A Desperate Hope - Christian Fiction Review

A Desperate Hope by Elizabeth Camden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Eloise Drake's past comes back to haunt her as she must return to the town so near where she spent much of her childhood and the man she fell in love with so many years before. Her relationship with Alex Duval ended badly 12 years ago, but Eloise is bound and determined to keep her heart safe and follow the rules as she works for the state on a project which will demolish the town Alex grew up in and is currently the mayor of.

I really wanted to like this book, but there were too many big problems for me. As a clean read fiction I'd give it a solid 4 stars. The characters are interesting, if infuriatingly hard-headed, and the emotions are definitely rampant with everyone involved. I don't think the characters really grew enough for my liking, but I had a really big problem with people overlooking big sins and character flaws.

I will preach God's grace until he takes me home, but if that's the only part of the gospel that you get then you're in big trouble. Eloise and Alex had some youthful transgressions which are more or less brushed off as just that. I don't want characters to live in guilt, but Alex, at least, didn't even acknowledge that what they had done was wrong. It seemed justified because they were in love. The same goes for Eloise's guardian. He's not a good man. He has some redeeming qualities and acts at the end, but there seems to be no repentance for any of the characters. They brush off their sins as everyone makes mistakes and as long as you do some good deed here and there then you're all right. A very works based religion.

So if you read the book as a clean read romance then you'll probably enjoy it. If you're looking for even a hint of biblically based spiritual truth then you will not find it here. The Christianity is sparse and seems thrown in to appease the publishing house, but it would have been better off left out all together.


I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

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Mind Games - Christian Fiction Review

Mind Games by Nancy Mehl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kaelly Quinn is a behavioral analyst with the FBI. Her father was a famous serial killer which, along with her rather unique method for profiling monsters, makes it difficult for her to fit in. A journalist bent on revealing all her secrets has made her life even more difficult, but that's nothing compared to the fact that she is now the target of one of the monsters she spends so much time hunting. Working alongside fellow FBI agent Noah Hunter they race to figure out just who has a vendetta against Kaelly before anyone else is killed.

I'll admit that I wasn't too sure about this book at the beginning. Dialogue seemed awkward and there seemed to be more telling than showing, but things got much better as the book progressed, and I found myself not wanting to put it down. I had a hunch of who I thought the killer was at the beginning, but author Nancy Mehl did a good job of throwing out possibilities and red herrings. I found the character of Kaelly Quinn especially interesting. I wish she had progressed a bit more as the book went on, but as this is the first of a series, I'm not too surprised at where it ended. I'll be interested to know more about Noah as the series continues as well. I'm definitely invested enough that I'll have to read the next book in the series.

If you can get past the rough beginning I think you'll really enjoy this suspense novel by Nancy Mehl. You may be a little frustrated in the end, but in a good way. I'm looking forward to the next book!


I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

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A Bound Heart - Christian Fiction Review

A Bound Heart by Laura Frantz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have read a few other books by Laura Frantz and this one was just as wonderful as the others I've read. At times it was heartbreaking and at others it was joyful, but it was never boring.

This story follows Magnus MacLeish and Lark MacDougall through a sweeping tale from their homeland of Scotland to the struggles in America. Both experience a great deal of loss and pain, but their love is a beacon of hope for their future. It was interesting to see how they both adapted to their ever-changing circumstances. There were times I wanted to shake one (or both) of them, but it was wonderful seeing them overcome their obstacles.

I hated seeing their story end, but it was a satisfying conclusion to their tale. A fan of historical fiction will definitely enjoy this one.


I received a free copy from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

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Code of Valor - Christian Fiction Review

Code of Valor by Lynette Eason
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While this is not my first book by Lynette Eason, it is the first I've read from the Blue Justice series. Code of Valor is the 3rd book in the series and after reading this one I'll definitely have to go back and read the other two. It's another very good suspense by Eason.

Main characters Brady St. John and Emily Chastain are both thrown into a race to solve a deadly mystery when Brady saves Emily from being kidnapped while he's supposed to be relaxing on vacation. Brady uses his connections as a detective and Emily brings in her knowledge as a financial crimes investigator to figure out why someone would kidnap her and try to locate her missing friend.

I loved that Emily doesn't have a squeaky clean past and that she's continuing to work through many struggles with help from the Lord. Brady's spiritual growth doesn't seem as authentic, but overall he's a great character. There was plenty of suspense in the book, and the supporting characters were great. At times all the stuff going on seemed a bit much, but overall it was a very enjoyable book.


I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

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Becoming Us - Christian Fiction Review

Becoming Us by Robin Jones Gunn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Let me start out by saying that I grew up reading the Christy Miller and Sierra Jensen books, and I loved seeing them as secondary characters in this book. I'm not usually a huge reader of "women's lit" books, but I thought this book was wonderfully done.

I really identified with many of the struggles that Emily, the main character, goes through. She's a very real and flawed character and I loved seeing how that affected all of her relationships. What a testimony to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit and what amazing examples of how God uses others in our sanctifying process. I totally wish I had a friend group like this!

I love Robin Jones Gunn as an author and I can't wait to read more of her books in the future. I'm looking forward to what's in store for these women next.

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I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Hello Mornings - Review

I always thought I was a morning person until I really had to start getting up early. Then you add kids to the mix and it seems I dread mornings now. I wake up and then waste time and have to scramble around trying to finish getting ready. Sometimes the important things like spending time in the Word, praying over my day, and taking healthy steps to be able to do what God has called me to get left behind in all the rush. Part of me feels like if I can't spend an hour in quiet time and thirty minutes working out then what's the point. So I don't do anything.

Hello Mornings by Kat Lee gives another option. She gives the reason for God Time, Plan Time, and Move Time using Scripture. And she recommends starting small with just 3 minutes each morning and then expanding from there. Two things I really liked about this book were how practical (and attainable) it is and how she continually brings the focus back to our service to God as the reason why we do anything. Many books like this often focus solely on the practical and end up being a glorified self-help book. Having a proper motivation for what we do and remembering who allows us to do it makes me want to stick with it more.

The book is not perfect but there is a lot of wisdom in it. Now I just have to get up and do it. Another thing emphasized in the book is the importance of accountability. Anyone want to join me on this journey to taking back the morning?

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review

Hidden Peril - Christian Fiction Review

Hidden Peril is the second book in the Code of Honor series by Irene Hannon. I hadn't read the first book so I had to make sure I read Dangerous Illusions first. The series follows three childhood friends who wanted to make the world a better place. They're all adults now and doing their part to fulfill that vow. Hidden Peril is about Kristin Dane who owns a fair trade shop. A series of suspicious deaths linked to her store bring her into the path of Detective Luke Carter, and unfortunately also draws her into the middle of a deadly plot.

I enjoyed the main characters in this book, but I kind of wish both of them had been a bit more flawed. They almost seemed a bit too perfect. And Luke seemed to have exactly the skills needed for every situation which seemed a bit too convenient at times. I enjoyed the side characters and it was neat to see people from previous Irene Hannon books. The story was interesting, but it was pretty easy to guess the bad guy early on. The plot did keep me interested, and I look forward to reading the next book in the series. I'd give this one 4.5 stars.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.