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 

The Lost Melody // Book Review

 

About the Book:

When concert pianist Vivienne Mourdant's father dies, he leaves to her the care of an adult ward she knew nothing about. The woman is supposedly a patient at Hurstwell Asylum. The woman's portrait is shockingly familiar to Vivienne, so when the asylum claims she was never a patient there, Vivienne is compelled to discover what happened to the figure she remembers from childhood dreams.

The longer she lingers in the deep shadows and forgotten towers at Hurstwell, the fuzzier the line between sanity and madness becomes. She hears music no one else does, receives strange missives with rose petals between the pages, and untangles far more than is safe for her to know. But can she uncover the truth about the mysterious woman she seeks? And is there anyone at Hurstwell she can trust with her suspicions?

My Review:

The Lost Melody. I’m not really sure what I thought of this book. 

It wasn’t my favorite book by Joanna Davidson Politano but I still did enjoy certain aspects. Like all of this authors books, it kept me guessing and trying to figure out how everything would come together. 

It definitely had more of a heavier tone to the story. Like I said, I enjoyed parts but it definitely isn’t a favorite. 

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