Rules of Murder by Julianna Deering

Read an excerpt here.

Introducing Drew Farthering From The Tip of his black Homburg to the crease in his stylish cheviot trousers, he's the epitome of a stylish 1930s English gentleman. His only problem? The body he just discovered.

Drew Farthering loves a good mystery, although he generally expects to find it in the pages of a novel, not on the grounds of his country estate.

With the help of beautiful and whip-smart Madeline Parker, a guest from America, Drew proposes to use the lessons he's learned reading his mysteries to solve the crime. Before long, he realizes this is no lark, and no one at Farthering Place is who he or she appears to be--not the butler nor blackmailer, the chauffeur nor embezzler. Trying hard to remain one step ahead of the killer--and trying harder to impress Madeline--Drew must decide how far to take this dangerous game.

Rules of Murder by Julianna Deering was an interesting and intriguing novel that was filled with mystery and suspense. The storyline was exciting and had a good mix of romance, grief, and unexpected twists. The narration was third person, but alternated from being from the perspective of Drew and Madeline, which allowed the reader to have an idea of what each was thinking and feeling. The characters were interesting with endearing quirks in their personalities. They were fairly well developed, but I did sometimes have trouble believing the romance between Drew and Madeline since they hardly knew each other and barely spend any time together before this mystery. Overall, however, the novel was an enjoyable mystery that was spell binding but still easy to read. 

I received this novel for free from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. 

Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade

Read excerpt here

When Meg Cole's father dies unexpectedly, she's forced to return home to Texas and to Whispering Creek Ranch to take up the reins of his empire. The last thing she has the patience or the sanity to deal with? Her father's Thoroughbred racehorse farm. She gives its manager, Bo Porter, six months to close the place down.

Bo knows he ought to resent the woman who's determined to take from him the only job he ever wanted. But instead of anger, Meg evokes within him a profound desire to protect. The more time he spends with her, the more he longs to overcome every obstacle that separates them and earn her love.

Just when Meg realizes she can no longer deny the depth of her feelings for Bo, their fragile bond is broken by a force from Meg's past. Can their relationship--and their belief that God can work through every circumstance--survive?

Undeniably Yours by Becky Wade was a sweet and enjoyable novel that demonstrated the power of love, forgiveness, and putting others before oneself. The plot line is well developed and contains a good mix of romance, mystery, suspense and humor. The themes are clear and interesting, though are sometimes overshadowed by an abundance of romance. However, the romance was not typically overwhelming because it was sweetly portrayed and showed the strength of true love. The narration of the novel was third person, but it alternated between the perspective of Bo and Meg, with an occasional segment from the point of view of Stephen, Meg's ex-husband. These changes allowed the reader to connect with and understand the thoughts and feelings of the characters.

The characters were realistic and enjoyable. Meg and Bo were very cute together and complemented each other well. Meg had issues with anxiety and feeling purposeless and unloved. Bo was a wonderful character, full of love, trust, and acceptance, but he did seem like he had no faults which did sometimes make him seem unrealistic. I enjoyed seeing Meg and Bo's relationship grow and seeing as they worked through different situations and problems.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel, and I would recommend it to any reader looking for a sweet but still thrilling romantic novel.

I received this novel for free from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

The Dawn of Christmas by Cindy Woodsmall

 

Read the first chapter here

This Christmas, experience learning to trust alongside the Plain folk of Apple Ridge, Pennsylvania in this heart-warming tale of second chances.

Sadie enjoys her freedom away from home and her mission trips to Peru, but after four years, her Old Order Amish family insists it’s time to come home and settle down. Levi, a bachelor who distrusts women after a family heartbreak, also has no desire for romance. To keep their families from meddling in their lives, Sadie and Levi devise a plan—but soon discover that the walls around their hearts are breaking down. Can they let go of their prejudices, learn to trust each other, and embrace a future together?

The Dawn of Christmas by Cindy Woodsmall is a sweet and enjoyable holiday read that really spoke to the importance of family and trust, especially during the Christmas season. This novel follows in the wake of the author's first two Christmas novels, The Sound of Sleighbells and The Christmas Singing, and includes many of the characters first seen in these books. The plot of The Dawn of Christmas was interesting and believable and contained important themes such as trusting one another, letting go of prejudices, and discerning if you are following God's will or your own plans. The storyline was smooth and well written and included entertaining and witty dialogue between the characters. The narration of the novel was third person, but the perspective of the chapters alternated between Sadie, Levi, and Beth (the main character from The Sound of Sleighbells).

The characters of The Dawn of Christmas were realistic and well-developed. Sadie and Levi both had flaws, such as a reluctance to trust God and one another and stubborn pride. Sadie is strong willed and stubborn and convinced that God's will is for her to forgo a relationship and to pursue mission work abroad. Levi has been hurt through seeing the relationships of those close to him fall apart. However despite these trials and flaws, they begin to trust God and one another as they learn more about one another and to understand what God has for them. Jonah and Beth, the characters of The Sound of Sleighbells, also had a prominent spot in this novel, and it was neat to see how they had grown and changed over the course of the different novels.

Overall, I found this novel to be a sweet and enjoyable read, and I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a short novel to read for this holiday season.
I received this novel for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Press in exchange for an honest review.

Eyes Wide Open by Ted Dekker

 

"My name is Christy Snow. I'm seventeen and I'm about to die. I'm buried in a coffin under tons of concrete. No one knows where I am. My heart sounds like a monster with clobber feet, running straight toward me. I'm lying on my back, soaked with sweat from the hair on my head to the soles of my feet. My hands and feet won't stop shaking. Some will say that I'm not really here. Some will say I'm delusional. Some will say that I don't even exist. But who are they? I'm the one buried in a grave. My name is Christy Snow. I'm seventeen and I'm about to die."

Eyes Wide Open by Ted Dekker was a book that truly opened my eyes wide to the power of the mind and the illusions that it is capable of creating. This novel left me spellbound and unsure of what was going to happen. Even as the story concluded, I found myself questioning what was real and what was all the in the mind of the characters. One of the best psychological thrillers I have read in a while, Eyes Wide Open has a fantastic storyline that explores what it means to be loved and accepted by God especially once you realize just how messed up you really are. Set in a supposed mental hospital, Christy and her friend Austin find themselves in the midst of a cover up that leaves them admitted into the mental ward under fictional names with no way to get out or to reveal the truth. As the story unfolds, Christy and Austin find their perceptions challenged, their thoughts confused, and the truth of who they are clouded as they face their worst fears and characteristics. Will they discover the truth in time, or will they remain in a state of clouded illusion, not realizing the love and beauty of following the Outlaw?

The plot line of Eyes Wide Open was beautifully crafted and consisted of series of twists and turns that left me dizzy and truly able to connect to the characters as they struggled to understand what was going on. The imagery and illusions that filled this book were excellently described and added to the intrigue and complexity of the story. The characters of Eyes Wide Open were well developed and realistic. Both Christy and Austin struggled with fundamental issues, such as body image and what is truth, that every person has struggled with at some point in time. As they are forced to wrestle with these thoughts, it becomes obvious how truly clouded one's perceptions can be about what is true apart from God. The themes of this novel were woven in incredibly well and were convicting in their message. Eyes Wide Open addressed the importance of God's love and acceptance and how it is only through his love and his Son that we can see beyond the clouds of sin and death to what we are in Him. That through the death and resurrection of Jesus we are made Outlaws, outside of the law and redeemed from the death that our sins require and that the law demands.

Overall, I highly enjoyed the depth and complexity of Eyes Wide Open by Ted Dekker. I loved how it pulled me in yet still made me think about deep, base issues that reside all hearts. I highly recommend this novel to any person looking for a novel that both thrills and convicts, and I look forward to seeing what happens next in this series.

I received this novel for free from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Headmistress of Rosemere by Sarah E. Ladd

Patience Creighton has dedicated herself to the Rosemere School for Young Ladies. But the return of the enigmatic master of the estate puts everything she loves at risk.

Bright, sensible Patience knows what is expected of her. At twenty-five, her opportunity for a family of her own has passed, so she invests herself in teaching at her father’s school for girls. When her father dies suddenly and her brother moves away to London, she is determined to make the school successful.

Confirmed bachelor William Sterling also knows what is expected of him, but mistake after mistake has left him teetering on ruin’s edge. As master of Eastmore Hall he owns a great deal of property -- including the land where Rosemere School is located -- but possesses little money to manage its upkeep. When debtors start calling, he is desperate to find a new source of income, even if it means sacrificing Rosemere.

When a fire threatens the school grounds, William must decide to what lengths he is willing to go to protect his birthright. And when Patience’s brother returns with a new wife to take over management of the school, Patience suddenly finds herself unsure of her calling. After a surprising truth about William’s past is brought to light, both William and Patience will have to seek God’s plans for their lives—and their hearts.

Headmistress of Rosemere by Sarah Ladd was a sweet and intriguing novel that kept me captivated the entire time. This book is the second novel in the Whispers of the Moor series, but I was still able to connect with the story and the characters even though I have not read the first installment. The plot line was interesting and had its share of mystery, romance, suspense, and tragedy. The storyline was well developed and contained beautiful descriptions and language. The narration of the novel was third person but was still told from the perspective of Patience and sometimes William so the reader had an idea of what they were thinking.

The characters in Headmistress of Rosemere were well developed and realistic. I enjoyed seeing the character growth that occurred in both Patience and William as they faced impossible situations and as they had to learn to trust God's plans even the outcome was not clear. Both Patience and William did have their own flaws, but they also strengths, such as perseverance and love, that helped them grow stronger as people and together.

Overall I enjoyed Headmistress of Rosemere immensely, and I would highly recommend it to any reader looking for a romantic historical novel that is captivating from beginning to end.

I received this novel from Thomas Nelson and Booksneeze.com in exchange for an honest review.

Nightmare City by Andrew Klavan

Tom Harding only wants the truth. But the truth is becoming more dangerous with every passing minute.

As a reporter for his high school newspaper, Tom Harding was tracking the best story of his life—when, suddenly, his life turned very, very weird. He woke up one morning to find his house empty . . . his street empty . . . his whole town empty . . . empty except for an eerie, creeping fog—and whatever creatures were slowly moving toward him through the fog.

Now Tom’s once-ordinary world has become something out of a horror movie. How did it happen? Is it real? Is he dreaming? Has there been a zombie apocalypse? Has he died and gone to hell?

Tom is a good reporter—he knows how to look for answers—but no one has ever covered a story like this before. With the fog closing in and the hungry creatures of the fog surrounding him, he has only a few hours to find out how he lost the world he knew. In this bizarre universe nothing is what it seems and everything—including Tom’s life—hangs in the balance.

Nightmare City by Andrew Klavan was an exciting and suspenseful novel that teens and adults both can enjoy. The plot line was well written and very interesting. There were a lot of plot twists as the reader follows Tom's investigation into what is occurring. The plot contained a good mix of suspense, mystery, romance, and danger and kept me engaged the entire novel. The themes of this novel included the importance of believing and trusting in God, knowing who your real friends are, and being honest with others and yourself. I also really liked how the author  illustrated his points about God and trust in a way that was truthful and clear. Nightmare City had third person narration, but was still told from the perspective of  Tom so that the reader understood his thoughts and feelings. There were a few times where the narration changed and added to the suspense of the storyline.

The characters of this novel were well developed and realistic. The main character, Tom, was very engaging and had a good mix of strengths and flaws. It was interesting to see how both his past and present decisions impacted his character and the events that unfolded around him. The majority of the novel focused only on Tom and how he had interacted with other people in his past, but there were a few times where other characters, such as Marie, Lisa, Gordon, and Tom's mother entered the story and added to the complexity and tone of the novel.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel and I would highly recommend Nightmare City and any of the Andrew Klavan's novels to teen and young adult readers who are looking for an exciting yet thought provoking read.

I received this novel from Thomas Nelson and Booksneeze.com in exchange for an honest review.

Martyer's Fire by Sigmund Brouwer

Read first chapter here

 

Will this dangerous quest lead the outcast Orphan King toward an ancient secret—or to certain destruction?
 Posing as a beggar, Thomas escapes Magnus after fifteen men, who are calling themselves the Priests of the Holy Grail, arrive and take control of the castle through wondrous acts and apparent miracles. With the help of his longtime friend Gervaise, Thomas sets out on a journey that leads him to the ancient Holy Land. Unaware that Katherine and Hawkwood are watching over him, Thomas is tested in his beliefs and comes face to face with the ancient power that the Merlins and Druids have long been searching for.

Enter the world of Merlin’s Immortals, where ancient secrets and evil conspiracies take you on a breathless adventure of discovery, intrigue, and hidden knowledge.

Martyr's Fire by Sigmund Brouwer is the third novel in his Merlin's Immortals series. This novel follows in the footsteps of Fortress of Mist and provides more information about the elusive group started by Merlin -the Immortals. The plot of this novel was interesting and contained mystery, sadness, suspense, and betrayal. However, the plot felt very fractured and I had trouble connecting to the storyline and characters at various points throughout the novel. The novel is narrated in third person, with the point of view alternating between that of Katherine and Thomas.

The characters of this novel were not very dynamic though fairly realistic. Even though this novel is the third in the series, I still feel like I do not know the characters well or that I can relate to them. I did learn a little bit more about Katherine's past and Thomas's expected future and the new struggles and resentments that lie between them. However, there was still very little connection established with the true personalities of the characters and the readers.

Overall I have trouble enjoying this series and really connecting with its plot and characters. I wish the novels were longer, more structured, and contained more relatable characters.

I received this novel for free from Waterbrook Multnomah Press in exchange for an honest review.