A ROSE FOR THE RESISTANCE by ANGELA K COUCH

Publication date 1/4/22

A ROSE FOR THE RESISTANCE by ANGELA K COUCH is the best WW11 novel I have read in a while. Not only is it a gripping story of courage in adversity, with plenty of intrigue, suspense and a poignant romance, but there is a strong Christian message of hope and redemption running through the chaos. This is the first novel I have read by this author and it most definitely will not be the last. Family dynamics and loyalty are dealt with, together with betrayal, jealousy and the ongoing problem of who to trust.

Franz Kafka is not your ordinary German soldier, as Rosalie Barrieau finds out when he helps her and her brother Marcel hide an injured British airman. He also literally has their back as they work for the Resistance.

The characters are very realistically portrayed and I like the way the author takes us through their hopes and fears as they live through such a horrific time in history.

I found A Rose for the Resistance a worthwhile and inspirational read and cannot recommend it 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. 

THE ELEMENT OF LOVE by MARY CONNEALY

Publication date 1/3/22

THE ELEMENT OF LOVE by MARY CONNEALY is the first novel in The Lumber Baron’s Daughters series and it is delightful, exciting and amusing. I am really looking forward to the next book in the series.

The story takes place in 1872 with the three Stiles daughters running away from their brutish stepfather who wants them to marry equally brutish men that he has chosen for them.

Michelle, Jilly and Laura are extremely well educated young women, especially in mathematics, science and chemistry, and they put their talents to good use. They know a great deal about running the lumber business which will one day be theirs. There is one thing standing in the way of them ousting their stepfather from his control before they turn twenty five and that is the stipulation that they find husbands. After their daring escape and their journey with Pastor Caleb Tillman and his missionary group to a place aptly called Purgatory, things get really interesting. Their search for husbands and going home to save their mother are two things that are top of their agenda.

I am not going to tell you any more as I do not want to spoil things for you.

I highly recommend The Element of Love as having all the elements of an enjoyable read - romance, humour, suspense, danger, a good plot, unforgettable characters and a strong Christian message. 

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

TOUCH OF INNOCENCE by ROBIN PATCHEN

TOUCH OF INNOCENCE by ROBIN PATCHEN is a Christian suspense novel which is part of the Coventry series, but which, like the others,can easily stand alone. It is a poignant story of sacrificial love and courage that will keep you enthralled as you see how Grace Mullen puts her life on hold in order to save eight year old Lily from her father, Myron Bowman, a psychopathic photographer who is selling photos of her and other children on the dark web.

Through Cassidy, who she met at the girls’ home where she spent most of her childhood, ending up working there after graduating in child psychology, she and Lily move into a condo belonging to Andrew Middleton, a troubled man who has a bad relationship with his father, largely due to his having spent six months in jail, having being set up. He is extremely afraid of falling foul of the law, as is Grace, who is living a lie, pretending to be fostering Lily. Grace is also afraid of loving anyone in case she lets them down. She tried so hard to save a young girl called Celia and failed, not realising that only God can save.

This is a story about restoration and redemption, unconditional love and the importance of walking in truth with God and with one another,. I highly recommend Touch of Innocence as an exciting, thought provoking and inspirational read.

A HUNDRED CRICKETS SINGING by CATHY GOHLKE

Publication date 5/4/22

A HUNDRED CRICKETS SINGING is an historical novel by CATHY GOHLKE which takes place in No Creek  North Carolina, in 1944, following on from Night Bird Calling,  with Celia Percy, now fifteen, and her brother Chester, coming across a secret room in the old Belvidere mansion, after a storm in which a tree crashes through the roof, revealing secrets from the 1860’s. I love to see how Celia, together with her friend Joe Rosetti, old Dr Vishy and rhe Willards, determines to make things right for their friend Marshall and the coloureds in their community by completing the work begun by Minnie, her parents and her brother Elliott. I also like the references to works by Dickens and Hugo and their influence on the story.

We see racism at its worst, in spite of two wars that should have shown mankind that all men are equal in the sight of the Lord and all men bleed the same colour red. We see the  KKK still going strong in the South, and prejudice all over the world breaking up families and nations. It is awful to see Grayson’s greed as he betrays his family and what they stand for.This cry, found in Minnie’s diary,“The persistent, conflicting voices of all those I love, spoken and not,  are deafening - a hundred crickets screeching, shouting in my brain.  The mounting tension is intolerable.Help us Lord!”  really speaks to Celia - will the cry of the crickets ever turn into a song? 

This is a beautifully written novel, with the author’s incredible way of saying things just as they are and her understanding of human nature. There is a strong Christian message, and, amongst other insights, we see that it is only the Lord who can change the human heart .

Although this book can easily stand alone, I suggest you read the fisrst book in the series for pure pleasure.

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