Book Review: The Ice Swan by J'nell Ciesielski

 

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 romance than the historical aspects, this story vividly brings to life what was going on in the Russian court, the desperation of the revolution and the vibrant streets of Paris. 

The family dynamic in this was great. We see such an interesting contrast in Mother's between Wynn and Svetlana's. Hers is very overbearing and narcissistic, while the his is an absolutely joy and encouraging. 

Overall, this story has well developed characters, plot and romance that will keep readers engaged. I loved her writing style and will be reading more by J'Nell for sure! If you like stories that include royalty, romance and history - pick this up!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6593266426
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/265323
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4fjELEa

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

Book Review: Cold Vengeance by Nancy Mehl

 

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 are always there for each other. 

I also loved seeing River's faith developments throughout this series. She learned to trust in the Lord and both her and Tony shared many prayers and faith moments together. 

You will be hooked in this series from beginning to end -- highly recommend for anyone who is looking for a great Christian suspense!

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

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6245019409
Amazon Series Link: https://amzn.to/3Wnb0tp
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/553537

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

Book Review: The Golden Goal by Annah Conwell

 

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!

If you love sports romance, pick this up! We had a lot of good hockey scenes too! Excited to continue the series :)

Content: Clean rom-com, kisses with some make outs, but I was generally ok with it. No language.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6159389082
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Snm0pr

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

Book Review: A Groom of One's Own by Emma St. Clair

 

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 proposal of marriage from Eli would help her financially and he's a super cute hockey player, sooo why not?! Right?! 

The marriage of convenience trope plays out and I absolutely adored it! I loved how they were really getting to know one another before things started to happen and the way Emma wrote it was chef's kiss! Eli was just this great cinnamon roll type guy that you just loved and he wanted to be there for Bailey no matter what. 

Their banter made me giggle so many times and I love all the animal references, and adopted dogs. :) ALSO -- great found family in this with the side characters --- the wedding scene with the guys was my favorite! Plus, who couldn't LOVE Eli's Mom and Sister?! They were the best!

Let's talk about the narration: I LOVED the narrators! Honestly, you all know I am always listening to an audiobook because life is BUSY, and I am somewhat picky on my narrators now --- the narrators did a really awesome job of keeping you engaged so I highly recommend them! I will be on the lookout for any that they produce in the future for sure.

Overall, if you love cute, sweet, sports rom-coms, check this out! Thank you to the author for a copy of the audiobook to listen to and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Content: Clean with kisses only, close proximity, no language.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6577082534
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zQ8Qeh

*Audio releases 7.23.2024. Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links. 

Book Review: The Davenports by Krystal Marquis

 

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 much about that. 

Characters:
Helen - The younger Davenport sister. She isn't interested in love until she meets her sister's suitor -- uh oh! 
Olivia - the oldest Davenport sister who has a lot of pressure to marry ASAP a man named Jacob Laurence. You know the drill - Olivia doesn't want to marry him, she loves another....

Amy Rose - a servant to Davenports and friends with the siblings. She wants to open a Black salon but also has feelings for John Davenport....how is this going to go?

Ruby -- she is from the Tremaine family. (Another wealthy Black family.) Her father is running for office, money is tight..... She was supposed to marry John Davenport but she falls for another also....

SO there you have if folks - the set up for the TEA in this YA series right there. So much was going on in this! Anndddd that is why its 3.5 for me. I really love that this is a clean YA book (maybe 1-2 curse words but I don't recall many), but the sexual content is clean with kisses only. I loved the setting, the atmosphere, the drama - it was all engaging. My problem was there were to many characters - as my friend Tammy says, "That is a very BookLoverAmanda thing. Too many characters." - She is right! I reallllly struggle, especially in audio format, when we have too many POVs. 2-3 is about all I can work with usually. Once we get 4+, I just really struggle with maintaining interest and keeping up with all of the characters. So that is just a ME thing ya'll. BUT I see why so many have enjoyed this book and I would love to continue on in the series because I kinda NEED to know what happens next! 

So overall, a good YA book  that tackles important topics, has great characters and lots of family dynamic and romance that I think a lot of yall would enjoy!

Check it out.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6574149428

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4dbpvHO

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

Book Review: Better Together by Mandi Blake

 

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 be able to care for him back. An emotional roller-coaster ensues from here as they learn how to be a married couple and parents to his niece and nephew.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, excited to see characters show up from different books of Mandi's here and there too! I loved the kids and seeing Remi and Colt embrace their new lives together. Colt was such a great guy, as usual in Mandi's books! :) I loved their chemistry and seeing them interact with the kids was precious. It really added a layer of depth to the story.

The ending had a little bit of conflict with Remi and Colt I didn't love but other than that, it was another SOLID read from Mandi and after that bonus epilogue, I NEED the next book!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6569792971
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4eVHCmN

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

Book Review: When Twilight Breaks by Sarah Sundin

 

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. They were going through so much so quickly and seeing their connection in the last half of the book was beautiful.

The first half was a bit slow for me personally, but the last half was intense and I was invested - needing to know what happens next. It was certainly a page turner in the end as the plot gained momentum. 

The faith elements were nice to see as they relied on the Lord in many portions of the story.

Overall, highly recommend as a good Christian historical WWII fiction story.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xMLwO6

Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/235810

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

Book Review: Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan

 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 book certainly brings the emotions front and center, but also has the beauty of a summer romance beach read. Maybe this was a more relatable read for me as a mother myself but I really liked our characters and what everyone was going through.

The romance was cute and closed door, which I appreciated. 

Overall, excited to find a new, closed door romance author!

Content warnings:

- divorce and the process of getting it finalized
- loss of a parent and grief associated with it 
- death on page of a loved one and funeral shown 
- language: s word, several GD words - didn't love those but it was 4-5 times I believe 
- sexual content is closed door with fade to black bedroom scenes outside of marriage.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6597961207
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3xHBgXo

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

Book Review: The Summer of Yes by Courtney Walsh

 

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 road trip. Enjoy life with family, even in the hard. Take the chance and you never know what beauty may come from the ashes. 

This book is a clean, women's fiction contemporary story. We have some romance but I was primarily invested in the friendship that develops between Kelsey and Georgina. Kelsey works all the time and is always busy. She gets hit by a car and ends up in the hospital next to Georgina, one of New York's successful business women. Georgina is dying from kidney failure, unless she can get a transplant. Georgina is a woman who spent most of her life working all the time, prioritizing her career success over her son and husband. She's been apart from them for 20+ years and now that she is dying, she is filled with regrets. Along comes Kelsey, who realizes from Georgina's story she is repeating many of the same mistakes in her 30s. She pushes Georgina and her to have a "SUMMER OF YES" - where they go on a trip and say yes to things that they normally wouldn't. To get out and enjoy life and see what they have been missing. What Georgina doesn't know is Kelsey has some plans up her sleeve to help Georgina reconcile with her son and husband after all these years. The story kicks off here.

I really related to the subject matter in this story as I mentioned. I felt a new perspective reading through this. I need to say no to things I always say yes to in my "people pleasing" self and start saying "yes" to what is most important to me in life and take risks where necessary. You never know where it could lead.

Now, it's important to go in this book knowing it's not meant to be a "Christian Fiction" book. It's meant to be a clean, secular fiction book in my mind. Do I think this book could have benefited from a few moments of gentle, everyday faith content and removing some of the things about the universe, fate and our main girl not knowing really where she stands with God? Absolutely. But do I think the overall message Courtney is sharing here is well needed in today's society, especially for us women who feel like we have to be everything for everybody else and "do all the things" -- ABSOLUTLEY! 

As a special needs Mama, I needed many of these reminders regardless and I appreciate Courtney tackling this topic and writing a clean fiction story to represent it. 

I am so glad I purchased this book for my summer reading vlog, full thoughts and reactions to come in a future reading vlog.

Highly recommend as a good summer read.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6537616258

Amazon:  https://amzn.to/4cxVxgY
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/560299

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

Book Review: What We Hide by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker

 

 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 obviously keeping secrets, Hez representing Savannah as her lawyer, someone after Savannah, Hez and Savannah trying to work their marriage out and you have the makings of a GREAT romantic suspense story!

I overall enjoyed my time with this and the way it ended, I NEED the next book ASAP! The twists in this were done very well, even if I somewhat figured out some things. :) Loved that cliffhanger at the end either way. 

My only complaint is I wanted Hez and Savannah to talk a bit more about their relationship but I understand they were trying to work through the mystery and they were trying to work through their feelings of grief and guilt from the loss of their daughter.

Overall, I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for a complementary copy of the book to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Trigger Warning Info: I haven't seen many reviews mention this so I want to take note. This book deals heavily with the death of a child by pool drowning. We see one parent deal with guilt and grief from it, the other deal with their extreme grief, and how it affects their marriage. Scenes in this book include visiting her gravesite, reliving the experience, a parent talking to another friend who also lost a child and talking through their grief, etc. I wanted to mention this in case anyone is sensitive to that content and needs to be aware before they pick this up.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6537620407
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4eSbjoI
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/560297

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

Book Review: No Good Tea Goes Unpunished by Bree Baker

 

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.com/review/show/6555260989
Amazon Series Link: https://amzn.to/4bz9CJX

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