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Silent Shadows, #3 Harbored Secrets by Natalie Walters

April 20, 2020April 20, 2020 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

46161120

Title: Silent Shadows

Series: #3 Harbored Secrets

Author: Natalie Walters

Publisher: Revell

Released: March 2020

Pecca Gallegos moved to the tiny town of Walton, Georgia, to protect her son and escape the dangerous lifestyle that once defined her. When a series of strange circumstances evolve into threats, Pecca finds herself confiding in an unlikely ally–her stubborn patient.

Army veteran Colton Crawford is desperate to recover from the undiagnosed disorder that is ruining his life, and his instincts are on high alert when threats against his nurse and her son force him to take action. But Colton’s involvement only ramps up the danger when he uncovers a family secret revealing that whoever is after Pecca is closer–and more deadly–than they realized.

With this suspenseful new story, Natalie Walters welcomes you once more to Walton, Georgia, where everyone knows your name–but no one knows your secret.

My Review

“Pecca Gallegos never thought she’d be turning down a marriage proposal…much less four of them.” So starts Silent Shadows, romantic suspense by Natalie Walters. #3 in the Harbored Secrets series, Silent Shadows is a stand-alone that I expect to see in my Top Books for 2020 at year’s end.
What did I love so much about this book? It seems realistic. I enjoyed Nurse Pecca, who is a physical therapist, working at a home for injured veterans. She seems like an every-day, down-to-earth person, with an unfortunate background.
Rising out of that past may be one of the strongest parts of the novel, supporting character Maceo, Pecca’s 7 year- old son, who has a leg prosthetic. Of course, Captain Colton Crawford is a swoony, but broken part of this equation. When he develops a relationship with Maceo, Pecca can’t help but like the Captain, even with his disability. But will he ever stop seeing the future as discarded dreams and instead see unexpected opportunities?

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There are many secondary threads or characters that strengthen this narrative beautifully. We start with the romance, a possible love triangle, and unknown danger. Now add the secondary storyline of Maceo, plus thickening threads. The danger thread builds nicely. Where is it coming from? Great twists. Another thread is Charlie and Lacy and the coming baby. I love Shirley with her loving, nurturing ways and all the other vets with their love and friendly service competition.

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One last thread that appealed to me was the realism of the seizures. Not fun. But I could see them in my mind. Good research there. These different story strands tighten the weave of the book until it is a multi-faceted, taut romantic suspense.
All in all, I reckon I just loved this book!
Quotes:

“If you want to win the game, you’ve got to know who you’re playing.”

“He had no idea what he did to deserve this or why he was being punished- only if this was his life sentence, he would’ve chosen the alternative.”

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Revell.
All opinions are my own, for which I am solely responsible.

My Rating

5 Stars- Superior- Hits My Reading Sweet Spot

About the Author

18471823 My world revolves around GIJOE and our three adult (or almost adult) children who keep my life anything but predictable. Our boots hit the ground wherever the Army sends us but home is when we’re all together no matter the zipcode. My passion is writing stories where adventure meets love and share my belief that life rooted in purpose is a story worth telling.

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, NetGalley, Thomas Nelson

One Little Lie, #1 Pelican Harbor Series by Colleen Coble

March 14, 2020March 14, 2020 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: One Little Lie

Author: Colleen Coble

Series: Pelican Harbor #1

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: March 3, 2020

50852923._SX318_SY475_ It started with one little lie. But Jane Hardy will do everything in her power to uncover the truth in this gripping new romantic suspense.

Jane Hardy is appointed interim sheriff in Pelican Harbor, Alabama after her father retires, but there’s no time for an adjustment period. When her father is arrested for theft and then implicated in a recent murder, Jane quickly realizes she’s facing someone out to destroy the only family she has.

After escaping with her father from a cult fifteen years ago, Jane has searched relentlessly for her mother—who refused to leave—ever since. Could someone from that horrible past have found them?

