Love and the Dream Come True by Tammy L. Gray

 

Love and the Dream Come True by Tammy L. Gray

Tammy is one of my favorite authors these days. This is the third book in her State of Grace series.

Let’s begin with the summary:

Their faith will face its toughest test yet.

Four years after getting the biggest break of his life, Cameron Lee's music career has taken a nosedive, leaving him two options: become a sellout or give up on his lifelong dream. He reluctantly returns home for his sister's wedding, hoping to avoid his past and find his love for music again.

Single mom Lexie Walters has suffered her fair share of tragedies and setbacks, but she has finally scraped together the money to achieve her dream of going into business with her cousin as an interior designer. When Lexie’s life is at an all-time high, she runs into her teenage crush, Cameron Lee.

Lost in the emotional turmoil of failure, Cameron is immediately drawn to Lexie and her infectious smile and optimistic spirit. Moreover, he adores her mouthy, no-holds-barred daughter. But fantasies only last so long, and soon Lexie and Cameron must face the real world, the one fraught with heartbreak, disappointment, and questions that sometimes can only be answered by a leap of faith.

And now, my review:

I’ve read this entire series, so what fun to see familiar characters and to learn their story. Before this, these two had been on the outskirts of the previous novels. It was satisfying to see them take center stage in first person. One of the themes is what to do after the dream comes true. Where to next? Especially if it wasn’t as fulfilling as one would like.

I loved that Lexie has had a crush on Cameron for-ev-er. This was a fun aspect as they reunited. Lexie’s daughter is such a great “cast member” in the novel.

This heroine is wordy! She rambles, and I admit I skipped her pages at times. We’ve all known people like that, though, haven’t we? If only we could skip ahead in those conversations. Heh.

There were some poignant lines, like: “What is it about coming gome that makes all the masks disappear?” (location 362 in the ARC)

As a musician and songwriter, I enjoyed the music aspect of this story.

The hero’s anxiety manifests itself in a tough challenge. This may be relatable for some readers.

Overall, an enjoyable read.

Sunrise by Susan May Warren

Sunrise by Susan May Warren

The first book in a new series by Susan May Warren!

Let’s begin with the summary:

Coming home was never the plan.

Pilot Dodge Kingston has always been the heir to Sky King Ranch. But after a terrible family fight, he left to become a pararescue jumper. A decade later, he's headed home to the destiny that awaits him.

That's not all that's waiting for Dodge. His childhood best friend and former flame, Echo Yazzie, is a true Alaskan—a homesteader, dogsledder, and research guide for the DNR. Most of all, she's living a life Dodge knows could get her killed. One of these days she's going to get lost in the woods again, and his worst fear is that he won't be there to find her.

When one of Echo's fellow researchers goes missing, Echo sets out to find her, despite a blizzard, a rogue grizzly haunting the woods, and the biting cold. Plus, there's more than just the regular dangers of the Alaskan forests stalking her . . .

Will Dodge be able to find her in time? And if he does, is there still room for him in her heart?

And now, my review:

Oh, you’re going to feel chilly reading this novel set in Northern Alaska, but you won’t feel bored!

I call Susan the queen of first lines. Check this out: “By the time Dodge got to the hospital, he’d already broken his first promise.” So good. Hooks you, doesn’t it?

We have SEALs; hot-headed heroes; strong, independent, survivor heroines. What’s not to love?

The hero had a falling-out with his father a long time ago. This makes for an awkward homecoming, but he faces it. Generally, he’s the type to go into denial, to dodge the truth. A fitting fatal flaw since his name is Dodge.

The heroine’s lie is that everyone you love leaves. That makes her doubt they ever loved her at all. She may feel her voice is an echo back from the expanse, without a response. Fitting since her name is Echo. She’s described as having put herself back together, following a betrayal, with anger. I’ve known people like that. They’re edgy and determined, gritting their way through—just the strength she needs to take on the Alaskan wilderness.

Susie uses symbolism throughout, like how tagging a bear teaches them they’re not quite free anymore, which could symbolize how people’s wounds/traumas rob our innocence too.

As a reader of Susie May’s novels, I liked seeing familiar characters peopling this one. It’s comforting, like visiting old friends. Her descriptions are layered and original. Like this: “The stars came out slowly, arching over the nightscape, the moon an eye, tracking her.” (location: 342 of the ARC) Or this: “A shard of compassion separated him from his frustration.” (location 1876 of the ARK)

There were a couple of melodramatic moments in the early copy I read, and some places lacked transitions, leading to confusion, but overall—a very compelling, well-written story with layered characters, prose, and plot.

This is book one in her Sky King Ranch series.  

Highly recommended!

Wild Montana Skies by Susan May Warren

Wild Montana Skies by Susan May Warren

It's release day for Susan May Warren's latest book. 

Let’s begin with the summary:

Search and rescue pilot Kacey Fairing is home on leave in Mercy Falls, Montana, twelve years after she joined the military to escape the mistakes of her past. With a job waiting for her as the new lead pilot of Peak Rescue in Glacier National Park, Kacey hopes to reconnect with the now-teenage daughter she sees only between deployments. What she doesn't realize is that someone else is also back in town.

Ben King has been building his country music career since the day Kacey shut him out of her life. Now all of that's on hold when his injured father calls him home to help run Peak Rescue until he's fully recovered. It doesn't take long, though, to discover his father's ulterior motives as Kacey Fairing walks into the house and back into his heart.

