Review: Kate's Capitol by Sarah Holman

4 Stars! 

I am really enjoying this series! If there is one thing I love it is stories that feature the FBI (so much that I even wrote one myself!) and Kate's Case files is such a fun and unique take on the FBI. I absolutely love this fabulous (and hilarious!) ensemble cast of characters, I especially get a kick out of Logan and all her fun little quirks! It was neat that the majority of this book took place in and around the Texas State Capitol, the author described the surroundings and atmosphere so well that I felt as though I was really there. 

I also loved the suspense in the last few chapters! 

The message about honoring God with our choices even when it comes to the seemingly little things, was fabulous, and it was a reminder that greatly touched my heart.

Overall, Kate's Capitol kept me engaged from start to finish, I highly recommend it, and am very much looking forward to the next book in the series.

I received an audiobook copy of this book from the author, which did not influence my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own.

Review: Mirrors Lie by Dream Summore

This book is quite different than what I usually read, but it was a dramatic and good read. There were times my heart broke for the main character, Toni, but I was unable to connect with her as much as I would have liked. Overall the writing was very good, but there were many sections of the story that were told rather than shown which sort of distanced me a bit from the story and I think it is also part of what made it difficult for me to really get to know Toni the way I would have liked to. 

The faith story was inspiring and very well done!

This is not a light read, but I would recommend it to older teens and adults who enjoy books that are filled with depth and gritty realistic storylines. I think this would be a great book for teens and parents to read together and discuss.

A note about the content: this book contains a couple of sex scenes (none of which were graphic and overly detailed but the first one especially was a bit more steamy than I personally want to see) there was also a rape scene, again not overly detailed but a bit more so than I wanted to see; also several mentions of a character being gay; a couple instances of underage drinking; and several mentions of immoral lifestyles. I'm sorry to say that the content did lower my rating of this book. (2.5 stars)

Review: Oath of Honor by Lynette Eason

5 Stars!

Lynette has done it again! Just when I think her books can't possibly get any better, they do! Oath of Honor reaffirms why Lynette is on my list of all time favorite authors. I loved both Izzy and Ryan as main characters and it was a lot of fun to watch their romance develop. 

And I just have to say that as a fan of the show Blue Bloods, I have been so excited about the similarities between it and this series ever since I first heard the Blue Justice series was going to happen, and now after reading Oath of Honor I can say that I loved all the similarities to Blue Bloods, but I also loved that the Blue Justice series is a unique story and brings something all its own to the table!

And by the way I am in love with the St. John family, so I CANNOT WAIT to read Chloe's story when it releases later this year! I don't know how many books are planned for this series but I have my fingers crossed that each of the six siblings will get a book, because I simply don't want to say goodbye to this family anytime in the near future! 

And the suspense, gah, soooo good, Lynette's books never fail to get my adrenaline pumping and bring me to the edge of my seat, and Oath of Honor just may be her best yet! 

I don't know want to risk giving anything away so let me just finish by saying that I absolutely loved this book, it will be on my list of favorite reads from 2018, and needless to say I HIGHLY recommend it!

Seriously, you MUST read Oath of Honor, ASAP!

I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher, which did not influence my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own.

My Favorite Books of 2017!

My Favorite Books of 2017

It is always so hard to narrow down my favorite books of the year. There are a bunch more books that I loved this year that are not listed here simply because if I was to list them all then this post would never end! I didn't set out to read any classics this year, but through the recommendations of friends I discovered a few that I absolutely loved! My two favorite classics I read this year are listed at the bottom!

The Illusionist's Apprentice by Kristy Cambron

Moving Target & Chasing Secrets by Lynette Eason

When Tides Turn by Sarah Sundin

Life After by Katie Ganshert

A Noble Masquerade by Kristi Ann Hunter

True To You by Becky Wade

The Two of Us by Victoria Bylin

Buying Love & Finding Love by Toni Shiloh

Heart on the Line by Karen Witemeyer

Freedom's Ring by Heidi Chiavaroli 

The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines

Blind Spot by Dani Pettrey

Bringing Maggie Home by Kim Vogel Sawyer

Fatal Mistake by Susan Sleeman

High as the Heavens by Kate Breslin

Ordinary Snowflakes by Jennifer Rodewald 

All This Time by Melissa Tagg

 

Classics:

The Lilac Girl by Ralph Henry Barbour

The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Review: Troubled Waters by Susan May Warren

5 Stars! 

This book was so worth waiting for! I have been in love with this series since the prequel novella, and have been so looking forward to finally getting Ian and Sierra's story! I think I enjoyed the second half of this book a bit more than the first half, but I still was most definitely not disappointed in the slightest! It was so awesome to see Ian and Sierra both finally overcome their issues and find their way to each other. This story has such a strong message about trusting God and not trying to control things (especially in the face of all the obstacles that the characters faced, any of which I know would turn me into a basket case!) and was exactly what my heart needed to hear! I also loved that we got to see the next chapter in Pete and Jess' relationship, I can't wait to read their story. 

This is going to be kind of a short review, but I always struggle to review one of Susan May Warren's books because as a writer and a reader I am in awe of her amazing writing and storytelling brilliance, and I always feel like there are no words that I can say that will even come close to doing her books justice! I loved this book so much, and cannot wait to read Ty's story when Storm Front releases later this year! 

I highly recommend this series, but recommend you start with the prequel novella, this is one series that is definitely best read in order, plus you won't want to miss a single moment of the awesomeness that is the Montana Rescue series! 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher, which did not influence my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own.

Review: The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright

4 Stars!

This was such a great debut! I loved how the historical and contemporary stories intertwined so beautifully. Being that this was my first time reading a book by Jaime Jo Wright I wasn't sure what to expect at first, I am thrilled to say that I was blown away by the complex intricacies of the plot! This book is definitely not your traditional suspense and I loved that about it, it was so thrilling to see how Ivy's and Kaine's stories fit together. I absolutely loved the faith thread in this story, so well done and definitely the center point of the story! 

I will say that I did guess most of the twists before they happened (though there was one large twist that did greatly surprise me!) but regardless I couldn't stop reading because I just had to know what would happen next! I highly recommend The House on Foster Hill and cannot wait to read more from this fabulous new author! 

I received this book from the publisher. No review required. All thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own.