"eyes of justice" by lis wiehl with april henry

About the book: The members of the Triple Threat Club—crime reporter Cassidy, FBI agent Nicole, and federal prosecutor Allison—have solved multiple crimes together. When one of their own is murdered, the other two must scramble to uncover the truth behind her death ... or they could be the murderer's next targets.

My take: It's hard to review this book because I don't want to give away which of the Triple Threat is murdered ... so it becomes difficult to discuss much of the plot! I guess I'll leave it at this: Eyes of Justice was my favorite of all the Triple Threat novels so far. Big things—some good, some bad—happened to each character, and, while I wish no one had to die, I am "happy" Wiehl chose to kill the character she did. Also, the addition of technology-whiz Ophelia to the team inserts a nice quirkiness into the group, and I think she'll be very fun to read about in future novels.

This is an edge-of-your-seat suspense novel, and I highly recommend it! 5 stars.

(Eyes of Justice is book four in the Triple Threat series. You could jump in here without getting lost, but to have an emotional connection with the characters, I'd recommend you read the others first. I reviewed book two, Hand of Fate, here and book three, Heart of Ice, here.)

About the authors: Lis Wiehl is a New York Times best-selling author, Harvard Law School graduate, and former federal prosecutor. A popular legal analyst and commentator for the Fox News Channel, Wiehl appears on The O'Reilly Factor and was co-host will Bill O'Reilly on the radio for seven years.

April Henry is the New York Times best-selling author of mysteries and thrillers. Her books have been short-listed for the Agatha Award, the Anthony Award, and the Oregon Book Award. April lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and daughter.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneezebook review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"a cowboy's touch" by denise hunter

When 28-year-old Abigail begins having stress-related health problems, she goes to Montana to spend the summer with her great-aunt Lucy. Soon, she meets cowboy Wade Ryan and his daughter Maddy. When Wade needs a new nanny for Maddy, Abigail steps in, and sparks between Wade and Abigail begin to fly. However, both Wade's secret and Abigail's job as an investigative journalist threaten to keep them apart.

I haven't yet met a Denise Hunter book I didn't like, and A Cowboy's Touch is no different. In fact, I devoured it in an evening! Guilt and the power of forgiveness are focuses of this novel, as both Wade and Abigail must learn to forgive themselves and each other. I found myself especially identifying with Abigail, and reading about her journey caused me to examine some aspects of my own life.

Also, Denise Hunter knows how to write romance! No cheesy or sickeningly sweet prose here--just a great story written in a way that makes the reader long for the two to get over their issues and fall in love. I highly recommend this book! (And I'm anxious for book two. Do we really have to wait until 2012?)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"an amish love" by beth wiseman, kathleen fuller, and kelly long

An Amish Love is a collection of three romance novellas set in an Amish community in Pennsylvania.

A Marriage of the Heart by Kelly Long: Abigail sees marriage to Joseph as a way to escape her disapproving father. Joseph sees marriage to Abby as an entryway into the community his family abandoned years before. After they marry, they learn what it means to truly love someone.

What the Heart Sees by Kathleen Fuller: Five years ago, a tragic accident caused Ellie to lose her sight and Christopher to lose his fiancée. When Christopher returns to Pennsylvania, he finds himself drawn to Ellie. But will the truth about the accident keep them apart?

Healing Hearts by Beth Wiseman: Naaman left his wife and family to “find himself.” When he returns home, his wife Levina has a hard time trusting him. As Naaman seeks to reconcile with his wife and his community, a mysterious man threatens to destroy the progress Namaan has made.

Of the three stories, I expected Long’s to be my favorite (I am, after all, a sucker for the “first comes marriage, then comes love” plot line) and Wiseman’s to be my least favorite. I should quit making predictions because the reverse was true! Though I enjoyed Wiseman's the most (largely due to the mystery surrounding Naaman's return), all were well-written and entertaining. I read each novella in approximately one hour … a great way to unwind after a long day! If you like Amish romance, I'm sure you'll enjoy An Amish Love.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"then sings my soul" by robert j. morgan

Then Sings My Soul (Special Edition) by Robert J. Morgan is a delightful collection of 150 hymns and the stories behind them. This book is a joy to read. Morgan's writing style is welcoming, at times humorous, and certain entries reminded me of Paul Harvey's The Rest of the Story. Each hymn gets two pages--one for the sheet music and the other for the hymn's background. In addition to the table of contents at the front, the hymns are indexed alphabetically, by author, and by first line, making it very easy to find whatever hymn you're looking for.

