LISTEN FOR THE CHICKADEES by Terri Wangard, Reviwed by Winnie Thomas #JustReadTours

A Wartime Love Story Born at Pearl Harbor 

(Unsung Stories of World War II Book 3)

WINNIE'S REVIEW:
What a fascinating story of the events occurring in the Pacific area during WWII! From Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal and beyond, author Terri Wangard takes the reader on a riveting trip aboard aircraft carriers, hospital ships, war planes, and even submarines in her book Listen for the Chickadees. I enjoyed learning more about the war in the Pacific. Wangard has obviously done extended research on this subject, and it showed in the rich historical detail of her story.

Main characters, fighter pilot John Walsh and navy nurse Gloria Bloch, are realistic and engaging. I admired their courage and tenacity amid very trying and difficult situations. It was interesting to learn more about the different battles in this area, as most WWII stories are written about those in Europe.

With plenty of history, action, suspense, a good dose of romance, and some inspiration, this book has it all. It’s very well-written, and I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author. 4.5 stars 
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy through JustRead Tours. All opinions are my own.

BackCover Blurb:
She’s loved him forever.
He’s never seen her as more than a memory from home.
Then Pearl Harbor changed everything.

December 7, 1941, shattered the illusion that anyone is safe.

Navy nurse Gloria Bloch wakes to the thunder of enemy planes over Pearl Harbor, certain of only one thing: John Walsh, the boy she has loved since childhood, is far from danger aboard an aircraft carrier. Or so she believes.

When panicked American gunfire brings John down over the harbor, their reunion is brief and breathtaking, forged in chaos neither can escape.

As the Second World War drives the United States into the Pacific conflict, Gloria and John are swept onto separate paths of duty. Gloria serves aboard the hospital ship USS Serenity, tending shattered bodies and wounded souls. John flies combat missions as a Navy fighter pilot and combat photographer, risking everything to document a war that refuses to leave him untouched.

Their paths cross again and again in fleeting moments between air raids and surgeries, courage and fear, longing and loss. With every meeting, the feelings they have buried deepen. But war demands more than love. It demands sacrifice, tests faith, and steals time without warning.

When separation stretches into silence, Gloria must face the terrifying possibility that hope itself has become another casualty of war.

As war and distance threaten to pull them apart, only the smallest signs remain: a whistle, a painted bird, and a promise worth holding onto.

Listen for the Chickadees is a Christian World War II historical romance set against the backdrop of Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Navy, and the Pacific War. It is a story of steadfast love, quiet faith, and the courage it takes to trust God when tomorrow is uncertain.

Perfect for readers who enjoy WWII historical fiction, Christian wartime love stories, and emotionally rich fiction set in America and the Pacific theater 

 

SCRIVENINGS PRESS, March, 2026

Available in digital ebook or paperback at Amazon 

 

CLAIRE HOLLOWAY IS WINGING IT by Angela Ruth Strong, Reviewed by Winnie Thomas #JustReadTour

WINNIE'S REVIEW:
“Loving someone is never a mistake. Even if it hurts.”

“. . . loving someone means you’re more afraid of harming them than you are of losing them.”

Talented author Angela Ruth Strong brings her experiences as a flight attendant into her new series, A High-Flying Romance. The first book, Claire Holloway is Winging It, stars Claire as a brand-new flight attendant at the Seattle airport, after being sidelined from her ballerina dreams because of an injury. On her first day, pilot Nathan Stuart witnesses her humiliation as she misdirects a passenger, causing the lady to miss her flight. As Nathan takes Claire under his wing to help her adjust to her new job, they share some amusing experiences.

This book is full of hilarious situations with witty banter and a realistic, engaging cast of characters. It also has some inspirational threads of faith, hope, and trusting God.  

“. . . it helps to see God as the control tower. He could be protecting you from something. Or even leading you somewhere better.”

I enjoyed the interaction between Claire and Nathan and also between Claire and her other friends. I’m hoping to see more of them in future books. Anyone who has ever flown in an airplane will be able to visualize the crazy happenings as the author depicts them. It was interesting to learn a few new things about being a flight attendant and flying in general.

The epigraphs with quotes about flying at the beginning of the chapters are a fun addition.

“Every takeoff is optional. Every landing is mandatory. -- Unknown.” 

I’m looking forward to the next book in the series. 

* 4.5 stars  I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

SEE REVIEWS BY REBECCA AND PAULA

 
BackCover Blurb:
After Claire Holloway's dream of becoming a ballerina plummets, she's left with her boyfriend as her only support . . . until she decides to become a flight attendant for the free travel. Based out of state, she moves into a crash pad with a gaggle of other flight attendants, and her fear of losing Wyatt seems to become a reality.

First Officer Nathan Stuart—a bit cynical since he and his fiancée broke up—meets a somewhat frazzled Claire on her very first day in the Seattle airport. When they end up on the same crew, he takes her under his wing, and they quickly bond.

When Claire's once-supportive boyfriend's attitude sours into resentment, she's left wondering whether her newfound joy is the right way to go. Pulled between two men and her new career, Claire must learn to listen for God's direction the same way her flight crew follows air traffic control.

In this hilarious rom-com, readers will lift off into the turbulent skies of romantic adventures as Claire navigates God's plan for her life.

