18. If the Boot Fits

If the Boot Fits. Karen Witemeyer. 2024. 368 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: She'd only been home from school for two weeks, and already her father was trying to marry her off. Silently fuming, Samantha Dearing yanked open the door to her father's study and stepped inside.

Premise/plot: If the Boot Fits is the second book in the Texas Ever After series by Karen Witemeyer. Samantha Dearing is the daughter of a "cattle king" and her father is anxious to see her wed. Samantha wants to marry sure enough, but not just anybody and definitely not someone just of her father's choosing. She wants to follow her heart and marry for love. 

The novel opens at the close of a party--a "ball," if you will--Samantha has not found her one true love. But she has caught someone sneaking around her father's property. And that someone--somehow, someway--has left a boot behind. In his flight, however, he does take time to save Samantha's younger brother, Clint, who is in pursuit. 

Asher Ellis has no love for Mr. Dearing, but, his daughter on the other hand seems oh-so-charming and quite lovely. Not just on the outside, but a GOOD person through and through. She's teaching Asher's younger brother to read, and he is teaching her to ride a horse.

As she settles into the community, it seems someone in the community wants her dead....can Samantha survive long enough to see if the boot fits her one true love?

My thoughts: I'm not sure if I'm all the way committed to the notion of this being a Cinderella retelling. It is clumsy--in my opinion--if that is the sole determinator of the book's success. However, if you remove that somewhat gimmicky premise, the book is definitely worth reading. I do love Asher and Samantha; individually and together, these two are easy to like/love. Both are genuinely good people. The book has plenty of drama--though none from stepmothers or stepsisters. In fact, I'd argue that Karen Witemeyer has taken the intensity level completely off the charts. If you want DRAMA that goes all the way--full force on dangerous predicaments and true life-or-death peril--then this one delivers. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

76. Shadows of Swanford Abbey

Shadows of Swanford Abbey. Julie Klassen. 2021. [December] 416 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Miss Rebecca Lane quaked at the thought of returning to Swanford after more than a year's absence, even though her heart had never really left.

Shadows of Swanford Abbey is a book I loved cover to cover. If you enjoy historical fiction with equal blends MYSTERY (suspense) and ROMANCE, then I recommend Shadows of Swanford Abbey with you wholeheartedly without any reservations. It is set in England during the reign of George IV. (I would be tempted to just call it REGENCY era and leave it at that. But George III died several months before this novel opens, and so the Regency is at an end. George is no longer Prince Regent, but King.) 

Rebecca Lane, our heroine, is a lady's companion. She is returning home for a visit with her brother, John. She's heard that he is doing horribly. (What we would call depression...or depression + addiction). Her brother, who dreams of being an AUTHOR, a published one at that, divides his time between writing and despair that he cannot get a publisher to read his work to see if it's publishable. He's also very BITTER over something that happened in the past. 

Her brother will not make a place for her in their small home--her former room being HIS workspace now--so she finds herself going to Swanford Abbey a local village hotel (or inn?). As the name suggests, it has been converted from an abbey to a hotel. Rebecca Lane finds herself staying at the same hotel as her employer--among others. It's surprising how many familiar faces she finds staying there at the same time! Including her long-time crush, Frederick Wilford. (He's still oh-so-dreamy; and now he's a widower). And his brother, Thomas. 

Mystery surrounds Swanford Abbey. The longer she stays, the more aware she becomes of the mystery--that all is not as it appears to be, that danger is lurking far closer than anyone suspects....

She's a woman on a mission--get her brother's manuscript in the hands of either a publisher (staying at the hotel) or an author (also staying at the hotel). But the task seems IMPOSSIBLE. Is getting her brother's manuscript worth risking everything?

I loved, loved, loved everything about this one!!! I loved the characterization. I loved that the characterization goes beyond just the heroine and hero. We've got a community of characters--residents at the hotel, the surrounding community, family--that are given enough depth and substance to come across as developed. That is rare--in my opinion. I loved spending time with the characters. I loved the development of relationships, the unfolding of secrets and mysteries. I loved the dialogue. Nothing felt rushed or under-developed in the romance department. I loved that I was kept guessing as to the identity of the murderer. I loved the author's note at the end. 

