Category: Book Review

Quote from Hidden Secrets by Janet Sketchley: It wouldn’t be running away as long as she came back in the fall. It would be a summer break. Lots of people took them.

Book Review | Hidden Secrets (Green Dory Inn 2) by Janet Sketchley

After her professor fails her for lack of participation, Landon Smith heads back to the Green Dory Inn for the summer to lick her wounds and support Anna—the friend who showed Jesus to Landon when she most needed help.

Hidden Secrets is the second book in the Green Dory Inn Mystery series.

I do recommend you read the first (Unknown Enemy), as that introduced the overall plot arc and many of the characters in Hidden Secrets. Yes, a mystery fan will probably enjoy Hidden Secrets without reading Unknown Enemy first, but there are plot points that won’t make sense without the background knowledge.

While I have read (and reviewed) Unknown Enemy, it was a while ago so I had forgotten some of the plot points and characters. No matter—Hidden Secrets did a good job of reconnecting me with the story without repeating everything that has gone before (a must when you read as many books as I do).

(And for those who like lists, there is a list of key characters.)

Anyway, Landon is back, and just in time as Anna is losing business at the Inn because of some malicious false reviews online. If business doesn’t improve, she might be forced to sell the inn—her late husband’s dream.

There is also a guest investigating the history of the town and the local characters, including the infamous Captain Jack.

But this raises issues as well, as there are secrets to be uncovered.

There were also a few more hints about Landon’s background and recovery, after being trafficked as a teen. While the novel doesn’t go into detail, it’s good to see Christian fiction dealing realistically with some of the more unfortunate sides of modern life.

Hidden Secrets by Janet Sketchley is the second book in the Green Dory Inn Mystery series, set near Halifax, Canada, and it's a fast-paced and compelling story. #ChristianFiction #Mystery Share on X

Overall, Hidden Secrets was a well-written and compelling story, with several layers of secrets. I’ll look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review.

About Janet Sketchley

Janet Sketchley is an Atlantic Canadian writer who likes her fiction with a splash of mystery or adventure and a dash of Christianity. Why leave faith out of our stories if it’s part of our lives? Her Green Dory Inn series is set near the picturesque town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Janet’s other books include the Redemption’s Edge Christian suspense series and the devotional collection, A Year of Tenacity.

Find Janet Sketchley online at:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Twitter

About Hidden Secrets

The secrets of Captain Hiltz may not have died with him.

When Landon Smith returns to the Green Dory Inn, she finds innkeeper Anna Young still shaken by the recent vandalism and unable to cope when the inn is targeted in an online vendetta. Prickly neighbour Bobby Hawke can help with Anna’s cyber woes, but when the attacks escalate to physical threats, Landon and Bobby must work together to unmask the culprit.

A cryptic message about a tunnel points to the property’s original owner, a notorious Prohibition-era sea captain rumoured to have left hidden wealth. Contraband, treasure, evidence of things better left buried…

How far will Anna’s enemy go to claim the tunnel and its contents? Protecting Anna will require courage and faith as Landon battles the locals’ attitudes and the scars of her past. Even then, she and Bobby are tracing the faintest of clues. With Anna on the brink of emotional collapse—and danger rising like the tide—time is running out.

Find Hidden Secrets online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

Read the introduction to Hidden Secrets below:

And click here to check out great Christian fiction in my Amazon shop!

Book Review | In the Cradle Lies by Olivia Newport

For some reason, I thought this was another novel in Barbour Publishing’s new true crime series. It’s not—although it definitely has a suspense element and echoes of The Pink Bonnet by Liz Tolsma.

In the Cradle Lies is a dual timeline novel.

In the present, genealogist Jillian lives in a ski town in Colorado, where she and her best friend, Kris, meet a visitor. Tucker appears to have more money than sense, as he keeps buying expensive ski gear and wants to ski the dangerous Hidden Run ski trail.

In the past, Matthew loves his mother but had a difficult relationship with his father. As the novel progresses, we find that Matthew’s father is hiding a big secret … and that Matthew is Tucker’s grandfather.

I found the first quarter a little hard going.

That’s partly my own fault, for thinking I was reading true crime when In the Cradle Lies is actually split time. But it was also because Tucker was odd, and odd men in fiction often turn out to be creepy stalkers … so I was waiting for Tucker to turn creepy and stalkerish. But he didn’t. Instead, the oddball turned out to be Nolan, Jillian’s father (who was merely odd, not stalkerish).

I’ve done my share of family history research, so I enjoyed the genealogical research side of the story. I can’t say I enjoyed the past story—but that’s the point. It’s full of tension, and it was meant to be thought-provoking rather than entertaining.

The writing was strong, and the plot certainly kept me engaged.

I realised about halfway through that this isn’t a standalone novel—it’s the second book in a series. Having said that, I haven’t read the first and I don’t think it affected my enjoyment (although if I had read The Inn at Hidden Run, maybe I would have realised this was split time).

As such, I recommend In the Cradle Lies to split time fans, especially those who like a bit of mystery and suspense.

Thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Olivia Newport

Olivia NewportOlivia Newport’s novels blend the truths of where we find ourselves now with insights into what carried us in the past. Enjoying life with her husband and nearby grown children, she chases joy in stunning Colorado at the foot of Pikes Peak.

About In The Cradle Lies

A Father-Daughter Genealogy Team Link Present to Past on Family Trees

On a solo ski vacation in Canyon Mines, Colorado, Tucker has a love-hate relationship with his wealth, spending indiscriminately while skiing fearlessly and preparing to conquer the overgrown slope of Hidden Run, a dangerous run not attempted in decades. As genealogist Jillian tries to uncover enough of Tucker’s family tree to understand his charming nature but reckless resolve, Jillian’s equally charming father, Nolan, cajoles Tucker into giving him ski lessons to get him talking about the suspicious circumstances surrounding his grandfather’s life in St. Louis in the 1930s.

On the surface, Tucker’s family’s history seems too perfect. The secret may lie in the sealed envelope Tucker carries with him at all times—even on the ski slope. When no one can find Tucker to tell him the fiancée he never mentioned turned up in Canyon Mines, they realize he must be off attempting to ski Hidden Run alone in a snowstorm. And they may be too late.

In the Cradle Lies is the second book in the Tree of Life series by Olivia Newport.

You can find In The Cradle Lies online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Quote from Dangerous Relations: The pieces were falling into place, but she didn’t like where they were landing.

Book Review | Dangerous Relations by Carol J Post

Shelby Adair isn’t on the best of terms with her sister, but she still doesn’t expect to arrive for a dinner invitation and find her sister dead and her apartment crawling with police.

Nor does Shelby expect the brother of her sister’s useless ex to show up, trying to claim custody of her niece.

Ryan McConnell has a good relationship with his niece and wants to raise her. More than that, he doesn’t want his parents raising her—and he knows his father is prepared to fight dirty. He’ll let Shelby take Mia for now. But only because Abby, Mia’s nanny, has offered to go as well, so at least there will be someone familiar in Mia’s life.

Shelby runs her aunt’s diner in a small Washington town. Taking care of Mia is something she can do. She’s determined not to let Ryan’s parents get Mia, especially as there as something fishy about her sister’s death …

Well, this is Love Inspired Suspense …

That means there is something fishy, and there is plenty of tension, especially once it becomes obvious someone is after them. But who? Why? And how is Mia’s father involved?

Dangerous Relations has all the necessary ingredients of an enjoyable romantic suspense novel—a loving and independent heroine, an ex-military hero, something that draws them together (their niece), and some outside force that’s trying to keep them apart. It’s a fast and gripping read, perfect for romantic suspense fans.

Thanks to Carol J Post for providing a free ebook for review.

About Carol J Post

Carol J PostFrom medical secretary to court reporter to property manager to owner of a special events decorating company, Carol’s resume reads as if she doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up. But one thing that has remained constant through the years is her love for writing. She currently pens fun and fast-paced inspirational romance and romantic suspense stories. Her books have been nominated for a RITA® award and an RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award.

Carol lives in sunshiny Central Florida with her husband, who is her own real-life hero, and writes her stories under the shade of the huge oaks in her yard. Besides writing, she works alongside her music minister husband singing and playing the piano. She enjoys sailing, hiking, camping—almost anything outdoors. Her two grown daughters and grandkids live too far away for her liking, so she now pours all that nurturing into taking care of a fat and sassy black cat and a highly spoiled dachshund.

You can find Carol J Post online at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter

About Dangerous Relations

He’ll do anything to save his niece…

When her sister’s murdered, navy man Ryan McConnell insists on protecting Shelby Adair and their niece—especially after someone tries to kidnap little Chloe.

But can Shelby trust the child’s uncle? After all, she’s convinced his family’s behind the attacks. But the longer Ryan shields them, the more Shelby wonders if becoming a forever family is their only shot at survival.

Find Dangerous Relations online at:

Amazon | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Read the introduction to Dangerous Relations below:

Click here to find Dangerous Relations and other Christian fiction in my Amazon shop.

I'd had writer's block for a full decade when the rest of my life had to be rewritten. I didn't yet know how my own plot should go.

Book Review | Smoke Screen by Terri Blackstock

Terri Blackstock’s novels get better and better.

She’s had some hits and misses for me in the past, but the If I Run series was excellent, and Smoke Screen is even better.

Brenna is unhappily divorced from Jack, who is now remarried to Rayne. Brenna now has to work, and Jack gets their children at weekends, which means she barely gets to see them … and so she drinks away her sorrows, and worries about Jack’s latest threat, to seek full custody of the children.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Roy Beckett, the man convicted of murdering her preacher father, is out of jail. And his son, Nate, Brenna’s first love, is back in town … and as handsome as ever. Nate has grown up, and he’s now a strong Christian, even more of a reminder how far Breanna has fallen.

Smoke Screen is full of tension right from the first page.

Jack alternates between selfish and stupid, as he is influenced by his domineering father. There is also the mysteries of Roy and Nate Beckett. Roy was convicted of murder but has always claimed he was innocent. But if Roy Beckett is innocent, who killed Pastor Strickland? And Nate was found guilty of arson by the court of public opinion. Again, if he is innocent, who did burned down the church?

I have to admit that there were a few times when the tension got a bit much and I had to put the book down. But it was compelling, and I had to keep reading—no matter how much I wanted to purse-whomp Jack and his father (I actually had a little sympathy for Rayne, who was completely out of her depth).

It was also fascinating to read a Christian novel where the main character—Breanna—had obvious problems.

Let’s not mince words: divorce has turned the preacher’s daughter into an alcoholic with possible mental health issues. There are good and not good ways to react to a nasty divorce, and turning to hard liquor is definitely one of the not good ways. That meant there were times when I found it hard to sympathise with Breanna, because she was partly her own problem. But that made the story even more compelling.

Nate was an excellent hero—truly heroic.

But he’s not perfect. He still resents his father for ruining his teenage romance with Breanna (well, having your father accused of murdering your girlfriend’s father will put a damper on the relationship). So there are family issues there that Nate has to get over as well.

Smoke Screen is an excellent novel, with plenty of tension, and a solid dose of romance. Another great new release from Terri Blackstock. #ChristianFiction #Suspense Share on X

Smoke Screen is an excellent novel, with plenty of tension, and a solid dose of romance. Another great new release from Terri Blackstock.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Terri Blackstock

Terri BlackstockTerri Blackstock is a New York Times best-seller, with over six million copies sold worldwide. She has had over twenty-five years of success as a novelist. Terri spent the first twelve years of her life traveling in an Air Force family. She lived in nine states and attended the first four years of school in The Netherlands. Because she was a perpetual “new kid,” her imagination became her closest friend. That, she believes, was the biggest factor in her becoming a novelist. She sold her first novel at the age of twenty-five, and has had a successful career ever since.

In 1994 Terri was writing for publishers such as HarperCollins, Harlequin, Dell and Silhouette, when a spiritual awakening drew her into the Christian market. As she was praying about her transition, she went on a cruise and noticed that almost everyone on the boat (including her) had a John Grisham novel. It occurred to her that some of Grisham’s readers were Christians, and that if she wrote a fast-paced thriller with an added faith element, she might just find her niche. As God would have it, Christian publishers were showing interest in the suspense genre, so she quickly sold a four-book series to Zondervan. Since that time, she’s written over thirty Christian titles, most of them suspense novels.

You can find Terri Blackstock online at:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

About Smoke Screen

One father was murdered. Another was convicted of his death. All because their children fell in love.

Nate Beckett has spent his life fighting wildfires instead of the lies and rumors that drove him from his Colorado hometown. His mother begs him to come back now that his father has been released from prison, but it isn’t until he’s sidelined by an injury that he’s forced to return and face his past. But that means facing Brenna too.

Fourteen years ago, Nate was in love with the preacher’s daughter. When Pastor Strickland discovered Brenna defied him to sneak out with Nate, the fight between Strickland and Nate’s drunken dad was loud—and very public. Strickland was found murdered later that night, and everyone accused Roy Beckett. When the church burned down not long after, people assumed Nate set the fire to get even for his father’s conviction. He let the rumors fly and left town without looking back.

Brenna is stunned to learn that the man convicted of murdering her father has been pardoned. The events of that night set her life on a bad course, and now she’s fighting a brutal custody battle with her ex and his new wife where he’s using lies and his family’s money to sway the judge. Brenna is barely hanging on, and she’s turned to alcohol to cope. Shame and fear consume her.

As Nate and Brenna deal with the present—including new information about that fateful night and a wildfire that’s threatening their town—the past keeps igniting. Nate is the steady force Brenna has so desperately needed. But she’ll have to learn to trust him again first.

Find Smoke Screen online at:

Amazon | Bookbub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Click here to find Smoke Screen and other great Christian fiction in my Amazon shop.

The Express Bride

Book Review | The Express Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse

Jacqueline Rivers, better known as Jack, is the new unofficial manager of the Carson Sink Pony Express station in Utah. Unofficial, because she’s inherited the station from her father and the owners of the Express might not take be keen on having a female as a station manager. But she’s determined to keep her father’s business going. She’s a great character—intelligent and hardworking, and not afraid to stand up for herself.

Elijah Johnson visits Carson Sink on a mission for his employer—to find his long-lost daughter. He has almost no clues, not even a name, but Carson Sink is a Pony Express station which at least means he can communicate with his boss.

The Express in the title is the Pony Express, which ran from Missouri to California between March 1860 and October 1861 (when the completed telegraph rendered the Pony Express obsolete).

I’ve never read any novels about the Pony Express before.

In particular, it’s hard to imagine living in a tiny town with only two women, and no shop other than a blacksmith—a necessity for a Pony Express station.

I thought the novel was excellent. It’s the perfect mix of romance and suspense, set against a fascinating historical background. The writing is solid, the plot works well, and the characters are both intriguing and likeable.

The Express Bride by Kimlerley Woodhouse @KimWoodhouse is the perfect mix of romance and suspense, set against a fascinating historical background - the Pony Express. #ChristianRomance #BookReview Share on X

The Express Bride is part of The Daughters of the Mayflower, a multi-author series set in a range of different time periods. This is the first book I’ve read in the series, and it definitely worked as a standalone novel.

Recommended for fans of Christian historical fiction with a western setting.

Thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Kimberley Woodhouse

Kimberley WoodhouseKimberley Woodhouse is the best-selling and award-winning author of more than a dozen books. She is a wife, mother, author, and musician with a quick wit and positive outlook despite difficult circumstances. A popular speaker, she’s shared at more than 2,000 venues across the country. Kimberley and her family’s story have garnered national media attention for many years including ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Montel Williams Show, Discovery Health channel’s Mystery ER, The Hour of Power, The Harvest Show, and over 1,000 other TV appearances and radio interviews. She lives and writes in Colorado with her husband of twenty-five years and their two amazing kids.

Find Kimberley Woodhouse online at:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | Twitter

About The Express Bride

The Wilderness Is a Great Place to Hide

Jacqueline Rivers manages a Pony Express station in 1860 Utah territory after her father’s death. There are daily stresses placed on her in this unconventional role—and now a government official is asking her to sniff out counterfeiters. When Elijah Johnson passes through on the stage while on an exhausting quest to find his boss’s heir, he doesn’t want to leave the beguiling station manager. In fact, he may never leave when caught in the crossfire of the territory’s criminal activities. Jackie can’t decide if Elijah is friend or foe. Can she remain strong when secrets of the past and present are finally unearthed?

Find The Express Bride online at:

Amazon  | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Read the introduction to The Express Bride below:

Click here to find The Express Bride and other great Christian fiction in my Amazon shop.

Do you prefer historical or contemporary settings? Why?

Bookish Question #128 | Do you prefer historical or contemporary settings?

Honestly, I’m not fussy. I enjoy historical and contemporary settings. I’m more interested in reading a novel with an intriguing plot and compelling characters—setting is a distant third.

Having said that, I would like to read more original settings in both historical and contemporary fiction.

A lot of Christian historical fiction is set in the US, either around Western expansion, or around Gilded Age New York. I’ve read a lot of both, and now there has to be a unique twist to catch my attention (e.g. The Express Bride by Kimberley Woodhouse, which features the manager of a Pony Express station, or An Agent for Kitty by Nerys Leigh, which features a female Pinkerton agent hunting for dinosaur bones).

England is the other main setting for Christian historical fiction. Again, I enjoy titles featuring a unique twist or setting (e.g. A Hero for Miss Hatherleigh by Carolyn Miller, which also features an “undergroundologist” hunting for dinosaur bones, or Among the Poppies by J’nell Ciesielwski, which is set in World War One France).

I’d like to see more historical fiction set in other countries e.g. India, China, New Zealand, Russia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe … anywhere.

The same holds true for contemporary fiction.

It’s almost all set in mainland USA, with the odd title in Alaska or Hawaii. If an alien read contemporary Christian fiction, they’d be forgiven for thinking there are no Christians outside the USA—which is obviously false.

Yes, I understand many American readers like to read novels set in familiar settings. So do those of us living outside the USA.

Also, it’s said that travel broadens the mind. I’ve travelled a lot, and I can confirm this is true. Travel, whether in real life or through the pages of a novel, introduces us to new places, people, and perspectives. Understanding others gives us the ability to empathise with them, and that makes us better people—and better Christians.

What about you? Do you prefer historical or contemporary settings? Why?

Neither wealth nor poverty make a parent. Love. Compassion. Kindness. Those constitute a parent, whether blood or not.

Book Review | The Pink Bonnet (True Colors) Liz Tolsma

The Pink Bonnet is part of Barbour Publishing’s new true crime series, which makes this statement from the front matter a little laughable:

This book is a work of fiction … Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.

Um, no. The Pink Bonnet is a fictional story based on the real-life Georgia Tann of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society, and her kidnapping and sale of babies and children in adoption between 1924 and 1950.

Tann was aided in as many as 5,000 illegal adoptions by a lawyer, a judge, and a mayor.

Anyway …

I’ve previously read Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate, a dual timeline story which dealt with one fictional family broken by Georgia Tann’s misdeeds, so I knew The Pink Bonnet was going to touch on the tough subject of adoption. Liz Tolsma was an excellent choice to write this story, as she’s an adoptive parent herself, so understands some of the issues firsthand.

The Pink Bonnet is the story of widow Cecile Dowd, whose three-year-old daughter is handed over to Georgia Tann by her neighbour, who was babysitting Millie Mae while Cecile ran an errand.

Cecile will do anything to get her daughter back, but soon finds that logic and law aren’t on her side.

She needs help—which comes in the form of Percy Vance, one of Georgia Tann’s lawyers. Vance has his own reasons for supporting Tann’s adoption crusade. He begins to doubt Tann’s motives when he realises Mrs Dowd isn’t the uncaring and ignorant mother Tann portrayed.

This turns The Pink Bonnet into what could have been a run-of-the-mill romantic suspense chase to find Millie May. Instead, the author adds a layer of complexity by introducing two families who have recently adopted girls from Tann—girls they soon come to love. Is Millie one of these girls? Which one? And what will happen if and when Cecile Dowd finds her daughter?

There are no easy answers.

I’ve read one previous novel in Barbour’s true crime series, The White City by Grace Hitchcock, the story of America’s first serial killer. In some ways I found that easier to read, because the author had injected touches of humour which kept the book from becoming too dark.

The Pink Bonnet had no such light-hearted moments, which increased the tension almost to the point of being unbearable (especially as I knew Georgia Tann was an evildoer who really did ruin thousands of lives). But it’s also an excellent novel that wasn’t afraid to ask the hard questions about adoption.

The story is timely, given the news stories of ICE officials taking suspected illegal immigrants into custody—including reports of children being taken on their way to or from school … something Georgia Tann was known to do.

Overall, The Pink Bonnet is a well-written and thought-provoking story, but one that might hit too close to home for some readers given the subject matter.

Thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Liz Tolsma

Liz TolsmaPassionate might best describe Liz Tolsma. She loves writing, research, and editing. Her passion shone through in her first novel which was a double award finalist. On any given day, you might find her pulling weeds in her perennial garden, walking her hyperactive dog, or curled up with a good book. Nothing means more to her than her family. She’s married her high-school sweetheart twenty-eight years ago. Get her talking about international adoption, and you might never get her to stop. She and her husband adopted three children, including a son who is a U.S. Marine, and two daughters.

Find Liz Tolsma online at:

Website | Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter

About The Pink Bonnet

Widowed in Memphis during 1932, Cecile Dowd is struggling to provide for her three-year-old daughter. Unwittingly trusting a neighbor puts little Millie Mae into the clutches of Georgia Tann, corrupt Memphis Tennessee Children’s Home Society director suspected of the disappearance of hundreds of children. With the help of a sympathetic lawyer, the search for Millie uncovers a deep level of corruption that threatens their very lives.

How far will a mother go to find out what happened to her child?

Find The Pink Bonnet online at:

Amazon | Bookbub | ChristianBook | Goodreads | Koorong

Read the introduction to The Pink Bonnet below:

Click here to find The Pink Bonnet and other great Christian fiction at my Amazon shop.

We each have a purpose in life, and if we're serving God, following him, living out God's calling and purposes for our life, then we can have faith that God is leading us.

Book Review | Grateful American by Gary Sinise

I’m not a big fan of biographies or memoirs, especially not celebrity memoirs. But I read a review of Grateful American that prompted me to request a review copy … even though I’m not even American.

Sinise is probably most famous for his role as Lieutenant Dan in the Forrest Gump movie.

While Grateful American certainly touched on playing Lieutenant Dan and working with Tom Hanks, that wasn’t the focus. Instead, we find Gary Sinise is a hardworking and multi-talented musician and actor who has leveraged fame into fundraising and service to those less fortunate.

The book reads very much like a stream of consciousness stroll through Sinese’s life. There’s a lot of subject changes and backtracking, and the writing isn’t great (which is definitely on Sinese, not his cowriter. I’ve read and reviewed Marcus Brotherton’s one novel and it was brilliantly written). If this is the published version, then I dread to think what the first draft looked like.

But Sinise’s story is a story that’s told from the heart, and therein lies the power.

Grateful American takes us through Sinise’s history, from his troubled teenage years, through his discovery of acting as a vocation, the formation of the Steppenwolf theatre company in Chicago, to his growing reputation as an actor and director, and his early realisation of the importance of honoring American veterans and thanking them for their service.

The story then moves quickly past his role as Lieutenant Dan and into his growing commitment to supporting and encouraging servicemen and servicewomen through personal appearances and through fundraising and other support activities. I’d heard of the Lieutenant Dan band, but didn’t realise the extent of his personal and financial commitment.

But it’s not all acting and veterans.

Sinise also tells of his wife’s troubles with alcohol, and her conversion to Catholicism … which influenced his own faith. The overarching theme of Grateful American is that Sinise is grateful to have been born in a country—the United States of America—that has given him the opportunities he’s had, and allowed him the freedom to pursue his goals while acknowledging and emphasising that freedom is not a free gift.

It’s a gift that is paid for in blood.

Recommended for Lieutenant Dan and Gary Sinese fans.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Grateful American

“The book is called Grateful American, and I promise you after you read it you will be grateful for what Gary has accomplished and contributed to our country.” — Clint Eastwood

As a kid in suburban Chicago, Gary Sinise was more interested in sports and rock ‘n’ roll than reading or schoolwork. But when he impulsively auditioned for a school production of West Side Story, he found his purpose–or so it seemed.

Within a few years Gary and a handful of friends created what became one of the most exciting and important new theater companies in America. From its humble beginnings in a suburban Chicago church basement and eventual move into the city, the Steppenwolf Theatre Company launched a series of groundbreaking productions, igniting Gary’s career along with those of John Malkovich, Joan Allen, Gary Cole, Laurie Metcalf, Jeff Perry, John Mahoney, and others. Television and film came calling soon after, and Gary starred in Of Mice and Men (which he also directed) and The Stand before taking the role that would change his life in unforeseeable ways: Lieutenant Dan in the Academy Award–winning Forrest Gump.

The military community’s embrace of the character of the disabled veteran was matched only by the depth of Gary’s realization that America’s defenders had not received all the honor, respect, and gratitude their sacrifices deserve. In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, this became Gary’s mission. While starring in hits like Apollo 13, Ransom, Truman, George Wallace, CSI:NY, and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders, Gary has worked tirelessly on behalf of those who serve this country, entertaining more than a half million troops around the world playing bass guitar with his Lt. Dan Band, raising funds on behalf of veterans, and eventually founding the Gary Sinise Foundation with a mission to serve and honor America’s defenders, veterans, first responders, their families, and those in need.

Grateful American is the moving, entertaining, profoundly gripping story of how one man found his calling: to see that those who defend this country and its freedoms are never forgotten.

Find Grateful American online at:

Amazon | BookBub | ChristianBook | Goodreads

Probably the feeblest lie in the entire history of lies since Adam said, "What apple?"

Book Review | An Agent for Kitty (Pinkerton Matchmakers) by Nerys Leigh

An Agent for Kitty is part of the Pinkerton Matchmakers series, in which a woman with a desire to become an agent with the Pinkerton National Detective Agency is matched with a male agent for training. The two are married (for the sake of propriety) and sent off to solve a crime. The novels are quick reads, and a lot of fun.

Kitty and Ben are sent to Utah, to investigate the theft of a dinosaur skull from an archaeological dig that is slowly uncovering a complete skeleton. Kitty is a timid young woman, the complete opposite of Ben. Ben is outgoing, confident, and definitely likes women. Kitty is nothing like his usual girlfriends, and he enjoys teasing her.

It doesn’t take long before Kitty begins contributing to the case through her powers of observation. I liked that she was clever—I’m always a fan of an intelligent heroine. And Ben was a wonderful hero, just the right combination of cocky and caring.

An Agent for Kitty by Nerys Leigh is another installment in the Pinkerton Matchmakers series, an original and amusing spin on the popular mail order bride trope. #ChristianRomance #ChristianWestern Share on X

I’ve enjoyed all the Nerys Leigh books I’ve read so far, but I think this was my favourite.

Why? Because it was funny. Kitty starts off as more mouse than cat (or kitten). But, with Ben’s guidance, she gradually comes out of herself and develops a personality.

Yes, I know that sounds bad. But Kitty hasn’t had the best upbringing, so she has never had the opportunity to discover who she is as a person. Ben gives her that opportunity, and it’s great to see Kitty learn that she can display her true personality and be loved for who she is.

Overall, An Agent for Kitty is a fun romantic suspense novel set against the emerging science of archaeology, and will appeal to fans of Christian westerns.

Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review.

About Nerys Leigh

Nerys LeighNerys Leigh writes thoroughly romantic Christian historical love stories. She loves heroes who are strong but sweet and heroines who are willing to fight for the life they want.

She’s from the UK, which you would think puts her in a unique position to not write about mail order brides in the American west, but the old adage of writing what you know has never appealed to her. She has an actual American read each book before publishing to make sure she hasn’t gone all English on it.

No One’s Bride is the first in the Escape to the West series which tells the stories of a group of women willing to travel across America to find happiness, and the men determined to win their hearts.

You can find Nerys Leigh online relaxing and generally enjoying the view at:

 Website | Facebook

About An Agent for Kitty

To find her happiness, she’ll first have to find her courage.

Kitty is the first to admit that she is far from brave, and applying to the Pinkerton Detective Agency to become one of their new female agents is the most daring thing she’s ever done.

Her fragile resolve almost fails her when she discovers she must marry her training agent for the duration of her first case, but Ben Riley turns out to be caring and fun, and outrageously flirtatious. And even though she knows he’s not serious, she can’t help enjoying his attention.

On the case of a stolen dinosaur skull in the Utah wilderness, her confidence grows. But so do her feelings for Ben.

And Kitty begins to wonder if what she should really be afraid of is a broken heart.

Find An Agent for Kitty online at:

Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Read the introduction to An Agent for Kitty below:

And click here to find the best in Christian fiction at my Amazon store.

Liz Carlisle never imagined she'd be back in this place.

#ThrowbackThursday | As the Light Fades by Catherine West

As the Light Fades moves Catherine West away from her roots in Christian women’s fiction to tell a more general story with less of an overt Christian element. It’s still clearly written from a Christian viewpoint, as the main characters do have a subtle faith journey and sin is clearly portrayed as wrong.

This is clearly a general market novel.

West has described As the Light Fades as a loose sequel to The Things We Knew, one of her earlier novels. I have read The Things We Knew, but don’t remember the details (even after rereading the Amazon description. Well, I read a lot of books). Having said that, I don’t think my forgetfulness affected my enjoyment of As the Light Fades, and it can certainly be read as a standalone novel.

As the Light Fades takes several difficult contemporary issues and weaves them into a compelling story.

Liz Carlisle has returned to Nantucket, her childhood home, after leaving her abusive fiancé. Her father is suffering Alzheimer’s, and her landlord is the guardian to his niece, who has issues (to put it mildly). Yes, Mia is a typical teenage girl, with all the attitude that comes with being sixteen. But she’s also the daughter of an ex-drug addict, and Nick suspects she’s been sexually abused by her stepfather.

As the Light Fades by Catherine West does a masterful job of exposing the issues of Alzheimer's, domestic violence, and sexual abuse, without dwelling on the detail. #WomensFiction #BookReview @cathwest Share on X

That’s a lot of plot. And there’s more. Liz has her own secrets that play into her present actions … and inaction. Liz and Mia both have a journey to getting past their personal histories and not allowing that to affect their futures. Ironically, part of the cure for Mia comes from the character who can’t be cured—Liz’s father.

As the Light Fades a meaty story with a bit of everything—relationships, family drama, romance, and suspense. The writing is excellent, the story compelling, and West does a masterful job of exposing the issues without dwelling on the detail. Recommended.

About Catherine West

Author Photo: Catherine WestCatherine West is an award-winning author of contemporary women’s fiction. When she’s not at the computer working on her next story, you can find her taking her Border Collie for long walks or reading books by her favorite authors. She and her husband reside in Bermuda, and have two adult children and two beautiful granddaughters.

Catherine is the winner of the 2015 Grace Award (Bridge of Faith) and a two-time winner of Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope & Love Reader’s Choice Award (The Things We Knew, 2017 and Where Hope Begins, 2019) and recipient of ACFW’s Carol Award for Where Hope Begins.

You can find Catherine West online at:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

About As the Light Fades

Sometimes we’re placed in the strangest of circumstances for the most important reasons.

After her carefully constructed life crumbles, Liz Carlisle finds herself back on Nantucket, picking up the pieces. With the family estate under renovations, the solitude she craves seems out of reach.

Matthew Stone intends to steer clear of his new tenant. She’s carrying a load of baggage, but as long as she pays the rent, he’ll let her be. He’s got enough to deal with caring for his wayward niece, Mia.

Liz doesn’t have time for teenagers and her track record with men is abysmal, but an unlikely friendship forms between the three.

When her former boyfriend is charged with assault, Liz is called to testify against him. But he knows the darkest secrets of her life—secrets she’d hoped to keep buried forever, and he’s ready to reveal them. Telling the truth is the right thing to do, but it may cost her everything she’s worked so hard for, and all she’s come to love.

You can find As the Light Fades online at:

Amazon | Goodreads

Read the introduction to As the Light Fades below:

And click here to check out my Amazon shop!