Justice Delayed by Patricia Bradley (Review)

Paperback: 352 pages

Publisher: Revell (January 31, 2017)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0800727088

ISBN-13: 978-0800727086

It's been eighteen years since TV crime reporter Andi Hollister's sister was murdered. The confessed killer is behind bars, and the execution date is looming. But when a letter surfaces stating that the condemned killer didn't actually do it, Detective Will Kincaide of the Memphis Cold Case Unit will stop at nothing to help Andi get to the bottom of it. After all, this case is personal: the person who confessed to the crime is Will's cousin. They have less than a week to find the real killer before the wrong person is executed. But much can be accomplished in that week--including uncovering police corruption, running for your life, and falling in love.

My Review:

This was a decent Christian romantic suspense book. They mystery and suspense factors were good. The plot was well developed and interesting. I did not like the main character Andi's pain pill addiction though. It did not work as part of the story and I felt it detracted from it. Will Kincaide has liked Andi for years but she is his best friend's sister. Andi has a tendency for trouble as a tv crime reporter. She puts herself and her friend in danger. The main plot of this story is proving Will's cousin who is on death row innocent before he is put to sleep. I did guess who really did it but not until close to the end. The romance development between Will and Andi was okay. The conclusion was good and fit the story. This is the first book in a new series called Memphis Cold Cases. I look forward to reading book two.

Patricia Bradley is the author of Shadows of the Past, A Promise to Protect, Gone without a Trace, and Silence in the Dark. Bradley has been a finalist for the Genesis Award, winner of a Daphne du Maurier Award, and winner of a Touched by Love Award. Bradley is cofounder of Aiming for Healthy Families, Inc., and she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. Bradley makes her home in Mississippi. Learn more at www.ptbradley.com.

Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A Portrait of Emily Price by Katherine Reay (Review)

Paperback: 368 pages

Publisher: Thomas Nelson (November 1, 2016)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0718077911

ISBN-13: 978-0718077914



Art restorer Emily Price has never encountered anything she can’t fix—until she meets Ben, an Italian chef, who seems just right. But when Emily follows Ben home to Italy, she learns that his family is another matter . . .

Emily Price—fix-it girl extraordinaire and would-be artist—dreams of having a gallery show of her own. There is no time for distractions, especially not the ultimate distraction of falling in love.
But Chef Benito Vassallo’s relentless pursuit proves hard to resist. Visiting from Italy, Ben works to breathe new life into his aunt and uncle’s faded restaurant, Piccollo. Soon after their first meeting, he works to win Emily as well—inviting her into his world and into his heart.

Emily astonishes everyone when she accepts Ben’s proposal and follows him home. But instead of allowing the land, culture, and people of Monterello to transform her, Emily interferes with everyone and everything around her, alienating Ben’s tightly knit family. Only Ben’s father, Lucio, gives Emily the understanding she needs to lay down her guard. Soon, Emily’s life and art begin to blossom, and Italy’s beauty and rhythm take hold of her spirit.

Yet when she unearths long-buried family secrets, Emily wonders if she really fits into Ben’s world. Will the joys of Italy become just a memory, or will Emily share in the freedom and grace that her life with Ben has shown her are possible?

My Review:

This was a good Christian fiction romance book. Emily and Ben connect from the first time they meet. It is hard to believe that they would marry after only knowing each other two weeks though. Emily then goes back to Italy with him. I love the author's descriptive writing. I felt like I was in the book. The first half is set in Atlanta and the second mostly in Italy. There were some supporting characters also. I liked Ben's sister and his father. I never warmed up to his mother. The first part was like a fairy tale and the second half reality. Emily  runs into issues being in a country she doesn't speak the language and with people she does not know. Some of Ben's family is welcoming and some not so much. It is not a fast paced book which was fine with me as I enjoyed the descriptions. The conclusion is satisfying. Recommended to fans of Christian romance fiction.

Katherine Reay has enjoyed a life-long affair with the works of Jane Austen and her contemporaries—who provide constant inspiration both for writing and for life. She is the author of three previous novels, and her debut, Dear Mr. Knightley, was a 2014 Christy Award Finalist, winner of the 2014 INSPY Award for Best Debut, and winner of two Carol Awards for Best Debut and Best Contemporary. Katherine holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University and is a wife, mother, runner, and tae kwon do black belt. After living all across the country and a few stops in Europe, Katherine and her family recently moved back to Chicago. Visit her on line at katherinereay.com Facebook: katherinereaybooks Twitter: @Katherine_Reay


Review copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Rescue Me by Susan May Warren (Review)

Series: Montana Rescue (Book 2)

Paperback: 336 pages

Publisher: Revell (January 31, 2017)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0800727444

ISBN-13: 978-0800727444

When Deputy Sam Brooks commits to something, nothing can sway him--not just on the job as liaison between the Mercy Falls sheriff's department and PEAK Rescue, but in his private life. He's the one who stuck around to take care of his mother after his father's accidental death. And he's the one--perhaps the only one--who believes Sierra Rose is the perfect girl for him. Safe, practical, and organized, she's nothing like her hippie, impulsive, bleeding heart sister, Willow.

Willow, however, has been in love with Sam Brooks for as long as she can remember. But she wants her sister to have a happy ending. Besides, Willow has other things to focus on--namely, nabbing the job as youth pastor for her small-town church. Best thing for her to do is to purge Sam from her heart.

Neither can predict the events that will bring them together in a fight for their lives in the forbidding wilderness of Glacier National Park. Stranded, injured, and with the winter weather closing in, Sam and Willow will have to work together to save a crew of terrified teenagers. As they fight to survive, they might just discover a new hope for love.

My Review:

This book was great. I really enjoyed reading it. It is book two in the Montana Rescue series. I think they should be read in order as the characters repeat. The main focus in this story is Sam and Willow. The sparks fly between them after Willow kisses him in a moment of weakness. But there are multiple hurdles. Sam is the boyfriend of Willow's sister Sierra. And he thinks he does not like what makes her Willow. She is the opposite of her sister which he thinks is perfect for him. Willow has loved him for years but puts her sister first. There are multiple subplots featuring the other members of Peak rescue. Some run throughout the series. It did not distract from the book for me. The action really heats up when Sam, Willow, the youth pastor, and a group of teenagers go hiking. On the way home they are in a bad van accident. A winter weather storm furthers complicates it. Sam and Willow have to work together to get everyone out safely. The plot and characters were well developed and held my attention from the beginning to end. Recommended.

Susan May Warren is the ECPA and CBA bestselling author of over fifty novels, including Wild Montana Skies, with more than one million books sold. Winner of a RITA Award and multiple Christy and Carol Awards, as well as the HOLT and numerous Readers' Choice Awards, Susan has written contemporary and historical romances, romantic suspense, thrillers, romantic comedy, and novellas. She can be found online at www.susanmaywarren.com, on Facebook at SusanMayWarrenFiction, and
on Twitter @susanmaywarren.

Review copy provided by Revell in exchange for an honest review.