Happy Friday! We’re getting ready for a big snowstorm to hit here in Maine tomorrow – sounds like a good day to stay in and read! Today, I’m linking up with Reading is My Superpower for First Line Friday and featuring Life Flight by Lynette Eason.

“Today was not going to be the day they died – not if she had anything to say about it.”

Life Flight by Lynette Eason

The Basics

Title: Life Flight

Author: Lynette Eason

Publication Date: January 4, 2022

Series: Extreme Measures (Book 1)

Genre: Suspense

My Rating: 4 Stars

My Review

Lynette Eason has done it again! She is one of my favorite suspense authors, and I can already tell I’m going to love this new series! Penny is an engaging heroine, bold enough to fly her chopper into a storm and fight to defend herself, as well as caring and compassionate toward her friends, family, and patients. Her unique friendship with Julianna and Grace adds depth to the story – I can’t wait to read more about them in the rest of the series. Penny and Holt’s relationship develops authentically and doesn’t overshadow the suspense. I saw their point of conflict toward the end of the book coming from a mile away, but it makes sense and works well in the story.

Life Flight is full of action, twists, and turns, as Penny and Holt race to find the killer before he finds them. I highly recommend this book for fans of the suspense genre, especially authors like Susan May Warren, Natalie Walters, and Lynn H. Blackburn!

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!

Happy Friday! I’m joining the First Line Friday linkup hosted by Reading is My Superpower, where participants share the first line of the closest book. Today I’m sharing from a new release by one of my favorite authors, Erin Bartels. Her fourth book, The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water, is a evocative novel about the power of memory and the roles we play in each other’s stories.

“The summer you chopped off all your hair, I asked your dad what the point of being a novelist was. He said it was to tell the truth.

Ridiculous.”

The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water by Erin Bartels

The Basics

Title: The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water

Author: Erin Bartels

Publication Date: January 4, 2022

Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction

My Rating: 4 Stars

From the Back Cover:

The best fiction simply tells the truth.
But the truth is never simple.

When novelist Kendra Brennan moves into her grandfather’s old cabin on Hidden Lake, she has a problem and a plan. The problem? An inflammatory letter from A Very Disappointed Reader. The plan? To confront Tyler, her childhood best friend’s brother–and the man who inspired the antagonist in her first book. If she can prove that she told the truth about what happened during those long-ago summers, perhaps she can put the letter’s claims to rest and meet the swiftly approaching deadline for her next book.

But what she discovers as she delves into the murky past is not what she expected. While facing Tyler isn’t easy, facing the consequences of her failed friendship with his sister, Cami, may be the hardest thing she’s ever had to do.

Plumb the depths of the human heart with this emotional exploration of how a friendship dies, how we can face the unforgivable, and how even those who have been hurt can learn to love with abandon.

My Review

I have loved Erin Bartels’ books since her debut, We Hope for Better Things. She is a must-read author for me, but this book was a little different from what I was expecting. I know that she does not shy away from tough topics, but this book had some dark and heavy moments. At one point in the middle I wasn’t sure if I wanted to finish it, but I’m glad I did! It definitely was redeemed by the end.

One of my favorite parts of the book is the author’s writing style. Her descriptions of lake life in Michigan make me feel like I am right there with Kendra and Cami on a hot summer day, and her beautiful prose lets us into the hearts and minds of her characters. Kendra’s story of confronting her past and discovering the truth through her writing is one that will stick with readers long after the last page. There is a bit of romance in the story as well, and while it isn’t the main focus, it does provide a lightness and sweetness to an otherwise heavy book. The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water is a powerful story of overcoming abuse and tragedy, hope, healing, and forgiveness that fans of the author will enjoy.

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.

Happy Friday! I’m linking up with Carrie at Reading is My Superpower for First Line Friday and sharing the first line of the closest book. Today I’m sharing from The Winter Rose by Melanie Dobson.

Saint-Lizier, France
September 1943

“Sunlight broke through the mist like a spotlight in Hollywood, the crimson globe guiding Grace Tonquin and the twelve children in her care.”

