Rachael Farnsworth-Merritt Reviews ~ Burden of Proof by Davis Bunn

Paperback, 320 pages

Published November 3rd 2020 by Fleming H. Revell Company

Three weeks after his twenty-third birthday, Ethan missed the chance to save his brother's life when he was murdered on the steps of the courthouse in Jacksonville, Florida. Ever since that fateful day, Ethan has sensed a deep disconnect between the man he should have been and the one he has become. His days play out a beat too slow, his mind replaying the scene of his failure again and again.

But when his brother's widow appears, asking for his help in uncovering what was really behind his brother's death, Ethan is stunned to hear that she and her late husband were involved in a much larger case than he knew--one that threatens the global power structure. As Ethan joins the search for answers, he will enter into his own past--and discover a means of redeeming his future.

Bestselling and award-winning author Davis Bunn invites you into a world of intrigue as a man held captive by his failure learns how to move forward with hope.
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Rachael's Review ~ 3 STARS

This author has a wide range of genres...I’m not sure what this one is called, but it includes time travel. This type of time travel was totally different than any other to which I have been exposed.

The plot is a fascinating one, and it really kept me engaged. The mystery part was well done. I didn’t find myself thoroughly connected with the characters. I felt like I wanted a bit more there, but I was glad to see the characters grow from the beginning.

What really stuck with me was the talk of doing things for the “eternal.” None of us are guaranteed tomorrow so each day should be spent on those things that have eternal consequence.

It had a rather abrupt end, characters felt distant, and I was disappointed in the lack of any spiritual content. However, I did finish this in one sitting because it was somewhat fascinating, and the plot/mystery kept me plenty engaged ( and because I’m a ridiculously fast reader which does bother me at times.) If you have read the book, I would love to hear your thoughts. This might be an interesting book for a book club as I think it does provoke thought...that was the best gift this book gave me.

Guest Reviewer; Rachael Farnsworth-Merritt 
Rachael is a homemaker, wife, mother, homeschooler, and disciple of Christ who enjoys crafting, simple money saving tips, and loves farm life. She is also an avid book reviewer and blogger.

Rebecca Reviews ~ Mark of the Raven (The Ravenwood Saga #1) by Morgan L. Busse

Paperback, 352 pages

November 6th 2018 by Bethany House Publishers

 Lady Selene is the heir to the Great House of Ravenwood and the secret family gift of dreamwalking. As a dreamwalker, she can enter a person's dreams and manipulate their greatest fears or desires. For the last hundred years, the Ravenwood women have used their gift of dreaming for hire to gather information or to assassinate.

As she discovers her family's dark secret, Selene is torn between upholding her family's legacy--a legacy that supports her people--or seeking the true reason behind her family's gift.

Her dilemma comes to a head when she is tasked with assassinating the one man who can bring peace to the nations, but who will also bring about the downfall of her own house.

One path holds glory and power, and will solidify her position as Lady of Ravenwood. The other path holds shame and execution. Which will she choose? And is she willing to pay the price for the path chosen?

Rebecca's Review

4 STARS!!!

"There were no choices . . . . . . . her future was dark and bleak."

As heir apparent to the House of Ravenwood, Selene has just been gifted; she's now a dreamwalker, and according to her mother, a surprisingly powerful one. Curious about an ability that the other six regions of her kingdom thought was destroyed, she listens as Grand Lady Ragna describes the seriousness of honing her skills, for she is to be the savior of her people by . . . . . . . . . . controlling the dreams of others to the point of death? It cannot, it must not, be true.

Grand Lord Damien from the House of Waters is convinced that the Seven Houses must unite their gifts in order to avoid an aggressive attack from the nearby Dominia Empire. When called to the House of Ravenwood for a strategy summit, he hopes to build an alliance that will bring peace, the kind of unity that his deceased father longed to establish. Fascinated by the dark beauty that resides in Rook Castle, he cannot help but wonder what kind of strength lies beneath Selene's cold veneer. . . . if he only knew, he is about to find out.

"A leader can serve her people by sacrifice and love."

"Mark of the Raven" captures the essence of light and darkness within an ingenious package of daunting expectations and ingenious characterizations. . . . . .taking its readers on a journey that leads straight to their souls.

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 nearly 28 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".

 

 

Anne's Review of PULSE (Pulse Effex, # 1) by L.R. Burkard

Published August 3rd 2015 by Lilliput Press

Kindle Edition, 275 pages

Author(s):

L.R. Burkard

 About the Book

What do you do when the whole world stops?
When everything you've come to depend upon--transportation, grocery shopping, cell phones, the internet--comes to a sudden, crashing halt?
Welcome to PULSE.

Three teenage girls and their families must survive when America's worst nightmare actually occurs: The failure of the electric grid due to an electromagnetic pulse.

To outsiders, Andrea Patterson has the American dream house and family. But when the unthinkable happens and life is forever different, the dream looks more like a nightmare--one from which she and her family may not wake up alive.

Lexie Martin's farm family has never been cool like Andrea's, but they've been prepping for disaster for years. For them, the world didn't stop; it just slowed down. The one thing they didn't prepare for? A psycho school bus driver who wants what they've got.

Sarah Weaver, friend of Andrea and Lexie, lives on the top floor of a ten-story apartment building. When things went black, she thought it could be romantic--like living in the time of Jane Austen.

She was wrong.

Has the world collapsed forever?
Who will survive when technology fails? Or perhaps the right question is, Who will get to eat?

Anne's Review

In a fictional account written in diary form, three teenage girls tell their story of what happens after an EMP (electro-magnetic pulse) occurs. PULSE is a Science Fiction/Young Adult targeted narrative filled with intrigue and suspense. Parts of the story seem hard to believe, but in actuality could happen. You don’t have to be a ‘prepper’ to know that if something catastrophic occurred and all electronics went down for an extended amount of time, towns, cities, our entire country would be in one big heap of trouble. It’s bad enough when the electricity goes out for a few hours or days during a bad storm. Imagine what it would be like if it lasted for weeks or months. 

Burkard’s writing from a teen POV is pretty convincing. I could easily picture the scenes and that caused me to think about what I might have felt in the same situation as a teenager. PULSE is an absorbing story but I was often compelled to stop and tell my husband about a particular scene taking place. We had some interesting conversations about the story line.

There are some disturbing scenes that take place but they are written with the utmost care. Emotions run high at times and fairly leap off the page. The faith element is strong throughout and the author does not sugar coat her views. Character growth is paramount in any story, and in PULSE, Burkard knocks that element out of the ballpark. Bravo!

PULSE is outside my usual genre of fiction but I enjoyed reading it. It certainly makes one think about readiness in the event of a disaster, whether short term or long. 

The author sent me an electronic copy for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review, only my honest opinion of the book. No compensation has been received.