Secrets Over Sweet Tea

Title: Secrets Over Sweet Tea

Author: Denise Hildreth Jones [Website][Facebook][Twitter]

Publisher: Tyndale Fiction

Series: Has a companion non-fiction book called Reclaiming Your Heart: A Journey Back to Laughing, Loving, and Living.

ISBN: 9781414366845

Length: 387 pages + "Discussion Questions"

Obtained: Library book kit copy

Why this book?:

It was for my book discussion group.

Note: I read the print and ebook editions of this book. 

 Comments: 

I enjoyed this book (though the discussion was very slight and comments lackluster).  Scarlett Jo is a great character.  And inspirational too.  She has SO much personality.  She'd be (as one of the first the discussion questions asks) a great friend.

As for the secrets...  They range from alcoholism, to adultery, to well - I don't want to give too much away.  I understand secrets, though I tend not to keep many about myself.  Coming from a family with both mental illness and addiction (both having stigmas in their own right), I feel there is a time and a place, but mostly I just tell it how it is.  And since that sounds like Scarlett Jo let me explain that I am nothing like her.  I could never be so outgoing.  Nor could I be so nonchalant about others reactions towards me.

Anyway, hile I get the secret part of the book, the forgiveness aspect is even more difficult for me.  I (here comes the little touched upon religious part of me) know it is a vital part of my life, but I'm not so hot about doing it.  Or at least, I wouldn't be in the scenarios presented in the book.  Though I have to say, I felt some characters in the book went way overboard in their reactions and need some forgiving for too.

Overall, I wouldn't mind reading more from this author.

Tracking Justice

Title: Tracking Justice

Author: Shirlee McCoy

Publisher: Love Inspired Suspense

Series: Texas K-9 Unit, Bk 1

ISBN: 9780373675418

Pages: 280

Obtained: Purchased from library branch book sale rack

Comments:

So I participate in TellHarlequin, which means that I answer some surveys and in exchange receive some free books (which they hope I will also give feedback for, though I usually don't read them by the survey deadlines).  Lately I've been feeling guilty for continuously answering None to how many Harlequin books I've Purchased or Read yadda yadda (it's because of financial reasons, but still).  So I made a point of finding some recent releases for sale through the Friends of my local library (via donations).  Among them were this book as well as the next in the series. 

I started it 2 days later and finished that same day.  I liked the hero and heroine (though the heroine was a bit overboard on the trust issues).  I loved the dog.  The boy was a sweetheart.  The K-9 and Search and Rescue aspect overall was cool.  And I'm eager to learn more about the ongoing mysteries brought up throughout this book.  The fact that the book turned out to be large print (I wasn't paying attention) thankfully didn't matter in my ease of reading (sometimes large print can be TOO large, but that wasn't the case here).  Next in this series is Detection Mission by Margaret Daley, and I look forward to starting it.

Note: I haven't really tried much of the inspirational suspense, but it worked.  Clean and yet not boring or preachy.

A Perfect Square

Title: A Perfect Square

Author: Vannetta Chapman

Publisher: Zondervan

Series: Shipshewana Amish Mystery, Bk 2

ISBN: 9780310330448

Pages: 337 + Group Discussion Questions

Obtained: Library copy

Comments:

After I wrote my post on the first book in this series, Falling to Pieces, I didn't have much to add for this one.  Like with the first I found myself in a state of warmth and kind of longing while reading it.  It is a different story though.  This time, the murder has less to do with Callie and more to do with the Amish citizens of Shipshewana (and elsewhere).  While Callie is interested in the truth of the matter, Deborah takes on much more of an amateur sleuth interest.  Callie ends up adopting another case... one of a man who lost his daughter as a child years ago.  He'd like to reunite with her before he passes and for some reason this really connects with Callie.

As for character development, Callie's friendships within the community grow and she seems to be exploring a new relationship at the end that I am very pleased about.

Anyway,  I look forward to reading the third book, Material Witness, which I am currently on the library's request list for.

Falling to Pieces

Title: Falling to Pieces

Author: Vannetta Chapman

Publisher: Zondervan

Series: Shipshewana Amish Mystery, Bk 1

ISBN: 9780310330431

Pages: 318 + Group Discussion Questions

Obtained: Library copy

Comments:

I heard good things about this series, and it looked appealing; I just had to find the time to sit down and read it.  Once I did I found myself absorbed in an interesting mystery in an intriguing and appealing setting with very likable characters.

Oh, the characters.  I do like them so.  I've since read the second book in the series as well (I'll get to that in it's own post), and I still can't get enough of the characters.  They're just so admirable and inspiring - Amish and English alike (except for the bad guy and such of course).  This is the first print book I read after listening to The Casual Vacancy and the difference in characters between the two books is remarkable.  It's amazing what context of your overall reading can do for your impressions of a book.  But beyond that...

Callie has just come to Shipshewana after the death of her aunt, and she's lost.  Not physically lost, but emotionally.  She's floundering.  Confused and without direction.  But a trio of local Amish women need her to reopen her aunt's quilt shop, and suddenly she finds friends and at least temporary purpose... Then she becomes a suspect in a murder, and it's a good thing she's started developing friendships because she needs all the help she can get.

As with most cozy mystery series, this first book is setting the scene for the rest of the books.  This means we get to see an overall image of what Shipsewana is like.  And I would love to visit.  Ideally coming during one of the market days (I wonder if they really have those?), and maybe staying to see/feel the place after the rest of the tourists have gone.

Anyway, I really enjoyed this book, and (as I've already said) I already finished the second book.

Dakota Child

Title: Dakota Child

Author: Linda Ford

Publisher: Steeple Hill Inspirational Historical Romance (Love Inspired Historical)

Copyright Date: 2009

Print Date: December(?) 2010

ISBN: 9780373202737

Pages: 270 + "Questions for Discussion"

Book Description (from back cover):

Trapped in a North Dakota blizzard, single mother Vivian Halliday's prayer for herself and her child is answered. Rescue comes in the seemingly terrifying form of Billy Black, the hulk of a man feared by all the townsfolk. Yet in the home he shares with his ailing mother, the handsome, gentle giant warms her baby's bottles and sings sweet lullibies that lull even Vivian to peaceful sleep.

When the storm abates and it's safe to leave, will she seek the life that led her back to the villiage or stay where she's found an unexpected family for herself and her Dakota child?

Comments:

I recieved this as part of my "Holiday Package" from TellHarlequin. I don't read Inspirational fiction often anymore (there was a time when I read quite a lot of it), but I still enjoy the ocassional fix. =) Plus, the word Child in the title fit one of my challenges for 2011. Reading this would get me off to a great start, no?

I enjoyed the story. I thought the hero and baby were sweet, liked the setting in general, and didn't find it too preachy (Though I saw another reviewer did ... I'm thinking it's a matter of perspective. There are some VERY preachy books out there. Inspirational and otherwise. This one isn't preach free, but I personally didn't think there was a lot.)

Actually, probably the part that did bother me a little was the hero's mother. Or, rather, her history. She was abducted by Indians for 6 years while the hero was a young child. I won't go into much detail because I don't want to spoil the story. But I thought the Indians were too generic. They were the evil abductors, so I would have liked to have known at least known what tribe they were supposed to be from.

Overall I found this to be an easy read. As an added bonus, it has a blizzard through the first chunk of the story so it's a good cozying up type of book for this time of the year.