The Maid of Ballymacool

Brianna Kelly was abandoned at Ballymacool House and Boarding School as an infant. She has worked there since she was a wee girl and will likely die there. Despite a sense that she was made for something more, Brianna feels powerless to change her situation, so she consoles herself by exploring the Ballymacool grounds, looking for hidden treasures to add to the secret trove beneath the floorboards of her room.

When Michael Wray, the son of local gentry, is sent to Ballymacool to deal with his unruly cousin, he finds himself drawn to Brianna, immediately and inescapably. There is something about her that feels so . . . familiar. When Brianna finds a piece of silver in the woods, she commits to learning its origins, with the help of Michael. What they discover may change everything.

I found this to be an ok book.  I had trouble getting into the book.  Michael seemed a little wimpish at the beginning.  He did whatever he was told.  I definitely didn't like the headmistress of the orphanage where Brianna was raised and now working.  There was a mystery involved with who Brianna was and how she came to be at the orphanage.  In the end, it all worked out and the characters found purpose and were happy in the life that they had chosen.

I was given this book my Revell Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way.

Cold Light of Day by Elizabeth Goddard

Police Chief Autumn Long is fighting to keep her job in the quiet Alaska town of Shadow Gap when an unexpected string of criminal activity leaves her with a wounded officer, unexplained murders, and even an attack on her own father. Despite her mistrust of outsiders, she turns to Grier Brenner, a newcomer who seems to have the skills and training Autumn needs to face this threat to her community.

Grier is in Alaska for the same reason so many others are--to disappear--when Chief Long enlists his help. He emerges from the shadows and proves his mettle, but his presence in her life could be a deadly trap for them both. If his secret is exposed, all will be lost. And he's not sure even Autumn could save him.

As the stakes rise and the dangers increase, Autumn and Grier must rely on each other to extinguish the deadly threats.

This was a fast-paced book that I enjoyed reading.  I didn't want to put it down.  I would have liked more information as to why Autumn was fighting for her job.  It felt like that part was thrown in without any explanation.  It was like the details were explained in a previous book.  But this was book one of the series.  I liked that Grier and Autumn put aside their need to keep their noses clean in order to find the killers.

This was a clean suspense filled book. 

I was given this book by Revell Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way.

Engaging Deception by Regina Jennings

Olive Kentworth has spent her life hiding her interest in architecture, even though she pores over architectural books and sketches buildings. When she accepts a job on a home expansion, it's only because her cousin Amos agrees to pose as the builder. To further hide her involvement, Olive takes a position as a nanny, not knowing that she'll be working for her idol, Joplin's leading architect, widower Maxfield Scott.

Maxfield is intrigued by his new nanny. She makes his home and his life bearable again. His work, on the other hand, is a disaster. An untrained builder is remodeling a completed project of his. What's worse, Maxfield's current client wants changes to his plans because of that builder's work.

As the architectural one-upmanship heats up, Olive's involvement becomes harder to hide. Will the relationship between her and Maxfield survive, or will they both miss out on building something for their future?

My review: This is book three in the Joplin Chronicle Series.  It's not necessary to read the first two books in the series to read this book.  I enjoyed reading Olive's story.  There's not a great mystery in this book.  It's just a nice easy read.  The characters have flaws.  But strive to overcome them.  

I recommend this book to all who want a nice clean romance story.

I was given this book by Bethany House Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way.

Alaskan Mountain Search

In the Alaskan wilderness, there’s only one way to track a serial killer: a K-9. For police captain Bre Dayton, that means working with her ex, search and rescue worker Griffin Knight. With her niece missing and possibly kidnapped, Bre has to find the murderer known as the Echo Pass Hunter—fast. Even if it means trusting the man who broke her heart…and putting herself in the killer’s crosshairs.

This was an ok book.  There seemed to be a lot of repeating that Griffin broke Bre's heart. Griffin wouldn't tell Bre why he left so abruptly.  It seems that if they had known each other as long as they said, they would be more open with each other.  The mystery was good and that part I enjoyed that part.

I received this book from Love Inspired Suspense via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way.