Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Troubled Waters


Everything Ian Shaw loves seems to always manage to slip through his fingers.  With his fortune frozen due to government fines, his beloved niece still missing, and the woman he loves keeping her distance, Ian feels ready to sell his ranch in Montana, and move home to Texas.  Sierra Rose still loves Ian, but knows he won't have room for a real relationship until he has dealt with the ghosts of his past.  When the PEAK chopper needs major repairs after a crash, Sierra decides to ask Ian for one last favor-- the use of his yacht for a 3-day fundraising excursion with a few of his billionaire friends. When a rogue wave capsizes the ship and Ian and Sierra find themselves stranded on an island in the Caribbean, will they finally be honest with one another, or will lingering secrets and un-forgiveness end their relationship once and for all.  

Susan May Warren tells a page-turning, action-packed love story Troubled Waters.  Picking up almost exactly where A Matter of Trust leaves off, this fourth addition to Warren's Montana Rescue series doesn't disappoint.  Given the variety of plot lines and characters woven throughout the series, each successive book becomes less able to stand alone.  In fact, before the next installment, I may have to re-read the entire series.  That said, Warren's storytelling and character development skills continue to impress and engage the reader.  Ian Shaw has long been one of my least favorite characters, and I truly enjoyed getting to see him experience a period of deep introspection and growth.  Sierra too was compelling, and a worthy female protagonist.  The scenery change to the Caribbean was interesting, but I did miss the lack of mountain adventure in Troubled Waters.  Plenty of love stories and an overarching mystery remain to be told in future additions to the series, and I look forward to reading each of them!  

 I received a free copy from the publisher.  No review, positive or otherwise, was required—all opinions are my own.  

Monday, December 11, 2017

Judah's Wife


Having grown up with an abusive father, Leah sees her marriage to Judah Maccabaeus as a means of escape.  Determined to please her strong, yet gentle, husband, Leah works hard and eventually finds a level of peace, safety, and contentment outside of her father's home and the walls of Jerusalem.  Just as she begins to trust that God has delivered her from a marriage like her mother's, however, Judah's devout family becomes embroiled in a rebellion against Antiochus IV.  Leah struggles to rationalize the need for violence against their oppressors and even fellow Jews who have turned away from the Law.  How can she love a man who leads a violent revolt?  Why did God choose her, of all people, to be the wife of a commander?  

Angela Hunt brings to life yet another fascinating piece of history in Judah's Wife.  Much as she did in  Egypt's Sister-- the first in her Silent Years series-- Hunt uses the historical fiction genre to tell stories about people and places most modern Christians know very little about.  Hunt's portrayal of the Maccabean revolt from an insider's perspective was masterfully accomplished.  Leah's inner struggle to come to terms with God's will in her life and for His people, as well as her own journey to understand the nature of real love were equally beautiful.  While the love story between Judah and Leah was more satisfying than the virtually non-existent one in Egypt's Sister, I still could have done with more.  I realize that history-- rather than romance-- play the larger role in Hunt's works, but the amount of time Leah and Judah actually spend content in their marriage was short, and a bit rushed.  While I understand their importance, and appreciate the historical accuracy involved, I also admittedly grew tired of-- and even resorted to skimming through-- the many, many battle scenes depicted in the novel.  Overall, I enjoyed Hunt's latest, and look forward to future additions to the Silent Years collection.  

 I received a free copy from the publisher.  No review, positive or otherwise, was required—all opinions are my own.  

Monday, December 4, 2017

The Heart of an Agent


Ready to retire from her dangerous life as a Pinkerton spy, Lily Handland decides to settle down in a small town in the Adirondacks.  Unsure how to make a living in her new life, Lily decides to invest in a failing great camp owned by widower Owen Murphy.  Distraught after the death of his wife, Owen has let their once-renowned great camp fall apart.  Facing the loss of his home and livelihood, Owen accept's Lily's offer to co-own and re-open the camp, but isn't quite ready for all the changes she proposes.  Full of energy and new ideas, Lily eventually brings joy and life back to the camp and to Owen as well.  Will Lilly's past-life come back to haunt her new one?  Will Owen truly be able to risk his heart again?  

Tracy J. Lyons takes readers back to the Adirondacks in her second installment of her Adirondak Pinkertons series.  Though I have not read Lyons's first book in the series, I was still able to understand and enjoy The Heart of an Agent.  The story was more than a bit predictable, and has been told countless times before.  The interesting setting in the Adirondack Mountains of the 1890s, though, brought an interesting uniqueness, however.  The traditional "get a failing business up and running again" storyline-- while predictable-- is also always reliably satisfying.  The climax of the story is a bit frustrating in that the reader knows what will eventually happen, and is simply waiting for the characters to come to their senses.  Overall, I enjoyed the novel and managed to learn a bit of history, too!  

 I received a free copy from the publisher.  No review, positive or otherwise, was required—all opinions are my own.