Children of the Shadows by Erica Vetsch

Children of the Shadows
by Erica Vetsch

ISBN-13: 9780825447150
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Released: October 10, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Someone is preying upon the street children of Regency London. They seem to think no one will notice when urchins go missing--and even if they are noticed, who will care? Detective Daniel Swann and his colleagues investigate the missing children. But with recent revelations about his past and an unexpected, complicated inheritance to deal with, this is a terrible time to dive back into the seedy underbelly of the crime world. Nevertheless, he's still a Bow Street runner on the case, searching shadowed alleys and coal-drenched streets to find the missing.

But the tangle of expectation and the dynamics of power cannot be easily ignored, even if there are children in danger. When Daniel's past threatens to overwhelm his future, he will need a miracle and the help of his friends to both apprehend the villain and unravel his tangled family web. And it may be that his new responsibilities demand that he leave the children of the shadows to their terrible fate--or lose everything.


My Review:
Children of the Shadows is a Christian mystery set in 1816 in England. This is the 3nd book in the series, and it didn't spoil the previous mysteries. However, you at least need to read the previous book to understand the romance as Juliette and Daniel were told they must stay apart for various reasons. The little time they had together was usually spent kissing. I was sad that Juliette had little to do in this story except fret about her future.

Daniel, his police partner, and his apprentice investigated the disappearing street children. They tracked down clues or had others look for certain information for them. All of the obvious clues pointed toward someone they didn't believe could be guilty. I did wonder why Daniel wasn't suspicious of the behavior of one of the culprits (who was the one I guessed). There was a very subtle clue pointing at the other culprit, but I didn't catch it at the time. Some historical details were woven into the story, but other details verged on fantasy.

The Christian element was mainly how the main characters felt that the street children were valuable and deserved help. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Appalachian Song by Michelle Shocklee

Appalachian Song
by Michelle Shocklee

ISBN-13: 9781496472434
Hardcover: 364 pages
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Released: October 3, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Bertie Jenkins has spent her life serving as a midwife for her community in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Out of all the mothers she’s tended, none affects her more than the young teenager who shows up on her doorstep, injured, afraid, and expecting, one warm June day in 1943. As Bertie and her four sisters tenderly nurture Songbird back to health, the bond between the childless midwife and the motherless teen grows strong. But soon Songbird is forced to make a heartbreaking decision that will tear this little family apart.

Thirty years later, the day after his father’s funeral, Walker Wylie is stunned to learn he was adopted as an infant. The famous country singer enlists the help of adoption advocate Reese Chandler in the hopes of learning why he was abandoned by his birth parents. With the only clue he has in hand, Walker and Reese head deep into the Appalachian Mountains to track down Bertie Jenkins, the midwife who holds the secrets to Walker’s past.


My Review:
Appalachian Song is a Christian romance set in 1943 and 1973 in Tennessee. Walker and Reese fell in love while spending time together searching for the midwife who delivered him and for the story of why he was given up for adoption. They mostly bonded over both having been adopted. I can understand why Walker felt rejected when he learned he was adopted, but a Christian apparently feeling that he was meant to have one life but that was messed up when he was adopted just seemed strange to me. He did change his attitude, but it's not like he missed out on a better life or something.

The 1943 story was about Bertie's life with her sisters and as a midwife. She took Songbird in and protected her against her violent father. Bertie taught her about how God adopts us as his children when we confess our sins and accept Jesus and that God is our good Heavenly Father. The main characters were engaging and realistic. Interesting historical details were woven into the story to give it a distinct sense of time and place. There was no bad language or sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting story.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Skye Fall by Paige Edwards

Skye Fall
by Paige Edwards

ISBN-13: 9781524424572
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Released: October 23, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Isla Montjoy has a new career in nursing and a police officer boyfriend she adores―until she stumbles across proof of her boyfriend’s corruption. Determined to protect his secrets, he attacks her and leaves her for dead. But against all odds, she lives. On the run for two years, Isla’s life is far from assured as her would-be murderer doggedly tracks her across the UK, intent on silencing her forever.

On a climbing trip in the Scottish Highlands, Ben Pressley-Coombes encounters Isla, a beautiful woman who promptly pepper sprays him without warning when he startles her. After that rough start, Ben hopes never to lay eyes on her again―but fate has other ideas. Forced into an uneasy association that transforms into love, the pair soon faces a deadly threat: Isla’s relentless pursuer has discovered her hiding place. If she is to survive, she and Ben must outmaneuver the dirty cop and his treacherous plot to snare her.


