Tag: #minibookreview

Book Tour/Feature Post and Mini Book Review: The Reluctant Pioneer by Julie McDonald Zander

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for THE RELUCTANT PIONEER by Julie McDonald Zander on this Black Coffee Book Tour.

Below you will find a book description, my mini book review, an about the author section, and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

Matilda Koontz cherishes her life as a wife and mother on a Missouri farm, but her hardworking husband wants to claim free farmland in the Pacific Northwest. When he suggests selling the farm to trek two thousand miles across the Oregon Trail, she balks.

But in the spring of 1847, Matilda and Nicholas Koontz and their sons embark on a grueling journey westward. Fresh graves testify to dangers of disease, accidents, starvation, and a multitude of hazards threatening her family and her beloved’s dream.

With new struggles at every turn, Matilda wonders how she can protect her sons on such a perilous journey. Will they reach the trail’s end? Will the babe growing inside her womb survive?

When tragedy strikes, the question changes: How can she possibly continue?

This pioneer woman’s journey is inspired by a true story.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218201752-the-reluctant-pioneer?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=clKBXcJyrB&rank=1

Universal link for the book on Amazon

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My Mini Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

THE RELUCTANT PIONEER by Julie McDonald Zander is a Christian historical fiction novel featuring a woman and her family’s journey westward from Missouri on the Oregon Trail in 1847. The story draws from real events and thorough research, making each scene feel immersive.

This is such an emotional read as you experience every step of the journey. Matilda is courageous and resourceful through all the trials of this journey. All the secondary characters are fully developed and I loved Matilda’s boys. I did have a bit of trouble with the slow start, but it did eventually pull me in, and I was even disappointed when it ended. I enjoyed this author’s writing in a previous book, and I do realize this is a Christian historical and based on a religious woman, but this story had too many religious references for me to thoroughly enjoy.

Overall, though, I found Matilda compelling, the story historically interesting and well researched, and well worth reading.

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About the Author

Julie McDonald Zander, an award-winning journalist, earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and political science from the University of Washington before working two decades as a newspaper reporter and editor. Through her personal history company, Chapters of Life, she has published more than 75 individual, family, and community histories. Her debut novel, The Reluctant Pioneer, won a Will Rogers Medallion and was a finalist for the Western Writers of America’s Spur Award for Best Historical Novel. She and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest, where they raised their two children.

Social Media Links

Website: https://mczander2024.ag-sites.net/index.htm

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563140294856

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliemcdonaldzander/?hl=en

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mczander.bsky.social

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-reluctant-pioneer-by-julie-mcdonald-zander

Feature Post and Mini Book Review: The Traitor’s Circle by Jonathan Freedland

Book Description

When the whole world is lying, someone must tell the truth.

Berlin, 1943: A group of high society anti-Nazi dissenters meet for a tea party one late summer’s afternoon. They do not know that, sitting around the table, is someone poised to betray them all to the Gestapo.

They form a circle of unlikely rebels, drawn from the German elite: two countesses, a diplomat, an intelligence officer, an ambassador’s widow and a pioneering head mistress. What unites every one of them is a shared loathing of the Nazis, a refusal to bow to Hitler and the courage to perform perilous acts of resistance: meeting in the shadows, rescuing Jews or plotting for a future Germany freed from the Führer’s rule. Or so they believe.

How did a group of brave, principled rebels, who had successfully defied Adolf Hitler for more than a decade, come to fall into such a lethal trap?

Undone from within and pursued to near-destruction by one of the Reich’s cruelest men, they showed a heroism in the face of the most vengeful regime in history that raises the question: what kind of person does it take to risk everything and stand up to tyranny?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223830505-the-traitors-circle?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=FEmiThRIwv&rank=4

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My Mini Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE TRAITOR’S CIRCLE by Jonathan Freedland is a nonfiction novel that reads like a gripping spy thriller. This book features a group of aristocratic Germans during WWII who come together to voice their objections to Hitler and the Nazi regime, help Jewish friends, families, and even strangers escape the Holocaust and are then betrayed by a traitor within.  The terrible retribution of the Gestapo on all involved during the final years of the war is stark and terrible and yet their stories need to be told and remembered for their bravery and moral resistance to the depravity of the Nazi regime.

