Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions

About the Book

A crumbling lighthouse is not part of the inheritance Army doctor Ben Garrison expects to claim when he journeys to Hope Harbor. Fresh out of the service, he wants only to unload the tower of bricks, decompress from years of treating battlefield trauma, and prepare to launch his civilian career.

Hope Harbor Herald editor Marci Weber has other ideas. She may not be a Hope Harbor native, but the small Oregon seaside town has become home–and she’s determined to save the Pelican Point landmark.

Sparks fly as the two go head to head over the fate of the lighthouse. But when they start to cooperate, a different kind of fire ignites. And as they work together, might Hope Harbor heal the hearts of these two romance-wary souls?

Bestselling author Irene Hannon invites readers back to their favorite town for a story that will light a beacon of hope within their hearts.

MY REVIEW

From the back cover…

It really is the dead of winter in Ruby Lake when a party becomes an invitation to murder for Birds & Bees owner Amy Simms . . .

No one ruffles Amy’s feathers like Craig “The Gigolo” Bigelow. Not only has the two-timer returned to town, but his new girlfriend has invited Amy to a dinner party. And at Usher House of all places—legendary home to ghosts, freak accidents, and now, most horrifying of all, an ex-boyfriend and his fiancé. Regrettably, there are also sick ducks on the property that need attention. For a bird lover like Amy, it’s fowl before pride.

When everyone becomes snowbound, Amy can’t imagine the evening getting worse. Until a guest is found with a carving knife stuck in his chest. And he’s not the first to call it a night. Now Amy’s got till dawn to go hunting for a killer—before someone else ends up a dead duck . . .

MY REVIEW

—————————————————————————————————————————————–This was my second book to read by JR Ripley, although Fowl of the House of Usher is actually the seventh in A Bird Lover’s Mystery series. It is a very tense time for Amy and Kim, who along with a handful of other guests, are snowed in at a mountain retreat, guests of Amy’s ex-boyfriend Craig and his girlfriend. First, they find one guest murdered. After that terrible beginning, the remote location and the weather both collude to cause events to move quickly downhill.

I enjoyed getting to know the recurring characters a little more. Ripley had an ace up his sleeve that he holds onto until the last moment; perfect. Bits of humor are interspersed periodically with good timing. I thought Amy’s carping at her ex is a little over the top, but this is a cozy, so that could be part of the “quirky.” However, someone needs to assure North Carolina folks that 30 degrees F., while cold, is not freezing in the first minute.

All in all, I really did enjoy this book. Now I have a whole series to catch up on. If you are looking for a cozy without bad language or embarrassing scenes, check out A Bird Lover’s Mystery. I think you’ll like it, too.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. I was not required to leave a positive review, and I am solely responsible for all opinions.

From the back cover:

A London officer goes undercover to expose a plot against the Crown

Dover, England, 1808: Officer Alexander Moore goes undercover as a gambling gentleman to expose a high-stakes plot against the king—and he’s a master of disguise, for Johanna Langley believes him to be quite the rogue… .until she can no longer fight against his unrelenting charm.

All Johanna wants is to keep the family inn afloat, but when the rent and the hearth payment are due at the same time, where will she find the extra funds? If she doesn’t come up with the money, there will be nowhere to go other than the workhouse—where she’ll be separated from her ailing mother and ten-year-old brother.

Alex desperately wants to help Johanna, especially when she confides in him, but his mission—finding and bringing to justice a traitor to the crown—must come first, or they could all end up dead.

MY REVIEW…

***** 5 stars

Why You Should Read The InnKeeper’s Daughter

First, Michelle Griep is the author. She can be a very versatile voice, writing colonial fiction, cozies, Dickens-type mysteries, or in this case, Regency Romance. Whatever she puts her writing pen to, she’s good at producing.

Secondly, this novel has at least one swoon-worthy hero and the accompanying entourage of characters, yet it is a clean, inspirational read. Gamblers, pretty maidens, traveling musicians, high stakes players in a dangerous race to sell or secure a nation’s safety: all combine at full throttle back and forth searching for the one ultimate traitor. Meanwhile, the romantic tension between Johanna and Alexander is sweet, taut, and ready to spring like a bungee cord.

Thirdly, one singularly outstanding but straightforward character is quite notable. I loved the portrayal of Mr. Lucius Nutbrown, a man of slower mental abilities who talks only through his hand puppet.

Quotable:
“Everyone has faith, Miss Coburn. The question is, faith in what?”
Many people today don’t get this truth. They claim no faith but have faith in themselves, humankind, science, etc., while refusing faith in God.

While Brentwood, a friend from Brentwood’s Ward, is mentioned, the connection is loose. This is easily a standalone novel.

I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher. I also purchased my copy. This book is just that good. All opinions in this review are my own, and no positive review was required.

From back cover:

Raising her family in the turbulent ‘60s in a segregated rural Alabama town, Katie Parker understood the ugliness of racism and Jim Crow all too well. Her farm, which she shared with her activist husband, became her oasis, her retreat. Here, she had control. Here, she could witness God’s handiwork in the beauty of the land. Here, she was at peace.

But it was a peace soon to be shattered.

