The Rare Jewel of Everleigh Wheaton - Susan L. Tuttle

The Rare Jewel of Everleigh Wheaton - Susan L. Tuttle

4 Stars

Book 1 in the Treasures of Halstead Manor Series

This was my first Susan Tuttle read and I had a lot of fun with it! We have friendship, mystery, and romance!

You root for Everleigh from page 1. She is somewhat of an introvert but when she gets fired from her job after a situation with her old patient's son after her mother's money happens...she gets a random note from the mystery man...Casper. Through this process, she meets 2 other ladies, Natalie and Brooke and several others along the way. They all have to work together to search for a missing Diamond. Through this process, she works with Niles also who is a Private Investigator...and feelings develop.

Everleigh is a very private person, she isolates herself and doesn't open easily to others. It makes it quite the journey as she works with everyone and builds those relationships, especially with the girls and a sweet friendship grows. 

The girls were all vulnerable in their friendships and it grew and it was so sweet!  I love a good female friendship in books. We also have sooo many good laughs in this one from characters like Aunt Gertie - she cracked me up! And the banter between Niles and Everleigh was chef's kiss!

I think the mystery itself is engaging without overshadowing the heart of the story. The author blends real historical threads with contemporary stakes, adding in a good treasure hunting plot that feels fun, whimsical and entertaining! :) The faith aspect was a nice added touch also.

Content/Trigger Warnings: Clean romance, no language, Death/Grief Mentioned, ALS, Nothing explicit or worrisome to me 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4c9WqP5
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The Rancher's Stolen Past by Tabitha Bouldin

 

The Rancher's Stolen Past by Tabitha Bouldin

3 Stars

A quick, love inspired Christian Fiction romance. Zane returns to his hometown and to the woman he never stopped loving....Molly. Molly lost her husband years ago as he was killed in the Army. She blames Zane for her husband ever going into the Army and to this day blames him for his death. She is not happy to see Zane again....it sets the stage for a book of regret, hope, grief, and rebuilding trust. I loved the moments between him and our main girl Molly's son, those were precious as I love a good single parent story.

Where I struggled a bit was with Molly’s long‑held resentment toward Zane. Her grief is real and understandable, but the way she blames him for her husband’s death felt more like misplaced anger than a fair reflection of what actually happened. Zane didn’t force her husband into the army, and at times her bitterness made it harder for me to connect with her as a character. Specifically where her anger went on for the majority of the book. Still, I could see what the author was aiming for, a woman wrestling with loss and learning to let go and let the Lord in....and by the end, it lands in a hopeful place of faith and new found love.

A good, quick love inspired read I enjoyed.

Thank you to the author for a copy of the book to honestly read and review, all thoughts are my own.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4rM3BBz
*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins - Melanie Dickerson

The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins - Melanie Dickerson
3 Stars 

Very sweet, regency romance - I think many younger readers would enjoy this as well, just being aware that there are themes of the main character being "overeager" to fall in love, as my friend Lindsey put it in here review here - I agree and liked her review, she explains it better than I ever could :) : https://booksforchristiangirls.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-good-fortune-of-miss-robbins-by.html

I feel very similar to her. It was sweet, quick, but I would have also liked more of her thinking about what is God's plan in all of this. There are some good faith bits though with scriptures and prayers, just not necessarily the overarching plan integral to the plot.

So in this book, we follow Charlotte Robbins, who accepts a governess position for the Earl of Brookhaven's siblings. As a lowly governess, she entertains thoughts of romance until she falls in love with William, the Earl himself.

She is pushed into London high society as she inherits a fortune from a relative. She has suitors vying for her attention but her heart belongs to William....story goes from here.

I liked it but it was just missing that extra something special for me personally. Maybe I was missing extra banter between the characters. I think it would be a good option for younger readers who would like a clean alternative to books like Bridgerton perhaps. 

Romance was clean with kisses only. No language and good moments of faith.

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

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4bMaI78
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9780764245220_the-good-fortune-of-miss-robbins
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Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

 Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
4.5 Stars
Rounding up to 5 on Goodreads

Sci-Fi but make it fun! That's what this book was! This is one of those smart, funny and heartfelt sci-fi books that even non-sci-fi readers can fall in love with. MEE! I am not a "science-fiction" girlie, but you give me good plot, good characters I can connect with and I am HERE!

I was SOOO invested in this one! Listened to the audiobook in TWO DAYS and only because I had to go to bed! LOL

Ryland Grace wakes up alone on a spaceship with no memory of who he is or why he is there. Slowly, through flashbacks and problem-solving.....he figures out he is humanity's last hope to stop an extinction-level event.....huge stakes, lots of tension...but at its core....the heart of this book is a friendship story. He forms an alliance with Rocky...one of the most unexpected, beautiful friendships you will ever read!

Even with me not understanding any of the science bits, I could still love the book! Highly recommend. The ending, I had a little mixed thoughts about, but ultimately, enjoyed! I am looking forward to the movie! :)

*Content/Trigger Warnings: I wouldn't say any of these are "extreme" or "graphic" but listing them anyway: medical procedures (non‑graphic), needles, blood draws, coma, memory loss, sacrifice themes, survival situations, life‑threatening danger, space peril, mild injury descriptions, global catastrophe themes, extinction‑level event, discussions of death (non‑graphic), unsettling alien biology, talks of evolution, language -- 2 or 3 GDs, few F words, other mild words but not a lot of them. Situational language that while I didn't love those bits, I get it. I loved the story still.

Amazon:  https://amzn.to/4bvjsQb

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Prayer - Timothy Keller

 Prayer - Timothy Keller

This was definitely theologically rich, as Keller brings together thoughts from church history pulling in Augustine, Calvin, Luther, Edwards, etc. I can see why many readers would like this deep look into prayer. For me, it was a bit of a barrier to connection. I wanted probably something a bit more relational and heart-level, more drawing near to the lived experience of prayer and intimacy of talking with God. The tone is more academic in nature (like a text book if you will). Not that it is a bad thing, just wasn't  what I was looking for specifically. While I appreciated the wisdom and I am glad I went through it, it just wasn't the kind of prayer book that stirs your affection for your daily walk with the Lord if that makes sense. If you love theologically deep, historical voices added to your non-fiction, check this out. If you are looking for more of a experiential, relational guide, you may feel a bit distant like me. Regardless, Keller's commitment to the Lord and grounding in prayer and scripture shine through. What I learned was very interesting!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lH1XzI
*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Agatha Christie

 

The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Agatha Christie

5 Stars

It's been almost 2 years since I picked up an Agatha book and I am so glad I picked this one up! Agatha Christie is who I always consider the QUEEN of Mystery! This was her debut novel and it's exactly the kind of classic mystery that shows just how she became that QUEEN! :)

This is book 1 in the Hercule Poirot series. We have a country estate, a sudden death, a house full of complicated relationships and a detective who sees what most people will overlook.

I love how Agatha lays out the puzzle, she gives you clues, red herrings and character dynamics that you becomes so interested in. Hastings, the narrator of the story, adds a layer of humor too. 

Did I figure it out, NO LOL - no surprise! But I am so glad I read it. I have read a few of hers before but it's been almost 2 years since I have read one, and getting back to it was such a JOY! I have been struggling with some of the books I have been reading to love them and this was just an awesome change of pace. I found myself looking up words I didn't understand and really learning!

It's short, clever and unique. Looking forward to more! 

Content/Trigger Warnings: Death, Murder, Poisoning, Nothing Explicit in Nature

Amazon: https://amzn.to/41jKUdH

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

The Pocket Pair - Emma St. Clair

The Pocket Pair by Emma St. Clair
3.5 Stars 

Book 3 in The Sheet Cake Texas Series

Read if you enjoy:

- Clean rom-coms

- Best Friend's Brother

- Friends to More

- Sister's Best Friend

- Forced Proximity

- Duel POV

- Slow Burn

- Friendships

The Pocket Pair was a fun continuation in Emma's Sheet Cake Texas series. We have the best-friend's-brother meets friends-to-more trope. I was catching up in this series with my friend Melissa as a buddy read and enjoyed chatting with a friend on it! 

We follow Val and Chevy in this one, they have loved each other forever and kept their feelings quiet....Chevy finds out his sister's best friend is leaving for Costa Rica and it rocks his world. She needs somewhere to stay until her flight so he offers his guest bedroom. They keep things cordial but as usual, feelings get in the way.

I liked this one for the friends, family and laughs. SO MANY LAUGHS. I cracked up so many times and that's what I always want in an Emma St. Clair. 

The romance did feel not as in depth for me personally as some of the bits were surface level, attraction based and there was the "not communicating feelings" thing probably more than I would have liked, but the ending was super cute! 

Glad to have read it either way!

*Content/Trigger Warnings: loss of a parent, parental abandonment, physical injuries, romance was kisses only, but I feel like it was a bit more than I usually like in their romantic thoughts of attraction and how they technically were living under the same roof for a time. No explicit content though.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PRB4gB
*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.