Friday Fun - February 2, 2024

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 just finished 26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse. I've been meaning to read it for a while and realized it would work for one of my reading challenges last month. I needed a book with a number in the title. Plus, I am on the Influencer Team for book two, 8 Down, and had to get book one read first.

I just started reading Fatal Witness by Patricia Bradley. I was approved through NetGalley to read an ARC. The book releases on February 6th. I'm about a third of the way through it and loving it so far. 

I also just started The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson. This book is for another of my reading challenges, though it was for January, so I need to get it read quickly. 

        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 C arrie for First Line Friday.)

Here are my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selections:

  26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse:

"The warmth of the summer wouldn't last."

True statement.

Fatal Witness by Patricia Bradley:

"The back door slammed, and nine-year-old Danielle Bennett jumped."

Was she on edge for some reason? Why did she jump?

The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson:

"As Betty Kowalski drove home from church on Sunday, she realized she was guilty of two sins."

Okay, well, we all are because no one is perfect. But what is it she is guilty of?

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.

26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse:
 

"'Huh.' But on the outside the label read Urgent. Unzipping the envelope, the smell hit her in the face.
'Ew. That's awful.' Misty covered her nose.
Darcie hated that rotten-egg smell. But she peered in anyway and spied the single sheet of paper."

Fatal Witness by Patricia Bradley:

"'Now just wait a minute.' Mae said before Alex could answer. 'I want to hear what you have to say. After all, I tracked Danielle down, and it's my crime board you're using down at your office.'"

The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson:

"It was almost one by the time Avery made an appearance. By then Betty had enjoyed a short nap and come up with a plan for their day. She explained her idea to Avery as she set a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and glass of milk in front of her. That used to be Avery's favorite lunch, but that had been quite some time ago. She hoped it didn't look too childish now."

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. If you would like to read my reviews, I invite you to click on the links below.

Fake Relationship at the Triple Z by Cali Black

Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong

Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong Review

 

Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong is a great romcom. I loved that it started with a reference to a movie, and there were tons of movie references throughout. There were so many funny scenes, the one that involved duct tape and poptarts has really stuck with me. I even had to share it with my daughter.

So many silly ways to try to catch a husband that Meri used from a list given to her which originally came from a 1950's magazin. Meri and Kai (her brother's roommate) were trying to show how ridiculous these ideas were in their YouTube channel, Meri Me, while at the same time, she was trying to find someone to love. Amongst all the silliness, some great spiritual truths come out. 

I can't wait to read the next book, Hero Debut. While I see that that book focuses on Gemma, the other roommate, I hope we see more of Meri and Kai. 

Friday Fun - January 26, 2024

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 am on the launch team for Fake Relationship at the Triple Z by Cali Black. It is the first in a series and one of her Sweet with Sizzle books. This book released today!

I'm also reading Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong. This is for one of my reading challenges. 

        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 C arrie for First Line Friday.)

Here is my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selection:

  Fake Relationship at the Triple Z by Cali Black:

"'Laramie, hurry up! The airport shuttle is here.'"

What's so important about the airport shuttle? Were they going somewhere? 

Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong

"I hated My Best Friend's Wedding"

That was confusing at first.

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.

Fake Relationship at the Triple Z by Cali Black:
 

"Laramie's heart contracted with affection for Ridge's sister. 'Ridge worries about you, you know? You should tell him some of these things. I think he'd worry less if he knew what you were thinking.'"

Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong

"I flip to the page on 'Getting Him to Commit,' sincerely hoping Luke never watches our YouTube channel and sees me doing this. 'Here it is. When Luke comes to pick me up, you can film me not talking about having children with him, not discussing politics, and not letting him see my age on my driver's license.'"

Reviews:

Last week I shared one book in my Friday Fun post. Two weeks ago I had shared three books, but I hadn't finished all of them to share my reviews last week. If you would like to read my reviews, I invite you to click on the links below.

If I Were You by Lynn Austin

The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold

An Uncertain Road by Abbey Downey

An Uncertain Road by Abbey Downey Review

 

An Uncertain Road by Abbey Downey was a wonderful historical romance novel set in 1905 during the early days of the automobile and early auto racing. Flora Montfort is a widow who used to race with her husband until he died in an accident. Jensen Gable is an auto mechanic who wants nothing to do with the dangerous contraptions anymore, ever since his as-close-as-a-brother friend also died in an accident. The two meet in Philadelphia while there for a wedding and don’t quite hit it off at first. Yet they are thrust together to participate in the 10-day Glidden Tour that will take them from NYC through New England and back.

The story alternates between both their points of view. I love Flora’s independent spirit and tenacity as she competes as a pioneer female automobile racer, one who isn’t afraid to take risks. Which of course is a huge obstacle to Jensen, who is all about safety. So, you know, put them together in a race and things are bound to end up tense. There are dangers and obstacles to deal with, along with intrigue and sabotage. And that is just in the race. The relationship between Flora and Jensen has its own barriers to break through. I found myself rooting for them and wanting to yell at them more than once as they dealt with their issues. The importance of being truthful and not hiding things is seen, right along with learning to trust in God and remembering to go to Him and realizing He is so much greater than our problems.

One thing that really surprised me was that other people could ride along during this race. I enjoyed learning more about early automobiles and racing. And we got to see two different kinds of races in the story.

Definitely a book I recommend.

I received this book for free from the author as a part of the launch team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own, honest thoughts.

The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold Review

 

I loved The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold. I loved her first book and couldn’t wait to read this newest novel. 

This story is told from the viewpoints of two characters, Nikki and her uncle Wes. Nikki is devastated when her parents divorce and her father remarries. On top of that things are not going the best with her fiance. Her world feels like it is shattering and she ends up running off. Not really with any plans, but ends up at her uncle’s farm, her father’s family’s farm. Her Uncle Wes welcomes her, though sort of finds himself in the middle, between Nikki and her estranged father. 

It’s summer vacation and her drifting self finds an anchor at the farm, helping her uncle spruce up the farm house for future plans of renting it. It’s here that she discovers her heritage and truths from her ancestors in the form of some books found in storage. I loved the notebook she found included not just German recipes, but proverbs and wisdom. As she creates these recipes she finds herself opening up to stories from the past and is realizing everyone has a story, events in their lives that shaped what they have become. 

Oh, and I mentioned the notebook included recipes that she tries, well the recipes are printed in the book and as she is making the recipes, with help from a friend, there are little nuggets or tips to help with the recipes. 

And yes, through his time with his niece, Wes is learning things as well. And he himself is seeking wisdom from HIS aunt. 

I loved the sense of family and learning about one’s heritage. I loved the relationship that Nikki and her uncle developed. Forgiveness was a big part of this story, and being open to understanding others. 

Definitely a book I recommend. 

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. 

Friday Fun - January 19, 2024

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 book to share with you.

I am on the launch team for An Uncertain Road by Abbey Downey and I just started reading. It releases in a little over a month, on February 27th. Stay tuned for my review of this historical romance.

        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 C arrie for First Line Friday.)

Here is my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selection:

  An Uncertain Road by Abbey Downey:

"'Couldn't you make it a few more blocks?'"

Definitely some frustration going on here. 

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.

An Uncertain Road by Abbey Downey:
 

"She was all fire and fervor now. How was he going to get her calmed down enough before this race started to drive sensibly? 'It doesn't have anything to do with you. This race is inherently dangerous. One look at the road snaking up that mountain and anyone could see it. All those tight turns, narrow stretches, and sheer drop-offs are asking for trouble.'"

Reviews:

Last week I shared three books in my Friday Fun post. I only finished the one book, and if you like you can click on the link below to read my review. 

Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer 

I'll have these two books finished soon, and will then share my reviews:

If I Were You by Lynn Austin (updated to add the link as I just finished this book this afternoon)

The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold

Friday Fun - January 12, 2024

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 am reading Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer for one of my reading challenges. I needed a book that was a debut book for an author. And I had this one on my Kindle app for a while, so I thought I would read it. I'm about a third of the way through and finding it quite amusing. 

I'm also reading If I Were You by Lynn Austin. I've been meaning to get to this book for weeks now. It's my first book by this author, and I am really enjoying it.

I was also just approved for Sara Brunsvold's newest book, The Divine Proverb of Streusel, through NetGalley. I loved her book, The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip and was thrilled to get a chance to read this early. Especially because it took months for my library to get The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip in.

        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 C arrie for First Line Friday.)

Here is my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selection:

  Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer:

"Henry grimaced, not sure which irritated him more-the persistent ache in his knee or the relentless voice in his ear."

Why is Henry so irritated, what happened to his knee, and who is pestering him?

If I Were You by Lynn Austin:

"Eve Dawson bolted upright in bed."

Oh no, what's wrong? Because, there is usually something wrong if someone just bolts up in bed.

The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold:

"The message left little reason to believe Nikki Werner still held significance in her dad's life."

Well, that's sort of depressing.

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.

Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer:
 

"The man stared at his girlfriend as if he didn't recognize her-or perhaps like she was a piece of abstract art he would never understand-before shaking his head. 'I canceled. Aren't you supposed to be with Chad? I didn't expect to see you again until next week.'"

If I Were You by Lynn Austin:

"Audrey turned to her. Eve's freckles stood out against her pink cheeks. 'I'm so sorry, Eve. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I only thought. . .' What had she thought? Fussing about her wardrobe was something Mother would do, and Audrey didn't want to be like her. 'I thought we would look like sisters if we dressed the same.'"

The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold:

"They laughed together, the first time in so long. It filled Nikki in ways butter-drenched food couldn't.
Until her sister's smile drew in. 'Speaking of romance. . .'she started.
The rest of the sentence didn't need to be spoken. Nikki grabbed a throw pillow and held it to her chest. 'He hasn't returned my text.'"

Reviews:

Last week I shared three books in my Friday Fun post. If you'd like to read my reviews, I invite you to click on the links below. 

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

Trust the Stars by Tricia Goyer

Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble