From the Start

Book Review: From the Start

Author: Melissa Tagg

Genre: Christian, Romance

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Publication Date: April 7, 2015

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Pros: Entertaining and fresh romance, loveable characters, original and humorous story

Cons: Plot occasionally slowed, could have used more romantic tension

Kate Walker used to believe in true love and happily ever after. While her own love life may have left her brokenhearted, it hasn't kept her from churning out made-for-TV romance movie screenplays...until a major career slump and a longing to do something meaningful send her running back to her hometown of Maple Valley. Permanently sidelined by an injury, former NFL quarterback Colton Greene is temporarily hiding out in a friend's hometown to avoid the media and the reminders of all he's lost. Maple Valley seems like the perfect place to learn how to adjust to normal life. The only trouble is he's never really done normal before. While Kate plays things safe and Colton is all about big risks and grand gestures, they both get what it's like to desperately need direction in life. An unexpected project gives them both a chance to jumpstart their new lives, but old wounds and new dreams are hard to ignore. Starting over wasn't part of the plan, but could it be the best thing that's ever happened to them?

I have never read Melissa Tagg before, and my expectations of this book were that it would be another sappy and unrealistic love story. Although I do like the cover of the book, it gave me that impression for some reason. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed From the Start. In contrast to the sappy love stories I have read in this genre, From the Start is witty and entertaining. The prose and narration were humorous in a subtle way that made the book a quick read even with its length of over three hundred pages. The story flows from scene to scene in a light style, although the non-romance background plot lagged occasionally. I was somewhat disinterested in the rebuilding of part of the town after the tornado hit. I was more interested in the romance between Colton and Kate. Melissa Tagg’s characters are all unique with distinct personalities that really show through the dialogue, which is very realistic. The characters speak to each other with ease, and none of the dialogue felt forced. Kate’s bright, happy-go-lucky attitude is shown even through rough times, and her sense of humor keeps the dialogue from going stale. Colton has a tough-guy image with a soft inside, and his sensitivity is clearly shown through his growing relationship with Kate. The many sideline characters were very involved, but in a simple way. They didn’t overpower the novel, but complemented the story. Kate and Colton were the clear focus of the novel.

While the story is light without a lot of suspense or tragedy, there are external conflicts that keeps the story rolling such as Colton’s past, his difficulty with letting people in his life, and Kate’s job to name a few. A mysterious aspect is included with the secret of Colton’s past and his memory loss. As for romance, Colton and Kate have obvious chemistry from the beginning of the novel. Not many personal conflicts come between them as a couple. The appearance of Colton’s ex-girlfriend, his promise to Kate’s brother to keep it “strictly business”, and his past are the majority of romantic conflict between them. Because of his promise to Logan, Kate’s brother, Colton does his best to think of Kate as a business partner. As the novel progresses, so does their relationship, and they grow even closer to each other. They never fight or argue. Their only separation is when Colton disappears after fully remembering his past. I would have liked to have seen a little more romantic tension between them as a couple. Their romance was a little too easy, and I would have preferred for there to be more tension.

The story is very original. The romance movie writer and the NFL player is a cute idea that really worked. The story is not unpredictable, but the elements were unique and non-traditional. The idyllic setting of small town Iowa made me want to live there myself with the friendly townspeople. The story and characters are realistic and likeable. I felt like I was cheerleading them on to continue their relationship. Fun and entertaining, From the Start is a clean romance that even very conservative readers would enjoy. It is the first installment in a new series by Melissa Tagg, The Walker Family. I will definitely be reading the next installments.

I received a complimentary copy of From the Start from Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The opinions stated are my own.

Double Cross

Book Review: Double Cross

Author: Diann Mills

Genre: Fiction/Romance/Suspense  

Publisher: Tyndale

Publication Date: April 1, 2015

Rating: 5 out of 5 (near perfect)

Pros: Great plot, relatable and loveable characters, no technical jargon common to FBI novels

Cons: None

   

            FBI Agent Laurel Evertson’s investigation into a scam targeting the elderly takes an unexpected twist when key evidence leads her to Morton Wilmington, a felon she arrested five years ago on her first undercover assignment. That case has haunted her since, and though she’s vowed to forget Wilmington—and what she sacrificed to put him away—he is now her best lead. Houston Police Officer Daniel Hilton fears his grandparents may be the scammer’s next targets, and he’ll do anything to protect his family—even force interagency cooperation. But he’s quickly drawn to Laurel’s empathy and zeal and agrees to follow her lead . . . even if it means teaming up with a felon. As the unlikely trio uncovers evidence suggesting the scam is more extensive and deadly than they imagined, both Laurel and Daniel find themselves in the crosshairs of a killer. Together they must decide if they can trust Wilmington’s claims of redemption, or if he’s leading them straight into a double cross.

            Double Cross begins with the prologue of a scene five years old from Agent Laurel Evertson’s past that draws the reader in to chapter one, which occurs five years later with a case concerning an elderly fraud. Laurel’s prime suspect turns out to be none other than Morton Wilmington—the man she put away five years ago. Believing he is operating from prison, the FBI has to think from a new angle when Wilmington is released from prison claiming a new faith in God through Christianity. Laurel is forced to work with the very man she hates, along-side with Officer Daniel Hilton of the Houston Police Department. Daniel finds himself attracted to Laurel, one of the first women in his life who he can’t seem to shake from his mind. But Laurel’s growing attraction to Daniel only causes her to feel the need to protect him from the overwhelming baggage she carries, along with the need to protect herself from the fear of losing him once she tells him the truth. Although Laurel at first hates Wilmington and believes him to be a liar, she starts to wonder if he may be telling the truth. His soft spot for her has the unlikely trio working together almost in the shape of a triangle. His conversion keeps the reader wondering all along whether he is sincere.

            The characters all have flaws that make them realistic to the reader. Anger, bitterness, revenge, and lack of faith all makes them relatable. The knowledge of their backgrounds really helps the reader understand the way they tick. Unlike most novels, the character’s backgrounds were not revealed until crucial points in the novel. Since Double Cross is longer, this was beneficial because dragging out the curiosity and mystery of the character’s backgrounds added some extra suspense. There is a good balance among the characters, the main ones with personal points of view being Laurel, Daniel, and Daniel’s grandparents, specifically Gran. Laurel’s anger and bitterness at Wilmington for the death of her partner and close friend, Jesse, prevents her from trusting him despite his claim of religion. Because of her anger, she refuses to trust God, and accepts the fact that she will never have faith. Throughout the novel we see her slow softening towards the things of God—and also to Wilmington—although we do not see a complete change until the very end of the novel. Daniel’s feelings for Laurel keep mounting, although he fears his feelings may jeopardize the case in some way. Knowing he must give up his bitterness and anger towards his parents, specifically his mom, he moves forward in trusting God to fill his heart peace. Raised by his grandparents, he is personally involved with the case because of his grandfather’s buying a scam life insurance policy. Gran speaks from her point of view often, and we can see how loveable and spunky she is. Daniel’s grandfather has dementia, and we can see how she loves him enough to care for him. Their input in the novel made the case so much more personal to the reader because it is impossible not to fall in love with them.

            The characters are very communicative, and a lot of dialogue fills the novel. Their personalities are revealed in their speech. I could sense tone and attitude by Dian Mill’s word usage, which made the characters very unique. There is a good balance of dialogue, descriptions, and narration with no overkill descriptions and technical jargon that I expected in an FBI suspense novel. The flow was simple to read, although the plot was anything but simple. Everything had a deeper secret behind it and questions that lasted until the end of the novel, drawing in more suspense. The plot is neither predictable nor unpredictable. It is easy to know that the bad guy will be caught in the end, and we even know who he is. Getting there is very complex with a lot of little elements of surprise to keep the reader on their toes. Diann Mills is not afraid to injure or kill off characters so I was nervous the entire time danger was near.

            I chose Double Cross because I was in the mood for a good suspense, and this book definitely fit the bill. I have never read Diann Mills before, or heard of her. I loved Double Cross and will hopefully be buying my own copy. Very suspenseful and entertaining in the area of mystery and romance, I could find no true cons for this book. Only thing I thought as I read was that the story could have moved along a little faster in some places since the book is so long. The ending really surprised me, but it made sense to pull the story together. Overall, Double Cross is a great read worth buying.

            I received a complimentary copy of Double Cross from Tyndale through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The opinions stated are my own.

On Shifting Sand

Book Review: On Shifting Sand

Author: Allison Pittman

Genre: Fiction/Historical/General

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Publication Date: April 1, 2015

Rating: 2 out of 5 (Below Average)

Pros: Message of love and forgiveness

Cons: Unlikable main character, slow plot, awkward point of view and verb tense

            Long before anyone would christen it "The Dust Bowl," Nola Merrill senses the destruction. She's been drying up bit by bit since the day her mother died, leaving her to be raised by a father who withholds his affection the way God keeps a grip on the Oklahoma rain. A hasty marriage to Russ, a young preacher, didn't bring the escape she desired. Now, twelve years later with two children to raise, new seeds of dissatisfaction take root. When Jim, a mysterious drifter and long-lost friend from her husband's past, takes refuge in their home, Nola slowly springs to life under his attentions until a single, reckless encounter brings her to commit the ultimate betrayal of her marriage. For months Nola withers in the wake of the sin she so desperately tries to bury. Guilt and shame consume her physically and spiritually, until an opportunity arises that will bring the family far from the drought and dust of Oklahoma. Or so she thinks. As the storms follow, she is consumed with the burden of her sin and confesses all, hoping to find Russ's love strong enough to stand the test.

            Nola Merrill is dissatisfied with her marriage, which is true to her character as she clearly has never been truly satisfied with anything in her life. Her life with her father was not what she wanted it to be, and her escape from him to her husband Russ did nothing to permanently ease her dissatisfaction. Because she is so selfish, it is hard to care about her. We can partially understand the reasoning behind her behavior, given her past, but Nola clearly uses that as an excuse for her sins. Although she loves Russ, she deeply desires the affection of others, and in this case that affection comes from her husband’s old friend Jim. From the moment of his arrival, we can see the conflict in Nola’s heart. Unfortunately, she is weak and the battle is always easily lost. When first she falls for him, she is dismayed by her sin, and we see apparent remorse. Her guilt is overpowering her, but only once she becomes sick and lands in the hospital does she make an attempt at a confession to Russ. He forgives her completely, although not knowing everything, and Nola is given a fresh start with Jim’s disappearance from her life. Russ’s new job at the hospital keeps him away for long periods of time, and creates in Nola the temptation when once again Jim shows up in Russ’s absence. Her early remorse is proven to have simply been guilt, as she gives in quickly and waits for him daily. Her attempt at consoling herself in her sin is to blame Russ for not being present in the home. Guilt overcomes her until she comes to the decision not to let Jim in the house the very day Russ returns home. His news of moving their family away from the dust brings her the hope of another fresh start away from Jim. When the storm follows them, she believes in her heart that the storms have followed her in her sin, and she confesses all to Russ.

            Nola is a selfish person, and it is difficult to care about her because of her sins, but mainly for the way she handled it. Her character is weak, and falls into sin easily because of her strong desire for attention. Besides being unlikable, she is boring and dull. The secondary characters are not very developed, and don’t get much attention in the novel. Russ is the only other character we see as a main part of the story. His love and faithfulness makes the reader love him even more when Nola sins against him. The point of view is in Nola’s perspective the entire novel, which made the novel tiring to read because of her dullness. She speaks in first person, but also in the present verb tense, which I did not like. Present tense made the book difficult to read because of the awkward flow it created, especially when Nola’s thoughts mixed between past and present.

            The plot was slow, and I felt a lot of little details were unnecessary. The plot is basically the dragged out story of an unfaithful woman continuing to have an affair after assumed remorse, and a husband who continues to love and forgive her, although we see how the hurt affects him in a way that can never be fixed. There is not much dialogue, which makes the story move even more slowly. Long scenes without dialogue were basically Nola thinking or describing minute details of her life. There are no twists in this book; the whole thing just moves forward without a lot of substance to a simple end. Although Russ is a preacher, not much spirituality is found in this book other than Nola feeling guilty and knowing she is wrong. We don’t see her talking to God or reading the Bible, and I got the impression that she was very detached from Russ’s spiritual world.

            I have read Allison Pittman only once before, and that novel was not my favorite, although I very much enjoyed the plot. When I saw On Shifting Sand, I was anxious to try her again to see if I would like her writing style better in this book. My expectations were not met, however, and found the plot and writing style to be a disappointment. I will not be buying this book.

I received a complimentary copy of On Shifting Sands from Tyndale through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The opinions stated are my own.

The Song

Book Review: The Song: Even the Wisest of Men Was a Fool for Love
Author: Chris Fabry
Genre: Literature/Fiction (Adult)
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Publication Date: January 1, 2015
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars (good)
Pros: very well written in accordance with the Song of Solomon; good insight into a Biblical family’s story; realistic to life
Cons: not a very flowing style; some minor questionable material (depending on the reader); not the most exciting read, although interesting

Jed King’s life has been shaped by the songs and mistakes of his famous father. He wants to sing his own song, but the words and melody are elusive. Haunted by the scars inflicted by his broken family, Jed’s dreams of a successful music career seem out of reach…until he meets Rose. As romance quickly blooms, Jed pens a new song and suddenly finds himself catapulted into stardom. But with this life of fame comes temptation, the same temptation that lured his father so many years ago. Set in the fertile mid-South, this quest for success leads Jed and Rose on a journey that will force them to deal with the pain of loss, failure, and the desire to be who God created them to be. Lyrical and deeply honest, The Song asks the hard questions of love and forgiveness. When even the wisest of men are fools in love, can true love persevere?
The Song is Chris Fabry’s novel rendition of writer/director Richard Ramsey’s screenplay. A modern take on the story of David and Solomon, The Song is an interesting read. I have never read anything by Chris Fabry, so I had almost no expectations with this book. I was pleased with it, and would read something by Chris Fabry again. The beginning was somewhat slow for me, and it did take me a little while to really get into the story. I found very interesting the way it was written based on David’s and Solomon’s lives. Very detailed in a subtle way, Chris Fabry paints the picture found in the Bible in a way that can be understood in a modern light. I felt that I grew a little closer to the Bible characters rather than to the fictional characters. The book was very realistically written, was very down to earth, and right to the point. That was, in a way, a drawback for me, as I tend to enjoy more “literary” styles with a little more dramatics in the style and word flow. Although Chris Fabry is very to the point, his clever one-liners showered throughout the book really enhanced the story. As the protagonist, Jed King, is a songwriter, many original song lyrics appear throughout the story. The songs Jed wrote allowed me to see into his thoughts, which helped me understand him more. The character’s dialogue was realistic without fillers, and the characters were very strongly developed.
The story as a whole is really a tragic one. The sweet romance between Jed and Rose was quickly destroyed with the failure to fight a temptation. Chris Fabry shows Jed’s spiritual struggles and what leads him to his breaking point, making it easy to understand Solomon and his fall. This book is an eye-opener for anyone who begins to think that a little sin is okay. Before Jed knew it, he was in over his head with drugs, alcohol, and adultery. I will in all likelihood never look at the stories of David and Solomon the same way again.
Something to keep in mind is some of the content in The Song, although Chris Fabry does well with the romance scenes between Jed and Rose without being graphic at all. There is also the aspect of Jed’s immorality, drugs, and alcohol. If any of this bothers you, I would not recommend this book. Aside from that, this book is well written, eye-opening to the lives of David and Solomon, and I would recommend it. I think everyone could learn something from this book. Although not my favorite style, I enjoyed it.

I received a complimentary copy of The Song from Tyndale House Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The opinions stated are my own.

This review also appears on The Christian Manifesto. http://thechristianmanifesto.com/fiction/the-song/

A Heart's Disguise

Book Review: A Heart’s Disguise

Author: Colleen Coble

Genre: Literature/ Fiction (Adult)

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: March 3, 2015

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Good)

Pros: Flowing scenes, quick read, entertaining story

Cons: Very predictable, plot seemed a bit rushed

            The Civil War has destroyed Sarah Montgomery’s marriage before it’s even begun. After Sarah receives word that her fiancé, Rand Campbell, has been killed fighting for the Union, her brothers and ailing father persuade her to pledge herself to Ben Croftner—despite her strong misgivings. But when Sarah finds out that Rand is in fact alive—and that Ben Croftner knew it—she indignantly breaks off the engagement and goes in search of Rand. But when Ben Croftner does not take rejection lightly—and a single woman with a sick father makes an easy target. When Sarah is abducted by her treacherous fiancé, Rand finally comes to her aid…only to reveal that he has been posted at Fort Laramie, Wyoming, and intends to take her there as his wife. But could Sarah leave her dying father’s side for the love of her life? And what plans are forming in the jealous heart of Ben Croftner?

            Colleen Coble’s most recent series, Journey of the Heart, is a collection of short books all tying together the historically romantic suspense story of Rand and Sarah. Set during the Civil War, the story is introduced in the first installment of this series, A Heart’s Disguise. When I first requested this book, I was not expecting it to be a part of a series with so many installments. I admit, I was a little wary when I found that out. Especially when I realized A Heart’s Disguise was not the modern suspense novel I am used to seeing from Colleen Coble. Reading a series of six books in this style was not something I was starting to look forward to. However, A Heart’s Disguise is a very quick read at only 90 pages. The series is basically a long novel broken up into sections. After reading it, I was pleasantly surprised. I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. It is written in such a way that it doesn’t end, building up the suspense for her next book, A Heart’s Obsession. That technique worked, because now I know I have to read them all.

            The story begins by introducing Sarah and her plight. Detailed, yet distinct descriptions of her home and some of her background provide the setting and her history in a quick way that draws the reader in, yet isn’t the boring introductions I often see in this genre. The book as a whole moves along very quickly. The scenes flow easily without extra wordiness, although a bit rushed. The plot had no twists, just moved on from one thing to the next without many obstacles. As this was the first book in a series of its kind, I am assuming that it is an introduction to the series. I am expecting more action in the books to come.

            Because the book was short, the characters were not strongly developed. Again, that would be because this is only the first out of six installments in which the characters will have plenty of time to develop. From what I could tell from A Heart’s Disguise, Sarah is a meek and gentle person who seeks to please others. Even though she is still mourning the death of her beloved, Rand, and couldn’t possible think of marriage, she accepts Ben Croftner’s proposal to please her dying father. She believes that since she has no hope of happiness left, the least she can do is make her family happy. What she doesn’t know is that Ben is a selfish man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. She can’t see through his façade, although I clearly could. Even when Rand reappears in her life, she still defended Ben, even though she didn’t love him. Coming back from the dead and seeing the girl he loves with another man’s ring on her finger, Rand doesn’t know what to think. Rand’s love for her proves stronger than his jealous anger, however, and he forgives her.

            A Heart’s Disguise’s many conflicts sets the stage for the rest of the books in the series. The love triangle of Rand, Ben, and Sarah mixed with Rand’s presumed death, Ben’s lies, and Sarah’s almost marriage are a tight bond of problems that appear hard to break. Although Sarah didn’t love Ben, he was obsessed with her. Not in love, but in a competitive desire to win her as a prize. The romance between Sarah and Rand is just beginning, and I am expecting their love to blossom in the books to come. There is not much of a spiritual focus in this book, except that we know Sarah is bitter at God for not protecting Rand. Her friend Amelia is obviously a Christian, and seems to have an influence over her spiritually that will probably affect Sarah in the next installment.

            A Heart’s Disguise was a surprisingly entertaining and quick read. I am very anxious to continue reading the story in the next installment, A Heart’s Obsession, to see what is going to happen between Rand, Sarah, and Ben. Although I wouldn’t mind owning this book and the rest, it is not on my list of books to buy anytime soon. The plot of this book is very predictable, albeit entertaining. I am not expecting the rest of the books to be as predictable since this first book was introductory, but I am curious to see.


I received a complimentary copy of A Heart's Disguise from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The opinions stated are my own.

Hidden Agenda

Book Review: Hidden Agenda

Author: Lisa Harris

Genre: Mysteries & Thrillers

Publisher: Revell

Publication Date: January 6, 2015

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Very Good)

Pros: Exciting, good balance of romance and suspense, well-written plot, a lot of tension

Cons: Too much technical wordiness, occasionally slow, too many points of view

            Michael Hunt is an undercover cop with the Atlanta police force working to bring down the infamous drug cartel leader—Antonio Valez. When a bombing accident injures Michael, he is assumed to be dead. Never assuming Michael to be a cop, Valez jumps on the chance of having an invisible man to launder his illegally gained money. Living under a new name for eight months, his family believing he is dead, and the Atlanta police force believing him to be a traitor, Michael wonders whether he should abort the mission or push forward. His mission is cut short when his real identity and career is brought to Valez’s attention. His only hope of rescue before he is executed is the beautiful Olivia Hamilton—none other than Valez’s daughter. Together with Olivia and her brother Ivan, he searches for the truth to clear his name.

            While Lisa Harris is a new author for me, I was expecting a lot from this book based on what I have heard about her as an author and what I expected from this genre. Her book series, Southern Crimes, brings exiting suspense novels featuring the Hunt family. Because each book focuses on a different person and plot, they can be easily read as stand-alone novels. Hidden Agenda is the third installment in this series, following Dangerous Passage and Fatal Exchange. I was not disappointed with Hidden Agenda, and will be buying a copy of it and the preceding novels in its series.

            Hidden Agenda reels the reader in from the beginning. No introductions to the plot and characters, the story started right away on the action. The suspense in Hidden Agenda was excellent, as a good part of the book is a chase. Twists in the plot kept the chase going without slowing it down. Everything about the plot was realistic. Both sides, the drug cartel and Atlanta police force provided a real to life story of criminals being brought to justice. Although this book had more shootings and deaths than I have seen in a suspense novel, I thought they were written tastefully without unnecessary graphic descriptions and added to the realism of the book’s plot.

            The characters in this book are strongly developed, and they all hold a deep part of the story. Michael’s family is brought into the picture halfway through the book, bringing an important element to the story. Michael’s police and detective family make up the plots of the previous books, and their input in Hidden Agenda gives the needed suspense that a police task force can bring. The addition of so many characters, including Olivia and Ivan, allowed for too many points of view that were confusing at times. Sometimes a character would appear only a couple of times in the story within their own point of view, occasionally seeming unrelated and unnecessary. A lot of dialogue keeps this story from going stale, and adds much flavor to the novel from all the character’s dialogue. When police or detectives talk, however, the language can get a little technical to understand, which made me skim occasionally. The main characters are all Christians, and they speak of their faith often, but not in an over-powering way. I did wonder, however, how the drug cartel’s leader’s children, Ivan and Olivia, were Christians. There was no background on their spiritual lives, except enough to know that they did not gain their spiritual knowledge from their parents.

            Hidden Agenda is filled with conflict. The entire plot is based upon the conflict and tension that just keeps building throughout the book. Besides the tension on Michael being on the run from the cartel and police, there is the romantic tension between him and Olivia. Because of the multiple points of view in the book, the reader can see this tension from both Michael and Olivia’s perspectives. Unfortunately because of their situations, their romance is seemingly impossible. When they realize that they are attracted to each other despite the present circumstances, both make changes in their lives to implement the other. The disappearance of Ivan, discovery of the secrets of family friend Felipe, and a bomb threat all add to the ongoing tension in the novel. Well written and suspenseful, Hidden Agenda will have readers turning pages until the end.


I received a complimentary copy of Hidden Agenda from Revell Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The opinions stated are my own.

This review also appears on The Christian Manifesto. http://thechristianmanifesto.com/fiction/hidden-agenda/

Petticoat Detective

Book Review: Petticoat Detective
Author: Margaret Brownley
Genre: Christian/Romance/Historical Fiction
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Publication Date: December 1, 2014
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Very Good)
Pros: Interesting plot and setting; good romance; good balance with the spirituality
Cons: maybe somewhat “cheesy” mystery; one aspect of plot seemed thrown in

Jennifer Layne is undercover as Amy Gardner. She is a Pinkerton Detective sent to locate the notorious Gunnysack Bandit in a little town in Kansas. Originally planning on being a maid while sleuthing, she lands on the doorstep of Miss Lillian’s Parlor House and Fine Boots. Mistaken to be an aspiring “lady of the night”, Miss Lillian hires her before Amy knows what is happening. She stays at the parlor house for a week, taking into confidence only Miss Lillian—the only way she may maintain her own virtue while “working” in a parlor house. When handsome stranger Tom Colton rides into town the very same day and for the very same reason, Amy and Tom’s paths cross more often than not; especially when Amy agrees to spy for Tom in an attempt to clear his brother’s name. What Tom doesn’t know is that she is a detective—and that his already deceased brother is her prime suspect in the Gunnysack Bandit case, as well as in the murder of a parlor girl. When Amy and Tom realize that more is bringing them together than the mysteries, one two-fold thing stands in their way—Amy’s job. For Tom, his belief that she is a parlor girl creates a clear problem for him. His disgust at her profession is battled by his confusing attraction to her. Amy’s love for her real job prevents her from wanting to settle down, and her experiences at the parlor house causes her to lose her faith in men. Will she and Tom have any chance even when he finds out the truth about her?
Margaret Brownley is a new author to me, and I am not too familiar with this publisher either. In any case, I went out on a limb and tried this book. I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed the plot, mostly because it was in a very different setting. Petticoat Detective is a historical romance mystery. Kansas and the Pinkerton Detective Agency are two rather rare settings in and of themselves. Bring in the parlor house, and you have a very interesting setting. I can’t say I have read any book with the protagonist working undercover at a parlor house. The plot flowed freely, and the story began instantly. There was no long preparatory introduction to the plot. Scenes jumped back and forth so the reader could easily see everything going on. The plot was never “stuck” in one place for too long. Also, it was easy to know both Tom and Amy’s perspectives, because the point of view switched back and forth between them. There was a good balance between the characters, and I felt like I really got to know both of them. Mrs. Brownley showed how the characters felt and thought instead of simply describing everything. Her descriptions, however, throughout the book in general were excellent and not overbearing. I have a clear mental image of the scenes and characters in this book. The secondary characters (Miss Lillian, the parlor girls, and the church ladies) really make this book special. They add so much yet don’t take over. Without them, the plot would be full of holes.
There is a lot of conflict in this story that makes the plot complex. Amy’s own heart holds most of the conflict. Her desire to do what is right and to be modest in a parlor house of all places battles with her convictions, as does her desire to do her job well. Her growing affection for Tom is confused by her real and portrayed professions. Of course, the mysteries also create conflict between Amy and Tom, as Amy tries not to convict Tom’s already dead brother, even though all the evidence points to him. Interwoven mysteries in the plot make it thicker, as well as the semi-twist ending. The mystery is sometimes a little cheesy, for example, with the “bad guy” being the Gunnysack Bandit. One small aspect of the plot is a little too small. That is the aspect of Amy’s missing sister, Cissy. Although it is necessary to show Amy’s character and create the plot, it seems a bit thrown in and scattered throughout the story. I feel it could have been developed a little further.
I think Mrs. Brownley did really well with the spirituality peppered throughout the book. It is a central theme of the novel, yet does not over power it. One spiritual theme in this book is seeing people for what is inside of them rather than outside. Amy realizes while at the parlor house that the girls there are not what people see and assume. Most of them hate it there, and are miserable. Underneath of the face paint is sad miserable people trying to survive in the only way they believe they can. When Amy shuns a beggar on the street, and is attacked by angry women, she learns that it is important to look at the heart and love people. Amy’s silent, one-liner prayers are heartfelt and show that her relationship with the Lord is strong. They also help show her character and allow us to see into her heart.
The romance driven by impossibility and conflict is unique. At times I would be hopeful only to have my hopes dashed, but brought back up and down again. The plot was well written, with the romance and mystery balancing each other nicely. I only took a few days reading it. All things considering, I would definitely recommend this book to a friend, and I am looking forward to the next book Mrs. Margaret Brownley will bring.

I received a complimentary copy of Petticoat Detective from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The opinions stated are my own.

This review also appears on The Christian Manifesto. http://thechristianmanifesto.com/fiction/petticoat-detective/

Deadly Echoes

Book Review: Deadly Echoes
Author: Nancy Mehl

Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Romance

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Publication Date: February 3, 2015

Rating: Five stars (near perfect)

Pros: Well written plot, story moved quickly without slowing down, good mystery, likable characters, and a sweet, realistic romance

Cons: None

            When the sister Sarah hasn’t seen in years reappears, it stirs up hard memories of the past and their parents’ murder. Even so, Sarah’s joy at being reunited with Hannah and meeting the niece she didn’t know she had is too soon interrupted when Deputy Sheriff Paul Gleason informs Sarah her sister has been killed. As Sarah learns more about Hannah’s death, the circumstances seem eerily similar to her parents’ death. She enlists Paul’s help in digging deeper into these murders the police are dismissing as burglaries gone wrong. Paul’s concern encourages Sarah’s growing feelings for him, but as their investigation peels back the layers of lies almost twenty years old, they get close to uncovering the truth one man will do anything to hide—even if he must do away with the last remaining members of the Miller family.

