When the Day Comes

 

Back Cover

Libby has been given a powerful gift: to live one life in 1774 Colonial Williamsburg and the other in 1914 Gilded Age New York City. When she falls asleep in one life, she wakes up in the other. While she's the same person at her core in both times, she's leading two vastly different lives.

In Colonial Williamsburg, Libby is a public printer for the House of Burgesses and the Royal Governor, trying to provide for her family and support the Patriot cause. The man she loves, Henry Montgomery, has his own secrets. As the revolution draws near, both their lives - and any hope of love - are put in jeopardy.

Libby's life in 1914 New York is filled with wealth, drawing room conversations, and bachelors. But the only work she cares about - women's suffrage - is discouraged, and her mother is intent on marrying her off to an English marquess. The growing talk of war in Europe only complicates matters.

But Libby knows she's not destined to live two lives forever. On her twenty-first birthday, she must choose one path and forfeit the other - but how can she choose when she has so much to lose in each life?

Review

Brilliant. Amazing. My brain is tripping over how to express how much I adored this book! From the strikingly unique premise, to the cliff-hanging conflicted, and strong message of resting in God's sovereignty, When the Day Comes has sky-rocketed itself to my favourite read of 2022 (and my top-ten list of all time). It's THAT good! With a story jam-packed with TWO thrilling adventures and more than a few surprises, this is far from your typical historical romance. The two timelines the author chose encapsulated countries on the cusp of war, cultivating a tense plot that made this book so hard to put down. I was growing rather unsatisfied with only being able to read snatches of the story at a time in my busy schedule, so I made a date with this book and parked myself in the patio chair one night, determined to not put it down until I finished the last page! Of course, finishing this incredible story brought rather turbulent emotions and my only consolation to my sadness was knowing this is the birth of a new series. I cannot wait to continue this time-travel journey! 

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

All That it Takes

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When the ever-cautious Val Locklier moves cross-country with her son for a secure job, everything she'd planned unravels within the first week. After Val reluctantly agrees to rent an apartment from her best friend's brother, an unexpected chance at an elite filmmakers' mentorship ignites fresh hope for a dream career. But as Val's community begins to expand, so do her insecurities, especially those heightened by her growing attraction to a certain friendly landlord.

Pastor Miles McKenzie returns home from a short-term mission trip to discover that not only does he have an intriguing new tenant living upstairs, he's also been reassigned to a local ministry on life support. Disillusioned and restless, he distracts himself by throwing his energy into a host of new projects - not the least of which is pursuing Val - without stopping to consider the future.

As Val struggles to stop hiding behind the camera and Miles wrestles with shattered expectations, they'll find that authentic love and sacrifice must go hand in hand.

Review

Nicole Deese is my new favourite author. I absolutely adored All That it Takes. It's poignant, heartfelt, and such a wonderful read. It gave me lots to ponder as it hit on "our plan v. God's plans", overcoming trials, looking out for others in need, and being selfless in a selfish world. Miles and Val both learn that the ordinary person (even those with limitations) can be a missionary in their own back yard. While some are called overseas, others are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus in their hometown. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. There are a lot of hurting people in this world and All That it Takes reminds us to look beyond ourselves to see the hurt of others and seek their needs above our own. We are commended to look after the "least of these" right down to the tiniest human. 

I loved this story and highly recommend it!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

Sea Glass Cottage

 

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Christi Reece is desperate. The onetime golden girl's life has tarnished, and a cascade of setbacks has left her reeling. She needs help, and she's certain Jack Colby is in a position to provide it.

When she shows up in Hope Harbor, however, Jack wants nothing to do with the woman who betrayed him. He's built a new life on the Oregon coast - and there's no room in it for Christi, even after she takes refuge in a charming but mysterious cottage nearby. Yet it soon becomes apparent his opinion of her may need revising...especially when he ends up needing her help.

Can these two hurting souls open their hearts to a new beginning?

Review

There's a reason Irene Hannon is a three-time RITA award winner. I love her roller-coaster romantic suspense fiction, and her contemporary romances are simply timeless. When I pick up a Hope Harbor novel, I know I'm in for a sweet story full of hope, love, faith, and second chances. 

Sea Glass Cottage explores how people can truly change - and for the better. It's not easy to trust someone who betrayed you. Not to mention, trusting them with your heart? This is Jack's battle as he can't erase how Christi deeply hurt him. And on the flip side, Christi desperately wants her past to be left there - in the past - and to be known by who she is today. Irene Hannon does an incredible job fleshing out these struggles between Jack and Christi in the lovely seaside town of Hope Harbor. This is a story not to be missed by lovers of Christian contemporary fiction!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

 

The Master Craftsman

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In 1917, Alma Pihl, a master craftsman in the House of Faberge, was charged to protect one of the greatest secrets in Russian history - an unknown Faberge Egg that Peter Karl Faberge secretly created to honor his divided allegiance to both the people of Russia and the Imperial tsar's family. When Alma and her husband escaped Russia for their native Finland in 1921, she took the secret with her, guarding her past connection to the Romanov family.

Three generations later, world-renowned treasure hunter Nick Laine is sick and fears the secret of the missing egg will die with him. With time running out, he entrusts the mission of retrieving the egg to his estranged daughter, Ava, who has little idea of the dangers she is about to face. As the stakes are raised, Ava is forced to declare her own allegiance - and the consequences are greater than she could have imagined.

Review

I felt like I was stepping into a National Treasure movie! This was quite the adventure story - or should I say, treasure hunt? I had heard of the Fabergé Eggs before, but the history Kelli Stuart fleshes out about Peter Karl Fabergé and the stories behind the famed eggs was beyond fascinating. Be sure to search the internet for photos of the discovered Eggs as they are absolutely breathtaking in beauty and detail. And while we have some Eggs today, there are some known to be lost. And off of this, the author begs the question, "What if there was another Egg?"

The Master Craftsman was an intriguing and thought-provoking story. And don't despair - this book is not just a history lesson about the Eggs.  It's an adventure story full of intrigue and danger with characters in the midst of relationships as complex as the Eggs themselves. An enjoyable read!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

The Element of Love

 

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With their sharp engineering minds, Laura Stiles and her two sisters have been able to deal with their mother's unfortunate choice in husband until they discovered his plans to marry each of them off to his lecherous friends. Now they must run away - far and fast - to find better matches to legally claim their portion of their father's lumber dynasty and seize control from their stepfather.

During their escape, Laura befriends a mission group heading to serve the poor in California. She quickly volunteers herself and her sister to join their efforts. Despite the settlement being in miserable condition, the sisters are excited by the opportunity to put their skills to good use. Laura also sees potential in Caleb, the mission's parson, to help with gaining her inheritance. But when secrets buried in Caleb's past and in the land around them come to light, it'll take all the smarts the sisters have to keep trouble at bay.

Review

This was a fun adventure story following three quirky and brilliant sisters as they escape a horrid future laid out by their abusive step-father. Laura, Jillian, and Michelle hope to find honourable, God-fearing men to marry quickly in order to rescue them - and their mother - out of a plot by their stepfather to take over their inheritance. A shorter novel, The Element of Love is a quick and easy read and perfect for lovers of Western fiction. It has all the right "elements" (haha): dashing cowboys, strong women, and an evil villain threaded together with themes of romance and faith. Possibly because it was a shorter read, I did struggle a bit with the realism of the romantic connection between Laura and Caleb.  Perhaps a few extra chapters would have aided in that, but I understand given the plot line, quick courtships were necessary! I'm still intrigued about the future books in this new series, "The Lumber Baron's Daughters", surrounding Michelle and Jillian's stories.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

Shaped by the Waves

 

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Cassie George is barely staying above water as she works to get her doctorate and raise her daughter. But she stubbornly keeps swimming to prove a few bad decisions haven't ruined her forever. Plus, it's all a great excuse to stay away from the small Oregon town she fled in shame years prior. But when she receives a call that the aunt who raised her has had a major health crisis, she knows it's time to return.

Cassie is surprised to be more welcomed by the quirky seaside community than she expected, even if there's still tension between her and her former classmate Nora Milford. But she still can't help feeling unsettled and is mystified by a mysterious package that appears, full of typed pages that tell the story of an anonymous woman's life. As her curiosity sends her on a journey toward truth, Cassie will discover that who she thought she was and what she wants for her life are both about to change.

Review

Moving. Remarkable. Un-put-down-able.  The latter might not be a real word, but it aptly describes Shaped by the Waves, the newest novel by Christina Suzann Nelson. I quickly became a fan of the author upon reading More Than We Remember, and was blown away with The Way It Should Be. 

I was captivated by the story of a single mom struggling to make ends meet and finish post-secondary education, while simultaneously running away from her past. Cassie's past confronts her when she decides to look after her aunt suffering from dementia and discovers that what she knows about her family and past may not be entirely true. The mystery unraveled page over page, and made it extremely hard to put the book down!

This novel is a story that compels you to hold all your family very tightly. It shows that family love grows beyond the biological ties and be shaped differently, but the love can be there all the same. Another excellent book by Christina Suzann Nelson that I will definitely be rereading again and again. 

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. 

The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water

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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 unforgiveable, and how even those who have been hurt can learn to love with abandon. 

 

Review

This novel is not exactly what I was expecting. Erin Bartels is a masterful author and story-teller, and her ability to draw characters that feel real and full-dimensional is amazing. Upon reading two of her previous works, We Hope for Better Things and All that We Carried, I quickly became a fan. However, the content of this book took me by surprise.

I was not expecting the story to be about childhood rape, molestation, and abuse. There was no indication that was what the story was about through the back cover description, so needless to say, I was not prepared for such disturbing, dark subject matter. I found myself skipping over some content that was just too detailed and uncomfortable to read. As you can't "un-see" what you watch, you can't unread what you've read. I struggled to finish the book, even while acknowledging that the story was well-written as it tackles the complexities of emotions within these tragic circumstances. The Girl Who Could Breathe Underwater shows the spiderweb impacts on relationships childhood rape and molestation can have and that not everything in these situations is "clear-cut". The darkness is magnified in the absence of faith and depicting none of the characters seem to have any relationship with Jesus.

I don't like to write a negative review, particularly when Erin reveals in the author's note at the end of the novel that she is drawing upon her own personal tragic experiences in writing this story. I've thought this before with other novels, and believe that perhaps books with such difficult subject matters should have a content warning so a reader can be fully aware and prepared should they begin reading the book. Similar to how movies have ratings systems and content warnings, it would be extremely helpful if books employed a content warning system as well.

That being said, I'm still a huge Erin Bartels fan, and will be keeping an eye open for her next work.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.