Book picks similar to
Eyes Behind Belligerence by K.P. Kollenborn


first-reads
world-war-ii
one-singular-sensation
interlibrary

Shifters of Twisted Rock


Sofia Westlake - 2019
    As Alice pokes around looking for answers, she finds a surprising fellow mystery lover in the pastor of the local Twisted Rock Church of the Holy Cross. Pastor Joe is surprisingly good looking, shockingly difficult to rattle, and might even be understanding of the supernatural world. If the supernatural world doesn’t decide to do away with Pastor Joe before he can do something dramatic, like an exorcism on a certain cursed necklace. Part 2: The Serpent’s Shadow Shapeshifter Lacey Bostick is absolutely thrilled when local boy Silas Beardley brings a jade serpent’s head brooch into the antique shop. Although, Lacey is more interested in handsome Silas than his brooch. He swears that his great, great grandmother found the thing in a pharaoh’s tomb in Egypt. As soon as the brooch is sent away for authentication a series of mysterious mishaps start plaguing Silas. It is up to Lacey to find out whether or not the brooch is haunted, or if it really is the most effective good luck charm ever. It might even bring Lacey and Silas to the best moment of their lives. Part 3: One Man’s Trash Daphne loves dolls. When she finds a treasure trove of antique dolls just sitting in a box on the curb waiting for trash day, she cannot resist stopping to save the poor things. But when Daphne brings the dolls to Vaguely Vintage, Clara tells her that she’s stumbled onto a box of dolls that carry a horrible curse. Some poking around leads Daphne to the doorstep of local journalist Archie Rawlins. The truth is that Archie is pretty sure his crazy ancestors used the dolls to torment their neighbors. Ever since then, the dolls have been haunted. When strange things start to happen at Daphne’s house, Archi is determined to keep the sweet doll lover from being the next victim. It will take all of Daphne’s wits as a budding witch to put this supernatural story to bed and win the heart of the handsome hero. Part 4: The Story of Vintage Emily Alden is a half fairy. That means she has some unusual talents. When someone donates a box full of dusty old tomes to the local elementary school, Clara Bostick sends Emily to go and have a look. Unfortunately for Emily, science teacher Wade Orson got there first. Wade’s scientific certainty is on full display as he tries to decode the mathematics in the books. Emily doesn’t have the heart to tell him that it’s fairy math. But when strange things start happening at school, Emily realizes that she’s going to have to figure out who at the elementary school is reading those magical books with enough knowledge to put the incantations to use. Fortunately for Emily, Wade isn’t about to let fairy math carry the day. The two are going to need every bit of their considerable intelligence and a good dose of old fashion toughness to solve this mystery. Part 5: All that Glitters Shapeshifter Clara Bostick has almost resigned herself to being a spinster. It will be a chance to spend her life searching out the strangest and most cursed antiquities that the Eastern United States has to offer. Then Sawyer Hollander shows up at Vaguely Vintage with a glittering gold belt buckle he claims is cursed by the cowboy who died trying to win the buckle. Clara has had a crush on Sawyer all her life, but he’s never been a guy she could trust. Soon Clara finds herself twisted up so many threads of gossip in Twisted Rock, that she can’t possibly see how they all fit together. But as the tapestry begins to reveal itself, Clara sees one thing very clearly. Sawyer Hollander is in Twisted Rock for avery specific reason.

Love Into Eternity


Marcel Lynn - 2018
    Five love stories.In a serene Southern Louisiana community, three men attempt to abduct Ava. Remi, a stranger, risks his life to give Ava a chance to escape.Welcome to a charming Southern cul-de-sac, where neighbors are like family. Together, they share intimate friendships, abundant laughter, and delicious food. Tragedy strengthens their bonds, and tender, sweet romances develop among them.After four years of dating Santiago, Rosamunde ends the relationship. When he begs her for a second chance, will she trust him again?José has been in love with María since childhood, but he’s ready to move from friends to lovers. Will he finally tell her how much he loves her?Chiquita is a middle-aged woman desperate to find her soul mate. Will she learn to stop focusing on handsome men and use her skills to affect her community with goodness?Empowered by a mother’s love Angeliqùe, a single mother has dedicated her life to raising her daughter. Now that her daughter is an adult, will Angeliqùe finally take care of herself?We invite you to fellowship with lovable characters and witness the inescapable power of love in this Happily Ever After, Standalone, Contemporary Christian Romance spiced with a little Suspense.

The Calling


Cheryl Shireman - 2012
    Cooper is the last person one might expect to experience such a conversion, and no one is more skeptical of this sudden turn of events than Cooper’s wife, Sally.Cooper has not only found God, he has also decided to build a church. He faces a few obstacles. He has never read the Bible, he has no money, and he has a well-deserved reputation as a slacker. Throw in a couple of scheming women who aren’t ready to give up sleeping with Cooper, a jealous husband with a grudge, and things begin to get complicated.Filled with a cast of characters you are sure to love (and hate!), Cooper Moon: The Calling is a story of love, faith, determination, dreams, sin, lust, hope, revenge, and despair – just like real life. The novel is the first of the four-book Cooper Moon series.Read the book that Kirkus Review describes as "At its core, this is a story about class, karma and ordinary people trying to accomplish difficult goals that require extraordinary strength of body, mind and spirit...a strong, engaging voice ...A satisfying, feel-good novel about human shortcomings, perseverance and serendipity."

There Are No Saints


Stephen Kanicki - 2021
    This is his story:For the low price of five dollars, Dexter “Dex” James will exorcise your demons: the demon of lust, drink, and gluttony. Unfortunately, he’s new in town, and few people take him seriously. The ones that do, don’t have a dime to spare. Desperate for money, he elicits help from a boy named Boo and a beautiful woman, named Miss Leslie—she’s half his age and a prostitute, but Dex is smitten.After performing a supposed miracle, Dex becomes the talk of Titusville. His billfold and ego grow with each exorcism. Only Miss Leslie’s love could make him happier. However, when an evil entity threatens a young girl, Dex must make a choice: take the coward’s way out or stay and fight?

The End of Innocence


Stephanie Baumgartner - 2013
    But Sophia's not worried; she knows she will be safe with her extended family. Unfortunately, the beautiful country that she remembers from her childhood visits is almost unrecognizable. Almost every man is in uniform, and everyone she meets seems watchful and secretive. It quickly becomes apparent that Germany is not what it used to be, and neither is her cousin, Diedrich. Will Sophia return home when Diedrich gives her an ultimatum that defies her conscience? Or will her desire to fulfill her aunt's wishes keep her in a dangerous foreign land on the brink of war?

Yellow Wife


Sadeqa Johnson - 2021
    But when her birthday finally comes around, instead of the idyllic life she was hoping for with her true love, she finds herself thrust into the bowels of slavery at the infamous Devil’s Half-Acre, a jail where slaves are broken, tortured, and sold every day. Forced to become the mistress of the brutal man who owns the jail, Pheby faces the ultimate sacrifice to protect her heart in this powerful, thrilling story of one slave’s fight for freedom.

The Huntress


Kate Quinn - 2019
    When the Nazis attack the Soviet Union, she risks everything to join the legendary Night Witches, an all-female night bomber regiment wreaking havoc on the invading Germans. When she is stranded behind enemy lines, Nina becomes the prey of a lethal Nazi murderess known as the Huntress, and only Nina’s bravery and cunning will keep her alive.Transformed by the horrors he witnessed from Omaha Beach to the Nuremberg Trials, British war correspondent Ian Graham has become a Nazi hunter. Yet one target eludes him: a vicious predator known as the Huntress. To find her, the fierce, disciplined investigator joins forces with the only witness to escape the Huntress alive: the brazen, cocksure Nina. But a shared secret could derail their mission unless Ian and Nina force themselves to confront it.Growing up in post-war Boston, seventeen-year-old Jordan McBride is determined to become a photographer. When her long-widowed father unexpectedly comes homes with a new fiancée, Jordan is thrilled. But there is something disconcerting about the soft-spoken German widow. Certain that danger is lurking, Jordan begins to delve into her new stepmother’s past—only to discover that there are mysteries buried deep in her family . . . secrets that may threaten all Jordan holds dear.In this immersive, heart-wrenching story, Kate Quinn illuminates the consequences of war on individual lives, and the price we pay to seek justice and truth.

With Our Backs to Berlin


Tony Le Tissier - 2001
    British and American troops were poised to cross the River Rhine in the west, while in the East the vast Soviet war machine was steam-rolling the soldiers of the Third Reich back towards the capital, Berlin. Even in retreat, the German Army was still a force to be reckoned with and vigorously defended every last bridge, castle, town and village against the massive Russian onslaught. Tony Le Tissier has interviewed a wide range of former German Army and SS soldiers to provide ten vivid first-hand accounts of the fighting retreat that, for one soldier, ended in Hitler's Chancellery building in the ruins of Berlin in April 1945. The dramatic descriptions of combat are contrasted with insights into the human dimension of these desperate battles, reminding the reader that many of the German soldiers whose stories we read shared similar values to the average British 'Tommy' or the American GI and were not all crazed Nazis. Illustrated with photographs of the main characters and specially commissioned maps identifying the location and course of the battles, With Our Backs to Berlin is a fascinating read for anyone who is interested in the final days of the Second World War.

