Author: remaininhislove

One Viking woman. One God. One legendary journey to North America. 

In the tenth century, when pagan holy women rule the Viking lands, Gudrid turns her back on her training as a seeress to embrace Christianity. Clinging to her faith, she joins her husband, Finn, on a journey to North America. 

But even as Gudrid faces down murderous crewmen, raging sickness, and hostile natives, she realizes her greatest enemy is herself–and the secrets she hides might just tear her marriage apart. 

Almost five centuries before Columbus, Viking women sailed to North America with their husbands. God’s Daughter, Book One in the Vikings of the New World Saga, offers an expansive yet intimate look into the world of Gudrid Thorbjarnardottir–daughter-in-law of Eirik the Red, and the first documented European woman to have a child in North America.

Review

I haven’t really read very many books about the Vikings. And frankly, I know even less about their history, but when I finished this novel I felt like I was an expert.  Ms. Day does a fabulous job of weaving history seamlessly throughout her novel. I learned so much about that time and era. Most importantly (at least to me) Gudrid, the main character, was a woman of her times. She was strong and had her own mind, and yet worked within the rules of her system, in spite of the fact that she lived in a time when women were little more than chairs in a room. 

Gudrid is someone to be admired. She’s outlived a couple of husbands, she lives with Vikings, and she’s one of the few Christians in a pagan society. Let’s not forget that she is, apparently, every Viking man’s dream (and I don’t mean that sarcastically). In regards to the romance, I didn’t know who the author wanted me to root for until closer to the end of the novel. I know she’s married in the beginning and I always root for the husband, but they lived in dangerous times. I wasn’t sure if I should expect his death or what. That said, Gudrid is not a fickle woman who makes silly mistakes. She comes across as real, authentic, relatable, and a very trustworthy narrator. I liked Gudrid. And I was sad when her narration ended.

Spiritually, if you think it’s hard to be a Christian in this world, it must have been so hard for those who lived amongst out and out pagan societies and without a Bible. Gudrid’s faith in God is admirable. She never wavers no matter how hard things gets and she continues to trust in spite of the fact that no one else will believe God with her. The novel also portrays just how loving God is. Why would you want to serve another?

This novel isn’t written in the usual formulaic way. In some ways it’s a bit more gritty than most Christian romance (Vikings….that is all). I couldn’t put it down though, and I eagerly want to read more. Recommended!

Romantic scale: 8 (considering who she ends up with at the end)

About

For once, Ellie Sweet has it all together. Her hair now curls instead of fuzzes, she’s tamed the former bad-boy, Chase Cervantes (she has, right?), and her debut novel will hit shelves in less than a year. Even her ex-friends are leaving her alone. Well, except for Palmer Davis, but it can’t be helped that he works at her grandmother’s nursing home. 

Life should feel perfect. And yet, it’s not that easy. Ellie’s editor loves her, but the rest of the publishing biz? Not so much. And they’re not shy about sharing their distrust over Ellie’s unlikely debut. 

Ellie has always been able to escape reality in the pages of her novel, but with the stress of major edits and rocky relationships, her words dry up. In fiction, everything always comes together, but in real life, it seems to Ellie that hard work isn’t always enough, the people you love can’t always be trusted, and the dream-come-true of publishing her book could be the biggest mistake she’s made yet. 

Review

I so thoroughly enjoyed diving back into Ellie Sweet’s life. I could not put this book down and it stayed with me for days! Ellie Sweet is a fantastic YA heroine. In a world of silly girls who make silly decisions, Ellie Sweet is a breath of fresh air. 

I really enjoyed The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet and wondered what Ms. Morrill would do to keep me interested in her life. Well, wonder no longer. Ellie has a couple things on her plate in this novel: dealing with her boyfriend (and her ex), learning what it’s like to be a published author, and dealing with family and friend drama. She handles it all beautifully. She’s such a likeable character (even more so than book 1) and really handles her problems well. Usually I read these YA novels and I’m like high school was not like that when I went, but reading about Ellie Sweet reminded that not everyone is what the secular world portrays. She was familiar. I knew that girl (to a certain extent I was that girl minus the book deal and the love triangle :)) And I thought she particularly handled the love triangle that is still in this book (bet you thought that was over with book 1). I hate love triangles, but I liked the way Ellie dealt with hers. 

What I didn’t like about this book [possible Spoiler Alert]: the guy Ellie is with in the end! I could not believe who she ended up with. Sure the guy who was rejected had flaws, but he seemed real and authentic in a way that the other guy didn’t. The other guy was boring and predictable. I’ve met him in other books and frankly, I wasn’t convinced Ellie wanted to be with him either. I thought she should have said that she would rather be single then end up with him. Whereas my guy? The one she should have ended up with? Was the one who made the pages sizzle. I loved reading about him because he was different and I felt like he loved her so much, but he just had a lot on the table. He was the guy who would have rocked Ellie’s world. The other guy….yeah.

So, please Ms. Morrill, if you read this write a book three because a) Ellie is awesome and I love reading about her and b) she needs to leave what’s his face and get with what’s his face (you know who I’m talking about!).

Spiritually, this novel has Ellie going to church and she does apologize to a group of people, but honestly this reads as clean YA as opposed to Christian fiction (no overt messages of Christianity). That said, very enjoyable.

Romantic scale: 9 (with my guy)

Romantic scale: 7 (with the guy she ended up with)

 

Captain Dean Watters keeps his mission and his team in the forefront of his laser-like focus. So when Dean’s mission and team are threatened, his Special Forces training kicks into high gear. Failing to stop 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, compromising the US military, Dean is forced to crack the lockbox around his heart—a move that might come at the highest cost.

Gisela Cramer is an American living in eastern Germany with her cousin Ella Reinhardt. When the Red Army invades, they must leave their home to escape to safety in Berlin.

However, Ella is a nurse and refuses to leave, sending her young daughters with Gisela. During their journey, Gisela meets Mitch Edwards, an escaped British POW. She pretends she is his wife in order to preserve his safety among other Germans, especially one wounded German soldier, Kurt, who has suspicions about Mitch’s identity. Kurt also has feelings for Gisela and tries to uncover the truth about her “marriage.”

Their journey to Gisela’s mother in Berlin is riddled with tragedy and hardship, but they strive to keep Ella’s daughters safe so they can reunite with their mother. During the journey Gisela and Mitch begin to develop feelings for one another beyond friendship. They reach Berlin, but their struggles are far from over. Gisela and Mitch must learn to live for the day and find hope in the darkest of circumstances.

In this moving, historically accurate portrayal of WWII Germany, the characters learn that, even with destruction all around them, some things last forever.

Seventeen-year-old slave girl, Nym, should not exist. In a world where Elementals are only born male, and always killed at birth, she is an anomaly at best. At worst, people around her die.

When a court emissary identifies her weather-manipulating ability as a weapon, Nym is purchased and put to work honing her skills. With time running out for the kingdom of Faelen, Nym might be all that stands between it and the technologically-advanced horror racing down upon them—not to mention the rumored reemergence of the monstrous shapeshifter, Draewulf. But some elements even she can’t control.

Nym must decide whom to trust as she’s unleashed into a world of assassins, changelings, and political betrayal surrounding a young king fighting for his throne, a tired nation that has forgotten its calling, and her handsome tutor whose dark secrets could destroy both her people and her heart.

Today. Sera James spends most of her time arranging auctions for the art world’s elite clientele. When her search to uncover an original portrait of an unknown Holocaust victim leads her to William Hanover III, they learn that this painting is much more than it seems.

Vienna, 1942. Adele Von Bron has always known what was expected of her. As a prodigy of Vienna’s vast musical heritage, this concert violinist intends to carry on her family’s tradition and play with the Vienna Philharmonic. But when the Nazis learn that she helped smuggle Jews out of the city, Adele is taken from her promising future and thrust into the horrifying world of Auschwitz.

The veil of innocence is lifted to expose a shuddering presence of evil, and Adele realizes that her God-given gift is her only advantage; she must play. Becoming a member of the Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz, she fights for survival. Adele’s barbed-wire walls begin to kill her hope as the months drag into nearly two years in the camp. With surprising courage against the backdrop of murder and despair, Adele finally confronts a question that has been tugging at her heart: Even in the midst of evil, can she find hope in worshipping God with her gift?

As Sera and William learn more about the subject of the mysterious portrait—Adele—they are reminded that whatever horrors one might face, God’s faithfulness never falters.

Melanie and Will Connors seem like the perfect couple, but their marriage only looks good on the outside, having withered inside from a lack of intimacy.

The barriers Melanie faces to intimacy are hidden in her past—a misguided tryst with a trusted friend of her father’s, a pattern of promiscuity as a teen, empty relationships in early adulthood. The only way Melanie sees to save herself from herself is to turn off her desires—even in her marriage.

Will insists they either work on the marriage—or work on the divorce. Their attempt at restoration occurs in the midst of a New Hampshire presidential primary that is rocked by violent protests and razor-sharp character assassinations. For the first time, their marriage begins to feel like a safe place.

As Melanie tries to sort through her own past, she sees her 16-year-old daughter’s head turned by a charismatic older man on Will’s campaign team. Can Melanie sift through her own rubble and find the voice to help guide her daughter—and possibly find the joy that God intended for her marriage?

 

Are there any in particular you’re looking forward to? I can’t wait to read the Ronie Kendig and I’m sure the Liz Tolsma novel will be good. The novel by Mary Weber seems really intriguing and I really like Kristy Cambron’s cover. I’m familiar with Shannon Ethridge’s nonfiction, but none of her fiction. Seems like it’s going to be a great year in books next year!

Happy Veterans Day! Thank you to the many men and women who have served our country! I thought I would list some authors who write great military fiction:

Roseanna M. White (Revolutionary War and War of 1812)

Laura Frantz (Revolutionary War)

Margaret Daley (War of 1812-From This Day Forward)

Lynn Austin (Civil War)

Gilbert Morris (Civil War & others)

Maureen Lang (WWI)

Sarah Sundin (WWII)

Bodie & Brock Thoene (WWII)

Lori Wick (WWII, Every Storm)

Cathy West (Vietnam War)

1990s on- 

L.K. Malone

Ronie Kendig

Gayle Roper

Dee Henderson

 

 

If you know of any other fantastic military fiction, please list a few!

 

About

After years of watching his children and grandchildren wander from their faith, Iddo’s prayers are answered: King Cyrus is allowing God’s chosen people to return to Jerusalem. Jubilant, he joyfully prepares for their departure, only to learn that his family, grown comfortable in the pagan culture of Babylon, wants to remain. 

Zechariah, Iddo’s oldest grandson, feels torn between his grandfather’s ancient beliefs and the comfort and success his father enjoys in Babylon. But he soon begins to hear the voice of God, encouraging him to return to the land given to his forefathers. 

Bringing to life the biblical books of Ezra and Nehemiah, Return to Me tells the compelling story of Iddo and Zechariah, the women who love them, and the faithful followers who struggle to rebuild their lives in obedience to the God who beckons them home.

Review

In Return to Me, Lynn Austin brings to life the hardships and joys that the Jewish people went through in building the temple after captivity in Babylon. I thought she did a wonderful job capturing what most likely was a way a lot of people felt at the time in regards to building that temple. There is Iddo who wants it more than anything, Dinah who just wants her family together, Zaki who is learning to love God, and Yael who is seduced by the false gods of Babylon. Some many personalities, yet you never get lost in them. 

I found the story to be unique and creative, yet it was fun to see certain scriptures in the Bible come to life and to realize that the names on the pages of my Bible weren’t just characters in a story, but real people who lived through real, often horrendous, events.

The only thing that was a bit jarring about the novel was the timeline. Almost seventy percent of the novel takes place in one year and then the last thirty percent covers almost 20 years. Things speed up fast. Understandable of course, research wise, but as a novel it felt like it jumped a bit. 

For romance lovers, there is a bit of a romance. The foundation is set up from the beginning, and you can see it, but it does suffer a bit from the time gap because it sort of just happens. That said, the romance is not the focus of the novel so it’s not much of a problem. 

Spiritually, this novel is incredibly rich. It deals with obedience to God, forgiveness, getting rid of idols in your life, learning to trust God, and how God can use ordinary people to do extraordinary things. 

Overall, very well written and intriguing. I read this novel faster than I thought I would and walked away with a wealth of information about God’s people. Recommended, particularly if you love Biblical history.

Romantic Scale: 5

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

I have shown some of these covers before but without their descriptions. Which one sounds like the one you want to read most? I’m looking forward to Becky Wade’s and Dani Pettrey’s novels (most likely because they are part of a series)!

Ty Porter has always been irresistible to Celia Park. All through high school–irresistible. When their paths cross again after college–stillirresistible. This time, though, Ty feels 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 anybody’s husband. As a professional bull rider, he lives on the road and can’t bring himself to settle down.

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 face of the one woman he couldn’t forget and into the face of the child he never knew he had. 

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

When Nicole Renard returns home to Galveston from an eastern finishing school, she’s stunned to find her father in ill health. Though she loves him, he’s only ever focused on what she’s not. Not male. Not married. Not able to run their family business, Renard Shipping.

Vowing to secure a suitable marriage partner, Nicole sets out with the Renard family’s greatest treasure: a dagger personally gifted to Nicole’s father by the pirate Jean Lafitte. Many believe the legend that the dagger is the source of all Renard Shipping’s good fortune, though Nicole is sure her father’s work ethic and honorable business practices are the keys to their success. Before she can board the steamer to New Orleans, Nicole finds her father’s rivals–the Jenkins brothers–on either side of the gangplank, ready to grab her and steal the dagger. Quickly, she decides to instead travel north, to Liberty, Texas, where she can decide what to do next.

Darius Thornton needs a secretary–someone to help him get his notes in order. Ever since the boiler explosion aboard the Louisiana, Darius has been a man obsessed. He will do anything to stop even one more steamship disaster. The pretty young socialite who applies for the job baffles him with her knowledge of mathematics and steamships. He decides to take a risk and hire her, but he’s determined her attractive face and fancy clothes won’t distract him from his important research.

The job offer comes at exactly the right time for Nicole. With what Darius is paying her, she’ll be able to afford passage to New Orleans in mere weeks. But Mr. Thornton is so reclusive, so distant, so unusual. He can create complex scientific equations but can’t remember to comb his hair. And his experiments are growing more and more dangerous. Still, there are undeniable sparks of attraction between them. But Nicole is leaving soon, and if she marries, it must be to a man who can manage a shipping empire. Darius certainly doesn’t fit that description. And the Jenkins brothers have not given up on kidnapping Nicole and seizing the Lafitte dagger for themselves.

Tina Cahill, newly arrived from the East, is determined to get the saloon in Broken Wheel, Texas, closed for good. To that end, she pickets outside the place every afternoon. Unfortunately, so far no one has paid any attention.

Vince Yates earned the nickname “Invincible Vince” because of his reputation for letting absolutely nothing stop him. Not his tyrant of a father. Nor the injuries he suffered in the Civil War. Nor the fact that he is Broken Wheel’s only attorney and sheriff yet has no law degree.

But Vince is about to face his biggest challenge yet: his past has just caught up with him. His father, mother, and the sister he didn’t know he had show up in Broken Wheel without warning. His father is still a schemer. His mother is suffering signs of dementia. And his surprise sister immediately falls for one of Vince’s best friends. Vince has a lot of people to take care of, and Tina doesn’t approve of how he’s handling any of them. But with almost all the other men in town married off, Vince finds himself stuck with feisty Tina over and over again. Of course, Tina is the prettiest woman he’s ever seen, so if he could just get her to give up her causes, he might go ahead and propose. But he’s got one more surprise coming his way: Tina’s picketing at the saloon has revealed a dark secret that could put everyone Vince loves in danger.

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

Kayden and Jake soon realize that the death was no accident. And worse, it seems the killer is on to 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.

When asked what he does for a living, Commander Mark Bishop is deliberately low-key: “I’m in the navy.”

But commanding the ballistic missile submarine USS Nevada, keeping its crew trained and focused during 90-day submerged patrols, and being prepared to launch weapons on valid presidential orders, carries a burden of command like few other jobs in the military. Mark Bishop is a man who accepts that responsibility, and carries it well. And at a time when tensions are escalating in the Pacific Rim, the navy is glad to have him.

Mark wants someone to come home to after sea patrols. The woman he has in mind is young, pretty, and very smart. She’s a civilian, but she understands life in the navy. And he has a strong sense that life with her would never be boring. But she may be too deep in her work to see the potential in a relationship with him.

Gina Gray would love to be married. She has always envisioned her life that way. But a breakup she didn’t see coming has her focusing all her attention on what she does best–ocean science research. She’s on the cusp of a breakthrough, and she needs Mark Bishop’s perspective and help. Because what she’s told the navy she’s figured out is only the beginning. If she’s right, submarine warfare is about to enter a new and dangerous chapter…

Two years ago, Zayne Beckett’s departure from New York City to meet up with his almost-fiance caused Agatha Watson no small amount of grief. So he is the last person she wanted to stumble upon in her travels as a reporter with the New York Tribune. Looking worse for the wear, he clearly needs to be taken in hand and taken back East to his family. Even though she’s over him, Agatha can’t help feeling sorry for him and realizes she’ll have to be the one to get the stubborn man back home.

Zayne has no desire to be taken anywhere. Content to sit and mope over his recent bad fortune and the desertion of his not-quite-fiance, he’s prepared to drag his heels all the way back to New York. That is, until he and Agatha find themselves slipping back into the strangely enjoyable bickering and bantering of their old friendship.

It isn’t until they arrive in New York City that Zayne realizes Agatha’s determined nose for news has earned her a few enemies. When his attempts to repay her for helping him go sadly awry, Agatha proves herself just as stubborn as Zayne. Everyone else may think them a match, but nothing could be further from the truth–until Agatha finds herself in real trouble. Have these two stubborn, too-smart-for-their-own-good people been meant for each other all along?

Blake Hunziker has played nomad for five years and landed in his fair share of trouble too. But now he’s finally returning to his hometown–the Lake Michigan tourist town of Whisper Shore. Counting on a not-so-warm welcome, he’s surprised at not only a positive reception but also a job offer. Determined to settle down and prove himself responsible, he agrees to the catch that comes with the job offer–coordinating the annual Christmas festival–even though he has no idea how he’ll pull it off. 

Autumn Kingsley, inn owner and experienced organizer of the Christmas festival, has always dreamed of traveling the world. Now she has a job opportunity in Paris and a surprise potential investor coming to town who just might take on her family’s inn and finally leave her free to go. The only problem is that she has just two weeks to whip the inn into shape.

Their families have a long history of not getting along, but when Blake comes to Autumn for help with the festival, she actually agrees…in exchange for his help with the repairs to her inn. They may have struck a simple deal, but complications are quick to pile on when the guy who’s had enough of running away and the woman who can’t wait to leave join forces.