Review of Shadows of the Past by Patricia Bradley

This is a new author that I took the chance of reading and was not disappointed. Shadows of the Past is a criminal suspense book, the first in the series by Patricia Bradley.

The Nutshell: The main character, Taylor, a professor and criminal profiler, is fighting to find the person who is trying to kill her, while also working on solving her fathers disappearance and ends up with the help from a famous writer whom she falls for along the way.

Pro's: Good story line and development of characters. The pace kicked in to high gear towards the end and I just had to see how it concluded. It provided an interesting look into profiling and the minds of criminals.

Con's: I pegged the killer half way through the book, but I was still interested in how he was caught. It was slow in parts, but the interest was still there to find how everything connected. A bit mushy, which I could do without. A bit gory and graphic in spots.

If you like suspense books, you may be interested in picking this one up. I look forward to reading book 2 in Patricia Bradley's series!

Revell Books sent me this complimentary book to review for them. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review of Chasing Hope by Kathryn Cushman

This book was different than ones I usually read. Going in with an open mind, it turned out that I liked this style of writing. It was a slower, more reflective story based around the subject of running. One runner who had to quit her dream, and one who didn't have any dreams, but could run. The story revolved around these two characters who were put together and how each grew because of the other person. I liked the flavor of the story, the underlying plot of forgiveness of one self and learning about the forgiveness of God.

Bethany House sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review of No One to Trust by Lynette Eason

This is book one in a new series by Lynette Eason called Hidden Identity. This first book had a different flavor than her past books. The romance element was taken out and it was purely suspense. I loved it! It was super fast paced, character twists that you didn't see coming and full of redemption. Ms. Eason did a great job keeping the reader captivated, kept the plot plugging along at a fast clip and did it all without a love-blossoming sub-plot.

If you enjoy clean suspenseful books, you will enjoy this one. The one part I don't like is that the next book in the series doesn't come out until the fall of 2014!

Revell Books sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. Opinions expressed are my own.

Review of Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

I remember reading this book years ago and being impacted by it. In a 20th Edition re-release, the book still grips my heart. Francine Rivers transforms the Old Testament book of Hosea into a story set in the 1800's. You can read the story for what it is: Hosea never giving up on the bride God chose for him, Angel - a prostitute. Or you can take it a lever deeper and parallel the story to God's unconditional love for us. No matter how many times we leave, turn our back, or run, God is always there when we come back. He doesn't give up on us. Francine does an amazing job telling the story of God's deep love of his people.

WaterBrook Multnomah sent me a complimentary copy to review for them. Opinions are my own.

Review of Dangerous Passage by Lisa Harris

When two Jane Does are killed on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia, detective and behavioral specialist Avery North discovers they share something in common--a magnolia tattoo on their shoulders. Suspecting a serial killer, Avery joins forces with medical examiner Jackson Bryant to solve the crimes and prevent another murder. As they venture deep into a sinister criminal world, Avery and Jackson are taken to the very edge of their abilities--and their hearts.

This is my first time reading a book by Lisa Harris. I was not disappointed. Of course, I like the mystery suspense type books and this one was right up there. This is the first book in the Southern Crimes Series. It seemed to have slowed down in the middle some, but the story line still kept me hooked, up until the end.

I did feel like I was jumping into the middle of a book series in how the characters were developed, but I think it's just the way she writes. The characters' back stories do come out and the pieces start to make more sense the further along one reads.

I'm looking forward to reading the 2nd book in this series!

Available August 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

To learn more about Lisa Harris and her books, head over to her website.

Revell Books sent me this complimentary copy to review for them. Opinions are my own.

Review of A Surprise for Lily by Mary Ann Kinsinger and Suzanne Woods Fisher

Change is in the air!
Eleven-year-old Lily Lapp wants her life to stay just the way it is. Instead, it's constantly changing. New jobs, new schoolmates, and new challenges sure keep life interesting. It seems like the only thing Lily really wants to change--Effie Kauffman's mischief making--is the one thing that never does. Effie is up to her old tricks, and Lily is her favorite target.

This is the fourth book in The Adventures of Lily Lapp. This is one of the best books I have read. I like it because Lily has lots of surprises in life like her cousin moving far away. I feel bad for Lily when Effie and Aaron get her in trouble and tease her. I like reading about how different the Amish live and how school is different in a school house.

I would recommend this book because it's very interesting because there are always surprises.

Available August 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

This post is brought to you by Alina who read and reviewed this complimentary book for Revell Books. Her opinion is hers alone.

review of Stranded by Dani Pettrey

When Her Friend Goes Missing,Every Minute Counts
Darcy St. James returns to Alaska to join a journalist friend undercover on the trail of a big story. But when Darcy arrives, she finds her friend has disappeared. Troubled by the cruise ship's vague explanation, Darcy uses her cover as a travel reporter to investigate further. 
The last person Gage McKenna expects to see during his summer aboard a cruise ship leading adventure excursions is Darcy. And in typical Darcy fashion, she's digging up more trouble. 
He'd love to just forget her--but something won't let him. And he can't help but worry about her as they are heading into more remote regions of Alaska and eventually into foreign waters. Something sinister is going on, and the deeper they push, the more Gage fears they've only discovered the tip of the iceberg.

This is book three in the Alaskan Courage series by Dani Pettrey. She picks up the the story line with another brother in the McKenna family, Gage. This could be read as a stand alone book, but it may be a bit difficult to follow the siblings story-lines if the reader hasn't read the first two books.

Pettrey does a great job creating a thrilling story line that keeps the reader engaged and riveted to the book. The quick pace and suspense makes this book hard to put down and keeps one guessing up until the end.

I'm looking forward to reading book four and how Pettrey continues this family story.

Bethany House Publishing sent this complimentary book to me to review. Opinions are my own.

Review of Trapped by Irene Hannon

When librarian Laura Griffith's sixteen-year-old sister disappears on a frigid February day, leaving only a brief note behind, Laura resolves to do whatever it takes to track down the runaway teen. That includes recruiting ATF agent turned PI James "Dev" Devlin to help. But the deeper he digs, the more he begins to suspect that something sinister is at work in the girl's disappearance. And the closer he gets to uncovering the truth, the clearer it becomes that the situation isn't just dangerous--it's deadly.

Irene did it again. Another fantastic book. Much less of the romance and much more of the tense suspense that she does so well writing. I was actually standing and reading this in my house as it sucks you in and you can't put it down.

This is book 2 in the Guardian of Justice Series, but can easily be read as a stand alone novel. The main character was in the first novel as well, but only as a secondary character. The second book shines his character and his story with his co-workers as secondary characters.

I think Irene gets better with each book and each series. I'm already looking forward to the last book in the series (but will have to wait until next summer). If you enjoy suspense, being sucked in and even being a little disturbed, this book and series is for you.

Would you like to learn more about Irene Hannon? Head on over to her website. http://www.irenehannon.com

Want to see how fast you can be sucked in to this book? 

Read an excerpt here: http://www.irenehannon.com/trapped.html#excerpt

Available August 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

RevellBooks sent me this complimentary book to review for them. All opinions expressed above are my own.