Showing posts with label spy. Show all posts

Friday, February 7, 2025

Midnight on the Scottish Shore, A Novel of World War II by Sarah Sundin

Wow this is an amazing story. Based a lot of fact. WW2. Cilla, a Dutch girl who escaped to English controlled Scotland by using the Germans, got caught as she reached shore. Who wouldn't mind being captured by a brawny Scot in a kilt? Lots of danger, spycraft and love. The depth of espionage and subterfuge thinking between them is enthralling the way it's handled, and they fight together against the Germans on more than one front. Incredible chess game. Thoroughly engrossing and believable to where I wanted to pray for them. I didn't want to finish the book, if only to keep spending time with them a little longer.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#MidnightontheScottishShore #NetGalley #SarahSundin #ChristianHistoricalFiction #Revell #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

Synopsis:

In a time of war, danger lurks beneath the water--and in the depths of the human heart

As the German war machine devours the Netherlands, the only way Cilla van der Zee can survive the occupation is to do the unthinkable--train to become a spy for the Nazis. Once dispatched to Britain, she plans to abandon her mission and instead aid the Allies. But her scheme is thwarted when naval officer Lt. Lachlan Mackenzie finds her along the Scottish shore and turns her in to be executed.

Yet perhaps she is more useful alive than dead. British intelligence employs her to radio misleading messages to Germany from the lighthouse at Dunnet Head in Scotland--messages filled with naval intelligence Lachlan must provide. If the war is to be won, Lachlan and Cilla must work together. But how can he trust a woman who arrived on his shores as a tool of the enemy--a woman certain to betray both him and the Allied cause?

My reviews:

Thursday, August 8, 2024

The Winged Tiara by J'nell Ciesielski

Conspirator. Thief. Charmer. Thrill-seeker. But never liar.

Quite a pair. They met in a whirlwind at the end of the War and married, only later finding out all they had in common. Both were rejected by others in their youth and ever since have been trying to prove themselves, both as thieves. Good ones. They're on the hunt for the same stolen jewels, pushing and pulling each other all the way. They're both smart and competitive, taking them into the most luxurious settings, where they each shine. Lots to sigh about. Fast paced race to a glorious end.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

@jnellciesielski @TNZfiction @HarperCollins #thewingedtiara #jnellciesielski #ThomasNelsonFiction #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #FiveStarNovel

My reviews

Monday, May 13, 2024

Lady Wynwood’s Spies #1 Archer by Camille Elliot

Wow, what a good book. Part 1 of an overall story that is spread over several books. A lot to take in with a lot of characters, including their relationship to each other in English society. Espionage, murder and people with special skills, all endearing in their own way. An especially dark threat to be out maneuvered for them and their country. Keeps you on your toes every moment. Very entertaining. Unconventional people who are quite real. I highly recommend this - you won't be bored!

I received this book free from the author and publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#LadyWynwoodsSpies #Archer #CamilleElliott #CamyTang #ChristianHistoricalFiction #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout @CamilleElliott @CamyTang

About the book from Amazon

Part one in a Christian Regency suspense series with slow-burn romance and a supernatural twist.

She met him again by shooting him.

Unmarried after four Seasons of towering over her dance partners, Miss Phoebe Sauber learns she will be cast out of her home when her father remarries. Feeling betrayed by her father and God, she misfires an arrow at an archery tournament.

But the arrow pierces a paper held by Mr. Michael Coulton-Jones. And strangely, the symbol drawn on the page is eerily familiar to her.

He met her again while searching for a killer.

Michael had quit his work as a spy for the Foreign Office when his brother was murdered. His investigation leads to Apothecary Jack, a criminal underworld lord gathering a powerful army through an alchemical potion that gives men supernatural strength.

Michael joins forces with Phoebe and her Aunt Laura, Lady Wynwood, who have found a vital connection between Apothecary Jack and a mysterious group plotting against England.

Now, only this team of misfit aristocratic spies stands against a treasonous organization that could enable Napoleon to conquer the world.

PLEASE NOTE: Like the novels published in Jane Austen’s time, this is a novel in multiple parts. Each volume has a completed story arc, but this is NOT a stand-alone novel and ends on a cliffhanger.

About the author

Camy is a USA Today bestselling author who writes Christian Contemporary Romance and Romantic Suspense as Camy Tang and Christian Regency Romantic Suspense under her pen name, Camille Elliot. She grew up in Hawaii but now lives in northern California with her engineer husband and rambunctious dog. She graduated from Stanford University in psychology with a focus on biology, and for nine years she worked as a biologist researcher. Then God guided her path in a completely different direction and now she’s writing full time, using her original psychology degree as she creates the characters in her novels. She was a staff worker for her church youth group for over 20 years and she currently plays on one of the Sunday worship teams. She also loves to knit, spin wool into yarn, and is learning Japanese. Visit her websites at https://www.camytang.com/ and https://www.camilleelliot.com/ to read free short stories and subscribe to her monthly newsletter.

My reviews

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Protecting the Mountain Man's Treasure (Brothers of Sapphire Ranch Book 3)

Almost sneaky, getting you fully invested in these people quickly. Very intriguingly written and artful as it unfolds. I found that I was rooting for each of them strongly right from the beginning. I loved how it unfolded with faithfulness. Nothing over done or prolonged too far. Excellent story, and fits nicely in the series. Looking forward to the next one!

I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#ProtectingTheMountainMansTreasure #MistyMBeller #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarNovel

About the Book

Book: Protecting the Mountain Man’s Treasure

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: February 6, 2024

In the wild mountains of the Montana Territory, the Coulter ranch is a place of family, loyalty…and a hidden fortune.

Jude Coulter is far more comfortable in his family’s sapphire mine tucked in the Montana mountains than the bustling streets of New York City where he’s been sent to deliver a shipment of gems. His relief at boarding the train for the first leg of his journey home is short-lived when an accident renders him unconscious.

Angela Larkin worked hard to earn this assignment for the Treasury—an undercover mission to determine the source of the sapphires brought each year for auction in the city. When an accident causes her target to lose his recent memory, Angela jumps at the opportunity to create the ideal ruse. Jude seems surprised to learn the two of them had married and were returning from a glorious wedding trip, but he doesn’t question too strongly.

Yet when an unexpected threat arises, they find themselves dependent on the other to navigate the treacherous journey home. As the danger mounts, so too does an attraction neither of them anticipated. But can this love withstand the revelation of their tangled beginnings?

From a USA Today bestselling author comes a mountain family saga filled with a pretend marriage, amnesia, undercover agents, and a love worth treasuring far more than riches.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author of romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

Misty’s passion is to create inspiring Christian fiction infused with the grandeur of the mountains, writing historical romance that displays God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

More from Misty

In my latest release, the hero and heroine travel up the Missouri River in a steamboat, and I loved the research for that portion of the story!

Traveling on a steamboat in 1869 was an experience like no other, and took about two months to travel from St. Louis, Missouri to Fort Benton in the Montana Territory. Passengers would step aboard these floating palaces to find ornate decorations, plush accommodations, and the promise of new scenery at every bend in the river. Despite the occasional discomforts of travel—such as noisy engines and the ever-present risk of boiler explosions—passengers reveled in the novelty and the relative speed of steamboat travel.

The Missouri was notorious for its shifting channels, snags, and sandbars, which could easily ensnare even the most experienced pilot’s vessel. Navigating this river required an intimate knowledge of its capricious nature, and the river pilots were worth their weight in gold.

River towns along the Missouri thrived thanks to the steamboats. These towns became hotbeds of economic activity, where goods were loaded and unloaded, and stories from faraway places were exchanged. The arrival of a steamboat was an event, often met with fanfare and excitement by the local populace.

I pray you love the peek at steamboat life in Protecting the Mountain Man’s Treasure! J

Blessings!

Misty

Blog Stops

Alena Mentink, March 1
Wishful Endings, March 1
Lighthouse Academy Blog, March 2 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, March 2
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 3
Splashes of Joy, March 3
Locks, Hooks and Books, March 4
Where Crisis & Christ Collide, March 4
Madi’s Musings, March 5
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, March 5
Texas Book-aholic, March 6
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, March 6
Betti Mace, March 7
Books You Can Feel Good About, March 7
Devoted To Hope, March 8
For Him and My Family, March 8
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions , March 9
Jeanette’s Thoughts, March 9
Cover Lover Book Review, March 10
Life on Chickadee Lane, March 10
Blossoms and Blessings, March 11
Mary Hake, March 11
lakesidelivingsite, March 12
Melissa’s Bookshelf, March 12
Holly’s Book Corner, March 13
The Lofty Pages, March 13
Lily’s Corner, March 14
Pause for Tales, March 14

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Misty is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2a3d3/protecting-the-mountain-man-s-treasure-celebration-tour-giveaway

My reviews

Thursday, February 8, 2024

The Paris Spy's Girl by Amanda Lees

Wow. Talk about intense. Christine is tough from what she went through growing up, but she's also very beautiful, smart, shrewd, intuitive. And closed off. Using her beauty as a weapon, she made one of the best spies in Paris against the Germans. Her friendships are few, she trusts no one. But in getting to hear her thoughts you can feel the underlying vulnerability and intense struggle in trying to make a difference. She finally lets Charlie the American in. Unbelievable how it plays out as her colleagues are captured, the games that are played, the betrayal. Really hard to put down. (Clean read but skates along the risqué line.)

I received this book free from the author, publisher, NetGalley and Bookouture book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#TheParisSpysGirl #NetGalley #AmandaLees #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #Bookouture #HistoricalFiction #FiveStarHistorical @bookoture

Buy link: Buy link: https://geni.us/B0CLKV2LPVsocial

From the Publisher:

An utterly breathtaking and emotional World War II novel, inspired by true events.

Paris, 1943. The candlelit salon goes silent, the eyes of every German officer on me. I pause in the door, no hint of a tremble from the champagne glass in my hand, playing my part to perfection. If my deception doesn’t utterly convince them, the war will be lost…

As war rages all over Europe, former runaway Christine is now the most dangerous – and most beautiful – asset the British Secret Service has in Paris. Every safe house that falls under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower is like a second home, and she can disappear into the winding maze of cobbled streets that lead to the Seine like a shadow. Now Christine is on her most vital mission yet. She must go deep undercover to find out who has betrayed the Allied spy network, selling their secrets – and her fellow agents – to the Nazis.

Forced to work with Charlie, a charmingly determined American secret agent, Christine has no choice but to rely on him. Together, they must pretend to be everything they aren’t – Nazi collaborators, and lovers – and risk not just their lives but the lives of their colleagues all over France to unmask the traitor in their midst.

But as they get closer to the truth, and each other, the stress of living undercover takes its toll. Christine can’t trust anyone, even Charlie. And just as her past – and the girl she was before she became Christine – catches up with her, the mission demands a sacrifice so great it may destroy everything she holds dear. Can Christine find the courage to do what it takes? And who will pay the ultimate sacrifice if she fails…?

A totally compelling, page-turning historical novel of love, courage and sacrifice in the darkest of times. Set in wartime Paris, this is an utterly gripping and tear-jerking read perfect for readers of Kate Quinn, Rhys Bowen and Mandy Robotham.

About the author

Amanda Lees is an author, broadcaster and an actress. She has written for, or contributed to, the Evening Standard, The Times, US Cosmopolitan and Company Magazine, as well as numerous online publications. Amanda appears regularly on BBC radio and LBC and was a contracted writer to the hit series Weekending on Radio 4.

As well as her new World War Two romantic thriller series, she has published two bestselling satirical fiction novels, a YA thriller trilogy and a number of non-fiction titles including The Dictionary of Crime.

Amanda was born in Hong Kong and survived both a convent boarding school and a Jesuit boys’ school before being summarily ejected from the latter. She gets her thirst for adventure from her parents who met in the jungle in Borneo where her mother had set up a hospital and her father, a former Gurkha Intelligence officer and Oxford-educated spy, was probably up to no good.

Amanda has a degree in drama and her first TV job was as a member of the Communist Resistance in ’Allo ‘Allo. This involved running around with a dachshund under her arm and deploying her best cod French accent. It has all been dramatically downhill since.

Her latest nonfiction book, From Aconite to the Zodiac Killer: The Dictionary of Crime, was published by Robinson/Little Brown in July 2020 to excellent reviews. It was published in the US by Ulysses Press in May 2021.

The Silence Before Dawn, the first in her WW2 spy thriller series was published in September 2022 and the second, Paris At First Light, in November 2022. The third book in the series, The Midwife's Child, was published on 16th May 2023. All are bestsellers. The next book in the series, The Paris Spy's Girl, will be published on 6 February 2024.

Author's Social Media:

Website: amandalees.com

Facebook URL: https://www.facebook.com/AmandaLeesAuthor/

Twitter URL: https://twitter.com/amandalees

Newsletter sign up: https://www.bookouture.com/amanda-lees/

For the best deals on books you can't put down, make sure to sign up to the Bookouture Deals mailing list!

My reviews

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

To Spark A Match by Jen Turano

If you need to buy a gift for someone or for yourself, you cannot go wrong with this book.

Completely entertaining in the mad rush that Jen is known for, as well as a perfectly written romance. Adelaide has the wonderful traits of being unique in the Four Hundred, beautiful without knowing it, a caring heart, brilliant observant mind, and a love for books and cats. She's not afraid to look through it all and enjoy the commonplace, and always lands on her feet, which is fortunate, since she gets into some real mishaps. Handsome Gideon comes to her aid and gets involved, finding she's more competent than he thought and a diamond of first water. Always a treasure, pure joy to read. As your brain takes in every little, quick moving detail, you never know what's going to happen next. Parts where I truly laughed out loud, others that were aw-a-aw sweet. As I always say, cheer up! read a Jen Turano book!

I received this book free from the author, publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#ToSparkAMatch #NetGalley #JenTurano #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #BethenyHouse #ChristianHistoricalFiction #FiveStarHistorical

Description

"Turano takes readers on a lighthearted romp through matchmaking season . . . . This is a delight."--Publishers Weekly on A Match in the Making

After five unsuccessful Seasons on the marriage mart, Miss Adelaide Duveen has resigned herself to the notion that she's destined to remain a spinster forever--a rather dismal prospect, but one that will allow her to concentrate on her darling cats and books. However, when she inadvertently stumbles upon Mr. Gideon Abbott engaged in a clandestine activity during a dinner party, Adelaide finds herself thrust into a world of intrigue that resembles the plots in the spy novels she devours.

Former intelligence agent Gideon Abbott feels responsible for Adelaide after society threatens to banish her because of the distraction she caused to save his investigation. Hoping to return the favor, he turns to a good friend--and one of high society's leaders--to take Adelaide in hand and turn her fashionable. When danger surrounds them and Adelaide finds herself a target of the criminals in Gideon's case, the spark of love between them threatens to be quenched for good--along with their lives.

About the author

Named One of the Funniest Voices in Inspirational Romance by Booklist, Jen Turano is a USA Today Best-Selling Author, known for penning quirky historical romances set in the Gilded Age. Her books have earned Publisher Weekly and Booklist starred reviews, top picks from Romantic Times, and praise from Library Journal. She’s been a finalist twice for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards and had two of her books listed in the top 100 romances of the past decade from Booklist. When she’s not writing, she spends her time outside of Denver, CO. She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jenturanoauthor/ or visit her on the web at www.jenturano.com. She is represented by the Natasha Kern Literary Agency.

Buy on Amazon: To Spark a Match: (A Christian Historical Romance Book with Humor Set in New York's High-Society) (The Matchmakers): Jen Turano: 9780764240218: Amazon.com: Books

My reviews

Friday, September 8, 2023

Reclaiming the Spy (Agents of Espionage Book 2) by Lorri Dudley

Another really special, faith filled love story. Full of lessons to rely on God and not on your own understanding. Abby and Nick were just married when he was called into service for the Crown during the war with Napoleon. He became a valued spy and stayed away from home for 10 years until the death of his Mother. Circumstances made him reveal himself to Abby, when he had planned on leaving again. She had never stopped loving him even though she was told he was dead. Wonderful love story with a great deal of struggle for both of them, heart wrenching at times. The proof of God's faithfulness shines through. Solid faith, very believable characters to get caught up with. Help comes from unexpected places. Second in a series but stands alone (read the first one, you'll be glad you did!)

I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#ReclaimingTheSpy #LorriDudley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #FiveStarNovel #CelebrateLit #ChristianHistorical #WildHeartBooks

About the Book

Book: Reclaiming the Spy

Author: Lorri Dudley

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: August 29, 2023

How can he protect her from himself when she keeps winding up in his arms?

She never gave up hope. After ten years of prayers for her husband, presumed dead in the Peninsula Wars, Abigail Emerson is shocked to discover him alive. Yet what should be the happily ever after of fairy tales becomes a nightmare when he coldly instructs her to forget she’d ever seen him. Abigail refuses to let her beloved slip through her fingers again, and she’s willing to battle for his love, despite the walls he’s created to barricade his heart.

Nicholas Emerson’s time as a spy for the War Office has left physical and mental battle wounds. He can never be the charming, carefree man he once was—the man his wife deserves—but when a threat to Abby’s life returns him to their small Midland village, keeping her safe proves more challenging than expected. If only Abby would forget him and remarry, then he wouldn’t have to face the torment of all the tender, buried feelings she evokes. The consequence of his life as a spy means he can never have her again…

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Lorri Dudley has been a finalist in numerous writing contests and has a master’s degree in Psychology. She lives in Ashland, Massachusetts with her husband and three teenage sons, where writing romance allows her an escape from her testosterone filled household. Find her online at www.lorridudley.com.

More from Lorri

When writing stories, I delve into research to provide the best experience for my readers, hoping to transport them to another time and setting, in this case, the lush green rolling hills of England’s Cotswolds at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. However, God had an alternative plan for me during my research and writing of Reclaiming the Spy. To prepare for the beginning scene with Mama Em, I read Glimpses of Heaven by Trudy Harris, RN. Trudy Harris was a hospice nurse and wrote about her clients in their final days. I’ve never sobbed through every book chapter quite like I had this one. At the same time, I was encouraged to hear how many of her patients heard glorious music, observed beautiful scenes, had visions of past friends or family members, witnessed angels, or even saw their Savior, Jesus Christ.

I didn’t realize that God was preparing me through my research for my dad to go into hospice care. In his final stages, my dad spoke of seeing his parents in vivid dreams, and thanks to reading about similar situations in Glimpses of Heaven, I know they were waiting to welcome him into heaven. I’m so grateful for how God readied my heart, and I was able to draw comfort in seeing how He blurs the lines of this realm and the next to make for an easier transition. God is good all the time, and I felt his presence beside me the entire way.

I’d initially titled my manuscript Love Never Fails because Abby and Nicholas struggle to learn the qualities of love from 1 Corinthians 13, “Love is patient, love is kind… love believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Nicholas’s debilitating spells and nightmares after serving as a spy in the Napoleonic Wars cause him to fear Bedlam and that he may hurt Abby. Post-traumatic stress disorder wasn’t a mental health diagnosis of the early 1800s, but it did exist. Mental hospitals (or madhouses) were frightening places where inmates were often treated like zoo animals. Spectators would come for enjoyment to stare and laugh at the men and women housed there.

While my parents didn’t have a wartime story like Abby and Nicholas, they shared a love that endured through good and bad times and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past year. The last few days my dad was alive, he sang Amazing Grace and to my mom a Doris Day song, I Love You a Bushel and a Peck. They shared a love that never failed, and that is the love I hoped to convey through Abby and Nicholas’s story.

Blog Stops

Alena Mentink, August 30
lalkesidelivingsite, August 30
Melissa’s Bookshelf, August 31
Connie’s History Classroom, August 31
Betti Mace, September 1
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 2
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 2
She Lives To Read, September 3
Texas Book-aholic, September 4
Sylvan Musings, September 4
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, September 5
Locks, Hooks and Books, September 6
The Book Club Network, September 7
Becca Hope: Book Obsessed, September 7
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 8
Books You Can Feel Good About, September 8
For Him and My Family, September 9
Lily’s Book Reviews, September 10
Christina’s Corner, September 10
Book Looks by Lisa, September 11
Cover Lover Book Review, September 11
Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, September 12 (Author Interview)
Pause for Tales, September 12
Holly’s Book Corner, September 13

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Lorri is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/278c0/reclaiming-the-spy-celebration-tour-giveaway

My reviews

Saturday, August 26, 2023

The Art of Deception by Cara Putman

Oh, this is too good. One has to be able to put it down. Get some sleep. I'm normally a historical fiction person so I took a chance to take this one. Boy I'm glad that I did. What a great spy suspense novel! Can't wait for the next one! Marie is really Charlotte, an artist hiding out in America from a crime family that she got tangled up with in Italy, using art for money laundering. Marie can paint like the classic painters so is very valuable to them. Even though she loved painting, she gave it up and fled to care for her son, but they found her. She works with Thayer who does work on the side for the FBI. Three-D characters to get wrapped up in. Twisty and turny, just right. I read the ARC from Cara which is part of the full book of four stories under the title Come What May.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and Book Funnel. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#TheArtOfDeception #CaraPutman #ComeWhatMay #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #TwoDogsPublishingLLC #BookFunnel #Suspense #FiveStarSuspense

My reviews