Book Review: My Hope Next Door by Tammy L. Gray

 

My Hope Next Door - Tammy L. Gray - 5 Stars - A beautiful, redemptive story all about forgiveness and new beginnings! (Book 2 in The Fairfield Duology)

This book TOOK ME THROUGH IT Ya’ll! Such a beautiful redemptive story all about forgiveness and new beginnings. This was such realistic story that grabbed me from the very first page and deals with issues Christians face in their everyday life. 5 BIG STARS.

We follow Katie and Asher as they overcome their past challenges, find forgiveness and each other.

Katie's past is all surrounding drugs and a bad reputation. After running from her hometown many years ago, Katie is back home because of an illness her mother is facing. She's turned her life around and wants to do the right thing, but every where she turns her past is staring her in the face and she doesn't know how to overcome it. Then she meets Asher - the boy next door and the son of a small-town pastor. His life has been turned upside down when his breakup left him wounded by members of his church. He meets Katie and even though they come from 2 different worlds, they need each other more than they know.

I absolutely LOVED the ending to this story. I will admit, it was a tough read for me personally as I could relate to the parental fights and hoarding battles Katie was going through with her parents. I found myself saying, we'll I've said that to my parents before - lol. Parts were very emotionally draining for me personally just because of some of those things but overall I loved how this ended and it's now one of my favorite books of the year. I loved the aspect of forgiveness, the romance was AMAZING, Asher is the BEST, he was so patient with Katie and I loved that he never gave up on her. The faith was wonderful....What else can I say? I couldn't stand the scenes with Cooper, which I guess was the point for readers LOL but I am excited to read the next book to see how the other characters play out.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5372220515
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PPCJl0
YouTube Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFKv2eeju0

Book Review: A Lady of Esteem by Kristi Ann Hunter

 

A Lady of Esteem - Kristi Ann Hunter - 4 Stars - Such a great introduction to the characters of Hawthorne House! (Prequel 0.5 in The Hawthorne House Series)

What a fun introduction to the characters of Hawthorne House! I listened to this on audio since it was a quick listen and short novella that introduces us to Amelia and Anthony. Lots of regency vibes!

Amelia Stalwood lives in London but she has never really met any nobility or anything - her closest friends are servants. Her paths cross with the Hawthorne Family and their close family friend, Anthony, former Raeburn Rake. Anthony is very interested in her and I loved their interactions, especially when they first meet, I was laughing! Just as she is starting to get comfortable, she's blindsides by some unexpected changes and nasty rumors....the story took off here.

I enjoyed seeing Anthony's transformation and the ending was wrapped up really nicely. Amelia was such a great character too! Very entertaining read and I am excited to dive into book 1 of the official series!

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5377990972
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3pOKVHA
YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFKv2eeju0

Book Review: Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

 

Spinning Silver - Naomi Novik - 4 Stars - 3 Brave Women making hard choices and sacrifices.

This is the story of 3 brave women who each have their own hard choices to make, quests to embark on and sacrifices to make. Told in 1st person, with multiple perspectives, I think we have 6 in total, but a few primary perspectives. Many have said this is a Rumpelstiltskin retelling, but I would say it’s loosely based on that and truly made into its own fairytale. We follow 3 main women’s stories – Miryem, Wanda and Irina. Each have an important role to play in this quest to stop the all-consuming threat – the king of the Staryk – grim fey creatures who seem to be more ice then flesh.

I feel like we had some great “found family” vibes in this book and the story truly kept me engaged – especially since Fantasy isn’t my go-to genre. That’s really why I give it 4 stars, because I read this in 1 day – I was SO interested and engaged in the story. This book really has winter vibes to the highest level – it really feels like winter is personified into its own character – which I love. You truly feel the atmosphere while reading it.

My only complaint is the chapters/perspectives are not labeled, so I had the hardest time trying to figure out who was talking sometimes – mostly at the beginning as Naomi does a pretty good job differentiating the voices of the characters in general, but I still think this book could benefit from having titles for each POV throughout the story, especially since they’re all 1st person.

Our characters were very strong-willed women and I loved it. Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father was not making the effort to get their money back. With their mother sick and no food in sight, Miryem takes things into her own hands and sets out to claim what is owed. She becomes known for being able to turn silver into gold, which gets the attention of the king of the Staryk, leaving Miryem with some extreme struggles. Miryem is also Jewish, so I loved seeing the details surrounding her traditions and family. Very layered. I wish we had more of those details.

Then we have Wanda, she is hard worker who works for Miryem to pay off her father’s debt but also starts working for her own money as well. Her mother passed away and her father is extremely abusive, so she is so thankful Miryem basically saves them from their bad home life by taking her to work for them. Wanda is a strong woman who will do anything to protect her family and those she cares about.

Lastly, we have Irina, whose Father schemes and wants her to marry her off to the “tsar”. We are following Irina’s crazy path with this “tsar” as he holds a secret within himself that threatens ALL.

Miryem and Wanda were my favorite characters but Irina was great too. Overall, a wild adult fantasy story that I thoroughly enjoyed! THAT ENDINGGGG had me on the edge.

Content warnings: I would say this is a secular, adult fantasy story that leans a bit on the grimdark side, deals with family trauma, parental abuse, family death of parents and children, alcoholism and discussions of sexual assault. One character has a dark side that some may find rides a fine line of what they could be comfortable with – as it did for me, but I was overall ok with how it was portrayed.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5372499552
Amazon: https://amzn.to/44nh9ZC
YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFKv2eeju0

Book Review: The Maid of Ballymacool by Jennifer Deibel

 

The Maid of Ballymacool - Jennifer Deibel - 5 Stars - Full of mystery, romance, history, faith, cinderella vibes - so GOOD!

The Maid of Ballymacool by Jennifer Deibel is one of my favorite books of 2023 so far! Full of mystery, romance, history, emotions, faith, secrets, Cinderella vibes, a swoon-worthy male lead and a villainous headmistress -- this story has all the makings to be one of my favorite books of the year! 5 stars!

I have loved both of Jennifer’s books so far, A Dance in Donegal and The Lady of Galway Manor, but The Maid of Ballymacool is my favorite one yet! There was something about Michael and Brianna that just made them unforgettable and unique.

Set in the 1930s in Ireland, Brianna Kelly was abandoned at Ballymacool House and Boarding School as a baby. She’s worked there her entire life and the Headmistress, Maureen Magee, runs the school and is a force to be reckoned with. Miss Magee also raised Brianna since she was a baby who was left on her doorstep. She is so cruel to Brianna and we are trying to figure out why she holds such a grudge against her – because it’s obvious there’s some internal turmoil secretly stored with Miss Magee about Brianna. Michael Wray comes to Ballymacool to oversee his unruly cousin and from the very beginning he stole my heart in this story. He meets Brianna, they connect immediately, and things take off from here as Michael shows his loyalty and heart throughout the story. He is truly the hero in this story and I LOVED it! What they discover together throughout this book changes so much in Ballymacool House and Boarding School.

The reason I loved Michael so much in this is he showed such love, loyalty, strength, commitment. He was not afraid to stand up for what is right, especially to the headmistress. Jennifer pulled Michael in the story at all the right moments when I, as a reader, would think “I hope Michael is about to show up!” and he did! He just has such a tender, loving heart and respect for others that I loved. He also had a good foundational faith that I really appreciated.

Brianna was such a complex character, and I was so intrigued from the very beginning. Her story really reminded me of Cinderella in many ways. She was passive because of all the hardship she had in her life and Michael helped her really open herself up to everyone else and be able to grow. Also loved the side characters, specifically Finnuala.

Overall, this is my favorite of Jennifer’s books so far and I highly recommend if you love Historical Romance! (Also, loved seeing a couple of characters from A Dance in Donegal here! 😊 )

Thank you to Baker Publishing, Revell and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy to honestly read and review.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4926442550
Amazon: https://amzn.to/44oTKqC
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/465113
YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFKv2eeju0

Book Review: Counted with the Stars by Connilyn Cossette

 

Counted with the Stars - Connilyn Cossette - 5 Stars - I am completely blown away. A beautiful biblical fiction story.

