In this spin-off from Christy Barrit’s Lantern Beach series, Serena Lavinia, a quirky character familiar to readers takes center stage in her own series. Naturally her tale gets off to a quick start with the discovery of a stray dog followed shortly by a dead body.
It was fun getting to know Serena better in her own story, especially to gain an understanding of some of her somewhat weird habits. This novella is fairly short and easy to read in an evening but it offers plenty of mystery and laughs. It also introduces a new character, Webster Newsome who has arrived to take over as editor of the newspaper. That does not go over very well with Serena! I already have a few suspicions about how that relationship will develop as the series progresses. I also enjoyed touching base with a few characters from the previous series and fully expect to see a few others show up in later installments.
I always enjoy Barritt’s books, especially when I need a bit of relief from some of the more suspenseful or historical books I frequently read. If you haven’t read any of her books, this series might be a good place to start. It can easily stand on its own.
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:
USA Today bestselling author Christy Barritt takes readers to the mysterious, quirky island of Lantern Beach, North Carolina, in this charming cozy series!
It all started with a runaway dog.
Meet Serena Lavinia: part-time ice cream truck driver, part-time reporter, and full-time woman of mystery. She never expected to find a cute little terrier while on her morning ice cream route on the island of Lantern Beach.
Nor did she expect the dog to be carrying a bloody shoe.
When a dead body is discovered floating in a nearby pool, Serena becomes fully immersed in her very own who-done-it. But her investigation hits a snag when a new foe arrives in town. Webster Newsome has been appointed the town’s new newspaper editor—a job Serena wanted—and the man is entirely too bossy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
USA Today has called Christy Barritt’s books “scary, funny, passionate, and quirky.”
A Publishers Weekly best-seller, Christy writes both mystery and romantic suspense novels that are clean with underlying messages of faith. Her books have sold almost two million copies, and one is currently being developed as a movie.
Christy’s books have won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery, have been twice nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, and have finaled for both a Carol Award and Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year.
She’s married to her prince charming, a man who thinks she’s hilarious–but only when she’s not trying to be. Christy’s a self-proclaimed klutz, an avid music lover who’s known for spontaneously bursting into song, and a road trip aficionado.
Christy currently splits her time between the Virginia suburbs and Hatteras Island, North Carolina. She loves spending time with her husband, her two sons, and her four dogs.
Stay With Me is one of those novels that stays with the reader for awhile after reading it. Not only is it a satisfying romance but this story touches on some very serious issues that probably more people than we can imagine struggle with daily.
In this new book from Becky Wade, the heroine is a well-known and popular Bible study author and speaker who struggles with a problem that she is unable to handle on her own but is ashamed to admit to her family and friends. An inadvertent meeting with Sam begins a relationship in which he reluctantly agrees to help her. Unfortunately Genevieve brings some buried memories and guilt to the surface for Sam who fights his attraction to her. A family mystery adds another layer to Genevieve’s story and has the power to make or break her, especially as God suddenly seems so far away to her.
This beautifully told story is filled with grace and forgiveness and saturated with the love the Lord has for each of his children. I highly recommend reading this touching tale as soon as possible. It might even change your life.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Prism Book Tours. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Stay with Me (A Misty River Romance #1) By Becky Wade Christian Contemporary Romance
Hardcover, Paperback & ebook, 368 Pages
May 5th 2020 by Bethany House Publishers
Loving her is a risk he can’t afford . . . and can’t resist.
When acclaimed Bible study author Genevieve Woodward receives an anonymous letter referencing her parents’ past, she returns to her hometown in the Blue Ridge mountains to chase down her family’s secret. However, it’s Genevieve’s own secret that catches up to her when Sam Turner, owner of an historic farm, uncovers the source of shame she’s worked so hard to hide.
Sam has embraced his sorrow, his isolation, and his identity as an outsider. He’s spent years carving out both career success and peace of mind. The last thing he wants is to rent the cottage on his property to a woman whose struggles stir his worst failure back to life. Yet, can he bear to turn her away right when she needs him most?
Take a Chance on Me (A Misty River Romance #0.5) By Becky Wade Christian Contemporary Romance, Novella
ebook, 97 Pages
February 25th 2020
When baker Penelope Quinn steps in to help her brother’s family through a medical crisis, she’s forced into close proximity with charming Air Force fighter pilot Eli Price.
Penelope has one iron-clad dating rule—she does not date airmen. Months ago, she relaxed her rule with Eli and immediately lived to regret it. After a long deployment, he’s now back in Misty River and, to her dismay, she finds him just as tempting as always.
Eli’s spent months thinking about funny, feisty, creative Penelope. He once leveraged his focus and drive to become a pilot, his childhood dream. Now he’s set on leveraging that same focus and drive in order to convince Penelope to give him one more chance.
This romantic prequel novella introduces readers to the quaint mountain town of Misty River and a brand-new series from Christy-winning author Becky Wade!
Becky Wade is the 2018 Christy Award Book of the Year winner for True to You. She is a native of California who attended Baylor University, met and married a Texan, and moved to Dallas. She published historical romances for the general market, then put her career on hold for several years to care for her children. When God called her back to writing, Becky knew He meant for her to turn her attention to Christian fiction. Her humorous, heart-pounding contemporary romance novels have won three Christy Awards, the Carol Award, the INSPY Award, and the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award for Romance. Becky lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband and three children.
Hadley Beckett’s Next Dish is both entertaining and humorous with a somewhat heated romance between the two main characters Hadley and Max. Their story begins with them as competitors on a televised cooking competition where Max loses to Hadley and also totally loses his cool leaving Hadley just a tad traumatized. When they once again share a show, they are forced to work together but this time as partners rather than competitors.
I enjoyed how Hadley and Max navigated the trials and errors of the series, especially as they learned that they were being pitted against each other and decided to surprise the director by not falling in with his plans. It was a great example of how our heroes often do not live up to our expectations. Dialogue between Hadley and Max was often witty and fun but it definitely took awhile for them to trust each other. I liked the change in Max that he attributed to Hadley’s influence. What a better testimony it could have been if he changed because he saw Jesus in Hadley’s life.
Although this was a fun book to read, I fear that my age is showing. It is obviously a novel for the younger, more hip gals. I think I may have to bypass the current chick lit in the future and stick with something directed toward us more mature women.
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:
Get ready for a heaping helping of humor, romance, and second chances
Celebrity chef Maxwell Cavanagh is known for many things: his multiple Michelin stars, his top-rated Culinary Channel show, To the Max, and most of all his horrible temper. Hadley Beckett, host of the Culinary Channel’s other top-rated show, At Home with Hadley, is beloved for her Southern charm and for making her viewers feel like family.
When Max experiences a very public temper tantrum and is sent packing, his only chance to get back on TV and in the public’s good graces is to work alongside Hadley. As these polar-opposite celeb chefs begin to peel away the layers of public persona and reputation, they will not only discover the key ingredients for getting along but also learn the secret recipe for unexpected forgiveness . . . and maybe even love.
Bethany Turner is the award-winning author of The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck and Wooing Cadie McCaffrey and the director of administration for Rock Springs Church in Southwest Colorado. A former bank executive and a three-time cancer survivor (all before she turned 35), Bethany knows that when God has plans for your life, it doesn’t matter what anyone else has to say. Because of that, she’s chosen to follow his call to write. She lives with her husband and their two sons in Colorado, where she writes for a new generation of readers who crave fiction that tackles the thorny issues of life with humor and insight.
Patricia Bradley has gotten her latest series off to an exciting start with Standoff. It just doesn’t get much better than this as far as I’m concerned. If this is what I can expect from the rest of the Natchez Trace Park Rangers series, then sign me up! I don’t plan to miss a word.
I loved everything about this book. Its Southern setting in Natchez, Mississippi and the Natchez Trace National park was the perfect backdrop for the suspenseful tale that kept me turning the pages well into the night. In this story filled with action and danger and death, drug runners and cartels, secrets and second chances with a touch of romance, the plot and characters were very well developed and came to life within its pages. Heroine Brook Danvers is a young woman of grit and determination who refuses to rest until the man responsible for her father’s death is caught. Hero Luke Fereday has a secret life but not the kind that Brooke suspects.
The author drops a few clues along the way but managed to keep me guessing until the end. Be sure and pick up a copy of Standoff and join other readers for a breathtaking ride along the Natchez Trace.
