Dysfunction Junction

When three women receive an unexpected phone call that leaves them reeling, they have no other choice but to reckon with a lifetime of memories they’ve long tried to bury. Only in facing the past will they find their path forward.

Frances Mae Livingston’s firm grip of her family’s destructive history makes her hold her husband and four children even closer. But she’s losing bits of herself while proving to everybody and her mama that she’s enough. There’s no way she’ll repeat her mama’s mistakes, even if it kills her.

Annabelle McMillan didn’t have trouble kicking the Eastern North Carolina dust off her feet. The tough part was replanting herself in familiar soil. Now she’s blending her old life with her new husband, stepson, and unborn child. And battling old memories of abandonment and new fears of rejection.

Dr. Charlotte Winters has built a career around helping others sort through their emotional baggage. She’s also spent a lifetime refusing to unpack her own. So what if Charlotte doesn’t recall all that her mama did to her and what her daddy didn’t do for her? Her only mission is to help others help themselves…until the women from her past and the man in her future undo her well-sewn life.

At the junction of healed and hurting, broken and whole, and past and present, three women wrestle with their inability to forgive and forget in this riveting Southern family drama about sisterhood from award-winning author Robin W. Pearson.

My Review:

I’m having a hard time finding words to express the impact this novel had on me. Maybe because I too am the product of a dysfunctional family. So there are some hard truths within these pages and I had to do some reckoning right along with Frankie, Annabelle and Charlotte. And oh, but my heart hurt for them…and for me. Therapeutic bibliotherapy at its best.

The story is told through three points of view as each sister marries memories from her past with the reality she is trying to make work in the present. The flashbacks are heartbreaking as all three are products of neglect and abuse. It colours the way each sister views life and love and even their own rocky relationship.

I had a favourite sister in the beginning, but my loyalty was no longer divided by the end. These women are survivors. Overcomerers filled with grace. Their journey is unimaginably hard and emotionally complex but it’s a redemption story worth reading. 

I listened to the audio book expertly narrated by LaNecia Edmonds who did an amazing job giving each sister a distinctive voice. She really captured their personalities and brought an extra energy to the author’s vibrant storytelling. A great author/narrator pairing.

My thanks to the publisher, Dreamscape Media and Net Galley for providing me with an audio copy of Dysfunction Junction.

Hart of Noel + Giveaway

Noel, Missouri: where cookies and ornaments collide.

Books and cookies — a match made in heaven?

Not hardly. Josh Hart just wants his fledgling bookstore to have a chance, and with every car in the tiny town of Noel parking in front of his story, you’d think he had a good one.

Again, not hardly.

They’re all taking up his prime parking to get into Honey Pott’s Bakery. Josh is certain if Honey would quit parking her own over-sized SUV right smack-dab in front of his door, maybe people could see the store.

Enter Milton Coleridge and his trusty parrotlet, Atticus (not Finch). He loves the store, but he has news for Josh. Without some major changes, Noel’s first bookstore may be its last.

A Hart of Noel is a Christmas ‘novella’ in the Bookstrings series.

My Review:

published in 2021

A delightful book-centric Christmas novella that can be enjoyed any time of the year!

Gotta love a series about a man (and his parrotlet) who travel around saving independent bookstores. Milton is my hero — and he has a nifty sideline as a matchmaker. Love his quiet ways, earnest observations and the ability he has to see into the heart of a problem and offer solutions.

And Josh has a lot of problems. From a floundering bookstore to a volatile feud with the neighbourhood baker. You’ve heard of the grumpy sunshine trope? Well, this is a grumpy/grumpy trope. Josh and Honey are like oil and water. Always on the defensive when it comes to each other and apt to spew first, think later. Milton has his hands full with these two.

Such a fun little read. Dry humour, valiant efforts to save a bookstore and spark a romance all in the days leading up to Christmas. Along with oodles of sage Milton-isms. What’s not to love?

One Final Target + Giveaway

Two wounded heroes shattered by tragedy and paralyzed by guilt and must find their footing and work together to catch a killer.

A warrant service in the San Bernardino Mountains goes horribly wrong when an IED blast kills four police officers. Devastated by the loss of her team, the lone survivor, Long Beach sergeant Jodie King, struggles with her guilt and grief, especially as the case remains open with no clear leads or suspects. Weeks after the explosion, Jodie retires from the police department and returns to the mountain bomb site seeking peace and resolution . . . only to find herself in the crosshairs once again.

