Book Review: I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

 

I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys - 5 Stars 

"I Must Betray You" is a gripping historical fiction novel set in 1989 Romania, during the final days of Nicolae Ceaușescu's brutal communist regime. The story is told through the eyes of 17-year-old Cristian Florescu, who dreams of becoming a writer but finds himself ensnared in the web of the oppressive government.

I was absolutely blown away by this story. Ruta truly wrote a compelling and thought-provoking novel that sheds light on a lesser-known period of history, while also telling a story of courage, resilience and the human's spirit longing for freedom. I knew nothing of what happened in Romania during this time until I read this book, and that is a sad thing. I truly believe we should all take note of this story and what happened and learn from it. 

Many part of the story were eye opening because they really made you sit down and think about how fortunate we are here in America. So many around the world do without and their struggles are or were unknown to us. We have a fridge full of food, while many others wonder where there next meal will come from. 

One character that stands out in this story is Cristian's grandfather. He plays a significant and complex role in the story. He is a character who adds depth and highlights the moral ambiguities faced by individuals living under oppressive regimes. Cristian learns valuable lessons from him about resilience, sacrifice and the complexities of human nature in times of extreme adversity. 

Overall, I highly recommend this book. If you love historical fiction, this is one to pick up. It's certain to leave a lasting impression.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6539639666
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zqbC9Z

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

Book Review: Resorting to Romance by Savannah Scott

 

Book Review: Resorting to Romance by Savannah Scott - 5 Stars 

WOW - This is now my favorite book from the Love Trippin' Series! Kai & Mila & Noah have stolen my WHOLE HEART! I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend you check it out! 

While this is book 4 in the Love Trippin' series, it can be read as a standalone. 

🌊Small Town Island Vibes

🌊Single Mom

🌊Friends to Lovers

🌊Fake Dating

🌊Heartfelt Story

🌊Sweet Clean Romance

🌊He Loves Her Son

🌊She Owns An Inn
🌊Fun Aunties
🌊Laugh out Loud Moments

We follow Kai and Mila in this book. Kai is a surf instructor and Mila owns an Inn called "Mila's Place". Mila is a single Mom with her precious 7 year old son, Noah. Her ex-husband Brad left the minute he found out she was pregnant so she has been raising Noah by herself all this time. Kai and Mila have been friends for a while, so when Mila's ex-husband comes back in town, regretting his decision to leave her and Noah so long ago, Kai steps in and says he's Mila's boyfriend and the fake dating begins. As usual with a good fake dating story, we see real feeling develop over time in this sweet, slow burn romance. 

I LOVED seeing Kai and Mila's romance develop and the added layer of Kai being a father figure to Noah was CHEF'S KISS! The "single parent trope who finds love again" is one of my favorite tropes in romance stories and this one was PERFECTION. Everything about it was my favorite. 

DID I TEAR UP IN THE END?! YES! I loved how Savannah wrote this story because I was so connected to our characters. 

If you're looking for the perfect summer read right now, THIS IS IT! Resorting to Romance is out in the world and ready to read TODAY! Happy Release Day! Thank you to the author for providing a copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6562541255
Amazon: https://amzn.to/45MaNEH

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

Book Review: The Fast Lane by Sharon M. Peterson

 

The Fast Lane by Sharon Peterson - 4 to 4.5 Stars 

I really enjoyed this one!

-Clean rom-com

-Friends to lovers

-Road trip

-Brother's best friend

-Epilepsy representation

-Many laugh out loud moments

Ali and her family are on this road trip for her brother's wedding. Ali rides with Theo, who she was crazy about when she was a teenager. Theo is her brother's best friend and feelings form along this wild, hilarious road trip!

I loved Ali because she was truly a strong, relatable and real character. We see her talk through the struggles with epilepsy over her life and her and Theo had great chemistry from the beginning. I loved he is her “comfort person” - just like my hubs is mine.🩷 The side characters were also great - her Grandpa and Mimi cracked me up! The Vegas wedding scene had me ROLLING!

