With Mercy's Eyes by D. T. Powell

 

Book description:

He turned his back on God a long time ago. But God never forgot him.

Six months after struggling actor Lane Harris lost his husband in a tragic accident, he lands a movie role guaranteed to put him on the Hollywood map. But one producer holds the power to shut down his shot at stardom—and she’s a Christian. If she finds out he's gay, it's over. Lane is careful not to say too much around her.

When an alcohol-fueled tryst with his co-star ends in humiliation, and his landlord hands him an eviction notice, Lane looks for someone to talk to. He finds a confidant in the Christian producer. After a night of too little sleep and not enough coffee, he lets slip his sexual orientation. Instead of a verbal flogging, the woman recounts recently losing her own husband.

The only Christians Lane knows condemn him upon learning he's gay. But this one is different. She doesn't embrace his sexuality, but instead of treating him with disdain, she offers compassion. Christians are supposed to hate people like him. So, why doesn't she?

My review:
  There aren't enough books like this on the Christian market, and I was happy to run across this one, thanks to a friend sending me a link to it. It is a long book - 532 pages, not counting the discussion questions and other extras. So it was a bit daunting, but I did read it in one afternoon.

 The book is fairly slow-paced for most of the story. This isn't a fast conversion story - not really a spoiler that there is a conversion...you figure there will be....but the author takes her time getting there. 

And that makes sense. Lane is a gay guy married to another man, who dies at the beginning of the first book. His Christian parents kicked him out when he was 18, and 20 years later he doesn't have a any good feelings about God and Christians. He isn't going to turn to God within the first couple of chapters. 

Speaking of Lane....The author did an excellent job on him. His past, what he was going through, his experiences with Christians and the church. And man, did he have it rough. Kind of like a gay Job. :) But he is impossible not to like, and you can't help but root for him. 

And he isn't the only likable character. There is Vic (Victoria). She ends up playing a huge part in his story, and man I was about sobbing towards the end of the book the way her part in the story played out. 

I have read a handful of books that deal with this issue, and I believe this is by far the best one I have read. The way the author handled it, the truths from the Bible she brought out...even the truths from a fictional novel Lane read that Vic wrote...this was a heartbreakingly beautiful story that brought out some truths I needed. The title, With Mercy's Eyes...I cannot explain it well, but the author brought out the idea of spiritual gifts, and that what so many gay people do is a sinful manifestation of what might be a spiritual gift. (Not saying being gay is a gift, but loving people and having the gift of mercy...the author explains it at the end of the book).

Anyway, this is a book that is worth reading. It is more than a fictional account of a messed up guy who comes to the point we all need to come to. It is a beautiful story of God's love and how He works in our lives, no matter how far we have gone.  

Special thanks to the author for an advance copy of this novel. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

About the author:
D. T. Powell grew up in a Christian home, loving books and reading. Her daily habits include: reading dozens of pages, picking which book to read next, and archiving and listening to sacred music. 

When she was nine, God sent a fictional character into her life who changed the way she looked at the world—and herself.

From then on, she wanted to show everyone what God had done for her, so she pursued an art degree… and was summarily kicked out of the program due to general lack of artistic talent.

Only after she graduated with a degree in business did she pick up the one utensil she had never thought to use, a pen. And she hasn’t put it down since.

To fill her writing day, she works on original stories, extensive fanfiction endeavors, and learning more about the craft of writing.

Her hobbies include hanging out with her husband and their three kitties, reading, playing pickleball, listening to music, and imagining scenes to use in future books. 

She loves Psalm 126:5, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”

You can find her at dtpowellwrites.com, on IG - dtill359, or FB - D. T. Powell, Author

Rescued, Security League #1 by Jerusha Agen

Book Description:

 Being a nanny shouldn’t be dangerous. Tell that to the people who want her dead.

As the nanny of twin two-year-olds who lost their mother, Valena Greer wants to create a happy and safe home for the children. The kids must know they’re loved and protected—the opposite of her own unstable childhood. But when danger comes to her door, the illusion of safety is shattered.

A security agent shouldn’t have to convince the lady he’s saving her life.

But that’s exactly what Cooper White must do when he tries to rescue Valena and the twins from would-be killers. If he could get Valena to trust him, then he could focus entirely on evading the opposing organizations that want to take the children and eliminate their protectors.

As the deadly pursuers close in, can Valena and Cooper trust each other and God for the rescue they need?

Real heroes. Real faith. Women in trouble, fighting to survive, encounter the heroes of the Security League and the God they didn't know they needed.

My review:
    I actually read this last year when it was included in a Kindle anthology, but I couldn't remember a lot about it, and agreed to review it.

  This is one of those non-stop suspense and drama books. It starts out with Cooper rescuing Valena and the twins she is a nanny for, and they are constantly on the run. I love the back and forth between Valena and Cooper. For the first part of the book, she fights him and is sure he is kidnapping them and refuses to willingly cooperate and refuses to believe anything he says.

  I really enjoyed this one. I love it when kids are a part of a story, and Sammy and Savannah were likable kids, and it was awesome how Cooper and Valena were both determined to protect them...even when butting heads. 

 As with her other books, the author was not shy about weaving a Christian thread throughout the story, and it meshed well with everything else. There were a lot of tense situations, and it was a book I did not want to put down. Looking forward to more in this series. 

Special thanks to the author for an advance e-book copy of this novel. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

About the author:
Jerusha Agen imagines danger around every corner but knows God is there, too. So naturally, she writes suspense infused with the hope of salvation in Jesus Christ. 

With a B.A. in English and a background in screenwriting, Jerusha is a speaker, writing instructor, and Fear Warrior who sounds the call to battle against fear in our everyday lives.

Jerusha loves to hang out with her big furry dogs and little furry cats. You’ll often find her sharing irresistibly adorable photos of them in her newsletter and on social media.\

Get a free suspense story from Jerusha at FearWarriorSuspense.com and find more of her thrilling, fear-fighting stories at www.JerushaAgen.com.

   

One More Chance, Brand of Justice Series #12

Book description: 

Living in Phoenix in the heat of summer isn’t for the faint of heart.

Add a cat, and things could get messy. Especially when Kenna doesn’t know why she feels strangely lethargic and keeps missing time. Is she ill, or is something far more sinister at work? She didn’t plan to have to navigate the “in sickness and in health” part of married life so soon, but here she is. With her team backing off to give her and Jax space to be newlyweds, she will have to figure this out without them.

Kenna is up to the challenge. Until it all goes wrong, of course.

A cold case mixes with a present threat, and their enemy seems to be around every corner. With a list of missing people and a hint this might be connected to a shadowy organization, Kenna needs her health to hold out until the case is closed. Uncovering a dangerous plot wasn’t part of her summer plan, but maybe she’s the only one who can bring the truth to light.

This brand of justice will cost her team everything.

Warning: this book contains a diabolical cliffhanger.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

My review:
  This first part of my review I will have to edit out for other places, especially Amazon. They would never approve it, but this is so cool that I have to share it: I am in this book. For real. The author has a chat with some readers and other authors in, and a while back she had the idea to use any of us in a future book who were interested, and got our physical descriptions and I think ages. I got cast as an evil doctor, and she made sure I was OK with that. Every time Doctor Buzard was mentioned, I would chuckle. I love it. Now on to the actual review:

 For a series I was not sure I was going to get into, I am loving this series. At the end of the previous book, Kenna and Special FBI Agent In Charge Jax (Oliver Jackson) finally tied the knot, and are married and living together in this book. And man, what a book. Phillips really pulled out all the stops on drama and suspense in this one, and it is truly a book I read in one sitting. I couldn't wait to read this one.

It had all the regular characters - Mazie, Ramon, and Bruce - and a cast of new ones, including some really bad ones. Phillips does great at creating evil characters you love to dislike. 

The plot was awesome, partly a continuation of the whole series with new wrinkles and problems. The bad guys really ramped it up in this one, fueled by the author's evil genius. 

And the ending, Oh, the ending....there is a cliffhanger warning. Ugh. I ignored that warning. Because it is a major cliffhanger. I won't give spoilers, but I will say it doesn't leave Jax or Kenna in a good place. 

I am definitely looking forward to the next book. Not just because of that huge cliffhanger, but book #13 will be from the viewpoint of FBI Special Agent In Charge Oliver Jackson (Jax), new husband of Kenna, the heroine of the series. I think he will even be on the cover.

Special thanks to the author for an advance e-book copy of this novel. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

About the author:
Lisa Phillips is a USA Today and top ten Publishers Weekly bestselling author of over 80 books that span Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line, independently published series romantic suspense, and thriller novels. She’s discovered a penchant for high-stakes stories of mayhem and disaster where you can find made-for-each-other love that always ends in happily ever after.

Lisa is a British ex-pat who grew up an hour outside of London and attended Calvary Chapel Bible College, where she met her husband. He’s from California, but nobody’s perfect. It wasn’t until her Bible College graduation that she figured out she was a writer (someone told her). Lisa is a worship leader, tea aficionado, and dog lover of two crazy Airedales.

One More Chance releases June 18.

Check out her website for more about her and her books: AuthorLisaPhillips.com

The rest of the series:

                                                    1-4

5-8

9-11