Love in the Details by Becky Wade

★★★★★

She left him to save his future, but they’ve never gotten over each other.

When Josh returns to his hometown of Martinsburg, Texas, to help his best friend get married, he didn’t intend to run into church wedding coordinator—and ex-girlfriend—Holly. He can’t help but pine after the girl he never got over.

Holly broke up with Josh years ago in an attempt to ensure his future success. But she loved him then and still loves him now. As she helps him plan his best friend’s wedding, she can’t help but feel horrible for the pain she caused him. And even though she longs to be with Josh, she doesn’t feel worthy of his big-time lifestyle when she is more comfortable in her small town world. Will Josh and Holly be able to keep things as they are when their true feelings threaten to surface at every turn?

The final novella in the second round of A Year of Weddings, “Love in the Details” by Becky Wade tells wonderfully heartwarming story of a second-chance love. When Josh returns to his hometown for his best friend’s wedding, he naturally runs into Holly, the woman who broke his heart. The two cannot seem to avoid one another, so they slowly begin to become reacquainted and uncover the hurts of the past. A sweet romance, “Love in the Details” will leave any fans of A Year of Weddings smiling - I highly recommend it to any interested reader looking for a quick, heartwarming read.

Thanks to Zondervan and NetGalley, I received a copy of “Love in the Details” and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

Love on a Deadline by Kathryn Springer

★★★★★

MacKenzie “Mac” Davis left her hometown of Red Leaf, Wisconsin, to pursue a degree in journalism. But when her dad, the town’s beloved Coach Davis, suffers a mild heart attack, Mac returns home to help out. She takes a job at the weekly newspaper but instead of covering serious topics, her editor wants her to write about social events – like the garden club’s flower show and the historical society’s afternoon tea. Mac knows it’s no way to earn her father’s respect – or the attention of one of the newspapers she hopes will hire her when she leaves Red Leaf.

When Hollis Channing, Mac’s high school nemesis, returns to Red Leaf to marry her celebrity fiancé, the editor asks Mac to cover the big event – and all the festivities leading up to – for the newspaper.

The last thing Mac wants to do is reconnect with the person who made her life miserable when she was a teenager… unless it’s spending time with Ethan Channing, the bride’s older brother – and Mac’s first crush.

Mac is no longer the awkward girl who wore the school mascot costume to the Homecoming dance but she realizes something hasn’t changed: her feelings for Ethan.

Another great addition to A Year of Weddings from Kathryn Springer, “Love on a Deadline” returns to the Red Leaf, Wisconsin of “A September Bride” and tells the story of another second-chance romance. MacKenzie Davis and Ethan Channing reconnect when he returns home to plan his sister’s wedding. Their story is cute and sweet, as they seek to distinguish themselves from their high-school selves and discover their potential for love. Fans of Zondervan’s novella collection will certainly enjoyed this romance from Kathryn Springer. It’s a great, quick summer read.

Thanks to Zondervan and NetGalley, I received a copy of “Love on a Deadline” and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

A.D. 30 by Ted Dekker

★★★★★

A sweeping epic set in the harsh deserts of Arabia and ancient Palestine.
A war that rages between kingdoms on the earth and in the heart.
The harrowing journey of the woman at the center of it all.
Step back in time to the year of our Lord… A.D. 30.

The outcast daughter of one of the most powerful Bedouin sheikhs in Arabia, Maviah is called on to protect the very people who rejected her. When their enemies launch a sudden attack with devastating consequences, Maviah escapes with the help of two of her father's warriors – Saba who speaks more with is sword than his voice and Judah, a Jew who comes from a tribe that can read the stars. Their journey will be fraught with terrible danger. If they can survive the vast forbidding sands of a desert that is deadly to most, they will reach a brutal world subjugated by kings and emperors. There Maviah must secure an unlikely alliance with King Herod of the Jews. 

But Maviah's path leads her unexpectedly to another man. An enigmatic teacher who speaks of a way in this life which offers greater power than any kingdom. His name is Yeshua, and his words turn everything known on its head. Though following him may present even greater danger, his may be the only way for Maviah to save her people – and herself.

Author Ted Dekker and his addictive stories have long been a favorite of mine. Though A.D. 30 tackles a different sort of story than his usual novel, it still contains Dekker’s masterful storytelling, filled with plenty of action and drama. Once I started reading this incredible, beautiful, moving story of one woman’s life-changing encounter with Yeshua, I simply could not stop. Fans of Ted Dekker will not be disappointed in reading A.D. 30. It’s well-worth the read.

Thanks to FaithWords/Center Street and NetGalley, I received a copy of A.D. 30 and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

All Right Here by Carre Armstrong Gardner

★★★★★

Ivy Darling can't have children of her own, and her husband Nick's resentment is forcing them apart. And while Ivy has the support and love of her large, close-knit family, Nick's family has never welcomed her into the fold.

When the three children next door are abandoned by their mother, Ivy and Nick take them in for the night. One night becomes several, and suddenly Ivy and Nick find themselves foster parents to the only African-American kids in the town of Copper Cove, Maine. As Ivy grows more attached to the children, Nick refuses to accept their eclectic household as a permanent family. Just as Ivy begins to question whether or not she wants to save her emotionally barren marriage, Nick begins to discover how much Ivy and the children mean to him. But is his change of heart too little, too late?

All Right Here wonderfully opens Carre Armstrong Gardner’s Darling Family series. Filled with a great and diverse cast of characters, covering a complex variety of situations and emotions, the story is beautifully and dramatically told and kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. I really enjoyed All Right Here and cannot wait to come back to the Darlings in future novels. I would certainly recommend this novel for fans of contemporary fiction - it’s an all-around entertaining and uplifting read.

Thanks to Tyndale House and NetGalley, I received a copy of All Right Here and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

In Tune with Love by Amy Matayo

★★★★★

April is willing to do anything for her sister’s wedding – until she comes face to face with a guy from her past.

April Quinn is thrilled to be her sister’s maid of honor, until the wedding coordinator quits and the responsibilities get dumped on her. It’s April’s worst nightmare – especially since her sister has more objections and opinions than a lawyer presenting a high-profile court case. When the wedding singer walks out at the last-minute, her sister hires a replacement. When April finds out who the replacement is, she’s ready to call it quits as well.

Because there’s only one person in April’s past that she never wanted to see again, and her sister just handed him a front row seat to the wedding.

Jack Vaughn finally has the career he’s always wanted. After playing in bars and singing in weddings as a struggling musician for half a decade, he’s just released his second album and sales are skyrocketing. But while visiting his parent’s Nashville home the weekend before his first headline tour, he runs into an old friend. When she asks him for a last-minute favor, he can’t bring himself to say no. Even though saying yes means he has to come face to face with April Quinn – the girl who hasn’t spoken to him in years.

And rightly so, since he stole something from her that he’ll never be able to repay.

Amy Matayo provides another cute and sweet addition to A Year of Weddings. Her novella, “In Tune with Love,” brings April Quinn and Jack Vaughn together after several bitter years apart. With equals parts wit and honesty, these two characters determine the likelihood of a second chance with their relationship and there is no shortage of entertaining and romantic moments. Though the faith element of this story is minimal, Matayo’s contribution fits nicely within the whole novella collection and still adds its own quirky and sarcastic flare. I think fans of A Year of Weddings will enjoy the wedding fun of “In Tune with Love” - I know I did.

Thanks to Zondervan and NetGalley, I received a copy of “In Tune with Love” and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

Distortion by Terri Blackstock

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

When Juliet Cole’s husband of fifteen years is gunned down in a dark parking lot before her eyes, she thinks it was a random shooting. Devastated and traumatized, she answers hours of questioning. When she’s finally allowed to return home to break the news to her boys, she hears a voicemail that takes the situation from a random shooting to a planned, deliberate attack. ‘Mrs. Cole, we know you have access to the supply and the money. If you don’t turn fifty million over to us and give us the codes, then you’ll be burying more family members.’ Suddenly, Juliet realizes that she and her children could be in danger. She teams up with her sisters and PI Michael Hogan to dig into the sham Bob has been living for years. The more she learns, the worse the betrayal. A drug trafficking history, a fortune in cash, and a secret family all emerge to turn Juliet’s belief system on its head, and threaten the things she loves.

