BookLoverAmanda

  Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jaime Jo Wright 3.5 - 4 Stars (4 on Goodreads) I have read so many Jaime Jo Wright books! She is known for her haunting, Gothic dual-timeline mysteries/suspense style with good Christian content, combating the supernatural with the reality of the Christian faith. She usually has a good romantic sub-plot too. This one is set in 1901 and present day for our timelines.  Jaime Jo weaves together the lives of Effie James and Norah Richman, two women connected by tragedy, secrets, and an eerie house at 322 Predicament Avenue. I think my favorite timeline was the present day because of the crime podcast stuff.  My favorite part of this book is honestly the atmosphere and the strong writing I’ve come to expect from Jaime Jo. I do struggle to stay fully invested this time but honestly, I listened to the audio and think I just wasn't as invested because the timelines and mysteries felt a bit too similar at points, and I found myself having to ...

  Three Blue Hearts by Lynne Kelly 4 Stars This is a beautiful, heartfelt story about courage, empathy, and helping animals. I loved Song for a Whale and this was another great middle grade book by Lynne. Max is our main character, a young 12 year old boy you will instantly connect with. He is trying to figure out who he is outside of his father's shadow. People always liked making plans or him when he was standing right there. His Dad wants him to play sports, but he doesn't have any interest in that. He has a lot of pressure put on him from his Dad. His parent split when he was 4 years old. His Mom is a high school history teacher and he goes to spend time with her at the beach during the summer.  He finds an octopus with a missing arm and in need of help. He takes it upon himself to help it and finds purpose in doing so.  We see themes of family pressure, friendship and self-discovery here as Max finds what he enjoys and is passionate about.  If you like middle g...

The Stories We Carry by Robin W. Pearson  4 Stars This is a heartfelt, Southern family story. Set in the small town of Gilmore, North Carolina, this Christian fiction is about Glory Pryor, who runs a bookstore in town and newcomer Adelle Simonette, who moves there with her young son. Their paths cross and both women have experience's they never expected. Adelle's is walking through grief from the loss of her husband. Glory is keeping secrets buried as her and her husband Eli are nearing retirement age as they look to moving on from the store to new things. Glory doesn't expect Adelle and her son working on her heart during their time there. I really enjoyed this book. I have been loving general contemporary women's fiction stories lately and this was another good one to add to my recommendation list going forward. It’s reflective and emotional without feeling too heavy. This is my first book by Robin and she writes with such warmth and depth, especially when exploring t...

 Coffee We Spill by Chelsea Michelle 4 Stars  Ok, this one had the cozy mystery I was looking for! :) This is the 3rd book in the Novella Mini Mystery Series - you need to read their full book though, Transactions We Expose probably before this one, I didn't and I think I can see where I was spoiled a smidge on some things but by the time I get back to the full novel, I will probably have forgotten that info, haha. But I have had fun with these mini-mystery novellas. This one is my favorite of the 3 I have read. I like how this one really focused on the mystery of someone missing and Michelle being a possible suspect.  Essentially, Michelle’s coffee shop is doing well but a a new coffee truck competitor rolls into town and then the owner suddenly goes missing. Blood stains are discovered on Michelle’s back door, she becomes the prime suspect, and her sister Chelsea jumps in to help prove her innocence.  The pacing really worked well, it was fast and engaging and I li...

Never Miss by Melissa Koslin 4 Stars  Melissa Koslin 'never misses' (see what I did there, haha) with her Christian Romantic Suspense books! I really enjoyed this one. We have a very intense, high-stakes book that keeps you hooked. We follow Former CIA sniper Kadance and scientist Lyndon. They make a great duo. She has the skills and tragic traumatic past to handle business when trouble comes along and Lyndon has the intellect and faith driven determination to keep going. The romance in this was awesome. FORCED PROXIMITY, and the CHEMISTRY between them was chef's kiss!  The plot itself delivers on action and suspense. We have a virus-centered storyline - someone wanting weaponize the Ebola virus. I am not always a big fan of virus-centered stories but this worked here for the high-intensity setup. I do wish some of the faith elements had been a little clearer or more developed. Kadance is not a believer and does start to be open to faith in this book but some of the discus...

Chaos We Unravel by Chelsea Michelle  Book 2 in A Watson Twins Mini Mystery Series 3 Stars Like the first novella, we have a light, faith centered mystery that can be read in one sitting. This one centers around the 4th of July celebration in Maple Springs with a mysterious fire that turns the picnic into a lot of chaos. The sisters Michelle and Chelsea work together to try and figure out what's going on in their amateur sleuthing. I like this doesn't have any murder in it, just them trying to figure out the happenings in the town.  The cozy mystery element here is fun because it has the small-town charm, family moments, and that wholesome “faith and family” tone that makes the series generally easy to enjoy. Novella length makes this easy to read quickly and just enjoy it for what happens.  Where the book is starting to lose me a bit was the ongoing romantic subplot with Michelle. After breaking up with her boyfriend of two years for seemingly no clear reason other tha...