Labor Day Weekend

By Kelly Bridgewater

Labor Day!!!!

How is it here already?

Didn't we just turn the calendar from January to February?

I don't know about you, but time seems to fly much quicker now. I remember my Mother saying when I was little that time will slip by so quickly when you're an adult. From my little girl perspective, that seems so unrealistic. Time moved so slow for me, so why would it speed up just because I'm older.

But . . .

of course, Mommy was right.

The years seem to just slip by.

This year, my oldest is a SENIOR!!!! Yikes!

We have done the learner's permit. License is around the corner. And all the senior stuff is plowing down on us. College admission tests and college applications. Senior pictures. Graduation. Then he leaves home.

Kind of a scary time right now, but I believe my husband and I can handle it. We have prepared him for this, right?

Anyways, I hope you do something fun this weekend. It is probably still way too hot in Indiana with too much sun for me, but I want some barbeque and homemade ice cream. Makes the weekend a little better.

Have a nice Labor Day.

Siri Mitchell: State of Lies

By Kelly Bridgewater

The secrets of those closet to us can be the most dangerous of all.

Months after her husband, Sean, is killed by a hit-and-run driver, physicist Georgie Brennan discovers he lied to her about where he had been going that day. A cryptic notebook, a missing computer, and strange noises under her house soon have her questioning everything she thought she knew.

With her job hanging by a thread, her son struggling to cope with his father’s death, and her four-star general father up for confirmation as the next Secretary of Defense, Georgie quickly finds herself tangled in a political intrigue that has no clear agenda and dozens of likely villains. Only one thing is clear: someone wants her dead too.

The more she digs for the truth, the fewer people she can trust.

Not her friends.

Not her parents.

Maybe not even herself.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

Suspense is a wonderful genre to read in. I haven't read any of Siri Mitchell's historical fiction, but she started to write a suspense novel, and the synopsis sounded awesome, so I couldn't wait to read it. The story starts out pretty just like a suspense novel with a high tension moment setting the rest of the action for the story. Then about 42 percent into the novel, the plot turned toward a little different direction. I did have a hard time putting the novel down. I wanted to see what would happen to Glorie as she tried to figure out with her father when he was in Iraq and with Sean. The ending did take a turn I didn't see coming, so I was surprised that Mitchell went that way. I didn't see it coming that way. The writing was good. I could see the characters and the setting as they played across my imagination. Overall, State of Lies by Siri Mitchell is a captivating written suspense with plenty of action and an unique storyline. It was a wonderful story to pass a couple of hours.

I received a complimentary copy of State of Lies by Siri Mitchell from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase State of Lies

Joanna Davidson Politano: Finding Lady Enderly

By Kelly Bridgewater

Raina Bretton is a rag woman in London's east end when a handsome stranger appears in a dank alley and offers her a glittering smile and a chance for adventure. Rothburne Abbey has a unique position for her, one that will take her away from her hardscrabble life and give her a chance to be a lady. Things she could only dream of might be coming true. But some dreams turn out to be nightmares.

Though Raina has traded squalor for silk and satin, something about the abbey is deeply unsettling. As she wrestles with her true identity, the ruin, decay, and secrets she finds at the heart of the old mansion tear at her confidence and threaten to reveal her for who she really is. Only one man stands between her and the danger that lurks within--and only if he decides to keep her biggest secret hidden.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

Finding Lady Enderly by Joanna Davidson Politano is a mixture of My Fair Lady and Jane Eyre. With a hint of mystery and a transformation, Politano takes a character completely out of her element and allows her good qualities to shine on the page. Politano knows how to capture a setting and a use of language to tell a wonderful story. The plot definitely kept me flipping the pages. I couldn't wait to see when the real Lady Enderly would grace the pages and what she had to say for herself. I really wanted to know why she was missing and why they had to hire Raina to fulfill her duties. The heroine, Raina  doesn't really change. Even though the outward appearance changes with her trying to become a countess, her good natured character of taking care of the downtrodden didn't really change. It was there in the beginning of the story and stayed there to the very end. Overall, Finding Lady Enderly was a wonderful way to spend a couple of days. I believe fans of the women literary classics might enjoy this novel. If you enjoyed Politano's other two novels than you might enjoy this one too.

I received a complimentary copy of Finding Lady Enderly by Joanna Davidson Politano from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase Finding Lady Enderly

About the Author:

From Amazon

Joanna Davidson Politano freelances for a small nonfiction publisher but spends much of her time spinning tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives. Her debut novel, Lady Jayne Disappears, releases October 3 from Revell. She lives with her husband and their two babies in a house in the woods and shares stories that move her at www.jdpstories.com.(Taken from Amazon.)

Reading Goals

By Kelly Bridgewater

Obviously, I will keep reading from the number of publishing companies who give me the books to read and review.

But . . .

This year I actually have an outside job. Back in September, I got hired at a full-time job outside the house. My husband and I decided with all the kids enrolled full time in school and one about to head to college, we needed to make more income to save for retirement and pay off our mortgage in about five years.

Then we can travel.

England. Here I come.

Anyways, I'm sure my reading will take a HUGE hit this year. I don't think I'll be doing 150 - 200 books a year anymore. Maybe about 1 - 2 a week.

Which sounds really good for me.

Edmentum Blog

It will be nice to do something besides sitting around reading all the time.

And I mean all the time.

When you can finish 7 - 8 books in a week. That is a lot. I don't have kids home during the day, so I walk on the treadmill and read while doing it. My Kindle makes it so easy to read on the treadmill.

Maybe I'll do 75 books or less this year. Or more. That seems more realistic to me.

Spend more time with my family in the evenings when I'm done with work.

What about you? Do you make reading goals for the new year? How many books do you plan to read in 2019?

Angie Dicken: The Yellow Lantern

By Kelly Bridgewater

In Massachusetts in 1824, Josephine Clayton awakes on the table of the doctor she’s assisted all these months. She was presumed dead by all and has become the doctor’s next corpse for his medical research. Frightened, the doctor tries to kill her, but Josephine begs to be spared. A deal is struck—Josie will leave her village and work at a distant cotton mill. All the while, she’ll await her true mission—posing as a mourner to help his body snatcher procure her replacement. At the mill though, Josie is praised for her medical remedies among the mill girls, gaining attention from the handsome factory manager Braham Taylor. Yet, when Braham’s own loved one becomes the prey for the next grave robbing, Josie must make a choice that could put her dark past behind her or steal away the promise of any future at all.
  What price will Josie pay for love when her secrets begin to unravel?

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

The Yellow Lantern by Angie Dicken is book three in the True Colors of Crime series. While I enjoyed the first two and can't wait for the fourth one, The Gray Chamber, The Yellow Lantern didn't catch my attention as much. It was pretty dry and didn't capture float my attention. The premise was interesting, but Dicken spent too much time setting up the story like a Regency romance novel that I think the suspense element got kind of overlooked. Of course, the happily ever after ending happened between the main hero and heroine, but I wanted a lot more for the suspense element since this is what the series is being advertised as. Overall, The Yellow Lantern by Dicken promised to be something wonderful, but turned into something a little try and not that suspenseful. Even though this edition didn't work for me, I still can't wait to read the next book in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of The Yellow Lantern by Angie Dicken from Barbour Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Purchase The Yellow Lantern

About the Author:

From Amazon

Angie Dicken credits her love of story to reading British literature during life as a military kid in England. Now living in the U.S. heartland, she's a member of ACFW, sharing about author life with her fellow Alley Cats on The Writer's Alley blog and Facebook page. Besides writing, she is a busy mom of four and works in Adult Ministry. Angie enjoys eclectic new restaurants, authentic conversation with friends, and date nights with her Texas Aggie husband. Connect with her online at www.angiedicken.com (Taken from Amazon.)