Seeking with all Yur Heart

Title:Yuma Prison Crashout (A Hank Fallow Western #1)
Author: William W. Johnston with J. A. Johnstone
Pages: 364
Year: 2018
Publisher: Pinnacle Western
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
What an exciting read!The author does a masterful job placing the story in a federal penitentiary at a time when prisons were rotten places to be.The main character is a former law officer, a U.S. Deputy Marshall, now serving 10 years in prison.To learn why he is in prison, you’ll find the answer in the pages of the book.Hank Fallon is the man’s name and he is working in the laundry room, ignoring the attempted prison breakout, with all the noise of gunfire and blood.
Hank once had a wife and daughter he adored, but something devasting happened to them that the author keeps readers in suspense about.The only thing on Hank’s mind is to do his time then go find out what happened to his family and who did it.He is a changed man now, a hard man.Due to his heroic deed of saving the warden of the prison from certain dem…

Title:Hidden Peril (Code of Honor #2)
Author: Irene Hannon
Pages: 416
Year: October 2018
Publisher: Revell
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Kristen Dane is a good friend of the other two members of the Treehouse Gang.Each member is in a different career, but their bond is strong.When Kristen learns that a monk she knew in a different country has died, she is broken hearted.She then attends the wedding of a good friend.However, after a couple days off, she enters her store to find the body of her coworker and a mess in the store.
The man who comes to the scene and try to gather clues is a new Detective on the force and covering for Kristen friend Colin while he is on his honeymoon. Kristen’s heart as well as the detective named Luke are attracted to each other instantly though neither is aware of the others thoughts or feelings.Luke was married and is now widowed.He tries to guard his heart so that he doesn’t mix business with personal relationships.Becca is his sister and she is trying to encoura…

Title:Dangerous Illusions (Code of Honor #1)
Author: Irene Hannon
Pages: 384
Year: 2017
Publisher: Revell
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
Trish Bailey is a young lady who is overwhelmed by loss, a job where she teaches art to inner city kids, her ailing mother declining and taking care of a foundation that her parents set up a long time ago.A young man named Matt who is the accountant is handling the books and checks for the foundation and comes monthly to the house. However, Matt begins suggesting strongly to Trish that she is basically forgetting things and misplacing materials.
How this story starts out is amazing and will capture your attention right away.Then, as I progressed throughout the book, the author threw some curves that caused me to really wonder what mystery was going on.Trish is under suspicion when her mother suddenly dies.Detective Colin Flynn trusted his gut when he was investigating the death of Trish’s mother.But something may be brewing in the heart of the detective along…

Title:Where the Fire Falls (A Vintage National Parks Novel #2)
Author:Karen Barnett
Pages:344
Year:2018
Publisher: Waterbrook
My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.
Clark Johnson had been a minister at a church until three years ago when he was accused of inappropriate behavior by one of his female parishioners.He was forced to leave the church.He ended up working as a trail guide at Yosemite where he grew to love the land God created.He remained a man of faith, and he could see God’s handiwork every day in the beauty surrounding him.His contract for guiding tours is about to expire and he must decide if he will take a ranger position at the park where he will enforce rules and not lead tours or find a job somewhere else.His last tour is scheduled.As he prepares for departure, he meets a woman artist who will be on his tour.He thinks she is sophisticated and above his station.Little does he know she is not who she appears to be.
Olivia Rutherford puts on her makeup and fancy dress to impress future …

Title:Explosive Force (Military K-9 Unit)
Author: Lynette Eason
Pages: 224
Year: September 2018
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
The series of military K-9s are stand-alone books where each story tells of how a canine aids in tracking down a killer.Each novel is written by various authors all within 2018.So, if you enjoy these military type tales, here is a treasure trove!The titles are Mission to Protect, Bound by Duty, Top Secret Target, Standing Fast, Rescue Operation, Explosive Force, Battle Tested, Valiant Defender, and Military K-9 Unit Christmas. Many of the authors I am familiar with and the stories published thus far have been very good and enjoyable to read. Just FYI a couple of the last books listed haven’t been published yet, but are slated to one a month through December 2018.
In Explosive Force, First Lt. Nick Donovan and his bomb sniffing canine are called out to the base after a bomb has exploded, injuring a couple people and the perpetrator esca…

Title:No Place to Hide (Hidden Identity #3)
Author:Lynette Eason
Pages:332
Year:2015
Publisher: Revell
My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.
Jackie Sellars is doubting God and finds herself on the run with Ian Lockwood.Ian is being hunted.He is wanted by authorities for his alleged role in a terrorist plot.Before she knows it, Jackie’s name is being linked with Ian’s as a possible accomplice.Jackie and Ian are on the run as soon as they run into each other when Jackie breaks into Ian’s home. Jackie and Ian were best friends years ago, but Jackie left town suddenly when they were teenagers and went to live with her grandfather.They haven’t seen each other since.Jackie had a huge crush on Ian back then, but how does she feel about him now that he is wanted by the FBI?Also, the FBI isn’t the only organization hunting Ian.Someone else seems to be in the game, but they don’t want to capture Ian; they just want him silenced…permanently.
While they are busy trying to stay alive, Ian continues to voice his…

Title:Nowhere to Turn (Hidden Identity #2)
Author:Lynette Eason
Pages:320
Year:2014
Publisher: Revell
My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.
Dani Harding and her 11-year-old son are the victims of abuse from Dani’s husband, Kurt.He is an FBI agent on the track to success, but Dani knows different.She has tried to leave him before with disastrous consequences.Now, she is gathering her courage to make a run one more time.She cleans out the home safe, then receives a phone call that will change her life.She thinks her life has taken a turn for the better until she discovers terrible people think she has something her husband stole.However, Dani has no idea what it is or where to find it.She needs help keeping herself and her son alive but can’t trust the FBI as she knows firsthand that some of them are just as dishonest as Kurt.She sees an email offering protection, so she hires Operation Refuge.
Adam Buchanan has left the U.S. Marshals and now works for Operation Refuge.He immediately feels protective…

Title:No One to Trust (Hidden Identity #1)
Author:Lynette Eason
Pages:332
Year:2014
Publisher: Revell
My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.
David Hackett stumbles upon his business partner holding a gun over a dead body.David keeps quiet about the murder, but knows it is time to gather the evidence of his partner’s criminal activities and disappear.His partner was also his best friend.David gets the evidence, turns it over to authorities and then enters a witness protection program.He is in line at the bank when he meets Summer.He is drawn to her instantly and a relationship begins.
Summer Abernathy wakes up one morning to find strange men in her home, demanding the location of her husband.She doesn’t know where he is, but the assailants decide she can help them get what they are after.They give her 12 hours to find a computer and hard drive or they will return to kill her.Summer has no idea what they are talking about but wants to stay alive, so she agrees to give them to these men.She ransacks th…

Title:The Patriot Bride (The Daughters of the Mayflower #4)
Author: Kimberley Woodhouse
Pages: 256
Year: 2018
Publisher: Barbour Books
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
The Daughters of the Mayflower series starts with The Mayflower Bride, The Pirate Bride and The Captured Bride before the story continues with this book.While each book could be read as a stand- alone, reading the series makes it more enjoyable to see the various family members adventures in different eras.
Here the Revolutionary War hasn’t started, but the rumors of war are definitely in the wind and people know it!Kimberley Woodhouse did a wonderful job putting together a very believable and lifelike tale!When readers start the book, the author has a letter for readers and in Note From the Author, we get to learn about her research.
Faith is the main female character throughout the book and she is full of fight and fire!Faith suffers through some hard times, but that is what shapes this woman’s heart and patriotism.There are no le…

Title:The Hope Jar (The Prayer Jars #1)
Author: Wanda Brunstetter
Pages: 320
Year: 2018
Publisher: Shiloh Run Press
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
Sometimes when a new series by any author starts, it takes me awhile to get into the book and understand where the plot is heading.When I started reading this book, I caught on pretty fast to the story line, but I didn’t see where the journey would take me. The story really is touching as readers see how children could be affected by parents not telling them family history or how scarring abusive homes can be to small ones.
Here is a tale that weaves both the Amish world and English world at points in the story that surprised me at times.Michelle is one of the main female characters and I think her background really tugged at my heart, especially as I saw how she made some good and bad choices based on the broken places of her heart.Sara is the other main female character.It was somewhat heartbreaking to read how devastated she was losing her mom, a…

Title:Rebecca’s Song (The Daughters of Riverton #3)
Author: Dawn Kinzer
Pages: 432
Year: 2018
Publisher: Morningview Publishing
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
The characters we read about in the novel were introduced to in Sarah’s Smile and Hope’s Design, which are the first two books in the series, respectively. For me, reading the books in order helped really make the third book very impactful to the heart of this reviewer.The main character, Rebecca, is a changed woman nearing thirty and the town of Riverton’s school teacher.Rebecca’s past, which audiences learned about in the other novels, comes back to haunt her in the life she is trying to live in Riverton.
Now, she is the main caretaker of three orphans who recently lost their parents.Rebecca always wanted marriage to a man who loved her even knowing she was unable to have children.Now it seems she has a family to love, but no husband to love her and help carry the burden.Jesse is the guardian of the three children, but wants to live in…

