Love And Death Among The Cheetahs Book Review

Title: Love And Death Among The Cheetahs

Author: Rhys Bowen

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Series,

Plot: With this latest installment in the ongoing saga that is Georgie's life in the 1930s, Georgie is on her honeymoon with the dashing Darcy O'Mara. After a long and bumpy journey, they finally arrive at their destination and begin to settle in with the locals who are an odd bunch, to say the least. But shortly into the trip, Georgie begins to suspect that Darcy didn't whip out this magical trip to Africa at the last minute just to amaze her. He is actually here on his secret spy business.

Needless to say, that knowledge does not sit well with Georgie and she begins to investigate his sneaky business. She gets a bit waylaid when a body is discovered and the question comes up of whether or not the dead man was connected to Darcy's shady dealings or not.

Likes/Dislikes: This is the 13th book in the series. I enjoyed reading about Darcy as a main character rather than the dashing hero who saves the girl at some convenient time. I don't really care for Georgie, even after watching her grow a bit over the course of the series. She's just not assertive enough and comes up with some really dumb ideas sometimes. In this particular book, it is very obvious that they were invited to an orgy. Even Darcy figured it out eventually and rumor has it that he's been around the block. All in all, this was a fun read but it won't make it to my favorites' list.

Rating: PG-16 and up, mainly for content (dead bodies and talk of orgies).

Date Review Written: June 4th, 2019

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Daughter Of The House Book Review

Title: Daughter Of The House


Author: Victoria Cornwall

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Historical Fiction, Series,

Plot: Twelve year old Evelyn Pendragon is young, spirited and curious about the world around her but hedged in by society's rules, expectations and opinions of her gender. She adores her gentle governess Miss Brown but longs for her parents' love and attention. Still, she is content with the company of her loving older brother Nicholas.

Right as her life is about to drastically and tragically change, Evelyn makes a new friend. Drake Vennor is a year older than Evelyn with ambitions to become the greatest landscape gardener of the century. To accomplish this, he becomes an apprentice gardener on the Pendragon estate and slowly falls in love with the lonely daughter of the house.

As the years crawl, creep and fly by, society and the expectations of a bygone era will test Evelyn and Drake to the breaking point.

Likes/Dislikes: I'm not entirely sure what I expected from this book and am still not completely sure I liked what I got. The bulk of the story occurs when Evelyn and Drake are teenagers, laying the foundation for the rest of the story but making me wonder when they would grow up and fight back like adults. Once that happened, the sense of timing was weird. They really should have waited a day or two before trying to elope - they probably would've succeeded with more planning in that regard. And the final twist at the end with Mawgan was predictable. I also didn't care for the cliche of one night together leads to a baby but I liked how it tied in with all the other dads and babies running around in the story. All in all, while it is not my favorite story, it wasn't a bad story either.

Rating: PG-17 and up, mainly for reading level and content (one rather mildly graphic sex scene and lots of implications and suggestions sprinkled throughout)

Date Review Written: April 12th, 2019

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Choc Lit. Publishers and wasn't required tow rite a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

A Royal Pain Book Review

Title: A Royal Pain


Author: Rhys Bowen

Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Series, Romance, Action/Adventure, 1930s, England, Royalty

Plot: Thirty-fourth in line for the throne might hold sway in Harrods department store but not in the areas where it counts. Georgiana is twenty-two and living on her in the family house in London and just barely getting by. She makes a half living by opening people's houses for them when they come to town but the season is ending. Furthermore, her family wants her to marry a prince she doesn't care for and she has fallen madly in love with a very unsuitable Catholic Irish boy.

As if all of that wasn't enough on her plate already, the Queen decides that Georgiana is the perfect person to play host to a young German princess just out of a convent school. The Queen is hoping to pair the princess with her wayward oldest son but needs to do it subtly. Unfortunately, Georgi has no money, no maid and this princess talks American like a real gangster. On top of that, people start dying all around her. So inconsiderate of them.

Likes/Dislikes: I'm not entirely sure why I like this series as it is rather girlish in character and wording. Most of Georgi's problems irritate me since I can see several different ways for her to get out of them. But I like Darcy and I really like Belinda. I wish Belinda was in the stories a lot more than she actually is. She just kind of flits in and out with a new boyfriend every few chapters. There was one spot in this particular story where Georgi is almost raped but it isn't graphic and she gets away. It still should be mentioned for trigger warnings. This is the second book in the series.

Rating: PG-16 and up, mainly for content (talk of sex, attempted rape, murders)

Date Review Written: March 15th, 2019

The Bride of Ivy Green Book Review

Title: The Bride Of Ivy Green


Author: Julie Klassen

Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Romance, Series, Regency England

Plot: Mercy Groove has closed down her precious little school and anxiously awaits the arrival of her brother and his new wife from their honeymoon. Life soon settles into a new uncomfortable groove for them and Mercy decides to take the only option left open for her. So she moves to Fairmount House with Mr. Drake and his newly discovered little daughter as the governess. This position puts her closer to her handsome carpenter crush. Sadly, he doesn't seem to have much time for her right now and Mr. Drake does.

Meanwhile, Jane is torn between the man she loves and the inn she rebuilt and depends upon. But when a tragic accident occurs, Jane must make her decision before she waits too long and misses her one chance at happiness again.

With so much life crammed into one small village, not many secrets are left to spill. But one newcomer might just change all of that. The conclusion to the many intertwined adventures in Ivy Hill will have readers swooning.

Likes/Dislikes: I loved this book! It was so good to be back in Ivy Hill and I really hope more books set here will be forthcoming. I loved having Mercy as the main character more so than Rachel this time, and so pleased with her happy-ending. Jane was a touch annoying to me; she procrastinates her decision and then changes her mind so fast I'm surprised she didn't give everyone whiplash. Thankfully (as with all clever writings), her story ends beautifully. I liked Victorine but was confused by her arrival in the beginning and didn't care for the circus tie-in. I hate circus stories. All in all, a wonderful story!

Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for reading level and content (some veiled discussion of pregnancy, miscarriages and a brutal assault on a minor character several years ago in the story's history but nothing graphic).

Date Review Written: December 22nd, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and I wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

The Innkeeper's Daughter Book Review

Title: The Innkeeper's Daughter


Author: Michelle Griep

Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Romance,

Plot: Johanna Langley is 25 and runs the Blue Hedge Inn with the occasional help from her ailing mother and rambunctious ten year old brother. Business isn't exactly booming and the inn has seen far better days but Johanna is determined to keep it afloat because if she doesn't, she could end up in the workhouse and separated from her family who depend on her heavily. With this type of stress on her shoulders, Johanna doesn't have time for Alexander Moore.

Alexander Moore is an officer in the Bow Street Runners and has accepted an incredibility dangerous undercover mission to expose a high stakes plot against the British crown. His life depends on his mission and he never thought a pretty face would complicate things quite so much as Joanna's pretty face does. While he would love nothing better than to swoop in and save the day for her, his crucial mission must come first or a great many lives will be lost.

Likes/Dislikes: 1808 in England is an exciting time for historical fictions and this story does not disappoint. It does take a little bit of a slow boil at times and is a squeaky clean romance so if you want something a bit more passionate then best look elsewhere. On the flip-side I would have no problem letting my tweens and teens read this if they wanted to. All in all, a nice little story. This is the second in a series but it is a stand-alone story which is so nice.

Rating: PG-13 and up, mainly for reading level.

Date Review Written: November 3rd, 2018

I received a copy of this for my honest opinion courtesy of Barbour Publishing group. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

One Magical Christmas Book Review

Title: One Magical Christmas


Author: Berni Stevens

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Christmas,

Plot: Annie Berry has her hands full prepping for her baby sister's wedding in early October and she has finally found the perfect maid of honor dress. It's incredibly expensive but she feels it will be so worth it. And when she collides with Nic in the parking lot at the wedding wearing that gorgeous dress, the impression she creates will last a lifetime.

Having been knocked over by a vision in midnight blue with blonde hair, Nic thinks the answer to his prayer might just have been answered. Still, since he didn't get her name, he resumes his attempts at online dating till the vision sails back into his life. This time he gets her name and asks her out as well. But while their budding relationship shows considerable promise, he still hasn't told her his secret and he is running out of time.

Likes/Dislikes: Everyone loves a good sweet Christmas romance and this magical book delivers it beautifully. We have adorable kids, a nice leading pair and even a reindeer to fit in with the Christmas theme. Of course, it is very easy to guess what Nic's big secret is even before we open the book but it is still a fun read. The only things I had an issue with were Annie constantly watching her weight and going on about it, food and her perfect sister. I really couldn't relate to that but I haven't ever had any weight or food issues beyond a dairy allergy. And since the story takes place in Britain, I thought it odd that Nic preferred cold beer. Al in all, a good short story and surprisingly very clean.

Rating: PG-15 and up, mainly for reading level and a few stray kisses.

Date Review Written: October 21st, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Choc Lit. Publishers for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Fromage a` Trois Book Review

Title: Fromage a` Trois

Author: Victoria Brownlee

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, France

Plot: Ella is on the brink of turning thirty and has spent the last decade in a relationship with a man she thought she would marry and settle down with for the rest of her life. But apparently he has other plans and breaks up with her before going off on a exclusive retreat. Ella, left in tears and uncertain as to what she should do next, decides to spend a year in France and get back in touch with her old globe-trotter days.

On her first day back, she finds a cute little cheese shop which quickly becomes her favorite and the central point for all her Parisian adventures. But soon she finds herself in a sticky spot between two dashing men and has some adult decisions to make.

Likes/Dislikes: I love reading books about Paris and food so I thought this one would be great. Plus I loved the cover. I knew it was about cheese primarily but I secretly hoped the cheese wouldn't play as big a role in the story as it actually does. Silly, I know but still. I don't like cheese very much and found it was a turn-off for me in this form. But I will say that the book opens very well and gives us lots of details for being first person narrative. And Ella doesn't sound like one of those annoying weepy characters either.

Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for reading level and content (majority of content unknown but it is an adult romance so...)

Date Review Written: September 25th, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Girlfriend Interrupted Book Review

Title: Girlfriend, Interrupted

Author: Patricia Caliskan

Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Blended Families, Drama

Plot: Twenty-six year old Ella is quite happy being Dan's girlfriend and seeing his kids on the weekends when they visit and all go out on adventures. But since moving in together, the dynamic has changed and Ella doesn't know what to do about it. Throughout the week they are a happy overworked couple. But on the weekend, Dan retreats and spoils his kids to the point where they use Ella as a verbal boxing bag. All of which leaves Ella drained and feeling distanced from her dreamy boyfriend. The only one who really loves her is the dog.

Throw in some in-laws, her sex therapist mother and Dan's icy ex-wife and we have a recipe for a big family meltdown. Will Ella come out stronger or crumble under all the pressure and responsibility she never asked for?

Likes/Dislikes: I liked the cover and was really hoping for a nice sweet romance. And I did try hard to actually read this book. It got a lot of good reviews. But sadly, it wasn't my cup of tea. We are thrown into the romantic relationship several months after Ella and Dan have moved in together. We meet Ella and a ton of described jumbled co-workers in the first chapter before she goes off to lunch with her mother who is the best described character so far in the story. Then we meet Dan who is barely there at all and his children, one of which is a horrible little pre-teen girl. Pre-teen girls don't act like that in my experience. And it's all written in first person with a jumble of past and present tense which was hard to read.

Rating: PG-14 and up; conversations about sex, etc.

Date Review Written: August 27th, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my opinion and I wasn't required to write a positive review. the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Just Let Go Book Review

Title: Just Let Go

Author: Courtney Walsh

Genre: Christian, Fiction, Contemporary Romance

Plot: Quinn Collins has grown up in the same little dreamy town she still lives in today and can't imagine ever leaving. She might miss something exciting if she leaves. Besides that, her dream has finally come true; she has just purchased her mother's old flower shop and has a notebook full of ideas to improve it and drag it forward into modern times. Besides that massive project, she is also working on a show-stopping entry for the big winter festival where her mother is judging the floral arrangements. Maybe, just maybe, she'll be good enough to get her mom's attention after all these years.

