It's time to announce the winner of the Follower Love Giveaway Hop for Solemn Oath by Hannah Alexander OR Deadly Ties by Vicki Hinze. Including Twitter entries, we had 75 people enter. Using a random number generator and numbering the entrants in the order I received them, the winner is:
Priscilla P
who won Solemn Oath
Congratulations! I'll be contacting you for your address.
For those who didn't win, you can always buy a copy of this book from your favorite bookstore or see if they have it at your local library.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
A Woman's Place by Lynn Austin
 | A Woman's Place |
Source: Bought at a library book sale.
Book Description from Back Cover:
They watched their sons, their brothers, and their husbands enlist to fight a growing menace across the seas. And when their nation asked, they answered the call as well.
Virginia longs to find a purpose beyond others' expectations. Helen is driven by a loneliness money can't fulfill. Rosa is desperate to flee her in-laws' rules. Jean hopes to prove herself in a man's world.
Under the storm clouds of destruction that threaten America during the early 1940s, this unlikely gathering of women will experience life in sometimes starling new ways as their beliefs are challenged and they struggle toward a new understanding of what love and sacrifice truly mean.
My Review:
A Woman's Place is a Christian historical fiction set in December 1941 through October 1944. It follows four women from very different backgrounds who start work in a war factory to help with the WWII war effort.
The characters were varied and had realistic struggles. The book was a quick read, and the suspense was created mainly by relationship tensions and concern about those serving in the war. Vivid details about the time period and setting were woven into the story. However, at times, I felt like the author was trying to cover too many of the issues relating to the time period. This was especially true at the end, which was wrapped up so quickly that issues involving important secondary characters were left hanging.
There were several characters with a strong Christian faith, one who never learned about God before now, and one who rejected God because He let her loved ones die due to illness, accident, and war. There were ongoing themes about forgiveness and trusting God. There were also scenes of Rosa asking funny questions about God because she knew so little and of Jean trying to teach her what God's grace means.
There was no explicit sex. There was a minor amount of "fake" bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable historical to those interested in learning about the struggles faced by women in America in the early 1940s.
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.
Excerpt from Chapter One
September 1942
* Virginia *
Ginny's morning began with the same old routine: fixing breakfast for Harold and the boys, packing their lunchboxes, retrieving all the things they'd lost or misplaced, reminding them to wear their jackets and to tie their shoelaces. But today she watched herself perform these tasks as if detached from it all, almost as if observing from a distance. And what she noticed was that everyone took her for granted. They never seemed to notice her, only her mistakes--and they always noticed those.
"I don't want this egg," Allan said, pushing it away. "I like the yellow part hard, not all runny."
"This coffee is too weak," Harold said as he dumped it down the drain. "I'll grab a cup at the office."
"You put oleo on my toast," Herbie complained. "I wanted jelly." She made him a new slice of toast with jelly, but later, when she tried to wipe jam off his face, he squirmed away.
"Stop smothering them," Harold said. "They aren't babies anymore."
Ginny watched as each one grabbed things and hurried out the door. The family dog lay sprawled on the kitchen floor, but everyone stepped around him or over him, ignoring him as if he were part of the furniture. Poor Rex. They'd loved him as a puppy, but now nobody even saw him. If he ran away from home, how many days or weeks would go by before anyone even noticed? Was it the same for her? No, her family would certainly notice if there weren't any meals on the table.
Read more using Google Preview.
Friday, February 11, 2011
A Thousand Shall Fall by Bodie Thoene
 | A Thousand Shall Fall |
Source: Bought in a library book sale.
Book Description from Back Cover:
The War to End All Wars is over, and the soldiers have come home. Birch Tucker, with his wife Trudy and his sons, makes his way back to Shiloh, Arkansas, his boyhood home, to carve out a new life for his family. Max Meyer, now a financial columnist for the New York Times , moves along the wealthy and influential stock barons of the world.
Life in America in the Twenties holds out the tantalizing promise of peace and prosperity.
But times are not what they seem. The peace is not permanent, and the prosperity moves toward its inevitable end. Birch and his family face the grim prospect of losing everything they have worked for. And Max may have to give up all his wealth and influence to gain the son he never knew he had...
My Review:
A Thousand Shall Fall is a historical novel set in September and October of 1929 and leads up to the stock market crash. This novel is the second in the series, but you don't need to have read In My Father's House to understand this one (though it will make it more enjoyable). Reading this novel out of order will partly spoil some events in the previous novel.
There were several point of view characters from different parts of America and different stations in life. The characters were interesting, and Birch's family was very engaging. Birch's sons got into a lot of very funny scrapes. However, the storyline with the boy, David, pushed past what I felt was realistic.
Since we know the stock market crash is only weeks away and will affect everyone in the book, the suspense was high from beginning to end. There were also some relationship tensions and occasionally physical danger to main characters to add suspense.
The historical and setting details brought the story alive in my imagination. Most of the historical details were about class differences and how prohibition and the stock market affected society. The book wrapped up very quickly and left a number of loose ends, but they might be answered in the next book in the series.
Several of the main characters were Christians. However, there wasn't much religious content until the small amount at the very end where they have to decide to trust in God even if they loose everything.
There was no sex. There was no bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable and well-written historical 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.
Excerpt from Chapter One
Moonshine whiskey and cockfights--the two ingredients spelled MONEY, plain and simple. Prohibition had proven to be a profitable enterprise. Not a county in the entire nation remained untouched by the sale of illegal liquor at illegal sporting events held deep in some secret, wooded glens or black-road barns. The law knew, but hard cash or a stake in the profits silenced them. From near and far, men came to see the mortal combat--sometimes between cocks with razor-sharp metal spurs strapped on their legs, sometimes between pit-bull dogs raised from puppies for the sole purpose of battling to the death before a roaring crowd.
On still other occasions, those within the fighting pit were men--convicts, specially chosen from among their fellow prisoners for strength, endurance, and brutality. Their masters were guards who urged them to fight in the prison yard; the champion received extra food and special privileges.
There were no rules in such fights. Leg-irons, fists, and teeth were all equal weapons. Like ancient gladiators, they fought until one man lay unconscious in the ring of torchlight. Sometimes the loser lived. Sometimes he did not. But the winner was expected to fight again at some future date. The law did not even need to be bribed, because it was the lawmen who sponsored the fights and gloried in the profits.
Sheriff Myron Ring had discovered a champion among the human refuse of his Oklahoma chain gang. Ring had seen him take on three white men in the prison yard one sultry afternoon.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Follower Love Giveaway: Solemn Oath or Deadly Ties
As a part of the Follower Love Giveaway Hop, you can choose one of the two novels below.I really enjoyed Solemn Oath by Hannah Alexander, so I'm offering it in this giveaway. The giveaway book is an ex-library copy that I bought through Half.com. It's perfectly readable but worn.
Read my review to learn more about this Christian medical suspense novel.
Or you can request Deadly Ties by Vicki Hinze. The giveaway book is my "like new" review copy.Read my review to learn more about this Christian romantic suspense novel.
This contest is for USA & Canada residents only.
To enter the giveaway:
1) you can twitter me saying "Hi @genrereviewer. Enter me in the giveaway for SOLEMN OATH by Hannah Alexander" or "Hi @genrereviewer. Enter me in the giveaway for DEADLY TIES by Vicki Hinze" depending on which book you'd like to win.
OR
2) You can leave a comment to this post asking to be entered and naming which book you'd like to win. Please also leave some way for me to contact you--or follow this blog so you can see the winner announcement. I'd be fun if you also included why you're interested in reading this novel.
Last time I did a "your choice" giveaway, a few people chose more than one book. If you do this, you still only have one entry (like everyone else) but, if you win, I'll select which novel to send to you.
This giveaway ends Feb. 13, 2011 at midnight. The winner will be randomly selected. I'll announce the winner on Feb. 14, 2011 on this blog.
If you entered using twitter, I'll send you a @ or DM telling you of your win and asking where to send the book. If you entered using the blog comments, you'll need to leave your e-mail address so I can contact you or check back to see if you won so you can e-mail me your mailing address. If the winner hasn't responded with a mailing address within four days, I reserve the right to pick a new winner.
I hope everyone has fun with this!
The blogs participating in the Follower Love Giveaway Hop:
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Digitalis by Ronie Kendig
 | Digitalis |
Source: Electronic review copy from publisher through NetGalley.
Book Description from Publisher's Website:
Step into the boots of a former Marine in this heart-pounding adventure in life and love. Colton “Cowboy” Neeley is a Marine trying to find his footing as he battles flashbacks now that he’s back home. Piper Blum is a woman in hiding—from life and the assassins bent on destroying her family. When their hearts collide, more than their lives are at stake. Will Colton find a way to forgive Piper’s lies? Can Piper find a way to rescue her father, trapped in Israel? Is there any way their love, founded on her lies, can survive?
My Review:
Digitalis is a fast-paced romantic suspense novel. The suspense was created by the near-constant physical danger and some relationship angst. This book was the second in the series, but you don't have to read Nightshade to follow this story. Reading them out of order will spoil only the romantic outcome of the first novel.
I suspect a lot of people will really like this novel, but I didn't. In Nightshade, Colton seemed like a really cool character who had a lot of potential for a deep story. Compared to his character in Nightshade, Colton (and the other characters) came across to me as pretty shallow and one-dimensional in Digitalis. It turned out to be a fairly typical romantic suspense story, and the Nightshade team (which I loved so much in the first novel) played only a very minor role. Even when on mission, Colton pretty much had to work on his own.
I also had too many "Why didn't they just..." and "Er, what about..." questioning moments (especially near the end) for me to enjoy the story. (For example, Piper's refusal to tell Colton even "bad guys want something I have, and they'll use deadly force to get it" didn't make sense because that wouldn't endanger her father. And I suppose it might be possible for an enemy helicopter to fly in and attack at night in driving rain and hurricane-level winds, but why didn't they just wait another day? They'd waited for weeks already. And why were the bad guys attacking Piper to get a device that could no longer help them locate her father because he'd already been captured? And since there are other Nightshade-type teams, why wasn't one of them sent when the boss knew Colton would refuse this particular mission? And if Nightshade's identity must be kept super-secret, why set them up to work with locals (which no background checks have been done on)? Heck, why not just have locals do the job since they practically did, anyway? And why would a character known to be devoted to protecting his own country suddenly decide to leave and join an organization that fights American causes? And so on.)
I was also bothered by how, at the very end, the other characters pressured Colton into doing something (romantic-related) he wasn't ready for. He hadn't fully dealt with his relationship issues, but the message seemed to be "don't think about it...we all know you love her, and attraction is enough."
The main characters were Christians, and Colton struggled with why God didn't completely heal him from his flashbacks. One character gave Colton a mini-sermon near the end, which I didn't entirely follow, but Colton did get the right message from it.
There was no graphic or unmarried sex. There was some "he cussed" style bad language, and Colton frequently used "Dawg" as a cuss word. Overall, if you like typical Christian romantic suspense, then you'll probably enjoy this novel.
(In case you haven't read my Nightshade review, I do highly recommend that 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.
Excerpt:
Read an excerpt using Google Preview.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Deadly Ties by Vicki Hinze
| Deadly Ties |
Source: Review copy from the publisher.
Book Description from Back Cover:
Her enemy will stop at nothing for control...she will risk everything for freedom.
A horrific crime shatters Lisa Harper’s idyllic childhood. Her father is dead and her desperate mother, Annie, quickly marries Dutch Hauk, an abusive monster who soon reveals his hatred for Lisa. To protect her, Annie defies her ruthless husband and forfeits custody to a trusted friend. Enraged, Dutch vows to keep Annie and Lisa apart—and he does. Years later, though keenly aware of Dutch’s evil intent, Lisa and her mother seize a chance to be a family, safe in a home where love dwells. But they fail to fathom how far Dutch will go to keep his vow.
Determined to control his women, Dutch proves resourceful. His associates in crime are feared at the highest levels across the globe—and for Lisa they plan a fate worse than death. Yet she too has formidable connections: ones like former Special Operations officer Mark Taylor. Burdened by his own traumatic past, Mark has loved Lisa from afar. Now, for Lisa and her mother to survive, Mark must risk his life—and even more difficult for him, he must trust God—as one question haunts them all: Can Mark and Lisa untangle these deadly ties before it’s too late?
My Review:
Deadly Ties is a Christian romantic suspense novel. It's the second book in the series, and some things in this story won't be entirely clear unless you've first read Forget Me Not. A subplot in Deadly Ties continues the story of the main characters in Forget Me Not and thoroughly spoils the events and surprises of Forget Me Not, so I'd recommend reading these novels in order.
The story was fast-pasted and the suspense (created mainly by physical danger to the various characters) was high throughout. The details about the setting and military/criminal aspects did a good job of bringing the story alive in my imagination (though I did wonder how realistic a few of those details were).
