Happy Friday! Today I am linking up with Reading is My Superpower for First Line Friday and featuring Hearts of Steel, the amazing conclusion to Elizabeth Camden’s Blackstone Legacy series.

New York City, 1890
Lower East Side of Manhattan

“Maggie Molinaro was five blocks from the safety of her uncle’s garage when she noticed the gang of boys following her.”

Hearts of Steel by Elizabeth Camden

The Basics

Title: Hearts of Steel

Author: Elizabeth Camden

Series: The Blackstone Legacy (Book 3 of 3)

Publication Date: January 17, 2023

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

My Rating: 5 Stars

From the Back Cover:

His steel empire has catapulted him to the top of the world, but loving her could cost him everything.

Maggie Molinaro survived a hardscrabble childhood in the downtrodden streets of Manhattan to become a successful businesswoman. After a decade of sacrifice, she now owns a celebrated ice cream company. But when she offends a corrupt banker, she unwittingly sets off a series of calamities that threaten to destroy her life’s work.

Liam Blackstone is a charismatic steel magnate committed to overhauling factory conditions for the steelworkers of America. Standing in his way is the same villain determined to ruin Maggie. What begins as a practical alliance to defeat a common enemy soon evolves into a romance between two wounded people determined to beat the odds.

A spiraling circle of treachery grows increasingly dangerous as Liam and Maggie risk their lives and fortunes for the good of the city. It will require all their wit and ingenuity to protect everything–and everyone–they hold dear.

My Review

Hearts of Steel is the fantastic conclusion to the Blackstone Legacy series! I would definitely recommend reading the series in order to get to know the other members of the Blackstone family and learn more of Liam’s backstory. Maggie and Liam are characters you can’t help but root for, quirks and flaws and all. They work through their challenges in life, business, and relationships with grit and faith.

Major cultural and industrial shifts took place at the turn of the century, and that Gilded Age history comes to life in this story. I love Liam’s heart for justice and his desire to be a good man and honor his father’s legacy. Maggie is just the right blend of sweetness and spunk, caring for those around her even when it means putting herself in jeopardy. This story of courage and of becoming who you are meant to be in Christ is gripping for both the heart and mind. Highly recommended for fans of Roseanna M. White and Amanda Dykes.

Now it’s your turn! Please share the first line of the book you’re reading in the comments below. Don’t forget to head to Reading is My Superpower to see what first lines other bloggers are sharing, or to share your own!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Happy Friday! For today’s First Line Friday linkup, hosted by Reading is My Superpower, I’m featuring What Happens Next by Christina Suzann Nelson.

“Faith Byrne’s carefully laid plans took advantage of unplanned distractions and skipped town, never to be seen again.”

What Happens Next by Christina Suzann Nelson

The Basics

Title: What Happens Next

Author: Christina Suzann Nelson

Publication Date: January 17, 2022

Genre: Christian Women’s Fiction

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

From the Back Cover:

“Everyone has a story, and maybe everyone needs a little help toward healing.”

Popular podcaster and ex-reporter Faith Byrne made a name for herself telling stories of greatness after tragedy–but her real life does not mirror the stories she tells. While her daughters spend the summer in Hawaii with her ex-husband and his new wife, she must manage life on her own. All of that changes when she’s asked to spotlight her childhood best friend’s missing person case on her podcast.

Dora Crane has never accepted that her younger daughter could be dead, keeping her home looking the same as when her daughter disappeared. But when her husband leaves her and her older daughter intervenes, she agrees to counseling and to pack up her missing daughter’s belongings under one condition: Faith Byrne comes to Deep Valley and sheds light on the cold case.

As the long-abandoned investigation moves forward, old wounds and long-buried secrets are exposed. Will these two women, whose lives have never been the same, finally get the answers they need to reconcile the past and the future?

My Review

This is a heartfelt, emotional story, with storylines alternating between Heather’s childhood in the past and the present search for answers about her disappearance. It is a story of grief, loss, and betrayal, but also forgiveness and healing. I certainly wouldn’t call it suspense, but the element of mystery kept me turning pages for more. This is not a light-hearted story, but if you are looking for beautiful writing that deals with the depths of human emotions and faith in the face of tragedy, don’t miss What Happens Next.

Now it’s your turn! Please share the first line of the book you’re reading in the comments below. Don’t forget to head to Reading is My Superpower to see what first lines other bloggers are sharing, or to share your own!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Happy Friday! For today’s First Line Friday linkup, hosted by Reading is My Superpower, I’m featuring the latest nail-biter from Lynette Eason.

Monday, November
Outside Washington, DC

‘”A third victim has been found and a serial killer is once again thought to be terrorizing the Northeast – just east of the territory Peter Romanos paralyzed with his string of murders,’ Rachel Goodwin reported from her position outside the prison.”

Critical Threat by Lynette Eason

The Basics

Title: Critical Threat

Author: Lynette Eason

Series: Extreme Measures (Book 3 of 4)

Publication Date: January 3, 2023

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

My Rating: 5 Stars

From the Back Cover:

Working with the son of a serial killer? That’s a first.

FBI Special Agent Grace Billingsley tracks serial killers, using her skills as a psychiatrist and behavioral analyst to get dangerous people off the street and safely behind bars. But prison psychiatrist Sam Monroe knows that just because a killer is incarcerated doesn’t mean they’re not a threat. His own father, Peter, is a serial killer–in prison but certainly not out of Sam’s life, as much as he wishes he was.

When bodies start showing up with startling similarities to Peter’s MO, Sam and Grace are both called in to consult. They’ve met before, and though Grace thought they’d made a real connection, Sam ghosted her. They’ll have to get past the awkwardness and mistrust to solve this case–especially because it’s about to get personal.

My Review

Lynette Eason never ceases to amaze me as each of her books is more unique and heart-pounding than the last! In Critical Threat, the stakes are high as a serial killer claims more victims. The action is fast-paced, the plot is engaging, and the characters are authentic and relatable. Both Grace and Sam have fascinating backgrounds and careers as psychiatrists, making this book almost impossible to put down! I appreciated the faith thread and the friendship that forms the basis of this series. Fans of romantic suspense won’t want to miss this series, and I can’t wait to see how it wraps up in the next and final book!

Now it’s your turn! Please share the first line of the book you’re reading in the comments below. Don’t forget to head to Reading is My Superpower to see what first lines other bloggers are sharing, or to share your own!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, Revell!