Bethany House

One Discovery Will Change Lives

February 4, 2016 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

For me, a gal who is as single as a slice of American cheese (ok, I stole that line from someone), a haunted hero struggling with his past is attractive. Make him a protective brooding hero with a sense of justice, and I’m gone. And then, you make him look like Griffin McCray in Dani Pettrey’s Cold Shot (the first book in her Chesapeake Valor series), and I can just stare at the book cover for hours…but then, I’d never get to know the real Griffin, would I?

Former SWAT-team sniper Griffin McCray now leads a fairly quiet life as a park ranger at Gettysburg. Of course, the appearance of forensic anthropologist Finely Scott has stirred up a few emotions Griffin’s not ready to acknowledge. When he catches two men digging up a body (one that is most definitely not from the Civil War), Griffin and Finley are thrown into an investigation full of twists and turns.

With the help of Griffin’s friends, FBI Agent Declan Gray and Crime Scene Analyst Parker Mitchell, the group struggles to put the pieces of the mystery together. When evidence points to a sniper, Griffin’s expertise is called upon. And one thing he knows for sure is that he and his friends are in the sight of a sniper’s scope.

Pettrey does a fantastic job of drawing out the suspense in Cold Shot. Not only did I keep pushing forward in this book to find out who was behind the crimes (and the culprit continued to change in my mind as the story proceeded), there were many mysteries in both Griffin’s and Finley’s pasts to be uncovered.

Set around the Chesapeake Bay area in Virginia, this new series has lots of potential. All (or probably most) of the characters for the remainder of the series have been introduced in this first book. I’m looking forward to learning more about Declan, Parker, and Kate as well as maybe (hopefully) finding out what happened to Luke Gallagher in future books.

For fans of Dee Henderson’s O’Malley Series will enjoy Dani Pettrey’s offerings with suspense, a sense of family, romance, and adventure (check out her Alaskan Courage Series).

***Bethany House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Historical Romance with Twists that will Make You Smile

January 13, 2016 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

What’s better than reading an entertaining story? How about four stories? In With This Ring?: A Novella Collection of Proposals Gone Awry, four beloved authors of historical fiction come together and share stories of unusual, often humorous, circumstances leading couples to find love.

In “The Husband Manuever,” readers of Karen Witemeyer’s newest full-length release (A Worthy Pursuit) will recognize Daniel Barrett and Marietta Hawkins. Daniel is about to leave his position as foreman on Marietta’s father’s ranch, and Marietta is desperate. If he leaves, he’ll never ask her to marry him. So, she decides to take matters into her own hands. But will it destroy their friendship in the process?

When the bridge leading to her property washes out and leaves Katie Ellen Hawkins alone with the one man she is determined to avoid, she’s disheartened when a menacing stranger refuses to leave her home. And appalled when Josiah Huckabee suggests they pretend to be husband and wife. Can she spent time with him and keep a hold on her heart? “The Husband Maneuver” by Regina Jennings is a fun and wild ride.

Mary Connealy’s “The Runaway Bride” finds Carrie Halsey feeling from an arranged marriage she will not enter into. Her older sister has hired a Texas Ranger named Big John Conroy to see her and her younger brother to safety but they don’t get far before people are hunting her down. Is the only way to escape the man she doesn’t want to marry to attach herself to another one?

And my personal favorite of the four…”Engaging the Competition” by Melissa Jaegers. Tomboy Charlotte “Charlie” Andrews is forced to help Harrison Gray when his glasses break, leaving him almost blind until a new pair can be ordered and delivered. Harrison has managed to avoid Charlie for years as if he wants nothing to do with her. Besides that little fact, how is her fiancé going to react to her spending time with another man—a very handsome man at that.

Each one of these novellas is approximately 100 pages. Dive right into the story and see how awkward and uncomfortable situations lead these characters to their future happily ever afters.

***Bethany House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Two Worlds Collide

December 16, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

Oil and water. Toothpaste and orange juice. Just like some combinations, some people just don’t go together…or do they?

Sophie van Riijn’s deepest desire in life is to be a wife and mother but after three failed engagements, she isn’t sure God is going to grant her that dream. Instead, she finds purpose in the simple task of her volunteer position taking weather measurements for the Weather Bureau in Washington D.C. in her little town of New Holland on the Hudson River. Despite the fact her weather station has been set up on private property (without the owners’ permission), she faithfully records her statistics and reports them every day. But when the Vandermarks suddenly return home without warning, she can’t hide the fact she’s been using the rooftop of the Dierenpark mansion.

Quentin Vandermark is furious when he learns the staff at his ancestral home has been exploiting the place for profit. And Sophie van Riijn is the worst of the lot with her illegal weather station and her incessant cheer. But the young woman has somehow managed to relate to his son—something few people are able to do.

Reluctantly, he hires Sophie to tutor his son as well as cook for the household. Without much effort, she manages to draw each member to her side. Quentin pokes and prods at her, trying to prove her kindheartedness and cheer aren’t real but no matter what he does, she seems to remain constant. And soon he finds himself wanting to know why. His life and his beliefs are firmly rooted in science, in what can be explained but Sophie’s belief in God is drawing him to something he’s been missing in life.

While Sophie has grown up at Dierenpark and loves it with all of her heart, Quentin has never been there. But he can see they appeal that draws people to the lands. Too bad his grandfather has commissioned him to destroy it.

I love the character of Sophie. Despite what Quentin believes, life has knocked her down a few times but her faith remains firm. No matter what Quentin Vandermark’s mood, she always rises above it. Sure, she gets angry and hurt—she’s human, after all—but she apologizes when necessary and is determined to love the people around her no matter how they treat her.

Quentin is brooding, moody, brusque, and to-the-point, but when push comes to shove, he’ll do anything for his son. His one goal is for the boy to grow up and become a good man, not an entitled rich child but one who knows the value and rewards of hard work. While he and Sophie are at odds most of the time, he sees the value in what she can teach the boy. And as he gets to know Sophie better, he begins to past her attractive appearance to her even more attractive heart and soul.

This one was hard to put down and I raced through it in two days. Definitely worth the time to read it. Elizabeth Camden is quickly becoming one of my favorite Historical fiction authors.

***Bethany House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Fantasy, Suspence, and a lot of Action

December 12, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

I have two nieces and a nephew who enjoy reading. While I have no problem finding good, clean reads for the girls, the books my nephew might like are a little harder to come by. So I’m always happy when I read a book that I know right away he’d enjoy.

As the king’s reeve (detective or sheriff), Willett Dura’s mission in life consists of seeking out truth and dispensing justice. The king bestowed him with a noble title, and though Dura is the least in the court, he just may be the most loyal to King Laidir.

But Willet’s fascination with death, his desire to know what lies on the other side, also drives him to the place of passing, a place where people go to leave their earthly existence. While investigating a double murder, he visits the place where the second victim is housed. There, the man grabs hold of Willett and says one word.

One word that will change lives. Willett Dura has been given a gift that should not exist, one its other owners strive to keep hidden and secret from everyone. The gift is to see into the mind (and heart) of others. But the gift is a double edged sword. How to you consume so many memories from others and still remain yourself?

As Willett struggles with the gift, the evasiveness of the other members of the vigil with the gift, the contempt of the other nobles, he learns more about his past and the kind of man he is.

There is a lot going on in this book but if you’re a fan of fantasy, suspense, or both, it’s a good read. One that will keep you guessing until the very end and leave you ready for the next book in The Dark Water Saga.

The Shock of Night is available now from book retailers and online.

***Bethany House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Rocky Mountain Homesteaders

October 14, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

Once in a while I like to expand my reading to something that I wouldn’t normally read. My go-to reads are contemporary romance followed closely by YA. Lately, I’ve been throwing a little historical fiction in there. And my latest read is something I don’t tend to read much of: Cowboy fiction. I’ve heard there’s a large following for this genre and after reading Mary Connealy’s book, I can see the draw.

Homesteader Bailey Wilde is determined to make a success of her ranch and if that means keeping Gage Coulter out of the canyon land he owns but has to cross her property to get to, so be it. She’s done harder things, like fight in the Civil War. Then Gage finds another way into the canyon, and Bailey’s left scrambling to figure out what to do with her own herd of cattle.

When Gage discovers the true identity of Bailey Wilde, he’s shocked and…interested. The woman is tough as nails, smart, and as hard a worker as any of his ranch hands. But her refusal to let him move his cattle across her property to get to his prime winter grazing spot in the canyon, his patience wears thin. He’s just as smart as the pretty blonde woman, and he will get his herd onto his property with or without her cooperation.

After a long and lonely winter, Gage shows back up on Bailey’s doorstep with a proposal. One that both intrigues and terrifies her. Can two stubborn-headed, independent people figure out that together is better?

Bailey Wilde’s no-nonsense approach to life might keep her away from the townspeople, but she’s willing to work for her dreams and prove herself worthy of her homestead. But she’s also lonely, especially when both of her sisters move away with their husbands.
Gage Coulter is another person who values hard work and is willing to break his back along with his crew to get the job done. What he doesn’t count on is an attraction to Bailey, something he’s never dealt with before when it came to a woman.

Throw in a visit for Gage’s mother, and what readers are left with is a bit of humor and a lot of trouble.

Fire and Ice is book three in the Wild at Heart series

****Bethany House Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.