Lisa Henson

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.

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.

Reading Ginny Andrews’ writing is like sitting down with a dear friend and just shooting the breeze. You know, if the breeze happens to include stories about yoga sessions gone wrong, adventures on the “yellow dog” (the school bus), and how not to react in an unexpected lockdown drill, among other shenanigans.

With wit and wry insight, Andrews regales the reader with tales of her missed cues and missteps in this journey we call life. I’ve often said that my epitaph will be “It seemed like a good idea at the time,” and I think Andrews might say the same. Even something as seemingly simple as rubbing some Bengay on the aches and pains of impending middle age turns hilariously, awfully funny. (And she had a coupon to buy the Bengay! She is my people!) Her monologues are filled with those things that have you wanting to crawl in a hole when they happen, but you know you’ll laugh at them. Eventually.

I think Ginny Andrews and I would be BFFs if we moved in next door to each other! Pizza and Dr Pepper and swappin’ stories for the win.

So if you’re one of those totally put-together people who’s never put a foot wrong, someone who always knows the right thing to say and the right way to act, this may not be your kind of book. But if, like me, you’ve said to yourself, “Well, that didn’t go the way I expected,” then I think you’ll be snort-laughing your way through Good Talk…Good Talk like I did, and you should read it immediately.

In Sweet Comfort, Gloria Bachman tied herself in knots to avoid owning up to her feelings for Mason Lassiter. (In case you’re wondering, I loved that book.) In Finding Comfort, will we see her finally admit how she feels?

I am so glad to be back in Comfort with Gloria, Kali, Lacy, the Bunco ladies, and the Knitters! Here we see Comfort going all out. They’ve got a gen-you-wine celebrity coming to town in Jazzy Mescal, and the head of the Chamber of Commerce has everyone jumping through hoops to get things small-town photo op perfect. Gloria has taken on the task of planning a mixer for the townspeople and the TV folks, but a blue norther blowing in during the evening sends everyone running for cover. The next day, when the storm has passed, a new storm is unleashed as the town learns Jazzy Mescal is dead.

Kimberly Fish gives us a heck of a ride trying to sort out this puzzle! Is it suicide? Is it murder? Does Comfort have a killer lurking in its midst? Drue has eyes for Jazzy’s father, Cadillac “Cal” Wilson, and she implores Gloria to figure out what really happened. Despite Gloria’s insistence that she’s no detective, she finds herself smack dab in the thick of things, chasing clues and trying to find patterns in the facts.

We see a lot of different threads skillfully woven into the story in addition to the main thread of the mystery. Gardner, Gloria’s frenemy from her Kerrville days, is in town, and she keeps popping up like a bad penny. She claims to want to make amends, but Gloria is having none of it. A supposed food writer for Texas Monthly is sniffing around, on top of all the press drawn to town by Jazzy’s untimely demise, and he claims to want to write about the food scene in Comfort, starting with Sweeties. What’s his real story, and why is Gardner hanging out with him?

As always, Fish gives us many characters to love and some to boo heartily, and she fills the pages with small-town charm. In this book, the care and concern people have for their own is on full display. Gloria may have questioned whether she really fit in, but here, her friends and neighbors make it clear that she is very important to them. And Gloria, after wiffling and waffling and driving herself bonkers with what ifs, finally has to own up to her attraction to, and feelings for, Mason. What does their future hold? Let me just say that Fish throws some details in here that make me love both Gloria and Mason even more! I just want to reach into the pages and hug them both. And there’s also a perfect setup for the third book in the series, and now I gotta wait. Whine, whimper. Waiting is haaaaard.

I’ll admit, I didn’t see the big reveal coming. Something I thought was a fairly minor part of the story turned out to be much bigger than I anticipated, and it made for some fantastic “couldn’t put it down” reading! Even when I thought everything was resolved, there were a couple of reveals yet to come in Comfort. How long do I have to wait for the third book?! That’s too long!

The bonds of friendship, people pulling together to support their own, the charms of a small town I dearly want to visit now, chocolate (because duh, chocolate makes everything better), and that sweet, sweet, slow-burn, second-chance romance for people just about my age. That makes Finding Comfort a whole lot of fun to read for this old girl!