Reid Bechtol is well-known for his documentaries, and his latest project involves covering Jane’s career. Jane has little interest in the attention, but the committee who appointed her loves the idea of the publicity.

Jane finds herself depending on Reid’s calm manner as he follows her around filming, and they begin working together to clear her father. But Reid has his own secrets from the past, and the gulf between them may be impossible to cross—especially once her father’s lie catches up with him.

Click here to get your copy.

My Rating

5 Stars – Superior – Hits My Reading Sweet Spot (If only we didn’t have to wait for the ending!) 😦

My Review

A green police chief, vigilante justice, and a town full of secrets. Mixing these together with Colleen Coble’s compelling suspense and a dollop of romance brings you One Little Lie, a “most excellent” police adventure.
I really loved the storyline and most of the characters. The jury is still out on a few of them, namely the mayor, whom I’m trying to figure out. I did enjoy Jane Hardy and Reid and Will Dixon. Will sounds like one very neat teenager. Jane and Reid work together well. I have to wonder about how involved Reid was in the cases, as a civilian. Yet, my mind argues back that real life can be hard to separate into separate columns, and this just solidifies that point.

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The bay seems to be a little murky and so are so many of the relationships in this faith-filled novel. We see true friendship, bad parenting, misguided parenting, great parenting, and arms that lost the child they should have parented. I can just imagine Jane, if she had a theme song, singing “Lies,” from Jonathan Butler eons ago. The question is, who would she be singing it about? Faith, love, forgiveness, deceit, and revenge all surface in Pelican Harbor. Unfortunately for us, the readers, a neat ending does not. I appreciated Coble’s note that explained her reasoning. I appreciated that we had a “soft” ending, with more to come in the next Pelican Harbor installment ( Two Reasons to Run, coming September 2020), rather than a rushed, messy ending. Definitely a book to pick up, but preferably during daylight hours, with plenty of safe people around.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author and publisher through Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. This does not affect my opinions, which are solely my own.

About the Author

33227 Best-selling author Colleen Coble’s novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, the ACFW Carol Award, the Romance Writers of America RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has over 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana. You can visit her website at http://colleencoble.com.

Blog Stops

Back Porch Reads, March 10

Life of Literature, March 10

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 10

Texas Book-aholic, March 10

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, March 11

The Avid Reader, March 11

Lighthouse Academy, March 11

By The Book, March 12

Older & Smarter?, March 12

Through the Fire Blogs, March 12

Remembrancy, March 12

Betti Mace, March 13

April Hayman, Author, March 13

Emily Yager, March 13

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, March 14

Bigreadersite, March 14

deb’s Book Review, March 14

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 15

Inklings and notions, March 15

CarpeDiem, March 15

Christian Bookaholic, March 15

Just the Write Escape, March 16

For Him and My Family, March 16

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 16

Robin’s Nest, March 17

All-of-a-kind Mom, March 17

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 17

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, March 17

Stories By Gina, March 18

Janicesbookreviews, March 18

Mary Hake, March 18

Empowermoms, March 18

For the Love of Literature, March 19

Blossoms and Blessings, March 19

Because I said so – and other adventures in Parenting, March 19

Hallie Reads, March 19

A Baker’s Perspective, March 20

Quiet Quilter, March 20

Simple Harvest Reads, March 20 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Splashes of Joy, March 21

Moments, March 21

amandainpa, March 21

Locks, Hooks and Books, March 21

Pause for Tales, March 22

Britt Reads Fiction, March 22

Spoken from the Heart, March 22

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, March 22

To Everything There is a Season, March 23

Life love writing, March 23

Daysong Reflections, March 23

Lights in a Dark World, March 23

*No Giveaway for this Celebration Tour

Bethany House, BLOG, NetGalley

Seconds to Live, #1 Homeland Heroes by Susan Sleeman

December 4, 2019 Babbling Becky L

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About the Book

Title: Seconds to Live

Series: Homeland Heroes

Author: Susan Sleeman

Publisher: Bethany House

Released: December 2019

When cybercriminals hack into the U.S. Marshal’s Witness Protection database and auction off personal details to the highest bidder, FBI Agent Sean Nichols begins a high-stakes chase to find the hacker. Trouble is, he has to work with U.S. Marshal Taylor Mills, who knows the secrets of his past, and the seconds are ticking down before someone dies.

