Title: The Other Passenger

Author: JE Rowney

Publish Date: May 30, 2024

Genre: Thriller

My Rating: 3.75 out of 5

Paranoia.
Jealousy.
Betrayal.
Murder.
Secrets.

Anger.

Quote: "He wished he had planned ahead but tonight was a night he hadn't expected."

In The Other Passenger by JE Rowney, we follow the journey of David and Emma. Their story is told between "now" and the hours leading up to "now." The journey starts off with a murder. However, we do not know who, what, or why.

In the "now" David is driving down a dark an isolated road in the rain. David has just experienced an unfortunate event at his work's awards ceremony. The ceremony in which David attended alone per usual. His wife Amanda just could not be bothered to support her husband, who was supposed to receive a prestigious award. David and Amanda used to be happy. That happiness has become more of just a game of cat and mouse. There had been a time when David was not a failure. 

Quote: "Perhaps she had been lucky, but the night wasn't over yet. There was a storm to get through first."

Emma has had a really tough year. She is quite troubled, to say the least. She has migraines all the time, and her life is falling apart. She still talks to her sister, Angelina, who never responds because Angeliana really isn't there anymore. Emma sets off to search for answers as to why that is. 

David and Emma are complete strangers from totally different generations. However, they are both running from something.

Along the road, David picks up a young female hitchhiker. She appears to be around the same age as his nineteen-year-old daughter, Charlotte. The girl is very focused on her phone but eventually her and David begin to talk. David is asking the typical "get to know you" questions when an alert comes across the radio. "The discovery of a women's body in a shallow grave..." 

Will David and Emma get away from what they are running from? Do they have secrets they hope will never see the light of day?

Quote: "Sometimes it's better to be two strangers in the night sharing a ride."

The Other Passenger by JE Rowney is a quick read. The pace is well written. It will keep you engaged. I do feel like the ending was abrupt and could have been a little more detailed. All in all, I would recommend this book to my fellow thriller lovers.

This book has minimal foul language, which I really appreciate.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Other Passenger.

Title: When We Were Brave
Author: Suzanne Kelman
Publish Date: February 24, 2020
Genre: Historical Fiction
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Quote: "She needed everything in her life, including her history, to make sense."

In When We Were Brave, Suzanne Kelman takes us through a dual timeline.
She does a great job with the dual timelines. It didn't matter which timeline I was in, the past or the present, I felt like I was in that time.

In the present day, we are following Sophie, a woman who is dealing with the death of her daughter and her mother, as well as a boyfriend who has been cheating on her. Everybody handles grief in different ways. Sophie wants to be surrounded by reminders of her daughter, Emily. Matt wants to be surrounded by his female co-worker.

Sophie comes across a photograph with a woman in it, with a stance that resembles that of her family. She takes a picture of the photograph and sets off to visit her grandmother to find out if, by chance, this woman is kin to them. With reluctance, Sophie's grandmother tells her that it is her Great Aunt Vivienne, and that they do not talk about her. She also tells her that sometimes the past is better left right where it is. Sophie cannot just let the past stay in the past. She cannot stop thinking about the woman in the photograph and her story.

Quote:  "On some level she felt that is was no accident that the photograph had come into her life right now."

In the past, we follow Vivienne, a British spy in WWII. Or is she?

We jump back and forth as we follow Sophie trying to find the answer to that question.

In When We Were Brave, we go on a journey for the truth. Was Vivi really a spy for her country, or was she a traitor? Some things are not as they seem. There's always more to the story.

Quote:  "I'm a firm believer that the truth always comes out in the end."

How far will Sophie go to find answers?

Love. What will be sacrificed in the name of love?
War. What will be sacrificed for country?

Love.
War.
Grief.
Betrayal.
Loyalty.
Unlikely relationships.
Travel.

I highly recommend this book, if you enjoy any of the above. Oh, and remember the swallows...

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review When We Were Brave.

Title: The Orphan House
Author: Ann Bennett
Publish Date:  February 28, 2020
My Rating: 4.75 out of 5

"One day, everything changed."

Home. Everybody has a reason for going home.
Secrets. Everybody has secrets. Sometimes the secrets are not our secrets we are keeping.

In The Orphan House, Ann Bennett takes us into the lives of Connie and Sarah. The Orphan House, is dual perspective. Well, it is actually triple, if you consider the mysterious diary that was given to Connie by Anna.

We start off in 1934, with Connie walking to the door of Cedar Hall Orphanage, and seeing the housekeeper holding a tiny baby...another abandoned baby. Connie's dad is in charge of the orphanage, and as always, he will take care of the paperwork.

Then, we jump to present day and Sarah Jennings has left her husband and is headed back home to tell her dad. She's not sure she will ever be able to go back to Alex. After what he has done, how can she?

These two women have a lot of questions they need to find the answers to. How will the lives of these two women intersect?

What lengths will Connie go to in order to protect her dad's secrets?
What lengths will Sarah go to in order to find the answers to her dad's past?

Daughters usually put their dads on a pedestal, but what happens when that pedestal gets shattered by the truth?

In The Orphan House, Ann Bennett takes us down a path that ultimately leads to healing. The twists and turns of how we get there, will sometimes find you breathless.

Reasons to read The Orphan House:
If you like drama.
If you like father/daughter relationships.
If you like secrets.
If you like full circle moments.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Orphan House.

Title: Sanctification: God's Passion for His People
Author: John F. MacArthur Jr.
Publish Date: February 11, 2020
Genre: Christian, Religion & Spirituality
Page Count: 80
My Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Quote: "Sanctification is a process of fighting for full joy and not selling out for a cheap substitute along the way."

John MacArthur, like Paul, has no problem being the unpopular opinion. In his book, Sanctification: God's Passion for His People, he shares his unpopular opinion on sanctification.

As believers, we must have a heart for the souls of the lost. We must not sugarcoat sins. We must also be ready to call out fellow believers who are more concerned with being popular, instead of following what Paul warned the early church about.

I appreciate that MacArthur uses Scripture as the backbone for his books. This book is no different. I believe that every believer would benefit from reading, Sanctification: God's Passion for His People. This book puts into perspective how all believers should not be concerned with popularity, but instead, be concerned with the sanctification of the saints.

#Sanctification #NetGalley