Sutton Buchanan has her life in Savannah pretty much the way she likes it. She’s got her job, her friends, and her passel of guinea pigs. But when her mother calls to say her father has been injured on the job and will be laid up for a while, Sutton reluctantly heads back home to Beacon Hill. Back to help her parents and face her hateful sister, Sissy. Sissy has come back home after failing to make a splash in the modeling world, and she’s now engaged to marry Sutton’s teenage crush, Macon St. James.

Sutton would just as soon have a root canal with no anesthetic as spend time in the presence of either her sister or Holden St. James, Mason’s brother. As a teenager, she had the opportunity to hear what he and his family thought of her sister, her family, and it wasn’t flattering. When she’s thrown into regular contact with him for pre-wedding events, she finds herself fighting an unexpected attraction to him.

Having grown up in a small Southern town, I understand that there are some families that are like town royalty. They’re held in a certain awe. Even if Sutton’s family was comfortably middle-class or even upper middle-class, I can see how a family like the St. James family would be seen as a cut or two above, and interactions could be uneasy.

And I’ll tell you what, if I was Sutton Buchanan, I don’t know that I’d want to go back home, either. Sissy was a raging heifer who got her way about EVERYTHING. I grew up in a small Southern town. I’ve known people like that. They get what they want, when they want, and they don’t care who they trample in the process. And mom and dad apparently just let Sissy run roughshod over whoever she wants, including her own sister. I know that sometimes parents favor one child, but my heart really hurt for Sutton. Her parents loved her, sure, but a love that won’t protect you from a horrible sibling seems anemic at best.

And nobody seemed willing to rein Sissy in! Not her parents, not her fiance, nobody. The descriptions of wedding dress shopping had me alternately laughing and rolling my eyes. If I’d picked out some of those dresses like Sissy was eyeballing, my mama would have yanked a knot in my head and told me absolutely not.

Maxine was one of my most favorite characters in the book! She is the epitome of ride or die. She wanted to see Sutton happy, and she wasn’t above pulling some outrageous shenanigans to make Sutton’s wedding responsibilities a little less painful. Everybody needs a Maxine in their life.

Holden St. James was also a nice surprise. Sutton had what she thought was a legitimate reason to dislike him and his family (although Macon never seemed to be painted with that same brush, which was a little surprising). Even when Sutton seemed to be going out of her way to hold the past against him, Holden was a gentleman. As the story progressed, it became clear that he cared for her, and I was cheering for Sutton to get over herself and admit her feelings. Neither Holden nor Macon turned out to be what Sutton thought they were!

I’ll admit, as I read, I kept waiting for one of those rom-com twists where there’s a horrible misunderstanding, the newly fledged relationship is derailed, and boy has to fight to win girl back (or vice versa). And I thought I saw it coming. But Emily Mayer twisted the twist, and I was thrilled to see it. Sutton found her own inner Southern steel magnolia and put her foot down. Huzzah!

If you love a small-town Southern setting and a fun enemies-to-lovers romance with a side of dysfunctional family, you’ll enjoy Pretend with Me!

If you ever wanted to focus your heart on the truth of Christmas, Angela Hunt’s Star of Wonder: An Advent Devotional to Illuminate the People, Places, and Purpose of the First Christmas is the book for you! This isn’t a “quick bite” devotional that you can read in a few minutes. Hunt delves deeply into biblical events and illustrates how they connect to Jesus as Messiah.

The book is divided into four parts: The Places of Christmas, The Prophecies of Christmas, The People of Christmas, and The Purpose of Christmas. I particularly liked the Prophecies section. Lately I’ve taken a more intense interest in how Jesus is the fulfillment of so many prophecies in the Old Testament, and this section of Star of Wonder fits right in with my studies. I also like Hunt’s focus on a couple of people that we might not necessarily think of in terms of Christmas. The fact that it goes beyond the expected is one of my favorite parts of this devotional!

Hunt ties in a good deal of Jewish history with the Christian faith here. I grew up in church. I’ve heard about Jesus since I was a wee girl. But the churches I attended when I was young never really made the connection of the Jesus we followed to the Jesus who was born into and a part of the Jewish culture. I can appreciate the richness of that tradition, and it informs my reading of Scripture to have information about Jesus’ historical and cultural background.

Each daily devotional includes “A Moment for Wonder” that gives you something to contemplate, and each closes with a prayer. I really like the prayers. Sometimes having something structured to pray helps me focus.

If you’re looking for an Advent devotional that lets you go beyond the traditional Christmas stories and songs, I highly recommend Star of Wonder.

Thanks to JustRead Publicity Tours and the author for a review copy. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.

Did anyone get the license number of that truck that just laid me out?! That’s this book. Y’all, Manning Wolfe has written an absolute banger of a novel with Dead by Proxy.

Byron Douglas is a respected criminal defense lawyer in New York City, and he’s very good at what he does. He’s retained to represent a defendant connected to the Irish Mob, charged with murder. When his client insists on testifying against Byron’s strongly worded recommendation, Byron is unable to live up to his reputation, and the jury finds his client guilty. Byron then finds himself in a heap of trouble, literally running for his life.

I burned through this book in significantly less than 24 hours. I could not put it down, because I had to know what happened! After his defeat in court, it doesn’t take Byron long to realize the Irish Mafia has him in the crosshairs, and he starts laying some pretty meticulous plans for dropping out of sight. I was impressed! If I were in fear for my life, I don’t know that I’d have the presence of mind to set things up the way he did. (That’s probably why he’s a better trial lawyer than I ever was, that whole preparation thing.) But no plan is perfect, and while he’s making enough playing poker to survive, he misses his legal career. When his cover is blown, Byron heads to Texas to see a judge – the father of his former best friend, Quinton Bell. The judge suggests that Byron takes on a life as Quinton, but will that be enough to protect him?

Manning Wolfe does a masterful job with courtroom settings and litigation know-how. I was on the prosecution side of the bar, but I can tell you, her descriptions of the process are spot on. And I know defense attorneys are generally not highly regarded except by the people hoping for a not guilty verdict, but I appreciated that she had Byron/Quinton not being a total jerk in court. He conducted himself with professionalism and he did the best he could to provide a zealous defense to someone who was a pretty despicable person.

She also does a phenomenal job of writing a thriller that will have you chewing your nails to the quick. The tension absolutely never lets up. Quinton is constantly looking over his shoulder, second-guessing himself. He’s been made once before. Is a new identity enough to keep the eyes of the Irish off him? And even when he thinks it’s okay to draw a breath, that maybe he isn’t on their radar for a minute or two, he has to navigate life basically wearing someone else’s skin. Who can he trust? Who can he just relax and be himself with? Who can he tell his secret to? I can only imagine that keeping people at that kind of distance is exhausting.

I’m not going to tell you the whole story. That’s Ms. Wolfe’s job, and I certainly can’t do it better than she can. I will tell you this: there were things I didn’t see coming, and Judge Bell does a whole lot of stuff that I’m pretty sure violates more than one judicial canon. I know desperate times call for desperate measures, and he did what he thought was best to help Byron. But man, Judge Bell rolled some pretty big dice and hoped no one called him on any of it. And he calls himself an officer of the court. I wasn’t sure whether I really liked his character or not as the story went on!

Find yourself a comfy spot and settle in, because once you start Dead by Proxy, you won’t want stop until you get to the end. It’s a great beginning to the Proxy Legal Thriller series, and there’s a heck of a cliffhanger at the end that will leave you in a froth to get your hands on the next book!

Silent Stars is the conclusion to Brett Armstrong’s Tomorrow’s Edge trilogy. I haven’t read the first two books, Day Moon and Veiled Sun, and I feel like I would have benefited from knowing the full background of events and characters. I was able to follow along well enough to enjoy the story, though.

Elliott is desperate to bring his grandfather��s plans to completion. The missing files continue to elude him, though, and when he learns of something even bigger, even more terrifying than Project Alexandria, he has to adjust his plans. The Babel Initiative must be stopped at all costs, for if it comes to pass, it will be the end of humanity as we know it. Elliott works with known allies and joins with some he doesn’t know in an effort to bring down Dr. Almundson’s horrifying scheme. One big unknown is The Informer, someone who has appeared to Elliott and his compatriots only as a digitally disguised figure who’s given to speaking in Shakespearean quotes. Is the Informer someone who can be relied upon, or is he part of a trap being laid for them?

The book is one big adrenaline rush. Elliott and Lara run from danger to danger, with only brief interludes of rest, until they face the final battle. I shared Elliott’s anxiety as he tried to discern who he could trust. I felt the tension as he worked to manipulate technology in their self-driving vehicle to keep them hidden from the network, to avoid capture by the powers that be.

The author’s faith is clearly on display here. Some stories hint at Christianity. This one has it in full view, and Elliott’s belief in God is an integral part of his character. Now, his isn’t the pat-answer, have-it-all-under-control variety of faith. He makes mistakes (as our pastor is fond of saying, “None of us walk on water,” and I think Elliott would agree that he does not). He runs from what he feels God nudging him to do. He chooses poorly and has to deal with the consequences of his choices. But he doesn’t give in to temptation when promised that things will fall his way if he’ll just renounce his faith in God. He holds fast when it counts most, and God is faithful. I’ll tell you what, I was cheering at the big climax of the book, and what the characters experienced reminded me that yes indeed, God is faithful, and He never leaves us or forsakes us.

Dystopian vibes in a near future, nail-biting tension, characters working through and living out their faith even in the face of overwhelming opposition, a vividly constructed sci-fi world that isn’t too hard to imagine becoming a reality – if these things appeal to you, I highly recommend Silent Stars and the entirety of the Tomorrow’s Edge trilogy. I’m glad I had the opportunity to get to know the works of Brett Armstrong. I’ll be reading more!

Bentonsport: A New Chapter is a charming blend of Christian romance and historical fiction. Sarah Peterson has traveled back in time 150 years for her love of Thomas Barton, and his for her. Here we see her adapting to her hometown as it was in its earlier days.

From figuring out how to earn income with her baking in an era where women generally were not expected to work to adapting her speech and mannerisms so as not to unduly raise eyebrows, Sarah – now Sara – has a great deal of adjustment to do in the 1870s. She has to adjust her baking techniques to make do with the tools available rather than her accustomed modern conveniences. She also learns that “mean girls” aren't exclusive to the modern era when Lucinda Carrington has other ideas about Thomas' future wife. But she leans on her faith in God, and on Thomas and Pastor and Mrs. Lockhardt, to strengthen and encourage her.

The characters in the book are all delightful. I don't know how they came to know Sarah's true story, but they roll with it. They have so much fun creating a character and backstory for her that will play well to the folks in Bentonsport. I should have such joie de vivre when I'm older!

Bella and Leo, the bakers Sarah befriends during her short stay in St. Louis, are positively charming. I would love to see this friendship develop further, and I hope there are other Bentonsport books planned that include these characters.

And I love love love love Sarah's relationship with Thomas' family! Sarah's parents died when she was young, and she hasn't really had a family in her modern life. Thomas' sisters take her in and make her one of their own, and she takes to it like a duck to water. It was a beautiful picture of how family relationships should be.

This book continues the story that began in Bentonsport: A Christmas Holiday, and I do recommend reading that book first. I was able to follow the story, but I felt like I was missing a good bit by not knowing how Thomas and Sarah first came to encounter each other and what experiences they had in Sarah's time.

If you enjoy a sweet, clean romance, a good time travel story, and characters who rely on their Christian faith to overcome challenges, Bentonsport: A New Chapter is for you!

I received a complimentary review copy of this book from JustRead Publicity Tours and the author. All opinions here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.

I do love a good dual-timeline story, and Heidi Eljarbo delivers!

In 1973, art historian Fabiola Bennett is called in when the National Gallery in London receives a mysterious note indicating there may be a problem with Mr. and Mrs. Andrews, a well-known work of artist Thomas Gainsborough. We see the investigation into the matter through Fabiola's eyes, and we see the history of the painting from the artist's viewpoint in 1750.

I know very little about art history or how one would tell a real painting from a forgery, so the detail the author provided on those subjects was fascinating. As a former prosecutor, I'm always interested in anything related to crime and its investigation, and it was fun seeing Fabiola work with (and sometimes without) Detective Inspector Cary Green. I sometimes had to hold my breath at the situations Fabiola and Pippa put themselves into for the sake of gaining information. They were definitely keen to solve the mystery!

The dual timelines wove together effortlessly, and it was interesting reading about the thought process that Gainsborough may have put into his painting. (I say “may” because this is fiction, after all.) I'm no artist, and Eljarbo gave us an engaging look into the the artist's inner world as he put brushes to canvas.

There's just a hint of romance between Fabiola and the Detective Inspector. I hope we see more of that in future books. Fabiola is a likable character. She's mourning the death of her husband, so it's understandable that she isn't jumping into anything right now. But I would like to see her happy in a new relationship at some point. I can hope!

This is the first book I've read by Heidi Eljarbo, but it won't be the last. I look forward to more in this series, and I recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery that keeps you guessing.

My thanks to JustRead Publicity Tours and the author for a review copy of the book. All opinions here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.

if you want a deliciously spine-tingling book for the Halloween season, here ya go.

If it weren't for bad luck, real estate agent Cordelia Bone would have no luck at all. Her soon-to-be-ex-husband cheated on her (with her assistant, in their house). Not just that, but he's racked up a truckload of debt in her name, some of it with mob connections who are now looking to collect from her. She can't sell her house in Dallas without fixing the recently discovered black mold problem first. And then her estranged sister Eustace calls to tell her their one surviving relative, their great-aunt Augusta, has died and left them an inheritance in Connecticut. Well, maybe that will fix the money problem. So Eustace and Cordelia are off to Bellwick, Connecticut to collect an inheritance from a great-aunt they barely knew.

Why don't they know their great-aunt? Because their mother, Maggie, fled the old home place years ago. The sisters' childhood was spent in rough conditions, always on the move, always with their mother having one loser boyfriend after another. And then Maggie was murdered, a tattoo ripped from her very skin. So they have no idea what awaits them in Connecticut.

This story is about the power of family. The bitterness of a bond that chafes for too long. The importance of sisterhood. And most of all, it is about Cordelia and Eustace finding the voices that are truly theirs, the voices they never knew about because their mother tried to leave it all behind.

The house, Bone Hill, is truly a character in and of itself. The family attorney, Bennett Togers, tells the sisters that the house will make its will known, and it does. With all the happenings that can't be explained and that are well out of the ordinary, it's no wonder the town of Bellwick views the Bone family with, at best, suspicion.

The story itself gets real close to lines I don't like to cross with its very vivid descriptions of witchcraft and with some disturbing scenes involving animals. I do, however, appreciate the Norse mythology that is at the root of the sisters' – indeed, of their family's – power.

And the sisters themselves are wonderfully written characters. Eustace is the easygoing one, more able to adapt to her new circumstances. Cordelia, on the other hand, grew up with her ears full of Maggie's warnings – don't look at them, don't speak to them, and under no circumstances sing to them. She has a harder time adjusting, and she can't understand why Maggie would flee from family and drag her girls through a hard-knock life. All is revealed in time, though, as Cordelia comes to grasp the true strength she and Eustace can only have together.

This is a quick, compelling read that I finished in less than 24 hours. If you're looking for a book to give you the chills, full of vengeful spirits and newfound powers, this is it. I suggest you put The Witches of Bone Hill at the top of your October TBR.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press 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.

Carlie Walker gives us a zesty holiday-themed treat with The Takedown!

Sydney Swift is an undercover agent for the CIA. She’s very good at what she does. And she hasn’t been home in a very long time, because, well, undercover. She’s missed a lot of Christmases with her family. But this year is different. This year, the FBI has recruited her for a mission to take down organized crime heir Johnny Jones, so Sydney is going home for the holidays. Oh, did we mention that Sydney’s adored younger sister, Calla, is engaged to said organized crime heir? Yeah, there’s that. How will Sydney accomplish this without breaking her sister’s heart and without giving herself away to her family?

Walker gives us characters that are believable in their roles. I really liked Sydney. She’s a butt-kickin’ secret agent who loves her little sister deeply and will do anything to protect her. And it was hard not to like Nick, too, even when I wasn’t sure where his loyalties really lay. He was not what you’d really picture for a crime lord’s bodyguard – he had some surprising depth. Grandma Ruby was an absolute delight. I should be so spry and sassy when I’m her age! And Sydney’s relationship with Calla as a sister who’s been absent for far longer than she should was spot on.

Sydney’s efforts to charm Nick are wonderfully written. She’s determined to break him down to get to Johnny. Her little sister’s well-being is at stake. But could she be actually attracted to him? She fights it for all she’s worth, and there are twists in the plot that make you wonder who’s really doing the seducing here. And the snark! The funny! There were a couple of things that made me laugh out loud. Walker did a great job of infusing humor into her story.

