Only With Blood By Therese Down

I received this book from Kregel Publications for no charge in exchange for my honest review of this book. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Book Description:

When dying Jack Flynn decides he needs a bride so that he can father a son, his young wife Caitlin proves far more than he intended to buy
Jack Flynn, strong and aggressive but slowly dying of tuberculosis on his farm in Tipperary in the Republic of Ireland, decides to acquire―purchase―a young wife who can bear him sons to inherit his family’s land. His choice, Caitlin Spillane, is less than half his age, attractive and intelligent, and resents bitterly the obedience that is forced upon her.
When a young firebrand, a supporter of the IRA, arrives in the village, he and Caitlin are drawn together in their detestation of Flynn. Flynn, traumatized by his own insurgent IRA experiences twenty years earlier, is secretly convinced that Eamonn de Valera’s more diplomatic, peaceful approach to Ireland’s problems is the only sane one.
Could Caitlin be won for the cause, and leave her unloved husband?
A novel set against the struggle for the heart of Ireland in the Second World War, when the IRA notoriously sought assistance from the Nazis, Only with Blood explores flawed characters placed in extraordinary situations.

My Thoughts:

Only With Blood is Therese Down's debut book and it is a good one. As a huge fan of debut books and Christian Historical Fiction Only With Blood really caught my attention.  Therese Down writes with authority about WWII, Ireland, England, the IRA, and the state of the world during WWII.  Therese Down wrote a wonderful story with a perfect mix of fact and fiction, that really taught me a lot about this time in our history and about Ireland's involvement with the Nazi party. I learned so much while reading this book. For the most part I found Only With Blood engaging, just a few parts that sort of bogged me down but glad I kept reading. I found the characters in this book real, dealing with real issues of that time, some we still deal with today and some very foreign in this day in age. I again found myself learning about the lives of people during WWII in Ireland and their involvement,  something you don't hear a lot about. My favorite character would have to be Caitlin Spillane. I loved her spirit and her strength. As I stated before, except for a few spots, this book held me from start to finish and definitely kept me guessing throughout. Theresa Down really transports her audience to this time and place. I really felt like I was there watching as the events unfolded. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian Historical Fiction, especially about WWII, you will NOT be disappointed. I can't wait to read more from Therese Down. I give this book 4 STARS.

***As a side note I would like to apologize to Therese Down and Kregel Publications for the lateness of this review!***

Mermaid Moon: Sunset Cove Series Book 2 By Colleen Coble

I received this book from Litfuse Publicity for no charge in exchange for my honest review of this book. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Book Description: 

Mallory's mother died fifteen years ago. But her father's last words on the phone were unmistakable: "Find . . . mother."

Shame and confusion have kept Mallory Davis from her home for the last fifteen years, but when her dad mysteriously dies on his mail boat route, she doesn't have any choice but to go back to Mermaid Point.

Mallory believes her father was murdered and childhood sweetheart Kevin O'Connor, game warden in Downeast Maine, confirms her suspicions. But Kevin is wary of helping Mallory in her search. She broke his heart---and left---without a word, years ago.

When Mallory begins receiving threats on her own life---and her beloved teenage daughter, Haylie---their search intensifies. There's a tangled web within the supposed murder, and it involves much more than what meets the eye.

As answers begin to fall into place, Mallory realizes her search is about more than finding her father's killer---it is also about finding herself again . . . and possibly about healing what was broken so long ago with Kevin. She just has to stay alive long enough to put all the pieces together.


My Thoughts:

Mermaid Moon is the second book in Colleen Coble's Sunset Cove Series and it is SUPER! I had the pleasure of reading The Inn at Ocean's Edge, the first book in this series and I was hooked. I was so excited to have the opportunity to read the next book in the series! As a fan of Christian Suspense, I am hooked on Colleen Coble's suspense books! Colleen Coble writes with authority about Maine, Game Wardens, jewelry making, sailing, adoption past and present, and crime solving. I could NOT put this book down, from start to finish it grabbed a hold of me and kept me guessing all the way until the last page. The characters in this book were surprising and real, having lives that are not perfect like all of us. I loved the fact that in Mermaid Moon I met many new characters but also got to see old friends from the previous book. This book really kept me guessing until the very last sentence, something I love about Colleen Coble's Suspense stories. The style of writing made me feel like I was right there with Mallory and Kevin, trying to solve the mysteries in Mallory's life. Mermaid Moon is the second book in this series but it could be read as a stand alone I feel. Colleen Coble writes a story that new readers can read without feeling lost and those of us that have read the first book aren't bored with the details.  I loved The Inn At Ocean's Edge and I felt that Mermaid Moon was just as awesome. I HIGHLY recommend this book, series, and author to anyone who enjoys Christian Suspense books, you will NOT be disappointed. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series! I give this book 5 STARS.

Please Check Out The Giveaway Details Below

To move forward past a life of shame and confusion, Mallory Davis must go back to Mermaid Point to find out who murdered her father in Colleen Coble's new book, Mermaid Moon. As answers begin to fall into place, Mallory realizes her search is about more than finding her father’s killer—it is also about finding herself again . . . and possibly about healing what was broken so long ago with Kevin. She just has to stay alive long enough to put all the pieces together.

Celebrate the release of Mermaid Moon with Colleen and a mystery e-reader prize pack giveaway!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of Mermaid Moon
• A Kindle Fire
• A mermaid necklace
• A pair of mermaid earrings

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry! The giveaway ends on February 1st. The winner will be announced February 2nd on the Litfuse blog.

After The Rain By Rita Gerlach

I received this book from the author through The Celebrate Lit Blogging program for no charge in exchange for my honest review of this book.  The opinions expressed here are my own.

Book Description: 

It's 1908, a year in the Edwardian Age, the year J.M. Barrie’s play What Every Woman Knows, premiered in Atlantic City and the first Model T rolled off the assembly line in Detroit. It is a year when the world faced one of its worst disasters in history, when the New Year would heal the wounds of loss. Louisa Borden lives a privileged life in Chevy Chase, Maryland, a new and thriving community on the outskirts of Washington, DC for the well-to-do. Against the wishes of her domineering grandmother, she retreats from the prospects of a loveless marriage and instead searches for what she hopes is her calling in life. When her horse is spooked along Rock Creek, she is thrown from the saddle—an embarrassing situation for any affluent young lady. Soaking wet, bruised and humiliated, she is carried up the muddy bank to safety by Jackson O’Neil, a stranger to the city, who changes the course of everything, including the lives of all those around her.

My Thoughts:

After The Rain is the first book by Rita Gerlach I have had the pleasure of reading. As a fan of Christian Historical Fiction this book really caught my attention, first the gorgeous cover and of course the back cover description. Rita Gerlach writes with authority about the Edwardian Age in the United States and Europe, the social classes in the city and in the country, art, horses, medical care in 1908, and the treatment of down syndrome children during this time.   I enjoyed this book from start to finish, unable to put this book down until the end. I found that the book kept me guessing until the end how everything would turn out. I enjoyed the characters in this book especially Louisa and her father. Their relationship is very special and they truly cared for one another no matter whether together or apart. All of the characters in this book are real, lives messy like the rest of us. After The Rain has a lot of emotion throughout, I found myself laughing in some parts and crying in others. I found Rita Gerlach's writing fantastic, I really felt like I was there in 1908 seeing all of the events unfold. I have found a new author to add to my must read list! I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian Historical Fiction, you will not be disappointed. I give this book 5 STARS.

Please check out the giveaway:

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About The Author:

Rita Gerlach lives with her husband and two sons in a historical town nestled along the Catoctin Mountains, amid Civil War battlefields and Revolutionary War outposts in central Maryland. She was born in Washington D.C. and grew up in a large family in the Maryland suburbs.

"Romantic historical fiction that has an inspirational bent, is one way people can escape the cares of life and be transported back to a time of raw courage and ideal love," she says. "The goal of my writing is to give readers a respite from a stressful world and give them hope."

In many of her stories, she writes about the struggles endured by early colonists, with a sprinkling of both American and English history. Her genre - Inspirational Historical Romance / Drama.

Rita is a breast cancer survivor, and incorporates into her newer fiction what she learned through her journey --- courage, faith, and the precious gift of family and friendship.

Currently she is writing an Edwardian era novel set in Chevy Chase, Maryland, a historical community on the outskirts of Washington DC, leading to a fictional village in the western Maryland mountains. She is also co-authoring a historical series with bestselling Christian author Gilbert Morris.

Rita's Website

Inspire Blog

I Hope You Dance By Beth Moran

I received this book from Kregel Publications for no charge in exchange for my honest review of this book. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Book Description:

Can dancing mend Ruth's broken heart?
Ruth Henderson has moved back in with her parents--something she swore she would never do, especially not at the age of thirty-three. But in the face of the mountain of debt left by her late partner, and the fact that her teenage daughter, Maggie, is expressing her grief through acts of delinquency, there was really only one option.
Returning to a house Ruth swore never to set foot in again is bad enough. Add to this an estranged father, whirlwind mother, and David--the boy next door who broke her heart--and it is little wonder Ruth can barely make it out of bed.
But then, reunited with her old friend Lois, Ruth is persuaded to go along to a monthly girls' night. Here she meets a bunch of incredible women and for the first time since leaving home at eighteen, Ruth begins to make some genuine friends.
She also has her first ever date--with the charming Dr. Carl Barker. However, after a disastrous dinner, and an upset Maggie still struggling with her father's death, Ruth promises her daughter she won't go out with any other men. A promise she quickly regrets when David, the boy next door, asks her to dance.


My Thoughts:

I Hope You Dance is the second book by author Beth Moran and it is fantastic. I had the joy of reading her debut book, Making Marion and was excited to have the opportunity to read her next book. I Hope You Dance is a great book that I could not put down. From the start the story of Ruth and her family grabbed ahold of me until the end. Beth Moran writes with expertise about Southwell, Nottinghamshire, ballroom dancing, foster care, lives of pastors and their families, parenting, loss of spouse and parent, and marriage.  I Hope You Dance is a book about second chances in life and finding out who you are in midst of tragedy. The characters in this book are fantastic! I loved them all especially the women's group Ruth goes to, they sure offer well needed comic relief, support, and God's love.  Really shows the true meaning of friendship, which Ruth was in much need of.  Ruth is a great character, she is NOT perfect and embraces that. Her life is at its lowest point and she works so hard to pull herself up and keep her daughter Maggie together. I Hope You Dance really brings out many emotions. I found myself laughing out loud in lots of places and crying in others as my heart went out to Ruth and Maggie. I did really enjoy this book and highly recommend this book and author to anyone who enjoys Christian Fiction, you will NOT be disappointed. I cannot wait to read more from Beth Moran and meet more of her characters. Definitely a must read author for me. I give this book 5 STARS.

Friends and Enemies: A World War II Romance (Promise for Tomorrow) (Volume 1) By Terri Wangard

I received this book from the author through The Celebrate Lit Blogging Program for no charge in exchange for my honest review of this book The opinions expressed here are my own.

Book Description:


Christian Historical Romance set in World War 2

In 1943, widowed seamstress Heidi Wetzel finds new meaning in life by caring for evacuated children on a rural farm in war-torn western Germany. Never a supporter of National Socialism, she takes pleasure in passive resistance, but must exercise caution around neighbors who delight in reporting to the Gestapo. Flying cadet Paul Braedel's wife dies while he trains for the U.S. Army Air Corps. Following bereavement leave, he returns to B-17 "Flying Fortress" Bomber navigator training but he's lost his zest for life and heads to England, not caring if he lives or dies. When he and his crew are shot down over Germany, he evades capture and, for the first time since Rachel's death, hears the voice of God whisper guidance: Find Heidi. When Heidi stumbles into a man she recognizes, she is shocked to realize he is a friend from her high school days in the United States, and the husband of her best friend Rachel. Aiding an enemy downed airman is punishable by execution, but she agrees to help. Then they're betrayed. A war-time adventure with romantic second chances.

My Thoughts:

Friends and Enemies is Terry Wangard's debut novel and it is FANTASTIC.  This is the first book in The Promise for Tomorrow Series.  I am a big fan of Christian Historical Fiction and debut novels so this one was definitely in my wheelhouse. I found myself unable to put this book down. Terri Wangard writes with authority on World War 2, Germany during that time, the United States during that time,  the US Military, the German Military, and life for these peoples. I found myself learning more about this time in our history while reading this book. I found myself drawn in from the beginning and unable to put it down until the end and definitely kept me guessing until the end. Friends and Enemies was definitely an emotional read. I found myself laughing in places and crying in others as the characters experienced joy and sadness. Terri Wangard's writing made me feel like I was right there watching the events unfold. I definitely have found another author to add to my must read list!! I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian Historical Fiction, you will NOT be disappointed. I give this book 5 STARS



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The Abbess of Whitby: A Novel of Hild of Northumbria By Jill Dalladay

I received this book from Kregel Publications for no charge in exchange for my honest review of this book. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Book Description: 

The dramatic story of a seventh-century evangelist

Chosen as Eostre s handmaid, Hild will serve the fertility goddess for a year before being wed. Her future is predictable until King Edwin claims her as kin and she learns that her father was murdered.
Her first love is given a command in Edwin s forces and vanishes from her life, wed to her sister. The court is baptized, ending the old religion and Hild s role. Life looks bleak. She can t stop wondering who killed her father.
Suspecting Edwin, she challenges him, only to be married off to safeguard his northern frontier. Struggling in a loveless marriage, she is intrigued by the Iona priests making pilgrimages to spread Christ s love. When home and family are lost in Oswy s sack of Edinburgh, she finds herself in enemy hands, but meets the charismatic Aidan.
Inspired and guided by him, she builds communities to live and teach Christ s love. She attracts followers. Even her old enemy, King Oswy, entrusts his child to her, gives her Whitby, and seeks her help to reconcile divisions in his kingdom.
She never ceases battling against old superstitions resurrected by storm, plague, and solar eclipse, but at last she receives a bishop s blessing from a man she trained herself.

My Thoughts: 

The Abbess of Whitby: A Novel of Hild of Northumbia is Jill Dalladay's debut novel and it is fantastic. As a huge fan of Christian Historical Fiction and of debut authors, I couldn't not pass of the opportunity to read this.  This book takes place in 7th Century Medieval England, where beliefs are in the gods and goddesses, making sacrifices in their names but the belief of the One God is starting to pick up throughout the world. This story starts when Hild is 12 years old and goes through her life and her role in Christianity in England. I learned so much about Christianity's beginnings, the ending of the worship of many gods, and 7th Century England. I am not very familiar with this time in history so there were many things I found myself looking up and reading more about. Jill Dalladay writes with authority about 7th Century England, beliefs of that time, the hierarchy of this time, and the ups and downs of war.  I found myself in awe of  how the transition from pagan religion to Christianity took place, how Christianity was spread throughout the countries, and how whole countries accepted Christ and were baptized. Even Hild's story shows the transformation from pagan worship to acceptance of the Christ. I found myself unable to put this book down as I found myself caught up in Hild's story.  I enjoyed Jill Dallady's style of writing and am excited to read more from her. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian Historical Fiction, especially about Christianity.  I give this book 4.5 STARS.

A Thousand Shall Fall: Shenandoah Valley Saga Book 1 By Andrea Boeshaar

I received this book from the author, Andrea Boeshaar and Litfuse Publicity for no charge in exchange for my honest review of this book . The opinions expressed here are my own.

Book Description:

A story of love, hope, and healing set in the midst of the Civil War

Nineteen-year-old Carrie Ann Bell is independent and spirited. The only thing she really fears are the Union soldiers fighting against her Confederate friends. When her youngest sister runs away from home, brave Carrie Ann is determined to find her and bring her back. Disguised as a soldier, she sets off--only to find she's fallen into the hands of the enemy.

Her childhood friend Confederate Major Joshua Blevins has warned her against these Yankees: they're all devils, ready to inflict evil on unsuspecting young women. When Colonel Peyton Collier arrests her for her impersonation of an officer, it seems to confirm all her fears.
Soon, though, she finds herself drawn to the handsome, gallant colonel. He rescued her, protected her, and has been every inch the gentleman. Carrie Ann discovers that her foe has become her ally--and more than that, someone she could love. But the arrival of Joshua in the Union camp as a spy will test her loyalties. Will she protect someone who has been like family or be loyal to this stranger to whom she wants to offer her heart? When her world is being torn apart around her, whom should she trust?
Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, A Thousand Shall Fall is framed around compelling characters and a very romantic setting in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. Andrea Boeshaar’s extensive research guarantees historical accuracy and romance genre enthusiasts and Civil War buffs alike will enjoy the Christian perspectives on actual historical events.
         

My Thoughts:  


A Thousand Shall Fall is the first book in Andrea Boesharr's latest series, Shenandoah Valley Saga and it is great! This is the first book by Andrea Boesharr's I have read but I have a few on my TBR pile, so I am excited to dig into them.  As a huge fan of Historical Christian Fiction and my love of the Civil War this book had the perfect blend. Andrea Boesharr has the perfect blend of fact and fiction in this book that really kept me interested and I learned some more about this time in history.  Andrea Boesharr writes with authority about all things Civil War including all of the places the war took place, the way of life before, during and after, the state of things in both the North and South, and the attitudes of the people in the different places. I found myself having a hard time at first getting into the book but after the second chapter that was not the case. I really found myself unable to put down this book, not wanting to have to wait to get back to it!  The characters are well written and are real people. I really enjoyed this book! I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian Historical Fiction, it will not disappoint! I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series. I give this book  I give this book 4 STARS.