Rutabaga's Reads 2019: Part 9

While I continue to maintain that I read more YA fiction than anything, it is true that I read a lot of inspirational/Christian fiction. Not only is this the second inspirational fiction compilation post of this year, it also purposely includes books that were all released this year. Interestingly enough, they also released on the same date (surprisingly enough, that was not on purpose).

Code of Valor (Jan. 1, 2019) by Lynette Eason.

*This is the third book in a series.*

As a financial crimes investigator for a bank, Emily Chastain is no stranger to tracking vast sums of money. She’s been tracking some accounts with strange movement that happen to involve someone from her past. Her best friend, Heather Gilstrap, a reporter, has been putting her investigative skills to use and tracked this particular someone. Unfortunately, Heather is now missing, and Emily is rescued by Detective Brady St. John, who’d been trying to vacation in a cabin normally closed for the winter season, but had sweet-talked the owner-friends into letting  it to him for two weeks. It’s clear that Emily had been abducted and was likely to be killed. More life-threatening events try to smother the both of them, so Brady sticks to Emily almost like glue. The killers clearly want information from her that she doesn’t have. Why do they think she has that info? What’s more, are there actually two different groups trying to get to her first?

            Mutual attraction is almost immediate. Brady is handsome, brave, strong and compassionate. He is unlike any other man Emily’s known, which is why she wants to keep her distance and keep safe her heart. Emily is no waif and states she’s not even close to a size 6. She’s always been self-conscious of her size, which is slimmer than it was, but it remains a struggle. She’s become accepting of herself over the years, but that doesn’t stop doubts from sneaking in. Can Brady truly see past her physical appearance to the person beneath? Signs seem to say that he can and with ease. Will Emily open her heart to him?

            This third story in the Blue Justice series further cements how awesome it’d be if the St. John siblings were real. I’d want to be their friend. Some may be unmoved by what they feel is a predictable tale, and I don’t fault anyone for that line of thinking. I appreciated that it was fast-paced and faith-based without being preachy. Fans will have already snapped up this story. For those who haven’t found Lynette Eason, give her books a try if you’re looking for energetic and intense thrillers with strong faith bases (by at least one main character and definitely both by the end). Also, thanks to this book, I think I’ll take up scuba diving and earn my PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) certification. No, I won’t. But perhaps you will?

            Book One: Oath of Honor

            Book Two: Called to Protect

Flights of Fancy (Jan. 1, 2019) by Jen Turano.

*This is the first book in a series.*

When she gains unwanted attention from the lecherous and creepy Duke of Montrose, Miss Isadora “Izzie” Delafield is sent packing. Not by her family, as her father is abroad and her mother would love nothing more than for Izzie to marry into a title, but by her family’s butler and her best friend’s family’s butler. She responds to an ad for a housekeeper at Glory Manor, though she isn’t qualified in the least, and is shocked to find that it is a farm. She’s there under the assumed name of Mrs. Izzie Delmont. She can’t fake looking old, but she’s sporting hideous spectacles (with clear lenses). She also can’t fake to know all that she doesn’t, but she’s adept at organizing and becomes an efficient household manager, plus the four children that Aunt Birdie and Uncle Amos took in (permanently) come to love her rather quickly.

            33-year-old Ian MacKenzie is a businessman who expects much of those he does business with. This means Izzie should’ve been sent packing before her trunk made it in the house, but she gave him a business proposal he couldn’t refuse. Also, he needed to rush back to Pittsburgh, so he was desperate for a housekeeper. He’s shocked by Izzie’s not-old age and is almost offended that she won’t “set her cap” for him. Ian’s long declared that he’s looking for a woman of a certain social station, so a housekeeper wouldn’t allow him to marry up. Why, then, does he find himself thinking of her? And she of him with all of his manly muscles?

