She’s hounded from every side by treacherous elements and foes, but her greatest enemy lies within.
In the mountains near France, the medieval Princess Elyce is being forced to marry, thus forming an alliance that will enrich her father but enslave her kingdom. Instead, she chooses to feign her death and flee to Prague to beg King Wenceslaus to help save her people.
In England, the young knight Sir Gerard has a vision from God instructing him to help Elyce on her quest. When he arrives to find she has been near death for days, he manages to revive her. However, thinking the stranger was trying to kiss her, the princess immediately distrusts him. But her desperate situation forces her to accept his aid.
Pursued by her enemy’s guards over mountainous terrain, they must also battle the deadly winter elements. Her greatest challenge may be to overcome the voices of disapproval and accusation from her childhood. Will her emotions lead her into her true identity, or will they undermine her ability to work with Gerard and to save her people, who desperately need her help?
In this dazzling and romantic story, New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson takes the classic Sleeping Beauty fairy tale to satisfying new heights.
My thoughts:
I always enjoy Melanie’s books and her take on fairytale stories. This book was no expectation. It was very good and everything I have come to expect from a Melanie Dickerson book.
Elyce was a strong character but had many insecurities that I am sure a lot of readers can identify with. Gerard is everything a reader will want in a hero.
Also, just when you think all is resolved another shoe drops, Melanie is excellent at that.
Two broken women, two defeated children. Can Grace offer what they’re looking for? When the big city holds nothing but painful memories for sisters Rence and Sandy, they pack it up and head out for Grace and the promises it holds.
Promises of a new start. A new job at Grace General for Rence and a place to begin healing. But most of all, a promise to each of the sisters’ hurting children that a real Christmas awaits them in Grace, complete with snow on giant evergreens and lots of Mistletoe Magic.
But despite its Christmas card atmosphere, Grace, Oregon seems to hold a lot of secrets. Who is that giant of a man they encounter in the woods? Why won’t anyone talk about him? What is the hold the past seems to have over the town? Will they be able to break it before history tragically repeats itself? And will Grace be the place where love and forgiveness finally meet?
Kathleen J. Robison is an Okinawan-American, born in Okinawa, and raised in California, Florida, Mississippi, and Singapore. Her travels and her family are the sources of her inspiration for her books. Kathleen and her Pastor husband have eight adult children. Seven are married, blessing them with eighteen grandchildren and counting. Her ethnically diverse background extends to her family of currently thirty-five personalities which provide many opportunities to share God’s amazing love amidst the challenges of real life.
More from Kathleen
I love Christmas stories, and since becoming an author, I’ve wanted to write one. Mistletoe Village started out as Mistletoe Hermit, but then it wasn’t going in quite the happy direction that I wanted. So Mistletoe Village was born. I wrote this sweet, cozy, slightly suspenseful romance with all the elements that make Christmas … Christmas! But most importantly, it’s always about the faith element, Christ.
The main character Rence Paladin is dear to my heart. She was created with someone extraordinary in mind, and I had that person read the book to see what she thought. When she finished, she turned bright red and answered, even if you hadn’t told me … I knew it was me! However, it’s not her story, but it encompasses her delightful personality, some of her sweet memories of a single-mom, and how she strives to keep her focus on Christ while always serving others.
So let’s go. Let me take you to Mistletoe Village. You’ll find a little of everything that oozes Christmas in the tiny town of Grace. Holiday spirit, decorations, a children’s church pageant, and a Christmas festival. Oh, and I’ll introduce you to little Gus, the feisty family cock-a-poo. But most of all, I hope you, like Rence and Carl, rediscover the joy of Christmas at Mistletoe Village.
So, let’s focus on the story first. Overall, it was an interesting and heartwarming story. Definitely recommend reading it closer to Christmas, I was reading it outside on my deck in 80 degree weather. I think I would have gotten the “Christmas feels” if I was reading this in November or December.
I could relate to Rence in that she judged people and gave them labels. I tend do this and I appreciated her scolding herself to stop doing that. I also appreciated that faith was an important factor of this book and the characters lives.