Prior to reading this book, I knew the story behind only two of the hymns: "It Is Well with My Soul" (thanks, Adventures in Odyssey!) and "Silent Night." Now, I know lots of fun facts. For example:

• Handel wrote Messiah in twenty-three days.
• The tune to "Jesus Loves the Little Children" was written as a Civil War battle song. 
• Martin Luther, a monk, married his wife, a nun, because he couldn't find anyone else to marry her!

I thoroughly enjoyed paging through this book. It would make a great Christmas gift for the hymn lover on your list!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from BookSneeze. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"the butterfly effect" by andy andrews

The Butterfly Effect. Besides being a ridiculous Ashton Kutcher movie, the butterfly effect is the concept that one small event (such as a butterfly flapping its wings) can change the course of the future. In his book The Butterfly Effect, Andy Andrews demonstrates how one man's actions during the Civil War changed the course of American (and world) history. Through this story and others, Andrews encourages his readers to make their lives count--to positively influence the world.

As I reflect on this book, I'm torn. On the one hand, it's a fantastic motivational book. In just over 100 partially-full pages, Andrews convinced me to reflect on the effect my actions have on others and on my--and their--future. The book is compact, attractive, and perfect for a coffee table. On the other hand, Andrews doesn't point the reader in any specific direction. I walked away from the book with the following message: "I'm important. My life matters. I should do positive things so my effect on the world is positive." And in a sense, that is true ... but it goes much deeper than that. Everything I do should be done for the glory of God; that knowledge should be a far greater influence on my life than Andrews' book. When I put the book down, I thought of the following quote, which I've since learned is credited to English missionary C.T. Studd: "Only one life, 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last." So I do recommend this book--it is, as I've said, quite interesting and inspiring--but remember that if you are a Christian, your main responsibility is to glorify God ... and by glorifying God, you just might change the world!

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze book review blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

"sarah's garden" by kelly long

Sarah King is a reserved Amish girl who loves nothing more than spending time tending her garden. When she begins running her family's produce stand, she is apprehensive about dealing with the Englisch. Then she meets the new veterinarian, Grant Williams. As their friendship grows, Sarah emerges from her shell ... and a forbidden love begins to blossom.

Honestly, I'm torn when I reflect on this book. It is incredibly well written. Long has a way with words, and she drew me into the story. So my complaint comes from the plotline itself. I've read a lot of Amish fiction over the years--both the Beverly Lewis variety, where characters struggle with their faith, are shunned on occasion, and sometimes choose to leave the Amish church, and the more recent variety, which seems to idealize the Amish lifestyle. Out of all those books, this is the first that made me think, "Oh, please don't let that happen!" I won't spoil anything; I'll just say I didn't like how the conflict resolved.

Who should read it? Anyone who enjoys Amish romance should give it a shot ... just because I didn't like it doesn't mean you won't enjoy it.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze book review blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

"a summer secret" by kathleen fuller

Mary Beth Mullet just wants to escape her annoying siblings. So, even though her parents forbade her to enter the rickety, abandoned barn near their farm, Mary Beth creates a hideout for herself inside the barn. Her twin, Johnny, soon discovers Mary Beth's secret ... and the two quickly realize they aren't the only people using the barn. When they learn who is in the barn, they are determined to help--even though that means lying to their parents.

A Summer Secret is book one in Fuller's "Mysteries of Middlefield" series, and a few of the characters from Fuller's "Hearts of Middlefield" series make an appearance, which I found enjoyable. This book is geared toward teenagers, but I would have enjoyed it most around the age of eight. The "mystery" isn't at all scary or even that mysterious. Still, it was a quick, enjoyable read (as long as I didn't get hung up on the "mystery" part of it), and I think it would be highly appropriate for preteen and teenage girls.

