Bookish Thoughts: Dangerous Beauty

 

Description:

What is the price for freedom?

Liliana Vela hates the term victim. She's not a victim, she's a fighter. Stubborn and strong with a quiet elegance, she's determined to take back her life after escaping the clutches of human traffickers in her poor Mexican village. But she can't stay safely over the border in America--unless the man who aided in her rescue is serious about his unconventional proposal to marry her.

Meric Toledan was just stopping at a service station for a bottle of water. Assessing the situation, he steps in to rescue Liliana from traffickers. If he can keep his secrets at bay, his wealth and position afford him many resources to help her. But the mysterious buyer who funded her capture will not sit idly by while his prize is stolen from him.

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About the Author:
Melissa Koslin is a fourth-degree black belt in and certified instructor of Songahm Taekwondo. In her day job as a commercial property manager, she secretly notes personal quirks and funny situations, ready to tweak them into colorful additions for her books. The author of Never Miss, Melissa lives in Jacksonville, Florida, with her husband, Corey. Find more information on her books at www.MelissaKoslin.com

My Thoughts:

I’m honestly not entirely sure how to rate this book.  I loved the suspense!  I raced through the story in around 2 days, which is quick for me.  It started off abruptly and seldom let up.

I loved Liliana’s character and quickly settled in to learn her story.  I found Meric much harder to like/know.  I understand that’s part of his character - he’s severe, controlled, private.  But for most of the book I really struggled to like him, beyond how he cared for Liliana.  Seeing him through her eyes made him slightly more human, but I ended the book very conflicted over their relationship.  I think the fact that the story is primarily told from Liliana's perspective also added to the disparity in how well I felt I knew him.   

Also, looking back, I was super engrossed as I was reading, but the story itself didn't actually have that much action. It was well dispersed, but somehow the author kept the suspense building to the end. Though I do have to admit, the ending seemed rather anticlimactic after everything that had been said and done. It was a bit unsatisfying for me. 

So I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure I'd rush to read it again.

I will add, I was very curious about the "marriage of convenience" trope. What is your favorite trope?

Bookish Thoughts: Honor Bound

 

Description:

It may seem odd to seek peace by moving to a war-torn African country, but for medical missionary Dr. Cynthia Myers, it provided a way to escape a shallow life of unearned wealth, a philandering fiancé, and a father now square in the public eye as vice president of the United States. At least here she knows her work and life have meaning. But all that is thrown into chaos when she fails to save the life of a local warlord's mortally wounded son.

As part of the Army Special Forces "A-Team" on a mission to capture and subdue the warlord, Captain Rick Norton is compelled to use deadly force to save Cynthia's life. Enraged at the violence she witnessed and riddled with guilt that men died because of her, Cynthia tries to hold on to her anger--but an unwanted attraction is taking hold.

With two members of his team badly injured and rebels in hot pursuit, Rick will have to draw upon all his strength and cunning to get her out alive . . . because he's beginning to think they just might overcome their differences and be able to make a life together.

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About the Author:

Hallee Bridgeman is the USA Today bestselling author of several action-packed romantic suspense books and series. An Army brat turned Floridian, Hallee and her husband finally settled in central Kentucky, where they have raised their three children. When she's not writing, Hallee pursues her passion for cooking, coffee, campy action movies, and regular date nights with her husband. An accomplished speaker and active member of several writing organizations, Hallee can be found online at www.halleebridgeman.com.

My Thoughts:

I’ve long been a fan of Ms. Bridgeman’s work and was super excited to learn she has a whole new series releasing!  This one is the first in a new series about an Army Green Beret special forces team and I couldn’t wait to dive in.  First, I had to free the book from my toddler’s curious hands, as she loved the cover. 

I honestly wasn’t sure what to think when I first started the story.  I liked Rick from the beginning.  With Cynthia, it took a little more time for me to warm up to her character, though I did really like her by the end!  I really enjoyed the suspense and getting to know the entire team.  I found the number of characters, names, and their team call-signs a little overwhelming at the beginning, but quickly settled into the rhythm.  The pacing and “feel” of the story is a little different from the author’s other novels, so that took a little adjustment for me, but I found that while I greatly enjoyed her other books, I liked this slightly different style as well.  

One of the things that I found very interesting is Cynthia’s perspective on war.  She’s a pacifist put in the middle of combat with a group of special forces soldiers.  So while she disagreed with their methods, she was forced to assist them to help her village.  I enjoyed learning about her opinions and beliefs on the subject, as well as how Rick perceives his role in warfare.  I appreciated how the author handled the conversations on the subject.  

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am excitedly awaiting the opportunity to read the next one!

Question to ponder:

Do you tend towards agreeing more with Cynthia in her pacifist beliefs, or with Rick being a military SF soldier? Have you ever taken time to consider the other side?

Bookish Thoughts: Crossfire

 

Description:

FBI special agent Julianna Jameson is a top-notch negotiator who has never lost a hostage. Surely she can manage to take care of her much younger sister, Dottie, who showed up unannounced to live with Julianna while she finished her senior year of high school.

A former sniper with the 75th Ranger Regiment, Clay Fox left the army after a tragic incident that he can't get past. Now he's working as a high school resource officer until he can figure out what to do with the rest of his life.

Their paths cross when Julianna is called in to negotiate a courtroom hostage situation involving Clay's sister. Impressed and a bit intimidated by the calm, capable woman with the dark hair and blue eyes, Clay invites her to speak at his school. Dottie's school.

But as the anniversary of a school shooting from Julianna's past approaches, it becomes clear that her perfect record is about to be tested and that Dottie is at risk. If Julianna and Clay can't figure out who's behind the attacks, more innocent people will die--and Dottie is next in line.

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About the Author:

Lynette Eason is the USA Today bestselling author of Life Flight and Crossfire, as well as the Danger Never Sleeps, Blue Justice, Women of Justice, Deadly Reunions, Hidden Identity, and Elite Guardians series. She is the winner of three ACFW Carol Awards, the Selah Award, and the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, among others. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and has a master's degree in education from Converse College. Eason lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children. Learn more at www.lynetteeason.com.

My Thoughts:

When I saw this book was offered for a review opportunity, I jumped at it!  Lynette Eason has long been an auto-read name for me, so I didn’t even think about it.  Then I remembered . . . I never finished the first book in the series.  The villain was just too vivid for me.  So then I was a little trepidatious going into this one, because what if I didn’t like it?  What if I couldn’t finish it?  I love this author.  I didn’t want to write a negative review for any of her books.  But (thankfully, there’s a “but”), I loved it!  And I’m excited to talk about it!

So much to say!  But no spoilers!  Those are dreadful.  I loathe reading a review and finding out a plot twist that ruins the book for me.  And there was a twist that I definitely did not see coming!  Kudos to Ms. Eason!  She’s one of the few authors who can surprise me on a pretty regular basis.  I loved Julianna and Clay, obviously, along with their siblings, Reese and Dottie.  The suspense kept me up reading far too late one night, which I should know better by now, right?  The munchkins always wake up early when I stay up late.  But it totally felt worth it at the time.

 I really appreciated the focus on redemption, forgiveness, and the dangers of allowing bitterness to take root.  There was one perspective that really drove these points  home.  Though I do confess that I didn’t understand why she was involved for the longest time.  Once I figured that out, I really enjoyed the focus on healing and forgiveness, a light amidst the darkness of the villain’s perspective.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of suspense!

What about you? Have you ever picked up a book by a favorite author and panicked that you might not enjoy it as much?

Bookish Thoughts: Worthy of Legend

 

Description:

1906

After a summer of successful pirate-treasure hunting, Lady Emily Scofield and her friends must hide the unprecedented discoveries they've made, thanks to the betrayal of her own family. Horrified by her brother, who will stop at nothing to prove himself to their greedy father, Emily is forced to take a stand against her family--even if it means being cut off entirely.

Bram Sinclair, Earl of Telford, is fascinated with tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table--an interest he's kept mostly hidden for the last decade. But when a diary is unearthed on the islands that could lead to a secret artifact, Bram is the only one able to piece the legends together.

As Bram and Emily seek out the whereabouts of the hidden artifact, they must dodge her family and a team of archaeologists. In a race against time, it is up to them to decide what makes a hero worthy of legend. Is it fighting valiantly to claim the treasure . . . or sacrificing everything in the name of selfless love?

About the Author:

Roseanna M. White (www.roseannamwhite.com) is a bestselling, Christy Award-nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. She pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of numerous novels, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to Edwardian British series. Roseanna lives with her family in West Virginia. Learn more at www.roseannamwhite.com

My Thoughts:

So, I’m just kind of waiting for Ms. White to finally write a book that I don’t absolutely adore.  I’m also really hoping that never happens.  I love picking up one of her books and diving into an excellent story that I know from the start is going to touch my heart and have characters that become dear friends by “the end.”  Obviously, this book is not “the one” that just makes me turn my nose up and wish for a former story.  I finished it thinking “no!  I can’t be at the end so soon!  Just a few more pages!”  Which I suppose there technically were, if you read the author’s note (something I occasionally do).

So, where to begin?  With Bram?  Or Emily?  Or Sir Tristan, a fictional dog I might actually be okay with having as a pet?  *Sigh*  I had been so hoping that this would be Bram and Emily’s story and was super excited when it was announced!  The romance is by far my favorite part of the story.  I loved getting to know both of them better and seeing Bram seek to build up what Emily’s family so often delighted to tear down.  I so enjoyed the deep conversations and thought-provoking questions they raised.  I also very much appreciated how Ms. White chose to answer those questions.

"Where did mercy and justice meet? With pain and sacrifice. And beauty beyond anything he'd ever seen."

What else?  Oh, I knew so little about King Arthur.  But like Bram, I really enjoyed the stories of honor and integrity woven into the treasure hunt.  And knowing nothing about it, I enjoyed the author’s note, clearing up a little of what is fact and fiction.  I also seriously loathed Nigel.  Can I say that after talking about honor and integrity?  Neither of which Nigel seemed to possess.  Though I surprisingly liked Vandermeer and the creative verbal sparring with Bram.

Overall, I found this book to be the perfect finale to this series!  I would highly recommend it, as well as the previous ones!

*My thanks to the author and publisher for my copy of this book!  I was not required to write a positive review and have not been compensated for it in any way.  All opinions expressed are my own.  

Does anyone else have a hard time spelling "legend"? My fingers keep wanting to add an extra "d" to it. Haha!

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Heart thoughts: Our Heaven Baby

 “Why, God, do people have to die?  A daughter or a son, sudden and so young, long before their time? . . . I don’t understand, but I understand why God, I need You.  It’s why, God, I run to Your arms, over and over again.  It’s why, God, I cling to Your love and hold on for dear life.  And I’ll find, You are right by my side, even here, in the ‘why, God?’”  - Austin French

They tell me “it’s okay to cry.”  But they don’t cry with me.  They tell me that it’s healthy to grieve, but I don’t know how to.  How do I grieve my heaven baby, but still live and laugh with my precious girls?  How do I keep breathing, when every breath hurts so much?  How do I let go enough to keep moving and doing, but hold on so I don’t forget?  Because despite how much it hurts, I don’t want to forget our Amarielle Rose.  I long for stories to tell about her, like “she had the most beautiful smile,” instead, I have dreams that are returning to black and white.  We got to love her for such a short time.  Just weeks, instead of the years I had been assuming we’d have.  I took for granted that I’d had two healthy pregnancies and just assumed this one would be like the former ones.