I will say after the first two chapters I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep reading, it seemed like an immature writing style and people just popped up in one place and then another without a transition or page break (which could have been a formatting thing but I don’t think so since other places had clear page breaks). But the writing seemed to get better as the book went on and I enjoyed it.
There were several editing errors, again, maybe this was an advance reader copy? Not sure, but commas in places that didn’t make sense and quotation marks in the wrong places. This didn’t ruin the story, just made me pause and reread to make sure I knew what was going on or who was talking.
There was also a lot of staring going on by characters who were attracted to each other, to the point if this happened in real life it would be very weird. This seemed to be the authors preferred way to show attraction to another character. A little staring is okay but every time just gets weird.
Overall, a nice read and with a great message.
Grab your copy at Amazon, or your favorite retailer.
A copy of this book was given to me through Celebrate Lit. All opinions are my own.
In the world of big money and big politics, nobody walks away unscathed.
The people of Coventry never suspect that Josie Smith, owner of the local coffee shop, is the daughter of a powerful senator. She went to Washington to serve constituents, but her desire to do good morphed into a desire to win at all costs. When one of those costs grew too heavy to bear, she changed her name and left DC, vowing to never get involved in politics again. But when her father becomes his party’s lone voice standing against corrupt policies, his enemies will do whatever it takes to get his vote, and Josie finds herself caught in a familiar web of dirty tricks.
Thomas Windham never planned to run for office, but when Coventry’s disgraced mayor is replaced by a dishonest appointee, he feels he has no choice but to throw his hat in the ring. He doesn’t have a chance against the well-known politician, that is until he meets Josie, who knows more about running for office than a typical café owner would.
When Josie finds herself in danger, they form an alliance—his protection for her wisdom. The election becomes secondary as Josie’s adversaries close in. But can Josie and Thomas come out victorious against enemies determined to get what they want at any cost?
Don’t miss this pulse-pounding Christian romantic suspense that’ll keep you reading late into the night.
Robin Patchen is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of Christian romantic suspense. She grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, the setting of her Nutfield Saga books, and then headed to Boston to earn a journalism degree. Working in marketing and public relations, she discovered how much she loathed the nine-to-five ball and chain. After relocating to the Southwest, she started writing her first novel while she homeschooled her three children. The novel was dreadful, but her passion for storytelling didn’t wane. Thankfully, as her children grew, so did her writing ability. Now that her kids are adults, she has more time to play with the lives of fictional heroes and heroines, wreaking havoc and working magic to give her characters happy endings. When she’s not writing, she’s editing or reading, proving that most of her life revolves around the twenty-six letters of the alphabet. Visit https://robinpatchen.com/subscribe to receive a free book and stay informed about Robin’s latest projects.
More from Robin
Boston’s Logan Airport was about an hour from the little town in southern New Hampshire where I grew up. I remember pre-dawn drives, sitting in the backseat of our station wagon with my big sister and my little brother on our way to catch a flight. My dad was an airline pilot, so we traveled a lot in those days.
My parents always had a news station playing in the background. The anchor would read the news, and then Mom and Dad would discuss it at length while we tried to doze in the backseat.
They didn’t agree on everything, but they always saw eye-to-eye on politics.
My parents separated when I was a teenager and ultimately divorced. Even today, when they’re in a room together—they get along very well well—their conversations often drift to what’s going on in Washington.
Maybe that’s why I’ve always been interested in national politics.
My kids hate it when I talk about this policy or that vote. My husband would much prefer to discuss sports or work or…pretty much anything else. But I’ve always loved politics—the wrangling, the power plays, the backroom deals we can only guess at.
Talk about high-stakes drama on a worldwide stage. Hmm, I’m a suspense writer. Maybe it’s not that shocking that I love politics.
Lineage of Corruption doesn’t take place in the hallowed halls of Washington DC, nor are most of the characters in the story big players in the political scene. No, my story takes place in central New Hampshire, and its main characters are a coffee shop owner and a mayoral candidate. But that coffee shop owner’s father is a senator, a senator who’s being pressured to vote yes on a bill he vehemently disagrees with.
His enemies are willing to do whatever it takes to secure his vote, even if it means threatening his daughter.
So, it’s not exactly a political thriller. But it is all about big money and big names grappling for position in the world’s most powerful nation.
Which I personally think is super fun. To write about, anyway. In reality, politics has gotten way too rancorous and destructive for my tastes. Don’t worry—I won’t be lecturing you about what you should believe. I don’t honor one party or one president while throwing the other under the bus. In fact, I don’t mention either party or any actual politicians by name in the entire book.
This story isn’t about pushing my personal beliefs. It is about examining the lengths to which some people are willing to go to secure their own personal agendas.
(And it’s about man and a woman who fall in love, which is also super fun.)
I sure hope you’ll check it out.
Oh, and Josie, the coffee shop owner, loves to cook. Here’s a recipe she makes for the hero. It’s a great summertime meal and happens to be a staple at the Patchen household.
Linguine Caprese
4 ripe large tomatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 lb. mozzarella cheese (I use the small mozzarella balls (also called pearls), but any whole-milk mozzarella, cut into chunks, will do)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. dried basil (or 1 cup cleaned, fresh basil, cut into strips)
Enough olive oil to coat all of the above—about ¾ cup
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. linguine
Freshly grated parmesan
Combine tomatoes, cheese, garlic, basil, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cover and let sit at least two hours at room temperature.
Cook linguine according to package directions.
Drain pasta and immediately toss with the tomato mixture. Serve at once with grated parmesan cheese. (Goes great with crusty white bread on the side.)
To celebrate her tour, Robin is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card, copy of Inheritance of Secrets, and a previous book in the series!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
This is the only book I have read in this series and I have to say I didn’t feel lost at all. Only more interested in the other books.
This was a very good book. I really wasn’t sure who was behind everything until it was revealed. Robin did a great job of keeping the reader guessing.
I also appreciated the strong faith element and the fact that the author didn’t shy away from a hot political topic that many authors would never touch. The struggle the characters faced in staying strong or compromising their values was very relatable and unfortunately I think many Christian do compromise their values when it become too hard to stay strong.
At the height of the Nazi occupation of Rome, an unlikely band of heroes comes together to save innocent lives in this breathtaking World War II novel based on real historical events.
Rome, 1943. With the fall of Italy’s Fascist government and the Nazi regime occupying the streets of Rome, British ballerina Julia Bradbury is stranded and forced to take refuge at a hospital on Tiber Island. But when she learns of a deadly sickness sweeping through the quarantine wards—a fake disease known only as Syndrome K—she is drawn into one of the greatest cons in history. Alongside hospital staff, friars of the adjoining church, and two Allied medics, Julia risks everything to rescue Jewish Italians from the deadly clutches of the Holocaust. Soon a little girl who dreams of becoming a ballerina arrives at their door, and Julia is determined to reunite the young dancer with her family—if only she would reveal one crucial secret: her name.
Present Day. Delaney Coleman recently lost her grandfather—a beloved small-town doctor and World War II veteran, so she returns home to help her aging parents. When a mysterious Italian woman reaches out claiming to own one of the family’s precious heirlooms, Delaney is compelled to travel to Italy and uncover the truth of her grandfather’s hidden past. With the help of the woman’s skeptical but charming grandson, Delaney learns of a Roman hospital that saved hundreds of Jewish people during the war. Soon, everything Delaney thought she knew about her grandfather comes into question.
Based on true accounts of the invented Syndrome K sickness, The Italian Ballerina journeys from the Allied storming of the beaches at Salerno to the London ballet stage and the war-torn streets of World War II Rome, exploring the sometimes heart-wrenching choices we must make to find faith and forgiveness, and how saving a single life can impact countless others.
My thoughts:
Kristy writes such unique books. When I first begin one I am always a bit confused and wonder how this is all going to tie together, but it always does. The book was slowly woven together to create a beautiful piece of work.
It did not end exactly how I expected, actually something very sad happens that I didn’t see coming.
This book shows another aspect of WWII that I wasn’t aware of and I loved learning something new.
Overall, a well done book. If you like historical and contemporary books I recommend this one.