My Review:
Skye Fall is a Christian romantic suspense novel. Isla tried to make a life for herself while hiding from her corrupt ex-boyfriend, but he kept hunting her to kill her. Ben's father had an accident right after Ben learned that an employee embezzled all of their business' money. Ben had to juggle all of these concerns after his father hired Isla as his homecare nurse so she could hide in the USA for a while.

The main characters were likable and reacted realistically to events. The suspense came from Isla being repeatedly attacked by her ex-boyfriend, several health emergencies, and the tension of trying to save Ben's business. Ben loved Isla's art, wanted to protect her, and decided this meant that she was the one. Isla liked that he was considerate and that she didn't feel threatened by him. However, she still had flashbacks to her ex-boyfriend knifing her when holding her, so she had trouble letting Ben hold her. She felt like she'd never get better despite all of her counselling and that Ben deserved a woman who wasn't so broken.

Isla didn't feel like God was even listening to her prayers anymore. Ben told Isla how God had been an important part of his own healing journey. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable story.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Hercule Poirot's Silent Night by Sophie Hannah

Hercule Poirot's Silent Night
by Sophie Hannah

ISBN-13: 9780062991638
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Released: October 24, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
It’s December 19, 1931. Hercule Poirot and Inspector Edward Catchpool are looking forward to a much-needed, restful Christmas holiday, when they are called upon to investigate the murder of a man in a Norfolk hospital ward. Cynthia Catchpool, Edward’s mother, insists that Poirot stay in a mansion by the coast while he solves the case. Cynthia’s friend Arnold is soon to be admitted to that same hospital, and his wife is convinced he will be the killer’s next victim.

As Poirot digs into the mystery, he discovers that the murdered man was a retired post office master, and by all accounts very well-liked. The local constabulary’s investigation failed to uncover how someone could have entered a hospital room and killed him under the noses of the staff. With no obvious motive or suspect, Poirot has less than a week to solve the crime and prevent more murders, if he is to get home in time for Christmas.


My Review:
Hercule Poirot's Silent Night is a mystery set in 1931 in England. It's the 5th book in the series but the first I've read. It works as a standalone. A Scotland Yard Inspector, Edward Catchpool, takes the place of Hastings and is a competent helper as well as the one who writes about Poirot's cases. Poirot had him gather clues, either giving specific instructions or leaving him to casually pick up information for him, while Poirot asked questions elsewhere. The author has clearly read Agatha Christie's Poirot and even quoted lines from those books. This Poirot was close enough to the original to be acceptable.

This was a clue-based, puzzle mystery which held together logically despite the many twists and plentitude of information (not all of it relevant). As it turned out, Poirot and I grabbed the same clue given at the beginning so it was a matter of my seeing if my suspect could have done it and not getting distracted by others who had a motive. The main characters were engaging. The other characters were quirky and full of family drama. There were only a few uses of bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'd recommend this to fans of complex puzzle mysteries.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Crime Scene Conspiracy by Jessica R. Patch

Crime Scene Conspiracy
by Jessica R. Patch

ISBN-13: 9781335597694
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
Released: October 24, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Tasked to investigate a series of suspicious suicides and accidents, Texas Ranger Emily O’Connell is on a covert mission to investigate a governor’s connection to the deceased women. After her own father's betrayal and due to her job investigating state-level corruption, she doesn’t trust anyone—including crime scene cleaner Stone Spencer. But when Emily’s questioning makes her the serial killer’s next target, she must turn to ex-ranger Stone for help. With threats at every turn, outrunning a merciless villain could be the last thing they do.


My Review:
Crime Scene Conspiracy is a Christian romantic suspense. Emily's job is to uncover corruption, so she's already skeptical about seemingly upstanding, trustworthy people. After not realizing her father had lied to her and her mother for years, Emily struggled to trust anyone. Add in a case where a rich, powerful person is buying off law enforcement to hide murder as suicides and accidents, and she doesn't want to work with anyone for fear they'll betray her, too. Besides, anyone involved in the investigation is immediately in danger of dying. She's willing to work with Stone because he saved her life and became a target as well. And yet someone's still leaking information about their whereabouts and whom they suspect...

