ReviewsByErin

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.

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for Fiancé Finale by Angela Ruth Strong hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

There's nothing quite like a story that starts with a turned down marriage proposal.

Charlie Newberg believes God told him to marry Nicole Lemaire, but she doesn't seem to agree. Their broken engagement five years ago has not helped the start of what he hopes will be something new. But Nicole's job in marketing just took a major hit, and now she's forced to rely on Charlie and his award-winning documentaries to get her professional career off the ground again.

About the Book

Title: Fiancé Finale 

Things have been going south for Josephina Harris. Through no fault of her own, her Tennessee hometown has turned against her, and now her event planning business is floundering. In desperate need of any kind of job, Joey answers an ad looking for someone to remodel an old lighthouse in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

When Joey arrives on Bleakpoint Island, she quickly discovers there's been a mix-up about her gender, which sets an edge to her interaction with the men looking to hire her for the project. Then people begin warning her about the ghosts that haunt the island, hounded by the secrets of the past. Joey is convinced it's all stuff and nonsense, and sets right to work.

The remodeling job does indeed reveal a depth of secrets, and danger lurks on this otherwise deserted shore. Who is out to threaten her work? Is there any truth to the mythic Saint-Mae said to have rescued downed sailors in the 1940s, and does this girl have anything to do with the papers Joey finds hidden in the walls?

There is a lot to draw readers into this story. An idyllic setting. History. A series of mysteries to follow. I've really enjoyed this author's other books, but unfortunately this one fell a little flat for me. It was very slow and I never felt attached to any of the characters. I can see why other readers might love it, though. If you like contemporary fiction with a strong side of historical intrigue, I'd definitely recommend this. Also don't miss out on the author's other books, as those contain really great storytelling. I hope you'll check them out!

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

Here's a story for fans of Route 66 and split time novels! This is a sweet tribute to The Mother Road and also pays homage to a special connection between the author's parents and this famous highway.

Jade Jessup's past swirls all around her, a vortex of the pain and misdeeds of others that has once again left her at the end of herself. When an unexpected offer comes along, she finds herself driving down Route 66 with an old Hollywood movie star and her documentary-making son, capturing the retelling of the actress's love story and her start in the film industry.

Three timelines weave their way through the pages. The contemporary Route 66 trek, Benny's journey to California in 1956, and Jade's childhood adventure with her father that was not all as it seemed. Memories arise—both good and bad—as Jade, Benny, and Bridger travel west from Chicago through the heart of America.

I have adored every minute of this Skymarian journey that the Edgewood family has been on! From Authentically, Izzy to Positively, Penelope and now onto Loyally, Luke, these cousins have brought so much delight into my literary world.

Handyman Luke returns to Skymar to work on a remodeling project for one of the countryside orphanages. While there, he meets "Ellie," a beautiful and somewhat uptight young woman—who he has no idea is actually Princess Elliana. Luke sees someone who needs a friend, and is especially happy to meet a woman who has never watched a Hallmark movie.

Princess Elliana is about to reenter royal life after taking a lengthy sabbatical to recover from a string of poor choices. She's determined to do better and serve her country with single-minded determination. Luke is a breath of fresh air—not only because he doesn't know her past, but also because of his straightforward view of the world.

Luke and Ellie's friendship and attraction grows, but the day comes when her identity is revealed. Is there a way they could be together? Luke has a business and loved ones in North Carolina. Ellie is a princess of a European country. How could things ever work out?

If you like Hallmark movies or have an appreciation for warm and rugged heroes, this book is for you! I hope you'll check out this series and come to love Izzy, Penelope, Luke, and company as much as I do. The audiobook is tons of fun as well.

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

 


Is the Briarwood Teardrop sapphire really a piece torn from the sky? It certainly attracts enough attention for it. And when the gem goes missing, bad things happen.

Private investigator Peter Driscoll has been hired to return the sapphire, suspected to be in the possession of silent film actress Lily Temple. But Peter becomes convinced that Lily isn't the one who stole it, though there is definitely more to her than meets the eye.

Lily has gone by many names over the years, but now she's come home to St. Ann's Well Gardens, where her best childhood memories were made. She's longing for the one who made her a lover of stories and fairly tales. Will he come when she sends out a signal for him?

The imagery of a woman in a garden longing for home and belonging is strong and striking, and I appreciated the spiritual thread of the story. I found Lily to be an interesting character, but I was continually confused by her. How old is she supposed to be? Where did she learn to do all that she is able to do? What is the elusive truth about her? Though there's always a hint of mystery about Joanna Davidson Politano's stories, and usually trying to figure things out is one of the things I like best about them, but this one left me wanting a bit. Since I could never grasp Lily, I could never grasp the story.

But maybe other readers will not have this issue. There's so much to enjoy, from the real history woven in to the steady hero to the truth of God calling us always to Himself. If you like a book that presents a puzzle to solve, The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple could be for you!

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

Music teacher Charlotte is in a time of crisis. Her ex-fiance is getting married and her music program needs funding. When an extremely random meeting and massive misunderstanding lead to her being mistaken as her ex-fiance's brother's girlfriend, Charlotte is paralyzed about how to play off a situation with so many emotional layers.

Zach has always carried a little flame for Charlotte, but he knows she's very attached to her small town life and that would never jive with his outdoorsman, see-the-world self. But when their families seem to need them to keep their charade of a relationship ongoing, and a chance to raise money for Charlotte's school comes along, Zach finds himself helpless to do anything but sign on.

That's how an adventurous guy and a very-not-adventurous girl end up taking off on a 500-mile bicycle ride. They don't know it now, but they'll be beset by weather, wild hogs, theft, and helpful and not-so-helpful strangers. Can they keep up their fake relationship that has very real sparks? Or will this drive them further apart than before?

This zany adventure had me laughing out loud all along the way. I loved all the crazy worst case scenarios they ran into, and I especially loved that this romcom isn't only surface deep. There's a thread of faith woven through to remind us that God has been with us all along, even the hard stretches where we didn't see Him. Turns out that walking with Him is the greatest adventure of all.

If you enjoy a good romantic comedy, I highly recommend Love in Tandem. Zach and Charlotte will pedal right off the pages and into your heart.

After a season of grief and bad choices, Emma Reynolds finds herself pregnant and alone in a new city. When her 20-week ultrasound reveals that her baby boy has a birth defect incompatible with life, Emma must choose whether to continue carrying her baby or cherish the short life he will live once he is born.

Emma's Hero is the story of not only Emma but also paramedic Ben and struggling high school senior Mason. Together their lives intertwine with baby Theo's in a way that none of them expected. They're challenged to look deeper, dream bigger, and love to a greater degree.

This book really touched my heart because when I was 13 my family lost a baby to a similar birth defect. Theo's story rang with authenticity since I have experienced the same with my sister. 

I am not going to spoil the story, but I will tell you that this book is about life and hope. It is hard to read about a sick baby, but Emma's Hero offers us the chance to walk in the characters' shoes and learn about the value of life along the way. If you need spoilers before you feel comfortable reading the book, please message me and I will tell you privately. No matter the outcome, this is a book that has the potential to change lives. Maybe even yours!

What a well-done debut for Carrie Walker. I look forward to more from her!

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