A Tree, A Book, and A Breeze

As 1754 is drawing to a close, tensions between the French and the British on Canada's Acadian shore are reaching a fever pitch. Seamstress Sylvie Galant and her family--French-speaking Acadians wishing to remain neutral--are caught in the middle, their land positioned between two forts flying rival flags. Amid preparations for the celebration of Noël, the talk is of unrest, coming war, and William Blackburn, the British Army Ranger raising havoc across North America's borderlands. As summer takes hold in 1755 and British ships appear on the horizon, Sylvie encounters Blackburn, who warns her of the coming invasion. Rather than participate in the forced removal of the Acadians from their land, he resigns his commission. But that cannot save Sylvie or her kin. Relocated on a ramshackle ship to Virginia, Sylvie struggles to pick up the pieces of her life. When her path crosses once more with William's, they must work through the complex tangle of their shared, shattered past ...

  In This Moment Gabrielle Meyer Bethany House Publishers Maggie inherited a gift from her time-crossing parents that allows her to live three separate lives in 1861, 1941, and 2001. Each night she goes to sleep in one time period and wakes up in another. Until, that is, she turns twenty-one, when she will have to forfeit two of those lives--and everyone she knows in them--forever. In 1861, Maggie is the daughter of an influential senator at the outbreak of the Civil War, navigating a capital full of Southern spies and wounded soldiers. In 1941, she is a Navy nurse, grappling with her knowledge of the future when she's asked to join a hospital ship being sent to Pearl Harbor. And in 2001, she's a brilliant young medical student, fulfilling her dream of becoming a surgeon, yet unable to use her modern skills in her other paths. While Maggie has sworn off romance until she makes her final choice, an intriguing man tugs at her heart in each era. The mysterious Brit...

The Words We Lost Nicole Deese Bethany House Publishers I truly had no idea how much I would enjoy this book when I picked it up. My relationship with contemporary fiction is rocky, but I'm so glad I took a chance on this one. Upon reflection, I think what really makes or breaks a contemporary book for me is the voice and writing style- and Nicole Deese passed that test with flying colors. Speaking of my past with contemporary fiction, grief seems a common denominator in the last several that I have read, and I think this one landed the best and most true for me, without being overwhelming in its depiction. After reading this, I'm not only looking forward to the next book in this series, but exploring this author's previous works as well. (and a heads up that though there is a lovely romance in this book, I wouldn't say that it is as heavily featured/relied on as the series title might suggest). I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my hone...

The Sound of Light Sarah Sundin Revell When the Germans march into Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt exchanges his nobility for anonymity, assuming a new identity so he can secretly row messages for the Danish Resistance across the waters to Sweden. American physicist Dr. Else Jensen refuses to leave Copenhagen and abandon her research--her life's dream. While printing resistance newspapers, she hears stories of the movement's legendary Havmand--the merman--and wonders if the mysterious and silent shipyard worker living in the same boardinghouse has something to hide. When the Occupation cracks down on the Danes, these two passionate people will discover if there is more power in speech . . . or in silence. Bestselling author of more than a dozen WWII novels, Sarah Sundin offers pens another story of ordinary people responding to extraordinary circumstances with faith, fortitude, and hope for a brighter future.      I haven't read many books that take pla...

What Happens Next Christina Suzanne Nelson Bethany House Publishers   Popular podcaster and ex-reporter Faith Byrne has made a name for herself telling stories of greatness after tragedy--but her real life does not mirror the stories she tells. When she's asked to spotlight her childhood best friend's missing-person case on her podcast, she uncovers desperate secrets and must face the truth before she can move forward. This marks my fourth consecutive read from a genre I don't typically explore, and honestly, I'm not quite sure it was actually the genre I was expecting. Told from three different viewpoints (one of them in the past), this book lacked the suspense or tense mystery I was anticipating, and instead focused more on dealing with grief.  As I surmised most of the mystery's resolution fairly quickly, I found the book difficult to enjoy due to its slow pace. Of course, I'm not sure this is a book that's really suppose to be "enjoyed?" ...

Everything is Just Beginning Erin Bartels Revell Michael Sullivan is a talented lyricist and a decent guitarist, but since he was kicked out of his band (and his apartment), he's not sure he'll ever get a record deal. Living with his loser uncle in a beat-up trailer and working a dead-end job, Michael has little reason to hope for a better future. Until the invitation for a swanky New Year's Eve party shows up in the mailbox. It's for his uncle, with whom he shares his name, but his uncle is going out of town . . . On the effervescent night of December 31, 1989--as the Berlin Wall is coming down, the Soviet Union is inching toward democracy, and anything seems possible--Michael will cross paths with the accomplished and enigmatic young heir to a fading musical dynasty, forever altering both of their futures. Award-winning novelist Erin Bartels enchants with this story of two lonely souls who have exactly what the other one needs--if they could simply turn ...

All the Lost Places Amanda Dykes Bethany House Publishers   Discovered floating in a basket along the canals of Venice, Sebastien Trovato wrestles with questions of his origins. Decades later, on an assignment to translate a rare book, Daniel Goodman finds himself embroiled in a web of secrets carefully kept within the ancient city and in the mystery of the man whose story the book does not finish: Sebastien. This is one of those books I really wish I could say I enjoyed more, but I admit I struggled with it. I don't know if I would say it is the book or just me , as I think some readers would enjoy it for the same reasons I didn't. Not that there weren't moments I enjoyed- I especially liked the character of Vittoria and Daniel's interactions with her. But the writing style of this one, while poetical, is also a little more abstract and lofty, which isn't really my preference. I didn't hate this one, and there were moments were I found myself invested, bu...

The Rose and the Thistle Laura Frantz Revell In 1715, Lady Blythe Hedley's father is declared an enemy of the British crown because of his Jacobite sympathies, forcing her to flee her home in northern England. Secreted to the tower of Wedderburn Castle in Scotland, Lady Blythe awaits who will ultimately be crowned king. But in a house with seven sons and numerous servants, her presence soon becomes known. No sooner has Everard Hume lost his father, Lord Wedderburn, than Lady Hedley arrives with the clothes on her back and her mistress in tow. He has his own problems--a volatile brother with dangerous political leanings, an estate to manage, and a very young brother in need of comfort and direction in the wake of losing his father. It would be best for everyone if he could send this misfit heiress on her way as soon as possible. Drawn into a whirlwind of intrigue, shifting alliances, and ambitions, Lady Blythe must be careful whom she trusts. Her fortune, her future, ...