Connilyn Cossette's "Shelter of the Most High" - Cities of Refuge, book 2

Captured by marauders, Sofea and her cousin are taken from Sicily to Canaan, where they end up in Kedesh, a city of refuge. Eitan has lived in the city most of his life, haunted by a childhood tragedy and unable to leave lest his life be forfeit. When the two foreign women are brought into Eitan's home, Sofea catches his eye immediately. As she adapts to the new culture and new language, Sofea begins to appreciate her new home and the possibility of love with Eitan. But when trouble takes her out of the gates, will he be able to follow?

I don't read a lot of biblical fiction, but I definitely appreciate Connilyn Cossette's stories, and I especially enjoy these that are taking place in that little-known time period in the transition from Joshua to Judges.

I tend to forget that people inhabited a lot more of the world in old testament times than just the Middle East, and I enjoyed starting the story out in Sicily. This book, through Sophea's eyes, makes it clear just how wildly different Israel was from the pagan nations around the world, just what a difference the true God can make in the lives of a nation, even when some in the nation who are turning away from God.

I was afraid Eitan would be more bitter than he was; thankfully, it's more that he wants to make a difference in the world and chafes at his restraints. He's still the sweet boy from the previous book, except all grown up. It was really interesting reading about someone who has taken the Nazirite vow and upheld it (unlike the the classic example of disobedience to it, Samson). I also really enjoyed the relationship between Sofea and her cousin Prezi as they take turns upholding each other.

A good portion of the conflict in this story is a direct result of what happened in the previous book, yet it stands on its own surprisingly well, maybe because a good dozen years have passed between books. And after reading this book, I am not too surprised about who the main characters of the next book will be . . . in another dozen or so years (book time, not real time).

And Shelter of the Most High is the winner of the 2019 CHristy Award for Best Historical Fiction!

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.

Cities of Refuge
1. A Light on the Hill
2. Shelter of the Most High
3. Until the Mountains Fall (July 2019)

Irene Hannon's "Hidden Peril" - Code of Honor, book 2

Kristin Dane's fair trade shop features products from all around the world, geared toward making the world a better place. But as  people connected to the shop are brutally murdered, Kristin--with good reason--begins fearing for her life, relying on Detective Luke Carter to keep her safe.

I love the relationship Kristin has with her two best friends; the boys are wonderfully protective and brother-like. It's refreshing to see that friend relationship portrayed without sexual tension between her and the boys--just mutual love and respect.

Though he's not a major character, I liked Yusef Bishara and the choice he makes--it's much better than watching him give in to blackmail and travel down a road of self-destruction, which is what I was afraid would happen. Impressively, the main villain was both incredibly smart and sensible--it's actually pretty impressive that they figure out his identity. It was fun having such an intelligent villain, even if he was easy to peg pretty early on (for me as a reader, anyway. In their shoes, I would probably still be hunting high and low with no hope of figuring out his identity).

Terrorists aren't my favorite suspense subject, though antiquities smuggling is fascinating--especially when done so cleverly as in this book. It was a great surprise that characters from an older series managed to get roped into this book (being as it takes place in their territory, crime-wise); crossovers are always fun, especially when one is familiar with the guests!

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

Code of Honor
1. Dangerous Illusions
2. Hidden Peril

"The Reluctant Warrior" by Mary Connealy

Former cavalry officer Cameron Scott came to fetch his daughter and nephew from the people who rescued them from a wagon train massacre, but since arriving, nothing has gone right. First, he has been snowed in with them for the entire winter; second, the children are still terrified of him, even months later; and third, he's pretty sure that pretty Gwen Harkness is trying to keep them. Which is not far from the truth--Gwen is definitely reluctant to give up these children she loves as her own. But when a murdering dry-gulcher descends on the ranch and Cam gets injured, he ends up in Gwen's care, where he learns just why children love her so much. But will she love him back?

This book picks up shortly after the first book leaves off--a couple months later, but everyone is still solidly snowed in for the winter, and the situation from the end of book one hasn't really changed. Thus I highly recommend starting with book 1, as they are quite interconnected.

