These are just in order of when I read them, not necessarily most favorite. I certainly enjoyed all of them and am always curious to see what other people are reading!
From back cover:
After Annie Jacobson's brother Mike enlists as a medic in the Army in 1967, he mails her the address of their long-estranged father. If anything should happen to him in Vietnam, Mike says, Annie must let their father know.
Jett Glover’s father committed suicide over a false newspaper report that ruined his reputation. Now a fierce champion of truth, Jett is writing the story of his journalism career—an international sex-trafficking exposé that will bring down a celebrity baseball player and the men closest to him, including Savannah’s ex-husband.
When Jett’s story breaks, tragedy ensues. Then a commercial airline crashes, and one of Savannah’s clients is implicated in the crash. Men connected to the scandal, including her ex, begin to die amid mysterious circumstances, and Savannah’s niece becomes an unwitting target.
Against their better instincts, Jett and Savannah join ranks to sort the facts from fiction. But can Savannah trust the reporter who threw her life into chaos? And can Jett face the possibility that he’s made the biggest mistake of his life?
While the story is based on true events, very little is actually known about Emma Koehler. I liked how the author was able to take the vague details there were and weave an intricate story. Using Mabel to tell Emma's story made it very interesting.
I have a vague knowledge of cryptocurrency and I thought the author did a great job explaining it all. I didn't have any issues keeping up with the plot and what was going on. It's almost eerie how closely this book follows actual current events!
I really appreciated the fact that Leo was protective of Whitney without being overbearing/borderline coercive-controlling like 75% of other males in Christian books. I thought they had a good relationship and I appreciated the fact that the plot took center stage instead of the romance. I get really annoyed with a lot of books (Christian fiction especially) that start out with a great plot but they focus so much on the romance that the suspense aspect loses out and it ends up being all about the romance.
After Annie Jacobson's brother Mike enlists as a medic in the Army in 1967, he mails her the address of their long-estranged father. If anything should happen to him in Vietnam, Mike says, Annie must let their father know.
In Mike's absence, their father returns to face tragedy at home, adding an extra measure of complication to an already tense time. Letter by letter, the Jacobsons must find a way to pull together as a family, regardless of past hurts. In the tumult of this time, Annie and her family will grapple with the tension of holding both hope and grief in the same hand, even as they learn to turn to the One who binds the wounds of the brokenhearted.
This was the first book I read and finished in 2020 and it was just a really beautiful story. It touched on so many different topics: life and loss, hope, grief, family and community, war, race, and the beauty that can come from all of it.
The characters are well developed; even the minor ones make you feel like you are a part of their lives and in their community.
This book really gives you a look into an average American family in the 60's and their struggles.
I ended up purchasing a physical copy of this book (I read it initially on Kindle Unlimited) because I enjoyed it so much. It's a story that stays with you and one I was thinking about long after I finished it.
* * * * *
Savannah Daniels has worked hard to build her law practice, to surround herself with good friends, and to be the loyal aunt her troubled niece can always count on. But since her ex-husband’s betrayal, she has trouble trusting anyone.
Jett Glover’s father committed suicide over a false newspaper report that ruined his reputation. Now a fierce champion of truth, Jett is writing the story of his journalism career—an international sex-trafficking exposé that will bring down a celebrity baseball player and the men closest to him, including Savannah’s ex-husband.
When Jett’s story breaks, tragedy ensues. Then a commercial airline crashes, and one of Savannah’s clients is implicated in the crash. Men connected to the scandal, including her ex, begin to die amid mysterious circumstances, and Savannah’s niece becomes an unwitting target.
Against their better instincts, Jett and Savannah join ranks to sort the facts from fiction. But can Savannah trust the reporter who threw her life into chaos? And can Jett face the possibility that he’s made the biggest mistake of his life?
I really enjoyed this story. It was really suspenseful and hard to put down because I really wanted to find out what happened! It's a good reminder to not believe everything you read in the news and how easily someone's life can be ruined by fake news. Or at least by not having the entire story.
The plot is complex with plenty of twists and turns. Questions, conspiracy, and lies keep you guessing until the very end when it all comes seamlessly together.
I live within a couple of hours of DC and having spent some time there I was able to easily imagine everything going on and really picture the scene. Even if you haven't been to DC it's descriptive enough to make you feel like you're there.
Overall this is just a very well written legal thriller. There is a lot going on so it's definitely not a "light" read, but if you are a fan of suspense/thrillers I don't think you'll be disappointed!
* * * * *
THE FIRST EMMA is the true story of Emma Koehler, whose tycoon husband Otto was killed in a crime-of-the-century murder by one of his two mistresses-both also named Emma-and her unlikely rise as CEO of a brewing empire during Prohibition. When a chance to tell her story to a young teetotaler arises, a tale unfolds of love, war, beer, and the power of a woman.
- - -
1914 - Young bride Emma Koehler dreams of a happy marriage and a simple life with her husband, but her hopes are quickly dashed by Otto’s obsession with his business. Though they become one of the wealthiest couples in the country – a fortune made on beer, mining, and hospitality - Emma is lonely in their stone mansion, unable to have children and unable to keep his attentions at home. When a tragic accident changes everything, Otto presents a new betrayal – and Emma must choose between loyalty and independence in a world that demands convention.
1943 – Mabel Hartley flees Baltimore after the war leaves her broken and alone. She answers the advertisement of a dying woman in San Antonio, with an urgent plea to come write her memoirs. In Emma Koehler, Mabel discovers astounding resilience - a pioneer who weathered personal devastation and navigated her large brewery through the storm of Prohibition. Soon Mabel realizes that Texas holds more for her than this new friendship. Romance blooms even as she’s given up on love, and an unexpected phone call gives her hope that not all goodbyes are final.
1943 – Mabel Hartley flees Baltimore after the war leaves her broken and alone. She answers the advertisement of a dying woman in San Antonio, with an urgent plea to come write her memoirs. In Emma Koehler, Mabel discovers astounding resilience - a pioneer who weathered personal devastation and navigated her large brewery through the storm of Prohibition. Soon Mabel realizes that Texas holds more for her than this new friendship. Romance blooms even as she’s given up on love, and an unexpected phone call gives her hope that not all goodbyes are final.
This was a really interesting and unique story. I don't drink so the beer aspect of the story isn't one I would typically be drawn to, but I've enjoyed other books by this author so I thought I would give this a try. I found the story focused more on the business aspect than brewing, which made it more enjoyable.
While the story is based on true events, very little is actually known about Emma Koehler. I liked how the author was able to take the vague details there were and weave an intricate story. Using Mabel to tell Emma's story made it very interesting.
The characters were really well done and it was intriguing to read how a woman in the early 1900's was able to build an empire and persevere during the depression and prohibition. Not only that, but she was able to keep all of her employees and run this empire while being wheelchair bound.
* * * * *
The summer of 1972 was the most pivotal of Matt Plumley’s childhood. While his beloved Pirates battle for back-to-back World Series titles, Matt’s family moves from Pittsburgh to Dogwood, West Virginia, where his father steps into the pulpit of a church under the thumb of town leader Basil Blackwood. A fish out of water, Matt is relieved to forge a fast bond with two unlikely friends: Dickie Darrel Lee Hancock, a mixed-race boy, and Jesse Woods, a tough-as-nails girl with a sister on her hip and no dad in sight.
As the trio traipses the hills and hollers, Matt begins to fall for Jesse, and their promises to each other draw him deeper into her terrifying reality. One night, the wrath of the Blackwoods and the secrets of Jesse’s family collide, and Matt joins Jesse in a rescue that saves one life and ends another . . . and severs the bond of their friendship.
Years later, Matt is pulled back to Dogwood and to memories of that momentous summer by news of Jesse’s upcoming wedding. He could never shake the feeling that there was more to the story of that fateful night, and he’s determined to learn the truth behind the only promise Jesse Woods ever broke.
As the trio traipses the hills and hollers, Matt begins to fall for Jesse, and their promises to each other draw him deeper into her terrifying reality. One night, the wrath of the Blackwoods and the secrets of Jesse’s family collide, and Matt joins Jesse in a rescue that saves one life and ends another . . . and severs the bond of their friendship.
Years later, Matt is pulled back to Dogwood and to memories of that momentous summer by news of Jesse’s upcoming wedding. He could never shake the feeling that there was more to the story of that fateful night, and he’s determined to learn the truth behind the only promise Jesse Woods ever broke.
This was a surprising read. I'd never read anything by this author before but I did enjoy this book. The writing was really well done and the scene and characters were described so well I was able to vividly picture everything in the story which made for a nice read. This was a hard book for me to put down because I kept wanting to know what was going to happen! It didn't end how I expected which I could appreciate. It wasn't necessarily a sad ending, but I guess you could say something more realistic and not the typical everything-is-suddenly-perfect/happy ending.
* * * * *
1950. In the wake of the war, Audrey Clarkson leaves her manor house in England for a fresh start in America with her young son. As a widowed war bride, Audrey needs the support of her American in-laws, whom she has never met. But she arrives to find that her longtime friend Eve Dawson has been impersonating her for the past four years. Unraveling this deception will force Audrey and Eve’s secrets―and the complicated history of their friendship―to the surface.
1940. Eve and Audrey have been as different as two friends can be since the day they met at Wellingford Hall, where Eve’s mother served as a lady’s maid for Audrey’s mother. As young women, those differences become a polarizing force . . . until a greater threat―Nazi invasion―reunites them. With London facing relentless bombardment, Audrey and Eve join the fight as ambulance drivers, battling constant danger together. An American stationed in England brings dreams of a brighter future for Audrey, and the collapse of the class system gives Eve hope for a future with Audrey’s brother. But in the wake of devastating loss, both women must make life-altering decisions that will set in motion a web of lies and push them both to the breaking point long after the last bomb has fallen.
1940. Eve and Audrey have been as different as two friends can be since the day they met at Wellingford Hall, where Eve’s mother served as a lady’s maid for Audrey’s mother. As young women, those differences become a polarizing force . . . until a greater threat―Nazi invasion―reunites them. With London facing relentless bombardment, Audrey and Eve join the fight as ambulance drivers, battling constant danger together. An American stationed in England brings dreams of a brighter future for Audrey, and the collapse of the class system gives Eve hope for a future with Audrey’s brother. But in the wake of devastating loss, both women must make life-altering decisions that will set in motion a web of lies and push them both to the breaking point long after the last bomb has fallen.
This was an interesting read. While there is nothing new with the plot of two girls (one who is rich and high-society and the other one who is the poor maid's daughter) finding friendship, Eve and Audrey were each unique enough that it made their friendship interesting.
The idea of having one's life stolen is interesting and shocking. But I really found it compelling to read from two different perspectives. We see firsthand how
just because someone is born into privilege doesn't mean their life is perfect, and just because someone is born poor or maybe disadvantaged doesn't always mean they're the victim.
Both the one who was wronged and the one who did wrong are forced to come terms with the situation and try to figure out how to move on. While it may be easy to side with the one who had her life stolen, they are both flawed individuals who have issues they need to work through. We really see both characters grow throughout the story.
I felt like the book dragged in some parts but I also felt like it could have used another chapter or something at the end because it felt rushed. It just needed something more at the end.
* * * * *
How can she protect herself from an enemy she can’t see?
Law school graduate Whitney Garrison is a survivor. She admirably deals with an abusive boyfriend, her mother’s death, mounting student debt, dwindling job opportunities, and a rare neurological condition that prevents her from recognizing human faces.
But witnessing a murder might be the crisis she can’t overcome.
The killer has every advantage. Though Whitney saw him, she has no idea what he looks like. He knows where she lives and works. He anticipates her every move. Worst of all, he’s hiding in plain sight and believes she has information he needs. Information worth killing for. Again.
As the hunter drives his prey into a net of terror and international intrigue, Whitney’s only ally, Detective Leo Baroni, is taken off the case. Stripped of all semblance of safety, Whitney must suspect everyone and trust no one—and hope to come out alive.
First off, wow. I really enjoyed this book! I almost never rate anything as a 5 star because I can usually find something I don't like (My only real criticism is that I hate the cover. I mean, this is a book about someone with facial blindness. So why are we featuring a cover with faces? But I digress.) and while I did think Whitney kind of came across as almost robotic and not very personable (I found the characters in this author's previous book to be the same way.) I will still say I liked her. I just didn't have a real connection to Whitney.
I have a vague knowledge of cryptocurrency and I thought the author did a great job explaining it all. I didn't have any issues keeping up with the plot and what was going on. It's almost eerie how closely this book follows actual current events!
I really appreciated the fact that Leo was protective of Whitney without being overbearing/borderline coercive-controlling like 75% of other males in Christian books. I thought they had a good relationship and I appreciated the fact that the plot took center stage instead of the romance. I get really annoyed with a lot of books (Christian fiction especially) that start out with a great plot but they focus so much on the romance that the suspense aspect loses out and it ends up being all about the romance.
The plot is complex and unique and one that definitely keeps you guessing! Generally I can figure plots out very early on and while I did figure out who the bad guy was, there was much more to the plot than just that. The author reveals just enough about the plot throughout so you are figuring things out along with Whitney instead of way before if that makes sense.
I thought Whitney's face blindness was an interesting aspect to the story. At first I was afraid it was going to detract from the narrative since we don't get facial descriptions, but it was very well done to the point that, after a while, I didn't even notice.
In closing, if you are looking for a easy, light read, this is not for you. There is a lot of fact and information and complexity to the plot which I enjoy but know is not for everyone. Overall a very well don't book and I can't wait to see what this author writes next!
I thought Whitney's face blindness was an interesting aspect to the story. At first I was afraid it was going to detract from the narrative since we don't get facial descriptions, but it was very well done to the point that, after a while, I didn't even notice.
In closing, if you are looking for a easy, light read, this is not for you. There is a lot of fact and information and complexity to the plot which I enjoy but know is not for everyone. Overall a very well don't book and I can't wait to see what this author writes next!
I received a complimentary e-copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
* * * * *
China, December 1941. Having left an unhappy life in England for a teaching post at a missionary school in northern China, Elspeth Kent is now anxious to return home to help the war effort. But as she prepares to leave China, a terrible twist of fate determines a different path for Elspeth, and those in her charge.
Ten-year-old Nancy Plummer has always felt safe at Chefoo School, protected by her British status. But when Japan declares war on Britain and America, Japanese forces take control of the school and the security and comforts Nancy and her friends are used to are replaced by privation, uncertainty and fear. Now the enemy, and separated from their parents, the children look to their teachers – to Miss Kent and her new Girl Guide patrol especially – to provide a sense of unity and safety.
Faced with the relentless challenges of oppression, the school community must rely on their courage, faith and friendships as they pray for liberation – but worse is to come when they are sent to a distant internment camp where even greater uncertainty and danger await . . .
I've read quite a few WWII-era books but had never read one set in China, so this one sounded particularly interesting.
I really enjoyed both character's perspectives. Sometimes when a story alternates between an adult (like Elspeth) and a child (Nancy), the child perspective can come across as very, well, childish. But I found Nancy's perspective to be very interesting. The contrast between students and teachers was compelling.
This book was very well written so I could easily imagine what was going on and how things looked. It had some beautiful and interesting characters, and the plot was really unique. I particularly enjoyed the symbolism of the sunflower seeds to mark significant events.
This story did have some difficult moments in it, but I enjoyed how they always tried to find the light in such a dark and tragic situation.
This book did feel a little long overall, but it was one that I thought about long after I finished.
What were some of your favorite reads from 2020?
