BookLoverAmanda

  Absolutely Not In Love by Jenny Proctor - 3.5 Stars  Book 2 in the Appies series and 7 in the Sweater Weather series This is another book in the Appies/Sweater Weather series and we follow Gracie and Felix's romance.  Read if you like: 🏒 Hockey Romance Books 🏒Forced Proximity Trope 🏒Guys who Read and Love Classical Music 🏒Classical Music 🏒Cute Text Threads 🏒Neighbors to Lovers 🏒Anxiety Rep I overall enjoyed this book but sitting with it honestly it isn't a favorite rom-com for me. I LOVED Felix's character and how he loved to read and cared for Gracie so much. I did relate to the parental things Gracie kinda went through as well so part of that was relatable. Loved seeing Gracie's Cello playing too. I love Classical music so that was an added bonus for me. Essentially, Gracie hates hockey players and swears she will never date one after something that happened many years ago with one. Cut to meeting Felix next door and sparks fly between them. She doesn't w...

  The Queen's Cook by Tessa Afshar - 5 Stars  I have said it before and I will say it again, Tessa is the master of biblical fiction! I loved this story of Roxannah, the daughter of a once-privileged but now impoverished Persian lord, working in Queen Esther's kitchens. In this story, we see her determined to support her mother and repay her father's debts - she seeks out Adin to help her find work. Adin sees the need and secures her a position in the royal kitchens of Queen Esther.  Guided by Esther's grace and wisdom, she finds herself navigating prejudice and palace politics and deepening her bond with Adin along the way. As Roxanna goes up in the kitchen ranks, she and Adin uncover a plot targeting Amestris, the king's most powerful wife and Queen's archenemy. This sets things in motion from here in the plot.  This book has a rich historical setting of ancient Persia - very vibrant and immersive. Also, the culinary details in this were - chef's kiss! I l...

 Book Review: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon - 5 Stars I have already filmed my Winter Book Recommendations video, but if I hadn't, this would be the NUMBER 1 REC I HAVE! WOW. This book is a great blend of historical fiction and gripping mystery, shining a light on the remarkable life of Martha Ballard, an 18-century midwife whose diary remains one of the most detailed records of early American life. This story plunges you into the icy, Maine winter of 1789 and explores themes of justice, resilience and the power of a woman's voice in a time when society preferred it silent.  The story kicks off with a chilling discovery: a man's body encased in the frozen Kennebec River. Martha, whose skills as a midwife and healer extend to forensic observation, is called there to determine the cause of death in her own opinion and skill. From this point, we move into the personal and political narrative as there is a trial to determine what happened to the man in the ice. The man in th...

12 Days of Mistletoe by Jen Atkinson  4 Stars  A Super Cute Christmas Rom-Com! Read if you love: ❄️Fake Dating ❄️Cute Clean Christmas Romances ❄️Lots of Holiday Spirit ❄️Dogs ❄️Apartment Neighbors ❄️Enemies to Lovers - Done Right! ❄️Anxiety and Service Animals Represented ❄️An Awesome Meddling Grandmother This one was super cute yall! A new fav Christmas rom-com for me! My first Jen Atkinson book and looking forward to reading more by her. I really liked this twist on Fake Dating, haven't seen this done before.  In this book, Bonnie struggles with anxiety, managed with medication and her sweet service dog, Noel. She lives in an apartment complex and life is pretty good. All until Elliot, the landlord's grandson, decides to send her several unsolicited notes threatening to turn her in for keeping a dog when she shouldn't have one. When push comes to shove, Bonnie decides to go talk to Elliot at his apartment, getting thrown in the middle of his family festivities. Elliot p...

Book Review: The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright 4 Stars  This one was very spooky, gothic and eerie, as usual for Jaime Jo! It took me a bit to get invested in this one as the audio wasn't the best option. But around chapter 10 I was invested in the story and the house on Foster Hill itself. Jaime just has a great way of making these settings come to life and be a character in itself in a way. Duel Timeline in Jaime Jo fashion, we follow two ladies, Kaine Prescott and Ivy Thorpe. Both women are separated by nearly a century, whose lives are intricately tied to the mysterious Foster Hill house. Ivy is in 1906 drawn into a murder mystery when a woman's body is found near the house and Kaine is a modern day widow seeking refuge and answers after her husband's suspicious death. Kaine purchased Foster Hill hoping for a fresh start, but instead finds herself entangled in this history.... I really enjoyed the story overall, Jaime always keeps you guessing and interested. ...

Deadly Revenge by Patricia Bradley - 4.5 Stars Book 3 in the Pearl River Series What a great conclusion to the Pearl River Series! Set in Tennessee near Chattanooga in the fictional town of Pearl River, Russell County Deputy Jenna Hart and TBI Agent Maxwell Anderson work together to protect a former mayor who is running for the US Senate office. Max is also Jenna's old boss so they are familiar with each other. I loved learning more about Jenna's story and seeing her with Max was great. We see bits and pieces of her past when she was shot and is dealing with PTSD from those events, so when she is back in town, she is questioning everything -even the fact that someone could possibly be out to get her and sneaking around her home looking for some old incriminating photos she took from the past of some criminals.  I really liked the small town feel, as usual in Pat's books. As a Tennessee girl, I love her books so much for the settings and familiar towns and areas I know of, o...

  Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson - 3.5 to 4 Stars I really enjoyed this one and gave it 4 stars but upon sitting with it, it is more of a 3.5-4 star rating for me. I found much of what he said relatable, even though I am not much of a music person and he explained more of his life and music career. While this wasn't as engaging as many other Christian Non Fiction books I have read, I still really enjoyed the audiobook because it had signing and he narrated it himself. It was really like a memoir more than anything. I am a very creative person too, so much of his thoughts on creativity, discipline and faith were relatable. I would have liked a bit more on community I think but really liked learning about his own experiences. Personally, the chapter on discernment was the most impactful for me. Overall, an encouraging read! Favorite quotes: "Love the Lord your God, and love your neighbor, too, by making worlds and works of beauty that blanket the earth like flowers. Let yo...

  The Heir by Kiera Cass Book 4 in the Selection Series Basic review, just don't feel like writing a full review on this one honestly, soooo these were my thoughts at the time from Goodreads. Missed the mark for me here. Didn’t connect with the main girl. She was just so self absorbed and I didn’t care about what was going on in this one like I did books 1-3. I was more invested there. Ending we don’t find out who she ends up with and I just don’t care to continue at this point 🤣🤭BUT if you wanna continue after book 3 in the selection series and see what happened with the couple who got together’s daughter, check this out. Will write a full review later. Just wasn’t my fav. Content was fine, no explicit scenes, clean romance with very mild language - maybe 1-5 words max but I only remember a few small words.

  Rescued by the Hero - Mandi Blake 4 Stars  Book 1 in the Heroes of Freedom Ridge Series Super cute and quick Christian Christmas read! Really enjoyed buddy reading with my friend Melissa this one.  Read if you like:   Clean Christian Romance Brother's Best Friend Trope Fake Dating  A Touch of Suspense A Mountain Resort Vacation Setting Dual POV While its hard to measure up to her newest Christmas book, Healing the Cowboy, this one was still super cute and brings all the hallmark, Christmas cheese vibes you want during the holiday season. Our main couple is Aiden Clark and Joanna Drake. Joanna escapes to Freedom Ridge for the Holidays in Colorado. She runs into her brother's best friend at the ski resort and they instantly hit it off. Trouble arrives though in Freedom Ridge when Joanna's crazy, stalker co-worker - Keith - follows her to town. He has been interested in her for a while and she's been denying his advances. Because of all of the unwanted attention ...

  Hope Like Wildflowers by Pepper Basham  Book 3 in the My Heart Belongs in The Blue Ridge Series What a beautiful story by Pepper! Thank you to her for sharing Kizzie's story with us, it was well worth the wait! We learned about Kizzie in Laurel's Dream, book 1, who is Laurel's sister who has been sent away from their family due to her mistakes made. Oh but the LORD perused and protected this woman with all His power, what a beautiful journey Kizzie had to redemption, forgiveness and freedom! Set in the early 1900s in Appalachia, Kizzie is essentially disowned by her father due to a pregnancy she didn't plan on. After being on her own, with no food or shelter for a while, she meets a local family, Nella and her husband, who offer her refuge and help, no matter what she's done. They love her unconditionally and help her as such. They did the work of the Lord in these moments and helped a girl in need. I absolutely loved their characters. We see Kizzie struggle with ...

 The Curse of Misty Wayfair by Jaime Jo Wright  3.5 Stars Another atmospheric Jaime Jo read. Jaime blends gothic mystery, historical fiction and psychological suspense in this one. If you love a good haunting story with depth and emotion, check this out! I enjoyed it overall. The only downside to this one for me was I was a bit confused keeping the timelines apart and I don't think I still understand the genealogy stuff at the end, but this could be due to me only reading this by listening to the audio.  This is a dual timeline story following Thea Reed in 1908 and Heidi Lane in present day. Both timelines are in the town of Pleasant Valley, Wisconsin. In 1908, Thea is a traveling post-mortem photographer, who comes to town searching for clues about her birth mother. Her journey leads her to the asylum on the outskirts of town, where she gets wrapped up in the ghostly tale of "Misty Wayfair". In present day, we see Heidi Lane, struggling with anxiety and mental health iss...