This Week's Book Reviews

Here are a few of the books I have been reading lately. I would highly recommend all of them! The first one is Inspirational Romantic/Suspense and the other two are Young Adult. I read The Near Witch as part of the YA Buccaneer Reading Mutiny Challenge. It was an excellent choice! 



Stranded by Dani Pettrey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Darcy St. James joins the crew of an Alaskan cruise ship to aid her journalist friend Abby on an undercover investigation she expects to be given information on the case. Instead a person goes overboard and Darcy can't find Abby anywhere. The crew denies that it was her friend that went overboard but if it wasn't Abby, where is she?

Gage McKenna has spent the last few months trying to forget about Darcy. He isn't ready to trust his heart to another woman. The last place he expects to find her is on the cruise ship where he is leading the adventure excursions. It doesn't take long for him to realize that she is on the trail of something dark and dangerous. Now if he can only protect her without loosing his heart...

I love this series and Stranded might very well be my favorite one so far. Gage is rugged and just broody enough to be interesting, Darcy is petite and fearless, and the setting is frigid and exhilarating. I now want to go kayaking in Alaska and see the area myself. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a clean romance/suspense story.
 If you are interested in my reviews on the previous books in this series go here and here.
I received a free copy of this book to review from Bethany House.

   

A Bird with the Heart of a Mountain by Barbara Mariconda
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Drina doesn't belong anywhere. She is half Spanish, half Gypsy and not fully accepted by either side. The Spanish civil war is raging all around, taking everything that matters away from her. Everything, that is, except her love of dance and the name that her mother called out from her death bed. When she needs help the most she finds it in the form of a family that she never knew she had but being a Gypsy in war torn Spain is complicated. She must decide who she is and what she values most.
I have always loved historical fiction and have long been fascinated by the Gypsy culture. When I saw this book I knew that I had to read it. I was not disappointed. Barbara Mariconda tells the story of Drina in a picturesque, haunting manor that kept my interest until the last page. I felt the characters emotions, saw the brightly colored skirts and felt the pulse of the Spanish music. It reminded me of some of my favorite books from my childhood. One thing to be aware of is that though this book is written for young adults, it deals with some dark parts of life and is quite graphic in places. I would recommend it for older teens.

I received a copy of this book to review from NetGalley.


The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"Long,long ago, the Near Witch lived in a small house on the farthest edge of the village, and she used to sing the hills to sleep."
Lexi's father used to tell her the story of the Near witch, he used to teach her to listen to wind blowing on the Moore but now he is dead and it is her turn to pass on the old stories to her little sister. One night, after her sister is asleep, Lexi looks out the window and sees someone looking back. In a town that has no strangers the appearance of one raises suspicions. When children begin to disappear the entire town blames this stranger, except for Lexi. Her father told her to listen to her heart and her heart says that he is not evil they seek. Her heart says that there may be some truth in the tales from her childhood.
My first impression of this book was that it was beautifully written. The town of Near and the surrounding woods felt like something from a fairy tale. The songs and ancient stories added depth to the setting and the thread of romance held it all together without taking over the mysterious quality of the book. I loved that it had an eerie atmosphere but was not overdone. It was the perfect choice for a fall read.

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