A Distance Too Grand by Regina Scott

This is a well written Christian historical romance. The story is about settling the west and trying to cross or circumvent the Grand Canyon. The main characters are Meg and Ben and the love story part is pretty well the standard plot. She's independent and he's in love. There was also a bit of mystery in the book, that's what I sort of figured out early but not the details. The minor characters are also well developed. Some are fun, some serious, and of course, the bad guy.

I suspected the ending fairly early but that did not detract from the book. It was interesting the way it played out. The descriptions of the scenery were exceptionally well done. You can almost see the Grand Canyon. Like my grandson said, reading a book is like watching a movie in your mind and this was a very scenic movie!

This is the first in a series The American Wonders Collection. The book had a lot of interesting historical facts. The Christian aspect of the book was also well done. It showed how faith plays out in everyday life. A few Bible verses were quoted but it was not preachy in any way. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

The editing was very well done. I mention this as poor editing can really detract from enjoying a very nice book.

I was thankful to be chosen to read and review this book. I was not required to give a positive review and this is my own opinion and freely given. Give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

A Song of Joy by Lauraine Snelling

This is the fourth book in the series Under Northern Skies. I did not realize this was a series book when I requested it through Netgalley. Even though it was the last of a series, it was still a good standalone book. It would have been more interesting if I had read the first three books, but it was still interesting.

I have always enjoyed books by Lauraine Snelling and this did not disappoint. It was slow in some spots, a lot of description at times but this did not detract from the story. The characters were well developed and the plot was an easy read. It had a little bit of suspense when Nilda was being investigated but not a true suspense novel. It is more a love story, sweet and simple.

The editing was well done. That can make or break a book in my opinion. I hate having to re-read things to figure out the wrong words or punctuation.

This is a Christian book though not preachy. It does show the importance of depending on God. It is mostly a clean, no sexual content, love story. I freely give my review it is my own opinion and not forced in any way. I recommend this book and I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Books I've Read: One Final Breath by Lynn H Blackburn

Books I've Read: One Final Breath by Lynn H Blackburn: This book is the third and final book in the Dive Team Investigations series. I was given the opportunity to read this book through Libraryt...

One Final Breath by Lynn H Blackburn

This book is the third and final book in the Dive Team Investigations series. I was given the opportunity to read this book through Librarything.com. The book I received and read was an advanced reader's copy. I am not required to give a review of any kind but I chose to do so and this is my honest opinion.

I have not read any of the other books in the series and that was ok. It probably would have been a little better if I had read them, but it did not take away from this book at all.

Ms. Blackburn did a wonderful job of bringing her characters to life. The story kept my interest throughout and it flowed well. The plot was interesting, part mystery and part romance.  The ending was as expected but not disappointing, you didn't know exactly how it would play out and that was good.

As stated, this was an advanced reader copy so I hope the editing was improved. It wasn't really bad throughout the book but most noticeable in the last 60 or so pages. An example is a word should have been "broke" but was written "broken" and it stuck out. Another one that annoyed me was in spoken conversation. I tried to overlook it as people do/would speak that way, but the grammar was totally wrong. I guess I'm the "grammar police" type person, but a poorly edited book will ruin the whole book for me. Also, I repeat, the editing was not awful, just needs more attention in the copy I read.

All that said, if you like a good Christian book that is not preachy, you will enjoy this. The Christian part was written showing how Christians behave in certain situations and how prayer plays a huge role in a Christian's life. If you like romance, you will enjoy this and you will also enjoy it if you like crime-drama mysteries. I would recommend this book to my friends and I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

A Perfect Silhouette by Judith Miller

I requested and received this book through NetGalley and Baker Publishing. I am not forced to leave a review either positive or negative. This review is freely given and my own opinion.

I enjoy reading books by Judith Miller and I enjoyed this book also. When I started the book, I thought I had previously read it but knew that couldn't be true. I had read a book that involved the millworkers in that region and time period in a different book years ago. The only similarity was the description, a very accurate description, of the mills and working/living conditions.

The main characters in this book were well thought out and well-executed.individuals. The storyline was pretty believable also. It is, of course, a fiction book but well done. It is also a Christian fiction and that aspect is also well done. It shows God and a Christian life without being preachy.

I do not like reading books that need a lot of editing. Even though this was an advanced reader copy, the editing was well done. Not perfect but almost so. The story was well thought out and flowed smoothly. I was sorry when it ended. I would have liked it to go on a bit more to show what happened to Mellie and her sister.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars and would recommend it to anyone wanting to read historical fiction.

King's Shadow by Angela Hunt

This is the 4th book in a series, The Silent Years. I did not read any of the previous books and that really didn't matter. It can be a standalone book very easily. It is a fictionalized history story, but quite true to actual events. It is also a Christian fiction but not overly "Christian" or preachy, less than most of Angela Hunt's books, but still, God is displayed in Zara's life. Zara is the handmaid to Salome.

The characters are very well written and quite believable. The story seems very true to history and at times is quite gruesome as Herod could be very cruel.

The story goes back and forth between Salome and Zara and tells the story from two different perspectives. One, Salome the princess/king's sister, the other, Zara a Jewish handmaid.

I enjoyed the book. Towards the end, I was afraid I would not want to read the ending but I was pleasantly surprised. If you enjoy Biblical or historical fiction you will enjoy this book. Angela Hunt is a gifted author and I enjoy reading her books. This is no exception. I give this 5 out of 5 stars.

I requested and was granted this book through Netgalley to read and review. I was not required to give the review and the review is totally my honest opinion.

Diamond in the Rough by Jen Turano

    I love books by Jen Turano and this is no exception. Her books are well written and light-hearted, laugh out loud, fun.
     The main characters were well developed and interesting. They were interesting and kept the flow going well.
     This is a Christian book but not preachy at all, in fact, it is a little lighter in this area than her other books.
     The one thing I did find wrong was that it was not as well-edited as her other books, but I was given an advanced reader's copy and hopefully, the final book will have the errors taken care of.
     I highly recommend this book. I give it 5 out of 5 stars, even with the errors.