The characters were interesting, and Mark and Lisa were complex, determined, and likable. The romance was handled well with the two characters learning how to love and trust each other while dealing with traumas in their past. I also really enjoyed the joking around that Mark and his buddies did.
Many of the characters were Christians and their faith was a meaningful part of their lives. The main characters struggled with why God seemed to let bad things happen to them while He blessed everyone else. They came to a conclusion which satisfied them, and this did involve some brief God-related discussions between them.
There was no sex. There was a very minor amount of "he cussed" style bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable, 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.
Excerpt from Chapter One
July 2007, Iraq
Mark Taylor hated sand.
He'd hated it before coming to the desert for the tenth time in three years, but now buried in it, he really hated it. It got into everything, everywhere--in his boots, along with the scorpions; in his eyes; in his ears. Its grit was always clinging, chafing his skin.
As irritating as it was to his team, the sand was even harder on their equipment. Every man in his unit and Jane, the lone female attached as mission essential because she was a subject-matter expert, protected their weapons as best they could. Their lives depended on it.
Sensitive equipment repairs were left to other experts. When they had their heat source-detecting equipment and it worked, they ruled the night. Unfortunately, they had arrived, the equipment had not, and the honchos had classified immediate action critical. Under direct orders, they'd left the Green Zone without it to do the impossible on sheer guts, determination, and a wing and a prayer.
They'd succeeded at taking out the terrorist cell and gathered data that could help Intel save lives. Overall, execution of the plan had gone smoothly. But five klicks from their rendezvous exit point, they hit a snag. A big one.
Two Humvees of hostiles sped toward each other down the road the team was to follow.
"I thought this road was abandoned," Joe said.
"Obviously not," Tim whispered. "Gentlemen, scatter."
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Masters & Slayers by Bryan Davis
 | Masters & Slayers |
Source: Electronic review copy from publisher through NetGalley.
Book Description from Publisher Website:
Expert swordsman Adrian Masters attempts a dangerous journey to another world to rescue human captives who have been enslaved there by dragons. He is accompanied by Marcelle, a sword maiden of amazing skill whose ideas about how the operation should be carried out conflict with his own. Since the slaves have been in bonds for generations, they have no memory of their origins, making them reluctant to believe the two would-be rescuers, and, of course, the dragons will crush any attempt to emancipate the slaves. Set on two worlds separated by a mystical portal, Masters and Slayers is packed with action, mystery, and emotional turmoil, a tale of heart and life that is sure to inspire.
My Review:
Masters & Slayers is a fantasy novel that is a companion to his Starlighter young adult fantasy novel. Both are set in the same world and follow the same events (from different viewpoints), but I highly recommend that you read this novel before Starlighter. The characters in this book are driving the events and know what's going on, so reading this book first will make Starlighter make a lot more sense, add suspense to it, and overall make it more enjoyable. On the other hand, there are only a very questions raised in this book that are explained by the events in "Starlighter."
The main (good) characters were honorable, earnest, and cared about helping others. The story was fast-paced and full of suspense created by the physical danger to the characters. There was also some relationship tensions that increased the suspense. The world-building was very good, with an interesting mix of high technology and the typical medieval fantasy setting. The author created unique societies and worlds without getting bogged down in description or made-up words.
There was a very minor amount of "he cussed" style bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'd recommend this well-written fantasy 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.
Excerpt from Chapter One
Never make a woman bleed, my son.
Adrian stood at his corner of the tourney ring, tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword as he listened to silent echoes of his father's words.
If you draw your sword against those you were born to protect, the very ones who trust in your strength, how will you convince them that you are a shield when the dragons come to take them away?
When the dragons come, Adrian repeated in his mind. If those beasts ever returned, they wouldn't find easy prey this time. No humans would be dragged away to slavery again, not if he could help it.
He lifted Spirit and looked at the sharp point. As usual, the tournament officials had attached a stab guard at the end of the blade to prevent puncture wounds deeper than a half inch. Still, that was deep enough. These blood matches were more than mere displays of competitive showmanship; they were tests of courage in the face of real bloodletting.
He shook his head. The stab guard mattered nothing. No battle courage would be tested in this match, and no blood would be spilled. The only showmanship might be how his opponent would react to the decision he had already made.
At the other side of the ring, Marcelle stepped across the fighting boundary, her confident stride combining with her athletic lines to draw the usual gaping stares from men young and old.
Read more of chapter one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
