Christmas At Tolliver's Bookshop by Elle Christopher

 

Christmas at Tolliver's Bookshop by Elle Christopher
4.5 Stars  - rounding up to 5

Y'all, this was seriously the most adorable little Christmas read! So cozy and cute! It had the snowed in trope, and at a BOOKSTORE at that, which I LOVED! It's set in the south, Georgia - also a bonus for this southern Tennessee girl!

It has small town charm, lots of good book and bookstore details, no spice or language - and a lot of chemistry between our couple within only 60 some odd pages!

I read this on Kindle Unlimited and it was such a cute quick read. 

We follow Lila and James, who meet while she is working at the bookstore and they have a very instant connection. I love it wasn't all based on attraction but it was based on common interests, like poetry, reading, helping others during the holidays, etc. 

Overall, this is a great quick read to pick up while sitting in front of your tree, drinking coffee, or hot cocoa - and a soft blanket. I loved it!

Content: kisses only, clean romance, no language, 1 mention of "the universe", clean, secular fiction

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8120541124
Amazon: https://amzn.to/48Usgh6

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

Murder at Donwell Abbey by Vanessa Kelley

 

Murder at Donwell Abbey by Vanessa Kelly
4 Stars
Book 2 in the Emma Knightley Mystery Series

Read this series if you enjoy:
✨ Regency settings
✨ Jane Austen continuations done right
✨ Cozy mysteries with heart and humor
✨ Smart, observant heroines
✨ Mysteries centered on family secrets 

This was another delight to read after Murder in Highbury! Perfect for Austen fans and cozy mystery lovers. The author always captures the wit and spark of Jane Austen in these books while keeping you invested in the whodunit storyline. 

Emma and her husband George host a holiday celebration at the Hartfield estate but things get wild when her father announces him and Mrs. Bates are engaged to be married! Emma's lady's maid Prudence Parr is found dead and Emma's instincts tell her something more happened here....once again, her and Mr. Knightley have to figure out what happened....

Overall, I just really enjoy my time in this series. I haven't read Emma myself, but it makes me want to next year!

Highly recommend.

Content: mentions of death, murder, generally clean with maybe 1 swear word but more so a natural word used during that time. I have no concerns with content overall.

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

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7837036983
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4rA7hYx

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

Hearts Under Fire by Cori Lynn

 

Hearts Under Fire by Cori Lynn
4.5 Stars Rounding Up to 5 Stars On Goodreads
Honorable Mention for A Favorite Book of 2025
💌📮🎖️🪖💔🕰️💌📓🖋️🔍🗝️

YOU GUYS. This book was SO good! I am beyond impressed with Cori Lynn's debut novel - Hearts Under Fire. I read this with my friend Jeanette and loved the buddy reading experience.

Read this immediately if you like:

✨Clean, Historical Romance

✨Stories with Journal Entries 
✨Hidden, Secret Journals and the Mystery Surrounding Them

✨Dual Timeline Stories that tie together well

✨WWII Historical Romance 

✨Love Triangles DONE RIGHT

✨Antique Restorations 

✨Second Chances 

✨Grief Thread with Hope 

✨Realistic Character Driven Stories 

I honestly think so many of you will like this book. It was very engaging and layered - so much in under 300 pages Cori packed into this story! 

We follow Laura who is an antique expert that stumbles upon an old steamer trunk and decided to restore it. The trunk has a secret, hidden journal with entries dating back to 1941. Laura finds herself so engaged in reading the journal entries, filled with stories from Ava and her high school sweetheart Dean. As WWII comes upon them, Ava's story turns to Dean leaving for the war and she is left behind to support him from afar and hope he returns. Ava and Dean write letters back and forth while he is away. Tragedy strikes on both sides for Laura and Ava and you as the reader are left wondering....what's going to happen next?! I was in a chokehold with this book because I needed to KNOW exactly what was going to happen after some twists and turns went down. 

I can't say too much more because I do not want to spoil anything but let me just say, I honestly loved the character driven focus Cori had here. Laura really learned so much from Ava and her journal entries that tied back into her own life struggles and grief and we saw her grow and heal. 

I mention there is a bit of a love triangle here and y'all know I am normally not one for love triangles unless it's done RIGHT....and Cori did it RIGHT here! We see a realistic view on what it's like to wait for your loved one to return home from war and the worries they have. We also see a respectful friendship between Grayson and Ava and I appreciated how she handled that. It just felt so real. 

Overall, because I can't say much more....because I think you just need to go in blind here like I did - read this book. I loved Cori's writing, it was very high quality to me and I just fell in love with her characters. I can't wait for more in this series! 

P.S. In true Cori fashion, she threw in some good humor too! :)

content warnings: mentions of loss of a loved one, grief from that loss shown, small war details, clean romance, kisses only.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7278821879
Amazon: https://amzn.to/488fDyH

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

On the Edge of Trust by Patricia Bradley

Book Review: On The Edge of Trust by Patricia Bradley 

4 Stars 

Another good Patricia Bradley read! This book is a Christian Romantic Suspense that keeps you on edge with fast paced suspense, characters you root for and a faith thread that is naturally woven in the book.

We follow FIB undercover agent Scott Sinclair and Crime Reporter Podcaster Tori Mitchell. Scott and Tori work together as her nephew is accused of murder. Scott was wounded by gunshot and is recovering from the injury as it threatens his future career. Tori is a very passionate crime reporter and podcaster who continues to pursue the truth. She works to free wrongfully imprisoned people and search for the truth at all costs. 

When her nephew is accused of a murder he didn't commit, she is trying to clear his name. Someone doesn't like her investigating though and comes after her...Scott and Tori are connecting, romance grows....stakes are intensifying....you know the drill.

 

I haven't read the other logan point books, but reading this, I don't feel like I missed anything. I liked the faith bits but do feel like it could have been explored a bit more, especially with Tori's journey. Scott was a previous alcoholic so it was nice to see his redemption story. 

I have read a lot of Pat's books and would recommend them for good, Christian, romantic suspense. While this one wasn't my top fav, it was still pretty good and I enjoyed listening to the audiobook also.

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8058292750
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4ojBZCl
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9780800747398_on-the-edge-of-trust

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

 

The Prince Warriors by Pricilla Shirer

 The Prince Warriors by Pricilla Shirer
4 Stars
Book 1 in this Trilogy 

This is a very engaging, spiritually rich adventure that pulls young readers and even adults into a vivid unseen world with an epic action packed adventure. A great Christian fantasy.  

We follow Xavier and Evan with so many high stakes. The mysterious creature Ruwach introduces them to Ahoratos - the true realms where spiritual battles are fought.....the story goes on from here with these ordinary kids as Prince Warriors in battle. 

The message is clear. You have everything you need. God equips us with the armor and strength we need for the battles we face. The allegory in this had some great spiritual parallels. 

The worldbuilding was really good, enjoyed the pacing - very fast and included themes of courage, identity and faith woven into a very adventurous story. Definitely a page turner!  

I think if you like Narnia, Pilgrim's Progress...or stories like that, this would be for you!

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8070677847
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3X9n0zI

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

The Wild Card by Emma St. Clair

 

The Wild Card by Emma St. Clair - 4 Stars 

Book #4 in the Sheet Cake Texas Series 

A Charming Fake-Dating Rom-Com with Heart and Humor

Another great read from Emma! Sheet Cake, Texas is one of my favorite fictional places!  Molly is ready for a fresh start and runs to Texas to outrun her problems....only to run right into a bigger one....she needs a fake boyfriend for her job circumstances! Here comes Collin and she ropes him into her scheme, but unfortunately, it's the one guy she didn't realize who he truly was....leading to some family shenanigans. 

Honestly, this whole series is a perfectly fun rom-com mishap that keeps you rooting for the characters from page one. 

Their “fake” relationship is full of spark, awkward charm, and emotions neither of them is prepared for.

The neighborly app was so fun too with all the chats!

The town gives such a cozy feel and while the book worked as a standalone, I need to read books 2&3 ASAP to get some of the connections I missed for other characters!

If you enjoy fake dating, forced proximity, complicated family connections, small towns, found family, good friends, stories with depth, rom-coms with lots of laughs...read this! 

Thank you to Emma for sending me a complimentary e-book to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Content: no language, kisses only

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8053587096
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4prEfYT

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

The Royal Artisan by Tessa Afshar

 The Royal Artisan by Tessa Afshar 

4 Stars 

Once again, Tessa has a beautiful blend of biblical history, romance and mystery right into the royal courts of ancient Persia.  Tessa really has a gift for biblical fiction. She gives such a view that we normally wouldn't have explored without reading through her stories. We follow Sazana, a very talented Jewish artisan whose pottery is very well known. She has a secret identity that puts her in danger under the rule of Haman. Her parents passed away years ago and for the last 12 years, her parents friend has watched over her and worked with her. In comes Jadon, the man who broke her heart years ago and is now unexpectedly assigned to protect her and uncover threats. 

The second chance romance pulls so much emotion with Sazana and Jadon, loved their interactions.

Some bits were a bit slow on pacing that I wasn't as connected with, but overall, I still loved the balance of romance, family, mystery and biblical aspects. I love that Tessa encourages her readers to go back to the scriptures as well in her author's notes.

I highly recommend this series if you are wanting some great tie ins with the story of Queen Esther. 

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7894931929
Amazon: https://amzn.to/47UhS7i
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9780764243707_the-royal-artisan

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