The boarding school setting worked beautifully for this story. It was great to get POVs from both the teachers and students, because that provided theThe boarding school setting worked beautifully for this story. It was great to get POVs from both the teachers and students, because that provided the most complete picture of this place and how it, and the people in it, ticked.
I liked how each character brought their own personality and problems to the table. From obesity and jealousy to entering a new school and a new job, those real-life issues created an intricate, tumultuous plot that was addicting. There was a good contrast between the rich, snobby girls and the scholarship student who yearned to fit in. This dynamic was easy to relate to and kept the pages flying fast.
The drawback for me was the unnecessary use of bad language, which was quite excessive. If not for that, this could have easily been a four- or five-star read.
Content: profanity (excessive, by adults and teens alike), crude talk, rude gestures mentioned, unwed pregnancy, expletives (excessive, by adults and teens alike), tobacco, alcohol, sexual perversion mentioned, marital affairs...more
This book was a difficult one for me because of the liberal politics of one character and a belief about Christianity that seems misaligned with the BThis book was a difficult one for me because of the liberal politics of one character and a belief about Christianity that seems misaligned with the Bible.
The concerning point of view, which I see too often in Christian fiction these days, is the thought that, because God is love and Jesus brought peace, war is never the “Christian” thing to do. Throughout the entire Bible, war has been a tool God has used to draw His people closer to Himself as well as closer to their Promised Land, and a way of punishing evil people for their rebellion against Him (in the Old Testament in particular, this often dealt with people and/or nations who worshipped pagan/foreign gods, because God is a “jealous God” [Exodus 20:5] who commanded the Israelites to “not make for [themselves] a carved image” to bow down to [or worship]. It is also stated a couple of verses prior to that, that “you shall have no other god before Me [Yahweh/God]” [verse 3]). War is featured in the Old and New Testaments (see Joshua 5:13-6:27, Judges 4-5, Ephesians 6:10-20 [spiritual warfare]), and it is predicted, in Revelation, to culminate in the Battle of Armageddon (with Jesus as the leader of the Godly army) in the End Times (Revelation 16-19). So there is “a time of war,” as Ecclesiastes 3 tells us, even now and further into the future. In fact, Jesus Himself said in Matthew 10:34, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.” He brings peace to the soul of man through salvation, but He came to earth in order to teach us how to repent (turn away) from our sins so He may save as many souls as are willing in order to reunite the repentant ones with God Almighty, so we may live with Him for all of eternity. He also came with spiritual warfare, as Paul mentioned, to conquer spiritual death so that eternal life with God was possible.
God is still a God of peace and love, but He is also a God of war and justice. He is complex, which is why we have the entire Bible rather than just one or two of Its books so that we may learn more about the different aspects of God’s nature.
Beyond that, there were definitely aspects of Ever After that I enjoyed. I liked the journey Emily was on and that things didn’t always go as she planned but that beautiful and heartrending things took place. I found myself weeping buckets through the last several chapters that focused on her, because the content was so moving emotionally for me. I particularly liked her charity work, as it was admirable and encouraging. This was my favorite thing about this story, actually.
I also enjoyed that Lauren came around to see that maybe there was more to the stories she was chasing in her war correspondence work. It’s beautiful to watch characters dive a little deeper and hunt the real truth instead of the surface “truth” that is usually the first thing seen. This was a great redemption for this difficult-to-love character.
The patriotism threaded through Emily’s and Shane’s and Justin’s threads was so beautiful. I have always been happy to be an American, and it was fun to see these characters felt the same way and did their best to stand up for America’s principles that were founded on Biblical principles. We need much more of this right now.
This wasn’t exactly the type of story I’m used to reading by Mrs. Snelling, but it was an important one. So many grandparents end up raising their graThis wasn’t exactly the type of story I’m used to reading by Mrs. Snelling, but it was an important one. So many grandparents end up raising their grandchildren these days, and I love that this story shines a light on that.
The characters were well developed and age appropriate. The children especially were spot-on, which was a delight as sometimes they can feel years older or younger than their given ages. Mrs. Snelling hit the mark exactly! I also enjoyed that she nailed the angst and frustration of abandonment as well as the fears and joys that children in such scenarios might discover along the way.
It was so wonderful to see rich, deep faith embedded into the core of the story. The grandparents were great examples of walking by faith, and I appreciated that they had to face such things as depression, suddenly raising grandkids, and owning up to mistakes made. They were grand examples and role models for their grandkids and for the readers of this book.
I liked that this was a modern-day homefront story. I don’t see too many of those, so it felt fresh and new. I treasure stories about holding down the fort at home while loved ones serve our great country overseas.
The reason for the rating of three stars is because the first third or so was a little slow for me. Since this was a slice-of-life story, there was a ton of food prep, dinner eating, talking to one’s pets, and other general things that didn’t really push the story forward in any fashion. However, once the story was thrust into taking care of the kids and dealing with their emotional trauma, I became quite riveted and yearned to find out how the kids would learn to deal with their loss and the disruption to their lives.
I wasn’t really sure what the title meant, and I never did figure it out. The Second Half… of what?
Content: crude sexual term, replacement expletive...more
This was an intriguing kidnapping mystery. I especially enjoyed the creepy, Criminal Minds-esque tone surrounding the cruel, evil psychopath.
UnfortunaThis was an intriguing kidnapping mystery. I especially enjoyed the creepy, Criminal Minds-esque tone surrounding the cruel, evil psychopath.
Unfortunately, this book was packed with horrible language, always unnecessary, as well as lots of crude talk about women’s bodies. Because of those things, I will not be continuing the series.
Content: expletives (excessive), sexual perversion, profanity (excessive), tobacco, alcohol, crude talk, sexual innuendo, graphic violence ...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 book was a complete struggle for me. The only things I liked were that the baddie had a perfect alibi and that there was much more depth to his sThis book was a complete struggle for me. The only things I liked were that the baddie had a perfect alibi and that there was much more depth to his story than first met the eye. Everything else felt contrived, bullyish, over-the-top, and too easily solved.
There was at least one factual error. This book stated that “most forest fires were the result of lightning strikes.” However, the “Wildfire Causes and Evaluation” page of the United States’ National Park Service website clearly states, “Nearly 85 percent of wildland fires are caused by humans.”
There were inconsistencies and inaccuracies throughout, including calling a sundress “formal.”
It was disappointing to see how prejudiced and jump-to-conclusions the authority figures were in this book. I certainly wouldn’t want to visit this fictional town even if I could, because the authority figures were so prejudiced against the leading lady that they failed to properly conduct their investigations, which forced her to solve her case herself.
The story was circuitous and repetitive.
Most new facts were revealed via dialogue rather than seeing the things take place. This was exhausting and probably explains why it took me half a month to read this short novel.
“Well, maybe I can just believe it for you.” Yeah… that’s not at all how faith works. Faith must be personal, according to the Holy Bible, instead of by proxy.
There were some outlandish and illogical plot twists and decisions made by the characters. One such choice was leaving a crawling-with-cops safe location. No small-town killer would attack in those circumstances, so the smartest thing, the most logical thing, would be to stay put. Yet they left.
The faith thread was nearly non-existent. Other than the abovementioned line, which wasn’t accurate to Bible-taught faith, there was a last-second plea but nothing substantial. This was also disappointing, as I like a solid faith thread in Love Inspired suspense books.
On a positive note, there weren’t any content issues that I noticed. ...more
This book did capture the same OCD-yet-charm the TV-show Mr. Monk had, but I like the show better. I loved that the case came up via Julie, Natalie TeThis book did capture the same OCD-yet-charm the TV-show Mr. Monk had, but I like the show better. I loved that the case came up via Julie, Natalie Teeger’s daughter. That was a good way to kick off the book series, to immediately get Julie involved. I liked that it was an intriguing mystery, just like the show. There was some good humor throughout, but it was overshadowed in large part by the crudity that was thick throughout. Because of that, I won’t be continuing the series.
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
What a ride! This book was tense and held high stakes as well as twists galore that kept me guessing until the very end. I loved the shocking climax aWhat a ride! This book was tense and held high stakes as well as twists galore that kept me guessing until the very end. I loved the shocking climax and the final scene. There was such a fantastic use of secrets in this story that it felt like an old whodunit rather than a suspense/thriller at times. I loved that! The search dog was used the perfect amount: more than once but not so much that the searches took over the plot. Great touch! The characters were well developed and had good motivations throughout. The second-chance romance was superb and had the right touch of regret and anger before shifting into reliance because of desperation, friendship, and eventually romance. Lacey and Creed were wonderful and realistic. Their problems were vivid and urgent throughout, and it was easy to root for them or fear for them, by turn, because they were such lovable folks. The dog was special and well included.
This is a book five, so I recommend reading the books in order. In the early chapters, it was hard to keep track of the various couples mentioned because I hadn’t experienced their romances yet. So coming into the series cold-turkey at book five was not a smart idea; it left me a bit lost, though Mrs. Eason did a fantastic job of giving identifying markers as to their relationships to the leads of the current story.
Adorable reunion story. It was lovely to see the second chance unfold, even though it was heartrending at times too. IAlways in My Heart by Mary Ellis
Adorable reunion story. It was lovely to see the second chance unfold, even though it was heartrending at times too. I love a good reunion with a long-lost child!
Content: breastfeeding, rape
Always His Provision by Ruth Reid
How fun that the Bowmans from the previous story made an appearance! I loved the heartache and the journey toward healing so beautifully highlighted in this novella. The conflict with the neighbor was fantastic.
Content: miscarriages mentioned
Always Beautiful by Beth Wiseman
The author handled well the theme of being self-conscious about one’s weight. I really enjoyed Becky’s journey and wanted so much to hug her! If only she could have seen the beauty of her size.
This one was disappointing. The romance was way too physical for my taste and included casual mentions of “cold showers” being needed, a “virile man,”This one was disappointing. The romance was way too physical for my taste and included casual mentions of “cold showers” being needed, a “virile man,” “pecs,” and a “joke” about short-term romances (which indicated one-night stands). The sexual overtones were thick throughout. Not my cup of tea at all!
I was confused at why either lead assumed the guy was the intended target when the girl was the one shot and possibly dying. (This happens super early on in the story.)
There was enough focus on “fate” that it stood out to me. I found this odd in a Christian fiction book.
The creepy psycho who thought God wanted him to kill people was, perhaps, the best-written aspect of this entire book. I definitely felt shivers during this person’s scenes, and I was kept on the edge of my seat as to what would happen next with this bad guy.
Content: sexual overtones throughout, half an expletive phrase, bars, alcohol, skimpy clothing...more
If it weren’t for the creepy, evil vibes surrounding psychic/medium-type experiences, I probably would have loved this story. As it was, though, the eIf it weren’t for the creepy, evil vibes surrounding psychic/medium-type experiences, I probably would have loved this story. As it was, though, the evil vibes clung hard and creeped me out the whole time I was reading this book. I’m glad to have done with it now.
It was also weird that several people in the FBI were concerned about germs on a piece of evidence and suggested the guy “toss it” into the garbage. Say what?! Germs are typically on all of their evidence. I have no clue why these people were such germaphobes in the type of work they’re in.
The kidnapping thread was superbly written. I rather enjoyed seeing how that portion unfolded. That was the thread that saved this book from being only a single-star read for me. The reunion angle helped too.
Content: replacement expletives, one profanity, a couple of expletives...more
I have no clue how many times the dude had to remind Annie that she needed to follow the rules, but I was definitelRepetitive. Repetitive. Repetitive.
I have no clue how many times the dude had to remind Annie that she needed to follow the rules, but I was definitely the one beaten over the head with it. One would think that after a year in protective custody, she would be very well aware of the rules and would gladly follow them, especially considering how close the court date was—which, of course, signaled the nearing end of her isolation. She seemed to follow the rules just fine except for once (and that time was completely understandable, considering how oppressive and bossy the leading man had been toward her leading up to that point), so I don’t understand why Hunter chose to remind her ad nauseum that she better be a good little girl and mind her manners. This lady was old enough to have a two-year-old of her own; she certainly didn’t need to be treated like one. Besides that, she’d acted with nothing but respect toward the team and the rules, which showed me she was well beyond needing the reminders.
Because of the above reason, I found the romance improbable. Why would a lady purposely choose to date or fall in love with a man who belittled her and treated her like a very young child with an attention deficit disorder, needing constant reminders of how to follow rules? Personally, I don’t want to be involved in such a controlling relationship.
Another thing that bugged me: The team of marshals was unprofessional and immature. I wouldn’t trust them to protect a dead duck let alone a woman and her young daughter. In front of the clients, they bickered amongst themselves over breakfast, stared daggers at one another while moving the clients to a new locale, one of the marshals flirted with the client, and the team leader lectured the client about not falling in love with his partner BEFORE he even approached the partner about acting with professionalism and not flirting with clients. This team was a hot mess, and I’m not sure how they’d had a 100% success rate prior to this, considering they didn’t get along very well or know how to behave while on the job. This team was incompetence personified and not a realistic representation of the United States marshals service.
The only realistic character was the two-year-old child. Her moods, tantrums, joy, and energy levels were absolutely normal to a lot of kids that age. She was adorable, and I wish the story had fully focused on her, as she was definitely the showstopper. I liked that her mom was trying so hard to create a normal routine for her amid the chaos of being in witness protection and just how unsettling that whole experience can be.
This book also wasn’t as action packed as I’m used to from Love Inspired Suspense, though what little action was there was pretty good. However, the plot didn’t all make sense, especially the revelation in the final chapter. For obvious reasons, I can’t really discuss that one. Suffice it to say, I think Sophia would have been in much greater danger throughout the story had this shock-and-awe turn of events really been a thing through the full story. It was a non-factor, so I’m not sure why it even came into play in the final chapter. That felt way too late in the game to be pertinent to the outcome of the entire story.
While I wanted to enjoy this book, it turned out to be a miss for me.
Mostly, this story was adorable. What a cute purebred pug puppy Potato was! I really enjoyed him. The themes of grief, family, friendship, and choosinMostly, this story was adorable. What a cute purebred pug puppy Potato was! I really enjoyed him. The themes of grief, family, friendship, and choosing to do the right thing were well written and added so much depth to this little story.
I really struggled to understand the lead’s mindset that was so against breeding dogs and dog shows. She felt they were “irresponsible,” but these are institutions that have been well revered for years upon years. I personally know a woman who responsibly bred dogs for years. She always took great care of her dogs and puppies, never overworking the parents and always finding really great forever homes for the puppies once they were weaned and old enough to be separated from their parents. I understand the character in this book preferred for people to rescue animals from shelters, but each person should get to decide whether they want a rescue dog or a purebred dog, as neither option is wrong per se. I don’t get why there was such a huge anti-breeding perspective in this book, particularly since the lead herself loved a purebred dog — which means he would have originally come from a dog breeder’s litter of purebred pups, no matter that he ended up at the shelter somehow when she came upon him.
I did get hooked into the story, and the finale was super adorable.
What a darling little story! From the cover to the escapades, this middle-grade romcom had me engaged from beginning to end. There was high tension frWhat a darling little story! From the cover to the escapades, this middle-grade romcom had me engaged from beginning to end. There was high tension from the beginning since the lead wanted a dog and her mom had a “no-pets rule.” It was fun seeing how a new kid struggled to survive the Big Apple, and it was equally intriguing to see the preparations for a quinceañera unfold.
The two pugs with fun names were what stole the show, though. Osito, meaning Little Bear, and Pancake; what could be cuter?! I really enjoyed spending time with this mischievous dogs and their super-sweet story.
Content: replacement expletives, replacement profanity, crude sexual terms ...more
This was a good finale to the Lavender Tides series, but I liked that it connected to the Rock Harbor series too. I usually don’t like it when series This was a good finale to the Lavender Tides series, but I liked that it connected to the Rock Harbor series too. I usually don’t like it when series interact and overlap, but this one felt like a good connection that made decent sense to me.
Featuring sex trafficking, this is not an easy read. However, it’s an important one. Sexual abuse and exploitation are all too real these days, and it’s good that authors like Colleen Coble are exposing this terrible business that makes billions of dollars per year.
The romance was mostly good, but I did not appreciate the fact that the leads purposely chose to stay in the same house overnight, though they were not married. There were plenty of other options to keep morals at the forefront, but those were not chosen. This, of course, caused the characters to be tempted, and they were driven by hormones and got more physical in this scene than any other. This book would have been rated higher than three stars if this issue had been handled differently.
I adored the geriatric nurse angle of this story. That’s something that isn’t often featured in books I read, and it made for an interesting career choice for Bailey. It provided some great plot points for the story too, so this aspect definitely played a big role within the storyline.
There was a great brother-sister angle too. I won’t say much about it, because I think it’s better discovered as the story unfolds, but I found this part of the story to be one of my favorites.
The sibling search involving Shauna, which also connects the full series, was amazing in this one, as it was in the previous books. I have greatly enjoyed her journey to find her siblings, and I found satisfaction in how this all wrapped up.
Content: bigamy, derogatory terms, tobacco, sex trafficking, marital affairs mentioned, drugs, Hindu and Buddhist cultures mentioned, mythology mentioned, leads stayed together overnight without being married, alcohol ...more
Pretty great addition to the series. The search for Shauna’s siblings continued, and I was delighted to see the turn of events. It was fun to see somePretty great addition to the series. The search for Shauna’s siblings continued, and I was delighted to see the turn of events. It was fun to see some Asian connections in this one. I particularly liked that there was a Korean character. The romance wasn’t great for me in the first third, as it was manipulative and antagonistic, but it grew on me well in the back two thirds.
A veterinarian I’ve had experience with in the past told me that it’s tricky to know which gender kittens are, that it’s not as simple as checking its underside. This book made it look super simple, by just flipping the kitten upside down, but that isn’t at all what my real-life experience and research have shown me about young kittens.
I’m eager to see the continued sibling search in book three.
This one was much better than the previous book in the series. There were plenty of twists in this tiny book, and a great story was told in only 160 pThis one was much better than the previous book in the series. There were plenty of twists in this tiny book, and a great story was told in only 160 pages. I liked that it was a honeymoon story that did not get overly sensualized. Definitely a job well done on that front. The joy of a honeymoon was well expressed, but the bedroom scenes were kept off the pages, for which I was so grateful.
Content: mentions of a demigod, Hinduism, and reincarnation ...more
This book would have easily been four stars if not for one thing: the leads platonically lived together prior to marriage, and this was heavily emphasThis book would have easily been four stars if not for one thing: the leads platonically lived together prior to marriage, and this was heavily emphasized throughout the entire book. Also, there was a child involved, so this would teach him that it’s okay to live with a girl prior to marriage. I am not okay with this message.
While some details (nearly-black hair, hair “product”) quickly became redundant, most of this story was quite enjoyable to me. I loved that it featured two pilots, one of a helicopter and the other of an airplane. I loved that there was a little boy to be concerned about. I loved that it was an action-packed thrilled with a mystery to solve. I loved that it was full of twists that I never saw coming. I loved that it had a character in default of payments for something, which was completely realistic but isn’t often featured in books I read.
Content: skimpy clothing, alcohol, alcoholism, replacement profanity, platonically living together before marriage (heavy emphasis), sexual phrase...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!
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