Category Archives: Fiction

Review: Book of Days, by James L. Rubart

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Book of Days, by James L. RubartBook of Days, by James L. Rubart (B&H Publishing Group, 2011)

Cameron is in his early 30s but he’s losing chunks of his memory. His only hope lies in a cryptic mission from his father: to find the Book of Days. If such a thing exists, it holds everyone’s memories – past, present and future.

Supposedly this is God’s Book, based on Psalm 139:16. Cameron doesn’t believe in God, either, so that’s not much help. But his father did, and so did his wife.

Cameron’s quest forces him to turn to his dead wife’s foster-sister Ann for help, and it takes him to his father’s boyhood town, where secrets abound.

I enjoyed James Rubart’s writing style and the characters he created. There were plenty of clues, obstacles, and surprises along the way, as well as a few heart-warming moments. Looking back from the end, the only thing that doesn’t make sense to me is why a certain photo had been so carefully hidden.

The novel includes some well-turned phrases. Here’s my favourite:

…all he’d achieved was exhaustion. And a neck that felt like guitar strings tuned three octaves too high. [Kindle location 5415 in the Rooms/Book of Days/The Chair ebook box set]

Despite some of the New Age townsfolk, this is not an overly mystical novel, and I think it would suit anyone who enjoys a good contemporary story that includes Christianity, mystery and romance.

James L. Rubart is a writer and speaker whose website tag line is “Live free.” His most recent novel is The Five Times I Met Myself. For more about the author and his books, visit jameslrubart.com.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Submerged, by Dani Pettrey

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Submerged, by Dani PettreySubmerged, by Dani Pettrey (Bethany House, 2012)

A small plane crashes in the water near small-town Yancey, Alaska, and rescue diver Cole McKenna and his family are drawn into the investigation. When another body is found, the police suspect foul play.

For Cole, the hardest part is working with Bailey Craig, niece of one of the dead passengers. Bailey is back for the funeral, and the townsfolk all remember her high school reputation. She and Cole were sweethearts, before she went wild.

Submerged is suspense with heart: both romantic and family. Cole feels a burden for his younger siblings, and for a troubled teen in the church youth group. He also sees Bailey’s struggle with self-worth. Despite the faith that turned her life around, she feels like she’ll never measure up.

As the two of them search her aunt’s belongings for clues to the mystery, danger mounts, and old feelings come back to life.

This is book one in the Alaskan Courage series, and the ebook version is free on most platforms. I’m looking forward to reading more about the McKenna family. For more about this five-book series, or about author Dani Pettrey, visit danipettrey.com.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: The End Begins, by Sara Davison

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The End Begins, by Sara DavisonThe End Begins, by Sara Davison (Ashberry Lane, 2015)

In the year 2053, after terrorist attacks on Canadian mosques are blamed on Christians, martial law leads to increasingly strict restrictions on Christian behaviour and activity. Bibles are one of the first things to be outlawed.

For bookstore owner Meryn O’Reilly, this strikes at her livelihood as well as her faith. And if she can’t hold back her rebellious attitude, she’ll be in even more trouble.

On the other side of the issue is Army Captain Jesse Christensen, a decent man who, though he’s rejected his parents’ Christianity, doesn’t agree with what looks like the unjust treatment of law-abiding, church-going citizens – treatment he’s duty-bound to carry out.

Meryn and Jesse seem destined to meet at every turn, and neither can deny the unexpected attraction between them. But Meryn won’t consider a relationship with a man who doesn’t share her faith. Especially when, if he knew what she was doing, he’d have to arrest her.

The End Begins is book 1 in Sara Davison’s end times series, The Seven Trilogy. The writing is crisp, the plot tightly-woven and frighteningly plausible. The romance, plus a subtle thread of humour, keeps the tension from becoming too much.

What I most appreciate about the story is the way it brings its characters (and readers) to think about their responses to blatant hostility and aggression. Meryn is not by nature submissive, but she and her friends learn to choose their battles, and to return hatred with gentle strength. In other words, they learn to live like Jesus instead of insisting on their suddenly-trampled rights. Their grace-filled responses make a stronger impression on soldiers like Jesse than if they fought back.

Meryn struggles with anger toward the soldiers enforcing the government regulations. Prayer becomes her key to forgiveness, and she discovers that it’s “very difficult to bring someone before God and hold on to hatred at the same time.” [Kindle location 1450]

Canadian author Sara Davison’s previous novel is The Watcher. Book two in The Seven Trilogy, The Dragon Roars, is now available. For more about the author, visit saradavison.org.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Secrets, by Kristen Heitzmann

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Secrets, by Kristen HeitzmannSecrets, by Kristen Heitzmann (Bethany House, 2004)

Lance Michelli’s beloved grandmother can’t speak, following a stoke, but she’s desperate for him to accomplish something for her – something urgent, something secret. The few clues she can give lead him to an old home in California wine country, which he suspects should truly belong to her.

Everyone else thinks it belongs to Rese Barrett, a young woman who’s left a successful construction business to restore the building and run it as a bed and breakfast.

Lance talks himself into a job as Rese’s cook – and maid. His Italian relatives taught him all he needs to produce beautiful meals, and if cleaning toilets is what he needs to do to make things right for his grandmother, he’ll do it.

Falling for Rese is not part of his plan. How can Lance help Rese heal her hurts when finding justice for his grandmother may take the property away from Rese? How can he tell her he came under false pretenses, now that she’s beginning to trust what he says about God?

Here’s one of Lance’s observations of Rese:

She headed for a wide flat rock on the creek’s bank, her posture still demanding “no trespassing” but no longer “trespassers will be shot.” [page 270]

I liked both main characters, and the secondaries were intriguing too, especially next-door neighbour Evvy and Rese’s friend Star. And the fictional food was amazing.

This is one of those novels I read slowly, not wanting it to end. So I was pleased to discover it’s book one in a trilogy. Now I’m looking for book two, Unforgotten, which continues Lance’s quest.

Kristen Heitzmann is a new-to-me author with plenty of published novels. She writes contemporary romantic suspense, historical fiction, and psychological suspense. Secrets won the Christy Award for Romance in 2005. For more about the author and her books, visit kristenheitzmann.com/.

[Review copy from my local public library.]

Review: Rooms, by James L. Rubart

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Rooms, by James L. RubartRooms, by James L. Rubart (B&H Fiction, 2010)

Micah Taylor has it all: prestigious business, penthouse condo, a girlfriend who’s his perfect match. Until he leaves Seattle for Cannon Beach, Oregon, to check into a house he inherited.

The house is everything he’d have wanted had he designed it himself – except for the location, stirring memories of childhood tragedy. And except for the mysterious rooms that suddenly appear.

Rooms is a supernatural tale of how God might lead a person to revisit “rooms” in his heart to bring healing and truth.

The more Micah begins to trust God, the more things in his world shift. Events he remembers haven’t happened. His status begins to slip. Micah’s new friend and confidant, Rick, assures him he’s not crazy, but Micah doesn’t know how much more he can take. He wants this deeper relationship with God… but at what cost?

Favourite line:

He walked toward the door on his toes, drawing short sips of air as if a deep breath would alert whatever was in the room to his presence. [Kindle location 1623]

Micah’s experiences wouldn’t happen in real life, but the principles and truth he learns about freedom in Christ translate directly into Christians’ lives today. So do the deceptions he faces. I found the story an intriguing way to look at the concept of our identity in Christ, and how life events and choices limit our spiritual growth – and how God may want to revisit those things to free us.

James L. Rubart is a writer and speaker whose website tag line is “Live free.” Rooms was his first novel. His most recent is The Five Times I Met Myself. For more about the author and his books, visit jameslrubart.com.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

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Review: The Red Door Inn, by Liz Johnson

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The Red Door Inn, by Liz JohnsonThe Red Door Inn, by Liz Johnson (Revell, 2016)

At 28, Marie Carrington can’t be called a runaway. But she’s fled her opulent home in Boston and doesn’t dare touch her bank account or her father will find her. Scared and alone, she’s out of options when she meets a kind, older man who’s out of his depth trying to open a bed and breakfast.

Jack Sloane promised his dying wife, Rose, that he’d fulfill her dream of a sanctuary on Prince Edward Island, Canada: a B&B where the heart-hurting could find refuge. Now, his project workers are his nephew Seth and the waif-like Marie, each carrying deep – and conflicting – wounds from their pasts. Jack’s hurting, too, missing Rose at every turn.

This is a heart-warming story of healing, mistrust, and romance. I enjoyed watching the inn take shape and the friendships grow. Yes, it was coincidence that Jack should meet Marie and discover she had a flair for decorating, but that was part of the chain of circumstances that helped Marie to see how the God she’d given up on was working all along to bring good things into her life.

I also appreciated the gentle humour in the novel. Perhaps my favourite example is Marie’s initial assessment of the dining room:

A dining room should be beautiful and homey. Not filled with pieces that make you want to eat faster so you can leave. [page 26]

The Red Door Inn is book 1 in the Prince Edward Island Dreams series, with book 2 releasing this fall. You can read more about the book here. Liz Johnson writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense. For more about the author, check out this Q&A.

[Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.]

Review: Berry on Top, by Valerie Comer

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Berry on Top, by Valerie ComerBerry on Top, by Valerie Comer (GreenWords Media, 2016)

It’s taken 10 years for Liz Nemesek to be willing to make even a passing stop in her hometown. Too bad the guy who drove her away came back first. Worse still, Mason Waterman is renting her parents’ old house, claims to have changed his life, and is now a good friend of her brother.

Liz can’t deny the changes – they were long overdue – but just because God forgave Mason doesn’t mean she will. Or that she’ll forgive God. Or admit that maybe she bears some responsibility, herself.

Past hurts, secrets, and Liz’ rejection of her childhood faith threaten to keep her from a chance at happiness with Mason, despite the matchmaking attempts of his young twins. But trying to do life her own way just gets her into an even bigger mess.

One of the things I appreciate about Valerie Comer’s romances is that her stories are about more than just the happy-ever-after. They’re filled with real people with real (and sometimes difficult) issues. They don’t gloss over hurt, but as the characters begin to change, we see the difference that God can make in broken lives.

Berry on Top is the sixth and final book in the Farm Fresh Romance series, and readers can look forward to a new series with some carryover of characters: the Urban Farm Fresh Romance series will be set in Spokane, Washington.

As well as the Farm Fresh series, Canadian author Valerie Comer has also written the Riverbend Novellas series and a stand-alone fantasy novel, Majai’s Fury. For more about the author and her books, visit valeriecomer.com.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

Review: Always With You, by Elaine Stock

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Always With You, by Elaine StockAlways With You, by Elaine Stock (Elk Lake Publishing, 2016)

How can a good, intelligent, person get drawn into a cult? Isabelle accepts Tyler’s mysterious “family” because he seems to love her unconditionally, and he promises to keep no secrets from her. He’s the exact opposite of her father and grandmother – at least on the surface.

And Tyler himself? His childhood was so bad, he’s convinced himself that The Faithful rescued him – and so they must be right.

Secrets are everywhere in this novel: in Isabelle’s family, in The Faithful, and in Tyler’s private life. And the past has Isabelle and Tyler in a chokehold: Isabelle, because hers is a nagging void, and Tyler, because he knows his too well. Neither can fully embrace the present – or the future – unless they make peace with their past.

Always With You is an uncomfortably believable story of two young people ensnared by a dangerous cult. It’s also a story of hearts looking for God even when they don’t know where or how to search. The beauty of it is the discovery that God draws us even when we’re lost… and that He wants to find us.

It’s a coming-of-age story, and a coming-to-faith story. As it progressed, I wondered how the author could bring us to a happy ending for Isabelle, but she did (which is not to say there won’t be scars and ongoing struggles).

Raised by atheists, misled by a cult, Isabelle finally meets a Christian who shares my favourite lines in the book:

I’ve stopped gauging my belief in Jesus based upon the things I have, or don’t have, in life. I pray because I have to. I need all the help I can get. [Kindle location 3206]

That message, and the reassurance that God is always with us, are well worth reading to find. And you’ll like Isabelle and Tyler, imperfections and all.

