Friday Fun - March 31, 2023

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

This week I have two books to share with you. 

I read Dark of Night by Colleen Coble. This wasn't for any of my specific monthly challenges, though there is green on the cover, so it fits into two of them (even though I already had other books that also fit that prompt).

       

I'm currently reading The Mistletoe Inn by Richard Paul Evans for my challenge of reading a Christmas book each month this year. As you can see, this book also has a green cover.

              Book Beginnings on Fridays

(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.)

Here is my Book Beginnings for Dark of Night by Colleen Coble:

"Should she even be out here alone?"

Well, if you have to ask, the answer is probably "NO!"

And here is my Book Beginnings for The Mistletoe Inn by Richard Paul Evans:

"When I was eleven years old I was walking home from a friend's birthday party when I saw an ambulance parked in the driveway of my house."

Yeah, doesn't sound like a good thing.

Now for:

The Friday 56

The Friday 56 is hosted over at Freda's Voice.

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.

Dark of Night by Colleen Coble:
 

"'You're not a failure unless you give up. And you're not a quitter. I know it's hard when she makes you feel rejected. Things will get easier the more you're together.'"

The Mistletoe Inn by Richard Paul Evans:

"He still looked embarrassed. 'I can't believe I put my foot in my mouth when there's all this delicious food I should be eating instead."

Friday Fun - March 24, 2023

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

This week I have two books to share with you. 

I read Stay With Me by Jody Hedlund for two of my challenges. I needed a book with a green cover. I've been wanting to read this book, the third in the Waters of Time series, since before it was released. I was glad I was able to fit it into my challenges. 

       

I'm reading Bridge of Gold by Kimberley Woodhouse for another one of my challenges, though I did realize it would also fit in with the "green cover" challenges. I needed a book with a gold rush. This book is a dual timeline book. It actually takes place in present day and in 1933 during the Depression. However, while the characters in both timelines are diving in San Francisco they find a sunken boat holding gold and human bones. 

              Book Beginnings on Fridays

(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.)

Here is my Book Beginnings for Stay With Me by Jody Hedlund:

"Someone or something was watching her.

Sybil Huxham traced her fingers over a crack in the damp wall of the underground passageway, the chill in the stone just like the chill pulsing through her blood."

A bit of creepiness for this beginning.

And here is my Book Beginnings for Bridge of Gold by Kimberley Woodhouse:

"Certain moments in life define a person. Moments that invoke physical feelings that can't be described."

I was wondering what was special about the moment I was going to read about.

Now for:

The Friday 56

The Friday 56 is hosted over at Freda's Voice.

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.

Stay With Me by Jody Hedlund:
 

"'Why?' She choked out the word. 'I've given you everything I have. I've loved you unconditionally, even when you treated me like rubbish. After all that, you loathe me?'"

Bridge of Gold by Kimberley Woodhouse:

From page 55, seeing as page 56 was blank:

"Tell your boyfriend that if he knows what's good for him, he'd better quit his job and move out of town. I know what he has, and it doesn't belong to him."

Review of A Battle Worth Fighting by Sarah Hanks

 

I enjoyed reading this dual-timeline novel by Sarah Hanks. In the present day we meet Sahara who is determined to fight for her marriage to Jaxon, who she thinks no longer loves her. In fact, she cuts her hair and joins his construction crew on the other side of the country. However, as we get to see the story from both their points of view, we discover things about both Sahara and Jaxon that are driving wedges into their relationship. In fact, I want to shake them both at and say, “go get some counseling and actually TALK to each other.” I would get frustrated with Sahara because she was more focused on herself. But I would also get frustrated with Jaxon because it seemed he wasn’t seeing that Sahara was trying. But something else was missing from their lives. A relationship with God and trusting in God and His love.

Sahara is a descendant of the woman who is the main character of the second time line which takes place during the Civil War, or the War of Southern Independence as some southerners called it, which is where the story is set. Bernie feels she needs to fight for the man she loves as he enlists in the Confederate army, not because he feels slavery is right, but because he wants to fight with and for his neighbors. But she doesn’t want to see war ruin her husband, so she sets out to bring him home, by disguising herself as a man and enlisting herself, so she can find him. I admit, I got frustated with Bernie as well, because she seemed to be thinking of herself, though she thought she was thinking of her husband. I mean, did she not realize that there were probably very few wives who wanted their husbands going off to war? She did learn that there were consequences for her actions. But even more important was learning to trust in God.

