Books & More Books!

Yes! Book Worm Wednesday's are back.  Did you miss me? LOL.  It's been quiet here but worry not I have been reading some with a variety of themes. 

Now I have a mixed bag to reviews to share with you.  And I hope that you will find something to your liking.  Let us start with this little jewel.
 

Description:
For fans of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane and A Discovery of Witches comes a brilliantly imagined debut novel brimming with rich history, suspense, and magic.

Revelation “Reve” Dyer grew up with her grandmother’s family stories, stretching back centuries to Reve’s ancestors, who founded the town of Hawley Five Corners, Massachusetts. Their history is steeped in secrets, for few outsiders know that an ancient magic runs in the Dyer women’s blood, and that Reve is a magician whose powers are all too real.

Reve and her husband are world-famous Las Vegas illusionists. They have three lovely young daughters, a beautiful home, and what seems like a charmed life. But Reve’s world is shattered when an intruder alters her trick pistol and she accidentally shoots and kills her beloved husband onstage.

Fearing for her daughters’ lives, Reve flees with them to the place she has always felt safest—an antiquated farmhouse in the forest of Hawley Five Corners, where the magic of her ancestors reigns, and her oldest friend—and first love—is the town’s chief of police. Here, in the forest, with its undeniable air of enchantment, Reve hopes she and her girls will be protected.

Delving into the past for answers, Reve is drawn deeper into her family’s legends. What she discovers is The Hawley Book of the Dead, an ancient leather-bound journal holding mysterious mythic power. As she pieces together the truth behind the book, Reve will have to shield herself and her daughters against an uncertain, increasingly dangerous fate. For soon it becomes clear that the stranger who upended Reve’s life in Las Vegas has followed her to Hawley—and that she has something he desperately wants.

Brimming with rich history, suspense, and magic, The Hawley Book of the Dead is a brilliantly imagined début novel from a riveting new voice.

Now I have to admit that this one does combine a lot of my favorite things.  Magic, Mystery and Mayhem are wonderful bed fellows in this heady new book has the makings of a thrilling series from author Chrysler Szanlan!!!  It grabs your hand, leading you in and keep you wanting for more from the first page to the end.

I have to tell ya that what you want to do is run don't walk to your favorite book store, library or other place that you can purchase your books. This book will be sure to have you guessing and making it difficult to put it down   may we be blessed with more books my this author in the future!!

I hereby give this book 4.75 stars out of 5 stars.

** I received the ARC through Net Gallery in exchange for my honest opinion. This means that you the reader should take in with a grain of salt & know that I give it in my own version of the good, the bad and indifference without being associated with the making of this book.**


Next in our little bag of books we have.

Description:
The Fourth of July delivers more than just the local display of fireworks for Samuel and Julia Wortham. They return from the festivities in Dearing, Illinois, to find Samuel's brother Edward, out of prison and on their doorstep. Surprise turns to shock and confusion as Edward introduces a young girl named Katie and declares that Samuel is her father.

Samuel maintains his innocence and cannot understand why his brother would make up such a story, Julia struggles to believe Samuel's declarations of faithfulness, and Edward delights in antagonizing his brother. Katie just dreams of finding a home.

This page-turner will keep Kelly fans and new readers alike on the edge ot their seats until the very end.

The hauntingly beautiful story of historical fiction had me engrossed right from the beginning.  I didn't actually realise that this was the 3rd book in the series.  So it could in theory - stand on it's own. It wasn't overly preachy and was easy to follow along. I look forward to reading more books from Leisha Kelly.

The story opens up in the Depression Era during a time when families are being broken up and farmed out to relatives has become a new “normal” reality.  In this story we find an example of one family coming together in strength in each other, and God, when little Katie's is dropped off at the door by her “uncle”. We are thrown into the turbulent and violent relationships of Samuel and Edward over the fathering of Katie.

Even in spite the rumours, the fighting and other hardships of the times; the truth is found in the end down long and winding road of human emotions.  Katie? Well ... Katie gets her dream in the end and beyond that you will have to read this wonderful story for yourself.

I give this book a 4.75 stars out of 5 and Highly recommended this book to others. I actually own this book but I'm giving my honest opinion without compensation from anyone involved with the writing or printing of this book.


Next is for the Horse lovers in all of us who were horse – crazy as little girls, and for the big girls who never out grew it.

Description:
Author Amber Massey grew up loving horses but never owning one. That finally changed the day she met Marquise. This horse was her gift from God. During those long trail rides, as horse and rider learned to work with each other, Amber felt God draw her close. Along the way, He revealed His truths to her and established a solid, lifelong relationship.
Her stories of that journey give light to the tender relationship between a horse and rider and will stir your heart to seek God’s presence—even in the tack room. As you share this trail with Amber, you will discover that a life of faith begins with the love of God—and sometimes God uses horses to show us the way.

There is nothing like a good horse story. As we all know that horse-crazied girls just to be adult horse owners some times in life. What the author has given us was a peek into her personal relationship between Her and her horse Marquise. We are able to see that even though beauty isn't always right there to see, it's what it can be if you look past it. We travelled with them in the up times and the bad times.

Amber shows us that there are many ways that God has in communicating with each of us if we take the time to listen to the lessons at hand. At times you want to cheer them on and the next it will have tears in your eyes.  It has you feeling empathy for both - Amber & Marquise - at times.

If you love the “Chicken Soup...” series, you'll love this heartfelt work of non-fiction.  I have to admit I did find it a bit more religious than those other books, but after a while; I didn't seem to mind as much as I thought I would.  Have a horse person in your life?  I highly recommend this book to them whatever their age. 4.5 stars out 5 is my rating for this delightful story.

** As always when I received an ARC from Net Gallery, I give my honest but personal opinion in return in the form of this review. So please take it with a grain of salt and know that it doesn't affect anyone who were apart of the making of this book.**

Next we have this historical romance:

 

Description:

A feisty young Frenchwoman gets more than she bargained for when she flees to the New World as a mail-order bride.

 

This historical fiction story was an easy read and well put together by the author, Betty White. Once I read the book, I was able to do some research and found that the events that take place could be quite plausible. Which had me giving her to thumbs up for that point alone.

We are transported to a time when King Louie of France was colonizing the gulf coast's at Fort Louis in 1704. The main character, Frenchwoman Genevieve Gaillain and her sister; board the frigate Pelican with the promise to marry upon arrival
While the reality of the harsh conditions set in Genevieve looks for a way to maintain her independences while her younger sister is more interested in landing the most prominent man at the fort. The author did have a balanced plot line that portrays the situation that makes you feel the heat, the mud and the tensions build around you in the land of liberty, there is jealousy, intrigue, and betrayal to make things all the more interesting to the pull the reader in the story.

I would give this 4.5 stars out of 5. I did recommend this book to the local library. I look forward to reading the next book in the series and has be looking for more from this author.


** I received this ARC book through Revell Publishing in exchange for my honest opinion rather it be good, bad or indifferent. So as always understand that this is my opinion and doesn't reflect on anyone associated with the printing of this book.**
 
To wrap up this weeks selections, we have: 

  

Description:

In Everyday Psychokillers violence is the subject of everyday life: a disturbing extravaganza in which all those around the narrator seem to become participants, willingly or not. And at its center are the interchangeable young girls, mostly thrilled to know themselves the object of so much desire and terror.

This one left me a little scattered, just like the bouncing around the storyline did. It was a bit problematic for me. I really did want to like this book, as I do like a lot of true crimes stories. But it was too disjointed and it changed points of view on a dime with each chapter. I really wished that the author had taken the time to smooth out the characters and combined some of the chapters together. I believe that it would have benefited the book greatly. I am going to be generous in give this book two stars out of five. I don't think it would be one that I would recommend to anyone.

** I received this ARC book through Net Gallery in exchange for my honest opinion rather it be good, bad or indifferent. So as always understand that this is my opinion and doesn't reflect on anyone associated with the printing of this book.**

  

Well folks that is what I have to offer up for this week.  I hope you will enjoy one or all them.  If you read any of them I would love to hear what you thought of them.  If there is a book that would like me to review be sure to post a comment below. 

Toodles,
Tricia