The main characters were likable and reacted realistically to events. The suspense came from many, many attempts to kill Emily and Stone and from the danger to anyone who helped them. Emily and Stone generally worked well together, but the lack of trust was a big issue that Emily realized she needed to deal with....but how? There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this suspenseful novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Paws to Remember by Sofie Kelly

Paws to Remember
by Sofie Kelly

ISBN-13: 9780593548707
Hardback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley
Released: October 17, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
When a water leak repair results in a body being found behind the walls of the store run by the artists’ co-op that Kathleen's friend, Maggie, is part of everyone is completely mystified as to whose body it is and who hid it there. Her boyfriend, Detective Marcus Gordon, confirms the body could be a young woman who disappeared more than thirty years ago. When a friend with a connection to the young woman asks Kathleen to look into the circumstances around the disappearance, she and her cats—who have special feline talent for catching felons—find themselves digging up secrets that at least one person in Mayville Heights would much prefer stay buried.


My Review:
Paws to Remember is a cozy mystery. This is the 15th book in the series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this one, and this book didn't spoil the mysteries in the previous books.

It's a clue-based mystery. Kathleen asked questions without being pushy or accusing, but she also seemed unusually reluctant to ask natural questions that needed answers. The cats helped out a lot with this one. The cats are intelligent and have cat abilities (disappearing and getting out of places) taken to a magical degree. Their actions drew attention to clues but they also provided humor. The police seemed content to leave the investigating to Kathleen. I mean, the obvious suspects would be the men working on that wall back when the girl disappeared, but Kathleen eventually had to ask a friend to find out who those people were and what had happened to them.

I correctly guessed whodunit shortly before Kathleen did (and I had no firm suspect before then). When she figured it out, she foolishly tried to confirm her guess by herself. The clue she was trying to double-check wouldn't hold weight in a court of law, so why bother? Instead, whodunit saw her and attacked her. Kathleen? You ARE allowed to hurt murderers trying to kill you. You had a weapon, hit back once, and knew whodunit was still aggressive. You're allowed to take whodunit down and not just hope someone will come and rescue you...

There was no sex. There were only a few uses of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this fun mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Home at Night by Paula Munier

Home at Night
by Paula Munier

ISBN-13: 9781250887894
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Released: October 17, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
It’s Halloween in Vermont, winter is coming, and five humans, two dogs, and a cat are a crowd in Mercy Carr’s small cabin. She needs more room―and Grackle Tree Farm, with thirty acres of woods and wetlands and a Victorian manor, has finally come up for sell. They say it’s haunted by the ghost of a mother searching for her missing child, but Mercy loves it anyway. Even when Elvis finds a dead body in the library.

There’s something about Grackle Tree Farm that people are willing to kill for―and Mercy needs to figure out what before they move in. A coded letter found on the victim points to a hidden treasure that may be worth a fortune―if it’s real. She and Captain Thrasher conduct a search of the old place―and end up at the wrong end of a Glock. A masked man shoots Thrasher, and she and Elvis must take him down before he murders them all. Under fire, she and Elvis manage to run the guy off, but not before they are wounded, leaving Thrasher fighting for his life in the hospital, Mercy on crutches, and Elvis on the mend.

Now it’s up to Mercy and Troy and the dogs to track down the masked murderer in a county overflowing with leaf peepers, Halloween revelers, and treasure hunters and bring him to justice before he strikes again and the treasure is lost forever, along with the good name of Grackle Tree Farm….


My Review:
Home at Night is a mystery/suspense novel. It's the 5th book in a series. You don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one, and this novel didn't spoil the whodunit of the previous novels.

The characters were engaging, complex, and acted in realistic ways. Mercy and her talented service dog and U.S. Game Warden Troy Warner and his search and rescue dog tracked down clues, asked good questions, and pieced together what was going on. The suspense remained high as someone--or maybe more than one person--was attacking and killing people as Mercy looked for a possible, hidden literary treasure that would be worth much and reveal secrets.

There was no to occasional use of bad language (I didn't keep track this time, but I do know it was minimal). There were no sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this novel to people who enjoy canine mysteries and suspense.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Murder by Degrees by Ritu Mukerji

Murder by Degrees
by Ritu Mukerji

ISBN-13: 9781668015063
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Released: October 17, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
Philadelphia, 1875: It is the start of term at Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania. Dr. Lydia Weston, professor and anatomist, is immersed in teaching her students in the lecture hall and hospital. When the body of a patient, Anna Ward, is dredged out of the Schuylkill River, the young chambermaid’s death is deemed a suicide. But Lydia is suspicious and she is soon brought into the police investigation.

