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.

The Sinners' Garden by William Sirls

BOOK SUMMARY:

In the small Lake Erie township of Benning, someone is at work cultivating a supernatural garden …

Andy Kemp’s young life has been as ravaged as his scarred face. Disfigured by an abusive father, the teenager hides behind his books and an impenetrable wall of cynicism and anger.

As Andy’s mother struggles to reconnect with him, his Uncle Rip returns transformed from a stint in prison and wants to be a mentor to the reclusive boy, doing everything he can to help end Andy’s pain. When Andy begins hearing strange music through his iPod and making near-prophetic announcements, Rip is convinced that what Andy is hearing is the voice of God.

Elsewhere, police officer Heather Gerisch responds to a late-night breaking and entering in one of the poorest homes in town. She soon realizes that the masked prowler has left thousands of dollars in gift cards from a local grocery store.

As the bizarre break-ins continue and Heather pursues the elusive “Summer Santa,” Andy and Rip discover an enormous and well-kept garden of wildflowers that seems to have grown overnight at an abandoned steel mill.

Soon, they realize who the gardener is, and a spree of miracles transfigures this small town from a place of hopelessness into a place of healing and beauty.

MY THOUGHTS: 

WOW! I could just leave it at that and tell you to rush out and buy this book! This story is an amazing spiritual journey that leads us where we never could imagine. There are so many levels in the development of this book, that I had a very hard time putting it down. The characters are incredible in their depth and creativity.

I loved the "Summer Santa" story and couldn't wait to see who it was.  The author did a marvelous job at weaving the characters history into the story.  Learning about the authors own life story made the book that much more real to me. You can learn more about the author at http://www.williamsirls.com

This is a longer book, but once I started it was a fast read and kept me on my toes throughout.

You do not want to miss out on this exciting story of faith, love and forgiveness. I found myself laughing and crying till the very end.

You can find the book on Amazon.com

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

A Road Unknown by Barbara Cameron

  

BOOK SUMMARY:

Elizabeth is at a crossroad. She’s been given the chance to experience life outside of her community, away from the responsibility to care for her eight younger siblings, but Elizabeth Bontrager can’t decide which road to take. Goshen has its charms and pressures, but Paradise, Pennsylvania, sounds . . . well, like paradise. And it’s also home to her Englisch friend, Paula. Decision made. Elizabeth is Paradise bound.

But will the small town live up to its name? When Elizabeth meets Paula’s friend, Bruce, she quickly learns he wants more than a friendship. And the same might be true of Saul Miller, her new boss at the country story that sells Amish products to the Englisch community. As the two compete for her attention, Elizabeth is surprised to realize she misses her family and becomes even more uncertain about where she belongs. She has a choice to make: return home or embrace this new life and possibly a new love?

MY THOUGHTS:

This is Book 1 in the Amish Roads Series.  I encourage everyone to read it now! It is such a refreshing and heartwarming story of love, forgiveness and family. I love how Elizabeth's character grows in  her personal journey and how she comes to term with her choices and ability to move forward. Her character is very easy to relate to because everyone has choices they have to work through and be able to feel confident in them. 

Watching the relationship between Elizabeth and Paula grow despite their obvious differences was a testimony of how God can bring people in our lives at just the right moment. Paula helps Elizabeth start her new life, and is an encouragement to her.

Struggles come to the relationship with Saul and Elizabeth, but by working together and trusting each other we find an amazing story develop.

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

Learn more about the author here http://barbaracameron.com/

Disclosure: I received a print copy of this 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.

Hopeful by Shelley Shepard Gray

Book Summary:

In the Amish town of Sugarcreek, love comes in many forms. But will it come at all for Miriam?

Miriam Zehr has worked at the Sugarcreek Inn longer than she cares to admit. The restaurant is a favorite of town residents as well as the many tourists who come to taste the famous Amish fare. Though she always tries to have a smile for every customer, deep down Miriam knows something’s missing: a family of her own.

Miriam has never felt particularly beautiful, especially because she’s always been a bit heavier than other girls her age. When Junior, the man she’s pined for all her life, suddenly seeks her out, she’s thrilled to be noticed . . . until she realizes he’s only asking her to help get the attention of Mary Kathryn Hershberger, her pretty friend.

If Miriam helps Junior court Mary Kathryn, she’ll get to spend a lot of time with him, but she might lose him in the process. Are these few stolen moments worth a lifetime of sacrifice? Is Miriam right to even hope for the life she dreams of?

My Thoughts:

This is Book 1 in the new Return to Sugarcreek series. I am already looking forward to Book 2. What I loved most about this book was the truths it told, and followed a story everyone can relate to in some way. 

What would you do if the person you loved wanted you to help them find love with someone else? Although not everyone will experience this, I'm sure most people can relate to "the one that got away".  It was encouraging to see how Miriam handled herself in this situation and watch how she put others ahead of herself. Now, I'm not sure I could have done what she did, but I admired the Christ like way she treated others. 

The relationships between Miriam and Junior and Mary Kathryn were shown in a deep and creative way. I felt drawn in to the story and became a part of it myself. The characters were brought to life in unique and creative ways which allow the reader to really relate to each one.

You can find this 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

The Calling by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Book Summary(from Amazon)

Twenty-year-old Bethany Schrock is restless. Her love life has derailed, her faith hangs by a thread, and she is spending the incredibly hot summer days wading through a lifetime's accumulation of junk at the home of five ancient Amish sisters. About the only thing that holds her interest is the spirited and dangerously handsome Jimmy Fisher--and he seems bent on irritating her to no end.

When the sly old sisters and a guest at the Inn get Bethany involved in running the local soup kitchen and starting a community garden, she suddenly finds herself wondering, Shootfire! How did that happen? Despite her newfound purposefulness, a gnawing emptiness about a childhood mystery continues to plague her. Encouraged by Jimmy Fisher, she will seek out the answers she craves--and uncover a shocking secret that will break her heart, heal it, and point her to love.

My Thoughts:

This is the second book in The Inn at Eagle Hill series. Although reading the books in order is always my first choice, you can read this book as a stand alone. I know you will want to read more when you are done with this!

I love how Suzanne Woods Fisher can create a wonderfully written book with many twists and end up with something that leaves you wanting to know more. I love how the characters draw you in and bring you into their lives. I found myself relating to each one at some point in the story. I love Bethany's journey to find truth and a reconnect of faith in her life. We can learn about how the simple life of the Amish can help during the struggles of life and help us lean on what's important.

This shows an inside look at volunteering, connecting and being able to move into the future and leaving the past behind. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys a good, clean read with some twists and turns along the way.

Disclosure: I received a print copy of the book in order to do my review. My reviews are honest and my opinions are my own.