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    Khaki Town

    Khaki Town

    Judy Nunn

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    Judy Nunn’s exciting new novel, a no.1 bestseller, is inspired by a true wartime story that has...

Left to Chance
Left to Chance
Amy Sue Nathan | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Great characters (3 more)
Strong portrayal of a small town
Some great funny moments
Lovely and powerful moments
A bit too much melodrama (0 more)
Sweet, touching tale
After six years, Teddi Learner returns to her small hometown of Chance, Ohio to photograph the wedding of her best friend's husband, Miles. Miles is getting remarried after the death of his first wife, Celia. Celia and Miles and had one daughter together, Shayna, who is now twelve. Teddi and Shay had a somewhat superficial relationship after Celia's death--a yearly visit in Chicago, Skype calls, etc. But Shay's now nearly a teenager and she's personally asked Teddi to come to town--a place she's never set foot in since her beloved best friend passed away. When she arrives, she finds Chance has grown, and so has Shay, who is struggling with her father's remarriage and fitting in within her teen friend circle. Further, Teddi's memories of Celia are as strong as ever, and so are her feelings for Celia's brother, Beck, whom she was seeing when she fled town after (okay, pretty much during) Celia's funeral. Teddi has a new life now, photographing weddings all over the country for Hester Hotels. She left Chance behind and never looked back. But now that she's here, she can't help but notice all (and who) she left.

I enjoy picking up novels like this sometime because they let me indulge in my Lifetime / Hallmark movie side (I'm a sucker for those, especially at Christmas time). This book was an excellent diversion and while I certainly could predict some areas, it surprised me in others.

Nathan gives us some great characters, particularly Teddi and Shay. Teddi is complicated and a little annoying, at times, but she comes across as realistically human and flawed. Her love for Celia is incredibly strong and you can feel her loss and heartache come across the pages. The novel is a real testament to female friendship. At times you want to push or prod her a bit, but she's also stronger than she thinks. As for Shay, my heart often broke for the poor girl, struggling at the age of being between a girl and a teenager, with the added difficulty of having lost her mom.

Nathan also does a good job of portraying the eclectic cast of characters in small town Chance, with some good foils popping up for Teddi. Some of my particular favorite appearances included Teddi's cousin, Maggie, and childhood friend, Josie. Because it's a small place, Miles' wedding is the talk of the town, and we see how it brings up some bitterness and long held issues among some, including the immediate family.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. The hardest part was some melodrama in the plot and theme, which got to be a little too much at times. Some things seemed to be blown a bit out of proportion and there can be a lot of different plot threads going on at times. However, there are some really lovely and powerful moments and some incredibly funny ones--much of which stem from the strength of the characters. There's a bit of a picture perfect ending, but not the one I expected. This was a sweet, touching tale in many ways and exactly the read I needed at this point in time. 3.5+ stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review.
  
The events of a typical Autumn Friday night rock a typical small town American family to the core as tragedy strikes them from out of nowhere. Will their lives survive this ordeal as they change from a functional to dysfunctional family? This event has changed and altered their direction, but will this be permanent? The ways the family deals with the loss of a loved one can either make them stronger or crush them in their hope for their small town future. The bonds of love and friendship are stretched to see how far they can go. Will the development of the surviving sibling's progress with growth or be stifled as the family dynamic is pushed to the edge? One's concept of justice is put to the test and their faith in God may never be the same. Actions, reactions and their consequences are exposed for you to see but don't judge too harshly. You may agree or disagree with their actions but ask yourself, if you were in their situation, would you do the same?

This is a very sad story. Good but also difficult to read as it is true to life for some.
It is good for a YA to read as maybe it would get the message across to them of how precious and short life can be.
The writing is simple and direct, making for easy reading.

I read a PDF of tis book I received from the author.
  
OA
Of All Things Sacred
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
36 of 220
Book sirens review
Of All Things Sacred
By Moses Yuriyvich Mikheyev
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

A prophet has arrived in the small mountain town of Red Tree, California, bringing with him a revival. Repenting of sins. Healings. Exorcisms. Speaking in tongues. Visions. Prophecies.

Something big is happening in Red Tree, something so transformative the small town can barely contain it. And Iron King's mother is the Prophet's most committed follower, even though Iron's father isn't totally on board.

Any doubts the townspeople have that the Prophet was anointed by God evaporate when a man who questions his integrity is struck by lightning on the church steps. Unreproachable, the Prophet's stature—and his control over the souls in his care —grows along with the size of his church, despite whispered rumors and his increasingly strange prophecies.

Until Iron falls in love with a girl and realizes that between God and Satan, between truth and deception, lies a great contradiction. And a horrific terror.

This was so so good I didn’t want to put it down. An interesting story of faith, life and false prophets. I was completely hooked from start to finish. Definitely be reading more from this author.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.