Thursday, February 29, 2024

Embers in the London Sky // Book Review


 About the Book:

As the German army invades the Netherlands in 1940, Aleida van der Zee Martens escapes to London to wait out the Occupation. Separated from her three-year-old son, Theo, in the process, the young widow desperately searches for her little boy even as she works for an agency responsible for evacuating children to the countryside.

When German bombs set London ablaze, BBC radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood reports on the Blitz, eager to boost morale while walking the fine line between truth and censorship. But the Germans are not the only ones Londoners have to fear as a series of murders flame up amid the ashes.

The deaths hit close to home for Hugh, and Aleida needs his help to locate her missing son. As they work together, they grow closer and closer, both to each other and the answers they seek. But with bombs falling and continued killings, they may be running out of time.


My Review:
I’m honestly not sure how I feel about Embers in the London Sky…I was interested in the story in the beginning but after a bit I had a hard time staying interested. A little over halfway through the book I got reinvested and was curious where the story would go and what would happen involving the more mystery aspect of the storyline.
Aleida made me so frustrated at times though, especially at one point towards the end. I can’t say much due to spoilers but I did like Aleida’s character better in the first half of the book.
So overall I liked the book but it definitely was not a favorite.

**Thank you Revell for the book in exchange for my honest review

Sunday, January 28, 2024

The Seamstress of Acadie // Book Review

 
About the Book:
As 1754 is drawing to a close, tensions between the French and the British on Canada's Acadian shore are reaching a fever pitch. Seamstress Sylvie Galant and her family--French-speaking Acadians wishing to remain neutral--are caught in the middle, their land positioned between two forts flying rival flags. Amid preparations for the celebration of Noël, the talk is of unrest, coming war, and William Blackburn, the British Army Ranger raising havoc across North America's borderlands.

As summer takes hold in 1755 and British ships appear on the horizon, Sylvie encounters Blackburn, who warns her of the coming invasion. Rather than participate in the forced removal of the Acadians from their land, he resigns his commission. But that cannot save Sylvie or her kin. Relocated on a ramshackle ship to Virginia, Sylvie struggles to pick up the pieces of her life. When her path crosses once more with William's, they must work through the complex tangle of their shared, shattered past to navigate the present and forge an enduring future.


My Review:
I honestly wasn’t sure how much I would like The Seamstress of Acadie. I ended up enjoying it so much more than I anticipated I would! 
Sylvie was a great character and I really enjoyed reading about her. Will was a great character too and I really liked him. Bleu is also a character I really liked. Honestly all of the characters were so well written. 
At around 30% into the story it took a depressing turn and I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy it anymore. I did end up getting back into the story and found it less sad as I went. I felt like the author did a good job portraying light in the midst of darkness. Because while the story definitely dealt with some hard and sad stuff it also focused on hope too. 
I’m so glad I ended up reading this one!

**Thank you Revell for the book in exchange for my honest review


Saturday, October 21, 2023

A Royal Christmas // Book Review

 
About the Book:
Adelaide Smith is too busy for fairy tales. She's been working hard to put herself through law school and now that the end is in sight, she's determined to stay focused on her goals. Then she receives a letter notifying her that she has been found through a DNA registry to be a direct descendant of King Maximillian V, the ruler of a small Eastern European principality called Montovia. She's understandably skeptical. This is the stuff of cheesy made-for-TV movies, not real life.

Although the pieces of this surprising family puzzle seem too good to be true, curiosity gets the best of her. At the king's invitation, Adelaide embarks on a Christmas break trip that is chock-full of surprises, including a charming village, an opulent palace, family mysteries, royal jealousies, a handsome young member of Parliament--and the chance at a real fairy tale romance with a happily-ever-after ending.


My Review:
I don’t typically enjoy royal stories but I decided to give A Royal Christmas a try. I’m glad I did because I found it to be better than I anticipated. I did think it was a fairly typical storyline though, but I didn’t mind that too much.
Overall it was a fun, short Christmas book.



Thursday, October 12, 2023

Lost and Found // Book Review

 
About the Book:
Trudy Yoder shares a passion for birding with Micah Weaver--and she has an even greater passion for Micah. Their friendship is finally turning romantic when Micah abruptly grows cold. Worse still, he wants to leave Stoney Ridge.

Micah Weaver thought he was over Trudy's older sister. A year and a half ago, Shelley had broken his heart when she ran away from Stoney Ridge to pursue a singing career in Nashville. Then, out of the blue, she's started to leave distressing phone messages for him.

When the bishop asks for volunteers to scout out a possible church relocation in Tennessee, Micah is the first to raise his hand. Despite scant details, he's confident he can find Shelley. After all, his reputation as a field guide is based on finding birds that don't want to be found.

What Micah doesn't know is that what you're looking for isn't always what you find.

My Review:
Lost and Found by Suzanne Woods Fisher is considered a standalone but it is set in the little town where most, if not all, of her Amish books are set. Because of that there are lots of mentions of characters from other books. I felt that this particular book went along well with A Season on the Wind.
I liked Trudy, she was a good character. Micah wasn’t my most favorite though, but I did like him better towards the end.
It was nice seeing some other characters that I was familiar with from Suzanne Woods Fisher’s other books.

**Thank you to Revell for the book in exchange for my honest review


Friday, October 6, 2023

He Should Have Told the Bees // Book Review

 
About the Book:
Beekeeper Beckett Walsh is living her dream, working alongside her father in their apiary, until his untimely death sends her world into a tailspin. She suddenly finds she must deal with a new part owner of the family business--one who is looking to sell the property. Beck cannot fathom why her father would put her into the position to lose everything they built together.

When Callie Peterson is named in the trust of a man she's never heard of, she's not sure what to do. Her fledgling business has just taken wing and her mother has reentered her life asking for help getting into rehab for her lifelong substance abuse issues, making Callie's financial situation rather . . . precarious. She's sure she has no right to someone else's farm, but the money from the sale could solve her problems and give her the stability she's always craved.

As these two women navigate their present conundrum, they will discover a complex and entangled past full of secrets--and the potential for a brighter future for both of them.


My Review:
He Should Have Told the Bees was the first book I read by Amanda Cox. I had a hard time getting into the story. At about the halfway mark I started enjoying the story more. 
I was curious how things would play out. Seeing the characters development was nice too. 
Overall it was okay, but definitely not a favorite.

**Thank you Revell for the book in exchange for my honest review 


Sunday, September 10, 2023

Letters From My Sister // Book Review


 About the Book:

At the turn of the twentieth century, sisters Emmy and Callie Bullock are living a privileged life as the only daughters of a wealthy Alabama cotton farmer when their well-ordered household gets turned upside down by the arrival of Lily McGee. Arrestingly beautiful, Lily quickly--and innocently--draws the wrong kind of attention. Meanwhile, Callie meets a man who offers her the freedom to abandon social constraints and discover her truest self.

After Lily has a baby, Callie witnesses something she was never meant to see--or did she? Her memory is a haze, just an image in her mind of Emmy standing on a darkened riverbank and cradling Lily's missing baby girl. Only when the sisters are separated does the truth slowly come to light through their letters--including a revelation that will shape the rest of Callie's life.

Bestselling author Valerie Fraser Luesse weaves a complex and suspenseful tale dripping with intrigue, romance, and Southern charm.


My Review:
Letters From My Sister sounded interesting so I was curious to read it. I am glad that I did. It was definitely different but pretty good. I never really knew where the story was going to go next. Towards the end of the book certain things happened that made me super curious to see how everything would turn out. 
This was my first book that I read by Valerie Fraser Luesse.


**Thank you Revell for the book in exchange for my honest review 

 

Friday, July 21, 2023

The All American // Book Review

 
About the Book:
It is 1952, and nearly all the girls 16-year-old Bertha Harding knows dream of getting married, keeping house, and raising children in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. Bertha dreams of baseball. She reads every story in the sports section, she plays ball with the neighborhood boys--she even writes letters to the pitcher for the Workington Sweet Peas, part of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

When Bertha's father is accused of being part of the Communist Party by the House Un-American Activities Committee, life comes crashing down on them. Disgraced and shunned, the Hardings move to a small town to start over where the only one who knows them is shy Uncle Matthew. But dreams are hard to kill, and when Bertha gets a chance to try out for the Workington Sweet Peas, she packs her bags for an adventure she'll never forget.


My Review: 
The All American by Susie Finkbeiner was a pretty good book. It was better than I expected. I always enjoy books about families. This story follows two sisters, Bertha, age 16, and Flossie, age 11. 
I enjoyed reading about each sister. Flossie was quite the character and you never knew what she was going to say or do next. Bertha’s love for baseball was fun too.
I enjoyed this book, but the ending was definitely sad then bittersweet. 
This was my first book by this author. 


**Thank you Revell for the book in exchange for my honest review