Friday Fun - October 31, 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 reading the second story in the novella collection titled Every Captive Freed, featuring three novellas about human trafficking by B.D. Lawrence, Shannon McNear, and Angela Shelton. This collection releases on November 5th.

I'm starting Prowl by Colleen Coble. This book is the second book in her Sanctuary series and it releases November 4th.

I'm also starting Love on the Horizon by Penny Zeller. This book is the fourth book in the Horizon series and it released this 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:

 Streams of the Heart by Shannon McNear, the second story in Every Captive Freed:

"Where does a story begin?"

Intriguing question.

Prowl by Colleen Coble:

"The sun peeked over the eastern horizon in a perfect Alabama sunrise as Ivy Cook lugged the pails of raw meat out of the Gator utility vehicle and walked toward the hyena enclosure."

.I knew, according to the blurb, that something was going to happen to an employee. I wondered if Ivy was in danger by going into the hyena enclosure.

Love on the Horizon by Penny Zeller:

"The best dreams were the ones that came true.

I guess that's true. I hoped that meant there would be dreams coming true. I was curious to find out what they might be.

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:

Prowl by Colleen Coble:

"'I had strict orders to bring you home with me tonight.' He scooped up the fluffy black kitten rolling around on his shoes. 'You have a box for these little furballs?'

'I have a crate.' She went to get it, and the kittens leaped after her. She corralled them into the crate and fastened the door. 'How about you grab the food while I go to the gun shop and fill out the paperwork? It will get us home faster if we divide and conquer.'"

Love on the Horizon by Penny Zeller:

"'That was quite brave of you,' said Mae, a delicate and soft-spoken woman wearing a lovely dress with leg-o-mutton sleeves, pearl buttons on the high-necked bodice, and a bell-shaped skirt extending from her slim waistline.

'Thank you. I'm just thankful it was successful.'

'And here they thought their beards were brilliant disguises.' said the man to Ruby's right, who if Mags remembered correctly, was named Jake."

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. I'm still reading the novella collection, but here is the link to my review of the other book:

Coffee We Spill by Chelsea Michelle

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

Their Burden to Bear by Heather Tabers

Coffee We Spill by Chelsea Michelle Review

 

Coffee We Spill is the third mini mystery in Chelsea Michelle's Watson Twins series. There are now three mini mysteries, plus one full length mystery which takes place between Chaos We Unravel and Coffee We Spill. I've enjoyed all the books so far, but the full length novel is my favorite, with this new story coming in close behind. 

I loved the mystery in this one and how we didn't know if Zach, the owner of a coffee truck who was in competition with Michelle and her coffee shop, was just missing or if he had met a worse fate. The blood found at the back of Michelle's coffee shop sure did make me wonder. It was clear some one was trying to set Michelle up for the fall, but the identity of the culprit was kept a mystery until quite near the end of the story. 

There was a bit of suspense and danger in the story, but nothing too over the top. I mean, this is just a cozy mystery. Personally, I am a fan of suspense, so I enjoyed the level of suspense in this book. 

I love how all of Michelle's friends and family gather around her to support her. I loved getting to see more of Michelle's relationship with her new boyfriend Jeremy, but I really want to find out what is up with him, and whether Chelsea is right in not trusting him. I hope we get to find out more in the next book. Of course, part of me really wishes she'd get back together with Kyle. Though we never really saw them as a couple because they broke up at the beginning of the first book. But they obviously care a lot about each other. 

I'm also hoping the next book brings Chelsea a better relationship. Even though her boyfriend is a Christian, I'm not a huge fan of him, especially because of certain reactions he had in this book. And we really didn't get to see much of him anyway. As there was a lot of Michelle with Jeremy time in this book, I really hope Chelsea gets the chance for a relationship. 

As you may be able to tell, I'm really invested in these characters now. I'm loving the mysteries they have been involved with solving, even though I'm still not a huge fan of the rule breaking that is going on while they are trying to solve them. Poor Chelsea trying to keep Michelle safe from herself, but also going against what she feels is right, just to protect her. 

