Kimberley Woodhouse brings her Secrets of the Canyon series to a bittersweet end with A Mark of Grace.  Readers will want to read the previous two installments to maximize their enjoyment of the characters and their stories, but this book could be read as a standalone. Many references are made to previous events and it is much easier to follow and develop connections when one knows what is being referenced.

This historical fiction piece brings together so many great aspects of a good work of Christian fiction. The characters turn to God in their times of greatest need, confront injustice, overcome personal trials, and dabble in genuine romance. This is a wonderful tale of how friendships and love can help unite everyone against a common foe.

The author has a way of finding interesting bits of history and making them come to life in her characters.  Readers will be drawn in emotionally and not let go until after the last page is turned. This is what makes books by Woodhouse so enjoyable. Readers can focus on the historical facts of the events, the romantic involvements of the characters, the emotional brokenness and healing of characters, or combine all of them in one, delightful read.

Review of an Advance Reader Copy provided by the Publisher

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language: None

Violence/Gore: Characters recall incidences in the past in which a character was injured by wildlife; a character is kidnapped and left to starve; characters plot to cause bodily harm to others; characters are pushed off of cliffs and shot at, blood is mentioned.

Sex/Nudity: Non-married characters kiss and embrace.

Mature Subject Matter:

Death of a parent, adoption, sabotage.

Drug/Alcohol Use:

People consume alcohol in saloons.