MY REVIEW:

Shadows in the Mind’s Eye is one of those debut novels that will cause many readers add the author to their must read list. I know I intend to do so.

It is a story of a young man eager to return home after serving in the war but he quickly learns that nothing is as he expected it to be. His beloved wife does not know how to react to the changes in him, his mother’s health has deteriorated since he left, and his brother has returned with unexpected injuries. And his precious daughter seems to know and love his best friend better. Not to mention that the best friend always seems to be underfoot. The devastating nightmares and sometimes extreme reactions to events precipitated by PTSD seem to form a barrier between him and his family.

Even as Sam and Annie work hard to save their marriage, mysterious things are happening on their farm that accelerate into danger for their family. Numerous plot twists and surprises flesh out this story where nothing is quite what it seems.

A wonderful hope filled novel that pulls the reader into the lives of Sam, Annie, and Rosie quickly, Shadows in the Mind’s Eye is a must read.

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

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Charlotte Anne Mattas longs to turn back the clock. Before her husband, Sam, went to serve his country in the war, he was the man everyone could rely on–responsible, intelligent, and loving. But the person who’s come back to their family farm is very different from the protector Annie remembers. Sam’s experience in the Pacific theater has left him broken in ways no one can understand–but that everyone is learning to fear.

Tongues start wagging after Sam nearly kills his own brother. Now when he claims to have seen men on the mountain when no one else has seen them, Annie isn’t the only one questioning his sanity and her safety. If there were criminals haunting the hills, there should be evidence beyond his claims. Is he really seeing what he says, or is his war-tortured mind conjuring ghosts?

Annie desperately wants to believe her husband. But between his irrational choices and his nightmares leaking into the daytime, she’s terrified he’s going mad. Can she trust God to heal Sam’s mental wounds–or will sticking by him mean keeping her marriage at the cost of her own life?

Debut novelist Janyre Tromp delivers a deliciously eerie, Hitchcockian story filled with love and suspense. Readers of psychological thrillers and historical fiction by Jaime Jo Wright and Sarah Sundin will add Tromp to their favorite authors list.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Janyre Tromp is a historical novelist whose loves spinning tales that, at their core, hunt for beauty, even when it isn’t pretty. She’s the author of Shadows in the Mind’s Eye and coauthor of It’s a Wonderful Christmas.

She’s also a book editor, published children’s book author, and lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan with her family, two crazy cats, and a slightly eccentric Shetland Sheepdog. And if you ever meet in person, you pronounce that first name Jan-ear.

You can find her on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and her website, www.JanyreTromp.com (where you can grab a free copy of her novella Wide Open). 

GIVEAWAY:

Enter to win a  prize pack that includes:

– A copy of Shadows in the Mind’s Eye,
– A custom made silver peach tree necklace inspired by the book,
– A “Light speaks through the broken places” t-shirt also inspired by the book.

MY REVIEW:

An Undaunted Matchmaker was an entertaining historical Gold Rush era novella that featured a young woman who found husbands for girls who had aged out of the orphanage where she taught. Robbed and stranded in Eureka after the wedding of the last girl she had brought from San Francisco, Eve was determined to find a job to fund another trip back home. Rafe, who owned the town mortuary, was determined to convince Eve to marry him but she was determined that her true calling was to help the other girls find husbands.

I enjoyed the story, especially the details of historic Eureka where a niece now lives. The plot moved at a steady pace and characters were well developed. At times I felt that Eve was just a bit fickle but was able to overlook that that because of her generous heart. Rafe was a great hero and I was hoping throughout the story that he and Eve would end up together.

An Undaunted Matchmaker is a quick read and perfect for those days when you want something light and entertaining.

I voluntarily reviewed a 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:

Anne Greene delights in writing about wounded heroes and gutsy heroines. She writes both historical and suspense novels. Anne graduated from the University of Texas, Dallas, cum laude, with a degree in Literary Studies. She’s freshly back from Seoul, Korea with her very recently retired Army Special Forces Colonel husband. Anne loves to travel and has visited twenty-nine countries, including three communist ones. Anne set a few of her books in exotic locations such as the American Virgin Islands and Istanbul, Turkey. A visit to the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands resulted in her book, MASQUERADE MARRIAGE. Her book A TEXAS CHRISTMAS MYSTERY is set in Anne’s home town.Looke for her newest release from B & H Publishing, ANGEL WITH STEEL WINGS coming soon. Anne’s love of sailing, horseback riding, history and art, as well as her Plano Police Academy training and her military life, often show up in her books. Anne’s highest hope is that her stories transport the reader to awesome new worlds and touch their hearts. To learn more of Anne and to view her art as well as pictures from her extensive travel, visit her at AnneGreeneAuthor.com.