Book Review: The Long March Home by Marcus Brotherton & Tosca Lee

Jimmy Propfield joined the army for two reasons: to get out of Mobile, Alabama, with his best friends Hank and Billy and to forget his high school sweetheart, Claire. 

Life in the Philippines seems like paradise - until the morning of December 8, 1941, when news comes from Manila: the Japanese have bombed Pearl Harbor. Within hours, the teenage friends are plunged into war as Japanese warplanes attack Luzon, beginning a battle for control of the Pacific Theater that will culminate with a last stand on the Bataan Peninsula and end with the largest surrender of American troops in history. 

What follows will become known as one of the worst atrocities in modern warfare: the Bataan Death March. With no hope of rescue, the three friends vow to make it back home together. But the ordeal is only the beginning of their nearly four-year fight to survive.

Inspired by true stories, The Long March Home is a gripping coming-of-age tale of friendship, sacrifice, and the power of unrelenting hope.

My rating:

Holy cow y'all, I don't know what to say.

The book is intense. Not so intense that most people couldn't handle it, but intense in that it's not for younger readers. War is real, it's ugly, and it's scary. The language was mostly clean - a couple of words thrown in here and there, but not enough to actually bother me.

The dual timeline messed me up at first - they usually do - but while I normally skim-read one timeline to get back to the other, I didn't this time. I definitely preferred the scenes from the war, but reading about Jimmy and Hank and Billy and Charlotte as children, and all the events that led up to this moment...it felt so real.

I suppose that was kind of the point, being inspired by true stories and all, haha.

To be honest, I adored every single one of the characters, and then I realized why: they were humans. There wasn't the holy-mission main character with adorably flawed and endearing side characters. They were all relatable. They all had their fears, they all had their flaws, and they all snuck their way into my heart without warning.

A few random things in the book that stood out to me:

-Jimmy's last name is Propfield, so his nickname is Propper and I love it. Even his COs called him Propper

-Cowboy. Roy. Whatever you want to call him. A minor character but so so good. Such a fantastic big brother

-The whole bit with Jimmy's dad. It added an entire dimension to the story that I'd love to say more about but I will refrain due to spoilers.

-It didn't wrap everything up in a pretty bow but it left me with hope and inspiration all the same

"A gripping coming-of-age tale of friendship, sacrifice, and the power of unrelenting hope." I couldn't have said it better myself.

Book Review: Under Fire by Lynn H. Blackburn

 

USSS Special Agent Zane Thacker has landed his dream assignment protecting the president of the United States. When the president plans a fundraiser at the exclusive estate of a political supporter in Raleigh, Zane is thrilled to be working again with Special Agent Tessa Reed, his best friend--and the woman he desperately wishes could be more.

Though Tessa almost lost everything, she battled her demons and came out on the other side healthy and healed. But when her role as the liaison between the Raleigh office and the president's protective detail wrenches her past back into the present, her greatest failure threatens to come to light. 

Zane refuses to let Tessa go through this alone. But can he stand by the woman he loves and protect the president from a mounting threat at the same time?

Sparks fly as award-winning romantic suspense writer Lynn H. Blackburn closes out her Defend and Protect series with this explosive tale of secrets kept, lies exposed, and relationships restored.

Series: Defend and Protect, book #3 (would recommend reading the other books first)

My rating:

*sigh* Honestly...this book was a disappointment. Don't get me wrong, I was definitely hooked through most of it, but yet at the same time, it...fell flat.

Book one released in 2021 (I absolutely loved it - review here), book two in 2022 (kinda meh - review here), aaaand since then, I kinda totally forgot which character is which. I didn't think it would be a problem, since books tend to stick in my mind and I've never had an issue with mixing them up, buuuut as I started reading Under Fire and got everything mixed up, I came to the unfortunate conclusion that none of the characters were actually unique enough to keep them separate in my mind.

I loved Zane. I loved his protective nature and the way he was determined to keep Tessa safe and accountable even while he tried to let her have her independence. His faith was a big part of him, and I LOVED the camaraderie between him and Luke. (Although the repeated use of the word 'bro' kept throwing me off...maybe I just live in a backwards community, but I've never heard the guys in my life actually use the word repeatedly? I think it was mainly the term 'bro hug' but it just...*shudders* made me uncomfy for some odd reason)

Tessa was honestly such a lovable character. Her desire and determination to honor God and overcome her past was inspiring, and her struggle to be independent yet reasonable was relatable, haha.

The plot was super engaging, and while I thought I had the bad guy pegged from the beginning (I generally have a knack for that - I listen to a lot of Dragnet *cackles*), I...was completely wrong. Not that I wanted to be right about it in this case, but the real culprit seemed kinda out of the blue? I'm not gonna complain about it too much though, since there were twists and turns I didn't see coming and that just improves the book immensely, in my opinion.

I did, however, get about 95.7% fed up with Tessa/Zane drama. Gave me a headache.

The whole reporter guy thing (Lloyd? Leonard? I know neither of those are his name but I can't remember his actual name *cough*) creeped me out and I think it was totally unnecessary buuuuut just my opinion.

In conclusion, the quality of this review kinda sums up the whole book: some parts were good, some parts weren't so good, overall it was just meh, in my opinion

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for promotional purposes. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Book Review: Everything is Just Beginning

 

An Immersive Story of Music, Struggle, and Starting Over from an Award-Winning Author

Michael Sullivan is a talented lyricist and a decent guitarist, but since he was kicked out of his band (and his apartment), he's not sure he'll ever get a record deal. Living with his loser uncle in a beat-up trailer and working a dead-end job, Michael has little reason to hope for a better future. Until the invitation for a swanky New Year's Eve party shows up in the mailbox. It's for his uncle, with whom he shares his name, but his uncle is going out of town . . . 

On the effervescent night of December 31, 1989—as the Berlin Wall is coming down, the Soviet Union is inching toward democracy, and anything seems possible—Michael will cross paths with the accomplished and enigmatic young heir to a fading musical dynasty, forever altering both of their futures. 

Award-winning novelist Erin Bartels enchants with this story of two lonely souls who have exactly what the other one needs—if they could simply turn their focus from what is ending to what is just beginning.

My rating:

The best part of being part of the Revell Reads program is that by the time I actually receive the book, I've completely forgotten what it's supposed to be about, but I know that I obviously chose it for a reason—it's like a present from myself to myself, haha! 

When trying to figure out how I would describe Everything is Just Beginning, the first thing that popped into my head is that this book is an entire vibe.

Or, if my sister were a book. A bit too modern—1990 is kinda past the era of bell bottoms and The Beatles—but the vibe was still there. Rock & Roll and just kinda all-around vintage (sorry to all the 90s kids, but the book really did feel retro). Maybe it was the fact that Nicki's dad refused to listen to music for fun on anything other than vinyl.

So, overall, the vibe was on point. Kudos to Ms. Bartels for nailing a setting that had me hooked!

I loved Michael's character. He was so fun to read, and his depth of character was something that I loved watching develop. His struggle with forgiveness and his sense of duty both made for an unforgettable character.

Nicki was cool. I enjoyed her, she and Michael worked really well together...but idk, she seemed kinda flat? Which feels really weird to say, because she definitely wasn't perfect, nor overly flawed. Her struggles with her mom's illness really pulled on my heartstrings, but...maybe it was her attitude? Being an only child, she acted kinda entitled and was definitely used to getting her way, but she wasn't overly bratty or anything, and I liked reading her and Michael together. She was just kinda meh for me.

Uncle Mike was kinda a jerk that everyone loved because he could be charismatic when he wanted to, and it drove me up a wall. Probably partly because I know people like that. Dusty and Deb were flawless. I loved them to pieces. Selfless and hospitable and loved people like crazy. They were just...*chef's kiss*

The music was probably another reason I fell in love with the vibe. Not that I particularly enjoyed the music that the characters enjoyed (yes, I looked up nearly every artist mentioned), but that the characters loved music. And that just makes a person have a bond with someone even if they're fictional, ya know?

Also, when Deb talked about Glen Campbell giving her a guitar? I kinda maybe sorta majorly fangirled a lil bit. (he was my top-listened-to artist on Spotify in 2022 in case anyone wondered. Pretty sure I was in the top 5% or something)

The message was...there. Healing and moving on from the past and letting go and all that. It honestly was fantastic, I just...idk. The fact that Nicki and her parents were Christians was something that I really loved, and the way that they brought in Michael and practically made him part of the family was amazing (found family trope ftw, y'all). I guess it just bugged me that Michael, who was not a Christian, fell in love with Nicki. Which isn't a problem. Except that Nicki reciprocated. And it bugged me (don't be unequally yoked and all that) and, quite frankly, took away from the theme of the book a little bit for me.

But, all in all, I did love the book and would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a bit of vibes in their life.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for promotional purposes. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.