Clinging to the Cross - The Daily Grace Company

Clinging to the Cross by The Daily Grace Co

5 Stars

What a great lent study this was for me! I was able to keep up with it each day (minus the last week since I was traveling). I just finished it today, the day before Resurrection Sunday, and I feel so grateful for the sacrifice our Lord and Savior made on the Cross in our place. Many times I think we can forget context, history, and just how heartbreaking it was for Jesus to go in our place for our sins. We were deserving to be on that cross. It should have been us. It should be us. But JESUS took it all on our behalf. May we never forget exactly what He did for you and I. While this earth is our temporary home....we have such a hope in the Lord through belief in HIM to experience eternal life to all who accept Him as their Lord and Savior. When I felt I wasn't worthy....He was. He is. 

The Daily Grace Company has some really good Christian bible studies and I always enjoy my time in them. They help me draw near to the Lord and circle back to where I need to be in my faith walk when I feel stagnant. They help me get back in my word.

This Lent study walked through 41 days leading up to Resurrection Sunday, with illustrations that will take your break away...lead you to tears...remind you of just what the Lord did. The application questions - while I didn't fill every single one out - many of them had me in deep thought.

Thank you to the Daily Grace Company for a gifted copy of this study. All thoughts are always my own.

📚Daily Grace Co Lent Bundle: https://collabs.shop/csbwaj

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*I am a part of the Daily Grace Company affiliate program because I have used their products for many years, even before I had an online platform. You can trust that all opinions are always my own, regardless. Thank you friends.

 

The Legacy of Longdale Manor - Carrie Turansky

 

The Legacy of Longdale Manor by Carrie Turansky
4.5 Stars (Rounding Up to 5 On Goodreads)

I really enjoyed this one! Dual timeline, two women, a century apart, go on a journey of healing, faith, forgiveness.....it was an engaging story, loved the romance in both timelines, and would recommend to anyone who likes Christian Historical Romance! 

We are in 2012 and 1912. 2012: Art historian Gwen travels to England's Lake District to appraise paintings and antiques of an old family friend. She wants to prove herself to her grandfather. She is at Longdale Manor and meets David, the owner's grandson. He is wanting to save the estate by turning it into a luxury hotel. Gwen stumbles upon a 100 year old journal....she looks for answers after what she finds.... 1912: After Charlotte's father passes away, she uncovers a family secret she confesses in her journal. They travel to the Lake District to stay on a sheep farm, hoping to find a home with her grandfather at Longdale Manor....but its challenging to say the least. She grows close to a shepherd, Ian, and her faith grows, along with their love story.....

My favorite quote: "Jesus lays this choice before us. We can give our burdens and troubles into His care and live each day with the peace of Christ ruling in our hearts. Or we can hold on to the pain and wrongs done to us and harbor a troubled heart that hardens and grows bitter over time, stealing our joy and draining our days of the full life He wants us to enjoy.”

Loved the setting of Longdale Manor and I loved the characters and how inter-connected they were in both timelines. I am looking forward to more by Carrie!

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Amazon: https://amzn.to/4siP150
Baker Book House: https://bakerbookhouse.com/products/9780764241055_the-legacy-of-longdale-manor
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The Rare Jewel of Everleigh Wheaton - Susan L. Tuttle

The Rare Jewel of Everleigh Wheaton - Susan L. Tuttle

4 Stars

Book 1 in the Treasures of Halstead Manor Series

This was my first Susan Tuttle read and I had a lot of fun with it! We have friendship, mystery, and romance!

You root for Everleigh from page 1. She is somewhat of an introvert but when she gets fired from her job after a situation with her old patient's son after her mother's money happens...she gets a random note from the mystery man...Casper. Through this process, she meets 2 other ladies, Natalie and Brooke and several others along the way. They all have to work together to search for a missing Diamond. Through this process, she works with Niles also who is a Private Investigator...and feelings develop.

Everleigh is a very private person, she isolates herself and doesn't open easily to others. It makes it quite the journey as she works with everyone and builds those relationships, especially with the girls and a sweet friendship grows. 

The girls were all vulnerable in their friendships and it grew and it was so sweet!  I love a good female friendship in books. We also have sooo many good laughs in this one from characters like Aunt Gertie - she cracked me up! And the banter between Niles and Everleigh was chef's kiss!

I think the mystery itself is engaging without overshadowing the heart of the story. The author blends real historical threads with contemporary stakes, adding in a good treasure hunting plot that feels fun, whimsical and entertaining! :) The faith aspect was a nice added touch also.

Content/Trigger Warnings: Clean romance, no language, Death/Grief Mentioned, ALS, Nothing explicit or worrisome to me 

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The Rancher's Stolen Past by Tabitha Bouldin

 

The Rancher's Stolen Past by Tabitha Bouldin

3 Stars

A quick, love inspired Christian Fiction romance. Zane returns to his hometown and to the woman he never stopped loving....Molly. Molly lost her husband years ago as he was killed in the Army. She blames Zane for her husband ever going into the Army and to this day blames him for his death. She is not happy to see Zane again....it sets the stage for a book of regret, hope, grief, and rebuilding trust. I loved the moments between him and our main girl Molly's son, those were precious as I love a good single parent story.

Where I struggled a bit was with Molly’s long‑held resentment toward Zane. Her grief is real and understandable, but the way she blames him for her husband’s death felt more like misplaced anger than a fair reflection of what actually happened. Zane didn’t force her husband into the army, and at times her bitterness made it harder for me to connect with her as a character. Specifically where her anger went on for the majority of the book. Still, I could see what the author was aiming for, a woman wrestling with loss and learning to let go and let the Lord in....and by the end, it lands in a hopeful place of faith and new found love.

A good, quick love inspired read I enjoyed.

Thank you to the author for a copy of the book to honestly read and review, all thoughts are my own.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4rM3BBz
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The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins - Melanie Dickerson

The Good Fortune of Miss Robbins - Melanie Dickerson
3 Stars 

Very sweet, regency romance - I think many younger readers would enjoy this as well, just being aware that there are themes of the main character being "overeager" to fall in love, as my friend Lindsey put it in here review here - I agree and liked her review, she explains it better than I ever could :) : https://booksforchristiangirls.blogspot.com/2026/03/the-good-fortune-of-miss-robbins-by.html

I feel very similar to her. It was sweet, quick, but I would have also liked more of her thinking about what is God's plan in all of this. There are some good faith bits though with scriptures and prayers, just not necessarily the overarching plan integral to the plot.

So in this book, we follow Charlotte Robbins, who accepts a governess position for the Earl of Brookhaven's siblings. As a lowly governess, she entertains thoughts of romance until she falls in love with William, the Earl himself.

She is pushed into London high society as she inherits a fortune from a relative. She has suitors vying for her attention but her heart belongs to William....story goes from here.

I liked it but it was just missing that extra something special for me personally. Maybe I was missing extra banter between the characters. I think it would be a good option for younger readers who would like a clean alternative to books like Bridgerton perhaps. 

Romance was clean with kisses only. No language and good moments of faith.

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

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Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

 Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
4.5 Stars
Rounding up to 5 on Goodreads

Sci-Fi but make it fun! That's what this book was! This is one of those smart, funny and heartfelt sci-fi books that even non-sci-fi readers can fall in love with. MEE! I am not a "science-fiction" girlie, but you give me good plot, good characters I can connect with and I am HERE!

I was SOOO invested in this one! Listened to the audiobook in TWO DAYS and only because I had to go to bed! LOL

Ryland Grace wakes up alone on a spaceship with no memory of who he is or why he is there. Slowly, through flashbacks and problem-solving.....he figures out he is humanity's last hope to stop an extinction-level event.....huge stakes, lots of tension...but at its core....the heart of this book is a friendship story. He forms an alliance with Rocky...one of the most unexpected, beautiful friendships you will ever read!

Even with me not understanding any of the science bits, I could still love the book! Highly recommend. The ending, I had a little mixed thoughts about, but ultimately, enjoyed! I am looking forward to the movie! :)

*Content/Trigger Warnings: I wouldn't say any of these are "extreme" or "graphic" but listing them anyway: medical procedures (non‑graphic), needles, blood draws, coma, memory loss, sacrifice themes, survival situations, life‑threatening danger, space peril, mild injury descriptions, global catastrophe themes, extinction‑level event, discussions of death (non‑graphic), unsettling alien biology, talks of evolution, language -- 2 or 3 GDs, few F words, other mild words but not a lot of them. Situational language that while I didn't love those bits, I get it. I loved the story still.

Amazon:  https://amzn.to/4bvjsQb

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Prayer - Timothy Keller

 Prayer - Timothy Keller

This was definitely theologically rich, as Keller brings together thoughts from church history pulling in Augustine, Calvin, Luther, Edwards, etc. I can see why many readers would like this deep look into prayer. For me, it was a bit of a barrier to connection. I wanted probably something a bit more relational and heart-level, more drawing near to the lived experience of prayer and intimacy of talking with God. The tone is more academic in nature (like a text book if you will). Not that it is a bad thing, just wasn't  what I was looking for specifically. While I appreciated the wisdom and I am glad I went through it, it just wasn't the kind of prayer book that stirs your affection for your daily walk with the Lord if that makes sense. If you love theologically deep, historical voices added to your non-fiction, check this out. If you are looking for more of a experiential, relational guide, you may feel a bit distant like me. Regardless, Keller's commitment to the Lord and grounding in prayer and scripture shine through. What I learned was very interesting!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4lH1XzI
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