The Slow March of Light by Heather B. Moore {Review}

The Slow March of Light by Heather B. Moore

368 pages, Hardcover

Publication September 7, 2021

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given. 

Sometimes all you have is hope.

In the summer of 1961, a wall of barbed wire goes up quickly in the dead of night, officially dividing Berlin. Aware of the many whose families have been divided, Luisa joins a secret spy network, risking her life to help East Germans escape across the Berlin Wall and into the West.

Bob Inama, a soldier in the US Army, is stationed in West Germany. He’s glad to be fluent in German, especially after meeting Luisa Voigt at a church social. As they spend time together, they form a close connection. But when Bob receives classified orders to leave for undercover work immediately, he doesn’t get the chance to say goodbye.

With a fake identity, Bob’s special assignment is to be a spy embedded in East Germany, identifying possible targets for the US military. But Soviet and East German spies, the secret police, and Stasi informants are everywhere, and the danger of being caught and sent to a brutal East German prison lurks on every corner.

Best-selling author Heather B. Moore masterfully alternates the stories of Bob and Luisa, capturing the human drama unique to Cold War Germany was well as the courage and the resilience of the human spirit.

  

My Review: 5 Stars

I've been reading books by this author for a very long time and I never cease to be amazed at how versatile she is. Moore did a phenomenal job in capturing the historical moments along with the personal stories of an incredible man, merging reality and fiction into a completely captivating story. I thought Moore was brilliant before, and this story completely cements that idea.

The times surrounding WWII have a soft spot in my heart, but I haven't read many stories that bring to life the events leading up to the Cold War. I was horrified and fascinated, yet I also felt the hope and determination of the characters. 

What really hit home to me is that we all have stories and experiences to share. We can all learn from each other, especially in the face of very hard and trying times. Bob's character is a refreshing light in a sometimes dark world and there is much to be learned from him. This book is just beautiful and touching and I'm so glad that it was put together and written before Bob's passing, just a month before its release. Consider me truly touched.

Content: mild+ war-type violence (arrests, prison, beatings, etc)

Second Chance (Griffin Force #5) by Julie Coulter Bellon {Review}

Second Chance (Griffin Force #5) by Julie Coulter Bellon

Kindle Edition, 180 pages

Publication: February 20th 2021 by Stone Hall Books 

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given

 

 

 

Griffin Force tracks a dangerous terrorist to Libya, but the only man on their team that can infiltrate the terrorist's lair is Augie---their computer tech. They'll take a huge risk with an undercover asset who gets Augie in and assures them he won't be killed.

But who can the team really trust when the op goes sideways?

 

  

 

My Review: 5 Stars

 

I wonder if Bellon has extreme anxiety while writing this series because I sure have moments of it while reading these books! The Griffin Force is off to Libya and danger, terrorists, and threats of death abound. Augie is immediately suspicious of Rian, who is helping the team, and the secret he learns isn't what he expected and leads to more peril than he ever could have imagined.

 

Bellon always does a great job of adding some romance and an emotional connection with her suspenseful stories and the situations are terrifying, giving the reader a glimpse into some pretty realistic circumstances. I love seeing old friends from previous books make appearances--these characters are a tight-knit family and their experiences bind them together in unfathomable ways. 

 

This fast-paced adventure is well-written and thrilling and this installment ends on a slight cliffhanger, leaving me eager for more.

 

Content: very mild romance; PG-13 violence (relating to war, terrorism, hostages, etc)  

The Girl in Gray by Annette Lyon {Review}

The Girl in Gray by Annette Lyon

Kindle Edition, 318 pages

Published October 29th 2019 by Blue Ginger Books 

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.

*As an Amazon Affiliate, I received a small kickback with qualifying purchases.

 

    

 

A country fighting to stay free.
A woman with an impossible decision.
In November of 1939, Sini Toivola is sure of two things: she loves Marko Linna, and she has a comfortable life in Helsinki. But when the massive Soviet army invades her beloved homeland and Marko spurns her affections, her life is turned upside down. Needing a fresh start, Sini decides to join the female volunteer corps—the Lotta Svärd—and is sent to serve near the front lines. Service at a field hospital proves a good distraction—until Sini discovers a Russian soldier lost behind their camp. Duty requires her to turn him in, but her heart begs to keep him safe and help him escape. Torn between love for her country and love for her enemy, Sini must choose—but no matter what choice she makes, heart-wrenching consequences await them all.

 

My Review: 5 Stars

 

War isn't pretty and this author does a fantastic job of creating a real, raw, and gritty tale of the effects of the fighting between Russia and Finland during WWII. 

 

Sini wants to do whatever she can to support her country and its efforts in the war and finds herself serving as a Lotta, working in the kitchen and as a medical assistant. I love how Sini learns to look beyond a face to find a person's true self through her experiences and how she discovers core values and priorities.   

 

I also loved the play on the title. Sini dresses blandly and in gray wool with her assignment, but she also learns that life and war isn't always clear cut between black and white, or good and evil. She finds there are a lot of gray areas and ends up smack in the middle of one.

 

I love a good history lesson, mingled with fiction and romance, and I haven't read much about WWII that takes place in this area. I enjoyed learning more and connecting with the emotions of these characters, as they not only battled the enemy, but battled their feelings and themselves. This story is gripping and definitely tugs at the heart.

 

Content: moderate romance (kissing, one scene that nudges the envelope and then fades-to-black); moderate violence (war stuff that is semi-graphic at times, but not over the top); mild language 

The Shipbuilder's Wife by Jennifer Moore {Blog Tour Review and Giveaway}

The Shipbuilder's Wife by Jennifer Moore

Paperback, 272 pages

Published July 2018 

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.

   

The day of her parents' garden party dawns bright as Lydia Prescott eagerly anticipates a marriage proposal from a handsome and wealthy plantation owner. The lovely debutante plans to steal a moment away with her beau, but her plans go terribly awry. Instead of her intended, she is joined by a stranger the largest man she's ever laid eyes on. And it is clear Jacob Steele is there for reasons far more sober than the party. With British raids erupting all around them, it is his job to reassure plantation owners of their safety. In reality, however, Jacob is an espionage agent, and the truth is dire: America is on the verge of invasion by the British.

Blissfully unaware of the danger surrounding her, Lydia basks in the glow of her recent engagement. But her joy is short-lived—a surprise British attack results in a devastating wound, and her plans for the future are shattered. Lost in her devastation, Lydia could never dream that Jacob, that giant of a man she met so briefly, would prove to be her saving grace. And with a war raging around them, she may be called upon to save him too.

 

My Review: 4 Stars

"When one door closes, another will open." And sometimes that other door is better than the first. Lydia was supposed to get engaged, but doesn't when a terrible accident occurs.

Lydia isn't one to dwell on her unfortunate mishap for too long and tries so hard to make the best of her circumstances. Jacob is a busy, secretive man with inner scars. It's enjoyable to watch these two forge their ways through the danger of war-time situations, while settling into new territory.

This book is well researched and shows the hardships that were possible realities for some during the War of 1812. I could feel the ominous danger lurking in the intensity of the setting. Life didn't come easily to these characters, but good things always come after hard struggles, right? My personal preference is for a balance of story and romance and I felt this one was slightly tipped towards the war/story.

I always enjoy a book that can whisk me away to another time and place, especially when I can learn something along the way.

Content: mild violence; mild romance

Schedule: 

*Sept. 3^rd: https://www.rockinbookreviews.com/, https://joyinthemoments.wordpress.com/, http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com/, http://mybookaday.com/, http://www.iamareader.com/, https://brightlystreet.com/category/book-reviews/

*Sept. 4^th: http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/, http://bonnieharris.blogspot.com/, http://lifeiswhatitscalled.blogspot.com/,  http://empowermoms.net/

*Sept. 5^th: http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/, http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/, http://fireandicereads.com/, http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/, http://www.kindleandme.com/

*Sept. 6^th: https://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/, http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/, https://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/, https://www.lovebugsandpostcards.com/

*Sept. 7^th: http://minreadsandreviews.blogspot.com/, https://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/, http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/, https://www.wishfulendings.com/, http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/, http://www.iamareader.com/

Giveaway:
 
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All Fall Down (Hostage Negotiation Team #1) by Julie Coulter Bellon {Review}

All Fall Down by Julie Coulter Bellon

Paperback, 211 pages

Published 2012 by Julie Coulter Bellon
Source: I received a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own and were voluntarily given.

