Colleen Coble: A Stranger's Game

 By Kelly Bridgewater

This gripping new novel from USA TODAY bestselling romantic suspense author Colleen Coble will leave you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.

 A wealthy hotel heiress.

Even though Torie Bergstrom hasn’t been back to Georgia since she was ten, she’s happy to arrange a job for her best friend at one of the family properties on Jekyll Island.

A suspicious death.

But when Torie learns that her best friend has drowned, she knows it is more than a tragic accident: Lisbeth was terrified of water and wouldn’t have gone swimming by choice.

A fight for the truth.

Torie goes to the hotel under an alias, desperate to find answers. When she meets Joe Abbott and his daughter rescuing baby turtles, she finds a tentative ally.

The more Torie and Joe dig, the more elusive the truth seems. One thing is clear: someone will risk anything—even more murder—to keep their secrets buried.

 

My Thoughts:

A Stranger’s Game by Colleen Coble hits all the requirements of a romantic suspense. Filled with hints of danger to the heroine and a romance blooming between the hero and the heroine, the story takes off through the numerous twists and turns. While I enjoy a good suspense novel with hints of romance, this novel was okay for me. Not one of my favorite suspense elements. A little too predictable, yet not that mind blowing either. Wanted more suspense in the story. Similar, the romance seemed a little too out of touch with reality. The hero and heroine started feelings things for each other within the first meeting, then it just kept becoming the focused from then on out. I wanted less romance to the plot. The writing was top notch. I had no problem visualizing the setting that Coble had crafted for the readers. Readers will understand the emotions and the thought process. Overall, A Stranger’s Game by Colleen Coble was an okay romantic suspense novel. Not one of my favorites. However, I believe it would be hard to keep readers guessing after how many novels that Coble has actually crafted.

I received a complimentary copy of A Stranger’s Game by Colleen Coble from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  3.5 out of 5 stars

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Verse for 2022 Explanation

 By Kelly Bridgewater

I have chosen James 1:12 as my verse for 2022.

Here is the verse:

“Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” *

With all the hatred and future downfall of America with Biden as our current puppet master, I need to keep my focus on God. He is the ultimate ruler. Even with all the horrible things that can make me really depressed and angry as I watch the news and scroll through my Social Media Feeds, I need to turn those off, and spend more time in the Bible.

I homeschool my youngest son, so I have been focusing a lot on American history, even though since he is in seventh grade, and the lessons are on World History, which is just as important, I think he needs to understand what makes America such a great country.

Freedom.

Something we are losing slowly day by day.

We are the frog in the pot that is not turned on, but the temperature slowly increases the longer the frog stays in the pot. He does not know that he is being burned alive until he is dead.

Same thing in America.

Being “required” to take the non-valid and not working Covid Vaccine. Even though there are tons of proof that no matter how many vaccines that you take, it does not work. The majority of the people in the hospital “with” Covid have had the vaccine. Not the unvaccinated. This is a pandemic of the vaccinated.

Not legal at all.

Not a law.

I should not lose my job since I refuse to poison my body with a virus, which is what every person who took the vaccine is doing.

I also hate how the schools are pushing Critical Race Theory. Not the right thing to teach the students at all. Every race has been suppressed at one time. Not one race over another. No one currently needs money to pay back what has been done to their ancestors.

I have Native American and Irish in my ancestors. Where are my retributions for what the British have done to my ancestors? You are not special because your ancestors where slaves. Not that I praise slavery. It was horrible.

I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around how the news and the schools are brainwashing the younger generation into stupidity and downing down the education system. College graduates can not write a paper. Nurses are graduating from college with a D average. That is who I want working on me when I go to the hospital.

BUT . . .

Even with all this hatred and struggles, I need to keep following God, standing up for what is right, sometimes even vocally or in a written note, and teaching my boys how to stand up for their personal freedoms through their education and their growth in God.

What about you? What are you doing to stay persistence in your faith?

*Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Persistence

Anna Schmidt: High-Wire Heartbreak

 By Kelly Bridgewater

About the Book

Book: High-Wire Heartbreak

Author: Anna Schmidt

Genre: Christian/Romance/History

Release date: January 1, 2022

In 1936--A party at the Ringling mansion Ca d’Zan in Sarasota, Florida, leads to a robbery--and possibly death.

