Silent Shadows review

Title:  Silent Shadows 

Author:  Natalie Walters 

Series: Harbored Secrets book 3

Chapters: 34 Plus epilogue

Pages:320

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense 

Rating:  5 Stars 

Publisher: Revell 

Silent Shadows the third book in the Harbored Secrets series by Natalie Walters has three things that I love in books, small-towns, small-town life, and military heroes and loveable kids just not always in the same book. But with Silent Shadows the combination worked. Not to mention my favorite meet cute that I’ve ever read and most unique one to date.

In Silent Shadows you have a heroine Pecca Gallegos  who's basically running from her past in order to protect her son. Colton Crawford hero who's undiagnosed disorder has derailed his plans for long term career in the military. Neither was looking for romance or a relationship, but when the past catches up with the heroine the hero is determined to protect her and her son. 

While I didn't love Silent Shadows as much at the first one in the series Living Lies but I did enjoy reading this one. I loved being back in Walton Georgia and I didn't want it to end. It was nice to revisit some of the characters from previous books and see what they are doing now.  My favorite character from this book was  Maceo a seven-year boy who in many ways is wiser than most adults and in other ways just wants to be a normal kid. I didn't think that any character could be more over the top than Ms. Byrdie until I met Shirley in this one. 

I loved the Veterans D-Wing because I loved their banter and teasing each other about their different branches of the military. They reminded me  of the veterans that were residents of the nursing home that I used to work at. Even though they teased and bickered about which branch was better they still supported each other and no one else was allowed to do it. 

One last thing that stuck with me with Silent Shadows that while it was a suspense novel it was also a book about people and how special small-towns are and that everyone knows everyone and they watch out for each other. 

Silent Shadows was a great wrap up to the Harbor Secrets series, and even though each book is a stand-alone I do recommend reading the books in order, otherwise, you may spoil yourself for the other books. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher a part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone. 

Star of Persia Review

Title:  Star of Persia: Esther's story 

Author: Jill Eileen Smith 

Chapters: 42 plus prologue and epilogue 

Pages:368

Genre: Christian fiction, Biblical fiction 

Rating: 5 stars 

Publisher: Revell

     One of my favorite books of the Bible is the book of Esther, so when I saw that Jill Eileen Smith had written a Biblical fiction book on Esther called the Star of Persia: Ester's Story I knew that I had to read it.  Jill Eileen Smith is one of only two authors I go to for, for Biblical fiction. 

Star of Persia: Esther's Story is different than Jill's previous books but is just as good as the other books of hers that I've read.  In this one, she balanced the Biblical account of the book of Esther with that of the historical account of Xerxes rein. Both the Biblical and historical accounts were woven together to bring this awesome book to live.

Star of Persia brings the story of Esther to life an after reading this book I went back and read the book of Esther from my Bible. 

This book is perfect for fans of Biblical fiction and Tessa Afhsar. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Adorkable review

Title:  Adorkable 

Author: Cookie O'Gorman 

Chapters: 17 plus some extra content

Pages:340

Genre: YA Rom Com Chick lit 

Rating: 4 stars 

Publisher: Entangled: Teen

I have to say I loved the title of this book Adorkable it's described as a descriptive term as equal parts dorky and adorable, which describes the main character, Sally Spitz, to a T.   She's been friends with the boy next Becks for years, the only problem is she's had a crush on him for just as long.  But she's a nerd and he's the captain and star of the soccer team. But when she needs a fake boyfriend to get her mom and her other best friend to stop setting her up on blind dates Becks willing steps in to play the part, because while Sally's been keeping secrets from everyone including her mom, Becks has been keeping secrets for Sally. 

I loved this book I think mainly because Sally reminded me so much of me in high school a nerdy girl on the petite side whom my guy friends thought was adorable. I would have loved the term adorkable in high school.  Like Sally in high school I tended to slip into German when I was upset.   And one of my best guy friends whom I did have a crush on but never dates was on the soccer team.   This book gave me all the early 2000s teen Rom Com feels.  I also loved that his book was set in North Carolina and mentioned two of the top Colleges in North Carolina who do have a bitter rivalry Duke and UNC (North Carolina). 

This book is perfect for all those girls who feel like too much of a nerd to ever get the guy and well as anyone who felt that way in high school.   And keep in my mind according to Disney the nerdy bookworm been getting the guy since 1991, thanks, Belle. 

The Kiss Thief Review

Title:  The Kiss Thief 

Author: Jessica Kate 

Series: A Sassy Short #2 

Chapters: 3

  

Genre: Rom Com 

Rating: 4 stars 

Publisher: Jessica Kate 

The Kiss Thief is a short story by author Jessica Kate that gives a short introduction to Jessica's sassy rom com writing style.  I've enjoyed the first sassy short by her as well as her two novels and I've loved everything she's written so far.  And even though she's not got any release dates as she just released her second book this year, I'm still looking forward to the next book. 

In The Kiss Thief Jaqueline plans to steal her dead mother's cookbook back from her ex and ends up getting her neighbor Donny to help her.  This was only three chapters but it was full of suspense and comedy as well as a hint of romance.   Jacq was an easy heroine to relate to as I could indeed see myself doing the exact same thing.  Because if my ex had indeed stolen my actual deceased mother's handwritten cookbook I'm pretty sure I would have done the same thing Jacq's did. So I did enjoy this short and it gave me a laugh. 

This story is exclusively available when you sign up to Jessica Kate's newsletter at https://jessicakatewriting.com

Hill Women: Finding Family and A Way Forward in the Appalachian Mountains review

Title:  Hill Women: Finding Family and A Way Forward in the Appalachian Mountains 

Author: Cassie Chambers 

Chapters: 18 Plus Epilogue 

Pages: 304

Genre: Memoir 

Rating: 4 stars 

Publisher:  Ballantine Books 

I was a little wary about reading Hill Women: Finding Family and a Way Forward in the Appalachian Mountains by Cassie Chambers, because the previous book I'd read about Kentucky's Appalachian communities focused on the bad.  However, with Hill women, I didn't have to worry about that.   Cassie doesn't sugar coat anything about her childhood in Owsley county the poorest county in Kentucky and one of the poorest in the United States and Berea a small college town in Eastern Kentucky, but she shares both the good and the bad.  She sheds light on what life is really like for the people who call the mountains and hollers home.  

She tells of how her granny and her aunt Ruth encouraged first her mother and then her to get an education, which took her away from home for a bit, but she eventually found her way back with a law degree that she has since used to help rural women in her home state. I also learned why reading this that she helped get a very important law passed in Kentucky that helps domestic violence survivors. I love my state but when it comes to many laws were are way behind the times.

Something that struck me was the author and I are around the same age from the state and had similar family setups.  Like the author, I spent many a summer on the family farm and the Tobacco field, only in my case it was my great grandparent's farm in rural Western Kentucky not Eastern Kentucky.  While the author was only one generation removed from her family's rural past many members of her family still live in their rural community. I am two generations removed from my family's rural past and many of my family still live in their rural communities.  And unlike the author who was a second-generation college graduate, I am a first-generation college graduate whose maternal grandfather who himself only had an eighth-grade education helped pay my way through college and encouraged me when it got hard. 

The author points out something that seems to be lacking in other memoirs about Appalachian upbringings is that while they are those who are lazy and want to work the system, there are also those who work hard to get an education but have to leave to find a job. And those who want to work can't find a job because there aren't any jobs in the area. And they can't afford to leave.  

To me, Cassie Chambers wrote the most truthful and tasteful memoir about childhood and life in Kentucky's Appalachian that I have read. 

The Anatomist's Wife Review

Title:  The Anatomist’s Wife 

Author: Anna Lee Huber 

Series: Lady Darby mystery book 1

Pages:357

Genre: Historical Mystery 

Rating: 4 stars 

Publisher:  Penguin publishing 

The Anatomist's wife by Anna Lee Huber is the first book in the Lady Darby Mystery series.  Kiera Lady Darby didn't plan on getting involved in solving mysteries.  She did so pretty much save her own neck.  When a murder happens at a house party she becomes the prime suspect because of rumors about her past. She only agrees to work with Sebastian Gage to clear her own name. But she soon discovers that she has a nack and eye for clues.  

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would because even though I enjoy reading historical fiction and mysteries I haven't found one that combined the two that I enjoyed.  From the first chapter, I was hooked and couldn't wait to find out what happened.  The reveal of the murderer was a shock I didn't see that coming.   This book is a strong first novel in a series and the books just keep getting better from here. The banter between Kiera and Gage adds to the story. 

Where the Fire Falls Review

Title:  Where the Fire Falls 

Author: Karen Barnett 

Series: Vintage National Parks book 2 

Chapters: 29

Pages: 344

Genre: Christian Historical fiction 

Rating: 4 stars 

Publisher: Waterbrook

Where the Fire Falls by Karen Barnett is the second book in the Vintage National Parks series, and even though it's the second book in a series it can be read as a standalone novel.  This book is set at Yosemite National Park in California in the late 1920s.  Olivia Rutherford is an artist running from her past and Clark Johnson is back country guide at Yosemite also running from the mistakes of his past. 

I loved learning about a national park that I haven't been to and learning about the history of the park. While I didn't love this one as much as the first book in the series but I still enjoyed reading this book and I look forward to finishing the series and reading Karen's backlist. 

Peackeepers at War: Beirut 1983-The Marine Commander Tells His story review

Title:  Peackeepers at War: Beirut 1983-The Marine Commander Tells His story 

Author: Timothy J Geraghty, Alfred M. Gray Jr. (Contributor) 

Pages:272

Genre: Nonfiction/memoir 

Rating: 4 stars 

Publisher:  Potomac Books

Peackeepers at War: Beirut 1983-The Marine Commander Tells His story by Timothy J Geraghty is a first-hand account from the Commander who was on the ground in Beirut leading the Marines when the bombing occurred.  This is an account of what happened before, during and immediately after. As well as months and even years later. 

It was until the 2000s that he was able to tell his story his side of what happened. As he was pretty made to be the scapegoat.  How looking back the Beirut bombing was one of the first terrorist attacks against the US because our Marines won't in Beirut as an act of war they were part of a peacekeeping force sent to help prevent Lebanese citizens from Syria and Iran.  And because there was no retribution for the people behind it, it shaped not just the US but the world and lead to the current war on terrorism because no retribution was given for the bombing. 

This was a hard book for me to read, but to me, it was worth it, because even though it happened before I was born the events in this book shaped my life. The actions of the military commanders and the President at the time or lack of actions. Of the Marines killed five were from my home state, two from my home city, one of whom my dad had gone through basic training with and another that was a distant cousin on my mom's side of the family.  This is one of the first nonfiction books that I've read in a while that's actually caused me to cry. As well as it being a little personal for me. 

When Reagan Sent in the Marines review

Title: When Reagan Sent in the Marines: The Invasion of Lebanon 

Author: Patrick J Sloyan 

Chapters: 14 plus prologue and epilogue 

Pages: 240

Genre: nonfiction 

Rating: 4 stars 

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books 

I'm not going to lie When Reagan Sent in the Marines: The Invasion of Lebanon by Patrick J Sloyan was a hard read at least for me. Not because of the writing level or the amount of information, but because of the subject material.  Unlike most people, my age who weren't alive when the events in this book happened I grew up hearing about the attack and the events leading up to it and the Marines effected have pretty much affected my life and the lives of members of my family.  The Date of October 23, 1983, is forever burned into my memory as the day my dad lost Marine brothers and my home state lost five Marines two from my hometown and one from my mom's hometown and a distant relative. 

Patrick J Sloyan disused both sides as well as gave an overview of what was happening in the Middle East at the time as well as the rest of the world.  As a journalist turned writer it clear that he tried to remain unbiased as much as he could but there were some parts where you could tell it was hard for him to keep it out of the writing.  What sets this book apart from previous books about the topic is that by the time it was published 36 years had passed since the bombing.   As well as getting an overview and history of what was happening at the time. As well as more information on Reagan's role in Lebanon and why he sent the Marines there.  However, there are things we will never know.  

Also reading you learn that the main reason that the Invasion of Grenada happened was Reagan was trying to find a way to save face from the issues in Lebanon and so the Marines headed to Lebanon to back up the drowning Marines in Beirut were rerouted to be part of the Invasion force for Grenada.   What a reader should take away from this book if they take nothing else from it is that the bombing that killed 241 Americans 220 of them Marines was the first and worst terrorist attack our Nation would have until 9/11, and that this attack and the response to it is still felt today and paved the way for other terrorist attacks.  And for me personally after reading this book I better understand my dad and what he went through as a 20-year-old Marine. 