Kregel Publications, March 2026

Available in digital ebook, paperback, and audio.

Buy CLAIRE HOLLOWAY IS WINGING IT at Amazon, Christianbook, or Baker Book House  

DEATH FOLLOWS HER by Rachel Dylan, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

Deadly Justice Book #1

REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"This case could be a career maker."

Three executive officers of major corporations have died, and F. B. I. Special Agents Samira Addad and Jaylen Smith are tasked with determining whether or not their deaths are connected in some convoluted sort of way. The victims were all represented in high profile lawsuits by attorney Quinn Kelly; which by the way, she handily won. So is this a matter of someone taking the law into their own hands?

Obvious or obscure, Samira and Jaylen follow every lead, to no avail. Encouraging the defendant in Kelly's current case to employ private security, they urge Quinn to accept protection as well, the theory being that the deaths could be a vendetta against her widely known success, especially after the attorney senses that someone is watching her every move. Nothing in this investigation is adding up.

With expert precision the author leads readers down multiple rabbit trails littered with red herrings and innuendos that prove exactly why the investigators are so confused. Ultimately, a resolution is reached, but totally different than the kind that readers are expecting. Fascinating book! 
*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

BackCover Blurb:
Three powerful CEOs. Three deaths. One attorney connected to all of them.

When FBI Special Agent Samira Haddad is called in to investigate the deaths of three high-profile executives, one name keeps surfacing: Quinn Kelly, Atlanta's most formidable trial lawyer. She has a flawless record and no shortage of enemies.

Quinn is used to high stakes. But when the threats against her escalate from online noise to something far more dangerous, she becomes both Samira's greatest asset and her greatest liability.

As the investigation pulls them deeper into a world of corporate power, buried secrets, and a killer who is one step ahead and always watching, one thing becomes terrifyingly clear—someone else is going to die. 

August, 2025

Buy DEATH FOLLOWS HER at Amazon

EDGE OF TRUTH by Janice Cantore, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

REBECCA'S REVIEW:
"I'm so much bigger than you know. You're too small and insignificant to stop me."

One of her first arrests as a rookie cop has come full circle for Detective Lainie Jensen, she just doesn't know it yet.

After years of struggling over "the one that got away", Lainie can scarcely believe that Dallas Vine has criss-crossed back into her orbit as she frantically searches for answers to her sister's disappearance while on a Hawaiian vacation with her husband. Stranger still, FBI Special Agent Ben Isaacs shows up in Hawaii, determined to find out more about his partner's undercover work to take down a widespread money laundering enterprise, before he too, went missing.

Ben and Lainie get off on the wrong foot, but eventually the evidence leads them to an obvious conclusion; they are working different sides of the same case and would be better served working together. As the larger case gets stranger and stranger and the smaller details become more and more dangerous, Ben and Lainie seem poised to teeter on the very edge of truth.

This story moved along at such a graceful pace that the harrowing details never seemed rushed, but written in seamless harmony with the overall plot, which was a touch of genius, by the way. The twists and turns were meticulously timed, making the story continually interesting while slowly pulling back the curtain on a relationship that suffered setbacks, for sure, but managed to rise triumphantly in the end. Great faith elements through-out made this romantic suspense very high quality! 
*I purchased a copy and was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

BackCover Blurb:
One case almost destroyed her career. Now the past seems to have caught up with her. And as a high-stakes game of truth and lies unfolds, someone’s out for retribution at any cost.

As a detective in the Long Beach Police Department’s violent crimes division, Lainie Jensen is no stranger to hard-to-crack cases and unusual disappearances, but then her sister Evie vanishes on a trip to Hawaii. After traveling there to look for her, Lainie quickly realizes her brother-in-law Stan is telling law enforcement a story that doesn’t appear to add up.

FBI special agent Ben Isaacs has spent six months collecting evidence to take down a money laundering operation. While his fellow agent Efren Gomez goes undercover to infiltrate the ring, Ben investigates those connected to it, including Stan Moffitt, who Ben believes could help lead to the criminal kingpin. Then Stan’s wife goes missing just days after Ben contacted her seeking information, and he knows there’s more to this case, especially when he loses contact with Efren and law enforcement comes up short in their search for him.

When Ben’s and Lainie’s investigations converge, Lainie’s not eager to work alongside Ben given their complicated history, but she’s willing to do so if it means figuring out what Stan knows and locating Evie. Soon, Lainie can’t deny Ben’s dedication to finding the truth or her growing admiration for him. And the more the two examine the evidence, the more they suspect Evie’s disappearance is tied to a highly publicized criminal case from Lainie’s past . . . and someone is playing a perilous game aimed at personal revenge.

-Great for fans of thrillers by Lynette Eason, Colleen Coble, and Allison Brennan
-Police procedural featuring a detective and an FBI agent written by a former police officer
-Clean, stand-alone romantic suspense novel filled with high stakes, edge-of-your-seat adventure, elements of mystery, and themes of fighting for justice
-Includes discussion questions for book clubs 

Tyndale Fiction, February, 2026

Available in digital ebook, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook:

BUY Edge of Truth at Amazon, Christianbook, or Baker Book House