The Vanished by Cara Putman Review

 

I really wanted to love The Vanished by Cara Putman, but unfortunately there were a few things that bothered me.

I loved the plot and most of the story. Janae has come back to the town where she grew up because she made a huge mistake in her previous job, so she ends up wanting to start her own law agency, but will she be able to get clients? Carter is the director of the museum in town, a museum that is displaying two paintings that an elderly lady claims are her family's and she is demanding their return. Carter hasn't been director for long, and he is quite new to the area. And to make things even trickier, he finds he isn't getting support from the board in figuring out what to do about these paintings.

This of course brings the two together (which isn't a spoiler as it is in the blurb). I enjoyed seeing their relationship evolve as Janae helped Carter, and Carter ended up helping Janae with things I won't mention. I felt the relationship grew at a believable pace, as the books takes place over the course of a few months.

I loved learning more about what happened to pieces of art during WWII. I didn't realize the complexities that were involved in museums acquiring works of art, so that was eye opening and educational. Unfortunately, I felt there was too much legal jargon that I had to focus on to fully immerse myself in the story. I had to keep rereading sections to make sure I was understanding what was going on. And this bogged me down, causing me to take a lot longer to finish the book than I thought it would.

I think this wouldn't have been as much of a hindrance if the suspense had been more intense and fast paced. When I read suspense books I do prefer it that way. I love being on the edge of my seat and NEEDING to know what was going to happen next. Though there were scenes that had suspense, they were not as present as I was expecting. However, this was the first book I had read by Cara Putman, and I think I've seen some other reviews that made it sound like she has other books that may be more fast paced and suspenseful, so I defintely want to read more of her books. And I did enjoy this book enough that I really want to read the prequel and continue with the series.

All in all, this was an enjoyable book, and I definitely fell in love with the characters and am hoping we will see more of them in the remainder of the series.

I received an e-copy of this book as a member of the launch team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.

Friday Fun - April 19, 2024

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, and First Line Friday.

This week I have two books to share with you.

I'm reading an ARC of The Vanished by Cara Putman. This book released this past week. I'm a bit behind.

I'm also reading an ARC of Lethal Danger by Jerusha Agen. This book releases next week on April 25th.

        Book Beginnings on Friday     

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join C arrie for First Line Friday.)

Here are my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selections:

  The Vanished by Cara Putman:

"What have I done?"

Good question.

Lethal Danger by Jerusha Agen:

"Excitement and anticipation buzzed through Jazz Lamont's veins, taking her back to when she was eight years old, and she believed dreams could come true."

I wondered what had excited Jazz. 

Now for:

The Friday 56

The Friday 56 is normally hosted over at Freda's Voice. But Anne from My Head is Full of Books is taking over for a while. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here are my Friday 56 selections:

The Vanished by Cara Putman:
 

"She was used to men in the work context thinking she was a pixie who needed protecting, but she wore a power suit to cover the Tinker Bell. People were wrong to think she hadn't been the strongest character in Peter Pan. And they were wrong to underestimate Janae."

Lethal Danger by Jerusha Agen:

"A grin took over his handsome face as his posture relaxed, and he looked from the knife to her. 'How could I ever forget? Desmond Patch had better watch his back. Jazz Lamont might be the one to take him down.'"

Reviews:

Last week I shared one book in my Friday Fun post. Here's my review:

Braving Strange Waters by Sarah Hanks

Braving Strange Waters by Sarah Hanks Review

 

Oh my goodness, this book was so good! I am a huge fan of time travel stories, so when I realized Sarah Hank's newest book had time travel in it, I was so excited. This has got to be my favorite book of hers. I was even more excited to realize it is the first book of the Time Sailors series, so more books are to come. 

What a unique take on time travel. Stella and her best friends, Wendy and Claire, are on a cruise on their way to Hawaii prior to her marriage to Everett. Though they are such close friends, they are all hiding something from the other two. Suddenly, Stella mysteriously steps out of the elevator to find herself on a steamboat over a hundred years in the past, in anti-bellum Missouri. A Dr. Duncan comes to her aid, but is he someone she should put her trust in? Adding to the mystery is that there is a Dr. Duncan who introduces himself to her friends in the current day timeline. Yes, we get to see the story from both timelines, and from all three friends' points of view. And Wendy and Claire are able to communicate to Stella, and vice versa, through an antique mailbox. 

