Falling For You - A Review

Published - May 2018, Bethany House
Series - Bradford Sisters Romance Book 2
Author - Becky Wade
Format - ebook, paper
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About the book:
Famously beautiful model Willow Bradford is taking a temporary break from her hectic schedule to work as the innkeeper at her family's small-town bed-and-breakfast. She was enjoying the peace of her hometown, Merryweather, Washington, right up until she came face-to-face with Corbin Stewart, the man she loves to hate. A thoughtful rule-follower by nature, Willow threw caution to the wind four years ago when she entrusted her heart to Corbin--and suffered the consequences when it all fell apart.

Former NFL quarterback Corbin is forceful, charming, and accustomed to getting what he wants . . . except where Willow Bradford is concerned. Unable to forget her, he's never stopped regretting what happened between them. When their paths unexpectedly cross again, he's determined to make her give him a second chance.

When a decades-old missing persons case finds Corbin and Willow working together, they're forced to confront their past and who they've become--and whether they can risk falling for one another all over again.

My Thoughts:
This book was so much fun! I loved both Willow and Corbin! I also loved the mystery of finding Josephine. I can't wait for the next one.

I love how Becky's stories are fun, usually light-hearted, and have a happy ending. But this one also had some heavy topics that were covered in a gentle way.

I received a copy from the publisher on behalf of the author to help promote. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating - 4 stars

Until We Find Home - A Review

Published - January 2018, Tyndale
Title - Until We Find Home
Author - Cathy Gohlke
Format - ebook, paper
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About the book:
For American Claire Stewart, joining the French Resistance sounded as romantic as the storylines she hopes will one day grace the novels she wants to write. But when she finds herself stranded on English shores, with five French Jewish children she smuggled across the channel before Nazis stormed Paris, reality feels more akin to fear.

With nowhere to go, Claire throws herself on the mercy of an estranged aunt, begging Lady Miranda Langford to take the children into her magnificent estate. Heavily weighted with grief of her own, Miranda reluctantly agrees . . . if Claire will stay to help. Though desperate to return to France and the man she loves, Claire has few options. But her tumultuous upbringing—spent in the refuge of novels with fictional friends—has ill-prepared her for the daily dramas of raising children, or for the way David Campbell, a fellow American boarder, challenges her notions of love. Nor could she foresee how the tentacles of war will invade their quiet haven, threatening all who have come to call Bluebell Wood home and risking the only family she’s ever known.

Set in England’s lush and storied Lake District in the early days of World War II, and featuring cameos from beloved literary icons Beatrix Potter and C. S. Lewis, Until We Find Home is an unforgettable portrait of life on the British home front, challenging us to remember that bravery and family come in many forms.

My Thoughts:
This started off rather slow, but it picked up. 

I loved the depth to the book. I also loved getting to know what it may have been like for refugee children in WWII. I enjoyed the cameos from C.S. Lewis and Beatrix Potter. Reading this made me wonder if Lewis wrote Lion, Witch, and Wardrobe because of the WWII refugee children. 

I received a copy from Tyndale to review.

Recommended to fans of WWII

Rating - 4 stars

Golden Vial - A Review

Published - Revell, March 2018
Series - Legends of the Realm
Author - Thomas Locke
Title - The Golden Vial
Format - ebook, paper
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About the book:
Lady Shona, the newly crowned queen of the realm, is a leader without a throne. Pursued relentlessly by a dark force, her small contingent of loyal followers must make a difficult choice--flee or fight. Determined to save her land from nefarious threats, Lady Shona decides that she must seek out the enemy and attack them head on--a strategy that leads back to the region of the Three Valleys where Hyam was born.

Alas, Hyam has been struck by a mysterious illness that is silently sweeping through the realm. Known as the wasting disease, the sickness has no cure. But there is one shred of hope for Lady Shona and the realm--and it comes in the most unlikely of forms. A young orphan, untested and untrained, could well mean the difference between victory and total defeat.

Thomas Locke concludes his epic trilogy with a gripping tale of courage that will inspire readers to persevere even when all seems lost

My Thoughts:
Maybe I'm a little bored with the fantasy genre. Maybe it was the overall pace of the book. I don't know. But for whatever reason, this book was really just OK. It was a good conclusion to the series. But I didn't enjoy it the same way that I did book 1 in the series. Daly was an interesting character though. There were times when I was reading it that I felt her character could have been made a bit more in depth. 

Overall, it was ok.

