Christian Contemporary Romance Paperback & ebook, 368 Pages April 30th 2019 by Bethany House Publishers
Britt Bradford and Zander Ford have been the best of friends since they met thirteen years ago. Unbeknown to Britt, Zander has been in love with her for just as long.
Independent and adventurous Britt channels her talent into creating chocolates at her hometown shop. Zander is a bestselling author who’s spent the past 18 months traveling the world. He’s achieved a great deal but still lacks the only thing that ever truly mattered to him–Britt’s heart.
When Zander’s uncle dies of mysterious causes, he returns to Merryweather, Washington, to investigate, and Britt is immediately there to help. Although this throws them into close proximity, both understand that an attempt at romance could jeopardize their once-in-a-lifetime friendship. But while Britt is determined to resist any change in their relationship, Zander finds it increasingly difficult to keep his feelings hidden.
As they work together to uncover his uncle’s tangled past, will the truth of what lies between them also, finally, come to light?
I’ve yet to read many split-time novels, but I do enjoy those I’ve read! An author’s ability to skillfully interweave themes in two plot lines set in separate eras can enhance and deepen those themes while adding interest for the reader.
Hidden Among the Stars by Melanie Dobson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This beautifully written tale follows the lives of a handful of young Austrians living under Nazi occupation. One is a gifted Jewish musician, one is the young man who loves her, and another the childhood friend who loves him.
Interwoven is the story of Callie, aka Story Girl, a lonely bookstore owner in possession of two books connected to Austria and hidden treasure.
There is mystery, romance, and tragedy, but, in sum, it’s a novel about the power of stories – children’s stories and our own stories – internalizing them, living them, and marveling at the way the master storyteller has perfectly interwoven each of them.
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A single woman evicted from her family home. A terrifying specter that only she sees. A dark connection between his past and hers…
After her father’s tragic death and her mother’s recent passing, loss leaves an emptiness Jeannie Lyons can’t fill. Now she must leave her family home, the one place where her parents’ memory still lives.
An old house on the edge of town becomes Jeannie’s new home, one too big for her and her three-legged cat, but she soon gets the impression she’s not alone. Her brother blames her overactive imagination. Her sister-in-law suggests counseling. Her would-be boyfriend is the only one who believes her, but can she trust him? With nowhere to turn, Jeannie must face her inner demons and confront this soul from beyond the grave.
Set in modern times, this supernatural thriller is loosely based on the apparitions to Eugenie von der Leyen (1867-1929).
I love introductory sentences packed with meaning! Nine words, but here’s what they convey:
Someone is happy to be leaving. So happy, in fact, that it brings a smile to her face. (I read ahead so, yes, it’s a woman.) And despite the boldness of her smiling – or contemplating smiling – she feels some compunction about its propriety. Either for its own sake or for the sake of those she’ll happily be rid of.
What’s the first line of the book you’re reading? Or the book nearest to you?
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Welcome to the May 2019 edition of An Open Book, hosted both at My Scribbler’s Heart AND CatholicMom.com!
In his travels, my husband has been listening to Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill. He reports that the author may have outdone his father, Stephen King, in creepiness. After all the content warnings my husband listed (graphic language, occult themes, sexual situations, and more), I’m fairly certain this book is not for me. As my husband said, “It’s [an exercise in] everything not to do.”
Ancient Brews: Rediscovered and Re-created by Patrick E. McGovern and Sam Calagione weaves archaeology and science to uncover the world’s oldest beverages and the cultures that created them. The book is listed among Smithsonian magazine’s Ten Best Books of the Year about Food and includes re-created recipes for the intrepid home brewer. I have nowhere near the interest in beer that my husband has, but the history surrounding these brews is fascinating.
I’ve been listening to The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers by Maxwell King. Having grown up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, I had an immediate interest in Fred Rogers’ story. This biography seems well-balanced, neither elevating Rogers to sainthood status nor trashing the memory of a well-loved national figure. And while Mister Rogers’ personal story is interesting, I’m equally enthralled by the history told alongside the biography, namely western Pennsylvania history and the genesis of public television and children’s broadcasting. As a Pittsburgh native who studied broadcast journalism, there is so much here to interest me. The narration by LeVar Burton is well done.
The Waves, Amy Matayo’s brand-new, clean, contemporary romance, was such fun! What could’ve been a stranded-on-a-desert-island cliché is a thoughtful story about a couple whose very human desires to be known and loved are laid bare by the worst of circumstances. A beautiful setting, a selfless and simmering romance, and the author’s skill at creating true-to-life characters made this a highly enjoyable escape!
My Queen, My Mother: A Living Novena by Marge Fenelon is a sort of travel guide, reflective journal, history book, and prayer companion rolled into one! The author’s trek across nine novena-worthy Marian pilgrimage sites enlightened me to Church and national history. The uniquely American flair of the sites and stories and the ways in which the author connected those to prayer for the United States is fresh and inspiring.
My sophomore son’s class has been reading William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, which I’ve read multiple times. I love that his classes place literature in context amidst their discussion of the Renaissance while also discussing Shakespeare and anti-Semitism through the play’s treatment of Shylock. My son has really enjoyed the play, citing great poetry, good characterization, and the friendship and romance overcoming Shylock’s hatred.
I haven’t seen a book outside of a classroom selection in my fifth-grade daughter’s hands lately, so I’ve given her Mission Libertad by Lizette M. Lantigua to read. I read this story of a Cuban family’s immigration to the United States in the 1970s earlier this year. Aside from the political and pop culture history that I enjoyed, there is a mystery and a faith element that make this an intriguing story for young readers.
My first grader is getting a thorough introduction to the Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne. She is reading The Knight at Dawn, in which siblings Jack and Annie visit the Middle Ages in the midst of a castle feast.
I’ve fallen in love with Our Sunday Visitor’s Saintly Rhymes for Modern Times by Meghan Bausch, and am so happy to read it aloud to our children. These simple, easy-on-the-ears stanzas about modern saints (Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, St. Damien of Molokai, St. Josephine Bakhita, Venerable Fulton Sheen and many more) are such fun to read. And yet they capture the essence of each saint’s life and charisms. The matching illustrations are beautifully done and convey as much as the written words, making this a true treasure that has a place in every Catholic child’s library!
My youngest son’s kindergarten class loves Pete the Cat, and this week we’re reading Pete the Cat and the Cool Cat Boogie by James Dean and Kimberly Dean. With bright illustrations, a rhyming refrain, and an opportunity to get up and move, I can see why this would be a classroom favorite.
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Like many who watched the recent Abby Johnson bio-pic Unplanned (based onUnplanned: The Dramatic True Story of a Former Planned Parenthood Leader’s Eye-Opening Journey across the Life Line), I was startled by the utter contradiction of a joy-filled baby shower being held in the same site where dozens of babies lives were lost that very day, dismembered and discarded as biological waste. Not only did Abby and her friends and co-workers fail to recognize the humanity of every child in the womb, but they condemned each to death according to the mother’s wishes.
At the same time, in the midst of a Lenten Bible study (No Greater Love: A Biblical Walk through Christ’s Passion by Edward Sri), I struggled to comprehend the failure of the Jewish people (especially the Sandhedrin) to recognize the Messiah they’d long awaited standing before them. Not only did they not recognize Him, but they condemned Him to death.
Your author tagline is “Inspiring Adventures with an Edge.” Elaborate on what that means pertaining to your novels for teens.
I aim to write adventures that will grab the interest of young readers and provide hours of exciting entertainment. Life is edgy, so keeping the story is real as possible without crossing the line is the key to entertainment. Entertainment first, then it isn’t difficult to write from the perspective of hope. I want to give kids hope that they, too, can conquer this difficult period of life and walk away from this story feeling good about life and themselves.
