The Edge of Over There - A Review

Published - April 2019, Revell
Series - Day the Angels Fell Book 2
Author - Shawn Smucker
Title - The Edge of Over There
Format - ebook, paper
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About the book:
Before the Tree of Life, everything in Abra Miller's life had been predictable. But after the Tree and the lightning and the angels, everything felt tenuous, like holding a soap bubble in the palm of her hand. She spent years looking for signs of that other world, waiting for it to break through. When it didn't, her friendship with Sam Chambers grew cold and distant, and they both wondered how any of it could actually have happened.

Four years later, 16-year-old Abra's long-delayed quest to find the next manifestation of the Tree of Life is renewed when she sees a woman walking up the road--a woman who looks exactly like Sam's dead mother. The woman directs her to New Orleans where she will find the grave of Marie Laveau, one of seven gateways between this world and Over There. As Abra enters The Edge of Over There and begins her pursuit of the Tree once more, she doesn't know whom to fear or whom to trust. But she's starting to think that some doorways should never be opened.

My Thoughts:
I like fantasy. I enjoy science fiction. The premise of this novel intrigued me; especially since it fell into the sci-fi/fantasy genre. This book fell short for me though. I wanted to like it. I really did. But to be honest, it really didn't hold my interest. Maybe because it's book 2, and I didn't know that. Maybe it's because my current reading mood is mystery/suspense, or light-hearted reads. I don't know. All I know is that this one was a struggle to read. 

I didn't connect with the characters. In fact, I got a little bit lost in the changing perspectives. Unlike one of my current reads, the changing perspectives weren't all first person. But the entire time I was reading it, I felt like I was missing big pieces of the story. 

This is one book that just wasn't for me. Others may enjoy it, and if the positive reviews on Amazon are any indication, others do enjoy it. I didn't hate it, I just feel rather blah about it.

I received a copy from the publisher to share my honest opinion about it. I was not required to like the book, only to share my honest opinion. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating - 3 stars

Published - March 2019, Revell
Author - Valerie Fraser Luesse
Title - Almost Home
Format - ebook, paper
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About the book:
With America's entrance into the Second World War, the town of Blackberry Springs, Alabama, has exploded virtually overnight. Workers from all over are coming south for jobs in Uncle Sam's munitions plants--and they're bringing their pasts with them, right into Dolly Chandler's grand but fading family home turned boardinghouse.

An estranged young couple from the Midwest, unemployed professors from Chicago, a widower from Mississippi, a shattered young veteran struggling to heal from the war--they're all hoping Dolly's house will help them find their way back to the lives they left behind. But the house has a past of its own.

When tragedy strikes, Dolly's only hope will be the circle of friends under her roof and their ability to discover the truth about what happened to a young bride who lived there a century before.

Award-winning and bestselling author Valerie Fraser Luesse breathes life into a cast of unforgettable characters in this complex and compassionate story of hurt and healing.

My Thoughts:
This is the first book I've read by this author and it won't be my last! This book was beautiful. It was rich in details and I loved the characters. I also loved the search to find out the secrets of the past. While this novel isn't really a dual-time line book, it did delve into a separate timeline of the past through journals. This is one of those books that will sit with me and I'll remember for a while. It has a similar feel to several of Nicholas Sparks' books.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher to share my honest opinion. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Laura Frantz, Dandi McCall, Lisa Wingate, Nicholas Sparks

Rating - 5 stars

Never Let Go - A Review

Published - February 2019, Revell
Series - Uncommon Justice Book 1
Author - Elizabeth Goodard
Title - Never Let Go
Format - ebook, paper
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About the book:
As a forensic genealogist, Willow Anderson is following in her late grandfather's footsteps in her quest for answers about a baby abducted from the hospital more than twenty years ago. The case may be cold, but things are about to heat up when someone makes an attempt on her life to keep her from discovering the truth.

Ex-FBI agent--and Willow's ex-flame--Austin McKade readily offers his help to protect the woman he never should have let get away. Together they'll follow where the clues lead them, even if it means Austin must face the past he's spent much of his life trying to forget. And even if it puts Willow's tender heart at risk.

In this fast-paced and emotional page-turner, bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard keeps the stakes high, the romantic tension sparking, and the outcome uncertain until the very end.

My Thoughts:
This book reminded me a lot of the books by Irene Hannon and Lynette Eason. It was a fast read and I really enjoyed it. I had thought that I knew who was the guilty party, but this time I was surprised. I didn't see that option coming. I loved seeing Willow's determination to finish the case her grandfather started. I"m eagerly awaiting book 2 in this series.

I received a copy from the publisher to share my honest opinion. My thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Recommended to fans of Irene Hannon, Lynette Eason, Dee Henderson

Rating - 4 stars

Unexpected Champion - A Review

Published - March 2019, Bethany House
Series - High Sierra Sweethearts Book 3
Author - Mary Connealy
Title - The Unexpected Champion
Format - ebook, paper
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About the book:
City dweller John McCall never expected to be out in the High Sierras of 1868 on a wild-goose chase to find the Chiltons' supposedly lost grandson. But now that he's out here, things have gotten even more complicated, mostly due to wildcat Penny Scott. She's not like any woman he's ever met--comfortable in the woods, with a horse, and with a gun. 

When Penny and John are taken against their will by a shadowy figure looking for evidence they don't have, both realize they've stumbled into something dangerous and complicated. With their friends and family desperately searching for them, Penny and John must make a daring escape. 

When they emerge back into the real world, they are confronted with a kidnapper who just won't stop. They must bring a powerful, ruthless man to justice, even as this city man and country woman fight a very inconvenient attraction to each other.

My Thoughts:
This was a fun and delightful read. I really enjoyed getting to know Penny and John. I loved how she's got so much grit. Both were fun to read. I also loved catching up with the others from the previous books. I think both Utah and Adam need their own stories. 

This is a book that is a quick to read. It's light-hearted. I'm eagerly awaiting the next book this author has in store.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in order to help with the promotion of it. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Mary Connealy, Karen Witemeyer, westerns

Rating - 4 stars