You are Worth it review

Title:  You Are Worth it: Building a Life worth fighting For 

Author: Kyle Carpenter with Don Yaeger 

Chapters: 18 plus intro and parting thoughts 

Pages: 320

Genre: memoir 

Rating: 5 stars 

Publisher:  Harper Collins 

You are worth it: Building a Life Worth Fighting for is a memoir by Kyle Carpenter who happens to be the youngest living Medal of Honor recipient. But this book is more than just a memoir.  I listened to the audio of the book and it's read by Kyle so you get to hear his story in his own words.   Kyle's story shows that an act of heroism can happen in the blink of an eye without thinking however he stresses that he didn't join the Marines thinking about being a hero nor receiving medals no one he stresses wants to receive medals you just want to get your brother on your left and right and yourself home in one piece. What stuck with me after finishing the audio is that everyone on earth is Worth it. Worth it, as applied to this book, is that Kyle was saying that every American and the people of Afghanistan were what he went through to have freedom. 

I listened to the audio book so I don't know what my experience would have been like if I had read the book instead, I do know it would have been different I just don't know how different.  Listening to the audio book there were times I was laughing and times in which tears were pouring down my face. I'm pretty sure the parts that made me cry would still have made me cry while reading the book but I don't know if the funny lines would have been as funny reading them instead of hearing them in Kyle's voice.  One of my favorite lines in the book was his mom saying something about the gray hair he was giving her. And I think it’s safe to most kids have heard their mom say that at one point or another. 

You are Worth it is a memoir worth reading and everyone can get something out of this book. I recommend the audio version and I'm picky about my audio book narrators, but nonfiction audio books are best when narrated by the author.   And listening/reading this book I am reminded again how much we owe our Servicemen and women and our veterans. 

A Field Guide to Homicide review

Title:  A Field Guide to Homicide 

Author: Lynn Cahoon 

Series: Cat Latimer Mystery 6

Chapters: 24

Pages:279

Genre: Cozy Mystery 

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher:  Kensington Books 

`A Field guide to Homicide is the sixth book in the Cat Latimer Mystery series by Lynn Cahoon and in this one, Seth has a blast from his past that he wasn't expecting.  An old army buddy of his, he thought died when they were stationed in Germany only to find him murder in the Colorado wildness is a shock to Seth. But on that same note Cat has the feeling that Seth is hiding something about his past from her, and everything is a little tense.  And of course like always her uncle doesn't want her to get involved in trying to solve the murder. But Cat's an author she's naturally nosy 

I did like that in this one the murder had nothing to do with the writer's retreat. But even though it didn't Cat still found herself trying to solve the murder because of the victim's ties to Seth.  All in all, I enjoyed this installment in the Cat Latimer mystery series that I didn't even mind the slight cliff hanger at the end of the book. Which means that hopefully there's at least one more book in the series in the future. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

First Line Friday

First Lines Friday hosted by Hoarding Books Blog

Amazon  Barnes and Noble   Goodreads

"Samuel Payton was an idiot." 

I love this opening line love Jessica's Kate Rom Com's in book form.

Mountain Hostage Review

Title:  Mountain Hostage 

Author: Hope White 

Series: K-9 Mountain Guardians 2 

Pages:224

Genre: Christian romantic Suspense 

Rating: 3 stars 

Publisher:  Love Inspired Suspense 

After being rescued by search and rescue volunteer Jack Monroe and his K-9 partner Romeo Zoe Pratt is determined to find her friend and clear her name.  

Mountain Hostage is a typical Love Inspired suspense.  It is a short read but it is action-packed and fast-paced. Like most Love inspired books I was able to finish it in a day. I have to say that Romeo was my favorite character in the book. I look forward to the rest of the books in the series. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Hems and Homicide review

Title:  Hems and Homicide 

Author: Elizabeth Penney 

Series: Apron Shop # 1

Pages:264

Genre: cozy mystery 

Rating: 4 stars 

Publisher: St. martin's Press 

Hems and Homicide by Elizabeth Penney is the first book in the Apron shop mystery series. Iris Buckley moves back to her Maine hometown after the death of her grandfather to help her grandmother out and to bring her online apron business to life.  But instead, they find a skeleton in the basement that leads to a modern murder.  It's up to Iris, her friend Madison and handyman Ian to find two killers before it's too late. 

I am a sucker for cozy mysteries and cozy mysteries with a grandma granddaughter duo especially those dealing with the loss of the grandfather as they are easy to relate to. This one was fast-paced and a quick read.  I look forward to the next one in the series. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.