Fun Romantic Adventure! 'The Hidden Key of Brooke Sumner' - Treasures of Halstead Manor 3 - by Susan L. Tuttle

 

About the book:

Will the key unlock more than a vault filled with treasure?

Brooke Sumner has been carefully avoiding Storm Whitlock ever since he betrayed her trust. When he joins Caspar's mysterious treasure-hunting group, she steps away to focus on her antique shop and keep herself busy.

Then Caspar invites her back for one final assignment, and Brooke is torn. Returning to Halstead Manor to help the team find the second half of a key is intriguing. It also means she'd be working with Storm. But she doesn't trust his motives, so she reluctantly rejoins to keep him in check.

As they dive into their expedition, Brooke finds her heart softening toward those she'd once held at arm's length. And is it possible she misunderstood Storm's betrayal of their friendship?

My review:

This was such a fun, romantic adventure story but it also had depth to it and a great message.  I was a little worried that I might feel lost, seeing as this is book three, but other than a few references to the past, it worked well as a stand-alone.  The treasure hunt aspect was fun, especially as they tried to decipher clues to figure out their next step.  There was also plenty of romantic tension as Storm and Brooke used to be best friends who secretly loved each other and now they're enemies, at least from her point of view.  You quickly find out something's up with Storm as he's trying to protect Brooke and maybe his betrayal isn't quite what it seems.  I loved the songs they would send back and forth as messages they were trying to convey, whether silly or serious.  I knew most but had to look up a couple to see what they were and it was fun to have a soundtrack for the book.  I also liked the references to different artwork and also looked up a couple to find out if what they were saying was true about it in real life and it was!  I liked the exciting action but also felt that the deep conversations were well done as both Gertie and Storm, especially, had a lot of wisdom for Brooke if she'd hear it on an emotional and spiritual level.  They had strong faith and Brooke struggled with her identity and worth as she felt abandoned over and over in foster care.  Gertie also pointed out that you need to go by the truth of who God is, not feelings which aren't always reliable.  One thing I still don't understand is why Storm couldn't tell Brooke the whole story sooner and instead had to let her feel betrayed for over a year.  There were some twists, one which I figured out but a bigger one I didn't see coming!  I'm looking forward to reading the first two and I highly recommend this book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.  I wasn't compensated for my review.  All opinions are my own.

Action-Packed Teen Read! 'Where Your Treasure Is' - by M. Liz Boyle

 

About the book:

Most people assume I’m reckless and have an adrenaline addict’s death wish. That’s not exactly how I see it.

Eighteen-year-old Ruby has grown up in her twin brothers’ shadow. The whole treasure diving community applauds her brothers and abuelo for finding a famous sunken Spanish galleon. Ruby and her best friend and diving buddy Tanner spent hours searching for another galleon with a massive treasure, Dos Hermanos.

Until Tanner died.

Ruby hasn’t searched for Dos Hermanos since Tanner’s tragic death, but when the family’s nemesis Marco tries to convince Ruby to tell him what she knows about where Dos Hermanos might lie, the race is on. Ruby’s competition has too much gall and not enough conscience, but she is ready to fight for the treasure.

When Marco abducts her brothers and abuelo, Ruby is determined to search on her own and beat Marco at his own game.

But the real question is, will Ruby find the sunken treasure or lose her soul?

My review:

I enjoyed this action-packed story about a pretty strong-willed girl who was sometimes frustrating but very brave.  I couldn't believe how stubborn she could be sometimes and I was amazed at some of her choices; she definitely kept you on your toes!  She obviously cared deeply about her family but there was some hurt from feeling abandoned after her boyfriend, Tanner, died.  She also put her dream on hold to find a certain shipwreck and had a hard time letting go of that.  She learned to depend on God more throughout the story and pray and knew she needed to do that in good times, too, not just in hard times.  The story dealt with grief, danger, priorities and purpose and made you think but was also entertaining because you didn't know what Ruby was going to do next.  Sometimes she could be very smart but was also impulsive so it was a wild ride!  I would recommend this if you like action or young adult stories!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.  I was not compensated for my review.  All opinions are my own.

Another Winner! 'Claire Holloway is Winging it' - by Angela Ruth Strong

 

About the book:

A romance in the skies from an award-winning author and flight attendant

After Claire Holloway's dream of becoming a ballerina plummets, she's left with her boyfriend as her only support . . . until she decides to become a flight attendant for the free travel. Based out of state, she moves into a crash pad with a gaggle of other flight attendants, and her fear of losing Wyatt seems to become a reality.

First Officer Nathan Stuart—a bit cynical since he and his fiancée broke up—meets a somewhat frazzled Claire on her very first day in the Seattle airport. When they end up on the same crew, he takes her under his wing, and they quickly bond.

When Claire's once-supportive boyfriend's attitude sours into resentment, she's left wondering whether her newfound joy is the right way to go. Pulled between two men and her new career, Claire must learn to listen for God's direction the same way her flight crew follows air traffic control.

In this hilarious rom-com, readers will lift off into the turbulent skies of romantic adventures as Claire navigates God's plan for her life.

My review:

Angela Ruth Strong has done it again!  This was humorous and romantic; I enjoyed every minute of this young woman's journey to find a new career after her dream dies but on the way finds her faith and her purpose.  Claire was such a delight and I loved her quirkiness and the predicaments she found herself in sometimes; the friendship between her and Nathan was so cute.  I liked seeing Claire growing throughout the story as she tried to master this new career while mourning her old one.  It was fun to see behind the curtain, so to speak, of what being a flight attendant is really like.  She had some great spiritual conversations with her friends as she pondered her new-found faith and also came to realize what real love should look like.  I loved that she ultimately didn't find her value and worth in a man but in her Heavenly Father.   Nathan wasn't perfect and struggled with forgiving his ex-fiance but he was a good guy who tried to do the right thing and whose faith was very important to him. Nathan had a great mentor who encouraged him and always had great life and love advice and, along with his wonderful wife and Claire's roommates, really rounded out the story and brought such a wonderful sense of family.  Her roommates were a lot of fun and all so different from each other; Angel, especially, became a really good friend and they had some great conversations.  I can't say enough good things about this book; that's why you should go out and experience it yourselves!  I highly recommend it!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.  I wasn't compensated for my review.  All opinions are my own.