Lisa Henson

Lady Laura Tamlow doesn’t have a splendid estate in Grandview, but it’s hers. Her surroundings may not be luxurious, but she finds happiness there. Her orderly routine is upended when an elderly woman shows up unexpectedly and seems to know more about Grandview, and indeed, Laura’s family, than a stranger should.

Jonathan Canfield’s family is also in straitened circumstances, and there are men clamoring for payment he can’t provide. There is one last, desperate option available to him, and it involves Laura. Will she agree to help him reclaim family treasure, stolen from them by a man so powerful he’s almost untouchable?

This was the first of Ann Elizabeth Fryer’s books I’ve read, and I really enjoyed it. I’ve long been a fan of Tolkien’s work, so when I saw this was billed as a Regency Hobbit retelling, I had to pick it up.

The characters are well written. Laura is everything a lady should be – kind, thoughtful, gentle. But there’s more to her than meets the eye. Jonathan is a gentleman of character, even when his finances are tight. And oh, I can relate to financial difficulties. This common thread between the characters and me made it easy to like them and cheer for them. Jonathan’s grandmother alternately made me want to hug her and ask her what in the actual heck she was doing, and his sister Melissa, well, let’s just say she made some choices she’s going to have to live with.

Lord Herrington, the dragon of a man who will demand more than anyone dreams, is deliciously creepy. I picture him in my mind almost like Jabba the Hutt – grotesque, but so powerful that no one (well, almost no one) dares cross him. I found myself wondering more than once how in the world Laura and Jonathan could possibly get ahead of his game.

And of course, the romance is just lovely. Is there a touch of insta-love about it? Yes. But shared difficulties can often cause an initial attraction to bloom into so much more, and so it happens here. Jonathan and Laura realize that some things are more important than worldly treasure and must not be sacrificed for financial gain.

My one little quibble was that Fryer’s writing style, at least here, had a noticeable number of sentences beginning with verbs rather than subjects. “Was a strange emotion, this.” “Would bring grief upon grief.” “Was a rich one of the like I’d never tasted.” Had it been occasional, it wouldn’t have bothered me. But it was frequent enough that it caught my attention and pulled me out of my enjoyment of the story. This is the only one of her books I’ve read, so I don’t know if this is the norm, or if it’s an effect peculiar to Regency romances. I don’t like to take off stars for grammatical/stylistic concerns, but this bothered me enough to take off half a star. Still, 4.5 rounds up to 5! It’s a good story, and if you aren’t a nitpicky word weirdo like I am, you may not even notice.

I enjoyed the story, and I’d like to read more of Fryer’s books. I recommend this for fans of the Hobbit, a good Regency romance, or both.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from JustRead Publicity Tours. I was not required to provide a review. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.

Everyone knows that cats have nine lives, and Tito is no exception. The Nine Lives of Tito d’Amelia by Ettore Farrattini Pojani is the tale of the nine times Tito is called into service to aid the Farrattini family and the town of Amelia through the years.

The cat who becomes known as Tito meets the founder of what will become the Farrattini family in a town known as Amer, in pre-historic Umbria. Tito soon becomes a vital part of his master’s life, and indeed, much beloved by the town. He is buried near the walls that his master designed, and over the centuries, Tito reincarnates when a Farrattini descendant has need of his assistance.

Part animal tale, part historical fiction, and based on actual family history, this story is a gem! I’m a cat person, so I was predisposed to love Tito. But just as Tito wins the hearts of everyone he encounters (well, almost everyone), I think you’ll love this story even if you wouldn’t squee at the chance to pet a cat’s fuzzy belly and bring him home with you.

History unfolds through Tito’s eyes, and with his help, the Farrattini line not only survives through the centuries, but thrives. I had to laugh at Tito’s gentle exasperation with the different names each of his humans gave him. (I wonder what my cats think of the fact that they each have five or six different names in this life?) There are some moments of tension in the story, and the Farrattinis face some challenging times, but the story overall is gentle, sometimes almost whimsical in its description of Tito’s thoughts and feelings. It weaves together family fact with creatively imagined fiction to give us a delightful tale with a surprise ending.

If you love history or historical fiction, adorable cats or well-written human characters, pick up The Nine Lives of Tito d’Amelia. Five paws up from my cats Finn and Jake!

Once again, I’ve missed the first book in a series. But that’s okay, because The Darkness Deepens is so good, it makes me want to go grab the first one and then come back and talk about it. I was able to get enough context to really enjoy this book without having read the first one, though.

The story takes place in not-too-distant-future Canada, after several mosques were bombed on 10/10/2053 and an ostensibly Christian group, the Horsemen, has taken credit for the attack. Because of that, the government is dropping the hammer on Christians, marking their businesses, compelling them to wear bracelets identifying them as believers, banning Bibles, fencing them in with laws and restrictions.

Jesse Christensen is a soldier, and through his relationship with Meryn O’Reilly and her family, he’s become a believer, too. As a member of the military, he can’t let it be known that he’s fraternizing with Meryn. It would mean trouble for them both. His superior officer knows of the relationship and approves, as he’s also a Christian. They’ve both chosen to keep serving, doing good within the system when they can. But that isn’t always easy, especially with another officer really hating Christians and wanting to root them out. And keeping his relationship with Meryn under wraps isn’t easy, either.

Sara Davison is one of the best writers I’ve had the pleasure to read recently. Her books are consistently good, always enthralling, and this one meets that mark. The story is one you could see happening. It’s believable enough to give you pause and make you think – if I were in Meryn’s position, Jesse’s shoes, what would I do? Would I stand for my beliefs or would I cave? Chewy stuff.

The story kept me engaged and sometimes on the edge of my seat. But there were flashes of humor, too. Some of Jesse’s interactions with Meryn’s brothers were pretty hilarious! And Meryn and Jesse are both very sympathetic characters. They feel so strongly toward each other, but they each have fears and issues from the past that they have to work through.

Can Jesse and Meryn sort out their feelings? Can they keep clear of those who wish Christians harm? Those questions may be answered (read the book and find out), but the book ends on a cliffhanger that has me chomping at the bit to read the third book in the series!

Five stars, and I highly recommend it for fans of dystopia, clean romance, and nail-biting suspense.

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book from JustRead Publicity Tours. I was not required to leave a review. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.

The Paris Portrait is the third in Heidi Eljarbo’s Fabiola Bennett series, and I think it’s the best yet!

Fabiola and her two dearest friends, Cary and Pippa, are taking a vacation to visit Fabiola’s brother Eivind in France. But even on vacation, intrigue finds them. Eivind shows Fabiola an old recipe book he picked up at auction and asks for her help interpreting the old handwriting in the book. Fabiola realizes the writer of the mysterious notes was painter Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun. And the notes refer to a lost painting by Le Brun of Queen Marie Antoinette. Well, you know when there’s an art mystery to be solved, Fabiola is off and running.

What a fascinating story! I don’t know much about art, and y’all know I love books where I learn things. Heidi Eljarbo gave me an education on Le Brun and Marie Antoinette and some of the history of the French Revolution, and it was marvelous. And it didn’t come across all lecture-ish, but rather felt like I was getting a bird’s-eye view of history.

The action moves easily between 1973 (sort of modern day, at least in my mind!) and the late eighteenth century, and Eljarbo gives us some interesting characters and a most engaging mystery. With every clue Fabiola and friends track down, more questions arise, and before the tale is told, danger comes closer than any of them would like.

It was fun getting to know Fabiola’s family a little better. I love that Eivind and his wife run a bakery. The descriptions were so wonderful, I could almost smell the pastries! And getting to see Auntie Fabsi interact with her niece and nephew was just delightful. For those of you hoping for more on the romance front, you’ll be glad to know there are several little glimmers of hope for a future of more than just friendship for Fabiola and Cary. That made me smile!

The Paris Portrait is another winner from Heidi Eljarbo, highly recommended for fans of art, history, mystery, and a good dual-timeline story!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from JustRead Publicity Tours. I was not required to leave a review. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.

Guess what? I haven’t read the first two of Lisa E. Betz’s Livia Aemilia mysteries. Guess what else? I’m going to read them now!

In An Ode to Poison, Livia Aemilia attends a poetry gathering at the behest of her sister-in-law Hortensia. She writes a poem that she really hopes will get her disinvited to future gatherings, but she is pleasantly surprised to meet two women, sisters Calida and Salvia, with whom she thinks she might could be friends. Salvia is married to Gracchus, the bitter enemy of Livia’s husband Avitus, and she offers to feed Livia information on what Gracchus is up to. But when she suddenly ends up dead, Calida beseeches Livia to help her find justice for her sister.

This is a humdinger of a good story! While trying to prove Salvia was murdered and figure out who did it, Livia is also trying to stay in Avitus’ good graces (because he fears Gracchus will do something to harm her, and he really, REALLY doesn’t like her putting herself in precarious situations), juggle ill-tempered servants, adjust to having a dog around, and generally keep her household running smoothly. No problem, right? Well, she does manage to keep things going with the help of her maid, Roxana.

Betz gives us a good picture of the Rome of antiquity, and she makes it clear which characters are likable and which aren’t (although people can change, you know). This is Christian fiction, but it isn’t a whack-you-upside-the-head-with-the-King-James-Version kind of story. Livia is growing stronger in her faith, and she has the support of a community of believers. It is her fervent prayer that Avitus come to share her faith. He doesn’t, but he isn’t going to keep her from something that is clearly important to her. She just lives her life and prays for her husband, and gradually he is drawn to the God who is so important to Livia. It’s really how we should live, not making a big deal out of being Christian, but living in such a way that others want to know why we are the way we are.

The story is plenty twisty and turny, and Betz kept me guessing as to who the guilty party was. All in all, an absolutely delightful historical mystery that has me wanting to read more stories in Livia’s world!

Disclaimer: I voluntarily reviewed a copy of the book provided by JustRead Publicity Tours. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.

I’m a Louisiana girl. When I think of shrimp, I think of Cajun waders and boats on the water. I think of the blessing of the fleet, where the trawlers are prayed over and blessed for a good year. (It’s a party. Most everything in Louisiana is an excuse for a party.) What I don’t think of is landlocked ponds, dry desert heat, and the middle of West Texas. But that’s exactly what you’ll find in Shrimping West Texas.

