Ordinary Suspense

For years now, one of my go-to genres has been suspense. The tangled plots that mess with your mind just enough to convince you that you're always on the verge of solving the crime for yourself  make these the kinds of books that I almost always fly through.  "Beneath the Surface" by Lynn H. Blackburn is one of those books that's perfect for times when such a mood strikes.

It's the first book in a brand new series and will be hitting shelves in bookstores and libraries at the end of this month. If you're in the mood for a little suspense that is developed just as much through ordinary people as it is through a horrific string of murders, then this will be a good fit for you! I'll admit, this one seemed to be more about the characters themselves than the actual murderer on the loose angle. As hard as I tried, I didn't have any idea who I was up against or who to suspect and it didn't seem as though Blackburn was concerned with making that possible.

In some ways, it was nice to just sit back while the story happened, but my mind does like the challenge of sorting through all the evidence that suspense writers usually toss out there. There wasn't any one character that I was especially taken with. The romance between two of the main characters that was apparently a LONG TIME coming took center stage and there weren't any real obstacles in the way of things working out between them.

My favorite part by far, as hard as this is for me to admit, were the food references. Blackburn, who lives in Simpsonville, South Carolina, was very generous with details where food was concerned. Since the book happens to take place in Carrington, North Carolina, that meant Southern cooking was basically a well developed character with a role to play. Which...Was fine by me!

I may continue reading the series to get to know the supporting characters (and for more stories filled with awesome food on display against a southern backdrop), but if nothing else, this one was a great way to spend a few days while winter took a little break.

What's something you appreciate in books that might be a little odd?

What's one genre you go to again and again for a quick read?

*I received a review copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own honest opinion. 

Island of New Beginnings

"The Red Door Inn" by Liz Johnson is a novel set on Prince Edward Island. In this story, a woman named Marie is in the process of leaving her life in Boston behind. She sets her sights on starting over on Prince Edward Island because of her infatuation with LM Montgomery and the famous Anne of Green Gables saga. I don't share Marie's admiration for Montgomery, but I am very familiar with the pull a faraway can have on a person because of the way an author portrayed it in books.

Along the way, we meet an old man named Jack who will endear himself to you from the moment you meet him. Johnson mixes in a wide range of characters who are absolutely perfect for the roles that she designates for them to have in this story about starting over, carrying on, and renovating a B&B in one of the most touristy places in the world. I read the first 200 pages of this book in one evening and finished the rest of it the next day. It's not necessarily a quick read, in fact, it's the kind you could take slowly if you wanted to. Once I got going I just couldn't seem to stop. I wanted to see what Johnson had in store.

With the introduction of Jack's nephew Seth, I started to wonder if Johnson was going to disappoint me. I'm not a fan of mushy-gushy chick-lit. This book walks the line. 200 pages in and things could have really gone either way. That first evening, I was getting to know Marie, kind of swooning over Jack, getting a feel for the island life, growing super curious about how the B&B would turn out, and hoping that the Seth plot would not ruin things. Marie and Seth's story does take up a fair amount of space, but I wasn't disappointed. The B&B remained central and Johnson did a great job of keeping things balanced.

If you're looking for an enjoyable novel, this is probably one you'll enjoy. It's not a mystery and there isn't any real dilemma. It's a nice easy story about a handful of people on Prince Edward Island. Johnson gives her readers plenty to think about as her characters wrestle with hope, forgiveness, the idea of "home", and figure out how to relate to God. Whether you grew up sharing Marie's love for Montgomery, find B&Bs enchanting, tend to read heavy books, or not, Johnson's "The Red Door Inn" will have something for you.

Grab your copy HERE.

What have you been reading lately? 

*I was provided a review copy of this book by the publisher. All thoughts are my own honest opinion. 

Roots and Sky

Every now and then I come across a book that really resonates with me. Roots and Sky by Christie Purifoy is one of those books. Purifoy has been blogging and writing articles for other websites and now she can call herself a published author.

I'm not exaggerating when I saw that Roots and Sky is made up of the most refreshing prose I've ever read. Reading this book is like stepping outside on a spring day and taking the deepest breath you possibly can. You can feel the sun, but you can also feel the cool breeze and the fresh air in your lungs helps you to forget the months you've spent cooped up inside waiting for a moment like this to come around again.

This book is basically a memoir of the seasons. It's about Purifoy's longing for home and how finding it helped her to see that the home God is preparing for her (or her for) is where lasting satisfaction will be found. Each chapter is short. Each section corresponds to a season. I recommend reading it through once and then digging into section by section as the seasons pass.

As you know, I've found myself in a strange situation. I'm in a new house, in a new town, with a brand new church. I don't know how long this temporary move will last or if it will even be temporary. The last few years have taught me that a lot of my unrest has come from a certain longing, namely, a longing for the home I once knew and the stability and security it offered. Reading about someone else's longing and one whole year of receiving was exactly what I needed this winter.

Not only does Purifoy share my longing for home, she also shares my love for God, family, gardening, tea, books, and gathering people together. I learned more about the church calendar and I have a list of flowers to research. More than that, the perspective that God has been teaching me was strengthened.

I think we all long for home. Some of us have homes to keep and to guard and to hang on to. Whatever side of the longing we find ourselves on, there is one thing we need to know and Purifoy uses this book to lay it all out. As she says in the introduction, "This is the story of my journey home. This is the story of a kingdom come."

Order your copy today by clicking HERE.



*I received a review copy from the publisher and all thoughts are my own honest opinion.

Another Saturday Another Series

The last Monday of the first month of this new year is already behind us. I have mixed feelings about how quickly this year is already flying by. "At Home in Last Chance" by Cathleen Armstrong is another thing that I have mixed feelings about. I've really enjoyed Armstrong's writing in the past, but this book took some getting into. 

"At Home in Last Chance" is the third book in the "A Place to Call Home" series. It's set in present day New Mexico in the tiny town of Last Chance. I've grown to love Last Chance and the people that live there, but this book centers on a couple of new comers. If I'm honest, I care for these new characters about as much as the rest of Last Chance, which is not much at all! Maybe that's exactly what Armstrong was aiming at.

This novel revolves around Kaitlyn, a young woman who has reached the end of herself and is ready to get a fresh start. Only, she's not quite as ready as she thought. Characters like that tend to get very little sympathy from me, but I really did want to see Kaitlyn work things out! I grew to like her as the book continued, but those first few chapters were a real test of my endurance! With every leading lady there comes a guy trying to get her attention. That's where Steven comes in...Steven thinks he is all that and then some. Thankfully, Steven's Gran is more than ready to set him straight! In fact, she happens to be my favorite character. She is always ready to lend a hand, even when it came to helping Kaitlyn with her seven year old daughter Olivia.

Armstrong has a way of setting the scene that is unique. I happen to love the role that food and family play in this series. This book in particular is good for people like me to read! There comes a time when we all need a little help. It's up to us to be willing to take the help when we need it and lend help when the opportunity comes up too.

If you can make it through the first few chapters, it does pick up. You get to follow the characters that you became attached to in the first two books and you come to see other sides of both Kaitlyn and Steven. Overall, I give this book 3 stars. It's not a book that I loved, but I did keep reading it!

If it sounds like a book to keep you reading this winter, get your copy HERE.

* I was provided a review copy of this book by Revell. All thoughts are my own honest opinion.

Another Great Saturday

2015 has brought with it some pretty great Saturdays! On January 3, we got an extra day with friends in GA. On January 10th, I had just gotten home and was feeling pretty rotten about it. Jay's birthday and Joe's shopping trip served as perfect distractions. And then there was last Saturday...

Last Saturday was PERFECTION. I had the day to myself (half the house went to play laser tag and my Mom was working). I'm not a person that generally enjoys a day to myself, but I made the best of it. I started the day trying to finish up Rex Stout's "The Doorbell Rang", which happens to be a great mystery, if you're in the market for one of those. When that got old, I fixed myself some macaroni and cheese and left over chicken nuggets and turned on Pride and Prejudice (the Matthew Macfadyen version). From there, I switched things up with "Roman Holiday" (Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn). And then I went back to my reading.

I needed that day. I said "No" to a lot of things to make it mine, but it was so great to recharge and refresh.

This Saturday could turn out very similar. It just so happens that today is National Readathon Day. Since I've got several books going, I'm planning on doing at least some reading. It helps that I'm working on the third book in a series that has really had me interested! "Hidden Agenda" by Lisa Harris is just as good (if not BETTER?!?) than the other two books that came before it in her Southern Crimes series.

This particular book is set off the coast of Georgia as well as in Georgia. A side plot that has been present in the other two books is finally taking center stage. I've been trying to figure out this part of the mystery since I first found out about the series. "Hidden Agenda" obviously shares characters with the other books, but Harris also brought in some characters that we've never met before.

The plot is thick. We've got a police department with unknown moles, a drug cartel with a brutal and uncatchable leader, two people who find out that their Dad is not who they thought he was, and a carload of people on the run. The characters themselves are developed very well. Character development is easy to skip in suspense stories, but Harris doesn't skip anything.

It's not often that I tell you about a book BEFORE I finish it, but I'm confident that this one will end with at least 4 stars to it's name! Grab  your copy HERE.

