The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Agatha Christie

 

The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Agatha Christie

5 Stars

It's been almost 2 years since I picked up an Agatha book and I am so glad I picked this one up! Agatha Christie is who I always consider the QUEEN of Mystery! This was her debut novel and it's exactly the kind of classic mystery that shows just how she became that QUEEN! :)

This is book 1 in the Hercule Poirot series. We have a country estate, a sudden death, a house full of complicated relationships and a detective who sees what most people will overlook.

I love how Agatha lays out the puzzle, she gives you clues, red herrings and character dynamics that you becomes so interested in. Hastings, the narrator of the story, adds a layer of humor too. 

Did I figure it out, NO LOL - no surprise! But I am so glad I read it. I have read a few of hers before but it's been almost 2 years since I have read one, and getting back to it was such a JOY! I have been struggling with some of the books I have been reading to love them and this was just an awesome change of pace. I found myself looking up words I didn't understand and really learning!

It's short, clever and unique. Looking forward to more! 

Content/Trigger Warnings: Death, Murder, Poisoning, Nothing Explicit in Nature

Amazon: https://amzn.to/41jKUdH

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The Pocket Pair - Emma St. Clair

The Pocket Pair by Emma St. Clair
3.5 Stars 

Book 3 in The Sheet Cake Texas Series

Read if you enjoy:

- Clean rom-coms

- Best Friend's Brother

- Friends to More

- Sister's Best Friend

- Forced Proximity

- Duel POV

- Slow Burn

- Friendships

The Pocket Pair was a fun continuation in Emma's Sheet Cake Texas series. We have the best-friend's-brother meets friends-to-more trope. I was catching up in this series with my friend Melissa as a buddy read and enjoyed chatting with a friend on it! 

We follow Val and Chevy in this one, they have loved each other forever and kept their feelings quiet....Chevy finds out his sister's best friend is leaving for Costa Rica and it rocks his world. She needs somewhere to stay until her flight so he offers his guest bedroom. They keep things cordial but as usual, feelings get in the way.

I liked this one for the friends, family and laughs. SO MANY LAUGHS. I cracked up so many times and that's what I always want in an Emma St. Clair. 

The romance did feel not as in depth for me personally as some of the bits were surface level, attraction based and there was the "not communicating feelings" thing probably more than I would have liked, but the ending was super cute! 

Glad to have read it either way!

*Content/Trigger Warnings: loss of a parent, parental abandonment, physical injuries, romance was kisses only, but I feel like it was a bit more than I usually like in their romantic thoughts of attraction and how they technically were living under the same roof for a time. No explicit content though.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PRB4gB
*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

 

Claire Holloway is Winging It - Angela Ruth Strong

Claire Holloway is Winging It - Angela Ruth Strong

4.5 Stars (Rounding Up to 5)

I really enjoyed this book! She really handled this in a realistic way. 

I really enjoyed this lighthearted Christian rom-com, my first read by Angela. Claire Holloway, a former ballerina turned flight attendant, meets Nathan at work, a pilot healing from heartbreak, while she’s still in a relationship with Wyatt. You think it's a love triangle, but it's not in the traditional sense.

While this trope isn’t usually my favorite, Angela handled it realistically and thoughtfully. If I had to read a book with a significant other story plot, this is how you do it gracefully. 

The story emphasizes honesty, boundaries, and trusting God’s timing and plan. Nathan was sweet, supportive, and clearly a good Christian man, maintaining healthy boundaries despite his attraction to Claire. He knew what the right thing to do was and took necessary steps to ensure he was respectful.

I appreciated seeing Claire grow in faith and discern God’s direction for her life. Her journey from a people-pleaser to someone learning to trust God was beautifully done. I am a people-pleaser myself, so I found some of that relatable. 

The book also highlights healthy vs. unhealthy relationships, friendship before romance, and the importance of waiting for marriage from a biblical perspective. 

While I do wish Claire had ended things with Wyatt sooner, I appreciated seeing her grow and that makes sense for the pacing of the story. We really see, especially in the end, how she grows in faith and realizes her worth is in God and not a boyfriend. That in itself was beautiful. 

Overall, Claire Holloway Is Winging It was a fun, heartfelt romance with a unique setting and likeable cast of characters. I enjoyed the humor, airline world and the journey the characters made realistically. 

Content: Clean romance, FMC in relationship while thoughts of MMC but handled as well as it could be realistic way, brief mention of possible drug deal happening nearby, jokes about plane issues while flying, romance is kisses only, MMC walking through hard time after his ex cheated on him, cheating side characters mentioned, mention of church hurt in the past, mentions of past affairs. [Note: To be clear, we do not see much of her relationship with Wyatt on page outside of phone calls and texts until toward the end, and by then, it's obvious to the reader that they won't really work out and are not going to continue at some point.]

Thank you to the publisher, Kregel, for a complimentary copy of the book to honestly read and review. All thoughts are my own.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/473eXd3
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9780825455742_claire-holloway-is-winging-it
*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

Last to Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn

Last to Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn
Book 3 in the Gossamer Falls Series
3.5 Stars, rounding up to 4.

Nice end to the series! We get Mo and Bronwyn's romance! This is 75% romance/25% suspense - mostly due to the nature of their relationship, past and everything they need to work out together.

This is the end to the Gossamer Falls Series, a Christian Romantic Suspense series. Bronwyn is strong woman who has poured her heart into The Haven, her family's resort. Financial discrepancies come up, tension builds, and she thinks there is more at play here other than financial issues. She gets help from Mo, her first love, and that adds an emotional layer to everything. Mo is a standout guy, he's a former Army Intelligence officer so he brings a lot of skills to the tables for the investigation. 

I enjoyed my time with this one, as I was really ready for Mo and Bronwyn's romance. I am not always crazy about flashbacks in romance books, so those bits took me out the story a smidge. However, I do love the family thread and other characters we get throughout the book from previous books. Because of that, I recommend each book is read in order so you're not spoiled.

Also, while I love a good romance in the romantic suspense reads, I think I would like a bit more of the suspense elements to keep the plot moving, if that makes sense.

Overall, glad to have finished this series and would recommend!

*Content/Trigger Warnings: Mentions of drug trafficking, shootings, alcohol, deaths, someone trying to kill Bronwyn, cancer of grandparent, eating disorder, weapons, general crimes, nothing explicit but general themes of those items. Romance is kisses only and no language.  

Thank you to Revell for sending me a complementary copy of this book to honestly read and review. All thoughts are my own.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3P9ShBT
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9780800745387_last-to-fall
*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

 

Break My Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn

Break My Fall - Lynn H. Blackburn
Book 2 in the Gossamer Falls Series
4 Stars

Love this series - great romances and family dynamics! So pumped we got Police Chief Grayson Ward and Dr. Meredith Quinn's romance story! 

This is a Christian Romantic Suspense series - we have small town danger, steady suspense and a good romance. Gray watches out for Meredith, loved that. At the beginning of the books, we see someone cut Meredith's fuel line so Gray was right there in the thick of things to keep her safe. While they had a rough start to their romance though, it was more realistic.

Gray had been through some hard things, loss of loved ones, so he was quite guarded in the romance department but Meredith knocks down his walls little by little. They try to resist their feelings because of several things but ultimately let their past go to proceed with things together. 

Some of the bits did drag on a little bit, but I still enjoyed my time with it. I liked the romance and their interactions better then the suspense aspect too. It's nice to see characters in their early 30s too, more realistic look at things.

The suspense has drug lords, corruption, unexpected movements...I would say its a bit more morbid than usual but nothing extremely detailed at the same time.

What else can I say? Read if you like a good romantic suspense, families that have each others backs, light faith elements, brother's best friend, law enforcement MMC, etc. 

Ready to read Mo and Bronwyn's romance next!! :)

Content/Trigger Warnings: Past loss of sibling, parents, loved ones recounted, death, gun shoot outs, drug lords, car accidents, mentions of human trafficking and domestic violence, mentions of bodies death, decomposing, loss of limbs, mention of breast cancer, a brief almost panic attack, kisses only clean romance, no language

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3P8EV8W
Baker Book House:  https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9780800745370_break-my-fall

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

Why Did Jesus Have to Die? The Daily Grace Company Lent Q&A Book

 

Why Did Jesus Have to Die? The Daily Grace Company Lent Q&A Book
5 Stars

Thank you Daily Grace Co for sending me a complimentary copy of this to read! I loved it. I took my time with this one and it was very in depth, bringing lots of questions we have to the table. It also explained some of the other points of view people have and brought us back to scripture to explain the truth where possible. My favorite parts were on the Jesus Ascension portion. It was filled with the hope of Christ.

Highly recommend for anyone needing something theologically rich, especially around Lent season as we celebrate the Lord.

Daily Grace Co: https://collabs.shop/ghiyvq

10% Off Daily Grace Company Order with Discount Code BOOKLOVERAMANDA

The Hired Man by Sandra Dallas

 

The Hired Man by Sandra Dallas
5 Stars

Secular Historical Fiction

Standalone Book

Wow. Honestly y'all. This book blew me away. I have never read a Sandra Dallas book until now and while this had some heavier topics, I was completely immersed in the storytelling, the characters and the setting. (*See trigger warnings at the end if needed.)

Set in 1937 Colorado during the Dust Bowl period, lots of dust storms are brewing, food is scarce, times are hard, work is few and far between....We follow Martha Hellen, the POV throughout the story. She is I believe either 15 or 16. A young man by the name of Otis helps a young boy out of a dust cloud/storm and Martha Hellen's Mama wants to help him by letting him stay in exchange for work on their property. He is considered a "vagrant", an out of towner...not welcome by most of the community. However, they believe in helping the less fortunate....this leads to a story of heartache, loss, unknowns....

Like I said, I was completely immersed in this book. I listened to the audiobook for the first 50% (amazing narrator) and then there was soooo much going on, I had to stop and grab my e-book ARC because I NEEDED TO KNOW! 

I think what stands out for me on this is the ending with the twist - it TOOK ME OUT. I never saw it coming. 

Martha Hellen and her family - I loved them. Such good examples of parents during that time - good, hardworking people who had been through so much hardship but never gave up. Martha Hellen was a good friend, also someone who never gave up. 

What else can I say....I think the ending was brilliant honestly because it was so unexpected. I had to go back and re-read it like 4 times to make sure I was reading it right! That's how blown my mind was with it. 

I definitely want to read more of Sandra's books. She sure does tell a WILD and good story!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the complimentary ebook and audiobook to honestly read for review. All thoughts are my own.

*Trigger/Content Warnings: Death, Poverty, Language - 2 to 3 GDs, few other smaller words, situational language I guess you would say....I didn't care for the language personally. Sexual assault, murder, bullying, sexism - may be other things I missed but there is no romance really in this, it's a historical fiction story showing the realities of the hard things that happened during that time. It won't be for everyone but I really liked the story overall.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8421617259
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4sbNnCW
*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links,