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

 

Destination Funeral: four friends reunite for a funeral in a story of grief, healing and forgiveness

Destination Funeral by Paige Harbison is a story of grief, healing and forgiveness. The complicated and yet magnetic matriarch, Babe dies, four estranged friends gather together at her Mercy Island estate for the reading of her will. Didion, Babe’s oldest daughter, arrives to find Sammie, her youngest sister, and Matt, her ex best friend already there. Soon, Austin, the final attendee and her ex boyfriend arrives. The atmosphere is filled with the tensions and awkwardness that Didion expected. They were expected to stay the weekend and Didion braces herself for an ugly weekend. However, they find themselves experiencing Saturday over and over and over again. Trapped in a time loop with seemingly no end and no instructions how to stop it, the four adults are forced to confront their past of betrayals, breakups, and buried truths. How can one endless weekend be exactly what they need to save their futures? 

Destination Funeral is described as a “laugh-out-loud funny and equally heartbreaking novel” with The Big Chill (1983) and Groundhog Day (1993) vibes. However, I struggled with this story. I did not laugh out loud once and I didn’t find it heartbreaking at all. I disliked the characters, especially Babe. She is supposed to be a complex woman but is really a miserable woman who favors her youngest child and was in and out of her daughters’ lives as it suited her. The parentification of teenage Didion hit hard and gives her a bit of sympathy for her hardness and cold demeanor. Overall, I did not enjoy this story. I read Ms. Harbison's previous book and I did not enjoy it either. Her writing style is just not for me. However, if you enjoy Ms. Harbison's previous books, you may enjoy Destination Funeral. Unfortunately, I do not recommend Destination Funeral. 

Destination Funeral is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

With the passing of my father, I reflect on the memories, the wounds and the healing

Steven Joseph Nelson was born in Klamath Falls, Oregon as the oldest son of Claire M. and Marlene J. (nee Mingo) Nelson on September 22, 1954. At 18, he hitchhiked to California and eventually settled in Orange County. In 1977, he married his wife and they had four children. After 14 years of marriage, they divorced. He enjoyed flying and playing guitar. He is survived by his ex-wife, his four children, two sons in law, four granddaughters, three grandsons, his younger brother, his aunt and cousins and friends. On April 5, 2026, after a brief illness, I got word that my father died in his sleep. He was 71 years old. I was left with bittersweet and conflicted feelings. The thing is my father and I had a very basic relationship. He barely knew me and I definitely didn’t know him. The last time I talked to him was in September 2025 when he started to decline. He was so weak and could barely talk that it was a short conversation. But I realized that I didn’t have much to say to him. Through my life as I dealt with the issues in my life, I came to the realization that Steven Nelson was my father, but he was not my dad. 

In the days following his death, I wanted to focus on the happy memories I had of him. However, the more I thought of the happy memories, the more I was confronted with when he hurt and disappointed me. I started playing the flute in the fourth grade. When I wasn’t playing as well as he thought I should have been, my dad took me aside and played me a song by Jethro Tull and said “this is how the flute should sound like.” Anyone who knows Jethro Tull knows that Ian Anderson is a genius on the flute. To say it crushed me is an understatement. I knew I couldn’t play like Ian Anderson, so I gave up and never played it again. He didn’t show up for my 8th grade promotion ceremony claiming I, or my mother, never told him about it. I know we did. He barely made it to my high school graduation ceremony. Although he did come to my second college graduation and eventually my wedding. On the rare occasion when I needed help, I got the “the only time you guys call me is when you need money.” Anyone who truly knows me, knows how hard it is for me to ask for help. It was a blow that stung and I never called him again for anything after that. In recent years, we did try to have more of a relationship and there have been phone calls but there were few and far between. Either it was by choice or busy schedule, time got away from us both. 

