Thomas Nelson Fiction

Another Series Ending on a Harmonious Note

January 26, 2016 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

I’ve enjoy spending time in Robin Lee Hatcher’s fictional Idaho small town. The characters have become familiar and loved. And Hatcher ends her King’s Meadow series with a tale of letting go, of living, of forgiving, that packs a punch.

When Penny Cartwright’s younger brother is killed in a car accident, her world comes crashing down around her. She hadn’t been supportive of his brother’s decision to move to Nashville and pursue his dream as a drummer in a band. And now, she’ll never get the chance to tell him she loves him again. Penny’s goal is to take care of her dad and survive her day-to-day routines. When her hands are occupied and her mind is busy, she doesn’t focus on the pain of her loss. Not until Trevor Reynolds moves to town.

Trevor’s determined to keep his promise to his young drummer and spend some time in Idaho. Unsure of exactly what he’s supposed to do while there, the one thing he’s sure of is that he needs to talk to Brad Cartwright’s dad and sister. And while Rodney accepts him immediately, Penny can barely stand to remain in the same room with him, let alone look at him. What will it take to prove he’s not a bad person? That he’d made a mistake he blames himself for when he allowed Brad to drive in the middle of the night instead of stopping for a hotel? And what was it about her that drew him?

Hatcher delves into the difficult subject of grief and morning as well as forgiveness and letting go of blame—whether for oneself or another. When bitterness is released, true healing can begin.

Keeper of the Stars is available online and in stores now.

***Booklook Bloggers and Thomas Nelson publishing provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Re-imagined Fairy Tales

November 12, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

There are a few people who are rewriting fairy tales in a unique and interesting way, and Melanie Dickerson is the best. In her latest work, The Golden Braid (available everywhere Nov. 17), we meet her latest heroine.

Rapunzel has lived her entire life sheltered by her mother. The one thing she longs for more than anything else is to learn to read. And while her mother promises her it will happen, Rapunzel is beginning to doubt her assurances. When they pack up to move to the large city of Hagenheim, Rapunzel believes this may finally be her opportunity to get her greatest wish.

On their way, two ruffians attach Rapunzel and her mother, Gothel. The women are rescued from a knight, whom Rapunzel turns around and rescues right back. The two of them don’t get along at first, but Rapunzel refuses to let Sir Gerek’s surliness scare her away from getting what she’s longed for.

When Rapunzel defies her mother and takes a job at the castle, she learns a secret that changes everything she believed true.

The interactions between Rapunzel and Gerek are humorous and entertaining. As the two of them struggle with their internal emotions as well as their identities, they are drawn to each other more and more. And through everything, Rapunzel places her trust and her future in God’s hands.

I love how seamlessly Dickerson took an event from her previous book, The Princess Spy, and put it in this one from different character’s perspectives. This is only the second of her books I’ve read so I’m not positive, but she may do this with her other books. After reading a second one of hers, I just might have to read an earlier one to check into that.

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

The Bones Will Speak by Carrie Stuart Parks

August 11, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

Forensic artist Gwen Marcey is shocked when she finds her dog playing with a skull. One that is obviously human. After calling the police, she follows the dog to the location he found the skull. Once at in the area, Gwen finds a young girl who looks like her own daughter barely alive in an abandoned cabin. As she works with the police to figure out what is going on and they discover more bodies, they know they are now searching for a serial killer. At first, the only link between the dead girls is their resemblance to Gwen’s daughter.

With a little digging, Gwen is able to link the murders to a race-hating group, one that does not tolerate people inferior to them or people who betrayed them. People like Gwen whose drawings of potential bombing suspects led to two deaths and an arrest of member of the neo-Nazi group. Someone has a grudge and they want Gwen to pay.

Fast paced and intriguing, this book held my interest from page one. While a little vulnerable from past sickness and experiences, Gwen is whip-smart and likable. She’s a good mother and friend even though she’s struggling to make a living for herself and her daughter. The book kept me guessing as to who the killer was. I waffled between three and four suspects until he was revealed near the end of the book, which is a feat in itself as so often you know who is behind everything right away. The action sequences in the book, especially the one near the end, kept me on the edge of my seat.

The Bones Will Speak is the second Gwen Marcey novel by Carrie Stuart Park. While it was the first one I read, it definitely will not be the last one. Parks’ experience with police investigations and procedures is evident in the details of her story. Fans of Terri Blackstock, Dee Henderson, and Brandilyn Collins will enjoy the Gwen Marcey series.

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

The Curiosity Keeper by Sarah E. Ladd

June 22, 2015 by Suzie Waltner Leave a Comment

From the desperate streets of London to a wealthy country estate, Sarah E. Ladd draws readers into England’s past, secrets, and heart.

Camille Iverness has spent the past ten years of her life attending her father’s shop. Since she was young, she has kept the accounts and inventory of the curiosity shop—a place where wealthy people come to find treasures for their collections, a place she has called home. When a man breaks into the store asking about something she’s never heard of before, life as she knows it is about to come to an end.

Jonathan Gilchrist cannot, in good conscience, let a woman be hurt. When he intervenes during the robbery, he immediately feels protective and responsible for the young woman in the curiosity shop. Unsure of whether or not she is involved in the theft of his father’s ruby, Jonathan considers his options and determines that if Camille Iverness trusts him, then perhaps she will assist with retrieving the ruby—something which he wishes he’d never heard of within a couple of days’ time.

Camille’s grit and courage are a mask that disguises years of hurt, of feelings of inadequacies, something Jonathan Gilchrist has experience with himself. He has no desire to follow in his father’s footsteps and run their estate. He is happy working as the local apothecary and caring for the people of his small village. From their first meeting, readers will want the best for these two people. Two people who have not lived under the best circumstances, two people who deserve happiness. While the mystery of the ruby is woven throughout the book (and I believe readers will have a pretty good idea where it the entire time—at least I did), the true beauty in The Curiosity Keeper is the journey Camille embarks on to find her new life.

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

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.