This has some great family details and deeper topics but also is a funny, relaxing romance read. I absolutely loved the level of depth the characters have and they feel like real people with everyday interactions. My only complaint is this does have some mild language I feel like is unnecessary but I really enjoyed the story itself. I will say it was much less language than The Fake Out and I appreciate that.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy to honestly read and review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Content: Mild language, 15-20 D words, 10-15 H words, 3-5 JA words. They break down and stumble accidentally upon a nudist resort but I found it hilarious and they were very uncomfortable--quote "I've never looked at so many foreheads in my life" lol. Romance was clean. 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6593776876

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3RBTuQE

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

Book Review: The Love Audit by Annah Conwell

Book Review: The Love Audit by Annah Conwell - 5 Stars

(Book 1 in The Sweet Peach Series)

Ya'll this was the SWEETEST and CUTEST rom-com! 

-Enemies to lovers (done right!)

-Workplace romance

-So much corporate banter

-Hilarious and Relatable

-Completely clean with kisses only

I must read more of Annah's books! Loved the side characters too and look forward to more in this series of their romance stories. 

In this one we follow Callum and Charlotte and they have to work together on a project - but the kicker is they do not get along. So we find an enemies to lovers workplace romance that makes you laugh and has all the cute romantic tension and banter that you want, without the characters being mean to one another. 

Charlotte was SO relatable to myself and I love some of the southern references throughout the story too. We had some mentions too of God and prayer that I loved to see.

I tabbed so many things in this one and can't wait to continue in the series. 

Highly recommend!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6578913039
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3KSJVci

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

 

Book Review: Catch a Wave by Savannah Scott

 

Catch a Wave🌊 by Savannah Scott  (Book 3 in the Love Trippin' Series)

Read if you enjoy:

🌊Surfing

🌊Second Chance Romance

🌊Brother's best friend

🌊Setting like Hawaii/California Beaches

🌊Adopted dogs

🌊Clean romance

If you enjoy the things mentioned above, give it a try! I recommend starting with book 1 in this series, even thought this can be read as a standalone. 

This book follows the second-chance romance between Bodhi and Kalaine. They were surfing's "it" famous couple. 2 years ago they broke up but as things would have it, they are brought back together when she realizes he is living with her brother on Marbella Island. Kalaine is there because she gets into a surfing accident and is trying to recuperate at her brother's home. 

Savannah has such a way with her stories that make you smile, laugh and be happy. I really liked the side characters and the small town details. She always writes the really great settings that make you feel like you are there.

For the romance, I am not always a big fan of the second chance romance trope so I knew going in it may or may not be a favorite. I personally was a bit confused on some of the storyline because we have some flashbacks of the past to explain how they came to be in their second chance romance today and I guess I needed to pay attention more to the headers in those chapters, because I found myself taken out of the story when I didn't realize it was a flashback. I also felt like there were too many of them. While I didn't connect with the main characters as much as I hoped, I still really enjoy this series and think they are fun summer reads.

Excited to see how book 4 goes, its more of my favorite tropes versus this and I think I will connect with it more.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6528337439
Amazon Series Link: https://amzn.to/3KUj3Zu

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

Book Review: Suffering is Never for Nothing by Elisabeth Elliot

 

Suffering is Never For Nothing by Elisabeth Elliot - 5 Stars

"The deepest things that I have learned in my own life have come from the deepest suffering. And out of the deepest waters and the hottest fires have come the deepest things that I know about God."

This is a book I needed at such a time in my life when my husband and I are struggling with navigating through the world of special needs parenting for our 5 year old son, among several other things. This is a profound and deeply moving exploration at the nature of suffering, viewed in a lens from the Christian faith. This book is a compilation of Elliot's talks and is filled with her life experiences through suffering and how God was still good through it all.

This is personal, authentic, theologically deep and filled with hope and encouragement. I fully believe this is a timeless and invaluable resource for anyone grappling with the realities of suffering. Elliot's insights, coupled with her personal experiences, make this book a powerful reminder that through faith in Jesus, suffering can be transformed into a meaningful and redemptive experience. 

We see the reality of suffering, the purpose, the response and the redemption. I needed this book and believe so many of you will be ministered by it as well. Highly recommend.

"God never wastes pain. He always uses it to accomplish His purpose. And His purpose is for His glory and our good."

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6594559098
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3XxAgPS

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned from items purchased from these links. 

