In the Shadow of the River Review

 

 

About the Book

In 1881, Jacci Reed is only five years old when a man attempts to kidnap her from the steamboat her mother, Irena, works on. Badly wounded during the confrontation, Irena takes Jacci aboard the Kingston Floating Palace, a showboat tied up beside them. There, Jacci's actor grandfather tends to her mother and Jacci gets a first taste of the life she will come to lead.

Fifteen years later, Jacci is an actress aboard the Kingston Floating Palace, and largely contented with her adopted family of actors, singers, and dancers. Especially Gabe, who has always supported her, and the gruff grandfather she has come to know and love. Jacci's mother has been gone for years, but the memory of the altercation that ultimately took her life--and the cryptic things Jacci has overheard about her past--is always there, lurking in the back of her mind.

When someone on the showboat tries to kill Jacci, it's clear her questions demand answers. But secrets have a way of staying in the shadows, and the answers she craves will not come easily. Gabe only hopes they come in time for him and Jacci to have a future together. (Goodreads)

 

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 My Thoughts

I just adore the cover of this book! It is stunning! I haven't read a book by Ann H. Gabhart for awhile and with the premise of this story I HAD to read it. I really enjoyed this one! The characters are wonderful and the setting is so interesting and refreshing. I loved the mystery the grows through the entire book. I wasn't shocked by the ending but it still made for a good page turner. I honestly wanted so much more. I wanted more on the steamboat and more of Gabe and his interactions with Jacci. I think the author could have added more chapters and I would have been happy with that. Some of the things I thought were tied up a little too quickly. The "romance" was pretty rushed and sudden. I wanted to get to know these characters even better because I enjoyed them so much. All that to say that I really had a good time reading this story and if you are wanting something with a fun setting you might like this book!

Four Stars. 

"I received this book from Revell for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."

 

 

 

 

 

These Healing Hills Review

About the Book

 

Francine Howard has her life all mapped out until the soldier she planned to marry at WWII's end writes to tell her he's in love with a woman in England. Devastated, Francine seeks a fresh start in the Appalachian Mountains, training to be a nurse midwife for the Frontier Nursing Service.

Deeply affected by the horrors he witnessed at war, Ben Locke has never thought further ahead than making it home to Kentucky. His future shrouded in as much mist as his beloved mountains, he's at a loss when it comes to envisioning what's next for his life.

When Francine's and Ben's paths intersect, it's immediately clear that they are from different worlds and value different things. But love has a way of healing old wounds . . . and revealing tantalizing new possibilities. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this idea of this story. The cover is stunning and the setting is superb. At times this book got a bit slow for me and I really didn't feel a huge connection to the characters. I did enjoy seeing how Francine made a change in her life and didn't settle. I liked her adventures in the mountains and I also enjoyed reading from Ben's point of view. I thought the author moved the characters along well in personal growth, I just struggled to become totally engrossed in their story. 

Three stars. 

"I received this book from Revell for free all opinions are my own."