This is a nonfiction book that I was unable to put down, even with scenes of torture and depravity. The author masterly introduces the members of the group, and you become invested in the varied individuals and the various reasons for them opposing the new regime. I have read many nonfiction history books and historical fiction books about WWII and that era, so I assumed this story would not end well, but the author does a great job of following all the characters to the end of their journeys whether they lived or died. This book gives the reader a look at German dissenters during a time that a radical regime sought to eliminate all dissent.

I highly recommend this gripping nonfiction WWII novel!

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About the Author

Jonathan Freedland is a Guardian columnist and former foreign correspondent. He is the presenter of BBC Radio 4’s contemporary history series, The Long View, as well as two podcasts, Politics Weekly America for the Guardian and Unholy, alongside the Israeli journalist Yonit Levi. He is a past winner of an Orwell Prize for journalism. He is the author of twelve books, the latest being The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World. He has written nine thrillers, mostly as Sam Bourne, including The Righteous Men which was a Sunday Times number one bestseller.

Social Media Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JonathanFreedlandOfficial/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jonathanfreedland.bsky.social

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-traitors-circle-by-jonathan-freedland-2025-01-21

Feature Post and Mini Book Review: Holding Out for a Holiday Hero by Cynthia Eden

Book Description

Bah humbug. Bounty hunter Jake Hale hates Christmas. He doesn’t do twinkling lights, festive packages, and you definitely won’t ever catch him singing Christmas carols. What he will do? Track down the worst of the scum out there. The former special ops soldier makes merry by tossing the naughty into prison cells and getting a grand pay day. Ho, ho, ho.

Then a ghost from Christmas past walks through his door.

True Blakely is always at the top of the nice list. Beautiful, sweet, with an innocence that—yep, he might have been tempted to destroy once or twice—she’s there to hire him. There have been a string of dangerous accidents in her life, and True fears that someone is trying to kill her. Not at all the sort of case that Jake would usually take—he hunts down the criminals after they jump bail, not before they’ve even been arrested. But one look into True’s bedroom eyes, and he can’t refuse. Maybe he still is a bit too tempted by the girl who got away…and surely one nice act won’t kill him? For her, he can play the hero.

He’ll close the case and be home in time for Christmas dinner.

Except, on the first morning of his investigation, he finds a dead body. One waiting underneath True’s glittering Christmas tree. The attacks are real, and it’s clear that someone is gunning for True. But Jake is on the job now, and no one is going to hurt her. His protective instincts are in overdrive…and so is the desperate desire that he’s always felt for True. This time, he’s done fighting that desire. He’ll finally show True just how fantastic it can be when you aren’t nice. Welcome to his naughty list.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/219177927-holding-out-for-a-holiday-hero?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=zYA3pDkC4P&rank=1

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My Mini Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

HOLDING OUT FOR A HOLIDAY HERO by Cynthia Eden is a hot and steamy holiday romantic suspense that kept me laughing out loud, turning the pages to figure out the villain in the suspense plot, and cheering for Jake as he turns from Scrooge into the hero True needs. This is a fast-paced standalone holiday romantic suspense with a great H/h duo and interesting secondary characters.

True Blakeley was the sweet, good girl in high school. Jake Hale was the bad boy who secretly wanted her. Now the former special ops soldier is a bounty hunter who hates Christmas, and beautiful True, the object of all his dreams, comes to him for help. Jake is determined to protect her as well as bed her. What he doesn’t realize is True has no problem with any of that.

Believable characters, fun dialogue, a well-paced suspense plot, and smokin’ hot sex scenes make this the perfect for me holiday read.

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About the Author

Cynthia Eden is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller.

Never miss a release from Cynthia Eden! Sign up for her newsletter at cynthiaeden.com/newsletter. You can also visit her Facebook page for her latest updates: facebook.com/cynthiaedenfanpage.

Cynthia writes sexy tales of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance. Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over one hundred novels and novellas.

Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast. She loves romance novels, horror movies, and chocolate.

Social Media Links

Website: https://cynthiaeden.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cynthiaedenfanpage

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cynthiaedenauthor/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/holding-out-for-a-holiday-hero-by-cynthia-eden?ebook_deal

Book Tour/Feature Post and Mini Book Review: Hummingbird Moonrise by Sherri L. Dodd

Hi, everyone!

Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Mini Book Review for HUMMINGBIRD MOONRISE: A Witch Paranormal Murder Mystery (Murder, Tea & Crystals Book #3) by Sherri L. Dodd on this Black Tide Book Tour.

Below you will find a book summary, my mini book review, an about the author section, and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Summary

The past two years have taken their toll on Arista Kelly. Once an eternal optimist, now she has faced the darkness and must recalibrate what true happiness means for her. Meanwhile, Shane, her ex-boyfriend, is pulling all the right moves to help keep her sane from her heightening paranoia. But it doesn’t help that Iris, her Great Aunt Bethie’s friend, has disappeared.

Still, one additional trial remains. While searching for Iris, Bethie and Arista stumble upon a grand revelation in the eccentric woman’s home. With the discovery, they realize their run of chaos and loss of kin may have roots in a curse that dates back to the 1940s-the time when their family patriarch first built Arista’s cottage in the redwoods and crafted his insightful Ouija table.

This pursuit will not follow their accustomed recipe of adrenalized action, but the high stakes remain. Will the mysterious slow burn of unfolding events finally level Arista’s entire world or be fully extinguished, once and for all?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/234758707-hummingbird-moonrise?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=zvcReBtjgV&rank=1

Universal link for the book on Amazon

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My Mini Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

HUMMINGBIRD MOONRISE: A Witch Paranormal Murder Mystery (Murder, Tea & Crystals Book #3) by Sherri L. Dodd is the final mystery/YA paranormal book of the trilogy. While I found this book the most captivating of the three, they are still best read in order due to Arista’s emotional growth as well as her increased paranormal powers.

Arista Kelly has changed over the last two years. While she has grown emotionally and into more of her powers, she is also not the eternal optimist she was before she faced the darkness of her uncle and all that he sends after her. Now, her great-aunt Bethie’s friend has disappeared and when they investigate her home, they discover a curse that involves both their families that go back to the 1940s. This is when the family patriarch built the infamous and insightful family Ouija table and Arista’s cabin among the redwoods. Now they have some insight into fateful family choices and a trail to follow to understand how this all has impacted Arista’s present.

Arista is the heart of all the books in the trilogy, but she truly is empowered in this story. Her endurance, grief, pain, forgiveness, and overall love demonstrate her strength and can be as transformative as any spell the young witch may use. While there is no shortage of drama in this third book, there is also a feeling of warmth and love as Arista’s and Shane’s relationship truly develops and the mystery plot comes to an emotional conclusion.

A strong and satisfying conclusion to the Murder, Tea & Crystals trilogy.

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About the Author

Sherri was raised in southeast Texas. Walking barefoot most days and catching crawdads as they swam the creek beds, she had a love for all things free and natural. Her childhood ran rampant with talk of ghosts, demons, and backcountry folklore. This inspired her first short story for sale about a poisonous flower that shot toxins onto children as they smelled it. Her classmate bought it for all the change in his pocket. It was not long after that her mother packed the two of them up and headed to the central coast of California. She has ping-ponged throughout the area ever since.

Her first real step into writing was the non-fiction fitness book, Mom Looks Great – The Fitness Program for Moms published in 2005, and maintaining its accompanying blog. Now, transmuting the grief of her father’s passing, she has branched into Fiction, specifically the genre of Paranormal Thriller with generous dashes of Magick Realism! Her Murder, Tea & Crystals Trilogy released book one – Murder Under Redwood Moon – in March 2024. Book two – Moonset on Desert Sands – released in March 2025, and the final book in the series will release October 2025!

Social Media Links

Website: https://sherridodd.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/SolisRedhead/#

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/hummingbird-moonrise-by-sherri-l-dodd

Feature Post and Mini Book Review: Stalking Around the Christmas Tree by Jacqueline Frost

Book Description


For inn keeper Holly White, Christmas time in Mistletoe, Maine, is the ultimate holiday gift. Business at the Reindeer Games Inn is booming, her wedding to Sheriff Evan Gray is nearly here, and the annual parade is about to begin. The town is lucky to have another gift this year, with the state’s ballet company staying for several performances of The Nutcracker. But disaster strikes when Tiffany, the lead ballerina, shows up dead on a float during the parade, the Rat King’s mask nearby. Holly will have to spruce up her sleuthing skills if she wants to catch the killer before Christmas—and her wedding day.

Immediately, Holly discovers that Tiffany had more than a few secrets. She finds out that the star of the show had a super fan that no one knows anything about. And the show’s understudy slips some other intriguing information Holly’s way: not only was Tiffany secretly seeing someone romantically, but there seems to be more than one rat in this company. When Holly discovers a secret passage leading to Tiffany’s dressing room, with footprints leading out; she wonders if this is evidence of a secret lover—or a stalking killer.

