Review: Summerlin Groves

Summerlin Groves book cover on blue background

Elizabeth Camden is an author where I've had the pleasure of reading all of her published works now after enjoying her contemporary debut novel, Summerlin Groves. While the setting and time period were different than her other books, I was no less entranced by her descriptive writing and the weight of history in reading Jenny's story.

Book Synopsis

Jenny Summerlin is struggling to save her dying orange grove when a baffling mystery upends her world. A skeleton buried with a priceless treasure has been found on her land, which brings of flood of investigators onto her property to study a decades old crime.

Captain Wyatt Rossiter is charged with solving the puzzling discovery. Unfortunately, he is also the man who broke Jenny's heart two years earlier. Plagued with regrets and unresolved feelings for Jenny, Wyatt resists getting drawn back into her world, but he cannot rest until he solves the unusual crime.

The former lovers are trapped on a case neither of them want. Soon they awaken a fifty-year old mystery involving Cold War espionage and a forbidden romance. Will resurrecting the old secrets endanger the survival of her grove and everything she holds dear?

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

This is a book that had me guessing until nearly the very end. Fans of Elizabeth Camden's detailed historical research will appreciate her contemporary debut, which continues in the same vein for a more modern time period. I love that she writes about indomitable women throughout history and that Jenny fits right into this description. I wasn't sure what to expect in learning more about a citrus grove, but by the end of the book, I was invested in the future of Summerlin Groves, especially after everything it had to endure, giving truth to the adage that we can plant, but God is the one who grows.

The themes of remaining steadfast in trusting God despite hardship and believing that God is still good even when innocent people suffer are both explored in this story. Combined with a compelling mystery, there is much suspense to keep readers guessing as ownership of a precious treasure becomes the key to solving multiple questions. Seeing the remnants of the Cold War fashioned together into a story about interracial relationships and agricultural law at the same time, Jenny's plight is memorable. Readers who enjoy a good underdog tale that is connected to larger geopolitical forces will find it fascinating to see how a very local orange grove can have international implications on history, all taking place as a woman holds fast to her faith in God.

Book Summary

Format of book: 📱
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Recommendation: 👍

Comments

Review: Shadowing You - The Wright Heroes of Maine #10

For Camp CCR , hosted by the Clearly Christian Readathon , I thought I would make my way to the Rescue Ridge campsite for romantic suspense and thrillers (earning this lovely badge ), and read Shadowing You by Robin Patchen . Taking place in China, terrifying circumstances are ratcheted up several levels with vendettas and technology creating a nearly insurmountable setting for the main characters. This book certainly left me breathless, dreading what could come next in a series of death-defying actions. Many thanks to NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Content to be aware of : marital dishonesty, violence, death Book Synopsis When the wife he believed dead calls from China, an ER doctor races to find her before her enemies silence her forever. Ethan Wright never recovered from the death of his first love. Six years ago, Mei Lin discovered evidence linking powerful officials to a human trafficking ring. Sh...

Review: Emotional Hoarding

The topic of home organization appeals to me where, in reflecting our orderly God and Creator, it is nice to be in a calming environment. This book takes that sense of physical space and translates it to our emotional space, helping us clear out the debris that may be taking us away from what God wants for us to experience. Emotional Hoarding by Laurie Davies is gentle without diminishing the pain that can accompany such a state of mind, making it a useful primer on a myriad of feelings that can have us staying down. Many thanks to Moody Publishers for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Content to be aware of : references to Brené Brown and Mark Batterson Book Synopsis We could live free, but cleaning house is hard. Emotional baggage is trendy. We might even joke about it. Yet, one of the early English definitions of luggage is anything of more weight than value. Let that sink in. When we collect, stack, and stockpile b...

Review: Still Judas - Dear Judas #2

I have been anticipating Still Judas by James Finke for some time after reading Dear Judas , a modern-day version of the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. Coupled with a narrative that brings the epistolary content to life, Dear Judas is a series that merges a fictional couple with non-fiction truth in a unique way. This book picks up after Tommy Finch's life is changed, and it is ideal for Christians who are established in the faith and yet may be reticent to share their beliefs. Many thanks to the author for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Book Synopsis Real spiritual warfare unfolds quietly in offices, living rooms, hospital rooms, and everyday conversations where believers decide whether to speak or stay silent. Tommy Finch survived cardiac arrest, encountered the reality of eternity, and gave his life to Jesus. But after his conversion, he slipped into something dangerously comfortable. He attends church. He prays...