The Decision by Christina Rost

 

Trying to escape her grief Ava goes on a mission trip to Uganda that has disastrous results. Locked away in a small village Ava has no hope of rescue. Blake is on a mission when he is captured and tortured then thrown into a room with Ava. As Ava nurses his wounds their bond strengthens. Are either of them ready for the feelings they develop while captive? 

WOW! This one was good ya'll!!! It was exciting, dangerous, full of emotions and definitely full of romance. All of the things that make for a good story that kept me entertained and anxious to see what happened next. I highly recommend! 

 

Rip Tide by Lisa T. Bergren

 

Taking up where Estuary left off Luci and Nico return to the Forelli's with a healed Ilaria. Barely escaping from an enemy in their time only to be once more confronted with enemies from a far more harsh time in history. As the Forelli's seek to find Sir Ercole and bring him to trial some of their family are being held captive and face certain death if he is not found. Will they be able to find enough witnesses to speak for the Forelli's or has their enemy done a perfect job of framing them?

I love love love this series! Luci and Giulio's romance is sweet and so romantic. I mean seriously who wouldn't fall for some big, beautiful knight who is totally gaga over you? Tiliani's desire for a man she cannot have is sad yet frustrating as well. The epic battles were stressful and had me closing the book a few times only to have to pick it up again to see what happens next! There were laughs, there was danger, there was love and there was hate. But at the end of the day there was family and that is what Luci and Nico have been looking for. A place to belong. If you enjoy a good time travel series then I highly suggest this series. You won't be able to put it down! 

The Diviners by Libba Bray

 

This is the 5th book that I have read from the mystery book puzzle that I did over the winter:

I normally try to avoid books that have an occultic theme or satanic and demonic overtures so this one was a bit of a struggle to read. Thankfully it had a clear good vs. evil theme and at this point good won out. There are other books in this series but I think I will probably give them a pass even though I did feel invested in the characters by the end. There is definitely a cliffhanger with the understanding that evil is coming to wreak havoc on the earth. If you enjoy a thriller that pits good against the evil spirit world then give this a try. 

Fatal Domain by Steven James

 

Travis Brock, Gunnar Bane and Adira Halprin are once again racing to save the United States security from terrorists bent on breaching that security to create havoc. This time the terrorists are after the Project Symphony prototype. This could allow them to have access to all of the FDA security information. The head of this terrorist group is a woman billionaire that thinks using any means(including terrorism) is alright as long as it is for the greater good. Travis and his team are out to stop her. 

Author Steven James writes an exciting story that keeps the reader moving along as fast-paced as the characters in the story. Fatal Domain was an action-packed read from start to finish. Sometimes the action was so intense that I had to put it down for a few minutes to wrap my head around what was happening! Now that's a good read! This is the 2nd book in the Travis Brock Thriller series and I can't wait until the next in the series. As with the first book Broker of Lies this one left us with another cliff-hanger. If you enjoy thriller's and strong characters you should give this a try, I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Shadow of Hope by Susan Sleeman

 

Ava is being framed for a murder she didn't commit. Now she is being stalked and her life threatened. Now on the run Ava has signed up to take Shadow Lake Survival's deep immersion course to learn skills to survive off grid. But the person stalking her has caught up with her there so now she must reveal her secret. Can she trust Micha  and the team to help her and not turn her in? 

The Shadow Lake team have quickly endeared themselves to me! I've enjoyed each of their stories and have looked forward to each one. Micha is a former Marine so that kind of endeared him to me to begin with as my husband is a former Marine. They are a special breed and I have a big soft spot for them! Micha and Ava make a great couple and I love how fast they grow in their affection for each other. Of course neither one of them want that, but sometimes God has better plans for us! I love how fast-paced the author keeps the story moving. There is no lagging and no getting bored or settled. The spiritual lessons are always a part of the story, but not preachy. They always deal with real insecurities, real hurts, real disappointments, and always always the characters find they can turn to the Creator God who cares more than anyone else and trust Him to bring about the best possible outcome to their situation. I highly recommend the Shadow Lake Survival series and know that you will like the other books in the separate series that brings other characters into the fold. 

The Poisoner's Handbook by Deborah Blum

 

I find non-fiction books like this very interesting and informative. This book started in the 1920's and worked through the 1930's. It introduced the duo of chief medical examiner Charles Norris and toxicologist Alexander Gettler who pioneered forensic chemistry and helped solve many murder cases and poisoning cases in 20th century New York. It was a very interesting read and I enjoyed reading all of the real-case stories that are peppered throughout. I also enjoyed learning about certain poisons and how people used them. 

To Slip the Bonds of Earth by Amanda Flower

 

We hear about Orville and Wilbur Wright, but we don't often hear about their sister Katharine. In To Slip the bonds of Earth Katharine must help her brothers find the lost plans for their flying machine. In order to do that she must solve the mystery of a murder while also navigating a very male dominated society that sets no value on a single woman, especially a strong-willed one like Katharine. 

I've really enjoyed author Amanda Flower's books. Which means I've really enjoyed her novels with "real" people in them. Her Emily Dickinson Mystery series and now this Mystery in the First Days of Flight featuring the Wright brothers and their sister Katharine. I love how the author incorporates history into the mystery that she is telling. I found the mystery in To Slip the Bonds of Earth solid and believable. I enjoyed learning a bit about Orville and Wilbur, but I especially enjoyed Katharine's character. There were a few quotes throughout the book that I found interesting or harsh or downright ticked me off! The first one is,

"Miss Wright," Randolph said, "When I want your opinion, I will ask for it. I can see why you are an old maid. No man would put up with the constant second-guessing you seem determined to inflict on everyone around you. If you do ever marry, you would surely send your unfortunate husband to an early grave." 

Ouch! I found that a bit harsh and was thinking seriously did men talk to women like that? But it truly fit in with Randolph's character!

"I could give her a whole host of reasons why Latin was an important language to learn. It helped students master English, for one."

I liked that one because I think the same can be said about reading, it helps a person get a grasp of the language and teaches them new things. I loved that teacher-side of Katharine's character. She truly cared about her students learning.

"Every woman had her secrets, including me."

I loved that last line of the book! Even though she was living in a male dominated society she was able to be herself and keep her own council. 

To Slip the Bonds of Earth was entertaining and educational and very well researched. I enjoyed it tremendously and am hoping that we will see more of Katharine and her brothers.