Borders of the Heart, Chris Fabry

Borders of the Heart was a good read.  It was my first Chris Fabry book and I do believe I will read more of his work.

J.D. found Maria in the desert, and she was not doing well.  Taking her home (against his employers instructions about finding 'illegals') he tried to help her.  But there is an evil man after her.  And somehow he always seems one step ahead.  J.D. and Maria end up on the run together.  He wonders, "Why get involved in the first place?", but knows he can't leave her.  He feels responsible for her well being.  She is evasive, hiding something she'd rather not divulge.  Can these two ever be safe?  With bodies piling up in their wake, it doesn't look likely.

I loved the writing.  It was fast paced and kept me reading through to the end.  I can normally peg the outcome of a book pretty easily but this had me guessing a few times.  I loved the two main characters, flaws and all and I really enjoyed the bad guy because he was reallllly bad!
I was given a copy of this book to review by Tyndale House Publishers and am including here, for fun, a Q&A and a link to the trailer:http://mediacenter.tyndale.com/1_products/details.asp?isbn=978-1-4143-4862-9.
Well done and enjoyable, I definitely recommend this book.

 

Thief, by Linda Windsor, Brides of Alba Series

This is book number two that I ordered and have been waiting for!  I read book number one, Healer, a while ago and I  really loved it.  So I went to The Treasure House and ordered numbers two and three.  Three became available first and I just couldn't wait so I read it before I read number two.  And now, Book number Two, Thief has come in.  I picked it up at the bookstore and have been avidly reading ever since. 

In Thief, outcast Caden is living in a hell on earth.  He doesn't see a way past his personal pain but finally the priest tells him that they way out would be to focus on helping someone else.  After almost dying and being nursed back to health, he agrees to set out and find the long lost daughter of the woman who nursed him.
Sorcha, is just trying to get buy.  The money lender is after her, she is betrothed to a man twice her age and her future step-son is lusting after her.  Can it get any worse?  Yes, apparently, because soon she is in even more trouble than she was. 
Throw in a plot against her fiance, a dead woman come back to life and a bunch of orphans in need of rescue and you have a novel that will keep you awake at nights reading just "one more page". 

This was well written and I have said more than once that Linda Windsor is in my list of favourite authors.  And I think what I really love is the reason she knows so much about this particular time period.  She wrote a small personal testimony in one of her books about how she reached out to her daughter through this historical search and they connected on their love of history.  She was able to woo her daughter back to Christ. 

I will be looking for more of Linda Windsor in the future!  Of course I recommend this book!

Enduring Justice, Defenders of Hope Series, by Amy Wallace

This might have been my favourite of the three novels in this series! 
Hannah is in trouble and nobody can help her.  At least that's how she feels.  She finally decides to do something about it but the man who might love her may not be able to handle her secret. 
Michael is in the Crimes Against Children Unit of the FBI.  He's learning that the world is an even uglier place than he thought.  Michael is handling a very difficult case and then he gets pulled from the investigation.  His whole team is put on a new case.  Dealing with his angry father, his injured girlfriend and her cranky big brother, and a case that keeps him awake at night is enough to drive him nuts.  But Michael needs to be strong.  Can he accomplish such a feat?

This book was heart wrenching.  Mostly because this kind of thing happens all over the world every day.  And it's wrong and it's tragic. 

I have to say I love a happy ending!  And I'm glad this series ended on a positive note.  Sometimes the good guys win. Definitely recommend.

Healing Promises, Amy Wallace, Defenders of Hope Series

I, having helped my mom walk through a cancer diagnosis, can totally feel for the main character of this book.  Clint works for the FBI.  He's strong, he's manly, he's married to the love of his life and everything is going his way.

Now, he's weak, and his wife is trying to take care of him, but Clint feels that's his job.  She's an oncologist and can't fix her own husband.  She feels like a total and complete utter failure!  And now, she is trying to burn the candle at both ends and she starts to feel a little sick herself. 

Then there is work, another venue where he feels like a loser.  And where is God is this whole mess?  Chemo brain is affecting his memory and his work.  Something plays around the edges of his consciousness and he knows it's important but he can't seem to grasp the memory. 

The case is heading south and they are running out of time.  Can he trust God to take care of him?  Of his family?  Of this case?

Suspenseful from start to finish, I recommend this novel.

A Cowboy's Touch, by Denise Hunter

I have read a lot of Denise Hunter's books and I think, of all I have thus far, this just might be my favourite of her titles.

Abigail travels to her aunts for health reasons and lands herself a job as a nanny while there.  She stumbles across the story of a lifetime that could literally save her mother's floundering magazine.

Wade is in hiding.  He has his daughter and his ranch and that's all he needs, or so he thinks.  When Abigail moves in to take care of his daughter, his heart can barely take it.  He needs to keep his distance.

When they learn that they can't  he;p but fall in love, secrets are revealed that may drive them apart forever.  Is he willing to let this pretty woman into his life forever or is just easier to cut and run?  And what is he hiding anyways
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Ransomed Dreams, by Amy Wallace (Defenders of Hope Series)

Please bear with me here.  I don't know why but somehow I can't go back and fix stuff once I've typed past it without deleting all of which I have written.  I can fix spelling, but not missed words or, if I want to (which I usually do) tweak it or add words/sentences.  So.... sometimes my blogs may seem a bit...'off'.

The Defenders of Hope Series was awesome.  I think I may have to expand my ten favourite authors to my favourite TWENTY because I am coming across some really great reads lately.

Ransomed Dreams finds Gracie, a teacher alone.  Her family, gone.  Her life is shattered by one moment in time.  Tragic.  She lives each day just going through the motions.
Steven is bitter.  His ex has stomped all over his life.  She abandoned him and their child and leaves him trying to hold it altogether.  Thankfully his dad is there to help him out while he works at the FBI in the Crimes Against Children Unit.

Steven works for the FBI and Gracie is a teacher at a high profile school with excellent security.  But oddly, not secure enough.  Wonder of wonders, Steven's boy is in Gracie's class and when tragedy strikes, maybe, just maybe she can help pick up the pieces.

Amy Wallace is incredible!  Her writing is really heartfelt and I had such compassion for Gracie and I felt the hatred Steven has for his ex-wife.  I could (and likely will) read this novel more than once.

Yes, absolutely recommend!

Deirdre, by Linda Windsor

Deirdre is book number three in a fantastic series set in the sixth (or seventh?) century.  She is attempting to negotiate her brother's ransom and along the way falls prey to pirates. 
Alric's mother prophesied shortly before dying that Alric would meet a woman and she described Deirdre.  She described her clan's colours and her character.  Is this unbelieving Alric going to believe they were put together by God?  Will he make her his wife?  And what about the sinister plot that is afoot.  Someone is after the very kingdom.

A really great read.  I have mentioned that I enjoy Linda Windsor's writing.  I was sad to see the series end and I don't lightly say that.  Often when a series ends, I'm ready for it to end.  This time, I wanted there to be another novel! 

Highly recommended!