The Gate by Dann A. Stouten

Book Description:
When an ad for a vacation cottage catches the eye of a man on the edge of burnout, he impulsively sets off to visit the property while his wife and daughters are away. When he arrives and is ushered through the gate, he finds something far different from the typical vacation retreat. In fact, it seems he may have found the back door to heaven. The proprietor and people from his past welcome him with food, rest, and conversation until what started out as a little escape from everyday life turns into an experience he will never forget.
This imaginative novel explores the big questions we all have about what lies beyond this earthly life. Readers hungry for a taste of heaven will find in "The Gate" hope, encouragement, and pure joy.

My Thoughts:
This was an intriguing book.  Sky is a man on the verge of a breakdown.  He sees an add for a rental cabin that reminds him of a  place he went as a child.  He decides to check it out and enters through a gate.  He is greeted and then a series of people from his past seek him out and interact with him.  The ad had mentioned the food and the view were heavenly and that may have just been perfect wording.
The location was given in amazing detail.  I liked how Sky learned things from all the people of his past.  They had conversations and food for him that were just perfect for him and his needs.  Jesus and God were very approachable.  The whole storyline flowed and was very original.
I rate this a 3/5.  Very imaginative and interesting.

Thank you to Revell for the review copy of this book.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Final Resort by Dana Mentink

Book Desciption:
Ava Stanton has no need for love or tales of hidden treasure—until her uncle is kidnapped at her family's ski resort. Now she needs help from professional treasure hunter Luca Gage…the man she'd tried to forget. Signs point to a fortune hidden in the mountain, and Ava and Luca need to find her uncle before his assailant finds them. As their search for treasure draws them closer together, Ava must decide how long she'll run from love. She doesn't have much time, because something is buried under Whisper Mountain—and someone is willing to do anything to get to it.

My Thoughts:
I completely enjoyed this book.  Ava has come up to Whisper Mountain to meet with her adventure seeking uncle and sell her family's mountain home.  At the meeting, her uncle is kidnapped and she literally runs into a former acquaintance Luca.  Luca is now a treasure hunter and he and his family are now on the case to find the treasure Uncle Paul was abducted for.  Problem is, Luca and Ava are drawn to each other and there are too many secrets between them and people willing to do anything to keep those secrets!
I liked all the characters in this book.  Ava is such a wonderful character, full of love for her family and hesitation when it comes to trusting others.  She has a painful past and so much heartache.  Luca is such an adventurer that you have to like him.  His sister and her husband add a little flare and make me want to read their story.  It wasn't immediately obvious who the bad guys were but not a shock either.  I liked the story line and the insight that God is there for us even when we aren't open and speaking to him.  He loves us regardless.
I rate this a 4/5.  I plan to read the earlier ones in the Treasure Seekers series!
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy of this book (via netgalley).  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Love at any Cost by Julie Lessman

Book Description:
Jilted by a fortune hunter, cowgirl Cassidy McClare is a spunky Texas oil heiress without a fortune who would just as soon hogtie a man as look at him. Hoping a summer visit with her wealthy cousins in San Francisco will help her forget her heartache, Cassidy travels west. But no sooner is she settled in beautiful California than Jamie McKenna, a handsome pauper looking to marry well, captures her heart. When Jamie discovers the woman he loves is poorer than he is, Cassidy finds herself bucked by love a second time. Will Jamie discover that money can't buy love after all? And can Cassidy ever learn to fully trust her heart to a man?
With delectable descriptions and a romantic sensibility, bestselling author Julie Lessman brings the Gilded Age to life in this sumptuous new series. Readers will faithfully follow Lessman to the West Coast for more romance, passion, and surprising revelations found in "Love at Any Cost."

My Thoughts:
This was an entertaining book.  Cassidy is an heiress but has nothing to her name.  She leaves Texas after a heartbreak and is going to stay the summer with her cousins in San Francisco.  Jamie is an attorney now but his start in life was much lower than that.  He has decided to look for a wife that will give he and his family the money they need and has set his sights on Cassidy.  What happens when the heiress he falls for has no fortune?
Cassidy was such a wonderful character.  She was heartbroken and doesn't trust men but who can blame her?  Jamie has a big heart but his sights are set higher than mosts.  He wants Nob Hill and his sister a surgery.  The author wove several stories through each other and did a wonderful job of including God in them.  He isn't a forced 'character' but rather just one you know you will find in Ms. Lessman's books and she shows His love so well.  I liked the storyline and these new characters!
I rate this a 4/5.  I want to read more about the characters Ms. Lessman has created.

