In The Paths of Righteousness by Debbie Viguie

Hoping to give Cindy and her friends a much needed vacation Kyle, Cindy's brother, invites them to go on a cattle drive with him. What he  neglects to tell them is that this cattle drive will be filmed as part of one of Kyle's adventure episodes. The drive seems to be doomed from the beginning with the death of one of the crew, but Kyle insists the show must go on and so everyone saddles up no matter how reluctant they are.

Jeremiah is determined that the footage from the filming never gets put on TV. He has secrets to keep. Neither Cindy or Jeremiah can define their relationship yet, but those around them seem to assume that they are in love. Jeremiah knows that in order to protect his secrets that eventually he must leave, but his attraction to Cindy and desire to keep her safe keeps him from doing that.

Miles away from any town or law enforcement Cindy, Jeremiah, Mark and Traci realize that there is a killer among them and that Kyle is the person's target. Will they be able to figure out who it is before anyone else is killed?

Loved the setting of this one! I really enjoyed the "gang" being all together to solve this case as well. I also liked that we got to see Cindy and Kyle together. After so many books with hints of the jealousy that Cindy has for Kyle, and her parents obvious favoritism for him, it was fun to read about what makes him tick. We are still in the dark as to Jeremiah's past and also what happened to Cindy and Kyle's sister many years before, but with each installment we learn just a little more of both. I really like the dynamics between the 4 friends. Cindy and Traci get along well together even though Traci keeps pushing Cindy to talk about her relationship with Jeremiah. Jeremiah and Mark have a healthy respect for each other. Mark knows that Jeremiah has secrets from his past and he is okay with letting those secrets lay. Mark's search into his former partner Paul's past has hit a roadblock, but at the end of the book a new clue surfaces and he enlists Jeremiah and Cindy in helping him to hunt it down. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series to see what happens there! Mystery and series fans I have not been disappointed in any of the Psalm 23 Mysteries, so if you are looking for something exciting to read check these out!!

Reviews of previous books in the series:

The Lord is my Shepherd
I Shall Not Want
Lie Down in Green Pastures
Beside Still Waters
Restoreth My Soul

Surprised By Love by Julie Lessman

There are 3 things I can count on in a novel by author Julie Lessman:

1. Lots of drama

2. Passionate Romance

3. The ultimate surrender of a characters will to their Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

I cannot read a novel by Julie Lessman that I don't find myself getting anxious that everything is going to turn out for the characters I am invested in! Surprised By Love is no exception in this area. From the very beginning I was fretting over the relationship of Bram and Meg and between Cait and Logan. The twists and turns that the characters go through had me taking deep breaths to calm my stressed-out nerves! Each relationship had its ups and downs. Meg and Bram are such sweet God-fearing characters that I fell in love with them immediately. And throughout this series I have been waiting for Cait and Logan to get their relationship straightened out. Surprised By Love has the perfect "Happily Ever After" ending that I so crave in a romance novel.

Next, any Julie Lessman fan knows that her novels are always going to have passionate romance for her characters. After all, her tagline is "Passion with a Purpose." Surprised By Love does not disappoint in that department. There is passion between characters and there is passion for faith shown throughout the novel. I happen to be a fan of the steamy kisses portrayed in Surprised By Love! These scenes are portrayed carefully, tastefully and realistically and never go beyond the bedroom door.

Lastly a feature in all of Julie Lessman's books that I appreciate the most are the characters ultimate surrender to their Savior. There is nothing more romantic than watching a soul that is lost in darkness slowly yield their will and desires to a patient and loving Savior wooing them to Himself. Logan is just such a soul. Struggling constantly against surrendering his will to the Savior Logan finds that things don't always go the way he wants them to. I loved reading his transformation, his surrender and his ultimate victory and peace in the Savior.

Surprised By Love also features characters from the first two books in the series which is always fun to catch up with what is happening with them. I enjoyed the witty banter between all of the characters. The McClare family has found a spot in my heart just as the O'Connor family did in the Daughters of Boston and Winds of Change series.

Check out my reviews of the first two books:

Love At Any Cost

Dare To Love Again

A Plain Malice by Amanda Flower

 

When the people from a tour bus are visiting the Troyer's farm two people drop dead after drinking the fresh milk. Chloe is once again in the middle of a murder investigation. Coerced by Chief Rose to join the group as their new tour guide in order to keep all of the suspects in one place, Chloe must endure the cranky bus driver and disgruntled passengers in order to find out who the murderer is. 

I enjoyed the mystery of A PLAIN MALICE. There were several twists and turns as well as many misleads before the actual killer is found out. Chloe and Timothy's relationship has grown closer, but still has a few bumps to iron out. Chloe is an independent young woman and Timothy, being raised Amish, finds Chloe constantly fighting against his desire to protect her. Curt and his nasty friend also make an appearance in this book. Curt says he has turned over a new leaf, but his caring for Chloe and her inability to return the feelings may cause him to spiral once again. Hopefully we will see next book. So for a return to characters that I am fond of and an exciting mystery to go with those characters I enjoyed A PLAIN MALICE and look forward to the next installment of the Appleseed Creek mysteries.

Unfortunately I do have to mention that I think that the author lost her publisher for this book and so it didn't go through the editing process that a more traditional publishing route may have gone. A PLAIN MALICE reminded me of an unedited ARC copy which is something I am used to reading, but may be extremely distracting to others that are expecting a more polished book. 

United We Spy by Ally Carter

This is Cammie and her friends last semester at The Gallagher Academy. Cammie is determined to take down The Circle. Zach's mom is just as determined to take Cammie out. Not knowing who they can trust the girls and Zach go out on their own and off the grid to rescue a friend.

I'm sad to say this is the last Gallagher Girl book in the series! But I'm happy to say it is one of my favorites and kept me on the edge of my seat and biting my nails every step of the way. I'm also happy to say that I managed not to read the end of the book before I got there! Yes, when the tension is running high in a book I am one of "those" people who has to make sure everything turns out alright! But I didn't, and YES, it was very tempting, but YES again it was worth the suspense to wait for the very end. A great ending to the series for sure. If you are a fan of spy novels, strong girl characters, a bit of romance, young adult literature and lots of action then I highly recommend The Gallagher Girl series for you. Looking forward to seeing what's next from this author.

I purchased my copy from Amazon and was not required to give a review. 

Thread of Suspicion by Susan Sleeman

Luke Baldwin's company SatCom is on the line when someone hacks into his supposedly unhackable military program. Having sunk all of his money into this program, and his reputation on the line, Luke must convince Dani Justice that he is innocent of treason and that someone is out there trying to sabotage him.

Dani too has to do some convincing, with her family that is. Growing up the youngest sibling in the Justice family, Dani has had to fight over and over for her independence. Convinced that Luke is innocent Dani wants to take his case even though she knows that the other members of the Justice team will say no.

Much to both Luke and Dani's dismay there is an immediate attraction between the two. But Dani is leery of overbearing-take-charge men and Luke cannot allow a woman in his life until he is able to provide for her. When the hacker/killer continues to destroy the safety nets that they set up, the Justice siblings close ranks around Dani. Things proceed beyond either of their control and they are thrown together with Luke determined to keep Dani safe and Dani determined that she will not be over-run by another man in her life.

My Review:

From the first page THREAD OF SUSPICION had me sitting on the edge of my seat! The suspense had me stressed out and the romance was pretty sweet. I loved reading about another Justice sibling. I believe each book in the Justice Agency series could stand alone since this is the second book in the series that I have read and I actually started with the 3rd book in the series. I have the first two on my Kindle and plan to read them when I go on vacation soon. The author manages to keep the pace of the story moving quickly with no time for the reader to become complacent. For a fast-paced mystery/romance be sure to check out The Justice Agency series. I look forward to the next installment, I'm hoping that Derrick Justice has his day.

Other books in the Justice series:

Double Exposure
Dead Wrong
No Way Out

Visit author Susan Sleeman at her website HERE

W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton

Another addition to the Kinsey Millhone collection. This time we learn a bit more about Kinsey's family that she never knew existed. She gets to meet some cousins that she wishes she didn't have which makes for some funny/tense moments in the book. She gets to solve a couple of murders and have an old love interest turn up. It was fun to once again visit the 80's where Kinsey has been since the debut of A is for Alibi. Reading about her having to grab handfuls of change to make calls from a phone booth, having to leave her door open so she could hear the ringing of her telephone while she was outside, and a description of a Walkman all had me reminiscing about "the good old days"! With the way Kinsey likes to keep her life uncluttered I could not imagine her living in 2013. Being attached to all of our electronic gadgets would send her over the edge! Three more books to go in the alphabet and the series will be over. Considering that it takes Sue Grafton a couple of years to finish each book, by my calculation we have about 6 more years to wait for the end of the series. While I am impatient for each book to come out I have to admit that because the author is not churning out a book every 6 months the series is well researched and she manages to keep the character fresh while still keeping her in the 80's. W is for Wasted was a solid addition to the series but yeah, I'm looking forward to Z!

I borrowed this book from my local library and was not required to write a review for it.

The Limpopo Academy Of Private Detection by Alexander McCall Smith

There is just something about The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series that I absolutely love. Maybe it is the simple practicality of Mma Ramotswe. Or the steadfastness of her husband J.L.B. Matekoni. Or her associate Mma Makutsi who has an opinion about everything. Whatever it is I have enjoyed every book in the series and hope to have many more books to read about Mma Ramotswe and her detective agency.

In this installment we have Phuti and Mma Makutsi just starting out in their married life. They are excited to be building their first home. Mma Makutsi has some misgivings about their builder and before too long so does Phuti.

Mma Ramotswe has been having a dream where a man she has never seen comes to visit the detective agency. When a surprise visitor shows up both she and Mma Makutsi are star-struck.

Mma Potokwane, matron of the orphanage has been fired by the board because of her refusal to support the idea of a central cafeteria instead of family homes for the orphans.

Fanwell, one of J.L.B. Matekoni's apprentice mechanics gets himself into trouble with the law because he trusted a so-called friend.

All of these circumstances call for Mma Ramotswe's ability to detect and find out what is behind people's motives, who is being truthful and who is lying. With many cups of tea Mma helps the people in her life by lending a listening ear and dispatching sage advice when needed.

Set in Botswana, The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection is a cozy read that takes the reader to a simpler time and place where we find that human nature is still much the same. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you have never read any of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books I highly recommend them!

Love At Any Cost by Julie Lessman

In Author Julie Lessman's own words from interview on MY FAVORITE PASTIME April 5, 2013:

Tell us about upcoming releases and works in progress.

Julie Lessman:Well, the “Heart of San Francisco” series, which launches April 15, 2013, is kind of a poor-man, rich-man scenario among three cousins during the Irish-political landscape of 1902 San Francisco. Think Little Women meets Dynasty.  And for those too young to remember the TV show Dynasty, think family wealth and poverty in a political setting.

This series is a bit of a departure for me because it’s a lot lighter and I hope a lot more fun than the angst and high drama of my two prior series.  It will be shorter and less complicated than the O’Connor saga, which means the books will be about 400 pages rather than my usual 500+, and the plots will be two-tier instead of three- and four-tier.

You’ll have the romance between the hero and heroine front and center, of course, but also a second-tier love story between the older couple in the series, just like there was with Patrick and Marcy O’Connor. Only instead of a happily married mother and father such as we had in the O’Connor saga, Caitlyn McClare is a godly widowed matriarch who butts heads (and hearts) with her rogue brother-in-law Logan McClare, with whom she was once in love. Engaged to Logan at a very young age, Cait broke the engagement when she discovered Logan’s infidelity, resulting in her marrying Logan’s brother instead. Now, twenty-seven years down the road, Cait is a widow and Logan is determined to win her back, so the romantic tension between these two undergirds the romantic tension between our heroine, Cait’s niece Cassie McClare, and the hero, Jamie MacKenna.

The one-line premise for Book 1, Love at Any Cost is: “A spunky Texas heiress without a fortune falls in love with a handsome pauper looking to marry well.” And here’s the jacket blurb:

Fooled by a pretty boy once, shame on him.

Fooled by a pretty boy twice, shame on me.

Jilted by a fortune hunter, cowgirl Cassidy McClare is a spunky Texas oil heiress without a fortune who just as soon hogtie a man as look at him … until Jamie MacKenna, a handsome pauper looking to marry well, lassoes her heart. But when Jamie discovers the woman he loves is poorer than him, Cassie finds herself bucked by love a second time, sending her back to Texas to lick her wounds and heal her heart. In her absence, Jamie discovers money can’t buy love, but love built on faith can set a heart free, a truth he discovers a little too late … or is it?

I guarantee you there’s a lot of sass and fun in this new series, so I’m really looking forward to introducing my readers to this lighter style and the San Francisco McClares!

Check out the full interview featured HERE.

Here is an awesome video of the book:

MY THOUGHTS:


Make no mistake, when Julie Lessman says that there is a lot less drama and angst in this book, that does not translate into "boring"! LOVE AT ANY COST is anything but boring! There is drama, there is angst and there is romance and humor. And all of that squished into about 100 pages less than what Julie's novels normally are. While LOVE AT ANY COST gave my heart less of a workout than former Julie Lessman books I can't say that it gave it a total rest! The romance between Jamie and Cassie is fraught with humor and tension. Jamie is determined to do whatever it takes to win Cassie even if he has to fake a faith that he doesn't have. Cassie is determined to never be taken in by a pretty-boy again. When Jamie's plans are thwarted and Cassie's heart is once more broken it seems that nothing can bring them together again. As with all of Julie Lessman's books there is a secondary romance going on. Or at least Logan wishes there was a romance going on! He was once engaged to Cait, but she married his brother instead. Now she is widowed and Logan hopes to win her heart once more. One thing Cait has taught Cassie is that the man she courts needs to share the same faith as her. Now Cait finds that she must remember her own advice. With so many hurting hearts in this book one wonders how Julie will wrap it all up, because as she has always assured me all of her books have a happy ending and that is what keeps me reading to the end! I definitely recommend LOVE AT ANY COST and I am looking forward to the next book in the Heart of San Francisco series.

FUN FACT:

I was one of the winners in a contest that Julie was having to have a character named after me in LOVE AT ANY COST. Julie Lessman asked me whether I would like to have a lady of the evening or a socialite named after me. I chose the lady of the evening character! Why? Honestly I thought it would be interesting to choose something more edgier, totally opposite of what people would expect of me. So if you go to page 42(Chapter 4) Julie, a lady of the evening in the Barbary Coast is introduced. And this is the part of the story where I fell in love with the character of Jamie MacKenna!

 

Always the Baker, Finally the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker

Jackson has finally popped the question and Emma has said yes! This time instead of helping a bride pick out a cake it is Emma's turn to design her own. Which proves to be a bit difficult for her to come up with just the right design that portrays she and Jackson's personalities.

While wedding plans are going full-speed ahead Jackson has a huge decision to make for the Tanglewood that could possibly change the lives of all who work there. What was an idea to possibly relieve stress for Emma has the opposite effect at the moment and has some of their friends not very happy with them.

Then you have Aunt Sophie who insists that she is going to be Emma's Maid of Honor. Poor Aunt Sophie is continuing to become confused, but that is one thing that she seems to hang on to. And Emma is determined to make it happen.

