WHAT I WOULD TELL YOU by LIZ TOLSMA

Punlication date 1/1/23

WHAT I WOULD TELL YOU by LIZ TOLSMA is a beautifully written dual timeline historical romance novel which takes place in Salonika from 1941 to 1943 during the German occupation of Greece, and in 2019 in Pittsburg and Thessaloniki (formerly Salonika). The author has obviously done a great deal of research into the horrors perpetrated towards the Greek Jews at that time, some of whom had already fled from persecution in Spain. This book is a must read for those of us who honour God’s chosen people.
It is a story of courage and sacrificial love, as we follow Mathilda Nissim and her beloved husband Asher’s experiiences  during WW11. Mathilda continues to write her newspaper in secret, encouraging the Jews to stand up and fight. their oppressors. Whilst it is horrific to think of man’s inhumanity towards his fellow man during the Holocaust, the author reminds us that anti-Semitism is still very active in the world.
 I like to see how their friends Ioanna and Petrus do all they can to help Mathilda and Asher, at great risk to themselves, and how they share their food and faith with them. 
When Tessa Payson finds out through a genetic test  that she has Sephardic Jewish blood and that she and her cousin Riley are not related, she gets on a plane against her mother and stepfather’s wishes and flies to Thessaloniki to find out the truth about her ancestry and her faith.
I like the strong Christian message on which the book is based, and the way the author, through her characters, shows how Christians and Jews serve the same God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Tessa’s friend Giannis says to her when she has questions about which religion she needs to follow now, that she can be both a Christian and a Jew, like he is, and that Jesus the Messiah was also a Jew.
The two time lines run together well with Mathilda’s diary holding them together.
Family relationhips, particularly the special bond between a mother and her child, play a big part in the characters’ lives  Things are not as they seem and secrets are kept in order to not cause pain. Tessa’s search for the  truth about her heritage leads her on an exciting journey, but it is one her mother would rather she did not take. 
It is a story of hope and new beginnings, and one I cannot recommend highly enough.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from  Barbour Publishing. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

WREATHED IN DISGRACE by ROBIN PATCHEN

WREATHED IN DISGRACE is the 10th novel in the Coventry Saga series by ROBIN PATCHEN, but, as is the case with all her books, it can easily stand alone.

Denise Masters, who was married to Reid Cote, is back in Coventry just before Christmas, hoping to stay  in her newly acquired house for a few months to spend quality time with her eight year old daughter Ella. Reid, who hates her for deserting him and their baby girl to follow her acting career, is not happy with her arrival, especially as she has attracted a shooter. 

Jon Donley and his team of bodyguards is sent by her agent to guard her. Jon’s cousin Lake stays with Reid and his new wife, Jacqui, to guard Ella. When Denise starts getting  messages about the “starlet slayings”, things get really exciting…..

There is a strong theme of family and relationships running through the book. I like to see how Denise’s relationship with her daughter  takes off and the way the little girl loves and accepts all her family,  including Jacqui’s parents. Reid is obviously a good father, although he is understandably over protective. 

There is a really good Christian message of the forgiveness and acceptance we have in Christ, and the everlasting life He  gives to  those who turn to Him in repentance. We are reminded that it is only His opinion of us that counts, not what others think or say about us.

The plot is exciting and will keep you on the edge of your chair. The characters are unforgettable and we are drawn into their lives and emotions. 

I cannot recommend Wreathed in Disgrace highly enough and am looking forward to the next novel in the series.