I don’t write this to villainize my father. He was a broken man who found it easier to walk away. Though his example taught me what type of man I did not want. I did not want a man who wasn’t willing to work hard for the things he wanted in life. I wanted a man who engaged with his children, to celebrate their successes and encourage them when they failed. I wanted a man who would support me in my dreams, comfort me when I am afraid and encourage me to be better than I was the day before. A man who wasn’t afraid to be vulnerable, to admit he was wrong, to sincerely apologize and try to make it right. God brought such a man into my life when I needed him the most. My husband and I will be celebrating 17 years of marriage this July and while we have had our ups and downs, we are stronger together because of them. My husband is the type of father I wish I had. I love watching him interact with our daughters, to share similar interests and activities. He and our oldest daughter love watching horror films together. He and our youngest daughter enjoy doing yardwork together and watching old 80s cartoons. My husband is not a perfect man but he is a great man who tries. He admits when he is wrong, apologizes when he needs to and isn’t afraid to have deep emotional conversations. My husband is the first person I turn to. He has been my biggest cheerleader and protector. He is my best friend. 

A lot of people may ask how I was able to rise above my conflicted feelings about my dad. It is because of my relationship with Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, I have a Father who loves me unconditionally and never leaves me. You may ask how do I know he is always with me. I have many examples but one poignant moment that sticks out in my mind. On October 30, 2013, I went into preterm labor with my second daughter and in order to give her a better, slim but better, chance at survival, I went through a c-section. Sadly, she did not survive and I was in the hospital recovering. One of my aunts was there at the hospital and before she left, she prayed for me. When she left, I felt a distinct pressure on my head, as if someone laid a hand down in comfort. I remember crying for the first time since I arrived at the hospital. I even tear up thinking about it now 13 years later. He can do the same for you. He wants to be there in your sorrows and your joys. He loves you so much that he sent his only son, Jesus (John 3:16). He is a father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5, Psalm 10:14, Hosea 14:3). He desires a personal relationship with you. He desires to have personal communication with us. In prayer, we can speak directly to him and he answers through his scriptures (Matthew 7:7–8,11) and he knows our needs before we even ask for them (Matthew 6:8). He is always with us. When everyone who puts their faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit is sent to us and never leaves us (John 14:16-17). Every good and perfect gift in my life, I know, have been given to me by my Father in Heaven (James 1:7). 

There is a difference between a father and a dad. Fathers are simply genetics but a dad is who helps shape their children’s lives. Plenty of men become fathers, but not all become dads. To the fathers out there, please fight for your children and be a dad. You can have a big positive impact on their lives. It may not seem like it but you do. Sons will learn how to be a man, a husband and a father from you. Daughters will learn what real love looks like and how a man who truly loves her will treat her from you. You have the choice to be your son’s first hero or first villain. You have the choice to be your daughter’s first love or her first heartbreak. Choose wisely. To the daughters out there who have the not so great or absent fathers, I feel your pain. It sucks and you deserve better. However, you can take his example and rise above it. Go through the grieving process as you heal from the wounds and the wounds can heal. It will be a painful chapter in your life; however, the pain does not need to define every moment. You deserve to be loved and cherished by a man who truly loves who and shows it every day. You can take your father’s example and look for the man who is his opposite in every way. Find a man who gives your future daughters the dads they deserve. The man who fits the bill may surprise you but you will wake up every day grateful that he loves you, perfections and imperfections and all. 

My father has passed away. But I do not grieve for him as my dad. I am sorry that his life is now over; however, I know in recent months, he had turned to Christ and accepted him as his Lord and Savior. I pray that it was sincere and that he was welcomed into Jesus's arms. I also pray that it was a happy reunion with his mother who passed away last year. While I am not left with many happy memories, I am left with an understanding that the mistakes of the past do not dictate my future. They influence what I can do better. I am grateful I have a Heavenly Father who loves me unconditionally. I am grateful that he is listening to me and waiting to give me all I need. All I need to do is ask. I am grateful that He sent me a husband who is a godly husband and father. I am grateful that my daughters have a better relationship with their father than the one I had with mine. To those who have a father shaped hole in your life, God the Father wants to have that relationship with you. Come to him with an open heart, put your faith in Jesus and nothing can separate you from Him (Romans 8: 36--39). 

My Next Breath: a memoir of a near-fatal accident and one man's miraculous recovery

My Next Breath: A Memoir by Jeremy Renner is a gripping and inspirational story of Jeremy Renner’s near-fatal accident on New Year’s Day 2023 and his miraculous recovery. Jeremy Renner is a renowned actor with memorable portrayals of an army bomb tech in The Hurt Locker, a Boston bank robber in The Town and Hawkeye in seven Marvel films. Yet his world comes to a halt when he is crushed by a fourteen-thousand-pound snowplow. With vivid details, Mr Renner recounts the struggle to keep breathing while help struggled to find their way to him. From the ICU to multiple surgeries and months of painful rehabilitation, Mr Renner's no-holds-bar account of his inner strength, endurance and hope as he set to recover, against all odds, with one breath at a time. In a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the amazing ability of the human body is to endure and recover. Writing with vulnerability and strength, despair and hope and redemption and renewal, Jeremy Renner invites readers on this journey with him. 

Jeremy Renner has been one of my favorite movie actors when I first saw him in The Hurt Locker and of course, I loved him as Hawkeye, the underrated Avenger. I remember hearing about his accident and feeling the dread of the pain he and his family were in and the long road his recovery would be. I followed his journey on Instagram. His memoir has been on my Wish List since its publication and yet, I hadn’t had the chance to read it yet. Recently, I was able to listen to the audiobook, read by Mr Renner, and what a journey it was. In fierce detail about his accident, the aftermath, and his recovery was extremely emotional. So emotional that tears welled up as I listened to Mr Renner recount every painful second and even more so when his own voice would crack with emotion. I laughed, I cried and I cringed with horror but in the end, I celebrate his amazing recovery. I highly, highly recommend My Next Breath, especially the audiobook. 

My Next Breath: A Memoir is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook

The Mixtape: a story of grief, healing and strength

The Mixtape by Brittany C Cherry is a story of grief, love and the harsh limelight. Being a part of powerhouse duo, Alex & Oliver was a mixed bag for Oliver. When his twin brother died in a tragic accident, Oliver is caught between pleasing their fans and finding himself. Emery is raising her daughter while struggling to hold down her job as a bartender and keep their apartment. Until Oliver walks into her bar. He is determined to drink his problems away but the fans and the paparazzi won’t let him. Emery helps Oliver lose the mob and when they find themselves alone, they learn they are both walking a path of pain and loss. As they find comfort together and find a hope for their future. Can they survive the harsh criticism of the public? Can their newfound love win over any battle in their personal lives? 

The Mixtape was brought to my attention in an “You May Like” recommendation email. I was intrigued by the premise and eagerly read this story. The opening of the book hooked me and I was ready for a great story. This book has everything, grief, angst and drama except romance. I expected a great and sweet romance between Oliver and Emery. They were great characters and a great couple; however, their romance seemed to be lacking something. There was a lot of drama between Oliver and his ex-girlfriend that his romance with Emery was in the backseat. Overall, while The Mixtape did not have the romance I was expecting, however, I still enjoyed the story of Oliver’s healing from grief and finding himself without his twin brother. I also enjoyed Emery’s strength to fight for her daughter, Reese. If you enjoy a story of grief, healing and strength, I recommend The Mixtape. 

The Mixtape is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Wishing Well: a small town, a magical well and the healing magic of Christmas

The Wishing Well is the first book in the HollyWell Springs series by Vivian Porter. After losing her parents around Christmas as a child, Hannah Grayson rejects the holiday. Her one joy is her green thumb and her career as a writer for a national foodie magazine. When her boss sends her on assignment to HollyWell Springs, a small town in Montana where Christmas is celebrated all year long, Hannah is not excited. With no choice, she decides to finish the assignment with minimal involvement. However, the moment she arrives in town, she locks eyes with Brodie Fisher, who runs the local Christmas tree farm, who seems to love plants more than she does. As she experiences that magic of Christmas and the town’s love for the holiday, Hannah finds the ice around her heart starting to melt and begins to question what she remembers about the past. At the center of it all, a wishing well which seems magical healing for a wounded heart.  