            Deadly Echoes is the second installment of Nancy Mehl’s Finding Sanctuary series. I have never read the first book, but after reading Deadly Echoes, I am looking forward to reading Gathering Shadows. The author did a great job of keeping me informed on the events of her past book without overdoing it or causing more confusion. I was hooked on this book from the beginning. The opening scene really draws the reader in, creating a suspense that never dies down. Nothing about the plot was slow. Everything moved right along without any pauses or hesitations. My first reaction to the ending was that it moved a bit too fast, and the mystery could have been solved a little less abruptly. I don’t feel that it hurt the book, however. I was surprised by the ending when I discovered who the “bad guy” was. I was expecting a slightly different outcome, but it created just the right amount of tension in the story.

            This novel is written in first person, which is not the most common-found point of view for novels I have found. Normally I wouldn’t prefer it, but I liked it in this story because it helped me get to know the character of Sarah Miller a better without wordy descriptions. She speaks directly to the reader. Her character was well developed, with her experiencing a change when she realizes that she has always lived in her sister’s shadow. When she begins to understand that she is “fearfully and wonderfully made”, her character develops into a deeper version of herself, and the reader can see Sarah Miller for who she really is. The romance between Sarah and Paul was perfect. Their romance was very realistic and in the background, as it really wasn’t the focus. The story concentrated on the mystery, weaving in between perfectly subtle notes of a romance between the two. I felt there was a good amount of conflict in the story that really kept the story from going stale. When Hannah dies, Sarah becomes guardian to her niece, Cicely, who brings about her own share of conflicts to the story. A cop and a retired cop turned PI both working on the case bring mystery to Sarah and Paul. When told by both men not to trust the other, they realize again how complicated this case is. Sarah seeks the Lord for guidance with the mystery, as well as with problems between her and her newfound niece, Cicely. The reader can clearly see Sarah’s relationship with God, and how she grows throughout the book.

            This was a well-written suspense novel that I will definitely be buying for my own bookshelf. A quick read even at 300-some pages, I couldn’t put it down. I read most of the book in one afternoon. There was no “fluff” to this book, making the story flow freely without boring the reader. Five stars!


I received a complimentary copy of Deadly Echoes from Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The opinions stated are my own.

This review also appears on The Christian Manifesto. http://thechristianmanifesto.com/fiction/deadly-echoes/

Steadfast Heart

Book Review: Steadfast Heart

Author: Tracie Peterson

Genre: Christian, Romance

Publisher: Bethany House Publishers

Publication Date: January 6, 2015

Rating: 2 (below average)

Pros: Sweet story, Abrianna’s entertaining character

Cons: Slow plot, boring, unrealistic romance

                Lenore Fulcher isn’t pretentious despite her spoiled upbringing. Her deepest desire at the age of twenty is to find true love. However, her father believes she’s wasted enough time searching for a suitable husband, and he wants to marry her off to one of his business partners—thirty-seven-year-old James Rybus. But the idea of marriage to a man so much older is out of the question for Lenore. Kolbein Booth, a lawyer from Chicago, arrives in Seattle looking for his headstrong sister who he believes may have answered an advertisement for mail-order brides. Sick with worry, he storms the Madison Bridal School, demanding to see his sister, only to learn she isn’t there. But Lenore Fulcher is, and something about her catches his attention. Is this the man Lenore has been searching for? She may not have long to find out…

            Lenore, searching for true love believes in an instant that she has found it in Kolbein Booth. Desperate to avoid courting Mr. Rybus, she informs her father of her desire to court another man. When her father gives her a deadline of one month, Lenore worries that her desire will be not granted her when her family goes on a vacation to San Francisco only one day after meeting Kolbein. In the meantime, Kolbein and Abrianna embark on a search for Kolbein’s missing sister, Greta, eventually finding her in the most unlikely of places.

            Steadfast Heart’s plot is slow and uneventful. My expectations were not met with this book, as I was anticipating much more from Tracie Peterson. The romance is dull, with the biggest conflict between the couple being a fight about their age difference which lasted about a day. Besides being boring, I thought the romance was unrealistic. After only seeing Kolbein once, she goes on her vacation where she believes she is in love with him—telling her parents that she is planning on having a suitor in the very near future while she had no idea of his intentions. The “love at first sight” theme along with their fast-moving wedding plans all seemed a bit unrealistic to me. Something I found odd is that the main character, Lenore, is brushed to the side and made a secondary character for the bulk of the novel. Abrianna takes over as soon as Lenore is in San Francisco. As she is a much more interesting character, I did not necessarily mind this. Abrianna, with her red hair and vibrant personality, reminded me of Anne of Green Gables. She is a complete opposite from prim and proper Lenore—she can’t sew or cook, she runs about the streets of Seattle helping the poor, believes she will never marry, and often runs off at the mouth in rather humorous speeches. Abrianna’s bright personality made me even more bored by Lenore. I found myself skimming over many of Lenore’s scenes. I did like the spiritual aspect of this book. Instead of making religion a main theme, or not portraying it at all, Tracie Peterson showed us the character’s relationships with God very realistically and down to earth. Again, Abrianna’s character was most developed this way. Her uncomplicated way of thinking allowed her to have a very clear and fresh relationship with God. Towards the end, Lenore realizes that instead of helping Abrianna fashionably throughout the years, she should have been learning spiritually from her. Tracie Peterson does well with developing the setting of Seattle, 1888. I never forgot what time period I was in. Everything in the book is related to the time. The bridal school was interesting, and something I have never heard of existing. The ladies who ran it were an entertaining bunch in and of themselves. Steadfast Heart may be entertaining for those who enjoy slow romances, although I would not read it again or recommend it to a friend.

