This is the first book in Lynette's Women of Justice series.  She's written some Love Inspired Suspense, but this is the first long book of hers that I've read.  I liked it.

The scenes in the villain's point of view were creepy and informative and amped up the suspense.

I liked both the heroine and the hero, probably Samantha a bit more than Connor, but even Connor's way of dealing with problems — running — didn't bother me too much because I knew he was going to have to get over it and grow from his issues.  Which he did.

And the topic — hmm — I've not read a book dealing with growing black-market babies for adoption, so I'm saying it is current and powerful.

Be prepared for the secondary characters to engage you enough to want to buy book 2.

I believe this is Susie's first published novel.  I'd read the 2nd in this series years ago, but never seemed to get my hands on Happily Ever After.  I picked it up on Kindle last month.

Simple romance, with plenty of angst and problems from the past, some problems in the present as the heroine attempts to set up her dream of a coffee house/bookstore, and the hero hires on as her handyman.  Of course he has issues of his own.  But it all turns out happily ever after.

Susan May Warren is a guaranteed good read in my book.  Try her stuff if you haven't.  She writes suspense as well as straight romance.

Austen is always a fun read.  I love her characterization.  She presents the human warts as simply and as unagologetically as she does our heroic qualities.

For those who have never read Jane Austen's novels, you might find them slow starters, but they provide a satisfying ending of true love.

I will confess, however, that I was clear to the scene where Louisa gets hurt at the seaside before I thought, "I think I saw this as a movie."  Go figure.  I had.

This was one of the spookiest books I've read in a long time.  A cross between suspense and spiritual warfare, Darlington Woods contained similar bad guys — a cross between demons and horrific people — and that's what left me scared.

The hero of the novel, Rob Shields, doesn't know a thing about fighting demons.  In fact, he's running from God.  And the man doesn't have any experience fighting bad guys either, because he's just a regular guy.  (Don't think Harrison Ford with a blender; think of your own dad, especially if he loves you very much.)

A happy ending?  Yeah, I guess.  An important theme?  By all means.  Fear will win unless we let the Light of Jesus shine.

This is the ACFW book club book for February, so I reserve the right to add to this post after discussion.

Ancient Rome.  Slavery.  True love.  You know the kind that sacrifices for another.  The kind we all wish we had the courage to live out every day.

David does as he fulfills God's will for his life even as a slave for a Christian-hating Roman master.  David also loves the master's granddaughter.

The Master's Wall isn't a light romance by any stretch of the imagination, but it certainly challenges its readers to live up to what being a Christian should be:  sacrificing like Christ.

Good characterization from evil to nearly divine and both extremes having bits of the other.  Great setting that gives a taste of first century life in Rome.  Moving plot, especially considering that the author covered seven years of their lives.  Some gritty parts, but parts that were absolutely necessary to this story.

I won't be surprised to hear that you liked this one too.

As former president of American Christian Fiction Writers, Cynthia Ruchti has shown her wonderful and clever way with words and phrases in topics of the week, in newsletter articles, and now in a full length novel.  They Almost Always Come Home begins with a delightful premise:  Did Libby's husband leave her before she had the chance to leave him, or has something more sinister happened on his wilderness vacation?

Because I am a big fan of Cynthia's, I was surprised at how the beautiful writing kept slowing down the story for me.  But then, literary writing and first person stories aren't my favorite.  Still the question of what happened to Libby's husband kept me turning the pages, especially as his character became more understood.

By the time Libby was sincerely grieving her husband's death, I was searching my mind frantically for what possible thing could have kept him from her, but not killed him. Then 3/4 into the novel I flip the page to "Greg's story: the day he left." I couldn't believe Cynthia would kill off her hero, but it now seemed likely.

I read and didn't sleep until I knew the truth.

I suggest you do the same; it's worth the angst.

This is the first book by Kaye that I've had the pleasure to read, and it was a pleasure.  Sweet romance.  No horrors.

The tried and true plot of first love ripped apart by ornery parents usually leaves me frustrated with the main characters to be honest with one another already, but Kaye's clean, fast-paced writing turned this into a quick three-day read for me.

Zarah Mitchell, heroine, with cool name and interesting career with the Middle Tennessee Historic Preservation Commission, pulled me into her world and reminded me anew that I don't want to fall into performance worship or striving for perfection to achieve love.

If you are interested to know more about Love Remains, pick up a copy.