With everything that is going on with the planning of the wedding, decisions about their future to be settled, Emma's health issues and wedding guests cancelling their attendance, one thing remains consistent; Jackson and Emma's love for each other and determination to keep their relationship and love for the Lord center in their lives. And seriously, will Emma ever be able to come up with a cake design for their special day?

I enjoyed ALWAYS THE BAKER, FINALLY THE BRIDE just as much as I enjoyed the other books in the series. I loved the fact that Jackson and Emma were finally going to get married and all of the friends and family from the other books were brought together to help them plan and celebrate. Their romance and love for each other comes across in the pages and of course there was a smattering of humor throughout the story to keep the reader smiling. With recipe's and wedding tips at every chapter ALWAYS THE BAKER, FINALLY THE BRIDE remains consistent with the rest of the books. An entertaining read!

Thanks to the publishing company Abingdon Press through NetGalley for my copy of the book for review. 

The Pawn by Steven James

The first book in The Patrick Bowers Thriller series did not disappoint at all! If you like stories about serial killers and murder mysteries then you definitely have to pick this book up.

Patrick Bowers is called in when several girls have been found dead, the work of a serial killer with a signature of a chess pawn left behind. Patrick's wife has recently passed away from breast cancer and his 17 year old step-daughter Tessa is staying with his parents while Pat tries to help find the killer.

"The Illusionist" is what this serial killer calls himself. He prides himself on being one step ahead of the law. Part of the thrill he gets from the kill is the game. He's not interested in sexually assaulting the women he kills. The pain that he inflicts on them before they die is what he is interested in. When Patrick joins the team to find him the game becomes even more interesting.

Feeling guilty about his relationship with Tessa, Patrick insists that the FBI bring her to him so that he can make things "right" with her. Unfortunately this puts Tessa right in the sights of The Illusionist.

There are so many twists and turns in this book that it kept me on the edge of my seat! From government cover-ups, to the happenings in Jonestown(Jim Jones and the People's Temple Cult), to The Illusionists background, each story is interwoven together to make for an exciting read. There are definitely some graphic death scenes that would probably make some people cringe so I would recommend this book for a more mature audience. Tessa's character really got on my nerves. I wanted to reach through the pages and shake her. I found she acted more like a 12 year old than a 17 year old. My daughter had to remind me that after all Tessa had lost her mother recently and never had a father so therefore she wouldn't act like a "normal" 17 year old, but I still found her character annoying. As dysfunctional as Tessa and Pat's relationship is though, I found myself cheering for them when they did connect. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series to see that relationship develop.

A Light in the Window by Julie Lessman

 Marceline Murphy has had a crush on her best friend Julie’s brother Sam since she was 8 years old. But Sam and his best friend Patrick O’Connor are known to be rogue’s when it comes to women and alcohol. No heart is safe when they are around.

Marceline is an only child that has always wanted a large family. She has envied her best friend’s large family for years. When both Patrick and Sam set their hearts on Marcy she is determined to not be their next conquest.

Marcy is the first girl that has ever made Patrick and Sam want to change for the better. Both determined to win her heart, they join in helping Marcy with the fundraising play for the parish. At first they join only to gain Marcy’s interest, but one heart is changed forever. Will Marcy choose Sam whom she has had a schoolgirl crush on for years or his best friend Patrick whom she continually under estimates?

A Light in the Window is the prequel to the O’Connor family story. If you have read any of The Daughters of Boston series or The Winds of Change then you know how A Light in the Window turns out. But as with all of Julie Lessman’s books it is not without its twists and turns to get to the final outcome. A Light in the Window has become my favorite of the O’Connor stories! Even though this story is “lighter” than the other books in the series I found that there is still enough passion and angst to keep me on the edge of my seat! One of the things that I definitely love about the whole series is the faith interwoven through the characters lives. Each book shows how surrender to the Savior can change the most hardened heart. 

Julie Lessman is having a contest on her blog. Check it out:

 Here are my reviews of the other O'Connor books in the series:

A Passion Most Pure
A Passion Redeemed
A Passion Denied
A Hope Undaunted
A Heart Revealed
A Love Surrendered

Look Ahead, Look Back by Annette Laing

Hannah, her brother Alex and their friend Brandon feel that they are about to be transported back in time once again. They can't explain the feeling, they just see the signs. They don't know when it is going to happen though. When Brandon and Alex dig up a skeleton they know the time is getting closer. Hannah is tired of being transported to different time periods. She wishes they had more control about when they go. They have always felt secure in their travels because at some point they run into the Professor who guides them on their mission. But this time the Professor has disappeared!

The friends find themselves in 1752 London. Hannah manages to find work at an Inn, Alex is nowhere to be found and Brandon is now a white boy in the service of the local preacher turned missionary. Through a series of events they all find themselves in America. Alex is now black and a slave to Mr. Gordon who also holds servant papers for Hannah.

Determined to find out who the skeletal remains are, they must each adjust to their new lot in life. Alex(now called Cato) is now afraid of white men, as his owner has been known to be cruel to slaves as an example to other slaves. Likewise Brandon is afraid of the black slaves as he has heard about the rebellions against white owners.

Set in a time when slavery was just becoming legal in Georgia the 3 friends find themselves suffering along with their fellow slaves and wondering if the Professor will ever show up to transport them back to the 21st century.

I really like time travel books! I have really enjoyed the Snipesville Chronicles as each story is connected. Look Ahead, Look Back left many unanswered questions so I am going to assume that there will be another book in the series. I still get frustrated with Hannah's whining and her self-centeredness! I enjoy the historical facts in each story, it gives such a reality to each book. Learning about England shipping their prisoners to America and the slave trade was very educational, and having that history all interwoven into an exciting story made the book a fast and enjoyable read.

Read my review of Dr. Annette Laing's two other Snipesville books:
Don't Know Where, Don't Know When
A Different Day, A Different Destiny
And read a guest post by Dr. Laing in 2010 on my former blog My Only Vice HERE

Black Dawn by Rachel Caine

The draug have come to Morganville!

For the desert town of Morganville the recent torrential rains have brought the Vampires worst enemy to town. For the Vampires the draug have set up pools to feed on them. The draug prefer to feed on vampires, but they can make do with humans also.

As always Michael, Eve, Shane and Claire are all right in the middle of the action. Claire is helping Myrnin find something that will kill off the draug. They must find something because the main draug is after Claire. She is the only one that can see his form clearly. She is a threat to Magnus and he is determined to kill her once again.

While Amalie lays dying, the fight to take over her rule of Morganville is being played out. Oliver has set himself up to take care of Amalie, but make no mistake, he knows that when Amalie dies he will take her place as the ruler of the town. But Amalie's sister Naomi has a different thought. She too wants control, and neither one of them plan on extending the humans as many rights as Amalie has. Morganville is about to change.

Wow! I don't know how Rachel Caine does it, but each new installment of The Morganville Vampire series leaves me wanting the next one! The tension of fighting The draug, the humor between Claire and her friends, and the romance between Michael and Eve, and Claire and Shane keep the reader busy turning the pages. I would think, "I'll stop reading at the end of this chapter" and at the end of the chapter I would have to continue reading to find out what happened next. Speaking of romance! Oh my goodness! Michael and Eve are having some issues, but they always seem to have issues. And who wouldn't have issues if your fiance just tried to kill you in a wild feeding frenzy? Claire and Shane need each other! I'm not talking sexually, although there is a little bit of that(nothing graphic thank goodness), they need each other emotionally. It's like they survive for each other. The next book in the series, Bitter Blood, comes out in November and I can't wait. Black Dawn ended with so many loose ends needing to be tied up. What is to become of Morganville and it's inhabitants now?