            Adventure in the American Heiresses series (the year is 1885) doesn’t stem from a high-seas escapade, a dramatic quest or even a cross-country journey. Instead, it stems from the busyness of country life and the antics of four children, all under the age of 10. Izzie learns the hard way how she’s taken the luxuries of life for granted and how demanding she can be, so it was refreshing to see the positive growth and change in her. It’s also encouraging to see Ian’s eyes open up as well. Although his early years were rough, he seemingly forgot what it was like to grow up that way, knowing that numerous others place themselves in that sort of danger every day to try to provide for their families, while he’s been striving to increase his impressive fortune even more. Both have been selfish, but both are open to growth and betterment within themselves. “Flights of Fancy” is a strong start to a new series, and I look forward to reading Turano’s next installment.

Under the Midnight Sun (Jan. 1, 2019) by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse.

*This is the third book in a series.*

Ever since her dad died, everything has been very different. Too different. Her mom’s grief has turned toward money and overseeing all of the family’s vast business holdings. Tayler Grace Hale has defied the expectations of society ladies in 1929 and gone to college. Her dad was her biggest supporter as she worked her way to becoming a highly skilled botanist, naturalist and interpreter. Her brother, whom she’d been so close to before their dad died, has seemingly closed himself off from them, returning to New York City after the funeral to oversee his own successful business holdings. Her mother has turned to trying to force Tayler into marrying Emerson Pruitt. Having known him since childhood, they were once engaged. Well, he still maintains that they’re engaged, but she repeatedly witnessed his womanizing ways a few years back and called off the engagement. She flees to her job in Colorado and, ultimately, runs away to Curry, Alaska, when an opening comes about. There, she finds a group of employees so close-knit as to be a family, blood ties or no. It’s here that she meets Thomas Smith, one of her coworkers. He judges her because he doesn’t want to get close to her and wrongly assumes that she doesn’t have the skills she supposedly totes because she’s a woman, so she deems him brooding and untrusting, which are both qualities very unlike him. It’s obvious to everyone before it’s clear as crystal to the two 23-year-olds that attraction – and perhaps love – have set in. When the part of life she ran away from shows up in Curry, will Tayler have the grace to forgive and fortitude to stand her ground? And when someone brings forth unbelievable accusations against Thomas, will his Curry family stand behind him? Will Tayler?

            Just as I have with the first two books in The Heart of Alaska series, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It is a story of faith and [work-] family, camaraderie and teamwork, knowing to listen, being willing to learn, keeping a smart mind and recognizing whom to trust. There are many dynamics occurring, thus creating a multi-layered story with distinguishable characters, including familiar faces from the previous stories. Because of these books, I want to see where the actual Curry Hotel once stood. I want to visit Denali. Anyone up for a trip to Alaska?

            Book One: In the Shadow of Denali

            Book Two: Out of the Ashes

Rutabaga's Reads 2018: Part 6

If you’ve perused my blog at all, you’ll notice – especially in the most recent years – that I read a lot of Christian/inspirational fiction. Most of them I have the opportunity to read thanks to the publishers. Those in this compilation are NOT books that I was expected to review.  They are novels which I purchased. All opinions continue to be my own.

Blind Spot (Oct. 3, 2017) by Dani Pettrey.

*This is the third in a series.*

There is a threat coming to American soil. The when is unclear, but FBI agent Declan Grey is working overtime to get ahead of the threat. He is certain something is going to go down in Baltimore, but tracking leads will also take him to Houston. While one major kingpin is behind bars, it appears that he worked closely with another whom they are trying desperately to track down. Declan is getting closer, but it isn’t without the help of a mysterious someone thought lost years ago and a woman he’s inexplicably fallen in love with.

            New to the FBI team is Tanner Shaw. Thanks to her tireless work with sex-trafficking victims at one organization and fighting “for the rights of the marginalized and oppressed” at another, she has landed with the Baltimore-based team as a crisis counselor. This means she works closely with Declan, giving them ample opportunity to follow through on leads, be put in harm’s way more than once and butt heads. She’ll realize she, too, loves him.

            Their other friends – Griffin, Finley, Parker, Avery and Kate – have come into an investigation that became alarmingly critical when someone they knew was murdered. They will undoubtedly solve the staged-suicide-homicide and then, surely, they’ll join the fray racing to stop the “wrath” that is purportedly coming.

            Pettrey writes so well, which makes my reader self very happy. Her story is to embark on a harrowing and gripping ride with strong, charismatic characters whose personal faith bases guide and strengthen them. All of Pettrey’s characters have distinct qualities, though they have their similarities, too (independent, resilient). I feel I’ve got to say, though, that I wish Pettrey would include a lead character one of these days – or in the next series – that features a diverse character, preferably Asian (only because I am). The intensity and action start in the Prologue and do not slow down until the book ends. Looking at the protagonists, it’s easy to see them as good and the antagonists as bad; they are love and the bad are hate. Love will conquer, for “Love defied logic, defied hatred, defied division.”

            Book One: Cold Shot (did not review)

            Book Two: Still Life

Out of the Ashes (Jan. 2, 2018) by Tracie Peterson & Kimberley Woodhouse.

*This is the second in a series.*

Sometimes, all one can do is rise like a phoenix out of the ashes, even though it won’t be easy. Jean-Michel (29 years) and Collette (19 years) Langelier are mourning the death of their father. Jean-Michel was driven to serve in the French army, and now he cannot escape the nightmare-inducing horrors of the Druze Revolt. He can’t escape in his sleep, nor his waking hours, as his leg is a constant physical reminder of what happened to him and of those he couldn’t save. Meanwhile, Collette yearns for adventure, and with Jean-Michel now looking after her, they take up an invitation to go to Alaska’s Curry Hotel at the foot of Denali. Collette is learning the hard way how selfish she has been, only thinking of herself and not of the pain of anyone else, especially her brother’s.

            There is a main reason Jean-Michel accepted the invitation, and it involves Katherine Harrison Demarchis (25 years). A young widow, she does not mourn her late senator husband. Instead, she is relieved, but she has much healing ahead of her as well. To trust any man now seems impossible. Unbeknownst to her, the Curry Hotel has a certain Frenchman in attendance for the summer, the very one from her past whom she still loves. Both have been broken by different faces of violence. Can they heal together, and, in so doing, rediscover the bond once shared?

            With Jean-Michel, Katherine and even Collette in their own wounded places, it’s intriguing and encouraging to watch them grow in faith in this story of hope and healing. The authors include a character battling through PTSD and another trying to heal from past domestic abuse. Seeking the Lord helped their characters immensely, which is not the route everyone in those situations would go to, but considering that this is an inspirational, historical fiction novel, this route worked wonders for their characters. I think it’s commendable that the authors went those routes with, not one, but two, characters, to tell us that any stigma that anyone may harbor toward either PTSD or domestic abuse is unfounded. Sometimes I thought the multiple-character perspectives were too many, but I still enjoyed this story. It’s heartfelt, but not without trial and tribulation. A bit busy, but I rooted for the new characters, even “that Scotsman” in Chef Daniel Ferguson. It was pleasant having familiar characters from the first book in this second in The Heart of Alaska series. I look forward to greeting them all again in the next book!

            Favorite quote: “But you mustn’t let worries over what might be steal the joy of what is. Life is full of both beauty and danger, and we must give attention to both, but we should never let worry steal our focus. Otherwise, we see neither the beauty nor the danger and suffer because of it.” – John Ivanoff to Collette Langelier (p. 107)

            Book One: In the Shadow of Denali

The Proving (Sept. 5, 2017) by Beverly Lewis.

*This is a standalone novel.*

Five years ago, Amanda “Mandy” Dienner was prompted by her mother to leave her home. She did and has been an Englischer ever since. But her mother has unexpectedly passed away, and so the now 23-year-old returns to her childhood home. In returning to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, she returns to the family she left behind, including her twin sister, Arie Mae. Once so close, Mandy turned away from her upon her sister’s betrayal. She needs to successfully run the Amish B&B for one year. There is handsome widower Karl Lantz and his adorable son, Yonnie, but why establish a relationship when she’ll be an Englischer again in a year’s time?

            25-year-old Catrina “Trina” Sutton finally needs a break. Although it’s been a year, she continues to heal after her fiancé was killed by a drunk driver. Possessing a point-blank personality, Trina has difficultly doing anything on a whim, but she signs up for a mystery trip. Instead of a sunny beach, she finds herself at The Butterfly Meadows Amish Bed-and-Breakfast during a snowstorm, where she meets regular guest Gavin O’Connor. He’s annoying and argumentative, yet she hasn’t scared him off. Could he be interested … in her?

            While I enjoyed this novel, I felt there was a different dynamic at play. The main characters, Mandy and Trina, are both refreshingly different than other main characters. Despite both characters having a strong faith base, Mandy struggles greatly with grudge-holding, and Trina has a demanding personality and she’s blunt to boot (the term “control freak” has been whispered behind her back). Although Mandy was never baptized into the Amish church, I noticed that the Amish neighborhood, including many of her own relatives, still seemed to shun her. While I know this is not an uncommon practice, I found it bothersome. They value church and family relationships, but only within the confines of what has been deemed okay? So, for those who do not conform, it is okay to be judgmental? Healing of all kinds is present in this story, as is the openness to love, and not just in the romantic sense.

"In the Shadow of Denali" by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse

In the Shadow of Denali (Jan. 3, 2017) by Tracie Peterson and Kimberly Woodhouse.*

Six years prior, John Ivanoff lost a man on a mountain. It is now 1923, and he continues his expert work as a wilderness and exploration guide. He works for the new and prestigious Curry Hotel where his daughter, Cassidy, works as Cook’s assistant. It is a busy time with the planned visit of the President and his elite entourage. They’re dedicating the new national park at Mount McKinley (“Denali, as it’s still called by the natives.”). This is an honor, and it will also put Curry, Alaska, on the map. During the hubbub leading up to the President’s arrival, Allan Brennan arrives at the Curry Hotel. He is apprenticed to John, though at first neither is aware of their connection – Allan’s dad, Henry, is the man who died on the mountain and whose body was never recovered. Allan bears much anger toward God and John, whom he’s been told is at fault for his dad’s death. But as Allan gets to know John, he sees a far different man from the version told to him by Frank Irving, his late father’s friend and business partner. He finds a good friend in Cassidy, and, in the shadow of Denali, they discover that Henry’s death wasn’t an accident.

            This novel is the first out of the gate in the dual authors’ “The Heart of Alaska” series. While Curry was an actual place in Alaska, it now belongs to a bygone era, but one that you can’t help but wish you could visit after reading this story. Filled with historical realism and a setting ripe with details, “In the Shadow of Denali” is smartly written. I found the story to move swiftly forward. The characters were distinct, including the supporting characters. I would love to stand in the middle of this Curry Hotel and bask in the bustle and busyness of it all at such an historic phase. But, since I can’t go back in time and do that, I will take this story and its successors any day!

Extra (maybe learn something new!):

• Ahtna-Athabaskan: Alaska Native of the Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group of Alaska’s Copper River a.k.a. Ahtna River. (Wikipedia)

• Denali = the High One (a.k.a. Mount McKinley); Sultana = the Wife (a.k.a. Mount Foraker). (p. 38)

• “I’m part Athabaskan. That’s one of the native peoples in this part of Alaska. There are many groups – tribes, if you would. Those normally thought of as Eskimo are actually Inuit, Inupiat, and Yuit.” (pgs. 122-123)

• tsistl’unni (sounds like chist-loo-nee): hill snowshoes. “What you will need to climb the glacier.” (p. 270)

* Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions are expressly my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”