Review: Parting Secrets by Becky Melby and Cathy Wienke

I found Parting Secrets by Becky Melby and Cathy Wienke to be a surprise.  I picked up the book as a freebie on Amazon yesterday.  The title is from Heartsong Presents, an imprint that used to belong to Barbour Publishing.  The imprint was purchased by Harlequin in 2012.  Unfortunately, Heartsong Presents has since ceased being a published line, but many of its books are now appearing in e-book form as Truly Yours Digital Editions.

Parting Secrets has some interesting, uncomfortable, and complicated plot developments for a short Christian novel.  For starters, the two protagonists, Jeanie Cholewinski and Steven Vandenburg, have a past, which resulted with Jeanie getting pregnant out of wedlock.  That was challenging in itself, but the uncomfortable complication was that at the time, Jeanie was a seventeen year old high school student, and Steven was a 22 year old student teacher.  When Jeanie realized that she was pregnant, she ran away to keep the pregnancy a secret from her family, and to protect Steven from being charged with statutory rape.  She also left without telling Steven about the baby, and they do not see each other for almost thirty years.

Through what Jeanie and her mother would call "Godcidences," coincidences orchestrated by the Lord, Jeanie and Steven have been reunited at the wedding of their daughter.  It is here where Steven finds out that Angel is his daughter and it's a bit much for Steven to take in.  He struggles with the anger that he feels over Jeanie's abandonment and neglect in not telling him that he had a daughter.  However, he still carries a torch in his heart for Jeanie after all these years, and now as a widower, he is free to finally pursue a much longed for relationship with her. 

Jeanie, a baker, has had a hard life as a single mother.  Her dream of becoming a teacher may be finally within her grasp when she enters a baking/pastry competition where the grand prize includes a nine month apprenticeship in France with a renown pastry chef.  Now that her secret about Angel is finally out, she is ready to pursue this dream.  She isn't ready to drop this in order to have Steven in her life.  In addition, a dangerous man from her past is trying to pull her back into a dark lifestyle, one in which she had been trapped in for three years after she had left Steven.  She cannot bear the thought of the exposure of this secret life being made known to her friends and family, especially to Angel and Steven. 

Will Steven be able to convince Jeanie to give them a second chance?  If Jeanie does choose Steven over the French apprenticeship, will Steven still want her after finding out what she did to survive in those mysterious three years?  Will she also be able to protect Angel from the threats that the dangerous man is making? 

SPOILER ALERT

At 176 pages, the authors have packed a lot into the plot with such limited room.  There is plenty of foreshadowing about Jeanie's secret past, and although it wasn't exactly what I thought that it was going to be, her entrapment into and involvement in sexual exploitation added to the list of heavy topics that were touched on in this novel.  Much of the emotional angst was centred on the fear that Steven would reject Jeanie once he finds out what she did during those three years.   There was also Steven's turmoil over Jeanie's removal of his freedom to choose whether to go to jail for having sex with an under-aged female (and being reunited after his incarceration), or to have a life without Jeanie and Angel, a life that he always felt was second best. 

If the novel were longer, I think that the story could have delved more into the guilt that our protagonists may have felt over their respective choices and actions.  With a longer novel, I think that the issue of forgiveness could have also been developed further; Steven's anger over Jeanie's disappearance and withholding of Angel's existence seemed to be minimalized.  Any anger or bitterness that the girls who were hurt by Jeanie during those dark three years seemed to be easily glossed over with the explanation that they knew and understood why she did what she did.  Maybe, truly, people can be that gracious and forgiving, but it would interesting to think about what might have been if things were not that neat and tidy in the execution of this plot. 

SPOILER ALERT OVER

As I mentioned before, Parting Secrets tackled quite a few taboo topics, making it a meatier novel than what I anticipated from such a short novel.  The novel wasn't terribly heavy, but it had more substance in it than what I would have expected.  I also found it intriguing that the protagonists were an older couple, rather the young'uns that appear in the majority of romances that are out in the market today. 

Review: Plain Choice by Sarah Price

This review contains spoilers from the previous novels in the Plain Fame Series.


Plain Choice, by Sarah Price, is the latest in the Plain Fame Series which included Plain Fame, Plain Change, Plain Again, and Plain Return.  Plain Choice picks up where Plain Return left off:  Alejandro Diaz, the famous hip hop/rap artist also known as Viper, has returned to his life outside of Lititz, Pennsylvania, where his Amish raised wife, Amanda, is staying with his daughter, Isadora, the result of a one night stand before he met Amanda.  Things don't look good for our protagonists.  Against Alejandro's wishes, Amanda had returned to Lititz in order to give Isadora stability instead of the difficult and transient lifestyle that they would all have to face if they travelled along with Alejandro on his concert tours.   Alejandro comes to realize that the life he offers for Amanda and Isadora may not be what his wife and daughter need.  Though he loves Amanda dearly and wishes for her to be by his side as he tours the world, he also tries to contemplate how he might be able to let Amanda go so that she can return to the Amish world which she appears to be more comfortable in. 

When Alejandro leaves Amanda behind in Pennsylvania, she realizes that their marriage is now in a precarious place, and waits in vain to hear from him, but Alejandro is already putting distance between them.  The paparazzi have also been taking misleading photos of her and Harvey, the farmhand that Alejandro hired to help the Beiler family, and speculation about a relationship between them is appearing in the tabloids.  Can Amanda's and Alejandro's marriage be saved? 

I liked this novel the most out of the five that have appeared so far in the series, probably because I thought that Amanda finally did what made sense to me in light of the decisions that she made, especially in Plain Return.  Although it is probably true that it was a good idea to return to the Beiler farm so that Isadora would have stability in her life, I did not agree with the way and the timing in which Amanda had left Alejandro.  It may sound a bit too traditional and non-egalitarian, but I thought that Amanda had given Isadora a higher priority than Alejandro when she decided to leave him midway through the South American tour, especially against his wishes for her to remain with him.  Even though Alejandro's suggestion of securing a nanny for Isadora was an unpleasant idea for Amanda, it would have kept the family together for the remaining three weeks of the tour, which isn't really that long, in my opinion.  It would have bought them more time to really think about what they would do as a family, for the care of Isadora, and for the unpleasantness that Amanda faced from Alejandro's rabid female fans.  At the end of Plain Return, when Amanda realizes that Alejandro might walk out of their marriage, she is willing to return to the tour with a nanny.  However, by this time, he has already decided to set her free from his complicated lifestyle, ironically, because he now thinks that if he truly loves her, he should let her go so that she can decide how she wants to live.  Unfortunately, he seems to believe that this means steering her back into the Amish life.  Really, these two need to talk to each other and to listen to each other before jumping quickly into unwise decisions...but that would leave us without Plain Choice to read, eh?  So, I won't tell you what Amanda decides to do; you'll have to read it for yourself. 

I loved all the covers for the recent releases of the books in the series, but I thought that the cover for Plain Choice was really fitting.  Alejandro is depicted with his right hand twisting his wedding band on the left hand, representing his choice of whether to continue with the marriage or to divorce Amanda.  Amanda is depicted in her plain dress, but with her kapp in her hands, representing her decision of whether or not to leave the Amish world. The image of the Eiffel Tower represents the European tour that Alejandro is on, and the farm represents the Beiler farm where Amanda and and Isadora are staying at. 

It was interesting to read of Alejandro's thoughts about his love for Amanda and how he viewed their marriage.  Over the course of the series, I felt that he was actually quite lenient with her when it came to their separations.  Amanda appeared to be to one who instigated most of these, placing her insecurity over Alejandro's clawing female fans, her family, and Isadora above remaining with Alejandro, who always seemed to long for her to stay with him.  What I didn't like about Alejandro was that he acted disrespectfully toward Amanda in some of his business/career dealings, especially where they made her lose face before others.  For example, I really wasn't impressed when he used footage of her without her consent on a tour in Plain Change, which made her look jealous of other women, or when he used photos along with false stories in order to circumvent the media interest in the appearance of Isadora in Plain Return.  Knowing and loving Amanda has changed Alejandro, although by the end of Plain Choice, I'm still not certain about how far the changes reach in his life beyond his relationship with her and their family.  The novel doesn't really address how far the lordship of Christ extends into his life, although he seems to acknowledge His presence more.

As in the previous books, starting with Plain Change, we have glimpses into Amanda's and Alejandro's intimate moments, or rather the moments leading up to those exchanges.  While there are no overt descriptions of them actually having sex, I still felt as if I were intruding in their privacy. 

I would not consider Plain Choice to be a stand alone book.  The novel does resolve many of the plot threads that started in the previous books in the series.  In my opinion, out of the five books, this one seemed to have the most overt references to faith beyond contrasting the worlds and practices of the Englische and the Amish.  The series also gives an interesting view into the entertainment world that Alejandro inhabits.  I liked reading the series, and have enjoyed following the love story of Amanda and Alejandro.


Disclaimer:  I received an e-copy of Plain Choice by Sarah Price from NetGalley in exchange for a review.  All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Review: Plain Return by Sarah Price

Plain Return is the fourth installment of the Plain Fame Series by Sarah Price.  It opens just a few weeks after Plain Again which ended with the protagonists, Amanda and Alejandro, reuniting and celebrating the New Year in New York together after being apart for weeks.  Amanda's sister, Anna, and Anna's new husband, Jonah, have now taken over in managing the family farm and are able to care for Amanda's father who has been recovering from a stroke.  Alejandro, also known as Viper, a famous hip hop artist, is about to embark on his South American tour, and wishes to take Amanda along, not only as a travelling companion, but also to participate in his concerts on the tour.

During the South American tour, Amanda finds it difficult to adapt to Alejandro's life when he is Viper.  She is beginning to see how much calculation goes into building Viper's brand, a concept that she has difficulty in initially understanding.   Because of her love for Alejandro and his wishes for her to be part of his world, she tries her best to be supportive of his work, even though she is uncomfortable with the revealing clothes, the suggestive dancing, and the female fans who throw themselves at Viper.  More tension is introduced between her and Alejandro when his promiscuous past catches up with the present.  Isadora, the five year old child he had out of wedlock through a one night stand, enters his life.  Her mother is dead, and her grandfather is no longer able to care for her because he is dying.  If Alejandro and Amanda do not assume responsibility for her, she will be taken to an orphanage.   

How will Amanda's and Alejandro's marriage survive all the stressors that are acting upon it?  Will Amanda adapt to things that she is uncomfortable with so that she can support Alejandro when he is Viper?  Can she shrug off the attention that Alejandro receives from his more enthusiastic female fans?  Can Amanda ignore the paparazzi and gossipy tabloids that present lies about the relationship between her and Alejandro?  What will the two of them decide to do with Isadora?  What if they both have different ideas on what should be done with Isadora? 

I found that there was more mentioned about Amanda's private relationship with God in Plain Return than in previous books in the Plain Fame series.  We are told that she spends a lot of time in prayer and devotions with the Lord, especially when she is not able to spend time with Alejandro, which happens much of the time when he is on tour.  I can recall more specific prayers that she makes in this novel.  However, as in previous novels, we don't really get a chance to read or hear any specific prayers that she may make for guidance from the Lord over important decisions that will have a huge impact on her marriage to Alejandro. 

In Plain Return, Amanda has also come to realize that Alejandro may make professions of being Catholic, but has shown very few signs of living a life of spiritual devotion.  She also can see that he may be too caught up in the pursuit of material things, with his love of luxury, his eye for every possible business opportunity, and his desire for the protection of Viper's brand.  In this novel, Alejandro shows a more cold, calculating and manipulative side of himself.  He can still be a charmer and shows his romantic side with Amanda, but the other half of his personality is more evident and present in Plain Return.  I had actually expected that this development of Alejandro's personality would surface earlier in the series, but as it is, it has come out in the story arc at this point.  Perhaps being on tour doesn't allow him much time to be anything other than the focused businessman who aims for success, a success that allowed him to rise above a life on the streets of Miami.  Unfortunately, some of the things that he does and allows bring conflict into his relationship with Amanda. 

