Monday, July 29, 2019

Storm Rising by Ronie Kendig

About the Book
Mentioned in the pages of the Septuagint but lost to history, the Book of the Wars has resurfaced, and its pages hold secrets--and dangers--never before seen on earth.
Tasked with capturing the ancient text, former Navy SEAL Leif Metcalfe is finally given command of his own team. But their best efforts are ruined when a notorious Bulgarian operative known as "Viorica" snatches the volume right out from under them.
Iskra "Viorica" Todorova is determined to use the book to secure the thing that matters most--freedom. But a series of strange storms erupts around the globe and the coming dangers foretold in the text threaten crops, lives--entire nations.
Though both are haunted by secrets of their past and neither trusts the other, Leif and Iskra must form an uneasy alliance to thwart impending disaster. However, the truth hidden in two-thousand-year-old words could unleash the storm of their own destruction.

My Thoughts
I was so excited when Leif Metcalfe (brother to my favorite Kendig hero Canyon) appeared in The Tox Files series and then kinda freaked out when I found out he was getting his own series! And while he hasn't upstaged his brother on my favorite's list I definitely loved Leif!
From the very first page the action sucked you in and really didn't ever stop. The team raced from one country to the next and we were drawn into the chase as they hunted the book and the other people trying to get their hands on it. Ronie Kendig knows how to keep her readers on the edge of their seats and I felt like I never know what was coming next! Every time I thought we had a chance to catch our breaths, something else happened and things were moving again!
I love how Ronie seamlessly weaves the spiritual and slightly mystical in with the action and the adventure. She takes vague references from Scripture and uses them to create fiction that almost makes you wonder if it is true.
I've already mentioned how great Leif was but honestly Ronie once again crafted a character that is an amazing hero who you can't help falling in love with. He's a tough as nails operator but he also has a soft side with the people he cares for.
My heart broke for Iskra and all that she had endured. As more pieces of her past were revealed I just wanted to go to battle on her behalf. I loved seeing her and Leif start to connect and work to bring down each other's walls. They both still have things to figure out but I can't wait to see their relationship progress!
Another of Ronie's strength's is creating team dynamics and making you care about a whole group of people. I enjoyed all of the members of the team and I hope we get to know each of them more!
In short this was another fantastic novel from Kendig and I am excited for book two!

Meet the Author
Ronie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author of over twenty novels. She grew up an Army brat, and now she and her Army-veteran husband live outside New York City with their children and a retired military working dog. Ronie's degree in psychology has helped her pen novels of intense, raw characters. Visit her at www.roniekendig.com.

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. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #345

Hosted by: The Book Date

I haven't posted one of these since the middle of June so this is a catch up post! These are all the books that I have read since June 17th!

Here is what I finished:
I had a busy month and a half but I did manage to get some reading in! I read some duds, some pretty good books, some great ones, and a few amazing ones! The Dating Charade was my surprise favorite read out of all of these! It was an impulse NetGalley request and I ended up reading it in one sitting and completely loving it!

What I am currently reading:
Five Days in Skye is our bookstagram book club pick for the month and I am absolutely loving it! Dressed for Death is another fun mystery too!

What I hope to read this week:
I think this one is up next for me but that is subject to change-lol!

Hope you have a great reading week, thanks for taking the time to check out mine!
Leave your link below and I'll be sure to stop by!

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Just One Kiss by Courtney Walsh

About the Book
He broke her heart. Now, he’s back, and he’s determined to show her what they had isn’t over. . . and he can prove it with just one kiss.
Single mother Carly Collins likes predictability. However, when her son Jaden’s health is threatened, her neatly controlled world is tossed into a tailspin. Nothing is certain anymore, especially her feelings for Josh Dixon, Jaden’s father, her first love and the man responsible for shattering her heart sixteen years ago.
When Josh Dixon walked out of Harbor Pointe, he left behind his only shot at a real family. Now a successful tech mogul, the town rebel has found a cause—ensure his son’s recovery and prove to Carly and Jaden that he’s not the same guy he was back then.
Carly and Josh are forced to wade through messy emotions and questions that have gone unanswered for years, which would be easier if not for the pesky feelings, every bit as strong and impossible to ignore as they ever were.

Will forgiveness win, giving Carly and Josh a second chance at love . . . or will the past prove too much to overcome?

My Thoughts
Courtney Walsh always delivers a beautiful story that grips you emotionally and makes you fall in love with it, and this one was no different.
We got a brief overview of Carly and Josh’s history in the previous book of this series so I was very intrigued to see how everything would work out. I will admit that I was a little leery of how I would feel about Josh after what he did, and if this author could redeem him. But, you guys, Josh was AMAZING! I loved his character so much. Yes, his leaving his family when he was young was horrible, but you get to see the heart behind his actions and the “why” broke my heart and kinda made me love him more. He never pushes with Carly and Jaden, letting Carly take the lead both with their parenting and with their relationship. He just continually shows up again and again, loving unconditionally and sacrificially, proving over and over that he is a changed man that isn’t going anywhere.
Carly, I’ll admit, I had a little bit of a tough time liking. She was understandably bitter and angry after Josh had left. But she never fully dealt with it, so even 16 years later the ugly was still coming out. She was so sure that Josh couldn’t be trusted that she saw his every action and word through the lens of the past. I understood how it was necessary for the plot of the book but it sure made her hard to love. In the end though I was glad she finally saw Josh as the man he’d become! And while Carly may have not been my favorite, I loved seeing her through Josh’s eyes as the girl he would never stop loving, the one he saw as beautiful whether she was dressed up or in ratty sweats. His always.
Jaden was a great kid too, yes he had some typical teen moments but I loved his heart for good and the easy way he lived out his faith, especially when it came to his dad.
I absolutely loved seeing their family work through all the issues of the past to find healing together.
It was also great to visit Harbor Pointe again and catch up with some of the residents especially Quinn and Grady from Just Let Go!

Basically this was another amazing novel from the great Courtney Walsh!

Meet the Author
Courtney Walsh is an author, artist, theatre director, and playwright. Just Let Go will be her eighth inspirational romance novel. Her debut, A Sweethaven Summer, hit the New York Times and USA Today e-book bestseller lists and was a Carol Award finalist in the debut author category. A creative at heart, Courtney has also written two craft books and several full-length musicals. She lives in Illinois where she and her husband own a performing arts studio and youth theatre. They have three children.
Connect with Courtney online at her website (courtneywalshwrites.com) or on any of these social media platforms:
Facebook.com/courtneywalshwrites
Instagram.com/courtneywalsh

Twitter.com/courtney_walsh

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

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Yours Truly, Thomas by Rachel Fordham

About the Book
For three years, Penny Ercanbeck has been opening other people's mail. Dead ends are a reality for clerks at the Dead Letter Office. Still she dreams of something more--a bit of intrigue, a taste of romance, or at least a touch less loneliness. When a letter from a brokenhearted man to his one true love falls into her hands, Penny seizes this chance to do something heroic. It becomes her mission to place this lost letter into the hands of its intended recipient.
Thomas left his former life with no intention of ending up in Azure Springs, Iowa. He certainly didn't expect a happy ending after what he had done. All he wanted to do was run and never look back. In a moment of desperation, he began to write, never really expecting a reply.

When Penny's undertaking leads her to the intriguing man who touched her soul with his words, everything grows more complicated. She wants to find the rightful owner of the letter and yet she finds herself caring--perhaps too much--for the one who wrote it.

My Thoughts
I loved the premise of this story! I’d never heard of the dead letter office so I was instantly intrigued. I didn’t quite connect with this author’s debut release but I enjoyed it enough to give this one a try. There were still some areas of disconnect with this sophomore novel but overall it was still a good read!
The dead letter office was fascinating to me and all of the letters contained in this book were definitely my favorite part. The author definitely has a knack for writing a good letter! I enjoyed the way that Penny and Thomas interacted, their banter was amusing and I liked how they started as friends and then moved to more. It was also fun to come back to Azure Springs and see the community we got to know in the first book in action again.

So while there were some moments that were a little corny and may have caused an eye roll or two in the end this was a charming story that is great for when you’re just looking for that lighthearted read!

Meet the Author
Rachel Fordham is the author of The Hope of Azure Springs. She started writing when her children began begging her for stories at night. She'd pull a book from the shelf, but they'd insist she make one up. Finally, she paired her love of good stories with her love of writing and hasn't stopped since. She lives with her husband and children on an island in the state of Washington.

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.