Counted with the Stars by Connilyn Cossette was Connilyn's debut novel and WOW I was really blown away with how connected I was to these characters and story! I just love the time period around Exodus in the Bible so this was for me!❤️ Love that we got a little romance in this too.

This is all about a young Egyptian woman named Kiya who was sold into slavery by her father and was forsaken by the man she was supposed to marry. She becomes friends with a young Hebrew woman, flees with the Hebrews after going through the plagues described in the book of Exodus. Will she turn back to Egypt or will she surrender her life to God?

This was beautiful in every way. Very biblically accurate and transports you right into the culture of the Egyptians and Hebrews. I was so intrigued by the Egyptian's view of the plagues too. I read this super fast and look forward to more by this author!

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4796500698
Amazon: https://amzn.to/44IeysL
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/38110
YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFKv2eeju0

Book Review: Memory Lane by Becky Wade

 

Memory Lane - Becky Wade - 4 Stars - A great start to a new series! 

Memory Lane by Becky Wade is the first book in a new series, A Sons of Scandal Romance series. Set on a remote island in Maine, we follow Remy Reed, who spends most of her time working on wood sculptures and spending quiet time to herself. One day, she sees an unknown man swimming in the ocean, struggling to stay afloat. She goes out to sea and rescues this mystery man and everything takes off from here. We see Remy, her friend Leigh and a local EMT working to help this man get better, but he has a serious case of amnesia so they end up with the name “Jonah” for him until they can reveal his real identity.

This story took me through it ya’ll! 4 stars! I was mostly connected to our main guy here and his story – as the mystery of him and his family really interested me along the way. Remy and him start to get to know each other and we start to see a bit of “enemies to lovers” going on here! I thought at first they had some great chemistry and really enjoyed seeing them interact while he was trying to get his memories back. I specifically loved seeing even though “Jonah” didn’t have any memory of his life or who he was, he felt like faith was important to him and he felt the urge inside him to go to church and we see him do that.

While I never fully connected to Remy and would have liked a bit more faith content/revelations/in depth discussions for her in this story, the journey she takes with “Jonah” was special and I enjoyed seeing all the emotions taking place. A wild ride indeed!

Once “Jonah’s” identity was revealed, everything gets CRAZY with his family fast! We are learning all about his parents, their drama, and the reason this is a “Sons of Scandal” story! I did like seeing his brother Jude and him together – can’t wait for his story as future books come out. His family dynamic was very interesting and wild!

One item I did really enjoy was seeing Remy help this older man Wendell cleaning and organizing his home and trying to help him find an old girlfriend of his. That was so sweet.

This book does deal with some heavier topics, including sexual assault, trauma, infidelity, affairs, and suicide.

Overall, I really enjoyed Memory Lane and am so grateful to have read an advanced reader copy for honest review. Thank you, Becky Wade!

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5281754462
Amazon: https://amzn.to/43qRJJ2
Becky's Website to Order: https://beckywade.com/home/memory-lane/
YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFKv2eeju0

Book Review: Daughter of Eden: Eve's Story by Jill Eileen Smith

 

Daughter of Eden - Eve's Story - Jill Eileen Smith - 4 Stars - What a great story that shows us what it could have been like during the times of Adam and Eve.

Daughter of Eden: Eve’s Story by Jill Eileen Smith shows us what it could have possibly been like during the time of Adam and Eve, all surrounding the time during the book of Genesis in the Bible. This was my first book by her and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this story.

It is a biblical fiction featuring real bible “characters”, primarily Adam, Eve, their children (mostly Cain and Abel). We also have chapters from Lucifer and how he fell and became the devil – the deceptive, cunning serpent. It follows many year, encompassing most of Adam and Eve’s life.

This book is a fictionalized work of what it could have been like during the time of Adam and Eve at the creation of the world. It was really interesting to see how they may have spoke to one another, dialogue together, with God and with their children. It was also interesting to see how they may have ate, figured out how to be “the first” parents of the world etc. I feel like the author did a great job creating a story for us, while interweaving God’s truths and scripture throughout the story.

Seeing how Eve may have reacted or handled her sin when she made the mistake of eating the fruit and being deceived by the serpent was probably the most interesting for me. I had some mixed feelings on some of how Adam and Eve would have interacted together, but overall enjoyed the story and portrayal. It was emotional to read the depiction of the fall of humanity – I feel like Jill did a wonderful job with that description.

The best part about this story is it made me go back to Genesis and read my bible to see God’s word and compare it to this fictionalized work. Very thought provoking as many other reviewers have stated. To see how Adam and Eve could have possibly grieved what Cain did to Abel was also very eye opening.

Overall, the author did a great job portraying what it could have been like during this time and many parts touched my heart and sprit. The ending was beautiful and made me a bit emotional as a woman because she so beautifully portrayed how we are not perfect, but God still loves us. Thank you to Baker Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy to honestly read and review.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5059247536
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3pPZCtZ
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/465082
YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFKv2eeju0

Book Review: When in Rome by Sarah Adams

 

When in Rome - Sarah Adams - 4 Stars - A fun rom-com!

What a fun rom-com! I laughed SO much! While this does have quite a bit of mild language, I really enjoyed our main couple and had a lot of fun listening to the audiobook! This is a clean, closed door secular romance.

This is all about Ameila Rose, also known as Rae Rose to her fans. She is a very famous music artist from Nashville and she is just REALLY burned-out from so many years of trying to maintain her pop princess image. She loves the Audrey Hepburn movie, Roman Holiday, so inspired by that movie, she takes off in the middle of the night for a break to Rome.....Rome, Kentucky that is. She finds herself in her car, broken down in front of Noah Walker's house. He doesn't want to deal with celebrity problems but he agrees to help Amelia out. She isn't able to stay in a local hotel in town....so she ends up staying in Noah's guest room. for the 2 weeks she is there waiting for her car to be fixed. They start to get to know each other and things go on from there....

Overall I had so much fun with this book by Sarah Adams. It had a cute southern hospitality vibe with many of the side characters, I loved Noah and Amelia's banter back and forth (SO FUNNY), Noah's sisters were awesome, (really the entire town was great!), and it just had the charming, cozy small town story vibe I love. The conversations cracked me up. I loved the ending too. Very quick and entertaining read.

The sexual content was not over the top, but did ride a fine line up until the "fade to black" scenes. But I am also thankful she writes these books as "closed door" because I didn't feel uncomfortable reading the romantic bits and could actually enjoy the story without worrying about smut. I didn't love the number of curse words in this book, she certainly likes the word s***, lol. But I can look past it because the characters and story were really fun and entertaining.

4 stars and I'll be reading The Cheat Sheet next!

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5351983225
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3JWNpuc
YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFKv2eeju0

Book Review: The Wonderland Trials by Sara Ella

 

The Wonderland Trials - Sara Ella - 4 Stars - Lovers of all things Alice in Wonderland will LOVE this! (Book 1 in The Curious Realities Series)

If you are a lover of all things Alice in Wonderland, you will enjoy this new, fun Alice inspired Young Adult Christian Fantasy story! While the first part was a bit slow for me to get into, by the 50% mark I was invested in the story. Fans of dystopian favorites like The Hunger Games will also probably enjoy this because it has a "trial" game that gave me Hunger Games vibes. The whole time you never know who to trust, what's real vs fictional, what "reality" you are in and it's just a very unique story I think many will enjoy. I also kind of had "Caraval" vibes too from the writing style - really enjoyed that aspect.

