Remnants: Season of Wonder (Remnants #1) - Lisa Tawn Bergren

This is the first book in the series.  The other two books are called Season of Fire and Season of Glory.  I've read Bergren's River of Time series and also the Homeward Trilogy.  I really enjoyed her writing and looked forward to reading this series.  I made sure I had all three books before I started reading, because I knew ahead of time that it was a continuous story.

Andriana was born to save the world.  Along with her knight, Ronan, they join up with others of their kind and set off on a mission to free one of their brothers from imprisonment.  Well, that's their main mission, but to do that, first they have to find their healer.  They're being hunted by dangerous men, and they wait for guidance from the Maker.

The religious overtones aren't disguised at all in this novel, and they're everywhere.  That wasn't my problem with the story.  I wanted to say it was being stuck in one person's head for so long, but what I think it comes down to is the setting.  I'm not a fan of the post-apocalyptic setting, so I think that had a lot to do with it.  I really liked reading the interactions between Andriana and Ronan, and I liked the way the characters evolved with their "gifts."

I felt a bit like I was on a roller coaster.  I blazed through the action scenes, but then they'd have some down time and stare at berries in amazement for a while, and I'd start to lose interest.  And why, oh why, did the author put the pronunciation guide at the end?!  After I was done reading, I was finally able see all the names I mispronounced in my head for 400 pages. That just annoyed me.

The writing is good, and the descriptions are immersive.  I wanted to like this book so much, but it just wasn't for me.  No matter how hard I tried, I didn't look forward to picking this back up and reading on.  I saw that the second book has more than one POV, so I might try it in the future, since I am curious what happens with Andriana and Ronan.  Either way, I already have the rest of the series, so if I want to read the next one, I can.

Portrait of Vengeance (Gwen Marcey #4) - Carrie Stuart Parks

This is the fourth book in the Gwen Marcey series.  The first three are A Cry from the Dust, The Bones Will Speak and When Death Draws Near.

In this book, we’re catching up with Gwen, who is on another case.  This one involves the abduction of a young girl and the murder of her parents.  The details of the case open up Gwen’s past that she’s had locked away for years.  Once she starts digging around, it becomes clear that the murderer has her in his sights.

I don’t want to get too in depth about the plot, since I don’t want to give anything away.  There’s a lot going on in this one, and sometimes it was a bit overwhelming.  There were also a few times in there I felt dragged on a bit, but overall, I liked this story.  Specifically, I loved that Gwen’s eximious sidekick gets to join her on the case.  I always love when Beth’s character shows up, and she’s in this one a lot, so I was happy about that.

As with the other books, you can read these out of order and not be lost.  I was happy the Gwen Marcey series didn’t end after three books, and even though I didn’t like this one quite as much as the others, I didn’t have any issues getting through it.  I hope to read more in the future.  Good Book!

*I received a copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

To Wager Her Heart (Belle Meade Plantation #3) - Tamera Alexander

This is the third book in the Belle Meade series.  The first two are To Whisper Her Name and To Win Her Favor.

Alexandra lost her fiancé in a horrible train accident.  He inspired her to help the freedmen, so after attending a concert given by students of the local freeman school, she decides to defy her parents and pursue teaching at the Fisk University.  It’ll cost her dearly and won’t be easy, but it’s something she feels she has to do.

Sy’s father was blamed for the deadly train accident, and Sy has come to clear his name.  And he’ll do whatever it takes.  He’s from Colorado, so adjusting to the ways of the South is going to take some know-how, and he looks to Alexandra for guidance.  At first, she’s against the idea, seeing as how she despises the thought of helping the son of the man responsible for ruining her plans, but in the end, she relents.

Overall, the book was well written.  I think one of my issues is that I was expecting a romance, and for me, that part doesn’t deliver.  In the first part, Sy and Alexandra had a lot more interaction than they do later on in the book.  The focus switches and becomes more about the individuals, and the main characters are separated for much of the second half.  I’ve noticed this imbalance in a lot of books I’ve read lately, and I’m not sure why so many authors are doing this.

I won’t give any spoilers about the ending, but I will say I was disappointed.  There wasn’t just one thing, either.  I was looking for an epilogue or something, but the book was just…over.

Up next for Alexander is the novella, Christmas at Carnton, which is the starter for her new series.  The novella is due out in early October.  I’ll give To Wager Her Heart a Good Book review, but I have to say I’ve enjoyed Alexander’s earlier works a lot more.

*I received a copy of this book from Zondervan through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.