So...I've got another great Saturday waiting for me and I hope you do too!

What does your perfect Saturday look like? 

Do days to yourself excite you?

* I was provided a review copy of this book by Revell. All thoughts are my own honest opinion.

Christmas Reading

Every December something called Christmas comes over me! Picking out an Advent study, pulling out the decorations, heading to the library on a hunt for some quick Christmasy novels, and baking until right before December 25th never get old.

The only thing different this year is that Christmas came over me in November! I've held off as long as I can, today I'm going to spread some cheer to you. This is also my very first post feature pictures taken with the fixed 50mm lens that I just got a few weeks ago!!! I LOVE it.

"The Christmas Cat" by Melody Carlson was the first Christmas book that I read this year. It's a very short read, but true to Carlson's style, packed with several great plots! I've received a lot of teasing for reading this book...I am not an animal person, but that didn't keep me from enjoying it!

I've been reading Carlson since I was ten or eleven years old. If her name is on the cover I'm going to give it a try for sure. We all have our favorite authors and she has been one of mine for years.

Let's talk about her latest release and then I'll tell you about my Gingerbread Hot Cocoa recipe...

"The Christmas Cat" is mostly set in present day Vancouver, WA and begins just before Thanksgiving. A man named Garrison is the main character and he begins the book with a few things to sort out. After being a missionary in Africa, he returns to the states and finds himself single, living with a buddy, and without a job. To complicate matters even more, he ends up losing his Grandmother and becoming the executor of her estate which includes six cats who are going to need homes.

Garrison's dilemma unfolds in Vancouver with a fair amount of humor, a smidgen of romance, and some good lessons that we can all relate to along the way.

You'll become pretty fond of Ruby (the sweet older neighbor lady) and I hate to admit it, but even the cats themselves!

Sometimes you just need to read a good story and "The Christmas Cat" is exactly that. It's not one that will make you cry. The humor won't have you rolling your eyes. It really is the perfect book to enjoy with a hot drink on a cold winter day!

Grab a copy of "The Christmas Cat" today and be sure to tell me what you think!

* * * * *

A few years ago on my Grandma's birthday, I was baking up a batch of Ginger Cookies and I came up with the brilliant idea to use some of the spices from that recipe in hot cocoa.  This cocoa is pretty much Christmas in a cup if you ask me!

This recipe is not exact. I use less than an 1/8 of a teaspoon of each spice. You can adjust the amounts to your taste!

While the kettle is on the stove, pour your cocoa mix, a little ginger, ground cloves, and cinnamon into your cup.

Add your water and stir VERY well to make sure that all of spices are thoroughly mixed into the drink. Cinnamon can be a little stubborn, but it will come together. Pour in a splash of half & half and stir one last time.

Top with a dollop of whipped cream or some marshmallows and ENJOY!


12-12-12 Gingerbread Hot Cocoa
makes 1 serving

1 pkg hot cocoa mix
touch of ginger
little more ground cloves
little more cinnamon
water
splash of half & half (or milk)
optional: whipped cream or marshmallows

Set your kettle on to boil. Combine hot cocoa mix, ginger, ground cloves, and cinnamon in a mug.

Add water and stir VERY well until all of spices are dissolved completely. Stir in a splash of half & half.

Top with whipped cream or marshmallows.

ENJOY!

* I was provided with a review copy of this book by Revell. All thoughts are my own honest opinion.

Mystery Lovers Unite

I love a good mystery. My Mom who pretty much only reads theology books and mysteries was the first one to tell me about Irene Hannon. Ever since then, her covers draw me in and Dee Henderson's words about Hannon's books always add to my excitement.

Hannon creates characters who are facing extreme circumstances that could be headlines in the news. As you read her books, you have to remind yourself that this particular crime is fiction and that the main characters don't actually need your help. 

As I was reading Irene Hannon's newest release, "Deceived", I quickly realized that it wasn't a whodunnit as much as a HOW was it done and a race against time to make things right. Mysteries like that can be very refreshing! Hannon does an excellent job of tying in details about the investigation and creating characters with a lives that carry on in spite of the dilemma that is defining their life through the course of the book. 

"Deceived" is all about a woman named Kate who has been living in the aftermath of a boating accident that caused her to lose both her husband and her four year old son. On a trip to the mall she is convinced that she has seen her son. So, she hires a PI named Connor in an attempt to put her mind at ease. "Deceived" is proof that things are not always as they seem. You probably won't be able to put this one down, because Hannon is a master of cliffhangers. 

I'd point any mystery lover to "Deceived" and encourage them to check out Irene Hannon's other books too! Her style will be especially enjoyed by fans of Dee Henderson and even Mary Higgins Clark. Her style is the perfect combination of real life, mystery, and interesting details. 

