"Long Way Home" by Lynn Austin

Peggy Serrano couldn't wait for her best friend to come home from the war. But the Jimmy Barnett who returns is much different from the Jimmy who left, changed so drastically by his experience as a medic in Europe that he can barely function. When he attempts the unthinkable, his parents check him into the VA hospital. Peggy determines to help the Barnetts unravel what might have happened to send their son over the edge. She starts by contacting Jimmy's war buddies, trying to identify the mysterious woman in the photo they find in Jimmy's belongings. Seven years earlier, sensing the rising tide against her people, Gisela Wolff and her family flee Germany aboard the passenger ship St. Louis, bound for Havana, Cuba. Gisela meets Sam Shapiro on board and the two fall quickly in love. But the ship is denied safe harbor and sent back to Europe. Thus begins Gisela's perilous journey of exile and survival, made possible only by the kindness and courage of a series of strangers she meets along the way, including one man who will change the course of her life.

This book has two excellent stories in it. I especially enjoyed Peggy's story as she's trying to reconstruct what happened to Jim in the war and bringing Jim's veteran friends to come help him, all the while--without realizing it--she's helping each one of them, too. She's sweet and relatable. Gisela's story tells a bit of history I had never heard before--about a luxury liner full of Jews that legally left Germany for Cuba, only to be turned away at Havana, rejected by America and Canada, and sent back to Europe, where the Jews were largely spread back across countries that Germany would soon conquer. Gisela is a strong heroine, whose friends and family and comforts keep being whittled away.

I love how the title fits both storylines: Gisela and her people, after being chased from Germany, are just looking for a home, be it in Cuba, Ecuador, Belgium, the US, or--ultimately--Palestine. And it's a long time coming. In Peggy's storyline, the GI's have returned home physically, but so many of them lost their faith and hope overseas. With PTSD, it's a long, long road home for many of them.

The one thing that bothered me (and this is a common complaint of dual timeline books) is that it could have been published as two separate books--one about Gisela, one about Peggy--and you could read one without reading the other and still have a complete story without losing much impact. They intersect, of course, near the end, but Gisela's story didn't really have an impact on Peggy's, and vice versa. Only because they both know Jimmy do the heroines ever cross paths. I prefer a dual timeline where the two stories are so intertwined that to separate one ruins the other, and that definitely wasn't the case with this book.

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

"In Honor's Defense" by Karen Witemeyer - Hanger's Horsemen, book 3

Luke Davenport has been fighting all his life--for respect, for country, and most recently, for those unable to fight for themselves. But now that his Horsemen brothers are domesticated, he's left alone to battle the wildness within. When an opportunity arises to take a job on his own, he jumps at the chance. Damaris Baxter has mastered the art of invisibility. Plain and quiet, she hides in books and needlework, content to be overlooked. Until her brother dies suddenly, leaving her custody of her nephew. She moves to Texas to care for Nate, determined to create the family for herself that she never thought she'd have. When Nate stumbles into the path of the rustlers Luke is tracking, Luke acts to protect him and winds up gravely injured. Feeling indebted, Damaris nurses Luke back to health. But suspicions grow regarding the death of her brother. And the more questions they ask, the more danger appears, threatening the family Luke may be unable to live without.

This was an excellent book. Not as funny as some of the others by Witemeyer, but I really enjoyed the depth to the characters and the journeys they go through. Damaris is one of the most relatable heroines I've seen; not terribly pretty, not outstanding in any field, out of her depth in violence and danger--mostly just normal. But she's also tenacious and smart, and she doesn't give in to evil. Luke is a bit of a paradox, but in a very realistic way (a lot like some people I've known); he can quote bible verses from sunup to sundown, and he has no trouble relying on the Lord, but he still struggles with feelings of unworthiness. Finally--and most impressively--Nate is a believable kid; he's not cute and precocious, he's not easy to fix. He's just an angry young teen who's rebelling out of grief and anger. Having known kids with similar attitude problems, I can sympathize with Damaris's helplessness in his situation. It's hard to wield authority when the person you're trying to guide won't allow you to have any. 

It was fun to see the Horsemen back together in the end. I enjoyed the series, but this book especially!

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.

Hanger's Horsemen
1. At Love's Command
2. The Heart's Charge
3. In Honor's Defense

"When the Day Comes" by Gabrielle Meyer - Timeless, book 1

Libby has been given a powerful gift: to live one life in 1774 colonial Williamsburg and the other in 1914 Gilded Age New York City. When she falls asleep in one life, she wakes up in the other without any time passing. She has one conscious mind but two very different lives and bodies. In colonial Williamsburg, Libby is a public printer for the House of Burgesses and the Royal Governor, trying to provide for her family and support the Patriot cause. The man she loves, Henry Montgomery, has his own secrets. As the revolution draws near, both their lives--and any hope of love--are put in jeopardy. Libby's life in 1914 New York is filled with wealth, drawing room conversations, and bachelors. But the only work she cares about--women's suffrage--is discouraged, and her mother is intent on marrying her off to an undesirable English marquess. The growing talk of war in Europe further complicates matters and forces her to make sacrifices she never imagined. On her twenty-first birthday, Libby must choose one path and forfeit the other forever--but how can she possibly choose when she has so much to lose in each life?

In spite of the fantastical dual-timeline/dual-body concept, I wouldn't call this book a fantasy; it would be better described as a dual timeline historical, with a bit of a fantastic twist. It flirts with some of the time travel problems (like changing the future), but manages to bypass some of the bigger controversies (if you enjoy time travel fiction, you know how it can be; all those paradoxes, splintering realities, etc). Libby isn't really time travelling so much as occupying two different bodies in two different times, which simplifies matters.

This book did not go in the direction I was expecting. Before beginning, I assumed that Libby would eventually have to decide between two good options (probably falling in love in both, that sort of thing), but that's not it at all; she knows from the start where she wants to end up, but the circumstances of her dual lives puts her desires in jeopardy. And from that point on I had no idea where the story was going (a most enjoyable circumstance). It could have had several different endings, and the one it did have I didn't give serious consideration to until about a page before it was actually revealed. 

I enjoyed it and look forward to the next book.

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.

Timeless
1. When the Day Comes
2. In This Moment

"Written on the Wind" by Elizabeth Camden - Blackstone Legacy, book 2

Natalia Blackstone is a rarity in Gilded Age America. As a trusted analyst for her father's bank, she is helping finance the legendary Trans-Siberian Railway. From her office in New York City, Natalia relies on a charming Russian aristocrat to oversee the construction of the railroad on the other side of the world. But while overseeing the work, Count Dimitri Sokolov witnesses the deadly result of the Russian Monarchy's will to see the railway built. To silence him, the state has stripped Dimitri of his title, his lands, and his freedom . . . but Dimitri has a key asset the czar knows nothing about: his deep and abiding friendship with Natalia Blackstone. From the steppes of Russia to the corridors of power in Washington, Natalia and Dimitri will fight against all odds to save the railroad and share the truth of what happened, but how can their newfound love survive the ordeal?

I really liked both Natalia and Dimitri from the snapshot of their relationship in Carved in Stone, and Written on the Wind did not disappoint! Dimitri would have been merely an amusing fop if he hadn't had the tenacity to cross the Russian taiga on foot and the drive to fight against some of the highest powers in the world to see that the atrocities of the Russian-Chinese border were never repeated. Which is to say, he was wonderful. And Natalia is smart and practical with a dry wit--the perfect balance to Dimitri's flamboyant nature. 

Having taken numerous courses in Russian studies in college, I love it when I come across books with a focus on Russia. A lot of novels focus on the Russian Revolution and afterward, but this one takes place in the lead-up to the 1905 revolution (a precursor to the more significant 1917 revolution). One thing that always impresses me about Camden's books is her research, and it definitely concurred with what I learned, both the cultural and historical aspects. But I also loved having learned something new, and I hadn't known about the Blagoveshchensk Massacre, the atrocity that propels this story.

Highly enjoyable!

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.

The Blackstone Legacy

1. Carved in Stone

2. Written on the Wind
3. Hearts of Steel

"Turn to Me" by Becky Wade - Mist River Romance, book 3

Guilt has defined Luke Dempsey's life, but it was self-destructiveness that landed him in prison. When his friend and fellow inmate lay dying shortly before Luke's release, the older man revealed he left a string of clues for his daughter, Finley, that will lead her to the treasure he's hidden. Worried that she won't be the only one pursuing the treasure, he gains Luke's promise to protect her until the end of her search. Spunky and idealistic, Finley Sutherland is the owner of an animal rescue center and a defender of lost causes. She accepts Luke's help on the treasure hunt while secretly planning to help him in return--by coaxing him to embrace the forgiveness he's long denied himself. As they draw closer to the final clue, their reasons for resisting each other begin to crumble, and Luke realizes his promise will push him to the limit in more ways than one. He'll do his best to shield Finley from unseen threats, but who's going to shield him from losing his heart?

4.5 stars  Luke is definitely the star of this book. He was perfectly broody and intense, though his stern complaints could be quite amusing, especially when they ran contrary to his actions (particularly with a certain non-housebroken puppy). He's still very broken from the loss of his brother, for which he blames himself. I liked the consideration the author put into him as a recent convict, with things like his struggles to fill his time after a super-regimented stint in prison, his need for a regimented schedule. Both Luke and Finley are well fleshed-out. I enjoyed that while they are in most things wildly different, Luke and Finley are markedly similar in their response to grief and loss.

The treasure hunt was a fun part of the book, with a treasure I was not remotely expecting. I'm glad Ben finally gets a happy ending, though I'd have preferred it if Ben could have had his own book (and then we could have gotten to know Akira a lot better).

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.

Misty River Romance
0.5: Take a Chance on Me (prequel novella)
1. Stay With Me
2. Let It Be Me
2.5: You and Me (novella)
3. Turn to Me

"The Souls of Lost Lake" by Jaime Jo Wright

Wren Blythe has long enjoyed being among the Northwoods, helping her father with programming at a youth camp. But when a little girl in the area goes missing, an all-out search ensues, reviving the decades-old campfire story of Ava Coons, the murderess, who still roams the woods. Joining the search, Wren stumbles upon the Coons cabin ruins and a rotting porcelain doll. But even more terrifying is seeing her name etched on the doll's foot like a sinister omen. In 1930, Ava Coons has spent the last ten years carrying the mantle of mystery since she emerged from the forest as an eight-year-old girl, spattered with blood, dragging a logger's axe. She has accepted she'll never remember what happened to her family. When a member of the town of Tempter's Creek is murdered, rumors spread that Ava's secret is more malicious than previously imagined. Both women discover that to save the innocent, they must face an insidious evil.

I don't know anyone who can craft a creepy, suspenseful novel like Jaime Jo Wright, and the fact that she manages it with two different--yet wholly intertwined--story lines makes it all the more impressive. This book is no exception. Everything is so perfectly balanced between the two story lines, and I love how they so often mirror each other below the surface. 

I enjoy Tolkien, and this has a surprising--and creepy and fun--Lord of the Rings twist that I never saw coming. There are numerous references to the stories as well, thanks to Wren's (aka Arwen's) Tolkien-obsessed father. I found Ava herself, though she has been accused of murder and is in danger herself, to be a source of humor in the past timeline. She has a very direct way of speaking with Preacher Pritchard that tends to shock him, yet made me smile. Both the preacher and Eddie (modern timeline) were wonderful.

It's a spectacularly creepy suspense, but with highly moving moments and hints of romance. Highly recommended!

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.

"The Master Craftsman" by Kelli Stuart

In 1917, Alma Pihl, a master craftsman in The House of Fabergé, was charged to protect one of the greatest secrets in Russian history--an unknown Fabergé Egg that Peter Karl Fabergé secretly created to honor his divided allegiance to both the people of Russia and the Imperial Czar's family. When Alma and her husband escaped Russia for their native Finland in 1921, she took the secret with her, guarding her past connection to the Romanov family. Three generations later, world-renowned treasure hunter Nick Laine is sick and fears the secret of the missing egg will die with him. With time running out, he entrusts the mission of retrieving the egg to his estranged daughter, Ava, who has little idea of the dangers she is about to face. As the stakes are raised, Ava is forced to declare her own allegiance--and the consequences are greater than she could have imagined. This modern-day treasure hunt transports you into the opulent and treacherous world of the Russian Revolution to unearth mysteries long buried.

I love the subject matter--a treasure hunt related to the Russian Revolution? Super exciting! And the author has really done her research for this book. I kept pausing my reading to look up images of the Fabergé eggs described and fact-check about Alma Pihl and Fabergé's lives. It's stunning the research that went into the historical aspects of this novel (though the missing egg is presumably fictional). The past timeline is more about Fabergé himself and the eggs than Alma, but it was a unique aspect of the end of imperial Russia and the revolution that I hadn't heard about (and I took a class devoted solely to the Russian Revolution in college).

As much as I enjoyed learning new bits of history and the treasure hunt aspect, I struggled to like Ava. I just didn't relate to her personality or what drove her. Her mom is great, though, and I love that she got to take part in the treasure hunt too.

A few notes for those looking to get a better handle on the story:

• It's not a romance in either timeline
• It's not heavily suspenseful, but it increases in the latter part of the book
• There isn't actually any faith thread to the story, though I could see an argument for allegory (there's a fair amount of discussion on what makes art valuable, and the role of a master craftsman; I honestly expected it to be applied to God, as there was an easy comparison there, but it didn't go that far).

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.