Book Review

Traces by Denise Weimer

/ sandramervillehart

Kate Carson has been invited to compete in a reality TV show where she and a partner will evade the show’s hunters for days. Her company, which recently installed a surveillance camera in Atlanta, encourages her to participate for the publicity. A breakup with her boyfriend prompts her agreement. Also, her brother will be her partner. First, she has some information about shady dealings at her job for a reporter friend to investigate.

Alex Mitchell works at the same company but he barely knows her when the reality show pairs them up to go on the run together. The ex-military man is determined to win the prize money and has little patience for Kate’s decision to back out before the game begins.

But the greatest danger they face isn’t from the game …

This fast-paced story kept me turning pages. The characters were likeable but Kate’s refusal to see the mounting danger frustrated me. Her choices escalate the danger.

Suspenseful! The growing romance along with plenty of twists and turns held my interest. This one cost me some sleep as I had to stay up late to find out what happened.

I’ll look for more books by this author.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas

Death of an Imposter by Deborah Sprinkle

/ sandramervillehart

Bernie Santos never expected to begin a murder investigation her first week as detective. After all, this was the quiet community of Pleasant Valley. Nor did she expect to meet a handsome doctor. Bad things seem to happen around him. Is it a coincidence?

Dr. Daniel O’Leary comes to town to help his aunt with autopsies—at least that’s his story. He’s really an undercover FBI agent working on a case. He doesn’t expect to fall in love with the police detective who suspects him.

This story grabbed my attention and held on. Suspenseful. Fast-paced. Action-packed. Real, believable characters. I had no idea of the killer’s identity until just before the detectives discovered it.

This book was a page turner for me. I recommend this book to those who love action-packed romantic suspense novels.

I’ll look for more books by this author!

-Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

A Joyful Christmas

/ sandramervillehart / 2 Comments

What a nice collection—all six historical stories are set during Christmas. They all have a “feel good” ending, which I really like. I read all six stories in a weekend so my interest was captured and held throughout for almost all of them.

Of course, I have my favorites. An Irish Bride for Christmas by Vickie McDonough tugged at my heart. Jackson’s niece is kept from him and Larkin believes the lies told about him.

Christmas Service by Erica Vetsch was a touching story with a great ending.

Under His Wings by Liz Tolsma had characters that readers will love—and one they definitely won’t.

A Star in the Night by Liz Johnson and Shelter in the Storm by Carrie Turansky were page turners for me. Not only were they set during the Civil War, but also the same location as one of my novels—the area of Franklin, Tennessee.

A portion of my Civil War romance, A Musket in My Hands, takes place a year later. The tragic Battle of Franklin happened on November 30, 1864, and is an important part of my story.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Christianbook.com

Christmas at Carnton by Tamera Alexander

/ sandramervillehart

Aletta Prescott struggles to make ends meet for her young son. She just lost her husband in this War Between the States as well as her job. Her baby is due in a couple of months and there’s no money to pay the mortgage. She prays for help.

Captain Jack Winston, a sharpshooter in the Confederate army, is recovering from battle wounds. His eyes aren’t healing as fast as he’d like. He yearns to get back to the battles but instead his colonel assigns him the task of assisting the Women’s Relief Society in Franklin, Tennessee.

Aletta feels fortunate to land a temporary position at the Carnton Plantation but she thinks the captain could better serve his country on the battlefield.

I really liked this story. It was a page turner for me. The characters were lovable and real. The struggles of the wives left back home while their husbands were at war tugged at my heart.

Part of the reason it snagged my interest was the setting—Franklin, Tennessee, in 1863. A portion of my Civil War romance,  A Musket in My Hands, takes place a year later. The tragic Battle of Franklin happened on November 30, 1864, and is an important part of my story.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Christianbook.com

For the Love of Emma by Starr Ayers

/ sandramervillehart / 2 Comments

A packet of love letters found among the possessions of the author’s deceased mother sparked this wonderful time slip story.

In 1938, it’s love at first sight for Noah, a medic at Fort Bragg. Emma works as a waitress at Rainbow Restaurant and he goes there often in hopes of talking with her. Emma likes how he stands up for her and a courtship soon begins.

For a time, they must communicate through letters. Those letters from Noah are found by Emma’s daughters after her death in 2011. The contemporary side of this story with the sisters is just as intriguing as the historical aspect as readers receive clues about events.

Nostalgic. Mysterious. Ayers’ skillful weaving of the 1930s realistic characters living in the brink of World War II with the contemporary story snagged my interest from the first chapter.

The characters are believable and likeable. There is more than one man worthy of a good woman in this story. The intrigue of finding out what happened to their romance made this a page turner for me.

I can’t wait to read the second book in the series! Definitely recommend.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

An Ivy Hill Christmas by Julie Klassen

/ sandramervillehart

A Tales from Ivy Hill Novella

Richard Brockwell wouldn’t be going home for Christmas if his mother hadn’t insisted. She held the purse strings so he left London on a cold December day in 1822. He’s lived a selfish lifestyle for so long that he doesn’t know how to rise above it … not that he wants to.

His mother, brother, and sister-in-law have invited guests to stay for the Twelve Days of Christmas. Among them is Arabella Awdry, who makes it clear she’s not interested in him.

But coming home reminds him of all the childhood hurts he has run from for years.

I loved this story! The author does a great job portraying Richard as a selfish bachelor that I didn’t like him for a while. The characters are believable and they tugged at my heart.

An especially fun part of this story for me was taking part (vicariously through the story) in the Christmas traditions of nearly 200 years ago. The parlor games, decorating for Christmas, and Christmas and Boxing Day traditions were an intriguing look at how our ancestors celebrated the holidays.

I’d love to read more books in this series!

-Sandra Merville Hart

Christianbook.com

31 Verses Every Believer Should Know by Sean Bess

/ sandramervillehart

He was Born to be

Jesus was born to be God with us, human like us, our servant, our light, and our Savior.

What a great devotional book for preparing our hearts for Christmas!

Each devotion begins with a scripture. Several of the devotional thoughts used examples from historical figures like Paul Revere, President Abraham Lincoln, and Harriet Tubman. Then it shifts our thoughts back to Jesus’ birth and shows how the example ties in.

Each chapter ends with thought-provoking questions.

I really liked reading this devotional to prepare my heart for the Christmas season. It’s creative with insightful devotions.

A great book for Christians and those seeking to know what the Bible teaches us about Jesus.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

 

The Civil War on Hatteras Island, North Carolina by Drew Pullen

/ sandramervillehart

What a wonderful resource of information about the Civil War on Hatteras Island!

Many folks who visit the island on vacation have little idea about its rich history—and even less about what occurred at this strategic location during the Civil War.

I love the photos and sketches from the 1860s included by the author.

Portions of journals and letters from soldiers on both sides enrich this book’s value as a resource for historians, Civil War enthusiasts, and also for novelists like me who write during that time period.

Well-written. Recommend!

-Sandra Merville Hart

Amazon

Daughters of Deliverance by Lorry Lutz

/ sandramervillehart

Kate Bushnell Series Book 1

This book begins with Kate Bushnell as a teenager. Her father runs a lighthouse that saves countless lives. She wants to follow his example by saving lives as a doctor.

Before Kate completes her medical studies, she has an important conversation with a missionary to China. She is invited to serve their mission as a doctor.

Daughters of Deliverance spans several years. Kate, a devout Christian, feels that God calls her to one task for a time and then changes course.

Her path takes her to the red light district in Chicago where she meets women and young girls living a life from which they long to escape.

This book reads like a biography. A lot of historical figures grace the page of this book so I wasn’t surprised to read the author’s note and read the confirmation that this is biographical fiction.

Inspired by a true story, parts of the story are very tragic and tough to read. It was inspiring to learn about the women and men who worked tirelessly to bring change.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas

The Widow of Rose Hill by Michelle Shocklee

/ sandramervillehart

Book 2 of The Women of Rose Hill Series

The weight of running a plantation after the deaths of her husband and father-in-law is hard enough for Natalie Ellis without Union troops arriving on the doorstep of her Texas plantation. Not only does Colonel Levi Maish bring news that the war has ended, but also that the Confederates lost.

Levi takes pleasure in hearing the plantation owners read the proclamation that frees the slaves. The widow’s beauty and spirit can’t change the joy that spreads throughout the crowd. Though she offers them a job, most of them pack and leave within minutes.

Everything changes in an instant for Natalie and her young son. She adapts and even begins to change her mind about the handsome colonel who seems to want to help.

This honest, gripping story deals with the difficulties faced by Southerners and abolitionist Northerners as well as formerly enslaved people.

Well-written. Poignant. Tragic. Believable characters that pull readers along a difficult journey with them.

I’ll look for more books by this author.

-Sandra Merville Hart

Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas