The Inn at Hidden Run by Olivia Newport

The Inn at Hidden Run by Olivia Newport
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Inn at Hidden Run is the first book in a new series by Olivia Newport. I really enjoyed this book as it's told in split time. Two storylines, a present-day & a long ago event are tied together in this book. In the present day storyline we have Jillian Parisi-Duffy, a genealogist and her father Nolan, a lawyer who live in Canyon Miles, CO who meet Meri, a girl clearly running from something. As Meri takes a job at the local B&B, they try to help her. They find that Meri is running from her own family, a line of Doctors, and this is what is expected of Meri. She says this is not her dream.
As they delve into Meri's past and her genealogy we are taken back to 1878, Memphis TN, the year of a Yellow Fever epidemic. We meet Eliza. I loved this storyline and the facts and information, as my favorite genre is historical fiction!
The two stories eventually intertwine and how they are tied together is fabulous! I can't wait for the next book!
I received an ARC edition of this book but was under no obligation to review.

View all my reviews

One Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan

One Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh my this book was incredible! I really felt every emotion, I found myself crying for Audry and Grace, just as I laughed out loud at other times. I felt disgust and hate toward David, but then I found myself rooting for him. Such a crazy emotional journey! But I honestly cried at the train scene. What I liked about this ending was everyone found out something about themselves, that took away the idea that someone was to blame and learned to love each other and themselves. It ended on such a high and happy place, full of possibilities!
The entire story was so easy and comfortable to read, I was compelled to pick it up all the time, because I just needed to know what would happen next.
Follow the story of Grace, her entire life is turned upside down, and on her 25th wedding anniversary. What could be lower. Life in a small town doesn't give you much privacy and time to heal, everyone knows, everyone judges. Grace decides to take the summer trip to Paris that she purchased for her and David for their anniversary.
Audrey lives a lonely life, a roller coaster of emotions, always on the edge and ready to assist her alcoholic mother. She's been taking care of her mother her entire life. She's about to graduate and has been saving all her tips and money earned for a summer in Paris. She has to get away, but will she be able to leave her mother?
Grace and Audrey meet on the first day of their trips. The friendship that develops is so much fun, it's endearing, it's heartwarming, and it's funny. I loved their relationship and how it developed.
How did Audrey think she was going to work in a bookstore in Paris without any language skills! She is tough and gritty and I loved that about her, but I also liked seeing her allow herself to trust and to let her guard down.
This book was just fantastic! I received a copy from the publisher but was under no obligation to write a review.

View all my reviews

Becoming Us by Robin Jones Gunn

Becoming Us by Robin Jones Gunn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed Becoming Us, there is something in this story for everyone. We have all, as adults, faced fears and lost confidence in ourselves, just like the couple in this book. It was refreshing to see real life problems and how God can work them out, lean on him like Emily and Trevor, and let him work out the details.
Emily and Trevor have moved across the country, with their daughter Audra, to get a fresh start. When things aren't working out financially they begin to doubt that the move was the right thing to do. All the reasons they made the move are becoming less clear as they aren't sure they can make it. Beyond the financial challenges, they are facing all the things everyone faces, lack of close friends, family is far away, and they are learning to lean on each other and on God.
Making a new life, having the confidence to make new friends, and feeling like they belong, these are things we all face in our daily life. I loved watching their journey to Becoming Us, and how being away from family expectations gave them the freedom to define what Becoming Us actually will be.
I face some of their difficulties and I enjoyed how they worked together and relied on God. This is full of scripture-based lessons. I loved watching Emily become Emily, away from the predefined Emily she felt like she needed to be. Really an enjoyable story that leaves you with plenty to consider!
I received an uncorrected proof copy to read from the publisher but was under no obligation to provide a review.

