Deadly Target (Rocky Mountain Courage, Book 2)

ELIZABETH GODDARD

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 2021.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program for review.

First line: For a few hours every Saturday morning, Erin Larson could forget that evil existed.

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: Another winner from Elizabeth Goddard! I don’t think she could write a bad book if she tried! This is the second book in her Rocky Mountain Courage series. We met Erin briefly in the first book, as she’s a close friend with that book’s heroine. However, Erin, a criminal psychologist, lives in Washington state. Like the previous book, the action starts almost immediately, while Erin and a friend are kayaking and nearly killed. And then she gets a phone call telling her that her mother is in the hospital after a suicide attempt. So off to Montana Erin goes. Nathan is a detective in Big Rapids, Montana. His part of the story starts in chapter two, when one minute he’s fishing with his father, who’s about to tell him some big secret, and the next minute his father’s been shot. From there the action never stops!

Nathan and Erin have history, and Nathan still smarts over Erin breaking up with him and moving away. There is a lot of internal monologuing – Ms. Goddard’s books, regardless of the plot and/or action involved, are wonderful character studies, and we really get to know both Erin and Nathan. We learn that Erin has a secret in her past that was instrumental in her decision to break it off with Nathan, but we don’t learn what that secret is until the last part of the book.

I feel like anything I say about this book is just repeating myself about the first book in the series, or any of the books in Ms. Goddard’s Uncommon Justice series. I love her writing, I love her descriptions of scenery, I love her characterization. There is a lot going on in this book, with both Nathan’s and Erin’s lives in danger every time they turn around. It seems like Nathan is a target because of whatever his father was investigating, and Erin gets pulled into it, and then suddenly it appears that Erin may be a target on her own, unrelated to Nathan and his father. In fact, the plot/subplots are a bit convoluted, and yet I had no trouble keeping up with the action and what was going on. Or rather, no more than Nathan and Erin had, because it was confusing at times, they were confused, and so we are confused along with them.

There’s plenty of suspense, and the last part of the book had me sitting up past my bedtime, eyes glued to the turning pages, happy with the resolution, but sorry to leave Nathan and Erin behind.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Criminal psychologist Erin Larson's dreams of a successful career come to a screeching halt when she nearly loses her own life in a boating accident on Puget Sound and then learns that her mother tried to commit suicide. She leaves her job as a criminal psychologist to care for her mother in Montana. At least she is able to produce her podcast, which focuses on solving missing persons cold cases.

Nathan Campbell's father was investigating such a case when he was shot, and now Nathan needs to enlist Erin's help to solve the case. She's good at what she does. The only problem? She's his ex.

As the two dig deeper, it becomes clear that they, too, are being targeted--and that the answers to their questions are buried deep within the past Erin struggles to explain and longs to forget.

The race is on for the truth in this gripping and complex tale of suspense, intrigue, and murder from USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard.

It Isn't Cheating If He's Dead

 

JULIE FRAYN

Stats for my copy: Kindle edition, 2013.

How acquired: I don’t remember, but most likely it was a free download.

First line: Not every knock brings opportunity.

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: When I left my current book at home one day and needed something to read on my break at work, I turned to my Kindle app and decided to read the book that had been on it the longest. I don’t read a lot of digital books as I prefer holding an actual book in my hands, but this book just reminded me of why I should turn to my Kindle app more often!

For four years Jem has been living in stasis, ever since her fiancé walked out of the house one day and disappeared. I don’t mean she’s just lying around her house doing nothing, she’s an attorney and does go to work every day. But she’s also waiting. Waiting for Gerald to come home, or be found, or something. Until the waiting is over, and the mourning can begin.

Finn is the detective who has been investigating Gerald’s disappearance for the past four years. Once a week, Finn comes to Jem’s home for an update meeting, where they talk about Gerald and the case. I thought it was a bit unusual for a detective to put that much time into a missing person case, especially four years down the road. But later, I understood Finn’s motivation.

Gerald had schizophrenia, and while Jem deals with the aftermath of Gerald’s death – and his mother, who refused to believe he had schizophrenia – we learn more and more about him and how that affected both their lives. Jem actually saw him at a park one day, where a lot of homeless people hung out, and he ran from her. After that she began making sandwiches every morning and taking them to the park to hand out to the homeless population, some of whom became treasuredfriends. Their situation isn’t glorified, the narrative mentions occasionally how bad they smell, for instance, but since Jem only sees and interacts with them for an hour or so in the morning, the narrative doesn’t go into much detail about what their lives are like. It does, however, dwell quite a bit on the schizophrenia aspect, as Jem muses about past incidents and memories of life with Gerald, and it was a bit fascinating.

When a new fellow shows up at the park, sitting against a tree, refusing to talk, Jem is drawn to him. He becomes her mission. To find out who he is, what brought him to the streets, who might be looking for him. Slowly, slowly, she begins to break through his barriers, and form a friendship. Finally learns his story, and schemes to reunite him with his family. The resolution to that story line had me in tears.

As Jem embarks on a relationship with Finn, she begins to look at her past life with Gerald differently, realizing how much she became wrapped up in his life, and not living her own life. She still loves Gerald, still cries occasionally. But Finn helps bring her back to herself. I gotta tell you, I adored Finn. So much.

For all that the subject matter is deep, the narrative is still a bit lighthearted. The writing is easy, almost simplistic, but engaging. I really enjoyed this book.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Jemima Stone waited four long years for her missing fiancé, Gerald, to come home, burying herself in her job and feeding the homeless in a local park. When Gerald is found dead halfway across the country, she drowns herself in guilt and wine. And can’t deny an attraction to the cop on the case.

Finn Wight is one hot detective. How soon after informing Jemima of Gerald’s death is too soon to confess his love?

When a mute man shows up in the park, Jemima and Finn join forces to learn his identity. While they uncover the secret that sent him running from home, will they discover that new love can mend a broken heart?

The Marshal'sMission

 

ANNA ZOGG

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Love Inspired Historical, 2017.

How acquired: Received from a BookCrossing member.

First lines: Who is that?

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: My first time reading Anna Zogg, and I very much enjoyed this book. Lenora is a widow, struggling to keep her ranch going with just her ten-year-old son, Toby, to help her. Cole is a US Marshal, undercover and investigating a gang of outlaws who robbed a bank, killing two people in the process. A gang that included Lenora’s deceased husband.

The romance played out very, very slowly, which I liked, as it was also very realistic. Cole and Lenora have secrets they keep from each other. Cole’s secret didn’t bother me, he’s undercover law enforcement, so of course he has to keep his true identity a secret. Lenora’s secret worried me. Before he died, Amos gave her a satchel full of money, and not wanting to use any of it, Lenora buried it in his grave. Was that the right thing to do? Maybe, maybe not. But Cole of course is looking for that money, and both I and Lenora worried about his reaction when he learned she’d kept that secret from him.

I loved Cole and Lenora, and young Toby, who was fiercely protective of his mother. The relationship that built up between Cole and Toby was heartwarming. And of course I hated the villain, Jeb, who keeps coming around, harassing Lenora, and telling her he’s going to marry her. He, too, is looking for that money, and some of the scenes with him were tense indeed.

And then towards the end, the tension really ramped up, and even though I knew it would have a happy ending – it’s a category romance, after all – I was still on the edge of my seat and totally engrossed way past my bedtime.

Also, I love the cover.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Hiding his true identity is the only way for US Marshal Jesse Cole to bring bank robbers to justice. But the lovely widow whose Wyoming ranch he stumbles onto reminds him of everything he's sacrificed for the law. When his job is done, he's resolved to leave Lenora Pritchard behind--until she and her son are threatened. Now the only way to protect them is to make her his wife.

To conceal her late husband's guilt, Lenora hid his stolen haul. And with a ruthless gang leader determined to retrieve it, she needs Cole's protection for herself and her son. It's a marriage in name only, founded on dangerous secrets...but could it possibly lead to a true and loving family?

A Christmas in the Alps

 

MELODY CARLSON

Stats for my copy: Hardback, Revell, 2021.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program.

First lines: Simone Winthrop knew all about loss.

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: I’ve previously read three of Melody Carlson’s Christmas books, and loved all of them, but this one just didn’t quite live up to those others for me.

While cleaning out her deceased grandmother’s home, Simone finds a letter addressed to her, from her great-grandmother, who shared her name. The letter tells Simone that her great-grandmother left a treasure behind when she fled France, and beseeches Simone to retrieve it, but does not say what the treasure is. After some pushing from her best friend, Simone, who is terrified of flying, finds herself on a plane to France.

I did enjoy the first part of the book. Kyle is Simone’s seatmate on the plane, and when she starts to have a panic attack he talks her down and helps her get over the worst of it. I liked Simone and Kyle well enough, though I didn’t really feel any chemistry between them. I loved their conversations and how thoughtful Kyle was, and when Simone learned that they had different destinations and would be parting company at a layover, I was just as disappointed as she was. But they make tentative plans to meet again in Paris, and Simone continues her journey alone.

Once Simone arrives in Avre, the little town where her great-grand-mother grew up, I became less enchanted. I think a part of that was due to the fact that Simone was not very fluent in French, and from that point on there was much less actual dialogue. Instead, it was the author telling us that, for instance, Tante Estelle spoke very rapidly in French, to fast for Simone to follow along, and then Noel, who was acting as an interpreter for her, explained to her that the older woman said this or that. It was just narration.

Speaking of Noel, I really liked him. He and his mother owned the inn where Simone was staying. He obviously had a little crush on Simone, and went out of his way to help her get around and meet people and interpret for her when she was unable to keep up with a conversation. I knew from the synopsis that Kyle was the male protagonist, but I wouldn’t have minded at all if Simone had fallen for Noel instead.

Unfortunately, the story just lagged a bit for me from that point on. I enjoyed the scenes where Simone was just spending time with Noel or Kyle, but her search for the unknown treasure and her interactions with her French relatives weren’t as engaging to me. Despite that, I did still love the author’s writing, and her descriptions of Paris through Simone’s eyes, and of the little town of Avre and the home where Simone’s great-aunt still lived. And I’m still keeping an eye out for books from the author’s backlist and looking forward to more of her Christmas novels.

Synopsis from Goodreads: After a time of heartache and loss, Simone Winthrop discovers a tantalizing letter from her French great-grandmother, which seems to suggest that she is heir to a family treasure. Ever practical, Simone assumes the claim is baseless, but her best friend encourages her to find out for sure. Despite her deep-rooted fear of flying, Simone boards a jet to travel to Paris at Christmastime to uncover the truth.

During the long flight, Simone meets the charming Kyle Larsson, who's on his way to France to become an apprentice clockmaker. Though they abruptly part ways, an unexpected rendezvous in the French Alps at Simone's family's clock factory may lead to the discovery of the family treasure . . . and so much more.

For anyone who is wearying of staying home, Melody Carlson invites you to spend Christmas with her in the beautiful French Alps this year. So pull on your mittens, tie your scarf tight, and prepare yourself for a magical mountain holiday.

A Secret Splendor

 

SANDRA BROWN

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Mira, 1983. Previously published under the pseudonym Erin St. Claire.

How acquired: Received from a BookCrossing member.

My thoughts: First off, this review will be full of spoilers.

Second, I generally love everything Sandra Brown writes, though I am partial to her mystery/thrillers. Of all her books I’ve read since being on Goodreads, I’ve given them either four or five stars, with the exception of STING, which I disliked so much I only gave it one star. So this is my first time giving her three stars.

Third, I work in the adoption and surrogacy fields. I’m always a little leery of reading a book with an adoption plotline, for fear it will be shown in a negative or unrealistic way. But A SECRET SPLENDOR is the first book I’ve come across with a surrogacy plotline. And that’s where all my issues lie.

Arden was in a bad marriage to an OB/GYN. After running his practice into the ground and going into debt, her husband agreed to find a woman to be a surrogate for a rich couple, who were paying him $100,000.00. The woman he finds? His wife, Arden. She’s reluctant, but then agrees on the condition that after the baby is born, she gets half the money, a divorce, and custody of their son, Joey, who was ill. I can’t for the life of me remember what was wrong with him, cancer or something. So her husband takes her to his clinic and inseminates her with the client’s sperm.

Arden would be what is now referred to as a traditional surrogate, in that she is the biological mother of the child. Traditional surrogacy is not practiced very often these days. In fact, in the state where I live, traditional surrogacy is not legally recognized, and is treated by the court as an adoption. But at the time this book was written, there probably weren’t many laws regarding surrogacy. Although even if there were laws, the way Arden’s husband handled this situation was probably illegal anyway. My state did not have any laws on the books until 2019.

