Becky Wade's "Undeniably Yours" - Porter Family, book 1

Becky Wade begins her Porter Family series with a focus on the oldest Porter child and the wealthy, vulnerable woman with whom he falls in love. When her father dies, Meg inherits majority shares in her family's oil empire and a lot of responsibility she never wanted. Part of her job means weeding out projects that aren't necessary, and her father's thoroughbred farm is one of them. However, firing the man who runs it turns out harder than she thought--Bo Porter refuses to be fired before the horses have a chance to succeed. Meg, wealthy heiress on the outside but marshmallow on the inside, grants him six months to break even. Bo intends to convince her to keep it open permanently; more than just his job is riding on this horse farm. But something hurt and vulnerable in the heiress tugs at his heart, and he can't do it. When a nightmare from her past returns to sever their budding relationship, will they trust God to get them through?

I really like Meg. She's so . . . normal. She isn't brilliant at business, and she lacks confidence, but she is competent. She knows that she's a marshmallow--a big softie--but she isn't a pushover. Like just about every girl I know, she has body image issues but likes to feel pretty. She cries at the drop of a hat. She's not the perky heroine of an adventure novel--she's a normal, vulnerable, real human being.

I love how Meg is given a great burden--her family's money and responsibility--and turns it into something greater than just an oil empire. Meg discovers her passion and God provides a way for her to pursue it. Or is it that God provided for Meg over and abundantly, and she, like the wise man in the parable of the talents, finds a way to invest what He has blessed her with to further God's kingdom? In either case, it's a reminder that God gives us dreams and passions, and He delights to give us the means to pursue them.

Undeniably Yours is a down-to-earth romance full of characters that anyone can relate to. Besides a good dose of humor, some major hurt, and a God-honoring couple, there's also an element of danger to spice things up.


Porter Family Novels
1. Undeniably Yours
2. Meant to Be Mine
3. A Love Like Ours
4. Her One and Only

"My Stubborn Heart" by Becky Wade - an inspiring romance

Becky Wade's debut novel pits a bubbly, persistent Texan against a reclusive ex-hockey player. Kate Donovan needs a break from her joyless job and tiring life as a single woman, so she joins her grandmother in renovating the old family home in Pennsylvania. Helping with renovations is Matt Jarreau, a man who lost his career and sweet, beautiful, Miss America wife in one fell swoop. Kate is determined to help him, no matter how stubborn he is, but the trouble with being his friend is that she wants to be so much more to him. While God has sanctioned her helping him heal, she's very afraid he has not sanctioned a romantic relationship . . .

My Stubborn Heart will speak to any woman who has grown up knowing that out there somewhere God has been preparing The One - the man they're going to marry. But it will really speak to those who have known it and are waiting . . . and waiting . . . and losing hope that they will ever marry and raise a family, because the years are passing and he just isn't showing up. 

For all the serious pain and hurt in this book, there is a lot of humor. Kate's view of life tends toward optimism, quirkiness, and seeing things a little differently than most people, and thus her viewpoint tends to be be pretty funny. She describes the garage sale as "the day one man's trash would become another man's trash." (So true. But it feels like treasure for a while anyway.)


Right away in the beginning of the novel, the author wrote a line that hit me hard. "The hardest and the truest thing was the supremacy of God's will, which meant that no matter how hard she prayed for a husband and a family, she wasn't guaranteed that she'd ever receive what she asked for." (39). Keep knocking, keep asking, don't give up--we hear those words all the time. It's all over the bible--the woman pestering the judge for justice until he grants it, the man bugging his friend in the night for food, ask and it shall be given. But God still won't necessarily grant it. His plans are not our plans. It's hard. And it's really hard to have hope in those situations, especially the longer they drag on without change.

Both humorous and covering some tough subjects, My Stubborn Heart is an encouragement in hope, healing, and God's perfect timing - a novel to inspire both laughter and tears. I highly recommend it. 5 out of 5 stars!

Colleen Coble's "The Inn at Ocean's Edge" - a complex conspiracy

Colleen Coble's Sunset Cove novel, The Inn at Ocean's Edge is a fascinating, complex mystery-suspense. When Claire Dellamare surprises her family by showing up at their fancy hotel on the coast of Maine, something about the place sparks a panic attack, though she's sure she's never been there. She soon meets Luke Rocco, a man who recognizes her as the little girl who went missing the same time his mother disappeared twenty-five years ago. Claire has no memory of her year-long disappearance, which her parents had kept hidden from her. When she witnesses a murder on the way back to the hotel, few people except Luke believe her, as all signs of the scuffle and body are wiped away. Does the murder have anything to do with Claire's mysterious past? And can they find the killer before he kills her?

There is definitely a conspiracy going on here, but who is behind it and who all is involved - that's the question. We know that Claire, Luke, and Kate can't be behind it, as they were small children when the horrific events occurred, but they certainly are connected . . . As the story progresses, the author confirms suspicions that everything must be related, but she never lets too much slip - she lets out just enough to tantalize the reader, steadily reeling 'em in like a fish on a hook. It's nearly impossible to put the book down.

This story is an example, kind of like the last three chapters of Judges, of what happens when people do what is right in their own eyes and not what is right in the eyes of the law or God. One person makes a poor choice here, which leads to another person choosing poorly here, and then that person makes a bad choice there - soon chaos reigns and there is no good way to correct the wrong that was done. However the truth is revealed, people will be hurt and the consequences will be far-reaching. While it makes for a fascinating story, it is a scary example of what Godless choices can do.

The romance and spiritual growth aspects are not as strong as in other books I've read, but it certainly is a gripping story, and I loved the complexity of this novel. A well-written mystery/suspense, The Inn at Ocean's Edge will capture your attention to the very end.

Thank you Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing an e-copy for review. I was not required to make the review positive, and all opinions are my own.

Sunset Cove
1. The Inn at Ocean's Edge
2. Mermaid Moon
3. Twilight at Blueberry Barrens
 

"The Creole Princess" by Beth White - a unique look at the American Revolution

The second book of Beth White's Gulf Coast Chronicles starts at the commencement of the American Revolution. Mobile, West Florida, is under British control, and Lyse Lanier is best friends with the British Major's daughter. When Lyse encounters Don Rafael, a dashing Spaniard, she finds herself falling for his charm. But is he all he says he is? Spain has been neutral since the war started, but with their own spies about, they probably will not remain neutral forever . . .

I am once again astonished at the complex history of the Gulf Coast. Suffice to say, I do not recall ever hearing anything about the significant (and rather sneaky) role Spain played in the American Revolution. This is why I love historical novels - they capture the details that history classes so often miss, provoking interest so that I want to learn more.

The author does a great job of tying in the racial complexities that had already developed over seventy-five years of colonization, along with the inevitable prejudices that arose with it. Between the Native Americans, European colonizers (a mixture of French, British, and Spanish), and an already well-developed slave trade, racial backgrounds could get quite intricate. I especially liked how well the author ties the concept of slavery versus freedom in with the Declaration of Independence and its effect on Lyse, a woman of mixed blood.

While many novels take place over a short period of time for the sake of cohesiveness, I like that this novel spans several years. The Spanish needed time to gather intelligence and provide support for their secret allies before officially declaring a side, and this novel does a good job of showing the time and work that went into it. The timing is also good for the romance - Lyse has a chance to grow up a bit more and establish a relationship with Rafa, even if they only see each other every few months or so. In spite of all the time that passes, the story does not move too quickly or too slowly - it is well paced.

White takes a little-known bit of history and combines it with an intriguing plot to create a complex story well worth re-reading.

Thank you Revell for providing a free book for the purpose of review; I was not required to make it positive, and all opinions are my own.

Gulf Coast Chronicles
1. The Pelican Bride
2. The Creole Princess
3. The Magnolia Duchess 

"Finding Me" by Kathryn Cushman - a moving, engaging read

Kathryn Cushman's drama explores a young woman's search for closure after her father's death reveals the life they led was a lie. Kelli grew up believing her mother and two siblings died in a fire, but papers in her father's safe point to the truth: her father took her and left the rest of their family, faking their deaths to start anew across the country. Now Kelli learns her mother and siblings are alive, completely unaware that the boating accident was a fake. Kelli travels back to Tennessee to gain some understanding of why her father left them. But her plan for glimpse from afar goes awry when she gets talked into a short-term job with her father's ex-business partner, who in turn introduces her to her own family, little realizing who she is. Can she leave the family she just found? What would it do to them if she revealed the truth?

What would you do if you found out everything you believed about your life was a lie? When Kelli travels to Tennessee to hunt down the truth, she is faced with the decision to reveal herself - a choice of emotional upheaval for everyone involved, not to mention potential financial upheaval - or to let the past lie, sparing her mother and siblings the pain and legal consequences of her father's duplicity, leaving them in peace. It really makes one wonder how one might have reacted in Kelli's place, what decisions one might have made.

The story is definitely a journey, and, like life, it is one that doesn't end just because a goal is accomplished. It goes on. Kelli's journey is not only an emotional one, working through her father's past and reconciling the family she didn't know she has, but also a spiritual journey. Where the author stops is considerably further down the path than where she started, but it's not necessarily the end. But then, some things cannot be finished until our life's journey is complete.

I liked the analogy the author makes about Joseph and how it applies to not only Kelli's father, but also Kelli herself. When you reach a crises, you can choose the easy way or the right way. The easy way so often seems better at the time, but if you take it, what will you miss out on in the long run? What consequences will everyone face because of that decision? The right way is rarely easy - Joseph spent ten years in prison because of it - but the ultimate result was thousands of people saved, reconciliation with his family, a blessed life.

For all that there is no physical danger or suspense, and for all that the romance is definitely second place to the emotional journey, this book was surprisingly hard to put down. Finding Me is an emotional, moving, engaging read.

Thank you Bethany House for providing a free book to review; I was not required to make it positive, and all opinions are my own.

Irene Hannon's "Buried Secrets" - suspense with a villain to love and loathe

In the first of her Men of Valor series, Irene Hannon brings to light a cold case when a human skeleton is discovered at a construction site. Police Chief Lisa Grant and county detective Mac McGregor investigate the decades-old murder, hoping that identifying the body will lead to new intelligence. But it soon becomes obvious that someone wants to keep the past buried - even if it means adding to the body count.

While her heroes and heroines are generally in-depth and well-drawn, where Hannon excels is the villain. This book is no exception to that rule. Her suspense novels are set apart by the meticulous attention paid to villain: their motives, their history, their breaking point. What will cause them to crack? How will the heroes smoke them out? And while her villains have always been interesting, this is a villain among villains, one with no heart left - only cold calculation. A villain you can fear, loathe, and love for the sheer villainy.

Though the book starts as a fairly typical detective story, with immediate introduction of the romance, it ramps up in speed and suspense as they start narrowing in on the murderer. Connecting some dots regarding the villain's MO, I had a premonition of the climax, and I was not disappointed. It may not be the author's most suspenseful novel, but it packs a punch.

The romance is well done, with interests laid out on the table but professional boundaries largely in place. Working together as they are, Lisa and Mac have a good opportunity to get to know each other and prepare for a real relationship when the case is complete. I wouldn't have minded a little more of a spiritual theme to the story, but over all it was a highly enjoyable read.

Thank you Revell for providing a free book for the purpose of review; I was not required to make it positive, and all opinions are my own.

Men of Valor
1. Buried Secrets
2. Thin Ice
3. Tangled Webs