Book Review: Iscariot by Tosca Lee

 

Iscariot - Tosca Lee - 5 Stars - A beautiful, thought-provoking biblical fiction about Judas

Tosca Lee's "Iscariot" is such a thought-provoking novel that dives deep into the life and character of Judas Iscariot. We see his life with his family, the tragedy he went through and his life as he walked with Jesus. Tosca Lee truly explores the complexity of human nature, faith and the ultimate act of betrayal. We see Judas who grapples with his loyalty to Jesus but as the reader you find yourself looking at Judas with such sympathy and truly I can see myself in him - I have been a Judas to others in the past and to Jesus. I think that's what Tosca Lee is wanting us to take a step back and think about -- true conviction in many moments throughout this book for ourselves, return to the Gospels in our Bible, return to His living word and humble ourselves because we are not so different than Judas was. As my friend Chrissie said in her review, only two things distinguish me from Judas -- repentance and the blood of Jesus Christ. I am saved by grace through Jesus but have I ever been a Judas? Yes. 

We often think of Judas as a traitor, betrayer, thief etc. This book made me think more about Judas than I ever have before and I truly thank Tosca Lee for taking on such a controversial biblical figure and writing his story. You can see the amount of research she did and I truly appreciated her author's note as well. It makes you think.

The historical and biblical accuracy in this book is also wonderful. I loved seeing the relationship with Jesus and Judas' POV as they walked through the miracles and teachings of Him.

Overall, Iscariot is a compelling and emotionally charged novel that offers a fresh perspective on one of the most infamous figures in history. Readers who appreciate historical and biblical fiction will find this book very thought provoking and a rewarding read. It's a favorite of all time and one of my most prized books now. 

Thank you to the author for sending a copy of this book to read and review - all opinions and thoughts are my own.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5861744872
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3SdBgWQ
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/251316

YouTube:

Wrap Up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt-U-nf5HX8 

And Reading Vlog:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Put8LchHLJY&t=

*All amazon links are an affiliate link and a small commission may be earned if purchases are made from that link.

Book Review: Marshaling Her Heart by Mary Connealy

Marshaling Her Heart - Mary Connealy - 3.5 Stars 

Marshaling Her Heart is book 3 in the Wyoming Sunrise Series and follows Becky Pruitt's journey through her successful ranch, relationship with Nate Paxton and her estranged abusive father. Becky has always been a very interesting character to me and I was super excited to follow along in her journey in this conclusion to the Wyoming Sunrise series! I really enjoyed book 1 (5 stars) and book 2 (4 stars). 

I did really enjoy the story and the conclusion for all of our characters because we got to see a lot of their endings from book 1 and 2 - loved that! Loved being back in this town and seeing the ending with the faith content -- the peace Becky experienced. "To live is Christ, to die is Gain." Amen. She was at peace no matter what was going on in those moments. So much action throughout this story with the drama surrounding her father, the deadeye gang etc. I am excited to read more from Mary as this series has been great!

The only things that brought this specific book down for me was the amount of women's suffrage movement information was a bit overdone for me personally, I liked learning about it in general, but again, I wanted more of the relationship between Nate and Becky to be expanded upon versus details with the speaker for the movement, all the little things tied to that. I think this will be personal to every reader honestly. I just think we could have seen more developed with Nate and Becky personally.

We see a lot of hardships Becky had endured with her mother and brothers deaths and the abuse from her father. He does not like a strong female around and would hit her if she did things he didn't like. So we do see some of that abuse on page between Becky and her father. It was sad to see her relationship with him but I am glad we see her resolution and her healing taking place throughout the story. 

I think readers who love a good western story, ranch setting, strong female leads and clean romance will enjoy this series! The ending I think was my favorite part with the faith content. 

Thank you to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing me with a copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5927513992
Amazon: https://amzn.to/45MZOcv
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/516371

YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt-U-nf5HX8

*All amazon links are an affiliate link and a small commission may be earned if purchases are made from that link.

Book Review: Juniper Bean Resorts to Murder - Gracie Ruth Mitchell

 

Juniper Bean Resorts to Murder - Gracie Ruth Mitchell - 4.5 Stars - What a GREAT clean rom-com cozy mystery all in one!

WOW - I loved this book so much! It truly was GREAT! The audiobook was FANTASTIC with a male and female narrator and that truly added to my experience while listening. This has so much I love in books - a cozy mystery with a rom-com twist - AMAZING.

AIDIPER/JUNIPAIDE FO EVA. (Loved those couple names in this!)

