The Weaver's Daughter by Sarah E. Ladd

The Weaver's Daughter by Sarah E. Ladd ISBN-13: 9780718011888 ebook: 320 pages Publisher: Thomas Nelson Released: April 10, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through BookLook.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Henry Stockton, heir to the Stockton fortune, returns home from three years at war seeking refuge from his haunting memories. Determined to bury the past, he works to modernize his family's wool mill, regardless of the grumblings from the local weavers.

Henry has been warned about the Dearborne family. Kate, too, has been advised to stay far away from the Stocktons, but chance meetings continue to bring her to Henry's side. But a war is brewing in their small village, one that has the power to rip families asunder --including her own.

When tragedy strikes shortly after his arrival, Henry must sort truth from suspicion if he is to protect his family's livelihood and legacy. As misguided actions are brought to light, Kate learns how deep her father's pride and bitterness run, and she begins to wonder if her loyalty is well-placed. Kate ultimately finds herself with the powerful decision that will forever affect her village's future.


My Review:
The Weaver's Daughter is a romance set in 1812 in Yorkshire, England. The heroine was the daughter of a man who made cloth using traditional weaving methods, and they're losing their livelihood to mill owners, like the hero's grandfather. Sounds exciting, except I quickly realized that I knew more about the conflict than the author did. It seemed merely an excuse for conflict (summary version: "You're threatening my livelihood...stop or we'll destroy things!" "If I stop, others will still build and run mills plus many people will be unemployed." "How unreasonable you are! We will make you pay.").

Unfortunately, I also felt that the characters were often illogical and inconsistent in their behavior. For example, a man who saved Henry's life in the war turned up asking for a job. Henry needed guards to protect his mill. But rather than have a loyal, military-trained guard, Henry gave him a mill worker's job even though he was warned this would upset the locals.

Also, the character's motives kept changing (and usually not because circumstances changed or anything). For example, we're initially told that Kate won't agree to marry John because she's not sure if he wants her or just her father's business (even though he says that he loves and respects her and values her knowledge). Then we're told it's because she doesn't want to be dependent on anyone; she wants to be in control of her fate and the business. Later, it's because she's always known that John's a deceiver and manipulator (and this charge came out of nowhere).

The characters also had modern sensibilities. For example, Henry was an ex-military leader and was prepared to lead some men to defend his mill against an attack. He had full legal right to kill anyone destroying his property. Yet he refused to fight and just let them destroy his property until someone aimed a gun at one of his workers. Despite the risk of missing (more so as the pistols of the time weren't very accurate), Henry aimed at the attacker's leg in hopes of shooting and stopping him. This was not the mindset of a military man of the time.

The story ended with Henry promising never-ending love to a woman because she filled the empty spaces in his soul and he felt peace in her presence. I would have expected a Christian book to point to God for this, but God didn't really show up in this story. There was no sex. The bad language was written in the "he cursed" style rather than the actual words.


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.

Storm Front by Susan May Warren

Storm Front by Susan May Warren ISBN-13: 9780800727475 Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Revell Released: May 1, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description from Back Cover:
A tornado has destroyed a small Minnesota community and among the missing are not only a group of students but PEAK Rescue team leader Chet King. Ty Remington will stop at nothing to rescue his mentor, not even when the girl he loved--and lost--walks back into his life. But Brette needs his help more than he knows, despite her stubborn determination to push him away. And when he gets a second chance, loving her just might cost him more than he can imagine.

A blogger for Vortex Storm Chasers, Brette Arnold didn't expect her adventures to land her in the same place as Ty, the guy who she walked--no, ran--from over a year ago. She had her reasons--good ones. The kind that tell her that falling for him again would only lead to heartache. But Ty isn't the kind of man to give up--not on the missing students, or on her.

Life and love hang in the balance in Susan May Warren's breathless story of holding on to hope during a deadly summer of storms.


My Review:
Storm Front is a Christian romantic suspense novel. It's the fifth book in a series. I'd recommend reading the previous books in the series as there are ongoing story lines that were further developed in this book. For example, Ben and Kacey's relationship crumbled as their wedding was canceled yet again. Some of the misunderstandings that they originally struggled with are back. They must work through their insecurities and the differences in their priorities. I appreciate that the author didn't portray everything as going smoothly just because a couple loves each other enough to get married.

The suspense in the story mainly came from tornadoes touching down nearby and the dangers involved in the rescue efforts.The characters were likeable people who reacted realistically to events. The PEAK Rescue team traveled to where Ben was on tour and searched for several missing people, including Chet. Ty struggled with his role on the team while refusing to give up hope during the search efforts. Brette lost hope as cancer ravaged her body, and she no longer feels like she has a future.

The Christian theme was how Christians can find hope in seemingly hopeless or sad situations. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd highly 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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

Wedding Cake Crumble by Jenn McKinlay

Wedding Cake Crumble by Jenn McKinlay ISBN-13: 9780399583834 Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: April 3, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description from Goodreads:
With Angie and Tate's wedding just around the corner, it's a happy--but very busy--time for Mel. Not only is she doing double duty as both the maid of honor and best man, but her bakery, Fairy Tale Cupcakes, has just been hired to provide cupcakes for a famous author's book signing. But when the author turns up dead, it's just the start of a murder mystery that Mel must solve.


My Review:
Wedding Cake Crumble is a cozy mystery. It is the tenth book in a series, but you don't need to read the previous books to understand this one. This book did not spoil the mysteries in the previous books. However, the main focus of this book was the wedding between Angie and Tate and the romantic relationships of the other workers at the cupcake shop. I suspect that people who have read the previous books will find that content more interesting.

There were not very many clues in the mystery. Whodunit was on my suspect list from early on simply because we were not offered very many suspects. Mel figured out whodunit (and the motive) due to an inspiration at the end and was able to save the next victim on whodunit's list. Yay! But we never really learn how whodunit managed to successfully overpower and kill so many people, just the motive.

There was no sex. There was a fair amount of bad language. And, author, using a little "g" when the characters say, "Oh my god!" doesn't make the phrase less problematic...especially when it turned out that at least some of the characters saying it attend a Christian church and actually do believe in God. Overall, I liked the characters enough that I enjoyed the story, but I'd mainly recommend it to the series fans.


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.

Dragon Raider by Ava Richardson

Dragon Raider by Ava Richardson ISBN-13: 9781986793100 ebook: 294 pages Publisher: Relay Publishing Released: March 24, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Far from the kingdom of Torvald, on the Western Isles near the coast, Lila is the daughter of the Raider leader, destined to take his place one day aboard their plundering ships. But Lila wants the Raiders to become Dragon Mercenaries, dragon riders who help protect merchant fleets and navies from attack. Her father Kasian is skeptical, but a young mage named Danu—with a quest of his own—comes bearing a prophecy claiming that Lila is the lost heir of Roskilde.

With Danu’s guidance, Lila finds the dragon she’s destined to bond with—but the mismatched pair soon learn that much more than just their futures is at stake.


My Review:
Dragon Raider is a young adult fantasy novel. The heroine is a young woman who was adopted as an orphaned baby by the leaders of the Sea Raiders, a group of people reminiscent of the Vikings. She wants to bond with a dragon and create a Dragon Raider group because the Sea Raiders' ships are getting destroyed by an evil, neighboring, usurper King. But the heroine no longer quite fits in with the Sea Raiders once she tries to forge a new path, even if it's one that will save them.

Danu is a young man with the ability to do magic and speak with dragons. He was training with the witches when the leader of the witches had a dream prophecy. Now Danu is committed to finding the rightful heir to the throne of Roskilde, who will stand against the returning darkening. However, convincing the heroine that he is trustworthy and that she is the princess is the least of his problems. Not everyone is convinced that a Sea Raider heir can ever be on the right side of a war.

The characters were interesting and acted realistically. The world building was woven into the story. There was a lot of action and suspense, including several battles. There was no sex. There was a very minor amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting and exciting fantasy.


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.

Shot in the Dark by Cleo Coyle

Shot in the Dark by Cleo Coyle ISBN-13: 9780451488848 Hardcover: 352 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: April 17, 2018

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
As Village Blend manager Clare Cosi attempts to finalize a date for her wedding, her ex-husband becomes addicted to making dates through smartphone swipes. Clare has mixed feelings about these quickie matchups happening in her coffeehouse. Even her octogenarian employer is selecting suitors by screenshot! But business is booming, and Clare works hard to keep the espresso shots flowing. Then one dark night, another kind of shot leaves a dead body for her to find.

Now, with the help of her ex and crew of quirky baristas, Clare starts "swiping" through suspects in her own shop, determined to find the real killer before another shot rings out.


