Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

Fiction

Holiday reading with a side of suspense: Review of All is Calm, All is Bright by Colleen Coble

‘Tis the season for holiday entertainment, and if Hallmark channel movies are your thing, I’ve got a book to recommend.

all is calmAll is Calm, All is Bright by Colleen Coble is a two-novella collection set in two of the author’s most popular fictional settings, Bluebird Ranch and Hope Beach. Though I have not personally read many of the stories set in either place, I enjoyed these two short stories. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for my review.) They are short and sweet reads to get you in the holiday spirit.

In All is Calm, Lauren flees to the ranch she remembers fondly from childhood to escape danger surrounding a death she witnessed. There, she meets Brendan, a friend of the ranch’s owner, who is recovering from a military injury. Together, they try to get to the bottom of the mystery, and in the meantime, they discover a mutual attraction.

In All is Bright, Delilah is in the midst of planning a friend’s wedding when her car is run off the road. Connecting that incident with the strange phone calls she’s been receiving, she is forced to admit there is more to the threats than a simple prank. Helping her uncover the source of the threat is Tom, the local sheriff, a widower who has been interested in Delilah for a while. He aims to keep her safe from danger and offer her an unforgettable gift on Christmas, if she survives till then.

Both stories remind me of why I’ve enjoyed Coble’s writing in the past. Sweet romance with a side of suspense makes for a page-turning read. Throw in the holiday settings and you’ve got a great recipe for Christmas reading.

 

The twists are not just in the hair: Review of The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson

golden braid

Disney gave us Tangled with its catchy songs and adorable characters, and  now Melanie Dickerson gives us a new twist on Rapunzel in the next book in her fairy tale series.

I grabbed this one on a sick day and found it to be a comforting and inspiring story of love and forgiveness. (Disclaimer: I received a free copy of the book in exchange for my review through Litfuse Publicity Group.)

In The Golden Braid, Rapunzel has lived alone with her mother, Gothel, wandering from village to village, for as long as she can remember. As they’re on their way to Hagenheim, a large city in the region, they are overtaken by two bandits who prey on the women traveling alone. When they are rescued by Sir Gerek, a knight in the service of Duke Wilhelm, Rapunzel finds herself indebted to the man for saving their lives, though her mother has warned her against speaking to men. Gerek later finds himself in Rapunzel’s debt, and the two find their lives intertwined as they reach Hagenheim.

Gerek reluctantly agrees to teach Rapunzel to read, although she keeps it secret from her mother, and as she perpetuates her deception, she begins to wonder if her mother has been truthful with her about trusting people, especially men.

The unfolding of this story kept me turning the pages, and though it has the familiar plot lines of the familiar Rapunzel fairy tale, it has enough twists to make it unique. The developing relationship between Gerek and Rapunzel is fun to watch. Rapunzel is no damsel in distress, although she does need rescuing now and then. But Gerek is trapped, too, in his own way, a captive of unforgiveness.

The way Dickerson connects this story to the others in her fairy tales is brilliant, and maybe I’ve said this before, but I think I’m going to need a map of the lands where these stories are set, as well as a family tree.

Dickerson’s stories are an enjoyable way to relive familiar fairy tales in a new way and prove that you can’t outgrow them.

For more about Dickerson, visit this site.

And to read other reviews I’ve written about Dickerson’s books, click the links below.