224 pages Love Inspired Suspense publisher February 21,2023 publish date
About the Book
Sabotage in the mountains…
Can this K-9 sniff out the truth?
After surviving a sudden avalanche, mountain survival expert Jayla Hoyt and her search-and-rescue K-9 discover that it was no accident—someone deliberately triggered the mountain explosion. To uncover the culprit, she’ll have to partner with Alaska park ranger Bryson Clarke, a man she doesn’t trust. But when the investigators become targets, can they capture the criminal mastermind…before they’re buried alive?
From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.
K-9 Search and Rescue
Book 1: Desert Rescue by Lisa Phillips Book 2: Trailing a Killer by Carol J. Post Book 3: Mountain Survival by Christy Barritt Book 4: Search and Defend by Heather Woodhaven Book 5: Following the Trail by Lynette Eason Book 6: Dangerous Mountain Rescue by Christy Barritt Book 7: Wilderness Hunt by Lisa Phillips Book 8: Alaskan Mountain Search by Sarah Varland Book 9: Alaskan Avalanche Escape by Darlene L. Turner
Very well written action and adventure right from the start. The book caught my attention on the very first page. This has nonstop action the whole way through. I really enjoyed seeing the close and respectful relationship the trainer and her dog had. You could tell they would always be there for each other. I enjoyed the setting of the book mostly taking place in the snow. The descriptions of the avalanches and how they start is pretty neat. Very enjoyable inspirational suspense. There are many sabotages on the mountains, the team narrowly escapes. Who is doing it and why? I was pretty surprised to see who the master mind of the whole plan was. Exciting romantic inspirational fiction that will keep you on your toes.
Pub Date: 21 Feb 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About The Author
Darlene L. Turner is an award-winning author and lives with her husband, Jeff in Ontario, Canada. Her love of suspense began when she read her first Nancy Drew book. She’s turned that passion into her writing and believes readers will be captured by her plots, inspired by her strong characters, and moved by her inspirational message. You can connect with Darlene at http://www.darlenelturner.com where there’s suspense beyond borders.
Which books have you read by this author? Does this sound like a book you’d want to read?
Have a wonderful day. Thank you for stopping by today.
The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead.
This has been a busy time as far as birthday’s go. We had a daughter with a birthday January 31, a daughter with a birthday February 1, a son with a birthday, today February 5 and another son with a birthday February 19. In reading business I’ve squeezed a few books in and will list those.
381 pages Zondervan publisher February 7,2023 publish date
About The Book
During the most difficult season of her life, how could she know whether their meeting was a gift from God—or another temptation?
Maisy never expected that a Plain girl like her could have her heart stolen by an Englisch boy. But when her rumspringa ends and Maisy realizes she’s pregnant, the reality of their choices—and their differences—sets in.
Maisy knows she will never leave her faith to marry her baby’s father. But she also knows the road to acceptance as an unwed mother in an Amish community will be long and hard. To protect her family from the scandal, she goes to live with her cousin in Haven, Kansas, where she will have some solitude to figure out what kind of future she might have.
In Haven Maisy begins to find her way—thanks in no small part to Joshua Lapp, a Plain man who’s made it clear he isn’t bothered by her situation or ashamed to be seen with her, despite the bishop’s warnings. But Joshua has struggled with his faith ever since the death of his twin brother, leaving Maisy to wonder: How can two people who are so lost ever help each other discover Gott’s plans for their future?
I really have enjoyed every Kelly Irvin book I’ve read and this one has been no exception. The author has a way with words, penning such a realistic book. There are some very tough subjects dealt with here. It’s not a light easy read, it’s actually a rather emotional one.
A young plain woman, a young plain man and an Amish couple all have things they are dealing with, things that are not easy at all. Through God’s love, redemption, forgiveness and lots of talking it out they are able to get through.
Sometimes the way that is the best way is not the easiest way. This is a clean Amish romance and the third book in the Amish Blessings series but can be read as a stand-alone.
I found this to be an emotionally story written full of acceptance, hope, redemption, love, faith and finally accepting God’s forgiveness.