Fast forward to after the divorce, and Joey dies. Distraught, Arden begins thinking about the other child she gave birth to, and decides she needs to find him or her. She never met the rich couple, and did not see the baby after it was born. She doesn’t even know if it’s a boy or girl. Well, by chance she sees a famous tennis player on TV who looks familiar, and then suddenly remembers a couple she saw when leaving the hospital, who were surrounded by paparazzi, and she realizes that the tennis player is the father. I kept hoping that when she got to know him she would learn that he was not in fact the father, but no, her instincts are correct. He’s now a widower, and the child, a boy, is 22 months old. Every time Arden thought about needing to see her child, I wanted to say he’s not your child, he’s their child.

Anyway, she finally manages to meet the tennis player, Drew, and starts dating him. And of course they fall in love with each other. Pretty soon she’s married to him and “step-mother” to the child, Matt. And she keeps thinking she needs to come clean and tell Drew who she is, but she puts it off because she doesn’t want him to think she only married him to be with the child. Also because she’s a cowardly liar.

And then the ex shows up, and blackmails her, and at first she gives him money, but then she finally gets a backbone and tells him she’s not paying anymore and she’s going to tell Drew the truth, but she goes shopping first, which gives the ex time to go to Drew and spill the beans himself. And of course Drew is furious, and storms out to go do his tennis stuff, and Arden gets angry that Drew is angry, even though he has every right to be angry, and just before he comes home a week later she packs up and leaves.

Of course, in the end, Drew tracks her down and they talk it out and profess their love and get their happy ever after, while I’m just frustrated, because the synopsis doesn’t say anything about surrogacy, just that there are “half-truths, secrets and unspeakable lies” surrounding Matt’s birth, so when I started this book I had no idea what I was in for.

To her credit, I really liked Drew. Sandra Brown has an uncanny ability to write wonderful heroes and I always fall in love with them (except the hero of STING, who I just could not feel any sympathy or empathy for). And I do like her writing. So the book still gets three stars from me.

Beyond the Tides (Prince Edward Island Shores, Book 1)

 LIZ JOHNSON

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, 2021.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program.

First lines: Morning had a terrible habit of arriving too early, at least as far as Meg Whitaker was concerned.

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: My first time reading Liz Johnson, and I’m so glad I “discovered” her! I love the enemies to lovers trope, and forced proximity. This is from Revell, a Christian publishing house, so there’s not actually any lovemaking, other than some kissing (which actually got a little steamy), but it still qualifies.

Meg is a schoolteacher, but when her father announces he’s selling his lobster-fishing business to Oliver, she basically has a little fit and tells her father she wants the business. Even though she’s never had any interest in the business before. But Oliver is her sworn enemy, ever since he destroyed her science fair project back when they were in high school, ruining her chance at a scholarship. She insists the business is her legacy and should stay in the family, but more than that, she doesn’t want Oliver to have it. So dad’s idea – they can work the business together while he takes the season off to care for Meg’s ailing mother, and then at the end of the season he’ll decide who gets it.

I can honestly tell you that if I were in Meg’s place, I think I would gladly let Oliver have the business rather than try to work it myself. But she is determined, no matter how hard it is, how early she has to get up, or how exhausted and sore she is at the end of the day. Despite not being able to relate to Meg and her drive to keep Oliver from buying the business, I really liked her. She’s strong, resilient, not to mention good at holding a grudge! And I loved Oliver. He’s worked so hard to overcome his absent father’s reputation as a thief, which some of the other lobstermen are quick to remind him of. Despite his actions as a teen and Meg’s subsequent hatred of him, Meg’s parents were always good to him, and Whitaker, as he calls her father, pretty much took Oliver under his wing, teaching him the lobster business.

Emotions and tempers run high as Meg and Oliver squabble, and learn to work together, and slowly, reluctantly, come to respect each other and form the beginnings of friendship. Oliver is more responsible for that than Meg, making the greater effort in his desire to make her forgive him and like him.

Meanwhile, Meg and her father are also dealing with her mother’s declining health, as they desperately search for a diagnosis and the hope of a cure. And here is one of the places where Oliver shone. He’s fond of Meg’s mother, and becomes instrumental in helping Meg cope, and helping her see the path she needs to take with her mother. While Meg and Oliver struggle to keep the business going on their own (with help from Kyle, the deckhand, who’d I like to know more about), they deal with some sabotage, such as lines being cut and traps lost. The resolution to that plotline, the culprit, was quite a surprise, that actually made me laugh when they finally figured it out.

The author’s descriptions of the boat and being on the water and toiling long days with the traps and the lobsters were vivid. I learned more about lobster fishing than I ever thought I’d want to know. I actually got curious about the traps and had to google lobster traps to see what they look like and learn more about how they work.

All in all, this is a delightful story about perseverance, forgiveness, family and friendship, and of course, lobsters.

Goodreads synopsis: When Meg Whitaker's father decides to sell the family's lobster-fishing business to her high school nemesis, she sets out to prove she should inherit it instead. Though she's never had any interest in running the small fleet--or even getting on a boat due to her persistent seasickness--she can't stand to see Oliver Ross take over. Not when he ruined her dreams for a science scholarship and an Ivy League education ten years ago.

Oliver isn't proud of what he did back then. Angry and broken by his father walking out on his family, he lashed out at Meg--an innocent bystander. But owning a respected fishing fleet on Prince Edward Island is the opportunity of a lifetime, and he's not about to walk away just because Meg wants him to.

Meg's father has the perfect solution: Oliver and Meg must work the business together, and at the end of the season, he'll decide who gets it. Along the way, they may discover that their stories are more similar than they thought . . . and their dreams aren't what they expected.

Under the Blood Tree

 PJ GRONDIN

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, PD House Books, 2017.

How acquired: From the author through The Review Crew.

First lines: A distant lightning flash lit up the western night sky as four boys frantically ran through the wooded acreage bordering Cypress Lake Mobile Home Park. 

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book. The prologue got off to a good start, with four boys racing through the woods to their "clubhouse", which was an old tree, and making a pact of silence sealed against the tree with their blood.

Chapter One picks up sixteen years later, and we are introduced to the men those boys have become, and their current lives. Two of the men are married with children, and living happy, successful lives. One is married to a very fragile wife. One is an alcoholic, in and out of jail. Incarcerated at the moment, and part of a chain gang cleaning up debris around a lake. A drought has shrunk the lake, turning up all sorts of items once covered by water, and finally revealing a car with a body inside. From there, we meet the police captain and a newspaper journalist who are both investigating the crime, and we slowly learn more about those four men and their connection to that car.

There isn't a lot of action, and there is quite a bit of description. Some inner musings from the characters as the four men nervously watch the news coverage of the investigation, worrying about their part in the events leading to that car ending up in the middle of the lake, worrying about each other and the pact they made, and who will be the first to break the pact, and whether their lives are about to be ruined. It's almost a character study. Almost, because despite all we learn about each man and his life, his thoughts and feelings, there isn't a lot of characterization. Two of the men and their wives were practically interchangeable for me, as I had trouble remembering which was which until quite a ways into the book. We learn a lot about the characters, without really getting to know them. 

The writing is adequate, sometimes painting evocative and vivid pictures, such as the description of that tree in the prologue, the dried up lakebed, the condition and ambience of the various mobile homes some of the characters live in. The plot is a bit convoluted, but not necessarily in a bad way, as it kept me guessing until practically the very end. About who actually killed the man in the car, but also about the secrets being kept by the the residents of the mobile home park.

It took me a little longer to read this book than it should have, but that was probably due more to my life and my job getting busy, because despite my somewhat negative review, at no time did I consider setting the book aside or not finishing it. It kept me interested and entertained enough to stay til the end, and that's a good thing.   

Goodreads synopsis: Severe drought ravages the Southeast. There is no end in sight as residents of Central Georgia brace for more of the same; unbearably hot, dry weather. <br>The fears of four young men are realized when the shrinking water level of Cypress Lake exposes a dark secret, hidden under the lake’s surface for sixteen years. Long ago, when they were best friends, they made a pact to never speak of the secret to anyone. Now their livelihoods, their marriages and possibly their very lives, hinge on keeping a childhood promise. Will they be able to maintain their silence or will the pact be broken …Under the Blood Tree?

The Ship Who Sang

ANNE MCCAFFREY

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Del Rey Books, 1985.

How acquired: Through Book Mooch.

First lines: She was born a thing and as such would be condemned if she failed to pass the encephalograph test required of all newborn babies. 