Aided by a diary filled with cryptic passages of poetry, Lydia discovers more about the young woman she thought she knew. Through her skill at the autopsy table and her clinical acumen, Lydia draws nearer the truth. Soon a terrible secret, long hidden, will be revealed. But Lydia must act quickly, before she becomes the next target of those who wished to silence Anna.


My Review:
Murder by Degrees is a mystery set in 1875 in Philadelphia. Interesting historical details were woven into the story which brought the time and setting alive in my imagination. Some of those details were about the anatomy tools and how they're used or how an autopsy was performed or the sicknesses that Lydia's patients were suffering from and how she treated them. I wouldn't call the details gory as the focus was more on her actions and were clinical descriptions rather than sensational, but I've also done anatomy on animals so I probably have a high tolerance of such details. Also, Lydia's British maternal grandfather owned and ran a Darjeeling tea plantation in India, and her family lived on the estate for a while; I assumed her a white woman, especially based on how others treated her.

Lydia was intelligent and determined. The detective was initially supportive of her help in asking the women questions since she knew the murdered woman, but he eventually told her to step back from the case. He thought Lydia was finding clues were none existed. She didn't let his opinion discourage her any more than a condescending male doctor that she had to work around (and she wasn't rude, she simply proved them wrong). I really liked her as a person as well as as a sleuth. The mystery was clue-based, but it was complex enough that whodunit wasn't obvious and the final necessary clues came near the end.

There was occasional use of bad language. There were no sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable historical mystery.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Codes of Courage by A.L. Sowards

Codes of Courage
by A.L. Sowards

ISBN-13: 9781524424039
Paperback: 344 pages
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Released: October 10, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
1940: Austrian refugee Karl Lang has lost everything―his country, his home, and his family. All that is left to him is a burning ambition to see the Nazis defeated. Desperate for work and a way to help the war effort, he finds the one place that will take a refugee: a supply steamer traversing a deadly path past enemy U-boats.

Since their first meeting, Millie Stevens has felt an undeniable connection to Karl. As the war rages, she shares his determination to oppose the Nazis and finds work at the British codebreaking center at Bletchley Park. There she uses all her intellect and determination to break German codes and read U-boat transmissions―or risk losing the man she loves.

Rolf Denhart will do anything to defend the Fatherland, including long patrols in a cramped U-boat. But rumors from Germany leave him uneasy, forcing a choice between loyalty to his homeland, the safety of his family, and his peace of conscience.

In the midst of war, three lives are woven together to create an epic tapestry of love and loss, joy and pain, sacrifice and courage.


My Review:
Codes of Courage is a Christian suspense set in 1940 to 1945. While there is romance, this isn't romance genre but primarily a war story. We continue Karl's story from "Heirs of Falcon Point," and if you've read that book, you have some idea of how this turns out (which is a good thing, so feel free to read it first). This novel can be read as a standalone, though.

The historical details about what it'd be like to serve on a U-boat or on merchant ships taking supplies to England (and getting attacked), working in code breaking, etc., brought the time period alive in my imagination. These details were very interesting without bogging down the pace. Karl and Millie didn't get to spend much time together while falling in love, but we got snippets from their letters. They were well-suited to each other. Karl appreciated Millie's intelligence and willingness to help him while they're still strangers. Millie felt seen and loved for herself when normally she felt like she didn't fit in. There's plenty of suspenseful battle and rescue scenes.

Karl had a family Bible with a code in it, and code-breaker Millie tried to break it. This ended up leading her to rely on God when things got hard (like raising a baby without a husband present to help). There were no sex scenes (though obviously they make a baby) or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting and suspenseful historical.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Garden of the Midnights by Hannah Linder

Garden of the Midnights
by Hannah Linder

ISBN-13: 9781636094380
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Barbour Publishing
Released: October 1, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
The accidents are not a matter of chance. They are deliberate. As English gentleman William Kensley becomes aware of the danger at Rosenleigh, he pleads for truth from the only man he can trust—until that man is murdered.

