THE HAPPY ACCIDENTS by Jamie Beck is a Women’s fiction story that has three women in their thirties at a crossroad in each of their lives due to the consequences of an impulsive night on the town.
Successful artist Jessie Clarke has a pact with her younger sister, Liz, the co-host of a successful morning show and her childhood best friend, Chloe, the stay-at-home mom of two in which the three will say “Yes” to any adventure that comes their way.
Jessie is mourning her divorce and reminds her sister and friend of their pact. They go to a casino to celebrate Jessie’s upcoming birthday and twelve hours later wake to the consequences of their behavior. Jess makes a life changing bid to unblock her artistic creativity. A viral video throws Liz’s career and reputation into question. Chloe has a major loss at the craps table.
Now each woman finds their lives and friendships tested. As each struggle with the changes from their pact, they try not to let fear decide their future fates which could lead to their greatest fulfillment yet in their lives.
I enjoyed each of these women’s journeys and I found each of the women to be believably and realistically portrayed. Sometimes when reading a Women’s fiction story, it feels like I am reading a soap opera, but Ms. Beck’s characters make me feel like I am following real people that I could meet anywhere and empathize with. This plot is full of thought-provoking questions, but the story itself is optimistic. Change can be terrifying and most of us prefer to just keep to the status quo, but this story makes you want to fight that fear and find something amazing, fulfilling, and new with a change, forced upon us or not.
I recommend this optimistic Women’s fiction story!
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Author Bio
Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author Jamie Beck’s realistic and heartwarming stories have sold more than two million copies. She is a two-time Booksellers’ Best Award finalist and a National Readers’ Choice Award winner, and critics at Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist have respectively called her work “smart,” “uplifting,” and “entertaining.” In addition to writing novels, she enjoys hitting the slopes in Vermont and Utah and dancing around the kitchen while cooking. Above all, she is a grateful wife and mother to a very patient, supportive family. Fans can get exclusive excerpts, inside scoops, and be eligible for birthday gift drawings by subscribing to her newsletter at http://eepurl.com/b7k7G5. She also loves interacting with everyone on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JamieBeckBooks.
I will be posting Feature Post and Book Review blog posts on the Harlequin Investigator Blog Tour for all of these great reads throughout this month and the next.
Today I am sharing my blog post for MISSING AT CHRISTMAS (West Investigations Book #2) by K.D. Richards.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Come back throughout the month for more and enjoy!
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Book Description
To bring her sister home for the holidays
They’ll put everything on the line.
Private investigator Shawn West is stunned when the attack victim he rescues is Addy Williams—the one woman he never forgot. She’s turning a quiet upstate New York town inside out to bring her missing sister home by Christmas. Shawn offers to help if she’ll provide a cover for his own investigation into a suspicious company in town, but can they work together to find Addy’s sister…or are they already too late?
MISSING AT CHRISTMAS (West Investigations Book #2) by K.D. Richards is another action-packed romantic suspense in the West Investigations series. This book can easily be read as a standalone with minimal crossover of characters from the first West Investigations story.
Private Investigator Shawn West is in upstate New York to investigate the source of counterfeit computer chips for a client. While on his way to his hotel, he sees a woman being attacked and intervenes. He is surprised when the woman turns out to be the one woman he has been unable to get off his mind since he met her at his brother’s destination wedding.
Addy Williams is searching for her missing younger sister. She was doing an internship before attending MIT and has failed to get in touch with Addy. Told her sister quit her internship and moved away, Addy is determined to find her before Christmas. Shawn offers his help Addy for free if he can use their search for her sister as a cover for his own investigation.
Will Addy and Shawn be able to find Addy’s sister before it is too late for them all?
This is the second book in this series I have read by this new to me author and I really enjoyed both. In this book Shawn and Addy work well together with Addy being an intelligent and strong heroine who can hold her own even with firearms. There is strong chemistry between these two, but the two investigations keep their romance to a slow burn. The suspense plot was fast-paced and action packed with a believable crime premise.
This is a well written romantic suspense by a new-to-me author that I will be following in the future.
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Excerpt
The doors to the kitchen swung outward, and the man reappeared, a white plastic bag in one hand and Cassie’s picture in the other.
Addy slid her phone back into her purse and rose. The pity she saw in the man’s face as he drew nearer dashed the hope that had swelled in her chest.
“I showed your sister’s picture to everyone who’s still here, and no one recognized her. I’m sorry.”
Two solid days of showing Cassie’s picture everywhere she could think of in Bentham and nothing. No one remembered seeing her.
“Thanks, anyway.” She didn’t bother trying to muster a smile of thanks. She reached in her purse for her wallet.
“No charge,” he said, thrusting her food and Cassie’s picture at her. “You take care of yourself.”
Addy looked up into the man’s now compassion-filled eyes and wiped away the single tear she couldn’t stop from falling. “Thank you,” she croaked out before turning and fleeing the restaurant before the dam of tears broke.
Silver garlands hung from the streetlamps along with fluttering signs ordering the denizens of Bentham to have a happy holiday. The lamps themselves were spaced too far apart for the weak yellow light they cast off to beat back the dark December night.
Five blocks west, cars coasted along one of Bentham’s main thoroughfares, but the street in front of Addy was clear and quiet, the surrounding businesses having long since closed for the night.
She’d left the metallic-blue Mustang she’d rented for the two-hour drive from Manhattan to Bentham in the hotel’s parking lot. It was easier to canvass the neighborhood on foot. All she had to show for her effort were sore feet.
A footstep sounded as she pocketed her phone. Shooting a glance over her shoulder, she squinted into the darkness but saw no one.
You’re just not used to so much quiet, she thought, walking on.
She’d lived in New York City since she was twelve but spent summers on her grandfather’s ranch in Texas. She’d loved the ranch almost as much as she loved the city, but New York wasn’t called the city that never slept for nothing. There was always something to do and see, and she was used to being surrounded by thousands of people, even though she’d been very much alone since Cassie moved to Bentham.
A scraping sound came from close behind her, followed by the unmistakable sound of fast-moving footsteps.
She turned, intending to move to the side, when a hand clamped around her ponytail, jerking her backward against a hard chest.
It took a moment for her brain to catch up with what was happening, and by the time it did, her assailant had taken his beefy hand from her hair and clamped it over her mouth.
Addy fought her rising panic. Like any savvy city girl, she’d taken self-defense classes, but it had been a while since she’d brushed up. She’d never thought she’d actually have to use any of those techniques.
She tried to pull away, but the man’s arm was like a vise around her neck.
“Don’t fight, and I won’t hurt you,” the man growled.
She didn’t believe that for a minute. She’d left the small gun she carried for protection locked in her car’s glove compartment, a decision she regretted now. Who’d have thought the streets of Bentham were more dangerous than Manhattan?
Well, she had no intention of going down without a fight, gun or no gun. She sent up a quick prayer and fisted her hands at the same time a yell came from somewhere in the night.
***
About the Author
K.D. Richards is a native of the Washington, DC area who now lives outside of Toronto with her husband and two sons. You can find her at kdrichardsbooks.com.
Today is my turn on the Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tour and I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for TRACE OF DOUBT by DiAnn Mills.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book, the author’s bio and social media links and a Rafflecopter giveaway. Enjoy!
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Book Description
Bestselling and award-winning author DiAnn Mills delivers a heart-stopping story of dark secrets, desperate enemies, and dangerous lies.
Fifteen years ago, Shelby Pearce confessed to murdering her brother-in-law and was sent to prison. Now she’s out on parole and looking for a fresh start in the small town of Valleysburg, Texas. But starting over won’t be easy for an ex-con.
FBI Special Agent Denton McClure was a rookie fresh out of Quantico when he was first assigned the Pearce case. He’s always believed Shelby embezzled five hundred thousand dollars from her brother-in-law’s account. So he’s going undercover to befriend Shelby, track down the missing money, and finally crack this case.
But as Denton gets closer to Shelby, he begins to have a trace of doubt about her guilt. Someone has Shelby in their crosshairs. It’s up to Denton to stop them before they silence Shelby—and the truth—forever.
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Romance, Romantic Suspense Published by: Tyndale House Publishers Publication Date: September 7th 2021 Number of Pages: 432 ISBN: 1496451856 (ISBN13: 9781496451859)
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My Book Review
RATING: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
TRACE OF DOUBT by DiAnn Mills is an action-packed, fast paced Christian romantic suspense. The unique heroine is an ex-con looking to start over with an FBI undercover agent determined to recover embezzled money he believes she has hidden for fifteen years. This is a standalone novel.
Shelby Pearce has been paroled from prison after serving fifteen years for shooting her brother-in-law to death. She is looking for peace and a fresh start in a small Texas town to sell her custom-made jewelry.
FBI Special Agent Denton McClure worked the Pearce case from the beginning not to prove Shelby’s guilt of murder, but to discover the five hundred thousand dollars embezzled from her brother-in-law’s nonprofit account. Undercover in the same town as Shelby, he is determined to find the missing money and finally crack the case that has eluded conclusion for years.
Someone has Shelby in their crosshairs and as Denton works to discover why, he begins to have a trace of doubt about her guilt. Will Shelby and Denton be able to discover the who and why before they are able to silence Shelby forever?
Shelby is a unique heroine in many ways. While in prison Shelby claimed her Christian faith and a lot of her story is trying to live her faith even with the hate of some and the disbelief of others for her crime. While Denton does not believe, Shelby tries to share her faith with him. The romance is slow to build due of the lack of trust which is realistic and there are no sex scenes. The secondary characters in the small town are fully fleshed and believable, but the criminals seem two-dimensional to me. The suspense plot was intriguing and interesting in the first part of the book, but then it went into more of an action movie over-the-top less realistic climax and conclusion.
This is a Christian romantic suspense with plenty of Christian faith, redemption and forgiveness intertwined with an action-packed suspense plot.
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Excerpt
PROLOGUE
SHELBY
Would I ever learn? I’d spent too many years looking out for someone else, and here I was doing the same thing again. Holly had disappeared after I sent her to the rear pantry for potatoes. She’d been gone long enough to plant and dig them up. I needed to get those potatoes boiling to feed hungry stomachs.
I left the kitchen to find her. The hallway to the pantry needed better lighting or maybe fewer corners. In any event, uneasiness swirled around me like a dust storm.
A plea to stop met my ears. I raced to the rear pantry fearing what I’d find.
Four women circled Holly. One held her arms behind her back, and the other three took turns punching her small body. My stomach tightened. I’d been in her shoes, and I’d do anything to stop the women from beating her.
“Please, stop,” Holly said through a raspy breath. For one who was eighteen years old, she looked fifteen.
“Hey, what’s going on?” I forced my voice to rise above my fear of them.
“Stay out of it, freak.”
I’d run into this woman before, and she had a mean streak. “What’s she done to you?” I eyed the woman.
“None of your business unless you want the same.”
“It’s okay, Shelby. I can handle this.” Holly’s courageous words would only earn her another fist to her battered face.
And it did.
“Enough!” I drew my fists and stepped nose to nose with the leader.
The four turned on me. I’d lived through their beatings before, and I would again. I fell and the kicks to my ribs told me a few would be broken.
A whistle blew, and prison guards stopped the gang from delivering any more blows to Holly or me. They clamped cuffs on the four and left Holly and me on the floor with reassurance help was on its way.
I’d been her age once and forced to grow up fast. No one had counseled me but hard knocks, securing an education, and letting Jesus pave the way. I’d vowed to keep my eyes and ears open for others less fortunate.
Holly’s lip dripped blood and a huge lump formed on the side of her head. I crawled to her. “Are you okay?”
“Not sure. Thank you for standing up for me. I thought they would kill me. Why do they do this? I’ve never done a thing to them.”
“Because they can. They want to exert power, control. Stick by me, and I’ll do my best to keep you safe.”
CHAPTER 1
I tightened my grip on the black trash bag slung over my shoulder containing my personal belongings—parole papers, a denim shoulder bag from high school, a ragged backpack, fifty dollars gate money, my driver’s license at age sixteen, and the clothes I’d worn to prison fifteen years ago.
