Friday Fun - November 7, 2025

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, and First Line Friday.

This week I have one books to share with you.

I'm starting Love in the Castle Library by Ann Swindell.

        Book Beginnings on Friday     

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here is my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selection:

 Love in the Castle Library by Ann Swindell:

"Delphine DuVert tried not to squirm in the airplane seat."

I had to wonder why she was squirming. Did she not want to be there? Had she never flown before? Was she nervous about where she was going? 

Now for:

The Friday 56 

The Friday 56 is normally hosted over at Freda's Voice. But Anne from My Head is Full of Books is taking over for a while. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here is my Friday 56 selection:

Love in the Castle Library by Ann Swindell:

"There had been something in Delphine's voice when he'd inquired about the rest of the research team yesterday-something off. One of the team members had gotten under her skin, it seemed. Hmm. Perhaps his rewearch wouldn't be solely historical. He had another mystery to solve."

Reviews:

Last week I shared three books in my Friday Fun post. I'm still reading the one, but here are the links to my reviews of the other books:

Every Captive Freed by B.D. Lawrence, Shannon McNear, and Angela Shelton

Prowl by Colleen Coble

Prowl by Colleen Coble Review

 

Prowl was an awesome second book in Colleen Coble's Sanctuary series. I could not put it down.  I was so glad to return to the Sanctuary with Paradise and Blake, back into more danger and another mystery to solve. In the first book of the series, Paradise learned that she has a brother. So, she has set out to discover who and where he is. Yet it appears that someone doesn't want her to find him. At the same time, there has been another death at the Sanctuary. From the opening chapter the reader knows it wasn't an accident. But who now is trying to saboutage the Sanctuary? And why? Who is stalking Paradise and endangering her life? It becomes imperative to find answers, especially because the local cop is trying to, once again, pin the crime on an innocent party. There are so many threads that need to be unraveled. So many twists that are unexpected. So much at stake that I had to keep reading. I needed to know how everything connected. The suspense and danger kept me on my toes, as they usually do with a Colleen Coble book. And I love the connection to the author's Pelican Harbor series and also her new series with Rick Acker, the Tupelo Grove series. Plus the author has brought The Phantom of the Opera into this story in some diabolical ways. 

I highly recommend this book, but I'd make sure to read Ambush first. And also, even though the plot doesn't connect with the Tupelo Grove books, I do recommend reading them so you can get to know Hez and Savannah, who appear in this series. 

I received an e-copy of this book through NetGalley and as a member of the launch team. I was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.

Every Captive Freed by B.D. Lawrence, Shannon McNear, and Angela Shelton Review

Every Captive Freed is a powerful collection of three novellas that focus on human trafficking. There are two contemporaty stories and one historical story that delve into the horrible trials of slavery. But they also share hope. 

Sara's Story by B.D. Lawrence is about a young girl who was being shuffled between foster homes, feeling unloved, and seeking out love, but sadly finds herself being pulled deeper and deeper into the world of sex trafficking. We know she escapes as the story is told from her point as she tells it to another girl who is pulled from its clutches. Though we see the horror she lives through over the years, there is nothing graphic. And most importantly, there is hope, the hope found in Jesus. 

Streams of the Heart by Shannon McNear is the one historical novella. It is told from the point of view of Sacagewea, the native American who I knew was a guide to Lewis and Clark on their expedition in the 1800s to the Pacific Ocean. There was so much more I did not know. I didn't realize she had been captured by another tribe at a young age and ended up in slavery, and then ended up forced into marriage to a French Canadian fur trader.  I enjoyed reading her story and learning more about this expedition, but also getting to see what her thoughts and emotions might have been as she joined them. I also found the POV of Clark to be fascinating. 

Unbroken by Angela Shelton is the final story in this collection. Nova is a teenage athlete who becomes infatuated with a guy who is just a bit older than her. Or so she thinks. Though she has a loving mom and a best friend whose family is like a second family to her, she is still craving love and attention. She realizes too late that she didn't heed advice she should have, and finds herself captured, on her way to being sold into sex trafficking. I love that she remains strong and persistant, and doesn't give up trying to save herself and another girl who is with her. I found it intriguing and disturbing that this story had parts that were taken from real events. Again, the story was told with no graphic details. 

This collection comes together nicely. I liked that there was a less disturbing tale in the middle to break apart the stories that were really hard to read. These stories show how important it is to be aware of what is going on. Not easy reads, but definitely eye opening. Highly recommended. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.

Friday Fun - October 31, 2025

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, and First Line Friday.

This week I have three books to share with you.

I'm reading the second story in the novella collection titled Every Captive Freed, featuring three novellas about human trafficking by B.D. Lawrence, Shannon McNear, and Angela Shelton. This collection releases on November 5th.

I'm starting Prowl by Colleen Coble. This book is the second book in her Sanctuary series and it releases November 4th.

I'm also starting Love on the Horizon by Penny Zeller. This book is the fourth book in the Horizon series and it released this week. 

        Book Beginnings on Friday     

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here are my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selections:

 Streams of the Heart by Shannon McNear, the second story in Every Captive Freed:

"Where does a story begin?"

Intriguing question.

Prowl by Colleen Coble:

"The sun peeked over the eastern horizon in a perfect Alabama sunrise as Ivy Cook lugged the pails of raw meat out of the Gator utility vehicle and walked toward the hyena enclosure."

.I knew, according to the blurb, that something was going to happen to an employee. I wondered if Ivy was in danger by going into the hyena enclosure.

Love on the Horizon by Penny Zeller:

"The best dreams were the ones that came true.

I guess that's true. I hoped that meant there would be dreams coming true. I was curious to find out what they might be.

Now for:

The Friday 56 

The Friday 56 is normally hosted over at Freda's Voice. But Anne from My Head is Full of Books is taking over for a while. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here are my Friday 56 selections:

Prowl by Colleen Coble:

"'I had strict orders to bring you home with me tonight.' He scooped up the fluffy black kitten rolling around on his shoes. 'You have a box for these little furballs?'

'I have a crate.' She went to get it, and the kittens leaped after her. She corralled them into the crate and fastened the door. 'How about you grab the food while I go to the gun shop and fill out the paperwork? It will get us home faster if we divide and conquer.'"

Love on the Horizon by Penny Zeller:

"'That was quite brave of you,' said Mae, a delicate and soft-spoken woman wearing a lovely dress with leg-o-mutton sleeves, pearl buttons on the high-necked bodice, and a bell-shaped skirt extending from her slim waistline.

'Thank you. I'm just thankful it was successful.'

'And here they thought their beards were brilliant disguises.' said the man to Ruby's right, who if Mags remembered correctly, was named Jake."

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. I'm still reading the novella collection, but here is the link to my review of the other book:

Coffee We Spill by Chelsea Michelle

Two weeks ago I shared two book in my Friday Fun post. I shared the link to the one review last week. Here is the link to the review for the other:

Their Burden to Bear by Heather Tabers

Coffee We Spill by Chelsea Michelle Review

 

Coffee We Spill is the third mini mystery in Chelsea Michelle's Watson Twins series. There are now three mini mysteries, plus one full length mystery which takes place between Chaos We Unravel and Coffee We Spill. I've enjoyed all the books so far, but the full length novel is my favorite, with this new story coming in close behind. 

I loved the mystery in this one and how we didn't know if Zach, the owner of a coffee truck who was in competition with Michelle and her coffee shop, was just missing or if he had met a worse fate. The blood found at the back of Michelle's coffee shop sure did make me wonder. It was clear some one was trying to set Michelle up for the fall, but the identity of the culprit was kept a mystery until quite near the end of the story. 

There was a bit of suspense and danger in the story, but nothing too over the top. I mean, this is just a cozy mystery. Personally, I am a fan of suspense, so I enjoyed the level of suspense in this book. 

I love how all of Michelle's friends and family gather around her to support her. I loved getting to see more of Michelle's relationship with her new boyfriend Jeremy, but I really want to find out what is up with him, and whether Chelsea is right in not trusting him. I hope we get to find out more in the next book. Of course, part of me really wishes she'd get back together with Kyle. Though we never really saw them as a couple because they broke up at the beginning of the first book. But they obviously care a lot about each other. 

I'm also hoping the next book brings Chelsea a better relationship. Even though her boyfriend is a Christian, I'm not a huge fan of him, especially because of certain reactions he had in this book. And we really didn't get to see much of him anyway. As there was a lot of Michelle with Jeremy time in this book, I really hope Chelsea gets the chance for a relationship. 

As you may be able to tell, I'm really invested in these characters now. I'm loving the mysteries they have been involved with solving, even though I'm still not a huge fan of the rule breaking that is going on while they are trying to solve them. Poor Chelsea trying to keep Michelle safe from herself, but also going against what she feels is right, just to protect her. 

And I love that faith is important to the characters, and we see them in prayer and in church, and they learn to lean on Jesus and trust Him. 

Definitely another great addition to this series. 

I received an e-copy of this book as a member of the launch team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.

Their Burden to Bear by Heather Tabers Review

 

Their Burden to Bear by Heather Tabers is an awesome book. It drew me right in and I had a hard time putting it down. 

I was intrigued when I first heard about this book. It was something I've never really thought much about. I have heard of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, but I never knew the history of how he got there

 Didn't realize any details when it came to the Body Bearers. I love the way the author brought this part of history to life. Loved the relationship between Phillip, one of the Marines who was a Body Bearer, and Elsie, the lady who was chosen as his companion. This book was so emotional. The trauma they were both dealing with and working through really moved me. And then the author included some intrigue, with even a bit of suspense and danger. 

Loved this debut novel and can't wait to read more from this author.

I received an e-copy of this book as a member of the launch team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.

Friday Fun - October 24, 2025

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, and First Line Friday.

This week I have two books to share with you.

I started reading the novella collection titled Every Captive Freed, featuring three novellas about human trafficking by B.D. Lawrence, Shannon McNear, and Angela Shelton. This collection releases on November 5th.

I'm also reading the newest Watson Twins Mini Mystery Coffee We Spill by Chelsea Michelle. This book released last month.

        Book Beginnings on Friday     

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here are my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selections:

 Sara's Story by B.D. Lawrence, the first story in Every Captive Freed:

"Sara Hanley entered the opulent sitting room and sat on the white, brushed fabric sofa."

I wondered where exactly she was and why she was there. Was this before, during, or after her captivity?

Coffee We Spill by Chelsea Michelle:

"Things were finally starting to look up for Michelle."

That was good news, thinking about what she had gone through in the last book. 

Now for:

The Friday 56 

The Friday 56 is normally hosted over at Freda's Voice. But Anne from My Head is Full of Books is taking over for a while. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here are my Friday 56 selections:

Sara's Story by B.D. Lawrence, the first story in Every Captive Freed:

 

"At least Keyshawn had waited until warmer weather to throw her out on the street. The dress code changed. At the club, it didn’t matter what she wore, as it wasn’t on her that long. She usually wore a robe between customers. On the street, she had to be a billboard, advertise herself. Being tall and well-arranged, as one older man had told her, opened up many options to display herself. But she hated it. Hated the tiny skirts, the tight, revealing tops, the high heels."

Coffee We Spill by Chelsea Michelle:

"I groaned. “So where does that leave us?” Greg shrugged. “We look to see if he has a motive. If he did anything to Zach, I highly doubt it was a crime of passion or a warped senseless crime. If he did it, I’d venture to say he felt like he had good reason. … Or at least that’s my assessment.” He put a strong emphasis on the word “if”—which I was pretty sure was for Michelle’s sake."

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. I'm still reading the one, but here is the link to my review from several months ago when I first read the other book:

Every Hour Until Then by Gabrielle Meyer