BookLoverAmanda

  A Christmas in Shady Springs by Sarah Anne Crouch  4 Stars  Madeleine has her idea of a picture perfect wedding....but is there a such thing? Family disagreements, church politics and a sudden ice storm turn her plans upside down. AJ and Madeleine try to balance traditions...faith....and expectations in their upcoming wedding. Set in a small town in Arkansas, this book will remind you that sometimes your plans may go to the wayside but the Lord's plans are always better. I thought this book was a good Christmas read to remind us that weddings don't always have to be perfect, that at the end of the day, through the chaos....all that matters is you are married to one another, in love and faith, as the Lord sees you through. We don't always need that picture perfect wedding. Just two hearts, celebrating one another and remembering God's ultimate plan for us. I do think I needed to read books 1 & 2 in this series before jumping in, because book 1 was the back story of...

  The Spirit of Christmas by Cynthia Ruchti  4 Stars  I really enjoyed this Advent book by Cynthia! It was an insightful read that invites you to rediscover the Nativity story through the presence of the Holy Spirit. She shines a spotlight on the Spirit who was at work from creation through the unfolding of God's redemptive plan. This paired scripture, reflections, prayer etc., to guide you through the season. It stands out among devotionals, keeping the Holy Spirit at the front of the story. Would recommend. Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy, all thoughts are my own.  Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7798838592 Amazon: https://amzn.to/49X5nup *Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

Christmas Under Threat by Maggie K. Black 4 Stars  This was a random pick up on Audio for me from the Library and I am glad I did! A one day Christmas listen that was action packed was just what I needed. We have, as usual with Love Inspired Suspense books, a fast paced, action packed, Christian romantic suspense. This one had light Christmas elements, so it could really be read anytime in the Winter I think. Patrick is a devoted single father whose life unravels when his young son, Tristan, is kidnapped. The twist? Patrick only recently discovered that Tristan's mother was actually a victim in a long-standing cold case serial killer investigation....meaning someone is deliberately targeting them during Christmas. Someone was pretending to be Tristan's mother and trying to lure him out. In comes Gemma, a private investigator who is determined to uncover the truth about Patrick's ex-wife's murder. They work together in an immediate fast paced story with people after them...

Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel 5 Stars Olive and Miles! THE BEST. We have BANTER, Characters with DEPTH, Family Elements, Fake Dating, and an overall Cozy FULL Christmas Read! All time favorite Christmas story here y'all! Finally getting around to writing this review. I am so glad I finally got to this one. So many of y'all said it was great and you GOT IT RIGHT! I loved it! We have Olive, a high school English teacher who just wants to get through the holidays without any awkward family setups....especially after she lost her father, she is just trying to get through Christmas without any extra stress of family matchmaking. In comes Miles, a co-worker who she said was her boyfriend...not thinking he would actually show up at the Vermont Christmas Lodge.....but YEP he's there and now they have to pretend to date...Miles isn't too upset about this though :) This one had so much depth with the grief layer explored of Olive, working through her healing after losing her fa...

Book Review: More Than I Bargained For by Jessica Leigh Johnson  5 Stars ✝️💛MORE THAN I BARGAINED FOR REVIEW❤️✝️ A Christian Christmas Rom-Com❤️ by Jessica Leigh Johnson   Y’all this was ADORABLE. It has everything you want during the holiday season.  ❤️Christian Faith 💚Black Friday Shopping Chaos  ❤️Sweet Kiddos 💚Family Moments  ❤️The Real Meaning of Christmas 💚Giving Back to Children  ❤️A Sweet Kisses Only Clean Romance  💚A Single Dad trying to figure out Christmas  This book centered around a single Dad, Daniel, on the hunt for the hottest toy for his little girl, trying to figure out how to shop for her after his wife passed a couple of years ago. He runs into our main girl, Anna, who is also on the hunt for the same toy…this is when they meet, and they keep running into each other …leaving their stories to unfold along the way.  I loved it so much! Highly recommend. Thank you to the author  for a copy of her book to read and re...

The Holiday Cottage by Sarah Morgan 4.5 Stars rounding up to 5  I read this book with my friend Melissa and we both really enjoyed it. It was a surprising read with lots of depth and heartache but also hope. This is one that deals a lot with a toxic mother - daughter relationship, so please be aware before diving in, but I did like the ending with how everything was wrapped up. It was done in a realistic way. We follow Imogen, who keeps her non-existent personal private life...well, not just private, but made up. With her tragic relationship with his mother, who wants nothing to do with her, she pretends like she has it all together to her co-workers, when deep down she is drowning in work and her lies....when things go wrong at work, her boss makes her take a month off from work and rest. This is when peace and truth become a reality for Imogen....the side character perspectives really take off at chapter 13 and we see the truth behind these characters and we follow what the futur...