Review: Catching the Wind by Melanie Dobson

June 28, 2018

Title: Catching the Wind
Author: Melanie Dobson
Publisher: Tyndale House
Pages: 416
ISBN: 978-1-4964-1728-2
Publication Date: May 9th, 2017

About the Book:
What happened to Brigitte Berthold?

That question has haunted Daniel Knight since he was thirteen, when he and ten-year-old Brigitte escaped the Gestapo agents who arrested both their parents. They survived a harrowing journey from Germany to England, only to be separated upon their arrival. Daniel vowed to find Brigitte after the war, a promise he has fought to fulfill for more than seventy years.

Now a wealthy old man, Daniel's final hope in finding Brigitte rests with Quenby Vaughn, an American journalist working in London. He believes Quenby's tenacity to find missing people and her personal investment in a related WWII espionage story will help her succeed where previous investigators have failed. Though Quenby is wrestling her own demons--and wary at the idea of teaming up with Daniel's lawyer, Lucas Hough--the lure of Brigitte's story is too much to resist. Together, Quenby and Lucas delve deep into the past, following a trail of deception, sacrifice, and healing that could change all of their futures.
My Thoughts:
I have been a fan of Melanie Dobson's writing for a while. She has a wonderful ability to capture historical details and make them pop.

Catching the Wind was a unique story. It is one that is a duel time line. One present day, one set during WW2. And what intertwines them is a mystery that happened during the war. Quenby is hired to use her investigative ability to solve this 75 year old mystery. Daniel Knight, the man who hired Quenby is desperate. His despair is evident, and as you read, you can't help but hope for him that he gets answers.

As the mystery and story unfolds, this book shows how much the decision of one person can affect the lives of many, over multiple generations. As the story moves, you can't help but wonder where the next turn will take you or how it will be connected if it will be at all.

I downloaded this audio-book and I have to say, the narrator was phenomenal! I will say, starting off, I wasn't sure how I would like this narrator, but as the story progressed, she ended up being one of the best I've heard. She could perform multiple accents, speak German flawlessly, and was able to carry the story, allowing it to come alive and bring you into the story.

The details in this story was fascinating. It focused on aspects of WW2 I hadn't thought about, with spies for Germany, being among the English people and how they could pull it off. Seeing a new aspect for this time of history is very intriguing.

Quenby and Lucus both come off as people are very strong willed, but as you dive into their background, you come to find out, they are broken people, each trying to get over their past. This investigation, allows to them to not only get to know each other, but learn to rely on others and to open themselves up to find out who they really are.

Quenby is a woman who has been broken, lives with a traumatic memory, that has shaped her to who she is today, however, despite that, she loves God, and follows him. She knows she needs him. Seeing her work through her hurts was realistic. Living in faith, while working to get over the past is hard. It leaves scars and they don't always fade.I appreciated how it was displayed.

This was a book that kept opening new layers for me and bringing me in more and more. I absolutely loved it! It has to be one of my favorites for the year.

5 out of 5

About the Author:
Melanie Dobson is the award-winning author of nearly twenty historical romance, suspense, and time-slip novels including Catching the Wind and Chateau of Secrets . Three of her novels have won Carol Awards; Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana won Best Novel of Indiana in 2010; and The Black Cloister won the Foreword Magazine Religious Fiction Book of the Year.

Melanie is the former corporate publicity manager at Focus on the Family and owner of the publicity firm Dobson Media Group. When she isn't writing, Melanie enjoys teaching both writing and public relations classes at George Fox University.
Melanie and her husband, Jon, have two daughters. After moving numerous times with work, the Dobson family has settled near Portland, Oregon, and they love to hike and camp in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest and along the Pacific Coast. Melanie also enjoys exploring ghost towns and abandoned homes, helping care for kids in her community, and reading stories with her girls.

Visit Melanie online at www.melaniedobson.com.



Thank you to Tyndale Blogger Program, I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Waiting On Wednesday: Murder at the Flamingo

June 27, 2018

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly feature to spotlight an up and coming release you are most excited about. 

Featuring this week is a book that is set back in the 1920's Boston and a new night club. I don't know what it is about the 1920's, but it is just an amazing era. So much change was going on at this time and when a story is set during this time, it really hooks me. The era and setting just sounds like it is fun. And I also have to point out...look how gorgeous of a cover this book is!!

Waiting On:
Title: Murder at the Flamingo
Author: Rachel McMillan
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: July 10th, 2018

About the Book:
“Maybe it was time to land straight in the middle of the adventure…”

Hamish DeLuca has spent most of his life trying to hide the anxiety that appears at the most inopportune times -- including during his first real court case as a new lawyer. Determined to rise above his father’s expectations, Hamish runs away to Boston where his cousin, Luca Valari, is opening a fashionable nightclub in Scollay Square. When he meets his cousin's “right hand man” Reggie, Hamish wonders if his dreams for a more normal life might be at hand.

