This was an easy to understand book that had an engaging author’s voice and a delightful leading girl. I loved that it was a true story based on the eThis was an easy to understand book that had an engaging author’s voice and a delightful leading girl. I loved that it was a true story based on the events of the author’s childhood during WWII. It held plenty of heartache and was challenging at times, but it also showed how Miss Levi sought out happy moments to enjoy in the midst of a tumultuous time.
A couple of views expressed in the author’s note were different than my own.
The first was the statement that there is definitely racism in every country on the planet and encouraging children to “join the fight.” Not every neighborhood in the world experiences racism. It truly depends on the heart of each individual person. As for joining the fight, I believe each person must decide for themselves which “fights” God is calling them to address with their life’s journey. Not every fight is for every person, but I do believe every person has a calling deep down inside of them.
Also in the note after the story was that our first goal should be to “protect yourself.” I disagree with this, because the Bible teaches that our first goal should be to love God and love people.
Those differences in views didn’t dampen my enjoyment of the story that came before the author’s note. I cherished the way little Lia survived her childhood with happiness. That is such a challenging thing when times are challenging and daily life is tough....more
I was shocked at how crude this children’s book was. Definitely not what I was expecting when I chose to read it. Just so parents know before allowingI was shocked at how crude this children’s book was. Definitely not what I was expecting when I chose to read it. Just so parents know before allowing their kids to read it: there was a crude hand gesture mentioned and performed by children a couple of times in this book. Totally inappropriate at any age, but it’s definitely something I think parents should be aware of prior to giving a book to their children. There were also a few spots of liberal-minded propaganda sprinkled throughout.
Things I liked were… … it was an outdoor adventure ... road trip! … there were fun mishaps that led to good plot twists … it was from a middle-grade boy’s perspective … it took place in Big Bend National Park … there was some good emotional depth at times (particularly with the graphic novel creation) … the sibling therapy session!
Content: expletives, crude gestures (by children and adults), profanity, crude talk, alcohol, tobacco, nudity, skinny-dipping, psychics/tarot/palm readings, tattoos...more
If not for the horrible language and crude talk, I would have loved this story.
The cutesy cover and blurb caught my attention and drew me to this bookIf not for the horrible language and crude talk, I would have loved this story.
The cutesy cover and blurb caught my attention and drew me to this book. (I also needed a pink cover for a reading challenge.) The core of the story was charming and right up my alley. I love a search for a lost love. In that respect, this book reminded me of the movie Letters to Juliet, which is a favorite of mine. The bittersweet ending was utterly sweet and made me weep happy, conflicted tears. It was wonderful to see the plot focused around a double-decker bus, a staple in London, England. That aspect was such fun. The romance itself was sweet and enjoyable. City adventure is another favorite genre of mine, so I had fun with that aspect as well.
I just wish this book were clean. The excessive bad language and crude talk were unnecessary to the plot and wasted precious page space.
Content: tobacco, profanity (excessive), expletives (excessive), living together prior to marriage, crude talk, unwed pregnancies, tattoos, alcohol in sweets, alcohol, pornography mentioned once ...more
This story was exactly what I needed. It was so beautiful and charming, a truly delightful coming-of-age tale. It held grief and hope and a friends-fiThis story was exactly what I needed. It was so beautiful and charming, a truly delightful coming-of-age tale. It held grief and hope and a friends-first romance, which was so refreshing and well written. I liked the search for the truth of one’s past as well as the search for peace. It even had some heartbreaking plot twists that engaged my emotions perfectly.
Content: teen smoking mentioned, drunk driver ...more
A private eye investigating the leading lady? So intriguing but bound to be trouble! I loved every minute of it. This aspect of the romance was very wA private eye investigating the leading lady? So intriguing but bound to be trouble! I loved every minute of it. This aspect of the romance was very well written and kept me hooked throughout.
The difficult relationship between a mother and daughter was well written. It’s been a while since I read this book (about six months; I’m way behind on reviews at the moment), but this aspect stood out enough for me to jot a note about it.
I wasn’t sure how the journal (historical thread) connected to the contemporary thread for the longest time. It was rather fun how Emma discovered the journal, but I would have liked to see a stronger connection from one era to the other throughout the story. Otherwise, it can feel like two stories were slapped together instead of being written in two separate books.
The solid sense of community stood out to me. Definitely a highlight for me when community is featured. This is so needed in society right now.
Faith, family, and contentment were strong themes in this story—a trio of my favorite things!
It was neat to see how these characters struggled through the Great Depression and with the loss of a child. So well written!
This book contained a cat named Crouton. How cute is that?! Definitely a highlight.
Beyond that, this story was gut-wrenching and highly emotional—justThis book contained a cat named Crouton. How cute is that?! Definitely a highlight.
Beyond that, this story was gut-wrenching and highly emotional—just my sort of story. It revolved around the disappearance of a childhood friend. Turned out, it was a cold missing persons case. It was completely fascinating, as I hadn’t seen this sort of mystery delivered in the time-slip fashion before. The way the mystery unfolded felt like a psychological thriller at times, which was definitely up my alley. I’d love a lot more stories like this one in the Christian-fiction market.
Detective Masters’s humor was charming.
One minor blip: I found it odd that it was claimed that an iPhone had to use AirPods. Maybe the newer ones are like that, but I’ve known some iPhones to be compatible with wired headphones. The newness of the phone was not established that I saw, so I was confused by this inconsistency with my reality.
I wept my way through the climax and finale. Buckets and buckets of tears, y’all. This book was so good. I’m adding it to my reread list for when I’m craving a reread of a favorite story, that’s for sure.
If there hadn’t been some bad language in this book, it would have easily been a five-star read for me.
Madeline Martin sure knows how to spin a good If there hadn’t been some bad language in this book, it would have easily been a five-star read for me.
Madeline Martin sure knows how to spin a good WWII tale that wrenches the heart and shows the depth of humanity in the midst of terrible circumstances. Though this is only my second of her novels, it certainly won’t be my last. Her voice and storytelling style are right up my alley and keep me flipping pages long into the night.
The plot in this one was intricate and detailed and filled with intriguing twists. The depth of the tale added to the richness of emotion involved. Every heartbreaking scene built on the one before until I was completely wrapped up in Ava’s and Elaine’s stories and their journeys at saving Jews’ stories and documents before it was too late as well as hiding and rescuing Jews before they could be killed by the Hitler regime. It was interesting to see how the French Resistance and Underground Railroad worked together in this fight for morality. The dangers involved were completely realistic and kept me on the edge of my seat.
I can hardly wait to discover the next Martin story that I’ll want to add to my collection of WWII books.
Content: expletives, alcohol, tobacco, suicide, nudity mentioned but not dwelt on, profanity ...more
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book. These are my honest thoughts.
The stunning cover and excellent premise had all the earmarFTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book. These are my honest thoughts.
The stunning cover and excellent premise had all the earmarks of being a solid, emotional, right-up-my-alley read for me, but the story itself turned out to be anything but my cup of tea. My favorite things about it were that Nathaniel was a fantastic second-chance fellow and the history shared was an accurate depiction of what really happened in the past. I highly appreciate historical accuracy in fiction stories, so the author gets brownie points for that, definitely.
What I struggled with the most was the antagonists. Both of the main bad guys read as two-dimensional brutes rather than the nuanced, sophisticated men they were supposed to be. I found them unrealistic and unbelievable, and I wasn’t sure why they were trusted to be in charge of anything. They made it impossible for me to enjoy the majority of this novel.
I also struggled to understand why the leading lady couldn’t see the obvious abuses and cruelties her fiancé threw in her face and against her person when she could so easily see through everyone else. She readily excused his behavior as her fault, becoming even more a victim to his tyranny, but she was always bold and independent with everyone else. She was a conundrum I couldn’t figure out, and that made it difficult for me to root for her.
Why did the leading man have a pet rock in his pocket? I get the reason he tried to give me toward the end, but throughout the whole story, it just came off as immature for a Secret Service agent to be dependent upon clenching his fist around a rock in order to cool his temper. Maybe he wasn’t cut out for the career path he chose.
I did like that somebody was called to task about “compromis[ing] [their] convictions” at one point. This is something I don’t see often enough in most Christian fiction books I read today, so it was really refreshing to see that play out here.
I’m sad that I couldn’t enjoy this one, as the first chapter hooked me in and many of the plot twists were well delivered and surprising. The author’s voice was pretty solid and quite expressive, so I’m sure she’ll gain lots of fans in her career. I hope there will be better character development for future bad guys so that they will be a lot more realistic than these ones turned out to be. And do please keep that historical accuracy coming!
Content: bullying (excessive), skimpy clothing, prostitutes, gambling, brothel, tobacco, saloon, alcohol, replacement profanity, one profane word, derogatory terms, swearing “by all that is good and holy”...more
What a journey! I adored this book and was riveted from the beginning.
I like that this series, Love on the Santa Fe, is connected via the railway lineWhat a journey! I adored this book and was riveted from the beginning.
I like that this series, Love on the Santa Fe, is connected via the railway line Santa Fe rather than by connected characters. That’s different and refreshing in a Peterson series. I do love when her series follow a specific family or group of friends, but this series is becoming a nice change of pace.
It was interesting to see the leading lady in this one was the complete opposite of the one in the previous book in the Love on the Santa Fe series. In that one, the leading lady was respectful of her parents even as she stopped enabling them. In this story, the leading lady was disrespectful of her parents when the book opened. She was spoiled rotten from never having difficult challenges or even household chores to keep her hands busy. I loved that her journey was to discover a new respect and love toward her parents as well as to think of other people before herself. It was a journey toward maturity, and it was very well written.
The plot was delightfully complex. The number of interesting players was good, and they each had their own goals and problems to deal with. The plot twists were fantastic. I especially enjoyed the one at the Founder’s Day picnic.
The thread about the cologne was superb! I loved how this was speckled throughout the story. It was just the bit of humor and coyness this story needed.
The cover might be absolutely gorgeous, but the faith threads were divine. From learning to honor one’s parents to repenting from one’s sins to gaining reconciliation, there were plenty of deep topics to dive into. This felt like a trademark Tracie Peterson book for how strong and bolstering the faith threads were. Very encouraging!
Content: gambling mentioned, prostitution and promiscuity mentioned, illegitimate children mentioned ...more
The cover of this book is one of Lynette Eason’s best to date. The yellow tone is gorgeous, and I love that tree-packed landscape too.
A hostage negotiThe cover of this book is one of Lynette Eason’s best to date. The yellow tone is gorgeous, and I love that tree-packed landscape too.
A hostage negotiator was featured, and that job, when well written, is a huge magnet that draws me in. This one was spectacularly done. I especially enjoyed how many times the negotiation came up throughout the novel. It did not feel glossed over in the least; instead, it was presented in a way that made it feel like the author had personally experienced such events. That’s the sign of a great writer, if you ask me.
While this book was packed with action and suspense, there were some sweet moments that allowed me to catch my breath too. The sock-tossing scenes were entertaining, and the moments between the sisters were some of my favorite of the calmed-down scenes.
As with most, if not all, of Mrs. Eason’s previous books, this one was family oriented. The leading lady was the guardian of her little sister, which is a familial experience not typically highlighted in Christian fiction. It was handled so well here that the bar has been moved higher for those sibling-guardian books that will be written from here on out.
School shootings were featured but not in the typical way. One was in memory form, while the other was not a mass shooting event but rather more targeted. It was interesting to see this take on this type of social tragedy, because it presented very personal cases of what it can look like to see cries for help before these sorts of events happen as well as different ways in which they may be resolved.
It was fantastic to see how Dottie dealt with a bully during a crisis. I can’t really say more than that without spoiling anything, but my heart melted and tears gushed to the surface so that I had to blink fast and hard to be able to continue reading. That moment near the end of the book was a prime example of how a caring heart can make a huge difference in the lives of those around us.
The insanity one character was immersed in was so well written that it gave me chills and made me check my own mind after reading certain scenes. I loved how exquisitely this character was written, and this added a richness to the story in a different sort of way. It was perfect for this book’s plot and definitely made it one to remember.
There was one point of view that felt completely random. However, I felt like that was on purpose even as I was confused by it, because Mrs. Eason doesn’t do random. She always has a design in play, and I knew that would be the case here. I’m so glad I reserved judgment until the end, because when I figured out the connection on the page before the final chapter, my brain exploded and every moment of foreshadowing flashed through my mind. I kept thinking, “You foreshadowed it here… and there… and again here!” I loved that moment! This is a book I will read again with the intent to study how Mrs. Eason so exquisitely layered in the foreshadowing so that I didn’t see that big revelation coming. Hopefully this is something I can learn to apply in my own writing as well, because it was something I really enjoyed about this book.
I can hardly wait for the next two books in the Extreme Measures series!
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book. These are my honest thoughts.
Murder mystery with group amnesia? I was totally in for thaFTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book. These are my honest thoughts.
Murder mystery with group amnesia? I was totally in for that premise. I liked that the story brought together a group of former friends that had fallen apart after a summer none of them could fully remember.
I didn’t like the trashy nature of certain events. This was very much a Hollywood B-movie teenage drama.
It’s too bad the carnal desires of the teens were featured rather than more intelligent and emotional connections.
Content: tobacco, crude sexual terms, profanity, alcohol, replacement expletives, teen vaping, teen drinking and drunkenness, teen partying, crude “jokes,” expletives, replacement profanity, tarot phrase, crude dance move mentioned, drugs mentioned, comment about needing a cold shower, gambling mentioned, marital affairs, skimpy clothing (including swimwear), dirty magazines mentioned ...more
Oh, I am utterly disappointed. I love the memoir genre, but I’m getting burned out of trying them for how many turn out to be completely trashy.
The coOh, I am utterly disappointed. I love the memoir genre, but I’m getting burned out of trying them for how many turn out to be completely trashy.
The cover of this book was so charming, so light and hopeful. The blurb was right up my alley, as I love a good road-trip story.
The book was saturated with drugs and sex, and the road trip didn’t come into the picture until around the sixty-five percent mark. That aspect felt nearly like an afterthought to the rest of the story.
My heart ached for Suleika throughout her journey with cancer and hospitals and symptoms.
The medical stuff was written very realistically. Sometimes this felt graphic and was difficult to read.
Excepting the poor choices in words at times and the plethora of explicit intimate moments, this book held many quotable lines. Some of my favorites were…
“We were learning that sometimes the only way to endure suffering is to transform it into art.”
Annie Dillard quote: “Write as if you were dying.” Suleika Jaouad’s reaction: “We are all terminal patients on this earth—the mystery is not ‘if’ but ‘when’ death appears in the plotline.”
“I’m listening more to what the whole thing has meant.”
Content: alcohol, pre-marital sex (excessive and explicit), drugs, expletives, tobacco, profanity, tattoos, bars, gambling, sexual immorality, crude gestures, psychics, suicide, nudity, skinny-dipping...more
The cover on this one completely drew my attention and shoved this book right onto my TBR before I could stop it. It’s a GREAT cover.
Unfortunately, thThe cover on this one completely drew my attention and shoved this book right onto my TBR before I could stop it. It’s a GREAT cover.
Unfortunately, the story itself fell flat for me. As much as I wanted to love this story, it failed to connect with my emotions. I fully expected emotional depth and teen angst (and buckets of tears), but I never felt either one was very present (and remained dry-eyed throughout). This prevented me from connecting well with the characters or the plot.
I didn’t understand the rules for the magical jumping around from scene to scene, and some felt quite jarring from one location to the next right in the middle of a key moment. It felt like the characters were time jumpers, but there was no indication that this was true in the story’s context.
I wasn’t sure why the leads had a scene of moving in together since during the whole story, each lead lived with their parents and were still in high school (when one of them wasn’t dead, that is).
The Eastern exchange students (from Vietnam and Thailand) had Westernized names (Rachel and Jay). My grandparents and my family had exchange students from all over Europe and Asia for years and years, and none of the Asian ones I remember had Westernized names. Maybe things are different now in the 2020s than they were in the 1990s and 2000s, but this felt unusual from my experience with dozens of exchange students. Also, in the various sports that I currently watch, Asian athletes tend to have more traditional names unless they were born and raised in Western countries (such as United States, England, etc.).
Are Green Tea KitKats a thing? I’ve never heard of these or seen them in any of the 48 Contiguous United States. Maybe they’re sold in Washington (the locale of the story) now, but they weren’t the last time I was there a few years back. Very interesting!
Are exchange student programs now longer than one year? My, how things change!
Why do characters tend to think Facebook and Twitter are as obsolete as MySpace these days? I realize TikTok is trendy at the moment, but I still see loads of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram users in my circles of writing buddies, followers, and friends, which ranges from young teens to folks in their seventies or older.
The environmental propaganda in this book was stereotypical for the West Coast. I’d love to see a fresh take on otherwise stereotypical topics like this one in fictional stories.
There was quite an excessive use of italics in this story. It drove the editing and writing sides of my brain wild, as Writing 101 and the most popular style manuals that such font styling ought to be used very sparingly and only for emphasis.
I so wanted to love this story, because its cover and back-cover blurb so intrigued me. The character of Yuki, from Japan, was my favorite. She felt the most realistic to me. I also loved that she had a traditional name and tried to be there for her friends in their time of need. Such a great character.
The settings were wonderful. I loved the descriptions of the field, the town and city, the school, and the homes involved in the plot. The descriptions were pretty enjoyable to read.
Content: alcohol, replacement expletives, replacement profanity, profanity, expletives, crude sexual terms, sexual perversion, mythology, superstition, skinny-dipping ...more
My feelings about this book are conflicted. On one hand, it was a really great, suspenseful mystery. On the other, there was an odd, positive emphasisMy feelings about this book are conflicted. On one hand, it was a really great, suspenseful mystery. On the other, there was an odd, positive emphasis on Greek and Roman mythology.
I thought the turtles were going to play a much larger role, so that aspect was disappointing.
The leading lady thought people using their First Amendment right to peacefully protest was “insane.” Whatever happened to being proud to be from the USA and knowing one’s rights and using them well and respectfully? The peaceful protesters in chapter one were apparently doing that, but the leading lady scoffed at them.
When a father panicked when his daughter vanished, the leading lady “chalked it up to an overly protective father.” Yet, two seconds later, she thought the girl’s disappearance was “none of her business, really, but she had to make sure the little girl was all right.” So she thought the dad was “overly protective” for worrying about his missing daughter, but a moment later she found herself concerned even though she hadn’t met the child yet. How does this contradiction make any sense?
The leading characters kept finding excuses to stay in the same cottage or house overnight. This felt sleazy and made me uncomfortable. It was not sticking to Bible-based moral standards, nor was it a good example for the man’s young, impressionable daughter to observe and learn from. Since the leading lady was involved in these low-moral decisions, I found it ironic that she would then accuse the leading man of having “no morals.”
At one point, a character was disappointed that her cover was blown—but she was the one who revealed her identity. I didn’t understand her train of thought on that, so her emotion was wasted on me.
The thing that bothered me most of all was that the leading lady encouraged a little girl to admire Greek and Roman mythological figures. She even touted them to be heroes to learn courage from. I’m not sure which myths she meant, because all the ones I’ve ever heard about are the devil’s way of twisting God’s truth into something completely convoluted. I had noticed a subtle mention of a mythological creature in a previous Coble book, but that one was neutral and basically only a cameo appearance. The mentions in this book were definitely in a positive light and had a lot more page time. This is a disheartening trend that’s creeping into her books now.
The core of this story was a really great mystery that was thick with good suspense and high-stakes action, but I had to wade through the aforementioned swamp to get to it.
The turtle hatchlings were amazing. I just wish there would have been a stronger presence of turtles in the remainder of the story. You know, past that first chapter.
The island was beautifully described and felt realistic. The setting, in and out of the water, came alive and was one of the best parts of the story. That was helped out by the spectacular sea lion scenes. I had never heard of Navy sea lions before, so this was a fascinating topic to explore. This part of the story was really well expressed and kept me riveted to the pages while the sea lions were upon them. I especially enjoyed the underwater scenes. These had me holding my breath!
I really enjoyed the mystery that Torie was trying to unravel and the troubles this journey threw in her face. This aspect provided many surprises and plot twists that kept me guessing most of the time. It was wonderful to see the layers peel back one by one until the big reveal. The suspense kept me on pins and needles throughout the story, even though I guessed one of the bad guys about a third of the way through.
Joe and Hailey were great together. Their father-daughter relationship was fun, and I liked that they began incorporating Torie into their close-knit group from pretty early on. Their runs for ice cream were so enjoyable!
I wish the negatives were fewer so that I could have enjoyed even more of this story.
Content: alcohol, crude sexual term, suicide mentioned often, mythology ...more
Yet, it was still beautiful and deep and touched every emotion inside of me.
When I first heard about thiThis book wasn’t what I was expecting. At all.
Yet, it was still beautiful and deep and touched every emotion inside of me.
When I first heard about this book, I was thrilled that I had finally found a Vietnam story. Only, it kind of isn’t. It touches on the Vietnam War, but it doesn’t show the war itself. In fact, it never actually steps one foot into that country.