This may just be my FAVORITE Klassen novel yet. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

64. The Barrister and the Letter of Marque

The Barrister and the Letter of Marque. Todd M. Johnson. 2021. 412 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Early evening shadows blanketed the study lit only by desk candles and a sputtering fire in the hearth. 

William Snopes, our protagonist, is a barrister. He reluctantly--oh-so-relunctantly--takes on a new case involving possible piracy. Captain Harold Tuttle, the defendant, swears he had a letter of marque giving him and his vessel, the Padget, royal permission to seize cargo from French ships. (It's more complicated than that.) But the letter has disappeared. As has his first mate. And it seems that soldiers were waiting for them to dock...and waiting to charge them with piracy. His cousin, Lady Madeleine Jameson, is urging Snopes to take the case....

The Barrister and the Letter of Marque is set in the Regency period. It is historical mystery with a bit of romance.

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I found this one super disappointing. The main reason I personally had trouble with this one was suspending disbelief. Johnson used real life historical figures as his villains. I suppose I could forgive him using Beau Brummell. But his use of Princess Charlotte was just all kinds of wrong. I think it was  character assassination. What did she ever do to you, Todd Johnson???? But Princess Charlotte died in November 1817. And our story opens in February 1818. So we're to believe a corpse is actively committing crimes???? Now, there was another Princess Charlotte living at this time, a daughter of George III and not George IV. But William Snopes has a private audience with George IV (the Regent) and refers to Princess Charlotte as his DAUGHTER. I just don't understand WHY Johnson had to use real historical figures--and a member of the royal family--AS VILLAINS in the first place???????

The suspense was also off. William Snopes and his colleagues were literally the last to know what was going on. This led to this reader (aka ME) yelling at him throughout the book. 

The romance was weak. Since the suspense AND romance were both equally weak and the historical element was sending off alarms of inaccuracy, there wasn't much left for me to enjoy. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

58. When Twilight Breaks

When Twilight Breaks. Sarah Sundin. 2021. [February] 365 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Evelyn Brand had done a crack bit of journalism, and she hadn't even had to dress like a man to do so.

Evelyn Brand, our heroine, is an American correspondent working for the American News Service. Her dream job would have her living in Berlin and covering the biggest stories. It would be ideal if she could phone in her stories WITHOUT having to get the extra-approval of her boss, George Norwood. (The other correspondents--all men--don't have to go through this extra step.) But, no, Brand finds herself "stuck" in Munich covering lesser stories. 

Peter Lang is teaching at a university in Munich as part of his dissertation. He's got big ideas on how to help German-speakers learn to speak English with a "better" American accent AND how to help Americans learn to speak German with a "better" German accent. Think of him as Professor Higgins--but younger and cuter. 

Evelyn and Peter meet. There's definite attraction, potential for chemistry, but one thing is holding her back--well, two things technically. First and foremost, he seems to be pro-Nazi. He doesn't seem to be "aware" of the bigger pictures and the increasing dangers. The ideology doesn't seem to concern him all that much--after all, he is only there for two semesters, and as an American citizen, it doesn't seem to be anything that would ever effect him personally. The last thing America needs is to get involved in European politics--no matter how melodramatic. Evelyn sees the dangers--not only for the future, but for the present. She wants to have the freedom to write the truth--the whole truth. She's aware that she has to follow certain rules and guidelines--always trying to cover both sides of an issue, seemingly staying neutral, sticking strictly to facts. Unfortunately, Norwood--her boss and editor--changes every story she writes into pro-Germany, pro-Nazi propaganda. She's often shocked to read her story in print because it's been altered so drastically.

The book covers most of 1938 and a little into 1939. Mostly set in Germany. 

