Double Blind by Brandilynn Collins

About the Book: 

"Twenty-nine-year-old Lisa Newberry can barely make it through the day. Suddenly widowed and a survivor of a near-fatal attack, she is wracked with grief and despair. Then she hears of a medical trial for a tiny brain chip that emits electrical pulses to heal severe depression. At rope’s end, Lisa offers herself as a candidate.

When she receives her letter of acceptance for the trial, Lisa is at first hopeful. But—brain surgery. Can she really go through with that? What if she receives only the placebo?

What if something far worse goes wrong?

Written in the relentless style for which Brandilyn Collins is known, Double Blind is a psychological thriller with mind-bending twists. Lisa faces choices that drive her to the brink, and one wrong move could cost the lives of many."

My Review:  

I have read a lot of books by Brandilynn Collins, and while this one was good, it was not as good as some of her others. The book which focuses on Lisa Newberry's deep grief and a way to help deal with that grief (a procedure that would implant a placebo or a chip to help make her depression better). While at first it seems that the chip has done amazing work, as is the case with Ms. Collin's writing, nothing is as it seems. Quickly I discovered that there were some "issues" with this chip. The book was really riveting, but the ending was not--it really just didn't have the pizzazz that usually her book endings have. I was a little bit disappointed but overall the book was good!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to preview the book--the opinions which I wrote are my own.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Accused by Janice Cantore

About the Book:

"Detective Carly Edwards hates working in juvenile--where the brass put her after an officer-involved shooting--and longs to be back on patrol. So when a troubled youth, Londy Atkins, is arrested for the murder of the mayor and Carly is summoned to the crime scene, she's eager for some action. Carly presses Londy for a confession but he swears his innocence, and despite her better judgment, Carly is inclined to believe him. Yet homicide is convinced of his guilt and is determined to convict him. Carly's ex-husband and fellow police officer, Nick, appears to be on her side. He's determined to show Carly that he's a changed man and win her back, but she isn't convinced he won't betray her again.As the investigation progresses, Carly suspects a cover-up and strikes out on her own, uncertain whom she can trust. But when danger mounts, she begins to wonder if she made the right choice."

My Review:

This book really kept me on the edge of my seat! Not only was the book well-written, but it dealt with very real issues including those that non-believers deal with. One of the hardest things for non-believers to come to grips with is the change that they see in a Christian: is it real or is there an ulterior motive? Carly is no different as she struggles to determine that answer with her ex-husband.

Not only is Carly dealing with personal struggles but she is also dealing with work struggles. The Lord uses the intersection of these situations gain Carly's attention but what will her choice be? This was definitely a great book, and I am excited to read more about Carly in the next two books!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Echoes by Robin Jones Gunn

About the Book:

"In this dramatic contemporary romance by bestselling author Robin Jones Gunn, Lauren Phillips enters the wild, uncharted territory of the Internet on her home computer and "connects" with a man known only as "K.C." As she struggles to recover from a broken engagement, Lauren keeps busy by working full time and striving to finish her college degree. But her correspondence with K.C. quickly becomes the thing she loves most...and the source of dreams she cannot bear to relinquish. When the opportunity comes for them to meet after a year of corresponding, Lauren faces a tough choice: Is she willing to risk everything...including a broken heart? Readers will stay "on-line" to find out in this bestselling former Palisades release, now the third book in the new Glenbrooke series."

My Review: 

 

This book was a fairly easy read, and the book kept my interest up. I would caution at the outset that it is very important to be careful when speaking to people online as people can pretend to be anything and anyone online. So many more cautionary steps should have been taken by Lauren in this book and even then it still would have been dangerous. Overall though it was just a feel-good Christian romance. You can visit the following page for more information on the book: Echoes.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. These opinions are my own.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

The Widow of Saunders Creek by Tracey Bateman

This book was a fairly easy read, and I liked that the writing was very well done. I confess I was disappointed with the content, however. Ms. Bateman tackles the subject of ghosts/witchcraft/mediums which is a very serious topic in the Bible. As I started to read about these types of things in the book, I was looking for the author to really hit the topic hard from a Biblical point of view--instead the author seemed to lessen the seriousness of ghosts/witchcraft/mediums. In this way, it almost made it seem as if these things were not so bad which is not at all true! It was not until the last little bit of the book that one of the characters stands very strongly on the Biblical teaching that anything to do with witchcraft/ghosts/mediums is wrong. I would not recommend reading this book.You can visit the following page for more information on the book: The Widow of Saunders Creek.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. These opinions are my own.

Rating: 2 stars out of 4

A Great Book!

Deadline: A Novel Review:

This book by Randy Alcorn hits a home run with me! I had read Deception before this one so I knew Mr. Alcorn was a great writer, but this book was phenomenal; it make me really think--something I love books to do! The complexity of the plot not only included a great story revealing the spiritual struggle of one man, but also speaks of the unseen spiritual realm. This book is nothing short of amazing as it reminds us as Christians that there is an urgency of speaking the truth here on earth--people's lives depend on it.

A great read and highly recommended! Don't take my word for it...read chapter 1 here! To check out more about Randy Alcorn, visit his website.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Rating: 4 stars out of 4

Directed Verdict Review:

This is the first book I have read by Randy Singer, and I must say it was a great one! It had me guessing right up to the end. I am often a picky reader looking for complex plot lines and substance to a book to keep me engaged. This book did not disappoint on any of these fronts.

In this day and age when persecution of Christians is hardly even thought of in the US, this book makes one sit up and notice...persecution is very real in the world and many countries make a person choose between death and or their faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior. This book focuses on the legal battle for justice for one woman and her family who encountered such persecution. What unfolds is certainly incredible. A great read and highly recommended!

Rating: 4 stars out of 4

Get some FREE goodies!

Sign up for this great new free program where you can earn points to get completely free books and Bibles...if you want to join let me know because you get extra points for friends joining! Visit the following site for more info...Tyndale Rewards

Welcome!

Hi everyone and welcome to Saved By Grace! It is my prayer and hope that you will find rest, encouragement, and exhortation while visiting here. May the Lord bless you!