"The Cul-de-Sac War" by Melissa Ferguson

Bree Leake's dreams of owning her grandmother’s house are coming true . . . until life at her theater job throws her some curve balls. And then there’s Chip McBride—her handsome and infuriating next-door neighbor. Chip just might be the only person whose stubborn streak can match Bree’s. She would move heaven and earth to have him off her cul-de-sac and out of her life. So begins Bree’s obsessive new mission: to drive Chip out of the neighborhood—and fast. Bree isn’t the only one who’s a tad competitive, and Chip is more than willing to fight fire with fire. But as their pranks escalate, the line between love and hate starts to blur—and their heated rivalry threatens to take a hilarious, heartwarming, and romantic new turn.

This book was really funny. It's a quick read, with a clean, light romance that would translate great to film. Having seen some prank wars gone bad, I can confirm they keep it pretty respectable (though you can bet one will take it a step too far). While the prank war was amusing, it was the writing in general that really made me laugh out loud. 

As fun as it is, it's the character's vulnerabilities that really make the story work. It is when one character realizes that the other is truly hurting--and in spite of the war, forges a truce for an evening--that they develop a real relationship and move from acquaintances to people who will sacrifice for each other.

Overall, it was the lighthearted story I needed for one supremely hard day.

Thank you Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Related novels:

The Dating Charade

"To Steal a Heart" by Jen Turano - Bleeker Street Inquiry Agency, book 1

After a childhood as a street thief, Gabriella Goodhue thought she'd put her past behind her until a fellow resident at her boardinghouse is unjustly accused of theft. In the middle of breaking into a safe that holds the proof to prove her friend's innocence, Gabriella is interrupted by Nicholas Quinn, the man she once considered her best friend—until he abandoned her. After being taken under the wing of a professor, Nicholas is living far removed from his childhood life of crime. As a favor to a friend, Nicholas agreed to help clear the name of an innocent woman, never imagining he'd be reunited with the girl he thought lost to him forever. As Gabriella and Nicholas are thrown together into one intrigue after another, their childhood affection grows into more, but their newfound feelings are tested when truths about their past are revealed and danger follows their every step.

As with every novel by Jen Turano, this one was a delight, full of quirky characters, crazy circumstances, and--what has become something of a standard--comical critters.

I vastly enjoyed the ladies of the Bleeker Street Inquiry Agency (particularly since the agency was formed in the midst of the case, and lets just say not all the ladies were proficient in their chosen roles, i.e. the getaway driver). It's fun that these ladies were not remotely professionals to start with, yet they get to learn a lot as the story progresses--some even begin to shine in their new profession (though others are still working on it). I'm looking forward to Daphne's story next (and then, dare I hope, Eunice's?).

It's funny how the story tied into the bible study theme we've been studying: how life's interruptions (when things take a different turn than planned) can be God's interventions--such as how Gabriella was arrested as child and placed in a respectable orphanage that kept her fed and safe; it wasn't what she wanted at the time, yet it was the best thing that could happen to the young girl. Funny how things line up that way!

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book. I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.

Bleeker Street Inquiry Agency
1. To Steal a Heart
2. To Write a Wrong
3. To Disguise the Truth

Amy Lynn Green's "Things We Didn't Say"

Headstrong Johanna Berglund, a linguistics student at the University of Minnesota, has very definite plans for her future that do not include returning to her hometown. But the US Army wants her to work as a translator at a nearby camp for German POWs. Johanna arrives to find the once-sleepy town exploding with hostility, and they're not afraid to criticize those who work at the camp as well. When Johanna describes the trouble to her friend Peter Ito, a language instructor at a school for military intelligence officers, he encourages her to give the town that rejected her a second chance. As Johanna interacts with the men of the camp and censors their letters home, she begins to see the prisoners in a more sympathetic light. But advocating for better treatment makes her enemies in the community, especially when charismatic German spokesman Stefan Werner begins to show interest in Johanna and her work. The longer Johanna wages her home-front battle, the more the lines between compassion and treason become blurred.

I highly enjoyed the premise of the book (explained in the first chapter) that this is a compilation of letters and telegrams and other documents that Johanna has requisitioned and put together for her defense. It shows her extremely analytical and practical personality right from the outset, and her mildly abrasive (but not uncompassionate) approach to dealing with people. There are a few other documents included, such as documents for the prosecution, some of the censored mail going to and from Germany, and some articles and letters written later, but largely it's all documentation that Jo has compiled.

Given the epistolary nature of the book, the title is perfect; there are many things that Jo doesn't actively write, but much can be read between the lines. I'm not sure if I'm disappointed or really like that the motives of the villain aren't clear-cut and perfectly explained; I'm pretty sure I understand why the villain targets Jo, based on what was said/written and what wasn't, but it's definitely a case where the reader must draw their own conclusions. Much like life.

Besides some clever sarcastic wit and rich historical details, the story is also a thought-provoking one. Jo is trying to show her hometown that the enemy soldiers in their midst are people just like themselves, yet herself is learning to love and forgive her neighbors. Peter, victim of prejudice, is convicted by the prejudice he has meted out in return. I thought Pastor Sorenson was one of the most convicting characters in the book, as he acknowledges his struggle to love his enemy--the very men who may have killed his son--and though the feelings of love and forgiveness aren't there, he pushes forward in obedience to God's word anyway. And those are just a few of the lives changed in the book.

Definitely well worth the read! I look forward to whatever Amy Green has next!

Thank you Bethany House and NetGalley for the complimentary e-book; I was not required to write a positive review, and all opinions are my own.