Chokepoint- Jill Williamson

My Rating: 5 Stars

Description: Ever since I returned from Moscow, life is a full court press. Mission League field agents are everywhere. All the time. Watching. Waiting for me to fulfill a sixty-year-old prophecy.

When some baddies try to guy-nap me, the field agents threaten to move me and Grandma Alice to some random hick town, to give us new fake identities until the prophecy is fulfilled.

Not going to happen.

I've got one chance to stay in Pilot Point. I have to prove to the agents that I can stay safe. Have to make this work. For basketball. For Kip. For Beth. So, bring it, baddies.

It’s game on.

100% OF THE PROCEEDS FROM THIS ENOVELLA GO TOWARD THE ADOPTION OF LITTLE SYNDEY FROM EASTERN EUROPE. PLEASE, HELP BRING SYDNEY HOME.


My Thoughts: This is a great novella, occurring between books 1 and 2 of The Mission League. It is making me really feel bad for Spencer, all that is happening to him. I think that I would go crazy always looking over my shoulder.

Like it says above, all the proceeds from this book are going to help Jill's friends adopt a little girl from Eastern Europe. The price is $8 for a hard copy and $3 on kindle. As far as I know, you can only get it on Amazon.

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Starflower- Anne Elisabeth Stengl, Review and Giveaway

This hop is in conjunction with the 3rd annual Fairy Tale Fortnight.  

Fairy Tale Giveaway Hop

Hosted by

I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

The Book Rat &

A Backwards Story

March 26th to April 2nd

My Rating: 5 Stars

Description:When a cursed dragon-witch kidnaps the lovely Lady Gleamdren, Eanrin sets boldly forth on a rescue mission...and a race against his rival for Gleamdren's favor. Intent upon his quest, the last thing the immortal Faerie needs is to become mixed up with the troubles of an insignificant mortal. 

But when he stumbles upon a maiden trapped in an enchanted sleep, he cannot leave her alone in the dangerous Wood Between. One waking kiss later, Eanrin suddenly finds his story entangled with that of young Starflower. A strange link exists between this mortal girl and the dragon-witch. Will Starflower prove the key to Lady Gleamdren's rescue? Or will the dark power from which she flees destroy both her and her rescuer?

My Thoughts: This had to have been my favorite of the series so far. I absolutely loved it. The imagery is amazing, the setting so detailed, and the characters are a hilarious. I could barely put this book down for wanting to know what would happen next.

Like a lot of fans, I absolutely love Sir Eanrin and was so glad to find out that he would be a main character in this story. Usually I don't like cats, but he is an exception. :)


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Now for the Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Here are the other giveaways in the HOP: 
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Replication- Jill Williamson

My Rating: 4 stars

Description: When Your Life Is Not Your Own....

 Martyr---otherwise known as Jason 3:3---is one of hundreds of clones kept in a remote facility called Jason Farms. Told that he has been created to save humanity, Martyr has just one wish before he is scheduled to 'expire' in less than a month. To see the sky. 

Abby Goyer may have just moved to Alaska, but she has a feeling something strange is going on at the farm where her father works. But even this smart, confident girl could never have imagined what lies beneath a simple barn. Or what would happen when a mysterious boy shows up at her door, asking about the stars.

 As the reality of the Jason Experiment comes to light, Martyr is caught between two futures---the one for which he was produced and the one Abby believes God created him to have. Time is running out, and Martyr must decide if a life with Abby is worth leaving everything he's ever known.


My Thoughts: This book was great. I could not stop thinking about the characters throughout the day when I was not reading. Just the lives these people live is mind boggling. This book could certainly be enjoyed by people of all ages. It made me laugh and got my adrenaline pumping. It also tore at my heart with what Martyr goes through. I just wish it was part of a series.

The only reason I do not give it 5 stars is because their are a few minor holes in the science and reasoning of the scientists. Still, they did not take from the story, simply made me aware that this was not real.

Here are some of my other thoughts and ideas on the book. They contain a lot of general spoilers, so do not highlight to read it unless you do not mind those.

Martyr and Abby are so cute together! I wish that the book had been longer, like Jill's Blood of Kings Trilogy. That would have been amazing. I also hope that one day she will decide to make a sequel (Let's demand it!). Another book following this one could go into how the Jasons adjust to life above ground. Do any of them find girlfriends or get jobs? Are they able to connect with people or do some, if not all, struggle with making friends outside of the Goyers and the other Jasons? Being that they were made for a purpose, a heavy theme in this story, could they some how change the world? With their skill sets and just plan oddity (I mean, there are 55 of them-well 56) they could be huge human rights activists or scientists, politicians, even firemen.

What happens with the more aggressive boys? Ones like Fido and Hummer need a lot of help. Do they get it help or not? And how does the world react to them?

Then what happens with JD? Does he stay away from the Jasons or come to see them as brothers? Does he break his mom's hold and live for himself or continue with the lies he has always known? Is he ever able to get a girlfriend and one that has some self-respect? There are almost never ending ways his story could go.

How about the fact that the Jasons all have Lupus? Do they find a cure or a way to all get transplants? Do any of them live past 35? Fifty-five is a large number of kidneys to find that are matches, especially with the struggle Dr. Kane had to find one that lead to his research. Dr. Goyer hopes to find cures and Abby loves science and the Jasons. Can they do something about this in the long run?

We found out that there are two other labs. Do they ever find them? What all is there at those? There could be 55 more Jasons somewhere that all need to be rescued. Along with the labs, there a lot more scientists missing. Will they continue to exploit any Jasons and data they have even without Dr. Kane? Will they create other clone groups, such as Calebs?

And my most pressing idea/ question- will Martyr and Abby get married?! Martyr really likes her and her him, but will it last past his meeting of other girls? Even if it does, will Abby have self-doubts in that she is the first girl Martyr met and the first to really love him? I know I would wonder if it was just that I was first or that he really cared for me as me, no matter who he could have.

My last question: Does Abby ever tell Martyr that her "dog" is really a cat?

Tell me what you think about what I said but please warn about any spoilers for others.

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It Happened at the Fair- Deeanne Gist

My Rating: 5 Stars

Description: A transporting historical novel about a promising young inventor, his struggle with loss, and the attractive teacher who changes his life, all set against the razzle-dazzle of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

Gambling everything, including the family farm, Cullen McNamara travels to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair with his most recent invention. But the noise in the Fair’s Machinery Palace makes it impossible to communicate with potential buyers. In an act of desperation, he hires Della Wentworth, a teacher of the deaf, to tutor him in the art of lip-reading.


The young teacher is reluctant to participate, and Cullen has trouble keeping his mind on his lessons while intently watching her lips. Like the newly invented Ferris Wheel, he is caught in a whirl between his girl back home, his dreams as an inventor, and his unexpected attraction to his new tutor. Can he keep his feet on the ground, or will he be carried away?


My Thoughts:  Deeanne's books are always amazing but this was one of her best. Mostly light-hearted, it still had moments of great emotion and pain. The characters had to overcome fears, prejudice, and lose. It Happened at the Fair made it clear that life is not always rosy but that we can live through the pain and find joy in the little things. The backdrop representation of all that man has achieved in history was beautifully juxtaposed with the thoughts and ideas that have held us back.

All this was accomplished while telling a beautiful romance of true love, not the selfish tales that most have substituted for. The hero, Cullen, was all that a woman could want in a man. He was strong, smart, caring, and above all honoring. His moments of weakness only strengthen the understanding of the struggles he undergoes to do what is right instead of what feels good.


This book will be released on April 30th.

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Circle of Honor- Carol Umberger

My Rating: 4 Stars

Description: A riveting story of betrayal and love on the highlands of medieval Scotland - beautifully packaged with French flaps and deckled edges. It is 14th century Scotland and Gwenyth Comyn has a choice to make. She can accuse her sworn enemy, Adam Mackintosh, of assaulting her-though that crime was committed by another-or she can tell the truth and remain in captivity to her actual attacker. Her decision is complicated by the fact that she has fallen in love with Adam. 

Circle of Honor takes you back to the time of Robert the Bruce and Scotland's war for independence from England. Gwenyth has been stripped of her title and lands, and now she must confront the battle between her heart and her head. Her fate, and Adam's, rest in the choice set before her.


My Thoughts: This was a pretty good book. I love Highland romances and found this at the used bookstore. Like the description says, the book has deckled edges which made me buy it then and there (Pages like that are so cool!). 

There is very minimal description which I enjoyed because I was able to picture things my way. The only downside was that I had a hard time picturing a couple minor characters because they had no description but gender.

As far as a deep read, it was not. The villain really had no depth and the conflict was mostly political. However, as a romance, the tension between the hero and heroine was great.

Over all, it was enjoyable and I plan to find the next one in the series.


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Book Launch and Giveaway- So Shines the Night by Tracy Higley

I will post my review of this book at a later date.

Description: Daria's new home in Ephesus with Lucas both beguiles and confounds her, until she meets followers of The Way.

Her past has taught her that evil is real, that it can consume a person. She saw it happen with her husband, before he took his own life. Widowed, with no family, Daria becomes a tutor to Lucas, a rich traveling merchant from Ephesus. There she discovers evil has a strong foothold and that Lucas himself seems drawn to evil and sorcery.

As her relationship with her employer grows, she fears that she will be unable to pull him to pull him from demonic influence. Tension in the city is about to erupt, as a new sect called The Way continues to draw followers. A man called Paul leads the movement against the economic and political strength of the city, found in its goddess cult.

When she learns more of the ways of the Christians and their ability to defeat evil, she begins to have hope. But then Lucas is arrested and jailed for a brutal crime, and it seems not even the Christians can help.

Tensions escalate in the city until thousands are pouring into the arena to protest the influence of the Christians, and a plot to kill Paul is underway. When Lucas's execution is scheduled, Daria must find a way to prove his innocence, save his life, and help her new friends before everyone she loves is destroyed.

Author Bio:Tracy L. Higley started her first novel at the age of eight and has been hooked on writing ever since. She has authored nine novels, including Garden of Madness and Isle of Shadows. Tracy is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Ancient History and has traveled through Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Italy, researching her novels and falling into adventures. See her travel journals and more at TracyHigley.com

More: Okay, so I was going to have some questions here that Higley answered for us all to read, but the file will not open. So instead, enjoy these cool photos she took at Ephesus!

Here's a trailer: 

And the Giveaway!

Go to this link for a $50 giveaway

Go to this one to enter for a kindle

Grave Consequences- Lisa T. Bergren

My Rating: 5 Stars

Decription: For Cora Kensington, the journey of a lifetime takes unexpected twists. And her future—her very life—depends on the decisions she’ll make at each crossroad. As her European tour with her newfound family takes her through Austria, France, and Italy, an unseen enemy trails close behind. Meanwhile, a forbidden love continues to claim her heart, putting everyone’s plans in danger. And as Cora stays one step ahead of it all, what might need the most protection is her own heart, torn between the dramatic pursuit of a dashing Frenchman and a man who has been quietly staking claim to her affections all along. Love has dangers all its own. She must escape the bonds of the past and discover the faith to make the right choices, as each one has grave consequences.

My Thoughts: This book drew my emotions through the wringer. So often I felt the pain and betrayel as though I really was Cora. You know an author is amazing when the reader feels personally involved in the story. So many times I wanted to jump inside the book and help Cora wade through the backstabing, manipulation, and confusion.

And the romance! So sweet and yet heartbreaking. To know that you love one man while everyone tells you that you are never meant to be. Then for them to thrust a Prince Charming at you instead. Sometimes I think I far more upset about it than Cora was.

I can not wait for the next book (coming out in October) in order to exsperience more of Cora's adventures.

I ♥ William McCabe

 

The first book, Glamorous Illusions, is free on amazon kindle right know.
 

 

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Forsaken Dreams- MaryLu Tyndall

My Rating: 4 stars

Description: Embark on a seafaring adventure in a brand-new series from bestselling author MaryLu Tyndall. After witnessing the death and destruction caused by the Civil War, Colonel Blake Wallace is eager to leave his once precious Southern homeland for the pristine shores of Brazil and the prospect of a new Utopian community. Widow Eliza Crawford seeks passage on Wallace’s ship harboring a dirty secret—and a blossoming hope for a fresh start. But will dangers from the sea and from man keep them from the peace and love they long for?


My Thoughts:  Who hasn't done something that they wish they could take back? When are scapegoats not searched for? Do we all not first hate and then learn to forgive? A search for Paradise will always pull Shoel into our face. Satan will do what he can to keep us from Christ's forgiveness and our tendency for sin makes it difficult to fight back. It is easiest to pretend that we don't need to.

I found that Forsaken Dreams did a great job of expressing this. Beyond that, I was grateful that MaryLu did not try to make any side but God's (which is not that of man's) right. Both North and South had and still have their faults and committed their own wrongs. Thank you, MaryLu, for not sugarcoating!

My one complaint was the lack of a tangible villain. There were many who did wrong, and nature even took its turn beating on the passengers, but there was no one person to be thwarted. It took away a bit of the urgency.


Note:  I was pretty upset to see that some people pretty much attacked some reviewers on amazon for not liking this book. I think that pretty much undoes the theme of forgiveness in this novel. If you liked the book, good. If not, fine. Please take Eliza's example and love those who disagree with you, not jump down their throats.


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If We Survive- Andrew Klavan

My Rating: 2 1/2 Stars

Description: What do you do when a mission trip suddenly leaves you caught in the middle of a revolution?

Will Peterson is part of a mission team that has traveled to Costa Verde to rebuild the wall of a school. It's been a great trip-until a revolution breaks out just before they board their plane to go home.

But then it becomes a desperate race to escape: from a firing squad, from savage animals in the depths of the jungle, from prison cells and revolutionaries with machine guns.

One of the girls is showing Will amazing things about what it means to be truly fearless. And one of the guys has the makings of a real hero. None of them will go home the same. If they only survive.

My Thoughts:  Andrew Klavan is a great writer. This book, along with all the others of his I have read, are described so that I feel like I am there. Usually I really enjoy his books. However, I did not care for this one a whole lot.

Immediately, I was drawn into the story with the description of Mendoza and the Cantina. Will is a great hero and feels a lot of emotions that I would probably feel myself. The problems came soon after this.

I did not care for any of the other characters. They were all either idiots or the most heroic people ever with no one but Will in between. To make it worse, I always felt like the supporting characters were preaching at me and then not always even about God and faith. Meredith is not afraid of hardly anything and preaches constantly about courage, making her unreal. Jon preaches about American interference and Palmer about how there is never a side that is ever completely right. I felt like I was reading propaganda but was not sure who I was supposed to cheer for or if the point was that I should not care at all.

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A Place for Family- Mia Ross

I won this book on Goodreads First-Reads Giveaways.

My Rating: 4 Stars

My Description: Hometown Girl Returns...With A Secret
One suitcase is all Amanda Gardner has to her name when she ends up back in Harland, North Carolina. No one knows how the high-powered ad exec, the girl who couldn't leave town fast enough after high school, lost her glamorous life in California. Everyone's curious-except John Sawyer. He's done enough wondering about his childhood best friend over the years. Why she never called...or wrote...or visited. But John's instinct is to protect Amanda, and something tells him she's in deep trouble. Will she feel safe enough to trust him-and lean on his strength?

My Thoughts: This was actually a good book. Wondered because if how short it was that it might not be. I mean, I guessed what the secret was (though the tells made not sense to me), but I still found it to be a cute, quick read. I just wish that I had known ahead of time that it was the last in the four Family tales by the author ahead of time so I could have read those first.


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