BookLoverAmanda

The Sacred Scales by Bryan Davis 4 Stars Book 1 in the Dragons Of Camelot Series OK Y'ALL I need to read all of Bryan's books, this was so great! As a lover of middle grade books and stories such as Narnia, The Hobbit, LOTR....This reminded me of those type of epic stories! Perfect for middle school kiddos and really people of all ages because I had SO much fun reading this. The ending has me needing the next book ASAP too! This is a Christian Fantasy with mentions of Jesus as their Lord and savior, praying to God and standing for truth but also has mixed in fantasy elements with Arthurian legends -- like Merlin, King Arthur, dragons...etc. It's a great opportunity to remind those reading it that while the faith in the story is real and powerful, the magical elements are just part of the make-believe world. I loved how Bryan tied all that together as he really invites you in to this fun fantasy world. We follow Hawk and Sabina as they team up to protect dragons from a sinis...

Across The Crying Sands by Jane Kirkpatrick - 4 Stars I love that Jane Kirkpatrick tells stories about real life people in history. This one is a story of Mary Edwards Gerritse, a woman who was adventurous and wanted more beyond her traditional role as a wife and mother. Mary and her husband John have been through a lot, living on the Oregon coast in the late 1800s. Mary is a very determined woman who wants more than just typical motherhood....she wants adventure, purpose and to learn about her family's past.  She becomes the first female mail carrier in her region during that time and takes on the treacherous postal route of the "crying sands beach area". She definitely defied the expectations of her time, reminding you that sometimes you take a risk for what your dreams are, even as a young mother, and that's ok to pursue those dreams. Would recommend.  I related to her feelings of wanting more than just being a stay at home Mom too. She was looked down upon for lea...

 A Lesson in Propriety by Jen Turano  4 Stars Book 1 in the Merriweather Academy for Young Ladies Series If you love historical romance with a side of sass, mystery and lots of humor - READ THIS BOOK! 🎀✨ Miss Drusilla Merriweather has lost everything....her father, her fortune, and even her fiancé (good riddance, to be honest!). She is left with only a "haunted" castle 🏰, one with strange happenings like walking suits of armor and unexpected visitors. She rolls up her sleeves and decides to turn it into a finishing school. Cue the ghostly shenanigans, suspicious developers, and a swoon-worthy architect with a heart of gold. 💘 Rhenick Wittenbecker is charming and clever. I loved their dynamic together. The BANTER had me giggling!  All the funny, lighthearted "attacks" and quirky details really made the story. We have SO much in this, including fun pirate stories and hilarious animal events. Drusilla really is a spunky woman and Rhenick was a great guy.  The myster...

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly 4.5 Stars This was a very powerful story about real women in history. Inspired by true events we follow three women: - Caroline - Kasia - Herta Caroline is a New York socialite and philanthropist working at the French consulate, whose efforts aid survivors of Nazi concentration camps. Kasia is a Polish Catholic Teenager who becomes one of the "Rabbits", women who are subjected to inhumane medical experiments at Ravensbruck concentration camp. Herta is a German doctor at Ravensbruck, whose involvement in the camp's horrific acts give a terrifying perspective in the eyes of the doctors themselves and just how brainwashed they were during this time. This spans 20+ years or so post war, starting in 1939 through around 1959. We see some really hard events through this time, as expected, but it gives such insight on history and shedding light on a lesser-known aspect of WWII. I did not know about the horrors of Ravensbruck and the really delved ...

Book Review: Sometimes You Stay by Liz Johnson 4.5 Stars Return to Prince Edward Island with another heartfelt Christian romance read! I really enjoyed this book! I connected with our characters and loved the tie in with the previous "Red Door Inn" books by Liz.  🌊Prince Edward Island ✝️Christian Romance 🐕Dog Breeder MMC  🎥Travel Vlogger FMC 😂Funny Meet Cute 🏡 The Red Door Inn 🏘️Small Town Setting 📚Character Driven Stories 🌅Scenic Island Life Cretia is a digital content creator who does travel vlogs. She's been traveling for a long time and avoids attachment at all costs. She literally bumps into local dog breeder Finn on PEI and everything she's carrying goes into the harbor....technology included! So she can't really continue her travels until she get everything sorted out there. Finn feels terrible for causing this accident and offers to help her, putting her up at the local Red Door Inn. What Cretia doesn't expect to find is a place to settle, phy...

                                                                   The Red Door Inn by Liz Johnson  💕                                                                        3.5-4 Stars (4 on Goodreads) This one was a nice start to this series and getting to see how The Red Door Inn! Prince Edward Island  🏡, Antiques, Fresh Starts, Healing, Romance, Small Town, Cozy, Restoration of a B&B - lots of good things! Marie arrives in Prince Edward Island running from things in her past, searching for sanctuary. She agrees to help decorate a renovated bed-and-breakfast before i...

  As You Ice It by Emma St. Clair 4 Stars  Book #7 in the Appies Series The FINAL book in the Appies series is HERE and it's bittersweet my friends! Emma brings emotional depth and lots of laughs to book #7, as always! We have Naomi and Camden's romance! ✨ Read if you love: 🏒 Hockey romance 👩‍👦 Single mom 💕Second chance romance 🏡 Small town 🧸 Cinnamon roll hero 🫶 Found family 📱HILARIOUS Group Texts 🎯 Emotional depth with a clean romance 🗣️💬❤️ A Couple that actually COMMUNICATES! We follow Naomi who is a relatable, fiercely protective single mom. Her world is built around her son, Liam. She crosses paths again with Camden after their summer romance and they have a second chance at love. She isn't prepared though for how deeply her and Liam come to care for him so her instinct is to protect their hearts. Naomi's job brought her back to Harvest Hollow though and we see how everything they try to avoid....ultimately cannot be avoided! (PLUS, their friends ain...

The Double Play by Annah Conwell Book 4 in the More than a Game series but can be read as a standalone  4 Stars OK Y'ALL this was SO cute! 😍 This sports rom-com had me smiling and giggling the whole time! 💕 Emmett Foster is your classic grumpy single dad (we love to see it!), and the sunshine-y FMC, Hazel, brought so much heart to the story. Their chemistry? SO CUTE.  Even though Emmett is guarded due to his ex-wife leaving him and their daughter June when she was born....💔 you feel the tenderness behind his gruffness....especially when it comes to his daughter. When his parents who have helped watch June decide they are going to take time to travel, they start interviews for a nanny to help out. Just in time, Hazel is looking for a new job after the family she has been working for is moving back home. Hazel starts working for Emmett and the rest is history. I loved June's addition to the story. Y'all know I am a BIG FAN of the single parent trope and this delivers so ...

Where Secrets Lie by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker  Book 2 in The Tupelo Grove Series  3.5 to 4 Stars We are back in Tupelo Grove with Jess, Hez and Savannah - and dramatic as ever. This picks up right where What We Hide left off. This second installment has all the romantic suspense, family drama and legal intrigue we had in book 1. Savannah and Hez are on their second chance at love but a lot of trust issues still remain. As they navigate this second chance and their upcoming re-marriage to come, the university corruption continues...with the villain we experienced at the end of book 2 at the forefront here.  If you like legal thrillers and romantic suspense, check this series out. There isn't much I can say since it's the second book in the series, but a few things: - I liked the suspense around 40% with where things went with Hez. - I liked the complexity with the university corruption. - I liked the legal subplots going on. - Love the narrator of this series, she real...

 The Light on Horn Island by Valerie Fraser Luesse  5 Stars! Reading this book felt like stepping back in time to memories with my grandparents and great grandparents - so many beautiful days gone by. It feels like sweet tea, magnolias, front porch sittin' southern storytelling that will stick with you forever. This was my first book by Valerie, and now I need to read ALL of her other books. Set in Mississippi, Edie returns home to her beloved grandmother after the loss of her friend in New York. This setting is very warm and familiar as a southern gal in Tennessee myself. The author portrays small town southern life in such rich detail, while also honoring the wisdom of our grandparent's generation.  We see the heart of this story lie in the relationships of Edie and her grandmother, a tight-knit group of friends and family. Long buried secrets and stories come to light in this book. Her grandmother introduced her to the antique shop and many of her friends there and we ...