"Under the Summer Sky" Book Review

It's going to be hard to write a review on "Under a Summer Sky" without almost giving away the ending. I'll try my best but if you really don't want to know anything other than whether I liked it, I'll give you the short answer here so that you can stop reading.  I liked it. 4 out of 5 stars.

Oh man! The villian in this book had me on edge! Every time author Melody Carlson brought antagonist Amyra into the story, I could feel my own stress levels rise. I could also feel myself getting far more emotionally involved than I normally do when I read a novel and that's likely because the characters were so well written. I cared about their well-being. (kind of silly when you stop and think about it)  Over and over it seems like Amyra is going to destroy everything our heroine, Nicole, has worked for. And yet over and over, (warning - potential spoiler alert) nothing bad happens. It's like everything Nicole touches turns to gold. It certainly played with my emotions to repeatedly come to the precipice only to have it dissolve into a happy world of blessings.

I appreciated how the author didn't let any of the character's poor behavior pass without further exploration of the 'why' behind the 'what'. There's always something motivating mean or erratic people. Understanding why they do what they do makes for an interesting read.

I was left with a number of questions: Why was Nicole given so much responsibility in the first place? What happened after her boss's return? Did the brother she didn't chose find love?

"Under the Summer Sky" was a fun read. It should be noted that while there is no ghosts or supernatural occurrences in the story, because the setting is Savannah, Georgia, ghosts and haunted houses are frequently mentioned.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

"High as the Heavens" Book Review

Oh I barely got out of the starting blocks with this one. The first few pages were filled with such overly poetic writing that it almost turned me away. Glad I stuck with it though because shortly after, it seemed like the author, Kate Breslin, stopped trying to be dramatic and got on with writing a good story. And that she did. The plot was a good one. This is a story of a nurse forced to live in enemy occupied Belgium during WW1.

The main character, Eve Marche, not only works as a spy for the resistance, she also goes to great lengths to save the life of a downed British pilot. In addition, Eve has to work through trauma and guilt she's been carrying due to horrific events that occurred near the start of the war. Some parts of the book seemed slightly implausible but not so much that it made me roll my eyes or anything. I thoroughly enjoyed reading how our heroine was going to implement the next part of her daring plan.

I thought the author did a good job of painting a picture of how hard it would have been to live under those conditions. My own grandmother was an Italian immigrant who lived through WW2. Decades later my sister had two young German men come to visit and my grandmother could barely be in the same room with them or hear them speak. All she said was, "It brings back too many memories." What horrors did she live through that would affect her 50 years later like that?  The same as many others.

My only criticism of "High as the Heavens" was that I felt like I was reading the same words over and over again on a number of pages. Eve couldn't leave because of her family and her spy work and the pilot couldn't stay because of danger. The plot kept moving forward but it just felt like the author was telling us what the characters were thinking and they were thinking the same thing all the time. Having said that, while I knew everything was going to be fine in the end because this is a romance novel, the author did lead us on quite an adventure.  I also loved that the love between the two main characters was not based on her looks or some lusty passionate feelings. I wanted to clap as I read of people choosing to do the hard thing for the sake of the other.

A good read.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

"Heart On the Line" Book Review

Even though "Heart on the Line" could be a stand alone book, it should be called Book #2 in the "A Ladies of Harper's Station Novel" series because there are numerous references to "No Other Will Do". (another book by Karen Witemeyer) I was glad to have read that one first. I think I would have felt slightly out of the loop without that background information.

But don't let that deter you. "Heart on the Line" was a charming tale of a telegraph operator who is facing grave danger at the same time as finding love. And while the plot was, shall we say, predictable, the writing was smooth and enjoyable. Plus the plot kept moving forward.

One thing I loved about this book were the characters. The bad guy was so bad and the good guys so good. The supporting characters were the perfect blend of quirkiness and depth. I am always a tad hesitant to support books that cast men in a bad light and on the surface it might seem like "Ladies of Harper's Station" novels might do that. A whole town where men are not allowed?  (Can you imagine the uproar if women weren't allowed in an all male town!)  But I appreciate that the author did show the heroic men in a good light. Yes, many women have been tragically harmed by men, but that doesn't mean we should teach our daughters to despise them. Quite the opposite! God made us to live together with them.

And while I know it's a run-of-the-mill staple among romance novels, it did irk me ever so slightly that the author felt it necessary to state repeatedly how beautiful the heroine was. The way it's written makes it sound like her beauty was why the hero was willing to risk all to save her. Would she not be worth saving if she was plain or overweight? I know this is a reflection of our societal values but it's within our ability to fight against it. Even if the heroine's waist wasn't tiny, she would still be worth the effort and worth loving.

Over all I enjoyed this book. It was a fun fluffy read - perfect for an afternoon lying in the hammock on a breezy summer day.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

"With You Always" Book Review

It's hard to imagine the hardships some people have had to endure. My life is a cozy bubble. Certainly I know what it's like to be short on money, but so desperate I'd give up my children?  Beyond imagination.

"With You Always" was a sweet romantic tale of a young woman doing all she can to look after her younger sisters and a few other children after her own parents died. Unfortunately she lived in a time when jobs were scarce and help even more so. Thankfully, there's a well to do railroad baron to save the day.

I enjoyed reading "With You Always". There was enough drama to keep you interested but not so intense as to distress the reader.  The characters, including the villains, were written well; they drew out a cathartic response.  The plot moved a long at a good speed and the author did a great job of not having the main characters go over the same problem again and again.  Well done Ms. Hedlund!

Perhaps the following criticism isn't so much directed at the book as it is at the genre of Christian romance. Perhaps it's more of a pet peeve of mine than anything else but all the same, when I read the main characters "never having felt a love like this before" right before they passionately kiss, knowing it could get them into trouble, it irks me. That is not love. That's lust.  To call it love is doing the young women of this generation a disservice. You know what love is? Doing the hard thing for the sake of the other person.  Certainly in "With You Always" we see some wonderful examples of true love - not only in a romantic sense but also in family settings.  Please, call that love. That's the truly romantic part.  Otherwise you're feeding the lie that says feeling all hot and bothered is what you should base your decisions on. Please don't get me wrong. I enjoyed this book and I'll let my teen daughter read it. But... we will have a friendly discussion about what is wrong with it afterwards.

Over all, I definitely recommend this book. I know I might have made it out to seem like it's promoting lust. Not at all. In fact, quite the opposite. The characters time and again chose the well being of others at personal expense. Plus, it was hard to put down.  My one eye gives me terrible headaches if I read too much. I finished reading "With You Always" two days ago and it's still achy so you know how long I happily sat there reading.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

"One Dominion" Book Review

I love being Canadian. It's a great country and I'm well aware that half the world would give just about anything to trade places with me - to be able to own my citizenship and health card.  We can boast vast forests and clean water, Plus, this is where my family is.

Happy 150th Birthday Canada!

When asked to review "One Dominion", I happily replied yes.  (Maybe it's the former homeschool teacher in me but I also wanted my kids to read it.)  When it arrived, I was surprised. What a boring cover.  (pictured above)  

"Oh," I disappointingly thought. "It looks so cheap. This book isn't going to be good at all." Yes, I am guilty of judging every book by its cover.  Plus it isn't hardcover. A memorial/historical book of this dimension ought to be hardcover.  When my son came home, he said, "Wow, this is an expensive looking book to get in the mail."  When I informed him that I was doing a review on it, he said, 

"Ooooh. I thought it came free in the mail like from a business or something. Then it looks really cheap."  Ha!  I was right.  If it had been a hardcover, I can see it sitting on the table in a dental waiting room.  Sorry, but I really hate the cover.

I was even more perplexed once I cracked it open.  "One Dominion" is filled with beautiful photographs!  What???  (Ironically, my husband just now as I'm typing said, "Would you recommend that book?  I thought it came free in the mail.")  Oh dear.  

Each page is more beautiful than the one before and I enjoyed reading about the Christian influence that helped shaped this great nation. "One Dominion" starts at the beginning of Canadian history and goes through the ages highlighting the accomplishments of men and women who had one goal in mind - to glorify God through the betterment of the world around them.  

Even though I taught my kids some Canadian history, I still learned a number of interesting facts from "One Dominion" such as why we are a dominion instead of a republic or kingdom.  I'm not going to give it away but it's in chapter 3.

Do yourself a favor, don't be put off by the cover of this charming book. The inside doesn't match.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

"Invitation" Book Review

Have you ever watched "The Twilight Zone"?  If you have, and if you liked it, you'll like "Invitation".  It was like no other book I've read before but I still can't quite decided if I enjoyed it.

"Invitation" is 4 mini-books in one. Almost like scripts for episodes of a running TV show instead of one long plot.  All 4 contain the same main characters and builds on the one before but had separate plot lines.  Each mini-book is authored by one of 4 authors and is written from a different character's point of view and had that character as the focal point.

Admittedly the for the first while, I felt confused - couldn't keep the characters straight.  And each time a story came to an end, I was left feeling unsatisfied - much like "The Twilight Zone" used to leave its viewers. Soooo, was it aliens or a dream or their imagination???  The answer is never really given.

I'm a simple gal. I like things that make sense and I like all the ends to be tied up by the final page. Because of this, by the last mini-book, since I knew I likely wasn't going to get plot satisfaction, the compulsion to dive in was greatly lessened.

"Invitation" wasn't the worst book I've ever read but Peretti and Hunt are two of my favorite authors so I was expecting a fantastic book. From this book, I would say they do better on their own - with license to use as many pages as necessary to tell the whole story.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

"The Captain's Daughter" Book Review

Oh my daughter was walking around on cloud nine after reading "The Captain's Daughter".

"Mom, it's so romantic." (breathless sigh)

 Oh to be young again.

"The Captain's Daughter" is a sweet and charming tale of a woman who is trying to make a go of it after having to run away from a horrid boss.  Every chapter or so I thought, "Oh dear, here comes the really distressing part of the plot." only to have it never turn out too poorly for our heroine. Sure it might seem all too convenient and out of touch with reality but I for one was glad. It's nice to read stories without a lot of distress. Goodness! If I want distress, I'll watch the news.

I liked how the author subtly showed how easy it is to find yourself in compromising circumstances. It's not always what you do but what it looks like you're doing. Often I've tried to instruct my children about living a life that can't be misconstrued no matter how someone views it so it's nice to have a fictional book back me up.

I have nothing critical to say against this book. Although I should warn that forced prostitution, sex, kidnapping etc are discussed in a very muted manner. I certainly didn't feel as though my 14 year old daughter shouldn't read it though.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."