A Tailor Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer

A Tailor Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer
5 Stars

I loved this one! I am really enjoying going through Karen's backlist books. Jericho "J.T." Tucker wants nothing to do with the new dressmaker in town because of his past experiences....issues with his mother and his viewpoint on fashion and beauty have left him with false expectation and impressions about Hannah Richards when she comes to town.

Hannah isn't too sure about his arrogant assumptions and grumpy self....but his little acts of kindness start to open her heart and his as he realizes how wrong he was about her, fashion, dressmaking and beauty. 

I loved the faith content the most in this book. J.T. really had a warped way of thinking when it came to beauty and fashion. His sister and Hannah pointing him back to scripture for him to really seek what the Lord said about the Proverbs woman was so good. I know several reviews mention not loving J.T.'s grumpiness, rudeness and inability to really express his feelings, but honestly, he reminded me a bit of my own husband and his grumpiness when we first met and his struggles to really express his own feelings today. It was a real look at men and Hannah really "seeing his heart" even when he couldn't say how he was feeling exactly was beautiful. 

Great romance, characters and another win for me with Karen!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4d7vFdh
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9780764207556_a-tailor-made-bride
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The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch

 

The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch

4.5 Stars 

I had such a great time with this thriller! This was a chilling, atmospheric thriller that completely pulled me in. I WAS SO HOOKED.

The setting alone hooked me. A fixer-upper in a small-town in Maine with ties to Acadia National Park? It had that isolated.... eerie vibe where you just know something isn’t right from the start. The house was almost like a character itself. 

We follow Gwen who is a former homicide detective and right from the start you are like....what's going on here? She is somewhat of an unreliable narrator because you question if the issues lie within her own mind with what she sees and hears in the house, is it trauma from the past or is someone out to get her truly? You also are trying to piece together why her and her husband and daughter left town to buy this new house and why she is no longer a detective.

I loved how the story slowly unraveled. The pacing kept me engaged, with just enough building in each chapter to keep me needing to know all the things. 

And the twists.....Y'ALL, it was definitely twisty with some big turns at the end that I didn’t fully see coming. Everything came together and I was like WHAT!! So good. If you like thrillers, you will definitely enjoy this one. This was my first Jessica Patch book and I am looking forward to more.

Please be aware that this book does lean into some heavier themes, so just be aware of content warnings: child abuse, murder, child death, miscarriage, fertility struggles, marriage issues, panic attacks, sexual assault, grooming, child abduction, mental health struggles. My only wish was for some added faith content since it was a love inspired read, there was not much faith moments or discussions.

Overall, this was a strong thriller with a haunting atmosphere that keeps you guessing. Thank you to the publisher Harlequin for a copy of the book to read for review. All thoughts are my own.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4uvybBl
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The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers

 The Atonement Child by Francine Rivers

5 Stars 

What can I say? Wow. This was one of those books that stays with you the rest of your life. I did a full spoiler-free reading vlog on this book - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VfloP09064&t= (second half of the vlog) and there were so many emotions. Francine doesn't shy away from the hard, painful realities of life, yet she handles them with such compassion, honesty and spiritual depth that while it's heartbreaking, it is also healing.

Dynah went through so much in this book. Her world shatters when she is raped and becomes pregnant from the assault. What moved me the most was how Francine really explored this journey with Dynah and not losing sight of the Lord. God was with Dynah. This book reminded me that no matter what evil befalls us....the Lord is with us through the battles, always. 

Seeing the generational addition to this book too, with Dynah's mother, grandmother and their own personal histories, really added to the book too. It was just as much their stories as Dynah's as they walked through healing. It shows the Lord can redeem even the darkest things in our lives. There is forgiveness in Christ.

Joe was also such an outstanding guy for me. We really see him be a good friend to Dynah and I loved that. 

Seeing Dynah really seek the Lord was beautiful and inspiring to me. How the Lord worked in her with Jim and his job....all I can say is...it brought me to tears.

This book really reminded me that sometimes when the world is trying to tell you all the things to think and do....that sometimes you need to step back and withdraw alone - just you and the Lord. Take your troubles to Him in prayer. He will answer. He will bring peace.

This is not a light read by any means but it's a profoundly important one. The characters are real and in desperate need of grace, forgiveness and healing.

Through it all, the Lord meets us in the darkest places and His mercy is big enough for every story. 

Content/Trigger Warnings: sexual assault (rape), unplanned pregnancy, abortion themes, family pressure, generational trauma, emotional abuse, PTSD symptoms, medical trauma, abortion procedures discussed, grief and loss, miscarriages

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4mX1tGk
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Every Home A Foundation by Phylicia Masonheimer

 

Every Home A Foundation by Phylicia Masonheimer 
3 Stars

I loved Every Woman a Theologian last year and was excited to dive into this one! This offers a hopeful vision of the Christian home as a place of discipleship, healing, and purpose.

She writes with enthusiasm about finding meaning in everyday tasks and building a culture of faith within our homes.

I loved the poetry included throughout and her stories about family, along with tips on setting routines and other ideas for maintaining a routine at home and worshiping the Lord in the every day mundane tasks.

While I appreciated this book, I struggled to fully connect with the book on a personal level.

My own home journey has looked very different from growing up in a chaotic, unstable environment where I really just wanted to get out of there as soon as I turned 18, to navigating life now as a special‑needs mother, where my home doesn't always have that routine or perfect look as many mom's crave. Some days we are just surviving honestly, lol. I don't really host people over or anything like that, so some things weren't relevant to me specifically.

Since I couldn't necessarily relate to a ton in this one or get a lot from it in the season of life I am in, my rating is really based on that, not the book itself I guess. The only negative comment I have on the book itself I guess is there were comments leading you to not worry about how your home really looks and to just be hospitable, but then leads you into all the things you do to keep you home orderly to make it hospitable, lol. I found that a bit contradictory.

Still, the book did leave me encouraged that I can continue breaking those generational curses of how I grew up and create beauty in my own home....intentionally shaping my home into a place of peace for my family.

A meaningful message, even if not a perfect fit for my season.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4eiZkmi

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

More Than Friends by Denise Hunter

 

More than Friends by Denise Hunter
3 Stars

Denise's books - I have enjoyed several but sometimes they don't always work out for me either. More Than Friends has the set up of a cozy, small‑town best‑friends‑to‑lovers romance with wild ponies, a loyal firefighter hero, and a mother‑with‑a‑mysterious‑boyfriend subplot. And while I enjoyed the setting and the heart behind it, I struggled to fully connect with the romance and characters this time.

Jenna and Tyson’s lifelong friendship turned romance was just something I didn't connect with but I think it could be a good option for my friends who like clean romance. I didn't love the third act breakup in this one and some of the romantic parts came across as awkward or slightly cringe rather than swoony, which made it harder to root for them as a couple. (ex: "their lips mated in a sensuous dance" lol)

The side mystery involving Jenna’s mom’s new boyfriend adds to the book and I liked how that ended up, she realized what she needed to.

Overall, while it wasn't a favorite, I think many would enjoy. The narration by Kim Churchill is always great!

Content: Romance is clean with kisses only, just some more odd statements as mentioned above about lips mating and being like magnets haha.

Thank you to the publisher for a complimentary e-book and audiobook to read for review. All thoughts are my own.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4t3Ra4Q Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9781400348732_more-than-friends

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

A Deal with a Debutante by Chelsea Bobulski

 

A Deal with a Debutante by Chelsea Bobulski 
4.5 Stars rounding up to 5

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH Y'ALL! What a fun regency romance book! I loved everything about it. The romance, the banter, the laughs...

We follow an American heiress Calliope Hart, who is pushed into London's high society by her mother because she is determined to marry her off. Edward Chase is the Earl of Hayward and its on it's way to financial ruin so to save his estate, he has to marry someone and Calliope is his only hope to do so. His immediate proposal of marriage is rejected and he offers a deal....he will escort her around London to see the best sights and visit his estate....then if she still isn't interested, he will let her go...

BUT y'all know how well that's gonna go, right? Hahah! I loved it!!

So much chemistry and interactions that were chef's kiss. 

Highly recommend for my regency romance girlies!

Romance was clean with kisses only, no content warnings, just a fun, clean read!

Thank you to Haven for the beautiful gifted book mail. I received a copy of the book from the publisher to read for review, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

P.S. The audiobook is FANTASTIC too!

Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9780764245251_a-deal-with-a-debutante
Amazon: https://amzn.to/41PQlBB
*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

Never Say Goodbye by Mandi Blake

Never Say Goodbye by Mandi Blake

Book 2 in the Unfailing Love Series
3 Stars

This was a second chance romance between Lindsey and Dakota. Let me start by saying I have LOVEEDDDD all of the Mandi Blake books I have read - over 20 books now. While this one wasn't 100% my fav, it was still a cute romance read with a redemption thread.

Dakota had a past with alcohol that rears its ugly head and he worked through that in this book. Lindsey and Dakota reconnect on their issues and resolve old wounds. The ending was really good with the added suspense piece, as always I was like whatttt I need to know haha.

Second chance is always a trope that is tricky for me personally as it is. With this one I was looking for a bit more detail between the two as they reconnected, felt like some parts were missing in a way. Either way, I am looking forward to continuing the series and seeing what's next. 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4tGa9Du

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