Joni & Ken: An Untold Love Story by Ken & Joni Eareckson Tada with Larry Libby

I was excited when I saw the author of this book as I have always admired and respected her.  Joni & Ken: An Untold Love Story by Ken & Joni Eareckson Tada with Larry Libby is my favorite kind of book - a memoir about relationship.

Reading at times like a journal and others as if you are a fly on the wall, this book gives both the broad scope of this couple's story as well as details that make you feel like you are just sitting at the kitchen table over coffee discussing life.  There isn't much on their early lives, the story mostly begins when they meet with flashbacks to key events in their childhood and early years. 

I enjoyed this story and was encouraged by the commitment this couple has shown to each other, to their ministry and to Christ.  Living with quadriplegia, persistent pain and breast cancer and all of the care-taking duties that go along with that cannot be easy and they readily admit that but they also admit that they have learned that in their weaknesses they are strong because of their shared faith. 

However, I would have liked more.  More details on how they fell in love and their courtship.  More insight into their decisions and how that affected their relationship.  Maybe more about their families.  The book was a quick read and fine as is, but I think it needed more for me to be able to call it an amazing book.

A Matter of Trust by Lis Wiehl with April Henry

I was looking for an entertaining book and A Matter of Trust by Lis Wiehl with April Henry certainly fit the bill.  The main character, Mia Quinn is a Seattle prosecutor and is talking with a colleague on the phone one evening only to be horrified to hear a shot ring out and hear no response from her friend.  Mia is then given her colleague's murder case to solve, along with the help of a police detective with whom she has an unpleasant history.

The book is fast-paced and fairly well written.  I found the plot line a little confusing at times but maybe that is just because it is a murder mystery and the author wants the reader to be in the dark a little.  I enjoyed the inevitable twist at the end.

I felt that a few of the minor story lines were not well developed and either should have been given more time or else left out entirely as they were a distraction.  However, I note that this is the first book of the series so perhaps some of those story lines will be teased out in later books.  I also didn't think that the main character was always believable or even as well developed as she could have been. 

I thought this book was pretty good and I read through it quickly so if you are looking for a beach read for the summer, I would recommend it.  If you are looking for something with more character development or something to really think about, I would keep looking.