This story is all about Alice who just wants to escape her normal life in Oxford and find her parents who abandoned her 10 years ago. She gets more than she bargained for though when her older sister, Charlotte, is arrested for having the "Wonder" Gene - the key to unlocking the curious "Wonderland Reality". Alice must play for "Team Heart" in this year's annual - and deadly - Wonderland Trials. She must find her way to Wonderland through the trials but nothing is what it seems.... People go missing. Her and her team try to solve the clues and find the missing players but who can she trust along the way?

I'm not always the biggest fantasy reader but I am starting to find ones I do enjoy and this one ended up being a great foundational book for the "Curious Realities" series. We had good world building, easy to understand details and characters and everything was explained very well. We had some Christian allegory I could see, especially toward the end. That was nice to see.

We also had a bit of a budding romance toward the end - very light - but hope to see that expanded in future books. I don't know that I ever fell in love with our characters per say, but mostly enjoyed the fantasy element and storyline here.

The ending leaves on a bit of cliffhanger so I am so glad there will be a book 2 so we can continue on in this world! If you would like an engaging fantasy read with a Wonderland twist, pick this up!

Goodreads Review:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4803124508
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3JVoR4V
YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFKv2eeju0

Book Review: Murder in a Scottish Garden by Traci Hall

 

Murder in a Scottish Garden - Traci Hall - 3.5 Stars - Enjoyed a bit more than book 1! (Book 2 in A Scottish Shire Mystery Series)

Book 2 in the Scottish Shire Mystery Series, Paislee, owner of her specialty sweater and yarn shop, Cashmere Crush, is a chaperone on her son's field trip. She hears a gun shot and sees a man fall through the hedges. Throughout the book they are trying to figure out who killed this man, who was the cousin to her landlord that's been trying to evict her, Shawn Marcus. Shawn is afraid someone is trying to kill him and his mother so Paislee starts trying to investigate the murder and everything gets crazy from there.

I liked this one a little more than book 1, we have more of a focus on the mystery here then their family dynamics, but I still want a romance for Paislee! I will continue on listening to these audiobooks because they are very bingeable :) Love the Scottish vibes and accents, as always. Looking forward to see what happens next with our characters. I did like the family aspect of Paislee, her son and grandfather. We get pretty attached to our main characters more in this story as we grow to know them and their backgrounds. Paislee is a very realistic character trying to balance being a single mom, small business owner and taking care of her family.

Overall, enjoyed this and plan to continue on.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5281755393
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Df24xk
YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFKv2eeju0

Book Review: Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

 

Assassin's Apprentice - Robin Hobb - 4.5 Stars - What a great foundational fantasty story to start this long series! 

#HobbEmotionalSupportGroup 1-800-HOBB-HALP🤣

As someone who doesn't read a ton of fantasy and continues to dip her toes in different types of fantasy reads, this book was a great foundational fantasy story to our world, characters and journey for our main character, Fitz. Told in first person, we follow a young boy, Fitz, at 6 years old through what I believe was 13 or 14 years old in this first book as he learns about his father/relations, is taken into an apprenceship to train and must embrace his new life on the road to beocming a royal assassin. He's learning about weaponry, scribing, courtly manners, how to kill, nobility etc. His life is tough throughout the story and you keep wondering is life going to get any better for poor ol' Fitz?! You grow to love him so much and continuosly root for him. We have a lot of political intrigue throughout the story too. The magic system in this is very interesting! I enjoyed learning about the telepathic magic / wit magic skills and look forward to seeing more of that evolve in other books. Also liked seeing Fitz and the Fool together. The Fool is such an interesting character to me!

Overall, really enjoyed this start to Fitz's journey and can't wait to continue on. Hobb knows how to get you SO INVESTED in her characters and you are LITERALLY going on this journey with them and feeling everything they are feeling. THE ENDING HAD ME IN TEARS AND I MUST CONTINUE ON SOOOOON!

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5138471983
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3DeTsXg
YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFKv2eeju0

Book Review: Tribulation Force by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins

 

Tribulation Force - Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins - 5 Stars - WOW WHAT A BOOK!

WOW. Book 2 after Left Behind was so good! We continue the story of Rayford, Buck, Bruce, Chloe as they formed the Tribulation Force to stand and fight the enemies of God during the 7 year tribulation after the rapture. THE ENDING was intense and just...WOW. Love how this story is unfolding and coming together. Love our characters. What a classic where there is never a dull moment.

We also really get to see great development between Rayford and his daughter Chloe. And then developments between Buck and Chloe in their relationship. Some of the way Chloe was acting with the miscommunication was annoying but still loved everything coming together in this story. Can't wait to dive into the next one.

Goodreads Review:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5334731503
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3XOlSRy
YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFKv2eeju0

Book Review: Barking up the Wrong Tree by Janice Thompson

Barking up the Wrong Tree - Janice Thompson - 4 Stars - really enjoyed this!

Barking up the Wrong Tree by Janice Thompson is book 3 in the Gone to the Dogs Christian Mystery series. I have really enjoyed each book in this series so far. Each has been 4 stars! In this book, we follow Veterinarian Kristin Keller who realizes the Atkinson family champion sheltie dog, Remington, has somehow been stolen and switched with another almost identical sheltie dog right under their noses! Everyone is shocked and they start working together to figure out who could have done this, any why? We also have a cute romance between Tyler and Kristin blooming, and I loved their chemistry together. Very sweet.

What I enjoy most about this series is how these stories just always feel like you’re coming back home to your family. As a southern girl, I love the charm for each town and how each character has sincere care for one another.

I also love how we have so many different avenues as to what could have happened to the dog in this story. You never know who to trust, as so many people had different motives for wanting to possibly take the dog or switch him out with another.

I also appreciate the faith aspects we get throughout the story as we see them mentioning church, prayers, God’s plan, considering their faith when making decisions, etc.

Overall, a fun, cute continuation to the Gone to the Dogs Series! If you love clean cozy mysteries, check this series out. Book 1 is Off the Chain by Janice Thompson. 😊 Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy to honestly read and review.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5017005699
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3DejSbM
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/478057
YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFKv2eeju0

Book Review: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

 

The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman - 3.5 Stars - Hilarious with a great group of characters! (Book 1 in The Thursday Murder Club Series)

I liked this mystery surrounding 4 hilarious, older characters who live in a upscale retirement village and work together to solve murder cases as part of the "Thursday Murder Club". This is sent in Kent, England during modern time. Things get wild really fast when some murders start happening at the retirement village and they start working to piece everything together.

I LAUGHED SO MUCH in this book! These characters are HILARIOUS! My only complaint with this book is I really struggled keeping all the characters straight and what what going on throughout the story. It was close to 4 stars but ultimately the pacing and multiple character shifts took me out of the story many times. I still recommend this if you like a good mystery. I would not call this a "cozy" mystery, more along the lines of true crime mystery then a cozy. It had a similar vibe as an Agatha Christie to me too!

Trigger warning- a few mentions of suicide. I seem to remember a few mentions of mild language but can't recall more than a couple.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4830321558
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3DwpRJj
YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFKv2eeju0

Book Review: Turn to Me by Becky Wade

Turn to Me - Becky Wade - 5 Stars - Wonderful final book in the series!

Turn to Me by Becky Wade is the 3rd and final book in the Misty River Series and I LOVED IT SO MUCH! 5 stars! Ya’ll, this series is one of my favorites of all time. Top tier Christian Romance stories full of love, faith, heartbreak, redemption, grace, humor and real life characters you can relate to with real life problems.

In this final installment, we follow Luke Dempsey and Finley Sutherland. Luke is the last of the Miracle 5 that has always distanced himself from the rest of the group. He was recently released from prison after serving time for felony theft and promised a fellow inmate and friend, which happens to be Finley’s father, right before he passed away, that he would help piece together the clues for a treasure hunt for his daughter. Finley’s father was worried others will be searching for the treasure so he trusts Luke to protect Finley as he helps her find this missing treasure.

Finley is the owner of an animal rescue center and accepts Luke’s help for the treasure hunt. What Luke doesn’t know is Finley is secretly working to help him along the way with his own emotions, healing and forgiveness for his past.

Luke and Finley were a delight to see together from their first meeting, I loved them so much ya’ll! Their relationship was so real, raw and beautiful. They made me laugh the entire time together and had the BEST banter! Both of them have been through some VERY hard times in life and it was beautiful to see them work through their troubles together, helping one another along the way – discussing faith, forgiveness, growth, etc.

There were times when the mystery portion dragged, but I still think this is a 5 star read as the ending was PERFECT as we truly got to see Luke’s rough exterior start to shed and open up as we saw how much he cared for Finley and would do anything for her. It was also nice to see Ben finally get his happy ending as well.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4617866257
Amazon: https://amzn.to/44K2Lu5
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/405411
YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFKv2eeju0

Book Review: The Cairo Curse by Pepper Basham

 

The Cairo Curse - Pepper Basham - 4.5 Stars - If you love Agatha Christie, Clue, The Mummy, Indiana Jones, Cozy Mysteries and a romance with the best chemistry – LOOK NO FURTHER! (Book 2 in the Fredrick and Grace Mystery Series)

The Cairo Curse by Pepper Basham is the perfect fun, wild and exciting sequel to The Mistletoe Countess that will keep you on the edge of your seat the ENTIRE time! Again, I know I will enjoy anything Pepper writes because it’s ALWAYS a good story that transport you exactly where our characters are!

While The Mistletoe Countess is still my favorite, The Cairo Curse was such a wonderful follow up of Grace and Freddie back at their mystery solving game – this time they’ve taken a detour from their honeymoon to Egypt ready to explore the pyramids, tombs, mummies, artifacts and so much more – when all of a sudden, their trip soon takes a dangerous turn with murders happening left and right. Suspects start to mount up and Grace and Freddie attempt to solve the mysterious happenings in Egypt!

The characters truly make this story ya’ll. Grace and Frederick are the BEST couple. They have great faith in God, respect and honor each other and I love how realistic they are together in their romance.

While I did get a smidge slowed down in some of the Egyptian details as I am not familiar with it, I love all of the research, time and details Pepper put into explaining the setting and history! It was a setting that truly came to life off the page and I LOVED seeing that.

This story will captivate you from the first chapter and is full of adventure, faith, love, great characters, vivid setting and an exciting ending! You will laugh and be filled with joy as your follow Grace and Freddie on this mysterious journey in Cairo! SO much fun y’all! So many humorous scenes where you just laugh and smile and ya’ll – that’s more of what we need in this world! JUST LOVE.

Highly recommended! Thank you to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for an advanced e-copy to honestly read and review. I did pre-order my own physical copy of course because they just look PERFECT together on my shelf! If you haven’t read The Mistletoe Countess, please pick it up so you can experience all the joy from Grace and Freddie that I have! 😊

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5057958448
Amazon: https://amzn.to/46OUx5J
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/480459
YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFKv2eeju0

Book Review: Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne

 

Around the World in 80 Days - Jules Verne - 4 Stars - Fun adventures with Phileas!

What a fun adventure! I loved following Phileas Fogg around the world in 80 days! He was so kind and kept moving on his journey, no matter what life threw at him. I did get bogged down sometimes but overall enjoyed it and it makes you want to travel the world! I want to watch an adaptation now, because I think it would be so much fun to see this travel story come to life! I listened to the Jim Dale audiobook narration and it was amazing. Jim Dale can narrate so well! I feel like the characters really make this story! The whole plot of the story is Phileas Fogg has wagered 20,000 pounds (and his honor) to go around the world in 80 days. He says it can be done so he sets out to do just that. So many people doubt him but he plans to make this happen, no matter what. It's also a beautiful ending, that last page was so beautiful to read. This book had me laughing and just pulling for Phileas the entire time!

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5315186606
Amazon: https://amzn.to/46HsrcJ
YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFKv2eeju0