The Lightkeeper’s Ball by Colleen Coble

A Mercy Falls Novel

Olivia seems to have it all, but her heart yearns for more.

Olivia Stewart's family is one of the Four Hundred--the highest echelon of society in 1910. When her sister dies under mysterious circumstances, Olivia leaves their New York City home for Mercy Falls, California, to determine what befell Eleanor. She suspects Harrison Bennett, the man Eleanor planned to marry. But the more Olivia gets to know him, the more she doubts his guilt-and the more she is drawn to him herself.

When several attempts are made on her life, Olivia turns to Harrison for help. He takes her on a ride in his aeroplane, but then crashes, and they're forced to spend two days alone together. With her reputation hanging by a thread, Harrison offers to marry her to make the situation right. As a charity ball to rebuild the Mercy Falls lighthouse draws near, she realizes she wants more than a sham engagement-she wants Harrison in her life forever. But her enemy plans to shatter the happiness she is ready to grasp. If Olivia dares to drop her masquerade, she just might see the path to true happiness.

My Review:
Set in California, at the turn of the century, the reader gleans information about the various fears and opinions with the upcoming Halley's Comet, the future of airplanes, and the proper place for a woman.

There are some errors that make the reading bumpy. The protagonist, Olivia Stewart, decides to hide her identity and be known as Lady Devonworth. The framed photograph on Eleanor's dresser of Eleanor and her sister, Olivia, was taken just three months ago, yet no one in the household staff seems to recognize Lady Devonworth. How could this be? Another mistake happens in the cemetery, when Olivia states that she is unaware that Harrison's mother is alive; yet, the day before, she hears Harrison tell Katie that his mother came to watch him fly. Although these might be small items, they do cause this reader to stop, blink, and flip back pages to reason it out.

However, the suspicion of a murder and several attempts on Olivia's life succeed by causing a desire to read on and see what happens next.

Thank you to Audra Jennings at B&B Media Group for my copy.

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The Lightkeeper's Bride by Colleen Coble

A Mercy Falls Novel
A thrilling romantic mystery set in the lush Victorian age.

Central Operator Katie Russell's inquisitive ways have just uncovered her parents' plan for her marriage to wealthy bachelor Bartholomew Foster. Her heart is unmoved, but she knows the match will bring her family status and respectability.

Then Katie overhears a phone conversation that makes her uneasy and asks authorities to investigate. But the caller is nowhere to be found. Mysterious connections arise between the caller and a ship lost at sea. Against propriety, Katie questions the new lighthouse keeper, Will Jesperson.

Then a smallpox epidemic forces their quarantine in his lighthouse. Though of low social status, Will's bravery and kindness remove Katie's suspicion and win her love. Katie and Will together work to solve the mystery of the missing girl and the lost ship as God gives the couple the desire of their hearts.

My Review:
This is an easily-solved mystery romance novel. There were no surprises--at least for me. Although the tale moves along at a good pace, the ending seems rushed, as if the author wanted to quickly tie up the lose ends. Not wanting to ruin it for others, I can not discuss the abrupt ending.

Characters are flat. The good guy is totally good, and the bad guy is totally bad with no redeeming qualities.

Fans of Colleen Coble will enjoy this one. A Reader's Group Guide is included.

Thank you to Bonnie at Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and Thomas Nelson for my copy.

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Cry in the Night (Rock Harbor Series #4) by Colleen Coble

Bree Nichols and her search and rescue dog Samson discover a crying infant in the densely forested woods outside of Rock Harbor, Michigan. Against objections from her husband, Kade, who knows she'll become attached, Bree takes the baby in. Quickly she begins a search for the mother--presumably the woman reported missing just days earlier.

While teams scour the forests, Bree ferrets out clues about the missing woman. But she soon discovers something more shocking: Bree's former husband--long presumed dead in a plane crash--resurfaces. Is he really who he says he is? And should she trust him again after all these years?

An engaging, romantic suspense novel from critically-acclaimed author Colleen Coble.

My Review:
This page-turner is a suspense-filled story right from the beginning with an abandoned baby in peril of freezing to death in the harsh Michigan winter. It's a book that I did not want to put down, and therefore, I read it over the space of a 24-hour period. The characters were familiar to me as I had read an earlier Rock Harbor mystery, but even if this is your first Colleen Coble novel, the characters will seem like family before too many pages. The people of the small Michigan town are easy to know.

What a complex turn of events Bree has to face! After grieving for her first husband, who died in a plane crash, Bree is happily married for the second time, when husband number one reappears. Is he a ghost or a windigo as some claim? What connection is there to the missing babies? Was a woman murdered, or was it an unfortunate accident?

Interwoven is the continuing story of Samson, a search and rescue dog. If you enjoy suspense, this one's for you.

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