A Beauty Refined, by Tracie Peterson

Tracie Peterson's latest work, A Beauty Refined, is the second in the Sapphire Brides series.  I haven't read the first book, but that didn't cause any confusion for me.

This installment is the story of Phoebe Von Bergen, the daughter of a German count.  She and her father are in Montana to purchase sapphires for a client of her father's.  While there, Phoebe uncovers the truth of her mother's supposed death.  In the process, she learns more about her family's secrets than she dreamed existed.  Aided by new friends, including a lapidary named Ian Harper, Phoebe struggles to make sense of her new world.

This was an enjoyable read.  It's well researched.  Peterson does an excellent job of describing her setting so that the reader feels at home there.  The story was fairly typical of historical Christian romance.  It makes a great relaxing read.

Three out of Five Stars.

Disclaimer:  I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Emily Climbs, Book #2 in My 2016 LM Montgomery Challenge

     So, right off the bat, I have to say that I'm not doing so well in my drive to read an LMM book each month in 2016.  I finished Emily Climbs on Leap Day, but haven't actually written the review.  This is primarily due to my absolute love of my teaching job, plus the busy-ness of a daughter who had 2 horse shows in 3 weeks and a son who earned Webelos rank in Cub Scouts.  

     But I'm back on track with the blog, which frankly is always going to take second place to my children and my students because that's how God intended it!

     Anyway - about Emily Climbs!  This has always been my favorite book in the Emily series.  This book sees Emily going off to high school in nearby Shrewsbury.  Since the place is 20 miles away and Emily doesn't have the luxury of living in the time of public transportation or motorcars, she's got to board with her Aunt Ruth.  (And had I remembered about Aunt Ruth, my daughter would not have Ruth as a middle name!)  Readers of Emily of New Moon might have thought Aunt Elizabeth was practically Machiavellan, but she's got nothing on Aunt Ruth!  

     Among the many charms of Emily's three years in Shrewsbury, we see her drive to climb her Alpine Path of writing.   She truly burns that midnight candle - she has to, since Aunt Ruth tries to push her writing down by giving her extra chores during the day.  

     The introduction of new characters is a welcome change after the short cast of characters in Emily of New Moon.  Aunt Ruth might be half-baked, but she's entertaining with her sniffs and her "Em'lys."  And then there's Evelyn, whose last name escapes me at the moment - but a better archnemesis in a YA book you will not find!  I think most of us remember an Evelyn from our own high school days, which makes the character spring to life.

     And the New Moon characters are still ever present - Ilse with her madcap personality, Perry with a new drive to make himself into something respectable, and Teddy with his subtly romantic charm.  (Emily and Teddy's first kiss popped into my head during my first kiss with my husband - it's no wonder I married the guy!).

      Then there's Dean Priest.  Poor Dean, whom we were introduced to toward the end of New Moon - a school chum of Emily's late father whom the reader knows early on is "waiting" for Emily to grow up so he can marry her.  If I was creeped out by Dean as a child, I am appalled by him as an adult.  Emily really has no idea he's interested in her as anything other than a father/daughter relationship, Dean knows this, and yet he still secretly tries to woo her.  (So many italics!  Mr. Carpenter would disapprove!)  Even more disturbing, he's worse than Aunt Ruth in his attempt to dissuade Emily from her writing.  Aunt Ruth is at least open about it.  Dean is quiet and manipulative and everything you'd warn your daughter against in any friend.  And, of course, the denouement of this relationship is left for Book Three, Emily's Quest.

     I've said this before, but I love Emily because she's more real than almost any other LMM character I can think of, with the exception of Valancy Stirling in The Blue Castle.  Anne Shirley might be Canada's sweetheart, but Emily is the face we all see in the mirror every morning.  All the heroines of modern day YA trilogies have absolutely nothing on Emily.   Who needs Katniss Everdeen's bow and arrow when you can slay all your enemies with a single Murray look?  Emily really comes into her own in Emily Climbs, and the book leaves the reader in eager anticipation of Emily's Quest.

Mermaid Moon, by Colleen Coble

     In Mermaid Moon, we meet Mallory, who must return to her Maine hometown after the sudden death of her father.  Shortly after arriving, she realizes that her father may have been murdered.  She is joined in this theory by Kevin O'Connor,  a local game warden who is an integral part of her past.  And her father's death isn't the only foul play to occur.  One by one, more tragedies strike until Mallory realizes that she may be the next target.  With the help of Kevin, Mallory seeks to resolve the issues of a distant past that has come back to haunt her.  