I looked forward to this book as the premise sounded interesting. I love Christmas and enjoy the magic and hope of the season. However, a town whose whole identity is Christmas was a bit much for me. Everything about the town was in a Christmas theme, even the names of the businesses. And the magical wishing well was interesting and the story had a mystery around the well that never is fully explained. Hannah as a grinch or scrooge made sense for me and I understood that she didn’t want to talk about why; but she never tells her best friend?!?! The constant description of Brodie as a “Greek God Cowboy” was so repetitive early on that I was over it quickly. Overall, I enjoyed Hannah’s healing from her traumatic past; however, I closed the book with a “what did I read?” I doubt I will be continuing the series. If you would enjoy a story about a town who celebrates Christmas year around with a magical well, you may enjoy The Wishing Well. 

The Wishing Well is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Planner: a friends to lovers military romance

The Planner is the second book in the Brides of Beaufort series by Jess Mastorakos. Will Paxton is Paul Bristol’s best friend and his family has been Will’s family since childhood. His sister, Aria, is off limits. Not just because she is Paul’s little sister; but because she deserves better than someone like him. However, that didn’t stop him from falling in love with her. Will pushed his feelings aside and had become a master at hiding them from everyone. She’s fierce, feisty and isn’t afraid to speak her mind. It is getting harder and harder to hide. Now that he is stationed back home and they are spending more and more time together, it is getting harder and harder to hide his feelings. One desperate kiss brings those buried feelings up and he doesn't even want to hide anymore.  What does Aria feel? If he pursues a relationship, will he lose their friendship and the only family he has? 

The Brides of Beaufort series is so good and The Planner is a story of found family, love and finding purpose and worthiness in love. I loved Will’s character. Will comes from a broken family and has found love and acceptance with the Bristols, his childhood neighbors. He and Paul joined the Marines together and he has become a worthy leader of those in lower rank. He looks out for those who need help. I understand his concerns about expressing his feelings and losing the only family he has. I also loved Aria’s character especially after Will expresses his feelings and she expresses hers. She is the voice of reason and encouragement for Will. They worked so well together that they were surprised that the people around them were thinking they belonged together. Overall, I enjoyed this story so much and I am looking forward to continuing the series. If you enjoy friends to lovers, military romance, I highly recommend The Planner. 

The Planner is available in paperback, 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. 

Blessings on State Street: the healing magic of Christmas

Blessings on State Street is the first book in the Blessings Bay series by Rachael Bloome. Abigail Preston wants nothing to do with Christmas. Since her husband’s tragic death, she cannot face another holiday without him. When she discovers that her late husband owned a waterfront home in Blessings Bay, she realizes it’s the perfect hideout that she needs. Little does she know that her life is about to change. Former US Air Force pilot Logan Matthews has lived as a caretaker for his friend’s property after his medical discharge. Left brokenhearted after his fiancée broke off their engagement, he settles into a reclusive life. Abigail and Logan agree to be roommates for the duration of Abigail’s stay with two conditions: stay out of each other’s way and no celebrating Christmas. When a chance encounter with a little boy, Logan and Abigail find their agreement harder and harder to uphold. 

I thoroughly enjoyed Rachael Bloome’s Poppy Creek series and when I heard she had a new series, I jumped at the chance to read it. Blessings on State Street is so sweet with lots of smiles and fun encounters with the quirky residents of Blessings Bay. It also is filled with tears and emotional moments as Abigail and Logan open up about their painful pasts and current struggles. I also loved the residents who interact with Abigail and show her the true magic of a small town. It was a quick read as I was pulled into the story. I could not put it down! After I finished this book, I immediately added the next books in the series to my wish list and I can’t wait to read them. If you enjoy small towns, chance encounters, romance and the healing magic of Christmas, I highly, highly recommend Blessings on State Street. 

Blessings on State Street is available in paperback and eBook

I Forgive You, But...: the freeing and healing power of forgiveness

“I Forgive You, But…” 3 Steps that can heal your heart forever by Karen Jensen Salisbury asks the question “Have you ever been hurt, betrayed, used or done wrong?” At some point in life, everyone experiences wounds at the hands or words of others. Staying hurt is not okay. When we refuse to forgive, holding on to the hurt, we end up hurting ourselves rather than punishing the person who hurt us. Karen Jensen Salisbury sets out to present a book about how to forgive, how to turn to the Bible when you’ve been hurt and let the Word set you free. Forgiveness is the God offered do-overs and fresh starts and walk away free from the pain of the past. Featuring the real life stories of individuals who once thought that forgiveness wasn’t the answer, but learned the transformative power of forgiveness. 

Many people think that forgiveness should be given when it has been asked for or when the person is truly sorry. However, what happens when the person never asks or doesn’t think he or she did anything wrong. Karen Jensen Salisbury shows readers through personal stories and Scriptures that forgiveness frees us from bitterness and resentment even when forgiveness isn’t asked for or when the pain remains despite the “I’m sorry.” While I expected a different format, the book is still filled with Scriptures on forgiveness and examples of how unforgiveness affects our daily lives. One of my favorite quotes from the book is “Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. Nobody can go back and make a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” What a great reminder! I recommend “I Forgive You, But…” 

“I Forgive You, But…” 3 Steps that can heal your heart forever  

is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

His Pledge to Honor: a marriage of convenience romance

His Pledge to Honor by Shanae Johnson is the first book in The Silver Star Ranch series. Scout Silver works to rehabilitate the most wounded horses. As the daughter of a general, she knows how to give orders. She, along with her half sisters, runs a rehabilitation ranch where the horses thrive and find a new life. Her absentee father’s many divorces created a jumbled family tree. The sisters’ love for the ranch have held them together; however; their father’s last will contains a clause that threatens to ruin everything. General Abraham Silver was the leader of an elite group of soldiers, he jokingly nicknamed “President’s Men.” He asks these men to make sure his daughters are taken care of and Lincoln Rawlings sets out to make good on his word. When Linc arrives at the ranch, he immediately is drawn to Scout, the eldest daughter. Both with their own scars and wounds, can Linc and Scout find love healing? 

His Pledge to Honor opens a series of marriages of convenience and lasting love romance. Featuring Wounded Warriors who find healing with love. All sounds great and I was looking forward to reading this book. The first chapter where we are introduced to Scout and her half sisters was very confusing and headache inducing. I had to take notes on the family tree as each sister was introduced. And the sisters’ names!?!?! I know their father was a military man but jeez louise! I enjoyed the introduction of Linc and the rest of the President’s Men and their arrival at the ranch was great. My heart broke for these men and the wounds they are still recovering from. However, something felt off about the story. Overall, this story was okay, fairly enjoyable, but I most likely will not be continuing the series. If you enjoy marriage of convenience romance with wounded warriors, I recommend checking out His Pledge to Honor. 

His Pledge to Honor is available in paperback and eBook

The Scholar: two broken people find love, healing and made whole together

The Scholar is the third book in the Emerson Pass Historical series by Tess Thompson. Theo Barnes has been in love with Louisa Lind since they were kids. However, she fancied his twin brother, Flynn. When he returns to Emerson Pass after studying at medical school, Flynn is married and Theo’s love for Louisa burns brighter than ever. Louisa feels she’s not worthy of love and marriage. A past that still haunts her, she feels she is too broken. However, after tragedy strikes her family. Louisa finds herself at the Barnes charity and tender, gentle attention of Theo and her heart begins to wonder if love and marriage is possible. Their road to marriage is rocky with obstacles, doubts, and wounds of the past. Can they find a way to heal together and build a life, love and marriage worthy of them both? 

I love the Emerson Pass series so far and I think Theo is my favorite Barnes family member. Even from the first book, I eagerly awaited his story and The Scholar does not disappoint. Deeply haunted by his memories of his childhood and the Great War, he comes home from medical school hoping to find his purpose and maybe even love. His ongoing love for Louisa is sweet and endearing. I cheered as she started to see him for the strong and loving man he had become. It is a clean romance with only references to sex and fade to black scenes. Overall, I loved this story. There were sweet, tender moments, heartbreaking moments and moments that tears fell freely. I am looking forward to the rest of the Barnes children’s stories. I highly recommend The Scholar and the Emerson Pass Historical series. 

The Scholar is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle: friendship, healing and finding home again

The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle by Annie Rains is a story of friendship, healing and finally finding home again. Ten years ago, Melody Palmer left her hometown of Trove Isle after a tragic accident. Now she returns when she learns she has inherited her great aunt’s thrift shop, Hidden Treasures. There she discovers a charm bracelet that was lost so many years ago. A bracelet she shared with her sister, Alyssa, and her two best friends, Liz and Bri. While Melody fled, Liz stayed behind, working in her parents’ bakery, putting her dreams aside. For Bri, the consequences of that tragic accident led her on the road to self-destruction and a prison term. As she is set to be released, can Trove Isle feel like home again? Can Melody, Liz and Bri find peace about the past and look to a brighter future?

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants with an adult twist, The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle is a story of friendship, healing and resilience. The story runs the gambit of emotions from anger to grief to love and tears. I loved the characters of Melody, Liz and Bri who were all relatable and worthy to cheer for as they dealt with the moment that changed their lives forever. I also loved the secondary characters of Rose, Liz’s little sister, Matt, Liz’s love interest, and Christopher, Melody’s love interest. The romance is subtle and did not overpower the story of the three friends. Overall, I loved this story and devoured it quickly. If you love strong female characters, a small town setting with a story of healing, forgiveness and friendship, I highly recommend The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle. 

The Charmed Friends of Trove Isle is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Archer's Voice: a story of healing and love

Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan is the first book in the Where Love Meets Destiny series. Bree Prescott is running. Running from the painful memories of her hometown. She escapes to Pelion, Maine, a sleepy lakeside town where she hopes she can finally find the peace she desperately needs. On her first day, she meets Archer Hale, an isolated man who holds secrets of his own. She finds herself pulled to the man who cannot speak, a man that everyone else in town seems to not see. Bree and Archer begin a simple friendship that burns into something more as they share their painful pasts and find a healing they never thought possible. However, there is someone in town who desperately wants to keep Archer silent and Bree out of town. Can their new love find the strength to fight against the forces that would keep them apart? 

I was gifted with a copy of Archer’s Voice from a friend who passed along her copy once she was done. After hearing great, good and even bad reviews of this story, I was intrigued by the story. Archer’s Voice is a multifaceted story. It is a story of a woman who feels chained to the painful memory of one horrifying night. It is a story of a man who has lived on the outside of society and a painful past that keeps him silent. It is a story of a town who finds the courage to find back against change no one wants. It is a story of powerful healing of love. I loved this story. With twists and turns, it is a book that I thought about long after I put it down and one I was eager to pick back up. I highly recommend Archer’s Voice. 

Archer’s Voice is available in hardcover, paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Finders Keepers Library: a heart-warming second love story with hope and healing

The Finders Keepers Library is the first book in the Love in Bloom series by Annie Rains. Savannah Collins’s life has been filled with lots of thorns and zero roses lately. As a gardener with a green thumb, she finds herself out of a job, dumped and evicted, all in one swoop. With all her belongings in her car, she heads to her Aunt Eleanor’s in Bloom, North Carolina, to spend the summer and hopefully figure out a new plan. What she doesn’t expect is to run into Evan Sanders, her childhood crush. Eleanor shares her love of literature with the Finders Keepers Library, located in the beautiful garden her late husband cultivated; anyone can stop by to pick a book or even leave a book. When a sudden summer storm destroys a portion of the library and the garden, it is a race to clean it up for a coming wedding. 

The Finders Keepers Library is a heart-warming second chance love story about hope and healing. It is a sweet story with a few tears and self-discovery. I loved the great applications of books into life situations. From classic stories like Anne of Green Gables to modern stories like The Hunger Games, the characters show us that books can be entertainment as well as  life lessons and inspiration. I also loved that the story uses the therapeutic aspect of gardening. I loved all the characters. From Savannah to Evan to Aunt Eleanor and to the secondary characters, just wonderful, wonderful characters. Their hopes, dreams and struggles were relatable and inspiring. I am looking forward to the more books in this series. I just didn’t want this story to end. If you love stories of second chances, healing with books and gardening, I highly, highly recommend The Finders Keepers Library. 

The Finders Keepers Library is available in paperback and eBook

Tattered Stars: when coming home could be dangerous and yet healing

Tattered Stars is the first book in the Tattered and Torn series by Catherine Cowles. At 11 years old, Everly Kemper took a great risk to get important information to the authorities. It caused her world to come crashing down and she left the town. Now, 16 years later, she’s back to take claim of her inheritance and to rebuild her home and make peace with her family’s past in town. It would be facing him, the boy with the dark eyes, who has haunted her dreams since that night. Hayes Easton is now sheriff and is not happy when he learns that Everly is back in town, fearing what her presence would mean for the town. But when threats are made against her, he steps in to help keep her safe. What they both don’t expect is sparks to fly, they also don’t know that someone is watching and doesn’t like what they see. 

I love Catherine Cowles stories as they are filled with characters with wounds, living with harsh realities and yet find love in even the darkest times. I was hooked from the beginning and could not put it down. I wanted to reach through the pages and hug those who were hurting and hurt those who were caused to the hurting. Despite her past, Everly is a strong, independent woman who is determined to stand on her own two feet and is ready to knock down anyone who stands in her way. Hayes is the protector of not just the town but his family as well. He is drawn to Everly despite his best efforts to stay away. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and before I even finished the book, I was looking into the rest of the books of the series and adding them to my wish list. I highly, highly recommend Tattered Stars. 

Tattered Stars is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Stationmaster's Cottage: can a family mystery heal the past and shape the future?

The Stationmaster’s Cottage by Phillipa Nefri Clark is the first in the River’s End series. Christie Ryan loves her life, so she tells herself. She has built a great career and loves her city apartment and her ambitious fiancé, Derek. Christie learns that her grandmother, Dorothy Ryan, has passed away. She heads to River’s End to attend the funeral and check out the rundown cottage she has inherited. While there, she makes a discovery and starts to put together a family puzzle that began fifty years ago. What she uncovers will change her life forever and she begins to acknowledge that what she really wants is a simpler life with a family, a garden and a home to heal her heart. Will it be with Derek or in River’s End? 

Wow! What a story! Set in Australia and told between the present day of 2016 and 1967 in the past, The Stationmaster’s Cottage takes readers on a journey of self-discovery, secrets, betrayal and healing. I loved every moment of this story and eagerly read into each clue, trying to figure out the mystery. There were many, many surprises that I wasn’t expecting and even gasped at one reveal. I eagerly read well into the night, not willing to put it down until all the pieces were in place. I loved Christie and cheered as she began to stand up for herself and speak up for what she wanted in life. There are a great cast of characters that I hope to see in the rest of the series. I highly recommend The Stationmaster’s Cottage. 

The Stationmaster’s Cottage is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Book of Fire: human resilience and healing in the face of tragedy

The Book of Fire by Christy Lefteri is a story of tragedy and the resilience of the human spirit. In present day Greece, deep in an ancient forest, Irini lives with her husband, Tasso and their daughter, Chara. One fateful day, a fire rages out of control, changing their lives forever. In the aftermath, as the village tries to rebuild and injuries begin to slowly heal, Irini stumbles across the man who started the fire. He is dying but whether it was by his own hand or someone else’s is unclear. In her anger, Irini makes a decision that will haunt her. As the local police investigate the man’s death, Tasso mourns for his father who has been missing since the fire and Irini struggles with her decision and the meaning for their future. Can they rebuild their lives? Can they find forgiveness within themselves to move forward? 

Ms. Lefteri’s books are always gorgeously written with haunting images and deeply intimate with emotions and struggles. After falling in love with her writing since The Beekeeper of Aleppo (2019), I eagerly looked forward to The Book of Fire. Inspired by the fires that devastated Greece a few years ago, The Book of Fire is about the search for meaning in the wake of tragedy. It is a look at the human toll in all events, either natural or man made, people must learn to pick up the pieces and rebuild. Irini is deeply relatable as she makes a decision that most of us would probably have made in the heat of anger and the need for retribution and her coming to terms with her decision. Overall, I enjoyed The Book of Fire. If you enjoy deeply moving stories about the human spirit, I recommend The Book of Fire. 

The Book of Fire is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook