Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Book review: The Sea Before Us by Sarah Sundin


I must say, I have read every Sarah Sundin book to date and was eagerly awaiting this release.  The only downside?  Now I have to wait until next year for Adler's story!  Here's the glowing five-star review I posted on Goodreads.

Oh, what a delightful read!  I won't deny that I didn't wish to slap Dorothy a few times for her naïve attitude toward the guy who had too many women in his life, but even then the character roused some caring attitude in me.  She believed his words because she wanted to believe them, and she didn't want to believe the opposite.  And, given that she had staked every hope in her battered life on what he said was true, I can even forgive her the willful blindness.  Not saying it was right to accept his kisses when she knew she wasn't the only girl getting them, though!

I did love her work and found it very interesting.  The whole idea of making a map for the invasion based on pictures was something I wasn't aware of and was fascinating.  

Wyatt was a neat hero.  His good humor and his strong faith put me on his side right away, and it was a delight to watch him encourage all the best qualities in Dorothy.  He's determined to be a man of honor, and when Dorothy challenges him on things like his decision not to contact family, he's humble about it.  

The plot...oh, my!  There were a couple of epic twists that had me on the edge of my seat.  Who knew a little poking after an embezzler could lead to such a discovery?  Whew!  

Highly recommended, especially to lovers of WW2.

Thanks to Revell for a free review copy.  A positive review was not required.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Book review: Beneath a Prairie Moon by Kim Vogel Sawyer



Ah, happy sigh!  This is one of the books that I have to digest before I can manage to review it.  The cover is gorgeous, but the story inside just as much so.  I knew I would love it, since it's Kim Vogel Sawyer, and each phase of the story was like unfolding a new leaf of enjoyment.

It's impossible to be tempted to peek ahead because the plot twists around on itself so many times, which is right up my alley.  I love having books surprise me with unexpected occurrences! No great predictability in this story, excepting only that the hero and heroine are going to end up being interested in each other.  

I loved the original twist on the matchmaker story!  A bride who's been returned to the agency more than once and gets reassigned to assistant and etiquette coach.  But do we see a prissy etiquette story?  Ah, no!  That's not all there is to it, because...Twists.  Indeed.  All the way from sunburn to kidnapping.  

One of my favorite things was the deep spiritual lessons.  I've heard the topic as naseum in other CF books, but this approach is fresh and engaging and feels authentic.  

Content/language: Nothing objectionable.  Could be given safely to ages 14/15 

Thanks to Blogging for Books for a free review copy.  A positive review was not required.