A successful historical mystery writer, Chloe Whitfield comes to Ca’ d’Zan to research her next novel. Chloe’s fascination with the circus is rooted in family stories of her great-grandmother Lucinda Conroy, who reportedly was a trapeze artist of some renown. She’s heard hints of scandal—and perhaps larceny, but no details.

Chloe’s grandmother—rumored to be Lucinda’s only offspring—was raised in an orphanage and never knew her mother. Intrigued as she is, Chloe has no intent of writing about Lucinda until she sees a poster featuring Lucinda as the star performer for a 70th birthday gala for John Ringling in May of 1936. From there the trail goes cold.

Who was Lucinda and what happened to her?

 

My Thoughts:

High-Wire Heartbreak by Anna Schmidt is a mixture of a mystery at the Ringling Mansion in Sarasota, Florida, and a hunt for what is family. I love the dual time stories that feature a mystery in the current setting, but then the actual mystery playing out in the past setting. These type of dual-time stories have become wildly popular, and I have enjoyed reading them. It makes it a little easier to read and understand what occurred in the past instead of reading letters or diary entries to learn what occurred previously. Of course, there is romance in both time periods. There is a jilted romance in the past that sparks the whole mystery in the present. It was nicely handled. I really did not think either romance was a little fast. The present one was a little odd and out of place for the time frame of the novel, but it worked out for the characters. Overall, High-Wire Heartbreak by Anna Schmidt was a delightful story in the Doors to the Past series. I have really enjoyed all of these stories, and I hope there are more of them to come.

I received a complimentary copy of High-Wire Heartbreak by Anna Schmidt from Barbour Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

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About the Author

Anna Schmidt is the author of over twenty works of fiction. Among her many honors, Anna is the recipient of Romantic Times’ Reviewer’s Choice Award and a finalist for the RITA award for romantic fiction. She enjoys gardening and collecting seashells at her winter home in Florida.

 

 

 

 

 

More from Anna

It’s hard to split time living between Wisconsin and Sarasota Florida and NOT get caught up in the circus world! The Ringlings are icons in Sarasota where a LOT of things are named for them! But the five circus brothers got their start right here in Wisconsin. So, when the opportunity to create a story for DOORS TO THE PAST came my way, it was pretty much a no-brainer that I would go with John and Mable Ringling’s incredible home, Ca ‘d Zan as the setting. Then somehow, I stumbled on this picture:

and I knew she was my character of Lucinda, the trapeze artist whose story would drive my novel. I hope you fall in love with her—and Chloe—as I did, and most of all I hope you’ll be in touch to let me know what you thought at http://booksbyanna.com.

HAPPY READING and all best wishes, Anna

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 25

Remembrancy, January 25

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, January 25 (Author Interview)

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, January 26

For the Love of Literature, January 26

Where Faith and Books Meet, January 26

Genesis 5020, January 27

Texas Book-aholic, January 27

Inklings and notions, January 28

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 28

Rachael’s Inkwell, January 28

Austen’s Angle: Jane Austen’s Influence in Modern America, January 29

For Him and My Family, January 29

Rebecca Tews, January 29

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, January 30

deb’s Book Review, January 30

Tell Tale Book Reviews, January 31

Wishful Endings, January 31

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 31

Bizwings Blog, February 1

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 1

Book Butterfly in Dreamland, February 1

Older & Smarter?, February 2

Connie’s History Classroom, February 2

A Modern Day Fairy Tale, February 3 (Spotlight)

Bigreadersite, February 3

Blogging with Carol, February 3

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, February 4

Life of Literature, February 4

Stephanie’s Life of Determination, February 4

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, February 5

Joannabair, February 5

Blossoms and Blessings, February 6

Pause for Tales, February 6

Labor Not in Vain, February 6

Splashes of Joy, February 7

Through the Fire Blogs, February 7

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Anna is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon e-gift card and paper copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/186c0/high-wire-heartbreak-celebration-tour-giveaway

Melanie Dobson: The Winter Rose

 By Kelly Bridgewater

In this gripping WWII time-slip novel from the author whose books have been called “propulsive” and a “must-read” (Publishers Weekly), Grace Tonquin is an American Quaker who works tirelessly in Vichy France to rescue Jewish children from the Nazis. After crossing the treacherous Pyrénées, Grace returns home to Oregon with a brother and sister whose parents were lost during the war. Though Grace and her husband love Élias and Marguerite as their own, echoes of Grace’s past and trauma from the Holocaust tear the Tonquin family apart.

More than fifty years after they disappear, Addie Hoult arrives at Tonquin Lake, hoping to find the Tonquin family. For Addie, the mystery is a matter of life and death for her beloved mentor Charlie, who is battling a genetic disease. Though Charlie refuses to discuss his ties to the elusive Tonquins, finding them is the only way to save his life and mend the wounds from his broken past.

 

My Thoughts:

The Winter Rose by Melanie Dobson is a redemptive story as the present Addie tries to help save her father figure from death. The plot does begin in World War II Europe, but then ends up in Oregan with the United States. There is a lot of mystery around what actually occurred in Oregan once Grace returned home with a couple of children that she rescued from war torn Europe. The entire story is trying to uncover the truth and allow a number of the characters to move past the hurt, the terror, and the pain that occurred during the war. With God’s help, grace is given, and the truth is laid on the table for all the characters to realize. The characters are brave. My favorite character was Charlie once I completed his story. He had many demons from his past that he had to overcome. He needed the truth; in order, to completely free himself from the hurts and sorrow from the past. I loved watching him transform throughout the story. On the other hand, Addie, who is the present day hero, romance seemed a little of place by the end of the story. I knew it was coming, but it still seemed like it did not fit the storyline. Overall, The Winter Rose by Melanie Dobson is a redemptive story with God’s grace shining on all of the characters. I enjoy reading stories where you can see God’s hand in every movement in the story. The Winter Rose definitely does show that.

I received a complimentary copy of The Winter Rose by Melanie Dobson from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

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Word for 2022 Explanation

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Persistence.

I started praying and thinking in November 2021 what would be the Word and verse that would lead 2022.

Persistence jumped into the forefront of my mind.

Why?

I do not know.

I want to be persistence in the fight for my personal freedoms.

I want to be persistence in teaching my boys about American history and making sure they are educated enough about God and history to defeat the dumbness of American education.

I want to be persistence in growing in my faith in God.

I want to be persistence in actually crafting the novel about World War II that God will not leave me alone about. I have ideas for this story on a daily basis. I have checked out Richard J. Evans, three-part trilogy of the Reich, and am reading these thousand-page novels.

Enjoyable reading for me.

I want to be persistence in fighting the good fight. Even if it means losing friends and my job. I know that God will provide. We may have to have a bigger garden this summer. Maybe actually have more chickens, a cow, and a couple of goats. But we have no debt except the mortgage, which we have cut in half already.

What about you? With all this turmoil in our country, are you willing to sacrifice things to keep your freedom like Daniel did? I am. 

Jen Turano: To Disguise the Truth

 By Kelly Bridgewater

When a man arrives at the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency, anxious to hire them to find a missing heiress, Eunice Holbrooke realizes her past has finally caught up with her . . . and that she may no longer be able to hide under the disguise that has kept her safe for so long.

Arthur Livingston's goal in life is to make his mark on the world as a mining industrialist, but after the man who could help him achieve his goal is murdered, Arthur feels compelled to seek justice for the family--but he's left with more questions than answers after the eccentric Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency refuses to take on his case.

Desperate to conceal her real identity and avoid the irritatingly handsome Arthur, Eunice takes on a different case that requires her to go deep undercover and entangles her in one troublesome situation after another. When other secrets come to light, Eunice has no choice but to confront her past, hopeful that it will set her free but knowing it could very well place her life--and the lives of those she loves--in jeopardy.

