Christy Barritt: Disillusioned

By Kelly Bridgewater

Nikki Wright is desperate to help her brother, Bobby, who hasn’t been the same since escaping from a detainment camp run by terrorists in Colombia. Rumor has it that he betrayed his navy brothers and conspired with those who held him hostage, and both the press and the military are hounding him for 
answers. All Nikki wants is to shield her brother so he has time to recover and heal.

But soon they realize the paparazzi are the least of their worries. When a group of men try to abduct Nikki and her brother, Bobby insists that Kade Wheaton, another former SEAL, can keep them out of harm’s way. But can Nikki trust Kade? After all, the man who broke her heart eight years ago is anything but safe…

Hiding out in a farmhouse on the Chesapeake Bay, Nikki finds her loyalties—and the remnants of her long-held faith—tested as she and Kade put aside their differences to keep Bobby’s increasingly erratic behavior under wraps. But when Bobby disappears, Nikki will have to trust Kade completely if she wants to uncover the truth about a rumored conspiracy. Nikki’s life—and the fate of the nation—depends on it.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

I haven't come across a book by Christy Barritt that doesn't capture my attention. She does a good job at keeping the action moving across the page. The romance isn't cheesy. It actually flows pretty natural. With Barritt's stories, I have come to expect interesting characters with a shady past, high octane tension, and a mystery with depth. With Barritt's latest Disillusioned that is exactly what I received.

From the first chapter, Barritt tosses me into the action with Bob and Nikki running from bullets flying. The rest of the story is a non-stop thrill ride trying to figure out who wants to bring harm to Bob and Nikki. I had a hard time putting the book down. I wanted to read late into the night. The story centers around what is the truth. Either the truth the government and television is allowing to come across the airwaves or is it inside Bob, the ex-soldier who suffers from PTSD. I have read a number of stories that have showed the cause of PTSD, but in Disillusioned, Barritt pushes the envelope a little more and allows me to see what reactions the soldiers have. I really enjoyed this story even thought Barritt touched on a soft story, but I think it needs to be explored.

This original, yet unpredictable story does feature a romance, but it wasn't too hasty. I really enjoy romance stories where the couple had a past together. I liked to learn what made them fall out of love and then watch as they fall back in love in this novel. I believe in second chances and redemption so that is probably why I enjoyed watching Nikki and Kade fight for each other and their emotions.

This is a story that I believe anyone of any age could read. The parts with the affects of the PTSD on Bob would be a good lesson to teach young boys what kind of horror soldiers actually go through to allow us to enjoy the freedoms we have today. Fans of Barritt's other writings will enjoy this novel.

I received a complimentary copy of Disillusioned from Waterfall Press and the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Do you think stories that deal with PTSD should be explored? Why or Why not?

Melanie Dickerson: A Spy's Devotion

By Kelly Bridgewater

Description (From Amazon):

In England’s Regency era, manners and elegance reign in public life—but behind closed doors treason and deception thrive. Nicholas Langdon is no stranger to reserved civility or bloody barbarity. After suffering a battlefield injury, the wealthy, well-connected British officer returns home to heal—and to fulfill a dying soldier’s last wish by delivering his coded diary.

At the home of the Wilherns, one of England’s most powerful families, Langdon attends a lavish ball where he meets their beautiful and intelligent ward, Julia Grey. Determined to maintain propriety, he keeps his distance—until the diary is stolen and all clues lead to Julia’s guardian. As Langdon traces an evil plot that could be the nation’s undoing, he grows ever more intrigued by the lovely young woman. And when Julia realizes that England—and the man she is falling in love with—need her help, she finds herself caught in the fray. Will the two succumb to their attraction while fighting to save their country?

From Amazon

My Review: 

I have really enjoyed all of Melanie Dickerson’s Young Adult fairy tales stories. I love reading her take on stories that I have grown up and watched the Disney versions of. I really enjoyed how Dickerson placed all the stories interacting in setting and family members. I couldn't wait to try my hand at another Dickerson's novel. 

When I picked up the book, the first fifty percent of the novel had Julia and Nicholas going to ball after ball after ball, wandering who they were going to marry. Julia tried to arrange the good match for her cousin Phoebe without worrying about her own happiness. This reminded me of Emma by Jane Austen. If you haven’t read Emma, but seen Clueless with Alicia Silverstone, then you have the general idea of Emma.

The character's personality stuck out to me the most. Julia is a selfless woman who puts her own desires on hold, but she is strong in knowing what she wants. Brave enough to turn down a marriage match that her uncle wants her to make, but Julia hears rumors that he is bad with money and flirts all the time. Similarly, Nick is selfless is helping out the orphans and women who have been turned away by society. He is brave enough to hunt down the traitor’s and turn them into the government.

The mystery part, being a huge suspense and thrill reader, did not capture my attention. In the first part of the book, Nick does find the diary but doesn’t worry about it for quite a while. Only when he needs help from Julia does the mystery come to the forefront of the novel. After that, the novel picks up pace and ends quite nicely.

Dickerson does a good job at allowing me to truly see into and understand the character’s feelings. As Julia is debating whether or not to tell her cousin, Phoebe about a love match, I debated the occasion with her. Along with Dickerson allowing me to understand the feelings, she does a great job at keeping an even balance between the prose and dialogue. The setting was crisp and allowed me to see the world of Julia and Nick.

Fans of Jane Austen will rejoice for Melanie Dickerson’s A Spy Devotion because of its throwback to the famous writer’s style and concepts even though the mystery did not carry me through the novel. Fans of Jane Austen, Julie Klassen, and Dawn Crandall will love this book. I still anxiously wait for Dickerson’s fairy tales novels.

Side note: I really love the cover!

I received a complimentary copy of A Spy’s Devotion from Waterfall Press and the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 Stars

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