As the secrets unfold into scandal, William’s world is tipped into destitution—leaving him penniless and alone. His only comfort is in the constant love of Isabella Gresham, but even that has been threatened. When a hidden foe arises from their acquaintances and imperils Isabella’s life, William's determined to rescue her. But even if he saves Isabella from her captors, will he still have to forsake her heart?


My Review:
Garden of the Midnights is a romance set in 1809 in England. This story started out a little weird because we know William and Isabella are the romantic couple, but William believed Isabella to be his half-sister. Happily, they're not, but that's what ended up pulling them apart. Initially, they grew close spending time together and getting to know each other while thinking of each other as siblings. Isabella felt challenged to be a better person by William's words and actions toward others. Isabella's father wanted her to marry a wealthy, respectable young man that she didn't like. William and Isabella's love burned so strong that they couldn't be happy without the other. It got a bit melodramatic by the end.

The story was enjoyable, but some details just didn't make sense to me. Like a fortune in money seems to just disappear. William's aunt was blackmailing Isabella's father for 5,000 pounds a year, which is a huge amount (about £516,697 or US$651,136 today). Isabella's father didn't seem even remotely inconvenienced by losing this amount and had 2,000 pounds in bank notes kept at the house yet he acted like Isabella had no dowry or expectation of money and would depend solely on her future husband. William's aunt didn't live like she had a lot of money beyond her modest estate. The robbers, who took off with rich people's jewelry and money, lived in abject poverty. Money just seemed to show up or disappear on the author's whim.

Through difficult circumstances, William learned to take a poor widow woman's advice to forgive even deep wrongs rather than turn silent and bitter. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this unrealistic but enjoyable historical romance.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Christmas Forevermore by Sarah M. Eden, Sally Britton, Ashtyn Newbold, Karen Thornell

Christmas Forevermore
by Sarah M. Eden, Sally Britton, Ashtyn Newbold, Karen Thornell

ISBN-13: 9781524424459
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Released: Oct. 3, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Holiday novellas from four of your favorite historical romance authors. From meddling matchmakers to fortuitous fiascos, the holidays have never been more magical!

“A Family Christmas” by Sally Britton: After years abroad, Cyril Grant worries about relating to his highborn relatives at the family’s holiday celebration. But an unexpected connection with a member of the household staff opens his heart―in more ways than one.

“Christmas Forevermore” by Sarah M. Eden: In this reimagining of the beloved Charles Dickens tale A Christmas Carol, spinster Minna Schofield is inadvertently ensnared by a local matchmaker whose meddling launches Minna on a journey of self-reflection that could lead her to unexpected love.

“Christmas at Cranfield” by Ashtyn Newbold: Though childhood friends Hannah and Samuel secretly adore one another, fate conspires to keep them apart. But after years of shared holidays and missed opportunities, this Christmas brings the hope that their stars will align.

“A Thrill of Hope” by Karen Thornell: After a devastating loss, Christmas holds little appeal for Isabel Reid. But when a snowstorm traps her in the company of a surprising traveling companion, the perpetual winter of Isabel’s heart may just begin to thaw.


My Review:
Christmas Forevermore is a collection of 4 romance novellas set in England during the Regency period. The main characters were all likable, and most grew and healed through the events in the story. I liked three of the novellas a lot as the romantic pairs helped to bring out the best in the other, all while participating in Christmas festivities.

In “Christmas at Cranfield,” they knew they loved each other during that first Christmas, but the hero had already agreed to marry a woman he didn't love. The moment he was free, he didn't do anything to see if his true love was still free. So she encouraged an acceptable, nice suitor only to discover during the second Christmas that the hero hadn't married. She strongly hinted that she wanted him to propose, but he's terrified that his best friend (her brother) will turn down his offer because he has no title. He never had the guts to ask, which really disappointed me, though they obviously got a happy ending anyway.

There was no sex or bad language. Overall, it's a charming holiday romance collection that I'd recommend to fans of Regency romances.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Against the Wind by Amanda Cabot

Against the Wind
by Amanda Cabot

ISBN-13: 9780800740658
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Revell
Released: October 1, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Doctor-in-training Louisa Vaughn has no intention of remaining in Sweetwater Crossing. She's just there for a few days to help a friend. But she can't abandon the injured man she finds at the side of the road. Until his broken leg heals, she'll serve as the town's doctor and midwife. She may not be fully qualified yet, but surely she's better than nothing.