Peter in Flight


Paul Michael Peters - 2013
    He can tell you everything there is to know about successful trade show programs. He can tell you stories about the thousands of people he has met, miles he has flown, hotel rooms he has stayed in, and ways to work the system to your advantage when you travel. But he can't tell the woman he loves how he feels. Think "Up in the Air meets Planes, Trains and Automobiles..". Based on his own extensive business trips, Paul Michael Peters brings us this funny, bittersweet story of a traveling software salesman. Filled with wry observations and entertaining vignettes, life moves fast in this quick read about a "trade show guy" and a love he thinks he can never have.

The Darkness in Dreams


Sue Wilder - 2018
    A woman born again and again. A deadly threat to their lives... and their hearts. Plagued by night terrors and an empty yearning for a long-lost lover, Lexi is desperate to fill the hole in her memories. But discovering she's been reborn across time as mate to a sexy immortal who continually destroys her, makes her vow to break the chains. Four hundred years in the Void has turned Enforcer Christan's heart to stone. After countless betrayals by the female he's eternally bound to, he's sworn off all humans. But when an old enemy returns, he must protect the alluring partner he no longer trusts. With ancient passions flaring, Lexi uncovers a dark truth from a past life: someone has been trying to keep them apart. But as their foe closes in for the kill, one sacrifice for love could doom them both forever. Will they fall to the forces that pursue them before they can truly be together? The Darkness in Dreams is the first book in the imaginative Enforcer's Legacy paranormal romance series. If you like sensual scenes, shocking twists, and second-chance love, then you'll adore Sue Wilder's suspenseful tale. Buy The Darkness in Dreams to embrace passion again today!

The Tumbling Turner Sisters


Juliette Fay - 2016
    Set against the turbulent backdrop of American Vaudeville, four sisters embark on an unexpected adventure—and a last-ditch effort to save their family.In 1919, the Turner sisters and their parents are barely scraping by. Their father is a low-paid boot-stitcher in Johnson City, New York, and the family is always one paycheck away from eviction. When their father’s hand is crushed and he can no longer work, their irrepressible mother decides that the vaudeville stage is their best—and only—chance for survival. Traveling by train from town to town, teenagers Gert, Winnie, and Kit, and recent widow Nell soon find a new kind of freedom in the company of performers who are as diverse as their acts. There is a seamier side to the business, however, and the young women face dangers and turns of fate they never could have anticipated. Heartwarming and surprising, The Tumbling Turner Sisters is ultimately a story of awakening—to unexpected possibilities, to love and heartbreak, and to the dawn of a new American era.

A Beginner's Guide to Free Fall


Andy Abramowitz - 2020
    Brothers and sisters. Mothers and daughters. Okay, everybody. Hold on tight. Davis Winger has it all. A respected engineer who designs roller coasters in theme parks across the country, he is deeply in love with his wife and has a beautiful young daughter and a happy home. Until an accident strikes on one of his rides. Nothing fatal—except to his career. And to his marriage, when a betrayal from his past inadvertently comes to light. In one cosmically bad day, Davis loses it all.His sister, Molly, is at a crossroads herself. She’s coasting through a dire relationship with an incompatible man-child. And she’s a journalist whose deeply personal columns about mothers and daughters are forcing her to confront the truth about her own mother, who abandoned Molly and Davis years ago and disappeared.For these two siblings, it’s just a matter of bracing themselves for one turbulent summer in this redemptive and painfully funny family drama about making the best of the sharp turns in life—those we choose to take and those beyond our control.

The Last Train to London


Meg Waite Clayton - 2019
    Stephan’s best friend and companion is the brilliant Žofie-Helene, a Christian girl whose mother edits a progressive, anti-Nazi newspaper. But the two adolescents’ carefree innocence is shattered when the Nazis’ take control.There is hope in the darkness, though. Truus Wijsmuller, a member of the Dutch resistance, risks her life smuggling Jewish children out of Nazi Germany to the nations that will take them. It is a mission that becomes even more dangerous after the Anschluss—Hitler’s annexation of Austria—as, across Europe, countries close their borders to the growing number of refugees desperate to escape.Tante Truus, as she is known, is determined to save as many children as she can. After Britain passes a measure to take in at-risk child refugees from the German Reich, she dares to approach Adolf Eichmann, the man who would later help devise the “Final Solution to the Jewish Question,” in a race against time to bring children like Stephan, his young brother Walter, and Žofie-Helene on a perilous journey to an uncertain future abroad.