When things finally click for Sydney and Nick (because you know they do), there’s a little more on-page spice than I look for in my books. It’s not an overwhelming part of the story. I’m mentioning it in case there are others who share my preference for clean romance that might like to know.

Carlie Walker gives us a zesty little treat with action, tension, enemies to lovers, plot twists, family relationships, and just the right amount of Christmas cheer! This book was really a lot of fun to read. If you’re looking for a quick holiday-themed read to take your mind off the stress that can build up this time of year, I strongly recommend The Takedown.

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

I've read and loved all three books in M. D. House's Barrabas trilogy. His vision of what may have happened after Barabbas was released in Jesus Christ's place, allowed to live so that Jesus could die and be resurrected as the ultimate atoning sacrifice. The third book in the trilogy, The Barabbas Legacy, began to shift focus from Barabbas' life to the legacy he was building, through his children and through the fledgling Christian church. In Sophia: Daughter of Barabbas, we learn more of that legacy with Sophia's story.

Sophia is called to take a missionary journey with Onesimus, a former slave who has been freed and converted to Christianity, and the apostle John. Yes, that John. The one into whose care Jesus commended His mother Mary as he was dying on the cross. The apostle whom Jesus loved.

We see Sophia learn and grow in her faith and in her ability to reach out to others to share that faith. Sure, she has insecurities, but she doesn't let those dissuade her from following the call the Spirit has given her. She comes to be a powerful preacher and teacher, and even when others are not persuaded by her words, she leaves an impression. And while she starts the journey committed to remaining single, she learns that God sometimes has plans that differ from ours.

I loved the portrayal of John! Although he's getting up in years during the events of this story, he remains energetic and on fire for the Lord. I like to think that's how he really was.

As always, House has done a meticulous job of historical research. I had never thought of the early Church against the backdrop of events like Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompeii. House's juxtaposition of the two puts his story into a recognizable historical context.

Is this book scripturally accurate? Much of it is undoubtedly fictional in nature. There is no mention of Barabbas' life after his release, so his family is House's creation. But Sophia is a wonderfully imagined character, and fits with what I know of the role of women in the early Church. She seems like someone I'd like were I to meet her in person.

If you enjoy well-researched historical fiction and a plausible imagining of events beyond the pages of Scripture, you need to get to know Sophia.

Thanks to Reedsy Discovery and the author for a review copy. All opinions here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.

The time is nigh! The time for Autumn's wedding, that is. Felicity is tickled to be serving as Autumn's maid of honor. Wedding preparations are underway, and Felicity is in the thick of them. But she soon finds herself in the thick of another murder investigation, too, when one of the bridesmaids is under suspicion of killing a real estate agent that was once a friend.
Amber Royer does it up big here! There are so many things going on in this book, but like the perfect recipe for a good chocolate, they all work well together. Wedding things go wrong, including the custom-designed groom's ring going missing and the jeweler nowhere to be found. Arlo's old flame, Pam, asks Felicity to look into her father's disappearance. He's an insurance investigator and may or may not have fled his family and headed south of the border.

And then there's a kidnapped goat. I simply adore Royer's inclusion of animals in her stories. Felicity's bunny, Knightley, is in every book, and he's a dear. Here we also get to meet Princess Buttercup, a darling goat taken from a wedding expo and held captive. Let's just say she doesn't take well to being held against her will, and I am reminded of why I enjoy the cuteness of other people's goats! The goat shenanigans add an extra touch of whimsy to the story.

In the middle of all the goings-on, Felicity is still trying to decide: Arlo or Logan? Her self-imposed deadline to choose is drawing ever nearer, and sometimes she seemed like she was no closer to making a decision than she was in the last book. But huzzah and hurrah, the choice is made! (Don't be silly. I'm not going to TELL you who she picked. Go read the book if you want to know!) I felt myself swayed back and forth as Felicity weighed the pros and cons, the good and bad of each choice. But in the end, I am well pleased with how things turned out. As another reviewer said, the man Felicity chose needed her more than the other did, and she needed him, too. Romance may not be the focus of Royer's books, but it is on point here, and I adored it. Can't wait to see the relationship unfold in future books!

