Rachel McMillan: The Mozart Code

 By Kelly Bridgewater

No matter how you might try to hide in a war to escape your past, it is always close at hand.

Lady Sophia Huntington Villiers is no stranger to intrigue, as her work with Alan Turing’s Bombe Machines at Bletchley Park during the war attests. Now, as part of Simon Barre’s covert team in post-war Vienna, she uses her inimitable charm and code name Starling to infiltrate the world of relics: uncovering vital information that could tilt the stakes of the mounting Cold War. When several influential men charge her with finding the death mask of Mozart, Sophie wonders if there is more than the composer’s legacy at stake and finds herself drawn to potential answers in Prague.

Simon Barrington, the illegitimate heir of one of Sussex’s oldest estates, used the previous war to hide his insecurities about his past. Now, he uses his high breeding to gain access to all four allied quarters of the ruined city in an attempt to slow the fall of the Iron Curtain. He has been in love with Sophie Villiers since the moment he met her, and a marriage of convenience to save Simon’s estate has always kept her close. Until now, when Sophie’s mysterious client in Prague forces him to wonder if her allegiance to him—and their cause—is in question. Torn between his loyalty to his cause and his heart, Simon seeks answers about Sophie only to learn that everything he thought he knew about his involvement in both wars is based on a lie.

 

My Thoughts:

The Mozart Code by Rachel McMillan is a post World War II story that is supposed to have the main heroine looking for a lost Death Mask of Mozart, the composer. While I love the cover on the story, the story does not live up to what should be inside the story. First, the story takes place after World War II, so the heroine is trying to uncover historical artifacts that the Nazi had stolen during World War II. Great! I can really get behind a treasure hunt story. But that is not what this story is about. The main heroine and her "love" are what the story is focused on. The plot moves back and forth between their courtship, marriage, and the present day. Emotions fly across the page. But I wanted a treasure hunt. I do not mind if the romance intermingles with the plot, but the story does not focus on what the characters are doing. Once in a while, McMillan goes back to the hunt for the death mask of Mozart, but it does not seem that important. While the issues with the plot did not work for me at all, McMillan is a wonderful creating at bringing this post World War II world to life. I enjoyed traveling through the countryside and the rubble of the setting. I love how she evaluates the story's importance with her writing. As for the characters, they also appeared indifferent to what McMillan wanted them to do. They did not see the importance of finding these items. It appeared to be more important at showing their relationship than what they need to accomplish. The first chapter promised to deliver a hunt for the Mozart mask, but the story does not deliver. The plot was seriously lacking depth.

I received a complimentary copy of the Mozart Code by Rachel McMillan from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

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Welcome Spring

 By Kelly Bridgewater

I don’t mind the beginning of spring where the temperatures start warm up a little. A light jacket. Flowers blooming.

Color popping everywhere.

Scents.

Trees flowering into a wild expanse of color.

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But as spring progresses, it becomes warmer and warmer. Bees start flying around.

Weeds overtake all my pretty flowers.

Have to mow grass EVERY WEEK!

Then summer comes!

Yuck!

But if you enjoy spring, have fun!

Lynn H. Blackburn: Malicious Intent

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Dr. Ivy Collins, founder and CEO of Hedera, Inc., is ready to begin clinical trials of her company's cutting-edge prosthetic. Her work has been heralded by government, medical, and advocacy groups and everyone hopes the device will be a success. Well, almost everyone. Someone is trying to sabotage Hedera and the launch, but to what purpose--and how far will they go to get what they want?

Meanwhile, U.S. Secret Service Agent Gil Dixon can't believe he's finally been reunited with Ivy, his childhood best friend. Now that he's found her again, Gil intends to spend the rest of his life with her. But it will take all his skill to uncover the truth in time to save Ivy's life's work, her own life, and the innocent lives caught in the crossfire.

Perfectly balancing chilling suspense and uplifting romance, award-winning author Lynn H. Blackburn delivers a story of revenge, greed, and overcoming that you won't want to put down no matter how late it gets. 

 

My Thoughts:

Malicious Intent by Lynn H. Blackburn checks all the boxes off for a Romantic Suspense novel. The first chapter dives into a character, who happens to be the heroine of the story, who has been tortured recently. From then on, the story moves forward with trying to discover who harmed her and why. Of course, the heroine, Ivy, runs into someone from her past, the heroine, Gil, who actually has loved her and wanted to come back into her life. As the story progresses, the suspense is heightened also, allowing the readers to jump into the action just like the heroine and the hero. On the same vein, the romance is questioned, then jumped into with full emotions. When the climactic moment is revealed, there is many different elements that make the final answer different than I have ever seen before. Has it been done before? Not in any novel that I have devoured. Can I see it happening in real life? Most definitely. Overall, Malicious Intent by Lynn H. Blackburn does give fans of romantic suspense just what they want. Plenty of action sprinkled with fighting emotions across the page. Fans of Colleen Coble and DiAnn Mills should be pick this novel. They would definitely enjoy time spent with this story.

I received a complimentary copy of Malicious Intent by Lynn H. Blackburn from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Family Sitcoms

 By Kelly Bridgewater

I was born in the early 1980’s and became a teenager in the mid to late 1990’s.

I grew up on sitcoms.

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I especially spent tons of time watching Family dynamic sitcoms.

Plenty of laughter, heartache, and reality.

I enjoyed spending time watching television.

