Shadow of the Storm - Connilyn Cossette

  Shadow of the Storm is the second book in Out of Egypt series.  You must read the first book, Counted with the Stars, in order to understand this story.

Cossette is bringing to life what life might have been like for those refugees at the foot of Mount Sinai.  Shira was a part of the Exodus.  Her family trade is weaving beautiful cloth.  Shira's compassion for people leads her to train as a midwife.  She has a natural talent for this position, and it brings a fight for power with another apprentice.  During a delivery, things go awry.  The mother dies, but the baby girl lives.  The mother's dying request is that Shira makes sure that this baby girl lives.  It seems to be a strange request to Shira, but she makes the promise to care for this new little one.  She soon discovers that this girl is a part of a dreaded Levite family.  When she meets the father, there is another shock as he is someone who is familiar to her.

Cossette brings a part of history that has no details other than, they lived at the foot of Mount Sinai.  Her thoughts and characterization is beautifully written.  While I enjoyed this book, I wish there would have been a little more detail that brought out the first story.  It had been so long since I read the first book, that I had forgotten details of the previous book.  So I felt a bit lost in the story.

My thanks go to Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley for the e-copy of this book in exchange for this review.

Wild Montana Skies by Susan May Warren

SAR Rescue second generation.  I was so excited to read about characters that felt like they have been sitting in my mind since the Team Hope Series.  It felt like coming home.  I loved the action of the rescue team, and the family feel of this team that reminded me of the Christiansen family.  All set in the beauty of the Montana mountains, which of course leads to the need for a rescue team.

Ben King is a country music star, who left his heart back home in Montana with his high school sweetheart.  Kacey Fairing is an American hero, who put her life back together after becoming a teenage mom.  This love story draws you in as you read how these two get a second chance at love and finally becoming a family with their beautifully talented daughter.

Warren draws you in to her characters who are flawed and trying to do the best they can with life.  We see how God extends His grace to each of us through our mistakes, and yet can bring healing if we will let Him.  I love the foreshadowing Warren brings, so that the future books about minor characters leave you wanting more.  I can't wait for the rest of the series to find out about each character and learn from them.

My thanks to Netgalley for the complimentary ebook in exchange for my review.

Delilah by Angela Hunt

  Delilah was an interesting read.  Hunt has done her research, and brought out some interesting possibilities as to her back story.  While the story was well written and held my attention, I wonder if this is really her back story.  This is Hunt's third book in the Treacherous Beauty series.

We all know the story of Samson and Delilah.  Hunt writes this as a first person tale from both Samson and Delilah's viewpoints.  This was interesting, but at the start of each chapter, my brain had to shift thinking about the story line and whose voice I was hearing.

The story starts with:  "No woman sets out to be wicked."  So what makes a woman wicked and what are her circumstances that lead to wickedness?  Hunt takes us on the adventure to find out.  We learn about Delilah's family life, and how family can set our course of life.  Hurts and fear set Delilah on a quest to hide away from life.  Delilah finds a quiet life in the desert and learns a trade.  Later when fear comes roaring back into her life, we pick up the familiar Biblical story line to the conclusion of the book.

Samson's first line:  "You think she lives here?"  Introduces us to Samson's greatest weakness... beautiful women.  We are introduced to this Nazarite  judge, who does things in his own way.  I like the way Hunt presents Samson's selfish, spoiled ways. She also brings out the loving father as Samson befriends and teaches Delilah's son the ways to be a man.

While the characters are strong, and writing well researched, I found that my heart wanted a more traditional view of Delilah's backstory.  My thanks to Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book for my review.

Sins of the Past Novella

  This novella jumps out at me because of one of my favorite authors.

Missing by Dee Henderson pulls you into the the suspense from the first page.  I feel like I am picking up the phone and finding a close friend on the other end of the line.  You slip into the story and get acquainted with new and old friends instantly.

John's mother has disappeared.  So John returns to Chicago to find her.  Being a former gang detective and current Chief of Police in Wyoming only muddies the waters of who has taken his mother and why would they do it.

Sharon is the lead investigator for this case.  She immediately impresses John with her professionalism and the team she puts together to work this problem.  John and Sharon work to figure out where his mother is, and why was she taken.  The story takes some unexpected twists, but that is what makes it suspenseful.

Shadowed by Dani Petry
A competitive long distance swimmer, swimming in the freezing waters of Alaska.  Petry takes you back in time to the Cold War era with a timeless story.  Libby is the swimmer, and Ben is the Alaskan fisherman, turned tour guide, turned defender.  A dead body in the water opens up a world of intrigue for Libby and Ben.  They are sucked into a world that turns crazy at every turn.  They find their center in God and each other.

I was totally taken in by this story.  I forgot that it was written in the past until Petry would bring out gentle reminders of a time gone by.  Petry does a masterful job writing about the cold war era.  Yet the relationships and problems are timeless.  You end up caring for the characters and learn a little more about the Alaskan frontier.

Blackout by Lynette Eason
Macey Adams can't remember things and someone is trying to kill her.  Her neighbor, Chad, is a homocide detective that is protective of this good looking woman.

The action starts form the first scream and doesn't let up until the last shot is fired.  Eason takes you on a mysterious, action-filled thriller.  Her use of flashbacks is masterful.  I finished the story wanting more.

This is a great introduction into the world of romantic suspense by these three authors.  I look forward to reading more from each of them.

My thanks to Netgalley and Bethany House Publishers for the complimentary e-book to read and review.

Henderson at her best!

  Traces of Guilt by Dee Henderson

Explosive for Henderson fans.  First time readers will be pulled into the story very quickly, but the impact won't be the same.  Henderson continues Ann and Paul Falcon's story as they take up the role of secondary characters in Traces of Guilt. The main characters are Evie Blackwell and the Thane family.

Evie Blackwell arrives in the small town of Carin, Illinois, thinking that she will solve 2 cold cases.  Instead she has an unfortunate accident with a buck, that scrambles her plans and her brain.  Gabriel Thane is the sheriff of Carin county, and heads out to take care of the deer accident.  He meets up with Evie Blackwell, and learns about her mission to solve a couple of cold cases.  Gabe gives his full cooperation and even suggests a better place to work than the house Evie rented for 2 weeks.

Evie works hard at her job, and the Thane family quickly surrounds her with love and support.  As the story unfolds, we see the family step up to help, love, and do whatever they can for Evie as the investigations get into the messy parts of life. I love the way that this family sticks just like the O'Malley family sticks through the good and bad parts of life.

I loved getting to know Evie and the Thane brothers.  Each of them have interesting stories to tell, along with potential future story lines to be told.  I love that Henderson simply hints at a romance between Evie and Gabe.  There are romantic hints for Gabe's two brothers as well.  Henderson leaves a breadcrumb trail of future cold cases for Evie to solve, as she will take over a new task force for the state solving cold cases.

Once again, Henderson has left me wanting more.  I love that I get to be reacquainted with the Falcons, while getting to know the Thanes.  New readers will want to be sure and read Full Disclosure to get to know Paul and Ann's story. I want to go back and re-read this story to see what new things I pick up on that make this newest installment from Henderson more colorful and interesting.

My thanks to Netgalley and Bethany House Publishers for the free e-copy of the book to read and review.

Tangled Lies by Connie Mann

  Tangled Lies is full of action, suspense, and heartbreak.

Sasha returns home for her mother's birthday and gets tangled in the mystery of what happened to her brother so many years ago.  Sasha feels like she lets the family down in so many ways, so when her mama asks her to check into her brother's disappearance to find the answers she can't say no.  Sasha is caught in the middle because her father doesn't want her checking things out.  The only person will to help her is Jesse, her high school sweetheart, and now a convicted felon.  At least that is what his record says, and the town believes.

Jesse has returned to Safe Harbor to restore a boat, and enter it in a race to win the prize money.  First he has to get the boat running, and he is encountering resistance from some people in town.

Jesse and Sasha renew their friendship and romance.  They each have their own issues with the people of Safe Harbor, and those issues end up pulling them together to find answers to their problems.

I loved the action in this story, and trying to figure out what really happened to Tony. My heart would break for Sasha as she struggled to do what was right for her family. Can Sasha fulfill a wish for her mom without alienating her father and the rest of the town.  Can Jesse repair a boat and win the race all while trying to capture Sasha's heart?  Read Tangled Lies to find out.

My thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a free e-copy to enjoy for my review of the book.

Counted with the Stars by Connilyn Cossette

Egypt has always held a certain fascination for me, so reading about the Exodus from an Egyptian's point of view captured my attention.  This story opened my eyes to the plagues in a new and real way.  The stories of the plagues became real, as I started to scratch myself feeling as if the lice were crawling all over me.  I had never thought about the misery that all the people experienced.  The Biblical account will never be read the same way again.

Kiya starts out as one of the masters of Egypt, but things quickly turn on their head when her father signs her over to a life of servitude due to debts. Kiya has to learn to be the one ordered around, and dress a lady.  Her mistress hates her, and she can't seem to do things right.  Fortunately for Kiya the master of the house looks out for her.  She also learns from another servant, Shira.  Shira is a Hebrew slave.  The friendship of these girls shapes their lives in so many ways.

Cossette has researched her history, as well as knowing her Bible.  She is skilled at weaving together a story about a famous Bible story in a way that opens your eyes to things you simply gloss over in reading your Bible.  I know that I read that some Egyptians escaped with the Hebrew slaves.  I never thought about why they would choose to leave their homeland.  Now I see just how devastated this country was after the 10 plagues.  It makes more sense why people left with Moses and his people.

This story is eye opening.  While you think you know the story of the Exodus, you will find just how much you don't know about it.  The complex characters draw you into the story and you enjoy learning about them.  The complexity of Egyptians and Hebrews being friends and falling in love are told in a refreshing way.

I enjoyed this book and look forward to her next book in this series.  This is a fresh look at a well told story.

My thanks to Bethany House publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-book to review.

Playing the Part by Jen Turano

Playing the Part is the third book in the Class of their own series.  This was the first book that I read in the series,  I didn't feel lost in reading this book.  This book can stand on its own.  Lucetta's story is being told here, and while her friends make appearances in this story, you do not need to have read about them to understand the friendship.

Lucetta Plum is an actress on the New York stage.  She has lots of fans, and one threatens her life.  Lucetta's friend graciously offers her single grandson's estate as a hideout.

Bram Haverstein is handsome and rich.  This makes him appealing to people, until they realize he has some eccentric tendencies. He remains mysterious about his career, and his fascination with Lucetta could prove to be a problem as well.

The mystery of the castle and hilarious antics of the characters draw you in to this story very quickly.  A goat that hates skirts is just one of the scenes that makes you laugh out loud.  Being greeted by a cannon being fired over your head, and diving into the moat for cover is another comedic scene.

While I enjoyed the book, I wouldn't put it in my absolute favorites.  This book was too lighthearted for my taste.   The story line is straightforward and uncomplicated.  I wanted the mystery to be developed more throughout the story.  Instead it remains in the background, while the humor takes the starring role.

My thanks to Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley for the free ebook copy in exchange for my review.

Land of Silence by Tessa Afshar

 In the usual Tessa Afshar fashion, we meet yet another woman from the Bible that is destined to be your friend.  Land of Silence is due out in May of 2016.  I received a complimentary preview e-copy to read and review from Tyndale House Publishers and Netgalley.com.

This is the story of Elianna, who is better known as the woman who simply touched Jesus garment and was healed of a 12 year issue of blood.  I have always wrestled with this short passage, thinking this woman was so shy.  Afshar shows just how strong this woman really was, and what courage and faith she really had.  Afshar fleshes out an entire life to the point you feel you have been a part of this woman's life.  I can't wait to get to Heaven and sit down for coffee and chat to hear her real story.  For now, I thank Ms. Afshar and God that I have this story to fill my imagination and bring life to another part of the Bible.

In true Afshar fashion, she pays attention to historical detail, as well as shining a light on Biblical truths.  I had never connected the two twelves in the story of this woman, and the little girl that Jesus was on his way to heal.  I thought that was brilliant.

We witness the story of Elianna's life starting at a young age.  While she has hopes and dreams, we go through her life seeing how circumstances and choices can reshape dreams.  Some dreams do work out to become a reality, while other dreams are put on hold for what seems a lifetime.  The lessons we can learn from Elianna are "Never giving up hope".  Afshar uses the Biblical account of this woman's life as the climax of the story.  Through this we see how much God loves each one of us.  Life will throw us curve balls, and we have the choice to continue to trust that God knows what He is doing with our lives, or strike out on our own and grow bitter.  Read about Elianna and her amazing faith that helped her to believe that she could be healed by simply touching Jesus garment.  You will find that by reading this book, you have reached out to touch Jesus and he will heal your broken parts too.

Again my thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for the advanced e-copy to read and review.

Undaunted Hope by Jody Hedlund

This is book 3 of the Beacons of Hope series.

I wasn't sure how I would like this book as I haven't read the previous two books, but I never felt confused in reading this book.  I could tell that the previous books might flesh out a few of the characters in a deeper way, but I was so pleased that I didn't feel I needed to read the other books to enjoy this to its fullest.  This is due to the excellent writing by Jody Hedlund.

Undaunted Hope is about Tessa Taylor was hired to teach school in Eagle Harbor,  Michigan.  That is until she arrives at the town and they find out T. Taylor is actually female!  Eagle Harbor has never had a female teacher most teachers were male in the 1870s.  It is too late in the year to send for a replacement.  A single woman can not live by herself and maintain the school, so different housing has to be figured out. Alex Bjorklund refuses to let Tessa move in with Percival Updegraff. While Percival may be the superintendent of schools and the chief mine clerk, he is still single.  Two single people living together is not acceptable.   Alex knows of a mining family that could use the extra income of having someone room with them.  Tessa agrees to living with the family, and quickly gets down to teaching.  Alex and Tessa continue to run into each other as he drops his niece and nephew off at school each morning.  These children quickly endear themselves to Tessa as they are needing a woman's love and affection.  Tessa willing gives them the extra love they are looking for but doesn't realize that the kids are hoping their father falls for Tessa.  Tessa focuses on bettering the community she is working in.  She sees the need for teaching the children and adults to read.  She starts a class for the miners to come to the school in the evenings after a long shift in the mine to learn to read.  While Tessa wants to help out the community, her desires may backfire once Percival finds out what she is up to.  Alex and Tessa become good friends, but will Alex's illiteracy prove to be a roadblock in their friendship or will it be Tessa's hatred for lighthouses that will doom their friendship.

I enjoyed this historical tale of love, self sacrifice, and adventure.  As I stated earlier, I had not read the other books in the series.  So all of these characters were new to me.  Hedlund does a magnificent job of writing a story that can be read as a stand alone book, yet is part of a series that would only flesh out the characters backgrounds in deeper ways had I read the other books.  Hedlund takes an honest look at the life of miners in the 1800s.  She doesn't shy away from the brutal realities of deaths that were suffered due to horrible working conditions.  She adds these dark colors to her writing which only bring out the hope that an education brought to these people to find a better way of life.  An excellent message of hope.  The importance of having an education is brought out as well.

My thanks to Bethany House Publishers as well as Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this ebook to read and review.