My Review

As usual, Susan Sleeman draws readers in with the very first sentence. Sleeman’s writing in Seconds to Live, like her other works, is concise, taut, and suspenseful in a beyond-terrifying way. Yet Sleeman uses her remarkable knowledge of the cyber crimes world to craft a novel that is both thoughtful and uplifting. When I finished this book, my thought was, if Taylor and Sean can learn to trust God in their over-the-top FBI dangerous jobs, surely I can trust Him with my own life. Besides, even though both Taylor and Sean have jobs most of us can only imagine, their feelings, actions, and conversations make them very relatable.

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While I didn’t much like Dustee, I almost felt sorry for her. Not many in our techie world today would be able to go long periods without some connection to technology. Yet, Dustee had to stay completely away from the internet. Oy, vey!
All of Sleeman’s characters on the Red Team are introduced with enough character that my reading mind is tantalized with the idea of wanting to know them more.
Quotes:
” ‘And all this pacing and frustration out here in the hall means you’re trusting Him?’ It was just like her to call him on his struggle.”

Seconds to Live 1.png

“But if Sean had learned anything on the Montgomery Three investigation, he’d learned God was in control. Not him. God. That was true now, too, and was worth remembering.”

“We all live in hiding to some degree…people in hiding want someone to care enough to look for them…”

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Bethany House through Netgalley. I also received a copy direct from the author. This does not affect my opinions, which are solely my own.

My Rating

5 Stars – Hit My Reading Sweet Spot

About the Author

SUSAN SLEEMAN is the bestselling author of over thirty-five novels with more than one 4053429 million books sold. She writes romantic suspense novels that are clean with inspiring messages of faith. Readers love her series for the well-drawn characters and edge-of-your-seat action. She graduated from the FBI and local police citizen academies, so her research is spot-on and her characters are real.
In addition to writing, Susan also hosts TheSuspenseZone.com. She has lived in nine states but now calls Oregon home. Her husband is a retired church music director, and they have two beautiful daughters, a very special son-in-law, and an adorable grandson.
To learn more about Susan’s books sign up for her monthly email that includes exclusive excerpts, giveaways, and other goodies. http://www.susansleeman.com/susans-ne…

Or stop by any of these locations on the web.
Website – http://www.susansleeman.com
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/SusanSleemanB…
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/susansleeman
Review Site – http://www.TheSuspenseZone.com

BLOG, NetGalley, Revell

Deadly Deceit, #2 Harboring Secrets by Natalie Walters

November 24, 2019November 24, 2019 Babbling Becky L

43838201

Affiliate links are used in this blog. I may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on a link.

About the Book

Title: Deadly Deceit

Series: Harbored Secrets

Author: Natalie Walters

Publisher: Revell

Released: November 2019

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Independent and tenacious journalist Vivian DeMarco is back in Walton, Georgia, for one reason — to do her job and get out. When her boss suddenly dies under suspicious circumstances, Vivian’s only hope for finding the truth — and the next big story — is small-town law enforcement’s lanky poster boy, Deputy Ryan Frost. But the deeper they dig, the more twisted the truth becomes. False leads, incriminating emails, and someone called the Watcher force Vivian to fight for answers — and her life.

Get your copy here.

My Review

I was both excited and apprehensive when I saw this title, Deadly Deceit, by Natalie Walters was available. Excited because I love romantic suspense. Apprehensive because I realized I hadn’t yet read the first book in the series.
So let me answer that unasked question first. As someone who hasn’t read the first book, Deadly Deceit can stand well on its own.
Vivian DeMarco is a reporter at the Gazette, a small-town newspaper. Her boss, Harold, dies before he can tell her about a huge story- a ”marmalade dropper.” Enter Deputy Ryan Frost, who wants De Marco out of his professional life but deep in his personal life.

