/series is what inspired me to explore this topic. Another reason to read Biblical fiction — an impetus to go deeper into God’s word. 🙂 All the details on the book and my thoughts are below.

Seven years ago, Moriyah was taken captive in Jericho and branded with the mark of the Canaanite gods. Now the Israelites are experiencing peace in their new land, but Moriyah has yet to find her own peace. Because of the shameful mark on her face, she hides behind her veil at all times and the disdain of the townspeople keeps her from socializing. And marriage prospects were out of the question . . . until now.

Her father has found someone to marry her, and she hopes to use her love of cooking to impress the man and his motherless sons. But when things go horribly wrong, Moriyah is forced to flee. Seeking safety at one of the newly-established Levitical cities of refuge, she is wildly unprepared for the dangers she will face, and the enemies–and unexpected allies–she will encounter on her way.

Connilyn Cossette is a Christy Award and Carol Award winning author whose books have been found on both ECPA and CBA bestseller lists. When she is not engulfed in the happy chaos of homeschooling two teenagers, devouring books whole, or avoiding housework, she can be found digging into the rich ancient world of the Bible to discover gems of grace that point to Jesus and weaving them into an immersive fiction experience. Although she and her husband have lived all over the country in their twenty-plus years of marriage, they currently call a little town south of Dallas, Texas their home.

My Impressions:

A Light on The Hill is the first book in the Cities of Refuge series. While some of the characters were part of Cossette’s Out from Egypt series, it is not necessary to have read those books. Inspired by scripture found in Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Joshua, the novel centers on Moriyah, a young unmarried Jewish woman who hides behind a veil and in the safety of her home after being branded by a Canaanite priest. Moriyah believes she has sheltered herself and her family from judgment and shame. This novel takes Moriyah on a journey of discovery as she seeks to flee danger. While some of her adventures seemed a bit far-fetched, they showed the culture, geography, and customs of Israel and Canaan following Israel’s conquest. I really liked the historical details that Cossette introduced, including the foods! Moriyah grows considerably during her trials and discovers that the only real refuge that can be trusted is within God’s care.

The Biblical message is strong, this is a Biblical novel after all. The law of Moses discussed in this book is interesting and pertaining to Moriyah’s circumstances, a bit foreign for a modern reader. But the Old Testament always points to Jesus, and this book’s depiction of the Cities of Refuge — their purpose and meaning — opened up a new understanding of Jesus as our spiritual refuge and his role as High Priest. There’s also romance and suspense that will appeal to the modern reader.

I very much enjoyed A Light on The Hill and look forward to discussing it with my book club. By the way, there are excellent discussion questions included.

Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(I purchased this book from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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Audiobook Mini-Review — Winter Solstice

7 Jan

Winter Solstice by Rosamund Pilcher was the December/January selection for one of my book clubs. We opted to take a break in December and have 2 months to read the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook version. It was a nice accompaniment to holiday chores. I actually took a break from listening before Christmas and began anew after the New Year. It’s an easy book, but one with heartfelt moments. Recommended. (Please note: this is a general market novel containing some adult situations. By and large, I found it a clean read.)

In Winter Solstice Rosamunde Pilcher brings her readers into the lives of five very different people….

Elfrida Phipps, once of London’s stage, moved to the English village of Dibton in hopes of making a new life for herself. Gradually she settled into the comfortable familiarity of village life — shopkeepers knowing her tastes, neighbors calling her by name — still she finds herself lonely. 

Oscar Blundell gave up his life as a musician in order to marry Gloria. They have a beautiful daughter, Francesca, and it is only because of their little girl that Oscar views his sacrificed career as worthwhile. 

Carrie returns from Australia at the end of an ill-fated affair with a married man to find her mother and aunt sharing a home and squabbling endlessly. With Christmas approaching, Carrie agrees to look after her aunt’s awkward and quiet teenage daughter, Lucy, so that her mother might enjoy a romantic fling in America.

Sam Howard is trying to pull his life back together after his wife has left him for another. He is without home and without roots, all he has is his job. Business takes him to northern Scotland, where he falls in love with the lush, craggy landscape and set his sights on a house.

It is the strange rippling effects of a tragedy that will bring these five characters together in a large, neglected estate house near the Scottish fishing town of Creagan. 

It is in this house, on the shortest day of the year, that the lives of five people will come together and be forever changed. Rosamunde Pilcher’s long-awaited return to the page will warm the hearts of readers both old and new. Winter Solstice is a novel of love, loyalty and rebirth.

My Impressions:

I very much enjoyed Winter Solstice by Rosamund Pilcher and found it to be a great choice for my December reading. While it really isn’t a Christmas book, meaning there is no faith message pointing to Christ’s birth, it is a book of new beginnings in the midst of a cold, dark winter. The setting is primarily Scotland in December, although there is back story for two of the main characters, Elfrida and Oscar, that takes place in the months leading up to the main part of the book. Pilcher did an excellent job in her description of the small Scottish town located near a firth (a narrow inlet of the sea). The weather is cold and snowy, the people are warm and cheery, and the characters find a home in the most unexpected place. I liked all of the characters. They were well-developed and came with unique sets of experiences, disappointments, and tragedies. However, Oscar was by far my favorite. His loss of faith and journey back to a sense of normalcy, and even contentment, was encouraging. The last scene of the book was expected, but it still brought a tear to my eyes. The themes of loss and second-chances are explored, and I found that I could relate to many of the characters’ struggles. The narration of the audiobook was good, and I soon became lost in the story.

Winter Solstice was recommended by someone who re-reads the book every December. Not sure if I would do that, but I did like the book very much and would recommend it to anyone.

Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(I purchased the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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Children’s Corner — Love Is

5 Jan

I had a wonderful week with my 2 year old granddaughter during the Christmas break. It was much too short, but I loved watching her explore her world. One of my favorite things was reading to her before bedtime. This is a nightly ritual her parents started from her birth. She loves books, and I am thrilled! One of the books I read to her was Love Is illustrated by Paola Escobar. See all the details below.

“Love is patient, love is kind.” These familiar words from the Bible begin one of its most beloved and recognized passages. Love Is brings the text of 1 Corinthians 13 to life through an illustrative exploration of God’s greatest gift to us.

Critically acclaimed artist Paola Escobar delivers beautiful, nature-filled illustrations , reminding us that love is a constant positive force in the lives of those touched by it–from beginning to end, through good times and tough times.

My Impressions:

My 2 year old granddaughter loves books. I am thrilled! She looks at them throughout the day and enjoys some read-to-me time right before bed. I shared Love Is illustrated by Paola Escobar during her stay with us. Love Is takes the famous scripture passage of 1 Corinthians 13 and puts it into a stunning children’s book. The verses are accompanied by beautiful pictures of the animal world with a tree as the central image. The tree starts out as a small sapling surrounded by bugs and grows to give safety and nourishment to those animals who shelter around it. The tree endures a number of seasons and events, including fire and snow, to show how it still stands through all of life. My granddaughter wasn’t able to appreciate the metaphor; she’s only 2! But she did enjoy the colorful illustrations and identifying the animals, birds, and bugs represented. This book is a wonderful edition to any family’s library and can be enjoyed by children and adults of all ages. It is especially appropriate for children ages 4-8, and provides parents and grandparents an opportunity to share just what love really is.

Recommended.

Audience: preschool to early elementary school children.

(Thanks to Zonderkidz for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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Mini Book Review: Burying Daisy Doe

29 Dec

How is it the end of the year already?! It’s been a whirlwind of a year with a lot of ups and a few downs, but overall I have been very blessed. I have had a house full of family the past week and have necessarily neglected the old blog. I’m sure you understand. 😉 But I didn’t want the year to end without one last review. I read Burying Daisy Doe by Ramona Richards last summer, but failed to write a review. I really enjoyed this mystery set in the South. It made my best of 2021 list. Find out more below.

No cold case is more important than the one that destroyed her own family.

Every small town has one unsolved case that haunts its memory, festering for generations below the surface with the truth of humanity’s darkness. Star Cavanaugh is obsessed with the one that tore her family apart.

Over sixty years ago, Daisy Doe was murdered and discarded outside Pineville, Alabama, buried without a name or anyone to mourn her loss. When Star’s father tried to solve the case, he was also killed. Now a cold-case detective with resources of her own, Star is determined to get to the bottom of both crimes. But she’ll have to face an entire town locked in corruption, silence, and fear–and the same danger that took two other lives. The only people in town she can trust are her grandmother and the charming Mike Luinetti, and both of them trust a God Star isn’t sure she believes in. Can Christians so focused on the good really help her track down this evil?

Ramona Richards, in her own words:

I started making stuff up at 3, writing it down at 7, and selling it at 17. I’ve written 12 books. The latest two are Tracking Changes: One Editor’s Advice to Inspirational Fiction Authors, a collection of essays for novelists, and Burying Daisy Doe, a suspense novel set in a small Southern town. In fact, most of my suspense novels are set in small Southern towns. Murder in the Family is the latest already in print. I have six Love Inspired Suspense novels still available in ebook.

I’m also an editor, with more than 500 publications to my credit, and I’m now the associate publisher for Iron Stream Media. My specialty is fiction, although I’ve also worked on CD-ROMs, magazines, non-fiction, children’s books, Bibles, and study guides. Lot of publishers have helped my bottom line, such as Thomas Nelson, Barbour, Howard, Harlequin, Ideals, etc.

And, as I say on Twitter (@RamonaRichards): Music nut. Film buff. Usually a fun person to eat a burger with. 

My Impressions:

Burying Daisy Doe is a mystery novel involving a cold case that is very personal to main character Star Cavanaugh. Her father was murdered trying to discover the truth about Daisy Doe. As a PI, Star takes on the most daunting of cases and this one is no exception. There has to be a connection between the two murders, and Star and the reader are taken on a twisting journey through the underworld of a Southern town. Yes, underworld! Small towns have long held secrets, and Pineville, Alabama is no exception. Richards captures the charm of this small southern town with its quirky and endearing citizens, quaint homes and businesses, as well as a very dark side that kept me turning the pages. I was kept guessing all the way through this book, a big plus! The characters were well-developed, and their stories were intriguing. Star is the perfect sleuth — determined and undaunted by threats. There’s a bit of romance too, that I hope will develop in more books featuring Star.

If you are looking for a great mystery, then Burying Daisy Doe is the perfect pick. I loved it and know you will too.

Highly recommended.

Audience: adults.

(Thanks to the publisher for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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Book Review: After She Falls

28 Dec

I chose a book outside of my regular reading box with After She Falls by Carmen Schober. While there were a few things about the book I found daunting, I am glad I read it. It is what I would call a stretch book. Recommended!

She’s always had that fire in her. She just needs to find it again.

Strong-willed Adri Rivera nearly achieved her goal of being a professional mixed martial artist, but then she fell in love with a man who knocked all the fight out of her. When their abusive, tumultuous relationship finally comes to a head, Adri flees with their young daughter to her small hometown in the mountains of Pennsylvania. There, she must face the people she left behind and put her broken life back together again. 

A hardened Max Lyons can’t believe Adri is back in town after abruptly cutting him and everyone else off years ago. Despite the distance that grew between them, he feels compelled to help her regain her independence and offers her a job at his gym. But regaining each other’s trust is another matter, made even more complicated by the lingering spark between them. As Adri dares to pursue her dream again, she trains for a big tournament with Max’s help, but they’ll both have to confront their own doubts in order to rise victorious.

Carmen Schober is a debut novelist, wife, full-time mother to two daughters, avid boxer, and Rocky enthusiast. A graduate of Kansas State University, where she earned a master’s degree in English literature and creative writing, she currently lives in Manhattan, Kansas. She has published sports fiction in Witness magazine and Hobart Pulp, and she regularly blogs about faith, family, and fighting at www.carmenschober.com. 

My Impressions:

After She Falls by debut author Carmen Schober was a stretch read for me. What does that mean? Well, there were a number of elements of this novel that are definitely outside my comfort zone. The characters in the novel are MMA trainers and fighters. That’s mixed martial arts for those who are as clueless as me. 😉 There are a number of fight scenes that realistically depict the sport including broken bones and blood. Really not my scene, however, I had heard enough buzz to be intrigued. The main thing that definitely was within my comfort zone was the highly realistic and relatable characters. No, I’m not ready to take up boxing or judo, but I appreciated the real-life struggles these characters faced. They struggled with being good enough, with overcoming mistakes (many life-changing ones), and seeking a good and gracious God of second chances. Second, third, and maybe fourth chances are all depicted as the characters seek to make sense of the world and their place in it. The book is full of messy lives — I told you, realistic. While most of the characters are the same ages as my kids, I loved that Schober had two strong mature secondary characters that could share their own failures and triumphs. Their wisdom and guidance was important to the main character’s growth and mirrored the necessity of mentors in faith for any age group. I did find the reading process slow — the book is told in present tense which caused me to re-read passages. I’m not sure why I had trouble with this, but I did. But After She Falls was intriguing, interesting, and worth the time it took me to read.

Recommended.

Audience: adults.

(Thanks to Bethany House for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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Mini-Review — Night Fall

23 Dec

Nancy Mehl is always good for a thriller, and Night Fall fits the bill with plenty of creep-factor mixed in! My book club read this book last summer and liked it. Find out all about it below.

Now that Alexandra “Alex” Donovan is finally free of her troubled upbringing, she’s able to live out her childhood dream of working for the FBI. But soon after she becomes a member of the FBI’s elite Behavioral Analysis Unit, authorities in Kansas and Missouri contact them about bodies found on freight trains traveling across the country–all killed in the same way.

Alex never expected to be forced to confront her past in this new job, but she immediately recognizes the graffiti messages the killer is leaving on the train cars. When the BAU sends her to gather information about the messages from her aunt in Wichita, Kansas, Alex is haunted by the struggles she thought she’d left behind forever.

In a race against time to solve the case while battling her own weaknesses, Alex must face how far she’ll go–and what she’s willing to risk–to put a stop to the Train Killer.

Nancy Mehl lives in Missouri, with her husband Norman, and her very active puggle, Watson. She’s authored thirty books and is currently at work on a new FBI suspense series for Bethany House Publishing. 

All of Nancy’s novels have an added touch – something for your spirit as well as your soul. “I welcome the opportunity to share my faith through my writing,” Nancy says. “It’s a part of me and of everything I think or do. God is number one in my life. I wouldn’t be writing at all if I didn’t believe that this is what He’s called me to do. I hope everyone who reads my books will walk away with the most important message I can give them: God is good, and He loves you more than you can imagine. He has a good plan especially for your life, and there is nothing you can’t overcome with His help.” 

You can find out more about Nancy by visiting her Web site at: http://www.nancymehl.com. She also is active on the Suspense Sisters: http://www.suspensesisters.blogspot.com and on FaceBook!

My Impressions:

If you aren’t squeamish, then Night Fall, a suspense/thriller by Nancy Mehl could be the book for you. It definitely had the creep-factor going for it with a seriously sick killer. The book centers on main character FBI agent Alex Donovan who is called into the case not only for her profiler expertise, but because she is intimately familiar with many of the elements of the investigation, a fact that gives her both a leg-up and a disadvantage. Alex has ties to the cult that seems to be part of the case. The reader is also given insight into the killer’s mind — I liked this, but it really did send chills up my spine! There is a bit of romance, and though it played a small part in then novel, I expect more in the other books in the series. Alex grows a lot through the course of this book, but she is a somewhat troubled character with a lot to overcome. I look forward to her development in the next two books.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased this book from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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Mini-Review: Relative Silence

16 Dec

My book club read Relative Silence by Carrie Stuart Parks during the summer, but I am just now writing a review — yes that is how my year is going. Although I love Parks’ novels, this one was not my favorite. However, it was a hit with my group. One member liked it so much she bought a bunch of books on Parks’ backlist. You can read my impressions below.

A powerful family with dark secrets.

After personal tragedy, Piper Boone retreats to her childhood home—a secluded mansion for the wealthy Boone family, who are practically American royalty. When catastrophe strikes, her family is put in the spotlight, and the line between victim and suspect gets blurred.

A forensic artist with his own haunting past.

Tucker Landry is drawn to Piper in the midst of the trauma, but the connections being made to her family might prove to be their undoing. With a hurricane beating down on the private island, there isn’t much time to find answers.

The truth will determine whether she lives or dies.

Carrie Stuart Parks is an award winning artist, writer, speaker, and law enforcement instructor. A Certified Forensic Artist, she met her husband, Rick, in the romantic hallways of the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Together they formed a dynamic and successful team in their fine and forensic art, working on major national and international cases and creating exquisite watercolors and stone carvings. They travel internationally, teaching forensic art to a variety of participants: from the Secret Service to the FBI, from large law enforcement agencies to the smallest two-man departments in their one-week classes. They are the largest instructors of forensic art in the world. Carrie has won numerous awards for her innovative teaching methods and general career excellence and is a signature member of the Idaho Watercolor Society.

Parks began her fiction writing career while battling breast cancer. Mentored by NY Times bestselling author, Frank Peretti, Carrie’s debut novel, along with her subsequent novels, have been met with critical acclaim.

My Impressions:

While Carrie Stuart Parks is a favorite author of mine, I was not a big fan of her novel Relative Silence. It really should have checked all the boxes for me — fast-paced suspense set on the Georgia coast (Georgia is my home state), with a twisting plot. Instead it fell a bit flat. I never really clicked with the characters and I found the plot somewhat predictable, even with its many twists and turns. It was almost like I could see them coming. I am definitely in the minority — members of my book club loved it and it won the 2021 Christy Award for Mystery/Suspense/Thriller. This only goes to show that the reading experience is very subjective and can be influenced by mood and circumstances. I urge you to check out other reviewers’ thoughts on this book. Parks is a great author and my experience with this book in no way will influence my reading other books by her.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased a copy of this book from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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Mini-Book Review: Port of Origin

15 Dec

Lisa Harris and Lynne Gentry have combined to create some great African-based medical suspense with their Agents of Mercy series. The first book in the series, Ghost Heart, explored organ harvesting. Port of Origin focuses on the threat of a global pandemic. It may be too soon for some readers, but I found the novel not only intriguing, but unputdownable. A 2021 Christy finalist, this book is highly recommended!

Hijacking oil tankers brings cash to Dabir Omar’s family, but it doesn’t buy the medical care needed to stop a deadly sickness attacking his people. When Dabir’s son becomes ill, the desperate pirate sets sail for the Liberty, an international humanitarian medial ship ported on the Cameroon coast.

Shortly after Dr. Josiah Allen arrives on the Liberty with his precocious six-year-old daughter, he is sent ashore to investigate a mysterious illness at the ship’s post-op clinic. While he’s gone, pirates hijack the medical ship where Josiah left his daughter.

When pirate negotiations fail, ex-military Mackenzie Scott’s extraction team comes in for the rescue. But when the pirates refuse to surrender, both fathers are forced to go to war to save their children.

How far would you go to save your child?


USA Today and CBA bestselling author Lisa Harris is a Christy Award finalist for Blood Ransom, Port of Origin, and Vendetta, Christy Award winner for Dangerous Passage, and the winner of the Best Inspirational Suspense Novel for 2011 (Blood Covenant) and 2015 (Vendetta) from Romantic Times. She has sold over half a million books. She and her family have spent two decades working as missionaries in Africa where she runs a small non-profit organization that works alongside their church-planting ministry. The ECHO Project promotes Education, Compassion, Health, and Opportunity and is a way to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves…the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.” (Proverbs 31:8)

When she’s not working she loves hanging out with her family, cooking different ethnic dishes, photography, and heading into the African bush on safari. For more information about her books and life in Africa visit her website at http://www.lisaharriswrites.com.

Lynne Gentry loves small towns and people watching. Observing body language. Catching the twitch of an eyebrow, the flicker of discomfort in a gaze, or the shifting of nervous feet. 

As a professional acting coach-theater director turned fiction author, Lynne loves using her crazy imagination to entertain with her books. Her works range from the highly-rated science fiction time travel series (Carthage Chronicles), medical thrillers (Ghost Heart), to small town southern romantic comedy series (the Mt. Hope Southern Adventures and the Women of Fossil Ridge). Readers are cheering this return to her small town roots. You’ll laugh and cry as these heartwarming adventures drop you in the middle of small-town Texas life. 

Lynne loves spending time with family or working the hospital oncology wards with her medical therapy dog.

Contact Lynne via her website: http://www.lynnegentry.com. Be sure and sign up for free content at https://www.lynnegentry.com/landing-1/.

My Impressions:

I loved Ghost Heart by Lynne Gentry and Lisa Harris. The first book in their African-based Agents of Mercy series opened my eyes and my heart to so many things. The second book, Port of Origin, amped up the suspense with its focus on the threat of a global pandemic. While some might find it too early to read such a book, I was immediately swept up in the story which includes not only the deadly outbreak, but the desperation of people caught up in poverty because of large global enterprises destroying their chance to make a living and the ecological sins of large corporations putting not only locals at risk, but the whole world. This book was intense! The characters are well-drawn, and I found myself pulled into each of their stories (even the bad guys 😉 ). It’s a race against time for the researchers and doctors, as well as those seeking to shut down the pirates. I could not turn the pages fast enough!

An excellent novel with non-stop suspense and a lot to think about, Port of Origin is a highly recommended read!

Highly Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased the Kindle version of this book. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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Book Review: The Debutante’s Code

13 Dec

Regency-era novel, The Debutante’s Code by Erica Vetsch is all about mystery and intrigue — think spies! There are two great main characters from different classes who feel the tug of attraction. Will they solve the crime(s) and discover love? You’ll just have to read the book!

Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes in this new Regency mystery series
 
Newly returned from finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is ready to debut in London society. Due to her years away, she hasn’t spent much time with her parents, and sees them only as the flighty, dilettante couple the other nobles love.But when they disappear, she discovers she never really knew them at all. They’ve been living double lives as government spies–and they’re only the latest in a long history of espionage that is the family’s legacy.
 
Now Lady Juliette is determined to continue their work. Mentored by her uncle, she plunges into the dangerous world of spies. From the glittering ballrooms of London to the fox hunts, regattas, and soirees of country high society, she must chase down hidden clues, solve the mysterious code her parents left behind, and stay out of danger. All the while, she has to keep her endeavors a secret from her best friend and her suitors–not to mention the nosy, irritatingly handsome Bow Street runner, who suspects her of a daring theft.
 
Can Lady Juliette outwit her enemies and complete her parents’ last mission?
 
Best-selling author Erica Vetsch is back with a rollicking, exciting new series destined to be a hit with Regency readers who enjoy a touch of mystery in their love stories. Fans of Julie Klassen, Sarah Ladd, and Anne Perry will love the wit, action, and romance.
 
Click here to read an excerpt.

Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling and ACFW Carol Award–winning author. She is a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota with her husband, who she claims is both her total opposite and soul mate.
 
Vetsch is the author of many novellas and novels, including the popular Serendipity & Secrets Regency series and the new Thorndike & Swann Regency Mystery series
 
Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks.
 
Learn more about Erica Vetsch and her books at www.ericavetsch.com. She can also be found on Facebook (@EricaVetschAuthor), Instagram (@EricaVetsch) and Pinterest (Erica Vetsch).

My Impressions:

I love a good mystery, and the Regency-era novel, The Debutante’s Code was a great reading choice. The book takes the reader from the ballrooms of the gentry to the seedy back alleys of the rookery, all while leading the characters on a merry chase to find out who the bad guys really are. The reader soon discovers there really are two avenues of investigation: the official police inquiry of stolen art work and murder led by Daniel Swann, and the shadowy world of international espionage which has reeled in Lady Juliette Thorndyke. The two cases are parallel and overlapping and include disguises, midnight break-ins, and more. I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery and the historical details that brought the era to life. Lady Juliette struggles with lies and truth, while Mr. Swann seeks to overcome feelings of abandonment on the eve of losing the patronage of his mysterious benefactor. The book is full of danger and adventure, and I suspected just about everyone. The case is solved, but the fates of the two main characters are left unfinished — more books to come. Yay!

For fans of the Regency time period and mystery fiction, The Debutante’s Code is perfect. Recommended!

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(Thanks to Kregel for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

GIVEAWAY!

The winner will receive a Pride and Prejudice throw blanket from Litographs and a copy of The Debutante’s Code.  To enter the giveaway, click HERE.

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Audiobook Mini-Review: Last Christmas in Paris

9 Dec

My book club chose a book with a little meat this month. We usually choose a light and often romantic Christmas novella for our December selection. This year our group wanted a little more. Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb was the perfect choice. This WWI-era epistolary novel tug at the heartstrings, taught us things about the era, and gave us a lot to think about — highly recommended!

An unforgettably romantic novel that spans four Christmases (1914-1918), Last Christmas in Paris explores the ruins of war, the strength of love, and the enduring hope of the Christmas season.

New York Times bestselling author Hazel Gaynor has joined with Heather Webb to create this unforgettably romantic novel of the Great War.

August 1914. England is at war. As Evie Elliott watches her brother, Will, and his best friend, Thomas Harding, depart for the front, she believes—as everyone does—that it will be over by Christmas, when the trio plan to celebrate the holiday among the romantic cafes of Paris.

But as history tells us, it all happened so differently… 

Evie and Thomas experience a very different war. Frustrated by life as a privileged young lady, Evie longs to play a greater part in the conflict—but how?—and as Thomas struggles with the unimaginable realities of war he also faces personal battles back home where War Office regulations on press reporting cause trouble at his father’s newspaper business. Through their letters, Evie and Thomas share their greatest hopes and fears—and grow ever fonder from afar. Can love flourish amid the horror of the First World War, or will fate intervene?

Christmas 1968. With failing health, Thomas returns to Paris—a cherished packet of letters in hand—determined to lay to rest the ghosts of his past. But one final letter is waiting for him…

Hazel Gaynor is an award-winning New York Times, USA Today, Irish Times, and international bestselling author. Her 2014 debut THE GIRL WHO CAME HOME won the 2015 RNA Historical Novel of the Year award, A MEMORY OF VIOLETS was a 2015 WHSmith Fresh Talent pick, THE GIRL FROM THE SAVOY was shortlisted for the 2016 Irish Book Awards, and THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER’S DAUGHTER was shortlisted for the 2019 HWA Gold Crown Award. LAST CHRISTMAS IN PARIS (co-written with Heather Webb) won the 2018 Women’s Fiction Writers Association Star Award, and their latest collaboration, MEET ME IN MONACO, was shortlisted for the 2020 RNA Historical Novel of the Year award. Hazel’s most recent novel, THE BIRD IN THE BAMBOO CAGE, set in China during WW2, is out now.

Hazel was selected by Library Journal as one of Ten Big Breakout Authors for 2015 and her work has been translated into fourteen languages and published in twenty countries to date. She is co-founder of creative writing events The Inspiration Project, and lives in Ireland with her husband and two children.

Heather Webb is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of historical fiction. In 2015, Rodin’s Lover was a Goodread’s Top Pick, and in 2018, Last Christmas in Paris won the Women’s Fiction Writers Association STAR Award. In 2019, Meet Me in Monaco was selected as a finalist for the 2020 Goldsboro RNA award in the UK, as well as the Digital Book World’s Fiction prize. To date, Heather’s books have been translated to fifteen languages. Up and coming, her next solo novel, THE NEXT SHIP HOME, is inspired by true events and reveals the dark secrets of Ellis Island as two unlikely friends challenge a corrupt system, altering their fate and the lives of the immigrants that come after them, out in Feb 2022. 

My Impressions:

I chose the audiobook version of Last Christmas in Paris, as I often do for my book club selections. An epistolary novel, the audiobook had the advantage of numerous narrators to give voice to the characters. While my book club really liked the format of the novel, some of them struggled at first with keeping straight in their minds just who the letters were from. They admitted, though, it did not take long to become swept up in the story. The book focuses on the years of WWI and is set on the homefront of England and in the trenches and hospitals of France and Belgium. As can be expected the letters begin with all the optimism and enthusiasm of their youthful writers. It soon becomes apparent that the war will not be over quickly, and the letters take on a more sombre and serious tone — the characters are growing up. Evie and Thomas are the main letter writers, and their relationship grew in wonderful ways. My book club members remarked on the lost art of letter writing in today’s texting world. I loved how the authors combined the mundane life back in England ( the lost Christmas goose) and the realties of war in Europe (a Christmas Day truce with both British and German soldiers meeting in no-man’s land). The novel is at turns sweet and romantic and heartbreaking. One member stated she had a hard time reading the book because she cried so much! I didn’t cry, but found the book very moving and one that will last with me a long time.

Last Christmas in Paris was a different sort of book for my book club this December, but one we really enjoyed. It created a great discussion along numerous lines. I highly recommend it.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased both the paperback from Amazon and the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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