We get to learn more about characters who don't always play a major role in Royer's books, most notably Ash. I liked that we got to see new facets to his character here. I hope we see more of this side of him in the future – maybe more collaboration between him and Felicity? And we get to see Felicity slowly making her peace with being known for her sleuthing abilities almost as much as for her designer chocolates.

It's another five-star read for me! If Amber Royer is writing it, I'm reading it, no questions asked.

Sheila and the Paradise Cove Murder Society ladies are helping out their friend Evelyn. Evelyn is hosting a convention of murder mystery writers at the Parrot Eyes Inn, and she's struggling. Since her husband died, Evelyn has barely kept the inn afloat. Her son, Kevin (who we met in Paw and Order when he tried to help Roger Cabot frame Sheila for a murder that Roger committed), is home under court supervision. I'm not sure if he's more help to his mother or if she's trying to help him, but he's at least marginally contributing assistance with the inn.

Kevin tells Sheila that he's afraid for his life, that Roger Cabot, in prison awaiting trial, has threatened him. He claims Roger has found a way to get out of prison and threatened the lives of anyone who will be testifying. He asks Sheila to meet him after conference events end for the evening, that he's got something to show her. Problem is, when Sheila goes to meet Kevin, she finds him, dead in the pool. And the evidence points to none other than Roger Cabot.

This is a clever variation on the locked-room mystery, only instead of the victim being locked into a room, the apparent murderer is locked in prison! There are misdirections aplenty – Chief Anderson supposedly checking out key evidence in Cabot's murder trial, the USB drive found on Kevin's dead body that belonged to one of the authors at the convention, Cabot's DNA and prints all over the scene. But Cabot's attorney insists that his client is securely in jail, and all of these goings-on cast enough doubt on his murder charge that he's going to ask the court to release his client for lack of evidence. So they're racing against the clock to solve the crime before the court makes a ruling that could set a killer free.

Would a writer of murder mysteries kill someone right under the noses of other mystery writers? And which one of them would have a reason to murder Kevin?

Sheila even comes under Chief Anderson's suspicion. You'd think he would have learned by the times he's tried to pin crimes on her in the past and she's been cleared of suspicion. Apparently not. (Detective Whiskers does not take kindly to the chief's casting aspersions on his person and responds in appropriate cat fashion. I laughed out loud!)

Sheila, Tarrie Ann, Becky, and Julia work to help piece together what happened and share their information with the police. And Detective Whiskers is the one who helps put all the pieces together. The ending is a happily ever after, with things tied up in a neat bow, and how it all worked out made me smile. Sadly, Chief Anderson hasn't yet seen fit to acknowledge Whiskers' contributions to crime solving, but hopefully that day is coming!

These books are sweet literary treats – light, engaging, quick reads that are absolutely charming. If you love a good mystery that has not only good human characters but delightful animal characters, too, you'll love the Detective Whiskers Cat Cozy Mysteries. Start with the first and read them all!

I'm a big fan of epic fantasy, and Shadowcast has introduced me to a new favorite fantasy author, Crystal D. Grant! It was so good, I legit read it in less than 24 hours.

The book starts with a bang as one of our main characters, Mason, sees his older brother brutally murdered by the Stewards, the forces for good whose ranks he'd one day hoped to join. That was a turning point in Mason's life. He swore revenge on his brother's killers and turned all his energies toward joining the Shadowmen.

Seria is alone in the world, except for her donkey Sanjo. She sees the battle at the small town of Rackson, Shadowmen against Stewards. When Mason, disguised in a Steward's armor, is seriously injured, Seria finds him and takes him in to tend his wounds. Can he keep his true identity hidden from her?

Prince Eric is resuming his role as marshal of the Stewards after the man who served long and well in his intended place is killed in battle. He has no reason to believe in himself, and struggles to become the leader he wants to be, the leader his men and his country need.

I can't believe this is the author's first novel. It doesn't read at all like there are first-book jitters here. Grant's worldbuilding is superb, and her characters are well-crafted and well-developed. Even Mason gives us reason to empathize with him, gruff as he is.

The grumpy/sunshine romance aspect is just perfect. Mason is so, so grumpy. Which I guess he would be – a man pretending to be something he's not, and trying to recover from some pretty serious injuries, to boot. That would make anyone grumpy! Seria is perfectly sunshiny. I love her. She is almost aggressively cheerful (but not without her low moments), and she looks for the best in every situation. And she could talk the hind leg off a dog! LOL I think Mason was just worn down by her pervasive optimism and the fact that she was open and honest with him about who she was. She didn't have anything to hide, and I think he found that attractive.

The struggle on a personal level is heartwrenching. Mason has devoted so much of his life to becoming the darkness, he isn't sure how to handle himself when he finds himself changed by the light he encounters in Seria. He still feels that thirst for revenge for the man who killed his brother, though. Seria likewise struggles when she learns of Mason's true identity. How can she ever love a man who's swearing himself to battle all that she believes to be good and true?

But make no mistake, this is an epic battle between good and evil on more than just the personal level. The book isn't overtly Christian, but there is a clear belief in a higher Deity who is all-knowing and all wise – the Lambient. Their faith is important to the characters on the side of the light. Their belief in the Lambient's goodness and wisdom sustains them. Destroying that faith and tearing down everything good is equally important to characters on the side of the darkness.

The cliffhanger at the ending of the book was maddening in the best possible way. It leaves you knowing there is so much more of the story to come. And this is a story where you get all of the excitement, all of the intrigue, all of the romance, and it's clean to boot. I can't wait for the next book!

My thanks to the author for a review copy of the book. All opinions here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.

This is the first of Nisha J. Tuli's books that I've read, but it won't be the last! (Especially since this one is first in a quartet! Three more books of this delicious fantasy world! Woo hoo!)

Zarya has grown up a captive, held in an idyllic location. But as the book says, “It wasn't an unpleasant prison, but a firefly trapped in even the most ornate jar would still die without air.” She's been raised by Row and trained alongside his apprentice Aarav. Row won't tell Zarya anything about her upbringing, just that it's imperative no one know where she is, and he sets magical boundaries in place to keep her from leaving (because she tries). She and Aarav aren't on good terms, and she chafes at her lack of freedom. Then one day, Row is gone, and so are the magical boundaries. Zarya takes Row's horse and takes off fast as she can, heading for the city of Dharati. She wanted adventure, freedom, a chance to truly live? She surely finds it.

Nisha J. Tuli has crafted a beautiful world here, based on Indian/South Asian mythology. I don't know a lot about the culture and history, but we've recently taken an interest in Bollywood/Hindi cinema (my apologies if this isn't the most current term) and really enjoyed them, so I'm interested in stories with similar settings. Tuli's word does not disappoint! I could almost see the things she described, almost smell and taste the foods. She does a top-tier job of creating her universe.

Another thing I found intriguing was the process Tuli created by which a new monarch takes the throne. I don't recall seeing anything comparable in other books. When Princess Amrita took the throne, it hurt my heart, because her becoming queen is life-changing in ways I couldn't have imagined.

And I know it isn't the romance, but I adored the relationship developing between Zarya and Yasen! At first he is very gruff to her, sometimes almost rude. But as the story progresses, they warm up to each other and become almost like siblings. I hope we see more of that in future books. I think Zarya will need someone who can balance her, encourage her, and kick her butt when she needs it.

I've seen some reviews expressing disappointment in Zarya's actions and attitude, opining that she acts more like a teenager than a 20/21-year-old. I agree that she did seem very naive and overly emotional in some ways. But think about it. She's spent pretty much all of life that she remembers closeted away from the world, with no one to help her mature emotionally. Of course she acts younger than her age. She doesn't know how to do otherwise. She starts out as so many of us do when we're young, thinking that life is one big adventure, romance is all rose-colored glasses, and everyone is looking out for our best interests. She's learning otherwise. I think she'll grow up and mature just fine.

The identity of the love interest really blew me away. I did NOT see it coming, and this is a romance that will definitely be enemies to lovers. Zarya and Rabin didn't meet face to face until near the end of the book, so I'm not sure if it's going to be a slow burn or a raging inferno. Either way, I'm here to see how it plays out!

As this is my first book by Tuli, I won't yet say she's on my super short list of favorite authors. She's sure making a run for it, though. Heart of Night and Fire is a solid four-star read for me, and I'm ready for the rest of the Nightfire Quartet!

Thanks to Second Sky and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.