Unhallowed Ground - a Kregel Review

Unhallowed Ground, the fourth book in the Hugh de Singleton series, was written by Mel Starr.

Unhallowed Ground continues the story of Hugh de Singleton, a surgeon and bailiff in 14th Century England. When an enemy of Hugh's suddenly is found swinging from a tree, Hugh finds himself investigating the situation. When everyone in town assumes that Thomas atte Bridge has committed suicide, Hugh is not so sure upon investigation. Though atte Bridge was an enemy, Hugh finds himself in the middle of a suspicious situation when he finds clues that lead him to believe that Thomas was murdered. What makes the investigation most difficult is that Hugh wasn't Thomas' only enemy; he had made many during his life.

Hugh is plunged into a lengthy investigation that leads to many dead ends along the way!

I loved this story, and I was thrilled to be allowed to review this book. I also have reviewed one of Starr's books before, and you can read that {here}. Starr puts incredible detail into his books, and it's obvious that he has done a wealth of research on Medieval England. In the front of the book, you will find a glossary of words that Starr uses in the story, as well as a map of the setting of the story. His weaving of the personality and character of Hugh de Singleton is wonderful, and I truly enjoy reading this series.

If you are interested in reading an excerpt of this story, you can go to {this} link, which will take you to Kregel Publications where you can download a pdf copy of Chapter 1. You can also go to Mel's website to read about the other books he has written, and about the fifth book that is planned for this series.

I received Unhallowed Ground as a complimentary gift in exchange for review from Kregel Blog Tours. My comments and opinions are my own.

First Date - a BookSneeze Review

First Date, written by Krista McGee, was a sweet story that is perfect for teenage girls. Addy Davidson is a high school student in her senior year. When the principal of her Christian school suggests that she take part in a reality show called The Book of Love where the President's son chooses someone to be his prom date, the last thing Addy wants to do is be a part of it. A shy girl who prefers to stay out of the limelight and enjoy her quiet life, Addy finds herself being adamant when the cameras are thrust in her face.

She was practically forced by her uncle and principal to join the reality show. The principal told her, when asked if she could think about it, that her plane took off the next day. But when she was able to spend more time with Jonathon, the President's son, she soon realized that she wanted to stick around.

This story is an innocent story, sweet and lacks the heavy lovey-dovey tones that some YA books include. However, the story felt a little unrealistic in parts. How often would an uncle and a principal not give a girl a say in whether she wanted to be part of a reality show? In spite of that, it was a nice read and reminded me of books I used to read as a teen. If you're looking for a book that is geared toward teens, sweet and has a Christian theme, this one is sure to please.

Krista has another story planned as a spinoff of this one. I'll be anxious to see if I can get my hands on a copy!

I am a member of BookSneeze, a fabulous program through Thomas Nelson. BookSneeze sends members free books to read and keep in exchange for written reviews on a blog and on a major retailer's website (such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble).