BookLoverAmanda

Barriers to Entry by Ariel Lawhon - 3.5 Stars Very interesting and fascinating short story, historical fiction/mystery -- lots of information on forensic science investigations. A fictionalized story based on Frances Glessner Lee's studies - she was an American forensic scientist and very influential in developing the science of forensics in the United States. In this story, Frances is 67 years old in 1945, as a new Harvard instructor with 6 male students. She creates a crime scene and gives them 90 minutes to sold a real-life murder mystery. I enjoyed this overall and while it kept my interest, it just wasn't my absolute favorite. She certainly teaches these men to think outside the box though. I still need to know the answer to who committed the crime though LOL. Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3P4yH73 *Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

Fallen Grace - Sadeqa Johnson - 5 Stars Wow, this short historical fiction story had me in tears by the end. I must read this author's other works. A single mother, named Bubbles, in segregated Virginia pushes back when her family sent her away after she finds herself pregnant, intending to give the baby up and have her return so she doesn't shame their family. Her father is a Southern Baptist minister so they don't want anyone to know about this. Bubble stands strong and decides to keep her baby and escapes from the home she was sent to with her daughter. She decides to use her talent of singing to make money after leaving but where she ends up - she stands strong in courage for her own daughter. Beautiful ending. What an emotional punch in such a short story. My favorite so far of this collection. Bubbles is a character from the story House of Eve by this author. I have not read that one yet, but from other reviews, this can be read independently from that story without s...

  Fires to Come by Asha Lemmie - 3 Stars Set in the early twentieth century New York City, Carlotta, abandoned as an infant, is now black adopted daughter of an Italian Mafia Don and her family situation is tough. Her oldest brother refuses to have anything to do with her and she has never quite fit in with her neighborhood. Carlotta has to decide where she belongs - no matter the price that must be paid.  Overall, this short historical fiction story was a bit disjointed for me and I didn't love the betrayals that happened in the way it was explained for her influence in her decisions. Even though her treatment does make you think the betrayals are justified, I still didn't love how it was expressed in this story. I liked the writing and would try other books by the author possibly in the future, but yeah, overall it was just OK and I wasn't blown away by the actual story. I liked the scenes with Carlotta and her mother most of all. *Content - language, 1 use of GD that I r...

  Amelia's Shadow - Marie Benedict - 4 Stars Short story about Ruth Nichols who is friends with Amelia Earhart as they both try to make records in flights together. During this time in history, it was hard to stand out and do something like this. They are great friends in their work. Everyone knows the end of Amelia’s story and that is shown here. In such a short story, this author brings emotion as she usually does in her books. I’ve read another of her works and have enjoyed her storytelling. This is a great short story to read to get a good sampling of her writing if you have never read her books before. I could have easily read an entire book like this by her. 4/5 stars Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3P3yilo *Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

  The Forgotten Chapter - Pam Jenoff - 4 Stars - Short Story  Really enjoyed this one, it makes me want to pick up more by this author. Historical fiction short story and you know when you want more to a short story that it's a good one indeed! Pam packed so much in these short pages of history and romance! Set in 1943 London, Paige Miller, a worker at the fabled department store Selfridges falls in love with Danny, an american soldier who comes by the books counter every day to see her. As they fall in love, she finds out he holds a secret that could change the course of the war and their lives. We see how Paige's decisions impact history in that moment - this had some sad moments but was also very impactful so I want to read more by Pam for sure! *There was one closed door - fade to black scene here but nothing was not described. Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3IiQKmk *Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

  Rosie and the Dreamboat - Sally Thorne - 3 Stars This was a cute concept - Rosie goes with her sister to an exclusive spa day and gets stuck in a floatation tank when a handsome fireman comes in to rescue her from it. She is having a panic attack inside because of a past experience when she was locked into a trunk by bullies but this guy - Leo - keeps her calm while they work to get her out and it was cute and funny banter in a short story. I didn't love the language though - a bit much for me. Several F/S words and 2 GD. Short story about 1 hour audiobook and 44 pages.

 Lights Out by Natalie Walters - 5 Stars  WOW - what a WILD ride ya'll! A great start to a romantic suspense series! This one is more fast paced, action packed suspense with a dab of a great second chance romance included and I can not WAIIIITTT to see how book 2 goes! The end of this with the romance though was TOP TIER! I am such a suspense girl now and this one is SO unique where we see this awesome team (the SNAP or Strategic Neutralization and Protection Agency) work together to combat terrorism and cyber crime - something I normally don't read about. Loved it so much because it really kept me on edge where I "NEEDED TO KNOW ALLLL THE THINGS" and getting to see everything from behind the scenes was so interesting to me!  This follows Brynn and Jack, who have quite the history together. They haven't seen each other in years and now all of a sudden they have to work together to bring down a missing spy. Jack doesn't trust Brynn for past reasons but they mak...

 Book Review: Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly 5 Stars  I loved this one ya'll, a new favorite middle grade. So heartwarming and uplifting. This is about a young 12 year old girl who is deaf, Iris. She is struggling in school as the only deaf person there. One day in Science class, Iris learns about Blue 55, a whale who sings at a different frequency than other whales, categorized as a lonely whale because they can never find him and he doesn't run around with other whales because they can't understand him so he isn't accepted. She feels so connected with Blue 55! She makes a song for him, gets in touch with the researchers and makes a point to try and see him, even though he is so far away....Iris and her grandmother embark on an adventure and the story goes on here. This book was great. I absolutely love Iris' character - you will LOVE her. The author really shows us what it's like to be deaf in school and how is can be for parents and students alike. Loved her...

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai - Middle Grade 3 to 3.5 Stars  This is a middle grade story told in verse (poetry style) all about a young girl and her family who go to America (Alabama) as refugees at the end of the Vietnam War. I think this story is a powerful testimony of what they went through. So many struggles trying to learn English, how to interact with others, eating new foods, attending a new school, dealing with bullies for their differences and prejudices as well. Their father is missing from war and the their family is grieving not having him around. We see them working through their pain and struggles and how to learn living in America. This brings awareness to what refugee families go/went through and is a powerful, moving story. For content purposes: Parents should be aware before their children read this of the following: - The religion discussions in this book reflect the refugees culture back home. The mother says they are Christians to ensure a better c...

  Unlimited Motherhood - Jessica Hurlbut - 5 Stars - Releases March 19th  As a Autism Mama to a beautiful 5 year old boy, this book was everything I needed in this season of life. Relatable, understanding, faith-filled, vulnerable and wonderful. I often need to remind myself Jesus knows exactly where we are in this moment. Jessica's book reminds me again that He is wanting us to come to Him. He hasn't left us in the lonely seasons of life when your struggles as a special needs Mom come to the forefront and you feel like you can't leave your home. He hasn't left us when you compare your life to the other families all over social media and wonder if you're not doing enough. He hasn't left us when our fear feels paralyzing for our children's future. He's right there with you in the middle of EVERYTHING and this book reminded me once again, how JESUS is right there in the midst of it all. Every struggle. Every worry. Every fear. We desperately need Him every...

  The Radiance of the Moon - Ashley Worrell - 4 Stars  Had the best time reading this! Releases on February 27, 2024. - Clean, Christian Medieval Romance  - Scottish Protective Hero & Irish Widow Finding Love  - Scottish dialogue, history, political intrigue and clans  - Ruth and Boaz Inspired (Not a Retelling but some elements inspired a unique story) - Great faith content, forgiveness and redemption - Author's debut novel - Looking forward to the next book! This book is set in 1383 and if you love a good Medieval Scottish romance, pick this up! I became interested in this story when one of my friends recommended it to me and it did not disappoint. It felt like such an original story to me and as someone who LOVES Scottish stories, I was here for it! The faith content in this was so beautiful, it blew me away. We see Chieftain Hector and Irish widow Cara. They each have been through so much. Hector struggled with drinking and a past reputation less than to ...

  Chasing the Horizon by Mary Connealy - 3 Stars Readers who enjoy Westerns Christian Historical Romance will enjoy this one but be aware of some intense descriptions of women being sent to insane asylums and their horrible treatments. This brings awareness to how easily a husband could send his wife to an asylum when she did something as simple as disagree with him. This is the 4th Mary Connealy book I have read so far. In this book, Beth Rutledge helps her mother and friend escape from the insane asylum they were wrongfully imprisoned in. Her father put her mother away and Beth went on the journey to save her from the terrible conditions she endured. They go on the run from their father, assuming new identities on a wagon trail out west. In comes Jake Holt, a wagon trail scout, who helps the women in their journey. Beth and Jake fall in love and he makes sure to take care of her and family at all costs. Meanwhile, Beth's crazy and vindictive father is right on their trail searchi...

  Beren and Luthien - JRR Tolkien - 4 Stars The story of Beren and Luthien itself would be 5 stars for me, but this book had a lot of excess commentary I was not personally invested in from the editing Christopher Tolkien did. It appears from other reviews the story of Beren and Luthien is from The Silmarillion - but this book would be worth purchasing if you are someone who would love to see the details behind Tolkien's writing from his son's point of view and the artwork throughout the book is worthwhile. The version in The Silmarillion is very straight to the point from what I have seen in another review but this one is closer to "normal prose" where it's the same story told again in a different way in verse. I think since I am not really a poetry or verse person, I prefer the original story.  The Story of Beren and Luthien is reminiscent of Arwen and Aragorn in that this is the story of a mortal man who fell in love with an immortal elf. Beren has the quest to...

  My Phony Valentine by Courtney Walsh - 5 BIG Stars! This book is EVERYTHING I needed in a GREAT rom-com! Fake dating, witty banter, hockey player MMC, Small town chef FMC, a funny grandmother, no 3rd act break up, no miscommunication, so many interactions between our couple --we love to see it! I was having a tough day over the weekend and picking this book up gave me all the happiness and fun I needed that day. It was the perfect light and fluffy read I needed! Such a CUTE Valentine's sports romance read! Romance was clean! This is all about famous hockey player Dallas Burke who bumps into restaurant owner and chef Poppy Hart. Dallas jumps right in with the situation of "fake dating" to help Poppy and the rest is history as a full fake romance ensures as his manager and meddling grandmother intervene since it would be a win-win situation to help Poppy's failing restaurant with the publicity and Dallas's bad guy reputation. To sum it up - I just need to read all...

  The Irish Matchmaker - Jennifer Deibel - 4 Stars Jennifer does NOT disappoint with her newest release, The Irish Matchmaker. I have read every one of her books and they consistently deliver captivating tales filled with profound emotion. In The Irish Matchmaker we follow the daughter of a well-known matchmaker, Catriona Daly. She is helping widowed cattle farmer Donal Bunratty find a wife to help take care of their family farm and raise his daughter by his side. He attends the matchmaking festival as a wish for his young daughter, only to end up not finding the one he thought he would. But what happens when the one doing the matchmaking appears to be the woman of his dreams? The story goes on from here as Donal and Catriona get to know one another but Lord Osborne's son, Andrew, throws a "cog in the wheel" we will say in all the matchmaking..... This Christian Historical Romance is set in Ireland and Jennifer always has the best descriptions and dialogue for the setting...

🗡️✨Powerless by Lauren Roberts🗡️✨ 4 STARS   OK, ALL I WILL SAY IS WOWWWW WHAT A GREAT SECULAR YA FANTASY I NEEDED! ITS THE ROMANCE FOR MEEEEE. YOU CAN CUT THE TENSION WITH A KNIFEEEE LIKE BUTTTTERRRR! (I may update this review later to be more like a FULL review in sentence form but here are some immediate thoughts.) *4 stars, it was 5 stars for me up until 75% ish but still a SOLID story! *Full vlog on Monday to come to my YouTube Channel Monday, 2/19 *I need the second book ASAP *So glad I read this with friends, great book to buddy read with others! *It's giving FANTASY HUNGER GAMES AND I LOVED THAT! We have trials, and lavish descriptions, interview with those in the trials, the purging is the reason they have the trials etc. *We have a "faction-like" set up -- our main girl Paeydn is an "ordinary", our main guy Kai is an Elite. She is pretending to be an Elite with psychic abilities and saves Kai in a crazy situation. Kai and her end up in the trials toge...

  Submerged by Dani Pettrey - 5 Stars - Re-read higher rating! I am not much of a re-reader but I loved the experience re-reading this one! Submerged is book 1 in the Alaskan Courage series and I plan to make my way through this series in 2024. I read this book in 2021 but never continued so before I continue on in the series, I wanted to re-read book 1 so the characters would be fresh in my memory. So glad I did! I enjoyed it so much more this time around and am rating it 5 stars!  A solid romantic suspense set in Alaska! Bailey Craig vowed to never return to Alaska but when her Aunt is killed in a plane crash and evidence shows more to the case than they thought, she proves to be an asset to the investigation and stays around to help investigators. Bailey's past mistakes are following her when she comes back home but she is a new creation in Jesus and knows it doesn't define her anymore. She only hopes everyone else sees it the same way when she returns. Then we have Cole Mc...

  Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis - Narnia Series - 4 Stars  I just love this world. Reading this series as an adult for the first time is quite the experience. Every time I dive into a book I am whisked away to such an amazing world. Our characters Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy are back in the world of Narnia! Lots of action going on in this one and while some parts I loved more than others, this is such a fun read! Love the talking animals and seeing Aslan again in this book. As always, the allegory is great. You can see a parallel to the Christian Life throughout this series. A good example "But who believes in Aslan nowadays" - direct correlation to the criticism we receive at times for believing in Jesus and the struggles in the Christian life. Lucy's journey is important as she has to go against her friends and family to follow Aslan (Jesus allegory). Not everyone can see the path but she can. She makes some mistakes but Aslan makes it clear he is still compassionate a...

  Lady of Disguise by Melanie Dickerson (Book 6 in The Dericott Tales, but can be read as a Standalone) - 4 Stars Another great retelling in the Dericott Tales! This is a Jack and the Beanstalk retelling and I really enjoyed this one! Set in 1388 England and Scotland, Louisa dreams of finding the rumored "Giant's Treasure" in Scotland. After her father has died and Louisa and her sister go live with their greedy uncle, Louisa is determined to find the treasure. She wants to run away from her Uncle's home and take her sister with her to keep her safe and away from forced unwanted marriages. She runs and disguises herself as a boy, using the name "Jack", and encounters a young knight, Sir Charles, who accompanies her on her journey. Charles knows she did pretending to be a young boy but does not reveal this knowledge as he wants to help her along the way as much as possible. However, things come to a head along their trip and they find themselves starting to c...

 Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin - 5 Stars This WWII story will leave you with so many emotions - it's a must read! We have war, mystery, a bit of romance and a mother who will stop at nothing to find her son in London. This is the second book I have read by Sarah and I can't wait to dive into more of her backlist!  This book starts off with a emotional punch - our main character Aledia is with her abusive husband and young son during their escape from the Nazis in the Netherlands. While she is asleep, her husband tears their son from her arms and gives him away to a random man and woman because he is embarrassed of his son's hand deformity. When Aledia wakes up, she realizes what has happened and is devastated - determined to find her son. Before she can even discuss what happened with her husband, he is killed from effects of war. Left a widow and alone, she is desperate to find her son in London. She makes her way there and meets a BBC reporter - Hugh Collingwoo...

  Fatal Witness - Patricia Bradley - 4.5 rounding up to 5 Stars on Goodreads Fatal Witness is book 2 in the Pearl River Series and it will certainly keep you on the edge of your seat needing to know ALL the things! Fans of book 1 will be happy to see Alex and Nathan back in book 2 as they help K-9 Officer Mark Lassiter work the cold case of Dani Bennett's parents murder and her learning her true identity after being in hiding in Montana for the past 25 years. Dani has no memory of her life in Tennessee or the murder of her parents. She returns after her Grandmother, Mae Richmond, finally finds her from a photo she notices in a pottery magazine and the story goes on from here as Dani starts to uncover her past and relive old memories to figure out what happened many years ago. This book kept my interest from the first chapter. As a Tennessean myself, I love the Tennessee setting in this series. The suspense in this one is top tier as you are eager to continue to see all the reveals ...

  All My Secrets - Lynn Austin - 5 Stars All My Secrets by Lynn Austin is a multigenerational story of 3 women that explores first loves, grief, high society lifestyle, history, the Christian faith and the essence of what matters most in life. I highly recommend this book as I was fully immersed in the story and characters.  Set during the Gilded Age in New York, we see the strength of the Stanhope women following the passing of Arthur Stanhope. Left uncertain of their future paths, Junietta, Sylvia, and Adelaide grapple with the ramifications of Arthur's will and the looming uncertainty surrounding their family's estate. As they navigate through the aftermath, family secrets begin to unravel, shedding light on their intertwined history. I absolutely loved this story. I was very invested in the audiobook narration and learning about Sylvia and Junietta's past. We see the beauty of the Gospel in this story several times as our characters grapple with their past decisions, mi...

  Rocky Road by Becky Wade - Book 2 in the Sons of Scandal series - 4 Stars Rocky Road is a cute, fake dating clean, Christian romance featuring FBI agent Jude Camden and perfume maker Gemma Clare. Jude approaches Gemma in an effort to take down her criminal cousin from France who is selling her family perfume secrets. They go undercover and have a fake dating romance but as they start to catch real feelings - things get complicated since Gemma has a current long distance boyfriend and Jude isn't allowed to date those he works with on cases. As genuine emotions surface, Gemma realizes her current relationship lacks true love, prompting her to move on and explore a deeper connection with Jude. We also see a side story about Gemma's great grandmother who has dementia and has forgotten her love story. Gemma sets out to help her great grandmother remember her love story as she pieces everything together for her all about her past. I loved the first chapter, it had me laughing out...

Marmee by Sarah Miller - 5 Stars  Marmee by Sarah Miller is a captivating exploration of the beloved character, Marmee, in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I LOVED this book so much. This book takes you on a journey of the events in Little Women but all from Marmee's point of view through her personal journal entries. It brings such a depth to her character that I think ever person who reads Little Women would appreciate. Marmee was already my favorite character in Little Women, but after this book, I love her even more. It really feels like it goes with the true Little Women story. The author skillfully weaves a story that uncovers Marmee's joys, struggles, and the choices that shaped her into the compassionate and wise mother we know from Little Women. Seeing other struggles she went through that we could assume could have happened in this story were truly eye opening and heartbreaking. I sobbbbbeedddd several times while reading this books, specifically in the ending. I co...

Just The Nicest Person - Christy Barritt - 3.5 to 4 Stars, Maybe 3.75 :) (Book 1 in the True Crime Junkies series) What a wild ride! Just the Nicest Person was our Christian book club pick for January and I had a fun time reading this. It's a Christian Suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat and have you NEEDING to know all the things! Very fast paced, which I love in books, and not just 1 plot point - we see secondary plot points that can be explored in future books which is always interesting because now I need to read book 2!  This story is about Andi, a previous attorney with a mysterious past. She is driving her "ice-road-truck" through Alaska - as she is there to find justice after a friend's murder. Things take a dramatic turn when she sees a man in the middle of the road during a white-out snow storm and her truck veers off the road. Enter Duke McAllister, a former CID investigator gone tour guide in Alaska, who comes to Andi's rescue. The per...