The Winter Rose by Melanie Dobson

The Basics

Title: The Winter Rose

Author: Melanie Dobson

Publication Date: January 11, 2022

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

My Rating: 5 Stars

From the Back Cover:

In this gripping split-time novel, Grace Tonquin is an American Quaker woman who works tirelessly in Vichy France to rescue Jewish children from the Nazis. After crossing the treacherous Pyrénées, Grace returns home to Oregon with a brother and sister whose parents were lost during the war. Though Grace and her husband love Élias and Marguerite as their own, echoes of Grace’s past and trauma from the Holocaust tear the Tonquin family apart.

More than fifty years after they disappear, Addie Hoult arrives at Tonquin Lake, hoping to find the Tonquin family. For Addie, the mystery is a matter of life and death for her beloved mentor Charlie, who is battling a genetic disease. Though Charlie refuses to discuss his ties to the elusive Tonquins, finding them is the only way to save his life and mend the wounds from his broken past.

My Review

The Winter Rose is a powerful story of hope and healing in the midst of tragedy. The dual timelines connect a daring escape during World War II with the present day. Grace, a young Quaker woman, is dedicated to rescuing Jewish children from occupied France during the war. Her journey with the children kept me on the edge of my seat, hoping they would escape the Nazi’s grip. But that wasn’t the end of the danger for Elias and Marguerite, who came home to America with Grace. The trauma they faced during the war followed them and led to a betrayal that affected their family for generations to come.

In the present day, Addie, a young widow, is searching for healing for the man who rescued her. She thought that her search for the truth was for the benefit of her mentor, Charlie, but it turned out she needed the healing it brought as well. The two storylines were perfectly woven together in a beautiful, satisfying conclusion. With characters that steal your heart, vivid descriptions that transport you into the story, and powerful themes of redemption and forgiveness, this is a story that will stay with you long after the final page. I highly recommend this book for fans of historical fiction and authors like Sarah Sundin and Heidi Chiavaroli!

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! I’m linking up with Carrie at Reading is My Superpower for First Line Friday, where participants share the first line of the closest book. Today I’m featuring Colleen Coble’s newest release, A Stranger’s Game.

“Victoria Bergstrom almost forgot to breathe at the beauty of Georgia’s Jekyll Island.”

A Stranger’s Game by Colleen Coble

The Basics

Title: A Stranger’s Game

Author: Colleen Coble

Publication Date: January 4, 2022

Genre: Romantic Suspense

My Rating: 3 Stars

From the Back Cover:

A wealthy hotel heiress.

Even though Torie Bergstrom hasn’t been back to Georgia since she was ten, she’s happy to arrange a job for her best friend at one of the family properties on Jekyll Island.

A suspicious death.

But when Torie learns that her best friend has drowned, she knows it is more than a tragic accident: Lisbeth was terrified of water and wouldn’t have gone swimming by choice.

A fight for the truth.

Torie goes to the hotel under an alias, desperate to find answers. When she meets Joe Abbott and his daughter rescuing baby turtles, she finds a tentative ally.

The more Torie and Joe dig, the more elusive the truth seems. One thing is clear: someone will risk anything—even more murder—to keep their secrets buried.

My Review

I have been a fan of this author for years, but this book fell a little flat for me. The main characters, Torie and Joe, were likeable, and Joe’s daughter Hailey was adorable. Joe’s job training sea mammals for the Navy added a unique and interesting element to the story. However, the suspense didn’t draw me in as much as the author’s novels usually do. The ending felt rushed, and I finished the book without really understanding the perpetrator’s motives for committing the crimes. It wasn’t as satisfying as a conclusion as I would have liked. Still, that may just be my preference, and if you are a fan of this author and/or genre, I would recommend giving this book a try!

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, and Happy New Year! I can’t believe tomorrow will be 2022. Today I am linking up with Reading is My Superpower for First Line Friday and sharing the first line of the book closest to me. That just happens to my one of my most anticipated new books of 2022, releasing next Tuesday – Sunrise by Susan May Warren!

“By the time Dodge got to the hospital, he’d already broken his first promise.”

Sunrise by Susan May Warren

The Basics

Title: Sunrise

Author: Susan May Warren

Series: Sky King Ranch (Book 1)

Publication Date: January 4, 2022

Genre: Contemporary Romantic Adventure/Suspense

My Rating: 5 Stars

From the Back Cover:

After a terrible family fight, pilot Dodge Kingston left home to join the Air Force. A decade later, he’s headed back to the destiny that awaits him as heir to Sky King Ranch. But that’s not all that’s waiting for him at home.