 

My Thoughts:

Heroines are brave, unique, and quirky in a Jen Turano's novel. Every time I read one of her novels, I do not think she can make the heroine any more outlandish, but she does. And I enjoy every minute of the story that Turano crafts for readers to devour. With her newest novel, To Disguise the Truth, Turano modeled a unique heroine who knows how to shoot a gun and box, which makes for some pretty interesting scenes where she needs to depend on these skills. If a reader is familiar with Turano's novels, she always pits her heroines up against the funniest foes and situations that make me laugh out loud. Once again, she does this a number of times in this novel, and I loved it. I can't imagine how she keeps coming up with ideas to put heroines in awkward situations. I love the mystery element of the story. A kind of Clue like aspect to the story. The romance was pretty typical of this time period. Of course, if a reader is familiar with Turano's past stories, then the romance should be no surprised. Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed To Disguise the Truth by Jen Turano and can't wait to get my hand on her next series.

I received a complimentary copy of To Disguise the Truth by Jen Turano from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Purchase To Disguise the Truth

Word and Verse Snapshot for 2022

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Word: Persistence

Verse: James 1:12

What about you? Do you come up with a Bible verse and a Word to guide your year? Usually, I put them both in plain view on my desk, so I can read them all year long. 

Abigail Wilson: Twilight at Moorington Cross

  By Kelly Bridgewater

An inheritance could provide her with financial freedom, a rare accomplishment for a woman in the Regency era; she only has to marry one of two men to gain it. But what if her heart belongs to a third?

Brushed cruelly aside by the only father figure she’s ever known and then hospitalized by her arranged husband months before his death, Amelia Pembroke means to take control of her future at last, one way or another. Yet she knows all too well she faces an uphill battle, considering her transient sleeping spells are only getting worse.

Cluett’s Mesmeric Hospital has been something of a refuge for Amelia over the past year, even if it didn’t exactly improve her condition. But when her doctor is murdered and her name surprisingly turns up in his will, her options take a drastic turn. She has thirty days to marry one of two named gentlemen—strangers to her—and she will inherit everything from her friend and doctor, Mr. Cluett. One simple decision and all her financial troubles are at an end. The only problem is it’s not a simple decision anymore. Not when she’s falling in love with another man.

Ewan Hawkins has received his first assignment as an apprenticed solicitor: to update a man’s will. Finally, a chance to prove to society that possessing a disfigurement won’t hold him back. Thus, he means to do his job well. Of course, he never could have anticipated a murder, nor the strange clause added to the will—nor, most importantly, the charming widow who has found a way to capture his heart.

 

My Thoughts:

Twilight at Moorington Cross by Abigail Wilson is a regency mystery at a medical clinic. Wilson's story reminds me of an old fashioned who-done-it mystery filled with an arranged marriage and plenty of mystery to solve who killed the dead body. With a creepy abandoned part of the house that no one is allowed to travel into. With characters that not everyone knows who these characters are and their importance to the murder, the mystery appears to be abounding across the pages of the story. As for Amelia, I wanted to know more about her illness. It does define who the heroine is, but there is never a resolution to her illness or a discovery of what the actual illness is. Apparently, Amelia has to live with this, whatever it is, for the rest of her life. Similarly, the idea of experimental medicine was not really flushed out. I wanted to understand more about this medicine. Has it ever worked? Was it made up for the novel? Left me wanting to know more. On the other hand, Ethan Hawkins, the hero, appeared to care about her feelings, but sometimes, I, personally, felt like he was no better than the other "arranged" suitors. Overall, Twilight at Moorington Cross by Abigail Wilson did capture my attention, but there was some things I felt was a little bit off. I have enjoyed all of her previous novels, so I really can't wait to dive into the next one.

I received a complimentary copy of Twilight at Moorington Cross by Abigail Wilson, but the opinions state are all my own.

My Rating: 3. 5 out of 5 stars

Purchase Twilight at Moorington Cross

Prayer for 2022

By Kelly Bridgewater

 Heavenly Father,

2022 is about to start. 2020 and 2021 have been a crazy year.

I pray for America. We know that you are in control. Even if Biden, Harris, and the powers that be think otherwise. I know many of their decisions are not what American needs. I really do not want to live in a socialist country where my current freedoms are taken away. I like being educated and having the freedom to do what I want without worrying about the future.

I pray for my marriage. I pray that my husband and I keep learning to show love to each other. I pray we carve time out for each other. Not just worrying about the day-to-day stuff.

I pray for my boys as they are maturing into adults. One is already there. I want them to continue to grow on you and learn to keep trusting in you for all their solutions. I want them to show your light to the world.

I pray for me. If writing is what you want me to do, please allow me to remove Satan’s taught and actually write something. I have tons of writing ideas, and I think they would be fabulous if I could get them into a story form from my fingers.

I pray for my church. Lord, help us individually and collectively to draw closer to you. Help us to learn from the leaders and share you love with everyone we meet. No matter who they are.

May 2022 be a great year to show your love through our actions and words.

Amen. 

Lynette Eason: Life Flight

 By Kelly Bridgewater

EMS helicopter pilot Penny Carlton is used to high stress situations, but being forced to land on a mountain in a raging storm with a critical patient--and a serial killer on the loose--tests her skills and her nerve to the limit. She survives with FBI Special Agent Holt Satterfield's help. But she's not out of the woods yet.

In the ensuing days, Penny finds herself under attack. And when news reaches Holt that he may not have gotten his man after all, it will take all he and Penny have to catch a killer--before he catches one of them.

Bestselling and award-winning author Lynette Eason is back with another high-octane tale of close calls, narrow escapes, and the fight to bring a nefarious criminal to justice.

 

My Thoughts:

What is better than an attempted life rescue in a helicopter that has to make an emergency landing where a serial killer is loose? That is exactly how Life Flight by Lynette Eason begins her new series. With plenty of action and running from a serial killer, Eason takes her readers for a ride from the first page. She grips their attention and does not let go. I flipped through the pages, wanting to see who the killer was and his motive behind his killings. Eason put plenty of twists and turns in the story. Definitely shows her skills at crafting another nail biting story that I can't wait to put in my library next to all her other books. Of course, this is a romantic suspense novel, so there is romance beating a heartbeat throughout the entire novel. It does not take over the whole plot, but it does allow the heroine and hero to have more of a game in the final climactic moment because of the budding emotions. Overall, Life Flight by Lynette Eason was a keeper in the suspense category for me. I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of Life Flight by Lynette Eason from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Susan May Warren: Sunrise

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Pilot Dodge Kingston has always been the heir to Sky King Ranch. But after a terrible family fight, he left to become a pararescue jumper. A decade later, he's headed home to the destiny that awaits him. 

That's not all that's waiting for Dodge. His childhood best friend and former flame, Echo Yazzie, is a true Alaskan--a homesteader, dogsledder, and research guide for the DNR. Most of all, she's living a life Dodge knows could get her killed. One of these days she's going to get lost in the woods again, and his worst fear is that he won't be there to find her.
 
When one of Echo's fellow researchers goes missing, Echo sets out to find her, despite a blizzard, a rogue grizzly haunting the woods, and the biting cold. Plus, there's more than just the regular dangers of the Alaskan forests stalking her . . .

Will Dodge be able to find her in time? And if he does, is there still room for him in her heart?

 

My Thoughts:

Sunrise by Susan May Warren travels to Alaska for a bear adventure through the wilderness. With the start of Warren's Montana Rescue series, she loves to travel to outlanding destinations and allow her heroines and heroes to fight the elements mixed with their fight for their hearts. In Sunrise, readers are introduced to Dodge, the oldest of the triplets born under the Sky Range Ranch. Readers also are introduced to Echo, his love who denied him his happily-ever-after. The plot definitely has plenty of action through the wilderness with the snow and bears fighting for the overwhelming plot twist. I had no problem flipping through the pages of the story, wanting more. The romance leaps forward with hints of what happened in the past. Understanding sparks through the pages of the story. Warren does  wonderful job at crafting a wilderness that I wanted to travel to and venture around. Overall, Sunrise by Susan May Warren is wonderful story that takes place in Alaska and allows readers to fully engage in the story. I can't wait to read more stories in this series.

I received a complimentary copy of Sunrise by Susan May Warren from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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