An Emotional Journey! 'Letters From My Sister' - by Valerie Fraser Luesse

 

About the book:

Two sisters. One mystery. A family changed forever.

At the turn of the twentieth century, sisters Emmy and Callie Bullock are living a privileged life when their well-ordered Alabama household gets turned upside down by the arrival of Lily McGee. Arrestingly beautiful, Lily quickly--and innocently--draws the wrong kind of attention.

After Lily has a baby, Callie witnesses something she was never meant to see--or did she? Her memory is a haze, just an image in her mind of Emmy standing on a darkened riverbank and cradling Lily's baby girl. Only when the sisters are separated does the truth slowly come to light--including a revelation that will shape the rest of Callie's life.

My review:

Well, I think this book took me through pretty much every emotion you can have! This was a well-written story that really sucked me in and I grew to care so much about the wonderful Bullock family.  Their mother, especially, is a force to be reckoned with and to be in awe of  but every member was special in some way.  They just loved each other so much but also really liked each other.  I admired the strong faith of Emmy and Callie as they turned to God for comfort and strength instead of getting bitter.  There was a wonderful romance, suspense and mystery that really kept the pages turning.  I also loved the scenery descriptions as Callie loved nature and storms and I just felt like I was there with her enjoying it.  It was wonderful seeing a white family and black family taking care of each other in the south but also sad seeing the disparity of how they would be treated by others in the community at the time.  I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it!

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

           The Author

1. 

   Mark Sandlin

   Valerie Fraser Luesse

   Valerie Fraser Luesse is the bestselling author of Missing Isaac, Almost Home, The Key to Everything, and Under the Bayou Moon. She is an award-winning magazine writer best known for her feature stories and essays in Southern...

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Amazing Conclusion! 'Countdown' - Extreme Measures 4 - by Lynette Eason

 

About the book:

A stalker out to finish what he started. A US Marshal who's vowed to protect.
And one woman determined to put the past in the past.

Flight paramedic Raina Price has been running so long it's hard to stop. To escape a dangerous stalker, she changed her name and disappeared, building a new life with the help of a friend from her time in juvie. It feels good to put her energies into saving people's lives, but because her stalker was never found, she's never stopped looking over her shoulder. And one can only run so far before the past finally catches up.

US Marshal Vincent Covelli's job is to hunt down fugitives and protect those who are assigned to him. When Raina is almost killed right in front of him, he vows to protect her at all costs--whether it's his job or not. Together they work to solve the mystery of Raina's past. But someone is out to make sure Raina doesn't live long enough to succeed.

My review:

Lynette Eason does it again!  She combines suspense and romance so wonderfully and I especially love the tough female characters who are definitely no damsels in distress!  Raina has a lot of secrets in her past and she wasn't always as tough as she is now.  She is really a survivor and determined to stay that way if her stalker ever caught up with her.  She also struggles with control and not wanting to ask people for help because of what had happened to other people in her past when they helped her but I liked how Vince reminded her that she wouldn't be responsible if something happened to him because God is in control, not her.  That's a good reminder for us all!  She prays at different times and I really liked Vince's wisdom as they discussed spiritual things.  Vince is a wonderful character as he's tough and puts her first while they're trying to stay alive but also trying to figure out what's going on.  He's wise, spiritually and otherwise, and patient.  There were some nice romantic moments and plenty of action as they went on the run, being shot at but also engaging in some hand to hand combat multiple times, along with some other crazy scenarios!  I also loved that we see characters from the prior books, which I also highly recommend!  This would work as a stand-alone, though.  There was one situation where I couldn't believe Raina wouldn't have done something when she was on such high alert as it's a good practice generally, much less if you have a stalker and are so terrified you've been on the run for so many years.  Everywhere else I felt like she was smart, tough and made good choices, though.  I highly recommend this book and the whole series!

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

       

           The Author

1. 

   Lynette Eason

   Lynette Eason is the USA Today bestselling author of the Extreme Measures, Danger Never Sleeps, Blue Justice, Women of Justice, Deadly Reunions, Hidden Identity, and Elite Guardians series. She is the winner of three ACFW Carol Awards, the...

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Wonderful Slice of Americana! 'The All American' - by Susie Finkbeiner

 

About the book:

It is 1952, and nearly all the girls Bertha Harding knows dream of getting married, keeping house, and raising children. Bertha dreams of baseball. She reads every story in the sports section, she plays ball with the neighborhood boys--she even writes letters to the pitcher for the Workington Sweet Peas, part of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

When Bertha's father is accused of being part of the Communist Party by the House Un-American Activities Committee, life comes crashing down. But dreams are hard to kill, and when Bertha gets a chance to try out for the Workington Sweet Peas, she packs her bags for an adventure she'll never forget.

Join award-winning author Susie Finkbeiner for a summer of chasing down your dreams and discovering the place you truly belong.

My review:

Another wonderful story from Susie Finkbeiner! This was a beautiful story about a close-knit family who suddenly finds themselves ostracized because of an accusation.  The story's told from two points of view, Bertha and her little sister, Flossie, who is a hoot!  She loved to read any fiction she could get her hands on, even if it was too old for her and she didn't understand the meanings.  She reminded me of her favorite heroine, Anne of Green Gables, and I loved her straightforwardness while also cringing at times from the things she said.  She just wanted to get at the truth as fast as possible and didn't try to be mean!  I really enjoyed all of the characters as they were written so well and you could see that they were people who cared about their fellow humans and tried to be kind and generous.  Both girls were at different points of life and were learning what kind of people they wanted to be and if dreams were worth it.  They also had to learn how to react when treated unfairly or when tragedy struck.  They were a Bible believing, church going family who talked about suffering and hard things but leaned into hope.  I laughed, I cried.  I cheered them both on and not just in the baseball games.  I do wish we would have had a little more wrap-up at the end as I wanted to know where everyone ended up.  A wonderful slice of Americana!  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. Susie Finkbeiner

   Susie Finkbeiner is the CBA bestselling author of All Manner of Things, which was selected as a 2020 Michigan Notable Book, as well as Stories That Bind Us, The Nature of Small Birds, and other novels. Susie and her husband have three...

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Wonderful Conclusion! 'Ruby Jane' - Montana Marshalls 5 - by Susan May Warren

 

About the book:

She loved...and lost.

Ruby Jane never thought she'd meet the man of her dreams while running from the police in Russia. That he'd steal her heart on a train to Siberia. But loving a former CIA officer comes with a price...a life of danger. A life of high stakes.

A life where he simply disappears...

He has no memory of the man he was.

Mack Jones has no memory of his past...just the dark sense that he is hiding. And, he wants to stay that way. Mack likes the life he's built in a small tourist town, tucked away beyond the mountains, and has no desire to dig around in the gray areas of his memory.

When his place of business catches fire and Mack rescues the owner, he makes the news, which of course alerts the past he's hoping to outrun.

The only person who can help him is a mysterious woman he doesn't remember.

But a woman he desperately needs.

The surprising, thrilling conclusion to the Montana Marshall series.

My review:

This was a wonderful conclusion to the series!  I loved the idea of a man looking for a new life and having amnesia while the woman he loved won't give up believing he's alive.  It was suspenseful and a great story of redemption as Mack first struggled to find a path and then to rediscover his past and where his future should go.  There was great suspense and action.  There was the possible romance between Ruby Jane and Mack; will they pick up where they left off or go their separate ways?  What path will Mack choose?  This was an amazing book and series and I highly recommend them all!

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

Free Books for Kindle!

 

Free for kindle!

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Free for kindle!  Loved it!

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Free for kindle!

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Free for kindle!

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Free Books for Kindle!

 

Free for kindle!  Loved it!

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Free for kindle!

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Wonderful Romantic Suspense! 'Counter Attack' - A Pearl River Novel 1 - by Patricia Bradley

 

About the book:

Her next move just might be her last

No sooner has Alexis Stone been sworn in as the interim chief deputy for Russell County, Tennessee, than a serial killer dubbed the Queen's Gambit Killer strikes again--this time in her hometown. Pearl Springs is just supposed to be a temporary stop along the way to Alex's real dream: becoming the first female police chief of Chattanooga. But the killer's calling card--a white pawn and a note with a chess move printed on it--cannot be ignored.

Pearl Springs chief of police Nathan Landry can't believe that his high school sweetheart Alexis (he refuses to call her Alex) is back in town, and he can't help wanting to protect the woman he never stopped loving. But as the danger mounts and the killer closes in, can Nathan come through on the promise he makes to himself to bring a killer to justice before it's too late?

My review:

I did not want to put this book down! I absolutely loved the suspense as there was so much action but also a great  investigation as Alexis and Nathan have no shortage of crimes to look into, past and present.  The story kept me guessing as I would think I knew who did something, then there'd be a twist, though I did figure out something major.  There was just so much going on in this book.  I admired Alex because not only did she have a tough childhood, she had a stressful job as an undercover detective, then was running her grandfather's sheriff's office.  She also was feeling the pull back toward her high school sweetheart but had ambitions and also fear of losing more people in her life after her parents died when she was a child.  She has faith in God but struggled with listening for His guidance instead of just doing what she planned.  Nathan had a strong faith. I liked that we got to see the baddie's viewpoint throughout the story as it upped the suspense.  There were also some sweet romantic moments.  I can't wait for the next book!  I highly recommend this one!

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

           The Author

1. 

   Patricia Bradley

   Patricia Bradley is the author of Counter Attack, as well as the Natchez Trace Park Rangers, Memphis Cold Case, and Logan Point series. Bradley is the winner of an Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, a Selah Award, and a Daphne du Maurier Award; she...

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