BookLoverAmanda

  The Ice Swan by J'nell Ciesielski - 4 Stars The Ice Swan is a captivating historical romance that takes readers on a journey through the tumultuous backdrop of the Russian Revolution and the glittering society of Paris in 1917. This book weaves a tale of love and resilience, creating a story that is both heart wrenching and heart warming.  We follow the story of Princess Svetlana Dalsky, who flees Russia with her family in the wake of the Bolshevik Revolution. As they seek refuge in Paris, Svetlana's once-grand life is reduced to one of struggle and uncertainty. Amidst the chaos, she meets Dr. Wynn MacCallan, a Scottish surgeon with his own past and secrets. Their romance blossoms slowly, marked by mutual respect, understanding and a shared sense of duty. This story really took off for me around chapter 13. I loved the romance between Wynn and Svetlana so much and seeing them make the journey to Scotland in this story was my favorite part. While I was more invested in the ro...

  Cold Vengeance by Nancy Mehl - 4 Stars (Book 3 in the Ryland & St. Clair Series) Such a great conclusion to this series! As always, Nancy does not disappoint! She writes great Christian suspense stories! This is the 7th Nancy book I have read and each time, each book is engaging with compelling characters, an intricate plot and a seamless integration of faith and suspense. She also gives the perspective of the killer in her books and that gives insight to the reader to try and figure things out along the way and know more in depth about the situations at hand. In this conclusion in the Ryland and St. Clair Series, we see River and Tony investigate the case of a missing crime podcaster, as well as wrap up events that have occurred throughout the series. Since this is book 3, you should read these in order because it would spoil books 1 and 2.  Seeing River and Tony's friendship grow to a romance throughout the series has been great. They truly care about one another and a...

  The Golden Goal by Annah Conwell - 4 Stars (More Than a Game Book #1) How CUTE was this ya'll!? I really enjoyed this audiobook! If you love a good dual narration rom-com, this is one to pick up! Annah's writing is great and I loved the ending so much! Seeing our main guy take care of her when she was sick - *chef's kiss!* This follows Shaw and Sutton - they are basically enemies to lovers in this book. He is her brother's best friend and she becomes the physical therapist for his hockey team. Let the rivals begin! There was so much tension, banter and laughs in this one I really enjoyed. We do see a bit of Sutton holding on to a grudge probably a little longer than I usually like, but overall I really enjoyed the book.  I also love that Shaw loved her first -- so great to see his POV. As far as the narration, I loved both narrators. I felt like the guy really sounded like a Hockey player voice and did a great job. Dual narration is always great. No third act breakup!...

  The Cowboy Who Loved Texas by Liz Isaacson - 4 Stars  (Book 3 in the Second Generation in 3 Rivers Series but can be read as a Standalone) Releases August 6, 2024 but available now in her store here We return to Three Rivers with a picturesque backdrop of the small town ranch setting. This becomes the stage for a compelling romance between two very strong-willed people. Dawson is a man driven by the need to prove himself to his family, as he struggles with OCD and Anxiety. Caroline is a dedicated Wildlife Conservation Officer, fiercely committed to saving the endangered owls that have made the trees on Dawson's family ranch their home. Ya'll, the tension between Dawson and Caroline is so obvious from the first meeting! I loved seeing their relationship grow. Caroline has been through a previous mentally abusive marriage and divorce so she is hesitant about dating or getting married again. Dawson continues to deal with struggles from his OCD and Anxiety. Seeing them grow to c...

  A Groom of One's Own by Emma St. Clair (4 Stars) Narrators: Emily Ellet & Rock Engle (Book 3 in the Appies Series but can be read as a Standalone) This was super cute ya'll! I love Emma's Rom-Coms, they just have this fun humor, banter and cute, sweet romance stories you love! Marriage of convenience is one of my favorite romance tropes and this did not disappoint! We have Eli, who is about to be deported back to Canada because of his expired Visa, unless he can find a way around that issue by marrying someone.....and who better to marry than the girl he has an instant connection with, Bailey, who works at the animal shelter and dreams of becoming a Veterinarian. Eli really needs to stay with his family because his mother is chronically ill and they have finally found good treatment for her where they live.  Bailey is a bit shy, but has also been through a lot. Her parents passed away and she is left to take care of her grandmother who needs more long term care. The p...

  The Davenports by Krystal Marquis - 3.5 Stars rounding up to 4 Goodreads (Book 1 in The Davenport Series)  Set in 1910, we have the Davenports, one of the few Black families of immense wealth and status in a changing United States. Their fortune made through William Davenport's entrepreneurship, a formerly enslaved man who founded the Davenport Carriage Company years ago. The Davenports live rich, lavish lives and we follow their journey with servants, chandeliers, parties and finding their way and finding love.  I really enjoyed this book! I read this as one of my friends, Chrissie's, favorite books for her birthday month and I am so glad I did! Filled with drama, a great atmosphere, many characters, romance and themes of racism that went on during the early 1900s, you have a story bound to keep you invested! + I listened to the audiobook and really liked the narrator. We have several characters, many have compared the set up to American Royals, though I don't know muc...

  Better Together by Mandi Blake  Book 4 in the Wolf Creek Ranch Series 4.5 Stars (Can be read as a Standalone but you best experience this by reading in order in my opinion) Another great Christian romance by Mandi Blake! Loved book 4 and looking forward to continuing in the series! In this one, we have a sweet, clean, friends to more romance with a marriage of convenience trope that I LOVED.  Read if you like: - Christian Contemporary Romance - Cowboys and Small Town Ranch Settings - Books with Faith Content Showing Redemption and Forgiveness - Books with Family Elements  - Marriage of Convenience Trope - Friends to More Trope Colt and Remi are best friends in this story when something happens that is a tragedy to their family. They get married to have a better chance at gaining custody of his niece and nephew due to the circumstances. Colt has been in love with Remi for a long time but Remi has never loved herself enough due to her past experiences and mistakes to...

  When Twilight Breaks by Sarah Sundin - 4 Stars  For fans of historical WWII fiction, this is a must read. Sarah Sundin's storytelling is top notch, as usual. When Twilight Breaks transports you to the tumultuous world of 1938 Munich, where political tensions are at a boiling point and the shadows of war loom.  We follow Evelyn Brand, an American foreign correspondent determined to uncover and report the truth about the Nazi regime, and Peter Lang, a graduate student working on his Ph.D in German studies. Evelyn's dedication to her work brings her face to face with the harsh realities of life under Nazi rule, while Peter's initial admiration for Germany's apparent resurgence leads him to a gradual, painful awakening about them.  We see Evelyn and Peter work together and ultimately find themselves on a journey to safety.  I really enjoyed the addition of characters from Until Leaves Fall in Paris in this one and seeing the romance between Evelyn and Peter grow. ...

 Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan (4 Stars) What a surprising read! This book is filled with depth - our main character Ali is going through a divorce, the grief from losing her Mom and honestly, losing herself as a Mom who has done everything for everyone for so long and not doing anything for herself.  We see Ali really walk through standing up for herself, falling in love again and talking through things with her 3 kids. Her as a mother was so relatable for me in different ways. We are just trying to do the best we can, even when we lose ourselves in the process. Ali runs into Ethan -- literally with her dog peeing on his leg LOL -- and doesn't really recognize him as someone she knew from high school. They go on many dates and he helps with the divorce from her husband since he's knowledgeable in law. They get to really know one another and they start falling for one another. Will it be more than just a summer romance? Will they be able to make things work?  This bo...

  The Summer of Yes by Courtney Walsh - 4.5 Stars "Society lies to women when it says they can have it all, a family, career, success at home and success in the workplace. You can't. At least not all at the same time." "Yes. It's risky to feel things. And it's risky to hope for good. And it's hard to say yes to the unknown. And it doesn't always result in wonderful memories. But that's what it means to be alive." A story all about what really matters most in life and saying yes or no to the RIGHT things. I needed this book at such a time in my life when things are crazy as a busy working Mom to a special needs child. I am constantly busy, working, trying to DO IT ALL, when we can't. I find myself spending too much time on the things I don't need to be doing and not prioritizing what I should in life. This story makes you realizes truly how short life is and how things could end in the blink of an eye. Take the vacation. Go on that roa...

   What We Hide by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker - 4.5 Stars  (Book 1 in the Tupelo Grove Series) A new series from Colleen Coble - cowritten with Rick Acker - and they do not disappoint! I really enjoyed this one. I was engaged from the very beginning and had to know ALL the things! I read part physical and listened to the audio as well. The narrator was great and did a really great job on the different character voices and emotion. You really felt like you were there in the moment with the characters of the narration. In this book, Savannah is a professor who works with her sister and CEO, Jess. Her and Jess are complete opposites but very close with one another regardless. We see the story open up with Savannah filing for divorce with her husband, Hezekiah (Hez). They have been separated for 2 years following the events of the death of their young daughter, Ella.  Cut to a professor being murdered, Savannah being accused of the murder, Jess getting involved and obv...

  No Good Tea Goes Unpunished by Bree Baker - 4 Stars  (Book 2 in the Seaside Cafe Mystery Series) I love the southern charm this book series has! North Carolina setting with a tea shop on the beach!? Say less. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series. If you are looking for a good, cozy mystery series with no language and good, clean content, pick this up! Everly is our main character and she is catering her friend's wedding when they find the groom murdered. The bride is suspicious but some serious TEA happens when someone unexpected shows up! Grady is also back from book one who makes it his mission to keep Everly safe - we love a good protective Detective! :) Everly's aunts were also HILARIOUS and made me laugh out loud many times throughout the story. Very entertaining.  I listened to the audio of this and highly recommend them. There is a great narration that makes you just want to keep listening. Goodreads Review:  https://www.goodreads.c...