Saturday, April 30, 2022

A Wild Ride! Review and Giveaway of 'Shadows in the Mind's Eye' - by Janyre Tromp

 


About the book:

Charlotte Anne Mattas longs to turn back the clock. Before her husband, Sam, went to serve his country in the war, he was the man everyone could rely on--responsible, intelligent, and loving. But the person who's come back to their family farm is very different from the protector Annie remembers. Sam's experience in the Pacific theater has left him broken in ways no one can understand--but that everyone is learning to fear.

Tongues start wagging after Sam nearly kills his own brother. Now when he claims to have seen men on the mountain when no one else has seen them, Annie isn't the only one questioning his sanity and her safety. If there were criminals haunting the hills, there should be evidence beyond his claims. Is he really seeing what he says, or is his war-tortured mind conjuring ghosts?

Annie desperately wants to believe her husband. But between his irrational choices and his nightmares leaking into the daytime, she's terrified he's going mad. Can she trust God to heal Sam's mental wounds--or will sticking by him mean keeping her marriage at the cost of her own life?

Debut novelist Janyre Tromp delivers a deliciously eerie, Hitchcockian story filled with love and suspense. Readers of psychological thrillers and historical fiction by Jaime Jo Wright and Sarah Sundin will add Tromp to their favorite authors list.

My review:

This was a wild ride of a story!  There was a lot going on, from Sam coming back from war with some PTSD to Charlotte trying to fight for her husband but also scared of him because of how he acts from the nightmares and memories.  There's the suspense of not knowing how or when he's going to act but he also claims that something's going on on their property so he's trying to investigate that.  Charlotte's not sure if she can believe him but wants to.  I really felt for all of the struggles she went through, from trying to keep the farm afloat with a daughter and not much for resources to dealing with her husband and the rest of the family when he comes back.  There was some romance and some talk of faith.  There was a lot of action in the last third of the book as the truth comes out and they have to fight for their lives!  I would recommend this book if you like historical fiction!

I received a free copy of this book from Kregel Publications and Read with Audra.  I was not compensated for this review.  All opinions are my own.



Click here for Giveaway!


About the author:

Janyre Tromp is a historical novelist whose loves spinning tales that, at their core, hunt for beauty, even when it isn’t pretty. She’s the author of Shadows in the Mind’s Eye and coauthor of It’s a Wonderful Christmas.

She’s also a book editor, published children’s book author, and lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan with her family, two crazy cats, and a slightly eccentric Shetland Sheepdog. And if you ever meet in person, you pronounce that first name Jan-ear.

You can find her on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and her website, www.JanyreTromp.com (where you can grab a free copy of her novella Wide Open).

Friday, April 29, 2022

Relaxing Read! 'Looking for Leroy' - by Melody Carlson

 


About the book:

It's official: Brynna Phillips is done with men. They only break your heart. But just when she makes this declaration, her friend Jan convinces Brynna to join her on a camping vacation in Sonoma Wine Country.

As they wind their way toward their destination, spanking-new mini camper in tow, Brynna recalls her teenage camp romance with a boy named Leroy. How can it have been nearly thirty years ago? All she remembers is that Leroy was a genuinely good guy and that his family owned a vineyard--in Sonoma. She doesn't even remember his last name. Undaunted, Jan insists they look for him . . . and the search for a second chance at love begins.

My review:

This was an enjoyable story about a second chance at love!  I absolutely loved the setting; it sounded so beautiful and relaxing.  I really liked Brynna and I felt sorry for her for all of the sad things she'd gone through in her life and felt she deserved some happiness.  She was incredibly kind and selfless, even if she sometimes seemed indecisive.  Leroy was also a wonderful man who put his family first and had been heartbroken a couple of times and I so wanted them to find each other again!  There were some funny misunderstandings, near-miss meetings and a bit of family drama with his three daughters to make the story interesting.  His family and her friends really rounded out the story because they were all such characters and almost gave the story a small-town atmosphere.  There was also a little bit of a faith element and a little bit of romance.  I recommend this story if you're looking for a relexing and satisfying read!

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

           The Author

  1. Melody Carlson

    Melody Carlson

    Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than 250 books with sales of more than 7.5 million, including many bestselling Christmas novellas, young adult titles, and contemporary romances. She received a Romantic Times Career...

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