Reviewing: Murder Comes by Mail

Murder Comes by Mail

by A.H. Gabhart

The second installment of A Hidden Springs Mystery series is much like the first.  Gabhart excels at character development, continuing to build on characters introduced in her earlier book while drawing in the quirks of additional minor town members.  She also raises a decent plot with interesting crimes and murders and just enough action to raise the stakes.  Where she falls short is in hiding clues and creating mystery.  Once again I knew the murderer and the twists much earlier than I wanted to, Gabhart’s foreshadowing seems forced, and her clues are laying right out in the open. 

I am drawn to Gabhart’s small-town writing and character development, but I don’t go to Hidden Springs for a mystery I can’t solve.  Still, it’s a fun ride to take, and I recommend reading the series if you like sleuthing along and gathering the clues in a quick read.  I will likely check out the third book—in the hopes that I will be wrong and will find myself surprised at the end—to see where the characters end up.

I received this book from Revell through the Revell Reads Blog Tour Program in exchange for my honest review.  All thoughts shared are my own, and I was under no obligation to right a positive review.  This is disclosed according to requirements from the FTC.

Reviewing: Annabel Lee

Reviewing: Annabel Lee

By Mike Nappa

Annabel Lee is a suspense novel written by Mike Nappa, a lover of all things Edgar Allen Poe.  The novel and the protagonist take their name from one of Poe’s poems, and Nappa cleverly weaves “Annabel Lee” throughout this novel.  The book is well paced and well written, and the plot is on point (if quite disturbing and bordering on unbelievable . . . one hopes).  I enjoyed getting to know the main characters: Trudi Coffey, Samuel Hill (though I wish someone would simply call the poor man “Sam”—he’s just too informal himself to be constantly called such a big name), The Mute, and, of course, Annabel Lee herself.  This launches the Coffey & Hill mysteries, and I’ll probably check those out too.

What didn’t I like?  Some of Nappa’s descriptions were repetitive (literally, I wondered if I had read a certain paragraph twice only to find it was chapters apart), and he employed the use of character reflection far too often.  I actually exclaimed aloud when it arose again in the final chapters.  I wish he had shared some of the characters’ discoveries or actions as they were happening instead of consistently having the character reflect on the previous few days or weeks.  Finally, while Nappa’s introduction of God in his characters’ lives often felt natural and subtle, at times it also felt forced. 

All in all, read the book.  And read the Poe poem to go with it.  It’s fun to look for the deeper meanings and the deeper, unspoken ways Nappa weaves the poem into his story.  It’s obvious he loves the poem, and he’s used it to create deep relationships that will keep me coming back for more.

DISCLAIMER: I received this book free from Revell through the Revell Reads Blog Tour in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review, and all views expressed are my own.  I’m disclosing this in accordance with FTC guidelines.

Reviewing The Gift of Friendship

The Gift of Friendship

Edited by Dawn Camp

The Gift of Friendship is a collection of blog posts from various authors, speakers, and bloggers on the topic of friendship.  Centered around topics like “Building Community,” “It Takes a Friend to Be a Friend,” “Friendship on Purpose,” and “Vulnerability,” each essay Camp gathered follows the typical Blog formula: easy to read, a few lines of self-deprecating humor, and a quick message.  None of it gets too deeply, but much of it makes you smile.  And none of them will take you more than five minutes to read.

Reading this compilation made me arrive at three realizations: 1) I have a handful of really great, really deep, and really true friendships; 2) This may not be as common as I originally thought; 3) I don’t really like this Blog format of a book.  I found myself and my circle of friends in a few of the pages.  I was reminded to tell two of my closest friends how deeply connected to them I am and how grateful I am that they know me so well and still choose for some crazy reason to keep coming back to me.   And how amazing it was to spend the weekend in their company . . . all alone, no kids, no husbands, just these beautiful women and a few others from our circle. Those are gifts you find in some corners of your world, and Camp calls you to remember them and cherish them.

