Saturday, January 18, 2025

My Thoughts on Serial Burn by Lynette Eason

About:

She's out for justice. But the arsonist she's tracking is out for retribution.

Now the fire marshal of Lake City, Jesslyn McCormick is determined to find the person who started the fire that robbed her of her family when she was just seven years old. As the twentieth anniversary of the tragedy approaches, a string of fires--including at Jesslyn's church--brings up all those old feelings and offers new evidence.

Because church fires are considered a hate crime, FBI Special Agent Nathan Carlisle is called in to work with local law enforcement. Nathan has his own past--one he'd prefer not to revisit. And focusing on helping Jesslyn track down the arsonist is a great distraction.

As both the case and the chemistry between Jesslyn and Nathan heat up, memories will come flooding in from the past to bump up against hopes for the future. And when Jesslyn comes face-to-face with her worst nightmare, she'll have to confront her fears and rely on Nathan and her community of friends in order to survive.

My Thoughts:

This was an intense and thrilling read concerning a stalker, one that likes to play with fire. Fire Marshal Jesslyn has had her fair share of trauma since she was a child. Losing both her parents and sisters to an arsonist fire has haunted her every step she has taken. Now she has just upped the ante of catching the evil person responsible for their deaths. This has marked her as a wanted woman, and one to get eliminated as quickly as possible. Why? Is she close to finding out the culprit? Something seems to have set off all the fires that are in some way or another connected to her.

Jesslyn needs help and she gets her best help from her friends who all rally around to help and protect her. Especially FBI agent Nathan. Not only do they have an undeniable attraction to one another, but Nathan is ready to lay down his life to protect Jesslyn. He also has a past relating to a tragic fire, one he is too ashamed to think or talk about.

The author pulled me into this story and made me feel especially for Jesslyn and the loss of her family and innocence at such a young age. She had to reach out and adopt her own family, so to speak, and she had a great circle of friends who just happened to be heroes in their own right.

With pulse pounding thrills and a thread of romance, not to mention the friendship, Jesslyn and Nathan are going to need all the help they can get to catch this arsonist who continues to stalk and endanger Jesslyn and to unravel the mystery of her family's deaths.

I was provided a copy of this novel from Revell through Interviews & Reviews. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author:

Lynette Eason is the USA Today bestselling author of Double Take, Target Acquired, and Serial Burn, as well as the Extreme Measures, Danger Never Sleeps, Blue Justice, Women of Justice, Deadly Reunions, Hidden Identity, and Elite Guardians series. She is the winner of three ACFW Carol Awards, the Selah Award, and the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, among others. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and has a master's degree in education from Converse College. Eason lives in South Carolina with her husband. They have two adult children. Learn more at LynetteEason.com.

My Thoughts and More on A Year of Flowers by Suzanne Woods Fisher

About the Book

Book: A Year of Flowers

Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release date: November 18, 2024

In this collection of four heartfelt novellas, three former friends have found success in the floral industry, but happiness–and love–remain elusive.

In An Apology in Bloom, wedding florist Jaime Harper is on a meteoric rise, working for an event company led by a successful and way-too-handsome boss. When a letter arrives from her past mentor with an offer too good to pass up, will she stay or head back to her hometown?

In A Bouquet of Dreams, Claire Murphy has always dreamed of owning a flower shop, and when her employers hint at retirement, she believes her moment has arrived. But first she must confront her past–and the man who caused her to flee her hometown years ago.

In A Field of Beauty, Tessa Anderson has found an acre of farmland to start her flower farm and forget the past. She’s grateful for the help of two men–her boyfriend, Tyler, and a quiet soil specialist named Dawson. But as the farm finally starts to bloom, Tessa will discover something that challenges everything she’s built.

In A Future in Blossom, Jaime, Claire, and Tessa return to their hometown, finally ready to face each other and their beloved mentor, flower shop owner Rose Reid. As they unite to pull off an extraordinary wedding, amid the flurry of preparations they just may find their way to forgiveness.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

This story took me completely by surprise. What I was expecting was a set of stories that happened in different seasons dealing with flower shops, where four women find their true love. What I got was a series of interconnected stories of three friends who have wandered from their hometown and their beloved mentor is calling them back home. Not only that but there is a sort of mystery that took place all those years ago that has affected all that were involved. What happened and why are they being called back home kept those pages turning for me.

And yes, there are love stories. Jaimie, Claire, and Tessa all find their love matches with men who will pursue them and not give up on them. Following them all the way back to their hometown. There is also the friendship and love between them and Rose, their mentor, love and care for each of them.

If you are looking for sweet romances with a touch of mystery wrapped up in going home again, this read is for you.

I was provided with a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Suzanne Woods Fisher is a Christy finalist, a Carol and Selah winner, a two-time ECPA Book of the Year finalist, and the Publishers Weekly and ECPA bestselling author of more than forty books. Her genres include contemporary and historical romances, Amish romance, and women’s fiction. She and her husband live in a small town in California, where everyone knows everyone else, knows what they are doing and why. Most friends act a little nervous around Suzanne because they usually wind up in one of her novels. She has four grown children and enough grandchildren to keep her young.

More from Suzanne

A Year of Flowers: Friendships in Full Bloom

If you’ve ever tended to a garden, you know that flowers and friendships have a lot in common—they both need a bit of love, attention, and sometimes, a good pruning. That’s the heart of my novella collection called A Year of Flowers, stories of three teenage girls who bonded over bouquets and blossomed into best friends under the guidance of Rose, the wise and wonderful flower shop owner.

But life, much like a garden, doesn’t always go according to plan. On one sweltering August day, something dreadful happens in the flower shop, and the girls, who once shared everything, suddenly vanish from each other’s lives.

Seven years later, we find out where each girl, now a young woman, has gone. Their love for flowers is still in full bloom. Jaime’s taken her talent to the big city, working as a floral artist for a high-end event agency in NYC. She’s turning heads with her extravagant designs, but something’s missing—maybe it’s the simple joy she once found in that small-town flower shop.

Claire has run off to Savannah, Georgia, where she’s knee-deep in blooms, working in a flower shop with dreams of running the place one day. She’s got her eye on the prize, but she’s also discovering that you can’t outrun the past, no matter how far you go.

Then there’s Tessa, who’s found solace in the soil of Asheville, NC, where she’s started a flower farm. It’s a peaceful life, but even in the quiet of the mountains, memories of that summer day haunt her like the mist that rolls over the hills.

As each story unfolds, we see that, like flowers, friendships need TLC. They can wilt easily without care and attention. And sometimes, a good pruning is necessary, to help it grow stronger.

In the final novella, the three young women are drawn back to where it all began—the flower shop, and to Rose. It’s time to dig up the past, clear out the weeds, and see if their friendship can bloom again. After all, just because a garden has been neglected doesn’t mean it can’t be revived with a little care and attention.

So, if you’re a fan of flowers, friendships, or happy endings, get a copy of A Year of Flowers. It’s a reminder that with the right care, both flowers and friendships can flourish, no matter how long they’ve been left untended.

Blog Stops

Vicky Sluiter, January 11

lakesidelivingsite, January 11

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 12

Book Looks by Lisa, January 12

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, January 13

Simple Harvest Reads, January 13 (Guest Review from Marilyn)

She Lives to Read, January 14

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, January 14

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 15

For Him and My Family, January 15

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 16

By the Book, January 17

Wishful Endings, January 17

Texas Book-aholic, January 18

Pause for Tales, January 18

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 19

Cover Lover Book Review, January 20

Lighthouse Academy, January 20

The Avid Reader, January 21

Stories By Gina, January 22 (Author Interview)

Jeanette’s Thoughts , January 23

Blossoms and Blessings, January 23

Batya’s Bits, January 24

Holly’s Book Corner, January 24

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Suzanne is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54129

Friday, January 17, 2025

My Thoughts and More on What I Left for You by Liz Tolsma

About the Book

Book: What I Left for You (Echoes of the Past Book Three)

Author: Liz Tolsma

Genre: Christian Fiction / Romance / Historical Fiction

Release date: December 1, 2024

A Family’s Ties Were Broken in Poland of 1939

1939

Helena Kostyszak is an oddity—an educated female ethnic minority lecturing at a university in Krakow at the outbreak of WWII. When the Germans close the university and force Jews into the ghetto, she spirits out a friend’s infant daughter and flees to her small village in the southern hills. Helena does everything in her power to protect her family, but it may not be enough. It will take all of her strength and God’s intervention for both of them to survive the war and the ethnic cleansing to come.

2023

Recently unengaged social worker McKenna Muir is dealt an awful blow when a two-year-old she’s been working with is murdered. It’s all too much to take, so her friend suggests she dive into her family’s past like she’s always wanted. Putting distance between herself and her problems might help her heal, so she and her friend head on Sabbatical to Poland. But what McKenna discovers about her family shocks everyone, including one long-lost family member.

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

Any time I read a book based on WW2, I know my emotions are going to be completely wrecked. This one was no exception, and though it was very sad and very tragic at times, there was definitely a hope thread.

This takes place in two timelines, 1942 and 2023. And if I thought the 2023 timeline would have been easier, I found out that was not the case, at all. Here we have two women, related, dealing with some overwhelming situations. One was on a worldwide scale, the other much closer to home.

Helena's whole life changes when her university shuts down do the invasion of the Nazi's. Dear friends face horrible circumstances, and one can only turn to her with her most precious gift. Helena lives a lifetime in the years that the war takes place. She finds love, family, and great loss. However, she continues to survive and eventually thrive after all is said and done.

McKenna, a social worker in 2023, has broken up with her fiancé and has a work crisis that has rocked her world. Taking some time off, and to get her bearings, her grandmother tasks her with a most important search. This search takes McKenna back to the ground that Helena walked as McKenna unravels the truths and sorrows of her ancestor.

What made this story all the more poignant is the research the author did regarding her own family member. And I was taken to yet another locale and people group that was so affected by that horrible war. Heartbreaking and uplifting.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Liz Tolsma is the author of several WWII novels, romantic suspense novels, prairie romance novellas, and an Amish romance. She is a popular speaker and an editor and resides next to a Wisconsin farm field with her husband and their youngest daughter. Her son is a US Marine, and her oldest daughter is a college student. Liz enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping.

More from Liz

I stared at my computer screen in front of me. For years, I had been searching for my great-grandmother, Anna. I got no good information. Census records in the US weren’t helpful. Some listed her birthplace as Czechoslovakia, while others had it as Austria. I had heard before that she might have been born in Czechoslovakia before, but never Austria. There were no records that I had come across that listed the city or town where she was born.

Until that one day. While searching for my great-grandmother, I ran across a passport application recorded in Warsaw, Poland, for an Anna with the same last name, though spelled differently. Her birthday was listed as 1903, which matched the birth year I knew for my great-grandmother’s niece. As I read through the application, my heart was pounding. This Anna was born in the United States but went to Dubne, Poland, with her family in 1906. It was now 1923, and she wanted to return to the US, and she would be living with…

I started to cry when I saw who her sponsor was. My great-grandfather. The name and address were correct. There could be no doubt about it. It had taken me years, but I finally made the jump to Europe and discovered that my great-grandmother was not born in Czechoslovakia but in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire and is now Poland.

Of course, good little researcher that I am, I had to find out all I could about Dubne, the town they were from. That’s when I first came across the term Lemko. What on earth was that?

Lemkos are a Slavic people that settled in the Carpathian Mountains of Southern Poland, Northern Slovakia, and Western Ukraine. They are also known as Lemko Rusyns, Rusyns (especially those born in Slovakia, like my great-grandfather), and Carptho-Rusyns. The mountains kept the world at bay, and they developed their own language, customs, and form of Christianity. For the most part, they were very poor, many of them eking out a living from the rocky ground.

They lived in “black houses,” called that because the poorest people couldn’t afford to have a chimney built. The smoke from the cooking and heating fires stayed inside the house and covered the walls with black tar. If you look at the cemetery records from Dubne, you would be old if you lived into your fifties. Conditions were brutal.

The most the average Lemko could afford was one sheep or one pig. Since this was their most prized possession, they couldn’t take the chance of a wild animal or a neighbor taking it away, so it lived in the house with them.

With all of them. Up to eleven people would live in a two-room house. When I mentioned that in What I Left for You, my editor questioned if I had made a mistake. No, I didn’t. I have no idea how they fit all those people in there, but they did. As I was tracking one branch of our family tree, I kept coming up with people living in house 43. Over and over and over. They stuffed that house full. Grandparents, parents, and children all lived together. They may not have had much, but that forged the Lemkos into strong and resilient people.

I’m proud to be Lemko-Rusyn, and I’m thrilled to share this story with you. I infused Helena, the historical heroine, with as much of the Lemko spunk and spirit as I could. Last October, my daughter and I had the privilege to travel to Poland and Slovakia and see the Lemko homeland for ourselves. It helped me to write a better, richer story because I now understand where they came from and who they were. Enjoy Helena’s story and her journey during WWII and beyond. I hope you come to understand and appreciate the Lemko people as much as I have.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, January 7

lakesidelivingsite, January 7

Lots of Helpers, January 8

Pens Pages & Pulses, January 8

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, January 9

Life on Chickadee Lane, January 9

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 10

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 10

Texas Book-aholic, January 11

Connie’s History Classroom , January 11

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 12

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 13

For Him and My Family, January 13

Stories By Gina, January 14 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, January 14

Holly’s Book Corner, January 15

Betti Mace, January 16

Jeanette’s Thoughts, January 16

Bigreadersite, January 17

Blossoms and Blessings, January 17

Pause for Tales, January 18

Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, January 18

A Good Book and Cup of Tea, January 19

Lights in a Dark World, January 19

Cover Lover Book Review, January 20

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Liz is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon e-Gift card and a print copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54125

Thursday, January 9, 2025

My Thoughts and More on Ambush on the Ranch by Tina Wheeler

Ambush on the Ranch JustRead Blog Tour

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Ambush on the Ranch by Tina Wheeler, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Ambush on the Ranch
Series: Red Rock Country
Author: Tina Wheeler
Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense
Release Date: December 24, 2024
Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense

Seeking ranch refuge…

with lethal threats at every turn.

After running for her life through the forest, art gallery owner Janel Newman wakes up in the hospital with no memory of the past forty-eight hours. A car bomb and masked gunman make it clear she must’ve seen something she shouldn’t have. When she forced to hide at deputy sheriff Zach Walker’s family ranch along with her twin sister, secrets are uncovered, and a murderous conspiracy is revealed. With ruthless criminals dogging their every step, will Janel and Zach be able to thwart these villains’ plan to silence Janel for good?

Also Available

About the Author

Tina Wheeler is a Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author and retired teacher. Although she grew up on the edge of the desert in Arizona, her favorite place to plot a new story is on a balcony overlooking the ocean. She enjoys spending time with her large extended family, brainstorming with writing friends, discovering new restaurants, and traveling with her husband.

Connect with Tina by visiting authortinawheeler.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

My Thoughts on Cloaked in Beauty by Karen Witemeyer

About:

Trust no one in the shadows of the piney woods . . .

Letty Hood has spent the last fifteen years of her life hidden away with her grandmother in the backwoods of east Texas to escape the deadly schemes of an uncle who wants her dead. Now, with her twenty-first birthday on the horizon, she is forced to accept the escort of a stranger and return to Houston in secret so she can claim a birthright that will make her one of the wealthiest women in Texas. If she lives long enough to inherit.

Pinkerton agent Philip Carmichael has one duty: get the Radcliffe heiress home alive. Expecting a spoiled girl, Philip is surprised to encounter a woman of rare strength with a kind soul and keen wit. As they journey together, Letty's resilience wins his admiration, breaking through his hardened cynicism. Yet the threat to her survival grows more menacing with every mile, and Philip fears that keeping Letty out of harm's way may be just as impossible as keeping her out of his heart.

My Thoughts:

This is the third in the Texas Ever After series that have well-known fairy-tale elements within them. This one is of Little Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty, and I enjoyed seeing all of the nods to the original tales, while still making this story all its own.

This started out with a bang, and then for me, anyway, slowed down a bit. This one more so than the other two, really felt like it had more of the fairy tale vibe going on. About halfway through, I began to really be pulled into this tale of a missing heiress and the Pinkerton agent sent to find her.

When Letty and Philip begin their journey back to her mother and for Letty to take her place in society, the adventure really picks up speed and keeps going till the end. My favorite part was watching their love story play out. Even their reluctance to act on their feelings did not keep them from being true friends. There is strong themes of family, sacrifice, and love, familial and romantic.

Again, I enjoyed seeing all the nods to the original tales play out in this story while still feeling for these characters and their trials. Especially the sacrifice of Letty's mother, the steadfastness of her grandmother, and the unwavering faith of Letty.

I was provided a copy of this novel from Bethany House Publishers through Interviews & Reviews. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

Monday, December 30, 2024

My Thoughts on Tracking the Missing by Sami A. Abrams

About:

A search for three abducted teens—

and a K-9 on the case.

After surviving a vicious attack in the woods, Tori Campbell awakes to her worst nightmare—her son and his two friends are missing. She calls the one person she knows she can trust, her late husband’s best friend, former DEA agent Michael Lane. Together with his search-and-rescue K-9, they must track the boys and figure out who took them—and why. Only, the Indiana wilderness is full of dangers beyond their abductor. Can Michael and Tori find the teens…even if it means falling into a sinister trap?

My Thoughts:

Wow, this started out as a doozy. In fact, it started out with every mother's worst nightmare. Widow Tori Campbell was just trying to lift her teenage son's spirits and so she set up a camping trip with him and two of his best buds. Then the nightmare begins. An attack, and they are missing.

First of all, I don't like camping, so I felt her pain in going through with that plan. Second the hero, Michael Lane, is dealing with his PTSD issues and lingering trauma which is causing issues. Especially his inner ear balance. I related with him as I also have ear issues and find myself dizzy at times. So, things are already stacked up against them including the vast wilderness they must tract and the fact that they may have stumbled onto a drug cartel's run.

This story did not let up for a second. Connecting with both characters and feeling their panic as they are running out of time to save the boys, throw in Ducky, his search and rescue dog and you have a story that is hard to put down. I also found some of the relationships interesting but never mess with a Mama bear's kid. This was a story I not only connected with but one I got lost in with the characters.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the author. I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

Monday, December 16, 2024

My Thoughts and More on Never Forgotten by Hannah Linder

About the Book

Book: Never Forgotten

Author: Hannah Linder

Genre: Christian Fiction / Historical / Regency Romance

Release date: November, 2024

All He Wanted was Justice. All She Wanted was His Heart.

Georgina Whitmore, not accustomed to any man being unaffected by her charms, is plagued with the disappearance and rejection of Simon Fancourt. Twelve years later, Mr. Fancourt returns to British society with two children and a mad hunger for justice.

Racing against time, Simon works to uncover the men responsible for his wife’s horrific murder, protect his children, and fulfill his father’s unexpected will by marrying Georgina—the last thing in the world he wants to do.

Though her heart throbs to accept, she would rather lose him again than have his name without his love. She denies his proposal of matrimony, knowing it will cost them both. But as tragedies unravel and secret enemies narrow their sights on Simon, Georgina risks her life—and her reputation—to protect him and the children. Will the danger scorch them alive? Or will it, for the first time, open his heart to her?

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts:

I really do enjoy a story with a good old feeling of gothicness. This was an interesting one, the violence was very harsh, and the story itself seemed so much deeper. This might actually require a reread in the near future.

Betrothed at birth, Georgina Whitmore and Simon Fancourt have their destines planned out by their fathers. Simon, the second son, is not happy nor content with those plans. He has his own desires and being married to a silly, debutante, is not how he pictures his life going. So, he leaves, not realizing the devastation that choice has made to Georgina, even his own family.

Georgina wants most of all to be seen. Her once betrothed left without a goodbye. In fact, he left without even really getting to know her, to see her, even though they knew one another all their lives. Now a decade or so later, Georgina still pines for the life she thought she would have with Simon, but he apparently has forgotten her.

This story takes Simon from England to America and back again after tragedy has struck his young family. Now a widower with two young children he has come home again for vengeance. But the home he has come home to is nothing like the one he had left. Filled with doubt and questions, continuing to do things his own way, Simon is now faced with an ultimatum. Marry Georgina or lose everything.

This was such an atmospheric read. Danger lurking around every corner, mysterious happenings, rough dealings, and shady characters abounded. Everyone apparently was keeping secrets. On a deeper level is the lesson on seeing people for their character. Not outward appearances or the trappings of their life. A very good read indeed.

I was provided a copy of this novel from the publisher I was not required to post a positive review, and all views and opinions are my own.

About the Author

Hannah Linder resides in the beautiful mountains of central West Virginia. Represented by Books & Such, she writes Regency romantic suspense novels filled with passion, secrets, and danger. She is a four-time Selah Award winner, a 2023 Carol Award semi-finalist, a 2023 Angel Book Award third place winner, and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Also, Hannah is an international and multi-award-winning graphic designer who specializes in professional book cover design. She designs for both traditional publishing houses and individual authors, including New York Times, USA Today, and international bestsellers. She is also a self-portrait photographer of historical fashion. When Hannah is not writing, she enjoys playing her instruments—piano, guitar, ukulele, and banjolele—songwriting, painting still life, walking in the rain, square dancing, and sitting on the front porch of her 1800s farmhouse.

More from Hannah

We seldom know anyone. I mean, really know them. We brush hands with people, laugh with them, tell them our stories, listen to theirs, and think we know them.

But we don’t.

We have no idea what thrums in their heart, late at night, when they burrow their face into a wet pillow. We have no idea what they fear. We have no idea what beautiful thoughts dance in their mind, or what ugly mysteries harden like lava in the pit of their chest.

“We all have secrets,” Georgina Whitmore, our heroine in Never Forgotten, once said to Mr. Simon Fancourt. He didn’t understand. He didn’t even suspect.

Because he’d sat beside her a hundred times.

Played whist with her.

Rode alongside her in summer carriage rides.

Smiled at her—emptily—and cringed a little when she smiled back.

If you had asked him, at seventeen years old, if he knew Georgina Whitmore, he would have been earnest in his answer. “Yes.” Lovely. Soft. Teasing. Ridiculous. Shallow. All attributes he professed to know only by their brief, passionless courtship.

She was more than he had ever noticed.

Deeper than he had imagined.

Perhaps if he had looked longer, prodded harder, he might have seen a glimpse of what dwelled in the heart of the woman he was betrothed to marry. How long is too long? How many years may blindness, ignorance, and prejudice be forgiven? Even if Simon finally discovers the loveliness of her heart, will it be too late?

If you walk away from Never Forgotten with nothing else, I hope you feel challenged to look deeper. As you’re brushing hands, laughing, telling stories—I hope you stare into people’s eyes and search for a bit of their soul.

We’re all more than what we seem.

We all have secrets.

Like Simon, you may discover the people around you are more beloved, dear, and wonderful than you ever imagined.