Carrie Stuart Park's Portrait of Vengeance

Portrait of Vengeance by Carrie Stuart Parks

Gwen Marcey finds herself in the middle of another suspenseful mystery, only this time it is her past intersecting with a present day murder and child abduction.  As she tracks down the perpetrator, she narrowly escapes death by the villains who remain hidden until it is almost too late for her to escape.

The plot had more twists and turns than a mountain road.  Just when the conclusion seems to be in sight, another twist occurs, which makes reading the book very exciting.

The ending had a satisfying conclusion, but left room and enough unanswered questions to necessitate another book.

I enjoy the way Parks set her stories in unusual places and teaches the readers important background information that makes her stories even  more interesting.  In addition, I enjoyed finding out more about Gwen and her past.

I really liked this book and plan on reading her next installment.  Readers of suspense will enjoy it, too.  I received this book at no cost in exchange for my honest review.

Sequel to Terri Blackstock's If I Run

If I'm Found 

by Terri Blackstock                                                                                                                                                                 

Terri Blackstock was hard-pressed to write a sequel that compares to her first book in the series of her page-turning suspense, If I Run, but she succeeds marvelously.  I literally groaned, NO! when I turned to  the last page and saw that it was a Note from the author.   I immediately wanted to dive into the next installment.  But not yet . . .

The author continues the breakneck pace of the plot, which kept me engrossed in this book.  There was hardly a time when I wasn’t looking over Casey or Dylan’s shoulders’ to see if I could see Keegan or Rollins following close behind.

I enjoyed the development of the characters and how they learned and struggled against evil.  The sub plots gave such depth to Casey’s character.  Dylan’s character was revealed in the way he treated Casey and her difficult situation.  Even the bad guys revealed more about themselves and their motives, too, as the story progressed.

Of course, the ending was a temporary stopping place for the story and I was happy to know that Casey’s intervention had made a difference.  But her original motive for running had not changed and so another sequel must be on the way.  I can hardly wait!

Suspense readers will love this series.  I received a free copy of the book from the publisher and this is my honest review.

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.