Friday Fun - November 27, 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 Risking His Heart by Emily Conrad.

I read The Other Sister by Jessica R. Patch.

        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:

 Risking His Heart by Emily Conrad:

"If good things come to those who wait, Cody was doing something wrong. ."

Sounds like things aren't going his way.

The Other Sister by Jessica R. Patch:

"Her eyes are vacant orbs that pierce my soul and chill my bones."

So, that was creepy. And I needed to know who exactly was narrating and who had such eyes.

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:

Risking His Life by Emily Conrad:

"'Why did you never tell him about his dad?' Clara’s low question was barely audible over the whir of the ellipticals. 

'What’s to tell?'

 'That his dad threatened both your jobs to keep you apart.'"

The Other Sister by Jessica R. Patch

"Simple touristy things will never do for someone as sophisticated and cultured as Acelynn, but you can't come to Chicago and not visit the Navy Pier and eat Chicago pizza. That would be a travesty."

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. I'm still reading the one. I finished the other, but haven't gotten a chance to write my review because of being busy with holiday stuff. I also finished The Other Sister which I shared above, but still need to write my full review. I'll share them next week.

Friday Fun - November 21, 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 Girl Lost by Kate Angelo.

I'm also starting the novella collection titled Every Voice Heard, featuring three novellas about church hurt and abuse by N.Y. Dunlap, D.T. Powell, and Sarah Hanks. This collection releases on December 3rd.

        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:

 Girl Lost by Kate Angelo:

""Luna Rosati could disappear into any crowd, any city, any life."

Was there a reason she wanted to disappear?

Praise Through the Pain by N.Y. Dunlap, the first story in Every Voice Heard:

"Alexis slipped out of the practice room and into a wide hallway, as she stuffed a praise flag into her oversized purse."

I wondered if she wasn't supposed to be where she was, seeing as the author used the words "slipped out of" and she was stuffing the flag into a purse.

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:

Girl Lost by Kate Angelo:

"'That’s not my department, Agent. I just report what I find. The rest is up to you.' Santos leaned back in her chair. 'But I will point out that these organs could fetch a price on the black market. Definitely the type harvested for organ trafficking.'

The word hung in the air."

Praise Through the Pain by N.Y. Dunlap, the first story in Every Voice Heard:

"She floated up the steps of a white gazebo. No. Danced. That was what she did: danced her way in and out of his reach. She moved with swift grace, then leaned over the rail, giving him a smile he could cherish. 'But I also meant what I said in my nephew’s room. If AJ didn’t like the toy, you’d have bigger issues on your hands than little ol’ me. He likes you.'"

Reviews:

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

Through Each Tomorrow by Gabrielle Meyer 

Two weeks ago I also shared one book. Here's the link to that review:

Love in the Castle Library by Ann Swindell 

Through Each Tomorrow by Gabrielle Meyer Review

 

I am absolutely in love with this series by Gabrielle Meyer. Each new book becomes my favorite. I just finished a reread of the first five books, seeing as I had forgotten quite a lot of details. Having all the stories and characters fresh in my mind really did help me enjoy Through Each Tomorrow all the more. The author has done a phenomenal job of weaving this entire series together. I have mentioned before how much I love that each book brings in new twists. I wasn't quite sure how she was going to have step siblings be the main characters in this book, but I loved it. And then she included another time crossing character who is in both timelines with Charles. That was just awesome. 

Charles Hollingsworth was originally introduced in book one as an older gentleman, so the reader already knows which path he is going to choose. Usually one of the things keeping me riveted to the story is needing to know WHICH time period the character is going to ultimately choose to remain in. But even though we KNOW in this book, there is still so much at stake and so much we don't know. And yes, it was more than enough to keep me riveted to this new story.

In Charles's 1583 timeline, the story is told from the point of view of his step-sister, Lady Cecily. She was very briefly mentioned in the previous book.  She lives in Windsor Castle as one of Queen Elizabeth's Maids of Honor. 

And then there is Drew, Charles's friend who lives in both timelines with Charles, even though they only KNEW each other in the one timeline until they meet early in the book in the other timeline. I actually liked Drew better than Charles for the majority of the book. But I admit, Charles had a lot of responsibilities pressing on him, and by the end of the story, I actually liked all the main characters. 

One thing that might be concerning is the deceit that takes place in the book. Without giving anything away, I will just say that their are consequences and the characters learn to lean on God and trust Him and His will. 

There is mention of adultery and out of wedlock pregnancy, but it is not seen as acceptable. 

There were awesome twists and reveals. And I just have to say, one of the things that I love about these books is discovering which past character or characters might make an appearance. 

I loved this book and can't wait for book 7. 

Love in the Castle Library by Ann Swindell Review

 

I absolutely adored this second book in Ann Swindell's In the Catle Library series. I was thrilled to once again visit the fictional European kingdom of Lethersby and get reacquainted with beloved characters from Christmas in the Castle Library. 

Love in the Castle Library is Delphine's story. She is the castle stewardess that we met in book one. It is also Jack Worthington's story, the British researcher who was hired to help unravel the mystery of the missing Queen Alma. The mystery that began to be unraveled in the first book. (So, yes, you do want to read this series in order.)

I loved getting to know Delphine better, and was instantly drawn into the relationship between her and Jack. A relationship that was to be professional, but the reader could see the spark between them from the beginning. A spark that neither of them wanted to acknowledge or encourage for various reasons. And yet when controversy comes up in relation to Delphine's job, their professional relationship soon becomes a fake dating relationship, making it even harder to keep their feelings in check. 

One thing I really appreciated in this romance was there was communication between Delphine and Jack. It drives me crazy when a lack of communication drives a couple apart and adds so much drama. But even more imporantly, both characters were learning to lean on God. Learning to trust him more. Faith and prayer and reading God's Word were very important parts of their lives. They were both Christian, but they both also had issues they needed to work through. Because Delphine didn't have a good relationship with her earthly father, it was causing trust issues when it came to her heavenly Father. Additionally, events in Jack's past had caused him to build walls around his heart. Walls that he was in no hurry to tear down. 

I love the way God worked in both of their lives. Not just in their relationship, but also in the way the details of the mystery of Queen Alma's disappearance were revealed plus how the controversy surrounding Delphine's job and live in the castle was resolved. 

I was also thrilled that the main characters from book one, Ellie and Mark, played such an important roles in this story. It was awesome to get caught up with them, along with the King and Queen of Lethersby. Plus we got to meet Jack's father, Kent, who was such a strong Christian, and an awesome source of wisdom and encouragement. 

And while we got some intriguing answers to the Queen Alma mystery, there are still unanswered questions which I can't wait to find out the answers to as the series continues. As the reader, I could see where a couple of things were heading, so I wasn't completely taken by surprise, but I loved the way the author brought everything together.  

Highly recommened!

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

Friday Fun - November 14, 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 books to share with you.

I'm starting Through Each Tomorrow by Gabrielle Meyer. This is her newest book in her Timeless series.

        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:

 Through Each Tomorrow by Gabrielle Meyer:

"Hardship seemed my constant companion."

I wanted to know what hardships he was dealing with.

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:

Through Each Tomorrow by Gabrielle Meyer:

"His words caught me off guard for the second time that day, and I spoke before I had a chance to think. 'Did you know Lieutenant Nathanial Hollingsworth?'

'Did I know him! Nate and I were tentmates. How did you know him?'

I paused, unsure how to respond. Nathanial Hollingsworth was my father from this path, the man I had inherited my time-crossing mark from."

Reviews:

Last week I shared one book in my Friday Fun post. I'm not quite done with it yet. But, I did finish a book I shared about two weeks ago. Here's the link to my review:

Love on the Horizon by Penny Zeller

Love on the Horizon by Penny Zeller Review

 

Love on the Horizon by Penny Zeller is the fourth book in the Horizon series. I was so excited to go back to Hoizon, Idaho and catch up with the Shepherdson family. Boy has the family grown since the first book. The first book introduced us to Paisley and Tyler plus the three children who became their adopted children, Mae, Lucy, and Albert. They also went on to have Ruby and Timothy. Book two featured Mae, and book three featured Ruby. Though with each book we also got to see a glimpse of other family members and how they had grown. 

Book four is Timothy's story, along with Mags, or Magnolia, Davenport. Timothy's plans for his life are to serve God, be an awesome uncle to all his nieces and nephews, and to take care of his farm. Even though he is quite the eligible bachelor, with several young ladies pining over him, he is content with his life and has no plans to marry. 

Mags has had a hard life, a life where she has had so much taken from her and she feels that God doesn't care about her, so why should she bother with Him. She decides to leave Chicago and make her way west, choosing Horizon, Idaho as her destination. Though her mode of travel isn't quite ethical, she makes her way there and, on the spur of the moment, decides she is going to open a bakery to share delectable creations she learned to bake from her mother. But just how is she going to do that with no money?

I love how we see God providing and working in the lives of both Timothy and Mags. How for Mags, things that were "evil" in her past, ended up working for good. We get to know Mags more through her memories of her past, which occur quite a bit, especially when something triggers a memory. It was definitely very emotional, getting to see the good times and then the bad times she lived through after her parents passed away. There were life lessons and spiritual lessons, and oh how it moved me to see Mags grow closer to God again, and I loved how Timothy's mom Paisley played a part by sharing her faith with Mags and being there for her and encouraging her. 

I loved how faith was such an important part in their lives. I loved the sense of community in the small town of Horizon. It was awesome to see so many rally around Mags and help her. At the same time, we got to see how caring Mags was, even though she had so much she was struggling with. And Timothy had his own things he had to deal with and work through. I also enjoyed the addition of Ozias and his family. And of course, I always love when a pet plays an important role in the story, so I loved Goose the dog. 

Just so much to like about this book. I loved it and highly recommend it and the rest of the series. And, yes, I recommend reading them in order so you get to know the characters and their relationships without any spoilers. 

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 - November 7, 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 books to share with you.

I'm starting Love in the Castle Library by Ann Swindell.

        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:

 Love in the Castle Library by Ann Swindell:

"Delphine DuVert tried not to squirm in the airplane seat."

I had to wonder why she was squirming. Did she not want to be there? Had she never flown before? Was she nervous about where she was going? 

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:

Love in the Castle Library by Ann Swindell:

"There had been something in Delphine's voice when he'd inquired about the rest of the research team yesterday-something off. One of the team members had gotten under her skin, it seemed. Hmm. Perhaps his rewearch wouldn't be solely historical. He had another mystery to solve."

Reviews:

Last week I shared three books in my Friday Fun post. I'm still reading the one, but here are the links to my reviews of the other books:

Every Captive Freed by B.D. Lawrence, Shannon McNear, and Angela Shelton

Prowl by Colleen Coble

Prowl by Colleen Coble Review

 

Prowl was an awesome second book in Colleen Coble's Sanctuary series. I could not put it down.  I was so glad to return to the Sanctuary with Paradise and Blake, back into more danger and another mystery to solve. In the first book of the series, Paradise learned that she has a brother. So, she has set out to discover who and where he is. Yet it appears that someone doesn't want her to find him. At the same time, there has been another death at the Sanctuary. From the opening chapter the reader knows it wasn't an accident. But who now is trying to saboutage the Sanctuary? And why? Who is stalking Paradise and endangering her life? It becomes imperative to find answers, especially because the local cop is trying to, once again, pin the crime on an innocent party. There are so many threads that need to be unraveled. So many twists that are unexpected. So much at stake that I had to keep reading. I needed to know how everything connected. The suspense and danger kept me on my toes, as they usually do with a Colleen Coble book. And I love the connection to the author's Pelican Harbor series and also her new series with Rick Acker, the Tupelo Grove series. Plus the author has brought The Phantom of the Opera into this story in some diabolical ways. 

I highly recommend this book, but I'd make sure to read Ambush first. And also, even though the plot doesn't connect with the Tupelo Grove books, I do recommend reading them so you can get to know Hez and Savannah, who appear in this series. 

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

Every Captive Freed by B.D. Lawrence, Shannon McNear, and Angela Shelton Review

Every Captive Freed is a powerful collection of three novellas that focus on human trafficking. There are two contemporaty stories and one historical story that delve into the horrible trials of slavery. But they also share hope. 

Sara's Story by B.D. Lawrence is about a young girl who was being shuffled between foster homes, feeling unloved, and seeking out love, but sadly finds herself being pulled deeper and deeper into the world of sex trafficking. We know she escapes as the story is told from her point as she tells it to another girl who is pulled from its clutches. Though we see the horror she lives through over the years, there is nothing graphic. And most importantly, there is hope, the hope found in Jesus. 

Streams of the Heart by Shannon McNear is the one historical novella. It is told from the point of view of Sacagewea, the native American who I knew was a guide to Lewis and Clark on their expedition in the 1800s to the Pacific Ocean. There was so much more I did not know. I didn't realize she had been captured by another tribe at a young age and ended up in slavery, and then ended up forced into marriage to a French Canadian fur trader.  I enjoyed reading her story and learning more about this expedition, but also getting to see what her thoughts and emotions might have been as she joined them. I also found the POV of Clark to be fascinating. 

Unbroken by Angela Shelton is the final story in this collection. Nova is a teenage athlete who becomes infatuated with a guy who is just a bit older than her. Or so she thinks. Though she has a loving mom and a best friend whose family is like a second family to her, she is still craving love and attention. She realizes too late that she didn't heed advice she should have, and finds herself captured, on her way to being sold into sex trafficking. I love that she remains strong and persistant, and doesn't give up trying to save herself and another girl who is with her. I found it intriguing and disturbing that this story had parts that were taken from real events. Again, the story was told with no graphic details. 

This collection comes together nicely. I liked that there was a less disturbing tale in the middle to break apart the stories that were really hard to read. These stories show how important it is to be aware of what is going on. Not easy reads, but definitely eye opening. Highly recommended. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.