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:
The Natchez Trace National Parkway stretches 444 miles from Nashville to Natchez, the oldest town on the Mississippi River. It’s the perfect road for a relaxed pleasure drive. Unfortunately for Luke Fereday, it’s also perfect for moving drugs.
Sent to Natchez to infiltrate the organization at the center of the drug ring, Luke arrives too late to a stakeout and discovers the body of his friend, park ranger John Danvers. John’s daughter Brooke is determined to investigate her father’s murder but soon finds herself the target of a killer who will do anything to silence her.
Luke will have his hands full keeping her safe. But who’s going to keep him safe when he realizes he’s falling–hard–for the daughter of the man he failed to save?
Patricia Bradley is the author of Justice Delayed, Justice Buried, Justice Betrayed, and Justice Delivered, as well as the Logan Point series. Bradley won an Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award in Romantic Suspense, a Daphne du Maurier Award, and a Touched by Love Award, and she was a Carol Award finalist. She is cofounder of Aiming for Healthy Families, Inc., and she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. Bradley makes her home in Mississippi. Learn more at www.ptbradley.com.
Dead Silence is a contemporary suspense that could easily be inspired by current news and kicked up a notch or two. Featuring Elise Carmichael, widowed mother of a young deaf son, the story begins with Elise accidentally reading lips of a man discussing a murder plot. Once she has relayed the information to the FBI, Elise quickly finds herself and her son threatened time and time again. The danger ramps up with each page as Elise, her sister-in-law, and others work together to identify the person behind the threats.
I enjoyed the character of Elise, a gutsy mama bear of a woman who would do everything possible to protect her beloved son. It was fun watching her face off with the FBI agents – this woman pretty much told them what she thought of them. I also liked how she took things into her own hands when she felt that law enforcement was not doing enough to solve the case. A subtle faith message highlighted a disillusioned Elise who slowly found her way back to God.
I did have my suspicions early on but the narrative really didn’t let any obvious hints slip by to diminish by enjoyment of the story. Dead Silence would be a great book to recommend to those friends who may be looking for a good suspense without romantic elements to detract from the rest of the story. I recommend this book as well as Caroll’s previous novels.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Amazon Vine. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Elise Carmichael is a court sign language interpreter who reads lips all the time. As a widow with a young son who is deaf, lip reading is simply second nature, until the day she reads the lips of someone on the phone discussing an attempt to be made on a senator’s life—a senator who just happens to be her mother-in-law. Before she can decide what she needs to do, she receives the information that her son is rushed to the ER and she must leave. Then she later sees the news report that her mother-in-law has been shot and killed. But when she comes forward, her life, as well as her son’s life, may now be in the crosshairs of the assassin.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Robin Caroll grew up in Louisiana with her nose in a book. She still has the complete Trixie Belden series, and her love for mysteries and suspense has only increased with her age.
Robin’s passion has always been to tell stories to entertain others and come alongside them on their faith journey—aspects Robin weaves into each of her published novels.
Best-selling author of thirty-plus novels, ROBIN CAROLL writes Southern stories of mystery and suspense, with a hint of romance to entertain readers. Her books have been recognized in several awards, including the Carol Award, HOLT Medallion, Daphne du Maurier, RT Reviewer’s Choice Award, and more.
When she isn’t writing, Robin spends quality time with her husband of three decades, her three beautiful daughters and two handsome grandsons, and their character-filled pets at home in the South.
Robin serves the writing community as Executive/Conference Director for ACFW. To find out more about Robin, visit www.robincaroll.com
Finding Peace in Wishing Bridge is one of those heart warming books that grabs the reader’s emotions and doesn’t let go until the very end. Featuring Jazz, a famous retired international fashion model who just wants to settle down into a peaceful home surrounded by people she loves. She has found what she considers exactly the right place in Wishing Bridge where two of her dearest friends have already made their home but her peaceful world is rudely interrupted by an attempted attack by an unknown man. Jazz is afraid she will never find the peace she desires until her possible stalker is found. The fine folk of Wishing Bridge surround Jazz with their protection, love, and lots of prayers. One man in particular fights his attraction to her, believing that he is not good enough for someone of her position. Jazz meets Gus, her neighbor and falls quickly in love with his adorable son Emerson, not knowing the tragic secret Gus attempts to hide from the world.
I loved all the citizens of Wishing Bridge and the way they worked together in community, each one helping those in need as their own talents allowed. I loved the fairy trail created by Max for the children. I also loved Emerson’s enthusiastic little boy zest for life despite his serious illness. Finding Peace in Wishing Bridge is a tale that ends well despite a few harrowing side trails and tears along the way. For a feel good book, this is definitely one I would recommend.
I voluntarily reviewed a digital copy of this book provided by Just Read Tours. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Peace may lie no further than your own front door.
Ruth Logan Herne, the bestselling author of Welcome to Wishing Bridge & At Home in Wishing Bridge invites readers back to the small town where big dreams come true.
Supermodel Jazz Monroe is a survivor. The world thinks she’s at the top of her game but she understands the eating disorder that threatens her life and the lack of self-esteem that dogs her steps. When she comes to Wishing Bridge to help a friend, the warmth of the town embraces her. Here, waiting tables in a family-friendly Greek diner, Jazz begins to settle into the calm and joy of her new small town and the intriguing interest of two very different men.
But an unexpected attack shatters her peace. Fear threatens her newfound confidence. Friends, old and new, vow to do whatever it takes to keep her safe. Can she trust them— and herself— enough to find the home she’s never had?
Welcome back to the town where hope and prayers mingle so that wishes really do come true.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
USA Today bestselling, award-winning author Ruth Logan Herne is the author of over 50 novels and novellas. She loves God, her family, country, coffee, chocolate and dogs, and wishes possums would leave the cat food on the side porch alone. And yet… they don’t. With over two million books in print, Ruthy is living her dream of touching hearts and souls by writing the kind of books she likes to read.
She lives on a pumpkin farm in Western New York where they grow all kinds of cool things for fall from sumptuous squashes and veggies to gorgeous stacking pumpkins. Ruthy’s farm is quickly becoming the place to be every September and October. Ruthy herself is in charge of the kitchen and her very own baked goods, jams and jellies are for sale. The farm gives Ruthy a chance to chat with real people… then turn them into fictional characters during the quiet of mid-winter, so be careful what you say!
She loves chatting with readers through her website blog http://ruthloganherne.com and hanging with readers and writers in Seekerville… www.seekerville.blogspot.com where coffee is always hot, fresh and good! She loves playing in the kitchen, too, with a wonderful group of regionally-inspired inspirational authors at the Yankee Belle Cafe www.yankeebellecafe.blogspot.com. On Goodreads, she’s (yes, you guessed it!) Ruth Logan Herne, and that’s how to find this prolific author on facebook, too!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Many links on this site are supplied by the Reviewer groups that provide the books I review. Occasionally other links may be my personal associate links.
USA Today has called Christy Barritt’s books “scary, funny, passionate, and quirky.”
Becky Wade is the 2018 Christy Award Book of the Year winner for True to You. She is a native of California who attended Baylor University, met and married a Texan, and moved to Dallas. She published historical romances for the general market, then put her career on hold for several years to care for her children. When God called her back to writing, Becky knew He meant for her to turn her attention to Christian fiction. Her humorous, heart-pounding contemporary romance novels have won three Christy Awards, the Carol Award, the INSPY Award, and the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award for Romance. Becky lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband and three children.
Patricia Bradley is the author of Justice Delayed, Justice Buried, Justice Betrayed, and Justice Delivered, as well as the Logan Point series. Bradley won an Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award in Romantic Suspense, a Daphne du Maurier Award, and a Touched by Love Award, and she was a Carol Award finalist. She is cofounder of Aiming for Healthy Families, Inc., and she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. Bradley makes her home in Mississippi. Learn more at 
Robin Caroll grew up in Louisiana with her nose in a book. She still has the complete Trixie Belden series, and her love for mysteries and suspense has only increased with her age.
USA Today bestselling, award-winning author Ruth Logan Herne is the author of over 50 novels and novellas. She loves God, her family, country, coffee, chocolate and dogs, and wishes possums would leave the cat food on the side porch alone. And yet… they don’t. With over two million books in print, Ruthy is living her dream of touching hearts and souls by writing the kind of books she likes to read.
