Friday, May 22, 2020

Hadley Beckett's Next Dish by Bethany Turner

Book description:

Get ready for a heaping helping of humor, romance, and second chances

Celebrity chef Maxwell Cavanagh is known for many things: his multiple Michelin stars, his top-rated Culinary Channel show, To the Max, and most of all his horrible temper. Hadley Beckett, host of the Culinary Channel's other top-rated show, At Home with Hadley, is beloved for her Southern charm and for making her viewers feel like family.

When Max experiences a very public temper tantrum and is sent packing, his only chance to get back on TV and in the public's good graces is to work alongside Hadley. As these polar-opposite celeb chefs begin to peel away the layers of public persona and reputation, they will not only discover the key ingredients for getting along but also learn the secret recipe for unexpected forgiveness . . . and maybe even love.

In the meantime, hide the knives.

My review:

  This isn't the type of book I usually review, but it grabbed my attention since it sounded like it was an amusing read. I wasn't at all familiar with the author, but I decided to review it anyway..... and I am glad I did.

  Hadley Beckett's Next Dish isn't an overtly Christian novel, but that is OK. It is a clean book with Christian themes. And the book is definitely amusing. Throw two very different chefs in the kitchen together and hilarity definitely ensues.

 Hadley and Max are both great and likable characters.....well, Max isn't likable at the beginning of the book. The only thing that did kind of bother me about the book was Max's transformation from a jerk with a temper who drank too much into a very likable and decent guy abstaining from drinking, bad temper, and cursing...for the most part. Hadley was a Christian, but I would like to have seen Max's change come from Christ, not from a rehab center. And yes, these kind of books can be predictable with boy meets girl, one is not a Christian, but there is a conversion and they live happily ever after. Slight spoiler: if Max became a Christian, there is no mention of it in the book. It was still cool to see a the change in him throughout the book.

 That aside, it was a truly entertaining read. I found myself laughing out loud more than once as these two very different personalities clashed, and Max spent more time apologizing than cooking. It was also interesting to watch as they went from barely tolerating each other, to becoming the most important person in each other's lives.

 On the serious side, were themes of forgiveness, trust, and the lesson that fear can hold us back from happiness and fulfilling lives.

 I loved the climatic moment of the book, along with the "6 years later" part at the end. I definitely recommend the book.

I was provided a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own.

About the author:


Bethany Turner is the award-winning author of The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck and Wooing Cadie McCaffrey and the director of administration for Rock Springs Church in Southwest Colorado. A former bank executive and a three-time cancer survivor (all before she turned 35), Bethany knows that when God has plans for your life, it doesn't matter what anyone else has to say. Because of that, she's chosen to follow his call to write. She lives with her husband and their two sons in Colorado, where she writes for a new generation of readers who crave fiction that tackles the thorny issues of life with humor and insight.


Hadley Beckett's Next Dish is available from Revell Publishing.

Thanks to Revell for the review copy.

Thursday, May 7, 2020

Standoff, Natchez Trace Park Rangers #1 by Patricia Bradley

Book description:

The Natchez Trace National Parkway stretches 444 miles from Nashville to Natchez, the oldest town on the Mississippi River. It's the perfect road for a relaxed pleasure drive. Unfortunately for Luke Fereday, it's also perfect for moving drugs.

Sent to Natchez to infiltrate the organization at the center of the drug ring, Luke arrives too late to a stakeout and discovers the body of his friend, park ranger John Danvers. John's daughter Brooke is determined to investigate her father's murder but soon finds herself the target of a killer who will do anything to silence her.

Luke will have his hands full keeping her safe. But who's going to keep him safe when he realizes he's falling--hard--for the daughter of the man he failed to save?

My review:

 I always hate to see a series end by an author I like, and the last series by Bradley was quite awesome. Now she is starting a new series, which made me happy.

 Bradley has never written anything that disappointed me, so it is no surprise to me that I thoroughly enjoyed this great start to a new series. I was barely a few pages into the book, and two murders had already been committed, so I knew it was going to be an exciting read.

 I enjoyed the setting for the book. By the way, Natchez is not a fictional town. I googled it, and it sounds like the town described in the book.

