Baby Protection Mission–kidnapping rescue
Baby Protection Mission
by Laura Scott
Jump right into the action as Cade, owner of the McNeal Four Ranch, arrives at the Elk Valley Park in Wyoming to meet his sister Melissa. He is puzzled by her text request as he has been taking care of her one month old baby Danny while she gets caught up on her sleep. Enter a masked assailant and Cade’s sister desperately screaming for him to protect Danny, followed on the scene by police officer Ashley Hanson and her K-9 partner Ozzy, a black lab.
Ashley is there as part of a larger investigation by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies into a cold case that has been revived when two new murders seem to be similar to the five previous murders. She is a rookie with a lot to prove as her father is a top official in the F.B.I. in D.C. Ashley has good instincts, a kind heart, and excellent rapport with her tracking dog.
The kidnapping of Melissa is confusing because it seems she might not have been the intended victim. Ashley, with help from her team’s support group, investigates the many possible perpetrators and their motives. While she does her job of detecting and protecting, she also tries to help out Cade by doing a little cooking and caring for Danny so he can perform the essentials of feeding the livestock twice a day. As there continue to be more life threatening events, Ashley stays at the ranch and alternates guard duty with Cade. Their physical proximity leads to feelings they know they need to keep a lid on.
Cade is a Christian and he prays with Ashley before every meal, a practice that is not part her life. She appreciates, however, that he gives thanks to God for the food and His protection. He also asks God to protect Ashley and the others involved in the search for his sister as well as for the safety of Melissa and Danny.
I enjoyed this story, especially the efforts of several K-9 officers. Watching them work has encouraged Cade to get another dog when everything settles down. Ashley and Cade each have past issues they need to work through before they act on the attraction they have for each other. The other officers in the story are respectful, hard working, and supportive of each other. Surprisingly, there are none of the power plays between different agencies as is often depicted in the movies. I liked the conclusion of the kidnapping thread in Baby Protection Mission. The wider search for the murderer in the cold case was not resolved, and I assume it is a continuing thread in future books in this series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Christian, Romance, Suspense, Mystery
Notes: #1 in the Mountain Country K-9 Unit Series, part of Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense (Inspirational Romance)
Publication: March 26, 2024—Harlequin
Memorable Lines:
Like most people, she didn’t realize many ranches were resource rich, meaning plenty of cattle and other livestock, but cash poor.
“Yet there’s no denying there’s just something about a big strong man holding a baby that makes me melt inside.”
He had to admit, a baby was more work than a dog. Well, maybe not more than a puppy.
The Mystery of Haverford House–multiple timelines
The Mystery of Haverford House
by Rachel Burton
Viola, originally from Australia, has had to reinvent herself several times. She has finally found a place that feels like home—a huge estate in Yorkshire. Her job is to manage Haverford House as a tourist attraction, but it is difficult to maintain it as a viable establishment financially given its size, age, and tax status. The current earl and owner wants to sell it, but his mother, the dowager countess, is sentimentally attached to it.
There is a mystery and legend that Viola emphasizes in her house tours. Annie Bishop, a serving girl at Haverford, disappears in 1933. Was she murdered or did she travel to America to start a new life? As the story unfolds for the reader, much of the status of women during the period between the two World Wars is revealed. There is also a focus on the works of Shakespeare, particularly Twelfth Night, as there is a production of it in both timelines. The characters are fleshed out in both timelines with some villains and heroes in both. It is interesting to see that the Haverford residents in the 1930’s, even the “nice” ones, were disdainful of the servants that worked in the house. There were also those in the lower classes who felt they and their peers should “mind their place.”
My interest in both storylines never flagged. I no sooner finished a chapter with my interest peaked than the focus changed to equally compelling events in the other storyline. This seesaw continues all the way to the end of the book with a number of surprises along the way.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance, Women’s Fiction, Mystery, Historical Fiction
Notes: clean in all aspects
Publication: March 14, 2024—Aria
Memorable Lines:
“I don’t know where you all find the time for reading,” Polly says regularly. In my opinion you make time for the things you love but she has no interest in fiction, or books in general. She hated dusting the library, but lucky for her I was always willing to do it.
I wonder if he knows why he is here—I wonder if he realizes how badly the estate needs his father’s money? And I wonder what it must be like for Prunella and Cecily, being duty-bound to marry somebody they might not even like, let alone love.
Viola wanted to run upstairs to her flat, get into bed and pull the duvet over her head. Alternatively if the ground would like to open up and swallow her that would be fine too.
Grace for the Moment for Moms–great gift for moms
Grace for the Moment for Moms
by Max Lucado
Whooops! I let the publication date of this book slip by me, and I could no longer access it as an ARC (Advance Reader Copy). I do so love the encouragement and insights that Lucado offers in his books. Therefore, I obtained an audio copy from my library. Audio is not my favorite way of enjoying books, but this one was clear and easy to follow. I listened to it without pauses on my daily dog walks and even while I was staining my deck. In fact, I listened to it two times before I returned it. I was surprised that it is not read by Max Lucado, but about 15 minutes in, I found that Ben Holland has a great voice for this book. Grace for the Moment for Moms is intended for moms. Even though I have had an empty nest for a long time, I still enjoyed and was inspired by the contents of each of the 50 devotionals. They are brief, but powerful, and continually reaffirm God’s love. A busy mom could find the time to slip one of these devotionals into her day.
I pictured in my mind how the book might be designed (white space, organization, etc.). I looked at a sample online and it was put together as I had imagined except lovelier. It contains a little message which is clearly written by Lucado, a sentence of inspiration and affirmation, and Scriptures that perfectly match with the teaching.
I recommend either the audio book or the hardback version. The latter would make a great gift for a special mom you know. Or buy a copy for yourself—you’ll be glad you did.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian, Inspirational, Nonfiction
Notes: Beautiful, thoughtful gift
Publication: March 12, 2024—Thomas Nelson & Zondervan Gift
Memorable Lines:
The next time a sunrise steals your breath or a meadow of flowers leaves you speechless, remain that way. Say nothing and listen as heaven whispers, “Do you like it? I did it just for you.”
“My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you.” II Corinthians 12:9
love, unscripted–creating the perfect man
love, unscripted
by Denise Hunter
The “fake boyfriend/girlfriend” trope is a popular one, but it has never appealed to me. When Denise Hunter, an author I like, published one, I decided to give it a try.
In love, unscripted, Chloe has just published her first novel and it is a huge success. So successful that she already has sold the movie rights. Having been hurt and rejected by several men, including her father, Chloe has written a protagonist into her book who is heroic and “exhibits all the qualities that every woman yearns for in a partner.” Unfortunately, Liam, the actor chosen to play that role in the movie has a reputation as a handsome and charming lady’s man who moves quickly from one romantic interest to another. The tabloids love to use him for their headlines, and not everything they print is true.
Chloe’s first encounters with Liam are not positive, but they make a deal with each other. Her publisher wants her to increase her social media presence, and Liam’s publicists want him to shine up his image to fit the wholesome character portrayed in the movie. She agrees to pretend to have a relationship in exchange for his committing to work with her on his lines to better understand the character she created.
It’s easy to guess the direction the plot will take, but it is entertaining to watch their relationship develop. The hiccups along the way are caused by the paparazzi and by their own individual pasts which make it hard for them to trust others. Misunderstandings arise causing some hard lessons in forgiveness. Although this fake dating trope will never be my favorite, I did enjoy this clean romance with characters I liked. Most of the characters grew during the story, but realistically a few were unable to admit past mistakes or make good choices.
The events in the book take place over the course of three months showcasing how a movie is filmed, and I enjoyed participating vicariously in that process.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Notes: no inappropriate language or sex
Publication: March 12, 2024—Harper Collins Christian Publisher/Thomas Nelson
Memorable Lines:
“When you reach a certain level of success, people often want something from you other than friendship. Sometimes it’s hard to tell who’s genuine and who’s not.”
She’d felt closer to him since their illnesses. There was something about seeing a person at his weakest—and being seen at your most vulnerable—that lowered a person’s walls.
“You’ve gotta get good at forgiving. “Cause believe me, you’ll be the one needing it the next time.”
The Berlin Letters–postwar intrigue
The Berlin Letters
By Katherine Reay
There are so many works of historical fiction that deal with World War II. Writers have explored the different countries engaged in the war and affected by the war. They have researched and examined the lives of the individuals caught up in the horrors of war from those at the top to the common citizen and from the despots and their minions to the heroes for freedom. The Berlin Letters creates a story that showcases the strange time in Germany after World War II when the West and the Soviet Union cavalierly divided the country into two power blocks and the city of Berlin into two entities. Suddenly, people who were associated with East Berlin could not cross the street into West Berlin to shop or visit with family without fear of arrest and torture.
As word spread that East Berlin was soon to be shut down, there was a mass exodus. Those remaining were subject to surveillance by the Stasi, a group that seemed to be everywhere and were admired by the KGB. They perfected “decomposition,” continuous torture and pressure from all directions that resulted in arrestees admitting to crimes they didn’t even commit.
Perhaps the worst part of living in East Berlin at that time was the presence of snitches. They could be anyone, from your friend to your neighbor or work colleague. Some monitored other citizens for money, but most to protect themselves and their families.
The Berlin Letters is a complicated web of ordinary citizens, spies, revolutionary young people who protested through their punk music and clothes, propaganda writers, and the underground. It begins with Monica passing her daughter Luisa across barbed wire to her parents, who later move to the United States. Monica’s husband Haris is a successful propaganda writer for the state newspaper and believes what he writes—at first. We meet Luisa again as an adult. She works in deciphering codes left over from World War II, a skill her grandfather taught her. Never one to pass up a puzzle, she discovers that her father and her grandfather communicated over the years even though she had been told that her parents had been killed in an automobile accident. The letters include secrets so she is obligated to involve her CIA bosses. Luisa gives up all of her and her grandmother’s savings and risks her own life to travel to East Berlin to rescue someone who is about to be transferred to one of the worst prisons in East Germany. Whom can Luisa trust? Is her CIA training from years ago enough to see her through? Will her impulsive actions cause her to lose her job and clearance?
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Historical Fiction
Notes: Clean historical fiction with a touch of romance
Publication: March 5,2024—Harper Muse
Memorable Lines:
Walther’s “I fought tooth and nail to stay, until the day I needed to leave” has become my rallying cry. I don’t want to leave. So I fight.
I’m surprised there are none of the neon signs or billboards so prevalent in West Berlin. Then I realize it’s a planned economy. There is no need for advertising.
Now I see when you grow up with little more than the necessities, you take care of them, and you don’t put your happiness into more.
Just in Case You Ever Feel Alone–the nearness of God
Just in Case You Ever Feel Alone
by Max Lucado
Illustrated by Eve Tharlet
Max Lucado has created a very sweet book to help children through the low times in their lives, to reassure them that parents and God are there to support them when that is what they need. The parent uses rhymes to tell the child all the things they love about them from giggles to humming. He or she—you really can’t tell if it’s a mom or dad from the pictures—reassures the child that when he feels alone, he’s not. When it seems she is alone because she can’t accomplish a goal, she isn’t and everything will be alright. When emotions are tough or time is tight, the child can know that the parent is still there. Then the author relates the same things to God’s care. “He’s just a prayer away.”
This book would be a fun picture book to read with a child and would make an awesome present. It might even become a bedtime favorite, so be prepared for multiple readings. The illustrations are cute, delicate, and fun. Max Lucado has a gentle “voice” for adults and children, reaching out with understanding and the love of God. The calming touch of God is there on every page.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian, Children’s Nonfiction
Notes: Ages 2-5
Publication: February 27, 2024—Thomas Nelson
Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds–mystery in the Caribbean
Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds
by Allison Brennan
Mia is a financially conservative accountant who is on the verge of achieving partnership in a New York financial consulting firm. Before she signs a contract and gets her name on the door, the company sends her on a Caribbean vacation. She and her friends expect her to have a sexual fling and return home to her predictable life of work, caring for her financially impulsive grandmother, reading, and loving her two cats.
When Mia arrives on the island paradise, she finds almost everyone there is already in a relationship. She resorts to reading a book left by another guest and flirting with a barkeeper. The book Mia is reading is filled with notes about blackmail schemes handwritten by the deceased previous owner of the novel. Most of the characters on the island are rich and unlikable—by Mia’s standards and mine as well. Mia is determined to break the code in the notes and discover the murderer.
The first part of the book is very focused on Mia’s desire to “hook up” with a handsome man, any handsome man. Later that happens and the reader is brought along through several open bedroom door, or in this case naked romp-on-the-beach, scenes. Romance enters into the relationship but the preoccupation is lust.
Various characters come under consideration as possible murderers, but with some of them murdered themselves along the way, the list of suspects is narrowed.
Trust is a major issue for several of the characters including Brie, the college age daughter of a potential victim of a honey trap. I almost liked her until she showed no problem instigating illegal activities. Regaining trust, being willing to risk all you have in money and reputation, and following your dreams are themes for Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds. The mystery starts out slow, but picks up the pace later. Although I liked the ending resolution for the main characters, the conclusion is fairly sudden and not very believable. My favorite parts of the novel, unsurprisingly, encompass books whether in bookstores or libraries. If you are looking for a good, clean mystery, full of intrigue and interesting characters, then this is not the book for you.
Rating: 3/5
Category: Mystery, Fiction, Romance
Notes: Warning—inappropriate language and sexual content
Publication: June 17, 2025—Mira
Memorable Lines:
I never leave home without a book. The idea that I might be trapped somewhere without something to read gives me nightmares.
I didn’t feel thirty. Sometimes I felt like I was twenty-one and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, and sometimes I felt forty, set in my ways and wanting to tell everyone to get off my lawn.
My imagination had not only gotten away from me, it had landed on Mars then taken a side trip to Jupiter.
Abscond–more than a coming of age story
Abscond
by Abraham Verghese
If you have heard of award winning Abraham Verghese’s books, but are not sure you want to invest the amount of time that it would take to read The Covenant of Water, for example, then I encourage you to sample Verghese’s work by reading the short story “Abscond” which features a thirteen year old boy. It is amazing what Verghese can do with either a full length novel or a short story. You will meet fascinating characters that you care about and visit a culture that is probably different from your own.
This short story focuses on resilience and rituals that help get us through times of grief. We learn to just sit with someone who is grieving. Although “Abscond” is about the death of a character, because of its themes and the author’s approach, it is not a sad book.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Short Story, Fiction, Multicultural
Publication: July 1, 2025—Amazon Original Stories
Memorable Lines:
He wanted to retreat to a time before he knew his father, a time when he was buffered from the world and its sorrows by his mother, spared any sound but the drumbeat of her heart, a time when memory had not existed, and so loss could not.
Billy had offered Ravi the thing he most needed: his quiet, silent presence.
“…maybe all these rituals are to help me figure out how to go on. Because right now, I have no clue.”
The Protector–mysterious disappearance
The Protector
by Wanda E. Brunstetter
Having read The Peacemaker, the second book in The Mifflin County Mystery trilogy, I immediately turned to The Protector to fill in some of the back story. Now that I have read both books, out of order, I recommend reading this series in order. This Amish mystery-romance centers around the disappearance of Rosa Petersheim and how it affects her family and friends to not know what happened to her. Did she leave on her own because she did not want to join the Amish church or was she the victim of foul play?
This novel centers on the Big Valley in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, where Rosa’s family lives and operates the family business, the Meat and Cheese store. Her father is a bishop in the local church and expects his family to conduct themselves in such a way as to reflect positively on their faith and family. Rosa has been dating Ephraim, but they have an argument at a youth event. She tears off into the night rejecting Ephraim’s offer to see her safely home. When her family discovers the next day that she never returned that evening, the police initiate an investigation. They can find no evidence of foul play or of where Rosa might have gone. They soon decide that Ephraim is not involved in her disappearance despite her older brother’s determination to connect him with Rosa’s vanishing. This brother, Norman, sees himself as the family’s protector and thinks he has let everyone down, especially Rosa. Meanwhile, he neglects his relationship with his girlfriend Salina.
There are many characters and threads. Those that interest me include an unhealthy jealousy Rosa’s sister has, the introduction of an arsonist into the story, and Rosa’s mom’s ill health. The story makes a clear connection between our physical health and our emotional and mental health. The portrayal of the character Rosa is unusual in that she never appears in either of these books. We learn about her through how other characters describe her from her guilt-ridden mother to her angry father and others in between. Everyone has an opinion about her.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance,Christian, Mystery
Notes: I recommend you read this trilogy in order.
Publication: August 1, 2024—Barbour Publishing
Memorable Lines:
“If the bad things people do bother us so much, can you imagine the way God must feel as He looks down from heaven at the beautiful world He created and sees so much corruption?”
He remembered hearing Dad say once that TVs and computers were the devil’s playground and nothing good could be found on either of them. Although Norman didn’t miss having those things to use in his parents’ home, he thought there were some good things about both. It was just a matter of how a person used them.
Norman was still a caring person, but the stress of worrying about a matter over which he had no control had robbed him of the ability to care for himself or even enjoy time spent with others.
The Peacemaker–Amish mystery
The Peacemaker
by Wanda E. Brunstetter
Many of the books I read are either cozy mysteries or Amish romances. The Peacemaker is a well-conceived mix of the two.
Ada is a young Amish woman who works in a greenhouse in Belleville, Pennsylvania, but has hopes to one day get married and have a family. Ephraim, originally from the same area, lives in Bird-in-Hand in Lancaster County, where he takes care of his grandmother. Ada and Ephraim grew up together, connected by Ada’s best friend Rosa who has disappeared. Rosa was Ephraim’s “aldi” or girlfriend. When she disappears after they had an argument, Ephraim is briefly accused of murdering her. Even after the charges are dismissed, those in the local community still look on him with suspicion. Ada had always been attracted to Ephraim, but did not express that to anyone because of loyalty to her friend Rosa.
The reader watches the emergence of the gradual attraction between Ephraim and Ada along with family upheavals including other romances, childbirth, and a heart attack. Always in the background is concern for Rosa. Is she dead? Did she run off so she wouldn’t be pressured to join the Amish church? The answers to those questions are not found in The Peacemaker, but perhaps will be in the followup novel, The Pretender, which is set to be published on August 1, 2025.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Christian, Religion, Romance, Mystery
Notes: Because of a mislabeling in my notes, I read this book in the Mifflin County Mystery series first. As #2, it was adequate as a standalone, but I plan to go back to the first one because I enjoyed this one and want to fill in some blanks. I want to know more about the characters I met in this book.
Publication: March 1, 2025—Barbour Publishing
Memorable Lines:
A sense of dread had soured his stomach like spoiled milk.
Although she did not receive the miracle that she had hoped for, Elsie returned to the house thankful that she’d been able to bless a stranger in need on this freezing-cold Christmas evening.
Susan knew he was a bad influence and being in his company inclined her to do things she wouldn’t normally do. She couldn’t get enough of him, though.
education pathways 