book reviews

Love Arrives in Pieces by Betsy St. Amant

May 11, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

Will she ever find beauty?

For years. Stella Varland’s identity was in her looks and she has the pageant trophies, sashes, and bouquets to prove it. After her divorce, Stella no longer trusts her beauty and struggles to find her true identity. Instead of focusing on her appearance, Stella makes spaces beautiful. And her secret desire it to create beauty out of nothing in her art—something she’s kept hidden from her family. When her mother secures a job as the designer for the renovation of the town’s old theater, Stella accepts so she won’t have to move back home with her parents. The day she visits the theater to meet with the head of the local development committee and the contractor, she’s shocked to learn she’ll be working with Chase Taylor, her ex-boyfriend from six years prior. One who left town without a word and was the first to make her doubt herself. Can God and Chase make Stella realize that there is beauty in her brokenness?

While this book is not listed as part of a series, those who have read All’s Fair in Love and Cupcakes will recognize a few residents of Bayou Bend, Louisiana. In the character Stella Varland, Betsy St. Amant expresses the heartache and doubt that comes with divorce and the feelings of not being enough. The enough is different from person to person—not pretty enough, not sweet enough, doesn’t make enough money, etc.—but the guilt is the same. Despite her beauty and accomplishments, the pain of her failed marriage, of her unfinished art, of her strained relationship with her mom resonated with me as a reader. I wanted to give her a hug several times, even before Chase revealed she always needed hugs. And speaking of Chase Taylor, what a man. Yes, he’d made some poor decisions in his past, and even in his present, but his desire to protect Stella and show her that she is still beautiful makes him a lovable lead. I enjoyed reading more about Stella’s sister Kat after her own happily ever after in the aforementioned All’s Fair in Love and Cupcakes, and the people of the homeless shelter were both endearing and wise.

****Thomas Nelson Fiction and NetGalley provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Dark Justice by Brandilyn Collins

April 28, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

A random stop to help an accident victim leads to more than Hannah Shire could ever dream when the man tries to pass on a message and finishes with, “Don’t tell.” Hannah’s mother, who suffers from dementia and is Hannah’s care, fixates on finding the item the man told them about. But when Hannah finds something in her coat pocket, things really heat up. Wondering who to trust, worried about both her daughter and her mother, and trying to do the right thing, these three women become involved in trying to undo a terrorist plot.

The majority of this book is in Hannah’s perspective but we also get a few scenes from Hannah’s daughter as well as some of terrorists and then there is trial transcript taken from one of the investigating officers from the car accident. More than three quarters of the book takes place over two days so it is a fast paced, adrenaline ride from the beginning. And I was a little surprised at one of the events at the end.

Brandilyn Collins is often mentioned as a must-read author for suspense. After reading one of her books (and this one is older, released in 2013), I agree whole-heartedly. This particular book had zero romance in it so if you’re looking for a great read with action, suspense, and family relationships, this one is definitely worth the read.

****B&H Books provided me with a free copy of this book via Net Galley in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Spy of Richmond by Jocelyn Green

February 22, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

In 1861, Richmond, Virginia became the Confederate capital. A city that differed from other Virginia cities could have easily been swayed to the Union side until the attack on Fort Sumter, South Carolina. Sophie Kent grew up with slaves but, like her mother, believed owning them was wrong. In an effort to help the Union, Sophie takes on the huge task of passing information on to the Union through secret messages. But she can’t do it alone. Bella Jamison comes to the city of Richmond from Gettysburg when she learns her husband is imprisoned there and her twin sister, Daphne, is living there as well. On her deathbed, Daphne begs Bella to take care of Sophie Kent, her mistress. Harrison Caldwell is a newspaper man determined to write the next great story. In his attempt to atone for a wrong done to Bella, he accompanies her to Richmond and hopes to learns news about Libby prison and the treatment of the prisoners there. Of course, when he learns Sophie Kent is also there, he has even more incentive. As the network of spies grows, so does the danger and chance of being caught and hanged. Can this group of people survive not only the war but disease, starvation, and more?

There was so much happening in this book it was difficult to keep track of who was who at times.. Spies of Richmond would have been a better title. I didn’t realize the book was a part of the Heroines Behind the Lines series until I pulled up the book on a retailer site. This is a well written book with names of people Civil War buffs may recognize (Elizabeth Van Lew, Robert Ford, and Erasmus Ross) along with the fictional characters. Jocelyn Green denotes many of the story arcs were inspired from other accounts. Green’s research for this book pays off and brings readers into Kent House, Libby Prison, Castle Thunder, the city of Richmond, and even the front lines of a couple of battles. For fans of Historical fictions, this book draws readers into a captivating story sharing both the heartache and pain of slaves and both sides of the war.

****Moody Publishers provided me with a free copy of this book (via Netgalley) in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Twisted Innocence by Terri Blackstock

January 21, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

I seem to be in a romantic suspense mood this month. Lucky for me there are plenty of new releases from romantic suspense authors I like in January and February. Terri Blackstock has been a favorite of mine for several years now and on February 3, the Cramer sisters return to solve more crimes in Blackstock’s next installment of the Moonlighters series will be available to readers.

Holly Cramer has turned her life around. She’s a mother now and wants to be everything her daughter needs. After a murder gets away and her fiance is given a year jail sentence for violating his probation (which he shouldn’t have in the first place. Most people consider the man a hero). Juliet is struggling with being a single mother to three boys while trying to support her sisters. When police show up looking for information about the father of Holly’s daughter in connection with a murder, Holly decides to find him. She has to know he’ll stay out of her and Lily’s lives. When she does find him, things are more complicated than she realized and she’s pulled into another investigation against the man who has haunted her family for the past few years. As Holly and her sisters race to find the true murders and clear Creed Kershaw, they struggle with the past while learning to place their futures in God’s hands.

“I know I’ve said this before, Lord, but I’m so sorry for all the stupid choices I’ve made. I want to start over, with your guidance. I can’t afford to make mistakes now. Will you turn up the volume of your voice, and turn mine down? Will you give me that wisdoem you promised if we ask?” -Holly Cramer in Twisted Innocence

Once again, I was pulled into a mystery. Because I’ve read the other books in the Moonlighter’s series, I was acquainted with each of the characters in the book but readers will not be lost if this is the first book they pick up. From the first pages, the action begins and it’s hard to put the story down as the sisters and police work to find a man who has destroyed and taken lives. The Cramer family is close and their relationships evolve with each other as well as with the men in their lives.

***Zondervan Fiction provided me with a free copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and fair review. I was not compensated in any way for either a negative or a positive review.

Home of our Hearts by Robin Jones Gunn

December 13, 2014 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

As I mentioned earlier this year when Forever with You (the first book in Robin Jones Gunn’s Christy & Todd: the Married Years series) was released, I grew up with Todd and Christy. I walked their relationship with them through the Christy Miller, Sierra Jensen, and Katie Weldon series. I started one of my nieces on the Christy Miller series a few years ago and another one received the first two books when I visited this summer (they’re both getting more for Christmas–good thing they don’t read my blog) :). So I am so happy to be spending even more time with Christy and Todd Spencer as they navigate the trials and tribulations of adulthood and marriage. There’s lots of joy in there as well.

I didn’t stay up all night reading this one like I did the last one–but I did finish it on this lazy Saturday. What a fun way to spend the day–visiting old friends. This book was centered on Todd, Christy, Katie, and Eli but Doug and Tracy also make a couple of appearances. Most books end with an engagement or a wedding so it’s fun to be able to walk beyond that with Todd and Christy–to see some of the things Christy really struggles with in her marriage and how her faith in God as well as her husband and her friends help her overcome those same struggles. Another thing Gunn highlights well (without going into too much detail) is the sanctity of waiting until marriage to come together–how waiting makes everything sweet and a special gift for a husband and wife on their married life.

Gunn has been a master of creating catch phrases throughout the Christy Miller books and she doesn’t stop. Home of our hearts is sure to be added to peculiar treasures, God thing, may it be so, and more.

Home of our Hearts is available now from Amazon or Robin Jones Gunn’s website

And be sure and like Robin Jones Gunn on Facebook to keep up with more Christy & Todd news or a little inspiration from Hawaii.