Book Review: Preserving Liberty by Candice Sue Patterson

I enjoyed the characters and plot in this quick read.
Preserving Liberty
by Candice Sue Patterson

File Size: 1007 KB
Print Length: 113 pages
Publisher: Pure Amore (September 8, 2017)
ASIN: B07QL2YVLS
Genre: Clean Romance, Romantic Suspense
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Historic preservation specialist Liberty Carmichael loves her position at the Library of Congress, caring for America's oldest documents. So when she intercepts an inside threat by a radical group planning to steal part of Thomas Jefferson's original collection, she takes it to the highest authority--her father, the president. When he fails to take the threat seriously, she steals the books to keep them safe.
Undercover FBI agent Cole Harding is close to disbanding the group responsible for killing his father. Believing documents once owned by Thomas Jefferson hold clues to answering a two hundred year old question, the group's next target is the Library of Congress. However, he wasn't expecting the First Daughter to get caught in the middle.
Will Cole convince the president to trust his abilities? Can he keep Liberty safe without blowing his cover? Can either protect their hearts?

Review:
Liberty, aka Libby, is a historic preservation specialist who is also the president’s daughter. She gains knowledge of a threat by a radical group planning to steal important historical documents, but her father doesn’t take the threat seriously. To protect the books Liberty steals them herself, sneaking them out of the collections and hiding them.

As she is purloining the final book, she is stunned to be stopped by someone she trusts. She barely escapes when a stranger on a motorcycle offers to help her. Libby is reluctant to trust a stranger but soon realizes that she can’t complete her mission without help.

Cole is an FBI agent who is undercover with the radical group trying to steal the books. He happens to be in the right place to ‘rescue’ the president’s daughter. He presents himself to help Libby without telling her that he will use her as bait to set-up the true radicals. The two decide to recover the books and decipher the hidden clues themselves. They are on the run, dodging bullets and thrown closer together after losing cash and clothes.

The longer Cole works with Libby the more he wants to keep her safe and explore a future with her. But how will she feel about him when the truth comes out? And how will he face her father, the president, after using Libby as a lure – assuming he can return her safely?

Libby is a strong, mostly likeable character. She had a clever idea about hiding the books, but she is a pampered young woman who didn’t fully plan for being on her own without a handy credit card or guard. Cole is a nice hunky FBI agent who knows better how to live on the run, even if he gets distracted a bit. I very much enjoyed their relationship and the puzzle clues surrounding secrets of Thomas Jefferson.

This is the second book I have read by Ms. Patterson (How to Charm a Beekeeper's Heart) and I will have to add her to my repeat reading list. She provides clear characters, strong plots and a sweet romance that flows in easy writing. I recommend this quick book and author to readers who like clean romance.

Source: Pelican Book Group review gift September, 2018. This qualifies for 2019TBR goal.

Audio Book Review: Sins of the Past: A Romantic Suspense Novella Collection

One of these was slow but they were all nice, easy listening.

Sins of the Past: A Romantic Suspense Novella Collection
Author Dee Henderson, Dani Pettrey & Lynette Eason
Narrator Various Narrators

Runtime 10.17 Hrs. - Unabridged
Publisher Recorded Books
Downloads ZIP M4B MP3
Release Date June 24, 2016
Genre: Christian, Mystery, Romantic Suspense
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.0; Narration 4.0.

Description
In this collection of gripping novellas from the top authors of Christian romantic suspense, sins of the past lead to danger in the present. In Dee Henderson's "Missing," a Wyoming sheriff is called to Chicago when his elderly mother gus missing. Paired with a savvy Chicago cop, the two realize her disappearance is no accident, and a race against the clock begins. Dani Pettrey returns to Alaska with "Shadowed," introducing readers to the parents of her beloved McKenna clan. Adventure, romance, and danger collide when a young fisherman nets the body of an open-water swimming competitor who may actually be a possible Russian defector. Lynette Eason's "Blackout" delivers the story of a woman once implicated in a robbery gone wrong. The loot has never been found--but her memory of that night has always been unreliable. Can she remember enough to find her way to safety when the true culprit comes after her?