Who should read it? Teenagers or those who enjoyed Fuller's other books.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze book review blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

statement about reviews & recommendations (part 2)

Last October, due to the FTC's new blogger guidelines, I blogged about my connection to the products I review and/or recommend. Since then, a few things have changed, so I wanted to update you.

I still review books for Thomas Nelson, though I don't do as many as I used to. You may have noticed the name change from Book Review Blogger to BookSneeze.

I am now also a member of WaterBrook Multnomah's Blogging for Books program. (If you're a regular reader of this blog, I'm sure you've figured that out by now!) This is a great program that I'd encourage you to join if you have a blog and enjoy reading. I've had the opportunity to read and review some wonderful books (as well as one book I didn't like so much ... but that review is still in the making!), and I love the fact that they often provide me with an extra copy to give away!

I'm still an Amazon Associate, though to date I've made a whopping ten cents! And, since Amazon only pays when an associate reaches $10, I have yet to see my dime.

I recently joined a similar program at bookschristian.com. Most of my links for Christian books, music, and movies will probably point to them from now on. Their pricing is very similar to Amazon's.

When I signed up with bookschristian.com, they provided me with a link to Michael Hyatt's blog post on the FTC guidelines. Hyatt is the CEO of Thomas Nelson, and his blog is the reason I started reviewing books in the first place. (When Thomas Nelson published Lynne Spears' book Through the Storm, Hyatt offered free review copies to the first 200 bloggers to respond to his post. I was one of those bloggers, and shortly after that, the Book Review Blogger program was born.) In an effort to comply with the new guidelines, Hyatt recommends adding a "Disclosure of Material Connection" at the bottom of posts. So, to ensure I'm following the guidelines, I'll be doing that--ridiculous as it may seem.

"hand of fate" by lis wiehl with april henry

Hand of Fate is the second in Wiehl and Henry's Triple Threat series. (Don't worry; this isn't one of those books that you won't understand if you haven't read the others in the series.) Allison, Nicole, and Cassidy are high school classmates who reconnected at their 10-year reunion. After learning of their shared interest in crime fighting (Allison is a federal prosecutor, Nicole is an FBI agent, and Cassidy is an investigative reporter), they form the Triple Threat Club. Following prominent radio talk show host Jim Fate's murder, the three friends work together to solve the crime.

Hand of Fate is a quick, enjoyable read. I especially liked that the three friends had lives--and problems--outside of the main whodunit plot. Of the three women, Allison is the only committed Christian, and her life is definitely not carefree. Other characters are affected by rape, premarital sex, drug addiction, and abuse. Out of the many "Christian" books I've read, I thought this featured one of the more realistic portrayals of characters. The plot is engaging, and the mystery, while not too easy to solve, also isn't one of those "well I never would have guessed that" twists that some writers throw in with absolutely no clues leading up to it.

Should you read it? Yes, if you enjoy suspense.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze book review blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

"an honest love" by kathleen fuller

A few months ago, I reviewed Kathleen Fuller's Amish romance A Man of His Word. I really enjoyed it, so I jumped at the opportunity to review the sequel, An Honest Love.

An Honest Love focuses on two couples (though only one is mentioned on the back cover copy). Following a broken engagement, Anna moves to Middlefield and opens an Amish gift shop. She meets Lukas Byler, who immediately goes about winning her heart. As their relationship progresses, Anna must decide whether to share her secret with Lukas--a secret that she fears could make him leave her. Meanwhile, Lukas's sister Elisabeth begins working for their brother-in-law (Gabe from A Man of His Word), and she strikes up a friendship with Aaron, who also works for Gabe. Aaron, who got into drugs and alcohol during his rumspringa, feels like an outcast in the Middlefield Amish community, and Elisabeth makes it her mission to reintegrate him into the community. But will their friendship turn into something more?

Once again, Fuller delivers an engaging, romantic story. And, once again, I was more interested in the sub-plot (Aaron & Elisabeth) than in the main plot. That's not to say Anna and Lukas weren't interesting, but I was definitely more invested in Aaron and Elisabeth as characters.