I received a complimentary copy of Steadfast Heart from Bethany House Publishers through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The opinions stated are my own.

This review also appears on The Christian Manifesto at http://thechristianmanifesto.com/fiction/steadfast-heart/.

Miracle in a Dry Season

Book Review: Miracle in a Dry Season
By: Sarah Loudin Thomas
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Romance
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Publication Date: 8/5/2014
Rating: 3 out of 5
Pros: Very sweet story; good character development—made the reader care about them; good character lessons; realistic storyline
Cons: Perla was not always involved; some story elements seemed unrelated; patchy plot sometimes; story didn’t always tie together

​Casewell Phillips is a single man and “a pillar of the community” in the small town of Wise. Perla Long is a strange new woman in town with a child at her side—and no husband to show. When Perla begins to catch Casewell’s eye, he must put aside his judgments on her for her illegitimate child. The rest of the town, however, struggle deeply with accepting Perla. First for her adultery, and second for her “knack” with cooking. Only when a severe drought hits the town do people have anything to do with her, and even then new rumors are spread. Despite her efforts to help the hungry people, they cannot bring themselves to accept her. Although they need her gift during the drought, many create ugly lies and rumors to explain her gift and refuse to partake of it. With doubt, confusion, hurt, and fear swirling about her head, Perla believes the best thing to do would be to leave Wise in order to protect Casewell from embarrassment and judgment. Casewell must decide what his true feelings are for the woman and child who so strongly impacted his heart, and whether or not he is willing to accept the consequences.
​Miracle in a Dry Season is a sweet romance. The odd thing about this book, however, is that the romance between Casewell and Perla is not always the focus. Perla is left out in many of the scenes and chapters in this book. There was a lack of connection between the two that characterizes a romance novel. I had thought that she was the protagonist, so I was a little surprised to discover that Casewell was. Because the book was written with his point of view, it is different than a traditional romance novel. Some side characters, Angie and Liza (two sweet ladies in their 70s) “took over” the novel occasionally. Casewell spent a lot of time with them, and it sometimes seemed unrelated or unnecessary to the story. Also, there is a supposed mystery at the beginning of the book regarding a scar on Casewell’s face. I must admit, I was excited about the possibility of a bit of mystery in this romance novel, but it turned out to be a very disappointing “mystery”, at least to me. It could have been developed a little more deeply. The plot seemed a bit patchy at times, like it didn’t tie together perfectly. But, nobody is perfect, and I can’t imagine any novel would be either.
The morals to the story were very good and fit well with the characters and plot. The overall theme is that love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8) Forgiveness is tied in with that theme as well. Perla has sinned, but Casewell’s love for her covers and forgives her sin. That makes this story so sweet. Perla is overwhelmed that a man as good as Casewell could love her. All of the characters are very endearing. I felt terrible for Perla when the town treated her badly, and loved Casewell when he was one of the only ones who cared and stood up for her. The romance between the two was very sweet, and very realistic. A lot of romances are much too fictional, and they give a wrong impression of love. This novel really had a realistic view of how a couple would fall in love and act accordingly.
​Miracle in a Dry Season is the first in Mrs. Thomas’ Appalachian Blessings series. Although this book was not my favorite romance, I will be looking forward to reading her next novel.

I received a complimentary copy of Miracle in a Dry Season from Bethany House Publishers through The Christian Manifesto in exchange for my honest review. The opinions stated are my own.

This review also appears on The Christian Manifesto. http://thechristianmanifesto.com/fiction/miracle-in-a-dry-season/

All For A Sister

Book Review: All for a Sister
By: Allison Pittman
Genre: Fiction/Christian/Historical
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Publication Date: July 1, 2014
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars (very good)
Pros: Different way of writing, interesting storyline, suspenseful, good character development
Cons: Incorrect punctuation sometimes confused things, sometimes things in the story were ambiguous, the story occasionally lagged

​Celeste DuFrane is a young Hollywood star with her life and acting career ahead of her. Starting young in the acting world, her scientific father’s work with color film brought her into the right Hollywood circles. Her mother’s objections to Celeste’s acting never stops her from pursuing her goals, but she never understands the real reasons behind her mother’s melancholy and heartbroken state throughout her life. Dana Lungdren, unjustly accused of murdering Mrs. DuFrane’s infant daughter (Celeste’s older sister), has spent most of her life in the Bridewell House of Corrections. She never stops writing letters to the judge who sent her there, pleading for justice. No news of her mother, no response from the judge, and a cruel prison matron create a life of near torture for sweet Dana. When she is unexpectedly released many years later, she finds that she is left an inheritance of half of the DuFrane estate, and Celeste DuFrane was left the other half. Her amazement and shock that the cruel woman who sent her to prison for a crime she didn’t commit is masked by her gratitude to finally be free. While Celeste attempts to bring Dana into society, they discover some shocking truths about Mrs. DuFrane and Dana’s beloved mother through the written confession of Mrs. Marguerite DuFrane.
​All for a Sister is written in a very interesting style. The story is written almost backwards, as it starts out near the end of the story, and then goes backwards into the past. Throughout the book the reader is given chapter spurts of Celeste’s past, Dana’s past, Mrs. DuFrane’s written confession, and the present. Only little pieces of the mystery are given at a time. Because of this, it becomes a hard one to put down because you are constantly being fed little bits of the mystery. The plot was well thought out, and the story had a twist that was pretty unexpected. The different style of the chapters was refreshing and made a nice variety that you don’t normally find in the chapters of books. The characters, especially Dana Lungdren, are so easy to care about. I felt sorry for poor Dana throughout the chapters explaining her past life in prison. Caring for Dana made Mrs. DuFrane look like a terrible monster, but throughout her confession I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her almost. Her bitterness and anger turned her into a cruel person who only cared about herself and her revenge on Dana. Reading her confession, however, proved that she was just miserable with herself, and it made me wish she had just forgiven Dana and lived a much happier life. All the characters throughout the book are well developed, including the minor characters which gives the story more depth. The setting, the Roaring Twenties in Hollywood, is not frequently used which I really enjoyed. I liked that the book wasn’t just set in Hollywood, but actually discussed the experimentation with color film and Celeste’s acting in movies.
​Quotation marks occasionally caused confusion. Sometimes they were there, and sometimes they weren’t. Sometimes they were just misplaced. It caused confusion and sometimes I had to reread sections to make sure I knew who was talking. Occasional ambiguous statements were confusing as well, but this wasn’t frequent. Sometimes the chapters dealing with the present were a bit uninteresting because I just wanted to find out what had happened in the past with the mystery. That could be just me though, because it wasn’t necessarily like the author was just filling in space (at least not most of the time).
​All for a Sister is a great historical fiction book with a mystery twist. I will most likely be reading it again, and will recommend it. It is definitely written differently than other books I have read, and that made it even more likable.

