Julia Monroe Begins Again by Rebekah Millet

May13

Just Enough Light

Julia Monroe Begins Again by Rebekah Millet is a really fun contemporary Christian novel that will make you smile, and give you a warm, fuzzy feeling.

Although the tone is light-hearted, there are some serious themes including forgiveness and trusting God. “Forgiveness is not an easy thing to give.” Forgiveness may feel impossible in our own strength, that is when we need to press into God and forgive in His strength. Forgiveness may be a one-off event or a process. If we do not forgive, we are harming ourselves and guilty of hubris as we are placing ourselves above God’s standard.

God is faithful. We can trust Him. “All I could do was keep my eyes on Him, believing He would make a way. I didn’t have to understand His plans.” We don’t need to understand God, for His ways are not our ways. We can always trust God. “When God started moving, He really started moving.” Sometimes God moves with gentle nudges. At other times He will use a megaphone to get our attention.

God has great plans for our lives. He doesn’t want us to live a mediocre life. He wants us to live our best life. “Don’t let fear cripple you.” Put your hand in God’s hand, and step out in faith. We do not need to see the whole staircase in order to take the first step.

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One Long Weekend by Shari Low

May11

Connections

One Long Weekend by Shari Low is a powerful contemporary novel that I loved. For a few hours I immersed myself in the world of the novel as I joined for characters for a weekend.

The novel is set in Glasgow and told in the first person from four alternating points of view. These seemingly unconnected lives find themselves intersecting over one long weekend. The reader spots the connections before the characters do, as we become intimately acquainted with them all.

A moment in time is all it takes to alter four lives. Lives that were balanced on a knife edge find that life looks very different on a Monday afternoon compared with Friday morning.

We meet a character who is struggling with the loss of three people very dear to her heart. Each loss has merely heightened the previous losses. Four rings have symbolized three lives and when these rings are accidentally lost, a character is bereft.

There is the importance of family. Family will move mountains to support others. We witness sacrificial love as we see several sets of parents and grown up children who will do whatever it takes in order to protect those they love.

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The Kill List by Nadine Matheson

May9

Well Thought Out & Executed

The Kill List by Nadine Matheson is an absolutely gripping crime suspense and one that I just could not put down. It is part of the Inspector Anjelica Henley series but can be read as a stand-alone. I enjoyed meeting up with familiar faces.

Once more Nadine Matheson has constructed a marvellous plotline. The whole novel is extremely well thought out and executed. The story is complex, and Nadine Matheson has an eye for detail as she draws the reader into a world of crime.

All of the characters were well drawn. The police officers are relentless in their pursuit of justice – whether it’s a bent copper, a serial killer or a miscarriage of justice – no stone is left unturned.

Cold case crimes from 1995 and 1996 are resurrected in present day as a kill list appears. Is it a copycat killer? Or has the killer remained dormant for nearly thirty years? The police and the reader must seek out the truth as the killer walks amongst them.

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The Restaurant In Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen

May9

Charming New Series

The Restaurant In Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen is a most delightful contemporary novel. It is the first book in the brand new Pelican Crossing series which promises to be charming.

For fans of Maggie Christensen’s Bellbird Bay, Pelican Crossing is just up the coast. There are mentions of the shops and characters from Bellbird Bay, giving the reader a feeling of familiarity and comfort. Having read the Bellbird Bay series, it is a pure delight to be introduced to new characters in a new setting.

When you settle into a Maggie Christensen book, you just know you will feel comfortable and at home. It is rather like sinking into your slippers after a day on your feet. Pelican Crossing offers a place of refuge, a place we all want to come home to.

We meet a character who is still trying to come to terms with the loss of her childhood sweetheart five years earlier. Family and friends offer love and support. Could now be the time for a new beginning?

Pets are so important in our lives. We meet a small dog who loves his owner, loves walking on the beach and snoozing in his basket. He has been a literal lifesaver as his owner talks to him and he helps her heal from a tragedy.

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