Josh Porter's plans to win his grandfather's challenge and fulfill his father's final wish to gain full control of the family business hit a roadblock when he breaks his leg. But his enforced stay in Sweetwater Crossing gives him new ideas about the expansion of the company into new territory--ideas Louisa could help turn into reality.

If only the town were more accepting of Louisa's talents! Someone is determined to convince her to abandon her dream of healing others. Can Josh help her uncover the person behind the threats? And is there any future for them together?


My Review:
Against the Wind is a Christian romance set in 1882 in Texas. It's the 2nd novel in a series but can work as a standalone. Louisa feels that God has given her the desire and ability to heal and so is determined to be both a midwife and a doctor. She doesn't let other's opinions that women shouldn't be doctors stop her, but it becomes quite the struggle to convince her hometown to accept her skills even though there's no other doctor. In fact, someone's trying to scare her into giving up both professions.

Josh respected her medical skill and consulted her knowledge of the town to help create a tea room that would appeal to them. He's driven by a promise to his father to try to win leadership of his family's business, and the success of the tea room could prove his worth. Both Josh and Louisa built each other up and showed how they valued the other through their actions. They became close friends as they spent time together. Josh had to reconsider if his priorities really would bring him happiness.

The Christian element was mostly how Louisa treated other people as valuable even when they didn't treat her kindly. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable romance.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! by Donna Andrews

Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow!
by Donna Andrews

ISBN-13: 9781250893963
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Released: October 10, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Meg Langslow has been roped into participating in a weaponsmithing competition, a Forged in Fire wannabe organized by a blacksmith friend. Meg originally turned down an invitation to participate, but the night before the filming starts, someone attacks Faulk, her blacksmithing mentor, breaking his arm and eliminating him from the contest before it begins. Meg agrees to step in as his replacement to keep the project from failing. She's not thrilled that the filming will take place during December – Christmas is already a crazy time for her. Since the competition is taking place on Ragnarshjem, the picturesque estate that her friend Ragnar, the retired heavy metal drummer, is turning into a Goth castle, Meg won’t have to spend Christmas alone and gets to bring Michael and her twin sons with her.

So Meg joins the cast, to the dismay of several old-school blacksmiths who think women have no place in the profession anyway. And if the show's producers were hoping for drama, they're in luck. The blacksmithing world is a small one, and some of the contestants arrived already laden with grudges and feuds. What could possibly go wrong?


My Review:
Let It Crow! is a cozy mystery. It's a part of a series but can be read as a standalone. Meg, her husband, and kids were engaging and acted realistically. As a female who has taken a traditional blacksmithing class, I was interested in that aspect of the story and enjoyed it.

Meg passed on clues that she discovered to the detective, mostly things she came upon, observed, or happened to overhear. Since we knew that the murder was done with a hammer stolen from the competition tent and Meg had hidden cameras installed at each station, I kept wondering why they didn't check the footage to see if it showed the thief. They never did. While I strongly suspected whodunit and how, Meg didn't figure out whodunit. The killer assumed she'd figured it out and attacked her. When told she didn't guess, instead of confessing to a lesser crime, the killer confessed every detail of how and why.

There was no sex. There was some bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

A Cold Highland Wind by Tasha Alexander

A Cold Highland Wind
by Tasha Alexander

ISBN-13: 9781250872333
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Released: October 3, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Lady Emily, husband Colin Hargreaves, and their three sons eagerly embark on a family vacation at Cairnfarn Castle, the Scottish estate of their dear friend Jeremy, Duke of Bainbridge. But a high-spirited celebration at the beginning of their stay comes to a grisly end when the duke’s gamekeeper is found murdered on the banks of the loch. Handsome Angus Sinclair had a host of enemies: the fiancée he abandoned in Edinburgh, the young woman who had fallen hopelessly in love with him, and the rough farmer who saw him as a rival for her affections. But what is meaning of the curious runic stone left on Sinclair’s forehead?

Scotland, 1676. Lady MacAllister, wife of the Laird of Cairnfarn Castle, suddenly finds herself widowed and thrown out of her home. Her sole companion is a freed Moorish slave girl who helps her secretly spirit out her most prized possessions from the castle. A bitter ex-servant manipulates people into suspecting and then accusing Lady MacAllister of witchcraft, a crime punishable by death.