And I love that faith is important to the characters, and we see them in prayer and in church, and they learn to lean on Jesus and trust Him. 

Definitely another great addition to this series. 

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.

Their Burden to Bear by Heather Tabers Review

 

Their Burden to Bear by Heather Tabers is an awesome book. It drew me right in and I had a hard time putting it down. 

I was intrigued when I first heard about this book. It was something I've never really thought much about. I have heard of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, but I never knew the history of how he got there

 Didn't realize any details when it came to the Body Bearers. I love the way the author brought this part of history to life. Loved the relationship between Phillip, one of the Marines who was a Body Bearer, and Elsie, the lady who was chosen as his companion. This book was so emotional. The trauma they were both dealing with and working through really moved me. And then the author included some intrigue, with even a bit of suspense and danger. 

Loved this debut novel and can't wait to read more from 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 - October 24, 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 started reading the novella collection titled Every Captive Freed, featuring three novellas about human trafficking by B.D. Lawrence, Shannon McNear, and Angela Shelton. This collection releases on November 5th.

I'm also reading the newest Watson Twins Mini Mystery Coffee We Spill by Chelsea Michelle. This book released last month.

        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:

 Sara's Story by B.D. Lawrence, the first story in Every Captive Freed:

"Sara Hanley entered the opulent sitting room and sat on the white, brushed fabric sofa."

I wondered where exactly she was and why she was there. Was this before, during, or after her captivity?

Coffee We Spill by Chelsea Michelle:

"Things were finally starting to look up for Michelle."

That was good news, thinking about what she had gone through in the last book. 

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:

Sara's Story by B.D. Lawrence, the first story in Every Captive Freed:

 

"At least Keyshawn had waited until warmer weather to throw her out on the street. The dress code changed. At the club, it didn’t matter what she wore, as it wasn’t on her that long. She usually wore a robe between customers. On the street, she had to be a billboard, advertise herself. Being tall and well-arranged, as one older man had told her, opened up many options to display herself. But she hated it. Hated the tiny skirts, the tight, revealing tops, the high heels."

Coffee We Spill by Chelsea Michelle:

"I groaned. “So where does that leave us?” Greg shrugged. “We look to see if he has a motive. If he did anything to Zach, I highly doubt it was a crime of passion or a warped senseless crime. If he did it, I’d venture to say he felt like he had good reason. … Or at least that’s my assessment.” He put a strong emphasis on the word “if”—which I was pretty sure was for Michelle’s sake."

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. I'm still reading the one, but here is the link to my review from several months ago when I first read the other book:

Every Hour Until Then by Gabrielle Meyer 

Transactions We Expose by Chelsea Michelle Review

 

I've enjoyed getting to know Chelsea and Michelle in the mini mysteries, and even though I enjoyed those stories, I have to say, I absolutely loved this book. I loved getting to know the twins even better. I loved that there was a murder mystery that they were trying to solve to help clear the name of a friend. I love the twists that were thrown in. I love that we see the importance of faith. I can't wait to read the next book.

Friday Fun - October 17, 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 started my reread of Every Hour Until Then by Gabrielle Meyer. I can't wait until book 6 releases in just over two weeks. 

I'm also starting an eARC of Heather Tabers' debut novel, Their Burden to Bear. This book 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:

Every Hour Until Then by Gabrielle Meyer:

"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."

I love the way this sentence set the mood of the story.

Their Burden to Bear by Heather Tabers:

"Mother always said that a teething baby's cries are like a summer storm-they roll in out of nowhere, rattle on relentlessly, and are bound to pass in time. I hope Mother was right about that last part."

Well, I'm hoping her mother was right in her case. 

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:

 

"'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.

'Jack the Ripper?'

'That's what they'll call him after the second murder when he sends a letter to the Central News Agency and signs it that way.'"

Their Burden to Bear by Heather Tabers:

"The earth rumbles beneath me, a steady cadence echoing the thunder rattling above. Poppies burst forth from the ground in a field of wheat all around me. Their dark red hue is the only color in this smoke-covered field.

From across the field, a lullaby settles over me like a velvet blanket. Hush-a-buy, don't you cry; go to sleep my little baby.

The once-eerie tune rocks me back and forth under a sky dotted with flying artillery. When you wake, you shall have all the pretty little horses."

Reviews:

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

Wasted by Jerusha Agen

Wasted by Jerusha Agen Review

 

Wasted, the second book in the Windy City Westons series by Jerusha Agen is an awesome romantic suspense story. I was thrilled to get to see the Weston siblings again. This time the story focuses on Victoria, the oldest sibling, and the one who has been like a mother to the rest of her siblings, ever since the death of their mother when she was just a teenager. All these years she has been living with guilt, but also living under the thumb of her authoritative father who she refuses to disappoint. She does her best to try to live the way she thinks her mother would want her to live in order to keep her family together.

We also get to see the story through the point of view of Cillian, her ex from when they were teenagers. He recently moved back into the area and is now working at the same place of employment. She tries to resist his charms while trying to figure out what he's doing back in town. And as much as she'd like to avoid him, he becomes her protector after the death of one of her patients has her falsely accused of murder, and in the crosshairs of who they assume is the real murderer.

While there are multiple people who may have had a motive to kill her patient, it isn't the villains who got under my skin. It was the detective who wouldn't listen and insisted on Victoria's guilt in the murder. How were they going to prove her innocence when those who were supposed to be the good guys weren't listening? It is this plot point that had me riveted to the story. Yes, I wanted to know who the actual killer was. But I wanted Victoria and Cillian and the Weston siblings to make things right. 

At the same time Cillian is dealing with trying to get back with Victoria in a way that made him not my favorite person for quite a bit of the book. Yes, he wanted to protect her, but the way he went about things was just not right. Additionally Victoria tried to deal with arguments and controversy in the way she though was right, but I started to want to shake some sense into her as well. Let's just say they both had things they needed to work through, and faith played an important role. 

The only concern I had was that there were a couple of things that didn't quite get wrapped up as neatly I as I hoped for. 

Awesome suspense. Awesome second chance romance. Awesome faith. A wonderful group of siblings. And an adorable dog. All working together to make another un-put-downable 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 - October 10, 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 reading an eARC of Wasted by Jerusha Agen. This is the second book in her Windy City Westons series, each one featuring one of the Weston siblings. This book releases on October 23rd. 

I'm also the newest book in A.M. Heath's Christmas in Garland series, Journey to Christmas. This book releases October 20th.

        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:

Wasted by Jerusha Agen:

"'What do you want?'"

I needed to know who was talking to who and what exactly was going on, especially without knowing the tone and situation.

Journey to Christmas by A.M. Heath:

"'You're kidding, right?' I stared at my older brother, but he didn't crack a smile."

Hmm, seems like something serious could be going on. But what?

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:

Wasted by Jerusha Agen:

 

"'So you didn't have to follow me home.' She gave him a teasing smile.

'I don't know.' He met her gaze with a daring twinkle in his eyes. 'My bark might be as impressive as his. I know my bite is.'

'Well, he's never bitten anyone, and he rarely barks, so you might have something there.'

'He doesn't bark?'

She shook her head. 'Hardly ever. I'd only heard him bark once in his life until three nights ago.'

Cillian's brows dipped low over his eyes.

Oh, goodness. What had she stepped into now?"

Journey to Christmas by A.M. Heath:

"The woman somehow still had tears to spare and spent several more minutes crying them out all over my soaked shirt. The fact that she was walking around with that much dispensable fluid is actually kinda remarkable."

Reviews:

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

Every Life Treasured by Jennifer Q. Hunt, Hannah Hood Lucero, and Aubrey Reiss Taylor

Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer

Last week I mentioned I had to set a couple of books aside, but I have since finished one of them. Here is my review of  For a Lifetime by Gabrielle Meyer.

Every Life Treasured by Jennifer Q. Hunt, Hannah Hood Lucero, and Aubrey Reiss Review

 

Every Life Treasured is a wonderful collection of novellas about the value of life. Stories that take place in three seperate eras. They were each very powerful, and yes, emotional. And the reader can see the redemption found in Christ. 

A Mother's Tender Touch by Jennifer Q. Hunt:

This story dealt with unwed mothers during the Depresssion Era, along with a child who had Downs Syndrome. 

Alice was a social worker who worked for a charity that helped people in need. At the beginning of the book she comes to the Tanner's home to see how she can help them. The family was struggling because the father had been injured and was unable to work. The oldest son, Seth, had taken jobs to help bring in some income, but they were still struggling. At first I wasn't a huge fan of Alice because even though she was helping, she was quite judgmental of the family's circumstances. However, as she got to know them her eyes were opened to the love and faith they had, even in their troubles. And as a reader we learn more of her background and understand the struggles she herself is going through. 

The Missionary and the Marine by Hannah Hood Lucero:

This story dealt with a baby conceived by rape and learning to love that baby and see the worth in her. 

Unlike the other two books which are historical, this one takes place in current times. Walt and Dee were planning to get married after she returned from a mission trip to the Middle East. However, she was abducted and spent months imprisoned by Muslims who abused her. When reunited with Walt they need to work through the new reality of her being a mother of a child conceived by rape. Even through such adversity, the value of all life is seen. 

Born for Adversity by Aubrey Reiss Taylor:

This story dealt with an unwed mother in the years after WWI and choosing adoption over abortion.

This story took place in Germany in the years after WWI. Lani finds herself with child after spending time with a man she cared for; however she is engaged to another guy she met in France during the war. The father abandons her and the other guy wants her to get an abortion. She has to choose whether she wants to keep the baby or give it up for adoption. This was actually my least favorite in the collection. I'm not sure if it was because there are three separate men she finds herself having feelings for. Or it could be because of how it comes from a Catholic point of view in the story, with Lani having to continually go to confession and do her penance. Also the ending was quite different than what I was expecting. 

I do highly recommend these stories and definitely want to look into other stories by these authors. From my understanding each of these stories does connect to other books by the authors. 

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 - October 3, 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 finished the novella collection titled, Every Life Treasured featuring three novellas about the value of life by Jennifer Q. Hunt, Hannah Hood Lucero, and Aubrey Reiss Taylor. Last week I had read the first two stories. This week I finished the last story, Born for Adversity by Aubrey Reiss Taylor. This novella collection just released this week.

I'm also starting Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer.

        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:

Born for Adversity by Aubrey Reiss Taylor, the final story in Every Life Treasured:

"My sister grasps my hair as I heave forward into the basin."

Well, she was either sick, or knowing the kind of story this is, pregnant.

Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer:

"My bare toes dug into the hardpacked earth as I beat the rug on the back line, watching the dust melt away into the setting sunlight."

The main thing I noticed was that this book started out different than the first three books of the series.

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:

Born for Adversity by Aubrey Reiss Taylor, the final story in Every Life Treasured:

 

"'. . . I admit I find him desirable. I'm alone so much, yet I'm afraid that being around him might lead me back to the things that got me here in the first place.' I hesitate, asking myself if there is anything else I need to tell him before closing my confession."

Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer:

"'I'm looking for crew members,' Captain Zale said as he walked down from the quarterdeck, scanning Captain Frisk's sailors. 'If you'd like to join my crew, step forward. I run my ship as a democracy, where every man has a vote and a share of the prizes we earn. You will eat like kings and not have to toil for another man's profit.'"

Reviews:

Last week I shared a few books in my Friday Fun post. I shared the link to the one review last week, and I am still working on the review of the other. But here is the review for Danger in the Wilderness by Darlene Turner