My Review:
Shot in the Dark is a cozy mystery about drugs and dating apps. This novel is the 17th in the series. You don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one, and this story didn't spoil the whodunit of the previous books.

The story mainly focused on a dating app that encouraged people to casually hook up and dump each other. A woman uses Clare's shop to dramatically threaten to shoot a man who verbally abuses women after dates. Videos go viral. Clare tries to save the coffee shop's reputation while solving two murders. Clare asked good questions and noticed things that didn't seem right, so there were clues. You can tell who were bad guys. However, what's going on is complex enough that it was difficult to know precisely who did what until the end.

There was a fair amount of bad language. Clare and her boyfriend frequently headed for the bedroom, but it was fade-to-black style; there were no graphic sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting 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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

In Prior's Wood by G. M. Malliet

In Prior's Wood by G. M. Malliet ISBN-13: 9781250092809 Hardcover: 304 pages Publisher: Minotaur Books Released: April 17, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Newly returned from investigating a murder in Monkslip-super-Mare, handsome Max Tudor wants nothing more than to settle back into his predictable routine as vicar of St. Edwold’s Church in the village of Nether Monkslip. But the flow of his sermon on Bathsheba is interrupted when the lady of the local manor house is found in a suicide pact with her young lover.

Lady Duxter’s husband rallies quickly from the double tragedy―too quickly, it is murmured in the village. When a young girl goes missing and a crime writer becomes a target, DCI Cotton asks Max to lend his MI5 expertise to the investigation.


My Review:
In Prior's Wood is a mystery set in England. This is the seventh book in a series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this one, and this one did not spoil the mysteries of the previous books.

Details about the setting were woven into the story, making the village seem a distinct, unique place full of interesting people. The point of view was distant rather than deeply in someone's head, so we got the background and thoughts of a number of characters. Max, an Anglican priest married to a Wiccan, was the main point-of-view character. People came to him to share their concerns about things that happened, and Max gleaned clues from these conversations. He helped his detective friend solve the mystery. We're not told everything that Max hears, thinks, or does, so some things came as a surprise and were explained only at the end. Even so, there were enough clues that I strongly suspected whodunit.

There were no sex scenes. There was occasional use of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting and relaxing 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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.

A Death of No Importance by Mariah Fredericks

A Death of No Importance by Mariah Fredericks ISBN-13: 9781250152978 Hardcover: 288 pages Publisher: Minotaur Books Released: April 10, 2018

Source: ebook review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Book Description, Modified from NetGalley:
New York City, 1910. Invisible until she’s needed, Jane Prescott has perfected the art of serving as a ladies’ maid to the city’s upper echelons. When she takes up a position with the Benchley family, dismissed by the city’s elite as “new money”, Jane realizes that while she may not have financial privilege, she has a power they do not—she understands the rules of high society. The Benchleys cause further outrage when their daughter Charlotte becomes engaged to notorious playboy Norrie, the son of the eminent Newsome family.

But when Norrie is found murdered at a party, Jane discovers she is uniquely positioned—she’s a woman no one sees, but who witnesses everything; who possesses no social power, but that of fierce intellect—and therefore has the tools to solve his murder. There are many with grudges to bear: from the family Norrie was supposed to marry into, to the survivors of a tragic accident in a mine owned by the Newsomes, to the rising anarchists who are sick of those born into wealth getting away with anything they want. Jane also knows that in both high society and the city’s underbelly, morals can become cheap in the wrong hands: scandal and violence simmer just beneath the surface—and can break out at any time.


My Review:
A Death of No Importance is a mystery set in 1910 in New York City. I loved that the lady's maid was able to solve the mystery because of her skill set. Jane knew a wine stain from a blood stain, how different stain patterns might happen (jostled elbow, etc.), and noticed things that were out of place, all because it's her job to clean these things up. She was wise in how she gathered clues and intelligent in her ability to put the clues together. Since so many people had motive and opportunity, it wasn't an easy task to narrow things down. While one character seemed the most likely murderer to me, I wasn't certain about whodunit until the very end.

Vivid historical and setting details were woven into the mystery, and the writing immersed me in the story. It felt like this really could have happened and that these people once lived. The characters acted realistically and were interesting and varied. I cared about what happened to the various characters, even the less likable ones. I understood why they acted as they did.

There were no sex scenes, though a past rape was described in vague terms by one character. There was a minor amount of bad language. Overall, I'd highly recommend this 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.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Google Preview.