Some days one just needs a lighthearted story where the good guys are good (though definitely not perfect), the bad guys are bad (and through some soul-searching, this villain determines that yes, he just really likes being bad [I rather liked that about him]), and there's just enough romance to sweeten the story.

I rather liked Cameron and wanted to defend him, even when he wasn't right. He might be a bossy grouch, but there's no denying his love and heartbreak for his children, and that absolutely tilted the scales in his favor. I can understand Gwen's reluctance to give them to him; he really has no concept of how to deal with kids. But as they begin to work together to connect him and the kids, there are some really sweet moments.

This book clearly sets up the next, and I look forward to Penny and John's story! It was fun getting to know them a bit in this book, and should be even more fun seeing what trouble they get into!

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.

High Sierra Sweethearts
1. The Accidental Guardian
2. The Reluctant Warrior
3. The Unexpected Champion

Cara Putman's "Delayed Justice"

Wounded as a child, criminal defense attorney Jaime Nichols has finally gathered the courage to do something about it. But when she takes that first step of pressing charges, she finds herself attacked on multiple fronts. Her mentor ropes her into a case that hits too close to home, but also throws her together with her neighbor Chandler Bolton, a veteran whose therapy dog--when not terrorizing her cat--proves vital to helping victims cope with trauma. Will she be able to move past the trauma of her own past to help a wounded child?

I guess I never actually read the blurb on what this book is about--just having read the other books in the series, I went straight into it. I didn't expect the theme of child molestation--one of those subjects that may not be taboo, but is definitely 'handle-with-care'--but to my [to be fair, naive] eyes, the author handled it with compassion, grace, and incredible, raw emotion. The other two books in the series were good, but this one . . . wow.

It is intense; maybe not as much in the suspense aspect as the previous books, but just in the incredible wounds of Jaime's past and her fight to overcome them in the present. With his own experiences with PTSD and his job in counseling, Chandler is the perfect hero for her; he knows not to push, not to rush her, not to invade her space. In everything he does, his actions show that he cherishes her, something that has been missing from her life.

And I love that the Jaime and Caroline's friendship is brought to the forefront, by virtue of Caroline's needing a temporary place to stay. In spite of Jaime's tendencies to close herself off, she and Caroline are still very good friends--they know when to dig deep and how to uphold each other, even when they don't have the same philosophy of life (at least to start). Caroline's insistence on praying for her friend is inspiring; this book whetted my appetite even more to find out her story. Hopefully it will be forthcoming!

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.

Hidden Justice
1. Beyond Justice
2. Imperfect Justice
3. Delayed Justice
4. Forbidden Justice (2019)

"The Perilous Gard" by Elizabeth Marie Pope

Exiled by Queen Mary in 1558, Kate Sutten ends up at the Perilous Gard, a remote and mysterious castle, full of superstitions. The lord's brother Christopher blames himself for the loss of his niece, but when Kate discovers there is a chance she is still alive--taken by the Fair Folk--he will do anything to get her back, even offer himself in exchange. But when Kate tries to help, she herself ends up in the clutches of the Fair Folk, with little hope of escape.

To my knowledge, Elizabeth Marie Pope only ever published two novels, but they are both winners. While The Sherwood Ring (1958) is a whimsical delight, The Perilous Gard (1974) is deeper, more layered--on the surface, it's another young adult retelling of a fairy tale, but there is surprising symbolism, the heart valued over beauty, and wisdom treated with a queenly reverence.

It's based on the ballad of Tam Lin, but more loosely (and tastefully) than some other retellings of the fairy tale. Kate is a sensible heroine; not a beauty like her sister, but innately practical and with surprising wisdom for one so young. She accepts who she is, clumsiness, plain features, and all. I love her friendship with Christopher, how she manages to draw out his dreams and gets caught up in them too. The development of her relationship with the fairy queen is also interesting to watch: she goes from essentially a domesticated animal to a favorite pet to a person to an equal.

