Saturday, October 18, 2014

Out of the Storm... a novella review

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Appalachian Serenade

by Jody Hedlund
Beacons of Hope series
Bethany House Publishing
141 pages
Available Now!  FREE!


Publisher's Description:
Having grown up in a lighthouse, loneliness is all Isabelle Thornton has ever known--and all, she assumes, she ever will know. But when her lightkeeper father rescues a young man from the lake, her sheltered world is turned upside down.

Presque Isle Lighthouse, Michigan, 1854
"'Everyone's dead.' 
Isabelle Thornton shuddered at her father's words......Flotsam littered the beach around them, the remains of a steamer that had been ripped apart by the thrashing squall" (Chapter 1, page 2).


The novella introduces us to the Beacons of Hope series.
From the opening paragraph to the closing chapter, Jody Hedlund captured the harsh reality of living on the shores of the Great Lakes in Michigan.  The dangers, both natural and human, are woven into the story allowing the reader to gain a glimpse into the life of an 1850's lighthouse keeper.
 
Overall, I enjoyed the novella's setting, characters, and plot.  I was disappointed in the few romantic scenes that did not seem as believable as the rest of the story.

Enjoy Out of the Storm for free!  



I look forward to reading more about the life and times of the Great Lakes' lighthouse keepers and their families in the series first book Love Unexpected in December 2014.
Cover Art
Happy reading!
     Ellen

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Spectrum... a book review

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Spectrum

by Alan Jacobson
The Karen Vail Series #6
ISBN: 9781497641938
Available: October 7, 2014
Publisher: Open Road Media
Genre: Mystery / Thriller


Publisher's Description:
New York City: home to world-renowned museums, theater, restaurants, iconic sports franchises. Central Park. Wall Street. And an infamous serial killer who’s terrorized the Big Apple for decades.

The year is 1995 and the NYPD has just graduated a promising new patrol officer named Karen Vail. The rookie’s first day on the job is anything but easy when she finds herself at the crime scene of a young woman murdered in an unusual manner. Vail is unsure of what she’s looking at or what it means—but it’s a case that will weigh on her mind for nearly twenty years.

As the years pass, Vail’s career takes unexpected twists and turns—as does the case that’s come to be known as Hades. Now a skilled FBI profiler, will Vail be in a better position to catch the killer? Or will Hades prove to be Karen Vail’s hell on earth?

The character who has captivated readers worldwide—and who won the praise of literary giants Michael Connelly, James Patterson, and Nelson DeMille—returns in a story that captures the experiences that shaped the revered profiler and made her the top cop she is today.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

This is the first Karen Vail Series that I have read.  I was not disappointed!  Since the storyline followed her law enforcement career from rookie cop to FBI profiler, I did not feel lost at all.  Having never lived in NYC, Alan Jacobson has written this book so realistically that I feel as though I am a local New Yorker.  His research into not only the setting and characters, but also the crimes and police work shine through in this terrific novel.

The multiple storylines, which at first seem odd, are woven together so well.  I can't say enough about this book.  I will be reading the first 5 books in the Karen Vail series very soon!

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

A+ all the way!

I received a complimentary e-copy of Spectrum from NetGalley and Open Road Media Publisher for my honest review.

Blessings,

    Ellen

Miracle in a Dry Season... a book review

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Miracle in a Dry Season

ISBN: 9780764212253
Bethany House Publishers
Available: July 29, 2014
Genre: Fiction / Christian / Romance






Publisher's Description:
In a Drought, It's the Darkest Cloud That Brings Hope
It's 1954 and Perla Long's arrival in the sleepy town of Wise, West Virginia, was supposed to go unnoticed. She just wants a quiet, safe place for her and her daughter, Sadie, where the mistakes of her past can stay hidden. But then drought comes to Wise, and Perla is pulled into the turmoil of a town desperately in need of a miracle.

Casewell Phillips has resigned himself to life as a bachelor...until he meets Perla. She's everything he's sought in a woman, but he can't get past the sense that she's hiding something. As the drought worsens, Perla's unique gift divides the town in two, bringing both gratitude and condemnation, and placing the pair in the middle of a storm of anger and forgiveness, fear and faith.


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1954 - - - an unwed mother - - - -  a mysterious gift
I enjoyed the first novella, Appalachian Serenade, by Sarah Loudin Thomas.  This novella introduced some of the characters found in Miracle in a Dry Season.  As we get reacquainted with the original characters, Sarah Loudin Thomas introduces us to more of the townspeople of Wise, West Virginia.  The characters are well-developed and their behavior gave a true sense of the life and times of the Appalachian people.  The story made me miss the simpler times when people spent time together – square dances and community suppers.

As much as I enjoyed Perla’s “gift,” it did not fit with the rest of the story.  Overall, I look forward to reading more of Sarah Loudin Thomas’ novels in the future.

My rating:  A-

4 out of 5 stars

I received a complimentary e-copy of Miracle in a Dry Season from Bethany House Publishing and NetGalley for my honest review. 

Blessings,
    Ellen

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