Nadine C. Keels Follow

This collection is quite a credit to the art of flash fiction. So much can be wrapped up in just a few words when a writer knows how to wield them, and page after page in this short book takes a close and compelling look at life, with faith woven in.

Some of the stories are connected to pack a bonus punch, while others get the job done on their own. One of them even brought tears to my eyes.

Just that fast. In fifty-five words.

This story of an Arab woman, her perilous journey through desert sands with two warrior allies, and the vast scope of the novel (including but beyond the confines of a simple “Jesus” tale), romanced me as I read.

Besides the intrigue and harrowing aspects of this poignantly rendered epic, what made it an amazing read for me was the space it gave me to wrestle with mysteries, as the Way is indeed a mysterious one.

I got emotionally involved in the heroine’s drive, her challenges, her insecurities, her breaking point. I laughed, I steamed, and I got so balled up during the story’s displays of (non-romantic) love and surrender that I felt like part of my soul was sobbing. Beautiful execution on the author’s part.

And, it’s rare that I say this–if I’ve ever said this in a book review at all–but I actually found the hero in this book to be, well, hotness. He's a passionate but tempered and mature character who isn’t perfect but who knows how to think fast.

The novel’s opening, and several other moments along the way, had me laughing out loud, and I took to the heroine right away: funny, flawed, sometimes rash about the mouth, tomboyish, passionate about sports, with a figure folks criticize for not being curvy enough–whatever that is.

Also, the genuine displays of friendship and family loyalty through painful experiences put me in tears. Real tears that required me to pause from reading for a while.

I first read this YA novel back in my adolescence. Although the latest edition I read this time may have more than one detail updated from the edition I read decades ago, I can still see why the story painted such an accessible picture for me back then. It says enough, and ultimately hits pretty hard, without spelling everything out.

This is my go-to author for diverse Regency reads, and her style keeps me on my toes.

The hero and heroine here are interesting people who work well together for this story. Their romantic chemistry and physical relationship are prominent and intense but nothing R-rated.

I “flew” through the entire read in a day. Quite a rare occurrence for me and novels of this length.

Well! Naturally, it isn't like this with me and all novels, but I can honestly say that Delilah's Daughters by author Angela Benson kept me engrossed from beginning to end, without any lag time in the middle.

What I may appreciate most about this novel is the author's clear understanding of human nature and how there are valid right and wrong points on all sides of the Monroe family's dilemma. Everything isn't just cut and dried or neatly packaged for an easy, cheesy fix.

Also, even though the story addresses unsavory sides to the music business and relationships going amiss, the story doesn't sink down to become an unsavory mess itself. You don't find that balance everywhere!

Indeed, a queen—an unmarried one, at that—must be exceedingly strong and clever to rule.

Besides the interesting weight of politics and some of Bilqis’s adversity as a woman that struck me, I much appreciated this story’s exploration of worship. I think the question of whether one’s faith observance is “nothing but the brokering of deals” in hopes of receiving blessings from God is a relevant question for many.

Wow. Heart-wrenching and intriguing in one fell swoop, with an aching kind of beauty to it.

Yes, this short read is all the more significant if you’re familiar with the biblical story of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Secondly, it makes all the more sense if you’ve heard of the renowned wisdom of Solomon. Thirdly, it’s more than good to know that Ismeni is the coming Queen of Sheba’s mother.

And if I’ve ever read a compelling and ideal setup for a related novel, this is it.

A love story, with an old-fashioned flair that's much like dramatic poetry.

There's depth and an almost painful beauty to it, and distinct characters with backstories, personalities, and different motives that come into play. Mary and Joseph's feelings for each other are unashamedly romantic, and yet their tale isn't all sunbursts and butterflies. It's set against a religious and political backdrop of uncertainty and violence. It's a tale about how flawed human beings might react when what they "claim to believe" may no longer just be an ideal concept that's a nice, safe distance away from reality.

"It was a grave thing to become involved with God."

This collection is quite a credit to the art of flash fiction. So much can be wrapped up in just a few words when a writer knows how to wield them, and page after page in this short book takes a close and compelling look at life, with faith woven in.

Some of the stories are connected to pack a bonus punch, while others get the job done on their own. One of them even brought tears to my eyes.

Just that fast. In fifty-five words.

This story of an Arab woman, her perilous journey through desert sands with two warrior allies, and the vast scope of the novel (including but beyond the confines of a simple “Jesus” tale), romanced me as I read.

Besides the intrigue and harrowing aspects of this poignantly rendered epic, what made it an amazing read for me was the space it gave me to wrestle with mysteries, as the Way is indeed a mysterious one.

I got emotionally involved in the heroine’s drive, her challenges, her insecurities, her breaking point. I laughed, I steamed, and I got so balled up during the story’s displays of (non-romantic) love and surrender that I felt like part of my soul was sobbing. Beautiful execution on the author’s part.

And, it’s rare that I say this–if I’ve ever said this in a book review at all–but I actually found the hero in this book to be, well, hotness. He's a passionate but tempered and mature character who isn’t perfect but who knows how to think fast.

The novel’s opening, and several other moments along the way, had me laughing out loud, and I took to the heroine right away: funny, flawed, sometimes rash about the mouth, tomboyish, passionate about sports, with a figure folks criticize for not being curvy enough–whatever that is.

Also, the genuine displays of friendship and family loyalty through painful experiences put me in tears. Real tears that required me to pause from reading for a while.

I first read this YA novel back in my adolescence. Although the latest edition I read this time may have more than one detail updated from the edition I read decades ago, I can still see why the story painted such an accessible picture for me back then. It says enough, and ultimately hits pretty hard, without spelling everything out.

This is my go-to author for diverse Regency reads, and her style keeps me on my toes.

The hero and heroine here are interesting people who work well together for this story. Their romantic chemistry and physical relationship are prominent and intense but nothing R-rated.

I “flew” through the entire read in a day. Quite a rare occurrence for me and novels of this length.

Well! Naturally, it isn't like this with me and all novels, but I can honestly say that Delilah's Daughters by author Angela Benson kept me engrossed from beginning to end, without any lag time in the middle.

What I may appreciate most about this novel is the author's clear understanding of human nature and how there are valid right and wrong points on all sides of the Monroe family's dilemma. Everything isn't just cut and dried or neatly packaged for an easy, cheesy fix.

Also, even though the story addresses unsavory sides to the music business and relationships going amiss, the story doesn't sink down to become an unsavory mess itself. You don't find that balance everywhere!

Indeed, a queen—an unmarried one, at that—must be exceedingly strong and clever to rule.

Besides the interesting weight of politics and some of Bilqis’s adversity as a woman that struck me, I much appreciated this story’s exploration of worship. I think the question of whether one’s faith observance is “nothing but the brokering of deals” in hopes of receiving blessings from God is a relevant question for many.

Wow. Heart-wrenching and intriguing in one fell swoop, with an aching kind of beauty to it.

Yes, this short read is all the more significant if you’re familiar with the biblical story of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Secondly, it makes all the more sense if you’ve heard of the renowned wisdom of Solomon. Thirdly, it’s more than good to know that Ismeni is the coming Queen of Sheba’s mother.

And if I’ve ever read a compelling and ideal setup for a related novel, this is it.

A love story, with an old-fashioned flair that's much like dramatic poetry.

There's depth and an almost painful beauty to it, and distinct characters with backstories, personalities, and different motives that come into play. Mary and Joseph's feelings for each other are unashamedly romantic, and yet their tale isn't all sunbursts and butterflies. It's set against a religious and political backdrop of uncertainty and violence. It's a tale about how flawed human beings might react when what they "claim to believe" may no longer just be an ideal concept that's a nice, safe distance away from reality.

"It was a grave thing to become involved with God."