It is an INTENSE, action-packed, suspenseful, historical romance. It is DRAMATIC in places but rightly so. The pacing is perhaps a little slow at the start. I was interested from the very beginning because this is one of my favorite genres or sub-genres. But the pace definitely picks up during the second half of the novel. The last third, well, I was actively worried. I was turning pages as fast as I possibly could. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

53. The Vanishing at Loxby Manor

The Vanishing at Loxby manor. Abigail Wilson. 2021. [January] 336 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence from the prologue: "Impetuous. Risky. You needn't hold back now, Piers. I know precisely what's ticking in that mind of yours."

Premise/plot: The Vanishing at Loxby Manor is a gothic suspense novel set during the Regency in England. Charity Halliwell, our heroine, has made plans to stay with old family friends while her parents visit her brother in America. The Cavanaghs are old, old family friends. Piers, the oldest son, at one time held her whole heart with no reservations. But his heart wasn't technically free to give in return. Circumstances out of his control interfered with what might have been an offer of marriage. Now that she's returned from a five year stay in Ceylon, she's hoping to slowly but surely find a place for herself in England once again. Perhaps one day--in the far distances--she could find herself a position as a governess. Meanwhile, she wants to RELAX with her friends for a little while. 

But soon after her arrival at Loxby Manor, well, all chances of rest and relaxation vanish....along with the literal vanishing of Selene Cavanagh. The two have a brief conversation. Charity loans out a black cloak and a brooch. Selene sneaks out of the house for a clandestine meeting...and never returns. 

Charity and Piers work together to try to find out what happened....where did Selene go??? Did she elope with someone? Was she kidnapped? Is she being held hostage? Or is she....dead????

My thoughts: Though this is published by a Christian publisher, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this one to ANY reader who enjoys gothic mysteries OR Regency romances. It is ALL suspense/mystery/horror/thriller. No preaching, I promise. 

I think my favorite part was that it kept me guessing. I did NOT see the twists and turns in this one. Perhaps other readers might? Certainly every reader is different when it comes to piecing together clues. But I thought it was well done. The gothic atmosphere was perfect. All the little details click into place by the end and it was quite satisfying. You don't recognize as you're reading all the little things that will come together to create quite a big picture. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

43. The Cryptographer's Dilemma

The Cryptographer's Dilemma. Johnnie Alexander. 2021. [August] 256 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Green or brown. Brown or green. Phillip Clayton set the unwrapped crayon upright on the diner's Formica tabletop so it stood like a mocking sentinel. 

Premise/plot: While much of Johnnie Alexander's The Cryptographer's Dilemma is fictional, it is loosely based on a real case: The Doll Woman (Velvalee Dickinson). Phillip Clayton (our hero) and Eloise Marshall (our heroine) are FBI agents tracking down a potential traitor to the United States of America. The year is 1942. Eloise is new to the agency, she's a code breaker. She's paired with Phillip Clayton--a man with much more experience, all classified, of course. The two will pose as brother and sister and travel the country together. They've got a mystery to solve....

My thoughts: I found this a compelling read. At the time I started the novel, I didn't know the Doll Woman was real. I was just enjoying it for what it was: historical romance with a strong mystery element set during one of my favorite historical periods to read about. The characters are developed nicely. The romance isn't rushed. The pace is strong and steady. It has its melodramatic moments near the end, but, all in all I enjoyed it.

The Doll Woman received money from the Japanese government in exchange for information about American ships damaged at Pearl Harbor and our shipyards on the West Coast. You can read more about the case here. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: Bridge to Belle Island

The Bridge to Belle Island. Julie Klassen. 2019. 448 pages. Bethany House. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Benjamin Booker sat in the Old Bailey, pulse pounding. His most important case to date had finally been called to trial—his chance to prove himself to the firm’s partners. The courtroom was the usual raucous scene: noisy spectators and newsmen in the gallery, milling witnesses awaiting their turn, and wigged barristers goading one another like boxers in the ring.

