by Crystal Caudill | Jul 31, 2022 | Book Reviews, Reading Challenge
We’ve finished the seventh month of the Unlocking the Past 2022 Reading Challenge: Around the World. This month we traveled to the Middle East, and my choice of story was The Esther Paradigm Since I didn’t get a chance to finish it yet, I’ve pulled on AmongTheReads to get the review posted. If you click on her link, you can see her FULL review and a ton of awesome quotes and pictures. Once you read her review, don’t forget to comment to be entered for your chance to win a copy.
*Want more interaction and/or suggestions each month? Join the Facebook Group. Want a bookmark with the monthly themes? Fill out this Google Form. Need a reminder on the details of the challenge? Go to the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge page.*
The Esther Paradigm
by Sarah Monzon
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Plot Overview:
Hannah Pratt dreams of starting a school for the Bedouin clan she grew up with as a missionary kid, and finally her hopes are coming true. But shortly after she returns to the desert from her college years in the U.S., she discovers her parents have received threats from their Muslim neighbors. As the danger escalates, Hannah finds she’s in the middle of a battle no one seems to understand. She must decide to what lengths she’ll go to stay faithful to the mission to which God has called her. Even if it costs her everything.
As sheikh, Karim Al-Amir feels the weight of responsibility as the leader of his people. When a mysterious illness ravishes the clan’s flocks and threatens to destroy their centuries-old way of life, locals believe the American doctors and their daughter, his childhood friend, Hannah, are to blame. Karim must do something to keep them safe—even if the only solution can be found within marriage vows.
In a society where the line is drawn between us and them, Christianity is outlawed, and foreigners are mistrusted, will their union heal wounds or inflict the final fatal blow?
The Esther Paradigm is yet another moving story by Sarah Monzon. This modern-day retelling of the Book of Esther was very well written. Not many stories have moved me like this one. It is the heartfelt account of a sheikh who carries the burdens of his people gladly and of a woman who struggles with feelings of not measuring up.
There was an amazing account of a sandstorm that had me wanting to wash dirt out of my teeth and rub the grit from my eyes. And the moving emotions of a lonely young girl trying to fit in to a new culture, seeing her romantic dreams of being a foreign missionary exchanged for disillusionment and then again for hope. The characters were very well developed, which is evident if you look at the details in the Character Spotlights that the author provided about Hannah and Karim. The portions of the story that were told “by” Karim used a voice that sounded like an Arab and not a Westerner.
The author told of Christian missionaries living with a Muslim tribe with the threat of persecution with great sensitivity and love towards the Muslim people. The story was obviously well-researched and included information on how God is working in the Muslim world. The mention of a dream of Jesus resulting in a heart open to hear the Gospel, though related to fictional characters, is something that really is happening around the Muslim world. I work at a Christian mission organization and have been hearing for years about this very thing happening. Just a few weeks ago I heard a story from a missionary in a Muslim country who heard from a student about a dream just like that. When he commented about how unusual that was, the student later told him that it really is not unusual, he had talked to at least 13 other people who had the same dream. 🙂
While there was a fair amount of time spent going over Hannah’s fears of what physical intimacy would be like, but there was nothing inappropriate or offensive about how it was done. I would not be concerned about my young nieces reading any of the story.
One of the issues that Hannah dealt with was a feeling of always being compared to others and found lacking. She struggled with the sense of not measuring up. The journey that she traveled in dealing with this was tender and touching.
Two quotes that I especially liked in the story, enough to make note so I could include it here is:
“If everyone only did what was safe, nothing would change.”
“But I read, soul open to any stirrings of the Holy Spirit.”
