Riveting WWII Story -- Embers in the London Sky

Sarah Sundin is a master with WWII fiction. Embers in the London Sky provides even more proof of that statement.

As always, this author has done her research and built a fascinating fictional story around some of the realities of the world of WWII. In this one, set in war-time London, she uses a variety of elements, one of those being the temporary evacuation of children from their homes in the city into other nearby areas for their safety. 

The characters are full of life and invite the reader into their joys and struggles in this complicated time in history. As Aleida and Hugh fight their challenging battles, their personal strength and faith carry them through life-changing decisions and life-threatening situations. It is written in a way that makes it easy to share the feelings and emotions of the people involved. The story moves at a riveting pace that makes this book almost impossible to put down. 

I highly recommend Embers in the London Sky to fans of great inspirational historical fiction. Thanks to Revell Reads for providing a copy of the book. I was happy to share my own thoughts in this review.

About the Book

London, 1940

As the German army invades the Netherlands in 1940, Aleida van der Zee Martens escapes to London to wait out the occupation. Separated from her three-year-old son, Theo, in the process, the young widow desperately searches for her little boy even as she works for an agency responsible for evacuating children to the countryside.

When German bombs set London ablaze, BBC radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood reports on the Blitz, eager to boost morale while walking the fine line between truth and censorship. But the Germans are not the only ones Londoners have to fear as a series of murders flame up amid the ashes.

The deaths hit close to home for Hugh, and Aleida needs his help to locate her missing son. As they work together, they grow closer and closer, both to each other and the answers they seek. But time is running short--and the worst is yet to come.

About the Author

Sarah Sundin is the bestselling author of When Twilight Breaks, Until Leaves Fall in Paris, The Sound of Light, and the popular WWII series Sunrise at Normandy, among others. She is a Christy Award winner and a Carol Award winner, and her novels have received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly, and have appeared on Booklist's "101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years." Sarah lives in California. Visit SarahSundin.com for more information.

Final Visit to Promise Lodge -- Miracles at Promise Lodge

Charlotte Hubbard has previously taken her readers on seven visits to her fictional Missouri community of Promise Lodge for a fascinating series of stories in this setting that falls a little outside your typical Amish settlement. 

On this eighth, and final, visit -- Miracles at Promise Lodge -- she brings back together a wide range of the characters and events from those other visits, along with a few new folks and experiences, to build a forward-moving story rich in hope, forgiveness, and second chances. Weddings are celebrated. New babies are anticipated. New and renewed dreams are accomplished. I don't think you can finish this story without a sense of good things yet to come, things that never would have been expected a few years earlier when this simple community was established.

As always, the characters jump to life off the pages, and their stories tie together into a very well-done book. I highly recommend Miracles at Promise Lodge to fans of Amish inspirational novels. It will be most enjoyed, though, if you have read the entire series in order.

Thanks to the author for providing me a digital copy of the book through NetGalley. I was happy to share my own thoughts in this review.

About the Book

Returning to the fan-favorite world of Promise Lodge, the small-town Missouri setting for her beloved Amish inspirational romance novels, Charlotte Hubbard charms readers with a Mother’s Day themed tale perfect for fans of Shelley Shepard Gray and Beth Wiseman!

A season of change has blessed the Amish of Missouri’s Promise Lodge, as mothers-to-be anticipate the arrival of their little miracles and one young man’s life is about to take an unexpected turn as he sheds his bad boy reputation and embraces the value of faith and hard work.

Long-time residents of Promise Lodge welcome a wave of newcomers that includes a pretty potter who’s come to help an expectant couple, and a hard-working dairy expert ready to manage the herds on the expanding Burkholder farm. Then there’s Isaac Chupp, the handsome, charming son of a notoriously unyielding Bishop from nearby Coldstream. Isaac has recklessly rebelled against his dat, and his bad boy reputation precedes him. Now he seeks a fresh start, applying for work at Dale Kraybill’s bulk store.

Proving himself reliable while Dale takes off for his wedding trip is Isaac’s bold first step. But more miraculous awakenings may come as he settles into the warm new light of the faithful community. And while Promise Lodge celebrates an abundance of newborns as summer turns to fall, Isaac discovers a kindred soul who has her own share of challenges. In helping her, he just may find his true purpose in loving selflessly, building up, and giving back . . .

About the Author

Charlotte Hubbard is the highly acclaimed author of Amish romances celebrating simpler times and a faith-based lifestyle. A longtime Missourian, she draws upon her experiences in Jamesport, the largest Old Order Amish community west of the Mississippi, to create strong, inspiring characters and uplifting stories. Faith and family, farming and food preservation are hallmarks of her lifestyle, and the foundation of all her Amish romance series. She’s a deacon, a dedicated church musician and choir member, and when she’s not writing, she loves to try new recipes, crochet, and sew. Charlotte now lives in Nebraska with her husband and their border collie. You can learn more about Charlotte and her novels at CharlotteHubbard.com.

Rich Dual Timeline Story -- A Million Little Choices

Tamera Alexander's A Million Little Choices is a rich dual timeline story, filled with intriguing characters and plot lines. 

Over the past several years I have become a fan of Tamera's Civil War era stories. When I saw that her newest book was something a little different with a mostly contemporary setting, I was interested in reading that one as well. I was not disappointed in the least at the change in focus. Her characters and their stories provided a read that was just as engaging as any of her previous books. It was easy to be drawn into the lives of the characters in both time periods, and she did a lovely job of weaving the two pieces together. (And she still managed to include that familiar time period.)

The story of faith, courage, and second chances was a delight to read. The story leaves you thinking about the impact of the choices you make along the way in the ordinary and not so ordinary days of your life, some of those impacts lasting well beyond your lifetime.

I highly recommend A Million Little Choices to fans of great inspirational fiction.

About the Book

Sometimes secrets just won’t stay hidden . . .

Now from USA Today bestselling author and Christy Award Hall of Fame inductee Tamera Alexander comes the story of two women from different centuries living in the same house who share strikingly similar journeys.

Claire Powell’s life is turned upside down when her beloved husband admits to a “near affair.” But when Stephen accepts a partnership with an Atlanta law firm without consulting her and buys a historic Southern home sight-unseen—it pushes their already-fractured marriage to the breaking point. Claire’s world spirals, and she soon finds herself in a marriage she no longer wants, in a house she never asked for.

In 1863, Charlotte Thursmann, pregnant and trapped in a marriage to an abusive husband, struggles to protect her unborn child and the enslaved members of her household. Desperate, she’s determined to right the evils her husband and others like him commit. But how can one woman put an end to such injustice? Especially if her husband makes good on his threat to kill her?

Both Claire and Charlotte discover truths about themselves they never realized, along with secrets long hidden that hold the power to bring God’s restoration—if only they choose to let it.

About the Author

Tamera Alexander is the Christy Award-winning, bestselling author of numerous books, including Colors of Truth, With This Pledge, A Lasting Impression, A Note Yet Unsung, To Whisper Her Name, and more. Her richly drawn characters and thought-provoking plots have earned her devoted readers worldwide. Tamera and her husband make their home in Nashville, where they enjoy life with their two adult children who live nearby.

A Truly "Not Put-Downable" Book -- Double Take

If you've read many suspense novels, you've seen the endorsements or reviews. They contain words and phrases like "edge of your seat," "nail biter," "can't put it down," and so on. Sometimes I find those right on point and sometimes not so much. 

But for Lynette Eason's Double Take, all those are true, as well as this one that was included on the introductory page of the book:  "This book should come with a warning: do not start unless you've got plenty of time to finish!" I started the book too late in the day to finish in one sitting, but I fought until my eyes just wouldn't stay open before giving up to sleep.

Lynette Eason is one of the best authors of inspirational romantic suspense, and she may have outdone herself on this one. All the elements of the story -- character development, suspense plot, dangerous situations, romantic theme, and faith thread -- fit together like a well designed (but challenging) puzzle. And I can't tell you how many times I had to change my mind about how this one was going to work out. Keeping me as a reader guessing, with a number of plausible possibilities, is one of the top requirements for a well-written suspense story. That is exactly what I experienced in this story! I'm anxious to see where Lynette takes us next in the second book of her Lake City Heroes series.

I highly recommend Double Take to fans of great inspirational romantic suspense. Thanks to Revell Reads for providing a copy of the book. I was happy to share my own thoughts in this review.

About the Book

She survived a murder plot and her attacker is dead--isn't he?

Detective James Cross has been honorably discharged from the Army's Criminal Investigation Division due to wounds sustained when an IED blew up near him. Now with the Lake City Police Department, he's rooming with his good buddy and partner, Cole, while he figures out his family dynamics.

Physician Assistant Lainie Jackson is eighteen months out from an attempted murder perpetrated by her ex, which ended when she managed to grab the weapon and shoot him. When he appears to have survived and is back to finish the job he started, Lainie insists it's not possible. But someone keeps trying to kill her, and she keeps seeing his face.

Together, Lainie and James must work together to find out who exactly is after her and why he wants her dead. And failure is not an option.

About the Author

Lynette Eason is the USA Today bestselling author of Double Take, as well as the Extreme Measures, Danger Never Sleeps, Blue Justice, Women of Justice, Deadly Reunions, Hidden Identity, and Elite Guardians series. She is the winner of three ACFW Carol Awards, the Selah Award, and the Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, among others. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and has a master's degree in education from Converse College. Eason lives in South Carolina with her husband. They have two adult children. Learn more at LynetteEason.com.