MY REVIEW:

The heroines in Mary Connealy’s books have always been unique in their own ways but I am really enjoying the heroines from her last few series who have especially unexpected gifts and/or occupations. Forged in Love continues in that vein with none other than a female blacksmith. How unexpected it that? Of course motherless Mariah Stover has grown up in the smithy run by her father and has learned everything he could teach her about the art. When he and her brother are killed by an outlaw gang, Mariah is determined to continue to run his business despite those who doubt that she can.

Although Mariah was the only survivor of the stage ambush, she remembers absolutely nothing about the event. Her friends attempt to protect her from the outlaws by making sure everyone knows she can not remember what happened or who was involved. Clint Baker was especially determined to keep Mariah safe and did so with the aid of her two best friends, strong women in their own right.

I loved the reversal of roles in Forged in Love – Clint as a gourmet cook with his own restaurant and Mariah working as a blacksmith. The relationships between the friends was especially touching and I can’t wait to read about the romance the other two women will encounter.

As I always expect, this was another book by Mary Connealy that I found difficult to put down once I opened it.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

When sparks begin to fly, can a friendship cast in iron be shaped into something more?

Mariah Stover is left for dead and with no memory when the Deadeye Gang robs the stagecoach she’s riding in, killing both her father and brother. As she takes over her father’s blacksmith shop and tries to move forward, she soon finds herself in jeopardy and wondering–does someone know she witnessed the robbery and is still alive?

Handsome and polished Clint Roberts escaped to western Wyoming, leaving his painful memories behind. Hoping for a fresh start, he opens a diner where he creates fine dishes, but is met with harsh resistance from the townsfolk, who prefer to stick to their old ways.

Clint and Mariah are drawn together by the trials they face in town, and Clint is determined to protect Mariah at all costs when danger descends upon her home. As threats pursue them from every side, will they survive to build a life forged in love?

Read an excerpt here.

Purchase a copy here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mary Connealy (www.maryconnealy.com) writes “romantic comedies with cowboys” and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She has sold more than 1.5 million books. She is the author of the popular series Brothers in Arms, Brides of Hope Mountain, High Sierra Sweethearts, The Kincaid Brides, Trouble in Texas, Lassoed in Texas, Sophie’s Daughters, and many other books. Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero.

MY REVIEW:

Cold Light of Day is the latest suspense filled novel by Elizabeth Goddard who has become one of my go-to authors. Like her previous books, this one hits the ground running and the action and suspense do not let up until the end.

Police chief of a small Alaskan town, Autumn is fighting to hold onto her job in the upcoming election despite those who want her out. A sudden influx of newcomers to town as well as the discovery of more than one body has her jumping through hoops as she attempts to solve the case(s). It appears that the murders are connected but if so how?

Newcomer Grier just happens to be in the right place at the right time to rescue a woman from the sea but is he really the hero he seems? Autumn has no choice but to accept his help but questions and secrets between them make her wonder if she is doing the right thing. As the pair face numerous threats to their lives, the chemistry between them is one thing that cannot be denied.

As expected, I thoroughly enjoyed Cold Light of Day and cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in this series.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Police Chief Autumn Long is fighting to keep her job in the quiet Alaska town of Shadow Gap when an unexpected string of criminal activity leaves her with a wounded officer, unexplained murders, and an attack on her own father. Despite her mistrust of outsiders, she turns to Grier Brenner, a newcomer who seems to have the skills and training Autumn needs to face this threat to her community.

Grier is in Alaska for the same reason many others are–to disappear–when Chief Long enlists his help. He emerges from the shadows and proves his mettle, but his presence in her life could be a deadly trap for them both. If his secret is exposed, all will be lost. And he’s not sure even Autumn could save him.

Read an excerpt here.

Purchase a copy here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Elizabeth Goddard is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than 50 novels, including Cold Light of Day and the Rocky Mountain Courage and Uncommon Justice series. Her books have sold nearly 1.5 million copies. She is a Carol Award and Reader’s Choice Award winner and a Daphne du Maurier Award finalist. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family, traveling to find inspiration for her next book, and serving with her husband in ministry. For more information about her books, visit her website at www.elizabethgoddard.com.

MY REVIEW:

Another Freddie and Grace adventure, oh my! I never dreamed Pepper Basham could possibly equal The Mistletoe Countess but I was wrong on all counts. And I’m not sorry I was.

Grace has such a joyful zeal for life that is difficult for her to contain. (She may have even bounced off the walls as a small child.) Freddie is her perfect counterpart with his calm demeanor, patience, and his totally unexpected dry wit. It is such fun to read their dialogue and to accompany them on their adventures.

The Cairo Curse has everything I look for in a good book. Wonderful characters, excellent dialogue, interesting exotic settings, a touch of history, and a perfect blend of mystery, action, danger, romance, and faith all worked together to make me a contented reader for several hours. Not to mention – camels!

I loved traveling to Egypt with Freddie and Grace and am eager to accompany them on their next adventure. The Cairo Curse is not to be missed but please begin with The Mistletoe Countess. I guarantee you won’t be sorry.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Celebrate Lit. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Book: The Cairo Curse Author: Pepper Basham Genre: Christian Fiction / Historical Fiction / Romance / Adventure / Mystery Release date: February 1, 2023 Click here to get your copy!

Clue meets Indiana Jones with a fiction-loving twist only Grace Percy can provide.

Newlyweds Lord and Lady Astley have already experienced their fair-share of suspense, but when a honeymoon trip takes a detour to the mystical land of Egypt, not even Grace with her fiction-loving mind is prepared for the dangers in store. From an assortment of untrustworthy adventure-seekers to a newly discovered tomb with a murderous secret, Frederick and Grace must lean on each other to navigate their dangerous surroundings. As the suspects mount in an antiquities’ heist of ancient proportions, will Frederick and Grace’s attempts to solve the mystery lead to another death among the sands?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor with southern Appalachian flair. Both her historical and contemporary novels have garnered recognition in the Grace Awards, Inspys, and ACFW Carol Awards. Her historical romance, The Thorn Healer, was a finalist in the 2018 RT Awards. Her historical romance novels, My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge and The Red Ribbon, and her contemporary novels, the Mitchell’s Crossroads and Pleasant Gap series, showcase her Appalachian heritage, as well as her love for humor and family. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist to about fifty more, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.

You can learn more about Pepper at her website http://www.pepperdbasham.com or connect with her on FB, IG, or Twitter

READ AN EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK:

February 1914, Havensbrook

Gunfire erupted from outside, sending Frederick Percy, Earl of Astley, leaping from his chair. The seat crashed against the floor behind him in time with another shot. What on earth! He grabbed the first weapon-like item he could find—his grandfather’s cane—and dashed toward the sound, nearly colliding with his butler moving in the same direction.

“Did you hear the gunfire, Brandon?”

The older gentleman’s brows rose as high as they could go without becoming part of his snowy hairline. “Indeed, my lord. From the south garden, if I guess correctly, sir.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Frederick tapped the cane against the floor and took a step in the direction of the garden door. Then stopped, a sudden sense of dread forming a lump in his stomach. His butler’s response was much too cavalier for an emergency. “Have you seen Lady Astley of late, Brandon?”

“Not since after breakfast, sir.”

“Well, then.” Frederick returned to his office for his own pistol and prayed whatever inspired a gunshot near his home would prove more benign than dangerous. After surviving several near-death experiences over the past Christmas season, Frederick was quite finished with drama for a while. Though drama seemed to follow his new bride in spades.

He met the butler back in the hallway.

“Might I offer an insight, sir?”

Frederick pivoted in his approach to the door and turned back to Brandon. “Insight?”

“Yes, sir.” The man released a deep sigh which pulled his pristine posture into a slight slump. He then sent Frederick a look which somehow inspired a grimace before Frederick even heard the man’s words. “Her ladyship was speaking with Mr. Blake after breakfast, sir.”

“Mr. Blake?” Frederick rolled his gaze heavenward, the tension in his jaw uncoiling into a slight annoyance that manifested in an ache over his right eyebrow. He loved his cousin. There was no man Frederick trusted more. But for some reason, the idea of Blake and Grace together followed by the sound of gunfire did not bode well.

For anyone.

“About pistols, my lord.”

And the answers emerged, along with an increased throbbing in Frederick’s head. “Thank you, Brandon.”

Setting a slower pace, he moved toward the south side of his manor house, another shot reverberating nearer. Within a month since Christmas, his American wife had learned how to drive the car and throw knives, two skills she appeared to excel in more than knowing the fashion of the season or how to address the complicated hierarchy of the aristocracy. His lips almost split into a grin as he recalled her stumbling over addressing the Duke of Westonbridge two weeks ago by calling him “Your Honorable Lord” and then in quick correction, “Your Grace, or at least I hope you are since I fumbled your title so atrociously.”

Of course the duke had fallen under Grace’s spell within five minutes, as everyone else who met her seemed to do since she’d moved to his crumbling Derbyshire estate two months earlier. Well, everyone except the villainess who’d tried to kill them just before Christmas. But that was hopefully a distant story, and their next chapter would be a lovely, peaceful belated honeymoon—he increased his steps at the idea—with a little surprise tagged on for his lovely Lady Astley.

Frederick nodded a good afternoon to the police officer inconspicuously posted near the house so that Frederick’s mother could work out her sentence of house arrest in connection with his father and brother’s deaths. He released a sigh. No, she was no murderess, unless glares and harsh words counted, but she’d harbored information that could have protected others. The law had been gracious with her due to her age and status, merely revoking her freedoms from leaving Havensbrook, so his mother’s life stayed very much as it had since Frederick’s father’s death; however, the added blemish of “criminal” to her reputation ensured she spent her days away from the public eye.

And if the police officer appeared in no great distress over the gunfire, Frederick knew all too well what must be happening.

Just around the edge of the house, a large garden opened to the south, its walls still well intact, though ivy-grown and tangled. Another shot reverberated through the damp air, followed quickly by laughter and his wife’s exuberant exclamation of “I hit it.”

Frederick’s lips pinched into a frown. Why he ever expected his cousin Blake to mind Frederick’s subtle requests was beyond him! The garden gate stood open, welcoming him forward into an even more tangled array of vines and twined greenery, the winter roses, a remnant of the garden’s healthier days, sleeping until spring.

He hadn’t had the means to make things right with Havensbrook before but, with Grace’s wealth and her generous heart, he could now. Another way to make amends for the past, he hoped, though

God had already bestowed on him much more than he deserved.

His cousin stood to the right, hands on the hips of his gray suit jacket, but Frederick’s gaze followed Blake’s focus to the woman in the center of the garden. Her bright auburn hair was twisted up beneath a deep purple hat that matched her coat, both in contrast to her pale skin. Her laughter echoed toward him, so filled with joy and hope. Two things he’d thought lost forever before he’d met her.

Yes, God had given him much more than he deserved, and sometimes, he wondered if God had given him more than he could manage.

BLOG STOPS:

Daysong Reflections, March 1

Hebrews 12 Endurance, March 2

Wishful Endings, March 2

Melissa’s Bookshelf, March 2

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 3

Simple Harvest Reads, March 3 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Rebecca Tews, March 3

Connie’s History Classroom, March 4

Blogging With Carol, March 4

To Everything There Is A Season, March 4

Cathe Swanson, March 4

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 5

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 5

Artistic Nobody, March 5 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Where Faith and Books Meet, March 6

For Him and My Family, March 6

Holly’s Book Corner, March 6

She Lives To Read, March 7

Splashes of Joy, March 7

Pause for Tales, March 7

Back Porch Reads, March 8

Blossoms and Blessings, March 8

Through the Fire Blogs, March 8

GIVEAWAY:

To celebrate her tour, Pepper is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/24703/the-cairo-curse-celebration-tour-giveaway

MY REVIEW:

To date, I have read only historical western novels by Kari Trumbo but because I have enjoyed them I decided to try her new contemporary, Operation: Restoration. I was particularly intrigued when I saw that the primary male character was Junior Morrison. My husband has been known as Junior Morrisson by family and friends for his entire life so I just had to see what this fictional Junior was like. Needless to say, he had very little in common with my retired farmer but nevertheless I enjoyed the book.

Set on a ranch that ministers both to victims of human trafficking as well as to their former military employees, Operation: Restoration lived up to its title. A story of former sweethearts who have been separated for many years and brought back together by circumstance, the story reaches beyond their love story. Filled with plenty of emotion, action, danger, and suspense, this book has it all and was a totally satisfying read. I can’t wait to see if the author will offer more stories in this vein. I highly recommend it.

I voluntarily reviewed a digital copy of this book provided by the author. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Where western meets happily ever after.

Kari Trumbo is an international bestselling author of historical and contemporary Christian romance and romantic suspense. She loves reading, listening to contemporary Christian music, singing when no one’s listening, and curling up near the wood stove when winter hits. She makes her home in central Minnesota—where the trees and lakes are plentiful—with her husband of over twenty years, two daughters, two sons, a few cats, and a bunny who’s the star of one of her books.