About The Book Remembering a serial killer’s face… could be deadly
While interviewing the Coastline Strangler’s only surviving victim, forensic artist Scarlet Wells is attacked and left with amnesia. Now she’s his next mark and has no choice but to work with constable Jace Allen to unlock the criminal’s true identity trapped in her mind. Will they be able to recover the hidden memory and hunt down the killer before he strikes again?
From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.
About Darlene L. Turner Darlene L. Turner is an award-winning author and lives with her husband, Jeff in Ontario, Canada. Her love of suspense began when she read her first Nancy Drew book. She’s turned that passion into her writing and believes readers will be captured by her plots, inspired by her strong characters, and moved by her inspirational message. You can connect with Darlene at http://www.darlenelturner.com where there’s suspense beyond borders
My Rating: 4 Stars! If you enjoy suspense, you will love this latest book from Darlene L. Turner. She hits the ground running and the action doesn’t let up until the very last page. Not counting the epilogue. Turner has created an ingenious serial killer who is always one step ahead of law enforcement and will stop at nothing to accomplish his goals as he terrorizes a community. Well done!
My thanks to the publisher and author for a copy of this book. The opinion in this review is my own.Print length
When a little boy is threatened, Officer Daniella Vargas and K-9 partner, Zara, are assigned to pose as his nanny to uncover the culprit’s identity. Suspecting one of the guests in his inn, widower Sam Kavanaugh’s only option is to begrudgingly trust Daniella and Zara to help. But can they solve the case and its mysterious connection to Sam’s late wife before it’s too late?
From Love Inspired Suspense: Courage. Danger. Faith.
Rocky Mountain K-9 Unit
Book 1: Detection Detail by Terri Reed Book 2: Ready to Protect by Valerie Hansen Book 3: Hiding in Montana by Laura Scott Book 4: Undercover Assignment by Dana Mentink Book 5: Defending from Danger by Jodie Bailey Book 6: Tracking a Killer by Elizabeth Goddard
About Dana Mentink Dana Mentink is a USA TODAY and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author. She’s written more than forty mystery and suspense novels for Love Inspired Suspense, Harvest House, and Poisoned Pen Press. She is honored to have received two ACFW Carol Awards, a Holt Medallion Award, and a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award. Please visit her on the web at http://www.danamentink.com to sign up for her newsletter, or find her on Twitter, Facebook and Bookbub
My Rating: 4 Stars! Really good suspense here as Dana Mentink takes us to a lodge high in the mountains with a murderer on the loose. A cop is playing the part of a nanny to a three year old, with her K9 dog, as she gathers clues. It’s not long before her life is threatened, too. What exactly is the murderer after? Can she figure it out before it’s too late?
About The Book Two couples in love. Two sets of impossible circumstances. One powerful God of grace. After a tailspin in her late teens, Lauren Anderson’s life is finally back on track. Her battle with bulimia is under control, her career is taking off, and she’s surrounded by a loving family. Then a chance meeting with Carter Douglas, her first love and the man who broke her heart, leads to old feelings returning with new strength. And suddenly her well-balanced world is thrown off kilter. Now a TV meteorologist, Carter is determined to make amends with Lauren. After all, she still owns his heart. But the reasons they broke up aren’t lost–and those old demons are forcing him toward the same decision he faced in the past. He isn’t sure he’s courageous enough to make a different choice this time around. When Lauren’s elderly grandmother, Rosie, begins having nightmares about a man named Ephraim–a name her family has never heard before–a fascinating and forbidden past love comes to light. As Lauren and Carter work to uncover the untold stories of Rosie’s past in 1950s Wichita, they embark on a journey of forgiveness and second chances that will change their lives–and Rosie’s–forever. Along the way they’ll learn that God wastes nothing, his timing is perfect, and nothing is beyond his grace and redemption. The Songs That Could Have Been is full of the same deftly handled, resonant writing that readers and critics alike enjoyed in Amanda Wen’s first book in the series. Fans of Lisa Wingate and Rachel Hauck will add Amanda Wen to their must-read shelves.
About Amanda Wen Amanda Wen is an award-winning writer of inspirational romance and split-time women’s fiction. She has placed first in multiple contests, including the 2017 Indiana Golden Opportunity Contest, the 2017 Phoenix Rattler Contest, and the 2016 ACFW First Impressions Contest, among others. She was also a 2018 ACFW Genesis Contest finalist. Her debut novel, Roots of Wood and Stone, will release from Kregel Publications on January 26, 2021. In addition to her writing, Amanda is an accomplished professional cellist and pianist, frequently performing with symphony orchestras, string quartets, and her church’s worship team, and accompanying high school and middle school choirs. A lifelong denizen of the flatlands, Amanda currently lives in Kansas with her patient, loving, and hilarious husband, their three adorable Wenlets, and a snuggly Siamese cat.
My Rating: 5 Stars! ‘Could it be God wasn’t finished writing their story?’
When I read Amanda Wen’s debut novel last year, it just moved me so much and I began to watch for her next offering. Now I’ve read it and I can tell you that it did not disappoint. She is a great storyteller! Wen tackles a very difficult subject here, well, three actually, and does them in the most wonderful and caring way that it melts the reader’s heart.
Full of such great characters, this book is going on my top reads list for the year. We see more than one story here in Wen’s dual time novel. Each is very moving in its own right and totally captures the reader’s mind completely. It did mine, at least. I could barely put it down.
Wen’s theme of God’s grace and redemption resonate throughout. His love for His creation is so evident here, and Wen’s telling of it moved me to tears more than once. She excels at this story and I’m so happy to be a fan. The blurb on the back cover says, in part, ‘God wastes nothing and his timing is perfect.’ How very true this is! These characters simply leapt off the pages and right into my heart, along with their hurts, joys, and love. I will not stop thinking about this one for a while. Perfection! Very well done!
My thanks to Kregel Publications for a copy of this book. The opinion in this review is expressly my own.Print length
Two years after losing the love of his life to cancer, Connor Murphy is slowly emerging from the darkness of grief, but he wrestles with fears about how he and his twelve-year-old son Reid will manage to navigate Reid’s teenage years on their own. Connor’s single-minded prayer has become, please, no more changes, but when single mom Jade Beck arrives to take on the job Sadie Murphy had done before her death, it becomes clear God has stamped his prayer request denied.
Jade Beck’s prayers were answered when she received the offer of a job as Lakeshore Lodge’s marketing and customer relations manager. Or so she thought. After a messy divorce, she and her two children need a safe place to land and find the peace their lives have lacked, but once she meets her abrupt, brooding supervisor, Mr. Connor Murphy, her fresh start suddenly looks a bit…stale. She’s already endured fifteen years living with a condescending man, and she won’t be a doormat anymore.
As the challenges of single parenting continually push them together, Jade and Connor’s relationship gradually transforms from cold and awkward to respectful and mutually supportive…and eventually to something deeper and more tender. But navigating these changes forces them to deal with the hurts and disappointments of their pasts and confront the fears that hold them captive.
Surrendering their hopes and fears to God has never felt so daunting. Can they learn to see the goodness of God, even in their broken paths, and trust that morning by morning, God’s tender mercies are ever new?
Morning by Morning, book 8 in the Murphy Brothers Stories, is a complex, emotional story of hope after heartache, of deeply moving, tender romance after devastating loss, and God’s faithful love, even in life’s hardest place.
About Jennifer Rodewald
Jennifer Rodewald/J. Rodes lives on the wide plains somewhere near the middle of Nowhere. A coffee addict, chaser of teenage activities, and storyteller, she also wears the hats of mom, teacher, and friend. Mostly, she loves Jesus and wants to see others fall in love with Him too.
My Rating: 5 Stars! ‘How much more, exactly, did God think he could take?’
This is a stunning series. I have loved each book as it released, and eagerly awaited the next in the series. I was not disappointed ever in any of them. These Murphy brothers are an amazing bunch, raised by godly parents and taught honesty, integrity, and a powerful godliness. Jennifer Rodewald excels here, in each one.
Connor Murphy gets a second story here. We first met him in a previous book when he felt led by God to marry a woman with cancer and a little boy. What started out as a marriage of convenience quickly turned into a deep and abiding love. When his beloved wife dies, Connor is devastated and can’t seem to escape the pain, even two years later. But it seems God has another plan in mind for him. Jade Beck arrives to work at the same lodge Connor does with her two children in tow. Jade carries enough hurt in her heart for more than one person.
‘God, is it ever going to get better?’
Connor is an admirable, Jesus-filled man who always thinks long and hard and prays about every move he makes. He is not ready for what looks like a new direction God has sent his way, but he is willing to be obedient. Both Connor and Jade have been in hard places and known deep, heart-rending pain. Neither can see that God can do anything that will take away the pain of their hearts. But we serve a God that can make all things new, can make a road way in the wilderness and streams in the desert.
Jennifer Rodewald has a unique ability to plumb the absolute depths of human emotion in her characters. So many times I have been moved to tears reading her stories. This one ministered to a situation that I was going through in my own life while I was reading the book. Isn’t that just like God? I truly could feel these characters’ pain.
Come along on this journey as we discover God always had something for His children even when they think the pain is all consuming and the light will never shine again. Bravo! Oh! There is one more in the series.
My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book. I was not expected to leave a positive review and the opinion here is entirely my own. Print length
About The Book She’s hounded from every side by treacherous elements and foes, but her greatest enemy lies within. In the mountains near France, the medieval Princess Elyce is being forced to marry, thus forming an alliance that will enrich her father but enslave her kingdom. Instead, she chooses to feign her death and flee to Prague to beg King Wenceslaus to help save her people. In England, the young knight Sir Gerard has a vision from God instructing him to help Elyce on her quest. When he arrives to find she has been near death for days, he manages to revive her. However, thinking the stranger was trying to kiss her, the princess immediately distrusts him. But her desperate situation forces her to accept his aid. Pursued by her enemy’s guards over mountainous terrain, they must also battle the deadly winter elements. Her greatest challenge may be to overcome the voices of disapproval and accusation from her childhood. Will her emotions lead her into her true identity, or will they undermine her ability to work with Gerard and to save her people, who desperately need her help? In this dazzling and romantic story, New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson takes the classic Sleeping Beauty fairy tale to satisfying new heights. “When it comes to happily-ever-afters, Melanie Dickerson is the undisputed queen.” —Julie Lessman, award-winning author Sweet historical medieval romance Part of the Dericott series: Book 1: Court of Swans; Book 2: Castle of Refuge; Book 3: Veil of Winter; Book 4: Fortress of Snow Book length: 85,000 words
About Melanie Dickerson Melanie is the Christy award-winning author of Regency and Medieval fairy tale romances. Melanie’s newsletter sign-up is on her website, http://www.MelanieDickerson.com, and you can connect with her on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/MelanieDickersonBooks/ and on Instagram http://www.instagram.com/melaniedickerson123/ Growing up about 50 miles from Harper Lee’s hometown in rural Alabama, Melanie wrote stories in notebooks for her friends, who passed them around in class as soon as she finished a scene. (And no, they didn’t get in trouble—much.) These stories always involved adventure, danger, and a hero and heroine falling in love, with a happily-ever-after ending. She’s been a romantic for as long as she can remember! Melanie lives in North Alabama with her husband and sometimes her two young adult children, who have (mostly) flown the nest. You’ll find her sprint-writing with her friends on video chat, sipping hot tea at a local coffee shop, hanging out with her handsome husband, watching movies with her oddly calm Jack Russell terrier, or daydreaming about her book-in-progress.
4 Stars! Melanie Dickerson treats us to another of her retelling of fairy tales with an inspirational twist. This one is Sleeping Beauty and it’s very good indeed. The hero and heroine are wonderful as are many secondary characters. I haven’t missed a one if these stories.
My thanks to Thomas Nelson Publishing fir a copy of this book via the Net Galley platform. The opinion in this review is expressly my own.
During a time when legends were born . . . ENSNARED A poor maidservant struggling to survive, a brave knight who secretly loves her, and a chalice that has the power to unite them. Nursemaid to the Earl of Likness’s two young daughters, Mikaela despises the earl for his cruelty to his subjects, and she longs for the day when she can make a difference in the lives of her suffering friends and family. As one of the Knights of Brethren, Gunnar is on a mission to find the sacred chalice for the queen, convinced it’s the cure for her deadly bleeding disease. His quest takes him home, and he soon learns his brother, the earl, may know more about the chalice than he lets on. As Gunnar reunites with Mikaela, the maiden he’s always loved, he tries to keep his feelings for her a secret, desperate to protect her from his brother. But as they venture into the perilous Hardanger Forest and battle to survive, will Gunnar realize her love is worth fighting for? The real story of the Holy Grail . . . Knights of Brethren Book 1: Enamored Book 2: Entwined Book 3: Ensnared (June 2022) Book 4: Enriched (July 2022) Other YA books by Jody Hedlund: The Fairest Maidens Book 1: Beholden Book 2: Beguiled Book 3: Besotted The Lost Princesses Prequel Novella: Always Book 1: Evermore Book 2: Foremost Book 3: Hereafter The Noble Knights Prequel Novella: The Vow Book 1: An Uncertain Choice Book 2: A Daring Sacrifice Book 3: For Love and Honor Book 4: A Loyal Heart Book 5: A Worthy Rebel For a complete list of Jody’s novels, visit her Amazon page or website – jodyhedlund.com
About Jody Hedlund Jody Hedlund is the best-selling author of over forty historicals for both adults and teens and is the winner of numerous awards. She writes clean, sweet romances with plenty of sizzle. Find out more at jodyhedlund.com.
My Rating: 4 Stars!
“One act of courage has the power to clear the path for more.”
I love Jody Hedlund’s books and especially the ones she sets in the medieval era. She is so good here! This series captivated me from the first book and this third offering still does. I loved the addition of the forest’s dangers. No spoilers so I won’t say more. Theses courageous knights are awesome. There is another book in the series and I can’t wait for it.
My thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book. The opinion in this review is expressly my own.
About The Book He was supposed to marry her best friend, but he couldn’t say no to her. No one has ever refused a request from Lady Belle Dryden. Her pretty face and winsome nature almost guarantee it, and the fact that she’s the youngest daughter of the Duke of Wey doesn’t hurt. So she’s certain when she plays matchmaker between her dearest friend, Miss Petunia Bateman, and the charming, mysterious Owen Canady, both will be only too happy to fall in love. After all, Belle feels herself falling for Owen already. A shame a duke’s daughter must marry someone more impressive.
Owen Canady is a gentleman by birth, a pauper by circumstance, and a con man by necessity. Life has taught him he can rely only on his wits and a fast horse to get by. But when he is blackmailed into ferreting out the secrets of the Duke of Wey at a house party at the duke’s lavish estate, he finds his resolve crumbling. Belle is everything that is right and good in the world. He cannot betray her.
As her father’s enemies grow more daring, Belle and Owen must work together to protect all they hold dear. When his own secrets are revealed, can Owen convince the lady who’s never heard no to say yes to him?
If you like warm, witty historical romances, with a touch of intrigue, then you’ll love this historical romance by an award-winning author.
“Regina Scott is a first-rate storyteller who knows what her readers want in their romances.” Huntress Reviews
Start romancing a rogue, today.
About Regina Scott Regina Scott started writing novels in the third grade. Thankfully for literature as we know it, she didn’t actually sell her first novel until she’d learned a bit more about writing. Since then, she’s had published more than 50 clean historical romances. Her books have earned praise from reviewers and readers alike. Booklist calls her work “quietly compelling” and “impeccably written.” Huntress Reviews says, “Regina Scott delivers,” and “I will always buy a book with Regina Scott’s name on it.” Regina Scott is the author of the American Wonders Collection, set in the history of our national parks, and the Frontier Bachelors series set in pioneer Seattle. She is also the author of more than three dozen sweet historical romances set in Regency England in such series as Grace-by-the-Sea, Fortune’s Brides, Uncommon Courtships, and the Lady Emily Capers. She has twice been awarded best book of the year for her type of story from industry favorite RT Book Reviews. A Distance Too Grand in the American Wonders Collection was named one of the top 10 romances of the year by Booklist. Regina Scott has learned to fence, driven four-in-hand, sailed on a tall ship, and dressed as a Regency dandy, all in the name of research, of course. She makes her home in the Puget Sound area of Washington State with her beloved husband. Find her online at her website http://www.reginascott.com, the blog she shares with author Marissa Doyle at http://www.nineteenteen.com, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/authorreginascott, and on Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/reginascott. Subscribe to her newsletter at https://subscribe.reginascott.com so you’ll always know when a new book is out or on sale.
My Rating: 4 Stars! I do love a good Regency story and Regina Scott does one so very good. This one is my favorite of the series. The Duke of Wey’s daughter meets her match here. She is on the search for a suitor for her friend Petunia, but falls for him herself. But this particular suitor is not at all what he seems. Great characters here, friends from previous books make great appearances. I loved it!
My thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book. The review is my own opinion.Print length
About The Book God keeps his promises in amazing and often surprising ways. The Bible stories in God Rescues show how God watched over his people and used Moses to save the Israelites from trouble. Just as God watched over and rescued his people then, even now we are safe with Jesus. The perfect Passover lamb helps us remember God’s promise to forgive, and he keeps his promise to forgive today through Jesus, the Lamb of God. Author Jared Kennedy uses simple words and concepts to help toddlers and preschoolers understand that God takes care of us and always keeps his promises. This beautifully illustrated board book for ages three to five is part of the Beginner’s Gospel Story Book series. The preschool-friendly pictures in God Rescues will also help teach about shapes, colors, and counting. Children will be captivated by the bright, modern illustrations and the simple encouraging content will turn their hearts to Jesus.
About Jared Kennedy Jared Kennedy, MDiv, ThM, is the co-founder and managing editor of Gospel-Centered Family, a ministry that helps churches and families share Jesus with the next generation. He also serves as the Parenting and Family Channel Editor for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, as a member of the Theological Advisory Council for Harbor Network, and is an adjunct professor at Boyce College. He is the author of The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible, Are You Close to God?, Jesus Rose for Me, Jesus Came for Me, and God Made Me for Worship, and he has helped to develop two VBS programs, Proof Pirates and Clap Your Hands, Stomp Your Feet. He blogs regularly at gospelcenteredfamily.com and contributes to @TGC, @ERLC, @CredoMagazine, and @HeReadsTruth. You can follow him on Twitter @jaredskennedy. He and his wife Megan and their three daughters live in Louisville, KY
5 Stars! This was the cutest book! Enough detail for children the recommended age and very understandable. The illustrations were awesome. I loved it!
About The Book He’s Faced Countless Perils on the Battlefield, but Nothing so Dangerous as Falling in Love.
Luke Davenport has been fighting all his life–for respect, for country, and for those unable to fight for themselves. But now that his Horsemen brothers are domesticated, he’s left alone to battle the wildness within. When an opportunity arises to take a job on his own, tracking down a group of rustlers, he jumps at the chance.
Damaris Baxter has mastered the art of invisibility. Plain and quiet, she hides in books and needlework, content to be overlooked. Until her brother dies suddenly, leaving her custody of her nephew. She moves to Texas to care for Nathaniel, determined to create the family for herself that she never thought she’d have and to give him the family he desperately needs.
When Nate finds himself knee-deep in trouble, Luke’s attempt to protect him leaves Damaris feeling indebted to the Horseman. But suspicions grow regarding the mysterious death of Damaris’s brother. And the more questions they ask, the more danger appears, threatening the family Luke may be unable to live without.
About Karen Witemeyer For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warm-hearted historical romances with a flair of humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. A transplant from California, Karen came to Texas for college, met a cowboy disguised as a computer nerd, married him, and never left the state that had become home. Winner of the HOLT Medallion, ACFW Carol Award, Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award, National Reader’s Choice Award, and a finalist for both the RITA and Christy Awards, Karen is a firm believer in the power of happy endings. . . and ice cream. She also loves to reward her readers. Every month she gives away two inspirational historical novels to someone from her newsletter list and offers substantial bonus content on her website. To learn more about Karen and her books, or to join her subscriber list, please visit http://www.karenwitemeyer.com
My Rating: 5 Stars!
‘I’m a Horseman, ma’am. Hunting down outlaws and bandits is what I do.’
I have been so eagerly anticipating this book in Karen Witemeyer’s ‘Hanger’s Horsemen’ series since I read the first one. I loved Preach’s characters and wanted to see what his story was. Witemeyer does not disappoint one bit here. Luke Davenport (Preach) finds more than he bargained for when he hires out to help a rancher. And Preach does have a back story, let me tell you, and has a lot to overcome. But those scripture verses he has memorized for so many years and has one for every occasion stand him in good stead throughout the book. I was cheering him on many times. This is, in my opinion, the best series ever from this author. They are books to sit proudly on my shelves and to be read over and over again. It sure was good to see all the Horsemen together again, even if just for a short time. Well done!
My thanks to Bethany House for a copy of this book via Net Galley. The opinion in this review is expressly my own.
About The Book When former Navy Seal and lifelong bachelor Ranger Kingston is called upon to take part in a rescue mission to save his brother Colt, who has been kidnapped by terrorists in Nigeria, he is shocked to find among the hostages a woman he knows and could never forget.
Noemi Sutton was attempting to return a young girl to her family in Boko Haran territory when she and the girl found themselves taken hostage, along with several others.
And while Ranger Kingston may be able to get the hostages away from their captors, he’ll need Noemi’s help if he ever hopes to get out of Nigeria alive.
Her solution? Pose as husband and wife. But when her uncle discovers the union, he insists on a traditional Nigerian wedding–binding Noemi to a man destined to break her heart. Worse, she’s discovered the real reason she was kidnapped, and anyone around her is bound to be caught in the cross fire. Including her so-called new husband.
She’ll need to figure out a way to leave the man she loves if she wants to save his life.
USA Today bestselling author Susan May Warren throws you into the thick of the action in this high-stakes, globe-trotting romance.
About Susan May Warren Growing up in Minneapolis and attending the U of MN, I learned to love city life, although I’m a woodsy girl at heart. Or maybe I’m an adventurer — having lived and traveled all over the world, including Siberia Russia as a missionary for eight years. Probably that’s why my characters can’t sit still, and seem to get into one scrape after another — they’re too much like me! I love God, my family, my country, my church, and feel privileged every day to be able to write stories. Here’s my “Official” Bio. With over 1 million books sold, critically acclaimed novelist Susan May Warren is the Christy, RITA and Carol award-winning author of over seventy-five novels with Revell, Tyndale, Barbour, Steeple Hill and Summerside Press. Known for her compelling plots and unforgettable characters, Susan has written contemporary and historical romances, romantic-suspense, thrillers, rom-com and Christmas novellas. With books translated into eight languages, many of her novels have been ECPA and CBA bestsellers, were chosen as Top Picks by Romantic Times, and have won the RWA’s Inspirational Reader’s Choice contest and the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year award. Of her books, Publisher’s Weekly has written, “Warren lays bare her characters’ human frailties, including fear, grief, and resentment, as openly as she details their virtues of love, devotion, and resiliency. She has crafted an engaging tale of romance, rivalry, and the power of forgiveness.” And Library Journal adds, “Warren’s characters are well-developed and she knows how to create a first rate contemporary romance…” Susan is also a nationally acclaimed writing coach, teaching at conferences around the nation and winner of the 2009 American Christian Fiction Writers Mentor of the Year award. She loves to help people launch their writing careers and is the founder of Novel.Academy and http://www.LearnHowtoWriteaNovel.com, a writing website that helps authors get published and stay published. She’s also the author of the popular writing method, The Story Equation.
My Rating: 5 Stars!
‘Yeah well. I’m a SEAL. I live for trouble.’
I am always so happy when I hear Susan May Warren has a new book coming out. And ecstatic when I get my hands on it and settle into it. Because that’s exactly what happens: I settle down deep and simply disappear into it. Completely.
Warren takes us into the second book of her Sky King Ranch series here and even further into danger as we dive into Ranger’s part of the story. From the bush in Nigeria in a terrorist camp and an elaborate mansion to the spring in Alaska, we are treated to Warren’s unmatchable style as she carries us along on a wave of a satisfying read that never fails to completely transport the reader to every setting.
And her spiritual thread, as always, is so powerful, and ministering to this reader. Warren will always remain one of my very favorite authors. Well done!
My thanks to Sunrise Publishing for a copy of this book. The opinion in this review is expressly my own.
Simply Susan 