Book Review: Anchor in the Storm by Sarah Sundin

Publisher Description:

In a time of sacrifice, what price can one put on true love? Nothing slows Lillian Avery down--not her personal challenges and certainly not America's entry into World War II. She finally has a chance to prove herself as a pharmacist in Boston. The demands of her new job energize her. But society boy Ensign Archer Vandenberg's attentions only annoy--even if he is her brother's best friend. During the darkest days of the war, Arch's destroyer hunts German U-boats in vain as the submarines sink dozens of merchant ships along the East Coast. Still shaken by battles at sea, Arch notices his men also struggle with their nerves--and with drowsiness. Could there be a link to the large prescriptions Lillian has been filling? As the danger rises on both land and sea, the two must work together to answer that question. But can Arch ever earn Lillian's trust and affection? My Review: This is the second book in the "Waves of Freedom" series and while it follows some of the same characters as the first book, I think this would be ok as a stand alone read. I did enjoy the first one though, so I would also recommend going back and reading the first one at some point. I really like that there is a bit of history, a bit of romance, and a bit of danger in these stories. It makes for an interesting read while not leaning too heavily on any one area to move the story along. Thunbs up from me :-) Thank you to Revell Publishers for a free copy of this book to read and review.

Book Review: The Quieting by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Publisher's Description:

It was a well-laid plan--but it wasn't her plan . . .  It's all her grandmother's fault. For the last few months, Abigail Stoltzfus has helped her father with his genealogical research, hoping that breaking through a client's brick wall would also break his melancholy. But now her intrusive grandmother has set her sights on marrying off Abigail and insists she come to Stoney Ridge, where there is a plethora of eligible bachelors.  Except that Mammi is mistaken. There are no eligible bachelors in Stoney Ridge, barring one, and he's all wrong. Dane Glick has the wrong last name and the wrong relatives--including the bishop who is at odds over a church matter with Abigail's uncle, minister David Stoltzfus.  As the conflict grows, setting family against family, it's becoming clear that the path to a solution may lead to a Quieting--a removal of a church leader. But for which one? And when Abigail stumbles onto a curious connection during her genealogical research, it could help David solve one problem--but will it create another? My Review: This is part two of "The BIshop's Family" series, so I would highly suggest going back to read the first book in the series before beginning this. In fact, it had been a while since I read the first one, so I went back to re-read it before I started just so I would have more of a clue what was going on. I love that Fisher is never in a hurry to have a happily ever after senario. The characters in her books from Stoney Ridge might be in two or three different series before their story gets fully told, which is why I can never pass up one of her books. You really become invested in they story and want to find out what is going on in that little community! You will not be disappointed in this one. Usually, Amish fiction is not my cup of tea, but even if it is not yours either, I would suggest giving Fisher's writing a try. A wonderful story teller :-) Thank you to Revell Publishers for a free copy of this book to read and review.

Book Review: Traces of Guilt by Dee Henderson

I'm a little behind on my book reviews lately due to being out of the country so be prepared for a couple in a row here to play catch up!

Publisher's Description: State Police Detective Evie Blackwell is launching a new task force dedicated to reexamining unsolved crimes in Illinois. While looking at old evidence for a couple of missing-persons cases in Carin County, she pulls out a few tenuous leads—with startling implications.

I am so on the fence about Dee Henderson's new style of writing. So I hmmm-ed and haaaaaw-ed about even requesting this one to review. Honestly, it was better than some of the other new ones I'd read. It still features a lot of the same people that she has written about before so I would suggest reading her other books first just to get a good idea of who some of the main characters are.
Because the story follows cold cases, there is really not much action, but a lot of dialogue, interviewing and tedious police work (probably more like real life than the exciting page turning crime books but still...). I thought the cases were interesting, but the people are just so introspective and serious that I felt like it needed a bit of excitement to carry it forward a bit.
If you've read Dee Henderson's newer books and liked them, then I'm sure you will also enjoy this one!

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for a free copy of this book to read and review.

Book Review: The Reluctant Duchess

Brice Myerston has had a hard year. Beginning with a dramatic situation trying to save his good friends from a madman, followed by the death of his father, leaving him the new Duke of Nottingham, he certainly does not need any more complications in his life. On top of his new duties, he has also agreed to take the fire eyes into his possession - two priceless jewels that many would kill for.
On a trip to Scotland with his family, he hopes to find a little respite from all the chaos. But when he meets, heiress, Rowena Kinnaird, he feels that voice of God telling him that she is someone in need of help.
Lady Rowena Kinnaird has been the victim of abuse all her life, but after enduring the worst possible kind of abuse, she is desperate to get away from her home before she is doomed to live a life of violence. But surely this flirtatious Duke is not the answer! How could she possibly trust someone with easy smiles, but seems to have secrets of his own. In fact, he may end up putting her in more danger than ever!

This is the second book in the Ladies of the Manor series. I had read the first book a while ago and after just looking at all the people involved in the story, I definitely felt the need to go back and give the first book another read. There is a lot of stuff you need to know from the first book that relates to this story, so definitely pick up that one first (The Lost Heiress).
Once you have finished the first book you will love this one. I love this time period and the story of someone learning to trust after the ultimate betrayal. There are lots of great page turning moments and nail biting parts too! Highly recommend - even better than the first one!

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for a free copy of the this book to review.

Book Review: Playing the Part by Jen Turano

Lucetta Plum has always had an air of mystery about her. The famous actress is known for slighting her admirers, despite the reputation of actresses of that time. But when one fan's admiration turns to something a little more dangerous, Lucetta must flee the city and find somewhere safe to hide.
It's a good thing that Lucetta's friend, widowed society matron, Abigail Hart has the perfect place to hide. And luckily for Abigail's matchmaking habit, that place is with her handsome but reclusive grandson, Bram.
But things at Bram's strange and gothic castle are not as peaceful and safe as they hoped for! Between ghostly sightings and midnight riders, Lucetta wonders if this place is really any safer, and if Bram can be trusted despite his very handsome face and kind ways. With so many secrets between them, can Bram and Lucetta find friendship, safety and perhaps something more?

The one thing that slightly frustrates me about Jen Turanos books is that they are not called a series, even though, I really feel like you need to read her previous two books before you read this one. The three books together follow three friends and I feel like even though you could probably pick this book up and read it by itself, you would be missing all the time getting to know the characters in the other books.
This book is lots of fun and while I kinda knew where it was going the whole time (I actually knew from the hints in the last book), it still had lots of great funny parts and twists in the plot. It was probably my least favorite from the stories of the three friends, but I still read it in a few hours and enjoyed it :-) A good book to pick up for a lighthearted, fun read.

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for a free copy of this book to review.