Thursday, June 29, 2023

Wedding at Sea by Melissa Tagg

About the Book
Two enemies. One wedding. And a seaside mystery decades in the making.⁣
Lilian doesn’t remember anything about her life before the day Maggie Muir found her on her front porch—a toddler, abandoned and alone. And maybe that’s okay. She has a beautiful life at Muir Farm, including an adopted family she adores and a successful career as a lawyer. But she also has a secret . . . one that raises just as many questions about her future as it does her unknown past.⁣
And, of course, it would be private investigator Wilder Monroe, her brother’s best friend and the bane of her existence, who sniffs out her secret before anyone else.⁣
Wilder has spent the past three years trying to close the one case his father couldn’t—the mystery of Maggie Muir’s long-lost granddaughter. But the decades-long search has become more tangled than ever. It’s become more personal, too. Not only are the Muirs the closest thing to family he has left, but if he can solve this mystery, maybe he'll keep himself from drowning in the one he can’t . . . the truth about his father’s death.⁣
In the midst of secrets and swirling questions, Maggie asks a favor of both Lilian and Wilder: put aside their bickering and work together to plan her summer wedding. It’s a big ask, made all the more difficult when danger comes calling at Muir Farm. But if the two enemies can stand each other long enough to pull off the event of the year, they just might solve a mystery in the process.⁣
And the biggest discovery of all? That sometimes the one your heart longs for is the last person you ever would've expected.⁣
Wedding at Sea is the breathtaking finale in bestselling, award-winning author Melissa Tagg's Muir Harbor series.

My Thoughts
Oh where to even begin? I don’t know that I have words for how much I loved this book. I have been really distracted while reading lately but I read the last 40% in one sitting-75 minutes passing without me even realizing it, I just couldn’t put it down. I honestly don’t remember the last time I stayed up past my bedtime for a book but I was to engrossed to stop!⁣
I have been waiting for Lilian and Wilder’s story since their very first interaction and I can confidently say that it exceeded my expectations! Their banter is so on point and perfectly timed and they way that goad each other is just immensely entertaining. But I also loved watching as their relationship morphed and they realized the feelings that were underneath the surface. It played out so naturally the way things just slowly shifted until they became the most important person in each other’s life. The romantic tension may have almost killed me at times but I absolutely loved the way it played out even if we had to wait for certain moments.⁣
And even though the romance was engaging enough on its own the author upped the ante by hooking us with mystery’s to solve that I desperately needed the answers to! I couldn’t stop reading as more pieces of the puzzles fell into place and Tagg got in some good surprise moments at the end! ⁣
It was also fun to catch up with the other Muir family members and their significant others! ⁣
I’m a little sad to see this series end but the ending was so spectacular that it makes it a little easier, and I know I can come back to Muir Harbor for a visit whenever I need to!⁣

Meet the Author
Melissa Tagg is the USA Today bestselling, Christy and Carol Award-winning author of swoony and hope-filled small-town contemporary romances. She’s also a former reporter, current nonprofit marketing strategist, and total Iowa girl.⁣
Melissa has taught at multiple national writing conferences, as well as workshops and women’s retreats. When she’s not happily lost in someone else’s book or plugging away her on own, she can be found spoiling her nieces and nephews, watching old movies, and daydreaming about her next fictional hero. Connect with Melissa at melissatagg.com.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

Friday, March 03, 2023

The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin

About the Book

Copenhagen, 1940
When the Germans march into Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt exchanges his nobility for anonymity, assuming a new identity so he can secretly row messages for the Danish Resistance across the waters to Sweden. American physicist Dr. Else Jensen refuses to leave Copenhagen and abandon her research--her life's dream--and makes the dangerous decision to print resistance newspapers.
As Else hears rumors of the movement's legendary Havmand--the merman--she also becomes intrigued by the mysterious and silent shipyard worker living in the same boardinghouse. Henrik makes every effort to conceal his noble upbringing, but he is torn between the façade he must maintain and the woman he is beginning to fall in love with.
When the Occupation cracks down on the Danes, these two passionate people will discover if there is more power in speech . . . or in silence.


My Thoughts

I’ve been a long time fan of Sarah Sundin, WWII is my favorite time period and she writes it like no other. Sadly this book didn’t quite measure up to the quality we usually get from her. I still enjoyed the story overall but it was lacking the usual Sundin magic. 

Else was extremely smart and talented but she also had a humility and kindness to her that was admirable. She was willing to take risks to help others with little thought to her own safety. 

Henrik was a little bit of a puzzle, he had an attitude and persona before the war that seemed to just magically do a 180 when the story picked back up and it would have been nice to see the progression a little more. He also played his role as the simple minded worker a little too well and that’s kind of the impression he left in my brain overall rather than the educated aristocrat he was. I did like his character though and admired all that he did and gave up for the resistance. 

I didn’t mind the romance between Else and Henrik but it wasn’t my favorite and felt a bit forced into the story at times.

It was interesting to see the war from the Danish perspective, which isn’t seen as much in WWII fiction (though all the Danish names, places, and terms were hard to pronounce and took me out of the story a bit) and was very fascinating to this history nerd.

So while this wasn’t my favorite Sundin novel I did still enjoy several aspects of it and I’m looking forward to reading what she writes next!


Meet the Author

Sarah Sundin is the aww bestselling author of When Twilight Breaks, Until Leaves Fall in Paris,and the popular WWII series Sunrise at Normandy, among others. She is a Christy Award finalist and a Carol Award winner, and her novels have received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly, and have appeared on Booklist's "101 Best Romance Novels of the Last 10 Years." Sarah lives in California. Visit www.sarahsundin.com for more information.


I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.