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.

Friday Fun - May 9, 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 book to share with you.

I read Proclaimer by Megan Schaulis, the second book in The Susa Chronicles.

I'm reading Recipe for Love by Penny Zeller 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 are my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selections:

Proclaimer by Megan Schaulis:

"Zadien's words knock through my brain like a loose boulder tearing down the mountain near our compound."

Knowing how book one finished, I think this was a great way to describe Astra's response to what the king had said. 

Recipe for Love by Penny Zeller:

"If the word around town was true, things didn't bode well for the little community settled by chicken farmers."

Oh dear, what is going on. And I am intrigued by the fact the community was settled by chicken farmers.

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:

Proclaimer by Megan Schaulis:

 

"'We're thrilled, you know.' Dahlia props her head on her hand, which flexes her impressive bicep and accents the silvery tattoos that course over her dark skin. 'I knew I'd be lucky to make the team. Figured if I did, I'd be getting bossed around by Prentis for the rest of my life.'"

Recipe for Love by Penny Zeller:

"Hudson wanted to alleviate the man's fears, but knew he couldn't say anything yet about Uncle Deakon's plans. 'You mentioned the chicken statue. Are there other draws of the town for potential tourists?'"

Reviews:

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

Break My Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn

And here is my review of Proclaimer by Megan Schaulis 

Proclaimer by Megan Schaulis Review

 

Wow! Proclaimer by Megan Schaulis was an awesome conclusion to the Susa Chronicles duology. I loved the first book! The author had left us on quite the cliff hanger and I was greatly anticipating the release of Proclaimer. Oh my goodness did this book excede my expectations. 

(Just a warning if you haven't read book one, there are some spoilers in my review for the first book)

This duology is a dystopian retelling of the story of Esther from the Bible. In the first book Novalise, aka Astra, fights her way through multiple challenges and against many nano-tech Enhanced women, to become the Chief Protector to King Zadien, a man she is falling in love with. However, as the first book ends, the king announces his decree to eliminate all the Alphanites, the believers in the one true God, a religion that has been outlawed since his grandparents' time. A group who is believed to be responsible for his own father's murder. What he doesn't know is that he is being lied to on multiple fronts. One of his chief staff members has ulterior motives and is manipulating him. Additionally his Chief Protector is hiding her identity as an Alphanite. And of course, he is falling in love with her as well, so you know there are going to be feelings of betrayal at some point in the story. Will their relationship be able to overcome the lies and deceit? What will it take to bring about the truth of the council member's betrayal?  Will Novalise end up having to betray the man she loves to bring about truth? Needing to know the answers to these questions kept me scrolling through pages into the early morning. 

I loved the relationship between King Zadien and Novalise and was rooting for them to overcome the obstacles in their way. I loved the very real, personal relationship that Novalise had with God. In these books Alpha actually spoke to Novalise and some others in their minds. And they were able to reply, have a real converstaion. But even then He didn't give them all the answers. They still had to trust that He knew what was best and choose to do His will, even when it looked like what He wanted them to do didn't really make sense from their point of view. Novalise had the closest relationship with Alpha, and even she questioned what she was being told to do and would try to do things her way, or the way of others who were advising her. The story is a great example of learning to put one's trust in God. 

I found the way the future world was described quite intriguing, though a bit unclear at times. The future technology was interesting to read about, and a bit scary to think about at times. But I don't really want to give any details that would spoil the discovery as you read the story. 

If you know the story of Esther from the Bible, it is really cool to notice all the parallels, and you can sort of anticipate what might be coming in the story. And wonder how the author is going to work things into a future, dystopian world. I think she did a wonderful, believable job. I'm just sad that this was only a duology. Because I love these characters and would love to read more about what happens to them in the future. Thankfully the author did a perfect job wrapping things up, and not leaving anything hanging. 

As a warning, there is a battle and talk of murder, and we discover some disturbing things about what happens to rejected Enhanced women. Human trafficking is brought up. However, when it comes to the relationship between King Zadien and Novalise there is nothing beyond kissing.

Proclaimer is definitely a book I highly recommend. Just make sure to read book one first. 

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

Break My Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn Review

 

Break My Fall is the second book in the Gossamer Falls series by Lynn H. Blackburn. We are first introduced to this town and some of the characters in Never Fall Again. I enjoyed getting to see characters I had come to know and love from that first book. The thing is, I learned there is a book 1.5 available as a part of a romantic suspense compilation titled Cornered. I wish I had had a chance to read Downfall first as I feel like I came into Break My Fall missing some vital information, especially in regard to the known drug trafficking in the nearby town. Additionally, there are family members who were the focus of Downfall and they are now a couple. I'm just mentioning this because if you are like me, and you would prefer to read books in order, you may want to hold off on this book until you read the two previous books. 

Now, onto the review of Break My Fall.

Meredith Quinn is a dentist who is back in her home town of Gossamer Falls. She has a dental practice, plus a mobile clinic she takes around to those who can't come to her. We first see treating an older lady in a nearby town, one we soon learn she had been warned not to go to wihtout someone else at least aware of where she is going because there are criminal activities going on there. Criminal activities that continue because of the believed crooked cops from that area.

Grayson, or Gray Ward is the police chief in Gossamer Falls. The man that Meredith has feelings for, but her feelings are not reciprocated. What she doesn't realize is that there are reasons Gray refuses to give in to the fact that HE also has feelings for her. This leads to some tense, hurtful interactions. There were times I was actually quite upset with Meredith for the way she was handling the situation. 

There relationship was the main focus of the book. Gray tries desperately to keep Meredith safe when it becomes obvious that there are people after her, though it isn't clear whether they want her dead or just scared and silenced. While there are several suspenseful situations, the suspense is quite mild, I would say even milder than in Never Fall Again. So, if you are one who prefers your romance with a bit of suspense, instead of the other way around, this will be the book for you. That's not to say I didn't love the story. I loved seeing Meredith and Gray's relationship evolve. I loved their interactions, except when I was getting a bit frustrated with Meredith. I also loved the closeknit southern family dynamics that we get to see in the Quinn clan. I loved it in the first book and I really enjoyed getting to know the family even more. I just wish there was a bit more suspense, the kind that keeps me on the edge of my seat and zinging through the pages. 

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 2, 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. (Sorry I missed last week, my computer wasn't working and I was still reading the same book.)

I'm currently reading Break My Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn.

        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:

Break My Fall by Lynn H.Blackburn:

"'No more peppermints, Mrs. Frost, or next time it's a root canal.'"

No, no, no, no, no. No root canals. They suck. Better stop eating that candy Mrs. Frost.  (I hate the dentist!)

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:

Break My Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn:

 

"Gray was not ready for the way his heart dropped when he looked up to see Meredith and Bronwyn standing in his office door at 1:00 on the dot. Bronwyn's taped wrist made him want to throw a stapler at the wall. Meredith's bruised face made him want to rampage through the streets of Neeson until he found the men responsible."

Reviews:

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

Northargyle Abbie by Janelle Leonard