PRETTY LITTLE PIECES by CARMEN SCHOBER

Publication date 6/12/22

PRETTY LITTLE PIECES by CARMEN SCHOBER is a beautifully written romance novel with a strong Christian message of redemption and restoraion, unforgettable characters and a great love story. As Savannah says of her sister Georgina’s relationship with Cassidy, “Its like your feelings for each other take up actual physical space.” 

When Georgina Havoc comes to Tarragon from Nashville with her best friend Poppy to try and build her own career after being let down by her partner and boyfriend Lance Broussard, she is broken but determined to succeed. I like the way the very pregnant Poppy stands by her through thick and thin as they have one delay and potential disaster after another, as Lance does his best to ruin things for Georgina. When Georgie’s twin sister leaves rehab and comes to Tarragon it seems like the last straw.

Cassidy Stokes had an illustrious army career as a sniper and wants to use his talents in order to make a difference in El Salvador. He  turned to drink when his wife died and is a work in progress, having turned to the Lord for His help.

It is a story about two people coming from very different family backgrounds, with very different lives and dreams for the future…..

I am not going t tell you any more as I do not want to spoil the read for you.

I cannot recommend Pretty Little Pieces highly enough. It is a book that I will definitely read more than once.

I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bethany House Publishers. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

THE WIDOW’S SECRET by KATE HEWITT

Publication date 17/11/22

THE WIDOW’S SECRET is the fourth novel in the Goswell Quartet by KATE HEWITT. The series is well finished off with two stories, one in the eighteenth century where we follow the life of Abigail Fenton, and one in the present where we follow Rachel Gardener. The book is exciting and inspirational and deals with subjects such as marriage and family relationships, and the horrors of the slave trade. It is a story about love, compassion, courage and redemption, with a strong Christian message running through it.

Rachel is a marine archeologist who goes back to Cumbria, where she had a lonely childhood after her father died, in order to investigate a ship wreck off Whitehaven. There is not much left of the ship, but when part of a speculum oris is found it seems that it was a slaver, and when part of a man’s gold watch is found it leads to her interest in Abigail Fenton and her husband James.

I like the way Jane Hatton, who is always fascinated in uncovering a mystery, befriends the lonely and confused Rachel, whose unloving relationship with her mother and hero worship of her father, are having a bad effect on her marriage to the good natured chef, Anthony. 

Running parallel is the story of Abigail’s difficult marriage….

It is a really worthwhile read and I highly recommend it, together with the first three books in the series, although it can easily stand alone.

I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bookouture. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

THE CAIRO CURSE by PEPPER BASHAM

Publication date 1/2/23

In THE CAIRO CURSE by PEPPER BASHAM we come across the delightful Lord and lady Astley, Frederick  Grace, from The Mistletoe Countess, who have survived the first few months of marriage, which so far has been fraught with danger, and are now on their honeymoon. Instead of going straight to Venice as planned, they start out in Egypt where they join  Freddie’s cousin Georgia and her boorish husband Sydney, on an archeological expedition. Grace, whose head is full of facts she has researched on camels, pyramids, pharaohs and mummies, couldn’t be happier. Her favourite things are “bookish conversations,, life-threatening adventures” and the “wonderfully romantic gestures” of her beloved husband, her very own “handsome hero”,  in her fairy tale life which follows hard after the lives of her favourite fictional characters. This young woman, who is full of love, imagination, compassion, and faith in God, is definitely not a “proper” lady and sees herself as an amateur detective, has become one of my favourite fictional characters, together with her once morose and broken husband, Lord Astley. She is very amusing and is only too happy to make people laugh.

This book has everything you need for a delightful and thrilling read - suspense, murder, curses, betrayal, pyramids and tombs, thieves,  camel rides, romance, and some most unscrupulous characters. Running through the story there is also a strong Christian message of redemption.

I cannot recommend The Cairo Curse strongly enough. 

I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Barbour Publishing. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

ON MY HONOR by PATTY SMITH HALL

Publication date 1/12/22

I really enjoyed ON MY HONOR by PATTY SMITH HALL and highly recommend this novel, first of all for the strong Christian message running through it and the way the main characters hold onto their faith in this traumatic time, also for their courage in facing the danger that has come to the Outer Banks, and for their loyalty and service to their country. The book forms part of the Heroines of WW11 collection and it is easy to see why, as we follow Ginny Mathis and her younger sister Belle, together with the rest of the Girl Scouts, on their quest to do their duty to their country. I like the friendship amongst the girls and Belle’s relationship with Ginny, who is also her Girl Scout leader. There are many secrets and there is much intrigue as they befriend Tim Elliot, a reporter and M6 operative who is washed ashore, and try to help him find Rolf Schmidt, whose knowledge of Germany’s attacks in the Atlantic could save lives and even shorten the war……

The book is full of thrilling adventure, sweet romance and unforgettable characters.

I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Barbour Publishing. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

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.

BENEATH HIS SILENCE by HANNAH LINDER

 Publication date 1/11/22

BENEATH HIS SILENCE by HANNAH LINDER is a beautifully writen regency romance novel, with interesting characters, romance, mystery, suspense, secrets, and a strong Christian message running through the story.

Ella Pemberton leaves her family home, Abbington Hall, to travel to Northston in order to continue her dead father’s quest to prove that Lord Sedgewick of Wickhorn Manor murdered her sister Lucy, who was married to him.

Ella has always been the feisty sister whereas Lucy was quiet and good. Ella bravely approaches Lord Sedgewick and applies for the position of governess to his son Peter, and promptly falls in love with the dear little boy. She is astonished at Lord Sedgewick’s kindness to those in need, his close relationship with Peter, and his faith in God.

Henry Sedgewick has been hurt by the women in his life, starting with his unloving mother, and this together with the guilt he feels after Lucy’s death, turns to hatred. He feels safe in that dark cocoon until Ella comes into his life. Will he learn to forgive and come out of his self-imposed prison?…….

This is a lovely story and one I cannot recommend highly enough to anyone who enjoys this genre. I found it most enjoyable, gripping and inspirational.

I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Barbour Publishing. The opinions in this review are completely my own.