Grab your copy HERE!

What's the last book that you finished reading?

Have you ever read any books by Irene Hannon? 

* I was provided with a review copy of this book by Revell. All thoughts are my own honest opinion. 

Just Not For Me

 
Before I begin this review I want to say one thing: 

I don't usually read historical fiction, especially when it has to do with women. 

This review is being written by someone who is picky with what historical fiction she does read.

"While Love Stirs" caught my eye because it was all about a woman in the early 1900's and her adventures in cooking. After graduating from cooking school, Charlotte Gregory ends up traveling around for a gas company in order to demonstrate their new stove. I was excited to read about her travels, lectures, and demonstrations.

Lorna Seilstad did her research! My favorites parts involved any mention of cooking that was made throughout the pages of this book.

As for the "problems" I had with it:

As with most pieces of historical fiction written for women, the love interest was front and center. In this case, Charlotte has two men vying for her attention and one man from her past whose memory is causing her to falter between the two.

Since it was the early 1900's feminism came out strong...Each woman seemed to have a point to prove. The point is still trying to be proved by many women today and quite frankly, I just find it tiring.

I was 200 pages in before I was hooked. By the time I made it to page 230, I was back to wondering if I was ever going to really get into it.

Even though this book just wasn't for me, there were a few elements that I enjoyed:

My favorite character was the widowed southern lady named Molly who was hired to be Charlotte's traveling companion. Molly has been around the block a time or two and has a southern saying fit for every occasion. She's perfect!

Charlotte's passion for cooking came through with her willingness to whip something up even at the oddest hours of the day. Hearing about what she was making and even reading some of the tips and tricks was very interesting to me.

Seilstad knows her stuff! She's just writing for a different kind of woman than I am.

If this sounds like a book for you, feel free to pick up your copy HERE! 

What's your favorite genre?

Has there been a book that you decided just wasn't for you?

* I was provided with a review copy of this book by Revell. All thoughts are my own honest opinion.

A Perfect Kind of Novel

Sometimes life just calls for a good story. You know - the kind where life is described without any great mystery or conflict or real reason. That's what you'll find with Cathleen Armstrong's book "One More Last Chance".

Sure, Chris moved himself to a small town and bought up a restaurant that he aims at making his own. Then there's Sarah who moved back to that same small town after going away to college because her family and a fresh start were waiting for her. As it goes with all good stories, these main characters are each surrounded by an entourage that brings the plot the perfect amount of substance.

"One More Last Chance" is set in modern day New Mexico where Armstrong has roots of her own. From what I can tell she did a very nice job at giving her readers a taste of the southwest. You'll find yourself rooting for Chris, coming to love Carlos (the cook at his restaurant), and wanting to give Rita (the main waitress) a reminder that maybe she doesn't know everything.

Many of us will relate to Sarah. She's a family girl who decided that there really was "no place like home". We meet Sarah just as she is preparing for her first year of teaching beginning with a room full of 2nd graders. She settles back into things and begins touching the life of one special little girl long before there's even a hint that summer is over.

If you enjoy a good story with a plot that pretty much goes just as you hope it will, you should give "One More Last Chance" a chance to give you something new to read!

You can pick up a copy or learn more about the book by clicking HERE.

You should know that this book does not stand alone. It is the second book in Armstrong's "A Place to Call Home" series. The third book is due out next spring!



* I was provided with a review copy of this book by Revell. All thoughts are my own honest opinion. 

Dangerous Desperation

"Fatal Exchange" by Lisa Harris was a book that I could not put down! Harris is an excellent writer and did not waste a single page getting things started. I read the book about 100 pages at a time in just three sittings!

The book begins in modern day Atlanta with Mason Taylor who works as an undercover police officer. You will join Mason in attempting to figure out who is behind the kidnappings happening in Atlanta, before it is too late.

Although it takes place in a city that doesn't seem to have limits, Harris reminds her readers that when lives connect, the world seems to be a very small place. You may be surprised and maybe even a little frustrated at how tied together all of the characters' lives end up being. Somehow, it all works out so that the connections do seem natural.

With people missing, a hostage situation that needs negotiating, and an estranged relationship needing mending, this book keeps readers ready for the rest of the story.

Lisa Harris is a master at weaving a mystery that just keeps growing with twists and turns this reader did not see coming. I trust that you'll enjoy this fast paced story because it is one that will definitely keep you guessing.

Pick up your copy HERE.

During the month of May, I will be providing four reviews. 

Thank you for making it possible for me to work with these publishers! 

* I was provided a review copy of this book by Revell. All thoughts are my own honest opinion.