Regina “Reggie” Van Buren, heir to a New Haven fortune, has fled fine china, small talk, and the man her parents expect her to marry. Determined to make a life as the self-sufficient city girl she’s seen in her favorite Jean Arthur and Katharine Hepburn pictures, Reggie runs away to Boston, where she finds an easy secretarial job with the suave Luca Valari. But as she and Hamish work together in Luca’s glittering world, they discover a darker side to the smashing Flamingo night club.

When a corpse is discovered at the Flamingo, Reggie and Hamish quickly learn there is a vast chasm between the haves and the have-nots in 1937 Boston—and that there’s an underworld that feeds on them both. As Hamish is forced to choose between his conscience and loyalty to his beloved cousin, the unlikely sleuthing duo work to expose a murder before the darkness destroys everything they’ve worked to build.

What are you waiting on this week?
I'd love to hear! I'm always looking for new suggestions.

Top Ten Tuesday: Series I'm Happy I Found

June 26, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Artsy Read Girl.
Each week features a book related topic to spotlight your Top Ten.

This weeks topic I tweaked just a tiny bit to make it a little more fun. 

Topic:
Series I'm Happy I Found

There have been times, that I haven't been sure about a book, but when I picked it up and read it, I just fell in love with the story and couldn't get enough. I was thrilled when I found out there would be more to the story. 

 The Alaskan Courage Series by Dani Pettrey

Dani Pettrey's bestselling romantic suspense series, Alaskan Courage, features the nail-biting adventures of the McKenna family siblings as they encounter danger in the Alaskan wilderness.
 The Storm Siren Series by Mary Weber
Storm Siren

I raise my chin as the buyers stare. Yes. Look. You don t want me. Because, eventually, accidentally, I will destroy you.

As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth meaning, she shouldn't even exist.


 Cities of Refuge Series by Conniyln Cossette

Book 1:
After being branded during the battle of Jericho, Moriyah has had no prospects for marriage--until now. She hopes to please the man, but things go horribly wrong and she is forced to flee for her life. Seeking safety at one of the Levitical cities of refuge, she is unprepared for the dangers she faces, and the enemies--and allies--she encounters on her way.
 The Orphan Train Series by Jody Hedlund

Could following the opportunity of a lifetime cost them the love of their lives?

One of the many immigrants struggling to survive in 1850s New York, Elise Neumann knows she must take action to care for her younger sisters. She finds a glimmer of hope when the New York Children's Aid Society starts sending skilled workers to burgeoning towns out west. But the promise of the society's orphan trains is not all that it seems.

 The Summer Harbor Series by Denise Hunter

Book 1:
Eden Martelli is on the run with her mute five-year-old son dozing fitfully in the passenger seat when a breakdown leaves them stranded in Summer Harbor. She has no choice but to stay put through Christmas . . . even though they have no place to lay their heads.
 The Cadence of Grade Series by Joanne Bischof

From Book 1: 
Night’s chill tickled her skin. Lonnie pressed her hands together and glanced up. He was even more handsome up close. Having grown up the shy, awkward daughter of Joel Sawyer, she’d hardly spoken to any boy, let alone the one who had mothers whispering warnings in their daughter’s ears and fathers loading shotguns.
 Heroines Behind the Lines by Jocelyn Green

This set includes all four books of the Heroines Behind the Lines Series: Wedded to War, Widow of Gettysburg, Yankee in Atlanta, and Spy of Richmond.  The Heroines Behind the Lines Series highlights the crucial contributions made by women during the Civil War.
 Hagenheim Series by Melanie Dickerson

From Book 1:
When Lord Hamlin, the future duke, is injured, it is Rose who must tend to him. As she works to heal his wound, she begins to understand emotions she's never felt before and wonders if he feels the same. But falling in love is forbidden, as Lord Hamlin is betrothed to a mysterious young woman in hiding. As Rose's life spins toward confusion, she must take the first steps on a journey to discover her own destiny.


Archer Brother Series by Karen Witemeyer

From Book 1:

Four brothers. Four straws. One bride. Despite the fact that Travis is no longer the gallant youth Meredith once dreamed about, she determines to stand by his side against the enemy that threatens them both. But will love ever be hers? Or will Travis always see her merely as a short-straw bride? 

The Christiansen Family by Susan May Warren

 Life doesn't quite turn out as planned, and thus begins an odyssey of seven summers of unexpected summer romance. But what happens when the summer fades? Just how long should someone wait for the perfect love?




What series have you really liked? 
Do you hang on to old ones and re-read or are you on the hunt for new ones at all time?

I'd love hear what your thoughts are!


It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

June 25, 2018

It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date
Each week offer the opportunity to to spotlight what you're reading and what you just finished reading. 

Just Finished Reading:
 Catching the Wind by Melanie Dobson
I can see why this book won an audio-book award. It was a phenomenal read. 
More Than Meets the Eye by Karen Witemeyer
This was a sweet story. It had some light moments and a couple of bittersweet moments. I can't wait to see where the series goes. 
Full reviews will be posted soon!

Currently Reading:
 A Chance at Forever by Melissa Jagears
I won this book through a GoodReads giveaway. 
The Rancher's Surprise Daughter by Jilly Lynn
I received a copy of this book from the author.
Reading Next:
The Accidental Guardian by Mary Connealy
I won this book from a GoodReads giveaway.
Maybe another one as well....but I need to make a hard decision to which one!


What are you reading this week?
Have you discovered anything awesome this week?



Audio Book Review: Falling for You by Becky Wade

June 22, 2018

Title: Falling for You
Author: Becky Wade
Publisher: Bethany House/Recorded Books
Length: 13 Hours, 8 Minutes
Publication Date: May 11th, 2018

About the Book:
Famously beautiful model Willow Bradford is reveling in the peace and quiet of her hometown right up until the moment she comes face-to-face with her ex-boyfriend, Corbin Stewart.

Former NFL quarterback Corbin is forceful, charming, and accustomed to getting what he wants . . . except where Willow is concerned. He's never been able to forget her, but Willow makes it crystal clear she's unwilling to risk her heart again.

When a decades-old mystery in Corbin's family brings them together, will the heartbreak in their past and the complications in their present keep them from falling for one another all over again?
My Thoughts:
I got into a Becky Wade kick, if you couldn't tell. :-)
As soon as this book came out, I knew I needed to read the prequel before diving into this one (you don't need to, my necrotic mind wanted to me to and because I'm a tiny bit OCD, I then listened to book one again. Gotta keep it all in order.)

With everything fresh in my mind, I jumped right into Falling for You. Oh, my goodness! We got a glimpse of Willow and Corbin in book 1. I have to say, it was a good set up for this story. The two books flowed together, but you can read them separately, without missing anything.

Willow, goodness! She is a girl I was able to connect with...not on the beautiful model level, that would be nice though, but on how she beat herself up over past decisions. Even though she is a girl who has grown up a Christian, she is still haunted by her past. The guild and grief she battles is in all honesty, heart breaking.

When we are introduced to Corbin, he is a man who doesn't want to be around Willow, but in book 2, he has is awesome per-teen niece with him and you finally get to see what kind of man he is. The banter of this uncle niece duo is cute and fun. He is a man broken, literally, from his career. He is trying to heal and move on from his injuries. However, his niece has other ideas and it ties him and Willow together, which is not what they want.

As Corbin and Willow's story unfolds, you can't help but route for them and then feel heartache for them. They each have their burdens, but they each care deeply for those around them. That care sends them on an interesting missing person's search. I was pleased with how it turned out.

Becky Wade's writing is super! She is able to bring these broken characters to life and show what hope and joy there is to look forward to. Her writing is real with some grit. Life isn't perfect and so, her characters have flaws.

Becky Wade writes in this story about pre-martial sex, kidnapping, murder, and a few other real life issues. I for one love how this story was so realistic, but I know it isn't for everyone. It is written in a way that it is respectful. It is uplifting and something positive is learned.

Falling for You was fantastic and one of my favorite books of 2018 so far!

5 out of 5

Becky Wade is a native of California who attended Baylor University, met and married a Texan, and now lives in Dallas. A favorite among readers of Christian contemporary romance, Becky has won a Christy Award, a Carol Award, an Inspirational Reader's Choice Award, and an INSPY Award.
Learn more at www.beckywade.com.








Audible Review: True to You by Becky Wade

June 21, 2018

Title: True to You
Author: Becky Wade
Publisher: Recorded Books
Run Time: 13 hours, 38 Minutes
Unabridged
Publication Date: May 2nd, 2017

About the Book:
Exciting start of a brand-new series by a contemporary romance fan favorite.
After a devastating heartbreak three years ago, genealogist and historical village owner Nora Bradford has decided that burying her nose in her work and her books is far safer than romance in the here and now.

