Honeysuckle Dreams- Denise Hunter

My Rating: 4 Stars

Description: After Brady Collins’ ex-wife dies, he receives devastating news—his nine-month-old son Sam isn’t his son at all. And Sam’s wealthy maternal grandparents want custody of the child. Brady knows he’s in for the fight of his life. But regardless of what any blood test says, Sam is his son, and Brady will go to any lengths to keep him.

Brady’s attorney tips him off that one major life change would virtually assure him of winning guardianship of baby Sam at the final hearing: an impending marriage. And his friend Hope is willing to step in as the loving and devoted fiance.

Local radio celebrity Hope Daniels has been driven by a solitary goal her entire life, and after a happy accident she’s finally offered her dream job. But if the truth comes out about her arrangement with Brady, she may miss the chance of a lifetime and stand in the way of a dear friend’s dreams.

As Brady and Hope make sacrifices to help each other in their times of need, they risk uncovering a truth neither of them expects to find.

My Thoughts: After reading the first book in this series, I was not sure how would like this one. There had been a few things about Cruz and Zoe's relationship that had bothered me and which I was afraid would also make an appearance in this book as well. Gratefully, that was not the case and I found myself loving this book more than the last.

So many romances these days, particularly contemporaries, put a very high emphasis on emotions and feelings between the couples involved. There is rarely much thought put into whether or not the two have actually thought through what it means to be committed or decided how they will chose to resolve conflicts in their future. Hope and Brady's relationship was refreshing in that is started with those thoughts of commitment and then the feelings developed later.

This is not a typical romance. There were very few will-they-won't-they scenes, meaning that though there was still conflict, the romance was largely untainted with it. Instead, we get to thoroughly enjoy the budding relationship between the characters while worrying about other issues in their lives, still firm in the knowledge that they are going to make their relationship work no matter what happened.

While this does mean that many of the romantic scenes lack tension and instead follow everyday boring chores, there is still another kind of romantic conflict at play. And while I do not wish to say more and give anything away, I appreciated this look at love which we are rarely given.

I have provided an honest review after having received a copy of the book from the publisher.

Song of Leira Highlight

 

I'm so excited to share this new release with you guys, today! Song of Leira is the third and final book in The Songkeeper Chronicles by Gillian Bronte Adams, an epic fantasy adventure about a place where music is magic and one girl's song can shape or break the entire world. There's a special invite for you guys at the end, but first, isn't this cover gorgeous?

 

The Song bids her rise to battle.

Reeling from her disastrous foray into the Pit, Birdie, the young Songkeeper, retreats into the mountains. But in the war-torn north, kneeling on bloodstained battlefields to sing the souls of the dying to rest, her resolve to accept her calling is strengthened. Such evil cannot go unchallenged. Torn between oaths to protect the Underground runners and to rescue his friend from the slave camps, Ky Huntyr enlists Birdie's aid. Their mission to free the captives unravels the horrifying thread connecting the legendary spring, Artair's sword, and the slave camps. But the Takhran's schemes are already in motion. Powerful singers have arisen to lead his army - singers who can shake the earth and master the sea - and monsters rampage across the land. As Leira falters on the verge of defeat, the Song bids her rise to battle, and the Songkeeper must answer.

Find Song of Leira online: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CBD

Add Song of Leira to your Goodreads Shelf

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 NEED TO CATCH UP ON THE SERIES?

Orphan's Song (Book 1) Her solo is a death sentence. When Birdie first hears the Song coming from her mouth, her world shatters. She is no longer simply an orphan but the last of a hunted people. Forced on the run, she must decide who to trust: a traveling peddler, a streetwise thief, or the mysterious creature who claims to know her past. With war threatening to tear her homeland apart, Birdie discovers an overwhelming truth: the fate of Leira may hinge on her song.

                          Songkeeper (Book 2) War ravages Leira & the Song has fallen silent. Desperate to end the fighting, Birdie embarks on a dangerous mission into enemy territory, while Ky returns to his besieged city to save the Underground runners. Legend speaks of a mythical spring beneath the Takhran's fortress and the Songkeeper who will one day unleash it. Everyone believes Birdie is the one. But can she truly be the Songkeeper when the Song no longer answers her call?

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gillian Bronte Adams is a sword-wielding, horse-riding, wander-loving fantasy author, rarely found without a coffee in hand and rumored to pack books before clothes when she hits the road. Working in youth ministry left her with a passion for journeying alongside children and teens. (It also enhanced her love of coffee.) Now, she writes novels that follow outcast characters down broken roads, through epic battles, and onward to adventure. And at the end of a long day of typing, she can be found saddling her wild thing and riding off into the sunset, seeking adventures of her own (and more coffee). She loves to connect with fellow readers and wanderers online through her blog, Facebook page, newsletter, and Instagram. 

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TAKE YOUR BOOK ON AN ADVENTURE CONTEST

To celebrate Song of Leira's release, Gillian Bronte Adams is running a contest to show that reading and adventuring go hand in hand! Snag a picture or video of you adventuring with your book, tag it #SongofLeiraContest and post it online. Winners will be announced on June 22 at the "Song of Leira and King's War Facebook Party."

To see the prizes at stake and the official contest guidelines, head over to Gillian's website.

 

 

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YOU'RE INVITED TO A PARTY!

Speaking of the Facebook party, you're invited! Have you ever been to a Facebook party before? Gillian Bronte Adams is teaming up with fantasy author Jill Williamson for a special event full of awesome giveaways, prizes, and games! And you are invited to come! Click on the photo or RSVP on the event page.

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Thief of Corinth- Tessa Afshar

My Rating: 4 Stars

Description: First-century Corinth is a city teeming with commerce and charm. It’s also filled with danger and corruption—the perfect setting for Ariadne’s greatest adventure.

After years spent living with her mother and oppressive grandfather in Athens, Ariadne runs away to her father’s home in Corinth, only to discover the perilous secret that destroyed his marriage: though a Greek of high birth, Galenos is the infamous thief who has been robbing the city’s corrupt of their ill-gotten gains.

Desperate to keep him safe, Ariadne risks her good name, her freedom, and the love of the man she adores to become her father’s apprentice. As her unusual athletic ability leads her into dangerous exploits, Ariadne discovers that she secretly revels in playing with fire. But when the wrong person discovers their secret, Ariadne and her father find their future—and very lives—hanging in the balance.

When they befriend a Jewish rabbi named Paul, they realize that his radical message challenges everything they’ve fought to build, yet offers something neither dared hope for.

My Thoughts: This book is quiet a bit different from Tessa's other novels. Though it is set in the time of the New Testament and includes a number Biblical characters, it is not based on Biblical events. Even A Harvest of Rubies' story line came about because of Israel's exile and led to the second novel, which featured the first wave of returning Jews to Israel. However, Thief of Corinth does still hold a scriptural message: that only God is love and we can only hope to truly love others when we do so out of God's example.

The portion of the story which leads to the novel's title is honestly a small part of the story. Most of the book revolves around Ariadne's backstory and how she came to the point where thieving seemed like a good idea to her, as well as the complex relationships she has with those around her. Failing to see events from their perspectives leads her to misguided judgements as well as heartaches. There was one character in particular whose struggle felt very real to me though our situations in life are vastly different.

Ariadne was a character who was a bit harder for me to wrap my mind around, not because she was unbelievable, but because she reacted nearly the exact opposite way to everything as I would have. While this kept the story from being as great as Land of Silence in my mind, I am none the less impressed my Tessa's ability to create lifelike heroines who are vastly different from each other. I also have no doubt that for someone who relates to Ariadne's story as well as I related to Elianna's, Thief of Corinth will be an unforgettable read.

I have provided an honest review after having received an ecopy of the book through the author.

The Wounded Shadow- Patrick Carr

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Description: The kings and queens of the northern continent lay siege to the Darkwater Forest, desperate to contain its evil. But rumors of gold and aurium have lured deserters and the desperate into its shadow, creating a growing army held in its sway. Desperate after the death and dissolution of their greatest ally, Willet and the Vigil seek the truth of what lies at the heart of the evil they face. They delve the mind of an old enemy and find an answer far worse than they could have imagined.

Danger stalks the cities of the north, striking at the rulers of the kingdoms. As Willet and the rest of the Vigil seek to find answers, the group is scattered with an ever-growing darkness around them. Will they discover a path to keep their land safe, or will an ancient evil reclaim the world it once called its own?

