Amanda Dykes: Set the Stars Alight

By Kelly Bridgewater

Lucy Clairmont's family treasured the magic of the past, and her childhood fascination with stories of the high seas led her to become a marine archaeologist. But when tragedy strikes, it's Dashel, an American forensic astronomer, and his knowledge of the stars that may help her unearth the truth behind the puzzle she's discovered in her family home.

Two hundred years earlier, the seeds of love are sown between a boy and a girl who spend their days playing in a secret sea cave, while the privileged young son of the estate looks on, wishing to join. As the children grow and war leads to unthinkable heartbreak, a story of love, betrayal, sacrifice, and redemption unfolds, held secret by the passage of time.

As Lucy and Dash journey to a mysterious old estate on the East Sussex coast, their search leads them to a community of souls and a long-hidden tale that may hold the answers--and the healing--they so desperately seek. 

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Set the Stars Alight is an amazing story in finding the treasures God has for us as we discover our true passions. I adore the cover for Amanda Dykes newest novel Set the Stars Alight. What a beautiful cover! As for the story, I loved learning the past story before the present timeline learned the story. The story opens with us, readers, discovering the characters heart and early passions, then it moves into how those passions guide their future lives and love. Dash is a fascinating hero who loves the stars and everything to do with Lucy; whereas, Lucy wants to discover the reality of what her father's stories mean. As someone who misses her father, I understand the hurt that can take over with a lost parent. The story is interesting, and the writing is wonderful. Overall, Set the Stars Alight is a delightful story with unique characters and unseen twist.

I received a complimentary copy of Set the Stars Alight by Amanda Dykes from Bethany House Publishers, but the opinions stated are all my own. 

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Psalm 120

By Kelly Bridgewater

Psalm 120

"In my distress I cried to the Lord, 

And He heard me. 

Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips

And from a deceitful tongue. 

What shall be given to you,

Or what shall be done to you, 

You false tongue?

Sharp arrows of the warrior, 

With coals of the broom tree!

Woe is me, that I dwell in Meshech,

That I dwell among the tents of Kedar!

My soul has dwelt too long

With one who hates peace. 

I am for peace;

But when I speak, they are for war."

All Scripture come from the Journal the Word Bible NKJV version. 

Tea Cooper: The Woman in the Green Dress

By Kelly Bridgewater

A cursed opal, a gnarled family tree, and a sinister woman in a green dress emerge in the aftermath of World War I.

After a whirlwind romance, London teashop waitress Fleur Richards can’t wait for her new husband, Hugh, to return from the Great War. But when word of his death arrives on Armistice Day, Fleur learns he has left her a sizable family fortune. Refusing to accept the inheritance, she heads to his beloved home country of Australia in search of the relatives who deserve it more.

In spite of her reluctance, she soon finds herself the sole owner of a remote farm and a dilapidated curio shop full of long-forgotten artifacts, remarkable preserved creatures, and a mystery that began more than sixty-five years ago. With the help of Kip, a repatriated soldier dealing with the sobering aftereffects of war, Fleur finds herself unable to resist pulling on the threads of the past. What she finds is a shocking story surrounding an opal and a woman in a green dress. . . a story that, nevertheless, offers hope and healing for the future.

This romantic mystery from award-winning Australian novelist Tea Cooper will keep readers guessing until the astonishing conclusion.

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Tea Cooper is an Australian writer who has a number of titles under her belt, but The Woman in the Green Dress is the first novel published by her from Thomas Nelson Publishing. As most American readers are not familiar with the Australian landscape, Cooper had to describe a lot of scenery for us to image where Della and Fleur interacted with. She did a good job. I loved hanging out in the Curio Shop. I wanted to see more and more of that shop from the past and 1919. The story is a time-slip novel, but both story lines actually take place in the past. 1853 and 1919 are the two time frames. The plot is interesting and different. It isn't like anything I had ever read before. Definitely kept my attention. There really isn't a lot of romance in either time period. It is more about solving the mystery for Fleur and coming to reality with her life for Della. Overall, Tea Cooper crafted a delightful historical story that invites readers down under but captures their attention with the mystery. Fans of Karen Witemeyer and Melissa Jaguers might enjoy this novel too.

I received a complimentary copy of The Woman in the Green Dress by Tea Cooper from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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From Amazon

About the Author:

Tea Cooper is an Australian author of historical and contemporary fiction. In a past life she was a teacher, a journalist and a farmer. These days she haunts museums and indulges her passion for storytelling. 

Website: http://www.teacooperauthor.com
Blog: http://www.teacooperauthor.com/blog.html
Twitter: @TeaCooper1
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TeaCooper
Newsletter sign up: http://eepurl.com/LtrSn
(Taken from Amazon.)

Lauren K. Denton: The Summer House

By Kelly Bridgewater

Sometimes it takes losing everything to find yourself again.

Lily Bishop wakes one morning to find a good-bye note and divorce papers from her husband on the kitchen counter. Having moved to Alabama for his job only weeks before, Lily is devastated but forced to contemplate her next steps when she sees a flier at the grocery store for a hair stylist position in a local retirement community.

Rose Carrigan built the small retirement village of Safe Harbor years ago—just before her husband ran off with his assistant. Now she runs a tight ship, making sure the residents follow her strict rules. Rose keeps everyone at arm’s length, including her own family. But when Lily shows up asking for a job and a place to live, Rose’s cold exterior begins to thaw. Lily and Rose form an unlikely friendship, and Lily’s salon soon becomes the place where residents share town gossip, as well as a few secrets of their own. Lily even finds herself drawn to Rose’s nephew, Rawlins—a single dad and shrimper who’s had some practice at starting over, and one of the residents may be carrying a torch for Rose as well.

Neither Lily nor Rose is where they expected to be, but the summer makes them both wonder if there’s more to life and love than what they’ve lived so far. The Summer House weaves Lauren Denton’s inviting Southern charm around a woman’s journey to find herself.

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

I have read all four of Lauren K. Denton's novels. They definitely belong in the Southern fiction genre. I really enjoyed her first novel, The Hideaway. In The Summer House, Denton crafted Lily and Rose, two women who needed to learn to carry on with their lives and move forward from the past. Having a story take place at a retirement community is different, yet nice. I enjoy talking to the older generation and learning about their pasts. it was nice to see how well Lily fit right in and Rose learned to fit in. Their is some romance, but nothing to take away from the overall plot. The only issue I had with the plot was the "gossip rag" that was published by Shirley that got inserted into the pages of the story. Most of the time, I just skipped right over them to return to the story. This is definitely a delightful little read that any one of any age would enjoy to read. I recommend picking up a copy.

I received a complimentary copy of The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Welcome Summer

By Kelly Bridgewater

I'm not a huge fan of summer.

I do like cutting the grass. Once completed, it feels like a sense of accomplishment.

My favorite part of the day is dusk. I like going outside and sitting on the back deck, watching the lightening bugs come out. I enjoy chasing my boys through the yard and climbing trees. Believe me, owning ten acres with half being in the woods, I have a lot of trees.

I enjoy riding my bikes with the boys. I still can outride all of them.

I enjoy pulling out my rollerblades and racing up and down the street.

I do look forward to eating more food on the grill. Like corn on the cob, watermelon, and burgers.

I enjoy the fireworks on the fourth of July.

I like cool evenings where I can open all the windows in the house and allow the cool breeze to blow through the house. I enjoy falling asleep to the sound of crickets and owls in or woods.

But . . .

I do hate having to pull weeds and trim around everything.

I hate the heat of the day.

I get optical headaches all the time, so the sun is not my friend. Hard to go outside and plan anything when you know that you are going to sweat before you even start.

What about you? Are there things you love and hate about summer?

I pray you have a wonderful summer with lots of memory making moments.

Lynn Austin: If I Were You

By Kelly Bridgewater

From bestselling and eight-time Christy Award-winning author Lynn Austin comes a remarkable novel of sisterhood and self-discovery set against the backdrop of WWII.

1950. In the wake of the war, Audrey Clarkson leaves her manor house in England for a fresh start in America with her young son. As a widowed war bride, Audrey needs the support of her American in-laws, whom she has never met. But she arrives to find that her longtime friend Eve Dawson has been impersonating her for the past four years. Unraveling this deception will force Audrey and Eve's secrets--and the complicated history of their friendship--to the surface.

1940. Eve and Audrey have been as different as two friends can be since the day they met at Wellingford Hall, where Eve's mother served as a lady's maid for Audrey's mother. As young women, those differences become a polarizing force . . . until a greater threat--Nazi invasion--reunites them. With London facing relentless bombardment, Audrey and Eve join the fight as ambulance drivers, battling constant danger together. An American stationed in England brings dreams of a brighter future for Audrey, and the collapse of the class system gives Eve hope for a future with Audrey's brother. But in the wake of devastating loss, both women must make life-altering decisions that will set in motion a web of lies and push them both to the breaking point long after the last bomb has fallen.

This sweeping story transports readers to one of the most challenging eras of history to explore the deep, abiding power of faith and friendship to overcome more than we ever thought possible.

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

World War II is a fascinating genre to dive into. I honestly believe it is the last generation full of heroes who would die for this country. So when I read the synopsis for Lynn Austin's latest novel, If I Were You, I couldn't wait to read it. I was nice to see a story that takes place during the Blitz in London. Most stories enjoy sharing about Hilter's regime in lower Europe. Not that England wasn't thrown for a huge disaster too; it was just nice to read something a little different. I loved seeing Eve and Audrey as they struggled with crossing the lines of money and kept their friendship going strong. This story was a delightful way to spend a couple of days. I got lost in the story and enjoyed the ending. It fit well for the whole purpose of the story. Overall, If I Were You by Lynn Austin takes readers for a ride through the horrors of World War II but allow the friendship of two women to hang on the balance. A delightful story. A must read for fans of Sarah Sundin, Melanie Dobson, and Cathy Gohlke.

I received a complimentary copy of If I Were You by Lynn Austin from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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About the Author:

From Amazon

For many years, Lynn Austin nurtured a desire to write but frequent travels and the demands of her growing family postponed her career. When her husband's work took Lynn to Bogota, Colombia, for two years, she used the B.A. she'd earned at Hope College and Southern Connecticut State University to work as a teacher. After returning to the U.S., the Austins moved to Anderson, Indiana, Thunder Bay, Ontario, and later to Winnipeg, Manitoba.

It was during the long Canadian winters at home with her children that Lynn made progress on her dream to write, carving out a few hours of writing time each day while her children napped. Lynn credits her early experience of learning to write amid the chaos of family life for her ability to be a productive writer while making sure her family remains her top priority.

Extended family is also very important to Austin, and it was a lively discussion between Lynn, her mother, grandmother, and daughter concerning the change in women's roles through the generations that sparked the inspiration for her novel Eve's Daughters.

Along with reading, two of Lynn's lifelong passions are history and archaeology. While researching her Biblical fiction series, Chronicles of the Kings, these two interests led her to pursue studies in Biblical Backgrounds and Archaeology through Southwestern Theological Seminary. She and her son traveled to Israel during the summer of 1989 to take part in an archaeological dig at the ancient city of Timnah. This experience contributed to the inspiration for her novel Wings of Refuge.

Lynn resigned from teaching to write full-time in 1992. Since then she has published 27 novels. Eight of her historical novels have won Christy Awards for excellence in Christian Fiction: Hidden Places (2001), Candle in the Darkness (2002), Fire by Night (2003), A Proper Pursuit (2007), Until We Reach Home (2008), Though Waters Roar (2009) While We're Far Apart (2010), and Wonderland Creek (2011). She was inducted into the Christy Award Hall of Fame in 2013. Fire by Night was also one of only five inspirational fiction books chosen by Library Journal for their top picks of 2003, and All She Ever Wanted was chosen as one of the five inspirational top picks of 2005. Lynn's novel Hidden Places has been made into a movie for the Hallmark Channel, starring actress Shirley Jones. Ms Jones received a 2006 Emmy Award nomination for her portrayal of Aunt Batty in the film. (Taken from Amazon.)

Susan May Warren: The Heart of a Hero

By Kelly Bridgewater

Rescuing Aria Sinclair is just what former SEAL Jake Silver needs in order to redeem his past mistakes. Keeping her distance from Jake is what Aria needs to protect her heart. As a hurricane turns paradise into peril, they must save themselves and others in this story of second chances and survival--and the cost of both.

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

I have never been in a hurricane nor what to, but Susan May Warren in her newest release The Heart of a Hero definitely captures the danger and thrills associated with being in one. The action starts in the first chapter with readers starting to empathize with Aria, a familiar character, from The Way of the Brave. Just like the story heightens its tension, Warren captures the heighten emotions and feelings of Jake and Aria. I really enjoyed the fast paced novel. The story kept moving forward, and when I thought the story was about to have a break in the tension, Warren wrapped the characters in deeper trouble. Definitely a book for the keeper shelf. Can't wait to get my hands on the final book in this series The Price of Valor. 

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

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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