Meanwhile Grady Benson is an Olympic skier who has had a bad streak of luck lately combined with some ill-advised spending sprees and bad judgement calls. One of which lands him in front of the local judge who sentences him to five weeks of community service. With a bit of meddling, Sheriff Collins and the judge get Grady assigned to help Quinn fix up her flower shop - much to Quinn's disapproval. But the two eventually soften and get the job done with hints of something more, till Grady puts his foot in his mouth and makes a crucial mistake. Will their fledgling relationship withstand the test?

Likes/Dislikes: First off, even though the cover is gorgeous, it led me to believe that the book takes place in the spring. It does not. It takes place over the course of December which threw me off a bit mentally in the first few chapters. I always like my December stories to be snowy. Anyway, aside from that, it is a slow burner type story. Quinn really hates Grady for some reason which got annoying after awhile and she's very focused on reconnecting with her mom to the point where it interferes with everything else in her life. In all honesty, I couldn't finish this book. Maybe it gets better but it wasn't the cup of tea I wanted for the heat of July. I'll have to sample it again in some cooler non-pregnant months.

Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for reading level and content (it's a clean romance).

Date Review Written: August 3rd, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Tyndale Publishers for my honest opinion and I wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

The Saturday Night Supper Club Book Review

Title: The Saturday Night Supper Club

Author: Carla Laureano

Genre: Christian, Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Food,

Plot: Rachel Bishop has finally made it. After years of hard work and effort, she's now co-owner and head chef of her very own brand new and thriving restaurant in Denver, Colorado. She has her own hand-picked personally trained team - including one of her best friends, Melody, who is a talented pastry chef. But in the span of 24 hours, her world is crashing down around her after a New York journalist writes a piece indirectly about her that destroys her reputation on social media. Bought out by her partners, Rachel is left hanging with no clear direction or idea of how to pick herself up now.

But with the help of Melody and Ana, she at least uncurls from the couch and goes out into society where she meets the notorious journalist who destroyed her career and finds... someone she wasn't expecting. Alex Kanin has always used his wit and bitter sense of humor to get his point across but he never intended to take down Rachel's career. In his mind, he was defending her right to dominate in a man's world. In an effort to get her career back on track, he and Rachel come up with the Saturday Night Supper Club to woo potential financial backers for a new restaurant. But neither ever expected to consider romance a possibility.

Likes/Dislikes: This was a surprisingly really good book. I don't usually go for straight up romances and Christian ones can be kinda sappy but this one was nice. It had a good pace, great characters and the romance was just right. My only complaints are really just nit-picking like in the first chapter, they wouldn't have gotten the restaurant all cleaned and closed up so fast cause that poor dishwasher would've been there till 1am cleaning all the pots, pans and dishes. After they started dating, Alex was all over Rachel in a nice respectful way but very reminiscent of when my husband and I were dating - which was fine but not what I usually want in my fictional heroes. I started to skim those touchy-feely bits. And there wasn't enough food descriptions! Like, what did the girls eat when they went out to breakfast? Shouldn't Rachel be dreaming in food and making up recipes as she goes about her day? And why didn't the author include a recipe or two at the back of the book?! I don't like scallops but now I want to make the scallop salad! And the absolute worst part is that I have to wait a year before I can read the next book. So not cool.

Rating: PG-13 and up, mainly for reading level {content is squeaky clean}. Highly recommended.

Date Review Written: February 7th, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Tyndale Publishers for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Out of the Ordinary Book Review

Title: Out of the Ordinary

Author: Jen Turano

Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Romance

Plot: Gertrude Cadwalader works contentedly as a paid companion to eccentric old Mrs. Davenport whose favorite hobbies include inventing new fashions before testing them on poor Gertrude and stealing things from other people when she's out and about. This usually puts Gertrude into some tight pickles {fashionable and otherwise}. One such misadventure soon lands Gertrude into serious trouble when she is caught returning some stolen items.

