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Last Published: 9/6/2008 2:55:34 AM
June 2008
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Posted by: Michelle Sutton at 12:21AM EST on June 25, 2008
ABOUT THE BOOK
 A dangerous new order threatens the mission of the Knights of Arrethtrae. Only loyalty to the King can bring victory!
As the Knights of the Prince await His triumphant return, they are steadfast in their mission to take His story into the kingdom and recruit as many as are willing. But when a new and dangerous threat is revealed, their mission is jeopardized.
Sir Kendrick and his young charge, the impetuous Sir Duncan, are sent on a mission to discover the identity and origin of a secretive new order known as the Conquistero Knights. They travel to the city of Bel Lione where Lord Ra has been enticing young people in the kingdom to join his festivals, after which many choose not to return home. Their families keep quiet for fear of repercussion.
When Sir Duncan disappears while trying to discover the truth of Lord Ra’s castle, Sir Kendrick attempts to find and enlist the help of a mysterious warrior. Time is short for he must save Duncan and call upon the knights of Chessington to join in the battle against the evil Lord Ra.
Journey to Arrethtrae, where these knights of noble heart live and die in loyal service to the King and the Prince. These knights are mighty, for they serve a mighty King. They are...the Knights of Arrethtrae!
My review:
Sir Kendrick and the Castle at Bel Lione is thoroughly engaging. I think the author is a genius with an amazing gift of showing through fiction what the heart of man is truly like. I was enthralled with the story and am amazed that the genre is categorized as teen fiction. Adults who love Medieval stories will enjoy this, too. The only thing that tipped me off was the lack of descriptive violence. When someone got killed they "ran into the blade" but that was as descriptive as it got. Even the sickest scene in the dungeon/torture chambers was easy to stomach despite the cat o nine tails being used on someone. I am a bit of a wuss when it comes to gore, so this book was perfect for me. At any rate, I enjoyed Chuck's lyrical style of writing so much I read several portions out loud to my husband. The author has an amazing "voice" for writing medieval fiction with castles and knights and I felt as if I were watching a movie as I read.
What made this story unique was the allegory to the New Testament ministry of Paul. Sir Kendrick reminded me of Paul and Duncan was a lot like Timothy. I loved the clear parallel to scripture and the emphasis on good versus evil, minus the witches and dragons and other mystical themes that are often found in fantasy novels. The story did contain some pretty scary wolves, though. I felt the terror from the attacks of evil. The moral lessons were fabulously knitted into the fabric of the story, and I was moved to tears several times over themes of forgiveness. It really isn't about what we say we believe, but it's about how we actually apply our faith in Christ to our lives. The author demonstrates this theme with perfection. You can't help being inspired by reading this book.
Sir Kendrick and the Castle at Bel Lione was published by Multnomah and released in June 2008
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Posted by: Michelle Sutton at 5:43PM EST on June 21, 2008
About the book:
When Rachel Donovan, a strong--willed chiropractor with a past, meets Jack Westwood, a bull--headed cowboy looking for a future, it looks like hate at first fight. But when the dust settles, it may be love. Can the chiropractor and the cowboy bridle their growing attraction, or will love ultimately have free reign?
My review:
Whenever I start a new book--especially a romance--I worry that I won't enjoy it and would've wasted my time. I don't have much time these days to spare, so that would be bad. At any rate, Along Came a Cowboy was a very good read. I love romance stories that have some depth to them and this one delivers. At first I wasn't sure how the author could keep the conflict believeable enough to carry the story, but as Dr. Rachel's issues rose to the surface, things got complicated, and complications are never boring to read about. So without giving any spoilers, I'll just tell you that when the heart is moved to change and when walls come down, it really touches my heart. In this case it had less to do with the hero and more to do with Rachel's family, but it was still beautiful to experience. If you love romance that goes easy on the physical aspects, but deep on the emotional end, you'll love this story.
Along Came a Cowboy was published by Barbour and released in May 2008.
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Posted by: Michelle Sutton at 10:31PM EST on June 15, 2008
Product Description
They say love is blind. This time they're right...
As a woman lies unconscious in a hospital bed, her husband waits beside her, urging her to wake up and come home. Between them lies an ocean of fear and the tenuous grip of memories long past. Memories of wonder. Of love. Memories of a girl named Madison and a boy named Paul...
Madison Foster knew she was going blind. But she didn't want pity-not from her mother, not from her roommate, and especially not from her best friend Paul-the man she secretly loved.
Paul Tilden knew a good thing when he saw it. And a good thing was his friendship with Maddie Foster. That is, until he started to fall in love.
With the music of the seventies as their soundtrack and its groovy fashions as their scenery, Maddie and Paul were drawn together and driven apart. Then one night changed everything... forever.
And only now, when life tiptoes past the edge of yesterday, along the rim of today, can they glimpse the beauty that awaits them... beyond the night.
My review:
Beyond the Night is an amazing love story that will make your heart sing. In some ways it had that sad/beautiful feel of yearning hope and unrequited love...sort of like the mood of Sparks's novel The Notebook, except this story wasn't rated R.
They beauty of the author's writing style filled me with awe, and the way she used dialogue and internal thoughts to convey deep emotion took my breath away. The interaction between Maddie and Paul was so beautiful it made you long for them to realize what they had. At times I wanted to climb through the pages and tell them to wake up and do something about the way they felt. It was awesome...and holy.
The spiritual journey was necessary and real, and didn't have a contrived element sometimes found in books where characters are angry at God for some loss they'd experienced. Everything flowed naturally. Even the scriptures.
Beyond the Night is also a fabulous illustration of the necessity of God's perfect timing. It shows how God knows our needs and understands our pain even when we don't. It brings to mine a pop song that goes... "You can't hurry love, no, you just have to wait..." You can't read this story without feel changed by story's end. I highly recommend it.
Beyond the Night was published by Multnomah and will be released June 17th!
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Posted by: Michelle Sutton at 12:21AM EST on June 14, 2008
About the book:
In the desolate Iraqi desert, a lone shepherd stumbles across a whale fossil. Initial analysis indicates that it could be a new species-a discovery that could shed light on the evolution debate. Paleontologist Dr. Katie James is asked to lead an expedition to recover the rest of the fossil before her archrival, Nick Murad, can find it first.
My review:
Fossil Hunter is one of those books that not only entertains (and believe me, it does!) but it also educates. This is not a mindless story laden with drivel and rhetoric, but is an intelligent work of art, and it's full of depth and intrigue. I was impressed with how well the author developed the setting. I felt like I was on the run and hiding in the hot desert right along with Nick and Katie. And all that dust! Oy!
I'd heard the author was an expert at writing from a woman's point of view. That is definitely the case. The main character, Katie, was very believable and strong, yet enticingly vulnerable at the same time. The tension between Katie and Nick was exhilarating, too. I loved that. And unlike many high intensity novels these days, this one had a spiritual element that was subtle, yet genuine and clear.
In short, Fossil Hunter is a must-read. If you love action and adventure with subtle romantic elements you will love this story.
Fossil Hunter was published by Tyndale and released in May 2008.
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Posted by: Michelle Sutton at 10:14AM EST on June 11, 2008
ABOUT THE BOOK
(Dreamhouse Kings Book 1)
Dream house...or bad dream?
When the Kings move from L.A. to a secluded small town, fifteen-year-old Xander is beyond disappointed. He and his friends loved to create amateur films . . . but the tiny town of Pinedale is the last place a movie buff and future filmmaker wants to land.
But he, David, and Toria are captivated by the many rooms in the old Victorian fixer-upper they moved into--as well as the heavy woods surrounding the house.
They soon discover there's something odd about the house. Sounds come from the wrong directions. Prints of giant, bare feet appear in the dust. And when David tries to hide in the linen closet, he winds up in locker 119 at his new school.
Then the really weird stuff kicks in: they find a hidden hallway with portals leading off to far-off places--in long-ago times. Xander is starting to wonder if this kind of travel is a teen's dream come true . . . or his worst nightmare.
My review:
I haven't seen the Young Adult years in...years, but I can tell you that this series is SCARY even for adults. I finished House of Dark Shadows a little while ago and can testify that it's freakier than Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews and just about as scary as The Amityville Horror. Did I mention this book was scary, LOL? But I finished it. I just didn't read it at night. Seriously. And I'm thankful that my house has neither an attic or a basement or I wouldn't be able to sleep! I know it's just fiction, but while I was reading the story I was in it, so it seemed real to me. Too real.
So far I haven't found a spiritual element (like they didn't even pray when scared) but it's still an incredibly entertaining tale of horror. I dare say it ranks right up there with any number of scary secular novels. There is even some blood in the book. Did I mention it was scary? Bottom line...this is top notch fiction but it is tolerable even for big honking chickens like me. In fact, I want to read the next book right away...but it's dark outside, so that'll have to wait until tomorrow!
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Posted by: Michelle Sutton at 12:57AM EST on June 9, 2008
 Kendall's managed to wrangle her grandmother's house-free and clear-except for the rules. No male roommates. But that's ok, with the right ad she'll pull in some girls, their rent and if she's lucky, she won't have to go to work any time soon.
For their part, Anna, Lelani, and Megan all have their reasons for wanting to move in: Anna has got to get out from under her overprotective parents; Lelani can't take another day in her aunt's tiny crackerbox house overflowing with toddlers and Megan needs a place free of her current roommate from Hades.
Though they come with assorted extra baggage filled with broken hearts and dreams, they will discover they also have a vast array of hidden strengths. And they struggle to become the women they want to be, they'll find new hope and maybe even Kendall will learn a thing or two about life, love and the true meaning of friendship.
If you would like to read the first chapter, go HERE
My review:
I've been a fan of Melody Carlson for years now and have yet to read a book she's written that I haven't enjoyed. I Heart Bloomberg was a delightful setup for the series, which has three more books to come by 2009. In this first book you spend a lot of time getting to know the individual characters. The four women each have their own point of view. There is your stereotypical spoiled but beautiful brat, your sensible and intelligent girl, the smart and wounded but beatiful girl, and the well-rounded and attractive girl who doesn't see herself that way at all. They are a delightful bunch, and so are the men in the story.
There wasn't much of a romantic element in the book, which took away some of the thrill for me as I love great romance novels. But I'm thinking there may be some touching moments in future books in this series. It appears that the author has set things up to head in that direction, which means I will HAVE to read them to find out. Overall, I'd say this was an enjoyable read. Kind of like a clean Melrose Place--minus the gay neighbor. I zipped through it in less than two days and I never got bored with the story even though there wasn't much angst or real drama in the novel. So if you like a light, feel-good story (with few tense moments) that is about four young women trying to share a house and get along, you'll like this story. Some of the ladies had issues, but I didn't feel like I got to know them well enough to feel their pain yet. I want to read the rest of the series to see how they change as they rub shoulders with each other and learn to get along.
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Posted by: Michelle Sutton at 5:53PM EST on June 4, 2008
 About the book:
The Duchess and the Dragon tells the epic story of two unlikely soulmates in the early 1800s Regency Era who live worlds apart but soon meet and turn each other's world upside down.
My review:
Jamie Carie knows how to pull a reader in to a story. The inheritance scandal and Drake flight's for his life and near-tragic sea journey really grabs you. That was all great stuff, if not too descriptive. Some details even turned my stomach. Then the romance begins, and my first thought was that it reminded me of a Harlequin historical romance. I haven't read them in years, but the attraction Serena feels toward this obviously sick man doesn't make a lot of sense because you know he had to look skinny and bedraggled, but I suppose the pull she felt was reminiscent of Florence Nightingale syndrome. I would think her desire would be more from pity that actually having the hots for him. That is just a minor issue. At any rate, the attraction between them sizzled and that was pretty exciting stuff.
I was amazed at how much was implied that goes above and beyond what you find in most inspirational historicals, but it was enjoyable and refreshing to read. Like many woman, Serena felt a strong pull toward the dangerous guy and felt mere friendship for the safe one. The fear, excitement, pangs of regret, renewed hope, and roller coaster of emotion that played out in this story all made sense to me. I especially enjoyed the faith portion and the change exhibited in Drake's heart over time. He truly was not the same man he was before. Isn't that just how it is when God uses trials and hardship to soften us and draw us close to His heart?
Overall, I'd say this book was a dynamic read. It was hard to put down and I found the story and the setting incredibly engaging, plus the emotional and physical interplay between the hero and heroine was breathtaking. If you loved A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist, you will enjoy this story.
The Duchess and the Dragon was published by Broadman and Holman and released in April 2008.
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