Amazing! 'Unknown Threat' - Defend and Protect 1 - by Lynn H. Blackburn

 

About the book:

US Secret Service Special Agent Luke Powell is lucky to be alive. Three of his fellow agents have died in unusual circumstances in the past ten weeks. Luke is devastated by the loss of his friends and colleagues, and his inability to locate the killer feels like a personal failure. He and his team are experts at shielding others, but now the protectors are in need of protection.

FBI Special Agent Faith Malone is driven to succeed and confident in her ability to solve every case she's assigned. She's been put in charge of the investigation into the unprecedented attacks, and with Luke's life in danger, the stakes have never been higher. But it's hard to know how to fight back when you don't know who the enemy is.

Luke has teamed up with Faith before, but he's not convinced she's up for the job and she's not convinced he's telling her everything he knows. As more agents are targeted, Luke and Faith will have to learn to trust each other and work together to bring a killer to justice and prevent any more names from joining their fallen brothers and sisters on the Secret Service Wall of Honor.

My review:

This was such a wonderful story, full of non-stop action and likeable characters and a great romance to boot!  There was one crazy situation after another so it was incredibly suspenseful but I also loved the interactions between the Secret Service agents and with Faith.  They were funny and had such a close bond with each other and I loved that they were people of faith.  Both Luke and Faith dealt with unforgiveness towards people in their past and grew in their faith throughout the story.  The romance was written well with Luke and Faith being attracted to each other but since they're colleagues they're trying to maintain professionalism and also work through issues that would stand in the way of a relationship.  There were some very sweet moments between them.  I liked that the characters seemed real, like Faith having an obsession with Cherry Coke and how they butted heads at the beginning of the investigation.  It was also great to see characters from Lynn's other series show up here.  I can't wait for the next story.  I highly recommend it!

I received this book free from Revell.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.

                   The Author

1. 

   Mary Denman

   Lynn H. Blackburn

   Lynn H. Blackburn is the author of Beneath the Surface, In Too Deep, One Final Breath, Hidden Legacy, and Covert Justice. Winner of the 2016 Selah Award for Mystery and Suspense and the 2016 Carol Award for Short Novel,...

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Fate - The Perfect Time for Love 2 - by Natasha D. Frazier

 

About the book:

Melanie Bennett and Detective Brian Morris met over a year ago when he solved her best friend's murder case, and now Nashville's annual Christmas festivities have them crossing paths again, could it be fate?

Melanie Bennett has spent the last six months in therapy to erase the self-assigned blame and eradicate the night terrors that plagued her at every attempt to close her eyes after witnessing her best friend's murder. The Christmas season always had a way of lifting her spirits, and this year is no different. The spark within her to live again couldn't have come at a better time when she and Detective Brian Morris are reacquainted, but first, she must believe that she deserves happiness.

Will the circumstances of how they met prevent Melanie from taking a chance on love?

Brian was drawn to Melanie when he first laid eyes on her over a year ago; he wanted to ask her out, but the timing was all wrong. Expressing interest in her when she'd just lost her best friend was tacky, but fate dealt him another opportunity when he walked into her hair salon delivering flyers for the annual stuff the cruiser toy drive a year later. Though Brian desires love, will his unresolved issues with his mother get in the way?

Every moment spent with one another can only be described as fate - a power beyond human control. Will this Christmas season bring about the healing and love both Melanie and Brian crave?

Fate is book 2 in the Perfect Time for Love Series (Sweet Christian Romance).

My review:

This was a sweet romance but I kept expecting something dangerous to happen.  I haven't read book one and that probably would have helped since I didn't know what the situation was with her friend getting killed or if the bad guys were caught.  The obstacles between them didn't seem too large and were easily resolved.  The Christmas setting was magical and I liked the different activities they did to celebrate the season.  I also liked that they both had a strong faith, discussed it and prayed often for guidance and wisdom.  They also brought out the best in each other.  There was a little bit about Brian's job as a detective and a couple things were left open-ended, which I wonder if might get addressed in the next book.  You might enjoy it if you like sweet romances, especially at Christmas.

I received a free kindle copy of this book from JustRead Tours.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.

Enjoyable! 'Behold: 40 Days of Seeing and Savoring God' - by Sarah J. Callen

 

About the book:

Our days are filled with busyness: work meetings, family obligations, church responsibilities, and more. We know that we need to spend time with God, but how often does our reading the Bible become checking an item off a to-do list?

Behold is an invitation to just sit with God. Spend time with him. Enjoy his presence. For 40 days, let's sit with him, enjoy him, and choose to be in awe of him.

My review:

I enjoyed this devotional that really focused on the awe and wonder of who God is.  Sarah invites us to just sit and really think about the verses.  First she chose a passage, from a few verses to 2 chapters.  Then she had some thoughts about it and at the end of each devotional thought she had the words, "Pause, Be, Enjoy, and Wonder" to remind us to not rush through this and just sit with God.  I appreciated her honesty about her shortcomings and struggles and could totally relate!  One thing I didn't like was when we looked at some of the passages more than once and a few times she said for us to choose our own passage.  If this had been a longer devotional, it would have made more sense to me but when a devotional is for forty days, I felt a little cheated out of content.  Overall, I felt it was helpful to use and could see myself reading it more than once.  We could definitely all use more quiet time with God!

I received a free pdf copy of this book from JustRead Tours.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.

Wonderful! 'From This Moment' - by Kim Vogel Sawyer

 

About the book:

A lost ring brings together two wounded souls--a youth minister haunted by the past and a spunky church custodian--in this heartwarming romance from the bestselling author of The Librarian of Boone's Hollow.

Growing up in the foster care system, Jase Edgar always dreamed of one day starting his own family. But his fiance's untimely death shattered his plans. Moving to Kansas and serving as a youth minister should be a fresh start, but he can't seem to set aside his doubts about God's goodness long enough to embrace his new life.

Newly-appointed church custodian, Lori Fowler is battling her own challenges. Her strained relationship with her father and her struggles with overeating convince her she's not worthy enough for love. When an Amish weaver enlists their help locating the owner of a ring found among the donated clothing she uses as fabric, Jase and Lori find themselves drawn to each other. But will they be able to release the past and move forward from this moment into a joyful future?

My review:

This was a wonderful story about a man who thought he knew what God's plans for him were and struggled to trust Him after they were upended.  He was honest with God about His doubts, which I liked about him.  Jase moved to this small town and got to know some of the wonderful people that rounded out this story, including the pastor and his wife.  While I liked Jase a lot, Lori was my favorite character.  She was funny and joyful yet also struggled with emotional eating after her mom died when she was a preteen.  Due to that and her father's verbal abuse, she suffered from insecurity and low self-esteem.  I liked seeing the huge difference in her from how she was before realizing her problem, working on it and turning to God and after.  An interesting aspect to the story is Lori's best friend Kenzie, a girl who grew up Amish but had left that religion when she discovered grace.  She weaved items into works of art and they both work at a craft store.  Kenzie really had a strong faith and was very humble.  It seemed like I learned something from each person and their faith journey as they each had struggles.  There were a few cute moments and I hope we get more of Kenzie's story in a future book as I want to know where she ends up.  I highly recommend this story!

I received a kindle copy of this book free from Netgalley.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.

Wonderful Debut! 'A Dance in Donegal' - by Jennifer Deibel

 

About the book:

All her life, Boston-born Moira Doherty has relished her mother's descriptions of the Emerald Isle. When her mother dies unexpectedly in the summer of 1920, Moira is compelled to fulfill her dying wish--that she become the teacher in Ballymann, the beloved village in Donegal, Ireland, she's heard so much about.

After an arduous voyage, Moira begins a challenging new job in an unfamiliar and ancient country. Though a few locals offer a warm welcome, others are distanced by superstition and suspicion. Rumors about Moira's mother are unspoken in her presence but threaten to derail everything she's journeyed to Ballymann to do. Moira must rely on the kindness of a handful of friends--and the strength of Sean, an unsettlingly handsome thatcher who keeps popping up unannounced--as she seeks to navigate a life she'd never dreamed of . . . but perhaps was meant to live.

My review:

This was a fascinating story that really made Ireland come alive.  It felt like I was there with Moira as she experienced Ireland for the first time, the smells, tastes and scenery so descriptive it felt real to me.  I really liked that there were authentic words thrown in and a glossary in the back so I could understand them!  There was also some of the superstition and culture explained, which also helped flesh out the story.  Moira was a wonderful character with a strong faith, even when she experienced different hardships teaching and from the townspeople. She wasn't perfect, however, as she did struggle with forgiveness.  Sean also had his faith challenged and strengthened seeing how she dealt with hard things.  I like that the gospel was clear.  There was a wonderful couple who were very wise and gave great advice.  There were some sweet romantic moments and a little bit of a love triangle and there were also some very difficult and sad situations but also redemption and hope and purpose.  I would recommend this story if you like historical fiction!

I received this book free from Revell.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.

           The Author

1. 

   Jennifer Deibel

   Jennifer Deibel is a middle school teacher whose work has appeared on (in)courage, on The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic magazine, and others. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the...

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Fascinating Police Procedural! 'Network of Deceit' - Amara Alvarez 2 - by Tom Threadgill

 

About the book:

She's following her instincts. They're following her every move.

After her rescue of nearly fifty kidnapped children made international headlines, Amara Alvarez gets what she's worked for: a transfer to San Antonio's Homicide Division. But reality sets in quickly when her first case, the suspicious death of a teenager at a crowded local water park, plunges her life into chaos.

As the investigation moves forward, Amara finds herself stalked online by cybercriminals who uncover her personal life in frightening detail. With few leads, she's forced to resort to unconventional methods to find the killer and prevent her first murder investigation from ending up in the cold case files.

Tom Threadgill is back with another riveting page-turner featuring the detective who is willing to put everything on the line to see justice served and lives protected.

My review:

This was a very interesting case as Amara pulls the threads and finds clues. I loved her toughness and her determination.  She never gave up, even when it seemed like she was stuck.  I liked how she was an introvert and had a pet lizard as you don't see that too often!  Her good friend and fellow detective Starsky added humor to the story as they had funny conversations that made me smile.  There's a little bit of a faith element as there's a couple of prayers said.  Amara also dealt with some hard issues in her personal life and questions about her future.  This worked well as a stand-alone, though I also recommend book one as that was also a fascinating story!  You should try this book if you like police procedurals and suspense!

I received this book free from Revell.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.  

The Author

1. 

   © David M. Humphrey

   Tom Threadgill

   Tom Threadgill is a full-time author and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the International Thriller Writers (ITW). The author of Collision of Lies, Tom lives with his wife near Dallas, Texas. Learn more at www.tomthreadgill.com.

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