The Children's Train

 I'm truly not sure why, but I gravitate to WWII stories. This time in history has always pulled me, moved me, and in many ways broken my heart. 

Bold imagery! Having visited Italy several times, I could imagine the scenes and the culture vividly. 

Moving! I love Amerigo's views as a child and later as an adult. Very poignant. 

Although I haven't experienced these same experiences, I was able to live through Amerigo's eyes. And the differences in the more affluent North and the poverty stricken South were tangible and really carried so much depth to this tale. 

There are so many moving and sad parts of this story but it is interwoven with hope and love making the heartbreaking parts more bearable. So many questions arose while reading this story - many that make me stop and wonder why people didn't make different choices during this era of the Children's Train. Knowing this is based on a true story makes it all the more powerful.

The Escape

On your marks. Get set. GO! This story starts with a bang and the pacing continues at a races speed. 

I normally read women's fiction, which has a slower pacing, so this one really had me jumping. The great cover art fits perfectly with the story, depicting a plane crash in the wilderness while #USMarshals are transporting criminals.

Madison and Jonas are interesting characters. I liked them both and connected with their stories. I wish there was a bit more romance, but that's just my personal preference. Anyway - if you like pulse-quickening action, #TheEscape is a page-turner.

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Thank you to Revell for providing me a complimentary copy.

Burden of Proof

 I don't know if it's the pandemic, or just a desire to widen my scope of reading (as it pertains to genre choices) but I have ventured out of my comfort zone quite a bit this year. 

In #BurdenofProof, Ethan is easy to connect with. I was quickly plunged into varied emotions and engaged in the story. I had many questions - as did Ethan - and empathized with his regrets.

Although there were some aspects of this story that I wouldn't normally explore (science stuff) I liked it overall.

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Thank you to Revell for providing me a complimentary copy.

The Conqueror

 

This book is a difficult one to review. One because I did not finish it, and two, because it is not even slightly what I expected. 

On the first note, I did not finish reading this book because I truly dont want to fill my thoughts with the darker aspects. I enjoy historical  fiction stories, especially ones that take place during war time, so I can handle the war scenes. But the depiction of women, even if it might be somewhat accurate for that time period (no idea if it is or not) I still don't want to read about having a talent for sex, or using sex as a tool, etc. It's just not what I enjoy reading about.

Secondly. What did I expect? Traditional Christian or Biblical fiction. This is neither. At least not to me. 

I would like to add that the author is talented and his writing style is strong, but apparently I'm just not a part of the targeted audience.

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Thank you to Revell for providing me a complimentary copy.

The Key to Love

 I love the cover of this book, which is initially what makes me want to read a book. I also love stories with small town settings, and for whatever reason, bakeries (and libraries and cafes--but that matters not in this case.) 

The town is easy to settle into, and the story is sweet (in more ways than one) and I appreciate the elements of faith, but I find it a bit difficult to connect with the characters on a deeper level--which is essential in my book, (pardon my pun.) I'm not a big fan of enemies-to-lovers stories, but even so, the character's dislike for each other is so profound they leave little room for me to like them.

For readers who enjoy enemies-to-lovers stories, this might be up their alley.

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Thank you to Revell for providing me this complimentary copy.

Nine

NINE, by Rachelle Dekker, is a fast-paced, powerful suspense story. I don't normally read this genre, so I didn't have a good feel for what to expect, but I was pulled in quickly. 

There are many wonderful themes to this story - but what gripped me the most is the question, what makes us who we are? Granted, there is quite a bit of violence (not something I’m used to or comfortable with in fiction reads) but thankfully it isn’t overly graphic.

I recommend this page-turner to those who enjoy fast-paced stories with strong leading women and lots of suspense.

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book.

Acceptable Risk

I'll start this review with the cover. It is so rare, for me anyway, to have a character on a book cover match the way I see the character in my head. But this cover image of Sarah is exactly how my brain sees her.

I love how Ms. Eason's books deal with serious and painful topics (such as death, suicide, PTSD, abuse, etc.) yet they contain threads of spirituality and light within. (Warning: the topic of suicide in this story may be a potential trigger for some readers.) I don't normally read stories containing such heavy issues, but I must say, the author deals with them tastefully.

It was easy for me to connect with Sarah and Gavin, and I was just as invested in the romance as I was in the mystery. I love the military ties within this series. This is a meaningful and emotional read emphasizing love, loss, and the search for truth.

Acceptable Risk deals with heavy topics, contains believable characters and a sweet, building romance. Overall, it's a fast-paced romantic-suspense story that delivers.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.