My Review:
A Cold Highland Wind is a mystery set in 1905 in Scotland. There's also a secondary story going on in 1676 that tells details of a past event referred to in the main story. This book is the 17th in a series. You can understand this book without reading the previous ones, and this story didn't spoil the mysteries or major events of the previous books.

Historical and setting details were woven into the story without slowing the pacing. The main characters were engaging and reacted realistically to events. Emily and Colin had to identify the victim, which wasn't as easy as it initially seemed. Emily asked good questions, followed up on clues, and considered possible scenarios until she figured out what was going on. I started suspecting whodunit only a little bit before Emily did, so whodunit was guessable from the clues.

There were no sex scenes, though married sex was implied. There were only a few uses of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Into the Fire by Irene Hannon

Into the Fire
by Irene Hannon

ISBN-13: 9780800741884
Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Revell
Released: October 1, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Goodreads:
As a former smokejumper, arson investigator Bri Tucker knows her way around fires. But after a mysterious blaze takes the life of a former colleague, Bri inherits a curious puzzle from him that raises questions about several fiery deaths. Someone, however, doesn't want her picking up where he left off in search of answers.

When she teams up with ATF Special Agent Marc Davis to solve the puzzle, the danger escalates. But will they manage to track down the person behind the mysterious deaths before their budding romance--and maybe even their lives--go up in flames?


My Review:
Into the Fire is a Christian romantic suspense novel. The characters were likable and reacted realistically to events. Suspense was created by two people secretly harassing Bri and escalating the level of danger as she got closer to solving the serial arson/murder cases.

Bri had a bad relationship back when she was a smokejumper, so she's wary of a new romance. Marc recognized this but was intrigued by her and so kept finding ways to spend time with her. They became friends as they worked together, and Marc was happy to show up to help her in an emergency. They had a romantic 'spark' but both wanted something more that would last. Marc and Bri both had a traumatic childhood, and both struggled to forgive the person who wronged them.

Bri and Marc acted like Christian forgiveness originated in them feeling a certain way rather than as a choice. They couldn't forgive how that person wronged them and changed their lives, like doing so would mean they were okay with what happened. At the end, both suddenly decided to 'give it to God.' Since their inability to forgive was mentioned several times, I felt like there should have been a little more explanation about how they resolved this struggle. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting arson novel.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

On Moonberry Lake by Holly Varni

On Moonberry Lake by Holly Varni

ISBN-13: 9780800744977
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Revell
Released: September 26, 2023

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Cora Matthews has long wondered why her mother stopped taking her to visit her grandparents' lodge in the small Northwoods Minnesota town of Moonberry Lake. Now, after burying her mother and breaking off her engagement just two weeks before her wedding, Cora has a chance to find out. Once there, she is stunned to learn that the old lodge is her inheritance--with a surprising condition attached. Maybe some time to regroup on the shores of a beautiful lake is just what Cora needs to figure out what's next for her.

But Cora's days on the lake are anything but relaxing. The only thing that's a bigger mess than her own life is the dilapidated building she's living in. Add a cantankerous handywoman, an angry neighbor, and an elderly woman who spends all her time talking to the "residents" in the cemetery and Cora's not sure she can stick it out. But if she can, she may find a love she never expected--from the most unexpected people imaginable.


My Review:
On Moonberry Lake is a Christian romance. Cora's father and father's family were never mentioned. I kept expecting her to discover that the fallout between her mother and her parents was about Cora's father, but it's not. I was disappointed that Cora's mother completely cut off communication with her parents and refused to forgive them over the actual reason as the main offense wasn't even against her.

Cora's good at one thing: running away from uncomfortable situations. She even left her winter coat behind in frigid weather because she felt embarrassed. She was left her grandparent's lodge in an effort to get her to stick out hard situations and learn to deal with them. She must stay at the lodge for one year, and the building needed a lot of hard work to fix all of the problems. As Cora made friends with the quirky neighbors, she found the family she's been longing for and learned to accept and even love people who initially made her uncomfortable.

The characters were entertaining and engaging. Ben, the very normal love interest, was supportive, kind, and patient. The neighbor who's a pastor is the only character that was obviously Christian, and some of her friends probably weren't. (The artist kept referring to the universe directing things.) Cora's not a Christian, yet at the end she connected with God and felt enveloped in His care despite the hard things happening to her and her friends. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this novel to those who enjoy quirky characters.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.