Friday Fun - August 29, 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 starting an ARC of The Rules of Falling for You by Mollie Rushmeyer.  This Regency-Infused Contemporary Rom-Com releases next week on September 2.

Earlier this week I read Hours We Regret by Chelsea Michelle. This is the first of the Watson Twins Mini Mysteries. 

This week I'm also reading the second Watson Twins Mini Mystery, Chaos We Unravel. This is in anticipation of the release of the newest book which releases later in September. 

        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:

The Rules of Falling for You by Mollie Rushmeyer:

"I refuse to have a Pride and Prejudice pity party. . . again."

I was really curious what was meant by that.

Hours We Regret by Chelsea Michelle:

"'He's getting closer,' I muttered, staring down at the new dot on the map."

I figured I knew who she was talking about, so that was a bit concerning.

Chaos We Unravel by Chelsea Michelle:

"Where was Michelle?"

I was wondering why she needed to know 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:

The Rules of Falling for You by Mollie Rushmeyer:

 

"I finally finish lacing the front of my full-length corset. Okay, it's all right once it's in place. Thank goodness, nothing like the super-tight, stiff Victorian-era corsets. 'I don't know about this Eden.' I peek out of my curtain and tap hers until she pops her head through."

Hours We Regret by Chelsea Michelle:

"I wish I could lose count of the places we stopped. But I counted. Every single one of them. It was like counting the seconds when you were underwater. Fifty stops. Fifty no's. Fifty reasons to fear the worst. That number was just rising as we checked every hotel and motel en route, even the ones I knew Michelle wouldn't dare step foot in alone."

Chaos We Unravel by Chelsea Michelle:

"Michelle scanned the crowd. It was starting to grow dusky, which meant the fireworks show would be soon.

'They've gotta still be here,' Michelle said. 'They'll leave with the mass exodus. Which means we have about one and a half hours to figure this out.'

'Or the police do.' I added an extra emphasis to my words."

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. Here are the links to the reviews:

First Comes Marriage. . . Then Comes Murder by Donna Mumma

When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer

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

Ransomed Love by Kate Goodwin

 

When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer Review

 

This is my second time reading When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer. I'm currently doing a reread of the series in anticipation of book 6 coming out this November. I was surprised how many details I had forgotten about. When I read this a few years ago I had posted my review on Goodreads, but hadn't been posting my reviews here on the blog. So, here is my review from my first reading, and then I added a bit at the end for this time through. 

So many people have recommended When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer. I decided to read it for one of my challenges this month. Now it's my turn to say how awesome this book is. I absolutely loved it! I was intrigued as soon as I learned the unique premise of the book. I love time travel and I love dual time line books, so I figured I would love this book. I have to say, I also loved the two time periods, plus I've wanted to go to Colonial Williamsburg for years, so the fact that the 1775 timeline takes place there was a huge plus. Definitely wasn't expecting certain twists. Such a great book. I mean imagine living in two different time lines. In one you are a patriot in the time leading up to the Revolutionary War. Yet in the other time you are from a well to do family during the Gilded Age. You know that America is going to become an Independent nation and you have a purpose in 1775. Yet in 1915 you are being made to marry into British aristocracy. You KNOW which time you want to live in, but events and circumstances arise that cause you to struggle with what you are going to have to choose. As a reader, I definitely felt poor Libby's desperation, and her heartache, and heartbreak. But those twists. . .  As I mentioned, even though some things were sort of expected, there were twists I did not see coming. When the Day Comes is an awesome book, and I can't wait for the next book. Definitely recommended.

I just wanted to add, after my reread, that I loved the book even more this time around. I'm doing a reread of the series leading up to the release of Book 6. I couldn't believe how many details, some very important details, I forgot. And knowing how the rest of the series has been going, it really made me love this so much more. 

And this time, the sovereignty of God was even more profound. A very important reminder.

First Come Marriage . . . Then Comes Murder by Donna Mumma Review

 

Oh, I absolutely loved First Comes Marriage . . . Then Comes Murder by Donna Mumma. This is the second book in her Women of Wynton's series and I was so excited to get to read more about Miss Vivien, Gigi, Mary Jo, Audrey, and Mirette.

Another mystery is unfolding in Wynton's Department Store in Levy City, Florida. Why are ladies who once wore Miss Vivien's wedding dresses being killed? Why does it appear someone is trying to harm Miss Vivien's reputation when all she wants to do is make her brides' special day a wonderful, memorable event? 

I enjoyed getting to read this story from the points of view of the four main ladies. While the murder mystery is a main plot point in the story, we also get to see each of these ladies' lives and how they are doing since the last book. We see the struggles they are going through and their triumphs in their private and work lives. And we get to see their friendship with each other growing stronger even though they are so different from each other. 

When it comes to the mystery, I will say I had my suspicions and I wasn't completely caught off guard by the big reveal. However, the author did a wonderful job of including other suspects that could have been the guilty party. As the author slowly revealed clues it was intriguing to read along and see if my thoughts were going the same direction as those of the ladies. 

Getting to learn more details about bridal salons in the 1950s was awesome. And it was so frustrating to read about the struggles that "colored" people had in regards to racism and segragation. Of course what kept me zinging through the pages was needing to know that Miss Vivien was going to get her reputation back. The author did a wonderful job of bringing these characters to life for me and made me care about each of them. I hope the author plans more books in this series because I'm not ready to let them go. Most highly recommended. You'll want to read the first book, The Women of Wynton's first. Even though the mystery of each book is a stand alone with no cliff hangers, I'd say it is important to get to know the ladies from the first book and then continue their journey. 

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.

Ransomed Love by Kate Goodwin Review

 

Ransomed Love by Kate Goodwin is an awesome, powerful faith-filled book and I absolutely loved it. This book is a sequel to Reckless Love which I read last year. I would highly recommend reading Reckless Love first as characters from that book are important to this story and the relationships will be more meaningful if you know the characters and what they have been through. Though the author did a wonderful job of jogging my memory with her mentions of things that happened in the past. 

Ransomed Love actually takes place 20 some years after the events of Reckless Love.  It took me a bit to realize who Greyson, our MMC was supposed to be in relation to the first book. Besides the fact that it's been almost a year since I read the first book, there is another reason it wasn't obvious, but I won't get into that, because, spoilers. 

Like the first book in this series, this book is a modern day retelling of a story from the Old Testament. The first book was patterned after the story of Hagar, while this book is a retelling of Samson and Delilah. Greyson is Samson. His strength however isn't physical strength, but being powerful in the world of investment. Dahlia is Delilah, the woman who is trying to ferret out his secrets so she can give the information to her father, so he can bring Greyson down. 

I loved getting to know both of these characters and seeing their relationship with all the ups and downs. We see the importance of staying connected to God through prayer and being in a relationship with Him. And we are reminded that God is a Father to the fatherless and will be there for us if we turn to him. 

This was quite the powerful passage:

"'You are not your own, son. You've been bought with a price. Sometimes we forget that though grace is free, it is costly. When you've accepted the ranson Jesus paid on the cross, you find freedom and fulfillment in living for Him. Everything else. . . well, it all starts to feel dissatisfying when you're not walking in your calling.'"

This book was quite inspiring and as I mentioned, powerful. And emotional, definitely emotional. I could feel the struggles both the characters where dealing with. The author brought them to life in a big way. I needed to know how Dahlia would finally bring down Samson, I mean Greyson. And what would happen to them and their relationship, because the book is a romance story after all. 

The author has warned that this book contains mature themes, so I just wanted to mention that there is a toxic and abusive relationship, with a couple of scenes of abusive behavior, nothing sexual, though hints of ways men have used Dahlia in her past. And there are some instances where she is trying to tempt Greyson, remember it is a Samson and Delilah retelling. And a scene where she is trying to get him intoxicated so he is more willing to share his secrets. Plus mentions of infidelity. Additionally Dahlia's mother manages a club where there are exotic dancers. But don't worry, there is nothing graphic. I just wanted to explain what was meant by "mature themes" but none of this bothered me. 

Defintely a book I highly recommend. 

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 - August 22, 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 an eARC of First Comes Marriage. . . Then Comes Murder by Donna Mumma.  This is the second book in the author's Women of Wynton's series and it releases September 1st.

Plus I am starting a reread of the Timeless series by Gabrielle Meyer in anticipation of book #6 releasing in November. Starting with book #1, When the Day Comes.

        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:

First Comes Marriage. . . Then Comes Murder by Donna Mumma:

"Many around Levy City believed Vivien Sheffield needed to retire."

Well, how rude of them. (Sort of LOL). I did wonder if their was a specific reason.

When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer

"For as long as I could remember, my mama had told me that my life was a gift."

Knowing the story, I knew why Libby would have struggles with that.

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:

First Comes Marriage. . . Then Comes Murder by Donna Mumma:

 

"'Did either of you see a woman come in here? Blue suit, straw hat?' Gigi nodded. 'She came by here a few minutes ago.'

The man leaned on her freshly cleaned counter. 'Did you sell her anything?'

'No.'

'Good. We just snagged her as a shopper. Dale and I ran her off from our department. She kept asking about when our suits were going on sale. We think she came here to snoop for Worrell's Men's Shop.'"

When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer

"Our driver dropped us off at the front door, and we walked up the wet steps to our house. All I wanted was to climb out of the heavy gown I wore, slip into my nightgown, and then bury myself beneath the down comforter on my bed so I could wake up in Williamsburg."

Reviews:

Last week I shared one book in my Friday Fun post. I'm still reading it, and loving it so far. 

Three weeks ago I shared two book in my Friday Fun post. I already shared the review for the one book. Here is the review for the other:

Under the Mistletoe by Penny Zeller

 

Under the Mistletoe by Penny Zeller Review

 

Oh I just loved this third book in Penny Zeller's Small Town Shenanigans series. Under the Mistletoe was such a sweet, funny, faith-filled book. I loved going back to Cloverdale Falls and seeing old friends and getting to know other characters better.

Gracely and Braxton were both introduced in the previous book, but in the book we got to focus on their story.Braxton is back in town for a vacation and is staying at the B&B that Gracely's aunt and uncle own. Gracely is in charge however because they are on a trip.

There are mysteries to solve, which means we get to see Maeve and Beulah again with their Investigation Agency.

If you love small town happenings, celebrations and traditions, you'll get a nice helping of them in Cloverdale Falls. And we see the importance of faith in the characters' daily lives.

And I loved seeing Braxton and Gracely's relationship evolve. I had to wonder how the author was going to bring such opposites together, especially when they lived so far apart.

Another wonderful book by 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 - August 15, 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 an eARC of Ransomed Love by Kate Goodwin.

        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:

Ransomed Love by Kate Goodwin:

"There are few things in this world that inflate a man's ego more than a standing ovation."

I wondered what the standing ovation was all about.

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:

Ransomed Love by Kate Goodwin:

 

"He jabbed at the enter key a bit harder than necessary to release some of his pent-up frustrations when his phone rang.

'Hello,' he barked without checking the screen.

The pause on the other end was followed by a quiet, 'Hey, kiddo, everything okay?'"

Reviews:

Two weeks ago I shared two book in my Friday Fun post. I'm still reading the one, but here is my review for the other:

The Long Way Home by Cali Black 

 

The Long Way Home by Cali Black Review

 

Okay, I'm going to start off by saying, if you are anything like me, you will want to make sure to read Christmas in the Cascades first. This is an anthology that came out last October, with stories written by five different authors. These stories are all set in the town of Dane's Creek and revolve around the town bell tower. Can you read The Long Way Home as a stand alone? Well, yeah. BUT it will not have the same impact if you don't know the history of the town, and especially the final story written by Cali Black, Finding Home, where she had wrapped everything up so nicely and filled it with an awesome dose of nostolgia. And you get to know the people of the town. Cynda, the FMC from The Long Way Home is first introduced there, and we get to know the Carter family and Sass the celebrity baker. Believe me, The Long Way Home will be a lot more meaningful and emotional if you know the backstory.

I absolutely loved this second book in the Home for Christmas series. Cynda is still producing Sass's show The Cake Maker, but she has a dream of making a show focusing on small towns and the people who make it special, their stories. While in nearby "Christmas Town" with some friends, she discovers an awesome little shop named Santa's Workshop where the toys are all supplied by a local, reclusive aritsan. She is driven to tell the story of this town, the shop, and the toy maker. However, the fact that the man is a recluse who barely comes out of his home is a huge obstacle. 

We do also get to see the story from the POV of said recluse. John wants to stay hidden, clearly running from something in his past. There is a world of hurt that he is dealing with, guilt that he tries to deal with while creating things for others, donating them anonymously. Though the owner of Santa's Workshop knows who supplies her toys, she doesn't really know who he is, nor why he remains in seclusion. However, when Cynda bursts into his life, things are going to change, and he's sure he doesn't want that to happen. 

As the story progresses secrets and truths from the past are slowly revealed while Cynda tries to draw John out of his shell. It was sort of clear who John really was, but I was so invested in knowing how the whole truth would finally be unveiled. I was riveted to the book, especially after the midway mark. The author did not disappoint and I found myself in tears. I do get emotional with books, but it is very rare that tears flow. This book truly moved me. 

I just had to share this passage that really spoke to me:

"'Why do things happen the way they do? I don't know. But if I've learned anything in all of this, it's that life moves. It lives, it breathes, it changes. Not always in ways that we like, although those times come around again, too. It's a big messy swirl of joy and pain, good times and bad and when we think we've got it figured out and find a little piece of driftwood to cling to, the current shifts again. . . I don't know anything, but if you're asking for advice, I'm gonna tell you not to fight for control. Live in the moments that you find yourself with. Make the most of them, and when the currents shift, hold on to the One who never changes." He pointed heavenward."

Definitely a book I highly recommend. 

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 - August 8, 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.

Last week I remembered I needed to read Shattered Sanctuary by Nancy Mehl so I could return it to the library. I zinged through this awesome book in just one day.

        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:

Shattered Sanctuary by Nancy Mehl:

"He stood over the rough-hewn wooden coffin, gazing at the face of his mother -- the only person who had ever loved him."

This was from the prologue, and knowing the author, plus also knowing the book was about a serial killer, I had a feeling we were seeing this from the killer's point of view.  

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:

Shattered Sanctuary by Nancy Mehl:

 

"Erin looked away from the chief, wondering if he could tell how shocked she was by the awful poem. She swallowed hard and forced a smile. 

'That's rather gruesome,' she said, fighting to appear nonchalant.

The chief's eyebrows shot up. 'Your book wasn't exactly tame. I'm surprised that silly poem bothers you.'"

Reviews:

Two weeks ago I shared two book in my Friday Fun post. Here are the links to the reviews for those books:

Buried Wilderness Secrets by Jaime Jo Wright

A Light on the Hill by Connilyn Cossette

And here is my review for Shattered Sanctuary by Nancy Mehl which I shared about above.

 

Shattered Sanctuary by Nancy Mehl Review

 

Oh wow, Shattered Sanctuary is a wonderful start to a new series by Nancy Mehl.  There is tons of suspense with a mystery to solve. Just who is the serial killer who is murdering women in the small town of Sanctuary. 

We get to see the story through four points of view. Erin Delaney, Kaely Quinn-Hunter, police chief Adrian Nightengale, plus the anonymous killer. If you recognize the name Kaely Quinn-Hunter, you may be just excited as I was when I realized she was going to be a major character in this book. I absolutely LOVED the author's Kaely Quinn Profiler series. While we have seen Kaely pop up in other books, in this book she plays just as important a roll as Erin does. We get a bit of an update on Kaely's life and then she joins Erin in the small town of Sanctuary. The plan was to have a relaxing time, getting to know each other better while helping Erin to deal with trauma from her past. What they weren't expecting was to be dragged into a murder case. It was actually a little weird that they were drawn in, seeing as neither of them were currently working as police or FBI agents. But with their backgrounds, the police chief was helping they could use their skills to help him solve the case before anyone else was murdered. 

The author kept me guessing right to the end as there were quite a few individuals that could have been the killer. I found the mystery of it quite compelling, especially because we got to get into the POV of the killer. And there were little hints and clues added to the story. The author also included a tale from the past that included a poem/rhyme that put the characters and my self on edge. The reader had to wonder what part the past murder was going to play on the story. 

I loved that we got to see Kaely in action again, and got to see her special type of profiling. Which can also get a bit creepy. If you haven't read the original Kaely Quinn Profiler series, you may want to start with that one, just to get to know Kaely better. Though other than that, this story can stand on it's own.

I also love that the author doesn't shy away from making the Gospel and faith an important part of the story. 

Oh, and there are a couple of cute dogs which are important to the storyline. Which always makes a book even better. 

The one thing I did struggle with a bit was the detailed desciptions which at times slowed the story down. That said, I still finished the book in a day as I was on the edge of my seat, zinging through pages, because the plot gripped me from the start. I needed to know who the killer was and couldn't put the book down. 

Definitely highly recommended. 

A Light on the Hill by Connilyn Cossette Review

 

Oh I absolutely loved A Light on the Hill by Connilyn Cossette. A wonderful start to a series which continues the story of the Israelites that the author began in her Out From Egypt series.  I had actually picked up this book several years ago, but set it aside when I realized this book is set after the events in her Out From Egpyt series. I chose to read that series, and loved it, but didn't have a chance to get back to this book. However, when I needed an award winning book for one of my July challenges, I learned that this book won a Carol Award several years ago. I figured it was the perfect time to read this book, and I'm so glad I did. I zinged through the book in less than two days, it was that good. It gripped me from the first sentence and I had trouble putting it down.

The prologue takes us back to the end of the final book in the Out From Egypt series. And I was reminded that we first met Moriyah in that book. The prologue takes us back to a horrific event in her life, an event that scarred her for life and shaped how she was in this book. 

Because of her scar she has kept herself hidden for the past seven years. She has built walls around herself feeling that everyone is judging her. Her father suddenly informs her that he has found someone willing to marry her, though it is obvious he is in it for what else he will gain from the agreement. 

After an altercation between herself and the boys who she would become stepmother to, the unthinkable happens and she finds herself on the run, trying to make her way to a city of refuge with the help of a few of her father's men he sent with her. 

Along the way they find themselves in great peril as they are being pursued by the man she was almost betrothed to and his men who are trying to prevent her from reaching sanctuary. And there are other dangers and obstacles that present themselves However, she also finds help from unexpected places.

And she finds herself drawn to one of the men helping her, but she can't see how anything will come of such a relationship, for various reasons. 

I was desperate to know how events would play out. The author did a wonderful job drawing me into this story, making the characters come to life, and making me care what was going to be Moriyah 's fate. 

Even though I wasn't always a fan of biblical fiction, it was this author who drew me in with the Out From Egypt series, and I was glad to be able to read another of her books that continued the story of the Israelites. 

Definitely recommended. But I highly recommend reading Out From Egypt first.