Book Review of Sins of the Past

Sins of the Past includes three romantic suspense novellas by authors Dee Henderson, Dani Pettrey and Lynette Eason.

Dee Henderson's novella, Missing, is about a police chief's elderly mother going missing, the search to find her and then the search to find the person who took her.  The story seemed rushed and strange to me, but it was still not a bad read.

I was very excited to read Dani Pettrey's novella, Shadowed, after reading all of her Alaskan Courage series.  In Shadowed, we the reader gets to meet the parents of the McKenna kids, Ben and Libby.  Pettrey did not disappoint me!  Ben and Libby recover a body while whale watching which leads to a hunt for the killer. I just loved seeing how Ben and Libby ended up together.

The last novella was Blackout by Lynette Eason.  I hadn't read anything by Lynette Eason previously, but I think I will be picking up some of her books in the future.  Blackout is about a woman, Macey, who is being haunted by past memories that she is unable to remember.  She is being stalked by someone who believes she knows more than she does, and her life depends on her remembering what happened.  Her neighbor and cop, Chad, is determined to help and protect Macey.  I really loved this one!

*I received this book in exchange for an honest review from Bethany House Publishers.*

Book Review of No Way Up by Mary Connealy

No Way Up is the first book in Mary Connealy's, The Cimarron Legacy series.  After reading her Wild at Heart series, I was so excited to see this book available to review from Bethany House.  I absolutely LOVED this one just as much as the other books I have read by Connealy!  Fast-paced, suspense & romance--my favorite things in a book!  I definitely recommend picking up this book!

Here is a little information from the back of the book:
"When Cimarron ranch patriarch Chance Boden is caught in an avalanche, the quick actions of hired hand Heath Kincaid save him. Badly injured, Chance demands that his will be read and its conditions be enforced immediately. 

Without anyone else to serve as a witness, Heath is pressed into reading the will. If Justin, Sadie, and Cole Boden don't live and work at home for the entire year, the ranch will go to their low-down cousin Mike. 

Then Heath discovers the avalanche was a murder attempt, and more danger might follow. Deeply involved with the family, Heath's desire to protect Sadie goes far beyond friendship. The danger keeps them close together, and their feelings grow until being apart is the last thing on their minds."

*I received this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.*

Book Review of Delilah: Treacherous Beauty by Angela Hunt

From the back cover of Delilah: Treacherous Beauty by Angela Hunt:
"A Complex and Compelling Glimpse at One of the Bible's Most Notorious Women

Life is not easy in Philistia, especially not for a woman and child alone. When beautiful, wounded Delilah finds herself begging for food to survive, she resolves that she will find a way to defeat all the men who have taken advantage of her. She will overcome the roadblocks life has set before her, and she will find riches and victory for herself. 
When she meets a legendary man called Samson, she senses that in him lies the means for her victory. By winning, seducing, and betraying the hero of the Hebrews, she will attain a position of national prominence. After all, she is beautiful, she is charming, and she is smart. No man, not even a supernaturally gifted strongman, can best her in a war of wits."

I have to be honest that normally I don't care to read biblical historical fiction, but this one kept my interest.  In the first part of book, Hunt gives us an idea of the events that happen before Delilah meets Samson, the background story of what has made Delilah's life the way it is when Samson arrives.  We also see what has happened with Samson as well.  I enjoyed ready it and would recommend it for those people that enjoy biblical historical fiction.

*I received this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.*

Book Review of Like Never Before by Melissa Tagg

I was so excited when I saw this book was available to review from Bethany House Publishers!  I loved Melissa Tagg's previous book, From the Start, and I couldn't wait to read Like Never Before.

In this book, the main characters are Logan Walker and Amelia Bentley.  Logan is a speech writer who has the opportunity to work on a presidential campaign.  His plans get interrupted when he learns he has inherited his hometown's newspaper.  He returns home planning to sell the newspaper and spend time with his young daughter, Charlie before heading to work the campaign.

Amelia is the newspaper editor for that same hometown newspaper in Maple Valley.  She is intent on impressing the new publisher (owner) in hopes that it won't be sold.  She has a lead on a story that she thinks will do just that.

These two characters come together to make one fun to read story! Without giving too much away, Logan's plans do change when he decides to help Amelia with her story.  Both of these characters have broken hearts and dreams, but together, they will begin to heal.

*I received this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.*

Book Review of Dear Mary: Lessons From the Mother of Jesus for the Modern Mom by Sarah Jakes

Sarah Jakes' book, Dear Mary: Lessons from the Mother of Jesus for the Modern Mom, "explores biblical stories about Mary-as well as stories from her (Jakes) own life- to better understand what living for Christ can look like today and how to model that for your children."  Each chapter is a separate letter to Mary.  Jakes writes about her own personal experience in each chapter and writes about how Mary handled each situation  If we look at Mary's example as a mother, we can "learn valuable lessons from her life."

I loved how honest Jakes was about her own personal struggles. It isn't often that you read something so raw and real, and I found that really encouraging. I really think this is an inspiring book for mothers.

*I received this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.*

Book Review of Worship Changes Everything

Darlene Zschech's book, Worship Changes Everything, is great for anyone looking for something inspirational to read.  It is divided into two parts: Part One: The Heart of Worship and Part Two: The Hands of Worship.  Each part is divided into several chapters.  This book has anecdotes, lots of scripture and lots of things to think about and apply to your spiritual walk. This book is "An Invitation to Praise & Honor God in Every Area of Life."  Darlene Zschech shares her thoughts and wisdom for how to begin to do this.

I think this book is a good mixture of personal experience and scripture.  I always enjoy reading anecdotes when reading non-fiction because I feel like it makes informational books easier to get through.  If you are like me, then you will like this book.  It is definitely a great inspirational read.

*I received this book from Bethany House in exchange for an honest review.*

Book Review of Dressed for Death by Julianna Deering

I always enjoy a good mystery, and Dressed for Death did not disappoint me! In this book, Drew Farthering and his wife of 6 months, Madeline, attend a party at an old friend's home.  When their friend's fiance dies unexpectedly from an apparent overdose, Drew's friend insists that she was murdered and asks him to find her killer with lots of twists along the way.

Julianna Deering keeps the reader guessing who the culprit is until near the end of the book.  I didn't realize that this book was part of the Drew Farthering Mystery Series until I received it from the publisher, so there were few things referenced that I was confused about (that were most likely learned in previous books).  However, it didn't take away from the story, and I still enjoyed reading it.  I highly recommend it to anyone who loves mysteries!

*I received this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.*