Deadly Deceit 1

Walters does a great job of causing the reader to identify with the characters. I felt so bad for Vivian’s loss of the father-figure when Harold dies. I could feel her resentment and understand the issues. I did have trouble understanding the lack of a firm trust between Vivian and Ryan as their relationship progresses. I also took issue with the fact that the author would suddenly switch point-of-view between any characters she wished without some kind of warning. Often authors use separate chapters, curlicue signs between paragraphs, scribbles, anything to separate two different paragraphs coming at the reader from different point-of-views. I was left rereading paragraphs and feeling put-out. I am told this issue may be corrected in the final paperback (and kindle?) version.

Deadly Deceit 2.png

The mystery aspect was good. The danger ratchets up near the end, as it should, and the ending was well-timed and brought a true sense of relief.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinions, which are solely my own.

My Rating

4 Stars – Excellent – I would recommend it to a friend.

About the Author

My world revolves around GIJOE and our three adult (or almost adult) children who 18471823 keep my life anything but predictable. Our boots hit the ground wherever the Army sends us but home is when we’re all together no matter the zipcode. My passion is writing stories where adventure meets love and share my belief that life rooted in purpose is a story worth telling.

You can follow Natalie Walters at the following:

https://www.nataliewalterswriter.com

Twitter

natwalterswrite

https://www.goodreads.com/nataliewalterswriter

BLOG, NetGalley, Revell

One Final Breath, #3 Dive Team Investigations by Lynn H. Blackburn

October 9, 2019 Babbling Becky L

43838187

About the Book

Title: One Final Breath

Series: Dive Team Investigations

Author: Lynn H. Blackburn

Publisher: Revell

Released: September 2019

Investigator Gabe Chavez and Dive Team Captain Anissa Bell have a complicated history. But when Anissa’s fractured past collides with Gabe’s investigation of a shooting, they must work together to catch the murderer before someone else dies.

Lynn Blackburn has returned for the last hurrah for her Dive Team series, #3, One Final Breath. Gabe Chavez and Anissa Bell rise to the foreground on this novel, falling for each other while trying to escape painful pasts.
The rest of the team is back, fleshing out the character list and bringing love, amusement, and memories from former books. Which leads me to relate that this novel is quite capable of being a standalone; it’s just sweeter when the reader can identify with the backstory presented.

One Final Breath 2.png
The friendship and camaraderie of the dive team and their significant others really impressed me. Between the locale, the season, and the warm atmosphere the friends create, life was almost idyllic…
Until it wasn’t. Then life was frantic, uncertain, vomiting past terrifying experiences up in front of those who most needed to remain calm and collected.
Paisley Wilson is an interesting character to watch. The reader won’t know what to make of Gabe’s arch-nemesis who is suddenly very much a part of this case.

One Final Breath(2)
If the romance, intrigue, and suspense aren’t enough motivation, Mr. Cook returns and is a great reason to read this book. Everyone needs a Mr. Cook in their lives! He prays his way through adversity and sees much more than is actually visible.
Get this book and dive deep into some great suspense.
I received this book from the author through Revell and NetGalley. No positive review was required, and all opinions are solely my own.

My Rating

5 Stars – Superior- Hit my reading sweet spot!

About the Author

Lynn H. Blackburn is the author of Beneath the Surface, In Too Deep, Hidden Legacy, and Covert Justice. Winner of the 2016 Selah Award for Mystery and Suspense, and the 2016 Carol Award for Short Novel, Blackburn believes in the power of stories, especially 17521786 those that remind us that true love exists, a gift from the Truest Love. She’s passionate about CrossFit, coffee, and chocolate (don’t make her choose) and experimenting with recipes that feed both body and soul. She lives in Simpsonville, South Carolina, with her true love, Brian, and their three children.

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour

Trapped by Lillian Duncan

September 28, 2019 Babbling Becky L

Trapped

About the Book

Book: Trapped

Author: Lillian Duncan

Genre: Romantic Suspense (Christian)/Stand Alone

Release Date: September 27, 2019

Trapped Angelina Matthews has everything—rich, famous and beautiful—until the day she’s kidnapped and trapped in a basement with a madman, wearing only a T-shirt. The dirt is his—the blood is hers. Tormented and tortured, she cries out to God. Help comes in the form of Nate Goodman. When their paths cross months later, Nate discovers Angelina is still trapped—not in a basement but in the memories she can’t escape. Nate knows all about being trapped—and getting un-trapped. As an ex-Chicago cop he’s had his own demons to wrestle, but his faith helped him to move forward. He reaches out to Angelina whose paranoid delusions have her trapped still. But are they delusions?

Click here to grab your copy.

My Review

Lillian Duncan begins her romantic suspense novel quite eerily so that the reader quickly feels Trapped along with Ange. The action moves very swiftly at first but slows considerably to become more of a refection of self-help and therapy groups. I thought the points made by Duncan were spot on, and I was glad to see the approach she took to recovery. However, during this part of this book, the suspense was temporarily paused so we could adequately view the issues Angelina was dealing with.

Eventually, the action picked up again, and the suspense accelerates to a good pace. I appreciated the author’s note at the end. I must say, a certain event causes me to want to pick the author’s brain… (did you REALLY want to do that ?!)
I recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy from the author and publisher through Celebrate Lit. This does not affect my opinions, which are solely my responsibility.

My Rating

4 Stars – Excellent – A book to pick up!

About the Author

Lillian is a multi-published author who lives in the middle of Ohio Amish country with her husband and a menagerie of pets. After more than 30 years working as a speech Lillian-Duncan-238x300 pathologist for children, she believes in the power of words to transform lives, especially God’s Word.

Her goal is to write stories that entertain but also demonstrate God’s love for all of us. To learn more about her, visit www.lillian-duncan.com as well as her devotional blog at www.PowerUpWithGod.com.

More from Lillian

TRAPPED is my latest suspense novel. And suspenseful, it is! With just the right about of romance to make it even better.

You can’t help but love Nate Goodman—small-town policeman, believer in truth, justice, and Jesus—comes back home to the sleepy town of Mt. Pleasant, Ohio to work because nothing ever happens—until it does.

Angelina Matthews has everything. She’s rich, famous and beautiful until the day she’s kidnapped and trapped in a basement with a madman. Tormented and tortured, she cries out to God.

Help comes in the form of Nate Goodman.

When their paths cross months later, Nate discovers Angelina is still trapped, not in a basement but in the memories she can’t escape. As an ex-Chicago policeman, Nate knows all about being trapped—and getting un-trapped so he reaches out to help. Between the two of them, they have more than their fair share of problems. But that’s what makes the story exciting.

I have a philosophy when it comes to writing. If I find it boring so will the readers! That means I cut out the boring parts and focus on the action. I loved writing this story with all its twists and turns.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 28

Babbling Becky L’ Book Impressions, September 28

Livin’ Lit, September 29

Genesis 5020, September 30

Through the Fire Blogs, October 1

Inspires by fiction, October 1

Spoken from the Heart, October 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 3

Avid Reader Nurse , October 3

Maureen’s Musings, October 4

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 4

For Him and My Family, October 5

CarpeDiem, October 6

Blogging With Carol, October 6

Bigreadersite , October 7

Betti Mace, October 7

Texas Book-aholic, October 8

janicesbookreviews, October 9

Inklings and notions , October 9

Mary Hake, October 10

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, October 10

A Reader’s Brain, October 11

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lillian is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and one of her eBook (readers choice)!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/e958/trapped-celebration-tour-giveaway

BLOG, Revell

Deadly Intentions by Lisa Harris

August 27, 2019 Babbling Becky L

42181748._SY160_

About the Book

Title: Deadly Intentions

Author: Lisa Harris

Publisher: Revell

Released: August 2019

Detective Josh Solomon always believed his wife’s death was the result of a home invasion. But when he is pulled into a case with striking similarities, it doesn’t take long for him to realize the chilling truth: the attack that took his wife’s life was far from random.

My Review

Deadly Intentions is a masterful Christian romantic suspense novel by one of the best, Lisa Harris.
After three of her coworkers die protecting a top-secret project, Caitlyn Lindsey contacts the detective-husband of one of the victims, Josh Solomon. What could be so important people were expendable to keep it hidden, and who can be trusted to help the fleeing couple as they search for evidence?

Deadly Intentions 1
This book rates right up there with the chillers and thrillers. I love the touch of bioterrorism, the medical explanations that are simple enough for a layman to understand, and the absolute terror element without venturing into the horror genre. I love how Harris weaves in the faith component. It is clear, timely, very apropos, and short, not preachy.

Deadly Intentions 2
Because of the compelling nature of Ms. Harris’s writing, I was able to read this book through in 5 to 6 hours, at one sitting. Whew! That’s all the excitement I can handle at one time!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. This does not affect my opinions, which are solely my own.

My Rating

About the Author

BIO: Award-winning author of nineteen novels and novellas, Lisa Harris lives with her husband and their three children in Mozambique, Africa, where they work as missionaries.

When she’s not busy writing or homeschooling, she loves traveling, cooking different ethnic foods, and photographing animals and birds in the African bush. Visit her website at www.lisaharriswrites.com and her blog at www.myblogintheheartofafrica.blogspot…

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Bethany House, BLOG, NetGalley

Fire Storm, Kaely Quinn, Profiler #2, by Nancy Mehl

August 6, 2019 Babbling Becky L

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ABOUT THE BOOK

TITLE: Fire Storm

SERIES: Kaely Quinn, Profiler, (#2)

AUTHOR: Nancy Mehl

PUBLISHER: Bethany Publishing House

RELEASED: August 2019

FBI Profiler Kaely Quinn visits Nebraska to care for her ailing mother. She can’t help but notice suspicious connections among a series of local fires, so she calls on her partner, Noah Hunter, to help find the arsonist. Together they unwittingly embark on a twisted path to a mad man who is determined his last heinous act will be Kaely’s death.

Get your copy here.

MY REVIEW

Life is cold in this chiller/thriller by Nancy Mehl. Fire Storm, #2 Kaely Quinn Profiler Series, takes place mostly in a town called Darkwater. It is winter, and as cold as winter can get. Relationships are cold, too. Omaha doesn’t want Noah and Kaely’s help.

Fire Storm 1.png

Kaely herself is having trouble dealing with the chilly relationships between herself and her brother and her cancer-stricken mother.
Conversely, it’s hot in town. Multiple fires lead Kaely and Noah to believe that arson is the cause of Darkwater’s destruction. Jason gets hot under the collar when Kaely puts her job before her family. Kaely feels the heat as the fires increase without a viable suspect. I raced to read this exciting, terrifying novel as quickly as I could.

Fire Storm 2.png

Only the need to function kept me from pulling an all-nighter to discover who really was behind the evil visiting the town. Mehl manages to tie up loose ends realistically and bring things to a satisfying conclusion…until she masterfully inserts a dangling issue that may create a cliffhanger for books to come. Faith, fear, trust, unbelievable tension, and the mind of a madman combine to make this a thriller you won’t want to put down.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This in no way affected my opinions, which are solely my own.

MY RATING

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nancy Mehl lives in Wichita, Kansas with her husband, Norman, and her very active puggle, Watson. First published in 2001, she has now authored nine books, including an omnibus mystery collection, Cozy in Kansas, which contains three of her previously published Ivy Towers mysteries. Book three in the series, For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls, won the American Christian Fiction Writers Mystery Book of the Year award. Nancy’s main writing interests lie in mystery although her new Harmony Series leans more toward the romantic suspense genre. Nancy runs a HUD program for the city of Wichita and is president of a volunteer organization, Wichita Homebound Outreach. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Kansas Authors Club. You can find out more about Nancy by visiting her Web site at: www.nancymehl.com“

BLOG, Favorite, Pre-purchased through author.

Anointest My Head with Oil, #16 Psalm 23 Mysteries by Debbie Viguie

June 21, 2019 Babbling Becky L

ABOUT THE BOOK

TITLE: Anointest My Head with Oil

SERIES: The Psalm 23 Mysteries

PUBLISHER: Big Pink Bow

RELEASED: June 25, 2019, Kindle ed.

When an arsonist targets synagogues Jeremiah and Cindy must race to find him before he strikes again.

MY REVIEW

At long last. Book #16, of the Psalm 23 series by Debbie Viguié, Anointest My Head with Oil, is finally here.
First, we start with a smile. That’s because the first sentence of every book is very similar, changing only the character, day of the week, and his/her feeling toward it. So, for the first and only minute of the novel, the reader has a moment of calm before the hurricanes of action set in. I have called them hurricanes for a reason. Just as one tragedy or terror is resolved or survived, there is a short moment of rejoicing and romance and another dervish of frenetic action is set in motion. This particular volume holds the key to some mysteries locked beforehand, but also opens new possibilities and new fears.

Don’t miss Debbie Viguié’s latest Psalm 23 Mystery, Anointest My Head With Oil! Fun, Romance, and Terror in Every Chapter!
If you like Christy Barritt, you will love Debbie Viguié. Snarky, quick wit; hot, clean romance; a loyal group of friends; and intense suspense. These qualities make Anointest My Head…and the whole series one not to be missed.
Oh, yes. I read this in one sitting. Just necessary. Be warned.

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While I purchased the book directly from the author, this does not reflect in my opinions, which are solely my own.

MY RATING

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Debbie Viguié is the New York Times Bestselling author of more than three dozen novels including the Wicked series co-authored with Nancy Holder. In addition to her epic dark fantasy work, Debbie also writes thrillers including The Psalm 23 Mysteries, the Kiss trilogy, and the Witch Hunt trilogy. Debbie also plays a recurring character on the audio drama, Doctor Geek’s Laboratory. When Debbie isn’t busy writing or acting she enjoys spending time with her husband, Scott, visiting theme parks. 174708

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour

Beauty in Hiding:#1 Beauty in Flight by Robin Patchen

April 13, 2019April 13, 2019 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Beauty in Hiding

Author: Robin Patchen

Genre: Christian romantic suspense

Release Date: March 12, 2019

Book 2 in the Beauty in Flight series:

Harper’s second chance at life will become a second stint in prison if anyone connects those two dead men to her.

Nutfield, New Hampshire, is as good a place as any to hide from the murderer Harper left behind in Maryland. All she has to do is lie low and make enough money to keep herself and Red alive until she can figure out who her enemies are.

Jack Rossi isn’t sure what to make of his beautiful new tenant and her confused grandfather. Something’s not right, but the love he sees between them and the care she takes of the old man convinces Jack they’re trustworthy. As drawn as he is to Harper, she’s his tenant, so she’s off limits.

Derrick, Harper’s ex-boyfriend, and Red’s grandson, needs to find his grandfather and get his hands on the old man’s money before Derrick ends up with a bullet in the skull. And when he gets his hands on Harper, she’ll be sorry for what she’s put him through.

Harper and Jack grow closer, but so do her enemies. If Harper can’t trust Jack with the truth, she may lose more than just this glimpse of true love. She may lose her freedom—or her life.

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MY REVIEW:

Robin Patchen has won me over to her style of romantic suspense with this novel, Beauty in Hiding. You will notice in my meme that there are three books pictured. Beauty in Hiding is book two of a series of three titled, “Beauty in Flight” (also the title of book one). Why do I belabor this point? I strongly urge you to purchase all three books before starting any. You will want to read them all together. I read two and three without one, but these seem to be a continuing story. ‘Nuff said.
What a whirlwind of action and intrigue this book is. An elderly man with dementia; his young, beautiful caretaker, who moves them both far from home; a great-looking landlord who wants to share his faith and some friendship with these two; numerous squirrelly and questionable characters who are best avoided at all costs. It took me very little time to become engrossed in the story and personally interested in sweet, scared Harper; friendly, undemanding Jack, and uncertain Red.
Why am I laughing (or is it sighing) over the town name of Nutfield where one character has dementia and another’s actions seem nutty if one doesn’t know her backstory? The faith element is real, timely, and appropriately woven into the novel.

Some shareable quotes:
“If not for the kindness of strangers, I do not know where I would be. So I will be a kind stranger to you.”“She needed more than a drive in the country and some ice cream. She needed a brain transplant.”

“Harper’s perch was her floor and her knees, and her prayers were for a glimpse of freedom from this crazy situation she’d found herself in. A hope for the future.”

“My brain…I used to be able to rely on it. Now it’s turning against me. Now, I never know if I can trust what I remember.” (This one made me want to cry.)

Run to your nearest bookstore and purchase the entire series, Beauty in Flight, Bks 1-3, to add to your collection if you like sinister Christian romantic suspense. I bought books one and three but was given a complimentary copy of Beauty in Hiding by the author through Celebrate Lit. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my responsibility.

MY RATING:

About the Author

Aside from her family and her Savior, Robin Patchen has two loves—writing and traveling. If she could combine them, she’d spend a lot of time sitting in front of her laptop at sidewalk cafes and ski lodges and beachside burger joints. She’d visit every Robin-Patchen-300x199

place in the entire world—twice, if possible—and craft stories and tell people about her Savior. Alas, time is too short and money is too scarce for Robin to traipse all over the globe, even if her husband and kids wanted to go with her. So she stays in Oklahoma, shares the Good News when she can, and writes to illustrate the unending grace of God through the power and magic of story.

More from Robin

I was raised in a Christian home. Our parents took my sister, my brother, and me to church every Sunday. They taught us right from wrong, but eventually, kids have to make their own choices. In my case, I chose wrong for a long time.

Don’t misunderstand: I was always a pretty nice person. I wasn’t a thief, and I didn’t kill anybody, but I made a lot of bad decisions. Sinful decisions. I discovered that one bad choice often led to the next and the next until I was trapped in a life of my own making with no idea how to get out.

But God… two of my favorite words in the English language.

God had a different plan, and He pulled me out of the muck and changed my life. He showed me that I was not the person I’d been acting like. He showed me who I was, and He taught me to walk in the truth of my identity.

Harper Cloud isn’t me, not at all. First of all, she is tall and blond and drop-dead gorgeous. More than that, her choices are nothing like mine were. But she’s in the same boat I was. Thanks to a series of bad decisions, Harper was in a hole, and she didn’t know how to get herself out of it. She used drugs to quiet the condemning voices and told herself lies to make herself feel better. Someday, she told herself, she’d get her life together enough to go home to her parents. Because she couldn’t go when she was a mess. She couldn’t go until she’d done something they could be proud of.

Thanks to a bad choice in boyfriend, Harper not only didn’t go home, she ended up in prison.

Harper’s story begins two years after she’s released. It’s the story of a woman desperate to be free of her past, clinging to hope when there’s every reason to despair, and desperate to believe what she’s been told about this Savior, Jesus Christ.

Harper will learn about love and redemption and salvation in the course of the three books that make up the Beauty in Flight series. That is, if she can survive the danger that seems to follow her wherever she goes.