Sirens and Sea Captains by Courtney Denelsbeck

 

Sirens and Sea Captains by Courtney Denelsbeck
3.5 - rounding up to 4 Stars 

This was a fun novella to read! I like pirates and mermaids so it was a good little novella to escape in throughout the week at bedtime when I picked up my kindle. 

This is a YA fantasy romance where Lenora is betrothed to the pirate captain. Her father sends her on the boat with her betrothed and Lenora's devastated because the man she thought she would be with has moved on to someone else and she is left betrothed to a pirate captain.

She's on the ship with the roughest crew, having to help out unexpectedly throughout the trip with her loyal pet axolotl by her side. Sirens lurk the waters out in the deep ocean though and they all endure quite the adventure on the seas.....

I think if you like pirates, creatures, mermaids, adventures on ships, check this out. There is some Christian allegory as well as she prays to the "Maker", which was nice.

Lots of action as sirens attack and Lenora is trying to figure things out along the way since the pirate captain is so mysterious to her.

The romance is clean with kisses only. Since it's a novella, things moved super quick, so I would have like a bit more details of Lenora and the Captain interacting and talking I think. But overall, it was a good, quick short novella I had fun reading to suspend reality for a bit. 

Thank you to the author for sending a copy of the ebook to honestly read for review. All thoughts are my own.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4vFX1j4
*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego

You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego
4.5 Stars

THIS WAS A WILD RIDE Y'ALL! This is a very clever, twisty locked-room mystery! If you love thrillers or mysteries, this will be one to check out for sure!

6 thriller authors are invited to an exclusive writing retreat on a private island as a game centered around classic mystery tropes....but things turn deadly when one of the guests is murdered. You know what's next...

I loved the cast of characters, the atmosphere, the isolated island...it was giving And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie vibes honestly! (Another favorite of mine from this year!)

As somebody who never figures out the "who-dun-it" in the book, you already know I never knew who to trust but it kept me engaged as I read along. I was just here for the ride!

The premise is especially fun for thriller fans because the characters themselves are mystery writers. They know all the tricks and tropes, which adds another layer to the cat-and-mouse game unfolding on the island. The author clearly had fun playing with classic mystery conventions while still delivering surprising twists.

The large cast occasionally made it challenging for me to keep track of everyone and their motivations, particularly in the beginning but thats a ME thing. The audio helped me keep track since it was a FULL CAST! I LOVEEEE a good FULL CAST AUDIOBOOK! :) I became fully invested in this one.

If you enjoy locked-room mysteries, isolated settings, and stories that keep you second-guessing every character, this one is worth adding to your TBR!

Content/Trigger Warnings: Mild to moderate language, murder, psychological tension, lots of death in general 

Libro.fm Audio (Supports Local Indie Book Stores): 

https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9780593949863-you-are-fatally-invited (on sale as of 6/24)
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Amazon: https://amzn.to/3R0O9VZ
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Chasing the Clouds Away by Debbie Macomber

 Chasing the Clouds Away by Debbie Macomber

4.5 rounded up to 5 Stars

I loved this book so much. It's a book all about family, doing unto others, what it means to be kind, and second chances. We follow Chase who is making his way back home to figure out things for his mother's funeral. He's a rich man, rude and in quite the mood when he runs into Maisy on his flight. She has a peace about her that gets him thinking like no one has ever done before. They talk a bit on the plane ride, he expresses his mother passed away and he didn't have a relationship with her due to her leaving the family from being an alcoholic many years ago. He tells her no one will probably be at her funeral anyway.....Maisy is saddened by this. 

After the plane lands, Chase is in an uproar about his delays in travel to get to where he needs to be and Maisy offers him a ride to the funeral home. He begs her to let him pay for her trouble but she says no, this is what people do for each other in kindness. She asks him to pay it forward, a concept that is foreign to Chase. They part ways but Maisy has left quite the impression on him....

They meet back up after he realizes Maisy and her grandmother attended his mother's funeral and the rest go on from here as Chase starts to realize the meaning of family, kindness and love.

This was a "right book, right time" type of read for me. I have never read Debbie's books but this was sweet, wholesome and had a clean romance that I really liked. I love redemption arcs for people in stories and this had it for Chase. Loved Maisy's family, Patrick was the sweetest little boy too. While the conflict in the ending wasn't my 100% fav to see, I can understand and loved how it ended up all the same. 

This book also had some good faith moments that surprised me, mentions of God naturally in the book, how He would provide in times of trouble and how He got many through their sobriety.

Overall, a solid contemporary romance book that I would recommend!

Content/Trigger Warnings: 1 D word but that's all I could remember right off, parental death mention, brief grief shown, past miscarriages mentioned, romance is clean with kisses only

Thank you to the publisher for a ebook copy to read for review, all thoughts are my own but I also purchased a copy of the audiobook and physical book :)

Libro.fm Audio (Supports Local Indie Book Stores): 

https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9798217156801-chasing-the-clouds-away
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Amazon: https://amzn.to/3SnWK5s
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Beautiful Storm by Mandi Blake

 Beautiful Storm by Mandi Blake
3 Stars 
Book #4 in The Unfailing Love Series

This was a sweet Christian romance and another enjoyable installment in this series. I've been reading through Mandi's backlist with my friend Melissa, and it's been fun to see where her writing journey began. Having read more than 20 of Mandi's books, I appreciate the chance to go back and experience some of her earlier work. While this one wasn't a new favorite, I still found it to be a good read.

Tori's seemingly perfect life falls apart when her doctor husband leaves her for another woman. As she tries to rebuild her future, she receives an unexpected surprise in her divorce settlement.....a cabin in Georgia. When she travels there to sort out her new circumstances, she meets Marcus. Marcus is raising his younger sister and three brothers while dealing with the challenges of a mother who continues to make destructive choices. The connection between Marcus and Tori is immediate, and their relationship develops with a strong love-at-first-sight feel.