We have Juniper Bean who is a fun, pink-haired quirky author with an awesome yellow car who has been through a LOT over the last 10+ years of her life. Her mother passed away several years ago, she never knew her father, she was in foster care due to her mother's neglect - it's been a tough time for our girl here. Her life was completely changed because she met Aiden - and let me just say -- HE IS THE BEST BOOK BOYFRIENDDDD! I truly loved his character. He is 5 years older than Juniper and they have quite the past together. They haven't seen each other in years when it turns out, they are actually going to be roommates! (Forced proximity trope, but completely clean romance!) Aiden doesn't want anything to do with this new living situation because he never saw himself being romantically involved with Juniper after their past together and just how different they are. He's definitely grumpy and she's the sunshine! But things change quickly as they are forced to be around each other, get to know one another and work to solve the murder of the person who was supposed to tell Juniper about her real father she never knew. Aiden is a teacher at the local high school and he is helping Juniper figure everything out surrounding her father and the murder of this missing girl. 

The story takes off here. 

This book made me laugh, feel all the emotions, and Aiden stole my heart! I loved how he was truly a caring guy and involved in the food bank organization, and his past with Juniper was so beautiful. Juniper and him have so much fun back and forth banter - it really reminded me of my husband and myself! I cracked up a lot! 

The mystery element comes in around the 20% mark when we have gotten to know our characters pretty well and I was like WHAT with the ending. I did NOT guess who it was! GREAT ending. I can't wait to read more of Gracie's books. I will be thinking about AIDIPER for a long time! One of my favorite couples now.

The only reason this is not quite a 5 star read is there were some things I didn't love in regards to the fate discussions, higher power, yoga stuff mentioned but it really didn't impact my reading experience and in a secular read it wasn't something I really discredit the book for. Just a personal preference in content. 

Overall, I highly recommend this for my rom-com cozy mystery lovers!

Here are some trigger warnings and content information:
This is a cozy mystery technically, but it did have a bit more intensity, specifically in the end, then some others may have. I would say it was very minor gore related to a murder / attempted murder. I was fine with it personally, but want to mention. There are mentions of grief, visiting her mother's grave, parental death, parental neglect, alcoholism, mentions of a previous sexual assault and food-hoarding. The sexual content is completely clean - the characters do live together but nothing happens other than kisses. No language that I recall. 

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3FuLESC

YouTube Review Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt-U-nf5HX8


*All amazon links are an affiliate link and a small commission may be earned if purchases are made from that link.

Book Review: To Have and To Hold - 3 Autumn Novellas

 

To Have and To Hold - Three Autumn Love Stories by Betsy St. Amant, Becky Wade and Katie Ganshert.

Individual Novella Reviews Below:

Love Takes The Cake - Betsy St. Amant 
4.5 Stars 

This was so cute and just the right amount of hallmark cheese I wanted this weekend ❤️ This is book 1 inside the To Have and To Hold Novella bind up book. I really enjoyed the story, characters and depth that was in a small short novella. We have Charlotte who has her own bakery and has been eyeing Will over the last 3 months as her weekly customer. She is a single mom to a sweet little 5 year old girl so she hasn’t had any developments or interest in the relationship department until Will comes along. Will keeps buying bakery goods for this girl, Melissa, and Charlotte assumes it’s his girlfriend but it’s really his sister(the reader knows this quickly but Charlotte doesn’t) 🤣 So things go on from here as Charlotte works through her wedding festivities and gets to know Will throughout the process as Will is the best man in the wedding she is working on.

Super cute like I said — I love how we had a layer of depth with Will and his sister’s disability and his past, also with Charlottes past. There was a little faith content that was nice to see too. Overall a cute fall romance 🥰

The Perfect Arrangement - Katie Ganshert
3.5 Stars 

Amelia meets Nick accidentally by running into his car when she is spying on her ex's wedding. She ends up sending a lot of emails back and forth with the Nick and they start getting to know each other. Really sweet story, if you like You've Got Mail type storyline, this is for you. I didn't connect with the characters as much here like I did in the first book but still a cute fall novella.

Love in the Details - Becky Wade 
4.5 Stars 

Second chance romance that had a great ending ❤️💕 So cute. Holly and Josh broke up many years ago when Josh’s mom asked her to so he could focus on his career and college life at MIT. Fast forward to their late 20s and a Josh is back in town to help his best friend get married. He runs in to Holly since she is the church wedding coordinator and sparks start to fly all over again. Neither have gotten over each other but Josh never knew the real reason she broke it off so long ago. The story takes off here and she helps plan the wedding and they start to rekindle what they had.

Really enjoyed this💕💕

Overall, this novella collection is a fun one for the fall and great for the hallmark movie lover, cheese but not too much!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3tHi4Xp

YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt-U-nf5HX8

Book Review: The Sisters of Sea View - Julie Klassen

 

The Sisters of Sea View by Julie Klassen - 3.5 Stars 

Julie Klassen does such a great job with the research of her settings and history in her books. I can always see that come through in her stories. In this one, we see 4 sisters, but we follow 2 more closely then the other 2 in this book. We do see all 4 sister's POVs throughout the story, which I think hindered my enjoyment since I listened to the audiobook - I should have physically read this since there were so many POVs but I did overall enjoy the story. 

The sisters are Sarah, Emily, Viola and Georgina. In this one, we see mostly Sarah and Viola's story. I related a lot to what Viola was experiencing through her scar and being self conscious. Loved her ending in this book and how she grows throughout to tell her story and help someone from this bad surgeon. Sarah is the oldest and is trying to keep the family together pretty much - they are all suffering from bad finances where their father had passed away and the house was entitled to someone else. So they turn the home into a place where guests stay to make some money in the meantime and start a family business. We see Sarah start to form a romance with a Scotsman so I liked that as well. :)

We see a LOT of Jane Austen references so if that is something you love in books, pick this up! I loved it. 

As far as faith content goes, we saw some references but it was light and natural in the story. Many people have said this would be great for fans of Little Women as well, and I can definitely see that, especially as I have started to read that book recently for myself. 

If you like a good family story, with some romance and an England setting, pick this up!

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4926656780

Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/433696
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Qv7QlT

YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt-U-nf5HX8

Book Review: The Letter Tree by Rachel Fordham

 

The Letter Tree by Rachel Fordham - 5 Stars - AMAZING!

The Letter Tree by Rachel Fordham is a delightful and captivating story that effortlessly weaves together elements of a classic 1920s romance with a storyline that is perfect for lovers of You've Got Mail and Romeo and Juliet. At the heart of this book lies two characters - torn apart by their family feud many years ago. Laura Bradshaw and Isaac Campbell. They were childhood friends at one point but they were torn apart by circumstances unknown to them many years ago. All they know is the Bradshaws and the Campbells hate each other and are to not be seen together.

The twist of this tale comes when Laura and Isaac have been secretly exchanging letters together in the big tree in the Buffalo Zoo in New York for years. The one rule? Never to reveal each other's name to one another. It all started when Isaac found one of Laura's poems she wrote and put in the tree - so he wrote her back many years ago. 

So, they have grown to care for one another through these letters, yet neither one know they are writing to the other. Perfect story for lovers of You've Got Mail! There's more then meets the eye to this old family feud....as things would have it, circumstances push them together, things start to be revealed and BOY do we have a GOOD story on our hands! 

We have so much more to the story too as we see close friends and business partners that can't be trusted get involved in many business dealings with others and they try to figure that out as well with the help of a private investigator.

I absolutely ADORED this book. The audiobook narrator did a fabulous job and she really kept me immersed in the story. She does great male and female voices in my opinion. Mrs. Gaskin was such a mother figure to Laura - she needed that since she lost her mother when she was very young. I loved her so much and how she truly cared about her happiness as a mother would. I also loved how Isaac truly cared for Laura, he wanted to protect her and the letters were THE SWEETEST. 

I think if you are someone who loves a good zoo setting in a book, stories with letter exchanges, the 1920s, Romeo and Juliet references, and just a beautiful clean romance - this is for you! I love Rachel's writing and can't wait to read more of her books. I am SO glad I preordered this because I will be recommending this for a long time.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an audiobook copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5907758944
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PUV6Dt
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/528830
YouTube Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt-U-nf5HX8

Book Review: Julia Monroe Begins Again by Rebekah Millet

 Julia Monroe Begins Again by Rebekah Millet - DNF at 51% - Ch 21 

Let me start by saying this book has tropes I am not usually a fan of - so take my review with a grain of salt. This may be something for you - and it's just not for me. I do think Rebekah has great writing and I would love to check out future books by her if the tropes are up my alley - I probably should have really waited to see if the tropes would have been for me or not but I digress. 

Julia Monroe is a 40 year old widow and mother of 2 boys, 18 and 19 years old, who are off to college now, leaving Julia at home alone to figure out this next stage of her life. She had a beautiful, happy marriage to her husband Mark - but he passed away 10 years ago and she is not eager to jump into a new relationship, for fear of getting hurt again. In comes Samuel Reed, the "ex-boyfriend before her life with her husband". Their relationship ended on bad terms but 20 years later, he's back in town and arrives at her church and old memories resurface.

Ya'll I reallllllly wanted to love this book. I feel bad honestly, but it just wasn't for me. I am not going to "rate it" since I didn't finish it, but from what I read 50% in, I was beyond frustrated with Julia. 

She sees Samuel at her church and references how he "needs to find another place of worship" and that rubbed me the wrong way. She continues to be so mean and hating him for a good portion of the book, but she's still thinking about how handsome he is and stuff - yet she's so mean. Some of what she said just rubbed me the wrong way. I understand she has not forgiven Samuel for what he did and there's some trauma she is holding onto - but 20 years later Samuel has truly changed, is a Christian and showing true remorse after all he has done, yet she is holding such a grudge against him and cannot move past their past. This is something I struggle with reading in books - the "I can't let this go" trope. It's frustrating - I know it's hard to forgive people but as a 40 year old she just exhibited such immaturity in her thoughts and behavior. She was downright mean to him and that just frustrated me. And then he just kept coming back after she was so rude - it was truly like a hate to love situation that frustrated me.  I have enjoyed enemies to lovers in the past but....this was just truly hate to love and I didn't like that.

After hearing from a close friend more frustrating things that occur in the 80% mark, I decided I was just not the right person for this book and decided to DNF. I honestly think several will enjoy this - for those who love the second chance hate to love books, but I am starting to realize what I enjoy in romance books and this was just not for me. I have seen there are some good faith moments in this book but unfortunately I was not able to make it there with everything I wasn't loving.

Again, while I am disappointed that I didn't end up loving this or finishing it, I will be on the look out for more of Rebekah's books in the future - just need to make sure the tropes are for me! :)

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy of this book to honestly read and review.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt-U-nf5HX8

Book Review: The Lost Boys of Barlow Theater by Jaime Jo Wright

The Lost Boys of Barlow Theater - Jamie Jo Wright - 4.5 Stars 

Wow, Jaime Jo does it AGAIN! This is a haunting and intricately woven novel that seamlessly combines elements of mystery and suspense. We have richly developed characters and a storyline that spans generations. This book is going to keep readers engaged from start to finish! 

Set in the eerie backdrop of the Barlow Theater, this story is told through dual timelines - one in present day and one in the early 1900s. In 1915, we see Greta Mercy, who is skeptical of the theater as her brother died there in an accident during its construction. When her younger brother goes missing after breaking into the building, Greta hopes the local police can help her solve this mystery of where he is. Plus, early on in the story, Greta caused quite the uproar when she says she saw a child fall from the theater balcony during one of the productions...yet no child was found. Was she seeing things or is there more to this theater than meets the eye?

Decades later during present day, we follow Kit Boyd, whose best friend Madison goes missing at the Theater when TV ghost-hunting host and skeptic, Evan Fisher, is there with their crew filming episodes of their TV show trying to catch secrets of the theater on film. Evan and Kit work together trying to piece together the puzzle and find Madison before it's too late. 

I am so glad I read this! It explored so much in both timelines and Jaime Jo always weaves the timelines and generational families together SO well! I can't say which timeline I liked better because I genuinely wanted to keep reading both! There were some parts that dragged a little for me but this is truly a 4.5 to 5 star read and I think if you are looking for a good, gothic fall read, this is for you! The content was not triggering for me in any way, the opening is a little unsettling with the thought of a possible child that fell from the balcony, but we soon question if that even truly happened or not. 

I loved Evan and Kit together most of all - he was just an awesome guy and I loved how he combated the "medium" or "psychic" in this story and explained how the supernatural world we "think" of today is most likely an illusion from the devil making us see what we think we want to see and how many of these things are things God doesn't want us even dabbling it - preach it Evan! The faith in this book is also weaved in very naturally and isn't preachy - it's beautiful to see how Evan reminds Kit that God hasn't abandoned her yet and he still won't. Jaime Jo may have had some details with psychics and mediums in here but she made sure to debunk what they were doing and point it back to God!

In conclusion, The Lost Boys of Barlow Theater will grip readers as an engaging and eerie fall read and I highly recommend! Thank you to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5882194710
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3tqWLsJ
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/516373
Vlog and YouTube Review Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt-U-nf5HX8

Book Review: The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien

  

The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien (Book 2 in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy)

“It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end… because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing… this shadow. Even darkness must pass.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

'Why, Sam,' he said, 'to hear you somehow makes me as merry as if the story was already written. But you've left out one of the chief characters: Samwise the stouthearted. "I want to hear more about Sam, dad. Why didn't they put in more of his talk, dad? That's what I like, it makes me laugh. And Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam, would he, dad?"'
'Now, Mr. Frodo,' said Sam, 'you shouldn't make fun. I was serious.'
'So was I,' said Frodo, 'and so I am.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

What can I even say? There is just something about Lord of the Rings that brings me comfort and pure happiness. I highly recommend the narration by Andy Serkis - top tier. He sounds just like every character from the movie so it makes it much more like listening to a movie from his voice. AMAZING. Maybe that is why I was so engaged. My favorite parts were with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, plus the chapter about Treebeard was AWESOME.

I like that we got to see the splits between what was going on with Merry and Pippin, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, plus other characters, and then cutting to Frodo and Sam at the end. 

This book exudes all things friendship, bravery, loyalty and strength. While there are some parts that may drag at times, I was still completely immersed while reading, well listening :) 

Sam has become one of my favorite characters after this book. I mean, he truly is the reason Frodo continues and as the quote says above, Frodo wouldn't have got far without Sam. So much truth. We all need a Samwise Gamgee as a friend. Sam sees Gollum for what he has become and is capable of - and we almost see Gollum as an example of what Frodo could become should the ring corrupt him too. So Sam continues the quest, looking out for Frodo and keeping a careful watch on Gollum - for good reason - throughout their quest.

I also really enjoyed the parts of Faramir and their meet up with Sam and Frodo. Very interesting to see the conversations and to discuss Boromir's end. 

We also start to see Aragorn evolve as a character here and really become a leader. I can't wait to see more of him in Return of the King. 

ALSOOOO - Gimli and Legolas' Friendship Bond! MY FAV.

Overall, such a classic tale and I can't wait to continue in the next book. 

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1816023090
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ZPqmbB

YouTube Review to come, but here is my vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0ApnuX2mAw&t

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt-U-nf5HX8

Book Review: The Cider Shop Rules by Julie Anne Lindsey

 

Cider Shop Rules - Julie Anne Lindsey - 4 Stars - Book 3 in the Cider Shop Mystery Series

What a perfect fall read! All the fall vibes, atmosphere, activities - so much fun reading it! We are back in Blossom Valley with the upcoming Fall Festival. Everyone is looking forward to Jacob Potter's pumpkin farm with hay rides, pumpkin picking and corn maze fun. Things go south fast though when Mr. Potter is found dead in the back of Winnie's pickup truck. Sheriff Colton is back trying to protect Winnie and figure out who killed Mr. Potter - but then someone named Blake comes in and a little bit of a love triangle comes in the beginning of the story...Will they figure out the killer? Who will win Winnie's heart along the way?

This is the 3rd and final installment of the Cider Shop Mystery series and I am SO sad! I want more of these amazing characters and setting! It feels so southern and real and I just LOVE it. While nothing compares to the first book, this one was a solid 4 stars for me. I buddy read this with some amazing ladies and had the best time trying to figure out the mystery. My favorite part is of course Colton and Winnie and the fall elements. 

Overall, a good ending to the series but hope she will write more someday!

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5885216042
Entire Series on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Fbxk1e

YouTube Review to come, but here is my vlog on it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0ApnuX2mAw&t=

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt-U-nf5HX8

Book Review: You are More than You've Been Told by Hosanna Wong

 

You Are More Than You've Been Told - Hosanna Wong

I love Hosanna Wong’s spoken word poetry and got to see her perform it at a women’s conference in the past. This book was filled with the Gospel of Jesus and I got so much out of it. Some things were repeated several times but she really brings her points home. I love how she explains we have a new name in Christ with all the names He has given us. And we are NOT what others have defined us as. I also appreciated her discussions on the Sabbath and resting - and her story about her family and her past. 

This is all about how can we figure out who we are, how you don't have to live disconnected from yourself or from God. She gives us a roadmap to living and reconnecting with God. When you don't feel worth or loved or good enough....Hosanna's book truly reminds us of spending time in prayer, finding time to rest, finding time for real community, fighting for time in God's word...etc. 

No matter what stage you are in your faith walk, there is something for everyone in this book. She has such a beautiful way of explaining things in a very poetic way and I loved reading through this.

If you haven't been blessed to watch her spoken word poetry or her speak, please watch some of these videos: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A_uXO3CgwY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bgNDJ_SXWE

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5879870188

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3RMB8NT

YouTube Review to come.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt-U-nf5HX8