Review of Deadly Devotion by Sandra Orchard

Kate Adams knows that the death of her friend and colleague was not a suicide.  When she enlists the help of detective Tom Parker to prove it, the sleepy town of Port Aster becomes the center of a mystery that will keep you guessing until the end. 

Sandra Orchard is a new author that will now be on my "to read" list. She did a fantastic job writing a who-done-it book that keeps you guessing page after page. It took a couple chapters to get into the story line and keep all the characters straight, but once they were all settled in my mind, the book sped by. Like suspense/keeps you flipping pages books? This book is for you!

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

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

Review of Paint Chips by Susie Finbeiner

What lies beneath the layers of hurt? 

Though haunted by her troubled past, Dot has found a safe haven. She has a fierce protector and a colorful collection of friends...but sometimes she wonders if her life will ever be normal again. Though college and romance await her, embracing them requires a new kind of strength one she isn't sure she has. 

Emerging from years of confusion, Cora struggles to latch hold of the sanity she needs to return to the real world. She yearns to find a place of peace...but first she must deal with the ghosts of her past. 

Can this mother and daughter overcome abuse, betrayal, abandonment, and the horrors of sexual trafficking, and make it back into each others arms? Facing the past is never easy. But as they chip away the layers, they might just find something beautiful beneath the mess.

This is Susie's debut novel as an author. She masterfully tells the stories of a mother and daughter's journeys starting with the present, back tracking to the past, and coming full circle to the present again. It may sound confusing, but it keeps your flipping each page wondering how these two women ended up where they found themselves. Full of raw emotion, redemption, renewal and never ending love, Susie's book is one you won't want to put down.

Heart gripping and eye opening, this novel not only tells a story, but brings awareness of sex trafficking and how anyone can help stop this horrible crime. It's not an issue "out there somewhere in the world", it's happening right here in the city I live in.

Full of raw emotion, redemption, renewal and never ending love, Susie's book is one you won't want to put down.

Keep an eye out for Susie's next book.

I purchased this book to support my friend Susie. This review is my honest opinion. You can purchase this book at Amazon in print form or ebook form. 

Review of That Certain Summer by Irene Hannon

Karen and Val are family--yet they're anything but close. Karen has carried the burden of responsibility for her aging mother ever since her gorgeous sister left town years ago to pursue a career in theater. But Val had darker reasons for leaving town--as well as a secret to keep--and coming home has never been an option . . . until their mother suffers a stroke. 

Reunited in their hometown, Karen and Val must grapple with their past mistakes, their relationship with each other, and their issues with a mother who is far from ideal. When a physical therapist raising his daughter alone and a handsome but hurting musician enter the picture, the summer takes on a whole new dimension. As their lives intersect and entwine, can each learn how to forgive, how to let go, and how to move on? And strengthened by the healing power of faith, might they also find the courage to love?

This was a very sweet book of two sisters finding themselves while forging a friendship with each other that was unexpected. Threads of secrets revealed, hearts mended, forgiveness given, and faith restored are just a few that are woven in this book. Taking a different trail from her suspense novels, Irene Hannon did a fantastic job creating a soft, yet moving book for her readers.

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

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