My Thoughts: Very rarely does a good book take me longer than two days to read. I speed through them, soaking up the story without much effort, and anything written so densely as to require more time is usually skimmed or set aside. The Darkwater Saga is the first series I have ever read in which that was not the case and The Wounded Shadow is best of the three.

I may have said this in my other reviews, but clearly this trilogy is not an easy read. It requires a lot of time and thought to follow both the characters' subtext interactions as well as puzzle out the intricacies of the world and plot. And that Carr has managed to do this in a way that is still compelling to a reader who usually prefers her stories to be straight forward and to the point is something I applaud.

But as for this book in comparison to the other two, this one finally had a true spark of hope. Mark, a character introduced in the last book, truly shines in this and quickly set himself apart as my favorite character. He was caring and challenged the Vigil in a way that Willet's attitude was never able to accomplish successfully. Though we had to wait two years for this book, it was well worth the wait.

I have provided an honest review after having received a copy of this book through the publisher.

Tired of Apologizing for a Church I Don't Belong To- Lillian Daniels

My Rating: 2 Stars

Description:  In this book, Lillian argues that it's time for Christians to stop apologizing and realize that how we talk about Christian community matters. With disarming candor laced with just the right amount of humor, Lillian urges open-minded Christians to explore ways to talk about their faith journeys that are reasonable, rigorous, and real.

After the publication of the much talked about When Spiritual But Not Religious Is Not Enough: Seeing God In Surprising Places, Even the Church, Lillian Daniel heard from many SBNRs as well as practicing Christians. It was the Christians who scolded her for her forthright, unapologetic stand as one who believes that religious community matters. The Christians ranted that Christians, by definition, tend to be judgmental, condemning hypocrites, which is why people hate them. By saying religion matters, she was judging those who disagree, they said, proving the stereotype of Christians. Better to acknowledge all that's wrong with Christianity and its history, then apologize. In this book, Daniel shows why it matters how we talk about Christian community while urging open-minded Christians to learn better ways to talk about their faith.

My Thoughts: I work in a career field made up predominately of atheists and agnostics, among whom there are many who have been hurt by the church or else simply have no use for it. Many times in conversation, I have found myself wanting to apologize or else needing to defend my own beliefs, which lead to hesitance in even bringing them up. When I saw Lillian's book, I thought it would be something that offered encouragement to people in such a place, as well as insight on how to handle those situations. But it turns out, Lillian and I don't belong to the same church either. And while I appreciated her writing style and many of the points she brought up, I very much disagreed with her conclusions.

In the second chapter, during a metaphor for the way Christians should handle questions about our faith, Lillian has this to say, "'Well, this path is no better than any other one,' I reply. And I feel good about... I have neglected to apologize but have demonstrated how open-minded I am." But is that the point? To let people know how open-minded we are? Or to express why we believe as we do? I don't see how the author's response answered the question she started this analogy with— which was why was she intent on the faith path she walked.

However, in the tenth chapter, Lillian states, "I am a pastor and I don't care what you believe. I don't think God does either." So maybe the author doesn't care to answer the question as much as she wants to convince people that religious community, any religious community, is what is important. And to some extent, I agree. Community is important, as is Lillian's assertion that no one should feel excluded over a point of disagreement. But neither should we dismiss belief, because what we believe shapes how we behave.

I will mention that I agreed with many of Lillian's critiques of the conservative church, however, in her critiques she also makes the implied assertion that conservatives cannot be open-minded when she uses that term only to refer to people who agree with her on matters of belief or marriage, disregarding that there are even people in between who agree with some, but not all, of the things she does. And, when describing the arguments conservatives make, particularly regarding those of creationism, she says, "If I were Satan and I wanted to destroy every good thing in Christianity, that's the dichotomy I'd set up. It would ensure that all the smart people stayed away and all the idiots stayed in."

As I stated above, I do agree with many of Lillian's observations. The church often does a poor job of listening to the people they wish to reach and many conservative Christians are harsh and judgemental. But that does not mean that her philosophy on religion solves those issues nor that the very real criticisms of her work, from people of all walks of life, can be waved away as she does in this book.

I have provided an honest review after receiving a copy of the book from the publisher.

The Story Peddler- Lindsay A. Franklin

My Rating: 3 Stars

Description: Selling stories is a deadly business

Tanwen doesn’t just tell stories—she weaves them into crystallized sculptures that sell for more than a few bits. But the only way to escape the control of her cruel mentor and claw her way from poverty is to set her sights on something grander: becoming Royal Storyteller to the king.

During her final story peddling tour, a tale of treason spills from her hands, threatening the king himself. Tanwen goes from peddler to prey as the king’s guard hunts her down . . . and they’re not known for their mercy. As Tanwen flees for her life, she unearths long-buried secrets and discovers she’s not the only outlaw in the empire. There’s a rebel group of weavers . . . and they’re after her too.

My Thoughts: I kind of hate being one of the first to review this story and not give it a four or higher rating. With so many readers and reviewers stating that they adored this book, I entered in expecting to be swept away in a magical narrative that made me forget my own time and place. However, while I was entertained, I was not captivated the way many others were.

The story follows Tanwen, a girl who is able to weave and solidify story, which is a beautiful concept full of vivid imagery. Every story strand is different, some coarse and others fine, vibrant or nearly invisible. And hers is the only art which follows this form, as there are also singers and colormasters (painters) who can weave colors into their art and make ideas come to life— sometimes in actuality.

However, this magic system (as well as a diverse cast) were all that I could really see which set this story apart. Once again, there is a girl who grows up as a peasant orphan, seeking more than she has, who only learns once the story picks up that she is actually the child of someone important. Through deliberate withholding of information by nearly everyone around her, it is not until close to the end of this tale that Tanwen learns anything about who she is. And a kind-of-sort-of love triangle only confuses her more throughout.

I still enjoyed the story. There were some creative and unique lines, an amazing magic system, and a little bit of a mystery which Tanwen is able to solve. Yet I am not a fan of stories where the conflict and tension is driven, or at least instigated, by the unnecessary withholding of necessary information. There were a few other things which bothered me, such as the ridiculous renaming of very real animals, but suffice it to say that this story was good... but not great.

I have provided an honest review after having received an ecopy through JustRead tours.

A Refuge Assured- Jocelyn Green

My Rating: 4 Stars

Description: Lacemaker Vivienne Rivard never imagined her craft could threaten her life. Yet in revolutionary France, it is a death sentence when the nobility, and those associated with them, are forced to the guillotine. Vivienne flees to Philadelphia but finds the same dangers lurking in the French Quarter, as revolutionary sympathizers threaten the life of a young boy left in her care, who some suspect to be the Dauphin. Can the French settlement, Azilum, offer permanent refuge?

Militiaman Liam Delaney proudly served in the American Revolution, but now that the new government has imposed an oppressive tax that impacts his family, he barely recognizes the democracy he fought for. He wants only to cultivate the land of his hard-won farm near Azilum, but soon finds himself drawn into the escalating tension of the Whiskey Rebellion. When he meets a beautiful young Frenchwoman recently arrived from Paris, they will be drawn together in surprising ways to fight for the peace and safety for which they long.

My Thoughts: The French Revolution has always been a tough historical event for me to stomach. Not only were the killings horrific, but who was destined for the chopping block could change with the wind, making it doubly terrifying to read about. And until this book, I had not realized that simply making articles of clothing that the aristocracy would wear was grounds for execution. It is a miracle that anyone survived in France.

Though I felt sympathy for Vivienne, losing her way of life in France and then having to flee to America for her actual life, I was not all that enamored with her as a character until much later in the story. While justifiably angry, her attitude toward those around her was often hostile and unlikable. It was only once she gained the care of the young boy that I actually started to like her, and I think that it was their relationship which I appreciated the most.

The way Vivienne and Henri related to each other was extremely believable, with neither sure how to interact or else move forward. Having worked with kids myself, I know that what you say and do can be a careful juggling act between what you mean and how they interpret it. And the same goes the other way around, especially when it is a child you barely know. I also to some extent understand the responsibility of caring for a child who resents you and the task of seeking out others who can help you and whom that child will trust.

With Liam, though his and Vivienne's romance does not really start until the end of the novel, I was still interested in Liam's character throughout. His was a captivating story line, with the Whiskey Rebellion being an event I knew little about. Though these scenes did not include Vivienne or anything having to do with France, they were attention grabbing none the less.

I have provided an honest review after having received a copy of the book from the publisher.