With Mercy Falls in a state of emergency due to flash floods, Kacey and Ben are forced to work together to save lives. But when floodwaters turn personal, can they put aside the past to save their future?

And now, my review:

Thanks to Susie, I’ve had John Denver’s song “Montana Skies” in my head for as long as this book graced my nightstand. (*wink) I don’t mind.

First, I recommend reading Susan’s prequel to this story, entitled If Ever I Would Leave You. You could probably read this novel without having read the prequel (i.e., it would make sense), but if the prequel is still free in e-book format, why not have a read? It’s a short story/novella and it reads fast. Oh, and it’s yummy. See my review here.

The setting for these books (the prequel and this story and the rest of the Montana Rescue Series) takes us into the wilds of Montana. We get to participate with the characters on rescue missions, as a backdrop for several relationships we’re following. We’ll see the main characters from the prequel in this story, but at the center are a couple whose past mistakes in their romance hinder their chance at a present one.

The hero is a musician who chose his dreams over his one-time girlfriend, the heroine. Both of them have grown up since then, and each of them has secrets.

I liked all the music references—the song lyrics. The SAR team are a fun group of characters, each member competent in her/his role. I’m looking forward to the second book in this series.    

Traces of Guilt by Dee Henderson

Traces of Guilt by Dee Henderson

I became a fan of Dee’s many years ago. Her romantic suspense novels hooked both me and my husband into devouring her books, one after another. I was glad to read this title for review.

Let’s begin with the summary:

She's turning up the heat on Carin County's cold cases . . .

Evie Blackwell loves her life as an Illinois State Police detective . . . mostly. She's very skilled at investigations and has steadily moved up through the ranks. She would like to find Mr. Right, but she has a hard time imagining how marriage could work, considering the demands of her job.

Gabriel Thane grew up in Carin County and is now its sheriff, a job he loves. Gabe is committed to upholding the law and cares deeply for the residents he's sworn to protect. He too would like to find a lifetime companion, a marriage like his parents have. . . .

When Evie arrives in Carin, Illinois, it's to help launch a new task force focused on unsolved crimes across the state. She will work with the sheriff's department on a couple of its most troubling missing-persons cases. As she studies old evidence to pull out a few tenuous new leads, she unearths surprising connections. One way or another, she knows Gabriel Thane and his family will be key to the answers she seeks.

And now, my review:

Dee has such a strong sense of story. I liked the hint of romance at the beginning—with a pining MC. That hooked me right away.  

This author tells the story through dialogue, which would work for writing a movie script. However, at times the dialogue (like the sentence phrasing) was stilted. There is very little introspection in any of the many POVs, and therefore the characters didn’t feel very deep or individual. Sometimes the POV missteps and awkward sentence phrasing jarred me out of the story. And, for the most part, all of the characters (minus one or two) have the same voice. 

One of my favorite authors and writing friends gets a character named after her within. Loved seeing that! (*waving at Susie) We do get to see the characters’ competence throughout.  Dee is fantastic at including police procedurals. Watching this investigation unfold, I was fascinated. I don’t watch crime shows on TV, so I’m not exposed to these techniques very often. Loved that aspect. 

Sometimes, I found that the pacing dragged with redundancies and long stretches of dialogue. And I would have loved to see a strong romantic thread throughout. Still, I enjoyed this novel and kept coming back so I could finish it. 

I liked the aspect of survival. The spiritual threads, though subtle, were welcome and refreshing. 

Together with You by Victoria Bylin

Together with You by Victoria Bylin

I enjoy Victoria's writing so I thrilled with the privilege of reading this title for review. 

Let’s begin with the summary:

Sometimes the most unexpected love can be exactly what a heart needs...

When a Lost Child warning blares over the mall's PA system, Carly Mason finds the little girl playing with a stuffed rabbit. Something about Penny Tremaine is different. An ex-social worker, Carly recognizes that the child suffers fetal alcohol effects, and a piece of Carly's past suddenly confronts her. Never again will she become personally involved with a client. The risks are far too great. But something about Penny—and Penny's handsome father—tugs at Carly's heart.
Dr. Ryan Tremaine is trying to put his life back together. With his ex-wife remarried and on a trip far away, his two teenage sons and Penny are living under his roof full time. Ryan has put his faith in his Sink-or-Swim list, a plan to reconnect with his children. The first step: recruit Carly Mason to be Penny's nanny.
Ryan never anticipated being so drawn to Carly, an attraction Carly seems to fight as much as he does. Could Carly be the missing piece that helps his family stay afloat, or will their blossoming romance only complicate things further?

And now, my review:

This story began with a great hook—a missing child. As a parent, that gets to you, makes you keep reading. And it’s a great scenario for authors to introduce their characters. Throughout the story, the author throws in wise nuggets, like how fathers are created as they father. (Same for mothers, but our protag is a dad.) 

Our heroine longs for a family and Penny, the protag’s daughter, tugs on something inside Carly. But getting involved in her life means facing down demons she’s successfully avoided for a season. God’s probably not going to let her get away with avoidance for long because that isn’t freedom. And He’s all about freedom. Carly is good for Ryan’s family, and they’re good for her.

I liked how the author kept us hooked in this romantic story. She was skilled at even taking us into the little girl’s thoughts—showing her confusion and motivations. The author obviously understands her subject matter here. Well written.

All in all, an enjoyable story.