Wednesday, January 27, 2016

My Review - The Peacock Throne


3.5 out of 5
THE PEACOCK THRONE had its ebbs and flows. A fascinating story, but at times, it had a tendency to drag.
Lydia Garrett and Lord Anthony Danbury are an unlikely pair. She works at a coffee house, he is an aristocrat. But they do have one thing in common. To catch a murderer. Lydia’s guardian and Lord Danbury’s father have both been murdered, and it would seem their deaths are somehow linked. Lydia finds the link between the two men in a diary, and Lord Danbury learns that Lydia’s guardian had been on the same ship as his father. They both learn of an amazing tale regarding the spiriting away of something called The Peacock Throne.
Now, Lydia, Lord Danbury, and Marcus Harting—a government official that thinks Danbury isn’t as innocent as he would like everyone to believe—set out to find not only the murderer, but the throne that was hidden years ago. Unfortunately, they are not the only ones seeking the throne. The French are quick on their heels to find the location of the throne and take it for themselves. Lydia, Danbury, and Harting embark on an amazing adventure that takes them over the high seas, through tribe inhabited jungles, and to foreign lands. There hope is to draw out the murderer before he can capture the throne or cause any more bloodshed.
I enjoyed THE PEACOCK THRONE with its twist and turns, but the pacing of the book was a bit slow for my liking. The main characters were well fleshed out, and the secondary characters added to the depth of the story. Lydia is strong-willed, but still every bit a woman. The attraction that both Lord Danbury and Marcus Harting begin to feel towards Lydia makes for an intriguing triangle. But knowing two of the three are deceiving the other will keep the reader interested in not only the outcome of the throne but who will win Lydia’s heart. The last third of the book moves at a quicker pace, but the middle was a bit slow. Still, it was an adventurous read.
Book provided for review purposes.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

My Review - Thin Ice


5 out of 5 stars
THIN ICE is only one in a long list of novels that continues to showcase Irene Hannon as a premiere writer in the Christian Romance-Suspense genre.
After the devastating loss of her parents in an auto accident, and her sister in a house fire, Christy Reed is beginning to get her legs back under her. As a world class figure skater in her teens, Christy knew what was needed to push through adversity, pain, and loss. But as an adult, losing her family meant far more than losing a career. Her only support system now that her family was gone was her faith. Little did Christy know that her faith was going to be put to the test.
When Christy receives an envelope in her sister’s handwriting, two months after her sister’s death, she’s shocked. Even more so when the letter inside claims her sister is still alive. Even though she’s warned not to involve the police, Christy feels she has no choice. She calls the FBI and is soon explaining to Special Agent Lance MacGregor about the letter and her hope that her sister is still alive. Lance convinces her she’s in good hands with the FBI and that he’s going to do everything in his power to get to the bottom of what appears to be the kidnapping of her sister. And, with every assurance he gives her, Christy becomes more attached to the special agent that seems to care far beyond what protocol allows.
Agent MacGregor, upon the arrival of a second letter, is convinced there is something more to Christy’s letters than an ill-conceived hoax. But finding out who wants to see Christy suffer is harder than expected. Christy has no enemies to speak of, and even when she was in the competing world of figure skating, she’d been liked by everybody. When another letter arrives, more ominous than the others, Lance is convinced this isn’t just a cruel game, but that Christy’s life is in danger. And now that he’s allowed himself to get emotionally involved with Christy, he’s terrified he’s not going to be able to piece together this macabre game before it’s too late.
THIN ICE was a page-turning, suspense-filled novel that I didn’t want to put down. I immediately became attached to the characters. Christy was the quintessential heroine, liked by all, and Lance was the charismatic hero with a take charge attitude, but soft around the edges. Of course how could he be anything but captivating? He was from MacGregor stock that we were first introduced to in BURIED SECRETS. One of three brothers—all Special Forces soldiers—Lance easily carried the mantel of enigmatic hero. The suspense side of the book was done exceptionally well. Though we knew who Christy’s stalker was, we really didn’t. Ms. Hannon allowed us to know the culprit from a distance, but didn’t giveaway his true identity or why it is he wanted to inflict such pain on Christy until closer to the end of the book. Great reading all the way around. The only negative . . . I have to wait until Fall for the next installment.
Book provided for review purposes.
Available January 2016 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

 

Saturday, January 23, 2016

My Review - Where She Belongs


4 out of 5 stars
WHERE SHE BELONGS is a heart-warming story about love, loss, family ties, and a tragedy that transcends generations.
After the death of her husband, Shelby Kincaid longs to give her girls what she had as a child. So, she goes about buying back her family homestead, Misty Willow. The house is in disrepair but her plans are not detoured. Shelby sets out to rebuild the home while making life-long memories with her girls. Her only obstacle is A.J. Sullivan, the current owner of Misty Willow. The Sullivan’s have been at war with Shelby’s family for decades. Though Shelby doesn’t understand much about the family feud, she does understand A.J. is a Sullivan, so she plans to keep her distance. But that becomes more difficult when their paths continue to cross.
A.J. Sullivan never wanted to own Misty Willow. It was willed to him by his rancorous grandfather as a source of punishment. So, when Shelby Kincaid approaches him about Misty Willow, he finds a loophole in his grandfather’s will and allows Shelby to lease the property. A.J.’s very aware of the bad blood between their families, but in his heart, A.J. feels a connection with Shelby that he wants to explore.
WHERE SHE BELONGS had many layers to the story. Shelby trying to give her daughters stability after the loss of their father, Shelby immersing herself in her childhood memories, A.J. battling his cousins regarding the rights to Misty Willow, and flashbacks to A.J.’s and Shelby’s grandparents where we learn how the feud between the families began. There is more to the story than meets the eye, which I really enjoyed. The unknown definitely kept me interested through a few areas where the pacing was slow. There were a lot of characters to keep straight, especially since the story dealt with both the past and the present, but overall, I really enjoyed WHERE SHE BELONGS.
Book provided for review purposes.
Available December 2015 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Monday, January 18, 2016

Charity's Cross by MaryLu Tyndall


5 out of 5 stars
Another high seas adventure you won’t want to miss from award-winning author MaryLu Tyndall.
Charity Westcott’s only desire is to be free. After suffering years at the hand of an abusive, controlling husband, she finds herself running for her life. Accused of murdering her husband, and with her brother-in-law bent on seeing her put to death for his murder, she flees England, hoping to be reunited with her family in Charles Towne. But, when her brother-in-law is waiting for her at the next port, she persuades Elais Dutton to pose as her husband so she can make passage on a ship leaving for Barbados. Not trusting Elais in the least—or any man for that matter—Charity tolerates the man’s questions and counsel only because she needs his help.
Elias Dutton is an enigma. He claims he is a preacher but also proves his skills as a ship’s captain, and admits to being the son of a pirate. He desperately needs to make his way to Barbados in order to insure the safety of his sister. When he sees a woman fall overboard he rescues her and then somehow finds himself posing as her husband. He doesn’t know what to make of Charity Westcott, but is sure there is much she is keeping from him. When he finds himself rescuing Charity once again from the clutches of a notorious pirate, he must kidnap her just to insure her safety. And that isn’t the last time that Elias must come to her aid.
Charity doesn’t want to like, let alone trust Elias Dutton. He is a man, and even if he proclaims to being a preacher, Charity knows firsthand that men of the cloth are no better than the vile men Elias has rescued her from. But, when Elias continues to put her safety above his own she can’t help but feel he is somehow different from any man she has ever known. But knowing Elias to be a man of such honor only solidifies in her heart that he could never accept a woman such as herself. She has lied to him from the start. Lies that are most definitely too monumental for him to forgive.
I loved the characters in CHARITY’S CROSS. Charity has a penchant for trouble, but Elias has a way of always smoothing out her predicaments. Charity has more than just physical scars, but Elias knows the peace she is searching for is within her grasp if she will only trust him and God. Charity is a spitfire that you sometimes want to rattle to her senses, and Elias makes for a great hero—genuine yet not perfect. The secondary characters add to the life of the story, and I enjoyed the way Ms. Tyndall wove characters in from not only the Charles Towne Belles series, but her Redemption series as well. I have been a fan for years and I have yet to be disappointed by any of MaryLu’s books. A must read for those who like romance bookended with adventure and suspense.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.