Book Review

Have You Read NORTH COUNTRY HERO by Lois Richer?

/ Dora Hiers
North Country Hero
by Lois Richer

About the book~
Back home to heal, army veteran Kyle Loness can’t wait to leave the town that holds such sad memories. He never expects beautiful newcomer Sara Kane to enlist his help with the town’s new youth center. What does he know about helping kids? But the more time he spends with the troubled teens—and Sara—the more the jaded soldier feels his defenses crumbling. It might take Sara—and the kids—to open his guarded heart to love again. 

My summary~
Reeling from an injury and angry at God, Kyle Loness is only in Churchill, Canada, to settle things after his father’s death. He plans to get the house ready to sell, and get out. Sara Kane heads to Churchill to cook for Lives Under Construction, a youth center for boys. A former foster child, she has plenty of love to go around. Determined to find her biological family, she seeks out computer savvy Kyle for help.

What I liked…
I really liked Sara. Although she suffered a rough childhood, she still managed to find the good in everything and everybody. Instead of being weak and wimpy, her experience made her strong and determined. Sara showed kindness to the wounded soldier, and although Kyle tries to distance himself, her sweet, generous spirit draws him in.

At a crucial point in the book, Sara couldn’t discern God’s voice or the path He wanted her to take. It took being alone, really alone, for her to recognize His will. I could relate to that. When my world clamors with noise, I need that “alone” time with Him.

and not so much…
I felt the faith element tended to be a bit on the heavy side. That said, the author tackled a couple tough topics with this book, feelings of unworthiness and struggling with why bad things happen, and I thought she handled them well. 

Overall…
I enjoyed North Country Hero and how the characters overcame their feelings of unworthiness and worked through their faith issues realistically. North Country Hero is definitely worth picking up for a nice, leisurely read. 

Disclaimer: Sending a huge thanks to Harlequin  and NetGalley for providing me with an advance review copy. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.

What about you? Do you sometimes worry that you can’t hear God’s voice or that you missed His direction? Does it take getting alone with Him for you to discern His will?
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Have you read YOU CAN’T HIDE by Wendy Davy?

/ Dora Hiers / 2 Comments
You Can’t Hide

About the book~
Cara Dalton lives a normal, routine life until her first daring adventure lands her in imminent danger. Mistaken as a witness to a brutal crime, she becomes the target of a ruthless drug smuggler who is willing to stop at nothing to silence her. Now, she must place her safety in the hands of a wounded stranger. Undercover agent Gage McKenna knows all too well the dangers Cara is up against. Recovering from a life altering injury—inflicted by the same man who now hunts Cara—Gage faces an uncertain future of his own. As Gage and Cara team up to fight this highly motivated killer, they must learn to rely on each other or risk losing it all.


My summary~
After a ruthless drug smuggler inflicts horrendous damage to Undercover DEA Agent Gage McKenna’s leg, Gage retreats to a remote barrier reef island off the North Carolina coast to heal and lick his wounds. Weary of her boring life, Librarian Cara Dalton does something unusual and spontaneously follows her brother, Jonas, to Columbia. Seeking an adventure, she stumbles onto a chance encounter with Mercado, a drug dealer. The last thing she expects is to be hauled off to a remote coast guard station to be held under lock and key by Jonas’s surly friend, Gage. 

What I liked…
Most of the setting took place on a former coast guard station on the island. The author really made the setting come alive for me. I could almost feel the salt air kissing my cheeks and the sand tickling my bare feet.

The characters were so life-like and relatable. Surly and grumpy at first because of the pain, Sage was also gentle and caring. Direct and straight-forward, Cara says it like she sees it, and because of that, I found their dialog refreshing.

After his career-altering injury, Gage’s faith flounders. Where was God when Mercado bashed Gage’s leg? Cara doesn’t put up with his self-pity. Her sweet comments and gentle touches remind Gage he’s still a man, regardless of his injury, and that God never left him.

Loved the perfect ending, but you won’t get any spoilers from me!

Something to note…
At 175 pages, some readers may prefer beefier books, but You Can’t Hide’s concise, keep-me-glued-to-the-pages plot blended with a natural, complete romance, was the perfect size for me.
Overall…
You Can’t Hide is another nail biter from Wendy Davy, and in several key spots, my palms were sweating and my tummy clenching. I knew what was coming (no surprise there), but I didn’t know how it was going to play out. It’s the perfect size to finish in an afternoon, but really a fantastic read for anytime!

Purchase Link

Disclaimer: Sending a big thank you to Wendy Davy for providing me with a review copy of You Can’t Hide. The opinions expressed in this review are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.

Have you read You Can’t Hide? 
Do you agree with my review? What were your thoughts?

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Have you read THURSDAY’S CHILD by Clare Revell?

/ Dora Hiers / 4 Comments
Thursday’s Child
Purchase Link

About the book~

Broken…with bits missing. That’s how Niamh, senior prosecutor for the CPS, feels when she wakes in hospital severely injured with no knowledge what happened–for the past eight years. A tall man in a firefighters uniform claims he’s her husband. While he’s everything she’s ever dreamed of in a man and more, she doesn’t know him. And if he was so important why can’t she remember? Was there something so terrible, so painful in her marriage, her mind has suppressed it?


First on the scene at a horrific accident, Jared Harkin is devastated to find his wife one of the injured. He’s already lost a child, can he live through this? Niamh survives the crash, but awakens with eight years missing and no memories of their life together. Determined to help her remember the past and their love, he sets about wooing her all over again. But are some things best forgotten?


As Niamh struggles to remember, the investigation into the accident reveals foul play. Did her recent caseload have anything to do with the attempt on her life? Or was it someone closer to her? As bit and pieces of memory return, the attacker strikes again. Can she piece together the whole of her past before it’s too late?
Sharing my review~
As a successful prosecutor, Niamh Harkin (pronounced Neeve) has received her share of death threats, but this particular case has her stressed and on edge. While driving home during a raging storm, Niamh’s car flips. Jared, her husband and firefighter, responds to the accident, not knowing she’s involved. When Niamh wakes, she’s lost all memory of the last eight years, including being married, and doesn’t recognize her husband. 

What I really liked…

When post-crash Niamh discovers how she was before the crash, she doesn’t like her. I’m glad the author only showed us the new Niamh, rather than the old, because I wouldn’t have liked her either. 

Jared loved Niamh, for better or worse (and their marriage had taken a turn for the worse over the last couple of years), yet he was determined to make the best of their marriage, even when she’d given up on them. This was a true love story, from beginning to end, and Jared never gives up hope that she’ll finally love him again. He figures that Niamh’s memory loss is a great chance for them to start over and determines to win her heart all over again.

I especially liked how the author weaved in tidbits from Niamh’s boss, Alan. His wife suffers from dementia, but he’d never dream of taking his wedding ring off just because she doesn’t remember him. Niamh, who’d tucked her wedding band around her neck, can’t help but ponder her commitment. Loved the analogy!

And the ending? Oh, so sweet! But, I promise not to give away any spoilers. 

What I didn’t like so much…
The opening courtroom scene started a bit slow for me, and I felt Niamh’s reaction upon waking in the hospital a bit awkward, but don’t give up! Once I moved past that, it flew. I also stumbled occasionally over certain UK fire terminology, but only because I’m married to a US fire professional. 🙂

Overall…
This story reminded me of a modern day A Christmas Carol, except the events don’t take place in a dream. While I felt Thursday’s Child was a mite weak on the suspense (I surely didn’t mind!) and heavier on the romance, both sets of readers will enjoy the plot and savor the love story! Whether you’re lazing on the beach or hanging out at home, it’s a perfect read for summer.

What about you? Do you ever wish you had “do overs” in life?
Disclosure: Sending a big thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my fair and unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own, and I received no compensation for my review.

Clare Revell
Clare lives in a small town in England with her husband, whom she married in 1992, and her three children. Writing from an early childhood and encouraged by her teachers, she graduated from rewriting fairy stories through fanfiction to using her own original characters and enjoys writing an eclectic mix of romance, crime fiction and children’s stories. When she’s not writing, reading, sewing or keeping house or doing the many piles of laundry her children manage to make, she’s working part time in the breakfast club at one of the local schools.

She has been a Christian for more than half her life. She goes to Carey Baptist where she is one of three registrars.

She can be found at:
http://www.revell124.plus.com/clarerevell/
https://www.facebook.com/ClareRevellAuthor
https://twitter.com/ClareRevell
http://telscha.blogspot.co.uk/

From Sea to Shining Sea: 
Men in Uniform 4th of July Contest

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. From soldiers to sailors to firefighters and police officers. From pastors to teachers to fathers.Thursday’s Child releases July 5th from Pelican Book Group. To celebrate this, Clare will be giving away two print copies and two e-book copies. To enter leave a comment here. All names will go in a hat and the winners drawn randomly on July 12th.

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