Book Review

My review of MONDAY’S CHILD by Clare Revell

/ Dora Hiers / 2 Comments

The Blurb

Monday’s Child must Hide for Protection…
This was not the assignment Luke Nemec expected when he came to the UK—babysitting a beautiful widow. It wouldn’t be so bad if Sara wasn’t such a hostile witness. Despite her complaints and continued jibes, Luke finds himself falling for her. 

When, Sara Barnes is thrown into the witness protection programme, she becomes the “wife” of Lt. Luke Nemec, an American cop on temporary assignment with the British police. Despite Luke’s American bravado, she finds he’s kind and considerate in ways her late husband never was. 

But things aren’t always what they seem, and Luke soon realizes he’s fighting a battle of two fronts to keep Sara safe. Loyalties are called into question, and he’s no longer certain who he can trust. Luke is way out of his depth. As the threats against Sara escalate, it’s a race against time to find her husband’s killer before Sara is silenced forever.



My Review
Clare Revell does it again!
Monday’s Child begins with a bang, literally. After Sara Barnes witnesses the death of her husband on their honeymoon, she’s swallowed into the witness protection program. Newly widowed and recovering from her wounds, Sara Barnes doesn’t like being caged and lashes out at her protectors. Lt. Luke Nemec, Sara’s protector, doesn’t take her barbs personally. Instead, he provides ways for her not to feel so cooped up and showers Sara with kindness and attentiveness, so the romance progresses naturally. Ms. Revell introduced some friends with a Scottish brogue, which I was initially nervous about, but after a bit, I hardly noticed.
From the beautiful cover, you can tell that the story is set on a coast. Ms. Revell crafted scenes in such a way that I could almost feel the salty ocean breeze against my face. Packed with action and laced with faith, this romance builds excitement for the next book in the series of seven romantic suspense novels based on a rewrite of the popular nursery rhyme, Monday’s Child.
Monday’s Child releases on April 27 with WhiteRose Publishing. I’ve also enjoyed several other books by Ms. Revell, such as Saving Christmas, Cassie’s Wedding Dress, Kisses from Heaven, and After the Fire. Congratulations, Clare Revell. 

Book Reviews

/ Dora Hiers
Do you find book reviews difficult to write?
When I attempted my first book review, 
I spent hours working on it. 
Since then, I’ve adopted an easy template to use. 
I’ll even share. 😉
First, if you’re blogging, it’s a good idea to 
insert a copy of the book cover 
for your visual viewers. 
Just as an attractive plate of food stirs your taste buds, a well-designed book cover draws a reader in and prompts them to take a deeper look. Generally, you don’t need to ask permission to use the cover. Most authors I know would LOVE the free advertising.


Secondly, I usually 
plug the back cover copy into the top of a Word document 
as a working copy. Although I don’t always use it in my review, doing this keeps the names and general story idea handy, saving time later.

Journey’s Edge back cover copy:
A Routine Audit? Hardly. 
Red flags—including some goon who’s following her—raise McKinley Frasier’s suspicions that numbers don’t add up at the insurance firm. When someone tries to snatch McKinley’s daughter from school, she turns to police officer and ex-fiance, Renner Crossman—the cop who walked out on her a month before their wedding. But Renner’s not the same guy who broke her heart ten years ago. He calls himself a “new man.” She trusts the new Renner with her daughter’s safety…but what about her heart?

As I’m reading the book, I 
use the following template 
to type notes in the Word document.

  • What I liked.
  • What I didn’t like. Was I confused about something?
  • Characters ~ were they 3-dimensional? Did I like them?
  • Setting ~ was it real enough that I felt like I was there? 
  • For romantic suspense novels, was there an appropriate balance?
  • Is there a message for the reader to take away? A faith thread?
  • How would I rate the book?

Answering these questions as you read the book allows your review to flow fairly quickly and painlessly. 

Your readers may also appreciate purchase links. 😉


And lastly, due to 2009 FTC regulations, you’re obligated to indicate whether you received any compensation 
for the review. 


Want to see an awesome example? Check out Susan Tuttle’s Bookshelf Friday. 


Do you have a method for writing book reviews?
What works for you?

Good Friday Promise & My Review of DEADLY CHASE by Wendy Davy

/ Dora Hiers

Why was the Friday before Easter labeled Good Friday? Our Lord was mocked, whipped, crucified! How could the day be considered good?

“…Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” (Jn 16:22 NIV) 


Thank you, Lord! For your selfless, willing steps to the cross. For bearing our sins, for giving us complete, uninhibited access to the Father. For your enormous love which knows no boundaries.

Deadly Chase~

The Blurb:

Sierra Malone trusted the wrong man and now he’s trying to kill her. After narrowly escaping Kevin Eason’s brutal attack, Sierra leaves her home, her family, and everything familiar. She finds temporary shelter, but it provides little relief from her constant fear. Desperate and alone, she considers an offer of protection from a stranger–but she soon learns he’s harboring a potentially deadly secret. Chase Price wants Eason behind bars, and he’s willing to do anything to get him there, even if it means waiting for Eason to strike again. With an innocent life on the line, Chase sets out to finish this battle once and for all–but he soon learns guarding Eason’s beautiful victim leaves him wanting much more than he anticipated.

My Review:

You won’t want to put this one down!

Meet Chase Price, a detective on a mission to catch a killer. His sister’s killer. And Sierra Malone. Afraid and alone, Sierra’s determined to stay far away from her dangerous ex-boyfriend, Kevin Eason. That doesn’t fit into Chase’s plans. He hopes to capture his sister’s killer by luring Eason to Sierra. Quite the setup for an explosive story, and Ms. Davy delivers.

Ms. Davy crafted 232 pages of perfectly balanced action, spine-tingling suspense, and heart-tugging romance in Deadly Chase. A word of caution, though. Once you start reading, you won’t want to put it down until you read the last word!

Wendy Davy is a new author to me. I can’t wait to snatch up some of her previous books! I’m excited to read more from this author. Five stars!

Exclusively available with Amazon for the kindle right now. Available with White Rose and other retailers in April 2012.


Disclaimer: The author provided a review copy in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.