"The Master Craftsman," by Kelli Stuart

 "The Master Craftsman," by Kelli Stuart

In 1917, Alma Pihl, a master craftsman in the House of Fabergé, was charged to protect one of the greatest secrets in Russian history--an unknown Fabergé Egg that Peter Karl Fabergé secretly created to honor his divided allegiance to both the people of Russia and the Imperial tsar's family. When Alma and her husband escaped Russia for their native Finland in 1921, she took the secret with her, guarding her past connection to the Romanov family. 

Three generations later, world-renowned treasure hunter Nick Laine is sick and fears the secret of the missing egg will die with him. With time running out, he entrusts the mission of retrieving the egg to his estranged daughter, Ava, who has little idea of the dangers she is about to face. As the stakes are raised, Ava is forced to declare her own allegiance--and the consequences are greater than she could have imagined.

This book has a bit of everything in it; mystery, suspense, romance, action, history, fabulous jewels and artifacts.  It was so good I read it in one sitting/day!  I could not put it down.  It was a page turner right from the beginning; I HAD to know what happened next.

There were twists and turns right until the very end of the book.  Some I guessed; others were surprises.  Even the going back and forward between the past and the present, which normally annoys me; it was written in such a way that I never minded it.

Stars out of 5:5 I would give it 100 if I could, it was that good.  It was so well researched and the details were so spot on that I would love to visit St. Petersburg to see everything.  I have to say I have always loved the Faberge Eggs so that too was good to read about.  A very talented writer, I must look into her other books she has written.

 "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".

"All that it Takes," by Nicole Deese

 "All that it Takes," by Nicole Deese

When the ever-cautious Val Locklier moves cross-country with her son for a secure job, everything she'd planned unravels within the first week. After Val reluctantly agrees to rent an apartment from her best friend's brother, an unexpected chance at an elite filmmakers' mentorship ignites fresh hope for a dream career. But as Val's community begins to expand, so do her insecurities, especially those heightened by her growing attraction to a certain friendly landlord. 

Pastor Miles McKenzie returns home from a short-term mission trip to discover that not only does he have an intriguing new tenant living upstairs, he's also been reassigned to a local ministry on life support. Disillusioned and restless, he distracts himself by throwing his energy into a host of new projects--not the least of which is pursuing Val--without stopping to consider the future. 

As Val struggles to stop hiding behind the camera and Miles wrestles with shattered expectations, they'll find that authentic love and sacrifice must go hand in hand.

This is the first book I have read by this author.  I enjoyed it, but found it a bit hard to get into at first.  I felt as though we were being slowly "drip-fed" the story.  It was a little to slow for me.  Saying that though, I did find the subject matter very interesting and did learn some new things, which is always a bonus.

I came away thinking that love is truly about give and take, and with Val and Miles, it was a struggle to find that middle ground.  This book also made you think about what God wants you to do in your life and what plans he has for you.  Even the most religious of people have much to learn as they navigate a path through life.  

Stars out of 5 : 4 It was a struggle at first to get engrossed in the book, but by the time I got half way through it I needed to know what was going to happen next.  It is worth the read though.

"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".

"Sea Glass Cottage," by Irene Hannon

"Sea Glass Cottage," by Irene Hannon

When painful pasts collide, can love overcome heartache--and triumph despite the odds?

Christi Reece is desperate. The one-time golden girl's life has tarnished, and a cascade of setbacks has left her reeling. She needs help, and she's certain Jack Colby is in a position to provide it.

When she shows up in Hope Harbor, however, Jack wants nothing to do with the woman who betrayed him. He's built a new life on the Oregon coast--and there's no room in it for Christi, even after she takes refuge in a charming but mysterious cottage nearby. Yet it soon becomes apparent his opinion of her may need revising . . . especially when he ends up needing her help.

Can these two hurting souls open their hearts to a new beginning?

Irene Hannon cannot write a bad book in my opinion.  So I knew I would like this book.  Add in the fact it is another book in the Hope Harbor series and I knew it would be a winner.  I have read all the Hope Harbor books and each one is better than the last one.  I think I must say this every time, but I have decided I want to live in Hope Harbor.  Bit of a difficult thing to do though as there is no "real" Hope Harbor.

However the way that Irene writes you feel as though you are there with the characters.  I was cheering on from the sidelines that Jack and Christi would renew their friendship and it would lead to more.  It was nice to see character's pop up in the book that I knew from past books.  However you could read this book as a stand alone book without any problems.

Stars out of 5:5 and a very solid 5.  It had a bit of everything in it to keep you wanting to turn the pages.  I can't wait for the next one in the series.  I bet I will want to live in Hope Harbor even more then!

 "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".

"Along The Rio Grande," by Tracie Peterson

 "Along The Rio Grande," by Tracie Peterson

Is her compassion doing more harm than good?

Recently widowed Susanna Jenkins has decided to follow her family to the booming town of San Marcial, New Mexico, for a fresh start and to aid in her family's sudden change in fortune. They are tasked with managing her uncle's new Grand Hotel, and it takes all her patience to try to help her parents see the good of their circumstances and relinquish their sense of entitlement.

She's hopeful when her brother becomes determined to get a job and make his own way, and she feels drawn to his kind boss, Owen Turner, who works as a boilermaker for the Santa Fe's train shops in town. But the hard work only seems to fuel her brother's anger, and his rough new friends give her pause.

When misguided choices put Susanna's family in an even more precarious situation, she worries her help has only made things worse. Leaving her family to fend for themselves seems like the best option, but how can she walk away from the true friendships--and love--that she's found?

I am a big fan of Tracie's books and this was as good as ever.  She writes so well, that I too was very frustrated with the actions of Susanna's parents.  I was ready to step into the pages of the books and give the pair of them a good shake...LOL

I came away with the thoughts that patience is a must when dealing with family.  Susanna's family tried her patience time after time.  However believing in God throughout got her through the hard times.  This book had a few hard times, but many good ones also.  Add in a bit of mystery, some romance and stunning descriptions of an area I have never been too and all in all a jam packed very readable book.

Stars out of 5 : 5  No complaints from me.  An easy book to read.  The first in the "Love on the Santa Fe," series.  Looking forward to reading the rest.

"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".