May 2020 – Page 2 – Simply Susan

Book Review: ‘The Green Dress’ (True Colors) by Liz Tolsma

May 14, 2020 susansnodgrass

**About The Book:**
**Fiction Based on Strange, But True, History**
True, riveting stories of American criminal activity are explored through a unique stories of historical romantic suspense. Collect them all and be inspired by the hope that always finds its way even in the darkest of times.

In Boston, 1886, Harriet Peters commissions Sarah Jane Robinson to make her a new dress. Both widows are struggling to make ends meet, and they strike up a quick friendship. Harriet feels sorry for Sarah Jane, who has suffered so much loss in her life. But Harriet’s friend, Dr. Michael Wheaton, has concerns that death seems to follow Sarah Jane in mysterious ways Still, Harriet can’t imagine any deceit in her friend, who she comforts through the deaths of her daughter and nephew. Will Harriet’s trusting nature lead to her own demise as a persistent stomachache starts to plague her?

Liz Tolsma has lived in Wisconsin most of her life, and she now resides next to a farm field with her husband, their son, and their two daughters. All of their children have been adopted internationally and one has special needs. Her novella, Under His Wings, appeared in the New York Times bestselling collection, A Log Cabin Christmas. Her debut novel, Snow on the Tulips, released in August of 2013. Daisies Are Forever released in May 2014. When not busy putting words to paper, she enjoys reading, walking, working in her large perennial garden, kayaking, and camping with her family. Please visit her blog at www.liztolsma.blogspot.com and follow her on Facebook and Twitter (@LizTolsma). She is also a regular contributor to the Barn Door blog. (less)

**My Rating: 4 Stars!**
‘Something about this house struck him as strange. Sinister.’

I am thoroughly enjoying this series. True Colors is a series dedicated to true crime stories, but fictionalized. Liz Tolsma has done an outstanding job with her retelling of true serial killer Sarah Jane Robinson. Though parts are fiction, the true store remains as non-fiction. I was fascinated and it even prompted me to do some research into the crimes myself. I highly recommend this book and the series.

‘You have to get out. Before it’s too late for you.’

*I received this book from Barbour Publishing through Net Galley and was not required to leave a review. The opinion expressed here is completely my own.

**Publisher: Barbour**
**Publication Date: May 15, 2020 (kindle(**
**June 1, 2020 (paperback**)

Book Review: ‘Whatever Happens Next’ by Jaycee Weaver

May 13, 2020 susansnodgrass

**About The Book:**
***She needs to stay. He has orders to go. They’ll have to trust God with whatever happens next.***
Growing up in nowhere Oklahoma gave US Air Force vehicle maintainer TSgt Dyson what his momma calls *itchy feet.* His wanderlust has kept him from romantic entanglements for years, until the day an over-dramatic, strawberry-scented chatterbox slams into him and turns his world upside down.

Jenna Davis was a quintessential good girl, deeply rooted in her family and faith until one mistake three years ago changed everything. Unable to admit her failure, she goes through the motions watching everyone else live their dreams. But it’s hard to find her purpose when opening up to anyone—even God—feels impossible. Then she meets Dyson, who personifies the strong, silent type.
Dyson gets her to open up and begin dreaming again, rebuilding the trust she’s lost in men and especially in herself. But Dyson has something important to tell Jenna, and he knows it’ll be the end of everything they’ve built. After all, how can he ask her to leave everything and everyone behind when he can never stay?
**The** **Everyday Love Series** is a contemporary romance series set in Albuquerque, featuring ordinary people in lifelike stories that inspire, uplift, and share hope. Stories in which a very real God shows Himself in everyday ways to carry His people through any circumstance.

About Jaycee Weaver
Jaycee Weaver lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with her amazing husband, three daughters, a crazy shih-tzu, and a dwarf rabbit. When she’s not writing, she’s probably in hot pursuit of her 90 million other hobbies or shuttling the kids around. Jaycee loves to read books in multiple genres, drink too much coffee (honestly, when are they going to make the coffee IV a real thing?!), sing, take landscape and floral photos, sew, cook, bake, and craft nearly anything. She considers herself a recovering perfectionist and sometimes hot mess. She does her best to live her faith in action, being open, honest, and real; letting God be Lord over the good, the bad, and the ugly even when it’s hard.

