Author: vicklea

I love to read! I’m a retired teacher with a spouse of 45 years, three amazing children and nine wonderful grandchildren. I am blessed!

Review of LAST SEEN ALONE by Laura Griffin

On By vickleaIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

What a fast-paced, well-written romantic suspense! Leigh Larson is an attorney who takes on interesting cases dealing with sexual extortion and online abuse. Talk about keeping up with the times! This book does that and more. Homicide detective Brandon Reynolds crosses paths with Leigh when her client Vanessa is missing and he concludes that there may have been a murder because of the blood at the scene. Leigh decides to investigate on her own what happened to Vanessa at the same time that Brandon is investigating a possible murder. Leigh’s life is endangered by her own snooping and Brandon comes to her rescue. The romance is steamy at times, but it is a slow burn on the back burner. The real thrust of the story is what happened to Vanessa and why. The characters were three-dimensional and believable, with all of the angst that comes with trying to find out the truth while exploring a new relationship. For the mystery lover fans like me, there were plenty of red herrings and twists with an abundance of possible suspects. The mystery was well-developed, with clues given regularly for me to follow and to keep me enticed to continue to read. In fact, I could not read this book fast enough because I wanted to find out what happened to Vanessa as much as the protagonists did. The conclusion wrapped everything up in a nice, tight bow. I enjoyed the plotting and even the sub-plot of a relationship developing between Detective Antonio and Kate, Vanessa’s sister. Surprisingly, my favorite character was neither Leigh nor Brandon but rather Leigh’s partner Javi, an understanding and compassionate man who really had Leigh’s best interests at heart and wanted her to succeed in her quest for justice. I cannot say enough about how good this story was and hope that fans of creepy good romantic suspense will enjoy it as much as I did.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

I would rate this book PG-13 since there are some steamy sex scenes outside of marriage.
Image and Bio from the author’s website at http://www.lauragriffin.com

Coming next week to a store near you! Pre-order now by following a purchase link below:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Target

Powells

Google Play Store

Indiebound

Bookshop

Releases on September 28, 2021! Don’t wait to get this book that will keep you reading until the very end!

Review of SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE by Tari Faris

On By vickleaIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

This is an enchanting Christian contemporary romance with such a sweet and original story that it was hard to put down. Leah Williams has a problem with trust issues since her father walked out on her. When she returns to the little town of Heritage, Michigan to re-open her grandfather’s store, she needs the help of Jon Kensington, a former basketball star who has a hidden crush on her, but her difficulty trusting him leads to issues between the two. There are also several sub-plots, like Jon taking over his deceased father’s company from an overbearing uncle, Jon’s rebellious sister Abby presenting extra trouble for him and a couple named Colby and Madison who also seem to have sparks flying between them. The entire story was brilliantly written, with believable interactions between the characters and a plot that wove around just enough to keep me absorbed. The addition of a hippo named Otis that moved around the town’s central square and then disappeared completely was a clever touch and one that added humor to the story. With an insightful theme of forgiveness, accepting others and trusting God as well as people, this book is a not-to-be missed conclusion to the Restoring Heritage series. There are three books in the series, and this is the final one. I have read two of them and can say without reservation that they can each be read as a standalone or enjoyed as a series.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Rated PG because there is a character who is pregnant and unmarried. This is a contemporary Christian romance, with emphasis on Christian…it is basically a clean read.
Photo and bio from the author’s website at http://www.tarifaris.com Check out this site…it’s a lot of fun to read!

Available NOW. Purchase Links:

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Powells

Christian Book

Google Play Store

Target

I am happily a member of this wonderful Blogger Program that gives me the opportunity to read, review and share great Christian books!

I hope that you have enjoyed this review and that you will get this book and read it. It kept me entertained for hours and is like reading a fairy tale as an adult. I love happy endings, don’t you? ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️❤️❤️❤️

Review: AN UNEXPECTED AMISH HARVEST by Carrie Lighte

On By vickleaIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

This is a short book that is a quick and lovely read. Set in the Amish world of a potato farm in Maine, it brought back memories of my own time of living in Maine and how focused everyone was when it was potato harvest time. Susanna Peachy goes to live with her grandfather and his wife because her step-grandmother has a broken wrist and needs help during this busy time. Unknown to her before her arrival, her grandfather has hired her former suitor, Peter Lambright, to help with the harvest. That means Susanna will see him daily as one of her duties is to make and serve lunch to the workers. I enjoyed the sweetness of the story and the realistic details about the characters and the setting. Susanna was self-conscious about her appearance and has made big changes by changing her dietary habits. That fact attracts attention from other possible suitors and also makes her wonder if people can be so shallow as to only like others who look good physically. The story had a lesson to teach and a love story to tell, with some obstacles in the way of the would-be couple. Fans of light romance will enjoy reading the story and learn about how hard potato harvesting can be.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harlequin via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Rated G for general audiences. This is a clean Christian fiction.

About the Author
Carrie Lighte enjoys traveling to Amish communities across the United States and she hopes to visit a few in Canada soon, too. When she isn’t writing, reading or researching, she likes to hike, kayak and spend time at the beach.
Connect with the Author
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/carrielighte Website: http://www.carrielighte.com/books

Buy An Unexpected Amish Harvest by Carrie Lighte
Harlequin.com: https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335567185_an-unexpected-amish- harvest.html Amazon Barnes and Noble Target Powells

Review of THE SECRET KEEPERS OF OLD DEPOT GROCERY by Amanda Cox

On By vickleaIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

This is a beautifully written multi-generational story with a theme of finding redemption by letting go of the past and forgiving yourself. Glory Ann is the matriarch of the family, an octogenarian grandmother who wants to finish out her days running the family grocery store in their little town. Her daughter Rosemary, however, is determined to sell the store and ease her mother into the comforts of living out her years resting. Sarah, Rosemary’s daughter, has suffered a tremendous loss in her life and has come home to heal and to work at the family’s grocery store, the last place that she really felt happy and fulfilled. All three women have secrets from each other and all three have to forgive themselves before they can open themselves up to a true family relationship. Told in the present and the past, this book slowly reveals the secrets and the anguish that each woman is secretly holding on to. I especially enjoyed these revelations, anxiously awaiting each secret to be revealed to each other and for the reactions of the others once they were revealed. The characters were so realistic that I almost expected them to jump off the page and speak to me. The plot took what could have been trite and made it into a wonderfully woven story of strong women who have to face the past and find the future together. There are so many layers to this book, with childhood neglect and grandparents who spurn their kin, but the best part was that as a reader, I was reading all of the secrets and urging the characters on to discover the truth and to embrace forgiveness for the past. The lessons that can be learned from reading this lovely tale are manifold, but I think the one that is most memorable for me is that of acceptance and moving forward. I thoroughly enjoyed this book of Christian fiction, with a foundation of faith but not so overwhelming that it took over the entire story. Fans of contemporary women’s fiction will enjoy this novel and ponder the wisdom that it imparts.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

I would rate this book as a PG-13. It is a clean Christian read with some adult themes in it.
Photo and BIO from the author’s website at http://www.amandacoxwrites.com

Purchase Links for this Lovely Story:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Powells

Target

Bookshop

Google Play Store

Christian Book

Baker Book House

Many heartfelt thanks to Revell for giving me the opportunity to read and review this life-changing story!

