Spines and Leaves

Author: Chautona Havig

Series: A Bookstrings Novella #0

Publisher: Independent

Release Date: June 18, 2021

A fabulously fun and fast read that was just perfect to lift my spirits and put a smile on my face!

Milton Coleridge works helping turn companies around to make a profit. He has a month to get from Orange County, California to Delaware for his next job. On his way, he stops and spends a week at Joshua Tree National Park and finds the cutest little bookstore that is on the verge of closing. Spines and Leaves is the oldest bookstore in town and has a lot of spunk under the surface. But if things don’t change soon, the doors will have to be shut permanently. Milton comes in and uses his skills helping corporations make money to help the bookstore be able to keep its doors open.

This was such a fun Novella to read and enjoy. I so enjoyed this story and the character of Milton. Atticus might be my second favorite character from the book. It was a short book, moved at a quick pace and didn’t feel like there was an excess or fluff that didn’t need to be there, something I love in a book. Set in a small town in the California desert, Ced, the woman he meets who is running the bookstore for her father, knows his help will be vital and they work together to turn things around with some extra romance thrown in. I love the way Chautona Havig wrote these characters, the troubles they faced and how they kept their faith in working through their problems. The story was sweet with just the right amount of tension and romance. A fun start to a novella series that I can’t wait to get my hands on the rest. I recommend this series to anyone that loves a great Christian romance with heart and a lot to offer readers.

After She Falls

Author: Carmen Schober

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: November 2, 2021

One of the best books I have read this year! Not your ordinary Christian Fiction; so much good within these pages!

Adri Rivera had been on track to be one of the best in the world of mixed martial arts, but then she fell in love with a man that took all the fight from her. Adri gets pregnant and puts the world of fighting behind her until her husband’s abuse becomes more than she can handle. She goes back to her hometown to live with her uncle who raised her and taught her all about the world of martial arts. While she is back home, she runs into her old flame, Max Lyons. Max has opened his own gym in town and wants to help Adri, so he gives her a job as an instructor for the kid’s class. It doesn’t take long for Adri to get the itch to fight again and Max agrees to coach her. The more time they spend together, the more sparks start to fly causing them to confront their past to determine if they have a future together.

When I think of Christian Fiction, particularly Contemporary Christian Fiction, a fast action, MMA fighting book is not what normally comes to mind. This story is one of the best I have read all year long. I loved the interactions between characters from beginning to end, Adri is strong but has been beaten down for so long she has forgotten her strength, until she must protect her daughter who she cares more about than her own safety. The fight scenes were written so well, I actually felt like I was in the ring with Adri fighting and felt every blow she landed and received. Her relationship with both her husband and Max are complicated but that is also what makes them believable. This book had me gripped and on the edge of my seat until the very last page. I so admired Adri as a main character and the strength she had to find for herself. This is the type of book that I think many, even those that don’t normally read Christian fiction, will greatly enjoy. It is a true underdog story with romance and drama sprinkled in at just the right places. If you are a fan of MMA and fighting give this book a chance, you won’t be disappointed.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

A Piece of the Moon

Author: Chris Fabry

Publisher: Tyndale House

Release Date: April 6, 2021

Fabry never fails to give readers a story that will be enjoyable with flawed characters that readers are easily able to bond with.

Gideon Quidley has achieved great wealth throughout his life and when he receives a divine vision telling him to hide his treasure based on bible verses, he sets out to do just that. When people find out what he has done, treasure hunters search high and low based on the clues. It becomes an obsession for some people. For others, it’s become more of a joking matter. In the small town of Emmaus, West Virginia, mooring radio talk show hosts Waite Evers and TD Lovett, tend to joke about the matter weekly. But when one of TD’s estranged friends goes missing, he is suddenly pulled into the hunt for his friend over the treasure. As TD dives into the clues, he begins to discover his own real treasure that isn’t just of this earth.

Leave it to Chris Fabry to set up an incredibly interesting tale that takes readers back to 1981. I’ve never been disappointed in one of Fabry’s novels and this one kept me intrigued all the way through. His characters are all incredibly flawed, just like real life, and have the ability to easily connect with readers. Waite was just one of many, but he saw the good in everybody but himself. TD felt he could never be more than he was and didn’t know what the point of trying was. With plenty of supporting characters, readers will easily find someone to resonate with and cheer for throughout the book. Fabry’s years of experience on the radio show with the technical knowledge included in this book!

The story centers around an earthly treasure of riches, but has a theme of discovering the treasure of ourselves with our heavenly father. I love the way that this book ended. I’m not going to say more than that, but I think all readers will enjoy the final wrap up!

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Miriam’s Song

Author: Jill Eileen Smith

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: March 2, 2021

Fans of Smith will likely enjoy her adaption of the story of Miriam.

Miriam and her family have been living during the Israelite oppression in Egypt. While they have been praying for deliverance, it has been quiet. When the Pharaoh becomes threatened and decrees that all male Hebrew babies shall be killed, she knows that her mother’s new baby is likely to die soon. Fortunately, Pharaoh’s daughter finds him and raises him as her own. Miriam’s little brother, Moses, will change the world for the Israelite people.

I have always enjoyed Smith’s ability to tell a well-known biblical story from a different perspective. I enjoyed her previous book with the story of King Herod told from his sister’s perspective and felt that this one would be interesting as well. I was able to get into the story pretty easily having well known characters, but it took a little while for me to get through it. I’ve done a lot of research on the books of law and had to go back to double check some events based on this book. I know that fiction is subjective and can be interpreted differently. I’ve read past authors that have even moved actual events to different timelines to support their stories. With this story, there were some things that didn’t seem to sit correctly, which took time to research and understand her point of view. Fans of hers will likely still enjoy this book, but I’m hoping the next one turns out to her usual standards.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Orchard House

Author: Heidi Chiavaroli

Publisher: Tyndale House

Release Date: February 9, 2021

Two great stories that crossover in ways you won’t expect!

Taylor has had a rough go at life. Abandoned by her mother at a young age and left with her uncle. The uncle ends up going to prison and Taylor is placed in the foster care system. Then in 1995, she is adopted by her best friend’s parents and she now has not only a sister, but a family. Even so, she still feels like she is outside of their love and is more of a hindrance than a gift. But she and her new sister, Victoria, share a common interest: writing. Living in Concord, Massachusetts right down the street from Louisa May Alcott’s home, The Orchard House, makes many a young girl dream of writing. They have their ups and downs over the next few years, but one evening Victoria betrays Taylor in one of the worst ways she can imagine and there is no going back.

Just after the civil war, Johanna Suhre has become acquainted through letters with Louise May Alcott after Louisa used Johanna’s late brother John as the basis of her publication Hospital Sketches. When Louisa decides to go abroad to Europe for a time, she offers an adventure to Johanna to come stay at Orchard House in her absence to help take care of the house. While there, Johanna becomes smitten with the neighbor Nathan Bancroft who Louisa does not hold in high regard. Could this romance be the end of their friendship?

This is the first book that I’ve read by Heidi Chiavaroli, but WOW! I was hooked at the beginning and couldn’t stop reading until I found out what happened in both stories! It’s easy to get lost in one of the stories of a time-slip novel but it takes a very talented author to get readers to lose themselves in both stories. I loved how much detail she paid to each time period, not only the 1800s but even 1995 and early 2000s. It was fun to have the main character my own age for a change and reminisce about how things were back when I was in high school and college. A walk down memory lane for sure.

I related most to Taylor. I’ve haven’t had the rough beginning that she did, but it was so easy to cheer for her when she was wronged that you didn’t want her family to pull her back. In the end, it worked out for the best, but the process was a little messy, which made it real. I’ve known women like Victoria and those in her situation and it is really tough to deal with. It takes a lot of time and emotional withdraws to get someone through those times. I loved how the author was able to use those two stories to draw similarities, but it might be in such a way that readers won’t notice until is right upon them. She also managed to show the importance of faith and a relationship with God in a subtle yet very real way! Great story!

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

Trial and Error

Author: Robert Whitlow

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Release Date: February 2, 2020

Suspenseful, intriguing, and makes readers cheer for the protagonist!

Eighteen years ago, Buddy Smith’s girlfriend skipped town with their newborn daughter and he hasn’t found them since. Now a defense lawyer back in his hometown, he often takes cases where one of the parents has fled with a child.

Gracie Blaylock is the county clerk and coach of the local girls’ softball team. She and Buddy have been friends for years, but never had a romantic aspect to their relationship. When one of the girls on the softball team abruptly stops attending practice, the other teammates know that something is wrong and confirm that she has runaway. She knows it’s not the same as an abduction case but feels that Buddy would be best to pursue it.

As Buddy and Gracie work together to find out what happened to the missing girl, clues start to show up that could lead Buddy to find his own estranged daughter.

Robert Whitlow has such a great ability to blend faith, suspense, and legality into his stories. It’s easy to get lost in the story, even when there is not much of a legal thriller aspect. With cases of parents abducting their own child on the rise, this book fits right in for current times. I love the rural small-town Georgia setting to this book. It made me to want to have porch conversations with some of the main characters. I also loved all the characters throughout this book. Everyone contained some sort of flaw that was able to improve through the course of the book. Gracie is such a role model for me, similar to other characters he has written. No one took a step backwards and it worked out for the better by the end. We need more books like this in our library today! I’ve always loved his writing and will continue to read his books!

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Key to Everything

The Key to Everything Author: Valerie Fraser Luesse

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: June 2, 2020

Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

With fun characters and a theme of restoration, this coming of age tale is perfect to kick off the summer.

Fifteen-year-old, Peyton Cabot, isn’t sure what to make of the life before him: stuck in a wealthy family, feeling like he doesn’t belong, and in love with a beautiful red headed girl. After losing his father in a tragic accident, Peyton decides to follow in his father’s footprints and take a life changing bicycle trip down the coast of Florida to Key West. Using his father’s map, he seeks answers to unknown questions and a connection to his father. Along the way, he meets many people who invest in him and change him. Some even become family. Arriving in Key West and reuniting with his love, he finds many answers and finds the peace he’s been seeking.

Set after the end of World War II, you can see a difference in the way people live. I can’t imagine letting my fifteen-year-old son go on an adventure like Peyton did. His character reads much older than fifteen. The relationships portrayed between Peyton and Lisa is often unbelievable when you think about their ages. Realizing that times were different is imperative when reading this book.

I loved many of the characters Peyton met along the way. His adventures were interesting and fun to read.

Peyton’s journey is best summed up in his own words, “You can’t follow anyone else’s path, like I tried to do with Daddy- like Daddy thought he had to do with Grandaddy. Somewhere along the way, you gotta draw your own map.”

I give this book 4 stars. It is well written and creative. The characters are well written and easy to connect to. Overall, an excellent book.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

On a Coastal Breeze

on a coastal breeze Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher

Series: Three Sisters Island #2

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: May 5, 2020

Rating: 4 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A great story to show that anyone can change!

Maddie Grayson is finally starting up her own counseling practice on Three Sisters Island. She leases space in a building that shares space for the local church office. The island has been looking for a new pastor for quite some time and one finally agreed to come parish the small island off the coast of Maine. On the opening day of her practice, Maddie hears a commotion and discovers that the new pastor is parachuting into town. This doesn’t surprise her as much as when she learns that the new pastor is someone who she went to school with from kindergarten to graduation named Ricky O’Shea. Ricky tormented Maddie throughout her entire school life and she thought she was rid of him for good. But what is he doing as a pastor now? Can Maddie accept him to be the man he is today instead of the boy he was?

The second book in the Three Sisters Island picks up pretty much where the first left off. Cam and Seth are engaged, but a project to get the island on reliable renewable energy has taken Cam’s attention away and causing some problems. Blaine is back home from culinary school and facing challenges in her life and with her palette. Maddie is getting her practice going and having sessions with some of the islands characters.

The story is mostly centered on Maddie, although all three sisters experience growth of some sort. Maddie had to overcome past hard feelings about Rick and many of the experiences she had at his hands are relived at the end of several chapters. But what made Rick decide to join the marines and become the man he is today just might surprise some of the readers. I also enjoyed Maddie’s therapy sessions with her sisters and her clients. It made each of the characters come to life. The next book is set to be Blaine’s story as she travels across Europe and I can’t wait to help her find herself.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Best We’ve Been

Best weve been Author: Beth K. Vogt

Series: Thatcher Sisters #3

Publisher: Tyndale House

Release Date: May 5, 2020

Rating: 5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Friction between family members is all too real! Readers will easily fall in love with this family!

After discovering her fiancé cheated on her, Johanna Thatcher has decided to protect her heart at all costs. Things get more complicated when she finds out she is pregnant. Over the years, friction between her and her sisters, Jillian and Payton, has gone up and down leaving their fragile friendship hanging in the balance. When the family finds out about Johanna’s pregnancy, it causes extra tension between the sisters as this is something Jillian has wanted and may not ever be able to have. To make matters worse, Johanna doesn’t even know if she wants to keep the baby. Each sister has her own life troubles to deal with along with the others and through it all they have to decide what their definition of family is and what they are willing to keep the family together.

When I started this I didn’t realize it was the third in a series; had I read the others I might have understood a little more of the backstory, but since I didn’t realize that until after finished the book, I’m happy to say it didn’t take anything away from the story for me and reads easily as a standalone. There was enough about each character that I felt like I knew them and had a feel for what they were going through. Johanna had a big character development throughout the story and I enjoyed watching her grow and change. Several of the milestone moments the Thatcher sisters go through can be heart wrenching, but in such a good way. I loved the way the story shaped each story of the sisters to bring the whole family together. There is a strong faith element with several characters but nothing that was too pushy and might turn a reader away from the story if that wasn’t what they were looking for. The target audience is going to find this a fast, enjoyable and touching read. With the little glimpses of Jillian and Payton’s lives, I want to go get the others in the series so I can fully know and understand the Thatcher sisters and all they have gone through the be who they are at this point in their stories. Even though this is the third in the series and can be read as a standalone, I do feel I would have gotten even more out of it if I had read the first two. Throughout the novel, Beth Vogt brings a sense of hope and encouragement for readers to cling to. I would recommend this to readers that enjoy a heart touching story with hope, laughter, love and so much more they can relate to.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.

The Star of Persia

Author: Jill Eileen Smith

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: March 3, 2020

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

Another great annotation of the story of Ester, told a little differently than I’ve always imagined!

Prior to his departure for war against Greece, King Xerxes decides to throw a months long banquet for all the nobles from the Persian provinces at his palace in Susa. Once the banquet was over, he threw another weeklong banquet for the people of Susa for having to deal with the previous few months. On the final night of the banquet after a generous portion of wine, King Xerxes is convinced to show off his queen to all the nobleman of the city. He calls for Queen Vashti to be presented in all her splendor, but she refuses him. Such an insult cannot go ignored and the King puts a decree in place to banish Vashti from the palace. After these events, the King is at a loss without his true queen and is convinced by his servants that he should perform a kingdom wide search of virgins until he finds a suitable replacement queen.

Esther is but a young Jewish girl living in the throngs of Susa. Orphaned after her parents died when she was young, she was raised by her cousin Mordecai. He has always protected her and has delayed arranging a marriage for her. When the King’s decree come out, he hopes to get Esther out of the city before she is discovered, but to no avail. She is taken to the palace where she quickly gains favor with all around her and becomes the King’s chosen queen within the year. But her troubles won’t end at being queen. She soon becomes caught in a battle between her adoptive father and the King’s highest advisor. She will have to risk her life to save her people.

It is no secret that Esther is my favorite book of the Bible. I love getting to read different adaptations of it and this one was very enjoyable. One of the different aspects of this adaption was the character of Queen Vashti. I had always pictured her as a self-absorbed person in my head who simply denied her husband what he wanted when he was drunk. I loved that the author did her research on the laws of Persians and Medes that gave more clarity to her choice. She wasn’t denying him, she was trying to help protect him by not breaking the law. This book brought her into a whole other light.

This book was separated into four parts. The first being that of Queen Vashti’s denial. The second part consisted of the search for the virgins. The third part was Queen Esther’s early reign as queen. The final part was of the battle between Haman and Mordecai. Each was well known but enjoyable being told from different points of view. If you enjoy biblical fiction, then this will no doubt be a delight.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.