The bus slowed to pick me up outside the prison gates, its windshield wipers keeping pace with the downpour. The rain splattered the flat ground in a steady cadence like a drum leading a prisoner to execution. I stepped back to avoid the splash of muddy water from the front tires dipping into a pothole. Air brakes breathed in and out, a massive beast taking respite from its life labors.
The door hissed open. At the top of the steps, a balding driver took my ticket, no doubt recognizing the prison’s release of a for- mer inmate. He must have been accustomed to weary souls who’d paid their debts to society. The coldness glaring from his graphite eyes told me he wagered I’d be locked up again within a year. Maybe less. I couldn’t blame him. The reoffend stats for female convicts like me soared high.
For too many years, I imagined the day I left prison would be bathed in sunlight. I’d be enveloped in welcoming arms and hear encouraging words from my family.
Reality hosted neither.
I moved to the rear of the bus, past a handful of people, and found a seat by myself. All around me were those engrossed in their devices. My life had been frozen in time, and now that I had permission to thaw, the world had changed. Was I ready for the fear digging its claws into my heart?
The cloudy view through the water-streaked window added to my doubts about the future. I’d memorized the prison rules, even prayed through them, and now I feared breaking one unknowingly.
The last time I’d breathed free air, riding the bus was a social gathering—in my case, a school bus. Kids chatted and laughter rose above the hum of tires. Now an eerie silence had descended.
I hadn’t been alone then.
My mind drifted back to high school days, when the future rested on maintaining a 4.0 average and planning the next party. Maintaining my grades took a fraction of time, while my mind schemed forbidden fun. I’d dreamed of attending college and exploring the world on my terms.
Rebellion held bold colors, like a kaleidoscope shrouded in black light. The more I shocked others, the more I plotted something darker. My choices often seemed a means of expressing my creativity. While in my youth I viewed life as a cynic. By the time I was able to see a reflection of my brokenness and vowed to change, no one trusted me.
All that happened . . .
Before I took the blame for murdering my brother-in-law. Before I traded my high school diploma and a career in interior design for a locked cell.
Before I spent years searching for answers.
Before I found new meaning and purpose.
How easy it would be to give in to a dismal, gray future when I longed for blue skies. I had to prove the odds against me were wrong.
***
Author Bio
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She is a storyteller and creates action-packed, suspense-filled novels to thrill readers. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.
DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She is the director of the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, Mountainside Retreats: Marketing, Speakers, Nonfiction, and Novelist with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.
Today I am excited to be sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for the Release Blitz of WATCHING TRIN (On Call Book #7)(Police and Fire Operation Alpha) by Freya Barker.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Description
Freelance journalist and single mom, Katrina (Trin) Paige, has recently returned to her hometown to help her sister care for their elderly father. They’ve barely settled back into Durango’s daily life when her rebellious teenage son gets himself in tumultuous waters. While being rescued by the local fire department, he unwittingly uncovers a decades-old crime hidden underneath the churning rapids of the Animas River.
Once Trin’s life is back on an even keel, her sharp nose for a compelling story starts twitching and she dives headfirst into an investigation of her own. The more she uncovers, the closer she gets to the firefighter who not only pulled her son from the river, but who also seems present everywhere she turns.
Bodhi (Roadkill) Jones doesn’t believe in things like fate, although, he can’t deny the way his life seems to be entwined with the spunky redhead is more than mere coincidence. In fact, he’s been wondering how it is possible she escaped his attention growing up in the same town, even though she is a few years older. Swept up in an unfamiliar current, he finds himself looking for ways to spend time with her and her family.
However, when a murder investigation touches his personal life, it invades Trin’s as well, leaving him scrambling to make sure the woman he’s fast falling for is protected.
WATCHING TRIN (On Call Book #7)( Police and Fire: Operation Alpha) by Freya Barker is the latest romantic suspense and wonderful new couple in the On Call series to follow. While this is book #7 and some of characters crossover between books, it can be easily read as a standalone. I have read the whole series and anxiously wait for each of Ms. Barker’s mature, intelligent, and sexy heroes and heroines.
Katrina “Trin” Paige has returned to her hometown to help her sister with their father who has dementia. Single mom Trin is a freelance journalist so it is easy to relocate to Durango, and she hopes the move will be good for her rebellious fourteen-year-old son, Tucker.
Barely settled in, Tucker must be rescued by the local fire department from the Animas River in the middle of the night when the stolen raft he and his friends stole capsize in the rapids. During his rescue, the firefighter who pulls him out discovers an old crime scene.
Bodhi “Roadkill” Jones is surprised by his instant attraction to the spunky mother and sister to one of his fellow firefighters. As he finds ways to spend time with Trin, her investigation into the old crime scene he discovered seems to be placing her life in danger. He discovers he will do anything to protect her and her son, but will it be enough?
I always enjoy Ms. Barker’s characters and writing style. The romance between Bodhi and Trin is realistically paced and believable. The sex scenes are hot, but never gratuitous. The secondary characters all add to the story and never feel like placeholders. The scenes dealing with Trin’s father’s dementia were heartbreaking and from friends with a similar situation, were handled with empathy and honesty, as well as the problems Tucker was dealing with as a bi-racial child. I did figure out the way the suspense plot was going very early on in the story, but it did not take away from my overall enjoyment of the story.
I recommend this addition to the On Call series and all the books written by this author.
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Author Bio
USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories.
Driven to make her books about ‘real’ people; she creates characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills in their lives.
Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We’ve Read All Year Award for “Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, and Finalist for the 2020 Kindle Book Award with “When Hope Ends”, Freya continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!
I will be posting Feature Post and Book Review blog posts on the Harlequin Investigator Blog Tour for all of these great reads throughout this month and the next.
Today I am sharing my blog post for COLD CASE DOUBLE CROSS (Cold Case Investigators Book #2) by Jessica R. Patch.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, an excerpt from the book, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Come back throughout the month for more and enjoy!
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Book Description
They’re on a cold trail
and running out of time.
Convinced his brother was wrongly convicted of murder years ago, detective Cash Ryland’s determined to find the real killer—even if it puts him in the crosshairs. But he needs help from cold case investigator Mae Vogel, whom he mistreated in high school. Can they put their past aside to solve the murder…before the killer succeeds in silencing them for good?
COLD CASE DOUBLE CROSS (Cold Case Investigators Book #2) by Jessica R. Patch is a Christian romantic suspense in the Cold Case Investigators series. Each book features a member of the MBI (Mississippi Bureau of Investigations) Cold Case Unit involved in a crime mystery/suspense. They meet and work with their perfect match and as their case progresses so does the romance. Each book can easily be read as a standalone with minimal crossover of the characters in the MBI unit introduced in the first book.
Detective Cash Ryland believes his brother was wrongly convicted of murdering his ex-wife. He is determined to find the real killer no matter how long it takes.
MBI Cold Case Investigator Mae Vogel is home on vacation to visit her ailing grandmother. Cash wants Mae’s expert assistance, but he mistreated her years ago in high school. Mae is willing to help with the case, but she is having difficulty forgiving Cash personally.
Can they work out their differences and solve the mystery before the killer silences them for good?
I enjoyed this quick romantic suspense read. The suspense plot is fast-paced, action packed and gives the reader many suspects and red herrings. The killer was a surprise to me and I like when that happens. It is well integrated with the Christian romance which has no sex scenes. Mae must learn to truly forgive past transgressions and learn and believe that there are some good men out there. Cash is hiding a secret that he has held for far too long. Ms. Patch does a good job of working the H/h through their pasts and misunderstandings.
I can recommend this Christian romantic suspense for a fast and entertaining read.
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Excerpt
She moved toward the lawn chairs Mom and Grandma Rose were sitting in, glanced up at the radiant display and smacked into marble.
Nope. A man.
She peered up to apologize, but the words died on her lips as recognition dawned. Cash Ryland. Mae hadn’t laid eyes on him, by design, since high school.
Maybe this was the origin surrounding her jittery feeling.
She put some pep in her step and moved backward, but Cash’s tanned arm reached out, as if assuming she’d stumbled and not retreated from him.
She swatted away his steady hand. “I’m perfectly fine.” No need for physical touch between them.
His thick eyebrows tweaked upward. “Sorry.” His voice had grown deeper, huskier since he was a kid. Cash shoved his hand into his pocket, drawing her eye to the badge clipped to his thick black belt looping through well-fitted jeans.
What? How in the world did Cash Ryland make it into any branch of law enforcement and why would he want to? His teenage years had been spent as a juvenile delinquent. Not that she’d imagined what Cash might be doing now, but if she had it would be more along the lines of doing time for drug possession or grand larceny or maybe both. Not on the grounds with a criminal investigations division badge from Willow Banks Sheriff’s Office.
Unbelievable.
“You never were too good at masking your feelings.”
She glanced from his badge to his face and his lopsided grin rolled another wave into her stomach. How dare her body betray her common sense by being attracted to his strong, chiseled features.
His blond hair had turned a little sandier, but it worked for him, unfortunately. His eyes hadn’t changed—they were still the same intense shade of blue that won the hearts of girls determined to rebel against their parents. Cash had never been meet-the-parents material, unless a girl wanted to give them a heart attack and end up grounded for life.
Not Mae.
Mae knew better.
And she’d still been charmed then burned.
Speak, Mae. You have to at least speak. “I’m just surprised, I guess.” As if she were still a high school girl enamored by the bad boy of Willow Banks and unsure of herself, she folded her arms, which felt like dead weight across her chest.
Cash Ryland—a detective. She’d seen it all.
“Well, it’s a surprising thing. Um…” He scratched the back of his neck. “I actually was looking for you. I saw your family and hoped you would be here. Your brother mentioned you were in town on vacation.”
Why did Barrett have vocal cords? He hadn’t mentioned Cash to her. But then, why would he? Barrett was clueless about what had transpired during her senior year with Cash. All he knew was Mae had tutored Cash in English. But if anyone had been schooled that semester, it was Mae.
“Barrett talks too much.” She tried to pass around him, but he blocked her. “Detective or not,” Mae said, tossing grit into her tone, “if you don’t move, I’m going to move you. And I promise you, size doesn’t matter. I can do it.”
While Cash towered above her five-foot-one frame, she was not porcelain, and attached to her petite frame was the muscle to maneuver him if necessary.
His hands shot up in surrender, but there was no teasing in his eyes. “I have no doubt, Mae. You’ve always been strong.”
No one had ever uttered those words about her before, but flattery wasn’t going to get him one solid inch. His charm no longer affected her.
He cleared a path for her to flee. “I just want to talk to you for a minute or two. Please?”
***
About the Author
Publishers Weekly Bestselling author Jessica R. Patch is known for her dry wit and signature twists. When she’s not hunched over her laptop, you can find her cozy on the couch in her mid-south home reading books by her favorite authors, watching movies with her family, and collecting recipes to amazing dishes she’ll probably never cook. Sign up for her newsletter “Patched In” at www.jessicarpatch.com.
From the USA Today Bestselling Author of the acclaimed Love’s Journey series comes the story of Bertha Troyer.
In 1959, after reading a heartbreaking plea for medical personnel, Bertha Troyer, a young, beautiful Amish woman from Sugarcreek, rebels against church rules and enters nursing school determined to pour out her life on behalf of the desperate children of Haiti.
This fourth installment of the Sugarcreek Series, follows Rachel’s beloved aunt, Bertha, back in time to a nightmare of poverty, political unrest, and the fury of nature, as Bertha is forced to make the most agonizing decision of her life in order to protect her people—and the man—she loves.
Elise’s Thoughts
Bertha’s Resolve by Serena B. Miller is the fourth installment of the Love’s Journey in the Sugarcreek series. This novel, as well as the other three, have engrossing characters, a riveting plot, and information about the Amish of Ohio. The stories involve policewoman Rachel Troyer, her three elderly Amish aunts who run a Bed and Breakfast, Joe Matthews, Rachel’s eventual husband, and his son Bobby, along with other Amish town members. These books should be read in order to get a feel for the characters, but after the first chapter of the first book readers will not want to put down any of the stories.
Going from the first book to the latest:
Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio also known as The Sugar Haus Inn brings to life the Troyer family. Three elderly aunts who happen to be Amish have raised their niece, Rachel Troyer ever since her father died. The aunts understand her desire to respect the Amish culture, while not following in the Amish footsteps. Rachel has since joined the Sugarcreek police force and views her job as protecting her aunts and the town.
Bertha is the oldest of the three aunts and she is the leader who is strong, responsible, and dominant. Lydia, the middle sister, is gentle, kind, and finds solace in baking. The youngest is Anna, a sweet, Down Syndrome person who gives unquestioning love and befriends younger children.
The plot has Rachel suspicious of a bearded stranger who land on her aunts’ doorstep, begging shelter for himself and his young son. Joe Matthews and his son Bobby decided to escape the Los Angeles lifestyle after his wife was brutally killed. They are looking for anonymity and a quiet life. Although the aunts warmed to Joe and Bobby immediately, it took Rachel much longer to realize she had feelings for the father and son. In addition, all the books, have a suspenseful mystery. In this one Rachel must protect herself, her aunts, Joe, and Bobby as she tries to find who murdered the wife.
Book 2, Rachel’s Rescue, delves into the backstory of how Rachel’s father was killed. On her tenth birthday she and her dad, a policeman, had gone to the bank. There, her father was murdered in front of Rachel’s eyes after he tried to stop the bank robber. Knowing how to use a gun, Rachel grabs her father’s gun and points it at the killer, Carl Bateman. This book explores forgiveness and second chances as Rachel must come to grips with her anger and bitterness over losing her father. Twenty years later, she becomes obsessed with wanting revenge when Bateman was released from prison for serving his time. The suspenseful mystery also involves Bobby being kidnapped. This story takes readers on a journey with Rachel as she tries to overcome her feelings of revenge.
Book 3, Love Rekindled focuses on two new “English” characters. Dr. Michael Reynolds gets an opportunity to take over a country veterinarian practice in Sugarcreek, Ohio, and jumps at it, because this is his childhood town, and he feels close to the Amish community. His wife, Cassie, a Columbus attorney, is climbing the corporate ladder with lightning speed and refuses to go with him. Neither will compromise. A second plot finds Keturah Hochstetler, a midwife saving a baby after the mother has a horrific car accident. This story compares the English couple with the elderly Amish couple who show that sometimes career goals need to take second place to love and devotion, that career sacrifices are needed. The mystery involves Rachel trying to find family members of the rescued baby.
Book 4, Bertha’s Resolve explores the oldest aunts’ backstory. In 1959, after reading a heartbreaking plea for medical personnel, Bertha Troyer, a young, beautiful Amish woman from Sugarcreek, rebels against church rules and enters nursing school determined to pour out her life on behalf of the desperate children of Haiti. As a young nurse, she dealt with a nightmare of poverty, political unrest, and the fury of nature, as Bertha is forced to make the most agonizing decision of her life to protect these people. This book is very relevant today regarding the Americans and Afghan people who need to be rescued.
There is also a romance, and the choices Bertha must make so that a marriage is not destroyed, sacrificing her own love. Fast-forward to current time and Bertha again meets up with her forever love. Also, in this book Joe’s brother, Darren, is highlighted. He and Joe have opened a restaurant/bar that is becoming very successful until someone tries to steal their money. Childhood bullying and abuse are also issues in this story.
In all the books, the way of life of these simple, hardworking people is explored. People become engrossed in reading about Joe and Rachel, the aunts, Bobby, and Darren. Readers will take a journey with each character and have a vested interest in how the plot plays out. The stories combine a smidgen of romance, a suspenseful mystery, Amish life, and the importance of family.
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Elise’sAuthor Interview
EC: The last book has Bertha part of a rescue effort. Rumor has it that your son is also part of a rescue effort for those in Afghanistan?
Serena B. Miller: My son had been in Afghanistan for five years as a contractor. He is currently working day and night to get people out, Afghan translators. One was tragically killed by the Taliban a few days ago. They warned his wife that she and her four children were next to be executed. Thankfully, he got them out, but I am worried about others who are trapped.
Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the series?
Serena B. Miller: An editor suggested I write an Amish story. I decided to choose the Sugarcreek area in Ohio because of its pretty name and it being compared as “the Little Switzerland of Ohio.” I lucked out because the owner of the Bed and Breakfast where I was staying had a lot of Amish friends. I had dinner with an Amish family that had seven children and the grandmother/grandfather was also there. The matriarch of the family told me I could ask anything, nothing was forbidden. His one stipulation was that I write the truth about the Amish. They loved the finished book. I even have an Amish family vet every Amish book I write.
EC: You write other series/books?
SBM: I have written three historical books, another Amish series, a non-fiction book about Amish parenting, and a series about Manitoulin Island in Canada, which was optioned for the Hallmark channel. Also, the first of these Amish books was made into a TV movie which can be found on many of the streaming channels.
EC: How would you compare the three Amish sisters?
SBM: Bertha is the oldest who has integrity and a tender heart. She is not domesticated but is the wise leader of the family with a bossy will of iron. Lydia is the baker who lives for cooking and is very quiet. Anna has Down Syndrome and is very sweet. Her personality is based on a church friend of mine. Since I have three sisters, I have become fascinated with the sisterly dynamics.
EC: How would you describe Rachel?
SBM: Very protective of those she loves. The killing of her father in front of her has defined her personality. She is determined to protect her family no matter what. She is analytical with common sense except where her father’s killer is concerned. Although very compassionate and direct, at times she is vulnerable. She also is very loyal and tenacious.
EC: What about the relationship between Joe and Rachel?
SBM: Both are very strong personalities. They can be stubborn at times. They have their disagreements, but always respect each other. They are on equal footing.
EC: In the second book you redeem the killer?
SBM: I felt I had to. He served his time in prison for twenty years. Now he has turned his life around by healing abused dogs and training them for search and rescue. His early life, when he was abused by his mother, is based on a true story. Carl, the killer, has an affinity for animals because they saved him as a child. He is now caring, remorseful, and deserves a second chance.
EC: How would you describe your books?
SBM: They are mysteries, suspense with a crime, and has an emphasis on the importance of family. For me, the mystery has the reader turning the pages to see what happens next. I put this quote in, “Whenever she (Rachel) needed the world to feel like a safer, saner place, she went to visit her Amish aunts.” I like writing about the big family, the agrarian culture, and the Amish community. Each book has a goal, a mystery, and a spiritual theme, with of course, a happy ending.
EC: What are the themes of each book?
SBM:Love Finds You in Sugarcreek, Ohio is about acceptance and not to judge a book by its cover. Rachel’s Rescue has a theme of forgiveness. Love Rekindled is about the healing of a marriage. I wrote this one in the months after my husband passed away. We had been married for many years. It is about family relationship, but at that core is the marriage relationship. Bertha’s Resolve shows that it is possible to do the right thing and to walk away from the possibility of an extra marital affair.
EC: You always have tidbits about the Amish lifestyle. In Bertha’s Resolve you compare the Amish with the Mennonites?
SBM: The Mennonites can get on a plane, go to college, and have an extensive mission program of helping. The story of this book has Bertha worshipping a co-worker from afar. Now fifty years later they still have that depth of friendship. I want to show that with both groups they have a very strong work ethic and are problem solvers.
EC: What about your next books?
SBM: I am currently writing book 5 in this Sugarcreek series. I am debating if Rachel will continue her profession as a police officer, maybe part time. It will feature Joe’s brother Darren who will get a love story. Since Joe is a former Major League baseball player, I will bring baseball into this story. I am thinking of having an Amish boy who has a phenomenal talent for the game. Both Amish girls and boys love baseball. Hopefully it will come out in the Spring of 2022.
I am also working on an Amish children’s novel that is for children. It will also be set in Sugarcreek with some familiar characters. There will be twelve books in the series. The first should come out around Christmas time.
THANK YOU!!
BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
