"Remember Me," by Tracie Peterson

 "Remember Me," by Tracie Peterson

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.

First let me say I am a huge fan of Tracie Peterson's books; but this book didn't grab my attention at all until I was maybe 3/4 of the way through it.  If I wasn't reviewing the book I would have thrown the towel in on this one pretty early on.

It seemed to drag along at such a snail's pace.  It wasn't that the subject matter wasn't interesting, but I knew what was going to happen, there were no surprises along the way.

Stars out of 5 : 2.5  This is the first book in the "Pictures of the Heart" series.  Again I normally love Tracie's books; just not this one.

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

Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

"Yesterday's Tides," by Roseanna M. White

 "Yesterday's Tides," by Roseanna M. White

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.

This book goes back and forward between World War 1 and World War 2.  It has many twists and turns to it, that intertwines different members of the family.  It brings to light the racial differences in the States and the class differences in the UK.

Historically very interesting and I liked how it was mainly set on the island of Ocracoke.  Makes me want to visit it.  I did find it hard to get all the characters sorted out in my brain to start with, as there are a lot and some have similar names. Evie and Louisa were both strong lead characters.  

Stars out of 5 : 4 A good book and a book where characters from the author's other books pop up from time to time.  Well worth reading.  Read the Author's Notes at the back of the book, very interesting how this book came about.

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

Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

"What Happens Next," by Christina Suzann Nelson

 "What Happens Next," by Christina Suzann Nelson

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?

This book had you going back and forward with who you think was involved with Faith's missing friend Heather.  The emotions of Heather's family, made your heart break.  It also made you think of, what would you do in that situation?

The book bounces back and forward between the past and the present.  It took me a little while to get to the bottom of who was who, but once you did things fell into place.

Some things didn't make sense and some things for me were just too convenient.  There were many layers to this story, that you needed to dig through.

Stars out of 5 : 3.5  It wasn't a horrible book, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I should/could have.  I will have forgotten about it in a couple of days.

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

Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

"Everything is Just Beginning, " by Erin Bartels

"Everything is Just Beginning, " by Erin Bartels

When guitarist Michael Sullivan gets kicked out of his band (and his apartment), landing a record deal seems an impossible dream. And nothing about Michael's prospects points toward a better future. Until the invitation for a swanky New Year's Eve party shows up in the mailbox. It's addressed to his uncle, with whom he shares both name and living space, but his uncle is going out of town . . .

On the effervescent night of December 31, 1989--as the Berlin Wall is coming down, the Soviet Union is falling apart, and anything seems possible--Michael will cross paths with the accomplished and enigmatic young heir to a fading musical dynasty, forever altering both of their futures.

I honestly had no idea what to expect with this book.  I almost didn't choose it to review; but decided to give it a go.  I read the first couple of chapters and even thought, no this one isn't for me, but decided to read a couple more chapters.  I am so glad I did, because this book turned into quite the page turner.  I had to know what happened next.  I sat up late one night reading half the book, then picked it back up the next morning and didn't move until I had finished the book.

What a talented writer Erin is, I was impressed with all the song lyrics she wrote in the book.  They help the storyline in a way of getting into Michael and Natalie's head.  This book is about moving forward, forgiving past grievances and knowing what you want in life.  It's set in a time where people are not glued to their electronic devices and they have to communicate!

Stars out of 5 : 4.5 It took me a couple of chapters to get sucked into the storyline, but once I was in, I was in too stay.  There could be a part two to this story in my opinion, as there is plenty of stories that could be told about Michael and Natalie; but where it left off was in my mind perfect.  

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

Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell , a division of Baker Publishing Group".

"The Rose and the Thistle," by Laura Frantz

"The Rose and the Thistle," by Laura Frantz

In 1715, Lady Blythe Hedley's father is declared an enemy of the British crown because of his Jacobite sympathies, forcing her to flee her home in northern England. Secreted to the tower of Wedderburn Castle in Scotland, Blythe quietly awaits the crowning of a new king. But in a house with seven sons and numerous servants, her presence soon becomes known.

No sooner has Everard Hume lost his father, Lord Wedderburn, than Lady Hedley arrives with her maid in tow. He has his own problems--a volatile brother with dangerous political leanings, an estate to manage, and a very young brother in need of comfort and direction. It would be best for everyone if he could send this misfit heiress on her way as soon as possible.

In this whirlwind of intrigue, ambitions, and shifting alliances, Blythe yearns for someone she can trust. But the same forces that draw her and Everard together also threaten to tear them apart.

I love a book with a lot of history to it, especially British history.  The detail in this book is exceptional.  It is well researched. The unrest in Scotland and England was so well written, you could clearly imagine it.  Having to choose between, politics and religion. and the one you love makes for a very interesting story.

Blythe's character was a perfect contrast to Everard; her being the rose, him being the thistle.  All the Hume brother's were perfect in their own ways, but I fell in love with little Orin, such a character.  The brother's could have a book written about each of them.

Stars out of 5 : 4.5  If you love historical fiction with a side of romance, this is the book for you.  Looking forward to reading more of Laura's books.

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

Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell , a division of Baker Publishing Group".

The Memory Keeper of Kyiv by Erin Litteken

 "The Memory Keeper of Kyiv" by Erin Litteken

In 1929, Katya is 16 years old, surrounded by family and in love with the boy next door. When Stalin’s activists arrive in her village, it’s just a few, a little pressure to join the collective. But soon neighbors disappear, those who speak out are never seen again and every new day is uncertain.

Resistance has a price, and as desperate hunger grips the countryside, survival seems more a dream than a possibility. But, even in the darkest times, love beckons.

Seventy years later, a young widow discovers her grandmother’s journal, one that will reveal the long-buried secrets of her family’s haunted past.

This book is one of those books where you need to know what happens next.  It really is a page turner. Each chapter jumps between the 1930's, which is about Katya and her family; and to the early 2003/2004 and Cassie, Katya's grand daughter.

I learned such a lot from this book.  I had never heard of Holodomor in the Ukraine and now what is happening in Ukraine with the Russian invasion; it must all feel like some sort of a bad dream for the people of Ukraine.  The author's notes are very interesting and should be read.

It really is very thought provoking and is a good read.  What those poor people went through in the 1930's beggar's belief.  The strength of character on the survivors is unbelievable. 

Stars out of 5 : 5  I couldn't put this book down.  It's a must read, especially in light of what is going on in the Ukraine right now

"The Blackout Book Club," by Amy Lynn Green

 "The Blackout Book Club," by Amy Lynn Green

In 1942, an impulsive promise to her brother before he goes off to the European front puts Avis Montgomery in the unlikely position of head librarian in small-town Maine. Though she has never been much of a reader, when wartime needs threaten to close the library, she invents a book club to keep its doors open. The women she convinces to attend the first meeting couldn't be more different--a wealthy spinster determined to aid the war effort, an exhausted mother looking for a fresh start, and a determined young war worker.

At first, the struggles of the home front are all the club members have in common, but over time, the books they choose become more than an escape from the hardships of life and the fear of the U-boat battles that rage just past their shores. As the women face personal challenges and band together in the face of danger, they find they have more in common than they think. But when their growing friendships are tested by secrets of the past and present, they must decide whether depending on each other is worth the cost.

This book starts out quite slow to my mind, but the more you read the more you grow to love it and get sucked into the story.  The four main characters are so different but what brings them together is the book club.  As their stories unfold and intertwine you get more invested into each of them.  

I loved reading the "book club's minutes" from the meetings, so refreshing and you felt as though you were there at each meeting.  If I had to pick a favourite character it was Ginny; so strong but very vulnerable at the same time.  Mind you all the characters showed their stronger sides throughout the book.  There were a couple of surprises along the way that kept the story interesting.

The author's notes at the end of the book are well worth reading.  The books that the book club "read," is also listed at the end of the book, which I thought was a nice thing to add.

Stars out of 5 : 4.5  Had trouble again getting sucked into the story, but once that happened this book is a real winner and well worth the read.

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

Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group".