   

Hostage negotiator Claire Michaels’ never thought she'd be involved in an international crisis. Can she overcome her scars of the past to stop a new al-Qaeda threat?

Navy SEAL Rafe Kelly is on leave to recover from a knee injury he suffered during his tour in Afghanistan and he doesn't expect to be fighting terrorists on his home turf. When he's taken hostage, he knows he has to fight or die.

My Review: 4 Stars

Julie Coulter Bellon never ceases to amaze me with her gripping military romantic suspense books. HOW does she know all of this stuff and how does she portray it in a way that captivates a reader?! 

Claire is in new territory and Rafe has to fight, or die trying. I love the way these two work together and enjoyed the way the sparks of their relationship still develop, even while in the middle of a tense and terrifying situation.

This book is action-paced and doesn't slow down. It is definitely a page-turner and I flew right through the pages. I hope I don't have nightmares tonight, haha.

Content: mild-moderate violence (war/terrorist type); mild romance

My Dearest Enemy by Jennifer Moore {Blog Tour Review and Giveaway}

My Dearest Enemy by Jennifer Moore

Kindle Edition, 231 pages

Published April 1st 2018 by Covenant Communications 

Source: I received a copy, which did not influence my opinion in any way

 

Struggling alone on the family farm, Abigail Tidwell knows exactly who to blame for her hardships: the Americans. If it weren’t for their part in the war, her father and brothers would be home rather than fighting abroad. But no amount of antipathy could have prepared her for the shocking sight of a wounded American soldier on her property, a man in dire need of her help. 

Grudgingly, Abigail tends to the soldier’s injuries and anticipates the satisfaction of turning him over to the authorities once he is healed. But fate has other plans. Captain Emmett Prescott remembers little of the ambush on his men by a group of Shawnee Indians and even less about how he arrived in the unfamiliar barn.

After being nursed back to health by beautiful, if reluctant, Abigail, Emmett would do anything to save the men he left behind—including forcibly enlisting Abigail’s help. Soon, Abigail finds herself caught between two countries at war. And as her attraction for Emmett grows, her conflicted heart engages in its own silent battle. But when she is accused of treason for her actions, her survival rests in the hands of the very man she once considered her enemy.

My Review: 4 Stars

Most of the books that I read that take place in 1812 take place in England or British Territories, so it was a pleasant surprise to read one that takes place during the war that involved the US, Britain, and Canada.

Jennifer Moore isn't one who skimps on research and it's apparently obvious that this book is no exception. There are unpleasant war details given, but they were a part of life then and really add to the ambiance of the book. It was fascinating to read about what some people may have gone through while others across the pond were concerning themselves with the Ton and society balls.

I enjoyed the cast of characters--Abigail is a healer, Emmett a soldier, and the band of soldiers that they travel with are great. I could have handled a little more romance, to balance out the heaviness of war, but overall, it was an interesting tale.

Content: moderate war-type violence; very mild romance

Schedule:

*April 16^th: http://minreadsandreviews.blogspot.com/, https://joyinthemoments.wordpress.com/, http://mybookaday.com/, http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/

*April 17^th: http://heidi-reads.blogspot.com/, https://www.rockinbookreviews.com/, http://www.wishfulendings.com/

*April 18^th: http://www.kindleandme.com/, http://bonnieharris.blogspot.com/, http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com/

*April 19^th: https://www.singinglibrarianbooks.com/, https://ldsandlovinit.blogspot.com/, http://katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com/, http://literarytimeout.blogspot.com/

*April 20^th: https://brightlystreet.com/, http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/, http://www.iamareader.com/, http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/, http://whynotbecauseisaidso.blogspot.com/, http://booksaresanity.blogspot.com/, http://sweetlymadejustforyou.com/blog/

 Giveaway:

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So Rare a Gift (Daughters of His Kingdom #3) by Amber Lynn Perry {Review}

So Rare a Gift (Daughters of His Kingdom Book 3)

by Amber Lynn Perry 

Kindle Edition, 329 pages

Published July 3rd 2016 by Liberty Publishing 

 

 

Escape is Anna Rone’s only option. Never again will she be trapped in a loveless marriage. A new life in America means safety—and discovering the truth behind her beloved brother’s death. But when she is nearly captured and forced to return to England, her vow to never marry for anything but love is forgotten when she must marry for protection. Perhaps the handsome man she accepts is truly as caring as he seems. If he is not, her future in America is darker than ever before.

Captain Henry Donaldson aided the colonists too many times. And now, the British army intends to make him pay with his life. Without his friends in Sandwich, he would be a dead man. He’s already changed his name, and when the kind, courageous woman he rescued offers to become his bride, he accepts despite the risks. His past taught him that women are not to be trusted and that love can cut deeper than the sword. Only time will reveal if this choice will bring the greatest pain he’s ever known.

 

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My Review: 5 Stars

 

One of my favorite book tropes is a marriage of convenience, especially when there is a spark of attraction there. Add to that, a hint of danger and the story is very intriguing. 

 

Anna finds herself in an impossible situation and decides to accept the marriage proposal from a kind stranger. Henry has just assumed a new identity for safety purposes, but that doesn't affect who he really is on the inside. I love the bravery shown by each character and the way they gradually come to fan the flames of their mutual attraction. The romance is sweet and tender, yet has a few sparks that at times made me swoon. And I love to swoon! I found myself almost wishing to have been placed in a situation such as this, but I don't think I could handle the peril.

 

This author truly has a talent for telling a tale, while engaging the reader. I honestly haven't read a lot of books set in this time period and felt that I learned some history along with being entertained and I really enjoyed every page. 

 

I'm reading these books out of order, but it doesn't really matter--they can stand alone. The integrity of the characters, as well as the way they handle the precarious situations that they find themselves in makes it worth the time invested in reading this series. 

 

Content: mild+ religious elements; mild+ romance.

 

*I received a copy from the author, which did not affect my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

 

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Buy Link:

 

So Pure a Heart by Amber Lynn Perry {Blog Tour Review + Giveaway}

Series: Daughters of His Kingdom Genre: Historical, Romance, Christian Publisher: Liberty Publishing Publication date: June 20, 2017 Number of pages: 346 Since the night her dear uncle gave his life for hers, Hannah Young is determined to risk everything by spying for the Patriots in order to seek retribution against the British soldier who killed him. But when her former love, Joseph Wythe, insists on ensuring her safety, she must decide if the vengeance she seeks is worth the danger of his nearness. For the love she once felt is liable to grow deeper and more threatening to her heart than it ever was before. Leaving his young ward to join the fight for liberty is the hardest thing Joseph Wythe has ever done. Nearly. The most difficult happened ten years past, which he tries his best forget. Seeing Hannah Young again after all this time does something frightening and wonderful to his soul. Though her determination to spy for the

​Patriots is honorable and brave, he will never allow her to take such a risk without him to protect her, no matter how she protests—and no matter how he knows he will ache all the more for the thing he always wanted and still could never have. 

GOODREADS | AMAZON

A Pacific Northwest native, Amber Lynn Perry lives in Washington state with her husband and two daughters. She studied humanities at Portland State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree focused on art history. As a homeschooling mom, Amber spends much of her time teaching everything from Shakespeare to science.
When she isn’t crafting with her kids, making dinner or driving to dance classes, Amber is either reading or writing about her favorite time in American history. The Revolutionary era has captured her imagination from the time she was in middle school. Through her books, Amber hopes to not only give readers a glimpse into the past, but to instill in them a lasting love of liberty.

GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | AMAZON | WEBSITE

5 Stars

The Revolutionary War is a time in history that is very interesting and I haven't really given a lot of thought to how it affected every day people. This is Book 4 in the series and I haven't read the others yet, but it stood alone nicely. I am going to go back and read those though, since it is fascinating.

This author does a great job of telling a tale, weaving fact with fiction, in a way that is both educational and entertaining. The characters are richly written and come to life through their challenges, secrets, and trials. I honestly couldn't be a spy, yet the strength and bravery that Joseph and Hannah exhibit is heartwarming and encouraging.

As anyone who knows me knows, I love a good romance and this one shows a couple who was once in love and was driven apart, only to be thrust together again in dire circumstances, having to trust and support one another in order to stay alive. Joseph and Hannah's romance is tender and sweet, yet also exudes a few sparks of clean passion.

This story has an underlying current of religion, which I feel was a very important thing at this time of history. A big reason people came to America was for religious freedom. The religious aspects aren't overwhelming, but they play a big part in shaping the characters. This is a great historical fiction series.

Content: mild romance (kissing with a few sparks, implied premarital relationship); mild violence (it's war); moderate religious elements (not necessarily preachy, but important for character growth).

*I received a copy, which did not affect my opinion in any way. All thoughts are my own.*

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​June 26--Remembrancy | Heidi Reads...
June 27--Paulette's Papers | By The Book
June 28-- Reading Is My SuperPower | Katie's Clean Book Collection
June 29--Joy of Reading | Faithfully Bookish
June 30--Red Headed Book Lady | Singing Librarian Books
July 1--Book by Book | Getting Your Read On

For This We Are Soldiers: Tales of the Frontier Army by Carla Kelly {Review}

Tour Schedule

For This We Are Soldiers by Carla Kelly

Paperback, 288 pages

Published October 1st 2016 by Sweetwater Books 

 

 

From master storyteller Carla Kelly comes this collection of frontier tales that take you behind typical army lines and into the hearts of ordinary men and women who perform extraordinary acts of bravery. From handsome hospital stewards and dashing soldiers to courageous children and wives who will pull at your heartstrings, there’s something for everyone’s fancy.

 

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My Review: 3.5 Stars

 

My favorite way to learn some new facts about history is to pick up a great historical fiction and Carla Kelly really knows her stuff. This book is a collection of short stories that all revolve around soldiers and life in the army. Although the characters, situations, and details are realistic and sordid, each story is told in a way that is gentle and certainly warms the heart. 

As I previously mentioned, details were brought to my attention through each story that I hadn't thought of before. Specifically, the roles that women played during different wars. Am I ever grateful to live when and where I do! 

Some of the stories were quite short and just ended. I wanted more--more details, more development...just more. Others were a little longer and fulfilled some of that desire for more. While I was left wanting, I still enjoyed each story and loved getting to see a snippet into the lives of these characters during their times in history.

Content: very mild war violence; very mild romance. Clean!

*I received a copy through the publisher, which in no way affected my review. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own and I wasn't compensated for them.*

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Buy Links:

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author:

 

Although Carla Kelly is well known among her readers as a writer of Regency romance, her main interest (and first writing success) is Western American fiction—more specifically, writing about America's Indian Wars. Although she had sold some of her work before, it was not until Carla began work in the National Park Service as a ranger/historian at Fort Laramie National Historic Site did she get serious about her writing career. (Or as she would be the first to admit, as serious as it gets.)

Carla wrote a series of what she now refers to as the "Fort Laramie stories," which are tales of the men, women and children of the Indian Wars era in Western history. Two of her stories, A Season for Heroes and Kathleen Flaherty's Long Winter, earned her Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America. She was the second woman to earn two Spurs from WWA (which, as everyone knows, is all you need to ride a horse). Her entire Indian Wars collection was published in 2003 as Here's to the Ladies: Stories of the Frontier Army. It remains her favorite work.

The mother of five children, Carla has always allowed her kids to earn their keep by appearing in her Regencies, most notably Marian's Christmas Wish, which is peopled by all kinds of relatives. Grown now, the Kelly kids are scattered here and there across the U.S. They continue to provide feedback, furnish fodder for stories and make frantic phone calls home during the holidays for recipes. (Carla Kelly is some cook.)

Carla's husband, Martin, is Director of Theatre at Valley City State University, in Valley City, North Dakota. Carla is currently overworked as a staff writer at the local daily newspaper. She also writes a weekly, award-winning column, "Prairie Lite."