Stella has a mission to fulfill in order to make it back to her time, but she's not sure how she can accomplish that when she has no clue what it is. Wendy and Claire attempt to help her, researching what they can, discovering what happened to the steamboat she is on back in the 1850s. But they are dealing with their own issues as well. 

This story drew me right in and wouldn't let go. I was intrigued by the time sailor take on time travel. The author did a great job making me care for all the characters, though there were quite a few times I was frustrated with them when they failed to communicate with each other. Which I guess is sort of hypocritical seeing as I am bad at communicating and opening up. The conflict and danger in the 1856 timeline gripped me and kept me swiping through the pages. As did the relationship issues in modern day. But most importantly there was the faith thread that wove through each of these storylines. Learning to fully trust in Jesus and put one's life in His all-powerful hands. 

I received an e-copy of this book as a member of the launch team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.

Friday Fun - April 12, 2024

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, and First Line Friday.

This week I have one book to share with you.

I'm reading an ARC of Braving Strange Waters by Sarah Hanks. This book releases next week on April 15th.

        Book Beginnings on Friday     

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join C arrie for First Line Friday.)

Here is my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selection:

  Braving Strange Waters by Sarah Hanks:

"Stella stared at the text, her thumbs hovering over the screen in indecision."

Wondered who was texting her and why she was indecisive in texting back. 

Now for:

The Friday 56

The Friday 56 is normally hosted over at Freda's Voice. But Anne from My Head is Full of Books is taking over for a while. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here is my Friday 56 selection:

Braving Strange Waters by Sarah Hanks:
 

"She rushed to his room and banged on the door. No answer. After another round of desperate knocks, she spun around to head to the dining area. No use wasting precious time. Perhaps he hadn't left the boat yet."

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. I am still reading those books, so I will have to share links to those reviews next week. However, I did finish Love, Unscripted by Denise Hunter. Here is my review.

Love Unscripted by Denise Hunter

Love, Unscripted by Denise Hunter Review

 

Love, Unscripted by Denise Hunter is the second book I have read by this author. And while I loved the other book, this is now my favorite of hers. It drew me right in. Probably because the first scene takes place at a bookstore. A bookstore owned by the main character’s best friend, Meghan. Chloe, the main character, has written a best selling book which is being turned into a movie, and which her friend is highlighting in her bookstore with a window display. 

While Chloe approves of the actor chosen to play her female lead, she is horrified to learn that her perfect male lead, the perfect boyfriend she created, is being played by an actor with a far from stellar reputation when it comes to relationships. Not the kind of person she wants representing her dream guy. 

Liam, the actor who is playing Ledger, the male lead, wants to work on fixing his image, an image that the media has really turned into a playboy worse than he really is. But, you know, that’s the media for you.

Liam and Chloe are not real fond of each other when they first meet, in a hilarious meet up. However, they come to an agreement that they feel will be mutually beneficial. A fake relationship. Liam gets to improve his image by having a steady relationship with Chloe, and Chloe can ensure that Liam portrays Ledger the way he is supposed to be portrayed. 

Not surprisingly, this fake relationship starts to grow into something more through the time they spend together. I mean, this is a romance, so that wasn’t a big spoiler. But, both Liam and Chloe have hurts from their past that have affected their previous relationships, and these are things they will need to work through. Or should they even be trying to have a real relationship? I sure was rooting for them. 

I loved the characters in this book, including the side characters, which also includes the cat Buttercup. The author did a great job developing them and making them real. I loved the bits of humor that were added in. I also loved seeing Chloe, as the book’s author, interacting with those who were making her book into a movie. 

Even though I was already invested in the story, when the characters were dealing with the fallout of their deception I really didn't want to put the book down, and wanted to know how the author would resolve these issues. 

I loved this book and highly recommend it. 

I received an e-copy of this book through NetGalley and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.

Friday Fun - April 5, 2024

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, and First Line Friday.

This week I have two books to share with you.

I'm reading an ARC of The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano. This book releases next week on April 9th.

I am also reading an ARC of The British Booksellers by Kristy Cambron. This book also releases on April 9th.

        Book Beginnings on Friday     

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join C arrie for First Line Friday.)

Here are my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selections:

  The Elusive Truth of Lyly Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano:

"I hadn't decided if I'd tell the whole truth or not, when the men arrived."

This sentence really had me curious and drew me in. What was it she may or may not be truthful about, and what men were on their way? And was their arrival imminent? 

The British Booksellers by Kristy Cambron:

"How many times in life could a boy say he was risking his neck, doing the very last thing he'd expected. . . for a girl?"

Sounds like someone may have feeling for said girl. Possibly. 

Now for:

The Friday 56

The Friday 56 is normally hosted over at Freda's Voice. But Anne from My Head is Full of Books is taking over for a while. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here are my Friday 56 selections:

The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano:
 

"'Of course not. But we have our very own secret weapon to get us in.' A wink.
Secret weapon. What was it this time, kindness? Rule following? Then I blinked and noticed his gaze . . . which was steadied on my face with a disarming smile.
I groaned. Of course.
Me."

The British Booksellers by Kristy Cambron:

"Sirens cried in the distance, cutting off her words. All paused, smiles dying around the room. Forks clanged porcelain plates. And the guests pushed chairs back from the table as the party moved to fall into their nightly drill - fetching coats and supplies for a hurried trek to the Andersons in the rose garden."

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. Here are the links to my reviews. I still need to finish Love, Unscripted by Denise Hunter.

When the Flames Ravaged by Rhonda Dragomir

Always Think of Me by Lori Keesey

Always Think of Me by Lori Keesey Review

 

Always Think of Me by Lori Keesey is the author’s debut novel, though she has worked as a journalist for years. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started reading this story, and even though the prologue and first couple of chapters drew me in, I admit I had a bit of trouble staying focused on quite a bit of the story, though the last quarter of the story re-gripped me, and I could not put the book down.

The book begins from the point of view of TC, otherwise known as Tyrus Cal, though he would prefer to NOT be known by those names, thus the TC. He is telling us his story on the day where things got a bit topsy-turvy for him. The reader sees that TC is involved in what appears to be a tragedy, but it is not specified for sure whether he is alive or dead. However, he suddenly has this urgent mission to reach out to an acquaintance he made a year earlier at a music festival.

Something obviously otherworldly is going on, as he suddenly finds himself, along with a companion who cannot be seen, in this person’s house a state away. This other person is Ginny, who appears to be quite down on her luck, depressed, possibly suicidal, and just not the same person he met a year earlier.

For the majority of the story, TC is telling the story at the music festival, though sometimes we get to see Ginny’s point of view. And sometimes we get to see a bit more of present day, and we even get to see part of the story through the point of view of TC’s unseen companion.

Though so much of the story is told during the time of the music festival, it isn’t just events at the music festival that we are seeing. TC and Ginny spend time sharing stories from their past, as they, and we the readers, get to know them, get to learn about their stories, their families and friends, their backgrounds, events that have led them to where they currently are. As Ginny opens up to TC, he begins to feel something is not quite right with her current relationship, but wonders if it is his place to say anything. At the same time, is there something brewing between them?

And then, we get a glimpse at what occurred from the time of the end of the festival and the situation that is taking place in present day.

This is a story of second chances, a story of faith, a story of finding one’s way and a purpose to one’s life. However, one of the reasons I lowered my rating was the lack of mention of the need for faith in Jesus. The Bible is spoken of as a book that is important, and is physically present, but no Scriptural truth is shared in the story. It is made clear that TC’s companion is an angel, and there is mention of the “Big Man” who I can only assume is meant to be God, which yes, bothered me. We know that Ginny’s grandmother had faith and saw how Ginny was with and without her faith. I just wish it was made clear what/who their faith was in. And while I do believe in angels intervening, I couldn’t quite understand why TC was enlisted to help.

I don’t know. I really wanted to be able to rave about this book as I have seen other reviewers do. I did enjoy getting to know TC and Ginny, and the other side characters who were important in their lives. I just have these things I was struggling with. That said, those concerns may not be yours, and you may be inspired by this story. Just be aware, as mentioned, there is mention of suicidal thoughts and there is a scene of domestic violence.

I received an e-copy of this book as a member of the launch team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.