Are she and her sisters skilled enough as sleuths to get to the truth?

Distortion is a great addition to Terri Blackstock’s Moonlighters series. As she revisits the familiar Cramer sisters and friends, introduced in the previous novel, Truth Stained Lies, Blackstock provides another whirlwind murder-mystery. It’s intriguing and suspenseful and definitely kept me guessing. I thoroughly enjoyed it - even better than the first novel. I think any fans of Terri Blackstock and the Moonlighters will enjoy Distortion, and now, I can’t wait to see what is next in store for this series.

Thanks to Zondervan and NetGalley, I received a copy of Distortion and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

Playing by Heart by Anne Mateer

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

Lula Bowman has finally achieved her dream: a teaching position and a scholarship to continue her college education in mathematics. But then a shocking phone call from her sister, Jewel, changes everything.

With a heavy heart, Lula returns to her Oklahoma hometown to do right by her sister, but the only teaching job available in Dunn is combination music instructor/basketball coach. Lula doesn't even consider those real subjects!

Determined to prove herself, Lula commits to covering the job for the rest of the school year. Reluctantly, she turns to the boys' coach, Chet, to learn the newfangled game of basketball. Chet is handsome and single, but Lula has no plans to fall for a local boy. She's returning to college and her scholarship as soon as she gets Jewel back on her feet.

However, the more time she spends around Jewel's family, the girls' basketball team, music classes, and Chet, the more Lula comes to realize what she's given up in her single-minded pursuit of degree after degree. God is working on her heart, and her future is starting to look a lot different than she'd expected.

Anne Mateer’s Playing by Heart is a really cute romance, involving math, basketball and relying on God, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Both Lula and Chet are fantastic, relatable characters, who refreshingly alternate between narrating the story in the first person. Each character struggles to balance their familial expectations with personal dreams, and as their paths continue to cross in small-town Oklahoma, their tenuous and developing relationship helps them to both better face their future. Overall, Playing by Heart is sweet and heartwarming, and now I look forward to reading more from Anne Mateer in the future.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley, I received a copy of Playing by Heart and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

With Every Breath by Elizabeth Camden

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

In the shadow of the nation's capital, Kate Livingston holds a respectable position as a government statistician when she encounters a rival from her past, the insufferable Trevor McDonough. A Harvard-trained physician, Trevor never showed the tiniest flicker of interest in Kate, and she's bewildered at the way he suddenly seeks her out. Surprising even herself, Kate agrees to Trevor's entirely unexpected and risky proposal to work side-by-side with him in his quest to rid the world of tuberculosis, a contagious and deadly disease. 

As Kate begins to unlock the mysteries of Trevor's past, she realizes there is much more to him than she could have imagined. His hidden depths may fascinate her, but his most closely guarded secrets and a shadowy enemy lurking in the background carry a serious threat to their future. 

When the truth of the past comes out, threatening to destroy everything they hold dear, how will Trevor and Kate ever overcome all that stands in their way?

I love that I have yet to be disappointed by an Elizabeth Camden novel. She has a wonderful way of bringing unique history to life with authentic characters. In With Every Breath, Camden fascinated me with the search for tuberculosis’ cure, since I never realized how rampant and deadly nature of this disease during the nineteenth century. And her main characters, Kate and Trevor, are so entertaining with their witty and competitive relationship. I just loved everything about this book. It is such an interesting read and I would recommend it for readers of historical romance.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley, I received a copy of With Every Breath and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

Butterfly Palace by Colleen Coble

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

When Lilly Donnelly arrives at the Cutlers' famed Butterfly Mansion in 1899, the massive house and unfamiliar duties threaten to overwhelm her. Victorian Austin is lavish, highly political, and intimidating, but with the help of the other servants, Lilly resolves to prove herself to her new employers.

Then, while serving at an elegant dinner party, Lilly recognizes one distinguished guest as Andrew, the love of her life, who abandoned her without a word back home. He seems to have assumed a new identity and refuses to acknowledge her, leaving her confused and reeling.

Before Lilly can absorb this unwelcome news, she's attacked. Could it be the sinister Servant Girl Killer who has been terrorizing Austin? Or is it someone after something more personal - someone from her past?

Does she dare trust Andrew to help or is he part of the danger threatening to draw Lilly into its vortex?

The cover of Colleen Coble’s Butterfly Palace has me interested from the start, eager to find out what would happen within the walls of such an impressive mansion. And then, once I started reading, I was hooked. Within the historical setting, Coble creates a puzzling set of intertwining mysteries, involving a whole cast of interesting characters and heartwarming romance. Butterfly Palace is a novel that kept me both guessing and entertained, and I really enjoyed it. I would recommend it for fans of historical mystery and romance.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley, I received a copy of Butterfly Palace and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

Lizzy & Jane by Katherine Reay

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

Sometimes the courage to face your greatest fears comes only when you've run out of ways to escape.

At the end of a long night, Elizabeth leans against the industrial oven and takes in her kingdom. Once vibrant and flawless, evenings in the kitchen now feel chaotic and exhausting. She's lost her culinary magic, and business is slowing down.

When worried investors enlist the talents of a tech-savvy celebrity chef to salvage the restaurant, Elizabeth feels the ground shift beneath her feet. Not only has she lost her touch; she's losing her dream.

And her means of escape.

When her mother died, Elizabeth fled home and the overwhelming sense of pain and loss. But fifteen years later, with no other escapes available, she now returns. Brimming with desperation and dread, Elizabeth finds herself in the unlikeliest of places, by her sister’s side in Seattle as Jane undergoes chemotherapy.

As her new life takes the form of care, cookery, and classic literature, Elizabeth is forced to reimagine her future and reevaluate her past. But can a New York City chef with a painful history settle down with the family she once abandoned…and make peace with the sister who once abandoned her?

After reading Dear Mr. Knightley last year, I had high hopes for Katherine Reay’s next novel, Lizzy & Jane - and I’m very pleased to say that it both met and exceeded all my expectations. It is a beautifully human story of two sisters (not surprisingly named Lizzy and Jane), their neglected relationship and the guilt of the past. And with the addition of plenty of clever, well-placed literary references and deliciously mouth-watering food references, Reay’s novel is a delightful, emotional read that fans of contemporary fiction are sure to enjoy. I recommend it.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley, I received a copy of Lizzy & Jane and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Wishing Season by Denise Hunter

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

Living side-by-side, a fledgling chef and a big-hearted contractor find a delicious attraction. Trouble is their chemistry could spoil their dreams.

Spirited PJ McKinley has the touch when it comes to food. Her dream of opening her own restaurant is just one building short of reality. So when a Chapel Springs resident offers her beloved ancestral home to the applicant with the best plan for the house, PJ believes it’s a contest she was meant to win.

Contractor Cole Evans is confident, professional, and swoon-worthy – but this former foster kid knows his life could have turned out very differently. When Cole discovers the contest, he believes his home for foster kids in transition has found its saving grace. All he has to do is convince the owner that an out-of-towner with a not-for-profit enterprise is good for the community.

But when the eccentric philanthropist sees PJ and Cole’s proposals, she makes an unexpected decision: the pair will share the house for a year to show what their ideas are made of. Now, with Cole and the foster kids upstairs and PJ and the restaurant below, day-to-day life has turned into out-and-out competition – with some seriously flirtatious hallway encounters on the side. Turns out in this competition, it’s not just the house on the line, it’s their hearts.

Denise Hunter’s The Wishing Season is such a cute read. After reading Barefoot Summer and Dancing with Fireflies, I could not wait to revisit Chapel Springs and the McKinley family - and I was not disappointed. PJ McKinley takes the leading role in this novel and I loved getting to know her character better and seeing her interact with the attractive and likeable Cole Evans. Their combined story, as they work under the same roof, is sweet and funny, though each is haunted by bits of their past that much be overcome. I really enjoyed this newest story from Hunter and cannot wait to visit again with Married til Monday.

Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley, I received a copy of The Wishing Season and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. 

The Patmos Deception by Davis Bunn

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

An ancient island holds an ancient secret…

Nick Hennessy, a young Texas journalist yearning for his big break, finds himself in Europe – his assignment, to investigate the alarming disappearance of invaluable Grecian antiquities. Nick has the credentials – and cover ID – to unearth the truth. And he knows just the researcher to help him...
 
Carey Mathers, fresh from her studies in forensic archeology, has accepted a job with the prestigious Athens Institute for Antiquities – a dream come true, really, particularly when the Greek isle of Patmos, where the Apostle John received his vision of the Apocalypse, was a particular focus of her research.
 
Dimitri Rubinos, for whom the Greek islands represent his life, holds on by his fingernails to the family charter boat business. But his country's economic chaos isn't the only thing that has turned his world on its head…

The Patmos Deception by Davis Bunn was a nice change of pace from the romance I have been reading recently. With a mystery to solve, a crime to stop, an investigation to complete, this novel had me intrigued from start to finish. Each of the main characters fits nicely into the novel’s premise with unique passions and pursuits and I enjoyed seeing them crossing paths and interacting to figure out what was really happening. Additionally, the peeks into Greece’s past and present, rich in detail and culture, fascinated me and I learned quite a bit. Overall, The Patmos Deception is a fantastic read and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley, I received a copy of The Patmos Deception and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

Love Unexpected by Jody Hedlund

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

What is the secret that could shipwreck both of their lives?

All Emma Chambers ever wanted was a home, but when her steamboat sinks just outside Presque Isle, she's left destitute and with no place to stay.

An unlikely solution arises when the lighthouse keeper arrives in town. He's just lost his wife and is having a difficult time caring for his child. So a traveling preacher gets the idea that the keeper and Emma might be the answer to each other's dilemma. After a hasty marriage, she finds herself heading to the lighthouse with this handsome but quiet stranger. Nothing in her aimless life, though, has prepared her for parenting a rambunctious toddler, as well as managing a household.

Emma soon suspects Patrick may be hiding something from her, and then she hears a disturbing rumor about the circumstances surrounding his late wife's death. It seems as if her wish for a home and family of her own could end up leading her once more into turbulent waters.

When I read Captured by Love, I fell in love with Jody Hedlund’s writing and storytelling and had high hopes for enjoying her newest novel, Love Unexpected. Luckily for me, this novel contains everything I loved about the other one. With a great, action-filled historical setting involving pirates and lighthouses, well-developed and engaging characters and well-paced, sweet romance, I can’t think of a single aspect I did not enjoy about Love Unexpected. I would certainly recommend it for fans of historical romance. It’s well-worth a read.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley, I received a copy of Love Unexpected and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

A Brush With Love by Rachel Hauck

"Fire" up the romance in the new year with Rachel Hauck's newest book, A Brush with Love, by entering her Kindle Fire giveaway! And be sure to catch a sneak peek of the soon-to-be-released How to Catch a Prince!

 One grand prize winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• A Brush with Love by Rachel Hauck

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway only runs for a week, 12/30 – 1/5. Winner will be announced January 6th on Rachel's blog.


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★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

Revealing the beauty in other women might be Ginger Winters’s specialty – but it will take an unexpected kind of love to help Ginger see the beauty in herself.

Ginger Winters drapes her hair over her right shoulder and adjusts the scarf around her neck to cover her scarred, withered skin. She’s had the scars since she was twelve, but she’ll never get used to the ugliness.

The fire changed Ginger’s life, but out of the pain and humiliation of her own disfigurement, one quality unexpectedly emerged: a gift for bringing out the beauty in other women. In a twelve-year ascent from top salon jobs in New York, Atlanta, and Nashville, Ginger traveled the world as personal stylist to country music sensation Tracie Blue. The success was almost enough to make her forget her own appearance.

Almost. Now that she’s opened her own salon in Rosebud after a dozen years away, the truth is staring Ginger in the face again: she’s still that girl, ugly and scarred, forever on the outside looking in. And this weekend she’ll be looking in as “beauty-maker” for the Alabama society wedding of the decade.

But when high-school crush Tom Wells shows up looking for a haircut, Ginger’s thinly veiled insecurities threaten to keep her from love once again… despite Tom’s best efforts. Can this professional beauty-maker manage to recognize the beauty in herself, or are some scars too deep to powder over?

Every month, I say the same thing - I love Zondervan’s A Year of Weddings novellas. i can’t help it. They’re sweet and charming and romantic and heartwarming - and all of those adjectives apply to this newest novella, “A Brush with Love” by Rachel Hauck. Like Kirk does in “Love at Mistletoe Inn,” Hauck centers her story around a second chance at a neglected high school romance. As Tom and Ginger unexpectedly become reaquainted, the sparks of past romance are still there, even if the couple may want to deny it, and they must decide what to do with this second chance. I really enjoyed reading this romance, especially with the additional aspects of overcoming insecurities and believing truth, and I think it fits well in this second A Year of Weddings series. It’s a quick, fun and encouraging read.

Thanks to Zondervan and NetGalley, I received a copy of “A Brush with Love” and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. 

A Most Inconvenient Marriage by Regina Jennings

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

Abigail Stuart thought she was Jeremiah Calhoun's widow. But Jeremiah Calhoun is very handsome, very alive, and very perplexed. Most inconvenient indeed.

With few options of her own, nurse Abigail Stuart agrees to marry her patient, a gravely wounded soldier calling himself Jeremiah Calhoun. They arrange a quick ceremony before he dies, giving Abigail the rights to his Ozark farm and giving Jeremiah the peace of knowing someone will care for his ailing sister after he's gone – a practical solution for both of them.
 
After the war, Abigail fulfills her side of the bargain – until the real Jeremiah Calhoun shows up, injured but definitely alive, and wastes no time in challenging Abigail's story. Abigail is flummoxed. After months of claiming to be his widow, how can she explain that she's never seen this Jeremiah Calhoun before? How can she convince him that she isn't trying to steal his farm? And will she find a way to stay, even though this practical arrangement has turned into a most inconvenient marriage?

While I have read a lot of good books recently, Regina Jenning’s A Most Inconvenient Marriage was the first book in a while that just would not let me put it down. This novel has everything I love in a historical romance and it held my imagination captive from beginning to end. I fell in love with the characters and their quirky, difficult circumstance and enjoyed watching them grow and bond. A Most Inconvenient Marriage is a delightful, sweet and fun read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wholeheartedly recommend to any readers of historical romance.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley, I received a copy of A Most Inconvenient Marriage and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

Princess Ever After by Rachel Hauck

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

Regina Beswick didn't know she was born to be a princess.

She’s content to be a small-town girl, running a classic auto restoration shop, unaware that a secret destiny awaits her. One that will leap from the pages of her grandmother’s hand-painted book of fairy tales.

Tanner Burkhardt is the stoic minister of culture for the Grand Duchy of Hessenberg. When he is tasked to retrieve the long-lost princess, he must overcome his fear of failure in order to secure his nation’s future — and his own.

Yet lurking in the political shadows is a fierce opponent with sinister plans to abolish the throne forever.

Overwhelmed with opposition, Regina must decide whether she’s destined to restore old cars or an ancient nation. Together — with a little divine intervention — Regina and Tanner discover the truth of her heritage and the healing power of true love.

The second in Rachel Hauck’s Royal Wedding series, Princess Ever After tells another delightfully cute tale of unexpected royalty. Regina Beswick, like most girls, had youthful dreams of becoming a princess, but never actually expected someone like Tanner Burkhardt to arrive proclaiming her legitimate royal heritage and duty. With Tanner’s prodding and persuasion, Regina’s life quickly turns upside-down with this surreal and ostensibly impossible opportunity, and she must quickly determine how to respond to God’s calling. As this story unfolds, Regina handles her challenges with spunk and charm, and her personality easily complements Tanner’s intelligent and affable yet troubled one. Their romance is sweet (albeit rushed and sudden at times), and their spiritual growth believable and encouraging. Like Once Upon a Prince, Princess Ever After is a fun, light, relaxing read, and fans of contemporary romance will be pleased. I certainly enjoyed it, and now I’m looking forward to read the next book in the series, How to Catch a Prince, when it comes out next year.

Thanks to Zondervan and NetGalley, I received a copy of Princess Ever After and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

Truth Stained Lies by Terri Blackstock

★★★★✩
Goodreads | Amazon

When truth doesn't make sense, will lies prevail?

Cathy Cramer is a former lawyer and investigative blogger who writes commentary on high-profile homicides. When she finds a threatening note warning her that she's about to experience the same kind of judgment and speculation that she dishes out in her blog, Cathy writes it off as mischief… until her brother's wife is murdered and all the 'facts' point to him. The killer has staged the crime to make the truth too far-fetched to believe. Working to solve the murder and clear her brother's name, Cathy and her two sisters, Holly and Juliet, moonlight as part-time private investigators. Juliet, a stay-at-home mom of two boys, and Holly, a scattered ne'er-do-well who drives a taxi, put aside their fear to hunt down the real killer.

Stakes rise when their brother's grieving five-year-old son is kidnapped. As police focus on the wrong set of clues, the three sisters and their battered detective friend are the only hope for solving this bizarre crime, saving the child, and freeing their brother.

Terri Blackstock’s Truth Stained Lies opens with intrigue and suspense. Immediately, the plot pulled me in, leaving me eagerly wondering how the sisters would ever clear their brother’s name. It seemed such a daunting conundrum. However, as the plot continues from there, I found my hooked interest waning bit by bit for a couple reasons – primarily because, throughout the novel, Blackstock uses six different characters to tell the story. To me, this felt overloaded at times, and with each transfer of perspective, it became a bit more of a challenge to continually and truly connect with the characters. Additionally, Blackstock introduces the culprit, as well as most of the motive, relatively early within the plot, so from there, much of the suspense seems to dissipate, in my opinion, as the novel neatly wraps up.

Yet, even though Truth Stained Lies did not keep me as riveted as I expected, I still did enjoy reading it. As a whole, the novel is interesting, as Blackstock offers more than just crime and mystery in her fiction, sneaking in a bit of romance and reflective spiritual discussions. It is a fun, light, well-rounded read, and I plan to check out more from Terri Blackstock, when I have the chance. Thanks to Zondervan and NetGalley, I received a free digital copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. 

Rosemary Cottage by Colleen Coble

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

Amy came to Rosemary Cottage to grieve, to heal, maybe even find love. But there’s a deadly undertow of secrets around Hope Island...

The charming Rosemary Cottage on the beach offers Amy Lang respite she needs to mourn her brother, Ben. She’s even thinking of moving her midwife practice to the Outer Banks community. It’s always been a refuge for her and her family. She also wants to investigate Ben’s disappearance at sea. Everyone blames a surfing accident, but Amy has reason to wonder.

Coast Guard officer Curtis Ireland has lost a sibling too. His sister, Gina, was run down by a boat, leaving him to raise her infant daughter. If anyone knew who little Raine’s father was, Curtis could lose his beloved niece. Yet he can’t help being drawn to Hope Beach’s new midwife, Amy. He even agrees to help her investigate what happened to both Ben and Gina.

Can two grieving people with secrets find healing on beautiful Hope Island? Or will their quest for truth set them at odds with each other…and with those who will go to any length to keep hidden things hidden?

I have thoroughly enjoyed everything I have read by Colleen Coble, and Rosemary Cottage is no exception. With the fantastic blend of mystery and romance I have come to expect from Coble, this novel kept me hooked from the first page to the last. What an adventure. An added treat to the story is the appearance of Libby and other characters from Tidewater Inn, the first Hope Beach novel – it always makes me smile to know what characters are up to after the end of their novel. (Note: reading Tidewater Inn is not a prerequisite to Rosemary Cottage. Each novel can be read on its own). I highly recommend reading Rosemary Cottage and most definitely look forward to reading more from Colleen Coble. I thank Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of the novel in exchange for my honest review.

Smitten Book Club by Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt & Denise Hunter

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

The century-old Gentlewoman’s Guide to Love and Courtship is no ordinary book club choice. But for the little book club in Smitten, Vermont, it might be their best pick yet!

The thick, leathery tome Heather pulled out of the dusty cardboard box was definitely coming home with her. Not only was The Gentlewoman’s Guide to Love and Courtship an appealing curiosity by virtue of its title; it was also written by Smitten, Vermont native Pearl Chambers, a local gentlewoman from three generations back.

Little did Heather know the repercussions this little curiosity would have on her and her friends’ romantic exploits.

When Heather and her fellow book club members begin passing the book around, their respective interpretations are unleashed on their respective love lives... for better or for worse. Is it a mystery? An idealist fantasy? An intimation of Jane Austen? As romantic love finds its way to each woman, the Guide proves itself both surprisingly prescient and hilariously irrelevant.

What’s more, a handwritten inscription indicates that the arcane book might hold the only extant clues leading to buried gold — exactly what one of the members needs to keep her house. How could they not go treasure hunting?

In this remarkable collaborative novel, besties Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Denise Hunter, and Diann Hunt tackle the tale of the Gentlewoman’s Guide by writing for one book club member apiece. Smitten Book Club is a hopeful, hilarious story of friendship and healing, written by friends for friends.

At the moment, I really love reading novellas and novella collections, so Smitten Book Club, written by Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt and Denise Hunter, presented me with perfectly enjoyable material. Each of the four stories – charming and fun in its own way – individually shows a bit of the friendship and romance in the town of Smitten, Vermont and still connects together with the others in a single, overarching narrative. Smitten Book Club is a sweet read – especially with the added humorous nuggets from Pearl Chambers’ The Gentlewoman’s Guide to Love and Courtship – and I definitely recommend it for a quick, lighthearted read. This is the first Smitten book I have read, but now, after reading Smitten Book Club, I certainly plan on changing that as soon as I can. Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley, I received a digital copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Snow on the Tulips by Liz Tolsma

★★★★★
Goodreads | Amazon

A stranger’s life hangs in the balance. But to save him is to risk everything.

The war is drawing to a close, but the Nazis still occupy part of the Netherlands. After the losses she’s endured, war widow Cornelia is only a shadow of the woman she once was. She fights now to protect her younger brother, Johan, who lives in hiding.

When Johan brings Gerrit Laninga, a wounded Dutch Resistance member, to Cornelia’s doorstep, their lives are forever altered. Although scared of the consequences of harboring a wanted man, Cornelia’s faith won’t let her turn him out.

As she nurses Gerrit back to health, she is drawn to his fierce passion and ideals, and notices a shift within herself. Gerrit’s intensity challenges her, making her want to live fully, despite the fear that constrains her. When the opportunity to join him in the Resistance presents itself, Cornelia must summon every ounce of courage imaginable.

She is as terrified of loving Gerrit as she is of losing him. But as the winter landscape thaws, so too does her heart. Will she get a second chance at true love? She fears their story will end before it even begins.

Just when I thought I had read enough fictional books about World War II, I found myself picking up Liz Tolsma’s Snow on the Tulips. Recently I read Tolsma’s newer Daisies Are Forever, which left me wanting to read more of her work, so I suppose it was bound to happen eventually. But I am definitely glad I took this opportunity to read Snow on the Tulips now – Liz Tolsma delighted me once again with an aspect of the horrific war I had not previously known. Her story engages the experience in the Netherlands towards the end of its Nazi occupation and the Dutch Resistance that sought its survival and freedom. At the end, she includes – like in Daisies Are Forever – “The Story Behind the Story,” which shocked me as I realized the actual experiences serving as the basis for several of the novel’s scenarios. Incredible. Tolsma beautifully weaves the history within the fiction, telling a fantastic story of loss and love. I would definitely recommend this novel along with Daisies Are Forever to any historical fiction lovers, and I thank Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this novel and the opportunity to review it honestly.