"An Elegant Facade" 
​by Kristi Ann Hunter

 
Lady Georgina Hawthorne has always known she must marry well. After years of plotting and planning every detail of her debut season, she is positive that she will be the most sought after lady and that she will marry the most eligible bachelor. Things seem to be going her way when rumors of the missing Duke of Marshington’s return begin to buzz around the Town. Georgina is convinced that he is coming out of his seclusion for the sole purpose of marrying her. However, her plans begin to derail quickly when the Duke does not pay her much attention. As plan ‘A’ unravels, she quickly turns to plan ‘B’ and then plan ‘C’. With all of her plans falling apart, Georgina begins to wonder if she will be able to land a husband before the end of the season.

Colin McCrae has built a good name for himself as a well-respected businessman. But even though he has strong business connections with many of the prominent families in London, he does not have a title of his own. Colin is invited to many of the social gatherings in London, but he is not accepted as ‘one of them’ by most people. One of his biggest opposers is none other than Lady Georgina.

Colin meets Lady Georgina at one of the many balls of the season and he is immediately attracted to her beauty. He soon becomes irritated by his attraction to her when he learns her true colors. Georgina is only interested in someone if they have a high title and lots of money, not to mention well-liked and attractive. Colin does not want to have anything to do with somebody so shallow, and at the same time Georgina does not want to have anything to do with somebody who cannot advance her social standing, but they seem to keep bumping into each other. In order to avoid making a scene every time they are in public, they agree to be cordial acquaintances. However, their simple agreement to be acquaintances soon turns into something deeper. When Colin learns of Georgina’s deepest secret and the reason she is trying so hard to become the Belle of Society, he soon sees a more genuine side to her that is far more appealing than the façade that she displays. Will they be able to put aside their differences or will they allow those differences to destroy them?
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 “An Elegant Façade” is book two in the Hawthorne House series by Kristi Ann Hunter. If you did not read the first book, do not worry. This book holds an interesting twist to it. Georgina’s story begins before her sister’s ends. Kristi Ann Hunter has given us a rather ingenious way of combining the two as this book contains scenes from book one from Georgina’s perspective. So you should be able to figure things out that you missed from the first book. That being said, “A Noble Masquerade” (book one) is also a very good story and I would recommend reading it as well.

Now back to the current book. I was very excited to reacquaint myself with the Hawthorne family and their friends. I must admit though that Georgina’s selfish appearance did not make her very likable at the beginning. But when she showed the thoughtfulness and kindness she had beneath her façade, she became an entirely different person. Colin is such a terrific gentleman that I wouldn’t mind knowing someone that is like him in my own life. He always did the honorable thing and took care of those around him.

The story is an elegant romance filled with a hint of danger and drama. There are also many lessons that we can learn from Colin and Georgina’s story. First of all, I was reminded that no matter what we try to hide from everyone, God still sees and knows about our hidden secrets. Secondly, we should not judge people by their appearances or status. Third, we need to remember that we can always turn to God with our problems, and He will be there to help us with them.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and I cannot wait to find out wait will happen next to the Hawthorne siblings. If you are looking for a good, clean romance to read, then this book is definitely for you. Even if you do not usually read Regency novels, I would recommend that you give this series a chance. I am sure that you will be pleasantly surprised, just as I was, at how much you enjoy this incredible series.
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I was given a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review from Bethany House Publishers.

"Missing"
​by Lisa Harris

Nikki Boyd isn’t usually called in on homicides; her specialty is missing person’s cases. But when a murder investigation leads to two people missing, she is called into the investigation to find Mac and Lucy Hudson. When she gets a call that may lead to the location of Mac Hudson, Nikki is surprised to find herself at the boat of her friend Tyler Grant. However, that is not the only surprise because on the boat they find Mac Hudson dead. Nikki does not want to believe that Tyler could have had anything to do with the murders, but that is where the evidence points to. Nikki will stop at nothing to prove her friend’s innocence, but she quickly pulled into a counterfeit drug ring and a killer who will stop at nothing to protect their secret and keep everyone silent who threatens his plans.
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“Missing” is book two in The Nikki Boyd Files series and it is filled with just as much explosive action as the first one. I have always loved a good action filled mystery and this book did not disappoint. From the very beginning of the book, I was drawn into the action and was held captivated until the end. Lisa Harris has written an intriguing and clean mystery that will draw you into Nikki’s life and the dangers that Nikki finds herself in. I cannot wait to find out what other adventures are in store for Nikki Boyd. If you are looking for an exciting mystery to read, then I would highly recommend this book.
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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

"All Summer Long"
​by Melody Carlson

Tia Gets a Second Chance at Love When an Old Crush Suddenly Reappears

Tia D'Amico is thrilled to move to San Francisco to help her aunt transform an old luxury yacht into an upscale floating restaurant. What's not to love? Sunset dinner cruises, upscale wedding receptions--the possibilities are endless and far more appetizing than staying in a monotonous job in her Podunk hometown. Besides, some of her best memories are tied to San Francisco--especially the memory of Leo Parker, her crush from a long-ago sailing camp.

When Leo Parker himself turns out to be the yacht's captain, Tia is floating on air. But will it all come crashing down around her when she discovers his heart belongs to someone else?

Get ready for a romantic summer in San Francisco, where the future glistens brighter than the bay at sunset.
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I was looking forward to reading this book by Melody Carlson as I love her Christmas novels, but sadly I was disappointed and let down. While the premise for the book sounded promising, there was a lot left to be desired. There were no lessons to be learned, no great truths to be attained, and sadly there were a couple of places where sin was made fun of and taken lightly. It is never right to laugh at sin or make jokes about sin, and I did not appreciate it in the least. My sister was planning on reading this book, but I told her about my issues with the book and she agreed with me that it is not worth her reading. Just like I could not recommend this book to my sister, I cannot recommend it to anyone else either.
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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest review.
 

"Sea Rose Lane"
​by Irene Hannon

Eric Nash has worked practically his entire life to be a prominent lawyer for a prestigious law firm, but when he is suddenly and unexpectedly caught in the middle of a layoff, his entire life is thrown into chaos. Not knowing what to do, he heads back home to Hope Harbor. Upon his arrival, he is shocked to find his childhood home is being transformed into a bed and breakfast. Now that the one place he thought he could count on to always be the same and renew some sense of stability to his life is a construction zone, he is not so sure what he is supposed to do with his life.

BJ Stevens moved to Hope Harbor to regain control of her life after she suffered many disappointments. She opens up her own construction firm and is rewarded with several opportunities to help the residents of Hope Harbor. While she is renovating an old house into a B & B, she is also trying to help the older residents of Hope Harbor by giving them a way to stay in their own houses instead of having to go to a nursing home. Things seem to be going well until she begins to encounter several “bumps” in her plans.

When Eric and BJ first meet, neither one is very fond of the other. They try their best to avoid each other, but it seems everywhere they go they bump into each other. Eric and BJ finally decide to be civil toward each other since it seems that they are destined to run into each other, but when their civility towards one another begins to develop into something deeper they must decide whether or not their friendship with each other is worth pursuing or will it be a hindrance to their respective goals?
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“Sea Rose Lane” is book two in the Hope Harbor series and it is just as delightful as the first story. This story is filled with lots of adventure, romance, and life lessons that we can all learn from. While we are introduced to some new characters, we are also reacquainted with some friends from our first trip to Hope Harbor. (If you have not read book one, do not worry. You can read this book as a standalone story and will not be lost or confused.)

While my schedule does not allow for a summer vacation, I can take a vacation through my list of books to read throughout the summer.  My first trip was a return vacation to Hope Harbor. I was very excited to make a return trip to Hope Harbor, and I was not disappointed with my visit. The only negative thing that I have to report is that the trip ended too soon. I was so wrapped in Eric’s and BJ’s story that I wanted it to continue. Just as Eric and BJ learned, what we see as horrible and unbearable events in our lives God can use for good and make something wonderful and beautiful out of them. I cannot wait to return to Hope Harbor and see what other adventures are in store for the residents of this quaint little town. If you are looking for a place to escape to for a while, then I would definitely recommend a trip to Hope Harbor. You will not be disappointed. You will find cleansing, peace, meet new friends, and learn that God is with you no matter what!

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