View all my reviews

California Girls by Susan Mallery

California Girls by Susan Mallery
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

California Girls by Susan Mallery was such a fun book! I loved the sisters, each one was so different that it made the story real. I loved meeting them and getting to know them. You find yourself pulling for them all in the end.
As the story opens we meet Finola, she is the host of a popular local show. She's filming her last segment before a well-deserved vacation with her husband. When he walks on the set the last things she expects to hear is him telling her he is having an affair.
Next we meet Zennie, an OR nurse who is content to be single, she doesn't need to be paired with a man. The man she's been on a date or two with picks up on this and tells her he sees she isn't that into him, so...
Lastly we meet Ali, she is engaged, waist high in wedding plans. When she arrives home one night she sees her fiancee's brother waiting for her. That's odd as they never seemed to hit it off. He said his brother decided he didn't want to marry her but didn't have the decency to tell her.
Three sisters, all 'dumped' at the same time.
How will they all get through this drama & heartbreak, and more forward. Enter other characters, including an unusual mom with a story of her own!
This book was fun to read, each sister has to figure out what is best for her and what she learns about herself, and how they re-connect with each other.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher but was under no obligation to post a review.

View all my reviews

Midnight at the Wandering Vineyard by Jamie Raintree

Midnight at the Wandering Vineyard by Jamie Raintree
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! We have Mallory headed home for a big planting party on her parents vineyard in California! She graduated from college and landed a job in NYC and hasn't been home much in the past decade. She's doing what she thinks she should be doing and what she thinks makes her parents proud of her. She also has an unresolved problem, an unsettled fight with her best friend, Kelly, now a decade-old, and she wants to make amends, be forgiven. She hasn't been able to move forward.
The two were inseparable growing up, from childhood and through high school, that last summer before college was going to be their best one. They created a bucket list to work through. But Mallory's father has hired a marketing guru, Sam, and Mallory was slated to be his assistance. This changed everything for Mallory and Kelly.
Now that Mallory is back, she has a week to make things right between Kelly and her. She doesn't know that her father has asked Sam to attend the big party. Will Kelly and Mallory make any headway to erase the hurt, or will Sam drive a wedge between them again?
The story is written so beautifully, Mallory discovers things she has forgotten about herself, what makes her happy, how can she go back to New York? She is a free-spirit and feels the most alive on the back of a horse. What else has she forgotten about herself?
Such a great read, it reminds us to never stop remembering who we are, what we love! I received a complimentary copy from the publisher but was under no obligation to post a review.

View all my reviews

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer was, to me, an incredible story. An amazing slice of history woven into the story of a modern-day family. This book is told with alternating timelines, it begins with a wedding in a camp in 1942. We don't know who is getting married, we don't know her story. We then meet modern day mom, Alice, her special-needs son is having a meltdown in the grocery store, she needs to get to the hospital to visit her grandmother.
Alina Dziak lives on her family farm in Poland. She is in love with Tomasz and they are planning to be married once she is old enough and once he returns from University. Hearing rumors about the Nazi soldiers getting closer to her village doesn't necessarily concern her, but who could imagine what was to come. We all know the stories now, how it happened, what atrocities occurred but back in the 1940's who could have imagined such things could occur. The world wasn't equipped like it is now with 24/7 news coverage.
I loved the different perspective of the holocaust, told from a non-Jew, from a young Polish woman, what she saw, how she survived, and forced to see the destruction of her country. It is unfathomable to this day.
What made this book so good was the weaving of the two women's stories, how she intertwined their stories, and how it was triumphant in the end.
I couldn't put this one down, I needed to know how it ended. Did she get out, did her and Tomasz reunite and get their happily ever after.
How did their story affect the next generations, and how did Alina's story finally get out and reach her family.
Alice is asked one last favor by her grandmother, Hana. She must go to Poland, send her back pictures, and resolve what is haunting her. How can Alice leave her family and begin this quest when she doesn't even know what she is to find, what are Hana's questions? Hana can't speak after a stroke, so her request is limited to a few words, words that don't make sense.
This book moved me, it speaks of horrors one still can't begin to imagine, the way it's written you feel it and see it. It also speaks of the modern-family, how we can get lost in the day-to-day, and not see the bigger picture of the world and ourselves.
I was sent a complimentary copy by the publisher but was under no obligation to post a review.


View all my reviews

A Silken Thread by Kim Vogel Sawyer

A Silken Thread by Kim Vogel Sawyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed A Silken Thread by Kim Vogel Sawyer. First off I love historical fiction, I love going back in time, how did people live, what was their daily life like. I also love the christian aspect, so far a perfect book for me!
.
This book, I’ll admit, was slow to start for me, but once the setting and characters were established I really enjoyed it! Going back to 1895, Atlanta, we meet Laurel, a young girl who is reading and restless. Sunday afternoon, her momma is napping, all her siblings arrive, one by one. Laurel knows something is wrong. What she doesn’t know is they have all decided since she was the youngest, the one to hold her mother back, she needs to vow to take care of her for the rest of her life. No marriage, no life, until momma has gone to her glory. Laurel can’t believe they all decided her future for her. She loves her momma but doesn’t she deserve her own family?
.
In a conversation with her mother, Laurel confesses she would like a beau but none of the boys in their neighborhood and church interest her or seem to be interested. Her mother decides Laurel should apply as a silk weaver at the expo coming to Atlanta, the Atlanta Cotton Exposition of 1895.. Perhaps she can get out, meet people, meet a wonderful beau, and enjoy learning to weave silk. Laurel and her mother a excellent at the loom and sell rugs they make for money to support them.

Also working at the Expo are Willie Sharp and Quincy Tate, best friends for their whole life, both Christians. Willie is hired as a security guard and Quincy as groundskeeper. Willie is thrilled to be hired as his father was taken ill several months ago and Willie needs the money to pay for the convalescent hospital so his father can heal. He is granted by his employer to take the 3 months off and earn excellent pay to put towards his father’s hospitalization. Quincy and Willie, best friends forever, but can their friendship last beyond their neighborhood, pressures, prejudices exist in the south, and Quincy is know to get angry.

Langdon Rochester dislikes work, dislikes his father’s factory, but he loves the fancy life and the money. He is told now that he has graduated college, he needs to work at the factory and learn how it runs if he is interested in his inheritance, the factory. Another stipulation, he must be engaged within one year, settle down, stop his wild ways, or the factory will be given to his cousin, who has faithfully been working their for a few years.

Since they will have a booth at the Expo, Langdon begs his father to allow him to man the booth. Anything to get out of the factory and it’s tedious boredom. After Langdon passes the test on knowledge his father grants him his wish. Langdon decides he should take this time to find an impressionable, malleable, naive young girl to woo and marry, to satisfy the obligation.

Laurel meets Langdon, she thinks she is falling in love. But things aren’t always quite right. She also meets Willie Sharp as a guard to the Silk Room where she is working.

Trouble at the Expo has left questions, racial divisions, destruction, and a thief to be caught.
Will Laurel and Langdon find a happy ever after, he can certainly take care of her and her mother. Will Willie and Quincy remain friends after racial tension become obvious.
.
Such a great cast of characters! I love the subject matter, and I love how she urges us to seek God for these answers, are we living the life God has chosen for us, are we on the path he has created for us?! I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah but was under no obligation to write a review. All opinions are my own.



View all my reviews

Convergence by Ginny L. Yttrup

Convergence by Ginny L. Yttrup
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, talk about a page turner and a nail biter! Convergence by Ginny L. Yttrup was definitely both of these! I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book but suffice it to say it was a fabulous read!

When the book opens we meet Dr. Denilyn Rossi headed back to work, she is a college Psychology Professor. As we meet her we learn something bad happened to her, it’s been 10 years, and it’s still affecting her. She is riddled with anxiety, fear, and self doubt.
.
Adelia Sanchez is on a mission, a mission to stop the nightmare that occurred 10 years ago.
She is taking a job on the river, going back to the “scene of the crime” so to speak. Where it all began. She will train and she will be ready.
.
After college Dr. Rossi and her best friend from college set up a Psychology practice, both get married, life seems so good. Dr. Rossi has written a book, things begin to unravel in her life as she notices she is being stalked, the first she notices him is at a book signing. Next as she is at church, she seems him again, several months later. As she continues to see him, she is doubting it, then believes it, then doubts it. Her husband can’t take the stress.
.
What happened to Dr. Rossi, what happened to Adelia Sanchez? Their stories intertwine amazingly in this book, such incredible writing! What is about to go down back at the river?
.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat. Will the God they both pray to protect them!? Will the nightmare end so their lives can move on?

If you love suspense you will love this book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.

View all my reviews

The White City by Grace Hitchcock

The White City by Grace Hitchcock
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Historical Fiction can be so much fun, it’s so interesting. Who knew the first documented American serial killer was roaming around Chicago during the 1893 World’s Fair.

The White City by Grace Hitchcock is a fantastic book that I thoroughly enjoyed. A Christian Fiction with a mysterious twist and a bit of romance. It was really a pleasure to read. The fact that the events depicted were based on an actual case made it even more interesting.

This is the first installment on a new series from Barbour Books called True Colors - Historical Stories of American Crime. I can’t wait for the next one, such an intriguing series!

We meet Winnifred Wylde at the fair, in the tea room with an exhaustingly boring date. As she looks out the doors from her table she is certain she has witnessed a crime. A woman being grabbed and taken. As fast as she can she runs to the scene but the woman is gone.
.
Her father is the Chief of Police and she heads right to this office to report this crime. Her father and the other officers do not take her seriously. As an avid reader she has often witnessed other wrong doings, the officers think this is another one from her imagination.
.
Not to be swayed she decides to visit the fair each day until she sees the perpetrator again. He father is not on board but assigns one of his officers to follow her to ensure her safety. She discovers Detective Jude Thorpe on the first day. He is embarrassed and does not wish to tell his boss his undercover skills were discovered, so he agrees to accompany her to see if they see him again.

Once they find him, she seeks conversation and is offered a job as a secretary, he has a hotel that is in the process of being remodeled and he needs a secretary to help him. Her father does not want her to take this job but finally agrees if she takes her small gun for safety and that she is trained to go undercover and then accompanied by Detective Thorpe.

Will she be able to discover the deep secrets of H. H. Holme’s activity, is he guilty of taking the girl at the fair? Where is she now? And what will happen between Winnifred and the detective.

I really enjoyed this book, I found it exciting, romantic, a bit nerve-wracking, and I love going back in time to read how things were done.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.



View all my reviews

American Omens by Travis Thrasher

American Omens: The Coming Fight for Faith by Travis Thrasher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

American Omens by Travis Thrasher seems to give a glimpse of what our future might look like! It’s a bit terrifying to think that might be true. In our lives we have always enjoyed freedom, freedom to speak and freedom to believe what we know to be true. What if the world is turned upside down, what are old truths have suddenly become against the law. What if your faith is suddenly against the law. It doesn’t seem as far fetched now as it might have a couple decades ago.
.
In this world we meet three main characters. First is Cheyenne, she is an algorithm creator. We are in the future where everyone has an internal technology, this is frightening in itself, she works for the top technology firm and is unaware of what her programs are actually doing.
On her way to work one day she is handed a note from her father, missing for some time since he converted to Christianity. Now she doesn’t know what to do and what is really going on in the world, but she is suddenly thrust into the world of the Reckoner, she is about to find out what is really happening.
.
Next we meet Will, he is closing his business, a bookstore. A Christian, he has been hassled and is now out of business for selling prohibited books. His family is in debt, his bookstore is closing, his marriage is frazzled. What does the stranger he meets when closing up shop for good want? He is about to be thrust into the world of the Reckoner too.
.
We meet Agent Dowland, an FBI Agent bent on destroying the Reckoner.

The Reckoner is trying to wake up the world so they see what is going on with the internal technology, being told what they like, what they want, and get them to turn back to God.
.
This book is full of suspense, danger, and a lot of fear for the future. With the course we are on right now it doesn’t seem as impossible as one would hope. What we can do is pray. Pray that our freedom to worship the One True God is never challenged, never outlawed. The way the technology companies are going, it seems they have already judged Christians, and this is very scary.
.
I would recommend this book for every Christian to read. It may seem far-fetched, sci-fi even but is holds some truth, we need to hold on to our right to religious freedom at any cost.
.
I received an uncorrected proof copy from the publisher but was under no obligation to write a review.


View all my reviews

Thrive in Retirement: Simple Secrets for Being Happy for the Rest of Your Life by Eric Thurman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have a hard time getting through a non-fiction book most of the time, usually I have good intentions, extreme interest, but somewhere along the line I fade. This wasn't the case with this book. I am in my 50's headed to the retirement era at some point fairly soon, so I want to do it right, any and all advice is welcome. That's not the reason this book held my interest, it was because it was fun, interesting, well written, and not just a list of chapters with lists of to-do's and advice.
What this book pointed out to me was the idea I had for retirement was that I had none! Retirement to me has always been only from the financial perspective, did I save enough, will I have enough, etc., but there is much more to retirement! What am I going to do with all the time, how to use it wisely, what do I like to do when I'm not told what to do!
He starts off with the 5 core categories of a happy, fulfilled existence!
Mind, Body, Relationships, Finances, and Soul.
Each chapter from there focuses on a particular area. I realized that there are many things I hadn't even thought about! What a great read - definitely worth the read, and something I have already referenced a few times since reading!
Thank you so much to the publisher for the complimentary uncorrected proof. I received this in order to read, share and submit this review. My review is my own.

View all my reviews

Of Fire and Lions by Mesu Andrews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My favorite genre is historical fiction, in this novel Of Fire and Lions, Mesu Andrews brilliantly marries the biblical truths and historical facts with fictional characters. It's fascinating to read and see where the path the story takes. I remember the main stories of Daniel, his steadfast faith, the Lions Den, the fiery furnace, but to see them played out in a story that spans the 70 years of captivity is amazing.
I feel like I understood the biblical stories of faith all my life but this book just gave me a deeper understanding of what it really entailed.
The story starts off with Abigail/Belili, Daniel's wife, retelling the story of their capture and years of captivity in Babylon. Abigail was 9 when taken captive, she was to be the maid to four princes, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. At some point she is removed from them and changes her name from Abigail to Belili. She isn't faithful to Yahweh, and is party to living a tainted life. In the end Daniel and she are reunited and marry. She is ashamed of the things she has done and this makes for a challenging family life.
What I love is the idea I get of what it was actually like to live in this time period and match it with the biblical facts to create a fabulous story that gives me a deeper grasp of the entire story of Daniel.
I don't want to say too much as everyone should read this story for themselves versus me giving any details away, making them less exciting to read for the first time.
Biblical fiction is such a fun way to relive the bible stories you grew up with, giving you more of a grasp of details of the time period, thus giving you a better understanding of the entire picture.
I would highly recommend this book and this author!
I was given a complimentary uncorrected proof to read to facilitate this review, opinions expressed are my own.

View all my reviews

The Devoted Life by Marjorie Jackson

The Devoted Life: A Creative Devotional Journal by Marjorie Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is fabulous! It is like three books in one, a devotional, a journal, and a place to relax while contemplating the scripture while coloring/doodling/drawing. The title says it's a creative devotional journal, which describes it perfectly. The book has 31 sections for you to complete at your leisure - one per day or stretch out each section as long as you care to reflect. Some of the topics include Selfishness, Humility, Living Wisely, Being Teachable, Determining God's Will as the goal of the book is to show us how to live of lives fully devoted to Christ. Each section begins with a coloring page with the sections main idea, followed by the scripture and summary. After you're finished with the reading there are suggested Bible versus offered to dig a bit deeper, followed by journal prompts, and another coloring page. You can see that each section offers you plenty to do to possibly consider each message over time. I find that I enjoy stretching out each section for a week or more to really think about it. Obviously some sections will require more or less thought depending on you!
It's such a beautiful book too which gives the reader even more pleasure with a pretty pink leather-like soft cover. This book is marketed to teens and young adults but I am enjoying it as an older adult, it's a fun and interactive way to get your scripture teachings and reflection time. I'm really enjoying this book and highly recommend it!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.


View all my reviews