Friday Fun - April 4, 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 Specters in ther Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright for one of my March reading challenges.

I'm currently reading Whatever it Takes by Sarah Hanks as a member of the launch team. The book releases next week on April 9th.

        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:

 Specters in the Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright:

"Death had always been fashionable."

I was quite intrigued and wanted to know where the author was going with that sentence.

Whatever it Takes by Sarah Hanks:

"'Smile, Everly, it's not a funeral." Ivy's cheery tone masks the lapse of judgment in choosing her words."

I wondered why the mention of a funeral was relevant.

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:

Specters in the Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright:

 

"Too much had changed already. The Arnold name was tarnished in Milwaukee. A brewery gone under because of Prohibition, and now a man was hanged in what remained of the estate?"

Whatever it Takes by Sarah Hanks:

"Muted background noises of phone calls and beeping monitors pepper the room. A few seats from me, an elderly man with an oxygen tank, the only other person in the area stares blankly ahead. Awkward silence swirls around us. I should say something, but what? I hardly know my btother-in-law."

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. I ended up having to set both of those books aside, but I hope to be able to share the links to my reviews next week.

Two weeks ago I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. I previoiusly shared the link to the one, here is the link to the other:

These Long Shadows by Jennifer Mistmorgan

These Long Shadows by Jennifer Mistmorgan Review

I loved These Long Shadows by Jennifer Mistmorgan, the third book in the On Victory's Wings series. 

This book focuses on Katie and Jonty, a couple who married for convenience after Katie finds herself pregnant out of wedlock. This book takes place toward the end of WW2, after the Germans have been defeated, but Japan has not. 

The book begins with a short prologue where Jonty offers to marry Katie, but then skips two years into the future where Jonty is being demobilized and coming back home to Katie, even though at sometime in the past she had had wanted nothing more to do with him. We learn more about the time between his proposal and his homecoming though flashbacks in the story. Along with what happened to him to cause nightmares that have him calling out the name of another woman in his sleep. 

Katie and Jonty's relationship was definitely on rocky ground and they had a lot to work though, but the reader can tell that Jonty truly loves Katie even though she would prefer to keep him at arms length, or further. 

Making the relationship even more tricky is Katie's friendship with Jan, a man who has been there for her because he is related to her family's next door neighbor. However, after some suspicious actions, Jan suddenly ends up missing. 

There's intrigue and mystery, though not really any suspense (not that I was expecting there to be). The book focuses mostly on the relationships between Katie and Jonty, between Katie and her family and friends, between Jonty and his uncle. It's also a book about lives getting back to normal after the war and struggles they faced.

I love these relationships and getting to see characters from the previous books with updates on their lives now. 

And the author added in some interesting twists I didn't see coming. The author did a wonderful job of bringing these characters to life and making me care about them. There were definitely some tears shed and I was rooting for Katie and Jonty to work through their problems and make their marriage work. 

In case it is a concern to some there are mentions of baby loss, infertility, affairs, and mentions of an attack on a family by the Nazis. 

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 - March 28, 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 A Dance in Donegal by Jennifer Deibel for one of my March reading challenges.

I'm also starting When the Sky Burned by Liz Tolsma.

        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 Dance in Donegal by Jennifer Deibel:

"The grandfather clock downstairs chimed the hour, its clangs all too reminiscent of the funeral bells presiding over Mother's service just yesterday morning."

Sad beginning.

When the Sky Burned by Liz Tolsma:

"On the easel in front of Mariah Randolph sat a blank canvas, as white and pristine as a snowy morning."

I saw this as being either looking forward to a new beginning, or a frustration possibly because she wasn't sure what to paint.

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 Dance in Donegal by Jennifer Deibel:

 

"The muted thuds and clanks coming from the kitchen told Moira her hostess was busy cleaning from the afteroon meal and likely making preparations for dinner. She stared at the closed door to the kitchen. Her shoulders slumped. Although she understood the work in a guesthouse was never done, she had hoped Bríd would join her for lunch and provide insights into her new community."

When the Sky Burned by Liz Tolsma:

"Mariah gasped, 'No. What happened?'
'I'm not sure, but he's on the ground and not responding. Lydia, I need your help to get him in the house. He's right outside the door.'
'Of course.'
For a few moments, only the ticking of the wall clock kept Mariah company. That and the pounding of her heart against her ribs."

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. I'm still reading the one, and I shared the other link last week.

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

Justice Denied by Sarah Hamaker

Three weeks ago I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. I finished both of them,and shared the link to the one last week. Here is the link to the other:

Heart of Courage by Penny Zeller

Justice Denied by Sarah Hamaker Review

 

Justice Denied by Sarah Hamaker was a great romantic suspense story that drew me right in. There was danger and intrigue and mystery. Like the first book in the series, this is a miscarriage of justice story. Just who WAS behind the embezzling that Jetta's father had been accused of 15 years earlier? With all the danger coming at them, was it really worth continuing to look into it? There were multiple people who could have been the culprit and multiple people who could be behind the current attacks. 

Jetta and Seth, her mother's next door neighbor who just happens to be a photographer for the local newspaper, are working together to try to discover the truth. Would they ever be able to move their personal relationship beyond friendship though? Jetta's mom sure thinks they should. But both Jetta and Seth have their own issues they need to work through. I admit, I did start to get a bit frustrated with Jetta, but knowing what she had been through does sort of explain why.

We get to see the story from multiple points of view. Not just Jetta's and Seth's, but her mom's and members the family that owns Topher Robotics, the business Jetta's father worked for before the accusations of embezzlement and his death, along with another character who somehow plays a part. 

Being able to see the story from the points of view helps the reader to have some idea what exactly happened, but still leaves us in suspense because it still isn't clear who exactly the culprit is. 

I really enjoyed this story, though there were some things I felt weren't quite wrapped up at the end that left me a bit confused. Still it was a great book. I loved that we got to see characters from the previous book. Additionally, faith was an important part of the story. And when I am reading Christian fiction, that is what I hope to see. 

Definitely a book I highly recommend. Though it is a stand alone story, if you are like me and don't want any relationship spoilers, you will want to read book one, Justice Delayed, first.

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 - March 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 read Waylaid by Jerusha Agen which releases next week..

I'm reading These Long Shadows by Jennifer Mistmorgan which released today.

        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:

  Waylaid by Jerusha Agen:

"A pop pierced the night."

Well that doesn't sound good.

These Long Shadows by Jennifer Mistmorgan

"The restaurant swam around her, but at least the nausea had eased enough for her to be out of bed."

I was curious why she was in a restaurant if she wasn't feeling well.

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:

Waylaid by Jerusha Agen:

 

"He probably shouldn't admit he'd seen the message. Could get him on the wrong foot with her. But his gut told him she was in far worse trouble than the confession would bring him. He'd take the risk. 'I saw that text.'"

These Long Shadows by Jennifer Mistmorgan

"Begging for her life. 
He blinked away the thought as his breath quickened. 
But the blinking didn't help. He simply opened his eyes to a new, more horrifying vision of her with a red-rimmed bullet hole between her eyes."

Reviews:

Last week I shared one book in my Friday Fun post. I am still reading that book. 

Two weeks ago I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. I finished both of them, but have only had the chance to write the review for one of them:

The Scarlet Ribbon by Naomi Stephens

And here is my review for Waylaid by Jerusha Agen

Waylaid by Jerusha Agen Review

 

Waylaid by Jerusha Agen is a wonderful start to her new Windy City Westons series. The main Weston sibling in this story is Spring Weston. She had a promising career in pro cycling ahead of her until she was struck by a vehicle and left paralyzed. Though a Christian, she wishes she had just died instead of being forced to live such a life. And it appears there is someone who would be willing to fulfil her wish of being dead, someone who has been sending her threatening text messages, warning her to be quiet and not tell anyone what she remembers. The confusing problem is. . . she doesn't think she knows anything worth being threatened over. Yet, there is one thing that may have caused someone or someones to be trying to eliminate her, but would they really resort to such tactics. So, she is now living in fear, as well as depression over her situation. 

Police officer Torin Cotter has been put on her case to try to figure out who ran her over. Was it just an accident as it had been determined, or was there more to it? When he learns some of what may have been involved, he begins to wonder if the reason Spring isn't sharing details is because she herself is involved in something illegal. Of  course, as we get to see both of their points of view, we know what her involvement truly is. And there are things from Torin's past that are affecting the situation which make Spring unsure of his feelings. 

As events unfold, the author adds in some twists that truly took me by surprise. Both of the main characters had a lot to work through while dealing with an unknown villain and then an obvious villain who brings danger to multiple people. Yet, all is still not quite as it seems. Who is working behind the scenes? The final reveal was quite shocking. I love the way the author wrapped everything up and brought it together in the end. Thankfully the book did not end in a cliff hangar. I'm looking forward to reading more stories based on the Weston siblings, all of whom we met in this story. 

I really appreciated that faith was a central part of this story. Spring was dealing with quite a bit of anger and depression, wishing multiple times in the story that her life would just end as she couldn't see living her life paralyzed. She wrestled quite a bit with not feeling worth loving. And Torin was dealing with his own demons. However, the Gospel message is shared along with the importance of truly putting one's trust in Jesus. 

An awesome book and one 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. 

The Scarlet Ribbon by Naomi Stephens Review

 

The Scarlet Ribbon is the first book I have read by Naomi Stephens and I really enjoyed it. Told from two points of view, this story takes place during the Revolutionary War, but is also a retelling of the story of Rahab from the Old Testament.

Rebekah Stanton has been abandoned by those who should love her. Her father turned her back on her when it became public knowledge that she gave birth to a baby out of wedlock. The father of the baby, a British Loyalist and soldier had left her before even knowing she was pregnant. Leaving her to face the consequences of their indescretion on her own. With nowhere else to turn, she finds herself turning to prostitution in the local boarding house. 

Benjamin Renshaw, known by his alias Ben Clarke for the majority of the story, comes upon said boarding house one night, having been shot. Rebekah cares for him and keeps his identity hidden from the British soldiers with great peril to herself, but then he is gone as fast as he arrived. 

However, circumstances eventually bring them together again. But at the same time, Mason, the father of her child, is also back in the area. She wonders if he ever loved her, and more importantly, if he would be able to love her now, especially if he finds out the truth of her "occupation" or if he finds out about their son and what she was forced to do with him. 

Lots of intrigue and deception and danger surround the main characters. Rebekah as she has to decide whether of not to tell the whole truth about herself and her past. And Ben as he is a Patriot rebel and spy. It is a tense situation and time leading up to the Battle of Stony Point, a battle that attempts to bring the fort back under the control of the Patriots. A battle I admit not remembering learning about.

There were a lot of emotions that I felt when thinking about Rebekah and all she had gone through and was going through. Not only was she denied the love of those who should have loved her, but she was constantly being used by those who only wanted her for one thing. Would she be able to win Mason back? Was Ben also only interested in her for what she could do for him or could there be something more between them? I did get frustrated with her at times as she continued to keep the truth hidden. But I also understood the struggle she was going through, a struggle even more difficult because she had to choose between being a Loyalist or a Patriot. Though she didn't really see how either loyalty would make a difference in her life, being what she was. 

Also important in this story was faith and repentence. We see both Ben and Rebekah struggling with spiritual issues and being guided by Reverend Wainwright. Additionally, it was brought up that as Christians there would have been the struggle between obeying the rulers that were over them, as in the King of England, or choosing freedom. 

And I have to say, I loved the way the author brought the red ribbon into the story as the parallel to the story of Rahab. 

Of course, this story is based on Rahab and there is no secret that Rebekah is a prostitute. And yes, there are plenty of mentions of this in the book, which includes multiple mentions of men being in her bed or and staring at her lustily. For that reason I would say the book would be appropriate for adults and possibly older teens. Though there is nothing graphic shared and it is closed door. 

I received an e-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.