I loved seeing the relationships change and grow, not just between the husbands and wives, but between the characters and God. I also loved the unexpected twists and the bit of humor.

I received this book for free from the author as a part of the launch team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own, honest thoughts.

Friday Fun - March 17, 2023

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

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

This week I have one book to share with you. 

I'm reading Enamored by Jody Hedlund for one of my challenges. I needed a book that starts with the next letter of the alphabet from the book I read last month. Last month I read Dream of Kings by Sharon Hinck. 

       

              Book Beginnings on Fridays

(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.)

Here is my book beginnings for Enamored by Jody Hedlund:

"'Whom do you choose as your husband?' The King leaned closer to me in our spectator box. 'Surely amongst so many gallant noblemen you have your sights affixed on one by now.'"

Well, at least it seems Elinor has some choice in whom she wants to marry. Which was a bit surprising as this is set in sort of a medieval world. 

Now for:

The Friday 56

The Friday 56 is hosted over at Freda's Voice.

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.

Enamored by Jody Hedlund:
 

"The room was as dark and smoky as it had been before, the shutters always closed to keep out the light of day. Rasmus sat at his desk where I'd left him."

Friday Fun - March 10, 2023

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

This week I have three books to share with you. 

I'm reading Her Darkest Secret by Jessica R. Patch for one of my challenges. It's one of 12 books recommended to me by friends. I may also use it for "a book with a green cover" for a couple of my other challenges, though I realize it's pushing it a bit. BUT, there is green there.

       

I am also reading The Wonderland Trials by Sara Ella. This is also for one of my challenges. I needed a book written for children or young adults. 

And I am also reading A Battle Worth Fighting by Sarah Hanks. This one is actually an ARC as I am on the launch team. The book will be releasing later this month. 

              Book Beginnings on Fridays

(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.)

Here is my book beginnings for Her Darkest Secret by Jessica R. Patch:

"'Here, kitty, kitty.' His voice echoed through the forest. 

Disoriented and unable to gauge distance, she pressed on, her brain pushing her feet faster than they could carry her."

First line, eh, innocent sounding enough. The "echo"ing through the forest added a bit more suspense. As did the following line. Of course, knowing it was called a "taut psychological thriller" in an endorsement had already shown me sentence one was not going to really be innocent. 

And here is my book beginnings for The Wonderland Trials by Sara Ella:

From the prologue:

"Only someone as mad as a hatter-as the saying goes-would risk her life to win a game."

Well, I guess that could be true.

From chapter 1:

"'And thus the United Kingdom was no more, ushering in a kingdom quite divided indeed, following the conquest of the late-'"

I knew the book was going to be a fantasy book, but know it appeared as if it was a future or even dystopian book. Definitely a bit different than I had been anticipating.

And finally, here is my book beginnings for A Battle Worth Fighting by Sarah Hanks:

"Enough stalling. She needed to call him."

Why was Sahara stalling? Who did she need to call?  

Now for:

The Friday 56

The Friday 56 is hosted over at Freda's Voice.

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.

Her Darkest Secret by Jessica R. Patch:
 

"Owen was one of the best criminal-pattern-theory experts he'd ever worked with and an insatiable hound, but he kept his personal exploits outside the office. Asa and Fiona might have learned a lesson from him."

The Wonderland Trials by Sara Ella:

"'Wake up?' The jest in his words is clear, though he's still hidden. Maybe he's behind one of the doors. Maybe he's the monster. 'Whatever gave you the idea that you're asleep?'"

A Battle Worth Fighting by Sarah Hanks:

"She straightened, shoulders taut. Tension climbed her backbone and stretched through her neck. Had she misjudged him? Told the wrong person? She stuffed her fear under an aloof demeanor. 'It's been done before. Why should I let my husband have all the fun? I'm as much of a patriot as he.'"

