Great Contemporary Christian Romance

Posted on by July 4, 2016
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Deb’s Dozen: Dru never imagined a stalker would lead to Her One and Only!

Her One and Only is the fourth book in the Porter Family Novels, great contemporary Christian romances. Dru is the baby sister of three brothers, who seldom believe she is capable of caring for herself. To prove herself, Dru became a Marine, an expert sharpshooter, a black belt, and an experienced executive protection agent for Dallas’s best security company.

Dru is assigned to one of the shifts guarding NFL superstar Gray Fowler. Gray has started receiving death threats from a stalker. He’s used to obsessive fans, but this is another level of danger. He hates the idea of bodyguards 24/7. He likes his privacy. And to top things off, one of the guards is a beautiful woman!

Her last assignment a disaster, Dru is determined to repair her damaged reputation. She’s going to ace this job. But as they draw closer to finding the stalker, Dru draws closer to Gray. And he doesn’t even play for the right team! Her brothers are anything but happy.

Twists and turns are rampant throughout Her One and Only as they were through Becky’s other three Porter Family books. Dru was a shadow in the other books. I’m happy to see her have her own story and interesting outcome. The characters are well-developed. You’ll learn to appreciate Dru and love/hate Gray. The secondary characters are also written well. Becky brings in just enough of the backstory to remind readers of the first three books although Her One and Only can stand alone too.

I highly recommend this climactic ending to the Porter Family Novels. Five stars.

Becky-Wade4Becky Wade lives in Dallas after she went and married a Texan. She has won several awards for her Christian contemporary romances including a Carol Award, an Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award, and an INSPY Award. Her website is Becky Wade.

Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group, gave me a copy of Her One and Only in exchange for my unbiased review.

Voice In the Wilderness: A-1 Political Thriller

Posted on by April 30, 2016
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Deb’s Dozen: The USA Needs a Voice In the Wilderness of Today’s Dangerous Environment

I love finding a new author who I love immediately upon reading their book. H. L. Wegley is such an author. The first entry in his newest series, Against All Enemies, Voice in the Wilderness, caught my attention immediately and held me in thrall throughout the entire book. I kept putting the book down so I wouldn’t finish reading so quickly. Susan May Warren calls the book, “A terrifyingly real political thriller!”

KC Banning, a network specialist, has found President Hannan has an illegal entry into the nation’s security systems. She and her mentor, Sen. Richards, have uncovered Hannan’s nefarious plot to take over the US. As she goes to meet her mentor, she receives a text message to “UR being set up.Watch ur back, PL.” They discuss the situation and decide KC needs to get out of town and into hiding. As she lopes away from the Lincoln Memorial where they had met, she hears a single gunshot, realizes her mentor has been assassinated and that the situation is now Code Red.

Her girlhood friend, Brock Daniels, a writer and a Christian, has become the nation’s most-read blogger. His blog gives hope to a nation badly in need of CPR. He is operating out of a yurt located on the ranch where his and KC’s families used to spend the summer.

KC knows the only person she can trust is Brock—and heads west to their secret message site to find him. They’d buried a glass jar they’d promised to leave messages to each other in whenever they were in the area. KC is elated to find Brock is so close by. She’s now been labeled a “domestic terrorist” by the Hannan administration and is literally running for her life.

So starts a journey to both keep them safe and expose the tyrannical Hannan and his plans. Are they in their positions, with their unique talents, for “such a time as this?” You will want to buy Voice In the Wilderness (click here to purchase), a political thriller of the first order and join them on their flight and mission.

KC and Brock are very believable characters. I love how Wegley gives us the backstory in pieces so we can understand the obvious chemistry between them. Both of them carry burdens from the past they will have to surmount before they can admit the attraction they feel for the other. I found their struggles very realistic and cared from the outset about their eventual fates. There are twists and turns at every juncture—you won’t begin to figure out the ending. Both my husband and I give the political thriller Voice In the Wilderness five stars! I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

H.L Wegley served in the Air Force as both an Intelligence Analyst and a Weather Officer. In civilian life, he’s been a research scientist and then developed computing systems for Boeing for twenty years before retiring near Seattle. He is multi-published with a four-book inspirational series, two nonfiction books, and four more novels on the way. Contact H.L. at www.H.L.Wegley.com.
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The author gave me a copy of Voice In the Wilderness in exchange for my unbiased review.

Bathsheba: Reluctant Beauty

Posted on by April 26, 2016
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Deb’s Dozen: Bathing Bathsheba Spied from Above—She Never Dreamed the King Brought Love.

Bathsheba—the woman King David took in an adulterous relationship. Bathsheba—the woman King David murdered to keep. We’re all familiar with the story of Bathsheba, but most of us seem to figure the fault lay with the woman, not the lust filled man. Angela Hunt has reimagined the Biblical backstory on this story—to help us see the woman who was caught up in the king’s desires, and who had no choice in her destiny.

We see a woman much in love with her husband, Uriah, and the blissful year they had together after their marriage. We see the love Uriah had for Bathsheba and how he treasured her. We also see a man who, although a Hittite, was totally loyal to King David and to his role in the king’s army. In addition, Angie shows us the politics in play in the court, in the harem, and among the king’s sons. She sets the stage beautifully for the drama that played out in Jerusalem during David’s reign.

This Bathsheba seems to be quite naïve about marriage and about life. She was older when married; eighteen—practically ancient in that culture. She adored Uriah and was pleasantly surprised to find life with the man delightful. She admired his strength, his passion, his loyalty, and his gentleness. Bathsheba was distraught when the time came for him to go back to the battle front. She was also dismayed that every month during their year together brought proof she had not conceived a child—and was depressed when after he left, she discovered yet again she was not with child.

While in the mikvah (bath) in their backyard being purified after her time of uncleanliness according to the custom, she was seen by the king, who was looking over his balcony at the houses below. She was summoned. She went thinking the king had news of her husband. She was dismayed and appalled and shocked and shamed when he raped her and then sent her home.

You’ll want to read this wonderful book. The characters are warm and well-drawn. The passions run hot and strong. The politics are evil and manipulative. Life and death is only a heartbeat away at any moment. I grew to love Bathsheba. I mourned with her when Uriah is killed. Living in the harem was eye-opening. Michal and Abigail, two of David’s other wives, came to life for me. David becomes more real—you begin to understand the man behind the legend.

Angela Hunt has another winner in her Dangerous Women series. Esther was excellent; Bathsheba is brilliant. (Click title to purchase.) I look forward to the next book in the series. Five stars.

BathshebaAngie Hunt is a prolific writer with over one hundred books to her credit that have sold over five million copies. She has won a multitude of awards—RITA, Christy, Holt Medallion and others. She completed her doctorate in Biblical Studies in 2008 and is working on her ThD. She and her husband and their mastiffs live in Florida. And she takes the most wonderful photographs of dogs in their local rescue facility to aid in their adoptions.

Bethany House, a division of Baker Books, gave me a copy of Bathsheba in exchange for my unbiased review.