Unlike Nora, former Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient John Lawson is a modern-day man, usually 100% focused on the present. But when he's diagnosed with an inherited condition, he's forced to dig into the secrets of his past and his adoption as an infant, enlisting Nora to help him uncover the identity of his birth mother.

The more time they spend together, the more this pair of opposites suspects they just might be a perfect match. However, John's already dating someone and Nora's not sure she's ready to trade her crushes on fictional heroes for the risks of a real relationship. Finding the answers they're seeking will test the limits of their identity, their faith, and their devotion to one another.
My Thoughts:
I originally read this book last year, but I've been on an audio-book kick lately, they are just fun and they help me multitask.

I recently listened to the prequel of this story, Then Came You. It was a story that I enjoyed. Having listened to that and with book 2 just out, I decided to go back and listen to this story before diving into the new release.

The narrator preformed the story well. She carried it on with a great flow. As the story unfolded, even though I knew what was going to happen, I still wondered when it was going to go.

Becky Wade's writing is one that carried over so well into audio. She has such fun and unique characters that really just pop, but are so relateable. When hearing their conversations, they come at you like ones you would have with with family or with friends.

If you have read the book, but are looking for a fun audio, this is one for you. If you haven't read this story and are looking for something new, defiantly give True to You a chance. It is a sweet story.


5 out of 5


Waiting On Wednesday: The Orphan's Wish

June 20, 2018

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly feature to spotlight an up and coming release you are most excited about. 

This week, I'm waiting on an author who has been able to bring Fairy Tales to a fun new, and realistic level. I've been a fan or her retellings for several years now. She has touched on Snow White, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast. Now she is coming out with a book based around Aladdin! To say I'm excited would be an understatement!

The Orphan's Wish is a YA book that just sounds like it will be a lot of fun. The cover is gorgeous and fits with the rest of the books in this medieval world. I can't wait to see what the book will bring.

Waiting On: 
Title: The Orphan's Wish
Author: Melanie Dickerson
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: June 26th, 2018

About the Book:
From the streets to an orphanage in a faraway kingdom, Aladdin has grown up alone. Until he meets Kirstyn. With a father who is the duke of Hagenheim and a mother who is the patroness of the orphanage where Aladdin lives, Kirstyn is a member of the most powerful family in the land . . . and way out of his league. Despite the difference in their stations, Aladdin quickly becomes Kirstyn’s favorite companion for taking walks in the forest, and their childhood friendship grows along with them.

Through his scrappy skills, intelligence, and hard work, Aladdin earns a position serving in the duke’s house. But he knows it isn’t enough to grant him his one desire: Kirstyn’s hand in marriage. If he hopes to change his station in life and feel worthy of marrying Kirstyn, he must leave Hagenheim to seek his fortune.

But once Aladdin leaves, no one is around to protect Kirstyn, and the greedy men desperate to take advantage of her father’s wealth take notice. Now, more than Aladdin’s background stands in the way of the future he’s worked so hard to obtain. His only hope is to rescue Kirstyn and somehow manage to win her hand as well. 
What new book are you waiting on?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books to Read by the Pool...or Summer TBR

June 19, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Artsy Read Girl.
Each week features a book related topic to spotlight your Top Ten.

It's another fun topic this week. This week embraces summer...even though I'm not a fan of the heat, it does make a great time to stay inside and read while the outside world around me melts in the heat.

Summer TBR

 A Chance at Forever by Melissa Jagears
An Accidental Guardian by Mary Connealy
The Rancher's Surprise Daughter by Jill Lynn
Thief of Corinth by Tessa Afshar

Unbreakable by Sara Ella
I may re-read the previous 2 books before the third. 

The Hope of Azure Springs by Rachel Fordham
 The Orphan's Wish by Melanie Dickerson
Sons of Blackbird Mountain by Joanne Bischof
The Reckoning of Gossamer Pond by Jamie Jo Wright


What is your summer TBR??
I'm always up for book recommendations.
Let me know in the comments below.


It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

June 18, 2018

It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date
Each week offer the opportunity to to spotlight what you're reading and what you just finished reading. 

Just Finished Reading:
 Falling for You was such a fun book!! I'm so glad that I went back and read the prequel and then the first book. I honestly can't wait for the next book in this series! The audio book was fantastic!

Currently Reading:
Catching the Wind is so different from what I've been reading, but good so far! And the audio book is great!

Reading Next:

I received this lovely, The Rancher's Surprise Daughter, from the author this past week. It looks cute! I can't wait to read it.

What are you reading this week? I would love to hear! Anything new you're diving into or rereading a favorite?

Then Came You by Becky Wade

June 14, 2018

Title: Then Came You
Author: Becky Wade
Publisher: Bethany House
Pages: 158
ISBN:
Publication Date: March 17th, 2017

About the Book:
A leather-bound journal. A single father. A woman in pursuit of freedom.

Garner Bradford, heir to the troubled Bradford Shipping empire, doesn't know much about babies. But he's going to have to learn fast because he's just become a single father to his newborn daughter. As he confesses through his journal entries, he's not entirely sure how to keep a newborn alive, whether or not he'll ever patch together his shattered heart, or how to forgive himself for his mistakes.

Career girl Kathleen Burke is wholly uninterested in settling down. She has big dreams, and none of them include Garner and his small hometown in Washington State. Yet she can't seem to get her handsome boss out of her head or her heart. There's something extraordinarily tempting about his beautifully sad green eyes. . . .

Told through journal entries, phone conversations, and letters, Then Came You is a unique, heart-stirring romance novella by acclaimed author Becky Wade.
My Thoughts:
I read the first book of the series last year, True to You, but then I noticed that there was a prequel. After falling in love with the character in True to You, I was happy to dive back in time with Garner Bradford.

He is a man who has made some bad decisions and dealt with some hard consequences, and then was given a hard blow that shook his world. He thought he had found the girl of his dreams with a beautiful french woman on holiday touring the world. He let things get carried away and she got pregnant. A month after she delivered the baby, she handed Willow, their daughter, over to him and left. A single dad with a crushed heart and not much of an idea on how to care for a baby. He is left floundering.

Months after Willow's mother left, he meets a girl at church who is stable, loving and caring for all those around her. They marry and soon after have a daughter. Willow is an older sister to Nora. All seems right with world...till tragedy strikes. Garner a widower and single dad again. After everything he has dealt with, he swears off relationships....which after everything is said and done, I don't blame him. It is a huge shock to the emotions and mind. He treads the water of life. It takes him a while to get back among the living. He has help of family and a nanny, they make life bearable.

Garner keeps getting hit. He take has situations that would make some people cringe and want to curl up and hide, but he tries to rely on faith. It's hard, but he tries.

When love comes his way again, he is leery, and does his best to avoid it. But, God has other plans. It takes time for him to realize that.

I love stories that are written journal style. They are so relatable and just capture me up! Maybe because I like to snoop sometimes....just saying.

Becky Wade brings a cast of characters that are life like. They are flawed. They deal with issues and make mistakes and deal with their decisions. Life isn't perfect, and that comes through. However, God's love shines in the writing. We are flawed, we hurt, we question, but God is there. Becky shows that in her stories.

I downloaded this story on audible. I have to say, I loved it! There were two narrators. I love when that happens. They enhanced the story and really made it pop! I couldn't recommended this recording any more.

5 out of 5

Have you read this prequel? What are your thoughts?
 

Waiting On Wednesday: The Reckoning of Gossamer Pond

June 13, 2018

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly feature to spotlight an up and coming release you are most excited about. 

This week I decided to go a whole other route then the previous books I've featured recently. Different time lines, murder, mystery, chaos! All transpire in this up-and-coming release. I love a good mystery. When done right, I think about it for days. I love stories that have different time lines. It is fun and you get the best of both historical and contemporary. 

This story, sounds like it will be one to hook me! Jamie Jo Wright is a new to me author, I have heard fantastic things about her previous book, The House on Foster Hill. The look of this up and coming release has caught my eye. I think I need to go and read the previous book before this new one!

Waiting On:
Title: The Reckoning at Gossamer
Author: Jamie Jo Wright
Publisher: Bethany House
Publication Date: July 3rd, 2018

About the Book:
For over a century, the town of Gossamer Grove has thrived on its charm and midwestern values, but Annalise Forsythe knows painful secrets, including her own, hover just beneath the pleasant faade. When a man is found dead in his run-down trailer home, Annalise inherits the trailer, along with the pictures, vintage obituaries, and old revival posters covering its walls. As she sorts through the collection, she's wholly unprepared for the ramifications of the dark and deadly secrets she'll uncover.

A century earlier, Gossamer Grove has been stirred into chaos by the arrival of controversial and charismatic twin revivalists. The chaos takes a murderous turn when Libby Sheffield, working at her father's newspaper, receives an obituary for a reputable church deacon hours before his death. As she works with the deacon's son to unravel the mystery behind the crime, it becomes undeniably clear that a reckoning has come to town--but it isn't until another obituary arrives that they realize the true depths of the danger they've waded into.

Two women, separated by a hundred years, must uncover the secrets within the borders of their own town before it's too late and they lose their future--or their very souls.
What book are you waiting on this week?
Has a new to you author catch your attention lately?

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