A Royal Christmas // Book Review

 

About the Book:

Adelaide Smith is too busy for fairy tales. She's been working hard to put herself through law school and now that the end is in sight, she's determined to stay focused on her goals. Then she receives a letter notifying her that she has been found through a DNA registry to be a direct descendant of King Maximillian V, the ruler of a small Eastern European principality called Montovia. She's understandably skeptical. This is the stuff of cheesy made-for-TV movies, not real life.

Although the pieces of this surprising family puzzle seem too good to be true, curiosity gets the best of her. At the king's invitation, Adelaide embarks on a Christmas break trip that is chock-full of surprises, including a charming village, an opulent palace, family mysteries, royal jealousies, a handsome young member of Parliament--and the chance at a real fairy tale romance with a happily-ever-after ending.

My Review:

I don’t typically enjoy royal stories but I decided to give A Royal Christmas a try. I’m glad I did because I found it to be better than I anticipated. I did think it was a fairly typical storyline though, but I didn’t mind that too much.

Overall it was a fun, short Christmas book.

Lost and Found // Book Review

 

About the Book:

Trudy Yoder shares a passion for birding with Micah Weaver--and she has an even greater passion for Micah. Their friendship is finally turning romantic when Micah abruptly grows cold. Worse still, he wants to leave Stoney Ridge.

Micah Weaver thought he was over Trudy's older sister. A year and a half ago, Shelley had broken his heart when she ran away from Stoney Ridge to pursue a singing career in Nashville. Then, out of the blue, she's started to leave distressing phone messages for him.

When the bishop asks for volunteers to scout out a possible church relocation in Tennessee, Micah is the first to raise his hand. Despite scant details, he's confident he can find Shelley. After all, his reputation as a field guide is based on finding birds that don't want to be found.

What Micah doesn't know is that what you're looking for isn't always what you find.

My Review:

Lost and Found by Suzanne Woods Fisher is considered a standalone but it is set in the little town where most, if not all, of her Amish books are set. Because of that there are lots of mentions of characters from other books. I felt that this particular book went along well with A Season on the Wind.

I liked Trudy, she was a good character. Micah wasn’t my most favorite though, but I did like him better towards the end.

It was nice seeing some other characters that I was familiar with from Suzanne Woods Fisher’s other books.

**Thank you to Revell for the book in exchange for my honest review

He Should Have Told the Bees // Book Review

 

About the Book:

Beekeeper Beckett Walsh is living her dream, working alongside her father in their apiary, until his untimely death sends her world into a tailspin. She suddenly finds she must deal with a new part owner of the family business--one who is looking to sell the property. Beck cannot fathom why her father would put her into the position to lose everything they built together.

When Callie Peterson is named in the trust of a man she's never heard of, she's not sure what to do. Her fledgling business has just taken wing and her mother has reentered her life asking for help getting into rehab for her lifelong substance abuse issues, making Callie's financial situation rather . . . precarious. She's sure she has no right to someone else's farm, but the money from the sale could solve her problems and give her the stability she's always craved.

As these two women navigate their present conundrum, they will discover a complex and entangled past full of secrets--and the potential for a brighter future for both of them.

My Review:

He Should Have Told the Bees was the first book I read by Amanda Cox. I had a hard time getting into the story. At about the halfway mark I started enjoying the story more. 

I was curious how things would play out. Seeing the characters development was nice too. 

Overall it was okay, but definitely not a favorite.

**Thank you Revell for the book in exchange for my honest review 

Letters From My Sister // Book Review

 About the Book:

At the turn of the twentieth century, sisters Emmy and Callie Bullock are living a privileged life as the only daughters of a wealthy Alabama cotton farmer when their well-ordered household gets turned upside down by the arrival of Lily McGee. Arrestingly beautiful, Lily quickly--and innocently--draws the wrong kind of attention. Meanwhile, Callie meets a man who offers her the freedom to abandon social constraints and discover her truest self.

After Lily has a baby, Callie witnesses something she was never meant to see--or did she? Her memory is a haze, just an image in her mind of Emmy standing on a darkened riverbank and cradling Lily's missing baby girl. Only when the sisters are separated does the truth slowly come to light through their letters--including a revelation that will shape the rest of Callie's life.

Bestselling author Valerie Fraser Luesse weaves a complex and suspenseful tale dripping with intrigue, romance, and Southern charm.

My Review:

Letters From My Sister sounded interesting so I was curious to read it. I am glad that I did. It was definitely different but pretty good. I never really knew where the story was going to go next. Towards the end of the book certain things happened that made me super curious to see how everything would turn out. 

This was my first book that I read by Valerie Fraser Luesse.

**Thank you Revell for the book in exchange for my honest review 

 

The All American // Book Review

 

About the Book:

It is 1952, and nearly all the girls 16-year-old Bertha Harding knows dream of getting married, keeping house, and raising children in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. Bertha dreams of baseball. She reads every story in the sports section, she plays ball with the neighborhood boys--she even writes letters to the pitcher for the Workington Sweet Peas, part of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

When Bertha's father is accused of being part of the Communist Party by the House Un-American Activities Committee, life comes crashing down on them. Disgraced and shunned, the Hardings move to a small town to start over where the only one who knows them is shy Uncle Matthew. But dreams are hard to kill, and when Bertha gets a chance to try out for the Workington Sweet Peas, she packs her bags for an adventure she'll never forget.

My Review: 

The All American by Susie Finkbeiner was a pretty good book. It was better than I expected. I always enjoy books about families. This story follows two sisters, Bertha, age 16, and Flossie, age 11. 

I enjoyed reading about each sister. Flossie was quite the character and you never knew what she was going to say or do next. Bertha’s love for baseball was fun too.

I enjoyed this book, but the ending was definitely sad then bittersweet. 

This was my first book by this author. 

**Thank you Revell for the book in exchange for my honest review 

In the Shadow of the River // Book Review

 

About the Book:

If all the world's a stage, Jacci will play her part.

She only hopes her story does not turn out to be a tragedy.

In 1881, Jacci Reed is only five years old when a man attempts to kidnap her from the steamboat her mother, Irena, works on. Badly wounded during the confrontation, Irena takes Jacci aboard the Kingston Floating Palace, a showboat tied up beside them. There, Jacci's actor grandfather tends to her mother and Jacci gets a first taste of the life she will come to lead.

Fifteen years later, Jacci is an actress aboard the Kingston Floating Palace, and largely contented with her adopted family of actors, singers, and dancers. Especially Gabe, who has always supported her, and the gruff grandfather she has come to know and love. Jacci's mother has been gone for years, but the memory of the altercation that ultimately took her life--and the cryptic things Jacci has overheard about her past--is always there, lurking in the back of her mind.

When someone on the showboat tries to kill Jacci, it's clear her questions demand answers. But secrets have a way of staying in the shadows, and the answers she craves will not come easily. Gabe only hopes they come in time for him and Jacci to have a future together.

My Review:

In the Shadows of the River was my first book by Ann H. Gabhart and it was a hit for me! I honestly wasn’t sure if I’d like it but I’m so glad I gave it a try. 

The first 100 pages are set when the main character Jacci is five years old and sets up the backstory. After the 100 page mark the story jumps ahead 15 years. It was actually a nice transition and I really enjoyed having that more in-depth backstory.

I enjoyed the characters quite a bit. Also, the cover is so pretty!

I’ll definitely be checking out some of this authors other books.

**Thank you Revell for the book in exchange for my honest review 

Counter Attack // Book Review

 

About the Book: 

No sooner has Alexis Stone been sworn in as the interim sheriff for Russell County, Tennessee, when a serial killer dubbed the Queen's Gambit Killer strikes again--this time in her hometown. Pearl Springs is just supposed to be a temporary stop along the way to Alex's real dream: becoming the first female police chief of Chattanooga. But the killer's calling card--a white pawn and a note with a chess move printed on it--cannot be ignored.

Pearl Springs chief of police Nathan Landry can't believe that his high school sweetheart Alexis (he refuses to call her Alex) is back in town, and he can't help wanting to protect the woman he never stopped loving. But as the danger mounts and the killer closes in, can Nathan come through on the promises he makes to himself to bring a killer to justice before it's too late.

My Review:

Counter Attack was the first book I read by Patricia Bradley.

It started off very fast paced which I was excited about but then I felt like it plateaued. I wasn’t a huge fan of it doing that since I was hoping for fast paced and exciting the whole way through. It definitely had its exciting parts throughout but I didn’t find it as great as I had hoped.

I most likely will give book 2 a try when it comes out though.

**Thank you Revell for the book in exchange for my honest review 

The Swindler's Daughter // Book Review

 

About the Book:

A surprise inheritance. A cache of family secrets. A choice that will change her life forever.

Lillian Doyle has lived her entire high-society life with her widowed mother, believing her father died long ago. But when news arrives that her estranged father only recently passed away--in jail--Lillian is startled to find that the man has left a business and all of his possessions to her, making her a rather unusual heiress.

When she goes to take possession of her father's house in a backwoods Georgia town, the dilapidated structure is already occupied by another woman who claims it was promised to her son, Jonah. In her attempts to untangle the mess, Lillian will discover not only a family she never knew she had but a family business that is more than meets the eye--and has put a target on her back.

To discover the truth and take hold of the independence she's always dreamed of, she'll have to make friends with adversaries and strangers--especially Jonah, the dusty and unrefined cowboy who has secret aspirations of his own.

My Review:

The Swindler’s Daughter was pretty good. It took me a while to get into the story, but once I did, I started enjoying it. 

It was interesting to read about them remolding a house to turn it into a business. I love the idea of a bakery/bookstore! It was also fun to see the mystery aspect unfold.

I enjoyed Lillian as a character as well as Jonah and his mother and sisters. 

This was my first book by Stephenia H. McGee and I’ll probably give more of her books a try in the future!

**Thank you Revell for the book in exchange for my honest review 

After the Shadows // Book Review

 About the Book:

Emily Leland sheds no tears when her abusive husband is killed in a bar fight, but what awaits her back home in Sweetwater Crossing is far from the welcome and comfort she expected. First she discovers her father has died under mysterious circumstances. Then the house where the new schoolteacher and his son are supposed to board burns, leaving them homeless. When Emily proposes turning the family home into a boardinghouse, her sister is so incensed that she leaves town.

Alone and broke, her family name sullied by controversy, Emily is determined to solve the mystery of her father's death--and to aid Craig Ferguson, despite her fears of men. The widowed schoolmaster proves to be a devoted father, an innovative teacher, and an unexpected ally. Together they must work to unmask a killer and escape the shadows of their own pasts in order to forge a brighter future.

Bestselling author Amanda Cabot transports you to 1880s Texas Hill Country for a brand-new series that will have you flipping pages to solve the mystery and get to the happily-ever-after you long for.

My Review:

I had no idea what to expect going into this book but I enjoyed it.

After the Shadows does deal with death, grief, and mentions of suicide. The book starts off with Emily’s father being found and his death being deemed a suicide although Emily doesn’t believe that that is possible and thinks it was murder. So there is that heavier tone to the story, but a bit of a mystery aspect too. Even with the heavier tone it still has enjoyable and hopeful moments for sure. I thought both Emily and Craig were good main characters. I really enjoyed how they both cared about the girl Beulah, even when most people didn’t. 

This was my first book by Amanda Cabot. I would like to read the rest of the Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing series as they come out and read some of her other books as well. 

**Thank you Revell for the book in exchange for my honest review 

The Sound of Light // Book Review

 

About the Book:

When the Germans march into Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt exchanges his nobility for anonymity, assuming a new identity so he can secretly row messages for the Danish Resistance across the waters to Sweden.

American physicist Dr. Else Jensen refuses to leave Copenhagen and abandon her research--her life's dream. While printing resistance newspapers, she hears stories of the movement's legendary Havmand--the merman--and wonders if the mysterious and silent shipyard worker living in the same boardinghouse has something to hide.

When the Occupation cracks down on the Danes, these two passionate people will discover if there is more power in speech . . . or in silence. Bestselling author of more than a dozen WWII novels, Sarah Sundin offers pens another story of ordinary people responding to extraordinary circumstances with faith, fortitude, and hope for a brighter future.

My Review:

The Sound of Light was another good World War II book by Sarah Sundin. 

It did take me a little bit to get into the story but after a while things started making more sense and I was following along better, though at times I found it hard to stay engaged. 

There were some mentions of torture towards the end that made me not enjoy it as much as I had been up until that point. 

At the end we did get to briefly see some of the characters from Sarah Sundin’s last two books, so that was fun!

**Thank you Revell for the book in exchange for my honest review 

Cold Light of Day // Book Review

 

About the Book:

Police Chief Autumn Long is fighting to keep her job in the quiet Alaska town of Shadow Gap when an unexpected string of criminal activity leaves her with a wounded officer, unexplained murders, and even an attack on her own father. Despite her mistrust of outsiders, she turns to Grier Brenner, a newcomer who seems to have the skills and training Autumn needs to face this threat to her community.

Grier is in Alaska for the same reason so many others are--to disappear--when Chief Long enlists his help. He emerges from the shadows and proves his mettle, but his presence in her life could be a deadly trap for them both. If his secret is exposed, all will be lost. And he's not sure even Autumn could save him.

As the stakes rise and the dangers increase, Autumn and Grier must rely on each other to extinguish the deadly threats.

My Review:

Unfortunately Cold Light of Day was a miss for me. I thought the book sounded good and the setting of Alaska was great, but this one just wasn’t for me. 

I had a hard time staying engaged in the story even though it’s a suspense book. 

So while I definitely think some people would enjoy this book, it just wasn’t for me. 

This was my first book by Elizabeth Goddard but I will probably still give some of her other books a try. 

**Thank you Revell for the book in exchange for my honest review