Title:  Hope’s Design (The Daughters of Riverton #2)
Author:  Dawn Kinzer
Pages:  378
Year:  2016
Publisher:  Morningview Publishing
My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.
In the first novel in the series titled Sarah’s Smile, we meet an interesting cast of characters who live in the small town of Riverton, Wisconsin in the early 1900s.  We meet the antagonist, Rebecca, whose heart being filled with broken dreams spews ugly words toward Sarah because of Sarah’s heart-breaking past.  Now Rebecca is a totally different woman and Sarah is married with a child on the way when Hope comes to the town to put space between her and her former fiancée.
Hope is an only child and when her parents travel to a distant land.  For her safety, they encourage her to leave New York with very few people knowing her destination.  However, after some time has passed, her ex-fiancée shows up at her job to continue the harassment he began in New York.  Hope’s dream is to become a designer and see women glow when they feel…

Title:  Sarah’s Smile (The Daughters of Riverton #1)
Author:  Dawn Kinzer
Pages:  394
Year:  2016
Publisher:  Morningview Publishing
My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.
Dawn Kinzer writes a story that moves the heart of readers, and folks she is a brand new writer!  In her debut novel, we read about a friendship between Sarah McCall and Peter Caswell.  Sarah is a lone child who is raised by her maternal grandparents after her parents apparently abandoned her after dropping her off at their home.  Now she is an adult and has had her heart broken by many people and her hopes are dangling by mere threads.
Peter returns to his hometown as a widower with a young 4-year-old daughter in tow.  Peter, who always wanted to become a pastor, returns to take over leadership of his home church.  Peter’s life has been anything but easy as readers will discover; there is more to this character than meets the eye.  Peter’s lifelong friendship with Sarah turns into a rollercoaster ride when he returns home and be…

Title:The House at Saltwater Point (A Lavender Tides Novel #2)
Author: Colleen Coble
Pages: 352
Year: 2018
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Whether you are familiar with Colleen Coble’s work or not, here is tale that you sure don’t wish to pass up. Of course, the characters continue from the first book in the series, The View from Rainbow Bay.Here in the sequel is a mesmerizing tale of Ellie Blackmore who loves to work with her hands and therefore has her own home remodeling business. Ellie goes into a home, gets a feel for how the home will or could look, and if it has some hidden quality or characteristic, she brings it out.
Ellie’s sister Mackenzie who goes by the nickname “Mac” helps her when she isn’t teaching at a college. Now Mac has gone missing and is presumed dead due to the amount of blood that was found at the scene.What the sheriff and other investigators are saying is that Mac was involved in something that Ellie cannot accept and, in fact, will not.She is d…

Title:Amish Country Amnesia
Author: Meghan Carver
Pages: 224
Year: 2018
Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
I began this story one night and kept turning pages until I turned the very last one.I got hooked the moment the scene opened with a chase on snowmobiles and guns blazing.What kept me turning pages happened when one of the riders lost control, landed and then kept himself hidden from the pursuers.
Then, introduce a young widow woman and her 6-year-old daughter.She is the one who finds the injured man and asks her mother to come and tend him.Little did the woman or her daughter know just what this would lead to.
Normally, I would not necessarily pick and read Amish tales as some seem unreal, but Meghan Carver writes with realism, knowledge of the Amish, suspense and romance.I enjoy the Love Inspired books so much as they are easy to read, set aside and pick up right where I left off if I need to. I love the thrills and spills of the books and plan to keep read…

Title:Burden of Proof
Author: DiAnn Mills
Pages: 416
Year: 2018
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
Here is another out of the park homerun story by author DiAnn Mills.If you have never read any of her books, this one will get you hooked.In the story, FBI Special Agent April Ramos experiences a tough night as a negotiator trying to talk a man off a high ledge.Now, just getting coffee is about to change her life in ways she cannot imagine!
While in line with a crying baby behind her, she turns to comfort who she assumes is the mother, only to have the baby thrust into her arms.Then, she is forced at gunpoint to bring the baby and do what her captor says.What Agent Ramos is about to go through is an adventure she never anticipated nor a future she thought would ever occur.
DiAnn Mills is a master at writing stories that are at times intense and other times it seems like little may be occurring, but don’t be fooled.She brings zing to the plot when one isn’t expecting…

Title:  Beyond All Dreams
Author:  Elizabeth Camden
Pages:  362
Year:  2015
Publisher:  Bethany House Publishers
This is another winning story from Elizabeth Camden!  It is set in the late 1890s in Washington, D.C. as new technology is appearing in the city.  Anna O’Brien is a librarian at the Library of Congress with a specialty in maps who likes to stay out of the limelight.  Luke Callahan is a congressman from Maine who is bold, loud and full of confidence.  They both have dreams for their lives, but can they be realized?
Luke’s temper gets the best of him in an argument with the Speaker of the House and he is demoted from an influential committee to a lesser known committee.  Luke needs some help with research as he sets out to dig up some dirt on the Speaker of the House.  Anna is assigned as Luke’s research assistant.  They spend more time together and Luke begins to admire Anna’s intellect, wit and courage.  Anna tries to keep Luke at a distance as he is her exact opposite in person…