I would not consider Plain Return to be a standalone novel, because it is a continuation of the story of Amanda and Alejandro which began in Plain Fame and which continued on in Plain Change and Plain Again.  Their story is still not yet finished; a fifth novel, Plain Choice, is going to be released at the end of March, 2016.



Disclaimer:  I received an e-copy of "Plain Return" by Sarah Price from NetGalley in exchange for a review.  All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Review: Plain Again by Sarah Price

Plain Again is the third installment of the Plain Fame Series by Sarah Price.  It is the immediate sequel to Plain Change which left the newlywed protagonists, Amanda Beiler Diaz and Alejandro (Viper) Diaz, facing forces that threaten their union just weeks into their marriage.  Alejandro, a hip hop superstar, had plans for taking Amanda along on his tour.  These plans have come to naught when Amanda returns to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, to aid her Amish family in a crisis.   Her father had suffered a stroke that leaves him unable to take care of the family's farm. 

Amanda misses Alejandro dearly, but finds that she has missed the Amish life while she had been away for those short weeks.  However, at the same time, she realizes that she has changed too.  Even though she welcomes the familiarity of the simpler Amish way of living, she now views some parts of her Amish upbringing to be rigid and unaccepting.  It also stings her to find that her people regard and treat her as though she is an outsider to the community because she has chosen to marry Alejandro and not be baptized into the Amish church.  Besides coping with the rejection from people who had previously accepted her, Amanda must deal with the paparazzi who have returned to disrupt the quiet life in Lititz, Pennsylvania.  Her Amish neighbours resent the intrusion from the outsiders and blame Amanda for it. 

Alejandro is finding it difficult to be on the road apart from Amanda.  He wants to show the world that he is happily married, but it doesn't take long for the paparazzi to discover that he and Amanda are not together and the rumours begin to swirl about a troubled marriage.  It doesn't help that his manager, Mike, and a segment of Viper's fans prefer the previous bad boy persona that Alejandro portrayed to the public before his marriage to Amanda.  Will Amanda's and Alejandro's marriage survive the separation and the threats that rise up against their marriage?

I found the spiritual journeys for Amanda and Alejandro to be rather interesting.  In this novel, Amanda recognizes things that are culturally Amish but that may not necessarily be connected to a life saving faith.  Amanda also sees God acting in her relationship with Alejandro, but Amanda's sister, Anna, still asks her a significant question:  where God is in Amanda's life?  This was a rather puzzling question, because it does seem as if God is moving in the background.  However, while reading the books in the series, I have wondered how much Amanda has actually prayed to God for guidance over what to do.  It seems to me that she didn't really ask Him for direction over what she should have done when faced with the intrusion of the paparazzi in the first book, Plain Fame.  It didn't appear as if she asked God for guidance as to whether or not she should have left Lititz with Alejandro, or whether or not she should have married him.  I don't think that she prayed about separating from Alejandro so soon into their marriage even though she is doing a good thing in helping her parents and sister.  Perhaps it was meant for the reader to understand that Amanda did in fact pray about these decisions, but so far, it seems as if she decided these things on her own or got swept along by the circumstances into her present situation.  Perhaps, by the grace and mercy of God, things will work out well for Amanda and Alejandro, even though they didn't consult much with Him over what to do. 

As for Alejandro, I still think of him in the same way as I had while I was reading the previous two novels in the Plain Fame series:  it feels as if he knows of Jesus, but I'm not convinced that he *knows* Jesus.  He seems to be a nominal Christian, and there are still major areas of his life that could use Jesus' touch in it, especially in the content of his risqué songs and videos.  If Alejandro is, in fact, a saved individual, then what he really needs to do is to get all of his life under the influence of Jesus.  Maybe he needs more time to grow as a follower of the Lord.  I hope that as the series unfolds, the details of whether he truly knows Jesus will become more clear.

