Audio Book Review: A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer

I enjoyed this charming and suspenseful western historical romance.

A Worthy Pursuit
By Karen Witemeyer
Narrated By: Barbara McCulloh

Duration: 11 h 7 min
Date: June 2015
Bethany House Publishers // Recorded Books
Genre: Historical Romance, Inspirational, Romance
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.5; Narration 4.5.

Summary:
A teacher on the run. A bounty hunter in pursuit. Can two enemies learn to trust each other before they both lose what they hold most dear? Stone Hammond is the best tracker in Texas. He never comes home empty-handed. So when a wealthy railroad investor hires him to find his abducted granddaughter, Stone eagerly accepts. Charlotte Atherton, former headmistress of Sullivan's Academy for Exceptional Youths, will do anything to keep her charges safe, especially the orphaned girl entrusted to her care. Charlotte promised Lily's mother she'd keep the girl away from her unscrupulous grandfather, and nothing will stop Charlotte from fulfilling that pledge. Not even the handsome bounty hunter with surprisingly honest eyes who comes looking for them. When Miss Atherton produces documentation that shows her to be Lily's legal guardian, Stone must reevaluate everything he's been led to believe. Is she villain or victim? Then a new danger forces Charlotte to trust the man sent to destroy her. Stone vows to protect what he once sought to tear apart. Besides, he's ready to start a new pursuit: winning Charlotte's heart.

Review:
Charlotte is unhappy when the school where she works closes down. She has three special students she wants to protect. Even though she has the rights to take the two boys and young girl, she packs them all up at night, so she won’t have to face Lily’s powerful grandfather. She knows that the man will look for her but she hopes that she has hidden her charges and her trail.

Lily’s grandfather hires Stone Hammond, the best tracker in Texas, to find his kidnapped granddaughter. It has taken some heavy tracking, but Stone has finally found the location of the teacher and orphaned girl. Stone expects to find a wicked school marm using the children as slave labor. Instead, he finds a lovely young woman with three happy children and a protective ‘gnome’ handyman. Charlotte claims to have documentation appointing her as the legal guardian for Lily. He plans to stay and watch her movements until he gets confirmation of her claims. He is surprised to observe the talents of the teacher and children as he waits.

Meanwhile, Stone has to wonder if Lily may be in danger and if he has inadvertently led the threat to her doorstep. When another danger begins to stalk Charlotte and Lily, will Stone be able to keep the small ‘family’ safe?

Charlotte is a caring teacher with a beautiful, Christian heart. She is cautious because she has been let down and betrayed in the past. Still, she is ready to offer healing rather than condemnation even to the man who has come to take her precious Lily. Stone is a wonderfully honorable man who has a reputation for getting the job done. But he is willing to protect the innocent when he learns that evil stalks. As he works beside Charlotte, he realizes that her injured heart is ‘a worthy pursuit’.

There are some nice musical elements in the story. There is gentle development of the relationship between the characters. The Christian foundation is shown through the steadfast characters without having to be preached. I appreciated the message acknowledging God’s control and I enjoyed the suspense that added interest to this lovely story. I want to read more by this author. I recommend this story to fans of clean, historical romance with a touch of danger.

Audio Notes: Barbara McCulloh does a wonderful job with the narration. I really enjoyed her tone, voices and delivery. It fit well with the story and enhanced my enjoyment of the work.

Source: 6/3/19 Audiobooks.com 2 for one credit with May credit. This qualifies for 2021TBR and 2021Audiobook goals.

Sunday Post September 12, 2021/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday September 13, 2021

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 continue to catch up on title work and legal work.
We watched some of the specials on Saturday to remember 9/11.

I managed to get a picture of one of the deer herds that range our mile long community driveway. Hopefully, you can see the buck to the right of the tree and a couple of the younglings to the right also.

We continue to have half sunny days and half raining. Our temps are running mid to high 80s. The evenings are cooling off nicely to the low 70s.

My listening was good again this week, finishing three audiobooks.  I posted three reviews and my usual memes.

I visited 20 blogs last week.
Shout Out this week to BOOK SNIFFERS ANONYMOUS. Kristin loves "all things romance" including other genres as long as they have "a smidgen of romance".

Audible offerings for free children's titles ended June 30.
Audiobooks.com is still sharing some free listens for children.

These were last week's posts:

• Sunday Post September 5, 2021/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday September 6, 2021.

• A2021- Audible Book Review: Penny Preston and the Silver Scepter by Armen Pogharian; Genre: Fantasy, Teens; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.25.

• NG2021- #NetGalley: Hematite, Serenade by Victoria Maderna, Federico Piatti; Genre: Comics, Graphic Novel, Paranormal, Science Fiction, YA; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

• Martha's Bookshelf***Friday Pick Giveaway September 10, 2021. Open Worldwide. Ending 9/16/2021.

• MBS August 2021 Reading List Wrap Up.
  

• ATBR- Audio Book Review: The Dauntless by Alex Kings; Genre: Military, Science Fiction, Space Opera; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.0; Narration 4.25.

• Sunday Words of Encouragement September 12, 2021.

Finished Reading:

1. Audio/Smartphone (ATBR)

A Worthy Pursuit
By Karen Witemeyer
Narrated By: Barbara McCulloh
Duration: 11 h 7 min
This is a charming and suspenseful western historical romance.
Source: 6/3/19 Audiobooks.com 2 for one credit with May credit.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Who in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?
By: Rebecca Tinker
Narrated by: Kyla Garcia
Length: 4 hrs and 27 mins
Release date: 01-22-19
I remember the computer game years ago and now play the card game with my grandkids.
This spin off audio is fun but I had some concerns.
7/5/2019 Daily Deal $1.95.
Click on book title for full description.

3. NetGalley App/Smartphone (NGA2021)

Striking Range
(Timber Creek K-9 Mystery #7)
by Margaret Mizushima
Narrated by Nancy Wu
9 hours and 46 minutes
This moved very quickly.
I liked the first book in this series and have more to listen to. I am thankful to have snagged this one from NetGalley.
Source: 9/8/2021 from NetGalley
He was suspect number one - the man who tried to kill Deputy Mattie Cobb and may have killed her father 30 years earlier. But when Mattie and cold-case Detective Jim Hauck reach the Colorado state prison where they will finally get to interview him, he's found dead in his cell. There's only one clue: a map leading to Timber Creek and rugged Redstone Ridge.
Following the clue, Mattie and her K-9 partner, Robo, journey into the burned forest surrounding Redstone Ridge. But before they can finish their search, they're called to help investigate the death of a young woman found in a campground filled with elk hunters. Identification of the deceased points to her having recently given birth, but the infant is nowhere to be found.
As a deadly storm descends upon the mountains, covering everything with a layer of ice and snow, Mattie and her team search for the missing newborn. The storm batters the area, taking its toll on the team and forcing the sheriff to call in reinforcements. When new evidence surfaces, they decide that finding the woman's killer will lead them to her baby, making them even more desperate to solve the case.
Then veterinarian Cole Walker goes missing, stranded alone in the high country with a person that Mattie now suspects is the mastermind behind several murders, including her father's. She and Robo take to the trail to find Cole - but the killer has a cold-blooded plan that threatens them all.

Currently Reading:e
1. ebook/Kindle App on Phone (ebTBR)

Killer Lawyer (Jake Wolfe Book 3)
by Mark Nolan
I enjoyed book one of the series and
I am enjoying this book too!
Source: Author 2019.
Click on book title for full description.

2. Audible/Smartphone (ATBR)

Commune: Book Three
By: Joshua Gayou
Narrated by: R.C. Bray
Length: 17 hrs and 54 mins
Release date: 11-15-18
I started this before I got the NetGalley book downloaded. It was hard to set it aside and I'll be glad to pick it up again.
Source: November 2020 Audible Credit.
Publisher's Summary
Having been bolstered with the supplies sufficient to carry them through the winter, the survivors of the Jackson commune must now hunker down and endure the bitter Wyoming snows, while to the south, factions are beginning to form, coalescing from the ashes of the dead world.
Out in Arizona, the leftovers of the US Military encamped in the last known surviving tent city: the Elysium Fields.
In Nevada, a clan of scavengers grows ever larger, each day bringing them a step closer to collapsing under their own weight.
Resources are becoming scarcer by the day as the world trudges on, and as it so happens, the folks up in Wyoming appear to be sitting on prime real estate....
©2018 Joshua Gayou (P)2018 Joshua Gayou

I may get to another audio but I haven't decided which yet - again.

September 12, 2021 - I am on track. I love seeing new things each time I read the Bible. I am glad to still be current with morning reading. I am reading/listening to the NLT Tyndale version of the Bible on You Version App so Hubby and I are reading the same passages each day.
I plan to pick another study this week.

I completed three books to review this week.
NetGalley shelf is now at 1 new audio and 3 old ebooks titles. 
I have four author titles in queue. I've started reading from these.
(Plus a few that I received from facebook links and newsletter sign-ups, not specific review requests.)
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: Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit, me and new to the team, Velvet at vvb32reads. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

I received two NetGalley audio review books this week.
  I'm still contemplating the second August Audible choice.
I purchased one audio title at Chirp.
I also selected two audios from Audible Plus Catalog.
Four 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

Two Audios from NetGalley
9/8/2021 from NetGalley

Striking Range
(Timber Creek K-9 Mystery #7)
by Margaret Mizushima
Narrated by Nancy Wu
9 hours and 46 minutes
I liked the first book in this series and have more to listen to and I am thankful to snag this one from NetGalley. See more above under finished reading.

9/9/2021 from NetGalley

Best in Snow
(Andy Carpenter #24)
by David Rosenfelt
Narrated by Grover Gardner
6 hours and 52 minutes

Won

NONE

Purchased

9/11/2021 Chirp Purchase $.99

Eli Carter and the Ghost Hackers Books 1-3 Series Boxed Set
Written by Angela Pepper
Narrated by John Pirhalla
Run Time 10h 35min
This looks like fun and hard to resist at $.99.

Free

Two audiobooks from Audible Plus Catalog 9/11/2021

In the Shadow of the Towers: Speculative Fiction in a Post-9/11 World
By: Douglas Lain
Narrated by: Molly Elston , Matthew Boston

Keep Moving: And Other Tips and Truths About Aging
By: Dick Van Dyke
Narrated by: Dick Van Dyke



Four Free Kindle Titles - downloaded from Facebook posts.

Brothers of Miller Ranch Box Set: Contemporary Western Romance
(Miller Family Saga Book 1)
Natalie Dean

My Lord Rogue (The Nelson's Tea Series Book 1)
Katherine Bone

One Perfect Summer (Hazel Island)
Iris Morland

Rescued (The McKenzie Ridge Series Book 1)
Stephanie St. Klaire


Other Free titles often found at Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.

Sunday Words of Encouragement September 12, 2021

This morning our Pastor started a new series: “Walking With Jesus”. He noted that we are not always walking and the issues may be: getting started, what can we expect, how to keep going, and what does the finish look like?

Many of us choose to walk to a destination. Sometimes friends ask to take a walk, not to get to a destination but to share time and get to know each other.

When we start walking with Jesus, it changes us completely. It begins a lifelong journey that changes our life. It changes our view and what we think about. When Jesus walked with his friends and followers, He was always the one to lead. They talked and often asked Jesus questions about society, politics, creation, and heaven. He answered their questions. He was always patient with them.

He calls us to walk with Him and obey Him. 1 John 2:3-6.
He wants us close enough to hear all that He says, so He can have a personal conversation with us. He wants us to walk close beside Him.

Our roots should grow into Him. Colossians 2: 6-7.

The Point: Walking with Jesus leads us into a new relationship, and into new life and new purpose,

If you haven’t started walking with Jesus, you can start today. Don’t stay on the periphery. Don’t just walk around Him. Get close and let Him lead. Go when and where he leads.

When you start a walk with Jesus, you are offered forgiveness.
He takes us where we are ready to go, where He has prepared us to go. He will always go with us. The best thing for us is to walk where He directs, even if it is a new place. He will be there with us.

Sometimes we get tired, and He may pick us up. Other times we may stray away – we want to do it on our own. But if we allow our roots to grow into Him, we will recognize the security He offers. He will always be there for us. Our relationship with Him will be what matters.

How is your walk with Jesus today? Accept His invitation to walk closely with Him.

My Husband picked the video song this morning.
An older, well known hymn: Just a Closer Walk With Thee.

Verses for Today:
Colossians 2:6-7 NIV
Spiritual Fullness in Christ
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Heavenly Father, please help me to walk with You and stay close to You each day.

Audio Book Review: The Dauntless by Alex Kings

I enjoyed this action-packed space adventure, even though a bit far fetched.
The Dauntless
Written by Alex Kings
Narrated by Mark Boyett

Series: War of the Ancients Trilogy, Book 1
Run Time 8h 34min
Release Date: February 6, 2018
Publisher: Podium Audio
Genre: Military, Science Fiction, Space Opera
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.0; Narration 4.25.

Publisher Description An alien fugitive carrying a secret. A mob of relentless assassins sent to stop her. A million-year-old ship from a dead civilisation.
Captain James Hanson of the Solar Alliance Vessel Dauntless knows he has to help. But soon he finds the conspiracy goes deeper than he ever imagined. Hunted down by his own government, he scrapes together a ragtag team and goes hunting for the truth.
He’s hounded on every side — from the authorities, from alien warriors, from mysterious, faceless soldiers. From the criminal backwaters of the galaxy to idyllic colonies hiding dark pasts, he uncovers a threat to the entire galaxy. A damaged, renegade ship and its unlikely crew of fugitives, mercenaries, and principled officers is all that stands between mankind and its destruction.

Review:
Captain James Hanson is on a patrol when a small ship jumps in besides him and asks for help and asylum. The Solar Alliance regulations direct that Hanson shouldn’t get involved in alien disputes, but Hanson decides he has to step in over the objections of his XO. Hanson manages to save a survivor and learns of a conspiracy that threatens mankind. He reports the allegations to his superior officer but without some tangible proof no action can be taken.

Hanson takes his ship rogue to hunt for evidence. He quickly faces new enemies while a galactic enforcer tries to take his ship and crew into custody. Somehow, Hanson manages to stay one step ahead of the authorities but one step behind the threat. Hanson and a handful of warriors keep trying to sneak into forbidden areas leaving his XO to fend off attacks on the ship. At each encounter his ship takes more damage until it is questionable if they can survive long enough to get their evidence to the right people.

Clearly, they do survive since this is the first book of a trilogy. But that doesn’t mean they have stopped the power grabbing enemy. That battle will have to continue.

There is plenty of stealth and battle action in this story. The escapes were rather farfetched, but I liked how the characters had to pull together to get out of the scrapes and corners they found themselves in. This is satisfactorily entertaining and at some point I will look to continue with books two and three in the trilogy. I recommend this to fans of military space opera as an entertaining, if not compelling, story.

Audio Notes: Mark Boyett is a wonderful narrator and enhanced this book for me. He provides distinct character voices and keeps the pacing and energy in the story. As soon as the narration started, I appreciated the familiar voice.

Source: November 8th, 2020 Chirp Purchase $1.99. This qualifies for 2021TBR and 2021Audiobook goals.

MBS August 2021 Reading List Wrap Up

MBS 2021 Reading List - AUGUST

Code for the list is:
A = Audible; ABB = Audiobook Boom
e = eBook; eA = eBook from Author; eT = eBook from Tour
NG = NetGalley
P = Print; PT = Print from Tour
LBC = Ladies Book Club
TBR = From the TBR shelves prior to 2020
Favorites for the month:

5 Stars = None
4.75 Stars = Winds of Wrath, The Iron Triangle
4.5 Stars =  Zero Hour, Secrets of a Summer Night, The Reaper

1. ATBR- Audible Book Review: Winds of Wrath, Destroyermen Series, Book 15, by Taylor Anderson; Genre: Alternate History, Military, Sci Fi; My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.75; Narration 5.0.
2. ATBR- Audible Book Review: Hour of Need by Melinda Leigh; Genre: Mystery, Romantic Suspense; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.0; Narration 4.5.
3. P2021- Book Review: The Iron Triangle: Inside the Liberal Democrat Plan to Use Race to Divide... by Vince Everett Ellison; Genre: History of Religion & Politics, Nonfiction, Political Parties; My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0.
4. ATBR- Audible Book Review: Lost Valley by Walt Browning; Genre: Military Sci Fi, Post-Apocalyptic; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.0; Narration 4.0.
5. ATBR- Audible Book Review: Zero Hour, Expeditionary Force, Book 5, by Craig Alanson; Genre: Adventure, Military, Space Opera; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.75.
6. A2021- Audible Book Review: Q & A by Ben Winters; Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Thriller & Suspense; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.25.
7. A2021- Audio Review: Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas; Genre: Historical Romance, Regency Romance; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.5; Narration 4.75.
8. ATBR- Audible Book Review: The Reaper, Autobiography of One of the Deadliest Special Ops Snipers, by Gary Brozek, Nicholas Irving; Genre: Biography, Memoir, Military, Special Elite; My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.5; Narration 4.5.
9. ATBR- Audio Book Review: The Trouble with Dukes, Windham Brides, Book 1, by Grace Burrowes; Genre: Historical Romance, Regency Romance, Scottish Romance; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.25.
10. A2021- Audible Book Review: The Bone Farm: A Jane Hawk Case File by Dean Koontz; Genre: Suspense, Thriller; My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.0; Narration 4.0.
11. ATBR- Audio Book Review: Infinity Blade: Awakening by Brandon Sanderson; Genre: Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.25.
12. NG2021- #NetGalley Book Review: The Keepers by Jeffrey B. Burton; Genre: Amateur Sleuth, Cadaver Dog, Mystery; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.25.
13. A2021- Audible Book Review: Penny Preston and the Silver Scepter by Armen Pogharian; Genre: Fantasy, Teens; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Content 4.25; Narration 4.25.
14. NG2021- #NetGalley: Hematite, Serenade by Victoria Maderna, Federico Piatti; Genre: Comics, Graphic Novel, Paranormal, Science Fiction, YA; My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Total read = 14
TBR = 6
New Authors = 6
Audio/Audible = 11 (6 TBRs)
NetGalley = 2 (no audios) (0 TBRs)
Author Review books (other than NG) = 1
Nonfiction = 2
eBook = 0 (0 TBR)
Print = 1 (0 TBR)

Goal Progress (to Date meaning through the end of the given month):
Goodreads Goal Read to Date: 102 of 124
TBR to Date: 73 of 90 total
GOAL MET: Audio to Date: 75 of 64
GOAL MET: NetGalley to Date: 25 of 24
Author Reviews: 9 of 12
Nonfiction: 10 of 12
TBR, ebooks or Print: 8 of 24

• Series: 63 (22 continuing, 41 new)
• New to me Series: 41 (16 Yes to continue; 10 likely to continue, 11 maybe, unlikely 4)
• Finished for me Series: 1

Special Goals
• Seasonal title: 3 of 4: Winter, Spring, Summer
• Color in title: 6 of 8: Red, Black, Gold, Blue, Blonde, Diamond
GOAL MET• Alphabet letters covered: 26 Mixed media: 10 Jan + 6 Feb + 2 March + 1 April + 2 May + 2 June + 1 July + 2 August (26 of 26)
• Alphabet letters covered: 26 Audio only (not the same): 1 Jan + 4 Feb + 7 March + 5 April + 4 May + 1 June + 0 July + 1 August (23 of 26) Remaining: N, V and X