Book Review: Remember Me

 

From the Back:

From the Yukon to Seattle, the hope of a new beginning waits just around the corner.

Addie Bryant is haunted by her past of heartbreak and betrayal. After her beau, Isaac Hanson, left the Yukon, she made a vow to wait for him. When she's sold to a brothel owner after the death of her father, Addie manages to escape with the hope that she can forever hide her past and the belief that she will never have the future she's always dreamed of.

Years later, Addie has found peace in her new life as a photographer, training Camera Girls to operate and sell the Brownie camera. During the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Expo in Seattle, Addie is reunited with Isaac, but after the path her life has taken, she's afraid to expose the ugliness of her former life and to move toward the future they had pledged to each other.

When her past catches up with her, Addie must decide whether to run or to stay and face her wounds in order to embrace her life, her future, and her hope in God.

My Reflections:

Tracie Peterson's newest book "Remember Me" is book one of her new series Pictures of the Heart.

In this novel we are introduced to Addie Bryant, a remarkably resilient lady who has lived her share of heartache and betrayal. After the mistreatment from the men in her life Addie pledges to herself that she will make it on her own, without the confinement of any man. Addie settles into a quiet life with her landlords Otis and Pearl Fisher. With Addies help they set off on an ambitious business venture to sell Brownie cameras at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Expo. 

Trouble is brewing on the horizon as her no good brothers Shep and Hiram are released from jail. They are released early in return for working on the maintenance crew at the Expo. Shep and his not so bright brother Hiram are on the hunt for easy life. They hope to find their sister who they believe is the ticket to the good life.  

Addie  is always looking over her shoulder the last thing she wants is to become a pawn in the grips of her brothers dark schemes. Having escaped their dominion once she is not willing to risk them keeping her hostage and selling her to the highest bidder again. Unfortunately by a twist of fate their paths cross again. Will Addie finds her self at the mercy of her brothers once again.

Isaac Hanson has dreamed of Addie Bryant since he left the Yukon as a young man. Having pledged himself to her he intends to keep his promise even after all these years. When he stumbles across her one day at the Expo, he is determined to keep his decade old promise. 

Addie however is not so sure about where their relationship could go, she is not the same girl he left those many years ago. Her life has taken her down some dark paths, and she doesn't feel worthy of his pledge any longer.

Will Isaac be able to convince Addie of her worth? Could they have a future after all these years? Can she overcome her past hurts and shame? Will Addies brothers finally get the money they want, once again using her to their own advantages?

If you are looking for a novel that weaves family drama, faith, love and history together in a neat and tidy 295 page novel this may just be the book for you. I quite enjoyed the storyline the flow and characters. I can't wait to see what book two brings!

This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Tracie Peterson

Tracie Peterson (www.traciepeterson.com) is the bestselling author of more than 100 novels, both historical and contemporary, with nearly 6 million copies sold. She has won the ACFW Lifetime Achievement Award and the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award....

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Book Review: What Happens Next

 

From the back:

"An uplifting story of faith, hope, and healing."--Booklist

"Everyone has a story, and maybe everyone needs a little help toward healing."

Popular podcaster and ex-reporter Faith Byrne made a name for herself telling stories of greatness after tragedy--but her real life does not mirror the stories she tells. While her daughters spend the summer in Hawaii with her ex-husband and his new wife, she must manage life on her own. All of that changes when she's asked to spotlight her childhood best friend's missing person case on her podcast.

Dora Crane has never accepted that her younger daughter could be dead, keeping her home looking the same as when her daughter disappeared. But when her husband leaves her and her older daughter intervenes, she agrees to counseling and to pack up her missing daughter's belongings under one condition: Faith Byrne comes to Deep Valley and sheds light on the cold case.

As the long-abandoned investigation moves forward, old wounds and long-buried secrets are exposed. Will these two women, whose lives have never been the same, finally get the answers they need to reconcile the past and the future?

My Reflections:

Christina Nelson pens another profoundly moving novel with her newest book titled "What Happens Next" This author never disappoints. She writes about issues that matter, digs deeper into the complexities of life, teasing out truth and the courage of the human heart.

Faith a former investigator turned podcaster is recently divorced and at odds with what to do with herself as her daughters spend the summer with their dad and his new wife. When she is asked out of the blue to shed light on the disappearance of her childhood friend she is shaken. Having been left in the dark about her friend Heather's disappearance gives Faith the determination to find out what truly happened that summer 36 years ago.

This novel also delves into the lives of Dora, Heather's mother. Dora has held onto the belief that Heather will return, so much so that it has ripped at the very fabric of her remaining family. 

Lastly, the book shares the life of young Heather at the age of 10, the summer before her disappearance. We get a glimpse into this sweet funny and outspoken girl full of life and promise. Faith and Heather become fast friends that summer and share many adventures and memories together. 

I enjoyed all aspects of this gripping story. It made me take a sobering look at those around me and the consequences of our actions. Healing is messy business, with many ups and downs, it is fraught with emotions and choices. I am slowly learning (I must be really slow because it's taken a while) that I need to stop, take a breath, step back, assess the mess then lean into it and trust in the journey God has set before me. 

Nelson is a master writer her ability to pen characters with depth and substance makes her novels stand out. I am always drawn into the lives of her characters and feel a special connection which leaves me wanting more when the last page has been turned. 

This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Christina Suzann Nelson

Christina Suzann Nelson (www.christinasuzannnelson.com) is an inspirational speaker and Christy award-winning author. Her first novel, If We Make It Home, was honored as one of Library Journal's top five inspirational novels of 2017, and her 2021...

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Book Review Yesterday's Tides

 

From the Back:

In two world wars, intelligence and counterintelligence, prejudice, and self-sacrifice collide across two generations

In 1942, Evie Farrow is used to life on Ocracoke Island, where every day is the same--until the German U-boats haunting their waters begin to wreak havoc. And when special agent Sterling Bertrand is washed ashore at Evie's inn, her life is turned upside down. While Sterling's injuries keep him inn-bound for weeks, making him even more anxious about the SS officer he's tracking, he becomes increasingly intrigued by Evie, who seems to be hiding secrets of her own.

Decades earlier, in 1914, Englishman Remington Culbreth arrives at the Ocracoke Inn for the summer, never expecting to fall in love with Louisa Adair, the innkeeper's daughter. But when war breaks out in Europe, their relationship is put in jeopardy and may not survive what lies ahead for them.

As the ripples from the Great War rock Evie and Sterling's lives in World War II, it seems yesterday's tides may sweep them all into danger again today.

My reflections:

"Yesterday's Tides" is a slow savoury read. White takes her readers on a journey along duel timelines one set in 1914 and the other in 1942. Both are on the same American island of Ocracoke. This idyllic small island is home to a small number of locals who are close-knit and deeply woven together. 

1914 we become acquainted with Louisa, a down-to-earth kinda soul. She was inventive and able to do the work suited for a man in that era. I was pretty impressed at her get-it-done attitude. Louisa being the innkeeper's daughter usually doesn't pay too much attention to the guests at the inn, that is until a very handsome well-to-do guest comes to stay on the island for the entirety of the summer. 

Remmington never expected to fall in love with a commoner, but that he did. Knowing that their relationship would not bode well in his world due to her ancestry and social standing, Remington tries to talk himself into keeping their relationship friendly, but his heart has other plans. 

1942, Evie is a wickedly smart woman with a grieving heart. She plods along each day with purpose and determination. She however leads a secret life helping the British crack enemy codes with the means of the telegraph as her way of communication. When Sterling, a British spy washes up on her shores, burnt and battered Evie finds herself strangely drawn to him as she nurses him back to health. Within his delirious mumbling, she learns tidbits of his true identity. 

Sterling has a mission and it doesn't include Evie. Still weak and unable to complete his assignment he must lean on Evie to regain his strength and track down a certain German spy. Can he trust Evie? Who is she really, and why does he find himself falling deeper and deeper for her?

I found myself thoroughly invested in both stories, I do however have to admit it got a little confusing at times, as there are so many characters to keep track of. 

Both stories offered well-paced plots with relatable characters. If you are looking for something with a little more substance this would be a good choice to sink your teeth into.

 This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

Roseanna M. White (www.roseannamwhite.com) is a bestselling, Christy Award-nominated author who has long claimed that words are the air she breathes. She pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When...

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