BookLoverAmanda

  On Moonberry Lake - Holly Varni - A disappointment  DNF 33%. This Christian Fiction book was one I was really anticipating for the Fall of 2023. The premise sounded like such a good story. I think the writing is good, the characters were making me laugh and I was loving the small town setting. She does a great job immersing you in this new town and describing it. Unfortunately, this is not for me and I am disappointed in the new age beliefs displayed. Based on what I read 33% in, I feel this book had a good opportunity to share the love of Christ - the true Gospel of Jesus - but instead, I found a girl who truly needed good, Godly friendships but she was becoming good friends with the wrong influence. Not to bash this author in any way, I am just very disappointed and surprised in the amount of new age statements shown for a Christian marketed book. This book is about Cora, who has no family, her mother recently passed away and she has inherited her grandparents lodge and is...

  The Fake Out - Sharon Peterson - 3.5 Stars - Many parts I enjoyed, but many parts not so much. Let's chat! While there were SO much in this rom-com I really enjoyed, there are some parts that fell flat. The storyline itself - great and very layered. The characters have a depth to them that make them feel relatable - specifically our main girl of Mae. (See more thoughts on that below.) But many of the quick one-liner pick up lines bothered me from a sexual content and language perspective - this will be personal preference to each person, but it did impact my reading experience a bit. Many of them were funny - I will admit - but there were maybe between 5 and 10 that bothered me personally. Overall, this is a clean rom-com from a sexual content perspective, with some things riding a fine line. There is mild language in this book and I searched the kindle book and will leave the content details on that at the bottom. I had a good time overall in this story, had some laughs and enjo...

  Night Fall - Nancy Mehl - 4.5 Stars - An "on the edge of your seat" Christian Suspense! (Book 1 in The Quantico Files Series) This was my second book by Nancy and she sure knows how to truly keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat in her books! This book is a Christian Suspense/Mystery and has an awesome ending! If you find the prologue a bit too unsettling, keep reading because it jumps right in to the main characters and that unsettling feeling is a bit resolved early on. While we do have some other chapters from the killer perspective that can be a bit unsettling overall, it didn't cross any lines with me as far as my own personal content barriers, BUT I don't recommend reading after 8pm LOL. The only things I didn't love were I wanted more of a resolution on Alex's faith/salvation story but I will be reading book 2 to see how it all plays out. I did love all of the faith elements in the story, they were great. Additionally, I don't love when s...

  A Fool and His Monet - Sandra Orchard - 4 Stars - A great start to a Christian mystery series! (Book 1) This book was a lot of fun! My first book by Sandra and I'm excited to continue in the series. A little bit of a love triangle, some mystery - past and present - and fun loveable characters make for a really fun start to this series. Serena Jones - part of the FBI Art Crime Team - is working to uncover the truth about the art thief who murdered her grandfather. But in the middle of this cold case, she is going undercover to catch thieves and other black market traders. When prized art paintings go missing form the local art museum, Serena finds herself searching for answers and the thieves.  The love triangle was interesting - not a ton of romance - this was mostly a mystery plot driven story - BUT I am excited to see where it goes. I don't think I have a decision on who I prefer yet but interested to continue in the series. Her aunt was also HILARIOUS!  If you enjoy ...

                          Can't Help Falling - Courtney Walsh - New Favorite 5 Star Rom-Com! Ya'll - this was SUCH AN AMANDA BOOK! I really enjoyed my time with this book. EMMY & OWEN FOREVER!   🍂Best Friend's Brother 🍂Opposite's Attract 🍂Childhood Crush 🍂Firefighter Rescue  🍂Bookish FMC 🍂Clean Romance 🍂Disability Representation (Dyslexia) 🍂Dual POV 🍂Small Town and Fall Vibes The story starts off with Emmy getting started to work on her "secret" bookish podcast where she gives romance advice to those who call in or leave messages with questions (Reminds me of that awesome old radio talk show - Delilah! LOVE IT). Her house catches fire and she is rescued by Owen - the handsome firefighter who was her best friend's brother and the guy she had a crush on many years ago. Owen and Emmy haven't seen each other in 8 years and start to reconnect through this rescue process.  I really related to Emmy in ...

  Almost Everything - Mandi Blake - 4.5 Stars - Another great book in the Wolf Creek Ranch Series! (Book 2) Ya'll, this series is just what I need this month. A lighthearted, sweet, Christian romance set on a ranch with the greatest cast of character you feel so connected to. I LOVED this one so much, even more than book 1! It just had the best guy who truly cared for her and it helps he had the same name as my husband LOL! Seriously though, a sweet hallmark movie style on the ranch story! Note: This book is book 2 in the Wolf Creek Ranch series - I do recommend reading it after book 1, because 1 to 2 sentences in this book spoil a big reveal in book 1.  Here we have Blake and Everly -- Blake left his professional football career for small town life 5 years ago. His friend Ridge needed help and being closer to Everly was great too. Blake has been in love with his best friend's sister for years but stood by and never pursued anything, leaving Everly to end up engaged to David, ...

  My Dear Miss Dupre - Grace Hitchcock - 4 Stars - A fun, "bachelorette" type story set in the Gilded Age - late 1800s! This book was a lot of fun! A very unique premise indeed! Lovers of Clean, Christian Historical Romance and shows like the bachelor or bachelorette will enjoy this story! This book is the definition of "spilling the tea" HAHA - so much drama! In this book, we follow Willow Dupre who never thought she would have to get married. She was fine just helping her family out on their sugar refinery. Plans change unexpectedly when her father's retirement comes to light due to his health issues, leaving Willow to be presented with 30 potential suitors from the families of New York's society elite group call the "Four Hundred". The shareholders of the sugar refinery say she must get married to have a husband to help her run the family business and her parents want to make sure she marries for more then just status -- but for love too. So in ...

 Just Don't Fall - Emma St. Clair - 4 Stars - A fun, closed door hockey fake-dating fall rom-com!  This book was super fun and my first Emma St. Clair read! This is book 1 in the Sweater Weather Fall Rom-Com series but all the books in this series can be read as a standalone.  The tropes: 🍂 Fake Dating 🍂Slow Burn 🍂Brother's Best Friend 🍂Childhood Crush 🍂Never Been Kissed FMC 🍂Closed Door Hockey Rom-Com 🍂Great Chemistry, NO Spice!  🍂GREAT Fall Vibes! We have Logan Barnes - the pro-hockey player who left town many years ago to go pro, is now back in town playing for the local minor league team now. In comes Parker - the team's social media manager and the girl he ghosted when left many year's ago.....He was her brother's best friend and her first crush. What's she to do now when Logan is on the team now? Things happen and Logan is now Parker's "fake boyfriend" -- UH OH -- what's going to happen now?! The story takes off from here as we se...

  You Make it Feel Like Christmas - Toni Shiloh - 3.5 Stars - A Cute Hallmark Style Christmas Story! This book is great for lovers of Hallmark Style Christmas stories during the Christmas season! As Starr Lewis returns home for the holidays, jobless and single, she isn't happy to be dragged into her sister's wedding plans - because she's getting married to Starr's ex-boyfriend on Christmas eve! However, when Starr meets her brother's best friend, Waylon Emmerson, at their family's Thanksgiving get together....she starts the think maybe coming home isn't so bad as she starts to enjoy hanging out with Waylon and forgetting all about the festivities with her sister's wedding. For Waylon, this is a perfect distraction to help keep him busy as he is struggling with the loss of his mother and trying to keep her old Christmas shop alive....the story goes on from here as Waylon and Starr's stories unfold. I love what Toni Shiloh does in the Christian Fiction...

  Truth is a Whisper - Mandi Blake - 4.5 Stars - The perfect hallmark movie style Christian cowboy romance story I needed! This follows our main characters of Ava and Jameson. We start of with Ava being forced to leave him with her very controlling and  narcissistic  mother. Then we cut to 6 years later when they have the opportunity to meet again as Ava comes to visit her grandfather on the ranch she left so long ago due to his health issues going on. She soon realizes how much she loves the ranch and doesn't want to leave it -- or Jameson. We see some family drama and secrets unfold with Ava's mother and Ava and Jameson start to work together on the ranch - tied together by their love for it. Will she stay? Will she finally start her life without being tied down to the control of her mother? Can Jameson prove himself to those he wants to most? The story takes off from here. Ya'll this book surprised me! Thank you Mandi Blake for such a feel good, lighthearted, Christian...