Month: May 2014

Posted in Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense

Silenced Blog Tour and Giveaway!

Posted on by remaininhislove

About
A relaxing day of rock climbing takes a disturbing turn when Kayden McKenna’s route brings her face-to-face with a dead climber. Is it a terrible accident or something darker? When the case is handed to overburdened sheriff Landon Grainger, he turns to Jake Westin for help. With Jake’s past now revealed, he’s ready to use his talent for investigation again–but he could never prepare for where the mystery will take him.

Kayden’s climbing expertise soon leads her and Jake to the realization that the death was no accident. And worse, it seems the killer is onto them. When strange things begin happening in Yancey, Jake is terrified that once again his world may put someone he loves in danger. But the truth is far worse than he could ever imagine.

Review
I have been looking forward to this book almost since the first one came out. And it did not disappoint! Here’s my thoughts:

What I liked:

The novel starts off with a bang. And then it doesn’t let up. At no point in the novel did I feel like putting it down and doing something else. The writing is compelling, the mystery intriguing, and the romance on point.

The romance. I’ve been watching Kayden and Jake since day one and I am very pleased with how their story came together. One thing I’ve noticed in series like these, is that the author runs the risk of having the male characters all seem the same or the females all come across as very similar. Not so with Kayden and Jake. They had distinct personalities in the other books and are well able to stay the same in this book. This of course means that their romance was a little different, a bit slower, but perfect for them. I was initially worried that with Kayden’s prickly personality that I would find her annoying in regards to Jake. But I didn’t, I found her endearing.

The mystery. Dani Pettrey writes my kind of mystery: not too complicated that I get lost in the details and yet you can still make guesses about what is going on.

The family. I love when the McKenna’s are together. Every scene where they work together is fun to read. And I do believe another McKenna has a story coming out. Here’s to looking at you Reef!

Spiritually, the major theme is dealing with fear and how it can keep you from living if you don’t trust God with it.

What I didn’t like:

Really nothing. It was a lot of fun to read.

Romantic Scale: 8.9

Overall, a very fun read you won’t want to put down!

**I received this novel from Netgalley. My opinion was not affected in anyway.**

Giveaway

Dani Pettrey has graciously offered to giveaway a copy of Silenced (that’s right, it’s free)! Just leave a comment below stating what you love about a Dani Pettrey novel (or why you would like to read one) with your email address. The winner must live in the US and be over the age of 18. You can make as many comments as you want, but only one comment will count towards the giveaway. A winner will be randomly selected. The winner must respond within 48 hours of being notified of their win. The contest ends May 30th!

Posted in Contemporary

Becky Wade’s Meant to Be Mine

Posted on by remaininhislove
About

Ty Porter has always been irresistible to Celia Park. All through high school–irresistible. When their paths cross again after college–still irresistible. This time, though, Ty seems to feel exactly the same way about Celia. Their whirlwind romance deposits them at a street-corner Las Vegas wedding chapel.

The next morning they wake to a marriage certificate and a dose of cold reality. Celia’s ready to be Ty’s wife, but Ty’s not ready to be her husband. He’s a professional bull rider, he lives on the road, and he’s long planned to settle down with the hometown girl he’s known since childhood.

Five and a half years pass. Celia’s buried her dreams so that she can afford to raise her daughter. Ty’s achieved all of his goals. Or thought he had, until he looks again into the eyes of the woman he couldn’t forget and into the face of the child he never knew he had.

How much will Ty sacrifice to win back Celia’s trust and prove to her that their spontaneous marriage can still become the love of a lifetime?

Review

Being an avid reader of Christian romance, I will say that most Contemporary Christian Romance novels have a tendency to feel contrived to me. Problems usually feel created. But not so with Becky Wade! I love her writing and My Stubborn Heart is one of my favorite novels of all times. But, now, here are my thoughts for this one:

What I liked:

The beginning. It completely pulled me in and allowed me to become totally invested in Celia. Rarely, and I do mean rarely, do I connect with a heroine as much as I connected with Celia. Even Ty couldn’t pull me all the way over to his side.

The premise. It is not often that you have in a Christian novel, hidden babies. I was super excited to see it here even though there really isn’t a good reason to hide a kid from his/her dad. But, it worked here! I got why Celia didn’t tell Ty about their daughter.

I love stories that deal with parents falling in love with their children. Watching Ty get to know his daughter was so sweet. I also liked when the Porter clan was introduced to his daughter.

Ty. I liked that Ty was not like other heroes. He didn’t make up his mind right away about Celia and that really added some extra anxiety to the story.

The romance. It was slow, but it had a nice simmer to it. And I must say, love is nicely portrayed in a Becky Wade novel. It’s giving, it’s compromising, it’s putting someone else first. Beautifully done.

Spiritually, there is this great theme of forgiveness and what that really looks like. I thought Celia’s learning to follow God and letting go of the past was realistically portrayed. Her reactions came across as genuine and really understandable. There’s also something to be said about obedience here. I think Ms. Wade does a wonderful job with the spiritual message of not being too subtle as to have you wonder if this is a Christian novel, and yet the messages are not so overpowering so as to not fit the tone of the novel.

What I didn’t like:

Ty. This might be confusing because I liked that Ty was different. But, he was so confused about his feelings about Celia. And it’s not that that is a bad thing per se, but I didn’t trust him anymore than Celia did. I liked Ty, I just didn’t understand Ty.

Romantic scale: 9

Overall, very cute, original, fun, and romantic.

**I received this novel from Netgalley. My opinion was not affected in anyway.**

Posted in Uncategorized

Ronie Kendig’s Raptor 6

Posted on by remaininhislove

About

Captain Dean Watters keeps his mission and his team in the forefront of his laser-like focus. So when these two things are threatened by hackers, Dean’s Special Forces training kicks into high gear. Failing to stop the hackers from stealing national security secrets from the military’s secure computers and networks isn’t an option. Zahrah Zarrick is a missionary teacher to Afghan children in Mazar-e Sharif. And a target. When Zahrah is captured because of her expertise in quantum cryptology, endangering the US national security, Dean is forced to crack the lockbox around his heart—a move that might come at the highest cost.

Review

If you have read Ronie Kendig’s A Breed Apart series, than you’ve been introduced to Dean Watters. I was really excited to see him (and his men) get his own story. Let me just start off by saying I have read every book that Ms. Kendig has written, but I found this book to be very different than the others. And it was almost as though it had two very different parts. Here’s my thoughts:

What I liked:

Not that I’ve been in the military and certainly not to the Middle East, but it felt real. Nothing about this book sugarcoated the military or glossed over various actions. I felt like I knew exactly what it was like to serve as an American soldier in the Middle East. Ms. Kendig comes across as a very trustworthy author which means that her characters are equally trustworthy.

And speaking of reality, there are some serious things that happen in this novel and thought it was hard to read, I appreciated that the novel didn’t shy away from reality.

Zahrah. I love that she is a woman of color who brings with her a culture of her own. She’s both American and Afghani, and it is so nice to read about someone who is a bit different in a Christian novel. Not to mention that she really is a great heroine. She’s such a brilliant woman and yet she gives of her time and energy in service. I also like how she thinks and reacts to situations around her, she’s so much more focused on the bigger picture.

Dean Watters. I liked him too. Usually I say people with his hang-ups need to get over themselves, but this guy has been through a lot. Oh Dean. The things he suffered and not just for himself but for others. My heart just went out to him.

Papa Z. He’s a character. Keep your eye on this one.

Spiritually, for me, this book shows that God will do a lot to reach us and that we just have to keep focused on the greater plan even when all the small things look to be going south.

What I didn’t like:

Okay, so this is hard because I don’t want to give a thing a way. Let me just say that though I liked Zahrah and Dean together in the beginning, but I failed to be invested in their romance and wondered why everyone else in the novel was. I kind of put the book on the shelf, a bit frustrated with the insta-love I felt like I was being sold.

Then the second half of the novel started. And I became a believer.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was engaging, different, fascinating, kept you on the edge-of-your-seat, original, etc. I’m already a fan of Ronie Kendig, but she took me to new heights with this one. I can’t wait to read the next one!

Romantic Scale:8.5

**I received this novel from Netgalley. My opinion was not affected in anyway.**