Meanwhile Harrison Sinclair is all the rage among the fashionable set and the most eligible bachelor now that his best buddy is engaged. But he doesn't have time or eyes for all the pretty females throwing themselves at him. Instead he focuses on work and his friendship with Gertrude, till she gets into trouble and then he finds himself drawn closer to her.

Likes/Dislikes: This book promised to be cute, fast paced and light-hearted with a few good laughs thrown in. What it didn't tell me about was how painful it would be to read it. It takes over four chapters to get Gertrude unstuck from behind the couch with multiple mentions of how stout she is {she's really not} and why does she keep letting herself get into these situations, etc. And every time someone has to talk, they have to use thirty or forty words to convey one simple idea. It's extremely tedious. And our dashing hero is one of those floppy guys that everything just flies right over their head, requiring a much smarter female {usually related to him} to whack him hard over the head so he figures the brutally obvious out and does something about it. Not exactly the type of book I needed at the moment.

Rating: PG-12, mainly for reading level. Squeaky-clean.

Date Review Written: January 6th, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtsey of the publishers for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a poistive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

The Ladies of Ivy Cottage Book Review

Title: The Ladies of Ivy Cottage

Author: Julie Klassen

Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Romance, Sequel

Plot: Since the scandal of losing all the family money and then her father's sudden death, Rachel Ashford has felt adrift in her social circle, unsure of where her place is meant to be now that so many things have changed. She's currently living with her friend Mercy Grove and Mercy's aunt, helping out with the girls' school as best she can but it's not enough to support herself. So she takes the advice of the local businesswomen and opens a subscription library with her father's vast collection of books and several donations. With the flood of attention at Ivy Cottage, Mercy finds herself the center of attention from two different men and must make a painful choice that will destroy her future as she knows it.

Meanwhile, James Drake learns some secrets of his own that cause a bit of an uproar in several local lives and Jane Bell finally has her coaching inn under control. She's made peace with her broken heart and thinks she's ready for love again but she suffered more than just the loss of her husband. Will the other losses keep her heart broken and cause her to reject the promise and hope of new love?

Likes/Dislikes: It took  me awhile to get started on this book, partly because my kids kept taking the iPad away and partly because it was a sequel and I couldn't remember who all everyone was. Once I got them straight in my head and the story started picking up pace, it was an easy read. I didn't like Rachel though; in the first book she had a lot of mystery about her but in this one she just came across as very whiny and pity me, I'm poor Rachel. It was annoying after awhile. I kinda want Jane to stay single and in control cause if she marries either James or Gabriel they'll just disrupt her life now that she's found her groove. And I'm rooting for a happy ending for Mercy cause the poor thing really needs it. I related to her the most. All in all, an excellent book. I'm just bummed I can't get the next one already.

Rating: PG-12 and up, mainly for content {romance, past miscarriages, etc. nothing graphic}

Date Review Written: December 30th, 2017

I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publishers for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

The Innkeeper at Ivy Hill Book Review

Title: The Innkeeper at Ivy Hill

Author: Julie Klassen

Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Romance, Community, Drama,

Plot: The young widow Jane Bell spends her days in a solitary haze, overlooking her inn with mild interest, still wondering why her husband left it to her in the first place. She was born a gentlewoman and doesn't feel cut out for the hard work of landlady. She's nothing like her fierce mother-in-law Thora, whose unexpected arrival coincides with the announcement of bad news from the banker.

Now Jane and Thora must work through their differences and combine their strengths to save their beloved inn in three months or watch it - and their futures - crumble under the weight of secrets and debt.

Likes/dislikes: a wonderful book and an excellent start to a series, though I was a bit distracted by trying to figure out which minor characters will show up in following books. I really hope we learn more about Gabriel, he was intriguing, and Rachel seemed very interesting. All of the cleaning done by the characters was very inspiring and I felt so sorry for Jane when we learned the heartbreaking extent of her losses. Overall a great book.

Rating: PG-16 and up mainly for reading level and content (one bloody miscarriage scene and some suggestions but nothing graphic)

Date Review Written: Dec 23rd 2016

I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publishers. I wasn't required a write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Honor Redeemed Book Review

Title: Honor Redeemed

Author: Christine Johnson

Genre: Christian, Romance, Fiction,

Plot: Prosperity Jones is set adrift in the big bad world of 1852 when her mother dies. Her father's ship had gone down years before and all that's left is a wealthy estranged aunt in Boston and her betrothed, David, in the Key Islands serving out his eight year tour of duty as an engineer. With nothing left for her in Nantucket, Prosperity uses her small savings and goes to Key West looking for her beloved, only to have her world shattered upon arrival to learn that David is married. Forced to stay with new friends and take a job as a laundress at the hospital, Prosperity doesn't know what to do with her future anymore and is unaware of God's hand in her life.

David made a mistake and seems to keep paying for it over and over again. Seeing Prosperity again only makes matters worse but little does he know, he's in for greater trouble ahead. With a tiny shred of future and an innocent life hanging in the balance, how will God mend these broken hearts?

Likes/Dislikes: I was intrigued by this book and hoped for a really exciting historical  adventure but instead, found a painfully silly romance set in a historical time with a bit of plant lore thrown in for plot filler. When you read a historical fiction, you want historical details and to come away feeling like you just time traveled and learned some pretty cool stuff, not a love triangle with everyone bemoaning their choices in life and going on and on about how so and so broke their heart and oooh, if only I could make things better without talking about them! Seriously, if everyone had just sat down and communicated, everything would've worked out so much better. It was a sequel but you barely noticed that fact unless you already knew it which was nice.

Rating: PG - 16 and up, mainly for content {bloody birth scene, suggestive content, nothing graphic}

Date Review Written: October 6th, 2016

I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publishers in exchange for an honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Counted With the Stars Book Review

Title: Counted With the Stars

Author: Connilyn Cossette

Genre: Christian, Biblical Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Action/Adventure, Egypt,

Plot: Young Kiya has everything that wealth can bring, including an indulgent father, loving mother and sweet big brother. But her reality comes crashing down when her father's ships sink, taking down the family's livelihood with them and Kiya finds herself sold into slavery to pay the debts incurred. Thankfully, she is bought by the close family friend Shefu. Unfortunately, Shefu's bitter wife hates her and takes delight in Kiya's reduced status and humiliation. And on top of that, her handsome betrothed soldier Akhum abandons her for another wealthy girl of status.

But all is not lost. Kiya befriends a sweet Hebrew slave girl named Shira and watches in increasing horror and awe as ten devastating plagues sweep through her beloved Egypt, each one more terrifying than the last until, in order to save her brother's life, Kiya flees Egypt with the Hebrews. Homeless and godless, Kiya agonizes over whether or not she made the right choice, not realizing that she is on the very path that God wants her to be on.

Likes/Dislikes: This is a very unique story of Moses and the mass exodus out of Egypt from the eyes of an Egyptian slave who flees with the Hebrews. I really enjoyed that angle of the story though it flet like the author rushed through the plagues a little. It's rather obvious that this is a debut novel; it's very fancy worded which was close to overkill in some areas. "My chest ached after enduring the abuse of my furiously thrashing heart." Still, there's a lot of potential from this author. The main character, though apparently eighteen, is very immature for most of the book which annoyed me, though that's just my own personal thing. I like mature main characters and female main characters are often extremely hard for me to like cause they're just so wishy-washy and whiny. Kiya was okay mostly but wasted an awful lot of time being infatuated with Eben. All in all, a pretty good book.

Rating: PG-16 and up, mainly for content {some suggestive hints of attacks on women and bloody deaths, etc.}.

Date Review Written: September 27th, 2016

I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publishers in exchange for an honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are y own.

A Beauty Refined Book Review

Title: A Beauty Refined

Author: Tracie Peterson

Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Drama, Romance,

Plot: Phoebe Von Bergen is finally seeing more of the world when she accompanies her father on his sapphire hunting trip to America. They see all the major East Coast cities before making their way to a secluded resort in Montana near the sapphire mines. Little does she know, however, that her life is about to drastically change. First she meets handsome Ian Harper, a lapidary very skillful in refining raw sapphires into dazzling gems, and the cheerfully adorable Kenny. These new friends help while away the hours for Phoebe while her father is off at the mines. And then, with a twist of fate, she discovers the truth of her mother's death years ago. A moment in time that left Phoebe heartbroken.

On the road to healing, trouble waits around the corner. Ian knows her secret and thinks he knows how to save her from her life circumstances but it will take skills, trust and faith in God to see his plan to the end. But is the risk worth it?

Likes/Dislikes: This was a beautiful story. It wasn't overly ambitious, was just the right length with a lovely setting, detailed characters and an easy to follow plot that held my interest. I loved it, especially the bits about sapphires and how smoothly the faith element was blended into the story. That's hard for Christian authors to do sometimes. I liked Phoebe and I usually don't like the main female leads. Ian was a little odd at first but he's the kind of character that grows on you.

Rating: PG-15 and up, mainly for content {past accounts of abuse and miscarriages, a main character is viciously beaten, bad guys are shot, etc. nothing overly graphic}.

Date Review Written: July 23rd, 2016

I received this book free from the publishers in exchange for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

A Worthy Heart Book Review

Title: A Worthy Heart

Author: Susan Anne Mason

Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Romance, Sequel,

Plot: Coming to America has been a dream of Maggie Montgomery's for so long and now it's finally happening. She and her brother have just landed in New York, intent on visiting their older brother Rylan and his lovely wife. Seeing more of the world than just her little corner of Ireland gives Maggie a burst of fresh air and being away from the increasingly unwanted attentions of her suitor back home is an added bonus. But what neither brother knows is that Maggie intends to stay in America permanently.

Meanwhile, Rylan's no good brother in law Adam O'Leary has just been released from prison. Shrunken and dirt poor, Adam slinks back to his old family home to swallow his pride and ask for a job, knowing that his family will never see him the same way again. But keeping his head down proves to be a challenge when he meets the curious Maggie. Warned to stay away from Adam, Maggie finds herself intrigued by the mysterious man and wants to know more about him.

Despite the family's efforts, a bond is formed between the two that now must stand the test of the past and the pull of the future.

Likes/Dislikes: The description of this novel sounded so intriguing and exciting that I was eager to delve into the pages of what was sure to be an epic story. And while Maggie and Adam's individual story lines are intriguing and exciting, I didn't realize this was a sequel. Everyone else's stories are mysteries to me and therefore rather boring in the overall scope of the book for me. Because of this and the flipping between the main characters and these established secondary character's viewpoints, it's a bit hard to pick up the book and resume reading after a week or so. Toddlers can make reading for pleasure so hard sometimes. I haven't yet finished this book but I intend to because I want to find out more about Maggie and Adam's relationship and how it all comes into play. It'll just take me awhile to get there.

Rating: N/A, though clean so far with hints of a bad past.

Date Review Written: June 21st, 2016

I received a free copy of this book courtesy of the publishers in exchange for an honest review. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Whispers in the Reading Room Book Review

Title: Whispers in the Reading Room

Author: Shelley Gray

Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Romance

Plot: Working as a librarian is Lydia Bancroft's ideal job; she's surrounded by all her beloved books and can spend hours talking about books. But secretly, one of the perks of her job doesn't really involve books at all. It involves the mysterious gentleman who comes in regularly, sits in his usual chair, reads for an hour or two and then leaves again, all without ever speaking to anyone. And he doesn't have a library card so Lydia can't even put a name to such a handsome face. Still, she knows exactly what he likes to read.

And then one day all that changes when the mysterious man comes to her rescue in the lobby of the Hartman Hotel, revealing that he is the intriguing and wealthy Sebastian Marks. While Lydia may now have a name to the face, the accompanying reputation is unexpected and even more of a jolt is the fact that Sebastian owns an infamous saloon and gambling club. At odds over this new information, Lydia visits the club and lands in the middle of a murder investigation which not only threatens her life but Sebastian's as well and any chance at a happy future together.

Likes/Dislikes: In all honesty, I haven't entirely finished this book yet. That's a side-effect of an energetic toddler that I wasn't anticipating. That being said, the book so far flows well and the writing style is intriguing. The characters are interesting though hint at possibly getting annoying from too much exposure but we'll see how it all wraps up in the end. I'll update you with my conclusions when I finish the book.

Rating: Unavailable.

Date Review Written: April 1st, 2016

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed above are my own.

Blameless Book Review

Title: Blameless

Author: Gail Carriger

Genre: Steampunk, Victorian England, Romance, Action/Adventure, Drama, Humor

Plot: Everyone knows that werewolves can't produce offspring, but what few people know {until the news is leaked to the press anyway} is that Lady Alexia Maccon is pregnant with her werewolf husband's baby. And that is the cause for his sudden change in attitude and behavior, not to mention the tiny fact that he kicked her out. Alexia has been living with her horrible family for a few weeks in relative peace but when her family finds out her secret, she is suddenly homeless and goes to one of her remaining friends for shelter. Coincidentally, he might also have the answers she seeks but inconveniently, Lord Akeldama has left town in a hurry.

As if her current troubles weren't enough, Alexia finds herself under attack from a swarm of killer ladybugs. Shaken by this experience but uninjured, Alexia decides its time for decisive action and for answers. A quick meeting with her allies and she's off to Italy with her trusty Floote and Genevieve. Pursued across France by vicious vampires bent on killing her before she ever gives birth, Alexia wonders if the Templars will be any worse. Meanwhile, poor Lyall wonders if his Alpha will ever recover form his own drunken stupidity.

Likes/Dislikes: This was an exciting book to read and kept me at the edge of my seat for the two days it took to read {would've been less if I were still single and childless but that's okay}. I didn't like the handful of scenes with Genevieve {whose last name I can't remember how to spell}; it was far too distracting and unnecessary. And I personally would've stayed angry with Lord Maccon for a lot longer. If my husband pulled the stunt he did, I'd be spitting mad for weeks. Still, you can't have something like that too drawn out and it wrapped up beautifully in the end so no worries.

Rating: PG-18 and up, mainly for content {mostly just married couple hints and one scene at the end, and one crazy scientist dude who should've been killed}.

Date Review Written: February 9th, 2016

Changeless Book Review

Title: Changeless

Author: Gail Carriger

Genre: Steampunk, Victorian England, Humor, Fantasy, Romance, Action/Adventure

Plot: Blissfully newlywed Alexia Maccon is rudely awakened in the late afternoon by her werewolf husband yelling at the top of his lungs before dashing off into London on a mission, probably BUR business and possibly caused by her. Curious and unfazed by his behavior, Alexia receives a summons to attend her usual meeting as the queen's preternatural adviser and sets off on her own toward London as well, stopping only long enough to relocate the dotting of army tents from her front yard to her backyard, meet her husband's rather rude Gamma and pick up Ivy who seems to have gone and gotten herself engaged - of all things!

Of course, these little worries are soon overshadowed by the bigger mystery that covers London and had Lord Maccon out of bed at such an early hour. And this mystery grows, causing first Lord Maccon and then his undaunted wife to head to Scotland in search of answers. What they find is surprising and just a little more than Alexia bargained for.

Likes/Dislikes: This is the sequel to Soulless and picks up the thread of the story beautifully just three months into the unusual marriage of Maccon and Alexia. They're a hilarious couple, though after awhile, all his amorous attentions would've gotten on my nerves if my husband behaved like that. *wink* The scene where a secondary character is changed into a werewolf is very bloody and a bit graphic but passed fairly quickly. All in all, a fun romp in the pages. For such a big surprise "twist" at the end, I really wouldn't have placed the cover model's hand so suggestively. I guessed it without reading the book. Still a wonderful exciting read!

Rating: PG-18 and up, recommended for mature readers only for content {happily married couple stuff, innuendos, the wolf changing scene}.

Date Review Written: February 9th, 2016