The strongest love is formed in the crucible of hardship
As Norah King surveys her family land in Iowa in 1880, she is acutely aware that it is all she has left, and she will do everything in her power to save it–even if that means marrying a man she hardly knows. Days before her wedding, Norah discovers an injured man on her property. Her sense of duty compels her to take him in and nurse him back to health. Little does she realize just how much this act of kindness will complicate her life and threaten the future she’s planned.
Norah’s care does more than aid Quincy Barnes’s recovery–it awakens his heart to possibilities. Penniless and homeless, he knows the most honorable thing he can do is head on down the road and leave Norah to marry her intended. But walking away from the first person to believe in him proves much harder than he imagined.
My thoughts:
This was an excellent book. It wasn’t what I expected at all, it was even better.
Norah starts out as a spunky young woman but things happen to break her. Quincy starts out as a broken man but then things change but he can’t shake the guilt that he is carrying with him.
There is even a point in the book that brought tears to my eyes. I can’t tell you what was happening but it was a very powerful moment.
If you like historical fiction I recommend this book.
Can she set aside the pain from the past to embrace a new love?
Isabelle Wardrop’s well-to-do life has completely unraveled. Within months, she’s lost both her parents, her fortune, and her home. With nowhere else to turn, she and her younger sister move in with a trusted former servant in an impoverished area of the city. Desperate for work but having no qualifications, Isabelle is forced to accept help from Dr. Mark Henshaw, the very man she blames for her mother’s death.
Mark Henshaw has admired Isabelle for several months, but after the tragic death of her mother, he vows to make amends for the past and help her find her way. But when Mark learns his younger brother has formed an undesirable friendship with Isabelle’s sister–one that brings a whole new set of problems into their lives–he doesn’t know if Isabelle will ever forgive him.
When startling developments begin to take place, both within Isabelle’s heart and their siblings’ relationship, her future looks very different than anything she could have imagined.
My thoughts:
I have read every book in this series and I have enjoyed them. The message in them are all very good and that was something I really appreciated.
I liked Isabelle’s perseverance as she had a lot to overcome and her dedication to her sister was admirable.
But I will say I struggled with this one a bit more then the previous books. I felt like Mark and Isabelle were just constantly back and forth, it became a little bit too unbelievable at the end and I felt like the ending was drawn out. Marissa, Isabelle’s sister, was pretty wishy washy and I didn’t care for her much at all, she was pretty selfish.
I also thought a sub-plot could have been added with what happen to Isabelle’s father, I just kept waiting for that shoe to drop but it never did.
Overall, this book has a good message but it wasn’t my favorite of the three.
The closer she comes to the truth, the deadlier her chase gets. FBI behavioral analyst Alex Donovan and her colleague Logan Hart have been called upon to write a profile for a missing woman, but a little digging quickly turns up more disappearances in Virginia with the same physical description.
Alex is in a race against the clock to rescue the missing victims, so when the UNSUB makes demands of her in exchange for information, Alex takes the bait. But when her life is put in jeopardy, Logan must do whatever it takes to track them down before time runs out.
Alex works to think one step ahead of the suspect, but the more Logan and the BAU learn about the serial kidnapper, the more they fear Alex may not make it out alive.
My thoughts:
This was a very interesting last book in this series (at least I’m assuming it’s the last book). Nancy did a great job keeping the reader guessing about who is behind these kidnappings, sort of. I mean, we know who is doing it but the men we meet will make you wonder which one is which and who can we trust.
I enjoyed the story but I don’t agree with Nancy’s theology. I think at least two times she has her characters say that it isn’t God’s will for them to be sick. This is a prosperity gospel mind set. I agree that when God originally created the earth and humans that wasn’t his will but because of sin the Word is clear that we will experience trails. If this isn’t God’s will then he isn’t completely in control but I believe God is sovereign and nothing happens outside of His will. I used to believe the way Nancy does but it lead me to a very bad place with God and I found myself demanding he answer my prayers the way I want and if he didn’t then he wasn’t that good. Yikes, not a good place.
Anyway, I did like the story, it was very engaging and I couldn’t wait to see how it would end.
Genesis 5020 