Carla only started writing Regencies because of her interest in the Napoleonic Wars, which figures in many of her Regency novels and short stories. She specializes in writing about warfare at sea, and about the ordinary people of the British Isles who were, let's face it, far more numerous than lords and ladies.

Hobbies? She likes to crochet afghans, and read British crime fiction and history, principally military history. She's never happier than talking about the fur trade or Indian Wars with Park Service cronies. Her most recent gig with the National Park Service was at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site on the Montana/North Dakota border.

Here's another side to this somewhat prosaic woman: She recently edited the fur trade journal of Swiss artist Rudolf F. Kurz (the 1851-1852 portion), and is gratified now and then to be asked to speak on scholarly subjects. She has also worked for the State Historical Society of North Dakota as a contract researcher. This has taken her to glamorous drudgery in several national archives and military history repositories. Gray archives boxes and old documents make her salivate.

Her mantra for writing comes from the subject of her thesis, Robert Utley, that dean of Indian Wars history. He told her the secret to writing is "to put your ass in the chair and keep it there until you're done." He's right, of course.

Her three favorite fictional works have remained constant through the years, although their rankings tend to shift: War and Peace, The Lawrenceville Stories, and A Town Like Alice. Favorite historical works are One Vast Winter Count, On the Border with Mackenzie and Crossing the Line. Favorite crime fiction authors are Michael Connelly, John Harvey and Peter Robinson.

And that's all she can think of that would interest anyone. Carla Kelly is quite ordinary, except when she is sometimes prevailed upon to sing a scurrilous song about lumberjacks, or warble "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" in Latin.

 

  

Making Faces by Amy Harmon {Review}

My good friend over at KJ's Book Nook is hosting a 

Once Upon a Time...Beauty and the Beast Month. 

Check it out here. 

Making Faces by Amy Harmon

Kindle Edition, 405 pages

Published October 20th 2013



Ambrose Young was beautiful. He was tall and muscular, with hair that touched his shoulders and eyes that burned right through you. The kind of beautiful that graced the covers of romance novels, and Fern Taylor would know. She'd been reading them since she was thirteen. But maybe because he was so beautiful he was never someone Fern thought she could have...until he wasn't beautiful anymore.

Making Faces is the story of a small town where five young men go off to war, and only one comes back. It is the story of loss. Collective loss, individual loss, loss of beauty, loss of life, loss of identity. It is the tale of one girl's love for a broken boy, and a wounded warrior's love for an unremarkable girl. This is a story of friendship that overcomes heartache, heroism that defies the common definitions, and a modern tale of Beauty and the Beast, where we discover that there is a little beauty and a little beast in all of us.

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My Review: 5 Stars

I bought this book awhile ago and it was recommended to me by a good book friend for a book challenge for 2016. I was immediately sucked in, blown away by this story, and I think my life has been forever changed. It's not my usual type of book, but I'm so glad that I read it--I just couldn't put it down! I love a Beauty and the Beast type of story and this one is fantastic.

Fern isn't your typical romance heroine. She's the only child of an older pastor and his wife, isn't pretty, and gets lost in the flow of high school life. Ambrose is a paragon. He's tall, gorgeous, nice, and the best upcoming wrestler Hannah Lake has ever seen. Bailey is Fern's cousin and has been facing death, due to disease, for years. His outlook on life, his attitude, and his daily encounters with those around him dug deep into my heart. These characters are real, raw, and inspiring. I can't stop thinking about this story, the life lessons that came from these pages, and these genuine characters.

9/11 is a moment in history that won't ever be forgotten and to read about a story that takes place during that time and the things that happen to these individuals because of those events are heart rending, tender, and captivating. 

The writing style is so engaging and amazing. The words flow in such a way that pierce the soul. There are so many great thoughts and the events that occur within these pages stimulate the whole spectrum of emotions. I just don't have the words to express how much this book touched me. This is my first Amy Harmon book and I guarantee--it won't be my last.

Content: There is more content than I prefer, but for me, the story is so worth being told, that these issues can be overlooked for the most part. If you're a squeaky clean reader, this one probably won't be for you.

Moderate language (teenage boys, soldiers)--no F*bombs, but a lot of other words; mild-moderate violence (physical abuse, death, war-type violence but not overly graphic); mild-moderate romance elements (kissing, some brief touching, a few crass jokes, innuendo, unwed pregnancies with no details).

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Buy Links:

 

About the Author:

Amy Harmon is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times Bestselling author. Amy knew at an early age that writing was something she wanted to do, and she divided her time between writing songs and stories as she grew. Having grown up in the middle of wheat fields without a television, with only her books and her siblings to entertain her, she developed a strong sense of what made a good story. Her books are now being published in twelve countries, truly a dream come true for a little country girl from Levan, Utah.

Amy Harmon has written ten novels - the USA Today Bestsellers, Making Faces and Running Barefoot, as well as The Law of Moses, The Song of David, Infinity + One, Slow Dance in Purgatory, Prom Night in Purgatory, and the New York Times Bestseller, A Different Blue. Her newest release, The Bird and the Sword, will be released in the spring of 2016. She will release From Sand and Ash in October of 2016, via Lake Union Publishing. For updates on upcoming book releases, author posts and more, join Amy at www.authoramyharmon.com.

The Captain (Griffin Force #2) by Julie Coulter Bellon {Review/Giveaway}

The Captain (Griffin Force #2) by Julie Coulter Bellon

Kindle Edition, 205 pages

Published May 8th 2016 by Stone Hall Books

 
 

Captain Colt Mitchell is part of the elite Griffin Force team hunting down terrorist Nazer al-Raimi. After an attack on the Canadian Parliament buildings, the team gets good intel on Nazer’s whereabouts. They plan to grab him, but when the mission goes wrong, Colt is captured and dragged away. Bruised, restrained, and disoriented, Colt is stunned to see Brenna Wilson, the Canadian intelligence officer who broke his heart years ago, standing next to Nazer. But how deep is she in the operation and can she help Colt escape?

After the devastating attack on Canadian soil, Brenna is recruited to go undercover to find out what Nazer is planning next. She’s close to her goal until her former flame Colt Mitchell is taken hostage. Walking away from him has always been her biggest regret and she knows she has to save him, even if it blows her mission. Taking matters into her own hands, she pulls off a daring escape, but Colt and Brenna must learn to trust each other again if they want to stay alive. With their hearts and their lives on the line can they survive long enough to stop Nazer from ravaging another country’s sense of security?

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My Review: 5 Stars

This story immediately starts out with heart-pounding excitement and suspense. Brenna is deep undercover in a terrorist compound, trying to discover what attack plans are in the works. Colt is captured and taken hostage and ends up reuniting with Brenna again--in a most unconventional way. They have a history together and she broke his heart, but to escape this nightmare, they must learn to trust each other again.

I love the way Ms. Bellon writes such great characters and situations. I feel that I'm a fly on the wall, watching everything unfold, and it almost stresses me out. I become so involved in the book and can't figure out how these characters will possibly resolve their dilemmas. Either they're smarter than me or used to working under pressure, but somehow, twists and turns happen to take things in a new direction and many times, it's because of the way they formulate new plans and execute things in surprising ways. 

I really enjoyed Colt and Brenna and they way they each have such quick thinking skills and reactions. Daring, brave, and committed, they're both great. This is a fast-paced and intense book that was over before I knew it and had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I'm already waiting for more in this Griffin Force series.

Content: war type violence that isn't too graphic, including torture, prisoner abuse, etc; mild romance. I would consider this clean for a reader who is mature enough to handle the war stuff.

*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review* 

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About the Author:


 
Julie Coulter Bellon is the author of more than a dozen romantic suspense novels. Her book All Fall Down won the RONE award for Best Suspense and Pocket Full of Posies won a RONE Honorable Mention for Best Suspense.

Julie loves her work partly because she gets to travel to distant lands to research and add an authentic feel to all of her books. Her favorite cities so far are Athens, Paris, Ottawa, and London. She taught journalism for fourteen years and that kept her on the cutting edge of current events and world news---which is where she gets her story ideas.

Julie offers writing and publishing tips as well as her take on life on her blog ldswritermom.blogspot.com You can also find out about all her upcoming projects at her website juliebellon.com

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