Friday, August 29, 2014

Seagrass Pier... a book review

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Seagrass Pier

Available: July 1, 2014

ISBN: 9781401690083

Fiction / Christian / Suspense / Romance

Series: Hope Beach Series, #3

Publisher: Thomas Nelson
 

Publisher’s  Description:

In a secluded corner of Hope Beach, one woman must decipher a stranger’s memories . . . before they cost her everything.

Elin Summerall was one of the lucky ones. Not only did she get a heart transplant, but the donor was a perfect fit. A miraculously perfect fit.

But when Elin begins having violent flashbacks—and vivid dreams of being strangled—she realizes that she has been the recipient of more than just a new heart . . . Elin is remembering her donor’s murder.

Her strange affliction has attracted some unwanted attention: from the press, from the authorities . . . and from the killer himself. Now, living alone with her young daughter and aging mother, Elin is being stalked—by a man she’s only met in her nightmares.

The police are dubious of her story, but one off-duty FBI agent agrees to help her: Agent Marc Everton.

Now, in a remote cottage on Hope Island, Elin and Marc must probe the secrets buried in her borrowed heart. And there’s no time to waste. One man is desperate to silence her—before she remembers too much.
 
*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

The transplant brought her life ---- and the donor’s memories may bring her death.
 
In the third book in the Hope Beach Series, we meet Elin, the central character, as she learns to walk a difficult path in her life.  She is a widow who has recently undergone a heart transplant – the blessing is turning into a curse.   Why is Elin having vivid nightmares of her donor’s murder?  And why, if the police don’t believe her, does the murderer set his sights on Erin?

She moves to Hope Island to begin anew with her 4 year old daughter.  The 100-year old home is filled with treasures of days gone by including an old diary from the original owner’s widow.  Add Elin’s mother who is suffering front dementia and you have rich storylines apart from the murder / stalker mystery! 
 
My rating: 6 out of 5 stars

Can I do that?  YES!  I just did… this book is that good!

I received a complimentary e-copy of Seagrass Pier from Thomas Nelson Publishing for my honest review.
 
Blessings,

   Ellen
 
“Contentment is found in your heart, Elin.  It’s not in a profession or in a relationship.  Your roles don’t define who you are.  You define your roles.” - Elin's mother (Ch. 9 – Seagrass Pier)
 

Thursday, August 21, 2014

The Healing Quilt... a book review

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The Healing Quilt (The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club, #3)The  Healing Quilt

Available: August 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-61626-087-3 

Soft cover: $15.99  

Fiction / Christian / Amish / Romance

Series: The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club

Publisher: Handlebar Publishing and Shiloh Run Press,
an imprint of Barbour Publishing

 


In the third book in the Amish Quilting Club series, we meet Emma and Lamar as they begin a new quilting class in Sarasota, FL.  The six students – ages teenage to retirees -  come from many different backgrounds.  The Quilting class is not all about teaching the craft, but being God’s light and love in a hurting world.  Yet, even Emma and Lamar could not imagine the challenges of their new students.

The premise was great – show the love of God through actions.  Yet, there are many characters and story lines being introduced and resolved within a single book.  I felt that due to this, the story just skimmed the surface of the characters’ struggles.  The book would have been richer had there been less plot lines to follow and more in-depth story lines.   If you want a simple, feel-good read, you will enjoy this book.  I was hoping Wanda E. Brunstetter would flesh out the characters’ and their histories better – put more meat on the spine of this book.

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable, but left me wanting more

I received a complimentary copy of The Healing Quilt from Handlebar Publishing for my honest review.

Blessings,

   Ellen
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