Review: Lost in Darkness

Lost in Darkness by Michelle Griep
My rating: 💛💛💛💛

Lost in Darkness was a gothic historical tale which was hopeful, troubling and sad all at once.

This story captured my heart with the adventurous female lead who only had love and wanted the best for her brother who was kept hidden due to a birth defect, and her brother Colin, who had a pure loving heart but not many wanted to look behind the face to find the treasure hidden within.

Colin’s struggle to just live the life he loved versus going through with a new procedure to keep others happy was heartbreaking. I did not like his ending but preferred that to the life he would have had after the dangerous procedure performed.

Graham’s heart to protect others was in constant battle with his drive to evolve medicine, a fight which might have been won too late.

This book gave me hope, had me holding my breath when the doctor took matters into his own hands and broke my heart with an ending which was true to Colin’s unconditional and protective love.

This will probably not be a book for everyone, but readers who enjoy the edge of gothic suspense will be kept on that edge throughout the story.


View all my reviews

About the book:

Even if there be monsters, there is none so fierce as that which resides in man’s own heart.
Enchanting Regency-Era Gothic Romance Intertwined with Inspiration from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

Travel writer Amelia Balfour’s dream of touring Egypt is halted when she receives news of a revolutionary new surgery for her grotesquely disfigured brother. This could change everything, and it does... in the worst possible way.

Surgeon Graham Lambert has suspicions about the doctor he’s gone into practice with, but he can’t stop him from operating on Amelia’s brother. Will he be too late to prevent the man’s death? Or to reveal his true feelings for Amelia before she sails to Cairo?

About the author:

I hear voices. Loud. Incessant. And very real. Which basically gives me two options: choke back massive

amounts of Prozac or write fiction. I chose the latter. Way cheaper. I've been writing since I discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. I seek to glorify God in all that I write...except for that graffiti phase I went through as a teenager. Oops. Did I say that out loud?

Review: Warrior

Warrior by Lisa Phillips
My rating: 💛💛💛💛

Rating 4.5

Warrior took us back to the time where it all went wrong for the team. Up to now readers were told what happened, but this was the first time we were there with them. This is also where we meet Kira and where we see there is more than meets the eye.

Two years later they meet again under different circumstances and in a different setting. But the connection they had back then is still evident now.

Saxon is still searching for his own new identity and path in his search for the identity of the person behind the Shadow Syndicate, which we first heard of in book one. The author gives plenty of information to catch readers up if you have not read the first book, but if you read it in order, you will have a better understanding of the back story.

This story had a lot of intrigue and action, with a very climatic suspenseful scene in the prison. There was a lot happening over a short time, some conclusions but also still some unanswered questions. I enjoyed Hammer’s banter where he shares his wisdom with Saxon.

Saxon and Kira grow closer in their search for answers, learn more about themselves on this new journey and learn to be strong, yet vulnerable and how to trust again.

There are some characters we met and I am still not 100% convinced that we can trust them. I guess my answers will be answered as the series unfolds.

Looking forward to book three!

*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.*

Book 1: Renegade


View all my reviews

About the book:

★ Some rescues require more than medical training. Some battles are worth the risk. ★

The last person Dr. Kira Yassan expects to walk back into her life is the soldier whose life she saved in a war zone three years ago.

She came to Renegade, Colorado to disappear—to work her ER shifts and forget the classified missions that nearly destroyed her soul. But when US Marshals drag her into a witness protection case, every carefully built wall comes crashing down.

Private investigator Luca Saxon thought the mysterious doctor who patched him up in Syria was just a beautiful memory. Now she's standing in front of him, and the chemistry that burned between them in that refugee camp hasn't dimmed. But someone wants their witness dead, and keeping Kira safe might cost him everything.

When cartel enforcers storm the hospital and prison riots explode across town, there's nowhere left to run.

Their witness is Francisco Abalos—former cartel kingpin with secrets that could topple governments. The shadow syndicate controlling Renegade wants him silenced. And Kira's medical expertise makes her the perfect target.

From midnight shootouts to explosive prison breaks, Luca and Kira race against time to expose a conspiracy that reaches into the highest levels of their small town. But as buried secrets surface and old enemies emerge, they must Can love survive when trust becomes a weapon?

Perfect for fans
Medical suspense with heart
Enemies-to-more reunion romance
Witness protection thrillers
Military heroes with dangerous pasts
Strong heroines with deadly skills
Small-town settings with big secrets
Faith-based romantic suspense


Redemption Trust Healing Justice Second Chances Faith Under Fire Protecting Family Overcoming Trauma Medical Heroes Shadow Conspiracies

Book 2 in the Heroes of Renegade series, written by Lisa Phillips! Created by USA Today bestselling authors Susan May Warren and Lisa Phillips. Complete story with HEA, but the danger continues!

Start the series with RENEGADE (Book 1) and discover why readers are obsessed with Warren and Phillips' most explosive series yet!

About the Author:

A British ex-pat who grew up an hour outside of London, Lisa attended Calvary Chapel Bible College where

she met her husband. He's from California, but nobody's perfect. It wasn't until her Bible College graduation that she figured out she was a writer (someone told her). Since then she's taken the Apprentice and Journeyman writing courses with the Christian Writers Guild, and discovered a penchant for high-stakes stories of mayhem and disaster where you can find made-for-each-other love that always ends in happily ever after.
Lisa can be found in Idaho wearing either flip-flops or cowgirl boots, depending on the season. She leads worship with her husband at their local church. Together they have two children--a sparkly Little Princess and a Mini Daddy--and two bunny rabbits. 

Review: The Lumber Baron's Wife

The Lumber Baron's Wife by Lynn Austin
My rating: 💛💛💛💛💛

This book was added to my list of favourites from Lynn Austin. It included a mystery, character growth and an engaging dual-time story.

In the past, we met Hannah and Kate, two women who are totally opposites but due to circumstances, their paths cross and a friendship builds. Hannah’s story of loss and sadness but journey to healing and happiness were beautifully developed.

Kate was vibrant and I loved reading her POV. There was so much behind this adventurous outgoing woman. The mystery behind her disappearance was interesting and I hoped for so many different possibilities. The real reason was shocking and my heart broke for her, but she also found her true purpose in life and in a way had her own happy ending.

In the modern day story, we meet Ashely and her passion for history easily drew me into the history details. I did not like her husband David at all until around 80% when he started to change. His pushiness was overbearing and he came across as a narcissist. We see the spiritual growth and journey of Ashley, but not so much David. I would have loved to see more of that in his story to show the reason for his growth and change of heart.

This was a story filled with so much love, loss, sadness but also growth. Fans of Lynn Austin will love what the author has brought to them within these pages.

*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.*


View all my reviews

About the book:

When the young wife of a powerful lumber baron vanishes into the wilds of frontier Michigan, her friend is left to unravel the truth in this captivating dual-timeline novel from bestselling author Lynn Austin.

1873

After a devastating loss, Hannah Wagner never imagined she’d leave her comfortable home for the harsh, unfamiliar wilderness near Lake Michigan. But when Henry Abernathy, a friend of her husband John, offers them a fresh start in a booming lumber town—where John’s skills as a doctor are sorely needed—Hannah reluctantly agrees.

There, she meets Kate Abernathy, Henry’s spirited, much younger wife. Kate’s sharp tongue and outsider status have made her unwelcome among the town’s elite. As she begins confiding in Hannah, it becomes clear her marriage is not what it seems—and that a secret from her past could destroy everything.

Present Day

Ashley Gilbert never planned to settle in Michigan, but when her husband lands his dream job as a conservationist, she agrees to follow. While restoring their historic home—built in the 19th century for a doctor and his wife—Ashley becomes captivated by its past and its connection to the nearby Abernathy mansion, now being transformed into a museum.

While volunteering with the restoration, Ashley stumbles upon the unsolved mystery of Kate Abernathy’s disappearance. What begins as curiosity soon becomes a quest for the truth—one that will connect her to two women whose stories and struggles echo and inspire her own.

Standalone historical fiction about marriage, grief, and the power of female friendships from the author of All My Secrets and Long Way Home A richly layered Christian women’s fiction novel with elements of mystery, perfect for fans of Martha Hall Kelly, Kristy Cambron, and Susan Meissner Includes discussion questions for book clubs

About the author:

For many years, Lynn Austin nurtured a desire to write but frequent travels and the demands of her growing family postponed her career. When her husband's work took Lynn to Bogota, Colombia, for two years, she used the B.A. she'd earned at Southern Connecticut State University to become a teacher. After returning to the U.S., the Austins moved to Anderson, Indiana, Thunder Bay, Ontario, and later to Winnipeg, Manitoba.

It was during the long Canadian winters at home with her children that Lynn made progress on her dream to write, carving out a few hours of writing time each day while her children napped. Lynn credits her early experience of learning to write amid the chaos of family life for her ability to be a productive writer while making sure her family remains her top priority.

Extended family is also very important to Austin, and it was a lively discussion between Lynn, her mother, grandmother (age 98), and daughter concerning the change in women's roles through the generations that sparked the inspiration for her novel Eve's Daughters.

Along with reading, two of Lynn's lifelong passions are history and archaeology. While researching her Biblical fiction series, Chronicles of the Kings, these two interests led her to pursue graduate studies in Biblical Backgrounds and Archaeology through Southwestern Theological Seminary. She and her son traveled to Israel during the summer of 1989 to take part in an archaeological dig at the ancient city of Timnah. This experience contributed to the inspiration for her novel Wings of Refuge.

Lynn resigned from teaching to write full-time in 1992. Since then she has published 27 novels. Eight of her historical novels, Hidden Places, Candle in the Darkness, Fire by Night, A Proper Pursuit, and Until We Reach Home have won Christy Awards in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, and 2009 for excellence in Christian Fiction. Fire by Night was also one of only five inspirational fiction books chosen by Library Journal for their top picks of 2003, and All She Ever Wanted was chosen as one of the five inspirational top picks of 2005. Lynn's novel Hidden Places has been made into a movie for the Hallmark Channel, starring actress Shirley Jones. Ms Jones received a 2006 Emmy Award nomination for her portrayal of Aunt Batty in the film.