Carissa's bookshelf: January 2022

Monday, January 31, 2022

It's a Mad, Mad Murder by Cindy Vincent review

Title: It’s a Mad, Mad Murder

Author: Cindy Vincent

Ch: 28

Pg: 263

Series: A Maddie Montgomery Mystery

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher: Whodunnit press

What’s a cozy mystery writer do when her publisher goes belly up? Try her hand at solving a real-life Murder mystery either the help of her neighbor and her son.

I enjoyed this cozy mystery. The mystery kept me guessing till the last page and that’s what I love in a mystery. I look forward to the next book in the series.

I received a complimentary copy from the author. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Life Flight by Lynette Eason

Title: Life Flight

Author: Lynette Eason

Ch: 33

Pg: 329

Series: Extreme Measures

Genre: Christian Suspense

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher: Revell

I enjoy the suspense and the secondary storyline and characters. But it took me a while to warm up to Penny. But once I did, I was rooting for her and Holt both on and off the off case.

Eason’s books always have the right balance of romance to suspense in her romantic suspense and Life Flight was no different. With her suspense I’m going to get well drawn mystery that will kept me on my toes to very last page with my happy ending. I also enjoy that while she writes series each book in the series is stand alone. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

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.

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.

Monday, January 17, 2022

The Proposal by Jess Mastorakos review

Title: The Proposal

Author: Jess Mastorakos

Ch: 26 plus epilogue

Series: The Brides of Beaufort

Genre: Contemporary Rom Com

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher: Indie

I’ve loved almost everything I’ve read by Jess and The Proposal is no different. I’m normally not a fan of friends to more. But with Shelby and Paul it worked. I think do in part of the being friends’ years and basically going through hell and back together. Paul’s a Marine a favorite hero of mine on and off the page. As an east coast Marine family, I enjoyed the South Carolina setting of this one.

And while I loved Shelby and Paul as well as their romance. The characters I related to the most was Jaycee. I remembered being the same age as her getting the JRA diagnosis but unlike her it was a dance team dreams on the fence it was playing soccer throughout the pain and good days and bad days. But what hurt the most saying goodbye to the lifelong dream I had sense I was a kid of following in my dad’s footsteps of serving in the Marines. Like Jaycee and Shelby, I learned that while one dream had changed life was still worth living. That’s what I love about Jess’s books there’s always something for everyone.

I received a copy from the author. I was not required to provide a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

To Treasure an Heiress by Roseanna M White review

Title: To Treasure an Heiress

Author: Roseanna M White

Ch: 30

Pg: 384

Series: Secrets of the Isles

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction, Christian Historical romance

Rating: 4.5 stars

Publisher: Bethany House

I have to say that To Treasure an Heiress is my favorite book of the Secrets of the Isle series. And I think it’s the whole searching for pirate treasure and finding out more to the pirate story. Plus, Beth become a favorite of mine in the first book and Sheridan quickly grew on me. And just like the first book I loved Beth’s grandmas’ words of wisdom.

But someone else kind of stole the hero title away from Sheridan at least from my point of view. And that was Ainsley lord Sheridan valet. I loved that Ainsley wasn’t afraid to live out his faith. He never turned away from the chance to share the love of Jesus. Ainsley was always willing to do the right thing no matter the cost. But importantly he didn’t treat Senara differently when he learned the truth. He just showed her who she was in Christ, and he wanted her to find Christ even if didn’t end the way he wanted it to. Ainsley quote l, “But we’re not fabric, Senara. We are pearls.” Is the quote that stands out to me the most.

I love a book in which you love the main characters but it’s the secondary characters that steal your heart. And he becomes the hero of the book to you.

I look forward to the next book in series to see how everything wraps up. And like always I love her Roseann threads faith throughout the story.

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.

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.

To Treasure an Heiress

the Secrets of the Isles, 2

Beth Tremayne has always been drawn to adventure. During her childhood, she fed that desire by exploring every inch of the Isles of Scilly. As an adolescent, she dreamed of love in London’s ballrooms. Now, stumbling across an old map on her family’s property, she’s found more adventure than she ever dreamed in the hunt for pirate treasure. Unfortunately, Beth can’t escape the attentions of her family’s guest, Lord Sheridan.

Sheridan has spent years pursuing whatever archaeological interest caught his imagination. And when he discovers that Beth’s search connects with one of his favorite pirates of history, he can’t help getting involved. Plus, he finds her irresistible, even though she insists he stole a prized possession of hers.

As they work together following different clues and drawing closer to danger, they start to piece together a story of tragic love and piratical adventure. But the true surprise is the treasure they discover in one another.

Amazon Barnes and Noble Christianbook Roseanna's Shop(signed copy)

Author Bio & Photo

Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two kids, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books…to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

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Monday, January 10, 2022

A Heart Adrift by Laura Frantz

Title: A Heart Adrift

Author: Laura Frantz

Ch: 73

Pg: 416

Genre: Christian Historical Romance, Christian Historical Fiction

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher: Revell

I didn’t think Laura could ever write a hero that would replace General Seamus Ogilvy as my favorite hero of hers. And have him now sharing second place with Xander Renick. Sorry Seamus but not really. But I should have known as soon as I learned the hero of A Heart Adrift was Captain Henri Lennox a sea captain that I was going to have a new favorite hero. I blame my childhood literary crushes on Captain Hook and the Dread Pirate Roberts on my love of nautical heroes and such.

Esmee Shaw on the other hand was a bookish kindred spirit not since Temperance Tucker in A Moonbow Night have I related so much to one of her Laura’s heroines being a chocolatier aside as I can’t stand the smell of melting or cooking chocolate (I know I’m weird) but I’ve been that way since childhood. Like Esmee I’m the older sister who also had watch a father deal with “A Heart Adrift” after the loss of my mom. She was the compass that always brought my own seafaring father home through dad was a Marine not a ship’s captain.

That’s what I love about Laura’s books even you don’t think they are going to there’s always a small detail a character a scene or quote that’s going to hit your personally that’s going to say with you long after your close the page.

I’m also probably reading too much into the Lighthouse being in the story. But to me it was a reminder of God being the light in the storm getting us safely back to shore so speak.

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.

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.