You might think nonfiction books are a drag. Admittedly, some of them are. Shrimping West Texas is not one of those. Bart Reid writes in a conversational style that’s easy to read, and he clearly knows a lot on his topic. He’s one of those folks who can communicate a lot of very technical information about something he’s passionate about to where someone not familiar with the subject can understand (most of) what he’s talking about.

And I could grasp a lot of the details he gives about shrimp farming. I learned a lot from the book. I figured it was hard work. My dad was a farmer in the traditional sense – soybeans, cotton, corn. I know agriculture of any stripe is hard work. But I’ll tell you what, shrimp farming sounds like a whole different level of backbreaking and exhausting. I figure you’ve got to feel strongly about it to push through and get it done.

Reid describes the people who worked with him (and sometimes against him) with such feeling and detail, I came away feeling almost like I know them, too. It’s mind-boggling to think how many people were willing to work against what must have felt like pretty stiff odds to make the West Texas shrimp farms a reality. It was also an eye-opener to realize how hard some people would work against something new and different, and how cutthroat the agriculture industry can be. And God bless Patsy, Reid’s wife, for being willing to pull up stakes and head out with him to chase his dream! I wonder how crazy she thought he was when he first hit on this idea.

And I never expected this, but this book has recipes! In addition to the shrimp farm, Reid and his wife also ran the Shrimp Store. Recipes from that endeavor are included in the book, and they sound delicious. I can’t wait to try them. Honestly, I’m disappointed I didn’t know about these West Texas shrimp when the farm was a going concern. I lived in Texas then, and I might could have gotten my hands on some to try. It sounds like they were top-notch.

If you like reading about somewhat quirky topics and learning something as you do, if you like a book that feels almost like a discussion with a friend, pick up Shrimping West Texas. You may love it as much as I did! This is definitely one of the surprises of the year for me, and may be in the running for my favorites of 2024 list.

Wren has been in hiding her whole life, it seems. Elodie, the woman who has raised her, has always encouraged her to reach for the light and admonished her never to let the darkness in. But the darkness has always beckoned to Wren, even as she has tried to resist it, to keep her magic hidden. This is sometimes challenging, as she and Elodie live apart from everyone in a forest where remnants of dark magic – the Nox – are known to linger. When the small village they call home is invaded by Ilanthian knights clearly looking for something, and their tower is aflame, Wren flees into the dark forest. A knight of Asteroth, Finn, seeks to protect her and in so doing, is attacked by dark forces himself. Wren does the thing she’s been told not to do and saves Finn, but at what cost to her and to him? Now they’re somehow bound together, and drawn almost irresistibly to each other.

This is a pretty good fantasy read, although it doesn’t quite live up to The Bookbinder’s Daughter (which I loved). We’ve got a pretty clear matchup of good versus evil in Asteroth and Ilanthia. Asteroth, the kingdom of light, with an eternal flame that supports their magic system that now kind of exists in limbo, not really active, but still existing. Ilanthia, seeking to restore the Nox to its former glory and use it for their ends, sounds like a truly awful place. But Wren and Finn seem to be some combination of both light and dark (at least sometimes, although sometimes Wren seems to be full dark and she's trying real hard not to be), and this feels like it’s laying the groundwork for the two of them to somehow bring the two kingdoms together and restore balance. That, or they’ll burn each other to a crisp with forbidden dark magic and everything will go down in flames, I’m not sure which.

Thorne gives us a strong character in Elodie. She is clearly more than the hedge witch she presents herself as, and I hope she was somewhat in the background in this story because we’ll see much more of her in other books in the series. She isn’t invisible, but I get the feeling we haven’t nearly seen her tap the depths of her power yet.

The attraction between Wren and Finn felt a lot like insta-romance to me, and that really isn’t my favorite. I prefer enemies to lovers that takes time to grow. But given the spark that lit the romantic flame, I can see why their relationship unfolded in the way it did. I hope we see something deeper blossoming between them in later books. There was some explicit on-page spice – not a main focus of the book, but it is there, so be mindful if that’s a deal-breaker for you.

The story kept me interested, but it felt a bit underdeveloped. I know it’s the first of a trilogy, and I’m engaged enough to keep reading. We’ll see how the next book goes!

The Bookbinder’s Daughter is still my favorite Thorne book, but I’m hopeful this series will get better with each successive book, and by the end of it, I’ll love this story almost as much!

Disclaimer: I received an advance copy from Second Sky Books and Netgalley. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.

I love a good work of historical fiction. I was especially interested to read Darkness Calls the Tiger because I’ve never read a story that focuses on World War II in Burma. When you think of the Japanese involvement in World War II, you think of Pearl Harbor, the Bataan Death March. But their efforts to conquer Burma with an eye to taking over all of mainland Asia were no less atrocious.

Kailyn Moran, or Kai, has grown up in the village of Tingrabum, on the mountain. The Kachin people call her father, John, the Jungle Light, because he shares the light of the Gospel with them, pointing the way to Karai Kasang, the supreme God. But all Kai sees of her father is unrelenting harshness. Since her mother died, he has all but turned away from Kai unless he’s criticizing her, and she feels like nothing she ever does is good enough to earn his praise or his love.

When the Japanese start encroaching on Burmese territory, John sees no need to flee. He confidently states that God will protect them, and he goes on his usual routine visits to other villages, leaving Kai and the new missionary, Ryan, in charge of their village. But war finds them, and Kai and Ryan must try to get the villagers to safety.

