Lisa Henson

Nona Taylor is a private investigator carrying a load of personal guilt. Every year she attends the New Year’s service at church (not “her” church, mind you, just the one she’s decided to go to once a year). Every year she begs God for the forgiveness she doesn’t think she deserves. Every year she leaves feeling like her prayer has gone unheard. But this year will not be like every other year. When Pastor Grant asks for her help in figuring out whether a letter he received about an unexpected inheritance is legitimate, Nona is thrown into a mystery, a fake engagement, and the path of someone willing to kill to achieve their ends.

From the opening lines of this book, I loved Nona. I’ve had those times where it felt like my prayers bounced off the ceiling, where I had that stack of bills howling for payment, where I had no idea how THIS mountain would be moved. I have felt that pain, and I wanted to reach into the book and hug her. Bonus that she’s strong with the snark.

And DeMarcus first came off as one of those smooth, I’m-sexy-and-I-know-it sort of guys. High-dollar lawyer, snappy dresser – if I were in Nona’s shoes, I’d have been skeptical, too. But underneath that high-gloss exterior was a good man. And I love that, even if it wasn’t the traditional “good churchgoing girl and good churchgoing boy meet at a service and fall in love,” they still met in church. They both had, not really ulterior motives for being there, but reasons that didn’t have a whole lot to do with worship, and yet from that questionable seed something beautiful grew. I’d say that’s an example of God using all things for good!

Nona is well-written as an investigator, and DeMarcus is wonderfully written as a lawyer. They were both very believable in their roles. I should have known Breyna Leigh had some legal background before I even read her bio. She writes things she’s had experience with, and it shows.

This story hit on all cylinders and kept me turning pages. The moment Nona and DeMarcus fell into a fake engagement just cracked me up. Nona would probably have rather eaten rocks than even pretended to be romantically involved with someone, and yet here she is, “engaged,” with people who are just so excited about it and want to be all up in their business! There was plenty of tension, too, with the bad guys bent on cheating Pastor Grant out of his inheritance for their own financial gain and doing whatever it took – WHATEVER – to achieve their goals.

The secondary characters were just as good as our main protagonists. DeMarcus’ grandmother, G Mama – oh my gosh, y’all, she was a hoot and a half. She is a woman of God, she has lived her life, and she is going to share her wisdom with her grandchildren and love them and pray them the right way, whether they like it or not. I want to be like G Mama when I grow up. She is chock full of surprises! Pastor Grant struck just the right notes as a humble man of God who genuinely wanted what was best for Nona. Zeke and Calloway were deliciously, skeevily evil as they worked to carry out their rotten plans. None of the characters felt like they were throwaways. Each had a role to play and did it well.

The mystery, and the tension, and the nail-biting moments when I wasn’t sure what was coming next – I loved it! I enjoyed the unraveling of Pastor Grant’s family mystery, and when the full story came to light when they visited the town of Burnt Water, Alabama, I’ll own to tearing up a little. Good stuff. (Also, Burnt Water, Alabama is totally how small towns are. I grew up in a small town in Louisiana. I know some folks like Breigh describes.)

And the best part? Even though their initial church attendance isn’t for the “right” reasons, Nona and DeMarcus are still drawn to God as they are reminded that He is faithful, that they can trust Him with their hurts and issues. And in drawing closer to God, they draw closer to each other.

I can’t think of anything to nitpick about this book. It’s got everything I most love in a story – action, a good mystery, wonderful characters, interesting backstory, and romance that’s wonderfully sweet without being overly gushy or too spicy. If this is Jayna Breigh’s debut novel, I’m here for all the novels she might write in the future. This one was that good. Highly recommended! And I know it’s only January, but I’m going to say it: This book is in the running to be a favorite of 2025.

Forensic genealogist RaeJean Hunter is tapped to search for the missing heir to a deceased woman's considerable estate. Interestingly, RaeJean knew the deceased woman, Jill Hamilton, and had taken in her corgi when it was in need of a good home. Other than the apparently coincidental connection, though, this seems like it should be a pretty straightforward case. Find the heir, collect a substantial paycheck. Easy, right? The only hitch would seem to be the time limit. If the heir isn't found within a year of the woman's death, her estate would pass to Columbia University - and six months of that year has already elapsed.

The search for a missing heir takes RaeJean on a winding journey. From Jill's New York apartment to the Pacific Northwest to the wilds of New Zealand, she chases leads, digs through records, and tries to interpret the clues that a doll belonging to Jill seems to try to communicate with its eyes. And once again, she finds herself in danger, because someone does not want that missing heir found.

ML Condike gives us another smart, well-written mystery. I love the relationship between RaeJean and her husband Sam. They're clearly crazy about each other, but the romance doesn't get in the way of the mystery. And I like that they don't have to be joined at the hip constantly. Their respective jobs sometimes take them in different directions, but a little physical separation doesn't diminish their emotional connection.

The story also ties into an actual cold case, the 1910 disappearance of Dorothy Arnold. Condike gives us a believable scenario tying the missing heiress to Jill Hamilton, and in so doing, handles some challenging issues such as the treatment of mental health in the early twentieth century and the treatment of children in group homes.

Condike also addresses issues of fertility and adoption. Jill was adopted, and RaeJean and Sam face the possibility that they cannot have children of their own. I was adopted myself, so I'm glad to see they're considering that option.

The historical background was fascinating. The mystery, engrossing. The paranormal element, a delicious touch. The unexpected twists, well, unexpected! ML Condike is rapidly establishing herself as one of my favorite authors. If you love mysteries that blend history and present day, I highly recommend The Doll from Dunedin.

Lady Eleanor Swift was hoping to spend a festive, romantic Christmas at home with her sweetie, Detective Inspector Hugh Seldon. But her plans are upended when she receives a call from Mr. Porritt, secretary to the reclusive Duke of Auldwyke, insisting that she and Hugh attend the Duke’s annual shooting competition. Mr. Porritt will not take no for an answer, and Ellie finds herself off to the wilds of Yorkshire.

But she’s barely made Porritt’s acquaintance in person before she finds him dead in the storehouse where the shooting clays are kept. Hugh is quickly made the lead detective on the case – nearly the only detective, as the Duke insists no more outside policemen be brought in. A blizzard shuts down the roads, so getting in or out is a moot point. Thankfully, Danby of the local constabulary made it to the scene, so he’s there to assist Hugh, along with Ellie, Clifford, and the ladies of Henley Hall. This is not at all the romantic Christmas Ellie dreamed about!

I have thoroughly enjoyed all the Verity Bright mysteries I’ve read. And I probably say this about each successive one, but I do believe I’ve liked this one the most of them all! Here, Bright gives us, not quite a locked-room mystery, but a contained scene with a limited number of suspects. Hugh feels almost as if the Duke is actively trying to hamper the investigation, but he can’t get a face to face meeting with the Duke to find out why, because the man hasn’t left his chambers or admitted anyone other than his secretary for a decade now – since his wife died. And the more Hugh and Ellie dig, the more questions they have. There’s no shortage of suspects once they all stop lying. But who had reason to kill Porritt? Was he even the intended suspect? Or was the Duke the real target? And who in the world could want to kill a man who’d isolated himself for ten years?

As alwas, Verity Bright gives us clue after clue that unravels, and then points us somewhere else entirely. They create a vivid picture of life in the Golden Age, and I simply love Ellie and all her people. Clifford, with his mindfulness of etiquette and propriety, and a surprising number of unexpected skills, is a perfect foil to often impulsive, frequently indecorous Ellie. The ladies are a treat. The Christmas they and Clifford create for Ellie and Hugh and themselves is just magical. I don’t even want to be anyplace where there are blizzards, but that Christmas shindig they had might tempt me!

Does Ellie ever actually meet the Duke? Will there be any romance in her Christmas? Can they solve the mystery of Porritt’s death before the killer strikes again? And what kind of outfits did the ladies make for Gladstone and Tompkins this time?

If you love a good, comfy, cozy mystery that feels like going on an adventure with friends, you really should get to know Lady Eleanor. You can start with this one, but I recommend you start at the beginning and get to know her whole story. A Midwinter Murder is a perfect book to read on a chilly day, curled up with a soft blanket, a warm drink, and a cat. I loved it!

Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of this book from Bookouture. 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.

This is the first of Tessa Afshar’s books I’ve read. It definitely won’t be the last! Here she gives us a fascinating look at the life of Queen Esther through the eyes of a young Persian woman.

Roxannah’s father, Lord Fravartish, has mired their once-proud family in debt and lost himself in drink, but still thinks he deserves better things. When he is unwell, he demands that Roxannah get him a physician, but not just any physician. He wants a Jewish physician for King Xerxes’ court to come and tend to him. So Roxannah fetches Adin to take care of her father’s needs. Adin is a believer in the One God. Roxannah is not. Still, they find common ground enough to strike up a friendship.

When Xerxes passes a royal decree that will allow all Jews to be killed, Lord Fravartish sees this as his golden opportunity. He can kill Adin, seize his property, and be restored to his former glory. Roxannah fears for her father’s safety, but knows she must warn Adin of his evil intent. In the course of things, Lord Fravartish meets his end, and Roxannah must now find a way to support herself and her mother. Adin knows Roxannah to have no small talent at cooking, and he helps her find a position as an assistant in Queen Esther’s kitchen.

Palace life is a whole new world for Roxannah. She finds herself facing prejudice and resentment when the cook sees her potential and elevates her much faster than is normal. She and Adin also find themselves unexpectedly caught up in intrigue when a plot to kill Amestris, one of the king’s wives and no friend to Esther, is uncovered. She worries about her mother, struggles with guilt over what she sees as her betrayal of her father, and wonders more about this God of Adin’s every time she hears Adin talk about Him.

Tessa Afshar made me feel like I was right there with Roxannah. She’s got a true gift for writing historical fiction that puts you in the heart of the story, and she undergirds it with a strong current of faith. I won’t call this Christian fiction, because it’s set in the Old Testament, before Christ took on flesh and became a man. But it is scripturally based fiction, and faith in God is an important component of the story. The characters find strength in their faith, wrestle with their faith, and in Roxannah’s case, question whether God can love non-Jews just as much as He loves His chosen people.

I loved Afshar’s creation of the Secret Scrolls of Esther. There is no such historical document, but her vision of it lent a new depth to Queen Esther. It made me think of things that don’t always pop off the page in Scripture. And it’s a good story that makes you think and consider and learn and grow. I now want to go dig into the book of Esther and reread the historical story!

I am so glad this book is part of a series. I can’t wait to read the next one. If you love clean fiction, with wonderfully written characters, clean romance, and meticulous historical detail, you need to read The Queen’s Cook.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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