Pub Date: 07 Feb 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Series
God always had a plan. But how could falling in love with an Englischer be God’s plan for one young Amish woman?
Young Cassie Weaver only wants what is expected of an Amish woman: a good Amish husband and a large family. But she’s happy as Job and Dinah Keim’s housekeeper, helping Dinah, who is losing her sight due to diabetes. For two decades the Keims have prayed for the salvation of their two children who left the community in a cloud of shame and mystery.
Mason knew there was more to his mother’s past than she let on, but nothing could have prepared him for learning about his Amish roots upon his mother’s sudden death. Even more surprising, his mother named her Amish parents, Job and Dinah, as guardians to her five children. Now Mason has to trust that this couple, and their pretty housekeeper, can take care of his younger siblings, even when all he wants is to take care of them himself.
As the children adjust to this new lifestyle, Mason finds himself pulled back to the Keims’ home. Yes, he wants to see his siblings, but it’s the conversations with Cassie that keep him coming back for more. Is there more to this Amish faith and how does it play into his own past? Cassie guards against her growing feelings for Mason, because there can be no happy ending for a Plain girl in love with an Englisch man . . . right?
Bestselling and award-winning Amish romance novelist Kelly Irvin is back with a heartwarming tale of the power of love to heal all wounds.
The Author
Best-selling novelist Kelly Irvin’s latest Amish romance, The Warmth of Sunshine, debuted in July. The second novel in the Amish Blessings series takes place in Yoder and Haven, Kansas. The series takes a look at adoption in Amish communities. The first book, Love’s Dwelling, won second place in the Selah Awards contest in the long contemporary romance category. The series follows the Amish of Sky Country series, which featured Amish communities in Northwest Montana affected by wildfires that destroyed thousands of acres in the state in recent years. The first book, Mountains of Grace, debuted in August 2019, and delves into the impact on not only an Amish man and woman, but also a smoke jumper, a sheriff’s deputy, and a young English woman forced to confront her past because of the fires.
Kelly also writes romantic suspense novels. Her most recent forays into this genre include Trust Me, Her Every Move and Closer Than She Knows, all set in San Antonio and South Texas. Publishers Weekly says of Closer Than She Knows, “this brisk, smoothly written thriller from Irvin pits court reporter Teagan O’Rourke, a murder mystery lover, against a cunning and vicious serial killer. Fans of serial killer fiction with a Christian slant will be satisfied.”
Of Tell Her No Lies, The Library Journal says, “Irvin creates a complex web with enough twists and turns to keep even the most savvy romantic suspense readers guessing until the end. Known for her Amish novels, this two-time Carol Award finalist shows that her talents span subgenres from tranquil Amish stories to rapidly paced breathless suspense.”
Kelly is also the author of the Every Amish Season series, which included four books that chronicle the lives of Amish widows who are in different seasons in their lives. These women are linked by life altering experiences that bring them together as wives, mothers, and grandmothers in the small town of Jamesport, Mo. The first book, Upon a Spring Breeze, received critical acclaim from the Library Journal: “A moving and compelling tale about the power of grace and forgiveness that reminds us how we become strongest in our most broken moments.”
Kelly Irvin is also the author of The Amish of Bee County series, which includes the critically acclaimed The Beekeeper’s Son. Publishers Weekly called the first book in the series a beautifully woven masterpiece and Romantic Times Magazine called Kelly a storyteller extraordinaire. It was followed by The Bishop’s Son and The Saddle Maker’s Son, which is an ECPA bestseller.
A two-time ACFW Carol finalist, Kelly’s novellas have been included in numerous anthologies, including An Amish Summer, The Amish Christmas Gift, An Amish Market, an Amish Christmas Love, and Amish Quilt, An Amish Reunion, An Amish Picnic, and An Amish Christmas Bakery.
She also penned the Bliss Creek Amish series and the New Hope Amish series, both published by Harvest House Publishers. Love Still Stands, the first book in the New Hope series, debuted in September 2012, and the follow-up, Love Redeemed, released March 1, 2014. The final book in the series, set in Branson, MO., was A Plain Love Song, released in July 2014.
The Bliss Creek Amish series, set in Kansas, includes To Love and to Cherish, A Heart Made New, and Love’s Journey Home.
In the New Hope series, familiar characters from Bliss Creek move to Missouri to start a new district and a new life.
The Kansas native is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the ACFW San Antonio local chapter Alamo City Christian Fiction Writers, as well as Sisters in Crime.
A graduate of the University of Kansas William Allen White School of Journalism, Kelly wrote nonfiction professionally for thirty years. She studied for three semesters at the University of Costa Rica, learning the Spanish language. As a journalist, she worked six years in the border towns of Laredo and El Paso, where she was exposed to culture and language that serves as fodder for her fiction writing. She has written hard news, features, entertainment pieces, restaurant critiques, editorials, and weekly columns. Writing awards include the Silver Star Award from the Texas Mental Health Association for articles pertaining to mental health and numerous awards in news, feature, and editorial writing from the Texas Press Association and Texas Press Women.
Kelly retired in 2016 from her position of 22 years as public relations manager for the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department, where her duties included writing and designing an employee newsletter, writing news releases, collaborating on marketing campaigns, coordinating ribbon-cuttings and groundbreakings, coordinating press conferences, updating the web site, and acting as a media spokesperson.
Kelly has been married to photographer Tim Irvin for more than 30 years, and they have two young adult children and three grandchildren. In her spare time, she likes to write short stories, read books by her favorite authors, and visit the babies.
320 pages St. Martins Press January 31,2023 publish date
About The Book
Maame (ma-meh) has many meanings in Twi but in my case, it means woman.
It’s fair to say that Maddie’s life in London is far from rewarding. With a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana (yet still somehow manages to be overbearing), Maddie is the primary caretaker for her father, who suffers from advanced stage Parkinson’s. At work, her boss is a nightmare and Maddie is tired of always being the only Black person in every meeting.
When her mum returns from her latest trip to Ghana, Maddie leaps at the chance to get out of the family home and finally start living. A self-acknowledged late bloomer, she’s ready to experience some important “firsts”: She finds a flat share, says yes to after-work drinks, pushes for more recognition in her career, and throws herself into the bewildering world of internet dating. But it’s not long before tragedy strikes, forcing Maddie to face the true nature of her unconventional family, and the perils―and rewards―of putting her heart on the line.
Smart, funny, and deeply affecting, Jessica George’s Maame deals with the themes of our time with humor and poignancy: from familial duty and racism, to female pleasure, the complexity of love, and the life-saving power of friendship. Most important, it explores what it feels like to be torn between two homes and cultures―and it celebrates finally being able to find where you belong.
My Thoughts
“……… it’s easy to conflare being well-liked with being well-loved. There’s a misconception to be well-loved, the love has to come from multiple sources, when truthfully, one or two people can love you with the strength of ten.”
Maame means woman or little mother in Twi. She received this nickname as a child. This nickname has been okay, but she now feels the weight of it suffocating her and she has been going by Maddie. The caretaker of her father she was forced to grow up fast. Her brother is busy with his life and doesn’t have time for their father. Living in London she is the daughter of Ghanaian immigrant parents. Her mother who is frequently gone, living in Ghana helping her brother run a hostel. Her mother is usually gone for a year at a time or more and Maddie has had to be the responsible one, forced to be mature and raise herself. Their family is private, and she has no one to speak with about her cares and concerns. As her father’s health deteriorates, he depends on her more and they become closer in a way they had not been when he was well. She must suppress a lot including depression and anxiety. She feels like she is being held back socially as she has always put others needs ahead of her own. Thrilled when her mother returns home she is ready to take charge and live her life including getting her own flat and starting to seriously date. Maddie experiences many first and starts to come into her own. The author handles grief, loss and racism in a way that will make you want to examine the way you handle these. This book vividly brings to life the culture and ideals of the mother land. Heartbreaking and healing this book is emotional and poignant. There are a lot of tough subjects that the author deals with in a respectful way.
Pub Date 31 Jan 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Jessica George was born and raised in London to Ghanaian parents and studied English Literature at the University of Sheffield. After working at a literary agency and a theatre, she landed a job in the editorial department of a publishing house. She now lives in south west London with an incontrovertible sweet tooth and the knowledge that she can consume half a cake by herself if left to her own devices. Jessica’s debut novel, Maame, will be published as a lead hardback in 2023 by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK and by St Martin’s Press in the US.
Thank you for visiting today. May your day be fufilling.
When I was a child I remember my favorite books as being the Little House on the Prairie series. I ripped through that series so quickly and that started my love of historical fiction which I still love to read today. My tastes have changed over the years in what I’ve enjoyed reading. I went through a period where I watched a lot of horror movies and read a lot of true crime books. I haven’t watched or read any of those in years. I also read a lot of Amish books in the past. I still read them but not as many as I did at one time. For many years I mainly read historical fiction, but I have started reading contemporary fiction in the past few years which is new for me. I also remember going with my grandmother to the library and there was a limit of fifty books and as a young teenager I was checking out rose gardening and landscaping books along with different dog breed books. I also went through a period of time where I would buy health, wellness and exercise books along with many nonfiction history and Civil War books. I still do enjoy nonfiction, but I just don’t read it as much as I used to. A few genres I haven’t been able to get into are sci-fi and fantasy books.
Just grab the book closest to you and list the first line. Today I am featuring Walking in Tall Weeds by Robin W. Pearson.
And the first line is…………….
Thursday
When Paulette was six years old, her daddy tried to explain how a half-baked plan was as bad as no plan at all. Worse even.
From GoodReads
Frederick, Paulette, and McKinley Baldwin have always been a family of “onlys” in their town of Hickory Grove, North Carolina. An only son . . . married to an only daughter . . . blessed with a one and only child, McKinley.
Paulette is determined her son will want for nothing, least of all a mother’s love and attention–which her own skin color cost her as a child. But all her striving leaves her husband on the outside looking in.
Frederick still struggles with the theft of his grandpa’s land all those years ago, and he aims to get it back, no matter what it takes. He doesn’t count on his marriage becoming a casualty of his personal war.
McKinley’s doing his best to stand on his own two feet, even though he had to run away to Philadelphia to do it. The last thing he wants is to walk in his father’s troubled footsteps at George & Company. Yet that’s exactly where he finds himself, on a tortuous path of his own design.
As the Baldwins dredge up the past, they discover that their history is only skin-deep, while their faith takes them right to the heart of things. And it’s there they must learn to temper justice with mercy–and that God’s love is the only family tie that binds.
Paperback
First published January 1, 2022
About The Author
Robin W. Pearson’s A LONG TIME COMIN’ won the Christy Award for First Novel. Both her debut and her second release, ‘TIL I WANT NO MORE (Feb. 2021), earned a Publishers Weekly starred review. Her novels show how man’s timeless love affair with God affects day-to-day relationships. Robin’s writing sprouts from her Southern roots, and she has corrected grammar up and down the East coast, starting with Houghton Mifflin Company. Her family’s faith, life lessons, and life’s longings inspire her as a wife, homeschooling mother of seven, and author, what she blogs about on https://robinwpearson.com/mommy-conce…. They’re the source of the characters living and breathing in the stories waiting to be told about her belief in Jesus Christ and the experiences at her own kitchen sink.
Have you read the book I’ve listed? What were your thoughts on it?
Thank you for stopping by today. Have a fabulous Friday.
Books from the Backlog is hosted by Carole’s Random Life is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks.
This week’s neglected book
After a short-lived marriage, Sherry Frazzelle is living single life to the fullest in her little Connecticut town, accompanied by her Jack Russell terrier, Chutney. Her new passion is competitive cooking–but it turns out that murder is the surprise ingredient . . .
With contestants from Maine to California and a ten-thousand-dollar prize at stake, Sherry’s latest competition, hosted by the CEO of an organic food company, is sure to be heated. But she’s more than ready to step up to the stove. After all, she did win the award for Most Creative Cupcake back in high-school.Today, she’s hoping her flavorful pork tenderloin will sway the judges. Instead, it seems someone’s decided to slay one of the judges . . .
After Chef Birns falls face first into the Seafood Flatbread Pizza, Sherry’s dish is deemed suspicious. Now she’ll have to stir through a stew of rule-breaking, corruption, and gossip to get herself off the chopping block, and find out who turned this food fight fatal . . .
Includes Recipes from Sherry’s Kitchen!
336 pages, Paperback
Published April 24, 2018
Why did I add this to my book collection?
I found this book at a used bookstore and I had started reading cozy mysteries around this time. I have since read several books by this author and have enjoyed them.
Have you read any books by this author? What did you think?
Three sisters separated by distance but bound by love
The Fry sisters enter the Roaring Twenties forever changed by their experiences during the Great War. Now, as each of their lives unfold in different corners of the globe, they come to realise that the most important bond is that of family.
Desperate to save the man she loves, Etta leaves behind the life she has made for herself in Capri and enters the decadent world of Parisian society with all its secrets and scandals.
Celie’s new life on the Canadian prairies brings mixed blessings – a daughter to adore, but a husband who isn’t the man who holds her heart.
In Egypt, Jessie’s world is forever changed by a devastating loss.
And back in London – where each of their adventures began – their mother Christina watches as the pieces of her carefully orchestrated existence begins to shatter…with implications for them all…
The Paris Sister Blog Tour 1st-7th February @Rachel’sRandomResources
An emotional family drama set during the Roaring twenties.
I have not read the first book in this series, instead jumping in at book two of three. I absolutely need to read book one now.
The book is very wordy at 480 pages, and I loved it. The more descriptive for me the better.
Set during the 1920's we can see woman are starting to stand up for themselves and not be dominated by men anymore.
There is strife, there is drama, as there is in every family but at the end of the day there is the love of family.
This book features three sisters and their mother. The women all live in different parts of the world, one in Canada, one in Egypt and one in Paris.
There is a lot going on in this story as it takes place over years. What I found to make it easier to follow is if you concentrate on each woman and their story rather than concentrate on too many characters at once.
I really enjoyed this historical fiction and learning about the different foods, languages and customs of each country.
The widowed mother has a secret her daughters must not find out. It happened during her younger days when she was not married. Living in London she must now face her past.
One of the daughters lives in Alberta, Canada amongst the wheat fields.
Another daughter lives in Cairo running a health clinic. Another daughter lives in Paris trying to forget her past.
I enjoyed seeing how the women and their mother communicated by letter. Though they may not agree on everything there is always love, communication and encouragement.
The book is very well researched. I felt as if I were right there in the story experiencing all this with the characters.
This is a wonderful, wonderful book. The next book can't come out soon enough for me!
Pub Date 03 Feb 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
Visit other blogs on the tour here
About the Author
Adrienne Chinn was born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, grew up in Quebec, and eventually made her way to London, England after a career as a journalist. In England she worked as a TV and film researcher before embarking on a career as an interior designer, lecturer, and writer. Her debut novel, The Lost Letter, a timeslip love story set in Morocco, was published by Avon Books UK in 2019. Her second novel, The English Wife — a timeslip story set in World War II England and contemporary Newfoundland — was published in June 2020 and has become an international bestseller. Her third novel, Love in a Time of War, the first in a series of four books in The Three Fry Sisters series, was published in February 2022. The second book in the series, The Paris Sister, will be published in February 2023.
320 pages Barbour Publishing February 01, 2023 publish date
About The Book
Clue meets Indiana Jones with a fiction-loving twist only Grace Percy can provide.
Newlyweds Lord and Lady Astley have already experienced their fair-share of suspense, but when a honeymoon trip takes a detour to the mystical land of Egypt, not even Grace with her fiction-loving mind is prepared for the dangers in store. From an assortment of untrustworthy adventure-seekers to a newly discovered tomb with a murderous secret, Frederick and Grace must lean on each other to navigate their dangerous surroundings. As the suspects mount in an antiquities’ heist of ancient proportions, will Frederick and Grace’s attempts to solve the mystery lead to another death among the sands?
The Cairo’s Curse is a delightful sequel to The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper Basham in the Freddie and Grace Mystery series.
Will the magic of Christmas bring these two newlyweds closer together, or will the ghosts of the past lead them into a destructive discovery from which not even a Dickens’s Christmas can save them?
Mistletoe is beautiful and dangerous, much like the woman from Lord Frederick’s Percy’s past, so when he turns over a new leaf and arranges to marry for his estate, instead of his heart, he never expects the wrong bride to be the right choice. Gracelynn Ferguson never expected to take her elder sister’s place as a Christmas bride, but when she’s thrust into the choice, she will trust in her faithful novels and overactive imagination to help her not only win Frederick’s heart but also to solve the murder mystery of Havensbrook Hall before the ghosts from Frederick’s past ruin her fairytale future.
My Thoughts
"My darling, I have high hopes that not every scene in our future will be experienced with such life-threatening adventures."
If you enjoy high adventure, not quite knowing what the next page holds and breathtaking descriptions of Egypt that will have you believing you're there with the characters, you're going to love this book. Fraught with danger around every corner, suspense, romance and humor.
Before you read this one though do yourself a huge favor and grab "The Mistletoe Countess " to read which starts this series out. You're going to love it and it'll give you Freddie and Grace's backstory.
This may just be more of a honeymoon than Poor Freddie imagined. I hope you're ready for an adventure filled with camels, tombs, a jewel thief, and exciting digs. I don't read many books taking place in Egypt, this is only the second one I can think of, and it was an intriguing read.
Pub Date 01 Feb 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
The Author
Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance “peppered” with grace and humor. Writing both historical and contemporary novels, she loves to incorporate her native Appalachian culture and/or her unabashed adoration of the UK into her stories. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the wife of a fantastic pastor, mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus. Her nineteenth novel, Authentically Izzy, debuts in November with Thomas Nelson. She loves connecting with readers and other authors through social media outlets like Facebook & Instagram.
414 pages Revell publisher Jan 03,2023 publish date
About The Book
In 1715, Lady Blythe Hedley’s father is declared an enemy of the British crown because of his Jacobite sympathies, forcing her to flee her home in northern England. Secreted to the tower of Wedderburn Castle in Scotland, Lady Blythe awaits who will ultimately be crowned king. But in a house with seven sons and numerous servants, her presence soon becomes known.
No sooner has Everard Hume lost his father, Lord Wedderburn, than Lady Hedley arrives with the clothes on her back and her mistress in tow. He has his own problems–a volatile brother with dangerous political leanings, an estate to manage, and a very young brother in need of comfort and direction in the wake of losing his father. It would be best for everyone if he could send this misfit heiress on her way as soon as possible.
Drawn into a whirlwind of intrigue, shifting alliances, and ambitions, Lady Blythe must be careful whom she trusts. Her fortune, her future, and her very life are at stake. Those who appear to be adversaries may turn out to be allies–and those who pretend friendship may be enemies.
I’ll have to admit I have read every book by this author, except one. And I need to remedy that. I call this author the Queen of historical fiction and it shows in how well researched her books are. As soon as I see she has a book coming out I have to read it. The beautiful description of Scotland makes me want to visit it from its moors to its historical depth. The plot is set during the 1700’s and the Jacobite rebellion. It was wonderful being transported back in time to the eighteenth century and discovering Lady Blythe and Everard’s characters and seeing their interactions. I did not expect some of the turn of events that happened in the story. Starting off slow the book does pick up. This is a slow burn clean romance with intrigue, great historical descriptions, wonderful characters and a fascinating plot. I also found it interesting that the author is related to a character in the book and as she delves into her family history, she brings us with her and shares this history with us. Do not miss this wonderful historical romance.
Pub Date: 03 Jan 2023 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Have you read or plan on reading this book? Thank you for stopping in today. Stay safe and warm.
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