Distortion by Terri Blackstock

BOOK SUMMARY:

Juliet Cole’s life has been dismantled by the murder of her husband. She doesn’t know who—or what—to trust when everything she has believed to be true about her marriage has been a lie.

A husband’s lies can have deadly consequences.

When Juliet Cole’s husband of fifteen years is murdered before her eyes, she thinks it was a random shooting. Devastated and traumatized, she answers hours of questioning, then returns home to break the tragic news to her boys. But a threatening voicemail takes this from a random shooting to a planned, deliberate attack.

Juliet realizes that she and her children are in danger too, unless she meets the killers’ demands. But as she and her sisters untangle the clues, her husband’s dark secrets come to light. The more she learns, the more of her life is dismantled. Was her husband an innocent victim or a hardened criminal?

MY THOUGHTS:

Terri Blackstock  has done it again and created a wonderful story that will keep you on your toes!I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I couldn't wait for my down time of the day to read it! Often that time went far into the night:) It is full of mystery, suspense and family drama. The story is very well crafted, and will lead you on some amazing journeys. It has a great way of drawing the reader in and making them examine how they might react in situations when faced with the unexpected. The relationships between characters are well thought out and make them so real. The family drama between sisters and learning how to listen and trust are characteristics of any family. This will be a great addition to your book library!

Disclosure: I received a print copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Scraps of Evidence by Barbara Cameron

BOOK SUMMARY:

Tess has taken some ribbing from her fellow officer, Logan,for her quilting hobby. He finds it hard to align the brisk professional officer he patrols with during the day with the one who quilts in her off-time. Besides, he’s been trying to get to know her better and he’d like to be seeing her during those couple nights a week she spends with her quilting guild.

Then one afternoon Tess and Logan visit her aunt in the nursing home and she acts agitated when Tess covers her with the story quilt. Aunt Susan seems to be communicating a message to them about Tess’s uncle. There’s a story behind this quilt, they realize, one that may lead them to a serial killer. Will they have a chance to have a future together or will the killer choose Tess for his next victim before they find him?

MY THOUGHTS:

Scraps of Evidence is part of the Quilts of Love series. This was a great story from beginning to end. I loved watching the characters grow and develop. Watching Tess and Logan learn to relate and trust each other as partners was written in such a way that I felt I was on the journey with them.  The book was really not what I expected, it was so much more. As they are searching for a serial killer, I found myself intrigued and working at solving the mystery myself.  I had a hard time putting it down, and at the same time finding myself not sure I could read it late in the night when it was so quiet. :)

The story behind the story regarding Tess and her friend who was murdered by the serial killer was a refreshing look at friendship. Although most of what we see was in direct relation to the murder, we can see a side of it which shows what true friendship is. 

Showing the different sides to all the characters and the different relationships mixed in created a  beautifully written story I'm sure you will love to read! 

You can find the book for yourself at Amazon.com

Disclosure: I received a print copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own and may differ from others.

Friend Me by John Faubion

Book Summary:

When a lonely wife and her frustrated husband each secretly pursue companionship online, neither dreams that a real woman is behind their virtual creations, threatening their marriage—and their lives.

Scott and Rachel’s marriage is on the brink of disaster. Scott, a businessman with a high-pressure job, just wants Rachel to understand him and accept his flaws. Rachel is a lonely housewife, desperate for attention and friendship. So she decides to create a virtual friend online, unaware that Scott is doing the exact same thing. As Rachel desperately tries to re-create a friendship with a friend who has passed, Scott becomes unfaithful and is torn between the love for his wife and the perfection of his cyber-girlfriend. But neither realizes that there’s a much larger problem looming…

Behind both of their online creations is Melissa, a woman who is brilliant—and totally insane. Masquerading as both friend and lover, Melissa programmed a search parameter into the virtual friend software to find her perfect man, but along the way she forgot to specify his marriage status. And Scott is her ideal match. Now Melissa is determined to have it all—Scott, his family, and Rachel’s life.

As Melissa grows bolder and her online manipulations transition into the real world, Scott and Rachel figure out they are being played. Now it’s a race against time as Scott and Rachel fight to save their marriage, and their lives, before it’s too late.

In today’s digital age, the Internet presents all kinds of opportunities to test our personal boundaries, and this exciting and suspenseful story raises important questions about the ethics of virtual relationships. Friend Me will open your eyes to a new—and terrifying—moral dimensions and how they play out in the real world.

My thoughts:

I have to say, this book was not at all what I expected! Right from the beginning we are lead on a suspenseful journey which leads to places you never could imagine. That is the sign of a great mystery book!  What starts out as just a fun thing for Rachel to "bring back" a friend to talk to, leads to Scott's affair with an online girl, but that is just the start. Watching Rachel and Scott struggle in their marriage was difficult, and very relatable. When they learn of the fatal attraction going on behind the scenes, I found myself intrigued in how this would play out. I couldn't put the book down, it kept me on my toes throughout the entire story!

The author was very good at designing a story based from a woman's perspective and adding the needed suspense. It was very well written, hard to believe it's his first novel published! I can't wait for more of his books! 

You can find the book for yourself here on amazon.com

Disclosure: I received a print copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own and may differ from others.

Stranded by Dani Pettrey

Stranded is Book 3 in the Alaskan Courage series. I had not previously read either Book 1 or 2, so I wondered if I would be missing key details or would feel I was coming in at the middle of situations. While I'm sure starting at the series beginning is the most common choice, and normally how I like to do things, I don't however feel like it affected my enjoyment of this book or the ability to understand what was going on. I will however definitely be going back and reading the other books!

In this adventure, we find Darcy on board a cruise ship as an adventure journalist but in fact she is really on board with a undercover reporting job to help her friend Abby with a case. Although Darcy left the undercover life 3 years prior, she would do anything to help Abby. Darcy uses her knowledge and cover job to gain access to areas and questioning that she otherwise couldn't do.


When Abby goes missing, things begin to become dangerous quickly.  Nobody seems to be able to give any information, and nobody seems at all concerned. When Darcy realizes her adventure will have her working closely with an old friend, Gabe, she is determined to stay professional and not let on her real feelings.

Gabe knows her true story. He has never been encouraging about Darcy doing undercover work because of the time she gave to it, and the danger she allowed herself to get in the middle of.
Will they now be able to work together to find out the truth of what happened to Abby? They need to for the sake of the situation. The people they learn are involved and the seriousness of the disappearances will lead them into the unknown. Will the danger of the situation draw Gabe to the eternal love of Christ which Darcy desperately desires for him?

This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time! I had a hard time putting it down. I love books which take you on a suspenseful journey without the risk of actually being afraid to go to sleep:)
The storyline was thought-provoking, and very well written. The characters were described so well they were easy to picture as real people. They each had a deep history which made them relatable.
The mystery surrounding Abby's disappearance was not expected and very exciting. There was also a great message surrounding the effects of her situation. The ending was thrilling and kept you wondering what really occurred, and who was really involved, right till the very end.
I highly recommend this amazing story of adventure, love and sacrifice. You can find it for yourself  at amazon.com   I'd love to know what you think!

Disclosure: I received a free print copy of the book from Bethany house in exchange for an honest review.

Rosemary Cottage by Colleen Coble

Amy has decided to return to Hope Beach to investigate the death of her brother Ben. Although reports have his death listed as a surfing accident, Amy is sure there is more to it. She is determined to find out the truth.  When she meets Curtis, she finds that he also has lost a loved one. He lost his sister in an accident and is now raising his niece for her.
Curtis agrees to help Amy in her investigation which leads them into dangerous territory. What they find is not at all what they could have imagined. Finding themselves on opposite sides of the situation causes them to really look into their new found relationship. Can they manage to work together, and  trust each other enough to survive the truth that they find?


MY THOUGHTS:

My first thought is WOW! This book was better than I could have imagined. Rosemary Cottage is book 2 in the Hope Beach series. I already had read book 1 so I had a little knowledge of the area and some characters I hoped would be woven into the story somehow.
This book is full of wonderfully created characters. There is great depth into the characters pasts and lives creating people we can view as relatable and come to love.
The mystery surrounding the deaths of Amy and Curtis's loved ones is of course the center of the story. All I can say is you won't be disappointed. I was surprised by the twists and turns within the search for the truth. I was drawn in to the story and didn't want to stop reading!
There were some great characters who were not the main focus but whom I would love to see if future books. These are ones I found myself wondering what their futures would be and how the truths found would affect all the characters later on.
Although I recommend reading the books in order, it's not necessary to understand what is going on. You will however get a better sense overall of Hope Beach by seeing it from the beginning.


You can find the book for yourself at amazon.com

Disclosure: I received a print copy of this book from www.booksneeze.com in exchange for a review of the book. I was not required to give a positive review. My reviews are always honest and my opinions my own.

A Wedding Transpires on Mackinac Island by Cara C. Putman

This is part two of  the Waterfront weddings book.  I have enjoyed being able to bring you both stories! I felt that providing the stories into separate reviews would give a unique and special look at both of them. 

In this story, Alanna is returning home to Mackinac Island after being away for 11 years. She fled after a terrible tragedy occurred putting her brother Trevor wrongly in the hot seat of suspicion. Now Alanna's father has been hospitalized and her mom is in need of help running the family painting shop.

Not only did Alanna leave her family all those years ago, she also left Jonathan, the man she loved for many summers. When she runs into him immediately upon her return, she tries to avoid him. Her plan is to get back out of town as fast as she can. Circumstances keep bringing them together and finally she starts to relax and remember why she loved him before.

While she is on the island, she finds herself determined to clear her brothers name.  In digging up dirt surrounding a teen's death, she finds herself at odds with many people from her past.  When things come to light which affect her family, she turns to Jonathan for help. He is an encouragement to her and stands by her side. When their search turns up a murder, they find themselves not only suspects, but also in danger from the real culprit.  Together they fight to the end.

WHAT I THOUGHT:

When I first started reading the story, I was expecting it to focus on weddings and romance. While there was romance involved, the story revolved more around dealing with the past, mystery and suspense. 

The story had a slow start to it for me. I almost put it down, but I am so glad I didn't. The story pulls you in to the web of secrets in a way that you feel intertwined and can't get out. This is a great story. There are great characters and the author does a great job of developing the characters into people you can completely relate to.  There are many times when you find Alanna in situations very relatable. Not only is it a great overall story, but there are many parts which make you think of what you might do in her circumstances. 

The ending will also take you by surprise which is great!  Check this book out, you won't be disappointed.

You can find the book here at amazon.com

Disclosure: I received an ebook copy of Waterfront Weddings from netgalley.com in exchange for the review. No other compensation was given. My reviews are always honest and my own.

Kiss Me Awake by Julie Momyer

SUMMARY:

When Jaida was a baby, she was left by her biological mom in the bushes. When a young boy, Spencer, finds her, she is brought into his family. Spencer vows to protect her and care for her forever.

Fast forward to now. Jaida is delving into discovering who her mom really is. She doesn't know her name, but is desperate to find out what she can. While working as a detective, Jaida is searching not only for her mom, but also desperately trying to learn about and take down a man named Gale. She thinks he is a murderer and has a tie to her past.

Jaida and her co-worker Auggie are on Gale's trail. Gale is accusing their company of stealing 8 million dollars and thinks Jaida has it.  In the midst of all that's going on, Jaida finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy that is full of drama, suspense, mystery and intrigue. When Spencer returns to her life, Jaida finds herself dealing with her own past alongside finding out things which change who she is and what she thinks.

When she finds herself and others in danger, Jaida finds herself searching for truth. Praying for God's will is the hardest thing she has had to do, but the most important thing.

WHAT I THINK:

This is a wonderful story of not only suspense and intrigue, but also of redemption and forgiveness which is creatively intertwined throughout the entire book. I loved the path of twists and turns the book took. So many things you are not expecting.  I found myself getting excited when learning new things and realizing how it all made sense.
Not only is the book written well, it is very descriptive. You are given a great picture of what is going on and where you are.
This book kept me engaged the entire time. I had a hard time putting it down!  I highly recommend checking it out.
You can find the book at amazon.com.
Connect with the author at http://Juliemomyer.com and http://juliemomyerblog.com


Disclosure: I received an ebook copy of the book from netgalley.com in order to do my review. My reviews are always honest. My opinions are my own and may differ from others.