I like Alejandro.  As I mentioned in a previous review of the Plain Fame series, he is quite a romantic man.  Alejandro wants to be better man because of Amanda.  He isn't happy about the separation between Amanda and himself, but he tries to show that he supports her decisions.  He hires a farm worker to assist on Amanda's parents' farm and a nurse to help care for her father. When the two of them are able to reunite, he pulls out all the stops to show Amanda how much he loves her.  They are married now, and I didn't comment about their marriage in the review that I wrote for Plain Change because I thought that it would have been too much of a spoiler.  Their intimate moments are not explicit, but the times leading up them...well,...sometimes I felt like looking away, because I felt as if I were intruding in private encounters only meant to be shared between the two of them. 

I would not consider Plain Again to be a stand alone book, although it probably could do so just a *little* more successfully than Plain Change would.  The conclusion of Plain Again has a satisfactory ending, if one decides to stop reading the series at this point; for a number of years, only the Plain Fame, Plain Change, and Plain Again had been published.  However, Plain Return, and Plain Choice, the fourth and fifth novels of the series, have been released during the past few months.  There are still some loose plot threads that haven't been resolved yet, and I still feel invested enough in Amanda's and Alejandro's story to want to find out what happens to them.



Disclaimer:  I received an e-copy of "Plain Again" by Sarah Price from NetGalley in exchange for a review.  All opinions stated in the review are mine. 

Review: From Across the Divide by K. Victoria Chase

K. Victoria Chase is the author of From Across the Divide, an interracial romance that is set in Alabama during the 1960's.  Besides differences in race, the couple in question must also traverse a divide in matters of faith. 

Eric Montgomery has returned home after being away for five years.  He's a bit of a prodigal, having lost faith in the Lord.  He blames God for failing to save his mother from a fatal illness, and walked away from Him.  In doing so, he stayed away from Alabama, not returning after he finished college, and went away to France for a few years.  Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to fill that God-shaped void with work, travel, or women.  He decides to go home to assume responsibilities in his father's bank, a business that he will one day inherit. 

Elnora (Elie) Brown is the best friend that Eric has left behind.  She is delighted to have her childhood friend return, but is disturbed when she discovers that he has lost his faith.  She wants to get her old Eric back, but besides seeing the differences in faith, it is becoming apparent that other things have changed between them: they are no longer children, and both are noticing a romantic attraction between a grown man and woman.   Eric makes her heart race, but because he no longer believes, she must resist the temptation that he presents.  Also, even if Eric believed, would he and Elie be able to have a romantic relationship in a society that won't accept one between a white man and a black woman? 

I liked Elie.  She is, in Eric's words, "feisty, passionate, (and) unyielding." She is earning a college degree so that she can become a teacher.  She teaches at an unofficial school on the weekends to children who must work during the week in order to help support their families.  She is involved in her church and in the equal rights movement.  She's a law abiding citizen who loves the Lord. 

Eric is, for lack of a better word, a rogue.  He knows that Elie is attracted to him, and can't quite seem to stay away from her, even though she keeps turning him down.  He's used to women falling down at his feet, so he's a bit out to sea as to how to court Elie.  I didn't quite like it that he seemed to think that simply kissing her repeatedly to wear down her resistance was an acceptable mode of courting, but like I said, he's a rogue who needed to ask for advice from his father, Morgan, on what to do with his feelings for Elie.  That was an interesting conversation.  We discover that Morgan is all for Eric and Elie having a relationship, and that the Montgomery men have...egos when it comes to wooing women.  Anyways, Eric gets it right; the biggest impediment between him and Elie is really his lack of faith.

I also found it interesting that while Morgan didn't have any problem with the idea of Eric and Elie being together, Elie's parents, Miss Hattie, the Montgomery's housekeeper, and Michael, one of Elie's "acceptable" suitors, did have issues with marrying out of one's race.   They have their reasons, which seems to run the gamut of wanting to spare the younger people from prejudice and non-acceptance from both cultures, knowing what they perceive to "be their place," and from their own prejudices against the other culture.  None of these reasons seemed to include one very significant thing which I suspect Morgan knows:  that if something is of God, and if He wills it, He can make a way for it, even for something that people consider to be impossible, inconvenient, and offensive.  This suspicion is because of something Morgan says to Eric when the son tells his father that the Browns don't approve of Eric as a suitor for Elie because he is white. 

     "I wasn't aware they felt this way about us."
     "That I'm not good enough for their daughter?"
     "No."  The sadness in Morgan's eyes tore at Eric's heart. "That she isn't good enough for you."

When I read those lines, I was as surprised as Eric, who blinked in shock in the text.  But then I realized that Morgan is right.  Elie is good enough for Eric, but her parents want to protect her from the difficulties and prejudice that their union will bring, because we are talking about what society was like.  At this point of the novel, they don't believe enough that if God has called Eric and Elie to be together, and that if Eric and Elie are firmly grounded in their identities as children of God, that they will be able to have a successful marriage in spite of any worldly opposition that may come their way.

I enjoyed reading this novel; I found it to be educational because of the history.  I also found it to be romantic and fairly clean.  I'm not sure if this novel is intended to be the start of a series, but if it is, I would love to find out what happens to Michael and Amanda, a woman who Eric turns away when he realizes that he wants Elie. 

Review: A Spy's Devotion by Melanie Dickerson

Melanie Dickerson's A Spy's Devotion is a historical that is set in regency times.  It's the story about a poor relation, a person who is financially dependent on extended family for their survival and well being.  In this novel, the poor relation is Julia Grey, who lives with her Uncle Robert Wilhern, his wife, and daughter, Phoebe.  Julia serves as Phoebe's companion, trying to restrain her cousin's impulsive behaviour towards an eligible gentleman, Mr. Nicholas Langdon.  The entire Wilhern Family wants to help Phoebe get her heart's desire.  Julia must also make a match soon so that she can avoid being cast off from the family to be a governess as soon as Phoebe gets married. 

At a ball, Julia gets a chance to dance with Mr. Langdon, and she realizes that she could also develop an attraction towards this man.  Not wanting to hurt her cousin or invite the displeasure of her aunt and uncle, Julia tries to keep her distance from him, but Mr. Langdon seems to single her out over her cousin.  Julia reminded me of Elinor Dashwood from Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, as she is quick to recognize the inappropriate displays of Phoebe's emotions.  Like Elinor, Julia tries to hide her feelings for a man who she realizes must be unavailable to her because of the expectations of others.

Nicholas is on furlough, recovering from injuries that he sustained while fighting on the Peninsula, and had been expecting to rejoin his regiment soon.  However, an important document to the War Office had been stolen from him which contained coded  information about a war plot against the British.  The primary suspects for the theft are Robert Wilhern and one of Julia's suitors, Mr. Edgerton, a man who Julia feels uncomfortable with.  Nicholas' superiors want him to discover if Julia's uncle and Mr. Edgerton are responsible for the disappearance of the diary and whether they are guilty of treason.  His leaders suggest that he take advantage of Phoebe's interest in him to get close enough to the Wilhern Family so that he can spy on them. 

Nicholas is a man who has been burned by love in the past when his ex-fiancée jilted him to marry a wealthier older gentleman.  However, he can't seem to keep his attention away from Julia.  He's an honourable man who is a bit of a stickler for propriety; he refuses to dance with any female twice at a ball, not wanting to raise any woman's hopes unnecessarily.  Somehow he manages to break his own rule and dances with Julia twice one evening, which earns Julia the ire of the entire Wilhern Family.  Through his investigations of her uncle, he manages to spend time with her, even convincing her to spy on her own family on his behalf. 
 
Will Nicholas be able to recover the missing document and apprehend the people who stole it?  Will he enter into a relationship with Phoebe so that he can spy on the Wilhern Family more easily?  Will Nicholas be able to complete his mission in another way and win Julia's heart?  Will Julia be able to avoid marriage to Mr. Edgerton?  Will she need to give up her hope for marriage and become a governess in order to survive? 

As I mentioned before, the novel is set in regency times, but it feels more like what I'd call a historical.  I feel that a typical regency romance usually tells the story of a light hearted romp with witticisms peppered throughout the tale.  A Spy's Devotion feels more serious; however, it touches on a common theme that often appears in regencies:  the necessity for members of the ton and gentry to attempt to make the best match for marriage, ideally to someone who has acceptable social connections and wealth, or face financial hardship.  Other characteristics typical of regencies that appear in this story is the importance of maintaining a pristine reputation and avoiding compromising situations that could lead to social disgrace or ruin.  Of course, A Spy's Devotion also contains espionage, treason and the possibility of invasion from Napoleon.

I didn't think that the characters experienced a lot of character growth.  The plot unfolded and things happened to Nicholas and Julia that threatened to keep them apart.  They prayed, but the prayers only reflected that they were people of faith.  I found that A Spy's Devotion was more of a story in which I read to see what would happen next and to see whether Nicholas and Julia would get together in the end.  Nevertheless, I found the novel enjoyable to read, and am glad to know of another author who writes Christian historicals.




Disclaimer:  I was provided with an e-copy of A Spy's Devotion from NetGalley in exchange for a review.  All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Review: Perfect Alibi by Melody Carlson

I've been away for two months.

Two words.

Writer's block.

I found it difficult to get myself to sit down in front of a computer to write a review, so I finally did it the old fashioned way.  I wrote using a notebook and pen, away from the computer, and I was able to get something down on paper.

Anyways, I'm back with a review of a Love Inspired Romantic Suspense novel titled, Perfect Alibi, by Melody Carlson, who has written over 200 books.  I've reviewed one of her previous books, Trading Secrets, which was a young adult novel, but she also writes for older audiences.

In Perfect Alibi, Mallory Myers, a young Portland journalist, flees to her hometown of Clover.  She is trying to escape the nightmarish discovery in her apartment where she found the body of her best friend, Kestra.  Kestra had been murdered there and Mallory fears that she is next.  Mallory is certain that she knows who the murderer is:  her ex-boyfriend, Brock Dennison, a popular news-anchor of a Portland television station.  When she voices her suspicions to the police, she faces disbelief and skepticism.  Instead, she comes to realize that she is considered to be the primary suspect for Kestra's murder. 

On top of that, Mallory is still receiving death threats, which started when she first broke up with Brock.  The threats follow her to Clover.  No one believes in Mallory's innocence because everyone thinks that she is making up the threats in order to throw off suspicions from herself.   

The exception is Fire Chief Logan McDaniel, one of Mallory's former high school classmates.  He had been interested in her romantically in the past, but hadn't acted on his attraction then.  His protective instincts are roused when he sees the threats made against Mallory.  The threatening texts indicate that her harasser is physically nearby and is able to find Mallory even when she is supposedly in seclusion. 

Brock Dennison has the perfect alibi.  How could he have murdered Kestra when he was on the air, delivering that evening's newscast?  It also doesn't make sense that Brock could be the author of the threatening texts when he is Portland, which is located three hours away from Clover. 

Will Mallory and Logan be able to expose Kendra's real murderer and prove Mallory's innocence?  Will Logan be able to protect Mallory from being killed next?  Is Mallory trying to deceive everyone so that she can get away with murder? 

I thought that the novel was okay.  The female and male protagonists were both believers, and they didn't seem to be suffering crises of faith.  The conflict seemed to be more about whether Mallory could prove her innocence to the the rest of the world, including to Logan, who found himself doubting her every once in a while.  Perfect Alibi is a basic inspirational, romantic suspense novel with believing protagonists, and I didn't think that either of the central characters experienced huge development or growth in their faith after their adventures concluded. 

As with Love Inspired's practice, the Bible verse inscribed on one of the first few pages of this novel reads, "Be gracious to me, O God...for my soul takes refuge in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by."  (Psalm 57:1 NASB)  The verse describes what Mallory must do in order to get through the circumstances that she finds herself in.

I found the book to be entertaining, and enjoyed the ride that I had with Mallory and Logan in Perfect Alibi.  I would probably read more of Ms. Carlson's romantic suspense novels in the future.