The Christmas Keepsake: a family's story careful told in Christmas ornaments

The Christmas Keepsake is the second book in the Love in Bloom series by Annie Rains. Mallory Blue’s beloved grandmother, Nan, puts on a Christmas play in her community theater that has become a beloved tradition. However, this year is different. Nan is in a memory care living facility and putting on the Christmas play has fallen onto Mallory’s shoulders. As Mallory struggles to put on the play, two things help her keep going. First, a journal written by Nan which explains the story behind each handmade ornament on Nan’s tree. And second, Hollis Franklin, a man who is trying to prove to their small town that he is no longer the rebellious boy from the past. As Mallory reads Nan’s journal, she sees her Nan in a whole new light. There was so much she didn’t know about her grandmother, her family and the past. Can Mallory and Hollis learn the key to holiday magic isn’t the gifts under the tree? 

From the opening chapter, Mallory is a woman stuck in the middle. Between preserving her grandmother’s legacy and the expectations of the town with the reality of how to do it all. I loved that she wanted to hold on to her grandmother and the closeness they shared. My heart broke for her as she watched her grandmother slip away from her. I also enjoyed Hollis’s character. My heart broke for him as a man who was still trying to belong and seek forgiveness for all he did as a wild teen. I liked that Mallory learns to see Nan as a person, as a flawed woman who made decisions and choices. Overall, I enjoyed this story. It had great drama with lots of emotions. While this story is a sequel to The Finders Keepers Library, but I do recommend it, readers do not need to read it to understand Mallory’s story. If you enjoy a holiday story with a bit of romance, I highly recommend The Christmas Keepsake.  

The Christmas Keepsake is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Overdue: a crossroad decision to renew or start a new chapter

Overdue by Stephanie Perkins is a story of the crossroad decision to renew or start a new chapter. Ingrid Dahl is a cheerful twenty-nine year old librarian in Ridgetop, North Carolina. She has been happily dating her boyfriend, Cory, for the past eleven years. When Ingrid’s sister announces her engagement after two years of dating, Ingrid and Cory feel the pressure. They decide to take a one month break, to pursue other people, and come back together and make a final decision about marriage. Ingrid has someone in mind: her charming, yet grumpy coworker, Macon Nowakowski. She has had a crush on Macon for years but her best laid plans go awry and the month ends, Ingrid and Cory realize they are not ready to resume their relationship and her crush on Macon turns complicated. 

I was pulled into this book by the gorgeous cover and I loved the double meaning of the title as an overdue book or an overdue relationship. Plus I love books where books and lovers of books are featured. Overdue is described as “a beautiful, slow-burn romance full of lust and longing about new beginnings and finding your way.” However, I did not see this description in the story. Overdue is slow, painfully snail slow, ramblings. There were way too many chapters which were way too long. I felt no connection to Ingrid as she tries to discover who or what she wants. I can’t imagine dating someone for eleven years and not have the “Where is this relationship doing?” conversation. I didn’t feel there was any real character development. I do not recommend Overdue. 

Overdue is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

The Marine's Marriage: a grumpy-sunshine romance with faith, hope and healing

The Marine’s Marriage is the first book in the Fuller Family in Brush Creek series by Liz Isaacson. After retiring from the Marines, Tate Benson has arrived in Nowhere, Utah in order to fix up his late grandfather’s house and join the local police department. Wren Fuller has her days filled with running the family’s cleaning company. While Tate calls and needs a maid for that morning, Wren decides to clean the house herself. She discovers that Tate is her new neighbor and behind his rude exterior hides a kind heart and a wounded soul. As Tate keeps his cool exterior, he and Wren can’t help but be drawn to each other. The Marine and the maid seem to be a match made in heaven. Can their new relationship weather the storms of past wounds and look to the hope of the future? 

The Marine’s Marriage is a grumpy-sunshine romance with hope, healing and faith. It is a fast read, fairly short. A perfect book for an afternoon of reading. I enjoyed the introduction of Wren and Tate. Wren is the quirky member of the Fuller clan who wears the shirts that irritate her mother. And Tate is the man carrying more than physical wounds. Their first meeting was funny with great banter as Wren goes toe-to-toe with grumpy Tate. The romance between Wren and Tate was good and I enjoyed their happily ever after. However, the sheer number of secondary characters was overwhelming and keeping track of them all was difficult. Overall, the story was good; however, I was not intrigued enough to read the rest of the series. If you enjoy stories of hope, healing and faith, I recommend The Marine’s Marriage. 

The Marine’s Marriage is available in paperback and eBook. 

Her Unexpected Cowboy: one birthday wish, a man with no memory and a web of danger

Her Unexpected Cowboy is the first book in the Unforgettable Cowboys series by Danae Little. Sydney hides out on her goat ranch, clinging to her loneliness and refuses to ask for help. While making a birthday wish, a handsome stranger shows up at her door, wounded with no memory. Sydney is torn between allowing him to stay in her barn or sending him on his way. When Jameson woke up on the side of the road, he came to the first house, he was struck by the beautiful woman who answered his call for help. As he struggles to restore his memories, he makes excuses to stay, to help her around the house all the while ignoring the warning ringing in his head. That is until the local sheriff comes to the ranch, Jameson recognizes his voice and a web of danger begins to close in. 

Her Unexpected Cowboy was my first book by Danae Little and I enjoy a good cowboy story. The beginning of the story was intriguing. I liked Sydney from the beginning. I liked her courage, strength and hard working attitude. She is lonely with only her pets and the goats on her ranch. She loves her life, the ranch but something is missing. Jameson was a man with no memory and the mystery around him was interesting. However, the story was slow. The suspense was okay. The resolution was a bit predictable. The author’s attention to detail was admirable but slowed down the story’s flow. The romance between Sydney and Jameson was sweet and their happily ever after was good. Overall, the story was okay; but, I will not be continuing the series. If you enjoy cowboy romance with a bit of suspense, you may enjoy Her Unexpected Cowboy. 

Her Unexpected Cowboy is a available in paperback and eBook

The Relationtrip: a vacation, friends to lovers romance

The Relationtrip by Elana Johnson asks the question: what do a reclusive author from Wisconsin and an outgoing real estate agent from Pittsburgh have in common? The answer is simply nothing. Logan Murphy is Sloane’s accidental best friend when one fateful choice brought them together on vacation five years ago. Every year since then, Logan and Sloane take an annual trip together. This year’s trip is to an adults only resort in Belize. When Sloane sees Logan at the airport for the final leg of their trip, she feels something, something that hasn’t happened for a very long time. However, Logan is hiding a secret as Sloane doesn’t know what he does for a living and she doesn’t know how he truly feels about her either. He wants more than a once-a-year trip with his best friend. He wants to be in her life every day. How will she react when she learns the truth? Will it be the end of their friendship? Or can it be the beginning of a happily ever after? 

The Relationtrip is described as a standalone, slow burn travel romance similar to Beach Read and The People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, The Layover by Lacie Waldon, and The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren. While I have not read the mentioned books, I know they are highly recommended. I was looking forward to friends to lovers romance; however, the story fell flat for me. Sloane is way too jaded about love and marriage for me. Her fiance left her at the altar and her parents ended their 33 year marriage, so her jadedness makes sense; however, I couldn’t connect with it. Also, I did not like her reaction to Logan’s secret about his real job or his true feelings for her; despite her own feelings. However, I did like Logan. He really tried to have a relationship beyond their current arrangement; but Sloane made it difficult. Overall, I was bored and not interested in their love story. However, if you enjoy the books mentioned above, you may enjoy The Relationtrip as well. 

The Relationtrip is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

James, the son of Alphaeus: an example of how working in the background is still working for the Kingdom of God

James, the son of Alphaeus, is a quiet disciple. There is not much said about him in the gospels. There is no record of his occupation or any characteristics. The major event of his life is becoming a disciple of Jesus and there is no record of Jesus saying anything specific about him. Does that mean he is not worthy of study? By no means. He is an example that God calls us all for a purpose. Some have great and public purposes like Peter. While others are called to have great and private purposes like James. Who was James in the gospels? What example does James give us? What does it mean to be called to service God?

The only time James is mentioned by name is the lists of the disciples (Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:15, Acts 1:13). However, there is some information we can gather about him. While his hometown is unknown, he was likely from Galilee and most likely spoke Aramaic as well as Greek and biblical Hebrew (Tate, 2021). He was probably in his late teens but no older than early 20s (Tate, 2021). While he is not mentioned outside of the list of disciples, he was present during Jesus’s teachings. He saw his miracles and was sent out to preach, baptize and perform miracles (Matthew 10, Mark 6:7:13), Luke 9:1-6). He fled at Jesus’s arrest. He saw the resurrected Christ and was given the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20, Mark 16:15-18). James was there to witness Jesus’s ascension into heaven (Mark 16:19:20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:9). And James is there as the disciples begin their mission in Acts. 

James is our example of someone who worked for the kingdom of God without the limelight. He was so quiet and observant that he is not written about in the Scriptures and becomes obscure in the early church. However, James is proof that we do not have to be Peters or Matthews or Johns and go down in history as the greatest for God. We are all given different gifts from the same Spirit, different acts of service but the same Lord (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). There is one body, many parts with each part having an important function for the church (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). No member is superior over another and there is a unity in the diverse functions (verse 25). As someone who is more introverted, being a public speaker is terrifying. I feel God has called me to use my talents in a private setting and use my research and writing skills for his kingdom. My desire to study the Bible and write about the lessons and insights I have learned and write about them on this blog can be used to bring God’s Word to individuals across the country and maybe even the world. 

Many people think being called is to work in a church ministry. However, our ministry does not need to be a church. Our calling is to use our gifts and talents for the kingdom out in the real world. For example, if you are a cashier at a local retail store, you can still be a steward for the kingdom of God. 1 Peter 4:10 says to “use whatever gift he has received to service others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” We can also look for opportunities, big and small, to use our gifts to make a difference. For example, if you are a good baker, you can bake a welcome gift to a new neighbor. Or if someone is sick or injured, offer your services to help. The important thing to remember is to put faithfulness first. “Faithfully give what you have to God, and let him take care of the rest” (Barnett, 2021). Remember we are working for God so that God may be glorified (1 Peter 4:11). Colossians 3:23 tells us that “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” 

In conclusion, the silence of James, the son of Alphaeus, is an example to us that we can work in the background and still do good work for the kingdom of God. We are called according to God’s purpose and given gifts to use in the kingdom. We can serve God and the kingdom in every moment of every ordinary day. Look for opportunities to serve as Jesus served. You never know how an act of kindness or service can open the door to share the gospel. Whether it is serving in the limelight or quietly in the background, our impact for the kingdom of God can be greater than we will ever know or imagine. 

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References

Barnett, Tim (July 29, 2021). Looking for Your Role in God’s Kingdom? Start Here. Stand to Reason. https://www.str.org/w/looking-for-your-role-in-god-s-kingdom-start-here. Retrieved September 10, 2025

Tate, David (November 7, 2021). The Life of James, son of Alpheus. Now Let’s Be Honest. YouTube video. https://youtu.be/JMUHwd_y0G4?si=wB67mSYaUgKaFC8V. Retrieved September 2, 2025.

Last First Kiss: a second chance romance after loss and the uncertainty of the future

Last First Kiss is the first book in the Legacy of the Maguires series by Stella Holt. The Maguire family is particularly law enforcement royalty in her hometown. Sadly, law enforcement makes Charlotte Maguire James a young widow when her husband is killed in the line of duty. In order to distract herself from her grief, Charlotte throws herself into work creating promotional campaigns. When her new boss is Caleb Kincaid, a blast from her past. Still gorgeous as ever, Caleb awakens something in her; but, she is afraid to love and lose again. Caleb is a survivor and is no stranger to second chances. Now that his path has crossed with Charlotte again, he is determined to fight for her this time. Knowing they can be great together, but can he promise a future when he is unsure himself? 

I love second chance romances. So I was looking forward to this story. From the beginning, I liked Charlotte. She was a strong woman trying to find herself and sees her promotion as a way to escape the constant reminder that her husband is gone. I liked Caleb as a man who views every day as a second chance for life and seeing Charlotte again, he wants to take the opportunity to finish what they started so many years ago. It started as a great story; however, I wasn’t as invested in the story as I would have liked. I felt as if I started in the middle of the series with references I didn’t understand. Overall, it was a good story but I wasn’t as connected to the characters as I thought I would be. If you enjoy second chance romance, you may enjoy Last First Kiss. 

Last First Kiss is available in paperback and eBook