Miracle in a Dry Season by Sarah Loudin Thomas

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Miracle in a Dry Season Bethany House Publishers (August 5, 2014) by Sarah Loudin Thomas

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sarah Loudin Thomas grew up on a 100-acre farm in French Creek, WV, the seventh generation to live there. Her Christian fiction is set in West Virginia and celebrates the people, the land, and the heritage of Appalachia. Her first novel, Miracle in a Dry Season, releases August 2014 through Bethany House. Sarah is represented by Wendy Lawton of Books & Such Literary Agency.

A graduate of Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC, Sarah once dreamed of being a marine scientist. But her love for words won out and she has spent much of her career in public relations and marketing. She currently oversees fundraising and communications for a Christian children’s home in Black Mountain, NC.

Sarah and her husband Jim live in the mountains of Western North Carolina with Thistle–the canine equivalent to a personal trainer pushing them to hike, run, and throw sticks. Sarah is active in her local church and enjoys cooking and–you guessed it–reading.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In a Drought, It's the Darkest Cloud

That Brings Hope

It's 1954 and Perla Long's arrival in the sleepy town of Wise, West Virginia, was supposed to go unnoticed. She just wants a quiet, safe place for her and her daughter, Sadie, where the mistakes of her past can stay hidden. But then drought comes to Wise, and Perla is pulled into the turmoil of a town desperately in need of a miracle.

Casewell Phillips has resigned himself to life as a bachelor. . .until he meets Perla. She's everything he's sought in a woman, but he can't get past the sense that she's hiding something. As the drought worsens, Perla's unique gift divides the town in two, bringing both gratitude and condemnation, and placing the pair in the middle of a storm of anger and forgiveness, fear and faith.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Miracle in a Dry Season, go HERE.

In perfect Time by Sarah Sundin

About the Book:

Two hearts are about to learn the rhythm of love

Bold, sophisticated, and coy, Army Air Force flight nurse Lt. Kay Jobson collects hearts wherever she flies, leaving men pining in airfields all across Europe. So how can ruggedly handsome C-47 pilot Lt. Roger Cooper be all but immune to her considerable charms? In fact, he seems to do everything he can to avoid her.

Still, as they cross the skies between Italy and southern France, evacuating the wounded and delivering paratroopers and supplies, every beat of their hearts draws them closer. Can they overcome the fears and misunderstandings of the past in order to take hold of the future?

Sarah Sundin seamlessly weaves together emotion, action, and sweet romance into a tale that transcends time and calls us to believe in the power of love.

My Review:

5 Stars

Just fantastic! Great third book in Sarah Sundin's Wings of the Nightingale series. This is Kay's story and it is powerful. Her and Roger have had some rough times in their past and this book really shows the power of God  and that redemption and transformation is possible for all. I think this was my favorite in the series, not really sure why but was just so drawn in from the very first page. I know I am sad that this series has ended but I look forward to next series, whatever it may be.

A note to readers, this book can be read on its own. Kay was introduced in the first book but this book is her story and it wouldn't be confusing to read it on its own. Though all the books in the series are great so I would encourage you to read them all!

*I received this book from Revell Reads for the purpose of this review. Thank You!

Prelude for a Lord by Camille Elliot

About the Book:

An awkward young woman. A haunted young man. A forbidden instrument. Can the love of music bring them together . . . or will it tear them apart? Bath, England---1810 At twenty-eight, Alethea Sutherton is past her prime for courtship; but social mores have never been her forté. She might be a lady, but she is first and foremost a musician. In Regency England, however, the violin is considered an inappropriate instrument for a lady. Ostracized by society for her passion, Alethea practices in secret and waits for her chance to flee to the Continent, where she can play without scandal. But when a thief’s interest in her violin endangers her and her family, Alethea is determined to discover the enigmatic origins of her instrument . . . with the help of the dark, brooding Lord Dommick. Scarred by war, Dommick finds solace only in playing his violin. He is persuaded to help Alethea, and discovers an entirely new yearning in his soul. Alethea finds her reluctant heart drawn to Dommick in the sweetest of duets . . . just as the thief’s desperation builds to a tragic crescendo . . .

My Review:

When I signed up to review this book I was not sure what I would think of it. I do enjoy Regency era but sometimes I find the stories to be slow and hard to get into. I was intrigued by the books description. Never would I think the violin was in appropriate instrument for a young lady to play. The elegance of the instrument just makes you think women would be behind it.

While I did enjoy this book I can't say it was a favorite but was worth my time. I found it hard to get into and a bit slow at times. I knew getting into this that it could be a hit or miss for me, and I would say it was somewhere in the middle. I enjoyed that there was  a little of everything: danger, fear, love, happiness, sadness, you get the point. Did enjoy the history of the time period and of the violin itself. In conclusion, I would recommend this book to those who love Regency Era and want something more than a simple romance.

* I received this book from BookLook Bloggers, thank you!

The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron

About the Book:

A mysterious painting breathes hope and beauty into the darkest corners of Auschwitz—and the loneliest hearts of Manhattan.

Manhattan art dealer Sera James watched her world crumble at the altar two years ago, and her heart is still fragile. Her desire for distraction reignites a passion for a mysterious portrait she first saw as a young girl—a painting of a young violinist with piercing blue eyes.

In her search for the painting, Sera crosses paths with William Hanover, the grandson of a wealthy California real estate mogul, who may be the key to uncovering the hidden masterpiece. Together, Sera and William slowly unravel the story behind the painting’s subject: Austrian violinist Adele Von Bron.

A darling of the Austrian aristocracy, talented violinist, and daughter to a high-ranking member of the Third Reich, Adele risks everything when she begins smuggling Jews out of Vienna. In a heartbeat, her life of prosperity and privilege dissolves into a world of starvation and barbed wire.

As Sera untangles the secrets behind the painting, she finds beauty in the most unlikely of places: in the grim camps of Auschwitz and in the inner recesses of her own troubled heart.

My Review:

5 Stars!!!!!

Oh My, this book was just fantastic! It is easily one of my top 5 books of the year so far. This book just grabbed hold and didn't let go till the very end. The ending felt complete and I was satisfied and not left feeling like there should be more conclusion. So often at the end of a book I feel like there should be more or that the resolve happened to fast, not this book.

Every page tugged at my heart and kept me wanting to know more of the story. I loved how the past and present inter  twined. I was left guessing most of the way. Something I loved was the history in it. I never knew there were orchestras at the concentration camps and who got selected to be in them. For some that was the sole thing that saved them. But not just music but art of kinds happened in public and secret in those horrible places. It seems like you can never really know all of what happens in those horrid years. 

In conclusion, I recommend this book to all who love history and even those who don't. It is a powerful book that is happy and sad and more all at once. I can not wait for Kristy Cambrons next novel next year. Oh by the way she is a debut author but writes like an author that has been around for years.

* I received this book through Litfuse publicity for the purpose of this review.