Review of A Matter of Grave Concern

Synopsis:

Maximilian Wilder leaves all he knows back home to come to London in search of his missing half sister Madeline. He joins a local body snatchers group known as the London Supply Company in hopes they can lead them to her. However, instead he meets a woman by the name of Abigail Hale, the daughter of a local surgeon at Aldersgate School of Medicine.

All Abigail Hale has ever wanted to be is a surgeon like her father so when an epidemic comes where it is hard to get cadavers for the school the only thing she can think to do is hire body snatchers. However, things don't go as smoothly as she would like and she ends getting caught by Max. Max convinces Abigail to go along with his plans in exchange for her release and to get her money returned.

Will Max's secret come out which could risk both his and Abigail's safety? Can Abigail remain calm so that she can return to her father's safe keeping or will she start to fall for Max.

My review:

I received this book courtesy of Brenda Novak and Netgalley.

This is my second historical romance that I have read of Brenda's and this book did not disappoint. I thought this book had a great mix of romance, mystery and suspense. It had me hooked from the beginning and held me until the end.

I think that Brenda did a good job of developing the backstory of both of the characters and also the surroundings of the story. I really felt like it was the 1860's. Being a female I would have liked to see Abigail stand up for her self more to the men but then I also remembered that in that time period that was not heard of.

Can't wait to read more of Brenda's historical romances!

Review of A Moment in Time by Tracie Peterson

A Moment in Time by Tracie Peterson

Alice Chesterfield has always been in fear of being hurt again after being attacked and left with a devastating scar. However along with fear she feels betrayed when she learns that her mother and brother are still alive and that they never came back for her.   So when the opportunity arises that allows her to move to Texas with her friend Marty she jumps on it. Will Alice be able to move forward from her past and be able to trust again?

Robert Barnett has always wanted a ranch of his own and a family. So when Alice Chesterfield shows up with his Aunt Marty he finally feels like it might be a possibility. However, there is a problem for Robert because he is promised to another girl by the name of Jessica. Will he go against his families wishes and follow his heart? Will he be able to show Alice that she is more than a girl with a scar?

My Review:

I am a huge fan of historical fiction so when I saw that Bethany House was offering this as an advance reader copy for its reader I jumped on the opportunity. I felt that the book was a little slow moving in the beginning and I wasn't sure which character the book was going to follow. The author in my opinion spent too much time in the Denver setting then she needed to before she had them move to Texas.

In addition, I felt that in the first part of the book there were two different story lines going on rather than one. She focused on Marty's story and Alice story rather than just one.. It seemed like the book was going to be more about Marty Wythe rather than Alice Chesterfield which is not what I understood it to be from reading the summary that was provided by Bethany House.

Once I got half way through the book I really started liking the book and couldn't put it down. I was excited to see what Tracie was going to do with all the characters. In the end I was happy with the way she ended the book and was glad that I read it. I am actually very interested in reading the first book in this series to learn more about Marty and her husband Jake who were also another main characters in this book.

This book was a good read and I would recommend it to other christian readers to take a look at. I wouldn't say it is my favorite book from Tracie but it was still a decent read.

Review of Fast Track by Julie Garwood

Fast Track 

by Julie Garwood

Summary:
For Cordelia Kane it has always been just her father and her. However, that changes when her father mutters the words "your mother is still alive" to her before he passes on. Now everything in her life seems to not feel right. So with the help from her current and past friends she takes a trip to Sydney, Australia to confront the woman who left her behind and never looked back. On top of that her tour guide on her trip is her long time crush Aiden Madison. Will Cordelia be able to face her estranged mother? Can she keep her feelings for Aiden hidden?

Aiden Madison has always been the business man always on the run and never giving himself a moment to think about anything else but work. However, that all changes when he offers to help Cordelia confront her mother. He realizes that she maybe something more than just a friend and that he will do anything to protect her.

My Review:
Another great book from Julie Garwood. This is the second book that I have read in this series by Garwood. I was excited to see previous characters incorporated in this series. However, what I really liked about this book was that she included romance, mystery and suspense in the book.

In addition, I really liked that how she developed the romance between Cordelia and Aiden through out the book. She didn't have them fall into each others arms right away. She really showed how a how their relationship would develop. In addition she did a great job of showing how a strong woman like Cordelia could hold her own against a strong willed know it all man.

Lastly, I enjoyed the friendships that Cordelia had with her two girl friends Sophia and Regan and their husbands Alec and Jack. I thought Julie did a good job of showing how friends can really be there for a person in a time of need. It also added comedy and laughter to the story!

This was a great book in the series and I can't wait to read more from her. I am hoping the next book will involve Walker because I would like to learn more about him and his past. She did a good job of peeking my interest in his story!

Review Angels Walking (Book One) by Karen Kingsbury

Angels Walking 
by Karen Kinsbury

Ember and Beck, two of the elite Angels who are part of the Angels Walking Squad are sent on a mission to earth to help Tyler Ames and Sami Dawson find their way to their ultimate purpose. Failure is not an option as their success in this mission will set the actions in motions for future missions to come.

Tyler hsa everything he has always wanted: a perfect pitching streak, a chance at the major leagues, and adoring fans. However, in one split second things change when he badly injures his pitching arm and his life seems to start to unravel. Will Tyler make it back it through this difficult time and return to the minor leagues or will God show him the way of what he is truly meant to do.

Sami Dawson has a everything a girl could ask for a great job, a loving boyfriend and a best friend who she can count on. However, for some reason she feels like something is missing in her life. That is until one day she reads a story in the newspaper about Tyler and his accident. Will Sami choose to stay on the path that she has mapped out for herself or will she be directed in to a different path that someone else has laid for her.

Will Ember and Beck be able to complete their mission so that the future Angel Walking Squad can complete the Ultimate mission? You will have to read the book to find out that answer....


My Review:

I am a huge Karen Kingsbury fan so I was very excited to see that she was starting a new series. I think that she did a great job of developing the characters and storyline. In addition, I think she did a great job of researching the life of a baseball player.  She really showed the struggles that they can go through when their dreams don't necessarily turn out the way that they thought they would.

This story was very well written and she did a great job incorporating God, Faith, Hope and Love all i to one book. It didn't seem that this book was unrealistic or not true to life.  I can truly say that i wasn't disappointed at all with this book. It kept me interested from start to finish. Lastly, I liked that she incorporated religion but that it didn't overwhelm the story where it can make it annoying. I felt she had a happy medium through out the whole story. I am very interested to see what story comes next in this series.