I enjoyed the story overall, but it didn't stand out to me as much as some of Mandi's more recent releases. That's a difficult comparison to make since this was part of her first series and she has grown so much as an author over the years. Her new books are almost always 5 star favorites for me. She's really perfected her timelines and being able to make it a very natural progression of what happens in the stories. This was still a charming Christian romance with likable characters and a heartwarming message. I'm not usually a fan of insta-love romances like this with the more cheesy bits, but this one ended up being a solid read rather than a standout favorite for me.

Looking forward to book 5!

Libro.fm Audio (Supports Local Indie Book Stores): 
https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9781662284601-beautiful-storm

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Amazon series link: https://amzn.to/4w5jxBC
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To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer

To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer 

5 Stars

I am having the BEST time going through Karen's backlist books y'all! THEY ARE SO GOOD. This is what Christian Fiction should be to me! 

I read this book with my friend Melissa and we both loved it so much! This book is a story of second chances, redemption, keeping promises made to the Lord even when it's hard....so many good things here.

Levi was THE BEST guy and his redemption story was so strong. He has a tough background where he paid for his crimes and committed his life to the Lord going forward. He is in town and starting fresh as the town's new blacksmith. He also has a lisp and has for as long as he could maintained not saying words with the "s" sound as he is embarrassed by this. As a Mom to a little guy with speech issues, this tugged at my heart strings so much. Karen is so talented to be able to maintain using words without the "s" sound in his dialogue too. Eden is the librarian in town and while she doesn't really seem like the nicest woman in the world at first, the Lord opens her heart throughout the story and I loved seeing her faith journey unfold here. Levi and Eden together were the best, and seeing how they each cared about every single person no matter their background and stood for the people they believed in, was so good. Despite Eden's original feelings and judgements, the Lord really did a work in her heart about people. 

The book has depth, natural chemistry with the characters, memorable moments and a faith message that stands out.

I honestly don't even know what else to say. This may be my favorite of Karen's, but of course, they all are!! 

p.s. The Sherriff in this book can kick rocks LOL

p.p.s. EPILOUGE took me out. I was sobbingggg! So good.

Content/Trigger Warnings: Alcohol, Saloons, Brothel, Gambling, Romance was kisses only and clean, no language

Libro.fm Audio (Supports Local Indie Book Stores): https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9780840714695-conspiracy
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Amazon: https://amzn.to/4fasIeQ
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New Daily Grace Company Summer Items (Updated June 2026)

Hey y'all! The Daily Grace Co has some great new launches to look at! I love their bible studies and products, so just want to share their newest launches with you guys!

No pressure, but you can get 10% off your The Daily Grace Co order with code BOOKLOVERAMANDA (unlimited uses, updated June 2026)

Surprise Bible Study Boxes! Check these out! You already know I LOVE a good mystery surprise box!  
$50 box: https://collabs.shop/xgsnvp
$100 box: https://collabs.shop/xbyqs2 

(Details Below)

Unbox a hand-picked, surprise collection of Daily Grace Co. Bible study essentials valued at almost $135—yours for a limited time for only $50! (or the $100 box is even more value).

They also have some new bible studies and I am working my way through their new "Abide" bible study, Growing Closer to Christ Every Day. 

I needed this study so much with so many things going on in my life. 

Check it out here:

https://collabs.shop/knqd5r

Another Bible Study from the Daily Grace Co I plan to get into this year, is their new Immanuel Bible Study.

Learn more here: https://collabs.shop/szltr4

I also picked up their devotional, Never Ending Mercies recently, I need it also!

Learn more here: https://collabs.shop/hnsxuv

Every single day, I need the Lord. We have so much going on with my Dad's cancer diagnosis, him starting chemo, and several other personal items, so I truly love Daily Grace's partnership and products that help me center my heart back to the Lord when I need it most.

To anyone who uses my discount code to support, I appreciate you. There is never any pressure to use it. Never any pressure to purchase. I just love sharing these resources with you all and if you do decide to pick up a gift or something for yourself, I pray these will bless you.

Love, 

Amanda

Conspiracy by Colleen Coble

Conspiracy by Colleen Coble 
4 Stars
Book #3 in the Sanctuary Series

A good ending to this series! I love these audiobooks. We pick back up with Blake and Paradise in book #3 of this series and you're pulled right back into the wildlife sanctuary and traumas of the past with our characters. Paradise is a wildlife veterinarian and just when she thinks she can move on with her partner Blake in a romantic relationship, all of the past threats re-emerge that have been following them throughout the series. Everyone is searching for who killed Paradise's parents and Drew's father. As you usually see in romantic suspense, lots of secrets, fast paced action and not knowing who to trust. 

The narrator does such a great job with the emotions as you listen, I always love Karen Peakes' narrations with Colleen's books. Very bingeable series. I also liked the tie in with the Tupelo grove series with Hez and Savannah, I finished that series this year too!

Content/Trigger Warnings: Mention of past sexual assault, past parental death, past trauma processing as a child, intense situations with wild animals, death mentioned, not extremely detailed by any means for me, loss of loved ones mentioned

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for a complimentary gifted copy of the ebook and audiobook to read and listen to for review. All thoughts are my own.

Libro.fm Audio (Supports Local Indie Book Stores): https://libro.fm/audiobooks/9780840714695-conspiracy
Sign up for Libro.fm here: https://libro.fm/referral?rf_code=lfm206402

Amazon Series Link: https://amzn.to/49W5p5c

Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9780840714671_conspiracy
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