The Sisterhood of Unlikely Friends by Sara Brunsvold

Special thanks to Charity C Photography for the photos at Plenty Bookshop :)

 The Sisterhood of Unlikely Friends by Sara Brunsvold

4.5 Stars 

"Love, affection, and honor are what hold us together," Reva said. "And that not of ourselves, but of the One who designed us for community. When we chose Jesus, we chose his people too, every flawed, beat-up one of them."

"We also recognize that we sit at this table at different points in our Christian maturity," Reva said. "We remember that God is working in each of us in different ways at different times, as our faith is ready to receive it, and we are responsible for guarding each's other's well-being, even if that means we must drag a sister away from things that will harm her."

"Perhaps the most important thing we remember is that the way we one-another is meant to be a dazzling display of Christ's love to the world around us, especially to those whose lives rub against out own."

"I see a child shivering under storm clouds that she doesn't yet recognize contain blessing."

Wow. This is a heartfelt, emotional Christian women's fiction book exploring friendship, the importance of community and what it means to live faith out alongside others. Jess is a 42 year old woman who starts over in Kansas City with a new faith and a determination to make better choices. She befriends her teenage neighbor and starts attending a new church and finds herself surrounded by women who come from different backgrounds, each navigating their own struggles. 

I liked how this explored Christian friendship and the important of loving our neighbors, doing for others, bearing each other's burdens, encouraging one another in the Lord. Some quotes reminded me of the sisters in Christ I have where we have given those little gentle rebukes to encourage us, call us out when needed and share the truth when needed. That is a true friend, with open honest conversation.

Jess and Austie's friendship specifically focused on the balance of grace, compassion and the reality that you cannot make someone else's choices for them. It shows that loving someone through a difficult season isn’t always easy or straightforward.

One of the most meaningful parts of Jess’s story was watching her navigate her unexpected health diagnosis. She is so determined to keep everything together and be strong for the people around her, but her own struggles force her to face how difficult it can be to let others in. I appreciated how this storyline highlighted the vulnerability that comes with uncertainty and the reminder that we aren't meant to carry every burden alone. Loved the discussion Reva and Jess had in the end, so beautiful. 

We were never meant to walk our lives alone, community is so important. In today world with all the technological advancements, its so easy for us to back out of those in person meetings, myself included. This book reminded me to step out of those comfort zones. These women were in different walks of life, different seasons and ages. It emphasized the importance of building friendships outside your typical circle or age group. Their differences are part of what make their friendships meaningful. 

This was a good Christian friendship story that I think many would enjoy.

Thank you to the Revell and Sara for a gifted copy to read and review. All thoughts are my own.

Content: alcohol use mentioned, drug use and addiction, chronic illness/serious medical diagnosis, family conflict, grief - all handled with grace in Christian Fiction and faith 

Libro.fm Audiobook: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9798898857592-the-sisterhood-of-unlikely-friends

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Amazon: https://link.amazon/B0j0B5155
Baker: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9780800746131_the-sisterhood-of-unlikely-friends
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Malice by John Gwynne

 Malice by John Gwynne
4.5 Stars
Book 1 in the Faithful and the Fallen Series

This was a book completely outside of my comfort zone! I really enjoyed it. High fantasy isn't always my genre but it worked here. While it has a lot of characters and world building thrown at you for the first 50%, after you get there...you ARE THERE and you enter...I NEED TO KNOW territory!

Malice takes place in the Banished Lands which is a world of rival kingdoms, uneasy alliances, ancient legends and a growing conflict between good and evil. Our main character is Corban, a young boy who begins the book being bullied and entering training by a stablemaster, Gar. His coming of age story is connected to something much larger...A prophecy hangs over everything.

Many other characters we follow their POV:

- Corban is easy to root for as an ordinary farm boy with extreme growth as he ages and trains
- Nathair is charming, ambitious and complicated....
- Veradis is loyal to a fault....admirable but frustrating.....
- Cywen is spirited and one of my favs.....
- Evnis is not a good guy right from the start....

Among many other smaller POVs enter the story too. 

While secular in nature, this book had some noticeable biblical themes and influence in the prophecy, spiritual warfare and conflict between a creator figure and a fallen power. These ideas are tied in the fantasy world.

As far as the pacing, it is certain a slow burn story, especially at the start. Gwynne takes time to introduce you to kingdoms, relationships, rivalries....history....everything. While this can feel dense, it is needed to get the scene set. It took me a while to get on with everything but once the action started....man I was HERE.

I am already looking forward to book 2. Glad I read this with Tay, Tammy and Lindsay!

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy classic epic fantasy, large casts, coming-of-age stories, morally complicated loyalties, political conflict and a lot of fantasy battles. 