This was not an easy read. Tromp doesn’t flinch at describing the brutality of the Japanese soldiers to anyone who stood in their way, and there are some pretty stout descriptions of battles and injuries suffered. She also doesn’t pull back from the very real emotional challenges her characters faced. Her characters don’t have a touchy-feely, “God loves us all and everything is going to be just fine” kind of faith on display. Kai and Ryan wrestle hard with their faith, and that struggle is writ large on the page. Kai wonders how she can trust Karai Kasang when He has let people she loves be hurt or killed, when her father has basically walked away from her. Ryan questions how he can carry on when his efforts seem to go for naught, when every choice he makes seems to be the wrong one and evil seems to be winning the day.

But this is a compelling, beautiful story, well worth the reading of it. Our characters struggle, yes. When they open their eyes and pay attention, though, they can see God’s hand at work. And when they learn to trust that He is working all things, even the hard and ugly ones, together for good, they can find peace, healing of hearts and minds and old emotional wounds, and the ability to forgive even the most loathed of enemies.

If you’ve read and enjoyed The Long March Home by Tosca Lee and Marcus Brotherton, you’ll love Darkness Calls the Tiger.

Starting off, this sounds like a romance with an AI twist. Julia Walden is Josh LaSala’s perfect woman. Why? She was created that way. She’s a Synth, one of three in the world. Her designer, Andy, made her specifically to win Josh’s heart on The Proposal, a reality TV show where women compete for a man’s affection. What Julia isn’t expecting is how hard she’ll fall for Josh. So when he proposes to her, she’s overjoyed.

But it doesn’t take long before the bloom is off the rose, and the story takes a turn. They’ve moved to Josh’s small hometown in Indiana, and the reception Julia receives as a Synth is…well, not always neighborly. They now have an infant daughter (Julia is the first Synth with the ability to have children), and some cracks are starting to show in the marriage. Then Josh disappears, and Julia’s world is turned upside down. Things get even worse when she becomes the number one suspect in his murder. She doesn’t know who she can trust. Andy, her designer? Eve, the wonderful babysitter who lives nearby? Her creepy neighbor Bob? When the small-minded sheriff turns his focus on her, Julia goes on the run.

This book starts out as the reality TV romance and then turns into a murder mystery, and it’s a lot of fun! Julia is a fascinating character. Sure, she was knit together in a lab rather than her mother’s womb. But she has so many distinctly human characteristics. She may have been designed as Josh’s perfect woman, but like many of us, she has a lot of days where she feels less than perfect. Like so many women, she finds herself apologizing to Josh for things that aren’t her fault. She doubts herself. She questions what her purpose in life will be if she’s no longer married. She loves her daughter with every fiber of her being.

And so many characters in this story are not what they seem to be. Everyone has secrets – Andy, Eve, the lady in town who really, really does NOT like Synths, even creepy neighbor Bob. As the story unfolds, alternating between events on the TV show and events in the present day, each new revelation brought a shift in perspective and made Julia rethink things she thought she knew.

The final reveal of the killer’s identity wasn’t a big surprise, but how everything played out was fascinating and made for really compelling reading. The book has a little bit of everything – sci-fi, romance, mystery, thriller, all in one big, happy mash-up. And it hits on some pretty heavy topics – what makes a person a person, domestic violence, trust, discrimination. Makes you think.

If you’re looking for something that’s a cut above your average summer read, pick up Made for You.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advance copy of the book. I was not required to leave a review. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.

Beau "Danger" Maddox has been left scarred, both physically and mentally, during his time spent in captivity after a mission took an unexpected and deadly turn. He blames himself for the death of his team during that mission, and he struggles with the aftereffects of the trauma. He's working to get himself declared fit for operational status so he can wreak vengeance on those responsible, but his ghosts are hard to shake.

Paisley Reyna has suffered her own trauma at the hands of the Guerreros, a vicious South American cartel. But she was rescued, and now she's a counselor, helping others who've been pulled out of trafficking situations. When her cousin Jordi dies and leaves her his home and his retired military working dog, Riot, she thinks that life in a small Texas town might be nice. But Riot lives up to his name, causing mayhem and destruction, and the only one he responds to is her new neighbor -Danger.

This is another fantastic book in the A Breed Apart: Legacy series. Paisley is about ready to give up on Riot, but Danger helps her learn how to handle him. They're thrown into a more dangerous situation when Danger's niece Lyric is kidnapped by the same cartel that took Paisley. Nothing will keep Danger from getting Lyric back, and Paisley is determined to go because she knows how the cartel treats women, and she wants to help both Lyric and any other trafficked girls they might find. And it is off to the races with the tension and the action and the adrenaline rush!

Both Danger and Paisley are fighting to throw off the effects of their past. Paisley sees God's hand at work, but Danger is sure God has abandoned him. Paisley has faith enough for them both, though, and she gently shares that faith with Danger. Even when she is in mortal peril herself, when the world in the form of her captor gives Paisley the opportunity to save Danger's life, she trusts God's plan more than what her captor offers. She does the right thing even when it must have felt nearly impossible. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how things unfolded!

JJ Samie Myles writes a wonderful team dynamic. The team going after Lyric may be in harm's way, but they won't let Danger go it alone no matter how rough things get. And they're there for the fun stuff, too! Danger gets a little ribbing over his feelings for Paisley even when they're in the middle of the jungle, and the happily ever after scene (come on, you knew there was going to be one) is a hoot.

If you love a book with a marvelous K-9 character, two flawed people working through to redemption, clean romance, and a boatload of suspense, you will love RIOT. Highly recommend!

I received a copy of the book from JustRead Publicity Tours. I was not required to leave a review. All opinions here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.

Susannah Mobley is the pampered daughter of a wealthy Natchitoches planter. She plays the harp and attends private school in New Orleans. She grew up with slave children as playmates, teaching them to read and write as they played at school, not seeing any difference between herself and them. And she has made the grievous mistake of falling in love with one of her father’s slaves, and he with her. In pre-Civil War era Louisiana, this could have disastrous consequences for both parties and for any children that might result. A child indeed results here when Susannah and Philippe can’t fight their growing attraction for each other any longer.

Her father arranges for Susannah to marry Hezekiah James, who is heading for Texas with big dreams and looking for a wife to share them with. Susannah is appalled at the prospect of marrying someone she doesn’t know, and thinks she can get the whole thing called off when she tells him she is pregnant with a slave’s child. But Hezekiah is determined to forge ahead, and they leave the polite society of Natchitoches behind to carve a path and claim land in the wilderness that was Texas before it was even a republic.

Myra Hargrave McIlvain was inspired to write this story by a discovery in her own family history. She has clearly done her research, and she gives us a story that digs deep into some difficult territory and calls forth powerful emotions. As a Louisiana native, I’m aware of our state’s history with slavery, of the treatment of Black slaves, of the penalties that could be handed out for having a romantic entanglement that crossed racial lines. Reading the part of the story leading up to Susannah’s pregnancy being revealed had me in knots for fear of how strongly her father might react.

The story also deals with the institution of slavery and the treatment of slaves on a larger level. Susannah’s mother tells her that Blacks and Indians don’t love the same as white people, but Susannah knows from her own experience that that simply isn’t true. Susannah’s father owns slaves and treats them well so long as it benefits him to do so. If they step out of line, he shows no compunction about responding swiftly and harshly. Hezekiah owns slaves, but treats them with respect and dignity, causing some consternation among people who don’t share his views. But can even the kindest treatment make it agreeable to a man that all the steps he takes are under another person’s ultimate control?

Susannah lied abut the circumstances that led to her pregnancy, and as tends to happen, the truth eventually came to light. There were consequences to her lies, and they created distance between Susannah and Hezekiah. It was clear early on that he wanted a genuine marriage for the two of them, but Susannah’s inability to be open and honest about her past made that difficult. They were both good people, and I really wanted to see both of them rip the band-aid off, talk it all out, and get things straight so they could move forward together.

It’s clear from the description that the journey to settle in Texas wasn’t for the faint of heart. Sometimes life happened, and you had to choose between giving up or finding the courage to keep going. I really enjoyed the bits of Texas history woven into the story, as well as descriptions of all the effort that had to go into just surviving on the frontier, let alone thriving. Susannah, protected young woman that she was, had some hard adjustments to living on the trail and being responsible for her own household. She had a lot to learn, and the description of her trying to milk a cow made me chuckle. I figure I would have about the same success she first did were I to try it myself!

I don’t want to give away anything, so I’ll stop here. The story is so wonderfully written, I want y’all to read it and get to experience all the highs and lows of the characters for yourselves. I recommend it for anyone who loves good historical fiction, especially if you’re interested in pre-Civil War Southern/Southwestern fiction, and Texas history.

Evelyn Benson is mourning the death of her husband in World War II, but the love of her remaining family – her brother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew – sustains her. Since her husband was killed in action, she’s lived with her brother and his family, and the arrangement benefits them all.

Hank Webb, or Fraidy Freddie, as his clown persona is known, is hiding from his past. He can’t face up to what he did or what his family certainly now thinks of him. Is Hartford, Connecticut far enough removed that he might be able to breathe a little?

Evelyn and Hank cross paths at the diner where Evelyn works. When a fire rips through the big top, they are both impacted. Evelyn’s family was attending the circus that day, and Hank is determined to help her find them. As they search, attraction grows between them. But will hard truths and secrets coming to light tear them apart before they even have a chance to begin?

This was an incredible story! Rhonda Dragomir beautifully captures the promise that God never leaves us nor forsakes us. Evelyn questions why God allowed so much suffering into her life. It seems like the hits just keep on coming – her husband, her family, financial difficulties – and Evelyn wrestles mightily with doubt. But hope, though battered, is never lost. A neighbor who becomes a friend is an anchor for Evelyn, helping her find her way back to faith even when storms assail.

In Hank, we see a glorious picture of redemption. He thought he had committed an unpardonable act in a moment of foolishness, and he fled, obscuring even his name. He didn’t want to face the consequences of his actions, and he didn’t want to bring what he imagined was untold shame to his family. But when it was necessary, he stood up to do the right thing, regardless of the potential cost to himself. And as Scripture says, “Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light” (John 3:21 NIV).

I read this book in one sitting. The subject matter is deep and heavy at times, and there are a a couple of descriptions of injuries that, while not excessively gory, may evoke a a wince or two if you’re squeamish. But the story is compelling, and Dragomir’s writing style is lyrical without being overly flowery.

