"Curtain Call" by Jennifer AlLee & Lisa Karon Richardson

About this book:

  “After the loss of her right leg from the knee down, Emily Forbes has focused on becoming a renowned opera singer. When at last it seems her dream is within reach, she ignores the concern of her detective brother and heads off to New York City, where she lands the lead role in a performance. While promoting the production, she hears a familiar name: DeKlerk. Soon she's digging through the only case her brother never closed.
  Samuel DeKlerk is a respected physician. After serving in the Civil War and witnessing the devastating effects of privation and war on fellow soldiers' physical and mental well-being, he shifts his clinical interests to diseases of the mind. He's now an alienist a doctor to the mad with little time for frivolity. He agrees to invest in the opera, in the memory of his sister, Sarah, who was murdered by a yet nameless killer. When he catches Emily Forbes prying into the past, his life is upended again.
  As they work to solve a case gone cold, determined to bring Sarah's killer to justice, tolerance for each other turns to mutual respect. Might love be waiting for them in the final act?”


Series: The final book in the “Charms and Deceit” trilogy. Reviews of Book #1 Here! and #2 Here!


Spiritual Content- A few Scriptures are remembered & mentioned; Prayers & Thanking God; Talks about God; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of those, events, & places in the Bible; Mentions of thanking God; Mentions of blessings; Mentions of when Emily doubted God; A few mentions of Emily’s singing sounding like an angel; A couple mentions of sins; A mention of a miracle;

             *Note: A mention of Venus; A mention of Medusa; A mention of a godforsaken city; A mention of a devil-may-care attitude.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘drat’, a ‘dumb’, an ‘idiot’, a ‘shut up’, and a ‘stupid’; Some eye rolling; Pain, Being shot, Held at gunpoint, Threated, Slapped, Passing out, & Blood/Bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Almost being hit by a statue & a carriage accident (barely-above-not-detailed); Many mentions of murders, murderers, & how they happened (barely-above-not-detailed to semi-detailed); Mentions of a war, fighting, deaths/murders, doing doctor stuff, injuries, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of poisons, being drugged, & being murdered; Mentions of thieves, being robbed, & when Emily was shot and her parents killed; Mentions of pain, being tied-up, shot, gunfire, & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of suicides, attempted suicides, how they did/tried it, & blood (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a falling statue, almost being hit, & a carriage accident; Mentions of violence; Mentions of being held at gunpoint & an intruder; Mentions of duels, shooting someone, & prison; Mentions of crimes; Mentions of threats & bribes; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, & drunks; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of gossip & rumors; A few mentions of gangs & their wars; A few mentions of domestic abuse & injuries; A few mentions of tobacco & smoking; A few mentions of tattoos; A few mentions of throwing up; A few mentions of nightmares; A couple mentions of hangings; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of cheating.

Sexual Content- three hand kisses, two forehead kisses, a few not-detailed kisses, and a semi-detailed kiss; Touches, Warmth, & Blushes (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing; Mentions of a girl running away with her beau to elope; Mentions of reputations, virtues, & chaperones; A few mentions of hand kisses; A few mentions of jealousy;

             *Note: Mentions of a man’s bare chest & muscles (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); A couple mentions of lingerie; A couple mentions of Emily being hooted & grabbed at.

-Emily Forbes

-Samuel DeKlerk
                                P.O.V. switches between them

                                              Set in 1868
                                                        254 pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

While I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first or even the second book, I did enjoy reading about Emily and Sam, but especially liked the last few chapters. I liked that Emily was different from most heroines.

This was a fun series that had a mystery in each book with a bit of suspense here and there, but also had some pretty good Spiritual Content. :)

See y’all on Friday with a new review!

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

"Vanishing Act" by Jennifer AlLee & Lisa Karon Richardson

About this book:

  “Juliet Button doesn't even believe in ghosts, but she believes in supporting her makeshift family of misfits. Having spent years as assistant to her uncle, an illusionist, she now has all of the skills and know-how she needs to make an audience believe the impossible. So, she begins a career as a medium by the name of Miss Avila. She wants nothing to do with a detective who has the power to destroy the life she's built, but when President Lincoln's youngest son is kidnapped, and the first lady comes to her for help, she can't refuse, even if it means facing Pinkerton agent Carter Forbes, who knows far too much about her already - and possibly falling in love.”


Series: Book #2 in the “Charm and Deceit” series. Review of Book #1 Here!


Spiritual Content- A couple Scriptures are quoted & mentioned; Prayers; A few Talks about God & having trouble believing; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Juliet says a prayer for the first time in ten years & tries to make a deal with God; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of thanking & praising God; Mentions of a girl who is upset with God & goes elsewhere for comfort and guidance *Spoiler* She starts talking about God later in the book though *End of Spoiler*; Mentions of Christmas & hymns/songs; A few mentions of possibly trusting God; A few mentions of faiths; A couple mentions of Bible quotes; A couple mentions of crossing; A mention of Heaven; A mention of a miracle;

   *Note: Juliet acts as a medium/spiritualist, “talks” to the dead (even though she doesn’t believe in ghosts), & has and goes to sessions/séances; *Spoiler* About mid-way, Juliet starts feeling that she doesn’t want to do it anymore *End of Spoiler*; Many, many mentions of Juliet’s clients, her being otherworldly, other mediums/spiritualists, talking/communicating to the dead, the other world, ghosts/spirits, spiritualism; Mentions of Hell & a place called Hell’s Bottom; A mention of making a deal with the devil.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dumb’, a ‘gah’, two ‘blasted’s, two ‘blast it’s, two ‘drat’s, and two ‘idiot’s; A few mentions of curses said not written; Some eye rolling & sarcasm; Pain, passing out, being shot at, being shot, & being drugged (up to semi-detailed); Finding two murdered bodies, how they happened, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of kidnappings & trying to find the children; Mentions of murders, bodies, how they happened, accidents, being shot (more than one person), gunshots, injuries, & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed to semi-detailed); Mentions of murders, crimes, criminals/murders/the kidnapper, injuries, & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of the war, slavery, fighting, deaths, & spies; Mentions of fighting & shooting someone; Mentions of a prison shooting & death; Mentions of illnesses & deaths; Mentions of a child’s death from an illness; Mentions of threats; Mentions of thugs; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, drunks, & bars/saloons; Mentions of tobacco, cigarettes, & smoking; A few mentions of an assassination attempted; A few mentions of stealing & thieves; A few mentions of floggings; A few mentions of nightmares; A few mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of lies & lying; A few mentions of latrines; A couple mentions of hangings; A couple mentions of bullies.

Sexual Content- a fingers-to-lips touch, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, and two semi-detailed kisses; Touches, Embraces. & Warmth (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing; Mentions of a kiss & kissing; A few mentions of bawdy houses; A couple mentions of jealousy; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;   

             *Note: A few mentions of woman in just under clothes; A mention of Juliet showing an audience an ankle and a low bodice; A mention of Juliet hiding her female figure in a disguise.

-Juliet Button

-Carter Forbes
                                P.O.V. switches between them & the kidnapper (x3)

                                            Set in 1862
                                                        256 pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

[The fact that two out of three reviews this week have the word ‘vanishing’ in the title isn’t lost on me. ;) ]
I thought the first book was interesting when I first read it a while back, so I’ve been curious about the rest of the trilogy since then.

I’ll admit I wasn’t so sure about a plot with a main character being a medium, but I appreciate that the authors showed the behind the scenes look—proving that it’s not real. I really liked the banter between the two and the growing moments they had. The Pinkerton detective stuff was gets my attention in any book. Artie was great though and I wish there was more of him. ;)
After reading this middle book, I’m looking forward to reading about Carter’s sister’s story in the third and final book.  

See y’all on Wednesday with a new review!

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.