Title:  Beckon
Author:  Tom Pawlik
Year:  2012
Pages:  416
Publisher:  Tyndale Publishers
Note:  I received a complimentary copy from the publisher for an honest review.
 Grab hold of the arm on your couch before you even open the book cover!  At first I wasn’t sure what I was reading at all.  During the first few chapters, I was reminded of the movie Journey to the Center of the Earth.  I kept reading on as the plot was thickening and different genres of writing were included.  What kinds of genres?  Well, science fiction, mystery, and suspense type genres.  The author definitely takes the reader on one wild and crazy ride, making it hard to discern the plot.
 As you continue down the path of reading, more characters are introduced.  The scenes are changing as well as questions rising faster than you can read.  The story begins with a dad who is saying good-bye to his son before embarking on a journey to study ancient people.  The father has been mocked by colleagues for the premises publ…

Title:  The Beautiful Thread (The Hawk & the Dove #8)
Author:  Penelope Wilcock
Pages:  208
Year:  2016
Publisher:  Lion Fiction
My rating is 4 stars.
The focus on this eighth book in this series is again William du Bulmer and Abbot John.  This time, however, the drama is not on William’s love life, but Abbot John’s.  St. Alcuin’s is to host a big wedding.  As a result, Father Conradus, who is in charge of the kitchen, needs extra help with all the food preparations.  It is suggested that he notify his mother to have her come and help.  This being done, she agrees and soon arrives at St. Alcuin’s.  Abbot John immediately feels comfortable in her presence and wants to spend more time with her under the guise of showing her around the monastery and other excuses.  Some of the other monks immediately notice the change in their abbot’s attitude toward this woman.  Will St. Alcuin’s lose another man to a woman?
The other situation going on in the story is a visit from one of the higher ups i…

Title:  Atonement for Emily Adams
Author:  Susan R. Lawrence
Website:  http://www.amazon.com/Susan-Lawrence/e/B00KLS7A6S/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
Pages:  264
Year:  2014
Publisher:  Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas
My rating is 5 stars out of 5
Very few books in my life have caused me to sit back and really be speechless, but I am glad to say this is one story that is beyond incredible.  While this is a fictional tale, it is easy to imagine various scenarios described in the book as being somehow reality in many people’s lives.  A young married woman and her husband decide to start a family until one night an accident occurs that throws this couple for a loop along with other characters in the novel.
Whether the characters were Christians or not, what made this tale so realistic was how the pain, grief and healing took time.  I think the author did a superb job of not rushing the time it takes for healing to occur in the characters’ hearts and lives.  I also thought it realistic that …

Title: Risen (The Novelization of the Major Motion Picture)
Author: Angela Hunt
Pages: 320
Year: 2015
Publisher: Bethany
My rating is 5 stars.
My husband and sons went to see the movie Risen in the theatre; I will see it when it comes on DVD as theater seating is uncomfortable for me. So when I saw the book being offered for review on Bookfun.org, I asked for a copy to read. The joy of being able to converse with my guys about the movie scenes and scenes from the book was fun; it’s a great family activity we do.
In the novel, the chapters switch between the Roman Tribune Clavius and a young Jewish widow named Rachel. When authors use this means of telling a story, it tends to enrich the reader’s understanding of what is occurring by using two points of view. Here it helps to see the Roman activity, thoughts and life compared to a widowed Jewish woman making bread and selling it in the market place as a means to take care of her needs. When these two lives meet and become involved in a relati…

Title: Another Way Home (Chicory Inn #3)
Author: Deborah Raney
Pages: 304
Year: 2015
Publisher: Abingdon Press
My rating is 5+ stars.
We met the Whitman family in the first book of the series, Home to Chicory Lane, followed by Two Roads Home. In each story, we are given a bird’s-eye view into the various issues some of the grown Whitman children have faced along with how they interact and the running of the inn. Here, in the third book, the author tackles a couple of hard issues such as domestic abuse, infertility, adoption, marriage and faith. I was really grabbed by the heart when Danea continued to be disappointed about not getting pregnant even when spending so much money.
As God opens her eyes, she decides to volunteer at a home for domestically fractured families, meeting a woman named Misty. When Danea and her husband Dallas willingly take Misty’s son into their home over Thanksgiving, there comes a point when it becomes evident that Misty is in trouble. She doesn’t return as agreed a…