In When the Flames Ravaged, Rhonda Dragomir spins a captivating tale that will have you reaching for the tissues and keep you glued to the pages. Highly recommended if you love well-written historical fiction with a thread of sweet romance woven in.

I received an advance copy of this book from JustRead Publicity Tours. I was not obligated to leave a review. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.

I’ll admit, I haven’t yet bought into the benefits of AI, especially not as it relates to my Christian faith. Faith seems like something too personal, too intimate, too real to be adequately addressed by a machine intelligence. I’d read about the church that hosted a service totally created by AI, including the sermon, and I was a little bit horrified, if I’m honest. So when I saw that Preston and Harriet Lewis had a book of devotionals created using ChatGPT, I thought, okay, I gotta see this. I was skeptical. REALLY skeptical.

The authors do a good job explaining their process and setting out their own faith, so it’s clear where they’re coming from. Their beliefs line up with mine, which seemed like a good starting point. The book is broken down into chapters, with each chapter covering a different topic and including several AI-generated devotionals on that topic. Each devotional includes a verse, a devotional, and a prayer. The authors also included a chapter with devotionals that they had drafted, to allow for comparison between AI-generated and human-created works.

As I read, I didn’t see anything that stood in stark opposition to my faith. Quite the contrary. The AI-created material seemed to line up well with what I hold as scriptural truth. It hit all the right notes. But it didn’t feel quite “right” as I pored over the devotionals. The prayers seemed, well, scripted, not like something I would pray from the heart, and really, not even like something I could use as a starting point. It made me think of the parable in Luke comparing the Pharisee’s prayer with the tax collector’s. “The Pharisee stood and began praying this in regard to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, crooked, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to raise his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’” (Luke 18:11-13 NASB) The AI-written prayers felt like the Pharisee’s prayer – slick.

I also noticed that the AI-drafted works tended to start sounding alike over time. There were words used often enough to be noticeable. One such word was “unwavering.” I think I counted it 33 times before I quit keeping track. If it was something written by a person, edited by a person, that repetition would eventually catch the eye, and the writer would think, “Huh, perhaps I should vary my word choice a little!”

And when I got to the personal devotionals, it hit me: AI doesn’t include any personal stories. There are no tales about kids and grandkids, no gentle humor at one’s own expense, no relatable experiences that encourage and uplift the reader. That’s why I think calling it “AI-generated” is accurate. AI can manipulate the data it’s trained on and produce a document that fits specified parameters. But AI can’t take an idea and put emotion behind it.

This was a fascinating experiment. I’m glad Preston and Harriet Lewis put this out there, and I like the way they structured it. For this Bible-believing girl, though, AI’s affirmation of my faith will never take the place of sharing the Word with a body of like-minded believers. We’re created for community, and AI can’t give us that.

Five stars for an engaging intellectual exercise and because I loved the personally written devotional chapter!

Conquergood & the Center of the Intelligible Mystery of Being is a fascinating, disturbing look at a future that isn’t completely implausible.

Set in 2183, it’s the story of Jerome Conquergood and his quest to find his missing brother, Vincent. Conquergood, as he’s referred to, is a strayer, an outcast, eking out the means of survival in the post-apocalyptic wasteland that is Old York City. Desperate to learn what has happened to Vincent and reunite with him, Conquergood gives in and accepts employment as a Turnkey Specialist with the Korporation. Yes, Korporation with a K. That is not a typo. (Fewston intentionally replaces all the hard “c” sounds with a “k,” and it’s very effective at discombobulating the reader.) The Korporation provides a utopia for its people. Food, comfortable accommodation, clothing, all needs are met. What will Conquergood be willing to relinquish to the world’s new overlord to find the last of his family?This is a book of contrasts. Old York City is supposedly decaying and ruined, while the Korporate citadel is supposedly clean, shiny, technologically advanced, everything we’re told we should want. But the mostly vapid, self-absorbed populace of the Korporation stands in stark difference to the vital, active strayers still living and thinking and doing for themselves. As the Bible says, “Better to eat a dry crust of bread with peace of mind than have a banquet in a house full of trouble” (Proverbs 17:1 GNT). And make no mistake, there is trouble. The Korporation controls everything – supply, demand, work, law, governance, all of it – but they want more. “The here and the now, the beginning and the end, Korporate Kontrol demands supreme allegiance and absolute power.”

The world-building here is fantastic. You can almost see the characters Fewston creates, smell the pristine air of Korporate quarters, and feel the grit of Old York City rubbing off on your skin as you read. The technological marvels described are intriguing and just a little bit creepy.

The story is told from Conquergood’s current perspective and in flashbacks, and I often found myself wondering (as did our hero) what was real and what was some kind of trick of the mind. If there were tricks of the mind involved, who was playing those tricks? Surely the Korporation wouldn’t tell Conquergood what they thought he wanted to hear to get him to do what they want…would they? And when you see the backstory of the Korporation unfold, when you learn what they’re really going for, you have to question whether society could actually take a similar path. Isn’t that what a good dystopian tale should do – wave the red flag that tells us, “Don’t go this way”?

This is one of the most mind-bending books I’ve read in recent memory. It almost defies description, but in the best possible way. The ending left me positively gobsmacked and most interested to see if Conquergood does indeed return in a future book, as this one hints at. I wouldn’t call this an easy read. I had to read for a while, then put it down and think on it. But it is definitely worth the time to pore over Conquergood’s tale.

Brandon has everything he could want – except the hand of the woman he loves. Angela doesn’t deny her feelings for Brandon, but a previous bad experience with marriage has left her leery of another commitment. But Brandon is nothing if not persistent, and he invites Angela to come away for a weekend at the atmospheric Harbor Pointe Inn intent on persuading her to say yes.

Jan Sikes packs quite a wallop into a short novella! She doesn’t need 300 pages to give us well-written characters and a compelling story. Brandon could be the quintessential entitled rich guy, thinking Angela should jump at the chance to be with him. But Sikes writes him in such a way that you can tell he genuinely cares about Angela. I get the feeling that if she chooses to tell him no, he won’t give up on her, but he won’t act like a spoiled brat about it, either. Angela looks forward to spending time with Brandon, but she’s also excited about the weekend because she’ll have the chance to both practice her photography and do a little ghost hunting. She’s sensitive to the world around her, empathic to people’s feelings, and as with Brandon, you can tell she cares about him very much – even if she doesn’t think she’s quite ready to jump into marriage again. I really cared about what happened to them, about where their story went, because Sikes wrote them in such a likable way.

The atmosphere at the inn is both romantic and creepy. The cover portrays it wonderfully, and Sikes creates the setting that you’d expect from an inn on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The innkeeper is courteous, sure, but you get the distinct feeling he’s not being forthright. He seems to be dodging the question of what happened to bring first responders out just as Brandon and Angela are checking in. His answer about an unfortunate accident doesn’t ring true, and you wonder along with our main characters what he might be hiding. A walk in the forest sounds peaceful, but even as Brandon and Angela are enjoying each other’s company, I found myself waiting tensely, peeking over my figurative shoulder, waiting to see what evil lurked among the trees. Suspense simmered just beneath the idyllic surface of the inn and its surroundings, and it was fantastic.

The story intensifies slowly at first, but when the penny drops, it drops quickly. The resolution of the mystery wasn’t as much of a surprise as it could have been, given the actions of some of the characters in the book. But there was still the tension of seeing how everything would play out, and whether Brandon and Angela would get a happy ending.

This was the first of Sikes’ books that I’ve read, but it certainly won’t be the last. She had me flipping those electronic pages as fast as I could to see what happened next! I strongly recommend her book for readers who like a little mystery and a touch of the paranormal with their romance.

December 1923. Ellie is getting ready to celebrate the Christmas holiday with the dearest people in her life: her fiancé, Detective Hugh Seldon; her butler, Clifford; and the lively ladies on her staff. But all that is turned on its ear when a letter arrives from a Mr. Godfrey Cunliffe, an old friend of Ellie’s Uncle Byron. He suspects his life is in danger, and he’s asking for assistance.

So Ellie and Clifford, along with the bulldog Gladstone and the ginger cat Tompkins, pack up the Rolls and head off to Cornwall, to Mr. Cunliffe’s ancestral home of Gwel an Mor. They arrive to find police cars in the drive and fear that they’re too late. But Mr. Cunliffe is unexpectedly alive and well. His gardener, Jerome St. Clair, has met an untimely end, and now Mr. Cunliffe fears St. Clair’s killer mistook the gardener for him. So he still fears for his life, but he’s less than pleased about having to resort to help from a woman. He isn’t much happier about help from a male servant, and sometimes it seems like he’d rather have no help at all.

There is so much to enjoy in this story! Gwel an Mor is a truly Gothic pile, complete with a layabout nephew and two dotty old aunts (who may or may not be as dotty as they seem). And there’s no shortage of skullduggery on the grounds. The gardens that St. Claire was hired to bring back to their former glory are really a hot mess, and what have the under-gardeners got up to in the bits that haven’t yet been cleared off? What about Mr. and Mrs. Liddicoat, the servants who came with the house? Cornwall has a past rich in smuggling. Are any or all of them up to old tricks in modern times, perhaps?

The nearby village offers loads of Cornish color, and it was delightful! I loved the Christmas traditions that the villagers shared with Ellie and Clifford, and how they jump right in and take part. The descriptions of the food were a lot of fun for me, too. Some sounded like things I might try, some not so much.

And I also loved the way Bright worked Hugh into the story. He can’t investigate a crime outside his jurisdiction, so they find a way to get around that. No, I’m not telling you how – read the book!

The lighthouse was another integral and interesting part of the story. Its history gives some insight into Cunliffe’s family, and the lighthouse keeper (Woon – just Woon) is able to share some useful details with Ellie and Clifford.

There’s no shortage of tight spots, either. Some, like Ellie driving the lumbering Rolls on narrow Cornish cliffside roads (I could picture Clifford clinging firmly to the “oh sh!t” handle above the window – would a Rolls have one of those, do you think?), are more comical than others, when I was truly concerned for our dynamic duo. But, as you probably figured, none of the tight spots are inescapable.

The murderer was not who I expected, and many things were not what they first appeared. Bright brings all the threads together in a most satisfactory conclusion, and now I’m left waiting eagerly for the next book in the series.

