Deadly Proof is Legal Suspense Taking on "Big Pharma"

Justice for her clients is Kate Sullivan’s motto.  Being assigned as lead counsel against Mason Pharmaceutical (MPC) for a new drug cover-up is a career-making case. Despite this, Kate’s focus is still solely on helping her client. When an MPC employee and whistle-blower is murdered, she realizes the stakes of this lawsuit are dangerous.

She enlists the help of PI Landon James, a former Army Ranger, to help her uncover the truth behind these allegations.  Kate breaks every stereotype Landon had about lawyers and he finds himself falling for the idealistic, auburn-haired attorney.

Working together can Kate and Landon expose the truth before it's too late?

Deadly Proof was the first book I read by author Rachel Dylan. The author hooked me from chapter 1 and kept the suspense intensified throughout the entire story.  Kate’s passionate and earnest personality won me over. However, as a reader I would have liked to see a few more flaws in her. Most of her “flaws” seem to be internal rather than external. Because of this I found her a little hard to fully relate to as the heroine. This would be my only minor critique. Other than that, Deadly Proof was an exceptional book and I look forward to reading more books by Ms. Dylan.

~~Deadly Proof was provided to me by Bethany House in return for my honest opinion. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, for which I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone ~~

Fatal Trust is a Decent Legal Thriller

How would $200,000 dollars change your life?

Young, determined, attorney Ian Wells is straining to keep his deceased father's struggling law firm and care for his mother diagnosed with early on-set Alzheimer's. He's near the breaking point with the stress of his job and his mother's mounting bills.

Everything changes when he receives a call from a new client. The case is to preside over a sizable will and judge if the 3 recipients have committed any criminal activity over the past 20 years. The payout is $200,000 for a week's worth of work.

Ian is suspicious of this large amount of money he receives simply for assessing if each beneficiary qualifies for the money. Ever more mysterious, his father drafted the original will 20 years prior. This calls into question his father's character which he had always thought to be man of honor.

Can Ian unravel the secrets surrounding his past before time runs out?



Reading a novel by a male author is rare for me. As a reader, I tend to gravitate towards stories with strong female leads. It was interesting to read a story that centers around the hero. Ian Wells was a hero who was complex and relate-able.  Fatal Trust was my first novel by Todd M. Johnson. My overall impression was that it was well-written and engaging.




~~ Fatal Trust was provided to me by Bethany House in return for my honest opinion. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, for which I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone ~~

A Rosemary By Any Other Name

A Name Unknown explores identity, which can be found in many aspects such as a person's name, heritage, or occupation. Ultimately, Roseanna M. White's overarching theme is that if we are in Christ our identity is found in Him. Ms. White showcases her ideas in this stirring novel.

 Her heroine, Rosemary Gresham, is an exceptional thief able to blend in with the upper-class and embezzle high-value items for profit. Orphaned at eight, stealing has helped her survive the dangerous streets of London. She would even fall in with a band of  thieving urchins who become her family. Rosie's line of work leads her to the mysterious "Mr. V", who commissions her for a job that stretches Rosemary to the limits.  Posing as a librarian, she is sent to find evidence of a wealthy gentlemen to determine if he is loyal to England or Germany.

Her hero, Peter Holstein, an English citizen of German descent, fears he will lose everything, all the while political tensions in England are boiling over with the threats of WWI.  In an effort to prove his loyalty he hires Rosemary to help him find documentation confirming his allegiance to England.

Through personal letters Rosemary and Peter form what could be characterized as more than a serious friendship.  Over time this causes her to feel guilty of being there under false pretenses and second guess her efforts to find Peter, "the wealthy gentleman", disloyal to England.

Congratulations Ms. White on keeping your readers wanting to turn the pages into increasing tensions, romance, and danger.




~~ A Name Unknown was provided to me by Bethany House in return for my honest opinion. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and author herself, for which I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone ~~

De Havilland and Cagney Shine in Strawberry Blonde (1941)

Dame Olivia de Havilland's Hollywood career spanned from 1935-1988 and she appeared in 49 films. De Havilland is best known for The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Gone With The Wind (1939), and her award-winning performances in To Each His Own (1946) and The Heiress (1949).
To honor this two-time Oscar winner on her one hundred one birthday this month I wanted to review one of her films.
In 1941, she made The Strawberry Blonde alongside veteran actors James Cagney, Rita Hayworth, and Jack Carson.

Set in 1890's New York, Strawberry Blonde tells the story of Biff Grimes (Cagney), a man who takes nothing from nobody because "that's the kind of hairpin [he is]" falls in love with beautiful, society girl, Virginia Brush (Hayworth). His dishonest friend, Hugo Barnstead (Carson) steals her away and marries her. Displeased about Hugo and Virginia's union,  Biff courts and marries Virginia's best friend, Amy Lind (de Havilland).

In the end Biff realizes the grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence and he's the one that's blessed having married Amy. He's content with his life and loves his wife.

Strawberry Blonde showcases de Havilland's talent for comedy. The double date scene is one of the funniest parts in the film (i.e. de Havilland's winking at Cagney and "Exactly").


Being set at the turn of the century, Strawberry Blonde is an atypical screwball comedy during this era in Hollywood, but holds up well and still maintains a delight and charm about it 70 plus years later.

Fun Film Trivia:

Strawberry Blonde (1941) is sandwiched in between 2 remakes with the same title: One Sunday Afternoon (1933 & 1948).

Director Raoul Walsh considered Strawberry Blonde to be his most successful picture and his personal favorite of all his films.

My rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.
Some of the singing sequences slowed the film down a little, but you can easily fast-forward if that bothers you. Other than that I enjoyed the film as a whole and would recommend it. I appreciated that the film strove to present a moral about being content.

Heart On The Line; Code for Captivating!

It was a pure pleasure to travel back to Harper's Station in Karen Witemeyer's latest book, Heart On The Line. Readers become better acquainted with Grace Mallory, the quiet, shy, and sweet, miniature- gun -toting, telegraph operator who longs for a normal life. Weary of constantly looking over her shoulder, she's been on the run for almost a year after witnessing her father's murder, frightened that the man responsible will find her. Her communication via wire after hours with fellow telegraph operator "Mr. A" has turned into a strong friendship....perhaps even a courtship?

150 miles away in Denison, Texas,  Amos Bledsoe (Mr. A) prefers riding bicycles over horses. When he intercepts a threatening message over the wire meant for Grace; believing her life to be in danger he tosses aside his insecurities about meeting her and saddles up to save the day.

And so begins a page-turning journey of Morse code and  mystery, romance and rescue.

I loved how the author built Grace and Amos' relationship from their first initial awkward face to face meeting to their budding romance throughout the story.  Amos' character was a departure from Ms. Witemeyer's usual heroes, but I found him completely charming and endearing. He's "quick-witted, clever, and invested"(Witemeyer, 106). Grace sees beyond Amos' quirks and appreciates him as a kind and honorable man. Beyond this Amos "...boost[s] her confidence, [makes]her feel comfortable in her own skin. No pretense, no need to impress. Just acceptance, respect, and honesty." (Witemeyer, 128).  Truth be told....isn't this what we all want?  Amos and Grace truly compliment each other and their chemistry leaps off the page.

I enjoyed seeing Grace's character grow throughout the story. Initially, she's a person comfortable with being in the background, but she  comes into her own and realizes her strength.

The cover for Heart on the Line is so creative and one of my favorites. It's extremely clever the way the Morse code is interwoven with the title. The contemplative smile on Grace's face makes you think that she's just received a wire from Amos and the way her finger is poised above the machine as if she's reflecting on her response.

Ms. Witemeyer has a brilliant flair for capturing the reader's attention from page 1 and sweeping them away in whatever adventure she chooses. Heart On The Line has all the components that make a superb story. Energetic characters, engaging story filled with love and intrigue.

~~  Heart On the Line was provided to me by Bethany House in return for my honest opinion. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and the author herself, for which I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone ~~

Wings of the Wind is a Wonderful Ending to a Fantastic series

Imagine if you were told to give up everything you were raised in...your culture, religion, and beliefs and embrace these elements of a nation you considered an enemy. What would you do? How would you react?

In Wings of the Wind (Out of Egypt Book 3) Alanah a Canaanite woman, whose an expert with a bow and arrow enters into battle disguised as a boy to avenge the deaths of her father and brothers. Believing she would die on the battlefield she's stunned when she survives.

Tobiah, an experienced Hebrew warrior is astonished to find an unconscious woman on the battlefield. In an act of compassion, he takes Alanah back to his tent to find a healer for her.. Little do either of them know this deed of kindness will forever alter both of their lives. The Hebrew customs state that Tobiah must marry Alanah in order to protect her.

Can Alanah's initial vengeance against the Hebrews turn into forgiveness?

Wings of the Wind is set towards the end of the 40 years of wandering in the dessert right before the Hebrews enter the promised land.

 The talented author is accomplished in character development. I loved the character of Tobiah. He was a man of honor, compassion, and strong convictions about doing what is right. Alanah is his perfect compliment. She is a hard-working, determined woman.  Ms. Cossette skillfully builds Tobiah and Alanah's relationship from friendship to romance.  During her time with the Hebrew people, Alanah sees her husband and marriage in a different light and no longer sees herself as a captive.

 Ms. Cossette seamlessly weaves elements of the gospel. In Wings of the Wind, the theme of God's Sovereignty is foremost.  I enjoyed being reunited with Kiya and Shira from the previous books, to learn their fate and see the role they played in Alanah's life.

Having read the first two books in the Out of Egypt series (Counted With the Stars and Shadow of the Storm) I thought that Wings of the Wind was a brilliant ending to a breathtaking and thought-provoking series. Ms. Cossette is an innovative voice in Biblical Historical fiction.

     
~~ Wings of the Wind was provided to me by Bethany House in return for my honest opinion. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and author herself, for which I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone ~~

The Chapel Car Bride Disappoints

The Chapel Car Bride takes readers to the backwoods of Finch, West Virginia in 1913, pre-WWI era introducing the reader to life in a coal mining community.

After living a sheltered life in Pittsburg, nineteen year old Hope longs for something much more adventurous.  She convinces her father, the Reverend Irvine, to let her accompany him on his travels. Hope seems sweet and genuine although somewhat naïve. Traveling by chapel car, the Irvine's journey would land them in Finch.

Miner Luke Hughes works for the Finch Coal Mine Company trying to take care of his widowed mother and younger siblings. However, the company doesn't always provide steady work, and more importantly does not make the welfare and safety of their workers a priority. When the chapel car arrives in town, Luke is intrigued by the gentle Hope and is eager to learn all that the Reverend Irvine can teach him about the Word.

The Chapel Car Bride was my first introduction to Judith Miller's books. To be honest, I found it a struggle to get through this book. I didn't have the usual motivation I have for reading and I wasn't connecting to the characters or the story. The plot was a bit slow moving. The ending of  some of the chapters didn't always leave me wanting to read on and sometimes I felt it jumped a bit from scene to scene.

~~The Chapel Car Bride was provided to me by Bethany House in return for my honest opinion. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, for which I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone ~~