Joanna Davidson Politano: The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple

By Kelly Bridgewater

Peter Driscoll, an underground investigator to the wealthy, has never met anyone like Lily Temple. The beautiful silent-film actress spins fairy tales and plays frivolous roles in front of the cine-camera, but beneath the costumes and stage makeup is a woman with a quick wit--and a murky past.

Peter has been tasked with locating the legendary Briarwood Teardrop, an exquisite sapphire, which Lily wears beneath her gown. In order to stay close to her and hopefully unravel the mystery of her story--and the sapphire--Peter employs Lily's help on a case, which leads to a useful partnership. But as they are investigating together, Peter is also investigating Lily. The closer he gets to the truth, the more danger they face. And the closer he gets to Lily, the clearer it is that he needs her even more than she needs him.

Award-winning author Joanna Davidson Politano whisks you away to Edwardian England in 1903 for a whimsical and layered tale that treads the crooked line between real and make-believe.

 

My Thoughts:

The Exclusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano is a story about fairy tales and searching for the gardener in the middle of the garden. At first, readers may be confused as the story presents a number of storylines that had me scratching my head. What was reality? What is going on? As the story moves along, the fuzzy lines become clearer, and the story starts to move forward. The character of Lily Temple is diverse, creative, and sees the world through rose-colored glasses. Stories are her guiding light to help her see the world. Peter Driscoll, the hero, is straight forward, but something draws him to Lilly. The plot features a little bit of mystery that is sprinkled and woven through the pages as the story skips along. I love the ending and how Politano ties everything together, but I want to see justice done. Oh, well. Overall, The Exclusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano is a unique, yet different way of showing how important the gardener is in our life and orchestrating our lives.

I received a complimentary copy of The Exclusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating; 4 out 5 stars

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Hebrews 12: 1- 2

 By Kelly Bridgewater

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

English Standard Version.

Remember that God is in control.

He is allowing all these things to happen so more can come to him.

I need to focus on keeping my eye on God as the world does everything crazy and not standing up for anything.

I can’t wait to enter heaven and praise God for eternity.

What about you? Are you anxious for the coming back of Jesus?

Jaime Jo Wright: Night Falls on Predicament Ave

By Kelly Bridgewater

As the walls of the house at Predicament Avenue reveal their hidden truths, two women--generations apart--discover that fear and foreboding are no respecters of time.

In 1910, Effie James is committed to doing anything to save her younger sister, who witnessed a shocking murder, leaving her mute and in danger of the killer's retribution. Effie must prove what her sister saw, but when a British gentleman arrives, he disrupts Effie's quest with his attempts to locate his wife, Isabelle Addington, who was last seen at the supposed crime scene in the abandoned house at 322 Predicament Avenue. Just as Effie discovers what she seeks, she finds that the blood staining the walls will forever link her to a scandal she couldn't imagine, and to a woman whose secrets promise to curse any who would expose them.

A century later, Norah Richman grapples with social anxiety and grief as she runs her late great-aunt's bed-and-breakfast on Predicament Avenue. But Norah has little affection for the house and is committed only to carrying out her murdered sister's dreams until crime historian and podcaster Sebastian Blaine arrives to investigate the ghostly legacy of the house's claim to fame--the murder of Isabelle Addington. When a guest is found dead, the incident is linked to Isabelle's murder, and Norah and Sebastian must work together to uncover the century-old curse that has wrapped 322 Predicament Avenue in its clutches and threatens far more than death.

 

My Thoughts:

Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright is another time-slip novel where something happens inside a house. From the first chapter, Wright magically opens the mystery with two girls looking into a spooky house and then one screaming. From there, Wright takes readers through a crazy whirl of hunting for clues in the past and the present. Death has hit Wright hard when she wrote this book, so I can totally relate to the feelings that “Her” is having. I lost my Daddy 8 plus years ago, and it still hurts. Coming to terms with death is not easy. When anyone loses someone close to them, the pain does not go away, we just learn to live every day without that person. I believe this story was Wright’s way of trying to face the grief that death has gifted to her. This is the main reason I believe Wright’s characters are the strongest aspect of her novel. She dug deep into her own hurt and dragged into the characters and made them feel her pain. Similarly, the plot was moving and addictive. I enjoyed the story and couldn’t wait to see who the killer was in both time periods. Overall, Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright explores the pain of losing someone with a murder mystery to guide the plot forward. I really enjoyed the story.

I received a complimentary copy of Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright from Bethany House Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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Football vs. Hockey

By Kelly Bridgewater

Hockey Playoffs for the 23-24 Season is about to start. 

GO AVS!!!!!!

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I believe, and have said for several years, that Hockey is way tougher of a sport than football.

Football players play 17 games in a season if they make it to the Superbowl.

Hockey players play 82 games plus 16 – 28 games depending on the how the playoffs work out.

Football players finish in early February and start training in early August. 8 months off.

Hockey players finish in mid- June and start training in late August. 2 and a half months off.

Football players may have head concussions.

Hockey players break everything and keep playing.

Football is always on second down or something that takes FOREVER to move across the field.

Hockey is a fast-paced sport that the game is constantly moving from one end to the other end, hoping to score on the other team’s goalie.

Football teams have 11 players on the field at one time.

Hockey has 5 players with a goalie, so a total of 6 players on the ice at once, unless they are in a power play which means less players on the ice. 

In football, if a player plays the whole game, they have clocked anywhere from 12 – 17 minutes of play time.

In hockey, if a player plays the whole game, they have clocked anywhere from 22 – 28 minutes of play time.

What about you? Have you ever watched ice hockey? These players, in my opinion, are tougher than football players every time of the year.

Steven James: Fatal Domain

By Kelly Bridgewater

When the past scratches its way into the present, it can leave deep scars.

A series of cryptic clues leads Department of Defense redactor Travis Brock to suspect that a grim chapter from his past is not yet over. With the help of his eidetic memory and his newly formed team, he must unearth the truth and stop a terrorist group from stealing one of the military’s most highly guarded technological breakthroughs. With it, the group plans to commit a daring act of espionage that could upend the work of one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical firms and impact millions of people worldwide.

In a high-stakes story of action and intrigue that reaches from a refugee settlement in Uganda to the shores of the Potomac in Washington, DC, shattering secrets from the past will be revealed, loyalties tested, and intimate betrayals brought to light as Brock is forced to decide how to forgive what he cannot forget.

From a novelist that Publishers Weekly has called a “master storyteller” comes an intricate and taut thriller that will have you guessing until the final page.

 

My Thoughts:

Fatal Domain by Steven James takes readers for a wild ride. It was nice to see Travis Brock back in action again. James does a wonderful job at creating action that does not give the reader time to put the book down. I wanted to keep on reading. I needed to know what happened next. Who knows if Travis Brock will be the next Patrick Bowers, but I enjoy watching him try to explore life, relationships, and the job while trying to stay alive. Human Trafficking is talked about in the story, but James does not explore the dark side of it and show the horrors of it to the readers. The story centers around a bad group of people and how much they want to bring harm to the American people. The worst part of the plot is that it is timely and could happen at any time. A very relevant story to our culture today. Overall, Fatal Domain is the type of story that I gravitate toward. Plenty of action that I did not want to do anything else but finish the story. I really hope there are going to be more Travis Brock’s stories.

I received a complimentary copy of Fatal Domain by Steven James from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars

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Resurrection Sunday

 Happy Easter!!!

Sunday is a very important day to me. I spend a while studying the cross and resurrection in the Bible from all four gospels and spend some time in prayer, thanking God for what he has done for me.

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Without his death, I wouldn't be assured of my salvation. I'm glad I found God when I was a teenager. I couldn't living my life without him.

Now at my house, I have never done the whole Easter basket and hunting for eggs with my boys. My husband and I want them to focus on Christ and what he did for us. On Monday, when the candy goes on clearance is when I will give the boys a couple of dollars apiece, and they can pick out some candy.

I still can't wrap my mind around what a bunny delivering eggs has to do with the Lord's sacrifice.

Anyways, Happy Easter!!

Happy Resurrection Day!!!

Lynn H. Blackburn: Never Fall Again

By Kelly Bridgewater

Landry Hutton has spent three years rebuilding her life behind the secure gates of The Haven, an exclusive resort on the outskirts of Gossamer Falls, North Carolina. As the artist-in-residence, and with her pottery prized by The Haven's guests, Landry is finally ready to settle in permanently. She wants to give her daughter, Eliza, a safe home to grow up in and hires former Marine Callum Shaw to handle the construction.

Cal grew up in Gossamer Falls and always knew he would someday join his family's business. He longs for a family of his own but has almost given up on that ever happening. Landry is funny, gifted, and everything Cal could ever want in a partner, but he vows to keep his distance. Landry has a daughter and a past. Cal has been down that road before and barely survived when the woman he loved left, taking her two sons with her. He can't bear to lose like that again.

Before construction on the house can begin, Landry's pottery is destroyed in a suspicious fire. It soon becomes clear that Landry and Eliza are in grave danger--but because of whom? But, after losing one relationship, he is hesitant to try again.

 

My Thoughts:

Never Fall Again by Lynn H. Blackburn does a wonderful job of crafting a family saga filled with a number of people that will be able to be written into upcoming books. The books is labeled as a romantic suspense novel. However, it is not a romantic suspense novel. I would label this as a Women’s Fiction novel. Readers will be at 10% into the book before the first big climactic moment will occur. Then another one does not occur until about 50%, then we have at 85% the final showdown. I never felt like the main character Landry Hutton’s life was in danger. Never once did a bullet fly at her. She was not chased off the road. She was not caught in a burning building. The two damages that did happen she was not around. The story is more about the budding romance and learning to trust each other between Cal and Landry. Readers will see Cal’s family as they decide to accept Landry and her daughter. Readers will also learn what happened in Landry’s and Cal’s past. Overall, Never Fall Again by Lynn H. Blackburn, in my humble opinion, was a disappointment as a romantic suspense novel. If it was labeled as a Women’s fiction, the readers would not expect much excitement and danger for their characters, which is what this novel delivered.

I received a complimentary copy of Never Fall Again by Lynn H. Blackburn from Revell Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:  2.5  out of 5 stars

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