I've never seen this marketed as anything but a fantasy, or maybe a historical fantasy (as it takes place in Tudor England), but it actually has a lot of Christian elements. Even in the midst of a fairy tale that feels like it has pretty pagan roots (though surprisingly little--if any--actual magic), the main character, Kate, lays out the gospel in simple, clear terms. And it's pretty easy how Christopher's actions are a reflection of Christ's.

It may be nearly 45 years old, but it is definitely a story that stands the test of time.

"An Hour Unspent" by Roseanna M White

Eldest of the of the home-made family of thieves-turned-mostly straight, Barclay Pearce is tasked by the government to get the plans for a synchronized propeller from a local clockmaker. While he finds surprising friendship with the Manning, it's the man's independent daughter Evelina that really throws him. When Manning disappears after a row with his family, Evelina believes that he has abandoned them, but Barclay, knowing the man's secret project, has different suspicions. Can the thief find a man who can't be found, and steal a woman's heart in the process?

Barclay is such a dear, living up to every hope I had for him. I loved that he's trying to do things in such a way that he won't be ashamed to stand before God, even when it's his skills at theft that the government so desires. I especially loved that he is honest about his motives and intent when he meets with Evelina's father to discuss the propeller plans. It's refreshing to see an example of honesty as the best policy from the outset, even when it is his nature to con his way in rather than tell the straightforward truth.

Evelina was a little harder to understand, especially when she goes off the rails from Basil's unexpected gift. I didn't dislike her, but I didn't completely get her. In her dysfunctional household, I can see how independence would be so highly desired--and thus her involvement in the suffrage movement, though I appreciate that she has a heart for more than just for other suffragettes. On a historical note, I hadn't known about the disparity in the movement before, that many of the wealthier suffragettes only wanted the vote for the wealthy women--that they didn't want the lower classes included.

While I have really enjoyed this series on a family of thieves (and would love to read about more of the younger ones), now what I'd really like to read is a book on V--just those few, brief lines of his history were enough to win me over to what must be an incredible tale. May it someday be told in full!

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

Shadows Over England (second chronologically)
1. A Name Unknown
2. A Song Unheard
3. An Hour Unspent

Related series:
Ladies of the Manor (first chronologically)
1. The Lost Heiress
2. The Reluctant Duchess
3. A Lady Unrivaled

The Codebreakers (third chronologically)
1. The Number of Love
2. On Wings of Devotion
3. A Portrait of Loyalty

Ronie Kendig's "Thirst of Steel" - Tox Files, book 3

With the evil AFO on the search for Goliath's sword--a sword that has cursed a line for generations and that the AFO wants to turn back on David's seed--Cole Russel is sent in bring down the Order from the inside. However, it gets all the more complicated as the Order is holding Tzivia and Ram Khalon's father over them, as a way to force Tzivia into helping retrieve the sword. Will the team be able to bring down the AFO once and for all?

This just might be the best of the trilogy, and I was really glad I went back and read the other books again before delving into this one--it would be easy to get lost otherwise, with all the characters and complex relationships. Because it has such  broad cast, there were things that felt a little neglected in the end (would have loved more on Runt and his acceptance into Wraith, more on Mercy, maybe even a bit on President Galen, who featured more prominently in the earlier books).

There definitely were a lot of surprises in this book--not only about Ram's history, but about a bunch of other characters one thought one knew (but cannot be named for spoilers). And not just backstory stuff--things happen that I really didn't think would happen to our cast of well-beloved characters. The story is more powerful for it, but . . . but . . .

The A-Team aspects are fun, the Mission Impossible parts exciting, the Indiana Jones bits fascinating. Overall a highly enjoyable conclusion to the series!

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.

Tox Files
0.5: "The Warrior's Seal"
1. Conspiracy of Silence
2. Crown of Souls
3. Thirst of Steel

Related series:
Book of the Wars
1. Storm Rising
2. Kings Falling
3. Soul Raging