Book Review: Reputation at Risk by Martha Keyes

 

Reputation at Risk by Martha Keyes 4.5 Stars
(Book 1 in the A Chronicle of Misadventures Series)

Martha Keyes' Reputation at Risk is an engaging historical romance that combines intrigue, romance and the high stakes of Regency-era society perfectly. As an enemies to lovers story, we have some great back and forth banter between the love interests that reminded me of the type of banter we see in Pride and Prejudice. It was great! This book centers on Charlotte Mandeville and Anthony Yorke, two individuals whose lives become intricately entwined due to the perilous nature of reputation and secrets.

Charlotte has a niche for herself in the high society of the Regency era by being involved in local gossip and by crafting satirical caricatures of high society. She is able to get herself involved as needed in different situations very easily. Anthony is a man with a guilty conscience and a brother to exonerate. His path crosses with hers and they end up faking an engagement as they work together. 

The author's writing style perfectly captures the Regency era and you will find yourself with several laughs throughout the story as the back and forth between Charlotte and Anthony had me laughing out loud several times! This was a true enemies to lovers story and with me not usually loving that, I thoroughly enjoyed this one! The characters were well crafted and the plot with the conflict was well done. We see how these characters agree they don't like each other upfront but this journey of them starting to like one another was perfect.

Highly recommend if you love a good Regency era, clean romance story!

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6469808503

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3RpR6fB

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

Book Review: Rocky Mountain Journey by Misty Beller

 

Rocky Mountain Journey by Misty M. Beller - 4 Stars - Book 3 in the Sisters of the Rockies Series

This series has been a series of faith, perseverance and the transformative power of love. I have really enjoyed reading through this series and look forward to more of her books in the future. At its core, this story is descriptive and paints a beautiful picture of the Rockies and the perilous conditions faced by the characters. Following one of the sisters introduced in the series, Faith, pretends to be dressed as a man so she can embark on a journey to find the Peigan Blackfoot woman who once saved her father's life. Along the way, she joins a group of trappers, in hopes they can help her. She meets a man, Grant Allen, who is also searching for his brother and Grant becomes suspicious of Faith right away. The story takes of from here in their journey together.

I really liked Faith's resilience to find this woman and take up this journey. We really see this life of what it would have been like during this time for the characters. Grant was also a really great guy - he is always there to help along the way. The faith content in this one was really nice too. 

If you like a good, clean historical romance series, I recommend picking this one up.

Thank you to NetGalley, Austenprose PR Book Tours and Bethany House for a digital copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6274909373

Amazon Series Link: https://amzn.to/3XpsK9N
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/553541

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

Book Review: A Fish Out Of Water by Savannah Scott

 

A Fish Out Of Water by Savannah Scott - 3.5 Stars rounded up to 4 on Goodreads
 (Book 2 in the Love Trippin' Series)

What a cute, enemies to lovers rom-com! This is book 2 in the Love Trippin' series but can be read as a standalone. In this one, we are back on Marbella Island in California and Summer is making a fresh start for herself there. Ben met her at the end of book 1 and now in book 2, we see their banter back and forth as "enemies to lovers". He is a red flag for her because he is too charming and comes off as a player - her backstory explains why she is so leery, which you learn about in the story as it goes along. She is a mermaid in a play, trying to get her acting career on the map, and now Ben has to be the lead as her "pirate love interest" in the play. How is this going to go?! 

Overall, I had so much fun reading this. I laughed and laughed as I usually do in Savannah's books! I loved the beach details and setting and seeing characters from book 1 was great. 

My only critiques are the book was a bit too long for me personally and I didn't love the way things ended with her Dad, but truly enjoyed the book and looking forward to book 3! 

Highly recommend this rom-com series!

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6528337393
Amazon Series Link: https://amzn.to/3Xg7t2h

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

Book Review: Love, Unscripted by Denise Hunter

  Love, Unscripted by Denise Hunter - 4 Stars

This was a cute summer beach read type of book! Really enjoyed A Novel Proposal last year and this one was great too. Chloe Anderson is an author who has a movie coming up for her romance novel. She is nervous about Liam Hamilton being cast as the male lead because of his reputation in Hollywood. She lets her producer know her thoughts about the casting when Liam overhears it on speakerphone. Liam's reputation continues to go south when his agent creates a plan to fake date with Chloe during the filming. They think creating this wholesome, committed relationship will gain each something they need. Liam - his reputation to get better. Chloe - increase her following online to help her writing career. What could possibly go wrong?! Feelings start to be real - that's what! Ha! And what do they do next when they start to truly like each other and secrets come to the forefront......

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It was a clean romance and the interactions between Liam and Chloe were great. The only thing I wasn't crazy about was the 3rd act breakup and miscommunications but it was still a good summery read. Audiobook narrator is great too. She narrated some in Loyally, Luke by Pepper Basham so I really liked her voice.

4/5 

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6017712212
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3RlObEQ

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

Book Review: The Summer of Keeping Secrets by Jill Lynn

 

The Summer of Keeping Secrets by Jill Lynn - 4 Stars 

This was my first book by Jill Lynn and I truly enjoyed my time with it. Releasing on June 25th, The Summer of Keeping Secrets is a clean, women's contemporary fiction story with little bits of romance included. In this story, we have family reconciliation, grief, healing and a great summer read. You will continue to turn the pages needing to know about the character's secrets and back stories. 

Marin Henderson is recently widowed and goes home to her late parents' Colorado home. What she doesn't expect is secrets being kept among her daughter Slade and son Reed. She can tell immediately things are not going to plan with their early arrivals to help clean out their grandparents home with Marin. She tries to keep more to herself and not push her children, because she too, is keeping secrets.... The story begins with the 3 of them trying to work to clean out the house but Slade finds a newspaper article from 1990 about a death that occurred on her grandparent's property and questions arise....

We see Marin dealing with the grief of losing her parents and spouse over the last several years, trying to clean the home out and keep her secrets to herself. She runs into Garrett, her old friend and high-school flame, and he starts to help her clean the home out too. Her daughter Slade is having issues with her job as a sexual harassment case had led her to quit and arrive early. Her son Reed is having marital trouble with his wife. Both Slade and Reed keep these things to themselves but as the story progresses, it certainly goes from the summer of keeping secrets...to the summer of sharing secrets. 

I loved the family element in this story. We see just how Marin deals with the grief she is going through and the worries she has for her adult children. As secrets unfold, I loved how the family came together to work through their issues and communicate so well about them. I really connected with each character and overall enjoyed the ride to uncovering the secrets each person had and their resolutions they planned to take on each one. It was nice to see Marin and Slade also having their own little romances throughout the story too, and seeing Reed and his wife working through their issues. The mystery of the death from 1990 was something unexpected and added to the story a great deal. Really enjoyed how that came full circle to their stories from the past too and seeing Marin open up with her children about the past.

I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys contemporary women's fiction and family stories. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for a complementary copy to honestly read and review.

Content: Clean romance, death of parents and spouse, grief, parental affair mentioned, sexual harassment in the workplace, marital troubles and a few mentions of yoga but this is not a Christian novel so it's appropriate for the story. 

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6400486413
Amazon: https://amzn.to/45eWFDG

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

Book Review: The Only Exception by Mandi Blake

 

The Only Exception by Mandi Blake - 4 Stars (Book 3 in the Wolf Creek Ranch Series)

Mandi Blake's books are always heartwarming and this one was no exception. This had a little bit of suspense with the return of David, Everly's crazy ex-fiancé from book 2, Almost Everything. In this story, Cheyenne is paid by David to spy on Ridge Cooper, Everly's brother. David paints a terrible picture of Ridge but when Cheyenne gets to the ranch and starts to know Ridge, she realizes all too soon she made a big mistake....

Ridge was a great guy, one of my favorite guy characters who takes care of his family and has a heart for people. He is loyal, strong and just overall an awesome guy. The faith in Mandi's books always stand out and I really liked the prayers and faith elements in this one. 

Cheyenne was put in a tough position with needing help to pay for her mom's medical bills. I loved seeing her come to the realization that she made a mistake and trying to figure out what to do next to resolve it. I didn't love the kept secrets for as long as she did, but it made sense in this story as she was trying to figure out how to tell him and she stopped cashing the checks quickly, anticipating to do the right thing.

I really liked seeing characters from the previous books in this series. I think this book is best read in order of the series because you see so much of the details from book 2 in this one. Loving this series and excited to continue on.

Amanda's Cheese level rating: Block cheese but super sweet, quicker romance ;)

Read if you like:
- Clean Christian Romance
- Family Elements in Stories
- Cowboys
- Ranch Setting
- Small Town 

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6539638346
Series Link: https://amzn.to/4aXPsZW

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.