Daysong Reflections | So Many Books ~ Too Little Time!

Beyond the Tides by Liz Johnson

by admin | Sep 10, 2021 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Romance

MY REVIEW:

How on earth could her father ever consider selling the business that had been in the family for generations – especially to the man who had ruined her life? It didn’t matter that Meg Whitaker had no desire to run a lobster boat or that even being on a boat made her deathly ill. But there was no way she could allow Oliver Ross to take over the business. It just was not right! And that is how Meg ended up spending the season working with the man she avoided at all costs and she would never give up her grudge against him. Or would she?

In Beyond the Tides Liz Johnson takes her readers back to Prince Edward Island (PEI) for another warm, sometimes humorous, deliciously romantic, and brimming with faith tale. I loved the interaction between Meg and Oliver and the way they gradually became comfortable with each other almost without realizing it.

In this delightful story that is big on forgiveness, Meg and Oliver discover just how much they have in common and realize that her father knew exactly what he was doing. I loved taking another trip to PEI and hope that Johnson will book another visit for her readers soon.

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:

When Meg Whitaker’s father decides to sell the family’s lobster fishing business to her high school nemesis, she sets out to prove she should take it over instead. Though she’s never had any interest in running the small fleet–or even getting on a boat due to her persistent seasickness–she can’t stand to see Oliver Ross in charge. Not when he ruined her dreams for a science scholarship and an Ivy League education ten years ago.

Oliver isn’t proud of what he did back then. Angry and broken by his father walking out on his family, he lashed out at Meg–an innocent bystander. But owning a respected fishing fleet on Prince Edward Island is the opportunity of a lifetime, as well as a way to provide for his mother, and he’s not about to walk away just because Meg wants him to.

Meg’s father has the perfect solution: Oliver and Meg will work the business together, and at the end of the season, he’ll decide who gets it. Along the way, they may discover that their stories are more similar than they thought . . . and their dreams aren’t what they expected.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Liz Johnson is the author of more than a dozen novels, including A Sparkle of Silver, A Glitter of Gold, The Red Door Inn, Where Two Hearts Meet, and On Love’s Gentle Shore, as well as a New York Times bestselling novella and a handful of short stories. She works in marketing and makes her home in Phoenix, Arizona.

Hostile intent by Lynette Eason

by admin | Sep 10, 2021 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Suspense

MY REVIEW:

I have always enjoyed books by Lynette Eason from the very first one I read in the Love Inspired collection. It has been fun reading every one of them and watching as the author’s skills improved book by book, nor that the first ones were at all inferior. Recommendations to friends have brought more fans to the fold. Because my maternal grandmother was born an Eason, I feel just a bit of kinship with this author even if we are most likely not related.

I know I probably say that each book is her best one yet, Hostile Intent was definitely one of my very top favorites. I loved Ava, the strong heroine who has resigned herself to a life alone due to the family secrets she guarded. Caden was the perfect hero, with a determined strength and protective nature yet sensitive enough to allow Ava leeway to take care of business.

The plot moved along at a speedy clip with one intense scenario after another. Danger and suspense lurked with each turn of the page and several surprises were in store for Ava and readers of this exciting tale. This suspenseful novel is a perfect end for an excellent series. It can easily stand on its own merits but why not read the previous books and find out what happened in the lives of Ava’s best friends.

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:

Secrets are about to be revealed . . . but will the guilty be brought to justice?

Ava Jackson entered the military shortly after high school, but her mother’s illness has forced her to request an early discharge. She already lost her father while deployed, and there’s no way she’s going to let her mother die alone. But after a visit to the nursing facility where her mother lives, Ava is attacked walking back to her car. Fortunately, FBI Special Agent Caden Denning arrives in time to help fight off her attacker.

Caden reveals to Ava that she may hold the key to the murders of three families, and he needs her help before anyone else is harmed. The hits show a pattern, and clearly the killer has an agenda. But if Caden and Ava can’t discover what it is, Ava may be next on the hit list.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lynette Eason is the bestselling author of the Danger Never Sleeps, Blue Justice, Women of Justice, Deadly Reunions, Hidden Identity, and Elite Guardians series. She is the winner of three ACFW Carol Awards, the Selah Award, and the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award, among others. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and has a master’s degree in education from Converse College. Eason lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children. Learn more at
www.lynetteeason.com.

Under the Bayou Moon by Valerie Fraser Luesse

by admin | Sep 4, 2021 | Books, Historical, Louisiana, Romance

MY REVIEW:

I tend to read fiction for enjoyment so I am often surprised when I read reviews of books I enjoyed that pick them apart bit by bit. What fun is that? I believe most readers are like me and not scholars who need to analyze every page. So yes! I thoroughly enjoyed Under the Bayou Moon without finding any of the glaring deficiencies that seemed to annoy several other reviewers.

I loved the mysterious aura of the bayous and the myth of the white alligator. The characters who populated the tale were incredible people who came to life on its pages. I could almost taste Raphe’s gumbo and other food descriptions made my mouth water. I also enjoyed the friendship of Haywood with both Raphe and Ellie.

The lyrical narrative drew me right into the small Louisiana town of Bernadette and made me want to befriend each and every one and sit in on Ellie’s weekly meetings with the older ladies. The story is filled with love, discovery, friendship, community, and faith but hidden undercurrents of greed and prejudice threatened to destroy the good people of Bernadette. I found it difficult to put the book down before I finished it. I would definitely recommend it.

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:

When Ellie Fields accepts a teaching job in a tiny Louisiana town deep in bayou country in 1949, she knows her life will change–but she could never imagine just how dramatically.

Though rightfully suspicious of outsiders, who have threatened both their language and their unique culture, most of the residents come to appreciate the young and idealistic schoolteacher, and she’s soon teaching just about everyone, despite opposition from both the school board and a politician with ulterior motives. Yet it’s the lessons Ellie herself will learn–from new friends, a captivating Cajun fisherman, and even a legendary white alligator haunting the bayou–that will make all the difference.

Take a step away from the familiar and enter the shadowy waters of bayou country for a story of risk, resilience, and romance.

Read an excerpt HERE.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Valerie Fraser Luesse is the bestselling author of Missing Isaac, Almost Home, and The Key to Everything, as well as an award-winning magazine writer best known for her feature stories and essays in Southern Living, where she is currently senior travel editor. Specializing in stories about unique pockets of Southern culture, Luesse received the 2009 Writer of the Year award from the Southeast Tourism Society for her editorial section on Hurricane Katrina recovery in Mississippi and Louisiana. A graduate of Auburn University and Baylor University, she lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband, Dave.

Dogwood Winter by Candace West

by admin | Sep 4, 2021 | Books, Historical, Romance

MY REVIEW:

In the latest novel by Candace West readers enjoy revisiting the mountain town of Valley Creek where they are able to reconnect with members of the Steen family and catch up with what is going on in their lives and the lives of other familiar characters.

Dogwood Winter is an emotionally charged narrative that draws on real life experiences that includes birth, death, serious illness, estranged relationships, etc. to weave together an enthralling book that made me wonder what on earth could possibly happen next. This beautiful story of romance, encouragement, redemption, renewed faith, reconciliation, courage, and even a miracle or two is one for the keeper shelf.

The book description is sufficient without my repetition. Just take my word for it, Dogwood Winter is a book well worth reading. It can stand on its own but is so much better if the preceding books of the Valley Creek Redemption series are read first.

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

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Book: Dogwood Winter

Author: Candace West

Genre: Historical Romance

Release date: August 24, 2021

Click here to get your copy!

A Lukewarm Correspondence. A Tattered Reputation. Two Hearts at Odds.

He is walking away while she is fighting to walk.

After a springtime swim, Ella Steen is stricken with a dire illness, leaving her without the use of her legs. Meanwhile, Dr. George Curtis, the man she secretly loves, faces ruin. For over a year, the crusty New York City bachelor and vivacious spinster have exchanged dozens of letters and formed a wary friendship.

Neither are willing to open their hearts completely. Until they face each other. The past looms between them, however. Does George still love another or is his heart completely free?

A trip to Valley Creek holds the answers. Instead, when George and Ella arrive, they encounter obstacles that force other truths to the surface. Is George brave enough to confront what he fled in New York? Can Ella confess why she hates dogwood winters? Will their hearts survive?

If only their pasts would keep out of the present.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Candace West was born in the Mississippi delta to a young minister and his wife. She grew up in small-town Arkansas and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Monticello. At twelve years old, she wrote her first story, “Following Prairie River.” In 2018, she published her debut novel Lane Steen, book one of the Valley Creek Redemption Series. By weaving entertaining, hope-filled stories, Candace shares the Gospel and encourages her readers. She currently lives in Arkansas with her husband and their son along with two dogs and three bossy cats.

MORE FROM CANDACE:

Biscuits and gravy has been a staple for generations in my family. It’s perfect for any occasion or breakfast, dinner, and supper. Yes, in our neck of the woods, dinner is lunch, and supper is—well, supper.

And then, we have biscuits and gravy with a twist. We’ll shove the traditional aside for a bowl of chocolate gravy. That’s right, chocolate.

Now, don’t get grossed out. Some people believe chocolate gravy is this weird, mysterious concoction made with meat grease. It’s the gravy part that boggles their mind, but it’s actually straightforward and easy—not true gravy at all. Trust me, if you like chocolate, you’ll want to try this. When you butter a biscuit and drizzle the chocolate over it, you’ll get a little taste of heaven on earth.

And you’ll get a little taste of the Appalachians and Ozarks.

My grandparents, both raised deep in the Arkansas Ozarks, were raised on “chocolate an’ biscuits” and passed the recipe down to us. Throughout the mountains and in pockets throughout the country, you’ll find this lesser-known treat on kitchen tables and family gatherings.

Every recipe is a little different. Every family has their own special way of making it. My family likes their chocolate gravy a little thinner while my husband’s family wants theirs to be the consistency of pudding.

In Dogwood Winter, my characters would’ve eaten chocolate an’ biscuits. Their corner of the Ozarks is famous for it. I can see Ella and George, along with the Steen family, gathering around a table, saying the blessing, and passing the fare to each other. The only skeptical one in the bunch would be George, a New Yorker who wasn’t raised on it. One bite would make him a believer.

Have you ever eaten biscuits and chocolate gravy? If not, would you try it?

This is our family recipe.

Chocolate Gravy

1 ½ cups sugar
1 tbs Hershey Cocoa powder
2 ½ tbs flour

Mix dry ingredients in a saucepan

Add 1 ½ to 2 cups of milk (depends on the thickness you want)

Bring to a boil and cook until thickened (3 or 4 minutes) Note: Bring to a slow boil and continually stir. Remove from heat then add 2 tbs butter and 1 tsp of Vanilla extract. Pour over buttered biscuits and enjoy!