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BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated When Tides Turn (Waves of Freedom, #3) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Every book in this series has been spectacular! Full of intrigue and drama, faith and freedom, handsome officers and daring heroines, and not to mention bursting with history! I have learned so much about the war of the Atlantic during World War II through these books. Not only does Sarah include REAL events and REAL people in these books, it inspires me to do research of my own. To delve into the facts and history that inspired these stories.
As the Waves of Freedom series comes to a close, Tess and Dan completely steal the show with their strained relationship and beautiful, er, practical? romance. Tess is full of life, color, and longs to be seen for who she is beneath the pretty face. Dan, has a one track mind focused on his career...That is, until his heart cries out for something more. Both Tess and Dan must learn to trust God to guide their paths, to find who they are in Him, individually. Once they surrender to God's plan, it is amazing to watch the events unfold.
While the books in this series can stand alone, you will want to begin with book one to enjoy and appreciate the full effect of the storyline. Plus, they are simply amazing books. All three have made it on my top reads list!
Get ready for one last amazing ride in the Waves of Freedom Series. And do not despair...For Sarah has a new WWII series she is working on titled, Sunrise at Normandy. The first book, The Sea Before us will be released Spring 2018.
I received a complimentary copy of When Tides Turn from Revell. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
As the Waves of Freedom series comes to a close, Tess and Dan completely steal the show with their strained relationship and beautiful, er, practical? romance. Tess is full of life, color, and longs to be seen for who she is beneath the pretty face. Dan, has a one track mind focused on his career...That is, until his heart cries out for something more. Both Tess and Dan must learn to trust God to guide their paths, to find who they are in Him, individually. Once they surrender to God's plan, it is amazing to watch the events unfold.
While the books in this series can stand alone, you will want to begin with book one to enjoy and appreciate the full effect of the storyline. Plus, they are simply amazing books. All three have made it on my top reads list!
Get ready for one last amazing ride in the Waves of Freedom Series. And do not despair...For Sarah has a new WWII series she is working on titled, Sunrise at Normandy. The first book, The Sea Before us will be released Spring 2018.
I received a complimentary copy of When Tides Turn from Revell. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Love's Faithful Promise (Courage to Dream #3) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
With tears in my eyes and a smile on my face, I closed the pages of the final book in the Courage to Dream series. My heart is filled with warmth, yet filled with sadness that this series is now complete. I have enjoyed watching the O'Leary family grow in numbers and in love. Love's Faithful Promise begins in September 1922 and is a beautiful conclusion. Filled with trials and heartache, we see God's hand leading them closer together and closer to Him. I absolutely fell in love with Deirdre and Matthew...And Phoebe! Matthew carries so much guilt and unforgiveness towards himself that was so hard for me to witness. The compassion I felt for him was overwhelming. We are reminded though that we don't need to walk through the shadows of our past alone.
Oh I just love Deirdre and Matthew's journey of love! Keep your fan nearby. Because let me tell you...Their romance is so pure, passionate, precious, and sweet. But don't let my starry eyed, romance gushing fool you, this book gets INTENSE! I was literally sweating with anticipation right around page 281...trust me...you will know what I mean. Definitely put my stress ball "heart" I got from CFRR to good use (thank you Just Commonly).
Will you cry? Maybe. Will you want to smack some sense into people? Probably. Will you fall in love with Irish Meadows and the O'Leary clan? Without a doubt...Yes!!! Make sure you start your journey with the beginning of the series, Irish Meadows. Within these pages I pray you find hope and courage to live out the dreams the Lord has placed in your heart.
I received a free copy of Love's Faithful Promise in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Oh I just love Deirdre and Matthew's journey of love! Keep your fan nearby. Because let me tell you...Their romance is so pure, passionate, precious, and sweet. But don't let my starry eyed, romance gushing fool you, this book gets INTENSE! I was literally sweating with anticipation right around page 281...trust me...you will know what I mean. Definitely put my stress ball "heart" I got from CFRR to good use (thank you Just Commonly).
Will you cry? Maybe. Will you want to smack some sense into people? Probably. Will you fall in love with Irish Meadows and the O'Leary clan? Without a doubt...Yes!!! Make sure you start your journey with the beginning of the series, Irish Meadows. Within these pages I pray you find hope and courage to live out the dreams the Lord has placed in your heart.
I received a free copy of Love's Faithful Promise in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated From Dust and Ashes: A Story of Liberation (World War II Liberator #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Europe is war torn and broken. But there is hope among the dust and ashes.
Tricia Goyer approaches World War II in a new light (for me at least). Beginning with the end of the war in Europe, we see the repercussions of the last 6 years of fighting.
Our three main characters include an American Sergeant, a wife of an SS guard, and a prisoner freed from the concentration camp Gusen. Sergeant Peter Scott is with the group of soldiers that liberated Gusen and the main camp Mauthausen. He finds friends and love in the least likely of places. Helen is struggling to make up for the wrongs her husband committed as a guard at the camp. Can she bring herself to forgive him for what he did? Michaela is on the road to recovery after spending years in the camps. Although it would seem that she has every right to hold on to bitterness and hate for all that she has been through, she chooses to trust in the Lord and forgive those that did her wrong.
I could not put this book down! This is by far one of the best books I have ever read. Tricia Goyer captured me from the minute I started reading. She is very vivid in her descriptions of the horrors found when the camps were liberated. I highly recommend this book, especially to anyone interested in WWII history. It sheds a whole new light on the war in Europe.
From Dust and Ashes is a beautiful story about forgiveness and the liberation that you receive in your spirit when you are lead by the Lord and forgiveness.
I purchased a copy of From Dust and Ashes for my personal library. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Tricia Goyer approaches World War II in a new light (for me at least). Beginning with the end of the war in Europe, we see the repercussions of the last 6 years of fighting.
Our three main characters include an American Sergeant, a wife of an SS guard, and a prisoner freed from the concentration camp Gusen. Sergeant Peter Scott is with the group of soldiers that liberated Gusen and the main camp Mauthausen. He finds friends and love in the least likely of places. Helen is struggling to make up for the wrongs her husband committed as a guard at the camp. Can she bring herself to forgive him for what he did? Michaela is on the road to recovery after spending years in the camps. Although it would seem that she has every right to hold on to bitterness and hate for all that she has been through, she chooses to trust in the Lord and forgive those that did her wrong.
I could not put this book down! This is by far one of the best books I have ever read. Tricia Goyer captured me from the minute I started reading. She is very vivid in her descriptions of the horrors found when the camps were liberated. I highly recommend this book, especially to anyone interested in WWII history. It sheds a whole new light on the war in Europe.
From Dust and Ashes is a beautiful story about forgiveness and the liberation that you receive in your spirit when you are lead by the Lord and forgiveness.
I purchased a copy of From Dust and Ashes for my personal library. I was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
<i>Captive</i> is the debut young adult thriller by British author A. J. Grainger. Set in contemporary Britain, sixteen-year-old Robyn, the daughter of the Prime Minister, is kidnapped and held hostage by three animal rights activists. Until the government agrees to release the person accused of the attempted assassination of the PM four month previously, they refuse to free Robyn from captivity. It soon becomes clear that a lot of lies and cover-ups have been occurring and it is difficult to know whom to trust.
The novel gets off to a great start with a lot of action as Robyn and her family is ambushed on their way to visit grandparents. The first half of the book is really exciting as the reader slowly gets to grips with what is going on.
Grainger writes really well with great use of descriptive words and phrases. To keep the reader engaged and to lengthen the story she includes other interesting details that are educational in a way – for example, knowledge about birds.
Unfortunately the second half of the book is not as exciting as the first. A relationship starts developing between Robyn and one of the captors, which is rather unoriginal and predictable.
One thing that I particularly liked about this novel was Robyn’s character. Naturally people may expect daughters of prime ministers to be snobbish and spoilt but Robyn was the complete opposite. She did not care about where her clothes came from or whether or not she went to parties. Robyn was the representation of the average teenage girl preparing for her GCSEs.
Despite the clichéd captor/hostage situation <i>Captive</i> is a very enjoyable novel with a few exhilarating twists in the plot.
<i>Captive</i> is the debut young adult thriller by British author A. J. Grainger. Set in contemporary Britain, sixteen-year-old Robyn, the daughter of the Prime Minister, is kidnapped and held hostage by three animal rights activists. Until the government agrees to release the person accused of the attempted assassination of the PM four month previously, they refuse to free Robyn from captivity. It soon becomes clear that a lot of lies and cover-ups have been occurring and it is difficult to know whom to trust.
The novel gets off to a great start with a lot of action as Robyn and her family is ambushed on their way to visit grandparents. The first half of the book is really exciting as the reader slowly gets to grips with what is going on.
Grainger writes really well with great use of descriptive words and phrases. To keep the reader engaged and to lengthen the story she includes other interesting details that are educational in a way – for example, knowledge about birds.
Unfortunately the second half of the book is not as exciting as the first. A relationship starts developing between Robyn and one of the captors, which is rather unoriginal and predictable.
One thing that I particularly liked about this novel was Robyn’s character. Naturally people may expect daughters of prime ministers to be snobbish and spoilt but Robyn was the complete opposite. She did not care about where her clothes came from or whether or not she went to parties. Robyn was the representation of the average teenage girl preparing for her GCSEs.
Despite the clichéd captor/hostage situation <i>Captive</i> is a very enjoyable novel with a few exhilarating twists in the plot.
Merissa (11953 KP) rated Trelloran Seduction in Books
Dec 17, 2018
Trelloran Seduction is the first book in The Making of a Goddess series. It deals with a harsh environment that not all readers will enjoy. Not only are vampires involved, but women are 'sacrificed' on their 30th birthday, and their brain fluid taken from their bodies. Not only that, but a rape culture by Church is in full swing, only they call it 'Cleansing'. Add into the mix a nymph who can shapechange at will, who has been held captive for hundreds of years, and brainwashed into doing her duty to the priests who rape her, impregnate her, and then, once she gives birth, her babies are given to the vampires as food. Like I say, this is NOT suited to all readers!
However, the very things that make this book quite a dark one to read, also offer the hope of light. Two characters come together, both hurt and traumatised by their pasts. You see them slowly start to trust each other, to understand each other. Now, of course, it's not all love and light. This is a dark book, after all, and betrayal comes when you least expect it and from a direction that although known, you think is a red herring. It's not, and it hurts all the more because of that!
This is very well written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow. This part of the story is nicely concluded, whilst leaving you with an opening to the next book. With plenty of action and suspense, this is a brilliant book that certainly kept my attention throughout. Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
However, the very things that make this book quite a dark one to read, also offer the hope of light. Two characters come together, both hurt and traumatised by their pasts. You see them slowly start to trust each other, to understand each other. Now, of course, it's not all love and light. This is a dark book, after all, and betrayal comes when you least expect it and from a direction that although known, you think is a red herring. It's not, and it hurts all the more because of that!
This is very well written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow. This part of the story is nicely concluded, whilst leaving you with an opening to the next book. With plenty of action and suspense, this is a brilliant book that certainly kept my attention throughout. Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jessica - Where the Book Ends (15 KP) rated Manic (Rook and Ronin, #2) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Manic picks up shortly after TRAGIC leaves off. Ronin and Rook are loving their time together, and the TRAGIC campaign has wrapped up, and now we are prepping for the new STURGIS campaign. Rook quickly discovers that she is going to be part of a reality based show based on the STURGIS campaign. When she hastily signed the contract while angry at Ronin she didn't read the contract quite as closely as she thought. This is a three month contract where she ultimately has no privacy. She signed the contract so now she's obligated to do it.
The STURGIS campaign is a body art campaign. Spencer Shrike will be painting Rook's body to match the different motorcycles he is taking to Sturgis. Throughout this book you can see that Rook becomes more and more conflicted. She is constantly under the watchful eye of the reality show, and Ronin is always gone helping Clare (a former model in rehab).
Spencer, Ronin and Ford are a hard trio for Rook to juggle, and trust me, they make the story that much juicer. This book is a great follow up to TRAGIC. You get to see more of the supporting characters. I absolutely loved it.
These two books are a breath of fresh air. There is nothing else out there like them. I love the basis of the stories in these two books, and as I said before, the characters are so easy to love. The books are fast paced, easy to read, and equally as hard to put down. These are great summer reads, and I will be recommending them to everyone I know.
*** I received this book in exchange for an honest review! ***
The STURGIS campaign is a body art campaign. Spencer Shrike will be painting Rook's body to match the different motorcycles he is taking to Sturgis. Throughout this book you can see that Rook becomes more and more conflicted. She is constantly under the watchful eye of the reality show, and Ronin is always gone helping Clare (a former model in rehab).
Spencer, Ronin and Ford are a hard trio for Rook to juggle, and trust me, they make the story that much juicer. This book is a great follow up to TRAGIC. You get to see more of the supporting characters. I absolutely loved it.
These two books are a breath of fresh air. There is nothing else out there like them. I love the basis of the stories in these two books, and as I said before, the characters are so easy to love. The books are fast paced, easy to read, and equally as hard to put down. These are great summer reads, and I will be recommending them to everyone I know.
