Book Review: All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes

About the Book-

When all of Venice is unmasked, one man’s identity remains a mystery . . .

1807
When a baby is discovered floating in a basket along the quiet canals of Venice, a guild of artisans takes him in and raises him as a son, skilled in each of their trades. Although the boy, Sebastien Trovato, has wrestled with questions of his origins, it isn’t until a woman washes ashore on his lagoon island that answers begin to emerge. In hunting down his story, Sebastien must make a choice that could alter not just his own future, but also that of the beloved floating city.

1904
Daniel Goodman is given a fresh start in life as the century turns. Hoping to redeem a past laden with regrets, he is sent on an assignment from California to Venice to procure and translate a rare book. There, he discovers a city of colliding hope and decay, much like his own life, and a mystery wrapped in the pages of that filigree-covered volume. With the help of Vittoria, a bookshop keeper, Daniel finds himself in a web of shadows, secrets, and discoveries carefully kept within the stones and canals of the ancient city . . . and in the mystery of the man whose story the book does not finish: Sebastien Trovato.

My Review-

Similar Reviews:

• Set the Stars Alight by Amanda Dykes
• Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes

I annotated this book because I have been obsessed with all the other books by the author I have read, and I expected this book to make me cry, like Set the Stars Alight and Whose Waves These Are. Unfortunately this book fell a little flat for me, but I still enjoyed the process of reading and annotating it!

The writing style was super lovely as always: Amanda Dykes’ writing is one of my favorites! It is super lyrical and truly weave a story. The imagery was gorgeous, and Venice was described in such vivid detail. The historical aspects of Venice woven into the story were so gorgeous, and I really enjoyed learning about the architecture, history, and city of Venice!

My main reason for not loving this book is because I was not as connected to these characters. I don’t know if it was the writing style or the more abstract story, but I was not particularly able to relate to the protagonists, which made the story hit less hard. The story was told more like an allegory, with a thread of suspension of disbelief, which made it harder to relate to.

The first part of the book I was able to relate to Daniel, or at least think the story was believable, but once he got to Venice, it became more of a whimsical fairytale vibe that I wasn’t as connected to. There was a lot of mention about secrets and historical intrigue, which also didn’t make it super relatable.

The story was a dual timeline: I was more interested in Daniel’s story at first (like I mentioned, I was more connected to it), but then as the Book of Waters went on, I was super invested in Sebastian’s story (even more than Daniel’s). Amanda Dykes does split timeline stories so well. I do think the ending was a bit rushed, especially the one in the Book of Waters.

All in all, I did end up enjoying this book, though it took me quite a while to get into it. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy historical whimsical stories. I am rating this one quite low, but that is in comparison to the author’s other works: I would definitely recommend reading some of her other books if this one isn’t your cup of tea!

Things Liked:

• the prose was STUNNING!! there were so many beautiful descriptions and quotes, and in particular, the imagery of water was so richly woven throughout
• I really loved the male protagonists! They are so rarely seen in Christian fiction and I thoroughly enjoyed their character growth
• The characters were all so interesting and I wish I were more interested in them lol

Things Disliked:

• I couldn’t get into the story for quite a while: I kept putting the book down for weeks at a time and didn’t particularly want to pick it up because of this
• The characters weren’t not particularly relatable and I wasn’t attached to any of their struggles, so it was hard to enjoy them

My Rating-

3/5

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.

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Blog Tour: The Bookshop of Secrets by Mollie Rushmeyer

About the Book:

Book: The Bookshop of Secrects
Author: Mollie Rushmeyer
Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction (Christian)
Release date: October 25, 2022

A collection of lost books holds the clues to her family’s legacy…and her future.

Hope Sparrow has mastered the art of outrunning her tragic past, learning never to stay anywhere too long and never to allow anyone control over her life again. Coming to Wanishin Falls in search of her family’s history already feels too risky. But somewhere in the towering stacks of this dusty old bookshop are the books that hold Hope’s last ties to her late mother—and to a rumored family treasure that could help her start over.

Only, the bookshop is in shambles, and the elderly owner is in the beginning stages of dementia and can’t remember where the books lie. To find the last links to the loved ones she’s lost, Hope must stay and accept help from the townsfolk to locate the treasured volumes. Each secret she uncovers brings her closer to understanding where she came from. But the longer she stays in the quaint town, the more people find their way into the cracks in her heart. And letting them in may be the greatest risk of all…

Amazon || GoodReads

My Review:

Books set in bookstores and about books are some of my favorites to read, and this was no exception. The new bookshop owner is one of my all time favorite tropes, and there’s something about reading a cozy book in the falltime that just hits different.

tw // PTSD, panic attacks, anxiety, sex trafficking, domestic violence and abuse, sexual harassment, foster care (and abuse in the foster care system), drowning, dementia

This book was surprisingly heavy for what the back cover says: there are several topics (see trigger warnings) that I would have liked a warning about before reading. I appreciated the discussion on the heavier concepts, but I would have appreciated going into it knowing that those topics (particularly human trafficking) was going to be discussed.

As expected, the bookshop element was super cozy & lovely: both of the main characters enjoyed reading and were very knowledgeable about literature, which was different from usual. There was a cat named Fitzwilliam, which was really fun, and there was just overall a lot of discussion about classic literature–Jane Eyre, Little Women, Anne of Green Gables–that I really liked.

There was a lot of Christian content: a lot of discussion about faith, prayers, doubting, evil in the world, and so forth. As far as I can remember, neither of the characters are explicitly Christian, but conversation about faith and what it means to be a Christian was always on the table.

There were some mentions of vaguely feminist content that I did not like: Hope (the main character) is fiercely independent, and has some feminist ideology, which the author did not speak highly towards. A man said “Significant other, wife? I apologize. Maybe I’m a little behind in this politically correct world.” which I just thought was baffling.

There was somewhat of a mystery/treasure hunt aspect to this book, which was really fun to read. Unfortunately, it wrapped up a little unsatisfyingly, and the falling action didn’t make any sense. The background and reasoning behind the treasure hunt was never fully explained, and I was left a little confused.

There was also a thread of revealing old family histories, which was really interesting, but also not done very well. There was a lot of discussion about old family members, old journals, deeds/wills/treasure, which was really fun, but could have been more fleshed out. As it was, the driving motivation seemed a little lacking.

Hope’s lifelong dream is to open a coffeeshop/restaurant/bookshop on wheels, and some of the book was spent setting up and renovating this bus for her. I thought that part was really interesting, but there was so much going on in the rest of the book that it became a minor focus.

Overall, this book had a lot of potential but it fell flat: I think there were too many things covered, and I would have liked to see each of the plot points fleshed out in greater detail. For example, I would have liked to see more about the bus renovation, the treasure hunt, the family secrets, the bookshop, but due to the length and the number of topics discussed, each of the points was not fully covered.

My Rating:

5/10

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.

About the Author:

Mollie writes contemporary fiction with a heart for history. What does this mean exactly? She loves to write inspirational fiction in contemporary settings with fascinating historical elements, people, objects, and stories woven throughout. A modern girl herself– She wouldn’t want to go a day without modern plumbing and central air! But she’s always felt a special connection to the past. The legacies and lives left behind are like gifts waiting to be unwrapped, and she’s excited to share this blend of history and contemporary living with readers. A born and bred Midwestern gal, Mollie Rushmeyer, makes her home in central Minnesota with her husband and two spunky, beautiful daughters. She is not only a bibliophile (the dustier the better, in her opinion), she’s a true anglophile at heart. Tea and coffee fuel her travels, by Google maps at least, and her passion for the written word.  

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Mollie is giving away the grand prize package of a eBook or signed paperback copy (paperback U.S. Only) of The Bookshop of Secrets and a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

Enter Here.

For more information about this blog tour, and exclusive content from the author about The Bookshop of Secrets, as well as more stops from the blog tour, click here.

Blog Tour: After Our Castle by Kellyn Roth (Alice and Ivy #6) | Spotlight, Review, and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: After Our Castle
Author: Kellyn Roth
Genre: Historical Women’s Fiction
Release date: October 2022

A year into a blissfully happy marriage, Violet Angel admits to a dose of skepticism. She’s not married, granted—but as the closest friend of the bride and groom, she feels she has a perspective no one but the people directly involved could have. There’s no such thing as a happy ending, and it’s only a matter of time before the castle in the sky plummets to earth. If only Violet were always wrong instead of just mostly wrong. Ivy McAllen doesn’t believe she and her new husband are out of the honeymoon period—if they are, she isn’t going to admit it to herself—but there are certainly areas of adjustment that she hadn’t expected. Changes at the village of Keefmore and in Ivy’s life lead to complications, and Violet spirals further and further from reality. When a castle in the sky turns to be more cloud than stronghold, finding a foothold proves to be more than a little difficult.  

Amazon || GoodReads

My Review:

Similar Reviews:

• The Dressmaker’s Secret by Kellyn Roth (Alice and Ivy #1)
• Ivy Introspective by Kellyn Roth (Alice and Ivy #2)
• At Her Fingertips by Kellyn Roth (Alice and Ivy #3)
• Beyond Her Calling by Kellyn Roth (Alice and Ivy #4)
• A Prayer Unanswered by Kellyn Roth (Alice and Ivy #5)

tw // child loss/miscarriage/infertility/conception, a mention of a suicide attempt

This is the third book from the perspective of Ivy and I really liked it! I don’t think this book was my favorite overall, but it kept me engaged and I looked forward to seeing how the story would progress.

Like always, this book deals with a lot of gritty topics: a lot of hard hitting, real life, adult topics. In particular, this book navigates the first few years of marriage, and the adjustment between courting and marriage. It deals with a lot about wanting/waiting for children, so if that is a topic that you are sensitive towards, this may be a book to skip.

In addition, this book seemed more preachy than the previous ones. There were a lot of takes that I really didn’t agree with, including discussions about children before marriage may lead to “temptation,” anything less than 100% transparency between a married couple is fully adultery, and the “it takes a village” adage is unreliable and that a family unit should be self sufficient (which is not only just bad advice, it’s actively unbiblical). Characters would occasionally go into monologues about their beliefs and what to do to live a Christian life, some of which I agreed with, and some of which I didn’t, but they happened a little too frequently in my opinion.

I did like seeing the inclusion of more of Violet Angel in this book: while she isn’t exactly a reliable narrator, it was cool to see her growth and development as she navigates the world. Her character arc was really cool to see, and I also liked seeing flashbacks to her experience at the McHale house where she and Ivy met. I also liked Alice a lot more in this book than previously: she seems to have mellowed and matured ad lot since the previous book. She provides a lot of wisdom and comfort to Ivy that I really liked seeing, especially with all that happened to her in the previous book.

This book was very slice-of-life, where it narrated a lot of Ivy’s day to day and her life living in the village, which was really fun to read. Overall though, I think this book was weaker than some of the previous books in the series, and while I did enjoy it, it got a little too preachy at points for me to truly enjoy it.

My Rating

3/5

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.

About the Author

Kellyn Roth is a historical romance & women’s fiction author who writes about the empty places where hope has the most room to grow. Her novels include the inspirational Victorian family saga, The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy, and the Kees & Colliers series, which follows a broken family in the tumultuous years of the first half of the 20th century. Kellyn is a student of the Author Conservatory and a writing coach. When not building her author career, she is likely getting lost somewhere in the Pacific Northwest with her friends, watching period dramas and facetious comedies, or spending time with her husband.  

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kellyn is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

Enter Here.

For more information about this blog tour, and exclusive content from the author about After Our Castle, as well as more stops from the blog tour, click here.

Book Review: Body of Evidence by Irene Hannon (Triple Threat #3)

About this Book-

Forensic pathologist Grace Reilly has seen her share of unusual deaths in rural Missouri. But when she begins to notice a curious pattern in autopsies of elderly residents whose demise appears to be natural, she takes her concerns to Sheriff Nate Cox.

Nate is skeptical about the link Grace is seeing between the deaths–and her suspicions of foul play. But her persistence is compelling. Once she finally convinces him her theory is credible and they join forces to investigate, danger follows. Because exposing the truth could destroy several lives–including Grace’s.

Queen of inspirational romantic suspense Irene Hannon closes out her bestselling Triple Threat series with this gripping tale of secrets revealed and romance sparked.

My Review-

Similar Reviews:

• Point of Danger by Irene Hannon (Triple Threat #1)
• Labyrinth of Lies by Irene Hannon (Triple Threat #2)
• Dangerous Illusions by Irene Hannon (Code of Honor #1)

This was a really satisfying story and a great ending to this series! I liked the first two books in this series–they weren’t my all time favorites, but I really enjoyed them–and I had high expectations for this book: I loved it! Now, I had the same problems with it as I had with the first two books in the series, but this one is my favorite out of the three.

tw // vomiting (including discussions of and descriptions of the smell), infidelity (not detailed, but a heavy part of this book), assault, Grace is a pathologist, so there are some pretty graphic descriptions of her job, including her sawing into a skull, weighing a liver, etc.

This book was super well-rounded, which I really like. The pacing is really well done: it kept my attention the whole time and I was hooked to see where the story would go. There was also more development for the characters: Grace and Nate were better developed than some of the other characters written by Hannon that I’d read. Their internal monologue was consistent and made sense with the plot line, which sometimes doesn’t happen in Christian suspense fiction.

There was once again a lot of physical attraction between the two main characters, but it was less than the other books by Hannon I read, which was good (some of the other descriptions are . . . A Lot). There was definitely quite a bit of noticing, and there were some spicier innuendos (one scene where one character mentions on the phone that they are about to go change and leave, and the other finds that information very interesting, and they make a joke about it, Nate sees Grace’s “curves” under her shirt and thinks that he needs to go take a cold shower, among others). The two characters do have insta-love, but not in an annoying way.

One thing about this book that I wasn’t a huge fan of was the strict male and female divide: Nate’s testosterone was mentioned multiple times, which was a little uncomfy, and there other such observations: women’s intuition, a man’s strength, and stuff like that, which I’m not a huge fan of. Nate is immediately very protective of Grace, almost as soon as they meet, which is supposed to be a marker of his manly protectiveness, which is also a little . . . sus for me.

By far the best part of this book is the suspense plot: it had the best plot out of Christian suspense fiction that I’ve read in a while, and it kept me guessing all the way up to the end. The ending was really well foreshadowed, with the appropriate stakes and the appropriate responses by the characters. There were just enough red herrings to keep the mystery complex, but without making it confusing. The ending wasn’t rushed, and everything tied up in a satisfying way. I was really afraid that the plot was going to go one direction that is overused (at least in my opinion) and it didn’t go that way, which made me really happy. There were some chapters from the perspective of the antagonist, revealing more information as the story went on, which I really liked, because it added to the foreshadowing.

There were some comments that made me not enjoy this book was much as I would have (Grace has an intense security system on her house in rural Missouri, and the author describes it as a security fetish??????? WHY USE THE WORD FETISH), but overall the plot was really interesting and overall, I really enjoyed this book!

My Rating-

4/5

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.

Blog Tour: A Prayer Unanswered by Kellyn Roth (Alice and Ivy #5) || Spotlight and Book Review

About the Book-

When her world is set adrift, she grasps for the strength to hold on …

As Alice Strauss enters her first year of marriage—full of optimism and determination—she finds herself wholly unprepared for reality. In a new country, with a new family, she struggles to find her footing. Difficult relationships and situations batter her, but she is determined to establish a perfect life with the man she loves.

Unfortunately, perfection seems just beyond her reach. An unexpected tragedy flings Alice out of control, and she struggles to rise from the ruins. Her world is full of spinning variables and agony beyond anything she has ever experienced.

However, there is hope—in a God who loves her and a future established for her since before time began. Yet the devastation of Alice’s life seems beyond even the touch of grace.

Series: The Chronicles of Alice and Ivy, Book 5 (Alice #3)
Release Date: July 10, 2022
Genre: Historical Women’s Fiction
Amazon || Goodreads

My Review-

Similar Reviews:

• The Dressmaker’s Secret by Kellyn Roth (Alice and Ivy #1)
• Ivy Introspective by Kellyn Roth (Alice and Ivy #2)
• At Her Fingertips by Kellyn Roth (Alice and Ivy #3)
• Beyond Her Calling by Kellyn Roth (Alice and Ivy #4)

This is the 5th book in the Alice and Ivy series by Kellyn Roth, which is a series that I have been following over the past few years and really enjoyed.

tw // child loss/miscarriage/infertility, alcohol use, postpartum depression/depressive episodes, suicidal idealization/attempt, minor mentions of being drunk and someone being conceived in rape/out of wedlock

This book was from Alice’s perspective, which hasn’t been my favorite. Alice is flighty, with a strong head for doing what is “right,” and stubborn to the point of being foolhardy. To this end, she ends up making mistakes, withdrawing, and succumbing to a deep depression. She pulls away from her husband, who is trying his best to support her, and she relies on herself to the point where she feels like she cannot go on.

This book was HEAVY. There was a LOT of mature content that was covered. It is marketed as women’s fiction, and discusses many adult topics including marital intimacy, and pregnancy/miscarriages. Everything was spoken about in a deeply moral sense, including mentions of being intimate in a marriage without being “unbiblical [. . .] that allow God the possibility to work if He so pleases” and a couple scenes where one of the married characters asks their spouse to “be with them” that night. There was a very vivid scene of a miscarriage, and a pretty graphically (but one room over) childbirth. There were multiple passages describing someone in a deep depression, to the point where they did not leave their room for weeks to months on end. There were definitely scenes that were a little too graphic and were a bit triggering for me, and I had to skim through some sections.

One thing that frustrated me about this book was that Alice and her husband, Peter, did not communicate to each other as efficiently as that could have. Part of it was due to Alice feeling like she had to be “proper,” and not divulge “womanly secrets” about her period, but part of it was just due to propriety. If you are married, there should no longer be any secrets between you and your spouse: if you have been made one, there is no point in keeping secrets, especially about things as heavy and deep as Alice did. At the same time, Peter also made decisions without referring to Alice, and this was presented as “Alice obeying Peter” but at the same time, marriage is a partnership, and moving across states is definitely a “talk with your partner” decision, not a “listen to your husband” decision. This communication barrier was pretty frustrating at times, but it did eventually start to get resolved as the book went on.

As for the plotline of the series, some pretty big things happen in this book. Ivy and Jordy get married (and their marriage seems a lot more wholesome and sustainable than Alice and Peter’s, I must say), and Nettie reveals a secret to Alice that I think should have been revealed a while ago.

There was A LOT of talk about being “moral” in this book, whether in a marriage, or just in daily living. There were several pretty deep discussions about whether or not something was Biblical, and while I appreciate that, it got to be a bit overbearing at times. It seems like the author is injecting a lot of her personal opinion into this book (and series), some of which I agreed with, and some of which I did not. There were some disparaging things said about women, along the lines of “don’t mess up her kitchen, you know how a woman gets when you mess up her kitchen,” which left a pretty nasty taste in my mouth. There are some pretty dark things said about miscarriages and what that means about a person’s character that I really disagreed with. [spoiler in the next paragraph, highlight to read]

Alice alludes several times that her miscarriage was her fault, and that her husband would never forgive her for not giving him a child. She has a really unhealthy relationship with having children, and said that the people she knew who had miscarriages were “aligned with God, and it was some strange, ill fortune that she had experienced miscarriages,” while her own was unforgivable. I was expecting someone, such as Peter, to come in and tell her that miscarriages are something that occur because of a fallen world, and it was not her fault, but that never happened. It seems as though the author does at least subconsciously believe that miscarriages can be controlled and are somehow inherently sinful, which is really sad.

Overall this book was certainly the heaviest out of this series to date: the author said that this was the climax to the generations-long drama and relationships, but it was a little too heavy for my liking. If you are looking for a heavily moral adult women’s fiction book, this is the book for you. I’m looking forwards to reading book 6, from Ivy’s perspective!

My Rating-

3/5

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.

Book Review: The Deadly Shallows by Dani Pettrey (Coastal Guardians #3)

About the Book-

A mass shooting.
A stolen weapon capable of immense destruction. 
A painful secret that threatens to tear two hearts apart.

CGIS Agent Noah Rowley is rocked to the core when he learns of a mass shooting raging on his Coast Guard base. He and his team stop the attack, but not before numerous innocent lives are lost. Furious and grief-stricken, he determines to do whatever is needed to bring the mastermind behind the attack to justice.

Coast Guard flight medic Brooke Kesler evacuates the scene of the shooting in a helicopter carrying the only surviving gunman. Gravely wounded, the man whispers mysterious information to Brooke that immediately paints a target on her back.

As Brooke and Noah race to uncover answers, emotions between them ignite. Noah struggles to protect Brooke at all costs and to conceal the secret that prevents him from becoming what he longs to be–the right man for her.

Everything is at stake as a horrifying truth emerges. . . .

The mass shooting wasn’t the end game. It was only the beginning.

My Review-

Similar Reviews:

• The Killing Tide by Dani Pettery (Coastal Guardians #1)
• The Crushing Depths by Dani Pettrey (Coastal Guardians #2)

My main issue with this book was that it was utterly unmemorable: I read it a month or two ago and now, sitting down to write the review, I remember effectively none of what happened in the book. Even after skimming through the book again, I still have trouble thinking of what the plot was. Part of it is my own issues with reading comprehension (I get easily confused when there are many side characters, and I can’t follow plots with multiple POV changes easily), but I also think that this book was just confusingly written, because I was much more confused in this book than I usually am.

There were at least 4 or 5 POVs, and 2 romances going on, as well as about a half dozen other characters that also made an appearance in this book, so needless to say, there was a lot going on all the time. Even though it has been the same cast of characters since the first book, keeping all of them straight didn’t seem to get any easier in this book.

On top of everything, there was a lot of gore. The book opens with a mass shooting, with graphic descriptions of blood and people dying. While it wasn’t particularly visual, it was shocking and overall had more blood and murder than I’ve been used to in Christian suspense.

The actual suspense/mystery part of the book was good: I thought that the chase and suspense built up well and kept me reading. However, the parts where there was suspense fell second to the interactions between the characters and the romantic plotlines. While there was a lot of suspenseful moments, overall I think the suspense could have been done better.

Overall, this is the third book by Dani Pettrey that I’ve read and overall, I think that I am not cut out for books by her. As much as I enjoy a fast-paced suspense book, something about the writing style and the number of characters in her books leads me to not enjoy her books as much, and I don’t think I’ll be picking up her books from this point forward.

My Rating-

3/5

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.

Book Review: Free Fall by Nancy Mehl (The Quantico Files #3)

About the Book-

The closer she comes to the truth, the deadlier her chase gets.

FBI behavioral analyst Alex Donovan and her colleague Logan Hart have been called upon to write a profile for a missing woman, but a little digging quickly turns up more disappearances in Virginia with the same physical description.

Alex is in a race against the clock to rescue the missing victims, so when the UNSUB makes demands of her in exchange for information, Alex takes the bait. But when her life is put in jeopardy, Logan must do whatever it takes to track them down before time runs out.

Alex works to think one step ahead of the suspect, but the more Logan and the BAU learn about the serial kidnapper, the more they fear Alex may not make it out alive.

My Review-

Similar reviews:

• Night Fall by Nancy Mehl (The Quantico Files #1)
• Dead Fall by Nancy Mehl (The Quantico Files #2)
• Mind Games by Nancy Mehl (Kaley Quinn Profiler #1)
• Fire Storm by Nancy Mehl (Kaley Quinn Profiler #2)
• Dead End by Nancy Mehl (Kaley Quinn Profiler #3)

I’ve been looking forwards to reading the finale for this trilogy for so long, and I was so glad it was finally time to read this book! Unfortunately, it was a bit of a letdown, but overall I am glad I read it!

This book is primarily the finale between Alex Donovan (the female protagonist) and Logan Hart (the male protagonist) and their relationship that has been developing over the past few books. In my opinion, the romance in this book doesn’t really develop all that much–it’s just a bunch of physical attraction, and mostly Logan pining after Alex. In that regard, it was a bit . . much? It was a lot of romantic ~feelings~ and “ooh do they like me back” instead of any truly good chemistry, and honestly I wasn’t a huge fan of Alex and Logan together.

The setting for this book was really well done! There was some historical background set in an abandoned amusement park/circus, and part of the investigation was also set there, and I thought that was really creepy and unique. Haunted/old circuses have a particular flavor of spooky and I thought that the setting was a really good choice.

The main storyline was also really good: I think it progressed at a good pace, and the story itself was interesting and unique, and kept me hooked. It was different from the standard Christian fiction politics-motivated/drugs/terrorism that seems to be all anybody writes about anymore, which was really nice. I was a little bit skeptical of the realism of some of the plot points, but overall, it was the most interesting part of the story and I thought it was interesting.

The side stories were a little confusing to me, and in parts it felt more like the side story was there to fill space rather than contribute to the story. Several of the side storylines (Logan’s medical side story, Jeff’s whole conversion story, etc) were interesting, but I much preferred the main story to the side plots. Truth be told, a lot of this book seemed to be trying to fill space, and that was a bit annoying to slog through.

With that being said, I REALLY liked the perspective of the antagonists and their chapters: it was so suspenseful seeing their point of view, and those chapters were really well done.

Overall, this was a good book, if a little bit weak. I think the second book in the series was my favorite. I much prefer the Kaley Quinn Profiler series and the characters in that book over this one, and this entire set of books was mediocre (I think the author tried to imitate the Kaley Quinn Profiler series too closely but didn’t think through the plotline closely enough) but didn’t succeed.

My Rating-

3/5

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.

Book Review: The Catch by Lisa Harris (US Marshals #3)

About this Book-

After a harrowing attempt on a judge’s life at the courthouse, Deputy US Marshals Madison James and Jonas Quinn are tasked with finding a missing woman and an endangered child in connection to the murder of the judge’s wife. What seems like a fairly straightforward case becomes hopelessly tangled when the marshals discover that the woman they are searching for is not who they think she is.

Madison and Jonas are forced into a race to find the woman and the child before the men who want her dead discover her location. And in a final showdown that could cost her everything, Madison will come face-to-face with the person who murdered her husband.

USA Today bestselling author Lisa Harris concludes her thrilling US Marshals series with this breathless tale of secrets kept, lies exposed, and ultimately, justice prevailing.

My Review-

Similar Reviews:

• The Escape by Lisa Harris (US Marshals #1)
• The Chase by Lisa Harris (US Marshals #2)
• The Traitor’s Pawn by Lisa Harris

I was excited to finish reading Lisa Harris’ US Marshals series: the series so far has been building up to this book and I was looking forwards to seeing how the whole story resolved!

I liked the premise of this book a lot: it was different from a lot of the standard Christian fiction books, and that made it really interesting. There was a lot of fast paced action scenes: chases, manhunts, kidnapping, etc., and that kept me reading the book. I really liked the commentary about people who become indebted to others for their survival, and the ability for those in power to abuse that position easily. What looked like an infidel man in power and his money-fueled schemes turned into a kidnapped woman and child, a manhunt, and the lives of many at stake.

The storyline that’s been building throughout the series resolved with less fanfare than I would have liked: I thought that there would be a huge reveal of that thread but it seemed rushed and half-hearted, which was disappointing.

Honestly, at the end of the series, Madison and Jonas’ relationship is just . . . fine. They don’t have any particular chemistry (not the “lighting flared between their touch”) kind of chemistry, just . . . any sort of chemistry really that made me want to cheer for them as a couple.

One thing to note is that there are a lot more sexual references in this book than in the average Christian fiction book. Primarily, this is due to the fact that the premise of the main story is based off of a man having an affair with a woman other than his wife, and the consequences of that affair, so there are a lot of references to extramarital activities.

All in all, I think this book was good, if not particularly memorable. It was very fast paced, which made it easy for me to want to keep reading, but there was also not anything particularly memorable about this book I’ll remember about it in a year. I was disappointed by the resolution of the series-long arcs, but the story from this particular book was good.

My Rating-

3/10

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion; I was not required to write a positive review.