Rebecca Reviews ~ Along a Storied Trail by Ann H. Gabhart

Paperback, 384 pages | June 1st 2021 | Fleming H. Revell Company

Kentucky packhorse librarian Tansy Calhoun doesn't mind the rough trails and long hours as she serves her Appalachian mountain community during the Great Depression. Yet she longs to find love like the heroines in her books. When a charming writer comes to town, she thinks she might have found it--or is the perfect man actually closer than she thinks?

Perdita Sweet has called these mountains home for so long she's nearly as rocky as the soil around her small cabin. Long ago she thought she could love, but when the object of her affection up and married someone else, she stopped giving too much of herself away to others.

As is so often the case, it's easier to see what's best for others than to see what's best for oneself, and Perdita knows who Tansy should choose. But why would anyone listen to the romantic advice of an old spinster?

Saddle up for a heartfelt story of love--love of family, love of place, and the love of a lifetime--from bestselling author Ann H. Gabhart.

____________________________________________________________________

Rebecca's Review ~ 4 STARS

"Would that be how Tansy ended up? An old lady in a lonesome cabin . . .Youngsters then might be sharing Aunt Tansy stories. Could they already be talking about that crazy book woman, even though they were glad to see her coming."

That crazy book woman . . . they had the book woman part right, but crazy? Tansy Calhoun loved her job as a packhorse librarian, serving the mountain people of eastern Kentucky, her people . . . even if they did agree with her father that she was "thinking above herself". She was only twenty years old, for goodness sake, and "she had a horse, access to more books than she had time to read, and money to keep food on her mother's table". And she had absolutely not been heartbroken over "Jeremy marrying Jolene. Never was any truth to that rumor along the mountain gossip grapevine". But when Caleb Barton returns from his job in Tennessee where he had been working for the Civilian Conservation Corps? That's when Tansy's "I'm perfectly happy the way things are" begins to shift. It might come down to the outlier or the chestnut trees; not surprisingly, Aunt Perdie has her own opinion about that!

This mountain tale is filled to the brim with colorful characters, delightful banter, and generational wisdom. But don't be fooled, beneath it all run undercurrents of grief, regrets, tough decisions and "confounded contentment" . . . which blend together perfectly into quite a "storied trail".

Senior Reviewer, Rebecca Maney

Rebecca is a graduate of Bryan College with a degree in Christian Education, and is currently serving at the First Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Gastonia, North Carolina as the Director of Children's Ministry. With over 30 years of experience in her field, she has had many opportunities to use her love of reading and writing in creative ways across the generations. A wife, mother of four "nearly" grown children, and grandmother to four beautiful grandchildren, Rebecca has been able to return to her love of reading and more recently reviewing, with a renewed passion for the "beauty of story".

Character & Book Spotlight for A New Beginning by Andrea Boyd + Giveaway!!!

What would your reaction be if you found out you were abducted at birth and the woman you have loved and known as mother for the last twenty years wasn’t really your mother? This was the question I asked myself while developing my Rapunzel character for A New Beginning. If you’ve seen Disney’s version of the story, you’ve seen Rapunzel falling into the arms of her long-lost parents, but would it really be that simple?

As with all retellings, I needed to put my own spin on the old story. I remembered an article I read years ago about Kamiyah Mobley, a girl who experienced this very thing. She didn’t find it all that easy to forget about the woman who raised her. Her story influenced mine.

In A New Beginning, Jasmine Callahan was stolen away from her parents at birth and raised as Acacia (Cacie) Martin by her abductor, Emilia Martin. When the truth comes out, Cacie clings to the woman who raised her, rejecting her original family.

When the story makes the news, she’s faced with life in the spotlight, which is a drastic contrast to what she’s used to. To make matters worse, Cacie's hat slips off during the court proceedings revealing twelve feet of hair, earning her the title of 'the modern-day Rapunzel' and bringing even more unwanted notoriety.

Now Emilia is serving time for her crimes and Cacie is warming up to the idea of getting to know her real family. In order to leave the past behind and embrace this new beginning, she'll need to make a few changes—starting with a haircut.

And here’s where the hero, Drake Derian, comes in.

Drake isn’t your typical hero. For one thing, he’s a hairdresser. Lot’s of turning points brought him to where he is today. His mother died when he was five. After her death, he spent life in one foster home after another, adding his own brand of trouble along the way.

Things changed with his last foster mom. Bonita Adams introduced him to Jesus, sent him to college, and gave him a job in her salon. Drake uses his skills on the rich and famous as well as the downtrodden. (Some of my inspiration for this hero came from this video for Some People Do by Old Dominion.)

Life takes another turn for Drake the day Cacie shows up for her first haircut. But the best way to find out about that experience is to read the story for yourself. A New Beginning is part of the Once Upon A Summer collection. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!

 ~GIVEAWAY~

Enter to win this fun summer bundle perfect for your relaxing summer reading! Includes a $10 Amazon gift card (snag a copy of Once Upon a Summer if you'd like!), mesh tote bag, tumbler, and cute sunglasses! Open to readers in the US. 

Enter to win at  http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/764869f8100/

One winner will be contacted by email in early June.

_______________________________________________________

Thank so much, Andrea, for sharing some of your thought process and giving us a glimpse into Casie and Drake! I really enjoyed all the stories in this collection!!

~ Happy Reading, Y'all ~

Rebecca's Reviews ~ Never Miss by Melissa Koslin

Paperback, 368 pages

Published May 4th 2021 by Fleming H. Revell Company

Former CIA sniper Kadance Tolle possesses a special set of skills and a rare pedigree. She comes from a family of assassins, and by saving Lyndon Vaile's life she risks being found by them. Despite the danger, Kadance feels compelled to help Lyndon discover who is after him--and his research that seems to prove that the Ebola virus was manmade and is about to be weaponized.

With shadowy figures pursuing them and a Mastermind watching their every move, Kadance and Lyndon must scramble to stop an impending bioattack at the State of the Union address. But their warnings fall on deaf ears, and it becomes increasingly clear that there's no one they can trust--except perhaps each other.

Strap in for a breakneck story that will have you up all night, hurtling toward the last page as the clock ticks and time runs out. 

_______________________________________

Rebecca's Review ~ 4 STARS

"I was in the CIA, Special Activities Center."

Kadance Tolle had been trained to hit targets from long distances since she was old enough to position a rifle. Following years of covert operations as a highly trained black ops sniper, her return to normal life had been plagued by a family who stubbornly refused to give her a choice about anything but following orders. No more. Kadance had finally broken free, only to find herself in the line of fire after she instinctively befriends a total stranger in order to save his life.

Dr. Lyndon Vaile is so brilliant that he can hardly carry on a normal conversation, but when a gorgeous avenging angel literally knocks him out of harm's way, he forms an odd alliance in order to survive. Whoever is seeking Lyndon's knowledge about the Ebola virus is deadly serious, and while neither Kadance or Lyndon consider personal attraction a good idea, it seeps into their psyche without their permission. The larger question being, can it survive; can they survive. Hundreds of lives are depending on their combination of instinct and intelligence to do just that. Never miss.

Reading this book could be likened to drinking several cups of black coffee on an empty stomach, the adrenaline factor is high octane from the very first page until the last. What a unique story line, matched by characters who are as individual as their talents, thus offering readers far more questions than answers until the very end. While a bit foggy on spiritual detail, the power of God's presence in a life is certainly lauded, and encouraged . . making Lyndon and Kadance's cautious steps toward romance all the sweeter. This is an outstanding debut, leaving suspense fans clamoring for more!

Note: The thought patterns surrounding physical attraction between these two characters are just that; thought patterns, and while their blunt interruptions might raise an eyebrow, they fit the metamorphosis of their characters.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions stated above are entirely my own.

Senior Reviewer, Rebecca Maney

Rebecca is a graduate of Bryan College with a degree in Christian Education, and is currently serving at the First Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Gastonia, North Carolina as the Director of Children's Ministry. With over 30 years of experience in her field, she has had many opportunities to use her love of reading and writing in creative ways across the generations. A wife, mother of four "nearly" grown children, and grandmother to four beautiful grandchildren, Rebecca has been able to return to her love of reading and more recently reviewing, with a renewed passion for the "beauty of story".

Rebecca Reviews ~ The Nature of a Lady (The Secrets of the Isles, #1) by Roseanna M White

Paperback, 384 pages

Published May 4th 2021 by Bethany House Publishers

1906
Lady Elizabeth "Libby" Sinclair, with her love of microscopes and nature, isn't favored in society. She flees to the beautiful Isles of Scilly for the summer and stumbles into the dangerous secrets left behind by her holiday cottage's former occupant, also named Elizabeth, who mysteriously vanished.

Oliver Tremayne--gentleman and clergyman--is determined to discover what happened to his sister, and he's happy to accept the help of the girl now living in what should have been Beth's summer cottage . . . especially when he realizes it's the curious young lady he met briefly two years ago, who shares his love of botany and biology. But the hunt for his sister involves far more than nature walks, and he can't quite believe all the secrets Beth had been keeping from him.

