Mark of Distinction by Jessica Dotta

I've looked forward to this book ever since I read the first on in this series.  I like the mysterious covers and the great story inside.  Mark of Distinction picks up where the first one left off.  I'm glad that she sticks with Julia instead of introducing another main character.  I really like it when authors let us really connect with a few characters that continue throughout a series.

Julie now knows who her father is, but danger is still all around her.  She's not being treated as the valued woman that she is.  Instead, she's being used to form the wishes of other powerful people.  She wants to be free of all of this, but it's not that easy.

The mysterious covers of this trilogy is not by accident.  There are so many secrets and so many people who are threatening to tell the real truth if they don't get their way.  The secrets are the action and it leaves you turning pages far longer than the time set aside to read "just a few pages."

I am looking forward to book 3 in the series. I hope it's not to long to wait!

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I received this book free from Tyndale Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Daisies are Forever by Liz Tolsma

I have been very impressed with this entire series by Liz Tolsma.  The covers of these books have matched the story inside.  The dark colors match the dark time in history that these deal with.  The time was 1945 and is based off of real accounts of two women who shared their story of how they managed to survive WWII and the showdown of Prussia and Germany.

I really enjoy all of the history that is filled in this book. It's hard to read only because this was a hard time in history that no one ever wants to re-live. As expected from this time time in history, there is a lot of action.

The whole time I was reading, I kept thinking of how courageous Gisela is.  I couldn't help but wonder what I would have down with 2 small children.  At times, I wanted to cry when I stopped and remembered the truth behind these stories.  Then I couldn't stop thinking about how many had left America for Germany in hopes that Hitler was turning thing around, when in truth, it was headed for disaster.

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I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Friend Me by John Faubion

After reading this book, I'm disliking Facebook and social media!  Not that I ever truly liked it and trusted it, but it was kind of scary to put myself into the mindset of someone who wished to do harm to others using social media. 

Reading this book, I can see how people could so easily fall for schemes like this and it makes me wonder how many people do on a daily basis. It's kind of scary to even consider.

I was hooked on this book from the first page. The book is full of suspense and action. I'm not a huge suspense fan but I liked this book, which I think is good if I can read it and like it!

I'll admit that when I read the information about John Faubion, all I saw was that he was a missionary in Asia with his family for many years.  I figured he wrote with a lot of experience so that's why I chose this book. However, I was wrong.  He does write with a lot of experience, just not how I thought. He worked as a senior software developer for a large appliance chain so he has a lot of knowledge in this area.  He did a wonderful job relating to the reader using a topic that our culture is addicted to.  The lines are easily blurred and explained away when it comes to what adultery is.  I was glad that Faubion shows clearly how the heart knows when adultery is occurring and how giving into temptation once leads to a whole host of other consequences.

I'm interested to see if Faubion will write any more books.  I think he definitely has a gift to share and lots of knowledge from life experience.

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I received this book free from Howard Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Strait of Hormuz by Davis Bunn

Davis Bunn has been an author that I have come to enjoy.  I look forward to each time a book of his is released.  This is the third book in the Marc Royce series.  Having read the first two, I knew this book would probably be even better than those two. 

There was a lot of action in this book.  It always surprises me that I enjoy this in certain books and I can't stand in others.  In fact, I'm very picky when it comes to reviewing action books because I'm always nervous I won't be able to finish from all my emotions!  (In case you don't know...I hate that nervous feeling from action movies/books.)  That said, I did have that nervous feeling in this book (and the others), but it was also one of anticipation.  I couldn't put it down because I just had to know how it ended.

These books are good stand alone books, but are even better when read straight through as a series.  I can't even imagine being Marc Royce--alone and not even having a clue who or what to be looking for.  All the while knowing that your life is being put into danger because people know who you are!
The romance in this book isn't mushy at all.  It fits the book and the style of Marc.  He's not a drama person, but the situations he finds himself in is pretty dramatic. 

It was really neat to see how the governments from two different countries acted, hypothetically, (but I also got a good understanding of how they could most likely act) during something that could be a big crisis.  The pressures mounted on not only the government but on Marc and his partner to save many lives.  That kind of pressure leads to lots of tension and Marc's heart for God shone through the book.  Just seeing how he was able to rely on God's will while so many weren't was encouraging.

Can't wait to read more by Davis Bunn!
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I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Vanished by Irene Hannon

Irene Hannon is responsible for getting me to like suspenseful books.  When I first began writing reviews, I couldn't do suspense.  However, after reading the last series by Hannon, I am now an avid fan or hers and of others in the suspense genre.

 

Although in most of her books you typically know who is the bad guy/killer, it has certainly never taken away from the suspense of the book.  I still find myself flipping the pages and get that nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach.  This book was fast-paced and captured me from the very first sentences.

 

This is the first book in her new series, Private Justice.  I'm looking forward to reading the rest in the series.  I know I won't be disappointed in this series!

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Resurrect by David E. Stevens

I am not really for sure what I originally expected this book to be about, but I know that I would have never anticipated this book containing such a complex and action-packed plot.  I did expect action, but the plot was nowhere near what I anticipated. I had to let go of what I had planned in my head and grab hold of what David E. Stevens had originally planned for me, as the reader, to understand.

The style of writing was the first thing that I noticed.  I enjoyed his details and his knowledge about the military that he was able to incorporate into the book.  I really haven't ever given much thought to comets or asteroids hitting earth, but he writes with such conviction that it does make you consider the possibility.  He has done much research on the science behind this book and it is displayed throughout his book.

This is the first book of a trilogy, and this one ends with a bit of wonder left for the reader.  It's not your typical book, but it is very good and is one that will provoke some thought.

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For more reviews on this book,go to

http://litfusegroup.com/author/DStevens.

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I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group and Monarch Books/Kregel Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

You Don't Know Me by Susan May Warren

I was hooked on this book from the first page.  I must say, I don't always read the back of the book to find out an overview before I begin reading a book. I like to be surprised and try to figure out if the cover will give me any clues as to what the book is about.  Let me just say that this cover was definitely not what I thought the book was about!  Had I read the back of the book, I would have totally understood!  I figured it had to do with a relationship, but I was thinking it was a romance book.

 

It is a romance book, to some degree.  Annalise has a husband and 3 children and is the poster mom of perfection.  She seems to have it all and to have a perfect life.  Her husband is running for mayor and she seems to be the perfect mayor's wife.  However, her past means that she doesn't need to be in the spotlight or she could put her family and herself in a deathly situation.

 

I loved this plot because I had not read much about the Witness Protection before and I found it very interesting.  It was heartbreaking to think about having to tell my children goodbye for their own protection and to never know anything else about them.  When I read the back where Susan May Warren talks about where she got the idea for this book, I was stunned.  I guess that I never realized that people really do have to tell their families goodbye.  It brought tears to my eyes when I thought of the poor lady on a plane to tell her daughter goodbye for a final time, knowing she'd never know what she'd grow up to be or what her life held for her.

 

I was flipping pages, anxious to find out what happens to Annalise and her family.  Would she choose to disrupt her life again and start new?  Could she really give up her family twice?  I can't say enough about this plot because it was so intriguing to me.  I found myself thinking about this book long after I closed it for the final time.  This is a book that will demand your attention once you start reading!

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To read more reviews on this book, go to: http://litfusegroup.com/campaigns/you-dont-know-me-by-susan-may-warren-200-weekend-getaway-giveaway-and-facebook-party-1023

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I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers and Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Taming the Wind by Tracie Peterson

Love isn't easy.  It's a risk that you choose to make, knowing that we will all die one day.  We don't know when and we don't know how, but will we take the risk knowing that all could be stripped away from us at any moment?  That question is one that Carissa wrestles with daily.  She longs to truly be loved...not the kind of love that her now dead husband gave her.  She knows love isn't shown by violence, but how can she possibly trust another man when all she has known about love has been from an abusive husband?  However, when she looks at precious Gloria, her 2-year-old daughter, she sees a little girl that desperately needs a father in her life.

 

Tyler is a born rancher and loves nothing more than being with the cattle.  He made the choice to fight with the South against the Union and now, because of that choice, he has lost his ranch and his home.  It has been sold out from under him and as much as he wants a family, he has nowhere to take them to.  Carissa has caught his eye, but how can he even begin to gain her trust?  True, he did rescue her from dying once, but that doesn't make her trust him any more than the next guy.  Throw in his anger against the Comanche for killing his pa and you've got a man who has to learn how to forgive and realizes that it is a choice to forgive or not.  True forgiveness can only be given by God's grace and you see Tyler wrestling with what he knows that he should do against that which his human nature says would be okay to do.

 

This book is the third in the Land of the Lone Star series.  I have somehow missed reading the first two, so now I feel like I need to track those down to read!  I know I'm missing some details, like what got them to this point in the book, but I never felt lost with the characters or the plot at all.  Tracie did a wonderful job of recapping what happened with just enough detail to intrigue me to check out the previous books, without giving away all of the information and leaving me no reason to buy the first two books in the series.  She is definitely a writer that I will be reading more books by.

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For more reviews about this book, go to http://litfusegroup.com/author/TPeterson.

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I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers and Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest opinion of the book.

 

 

 

Lethal Legacy by Irene Hannon

The third book in the Guardians of Justice series, this book is full of suspense.  I was kept turning pages....and yes, sometimes even looking ahead because I am sadly, that type of reader.  I like to prepare myself for what lies ahead.  (I hate admitting that about myself, but that's the only way I can read a suspense novel!)  I had read the first book of hers and now the third, but I want to go back to read the second one.  I don't feel like I was missing anything, but I know that reading all the books in a series definitely helps complete the story.

Kelly's father is dead and Detective Cole is certain it was just another suicide.  Kelly feels strongly that something else is wrong and that her father was actually murdered.  If Kelly is correct, is her life put in danger, too?  Will she reveal a secret that just might provide more information on her father's death?  If so, will Cole be able to protect her?

I don't read very many suspense books, but I have read hers and a few others.  I feel like it's an honor for me to say that I liked an author's suspenseful novel because of how much I tend to avoid them!  Even if you don't tend to like these type of books, Hannon writes with such wonderful skill that it becomes a book that is extremely hard to put down and out of your mind.  I'm still thinking about it!

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I received this book free from Revell in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.  Available August 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

The Discovery by Dan Walsh

Are there any Nicholas Sparks lovers reading this blog?  If so, then you need to pick up this book by Dan Walsh and see for yourself how much his writing compares to Nicholas Sparks.  I absolutely LOVED this book.  It kept me turning page after page because I couldn't wait to discover the mystery of Gerard Warner.
Dan did a wonderful job putting a story within a story.  I was hooked on this book from the first page and had difficulty putting it down to go to sleep.  The "book" by Gerard had so many interesting twists and turns that I was amazed and had difficulty predicting what would happen next.  I absolutely loved the ending to this book.  Dan tied it up nicely and left you with the feeling that you just journeyed through history with an amazing man, Gerard.  I actually felt like he was a real character and I had discovered his story for myself! 

I can't wait to get his other books and read those.  I think that after you read this book, you'll decide that you want to do the same.

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I received this book free from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion.



Lion of Babylon by Davis Bunn

As I have just closed the pages of this book a few minutes ago, all I can say is "wow."  This is a book that I normally would not have picked up in a bookstore because it is action.  That is typically not may favorite genre but this one left me wanting more.  It was action packed but it wasn't scary in any way.  It was full of suspense, gripping me and dragging me from page to page from start to finish.  If this is how Davis Bunn always writes, then I'm a huge fan.  I'm going to definitely have to check out the rest of his books because this one was great.  I've already told several people about this book and how they need to read it because it's that good.  I am anxiously awaiting Book #2 in this series.

So what's the book about that makes it so great?  It's the plot.  When I was telling my husband about this book, he joked that they needed to make a movie about it.  I agreed because it would be an incredible movie.  Just picture this plot in your head, although you'll have to read the book to get the full picture.

Alex Baird, a CIA agent, is in Baghdad and has gone missing along with 3 other people--a female nurse, a female aid worker, and a wealthy young Iraqi.  Are all of these people being held in the same place by the same people or are they each a separate case?  What could they all possibly have in common?

Marc is an ex-State Department agent involved in covert operations who left the field after his wife got sick.  However, he's the best in the business and is called back on the mission to specifically bring Alex home. 

Sameh is a lawyer that also works to bring children home to their families after they have been abducted.  When Sameh tries to find help on a case, he ends up working with Marc.  Neither is sure whether they can trust the either but after a series of incidents, they realize that they are both trustworthy people.

How will Sameh and Marc bring home the hostages?  Will they get there in time or will something unexpected occur?  You've got to check out this book to find out!  You won't be sorry.

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I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.