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Mini-Book Review — A Caffeine Conundrum

23 Dec

Looking for a cozy mystery for a quick holiday read? Check out A Caffeine Conundrum by Angela Ruth Strong. This small town whodunit is full of crazy happenings as Tandy and Marissa, competitors in buying a retail space to fulfill their dreams, join forces to uncover who could have killed antique store owner Virginia. Could it have been the coffee? I liked the holiday hijinks of the two young women who are searching for their purpose in life. And in Grace Springs, Ohio they may just find grace as well. There’s holiday spirit, close calls, pratfalls, and not just one romantic thread. I look forward to the next adventure for the two coffee and tea-loving duo.

Recommended.

Audience: older teens and adults.

(I borrowed the ebook through Kindle Unlimited. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Solving a murder mystery is harder when you don’t trust your partner…or their taste in beverages.

Sassy city girl Tandy Brandt moves to the small town of Grace Springs to start a coffee shop, never imagining she’ll be competing with local beauty queen Marissa Alexander and her dream of running a tea house. Unfortunately, the current store owner dies before selling the location to either of them, and they both become murder suspects.

The unlikely pair team up in an attempt to discover the real killer, though with the secrets in Tandy’s past and Marissa’s infamous clumsiness, they could be their own worst enemies. Despite their differences, they follow clues to question a sweet, apple pie baking antique store owner, a GQ Santa in the retirement center, and a hipster millionaire with no social skills. Will they be able to figure out whodunit and prove their innocence before one of them goes to jail…or worse?

Angela Ruth Strong sold her first romance novel in 2009, and her books have since earned TOP PICK in Romantic Times, been a finalist for the Christy, won the Cascade Award, and become Amazon bestsellers. Her book Finding Love in Big Sky released as a movie in 2022. To help aspiring authors, she started IDAhope Writers where she lives in Idaho, and she blogs for Inspy Romance and My Book Therapy. Get to know her even better at http://www.angelaruthstrong.com.

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Mini-Book Review — Hidden

22 Dec

Hidden by Hope Welborn is a romantic suspense novella perfect for Christmas Eve reading. Allison thinks someone is after her, or is she just paranoid? Taking no chances she flees to her family’s north Georgia cabin, but real danger follows her, along with a snowstorm! She is joined by Noah, once-upon-a-time-friend turned betrayer. He says he’s there to help, but can he really be trusted? The twists and turns come fast and furious in this book. And I didn’t see the ending coming! At just a little bit over 100 pages, you can uncover the mystery before you hang up your stocking for Santa. 😉 I like the idea of the Icelandic tradition of giving and reading books on Christmas Eve, and Hidden is a great choice to gift yourself. So snuggle under the covers with some cocoa and find the HEA along with Allison.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I borrowed this book from Kindle Unlimited. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

All she wants is a peaceful Christmas…

Young widow Alison Bailey-Curtis seeks the comfort and familiarity of her family’s North Georgia mountain cabin to escape for the holidays.

But someone is following her and a snowstorm has her trapped.

With an unknown threat tracking her every move, she must rely on the one man she swore never to trust again – Special Agent Noah Chandler.

Noah’s sole mission is to protect Alison without blowing his cover. But as danger closes in, protecting her means resurrecting a web of lies and facing their painful past.

With nowhere to run, Alison and Noah must confront their deepest fears and insecurities, relying on each other for survival.

Can they unravel the truth before the enemy strikes, or will the shattered trust between them be their downfall?

Hope Welborn writes spine-tingling suspense, sprinkled with romance, and saturated with faith. Her manuscripts have won the ACFW Genesis Contest and the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference Foundations Awards in romantic suspense.

As a #writerwithadayjob, she spends her lunch hours creating small town characters who face big suspense with faith in a big God. By day, she masquerades as a digital content marketing technology specialist, and by night, she stays up too late putting words on the page.

Hope also serves as editor and web manager for Spark Flash Fiction and is a member of the Suspense Squad. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

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Mini-Book Review — Once Upon A Christmas Carol

18 Dec

I make it a habit to read at least one Melody Carlson Christmas novella every holiday season. This year is no exception. I picked up Carlson’s newest book Once Upon a Christmas Carol and quickly devoured it. Carlson is not called the Queen of Christmas novellas for nothing! I loved the emphasis on the importance of family. While there is definitely a romance involved in the story, main character Carol discovered family ties that filled a hole in her life and heart. Carol made plans for a Bahama Christmas getaway, but God had other plans. A snowstorm and a long lost aunt help to point Carol in the direction of the wonder and joy of Christmas. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a quick read with a wonderfully snowy setting, great characters, a sweet and hunky hero, and a message of the real reason for the season.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

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

What will happen when a tropical escape from holiday blues turns into a snowy wonderland filled with joy and cheer?

Carol Langstrom hates Christmas. Growing up in a dysfunctional home, with a birthday on December 25 and too many dashed childhood expectations, she would rather avoid the holiday season. And working in the design industry where she manages seasonal decor for wealthy, entitled clients certainly hasn’t helped!

So, this year her goal is to flee to the Bahamas—by herself—bah humbug! But bad weather and God’s radically different plan redirect her flight to blustery Michigan, where she gets stuck on her aunt’s farm and discovers a different kind of Christmas—one wrapped in love, family, and holiday spirit.

Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women and children. That’s a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a “storyteller.” Her novels range from serious issues like schizophrenia (Finding Alice) to lighter topics like house-flipping (A Mile in My Flip-Flops) but most of the inspiration behind her fiction comes right out of real life. Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, TrueColors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She’s won a number of awards (including Romantic Time’s Career Achievement Award, the Rita and the Gold Medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog. To find out more about Melody Carlson, visit her website at http://www.melodycarlson.com/.

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Mini-Book Review — The Christmas Book Flood

17 Dec

Bibliophiles will love Roseanna M. White’s holiday novella, The Christmas Book Flood. Set in Iceland (I have never read a book set there!) during WWII, it features the beginning of the Icelandic Christmas tradition of giving and reading books on Christmas Eve. This is a delightful historical romance with great cultural details. I now want to visit Iceland more than ever! The theme is pursuit of dreams and finding purpose in life. I loved everything about this book. The endearing characters and the easy prose made this a great book to read over the course of just a few nights. The only caveat is that it is available only on ebook and audiobook. If you are a dedicated reader of physical books, you are out of luck. But if you have an ereader or like audiobooks get this one as soon as you can.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased the ebook from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

In this charming World War II historical romance novella inspired by Jolabokaflod, Iceland’s Christmas Book Flood, an author falls in love with a man who doesn’t know he is her editor.

Iceland. December 1944. Tatiana Eliasdottir is looking forward to welcoming her niece Elea for Christmas. She’s determined to give the little girl a joyful holiday and take her mind off troubles at home. Soon, however, the publishing house where Tatiana works is flooded with orders thanks to the first issue of a seasonal book catalog. With the war causing so many shortages, Icelanders are eager to give their loved ones something that isn’t rationed, and books are the perfect solution to their dilemma.

Anders Johannsson is an editor who shares Tatiana’s love for stories. While he wishes to know her better, he’s never dared pursue more than friendship. They are first and foremost colleagues. But when Tatiana’s attempts to cheer Elea fail, Tatiana recruits him to help, a plea he can’t refuse. He is, after all, not only an editor but a beloved children’s book author and devoted uncle to his adoring nieces and nephews.

As the two creatively bring Icelandic Christmas traditions to life for Elea and frantically work to meet the demands of the publisher’s holiday rush, Tatiana finds herself increasingly drawn to kind, thoughtful Anders. But if a love is to grow between them, she will need to reveal her closely held secret: she is the mysterious author of a popular new novel . . . and Anders is her editor.

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at http://www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

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Mini-Book Review — Headwater Holiday

15 Dec

I love a romantic suspense novel, and when I found that Headwater Holiday was set during the Christmas season in one of my favorite places, I was all in! Hannah Lucero has written two fun main characters. I loved the snark and sass that was exchanged between Becky and Matt. Plus, who can resist a hero who loves rom-coms! The small town Appalachian mountain setting was a winner for me. I liked the investigation into terrorist activity in a very unlikely spot — that made it a bit more chilling to this small-town living and loving reader. The book is a very quick read and checked all my mystery/suspense/romance boxes. It’s perfect for a a long winter’s evening.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I borrowed this book from KU. All opinion expressed are mine alone.)

Hunting down a terrorist plot isn’t exactly Becky Salazar’s idea of a happy holiday. But duty calls, and if there’s one thing she is committed to, it’s using her exceptional language and analytical skills to stop insurgents and save lives. This time the unknown threat isn’t in the Middle East or a major city but centered on the tiny town of Rosman, North Carolina—and that peculiarity may be the scariest piece of the whole puzzle. With Christmas cheer and holiday romance the furthest things from her mind, Becky tries to ignore the persistently flirtatious deputy sheriff who is her unexpected partner for this mission.

Matt Taylor appears to be a stereotypical small-town deputy. But secrets are stored beneath his laidback exterior, and when a threat comes to his hometown, he is ready to protect and defend those he loves at all costs. His assignment to the emergency task force comes with an added opportunity—a second chance to catch the interest of the woman he’s never been able to forget.

Hannah Hood Lucero is a wife, mom of three, Army veteran, and self-proclaimed word-slinger. While it is the brackish waters of the Mississippi Sound that flow through her veins, western North Carolina holds her heart. Her love for storytelling is the fruit of a lifetime of cultivation in the vibrant cultures of the Gulf Coast and the Blue Ridge Mountains. She currently resides in South Mississippi with her husband and three children on their ten-acre homestead. They have a dog, thirteen chickens, and at least fifty species of mosquitos, depending on the month of the year. When she isn’t in the garden, at the stove, or homeschooling, she can be found at her computer—just follow the sound of frenetic typing. Her motto is, “Draft, edit, read, repeat.”

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Mini-Book Review — Serial Burn

8 Dec

Serial Burn is the third book in Lynette Eason’s Lake City Heroes series, and definitely my favorite! The ensemble cast of characters returns with the relationship between fire martial Jesslyn McCormick and FBI agent Nathan Carlisle front and center. I loved the very interesting topic — arson investigations — and the fast-paced, edge-of-the-seat plot that Eason created. This is romantic suspense, so the relationship between the two main characters is sizzling! There’s an interesting subplot from the past that was intriguing as well. All elements of this novel kept the pages turning! While you really need to read the entire series, if you have to choose just one, Serial Burn is the book to read.

Highly Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

She’s out for justice. But the arsonist she’s tracking is out for retribution. 

Now the fire marshal of Lake City, Jesslyn McCormick is determined to find the person who started the fire that robbed her of her family when she was just seven years old. As the twentieth anniversary of the tragedy approaches, a string of fires–including at Jesslyn’s church–brings up all those old feelings and offers new evidence.

Because church fires are considered a hate crime, FBI Special Agent Nathan Carlisle is called in to work with local law enforcement. Nathan has his own past–one he’d prefer not to revisit. And focusing on helping Jesslyn track down the arsonist is a great distraction.

As both the case and the chemistry between Jesslyn and Nathan heat up, memories will come flooding in from the past to bump up against hopes for the future. And when Jesslyn comes face-to-face with her worst nightmare, she’ll have to confront her fears and rely on Nathan and her community of friends in order to survive.

Award-winning, best-selling author, Lynette Eason writes for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line and for Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Her books have hit the Publisher’s Weekly, CBA and ECPA bestseller lists and have won numerous awards such as the prestigious Carol Award, the Selah, the Daphne, the IRCC award and more. Lynette is married, has two children, and lives in Greenville, SC.

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Book Review — The Wish Book Christmas

4 Dec

Have you started your Christmas reading yet? I generally wait until Thanksgiving before cracking open the holiday books, so it was with great expectation that I chose The Wish Book Christmas by Lynn Austin for the first novella of the season. It’s also my book club’s December selection. Find out all about it, plus my thoughts below.

From bestselling author Lynn Austin comes a nostalgic and endearing holiday sequel to If I Were You that reminds us that sometimes the most meaningful gifts are the ones we least expect and don’t deserve.

Best friends Audrey Barrett and Eve Dawson are looking forward to celebrating Christmas in postwar America, thrilled at the prospect of starting new traditions with their five-year-old sons. But when the 1951 Sears Christmas Wish Book arrives and the boys start obsessing over every toy in it, Audrey and Eve realize they must first teach them the true significance of the holiday.

They begin by helping Bobby and Harry plan gifts of encouragement and service for those in their community, starting by walking an elderly neighbor’s yellow Lab—since a dog topped the boys’ wish list for Santa. In the charming tale that follows, Audrey and Eve are surprised to find their own hearts healing from the tragedies of war and opening to the possibility of forgiveness and new love.

Award winning author Lynn Austin was a former teacher who now writes and speaks full time, has won eight Christy Awards for her historical fiction. One of those novels, Hidden Places, has also been made into a Hallmark Channel movie. Lynn and her husband have raised three children . Now that the children are now grown she’s experiencing the joy of grandchildren. She lives in Western Michigan where the woods and beaches of Lake Michigan inspire her every day.

My Impressions:

The Wish Book Christmas by Lynn Austin was the first book I chose to read this holiday season. First off, it is a sequel to If I Were You, so if you haven’t read that novel (like me), I recommend you do that first. There are a lot of spoilers. With that said, I plunged ahead. No real regrets here. This historical fiction set in America in the early 1950s follows two British friends who have left England for a new start in America. The women are now sharing a home and raising their kindergarten-aged boys alone. When the two boys discover a Sears Catalog Wish Book, the two women decide to teach them about the real gifts in life. What they don’t expect is to be reminded of the gifts that they have received from God. The novella-length book is filled with nostalgic details and a strong Christmas-vibe. The theme of real gifts is a reminder to the reader of the true meaning of Christmas. God is strongly portrayed as the giver of all good gifts — “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow” (James 1:17). I loved the message, the characters, the blend of poignant and humorous scenes, the romances, and the setting of a hope-filled era. I can’t wait to discuss The Wish Book Christmas with my book club!

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased the ebook from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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Mini-Book Review — Target Acquired

26 Nov

Target Acquired is the second book in Lynette Eason‘s Lake City Heroes series. While it can be read as a standalone novel, I think it’s best to read the books in order. The series features an ensemble cast allowing readers to have early introductions to upcoming main characters and getting a glimpse into the HEA lives of others. In this novel, the Lake City SWAT team is front and center, especially Kenzie, the only woman on the squad. The work is tough and made even tougher by opposition from her own team members. But as outside threats multiply, most of the team pull together to protect their own. I liked the inside look at the specialized and highly trained team. Just like a military company the members become a family of sorts. Of course this is romantic suspense, so two of the members become very close. 😉 Fans of the genre will like the fast-paced plot with echoes from the past, the twists that keep you guessing, and the growing relationship of the mains. The book is a solid addition to any romantic suspense library.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased the ebook from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

She’s finally exactly where she wants to be. 
Unfortunately, she’s also in the crosshairs of a killer.

After years of training, tough-as-nails Kenzie King has earned her place as a tactical medic on a SWAT team. But not everyone on the all-male team accepts her. Rumor is, she got the position not because of what she could do but because of who she knew. Which means she has to work harder and longer than anyone else to prove herself.
  
Cole Garrison is a man with deep faith who is finally ready to settle down and build a family of his own–if he can find the right person, that is. Kenzie sure has set off his interest meter, but trouble seems to follow in her wake. Since she joined the team, someone has begun to ambush and pick off team members one by one.
  
It’s all hands on deck to discover the culprit and end the killing. Can Kenzie and Cole put aside their differences and work together as a team? Or will their budding attraction be snuffed out by a sniper’s bullet?


Award-winning, best-selling author, Lynette Eason writes for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line and for Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Her books have hit the Publisher’s Weekly, CBA and ECPA bestseller lists and have won numerous awards such as the prestigious Carol Award, the Selah, the Daphne, the IRCC award and more. Lynette is married, has two children, and lives in Greenville, SC.

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Mini-Book Review — The Crown Conspiracy

24 Nov

The Crown Conspiracy by Connie Mann was a finalist for the mystery/suspense/thriller category of the Christy Awards this year. As a fan of the genre, I knew I wanted to read it. What I got was an international suspense with ties to history and the art world, an action-packed political intrigue, and a unique plot that included an all female shadow organization that fought for endangered women. Oh, and there’s great chemistry between the two main characters that left me wanting more, as in, more adventures for the two. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The race through the streets and palatial homes of European cities made me feel I was right in the midst of all the action. This one was a true page-turner! And highly recommended!

Highly recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I purchased the ebook from Amazon. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

She’s a master at spotting a forgery . . . and knowing how to create one. But can she solve a decades-old mystery?

The media spotlight is the last thing art thief and forger Sophie Williams needs. But when one of three long-missing royal portraits turns up in Germany at her best friend’s art gallery, the spotlight is exactly what she gets. Since the tragic deaths of Princess Johanna of Neuhansberg and her two children forty years ago, the whereabouts of these portraits have been unknown . . . and the timing of their reappearance—just days before a new prince’s coronation—reignites questions surrounding the infamous accident.

Then Sophie’s best friend vanishes, and a rumor about hidden treasure connected to the paintings surfaces, seemingly confirmed by a cryptic message on the back of the first canvas. Convinced that finding the other two portraits will lead to her friend, Sophie begins a twisty investigation that pits her against other ruthless treasure hunters, a handsome investigator who seems to dog her trail at every turn, and a mysterious group that offers help, wearing an emblem identical to one on the painting.

From Germany’s grand castles and soaring cathedrals through the Alps to the canals of Venice, Sophie must choose her allies carefully if she hopes to find the portraits, rescue her best friend—and perhaps save a throne—before time runs out.

Connie Mann is a licensed boat captain and loves writing romantic suspense stories set in Florida’s small towns and unspoiled wilderness. She is the author of the Florida Wildlife Warriors series (Beyond Risk, Beyond Power, and Beyond Fear), the Safe Harbor series (Tangled Lies, Hidden Threat, Deadly Melody), as well as Angel Falls and Trapped! She has lived in seven different states but this self-proclaimed weather wimp has happily called Florida home for more than twenty years.

When she’s not dreaming up plotlines, you’ll find “Captain Connie” exploring the beaches along the Florida coast and captaining eco tours on the Indian River Lagoon in New Smyrna Beach.  She is also passionate about helping women and children in developing countries break the poverty cycle and build a better future for themselves and their families.

She and her husband love hanging out with family and friends and heading off to explore new places. If those days include boating, so much the better.

Visit Connie online at: http://www.conniemann.com.

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Book Review — The Heart of Bennet Hollow

20 Nov

When I learned that Joanne Bischof DeWitt had written a retelling of Pride And Prejudice, I was all in! There are some difference between the classic Jane Austen novel and The Heart of Bennet Hollow, but the essence of the story is there. DeWitt’s version is fresh and faith-filled, and I absolutely loved it!

New River, Virginia. 1904. Lizbeth Bennet longs to preserve her family’s farm, securing a future for her and her sisters, a difficult task in their Appalachian coal mining town. Money is scarce, and Lizbeth is determined to find a way without giving up treasured pieces of her family’s legacy. But when the mine is put up for sale, it’s clear change is approaching. A contingent of coal barons descends on the town to investigate whether the mine is worth their investment, among them a young man rumored to be a very rich, eligible bachelor.

William Drake arrives focused on business and keeping his distance from the townspeople, especially those living on land entangled with the mine, including a farmer by the name of Bennet. As William digs through legal issues, his struggle to weigh the potential financial gain against what is right for the community grows more complicated when he meets one of the Bennet daughters.

Despite an awkward first meeting, Lizbeth and William continue to cross paths, and soon Lizbeth questions her first impression of the man she believed to be proud and indifferent. But just as their friendship begins to evolve, a revelation shakes Lizbeth’s tenuous trust, and she learns all may not be as it seems. To determine what is true, and step toward a love she’s barely dared dream of, Lizbeth must confront her own prejudices . . . and decide whether the future she’s always imagined is the one her heart truly wants most after all.

A Christy and Carol Award winner, Joanne Bischof DeWitt writes deeply layered fiction that tugs at the reader’s heartstrings. She lives in California with her new husband and their six children making her a big fan of conversations, laughter, and large dinner tables.

My Impressions:

I am a sucker for a Jane Austen knock-off or, in proper literary terms, a variation. I fell in love with Austen’s books 30ish years ago, and wanted more. So I turned to the many, many adaptations that are available. The Heart of Bennet Hollow is a new acquisition. Joanne Bischof DeWitt’s fresh take on Pride and Prejudice is a great mix of the classic story and the very American setting of Appalachia. The author matches the characters and plot of P&P with her own style of storytelling. I loved that the characters were a bit more balanced in this novel. No extreme embarrassments or interference in others’ love lives. The two main characters are instantly likable, and this reader appreciated how their relationship grew from grudging admiration to respect to love over the course of the novel. The Appalachian coal country setting of the early 1900s was very interesting. My own grandfather was a coal miner in Virginia, so the glimpse into what my family’s life may have looked like was a real treat. DeWitt includes a strong faith-thread into the narrative. The characters’ actions were informed by their faith in God — concern for the lives of others was at the forefront of their decisions. And the romance! DeWitt does justice to the love story all Austen fans love.

I highly recommend The Heart of Bennet Hollow, even if you are not an Austenphile. It’s a great historical romance that stands on its own.

Highly recommended.

Audience: Adults.

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

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