Love and Order by Jennifer Uhlarik ~ a book review

This is a very entertaining story set in the Colorado Territory in 1873. I will preface this review by saying I was reading an advanced reader copy that may not be the same as the final revised published version. That being said, this was a story that drew me in and kept my attention to the end.

The story has a long list of characters and the publisher has included a list at the beginning of the book which is very helpful.

Calliope (Callie) is a female Pinkerton agent, who is under cover as Miss Jarrett and on the trail of a serial killer. She is accompanied by a fellow agent, Joe Trenamen, posing as Mr. Nesbitt. While they are conducting their investigation, Callie is also on a search for her brother and sister. They had all been on an orphan train and adopted by different families. Along the way, Callie and Joe realize they are attracted to each other but resist their feelings.

While Callie is undercover, she finds her brother but can’t tell him who she is for fear of exposing her mission. As it turns out , her brother, Rion, becomes the main suspect in the murders and Callie determines to clear his name. Someone is obviously framing him, but who and why?

This story does not shy away from the importance of faith and prayer. However, it does not come across as too preachy.

The only complaint I had with this ARC, is one that I hope was resolved in the final publication. While Callie is undercover, the only person who knows her true identity is Joe. But, at one point, Hattie,the daughter of the woman who runs the boarding house, gives her a telegram addressed to Calliope Wilson from her sister, Andie. Unless I missed something, Hattie only knew her as Miss Jarrett. As I said, this may have been corrected in the final revision.

This story is packed with adventure, suspense, mystery and love. It is obvious that the author had done a lot or research on life in the old west and especially in the court system.

This is from the publisher’s website:

"Wanted: Family, Love, and Justice

Separated as children when they were adopted out to different families from an orphan train, the Braddock siblings have each grown up and taken on various jobs within law enforcement and criminal justice.

Pinkertons Callie Wilson and Joe Trenamen come to Cambria Springs to stop a killer. But when evidence points to a ghost from Callie’s childhood, she must choose between two men she loves.
 
Falsely accused, bounty hunter Rion Braddock vows to prove his innocence. Former flame Maya Fellows and dime novelist Lucinda Peters both offer help, but is either beauty truly on his side?
 
In her first solo case, attorney Andi McGovern defends Rion, but the infuriating prosecutor, Daniel Littrick, outwits her. Following a hunch could win her case—or leave Andi dead.
 
Can these couples stop the true culprit and right the greatest injustice of Callie, Andi, and Rion’s lives?”

This is a clean, Christian faith based, exciting historical romance. Readers of Christian romance will not be disappointed.

Go HERE to read an excerpt

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and Netgalley through their ARC book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

Lady Graceless by Kate Archer ~ a book review

 

If you are looking for a humorous, historical story with eccentric characters this is the one for you. It is book number two of the ‘A series of Senseless Complications’ series.

This is listed as historical Christian romance but for readers who are looking for in depth faith, this might not be the one for them. However, it is definitely clean and I found nothing objectionable or inappropriate. It just doesn’t delve into the faith and doctrine that some readers might want. That being said, this is a very enjoyable and whimsical story full of interesting characters, comical situations and plot twists and turns.

This story is set in England in 1802.

Grace is the daughter of the Duke of Pelham. A notorious liar but loving, good natured father whose main desire in life is to see his beautiful daughters married and “out of his care”.

Grace is known for her sweet nature and loves her family deeply but her clumsiness frequently ends with her in a heap on the floor at the oddest times.

She has two main suitors and at times the reader is left wondering who is the good guy and who is the villain.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book with all the dastardly deeds and quirky situations and was for the most part, lighthearted.

This is from the publisher’s website:

“He’s shipwrecked himself on a beach. She happens to be standing on that beach. A beginning that dreams are made of, had he not a cousin who wants his title.

The Duke of Pelham is once more poised to bring the Nicolets to London and assault society once more. He’s got seven daughters to get rid of, and now he’s on to number two. Lady Grace Nicolet will make her debut. Unfortunately, she has the unique ability to find herself on the floor at the most awkward moments. She lives in terror that people will notice her clumsiness and make a joke of her name.

As the Nicolets set off from the Yorkshire Dales, the duke has the idea to meander to the coast so his girls might get their first glimpse of the sea. On arrival, they get more of a view than they’d anticipated. Miles Delatore, Viscount Dashlend, eldest son of the Earl of Gravesend, has spent two days adrift in his sloop and has just washed up on the beach. A duke’s daughter on her way to Town to find her husband encounters the heir to an earldom? They find each other wildly attractive and exceedingly genial? There is every reason in the world that a match should proceed.

Of course, it would, if it were not for a certain Baron Montclave. That fellow will become the Earl of Gravesend’s heir—if Dashlend dies before producing an issue. Thus far, it has seemed a likely eventuality, as Dashlend has been busy putting his life in danger in every conceivable manner. Montclave’s hopes had leapt to the sky when his cousin was reported lost at sea. But then, Dashlend did not stay lost.

Is Montclave to sit back and simply watch his future fade away?

A determined lord, a dizzy lady, and a desperate climber take the ton on another unnecessarily fraught ride through London’s season.”

If you like clean, comical historical romance, then you won’t want to miss this one.

Go HERE to read an excerpt and to learn more about the author and  the other books in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and Dragonblade Publishing through their book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed above are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

Ambush by Colleen Coble, A Sanctuary Novel ~ a book review

In this contemporary mystery, Paradise Alden has come back to her childhood town in Alabama.  When she was a child, both her parents were murdered and the crime has never been solved.  As a result, she grew up in a series of foster homes where in one case, she was abused. 

She is now a veterinarian and accepts a job at the local wild animal sanctuary.  The owner happens to be the mother of her first love, Blake Lawson. She feels he betrayed her confidence which prompted her being placed in the abusive foster home, and she struggles to forgive him.  She has recently been attacked by a jaquar and is recovering from that injury.

As soon as she arrives at the sanctuary, a woman is murdered and Blake is the main suspect.  A series of break-ins, sabotage, gun fire and arson occur at the sanctuary. Is someone trying to frame Blake? Who is committing these crimes and why is the sanctuary being targeted?

Can Paradise and Blake work together to find the answers and can Paradise discover who killed her parents and why? Blake’s faith has seen him through his military service and the tragic loss of his best friend. Can he help Paradise rediscover her faith?

This is from the back cover:

“The first book in the riveting new series from USA TODAY bestselling author Colleen Coble, where a young woman will do anything to uncover the truth of her parents' murder--even work alongside the man who once broke her heart.

Paradise Alden's childhood in Nova Cambridge, Alabama, was idyllic until the night her parents were murdered. Since then, life has left her scarred. The abuse she suffered in the foster care system, her first love's betrayal, and the jaguar attack that nearly destroyed her career have led to an unshakable distrust--in men, in God, and maybe in even in herself.

After fifteen years, returning to her hometown is a last resort to finding her life again. She's hoping the wildlife refuge where she's accepted a veterinarian job will be the perfect place to heal from her recent traumas and unlock her memories about the night her parents died. But the day she arrives at The Sanctuary, a body is discovered on the grounds. And soon, a series of deadly events threatens not only her future, but the man who, despite all odds, still makes her pulse stutter. Arson, a shooting, a break-in, and multiple instances of animals being freed from their enclosures all point back to him, but Paradise knows Blake Lawson isn't responsible. Not the man who has been helping his mother manage The Sanctuary these past six months and care for his stepbrothers in the wake of their father's death . . . even if his betrayal years ago cost her everything.

Someone dangerous is lurking beneath the town's moss-draped trees, and Paradise refuses to let another murderer disappear into the shadows.”

The first book in the series, this suspenseful romantic mystery will keep your attention to the end.  There are some unresolved questions that I hope will be addressed in the future books of the series.

Go HERE to read an excerpt 

Go HERE to learn more about Colleen Coble and her other books  

 

Faith plays an important part of the story but it is in no way offensive or “preachey”.

I look forward to the next book in this series, and give this a 5 out of 5 star rating.

 

I received a complimentary ARC** of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed  are my own.

**A word about ARC books.   Advanced Reading Copies (ARCs) are a preview copy and are not a finished product. They may differ from the final published work and may include additional editing. My reviews may include some things that vary from the final published book.