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I debated between three and four stars for so long that I finally decided the fact of my indecision merited the book four stars. The book has only six chapters, and each chapter is almost like reading a short story, but continuing on from where the previous story ended. Helva is a brain ship. When a child is born with a deformed or disabled body but a sound mind, the child's parents are given two choices - the child can be euthanized, or turned over to Central Worlds to 'become an encapsulated "brain", a guiding mechanism in any one of a number of curious professions.' Helva is raised to become a brain ship, meaning her body is encased in an indestructible titanium shell while her brain is basically hooked up as a computer. In Helva's case, she is now a spaceship, with her brain running literally everything on board. Brain ships are partnered with a "brawn", a man or a woman of their choice who handles all the things that the brain half of the ship cannot.

The first chapter, "The Ship Who Sang", where Helva is ready to go into service and chooses her first brawn, Jennan, is the best chapter of the book, and the ending of that chapter was very unexpected. Of the other five chapters, some were better than others. "Dramatic Mission", the fourth chapter, was my least favorite, with Helva and a temporary brawn transporting an acting troupe to a planet where the inhabitants appear to be bundles of emotions contained in shells...I don’t even know how to explain it but I just found most of that chapter confusing.

This book was first published in 1969, and yet it does not feel dated at all. Ms. McCaffrey had a rich imagination. I read most of her Pern books when I was in my teens/early twenties, but none of her other books. After rereading a couple of Pern books, I felt I should explore more of her writing, and decided to start with her very first published book, after which I decided to read all of her work in publication order. This is only her fourth book (one of which was the first Pern book), and it’s already been quite an adventure!

Goodreads synopsis: Helva had been born human, but only her brain had been saved—saved to be schooled, programmed, and implanted into the sleek titanium body of an intergalactic scout ship. But first she had to choose a human partner—male or female—to share her exhilarating escapades in space!

Her life was to be rich and rewarding . . . resplendent with daring adventures and endless excitement, beyond the wildest dreams of mere mortals.

Gifted with the voice of an angel and being virtually indestructible, Helva XH-834 anticipated a sublime immortality.

Then one day she fell in love!

A Lady in Attendance

 

RACHEL FORDHAM

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, June 2021.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program, for review. 

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: Rachel Fordham has a true talent for creating realistic, fallible characters who are strong yet vulnerable. Hazel was a young, thoughtless and immature girl, whose flirtatious actions led her to a forced marriage, which ended when her husband was murdered and Hazel was sent to reformatory after being found guilty of stealing jewels. A crime of which she was innocent. Five years later she is free and starting her life over. Now, instead of living a pampered existence, she resides in a boarding house for women, and takes a job as a lady in attendance to a dentist to support herself.

I read a lot of romance with alpha heroes - strong, arrogant, masterful men. As much as I love those men (on paper anyway!), its refreshing to read about a hero like Gilbert. Quiet, unassuming, mild-mannered, a bit shy around women and resigned to remaining a bachelor. Hesitant about hiring a woman to work side by side with every day, but having reached a point in his practice where he needs an assistant, he settles on Hazel after she assures him she has “...no motives other than working...ours will be a most proper arrangement.”

I love watching a relationship develop slowly over time, and Ms. Fordham wrote Hazel and Gilbert’s relationship beautifully. There’s no holding hands and flirting, but rather an easy, growing friendship filled with conversation and laughter. Until that scene at - well, I won’t give it all away, but who knew a kiss on the cheek could be so romantic!

The themes of forgiveness and acceptance run throughout the book. Forgiveness of others and of one’s self. Acceptance of others, and of one’s self as a worthy person despite one’s past or flaws, or perceived flaws. Much of Hazel’s character growth occurs off page, during the five years she spends in the reformatory, but we are given enough glimpses at her background to appreciate her growth. Gilbert’s growth is more internal, in that he’s already a good man and an upstanding member of the community. But his personality blossoms more and more thanks to Hazel’s influence, as he becomes more talkative and social, and begins to think maybe there’s more to life than permanent bachelorhood.

This is just such a sweet and engaging story. There’s romance of course, and redemption, and adventure as Hazel and Gilbert and their friends dig deeper into the events surrounding Hazel’s arrest and her husband’s death in an effort to clear her name. I teared up more than once, and it all wrapped up beautifully in the end.

Goodreads synopsis: Five years in a New York state reformatory have left a blemish on Hazel's real name. So when she takes a job as Doctor Gilbert Watts's lady in attendance in 1898, she does so under an alias. In the presence of her quiet and pious employer, Hazel finds more than an income. She finds a friend and a hope that if she can set her tarnished past in order, she might have a future after all.

As Gilbert becomes accustomed to the pleasant chatter of his new dental assistant, he can't help but sense something secretive about her. Perhaps there is more to this woman than meets the eye. Can the questions that loom between them ever be answered? Or will the deeds of days gone by forever rob the future of its possibilities?

Rachel Fordham pens a tender tale of a soft-spoken man, a hardened woman, and the friends that stand by them as they work toward a common purpose--to expunge the record of someone society deemed beyond saving--and perhaps find love along the way.

Come Back to Me (Waters of Time, Book One)

 

JODY HEDLUND

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Revell, June 2021.

How acquired: Revell Reads Blogger Program, for review.

First lines: “Your father is in a coma.”

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: It took me a good 70 pages to really get into this book. Marian is a research scientist, who rushes to England upon learning her father is in the hospital in a coma. Her father is also a scientist and has been on a quest to find holy healing water from the mythical Tree of Life, in hopes of curing Marian’s sister of a genetic disease. Those first 70 or so pages contain a lot of dialogue, mostly between Marian and her father’s colleague, about her father’s research and the science behind it. Then things start happening – her father’s home is vandalized, Marian is attacked in the street in broad daylight – and she begins to realize her father has apparently stumbled upon something real, and a rival lab will do anything to get a hold of it. And that’s when I began to get interested. As Marian’s life seemed to be in danger, I began to suspect everyone around her, including her father’s colleague, of being a spy for the rival lab. I did not, however, suspect the person who in the end turned out to be the spy!

Then the time travel element began, and I was quickly completely enthralled. Once Marian is in the past, in 1381, her first few days are brutal, as she finds herself imprisoned in a convent. Yes, you read that right. You’d think a convent would be a safe place, but Marian probably still has the scars to prove it is not. Fortunately, Will, a knight in not-so-shining-armor, comes to the rescue. After a harrowing night during a peasant uprising, Marian finds herself married to Will and ensconced in his home.

There is definitely no romanticizing the Middle Ages here, but Marian seems to adjust extremely well to life without electricity, toilets, running water, etc. There’s occasionally a mention of how she missed having a bathroom in the house, and how hot the clothing of the time is, but the author does not really address the culture shock aspect, which is one of my favorite parts of time travel stories. And yet, I found myself not really caring about that as the slowly building relationship between Marian and Will kept me so entranced.

I hadn’t read anything by Ms. Hedlund prior to this book, but I loved her writing. The POV switches between Marian and Will, and her characterization was wonderfully done, especially on Will’s side as we learn more about his life and the emotional burden he is carrying. He is often bewildered by Marian and how outspoken and headstrong she is, unlike his deceased wife and other women of his time.

As the time approaches for Marian to return to her life in the present, her existence in two times begins to take a toll on her, and she is torn between the past and the present. I was gripped with a sense of helplessness, as I didn’t see how this story could possibly have a happy ending, and I desperately wanted Marian and Will to be together forever.

Romance and adventure, with a bit of suspense thrown in at the end – it all boils down to a fantastic read.

Goodreads synopsis: The ultimate cure that could heal any disease? Crazy.

That's exactly what research scientist Marian Creighton has always believed about her father's quest, even if it does stem from a desire to save her sister Ellen from the genetic disease that stole their mother from them. But when her father falls into a coma after drinking a vial of holy water believed to contain traces of residue from the Tree of Life, Marian must question all of her assumptions. He's left behind tantalizing clues that suggest he's crossed back in time. Insane. Until Marian tests his theories and finds herself in the Middle Ages during a dangerous peasant uprising.

William Durham, a valiant knight comes to Marian's rescue and offers her protection. . . as his wife. The longer Marian stays in the past, the more she cares about William. Can she ever find her father and make it back to the present to heal her sister? And when the time comes to leave, will she want to?

Bestselling author Jody Hedlund is your guide down the twisting waters of time to a volatile era of superstition, revolts, and chivalry in this suspenseful story.