I received a complimentary copy of All For a Sister from Tyndale House Publishers through The Christian Manifesto in exchange for my honest review. The opinions stated are my own.

Buying Samir

Book Review: Buying Samir
Author: Kimberly Rae
Genre: Christian/Teens/YA
Publisher: BJU Press
Publication Date: October 21, 2014
Rating: 4 ½ out of 5 (Excellent)
Pros: great insight on human trafficking; exciting plot; good character development
Cons: confusing plot structure sometimes

Buying Samir is the second installment of the India’s Street Kids series, with Capturing Jasmina being the first. Jasmina is a former street kid, now living with the Christian missionaries who rescued her from slavery. With the missionaries, she is now on a mission to locate her brother, Samir, and to rescue him from slavery. What she doesn’t know is that Samir is no longer the enslaved, but the enslaver. When she runs from the missionaries in an attempt to rescue him on her own, she not only endangers her own life, but the lives of others she meets along the way.

Kimberly Rae hit a home run with this series. Exciting and suspenseful, Buying Samir continued the story begun in Capturing Jasmina. Both books end in such a way that creates a suspense which makes the reader want to continue on to the next book. Because Capturing Jasmina was such a hit with me, I was anxious to read Buying Samir. I did have my doubts about it, however, as the second installment in a series (whether book or even movie) is not always as good as the first. I was not disappointed. Buying Samir fluidly continued the plot, and set the stage for Mrs. Rae’s next book in The India’s Street Kids book series. Although this series is meant for young adult, or teens, I believe many adults would benefit from it as well.

The writing structure and style in this book is very interesting. Almost poetic (and I am not talking about rhyming), Mrs. Rae’s words flow so creatively. She does not always come right out and say something. Instead, she uses imagery or more creative language in an interesting way, although not difficult to understand. Her writing style was fresh and caused me to enjoy her writing even more. She had a great balance between descriptions and character dialogue. So often in fiction authors will write an overabundance of one over the other, which can make a book somewhat boring at times. Her dialogue is fresh and realistic. There is no boring chatter. Her characters were well defined, and I really fell in love with Jasmina and her cause. Throughout the book, I really started to care about what happened, and found myself almost telling her what to do when she needed help. That is a craft not many writers have—causing the reader to care about the protagonist. Mrs. Rae’s style is almost biographical, and sometimes I forgot that I was reading fiction. On the other hand, the story is based on the truth of child trafficking and was really eye-opening. I appreciated the knowledge and research that Mrs. Rae put into this novel. I particularly enjoyed learning about another culture. India is not exactly the most common setting for a novel, and that definitely made this book a tad higher on my reading list. Mrs. Rae added in some subtle humor with Jasmina’s view on American culture. At one point Jasmina notices a tablecloth and is confused by what its use could be, only to come to the conclusion that the table must be broken and is being covered to hide the holes. There is also the time when Jasmina attempts to use an American shower, but I won’t go spoiling any more.

The only thing that I found to be a “con” to this book was the diary. Jasmina writes in a diary throughout the book, and occasionally that is what begins the chapters. The diary in itself was a neat aspect. I really liked reading what Jasmina was thinking and how she viewed things. I think it helps the reader love her more by knowing how she thinks. However, it caused some slight confusion with me as the diary tells what is coming next. At first I was confused, because once I got into the next chapter, the story went backwards. Once I got used to that, however, it didn’t bother me and actually created suspense. If the reader took that into consideration, and understood the aspect of the diary, it probably wouldn’t confuse anyone. In fact, I could be in the minority on this, but I still felt like mentioning it.

This book is a quick read at only about 160 pages. I read it in about a day, reading off and on throughout the day. I honestly couldn’t stop reading. I had to find out what happened. Of course, there is still a loose end for the next book. As I mentioned above, this book is meant for teens, but could be enjoyed by any age really. For teens, I really would recommend it because first of all, there is no questionable material for that age group. It is difficult to find novels for teens without unnecessary material. The spiritual aspect in this book is great—it gives the gospel although not overpowering. I also think it would be a great book for teens to open their eyes to what is going on in the world. Teens naturally tend to focus on themselves, and this book series could get their eyes on other people and how they live. One quick thing I will mention, these books have to be read in order. If you haven’t read Capturing Jasmina, DON’T read Buying Samir until you have. In conclusion, this is definitely a great book. I give it four and a half stars.

I received Buying Samir from BJU Press through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. The opinions stated are my own.

This review also appears on The Christian Manifesto. http://thechristianmanifesto.com/fiction/buying-samir/