Review: At Home in Last Chance by Cathleen Armstrong

At Home in Last Chance

At Home in Last Chance was my first read by Cathleen Armstrong.  I really enjoyed Ms. Armstrong’s storytelling and I have not read many books with the setting as New Mexico.  She tells a story of two black sheep who have come back to figure out their lives and to make amends, intersecting in the small town of Last Chance.  I really enjoyed the small town perspective in this book.  Everyone knowing everyone else’s business, however I would not like to live like that.  There is a romance thread throughout this book between Kaitlyn and Steven.  It is not the main focus and I liked that they took their time to get know each other.  This is also a story of familial love: Kaitlyn with her daughter, her brother and Steven with his family.  This is the third in the series but it can be read as a standalone.  I have not read the previous two, though I will be going back to read them as I really liked my visit in this book.  I will keep a lookout for more of Ms. Armstrong’s stories as she tells her stories like you are a part of the town or family.  My thanks to Revell for my review copy and the opinions are my own.

Review: Hawk by Ronie Kendig

Hawk

Confession time: Hawk is the first book I have read by Ronie Kendig.  It will certainly not be my last.  Starting off, I was not sure the first few chapters in if I was going to enjoy this one.  I do not read a lot of military fiction and there were a lot of characters to keep track of and some military lingo I was not familiar with.  That being said, Ronie does provide us with a glossary of terms and acronyms as well as a character list including a sundry character list.  All of these lists were quite useful.  This is the second in the series of The Quiet Professionals and I did not read book one.  Even though I think this book stands well alone, I would have been more familiar with the team if I had read book one.  However, after reading this one, I am now anxious to get my hands on the first one, Raptor 6 and especially the third, Falcon, which will be out later this year. 

There came a point in the story that there was no going back for me.  It grabbed a hold of me and I stayed up way too late (2:30 in the morning late) just to reach the conclusion.  The bad guys, and there seemed to be a mess of them, were all over the place bad.  Hawk, our hero, was my favorite good guy.  This is mostly his story and even with all his temper, smart mouth, and his genuine genius (ness), he was a hero that would not, could not give up.  He is probably (if I had a list) at the top of my book hero list.  Our heroine, Fekiria, gave us a bird’s eye view of being an Afghan woman raised in a very strict family trying to make her way in a world where women are viewed as property. 

I really ended up enjoying Ms. Kendig’s storytelling.  At first there seemed to be many different story threads happening in this one book, but when she tied all of them together….BOOM!!!  I am a new fan. 

I received my review copy from The Book Club Network, Inc. (TBCN) and the opinions stated are my own honest ones.  

Review: Hidden Agenda by Lisa Harris

Hidden Agenda

Hidden Agenda by Lisa Harris is the third novel in her Southern Crimes series and continues the story of the Hunt family.  This is Michael’s story, the brother they thought that they had buried.  Now that his cover is blown he is not sure how he will escape alive.  While he is beaten and waiting for the cartel to finish him off, he is rescued by an unlikely duo: the top boss of the drug cartels grown children.  Now running for their lives, secrets are going to come to light and in whom they should put their trust is anybody’s guess.  This was a fast paced action packed joy of a ride.  Putting me in mind of some of my favorite cop shows, Lisa Harris delivers a story that wraps up a trilogy and all the question marks of the previous books.  I really enjoyed the theme of second chances.  One of my favorite quotes was stated by Michael himself when he said he felt like Lazarus back from the dead and the prodigal son rolled up in one.  Not only is this story action packed but we are also witness to the love story that develops between Michael and Olivia (the daughter of the drug lord).  Theirs is a rocky road of constant hiding and danger around every corner.  I really enjoyed this series and I am pleased with the resolutions.  I want to thank Revell for my review copy.  The opinions are my own.
  

Review: Emissary by Thomas Locke

Emissary

I do not read a lot in the fantasy genre however, I was intrigued by Thomas Locke’s (aka Davis Bunn) new fantasy Emissary.  We meet Hyam who has just lost his mother and seeks to fulfill her last wishes.  He has not traveled much and he plans to stay and farm his land.  However strange occurrences begin to happen and Hyam realizes that he may be meant for more than just being a farmer.   Not only that, but he also learns that he is not who he thinks he is.  Intrigued?  Good.  We meet a whole host of characters and different races along the journey and they are not hard to keep apart.   What I liked best about this novel was how I was discovering the world of the Realm and its secrets along with Hyam.  This was a very compelling storyline and I found myself quickly turning pages to satisfy my curiosity of this new world.  I look forward to more in this series.  My thanks to Revell for my review copy and the opinions are my own.

Review: Trails and Targets by Kelly Eileen Hake

Trails and Targets

Trails and Targets by Kelly Eileen Hake was a fun old west story about four sisters and their Pa trying to just live life off the land and to have a measure of peace.  Unfortunately, there are some serious creepy townsfolk who think it is their business to “support” these young women.   Greyson Wilder, our hero, is passing through the town on his way to Canada to look for and sell the slaughtered skeletons of the hunted buffalo.  I found this tidbit of history interesting as I had not read or heard of it before.  But in my homeschooling adventures with my children, I often did wonder what happened to all the bones of the buffalo that were slaughtered along the plains.  Ms. Hake gives us some historical information to answer that question.  Now Greyson is also running away, along with his partner, from skeletons in his past as well.  What you have is an adventure and a romance that does not happen as you may expect it should and you have 4 sisters with some unusual talents.  I look forward to the second in the series after the nice set up Ms. Hake gave us.  I received my review copy from The Book Club Network, Inc. (TBCN) and the opinions are my own. 

Review: Playing by Heart by Anne Mateer

Playing by Heart

Playing by Heart was a thought provoking read by new to me author Anne Mateer.  Taking place during World War I in a small town in Oklahoma, we have two characters that are making some tough decisions.  Both our hero and heroine are doing what they can do to put their family’s needs before their wants, even while watching their dreams die.   I enjoyed watching the tender romance grow and even a bit of the history of basketball.  It was interesting to read how women teachers had much stricter rules enforced upon them than the men did. This story alternates from both characters point of view, and I liked really getting to know both of them.  This was a well- crafted story and my favorite part was the message.  The title says it all and is very fitting.  And to quote one of the characters, “…the subject of my work wasn't as important as the act of doing it well…”  I thank The Book Club Network, Inc. (TBCN) for my review copy.  The opinions are my own and I look forward to more of Anne Mateers books.