This one was a bit dark and distrubing, but got better as it progressed. I felt so bad for Colin though.

Content: deaths, medical experiments on humans, kissing

3 Stars

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required. ( )

Most Christian fiction is mediocre, at best---I knew that going in. But, compared to a lot of Christian fiction I've read, this one does sit at the higher end. If I'm going to take the time to read fiction, I prefer the more lyrical and layered works, but sometimes a quick tune-the-world-out story is needed and this fit that bill nicely.

I enjoyed the imaginative play on how Godwin may have come up with her idea for Frankenstein, a story I've read three times and still can't bring myself to think of as "well-written". Ha! Does this make me a snob? I don't like Shakespeare either, if that helps...

I'm not sure how intentional this was, but the author really speaks to the atrocity of medical malpractice and modern physicians' heavy use of prescriptions to treat symptoms, as opposed to rooting out the source of an ailment. In a rant to the senior physician, Graham says:

"A bettering of lives? That's what you call it?...Is creating a dependency on you and your drugs any better than madness?...And what happens when your drugs run out?"

I try to avoid doctors as much as possible for this very reason. A few months ago, I had an appointment with a nurse practitioner I know and got teary-eyed talking about the recent death of my father. Her immediate response was to offer me "something for the depression and anxiety" when I could have done well with just a kind word and maybe a hug.

This story flowed well with just a few minor annoyances usually found when writers attempt 200 year old dialogue, but Graham's "curse words" were over the top. "Thunderation!" "Thunder and turf!" "Dashed headstrong woman!" "Blast!" Ugh...I hate reading actual profanity in otherwise tolerable novels, but "damn" and "damnable" are real words, for crying out loud, and the most commonly used then and now.

All in all, I don't regret reading it---but I won't read it again. ( )

(3.5 / 5)

When Amelia Balfour’s father dies, it puts a halt to her plans to travel to Cairo for her travel-writing career. She was never close to her father, but his death means that she is responsible to help her estranged brother through a surgery meant to cure a disorder that has caused him to grow to giant proportions. The surgery is experimental and risky, and even the surgeon’s new partner, Graham Lambert, has doubts about whether or not it is worth the danger to the patient.

If I could break this story down into parts, the plot would get at least 4 stars, but characters would get maybe 2-3. The writing would get 4-5 stars, but relationship development would get maybe 3. As you can imagine, it was difficult for me to put a single rating on this book, with which I had my ups and down. In the end, I did like the plot, which was mostly dark with a light of hope shining through. It was inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and not subtly, considering that the author herself has a small role in the book. There is a bit of a mystery in the book that I didn’t see the purpose of, but all in all, the story was good.

My biggest issues were with the characters and the relationships that developed between them. Graham is inconsistent in a way that frustrated me, at times attributing hope and sovereignty to God, but at other times saying he’s not a religious man and that God likely wants nothing to do with him. He’s also so often shown to be a man with a short temper and violent tendencies, though Amelia describes him as normally cool and calm. The relationship between the male and female MCs developed about like one would expect from a romance, but the one that bothered me was the friendship between Graham and Amelia’s brother, Colin. We really don’t see much development there, and then suddenly Graham thinks of him like a brother. I would have loved to see that progression.

I wished Amelia would have come to see how idolatrous her superstitions were a lot sooner, but overall I liked the Christian message presented in the book, especially Mrs. Bap and her total reliance on God and her comment that death for a believer is the ultimate healing. In the end, I’m glad I read it, and think most fans of Christian romances of the Regency era will enjoy this book, especially if they’re okay with a little darkness in the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Barbour Publishing, Inc. for providing me a copy of this book to review. ( )

Superb legal thriller full of suspense and plot twists! Rachel Dylan did an excellent job on this sequel in her Atlanta Justice series. The story is stand-alone, but some minor characters in this story were main characters in the first book, Deadly Proof, so if you don’t like knowing what happens to characters, then read these in order.

Three friends, Rachel, Kate, and Mia are all lawyers in Atlanta, GA. This novel centers on Rachel and two cases she’s involved with. Both cases are exciting and Rachel has to do some heavy duty work to dig deep in order to make her case. Of course, there’s danger, always danger, and her father hires a private security firm to offer protection for his daughter, Rachel. Cooper Knight had met Rachel before and thought very highly of her, but he has no intentions of getting romantically involved with any woman because of his past. But he’s an excellent PI and he’s not going to let anyone hurt Rachel on his watch. Only, when you are dealing with dangerous men, anything can happen. And happen it does!

I highly recommend this book (and previous book) if you like legal thrillers full of suspense. You will get involved in the story from the beginning and it will be hard to put down until it ends. You will fall in love with some characters and be ready to put others behind bars for the rest of their lives. You will also be shocked and thrilled!

Thanks, Rachel Dylan, for another wonderful read! ( )

Title: Lost in Darkness (Of Men and Monsters #1)
Author: Michelle Griep
Pages: 320
Year: 2021
Publisher: Barbour Fiction
My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.
Amelia Balfour is a writer who travels to different destinations around the world and writes about her experiences, interacting with the native culture. This is unusual for 1815 England, but Amelia has worked hard to get and keep this job. Her boss offers her the trip of a lifetime, traveling to Egypt. Amelia is thrilled, that is until she receives a letter commanding her to return home and see to the care of her brother, Colin. The letter is the last command from her deceased father whom she hasn’t seen for seven years. Amelia loves her brother, and even though her father didn’t love her, she wants to honor his request to help Colin. The problem is that the care of her brother, after a surgical procedure, conflicts with her trip to Egypt.
Amelia travels home, hoping the surgery can be performed quickly. Her brother has a disease that caused him to grow abnormally large and disfigured. He lives in the country and never socializes. Their father was in contact with Dr. Peckwood, who claims to have a new surgical procedure that will reverse Colin’s disfigurement. They are skeptical at first. Amelia pushes for the procedure so Colin can be “normal” with a chance for a “normal” life. Dr. Peckwood’s partner, Dr. Graham Lambert is also suspicious of Dr. Peckwood’s character as well as some of his practices. Graham is put in charge of the daily treatments given to Colin to prepare him for surgery and has the chance to spend more time with Amelia. A romance begins, but will it outlast Amelia’s trip and Colin’s surgery?
The Frankenstein vibe is definitely evident in this gothic tale. The prose pulled me in right from the get-go. However, I thought having Amelia claim to be a Christian but also so superstitious seemed not too believable to me. I loved Colin’s character as a gentle giant and truly a man of God. There are many types of darkness depicted in the novel: spiritual, emotional, psychological. There are some poignant and tragic moments in the story. I thought the weaving of Mary (Godwin) Shelley into the story was a brilliant touch. I’m eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series.
Note: The opinions shared in this review are solely my responsibility. ( )