A Christmas setting, a house that’s a character in and of itself, witty banter between Eleanor and Clifford, twists and turns and fascinating characters – once again, Verity Bright has given us a charmer of a book! Eleanor Swift remains solidly on my list of favorite amateur sleuths.

Disclaimer: Thank to Bookouture and NetGalley for a review copy. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.

Emma Taggart dedicates her life to caring for her charges at Heaven’s Door Orphanage. She loves them without reservation, and figures they’re the closest she’ll come to having children of her own. So when her new neighbor, former soldier Stone Landry, shows up one day and accuses her of failing to keep an eye on them, she doesn’t take it very well. But when an attorney shows up saying that neither the orphanage nor Landry have any claim to the land they’re living on and have to vacate the premises, Stone and Emma realize they’ve got to work together to keep their homes. No-good rancher Zeke Parker will stop at nothing to take the land out from under them all, and Stone isn’t going to let that happen.

I love, love, love, Linda Broday’s books! I had only good things to say about the first in this series, Winning Maura’s Heart, and she continues the story in fine fashion with Courting Miss Emma.

As one of the hangman’s daughters, Emma has given up on the idea of love. Sure, her sister Maura managed to escape the fate of being the hangman’s daughter, but Emma reckons that won’t happen for her. She envisions potential epitaphs for herself as a lonely spinster, and those are by turns wryly funny and heartbreaking.

Linda Broday gives us a lot to focus on in this book! There’s the main story of the dastardly land grab by the villainous Zeke Parker. We also get to meet a new, unexpected Taggart family member, and in wonderful found family fashion, Stone takes in a young man and does a pretty good job of parenting even though he thinks his own past makes him unsuitable as a father.

There’s action aplenty, with gun battles and a kidnapping (that doesn’t go quite according to the kidnappers’ plans). But there’s also that sweet, sizzling romance. Broday writes clean romance that, for its lack of on-page spice (which I appreciate!), may still leave you fanning yourself because my, doesn’t it seem a bit warm in here? They get off to a rough start, but the chemistry between Emma and Stone practically burns off the page from the get-go, and I am here for it. They’re two wonderfully flawed people who’ve learned to expect the worst from life that find each other and realize that maybe life’s best isn’t out of reach for them after all.

I love that Emma isn’t some wilting violet. She isn’t afraid to jump into the thick of things, and she also isn’t afraid to tell Stone Landry exactly what she thinks. She’s a heroine who doesn’t just wring her hand and wait timidly to be rescued when she finds herself in a difficult spot. She’s resourceful and uses what she’s got to make it easier for her rescuers to get her out of harm’s way.

The children are just wonderful. Emma loves them with all her heart, and maybe they grow on Stone a little, too! Their interactions with Stone and his camels are hilarious, and their determination to help their beloved Miss Emma is touching. I want to reach into the pages and hug them all.

And yes, I said camels! Stone has rescued camels that were mustered out of military service. If you’re a long-time reader of the blog, you may remember another Lone Star Lit book that talked about the military camels of Texas, Once Upon a Camel. That book is for a younger audience, but I loved it, too, and it was fun seeing the camels show up in a different context.

Found family, sweet romance, action, tension, hope rising from the ashes – Courting Miss Emma has everything I love in a book. It’s in the running to be one of my favorite books of 2023.

Adelais has returned to her homeland. She longs for a simple life, one where she is free to love and be loved, one where she can be herself, just a woman, and not the supposed savior of her people. But it is not to be. Even in Duke Ragenar’s court, people clamor to see her and hail her as the örlaga vefari, the fate weaver foretold by prophecy. And even in Duke Ragenar’s court, the arm of those who want to kill her reaches out.

The runes cast to foretell Adelais’ possible future speak of betrayal and victory at great cost. She may not want to be the chosen one, but war is coming, and want it or not, Adelais finds herself at the center of it. And so begins a battle not only between opposing countries, but a battle between the old gods of Vriesland the the new god of Ischyros. One side led by the she-wolf in cloth of gold, the other led by a most holy relic shrouded in gold.

As always, G. N. Gudgion does a marvelous job with his characters. Familiar characters appear in the story, with no certainty as to which of them will survive until the end. New characters are added, and Hjalmar, son of the northern lord Jarl Magnus and friend of Adelais, in particular won my heart. Revna, Magnus’ seidkhona, also quickly became a favorite.

Rune magic played a more prominent part in this book, as Gudgion gives us more of the underlying mythology. Magic plays an important role at several key points in the story, and it’s just fascinating to read about. The Nornir, Norse goddesses of fate, play a part in the story, and we again see the she-wolf shadowing Adelais, bound by love and magic. Gudgion does a fantastic job giving us the wolf’s viewpoint, and I found that added a lot to my enjoyment of the story.

And the runes did not lie. We see twists and turns as fate weaves, plots laid and alliances broken. You think you know where something is going, and then bam! It isn’t at all what you think. The politics of religion is again a crucial part of the tale, and the forces of Ischyros heading off to battle call to mind the Knights Templar and the Crusades.

With Blood of Wolves, G. N. Gudgion gives us a thrilling read, a fitting send-off to a tale told well. This is some of the best new fantasy I’ve read, and since I can’t pick just one of them, the entire series will be in the running for my best books of 2023.

Thanks to Second Sky and Netgalley for a review copy. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.