Friday Fun - February 9, 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 zinged through my eARC of 8 Down by Kimberley Woodhouse, the second book in her Alaskan Cyber Hunters series that releases on February 20th.

I am currently reading an ARC of The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel. I'm also on the launch team for this book which releases on February 13th. 

I also just started Reverence in the Wilderness by Andrea Byrd. This is another book for a launch team. It is the third book in her Frontier Hearts series. The book will release on March 5th.

        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:

  8 Down by Kimberley Woodhouse:

"Nothing could have prepared her for the dead body at the crime scene."

Well, I feel the same way for me. But I had to wonder who this lady was at the crime scene, and why she wasn't prepared, and who the dead person was. I had to find out what was going on.

The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel:

"The warning came far too late, and before Donal Bunratty could register what his daughter was saying, he was slammed into with the force of a locomotive."

That doesn't sound good. I hoped he was okay.

Reverence in the Wilderness by Andrea Byrd:

"Keturah Elliot's heart seized as the vicious waters swallowed her mother whole."

Oh no! Would her mother make it? If not, that's quite the tragic way for the story to begin. Sure did grab my attention though.

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:

8 Down by Kimberley Woodhouse:
 

"'Hey, I threw in the word brilliant before I called him a psychopath. That was the only thing I could do without lying. Which I refuse to do.'
The phone rang and the air in the room practically sizzled as they stared at it. Scott hated to think it was their killer, but everything inside him said it was."

The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel:

"Donal hurried back out into the fresh night air. This was never going to work. Poor Sara would be so disappointed. But she had no way of knowing what the festival would be like-how many people would be crammed into pub after pub with music so loud you couldn't hold a decent conversation with anyone. He'd just have to find another way to keep his promise that he'd find a companion."

Reverence in the Wilderness by Andrea Byrd:

"How could Daniel have been so careless? Keturah's blood boiled as she stared at the open stall door, her hands on her hips. Her foot tapped as she surveyed the ground in search of clues as to where the pig had gone."

Reviews:

Last week I shared three books in my Friday Fun post. If you would like to read my reviews, I invite you to click on the links below. I didn't finish The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson yet, so I will have to share that review next week.

26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse

Fatal Witness by Patricia Bradley

I also had never shared the link to my review of the following book:

Fake Relationship at the Triple Z by Cali Black

26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse Review

Chilling suspense set in Alaska.

Though it took me a bit to get into 26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse, I really enjoyed it. I had started it last year, but had to set it aside. So, when I needed a book with a number in the title for a reading challenge last month, I knew what I wanted to read. I sure wish I hadnt had to set it aside last year, because after I got into the story, it was really gripping. I needed to know for sure who was behind this threat of disaster once the temperature hit 26 Below zero. 

We get to see the story from multiple points of view. There are Darcie and Jason who are working to prevent the problem with their team. There is Natalie, an elderly woman who appears to have Alzheimer's who has overheard the bad guys' plot but can't get people to listen to her. And then there is the point of view from one of the criminals. But exactly WHO is the mastermind?

There's quite a bit of suspense and there are twists. There's quite a bit of killing, but nothing graphic.
Then there's a twist at the end leading in to the next book. Which I can't wait to read by the way.
Definitely a book I recommend and a great start to the series.

 

Fake Relationship at the Triple Z by Cali Black Review

 

I enjoyed this fake romance turned real romance turned love triangle/square story set on a ranch in Wyoming. 

A little steamy-er than I usually read, but nothing that made me uncomfortable, nothing that would be an inappropriate or sinful situation. Well, except for the lying going on as there was a fake relationship.

I enjoyed getting to know Laramie and Ridge. I felt so bad for her when her friend-who-she-hoped-would-be-more Pryce showed up at the Triple Z Ranch with another woman. Ridge jumps in, pretending to be her boyfriend, except Laramie is supposed to be her boss, so she's not quite sure if she should go along with this fake boyfriend (FB) thing. She's supposed to be the responsible one, training the interns and getting the ranch ready for the summer vacation season. 

And of course what would a fake relationship story be without the couple starting to actually  have feelings for each other and then having to figure out what to do.

But, then there seems to be some intrigue as well. Who exactly is this woman Pryce showed up with, and what are they up to? Something else is going on here. 

I did enjoy this bit of a mystery that was going on and thought it added a great twist to the fake relationship story. 

I can't wait to read the next book in the series. 

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.

Fatal Witness by Patricia Bradley Review

 

Fatal Witness by Patricia Bradley is an awesome romantic suspense story. It is the second book in the Pearl River series, but I had not had the chance to read the first book. Thankfully this didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the book. From what I was able to tell, the stories themselves don’t interconnect, it’s just the people that were introduced in the first book. Which is one reason I usually prefer to read books in order. Unfortunately my library system was taking forever to get book one to me. So, if relationship spoilers are an issue for you, I recommend reading Counter Attack first.

Moving on to my thoughts on Fatal Witness. The author begins by showing Danielle as a child, at the time when her parents are murdered in their home in Tennessee. It then moves ahead 25 years to when she is living with her uncle Keith in Montana. She now goes by the name Dani, is an artist and potter, and has no memory of her childhood before living with her uncle. She's getting ready to go to some workshops and is the subject in a magazine article where her picture has been printed, against her wishes.

We are then introduced to the elderly Mae Richmond who happens to see Dani’s picture and believes with all her heart that Dani is her missing granddaughter. And we are also introduced to Mae’s neighbor, Mark who is a K-9 officer. So, another plus for this book, there is a cute K-9 animal named Gem, plus Dani’s uncle Keith has a Puli named Lizi who is also well trained and loves being with Dani. We also get to know chief deputy Alex Stone, or if you’ve read the first book, get reacquainted with. I’m assuming more of the officers have also been introduced in the first book.

From the first page this book grabbed my attention and it didn’t let go. Whenever I had the opportunity I was opening up my phone to see what was going on. It was obvious of course that once Dani’s picture was shared, and her grandmother recognized her, that the killer of her parents would be alerted. But who exactly was the killer? Had she seen him when he murdered her parents? Is that why her grandmother and her are now in danger? Will Dani remember the details or will the truth remain in the shadows of her memories? Are there other reasons why the killer is after Dani?

The author did a great job rounding up potential suspects. I was not sure at all who the killer was until around the time when it was revealed. I had my suspicions, but was never quite sure. I loved the mystery of it,  the suspense, and the twists. And I also loved the relationship that was developing between Dani and Mark, and getting to know Mark better. The author did a wonderful job bringing the characters to life and I cared for them and what was happening. And I appreciated the spiritual truths and Bible verse that a couple of the characters use for strength through the trying times. 

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. 

Reading Challenges 2024: January Update

Here is what I read for my challenges in January:

For the challenge in the Avid Readers of Christian Fiction FB group I needed a book that was an author's debut novel. I chose to read Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer.

For the challenge over at Crystal Caudill's blog, I read Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble. 

For the challenge in the Eating Our Words FB group I was also able to use Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble for my January book. With this challenge, we can choose to read the book IN the month, or any time of the year, OR we can do both. So, like last year, I am choosing to try both. 

I read another book for January, The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold. 26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse works for March. Trust the Stars by Tricia Goyer fits in for April. Fake Relationship at the Triple Z by Cali Black works for June. I chose to use Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer for September. If I Were You by Lynn Austin works for October. 

For the challenge in The Posse FB group, I read 26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse.

I chose to start the Read Your Bookshelf challenge from Chantel Reads All Day with the Arthur Conan Doyle side of the flow chart. I am currently reading The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson. 

I really enjoyed Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong, which was the January book in the Between the Pages FB group challenge/book discussion.

One of the authors I follow, Malissa Chapin, is also doing a challenge on her FB page, Malissa Chapin's Merry Band of Book Lovers:

I haven't read my January book for the Malissa Chapin challenge, but I am using Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble for the February challenge as the author is one of my favorite Christian suspense authors and I would say I admire her for her ability to write such awesome books. 

Five of the books I read in January work for the January challenge in the Faith Filled Fiction FB group. Trust the Stars by Tricia Goyer, Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer, If I Were You by Lynn Austin, An Uncertain Road by Abbey Downey, and Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong.

For the Literary Escapes Challenge here is what I read in each month. 

In January I read books set in the following states:

Alaska: 26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse 
Arkansas: Trust the Stars by Tricia Goyer
Illinois: Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer 
Missouri: The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold

Oregon: Huband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong
South Carolina: Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble 
Wyoming:  Fake Relationship at the Triple Z by Cali Black 

And I traveled to England with If I Were You by Lynn Austin

Here is what I've read for the Alphabet Soup Challenge:

D: Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer, The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold

F: Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble, Fake Relationship at the Triple Z by Cali Black 
H: Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong 
I: If I Were You by Lynn Austin 

T: Trust the Stars by Tricia Goyer
U: An Uncertain Road by Abbey Downey 

Here's what I've read for the 2024 European Reading Challenge from Rose City Reader. 