Should you read it? If you enjoy Christian romance. And don't worry; you don't need to have read book one first.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

**Note: The back cover copy is misleading--you know how they say not to judge a book by its cover? Well, in this case, don't judge it by its back cover!**

"the gospel according to lost" by chris seay

As a long-time Lost fan, I was thrilled to receive The Gospel According to Lost in the mail. My original intent was to read it prior to Lost’s sixth and final season premiere. Well, I made it halfway through by that point; after watching the premiere, I was hungry for anything and everything Lost, and I quickly devoured the last half of the book.

The Gospel According to Lost explores the religious themes found in the popular ABC drama. In particular, author Chris Seay draws parallels between the fictional world of Lost and biblical Christianity.

To say I enjoyed this book would be an understatement. Much of what the author had to say I had already read elsewhere; however, he came at it from the perspective of a follower of Christ and, therefore, went deeper into the biblical allusions than the secular bloggers I read ever did. And when he compared Benjamin Linus, one of Lost’s major villains (or is he?), to the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, I sat back and thought, “Of course! That’s exactly who he is … and why didn’t I think of this before?”

My one quibble with the book is its title. While The Gospel According to Lost may be a catchy name, the book is not so much about the gospel—that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty of sin, was buried, and rose again—as it is about exploring the religious symbolism in Lost. And while discussing Lost could easily lead into a discussion of the gospel, I wouldn’t say the gospel message is contained in Lost.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Lost. Anyone who doesn’t watch Lost would probably just find himself … lost!

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

"the sweet by and by" by sara evans with rachel hauck

Jade Fitzgerald seems to have it all: a thriving business, wonderful girlfriends, and a fiancé who is crazy about her. But underneath her confident exterior lies a girl whose heart has been beaten down by life. As her wedding day approaches, Jade will have to deal with the pieces of her past that she’d rather leave buried--her hippie mother, her absent father, her childhood sweetheart, and the secret she's carried alone for the past thirteen years.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Jade’s character is well developed, and one can’t help but sympathize with her as her past is revealed. However, I never warmed up to Max, Jade’s fiancé, though I’m pretty certain the authors intended for me to like him! Also, I was disappointed by the scene where Jade is reunited with her first love; it felt incomplete and rushed, and it was ultimately unsatisfying.

This book was an enjoyable read, but there was nothing too special about it. I’d recommend waiting for it to arrive at your local library.

***I received a free copy of this book for review through Thomas Nelson's book review blogger program.***

saving cicadas by nicole seitz

When single mother Priscilla learns she is pregnant again, she takes her family on a road trip they will never forget. What she’s looking for, she doesn’t really know, but along the way, she will discover the importance of family, unconditional love, and forgiveness.

Saving Cicadas is told mainly from 8 ½-year-old Janie’s point of view. This technique is quite effective, as it allows the reader to see grown-up problems from a child’s perspective.

Honestly, I didn’t enjoy the first half of the book much at all, and I probably would have stopped reading if I hadn’t agreed to read and review it for Thomas Nelson. However, the last third of the book really picked up, and the last fifty pages or so are spectacular. Seitz weaves an interesting tale with several shocking twists. (The twists are perfectly built up to throughout the book; I just didn’t pick up on the clues!)

I highly recommend this book. It’s so much deeper and more thought-provoking than much of the fiction on the market today, and it makes a powerful statement about life while not making light of the difficult choices facing single mothers.

***I received a free copy of this book for review through Thomas Nelson's book review blogger program.***

an amish family christmas by beth wiseman, kathleen fuller, and barbara cameron

An Amish Family Christmas is comprised of three intertwining novellas that take place in Paradise, Pennsylvania.

A Miracle for Miriam: Seth shattered Miriam’s confidence when they were 14. Five years later, he returns to their Old Order Amish community with a renewed faith in God. He is intrigued by Miriam, but she doesn’t know if she can trust him again.

A Choice to Forgive: Lydia (Miriam’s sister) has been widowed for two years. When her husband’s brother Daniel—who was Miriam’s first love—unexpectedly returns to Paradise, Lydia fears her attraction to Daniel will dishonor her husband’s memory. When she learns of the  secret Daniel and her husband had been harboring, she must choose whether to forgive either of them.

One Child: Sarah & David lost the baby she was carrying one year ago. When a young Englisch couple is stranded at their house, the wife goes into labor. Sarah and David will have to rely on their faith and each other to save the young family.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Of the three stories, One Child was my favorite, though all were well written and entertaining. Each novella can be read in one sitting, making this a great book to pick up on a snowy evening. Also included are several authentic Amish recipes that I’m anxious to try! 

I received a free copy of this book for review from Thomas Nelson.

the tallest of smalls by max lucado, illustrated by maria monescillo

I recently read and reviewed Max Lucado's Fearless. It was my first real exposure to Lucado's writing, and I loved it. When I learned Lucado had written a children's book based on a story he tells Fearless, I couldn't wait to read it. Fortunately for me, Thomas Nelson decided to offer that book, The Tallest of Smalls, as a book review blogger selection!

The Tallest of Smalls tells the story of Ollie, a boy who lives in Stiltsville, where status is shown not by fancy cars or designer clothes but by ... stilts! Those who possess stilts are elevated, literally and figuratively, and they look down on those who aren't. One day, to Ollie's shock, he is given stilts! But his elevation doesn't turn out like he'd planned, and he is soon back on the ground with the Smalls. Jesus comes alongside Ollie to teach him that he is special because He created him!

This book is wonderful. I loved the message when I read it, and then I gave it the "kid test" by reading it to the elementary students in my Awana Sparks group. They were captivated. The illustrations beautifully depict the story, but the words give the book its power. Lucado uses rhythm and rhyme masterfully in this story to teach children that they are so special to God.  I highly recommend it, not only for kids, but also for adults who read Lucado's Fearless!

statement about reviews & recommendations

Due to the FTC's new blogger guidelines, I thought I should make a statement about the reviews and recommendations I provide on this site.

I am a member of Thomas Nelson's book review blogger team. This means that I receive free books from Thomas Nelson in exchange for reviewing them. Thomas Nelson urges us to be honest in our reviews, and I am. If I loved a book, I let you know, and if I didn't love it, I let you know that, too. All of my Thomas Nelson reviews are tagged "book review blogger," and I also make a statement about it somewhere in the review (usually at the end). I also have a banner on my site that identifies me as a book review blogger. I think it's a great program, and I'd urge anyone who has a blog and enjoys reading to join.

All of my other reviews are written about products I either paid for myself or was given by a friend or family member who paid for them. I write about them simply because I liked or disliked them, and I want you to know about it. If I'm ever fortunate enough to receive more free stuff to review, I'll let you know.

I am also an Amazon Associate. This means that if someone uses a link I provided to go to Amazon and then buys something, I get a referral bonus. They don't pay until you reach $10, and I'm not anywhere close to that amount. Just know that all of my Amazon links are connected to my associate account. If you have a problem with that, then just go directly to Amazon and search the product I've linked to. When I joined the program, I was already linking to Amazon a lot, so I figured I'd join, and if I made a little money, well, that would just be a bonus! (What I really need is for imdb to create a referral program ... 'cause you know I link to that site all the time!)

green by ted dekker

Wow. That’s pretty much all I can say after finishing Green. Now, I’m used to having Ted Dekker blow my mind with his fiction, but Green wasn’t as much mind blowing as it was inspiring, intriguing, and just really satisfying, well-written fantasy.

Green is the last of the Circle books (Black, Red, and White are the others). It completes—and begins—Thomas Hunter’s journey in two realities; the first reality is our world, and the other reality is 2,000 years in the future. Thomas is tasked with saving both worlds, though as I think about it now, he doesn't do much to try to save this reality—his efforts are concentrated on the future reality, which is careening toward Armageddon at break-neck speed.

