The Hidden Prince: a young woman must lean on God during a period of political secrets and danger

The Hidden Prince by Tessa Afshar is a story of a young woman who finds herself leaning on God during a period of political secrets. In order to help her family, Keren is taken into Daniel’s household and soon becomes his most trusted scribe. She also finds herself taking lessons and swordsmanship training with Daniel’s sons and their best friend, Jared. After a tragic accident sends her far from home, Keren finds herself in a foreign country, tasked with teaching Artadates, a young shepherd boy, in secret on how to be a lord. When she overhears clues to the boy’s true identity, she realizes what could be at stake. Jared finds it difficult to forgive Keren for the accident; however, he finds himself traveling far and wide to bring her home. When he learns the boy’s identity, Jared knows that he and Keren must do what they can to protect him, trying to save the boy who could be the one foretold to deliver their people from captivity. 

Tessa Afshar has the amazing ability to bring to life the stories of the Bible that might seem dry and boring. I have loved her storytelling since I picked up Pearl in the Sand (2010) and I eagerly await her newest release. The Hidden Prince is a story set during the Babylon captivity as Daniel is an older man, well respected during Nebuchadnezzar's reign. Keren is a young woman who has talents and skills beyond her years. I found myself immersed in the story as I followed Keren from Babylon to the Medes Empire. I loved the recurring theme of enduring. Taking from 1 Chronicles 16:34 “Give thanks to the Lord; for he is good; his faithful love endures forever,” Keren and Jared learn what it means to endure in God’s love. The political intrigue was suspenseful and interesting. I also enjoyed the love story between Keren and Jared. I also enjoyed the relationship between Keren and Artadates. I highly, highly recommend The Hidden Prince. 

The Hidden Prince is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook

Coming to Rosemont: a woman starts fresh in a small town and finds herself in a fight against political corruption

Coming to Rosemont is the first book in the Rosemont series by Barbara Hinske. After the sudden death of her husband, Maggie Martin uncovers his double life and is left to deal with the financial and emotional aftermath. She is surprised to learn she inherits the Rosemont estate in Westbury, a Midwestern town. Why did she know about this house? Maggie travels to Westbury with the intent of selling the Rosemont; however, when she arrives she immediately falls in love with the house. Throwing caution to the wind and ignoring the concerns of her grown children, she moves into the Rosemont for a fresh start. Maggie soon discovers political corruption complete with fraud, embezzlement and arson. Instead of the quiet life she was looking forward to, Maggie finds herself in a fight to rid this quaint town of the wrongdoers. 

I have heard great praise for the Rosemont series and I was looking forward to reading the first book. Described as a “fast-paced, smart novel that has enough twists and turns to make the reader want to buckle in!” The story had wonderful characters. I enjoyed Maggie as a woman dealing with the death of her husband, the betrayal she uncovers and yet still fights for her new town. There was a bit of lighthearted romance. The political aspect was overly drawn out and tedious at times. It dragged down the story for me. Overall, I enjoyed the story. A few things were left unresolved, probably for future books in the series. However, I wasn’t interested enough to continue the series. If you enjoy women’s fiction with fresh starts and a bit of mystery, I recommend Coming to Rosemont. 

Coming to Rosemont is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Chasing Stardust: one young woman's journey of self-discovery and love

Chasing Stardust by Erica Lucke Dean is a road trip adventure where a daughter learns who her mother was before her, finding your own strength and maybe even finding love. Even though she thought it was crazy, she made a promise to her dying mother. Zoey Jones is tasked to spread her mother’s ashes along the path her eccentric grandma, G-Lo followed in 1972, David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust tour, the same path her own mother took later in life. Taking Go-Lo’s ancient Cutlass, with her mother’s journal and her mother’s ashes, Zoey hits the road. After breaking down in Nashville, Zoey meets Dash Hammond at an all-night diner. Dash is a recent college graduate who is spending his summer trying to escape his father’s expectations. He offers to drive Zoey to her destinations. What adventures and life lessons will they learn on the road? 

Chasing Stardust was a choice for October’s Amazon First Reads. Described as a “funny and heartfelt novel,” the beginning fell a little short for me and I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it. However, as Zoey and Dash head out on the road together, I found myself cheering for Zoey as she learns about the person who mother was before she became a mom. Zoey finds her own rebel spirit buried deep inside. I enjoyed Dash’s character too as he is fighting a different battle than Zoey; however, he is determined to make good on her promise to help her finish her trip. By the end of the book, I was very happy that I continued Zoey’s story and I enjoyed her growth and fighting spirit. It was also cool to learn about David Bowie’s tour and the icon himself. I highly recommend Chasing Stardust. 

Chasing Stardust is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Broken Harbor: a hockey player, a single mom with great banter and romance

Broken Harbor is the third book in the Sparrow Falls series by Catherine Cowles. After leaving a dangerous situation involving her ex-husband, Sutton Holland came to Sparrow Falls with her young son and started rebuilding her life. She finds happiness in her business, The Mix Up cafe and seeing her son, happy, healthy and safe. She never thought they would find that safety in Copeland “Cope” Colson, a hockey player. She quickly learns there is so much more to Cope than the dominant hockey player. Sutton is surprised by the gentle way he is concerned for their safety, the playful way he plays with her son, and the way he seems to truly see her. As they spend time together, Sutton finds herself falling for him. Cope and Sutton both have secrets and when their pasts come roaring back, they now must fight for their newfound happiness. 