Sam Gresham just happens to be in the right place at the right time when shots are fired at Jodie. The newest detective for the county sheriff’s department, Sam is assigned to work the IED, his first case back after his own traumatic loss. While Sam sees an opportunity to help Jodie heal from her lingering scars, Jodie hopes fresh eyes will bring new insight to the investigation. Because after this latest shooting, one thing seems Jodie has always been the intended target―and the threat may be much closer to her than anyone wants to admit.

Janice Cantore delivers another pulse-pounding contemporary romantic suspense novel about overcoming grief and learning to trust again.

My Review:

Astounding! I listened to this book in a day because I just couldn’t tear myself away! And there’s so much I want to say but can’t because of spoilers but — ohhhh — this is more than a riveting suspense novel (though it definitely is that.) But there are complex characters with hard back stories and lots of tough conversations as they grapple with the why’s and wherefores and the looming question of where God is in all the mess.

The faith thread is amazing! So many great lines I wanted to write down but I never had pen and paper handy since I was always on the go while listening to Jeannie Sheneman’s exceptional narration. She has a kind of gritty timber to her voice that lends itself to this type of tense suspense novel really well.

Impeccable pacing in the plot — the way the author starts to draw everything together for the hair-raising climatic conclusion, well, just wow! I was mesmerized by it all. Great police procedural scenes fraught with emotion. Cantore’s policing background shines in the intricate depths she brings to all the little nuances us regular folk wouldn’t even know to think about.

If you enjoy phenomenal suspense with an honest ‘friends to the potential for more’ trope expertly woven in amidst danger and trauma, then ‘One Final Target’ definitely belongs on your TBR.

My thanks to the publisher, Dreamscape Media and Net Galley for providing me with an audio copy of this book.

Lady of Disguise

Only the hidden treasure will allow Louisa and her sister to gain their freedom.

England, 1388: All her life, Louisa has dreamed of finding the rumored “Giant’s Treasure,” a collection of ancient, lost riches said to be hidden on a mountaintop in Scotland, guarded by a fierce monster. It’s a story her father used to tell her, and when he dies and she and her younger sister have to go live with their shiftless, greedy uncle, Louisa is determined to find that treasure. It’s the hope that has kept her defying her uncle’s efforts to marry her off to the highest bidder.

After her uncle starts to parade Louisa’s twelve-year-old sister Margaret in front of potential husbands, Louisa realizes she has no time to waste. She disguises herself as a boy and takes off for Scotland. But the road is a harsher place than she’d imagined, and she is relieved to find a friend in the knight, Sir Charles, who goes along with her on her journey.

Charles is intrigued by this young woman who claims her name is “Jack” and is set on going to Scotland. He goes along, pretending to believe she is a boy, in order to make sure nothing bad happens to her. As they meet new friends along the road, and as Louisa comes clean about her identity, the pair find themselves falling in love. But what will happen when they reach Scotland? Will they find their independence and the freedom to marry in the form of a buried treasure, or will the monster from Louisa’s own past keep the young couple apart?

A delightfully charming reimagining of “Jack and the Beanstalk” from New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson.

My Review:

I adore fairy tale retellings and this is my first Jack and the Beanstalk reimagining. I’d say it’s on the lighter side at the start but an imaginative twist towards the end brought some wonderfully believable parallels to this age old tale. Very clever, Ms. Dickerson, very clever indeed. 🙂

Louisa makes the perfect damsel in distress with Charles as her knight in shining armour. She’s a spunky, imaginative heroine who is not quite ready to be let loose in the real world. Luckily Charles takes his knightly duties of guarding and protecting seriously. Friendship develops into more but, of course, there’s a quest to conquer and a villain to defeat before the hope of a happily ever after can be obtained!

Love the journey — the people they meet along the way. In true fairy tale fashion, Louisa and Charles provide assistance and encouragement and I appreciated the way the author wove the importance of prayer throughout the story.

I listened to the audio edition narrated by Jude Mason who did a marvellous job creating a fairy tale ambiance in her performance. Thoroughly enjoyed my listen.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Audio and Negalley for providing me with an audio edition of Lady of Disguise.

The Juliet Code + Giveaway

Newlyweds Lord and Lady Astley Finally Reach Their Honeymoon Destination Only to Encounter a New Mystery in Need of Solving
 
Frederick and Grace Percy finally make it to Italy to enjoy a delayed honeymoon and explore the beauties of the historic city of Venice. To their surprise, their friend, Detective Jack Miracle, is also in the city, investigating a series of art heists starting at the house of eccentric millionaire, Laraby Covington. Drawn into a world of boat races, mysterious houses, and parties of the rich and unusual in Venice, Frederick and Grace learn of the existence of the Juliet paintings, (Renaissance paintings feature Shakespeare’s tragic heroine) rumored to hold a secret code to an underground vault of similarly treasured artwork assumed lost over the centuries. As Freddie and Grace are pulled deeper into the mystery and their beloved Detective Jack disappears, can they use their wits and work as a team to find the thieves and Jack before it’s too late. 
 
The Juliet Code is a Freddie and Grace Mystery, sequel to The Mistletoe Countess and The Cairo Curse.

My Review:

Squeeeeeeeepppppp! It’s official: Freddie & Grace are my favourite sleuthing couple ever and there better be more books in this mystery series or I will fall into the depths of bibliophile despair! Not only do I have an insatiable need to keep current with Freddie and Grace, but there are secondary characters who have become dear to my heart in these second and third books and I need to check in on them and their potential love interests. We need to start a ‘More Freddie & Grace’ campaign!

Ahem — back to my actual purpose here — this review: Did I enjoy this book? Positively, absolutely ADORED it! Fast paced, tons of banter, delectable toe-curling scenes (be still my heart…I’m still feeling the palpitations) and an intriguing Agathat Christie-ish mystery that was so much fun to try and figure out.

Indomitable Grace, of course, steals the show, saves the day and Frederick is more smitten than ever! I love the way her mind works — she’s funny and thoughtful and book-centric. Grace makes some lovely references to God being the author of our stories and I love that kind of detail which fits so perfectly with who Grace is and shares profound truth in a very natural way. So well done.

‘The Juliet Code’ is the third book in this series and, while you could easily read this one as a standalone, there are a few spoilers from previous books you may or may not pick up on. So, if you intend to read the other books, I’d suggest reading them in order to get the most bibliophile enjoyment.

The Rancher Takes a Cowgirl + Giveaway

A quiet Texas ranch may be just the place to disappear…

Grace Harper is in hiding. When her father died six months before, she never imagined her unexpected inheritance would threaten her life. What better place to disappear than on a cattle ranch, doing the work she spent the last nine years helping her father with? And surely she’ll be safe hidden in Texas, thousands of miles from her trouble.

Monty Dominguez has spent much of his life working on the Double Rocking B Ranch in Seguin, Texas. He’s worked his way from a 12-year-old orphan stable boy, to ranch foreman and trusted friend of the family. There’s not much he wouldn’t do to protect the people and land he loves, even if it means giving up his own dreams.

When the danger trailing Grace catches up to her, there’s only one way to save the people—especially the man—she’s come to love. Can she find the courage for the ultimate sacrifice to protect those she’s put at risk? Just as Monty’s dreams might finally be within reach, will one misstep cost him everything?

My Review:

published in 2020

A fast read and not just because of the shorter length (196 p.) This Western Romance is full of heart and action and all kinds of ranching details that make it the kind of ‘devour in one sitting’ read I love. It harkens back to a simpler time — the kind glorified in old Westerns where good is good and bad is evil and trusting in others can either be your salvation or your undoing. Loved that old-timey vibe carried throughout the story.

Action, adventure and romance all wrapped up in a ‘Bonanza’ type setting impressed, so my first Misty M. Beiler novel won’t be my last!

Of Note: This is the third and final book in the Texas Rancher Trilogy and, while there is an overlap in characters from the first two books, it can definitely be read as a standalone. I dove in here and I didn’t have any problem though there was a reunion of sorts with lots of new-to-me characters who play a secondary role. Just made me want to read the first two book to get everybody’s love stories! 🙂

I listened to the audio book, narrated by Peggy Sowersby and she did a great job with the Texan drawl and rancher lingo. 🙂

Of Love and Treason + Giveaway

Valentine defies the emperor and becomes a hero . . . and the most wanted man in the empire. Compelled by his faith, he has nothing to lose, until a chance encounter with the daughter of a Roman jailor changes everything.

Rome, AD 270. In the wake of the emperor’s marriage ban, rumors swirl that there is one man brave enough to perform wedding ceremonies in secret. A public notarius and leader of an underground church, Valentine believes the emperor’s edict unjust and risks his own life for the sake of his convictions. But as his fame grows, so do fears for his safety.

Iris, the daughter of a Roman jailor, believes regaining her sight will ease the mounting troubles at home. Her last hope rests in searching out Valentine and his church, but the danger of associating with people labeled a threat to the empire is great. Still, as Iris’s new friends lead her to faith in God, Iris is drawn to Valentine and they both begin to hope for a future together beyond the treacherous empire.

But when a past debt and a staggering betrayal collide, Valentine, Iris, and everyone they love must fight for their lives . . . and wrestle with trusting a God who can restore sight yet does not always keep His followers from peril.

My Review:

This book is so far out of my comfort zone that I’m surprised it lured me in anyway. Not only caught my attention, but kept it right to last heart-breaking, hope-soaring word. (Sniffle.) Of course, I knew going in there wouldn’t be the kind of fictional happily ever after that I craved but still…

So much to say about this unique novel…and yet I’m too bereft to find the words. That’s Jamie Ogle’s fault — her exquisite writing wrapped me in the best of bookish hugs for all that it also induced tears and sorrow. (More sniffles and a heaving sigh.)

Memorable characters for all their flaws but also for the light of Christ that shines through them. There are some very raw, hard to read scenes. Brutal even. But so many goose-bumping, Jesus-praising moments as well which helps to balance things out. Still, it’s the kind of read that brings on an emotional stupor of epic bibliophile proportions by the time you reach the end. And I’m still reeling.

So, not an easy read. A most difficult one, actually. But I’m richer for having read this story and met these characters and experienced what it was like to live as a Christian under the brutal rule of the Roman Emperor. Thought-provoking and emotionally stirring (though I’m diving into a rom/com asap to lighten my mood!)

My thanks to the publisher, Dreamscape Media and Net Galley for providing me with an audio copy of this book. Lillian Kelly’s narration is stunning! She has a soothing, easy-to-listen to voice which helped carry me through the hardest scenes. Her emotional, attention grabbing performance held me spellbound.

The Heart’s Shelter

Kira has no interest in dating and putting down roots in Pennsylvania—that is, until she finds a kindred spirit in Jayden Bontrager.

Kira Detweiler doesn’t plan to be in Lancaster County for long. She’s left her family in Indiana to help her aunt after the birth of her fourth boppli. Or at least that’s what she tells people. Deep down, she’s trying to escape the heartache of a broken engagement and has no plans to date again anytime soon.

Jayden Bontrager watches his older brothers with admiration, and he prays that someday he’ll have the kind of life they do. Even so, he’s only twenty-three and not in a hurry to marry and start a family. He’s content to watch from the sidelines and is happy to see his brothers enjoying a close relationship once again.

When Jayden and Kira strike up a friendship, they are each drawn to the other’s gentle and humble demeanor, and they feel things for one another unlike anything they’ve felt before. But Kira is torn between her heart and her home. She sees no point in pursuing a relationship with Jayden when she doesn’t plan to put down roots in Pennsylvania. The last thing she needs is another heartbreak.

Will Jayden and Kira be able to overcome the obstacles in their path to find the future they both dream of?

In this fourth and final book of the Amish Legacy Series, readers will find out if the youngest Bontrager brother will get his happily ever after.

My Review:

A lovely slice of Amish family life with a sweet friends to more romance trope.

The strength of this story is in the rich details of the Amish community. I loved reading about the day to day goings on in both Jayden’s and Kira’s extended families. And the way they are drawn together and slowly open themselves up to love made for a rich, satisfying read.

Of course it doesn’t all go smoothly. Clipston captures both the anxiety and thrill of starting a relationship and I was unaccountably nervous off and on through the whole read. I mean, I knew there’d be a happily ever after, but still the emotional twists and turns kept me angsting…as did one very annoying maidel. ‘Nuf said.

Of Note: This is the fourth book in the author’s Amish Legacy series but reads perfectly fine as a standalone. If you are familiar with the Bontrager men, you’ll be thrilled to catch up with them and their Frauen. This was my introduction to the series and I had no problem using this story as my starting point. You can bet I’ll be backtracking to catch up with this series sometime soon.

I listened to the audio edition of this novel and Lauren Berst’s narration brought an extra level of enjoyment. It was fun to actually hear various Pensylvania Dutch words spoken (as opposed to the mangled pronunciations rattling around in my head!) And she did a fantastic job of giving the characters distinctive tones and inflections which helped to flesh out the characters in my mind.

My thanks to Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Audio and Net Galley for providing me with an audio edition of The Heart’s Shelter.

Daisies Are Forever

Gisela must hold on to hope and love despite all odds in the midst of a war-torn country.

Gisela Cramer is an American living in eastern Germany with her cousin Ella Reinhardt. When the Red Army invades, they must leave their home to escape to safety in Berlin.

However, Ella is a nurse and refuses to leave, sending her young daughters with Gisela. During their journey, Gisela meets Mitch Edwards, an escaped British POW. She pretends she is his wife in order to preserve his safety among other Germans, especially one wounded German soldier, Kurt, who has suspicions about Mitch’s identity. Kurt also has feelings for Gisela and tries to uncover the truth about her “marriage.”

Their journey to Gisela’s mother in Berlin is riddled with tragedy and hardship, but they strive to keep Ella’s daughters safe so they can reunite with their mother. During the journey Gisela and Mitch begin to develop feelings for one another beyond friendship. They reach Berlin, but their struggles are far from over. Gisela and Mitch must learn to live for the day and find hope in the darkest of circumstances.

In this moving, historically accurate portrayal of WWII Germany, the characters learn that, even with destruction all around them, some things last forever.

My Review:

I’ve read a lot of World War II novels and I’m always amazed at how authors find unique settings and perspectives for their stories. I knew absolutely nothing about this area of Germany (Prussia at the time) and the Russian invasion. Supposed allies fighting to free the world from Hitler’s tyranny, their brutality matched the Nazis and Tolsma captures the desperation and despair of the innocent civilians caught in their path. But she also conveys the people’s resiliency and courage and it all made for a riveting read.

We see that first hand in Gisela’s story which is full of danger and treachery in the midst of the most atrocious circumstances. Yet she doesn’t make the journey alone as an unlikely band of refugees gather together to make their impossible trek to freedom. That includes British POW Mitch and hiding his true identity makes their situation that much more dire.

Phew! But this was a gripping, hard to read at times, uncomfortable but ultimately triumphant story of love and loss in the midst of one of the most turbulent times in history.

I listened to the audio book, narrated by Carol Jacobanis who did a fantastic job with accents and phrasing and helped bring this story to life.

Fragile Designs + Giveaway

Family secrets can be the most dangerous of all.

When Carly Tucker’s police-officer husband is killed during a home break-in, she knows that her side hustle finding the antique treasures at flea markets isn’t enough to support her and their infant son, Noah. So her grandmother’s proposal to have her and her two sisters restore the family’s waterfront Beaufort home into a bed-and-breakfast–that Carly will run–is immediately intriguing. But it’s equally daunting with the animosity that exists between the three sisters.

What Carly never expected as she begins to go through the attic was to find a letter in a trunk, written in her husband’s handwriting . . . dated two days before his death. Eric had discovered that Carly’s grandmother was adopted–a fact Carly is certain Gram is not aware of–and had already begun trying to track down her birth family. Is it possible that Eric’s death wasn’t random after all?

With few options, Carly reaches out to Gram’s neighbor Lucas—and the older brother of her high school sweetheart–who is a local homicide detective. One of the items in the trunk is an enameled egg. If it truly is a Faberge egg, the value could set Carly up for life . . . and would certainly be worth killing for. The journey to find the truth and protect her family will have Carly delving deep into the lost treasures of Eastern Europe–if she and Lucas can survive that long.

My Review:

Classic edge-of-your-seat Coble! Chock full of intrigue and danger paired with bourgeoning romance. And, oh, the family drama! Yikes but I wanted to shake some sense into Carly’s entitled sisters! Gah! I thought the author handled the reasons for the family dynamics and the way they are revealed and resolved really well…but I still want to purse whomp somebody! 🙂

Love the genealogical aspect to the mystery. It brought a bit more edge and emotional rawness to the story. And the Faberge egg angle is unique and captured my imagination. I went on a google deep dive for images and history during the read. Love when a work of fiction prompts me to do that!

The romance is a bit of enemies to more and at first I wasn’t sure I’d become invested in the love story since Carly is recently widowed and a new mother, BUT the author develops the pull between this hero and heroine in a way that had me rooting for them…and swooning over Lucas. Happy sigh. Baby Noah was a heart stealer as well. And when baby-shy Lucas falls for the little guy, well, my heart did happy dancing flip-flops!

Of course, in true Coble style, there’s plenty of intrigue and ominous danger to wade through before the twisty-turny plot can straighten out into a happily ever after and I hung on every last word!

My thanks to the Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Audio and Net Galley for providing me with an audio edition of Fragile Designs. Narrator Karen Peakes has a soothing, easy-to-listen-to voice which captures the nuances of individual characters perfectly — both male and female. Highly recommend the audio edition if you are an avid bibliophile listener like I am!