Who I Am With You, by Robin Lee Hatcher

Jessica Mason is grieving over her husband and daughter, lost to a car accident; coming to terms with fissures in her marriage that existed before her husband passed away;  and pregnant.  She works from home, so is able to successfully seclude herself while she mourns.

Ridley Chesterfield is hiding out for reasons of his own.  Mired in a rumored political scandal, he flees to Hope Springs to live in solitude in the house beside Jessica's.  He cuts off all communication with the outside world, and plans to keep it that way, at least until the truth of the scandal comes out and his name is cleared.

Neither Ridley nor Jessica had any plans to fall in love, but as they slowly begin to trust one another, they both begin to find much-needed healing.

This story was about as sweet and lovely as they come.  Jessica and Ridley were both extremely real and likeable, and I rooted for them from the very beginning.  I'm pretty sure I had a smile on my face throughout the entire book.  A definite feel-good story, I read it in just a couple of days.  It struck the perfect balance of slice-of-life story-telling and romance, without being at all saccharine.  It was simply real, interesting, and so very heartwarming.  Two enthusiastic thumbs up. 

Gabby Care, by B.A. Coots

Poor Gabby.

When the book opens, Gabby is working for the non-profit that she founded. She is having financial problems, and soon she is accused of embezzlement as well. She is forced to resign. But that's not all! She has her identity stolen, she is framed for a crime she didn't commit, and she is accused of murder. Through all of this, Gabby remains somewhat clueless, and just keeps plucking away, looking for love and happiness.

I really wanted to like this book. The writing is sharp, the characters are quirky, and there is a fun nugget of a story. Unfortunately it was all a little convoluted. I had trouble keeping up with the story, and who was who in the line-up of characters. To be fair, this simply could have been a matter of my not wanting to read this type of story at this particular time. Whatever the reason, it just couldn't hold my interest.

Delayed Justice, by Cara Putman

I was excited to read another book by Cara Putnam. This was my third or fourth book of hers, and I've always loved her warm, conversational style, and her likeable characters. I was not disappointed!

Delayed Justice tells the story of Jaime Nichols, a lawyer who is finally able to face the abuse she suffered as a child at the hands of her uncle. As she presses the long-awaited charges, she is faced with both the emotional toil, and the threats of an unknown stalker. Even as she works to make sure her own uncle is brought to justice, she fights to help another little girl in a similar situation.

Chandler Bolton is a retired veteran who through a series of circumstances, finds himself, along with his trained emotional support dog, Aslan, working alongside Jaime to aid the little girl who was going through something so similar to Jaime's past. Together they support young Tiffany, as well as work to see to it that Jaime is safe, and that her uncle finally faces up to what he's done.

One of the things that I love about Putnam's books is that there is always an element of romance woven throughout the book, without making it the sole focus. The real focus of the book is the story, and the growing sparks between Jaime and Chandler are natural and organic.

As always, a nice suspenseful story, a lovely budding friendship, and gently told testimony of faith.

Formula of Deception, by Carrie Stuart Parks

Formula of Deception was the first book I read by Carrie Stuart Parks, and I was not disappointed. It tells the story of Murphy Anderson, who after the murder of her twin sister, goes undercover and tries to disappear in Kodiak, Alaska.

When she begins working as a forensic artist, local authorities take interest and hire her to draw the memories of a dying man. The assignment takes her to a hut where five bodies were found, and the questions start piling up. Murphy's soon back in the spotlight. As the investigators who were with her at the hut slowly start turning up dead, Murphy finds herself once again tangled up in a murderous plot, and needs to work to get questions answered and solve the mystery before it's too late.

Parks is a wonderful and skillful writer. This was very much a page-turning, can't-put-it-down mystery. Her characters are fleshed out and likeable, the dialogue was believable, and the story itself was fresh and snappy. A fun zippy who-done-it that will keep you up late at night to finish it.

A Light So Lovely: The Spiritual Legacy of Madeleine L'Engle by, Sarah Arthur

A Light So Lovely gives a beautiful and detailed account of the life and journey
of Madeleine L'Engle, beloved, imaginative, and bestselling author of such books as A Wrinkle in Time.

I admittedly did not know a lot about L'Engle before I read this book, beyond that she was loved and respected in the literary world.  But her life and her faith were very inspiring, and I found myself grateful for the opportunity to learn more.  I could very much relate to much of her story.

What I enjoyed most about the book was L'Engle's steadfast refusal to fit her writing, or her life, into any one box.  Too Christian for some, and too secular for others, the world didn't quite know what to do with her.  But she remained true to herself throughout, and showed us that life is not black and white.  In fact, this entire book is built around the word, "AND" rather than, "either, or."

Faith AND science

Religion AND art

Fact AND fiction

Sacred AND secular

None of these things are mutually exclusive, and they can and do not only exist at the same time, but can be beautifully blended together.  Madeleine L'Engle understood this so very well, as did Sarah Arthur, who wrote the book. 

Her life, faith, and writing were something new and refreshing.  She single-handedly created a genre that bucked tradition and forged its own path.  It was a true pleasure to learn more about her and her work.

Murder At The Flamingo, by Rachel McMillan

Murder at the Flamingo is a fun little story set in 1930's Boston.

Hamish DeLuca is a young eager lawyer who suffers from crippling anxiety.  When one bad episode leaves him particularly embarrassed, he escapes to Boston to stay with his cousin, Luca Valari.  Luca is in the middle of opening what promises to be Boston's hottest new nightclub, The Flamingo.  He takes Hamish under his wing, and immerses him in a whole new world.

Regina "Reggie" Van Buren has run away to Boston for her own reasons.  A beautiful heir from a privileged family, she longs to live independently, away from the watchful and critical eyes of her family.  Determined to live life on her own terms, she arrives in Boston and takes a job as Luca Valari's secretary. 

When a body is found at The Flamingo, Reggie and Hamish must work together to make sense of Luca's dark world, suss out the truth, and solve the mystery of the murder at The Flamingo.

I don't ordinarily read period novels but I'm glad I made an exception in this case.  The setting of 1937 was fun and flashy, and I enjoyed getting to know Hamish, Luca, and Reggie, as well as the world they inhabited.  The story was well-written and well-paced.  So often books of this genre feel rushed, but that was not the case here.  McMillan was content to slowly tease the story out, and the book is all the better for it.

Overall, a good lighthearted read.



*I received this book from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.*

Hurricane Season, by Lauren K Denton

Hurricane Season, by Lauren K Denton, is a story about family, self-reflection, and redemption.

Jenna is a young single mother who's made a string of bad decisions.  She decides to follow a life-long dream and heads off to a photography retreat, hoping to rediscover her passion.   She leaves her two girls with her sister and her husband, Betsy and Ty Franklin.  Betsy and Ty, who own a dairy farm, and are dealing with their own demons, are suddenly thrust into the roles of caregivers for their two young nieces.  What is originally supposed to be two weeks becomes open-ended, and Jenna and Betsy both struggle with finding their individual purpose in life, as well as re-defining their relationship with one another.

This was a really warm and lovely book, and one that I read quickly.  I honestly didn't know which direction Jenna was going to choose, which made the build-up and the ending all the more satisfying.  I appreciated the detail and attention that Denton paid to the relationships of all involved... parent and child, sister and sister, husband and wife.  I felt invested in every single character, which is always the hallmark of a good book. It was heartbreaking and heartwarming, in equal measure. 

An overall beautiful story, and one that very much mirrored real life.