Author Elaine Stock writes “family drama blended with psychological suspense.” For more about the author and her novel, visit elainestock.com, where you’ll also find her popular Everyone’s Story blog.

[Review copy provided by the publisher for an honest review.]

Review: A Fool and His Monet, by Sandra Orchard

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A Fool and His Monet, by Sandra OrchardA Fool and His Monet, by Sandra Orchard (Revell, 2016)

Serena Jones has a cat, and she’s single, but she’s not a spinster cat lady. She’s just too focused on her new career with the FBI’s art crimes division to have time for a love life. Serena’s passionate about art, and about the job, and she harbours a lingering hope that somewhere in her investigations she’ll find the painting stolen from her grandfather years before.

Her mother wants her to quit investigating and take a safe, factory job – until she can get married and start producing grandchildren. Her father’s quietly proud of her. And her aunt… well, Aunt Martha may truly be a crazy, cat-loving spinster, although now she lives with Serena’s parents and her cat lives with Serena.

Here’s how Serena describes her aunt:

Aunt Martha was like one of those extreme sports nuts who didn’t realize “safety harness” was a pseudonym for “hang on for dear life or you’ll die harness.” [Kindle page 235]

In the midst of this fast-paced whodunit, there’s still time for family complications, personal danger for Serena, and the beginnings of a rivalry for her attention between her trainer and her apartment superintendant. Tanner and Nate are both such nice men, I feel bad for whichever one of them loses out. Interestingly enough, at the end of the book there’s a way for readers to vote on which one she should end up with. I wonder if the vote will carry it, or if the author already knows…

I’ve read most of Sandra Orchard’s books and always enjoyed them. A Fool and His Monet is the best one yet. With a snappy delivery, characters to care about, action, and a strong thread of humour, this one may show up as one of my books of the year. Someone called it “laugh-out-loud” funny, but to me it’s the kind that gives me a satisfied grin – and endears a story to my heart.

Sandra Orchard is an award-winning Canadian author of Christian romantic suspense. A Fool and His Monet is the first in her Serena Jones Mystery series, and as mentioned, there’s a romantic thread but it’s just beginning in book 1. This is also more of a “clean read,” without an overtly Christian thread. Serena is a church-goer, but the story isn’t about a spiritual lesson so much as about a crime and about her family and relationships. Book 2 comes out in the fall: Another Day, Another Dali. For more about the author, and to find some bonus book features, visit sandraorchard.com.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

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Review: If I Run, by Terri Blackstock

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If I Run, by Terri Blackstock (Zondervan, 2016) If I Run, by Terri Blackstock | Christian suspense

What if you found your best friend murdered, but you couldn’t trust the police? The police force let Casey Cox down last time, so she flees. If they catch her, they’ll arrest her for her friend’s death – or worse.

If I Run is the story of Casey trying to stay out of sight long enough to find the courage (and a plan) to prove her innocence. And it’s the story of Dylan Roberts, a PTSD-suffering veteran who was a friend of the dead man and who’s now hired to find her.

To find her, he needs to learn how she thinks. Problem is, the more he learns, the more he doubts that Casey would commit a crime like this. Meanwhile, Casey’s caring heart draws her into fresh danger.

Told in the first person, present tense, chapters are clearly marked so we know if we’re going to be in Casey’s or Dylan’s point of view. If I Run is a refreshing suspense novel, and one of the best I’ve read in a while.

Casey’s not a person of faith, although the more trouble she’s in, the more she asks God for help and hopes He’s there. The evil she’s seen has left her unwilling to believe, and when she meets Christians who also carry pain, she’s intrigued by how they’ve let it deepen their faith.

The only warning I’ll give is that If I Run is book 1 in a series. Don’t expect everything to be wrapped up with a pretty bow at the end (this instalment’s plot does resolve). Do expect to want to read book 2.

Terri Blackstock is a multi-award-winning, NY Times bestselling author of Christian suspense fiction, and she knows how to craft a page-turner. For more about the author and her books, visit terriblackstock.com.

[Review copy from the public library.]