Lethal Intentions by Jennifer Chastain Review

 

I’m a huge fan of Christian romantic suspense, so I was thrilled to be on the launch team for Jennifer Chastain’s new book, Lethal Intentions. Jack Spencer is an undercover ATF agent whose cover is blown and ends up running for his life. He meets up with Maggie Coleman who is the EMT who is charged to care for him as he was shot while trying to escape. They both end up on the run, trying to get Jack to a safe house. Yet, they can’t seem to shake their tail. As they scramble to evade the cartel (or whoever it is that is actually tailing them), they wonder who betrayed him and who they can trust. At the same time, they find themselves falling for each other. All along the way they are trusting in God and spiritual truths are shared.

I really wanted to love this book, but found myself only being able to give it three stars. I do tend to like my suspense very suspenseful, and I found that even though they were constantly being tailed, it wasn’t near as suspenseful as I was expecting. I won’t give any details beyond that, as I don’t want to spoil the book for you.

Also, I found quite a few inconsistencies that I just couldn’t get out of my mind. And the romance didn’t seem quite believable to me, especially because the first line of the book states, “Undercover ATF agent Jack Spencer lived by one hard and fast rule. Don't get attached. No exceptions.” Their relationship was only days old and I wasn’t sure what they were basing their thoughts and feelings about each other on.

I did appreciate the spiritual truths and the fact that they put their lives in God’s hands and trusted in him.

I received this book for free from the author as a part of the launch team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own, honest thoughts.

Reading Challenges 2023: February Update

Here is what I read for my challenges in February:

I'm reading The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck by Bethany Turner. I'm a bit behind because of the books I have been reading for launch teams.  

I read Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana (aka The Runaway) by Melanie Dobson.

I read The Prophetess: Deborah's Story by Jill Eileen Smith.

I'm reading The Mistletoe Promise by Richard Paul Evans for this challenge.

I read Dream of Kings by Sharon Hinck. 

In January I read books that are set in the following states:

California: Taken in the Night by Elizabeth Goddard

Ohio: Counterfeit Love by Crystal Caudill

Oregon: Innocent Lives and Innocent Voices by Julie Bonn Blank

Pennsylvania: The Timepiece by Beverly Lewis 

South Carolina: Impending Strike by Sami A. Abrams/Lynette Eason

Washington: The Christmas Cat by Melody Carlson

In February I read books that are set in the following states:

Colorado: In the Midst of the Storm and In the Midst of the Darkest Hour by Latisha Sexton.

Indiana: Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana by Melanie Dobson

Texas: The Inheritance Games, The Hawthorne Legacy, and The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

In January I read books that are set in the following European Countries:

England: An Hour Unspent by Roseanna M. White

Switzerland: Heidi by Johanna Spyri

I also decided I was going to read one Christmas book each month. 

In January I read The Christmas Cat by Melody Carlson. 

I didn't get to my Christmas book until after midnight on March 1st. So, I'll be reading two Christmas books in March. One of which is The Mistletoe Promise by Richard Paul Evans 

Finally, someone in my Avid Readers of Christian Fiction group came up with a 55 book challenge:

In January I read 10 books for this challenge

In February I read 7 books for this challenge

Read a book...

1-With a pink spine

2- By an author whose name starts with an  A

3- 450 pages or longer

4- Published in 2023: Remember Me by Tracie Peterson (my thoughts)

5- That has won a Christy award

6- With multiple people on the cover: Lethal Intentions by Jennifer Chastain (my thoughts)

7- With a car or truck on the cover

8- That is the third book in a series: An Hour Unspent by Roseanna M. White (my thoughts)

9- That has a map inside: A Divine Romance by Ifueko Ogbomo (my thoughts)

10- A debut novel: In the Midst of the Storm by Latisha Sexton (my thoughts)

11- By an author you’ve never read before

12- That has food on the cover

13- Featuring a woman from the Bible: The Prophetess: Deborah's Story by Jill Eileen Smith (my thoughts)

14- With flowers on the cover

15- Featuring a child or teen as the main character: Innocent Voices by Julie Bonn Blank (my thoughts)

16- That you got for free: 

17- Featuring an athlete

18- That you pick because of the cover: Dream of Kings by Sharon Hinck (my thoughts)

19- Recommended by someone you know

20- Set in a cool climate

21- Set during the Great Depression

22- Featuring friends to lovers: Impending Strike by Sami A. Abrams/Lynnette Eason (my thoughts)

23- Published the month you were born

24- With a blue cover: Unplugged by Donna Freitas (my thoughts)

25- With a main character with blonde hair: Innocent Lives by Julie Bonn Blank (my thoughts)

26- Set on an island

27- Set in a different country than you: Heidi by Johanna Spyri (my thoughts)

28- That takes place more than 200 years ago

29- That features a member of the military

30- Set in South or Central America

31- By a male author 

32- Written in first person POV

33- Featuring a single parent

34- With a title that starts with B

35- That is a love inspired book: Taken in the Night by Elizabeth Goddard (my thoughts)

36- That involves a wedding

37- With an L in the title: Love Finds You in Liberty, Indiana by Melanie Dobson (my thoughts)

38- By an author from a different country than you

39- With a black cover

40- With a title that has 5 or more words

41- With an illustrated cover

42- From a genre outside your comfort zone

43- Written by multiple authors

44- Set on a farm: The Timepiece by Beverly Lewis (my thoughts)

45- By an author that has also written nonfiction

46- By an indie author

47- Published in 2012

48- With a sunset on the cover

49- That has cowboys

50- Without any people on the cover

51- By an author who uses a three part name (C.C. Warrens, Ann H. Gabhart)

52- That features a hobby or skill you’d like to learn

53- With a nanny, babysitter, or governess

54- An author with the same two initials: Counterfeit Love by Crystal Caudill (my thoughts)

55- With a pet that isn’t a dog: The Christmas Cat by Melody Carlson (my thoughts)

My Goodreads goal is to read 100 books this year. Last year I had set it at 75 and I ended up reading 115. I think I will be able to meet my 100 book goal. 

I know this seems like a lot, but like last year, I hope to be able to combine challenges where possible. And when I pick books for the monthly challenges, I will try to choose books that take place in different states or countries.

Friday Fun - March 3, 2023

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

This week I have three books to share with you. 

I read Dream of Kings by Sharon Hinck for one of my challenges. In this challenge, the month's book challenge is related to the book from the previous month. I needed a book with complementary colors on the cover of spine. 

       

I read The Mistletoe Promise by Richard Paul Evans. I also read this for one of my challenges. I needed a book with snow on the cover.

I'm currently reading The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck by Bethany Turner. I'm a bit behind on my challenges for February due to all the launch teams I was on. This book is a romance by a new-to-me author. 

              Book Beginnings on Fridays

(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.)

Here is my book beginnings for Dream of Kings by Sharon Hinck:

"My dreams had whispered to me all my life, but lately they were shouting-shouting something urgent that I couldn't discern."

A bit concerning. 

And here is my book beginnings for The Mistletoe Promise by Richard Paul Evans:

"If you could erase just one day from your life, would you know the day?"

I actually couldn't think of a specific day I would want to erase from my life. Though I really wanted to learn more about Elise's.

And finally, here is my book beginnings for The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck by Bethany Turner:

"If you're willing to admit it, you probably know me as Raine de Bourgh. Yes, that Raine de Bourgh. Did you blush at the mere mention of my pen name? Yeah. So did I.

I thought this was an interesting way to begin the story. 

Now for:

The Friday 56

The Friday 56 is hosted over at Freda's Voice.

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.

Dream of Kings by Sharon Hinck:
 

"Duke Ket chuckled, but the low rumble in his chest was a mockery of true humor. A dark resonance coated his laugh, the tundra wolf enjoying his surveillance of a rabbit den."

The Mistletoe Promise by Richard :Paul Evans:

"'Also interesting is that historically, Dickens and Friedrich Engels were contemporaries. They were both in Manchester, England, at the same time and they were equally repulsed by the worker' living conditions.'"

The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck by Bethany Turner:

"After a night full of dreams like that, and at least one featuring Father Horatio saying, 'Nope! God still doesn't believe in you!' I awoke with joy. The fear was gone."