Five of today's Best-selling Christian Authors weave five unique, connected stories where lost mail finds unexpected purpose.
Sleepless in Seoul by Alana Terry When Derek leads his church on a short-term mission trip to South Korea, he's definitely not expecting to find out the woman working with him is the same woman who broke his heart over twenty years ago.
Like Ships Passing by Cynthia Hickey One transposed number threatens to sink love before it gets started.
Chasing Pearl by Hallee Bridgeman A package lost in the mail since 1940 brings a modern couple together in a miraculous way.
Operation Posthaste by Chautona Havig A nine-year-old boy finds a bag of mail from WWII in the attic of their new house and makes it his personal mission to deliver every piece before his mom finds out.
Yesterday's Mail by Amanda Tru A Christian post office clerk uses her police officer background to investigate lost mail and solve a mystery that has plagued her small town for years.
Not my favorite collection. I felt that the stories were too focused on the Christian themes rather than the romances. The one overpowered the other. I never felt like there was any real chemistry between any of the couples and sometimes the stories got a bit "preachy" for my taste.
I'm all for clean romance, and I have no problems with religious themes. But I didn't respond to this particular balance.
I was intrigued by the idea of stories about missing mail. It was hard to decided what rating to give this collection since I didn't like or finish two of them, I decided to give the whole thing 3 stars, but each one that I read is rated separately. ~~~~~~
Sleepless in Seoul by Alana Terry DNF – I started this book, but quickly found out that one of the main characters is divorced, and I knew she and the guy would end up together since they used to be “an item” in college. I don’t enjoy reading stories where divorce is considered normal and okay, so I stopped reading.
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Like Ships Passing by Cynthia Hickey DNF – I began this story and sort of liked the characters. Then the writing grew choppy and boring! Scenes that could have been interesting were short with almost no life in them. Then his ex-girlfriend shows up at the airport to pick him up instead of his dad? Huh? The dad didn’t even seem to know. I quickly skimmed the rest of the story and was glad I didn’t try to keep reading.
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Chasing Pearl by Hallee Bridgeman 3.5 stars This story was sweet. It didn’t feel like a typical “romance” book but more like a real story where romance grew as part of the story. I have to admit that I was delighted by the lack of “miscommunication” that so many books seem to have!
Violet is an author (bonus points) and writes whenever she can while keeping up her end of the family business. Since she is an introvert, it was fun to see how she responded to things since she was so different from me. Chase was a former football player turned Army officer on leave. I really liked him and how he handled different situations.
This story was not about feelings. It was about seeing to know where God was leading each character. I would call this story overtly Christian as the characters prayed, read their Bibles, and went to church. When I reached the end, I sighed and smiled. For someone who really don’t enjoy many romance books, this was a delight.
There was one euphemism, and a few kisses.
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Operation Posthaste by Chautona Havig 3.5 stars This idea of this story caught my attention at once. I mean, how interesting would it be to discover a bag of undelivered mail in your attic from the 1940s? This story had four main characters–each different. Dylan was such a typical boy, but at the same time he wasn't. I love his determination to do everything he can to keep his mom from going to jail. Even if he didn't quite understand somethings and what he did could have been dangerous. Brandie – The young, struggling mom trying to raise her son as best as she can. I loved how she wanted a deeper relationship with God even if she didn't know how to have it. Jack was the kind of guy who would be a nice neighbor. I was impressed by his desire to do the right things, and by his care of his grandfather. Rudy was such a fun older character, even if he was a bit pushy in his matchmaking skills!
There were a few things in the story that seemed out of place and knocked off half a star. One character is a recovering alcoholic, who refuses to let beer or liquor in her house. But then later she cooks with wine and no one seems to think it's a problem. That is just very inconsistent and honestly I don't know how she was able to justify it. And I'm not sure how she was able to use it without wanting to have a drink. Another was a Catholic character praying to Mary.
Other than that, I enjoyed the story.
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Yesterday's Mail by Amanda Tru 4 stars This story started out with Kate and quickly brought two jerks into the picture. I wasn’t sure I was going to like it. But maybe that’s why I liked Dallas right away. Yes, he can be a slight know-it-all, but for the most part I really enjoyed him. Kate was feisty, and stubborn. But I liked her. As I got to know more about her background, I understood more of what she was dealing with. And can I say I loved how she took her job at the post office to heart? I want that kind of person sorting my mail! Okay, the ghost in the school was a little strange, but I was glad it got figured out. I wasn’t sure how all three mysteries tied in, but they did and I enjoyed seeing the pieces drop into place. There were tense scenes, and humorous ones. Sweet ones, and even a few that almost made me cry.
Yes, there were some kisses, but I don’t remember them every being very detailed. And I’m very thankful that this author keeps the “chemistry” to a very bare minimum. They are attracted to each other, but it is not how the other person smells, or the electric touches that shoot through them every time they touch. It was all sweet. And the ending made me like Dallas even more.
Another thing I really liked about this was the fact that it ties in Emma and Brooke from two other collections creating a cast of characters I felt like I’d already sort of gotten to know.
This is a Christian story with prayer as part of everyday life not just something you do on Sundays.
All books in this series were very enjoyable, even with each story being so different than the last. I really liked how they intertwined when you are not expecting it along the way. It was easy to be caught up with the characters and rejoicing with each one as their stories unfolded.
I’m going to be honest and say that I’ve only read one of the books in this collection so far, but I loved it so much and I think it alone is well worth the purchase. Chasing Pearl by Hallee Bridgeman was a wonderful read. I love the connection it provides to her Jewel series family. Their grief over the loss of one of their own is palpable and so very realistic. Chase’s struggle as he seeks out what God wants for his life is real, but also encouraging. The fingerprints of God are throughout the story and I love that the characters are quick to recognize that. It’s refreshing to read about characters that are far enough along in their walk with Christ to recognize Him at work in their lives and to know what His voice sounds like when He speaks to them. I just really loved that aspect of the book. Many Christian fiction books are often about a character coming to know Christ or about a character who is a Christian, but hasn’t yet learned how to hear the voice of God in his/her life, to know what it sounds like. I love those types of books as well, but books that are more like Chasing Pearl are a nice change of pace.
I will say that I experienced a little bit of tug of war in my mind about Violet. I loved her at first. Then I got a little frustrated with her. Then I realized that I was way more like her than I thought. :) And I thought about my own struggles with fear, with believing lies about myself and who I am, with reaching outside myself to people, with the weight I feel sometimes when I have to socialize, and I had a little more sympathy for her character and her struggle.
Ms. Bridgeman also does an excellent job of capturing the awe-inspiring essence of literally touching the history of your family, of holding it in your hands. I love the reverence and excitement with which she approaches looking at the contents in the mail package from a generation before.
I highly recommend reading Chasing Pearl! (And I’m sure the other books in the collection are good ones as well. Maybe after I’ve had a chance to read those, I will come back and add my thoughts about them.)
Every book in this collection is outstanding. Characters were well thought out & balanced & each story line could be a stand-alone novel. But I'm so glad they came all together or I would have missed out! Not one boring moment!! Good enough to read a second time!
These were great stories that were all completely different. My only real complaint was the typo for shirt that made a swear word. I loved the characters and I especially loved how the last book pulled them all together (though at that point I wanted something telling me which book it came from, so I could better connect the dots). Either way, fantastic stories!
I've enjoyed many books written by Amanda Tru. She puts so much into each of her books. The reader comes away with wonderful life lessons to apply to their lives. Each of her books seems to have so many moving parts and then in the end they all come together in such a beautiful way. This story is about a young woman who is struggling to find her purpose in life after some past events. She is trying to rise above her past and her family history. One stressful evening at work, one past mystery, and one crazy conversation changed everything for her. When she’s put to the task of sorting through undeliverable mail it gets even more unexpected. Can she rise above all the pain and questions? You’ll have to pick this book up to find out! Amanda Tru is truly a wonderful author who brings life to her characters and their struggles. She weaves so many emotions into each of her books. It was exquisitely written and flowed smoothly. I felt my heart pounding. I laughed, I smiled, I wanted to scream at the characters, and I cried throughout the book. There were so many emotions in just one reading! She also weaves wonderful life lessons throughout this story. Lessons regarding family, friends, and the love of God. I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend others to pick it up.
I did not see the ending coming in Yesterday's Mail Boxed Set. Excellent cooperation between the five authors. A few typos that did not hinder the flow of the stories. Always enjoy stories that makes the reader think and explore new avenues: The North Korean Underground Railroad and what caused mail not to be delivered so the mail ends up the Dead Letter Office - transposed numbers or changes of street names or lazy workers. Contemporary stories with a historical WW2 twist. Bargain price. (NOTE: FIVE NOVELLAS)
After reading collections 1, 3, and 4, I finally got around to reading #2, expecting another great grouping of stories like I’d seen in the other collections. However, I was disappointed by the offering in this collection. While the Havig and Tru stories were of the quality I’ve come to expect from those authors, I felt the other stories were rather bland, boring, and in one case, overdone. That one story in particular grated on the nerves to the point where I was almost ready to put the book down and not finish. I can understand inserting regional sayings/phrases to keep the characters realistic, but it felt like every saying that could be found had been compiled and slipped into the story, turning what should have been a realistic character into a caricature. So overdone it was painful to read, with cute little sayings inserted into the middle of a conversation with nothing to tie them to the topic. I did enjoy seeing how old/misdirected mail turned up in each story, but in a couple of stories it took until the end before I saw the connection, and in one I missed it entirely.
This collection of five love story novellas was quite the ride! I love second chance stories, as found in Sleepless in Seoul with Sharon and Derek. I've always wanted to go on a missions trip and was excited to follow this group to South Korea. Touring Hawaii and cruising with Eric and Tatum in Like Ships Passing filled my heart with even more longing to do both in my own life. Chasing Pearl egged on my love of the time period surrounding WWII. My great grandfather fought in the war in response to Pearl Harbor rather than being a victim to the horrific attack on December 7, 1941 like Chase Anderson's great grandfather was. To continue the WWII fascination, was Operation Posthaste. I loved following Dylan on his mission with letters from 1943. As a huge mystery buff, I thoroughly enjoyed Yesterday's Mail with all its secrets unwinding through the story. I loved the "Easter eggs" of the other stories found in this one.
History, love, mystery, all while seeking the Lord and His plan- if you are trying to find your next read, look no further until you've picked these up! :)
This is a clever collection of novellas from several Christian authors. Most of the stories would have rated five stars if I read and reviewed them individually, although one or two probably would have earned four stars. However, the way the stories were all tied together in the end brought the rating for the collection to five stars. As I was reading the individual stories, I kept thinking there was no way that all of these stories could be tied together other than all relating to lost or delayed mail. However, the final story actually tied them up neatly.
Some collections share characters, or families, location. This collection shares a theme. Some collections read seamlessly, as it written by one author even though they aren't. Here, each author shines in her own unique style. These stories fit together, and the last one ties them all together. If you know you enjoy one of them, read this, and perhaps you'll discover a new author you like. I did.
I enjoyed each of the stories. I like that all of the stories are connected. I have read several book by a few of these authors that I really enjoyed, however, I was frustrated by the number of errors in this collection. There were missing or extra quotation marks, incorrect character names and use of you’re. It was almost as though no one proofed it. I found it distracting.
This was great! I had so much fun reading this! Each individual story was engaging and entertaining, and there were definitely moments of self examination. Which makes a perfect balance in Christian fiction. There's no preachiness, but the lead characters would do or say something and I would stop and ask myself if that was one of my shortcomings also.
I loved the first collection, and this one was nearly just as good. There were a few stories with a number of typos that could use fixing, but I still loved the writing itself. I’m familiar with each of these authors and I thought they all brought something wonderful to the table. A unique concept that Amanda Tru brought together beautifully!
What a fun read. I loved how each book dealt with different aspects of lost mail, and how Amanda Tru brings the other books together in her final book. She even referenced her book in the first collection in this series, Out Of The Blue Bouquet. It made me want to read that series all over again. I really like the idea of multiple authors writing on a theme.
This is a wonderful book set. I can’t thank Amanda Tru enough for taking the time and energy to put this together. The authors are great and compliment each other. I wish I could have read the first book in this grouping. I did get the next one and can’t wait to read it.
It's hard for me to rate this, because I loved two stories and felt they were worthy of 5 stars. One I don't remember too well so I would give it a two star rating. One ended too abruptly, but it was an enjoyable read. Another story I really liked except for the excessive slang. Sometimes less really is more.
I do love book collections and even better that they are Christian romances! Loved all the stories in this collection, especially since I actually am a postal worker!! LOL
As usual with mutli-author sets, some books were amazing and others fell short. But overall, this is a fabulous collection. I LOVE how they manage to combine such disparate stories into one neat package by the end of the final book! :)
Each book about mail lost for years was fascinating. And the last one tied them (somewhat) together. I was transported through history and back again. I even have my author son suggestions to use one of the formats. Wish it didn't end
This series was even better than the first one! I loved how the last book in the series once again tied the stories together. I also really liked the two mysteries in the last book that kept me guessing. I totally recommend reading this series
I love the way these authors collaborated to weave stories together around central theme. Their styles well different were very complementary and it was a great read.
Thank you all for this Crossroads Collection. I enjoyed each and every story. The storylines were great and the many characters were fascinating. I look forward to reading more of your books.
Yesterday's Mail is a talented series which captures your soul with inspiring characters from creative authors who share their gift. I feel truly grateful that I had the opportunity to experience the series.
It was really fun reading these short stories. They all were hard to put down once started. I look forward to reading entire books written by these amazing Christian women!
A great collection by great authors. A few too many typos and even character names swapped make me give it 4 stars...the stories themselves were great.