The Firstborn by Conlan Brown

From Amazon: The Firstborn, those gifted with Foresight, Hindsight, and Insight at the time of Christ's death are divided between themselves. And when an Islamic holy man is murdered outside of his mosque it becomes apparent that one of the Firstborn was to blame. Now, with the threat of a terrorist attack on an unspeakable target the Firstborn are spiraling out of control. Leaders are dying, members are being kidnapped, and unity is being forced. Three heroes, differently gifted and divided must work together to thwart those who would go too far.

Their breakneck race against time plunges them into a world of danger and through a gauntlet across the United States. From the River-walk of San Antonio, where Devin Bathurst, John Temple, and Hannah Rice must protect one another from assassination, to the gritty streets of Washington DC, a paramilitary compound in West Virginia, and ultimately back to our nation's Capital, the Firstborn must unite to prevent an impending atrocity from becoming reality.

My review:
This is a great book by new author Conlan Brown.
From the very first page I was pulled in to the story and could barely put the book down to sleep.
The Firstborn is populated by characters that you learn to love and to hate for all their depth and flaws. The action is fast paced and keeps you wanting to know what will happen next as Devin, John and Hannah must learn to put aside their differences and learn to work together to stop terrorists whose only goal is to kill as many people as possible. Filled with amazing details and depth about the human character, this book reminds us that uniformity isn't always the best for us, or for eachother.

A Passion Denied by Julie Lessman

From Amazon: Young Elizabeth O'Connor is the little sister John Brady always longed for. But she wants much more than that from her spiritual mentor. As she blossoms into a beautiful young woman intent on loving John, he must push back the very real attraction he feels for her. His past just won't let him go there. Unfortunately, Lizzie won't let him go anywhere else--until she discovers he is not all that he seems. Can true love survive such revelations? Full of the romance and relationships Lessman readers have come to love, A Passion Denied is the final book in the popular Daughters of Boston series.


My Review:
Julie has done it again, this latest installment into the loves of the O'Conner family
is truly a can't stop until you reach the end page turner.
Taking place in the roaring twenties, Elizabeth O'Conner is all grown up, and a woman in love... both with God and John Brady (yes Collin's friend from the war). Now called Lizzie, seeking love advice from both Faith and Charity her older sisters is a recipe for disaster, and yet the results lead to a endearing love story. Giving us continued glimpses into the O'Conners while also maintaining a exciting and thrilling mystery this book left me up reading into the wee hours of the night because I just had to know how it ended. As always Julie is such a wonderful and talented writer, and her story of Lizzie' and Brady's love is a gift from God.

A Passion Redeemed by Julie Lessman

From Amazon: Graced with physical beauty, though shallow of heart, Charity O'Connor is a woman who knows what she wants. She sets her sights on the cantankerous Mitch Dennehy, editor at the Irish Times, who has unwittingly stolen her heart. And although the sparks are there, Mitch refuses to fan the coals of a potential relationship with his ex-fiancée's sister. But Charity has a plan to turn up the heat and she always gets what she wants--one way or another. Is revenge so sweet after all? Or will Charity get burned? Full of intense passion, betrayal, and forgiveness, A Passion Redeemed will delight Lessman's fans and draw new ones.




My Review: Julie's 2nd novel Passion Redeemed is filled with vibrant characters that we came to love as well as a few new faces, wonderful story telling and important messages. We follow Charity, Faith's younger sister as she uses all her wit and charms to get what she wants. Along the way she learns that what she wants is'nt always what she needs. Sometimes you have to make others happy, to truly realize what you want. Sometimes you have to hit bottom to before you can know who you really are.
This book resonated so much more then the first as I saw myself in the pages, and found it difficult to move on without shedding tears. This book, like the first is a class act. Thank you Julie, you did it again!!!!!!

A Passion Most Pure by Julie Lessman

You know it’s a great book when your husband walks into the room and catches you lecturing the main characters, or surrounded by tissues saturated in tears. Julie Lessman’s debut novel is all that and more! -QallieQ

From Amazon:

Refusing to settle for anything less than a romantic relationship that pleases God, Faith O'Connor steels her heart against her desire for the roguish Collin McGuire. But when Collin tries to win her sister Charity's hand, Faith isn't sure she can handle the jealousy she feels. To further complicate matters, Faith finds herself the object of Collin's affections, even as he is courting her sister. The Great War is raging overseas, and a smaller war is brewing in the O'Connor household. Full of passion, romance, rivalry, and betrayal, A Passion Most Pure will captivate readers from the first page. Book 1 of the Daughters of Boston series.

My Review:

Set at the cusp of America's entrance into World War I, the O'Conners; a loving Christian family of proud Irish descent experience both triumph and tribulation in their quests for love, faith and patriotism, separated from each other and their home in Boston Massachusetts while waiting out the war from the shores of Dublin, Ireland.

Earning a permanent position in my personal library, this truly was a book that I was unable to put down. This book went everywhere with me as I was unable to stop reading until the very end. Every time that I was sure I knew what would happen next, this wonderful story would take an unpredictable twist. Faith and Charity O'Conner bring to light an honest relationship between sisters as they fight, sharing a truth that while families require love this does not always mean you will like eachother.

Peppered with scripture this families love and faith in both God and eachother is woven through out a romantic tale tantalizing enought to appeal to the mainstream reader as well. This is a book where I laughed, cried and hugged the book in my arms before tearing into the sequal. Thank you Julie for such a delightful read.y