Thank you to Revell for the review copy of this book.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Darkness Before Dawn by Ace Collins

Book Description:
On the same night she discovers she is pregnant, twenty-eight-year-old nurse Meg Richards husband is killed in an auto accident caused by a drunken teen. James Thomas, the teen, comes from one of the most influential families in the community. He s a star athlete and glamour boy at the local high school. Angered by her senseless loss, Meg blames God for what has happened and considers a decision that could change her life even further until the D.A. intervenes. The results of the brutal trial enrage Meg, leading her down a frightening path of retribution. When the opportunity for revenge comes unexpectedly, will Meg follow through? Or will the remnants of her faith lead her in a different direction?

My Thoughts:
This was a great book.  Meg gets a call that no one wants to get, her husband was killed in a car crash by a drunk driver.  The drunk driver is a teenager from an influential family and is cocky.  Meg had just found out she was pregnant and now does not look forward to life as a single mother.  She blames God for her loss and is determined to get justice, one way or another.
I felt so terrible for Meg and completely understood her stance.  The kid was drunk and way too full of himself.  There were so many characters who all had different stories but they all fit perfectly into the storyline and you understood where each was coming from.  This book does a great job of showing how God can help us, even when we harden our hearts.  He put people in Meg's life to help her and they were there for her even if she didn't want it.  The storyline was great and the author did a marvelous job with a tender subject.
I rate this a 5/5.  It is a great book that you won't want to put down. 

Thank you to PumpUpYourBook for the review copy of this book.  I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.

Dark Salvation by Katie Salidas RELEASE DAY & Excerpt!!!

Book Description:
A gathering storm of violence is on the horizon. Whispered threats of the Acta Sanctorum’s return have the supernatural world abuzz. Only recently aware of the other world hidden behind our own, Kitara Vanders has barely scratched the surface of what being supernatural truly means. A special woman in her own right, she possesses unique telepathic abilities, gifts that have recently come under the scrutiny of the Acta Sanctorum, a fanatical organization whose mission is to cleanse the world of anything supernatural. Targeted and marked for death, Kitara’s only hope lies with the lethally seductive yet emotionally scarred warrior Nicholas.
Knowing full well the atrocities of which the Acta Sanctorum is capable, Nicholas is all too eager for the battle to begin. Fueled by pain and rage from the loss of his mate, he’s itching for a fight, but one thing stands in his way: Kitara, a beautiful dark-haired woman with unique psychic abilities and an unusual link to the Saints. Despite his resolve to remain focused on his mission, a purely physical relationship binds them together in a way neither of them expected. And when her life hangs in the balance, Nicholas finds his own is teetering on the edge too

Excerpt!!!

And there it was, the recognition. Her wide eyes locked on to his fangs. “It is true,” she whispered. Her pulse accelerated so much this time he thought she might faint. She clutched at her neck and took an unsteady step backwards.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Nicholas said in as reassuring a voice as he could manage, given his level of annoyance.

Her wide eyes met his again for a brief moment before she turned away.

Great. She has no clue what the Saints actually do, but she’d been told all about the bloodthirsty vampires. Revealing his fangs might not have been the smartest idea on his part. Too late to do anything about that now. “I’m sure Jeremy filled your head with all kinds of crap about my kind. If I wanted you dead, you would be. Quit acting like I’m some kind of monster.”

“I… just… sorry.” Her eyes flashed to his face again. “May I?”

What an odd request. No one had ever asked to touch his teeth before.

“I wouldn’t get too close. I bite.” He teased with a quick snap of his teeth.

“Is that what happened to the guy in the bar?”

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to.”

She lifted her hand and gently touched the corner of his mouth. This small act seemed so intimate, so wrong. Nicholas was not sure he appreciated the confused emotions it stirred within him and jerked his head just out of her reach.

“Do they retract?”

What a stupid question. “Why would they?”

“In the stories…”

“I’m not some fictional character, sweetheart. My teeth don’t magically move around in my jaw. And I don’t sparkle either.”

“Do you… drink blood?”

“You already know these answers. Why do you pretend not to?”

“I don’t know everything.” That, he knew, was the truth. She had a lot to learn about the supernatural world. But he wasn’t the one to teach her. He had neither the time nor the desire

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