TITLE:  Threads of Suspicion (Evie Blackwell Cold Case #2)
AUTHOR:  Dee Henderson
DATE:  2017
PUBLISHER: Bethany House
STARS:  ***1/2

Evie Blackwell's reputation as a top investigator for the Illinois State Police has landed her an appointment to the governor's new Missing Persons Task Force. This elite investigative team is launched with plenty of public fanfare. The governor has made this initiative a high priority, so they will have to produce results--and quickly. 

Evie and her new partner, David Marshal, are assigned to a pair of unrelated cases in suburban Chicago, and while both involve persons now missing for several years, the cases couldn't be more different. While Evie opens old wounds in a close-knit neighborhood to find a missing college student, David searches for a private investigator working for a high-powered client. 

With a deep conviction that "justice for all" truly matters, Evie and David are unrelenting in their search for the truth. But Evie must also find answers to the questions that lie just beneath the surface in her personal life.

First, the disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book by the publisher, viaNet Galley. All opinions are my own.

While Threads of Suspicion had some interesting twists and appealing characters , the suspense aspect of this book was not what I’d expected. Dee Henderson used to be one of my favorite suspense authors, but this book and its predecessor fell flat for me. I did enjoy the detectives’ different methods and the peek into the world of a musical star. However, the routine procedural “stuff” of unravelling this case made it easy to set the book aside. No nail-biting here.

A lack of scene breaks also frustrated me as I read; hopefully the final copy will include some kind of indication of a scene or time break.
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For these reasons, Threads of Suspicion earn three and a half stars from me.

TITLE:  Summer Dreams
AUTHOR:  Delia Latham
DATE:  2017
PUBLISHER: White Rose Publishing
STARS:  ****
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Summer Callihan isn't in Cambria for the beach or the ocean or the pine-scented air around Paradise Pines Lodge. She's there as a companion to her flighty cousin, Deah--with the understanding that they will have separate agendas the entire time. Summer just wants to be left alone to dream up the romance novels she writes under a pseudonym.

But never in Summer's wildest writer's imagination does she dream of being caught in an undertow and almost drowning, only to be rescued by a wealthy artist. And when Logan Bullard proves hard to shake, Summer fears for her heart--especially when Deah sets her sights on Logan.

But at Paradise Pines Lodge, what's meant to be has a way of happening...at the best time and in the best way. Miss Angelina Love--who may or may not own the place--has an "in" with Heaven's own "department of romance." And she's determined to see Summer and Logan together.

Summer Dreams is a fanciful delight, a romance with more than a touch of whimsy. I enjoyed the “dream come true” aspect of this story and appreciated Summer’s move past timidity to leadership. Logan is a worthy hero, almost too good to be true.
The one aspect of this story that bothered me was the behaviour of the doe and fawn. I am picky about such things, since my husband and I farmed deer in Saskatchewan.

However, the message of Summer Dreams touched my heart. Author Delia Latham portrayed the faith message clearly and in a way that brought tears to my eyes. Well done.
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Summer Dreams earns four stars. Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book; opinions expressed are my own and of my own accord.

TITLE:  Hope (Ties That Bind Book 3)
AUTHOR:  Fay Lamb
DATE:  2017
PUBLISHER: Write Integrity Press
STARS:  *****

Hope Astor is literally a starving artist, living off the good graces of her friends as she seeks help for the fatigue that has plagued her for over a month. Dr. Daniel Duvall is a noted oncological surgeon whose life hasn’t been the same since losing his sister in a car accident the year before. 

When Hope receives her diagnosis, she understands that her carefree artist’s lifestyle has left her without any options to save her life, but her friends try to convince her otherwise. They persuade Hope to seek treatment from the best doctor she knows. Trouble is, Hope is the reason Daniel’s sister is dead, and she doesn’t think saving her life is on his list of priorities.

First, the disclaimer: I won this book in a contest and was not required to write a review. I am happy to do so, though, because Hope is a story worth reading and sharing. Some time ago, I’d read the first book of this series, Charisse, so when the chance came to possibly win a copy of this book, I eagerly entered the draw. What a thrill to receive Hope in my mailbox!

With many close friends fighting cancer, I wasn’t sure I could handle entering the world of another cancer victim. But curiosity tugged, and I read the first page. Then the second, and the third. Hope’s courage and humility snagged my attention and my heart. I couldn’t quit on her, and neither would her friends.

Those friends, her chosen family, reminded me of the story told in the second chapter of Mark’s gospel, where friends of a paralyzed man brought him to Jesus. They couldn’t get through the crowd filling the house where Jesus taught, but they would not give up. No matter the odds, they persevered. Like the Biblical friends, Hope’s circle would not allow her to give up. They’d already brought her to Jesus; now they needed to convince the area’s best oncological surgeon to take on her care. And like those men in Mark’s gospel, they would not give up.
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Faith is an important part of Hope. I appreciate the way redemption is woven into the fabric of the plot. Hope and her friends all became important to me as I read, and I will keep this book on my shelf to read again—and share. Thank you, Fay Lamb, for writing this story from your heart. It touched mine and earns five stars.
 

TITLE:  A Stolen Heart (Cimarron Creek Trilogy #1)
AUTHOR:  Amanda Cabot
DATE:  2017
PUBLISHER: Revell
STARS:  ****

From afar, Cimarron Creek seems like an idyllic town tucked in the Texas Hill Country. But when former schoolteacher Lydia Crawford steps onto its dusty streets in 1880, she finds a town with a deep-seated resentment of Northerners--like her. Lydia won't let that get her down, though. All will be well when she's reunited with her fiancé. But when she discovers he has disappeared--and that he left behind a pregnant wife--Lydia is at a loss about what to do next. The handsome sheriff urges her to trust him, but can she trust anyone in this town where secrets are as prevalent as bluebonnets in spring?

Prejudice is ugly, and it surrounds Lydia Crawford even before she reaches her destination of Cimarron Creek, Texas. But as the opening sentence of A Stolen Heart states, “No matter what anyone said, she wouldn’t believe this was a mistake.” And thus we are introduced to this strong-willed, compassionate young woman. Even when confronted with a devastating betrayal, Lydia determines to make the best of her situation—while carefully guarding her tender heart.

Enter Travis Whitfield, sheriff and lawyer of Cimarron Creek, the former due to his sense of duty, the latter his chosen field. His duties as the local lawman weighs heavy, though, and he feels as though he’s failing his town.

I enjoyed this story, especially Travis, his Aunt Bertha, and some of the rest of his clan. Their foibles made them recognizable. Lydia, on the other hand, seemed too perfect to me. Her ability to say just the right thing no matter the circumstance, while admirable, didn’t endear her to me. I appreciate characters who stumble, say the wrong thing, and have to apologize. But she is lovely, kind and incredibly hard-working.

The setting of the Texas Hill Country drew me in, as did the time—a few years after the War Between the States. The learned animosity plays an important role in this story and is almost a character in itself.

In A Stolen Heart, author Amanda Cabot weaves an interesting mixture of romance and mystery, earning four stars. Recommended. Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.