Inside the Wong Mind

Book Review: The Way of the Brave by Susan May Warren

The Way of the Brave
by Susan May Warren
Book 1 of the Global Search and Rescue series
Rating: 5/5

Words cannot describe how much I loved reading this adrenaline-fueled climb up and down Denali. I wasn’t ready. The love story is surrounded by the suspense found in all of Warren’s search and rescue books and does NOT disappoint. The tension never let up and forced me to keep reading till the end.

Orion’s past continues to haunt him as his friend tries to lure him to join his global search and rescue team. As former SEAL buddies, he enjoys their friendship but doesn’t want to go back to his life as a pararescue jumper. When he and his friends are called out to rescue three women stranded on the mountain, he finds himself back in the game whether he likes it or not – only this time one of the women who needs saving is the one that got away before his entire life changed. Back in Afghanistan, he and Jacie had connected but he’d never seen her after that fateful mission where he busted his knee. For some reason, she changed her name to Jenny but he’d recognize her anywhere. Can Orion and his buddies find and rescue the woman of his dreams and her friends before it’s too late? Or will Mother Nature or God just allow obstacle after obstacle to get in their way to safety?

My heart can’t take this. Haha. I loved everything about this story. If you’ve ever seen the movie, Vertical Limit, you will understand but this book is better! (The movie was also referenced in the book which made me smile.) The main characters are dealing with their own issues and fears but Warren has a way of weaving in forgiveness and redemption into all her stories that just makes me cry and laugh and stand in awe of the Savior. The technical terms she must have researched makes the story authentic but still a bit confusing since I’m not as familiar with all the mountain climbing terms. You can tell she put her heart and soul into this story. She really starts preaching near the end which I loved; she’s not afraid to share her heart and God’s heart when it comes to forgiveness and shame.

I highly recommend this book for those that love Christian romantic suspense and I can’t wait for the next in the series!

My thanks to Revell and NetGalley for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

January 9, 2020 by Kim Book Reviews

Book Review: Midnight Wings by Ariele Sieling

Midnight Wings: A Science Fiction Retelling of Cinderella
by Ariele Sieling
Book 1 in the Rove City series
Rating: 4/5

I love retellings. I can’t get enough of them but place them in outer space and I was hooked! I am in love with this new world that Ariele Sieling has created! I can’t wait to read more in this series. This story is more novella length but it tells the story well and surprisingly, doesn’t feel rushed at the end.

El, short for Eleanor, basically works as a slave for her stepmother and two stepsisters. Besides doing all the household chores, errands and cooking, she works at her space station’s mechanic repair shop, but all the money goes to her stepmother. She dreams of being free and becoming a fighter pilot. In a world based on flight simulators and social rankings, she is the best pilot with the lowest social rankings and despairs of ever being truly free. When an opportunity to prove her prowess as a pilot comes up, will El have the courage to try for her dream or will her stepmother’s abuse provoke her to give up?

Who doesn’t love a Cinderella story set in a sci-fi world? Slightly Black Mirror-ish with the social ranking stuff, but I love the premise and enjoyed every second of this story. The romance actually gets a chance to develop and the fairy godmother characters are believable. El’s struggles are believable and are more the focus of the story than the romance, which was is refreshing.

Highly recommend if you love retellings and sci-fi.

My thanks to the author and BookSirens for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

January 5, 2020 by Kim Book Reviews

Book Review: Love By Chance by Kacy Cross

Love By Chance: Based on the Hallmark Channel Original Movie
by Kacy Cross
Rating: 4/5

When I saw that this story was available for review, I jumped at the chance. I am a huge fan of Hallmark Channel Original Movies that just make you cry and feel good inside. I knew I would enjoy the book version of the movie, Love By Chance, because I’d get to read and understand the characters better. It did not disappoint.

What do you do when your mother likes to control everything about you and is obsessed with your love life? Claire is a pastry chef who co-owns a struggling bistro but is determined to make it work. Her mother is determined to find her a husband at any cost. Claire’s mom, Helen, has a sixth sense about these things and considers herself a successful matchmaker. When Helen takes things a tad too far, she meets someone new who she insists is perfect for Claire – Eric, a pediatrician. Helen somehow convinces Eric to go to an art gallery event that Claire is catering. When the two meet, sparks fly and now Eric has a problem. He is quickly falling for Claire but hates lying to her. Meanwhile, Helen is still trying to control everything with Claire while neglecting her own husband and their plans for retirement. What happens when the truth comes out?

I loved reading this version of the original movie because I was able to be inside the head of the different characters and really understand their motivations and thoughts for their actions. Helen still frustrates me to no end but I know her heart’s in the right place. I loved the Epilogue because that wasn’t in the original movie. There’s also a recipe in the back of the book which I definitely want to try out.

The book is basically the movie in written form but with a more filled out story which I enjoyed reading. I highly recommend this book for lovers of Hallmark Channel Original Movies and clean, sweet romance.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.