Deception on Sable Hill by Shelley Gray

The World's Fair is nearing its end, but the danger in Chicago lingers.

It's mid-September of 1893 and Eloisa Carstairs is the reigning beauty of Gilded Age Chicago society. To outsiders she appears to have it all. But Eloisa is living with a dark secret. Several months ago, she endured a horrible assault at the hands of Douglass Sloane, heir to one of Chicago's wealthiest families. Fearing the loss of her reputation, Eloisa confided in only one friend. That is, until she meets Detective Sean Ryan at a high-society ball.
Sean is on the outskirts of the wealthy Chicago lifestyle. Born into a poor Irish family, becoming a policeman was his best opportunity to ensure his future security. Despite society's restrictions, he is enamored with Eloisa Carstairs. Sean seethes inside at what he knows happened to her, and he will do anything to keep her safe-even if he can never earn her affections. .
Eloisa longs to feel normal again in the midst of the danger surrounding the Chicago World's Fair, but a killer is on the loose. In the last month, three debutants have been accosted in the city by an assailant wielding a stiletto. As the danger in the city increases, and as Eloisa's and Sean's romance blossoms, they both realize they want to be seen as more than how the world views them. But will they catch the killer before all their hopes come tumbling down?

Deception on Sable Hill is the second novel in Shelley Gray's Chicago World's Fair Mystery Series. Following a few months after the death of Douglass Sloane and his actions against Eloisa, which occurred at the end of the Secrets of Sloane House, Eloisa finds herself despising the parties, the conversation, and she still has not allowed herself to process, to grieve over what happened. Not only that, but as one of society's most eligible debutantes, she is also in the sights of a serial killer intent on maiming or killing the most beautiful and rich young women in Chicago. That is when Sean Ryan makes his appearance, and there is an instant connection between the two. I enjoyed watching their relationship play out as the killer continues his rampage and as both Eloisa and Sean race to figure out who the killer is before it is too late. I found the storyline interesting and full of unexpected twists, mystery, and romance. The other minor characters were well developed and added greatly to the complexity of the story. I especially liked both Sean's younger sister and his fellow detective and partner, and I really enjoyed what they added to the story. I liked both Eloisa and Sean, but I did think their relationship was rushed at times. But I did appreciate the issues that both brought to the table and how they were able to work through those together. I also found Eloisa's breakthroughs near the end as she wrestled with her thoughts and her relationship with God to be compelling as well. Overall, I found this novel to be well written and very interesting, especially in the consideration of what it really means to help others for the correct reasons and how easy it can be to hide darkness behind the mask of a friendly face. I would highly recommend this novel and the previous one to any reader looking for a compelling and thought provoking mystery.

I received this novel from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.

Reservations for Two by Hillary Manton Lodge

A culinary concoction of taking chances and finding love in the most delectable places
Food writer-turned-restaurateur Juliette D’Alisa has more than enough on her plate. While her trip to Provence might have unlocked new answers to her grandmother’s past, it’s also provided new complications in the form of Neil McLaren, the man she can’t give up.

Juliette and Neil find romance simple as they travel through Provence and Tuscany together, but life back home presents a different set of challenges. Juliette has a restaurant to open, a mother combating serious illness, and a family legacy of secrets to untangle – how does Neil, living so far away in Memphis, fit into to her life?

As she confronts an uncertain future, Juliette can’t help but wish that life could be as straightforward as her chocolate chip cookie recipe. Can her French grandmother’s letters from the 1940’s provide wisdom to guide her present? Or will every new insight create a fresh batch of mysteries?

Reservations for Two by Hillary Manton Lodge is the second novel in the Two Blue Doors trilogy, and it is just as enjoyable as the first. Picking up where the first novel left off, we find Juliette in Italy and France as she visits extended family and digs deeper into the mysteries left behind by her grandmother. Stumbling across her grandmother's letters during the 1940's while in Italy, the rest of the novel alternates between her grandmother life when she was young and Juliette's current circumstances. The novel also includes the wonderful recipes that Juliette and her family use at the end of every few chapters. I enjoyed seeing Italy and France through Juliette's eyes and through the eyes of a chef. One of my favorite parts of the book were the letters, which were interesting and ended in an ultimate cliffhanger. The characters of the novel were mostly the same as those seen in the first novel, and they continued to develop in Reservations for Two as well. I liked Adrian a whole lot more in this book than the other, and my feelings of affection for Juliette and Neil faded slightly in this book, but that is all I can reveal. I do hope that Juliette comes to trust more in God than she does in this novel, especially considering everything happening in her life. I also was not a huge fan of how the last few chapters played, so I am very interested to see how the final book resolves the issues raised at the end. Overall, I enjoyed this novel, and I look forward to the next installment!

I received this novel from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review. 

7 Family Ministry Essentials by Michelle Anthony and Megan Marshman

With decades of ministry experience, Michelle Anthony and Megan Marshman capture the guiding essentials of life-changing family ministry. These seven essentials for children and student leaders emphasize:

1. Empowering families to take spiritual leadership in the home
2. Forming lifetime faith that transcends childhood beliefs
3. Teaching Scripture as the ultimate authority of truth
4. Understanding the role of the Holy Spirit to teach and transform
5. Engaging every generation in the gospel of God’s redemptive story
6. Making God central in every biblical narrative and daily living
7. Participating in community with like-minded ministry leaders

7 Family Ministry Essentials will energize and equip you with the practical steps, inspirational stories, and biblical foundation you need as you lead those in your ministry.

I thought that 7 Family Ministry Essentials was an excellent resource for those who are involved in a student or young teen ministry, or simply for parents in the home with young children or teens. There were great applications points at the end of each chapter to help incorporate the principles into ministry at home or elsewhere. There are nine chapters in this book. The first chapter discusses the intricacies of the family ministry movement and how to become involved. The second through eighth chapter go through the seven essentials listed above. The ninth chapter goes over how to be spiritually healthy leader in this current generation. I liked how this book puts together important aspects of family ministry into one concise collection, using essential topics, some of which are pretty 'simple' in theory, but are certainly important to use and to keep in mind. Overall, I thought this book was a great resource and highly useful in a home or greater student ministry setting.

I received this book from Litfuse in exchange for an honest review.

A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer

A teacher on the run. A bounty hunter in pursuit. Can two enemies learn to trust each other before they both lose what they hold most dear?

Stone Hammond is the best tracker in Texas. He never comes home empty-handed. So when a wealthy railroad investor hires him to find his abducted granddaughter, Stone eagerly accepts.

Charlotte Atherton, former headmistress of Sullivan's Academy for Exceptional Youths, will do anything to keep her charges safe, especially the orphaned girl entrusted to her care. Charlotte promised Lily's mother she'd keep the girl away from her unscrupulous grandfather, and nothing will stop Charlotte from fulfilling that pledge. Not even the handsome bounty hunter with surprisingly honest eyes who comes looking for them.

When Miss Atherton produces documentation that shows her to be Lily's legal guardian, Stone must reevaluate everything he's been led to believe. Is she villain or victim?

Then a new danger forces Charlotte to trust the man sent to destroy her. Stone vows to protect what he once sought to tear apart. Besides, he's ready to start a new pursuit: winning Charlotte's heart.

A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer was a sweet and well paced novel that kept me glued to its pages. The plot was well written and contained a fascinating mixture of romance, danger, suspense, and comic relief. I was drawn in from the first chapter, and the alternating third person perspectives of Stone and Charlotte. The characters in this novel were very well developed and realistic. I really liked all the minor, supporting characters, especially the young children Charlotte is caring for. I also thought that Charlotte and Stone were great characters, full of their own individual strengths and weaknesses. I enjoyed seeing them learn more about one another and experiencing their revelations right along with them. I liked how they both grew in their faith and trust in God and learned to trust one another as well. Overall, this was another great novel by Karen Witemeyer, and I would highly recommend it to those who love a good historical romance with a splash of danger.

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

Picture Perfect Love by Melissa McClone

 
Photographer Jenna Harrison wants every bride and groom to look picture perfect on their special day, putting her heart into every wedding to give the couple memorable images of their love. But her own heart is still broken, the unworn wedding dress hanging in her closet a reminder that relationships aren't always as perfect as they look through her camera lens. But Jenna has faith that she will find true love. Until then, she must be patient and trust in God's plan and His perfect timing.

Attorney Ashton Vance is the one that got away. When an embarrassing Photoshopped picture put an end to his political aspirations, he blamed Jenna. So what if the photo led to his being offered a dream job and changing his life for the better? Jenna betrayed his trust, and two years later, Ashton's heart still hasn't recovered.

It was me. His younger sister's three words turn Ashton's world upside down. He must ask Jenna's forgiveness, but can he risk his heart a second time? Even if Jenna can forgive him, dare he hope for a second chance at her love?

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1JJZY8s

About the author:

Melissa McClone has published more than thirty novels with Harlequin and Tule Publishing Group. She has also been nominated for Romance Writers of America's RITA® award. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, three school-aged children, two spoiled Norwegian Elkhounds and cats who think they rule the house.

Picture Perfect Love by Melissa McClone is the June novella in the Year of Weddings novella collection. Short and sweet, I enjoyed the idea of the novel but had trouble staying connected. The plot moved too quickly in parts, particularly with Jenna and Ashton (I cannot say more without spoilers), while the overall storyline almost seemed to drag until it was finally over. It can be difficult to develop characters that are complex yet allow the reader to connect with them in a novella, and with this novella I did have trouble connecting with the main characters. I liked Jenna, but I never could understand or come to like Ashton. His sister was even worse and did not change at all throughout the book but continued to get her way even when her selfishness had ruined Jenna and Ashton's happiness earlier. The structure of the novella was also difficult to read. The sentences started out very short, choppy, and incorrectly punctuated. I think part of this was eBook conversion issues, but it did make it hard to get involved in the story. There was not a lot of variation in sentence structure and little description even as the punctuation of the novella improved. Overall, this was not my favorite of the Year of Weddings novellas, but I do think it is a pleasant enough easy summer read. 

I received this novella from Litfuse and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  

See more reviews at http://litfusegroup.com/author/mmcclone

The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker

Like all citizens since the Ruining, Carrington Hale knows the importance of this day. But she never expected the moment she’d spent a lifetime preparing for―her Choosing ceremony―to end in disaster. Ripped from her family, she’ll spend her days serving as a Lint, the lowest level of society. She knows it’s her duty to follow the true way of the Authority.

But as Carrington begins this nightmare, rumors of rebellion rattle her beliefs. Though the whispers contradict everything she’s been told, they resonate deep within.

Then Carrington is offered an unprecedented chance at the life she’s always dreamed of, yet she can’t shake the feeling that it may be an illusion. With a killer targeting Lints and corruption threatening the highest levels of the Authority, Carrington must uncover the truth before it destroys her.

The Choosing by Rachelle Dekker is an intriguing and spell-binding novel that is the first in her Seer Novel series. Rachelle Dekker is the oldest of Ted Dekker's children, and her writing style demonstrates a similar flair to his novels but with her own unique twists. The Choosing is set in a dystopian future where man-made vaccine turns into a Cancer that decimates society and leads to the formation of a new Authority, religion, and way of life. The plot follows the main character Carrington as she becomes a Lint and has to choose if she will obey the rules or find freedom in the truth. I love how the character that is supposed to represent Jesus turns Carrington's beliefs upside down as he reveals what it means to be truly chosen and loved for who you are, not your societal position. This novel is full of analogies like this, suspense, mystery, danger and forbidden romance. Rachelle alternated between chapters early on in the novel that discussed the history of the new society, Carrington's point of view, Remko's (one of the guards) perspective, and the unknown killer's thoughts and actions. All of these different perspectives are related from the third person.

The characters in this novel are well developed and highly intriguing. I enjoyed seeing Remko and Carrington interact with each other and others as they attempted to understand what true freedom and love are. Other minor characters added to the storyline tremendously and helped weave together a truly enjoyable story. I would highly recommend this novel to those readers who enjoyed Ted Dekker's fantasy-style novels, and I look forward to reading the next Seer novel.

I received this novel from Tyndale House in exchange for an honest review.

The Perfect Egg by Teri Lyn Fisher and Jenny Park

A cookbook all about eggs, with 70 diverse recipes for meals, snacks, and desserts, from the team behind the beloved food blog Spoon Fork Bacon.

Eggs are one of the world’s superstar foods: inexpensive, protein-rich, versatile, and easily renewable. Every culture has its own take on eggs—for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—and The Perfect Egg features a dazzling, delicious variety of globally-influenced dishes. From Blackberry-Stuffed Croissant French Toast to Hot and Sour Soup, and from Poached Yolk-Stuffed Ravioli to Creamy Lemon Curd Tart, the more than seventy recipes in The Perfect Egg offer a fresh, unique, and modern take on the most humble of foods.

This book is an excellent resource for cooking with eggs, understanding the differences between types of eggs, and the best techniques when using eggs for different dishes, such as meringues or particular breads. The first part of the book goes over choosing eggs, understanding the information on egg cartons, and then the basic anatomy of an egg. The next section goes over the basics of using eggs, such as cooking, handling, storing, and making sauces, pastas, and breads with eggs. After that the recipes are divided into sections: Morning, Lunch, Snacks (afternoon), Dinner, and Sweets. These recipes are illustrated beautifully with pictures, and they contain very descriptive but concise directions. I have been satisfied with all of the recipes I have tried so far, and I have really enjoyed all the variations listed for quiches and pancakes. I cannot wait to try some of the sweeter options, such as the Blackberry Stuffed Croissant French Toast or the different Custard variations. Overall, I was very pleased with this cookbook, and I look forward to using it for years to come. 

I received this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for an honest review.