Hitchcockian style suspenseful drama

The Brittle Sea by Tom Kane is the first book in an historical drama trilogy. This suspense-filled psychological thriller opens with a young Ukrainian woman heading to America for an arranged marriage. She’s rather a manipulative independent sort as she boards the Titanic and survives the ship going down. When she awakens, she doesn’t remember who she is, where she is from, or where she was going, and her personality is sweet and innocent. The boat that rescues her is The Lady Jane, captained by Richard Blackmore, and he quickly finds he cares for her. The ship’s steward decides she needs a name while onboard, and gives her the name Maggie.

The Brittle Trilogy

 

About the Book: The Brittle Sea

This story is full of plot twists as the man Maggie is supposed to marry is a shrewd American businessman by the name of Matthew Turner. He doesn’t plan to marry her because he wants a wife, but because he has plans to procure oil-rich property her family owns in Alaska. But when the Titanic goes down, Maggie goes missing and when The Lady Jane arrives in New York, Richard Blackmore takes Maggie to live at his apartment until her memory returns, and the two of them fall in love. In the meantime, Turner hires his sociopath henchman, William Harker to hunt down the woman he has paid to marry.

 

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Book review: The Brittle Sea

I’m not going to give more than that away because I don’t want to include spoilers in this review, but I can tell you that The Brittle Sea will set you on the edge of your seat and hold you there. The characters in this Hitchcockian-style suspenseful drama are unpredictable and you will either love them or hate them. Sometimes both. The complex plot is volatile and will take you on a tortuous journey filled with danger, paranoia, and a thirst for revenge. I highly recommend The Brittle Sea to readers who enjoy historical thrillers or psychological thrillers couched in a love story that reads like detective fiction. The end took away my breath. I’m happy to give it 4 stars.

 

About the author: Tom Kane

I was born in the corner of the living room, behind the TV. So said my father many times, and the family agreed wholeheartedly. That seems to have set the tone for the rest of my life. In the corner or behind the TV, what is known about my birth is that it was on a dark and stormy night.

 

My mother inspired me to write. Doctor Who and Isaac Asimov inspired my love of science fiction. Monty Python inspired me to be silly and I blame Billy Connolly for my infrequent bursts of bad language.

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As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer. I received a free review copy of this book and have not received compensation for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

 

 

Unpredictable, emotional historical fiction anchored in faith hope and love

Nellie’s Gold is an inspirational coming-of-age story that follows tomboy Nellie Ward from childhood to adulthood as the youngest child of four. Author Danie Marie’s captivating storytelling, gives the reader a fly-on the wall experience back to the late 1940s, into the 1950s, in historic Folsom, California, where red-haired, freckle-faced Nellie Ward loves to read books while sitting in her favorite tree near the river. But homelife for this Ward family is not picture perfect like the Leave It to Beaver Ward family of 1950s Americana TV. In this Ward home, Nellie shares a room with her three older brothers, with only a linen curtain hanging between them for privacy. Her Papa is an abusive drunk and her mother is a Christian woman who prays for them all while making home life the best she can.

 

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Nellie's Gold Book Review #bookreview #bookreviews #bookreviewer #historicalfiction #christianfiction #bookhookup #booktok #readersoftiktok

♬ original sound - Donna Sundblad

Book review: Nellie's Gold

Danie Marie’s fly-on-the-wall writing style lets you feel what the characters feel, and her flawed, but lovable characters are easy to care about. The plot read like real life drama. An unpredictable emotional roller coaster, sometimes surprising, other times disappointing and even heartbreaking. It draws you in with the small things that seem big to a kid, as well as life-changing heartaches and loss that changes the course of life. This is a moving story anchored in faith, hope, and love. I highly recommend Nellie’s Gold to those who enjoy Christian fiction, inspirational fiction, those praying for loved ones struggling with alcoholism or abuse, and for baby boomers who enjoy reading about the good old days even though everything wasn’t always good. I’m happy to give this easy read 5 stars.

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As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer. I received a free review copy of this book from BookTasters and have not received compensation for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

Captivating Christian fantasy for all ages

The Seventh Dimension: The Door by Lorilyn Roberts is book one in a Young Adult Christian fantasy series of four. This imaginative story portrays a strong female protagonist in Shale Snyder, a young teen struggling with guilt, unforgiveness, abandonment, and being bullied. She does her best to deal with her circumstances and negative feelings on her own, but when overwhelmed she runs off and follows a dog she has befriended into the woods. An accident leads through a portal that transports her to the city of Jerusalem at the time of Christ.