I didn’t love this book. It was fine. Good, even, in some parts. But I feel richer for the friendships, not for the words I read in the book.  Except for the nuggets Camp included in between some of the essays.  She quoted Scripture (which is always good, even in this case where it sometimes seemed a stretch to fit the topic), and she quoted other books on friendship. The C. S. Lewis quotes she included from The Four Loves are the real gems in this book.   And while I probably won’t pick up The Gift of Friendship to read again, I will definitely be borrowing The Four Loves.  From a friend.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Revell through the Revell Reads Blog Tour program in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC guidelines.

Reviewing: Taming the To-Do List

Taming the To-Do List: How to choose your best work every day
by Glynnis Whitwer

I am a busy girl.  Or am I?  Yes, I do a lot of things.  But are they my best things?  And am I actually busy with them, or am I just making myself busy with other things so I don’t have to do them? 

These are the questions Whitwer asks and addresses in her book.  Because I’m busy (which I’m starting to think is not true and is definitely not God’s intention for my life), my review of it is coming later than it was supposed to.  And because I get these books and have to read them quickly to review them, I don’t have time to really dig into them like I want to and need to do in order to really apply their truths and declare them useful or not worth your time. All that said, Taming Your To-Do List is exactly what I need. Because those questions are at the start and at the end of each of my days . . . and in the middle too.

I’m finding myself obligated to do things I don’t want to do and am not certain I should.  I’m finding myself behind in things I want to do and feel like I should.  I’m finding myself unable to sit down and enjoy a few moments of solitude because of all the things I should be doing.  I’m not present where I need to be when I need to be, and everything I do feels like another opportunity for guilt.

Something’s got to give. 

And that’s what Whitwer is writing about.  From her personal experiences with procrastination and “busyness” and obligation and calling, she draws real-life examples, goals that are achievable, and practical applications that remind you to make room for what is important and good and right.

I know you’re busy.  We’re all busy.  But the truth might be that we’re too busy not to read this book.  I know I am.

Disclosure: I received this book at no charge from Revell through the Revell Reads Blog Tour Program in exchange for my honest review.  The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Reviewing: Murder at the Courthouse

by A. H. Gabhart

Murder at the Courthouse is intended to be a small-town, cozy mystery.  On this, Gabhart both succeeds and falls short.

Small-town fiction tends to be heavy on character development—quirks, gossips, kind-hearted souls, and the like.  Gabhart gets that nearly perfect.  Her characters really become people to whom you feel connected, even after “knowing” them for such a short time.  This is especially important in a series which hopes to build on those characters and our affinity for them.  Courthouse is the first in “A Hidden Springs Mystery” series.  It is published by Revell so is a Christian book, but it isn’t overt or preachy, which I appreciate.

Where Gabhart fell short was on the mystery end.  It is a cozy, and I love cozies.  However, from the moment the body is found, Gabhart failed to bury any of her clues enough to keep me guessing.  The only reason I wasn’t positive who had committed the murders was because I kept telling myself it couldn’t be as obvious as it was.  Instead, every page left me more convinced as clues were left in the open.  I solved the crime faster than the hero, Deputy Michael Keane and wasn’t left guessing about anything, including the motive.

Overall, though the lack of mystery and even lightly hidden clues was disappointing, this early introduction to the characters (both living and dead) may bring me back for more of Hidden Springs.  But it won’t be at the top of my mystery list.

Disclosure: I received this book free from Revell through the Revell Reads Blog Tour program.  The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Reviewing: Wild in the Hollow

Wild in the Hollow
by Amber C. Haines

Subtitled "On Chasing DESIRE & Finding the Broken Way HOME," Wild in the Hollow is at times memoir and at others rambling essay.  I mean that in the best way possible.  Amber C. Haines's prose isn't always easy to follow, but hang in there--what she's saying is worth hearing.  And it's all beautiful.

Wild in the Hollow follows Haines's literal journey from her roots in the hollows of Alabama to her small house with acreage in Arkansas.  It also details her spiritual journey, lived through addiction and running from God to the ache of loneliness in the middle of a marriage and the art of pursuing His heart in the midst of personal dreams.  And with Haines's "soulful" way of writing, it's all stated matter-of-factly with no judgment and full transparency.

I enjoyed both journeys.  And I enjoyed seeing my own journey to find "home" in the pages.  As Haines reveals the culmination of her journey (to this point anyway) in her life, her marriage, her church, her friendships, her faith, and her parenting, I found myself in there as well.

Nobody writes like Amber C. Haines.  I'm telling you--even the acknowledgements contain nuggets I want to never forget.  She writes beautifully and vividly and honestly.


Disclosure: I received this book free through the Revell Reads Blog Tour program in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to read a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Reviewing Warrior Chicks

Warrior Chicks: Rising strong when life wants to take you down

By Holly Wagner

Life is hard.  Sometimes it’s big events—cancer, a death in the family, divorce—other times it’s the day-to-day living.  Whether it’s one big thing or a hundred small things, sometimes it seems like life truly does want to take us down.  And then we have two choices: go down or rise strong.

Wagner, founder of the GodChick ministry, wrote Warrior Chicks several years ago in response to her own personal journey through one of life’s big events.  Revell re-released the book this year, and this was my first experience with it. 

After 18 months of “big events” in my own life, coupled with the day-to-day living of working nearly full time, trying to pursue my own dreams in life, being a wife to an employee and grad student and a mother to three girls—the oldest with anxiety, the middle with a sensory processing disorder, and the youngest full of extreme stubbornness—and selling our house and moving into another, I am both exhausted and feeling down for the count.  In that frame of mind, I was excited to get this book and fought for time to sit down and read it.  In some ways I wasn’t disappointed.  In others, I feel a bit let down.

Warrior Chicks is written in what I call “blog” format.  The paragraphs are mostly one to two sentences long.  Wagner includes in them motivational thoughts and words but not a lot of new information.  It really seems more like a speech or a rallying cry and less like tips or support in how to actually rise strong.  It provides you with the want to and the inspiration but not the training you might need, though Wagner does address the need for this physical, emotional, and spiritual training.  For me, the format was difficult to get through.  When I could finally look past that, I did finish the book feeling inspired.

The cover of the book has boxing gloves (pink, of course).  Warrior Chicks isn’t going to be the daily training a boxer needs to make it into the ring or the muscles and body building required, but it will be the pep talk in the corner after each round to get you back out there, ready to keep fighting.

Disclosure: I was given this book free by Revell Reads Blog Tour Program.  The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Reviewing: Desperate Measures

Desperate Measures

By Sandra Orchard

This is book three in Sandra Orchard’s Port Aster Secrets series.  It might be worth noting at the outset that I did not read books one and two.  In spite of my coming in rather “in the middle” (or “closer to the end,” it seems) I thought this was a good book.  The romance that began in earlier books between Kate and Tom continues, but it doesn’t do so from a place that one would be lost without knowing their history.  Orchard also brings her new readers up to speed on the mystery that has traveled throughout the series.

While the mystery wasn’t necessarily gripping for me (maybe greater investment comes from reading the entire series), the characters are written well enough to draw in the reader and make us care.  In addition, Orchard creates suspense where it is lacking by leaving the reader guessing about who to trust.  Her method of telling the story in an alternating fashion between Tom and Kate makes this possible.

My biggest complaint is with the romance.  Orchard writes the ups and downs in Tom and Kate’s relationship rather than making them meet, fall madly in love, and enjoy a rosy future together.  That was a good thing.  But for much of this book, Kate alternates between furious with Tom (and rightly so, given some of the things he did) and wishing they were together.  As a reader, I do understand the resolution for them it felt a bit contrived and tidier than it should have done.  Finally, there is a minor character Orchard dropped completely.  He has a history in Port Aster—one that may have been included in the other books but I was able to easily piece it together—and I wish I knew more about his future.

I received this book free from Revell through the Revell Reads Blog Tour Program in exchange for my honest review.  The views I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive response.

Reviewing: Laugh Out Loud Pocket Doodles for Girls

Laugh Out Loud Pocket Doodles for Girls

By Rob Elliott (author) and Jonny Hawkins (illustrator)

Since this book recently available from Revell is meant for girls under 12, I turned it over to one of my three girls who fits that age.  Well, the truth is I turned it over to all of them, but the middle one claimed it as hers and never looked back.  I told her she’d have to blog her review of it since she stole it.  Even that didn’t make her give it up.  So she’s next to me on the sofa—I’m merely the typist here and only because I’m faster.

(From Megan, age 7)

This book is so funny!  I like this book because it fits me—because I’m crazy, and it is too.  There are crazy jokes like “What’s a wolf’s favorite book?”  (The answer is “Little Howl on the Prairie.”)  It isn’t just jokes either.  There are riddles and doodles you can finish and color.  It means a lot to a girl who likes to have fun.

(From Mom, age older than 7)

Meg LOVED this book.  As soon as she opened it she was cracking up at the jokes and making us laugh with them too.  She is also an artsy girl, and the doodles are fun for her.  They also get her mind going.  It’s hard to imagine her being bored with this book in her hand on a long car ride or a rainy day. 

Revell and Amazon note Laugh Out Loud Pocket Doodles for Girls is meant for girls ages 9-12.  My daughter is obviously 7, and she loves it.  Some of the jokes go over her head but not many.  I would say you could expand down a few years to include the 2^nd and 3^rd graders in your life as well.  This book is a great alternative to the “I’m bored—can I play on a screen” chorus of summer.


I received this book free from Revell through the Revell Reads Blog Tour Program in exchange for my honest review.  The views I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive response.

Reviewing: Buried Secrets

Buried Secrets
by Irene Hannon

Buried Secrets is the first in Irene Hannon’s new series about the three McGregor brothers, all members of elite military branches.  Mac McGregor, the oldest brother, has stepped down from life as a Navy SEAL and is easing into a new role as a county detective.  Similarly, Lisa Grant is ready for a quieter existence than what she experienced as a detective in Chicago’s homicide division.  She is now the chief of police in a small town in Missouri.  When human bones are unearthed, Lisa’s and Mac’s paths cross as they partner to solve the decades-old mystery.

The premise of Buried Secrets was very promising to me.  I enjoy detective stories—I like to see how the detectives interact with each other, how the evidence is discovered and the clues are planted, and how the good guys take down the bad guys.  This is a romantic suspense, however, so the crime and its solving take a backseat to the romantic sparks flying between Mac and Lisa.  As each chapter unfolds, Hannon moves from a third person focus on Mac to a third person focus on Lisa.  This allows a glimpse inside Mac’s head and Lisa’s—the dual focus can be appealing to people who enjoy romances and like to see how men think (though, written by a woman it’s hard to know if this is actually how men think). 

It was entertaining enough.  Since I prefer my mysteries with a side of romance rather than the other way around, it took me a while to get into the book.  I had to slog through the mutual attraction and the “we can’t be together because we work together” until I got to the meat of the mystery.  Once I was there, I really enjoyed the way Hannon broke it down.  Because of the prologue, we never truly wonder who buried the bones.  In a way that made the story interesting—instead of trying to guess who did it, I got to wonder how they would be caught, and I got to enjoy that process.  For lovers of romantic suspense, I can see that this is a well-written book and would recommend it for them.  For lovers of crime fiction, it’s probably worth the read as long as you don’t mind romance in the form of lingering looks, fingers accidentally brushing, and racing hearts.

Disclosure: I received this book free from Revell through the Revell Reads (http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/revell/revell-reads) program. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html.

Reviewing: Hidden Agenda

Hidden Agenda
by Lisa Harris

This is the third installment in Lisa Harris's Southern Crimes series.  I haven't read the first two books, but this series is an interesting one.  Instead of following only one main character in her books, Harris introduces us to the Hunt family--book one is about one daughter, book two is about another, and book three is about their brother.  All of the family members are in one way or another connected to law enforcement, and the books--"Romantic Suspense," a genre which is new to me--tell their love stories against a backdrop of suspense and action.

Because I received this book from Revell to review I didn't know much about it or the series walking into it.  As I mentioned, "Romantic Suspense" is a new genre to me.  This left me wrestling through much of the book as to whether it was a love story with a crime or whether it was a crime story with a romance.  Now that I understand Harris was trying to write a love story set against elements of crime and suspense, I do think she did a good job.

Hidden Agenda takes place over only a few days.  In that time, and through use of memories and flashbacks, Harris manages to develop two characters about whom the reader can care and in whom the reader can invest.  The characters wrestle with trust and regret, and this is well fleshed out despite the pace of the novel.  Given the short time frame in which the story is set, however, I did feel the romance was a bit unrealistic in its development. For lovers of romance, though, it was a sweet love story tucked into some intrigue.

In addition to this character development, there are moral ambiguities I always enjoy finding in books I read.  The reader can question how he or she (most likely she, for a book like this) would respond when faced with similar decisions, and this was laid out well without being in any way preachy.  The family dynamic in the Hunt family is also one that is lovely to see and had me in tears at times.  I also appreciated that things weren't neatly tied up in a bow at the end.  There is still more to be worked out.

I'm addressing the "crime" and "thriller" aspects of this book last, because that's what it seems the book did as well.  The crimes needed to happen in order for Michael and Olivia to be thrown together in a way that they can have their character and relationship arcs.  Because of this, the suspense wasn't intense, and my heart wasn't pounding.  I did wonder how things would come out, how the bad guys seemed to always be one step ahead, and who could be trusted (which ended up surprising me in the end), but it wasn't scary or truly thrilling.

All in all, I would recommend Hidden Agenda to people who enjoy romance with a deeper plot than the "will they or won't they" that is typical of so many romances.  I can also say that I added Dangerous Passage and Fatal Exchange to my "to read" list, because I am interested to spend more time with the Hunt family.  I hope, too, that Harris writes more books in the Southern Crimes series so we can revisit Michael and Olivia as background characters.


Disclosure: I received this book free from Revell through the Revell Reads Blog Tour program (http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/revell/revell-reads).  The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 (www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html).

Reviewing: At Bluebonnet Lake

At Bluebonnet Lake
by Amanda Cabot

This is the first book I've read by Amanda Cabot, but I understand that under her various names, Cabot is, at heart, a romance writer.  And she's done that again with her new Texas Crossroads series.  At Bluebonnet Lake is the first in the series, and it meets both people and places at a "crossroads" in their lives.  Whether it is a question of confronting priorities, broken relationships, hope for the future, or reclaiming purpose, Cabot brings her main and her minor characters--and the resort where their lives intersect--into crossroads where the reader is invested and cares about their next steps.

At Bluebonnet Lake is truly a sweet romance.  It is the love story of people and place and family.  As is the case with most romances, I found the ending predictable.   Still, it was a journey that I enjoyed taking.  And along the way there were a few surprises.  Most of those surprises came in how much I ended up caring about Rainbow's End and the town of Dupree--and all of its minor characters.  I look forward to future books in the series and hope Cabot continues to tell their stories, dropping At Bluebonnet Lake's main characters--Kate, Greg, Sally, and Roy--into the background in favor of exploring more of Carmen, KOB, Lauren, and even Fiona.  I even couldn't help rooting for Drew to find his own happy ending.

This is a sweet book.  It's a sweet love story and an invitation to settle down and enjoy the peace and the quiet of the sweet gifts God places in your path.


Disclosure: I received this book free from Revell through the Revell Reads Blog Tour Program. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.