Rescued by Jerusha Agen Review

 

Oh my gosh, what an awesome book. I was just opening the book to get my first line Friday quote for my blog, but Rescued by Jerusha Agen drew me in from that first line and I had to keep reading. What a gripping romantic suspense story. The action is almost non stop, just the way I like it. Danger kept coming after Valena, Cooper and the children, which kept me swiping through the pages. The only thing that made it less suspenseful was being in both the male and female characters' pov, because while Valena wasn't sure if she could trust Cooper, we knew his thoughts. But the danger coming after them was real, even though Valena had no clue why people were after the children in her care. 

And faith in God plays a very important part in this book, which I always appreciate.

I just loved this book and highly recommend it.

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

Recipe for Love by Penny Zeller Review

 

Recipe for Love by Penny Zeller is a sweet small town Christian romcom. The first book I ever read by this author was the first book in this Small Town Shenanigans series, Love in the Headlines which released a couple of years ago. We'll blame her for getting me interested in romcoms, as they are not my usual genre. 

In this story we are in Cloverdale Falls where Maisie and her mom have a bakery on Main Street. Rumors are flying regarding what is going to happen to the businesses here because the former owner of the buildings sold them all. And of course, everyone is thinking the worst. In fact, there are a wide range of theories.

And yet the reader is privy to two points of view. That of Maisie and also that of Hudson, the man who just happens to be in town to assess all the buildings/businesses to report back to his employer. As readers we know that there is no nefarious plan, at least on the part of Hudson. Though we do have to wonder if the actual owner may have some different plans. So, there is a little uncertainty. 

As the story progresses, Maisie is roped into helping in the investigation devised by widows Maeve and Beulah to discover who is was who bought the buildings. No one suspects Hudson's involvement as he is there with his grandparents who are visiting because his grandmother grew up in the town. The shenanigans of the widows are hilarious, and you have to feel bad for Maisie who finds herself emeshed in their activities. 

At the same time, Maisie and Hudson start spending time together and I just loved how their relationship evolved. They both have a strong faith and look to God in making their decisions. However, will their relationship be able to survive with the secrets Hudson is required to keep? 

I loved the small town vibe and the chicken statue and the mascot Henrietta the chicken. I loved that faith in God was incorporated into the story without being "in your face," it was just a part of who the characters were. I loved the hijinks of the widows. 

If you are in the mood for a light hilarious Christian read, you'll want to check out this book. And don't miss Love in the Headlines. However, there is no connection between the two books, so you can read them in whichever order you prefer. 

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 - May 30, 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 book to share with you.

I'm starting Where Secrets Lie by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker which releases next 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 is my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selection:

Where Secrets Lie by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker:

"Jessica Legare kept an escape bag in the lower-left drawer of the desk in her home office."

And just why does she need an escape bag?

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:

Where Secrets Lie by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker:

 

"She zipped up her inadequate coat and hurried down Pine Street. The scents of car exhaust, grilling meat, and hot asphalt from a street repair assaulted her nose. The sounds of car horns, jackhammers, and dozens of people talking at once crowded into her ears. Her steps slowed as she turned onto Pearl and neared the restaurant. She looked around, scanning for anyone familiar."

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. I shared the link to the review of the one book last week. Here is the link to the other:

The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter 

The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter Review

 

The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter gripped me from the start and wouldn't let go. A wonderful friends to lovers story. 

Josh has been in love with Maggie for years, but she only saw him as a good friend. In fact she had married his brother. However, his brother, her husband Ethan, has now been dead for 5 years. 

However, Maggie suddenly sees someone at the carnival who has an uncanny resemblance to her husband. But that can't be, can it?

This is the start of an investigation Maggie and Josh undertake, trying to figure out who it was that she saw, and no, it's not just her imagination as she caught the guy in the picture she was taking of her daughter . 

There were so many twists and seeming dead ends as they undertook this mission. And as they did, they grew even closer together. But will Maggie ever see Josh as more than a good friend? Will she be able to open herself up to love despite the devastation in her past, and when certain truths are brought to light?

An awesome, emotional book dealing with loss and grief. It has become my favorite of this author. I zinged through the last half of the book as I needed them to solve this mystery. 

Highly recommended.

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

Friday Fun - May 23, 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 read Every Hour Until Then by Gabrielle Meyer which just released this week. Let me tell you, I could NOT put the book down.

I'm starting The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter.

        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:

Every Hour Until Then by Gabrielle Meyerr:

"A cold wind rattled the window frame in my bedroom at 11 Wilton Crescent as the edges of a tree branch scraped across the glass."

Setting the mood here for sure. 

The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter:

"If Maggie Reynolds could just make it past August 7, she would finallly be able to breathe again."

I wondered what was so special about this date and what it was that was causing concern.

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:

Every Hour Until Then by Gabrielle Meyer:

 

"'We do not belong here,' Austen said as we drove toward Dorset Street. 'Don't do anything to draw more attention than necessary.'
I moved a little closer to Austen on instinct, and he glanced down at me. 'It's strange and scary to think that Jack the Ripper could be walking this very street right now, looking for his next victim, and we wouldn't even know him,' I said."

The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter:

"'You think his family would give out his contact information so easily?'
She hadn't thought that far ahead. 'I could just ask them to give him my contact info. They'd know Rocky was his nickname so they'd know I'm telling the truth.'
'That only proves you know someone who knew him over there.'
She huffed. 'Stop being such a downer. We're this close.'"

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. I still haven't finished the one book, however, here is the link to my review of trhe other book.

Rescued by Jerusha Agen

And here is my review for Every Hour Until Then by Gabrielle Meyer.

Every Hour Until Then by Gabrielle Meyer Review

 

wow! just wow! that is all

Okay, a bit more.

I absolutely love the entire Timeless series by Gabrielle Meyer, I have since reading the first book. But, I have to say, Every Hour Until Then is my new favorite. I was intrigued since first learning that Kathryn's one timeline was going to take place during the time of Jack the Ripper. And then to have her other path be right before the second world war and she is one of two people in charge of putting together a display of Jack the Ripper in a museum. Awesome!

This book had the shortest gap in years between the time crosser's two lives. Which meant there was the anticipation that maybe Kathryn will be bumping into people she's seen in the past. Or maybe someone might be wondering why she looks like someone they knew in their younger years.

One of the rules of time crossing is that they can not change history. So, of course the author has included a situation that Kathryn is desperate to change. But will she be able to? Will she listen to advice and not mess with history?

Into this story the author has brought an intriguing theory behind the identity of Jack the Ripper, one I hadn't heard of, but I did google it while reading and realized it has been a theory. I loved the way the author weaved this into the story. Keeping the reader guessing and throwing in twists all over the place. I had some theories, some that were right and others that were definitely not. But it kept me turning the pages to find out what was going on. I was quite on edge as I neared the end of the book, needing to know what exactly was going to happen, especially after the big reveal. The tension that just flowed off the pages gripped me.

And I just have to say, while other books have had little cameos of past characters, I loved that there were past characters that played main characters in this story.

I don't want to say anything else for fear of giving anything away. But this book was just awesome, and I highly recommend it. But make sure you have read the previous books. They definitely need to be read in order.

Friday Fun - May 16, 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'm starting Hope's Enduring Echo by Kim Vogel Sawyer.

I'm also starting Rescued by Jerusha Agen, book one in her Security League series, which was previously a part of the Cold Escape anthology.

        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:

Hope's Enduring Echo by Kim Vogel Sawyer:

"Arms outstretched like a tightrope walker, Jennie placed one foot in front of the other and kept a slow yet steady pace on top of the wooden pipeline running along the edge of the Arkansas River."

I sort of wanted to know how high up she was and how old she was. 

Rescued by Jerusha Agen:

"The screaming blare sought her in the darkness."

Well, that grabbed my attention. I needed to know what the screaming blare was and what was going on.

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:

Hope's Enduring Echo by Kim Vogel Sawyer:

 

"She'd held their secret close for so long. Allowing others to peek behind the curtain of protection she'd drawn sent cold chills up and down Etta's spine. She gulped and forced an honest answer. 'Jennie walks the line and reports to her daddy.' Then she clasped her hands under her chin. 'Please don't share what I've told you with anyone.'"

Rescued by Jerusha Agen:

"This was insane. She was in the middle of nowhere in freezing Wisconsin with two-year-old twins and a guy who could very well be a lunatic, luring her into a winter wasteland to do her in and . . ."

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. Here is the link to my review:

Proclaimer by Megan Schaulis 

I am still reading the other book.