ReviewsByErin

When Eva Inman finds an ancient silver ring on her property, she realizes a great many of her troubles might be over. Her financial worries might be eased if there are Roman ruins ripe for excavation right in her own backyard. Things haven't been easy since her father's death. Their estate needs repairs, the taxes must be paid, and her blind sister wishes to go to school. Eva ventures to Cambridge to speak to the history department -- and comes face to face with the last man she expected to see.

Bram Webb is on the hunt for a discovery. His eccentric uncle, who is also a Cambridge professor, has his job on the line unless he can prove the existence of a settlement of Roman Christians in Britain. When his childhood friend shows up at his door with the perfect opportunity, Bram is quick to accept.

The story unfolds with twists and turns, secrets and adventures. I missed the slight but delicious spookiness that I've come to expect from Michelle Griep's books, but also loved the more UK-centric elements, like a full-blown Guy Fawkes Night party with various competitions and celebrations.

I would recommend this book to all fans of historical romance.

I received my copy of the book from NetGalley. All thoughts in this review are my own.

This new release from award-winning middle grade author Anna Rose Johnson tells a sweet story with a vintage feel as 13-year-old Rosemary must leave her home in London to escape the Blitz. She moves with her family to northern Wisconsin, reunited with a grandmother she's never met due to family issues. Rosemary has long dreamed of finding Paradise, a place where both family and flowers blossom. Could Wisconsin be the land she's longed for?

Rosemary gets to know her grandmother through gardening and other adventures, and she soon discovers there's a whole heritage that has been hidden from her. Her grandmother is a Native American of the Ojibwe tribe. A whole new world opens up as Rosemary explores the culture of her ancestors.

I loved how Rosemary felt she must be the peacemaker for her family during this stressful time. As a fellow big sister, that rang very true to me. Rosemary gives her all to bring people together and work for a happy future even though she's young and other people's choices can be difficult for a child to understand.

I appreciated how the story twists and turns, with friendship and discovery and hearts mending. I'd recommend this for young and old readers alike, alongside the author's previous books The Star That Always Stays and The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry.

I received my copy of the book from the author. All thoughts in this review are my own.

 


Penniless clockmaker Sydney Forrester finds the world against her, for although she is brilliant she is young and female, and therefore customers aren't likely to trust her. She longs for connection with the parents she does not know and cannot remember, and when a mysterious woman informs her that she has inherited a remote manor house from an uncle she's never met, Sydney takes a leap and sets off to claim her new home.

It turns out, however, that she is not the only heir. The will is in dispute. Blakely House is also not at all what Sydney expected, full of gadgets and half-finished inventions that give her a glimpse into her uncle's mind. There is also a full company of mismatched pirate servants who seem to have it out for her. With the odds against her, Sydney must prove who she is and that she is the rightful heir through many ups and downs and adventures.

As with every Joanna Davidson Politano book, there are beautiful themes woven throughout the story. Threads about identity, being chosen, and reckoning that "When you run away from your problems, you take yourself with you" (page 134). The themes were my favorite part of this book.

I liked Sydney as a character, and though I found the plot a little hard to follow, I appreciated her journey. It was a great reminder of how God knows what we need and who we need in our lives and is able to provide even in uncanny ways.

I would recommend this book for readers who like historicals with hints of mystery and suspense.

I received my copy of the book from the author. All thoughts in this review are my own.

 


Kate Landry's life is full. She's raising her niece and running a successful business. Her 20-year-plan is working.

Until an amazing new business expansion opportunity comes up, her niece is suddenly singularly focused on getting a dog, and a childhood friend with the potential to be more returns to her life. On top of all this, a wild parrot has suddenly taken to wreaking havoc all over her courtyard, adding daily frustration on top of her more pressing matters.

Kate Landry Has a Plan is a story about seeking God, forgiving others, and keeping priorities straight. Kate's past hurts greatly affect her present, clouding her decision-making skills. Through the course of the novel, she is gently reminded by the people in her life about which risks are worth pursuing and which should be regarded with more caution.

I liked Kate as a parent to her niece, and I loved the hero Micah Guidry. The New Orleans culture shines through this novel and you'll feel like you're strolling through the streets of the Big Easy and tasting their distinctive cuisine. The animal characters also add a lot to the story.

I would recommend this novel to fans of humorous novels with deep themes. 

I received my copy of the book from the author. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Evangeline Kelly believes love has passed her by. Surely no man would ever find her attractive since alopecia has claimed all of her hair. But that doesn't mean she can't be a part in other people's love stories. As a librarian, she knows what people are interested in. What if she used checkout histories to play matchmaker for her patrons? Aren't mutual interests a great place for love to bloom?

But perhaps love is not as over Evangeline as she believes it to be. She keeps crossing paths with tattoo artist Tai Davis, and there's something about him that she can't quite define. He lives free while she lives held back, terrified to face more rejection and humiliation over her autoimmune disorder. Could she trust him to see her heart and indeed all of her?

I enjoyed this story. I thought it took a little while to get off the ground, but I loved the themes in the novel and also that the book didn't follow a traditional formula. There are many unique things about it! Conservative readers who are not comfortable with tattoos might not enjoy the story, given the protagonist's profession. The spiritual arc is very well done.

"We prayed... that you'd stop running away from love long enough to see that love will never stop pursuing you." (Chapter 37)

If you like contemporary stories with a different beat that will make you laugh out loud and touch your heart, you'd definitely enjoy this book.

I received my copy of the book from the author. All thoughts in this review are my own.

If you've enjoyed Becky Wade's Sons of Scandal series, you are not going to want to miss this entertaining and endearing conclusion.

Max Cirillo longs for closure. His friendship and business partnership with Sloane Madison ended badly, and now he has the chance to come face to face with her again. Not only that, he has the chance to put her at his mercy. He's not going to be too diabolical, of course. Just enough to make sure he has answers.

Sloane believed she was in for a wonderful, golden summer with her teenage niece Ivy. That was before she learns her nemesis Max is the landlord of the apartment they've rented and Ivy declares she wants to find her birth father. Sloane is able to rely on her faith and good etiquette to pull her through and navigate the twisting path of these various relationships.

I have to admit that I am not the biggest fan of either Max or Sloane, but I loved this story. The side characters and plot really bring it to life. I feel compelled to point out that this is the third straight series where Becky Wade tackles the "looking for biological family" trope, but she does each one so well that I don't mind at all. The side plot about the missing tiara seems strangely out of place at first, but was incredibly moving in the end.

My very favorite part of the story was how Sloane purposefully lived out a rephrasing of the Golden Rule: "Give to other people what you need." In each situation, she evaluates what she needs, whether that be attention, respect, care, or so on. She then gives that to the other party. I found this to be an intriguing rephrasing that I've instinctively lived out in many areas of my own life. I want to continue to ponder this and see how it brings light to the words of Jesus.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book and the narrators do a wonderful job bringing the story to life.

I received my copy of the book from the author. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Right Before Their Eyes is a story of intersecting lives. Clare Martin cares for her grandmother with dementia and is also a social worker, looking out for various children and teens. One of her teens, Lucia, has become dear to Clare's heart. As Lucia struggles, Clare wants to help her, but Grandma Dottie's care requires so much of her time, and she's also trying to balance everything with the relationship with her boyfriend Aiden, who is growing more distant by the day.

Mason Hughes has a decision to make. He is determined to follow his dream and go to medical school, but should he take the free pilot program in New York, or stay in Minneapolis close to the people he loves? 

Clare's determination to be there for both Lucia and Grandma Dottie is tested when Lucia begins making poor choices, and her backup plans for help with Grandma Dottie keep falling through. How can Clare juggle everything to be there for everyone who needs her?

I enjoyed this story and I wanted good things to come for the characters. Your heart will break for Lucia as she believes she will never know love. You'll smile over Grandma Dottie but also ache that her memory is failing her. You'll wonder with Clare how she can do it all, and root for Mason to make the choice you know is the right one for him. Through all the twists and turns of the story, faith shines through. Readers will be reminded that Jesus is the hope and love all of us need.

I'd recommend this book for all fans of contemporary fiction with strong faith themes.

 I received my copy of the book from the author. All thoughts in this review are my own.

In 2024 I read significantly fewer books than I usually do. It turns out that moving slows your reading time, and so does starting a new relationship, getting engaged, and planning a wedding! It's been a busy year. 😉😍

Reading remains a joy, though, and I fit it in where I can. After surveying my completed titles in 2024, here are the five that rose to the top. They're arranged alphabetically by author's last name. You can click on any book to check out the title on Amazon.

"Loyally, Luke" by Pepper Basham
This whole series was a blast, and in the finale of the trilogy handyman Luke, despiser of Hallmark movies, gets his own Hallmark-worthy romance when he falls in love with a woman he doesn't realize is an actual princess of the country of Skymar. Could he, a simple Appalachian, ever truly win the heart of European royalty?

"Love in Tandem" by Becca Kinzer
How far would you go for charity? Would you go on a 500-mile tandem bike ride while faking a romantic relationship with your teammate, who also happens to be your former fiance's brother? I mean, really, what could go wrong in this scenario? Pretty much everything does go wrong, but Charlotte and Zach learn valuable lessons about life and faith along the way.

"Rocky Road" by Becky Wade
FBI agent Jude is as buttoned-up as they come. Serious. Guarded. But when he meets perfumer Gemma Clare and has to pose as her boyfriend for a case, everything about Jude starts coming undone. Gemma is a creative free spirit who also happens to be in more than a little danger. Protecting his heart might be even more difficult than completing the assignment.

"The Rhythm of Fractured Grace" by Amanda Wen
While the first three books on this list have all had their humorous side, this book's deep theme of redemption is not one to treat lightly. In this split-time novel, the historical storyline follows a woman who survived a scalping, while the contemporary storyline explores the topic of sexual abuse within the church. Deep subjects, beautiful writing, and God's grace on display in very tough situations.

"A Noble Scheme" by Roseanna M. White
Here's another book with forgiveness and relationships at its core. The Imposters are a group of social elites who moonlight as private investigators, but they are hiding secrets of their own. This book weaves intrigue, emotion, and faith in a compelling way as the Imposters seek to find a kidnapped child and restore relationships that have been broken.

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This story gets off to an explosive start when a young gentlewoman is ambushed, shot, and left for dead. Thankfully, the private investigator she was meeting with, who is none other than Lord Yates Fairfax of the Imposters, is there to rescue Lady Alethia and take on the case to find her missing nanny. Who would want to silence Lady Alethia's quest to the point of attempting murder?

The Imposters are back in the third and final novel of this captivating series. Although the group's numbers have stayed small out of necessity to their identity a secret, some things are going to require letting others in. Lady Lavinia Hemming, longtime neighbor of the Fairfaxes with haunting secrets of her own, takes to private investigative work like a duck to water and quickly becomes a valuable member of the team.

While I appreciated the quick start to the novel, the middle lagged a bit until the pieces fell into place. Once the team grasps the full consequences of where Lady Altheia's missing nanny might be, it is then full steam ahead until the dramatic conclusion.

Although done with careful language and extreme grace, this story takes on what we would call today trafficking and grooming. As I said, it is handled very well, but this might be an issue some readers should be aware of.

It was great joy to reenter the world of the Imposters and catch up with these characters who have become friends. The love triangle trope is not my favorite, but I must say it's done quite intriguingly and I kept waffling in deciphering if Yates would choose Lady Alethia or Lady Lavinia. It worked out exactly as it was supposed to in the end.

If you're a fan of Roseanna's other series, you'll enjoy seeing familiar characters who make cameo appearances in this book. Overall, I would recommend this for all who enjoy historical romance with a side of suspense.

I received my copy of the book from the author. All thoughts in this review are my own.


Roseanna M. White is a bestselling, Christy Award winning author who has long claimed that words the air she breathes. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling, editing, designing book covers, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of a slew of historical novels that span several continents and thousands of years. Spies and war and mayhem always seem to find their way into her books...to offset her real life, which is blessedly ordinary. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

 

I don't read much suspense, but I was intrigued by this book the moment I heard about it. With that title and the subject of Artificial Intelligence, I knew I wanted to read it, and I was happy when I saw the audiobook was available on NetGalley.

Katrina Foster lost her husband in a car accident about a year ago, but she stays busy as a lawyer with a Silicon Valley tech firm. Her company has developed an AI program in which you could load a loved one's text messages, pictures, email, and online history, and using that information a chatbot talks with you as though they were the deceased person, pulling from the "memories" you have programmed in. Katrina has been talking with Jason throughout the year since his death, feeling comforted by the responses of the bot that so mirror the man she loved.

Until one day when Katrina asks the chatbot a question and it replies: "I think I was murdered."

Katrina's life quickly spins out of control as she looks deeper into Jason's death. She retreats to her hometown and enlists the help of a friend from the past in solving the puzzles being thrown her way. Who wanted to kill Jason? Now that she's looking into his death, will they be coming after her next?

I really enjoyed the story. The characters were complex and layered. I did suspect who the bad guy was from the moment they walked onto the scene, though the authors did a great job throwing red herrings all over the place. My one complaint was that the characters seemed way too unconcerned about their safety, going into "hiding" that wasn't really hiding, turning down security from the FBI, and personally interacting with a foreign mob. They believed they could handle it all themselves. Even with that minor complaint, the story hummed along at an exciting pace but wasn't too intense for this non-suspense reader. I might even have to look into reading more in this genre!

I received my copy of the book from NetGalley. All thoughts in this review are my own.