Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart
Liam is a little boy with Down syndrome. His best friend is his puppy, Milo.
In fact, Milo is his only friend…until one day when Liam surprises everyone.
This sweet story tugged at my heart. Liam is a lovable character who will be relatable to children.
The author included an explanation of Down syndrome that is easy for children to understand.
The book is geared to early elementary grade boys and girls. Definitely recommend!
Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart
Book & Mug Mysteries
Book Four
After reading the first three books in the series, I had to know what happens next for the folks in Cadburn. They’re an interesting cast of characters.
Three years earlier, Steve and Lyndsy only seemed to have one thing in common—their love for Civil War history. The town has ties to the Underground Railroad that Lyndsy is determined to uncover. In public, it appears that the pair can’t agree on anything.
One night, Olivia, who works at the Book & Mug and rents a room in the same historic home as Lyndsy, spots them in period costume while in search of hidden history.
Now, three years later, Olivia finds herself in the middle of a mystery while housesitting for a friend.
This is a multi-layered series that is best read in order. Complex characters lay the foundation for complex stories. There are lots of characters, but the author does a good job of reminding readers of events in earlier books.
Levigne has delivered another well-written cozy mystery that kept me turning pages.
Recommended for readers of cozy mysteries.
Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart
The Beanbaggers of Cornhole County, Book 1
After treatment stops shrinking the tumor, Josie decides she wants a more peaceful lifestyle. She and Morgan, her husband, move to a small town in Texas. He wants to shelter her. She wants to do something meaningful. She convinces him to volunteer daily with youth at church.
This led to a business venture aimed at raising money for the church. The best part was the teenagers’ enthusiasm for the project. It soon becomes obvious that some are gifted in various ways that bless the entire town.
The story is set in 2014. I marveled at how far technology has come while reading.
This book is written in first person in both Josie’s and Morgan’s viewpoints. Her cancer is often in the background of the story and sometimes at the forefront. If that’s a rough topic for you, I recommend that you start reading the series with the next book. This first book is considered a prequel by the author.
I loved the small-town setting. I quickly learned to love the characters. I cried at several scenes. There are plenty of characters for the author to choose for later books in the series. I already have a few that I hope to find as the lead characters!
The game of cornhole is an important part of this story. While I felt that some dialogue could have been tightened, I enjoyed the book. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart
A Mac & Sam Mystery Series, Book 4
Private Investigator Mackenzie Love is still trying to find out if her parents’ deaths a few years ago were an accident. While she’s researching for clues, an electrician is electrocuted in an adjacent room. He’s in a coma, but his wife doesn’t seem as sorrowful as the nurse administering aid at the scene. Something strikes Mac as odd at the accident. Then she receives a note warning her not to dig into the past.
Detective Jake Sanders feels even more protective of Mac now that they are engaged. The investigation quickly becomes dangerous for both of them.
As always, I tried to figure out the suspect as the story unfolded, but I was wrong again.
The author does an excellent job of escalating both the mystery and the danger. This cozy mystery was a page-turner! I couldn’t put it down.
Recommended for those who enjoy cozy mysteries and suspense novels!
Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart
The Orchard House Bed & Breakfast Series, Book 1
Josie Martin returns home from college for the summer with a secret. Her relationship with her professor crashed when he asked her to end her pregnancy. Back at home with her family still recovering from the loss of her father the year before, she struggles with whether to give her baby up for adoption or raise him or her as a single mother. Tripp, her best friend who had wanted to date her last year, will be devastated by her news, along with her family.
Tripp Colton has loved Josie for a long time. While he supports her plans to open a Louisa Alcott-themed bed and breakfast, her mother’s dream, he struggles to accept that she only wants friendship from him. And then he hears a rumor…
I loved the bookish theme to the mother’s dream. Josie’s parents had even followed the Little Women theme when naming their children. Josie had turned her back on her dream of becoming a writer to pursue her father’s dream for her. The similarities between the lives of the Little Women sisters and the characters in this series will be plain for all who’ve read the classic novel.
