Lady of Disguise by Melanie Dickerson

 

Lady of Disguise by Melanie Dickerson (Book 6 in The Dericott Tales, but can be read as a Standalone) - 4 Stars

Another great retelling in the Dericott Tales! This is a Jack and the Beanstalk retelling and I really enjoyed this one! Set in 1388 England and Scotland, Louisa dreams of finding the rumored "Giant's Treasure" in Scotland. After her father has died and Louisa and her sister go live with their greedy uncle, Louisa is determined to find the treasure. She wants to run away from her Uncle's home and take her sister with her to keep her safe and away from forced unwanted marriages. She runs and disguises herself as a boy, using the name "Jack", and encounters a young knight, Sir Charles, who accompanies her on her journey. Charles knows she did pretending to be a young boy but does not reveal this knowledge as he wants to help her along the way as much as possible. However, things come to a head along their trip and they find themselves starting to care for one another once everything is revealed. The story goes on from here as her Uncle is on the hunt for her and they continue their journey for the hidden treasure.

This is one of my more favorite ones in the series. I loved Louisa and how she would do anything to protect her sister. I love how determined Louisa was in her journey and is always wanting to help others along the way. Sir Charles was an honorable man and I love a good protector in a story and he sure was a great one!

My favorite part of this story though has to be the scenes with the giant - very good faith and prayer content in this section and very heartwarming. 

The romance was fast but sweet. Overall I recommend this one to anyone who loves a good Christian fairy tale retelling and romance and wants a sweet, light read.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for a copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5765450015
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4bvfPYv
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/542225

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

Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin

 Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin - 5 Stars

This WWII story will leave you with so many emotions - it's a must read! We have war, mystery, a bit of romance and a mother who will stop at nothing to find her son in London. This is the second book I have read by Sarah and I can't wait to dive into more of her backlist! 

This book starts off with a emotional punch - our main character Aledia is with her abusive husband and young son during their escape from the Nazis in the Netherlands. While she is asleep, her husband tears their son from her arms and gives him away to a random man and woman because he is embarrassed of his son's hand deformity. When Aledia wakes up, she realizes what has happened and is devastated - determined to find her son. Before she can even discuss what happened with her husband, he is killed from effects of war. Left a widow and alone, she is desperate to find her son in London. She makes her way there and meets a BBC reporter - Hugh Collingwood. Hugh and Aledia work together to find her son, along with unraveling a murder mystery along the way. All of this is occurring in the midst of bombs in London.

As a mother of a young boy the same age as Aledia's son, this book tugged at my heart strings in many ways. I was so invested and connected to our characters and the slow burn romance was beautiful in the end between Hugh and Aledia. They went through so much together. 

The faith element in this shows us that God never leaves us, nor forsakes us and He walks with us even in the valley of the shadow of death. 

I loved the ending so so much. I was in tears. Your heart will be broken and restored by the end. You are truly transported right there in the middle of all the events taking place. 

A perfect Christian historical fiction with everything I love in a good book. Highly recommend! 

Thank you to NetGalley and Revell for a copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Goodreads Review:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6017708425
Amazon: https://amzn.to/49uGHWy
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/542757

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

Fatal Witness by Patricia Bradley

 

Fatal Witness - Patricia Bradley - 4.5 rounding up to 5 Stars on Goodreads

Fatal Witness is book 2 in the Pearl River Series and it will certainly keep you on the edge of your seat needing to know ALL the things! Fans of book 1 will be happy to see Alex and Nathan back in book 2 as they help K-9 Officer Mark Lassiter work the cold case of Dani Bennett's parents murder and her learning her true identity after being in hiding in Montana for the past 25 years. Dani has no memory of her life in Tennessee or the murder of her parents. She returns after her Grandmother, Mae Richmond, finally finds her from a photo she notices in a pottery magazine and the story goes on from here as Dani starts to uncover her past and relive old memories to figure out what happened many years ago.

This book kept my interest from the first chapter. As a Tennessean myself, I love the Tennessee setting in this series. The suspense in this one is top tier as you are eager to continue to see all the reveals to come. Someone is always breaking in somewhere, watching and tracking our characters and with many suspects, you'll find it difficult to figure out the killer up until the very end. It will keep you guessing, which I loved! 

The faith content in this book was very nice and woven in beautifully. Dani's Grandmother Mae also truly steals the show - she is feisty and strong willed - we love to see it!

The romance between Mark and Dani was sweet, even thought I did want a little bit more between them in the ending. :) Mark is such a great guy who had some past trauma he was trying to work through and scared to love again but Dani was willing to be right there with him through every emotion and I loved that. 

I also loved seeing Nathan and Alex from book 1 helping throughout the suspense and getting some additional backstory with them.

This book could technically be read as a standalone, but I think you best enjoy it after reading book 1 in the series. If you love a good Christian romantic suspense, I highly recommend this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Revell for a copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6020211383
Amazon: https://amzn.to/42uJbSG
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/542755

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

All My Secrets by Lynn Austin

 

All My Secrets - Lynn Austin - 5 Stars

All My Secrets by Lynn Austin is a multigenerational story of 3 women that explores first loves, grief, high society lifestyle, history, the Christian faith and the essence of what matters most in life. I highly recommend this book as I was fully immersed in the story and characters. 

Set during the Gilded Age in New York, we see the strength of the Stanhope women following the passing of Arthur Stanhope. Left uncertain of their future paths, Junietta, Sylvia, and Adelaide grapple with the ramifications of Arthur's will and the looming uncertainty surrounding their family's estate. As they navigate through the aftermath, family secrets begin to unravel, shedding light on their intertwined history.

I absolutely loved this story. I was very invested in the audiobook narration and learning about Sylvia and Junietta's past. We see the beauty of the Gospel in this story several times as our characters grapple with their past decisions, mistakes made and contemplate future choices. Additionally, there is a central theme of helping the poor and giving to charity, as well as discussions surrounding wealth, the dynamics of marriage, and the choice between marrying for financial security or for love.

Lynn Austin's storytelling is undeniable and I am thankful to have received an advanced reader copy to honestly read and review. I will be purchasing this one for my collection as it's one of my favorite books of 2024! 

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5727032905
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3UBlx5f
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/540744

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

Rocky Road by Becky Wade

 

Rocky Road by Becky Wade - Book 2 in the Sons of Scandal series - 4 Stars

Rocky Road is a cute, fake dating clean, Christian romance featuring FBI agent Jude Camden and perfume maker Gemma Clare. Jude approaches Gemma in an effort to take down her criminal cousin from France who is selling her family perfume secrets. They go undercover and have a fake dating romance but as they start to catch real feelings - things get complicated since Gemma has a current long distance boyfriend and Jude isn't allowed to date those he works with on cases. As genuine emotions surface, Gemma realizes her current relationship lacks true love, prompting her to move on and explore a deeper connection with Jude. We also see a side story about Gemma's great grandmother who has dementia and has forgotten her love story. Gemma sets out to help her great grandmother remember her love story as she pieces everything together for her all about her past.

I loved the first chapter, it had me laughing out loud from the first scene of Gemma and Jude together! I'd say after that I started to get truly invested with our characters and story around the 30-40% mark, when the fake dating began. I honestly didn't connect with our characters until this point, and was not crazy that Gemma had a boyfriend throughout the first part of this book. I personally do not like that "trope" where someone has a boyfriend while they start to get interested in someone else, however, I thought if you have to have the main girl have a boyfriend in the story to start off, Becky handled the break up well and early on.

I did enjoy seeing them get to know one another and how different they were as Jude is very serious and business like and Gemma is bubbly and very outgoing. I loved Jude quoting poetry to Gemma - it felt like a Mr. Darcy moment haha!

I also loved seeing the family elements in this book - this series has been fun to see the brothers interacting as they are hilarious! The faith elements in the book were great to see, specifically in the ending. I loved those intense scenes in the end!

I did listen to the audiobook and the narration was great! Overall, a good continuation to the series and I am looking forward to the next book! 

Thank you to Becky for providing a copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5828856960
Becky's Website: https://beckywade.com/home/rocky-road/

Marmee by Sarah Miller

Marmee by Sarah Miller - 5 Stars 

Marmee by Sarah Miller is a captivating exploration of the beloved character, Marmee, in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I LOVED this book so much. This book takes you on a journey of the events in Little Women but all from Marmee's point of view through her personal journal entries. It brings such a depth to her character that I think ever person who reads Little Women would appreciate. Marmee was already my favorite character in Little Women, but after this book, I love her even more. It really feels like it goes with the true Little Women story.

The author skillfully weaves a story that uncovers Marmee's joys, struggles, and the choices that shaped her into the compassionate and wise mother we know from Little Women.

Seeing other struggles she went through that we could assume could have happened in this story were truly eye opening and heartbreaking. I sobbbbbeedddd several times while reading this books, specifically in the ending. I could relate to Marmee as a wife and mother throughout the story many times also. It was also nice to see more details of her marriage to Amos and her feelings she could have felt while he was gone to war during that time. It felt so vulnerable and real to me to read through her journal entries.

In conclusion, "Marmee" is a must-read for fans of Little Women as Sarah Miller's portrayal of Marmee breathes fresh life into a timeless character.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6057796949
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3SpuE6b

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

Just The Nicest Person by Christy Barritt

Just The Nicest Person - Christy Barritt - 3.5 to 4 Stars, Maybe 3.75 :)
(Book 1 in the True Crime Junkies series)

What a wild ride! Just the Nicest Person was our Christian book club pick for January and I had a fun time reading this. It's a Christian Suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat and have you NEEDING to know all the things! Very fast paced, which I love in books, and not just 1 plot point - we see secondary plot points that can be explored in future books which is always interesting because now I need to read book 2! 

This story is about Andi, a previous attorney with a mysterious past. She is driving her "ice-road-truck" through Alaska - as she is there to find justice after a friend's murder. Things take a dramatic turn when she sees a man in the middle of the road during a white-out snow storm and her truck veers off the road.

Enter Duke McAllister, a former CID investigator gone tour guide in Alaska, who comes to Andi's rescue. The person in the road Andi saw is no where to be found and with Duke having his clients, brother and sister, with him on a tour at the time, they end up getting involved in the situation as well and travel with Duke and Andi to the nearest trading post.

As they all get settled in from the snow at the local trading post, they realize their favorite local Alaskan podcaster, Craig, goes silent right before he was to reveal the name of a cold case killer. This leads them to dive right in to investigate together...only to make a terrifying discovery that he has been murdered. Together, they embark on the full investigation, but the lurking killer, always watching, poses a constant threat. Will these strangers be able to find the killer before its too late? 

The story's setting in Alaska is a standout feature that I thoroughly enjoyed. The unique backdrop, coupled with insights into the challenges faced by law enforcement in the area, added depth to the story. While Andi's character sometimes grated on my nerves with her persistent "because I'm a woman" attitude and certain choices she makes frustrated me, I loved the other characters of  Duke, Simmy, Mariella and Michael. They were AWESOME. Mariella stands out and adds a bit of humor to the story as she is an online influencer so she uses her skills to help in the investigation. Nevertheless, I am really excited to get back into this series to explore Duke's missing fiancé and Andi's career issues. 

Additionally, the exploration of Andi's faith journey and Duke's explanations for why he believed in God were great. The formation of a group for true crime enthusiasts adds an extra layer of anticipation for book 2! I look forward to delving deeper into this series and seeing the progression of these characters and their stories.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6075121730
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vXYzuy

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