With an impending snowstorm and the ballet company on the way out of town, Holly must act quickly if she wants to find the person responsible for this terrible murder. Will she be able to save Christmas—or will her investigation turn cold like the weather?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/101567402-stalking-around-the-christmas-tree

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My Mini Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

STALKING AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE (A Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Book #4) by Jacqueline Frost is another entertaining and wonderful addition to the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series. Mistletoe, Maine is once again having the holiday season interrupted by murder and Holly White jumps right in to solve the case because she does not want anything delaying her Christmas Eve wedding to Sheriff Evan Grey. The cast of characters in this series continue to develop and others are added to this small group of friends, so I recommend reading this series in order of publication.

The cozy mystery plot develops into two mysteries, with Holly trying to find the person who poisoned the star ballerina in the Nutcracker which has come to town and helping her finance’s sister discover if she is being stalked or is she imagining it. Both plots have plenty of red herrings and twists that kept me guessing and both have satisfying resolutions.

I highly recommend this latest Christmas Tree mystery, and the entire series is well worth the read. This cast of characters keeps me coming back and the mysteries are seamlessly intertwined throughout.

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About the Author

Jacqueline Frost is a mystery-loving pet enthusiast who hopes to make readers smile. She lives in rural Ohio with her husband and three spunky children. Jacqueline is a member of the International Thriller Writers (ITW) and Sisters in Crime (SinC).

Social Media Links

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/stalking-around-the-christmas-tree-by-jacqueline-frost

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Stalking-Around-Christmas-Tree-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BSKZ1YNV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=YML1GS3TJBY5&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.yED4Yav2jl7

Feature Post and Mini Book Review: Last Patient of the Night by Gary Gerlacher

Book Description

The death of a nameless young woman in his emergency room spurs physician AJ Docker to seek answers. Together with his policeman friend and a police dog, he sets out on a quest for justice for his lost patient, but he discovers more questions than answers as he delves into the criminal world.

Last Patient of the Night is an action packed thriller interspersed with lighthearted stories from the emergency room, featuring a cast of interesting characters.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/196785224-last-patient-of-the-night?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=G0V4XK3Eur&rank=1

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My Mini Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

LAST PATIENT OF THE NIGHT (AJ Docker Thriller Book #1) by Gary Gerlacher is a fast paced action/adventure crime thriller that gives the reader a mash-up of amateur sleuth in an E.R. doctor protagonist, AJ Docker, his policeman friend and K-9 police dog, and two local detectives work the case as a police procedural all intertwined with humor as well as thrills, danger, and action.

This first book in a series introduces the main characters, AJ Docker and K-9, Banshee. The Doc has a way with the ladies (think James Bond as an E.R. doctor), is smart, talented as an Emergency Room doctor, and has a penchant to help the underdog and/or persecuted. He is also sports oriented and trained in firearms and marital arts. The secondary characters are interesting in their own ways, and the dialogue is snarky and fun. The crime thriller plot is fast-paced and kept me turning the pages. This is a thriller you pick up for escapism, action, fun, and an easy read.

I am looking forward to following Doc and Banshee in future books.

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About the Author

One of the wildest work environments imaginable, Emergency Rooms give staff the joy and satisfaction of saving lives as well as the low of pronouncing death just minutes apart. Each emergency room runs on adrenaline-fueled heroes working 24/7/365 to help patients. After thirty years in the field of medicine as a pediatric emergency physician, Gary Gerlacher has a lifetime of stories to share from his experiences. His books seek to capture the chaos and energy of life in the emergency room, while seeking justice for traumatized patients. They feature a potent mix of emotion, action, and humor, as Doc and Banshee, his K9 sidekick, travel the country to meet new challenges in each work environment. Gary is a serial entrepreneur in the healthcare space and lives in Dallas with his wife and two rescue dogs. He is currently working on opening a competitive cheer gym with his daughters (thoughts and prayers please). Last Patient of the Night, Faulty Bloodline, Sin City Treachery and Deadly Equation are currently available on Amazon. Book five, Terminal Exchanges, will be released in October, 2025.

Social Media Links

Website: https://garygerlacher.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gerlacher

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/garygerlacher.bsky.social

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gary_gerlacher/?hl=en

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/last-patient-of-the-night-by-gary-gerlacher