BEYOND THESE WAR TORN LANDS by Cynthia Roemer, Reviewed by Paula Shreckhise

“If only our nation could learn kindness instead of hatred and mercy rather than strife. Then the Lord would heal this war torn land.”

A common theme in Civil War fiction is a Southern girl nursing a Union Soldier behind enemy lines. But this author spins a unique tale that takes us to some lesser known battles. Then she weaves the fictional characters seamlessly into a well documented historical event. She also gives us family tension and characters with the faith to see them through the rigors of the times. She brings home the words of Jesus to love your enemies and be merciful to them as being what God wanted.

There are interesting details about the war and a few surprises in store.

Lessons to be taken to heart and maybe even applied today.

Recommended for fans of Civil War stories.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.*I give this 5 stars and a solid faith thread

#ReleaseDay Aug 3, 2021
BackCover Blurb:
The War brought them together ~ Would it also tear them apart?

While en route to aid Confederate soldiers injured in battle near her home, Southerner Caroline Dunbar stumbles across a wounded Union sergeant. Unable to ignore his plea for help, she tends his injuries and hides him away, only to find her attachment to him deepen with each passing day. But when her secret is discovered, Caroline incurs her father’s wrath and, in turn, unlocks a dark secret from the past which she is determined to unravel.

After being forced to flee his place of refuge, Sergeant Andrew Gallagher fears he’s seen the last of Caroline. Resolved not to let that happen, when the war ends, he seeks her out, only to discover she’s been sent away. When word reaches him that President Lincoln has been shot, Drew is assigned the task of tracking down the assassin. A chance encounter with Caroline revives his hopes, until he learns she may be involved in a plot to aid the assassin.

Scrivenings Press, August, 2021

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THE WALNUT CREEK WISH by Wanda Brunstetter, Reviewed by Trixi Oberembt #ReleaseDay

Struggling to find common ground in their marriage, Jeff and Rhonda Davis move to Walnut Creek when the perfect house opens up. Desiring to get back the love that once burned bright, they hope spending quality time in an ideal town will be the solution. When Jeff meets Orley and Lois Troyer in their Amish-owned antique store, it's as if God orchestrated the perfect couple to befriend them.

This was a heart-warming story of lasting friendships, relationship restoration, and a return to a faith both Jeff and Rhonda had years before. I enjoyed the mentorship Orley and Lois extended, and the demonstration of what a Godly marriage looks like. In spite of past heartaches and trials for both couples, I really like the wisdom Lois shared with Rhonda: “I had to be willing to accept life with its conditions and on its terms not my own...I decided that my life was a gift from God and was not dependent on any of the things I had once thought were the source of happiness. It's about being able to accept the bitter and sweet parts of life.” ~pg 238

Wanda Brunstetter has a way of creating characters you come to care about and a gentle faith to guide them. I think the epilogue was my favorite part! Watching God work in Jeff and Rhonda's heart to bond them closer together and find their way back to each other was the highlight for me. Fans of Brunstetter will hopefully enjoy this as much as I did! I love that it's her first contemporary and a great start to a new series.
* I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review. *

#ReleaseDay

BackCover Blurb:

Book 1 in the Creektown Discoveries Series from NYT Bestselling Author Wanda E. Brunstetter

An Antique Store Becomes a Place of Healing for Broken Hearts
 
Welcome to Walnut Creek, Ohio, where Orley and Lois Troyer own an antique store they call “Memory Keepers.” Though knowledgeable in antiques and their repair, their real talent is in mentoring folks who are hurting and don’t even know it. Enter Jeff, a restaurateur, and Rhonda, a hotel manager, who recently moved to Amish country for the slow pace, but the change of scenery puts even more stress on their already strained marriage. Will an antique sled be the last straw, or will it lead to unexpected revelations and the fulfillment of dreams?

 

Barbour Publishing, August, 2021

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BEYOND THE TIDES by Liz Johnson, Reviewed by Paula and Rebecca

PAULA'S REVIEW:
Ms. Johnson takes us to beautiful Victoria by the Sea on Prince Edward Island. “The morning sun across the bay had a way of embracing the earth, welcoming the day with a gentle invitation into warmth and light.” She makes me want to take a trip to Prince Edward Island and enjoy the atmosphere.

Meg Whitaker feels the weight of her mother’s illness and her dad’s decision to sell his fishing business. “Be strong—that was her job—carry the weight.” She is prickly in order to shield herself from the pain. She wants to preserve the family legacy by taking over the business but she knows next to nothing about the hard work involved. To make matters worse, the person who sent her dreams crashing years ago is Oliver Ross; the person her dad has chosen take over the business.

Meg and Oliver make a pact to get along for the sake of Meg’s parents. Dad gives them a trial of the next crabbing season, then he will choose who gets the business. They learn to work together and combat obstacles that crop up, getting good advice from Pastor Dell: “Sometimes in the midst of the worst pain, it’s hard to hear the truth. Sometimes when the pain is too loud, all we can hear is the person crying to us. And that sounds a lot like love.”

In the end they find forgiveness: “That’s the thing about forgiveness—it’s a renewable resource.”
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Library Thing. I was not required to give a favorable review. All opinions are my own.* give this 5 stars and a solid faith thread

REBECCA'S REVIEW:
" He didn't need her to like him. He just needed her to stop hating him."

Let the games begin . . . . so to speak. How hard could it be to convince a woman who has despised him for the past ten years, to work alongside him every day for a measly three months? After all, Oliver Ross is determined to come out on top of the challenge that Meg Whitaker's father just issued; Whitaker Fishing would be awarded to only one of them, and Oliver has decided it is going to be him. Besides, Meg can't even get on a boat without hurling and she is most definitely not a morning person.

"You can't be serious. Why would you sell it to him?" Meg Whitaker is stunned. Her own father was planning to sell his legacy . . her legacy . . . one of the most profitable lobster fishing businesses on their island, to Oliver Ross. Sadly, she did understand, to a certain point. Her mother's failing health demanded full time attention . . . but Oliver?

As Oliver and Meg inch their way towards camaraderie, they discover that they may have more in common than they once thought possible. Grief, for instance. . . . "such a strange thing. It ebbs and flows like the tide" . . . obstacles, "we're promised storms in this life. We're also promised that our hope in God is an anchor in those storms". And even love, for " . . . love grows in unexpected ground". . . .or on a fishing boat in the middle of the ocean watching sunrises.

Readers will love this romantic return to Prince Edwards Island compliments of an author who knows how to design a love story that will linger sweetly in the memories of all those who read it.
*I received a copy of this book from Baker Publishing through Interviews and Reviews. The opinions stated above are entirely my own. 3.5 stars

BackCover Blurb:
When Meg Whitaker's father decides to sell the family's lobster-fishing business to her high school nemesis, she sets out to prove she should inherit it instead. Though she's never had any interest in running the small fleet--or even getting on a boat due to her persistent seasickness--she can't stand to see Oliver Ross take over. Not when he ruined her dreams for a science scholarship and an Ivy League education ten years ago.

Oliver isn't proud of what he did back then. Angry and broken by his father walking out on his family, he lashed out at Meg--an innocent bystander. But owning a respected fishing fleet on Prince Edward Island is the opportunity of a lifetime, and he's not about to walk away just because Meg wants him to.

Meg's father has the perfect solution: Oliver and Meg must work the business together, and at the end of the season, he'll decide who gets it. Along the way, they may discover that their stories are more similar than they thought . . . and their dreams aren't what they expected.

Bestselling author Liz Johnson invites you back to Prince Edward Island for a brand-new series about family, forgiveness, and the kind of love that heals all wounds.

Revell Publishing, August 3, 2021

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THE NATURE OF SMALL BIRDS by Susie Finkbeiner, Reviewed by Winnie Thomas

“Turns out that the nature of small birds is to fly. It’s no different for our kids.”

Susie Finkbeiner is one of my favorite authors. I always love the insights about life that she brings out. Her novels are thought-provoking and brilliantly written. This one really resonated with me. It’s a story of life, family, love, and belonging. It’s a story of caring and compassion during everyday life. It’s a story of hope and letting go.

Told by three separate family members in three different time periods, it took me a little while to get used to the shifts in perspective and thought processes. Once I got used to it, I could follow it well, and it was intriguing to see the perceptions of these different characters as they grew and the relationships shifted and changed. With many poignant and heart-wrenching moments, it kept my emotions and feelings changing through the chapters.

“It’s the nature of small birds to sing their little hearts out. And it’s the nature of God to hear them.”

Finkbeiner is a master at creating realistic, relatable characters and placing them in compelling situations and interesting settings. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I’m looking forward to what she comes up with next.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from Revell through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

BackCover Blurb:
In 1975, three thousand children were airlifted out of Saigon to be adopted into Western homes. When Mindy, one of those children, announces her plans to return to Vietnam to find her birth mother, her loving adopted family is suddenly thrown back to the events surrounding her unconventional arrival in their lives.

Though her father supports Mindy's desire to meet her family of origin, he struggles privately with an unsettling fear that he'll lose the daughter he's poured his heart into. Mindy's mother undergoes the emotional rollercoaster inherent in the adoption of a child from a war-torn country, discovering the joy hidden amid the difficulties. And Mindy's sister helps her sort through relics that whisper of the effect the trauma of war has had on their family--but also speak of the beauty of overcoming.

Told through three strong voices in three compelling timelines, The Nature of Small Birds is a hopeful story that explores the meaning of family far beyond genetic code.

Revell Publishing, July 2021 

Available in digital ebook, paperback, and hardcover:

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