Review of HER PERFECT LIFE by Hank Phillippi Ryan

On By vickleaIn Book Review4 Comments

Wow! I mean all caps, WOW! I have not read a book this fast in years, but I honestly couldn’t put this one down. This psychological thriller is a character study about family and choices (good and bad ones). It’s about innocence and second chances. Oh, my! The story is centered around a television investigative reporter named Lily who is known as #PerfectLily because that is how her life seems to be. She has a producer named Greer as her friend, a nanny named Petra to take care of her household and the most darling little seven year old named Rowen that anyone could ever hope to meet within the pages of a book. But all is not actually perfect in Lily’s life because when she was about Rowen’s age, her beloved older sister Cassie came into her room and told her good-bye and then vanished. Lily has always wondered what happened to Cassie, but there are no easy answers and even though she has the intelligence and connections to find her, she hasn’t been successful in her quest. When a confidential informant starts feeding Lily and Greer information, they are a little wary but the tips are useful so they choose not to look a gift horse in the mouth. When Lily starts getting strange gifts, she begins to suspect that what the detective had told her about Cassie may not be the truth. Her investigation and its effect on her life is the crux of the story, but there is so much more to it! You just have to read it to find out why I am absolutely in love with this book and cannot recommend it highly enough. Secrets, lies, betrayals! The characterization was perfection and the plot was captivating from beginning to end. As I said, I couldn’t devour it fast enough and know that you will want to get your hands on this little jewel as soon as possible. Just book a weekend away to read it because you will want to keep reading until you have found the mystery to #PerfectLily.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

I would rate this book M for mature audiences due to content. It is definitively a PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER!
Photo is from the author’s website at http://www.hankphillippiryan.com For more information about the author, including her other books and her Bio, please visit her website.

Publishing on September 14th! Purchase Links:

Google Play Store

Target

Bookshop

Powells

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Outward Appearances

On By vickleaIn Scripture3 Comments

bible.com/bible/1171/1sa.16.7.MEV

We are frequently deceived by outward appearances and judge people accordingly. My prayer is that I will look deeper, at the person that they are on the inside, the character that they have developed and the integrity that they demonstrate. Some of the most handsome and most beautiful people in the world are the most selfish and judgmental. It’s not the beauty on the outside that matters to God and it shouldn’t matter to us, either. Each of us is created to be a unique part of God’s creation. We need to find our place in this world and stand tall, knowing that we are children of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

May God bless and keep you close to His heart today.

Happy Labor Day!

On By vickleaIn Scripture2 Comments

It’s that time of year when thoughts turn to another year of work, another year of school, another year of setting and trying to keep goals. Yes, it is Labor Day. Did you know that this day was established back in the late 1800’s when people marched in NYC demanding better pay and time off? Of course, they were working twelve hours per day, six days per week. These days, there are many who have decided just to remain at home and get the paycheck from the government who has so willingly decided to make them dependents. My thoughts on that come from the Scriptures.

We are to work so as to not be a burden to others. Our primary goal is to do the work of the Lord, but we also have to have a job that pays for our food and shelter. The government, also known as the taxpayer, does not owe us anything.

Harsh words, right? I have read in several books that in establishing the colonies, several of the governors used this Scripture to make sure that the people understood that working was to be undertaken by everyone. How far we have come from this! It has become the responsibility of Uncle Sam to feed us (EBT), to shelter us (HUD) and to meet our medical needs, too. That was not how God established things to be. Work=Eat. Simple equation that we need to return to. I know what you are thinking: But, Covid….Yes, there was and is a pandemic (I prefer my daughter’s word for it, the “plandemic”), but God doesn’t say to work and eat as long as there are no dangers to your health. I don’t see any conditions to the statement above. We did what the government said to do for over a year. China sent us a virus, tanked our economy, influenced our election and still has many too afraid to go out to earn a living. Work=Eat.

The final word for Labor Day is that we should not get tired in doing good for others. I don’t know about you, but I am most energized when I have a purpose, a reason to get up in the morning and to get my day started. Imagine if every day, each of us awakened with a sense of having a partnership with God and doing good each day for someone! What a different world it would be! Instead of “me, me, me”, it would be “you, you, you.” I would like to live in such a world, a world where people are kind just because it’s the right thing to do, where people understand that we are all humans sharing this planet until God calls us home to be with Him. Our time on earth is finite, but our kind words and deeds can last forever. We just have to reach out to a hurting world and give them the same hope that Jesus has given us.

My prayer is for each of you to have a blessed Labor Day, reflecting on God’s goodness to you and directing it out to others. 🙏🏻