AUTHENTICALLY IZZY by Pepper Basham, Reviewed by Trixi Oberembt

"It is delightful when your imaginations come true, isn’t it?” -Anne of Green Gables.

How in the world does Pepper do it? How does she make me fall head over heels in love with her writing when I'm already in love with her writing?? Oh my word, this book is just all that! Another one to add to my top favorite reads of 2023.

I just can't even form words good enough to describe this story. It's as if the pages absorbed me completely, making the world of make believe into a world that was so real and vivid. Izzy is the sister of my heart; she's one that I immediately wanted to hug and hang out with at the local coffee shop (if she even wanted to leave her house or books, that is!). She's the kind of person I wanted to draw out of her shell because there's so much personality just waiting to be discovered. Oh! Her back-story is heart-wrenching and explains why she's so closed off. My heart bled for all she's been through! I love her character growth the most; it's as if her real self was bursting at the seams to be made known. She just needed the right person to bring it out. Definitely my favorite character.

Brodie...our near perfect hero of this story. He's an avid book nerd like Izzy; he's the kind of hero I picture in my mind. Basham made him real to me; he's quirky without being dorky (make sense?), has a killer accent to make any woman swoon, and is an all around good guy. He is just the right kind of guy for Izzy. I love him for how he draws Izzy out of her shell and makes her see her worth and the potential she's hidden within her. Yeah, I admit I hate "perfect" heroes in stories, but Basham made him SO much more; he readily admits his failures and mistakes and makes no excuse for them. And to me, that makes him all the more human--flaws and all. I'd hug him if he was real! He and Izzy are magical together.

Izzy's cousin Josie (Josephine as she wishes to be called) was an irritant....loving, yes, but one I wanted to smack more times than not...lol! I felt she held Izzy back on so many levels, yet at the same time, was the voice of reason and caution. I'm not sure how to feel about her really, but she did grow on me a bit by the end.

I also love the humor, wit and hilarious banter between characters. Basham is one of those kind of writers that induce belly laughs and guffaws galore! I love everything (even irritating Josie) about this book. Basham needs to write more Rom-com in my opinion because she's so, so good at it. Throw in faith and you got yourself a doozy of a story! Highly (and I DO mean highly) recommend this to anyone who loves books as much as I do!

SEE REBECCA'S REVIEW

SEE WINNIE'S REVIEW

SEE PAULA'S REVIEW

BackCover Blurb:

Dear Reader, My name is Isabelle Louisa Edgewood—Izzy, for short. I live by blue-tinted mountains, where I find contentment in fresh air and books. Oh, and coffee and tea, of course. And occasionally in being accosted by the love of my family. (You’ll understand my verb choice in the phrase later.) I dream of opening my own bookstore, but my life, particularly my romantic history, has not been the stuff of fairy tales. Which is probably why my pregnant, misled, matchmaking cousin—who, really, is more like my sister—signed me up for an online dating community.

The trouble is . . . it worked. I’ve met my book-quoting Mr. Right, and our correspondence has been almost too good to be true. But Brodie lives across an ocean. And just the other day, a perfectly nice author and professor named Eli came into the library where I work and asked me out for a coffee. I feel a rom-com movie with a foreboding disaster nipping at my heels.

But I’ve played it safe for a long time. Maybe it’s time for me to be as brave as my favorite literary heroines. Maybe it’s time to take the adventures from the page to real life. Wish me luck.

Authentically,

Izzy

• Witty, hilarious, and heartwarming contemporary romance about book lovers
• A sweet, kisses-only romance
• An epistolary novel written mostly in emails and texts
• Stand-alone novel
  

Thomas Nelson Publishing, November 15, 2022

Available in digital ebook, paperback, library binding, and audiobook:

Buy AUTHENTICALLY IZZY at Amazon, Christianbook .com, or Baker Book House

 

 

SOLID AS STEELE by Susan Sleeman, Reviewed by Rebecca Maney

" . . . he looked like he'd traveled a distance on foot, reached her porch, and dropped. . .  Was he dead? . . .  Her coffee was only starting to brew. How could a girl think after only four hours of sleep and no java?"

And this was how Mackenzie Steele's vacation was going to begin? With an injured man passed out on the porch of her rental, deep in the middle of nowhere Oregon? Apparently so. Stranger still, when said man does rouse, he cannot remember anything that happened to him (his injuries were many) or even who he is. Not a great combination.

Calling in an experienced tracker, Mackenzie and the man who seems to think his name may be Owen, form a team of three to begin re-tracing Owen's trail to her front door. Unfortunately, they locate disturbing evidence proving something terrible had taken place, more than likely shocking Owen's psyche to the core. Now all they have to do is to put the pieces of the puzzle back together again. Much easier said than done.

Wonderful plotting! This story is a tangled web of theories and suppositions that place Mackenzie and Owen in a wicked bulls-eye of criminal activity. They hesitate for many reasons to acknowledge their growing personal attraction, (don't give up on them, though) especially as Owen struggles with all the "whys" of his life, allowing Mackenzie's deep faith to steady them both while passing along some proverbial advice.

"When I'm troubled about something I try to remember the problem isn't forever. That things will change . . . Maybe not get better but change. . . I say to myself that I'm upset for now. Adding the 'for now' . . . helps me remember it's temporary. . . Maybe instead of asking God why, ask Him to help you accept and deal with the problem." 

*I purchased this book and was under no obligation to provide a positive review.3.5 stars

 

SEE WINNIE'S REVIEW

 

Backcover Blurb:

He lost his memory…
Mackenzie Steele has been instrumental in keeping Steele Guardians afloat, working long hours for months. Nearing burnout, her family encourages her to take a vacation, and she reluctantly agrees. She needs solitude and quiet, and a vacation rental home in the Oregon desert is just the ticket. But she’s no sooner unpacked her bags when a man lands on her doorstep. A man who can’t remember his identity or why he’s there. All they know is that the name Owen seems familiar to him.

But will finding it bring a killer to her doorstep.
Mackenzie shouldn’t trust this man, but something about his earnestness draws her to him, and she agrees to help him determine his identity. When her rental home is bombarded with bullets, she knows she’s accepted a task that could turn deadly, and she should walk away. But by this time, her deepening connection with the stranger keeps her firmly rooted at his side, and she can only pray that she won’t regret her potentially life-altering decision.

Edge of Your Seat Books, February 2023

Available in digital ebook, paperback, and audiobook:

Buy SOLID AS STEELE at Amazon 

 

CODE NAME EDELWEISS by Stephanie Landsem, Reviewed by Paula Shreckhise #ReleaseDay

A fascinating story based on real events, this is a thought provoking look into what was going on in Los Angeles in 1933. It was a peek into the motives and manipulations of the infiltration of National Socialism that played on the sympathies and proud heritage of German Americans.

Ms. Landsem proficiently crafts Leisl and Wilhelm who seek what is right and end up being spies working to take down factions that are set on ridding the country of Jews. They are complex characters who have to play a dangerous game. They question their actions at times but are reminded that: *Silence is oppressive in itself* and *If not me, who? If not now, when?*

Not only are there tense moments and perilous situations, there are family concerns and soul searching about being a true friend. Throughout the story is a blossoming romance and learning the true character of those close to them and that actions have consequences sometimes to those they hold dear.

There is an underlying faith thread and the characters grapple with spiritual questions and grow into a more solid faith.
*I won this book from Library Thing. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*5 stars and an underlying faith thread

BackCover Blurb:
“What I am looking for—what I desperately need, Mrs. Weiss—is a spy.”

Adolf Hitler is still a distant rumble on the horizon, but a Jewish spymaster and his courageous spies uncover a storm of Nazi terror in their own backyard.

In the summer of 1933, a man named Adolf Hitler is the new and powerful anti-Semitic chancellor of Germany. But in Los Angeles, no-nonsense secretary Liesl Weiss has concerns much closer to home. The Great Depression is tightening its grip and Liesl is the sole supporter of two children, an opinionated mother, and a troubled brother.

Leon Lewis is a Jewish lawyer who has watched Adolf Hitler’s rise to power—and the increase in anti-Semitism in America—with growing alarm. He believes Nazi agents are working to seize control of Hollywood, the greatest propaganda machine the world has ever known. The trouble is, authorities scoff at his dire warnings.

When Liesl loses her job at MGM, her only choice is to work with Leon Lewis and the mysterious Agent Thirteen to spy on her friends and neighbors in her German American community. What Leon Lewis and his spies find is more chilling—and more dangerous—than any of them suspected.

Code Name Edelweiss is based on a true story, unknown until recent years: How a lone Jewish lawyer and a handful of amateur spies discovered and foiled Adolf Hitler’s plan to take over Hollywood.

Tyndale House Publishing, March7, 2023

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

Buy CODE NAME EDELWEISS at Amazon, Christianbook .com, or Baker Book House 

 

UNDER FIRE by Lynn Blackburn, Reviewed by Paula Shreckhise #ReleaseDay

Another quick and absorbing book by Lynn Blackburn. I am always anxious to see what the agents/friends are up to.

After a job change for Zane as security for the President, he is back in Raleigh as part of an advance team because the President will be visiting old school pals at a nearby estate.

Although Zane has kept in close touch with his buddies, it is Tessa he longs to see in person. Tessa is heading up the detail to coordinate everything for the visit, including checking viable threats and vetting the people on the guest list.

The story showcases what is involved with the process and is not short on other perils that pop up to split the concentration of the team of agents. Tessa and Zane are trying to keep their relationship in the friend zone due to some background issues in each of their lives. But that is not working too well as the danger escalates.

I appreciate the bonds created by the team and how they look out for each other, especially how they pray for God’s guidance and protection. The teasing and good natured meddling makes them seem like a big family.

The ending hints at new cases to come in a new setting. I can hardly wait.
*A complimentary copy of this book was provided by Revell through Interviews and Reviews and Revell Reads. I was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.*5 stars and a strong faith thread 

BackCover Blurb:
USSS Special Agent Zane Thacker has landed his dream assignment protecting the president of the United States. When the president plans a fundraiser at the exclusive estate of a political supporter in Raleigh, Zane is thrilled to be working again with Special Agent Tessa Reed, his best friend--and the woman he desperately wishes could be more.

Though Tessa almost lost everything, she battled her demons and came out on the other side healthy and healed. But when her role as the liaison between the Raleigh office and the president's protective detail wrenches her past back into the present, her greatest failure threatens to come to light.

Zane refuses to let Tessa go through this alone. But can he stand by the woman he loves and protect the president from a mounting threat at the same time?

Sparks fly as award-winning romantic suspense writer Lynn H. Blackburn closes out her Defend and Protect series with this explosive tale of secrets kept, lies exposed, and relationships restored. 

 

Revell Publishing, March 7, 2023

Available in digital and paperback

Buy UNDER FIRE at Amazon, Christianbook .com, or Baker Book House