In Fairy Tales & Fraud by Heather Tabers Review

 

Oh my goodness! In Fairy Tales & Fraud by Heather Tabers is an awesome, un-put-downable Christian historical romance. Literally, I was walking through Walmart reading it because I didn't want to stop. And I have to say, as much as I loved book one of the series, In Books & Battlefields, this one was even better! And yes, you do need to read these books in order. The events take place almost directly after those of book one. And reading book two first will give you all sorts of spoilers for what happened in book one. Additionally, though the main plot of book one wrapped up quite nicely, there were little things that still need resolved.

So, yeah, like I tend to do, I'm going to let you know that if you haven't read book one, you will probably not want to read this review any further as there will be things that I will mention that will be spoilers for book one.

You've been warned.

Nathaniel Steele is the MMC of In Fairy Tales & Fraud, and he was one of the main characters in book one. He is trying to get over the fact that the woman he loved chose the other guy. On top of that, danger that had followed him from Denver in the previous book, is still a concern. Plus, he is still healing from the gunshot wound that he received at the end of the first book, seeing as it's only been a matter of weeks. And suddenly, on Christmas morning, he finds a woman and her daughter hiding out in his barn. 

Willa is one of the FMCs in this story. She has been on the run with her daughter Marigold for a few weeks. It is clear that she is in danger, though it takes quite a bit of time to get the full, true story. As Nate takes her and Marigold in to his home, agreeing to hide them, she learns that there are people she can trust, even though her life has been full of heartache and disappointment. I really liked the idea of Nate and Willa together and was really rooting for them, even though Willa wasn't planning on staying around. 

The other FMC in this story is Sophie, the woman Isabella had set him up with in book one. So, yes, there is a love triangle. Sophie is a driver for the Women's Motor Corps, providing rides for soldiers in need. However, we can now see how ambitious she is, the dreams she has, her confidence and talents. I love seeing her pursue her dreams and not letting the little fact that she is a woman in a man's world in the early 1900's during WW1. I wasn't sure I wanted to see her end up with Nate even though I liked her as a character. 

Obviously I'm not going to tell you who Nate ended up with, but I will say, there was so much more to this story that the romance. I mentioned that there was danger following two of the characters, and it definitely kept following them, leading to some intense suspenseful moments, and not just for those characters. And whoo-ee were there some twists, twists I definitely did not see coming. 

Faith is definitely important in the characters' lives. We see the importance of forgiveness and trust, and see that broken trust is heartbreaking. 

I absolutely love this book and can't wait to read the next one. Plus there is a Christmas prequel novella that I hope to read soon.

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

Friday Fun - October 16, 2026

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: First Line Friday, Friday Book Snippets, and Book Blogger Hop.

This week I have two books to share with you.

I'm starting an eARC of Ghosts We Unmask by Chelsea Michelle. This is the newest book in the Watson Twins Mystery series which releases on October 19th. This is the fourth mini mystery, but there are also full length mysteries in the series as well.

I'm also going to be starting Secrets in the Castle Library by Ann Swindell. This is the third book in the In the Castle Library series.

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here are my First Line Friday selections:

Ghosts We Unmask by Chelsea Michelle:

"I growled and stared at the overflowing trash can."

I can definitely relate. Though for me, it would be my children not doing their chores. I wondered who Michelle was upset at.

Secrets in the Castle Library by Ann Swindell:

"Melanie Tallebois blew out a long breath."

I wondered if there was something wrong, so I thought I would share the next line as well:

"The envelope she held in her hands could change everything - or nothing at all."

So, then I was wondering what was in the envelope and how it could change things.

Friday Book Snippets    

 

Friday Book Snippets is the new weekly blog party that has combined Book Beginnings on Friday and Friday56. Participants can link up at either Bemused & Bookish with Olivia or Head Full of Books with Anne. Here are the instructions:

Share two snippets (a sentence or short paragraph) from a) the book's opening and b) page 56 (or another page) from the book you are currently reading. No spoilers, please.

Here is my selection from page 56 or 56% of the way through the book:

Ghosts We Unmask by Chelsea Michelle:

"'Looks like we could use more men. So I'll go.'

'I can't,' Kyle said.

'Too afraid?' Jenna asked with a teasing glint in her eye.

'No. It's Labor Day weekend. I have some extra security jobs lines up.'

'Okay, so that's all of us except two. That's a great turnout for a supposed haunted house.' I said."

Secrets in the Castle Library  by Ann Swindell:

"'He's a mind-numbingly professional man. Even the way he sits at a desk is proper.'

'Bothers you that much, does it?' Ellie's voice held a hint of a question. Or of laughter. Melanie wasn't sure which."

Book Blogger Hop.

Book Blogger Hop

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Billy over at Ranblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer. The hop occurs weekly, starting on Friday and ending the following Thursday, featuring a specific book-related prompt each week. The main goal is to connect bloggers, encouraging them to follow each other, discover new titles, and grow their audience.

This week's question is: If you designed a book-themed escape room, what puzzles would be part of it?

My answer: So, I don't really know much about escapes rooms, except for what I read in a couple of books. I really like codes that are somehow hidden in books. Like discovering somehow which book a person has to find, and then finding the clue that discreetly shows which letters or words are needed from certain pages of the book to help solve a clue. Hubby suggests books on a shelf are arranged where a certain letter of each word of the title spells out the clue. Or a clue being found in books where the cover is a certain color. 

And now it is time to share my current Reviews:

 

Last week I shared about two books. I'm still reading the one, but here is my review of the other:

Fatal Finale by Nancy Mehl

I also finished a book I shared about three weeks ago. Here is that review:

The Marquess's Masked Archer by Abbey Downey

The Marquess's Masked Archer by Abbey Downey Review

 

The Marquess's Masked Archer by Abbey Downey is an amazing start to her Headliners and Heartstrings series. It drew me in from the first page and if I hadn't had responsibilities to tend to, I would have finished this book in just a couple of days. I did NOT want to put it down. 

Sylvie Bryce is a young woman who just wants the chance to prove to her parents, mostly her overbearing mother, that she can make important decisions on her own. Especially the decision of who she wants to spend the rest of her life wed too. But she also wants to have some independence, and has decided to spend some of her summer participating in something she loves to do, archery. Which, is an acceptable past time for women of her station back in the beginning of the 20th century. However, having a job, making a spectacle of herself, using her archery in a show at a resort, is NOT something that is acceptable. So, she is doing so in disguise. 

Miles Wentworth is the marquess who she meets at one of the events she is obligated to attend. A man her mother wants to pair her up with because of his title. So, of course Sylvie wants nothing to do with him, as he is her mother's choice for her. He is sought after by many of the young ladies; however, his eye is set on Sylvie. And he wants to prove to her that he is worth falling for, even though it would mean giving her mother the satisfaction of being right. But, he too has a secret he is keeping from everyone. 

I loved watching Sylvie and Miles get to know each other better, even though they were doing so without both of them realizing it. They struggled with not knowing how the other was feeling while trying to keep secrets from each other. But as they got closer, and their feelings became clearer to themselves, they both desired to clear the air, so to speak. However, there were other circumstances going on that twisted things even more, including some blackmailing which really got under my skin.  

I was 100% rooting for them in every aspect of what they desired. I loved this glimpse into high society off on their summer vacation in a real historic setting. And though there were secrets and deception, it was obvious that it was wrong, and I loved that Sylvie and Miles were seeking for God's will in their lives, even through heartache and difficult times. 

I absolutely loved this book and I am looking forward to the next book in the series. I highly recommend this Christian historical romance. 

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

Friday Fun - October 9, 2026

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: First Line Friday, Friday Book Snippets, and Book Blogger Hop.

This week I have two books to share with you.

I read Fatal Finale by Nancy Mehl. This is the third and final book in her Erin Delaney Mysteries.

I started In Fairy Tales & Fraud by Heather Tabers. This is the second book in her Words & War series which releases next week. 

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here are my First Line Friday selections:

Fatal Finale by Nancy Mehl:

"Kaely's eyes fluttered open, and she tried to focus on her surroundings."

I knew the story was about her getting kidnapped, so I wondered if she was already captured here or if it was something else.

In Fairy Tales & Fraud by Heather Tabers:

"The only thing worse than a fussing woman is two fussing women and I have a pair of them frettin' over me something fierce."

Okay, why two women and who were they and why were they frettin'?

Friday Book Snippets    

 

Friday Book Snippets is the new weekly blog party that has combined Book Beginnings on Friday and Friday56. Participants can link up at either Bemused & Bookish with Olivia or Head Full of Books with Anne. Here are the instructions:

Share two snippets (a sentence or short paragraph) from a) the book's opening and b) page 56 (or another page) from the book you are currently reading. No spoilers, please.

Here is my selection from page 56 or 56% of the way through the book:

Fatal Finale by Nancy Mehl:

"After the last dream, when Grace pleaded with him to avenge her murder, he woke up sobbing. He knew he had to follow through. What could anyone do to him?"

In Fairy Tales & Fraud  by Heather Tabers:

"Adele works her lower lip between her teeth. 'I'm so sorry. Maybe I misunderstood. Maybe I heard wrong.'

I shake my head. 'It's alright. I'll head over to the airfield after our shift and find out what's going on.'

She nods, then drops her gaze to her lap, where she picks at her thumbnail."

Book Blogger Hop.

Book Blogger Hop

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Billy over at Ranblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer. The hop occurs weekly, starting on Friday and ending the following Thursday, featuring a specific book-related prompt each week. The main goal is to connect bloggers, encouraging them to follow each other, discover new titles, and grow their audience.

This week's question is: Do you run more than one blog? If so, how do you manage your time?

My answer: Not anymore. I used to also have a homeschool blog and that one actually took up the majority of my time. And I have one where I shared my healthy eating, but that one went to the wayside too. 

And now it is time to share my current Reviews:

 

Last week I shared about one book. Here's my review:

The One I Didn't Expect by Sara R. Turnquist

And here is the review for the first book I shared about above:

Fatal Finale by Nancy Mehl

The One I Didn't Expect by Sara R. Turnquist Review

 

The One I Didn't Expect by Sara R. Turnquist is a wonderful conclusion to the Fox Grove series. Each book in this series focuses on one of three friends, their upcoming ten-year high school reunion, and their potential love interests. We are introduced to all three of the friends in the first book mainly through the FMC, Tilly, texting them as she plans the reunion. In the second book we got Gracelyn's story. And now, we finally got to read Jo's story. 

Jo is in vet school down in Florida and has been keeping to herself the fact that she is struggling with her studies and her clinicals. She is not sure what her future looks like, but for now she wants to head to her ten-year class reunion. However, she doesn't have a way to get there because she doesn't have a vehicle. Enter our MMC, Ethan, brother of Tilly, Zoo Educator, and guy with a secret crush on Jo since they were in school. He happens to be on his way home from a zoological conference down in Florida, so he agrees to bring her back to Fox Grove in time for the reunion. 

Or, at least they hope they will be in time. Things keep happening that delay them, causing them to be in close proximity for even longer than they had planned. And they hadn't gotten off to the greatest of starts when he arrived to pick Jo up. I loved watching their relationship evolve as they dealt with the delays and they spent more time together. There was humor but also some serious discussion going on, and dealing with struggles, anger, and grief. . 

I loved this quote: "So much of life is outside of our control and pulls us forward whether we like it or not. Why not take some joy when and where it comes?"

And I loved seeing faith play an important role in their lives and learning to trust God.

All in all, this was a great book, though I really wish there was another book upcoming so we could see more of these three couples, how their relationships are developing, plus more of their other friends and family members. I do wish some things had been wrapped up a bit more as well. 

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

Fatal Finale by Nancy Mehl Review

Fatal Finale was an awesome conclusion to Nancy Mehl's Erin Delaney Mysteries series. I loved the way it came full circle back to her original Kaely Quinn Profiler series, as that is my favorite series of hers, the series where we first become acquainted with Kaely Quinn and her unique way of profiling a murderer. 

I love that Erin is friends with Kaely in this series and that Kaely isn't just a side character. This story is told from multiple characters' points of view, including side characters and the bad guy. I love being able to get in the head of the criminal and see where he's coming from. Usually this adds to the suspense for me, but with this book I found that it lessened the suspense, and I really started having sympathy for this character, even though he had kidnapped Kaely and had given Erin six days to find her before he kills her. 

Against the kidnapper's warning, Erin is working with the police chief, who she might just being admitting to herself she has feelings for, and Kaely's husband Noah, who happens to be an FBI agent. They were actually confused on how the kidnapped expected Erin to keep this information from the police and FBI to work alone when the police and FBI are so close to this case. 

I enjoyed reading each of the clues that the kidnapper gave to Erin and watching them try to decipher them as quickly as possible. Having the countdown did give this story a decent amount of suspense, but it definitely wasn't very intense. The reader learns a lot from the bad guy before the good guys have a chance to figure it out, and we know his identity quite quickly plus we know what his motive is. Even though it wasn't over-the-top suspenseful, I still could not put this book down and finished it in about a day. I needed to know how Kaely would be saved and what would happen to the kidnapper. There was also concern for the side characters that were introduced. 

Faith in God is a huge part of this story. I appreciate the way the characters lean on Him, pray to Him, trust in Him, share Scripture, and talk about salvation. There was an aspect that seemed a bit controversial until the truth of what was happening was revealed. 

I enjoyed this book more than the second book in the series, though I again felt that there were mistakes that should have been caught in editing. 

All in all, I loved this book and this series and can't wait to read more from this author. I was so excited when this book arrived at the library I just had to set the other book aside that I was reading. 

 

Friday Fun - October 2, 2026

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: First Line Friday, Friday Book Snippets, and Book Blogger Hop.

This week I have one book to share with you.

I started an eARC of The One I Didn't Expect by Sara R Turnquist. This is the third and final book of the Fox Grove series and it releases next week, on October 6th.

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here is my First Line Friday selection:

The One I Didn't Expect by Sara R. Turnquist:

"Josephine Mercer looked at the clock for the millionth time. . . when would the day end?"

I wondered if she was just having a bad day or if she had special plans at the end of her busy day.

Friday Book Snippets    

 

Friday Book Snippets is the new weekly blog party that has combined Book Beginnings on Friday and Friday56. Participants can link up at either Bemused & Bookish with Olivia or Head Full of Books with Anne. Here are the instructions:

Share two snippets (a sentence or short paragraph) from a) the book's opening and b) page 56 (or another page) from the book you are currently reading. No spoilers, please.

Here are my selections from page 56 or 56% of the way through the book:

The One I Didn't Expect by Sara R. Turnquist:

"'Traffic app?'

He glanced at her quickly. 'I mean. . . map app. Don't you have an app for directions?'

She shook her head, somewhat sheepishly.

'How do you find anything when you're driving?' He hated the frustration that seeped into his tone.

'I don't have a car,' she bit back just as forcefully.'"

Book Blogger Hop.

Book Blogger Hop

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Billy over at Ranblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer. The hop occurs weekly, starting on Friday and ending the following Thursday, featuring a specific book-related prompt each week. The main goal is to connect bloggers, encouraging them to follow each other, discover new titles, and grow their audience.

This week's question is: As a book lover, what's your biggest fear?

My answer: That there is no way I am going to ever get to all the books I want to read. 

And now it is time to share my current Reviews:

 

Last week I shared about two books. I haven't finished the one, but here is the review for the other:

The Accident by A.M. Heath

A few weeks ago I shared about the newest book in the Painted Wind series, here is that review:

Song of the Khan by J.J. Fischer