Supposedly, one can read Green either before Black or after White, but I think it would be quite confusing to enter Dekker’s fantasy world with Green. After finishing the book, I can understand how it leads directly into Black, but I still think it would be better to have at least a rudimentary knowledge of the other three books before reading Green. Dekker’s Paradise Novels and Lost Books also tie into the Circle books; I’m glad I read Sinner recently, as Billy, a major player in Green, made more sense than he would have had I not known about him from Sinner. (Reading Green also helped me understand why I despised Billy in Sinner.)

I hope Dekker isn’t finished with the fantasy world he’s created here; reading Green made me want to reread his other books to pick up things I may have missed, and I’d really enjoy reading more about these characters. I highly recommend Green … as well as Dekker’s other novels!

I received a copy of this book for review through Thomas Nelson's book review blogger program.

find your strongest life by marcus buckingham

In Find Your Strongest Life, Marcus Buckingham stresses that women should be pursuing their passions, not settling for doing what seems sensible. He says that in order to be strong, happy, and successful, women need to discover what their strengths are and then pursue those strengths, rather than focus on “fixing” their weaknesses.

I enjoyed this book—with a few reservations. Buckingham’s writing style is clear and friendly, and he includes a “What to take away from this chapter” bulleted list at the end of each chapter, which clearly summarizes the main points. The final section of the book, “Strong Life Tactics,” is especially helpful. Buckingham gives clear advice for building up your strengths in several areas of life.

I do wish Buckingham would have spoken specifically to single, childless women and stay-at-home moms—millions of women fit into one of those categories, yet this book focused exclusively on women who are trying to balance careers and families.

Also, if you’re thinking about buying this book, you should know that, while it’s published by Thomas Nelson, there’s nothing particularly “Christian” about it. It does contain helpful advice, but the advice doesn’t come from a biblical standpoint. I don’t think that invalidates everything Buckingham says, but readers should be aware that this book basically approaches life from a humanistic standpoint, focusing on self and each person’s “truth” for their life, while largely ignoring faith—an aspect of life that should be paramount to believers.

(I reviewed this book as a Thomas Nelson book review blogger.)

i'm excited about ...

• my next book review blogger book: Green by Ted Dekker! I would have bought the book anyway ... but now I get it for free!
• taking my yearbook staff to the fall yearbook conference in Kearney tomorrow.
  
• Homecoming Week, during which I get to wear jeans to work every day. (I usually have to stretch things a bit in order to make jeans fit into each day's theme--for crazy footwear day a couple years ago, I pinned socks to my jean capris--but this year, each day naturally lends itself to jeans!)
• the start of Singing Christmas Tree practices! (October, I think?)
• watching more Fringe. I watched the pilot last fall, got bored, and didn't even finish the episode. A couple months ago, a friend who knows I love LOST asked me if I was into Fringe. I told her I wasn't, then she proceeded to tell me why I'd love it. So, I gave it a chance, getting the first disk from Netflix last week. She was right--and I have absolutely no idea why it bored me last fall!
• hanging with my family tonight, watching Friday's Psych and drinking delicious Sleepy Monk coffee.
• having my cousin claim my spare bedroom in a couple months.
• going to Indiana in less than two weeks!!!
  

lonestar secrets by colleen coble

Shannon Astor, a veterinarian with a young daughter, returns to her small Texas hometown to take over the local veterinary practice. When she arrives, she encounters Jack MacGowan, the man who betrayed her trust in high school … and she discovers he is raising her other daughter, the one she was told died shortly after birth. Shannon and Jack decide to put their differences aside for the sake of the girls, but will Shannon’s secrets and the danger that follows her tear them apart?

If you’ve read even one romance novel in your life, you’ll know that the answer to that question is a resounding “no!” But, as I’ve stated before, no one reads a romance expecting to be surprised by the outcome. Books like this are enjoyable not because of the “will they?” question (we know they will) but because of the journey that gets them there.

The journey in Lonestar Secrets, book two in Coble’s Lonestar series, is a particularly enjoyable one. The plot takes several twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting, and I didn’t figure out the main mystery until it was revealed at the end. I highly recommend this book, and I’ll definitely be reading others by Coble!

(I received this book as part of Thomas Nelson's book review blogger program.)