Finding Lady Enderly - A Reivew

Published - August 2019, Revell
Author - Joanna Davidson Politano
Title - Finding Lady Enderly
Format - ebook, paper
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About the Book:
Raina Bretton is a rag woman in London's east end when a handsome stranger appears in a dank alley and offers her a glittering smile and a chance for adventure. Rothburne Abbey has a unique position for her, one that will take her away from her hardscrabble life and give her a chance to be a lady. Things she could only dream of might be coming true. But some dreams turn out to be nightmares.

Though Raina has traded squalor for silk and satin, something about the abbey is deeply unsettling. As she wrestles with her true identity, the ruin, decay, and secrets she finds at the heart of the old mansion tear at her confidence and threaten to reveal her for who she really is. Only one man stands between her and the danger that lurks within--and only if he decides to keep her biggest secret hidden.

My Thoughts:
Let me start by saying that this book was not for me. I'm in a minority here if the reviews on Amazon are any indication. 

I was intrigued by the back cover and the actual book cover. The way the book is described had me expecting a sort-of My Fair Lady type story. And it sort of is. 

Yet, I couldn't get into this book. I tried. I really did try. Perhaps this author's style isn't for me. I didn't connect to the characters. I was bored while reading it. In fact, I kept looking for reasons NOT to read the book. 

Obviously, I'm in a minority. Others LOVE the book. Others whose opinions I respect have raved about this book. And to be perfectly honest, I kept wondering "What are they seeing that I'm missing?" Followed by "when will it get better?" 

I know that not every book I pick up is going to be one that I love. Just like I know that not every author is for every reader. But I still don't like giving a negative review because I know how hard authors work on their book babies. 

This one, it's not for me. I plan on donating my copy to my local library though, so that others CAN enjoy the book.

I received a copy from the publishers in order to share my honest opinion of it. That is what I've done. I was not required to like the book, only share my honest opinion. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating - 1 star

Vow of Justice - A Review

Published - August 2019, Revell Books
Author - Lynette Eason
Series - Blue Justice Book 4
Title - Vow of Justice
Format - ebook, paper
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About the book:
FBI Special Agent Lincoln St. John is living his own personal nightmare. When the woman he loves, Allison Radcliffe, is killed, he devotes his life to tracking down the killers and making them pay for their crimes. He expected it to be a challenge. What he never expected was to find Allison very much alive shortly after her "murder." As his anger and hurt mix with relief, Linc isn't sure how he's supposed to feel. One thing he does know for sure: he and Allison will have to work together to stop a killer before she dies a second time--this time for good.

My Thoughts:
I have been looking forward to this book for a long time. I really like the St. John family. Yet this one fell short for me. Yes I enjoyed it, but I really just feel blah about it. It was ok. I've found other books by this author to be better. I figured out by like the 3rd chapter who was the inside person, and I wasn't wrong. So, for me, there wasn't much suspense. I also wish that there had been more interaction with the St. John family. That's what I enjoyed most about the previous books. Will I read her next one? Yes! She's a great author. This one particular book just wasn't the best one for me.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in order to share my honest opinion on it. I was not required to like the book, only share my honest opinion of it.

Recommended to fans of Irene Hannon, Dani Pettrey, Lynette Eason

Rating 3 stars

Deadly Intentions - A Review

Published - August 2019, Revell Books
Author - Lisa Harris
Title - Deadly Intentions
Format - ebook, paper
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About the book:
Research scientist Caitlyn Lindsey is convinced that someone is taking out her team one by one. First, a friend and research partner was killed in a home invasion. Three months ago, her boss died in a suspicious car accident. Four days ago, another partner supposedly committed suicide. And now Caitlyn herself has miraculously survived a hit-and-run. Afraid for her life with nowhere to turn, she reaches out to one of the victim's husbands, Detective Josh Solomon.

Though initially skeptical about Caitlyn's theory, Josh soon realizes that the attack that took his wife's life was anything but random. Now the two of them must discover the truth about who is after Caitlyn's team--and what their end game is--before it's too late.

My Thoughts:
This book had me captivated from the beginning. I was enthralled with it. Caitlyn wants answers. Josh feels that there's more to his wife's death than what was official. As the two kept finding more and more clues that point to murder, the book kept getting better and better. I didn't have any suspicions as to who was the master mind, so it came as a complete shock when I found out. I look forward to more by this author.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher in order to share my honest opinion of the book. I was not required to like it only to give an honest opinion. 

Recommended to fans of Lynette Eason, Irene Hannon

Rating - 4 stars 

Th String - A Review

Published - July 2019, Revell Books
Author - Caleb Breakey
Series - Deadly Games Book 1
Title - The String
Format - ebook, paper
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About the book:
Welcome to the string, a game of impossible decisions and deadly consequences. Let's go over the ground rules.

Rule #1: Participation is mandatory.
Rule #2: If anyone refuses to play, all threats will come to pass.
Game on.

Get ready for a deadly social experiment as a sociopath known as The Conductor delivers disturbing threats and twisted moral dilemmas to unsuspecting students and staff.

As a powerful instinct for self-preservation sweeps through the campus, one man has a grave decision to make. Will university cop Markus Haas play the game to protect those he loves? Or will he break the string and incite massive chaos--and even death?

My Thoughts:
This wasn't what I expected. I expected more of an adventure almost like DaVinci Code, but this one was way more than that. There were twists and turns that had me staying up way to late reading this book. This is one book that I'd classify as a thriller. Fans of Dekker, Peretti, and Steven James will enjoy the thrill ride that this book takes the reader on before it comes to a conclusion. This is a debut author that will certainly be on my radar again!

I received a copy of this book via the publisher and NetGalley in order to share my honest opinion on it. I was not required to like the book, only share my honest opinion of it. 

Recommended to fans of Ted Dekker, Frank Peretti, Steven James, thrillers

Rating - 4 stars

Number of Love - A Review

Published - June 2019, Bethany House
Series - Codebreakers Book 1
Author - Roseanna M. White
Title - Number of Love
Format - ebook, paper, audio
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About the Book:
Three years into the Great War, England's greatest asset is their intelligence network--field agents risking their lives to gather information, and codebreakers able to crack every German telegram. Margot De Wilde thrives in the environment of the secretive Room 40, where she spends her days deciphering intercepted messages. But when her world is turned upside down by an unexpected loss, for the first time in her life numbers aren't enough.

Drake Elton returns wounded from the field, followed by an enemy who just won't give up. He's smitten quickly by the intelligent Margot, but how can he convince a girl who lives entirely in her mind that sometimes life's answers lie in the heart?

Amid biological warfare, encrypted letters, and a German spy who wants to destroy not just them but others they love, Margot and Drake will have to work together to save themselves from the very secrets that brought them together.

My Thoughts: 
When I met Margot in one of the author's other books, I never dreamed that she'd get her own book. Here she is all grown up and she gets her own book! Watching Margot come into her own as a major character, was a delight. I loved how her mind worked. The connections she made were amazing. I can't say what it was about him, but I honestly didn't care much for Drake. I truly don't know why. He was a fun character, there was just something that I personally didn't care for. 

 I am looking forward to the next one in the series. 

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

Recommended to fans of WWI, Jody Hedlund, Roseanna M White

Rating - 4 stars

Yours Truly, Thomas: A Review

Published - July 2019 Revell Books
Author - Rachel Fordham
Title - Yours Truly, Thomas
Format - ebook, paper
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About the book -
Penny works in the dead letter office. When a letter from "Thomas" to "Clara" comes across her desk, she's determined to locate Clara to get Thomas's letters to her. When she reaches a dead end, Penny anonymously sends Thomas a letter telling he she tried and that she is praying for him. Thomas left a world of business and traveled west. When he ends up in Azure Springs, Iowa, he decides it's a good place to stay. His letters to Clara have been unanswered and he doesn't know who the dead letter office clerk was. When circumstances bring Penny and Thomas together, they soon develop a friendship. Can that friendship blossom into something else?

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed the trip back to Azure Springs. It was fun to catch up on some of the residents. I loved Penny's determination. I loved Thomas's heart. There were a couple of places where I felt that the book dragged a little, but those were far between. I never knew that there was such a thing as a dead letter office, so learning about that was very interesting. I hope to see more from this author set in Azure Springs.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley for the purpose of sharing my honest opinion of the book. I was not required to like the book, only to give my honest opinion of it. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of historical fiction, Rachel Fordham, Janette Oke

Rating - 4 stars

Whose Waves These Are - A Review

Published - April 2019, Bethany House
Author - Amanda Dykes
Title - Whose Waves These Are
Format - ebook, paper
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About the Book:
In the wake of WWII, a grieving fisherman submits a poem to a local newspaper: a rallying cry for hope, purpose . . . and rocks. Send me a rock for the person you lost, and I will build something life-giving. When the poem spreads farther than he ever intended, Robert Bliss's humble words change the tide of a nation. Boxes of rocks inundate the tiny, coastal Maine town, and he sets his calloused hands to work, but the building halts when tragedy strikes.

Decades later, Annie Bliss is summoned back to Ansel-by-the-Sea when she learns her Great-Uncle Robert, the man who became her refuge during the hardest summer of her youth, is now the one in need of help. What she didn't anticipate was finding a wall of heavy boxes hiding in his home. Long-ago memories of stone ruins on a nearby island trigger her curiosity, igniting a fire in her anthropologist soul to uncover answers.

She joins forces with the handsome and mysterious harbor postman, and all her hopes of mending the decades-old chasm in her family seem to point back to the ruins. But with Robert failing fast, her search for answers battles against time, a foe as relentless as the ever-crashing waves upon the sea.  

My Thoughts:
This was a beautiful book. I've never read anything by this author before, and if I'm not mistaken, this is her debut novel. The two timelines are seamlessly woven together to make a story that I couldn't put down. I loved Annie's search answers and the story behind the rocks. I also loved how it was so much more than I expected when those answers were found. 

This is a book that tells of grief and hope. It tells of forgiveness and love. 

After reading this book, I found myself dwelling on it a bit longer. I didn't want to say goodbye to the characters. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in order to help promote it. I was not required to like the book, only to give my honest opinion of it. My thoughts and my opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Kristy Cambron, Rachel Hauck

Rating - 5 stars