I couldn’t put this book down. What a gripping, multi-layered story! Steadfast love shines in the lives of believable, flawed characters.
Unexpected twists, along with similarities to the much-loved classic novel, kept me turning pages. Recommended!
Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart
The movie script based on the novel, In Shady Groves by Yvonne Lehman.
I’ve been intrigued with the idea of writing movie scripts for a while. A decade ago, I spent several months digging into how to write scripts. I read scripts for popular movies as part of my study.
So when I discovered Lori Marett’s script for Yvonne Lehman’s, I couldn’t wait to read it. Marett is a talented screenwriter, and I loved that she wrote a script for one of her mother’s novels.
This script did not disappoint. Rather, it kept me turning pages from start to finish.
Windsowers is a story about the Biblical prophet Hosea and his wife, Gomer. I couldn’t put it down. Yvonne Lehman wove a masterful tale of tragedy, betrayal, and brokenness that Marett has captured into a script.
How I hope to see this one day at the movies! Well-done to this talented mother and daughter team. Recommended!
Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart
Faith, Freedom, and the Front Porch Way of Life
This wonderful book is filled with stories of hope and reflection.
It is divided into sections by topic. The author includes his own reflections written in first person to introduce each new topic. Each section contains several stories written in third person.
Topics covered include honesty, friendship, hope, judging others, and overcoming adversity.
The author’s conversational style reminded me of sitting around the dinner table as a child, listening as my dad told story after story. We sat long after the meal had been cleared from the table as my dad enthralled us with events from his past. These reflective thoughts took me back to those days.
What a wonderful read. Recommended!
Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart
Renewing Your Faith in the One Who Hears Every Prayer
Hurricane Helene struck Florida on September 27, 2024, and then moved inland to Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and East Tennessee. The storm caused tragic loss of life and terrible devastation. In a recent conversation with friends living in hard-hit North Carolina and Tennessee, I was heartbroken to learn that about four hundred people are still missing.
Dailey’s nonfiction account of the months following the hurricane was a book I couldn’t wait to read. While her home wasn’t affected, she quickly learned that flooding had rendered a friend’s home unlivable.
What could she do to help? The author prayed with her husband for guidance. That was the beginning.
This account of how God used one woman and her family—and hundreds of volunteers—to care for those devastated by Hurricane Helene inspired me.
My heart is full. Page after page is filled with miracles, examples of how God provided for needs before they knew they needed it.
What a wonderful read. Recommended!
Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart
Livvy Miller’s dreams of winning the Cake That baking competition will cover her debt on The Sugar Cube, her cupcake food truck, and bring in new customers. The business she’ll lose by shutting down her truck for the show’s duration is a concern. After praying about her decision, she decides to trust God.
Evan Jones wants to win the baking competition so he can give his parents a dream vacation, who have sacrificed so much for their family.
I love to watch cooking competitions, so I was excited to discover one as a novel setting. This book met the marks for culinary lovers and contemporary romance lovers. I loved the unique setting!
Lovable characters—and some not quite so lovable—stole my heart and had me rooting for them. I enjoyed the story.
I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Reviewed by Sandra Merville Hart
A Merry Irving Cozy Mystery
Merry Irving, an itinerant pet-sitter, is glad that her current job has taken her far from the scene of a terrible murder. She knows that she was the intended target. Her job involves three rambunctious dogs to try to distract her worry. When a dead body is found next door, she fears that she has been followed.
Semi-retired police detective Dave Brady has befriended her. He’s among the police officers working the scene. Is she innocent? Why do so many people end up dead when she’s around?
This cozy mystery grabbed my attention. Real, believable characters. The heroine seemed too trusting at times. Sometimes the author allowed scenes with the dogs to release too much rising tension.
Even so, this book was a page turner for me. Surprising twists bring real danger. I was worried for the heroine’s safety and read quickly.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
