A Novel Proposal by Denise Hunter

A Novel Proposal is a stand alone book by Denise Hunter.. The main character is Sadie Goodman, a school teacher and an aspiring author. She is most familiar with writing westerns but her publisher tells her those books are not selling and urge her to write in a genre that she has no experience in writing and that genre is contemporary romance. She only has three months to write a novel so she retreats beach house located in North Carolina. Sadie does not meet a stranger and strikes up friendly conversations with everyone she meets on the beach. Her duplex neighbor Sam Ford is nice looking but quite stand offish. You find out later why he is that way. He finds her annoying and does not really want to get friendly but Sadie manages to wear him down even bring him cookies. Sadie is not making much progess but she decides that she is going to base the hero in her novel on Sam.. I knew that would not come out well for her if he found out. Anyway Sadie decides to construct a little lending library and places it in the front yard so anybody passing by can take a book for free and read it. She finds a beautiful diamond ring in a secret compartment of a book and somehow enlists Sam to help her track down the original owner of the ring and the book. I loved the mystery part of this book and how they were able to find the owner of the ring. It was a surprising twist who the ring belonged too. I loved this book but of course I have never met a Denise Hunter book that I did not like..

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Like the Wind by Robin Lee Hatcher

 

Like the Wind is a stand alone book by Robin Lee Hatcher. I knew within reading the first few pages that I would going to enjoy this read. Olivia Ward has had a rough few years. She divorced her abusive wealthy husband but lost custody of her daughter Emma. Her ex didn't really want the child but being the cruel vindictive person he was he didn't want her to have custody. He got custody of Emma and moved to Florida which made it nearly impossible for Olivia to have any visitation rights since she was barely able to make ends meet as it was. Her ex didn't even spend any time with his daughter putting her in an expensive boarding school. After seven years Olivia gets custody of Emma after her ex is killed in a car crash. For some reason the ex's money is tied up in his business so Emma can't go to that expensive school anymore and goes to live with her mother Olivia in Idaho. She's not happy with her living situation and resents her mother very much. What I loved about Olivia is that she kept her opinions to herself about her ex. She didn't unload all the evil things her ex did to her daughter. She was extremely patient with her daughter when she acted resentful, unsurely and generally a spoiled brat. She helped her daughter get into community theater and slowly Emma began to warm up.. This is a dual timeline store that is told in the form of a diary which Emma reads. The diary was written in the 1930s. Diary didn't have anything to do with current story but with Emma reading the diary it brought her closer to the Lord. And then there is Tyler who is interested in Olivia but he's harboring a secret. Really enjoyed this story. 

 I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Something Old, Something New by Amy Clipston

I just love small town stories with the heroine running her own business. In this story we have Christine and she runs an antique store. It was a shared dream she had with her nana who has passed on. Running this shop is her passion and she's good at it. Christine is a fraternal twin to Brittany which Christine thinks is the pretty one. Christine considers herself the nerdy twin.. Brent comes into town to help his great aunt who is more like a grandmother to him, renovate her home so she can sell it. She wants to downsize and move into a condo.. Brent runs into Christine and Christine offers to help Brent and his aunt go through antiques in the home to sell in her shop. Brent used to date Christine's sister in high school and Britany is not happy at all that Christine and Brent are getting close. She thinks Brent cheated on her. I love it that Christine stood up to her sister and did not let her sister bully her into dropping Brent as a friend. Everyone in town saw that Christine and Brent were developing feelings for each other. I just loved Brent's aunt. She was one of the first who saw it coming but Brent did not feel like he was good enough for Christine. He had no money, was out of a job and he did not finish college. Loved it when he realized the error of his ways. Loved the ending. Just sad the story had to end.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Dark of Night by Colleen Coble

Dark of Night if #2 in the Annie Pederson series of books by Colleen Coble. I really like this series because it is in the same area of the first suspense series I have read by the author and that series is Rock Harbor series. Same of the same characters from that series play a part of this series. Bree and her rescue dog air Annie in search and rescue. You don't have to read the Rock Harbor series to appreciate this series but I highly recommend you read the first book in this series which is Edge of Dusk.. Dark of Night answers some questions that were raised in the first book. In this book we learn whether or not Taylor is Annie's long-lost sister Sarah who disappear some twenty plus years ago. Taylor is bitter and resentful. If she is Sarah will she ever have a loving relationship with her family? Taylor is very unlikeable in this book. I hope she gets over her attitude in future books. Then there is the story of Michelle Fraiser, a woman trying to escape from her abusive husband. She disappears in the woods but the search team is unable to find her body but do find clues. Reading the book we know she has an injured leg and is held captive in a small cabin and unable to escape but we don't know who is holding her and the reason until the very end. This book kept me up late reading. I can't wait until the next book in the series comes out.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and Thomas Nelson. All opinions are completely my own.

Crossfire by Lynette Eason

 Second in the Extreme Measures series Crossfire focuses on Julianne. Julianne was one of four girls who spent a short amount of time in juvie. One good thing that came out of spending time in juvie was that they were introduced to Jesus there. Julianne is a hostage negotiator and she is raising her half sister Dottie. Their mother is no longer on the scene. She is very good at her job but someone is targeting her and her sister and she can't figure out who. She does eventually figure out it is someone from her past but the danger is not over. This book was a thrill ride from beginning to the end with most of the action at the end.

Thanks to LibraryThing and Revell books for providing me an ARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Deception by Patricia Bradley

Deception by Patricia Bradley is the fourth book in her Natchez Park Rangers series. Even though it is the fourth in the series this book could be read as a stand-alone novel.  Book started out suspenseful with Madison protecting herself from an evil man. Characters from previous books are mentioned in the book but they don't have any roles in this book. Like the previous books in this series there were several different storylines going. Someone wants Madison Thorn dead and you have to wonder who wants her dead. There are some surprises in the book that I will not reveal as it will spoil it for the reader.  I loved reading alone as Madison discovered secrets from her birth that she was not aware of.  Loved the relationship with Clayton and some other people who came into her life.

Highly recommended for those who love romantic/suspense/thriller type of books. 

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing me an e-copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for them.

Harvest Moon by Denise Hunter

 Harvest Moon is book 3 in the Riverbend series by Denise Hunter. I could not wait to read Gavin's story when we were introduced to him in the first book in which he played a major part. In the first book he is a divorced man dating Katie. I wasn't too heartbroken that Katie chose Gavin's brother over him because I knew that he just had to get back with his wife. There was so much unresolved in that story. Laurel and Gavin dissolved their marriage after their three year old son died accidentally. In this story Gavin and Laurel must come together after a married couple they both knew died in an airplane crash. The couple has a two-year daughter. In their will the couple had name both Gavin and Laurel to raise their child if something happened to them. I loved how Laurel and Gavin put aside their differences to do what was best for the child. I loved it that they each admitted to their part in the demise of the marriage. Seems they both had daddy issues. Her daddy abandoned her when she was young and his father was just an abusive drunk. And I loved the happy ending! I'm a little sad that this is more than likely the last book in this series. Denise Hunter is my favorite Christian romance writer and I look forward to reading anything she writes in the future.

I received a complimentary copy of this e-book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Baxters by Karen Kingsbury

The Baxters story is a prequel to all the other 30 plus novels Karen Kingsbury has written on the Baxter family. This is a good book to read to refresh your memory on the early days of the Baxter or for the new reader who may not want to read every single novel. In this book we see Kari getting married. Her mother, Elizabeth has reservations and rightly so. If you read the first book in the series you will find out why. Kari marries Tim Taylor when deep down she is still in love with her first love Ryan but she will not admit it. She broke up with him because she thinks he cheated on her. The story also focuses on Ashley Baxter who has come back from Parish pregnant by a married man. I loved how most of her fa
mily particularly her parents supported her and did not judge her. That's the way families should work.

Thanks for the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a digital copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Never Leave Me by Jody Hedlund

 

I don't know why some people didn't like the sequel. I enjoyed it. I loved both Evelyn and Harrison. Both had serious health issues and both were healed. It took too long for her to admit that she loved him but she did. Favorite part of the story was went she and Harrison transported to the 1300s and she was able to save her sister from dying in childbirth. I only wish that there had been an epilogue of what happened to William and Marian in the past. Did they have more children? Did they die an early death as a lot of people did during that time? I highly recommend this book but I recommend that you read the first book in the series which is Marian's story. You will learn more about the effects of the miracle water.

Sold on Love by Kathleen Fuller

 

Sold on Love is the third book in the Maple Falls series of books by Kathleen Fuller and is my favorite. Of all the female heroines I like Harper Williams the best. We met Harper and Rusty in the previous book. On the surface it looks like Harper has it all together. Always dressed to the nines with perfect hair and makeup. She has a luxury car that keeps giving her trouble and her trusty mechanic always brings her car back to life. With Rusty she was able to let her hair down and be herself. Harper has her problems. Her parents are on the brink of divorce and Harper's real estate business is struggling. I love her circle of friends that call themselves the BBs. I hope we will get to hear Olivia's story next. 

The Catch by Lisa Harris

 The Catch is the third and final book of the US Marshals series. There are actually three storylines in this third and final book of the US Marshal series. Starts out when a judge's wife is murdered and his out-out-wedlock child goes missing with the babysitter. All evidence points to his mistress murdering his wife. The second story involves the babysitter on the run with the baby. She is running from someone but who? The third story is the one mystery that has been since book 1 and that is the story of the murder of Madison's husband Luke. I figured out who the real murderer was in the judge's wife murder. That was pretty obvious. The stories in this last book kept me turning the pages.

Thanks for LibraryThing and the publisher for providing me a ARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Edge of Dusk by Colleen Coble

 Collen Coble takes us back to Rocky Harbor. Her Rocky Harbor series was the first romantic/suspense series I have read by Colleen Coble. The first book came out in 2003. Bree and Kade and their friends are in this book but as background characters. This series introduces us to Annie Pederson, her daughter Kylie and Annie's first love Jon Dustan. This book started out in the first chapter with Annie as a nine year old and her younger sister had been kidnapped. Fast forward to the present time and Jon has entered her life again after nine years. Some bodies are discovered in an abandoned cabin. We find out in the end who the murderer is but the mystery continues concerning her sister Laura. Like all of Collen Coble's books this one was filled with suspense that kept me on edge. Could not wait to finish and I definitely can't wait until the next book is released so we will find out more about the mystery surrounding Laura her sister.

I received this book through Netgalley and the publisher. All the opinions expressed are my own and I was not compensated.

I'll Be Seeing Your by Robin Lee Hatcher

 I''ll Be Seeing You is a dual timeline story. One story takes place in the early years of WWII. The Abbott family consists of a mother and father and two daughters Daisy and Lillian. Daisy has been infatuated with Brandon since she was 14. She's not close to 20. Problem in that her sister Lillian is dating Brandan and hopes they will marry before he enlists in the military. I loved this storyline . Daisy made many mistakes and I loved seeing how she grew through her mistakes. I loved all the characters in that timeline. Todd was an amazing individual. The only person I took an extreme dislike to was her sister. She was spoiled and thought only of herself.

The second timeline is the present time. Daisy is 98 years old but still has a mind as sharp as tacks. She hopes her great granddaughter Brianne will not make the same mistakes that she did and gives her Godly advice. She also prays to God to protect her great granddaughter's heart.

Thomas Nelson and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

The View from Coral Cove by Amy Clipson

 

I practically read the whole book in one day. It was so good that I could not put it down. I have read that Amy Clipson ususally writes Amish fiction but I read very little of Amish fiction and have read none of her Amish fiction. I did read her last contemporary novel and enjoyed it but I think this one is a little better. All the characters and critters were likeable in this book except Maya's ex boyfriend Kyle and he was a first class jerk. The little girl Ashlyn was just adorable. She and a frisky kitten were responsible for Brody getting introduced to Maya. Maya took an instant liking to the little girl and she loved Maya. I did get frustrated with Brody the majority of the book. He was hurt in the past by a girlfriend so was gun shy in committing to a relationship with Maya. He wanted to take things too slow. He was that afraid of getting hurt again.

I really did like this book and hope Amy Clipson continues to write contemporary romance novels.
"Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for providing me a digital copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Dead Fall by Nancy Mehl

 

Second in the Quantico Files, this book was even better than the first. Others who have reviewed this book say that they are able to guess who the villain is in her book but I have never. This one definitely had me stumped. I may have to re-read this book at a later date to see if I missed any clues. There are some twists in the book and when you think you can breathe and that it's over it's not.

In this book someone is targeting profilers. Alex Donovan and her team with the help of Kaley Quinn try to figure it out but is it possible that there is someone on the team who is a traitor?

Alex Donovan is a baby Christian and I loved how Kaley Quinn was able to mentor her and help her grow in her faith.

I'm looking forward to the next Quantico Files book which is due out in a few months! 

Life Flight by Lynette Eason

This new series by Lynette Eason about Life Flight helicopter pilots is so good. The story starts off suspenseful where they are trying to transport a critically injured teen but the helicopter is forced to land. Not having the proper equipment to communicate to call for help Penny takes off on foot to find help. What she does not realize that there is a serial killer on the loose on the mountain. Will they find the killer before he kills another person? She later connects with Holt who she sort of has a relationship with. The majority of the book is them trying to stop the serial killer. There are twists and turns along the way. Things are not as they seem and just when you think things are over they are far from being over. One thing will happen when you finish reading this book is that you will never look at tea parties the same ever again. Trigger warning: there are some gruesome scenes that involve tea parties. I can't wait until the next book when another on her team is featured.

Thanks to LibraryThing and Revell books for providing me an ARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Mulberry Hollow by Denise Hunter

Mulberry Hollow is the second book in the Riverbend series. I'm loving that the setting for this series is the Appalachian Mountains. I can just visualize in my head how beautiful the area is since I have been there several times. The Robinsons are a close knit blended family. Avery's mother died of Huntingtons disease which is a horrible way to die and she has a 50 percent chance of developing the disease. There is a test that would tell her whether or not she carries this disease but she fears what the results would reveal. On the day of her birthday a hiker lands on her doorstep and she nurses him back to help. Not wanting to be indebted to her he volunteers to work on renovating a building for her.. While working for her they develop a deep friendship. What I like about this book is that the romance developed slowly. They didn't instantly fall in love as in the case in some romance novels. He had some issues that he had to deal with. I though her brothers Cooper and Gavin were a little bit too protective of her to the point of annoying but I like it that she put them in their place and stood up for herself. I'm looking forward to reading Gavin's story which will be out in a few months. Gavin's story will involve his ex-wife. That should be a good one.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Much Ado About a Latte by Kathleen Fuller

 We return to Maple Falls where we reconnect and catch up with characters from the previous book. This book focuses on Anita and Tanner. Tanner is Hayden's best friend. Anita has had a crush on Tanner for about 10 years. She tells herself she is over it but not really. They work together and Tanner is starting to view her as much than a sister type They are both crazy about each other and everybody in their small town notices that there is chemistry between the two but they won't admit it to each other. What I liked about this book and series is the small town atmosphere and the lasting friendships that happen. Loved the humor in the book. I like it that both Tanner and Anita were hard working people with goals in mind. I loved it that Tanner felt a responsibility too look after his mother and younger brother after his farther had died many years ago. Tanner was just a stand up guy. What I didn't like it was Anita getting drunk at her friend's party after drinking three too many Cosmos. Overall this was a good romantic story and I look forward to reading Harper and Rusty's story will will be out this summer.