Journey to Christmas by A.M. Heath Review

 

Ever since I first visited Garland in Project Scrooge, I have looked forward to heading back in A.M. Heath's Christmas in Garland series. I was really intrigued when I learned that this newest story, Journey to Christmas, was loosely inspired by Shrek. 

Felicity has been living in Knoxville, but has found it necessary to move back to Garland, moving in with her grandmother who isn't a huge fan of Felicity's choice of career. So, it's already not a great situation. Then, her brother, who was supposed to help her move, is unable to help, and arranges for Shane Abernathy to help, along with another friend, Drew. Problem is, Shane doesn't have the greatest reputation because of the family he was born into. Even though he is trying to make something of himself, he can't see his own worth because of his background. 

Felicity also has issues to work through. Her whole life has been revolving around her social media presence, which isn't real. 

I really enjoyed seeing their relationship evolve. But even more, I loved the way they see their value in Christ. 

And, I have to mention that I just loved Drew, and the song references, and the humor.

And of course, I mentioned that I love being able to visit the small town of Garland, and just love the cozy feel of the town and its Christmas traditions. 

I absolutely love this series, and this newest book, and was so excited when I leared that the author has more books planned for 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.

Out of Time by Irene Hannon Review

 

Out of Time by Irene Hannon is the third book in the Undaunted Courage series. I loved the first two books and couldn't wait to read this new one. Each of the books focuses on one of three Tucker siblings. We are introduced to all of them in the first book, though Into the Fire focuses on Bri who is an arson investigator, and Over the Edge focuses on Jack who is a police detective. 

I remember when I first learned about the occupation of Cara, the main character of this third book, while reading the previous book, I wondered how a story with a historical anthropologist was going to end up as a suspense book. Seeing as the other two siblings are in jobs where they are more likely to find themselves in danger. Let's just say, I'm no longer questioning and love the way the plot came together. I mean, a secluded country estate, a decades old cold case, lights in the woods in the middle of the night, yeah, there was some awesome suspense. 

Cara Tucker was staying in a cottage on the estate of an elderly woman named Natalie so they could work together to translate journals that were written in a nearly forgotten language. As the story progresses there is increasing danger, and increasing instances of Natalie supposedly being forgetful and having issues with her health. In fact, it is during the first incident that Cara meets sheriff Brad. There was the possiblity of a relationship with him, but there was also some interest from Natalie's cousin, Steven. 

We also see some of the story from the point of view of Lydia the housekeeper, Paul who has an interest in the journals for more than one reason, and there is also the point of view of the villain who is kept anonymous. The big question was, is this person a completely different character, of one of the other characters we are already seeing the points of view of. As we get closer to knowing the identity of the bad guy, it becomes clearer who that person is. 

I loved the mystery of the journals and wondering how it fit with the nefarious events happening on the estate. I also loved seeing the developing relationship between Cara and the guy she ends up with. I felt so bad for Natalie with all the little things that were happening to make her look like she was losing her mind. It was intriguing to learn what WAS related to the main mystery and what was not. So many suspects. And I did appreciate that the villain didn't just come from left field. There were clues. I figured it out a bit before it was revealed.  And once it was revealed, the suspense didn't stop. In fact, that's when it racheted up. 

Another awesome suspense by this author. 

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.

Girl Lost by Kate Angelo Review

 

Girl Lost by Kate Angelo drew me right in and was full of suspense, keeping me on the edge of my seat. Needing to know what was going to happen next. What started out as a visit by Luna to her home town to try to find the daughter she had given up at birth, turned into a investigation into not just one, but two missing people, and then became a race against the clock to get to the bottom of a disturbing discovery before another death occurred. 

The two main characters, Luna and Corbin, shared a past, one they needed to work through so they could work together on these seemingly separate cases. One of the missing people was their mentor, the guy who saved them, and many others, from delinquency. I loved getting to know others in this close-knit group. 

There was so much going on, so much that the author was able to bring together into a satisfying suspense thriller. I loved the twists and the fast action that kept me swiping through pages. Faith played an important role in the story, as did forgiveness. 

I was thrilled when I discovered that this is the first book in a series. The author is a new-to-me author, and I can't wait to read more of her books. 

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.

Every Voice Heard by N.Y. Dunlap, D.T. Powell, and Sarah Hanks Review

 

Every Voice Heard is a powerful and eye-opening collection of three novellas that focus on church hurt and abuse. Each story looks at a different aspect of church hurt. 

Praise Through the Pain by N.Y. Dunlap features Alexis who is in charge of her church's dance praise team. She has also worked as a paramedic, which is how she first came into contact with Elijah, when she comes to his aid after a devastating accident. It is on this day that she also has something horrific happen to someone in her family. She ends up the guardian of her autistic nephew. Because of the judgmental attitudes from members in her church, she ends up falling away from church. At the same time, Elijah is seeking God, and also seeking the woman who came to his aid. 

Rapha by D.T. Powell is the second story in this collection. Rebecca works as a manager in a store and has dealt with church hurt in her past. She is actively seeking a new church home while also dealing with all the stress from her job. Josiah is a new employee working in Customer Service, and she soon discovers he is the new pastor at the church she is visiting. She isn't sure she wants to deal with the drama she discovers going on at this church. I loved seeing the way Josiah and his wife handle the situation biblically and prayerfully, even though you can see the toll it is taking on their lives. 

For the Love of Truth by Sarah Hanks follows Candi who is the personal assisstant to the pastor in the church that Justice visits. He notices that something isn't quite right and wants to protect Candi. This story had me feeling icky, thinking of how the pastor is so manipulative and deceptive and abusive. 

Having personally not dealt with church hurt or abuse, this collection really did open my eyes. It makes me sad and frustrated to see how God's church is not what it should be in many different places and ways. At the same time, each of these authors showed how God's faithfulness and love shine through. How He gives us hope and brings healing. 

I highly recommend this collection. 

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.

Friday Fun - December 26, 2025 (a few days late)

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've been rereading the Hunger Games series so I can read the new book before the movie releases. I read Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.

I'm currently reading Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins.

        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:

 Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins:

"I clasp the flask between my hands even though the warmth from the tea has long since leached into the frozen air."

I couldn't exactly remember how this second book began, so I did wonder where she was exactly. Though now, looking back at last week's First Line from The Hunger Games, I found it interesting that both first lines had to do with something being cold.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins:

"I stare down at my shoes, watching as a fine layer of ash settles on the worn leather."

So, I DID remember where Katniss is at the beginning of Mockingjay. What I find interesting here is the author doesn't have the word cold or frozen; however, ash is the result of a fire burning out and going cold. And she is stading in the place where the bed had been. The bed that she wakes up in in the first 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.)
(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:

Catching Fire by a Suzanne Collins:

"I begin to weary of the vastness, the endlessness of the place. When Effie comes to tell us to dress, I don't object. I go to my compartment and let the prep team do my hair and makeup. Cinna comes in with a pretty orange frock patterned with autumn leaves. I think how much Peeta will like the color."

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins:

"I cross to him and say, 'Hey Finnick.' He doesn't seem to notice, so I nudge him to get his attention. 'Finnick! How are you doing?'

'Katniss,' he says, gripping my hand. Relieved to see a familiar face, I think. 'Why are we meeting here?'

'I told Coin I'd be her Mockingjay.'"

Reviews:

I still need to work on my reviews. Every time I think I'm going to get to them, my computer dies. And then I can't get it to turn on for several days. However, I did get one review written before it shut down. Hopefully I can get to the other reviews so I can share the links on Friday. Here's the link to the one review:

Home Free by Cali Black 

Home Free by Cali Black Review

 

Home Free by Cali Black is the third and final installment in the Home for Christmas series, a series that began in the novella collection, Christmas in the Cascades. That anthology came out in October of 2024 and had five stories written by five different authors. Stories that were all set in the town of Dane's Creek and revolved around the bell tower. Earlier this year author Cali Black continued the story with the full length book, The Long Way Home. As I mentioned in my review of that book, you really want to read the books in order so you get to know the characters and the town. 

I was greatly anticipating the release of Home Free because I wanted to get another peek back into the lives of these characters whom I had fallen in love with. And this story's plot intrigued me. Church girl (Mandy) meets convict (Shawn) at a mountain lumber camp while there with an outreach ministry providing Chrsitmas dinnner. They steal a forbidden kiss, but then go their own ways, unable to get the other out of their mind. Fast forward nine months and Mandy is suddenly agreeing to help house and provide a job to a parolee who was injured at said camp. No surprise that it's Shawn. Unfortunately, things don't go quite as planned, for either of them. 

It didn't seem that a relationship between the two of them would ever go anywhere. There was just so much they both needed to work through. Faith played an important role in this story, with the gospel message being shared, the characters going to church, the characters praying and asking for prayer, and seeking God's will. I love how we got to see past characters coming together to help support and care for Mandy and Shawn. There was also a bit of suspense included which really amped things up for a while. And led to quite a devastating situation. Let me tell you, it was definitely an emotional story. Very powerful. And we could see God working in their lives. 

Home Free is an awesome conclusion to this series. I loved this story and am so sad to see it end. I really fell in love with these characters. And I love the nods to the past stories. 

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 - December 19, 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 an eARC of The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch.

I am also starting a reread of the Hunger Games series so I can read the newest book before the movie comes out next year. So, I started The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins this evening.

        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 Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch:

"She can breathe easy since she feels no consequences."

Who was being referred to here? And why did she feel no consequences?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins:

"When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold."

I've read this book/series multiple times, and I can't remember my original reaction to this beginning. But knowing why she is alone in the bed is so sad.

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.)
(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 Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch:

"'What about when Roger Wagner lived in the house? His wife died and then his daughter ran away, and he moved a few years later, right? Does anyone know what happened to Lily Ann?' Could she be the girl upstairs? The bones in the woods?

Marcia says nothing.

' Anything nefarious there?' I ask."

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins:

"I realize I detest Haymitch. No wonder the District 12 tributes never stand a chance. It isn't just that we've been underfed and lack training. Some of our tributes have still been strong enough to make a go of it. But we rarely get sponsors and he's a big part of the reason why."

Reviews:

I still need to write my reviews for the books I've finished in the last few weeks. However, I did get my review written for the book I finished this evening. 

The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R Patch 

The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch Review

 

Oh my, what an awesome, somewhat creepy, definitely disturbing book. I loved The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch. I had to keep zinging through the pages just to find out what in the world was going on. 

Gwen and her husband Steven had just purchased a house having to move away from where they used to live. The reader has no clue why, but the reasons are revealed slowly throughout the story. And the mysteries of the creepiness that Gwen feels as she enters their new home also become clear. But not until almost the end of the book. There were definitely creepy, ghostly things that seemed to be going on. Definitely some mental, psychological things as well. Was the reader supposed to trust what Gwen saw, or was she really losing it? 

I loved delving into the mystery of this house, and the seemingly perfect, safe town. I loved how the author revealed details and threw in twists. I also appreciated that everything was wrapped up quite nicely.

Highly recommended.

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

Friday Fun - December 12, 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 Home Free by Cali Black. This is the third and final book in her Home for Christmas series and it just released yesterday.

I am also starting Out of Time by Irene Hannon, the third book in her Undaunted Courage 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 are my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selections:

 Home Free by Cali Black:

"Mandy Bradford shifted uncomfortably.

I had to wonder why she was uncomfortable.

Out of Time by Irene Hannon

"Her dream sabbatical was not off to an auspicious start."

Again, I wanted to know what was not going as planned.

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:

Home Free by Cali Black:

"She swallowed several times in a row, desperately wondering where all her saliva had gone. A man got out of the driver’s seat and moved toward the back of the van while a woman in full uniform complete with gun got out of the passenger side and approached her with a clipboard. Mandy met her halfway. 

'Mrs. Bradford?' The fierce-looking woman extended her hand. 'I’m Judith Lightfoot, Mr. Gray’s parole officer. There’s some paperwork here for you to fill out. Just sign at the highlighted portions and then I’ll go over the rules with you.'"

Out of Time by Irene Hannon:

"Natalie’s mug of tea froze halfway to her mouth. 'Near the house?'

'No. Deeper into the woods, in the direction of the lake. I thought you might have a clue who it could be.' 

Natalie set the mug back down. 'No, I don’t. No one should be roaming about on this property.''

Could it have been a neighbor, by any chance?'

'I doubt it. I don’t see them much, but we do chat on occasion. If one of them had a reason to come onto my land, they’d ask. Are you certain you saw a light?'

'Yes. It was like the ones I saw once in a while when Micah was still here. I always assumed it was him.'

'Late at night?'

'Yes.'"

Reviews:

No reviews this week as my computer is still being temperamental. 

Friday Fun - December 5, 2025 (a couple of days late)

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 (but three stories) to share with you.

I'm starting an eARC of A Christmas to Remember by Penny Zeller. This book releases December 9th.

I am currently reading 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. 

        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:

 A Christmas to Remember by Penny Zeller:

"Sometimes God's tug on a man's heart was mighty strong."

This is a good thing. Though I wondered if this meant this particular man was being pulled by God because he wasn't following him. Or what exactly was going on.

Rapha by D.T. Powell, the second story in Every Voice Heard:

"Rebecca hurried toward the unmistakeable shrill of an irate customer."

Well Rebecca sounded like she could be having a better day.

For the Love of Truth by Sarah Hanks, the third story in Every Voice Heard:

"Candi shifted in her rolling office chair as she fumbled for an answer to the staff members' questions."

I wondered what kind of questions were being asked as she was fumbling and shifting. To me, it made it sound like she was agitated. 

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:

A Christmas to Remember by Penny Zeller:

"She willed  herself to trudge to the door. She unlocked it, turned the knob, and opened it, not sure what to expect. While she may have imagined just about anybody to be standing on the porch, she hadn't anticipated Otis MaCallum. 'Otis,' she gasped. 'Is everything all right?'
'Hello, Belinda. Yes, everything is fine.' Snow crystals clung to his chin, and prominent dark circles shone beneath his eyes. He held Cow in his arms."

Rapha by D.T. Powell, the second story in Every Voice Heard:

"Gaps between several seated family members meant people were still missing. 

Rebecca opened a hymnal and held it up so Essie could share with her. 

The first three verses passed quickly. When they started the fourth, the door to the Sunday School wing swung open, and Josiah stepped through. Alone."

For the Love of Truth by Sarah Hanks, the third story in Every Voice Heard:

"Justice wavered, hand on the key in his car's ignition. His insides squirmed at the thought of walking through the doors of Impact Church again. He'd prefer to stay as far from that no-good pastor as possible. How could he stand to listen to the man preach the Word, knowing his life didn't align with the words spewing from his mouth? Attending service seemed like stamping the evil man with his approval. But he had to see Candi.

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. I finished both of them, but I haven't had the chance to write my review for one of them. Here's my review for the one:

Risking His Heart by Emily Conrad

As for the books I shared a couple of weeks ago, I'm still reading the one (Every Voice Heard which I shared above). I finished the other, but haven't gotten a chance to write my review because my computer is old and tempermental. 

I hope to have all these revews ready to share the links next week.

Risking His Heart by Emily Conrad Review

 

Risking His Heart by Emily Conrad is another wonderful visit to Redemption Ridge at Christmas time. I loved the two mysteries that the police were trying to solve and I loved the best friends to more romance. Just who was the burglar stealing the electronics from homes? And who was the Yeti stealing the Christmas decorations right out from under people's noses as it seemed he, or she, was doing? And were the cases connected or not?

I felt so bad for Neenah as the plans for her life were completely dashed when she was forced into early retirement from the police force. And suddenly, out of the blue, she was named guardian of a friend's teenage daughter. How could she continue to do what she loved? 

And then there is Cody. Her best friend and also police officer. Though he'd very much prefer that they were more than best friends. And he's also dealing with never feeling he's good enough for his father, the Chief. 

I loved their story and how they learned to trust in God's plan for their lives.

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.