Book Review - Wonders Never Cease

This book was a very quick read. One of the main characters, Kemp McAvoy, is a nurse who wants to live the high life but doesn't have the means at his disposal to afford his tastes. To solve this "problem" he concocts a scheme to write a book about a series of visits from an "angel" to one of his comatose patients. The angel will deliver a message that must be shared with the world in the form of a best-selling book - which will solve Kemp's financial woes. The problem is his scheme gets increasingly complicated as more and more people discover what he is doing.

The secondary plot revolves around Kemp's girlfriend Olivia and her daughter who keeps seeing angels. While Kemp is scheming - and consequently ignoring Olivia - Olivia contends with school officials who want to have her daughter tested because she keeps having what the school counselor considers psychotic episodes where she claims to see angels.

This book is very interesting with an uncomplicated story plot that moves quickly. Kemp is so easy to dislike since he's the quintessential sleazebag who can't see past his own wants to others' needs. We've all known folks like him who are so shallow you wonder how a great girl - like Olivia in the story - would get stuck with someone like him. I wondered at the beginning of the book how the topic of angels would be addressed, and while there's no great theological discussion in this book it makes you rethink angels and how they might be working in today's world.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Book Review - Not A Sparrow Falls

The back cover on the back of this book especially intrigued me - "Two desperate people - one with all the answers... one with none." I couldn't wait to find out about these people and how their lives would intersect.

Mary Bridget Washburn's life up to this point had been defined by tough breaks and poor choices. As a result she is running from her past and attempting to begin a new life without facing the consequences for choices made in her past. Alasdair MacPherson is also trying to ignore his past instead of face it, with ominous consequences for his children. They both learn an important lesson about the power of God's grace.

I enjoyed this book more than most Christian fiction books, probably because of the character of Alasdair's oldest daughter who is twelve years old. She is suffering the fallout of her father's inability to face the past and what happened to her mother. I enjoyed watching the healing of the relationship between father and daughter.

Overall, this book is well written with a plot that stays interesting, and an incredibly good ending. I received a copy of this book from Bethany House publisher.

Book Review - Lonestar Homecoming

This is the third book I've read from author Colleen Coble and I have thoroughly enjoyed all of them. Her characters are three-dimensional and believable, the plot of each book has unique twists and the underlying message in each book is excellent.

Lonestar Homecoming begins with Gracie Lister and her daughter running from a drug cartel in which she discovered her fiance Cid is involved. She is rescued by border patroller Michael Wayne who deals with the cartel on a daily basis. Gracie is very secretive about her past but eventually learns to trust Michael and face up to her fears. Michael in turn realizes that family is more important than his job.

I loved the way the author weaved several different story lines together - Gracie's strained relationship with her father, Michael's relationship with his children, and of course Gracie's relationship with her former fiance and how that threatens her new family. Although it was complete as written I really wish the subplot of Gracie's relationship with her father could have been slightly expanded (or perhaps commented on in the epilogue).

I received a copy of this book from Bethany House to review.

Book Review - Beguiled

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand. The plot unfolds around the main characters, Rylee Monroe, a dog walker for families in Charleston's elite historic district, and journalist Logan Woods who is covering a series of thefts occurring in the same neighborhood.

This story combines romance and suspense which in this case works well. I was drawn into the story from the very first chapter and didn't want to put the book down until I had read the entire thing. There was continual action as the book built to a suspenseful climax. I also enjoyed the epilogue which tied up a few loose ends, a feature often lacking in fiction books.

Overall, this is an engaging story, a great combination of romance and suspense.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.