     I think the setting was the true star of this Christian romantic suspense.  Coble writes such brilliant descriptions that I really felt I was living in a coastal Maine town with her characters.  The book is worth the read just for that.

     Other than that, I found it difficult to get into the plot.  Multiple traumatic events happen in this book, and the characters seem to take them in stride for the most part.  Mallory doesn't seem to grieve much for her father, which I found odd.  And she keeps finding excuses for other terrifying events that happen.  I found myself more intrigued by Kevin and his family politics than I did by Mallory and her many crises.

     Coble is a talented author, and I'll read more of her books.  This one was just all right for me, but her writing is such that I want to seek out what else she's written.

     Disclaimer:  I was given this book by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.   

     Three out of Five Stars

Emily of New Moon, by L.M. Montgomery

   Over at the Reading to Know blog, there's an L.M. Montgomery Reading Challenge for the month of January.  The idea behind the challenge is to read as much of LMM's works during the month of January.  I couldn't do that because of other obligations, so I've tweaked the challenge to suit my needs.  I'll be reading and reviewing at least 1 LMM book per month during 2016.  I've loved LMM's works since the 7th grade - I still have all the old copies I purchased with my allowance money down at the B. Dalton at the Inland Center Mall in San Bernardino.  Plus new copies that I keep in case of emergency - because what if in some awful future Rilla of Ingleside goes out of print, my copy is ruined, and then I can't read about the Blythe family's WWI saga?   What then, I ask you!

     I'm starting 2016 off with the big guns - the Emily series.  Now, I was reading Emily Climbs the very day I started dating the man I would later marry.  So the series will always have a soft spot in my heart.

    Reading Emily of New Moon, the first of the three-part series, has been such a joy this month.  I hadn't read it in several years, and reading it again has been like a beautiful homecoming.  For those who have been unfortunate enough to miss it thus far, it's the story of a young girl who goes to live with her mother's family after the death of her father.  

     Montgomery wrote this book in 1923, over ten years after her marriage to a Presbyterian minister who suffered from melancholia.  I think by this time in her life, she had a very deep sense not only of suffering, but also of perseverance and optimism.  Her experiences with reality are much more apparent in the Emily series than they are in the Anne series, most of which were written earlier in her life.

     Emily's story has a glorious depth to it  The heavy themes that are covered in just this one book are incredible, but Montgomery writes about them with an understanding that they are simply part of life in a fallen world. Loss of a loved one, traumatic brain injury, depression,  alcoholism, guilt - the list goes on!  But running through it all is this delightful love of God and family, plus that "heritage of fairyland" that is so pervasive in all Montgomery's works.  This book relates to real life and real people, and it's relevant almost 100 years after its initial publication.

      For those of us who know the book, there are such wonderful treats throughout it.  I smiled so many times while reading about the Wind Woman, Emily's letters to her father, Cousin Jimmy's poetry, the flash, candles in the New Moon windows, Ilse's temper, Perry's determination, Teddy's love of art, and Emily's great need to prove her worth to a loving yet often cynical family.  These are very real characters who get under your skin and stay with you as long as you let them.

     I could wax on forever, honestly.  Long story short - read this book if you haven't, revisit it if you have.  You won't regret it!



     

     
     

The Girl From the Train, by Irma Joubert

     The Girl From the Train is a delightful journey that I simply did not want to end.  It is a must read for anyone who likes historical fiction from the 1940s and 1950s

     Gretl is a little German girl who escapes a train bound for Auschwitz.  Jakob is a young Polish man who rescues her and takes her into his home.  She lives with his family for a few years, but circumstances force her to leave.  She ends up being taken in by a South African family.  This story is about the growth and self-discovery both of these characters make through an interesting time in history for both Eastern Europe and South Africa.

     Joubert writes with such elegance, and her characters are so real you feel as though you've known them forever.  A former teacher, Joubert's research into these times and places is quite evident in the book.  Jakob's love of Polish traditions and his involvement in Polish politics of the time are fascinating.  Gretl's story is equally as captivating.  She's a girl with multiple experiences which she must learn to reconcile - her German, Polish, and South African roots conflict with each other almost as much as her Protestant, Jewish, and Catholic backgrounds do.  And through all of this is woven a very compelling and innocent love story.

     In a word, this novel is breathtaking.  It's one of my new favorites, which I plan on rereading many times.  I highly recommend it to anyone who knows how to read.  Seriously.

Disclaimer:  I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Five out of Five Stars, in case you couldn't tell.   =)

   

Horse in the Wilderness, by Debbie Eckles

Horse in the Wilderness, by Debbie Eckles, is a story about a man named Brent who moves to a small mountain town in order to reinvent himself after his wife's unfaithfulness and subsequent death.  While there, he meets Autumn, a woman who loves horses almost as much as she loves God.  The two find a common bond over music, and Brent slowly starts to realize that God has not abandoned him as he once thought.

The book was tough for me at the beginning.  A lot of characters are introduced all at once.  While I think this is meant to convey Brent's confusion upon moving to a new town, it's also very difficult for the reader to keep track of so many characters.  I admit that I put the book aside for a time because I couldn't get into the story.

However, after I'd been away from it for a while, I found myself wanting to return to find out what happens to Brent.  A book like this is more about the journey than it is about the ending, and Brent's character development was quite compelling.

There is a lot of detail in the book.  I will say that it helps to have working relationship with both horses and music to understand a few scenes.  That's a check on both counts for me, which made the book more interesting to me.  But it's not really necessary to have much knowledge of either to enjoy the book.  

The book is certainly much better than the usual fare that is found with self-published books.  I hope the author continues to write.  She's got talent.

On a side note, this book does deal with depression and suicide.  As always, I caution anyone who is struggling with either to please seek help.  And don't stop seeking that help until you get the medical treatment you need.  No matter how bad off you seem, there is treatment for you.  Call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1 (800) 273-8255.

Disclaimer:  I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.  

Three out of Five Stars

Falling Like Snowflakes, by Denise Hunter

I think this is the first book in the romantic suspense genre that I've reviewed.  But I was in the mood for some chick lit this holiday season.  I'd read another of Denise Hunter's books, Barefoot Summer, and liked it well enough that I thought I'd give Falling Like Snowflakes a try.

This book was an absolute joy to read.  There're your basic romantic fiction staples - tough yet vulnerable woman who desperately needs help from a tough situation.  Single guy who also needs help that only the heroine can provide.  They get to know each other, a few obstacles get in the way, and I really don't think it's a spoiler to say that everything works out in the end.  

The thing is, Denise Hunter writes so beautifully that it's easy to actually care what happens to these characters.  Every character in the book is well developed, and I found that I very much enjoyed my time with them.  The three brothers - and this is part 1 of 3 books about these guys - are part of a close knit family that is still realistic in its squabbles.  Reading about this family reminded me of coming home.  And being that it's Christian, there's nothing in here that you couldn't read to your blind great-aunt.  (But Hunter does write one heck of a kiss, I must say!)

All in all, this was a very enjoyable read, the perfect distraction from holiday busy-ness.  I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Debbie Macomber type books.  It also has a few similarities to the movie Safe Haven.  

Four out of Five Stars

Disclaimer:  This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Biff and Becka's Stupendous Vacation, by Elaine Beachy

     Biff and Becka's Stupendous Vacation, by Elaine Beachy, is a sweet little story that is probably best used as a read-aloud between parent (or grandparent) and child.  Essentially, it's about a family who for financial reasons needs to scale their annual vacation back to a staycation.

     In each chapter,  a new part of the staycation is explored.  The family goes to a water park and visits a Civil War museum, among other activities.  Each chapter has something for a child to learn from - history, anti-bullying, science.  The educational components of the book tend to be a bit overt and broad-based, which is why I think this book works better as a read aloud.  I can't see children picking this book up strictly for the entertainment value.  The accompanying discussion topics for each chapter would be helpful to any adult choosing to read this book with a child.  

     I recommend this book as a read aloud for Christian families with children in first through third grades.  

     Disclaimer:  I was provided a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

     Three out of Five Stars  

The Berenstain Bears' Harvest Festival, by Mike Berenstain

     The Berenstain Bears' Harvest Festival, by Mike Berenstain, is a sweet little anecdote about everyone's favorite family from Bear Country.  It is one of the recent Berenstain Bears faith stories, written by the son of the series creators.

     Papa, Mama, and the cubs take a break from their fall work to attend a harvest festival at the local church.  While there, they learn about their many blessings, and they participate in a prayer of thanksgiving.

     It is a cute little book, although it lacks the plotline of the originals that is so riveting to young readers.  There is no problem or resolution.  It's just a tale of thanksgiving and a participation in a church event.  The illustrations aren't as vibrant as the originals, either.  However, it's a nice little addition to a church or home library that aims to instill faith in its youngsters.

    Disclaimer:  I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.  

    Three out of Five Stars

On Distant Shores, by Sarah Sundin

     On Distant Shores is the second novel in a series about flight nurses in World War II.  I loved the first book, With Every Letter, and was anxious enough to read the sequel that I actually bought it from the Kindle store.  The first one was free, but Sarah Sundin's carefully researched story sucked me in.  And I have to say, after having read On Distant Shores, I am now an avid fan of Sundin's works.

     My only issue with the first book was that the writing style seemed simplistic.  I didn't find that here.  On Distant Shores was so well crafted that I found it difficult to put down.

     In this installment, we read about Georgie, the bubbly nurse from the first book, and her journey as she discovers the strength she never knew she had.  Along the way, she is guided by Hutch, a pharmacist who is struggling with his own overwhelming desire to become something more than what he is.  Hutch's story is very interesting from an historical point of view; although he is a pharmacist, he is not an officer.  WWII Army pharmacists and techs were enlisted men despite their education.  Hutch becomes involved in the push to start the Army Pharmacy Corps.  Since Sundin is a pharmacist herself, the details of his life are particularly good.

     As with the first installment in the series, this book was very well researched.  It's also charged with emotion as we see Georgie and Hutch experience the war in a way that will change them forever.  A must-read for anyone who enjoys good historical fiction.

     Five out of Five Stars

With Every Letter, by Sarah Sundin

   
     I picked this book up from the Kindle free store for a little light sick-in-bed reading, and goodness, was I pleasantly surprised!  This is the story of a World War II Army flight nurse who begins an anonymous pen pal relationship with an Army engineer.  For anyone who loved the movies The Shop Around the Corner and You've Got Mail, this is the book for you.

     Other reviewers have said that the writing is a bit simplistic, and I would have to agree.  It took me a few chapters to really get into it.  However, the research that went into this book and the incredible likability (yes, that's a word, I swear!) of the characters make this book a gem.  My grandmother's desire to become a WWII flight nurse and my interest in the era was what originally drew me to this book.  The incredible attention to historical detail did not disappoint!  The author's descriptions and the character development made it so easy for me to lose myself in this story.  And while there is a satisfying conclusion, I really hated to put it down.

     Highly recommended for anyone who is interested in the era, or who wants to read a well-researched novel about the brave, pioneering "Winged Angels" of the US Army Nurse Corps flight nurses.  These ladies were the real deal, gals, and this book is a fantastic tribute to them.

     Five out of Five Stars

Palace of Darkness, by Tracy L. Higley

Palace of Darkness: A Novel of Petra, is the third book of Higley's that I have read, and this novel did not disappoint!  This is a tale of a woman who has to make a life for herself and her son after her husband's death.  Her journey takes her to Petra (you may recognize the city carved out of stone from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade).  There, she seeks her husband's family.  In doing so, she encounters new friends, new challenges, and ultimately grows into the strong woman she is destined to become.

As usual, I admired Higley's writing style.  But this book in particular shone because of the love between Cassia and her son.  Her willingness to make sacrifices for her little boy must resonate in the heart of every mother.  This book grabbed me in a way that few do.  I was emotionally involved in Cassia's journey.  Her pain became my pain, her joy my joy.  I so rarely become so attached to characters as I did to Cassia, and that made this book spring to life for me.

Through all of this, there is Higley's usual attention to historical detail.  This is a time period which I know little about - the establishment of the early Christian church.  Cassia's new friends in Petra try to eke out a place for their faith in this city, and unbelieving Cassia is witness to this.  Higley offers a perspective on the early church that I had not thought much about.  The book opened my mind to ideas that were new to me, and I am always grateful for a writer who can do that.

Disclaimer:  I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Four out of Five Stars

The Butterfly and the Violin, by Kristy Cambron

 

The Butterfly and the Violin surprised me with its beauty.  It is a poem in an otherwise prosaic world, a work of art that should not be missed.

The plot is wonderfully woven, telling two stories across time.  The first is that of Adele Von Bron, a Christian violinist who is sent to Auschwitz for the aide she gives to a Jewish family in hiding.  She becomes a member of the Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz, forced to play during prisoner marches and arrivals.  The second story is of Sera James, a modern day art historian who is searching for a painting of Adele that was found among many other hidden pieces of art at Auschwitz.

The modern day story is sweet and reads more like a straightforward romance novel.  It is entertaining, and largely serves as relief for the more serious story of Adele.  It helps to advance the plot of the historical portion of the novel in a very appropriate way.

The beauty of this novel lies in Adele’s story.  Condemned by her own father, a general of the Third Reich, she loses the love of her family and is separated from the man she loves.  She is forced from her life of privilege into the brutal conditions of a Nazi death camp.  Within her story, we learn of perseverance, of hope for the future, and of resilient faith in God even under impossible circumstances.  “But worship in the midst of agony?  That is authentic adoration of our Creator,” is the line that best sums up the value of this novel.

Cambron gives us a well-researched story of the death camps.  I’ve always had an interest in this era from my own grandfather’s stories, and I found the book fascinating.  The existence of the Auschwitz orchestras was new to me, and I so appreciate the homage that Cambron has paid to the victims of the Holocaust.  This book is an emotional journey that is not to be missed.

Five out of Five Stars

Disclaimer:  I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Queen's Handmaid, by Tracy L. Higley

The Queen’s Handmaid is Tracy L. Higley’s finest work yet.  She has taken the history of the era of Herod the Great and Cleopatra, and woven a compelling fictional adventure throughout.

Lydia is valued servant to Cleopatra - but she is forced to flee Egypt with Herod to protect herself and a secret she harbors.  She becomes the handmaid to Herod’s Hebrew wife in Jerusalem.  This allows her to attempt to fulfill her destiny - to deliver scrolls about the coming Messiah to a Hebrew group that is committed to taking Israel away from Herod.  As she makes a new life for herself in Jerusalem, she confronts her discovery that she herself might be Hebrew.  Along the way, she meets a man who may well be the only person she has ever been willing to wholly love.

The story itself is fascinating, but what really grabbed my attention was Higley’s devotion to bringing this era to life.  The research she put into this project causes the characters and the setting to leap out of the Kindle and into the room with the reader.  Lydia is a delight to read, and the points of view of the other characters make this story truly shine.

I admired Higley before I read this book, but she is now one of my favorite authors.  The Queen’s Handmaid is a book that can’t be missed by anyone who is a fan of historical fiction.

Five out of Five Stars

Disclaimer:  I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Devil Walks in Mattingly, by Billy Coffey

The Devil Walks in Mattingly is an exploration into the lives and regrets of a small town sheriff and his wife.  Both of them are dealing with guilt from their involvement in the twenty-year-old death of a high school classmate. The exact nature of their involvement remains a mystery almost until the end of the book.  It's a Christian book with a supernatural twist, which I find refreshing.

Coffey's writing style is beautiful, even lyrical at times.  I think I fell in love with his style more than I did the plot.  The characters are largely unlikable and lacking in any real emotion until the last quarter of the book.  However, anyone who is walking through such dark shadows as these is not going to be fun to read about.  And because of that, this book is more real than so many other books I've read that aren't in the fantasy genre.  Coffey doesn't write people as we want to see them - he writes people as they truly are, wrinkles and all.

It's all put in perspective by the last quarter of the book, which is one of the most riveting passages I've ever read.  The book ends with a powerful message about grace, forgiveness, and love.  It's a very good read for anyone who has ever felt that their sins can never be forgiven.  And as the devil walks in our world as much as he walks in Mattingly, it's a book that all of us can relate to.

Four out of Five Stars

Disclaimer:  I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

House of Mercy, by Erin Healy

House of Mercy, by Erin Healy, is a story of charity, forgiveness, and redemption.  Its main characters are members of a Rocky Mountain ranching family who are trying to succeed despite personal conflicts and pending financial ruin.

I was excited to read this book because I had read Healy's The Promises She Keeps.  Healy is a talented writer who examines Christian themes from a different perspective than your run-of-the-mill fare in this genre.  The plot of this book does not disappoint - nor does the author's gift for writing an intelligent story.  In House of Mercy, we follow a family undergoing serious financial issues.  They try to heal broken relationships throughout, and also try to keep their dream of providing a safe haven for the needy.  There is a touch of the supernatural, and also of horror.

Despite the intricacies of the plot, however, the characters never really came to life for me.  The storyline concerning the doctor was certainly the most interesting, in its terrifying way.  But this alone wasn't enough to make the story memorable for me, personally.

I do recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a well-written Christian book that explores serious themes.

Three out of Five Stars

Disclaimer:  I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for a fair review.