Despite its pleasant, seemingly innocuous name, Walton, Georgia is not the place to plan your next getaway, especially if you are trying to escape a dangerous past. Just when you thought it was safe…Nurse Pecca Gallegos has fled to Walton to protect her son from her own poor choices in the past, putting distance between them and the danger. Or so she thinks, until a phone call from her brother upends her fragile sense of security and increasingly disturbing things begin happening. Her newest patient, honorably discharged Army veteran Colton Crawford, steps in to help, but neither is prepared for the consequences.

Romantic suspense tends to be hit or miss for me. I often find that the romance angle is overdone and overpowers the suspense, which is my favorite part. Thankfully, “Silent Shadows” provides an adequate amount of tension, and I wanted to know what would happen in each new chapter, although I did easily zero in on one of the villains right away. While this is book three in Natalie Walters’ Harbored Secrets series, I did not have any difficulty reading it as a standalone. The patients at Home for Heroes quickly captured my heart, and I appreciated that Walters chose for Colton to be affected by psychogenic movement disorder (PMD) rather than the typical PTSD in order to highlight another challenge that may impact our veterans. Pecca and Colton’s first meeting certainly packed a punch and had me laughing!

Throughout the story, however, I found Pecca’s character rather aloof, and I did not feel that I could relate to her; she often seems awkward, and her internal dialogue disrupted the narrative for me. Maceo, on the other hand, was one of my favorite characters, with his natural ability to empathize and make others feel at ease in spite of his young age. I also very much enjoyed Uncle Jack, who in my opinion had the best commentary in this story, telling Colton, “You’re a go-getter, son, but even Lazarus had to die before the Lord could do his work” and “We all die different kinds of deaths, Colt, but they all lead to one truth. Do you trust him enough to bring you back to life?” These are deep facts to ponder when our own lives seem to be going off track and we are faced with trials. We can either try to work things out on our own, or we can turn to the One who already knows the end from the beginning and has a perfect plan for our lives. As Pecca and Colton come to realize, God is sovereign and omniscient, and because nothing is a secret to Him, ultimately He alone is able to keep us safe, even from what lurks in the shadows.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was under no obligation to post a positive review. All opinions are my own.

by James Walters

The book starts out with the basics of how to crochet, which was wonderful for me as I had never really got the hang of it before. Now it seems too easy!

Further chapters continue with how to read patterns and their little acronyms, technique, basic stitches and variations. I have to admit that I was attracted to the book by the design of the sampler stockings pictured on the cover. The bodysuit pictured on page 7 would be a tempting project as well, though there are few places that it might be appropriate to wear it!

A little history of crochet is given and followed by encouragement to look at possible clothing ideas with new eyes, to see that nearly anything can be done with crochet. If a craft book can be mind-expanding, this is the one. There is even advice to adapting patterns to left-handed workers. Simple practice exercises are suggested and we are assured that we don't have to manage perfection on the first try. The book seems more personal than your average craft instruction book, almost like a friend with a lot of patience is there to teach you.

After going through double, treble and half stitches as well as problems that might arise, we're shown how to make a basic fabric and how to work in rows without turning to achieve different textures. Variations in the base chain follow and suddenly we are able to make a circular design!

We get Granny squares of course, plus variations, how to work to a shape and splicing ends. Reading patterns comes after mastering the stitches and tensions, illustrated by simple diagrams of the shape of the fabric intended. Then we get into my favorite bit, embellishments. This is where the fancy stitches happen.

Some beginner patterns are offered, yet these are lovely! Not the simple round or square shapes that you usually see. From there we're thrown into a world of making shapes within shapes on a fabric and ready to make what looks like advanced projects, yet they have been made easy by the progression of the earlier part of the book and the exercises given. It's almost too easy.

This will probably be the only crochet book I will ever need, unless I want specific patterns from another source. I'm very impressed with the ease with which I've been able to follow the instructions to learn a craft that had eluded me before. The zaniness of the patterns that are given and the emphasis on interesting textures really appeals to me. It even shows how to make a wall picture in crochet, along with doilies that are far more interesting than the usual ones you see on grandma's side table. The little stars really interested be as well, as it's a favorite shape for me.

There's a section on finger crochet which I haven't tried yet, but looks fairly basic. One thing I didn't expect was the instruction on how to make pieces of fabric that allow for darts, so that you can shape a garment as you would in sewing. There is more about how to create the shapes you want than specific patterns, but those patterns that are provided are off the beaten track and the finished projects would impress any needleworker, though they aren't as hard to do as one might assume. Fancy edgings, covered button and button holes as well as woven crochet, which I had never heard of before are all included as well as information on different types of wool to work with.

The hanging crochet chair in the back really blew me away. All things considered, this is the most complete book on the craft of crochet that I can imagine and I'm really pleased to have found it. Easy 5 stars out of 5.

I loved the paranormal aspect here, angels, demons, even a rogue vamp, some of them big players you've definitely heard of. I have to say though, I wish there would have been more of it in the beginning especially. I really enjoyed all of those encounters a lot more than the inside of Maccus's bedroom. It was an interesting story line that I'm curious to see continued in following books. PNR is my jam, but I actually would have preferred a little less R in this one...or maybe even more R and less sex. I don't know if that has anything to do with how quick they jumped in the sack or what, but I mean sometimes a lady likes a little build up before blastoff, just sayin'. I feel like the second half had more world building and interaction with other characters which I enjoyed more. The ending took an interesting turn which made me definitely want to see what happens next.

I received an ARC of this book Entangled Publishing via Netgalley and this is my honest review.

Audience: 5th grade & up

Format: Hardcover/Library copy

I lay on my back on the inflatable raft.

- first sentence

 

Sam is 14 and she has spent her life living and working at her family’s elephant sanctuary. Some of the kids at school even call her “elephant girl.” Sam (and her father, Jack) likes the elephants more than people and the elephants are their family. The elephants consider Sam and Jack part of their herd. Sam never knew her mother and she feels uncomfortable with her dad’s new girlfriend. When a rich donor (James Mercury) pays a great deal of money to have three of the elephants artificially inseminated, he also becomes a “silent” partner. But only one elephant carries to term, and when the baby is born Mercury becomes much more involved. 

During the book, Sam grapples with her feelings about her dad’s new girlfriend and her own identity. Sam is a strong girl and she stands up for what she believes in. There are some sad parts (as there always are in animal stories) and some dangerous situations, but no real violence. Overall the book is a well-written family drama that kids will love because of the suspense and the adorable elephants.

I love secretive thrillers almost as much as I love horror novels so I was excited when I heard about The Dead Girls Club because it promised a bit of both. In the end it was more of a thriller with a horror threat/thread running throughout. Those bits were creepy as heck though!

I don’t like to say too much about thrillers/mysteries/suspense novels (or whatever you like to call them) because it is far too easy to say too much so I’m going to keep this brief. Basically it is a tale told in two timelines. There is the Then and there is the Now. Heather features in both timelines because this is her story. Things start out weird when a grown up Heather receives an unwanted surprise. Someone has left an envelope in her office, tucked inside is a necklace that was last seen on a dead girl. This sends Heather into a spiral as her past comes back to haunt her.

I’ll get this out of the way first. Adult Heather is a MESS. She remains a mess and she becomes a bigger mess as more of her story is revealed in the Now. She is a professional woman with a very difficult job but you’d never know it based on some of the decisions she makes in this story. She allows her past to consume her and she acts irrationally. With all of that said, it makes sense. I mean, this woman is hiding some serious shit that would send the sanest person into a panicked spiral so I get it and these aren’t complaints. Not from me, anyway. I like imperfect characters and Heather is most definitely one of those.

“I have done a monstrous thing, but I’m not a monster. I’m not.”

In the THEN section we meet Heather and her closest friends when they’re about 12 or so. They have an obsession with true crime and all things spooky and call their little group the “Dead Girls Club”. They hang out at an abandoned house and tell each other creepy tales. The most compelling one is the story of the Red Lady. They work each other up into a frenzy with that one and it is totally believable. One of the girls is experiencing trauma at home and they attempt to summon the Red Lady and things, as they do, go awry.

I loved the backstory and the entire mythos around the Red Lady. It was goosebump inducing. It's easy to imagine how a group of young girls could become consumed with the appeal of it all. The coming of age story of these girls was a breath of fresh air. We typically get stories featuring boys and their spooky childhoods. This was a very genuine tale about girls. From the talk of periods to the petty jealousy and daily worries and easily bruised friendships, it was all very real and I enjoyed the THEN segments more than I can say. They were painful and authentic to the experience of growing up female. I would like more of this kind of fiction, please!

The Dead Girls Club may not be what I’d consider a perfect story and it has a very wispy thread of horror, but it IS super creepy and mysterious and highly readable – just the way I like my thrillers and I recommend it if anything I’ve said above intrigues you.

I received my copy for review consideration from Netgalley.