Tomorrow's Sun

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RANDOM RETRO READ DAY!

MELBY, BECKY

TOMORROW'S SUN

Faith reaches across the centuries.

Her fractures have mended, her scars faded, but Emily Foster can't move on until she makes restitution for a past mistake. Flipping houses seems like the path to her goal. Yet, instead of finding a door to the future, the 1840s house she plans to remodel opens windows to the past.

Contractor Jake Braden hates Emily's plan to modernize the old house, but the cost of fighting for guardianship of his late sister's twelve-year-old twins forces him to take the job anyway. When a hidden door and faded love letters connect the house with the Underground Railroad, he and Emily embark on a mission to uncover the fate of young lovers.

As Emily and Jake unravel the long-forgotten love story, words of faith in the face of fear inspire, convict, and draw them to each other...but will they be prepared when faced with their greatest test yet?

My Review:

published in 2012

I discovered an extra copy of this book while trying to wrangle an unwieldy bookshelf into submission (a case of overbuying at a Christian bookstore's closing sale a few years back) so this is a repeat review and the giveaway is for a print copy.

Richly layered, Melby has mastered the art of the slow reveal. There is mystery and suspense in this contemporary novel, though I wouldn't categorize it as either. The suspense is in the characterization, the mystery is in the past and both are woven into an intricate pattern that will prompt a sit-down-and-read-in-one-sitting compulsion.

Emily is still recovering from a debilitating accident. Time and hard work slowly heal her body but her mind is an entirely different matter. For that emotional healing she needs God but she is hiding from Him. Her inner turmoil makes for a riveting read.

Jake was once an 'on-fire' Christian but time and life have faded his resolve. He's going through the motions but when he meets Emily all that changes. Their reluctant 'courtship' dance is immensely satisfying...and frustrating...to read!

Add in the rich historical detail (even though it's a contemporary) and this book makes a near-perfect read. The only way it could be better is if the author had made it longer!

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

This giveaway is for a paperback copy

If you would like a chance to win a copy of Tomorrow's Sun, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you add an email to your comment, remember to use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in order to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email, please add the title to the subject line so it's easy to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winners announced on Saturday March 6  2021. Offer open to International Readers. Good luck! 

Yesterday's Stardust

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MELBY, BECKY
YESTERDAY'S STARDUST

Two stories decades apart converge on a secret

With an award-winning series to her name, journalist Dani Gallagher is anxious to find her next big scoop...she just doesn't expect it to come from the past. But while searching for answers connected to her last story, Dani discovers a tattered journal in an alley near Bracciano, an Italian restaurant run by Nicky Fiorini. The diary, written in the Roaring Twenties by a young girl caught in a web of organized crime, mentions Nicky's restaurant; and despite and explosive first meeting, Dani persuades Nicky to help her uncover what happened to the girl -- and what her story has to do with their present.

Nicky is frustrated. No matter what he says, he can't seem to convince Dani that she's treading on thin ice. Her zeal to make a difference for others is leading her into some precarious situations -- and just might get her hurt.

Attraction soon ignites, but in the struggle to reveal the truth, will Dani and Nicky miss the real story while clinging to secrets of their own?

My Review:

I've loved reading this Lost Sanctuary series.  Love the dual timeline and the way events in the 1920s parallel events in present day. So artfully written! There's never a good place to stop reading so be prepared to lose yourself in two amazing worlds. I was as anxious as Dani to uncover the secrets in Francie's journal.

The romance is stupendous -- my favourite kind -- all gnarly and confusing with lots of sparks flying. Their first meet is fraught with tension and humour which sets the tone for the whole book. When I wasn't laughing over Nicky and Dani's antics, I was tearing my hair out over their double dose of stubbornness. Each keeping secrets from the other while delving into secrets of the past. Lots of fodder for rabid reading!

A solid faith thread winds its way through the story as Nicky and Dani struggle to find God's will for their lives. Nicky's bitterness has left him distanced from God. Dani's desire to excel at journalism often clashes with her drive to make a difference in people's lives. This book has it all -- romance, mystery and faith -- in measured doses of pure delight.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

 If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of Yesterday's Stardust please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday August 21 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Today's Shadows

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MELBY, BECKY
TODAY'S SHADOWS

Sometimes the past is right in front of you

Heather Conrad has a chance to start over. Thirty days to forget a painful break-up and work on a business plan while house-sitting for her former boss. But last-minute changes leave Heather in charge of watching a lakeside Victorian mansion and her boss's seven-year-old daughter, Izzy. Then unsettling events convince Heather something isn't right around the house.

Security systems installer Ryan Tobin's goal is to become a police detective. Within hours of meeting Heather, they discover secret doors and a hidden stairway leading to clues of a turn-of-the-century maid who may have been a passenger on the Titanic. Ryan helps search for answers...while using his detective skills to protect Heather and Izzy from a possible stalker.

As fear escalates and questions about the past and the present multiply, will Ryan and Heather find answers in hundred-year-old words, an old steamer trunk...and each other?

My Review:

Totally spellbinding. The way Melby intertwines various story threads is sheer brilliance. And I love the dual timeline! I was on tenterhooks the whole read waiting to see how the past would collide with the present. And I enjoyed the unpredictability of the plot. Just when I thought it was going to go one way...it didn't. Mysteries abound and my armchair sleuthing muscles got a real workout.

Izzy is precociously adorable and I cheered on her matchmaking attempts with great glee. Because while Ryan was more than willing, Heather was way too cautious. Completely understandable when you get to know her story, but oh, she gave me some nail-biting moments!

A stirring inspirational thread about recognizing God's deep and abiding love plays out in the lives of more than one character -- and it changes them for the better. Awesome stuff. 

The kind of novel that carries a reader away into blissful enjoyment.

GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY:

If you would like an opportunity to win a copy of  Today's Shadows please leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. If you post a comment and add your email address, please use AT and DOT instead of @ and . in the address to protect yourself from spammers. If you enter the draw via email please remember to put the title in the subject line so that it's easy for me to spot your entry. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday July 3 2016. Offer open to international readers. Good luck!

Tomorrow's Sun

GIVEAWAY

MELBY, BECKY
TOMORROW'S SUN

Faith reaches across the centuries.

Her fractures have mended, her cars faded, but Emily Foster can't move on until she makes restitution for a past mistake. Flipping houses seems like the path to her goal. Yet, instead of finding a door to the future, the 1840s house she plans to remodel opens windows to the past.

Contractor Jake Braden hates Emily's plan to modernize the old house, but the cost of fighting for guardianship of his late sister's twelve-year-old twins forces him to take the job anyway. When a hidden door and faded love letters connect the house with the Underground Railroad, he and Emily embark on a mission to uncover the fate of young lovers.

As Emily and Jake unravel the long-forgotten love story, words of faith in the face of fear inspire, convict, and draw them to each other...but will they be prepared when faced with their greatest test yet?

My Review:

Richly layered, Melby has mastered the art of the slow reveal. There is mystery and suspense in this contemporary novel, though I wouldn't categorize it as either. The suspense is in the characterization, the mystery is in the past and both are woven into an intricate pattern that will prompt a sit-down-and-read-in-one-sitting compulsion.

Emily is still recovering from a debilitating accident. Time and hard work slowly heal her body but her mind is an entirely different matter. For that emotional healing she needs God but she is hiding from Him. Her inner turmoil makes for a riveting read.

Jake was once an 'on-fire' Christian but time and life have faded his resolve. He's going through the motions but when he meets Emily all that changes. Their reluctant 'courtship' dance is immensely satisfying...and frustrating...to read!

Add in the rich historical detail (even though it's a contemporary) and this book makes a near-perfect read. The only way it could be better is if the author had made it longer!

Giveaway Opportunity:

If you would like a chance at winning a copy of this book, leave a comment below or email me at kavluvstoreadATyahooDOTca. Please make sure to put the title in the subject line of your email so it is easy for me to spot. Draw will be held and winner announced on Sunday February 5. Offer open to international readers.  Good luck!