PURCHASE LINK – Amazon
Giveaway
For your chance to win a book from my prize stash, comment with what book YOU read for this month and you will also be entered into the year-end Grand Prize Reader Basket. Use the Rafflecopter below for extra entries and to mark that you left a comment. Entries end on July 7th at midnight EST, and the winner will be drawn and notified by email. The winner will be announced don’t the Rafflecopter widget. *Open to all residents of the contiguous USA, legally able to enter, and an e-book format or Amazon Gift Card will be awarded to those outside that range who are legally able to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
What did you read for June’s Challenge? What do you hope to read in July?
by Crystal Caudill | Jun 30, 2022 | Book Reviews, Reading Challenge
We’ve finished the sixth month of the Unlocking the Past 2022 Reading Challenge: Around the World. This month we traveled to the Mediterranean, and I leaned on Among the Reads for this month and reviewed Daughter of Rome by Tessa Afshar Once you read her review, don’t forget to comment to be entered for your chance to win a copy. Don’t forget to check out her full review and all the awesome quote images she made here.
*Want more interaction and/or suggestions each month? Join the Facebook Group. Want a bookmark with the monthly themes? Fill out this Google Form. Need a reminder on the details of the challenge? Go to the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge page.*
Daughter of Rome
by Tessa Afshar
Genre: Biblical Fiction
Plot Overview:
A woman with a devastating secret. A man bent on proving his worth. A chance encounter that catapults them into the heart of history.
When the daughter of a prominent Roman general meets a disinherited Jewish immigrant, neither one can dream of God’s plan to transform them into the most influential couple of the early church. Nor can they anticipate the mountains that will threaten to bury them. Their courtship unwittingly shadowed by murder and betrayal, Priscilla and Aquila slowly work to build a community of believers, while their lives grow increasingly complicated thanks to a shaggy dog, a mysterious runaway, and a ruthless foe desperate for love. But when they’re banished from their home by a capricious emperor, they must join forces with an unusual rabbi named Paul and fight to turn treachery into redemption.
With impeccable research and vivid detail, Daughter of Rome is both an emotive love story and an immersive journey through first-century Rome and Corinth, reminding readers once again why Debbie Macomber has said that “no one brings the Bible to life like Tessa Afshar.”
Daughter of Rome is an intriguing account of what the lives of Priscilla and Aquila could have been like. I was very interested in seeing the research that the author did to determine what type of environment they likely grew up in based on what we know from Scripture.
Aquila experienced firsthand the consequences of choosing to follow Yeshua. Not willing to deny his faith, he was disowned and lost his earthly inheritance.
Despite having been treated abominably by her brother, Priscilla treated others with kindness and compassion. One of my favorite moments in the story was when Marcus, a young boy Priscilla and Aquila took in, was helping minister to a woman who had come to them in terrible condition. When Priscilla questioned him about where he had learned to take care of someone like that, he replied “Don’t you know? I learned from you.”
I especially loved the way Priscilla was always caring for those in need, even at great cost to herself. She was constantly taking in “strays” and sharing all she had with them.
Another part I really enjoyed was when Aquila was getting ready for their wedding. He was so sweetly funny as he stressed over details and was so absent-minded!
There were many spiritual lessons learned along the way. Aquila had to learn to set aside his pride several different times. Priscilla learned forgiveness – for herself and for her enemies. Salvation was boldly proclaimed.
If you enjoy Biblical fiction, you are bound to enjoy Daughter of Rome.
PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon Baker Bookhouse Barnes & Noble Books-a-Million Book Depository Bookshop.org Christianbook.com Indiebound.org
Giveaway
For your chance to win a print copy, comment with what book YOU read for this month and you will also be entered into the year-end Grand Prize Reader Basket. Use the Rafflecopter below for extra entries and to mark that you left a comment. Entries end on July 7th at midnight EST, and the winner will be drawn sometime that week and notified by email. The winner will be announced don’t the Rafflecopter widget. *Open to all residents of the contiguous USA, legally able to enter, and an e-book format or Amazon Gift Card will be awarded to those outside that range who are legally able to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
What did you read for June’s Challenge? What do you hope to read in July?
by Crystal Caudill | May 31, 2022 | Book Reviews, Reading Challenge
We’ve finished the fifth month of the Unlocking the Past 2022 Reading Challenge: Around the World. This month we traveled to Europe, and my choice of story was Dusk’s Darkest Shore by Carolyn Miller Once you read my review, don’t forget to comment to be entered for your chance to win a copy.
*Want more interaction and/or suggestions each month? Join the Facebook Group. Want a bookmark with the monthly themes? Fill out this Google Form. Need a reminder on the details of the challenge? Go to the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge page.*
Dusk’s Darkest Shores
by Carolyn Miller
It was such a joy to dive into a Carolyn Miller book. Someone initially compared it to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and while there might have been very loose parallels on occasion, this was its own beautiful story. Resplendent with a beautiful setting, a woman with a tender heart and special connection with God, and a blind hero, it was a unique read. I really appreciated the way the story dealt with God not answering prayers in the way we want, and leaving the reader with hope.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves regency stories, stories of spinster women finding love, spiritual threads that are strong but not preachy, and heroes who are not your typical hero.
(Forgive the especially short review. I’m editing and really tired. 😉 )
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency
Plot Overview:
How can a meek wallflower help a returning war hero whose dreams are plunged into darkness?
Mary Bloomfield has no illusions. Her chances for matrimony have long since passed her by. Still, her circumstances are pleasant enough, especially now that she has found purpose in assisting her father with his medical practice in England’s beautiful Lake District. Even without love, it’s a peaceful life.
That is until Adam Edgerton returns to the sleepy district. This decorated war hero did not arrive home to acclaim and rest, but to a new battle against the repercussions of an insidious disease. Mary’s caring nature cannot stand to see someone suffer–but how can she help this man see any brightness in his future when he’s plunged into melancholic darkness, his dreams laid waste by his condition?
Adam wants no charity, but he’s also no coward. If this gentle woman can work hard, how can he do less? Together they struggle to find a way forward for him. Frustration and antipathy slowly develop into friendship and esteem. Then a summer storm atop a mountain peak leads to scandal–and both Mary and Adam must search the depths of their closed hearts for answers if they hope to find any future path with happiness at its end.
Best-selling author Carolyn Miller is back with a fresh series that will not only thrill readers eager for more of her work, but bring in new fans looking for beautiful writing, fascinating research, deftly woven love stories, and real faith lived out in the Regency period.
What I loved: Adam’s spiritual walk and personal walk in learning how to live as a blind man. I found inspiration in his struggles.
Favorite Character and Why: Adam. While not always the most gentle in his responses, you could tell he was a good man who struggled. It felt real and relatable as he learned to accept a future different from the one he envisioned.
Who would like this? I would recommend this book to anyone who loves regency stories, stories of spinster women finding love, spiritual threads that are strong but not preachy, and heroes who are not your typical hero.
PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | Book Depository | Bookshop.org | Christianbook.com | Indiebound.org
Giveaway
For your chance to win a book from my prize stash, comment with what book YOU read for this month and you will also be entered into the year-end Grand Prize Reader Basket. Use the Rafflecopter below for extra entries and to mark that you left a comment. Entries end on June 7th at midnight EST, and the winner will be drawn sometime that week and notified by email. The winner will be announced don’t the Rafflecopter widget. *Open to all residents of the contiguous USA, legally able to enter, and an e-book format or Amazon Gift Card will be awarded to those outside that range who are legally able to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
What did you read for May’s Challenge? What do you hope to read in June’s?
by Crystal Caudill | May 24, 2022 | Book Reviews
Shadows in the Mind’s Eye
by Janyre Tromp
This story is one of those that sticks with you for a while. It’s not for the faint of heart either, as it delves into PTSD, a soldier’s homecoming that is nothing like anyone wanted, and a corrupt town that infiltrates all aspects of life. There were times when Sam (the hero) wondered if he was losing his mind, overreacting, or really seeing something he needed to act upon, and boy do I identify with that one when it comes to caregiving. I also understood Annie’s struggle of not getting “the same husband” back that she sent off to war. They both had struggles that pushed them apart and together. Their commitment to each other and their struggles other were realistic. The voice of this story was masterfully created. You really felt like you were in the south with all the word choices and beautiful imagery.
I listened to the audiobook and just want to say that I really appreciated the change of female and male narrators depending on whose POV you were listening to. One thing that disappointed me in the audio is that part of the surprise ending was spoiled sooner than desired. To the careful listener, the narrator used the voice of the character who was supposed to be a mysterious voice. But none of that is the author’s fault. That’s just a review of the audio.
This story was fantastically done and would recommend it to anyone who likes real portrayals of family struggles, soldiers coming home from war, and those who generally just like to see real-life interwoven with an intriguing and engaging story.
Genre: Historial, 1945, Arkansas
Plot Overview:
Charlotte Anne Mattas longs to turn back the clock. Before her husband, Sam, went to serve his country in the war, he was the man everyone could rely on–responsible, intelligent, and loving. But the person who’s come back to their family farm is very different from the protector Annie remembers. Sam’s experience in the Pacific theater has left him broken in ways no one can understand–but that everyone is learning to fear.
Tongues start wagging after Sam nearly kills his own brother. Now when he claims to have seen men on the mountain when no one else has seen them, Annie isn’t the only one questioning his sanity and her safety. If there were criminals haunting the hills, there should be evidence beyond his claims. Is he really seeing what he says, or is his war-tortured mind conjuring ghosts?
Annie desperately wants to believe her husband. But between his irrational choices and his nightmares leaking into the daytime, she’s terrified he’s going mad. Can she trust God to heal Sam’s mental wounds–or will sticking by him mean keeping her marriage at the cost of her own life?
Debut novelist Janyre Tromp delivers a deliciously eerie, Hitchcockian story filled with love and suspense. Readers of psychological thrillers and historical fiction by Jaime Jo Wright and Sarah Sundin will add Tromp to their favorite authors list.
What I loved: The realistic struggle of not only Sam’s PTSD, but also the struggle of Annie as they navigated their marriage during a time when Sam wasn’t the same man she married.
Favorite Character and Why: Lots of people have been saying Dovie May, but honestly, Sam is my favorite. Maybe it’s because I can relate to him and his staunch decision to protect his family no matter what they think of him. I really love him and his fight to overcome his own personal mental challenges while being there for his family–even when he feels like a failure.
PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon | Baker Book House | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Bookshop | Book Depository | Christianbook Distributors | IndieBound
Have you read it? What were your thoughts? If not, what about this story appeals to you?
by Crystal Caudill | Apr 30, 2022 | Book Reviews, Reading Challenge
We’ve finished the fourth month of the Unlocking the Past 2022 Reading Challenge: Around the World. This month we traveled to Eastern Europe, and with me being on deadline, my partner Among the Reads shares her review of The Refrain Within by Liz Tolsma. Once you read the review, don’t forget to comment to be entered for your chance to win a copy.
*Want more interaction and/or suggestions each month? Join the Facebook Group. Want a bookmark with the monthly themes? Fill out this Google Form. Need a reminder on the details of the challenge? Go to the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge page.*
The Refrain Within
by Liz Tolsma
Just between you and me, I can’t read many books dealing with the Holocaust. Or read them often. Reading about that terrible time in history tears me up inside!
A few years ago, I came across The Melody of the Soul by Liz Tolsma and was so intrigued by the synopsis, I decided to give it a chance. When the next book in the Music of Hope series came out, When the Heart Sings, I read that as well, this time with no hesitation. Though these stories stand alone, I still knew that I wanted to read The Refrain Within when it came out! I love that this series revolves around music during such a bleak time.
Patrick’s love for Éva and for music blends so beautifully! It is very touching the way she is his muse. The songs he composed that sprang from his affection, as well as his grief, were described so perfectly I felt that I could hear them!
I greatly admired Éva as she courageously sought her missing student, who was said to have been taken by the Nazis. She then did her small part to help ease the suffering there. Her struggle whether to trust Patrick was portrayed so well.
My heart ached as I read of the injury that was done to various characters. The author balanced telling the facts and not giving too many details well. Considering the cruelty that was inflicted on the Jews at this time, it was still painful to read – that is not the author’s fault.
Éva’s faith, understandably, was weak in the face of the destruction of lives and her beloved city. It was so precious to see her truly grasp the truth, first from her father and then from Patrick, that when God is our foundation, we cannot be shaken.
If you enjoy historical fiction with a strong Christian foundation, I recommend The Refrain Within.
PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon Barnes & Noble Books-a-Million Book Depository Bookshop.org Christianbook.com Indiebound.org
Giveaway
For your chance to win a print copy, comment with what book YOU read for this month and you will also be entered into the year-end Grand Prize Reader Basket. Use the Rafflecopter below for extra entries and to mark that you left a comment. Entries end on May 7th at midnight EST, and the winner will be drawn sometime that week and notified by email. The winner will be announced don’t the Rafflecopter widget. *Open to all residents of the contiguous USA, legally able to enter, and an e-book format or Amazon Gift Card will be awarded to those outside that range who are legally able to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
What did you read for April’s Challenge? What do you hope to read in May?
by Crystal Caudill | Apr 5, 2022 | Book Reviews
The Debutante’s Code
by Erica Vetsch
With my book release, it’s been a while since I’ve done a book review, but y’all, this book. I haven’t been THIS excited about a series in quite a while. The Debutante’s Code is the first book in the Thorndike Mysteries series, and it has SPIES. I LOVE a good spy story and this one is not only a series but it is also intricately tied to my other favorite book from Erica Vetsch, The Gentleman Spy. EEP!!! I CANNOT say enough about this book. It is going to be a yearly re-read for me. There is an amazing cast of characters, twists and turns that were fun and unexpected, and it’s all set in the sweeping setting of the Regency world. I love the mix of underworld connections with the glamor and beauty of a debutante’s life. I absolutely cannot wait to see how some of the characters are involved further down the road, and I seriously could devour this whole series without ever reading the back blurbs to see if they will intrigue me. The romance is light in this book, but there is definite attraction and the hope that something more will develop. SERIOUSLY, I CANNOT WAIT for the next book.
The Debutante’s Code will be adored by readers who enjoy spy novels, the Regency Era, and mysteries with excitement, drama, and of course LOTS of secrets.
Genre: Historial Romance, 1816 England
Plot Overview:
Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes in this new Regency mystery series
Newly returned from finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is ready to debut in London society. Due to her years away, she hasn’t spent much time with her parents, and sees them only as the flighty, dilettante couple the other nobles love. But when they disappear, she discovers she never really knew them at all. They’ve been living double lives as government spies–and they’re only the latest in a long history of espionage that is the family’s legacy.
Now Lady Juliette is determined to continue their work. Mentored by her uncle, she plunges into the dangerous world of spy craft. From the glittering ballrooms of London to the fox hunts, regattas, and soirees of country high society, she must chase down hidden clues, solve the mysterious code her parents left behind, and stay out of danger. All the while, she has to keep her endeavors a secret from her best friend and her suitors–not to mention nosy, irritatingly handsome Bow Street runner Daniel Swann, who suspects her of a daring theft.
Can Lady Juliette outwit her enemies and complete her parents’ last mission? Or will it lead her to a terrible end?
Best-selling author Erica Vetsch is back with a rollicking, exciting new series destined to be a hit with Regency readers who enjoy a touch of mystery in their love stories. Fans of Julie Klassen, Sarah Ladd, and Anne Perry will love the wit, action, and romance.
What I loved: Can I say the entire adventure? I loved learning to be a spy with Juliette and watching Detective Swann interfere with her investigation. Also, I ADORED the connection to The Gentleman Spy. Having read it before this book, I was able to squeal over every little connection. It made it that much more enjoyable than if I’d just picked it up without any reference to The Gentleman Spy.
Favorite Character and Why: I loved the combination of Juliette and Daniel Swann. They were a perfect play-off of each other, and I very much enjoyed them. I cannot wait to watch them grow throughout the rest of the series. It’s seriously one I think I could follow for longer than three books which is something I’ve NEVER said before.
Who would like this?The Debutante’s Code will be adored by readers who enjoy spy novels, the Regency Era, and mysteries with excitement, drama, and of course LOTS of secrets.
PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Bookshop | Book Depository | Christianbook Distributors | IndieBound
Do you enjoy spy books? What other Historical fiction spy, mystery, or undercover book can you recommend?