*** I received this book in exchange for an honest review! ***
Merissa (11953 KP) rated Lies of Golden Straw: A Rumplestilskin Retelling (End of Ever After) in Books
Jan 14, 2019
Lies of Golden Straw: A Rumplestilskin Retelling (End of Ever After #2) by E.L. Tenenbaum
Lies of Golden Straw is the second in the fairy tale re-tellings, and it is very different, but just as amazing as End of Ever After (book one). This one is a Rumplestiltskin re-telling, but you get so much more. Merlin is in here, plus a couple of famous storytellers themselves, who I won't name. Trust me when I say they all fit perfectly in this story.
Told from the perspective of Millie, you find out about her childhood as the Miller's Daughter, right through to the present when she goes to Ella's coronation, and after. It is full of grand descriptions, fairy tales you may know, and situations where no one is really the winner.
I have to say I think this is the first book where the couple are not in love. Instead, their relationship is built on friendship and respect. It makes sense for the story, but I will admit to wanting a HEA for Millie and...? ? I won't say this name either as I don't want to ruin it for anyone else!
An emotional story that is rich in story-telling history, I was lost within the story and absolutely loving every word. I honestly don't know if there were any errors as I was too engrossed. I would highly doubt it though, as the author is E.L. Tenenbaum, and I have only read the highest quality from her.
An absolute stunner of a book that I loved. Completely and utterly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Told from the perspective of Millie, you find out about her childhood as the Miller's Daughter, right through to the present when she goes to Ella's coronation, and after. It is full of grand descriptions, fairy tales you may know, and situations where no one is really the winner.
I have to say I think this is the first book where the couple are not in love. Instead, their relationship is built on friendship and respect. It makes sense for the story, but I will admit to wanting a HEA for Millie and...? ? I won't say this name either as I don't want to ruin it for anyone else!
An emotional story that is rich in story-telling history, I was lost within the story and absolutely loving every word. I honestly don't know if there were any errors as I was too engrossed. I would highly doubt it though, as the author is E.L. Tenenbaum, and I have only read the highest quality from her.
An absolute stunner of a book that I loved. Completely and utterly recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Merissa (11953 KP) rated Midnight Exposure (Midnight, #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
Don't you just love it when you read a book and it is so much more than what you expected? This is what happened to me when I read Midnight Exposure. I thought it would the usual story of hero meets heroine, they don't get on, big calamity, insta-love, everything's fine. That is so NOT what you get with this. You get a well thought out, full of plot, suspenseful story. Yes, there are overtures of romance to the book but they are brilliantly done.
Our main female and male leads both come with baggage and flaws. Jayne is no weeping wallflower mind you. One of my favourite parts of the book was when she used her black belt karate on someone. She is not just going to sit there and be a victim. The supporting characters are all well rounded and develop really well throughout the book.
As for the 'occult' side of things - I thought this was remarkably well written and that's coming from a pagan. Too often in books, knowledge is mis-used or only given in part and the result can be something that makes me cringe as it dumps every earth and nature based religion in with satanism. The parts of this book that were revealing more about the villain and his motives etc, never painted the actual symbolism as black, instead just showing how it was being used for his purposes. I know I haven't explained it very well but trust me, Melinda Leigh did a great job. As for the reviewer who said "we get no clue what kind of religion this is", I suggest you take a re-read as it is written plain as day.
Loved this book and have started on book 2, Midnight Sacrifice. Recommended!
Our main female and male leads both come with baggage and flaws. Jayne is no weeping wallflower mind you. One of my favourite parts of the book was when she used her black belt karate on someone. She is not just going to sit there and be a victim. The supporting characters are all well rounded and develop really well throughout the book.
As for the 'occult' side of things - I thought this was remarkably well written and that's coming from a pagan. Too often in books, knowledge is mis-used or only given in part and the result can be something that makes me cringe as it dumps every earth and nature based religion in with satanism. The parts of this book that were revealing more about the villain and his motives etc, never painted the actual symbolism as black, instead just showing how it was being used for his purposes. I know I haven't explained it very well but trust me, Melinda Leigh did a great job. As for the reviewer who said "we get no clue what kind of religion this is", I suggest you take a re-read as it is written plain as day.
Loved this book and have started on book 2, Midnight Sacrifice. Recommended!