The Bridge to Belle Island is a wonderful read! I will share my biases up front. I usually love Julie Klassen's novels. I have yet to be disappointed with her work. I also love, love, love, love, love the Regency genre. Whether it's historical romance or historical mystery set during the Regency--I have a tendency to get swept up, up, and away and just fall head over heels with a story.

Benjamin Booker is the HERO of this one. He is a law clerk for a law firm in London. When one of the founding partners in the firm (Mr. Norris) is found dead--MURDERED in his home--Benjamin Booker sets about to help solve the crime. His brother, Reuben, is in law enforcement--and is officially on the case. Booker is encouraged by Mr. Hardy, another partner, to play amateur detective. His sleuthing takes him to Belle Island to the home of Isabelle Wilder. Mr. Norris is--was--the trustee of Isabelle Wilder and her niece, Rose Lawrence. Both (young) ladies had reason to dislike Mr. Norris and his control over their lives/property. The murder occurred on the night of Miss Rose's engagement party...

Can Benjamin solve the murder? Is Isabelle Wilder innocent or guilty? Is she protecting someone else?

I loved this one. I just LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it. I love mysteries. I wasn't necessarily expecting Klassen to give me a great mystery--I think of her more as a romance novelist. But I ended up LOVING every moment it. I loved that the main character was a guy. Again, something that I don't necessarily expect from a regency romance. It was a suspenseful read.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: Once Upon a Dickens Christmas

Once Upon A Dickens Christmas: 3 Charming Christmas Tales Set in Victorian England. Michelle Griep. 2019. 448 pages. [Source: Review copy]

This book features three holiday-themed novellas with a strong romantic element. The three novellas are, "12 Days at Bleakly Manor," "A Tale of Two Hearts," and "The Old Lace Shop." Each one is also available to purchase separately.

First sentence of 12 Days at Bleakly Manor: Christmas or not, there was nothing merry about the twisted alleys of Holywell. Clara Chapman forced one foot in front of the other, sidestepping pools of. . .well, a lady ought not think on such things, not on the morn of Christmas Eve—or any other morn, for that matter.

Clara Chapman has had a hard time of it since she was jilted at the altar, and her family's fortune stolen. Destitute and living on the charity of an elderly aunt, she's getting by--barely. One holiday season she's offered a unique second chance. Travel to Bleakly Manor to spend the twelve days of Christmas with a mystery host and mystery guests for  five hundred dollars.

Clara isn't the only guest in need of a second chance. Each guest has had a second chance extended to him/her. Though each chance looks differently. For one prisoner, Benjamin Lane, that second chance is freedom. There's a catch once they arrive, however, only one guest will have his/her second chance granted. And there are some guests who will do just about anything to get what they want.

This one definitely has a dark, mystery vibe to it as well as a romantic one....for Benjamin Lane is the one who "jilted" Miss Clara...

First sentence of A Tale of Two Hearts: In the tiny back courtyard of the Golden Egg Inn, Mina Scott lowered her copy of David Copperfield to her lap and lifted her face to the October sun. Closing her eyes, she savored the warmth and the first line to a new adventure, as was her wont whenever Miss Whymsy stopped by and lent her a book. Though she no longer stared at the page, the shapes of the words lingered, blazed in stark contrast to the brilliance against her lids. What a curious thought, to be one’s own hero—for the only hero she wanted was William Barlow.

A Tale of Two Hearts reminded me of Georgette Heyer, which is a great compliment, in my opinion. I really loved this one! William Barlow has a dilemma. He needs a wife to help "prove" to his uncle that he's changed his lifestyle, settled down, and left his gambling ways behind him--far, far behind him. There's almost a deadline. Uncle Barlow will be choosing his heir soon--and it's between him and his cousin (who is married.) Can William Barlow find a woman willing to pose as his wife for an afternoon tea?! Perhaps. Mina Scott is the innkeeper's daughter. These two have grown friendly--though not inappropriately so--over the last year. She may be just the one to impress his uncle...

Will these two fall in love for real over the holiday season?!

First sentence of The Old Lace Shop: I have long abhorred black. It is a great abyss, sucking in the colours of the rainbow and wringing the life from them. The moniker of death. This year I will celebrate Christmas with holly and laughter and a large stuffed goose instead of dark looks and criticism. Too many years have I spent shut away in a stagnant town house without a morsel of cheer. No more. Today I’m free, finally and completely my own person, leastwise once I sign all the paperwork.

If A Tale of Two Hearts reminded me of Georgette Heyer, Old Lace Shop reminded me of Elizabeth Gaskell. Ivy is a widow who is looking for a new beginning. She's happy--more than happy--to sell all of her husband's businesses and holdings. But there is one--an old lace shop in a Northern manufacturing town--that she wants to keep for herself. She's the majority shareholder holding 51 percent. Who should turn out to be her business partner but an old love, a Mr. Edmund Archer. Can these two learn to work together and make a success of it?

Is this one my favorite in the collection?!?! Perhaps.

I enjoyed all three stories or novellas. I did. I don't think it was really necessary to try to force a connection between each story and the actual Charles Dickens. Instead of being cute, charming, quaint...it felt a bit forced.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: The White City

The White City. (True Colors) Grace Hitchcock. 2019. Barbour Books. 256 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Winnifred Wylde concentrated on his forehead, nodding, trying to respond appropriately, but it was so difficult with his nose hair escaping and retreating into his left nostril with every breath.

Premise/plot: The White City is a historical romance set in Chicago in 1893 during the World's Fair. The heroine, Winnifred, witnesses a crime while at the fair. Unfortunately her father--an inspector with the police--doesn't believe her. His daughter is fanciful, silly, prone to exaggeration. Her head is always in a book--gothic romances being her genre of choice. But he can't deny that women have gone missing. The fair may not be all that safe. He won't officially investigate the "crime" Winnie has witnessed. But he will assign an officer, Inspector Jude Thorpe, to act as bodyguard for his daughter. To follow her wherever she goes. To rescue her if she gets into trouble. Winnie can't say she loves the idea of being followed, but if you're going to be followed...it's not the worst thing in the world if he's GORGEOUS. The two become friendly--very friendly. She wants more--but does he?

Meanwhile, Winnie goes undercover as a SECRETARY for a suspicious man, H.H. Holmes who runs a hotel in Chicago. Inspector Thorpe will be within call if she beckons. But she's hoping that posing as a poor, friendless damsel, Cordelia Swan, that she can uncover some clues that will help the police get a warrant. Her father doesn't believe that his daughter witnessed him kidnapping a woman in a green dress. He doesn't see any harm in his daughter's undercover work. Not so long as she's under the watchful eye of one of his own men.

While Winnie is falling in love with Inspector Thorpe, another man is falling in love with her--or at least the idea of her. Her matchmaking aunt wants to see her daughter marry well. And her aunt and father very much approve of this match...but can Winnie's heart be swayed?!

My thoughts: I enjoyed The White City. It is, I believe, the first in a new series of romance books focusing on American True Crime stories. It blends fiction and nonfiction with a touch of Christian romance. It was a quick, compelling read. Even though I knew that Holmes was the serial killer; I knew this from history. It is the 'true crime' element of the story. Perhaps not all readers will know this going in--but it's not a true spoiler, in my opinion. I really loved the romance elements of this one. I loved Jude Thorpe. I thought his character was very well done. I also liked the other love interest; though this was never a true love triangle. I would definitely recommend this one to readers who love a little mystery/suspense in their historical romances.


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: This Present Darkness

This Present Darkness. Frank E. Peretti. 1986. Crossway. 376 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: Late on a full-mooned Sunday night, the two figures in work clothes appeared on Highway 27, just outside the small college town of Ashton.

Premise/plot: This Present Darkness is a Christian thriller by Frank E. Peretti. Angels, Demons, Humans wage war in a small American town. Before the actual battles begin it is a battle of ideas and world-views. Because, yes, ideas do matter....and ideas have consequences. The main characters are a pastor, Hank, a newspaper man, Marshall.

Something strange--peculiar, unsettling--is happening in Ashton. And Marshall and his reporter, Bernice, are on the verge of discovering what is going on. But the closer they get to the truth, the more dangerous it gets. This quest for the truth may just cost them their lives.

My thoughts: I read this one circa 1989 or 1990. It was a book I zoomed through then, and one I zoomed through now. Even though I vaguely remembered the ins and outs of the plot, I couldn't put it down. When I first read it, I had not read C.S. Lewis' Screwtape Letters. I think these two would pair up well for a book club discussion. It might also pair up well with a nonfiction book such as Ravi Zacharias' Deliver Us From Evil.

I also think it could be adapted into a potentially decent Christian movie. (There are no guarantees because a) how often do movies do the book justice b) Christian movies face harsh critics both from within and without the faith.)

Quotes:

"I preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, and there are plenty who appreciate it. Just where is this wedge you're talking about?" Brummel was getting impatient. "Hank, learn from the last pastor. He made the same mistake. Look what happened to him." "I did learn from him. I learned that all I have to do is give up, bag it, bury the truth in a drawer somewhere so it won't offend anybody. Then I'll be fine, everybody will like me, and we'll all be one happy family again. Apparently Jesus was misguided. He could have kept a lot of friends by wilting and just playing politics." "But you want to be crucified!" "I want to save souls, I want to convict sinners, I want to help newborn believers grow up in the truth. If I don't do that, I'll have a lot more to fear than you and the rest of the board." "I don't call that love, Hank." "I love you all, Alf. That's why I give you your medicine, and that goes especially for Lou." (35)

Complacency pointed his taloned finger and screamed, "You have followed her! You and your lackeys! You have spoken words to her mind, confused her!" Deception only raised his eyebrows in mild indignation and answered sedately, "Only upon her own invitation. We have only told her what she prefers to know. That can hardly be called an attack." (50)

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: A Stolen Heart

A Stolen Heart. Amanda Cabot. 2017. Revell. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: No matter what anyone said, she wouldn't believe this was a mistake.

Premise/plot: Lydia Crawford is following her heart--following a promise--to Cimarron Creek, Texas. But when this Yankee arrives in town she discovers a couple of things: her "fiancé" is missing, her "fiancé" is is someone's husband, he's soon to be a father in fact! (Also the town's sheriff is REALLY cute, not that she's ready to trust ANY man right now.)

The sheriff, the obvious hero of the tale, is Travis Whitfield. He points her in the direction of his great-aunt Bertha. There isn't a boarding house or hotel for this oh-so-beautiful Yankee girl to stay. But Bertha would make her feel quite welcome, he's sure!

One other thing Lydia learns is that acceptance doesn't come easy. Travis and Bertha and Catherine (a cousin, I believe) welcome her sure. But everyone else in town--including Travis' father--see her as a trouble-maker, a carpetbagger, a devil-in-disguise. That is until she wins them over with her confectionary skills. What Cimarron Creek needs is a candy store. What western town would be complete without a candy store? Peanut brittle and fudge and lemon drops are essentials, you know!

But all is not sweet in the town. Trouble lurks. Well jealousy more like it. Perhaps a touch of insanity as well. Someone in town has a grudge against the sheriff….

My thoughts: I really found this a quick, enjoyable, oh-so-satisfying read. I loved Bertha. I loved Lydia. I loved Opal. I liked Catherine. And Travis? Well, he made for a good hero. I do wish, in a way, that there would be romance books out there where the hero and heroine weren't described as being the most amazingly beautiful people ever to grace the earth. Why can't heroes and heroines ever be average looking? Why the need for perfection? Still, I can't find fault with A Stolen Heart for that. I think 98% of romance books are guilty of that!!!


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: The Innocent

The Innocent. Ann H. Gabhart. 2015. Revell. 400 pages. [Source: Review copy]

I really loved, loved, loved Ann Gabhart's The Innocent. I was a tiny bit surprised by how much I loved it since it is set during the Civil War, well, directly after the Civil War. But from the start, Gabhart had me hooked. I think one of the reasons I loved it so much--cared so much--was the characterization.

