BookLoverAmanda

 As Sure As The Sea by Jamie Ogle - 5 Stars Another powerful historical novel that will immerse you in the dangerous world of early Christianity under the Roman Empire's persecution. Set in AD 310, this explored themes of faith, sacrifice and redemption through the lives of Demi and Niko. Jamie Ogle crafts another great historical fiction story - this time in the form of St. Nicholas' story. I loved her St. Valentine story, Of Love and Treason, and this one was another beautiful faith filled story. The attention to historical detail is great - she really brings to life the bustling city and the dangers of pearl/coral diving. I think fans of Francine Rivers and Tessa Afshar would enjoy Jamie's books because they are early church history style. In this book, Demitria (Demi) makes a small living harvesting coral and pearls for a merchant. We kick off the book with her and her brother out on their boat when her brother gets hurt. This is when she meets Nikolas and he helps her ...

Before I Called You Mine by Nicole Deese - 5 Star Favorite This book is a new favorite of all time. Such a beautiful story that is emotionally rich, exploring themes of love, adoption, motherhood, romance, sacrifice and challenges of family and life in general. This is a Christian Fiction following Lauren, a dedicated Elementary School teacher who has longed dreamed of becoming a mother through international adoption. She feels like this is the Lord's plan in her life. Her adoption process comes with one strict condition --she must remain single until the adoption process is finalized. Lauren has committed herself to this journey but she finds herself questioning what she should do -- where does the Lord intend for things to go? Joshua, a kindhearted substitute teacher, comes along and she wrestles with some difficult choices.  Nicole Deese has portrayed the depth of her emotions so perfectly, making the reader truly relate and feel everything with her.  As a special needs Mam...

  Y ouTube Video Live at 7:00 a.m. central on 2/27/25:  https://youtu.be/9iGwLoA9qFk What is a multi-generational story? A multi-generational story is a narrative that spans several generations of characters—often a family or community—allowing the reader to see how events, relationships, and legacies evolve over time. Key Elements: 💛 Family Legacy : The story may explore how past choices, trauma, or traditions affect future generations. 💛 Dual or Multiple Timelines: Some books alternate between past and present perspectives. 💛 Interwoven Character Arcs : Different generations may face similar struggles, echoing past experiences. 💛 Cultural & Historical Context: The novel may highlight societal changes over time. 💛ICYMI:💛 Southern Comfort Reading Challenge Announcement with bingo board graphics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hop4A3XfPJk&t=2s 💛Books Mentioned:💛 The Vanishing at Castle Moreau - Jaime Jo Wright: Review: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2023...

Meet Your Baker by Ellie Alexander  Book 1 in the Bakeshop Mystery Series 3 Stars Small town charm, good desserts & a cozy mystery! We follow Juliet, who is a talented pastry chef returning home in Oregon to help her family's bakeshop. Her homecoming takes a dark turn when a murder occurs and Juliet gets caught up in the investigation. With a cast of quirky townspeople and plenty of twists, you have a pretty good cozy mystery.  I loved the vivid descriptions of desserts in this one - always one for a good food cozy mystery most of all. While this one was a pretty start to a good cozy mystery series and I do plan to continue sometime since I own a lot of the audiobooks, I found myself not as invested or connected at times. I think anyone who likes cozy mysteries would enjoy this one though, either way.  Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6039944426 Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3QA5DVn *Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned...

 Romancing the Grump by Jenny Proctor 4 Stars  Book 4 in the Appies Series REALLY enjoyed this one! We have another book in the Appie's series and it was SWOON-worthy yall! You know I LOVED a good grumpy sunshine trope and this did not disappoint! Nathan's character had so much depth with the reasons behind his rough exterior and Summer was the one girl who is all sunshine and warmth to break behind his walls. In this book we have Nathan who is a no-nonsense brooding hockey player for the Appies hockey team - he keeps everyone at arm's length. Summer is determined to break through his icy exterior. Circumstances force them into a fake dating arrangement and Summer sees it at the perfect opportunity to get to who Nathan truly is inside. The banter, heartfelt moments and chemistry between the characters were great. Loved the forced proximity and her taking care of him when he gets sick. I also loved seeing the other Appies hockey players, they crack me up! If you love these t...

Love and Memories by Mandi Blake  5 BIG Stars!  Book 4 in the Love in Blackwater Series YALLLLL MANDI DID IT AGAIN! These books just keep getting better and better! WOOOOWW! I was SO invested in this one. We have a Paramedic MMC, FMC who loses her memories, HIGH STAKES with TWISTS and TURNS, beautiful faith elements!! ALL. THE. THINGS! Simba in this picture here explains my SHOCK at the TWISTS in this! This is not like anything Mandi has done from what I have read so far and I just loveeeed it so much. OK now that I am done GUSHING --- let's get into what this is about: Paramedic Travis Monroe helps save our girl Isabella Young from a tragic accident. We know from the beginning of the book she was running away from a situation. She's injured and Travis doesn't want to leave her side, even after she goes to the hospital. He feels the Lord telling him to check on her and they start talking through things. She doesn't remember much about herself, other than her name and a ...

  Defiant Joy by Stasi Eldredge 4 Stars  This was a very relatable book for me. Several moments relatable as a special needs mama and someone who needed to be reminded all about the joyous moments we miss. This book is a good one for perspective - that joy isn't about circumstances by where we place out trust, in Christ, who offers unshakeable hope.  What I like most about this is how practical it is - she doesn't just tell us to choose joy and leave it at that, she provides real, tangible ways to cultivate joy through gratitude, worship, community and faith. Her insights are relatable and deeply encouraging, specifically for those who are walking or have walked through challenging seasons of life. If you are feeling weighed down by life's struggles or looking for a faith filled perspective on joy, check this out. It will leave you feeling uplifted. Thanks Krista at Books and Jams for hosting a readalong for this one! Goodreads Review:  https://www.goodreads.com/revi...

  A Run At Love by Toni Shiloh  (Love in the Spotlight book #2) 4 Stars Piper McKinney is our main protagonist in the story. She is an ambitious woman navigating a male-dominated world of horseracing. Her determination to win the Kentucky Derby is inspiring and there is an added complexity of her journey as a transracial adoptee. Tucker Hale is a good balance of support and strength she needs, both professionally and personally. We see their friends to more romance grow and their connection was very genuine. When a scandal in the media involving Piper's adopted parents ensues, she doesn't know what to do and we see the events of this unfold. I ultimately enjoyed this book. Toni always writes good faith content in her books. The first half - I didn't truly connect with Piper - I felt like I didn't know her well outside of her adoption story and struggles, but she grew on me after 40% mark. I loved the connection she had with Tuck and seeing the friends to more come to li...

  The Buy-In By Emma St. Clair (Book 1 in the Love Stories in Sheet Cake Series) 5 Stars  WHAT A FUN ROM-COM! Truly a 5 star rom-com! I loved this one so much. Pat is an new fav MMC! Excited to read more in the series.  Pat is such a great guy - a true cinnamon roll but also strong MMC. As someone who has ADHD herself, I appreciated that he talked about his struggles with that too. He really put his feelings out there to Lindy, which was AWESOME! You just don't see that enough in books and I loved it. The marriage of convenience aspect was so great in this book too because they get married to help her custody case for her sister's 5 year old daughter she has raised. Loved the little girl too in this story, I am a big fan of children in books like this! In this book, Pat's father purchased the town of Sheet Cake, Texas, and Pat tries to win back Lindy, who is the woman who got away many years ago. Seeing him pursue her was chef's kiss!  In true Emma fashion, there wer...

Of Love and Treason by Jamie Ogle  4.5 Stars (Rounding up to 5 Stars on Goodreads). A Powerful and Moving Story of Faith, Love, and Sacrifice - A St. Valentine Retelling   WOW. This is a stunning historical novel. From the very first page, I was captivated by the gripping story of Valentine, a man of unwavering faith who stands boldly against an emperor. He is full of bravery, compassion, and devotion to Christ. There are some beautiful salvation stories in this book thanks to Valentine! Iris truly stole my heart too. Her longing for physical and spiritual sight was beautifully written, and her transformation was breathtaking. The way she discovers faith amidst the dangers of Rome, all while navigating her relationship with Valentine, made for an emotionally rich and deeply compelling story.  We see such an important focus on standing for Christ in this book. We see how hard it was to be labeled a Christian during this dark time of history. We see the trust in God's ...

  Jane of Austin by Hillary Manton Lodge  3/5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐ Jane of Austin is a modern retelling of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen, which I have not yet read but know a little about the storyline. The author blended Austen-inspired themes with a contemporary Texas setting. We follow sisters Jane and Celia Woodward as the are trying to rebuild their lives after financial hardship, which forces them to relocate from San Francisco, CA to Austin, TX. Lots of tea, food, sister bonds and romantic entanglements are front and center in this book! For me, the first half to possibly 60% of this book was around 4 stars and really enjoyable. The strength of this book was its atmospheric Texas charm - so many recipes and tea blends - loved that! Also I enjoyed the writing style too! I can see the connections she made to Sense and Sensibility, from what I know of the story anyway. That said, the romance with Sean was a bit too instalove for me and Jane's character goes a bit off the waysi...

  Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross  Letters of Enchantment Series - Book 2 3.75/5 - rounding up to 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We are back in this duology with Iris and Roman! We pick up a couple of weeks after Divine Rivals, with a story of heartbreak. The stakes and emotions are higher than ever before as Iris and Roman have to find their way back to one another....but Dacre doesn't make this an easy task.... I can't say too much because it's spoilers but what a wild ride! I was invested in the relationship of Iris and Roman and rooting for them the entire time. I don't necessarily care about the politics or war of what's going on, the characters and romance is what makes this story for me! (The politics was interesting about half way in but usually I wasn't that interested lol) Since I can't say too much...I will say I was in that I NEED TO KNOW/I AM UNWELL mode for most of the book. However, the ending did fall flat for me in a few places where I felt like the pacing went f...

Uneasy Street by Becky Wade 3/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️ As a long time fan of Becky's books, I was excited to dive into this one! I have loved the Misty River series and Memory Lane is my favorite of this series. While the premise of Uneasy Street had plenty of promise--second chances, an adoption side story, a missing tiara and a business between the characters reminiscence of kindle unlimited/libby/hoopla/audible etc., - I ultimately had mixed feelings about this one. Let's start with what I loved about this one: the side stories! The relationship between Sloane and her niece was heartwarming and the subplot involving the search for her niece's birth father added a layer of depth that kept me engaged. Becky's signature emotional depth was present there and the small down Maine setting was charming. It was nice being back with characters from the previous book too. There was also a very interesting tiara side story involving Max's mother that I liked following. Where the book...

YouTube Video for Prompts Specifically Physical Books on Shelves: (Live at 7:00 a.m. central  on 2/5/25)  https://youtu.be/K22p2oKeyJY Books with Cooking and Chefs Recs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX8wZCnHHp8&t=8s Cozy Mystery Recs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2tnlTmQ2Uw&t=46s Southern Comfort Reading Challenge Announcement with bingo board graphics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hop4A3XfPJk&t=2s Here are the links for the books and reviews. Those I have Read and Reviewed from the Videos Above: Seaside Cafe Mystery Series Live and Let Chai Book 1 -Bree Baker: Review with Purchase Links:   https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2023/06/book-review-live-and-let-chai-by-bree.html   Death by Bubble Tea - Jennifer J. Chow:   Review:   https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5100674080   Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3Q4CMZa Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder - Valerie Burns: Review:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5006893972 ...

Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar   4.5 Stars (Rounding Up to 5 on Goodreads ) What a powerful biblical retelling of the story of Rahab. Tessa reimagines the life of the woman whose faith and courage changed history. In typical Tessa Afshar fashion, we see great storytelling and emotional depth. She breaths life into this ancient story. I always love Tessa's stories and this was a new favorite for me. We start the book with Rahab as a young girl, thrown into the harsh realties of life when she is forced into prostitution to support her family. Tessa does not shy away from the pain and shame of Rahab's circumstances but it is written with such compassion. She truly writes a Rahab as a strong and resilient woman. Such a story of brokenness to one of faith. We see the a moving portrait of God's transformative power!  When Rahab meets Salmone, a leader among the Israelites, their relationship becomes the emotional heart of the story. He struggles to leave Rahab's past behin...

 Stay with Me by Carolyn Astfalk 4.5 Stars  (4 Stars on Goodreads) This was a pleasant surprise read for me! Recommended by my friend, Tammy, I am so glad to have read this one. This is a Catholic Fiction Contemporary Romance story, and while I am not Catholic, my friend is, and I really enjoyed learning more about Catholicism, their traditions and faith. This couple was a very raw and real one to read about in their relationship and I really enjoyed the writing style too! We start with Rebecca, who has a "meet cute" with the guy working at the grocery store - Chris. Chris is Catholic and Rebecca is Protestant (Non-Denominational) in their faith. They both get to know one another and their affection for one another grows into a beautiful relationship. Rebecca has had a hard life with her father though, who is very overbearing and domineering. He doesn't want Rebecca to date Chris because he is catholic, yet her sister Abby's encouragement allows Rebecca to move on wit...