Fiction Review: A Secret to Die For

After reading all of the Nikki Boyd books, I was excited to have the opportunity to read another Lisa Harris novel, and I have to say, as much as I loved the Nikki Boyd books, "A Secret to Die For" beat every one of them. Here, Lisa truly balances edge-of-your-seat suspense with poignant, dramatic moments. Although spiritual topics don't really enter the picture until the end of the book, there's plenty to relate to, from the affects of divorce to the trauma of loss. Harris also steered away from the stereotypical romance setup, giving her two leads time to get reacquainted without any of that love (or hate) at first sight stuff. I had a hard time putting this book down and read it in just three days (it would have been less if I hadn't had to work!).

*Disclaimer: I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review: A Christmas By The Sea

Despite my reservations about the author's writing style, Melody Carlson has become a holiday tradition for me. It's pleasant to sit and read a quick Christmas-themed book right around the time fall rolls around. And A Christmas By The Sea is definitely one of the better Melody Carlson books I've read. The ending is abrupt and I'd enjoy more in-depth conversations between the leads, but the pacing of the story is well planned (until the end), and I felt I had a solid understanding of the characters. This is truly light fare. There is very little spiritual content outside of a few mentions of church and trusting God. But again, it's just a very simple story to pass the time.

*Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.