Merissa (11953 KP) rated Fight for Me (Captivated, #2) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
Fight For Me continues with Kat and Gabriel. They were given a choice of whether to move to a hybrid compound which they could never leave, or stay in the 'real' world where they would be constantly looking over their shoulders. Before they can make the decision for themselves, the choice is taken away from them with the knowledge that Liliana (Iris' sister) is now after them. It's not just them that go though, but Sarah, Dawson, Piper, and co. Things are certainly different in the compound and Kat has to face up to some things being different than what she is used to.
This book is more in one place that Captivate Me which just makes it more intense as the drama is concentrated into one space. Kat and Gabe have been through so much, and it hasn't ended yet as Dawson plants a seed of doubt in Kat's mind. Gabe doesn't help his situation by disappearing, although he doesn't actually know what Kat has been told. This just reinforces the notion that actions can be taken the wrong way, even if they are innocent, if trust is an issue and doubts have been raised.
I won't give anything away about anything else in the story, but suffice it to say, things are not as they seem. Full of drama and suspense, Fight For Me is a wonderful addition to the Captivated series. Extremely well-written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow, this was an amazing read and I can't wait to continue with this series.
* I received this book from Xpresso Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This book is more in one place that Captivate Me which just makes it more intense as the drama is concentrated into one space. Kat and Gabe have been through so much, and it hasn't ended yet as Dawson plants a seed of doubt in Kat's mind. Gabe doesn't help his situation by disappearing, although he doesn't actually know what Kat has been told. This just reinforces the notion that actions can be taken the wrong way, even if they are innocent, if trust is an issue and doubts have been raised.
I won't give anything away about anything else in the story, but suffice it to say, things are not as they seem. Full of drama and suspense, Fight For Me is a wonderful addition to the Captivated series. Extremely well-written, with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow, this was an amazing read and I can't wait to continue with this series.
* I received this book from Xpresso Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
MaryAnn (14 KP) rated Mission Hollywood: A Red Carpet Romance in Books
Nov 4, 2019
What could possibly go wrong?
Movie star Ben Prescott arrives back in Hollywood after causing a scandal with his ex-girlfriend in Rome. Chased through the airport by paparazzi, he jumps into a limo hoping for a quick getaway. Instead he finds Lily Shaw, a pastors daughter and preschool teacher. When the paparazzi capture a photo of the two of them together, Bens agent demands that he do whatever it takes to keep the story from hitting the gossip pages . . . even volunteer to work at Lilys church.
Sparks fly as the movie star and the pastors daughter work side by side. When Lily accompanies Ben to the premiere of his latest movie, Hollywood takes notice. Under intense media scrutiny and pressure from the movie industry, Ben must risk his career to follow his heart, but Lily wants the one thing he doesnt have, faith.
Mission Hollywood is an inspirational story about love, faith, and second chances.
Click here to get your copy!
My Thoughts: This is a wonderful story of learning to trust God in everything. It's learning to let the past go and learning to lean on God for everything. This is a charming story of how God brings two people from different walks of life together, and in the midst of it all, brings Ben back to trusting in God.
A truly wonderful romance novel with a lesson of truth in it. I found the characters to be believable and easy to identify with. The writer has done an excellent job of bringing the reader into the story and connecting with the characters. The plot is fun and keeps the reader interested. I really enjoyed this novel and will look forward to more from Michelle Keener.
Movie star Ben Prescott arrives back in Hollywood after causing a scandal with his ex-girlfriend in Rome. Chased through the airport by paparazzi, he jumps into a limo hoping for a quick getaway. Instead he finds Lily Shaw, a pastors daughter and preschool teacher. When the paparazzi capture a photo of the two of them together, Bens agent demands that he do whatever it takes to keep the story from hitting the gossip pages . . . even volunteer to work at Lilys church.
Sparks fly as the movie star and the pastors daughter work side by side. When Lily accompanies Ben to the premiere of his latest movie, Hollywood takes notice. Under intense media scrutiny and pressure from the movie industry, Ben must risk his career to follow his heart, but Lily wants the one thing he doesnt have, faith.
Mission Hollywood is an inspirational story about love, faith, and second chances.
Click here to get your copy!
My Thoughts: This is a wonderful story of learning to trust God in everything. It's learning to let the past go and learning to lean on God for everything. This is a charming story of how God brings two people from different walks of life together, and in the midst of it all, brings Ben back to trusting in God.
A truly wonderful romance novel with a lesson of truth in it. I found the characters to be believable and easy to identify with. The writer has done an excellent job of bringing the reader into the story and connecting with the characters. The plot is fun and keeps the reader interested. I really enjoyed this novel and will look forward to more from Michelle Keener.