Hidden in the Stars by Robin Caroll

Hidden in the Stars by Robin Caroll
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sophia has just been chosen for the US Olympic Team in gymnastics and is loving the life she leads. She goes to visit her mother, Nina, a world renowned Russian ballerina, and her life changes in the blink of an eye.

Now, unable to speak due to the trauma of her attack, Sophia is set on helping Julian and his team find the people behind her mother's murder and the attack that took place. What secret does one of the quilts that Nina and Sophia made together hold that can crack this case?

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read. I would not say this book is lighthearted, as it does involve a vicious attack and murder. The romance side of it does lighten the mood a bit. I did find the ending a bit predictable but that did not deter me from enjoying this book. I'm not sure I've read anything by Robin Caroll before but I do look forward to more of her work. I love how this book had a focus of forgiveness for several of the characters involved.

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The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson

The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Calling all fairy tale lovers! This version of Rapunzel (or Tangled for the younger readers) is a delight to read!! I love how Melanie Dickerson wove this love story with themes of spiritual perseverance, forgiveness, and faith! This is a super fun read and one I highly recommend!

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The Reluctant Duchess by Roseanna M. White

The Reluctant Duchess by Roseanna M. White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book by Roseanna M. White that I have read. I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style! I regret that I have not read the first book in this series, but I will be reading it soon as I'm very interested in the history behind the rubies that Brice is concerned with.

Some of my most favorite books are historical Christian fiction. This one definitely did not let me down. I really appreciate the care that Ms. White gave to Rowena's father. He is such a brute of being (I wouldn't call him a "man"), yet we see that he is a human capable of emotion as well. I also feel that Ms. White focuses on an important issue that spans all ages of time. The majority of women today (and even back in the 1900s) do not feel adequate. We see this in Rowena as she feels she can never measure up to anyone. Once she meets Brice, however, I felt her confidence growing. She sincerely tried to reach out and help someone who she thought would be a friend. When that friendship doesn't work out, she still uses a negative situation and turns it into a positive. I feel a lot of this was because of Brice's support, but also because Rowena started to value herself as a person and a Duchess. Many times, people let titles get in the way of their success, either because they overuse their titles or underuse them.

There were parts of this story that were difficult to read. As a reader, I didn't want to have to go through those experiences with Rowena but they were important to understand. Ms. White wrote with lots of grace and fervor in these situations. I applaud her for bringing attention to issues that still plague people today.

I would highly recommend this book to lovers of Christian Historical Fiction! This was a fairly quick read for me and I did have a hard time putting it down! I look forward to going back and reading book 1 in this series, and also to reading book 3 when it is released.

I did receive a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion. These thoughts are all my own. Many thanks to Amy Baker at BHP and Ms. White for this complimentary copy!

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