Friday Fun - May 31, 2024

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 am reading The CEO's Companion by Rose Fresquez for one of my reading challenges.

And I am reading Callie and the Pumpkin Seed by Sarah Beran for another one of my reading challenges. 

        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 C arrie for First Line Friday.)

Here are my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selections:

  The CEO's Companion by Rose Fresquez:

"Agony couldn't describe Eric Stone's condition as he lay motionless on the hospital bed, not far from death."

Wow, that does not sound good. I needed to know what was wrong with Eric. 

Callie and the Pumpkin Seed by Sarah Beran:

"There was nothing better than the smell of baked goods in the fall."

Num, num. Definitely dreaming of some yummy foods. 

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:

The CEO's Companion by Rose Fresquez:
 

"Joy hated being rude, but Ruby had broken a promise. And Joy'd already tortured herself through two dates Ruby set up. Life was too short to sit through another dinner with a guy who assumed he was on a blind date. She'd wasted too many opportunities and didn't have time to lose."

Callie and the Pumpkin Seed by Sarah Beran:

"A ball of dread sank into Callie's stomach, She hugged her arms around her middle, no longer caring about the soot on her hands. She whispered, 'There has to be another way.'

'There isn't. The sooner you come to terms with the fact, the easier it will be for you. He expects an answer before the end of the month.'"

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. Here are my reviews for them, plus the review for The Crown Conspiracy by Connie Mann.

The Garden Girls by Jessica R. Patch

The Esther Paradigm by Sarah Monzon

The Crown Conspiracy by Connie Mann

The Crown Conspiracy by Connie Mann Review

The Crown Conspiracy by Connie Mann is the first book I have read by this author but I definitely want to read more of her books. I really enjoyed this thrilling, adventurous, romantic suspense novel. I'm really hoping that she is planning on writing more of these Speranza Team novels. I really enjoyed getting to know these characters and really want to see them go on more adventures.

This story is told from multiple points of view, both from the protagonists' and the antagonists' point of view. Sophie is who I would consider the main female character. Though there are several other women whose points of view we see parts of the story through. And there are at least a couple of villains whose point of view we see. And then there is Mac McKenzie, not a villain, but someone who comes between Sophie and her goals more than once, while also getting closer to her, and maybe, just maybe, there are feelings developing. But, she doesn't know whose side he is on, so she doesn't know how much she can trust him.

Sophie is a talented artist and can also forge paintings. Which seems a bit devious for the main protagonist, but she uses her skills for good. Her best friend, Lise owns the art gallery where she works and she is aware of her clandestine activities. She is also involved with a charity that helps the homeless. One day while looking into some suspicious happenings, she disappears. However, her disappearance coincides with the stealing of a long lost famous painting she received, so things are a bit suspicious. But Sophie trusts her friend and needs to find out what happened to her. And she finds herself pulled into events that are way beyond what she thought they were. Was Lise's disappearance linked to her help with the homeless, or with this painting? Or, are they all connected somehow?

And then there is Mac who is also after the painting for his client, but also after Robin Hood, a art thief who steals paintings and replaces them with wonderful forgeries.

And then there are the villains who are after the painting for different reasons.

There is a chase across different cities in different European countries with lots of non-stop action and danger and intrigue. Plus there is a centuries old undercover society helping women in danger. So much going on in this book, and I loved it. And I also loved how the author brought everything together.
As much as I loved the book, I did take off one star because of how many times the author said this or that character was "cussing." If it was the bad guys, it wouldn't have bothered me as much. But our main protagonists were doing a lot of that and I guess I assumed they would have been Christians. Then I realized, it didn't really say whether they were or not, though one of the main saying in the book is, "I believe in God even when he is silent." So, yes, there is belief there, but I would have loved to have seen more of a faith in God lived out in their lives. And no, I'm not saying Christians have to be perfect and not cuss ever.

My feelings on that aside, I did love this book. I loved that there were strong women leads helping those in need. I loved the royal conspiracy that was a part of the story. And the fast paced chases and the treasure hunt and the undercover spy-ish feel. It had me scrolling through the pages as I needed to see what was going to happen next.

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

 

Reading Challenges 2024: April Update

Here is what I read for my challenges in April:

For the April challenge in the Avid Readers of Christian Fiction FB group I needed a book written by an author who if from a different background or nationality than me. I read A Sudden Romance by Rose Fresquez.

For the challenge over at Crystal Caudill's blog, I also used A Sudden Romance  by Rose Fresquez. 

For the challenge in the Eating Our Words FB group I read The Vanished by Cara Putman for my April book. I was on the launch team for this book, and their was a character who was Italian mafia. With this challenge, we can choose to read the book IN the month, or any time of the year, OR we can do both. So, like last year, I am choosing to try both. 

A Sudden Romance by Rose Fresquez works for May.. 

For the challenge in The Posse FB group, I also used A Sudden Romance by Rose Fresquez.

I am continuing the Read Your Bookshelf challenge from Chantel Reads All Day with the Arthur Conan Doyle side of the flow chart, though this month was a crossover month, and the prompt was the same for both sides. I'm not sure which side I will be using for May yet. I read Lethal Danger by Jerusha Agen and Braving Strange Waters by Sarah Hanks for April.

Sadly I did NOT get to Counterfeit Love by Crystal Caudill during the challenge. However, I have read this book previously. In fact, I read it a year ago for another reading challenge.

One of the authors I follow, Malissa Chapin, is also doing a challenge on her FB page, Malissa Chapin's Merry Band of Book Lovers:

I read two books that could fit the June prompt. I love historical fiction and how it helps learn more about different time periods. Braving Strange Waters by Sarah Hanks is a dual timeline book which takes place in modern times and also in the ante-bellum south. The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple takes place in Edwardian Era England. 

I read Love, Unscripted by Denise Hunter for April's challenge in the Faith Filled Fiction group.

For the Literary Escapes Challenge here is what I read in each month. 

In January I read books set in the following states:

Alaska: 26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse 
Arkansas: Trust the Stars by Tricia Goyer
Illinois: Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer 
Missouri: The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold

Oregon: Huband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong
South Carolina: Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble 
Wyoming:  Fake Relationship at the Triple Z by Cali Black 

And I traveled to England with If I Were You by Lynn Austin

In February I read books set in the following states:

Kentucky: Reverence in the Wilderness by Andrea Byrd 
New Mexico: One Wrong Move by Dani Pettrey

Ohio: Assaulted Caramel by Ameanda Flower 

Tenessee: Fatal Witness by Patricia Bradley

Wisconsin: The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond by Jaime Jo Wright

And I traveled to Ireland with The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel

In March I read books set in the following new states (though I did also return to Wyoming):

Colorado: Single Dad Center by Latisha Sexton and Set in Stone by Kimberley Woodhouse

Connecticut: When the Flames Ravaged by Rhonda Dragomir

Idaho: Levi's Vow by Penny Zeller
North Carolina: Never Fall Again by Lynn H. Blackburn

And I traveled back to England with The Mapmaker's Secret by Jennifer Mistmorgan.

In April I read books set in the following new states (though I did also return to Colorado, Missouri, and North Carolina):

Iowa: A Surefire Love by Emily Conrad
Minnesota: Lethal Danger by Jerusha Agen
Virginia: The Vanished by Cara Putman

And I traveled back to England again with The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano.

Here is what I've read for the Alphabet Soup Challenge:

January: 

D: Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer, The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold

F: Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble, Fake Relationship at the Triple Z by Cali Black 
H: Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong 
I: If I Were You by Lynn Austin 

T: Trust the Stars by Tricia Goyer
U: An Uncertain Road by Abbey Downey 

February: 

A: Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower 
C: The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson and The Captive Heart by Michelle Griep

E: Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin

O: One Wrong Move by Dani Pettrey (mini challenge)

R: Reverence in the Wilderness by Andrea Byrd and The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond by Jaime Jo Wright

March:

L: Levi's Vow by Penny Zeller and Love's Promise by Penny Zeller
M: The Mapmaker's Secret by Jennifer Mistmorgan
N: Never Fall Again by Lynn H. Blackburn
S: Set in Stone by Kimberley Woodhouse and Single Dad Center by Latisha Sexton
W: When the Flames Ravaged by Rhonda Dragomir (mini challenge)

April:

B: Braving Strange Waters by Sarah Hanks and The Butterfly Recluse by Therese Heckenkamp (mini challenge)

V: The Vanished by Cara Putman

Here's what I've read for the 2024 European Reading Challenge from Rose City Reader. 

In January I read a book set in the following European country:

England: If I Were You by Lynn Austin 

In February I read a book set in the following European country:

Ireland: The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel 

In March I didn't read any books that were set in any new European countries. 

In April I didn't read any books that were set in any new European countries. 

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

For January I started The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson; however, I haven't finished it yet.

In February I finished The Christmas Dog by Meloday Carlson, but I didn't read any other Christmas books.

In March I didn't read any Christmas books.

In April I didn't read any Christmas books either. I don't think I"m doing real well on this self-imposed challenge this year..

Also, someone in my Avid Readers of Christian Fiction group again came up with a yearly book challenge. This year we have 50 prompts:

In January, 8 of the books I read fit this challenge

In Febrary, 9 of the books I read fit this challenge

In March, 5 of the books I read fit this challenge

In April, 6 of the books I read fit this challenge

Read a book...

1. With a title that starts with a P

2. By an author you’ve never tried before: Trust the Stars by Tricia Goyer

3. Set on the coast: Love, Unscripted by Denise Hunter

4. With a tree on the cover: The Captive Heart by Michelle Griep

5. By an author whose name starts with a J: Lethal Danger by Jerusha Agen

6. From a genre outside your comfort zone: A Sudden Romance by Rose Fresquez

7. With an adverb in the title: Always Think of Me by Lori Keesey

8. Featuring a character with grey hair: Love's Promise by Penny Zeller

9. That has won a Carol award: The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond by Jaime Jo Wright

10. Published in 2024: 8 Down by Kimberley Woodhouse

11. By a debut author: When the Flames Ravaged by Rhonda Dragomir

12. Written by multiple authors

13. With a green cover

14. That is a bestseller

15. Set on a boat, train, or plane: Braving Strange Waters by Sarah Hanks

16. With an illustrated cover: Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong

17. With a main character who is disabled

18. With a single mother or father: The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel

19. Written by an indie author: Fake Relationship at the Triple Z by Cali Black

20. Set somewhere you’ve been: If I Were You by Lynn Austin

21. Featuring law enforcement: Fatal Witness by Patricia Bradley

22. Published during the summer

23. Set during a holiday: The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson

24. That is considered women’s fiction 

25. Featuring a Jewish character

26. Set over 100 years ago: Reverence in the Wilderness by Andrea Byrd

27. That contains bible verses

28. With a teenager as a main character: A Surefire Love by Emily Conrad 

29. With a one word title 

30. A book you preordered

31. With a solid colored cover

32. By an author who writes with a pen name 

33. That takes place in a national park 

34. With a title that starts with an M: The Mapmaker's Secret by Jennifer Mistmorgan

35. By a male author

36. That includes pirates

37. By an author whose name starts with the letter T

38. That has been made into a movie or television show 

39. With forgiveness as a topic or theme: The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold

40. Featuring a journalist: Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin

41. That includes sisters: Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble

42. With a midwife or doula

43. That takes place in a country you’ve never been to: The Ark and the Dove by Jill Eileen Smith

44. That is lighthearted or humorous: Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer

45. Set during WWII:

46. That you choose because of the cover: Set in Stone by Kimberley Woodhouse

47. By an author who writes multiple genres: 26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse

48. With a dual timeline 

49. With a second chance romance

50. Recommended by someone you know: Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower

Also, I joined in with a second yearly challenge last year in the Scripture Literature-You Are What You Read group. I just never added it to my blog post. So, this year I'm adding it here, though the post is going to be so long. LOL. 

In January, 8 of the books I read fit this challenge

In Febrary, 8 of the books I read fit this challenge

In March, 6 of the books I read fit this challenge

In April, 4 of the books I read fit this challenge

So, here it is:

1- Takes place in Israel

2- Second chance: An Uncertain Road by Abbey Downey

3- Not you usual genre: A Sudden Romance by Rose Fresquez

4- Significant church event

5- Well known author/lesser known book

6- Major motion picture

7- About an influential Christian

8- A Mysterious disappearance: Fatal Witness by Patricia Bradley

9- Speculative Fiction: The Ark and the Dove by Jill Eileen Smith

10- Protagonist has a disease/disability: Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin

11- Recommended by an author: The Captive Heart by Michelle Griep

12- Includes angels: Always Think of Me by Lori Keesey

13- An inheritance: Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble 

14- Finish what you started: 26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse 

15- Carol Award winner: The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond by Jaime Jo Wright

16- A Spy: The Mapmaker's Secret by Jennifer Mistmorgan

17- Forgiveness: Love's Promise by Penny Zeller

18- Redemption: When the Flames Ravaged by Rhonda Dragomir

19-Less than 200 pages: The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson

20. Two or More Authors

21. By your Favorite Author

22. Male Protagonist

23. Recommended on this Page

24. Blended Families

25. Book of Devotions

26. Christian Literary Classic

27. Dystopian

28- Mistaken Identity: Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer 

29- A Life Lesson: Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong

30. Bible Retelling

31.-The American Frontier: Reverence in the Wilderness by Andrea Byrd

32. Features Music

33. Recovering from Addiction

34. Gothic Romance

35- Eye Catching Cover: Trust the Stars by Tricia Goyer

36. Takes Place on an Island

37. Spiritual Warfare

38- Protagonist Shares your Occupation: Levi's Vow by Penny Zeller

39. Written by a Famous Christian

40- Family Estrangement: The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold 

41. Tear Jerker

42- Treasure Hunt: The Elusive Truth of Lily Temple by Joanna Davidson Politano

43- New to You Author: The Vanished by Cara Putman 

44. Mother-Daughter Bond: Never Fall Again by Lynn H. Blackburn

45. 2023 Best Seller

46. Title Includes a Color

47. Fairytale

48. On your TBR: One Wrong Move by Dani Pettrey

49. Alternate Reality

50. Written before 1950

51. Includes a Foreign Language: The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel

52. Includes a Historical Monarch: If I Were You by Lynn Austin

53. Choose your own Adventure  

My Goodreads goal is to read 110 books this year. Last year I had set it at 100 and I ended up reading 122. So far this year I have read 37 books. 

Phew, I know this seems like a lot, even more than last year, but like last year, I hope to be able to combine challenges where possible. And with the yearly challenges, I read books for the other challenges and then see where they fit in the yearly challenge lists. Also, when I pick books for the monthly challenges, I will try to choose books that take place in different states or countries. Also, I'll probably prioritize the challenges I've been doing longer if I start struggling with keeping up.