Fire Mountain

Author: Dana Mentink

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: July 1, 2025

A great contemporary read with beautiful setting and issues the characters face that readers will resonate with.

Ana Leigh Watkins has been through her share of trauma lately and going to spend the summer in Bitter End Tennessee to help her great-aunt clear out her house to move to a retirement home is just what she needs. When she gets to Bitter End, she finds out her Aunt has planned a trip and is leaving Ana Leigh to handle the house details herself. While cleaning it out she meets a group of bird watchers in the mountains and finds herself enjoying the time with them and taking her mind off her past problems. Along with the solace of the group Ana Leigh also finds her share of family drama she didn’t know about and finds herself transformed by the journey she goes through in Bitter End.

Amanda Cox is a phenomenal contemporary author and I always find myself excited when she has a new release coming out. While I have loved all her books I would not say The Bitter End Birding Society was my favorite. The story itself was good and the characters were engaging, just not as much as some in the past. Ana Leigh is a great protagonist and I enjoyed the way her story played out. A few of the secondary characters were a bit much for me and tended to take me out of the story at times, which is not fun. Other than those minor frustrations, I will say it was a very enjoyable read that I can recommend to anyone who enjoys a good contemporary story.

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

The Bitter End Birding Society

Author: Amanda Cox

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: August 19, 2025

A great contemporary read with beautiful setting and issues the characters face that readers will resonate with.

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

Capture the Moment

Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher

Series: National Parks Summers #1

Publisher: Revell

Release Date: May 6, 2025

A perfect romance with even more perfect settings that took my breath away.

Kate Cunningham has an amazing life working as a zoo photographer and experiencing the wonderful animals around the world. When she is approached by National Geographic to try and get a rare picture of a legendary bear found in Grand Teton National Park, she knows she can’t pass up the opportunity. There is a reason no one has ever gotten a picture of this rare bear and Kate is hoping to be the first even with the odds stacked against her. She meets Grant Cooper, a park ranger who has worked in the Tetons and knows the area which might help her succeed. The only problem is they are not the only one on the hunt for this bear and the closer they get the more danger they find themselves in.

Suzanne Woods Fisher did a fantastic job with Capture the Moment. I fully felt immersed in this story and setting and did not want to leave when the last page finished. I love national parks and the Grand Tetons are on my list of wanting to visit the first chance I get so this story only made that wish stronger. Kate was a perfect protagonist and had a driving force that pulled me into the story and the adventure she was going on in such a way I had a hard time getting anything else accomplished until I finished. This is the kind of book that will take readers far away into the parks and emotions of the characters that will hit just right. I recommend this book to readers that enjoy storybook settings, romance that has all the right feels and the start of what I hope will be a great series with many more to come.

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

Specters in the Glass House

Author: Jaime Jo Wright

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: October 1, 2024

Jaime Jo Wright is back with her best yet! She continues to fascinate me with her ability to craft the most amazing and touching stories.

After both of her parents pass away, Marian Arnold returns to her childhood home and her mother’s butterfly house. In 1921, prohibition shut down her family’s brewing empire and left Marian with very little. Shortly after she returns home, Marian starts having nightmares and wonders if she is going crazy as dead butterflies appear along with a dead body in the butterfly house. Marian finds solace in her childhood friend Felix who is also dealing with ghosts from his past. Together they must work past the ghosts and butterflies to find a future.

In the present-day timeline, Remy Shaw is a researcher coming to help an elderly biographer looking into the murders and mystery behind Marian Arnold and all that happened at the manor. One of Marian’s decedents shows up at the manor wanting to make sure the story is told correctly. But mystery and danger haven’t strayed far from the manor and yet another generation might be in for more than can take.

Jaime Jo Wright gets better with each novel and this newest one is no exception. I have loved all of her books but this one was by far the best. When you think of butterflies, the next step is not serial killers and ghosts. The dual timeline is something Wright has just about perfected after so many books and she does it better than almost anyone else. It doesn’t matter if it is the past or present timeline, I found myself connected with the characters and the storyline. Usually, a story with a historical timeline is not my “cup of tea” but when Wright is creating the story I know I’m going to connect with the story and characters. If I can connect with characters, then I am hooked into the story till the end. This is the kind of story that is perfect timing coming out right around Halloween. I would recommend this story to readers that love a little spooky with their romantic suspense but also just a fantastic story with great characters.

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

A Hope Unburied

Author: Kimberley Woodhouse

Series: Treasures of the Earth #3

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: September 24, 2024

A middle of the pack historical romance for me. Good but not great.

Becoming a paleontologist in the early 1900s is not something a woman does, but it is exactly what Eliza Mills does to follow her passion. In order to break into the field, she has had to publish papers under a false name until she is able to earn her place at Carnegie Museum. When she gets the chance to work at Dinosaur National Monument in Utah, she jumps at the chance and finds things aren’t what they seem. Devin Schmitt has been Eliza’s closest friend for years and would love to be more. When he has just about given up on being more than just friends, Eliza asks for him to visit her in Utah. Both Devin and Eliza quickly find themselves in danger and a web of lies and betrayal that may just be impossible to find their way out.

Kimberley Woodhouse is a great writer. I usually enjoy her books, and I did with this one but it was too much of a slow start. The ending made up for it with the high stakes and action. The relationship between Devin and Eliza played out well and once they found themselves in trouble I found myself invested in the story. The early parts of it where too much “woe is me” for the hardships she faced trying to break into the male dominated field. If the story could have focused more on their dynamic earlier on it would have been even more enjoyable. I do think this book is just right for the fans of historical romance and fans of Woodhouse’s writing.

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

Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor

Author: Roseanna M. White

Publisher: Bethany House

Release Date: September 3, 2024

A delightfully beautiful story with so much more to get readers in the holiday spirit.

Plumford Manor has been the home and hopeful inheritance of Lady Mariah Lyons for years. When the estate passes to Cyril Lightbourne, her plans change. Cyril was a childhood friend and at one time she had hopes of him becoming more, but as that didn’t happen and he is now the heir, she puts her hopes in him as a good man to do right by her stepfather’s home. Cyril didn’t want to come back to Plumford Manor; he is with Lady Pearl even though his heart still belongs to another. As the holiday season approaches and feelings are in the balance of tearing him apart from those he cares about he tries to determine what path to take before it is too late.

This was a whimsical romance set in the past in a way that pulls readers right along with these characters and takes them along for the romantic ride. With a bit of a slow start, I was surprised to see it pick up pace by the end and finish nicely. The romance was just right pulling me in, even when the story itself felt a bit slow. Mariah and Cyril were good characters to follow along with and want to see succeed. The rest was just there to fill the pages. I would recommend this book to those that enjoy a fun and quick holiday romance.

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

Lead Me Home

Author: Amy K. Sorrels

Publisher: Tyndale

Release Date: May 3, 2015

Reviewer: Jen Roman

Lead Me Home tells the story of two very different people in Sycamore facing some similar and real struggles. Reverend James Horton has just been told that because of unsurmountable financial debt, his small Midwestern church will be closing. His congregation has dwindled to just a dozen or so regulars anyway, and he feels that he is just going through the motions of being a pastor. He is dealing with the recent sudden death of his wife, Molly, and trying to keep his teen daughter Shelby from going wayward as she tries to deal with losing her mother. He feels responsible for the closing of the church and blames himself for the congregation’s decline; he noticed people leaving for the megachurch down the road but did nothing to bring them back into his church.

Just down the road, Noble Burden has his own issues. While he is glad that his abusive, alcoholic father has left the family, he is now responsible for running the family dairy farm. His loyal older brother, Eustace, is good for providing muscle to help, but he has some kind of undiagnosed disorder that prevents him from really taking charge of life on the farm. Just as Noble thinks he is getting caught up on all the chores and the repairs, something else puts him behind.

The plot of Lead Me Home is not original, but the characters and the overall message make it a worthwhile read. James is a pastor, yet he is also portrayed as a real person with his own flaws and struggles. He believes that, as many people do, a church leader is a strong person who solves all problems and who makes everything right. In this case, he ends up losing the church due to modern challenges. Noble wants to be a country singer and is given the opportunity to record in Nashville; the signing contract alone is more money than he’s ever seen, and the agents promise a new home and more services to help Eustace. With so much on the line, he doesn’t know what to do, yet he knows he has to stay true to himself. When he connects more with a custodian at the studio than he does with the people who want to make him famous, he has some serious thinking and praying to do.

The title is perfect for this book because both characters, as well as a few others, use this time of challenge as their way to find their paths in life. Whether it be a career, a family matter, or a literal place to call home, the characters draw on their strength and their faith to find their true meaning of home. Along the way, they make their community part of their lives and demonstrate grace to their neighbors.

Lead Me Home contains mild profanity and brief mention of domestic abuse, but nothing too graphic. It is well-written with developed characters that are easy to like. It focuses on accepting grace in one’s life and extending it to others. I recommend this book for mature teens and adults. I enjoyed reading about the daily spiritual and physical struggles of the characters, and I am sure others will as well.

Room For Hope

Room for hope Author: Kim Vogel Sawyer

Publisher: Water Brook Press

Release Date: February 16, 2016

Guest Reviewer: Jen Roman

Neva Shilling experiences the worst betrayal she could imagine: her traveling salesman husband, Warren, has created a separate life complete with wife and children in another town where he does business. Neva finds out about it while waiting for his return one night, but instead of Warren, the sheriff appears with a wagonful of furniture and Warren’s three small children. He and his other wife died of botulism, but he before doing so, Warren asked that Neva care for the children.

Now Neva has to explain to her own children not only that their father has died, but that she is caring for three orphans that he wanted to take in; she spares them the details of her husband’s deception at first so that her twins, Bud and Belle, don’t think less of their father. Word gets out that Warren has passed, and Arthur Randall, the owner of the local emporium, has his sights set on obtaining Neva’s mercantile. With all of her troubles, he thinks she will be an easy target as long as he acts nicely to her. As he keeps up the pretense of being Neva’s friend, he actually becomes one. Meanwhile, Jesse Caudell,the sheriff who delivered Warren’s illegitimate children to Neva, has been offered a sheriff position in Neva’s town. While there, he befriends Neva and helps her children through this difficult time. He also has to face several feelings toward his own family and make things right with the parents who adopted and raised him.

The topic of this book is interesting and provides a unique perspective into the mess and destruction that unfaithfulness brings into people’s lives. While Neva is understandably upset about her husband’s second family, she has to hide those feelings for the benefit of her children. On top of that, she somehow has to care for three small children that remind her every day of what her husband did to her. She also feels guilt; she cannot have any more children, and she, in a way, blames herself for his running to another woman to have more children. Finally, when all of the children find out the truth, she has to explain to them in a manner that makes them not necessarily like what happened, but accept it. She relies on her faith and on the compassion of a few close friends to create a new life for herself that includes five children but no husband in a manner that shows dignity and inner strength.

Room for Hope does not contain anything that would be objectionable; it does not contain profanity, sexual situations, or violence other than a couple of schoolyard fights. I highly recommend this book to people who like to read about the early 1900s in America or to those who want to read and learn about a person overcoming betrayal to live a life of grace and charity. At just over 300 pages, the book looks a bit daunting, but it is a quick read due to its charm and vibrant storyline.