Carlyn Kearney is the heroine of The Innocent. The war has left her a widow, a widow hesitant to declare herself a widow. Her husband is missing in action, has been missing for several years now. Part of her truly wants him to come back home, and expects just that. Another part of her realizes that if he was alive, he'd have found a way to at the very least write her and let her know that he's alive. Carlyn is in a predicament because she cannot make payments on the house, and, the man who loaned her husband the money is a scoundrel not above making threats. The novel opens with him bringing the sheriff to evict her. The sheriff. Well. He's something. He's a big part of why this one works so very well.

Having nowhere else to go, Carlyn Kearney joins the nearby Shaker community. Will she be a permanent Sister of the community? Or is this a temporary fix? Will she get along with the other women? Will she meet their expectations? Will they meet hers? This decision isn't one that is taken lightly.

The Innocent is part mystery novel--I LOVED the mystery element--and part romance novel. I won't say a word about the mystery, but, it's GOOD.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: The Bracelet

The Bracelet. Dorothy Love. 2014. Thomas Nelson. 336 pages. [Source: Review copy]

The Bracelet is historical suspense set in Savannah, Georgia, circa 1858-1859. Celia Browning is the heroine. She lives with her father, whom she loves very, very much. She also lives with her cousin, Ivy, whom she struggles to love. Both Celia and Ivy have practically grown up without a mother. (Ivy's father has long since vanished from the picture.) The two have grown up side-by-side, for the most part, but, not grown closer. If anything, the two have grown further and further apart.

Several potential conflicts greet readers at the beginning of the novel:

1) Celia's best friend, Sutton Mackay, is due to arrive very soon. Celia is completely absorbed in him, and, her not-so-secret plans to become his wife. Where's the conflict? She's unsure if Sutton loves her in that way, or, if he loves her in that way still. She's unsure if he will actually propose to her while he's back in town. She's unsure if he's ready to get married now. What if he wants to marry her, but, wants to postpone the wedding for a few more years? Those aren't the only conflicts, of course, but the remaining would be spoiler-ish.
2) There is a newspaper reporter who plans on writing a series of articles, and, perhaps even a book about two mysterious deaths that happened in the house where the Brownings live. (One of the mystery-deaths is of Celia's aunt--Ivy's mother--who plummeted from the balcony to her death. The second death occurred in the carriage house on the estate. The reporter doesn't have a name for the mystery-woman, at least not when the novel opens.) The conflict? Well, the Browning family looks down on the reporter, of course, and wants to prevent him from publishing anything at all.
3) Celia receives a bracelet that she perceives as a threat against her very life, since, the gems in the bracelet are a diamond, an emerald, an amethyst, and a diamond. Of course, the person who sent it was communicating in the secret language of jewels, right?! So Celia begins investigating, and, she wonders if there is a connection between the past-scandal that the reporter is trying to uncover and whomever sent her the bracelet. She doesn't know how they're connected, or even if they're connected.
4) Her father's health. Technically, I'm not sure if his failing health is a proper conflict, more, of a complication. Since Celia--and most others--are afraid of talking about anything of actual significance of an upsetting or potentially upsetting nature.

If the novel has a weakness, I fear it is that it is so slowly paced in the first half. After a hundred or so pages where nothing happened, or nothing new happened, I realized the book was lacking in something: either development of plot or development of characters. The second half has plenty of plot.  That's good. But. For me, it still lacked character development. To me, all the characters felt flat and shallow, lacking depth and substance. I am not saying that Celia's character was "shallow" in nature--meaning she was self-absorbed and vain. No, I just struggled with them as characters. I have come to expect at least one or two characters to be developed in the books I read. I would have loved to see Celia, Ivy, and Sutton all be developed fully as characters and be engaging and interesting and believable. Since I felt Sutton and Celia lacked substance, weren't fully developed, their relationship--their romance--felt flat to me.