**My Rating: 5 Stars!**
‘If God loved her so much, why didn’t He help more? Why hadn’t He stopped her from making so many mistakes in the first place?’

This is my first read by this author. Well, I read a short novella last year, but this is the first full length novel and it was so good! So. Much. Fun. These characters were just done so well that I fell in love with them both. I could tell there was some back story because this is part of a series, but it was easy to read as a stand alone. I loved it so much I read it in less than a day!

Dyson and Jenna are two people who have pain in their pasts but they are trusting God with those issues and it shows. As they begin their relationship, they are putting God first and trusting Him to lead them in the right direction. And He does, as He always does for His children. This was a wonderfully delightful book and I definitely will read more of this author.

Book Review: ‘Unveiling The Past’ by Kim Vogel Sawyer

May 12, 2020 susansnodgrass

**About The Book:**
**Mysteries, family secrets, and learning to love and trust again rest at the heart of this contemporary novel from the best-selling author of *Bringing Maggie Home* .**

Newlyweds and cold case detectives Sean and Meghan Eagle have been given the task of investigating the twenty-years-past disappearance of a husband and father, Anson Menke. A judge ruled that the missing man chose to leave the country and abandon his family, but his wife wouldn’t concede that he left his family nor declare him dead. Their mother now gone, his children want answers.

As Sean and Meghan follow the man’s last known steps, they also involve themselves in a more personal inquiry: locating Meghan’s biological father. But as Meghan struggles to balance her work and her new role as a wife, she becomes terrified of failure. She doesn’t want to hurt Sean or jeopardize the Menke investigation by falling short of his expectations.

When her mother, Diane DeFord, sees Meghan’s turmoil, she decides to take action, potentially reuniting father and daughter. As the two searches intertwine, Meghan must become vulnerable with Sean, letting him into her life and being a true partner, while letting her heart be tender to God, the One who truly knows the journey each disrupted life needed to take to Him.

**About The Author:**
Award-winning, bestselling author Kim Vogel Sawyer told her kindergarten teacher that someday people would check out her book in the library. The little-girl dream came true in 2006 with the release of Waiting for Summer’s Return. Kim’s titles now exceed 1.5 million copies and are available in six different languages. A former elementary school teacher, she now enjoys a full-time writing and speaking ministry. Kim’s passion lies in writing stories that point the reader to a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. When Kim isn’t writing, you’ll find her traveling with her retired military hubby, spoiling her granddarlings, petting the cats, quilting, or–as time allows–participating in community theater. You can learn more about Kim’s writing and speaking ministries at her website, KimVogelSawyer.com.

**My Rating: 4 Stars**
‘Even warriors get weary when the battle doesn’t end.’

Kim Vogel Sawyer brings us a wonderful story of forgiveness, repentance and perseverance in Unveiling the Past. Drawing on two cold cases, detectives Meghan and her husband Sean are involved in some situations that reveal much about themselves and their ability to forgive and minister to others. There is so much here that will touch your heart and we learn how God can use even the most painful and also the most minute things to reach people for His good. I was in tears in several places. It made my heart smile. Recommended.

*My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

**Publisher: Waterbrook**
**Publication Date: May 12, 2020**
**Buy it here: https://amzn.to/2SW2vph**

Book Review: ‘The Best We’ve Been’ (Thatcher Sisters, book 3) by Beth K. Vogt

May 6, 2020 susansnodgrass

**About The Book:**
How can you choose what is right for you when your decision will break the heart of someone you love?

Having abandoned her childhood dream years ago, Johanna Thatcher knows what she wants from life. Discovering that her fiancé was cheating on her only convinces Johanna it’s best to maintain control and protect her heart.

Despite years of distance and friction, Johanna and her sisters, Jillian and Payton, have moved from a truce toward a fragile friendship. But then Johanna reveals she has the one thing Jillian wants most and may never have—and Johanna doesn’t want it. As Johanna wrestles with a choice that will change her life and her relationships with her sisters forever, the cracks in Jillian’s marriage and faith deepen. Through it all, the Thatcher sisters must decide once and for all what it means to be family.

About Beth K. Vogt
Beth K. Vogt is a non-fiction author and editor who said she’d never write fiction. She’s the wife of an Air Force family physician (now in solo practice) who said she’d never marry a doctor–or anyone in the military. She’s a mom of four who said she’d never have kids. Now Beth believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” As a contemporary romance novelist, Beth is a 2016 Christy Award winner, a 2015 RITA® Finalist and a three-time ACFW Carol Award finalist. Her 2014 novel, Somebody Like You, was one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Books of 2014. In 2015, Beth introduced her destination wedding series with both an e-novella, Can’t Buy Me Love, and a novel, Crazy Little Thing Called Love. She continues the series in 2016 with the e-novella You Can’t Hurry Love (May) and the novel Almost Like Being in Love(June). A November Bride, was part of the Year of Wedding Series by Zondervan. Beth enjoys writing contemporary romance because she believes there’s more to happily-ever-after than the fairy tales tell us. Find out more about her books at bethvogt.com. An established magazine writer and former editor of Connections, the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth is also part of the leadership team for My Book Therapy, the writing community founded by best-selling author Susan May Warren. She lives in Colorado with her husband Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people, and their youngest daughter, Christa, who loves to play volleyball and enjoys writing her own stories.
Connect with Beth on her website (bethvogt.com) and her blog on quotes, In Others’ Words, or on any of these social media platforms:
Facebook.com/AuthorBethKVogt
twitter.com/bethvogt
instagram.com/bethkvogt

**My Rating: 5 Stars!**
‘It seems every time I grasp even the smallest bit of hope, it gets taken away from me.’

Beth Vogt brings us Johanna’s story in this last of her Thatcher Sisters series and she saved the best for last. I will confess that I did not like Johanna in the previous books. She was not likeable, in my opinion. But I was taught a lesson in this book. I admit I had no idea how Vogt would bring her into a place where she would indeed be likeable to the reader, but she manages this admirably.

Johanna finds herself in a desperate situation and reacts like a typical Johanna at first, but soon she changes her mind and decides to go forth in the style she manages her entire life: head held high, allowing no one to see her pain and confusion. She is Johanna Thatcher. She can do this. No matter what. After all, she is very good at closing herself off to avoid pain. She’s actually become a master at it.

It is a rare book that manages to bring out such deep emotions in me. This one pulled at everything inside me as Vogt continues to explore these sisters to such a degree that it’s just amazing. I was stunned at times at the incredible emotional depth she manages to pull out of these women. I was left weeping several times as I marveled at the powerful realness of this novel. It’s not just a fluffy story of three sisters. No, it’s way more than that. It’s deeply moving and heart wrenching, but also full of hope and precious love. I was moved greatly during the reading of this book and it will stay with me a very long time to come. I can highly recommend this book.

*My thanks to Tyndale House Publishing for a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

**Publisher: Tyndale**
**Publication Date: May 5,2020**
**Buy it here: https://amzn.to/2A2mJar**

Book Review: ‘Storing Up Trouble’ (American Heiresses Book 3) by Jen Turano

May 5, 2020May 5, 2020 susansnodgrass

**About The Book**
When Miss Beatrix Waterbury’s Chicago-bound train ride is interrupted by a heist, Mr. Norman Nesbit, a man of science who believes his research was the target of the heist, comes to her aid. Despite the fact that they immediately butt heads, they join forces to make a quick escape.

Upon her arrival in Chicago, Beatrix is surprised to discover her supposedly querulous Aunt Gladys shares her own suffragette passions. Encouraged by Gladys to leave her sheltered world, Beatrix begins working as a salesclerk at the Marshall Field and Company department store. When she again encounters Norman on a shopping expedition, he is quickly swept up in the havoc she always seems to attract.

But when another attempt is made to part Norman from his research papers, and it becomes clear Beatrix’s safety is also at risk, they soon discover the curious way feelings can grow between two very different people in the midst of chaos.

About Jen Turano
Named One of the Funniest Voices in Inspirational Romance by Booklist, Jen Turano is a USA Today Best-Selling Author, known for penning quirky historical romances set in the Gilded Age. Her books have earned Publisher Weekly and Booklist starred reviews, top picks from Romantic Times, and praise from Library Journal. She’s been a finalist twice for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards and had two of her books listed in the top 100 romances of the past decade from Booklist. When she’s not writing, she spends her time outside of Denver, CO. She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jenturanoauthor/ or visit her on the web at http://www.jenturano.com. She is represented by the Natasha Kern Literary Agency.

**My Rating: 5 Stars!**
‘Ladies, I’ll have you know, don’t care for men who embrace criminal activity.’

Where do I begin to tell you just how much of a forever fan I am of Jen Turano? With each book of hers that I read, I grow even more fond of her work. It’s not long after beginning one of her enchanting novels that I am roaring with laughter! Seriously, she has a wit that will not quit. I can’t imagine anyone being able to write such hilarious work! I am completely captivated when I read her books. Totally.

‘You’re acting beyond peculiar, which is peculiar in and of itself since peculiar seems to be a common state for you.’

Turano gives us Miss Beatrix Waterbury and Mr. Norman Nesbit in her third book in the American Heiresses series. Beatrix and Norman just happen to be on the same train when train robbers come on board. Norman comes to her aid, which she does not need nor welcome. They make an escape, and after that, just put down anything you’re holding because you will drop it when you start laughing to beat the band. Truly. I can most highly recommend this author.

*My thanks to Bethany House Publishers for a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

**Publisher: Bethany House**
**Publication Date: May 5, 2020**
**Buy it here: https://amzn.to/2WhExpC**

Book Review: ‘The Prodigal Cowboy’ (Mercy Ranch, Book 6) by Brenda Minton

May 2, 2020 susansnodgrass

**About The Book**
Can an unexpected reunion change his wandering ways?

**His last chance to make things right…**

**means reuniting the family he once lost.**

Bull fighter Colt West gave up everything for the rodeo—including his sweetheart, Holly Carter. Now he’s come home to Hope, Oklahoma, with unexpected news: he and Holly are the guardians of the daughter they gave up for adoption eleven years ago. It’s a chance to be a family. But can Holly trust that her cowboy is finally here to stay?

About Brenda Minton
Brenda Minton lives in the Ozarks with her husband, three children and a few too many pets. She’s a pastor’s wife as well as children’s ministry worker.

Her hobbies include sitting on the porch drinking coffee and going out to eat with friends.

If you enjoy her Love Inspired Cooper Creek series, you can find Brenda most days drinking coffee and hanging out on facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/#!/COOPERCREEK?fref=ts

My Rating: 5 Stars!

‘Standing in front of him was a chance to do things right.’

Sometimes we all need a second chance. Colt West has been handed a chance to do the right thing and he is absolutely determined to do just that. If only Holly Carter will allow him to do it. They gave up a daughter to adoption 11 years ago, knowing it was the right thing to do. Now they have a chance to be a family and Colt wants that more than anything. He is hoping he can persuade Holly to allow it to happen. But old hurts still keep Holly from completely going all in with this family thing.

I am so happy I discovered Brenda Minton’s writing. I’m desperately trying to catch up on all her back books and having a great time doing that. She writes with such warmth and inspiration and I love sinking down into one of her good stories. This book is in her Mercy Ranch series and is absolutely wonderful. I enjoyed every single minute and can’t wait for the next one. I’m hoping it will be the West brothers’ sister Daisy’s story.

*My thanks to the author for a copy of this book. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.