Friday nights were TGIF (Thank Goodness its Friday) block. It was from 8 – 10 pm. It started with Full House, Boy Meets World, Family Matters, and Step-by-Step.

During the week, I would watch Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Cosby Show reruns.

Dick Van Dyke Show.

Mama’ Family.

Home Improvement.

Stanford and Son.

All in the Family.

Television today is too vulgar and tries to be too much of a “reality” that glorifies sin way too much. I’m glad to offer my boys other options to good shows.

How about you? Do you find yourself and your family watching re-runs of the good shows?

Sarah E. Ladd: The Letter from Briarton Park

 By Kelly Bridgewater

In Regency England, one letter will alter a young woman’s fate when it summons her to Briarton Park—an ancient place that holds the secrets of her past and the keys to her future.

Cassandra Hale grew up knowing little about her parentage, and she had made peace with the fact that she never would. But Cassandra’s world shifts when a shocking deathbed confession reveals a two-year-old letter from Mr. Clark, the master of Briarton Park, with hints to her family’s identity. Stung by betrayal, she travels to the village of Anston only to learn Mr. Clark has since passed away.

James Warrington is a widower and the new master of Briarton Park, where he lives with his two young daughters, his sister, and his mother-in-law. When Cassandra appears at his doorstep with a letter from the previous owner and then proceeds to assist his family in an unexpected way, he is honor bound to help uncover the answers she seeks.

The more time Cassandra spends in Anston, the more she begins to suspect not everything—or everyone—is as they seem. As details emerge, the danger surrounding her intensifies. Using wit and intuition, she must navigate the treacherous landscapes between truth and rumor and between loyalty and deception if she is to uncover the realities of her past and find the place her heart can finally call home.

Sarah Ladd’s latest Regency romance, first in the new Houses of Yorkshire series, combines mystery and intrigue with the best of historical storytelling.

 

My Thoughts:

What if you did not know who your parents were? What if right before someone died they handed you a letter from your biological father that you should have received a long time ago? That is exactly where The Letter from Briarton Park by Sarah E. Ladd starts. With true Regency flair and a hint of a mystery, Ladd will captivate readers as they flipped through the pages of this story. With a strong setting and a wonderful writing, Ladd takes readers for an adventure as they try to uncover with Cassandra who her parents are and discover her own personality in the world. I enjoy following Cassandra as she discovers who her parents are. The plot was nicely handled. As for the romance, it was slowly developing and then a rush to the happily-ever-after moment after all the twists and turns were tied nicely together. Overall, The Letter from Briarton Park by Sarah E. Ladd was a well-crafted Regency novel with the delight of a thrown in mystery that I believe fans of Julie Klassen and Erica Vetsch would enjoy diving into.

I received a complimentary copy of The Letter from Briarton Park by Sarah E. Ladd from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

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Acts 4:29

 By Kelly Bridgewater

Acts 4:29, NIV: "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness." 

Acts 4:29 is my prayer. I heard our Pastor Ben using it one time in a sermon, and I loved it. I highlighted it and put a star by it.

I pray the same thing that the Apostles did when they were facing persecution right after Jesus ascended into Heaven.

I believe this will be more of a reality in the coming days. I need to stand strong. This is a fight. I’m ready and willing to do this.

I have been proving my faith with the education system already by arguing about systemic racism. We should not be teaching our future generations to hate others. We should be teaching them to love others and accept others for who they are and who God created them to be.

 I will be bold like Paul.

If it means prison or death, there is no way that I would deny Christ in front of any man.

How about you? Have you found a verse that just stuck with you? You know, something that means something. Maybe something that will change the way that you see things. 

Jody Hedlund: Never Leave Me

 By Kelly Bridgewater

In the last stages of a genetic disease, Ellen Creighton has decided to live out her remaining days at the estate of her longtime friend Harrison Burlington. Harrison cares deeply for Ellen, but as a wheelchair-bound paraplegic, he's never allowed himself to get serious in a relationship. However, he's desperately trying to save her by finding the holy water that is believed to heal any disease.

When he locates two flasks, Ellen refuses to drink one of them because she believes the holy water killed her sister and father. In an effort to convince her to take it, Harrison ingests the contents first, and when Ellen witnesses the effects, she can no longer deny the power of the substance in the bottles. Dangerous criminals are also seeking the holy water, and Ellen soon learns they will go to any lengths to get the powerful drug--including sending her back into the past to find it for them.

 

My Thoughts:

Never Leave Me by Jody Hedlund is a unique time travel novel while hunting for Holy Water. I believe characters should read the first book Come Back to Me or much of this story would be hard to follow. While the story does continue the first story and feature the same main characters, the plot pretty much mirrors the first story. A forced marriage. Confused about deciding what time period to live in. While the first novel does feature more sexual tension than this novel, there is some of it, but not as much as in the first novel. While the story is a little farfetched of an idea, but then again, any fiction novel could do this, I wanted more of the suspense element. In the present day, Ellen is running from a certain character who wants her to chase down the holy water and bring it back to him, but it is really only one scene. Not that important to the story. I wanted more of this suspense. Hedlund left it in the air that he is still on the run, and it was the end of the story. The story seemed kind of shallow, even though the plot was interesting and different. I guessed I wanted more action in the present and more explanation of the how things work.

I received a complimentary copy of Never Leave Me by Jody Hedlund, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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