Vibrant details bring Corinth to life

  Afshar's careful attention to history, the Bible and details brings life to Corinth.  Ariadne is living with her father who is in debt, the only way for him to get out of this debt is to "Robin Hood" his way out of it.  Yet Galenos, is not as agile as he used to be, it is a good thing his daughter can be his stronger, life saving accomplice.

Ariadne's brother, Dionysus visits along with his friend, Paul of Tarsus.  Paul preaches about love.  Ariadne and Galenos now have a choice to make, do they follow Paul or continue to steal from people.

I love meeting people from the Bible.  Afshar has a way of introducing you to Bible characters that stick in your mind.  I always learn a lesson or two from her books.  This book has a new way to look at 1 Corinthians 13, which I loved. Afshar's study of history, makes me feel like I have been transported back to Corinth.  Afshar also weaves in Biblical truths in such a colorful way.  When I read the Biblical text, my mind is overtaken with word pictures from this story.  It opens up the Bible in a new and fresh way.

I look forward to reading more about these characters. I anticipate learning more about Ariadne's brother, Theo in a future book.

My thanks to Tyndale House Publishers and Netgalley for the ebook to read in exchange for this review.

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Rapid Fire Fiction at its finest

   Thirst of Steel is the final book in the Tox Files series.  It did not disappoint with the Rapid Fire action.  I felt like I had fast roped into the middle of a fire fight that did not let up until the final page of the book.  Kendig threw in a few flash bangs to rattle my brain throughout the story.  I loved it.  You do need to have read the other two books for the back story to have a complete understanding of this book.  Kendig gets better with every book.  It will be hard to say good bye to these characters.  Hopefully they will make an appearance in future books, so we know how they continue to live past these adventures.

Tzivia is on a mission to save her father, who was thought to be dead.  Ram and Tox are working to save Tzivia from herself and her mission to put together Goliath's sword.  The CIA and Mossad are trying to dismantle the AFO (Arrow and Flame Order).  This mission to defeat the AFO is complex, and gives the reader an action packed ride.  Tox's team is left to wonder where he is, when they are called to solve some mysterious killings happening inside the United States.  Wraith team soon learns that these killings are somehow linked to the AFO and Goliath's sword.  Will the sword be put together?  Will Tzivia save her father?  Will Tox return to the US and marry the love of his life, Haven?  Read Thirst of Steel to find out.

My thanks to Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley. com for the ARC in exchange for this review.

Keturah by Lisa Tawn Bergin

Keturah is the first book in the Sugar Baron's Daughters Series.  This series takes place in the West Indies in the 1720s.  Keturah and her two sisters receive the news that their father is dead, and they have two estates to run.  Keturah decides that they only way for them to survive is to head to the West Indies to make the Sugar Plantation a success.  Then they can sell the property and return to England without debt hanging over their heads.  Then her sisters will be free to marry whomever they choose.
Lady Keturah Banning Tomlison and her younger sisters set sail for the island of Nevis.  These three women work very hard to prove they do not need men to think for them, or to run a plantation.  Keturah takes charge, she hires a free black man as her overseer, and slaves are treated as co-workers instead of slaves.  At every turn, Keturah is faced with opposition.  Her old childhood friend is the only person supporting Keturah's decisions.  While it is nice to have some support, Keturah promised herself she would never be at the mercy of a man again in her life. So how will she find the balance of needing the support of a man, yet remain the woman in charge of a plantation?

This book was very interesting to me.  I loved the setting of the Caribbean, but found it hard to accept the reality of three young women setting off for the island of Nevis to run a plantation in 1772.  This didn't keep me from enjoying the story-line.  Keturah's battle with the dominance of men comes from a dark cause.  Yet the love of her sisters and a gentle caring man are enough to help pull her from the darkness.  The dark issue of slavery is treated with gentleness.  Bergin provides an historical look at what people thought was necessary in order to have a thriving plantation.  Yet through the eyes of these women, we find that the standard may not always have to be the norm. I appreciate the hope and dignity that Bergin provided through the sisters challenging the norms of the island.   This book is well written, and will leave you wanting to know more about their success in the world.

My thanks to Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a free e-copy to read for this review.

Bread of Angels by Tessa Afshar

  Bread of Angels melts in your mouth.  This is the fictional story about Lydia mentioned in Acts 16.  Once again Afshar's biblical knowledge breathes life into a person from the Bible.  I gobbled up the book and felt completely satisfied upon finishing the book.  If you love Biblical fiction with a touch of romance this book is a must read.

In a world dominated by men, Lydia learns the trade of  dying material to the precious purple that people demand.  She learns this craft from her father.  She is wise enough to keep the important secrets of the beautiful dye to herself.  This saves her when a betrayal makes it necessary for her to leave her home.   Lydia makes her way to Philippi, where she once again establishes herself as a preeminent dyer of purple.

Afshar always touches on some struggle in life that we all have.  This book deals with fear and how it can immobilize a person.  Lydia had many things to fear, and yet through her encounter with Paul she learns to bring her fears down to a manageable size.  These lessons that Lydia learns are things that I take with me and reflect on in my own life.  I love the little lessons that are woven throughout the book that resonate in my own life.  Thank you for the lesson of the tree and the legend of the patient stone.  They will stick with me for many years to come.

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

Thread of Suspicion by Dee Henderson

   This is the second Evie Blackwell story, and I was a bit disappointed.  This book didn't hold my attention as well as other books written by Henderson.  While I have read the previous book, I didn't feel as connected to the characters.

Evie Blackwell has been assigned to the Missing Persons Task Force.  She is partnered with David Marshall to solve two cold cases from the same county but are thought to be unrelated.  Evie's case is about a young college co-ed who turned up missing after a concert.  David's case is about a missing private detective.  Through many twists and turns of the plot, Evie and David find clues to link these cases together.

David and Evie work diligently to solve their mysteries.  After pulling on different strings, the right one is found that unravels the mystery.  There are things in both David and Evie's lives that need to be resolved, so you know there is at least one more book to be written.

While the characters are fully developed, the story didn't move fast enough for me.  I was able to put the book down and walk away from it.  Usually I can't put the book down, and I finish it over two days.  This book is about solving some mysteries, without the romance.  Yes there are couples in the book, but they are maintaining a relationship instead of building one from scratch.  I missed this.  Henderson still has her characters struggling with issues.  David's girlfriend isn't a believer, but we see her questioning if God is real at the very end of the story.  She hasn't made a decision yet, so that may come in the next installment.  Evie is close to accepting a proposal, but again it isn't for sure before the book comes to a close.  Hopefully the next book will bring about some of these resolutions.

While this book isn't going into one of my favorites, I look forward to the next installment to see if I like that book better than this one.

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

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.