After a devastating and horrible event, Katie moves with three of her four children to a relative’s house in a majority-white suburb of Los Angeles. Settling in, she was confident she had escaped the horrors of her hometown. But the memory of that horrible event, and the animosity and hatred it stirred in her, were not easily shaken. Though she escaped a segregated Southern town, racism and intolerance were not easily left behind. Oddly enough, it was her granddaughter’s addiction to drugs that led Katie on a path causing her to confront her fears and prejudices and face head-on the past that she thought she had left behind.

Katie’s journey will introduce this generation to the ugly racism of the sixties and confront the racial realities that exist in the church today. The Color of Redemption will show readers how to break down these walls that separate Christians and deal with racial prejudice, not from a civil rights perspective, but a Christian world view dictated by the Bible.

MY REVIEW:
———-
***** 5 stars

What an unforgettable novel of a dark time in our nation and the division that still exists between races today.

Katie Parker endures an unspeakable tragedy in Alabama in the 1960’s. Lynn Cornell graphically describes segregation, social unrest, and racial hatred. You will feel Katie’s fear and horror and pray for her rescue. You will breathe easier as you read of the slow societal changes with time and location.

However, just when Katie thinks her world has improved for the better, she begins to see racism rear its ugly head in other forms. (My own stomach again began to knot.) What she discovers in her own heart and what Christ asks of her becomes both surprising and difficult as God answers her prayer for a loved one through the most amazing of people.

This novel will stun you, make you cry, make you happy, and make you think. No matter to what race you belong, we all need to heed God’s call to unconditional forgiveness and love, following Christ’s example. Highly recommended.

I was gifted a copy of this book from the author. (I also bought a copy.) However, a positive review was not required and all opinions are my own.

Convenient Lies (Hidden Truths #1)
by Robin Patchen
From back cover:
What happens when a woman marries her greatest enemy?

When investigative journalist Reagan McAdams discovers her new husband Julien is part of a powerful international crime family, she flees Paris with their newborn, returning to her childhood home in Nutfield, New Hampshire. She plans to gather her inheritance, collect her beloved grandmother, and disappear forever. She’ll do whatever it takes to protect her son from his criminal father.

But when Reagan arrives home, her heart breaks at the news of her grandmother’s death. Finding her missing inheritance—hidden somewhere on the property—is as impossible as a second chance with her former boyfriend, Brady. Reagan’s feelings for Brady are stronger than ever, but when Julien’s people harm innocents to smoke her out, Reagan must make a choice.

What—and who—will she have to sacrifice to save her son?

MY REVIEW:
—————–
***** 5 stars

One woman’s desperate need for love and acceptance, coupled with her intense need to expose the truth, lands her in the middle of her worst nightmare. Running for her life, with her young son, Rae McAdams hopes for safety against all odds. Rae has just discovered what her husband’s real occupation is, and “no one leaves the family.”

I downloaded this complimentary copy of Convenient Lies and accidentally opened it. I had no intention of reading it right now, but I was sucked into the story as I perused the first few sentences. This title, Convenient Lies, is the first book of the series, Hidden Truth by Robin Patchen. Though a series opener, it stands alone well. I am anxious to read the next novel in the series. I am sure it will be just as thrilling and mesmerizing.

I received a complimentary copy of this eBook from the author. No positive review was required and all opinions are solely my own.

From the back cover:

David Galloway can’t die.

How many lifetimes can God expect one man to live? Over a century old, David Galloway isolates himself from the mortal humans who die or desert him by making a quiet life as a used bookstore owner in Northern Michigan. But then he spots a news article about a man who, like him, should be dead.

Daredevil celebrity Zachary Wilson walked away unscathed from what should have been a deadly fall. David tracks the man down, needing answers. Soon David discovers a close-knit group of individuals as old as he is who offer the sort of kinship and community he hasn’t experienced for decades—but at what cost?

David finds himself keeping secrets other than his own. . .protecting more than himself alone. He’ll have to decide what’s worth the most to him—security or community. When crimes come to light that are older than any mortal, he fears the pressure is more than he can stand. What does God require of him, and is David strong enough to see it through?

MY REVIEW:
———————————————————————————————————————

***** 5 stars

As we meet him in Amanda Stevens’s No Less Days, David Galloway is a reclusive bookstore owner in northern Michigan. His life seems quiet until he visits the Grand Canyon to see what happened to the body of teen idol Zachary Wilson. Wilson fell while attempting to cross the Grand Canyon.

David discovers he is not alone in his uniqueness on earth. There are at least four others like him, and they have been looking for David for some time. Instantly, David has a community that he has been lacking many years.

There is a phrase that is very applicable to this book. “The author needs to be able to cause the reader to suspend disbelief.” I would have had less trouble doing this if this were a secular book. However, since there are strong Christian elements, I had a hard time understanding how David’s group is then unaffected by the Fall.

I liked that David is so generous and kind and also begins to realize his need for others. He treats Tiana’s friend very kindly and goes beyond to be sure she has her needs met. He also realizes his need for physical love, and Tiana herself is very convincing as she tells David he needs the church again.

I finished the book with many unanswered questions. Maybe that’s just me. Or maybe we’re being set up for a sequel. No Less Days is worth checking out. It might be your next favorite book, especially if you love speculative fiction.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. This in no way affected my opinion, which is freely given, and for which I am solely responsible.