My Favorite Reads of 2018!

In no particular order here are My Favorite Reads of 2018!

1. Grace Restored, Finally Accepted, Enduring Love, and Deck the Shelves by Toni Shiloh

2. Oath of Honor, Called to Protect, Code of Ethics, and Code of Valor by Lynette Eason

3. A Search for Refuge, and A Defense of Honor by Kristi Ann Hunter

4. Falling For You by Becky Wade

5. The Carpenter's Daughter, The Cupcake Dilemma by Jennifer Rodewald

6. No One Ever Asked by Katie Ganshert

7. The Isaac Project, Bookishly Ever After, and Literarily for Keeps by Sarah Monzon

8. Enchanting Nicholete by Dawn Crandall

9. Dead Drift, and Deadly Isle by Dani Pettrey

10. A Song Unheard, and The Reluctant Duchess by Roseanna M. White

11. The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck by Bethany Turner

12. Just the Way You Are, Facade, and Jane By The Book by Pepper Basham

13. Surrendered Hearts by Carrie Turansky

14. Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

15. The Hidden Side by Heidi Chiavaroli

16. A Cliche Christmas by Nicole Deese

17. If I Live by Terri Blackstock

18. A Chance at Forever by Melissa Jagears

19. Delayed Justice by Cara Putman

20. The Christmas Heirloom by Kristi Ann Hunter, Karen Witemeyer, Sarah Loudin Thomas, and Becky Wade

Review: Code of Valor by Lynette Eason

5 Stars! 

What a fabulous third installment in the Blue Justice series! I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! From the first page I hated to stop reading. The suspense was phenomenal, and the story utterly enthralling, not that I expected anything less from a book by Lynette Eason! I love the St. John family, their dynamics and their banter always makes for many smiles and laughs, and Code of Valor was no exception! I was so excited to get Brady's story, he was such a fabulous hero and it was wonderful to watch his trust in God return throughout the course of the book! Emily was a wonderful heroine, I could relate so much to her insecurities and struggle to truly believe that she was made in God's image and that He loved her unconditionally no matter what size she wore, that message touched my heart so deeply that I plan to reread it many times in the future, and I adored the tender way Brady helped Emily to see how beautiful she was! The scuba diving aspect of the story was great, and so fabulously described that I felt like I was experiencing it vicariously while reading! Code of Valor is yet another Lynette Eason book that has a permanent spot on my keeper shelf! I would say each book in this series can stand alone, but I highly recommend you read them all, as you won't want to miss a moment of the total awesomeness that is the Blue Justice series! I can't wait for Linc's story! 

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: Teal Paisley Tights by Barbara Brutt

4 Stars!

This is a very good Chick lit debut novel. Super cute and fun while also being very true to life! I instantly liked the main character, Jadyn and I found myself relating to several different aspects of her life. The message of defining what success means to you, and learning to rely on God and asking Him to guide your life was fantastic and just the reminder I needed at this point in my life! I read this one a bit slower, so I really had time to absorb all the great things about it! A great read that I highly recommend! I'm glad that I read Teal Paisley Tights, and I look forward to reading more by this author in the future! 

I received an ebook 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: Swimming in the Deep End by Christina Suzann Nelson

4 Stars!

I don't often read women's fiction novels, but the description of this one intrigued me so I jumped at the opportunity to review it! This is an absolutely wonderful book that I very much enjoyed reading. Swimming in the Deep End does touch on some tough subjects (teen pregnancy, abortion, family issues, grief after the loss of a loved one) but I felt that all these topics were handled with fabulous grace in a manner that most readers would not find offensive. 

This book is told in first person POV alternating between the perspectives of four different women, something that I wouldn't normally like all that much, but for this story it worked beautifully and each character had such a unique voice that I never once got confused about which character's head I was in! The faith story was so real, heart-stirring, and incredibly moving, it grabbed my heart and wouldn't let go! This is truly a wonderful read! I enjoyed it so much, and am so glad I read it! I highly recommend Swimming in the Deep End to anyone who is looking for a deep, powerful read that will touch your heart and soul and leave a lasting imprint long after you close the book! I have Christina Suzann Nelson's first book on my Kindle and I look forward to reading it (as well as anything she writes in the future) because I absolutely love her writing style! 

I received an ebook 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.

Murder of Convenience by Linda Shenton Matchett Review and Giveaway

About the Book

Book: Murder of Convenience

Author: Linda Shenton Matchett

Genre: Historical Mystery

Release Date: October 15, 2018

May 1942: Geneva Alexander flees Philadelphia and joins the USO to escape the engagement her parents have arranged for her, only to wind up as the number one suspect in her betrothed’s murder investigation. Diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, she must find the real killer before she loses her sight…or is convicted for a crime she didn’t commit.

Set in the early days of America’s entry into WWII and featuring cameo appearances from Hollywood stars, Murder of Convenience is tribute to individuals who served on the home front, especially those who did so in spite of personal difficulties, reminding us that service always comes as a result of sacrifice. Betrayal, blackmail, and a barrage of unanswered questions… Murder of Convenience is the first in Linda Shenton Matchett’s exciting new “Women of Courage” series.

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Linda Shenton Matchett is an author, speaker, and history geek. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry and has lived in historic places all her life. Linda is a member of ACFW, RWA, and Sisters in Crime. She is a volunteer docent at the Wright Museum of WWII and a trustee for her local public library.

Guest Post from Linda

World War II is my favorite era about which to read and write. What I find most fascinating about the time period are the stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things, especially women, who until this time, had been provided for and protected.

A woman was typically insulated from difficulties or frightening things, and her husband or father took care of just about everything. When the war took millions of men away, the women had to learn how to take care of themselves in addition to filling the job vacancies.

Yes, there were Rosie the Riveters: women who worked in the factories building weapons, ships, vehicles and all kinds of war materiel, but there were also Land Army girls, many of whom didn’t know how to drive, who learned to operate all kinds of farm equipment so they could bring in crops to feed our nation as well as our Allies. Others donned uniforms to serve in the WACS, WAVES, SPARS, WASPS, Marines, Army Nurse Corp, and Navy Nurse Corp. Millions boosted morale through the USO and Red Cross or served in myriad ways with Civil Defense. Some went overseas to cover the war as journalists. A few even signed on as spies.

The driving force with most of these women was the realization that their country needed them. They put their own needs and desires aside to help win a war they didn’t ask to be part of. And many did it while single-handedly running the household because their husband was somewhere across the globe – ordinary women doing extraordinary things.

My latest release, Murder of Convenience, explores themes of service and sacrifice intertwined with the question of how to respond when God says no. It is my hope that the novel honors the women who lived during WWII in some small way.

Blog Stops

All-of-a-kind Mom, December 1

Bigreadersite, December 1

Just the Write Escape, December 2

Just Your Average reviews, December 3

Carpe Diem, December 3

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 4

Pause for Tales, December 5

Connie’s HIstory Classroom, December 6

Multifarious, December 7

Have A Wonderful Day, December 8

Bibliophile Reviews, December 8

Blogging With Carol, December 9

Texas Book-aholic, December 10

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 11

The Lit Addict, December 12

Maureen’s Musings, December 13

A Baker’s Perspective, December 13

Janices book reviews, December 14

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Linda is giving away a grand prize of a World War II themed gift basket!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d6d3/murder-of-convenience-celebration-
tour-giveaway


My Thoughts

This was my first read by this author, and it will most definitely not be my last! This is a great WWII mystery novel, and I enjoyed every minute of it immensely! Geneva was such a fabulous main character, I immediately liked her and greatly admired her spunk and her bravery. Before reading this book I knew very little about the USO, but Geneva's experiences with the USO were absolutely fascinating to read about and taught me quite a lot about the organization! While reading this book I noticed that due to the wonderful writing and fabulous historical detail each scene played out in black-and-white movie form in my mind, which I loved! I was swept away into the world of this book and its story, much like I am with one of my favorite old movies. This book is utterly delightful and I am so glad I read it! By the way, it has a wonderful faith story that I think we can all relate to! I highly recommend Murder of Convenience to all fans of Christian WWII fiction. Do yourself a favor and read this one ASAP, you won't be sorry! I can't wait to read more of this author's books in the future.

(4 stars!)

I received a copy of this book through the Celebrate Lit team. Which did not influence my review in any way, all thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own.

Review: Bookishly Ever After by Sarah Monzon

5 Stars! 

Be still my book loving heart! I ADORED every single second of this book! It hooked me on page one and didn't let go. Utterly and completely delightful, amazing, fantastic, phenomenal, fabulous, and every other superlative you can think of don't even begin to fully extol the extraordinarily epic experience that is this incredible piece of awesomeness! 

I don't think I've ever met a main character that was as much like me as Emory, seriously we have such similar personalities that in so many ways it was almost like reading a story about myself! 😍😍😍😍😍

I read this book for pure pleasure. No review required.

Review: Tell Her No Lies by Kelly Irvin

3 Stars!

This is my first time reading a book by this author, and I enjoyed it. Romantic suspense is one of my favorite genres and this one had some great edge of your seat moments, but the pace felt a bit slow for my taste. I loved Aaron instantly! I'm personally not crazy about love triangles, but I did end up liking how that aspect of the story was handled. I liked Nina, but I didn't feel like I ever fully connected with her, which kept me from feeling very invested in her story. 

Overall, Tell Her No Lies is a very good read that I recommend to fans of romantic suspense. I am very intrigued by the description of this author's next romantic suspense novel which I definitely plan on reading! 

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.

Lost Christmas Memories by Dana Mentink Review and Giveaway!

About the Book

Book: Lost Christmas Memories



Author: Dana Mentink



Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense/Christmas



Release Date: November 1, 2018





A witness with amnesia

Can she trust this Gold Country Cowboy with her life?

Tracy Wilson witnessed a murder—but after a head injury, she can’t remember what she saw. Now someone plans to silence her for good, and only cowboy Keegan Thorn believes her. With a killer after her at Christmas, Tracy is running out of time to remember…and falling dangerously hard for the cowboy who could break her heart.

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Dana Mentink is a two time American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award winner, a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award and a Holt Medallion winner. She is a national bestselling author of over thirty five titles in the suspense and lighthearted romance genres. She is pleased to write for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense, Harlequin Heartwarming and Harvest House. Dana was thrilled to be a semi-finalist in the Jeanne Robertson Comedy With Class Competition. Besides writing, she busies herself teaching third grade. Mostly, she loves to be home with Papa Bear, teen bear cubs affectionately nicknamed Yogi and Boo Boo, Junie, the nutty terrier, a chubby box turtle and a feisty parakeet. You can connect with Dana via her website at danamentink.com.

Guest Post from Dana

Writing this book was bittersweet for me. It was lovely to finally be able to tell youngest Thorn brother Keegan’s story, but I sure am sorry to say goodbye to this series! It was such fun to write about these four kinsmen and the family bonds that held them together through all manner of murder and mayhem! Here at Mentink Manor, we have recently sent a bear cub away to college for the first time. It feels like I have lost a limb now that my Boo Boo is gone! Fortunately, we will enjoy having her home for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Though it won’t be a cozy country Christmas like it is for Keegan (we live in a city of 80,000 here in Northern, CA) we will be thrilled to have all our family home to celebrate together (Mama Bear, Papa Bear, two cubs, a naughty terrier, and a senior citizen box turtle!) I hope you enjoy this last installment in the Gold Country Cowboy series. I am sending along our best wishes for a blessed holiday season, from our Mentink household to yours!

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, November 22

Christian Bookaholic, November 22

Among the Reads, November 22

Inklings and Notions, November 23

Just Your Average reviews, November 23

Blogging With Carol, November 23

Because I said so -adventures in parenting, November 24

D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, November 24

Jennifer Sienes: Where Crisis and Christ Collide, November 24

Moments, November 25

Simple Harvest Reads, November 25

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 25

Genesis 5020, November 26

SusanLovesBooks, November 26

Remembrancy, November 26

Kat’s Corner Books, November 27

Pause for Tales, November 27

Ashley’s Bookshelf, November 27

Quiet quilter, November 28

Reading Is My SuperPower, November 28

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, November 28

Book by Book, November 29

A Rup Life, November 29

To Everything A Season, November 29

Older & Smarter?, November 30

Have A Wonderful Day, November 30

Cafinated Reads, November 30

KarenSueHadley, December 1

Lighthouse Academy, December 1

Daysong Reflections, December 1

Bibliophile Reviews, December 2

A Baker’s Perspective, December 2

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 2

Janices book reviews, December 3

Bigreadersite, December 3

Texas Book-aholic, December 4

Carpe Diem, December 4

Godly Book Reviews, December 5

Book Bites, Bee Stings, & Butterfly Kisses, December 5

Christian Centered Book Reviews, December 5

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Dana is giving away a grand prize of a copy of Lost Christmas Memories, a $50 Amazon gift card and this cute reading charms necklace!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d626/lost-christmas-memories-celebration-tour-giveaway


My Thoughts:

5 Stars!

This is the first time I've read one of Dana Mentink's romantic suspense books and it will most definitely not be the last! I loved this book! The suspense and action started on page one and didn't let up, which made for a fabulous story that I didn't want to stop reading. Tracy and Keegan were both delightfully real and beautifully flawed characters, and while their relationship moved quickly it never felt too fast to me. The adrenaline pumping suspense scenes were perfectly balanced with delightful humor and moments that were so sweetly romantic that I sighed in happiness! This book was everything I had hoped for and more! 

Bottom line: this is a phenomenal romantic suspense read that I completely devoured and loved every single word. Even though this is book four in a series and I had not read the first three, I had no problem at all following this one, so they don't have to be read in order, but I am now super excited to go back and read the rest of the Thorn brothers' stories! If you are a fan of Christian romantic suspense this is one you won't want to miss. Highly recommended!

I received an ebook copy of this book through the Celebrate Lit team. Which did not influence my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own.

Review: Stratagem by Robin Caroll

3 Stars

The description of this book is really intriguing and made me automatically want to read it. But, sadly the book fell flat for me. This one had more of a mystery story feel to it than the action packed suspense I was expecting, and as such seemed to move at a slower pace than I personally prefer. I loved the main character, Grayson, I thought he was totally fabulous and the games he created were absolutely fascinating to read about! The faith story was also great and very well done! I did guess the villain's identity early on, there were a couple of other possible suspects, but my first and strongest instinct turned out to be correct. I always love to play detective when I read this type of novel, and I love it when my guesses turn out to be correct!

One thing that bothered me about this book was that there seemed to be quite a bit of repeated information, and even though I understand the reason for that I'm sorry to say that it did make me want to skim over those parts. 

Overall, there were parts of this book that I really liked, but I think it just wasn't for me. But, if this book interests you I highly recommend you give it a try, Stratagem might be just the right book for you. 

I received an ebook 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.

Book Spotlight: Things Left Unsaid by Courtney Walsh

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: Things Left Unsaid

Author: Courtney Walsh

Publisher: Waterfall Press

Release Date: October 30, 2018 

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Links*: Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository | BAM! | Christian Book | Barnes & Noble

An emotional novel of family, friendship and forgiveness from Courtney Walsh, the New York Times bestselling author of Hometown Girl.

Lyndie St. James is thrilled that her best friend, Elle, is getting married but unprepared for the emotional storm of the wedding week and returning to her childhood summer home of Sweethaven. The idyllic cottage community harbors some of her best—and worst—memories. It’s not only the tragic death of her childhood friend Cassie that has haunted her for ten years, it’s the other secrets she’s buried that have kept her from moving on.

But Lyndie isn’t the only one with secrets.

Cassie’s mother, father and brother, still struggling with the loss, have been drifting further and further apart. And Elle herself, the last to see Cassie alive, carries an impossible burden of guilt. Now reunited, each of them has a choice: to reveal the truths of that night or continue to live in its shadow. That means embarking on a personal journey of the heart—to escape the darkness and all its regrets and to finally come to terms with the past and, especially, with each other.

TO PURCHASE A COPY*

Amazon | Book Depository | Books-a-Million! | Christian Book | Barnes & Noble

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Courtney Walsh is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist as well as an artist, theater director and playwright. She is the author of the Sweethaven series—including A Sweethaven Summer, which was a Carol Award finalist in the debut author category—as well as the small-town romances Paper Hearts, Change of Heart, Just Look Up and the forthcoming Just Let Go. Things Left Unsaid is her ninth novel. She lives in Illinois, where she and her husband own a performing-arts studio and youth theater. They have three children.

CONNECT WITH AUTHOR:  Website | Facebook | Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Goodreads

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

Review: Mark of the Raven by Morgan L. Busse

5 Stars!

I'm not a big fantasy reader, but the description of this one sounded so intriguing that I just had to try it! I loved this book, it was such a great read! I immediately liked the main character, Selene, and immensely enjoyed this first part of her journey from the darkness to the Light! I loved the author's writing style, and I loved that the pace of the novel was a bit on the faster side, I love stories that have a faster pace and that I don't want to put down, Mark of the Raven was definitely one such book! It really is so great, I enjoyed every minute of it and I cannot wait for the next book in the series! 

I only have one complaint and it is really pretty small, there were a couple of fictional made up swear words that were used a handful of times by the characters, but that really didn't bother me much, I just wanted to mention it as a heads up for those who might have a problem with it.

I highly recommend Mark of the Raven!

I received an ebook 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: Delayed Justice by Cara Putman

5 Stars!

Wow! This is such a fabulous novel! I loved it. Jaime was a great main character, my heart broke for her and I found myself wanting to give her a hug and be her friend! It was absolutely beautiful to watch her journey and character development from the start of the book to the end, and see her discover God's love for the first time! Chandler was just such a fabulous hero (one of my very favorites of this year!) I can't even begin to count how many times his kindness, thoughtfulness, and chivalry warmed my heart and totally turned me into a puddle! And his therapy dog, Aslan, oh my word! Every time Aslan appeared on the page I ended up either chuckling at his antics or blinking back happy tears at the sweetness and power of his presence, let me tell you Aslan is THE PERFECT name for this amazing dog, I loved him so much and I know every other reader of this book will too! 

I LOVED that The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe played such a big role in this book. LWW is one of my all time favorites and it was so perfectly and flawlessly woven into the story that I am speechlessly awestruck by Cara's amazing writing! 

Overall, I loved this book so much! It has it all, suspense, drama, romance, humor, a fabulous faith story, and some amazing character development. I loved everything about it, what more can I say?! Definitely one for the keeper shelf! I highly recommend Delayed Justice and very much look forward to reading more of Cara's suspense novels in the future! 

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 Christmas Heirloom by Kristi Ann Hunter, Karen Witemeyer, Sarah Loudin Thomas, and Becky Wade

5 Stars! 

What an absolutely delightful novella collection! I loved how perfectly the brooch was woven into each of the novellas! I adored every single one of these stories and highly recommend The Christmas Heirloom!

Legacy of Love by Kristi Ann Hunter

This adorable novella drew me in from the first page and didn't let go! 

I absolutely loved Sarah and Randall's story! The dowager Countess of Densbury quickly became a favorite secondary character. Kristi's writing was fantastic as always and I absolutely loved every moment of this novella! 

Gift of the Heart by Karen Witemeyer

I always adore Karen's books and this novella was no exception! Ruth and Bo were such fabulous main characters, and little Naomi and her matchmaking cat Teddy were absolutely delightful and made me laugh out loud numerous times! Every single word of this novella was phenomenal and I hated to see it end, but as usual when I finish one of Karen's books a sigh of happiness left my grinning lips when I turned the final page! 

A Shot at Love by Sarah Loudin Thomas

This was such a cute novella, I loved it even more than I was expecting to! Seeing as I am not super girly myself I love to read stories about grown up tomboys, and I found myself relating to Fleeta in a number of ways! I loved the voice that this story is written in, it's just so entertaining and all around fun to read! I loved the ending, and the story was an absolute pleasure to read! I don't often read stories set in the 1950's but I will definitely be reading more of this author's work in the future! 

Because of You by Becky Wade

This novella was absolutely fantastic! Maddie and Leo were great characters. I found myself relating to Maddie quite a bit, and I loved Leo's quiet reserve and bookishness! I'm a huge fan of Les Mis and I LOVED that it was mentioned in the story, so awesome! I was swept away into this story on page one and I loved every single second I spent reading it! Total awesomeness from beginning to end!

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