Author: remaininhislove

About

When a Warning Siren Screams in the Desert Night, 
the Worst Has Happened

After turning out plutonium for the Cold War, the shuttered Hanford Nuclear Facility’s poisoned buildings may be a bigger risk than ever. The men who guard the facility from sabotage or monitor its buildings are told the dangers are under control. But then the worst happens–a thunderous explosion in the dead of night.

Kieran Mullaney survived the blast, but when threats and silence meet his attempts to discover what really happened, he reconnects with an old friend–inexperienced lawyer Emily Hart. Convinced Hanford is hiding something, they also realize their case is sunk without more help. 

Emily’s estranged father, Ryan, has the courtroom experience they need, but he’s grown jaded and weary of the profession. Still, it’s a chance to rebuild ties to Emily, and the deeper he digs, the stranger–and more dangerous–the case gets.

Review

Let me just start off first by saying that this isn’t the kind of novel that I usually read. But I liked it. Crictical Reaction is kind of like the film A Civil Action. You’ve got this town Hanford where you just know something shady is going on, but proving it is almost impossible. With odds like these, I was very much excited to see how it would all go down. 

First off, there was definite suspense. I will admit to being lost in some of the details of nuclear physics, but I got the points. It’s not quite a mystery because you know who the bad guys are, but watching Emily, Poppy, Kieran, and Ryan unravel it still keeps you on the edge of your seat. 

I really liked the father-daughter angle of the novel. To see Ryan’s love and protectiveness of Emily and to watch her get to know her father again really worked well in this book. I’m generally a romance only reader, but I liked seeing the growth in their relationship and I found it to be something that kept the pages turning.

The best part of the novel? the trial. Though it helps that I’m a lawyer, I think people just love a good legal novel with motions being filed, objections raised, and interesting witnesses. This one really delivers. I really honed in on that trial and it was probably the best part of the book for me.

I will say that there were a lot of characters and at times, some were more interesting then others, but overall a this book was a very enjoyable read, exceeding my expectations. 

Romantic Scale: 4

**I received this novel from BethanyHouse. My opinion was not affected in any way.**

About

Beowulf—a hulky, brindle-coated bullmastiff—is the only “boy” for Timbrel Hogan. And she has a history to remind her why. But when Timbrel, a handler at A Breed Apart, embarks on a mission to detect WMDs in Afghanistan, she reunites with Tony “Candyman” VanAllen and her no-other-man philosophy is challenged. While tension mounts between Timbrel and Tony, the team comes under fire after Beowulf gets a “hit.” When tragedy threatens Tony’s career and Timbrel’s courage, they must maneuver through an intricate plot and a mission like no other. . . .

Review

The Mission: Intense. The action is fast-paced and gripping and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I was thoroughly engrossed in Tony’s and Timbrel’s mission. Probably less so in the bad guys. Tony and Timbrel were so engaging to me that I wanted to skip over anything that interrupted their story. I am in awe of the way Ms. Kendig creates these missions for the team and how it all seems to come full circle in its own way. It reads as very realistic and never once have I felt that her novels were phony (I say this with authority, does it matter where it comes from? lol)

The Romance: Frustrating (in both a good and bad way). I loved Tony. He made sense to me. Even when he had clear flaws, I only wanted to root for him. The way he chased after Timbrel almost had me swooning. Timbrel. Um…girlfriend was a bit crazy. She would do things, and I would wonder why. And then we would get an explanation for why she is the way she is. And then I would be like okay I understand. And then she would do something again that was abominably rude (I will admit that rudeness is my pet peeve, this may or may not have influenced my reactions to her) and I would be like I don’t know about you girl. And then! Then, there was a chance, I thought that she could totally redeem herself by treating Tony the way he treated her. And that didn’t work out quite the way I wanted. Yet, Timbrel never crossed the line where I plain didn’t like her. She may have been standing right on the line with a foot in the air, but she didn’t cross it. I said all this to say, that when you have a great man and a cantankerous woman, it makes for a romance that leaves me wondering if these people’s relationship would really last ten years from now. Things were resolved, but I felt like some issues still needed to be resolved. 

The Spiritual Things: Awesome. To a certain degree, Tony is a stand in for Jesus in the way that he loves Timbrel in spite of her ways and chases her down when she clearly doesn’t want to be caught. When Timbrel is finally caught (by the Lord!), it’s a beautiful thing and a beautiful transition (even if a bit slow). There is also a theme of learning to trust God when plans have been changed. 

Overall: Success! Captures you from the first page and you won’t stop thinking about the characters. If you’ve read the other books in this series, you must read this one (And if you haven’t started the series yet, you’re missing out!)

Romantic Scale: 8.7

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

About

Happily Ever After …Or Happily Nevermore? 
Gisela’s childhood was filled with laughter and visits from nobles such as the duke and his young son. But since her father’s death, each day has been filled with nothing but servitude to her stepmother. So when Gisela learns the duke’s son, Valten—the boy she has daydreamed about for years—is throwing a ball in hopes of finding a wife, she vows to find a way to attend, even if it’s only for a taste of a life she’ll never have. To her surprise, she catches Valten’s eye. Though he is rough around the edges, Gisela finds Valten has completely captured her heart. But other forces are bent on keeping the two from falling further in love, putting Gisela in more danger than she ever imagined.

Review

The Captive Maiden picks up about two years later after The Fairest Beauty. Only this time we’re in Valten’s head. I was so glad to see him get his own book. Somehow he managed to capture my attention even though his role was small in the previous novel. He doesn’t disappoint. I really liked Valten and I enjoyed seeing him develop over the course of the novel. His character made complete sense to me and he managed to read as the classic storybook hero without managing to seem silly.

 The Captive Maiden does a beautiful job of capturing the basics of the Cinderella’s story and still showing how Valten and Gisella could manage to fall for each other in a short period of time. The step-mother and step-sisters were cruel, but Gisela never failed to lack spirit. There is also another villain who is introduced and I will say that he wasn’t a very good villain. He just kept messing things up.

If there was anything I didn’t like about the novel, it would have to be some of the grandiose language. I thought the story had that fairytale feel and probably didn’t need language along the lines of ‘I must do away with the villain’ and  she is the “most beautiful, purest, loveliest maiden,” (these are not direct quotes). Sometimes it seemed a bit much. 

Spiritually, I loved the way Valten desired to have a purpose in life an d that he learned to put his faith in God first and himself second. I also liked that Gisela had to learn to care after years of training herself not to care. 

Overall, very good novel. Delicious fairytale. I hope there is another!

Romantic Scale: 9

I happen to own doubles of two Susan May Warren novels and in the spirit of Christmas, I would love to give them away! I will let you pick the book you want. Just leave a comment below with the name of the novel you want plus your email address. I will pick a random winner. The winner must live in the U.S. and respond within 48 hours of being notified of their win. The contest ends Dec 13th. Here are your choices:

                                  -or-

If no one wins the novel you want in this round, don’t worry there will be another!