Echo Yazzie is a true Alaskan woman–a homesteader, dogsledder, and research guide for the DNR. After her childhood best friend and former flame, Dodge, fled Denali, she settled into life on the Alaskan range. She’s made her peace with being left behind–by her mother and by Dodge. And she’s strong enough to live without them.

When one of Echo’s fellow researchers goes missing, Echo sets out to find her, despite a blizzard, a rogue grizzly haunting the woods, and the biting cold. What she doesn’t know is that there are more than just the regular dangers of the Alaskan forests stalking her . . .

As Dodge sets out to find Echo, he can’t ignore the feelings he still has for her. But will he be able to find her in time? And if he does, is there still room for him in her heart?

My Review

Every time I think Susan May Warren can’t get any better, she does! This captivating story transported me to the Alaskan bush, in the cockpit with Dodge and on the dogsled with Echo. The incredible attention to detail brings the small town and the wilderness to life. Dodge and Echo are unique and fascinating characters, bold and brave yet wounded and vulnerable. The story is full of tension, adventure, action, and a little mystery. This truly is a love story, not just between Dodge and Echo, but also love of family, home, and the wild, rugged beauty of Alaska. This book will delight fans of romance and adventure!

I can’t wait to get to know the other Kingston brothers in the rest of the series! The next book, Sunburst, will be out in June 2022. It can’t come soon enough!

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 author and publisher as part of the launch team. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Happy Friday! Today is First Line Friday, hosted by Reading is My Superpower, when readers share the first line from the closest book. Today I am featuring the newest release by a new-to-me author: As Dawn Breaks by Kate Breslin.

Aylesbury Prison
Buckinghamshire, England
Early March 1918

“Only by searching the bowels of hell would he find the devil.”

As Dawn Breaks by Kate Breslin

The Basics

Title: As Dawn Breaks

Author: Kate Breslin

Publication Date: November 2, 2021

Genre: WWI Historical Romance

My Rating: 4 Stars

From the Back Cover:

Her daring bid for freedom could be her greatest undoing.

Amid the Great War in 1918 England, munitions worker Rosalind Graham is desperate to escape the arranged marriage being forced on her by her ruthless guardian and instead follow her own course. When the Chilwell factory explodes, killing hundreds of unidentified workers, Rose realizes the world believes she perished in the disaster. Seizing the chance to escape, she risks all and assumes a new identity, taking a supervisory position in Gretna, Scotland, as Miss Tilly Lockhart.

RAF Captain Alex Baird is returning home to Gretna on a secret mission to uncover the saboteur suspected in the Chilwell explosion, as Gretna’s factory is likely next. Fearing for his family’s safety, he’s also haunted by guilt after failing to protect his brother. Alex is surprised to discover a young woman, Miss Lockhart, renting his boyhood room, but the two eventually bond over their mutual affection for his family–until Alex receives orders to surveil her.

Rose squirms beneath Alex’s scrutiny while she struggles to gain her workers’ respect. But when her deception turns to danger, she and Alex must find a way to put their painful pasts behind them and together try to safeguard the future.

My Review

This is the first of Kate Breslin’s books I have read, and I can see why she has so many fans! She has brought Scotland during World War I to life in As Dawn Breaks. Rose has a fascinating job in a munitions factory – I learned a lot about the women who worked in these factories and the risks they took every day to do this important work. Rose faces an extra layer of difficulty when she assumes a new identity in order to escape an arranged marriage. However, she has no idea that her new identity will draw scrutiny for reasons she never imagined, putting her and the family she is boarding with at risk.

This story has all the ingredients that make for great historical fiction – careful attention to detail, charming characters that bring the time period to life, a fascinating topic that brings a lesser-known part of history to light, sweet romance and friendships that provide light-hearted moments, and suspense and intrigue that keep you turning pages. I am now a fan of Ms. Breslin’s work, and I am sure historical fiction fans will enjoy this novel as well!

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! I’m linking up with Reading is My Superpower for First Line Friday and featuring The Finder of Forgotten Things by Sarah Loudin Thomas.

Kline, WV
Late May 1932

“Sulley tore a rag into strips and wrapped each coin before tucking it into the bib pocket of his overalls. Wouldn’t do to jingle as he made his way out of Kline after the sun went down.”

The Finder of Forgotten Things by Sarah Loudin Thomas

The Basics

Title: The Finder of Forgotten Things

Author: Sarah Loudin Thomas

Publication Date: December 7, 2021

Genre: Historical Fiction

My Rating: 5 Stars

From the Back Cover:

It’s one thing to say you can find what people need–it’s another to actually do it.

It’s 1932 and Sullivan Harris is on the run. An occasionally successful dowser, he promised the people of Kline, West Virginia, that he would find them water. But when wells turned up dry, he disappeared with their cash just a step or two ahead of Jeremiah Weber, who was elected to run him down.

Postmistress Gainey Floyd is suspicious of Sulley’s abilities when he appears in her town but reconsiders after new wells fill with sweet water. Rather, it’s Sulley who grows uneasy when his success makes folks wonder if he can find more than water–like forgotten items or missing people. He lights out to escape such expectations and runs smack into something worse.

Hundreds of men have found jobs digging the Hawks Nest Tunnel–but what they thought was a blessing is killing them. And no one seems to care. Here, Sulley finds something new–a desire to help. With it, he becomes an unexpected catalyst, bringing Jeremiah and Gainey together to find what even he has forgotten: hope.

My Review

The Finder of Forgotten Things tells the tragic story of the Hawks Nest Tunnel disaster with endearing characters and powerful spiritual truths. Like many other readers, I had never heard of this dangerous industrial project that killed hundreds of poor workers in the 1930s. While the true story of what happened is tragic, this was still a sweet, enjoyable book. The author did a wonderful job of presenting the historical facts while still sharing a message of hope, forgiveness, and redemption. I loved watching Jeremiah and Gainey’s unexpected romance unfold, and Sulley’s journey to finally finding a place to belong. This book is sure to please fans of historical fiction and those who enjoy rich, character-driven stories.

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 First Line Friday! I’m linking up with Reading is My Superpower, where participants share the first line from the book closest to them. Today I’m featuring Dead Fall, the newest release in Nancy Mehl’s Quantico Files series.

“Those in law enforcement pay a heavy price when they constantly look into the dark minds of evil.”

– John Davis, Dark Minds

Dead Fall by Nancy Mehl

The Basics

Title: Dead Fall

Author: Nancy Mehl

Series: The Quantico Files (Book 2 of 3)

Publication Date: November 2, 2021

Genre: Christian Suspense

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

From the Back Cover:

After facing the demons from her past, Alex Donovan is ready to move on and focus on her career at the FBI’s elite Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU). When renowned profiler and BAU co-founder John Davis is found dead in his hotel room, the FBI is called in to work on the strangest case they’ve ever faced. How do you find a killer who murders his victims without touching them?

When it becomes clear that the killer is targeting agents in Alex’s unit, they are ordered into lockdown, sheltered in the dorms at Quantico. Alex bunks with a controversial agent, Kaely Quinn, who has returned after being dismissed three years earlier. As they work together, Alex discovers in Kaely the role model she’s never had, despite being warned away.

As Alex questions who she wants to become, things get personal when the brilliant killer strikes close to home. Now Alex will do anything to find the killer–even at the risk of her own life.

My Review

Dead Fall is the second book in Nancy Mehl’s Quantico Files series, and I enjoyed it more than the first book, Night Fall. Kaely Quinn, the main character in Mehl’s last series, makes an appearance as a serial killer seems to be targeting members of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit. She is called in to assist Alex and Logan, the main characters in this series. Behavioral analysis, or profiling, is a fascinating topic, and this book provides a glimpse into how those agents do their work.

Because the analysts aren’t field agents, there isn’t as much action throughout the book. Instead, a lot of the book is made up of dialogue as the team develops their profile of the suspect. The lack of action doesn’t mean there is a lack of suspense, though – the perp in this book is definitely one of the most chilling I’ve read about in a while. I had a guess about who I thought it was, but I was wrong!

The reason I didn’t love this book, though, is the characterization. The characters seemed a little flat to me at times, and the dialogue a little stilted. Parts of the book seemed repetitive too, as the team kept rehashing their profile without really adding anything new. Overall, I did enjoy the story and I will definitely read the next one in the series!

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.