BookLoverAmanda

  He Walks Among Us by Christy Barritt - 4 Stars  Book 2 in the True Crime Junkies Series Members of the Arctic Circle Murder Club are BACK together to discuss their next case! Things get derailed though when 3 bodies emerge from an icy river nearby and a friend of one of the victims pleads for help.  I really enjoyed this one, it reminded me of a TV show you might see out there. Amateur detectives, crime podcast, side mysteries to solve - really liked it. Would like a bit more details to progress on the side mysteries but all in all - not bad. Also, if there is going to be a romance....hinted at, let's solve what needs to be solved to get the romance going LOL I like the characters in general - the mystery was a bit unsettling with the POV of the killer. Who the killer was surprised me, as usual - since I never guess these things.  Enjoyed the faith elements sprinkled throughout. Looking forward to reading the next one. Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6282147757

  Sugar Birds by Cheryl Grey Bostrom - 4.5 Stars   Sugar Birds is a beautifully written story that combines elements of suspense, emotional depth, and a profound connection to nature. Set in the stunning landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, the book explores themes of survival, healing, and human resilience. The story follows three central characters: 10-year-old Aggie, who runs away into the forest after accidentally setting a fire that threatens her family’s farm, Aggie's brother Burnaby and Celia, who is visiting her grandmother's nearby farm. Burnaby and Celia eventually meet and have an instant connection together. Celia helps in the search party to find Aggie as she goes missing in the forest for many weeks. We see Aggie's POV as she tries to survive and hide from the others, too afraid to return to the aftermath of what she has done. We also see Celia in a tough situation with a dangerous guy and Burnaby - with a bit of a love triangle as they get to know one anothe

  A Call for Kelp by Bree Baker 4 Stars  Book 4 in the Seaside Cafe Mystery Series Another great book in the cozy Seaside Cafe Mystery Series! I just love these characters so much. Not a whole lot to say, but we continue to follow Everly Swan in her Tea shop on the beachside in the great small island of Charm, North Carolina. The whole town in excited because an iconic Hollywood actress is in town. Everly's great-aunts are making a documentary about beekeeping. When the actress turns up dead, reporters and fans swarm the island and disrupt the peaceful lives of the townspeople. Everly combs through the evidence to help detective Grady Hays figure this one out. :) This series is just so much fun. I love the vibe it gives and just overall coziness of the characters and setting. Continuing on in the series :) Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6841520076 Amazon:  https://amzn.to/4gJ8Ops *Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased

Dangerous Beauty by Melissa Koslin - 4.5 Stars Wow, what a powerful story! Dangerous Beauty is a Christian, romantic suspense story that follows Liliana, a young woman who escapes human traffickers and is pushed into a world she is unfamiliar with. As her journey towards safety unfolds, she meets Meric, a wealthy, mysterious man who offers her protection through marriage. However, Meric's past harbors is own dark secrets, which could threaten their future.  Melissa did a great job portraying Liliana's resilience and courage, allowing readers to witness her inner transformation. The trauma Liliana carries is dealt with sensitively and Melissa handled the topics in this story with such care, I really appreciate that. Liliana's gradual steps toward healing are a key element in the story. The growing relationship between Liliana and Meric builds tension, keeping the reader engaged as the plot deepens with layers of intrigue, especially as they grow to know one another and gain

  The Elite by Kiera Cass - Book 2 in The Selection Series 3 Stars Ok, it's been a few days since I finished this one so I am finally writing a formal review :)  This series is a YA dystopian spin on a "bachelor" style competition. We continue where we left off in book 1 by following America - our main girl - as she navigates the pressures of being one of 6 remaining contestants. She is so indecisive as we see her vying for Prince Maxon's heart and a place as future queen but readers also see her past love feelings for Aspen continue to flare up - leaving a love triangle set up.  What works for this book?  - The unique system and political unrest in this world - it adds depth to the fairy-tale like setting. - High DRAAAMAAA! LOTS OF TEA YALL. You want that YA TRASH type book (clean, but still, YA trash LOL) - pick this up! It's giving what it needs to give in the drama department. - Fast-pace and quick to read - these books are always very quick, easy reads. Palle

  Reel Love by Savannah Scott  5 Stars  (Book 5 in the Love Trippin' Series but can be read as a standalone) WOW, what a fabulous ending to the Love Trippin' Series! I absolutely have loved reading through this series this year. Filled with banter, great friendships, sweet romance and a great island setting, this series is everything I needed this Summer! Reel Love follows Stevens and Alana -- one of my favorite couples now in the series! We see Stevens, a Marine Biologist and Alana, an Actress in Hollywood who play a word game online together without knowing they're chatting with one another. To him, she is SaturdayIslandGirl and to her he is Wordivore. They get to know one another through the app chatting back and forth with great banter! It's only a matter of time before their identities are revealed.... We see them meeting each other in situations in the book without knowing who each other is from the app - loved those interactions leading up to the big reveal! If y

                                       Christmas at Harringtons by Melody Carlson  5 Stars  What a wholesome Christmas story! I loved this one. I find I love her Christmas books with family and redemption elements more than the ones she writes with romance and this one had great family elements and faith threads of forgiveness, second chances through Jesus 💛 In this story, we have Lena Markham and she finds herself broke and with no where to go after being released from prison from false accusations made by her ex-husband. She is trying to start over and lands a job as Mrs. Santa at a department store, due to her wonderful red coat. She is trying to keep her past a secret the best she can and start over. She meets a beautiful young girl with her Mama and helps them out along the way, and makes several friends from the very beginning in this new small town. We see the true redemption, forgiveness and second chances shown in this story and it's filled with great holiday spirit. No r

  The Selection by Kiera Cass - 4 Stars  Book 1 in The Selection series "The Selection" by Kiera Cass is a popular young adult dystopian romance novel, the first in a series that follows America Singer, a young girl living in a future society where people are divided into castes. Set in the kingdom of Illéa, the story centers around a competition called "The Selection," where 35 girls from various castes are chosen to compete for the heart of Prince Maxon and the chance to become the next queen. The main character of America enters the competition to please her family and earn money to support them, even though her heart belongs to Aspen, a boy from a lower class family. Unexpectedly, she is chosen and whisked away to the palace, where she meets the charming Prince Maxon. Despite her initial disdain for the competition, America begins to form a friendship with Maxon, which slowly develops into something more complicated as she navigates palace politics, jealousy amo

  Up from Dust by Heather Kaufman 4 Stars I really enjoyed this biblical fiction story of what it could have been like for Martha, Mary, Lazarus during the events that happened in the bible with Jesus. Part 1 is more about Martha's life and what things could have been like for her as a child, life with family, first love, etc. Then part 2 is more of the details of her life when Jesus comes and the events leading up to meeting him. Martha is a character I found myself really relating to. She is always worried, helping others, upset, impatient --- ME! Conviction was hitting me in some parts of this book for sure. Seeing her relationship with her siblings was also very relatable and great to see. Inspiring to see Mary too and her reactions, decisions made, etc. Martha is always so busy doing all the things, yet Mary is listening and really paying attention and being patient. I find myself being so busy all the time like Martha in life without really taking the time to sit down and pra

  Waiting for Christmas by Lynn Austin  4 Stars  A great companion story to All My Secrets by Lynn Austin  “Maybe that’s all God asks of us. Some people are given the opportunity to do grand things in life, but if we just make a difference in the lives of the people God puts in our paths, I think He’s pleased with that.”  What a sweet Christmas story set in 1901 during the Gilded Age. All My Secrets was a favorite of the year for me this year and we follow Adelaide and Howard from that story. We see them as newlyweds together and they find Jack, a young boy who is missing from his family and says he is not an orphan. We see the journey of Addy and Howard trying to do the right thing and help this young boy and reunite him with his sister and family. Finding this young boy on her doorstep changes their lives completely.  This novella was filled with the spirit of Christmas. Addy and Howard working together as a newly married couple on something very serious really brings them together i

  Lethal Standoff by DiAnn Mills - 5 Stars  "God does hear. He cares. The one thing I feel in my bones is His love.” Talk about a WILD ride! My first DiAnn Mills book and will NOT be my last! This had everything you want in a good romantic suspense. Great balance of romance and suspense in my opinion. Characters you connect with, faith content you love to see and it's quite the page turner. DiAnn's writing is wonderful and I highly recommend you check this book out if you love a good romantic suspense story. In this one, we follow Carrington and Levi. Carrington is a hostage negotiator and Levi is an investigative reporter. They are both on the scene of 15 hostages being held by the Kendrix brothers in an abandoned house in South Texas. The brothers are armed and dangerous and refusing to let them go. Things start off from here as we have this great story that keeps you connected, invested and needing to know all the twists and turns Carrington and Levi take along the way.

  Meddling with Mistletoe by Liz Johnson ❤️ 4 Stars   Well, this was adorable and put me in the Christmas mood! What a fun surprise! I may just have to read some more Christmas books early this year! Whitney is working to enter culinary school in the spring, but first she needs to sell enough pies at the local Christmas markets to pay her tuition. Her oven has other plans though and breaks down, so she asks Marie Sloan, proprietor of the Red Door Inn, to use the inn's kitchen to keep up with her orders. She agrees and we see so many cute moments of Whitney watching the three Sloan children and cook breakfast for the guests in return. The inn has many guests--including Aretha Sloan, our main guy's Aunt. She is in the business of matchmaking her nephew Daniel with Ruby, a businesswoman who is a bit too serious for Daniel. Aretha is determined to match up Daniel with Ruby so she makes Whitney an offer she can't refuse to help her with the matchmaking scheme.....little does Whi

  Tide and Punishment by Bree Baker 4 Stars Book 3 in the Seaside Cafe Mystery Series What can I say? Another solid book in the Seaside Cafe Mystery Series! I love this cute cozy mystery series yall. In this one, we have all the Christmas and beachy vibes! We are back in Charm, North Carolina with that small town southern feel with Everly Swan's iced tea shop and cafe for it's first holiday season. Her Great-Aunt Fran decides to run for mayor against her long-time nemesis, but when the other candidate turns up dead just before their first scheduled debate, all eyes point to Fran. Everly works to clear her Aunt's name and the handsome Detective Grady Hays continues to stick around to help out on the case.  These are just some great cozy mystery books that I love listening to on audio. Very quick listens and always a good time. The characters and the town really make the book. Everly and Grady are my favorite (Wyatt needs to take a hike LOL). I like the romance subplot and th

  The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander - 3.5  Book 1 in A Secret Bookcase Mystery series This is the start to a new bookish cozy mystery series. This had some really great bookish elements. We had a great bookstore and Agatha Christie vibes, details about publishing and author, events, and a fun mystery festival that the bookstore was going to start in an effort to get more business and help the bookstore financially. I thought this was an excellent way to portray support for local bookstores, I really enjoyed the details surrounding the book elements in the book vibes, however, the mystery itself was lackluster.  We start off with Bookseller Annie Murray, who is super excited to work on the mystery-themed book festival she sets up to help revive the bookstore financially and in its author events, marketing, etc. Things take a turn when a body is discovered hidden behind the shelves that wasn't meant to be a part of the festivities....even worse, it's Annie's old co