February 2018 Wrap Up!

Can you believe that February is already over? Where has the time gone? With that being said, it’s time to reveal the February Wrap Up!

Curious to know which books I read and reviewed this month? Good, you’ve come to the right place!

I’m a little disappointed in myself for not having read as much as I wished I did. I was on a roll at the beginning of the month and then I ended up in one of those awful reading slumps. I persevered though. Here are the books that I read and reviewed in the month of February.

Any personal thoughts or comments will be written in bold italics.

Desired in Darkness by Heather Sunseri

Former FBI agent Brooke Fairfax is on the verge of starting a new, simpler life with Irish mogul Declan O’Roark. But when tragedy strikes the night of Brooke’s and Declan’s engagement party, Brooke has no choice but to track down Romeo, the serial killer stalking her for years. And Declan vows to help her put an end to the man who desires Brooke so completely, he’s willing to kill to possess her.

When a woman from Declan’s past emerges, promising nothing but grief for the already struggling couple, Declan is faced with a dilemma: take the time to get the troubled woman from his past the help she desperately needs or join the woman he loves in the struggle to stop Romeo before he makes Brooke his next victim. The problem? Declan’s love for Brooke might not be enough to stop Romeo from killing them all.

“Desired in Darkness” is one of those books filled with so many twists and turns that keep the pages moving. Romeo is back and more dangerous than ever. We also have many of our questions since the first book answered. I cannot wait for the next book in the series. Check out my full review here. Thank you to Heather Sunseri for my arc review copy.
The Saturday Night Supper Club by Carla Laureano

Denver chef Rachel Bishop has accomplished everything she’s dreamed and some things she never dared hope, like winning a James Beard award and heading up her own fine-dining restaurant. But when a targeted smear campaign causes her to be pushed out of the business by her partners, she vows to do whatever it takes to get her life back … even if that means joining forces with the man who inadvertently set the disaster in motion.

Essayist Alex Kanin never imagined his pointed editorial would go viral. Ironically, his attempt to highlight the pitfalls of online criticism has the opposite effect: it revives his own flagging career by destroying that of a perfect stranger. Plagued by guilt-fueled writer’s block, Alex vows to do whatever he can to repair the damage. He just doesn’t expect his interest in the beautiful chef to turn personal.

Alex agrees to help rebuild Rachel’s tarnished image by offering his connections and his home to host an exclusive pop-up dinner party targeted to Denver’s most influential citizens: the Saturday Night Supper Club. As they work together to make the project a success, Rachel begins to realize Alex is not the unfeeling opportunist she once thought he was, and that perhaps there’s life–and love–outside the pressure-cooker of her chosen career. But can she give up her lifelong goals without losing her identity as well?

This is probably my favorite of 2018 so far. This is the first book that I have read by Carla Laureano and it most definitely will not be my last. Highly recommended for foodie lovers as the descriptions of the food leap right off the page and right into your nose and taste buds. I loved everything there is about this book. Check out my full review here! A huge thank you to the author, Tyndale, and Celebrate Lit for my review copy.
Across the Blue by Carrie Turansky

Set in Edwardian England and ideal for readers who enjoy Julie Klassen novels, this romance about an English aviation pioneer and the girl who falls in love with him is filled with adventure and faith.

Isabella Grayson, the eldest daughter of a wealthy, English newspaper magnate, longs to become a journalist, but her parents don’t approve. They want her to marry well and help them gain a higher standing in society. After she writes an anonymous letter to the editor that impresses her father, her parents reluctantly agree she can write a series of articles about aviation and the race to fly across the English Channel, but only if she promises to accept a marriage proposal within the year. When James Drake, an aspiring aviator, crashes his flying machine at the Grayson’s new estate, Bella is intrigued. James is determined to be the first to fly across the Channel and win the prize Mr. Grayson’s newspaper is offering. He hopes it will help him secure a government contract to build airplanes and redeem a terrible family secret. James wants to win Bella’s heart, but his background and lack of social standing make it unlikely her parents would approve. If he fails to achieve his dream, how will he win the love and respect he is seeking? Will Bella’s faith and support help him find the strength and courage he needs when unexpected events turn their world upside down?

This is the first novel that I’ve read by Carrie Turansky and it most definitely will not be my last. Readers will be taken on a remarkable journey that will inspire. Get ready to witness aerodynamic history and the first crossing of the English Channel. Highly recommended! Check out my full review here. Thank you to Waterbrook for my advanced reader review copy.
Keturah by Lisa T. Bergren

In 1772 England, Lady Keturah Banning Tomlinson and her sisters find themselves the heiresses of their father’s estates and know they have one option: Go to the West Indies to save what is left of their heritage.

Although it flies against all the conventions for women of the time, they’re determined to make their own way in the world. But once they arrive in the Caribbean, proper gender roles are the least of their concerns. On the infamous island of Nevis, the sisters discover the legacy of the legendary sugar barons has vastly declined–and that’s just the start of what their eyes are opened to in this unfamiliar world.

Keturah never intends to put herself at the mercy of a man again, but every man on the island seems to be trying to win her hand and, with it, the ownership of her plantation. She could desperately use an ally, but even an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend leaves her questioning his motives.

Set on keeping her family together and saving her father’s once-great plantation, can Keturah ever surrender her stubbornness and guarded heart to God and find the healing and love awaiting her?

Lisa T. Bergren is one of my favorite authors so of course, I had to read her newest release, Keturah. I was captivated from the very first page. Readers will find a story about an independent woman and her sisters traveling across the Atlantic from England to the West Indies with the intent of running a sugarcane plantation alone. This was a fabulous read and one I highly recommend. Plus, isn’t that cover gorgeous? Check out my full review here. Thank you to the author and Litfuse for my review copy.