Amnesia Stole Her Memories of Her Dad

Deb’s Dozen: Amnesia Has Taken Her Father Away More Than His Death on 9/11

Beck Holiday lost her father in the North Tower on 9/11, but she lost all of her memories of him and their life before his death as well. Amnesia took away so much. Now grown, Beck works as a cop in New York City—tough but tender-hearted. When a drug dealer kicks the dog being used to carry drugs, Beck beats the man severely and rescues the dog. On administrative leave and pregnant from a one-night stand with her boss, Beck takes advantage of a bequest from a woman she doesn’t remember either.

Everleigh Applegate lost her new husband and their house to a tornado decades before Beck came on the scene. She lives with her mother and exists day to day. Don Callahan comes on the scene and Everleigh begins to long for change. But Everleigh’s secret no one can know.

Fifty years later, Everleigh leaves her home, the Memory House, to Beck. Beck and her rescue dog come to the house to find Beck’s reality and her dreams. Will she find her father too?

Bruno Endicott, Beck’s former flame, sees her at Everleigh’s funeral. But Beck’s amnesia means she doesn’t remember him either. Bruno pursues her to try to break her out of her protective shell. Together, they work to recover Beck’s memories and find romance as well. Bruno secrets intrude—will they destroy the romance?

Hauck writes engaging characters in unusual situations. Beck intrigues me as she considers her pregnancy, her past life, and her potential future with Bruno. Bruno caused me to think about careers I’ve lost or given up as he attempts to make it on his own as a sports agent. And the ghost of Everleigh surrounds them as the Memory House works its magic.

A Royal WeddingRachel Hauck is “the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of The Wedding Dress, named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times.” The Wedding Dress also finaled for the RITAs. Rachel lives in Florida with her husband and two pets and says she “writes from her ivory tower.”

Thomas Nelson gave me a copy of The Memory House, but I was in no way obligated to write a review.

Sex Trafficking Sends Carly Into Hiding …

Deb’s Dozen: Sex Trafficking Escapee Still at Mercy of Her Captor—Many Years Later

The Memphis Cold Case novels by Patricia Bradley tackle cases that have gone cold over time. Justice Delivered relates such a case. Lured into sex-trafficking in her teens, Carly Smith exists trying to live down those years. A man, posing as a modeling scout, lured her to New York with the promise of a contract but ended up selling her into sex slavery. She managed to escape, but she lives in fear of discovery by the man from whom she escaped.

Now she returns to the place the terror started—-the place where her sister, Lia, lost her life shortly after they talked. The horror continues when the traffickers kidnap her niece, Lexi, as a lure to bring Carly into the clutches of her old captor, Blade.

She runs into an old flame, Logan Donovan, at her niece’s soccer game, discovering Logan coaches the team. He’s also a police detective working cold case files. When an unknown gunman targets Carly at Haven House, a safe house for trafficked girls, Logan knows he must become involved.

Bradley does an exceptional job of bringing her characters to life. We tremble with Carly as she thinks about the horrific existence she lived as a sex slave. We, too, fear her discovery by people from her past as she endeavors to find Austin King, the man who lured her away. On the other hand, Logan Donovan becomes the savior figure as he works to solve the mystery of the woman and the situation. Who can Carly trust? Logan? Maggie, the attorney engaged to David Raines, another cold case cop? Bradley keeps you guessing as the tale unravels. Four Stars.

Gone Without a TracePatricia Bradley lives in Mississippi. She is the founder of Aiming for Healthy Families, Inc., and a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers. The other three books in the Memphis Cold Case series are Justice Delayed, Justice Buried, and Justice Betrayed. You’ll want to get these as well as her Logan Point series. Check her out at PTBradley.com.

Revell Books gave me a copy of Justice Delivered but I was in no way obligated to write a review.

Romance and Rebels–Three Generations

Deb’s Dozen: Three generations of Irish rebels—one castle—many memories to build upon.

Castle on the Rise is the second book in the Lost Castle novels. I loved the first book, The Lost Castle. This book was confusing to me. The book switches among 1797, 1915, and present-day Ireland. I found myself getting the characters and their time periods mixed up. However, I did find them all engaging. All three time periods present engaging stories of romance.

In present day Ireland, Laine travels to the country to attend her best friend’s wedding. She never dreamed the legacy of the land and the castle would reel her in. Will Cormac be her romance? Will they discover the mystery of the Castle on the Rise?

In 1915, Issy (Isolde) gets drawn into the “troubles” and risks her life to document the truth of the rebellion and continues the legacy. Sean tries to keep her safe and acknowledges he loves and wants to romance her.

Back in 1797, Maeve Ashford, the doyenne of the castle, rescues and eventually marries an Irish rebel to begin the legacy. Eoin gives his freedom to keep his romance and his wife safe.

Three women, three different time periods, all with crises and chaos ensuing from the desire of the Irish to be free. Laine draws all the pieces together … and perhaps finds love herself.

The book, although confusing because of the time splits among the three periods, drew me in and made me want to know what happened to the characters. Cambron leaves the romance between Laine and Cormac hanging, leading me to believe a third novel is on the horizon.

Kristy Cambron, a multi-published author, fancies herself a “vintage-inspired” storyteller. Nominated for many awards, her novels The Butterfly and the Violin and A Sparrow in Terezin command the most attention. She and her husband live in Indiana with their football-loving sons.

Thomas Nelson gave me a copy of Castle on the Rise, but I did not obligate me to write a review.