Review:
"Missing" by Dee Henderson: John, a Wyoming sheriff, is called to Chicago when his elderly mother goes missing from her elder home complex. He is met by Sharon Noble, a savvy Chicago Lieutenant who is already organizing the search. John has a past with criminals as a former Chicago cop and there are several avenues to look at for suspects.

I liked the premise of this plot, the two characters and the clear friendship that grows as they work together. There are good clues in the short story that might let a keen reader figure out the twist. The drawback on this was the very slow beginning. I listened to the first hour and a half during a drive with others and none of us were particularly engaged at that point. Fortunately, I pushed through to listen to the rest as I did enjoy the final package. My rating: 3.75.

“Shadowed” by Dani Pettrey: Competitive swimmer, Libby, is in Alaska and plans to enjoy some tourism. She is the only one to show up early on a rainy morning for a whale watching tour. Ben the tour guide (and more) is impressed by Libby’s spunk and determination. He agrees to take her out. In addition to seeing whales they discover something else in the water. When they pull the body on board, Libby is shocked to recognize her number one competitor, a Russian swimmer.

Libby’s competitive schedule hasn’t allowed her to develop relationships and she wasn’t looking for one this trip. But Ben’s competence and gently protective tendencies draw her in. Ben knew at some point he might decide to settle down, but he had never met the right woman until now. The relationship builds between them even as they are dodging a killer as they try to unravel the truth about spies and counterspies.

This story was engaging and an easy listen as it raced quickly through discovery, danger and deception. My rating: 4.25.

“Blackout” by Lynette Eason: Macey has had blackouts for the past six years since she survived a robbery where she was in the wrong place at the wrong time and she was almost killed. She hides her past because the connections don’t look good. Now, as someone is stalking and frightening her, more memories are returning.

Macey’s neighbor Chad is a police detective. He knows that Macey has kept him at arm’s length, but he rushes in when he hears her scream. She isn’t imagining things. Macey’s high school crush, who was involved in the robbery, has returned and it appears he is pressuring her to remember. But someone else doesn’t want her to remember what happened that night, and is prepared to kill Macey to stop her. Macey begins to open up and rely more on Chad as the threat escalates.

This story presents tension from the beginning. I wasn’t overly impressed with Macey as a character, but Chad is a strong, attractive hero. The story moves along well although it seems a little rushed. 4.0.

The collection provides three easy, satisfactory listens. The faith of characters is shared without being preachy or overbearing. I recommend this to readers who enjoy clean romantic suspense. 4.0.

Audio Notes: The narrators were Graham Winton, Christina Moore, and Therese Plummer in that order. All three did a good job with the narration. Winton is the only new narrator to me as I have enjoyed audios narrated by Moore and Plummer before. The narration made this an easier ’read’ for me.

Source: July 2017 Christianaudio Sale. This qualifies for my 2019TBR and 2019Audiobook goals.

Sunday Post August 18, 2019/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday August 19, 2019

I am linking with Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading now at The Book Date (at Wordpress).

What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

We had a full week of work with some distress. A local bank set forth a limited vendor decision. The banks have the right to do this but aren't usually so blunt as it does upset the realtors and can cost extra to the parties.
As I was working on finalizing this post my computer started freezing up so I am wrapping up to get it posted.
Our weather remains very hot.

I had a fair week of reading/listening, finishing three titles (and part of a DNF). I finished 2 audiobooks and 1 ebook. I posted five reviews and my usual memes.

I visited 18 blogs last week.
Shout Out this week to but books are better. Heidi has wonderfully creative book images.
Thank you to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:

• Sunday Post August 11, 2019/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday August 12, 2019.

• ATBR- Audio Book Review: No Other Will Do (Ladies of Harper's Station Series, Book #1) by Karen Witemeyer; Genre: Christian Romance, Historical Romance; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

• NG2019- #NetGalley Book Review: The Girl in Red by Christina Henry; Genre: Fairy Tale Retelling, Post-Apocalyptic, Sci Fi; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

• ATBR- Audible Book Review: The Ember War, Books 1-2, by Richard Fox; Genre: Sci Fi, Space Fleet, Space Military; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.5.

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway August 16, 2019. Open Worldwide. Ending 8/22/2019.

• ATBR- Audible Book Review: Sleeping Tiger by Rosamunde Pilcher; Genre: Novella, Romance; My Rating: 3.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.0; Narration 3.25.

• NG2019- #NetGalley Book Review: You Don't Belong Here by Sean O'Toole; Genre: Novella, Romance; My Rating: 3.0 of 5.0 Overall; Story 3.0; Narration 3.25.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement August 18, 2019.

Finished Reading:

1. Audio/Smartphone (ATBR)

Sins of the Past: A Romantic Suspense Novella Collection
Author Dee Henderson, Dani Pettrey & Lynette Eason
Narrator Various Narrators
Runtime 10.17 Hrs. - Unabridged
One of these was slow but they were all easy listening.
Source: July 2017 Christianaudio Sale.
Click on book title for full description.

2. eBook/Kindle (Publisher eBTBR)

Preserving Liberty
by Candice Sue Patterson
I enjoyed the characters and plot in this.
Source: Pelican Book Group review choice 2018.
Click on book title for full description.

3. Audio/Smartphone (ATBR)

The Collapsing Empire
The Interdependency, Book 1
By: John Scalzi
Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
Series: The Interdependency, Book 1
Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
A little slow start and then I was engrossed.
Source: September 2017 Audible Daily Deal $2.95.
Publisher's Summary
2018 Locus Award, Best Science Fiction Novel
Our universe is ruled by physics, and faster-than-light travel is not possible - until the discovery of The Flow, an extradimensional field we can access at certain points in space-time that transports us to other worlds, around other stars.
Humanity flows away from Earth, into space, and in time forgets our home world and creates a new empire, the Interdependency, whose ethos requires that no one human outpost can survive without the others. It's a hedge against interstellar war - and a system of control for the rulers of the empire.
The Flow is eternal - but it is not static. Just as a river changes course, The Flow changes as well, cutting off worlds from the rest of humanity. When it's discovered that The Flow is moving, possibly cutting off all human worlds from faster-than-light travel forever, three individuals - a scientist, a starship captain, and the empress of the Interdependency - are in a race against time to discover what, if anything, can be salvaged from an interstellar empire on the brink of collapse.
©2017 John Scalzi (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

Currently Reading:
1. eBook/Kindle (NG2019)

The Ethereal Squadron
by Shami Stovall
I'm really enjoying this alternate history military fantasy.
Source: 2019 NetGalley.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audio/Smartphone (ATBR)

The Beekeeper's Apprentice
(Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #1)
by Laurie R. King
I've listened to the beginning of this
and I think I will enjoy it.
Source: September 2011 Audible purchase.
Long retired, Sherlock Holmes quietly pursues his study of honeybee behavior on the Sussex Downs. He never imagines he would encounter anyone whose intellect matched his own, much less an audacious teenage girl with a penchant for detection. Miss Mary Russell becomes Holmes' pupil and quickly hones her talent for deduction, disguises and danger. But when an elusive villain enters the picture, their partnership is put to a real test.

3. eBook/Kindle (NG2019)

The Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens
by Anne Kuo
I'm sad I don't have the chickens anymore but I am still interested.
Source: 2019 NetGalley.
The book new chicken keepers will crow about.
The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens makes it simple and easy to start keeping these surprisingly smart birds right in your backyard. From constructing coops to rearing chicks, you’ll learn everything you need to know to make sure your chickens stay happy and healthy all year round.
Which breed of chicken is right for you? What’s the best coop-bedding material? What sort of feed should you use? Let expert chicken keeper Anne Kuo answer these questions—and many others—in The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens.
The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens includes:
All cooped up—Create the perfect home for raising chickens using detailed backyard coop designs and construction guides.
From chickens to eggs—Find out how to pick the right breed, raise chicks, collect eggs, keep your birds safe from predators, and more.
Learn to speak bird—Start talking the talk thanks to an extensive glossary of common chicken-keeping terms.
Get your own flock started in no time—The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens shows you how.

4. eBook/Kindle (NG2019)

The Lady in the Coppergate Tower
by Nancy Campbell Allen
This sounds like a good story.
Source: 2019 NetGalley.
Hazel Hughes has spent her life believing she is a Medium—someone who can talk to ghosts. But as of yet, that skill has remained frustratingly elusive. She is also suffering from a reoccurring childhood dream of someone who looks almost exactly like Hazel, but this dream version of herself is slowly going mad.
Sam MacInnes is a talented surgeon who runs in the highest social circles thanks to his family’s position and history. When Sam hires Hazel to assist him with his medical practice, he is immediately drawn to her intelligence, wit, and beauty.
Their potential relationship is derailed one evening when a mysterious count arrives in London and reveals to Hazel the truth about her past: she was abducted at birth and her twin sister has fallen dangerously ill.
Hazel agrees to travel to Romania with Count Petrescu in order to save her sister, and Sam insists on accompanying her. The count has secrets, though, and the journey grows more sinister with every mile that draws Hazel closer to her homeland. Even as her feelings for Sam become deeper and more complicated, she fears she might not survive the quest to save her sister with her heart intact, not to mention her life. She must learn to draw on gifts she doesn’t know she has if they are going to ever return home again.
Hazel and Sam must fight their way past dark magic, clockwork beasts, and their own insecurities as they try to reach her sister in the impenetrable Coppergate Tower before time runs out.

Audio/Smartphone (ATBR) -- Listened to 3 hrs out of 9 and 1/2.  DNF

Deception
By: Denise Mina
Narrated by: Richard Matthews
Length: 9 hrs and 38 mins
I got through the first hour and a half which was filled with foul language. I was sort of interested in how it ended so I listened to the final hour and a half (still full of ugly langauge). My thoughts: some wonderful descriptions; a rather dark tale with twists but all of it is overshadowed by horrible language which I didn't want to listen to for another 6 hours.
Source: December 2004 Audible Purchase.
Click on book title for full description.

August 18, 2019 - I am still enjoying the devotions and readings with the One Year Bible plan through You Version App. I completed a 2 day plan this week: God's Joyful Assignment For You. I will start a new study this week. [You can check out audio of the One Year Bible Plan on the companion commentary online.]

I completed three books and posted five reviews. I continue up to date with the three reviews to post this week.
I have been adding newer reviews to NetGalley, Goodreads, Amazon and Audible. (Eventually I will add older reviews.)
My NetGalley shelf is now at 11 unread. I have pulled/read titles released and on my list before July. Next week I expect to start titles I received in July. [Plus I have 4 old titles (2012-13.)]
I have three author ebook titles left in queue. I plan to get caught up on these too.
Still many titles through InstaFreebie and many new author requests I haven't replied to.

Welcome to Mailbox Monday.

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. This Meme started with Marcia at A Girl and Her Books (fka The Printed Page) and after a tour of hosts has returned to its permanent home at Mailbox Monday. Thanks to the ladies sharing hosting duties: Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit and (yours truly). Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
I received NO review titles this week.
I haven't picked out the Audible Originals for August yet.
I selected two free kindle titles this week. (Note these are in my Amazon library, NOT on my Kindle until I download and transfer them.) Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles

NONE

Won

NONE

Purchased

NONE

Free

Two free titles were added this week to my Kindle library. Titles found linked through Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Free Par-tay, Ignite Your Book, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.

Sunday Words of Encouragement August 18, 2019

Our Sunday School assistant teacher started a new study this week entitled Renewing Your Mind.

Our service started, as always, with praise and worship. Pastor then introduced and welcomed nine congregants who had become ‘new members’ – a very happy event.

The new sermon series is called Culture Shift. Pastor reflected how people born before 1900 saw lots of changes- planes, rockets, computers and other technology. Meanwhile the culture of the home has changed drastically over the past half century. God was removed from schools in the 1960s and efforts have been made to remove Him from homes and public institutions ever since. This has resulted in a group of young adults who have not been raised in church.

Since the Columbine shooting in 1999 we have a generation now being raised with violence and the threat of violence. Prior generations may have gone through bomb air raid drills in school, but we did not have drills to protect ourselves from possible mass shootings. Even Oprah says America ‘has lost its core moral center’. Basics that used to be taught in church are no longer reaching the fuller community.

Today’s news is full of emphasis on divisions in society and ideologies. This is a new norm.

Daniel chapter 1 tells how the people of Jerusalem and articles of the temple were delivered into the hand of the enemy. Daniel 1:1-6. God allowed it for His plan and purposes.

God equipped Daniel and his friends to become servants in King Nebuchadnezzar’s palace. God specifically equipped Daniel to be able to respond to King Nebuchadnezzar’s demand for recital of and dream interpretation. Daniel Chapter 2.

Nebuchadnezzar set up a big idol but Daniel’s friends refused to bow down to it. They were put into the fire. Three men were put into the furnace but four were seen in the flames. When the three came out unharmed, King Nebuchadnezzar praised the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Daniel Chapter 3.

Like Daniel and his friends, we must be prepared to move in the society where we are set or led, but we must also stand firm on the word. You cannot go AND stay where you are.

The Point: We must lead people by our lives, to the real Jesus of the Bible.

God's word is firm; it does not change. John 1:1. God sent His son into the world to save it. The enemy sows condemnation and division; Jesus sets people free.

Pastor asks: Do you need to know the real Jesus again or for first time?

I think this song fits - whether we have to walk through the waters, the flames or face the giants, we do not need to be afraid!

Verses for Today
Daniel 3:28-29 (NIV)
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar said, “Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent his angel and rescued his servants! They trusted in him and defied the king’s command and were willing to give up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.”


I pray that I will always trust God to see me through the circumstances of my life.

#NetGalley Book Review: You Don't Belong Here by Sean O'Toole

This is a nice children’s story with a good message.
You Don't Belong Here
by Sean O'Toole

File Size: 7370 KB
Print Length: 43 pages
Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc. (April 25, 2019)
ASIN: B07R8FKW9X
Genre: Children, Bullying
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0.

Two muskrat brothers become displaced due to a storm and end up in a lady’s backyard. They make a big mess back there, and the lady decides it’s time for them to go. She calls a pest control company who comes and sets traps to catch them. He catches one of the muskrats and relocates him in a forest near a pond. He and his brother had never been apart before, and now he was all alone in an unfamiliar place. Some other animals approached him while he was drinking from the pond. They had never seen a muskrat before and were not as welcoming as he would have liked—until the muskrat proved himself worthy of living there by helping the animals defeat a dangerous foe. The other animals realized that he had some unique qualities and skills and did in fact belong at the pond, and they became friends. And someone special may have rejoined the muskrat to make for a happy ending.

Review:
Marty and Manny are muskrat brothers who get displaced by a flood. They end up at a neighborhood yard where the homeowner finds them cute until they start ravishing her garden. She announces, “you don’t belong here” and calls the pest control who captures Marty and releases him far away.

Marty is initially rejected by the other creatures he finds at the wood pond. But then he steps up to help them face a bully that has been harassing them.

Can Marty find a place to belong? Will Marty and Manny get to be together again?

I really enjoyed this sweet story and the message it brings about finding a place to belong and fighting together to face a bully. The illustrations are what I would call colorized pencil sketches. They are not formal or precise but rather charming in their simple, more amateurish tone. I think this would be enjoyed by young children to be read to or to read when they are able. I would share this with my grandchildren ages 3 through 8. I recommend this as a cute book with a good message.

Source: 2019 NetGalley. This qualifies for my 2019NetGalley and Alphabet goals.