The words, “there is no heartbeat” has to be one of the worst sentences I have ever heard spoken to me.  We went to the appointment, excited to see our baby for the first time, but left with confused and hurting hearts.  “God, where are you?  Why is this happening? My precious girl . . . “

Today marks 2 weeks since that day.  Since we found out that our sweet baby had already gone to Heaven.  I have wrestled with so many thoughts, so many questions and doubts, so much pain and also a disheartening numbness that makes it hard to get out of bed sometimes.  I’m thankful for our sweet girls that are here for me to hold and love.  They force me to keep moving, even when I really just want to sit and cry.  I don’t have answers.  I still have so many questions, but I doubt I’ll know the answers this side of Heaven.  I think of Heaven, how my mom and grandpa are holding Amarielle for us.  How the first sight her tiny eyes ever saw was the glory of God and the indescribable beauty of Heaven.  I think that I must be selfish to wish her still here with me . . . . I wonder at how God made our hearts able to so deeply miss someone that we never even got to meet.

I spent a few days feeling so very angry at God.  I had prayed for our sweet baby so many times.  I prayed every night for her to be healthy and growing well.  From the day I had a positive pregnancy test, I had prayed for her.  And it’s so easy for me to look with my human eyes at the situation and say that God didn’t act.  Or that He simply said, “No.”  Or that He heard my words and didn’t care.  Or that He didn’t even hear me at all.  And I can give myself all of the trite answers that must be in some Christian handbook somewhere - “What to say when someone is hurting.”  But those empty words don’t bind the wounds.  They don’t offer comfort.  I don’t know why God didn’t answer my prayers.  I don’t know why our family is experiencing this pain.  But I do still believe that He is here with us, mourning with us, because His heart breaks with the pain His children experience.  I know that God didn’t choose this for us.  I know death wasn’t in His plans.  He didn’t create us to die, it is a curse of the fallen world we live in.  I know these things.  But my heart still hurts.   

I thought at one point that I wished God had simply not allowed the pregnancy, rather than allowing my baby to begin to live and then her heart stop beating.  Now, with a smidge of hindsight, I am so thankful for our Heaven baby.  I got to love her for such a short time.  My heart feels heavy with the love I won’t get to lavish on her.  But isn’t it amazing how our hearts are made to expand with each person who comes into our lives, regardless of how long they stay?  I pray that somehow, in the midst of this pain, we learn to love in a way that reflects our Savior.  And that our hearts will be softened and open to love others who are experiencing the same pain, because we understand the road they are traveling. 

Bookish Thoughts: Sunburst

 

Description:

When former Navy SEAL and lifelong bachelor Ranger Kingston is called upon to take part in a rescue

mission to save his brother Colt, who has been kidnapped by terrorists in Nigeria, he is shocked to

find among the hostages a woman he knows and could never forget.

Noemi Sutton was attempting to return a young girl to her family in Boko Haram territory when she and the girl found themselves taken hostage, along with several others.

And while Ranger Kingston may be able to get the hostages away from their captors, he'll need Noemi's help if he ever hopes to get out of Nigeria alive.

Her solution? Pose as husband and wife. But when her uncle discovers the union, he insists on a traditional Nigerian wedding--binding Noemi to a man destined to break her heart. Worse, she's discovered the real reason she was kidnapped, and anyone around her is bound to be caught in the cross fire. Including her so-called new husband.

She'll need to figure out a way to leave the man she loves if she wants to save his life.

About the Author:

Susan May Warren is the USA Today bestselling author of nearly 90 novels with more than 1.5 million books sold, including the Global Search and Rescue and the Montana Rescue series, as well as Sunrise and Sunburst. Winner of a RITA Award and multiple Christy and Carol Awards, as well as the HOLT Medallion and numerous Readers' Choice Awards, Susan makes her home in Minnesota. Find her online at www.susanmaywarren.com, on Facebook @SusanMayWarrenFiction, and on Twitter @SusanMayWarren.

My Thoughts:

 I used to be a huge fan of Susan May Warren's novels, but then I took a break a few years ago and just

didn't pick the new ones up.  If all of the others are this good, man, I've been missing out!  And I have

a lot to look forward to finding!

I realized this was the second book in a series after I got it, but thankfully, my library app had the first.

I'd say you probably could read them out of order, but they are definitely written to be a series,

including a cliffhanger that now has me anxious for Colt's story!  (side note: the chapter with the

cliffhanger is titled “what comes next” - so if you don’t want to be left wondering too much, just stop

reading at the end of the epilogue)

The first book is entirely set in Alaska, so I admit, I was very confused and curious as to how they

were going to get from Nigeria to Alaska in this one.  Or how they would bring Alaska to Nigeria. 

But that aside, I loved this adventure to Nigeria!  I adored Noemi, Ranger, and Blessing!  I so

enjoyed the vibrant descriptions and details, bringing a unique culture to life.  It's apparent

(also from the back cover, you know) that Ranger and Noemi have a past.  I really enjoyed how

the author wove glimpses of their past into the present.

If you’ve read any of Mrs. Warren’s prior suspense novels, please note that this one is marketed

as a contemporary romance.  So there is suspense, yes.  But if you’re going into it expecting a

“hanging on the edge of your seat” kind of story, I don’t know that you’ll find it here.  I personally

greatly enjoyed the story as a whole.  I enjoyed the suspense, but I also just love a great romance,

and that’s a lot of what you’ll find within these pages.  

Overall, I loved this book, as well as the first one, and can’t wait for the final Sky King Ranch novel!

*My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book!  I was not required to write a review, positive

or otherwise, and have not been compensated for it in any way.   All opinions expressed are my own.

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Bookish Thoughts: The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip

 

"Authentic love is the greatest joy there is, Miss Kelley, but it 

requires a thousand little deaths to self."

- Mrs. Kip, page 212

Description:

Aidyn Kelley is talented, ambitious, and ready for a more serious assignment than the fluff pieces

she's been getting as a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star. In her eagerness, she pushes too hard,

earning herself the menial task of writing an obituary for an unremarkable woman who's just

entered hospice care.

But there's more to Clara Kip than meets the eye. The spirited septuagenarian may be dying, but she's not quite ready to cash it in yet. Never one to shy away from an assignment herself, she can see that God brought the young reporter into her life for a reason. And if it's a story Aidyn Kelley wants, that's just what Mrs. Kip will give her--but she's going to have to work for it.

About the Author:

Debut author Sara Brunsvold delights with this emotional multigenerational story that shows that the very best life is made up of thousands of little deaths to self. You'll want to be just like Mrs. Kip when you grow up!

My thoughts:

There are so many things I could say about this book.  I could tell you that I normally read something with romance,

so this was a break outside my norm.  I could tell you I almost cried more than once.  I could tell you that I waited

a couple days before I read the last few chapters.  I could tell you how beautifully written it is.  I could tell you that

you should read it, too.  I could and would tell you all of those things.  But what do you really want to know? 

Yes, I loved this book.  I’m giving it 5 stars.  No, I probably won’t read it again.  For all the wisdom and wit, for all

of the reasons I loved this story, it also broke my heart and reminded me of watching my own loved ones pass

from this life to the next.

"Even when it cost me something dear, I loved. No effort in Jesus's name is ever wasted."

So, yes, please read it!  Fall in love with the spunky Mrs. Kip, appreciate her wisdom, laugh at the extraordinary

ways she might die, and cheer for Aidyn as she finally figures it out.  Finish the last pages with tears in your eyes

for the beautiful way Ms. Brunsvold brought these characters to life and the perfect way she gave Aidyn to love

Mrs. Kip in the end.  And maybe cry a little.  I’m told all of the best books inspire deep emotion.  I’m still not 100%

sold on that idea, but I would say that it’s true with this one.  

*My thanks to the publisher for my copy of this book!  I was not required to write a review, positive or otherwise,

and have not been compensated for it in any way.  All opinions expressed are my own.

So many quotable things in this book! I hope if you choose to pick up this story, that you'll enjoy getting to know Mrs. Kip as much as I did!

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