Another Erica Sparks novel

The Separatists by Lis Wiehl

Erica Sparks is at it again.  Her nose for a good story keeps her heading toward danger.  This time it is uncovering the secrets of a separatist group that wants to secede from the United States.  Of course, this story couldn’t come at a worse time for Erica.  Her marriage is stretched to the breaking point by her husband’s lack of comparable success, and her daughter’s rebellion.  She needs to focus on her family, but the murders that surround her divert her attention and cause her to fear for her family’s safety.  In addition, they all seem to point to the leader of the secessionist movement, Mary Bellamy.  Can Erica successfully navigate between the demands of her career and the needs of her family and manage to stay alive, too?

Lis Wiehl keeps us on the edge of our seat with another Erica Sparks story.  However, after having read two of her previous Newsmaker Novels with Sebastian Stuart, this one was a bit predictable.  The strong female villain, the last second escapes, and the challenges she faces trying to balance her priorities have all been introduced in the previous books.

  Wiehl uses interesting backgrounds in her books and this book is no exception.  The fact that a state wants to secede from the Union may be more like real life than we might suspect.

  This book does have a satisfactory conclusion, but leaves room for another sequel with another complication.  Over all, I enjoyed the book and thank the publisher for the free copy to review.

The Marriage Pact, a Psychological Thriller

The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond

 Newly-weds Jake and Alice receive a very unusual wedding gift—a membership in the marriage pact.   Really, who wouldn’t want to be part of such a group that guarantees that your marriage will thrive? But getting into the Pact proves to be much easier than getting out as Alice and Jake discover.

 

This book was startlingly intense and thought-provoking.  The twists and turns in the plot were amazing.  The author does a magnificent job of keeping the reader off balance, never knowing what to expect, which must have been synonymous with what Jake and Alice felt.

The characters were revealed little by little and I grew more attached to them as the story continued.  I was surprised at the ending, and left wondering what would happen to Jake and Alice.

This is not the type of book I usually read, but despite some four letter words expected of a secular publisher, I enjoyed the book.  My thanks to the publisher for the free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Riveting YA fiction

Unblemished by Sara Ella

Eliyanna Ember is 17 and a misfit.  Because of her birthmark she is an outcast wherever she goes.  Her mother and her neighbor, Joshua David are her closest friends.  Then her mother dies and Joshua her neighbor-turned-boyfriend becomes her guardian.  That’s when her life gets really strange. 

To help her cope with her grief, her acquaintance Quinn persuades her to sneak away from Joshua and hang out at a party. Then Quinn ditches the party and Eliyanna is stuck without a ride until another party-goer, Ky, persuades her that he can take her home.  Except that Ky isn’t the safe new friend she thought he was and Eliyanna ends up in another world that is strangely familiar and yet totally new.  She will have to call forth resources deep inside her that she never knew she had in order to survive this new world.

This book was way better than I expected.  It was a compelling story, one that I didn’t want to put down.  It moved so quickly that it almost made me dizzy.   The characters were surprising—I had a hard time figuring out who was “good” and who was “bad.”  The plot twists were amazing and caught me off guard.  The ending was satisfying and yet left me with soooo many questions!  The next book can’t be published quickly enough for me.  Despite this being a young adult fiction, it totally engrossed me.  Even after finishing the book, there are still things in the story that I am pondering. For readers who enjoy fantasy, this book and any others that follow it will quickly become favorites.  I was given a free copy by Thomas Nelson for my honest review.

Southern setting, Irish band and plot twists

Because You’re Mine by Colleen Coble

Things I liked about this book:

the characters, especially Alanna, Liam and Alanna’s mates

the character development especially of “Jesse”

the plot pace

the plot twists

the unusual setting, alligator included!

not everything is as it seems

Things I didn’t like about this book:

Some questions that I had didn’t get answered, such as how was Diedra connected to the Kavanaugh family? And why was Barry so obsessed with her?  Why would their neighbor not say much about the family and just what did she know?

It was a riveting story and I enjoyed it very much. After finishing the book, I found myself still thinking about the characters and wondering what they were doing now.  I received a free copy from the publisher for my honest review.

Lyrical Prose and Second Chances

Long Way Gone by Charles Martin

Young Cooper O’Connor leaves his father and heads off to Nashville to make a fresh start for himself.  He takes everything of value from his father, expecting that he will make it big there and be able to return after having proved himself.  The years pass and he never sees his father again, but carries the lessons his father taught him in his heart.

  Years after a devastating tragedy, Cooper meets up with his long-lost love and wants to make amends but doubts that she will believe the truth.  He must decide if his love for her is worth the risk of rejection yet again.

Charles Martin weaves a beautiful tale of love and second chances set to lyrical prose.  It gives the reader hope that reconciliation and God’s purposes are being worked even in difficult relationships.  I loved this book:  its characters, storyline, plot twists, and the satisfying conclusion.  I received a free copy from the publisher for my honest opinion.  

well-written historical fiction by Irma Joubert

Child of the River by Irma Joubert

This book is the coming of age story of Persomi, a poor, white, sharecropper’s daughter in South Africa.  She rises above her circumstances in the the bushveld at the beginning of apartheid. As a lawyer, she follows her heart and stands for what she believes in, although it is certainly not popular.

Joubert makes the history of South Africa come alive, especially with the effect that it has on the characters in the book.  It was a painless and interesting way to learn some history about a country that I know little about.

Joubert’s characters were well-drawn, and for the most part, admirable.  I loved Persomi, for her dedication to the truth and her willingness to suffer for the right things.  Boelie was a man of integrity and upheld his principles even when life would have been easier otherwise. 

I liked several things about the noveI besides its characters.  I liked the fact that this novel spanned many years and I got to see the characters and the plot develop. I also liked the way the author broke the chapters into sections regarding historical facts or the storyline of the characters. This technique made the book easy to read

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The ending was worthy of some tears, but it did catch me by surprise.  It was utterly satisfying.  I would recommend this book to fans of historical fiction.  They will not be disappointed.  I received a free copy from the publisher for my honest review.  

Fast paced thriller by Roni Kendig

Conspiracy of Silence by Ronie Kendig

Tox, a special ops soldier, is dead and buried by his country, or so everyone he loves thinks.  However, his country needs him now, and he is manipulated back into action by a deadly plague, which has attacked his niece, the president’s daughter.  To quell the plague, he travels across several continents tracking the organization that has orchestrated the world disaster.  The order of the Arrow and Flame proves to have strongholds and eyes wherever Tox and his team turn.  They are poised to release the deadly virus and only Tox and his team can stop them . . . or can they?

This author was new to me.  Her fast-paced writing and complex characters and plot kept me reading. I was fascinated by Kasey, the expert on deception.  I’m not sure if such a skill really exists, but it would make sense if it did and would certainly be necessary in situations like this.  Tox’s “conscience,” Chiji, was a very interesting character.  I would have loved to know more about his story.  Ram and his sister also merited a second look, too.  Although this book is the first in the series, I almost felt I was entering the story mid-stream, which I think indicates strong, well-drawn characters.

The plot moved quickly and sometimes I struggled to keep up.  I dared not put the book down for too long or I would forget where the characters were and what they were doing. 

This book was not overtly “Christian,” but I would  recommend  it  due to the lack of vulgar language and improprieties.  I like to recommend books with a great storyline and characters that live out their faith but that aren’t preachy.  This book fills the bill with plenty of action, detailed characters, a secret organization and lots of plot twists.   I recommend it for those who like suspense and thrillers.  Good job, Ronie Kendig.  I received this book in exchange for my honest review.