Olivia Strauss is Running Out of Time: a woman faces the possibility of her death and learns to truly live

Olivia Strauss is Running Out of Time by Angela Brown is the story of a woman who faces the possibility of her death and learns to truly live. Olivia Strauss is turning thirty-nine. As she considers herself still young, young enough to think that she still has decades to accomplish the items on her life’s to-do list. Olivia has time to bring back the spark to her marriage. She has plenty of time to play with her young son and even have another child if she so desires. She has plenty of time until her best friend, Marian, gives her a birthday present. A visit to a trendy wellness clinic which boasts of a state of the art genetic test that can predict the exact date of one’s death. When the results arrive, Olivia realizes she has a lot of living to do. No more excuses to do the items that she keeps putting off. 

Olivia Strauss is Running Out of Time is described as a “funny and emotionally moving comedy of errors about the gifts of growing older.” Unfortunately, I did not find it funny or emotionally moving. The story is filled with the stereotypes of a woman approaching forty and thinking everything is falling apart. I never related to the fear of turning forty, even now as I am closer to fifty, I do not fear getting older. So it was difficult to relate to Olivia or any of the women in this story. Olivia focused on what she hadn’t accomplished yet, instead of what she had. And while it was not from Olivia, but her annoying neighbor friends, the “Oh, life is over at forty” was so outdated. And their joke presents were eyerollingly annoying. Her only true friend was Marian and Olivia, at times, treated her so harshly. Overall, I did not enjoy this story. I do not recommend Olivia Strauss is Running Out of Time. 

Olivia Strauss is Running Out of Time is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

In Want of a Wife: in a Pride and Prejudice retelling featuring Charlotte and Colin

In Want of a Wife is the first book in the Pemberley Ranch series by Shanae Johnson. It is a well known rule that you don’t go after our best friend’s ex boyfriend. Charlotte Lee wouldn’t even consider it. The Bennett family is well known and Charlotte has always felt like an adopted member. When her best friend, Eliza, refuses Colin Hunsford’s proposal and Charlotte loses out on a job that she thought she was a shoe in for, Charlotte begins to consider breaking the rule. In order to fulfill the terms of his inheritance, Colin needs a wife. When Eliza rejects his marriage proposal, he offers Charlotte a marriage of convenience. With few romance choices and job prospects, Charlotte accepts his offer. Their marriage becomes inconvenient as Charlotte and Colin begin to feel more than they bargained for. 

I am not a huge fan of Jane Austen; however, I have enjoyed retellings of her most famous stories. With a story as well-known and beloved as Pride and Prejudice, it is ambitious to write a retelling. In Want of a Wife is a clean and wholesome romance that promises “laugh out loud romantic comedy” and “sweet and swoony situations.” Unfortunately, I did not laugh out loud. Some moments were more cringey than humorous for me. There were swoony moments and the happily ever after is sweet. Charlotte and Colin were a cute couple and they did remind me of their Austen characters. Overall, this story fell flat for me and I doubt I will continue this series. However, if you enjoy Jane Austen and want to read any retellings, I recommend checking out In Want of a Wife. 

In Want of a Wife is available in paperback and eBook

The Echo of Old Books: a rare book dealer finds two books which tell the story of a tragic romance

The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis is a story about the power of books. Books have been the ultimate escape for Ashlyn Greer. It is more than the scent of the ink, paper and bindings. She can feel the echoes of the books’ previous owners, the emotional fingerprint left behind. This ability makes her job as a rare book dealer more exciting. When she discovers a pair of beautifully bound volumes that appear to have never been officially published and the authors, Belle and Hemi, are telling conflicting sides of a tragic romance. Ashlyn finds herself caught up in the literary mystery and she is determined to learn the truth behind the heartbreaking tale. As she tracks down where the books came from, can she discover who Belle and Hemi really are? Can she bring closure to the love story and maybe even the unwritten chapters of her own life? 

As I loved Ms. Davis’ previous books, The Keeper of Happy Endings and The Last of the Moon Girls, I was looking forward to reading The Echo of Old Books. I was intrigued by Ashlyn’s ability to feel the emotions left behind with the books. The story started off great; however, Ashlyn’s ability doesn’t really matter in the overall story. I didn’t care for any of the characters, especially Ashlyn. We get a lot of the book is the story told through the unpublished book, a lot of he said/she said bitterness and resentment that I did not care why this couple’s romance ended so tragically. The book is marketed as a dual timeline; however, I feel it is more of a book within a book story. Sadly, The Echo of Old Books just doesn’t compare to her previous books I have read. I do not recommend The Echo of Old Books. 

The Echo of Old Books is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Letters We Keep: a 50 year old mystery brings together two students

The Letters We Keep by Nisha Sharma is a story of two star crossed lovers. Everyone on the campus of Hartcellar University knows the legend of Davidson Tower and the star crossed lovers who disappeared one night. Jessie Ahuja is an aspiring engineer and ambitious freshman who wants to succeed for her parents. Ravi Kumar is a senior and privileged billionaire nepo baby. When the two clash over a library study room, she wants nothing to do with them. However, things change when a campus prank finds them both locked in the old tower’s abandoned library. There, Jessie finds letters related to the lost lovers in a hollowed out copy of Persuasion. Together, Jessie and Ravi are pulled into the fifty year old mystery and a beautiful romance as well as a romance of their own. As Jessie sees a connection between the lovers in the letters and themselves, Can they discover what happened to the couple fifty years ago? Is their romance doomed to the same fate? 

I bought this book a couple of years ago and it recently came up on my To Be Read list. I wasn’t sure what I expected when I started this book. I dove in. At first, I wasn’t sure about the story and the characters. The constant talk about Jessie and Ravi’s economic differences was tiresome. However, once Jessie and Ravi find the letters and they get wrapped up in the romance unfolding in them, I too, was invested. I loved Jessie and Ravi’s romance as they dealt with their different backgrounds and family expectations. I thought the mystery of the tower and the lovers was great; however, I was worried that what happened to the lovers would not be revealed. However, it was revealed in a great way. There was a detail revealed that I literally had my hand fly to my mouth in shock! Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was so good and better than my expectations. I highly, highly recommend The Letters We Keep. 

The Letters We Keep is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook

Written in Starlight: a romantic portal fantasy with a cosmic twist

Written in Starlight by Sloane Brooks is a romantic portal fantasy with a cosmic twist. Della Farley is a chambermaid. She kept her head down and dreamed of something more. One day she stumbles across a strange book about a man named Ansel Tulzok, a wanted fugitive traveling the stars. The strange part is the book seems to be written as she is reading it. Light years away, Ansel finds a mirror copy of the same book. He is reading the story of a woman he has never met. The two begin writing to each other through the pages, opening doors between their worlds. Della decides to write herself into Ansel’s story and finds herself on Ansel’s ship. Together, they agree to help each other. However, every story has a price and they must decide how far they will go to change their fate. 

I was intrigued by the description of Written in Starlight and looked forward to reading this story. The beginning was great and hooked me into the story. Ansel reminded me of Star-Lord from Guardians of the Galaxy. Unfortunately, the middle of the story sagged a bit as Della wrote herself into Ansel’s story, his perspective and internal thoughts are lost. The romance between Della and Ansel becomes lost even the mystery of the plotline was lackluster as well. However, the ending was good. I do like the concept that our lives are books in a cosmic library. Overall, I did not enjoy the story as much as I wished I did. I just wasn’t wowed. However, I see readers who live action adventures, fantasy and a little sci-fi would love this story. If you are intrigued by the premise of this story, I recommend checking out Written in Starlight. 

Written in Starlight is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Heirs of Infamy: two teens from rival gangs join forces for a heist of a lifetime

Heirs of Infamy by Kyla Zhao is a story of friends to lovers among two rival crime families in postwar San Francisco. The East Phoenix deals in secrets and stealth while the West Dragon is fists and fear. However, with the rise of the Red Scare and anti-Chinese hostility, both crime families have a fragile truce that weakens with each passing day. Alexis Sung is the daughter of East Phoenix’s crime boss and all she wants to do is join the family business. When her first job goes wrong, her father refuses to allow her to join any other jobs. Her friend and classmate, Zachary Ren is a brilliant orphan who was raised by West Dragons. He is desperate to leave the crime life. When given a chance for a large payday for both families, Alexis defies her father’s orders and joins Zachary in a shaky alliance. As they plot and plan, old wounds are reopened and new sparks fly. 

With the gorgeous book cover and a title that caught my attention. I was intrigued by this story and I couldn’t wait to read it. The story started out great and grabbed my attention. I loved the history of the postwar atmosphere of San Francisco and Chinatown and the racial tensions of the day. I loved the relationships between Alexis and Zachary. However, the heist they were planning slowed the story down. The actual heist takes place off the page and I was disappointed. I wanted to see them succeed or fail but not be told what happened. The ending itself was disappointing and felt rushed, although I liked where Alexis and Zachary end up. Overall, I enjoyed this story. The author’s writing is beautiful and I enjoyed that she included the Chinese characters for the idioms the characters used. It added to the realism of the characters and I also appreciated that she followed it with the translation. I recommend Heirs of Infamy. 

Heirs of Infamy will be available in hardcover and eBook on October 13, 2026

Saved by the Rockstar: a woman who social anxiety and the rockstar who helps her find the strength to step into the world

Saved by the Rockstar is the first book in the Rich and Famous romance series by Michelle Pennington. Julie Chambers is a famous author who has crippling social anxiety so she avoids the spotlight. Her only interaction with the outside world is her weekly vlog to connect with her fans. When she raves about the rock star who had inspired her writing, she is surprised when he responds. As the lead singer of Sterling House, Ryland Sterling loves his music and performing, just not the fake women that go along with it. When his little sister shows him the vlog of her favorite author who mentions his band, he is intrigued by her. With the possibility of meeting in person, can Julie find the courage to face her anxiety and step into the world she has been avoiding? 

Saved by the Rockstar is a sweet, action packed romance. It was a quick read as I could not put it down. I immediately loved Julie and felt for her as she fears large crowds. I also loved Ryland who was so gentle and understanding with Julie. Their chemistry and connection was immediate and clear. I enjoyed their interactions online, via text and in person. The conflicts between the characters felt genuine as well as their resolutions. I knew there was someone waiting in the wings to destroy their budding relationship. I had an idea who this person was and the reveal confirmed my suspicion and yet I held my breath as I read. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I look forward to the rest of the series. I highly recommend Saved by the Rockstar.

Saved by the Rockstar is available in eBook

The Apothecary Diaries Vol 5: Maomao's adventure continue as new threats lurk

The Apothecary Diaries Vol 5 by Natsu Hyuuga is a light novel based on the manga series of the same name. With the birth of Consort Gyokuyou’s son has elevated her to the status of Empress and Jinshi can no longer continue to pretend at the rear palace the political atmosphere has changed. Although life seems to be settling after the destruction of the Shi clan; however, new threats wait in the wings from a potential plague of insects to enemies from distant lands. And despite her best efforts, Maomao finds herself right in the middle. When Jinshi orders an expedition to Gyokuyou’s homeland, Maomao finds herself heading west. Something is lurking in the shadows of the glittering city and Maomao races against time to discover the truth before it is too late. 

As a fan of The Apothecary Diaries anime, I have been excited to read the light novels. So for my recent birthday, and the upcoming season 3, I received the fifth volume as a present. Season 3 will begin with the events of volume 5 and I immediately jumped and joined Maomao on her newest adventures. I enjoyed this story so much and I can’t wait to read the rest of the light novels as well as the newest seasons of the anime. There were moments that I literally dropped my jaw as Maomao reveals the how and why to the events, especially at the end and the clues and hints to certain relationships and future events. If you are a fan of The Apothecary Diaries, I highly recommend the light novels. 

The Apothecary Diaries Vol 5 is available in paperback and eBook

Chasing Home: a woman running from a painful past finally finds the home she didn't know she wanted

Chasing Home is the first book in the Triple Star Ranch series by Emma Woods. After a tragic loss in her young life, Emily is a woman who doesn’t stay in one place for long. She comes to Birch Springs, Wyoming for work always with the door open to be on the road once again. She quickly meets Nate, a local charmer, and she decides that he is no good. Unfortunately, she learns that he is also a volunteer at the Triple Star Ranch when she joins the organization. However, as they spend time together, she and Nate grow closer and Emily is conflicted with a choice she desperately didn’t want to make. Does she leave as planned? Or does she finally put down roots for love and the home she didn’t know she wanted and learn that home is where the heart is? 

Chasing Home is a clean contemporary romance with cowboys. It is a sweet romance although a bit melodramatic for me. Emily is a woman on the run from the past, from the hurt and pain she doesn’t want to confront. Nate is a young man who is trying to figure out himself. I liked that together, Emily and Nate find their future and stability. The conflicts were settled a little too quickly and easily for me, especially one particular conflict which was a serious topic that deeply affected Emily. While marketed as a Christian romance, the Christian themes are subtle and aren't too heavy. It is great for those who like Christian lite stories. There are moments of emotion and crying out to God. Overall, I enjoyed this story and look forward to other stories in this series. I recommend Chasing Home. 

Chasing Home is available in paperback and eBook

Mail Order Duchess: family duty and a mail order bride with grief, faith and love

Mail Order Duchess is the first book in the Lords of the Rockies series by Misty M Beller. The five Balfour brothers were raised on the family’s Montana ranch nestled in the Rocky Mountains. When the eldest son of an English duke dies suddenly, Enoch Balfour must take his place as the heir of the family title, the Duke of Clarence as well as marry the mail order bride his brother had sent for. However, Enoch has no intention to open his heart to this unknown woman. Mandie Beaumont is desperate to leave her family’s home. When she arrives in Montana, she suffers an accident which takes her recent memories, memories that conceal a secret. As the Balfour brothers take care of Mandie, giving her a place to rest and recover, her resilience begins to thaw the ice around Enoch’s heart. When Mandie’s past comes to his front door, Enoch must decide to risk his heart again to save her. 

Mail Order Duchess is a great clean romance with dramatic, faith and struggles. Enoch is a man who understands family duty. Grieving for his brother doesn’t stop that. Mandie finds herself in a situation where she feels her only option is to run. She answers an ad for a mail order bride. I have always been amazed at the courage that these women had to travel to somewhere they have never been to marry a man they’ve never met. And Mandie felt that a man in Montana must be better than the one who is trying to run from. Enoch and Mandie’s story hooked from the very beginning and I could not put this book down. I enjoyed the realistic depictions of the struggles with grief, loss and moving forward with faith. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I look forward to the rest of the stories in this series. I highly, highly recommend Mail Order Duchess. 

Mail Order Duchess is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

 

Marrying Mandy: a marriage of convenience between best friends and a love they have both been denying

Marrying Mandy is the first book in the Brides of Clearwater series by Melanie D. Snitker. After her parents’ divorce and their abandonment, Mandy Hudson vowed never to marry. Even though she was raised by her loving grandparents, she feels that real love just doesn’t last. When her grandmother dies, Mandy learns there is a shocking stipulation in the will. In order to inherit her grandparents’ estate, including a bed and breakfast, she must marry. Preston Yarrow has been Mandy’s childhood best friend and he has been in love with her since they were teenagers. He proposes a solution: a marriage of convenience. A marriage they would both benefit from. Mandy would be able to keep the bed and breakfast and Preston will be able to focus on his new woodworking business. They agree to the terms and marry. Life throws curves that Mandy isn’t prepared for especially for the realization that life was better with Preston at her side.

Marrying Mandy is a sweet romance with tearful moments and finding faith in oneself, someone else and in love. I enjoyed Mandy and Preston as individuals and as a couple. Mandy is a woman who learned to do things by herself and protects herself against being hurt. Preston is a man who is content with being Mandy’s best friend, even when he would like more. When Mandy is in trouble of losing the only home she has known, He jumps in to help with no other motive than to help. I loved that as each curve is thrown and Mandy is scrambling to deal with it, Preston is there, lovingly and gently, telling her that she does not need to handle it alone. I also loved how the community gathers together to show Mandy the same thing. Overall, I enjoyed this story and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. I highly recommend Marrying Mandy. 

Marrying Mandy is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Thoughts that have been on my mind and heart with recent events

I had something completely different topic set for this month’s bible study; however given recent events and the anniversaries of Charlie Kirk’s death and 9/11, I feel I need to talk about something that has been on my mind and heart for a while. It is not that I am afraid of the future because I know who holds the future; it is a conflict between what my head knows and what my heart feels. I often turn to prayer for peace of mind and remind myself that Jesus said, “do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (Matthew 6:34). However, every now and then, the events of the world weigh on my mind and heart more than usual. I wonder if I have studied the Bible well enough. I have taught my children enough, preparing them for the world they will see outside our door. How do I discuss topics with someone who will argue for the sake of arguing? Who argues with feelings and refuses to listen to facts? These thoughts and questions flooded my mind more recently as I reflected on the anniversaries of this month. 

The amount of hatred and mockery of Christianity on social media has seriously hurt my heart. While I am not surprised as Jesus said in John 15:18, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first,” it still hurts. As I have seen the redemptive and transformative power of belief in Jesus Christ can bring to someone and in my own life, I have seen His work in my daily life that it is undeniable to me. Someone denying Christ is not surprising but the venom I see online toward God, Jesus and those who believe in Him, I fear, has turned my heart cold to them. Especially online, I usually roll my eyes and move on without trying to correct them. And I hate that I feel this way. However, without realizing it, as I write this God was listening and recently He put in front of me reminders. Yes, as believers, we are called to share the gospel; however, in Matthew 7:6, Jesus said, “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.” Meaning? It is useless to try to teach holy concepts to people who don’t want to listen and will only tear apart what we say. If someone comes to me with genuine questions, I have answers and the willingness to look up the answers if I don’t. However, if someone were to come to me with questions in order to belittle me or to attempt to break my faith, I will not entertain such a person.

In the year since Charlie Kirk’s death, I have seen clips of his meetings with skeptics and doubters, and while I was not a fan before his death, I now admire his resolve to bring the truth to as many people as possible. And I am humbled at his passion and resolve. I know I could never be as articulate or knowledgeable as he was, but I hope that I could stand on my faith and the truth as he did. It sickened me as I saw people celebrate his death and still celebrated as the anniversary arrived. There are people in the world I dislike or even despise; however, I would l never celebrate them being sick, ill or even their death. I may not have much sympathy or have no feelings either way for their circumstances; but it feels so wrong and evil to celebrate. While God told us that good would be called evil and evil good, He also proclaimed trouble to those who would do so (Isaiah 5:20), I still struggle with the deep sadness, anger and disgust I feel when I see people celebrating evil. I know Charlie Kirk was aware of the target he put on himself when he chose to stand up, speak out and try to educate others about the lies they have been told. And Christians should also be aware that there is also a target on us as well. Maybe the threat isn’t as strong as Charlie Kirk faced but the day will come when we won’t be able to be as free to worship as we, especially in America, have been. 

I have been a believer for over 30 years and sometimes I still struggle with and feel powerless in the state of the world today. At these moments, I turn to God, to His word and yet, I feel what can little old me do? I am nobody in a world of billions of people. While I know I am somebody to my Lord, to my husband, to my daughters, and my loved ones, I feel like a faceless, powerless nobody. Why would anyone care what I had to say? So I often stay silent and I hate myself when I do. Even as I do these monthly bible studies, I do them for myself and write about what I have learned and post them. I know people read them but do they have any impact in their lives? Does it even matter that I post these at all? As I said at the start, recent events have lit a fire, so to speak, that I want to be different. I want to be prepared to meet any enemy and be prepared to stand up for my faith, even if it means my death. Death?!? Someone might exclaim. Yes, given the state of the world right now and the growing battle against Christ and believers, I believe the day will come when we might be faced with that question and I hope I will be able to say “Yes, I believe in Christ” and lose my life in the process. Because Jesus said that “whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:25, Mark 8:35). 

In conclusion, I set out to write this blog as an honest disclosure of what I have been feeling and thinking recently. As I started writing this blog, my mind was heavy and as I took a few days to further reflect and came back to writing it, I remember that my struggle is with understanding, an understanding that is beyond me. It is an understanding that God, in his wisdom, is telling me his grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9). I am reminded of the book of Philippians, which is one of my favorite books of the Bible. It is a book of hope which seems odd as Paul wrote it while in prison. In Philippians 4, Paul writes to rejoice in the Lord (verse 4) and to not be anxious about anything and to turn to God with our worries in prayer and petition (verse 6). I may not be able to completely battle the mockery of my faith online or understand the celebration of evil, however, I will commit myself to further and deeper study of the Bible and find peace in Jesus Christ. 

It's Only Love: one man's disappearance raises questions and a new investigation discovers secrets, lies and betrayals

It’s Only Love is the seventeenth book in the Hart’s Ridge series by Kay Bratt. Wade Barret went duck hunting with his dog on his boat. The dog came home. The boat was discovered with no sign of foul play. Everyone believed he drowned or met an unfortunate end with an alligator. However, his brother, Walker, never has believed. Eight months later, a new piece of evidence brings new questions about the case. Determined as ever, Walker knows there is more to his brother’s case than just an accident. Sam Gray agrees to take the case as a private investigator and it becomes clear that someone has worked to make sure the case stays buried. His investigation uncovers half truths, betrayals, broken loyalties and secrets someone is willing to protect. Someone knows what happened to Wade Barrett, how far will they go to protect that knowledge? 

With the unforgettable cast of characters and stories that readers have come to know and love, It’s Only Love continues to explore secrets, lies and the lengths people are willing to go to protect themselves as well as the people they love. Loosely inspired by a real Florida disappearance that captured national attention, It’s Only Love is a gripping story of mystery, romance, and family secrets. From the very beginning, this story held my attention with twists, turns and kept me guessing until the very end. I thoroughly enjoyed Sam’s perspective and seeing him take the lead in this investigation. The book does end with a cliffhanger that links to the next book in the series. I can’t wait to discover the new story of Hart’s Ridge. If you have enjoyed the Hart’s Ridge series, you will love It’s Only Love. I highly, highly recommend It’s Only Love! 

It’s Only Love will be available September 29, 2026 in eBook with paperback coming soon

If you have not read the Hart’s Ridge series, 

I highly recommend starting with book 1, Hart’s Ridge.

Books 1-16 in this series are currently available in paperback and eBook 

Cold Case Christianity: a homicide detective uses criminal investigation techniques and strategies to examine the claims of Christianity

Cold Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels by J Warner Wallace is a deep look into the claims of Christianity through the lens of evidence and criminal investigations. J Warner Wallace is a L.A. County homicide detective specializing in cold cases and a former atheist. He set out to use his skills and strategies as a criminal investigator in order to disprove Christianity. What he found had a different conclusion. Christianity could be classified as a cold case because it makes a claim about events from the distant past. With the passage of time, there is little forensic evidence. In part one of his book, J Warner Wallace uses gripping stories from his career and explains the standards and techniques of evidence. In part two, he takes these standards and techniques and examines the evidence of Christianity both in the gospels themselves as well as non-Biblical sources and archaeology. 

I read Lee Strobel’s The Case for Christ while in college and I liked the story of an atheist who set out to disprove Christianity and came to faith instead. When I discovered J Wallace Warner’s book, Cold Case Christianity, I was curious about the homicide detective With powerful illustrations and examples, I enjoyed that he gives an unique apologetic examination of the evidence. I also liked that he discusses the strengths and weaknesses in investigations. If you enjoy true crime stories, Cold Case Christianity would appeal to you as Mr Warner goes through the investigations techniques and evidential procedures and standards to examine the claims of the gospels. I also enjoyed his honest candor about his beliefs before his investigation. If you are a believer and want to have another tool to share the gospel or if you are an unbeliever who wants to truly examine the evidence, I highly, highly recommend Cold Case Christianity. 

Cold Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels

is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Hidden: a Christian romantic suspense as one woman faces her morality and discovers the true meaning of forgiveness

Hidden is the first book in the Jacobs family series by Vanetta Chapman. After surviving a tragic and violent childhood. Dana Jacobs is now a supervisor in charge of a Department of Homeland Security in Taos, New Mexico. Her team is at the ready to handle any threat. Benjamin Marshall is the newest member of Dana’s office. Straight from a six year military deployment, Benjamin is not what Dana wants or needs. However, Ben knows that God has a reason for putting him with Dana’s team. When a local school is threatened, they pursue a man who is filled with bitterness and anger that Dana can understand; however, there is a difference. She is justified and it remains hidden and she hurts no one. Can Dana accept her own morality? Can she truly understand what it means to forgive and to be forgiven? 

Hidden is a Christian romantic suspense. While it is not a genre I normally read, I was looking forward to reading a suspenseful story filled with faith and romance. The book opens with the aftermath of a violent encounter in Dana’s childhood. Leading to her as an adult who still has nightmares of that night, Dana is now a leader of a team. Benjamin is coming to her team on his first day. I liked Dana as a woman who has lived a hard life and keeps her emotions close to the vest. I also liked Benjamin as a man of faith who knows he would be a good fit for the team. Overall, I enjoyed the faith and morality discussions; however, the romance was a bit far-fetched and the suspense was lacking. If you enjoy Christian romantic suspense, I recommend you check out Hidden. 

Hidden is available in paperback and eBook

Healing the Mountain Man's Heart: a dedicated doctor and a surly mountain man find love and faith

Healing the Mountain Man’s Heart is the first book in the Brothers of Sapphire Creek Ranch series by Misty M. Beller. Jericho Coulter is the eldest of the Coulter brothers. He has been entrusted with the safety of his family and the secret they hold dear. After a family tragedy, they follow a strict rule: no outsiders. Dinah Wyatt is a talented and determined doctor, travels with her sister, Naomi, as she prepares to be a mail order bride in Montana. When they come to the ranch, they are met with a surly Jericho who was ready to send them away. However, Dinah’s skills are immediately needed as one of the brothers becomes injured. As Dinah cares for the injured man, sparks fly between Jericho and Dinah. However, in the wilds of the Montana Territory, where trust is hard to come by. Can Jericho and Dinah learn to trust each torah and embrace the love between them?

Healing the Mountain Man’s Heart is my first book by Misty M. Beller and it won’t be my last. From the opening chapter to the closing pages, this story had me glued to the pages. It is dramatic and faith filled with real struggles and questions with faith. Jericho is a man hurt by the tragic events in his family and, as a result, he turned from God. Dinah is a woman of faith who feels called to use her skills as a doctor to any one who is injured or ill. The two clash as they have different missions and yet together they find a common thread with the people they both care about: their families. There are moments of humor and times of tense danger. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. I highly, highly recommend Healing the Mountain Man’s Heart. 

Healing the Mountain Man’s Heart is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Love's Sacrifice: two broken people discover Jesus's redemptive love and in each other

Love’s Sacrifice by Evangeline Kelly is a story of love, faith and discovering the strength to overcome the past. Avery Loggins has learned to depend on no one but herself. Her mom couldn’t be trusted and her father walked out years before. When she landed a job at a popular diner as a kitchen assistant to Dean Galloway, the very handsome but grumpy chef. Eventually Avery agrees to a night out with Dean and before they know it, they do not want the night to end. So they end up eloping. Avery has a shocking moment of reality and leaves Dean with a goodbye letter. However, Dean doesn’t want to let her go. When he shows up, determined to show her how much she means to him, they both learn the true meaning of sacrifice and find a love that can last a lifetime. 

Love’s Sacrifice is a contemporary Christian romance in which two broken people discover Jesus’s redemptive love. The story is fairly fast paced with a sweet romance with hard hitting issues and beautifully explains the love and sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. I loved both Avery and Dean as individuals who have been deeply hurt by life’s circumstances. I also loved these two people who rejected even talking about God and God placed people in their lives that quietly opened their eyes to His love. From the good friend to a family who has lost it all and still has joy and a man who has turned his life around all show Dean and Avery the power of God’s love. Overall, I could not put this book down and I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I highly, highly recommend Love’s Sacrifice. 

Love’s Sacrifice is available in eBook

Murder at the Front: a World War I murder mystery

Murder at the Front is a prequel story to the Dora and Rex 1920s Mystery series by Lynn Morrison. It is 1918 in Le Touquet, France, Lady Dorothy “Dora” Cavendish has sworn to never marry. In order to satisfy her parents and be able to stay at the front as a battlefield nurse, she enters a marriage of convenience with Lucien, the Viscount of Lisle. When Lucien is ambushed during a secret mission and killed, there are more questions than answers. Only one man, Lord Reginald “Rex” Banks-Ternsby, seriously wounded, had survived. Rex is convinced that the mission was compromised and someone within their ranks betrayed them. With Dora’s determination to prove her worth with Rex's drive to discover the truth, they set out to reveal the traitor. However, the discovery leads to a fall out neither of them expected and will change their lives forever. 

Murder at the Front takes place near the battles of World War I, five years before Dora and Rex meet again in 1920s London in book one of Dora and Rex Mysteries series. I haven’t read the mysteries series before and did not know these characters. It is a fairly short book, only 16 chapters. However, I was bored. It felt very slow going and not particularly interesting. Dora is headstrong and determined to forge her own path; however, I didn’t particularly connect with her at all. Rex was a strong character as well. The mystery was ok. There wasn’t the usual time to get to know and suspect a long list of people. The reveal of the culprit felt rushed. Overall, I did not enjoy this story and I will not be continuing the series. However, if you enjoy wartime mystery stories, you may enjoy Murder at the Front. 

 Murder at the Front is available in paperback and eBook

Love's Broken Road: two broken hearts and a second chance for love

Love’s Broken Road is the first book in the Lincoln Love Stories series by Julie Coulter Belton. After surviving an abusive marriage and the death of her husband, Victoria Newel needs a clean state. She takes her five year old son and moves across the country to Lincoln, Utah and takes a job as a math teacher. Her new principal assigns Drew Dalton, an English teacher, to be her tour guide. Drew lost his wife to cancer a couple years ago and the thought of finding a new love is far, far from his mind. However, when he meets Victoria, he begins to see the possibility. As her gentle nature and strength draws him to her, he offers her friendship and maybe something more but Victoria is so guarded. Can Victoria ever open her heart and trust herself and love again? Is Drew truly ready to take a chance on a new love?

Love’s Broken Road is a sweet second chance with drama and love triangles. The story was short but sweet. The drama was good and expected with a love triangle. I did find that everything seemed to move quickly for Drew and Victoria despite their pasts. Especially Victoria as she went from recovering from the aftermath of an abusive marriage to being infatuated with Drew. Even the love triangles seemed to resolve with more “We can be friends” sentiments that I don’t know would happen in real life. The ending was sweet and the story came full circle. There was an incident involving Victoria’s son that details of how it occurred seemed unrealistic. I put down the book and asked “would a five year old be capable of that?” Overall, the story was enjoyable; however, I am unsure if I will continue the series. If you enjoy a second chance romance, I recommend Love’s Broken Road. 

Love’s Broken Road is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

 

The Wedding Favor: a sweet, funny age gap romance that will have you laughing, crying and cheering

The Wedding Favor by Sharon M. Peterson is the newest book in the Two Harts universe. Iris Sampson can’t believe she agreed to be the best woman at her ex-boyfriend’s wedding. The embarrassment was enough but now she needs a hot date as her plus one. Abe Ramos, her new gorgeous neighbor and single dad, offers to be her date. In return, she agrees to watch Hallie, his nine year old daughter. With tattoos, ear piercings and thirteen years older than her, Abe is the exact opposite of her ex. As they spend time together, she begins to dream about being a real family with Abe and Hallie. However, Iris has no idea what her future holds. She has no idea what she wants to do for her career and the rest of her life but she really wants Abe to be in it. Will their age difference keep them apart? How will their families and the town react to their relationship?

Sharon M. Peterson has become one of my autobuy authors. She writes stories with heart, humor and real life struggles and characters you want to root for. Although I usually avoid age gap romances; however, I knew Ms. Peterson would create characters and a story that would not be the typical age gap romances I’ve read in the past. The Wedding Favor is so good. It is sweet, with humor and even a few tears. I liked that the character discussed the age gap as an issue with maturity and a little humor. I found myself getting angry at certain attitudes by some characters about their relationship and cheered when Iris and Abe stood up against such attitudes. I closed the book with a great smile. The Wedding Favor will have a permanent place on my bookshelf. I love Iris and Abe’s story as individuals and as a couple. I look forward to future stories in Two Harts. I highly, highly recommend The Wedding Favor. 

The Wedding Favor is available in paperback and eBook

Everything to Love: a friends to lovers romance set in a small town

 Everything to Lose is the first book in the Newberry Spring series by Harlow James. Wyatt and Kelsea have been best friends since they were babies. She has been in love with him since she was ten. When Wyatt left for college and Kelsea stayed behind in their hometown, she gave up the idea that they could ever be more than just friends. Now eight years later, as she buries her true feelings, she helps him run his brewery restaurant. It seemed to work until Wyatt’s twin brother, Walker, was tired of the two of them dancing around the elephant in the room and devises a plan to make his brother jealous and admit his own feelings. Kelsea knows it would be playing with fire but going against the rules she set to play it safe felt exciting. She knows it could backfire but is she willing to risk everything she knows and loves to finally have the love of her dreams? 

I love a good romance and Everything to Lose sounds like a great friends to lovers romance and with a great opening prologue, I was looking forward to a great story. However, it was so cringey that I found myself not rooting for Kelsea, Wyatt or their romance. The story is told in a dual point of view which is usually great and exciting; however, there was no real distinction between Kelsea’s voice or Wyatt’s. With the first book in a series, there is a certain amount of information describing the town and the residents; however, there seems to be way too much focus on this information than Kelsea and Wyatt’s potential relationship. Oh the dialogue! Some of it was so cringey, especially from Wyatt, I literally rolled my eyes. So not romantic at all! Even the spicy scenes were cringey. I did not enjoy this story and I will not be continuing the series. I do not recommend Everything to Lose. 

Everything to Lose is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Secret of Poppyridge Cove: a cozy mystery romance that wasn't

The Secret of Poppyridge Cove is the first book in the Seaside Inn Mystery series by Rimmy London. Abby Tanner falls in love with a hauntingly beautiful manor that sits on the seaside. It has been abandoned for decades and it seems for good reason. Even though the estate is crumbling and she encounters a very chilling sight on the back porch, she can’t seem to stop thinking about how beautiful it would be all fixed up. The only thing stopping her is the two million dollar price tag. With a twist of fate, Abby is able to make an offer and while it is accepted, there seems to be someone or something that is determined to keep her away. Can she learn who is behind the gruesome occurrences? Can she find the determination to stand her ground and make the estate beautiful once again? 

The Secret of Poppyridge Cove is described as a “cozy mystery” with an “on-again, off-again romance that will have your toes curling in delight.” With “pages turning” and “hearts warming,” I was promised an adventure that I would await another trip to Poppyridge Cove. However, there is no way this is a cozy mystery. While it starts off as a cozy mystery would, it turns too dark to be cozy anymore. Abby doesn’t truly stop and think and acts on impulse. Her boyfriend is annoying. There is also no consistency in the characters' backstories at all. And if you are an animal lover, please do not read this book! I did not enjoy this book and I definitely will not be continuing the series. There was nothing heart warming or toe curling about this story. I do not recommend The Secret of Poppyridge Cove. 

The Secret of Poppyridge Cove is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook