BookLoverAmanda

  Finally Christmas by Tee Williams -  5 Stars  I was absolutely enamored with Tee Williams' debut novella, "Finally Christmas" - a solid 5 stars from me! This story has well-developed characters engaging in genuine conversation, making it the quintessential Christmas short story. The author packs so much in this short story and I found myself relating to some of what the main girl was going through.  We follow Meredith who is a new Christian coming from a toxic family situation. She has never celebrated Christmas because she grew up in the Jehovah's Witness church so her new church family decides to throw her a fun Christmas party for the first time. Her family is extremely overbearing and confronts her constantly to leave her newfound faith in Jesus. Amidst the chaos of what's going on with  her family, she meets Mason, who works at her new church and their immediate connection adds a sweet touch to the story. I found myself relating to Meredith's struggl...

  The Christmas Dress by Courtney Cole | 3.5 Stars  I enjoyed my time with this book! The first 60-70%, along with the conclusion, resonated with me the most.  It's a happily ever after type Christmas read and I always enjoy those. This particular story falls under the category of clean romance—no explicit language—and overall, it delivers a positive and uplifting narrative. We follow New York fashionista Meg who returns to her hometown of Chicago to manage her late father's apartment building. She lost her job and starts a new journey to take care of all the disasters going on in the apartment building where she meets the handsome handyman, Logan. They start to form a romance together as she tries to gain the approval of the very entertaining tenants and her father's unpaid assistant there. Then Meg meets a resident there, Ellie, who has a Christmas dress from days gone by that hold many memories. The dress give Meg inspiration for a new dream she has to help save t...

  A Winter by the Sea - Julie Klassen - 3.5 Stars (Book 2 in the On Devonshire Shores series) "A Winter by the Sea", the second installment in Julie Klassen's On Devonshire Shores series, proved to be an enjoyable read. We continue our journey with the Summers sisters, primarily following Emily Summers as she pursues her dream of becoming an author. Facing rejecting from a local publisher, she agrees to an intriguing proposing from a charming competitor, leading her into unexpected twists involving a love triangle. Despite my usual aversion to love triangles, this one was well-executed.  This series fully immerses you in the atmospheric setting and you really do feel like you are right there with the "Sisters of Sea View" throughout the story. My only complaints are the books in this series do feel a bit too long for my liking, as I struggle to keep interest at times with the plot. There were also times it felt too slow for me, but I enjoyed this book in the ser...

  Better Watch Out by Natalie Walters - 5 BIG Stars! Now, here is the Christmas romance book that truly captured my holiday spirit this season!  I adored it immensely, especially after spending the month reading other Christmas books that didn't quite resonate with me—until I stumbled upon this gem. Natalie Walters, thank you for delivering an exceptional romantic suspense Christmas story filled with the festive cheer I needed! We follow Former NHL defenseman turned protection agent, Andrew Bishop and Frannie Frost. Frannie is in New York for a surprise visit to her boyfriend, but things don't work out as planned when her boyfriend breaks up with her for another woman. Left feeling alone in the middle of New York, Frannie is determined to make this trip one to remember by checking off her bucket list of Christmas activities! Frannie's brother asks his friend (Andrew) to deliver his sister Frannie to the airport. Since her brother saved his life last year, he feels like he c...

  Falling Like Snowflakes by Denise Hunter  2.5 to 3 stars. I may write a formal review later but this book follows a girl who is running from her past with her little boy and is hiding her identity. Her car breaks down and she is stuck in this new town and meets many new people.  They help her get back on her feet and she meets specifically this guy Beau who starts being interested in her and vis versa. What bothered me about this book is Beau has a girlfriend for 60% of the book and never broke up with her while he was as developing feelings for our new girl in town. And his girlfriend was helping the new girl out by letting her stay at her place. It just felt icky. Also there’s a mistletoe scene where someone is encouraging him to kiss the new girl…and he kisses her cheek when she moves a little and he kisses part of her lips. Whileeeee he is still dating his current girlfriend. I don't think Denise hunter’s older books are for me. I have read two now that have this ch...

  All's Fair in Love and Christmas by Sarah Monzon - 3 Stars  I greatly enjoyed Sarah Monzon's novel "Kiss Me On Christmas" last year, particularly because it resonated with me as a mother of a child with autism. Consequently, I was eagerly anticipating delving into her latest book, which features representation of social anxiety and promises a delightful Christmas romance. While I found the overall story to be enjoyable, I must admit that it didn't quite capture my heart as much as I had hoped.  In this story, we follow Jeremy and Mackenzie, co-workers in the field of graphic design, both competing for a new promotion at work. Mackenzie grapples with severe social anxiety, and we witness her journey navigating this challenge in various work and social situations, all while dealing with the additional stress of her mother's Alzheimer's. Jeremy, on the other hand, is an uncle raising his niece and nephew, doing his best to provide for them. Both characters ...

 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - 5 Stars  Little Women is a timeless classic that has captured the hearts of readers for generations. It certainly captured my heart from the very first chapter. From its very first page, we have themes of sisterhood, love, and individual growth that resonates profoundly. I loved the four March sisters. They each have their own unique personality and dreams. We see each of the sisters individual journeys, witnessing setbacks, struggles and the unbreakable bond that ties them together. I love the Christian themes throughout the story that we see such as forgiveness, the importance of gratitude and being content, compassion for others, trusting in God, etc. Marmee (their mother) was one of my favorite characters as well - she is such an inspiration to me as a mother.  Set in the Civil War era, this book has a lot of thought-provoking commentary that remains relevant today. The novel encourages readers to reflect on their paths and the imp...

  Star of Wonder - An Advent Devotional - Angela Hunt - 5 Stars This advent devotional invited deep reflection on the historical aspects of the first Christmas, delving into prophecies, people, places and the overarching purpose of it. Angela Hunt's in depth research and clear explanations in each chapter are truly commendable. So much goodness here. I found myself learning a great deal and  experiencing emotional moments, often responding with heartfelt, "Amens"! I loved the "Moment for Wonder" sections with the prayers each day as well that wrapped up what was explained for the day. So much biblical truths were explored here - not just in the New Testament - but even back into the beginning in the Garden of Eden. Loved it. The historical aspect of this was fascinating too! She explained so much I never would have thought about that now, I want to know more! Specifically the Jewish culture, as that information was previously unknown to me. This devotional has n...

  Dreaming About Forever by Mandi Blake - 4.5 Stars  What a great Christmas read! Mandi Blake is one of my favorite authors ya'll, I have enjoyed all 3 books I have read by her so far!  I love a good bodyguard, protector story and this one had such a layer of depth. Jordan, a Marine with a Purple Heart and an amputee, brings a profound layer of depth to the story. On the other side, Alicia is a Hollywood singer who finds herself thrust into the tabloids due to a financial scandal involving her parents' embezzlement of millions from her and her sister. Abandoned by her fiancé in the wake of the scandal, she yearns to escape the relentless paparazzi.  Enter Jordan, hired as her her bodyguard and immediately the chemistry between them is top notch. While their connection is undeniable, it's Jordan who truly shines in this story. The dual POV format, a personal favorite of mine, allows us to see into Jordan's perspective, revealing a strong, protective man dedicated to h...

 Rocky Mountain Promise by Misty M. Beller 4 Stars (Book 2 in the Sisters of the Rockies Series) This book follows Lorelei Collins, sister of Juniper Collins from book 1. She has such a heart for animals, especially animals in need. In this story, we see Lorelei and her sisters on their ranch in the Rocky Mountain wilderness as she finds a buffalo calf without its mother. She brings it home to their ranch and soon realizes its a rare and sacred animal to the Native Americans, making it very valuable to them and the European trappers in the area. Many men come to the ranch for the calf, many with ill intentions. Tanner Mason, the owner of the new trading post, sticks around to help Lorelei by allowing them to stay at his post for safety reasons. Danger looms though, a bit too close to home.... If you like a good western romance, pick this series up! I think I enjoyed book 1 a bit more, as the pacing in this was a bit off for me, but I overall enjoyed it and love Lorelei as a charact...

  Almost Like Being in Love - Sariah Wilson 3.5 Stars This novella was a lot of fun! Even though I don't like instalove, the fact this had a Scottish family and setting from the 17th century and time travel with a girl from America who falls in love with the Scotsman at Christmastime - I forgive it LOL! If it would have been any other setting, I probably wouldn't have picked it up but I can't pass up anything that has time travel and Scotland in the mix! It's almost so over the top for the entertainment value that you just end up having a fun time while reading / listening to it. I listened to the audiobook through audible and loved the Scottish dialogue and narration. I don't think this book is meant to be taken seriously. I think its meant to have a lot of fun while reading and just enjoy during the Christmas season. It is magical realism after all with the time travel element haha. I love that the romance was clean with kisses only - some of the descriptions, inn...

  Dead Fall - Nancy Mehl - 4.5 Stars (Book 2 in The Quantico Files Series) OK YA'LL Nancy Mehl is a FAVORITE author for me for sure. After reading Cold Pursuit, Night Fall and now this -- SHE ALWAYS GOT ME ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT! Top tier Christian Suspense author. This book took me through it! We follow Alex and Logan again through their journey together as FBI Behavior Analysis Unit workers but this time the BAU co-found John Davis is found dead in his hotel room - with NO evidence of anyone having entered the room. Turns out, there's a serial killer on the loose who is causing people to commit suicide. How can you find the killer when he never touches his victims? The killer is targeting Alex's unit and things get crazy after this. We get to see Kaely Quinn from the Kaely Quinn Profiler series, which I haven't read yet but don't feel like I missed anything by not reading it. BUT now I want to read it! I had no idea who the killer was (as usual LOL) so I was so su...