That was disappointing.
However, I’m a sucker for an emotional adoption story, so this little birdie wriggled its way into my heart once I found my rhythm with the three time periods, all of which were written in first person. That took some getting used to, but I’m glad I stuck with it. The story was so amazing. Little Minh was so adorable! I couldn’t get enough of her, truly. The emotional punches and tension-filled adoption story reminded me so much of Susan Schoenberger’s A Watershed Year, a favorite book of mine that I’ve read at least three times already. If you love that one, you’re going to absolutely want to find a copy of this one… and vice versa.
I’m still not sure what I think of the ending of each of the three storylines. There was resolution in some ways, but so much was left open… but I think it was in a good way. I need to mull it over more and possibly give it another read or two before I fully make up my mind.
Y’all, tears were shed at multiple points during this story, especially in the back third. Have tissues handy if you’re a weeper like me! I love it when a book gets in my heart so much that I feel personally invested to the point of waterworks. It’s a beautiful moment, to cry over an exquisite yet heart-wrenching scene.
May I just say, I loved the Froot Loops lady. Goodness, but I wanted to jump up and give her a one-person standing ovation. Between Linda and her, that bully stood no chance of having the final say-so. I love it when characters stand up to bullies and let them know it’s not okay to treat people like that. I was glad to see that a random stranger was willing to step into the fray for her fellow human being.
Speaking of bullies, it was hard for me to like Hilda in the beginning. I understood her pain and where she was coming from, but it was still so hard to read her rudeness and hate. At about the halfway point, I realized that I actually was appreciating her scenes a little more. I couldn’t really say I ever liked her, but she did grow on me to the point where I got emotional over certain parts of her journey. She had a pretty good arc, even though heart changes weren’t exactly a big part of it. I would have liked to see more growth in her, but the way her story ended up was completely realistic. I can’t imagine it any other way unless she learned more forgiveness, compassion, and acceptance along the way. And maybe she did in her own way. She wasn’t exactly a touchy-feely type that would outwardly express her feelings much, so at times she was a tough one to get a good read on.
One moment did dock a star from my rating. It took no more than a half page, but, for me, that was a half-page too long. A curse word was used right on the page. Not only that, but it was belabored when two different characters made a big deal out of it: “Never in my life had I heard an old lady swear” from one and “seemingly unfazed by the curse word” by the other. I was disappointed in this whole moment. It served no purpose for the overall story arc and, in fact, interrupted a very important scene in the plot. It felt very out of place for multiple reasons.
Just a quick note about the cover: While I adore the simplicity of the cover as well as the beautiful sparrow perched on a branch, that blurry title font has got to go. It nearly gave me vertigo every time I looked at it. The color scheme was beautiful, though. I really cherish book covers with such eye-pleasing colors and images as this one has.
Still, this was a really good book that I will likely read again. A solid four stars, for sure.
My heart was squished and broken and mashed up by this memoir. Ninety-eight percent of it was utterly heartbreaking. Yet, there was still a thread of My heart was squished and broken and mashed up by this memoir. Ninety-eight percent of it was utterly heartbreaking. Yet, there was still a thread of hope throughout, as it was clear Miss Dugard never gave up hope that her nightmare would end. I can only imagine, through my writer’s imagination, just how excruciating those eighteen years of captivity must have been for Miss Dugard. I’m grateful she’s shared her experience through this book, tough as it was to read at times—especially when the author described the sexual abuse she was forced to endure time and time again—because her memoir serves as a tangible reminder that dangers lurk around every corner and that we ought to look out for each other and speak up if something seems amiss. It also shares the blessing of her reunion with her family once she was finally rescued.
The author’s desire to rescue other abuse victims and animals is a beautiful outcome of her horrifying experience. It looks like some good came from the evil doled out, and for that transformation, I am incredibly grateful.
This book was tough. Because of the content, it was hard to read and not intended for the squeamish. In it, there are thorough descriptions of sexual and perverse acts forced upon the author by her captor, who was clearly a sadistic psychopath. Therefore, this book should not be read by children. My recommendation is 25+ years of age and to take breaks if it feels too overwhelming. It might be helpful to have a lighthearted book or movie to split time with this one, or at least as a follow-up, because this book, while eye-opening and compassion-inducing, is an explicit heartbreaker.
Triggers: rape of a child, kidnapping, sexual abuse
Content: sexual acts (including perversion) described, nudity, sexual abuse of a child, profanity, expletives, drugs, derogatory terms ...more
FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. These are my honest thoughts.
My first impression of Mrs. Nelson’s writingFTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. These are my honest thoughts.
My first impression of Mrs. Nelson’s writing is spectacular. She blew me away with the complexity of this one. I loved how each set of characters overlapped with the others. Isn’t that so much like real life? Our lives intersect with so many other people throughout our daily journeys, and that was exquisitely on display in this book.
The characters were broken and hurting, yet the hope strung throughout was tangible and kept my spirits lifted even when I felt like crying my eyes out for these poor folks. The achiness of their hearts touched me. I felt great empathy for each of them, even the ones who were tougher for me to enjoy because of some closed-mindedness on their part. Despite that, I could see where they were coming from, why they had that bias and prejudice, so I still found myself rooting for even them. It was my great hope that they would come around and see that there was another way of viewing the scenario they were faced with.
Problems in this story included death, injuries, substance abuse, and peer pressure. These were all presented in realistic, believable ways that added depth and richness to the story. Yet, even with these difficult issues, the writing was clean. There was only one crude sexual term, but I was pleasantly surprised that there were absolutely zero expletives and profanities. Yay! This is tough to find in today’s Christian fiction market, so it’s books like this one that give me more hope that Bible-led standards and moral codes are still being showcased in certain works of fiction today. When I find works like this, I treasure them as the gems they are.
Hannah was perhaps my favorite character. Like me, she loves reading. Like me, she struggles to find good friends. Like me, she deals with emotional moments that try to overwhelm her. She was really easy to root for and relate to, and I was on pins and needles throughout her scenes because I wanted so much for her to get a happy ending. (Of course, I can’t really tell you what happened. You’ll just have to read the book for yourself to see if I ended up happy or sad at the finale of this book.)
The plot was great, and it included many surprises and twists I did not see coming. It’s always wonderful to be surprised like that, because I read a lot of books and, therefore, can predict a lot of plot points in most of the books I read. But when one manages to shock me in several spots? Well, that nearly guarantees the book will receive five stars and make it to my favorites list. Well done, Mrs. Nelson!
This book serves as a reminder that our memories are not always reliable. It’s the people around us who love us and support us that are there for us when our memories fail to recall correctly what happened in the past. I like how Mrs. Nelson handled memory with care, delicacy, strength, and truth. This theme was my favorite part of this book, because it was woven throughout every aspect of each character’s individual threads as well as the overall story arc. Oh, to be able to write so immersively! (#writergoals)
Content: alcohol, drugs, tattoos, underage vaping, tobacco, one crude sexual term, suicide...more
Another great book by Tracie Peterson! What stood out to me about this one is how the author showed alcoholism to be the sin it is, and that relying oAnother great book by Tracie Peterson! What stood out to me about this one is how the author showed alcoholism to be the sin it is, and that relying on God is the best way to overcome it. That’s the way it is with all of our sins, no matter how “big” or “little” they are. It’s only when we turn to God and ask for His help that we find we’re able to overcome those poor choices with Him walking alongside us.
The drama of the romances kept me alternating between smiling, chuckling, rolling my eyes, and cringing. I love a good romance like that, one that sends me through all the emotions! It’s also interesting that true colors came out in a character I thought I knew from book one. This person turned out completely differently than their first impression had suggested. But looking back on it, I can now see the hints I missed (because I didn’t know to be looking for them). Rereading this trilogy is going to be great fun, because I’ll know more of what to watch for as I read.
I was so glad the Wild West show was back! It was great to venture across the Pond with it and see how the show was received in a different country than the U.S. It made me wonder if this was a reflection of how Buffalo Bill Cody’s show was received in Europe the eight times it toured there. What made this show even more fun this second time around was that a magazine writer was along for the ride. It was wonderful to see an “outsider’s” view of the show as well as the sharpshooter’s perspective. I had been hoping in the latter chapters of book one that Mary the sharpshooter would be featured in book two. I thought she might be, since there was a rifle on the cover, but I hadn’t checked out the blurb because of potential for having the story spoiled ahead of time. Such relief swept through me when I discovered the sharpshooter was the leading lady of this installment of the series.
Since I’m so eager for the final book in the trilogy, I’m diving in tomorrow. Be on the watch for my review!
FTC Disclosure: NetGalley and Revell Reads gave me complimentary copies of this book. A positive review was not required. These are my honest thoughtsFTC Disclosure: NetGalley and Revell Reads gave me complimentary copies of this book. A positive review was not required. These are my honest thoughts.
There was a unique, vintage-book-infused story between the beautiful and perfectly-textured cover of this novel. Quirky and entertaining, this tale found my happy place in large chunks.
A few things disrupted my peaceful reading experience, the largest of which was the heavy emphasis on drinking alcohol, drunkenness, and bar and holiday parties at which vast amounts of alcohol were consumed. It was unexpected emphasis as the back cover copy didn’t hint at this theme. I must say, though, that I really admired the lead’s stance on not partaking of alcohol despite one of her closest friends trying on a couple of occasions to talk her into it. I was grateful for this positive note amid the muck of that particular theme.
Back to the things I adored about this novel. Firstly, the cover was amazing. As soon as a friend alerted me to the major cuteness of the cover art (thanks, Hannah!), I knew I had to read whatever was behind those gorgeously, quirkily stacked books. When I received the paperback in the mail (thanks, Revell Reads!), I was blown away by the unique texture of the cover. Not only was it strikingly beautiful to my eyes, but it passed on that same quality to my fingertips.
The way vintage books were infused into the storyline was incredible. This is the second novel I’ve read in recent weeks (the other was Finding Lady Enderly) that found a special way to use classic books within the story. I can’t really talk about how those classics were used in either story, because it would give away major things and rob future readers of the amazing journey those classics helped build. Trust me (or test it out for yourself) when I tell you that it made my heart melt and sigh and sing all at the same time.
A couple of characters in this one really stood out to me. Peter was a fantastic hero for ninety-eight percent of the time. There was one “plot twist” that was thrown in seemingly for the shock factor. It was quite out of character for him to react in such a way to emotional pain, and the action he took kicked a large dent in my respect for him. However, the rest of the time, he was an amazing hero who was easy to root for and sympathize with. He was definitely the cause of many a happy sigh from this reader. Dawt Pi was by far my favorite character in this story. At first I thought she was in her forties or fifties, but now I can’t recall why I had that vibe. Once I was told a couple of times about a third of the way through the book that she was in her early twenties, I was able to adjust my mental picture of her pretty well. The age difference between what I thought and how the author envisioned her did not in any way change my opinion of her. The personality of Dawt Pi was very realistic compared to the Asian folks I’ve met (from several different countries, including South Korea, Japan, China, and Burma). Again, I can’t say too much without spoiling things. I simply adored her and want to reread this book just to enjoy her all over again. Another favorite character was The Professor, who was an African Grey parrot. He added so much quirk to this story that I found myself chuckling at him more often than not. This was a great pet to display in these pages, especially under such a skilled hand as Mrs. Bartels obviously has.
The split-time presentation really worked for me in this story, which kind of surprised me since the two time periods were so close together. One was present day with the lead somewhere around thirty, while the other was back when she was fifteen. The tension of both threads was heightened because of the style of switching back and forth at every new chapter. I particularly enjoyed how little nuggets of information would be given in one thread that you then needed to know or found out even more about in the other thread. That aspect was written to perfection.
Brick & Mortar Books, the lead’s bookshop, was like my dream come true. I’ve often envisioned owning a small bookshop with a little apartment upstairs, so spending time in Robin’s carved-out space was delightful and special and a wonderful treat.
This was my first-ever book by Mrs. Erin Bartels, but I think I might have to check out at least one more. She has a fantastic way of crafting her sentences that digs deep while presenting the reader with gorgeous prose that makes one think outside the box.
Content: alcohol/drunkenness (including bars/parties; heavy theme), drugs (three or four mentions), expletives, replacement profanity, teen drinking/driving, teen drug use (mentioned, not shown), sexual term (one or two), alcohol memorabilia (one or two), tobacco ...more
This series is like a baker’s version of Murder, She Wrote.
This particular story kept me interested at every turn. I like how realistic Hannah is: SheThis series is like a baker’s version of Murder, She Wrote.
This particular story kept me interested at every turn. I like how realistic Hannah is: She deals with weight issues, crazy family members, and a variety of other real-life problems. This is a gal I can root for!
Content: gambling, alcohol, drunkenness, talk of nudity ...more
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