In a Word, Yes - Kit Tosello

This is a book which earns all five of its stars effortlessly, in my humble opinion. It's perfect escapist, relaxing and completely engrossing reading which sneaks in themes of healing, renewal, faith, hope and second chances which linger well after you close the pages.

Firstly, I LOVE the mother/daughter conversations. I also love Chase, and the way his autistic challenges are written as simply being a part of who he is, rather than a condition he has to bear. Don't get me wrong, this doesn't sugar coat the fact that it's tough, but I really enjoy the way we see Chase becoming more of his 'own person', and his growing connection with people through the story is super.

This is a story which opens up in increments. We know that things are hard for Lucy and Chase, but it's a while before we know the details. And they're BIG. Equally, we know that things are shifting for Carly, and her role is very cleverly written. Initially it's easy to think of her as a distant mother, too busy with her own interests to care very much about her daughter and grandson, but we soon realise how very far from true this is.

And the way Lucy 'meets' (well, nearly meets) Wyatt is funny! There's plenty of humour through this story, but the moment at which I laughed out loud involved Carly's knee high lace up boots...! However, back to Wyatt, who is another character who is believably complex, and I do enjoy this kind of relationship building in a romance. The small-town 'cosiness' of Charity Falls works delightfully, too. I could easily imagine myself popping into one of the stores there, or visiting the Book Club. 

For a novel which generally I would recommend as an 'easy read', perfect for packing for a holiday or to dip into for a peaceful afternoon's escapism, I found it unexpectedly powerful. 'Shoudn't it be enough just to survive?' Lucy asks, in chapter one. And that 'digs' a little, as I've been asking the same thing lately. Much further in, she observes 'Just because a thing isn't easy doesn't mean it's not what we're called to.' Hmmm, that's very true, even if it takes reading a few times to sink in.

Early in the story Lucy feels 'stuck', and so, in a different way, does her mother Carly. And this story gently shows us how they each get 'unstuck'. It also teaches us in witty and thoughtful ways that first or even early impressions may be deceiving. There's a lot of Christian input in this novel, but it never feels awkward or preachy. 

I am wondering though: Can God prompt someone about getting on with writing a book on which they feel stuck, through the storyline in this book about Lucy getting stuck with her memoir? 

In a word, yes. Yes, He can.

UK Publication Date: 15 Sep 26

NOTE: I read a pre-publication version supplied by the publisher. No review was required. All comments and opinions above are entirely my own.

Though the Valley - Patricia Johns

Miri is a girl who loves cows and the farming life. Which is unfortunate since her Amish family and community is very Traditional and expect girls to marry young and be homemakers rather than getting involved in the 'outdoor' work. A view which means Miri isn't keen on the idea of being married off since she's much happier outside. 

All her hopes and dreams look as though they've come true when she very unexpectedly inherits the farm of Old Tom Yoder, for whom she's been caring for months. But Tom's son and grandsons are equally shocked. And angry. And her community and family are also unimpressed by this turn of events. Moses, Tom's grandson, is asked by the Bishop to continue helping on the farm while Miri finds her feet, but he finds himself caught between his angry family and his fledgling attraction to Miri. Miri, however, does not want to be wooed just so the Yoder family can reclaim the farm, push her away from the cows and countryside she loves and shut her into the kitchen.

I enjoyed reading this but I confess that my 'English' (in fact, my ENGLISH!) viewpoint did make me exceptionally irritated at times! I found Miri's family frustratingly annoying in their reluctance to stand behind Miri in any real way and I was shocked by the realisation of WHY, much later in the book. I felt a bit short-changed by the way Miri's story panned out, although it was very well told, and I liked both Miri and Moses in terms of their characters individual struggles and progression throughout.

At the same time, we're following Tabitha and Jonas, who seem to be playing a dangerous game in terms of their emotions and desires. Tabitha has a broken relationship behind her, but divorce is not recognised in the Amish community to which she has returned. To the members of her community, she is still bound by her marriage vows to the man who betrayed and left her. Furthermore, Jonas is engaged to another...

A well told, easy to read story, which gives lots of opportunity to consider choices, reactions, faith, legacy and how life's path has many bends. 

NOTE: I read a pre-publication version supplied by the publisher. No review was required. All comments and opinions above are entirely my own.

Twilight Tactics - Lynette Eason

I enjoy all of Lynette Eason's romantic suspense novels, and in this new series opener she ramps up the ante even more than usual.

Firstly, her romantic suspenses are quite light on the romance, which suits me as I'm more into the suspense bit than the romance. This one feels believable so far as the romance goes - apart from one moment which I won't give more details of here!

The story opens with a bang as FBI agent Collin 'Sully' Sullivan arrives at Broken Chains Ranch - just about! - with his agent partner Piper and Ollie, a teenager who is a vital witness in a murder trail. With their previous safehouses being found by those seeking to silence Ollie for good, Sully is worried about a leak in his team and he knows that Broken Chains Ranch, with its trusted staff and top notch security is their best hope for survival.

I really enjoyed this book, which is more suspense than cosy mystery. The pace barely lets up from the start and there are plenty of twists and turns. The 'prepper' community gives an unusal element to the story and is very well described. The two-story-in-one element gives plenty of 'bang for your buck' although I did ocassionally find myself getting a bit behind in the 'what, why, when, who' elements! Cleverly, although we open with one story (and that story is concluded within this book), it's the second strand which occupies much of this novel. I had my suspicions about one of the characters from early on, and although I ended up being right, this didn't diminsh the story in any way. Finding out why I was right took quite a bit longer!

Another top notch suspense romance from an author who consistently justifies her place at the top of the bestselling rankings. 

NOTE: I read a pre-publication version supplied by the publisher. No review was required. All comments and opinions above are entirely my own.