A Duke's Promise

From the Land of Fire and Ice back to England's shores, Alexandria Featherstone finds herself the new Duchess of St. Easton. Her husband has promised a wedding trip to take them to the place where her imperiled parents were last seen -- Italy and the marble caves of Carrara -- but a powerful Italian duke plots against Alex and her treasure-hunting parents.

Hoping to save them, Alex and Gabriel travel to Italy by balloon. Fraught with danger on all sides and pressured by Gabriel's affliction to the breaking point, they must learn to work and fight together. The mysterious key is within their grasp, but they have yet to recognize it. This journey will require steadfast faith in God and each other -- a risk that will win them everything they want or lose them everything they have.

Book three in the series picks up with more action and adventure as Alex and Gabriel, now married, race to find her parents before others with evil motives find them and the treasure they are seeking. Twists and turns are aplenty in this novel, and just when you think there is no way out, a surprise turn of events happen. Alex's parents, Katherine and Ian, are prominent in this novel and I enjoyed learning more about them as individuals. Gabriel's afflictions beautifully depict how hard it is to trust God no matter what, it is easy to identify with his struggles in this area. Loved the historical aspects of the novel as well. I wished for more of a resolution between Alex and her parents but overall enjoyed this book. While this is part of a trilogy, it does stand alone well, but is best read with the first two books (The Guardian Duke, The Forgiven Duke).

Author: Jamie Carie
Published: September 2012
Pages: 320
Genre: Historical Christian Fiction
Source: B and H Books/NetGalley
Finished: 4/23/13



This complimentary review copy was received thankfully from B and H Publishing Group via NetGalley and in no way influenced my review of this book. These are my personal thoughts and reactions to the reading of the book.

Double Blind

Desperate people make desperate choices.

Twenty-nine-year-old Lisa Newberry can barely make it through the day. Suddenly widowed and a survivor of a near-fatal attack, she is wracked with grief and despair. Then she hears of a medical trial for a tiny brain chip that emits electrical pulses to heal severe depression. At rope’s end, Lisa offers herself as a candidate.

When she receives her letter of acceptance for the trial, Lisa is at first hopeful. But—brain surgery. Can she really go through with that? What if she receives only the placebo?

What if something far worse goes wrong?

Brandilyn did it again! She had me hooked right from the beginning, unable to turn the pages fast enough all the while being creeped out on and off. She  kept me guessing and surprised me with a twist at the end.  I felt Lisa's grief and despair and wondered if I would have the courage to do what she did. 

Author: Brandilynn Collins
Published:  October 2012
Pages: 352
Genre: Suspense
Source: B and H Publishing Group and NetGalley
Finished: 9/20/12



This complimentary review copy was received thankfully from B & H Publishing Group and NetGalley and in no way influenced my review of this book. These are my personal thoughts and reactions to the reading of the book.