The novel's strength is in the second half of the novel when the mystery and suspense are given the spotlight.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: The Lord Is My Shepherd

The Lord is My Shepherd. (Psalm 23 Mysteries) Debbie Viguie. 2010. Abingdon Press. 320 pages.

More than anything, Cindy Preston hated Mondays. 

I was skeptical about this book, I'll be honest. I had no idea if it would be something I'd like. But I like to challenge myself to take risks...occasionally. And I am definitely glad I took a chance on Debbie Viguie's The Lord Is My Shepherd. This one is mystery-suspense-thriller. Cindy Preston, the heroine, is a church secretary who discovers--literally stumbles upon--a dead body in the sanctuary of the church one Monday morning. But it isn't just any Monday, no it's Holy Week, it's the Monday of Easter week. Her screams draw the attention of the Rabbi next door, Jeremiah Silverman. Together they meet the police detective...and so it begins.

I really, really, really enjoyed this one!!! It was so hard to put this one down. I definitely liked the heroine, Cindy Preston. I thought she was a good balance. On the one hand, she's terrified and in shock, on the other hand she's strong and strong-willed. She may be afraid--and she may have good reason to be afraid--but she isn't going to be ruled or enslaved by that fear. Not that she's careless. And as for Jeremiah Silverman, well, I loved him!!! I did. I just loved him!!!


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: The Enclave

Hancock, Karen. 2009. The Enclave. Bethany House. 492 pages.

Sometimes books arrive that I don't remember requesting. Such is the case with The Enclave by Karen Hancock. The fault, this time at least, is all mine. This is a blog tour book--apparently I signed up in May for it and forgot all about it! As I said I was surprised when it arrived because it's a genre that I don't really read much in. And there's a reason for that. It's a Christian book. (I don't mind those. That's not where I'm nitpicking.) But it's one of those oh-so-modern-thrillers. In The Enclave it is one of those Evil Institution and Mad Scientists type of thriller.

What is The Enclave about? Who are its stars? We've got two Christian scientists: Lacey McHenry and Cameron Reinhardt. Both are employees at Kendall-Jakes, a research institution under the direction of (the tyrannical and so obviously evil) Parker Swain. The list of 'bad guys' is rather long in this one. But essentially there are plenty of scientists more on the mad side of things who are looking for a way to obtain immortality, to conquer death and the like. One of their schemes includes manipulating genes and human cloning. Employees are encouraged to worship their director and give their all for him. He can be very persuasive. Unfortunately, he can also be very dangerous.

Poor Lacey has quite the time of it. There's a weird "anomalous" creature after her, that is stalking her, who turns murderous when she's transferred out of her department. And then there's the sexual harassment from Swain. She's caught the boss' attention, and he'll stop at nothing to make her one of his girls. He has quite the history, you see. Lacey isn't quite open to all this flirting--she's not stupid exactly--but she's not quite closed to it either. She entertains moments where she thinks he might accidentally be sincere. Moments where she considers that he might be good for her. (Granted, Lacey isn't privilege to all the knowledge readers are. But still, there are moments I wanted to slap her!) Lucky for Lacey, there is Cameron to watch out for her and protect her. Cameron seems to be a bit more aware and open to the idea that his boss is pure evil.

Cameron is prone to having flashbacks. It's written into the story that he has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He ever so conveniently flashes back a dozen or so times. I suppose these chaotic interruptions in the text--the shifting from now to then without a second's notice--is authentic enough. These flashbacks overwhelm the narrator without warning, so why should readers be spared the chaos of being flung through time, the disorientation and discomfort of it. Still it can be frustrating to the careless reader. (I'll admit that I'm careless at times. If your mind skips out on a sentence or two, you can get lost very quickly.)

Part mystery. Part thriller. Part action.

While I didn't particularly "like" this one--just not my genre--I do think some readers might find it worth their time. There is quite the sub-genre for this in Christian fiction. So it must have a steady audience of folks who love suspense-thrillers with a Christian slant.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible