"Over May Dead Body"
by Susan May Warren

​FBI Special Agent Serena Jones arrives on Martha's Vineyard with her family, ready for a little bit of R&R and a whole lot of reminiscing as they celebrate the engagement of an old family friend. But crime doesn't take a vacation, and she's soon entangled in an investigation of a suspicious death tied to an antiquities smuggling ring.

When her investigation propels her into danger, Serena must stay the course and solve this case before anyone else dies. But just how is she supposed to do that when the two men in her life arrive on the scene, bringing with them plenty of romantic complications--and even a secret or two?

Award-winning author Sandra Orchard keeps readers guessing with this fast-paced mystery laced with romance.
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I have enjoyed this entire series by Sandra Orchard. I hope that you she continues on Serena’s journey, as the epilogue left it to where there could be more to the adventure. (We definitely need more of Serena and ?) Yes, Serena does finally choose between Nate and Tanner. While both guys had their good qualities, I am very happy to say that Serena chose the man that I was rooting for!!! If you do not know what I am talking about, then I recommend that you start at the beginning of the series so that you can follow Serena’s dilemmas in the dating department. The mystery in this book is a standalone and can be read by itself, but you may be slightly confused as to who all of the characters are. I love all of the characters in this wonderful series, and I am glad that the main core of characters as been the same throughout the series. Serena’s zany aunt will have you in stitches with all of her crazy antics. The mystery will keep you guessing throughout the entire book as there are many different suspects to keep your eye on. If you are looking for a quirky mystery series to read, then I definitely recommend this series.
 
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishers I exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

"On Love's Gentle Shore"
by Liz Johnson

 
 
 
Fifteen years after she left Prince Edward Island, Natalie O'Ryan had no plans to return. But when her fiancé, music producer Russell Jacobs, books their wedding in her hometown and schedules a summer at Rose's Red Door Inn, she sets out to put the finishing touches on the perfect wedding. But she can't possibly prepare for a run-in with Justin Kane--the best friend she left behind all those years ago after promising to stay.

Justin's never forgotten Natalie or the music career he always dreamed of pursuing. He'd been prepared to follow her off the island until his dad died and he was left to run the family dairy farm. He's done the best he can with the life that was thrust upon him--but with Natalie back in the picture, he begins to realize just how much joy he's been missing.

After Natalie's reception venue falls through, she must scramble to find an alternative, and the only option seems to be a barn on Justin's property. As they work together to get the dilapidated building ready for the party, Natalie and Justin discover the groundwork for forgiveness--and that there may be more than an old friendship between them.
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This is the third story in the Prince Edward Island Dreams series. I would recommend reading the first two books before you read this book. As I have not read the first two books, I was slightly confused as to what was going on. This is a beautiful story filled with many heartwarming moments and lovely scenes. I was drawn to the characters and the beautiful scenery. There is a tremendous lesson to be learned about accepting yourself as you really are and forgiveness.
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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

"A Matter of Trust"
by Susan May Warren

Champion backcountry snowboarder Gage Watson has left the limelight behind after the death of one of his fans. After being sued for negligence and stripped of his sponsorships, he's remade his life as a ski patrol in Montana's rugged mountains, as well as serving on the PEAK Rescue team. But he can't seem to find his footing--or forget the woman he loved, who betrayed him. 

Senator and former attorney Ella Blair spends much of her time in the limelight as the second-youngest senator in the country. But she has a secret--one that cost Gage his career. More than anything, she wants to atone for her betrayal of him in the courtroom and find a way to help him put his career back on track. 

When Ella's brother goes missing on one of Glacier National Park's most dangerous peaks, Gage and his team are called in for the rescue. But Gage isn't so sure he wants to help the woman who destroyed his life. More, when she insists on joining the search, he'll have to keep her safe while finding her reckless brother, a recipe for disaster when a snowstorm hits the mountain. 

But old sparks relight as they search for the missing snowboarder--and suddenly, they are faced with emotions neither can deny. But when Ella's secret is revealed, can they learn to trust each other--even when disaster happens again?
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This is the third book in the Montana Rescue series by Susan May Warren. I would recommend reading the other two books before you read this one. I have not read the previous books, and I was slightly confused at times as to who everyone was. The story is very fast paced and filled with lots of thrills and adventures. This is the perfect book to read on a hot summer day since it is filled with lots of snow! It helped me forget about the extreme heat, and I felt like I was on the Montana mountains. The story also has a great lesson on forgiveness and learning to trust God.
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I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Click here to purchase your copy.

"A Name Unknown"
by Roseanna M. White

She’s Out to Steal His Name.
Will He Steal Her Heart Instead?


Rosemary Gresham has no family beyond the band of former urchins that helped her survive as a girl in the mean streets of London. Grown now, they are no longer pickpockets—now they focus on high value items and have learned how to blend into upper-class society. Rosemary’s challenge of a lifetime comes when she’s assigned to determine whether a certain wealthy gentleman is loyal to Britain or to Germany. How does one steal a family’s history, their very name?

As Europe moved closer to World War I, rumors swirl around Peter Holstein. Awkward and solitary, but with access to the king, many fear his influence. But Peter can’t help his German last name and wants to prove his loyalty to the Crown—so he can go back to anonymously writing a series of popular adventure novels. When Rosemary arrives on his doorstop pretending to be a well- credentialed historian, Peter believes she’s the right person to help him dig through his family’s past.

When danger and suspicion continue to mount, though, and both realize they’re in a race against time to discover the truth—about Peter’s past and about the undeniable attraction kindling between them.
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I have always loved reading books set in the World War II era, but I had never read a book set in World War I before. I am glad that I did though! This story is so well written, that I want to learn more about World War I.  From the very beginning I was drawn into the book, filled with mystery, intrigue, spies, romance, faith, and endearing characters this is definitely a keeper. While I did enjoy most of the characters, my favorite was Peter. As soon as I met him, I fell in love with him. His strength, faith, and character are very endearing and his stuttering and they way he deals with it, just made me love him more. I loved how he and Rosemary wrote letters back in forth; it was very sweet and a great way for them to communicate. (Sadly in our day in age of texts and tweets, we do not write letters much anymore. I believe that we need to get back to the art of letter writing and express ourselves as Peter and Rosemary did and not just text a bunch of emoji's or LOL's to communicate with each other.) The story had many twists, turns, and an unexpected outcome that hold you captive until the very end. If you are looking for an exciting read, then I definitely recommend that you read this amazing book. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

GUEST POST FROM ROSEANNA M. WHITE

It’s always a challenge to make a historical setting authentic—especially when it’s set in a region you’ve only ever read about. As I was writing A Name Unknown, I learned so much about Cornwall—all the more when I had the opportunity to visit the gorgeous Penzance region while the book was still in edits! I quickly learned that I had far too many trees in my story, and hadn’t quite captured the uniqueness of the coastal setting. I dove into rewrites with excitement and gusto, ready to make my fictional Cornwall more like the real one.


I studied the Cornish accent, Cornish foods, typical Cornish coloring in hair and eyes. I’ve now gotten rather proficient at making pasties (beef hand pies) from scratch, I’ve special-ordered ingredients to make Cornish ginger cookies called fairings, and I’ve spent quite a lot of time listening to videos of people speaking in a Cornish accent.


Delving into this rich region and its history was a blast! And I’m so excited to get to share the culture of Cornwall—and a taste of their unique flavors—with you. In a special Celebrate Lit giveaway, I’ll be offering not only a signed copy of my book, but also some homemade ginger fairings! Here’s the recipe I used . . . after special ordering the Mixed Spice (reminiscent of pumpkin pie spice) and Golden Syrup (a thick syrup with a bit of a toffee flavor) from Amazon.  (I have a gram scale so did use the weight measurements rather than volume—also, English teaspoons and tablespoons are a bit bigger than American, so I heaped them, and I turned out deliciously.)


GINGER FAIRINGS RECIPE


100 grams butter, cold and diced
225 grams all-purpose flour
¼ heaping teaspoon salt
2 heaping teaspoons baking powder
2 heaping teaspoons baking soda
1 heaping teaspoon ginger
2 heaping teaspoons mixed spice
100 grams superfine (caster) sugar
4 heaping tablespoons golden syrup


Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper.


Combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices in a stand mixer. Add the butter and beat until mixture forms coarse crumbs. Stir in sugar.


In a small saucepan, warm the golden syrup until it’s clarified a bit; stir into the flour mixture until a dough forms. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls and put on prepared baking sheets a few inches apart.


Bake 8-10 minutes, until golden. Cool a few minutes on the trays and then transfer to a cooling rack.

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"Crazy About Alaska"
​by Shannon L. Brown

Can she trust love?
Holly has her eye on a handsome state trooper. Not on her boring, oh-so-serious, former professor, Adam.
Having her toes curl when she’s near Adam must be ignored.
Holly just wants a great dad for her twin girls. She’s going to find one, write a novel to fulfill her dreams, and create a happy life.
Falling in love isn’t part of her plan.
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​This is the third book in the Alaska Dream Romance Collection; however, it can be read as a standalone. There are references to the characters from the previous books, but you will not be lost if you haven't read them. It is pretty easy to figure out who everyone is and role they play in the series. 

At the beginning of the story we meet Holly who is willing to do whatever it takes to provide for her daughters. Enters her former college professor, Adam, whom she had a slight crush on in college until he dashed her dreams of becoming a writer by his harsh comments of her writing assignments. Now they continue to cross paths, and Holly is surprised to find another side of Adam, one that she can't help but like. As their relationship grows, they are both holding on to secrets. One of them has a secret that could change their relationship forever. Will they share those secrets before it is too late, or will those secrets tear them apart forever.

This story is a great read for summer vacation. You can travel to Alaska without even leaving your house. The description of the scenery made me feel like I was actually in Alaska. (No, I have never been to Alaska, but the author did a great job of describing it, so I felt like I was there.) This story has everything that you would want in a clean read fiction book: humor, love, great sister moments, and a great lesson on trust and keeping secrets. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

GUEST POST FROM THE AUTHOR

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"My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island"
by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Although the Winds of Mackinac Inn has been in her mother’s family for generations, Maude Welling’s father refuses to let her run it without the guidance of a husband. So she seeks to prove her worth and independence by working incognito as a maid at the Grand Hotel.

Undercover journalist Ben Steffans, posing as a wealthy industrialist, pursues a story about impoverished men chasing heiresses at the famed hotel.  While undercover, he becomes attracted to an intriguing maid. By an act of heroism Ben endears himself to the closed-mouthed islanders—including Maude—and he digs deep for his story.

But when scandal threatens, will the growing love between Maude and Ben be scuttled when truths are revealed?
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Do you want to go somewhere for summer vacation but you know you will probably not be able to so? Then I recommend that you read this book and allow it to carry you away for an interesting summer staycation. I love travelling different places through the many books that I read, and I really enjoyed going to Mackinac Island. The book is set in 1895, so we not only get to go somewhere for vacation, but we also get to go back in time and experience what it was like to live or vacation on the Island over 100 years ago.

I really enjoyed reading Maude's story. She wants to do what is right, but nothing seems to be going right for her. Ben is sent on a "secret mission" that he doesn't feel right about, but he is looking for his big break as a journalist, so he must do whatever it takes. Ben and Maude both learn that they need to rely on God and that keeping secrets isn't a good thing. While I liked Ben and Maude, my favorite character was Maude's little rambunctious brother, Jack. He is so full of life that you cannot help but fall in love with him. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishers no review was required. All opinions are my own.

"My Daughter's Legacy"
by Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould

Women of Unfailing Conviction
Virginia, 1864

Therese Jennings cannot abide the thought of owning slaves. When her widowed mother inherits a plantation, Therese flees to Civil War Richmond, where she works as a governess by day and tends to wounded soldiers at night. But when trouble befalls her family, can she reconcile her obligations with her beliefs? And will love—whether with an old beau or a handsome new suitor—ever fit in her broken world?

Virginia, present day

Nicole Talbot's life is back on track after years of substance abuse. Home from college for the summer, she's finally ready to share a shocking secret, one that raises new questions about a traumatic childhood experience. But when facts she uncovers cast doubt on her family's legacy, she must risk all that she's gained—her fresh start, her family's trust, and her growing relationship with a new man—to unlock the secrets of the past.

From the Christy Award-winning team of Mindy Starns Clark and Leslie Gould comes a thrilling tale of two women longing to follow God's leading, make the most of second chances, and find true love at last.
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This is book three in the Cousins of the Dove series. Unfortunately I have not read the first two books in this series, but I hope to reconcile that very soon. While I was slightly confused about a couple of things in the "Present Day" storyline, I was able to read this book as a standalone without too much difficulty about what was going on. 

I found both plots very intriguing, and I really loved how the story switched from present day to the Civil War and how they tied together with each other. It was really neat to follow a story set in two different eras, and the authors did an excellent job of the transitions between the two. I had no problem discerning between two and following the plot line.

I loved all of the history that was in the book, and I even learned some things that I had no idea about in regards to the ships used in the Civil War and about the Quakers involvement during the War. (Yes, I knew that they used ships, but some of the things that were mentioned in the story were new to me.) I was telling my sister about this book, who is a major Civil War buff, and she was very intrigued by the story. (However, when I was telling her what I learned, she just gave me this look "Like really...you didn't know that?" and I just smiled at her sheepishly.) 

While the book does contain many historical events, there is also a mystery that spans four generations of the Talbot family. I loved how the Talbot girls worked together to solve the mystery. The book kept me on the edge of seat, and I was unable to put it down. I could not wait to see what was going to happen next. If you love historical fiction or are looking for an interesting read, then I would definitely recommend that you read this book. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Litfuse Publishers in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

"Grounded Hearts" 
by Jeanne M. Dickson

"A Letter from Lancaster County"
by Kate Lloyd

Two Sisters Get a Second Chance at Life and Love
Angela
Her mother's untimely death, a struggling marriage, a strained relationship with her sister, Rose, and regrets over what might have been haunt her. Despite being a wife and mother, she feels she has little to show for her life.

Rose
Still single, she longs for a husband and children. But Angela has all that and still isn't happy. Rose wants to be closer to her older sister, but she and Angela couldn't be more different. Both strong women, will their sibling rivalry ever end?
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When a letter arrives from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Angela and Rose decide to visit Aunt Silvia, their mother's Mennonite sister, in the heart of Amish country. This vacation could provide the opportunity both sisters need to sort out their issues. And yet instead of finding a new way of connecting with each other, Angela and Rose discover surprising family secrets that add to their strife and threaten Rose's romance with a new beau.

Through it all, the two sisters must find the faith necessary to face their personal problems and allow God to restore hope and healing to their hearts and relationship as only He can.
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This is the first book in the Lancaster Discoveries Series.  This is the story of four sisters who didn't get along with each other.  Two sisters don't have a chance of making amends.   Will Rose and Angela use the example of their mother and Aunt Sylvia not being on speaking terms when their passed away to use this opportunity to straighten out their relationship?    Angela is a married English woman who is struggling in her life.  Even though she has a successful lawyer husband, two children and anything she wants, she still isn't happy, especially since she has lost her mother.  Her younger sister Rose is not married, but has her own business and wants to be more like her older sister.  The two sisters have a strained relationship, just like their mother and her sister Sylvia do.  But when Aunt Sylvia writes them to come to Amish Country to visit her, they agree.  Hopefully to reconcile their differences.  But there are family secrets that are uncovered that makes the girls wonder if they really knew their Mother at all.  And why does Aunt Sylvia act so strangely? 

This book shows what can happen between a struggling relationship when it is not resolved.  I found that the way she switched back and forth between sisters a little confusing.   Not your typical book that you would expect with the title Lancaster County. Lancaster Pennsylvania is beautiful countryside and also very peaceful with both Amish and Mennonite residing there as well as English.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Litfuse Publishers in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

"His Guilt"
by Shelley Shepard Gray

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray delivers the next novel in her Amish of Hart County series—a suspenseful tale of an Amish man who will risk all to protect the woman he loves.
Mark Fisher has returned home to Hart County, determined to put the past behind him. Two years ago, after being wrongly accused of assault, he left the Amish community, though never forgot his home. When the one person who had helped him through his rough times asks for help, Mark returns. But it is pretty Waneta Cain who makes him want to stay...

Neeta is one of the few people in Hart County who doesn’t believe Mark is guilty of hurting anyone. However, his worldliness and tough exterior do make her uneasy. As she begins to see the real man behind all the gossip and prejudice, she wonders if he is the man for her. 

Just when Mark starts to believe a new life is possible, a close friend of Neeta’s is attacked. Once again, everyone in the community seems to believe he is guilty.  But what hurts most is Neeta’s sudden wariness around him. When another woman is hurt, a woman who is close to both Neeta and himself, Mark fears he knows the real culprit. And time is running out. Will Mark be able to find him before Neeta becomes his next victim?
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Mark Gray has returned to his Amish community determined to put his past behind him.  Having left two years ago after being accused of attacking a young lady, he wants to prove that he didn't do it.  But will his fellow Amish let him forget?  Why can't they forgive like the Bible tells them to do?  Maybe this was a mistake.  But pretty Waneta Cain believes in him,  even when the attacks have started up again ever since Mark came back.  Can they find out who the real attacker is, before the attacker hits too close to home?  Will the community give Mark a second chance? 

I usually enjoy Ms. Gray's books but this I didn't much care for because of the topic covered.  Also, the book stated that Mark's and Calvin's parents used alcohol and drugs, I am sure that some of the Amish do this even though they have joined the church, we have the same problem with English church members, I just had never read a book that stated this before.  I did appreciate the fact that the book brought out the need for forgiveness of others and yourself. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Litfuse Publishers in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.