 I loved the main characters, especially Luke. Undercover work intrigues me a lot, so he was an even more likable character since that was his role in the story.

 And there was a lot of action and suspense. This was a book where you don't know what is going to happen next, nor who the bad guys all are. There was one I was suspicious of, and was correct. (Score!)

 There was of course the obligatory romance, but this was one where the the couple had known each other for years, and had had feelings for each other for a long time. (Sometimes the boy meets girl while someone is trying to murder them as they fall in love can be a bit unbelievable...but then I am a bachelor) :)

  Standoff is a great start to what promises to be another awesome series from this author. It left me wanting more, and I am looking forward to however many books are in this series.


I was provided a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own.


About the author: 


Patricia Bradley is the author of Justice Delayed, Justice Buried, Justice Betrayed, and Justice Delivered, as well as the Logan Point series. Bradley won an Inspirational Reader's Choice Award in Romantic Suspense, a Daphne du Maurier Award, and a Touched by Love Award, and she was a Carol Award finalist. She is cofounder of Aiming for Healthy Families, Inc., and she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America. Bradley makes her home in Mississippi. Learn more at www.ptbradley.com.


Standoff is available from Revell Publishing, part of the Baker Publishing Group.

Thanks to Revell for the review copy.

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

The Lost Lieutenant (Serendipity & Secrets #1) by Erica Vetsch

Book description: 

He's doing what he can to save the Prince Regent's life . . . but can he save his new marriage as well? Evan Eldridge never meant to be a war hero--he just wanted to fight Napoleon for the future of his country. And he certainly didn't think that saving the life of a peer would mean being made the Earl of Whitelock. But when the life you save is dear to the Prince Regent, things can change in a hurry.

Now Evan has a new title, a manor house in shambles, and a stranger for a bride, all thrust upon him by a grateful ruler. What he doesn't have are all his memories. Traumatized as a result of his wounds and bravery on the battlefield, Evan knows there's something he can't quite remember. It's important, dangerous--and if he doesn't recall it in time, will jeopardize not only his marriage but someone's very life.

Readers who enjoy Julie Klassen, Carolyn Miller, and Kristi Ann Hunter will love diving into this brand-new Regency series filled with suspense, aristocratic struggles, and a firm foundation of faith.

My review:

  The cover of this book didn't do much for me - at least the guy on the cover, nor did it seem like a book I would normally read: regency. And then there is the fact I wasn't familiar with the author. However, it did sound good, and the description made it sound suspenseful.

 Once I started reading the book, I couldn't put it down. Yes, it is regency. It has nobility with all of its rules and proper ways to talk and act, but it was an awesome read. It had enough suspense to pull me in and keep me reading, even thought it isn't what I'd call a suspense novel.

 I loved the two main characters, Diana and Evan. Thrown together in a marriage ordered by royalty, each carrying secrets, and each determined to do the right thing. I thoroughly enjoyed their back and forth and progressing relationship, along with the descriptions of what was expected of nobility.

 The book had a great plot and settings, and the author made even the restoration and repairs interesting that were needed on their new residence. I found the whole book quite interesting and entertaining, and it is one that I read in one setting. With breaks, of course.

 And it had a great ending. I enjoyed the book enough that I am already eyeing book two that is due out in July. Even though this isn't a book that falls into my usual reading genre', it was definitely worth reading, and is one I recommend.


I was provided a copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions in this review are my own.

About the author:



Erica Vetsch is a New York Times best-selling and ACFW Carol Award–winning author. She is a transplanted Kansan now living in Minnesota with her husband, who she claims is both her total opposite and soul mate.  

Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum and cheering on her Kansas Jayhawks and New Zealand All Blacks.

A self-described history geek, she has been planning her first research trip to England.

Learn more about Erica Vetsch and her books at www.ericavetsch.com. She can also be found on Facebook (@EricaVetschAuthor)Twitter (@EricaVetsch)Instagram (@EricaVetsch) and Pinterest (Erica Vetsch).



Giveaway:



Go here to enter: http://www.audrajennings.com/2020/04/the-lost-lieutenant-by-erica-vetsch.html




Read an excerpt here: https://www.kregel.com/books/pdfs/excerpts/9780825446177.pdf