About the book: In Talia's world everyone has an angle and no one escapes unscathed CIA
officer Talia Inger may have reconciled with the man who assassinated
her father, but that doesn't mean she wants him hovering over her every
move and unearthing the painful past she's trying to put behind her.
Still, she'll need him--and the help of his star grifter, Valkyrie--if
she hopes to infiltrate the Jungle, the first ever crowdsourced crime
syndicate, to rescue a group of kidnapped refugee children.
But
as Talia and her elite team of thieves con their way into the heart of
the Jungle, inching ever closer to syndicate boss the White Lion, she'll
run right up against the ragged edge of her family's dark past. In this
game of cat and mouse, it's win . . . or die. And in times like that,
it's always good to have someone watching your back.
My review:
There is no shortage of excitement and action happening in this book! The situation the team finds themselves in at the end is especially crazy and that's saying something in this series! I liked that Compassion International was featured as some of their sponsored children were kidnapped and Talia and her team raced to find them before they were lost in the web of human trafficking. We even get one of the children's viewpoints, along with Talia's. Talia grows more in her faith in God and in other people as she realizes she can't do it all on her own. She prays more and even has some spiritual conversations with a couple of her teammates. We also get to know Finn and Valkyrie better in this story and a little bit more about what makes them tick. There's a hint of a romance to come and some fun banter. This worked as a stand-alone but it definitely helped to have read the first book. If you like spy or action novels, this book's for you!
I received this book free from Revell. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own.
The Author
DigiSmiles Photography
James R. Hannibal
James R. Hannibal is no stranger to secrets and adventure. A
former stealth pilot from Houston, Texas, he has been shot at, locked up
with surface-to-air missiles, and chased down a winding German road by
an armed terrorist. He is a two-time Silver Falchion...
About the book: Home is the place to heal . . . right?
At least, that's
what Dillon Michaels is hoping as she leaves her disappointing career
and nonstarter love life behind to help her grieving and aging
grandfather on his small Oregon farm. The only problem? Her eccentric
mother beat her there and has taken over Dillon's old room. After a few
nights of sleeping on a sagging sofa, Dillon is ready to give up, until
she receives an unlikely gift--her grandfather's run-down vintage camp
trailer, which she quickly resolves to restore with the help of Jordan
Atwood, the handsome owner of the local hardware store.
But just
when things are finally beginning to run smoothly, Dillon's noncommittal
ex-boyfriend shows up with roses . . . and a ring.
My review:
This was a fun story about a girl reinventing her life and renovating a vintage trailer along the way! I liked Dillon a lot and felt bad for her at the beginning but loved how she threw herself into helping her grandpa and renovating the trailer. It was fun to watch her discover items for her trailer and the design she chose. It made me want my own! It was also interesting to see the relationship develop between Dillon and Jordan, as well as with her mom. Her mom did drive me nuts as she had such different ideas and treated Dillon badly sometimes. I also couldn't believe her ex-boyfriend and how frustrating he was. Dillon had drifted away from God and turned back to Him near the beginning of the story and we see her pray more as the story goes on, along with talking to her mom about her faith and other people praying in the story as well. There was a little bit of romance. I would recommend this book if you like romance or fun stories about starting over!
I received this book free from Revell. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own.
The Author
Melody Carlson
Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over 200 books
with sales of more than 7 million, including many bestselling Christmas
novellas, young adult titles, and contemporary romances. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the...
About the book: Star Youngblood has
always been a fighter-a necessity after her mother married a monster of a
man. Now, she's finally on the path to the stable life she's always
wanted. Her employer, Priscilla Kelly, is a sweet woman ravaged by
rheumatoid arthritis, and Star will do anything to help her. Even if
that means going toe to toe with Mrs. Kelly's neglectful son.
After
being betrayed on the mission field and devastated by the tragic death
of his father, Paul Kelly gave up on God. He lives life on his own
terms, biding his time as a corporate pilot until he can save enough
money to begin his own flight school closer to home. His mother is all
he has left, and he wants to be near her. He just didn't expect her
health to decline so quickly. When he discovers his mother has taken in a
stray--a woman he's not at all sure can be trusted--his protective
instincts kick into high gear. Paul's handled a lot of turbulence, but
he's never gone up against a force like Star.
As Paul and Star strive to protect his mother in their own ways, they soon find their hearts are at the greatest risk.
My review: I really enjoyed this redemption story of both Star and Paul, seeing how far Star had come since we met her in the last book and how far Paul had to go in this one. Star was a wonderful, feisty, strong character who overcame so much and was fiercely loyal to Priscilla Kelly. I really admired how she confronted Paul for his neglect and attitude. She also had grown so much since becoming a Christian about a year before and she was a wonderful example of being willing to do whatever God asked of her. She also had a wonderful sense of humor but she wasn't perfect. She was attracted to Paul and wanted to be with him but fought the truth that Paul had turned his back on his faith. Mrs. Kelly was incredibly wise and gave her some great advice. Paul took longer to grow on me but I started to understand where he was coming from more as the story progressed and I saw what he also had gone through and how that shaped his choices. There were some great romantic moments. I loved the trip to Ireland and the crazy clothes Paul had to wear when his luggage was lost and that Star made it a contest. That was pretty funny. It was also really cool that Bible verses kept popping into Paul's head and how that played out later for both Paul and Star. This story worked as a stand-alone but there were characters from the last book I read that were fun to catch up with. I would highly recommend this story!
I received a free kindle copy of this book from JustRead Tours. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own.
About the book: John Brandt is a man on
the edge of professional burnout and personal self-destruction. Can the
sweet innocence of the new neighbor help Johnny find the peace he has
been seeking so desperately?
Fragile Catherine Kavanagh is
grieving and alone with nothing but faith and determination to sustain
her. Will the boyish charm of the neighborhood Cassanova be able to
break through the fear and heartache that clouds Catherine’s future?
My review:
I'm not really sure what to think of this book. On the one hand, the spiritual aspect was great, with the gospel clearly presented and John's struggle to believe shown and a cool supernatural scene. On the other hand, there were some sensual things that seemed to go a bit too far or were a little too detailed. They also slept in the same bed and even though nothing happened, why put yourself in that situation? I was disappointed in Catherine for going along with some of this as she seemed to be a strong Christian. Otherwise, I really liked her and admired her selflessness and how much she cared for people. I felt like the story was a bit slow and I couldn't figure out if I liked John or not. There was some language. I also didn't realize we would be left not knowing how their story ended. The narrator did a good job on the audio I listened to. I can't recommend this book because of the multiple issues I named.
I reviewed an Audible copy of this audiobook free from StoryOrigin. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions are my own.