Winter by Marissa Meyer

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend – the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters? 

Wow, what a spectacular conclusion to Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles. It definitely will not leave fans of the series disappointed, as it gives depth to the previously introduced characters of Princess Winter and her guard, Jacin Clay, in a Snow-White-inspired plot, while Cinder and friends work to finally defeat Queen Levana. The story is full of action and surprises, and I had to keep wondering if the beloved fairy-tale-inspired characters would actually get happily-ever-after endings. I absolutely loved it from start to finish and highly recommend it!

Thanks to Goodreads First Reads, I won a copy of Winter. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

Finding Me by Kathryn Cushman

★★★★★

After her father and stepmother's accidental death, Kelli Huddleston sorts through their belongings and learns a shocking secret. Years before, her father faked his death during a boat wreck at sea – and faked Kelli's as well. He'd run from a wife, a son, and a daughter back in Tennessee, meaning Kelli has a family she's never known.

She's already cashed the payout on her dad's life insurance check and looks at it as her ticket to a new life. The lure and puzzle of digging into this hidden past is too much to resist, and she soon finds herself in Tennessee. When the trip threatens to open doors to the past better left shut, and her plans for the future are threatened, Kelli must make an agonizing choice that will change her life forever.

Kathryn Cushman’s Finding Me takes unsuspecting Kelli Huddleston on a life-altering journey of discovery. Her father recently died in a tragic accident, and as she sorts through his belongings, Kelli discovers he spent years keeping secrets and lying about the family she never met. She then travels across the country to get to know her mother and siblings and, as the title suggests, finds a bit about herself, too. I really enjoyed following Kelli throughout this novel, and I found it really hard to put down. I look forward to reading more from Kathryn Cushman in the future.

Thanks to Goodreads First Reads, I won a copy of Finding Me. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

A Field Guide to Awkward Silences by Alexandra Petri

★★★★★

Washington Post columnist Alexandra Petri turns her satirical eye on her own life in this hilarious new memoir...

Most twentysomethings spend a lot of time avoiding awkwardness.

Not Alexandra Petri.

Afraid of rejection? Alexandra Petri has auditioned for America’s Next Top Model. Afraid of looking like an idiot? Alexandra Petri lost Jeopardy! by answering “Who is that dude?” on national TV. Afraid of bad jokes? Alexandra Petri won an international pun championship.

Petri has been a debutante, reenacted the Civil War, and fended off suitors at a Star Wars convention while wearing a Jabba the Hutt suit. One time, she let some cult members she met on the street baptize her, just to be polite. She’s a connoisseur of the kind of awkwardness that most people spend whole lifetimes trying to avoid. If John Hodgman and Amy Sedaris had a baby… they would never let Petri babysit it.

But Petri is here to tell you: Everything you fear is not so bad. Trust her. She’s tried it. And in the course of her misadventures, she’s learned that there are worse things out there than awkwardness – and that interesting things start to happen when you stop caring what people think.

Alexandra Petri’s A Field Guide to Awkward Silences is one of the funniest books I’ve read, hands down. Too many times to count, Petri had me literally laughing out loud while reading, and it was utterly delightful. She describes her awkward and nerdy and quirky antics with great wit and humor. Any reader looking for an entertaining read will not be disappointed with A Field Guide to Awkward Silences - I recommend it.

Thanks to Goodreads First Reads, I won a copy of A Field Guide to Awkward Silences. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

Safe Haven by Anna Schmidt

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

When journalist Suzanne Randolph hears about FDR’s plan to bring a boatload of displaced WWII refugees to America, she knows it may be her last chance to redeem her flagging career. Suzanne follows the story to Oswego, New York, where she meets Theo Bridgewater, a Quaker dairy farmer from Wisconsin who has come to reunite with his uncle and aunt and cousin. Theo’s fight to spare his relatives the return to Germany becomes Suzanne’s fight as she does everything that the “power of the pen” can muster to help win public sympathy for the cause.

Safe Haven by Anna Schmidt is another one of those World War II novels focusing on an aspect of the war I hadn’t known before. As Suzanne and Theo work with the refugees sent to Fort Ontario in Oswego, New York, I found their story to be fascinating. Schmidt brings the struggle to life and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. From start to finish, I was captivated and wondered what the outcome would be. It’s a wonderful historical novel and I would recommend it to fans of the genre.

Thanks to Goodreads First Reads, I won a copy of Safe Haven. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

Promise to Cherish by Elizabeth Byler Younts

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

As World War II draws to a close, nurse Christine falls in love with roguish Amish boy Eli and must choose between a new, uncertain life in the Amish faith or face the judgment of a conservative postwar American society for her past mistakes.

It’s 1945, and Christine Freeman is a nurse at Hudson River State Hospital, where she works alongside members of a Civilian Public Service unit. Eli is one of the conscies – conscientious objectors to the war – and he is doing his best to become a man of character instead of the immature heartbreaker he used to be back home in his Amish community.

Christine and Eli are friendly, but when an old acquaintance, Jack, returns home from the war, Christine’s world is violently turned upside down. Eli, heartbroken to see his friend so hurt, offers her an escape within his Amish community. Despite her misgivings, Christine is fully embraced by Eli’s community. She slowly begins to feel valued and loved as she learns the Amish way of life.

Christine finds herself falling for Eli. But soon, the abusive Jack discovers Christine in her Amish hideaway and starts causing trouble for the quiet community. Christine can’t see herself becoming Amish, and she knows that if Eli leaves the church to be with her, he will be shunned. Will she escape Jack and possibly have to give up the one thing she holds most dear, or will she follow her heart and promise to cherish the Amish man who loves her?

Most of the Amish fiction I have read recently has a modern-day setting, so it was refreshing to pick up Elizabeth Byler Younts’ Promise to Cherish and take a peek at the Amish experience during World War II. Before reading this novel, I had no idea about the Civilian Public Service, but I really enjoyed learning a bit about it. And within this historical context, Younts tells a fascinating of two characters caught between two very different worlds and my heart ached for them as they struggled to face their challenges. It’s a very interesting and sweet read, and I think fans of historical fiction will enjoy it. Now, I am certainly eager to read more from Elizabeth Byler Younts.

Thanks to Goodreads First Reads, I won a copy of Promise to Cherish. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. 

Out of the Ruins by Karen Barnett

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

While her sister lies on her deathbed, Abby Fischer prays for a miracle. What Abby doesn’t expect, however, is for God’s answer to come in the form of the handsome Dr. Robert King, whose experimental treatment is risky at best.

As they work together toward a cure, Abby’s feelings for Robert become hopelessly entangled. Separated by the tragedy of the mighty San Francisco earthquake, their relationship suddenly takes a back seat to survival. With fires raging throughout the city, Abby fears for her life as she flees alone through burning streets. Where is God now? Will Robert find Abby, even as the world burns around them? Or has their love fallen with the ruins of the city?

Karen Barnett’s Out of the Ruins provides a fascinating look at both cancer treatment in the early 1900s and the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Against this backdrop, Barnett creates interesting and relatable characters who must determine how God fits among their circumstances. I really enjoyed this historical read with its action, drama and romance and cannot wait to read the following Golden Gate Chronicles novel, Beyond the Ashes.

Thanks to Goodreads First Reads, I won a copy of Out of the Ruins. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

Sugar Plum Season by Mia Ross

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

In the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a family legacy leads to love.

Amy Morgan is determined not to let her injury affect her love for dance. Moving to the tiny town of Barrett's Mill, she takes over her aunt's dance studio and begins to organize a children's Christmas ballet recital. She just needs a little help from handsome lumberjack Jason Barrett. Charming and an all-around good guy, Jason volunteers to build the stage sets. Working together with the pretty ballerina forges a connection he never expected. But is Amy really ready to leave the limelight behind? It'll take a few dancing candy canes – and a whole lot of faith – to bring them together in joy and love.

Sugar Plum Season by Mia Ross is the second sweet story in her Barrett’s Mill series (following Blue Ridge Reunion). (Luckily for me, Sugar Plum Season can easily be read on its own.) A feel-good holiday romance, this book offers likable characters, fun interactions and challenging choices, and I had a good time reading it. It is a light and quick read, so anyone looking for a bit of sweet romance in the remainder of this holiday season might want to pick up Sugar Plum Season.

Thanks to Goodreads First Reads, I won a copy of Sugar Plum Season. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.