As Libby and Oliver work together, they find ancient legends, pirate wrecks, betrayal, and the most mysterious phenomenon of all: love.

Rebecca's Review - 4.5 STARS

" I always say that there are some born here. Some who visit. Some who leave. Others who stay. . . . . When we stay, it's because the islands know our names . . . "

Did these islands possibly know her name? Lady Elizabeth Sinclair wondered if anyone in her life had truly known her name, the hopes and dreams it represented . . . certainly not her brother, or he would have never insisted that she marry a man whom she hardly knew, much less loved. Surely sneaking away on a summer holiday would only postpone the inevitable, nevertheless, the Isles of Scilly would provide her with hours of uninterrupted enjoyment, for she was a lady who loved exploring nature far more that tittering away her time mingling with polite society. But never in her wildest imagination could Elizabeth have anticipated getting mixed up with the perplexing, albeit dangerous secrets of Isles. Or its handsome vicar.

"I'm just not a man of science, my lady. I'm also a man of faith. The sort who says God created an orderly universe, set rules in motion, . . . but who also believes that a God who made such rules can also break them on rare, very special occasions. . .. . . He can raise the dead."

Oliver Tremayne was a puzzle, to be sure. So knowledgeable about creation, and yet willing to have faith in a God whom he couldn't see. So kind, so genuine, so manly . . . . Elizabeth had never entertained the thought that she might take delight in studying a specimen of the male species. Birds, bugs, and flowering plants usually held her attention; but this man . . . and his friends, and his family (one of whom was missing, the other being missed already), and his faith. And they would need ever bit of all three to find the kind of treasure that others had been willing to kill for.

Enticing, entertaining, and enchanting all describe this considerable volume of pure reading pleasure, with its myriad of interesting characters who serve to evoke a lush, imaginative mirage of an island paradise where everyone knows your name.

"Libby . . . . listened to the night insects as they made their debut. And could swear that when the wind blew again, she could hear the islands whisper, 'Elizabeth'. "

I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher. The opinions stated above are entirely my own.

Senior Reviewer, Rebecca Maney

Rebecca is a graduate of Bryan College with a degree in Christian Education, and is currently serving at the First Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church in Gastonia, North Carolina as the Director of Children's Ministry. With over 30 years of experience in her field, she has had many opportunities to use her love of reading and writing in creative ways across the generations. A wife, mother of four "nearly" grown children, and grandmother to four beautiful grandchildren, Rebecca has been able to return to her love of reading and more recently reviewing, with a renewed passion for the "beauty of story".

Review ~ Let it Be Me | A Misty River Romance 2 | by Becky Wade

 

Publication: May 4, 2021 384 Pages, paperback

Having graduated college at 18, Sebastian Grant has continued to leverage his intelligence and determination to become a pediatric heart surgeon. The more accolades he receives, the more he's driven to pursue. Then he meets high school math teacher Leah Montgomery, and his fast-spinning world comes to a sudden stop.

Solving advanced math equations by the age of five, Leah has always wanted to pursue a PhD in mathematics. She willingly put that dream on hold to raise her brother. Now that he is of age, she's set on avoiding any obstacles to her goal--including romance. 

When Leah receives surprising news in the process of taking a test for tracking her ancestry, she asks Sebastian to help her comb through aged hospital records to learn more. Soon his presence isn't so easily ignored. But when Sebastian learns his best friend also has feelings for Leah, he begins to question his resolve to win her. Attaining their deepest desires may require more sacrifices than they ever imagined.

Purchase:

Bethany House

Read Excerpt HERE.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Review - 5 STARS!!!

Oh. My. This book is so incredibly good!!! Wade is a master at weaving life issues, faith questions, attraction, heartache and love into the most beautiful mosaic of emotions.

“Since the day we met,” he told her, “all I’ve wanted is to be with you.”

Sebastian Grant is the one that all other heroes are going to have to live up to from this moment on. He is the quintessential wounded hero. He’s guarded, loyal to a fault, and uber focused in his career as a pediatric heart surgeon. Throw in the added perk of him being tall, dark and handsome, and yep, not sure any other character is going to live up to Sebastian. J

Leah Montgomery gets the shock of her life when she receives her DNA results and it is on from there with such a compelling aspect to this story. She’s a genius mathematician so the way she goes about dealing with the news and ferreting out the truth of what happened kept me glued to the pages.

There are many great characters in this story. Wade has truly raised the bar with this one. Let it Be Me is destined for my Top Reads in 2021! 

I received an advanced and unedited copy from the publisher through Netgalley. No compensation received.