Content: I will list these I found online below for reference. But honestly, nothing really bothered me in this book, it was just super intense with the violent battles. But as always, listing these below for your reference to decide. 

Violence and gore: Frequent, detailed battle scenes, sword fighting, bloodshed, serious injuries and graphic deaths. Death and murder: Multiple character deaths, including the deaths of loved ones and parental figures. Animal cruelty and animal death. Bullying: Harassment, intimidation, and cruelty toward characters. Abuse: References to physical and emotional abuse. Kidnapping and captivity: Characters are abducted and placed in dangerous situations. Torture: References to torture and physical suffering. Grief and trauma: Loss, bereavement, and the emotional effects of violence. Mild language

Amazon: https://link.amazon/B065TtjYi
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Shortbread in the Highlands by Robin Jones Gunn

 Shortbread in the Highlands by Robin Jones Gunn
Book 3 in the Suitcase Sisters Series but can be read as a standalone 
 Does not connect with other stories in the series.
4 stars

I have loved this series by Robin! Great friendship stories are hard to find these days. Cousins Nora and Allie travel to Scotland to help find their Gran's missing diary after she inherits an old, beautiful library from someone in her past that has been a secret for a very long time....

The journey these girls take was so great. This one is my favorite setting of the 3 so far. I love Scotland and it had a lot of good references from books I read in the past. What made this read for me was the discussion we had in the bloom book club on my friend Keisha's channel (linked: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB8AKUx8HrQ)

I really liked the focus and themes on slowing down, taking time to soak in the world around us. So often we are in a busy schedule that we forget to just slow down and see what the Lord wants us to see. Scotland for these girls meant reflection. 

While I wanted a bit more back story of the girls in the beginning, by the end I loved the journey they took and think anyone who likes travel friendship books will like this!

Libro.fm Audiobook: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9798899748868-shortbread-in-the-highlands

If you want to support your local Indie bookstore, sign up for Libro.FM Audiobooks. I love them and my subscription supports my local indie store. https://libro.fm/referral?rf_code=lfm206402

Amazon: https://link.amazon/B05lySVhT

Baker: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9780800744847_shortbread-in-the-highlands
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The Undercover Bookshop by Katherine Reay

 The Undercover Bookshop by Katherine Reay 
3.5 Stars

Thank you to UpLit reads, Harper Muse and author for a gifted physical and ebook copies of this book to honestly read for review. Also a special thanks to Libro.FM for the gifted audiobook to listen to for review. All thoughts are my own.

I liked this one pretty good. It is a historical mystery set in the 1950s that combines the cozy appeal of a small English village with the intrigue of Cold War espionage. I loved the unique premise, the bookshop setting, and the way the story weaves together mystery, history, and romance. The story has a lot of moving pieces, but it offers an interesting look at belonging, courage, and finding your place in an unfamiliar community. 

I LOVED the bookish pieces to this. For example, one of my favorite quotes: 

“We don’t grow out of the stories we read; we grow through them. Even in rereading them, they point us to our earlier selves and show us how we’ve grown from that first meeting and those experiences. They become part of us.”

I related to that so much in my own personal reading journey.

I also loved the Agatha Christie references. I also loved how this was tied to a real person in history and their true story as a spy.

Gemma is such a fun sleuth because she has a good eye for mysteries and notices things people don't. She is looking for friendship and finds that with Ursula. She really looks into Ursula and she starts questioning her secrets.

Gemma had a romance with Charlie who is the local constable. He helped her in the research and was a great guy. I really liked how that all played out.

From an audiobook standpoint, the narration was great. She did a good job bringing the characters to life, like a movie.

My only hiccup....the pacing was a bit off for me, as I was losing interest, I would find myself tuning out on the audio at times and not as inclined to read it as with other books. That could just be a me thing as I am really struggling to get through certain books with so much going on in my day to day. 

Either way, if you enjoy historical fiction with a mystery to figure out and a touch of romance, this one is worth adding to your TBR.

Libro.FM Audio: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781400352593-the-undercover-bookshop

If you want to support your local Indie bookstore, sign up for Libro.FM Audiobooks. I love them and my subscription supports my local indie store. https://libro.fm/referral?rf_code=lfm206402

Amazon: https://link.amazon/B0i9SQSly

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

Misfit Mansion by Kay Davault

💛 🎨Misfit Mansion by Kay Davault👻 💛

5 Stars

I really liked this! The artwork is gorgeous and the message of found family was fantastic. I think this would be a great graphic novel to read in the fall time. Thanks to my bestie Keisha for the recommendation. Don't let the monster vibe scare you away, this was perfection for me because of the beautiful message attached to it. It works because we have themes of friendship, family and standing up for others when they may look different. I also felt very attached to the characters. 

Content: No language or graphic content in my opinion. There are some mentions of supernatural things but it was very whimsical to me and lighthearted. A couple of moments with 1 character that appear "somewhat scary" but nothing explicit or gory to me. 

I am looking forward to the next one soon! I have it borrowed from the library.

Amazon: https://link.amazon/B072P7epp

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Orange is the Color of Goodbye by Christian Suzann Nelson

Orange is the Color of Goodbye by Christina Suzann Nelson

5 Stars

Wow. The only way I can express my feelings truly is in the reading vlog here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atmbNGUoG-s&t=

But let me try....

Christina Suzann Nelson has become a favorite author from only reading 2 of her books now. That is truly saying something. Her writing is beautiful and immediately pulls you in. This book was an emotional, through-provoking story about family, grief, forgiveness....complicated mother-daughter relationships....BUT GOD. As always, God shows up in ways we least expect Him to. 

We follow Eden, a mother who has been through difficult experiences with her son's cancer battle. Her son is cancer free and when all seems to be well.....she has to return home from California to Oregon to help care for her estranged, dying mother. She has to be forced to confront painful memories and unhealed trauma. Her husband is the best guy...he stays back with the kids and encourages Eden to do what she needs to do. He offers to help but Eden continues to say she has to do this all on her own.

One of the things that made this book especially meaningful to me was how deeply I connected with the subject of hoarding and the impact it can leave on a family. This isn't an easy topic to navigate, especially when it involves your parents. I grew up in a similar home as what Eden had to deal with and my parents still live in a home similar to it today. It's hard to process at times. I appreciate the author honestly exploring how hard this can be. Sometimes the people we love can leave us with wounds that are difficult to explain to others and healing isn't always as simple as deciding to forgive and move on.

The mother-daughter relationship in this book was another aspect standing out to me. The book explores toxic family dynamics, generational wounds....the difficulty to break cycles of dysfunction. I appreciate the author doesn't try to wrap everything in a neat little bow or give us a cookie-cutter ending. Instead, the book feels raw and real. She recognized that complicated relationships don't always have a simple resolution and that healing looks different for everyone.

The faith weaved in this book, even in painful circumstances, prove there is possibility of finding beauty in the ashes. We can lean on the Lord and allows others to support us through difficult situations. God sends people to help us even when we least expect Him to. Melody and Alyssa were true friends that the Lord sent to Eden in her time of need.

Overall, this was an emotional heavy read that gave me so much to think about. I think if you love realistic family stories that explore difficult relationships, grief, forgiveness and the messy process of healing will have a lot to appreciate here. It's a reminder that even in the hardest seasons, the Lord is with us.

Content note: This book explores parental illness and end-of-life care, a child's cancer journey, hoarding, toxic family relationships, past sexual assault, domestic violence, and generational trauma.

Thank you to Christina Suzann Nelson for providing a ebook copy to read for review. I have purchased a physical copy for my shelves, as this is now a favorite book of all time for me.

All thoughts are my own.

Amazon: https://link.amazon/B0cvCJgtV
*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

High Exposure by Kelly Borjas

 

High Exposure by Kelly Borjas

4 Stars

If you like Christian romantic suspense, you'll like this one. This is first in a new series and the first book I have read by Kelly. This is set in snowy mountains of Colorado and has a lot of secrets, drugs, danger and high stakes. 

I really liked the suspense element and the romance between Julia and Cade. Julia's faith journey was also really great to see throughout the book. Her parents never gave up on her and knew the Lord would continue to pursue her through her grief of losing her sister years ago. She turned from God in all of this hardship...but she sees how good He has been in the craziness of everything that happens. 

Julia is a travel blogger on a final assignment in Colorado. She is trying to rebuild her life and career in journalism but gets caught up in a murder investigation leading to more series stakes and puts her in danger.

Cade is a former DEA agent and has secrets he keeps from Julia, trying to keep her safe. As things unfold...danger increases and Julia and Cade grow closer.

While I didn't love Cade keeping things from her, I get it. It's a pretty good start to the series as I always love the fast paced suspense books. Looking forward to the next one.

Thank you to the publisher and author for a gifted copy to read for review. All thoughts are my own.

Content - no spice, kisses only, grief from loss of loved ones mentioned, intense action, drugs, violence, death, dangerous situations - nothing explicit but just general things like this in the suspense bits.

Amazon: https://link.amazon/B0gYFjVT5
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9780825452635_high-exposure

Libro.Fm Audiobook: https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9798895642603-high-exposure

If you want to support your local Indie bookstore, sign up for Libro.FM Audiobooks. I love them and my subscription supports my local indie store. https://libro.fm/referral?rf_code=lfm206402

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.