About the book: The Seventh Dimension: The Door

While Shale navigates life in ancient Jerusalem the author weaves in threads that haunt her from the life she left behind, including the burden of a secret guilt. Some characters she meets look like people from her own time, including her absentee father and a boy who is her nemesis. She also meets a boy she doesn’t know and learns he too is from the future. Life in the ancient past has its own issues, including a wicked stepmother, shadowy underlings, and bothersome Worldly Crow. 

She also has a new ability that allows her to hear animals talk, but the one person who really intrigues her is a mysterious man her animal friends refer to as the King.

Book Review: Seventh Dimension: The Door

The Seventh Dimension is a magical story with a biblical message of new life, forgiveness, and love. It introduces the message of the King through biblical characters, the witnessing of miracles, and the message of the New Testament. I especially enjoyed Shale’s realistic transformation from unbelief to belief. 

This is the first book I’ve read from Lorilyn Roberts and hope to finish the rest of this series. I think fans of Christian fantasy like the Chronicles of Narnia will enjoy this story of redemption. And while this book is categorized as Young Adult, I think this captivating story will be loved by young and old, and am happy to give it 4 stars.

About the author: Lorilyn Roberts

Lorilyn Roberts is a Christian author of fourteen books, including the award-winning YA Seventh Dimension Series.

Lorilyn graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Alabama in 1991. Her studies included spending two weeks in Israel at the start of the Gulf War and touring England, Australia, New Zealand, and several countries in Europe. She later attended the Institute of Children's Literature and earned her Master of Arts in Creative Writing from Perelandra College.

Lorilyn has rescued many orphaned dogs and cats, and when she isn’t writing books, she provides broadcast captioning for television. In her spare time, Lorilyn is a ham radio operator. KO4LBS.

Love ignores societal separation

The protagonist of An Unlikely Belle is Madelyn MacNalling, better known as Maddy. Born into the lower class, her life has not been easy. Both of her parents have died and the only family she has left is her older brother, Nate. Thanks to him, Maddy has received an education, and upon graduation, she moves to live with him on the Stirlingshire Estate where he is the head hostler. She loves horses and is happy when she learns she will work under her brother caring for three horses. But living on the estate opens a whole new world where love ignores the societal separation that comes with wealth and brings about life lessons that test young Maddy’s faith.

 

Book review: An Unlikely Belle

An Unlikely Belle by Dannie Marie delivers well-written characters that are likable but flawed and combines them with family secrets on the Stirlingshire Estate. Maddy is not ashamed of her humble standing, or her work in the stables with her brother Nate, but her life changes when Elizabeth Stirlingshire, daughter to the Viscount, accepts Maddy as her best friend. Maddy is invited to participate in social events above her standing. Dressed in Elizabeth’s clothing, Maddy fits right in, and soon her dance card is filled with young men who have no idea of who she really is. 

 

@donnasundblad An Unlikely Bell Review #bookreview #bookreviews #bookreviewer #historicalromance #christianromance #bookhookup #booktok #readersoftiktok ♬ original sound Donna Sundblad

As she navigates the social norms of the Regency era, the complications involved with her new relationships, and the possibility of love, tests humble Maddy’s faith as she asks for God’s guidance. An Unlikely Belle is a faith journey couched in a heartwarming romance that swept me away to another time. Readers who enjoy historical Christian romances like A Viscount's Stolen Fortune will enjoy this read. I’m happy to give it 5 stars.

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As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer. I received a free review copy of this book from BookTasters and have not received compensation for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

Rich culturally immersive time-travel read

Invisible Footprints in Time by Irwin Wislesky offers an imaginative real-world take on time travel. The story centers around protagonist Maxine Samuels, a 55-year-old research scientist who questions why humanity has lost its spiritual connection to a higher power. Her goal is to find a way to revitalize that connection. She hopes to find the answers she seeks in the past. She has an idea of how to time travel but questions if it is possible to visit the past without leaving any “footprints.” This leads to another question. Have time travelers already visited the past? And if so, did they alter the future for their own benefit? Wislesky raises many pertinent questions relevant to time travel in this intriguing story as Maxine considers both ethical and historical aspects of time travel as she moves back in time to visit ancient cultures looking for answers. 

Book Review: Invisible Footprints in Time

For me, the story started out slow as Maxine celebrates her birthday. Her son Patrick comes for a visit and through their conversation, much of the time-travel techno-babel is introduced for how things work. It felt a little like a time travel brochure author info dump, but it didn’t last long. Once the story reached the lab, team, and the excitement of their first try at time-travel, I was hooked. The “science” was believable enough, and the relationship between Maxine and her son added another level of interest and emotional involvement. Something else I appreciate is that the story takes place in 2075, in a futuristic world that is not a dark dystopian mess like so many time travel scenarios depict. I appreciated this change-up.

@donnasundblad #BookHookup Book Review Invisible Footprints in Time #invisiblefootprintsintime#booktok #bookrecommendations #bookreview #bookreviewer#bookblogger #wislesky #booktasters ♬ original sound Donna Sundblad

BookHookup awards Invisible Footprints in Time with a strong 4 stars. My favorite parts of the book include the visit to Puru’s ancient past where Wislesky provides a sense of culture and setting that captivated my senses. I was impressed by the amount of research he delivered within the story line itself. And without including spoilers I have to say I really enjoyed the plot discoveries in regards to their trips to the past and how even small things can make a difference in the future. I recommend this book to fans of time travel and think those who enjoyed the Marc McKnight Time Travel Adventure series will love this book. I also recommend it to readers with interest is ancient mysteries.

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As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer. I received a free review copy of this book from BookTasters and have not received compensation for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

Exciting coming of age historical Viking fiction

When The Viking Gael by J.T.T. Ryder opens, the protagonist, a teen by the name of Asgeir, lives on the family farm in Norway with his mom, aunt and older brother, Odd. His father is a famed Viking warrior but missing. The last known whereabouts of his father reported him serving as a Huskarl of the King of Lothlend, but he’s been gone long enough, that his family isn’t sure if he is alive. 

About the Book: The Viking Gael

Quiet life on the farm is shattered when Ulf the Old visits and claims a debt owed by Asgeir's father. His older brother, Odd, steps up to challenge Ulf in a duel and loses his life. Ulf claims Asgeir’s father’s sword, Gael Kisser, and Asgeir is conscripted to serve as a deckhand upon Ulf’s ship to pay off the debt. As he does, he imagines the day he will once again hold his father’s sword, as thoughts of revenge percolate in his heart. Not thoughts of murder, but to kill Ulf in an honorable way.

 

BookHookup Book Review: The Viking Gael: An immersive and exciting historical Viking adventure (The Viking Gael Saga Book 1)

I enjoy historical fiction, and The Viking Gael is a quick read that delivers a unique coming-of-age adventure that plunges the reader back in time to the Viking age with superb world building details. It is well-written, fast paced, and portrays interesting elements about the lifestyle of Viking warriors, their customs, and weapons.

The protagonist is a teenage Viking lad forced to sail as a deckhand for the man who killed his brother. Now he must serve to pay off his father’s debt. It took me a little bit to get into the story, as I familiarized myself with the historically correct Viking jargon and culture but it didn’t take long for me to be rooting for Asegir to survive, fall in love, and find his way home while living the Viking way of life.

I recommend this exciting Viking novel to those who enjoy Viking history, historical fiction, and coming-of-age sagas. Battle scenes are a little gruesome, but not overly so and in my opinion might be labeled PG13 if it were a movie. I do think the story could be fleshed out a little more, but the plot makes sense and the story moves along at a steady pace. While this is the first book in the series, the story does standalone but opens the door for the journey to continue in book 2. I’m happy to give The Viking Gael 4 stars.

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I received a copy of this book through Black Coffee Book Tours and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

About Author J.T.T. Ryder 

Joseph Thomas Thor Ryder is an archaeologist and author of the heroic fantasy novel HAG OF THE HILLS, book 1 of THE BRONZE SWORD CYCLES duology. He is a published author of Viking archaeology, and a doctoral candidate specializing in the Viking Age and Celtic Iron Age. He resides in Norway where he conducts archaeological research and writes heroic fantasy set in historical periods. 

https://oldworldheroism.com/

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https://twitter.com/JTTRyder