In January I read books set in the following European country:

England: If I Were You by Lynn Austin 

I also decided I was going to read one Christmas book each month. 

For January I started The Christmas Dog by Melody Carlson; however, I haven't finished it yet.

Also, someone in my Avid Readers of Christian Fiction group again came up with a yearly book challenge. This year we have 50 prompts:

Read a book...

1. With a title that starts with a P

2. By an author you’ve never tried before: Trust the Stars by Tricia Goyer

3. Set on the coast

4. With a tree on the cover

5. By an author whose name starts with a J

6. From a genre outside your comfort zone

7. With an adverb in the title

8. Featuring a character with grey hair

9. That has won a Carol award

10. Published in 2024

11. By a debut author: An Uncertain Road by Abbey Downey

12. Written by multiple authors

13. With a green cover

14. That is a bestseller

15. Set on a boat, train, or plane

16. With an illustrated cover: Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong

17. With a main character who is disabled

18. With a single mother or father

19. Written by an indie author: Fake Relationship at the Triple Z by Cali Black

20. Set somewhere you’ve been: If I Were You by Lynn Austin

21. Featuring law enforcement 

22. Published during the summer

23. Set during a holiday

24. That is considered women’s fiction 

25. Featuring a Jewish character

26. Set over 100 years ago

27. That contains bible verses

28. With a teenager as a main character 

29. With a one word title 

30. A book you preordered

31. With a solid colored cover

32. By an author who writes with a pen name 

33. That takes place in a national park 

34. With a title that starts with an M

35. By a male author

36. That includes pirates

37. By an author whose name starts with the letter T

38. That has been made into a movie or television show 

39. With forgiveness as a topic or theme: The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold

40. Featuring a journalist 

41. That includes sisters: Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble

42. With a midwife or doula

43. That takes place in a country you’ve never been to

44. That is lighthearted or humorous: Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer

45. Set during WWII

46. That you choose because of the cover

47. By an author who writes multiple genres: 26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse

48. With a dual timeline 

49. With a second chance romance

50. Recommended by someone you know

Also, I joined in with a second yearly challenge last year in the Scripture Literature-You Are What You Read group. I just never added it to my blog post. So, this year I'm adding it here, though the post is going to be so long. LOL. 

So, here it is:

1- Takes place in Israel

2- Second chance: An Uncertain Road by Abbey Downey

3- Not your usual genre

4- Significant church event

5- Well known author/lesser known book

6- Major motion picture

7- About an influential Christian

8- A Mysterious disappearance

9- Speculative Fiction

10- Protagonist has a disease/disability

11- Recommended by an author

12- Includes angels

13- An inheritance: Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble 

14- Finish what you started: 26 Below by Kimberley Woodhouse 

15- Carol Award winner

16- A Spy

17- Forgiveness

18- Redemption

19-Less than 200 pages

20. Two or More Authors

21. By your Favorite Author

22. Male Protagonist

23. Recommended on this Page

24. Blended Families

25. Book of Devotions

26. Christian Literary Classic

27. Dystopian

28. Mistaken Identity: Dear Henry, Love Edith by Becca Kinzer 

29. A Life Lesson: Husband Auditions by Angela Ruth Strong

30. Bible Retelling

31. The American Frontier

32. Features Music

33. Recovering from Addiction

34. Gothic Romance

35. Eye Catching Cover: Trust the Stars by Tricia Goyer

36. Takes Place on an Island

37. Spiritual Warfare

38. Protagonist Shares your Occupation

39. Written by a Famous Christian

40. Family Estrangement: The Divine Proverb of Streusel by Sara Brunsvold 

41. Tear Jerker

42. Treasure Hunt

43. New to you Author

44. Mother-Daughter Bond

45. 2023 Best Seller

46. Title Includes a Color

47. Fairytale

48. On your TBR

49. Alternate Reality

50. Written before 1950

51. Includes a Foreign Language

52. Includes a Historical Monarch: If I Were You by Lynn Austin

53. Choose your own Adventure  

My Goodreads goal is to read 110 books this year. Last year I had set it at 100 and I ended up reading 122. So far this year I have read 9 books. 

Phew, I know this seems like a lot, even more than last year, but like last year, I hope to be able to combine challenges where possible. And with the yearly challenges, I read books for the other challenges and then see where they fit in the yearly challenge lists. Also, when I pick books for the monthly challenges, I will try to choose books that take place in different states or countries. Also, I'll probably prioritize the challenges I've been doing longer if I start struggling with keeping up.

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.