I received a copy from Revell for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating - 3 stars

No One Ever Asked - A Review

Published: April 2018, Waterbrook
Author: Katie Ganshert
Title: No One Ever Asked

About the book:
Challenging perceptions of discrimination and prejudice, this emotionally resonant drama for readers of Lisa Wingate and Jodi Picoult explores three different women navigating challenges in a changing school district--and in their lives.

When an impoverished school district loses its accreditation and the affluent community of Crystal Ridge has no choice but to open their school doors, the lives of three very different women converge: Camille Gray--the wife of an executive, mother of three, long-standing PTA chairwoman and champion fundraiser--faced with a shocking discovery that threatens to tear her picture-perfect world apart at the seams. Jen Covington, the career nurse whose long, painful journey to motherhood finally resulted in adoption but she is struggling with a happily-ever-after so much harder than she anticipated. Twenty-two-year-old Anaya Jones--the first woman in her family to graduate college and a brand new teacher at Crystal Ridge's top elementary school, unprepared for the powder-keg situation she's stepped into. Tensions rise within and without, culminating in an unforeseen event that impacts them all. This story explores the implicit biases impacting American society, and asks the ultimate question: What does it mean to be human? Why are we so quick to put labels on each other and categorize people as "this" or "that", when such complexity exists in each person? 

My Thoughts:
I don't think I've ever picked up one of Katie Ganshert's books and haven't loved it. But this one. Oh my goodness, it surpasses any of her others! It's highly appropriate for the current crazy world we live in. I think that I literally read this in about a day. I got completely lost in the story. 

I received a copy as part of the Blogging for Books program. Sadly, this is my last review for them as they are discontinuing the program. I was not required to like the book, only give my honest opinion.

Recommended to fans of Karen Kingsbury, Lisa Wingate, Jodi Picoult

Rating 5 stars

Refuge Assured - A Review

Published - February 2018, Bethany House Publishers

Author - Jocelyn Green

Title - A Refuge Assured

About the book

Vivienne Rivard fled revolutionary France and seeks a new life for herself and a boy in her care, who some say is the Dauphin. But America is far from safe, as militiaman Liam Delaney knows. He proudly served in the American Revolution but is less sure of his role in the Whiskey Rebellion. Drawn together, will Liam and Vivienne find the peace they long for?

My thoughts:

This book was so good! I loved watching Vivienne grow from the lacemaker to the queen into the independent American woman she became. I found this period of history rather fascinating. I don't read a lot of early American (Post-Revolution), so this particular period was rather new to me. I enjoyed it.

I received a copy from Bethany House to review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Great Escape - A Review

Published - April 2018, Worthy Publishers
Series - Secret of the Hidden Scrolls Book 3
Author - M. J. Thomas
Title - Great Escape 
Format - paper
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About the book:
Siblings Peter and Mary and their dog Hank are staying with their great uncle. He's got a lot of cool stuff. The kids have discovered scrolls that transport them to other times. They just have to solve the scroll within a certain amount of time or be stuck in the past forever.

My Thoughts:

This book was super cute. Siblings Peter and Mary travel in time for the third time. This time they go to Egypt at the time of the Exodus. They are given a certain amount of time to figure out the meaning of the scroll and return home, otherwise they'll be stuck forever. It reminded me of several of the Imagination Station books in the Adventures of Odyssey series. 

It's targeted at 6-9 year olds, and my best friend's 7 year read it and loved it. 

I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher to review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sea Before Us - A Review

Published - February 2018, Revell
Series - Sunrise at Normandy Book 1
Author - Sarah Sundin
Title - The Sea Before Us
Format - ebook, paper
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About the Book:
It's 1944, and the world has been at war for a few years. Lt. Wyatt Paxton arrives in London as part of the men involved in the planned Allied invasion of France. His job is to take maps and turn them in to bombardment plans. He works closely with Dorothy Fairfax, a WREN. Dorothy spends hours piecing together maps of the French coastline based upon vacation photos from people across the nation. Her own family photos are among the submissions. Their friendship turns to love as the war escalates. Both are reluctant due to personal reasons.

My thoughts:
I loved this book! It's the start of a new series. I loved learning about how much effort went into D-Day. I had a grandfather who served in France during WWII and was part of the D-Day invasion.

Wyatt and Dorothy are both pretty complex. I loved how they were each able to see the other's struggle, but not their own. It made for a very real character. The other characters were fun to get to know as well. I hope to see some of the other WRENs in the other books.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher as part of the Revell Reads program. I was not required to like the book, only give my honest opinion.

Recommended to fans of WWII, Sarah Sundin

Rating - 5 stars