Author: akrackle

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Review of “From Rome with Love” by Kate Lloyd

This is the second book I have read by Kate Lloyd. I was so excited to confirm that this book is set at Christmas time. And also the cover really drew me in. Unlike Kate Lloyd’s many other books that are Amish in nature (based on what I see on Amazon), I would not consider this a Christian fiction novel. However, I was happy that it did not have foul language or explicit scenes included in the book. Lucy Goff goes to Rome with the Williams family in order to babysit their daughter, Tabatha. They are not aware of Lucy’s past struggles with addiction that were brought on by a prescription to painkillers for an injury when she was a teenager. This is mentioned throughout the book. Tabatha’s parents also failed to fully tell Lucy everything about their daughter. Then throw in an Italian male that Lucy meets on the plane to Rome, a boyfriend that randomly decides to show up to see her, and Tabatha’s parents all but disappearing to end up with one big puzzle. I did enjoy the mystery behind different parts of this story that I previously described. This is definitely not your typical contemporary romance.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in order to give an honest review.

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Review of “Stage Fright” by Kate Lloyd

This is my first book by Kate Lloyd. I was drawn in first by the cover and then by the synopsis of the book. This novel revolves around Jessica Nash and her trip to England with her church choir. Right away I could relate to Jessica’s stage fright and fear of people’s opinions of her. It brought me back to the only time in my life I attempted to audition for a play and that experience is why I could feel for myself her stage fright in this first chapter of the book. And even if you cannot relate to the main character then you will still love this book because several of the characters are definitely hiding things that you will find yourself attempting to figure out. I love the way the author has of describing not only people but situations too. She definitely has a way with words. The words just flow off the page and I am happy to say that it is a fast read. She is definitely going on my list of authors to read.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in order to give an honest review.

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Review of “The Paris Betrayal” by James R. Hannibal

“The Paris Betrayal” appears to be a standalone novel that revolves around the main character, Ben Calix. This novel is a spy thriller based off of the book of Job. The four contacts that Ben needs to locate are supposed to represent the four friends of Job; however, only three friends of Job are mentioned in the Bible: Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. So I am wondering if the fourth person is based off of Elihu that was listening to Job and his friends. This book takes place in a couple of different locations and a lot of the characters not only have their real name but also spy names. There is definitely a lot of suspense in this novel but there is also a lot of events occurring that makes it harder to follow than say an easy beach read. Another thing that made this a slower read for me was the foreign languages that were intermingled throughout the book. Overall, I would say that in spite of the difference in the number of friends and the slower pace of the book, it was still very interesting. It would not be my go-to leisure read since it has so much going on but it was still good.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in order to give an honest review.

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Review of “Taken in the Night” by Elizabeth Goddard

I am a big fan of Elizabeth Goddard’s books.  All of her books that I have read really bring out the suspense as well as romance.  This book is no different.  Even though this is the third in a series, you can definitely read it without having read the other two.  If you like puzzles that are hard to figure out, then you will love this book.  It definitely had me guessing until the very end.  One of the main characters in this one is a little girl named Lucy and she will endear your heart.  She is the definition of child-like faith.  If you have never read a book by Elizabeth Goddard then this one would be a good one to start with.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in order to give an honest review.

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Review of “A Woman of Words” by Angela Hunt

This is the third book in the Jerusalem Road series. You do not have to have read the others in the series to enjoy this one. This book centers around Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Matthew. I can tell that the author did her research based on all the references that she lists in the back of the novel. I also recognize some of the events as things I have read in my Bible. The author does a really good job of bringing this story to life to the point where you can imagine yourself there. I did not think I would be a fan of biblical fiction but Angela Hunt has made me a fan. And even though this is fiction, you can still learn something from it. For example, when Matthew is reminded that though he is no longer the same person he used to be, his gifts from his old life can be used in his new one too.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in order to give an honest review.