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.

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

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 

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 

 

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 

In the Shadow of the River // Book Review

 

About the Book:

If all the world's a stage, Jacci will play her part.

She only hopes her story does not turn out to be a tragedy.

In 1881, Jacci Reed is only five years old when a man attempts to kidnap her from the steamboat her mother, Irena, works on. Badly wounded during the confrontation, Irena takes Jacci aboard the Kingston Floating Palace, a showboat tied up beside them. There, Jacci's actor grandfather tends to her mother and Jacci gets a first taste of the life she will come to lead.

Fifteen years later, Jacci is an actress aboard the Kingston Floating Palace, and largely contented with her adopted family of actors, singers, and dancers. Especially Gabe, who has always supported her, and the gruff grandfather she has come to know and love. Jacci's mother has been gone for years, but the memory of the altercation that ultimately took her life--and the cryptic things Jacci has overheard about her past--is always there, lurking in the back of her mind.

When someone on the showboat tries to kill Jacci, it's clear her questions demand answers. But secrets have a way of staying in the shadows, and the answers she craves will not come easily. Gabe only hopes they come in time for him and Jacci to have a future together.

My Review:

In the Shadows of the River was my first book by Ann H. Gabhart and it was a hit for me! I honestly wasn’t sure if I’d like it but I’m so glad I gave it a try. 

The first 100 pages are set when the main character Jacci is five years old and sets up the backstory. After the 100 page mark the story jumps ahead 15 years. It was actually a nice transition and I really enjoyed having that more in-depth backstory.

I enjoyed the characters quite a bit. Also, the cover is so pretty!

I’ll definitely be checking out some of this authors other books.

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

Counter Attack // Book Review

 

About the Book: 

No sooner has Alexis Stone been sworn in as the interim sheriff for Russell County, Tennessee, when a serial killer dubbed the Queen's Gambit Killer strikes again--this time in her hometown. Pearl Springs is just supposed to be a temporary stop along the way to Alex's real dream: becoming the first female police chief of Chattanooga. But the killer's calling card--a white pawn and a note with a chess move printed on it--cannot be ignored.

Pearl Springs chief of police Nathan Landry can't believe that his high school sweetheart Alexis (he refuses to call her Alex) is back in town, and he can't help wanting to protect the woman he never stopped loving. But as the danger mounts and the killer closes in, can Nathan come through on the promises he makes to himself to bring a killer to justice before it's too late.

My Review:

Counter Attack was the first book I read by Patricia Bradley.

It started off very fast paced which I was excited about but then I felt like it plateaued. I wasn’t a huge fan of it doing that since I was hoping for fast paced and exciting the whole way through. It definitely had its exciting parts throughout but I didn’t find it as great as I had hoped.

I most likely will give book 2 a try when it comes out though.

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