One Paris Summer Review

Most teens dream of visiting the City of Lights, but it feels more like a nightmare for Sophie Brooks. She and her brother are sent to Paris to spend the summer with their father, who left home a year ago without any explanation. As if his sudden abandonment weren't betrayal enough, he's about to remarry, and they’re expected to play nice with his soon-to-be wife and stepdaughter. The stepdaughter, Camille, agrees to show them around the city, but she makes it clear that she will do everything in her power to make Sophie miserable.

Sophie could deal with all the pain and humiliation if only she could practice piano. Her dream is to become a pianist, and she was supposed to spend the summer preparing for a scholarship competition. Even though her father moved to Paris to pursue his own dream, he clearly doesn't support hers. His promise to provide her with a piano goes unfulfilled.

Still, no one is immune to Paris’s charm. After a few encounters with a gorgeous French boy, Sophie finds herself warming to the city, particularly when she discovers that he can help her practice piano. There’s just one hitch—he’s a friend of Camille’s, and Camille hates Sophie. While the summer Sophie dreaded promises to become best summer of her life, one person could ruin it all.

One Paris Summer by Denise Grover Swank is a good clean teen summer read. I'm kinda on the fence right now about how I feel about this book. I didn't love it but I certainly didn't hate it. Its kind of your typical  teen read but with more angst than I wanted and a evil step-sister who was too cliche for me. Overall there was nothing wrong with how One Paris Summer was written, the descriptions were great and there were some cute scenes, but I never connected with Sophie. And when the whole book is in her point of view that's kind of an important thing to do. 

 4 out of 5.

I received a copy of this book from BookLook in exchange for my honest review.

From This Moment Review

Award-Winning Historical Romance from a Noteworthy Talent

Romulus White has tried for years to hire illustrator Stella West for his renowned scientific magazine. She is the missing piece he needs to propel his magazine to the forefront of the industry.

But Stella abruptly quit the art world and moved to Boston with a single purpose: to solve the mysterious death of her beloved sister. Romulus, a man with connections to high society and every important power circle in the city, could be her most valuable ally.

Sparks fly the instant Stella and Romulus join forces, and Romulus soon realizes the strong-willed and charismatic Stella could disrupt his hard-won independence. Can they continue to help each other when their efforts draw the wrong kind of attention from the powers-that-be and put all they've worked for at risk?

From This Moment by Elizabeth Camden is a wonderfully crafted historical novel. It's a delightful blend of mystery and romance, full of colorful characters and a strong message. Both Stella and Romulus ( such a cool name, right?) are great characters. It was great to be able to see growth in both of them throughout the book but have it end in a way that showed they both still have some growing to do. Often books leave you with an ending that is wrapped all up in a pretty bow, the characters have learned whatever lesson they needed to and now they can live happily ever after. I loved that the end of From This Moment showed that while Stella and Romulus had grown and learned throughout the story they still had more growing to do.

5 out of 5.

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review. 

Traces of Guilt Review

A Riveting Cold-Case Mystery from Dee Henderson
Evie Blackwell loves her life as an Illinois State Police detective . . . mostly. She's very skilled at investigations and has steadily moved up through the ranks. She would like to find Mr. Right, but she has a hard time imagining how marriage could work, considering the demands of her job. 

Gabriel Thane is a lifetime resident of Carin County and now its sheriff, a job he loves. Gabe is committed to upholding the law and cares deeply for the residents he's sworn to protect. He too would like to find a lifetime companion, a marriage like his parents have.

When Evie arrives in Carin, Illinois, it's to help launch a new task force dedicated to reexamining unsolved crimes across the state. Spearheading this trial run, Evie will work with the sheriff's department on a couple of its most troubling missing-persons cases. As she reexamines old evidence to pull out a few tenuous new leads, she unearths a surprising connection . . . possibly to a third cold case. Evie's determined to solve the cases before she leaves Carin County, and Sheriff Thane, along with his family, will be key to those answers.

Traces of Guilt by Dee Henderson is the first in what I hope is a long series of Evie Blackwell Cold Cases. I thoroughly enjoyed the new cast of characters Dee brought to life in her newest series and I can't wait to continue getting to know them in future books. Traces of Guilt is not your standard romantic suspense, despite what the description on the back cover would have you believe. The romance is very light, and the cold cases take center stage in this book, but they deserve it. Like always Dee constructs a page turning drama that has you engaged from the first page.

5 out of 5. 

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review. 

Every Bride Has Her Day Review

Katie Fisher is ecstatic. Pro basketball star Brady James has proposed, and she can't wait to start planning their life together. She's confident she'll make it down the aisle this time--but it still may be easier said than done. A high-society Houston bride has Katie and the Cosmopolitan Bridal team scrambling to get the perfect dress done in time for her spectacular wedding. Meanwhile, Katie finds herself bombarded with everyone's competing visions regarding her own special day--and she's beginning to worry that her own ideas will get lost in the crossfire. Will she ever manage to settle all of the details for her perfect day? Or will bridal shop chaos and overzealous friends and family make a mess of everything?

Every Bride Has Her Day by Janice Thompson is a great conclusion to the fabulous Brides with Style series! Katie finally has a reason to wear the wedding dress that started it all and I couldn't be happier with her choice in groom. Every Bride Has Her Day if a fun-filled read that will have you laughing and crying with the characters as you watch their story wrap up. With her signature blend of humor, faith, and romance, Janice delivers yet another book to add to your favorites shelf, right next to all of her others!

5 out of 5. A wonderfully fun romantic Afternoon Snack. 

I received a copy of this book from Revell in exchange for my honest review.

Faith Review

The Civil War battlefield is the last place Quakeress Faith Cathwell thought she’d find herself. But with a gift for nursing, Faith seizes this opportunity to join the fight for abolition―and to search for Shiloh, a freeborn childhood friend who was kidnapped and sold south by unscrupulous slave catchers.

Knowing it’s much too dangerous for her to search enemy territory alone, Faith enlists the help of Colonel Devlin Knight, who is indebted to her for saving his cousin’s life. A career soldier, Dev is committed to the preservation of the Union but conflicted about freeing his own slave and confidant, who plans to enlist as soon as Dev gives him manumission papers.

Blazing a trail east with the rest of Grant’s army, Dev and Faith fight their personal battles―and a growing attraction to each other. When beliefs clash and passions flare, they quickly find that the only thing more dangerous than the war surrounding them is the battle within their hearts.

Faith by Lyn Cote was a great addition to the Quaker Brides series. Faith is a strong woman of great, well, faith  and the journey she takes for her friend shows that. I loved all the historical details that was put into this story and realistic struggles that the characters each have. The friendship and romance between characters is well written and the growth seen in them is definitely worth the read. If you're a fan of civil war era reads then Faith (as well as the first two books in this series) is a great way to kick off your summer reading plans!

5 out of 5. 

 I received a copy of this book from Tyndale House in exchange for an honest review.

Room for Hope Review

In a desperate time, can Neva find forgiveness for a grievous wrong—and make room for hope?

 

Neva Shilling has a heavy load of responsibility while her husband travels to neighboring communities and sells items from his wagon. In his absence, she faithfully runs the Shilling Mercantile, working to keep their business strong as the Depression takes its toll, and caring for their twins.

 

When a wagon pulls up after supper, Neva and her children rush out—and into the presence of the deputy driving a wagon carrying three young children. The deputy shocks her with the news that Warren and his wife have died, insisting it was their last request that the three children go live with “Aunt Neva.”

 

Neva’s heart is shattered as she realizes that Warren’s month-long travels were excuses for visits with his secret family. She wants nothing more than to forget Warren, but can she abandon these innocent children to an orphanage? Yet if she takes them in, will she ever be able to see them as more than evidence of her husband’s betrayal and love them the way God does?

Room for Hope by Kim Vogel Sawyer is a wonderful story of hope, just as the title suggests, and forgiveness. I loved the style in which Room for Hope is written, reading from the point of view of several characters made the story resonate even more for me. You got to see how Neva dealt with her husbands betrayal as well as how the children dealt with it. Arthur and Jesse provide a wonderful outside view of the situation as well. I would have to argue that Room for Hope is one of  Kim Vogel Sawyer's best novels yet. Treat yourself to this book, you won't regret it!

5 out of 5. An Afternoon Snack that is simply the best!

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

The Reluctant Duchess Review

A Riveting Edwardian Series Set among Britain's High Society

Lady Rowena Kinnaird may be the heiress to a Highland earldom, but she has never felt good enough--not for her father, not for the man she thought she'd marry, not for God. But after a shocking attack, she's willing to be forever an outcast if it means escaping Loch Morar.

Brice Myerston, the Duke of Nottingham, has found himself in possession of a rare treasure his enemies are prepared to kill for. While Brice has never been one to shy away from manor-born ladies, the last thing he needs is the distraction of Lady Rowena, who finds herself in a desperate situation. But when Rowena's father tries to trap Brice into marrying his daughter, Brice makes a surprising decision.

Rowena wanted to escape the Highlands, but she's reluctant to marry a notorious flirt. And when she learns that Brice is mixed up in questionable business with a stolen treasure, she fears she's about to end up directly in the path of everything she was trying to avoid.

The Reluctant Duchess by Roseanna White is the second book in the Ladies of the Manor series. Brice and Rowena are wonderful characters that are hard not to fall in love with as they struggle with dealing with the situation they are hastily thrown into.  The Reluctant Duchess can be read on its own and still make sense but I think it would be much more enjoyable if it is read as it was intended, as the second book in a series. All in all this is a beautifully written story that is sure to have you engrossed from start to finish.

5 out of 5. A delightful Afternoon Snack.

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.