The Sparrow Falls series is an emotional roller coaster of romance, suspense and the fighting, resilient human spirit. There are a few spicy scenes. The suspense was great and took me by surprise with the reveal. I loved this story! Cope and Sutton are great together. They butted heads with great banter and when they fell, they fell hard. I loved the macho bravado of Cope which hid a very wounded heart and it was Sutton to help him heal. Sutton is a strong woman who wants to stand on her own two feet for her son. Her son is completely adorable and added to the humor in the story. I also loved the Colson family and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series. If you haven’t started this series, I highly recommend it. I highly, highly recommend Broken Harbor. 

Broken Harbor is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook, and audiobook

The Runaway: a grumpy-sunshine military romance

The Runaway is the fifth and final book of the Brides of Beaufort series by Jess Mastorakos. Nate Bristol is getting ready to travel cross-country to his new duty station in Beaufort, he has a tight schedule. He never expected to have travel companions. When Ms. Hattie asks Nate for a favor, no questions asked, he finds himself aiding in the escape of Nikki, a runaway bride, and her teenage daughter, Marigold. She is the ultimate sunshine and is determined to see the bright side of anything and make the most of the turn of events. Nate is the ultimate grump and as the miles tick by, Nikki and Marigold worm their way under his skin and he learns to roll with the punches. As they get closer to their destination, the slower he finds himself driving. Will they be able to say goodbye once they reach their destination? 

I have loved this series and it was sad to see it end. The Runaway is a grumpy-sunshine military romance. Nate and Nikki’s story was sweet with lots of laughs and drama. I loved how Nikki slowly chipped away at Nate’s gruff demeanor. There is a bit of suspense and a nail biting scene with Nate coming to the rescue. I even enjoyed Marigold’s character and as a mom of a teen myself, I appreciated that Ms. Mastorakos got the teenage slang accurate. I loved Nate’s reaction to the slang. It reminded me of my husband’s reaction to the slang when our teenager and her friends use it. When Nikki and Marigold are in danger, I loved how Nate and his fellow Marines jump into action. Overall, I enjoyed this story and the series. If you haven’t read the Brides of Beaufort, I highly recommend it. I highly recommend The Runaway. 

The Runaway is available in paperback and eBook

Gemini: the untold story of the program that helped bring us to the moon

Gemini: Stepping Stone to the Moon - the Untold Story by Jeffrey Kluger. Everyone knows the famous Apollo 11 moon landing of 1969 and even the disastrous Apollo 13 mission. However, without the pioneering Gemini program, there would be no Apollo and there would be no moon. It was no easy transition from low Earth orbits to moon landings, it was the Gemini program that was the extraordinary bridge. However, there are deaths and near-deaths and a blood feud with the Soviet Union, the Vietnam War and calls for budget cuts challenged the astronauts and scientists to persevere. Their perseverance paid off as the trial and error and the knowledge gained helped fuel the legendary Apollo program. As the Gemini program got lost in history in Apollo's shadow, Jeffrey Kluger set out to tell the true story and give the Gemini program its place in history. 

With in-depth research and interviews, Jeffrey Kluger tells the story of the Gemini program with cinematic, edge of your seat storytelling. While I knew of the Gemini story and its tragedies, I did not know the impact the program had on the Apollo program. I did not know the nitty gritty history of NASA and the space race. With recognizable names of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Jim Lovell and Gene Kranz, readers will become engrossed in the story of this amazing program and learn of other men involved with the program. Mr. Kluger has an amazing ability to write the events in ways that the readers feel the drama and nail-biting missions. I enjoyed hearing the unsung heroes of the Gemini program. If you enjoy history or the history of the space program, I finally recommend Gemini: Stepping Stone to the Moon - the Untold Story. 

Gemini: Stepping Stone to the Moon - the Untold Story 

is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

Love from Afar: a short but sweet Christian romance

Love from Afar is the first book in the Love Letters from Ellis Creek by Penny Zeller. In the frontier town of Ellis Creek in 1880s Montana Territory, Meredith Waller has quite the reputation as a wedding dress seamstress. However, she is never the bride and with the low number of suitable bachelors, she is resigned that she never will. Gabe Kleeman has returned to town after three. However, his administration for Meredith never wavered. However, he is unsure how to let his feelings known. Tillie and Lula are best friends. Best friends who are tired of watching their older siblings admire each other from afar. So they hatch a plan to bring their siblings together. It’s all for a good cause. Can they bring these two lonely hearts together? 

Love from Afar is a short but sweet Christian romance. With faith, humor and two pint sized matchmakers, I quickly read this story. I smiled at Tillie and Lula’s antics and their plan to bring their siblings together and later their bargaining skills when someone finds out. I loved how Gabe found the words to say what was in his heart. I sympathized with Meredith as she tried to keep the faith that God had someone for her and yet couldn’t see how that would happen in their small town. I loved the two of them together. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I look forward to reading more in this story. If you enjoy a quick story for a cozy afternoon of reading, I recommend Love from Afar. 

Love from Afar is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook