Reviews and More Reviews
Three reviews of three different books I've enjoyed this year. A suspense. A post WWII romance. And a growing-old-with-me romance set in the Appalachian area of North Carolina. All exellent books. All I highly recommend.

The Scroll

by Grant R. Jeffrey and Alton L. Gansky
Back Cover:
One last dig. One final descent into the twisted tunnels of ancient Jerusalem. Will the truth be found among the treasures that lie beneath the holy city?

Dr. David Chambers, leading archaeologist, has spent his professional career uncovering the facts in the artifacts. His work sets the standard for biblical research in the Holy Land. But surrounded by the evidence, David has sunk into an abyss of doubt. A painful experience with a seemingly unresponsive God has left him without hope. The Old Testament scriptures that used to fill his mind with wonder now drive him into frustration. His unanswered questions have ripped him from both his academic pursuits and the love of his life his fiancée, Amber.

An old friend and mentor reaches out to David, enticing him with the riches described in the enigmatic Copper Scroll. Losing ground with his peers, his love, and his faith, David Chambers has a choice to make. Will he undertake one final dig to unlock a secret that could alter the course of history? Do the mysteries of the Old Testament hold the key to the political turmoil of the Middle East?

In a world where faith has been eclipsed by the allure of doubt, The Scroll offers a different journey: a gripping adventure to find truth worth dying for.


My Take:
From the get-go, David Chambers seems like a self-absorbed, egotistical man, but likeable nonetheless because of the obvious flaws and personality traits Jeffrey and Gansky used for their protagonist. Obsessed with his work, he allows his faith to decline until it causes a wedge between the one woman he loves and himself. Determined to turn his back on any studies of Israel, he focuses on finding another interest to pursue.

Enter old friend and mentor Abram Ben-Judah who is successful in persuading David to join a special team for one last search of Israeli treasure. Unknown to David, his former fiancée, Amber Robinson, is part of the team, the one person who knows him and is not afraid to speak her mind around him. Add to the triangle another archeologist who’s also interested in Amber, and the setup is perfect for conflict and romance.

Danger stalks the team as they encounter terrorists determined to get their hands on the generations-old treasures. Bombs, threats, and bad press releases, in spite of one of the best security groups in the country available for protection, take the lives of several helpers. But the hope in finding the ultimate historical treasures from Biblical days keeps Chambers pushing on. The thrill of seeing the rich jewels and high priest articles is the supreme reward.

From hotel conference rooms and dining areas to tombs and tunnels, all in Israel, are the perfect settings for an exciting suspense that will keep the reader turning page after page to the end. I highly recommend this book.

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Unforgettable

by Trish Perry

Back Cover:

Rachel Stanhope tries to see the good in everyone. But Josh Reegan tests even the benevolent Rachel's good graces when they meet outside her Arlington, Virginia, dance studio on a brisk fall morning in 1951. Admittedly, he's attractive, yet his cynicism and cockiness are hard to tolerate.

A journalist and former WWII Air Force pilot, Josh considers a distraction like ballroom dancing a frivolous waste of time. Yes, Rachel's confident nature is a refreshing challenge, but he wouldn't tangle with her if his newpaper hadn't roped him into covering one of her studio's competitions in New York City.

Between Arlington and New York . . . between the melodrama of ballroom antics and the real drama of political corruption . . . between family involvement and romantic entanglement . . . Rachel and Josh have their hands full. The last thing either of them expects is mutual need and support. But once they stop dancing around the truth, the results are unforgettable.

My Take:

Anything to do with the WWII era or roundabout then, catches my attention. And this romance set right after that period succeeded.

Rachel Stanhope, determined to prove to her father that she is just as capable as her brother at creating a career, opens a dance studio where she is mildly successful. But after losing her main instructor, she hires two interesting dance instructors and starts a class for juveniles, and things take a turn for the better. Unfortunately--or is it fortunately?--she has to deal with a WWII hero named Josh Reegan who belittles her school as frivolous. Rachel, fighting the memory of a past dance partner who embarrassed her to such a degree she can't forgive or forget, is reluctant to trust another man--especially one who blows hot, then cold within minutes.

Josh, an ambitious news reporter, is disgusted when he's demoted to "society news" because of losing a main informational source. Secretly fighting to regain his previous positon which draws him into a political corruption scheme, he's angry when instructed to cover Stanhope's competition in New York. Yet that very move brings the one thing he's not sure is for him: love.

Josh and Rachel learn that letting go of their problems and trusting God will teach them the way to trust each other. Only then, will love blossom.

A sweet, enjoyable read for those who adore romance!

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Grow Old With Me

by Melinda Evaul

Back Cover:

A modern day Beauty and the Beast meet in their fifties when a disfigured carpenter becomes a guest at a bed and breakfast in the western-style tourist town of Love Valley, NC.

Benjamin Pruitt plans to repair the town’s buildings before retiring to a solitary life. Sarah Campbell longs for freedom since her long task as caregiver has ended.

Can Benjamin and Sarah piece the tattered remnants of their lives into a beautiful design to warm their waning years?



My Take:

Ah, Melinda, what a sweet, cherishable story of two hurting, flaw-able people who are drawn together.

Set in a charming bed and breakfast, small town, North Carolina state, Melinda draws a picture of love in an impossibly seeming way. Add to that, the darling quilt-named rooms, and you have a story setting that is rich in appalachianal history.

Benjamin Pruitt, carpenter, is disfigured due to an fire accident years before, lost the life he'd planned and the faith he was held dear. When he rents a room at the local bed and breakfast, all he wants is to stay clear of other guests and go about his work as quickly as he can. He doesn't plan on the sweet--and sometimes impatient--Sarah Campbell to quietly enter his life and draw him out of himself. Her growing need for help forces him to forget about his own suffering in spite of enduring the stares and an ugly rumor and accusation that points its finger his direction. But what is a man to do when the woman he loves is hurting? 

A love Benjamin once thought he'd never have. 

Life has escaped Sarah--or at least that's the way it seems. Forced into the care of her ailing parents, she's never known anything else, and has no other visible means of support, than to run the B and B. A charming place with quilt-named rooms--is nevertheless almost more than she can handle, in spite of a dear friend who does what she can to help the growing crippled Sarah, and a young couple and their child who care enough to love this couple regardless of their problems. 

Tentatively, slowly, cautiously, love advances and conquers the hearts of two real-life people who never dream that past dreams can come true--even for them.

A beautifully written story that will touch your heart and remain with you for long afterwards.

I hope you decide to buy/read all of these books. If you do, enjoy!

Blessings!