Archive | Book Reviews RSS feed for this section

Book Review — When The Wildflowers Bloom Again

6 Oct

When The Wildflowers Bloom Again by Donna Jo Stone is an award winner! Honored with a Carol Award (ACFW) for outstanding Contemporary Fiction, this novel explores trauma and the resulting grace and mercy of a loving God. I highly recommend it, but have lots of tissues available!

Babies are a gift of God, a fact Marigold Parker knows full well.

Fourteen-year-old Marigold (Mary) Parker spends the summer of ’78 with her cousin and best friend, Sharon, biking the roads of their rural neighborhood in Pleasant Waters, North Louisiana. The girls while away the days at the local pond, listening to the BeeGees and talking about boys. Caring for her emotionally fragile mother is Mary’s only worry, until Sharon’s older half-brother finds Mary alone at the pond one day.

She can’t speak of what happened in the woods. The truth will destroy her family and cost her the relationships she holds most precious.

But secrets have a way of making themselves known, and when Mary finds herself pregnant, she’s forced to grapple with hard decisions. Babies are a gift from God. Mary knows this full well, but she doesn’t know how to deal with a pregnancy, or who to turn to for help.

Trials seem to multiply as Mary struggles to keep faith in the God her parents have taught her to trust.

Richly detailed and evocative, When the Wildflowers Bloom Again captures the emotions and the heart, vividly detailing the struggle of facing impossible choices, the true test of family ties, and of the hope found in new beginnings. Infused with both sorrow and faith, Marigold Parker’s tale is a story you won’t soon forget.

Donna Jo Stone is an award-winning author of historical, contemporary, and young adult fiction.

Life is messy and beautiful. In everyone’s story, there is truth and hope. Donna Jo’s novels are about common struggles and finding the faith to carry on through those battles.

When she’s not writing, she loves to read and talk about books, poke around in old bookshops and museums, and spend time with her family.

My Impressions:

It’s been a while since a book has moved me to tears. And that is saying something because I am not a reader of exclusively fun or happy books. I like real life stories filled with real emotions and experiences. But Donna Jo Stone did just that in her coming-of-age novel When The Wildflowers Bloom Again. The book, set in a small Louisiana community in the 1970s, is told in the first person voice of Mary Parker. At fourteen years old, Mary is filled with excitement for the future, with a bit of curious rebellion built in. Her family would say she’s a handful, but really she is a a typical young teenager. That is until her life is shattered by an unspeakable trauma and a life-altering grief. The era portrayed is spot-on. I know, because I grew up during the same time period. And the circumstances Mary faces are also true to life. Mary is left desolate and alone — fearful to reveal her trauma to her grieving and fragile mother. But God’s grace shows through in her Aunt Sister, her mother, and others who choose to stand with Mary. Church and family are portrayed realistically as well. Some are judgmental, while others exhibit the love of Christ. I think that’s pretty accurate. No community or congregation is perfect, only Jesus is. While the book is pretty hard to read — I put it down numerous times to settle my emotions — it is at the end hope-filled.

When The Wildflowers Bloom Again won the 2025 Carol Award (ACFW) for outstanding contemporary fiction. It is well-deserved. Grab some friends to read this one together. You are going to want to talk about it.

Highly recommended.

Audience: older teens and adults.

Great for book clubs.

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

Tags: , ,

Mini-Book Review — A Bookseller in Madrid

25 Sep

My book club is reading A Bookseller in Madrid this month. The author, Mario Escobar, is new-to-us. A citizen of Spain and writing in Spanish, his books come to us in translation into English. I have only read one book by Escobar — The Librarian of Saint-Malo. I loved it! So I had high expectations for his latest novel released in the US. I have to say I was a bit disappointed. The novel is told in the first person voice of Barbara Spiel, a German who leaves Nazi-Germany to open a bookstore in Madrid in the years that include the Spanish Civil War. What she hoped would be a haven for ideas, turns into a nightmare as foreign actors, along with the various clashing groups turn the country into a terror-filled existence. If you want to know more about the Spanish Civil War, Escobar goes into a lot of detail about this dark time in Spain’s history. I wanted that, but I wanted more about how books brought hope and healing. A lot was said about how books do that, but there just wasn’t a lot of it played out in the lives of the characters. More telling than showing, if you know what I mean. Barbara faces a lot of danger and incredibly hard experiences which fill the pages of the last half of the book. The story picked up for me then. But I was left with the feeling that something was missing. Was it the book itself or the translation that caused this? I don’t know. One very bright spot was the faith that was expressed by Barbara and others in the book.

If you want details of the Spanish Civil War and its effects on ordinary people, then maybe you should read A Bookseller in Madrid. Otherwise, I heartily recommend The Librarian of Saint0-Malo.

Audience: Adults.

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

How can the words of the past help heal the horror of the present?

For as long as she can remember, Barbara Spiel has always found solace in books. Born in Germany and having come of age in a tumultuous era, she flees her home country as the Nazis rise to power in the early 1930s. Her destination? Madrid. There she’s determined to realize her long-held dream of opening a bookshop and creating a safe haven for young idealists and independent thinkers to come together to transform the world.

Yet Spain isn’t immune from its own troubles. The winds of change are blowing through both city and countryside, and it’s impossible to predict what will happen. When the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War puts Barbara and everyone around her in peril–including the Spanish Socialist parliamentarian she’s fallen deeply in love with–the terror and hatred seem all too familiar. It’s like Germany all over again, only with its own cast of extremist characters.

Hounded simultaneously by Stalinist checas, Francoist Facists, and the German Gestapo, Barbara fights to keep her bookstore the safe haven that she’s always imagined it would be. But with war brewing both inside Spain and outside its borders throughout the entirety of Europe–and beyond–Barbara isn’t sure who exactly she can trust, or if people really are who they claim to be.

A story told with tremendous heart and astonishing historical accuracy, A Bookseller in Madrid is ultimately a story about dreams–dreaming with courage when nothing seems to make sense, and dreaming with hope when words printed on a page are all you can hold on to.

Mario Escobar has a master’s degree in modern history and has written numerous books and articles that delve into the depths of church history, the struggle of sectarian groups, and the discovery and colonization of the Americas. Escobar, who makes his home in Madrid, Spain, is passionate about history and its mysteries.

Tags: , ,

Book Review — Death Follows Her

22 Sep

Death Follows Her is the latest suspense/thriller by Rachel Dylan. It’s been several years since I have read a new book by Dylan, and this one was well worth the wait. Fast-paced and action-packed from the start, this novel will keep you on your reading toes!

Three powerful CEOs. Three sudden deaths. One woman determined to uncover the truth.

When three high-profile CEOs die in quick succession, FBI Special Agent Samira Haddad is called in to investigate. What at first seems like tragic coincidence soon unravels into something far more deliberate—and deadly. All three victims were represented in major lawsuits by the same attorney: Quinn Kelly, a sharp, unrelenting trial lawyer with a flawless record and no shortage of enemies.

As Samira digs deeper, she’s drawn into a world of elite corporate power, courtroom battles, and closely guarded secrets. Quinn becomes both a key to the mystery—and a target herself. Cool under pressure and relentless in court, Quinn is used to winning—but this time, the stakes are life and death.

With pressure mounting from all sides, Samira must navigate competing agendas, shadowy threats, and the growing suspicion that the killer is far closer than anyone imagined.

Rachel Dylan is an award-winning and bestselling author of legal thrillers and romantic suspense. Rachel has practiced law for almost two decades, including as a litigator at one of the nation’s top law firms. Rachel lives in Michigan with her husband and three furkids—one loveable Labrador and two senior cats. Rachel loves to connect with readers.

My Impressions:

Rachel Dylan is back with a fast-paced suspense/thriller filled with twists you won’t see coming! Death Follows Her focuses on a high-powered attorney who represents top CEOs and their companies from product liability cases. Think pharmaceutical companies with drugs that cause severe side effects and death and manufacturers who create biological and environmental damages. These are high stakes cases. And Quinn Kelly rarely loses. And now her clients are dying. Samira Haddad of the FBI is called into to investigate. The two women have several things in common and develop a partnership of sorts. Just when you think that the case is resolved, Dylan throws in another twist to keep everybody, including the reader, off balance. The novel is taut and tense — it is definitely plot-driven — but allows a good glimpse into what has made the MCs who they are.

If you like suspense that keeps you guessing, then check out Death Follows Her. I look forward to book 2, Secrets Chase Her, which releases in May 2026.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

(I borrowed this title through the Kindle Unlimited program. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

Tags: , ,

Book Review: The Highland Heist

18 Sep

Pepper Basham does it again in her latest Freddie and Grace Mystery, The Highland Heist. The two daring newlyweds are embroiled in mayhem and intrigue as only they can be. History and mystery combine in a very fun read.

Grace Storms a Scottish Castle to Save her Sister
 
Lord Astley surprises his wife with a trip to America to see her family before they end their honeymoon adventures. But just as they arrive, they find Grace’s sister, Lillias, is the prime suspect in her husband’s murder. To add to the confusion a solicitor arrives to tell the sister’s they are needed in Scotland immediately to claim their mother’s inheritance.
 
The clock is ticking to clear Lillias of suspicion, but someone is determined to keep the sisters from reaching the Scottish Highlands. When Lillias disappears, Freddie and Grace race to Scotland, sure the answers will be found in a long-forgotten castle.
 
With a ghost from Frederick’s past leaving threatening clues along the way, the mysterious Mr. Kane waiting in the wings to grab the inheritance for himself, and an apparition haunting the infamous castle, Lord and Lady Astley must capture the castle, save Lillias, and not die in the process.

Pepper Basham is a best-selling author who writes romance “peppered” with grace and humor. Writing both historical and contemporary novels, she loves to incorporate her native Appalachian culture and/or her unabashed adoration of the UK into her stories. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the wife of a fantastic pastor, mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus. She loves connecting with readers and other authors through social media outlets like Facebook & Instagram.

You can learn more about Pepper and her books on her website at http://www.pepperdbasham.com.

My Impressions:

I fell in love with Frederick and Grace in their first historical mystery, The Mistletoe Countess. The two have managed to fall into mysteries 4 times now, and their latest investigation is another fast-paced, fun romp from Virginia to the highlands of Scotland. For those who haven’t read the historical mysteries by Pepper Basham, Frederick and Grace are a newlywed couple whose marriage of convenience has turned into a very satisfying love match. Their first days of marriage through their extensive honeymoon have been filled with a growing love and a fearful amount of mayhem! In The Highland Heist, Grace and her sister have inherited a castle in Scotland. But nothing is easy where Grace and Freddie are involved. Stabbings, bangs on the head, hidden treasures, and sneaky villains keep the two on their toes. I really like this series, and The Highland Heist is a great addition. I recommend reading the books in order to experience all the fun!

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

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

Tags: , ,

Mini-Book Review — The Queens of Crime

21 Aug

My book club loves historical fiction featuring real life people. This month we selected The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict. It features 5 female authors from the Golden Age of Mystery. The novel is written from the first person present tense perspective of Dorothy Sayers. This made the novel feel very personal and the action scenes immediate and intense. The novel is basically a mystery that involved an actual cold case from the era. The 5 Queens set upon solving it to prove their place of importance among the male mystery writers of the time. However, the 5 get much more than they bargained for as they are pulled into the dangers of the case. They also discover a good bit about each other and themselves. It is good to note that while the characters and the cold case were real and many facts are inserted into the book, the book itself is a work of fiction. Their insertion into the police case and their solving of the crime are pure supposition. This does not take a way from enjoyment of the book, but it is good to remember if you are looking for a more biographical perspective.

While the reviews from my group were a bit mixed — no one disliked it, but it was not a favorite either — I would recommend it to those who enjoy the books of Sayers and Christie (and the others) and would like a look at the times in which they lived and wrote.

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

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

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery of Mrs. Christie—a thrilling story of the five greatest women writers of the Golden Age of Mystery and their bid to solve a real-life murder. 

London, 1930. The five greatest women crime writers have banded together to form a secret society with a single goal: to show they are no longer willing to be treated as second class citizens by their male counterparts in the legendary Detection Club. Led by the formidable Dorothy L. Sayers, the group includes Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. They call themselves the Queens of Crime. Their plan? Solve an actual murder, that of a young woman found strangled in a park in France who may have connections leading to the highest levels of the British establishment.

May Daniels, a young English nurse on an excursion to France with her friend, seemed to vanish into thin air as they prepared to board a ferry home. Months later, her body is found in the nearby woods. The murder has all the hallmarks of a locked room mystery for which these authors are famous: how did her killer manage to sneak her body out of a crowded train station without anyone noticing? If, as the police believe, the cause of death is manual strangulation, why is there is an extraordinary amount of blood at the crime scene? What is the meaning of a heartbreaking secret letter seeming to implicate an unnamed paramour? Determined to solve the highly publicized murder, the Queens of Crime embark on their own investigation, discovering they’re stronger together. But soon the killer targets Dorothy Sayers herself, threatening to expose a dark secret in her past that she would do anything to keep hidden. 

Inspired by a true story in Sayers’ own life, New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict brings to life the lengths to which five talented women writers will go to be taken seriously in the male-dominated world of letters as they unpuzzle a mystery torn from the pages of their own novels.

​Marie Benedict is a lawyer with more than ten years’ experience as a litigator at two of the country’s premier law firms, who found her calling unearthing the hidden historical stories of women. Her mission is to excavate from the past the most important, complex and fascinating women of history and bring them into the light of present-day where we can finally perceive the breadth of their contributions as well as the insights they bring to modern day issues.

Tags: , , ,

Audiobook Mini-Review — For A Lifetime

11 Aug

Gabrielle Meyer‘s Timeless series is excellent! She combines multiple historical timelines with a time travel element. The main characters in each of the books in the series are time-crossers — living in two different eras. I love the historical stories that Meyer develops. Fans of historical fiction will love the books just for that. The time-crossing element is intriguing and adds thought-provoking and challenging decisions for the main characters. For A Lifetime is the 3rd book in the series and features twin sisters who share each other’s path in history. The two live in the late 1600’s Salem (during the witch trials) and the early 1900s in Washington, D.C. The witch trials, are of course, very interesting, but the early days of aviation in the 1900s is something I knew nothing about. Added to all this is the element of a women’s place in the world and in history. In order not to spoil any part of the story, I will just say that For A Lifetime shares intriguing historical details and perspectives, endearing and complex characters, thoughtful themes of a person’s purpose and place, and enough twists and turns to keep a reader engaged and turning the pages!

Highly Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

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

Grace and Hope are identical twin sisters born with the ability to time-cross together between 1692 Salem, Massachusetts, and 1912 New York City. As their twenty-fifth birthday approaches, they will have to choose one life to keep and one to leave behind forever–no matter the cost.

In 1692, they live and work in their father’s tavern, where they must watch helplessly as the witch trials unfold in their village, threatening everyone. With the help of a handsome childhood friend, they search for the truth behind their mother’s mysterious death, risking everything to expose a secret that could save their lives–or be their undoing.

In 1912, Hope dreams of becoming one of the first female pilots in America, and Grace works as an investigative journalist, uncovering corruption and injustice. After their parents’ orphanage is threatened by an adversary, they enter a contest to complete a perilous cross-country flight under the guidance of a daring French aviator.

The sisters have already decided which timeline they will choose, but an unthinkable tragedy complicates the future they planned for themselves. As their birthday looms, how will they determine the lives–and loves–that are best for both of them?

Gabrielle Meyer lives in central Minnesota on the banks of the upper Mississippi River with her husband and four children. As an employee of the Minnesota Historical Society, she fell in love with the rich history of her state and enjoys writing fictional stories inspired by real people, places, and events. You can learn more about Gabrielle and her books at http://www.gabriellemeyer.com.

Tags: , , , ,

Book Review: The Light on Horn Island

6 Aug

Valerie Fraser Luesse is a favorite of my book club. Her latest multi-generational women’s fiction, The Light on Horn Island, is so good! We all loved it. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend you do!

Just when her life comes crumbling down, she discovers secrets that could shape her future–and heal her past. 

When Edie Gardner’s life in New York falls apart, her grandmother Adele “Punk” Cheramie coaxes her back to tiny Bayou du Chêne, Mississippi. Edie spent many happy summers there, a stone’s throw from untamed Horn Island, where she once found love. Can she now demystify the island’s strange new light?

Punk and her colorful friends introduce Edie to the Trove, a fascinating gallery and antique shop. Like Horn Island’s light, The Trove has appeared out of nowhere. Its proprietor, with a gift for discerning his customers’ needs, gives Edie a Victorian parlor game that asks players a series of personal questions, which is harmless fun at first. But Edie and her grandmother’s circle find that the game has a way of uncovering secrets, including a heartbreak that has haunted one of the women for decades. Banding together, this Southern sisterhood is determined to find answers that will bring healing, hope, and happiness–and maybe explain the transcendent illumination of a wild and windswept barrier island.

Valerie Fraser Luesse is the author of novels set in the South. An award-winning magazine writer, Luesse is perhaps best known for her feature stories and essays in Southern Living, where she wrote major pieces on the Mississippi Delta, Acadian Louisiana, and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Her editorial section on the recovering Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina, photographed by Mark Sandlin, won the 2009 Travel Writer of the Year award from the Southeast Tourism Society. Luesse earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Auburn University and Baylor University, respectively. Find her online at valeriefraserluesse.com; facebook.com/valeriefraserluessebooks; bakerpublishinggroup.com; bookbub.com/authors/valerie-fraser-luesse; and goodreads.com.

My Impressions:

Valerie Fraser Luesse does it again! Her latest novel, The Light on Horn Island, combines history, mystery, and multi-generational relationships to create a thought-provoking story with characters that will win your heart. Set amidst the backdrop of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the story centers on Edie Gardner, a young woman who has faced a profound loss that sends her back to the comfort of her grandmother’s house and her beloved Horn Island. Luesse captures the region perfectly with the sights and the flavors described. I am very familiar with the area (my husband is a south Mississippi boy) and I felt I was cruising the highway and visiting all the picturesque towns that make up the region. Mystery abounds, including a very mysterious shop owner, as Edie and the other women navigate loss, regret, guilt, and hope for the future. My husband was a child when Hurricane Camille hit Biloxi, and he has shared memories of the devastation. Luesse does a great job of sharing the personal stories of victims and survivors alike. My favorite part of the novel is the relationships the author creates between the women. Long time friendships are heralded and new paths forward are forged — it’s an homage to women of all generations building each other up and having each other’s backs.

I highly recommend The Light on Horn Island. This book can be savored anywhere and at all times, although it would be perfect read on a porch with an ice cold drink and a view of the water. 😉

Highly Recommended.

Great for Book Clubs.

Audience: Adults.

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

Tags: , ,

Mini-Book Review — Becoming Madam Secretary

14 Jul

One of my book clubs loves biographical fiction, and an author who writes it so well is Stephanie Dray. This month we chose Becoming Madam Secretary, a novel focused on Frances Perkins, the Labor Secretary under FDR. Oh my! What a fascinating story! Perkins is often referred to as the mother of Social Security. Her career began as a social worker in Hell’s Kitchen in New York City and proceeded to rise as she fought for better working conditions, especially for women. She was a crusader against child labor and helped pass legislation limiting work hours. Dray’s novel is meticulously researched and in the absence of details on Perkin’s private life, she carefully created plausible scenarios. The book comes in at 500+ pages and is not full of a lot of action, but it was certainly an enjoyable, as well as, illuminating read. I highly recommend this book for those who love historical/biographical fiction, especially that highlight the cultural and political events of first part of the 20th century.

Highly recommended.

Audience: Adults.

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

She took on titans, battled generals, and changed the world as we know it…

New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Dray returns with a captivating and dramatic novel about an American heroine Frances Perkins. 

Raised on tales of her revolutionary ancestors, Frances Perkins arrives in New York City at the turn of the century, armed with her trusty parasol and an unyielding determination to make a difference.

When she’s not working with children in the crowded tenements in Hell’s Kitchen, Frances throws herself into the social scene in Greenwich Village, befriending an eclectic group of politicians, artists, and activists, including the millionaire socialite Mary Harriman Rumsey, the flirtatious budding author Sinclair Lewis, and the brilliant but troubled reformer Paul Wilson, with whom she falls deeply in love.

But when Frances meets a young lawyer named Franklin Delano Roosevelt at a tea dance, sparks fly in all the wrong directions. She thinks he’s a rich, arrogant dilettante who gets by on a handsome face and a famous name. He thinks she’s a priggish bluestocking and insufferable do-gooder. Neither knows it yet, but over the next twenty years, they will form a historic partnership that will carry them both to the White House.

Frances is destined to rise in a political world dominated by men, facing down the Great Depression as FDR’s most trusted lieutenant—even as she struggles to balance the demands of a public career with marriage and motherhood. And when vicious political attacks mount and personal tragedies threaten to derail her ambitions, she must decide what she’s willing to do—and what she’s willing to sacrifice—to save a nation.

Stephanie Dray is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. Her award-winning work has been translated into ten languages and tops lists for the most anticipated reads of the year. She lives in Maryland with her husband, cats, and history books.

Tags: , ,

Book Review — Guilty Until Innocent

26 Jun

This month my book club is reading Guilty Until Innocent by Robert Whitlow. We are big fans of his, although the last couple of books we read by him were not our favorites. I think that might change after we read this one. Whitlow goes back to his legal drama roots in this thoughtful offering. Find out more about it and my thoughts below.

Justice has been served . . . unless the accused is innocent. In this gripping legal drama, Whitlow expertly weaves themes of grace, faith, and the law with a plot that is sure to keep you guessing until the end.

Life in prison is often a nightmare, but Joe Moore believes he is just where God intends him to be. Twenty-five years ago, while high on meth, he makes one terrible mistake after another, culminating in the brutal murder of a young, influential couple. Today, Joe is a radically different person, thriving in his role as a ministry leader and role model to his fellow inmates.

After being fired from two previous law firms, young lawyer Ryan Clark and his wife, Paige, have settled into a small North Carolina town. Hired by a distant relative, Ryan is committed to connecting with the right clients and handling the mundane tasks while his cousin Tom takes on the high-profile cases.

But when critical health issues land Tom in the hospital, Ryan is forced to take the helm at the law firm–just in time for the town’s biggest case in history to be reopened. Joe Moore’s niece has been doing some digging and, convinced that her incarcerated uncle is innocent, insists that Ryan relaunch the investigation immediately.

After Ryan meets with Joe, both men receive threats that put their own lives–as well as the lives of those around them–in danger. It appears that together they’ve pulled back a dark curtain that hides a deeper evil than anyone in town suspects exists. Now they must determine if continuing with the case is worth the risk–and if the cost of proving one man’s innocence is too great when the lives of so many others would be placed in mortal danger.

Dive into a world where faith meets the law in this heart-pounding legal drama that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Pick up Guilty Until Innocent and find out if the cost of justice is worth risking everything. You won’t want to miss out on this thrilling story of grace, redemption, and the relentless pursuit of truth.

Robert Whitlow grew up in north Georgia. He graduated magna cum laude from Furman University with a BA in history in 1976 and received his JD with honors from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1979. A practicing attorney, he is a partner in a Charlotte, NC law firm. He and his wife Kathy have four children and nine grandchildren.

Robert began writing in 1996. His novels are set in the South and include both legal suspense and interesting characterization. It is his desire to write stories that reveal some of the ways God interacts with people in realistic scenarios.

My Impressions:

Robert Whitlow has long been a favorite of mine. I like that he blends legal drama (a great genre) with strong spiritual themes. His novel, Guilty Until Innocent did not disappoint. The novel features a young lawyer on his third chance to make it in his profession. Sound familiar? This scenario is a favorite of John Grisham’s, and Whitlow is often compared to him. But the difference between the two authors is the faith element that Whitlow skillfully inserts. The case that Ryan Clark is drawn into concerns a man imprisoned for murder over 20 years before. No one is disputing Joe Moore’s guilt, but there may be some extenuating circumstances that could impact his sentence. It is interesting that of the three POVs in this novel — Ryan, his wife Paige, and Joe — only Joe is a Christian. Fully content with his life, Joe seeks to bring the light of God in the very dark world in which he lives. The case is intriguing and the danger escalates the more Ryan digs into the evidence. There is mystery and suspense, twists and turns, and a surprising ending. The themes of the effectiveness of prayer, guilt and forgiveness, and trusting God’s plan are very strong and will definitely create great conversation with my book club group.

Guitly Until Innocent is a good choice if you like legal drama with a good bit of suspense. Grab some friends and read this one!

Recommended.

Audience: Adults.

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

Tags: , ,

Mini-Book Review — Under The Magnolias

16 Jun

Lots of people have recommended T. I. Lowe‘s books to me. I read Indigo Isle for book club last January, and it was excellent! All of my group loved it. So, it was a no-brainer to pick up Under The Magnolias. My goodness what a great read! This coming-of-age novel set in the 1980s is filled with heart and heartbreak, love and longing, and a faith message that was subtle yet strong. The story follows Austen Foster and her family through her growing up years on a tobacco farm in South Carolina. From the beginning, Austen is faced with almost impossible expectations placed on her by family obligations. A father with mental health issues, newborn twins in need of care, and the younger siblings to shelter and encourage take up a lot of Austen’s time and energy. The secondary characters that enter the Foster’s lives are wonderful in their quirky and broken selves as well. The story really is about how God takes the broken and makes it beautiful in His own time — emphasis on His timing. I laughed and cried during this book, but the HEA (healing ever after last chapter) was a testament to faith, perseverance, and the wisdom of leaning on the people of God. I cannot recommend this novel enough!

Highly recommended.

Audience: Adults.

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

This night not only marked the end to the drought, but also the end to the long-held secret we’d kept hidden under the magnolias.

Magnolia, South Carolina, 1980
Austin Foster is barely a teenager when her mama dies giving birth to twins, leaving her to pick up the pieces while holding her six siblings together and doing her best to stop her daddy from retreating into his personal darkness.

Scratching out a living on the family’s tobacco farm is as tough as it gets. When a few random acts of kindness help to ease the Fosters’ hardships, Austin finds herself relying upon some of Magnolia’s most colorful citizens for friendship and more. But it’s next to impossible to hide the truth about the goings-on at Nolia Farms, and Austin’s desperate attempts to save face all but break her.

Just when it seems she might have something more waiting for her―with the son of a wealthy local family who she’s crushed on for years―her father makes a choice that will crack wide-open the family’s secrets and lead to a public reckoning. There are consequences for loving a boy like Vance Cumberland, but there is also freedom in the truth.

Weaving together themes of hope, grief, mental health, and faith into a beautiful and moving novel, Under the Magnolias, T. I. Lowe’s gritty yet tender and uplifting coming-of-age tale reminds us that a great story can break your heart . . . then heal it in the best possible way.

T. I. Lowe is an ordinary country girl who loves to tell extraordinary stories. She is the author of 21 novels, including the #1 international bestseller and critically acclaimed Under the Magnolias and her debut breakout Lulu’s Café. Her novel Indigo Isle won the prestigious Christy Award in the contemporary romance category and was subsequently named Christy Award Book of the Year. She lives in coastal South Carolina with her husband and family.

Tags: , , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →