Forever Lovely by Linore Rose Burkard review

 

While Forever Lovely is technically the second book in a series it reads like a standalone. Or at least I didn't feel like I was missing anything from the first book. I'm a sucker for time-travel novels even though I'm not a huge Outlander fan. What sets this book apart from other time traveler novels is the fact that the heroine travels to future from Jane Austen's England.  And meets our hero a 21st Century student who low and behold is studying female writers from the time period she's form.  And since I love a good nerdy hero he was perfect for me.

 

As a reader I've found it hard to find regency set novels written by modern authors that I enjoy or feel like they are written well. I guess my program is that I keep comparing modern authors to Austen. But Forever Lovely by Linore Rose Burkard comes pretty close. And I look forward to reading the first book in this series, as well as other books by this author. 

 

I received a copy of this book from the author I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Later On We'll Conspire by Kortney Keisel review

Title: Later On We’ll Conspire

Author: Kortney Keisel

Ch: 48 plus epilogue

Pg: 338

Series: Christmas Escape

Genre: Rom Com

Rating: 5 stars indie

Publisher: indie

I’m not going to lie one of my favorite Christmas movie is Die Hard. So it’s hard to find Christmas Rom com books that match my favorite movies but Later On We’ll Conspire comes pretty close. Who would have thought a novel involving a spy would make a good Christmas rom com. But it does because it’s got the perfect balance between action and Christmas. As well as humor.

Lacee was “jobless” and going home for Christmas when she runs into Park Bradshaw and ends up in her own spy novel. I loved it.

 

 

Marshaling her heart by Mary Connealy review

Title: Marshaling Her Heart

Author: Mary Connealy

Ch: 29 plus epilogue

Pg: 303

Series: Wyoming Sunrise 3

Genre: Christian historical fiction western with a hint of romance

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher: Bethany house

Marshaling her heart by Mary Connealy was my favorite of the series. Even though Becky falls into the troupe like other girls. But despite the time period she accurately written. Because women and girls are the frontier weren’t damsels in distress that were indeed quite capable. Of doing things on their own like homesteading a ranch. And Nate was the perfect partner for her.

Dirty Thirty by Janet Evanovich review

Title: Dirty Thirty

Author: Janet Evanovich

Ch: 25

Pg: 328

Series: Stephanie Plum

Genre: mystery comedy

Rating: 4.5 stars

Publisher: Artia books

I almost didn’t pick up Dirty Thirty because the last few books in the Stephanie Plum series had fallen flat. And had either been not up to previous standards of the series or felt like the same all same all. But I’m glad I picked this one up because it felt like some of the earlier books again. And the stake out in this one. There is indeed someone worse to go on a stake out with that grandma mazer. And of course, reading words that I never thought would come out of Ranger’s mouth.

 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone. 

All's Fair in Love and Christmas by Sarah Monzon review

Title: All’s Fair in Love and Christmas

Author: Sarah Monzon

Ch: 30

Pg: 250

Genre: Rom Com

Rating: 4.5 stars

Publisher: Bethany House

I enjoyed this one even though I’m not a huge fan of office romances. Mainly because I don’t think that they are all that believable. But this one worked. And I loved how the author wove the magic of Christmas memories and childhood into the story.

 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone. 

Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel review

Title: Faking Christmas

Author: Cindy Steel

Ch: 27 plus epilogue

Pg: 9:59:00

Genre: Christmas rom com

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher: Indie

Faking Christmas by Cindy Steel is the Christmas rom com I didn’t know I needed until I started listening to the audiobook. While it is first and foremost a Christmas rom com with two people that are rivals. Though it’s more rival on Olive’s part than Milo. It’s also a Christmas rom com that deals with grief. And more importantly the grief that comes in waves of spending that first Holiday without a loved one.

As someone who has spent that first Christmas without a loved one, I never paid attention to the fact that grief was never addressed in a Christmas rom com before. Till I read and loved Faking Christmas. Heck even the title is perfect and sums up how you spend that first Christmas or holiday. It’s going to be a must reread every year. The right book comes to the reader at the right time.

Snowed in for Christmas by Jess Mastorakos review

Title: Snowed In for Christmas

Author: Jess Mastorakos

Ch: 23 plus epilogue

Pg: 282

Series: Christmas in Snow hill 3

Genre: rom com

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher: indie

Snowed in For Christmas by Jess Mastorakos is the third book in the Christmas at Snow Hill series. Tommy is a big city cop turned small town cop and Grace is a travel writer who has no plans to settle down.

But there’s just something about the romance that found in a small town that turns into a Christmas town once a year. Reading Snowed in For Christmas is like being inside a Hallmark movie but a well written Hallmark movie. I have to say while Jack and Robins story was my favorite in the series. Tommy and Grace’s have a special place in my heart.

 

I received a copy of this book from the author I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

 

A Movie Star for Christmas and Christmas with the Boy next Door by Jess Mastorakos

Title: A Movie Star for Christmas

Author: Jess Mastorakos

Ch: 22 plus epilogue

Pg: 226

Series: Christmas in Snow Hill book 1

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher: self

I enjoyed this Christmas book by Jess Mastorakos. I loved seeing what happened when a movie star fell for a small-town guy at Christmas. This one had the feeling of a hallmark movie without being cheesy.

I received a copy of this book from the author I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Title: Christmas With the Boy Next Door

Author: Jess Mastorakos

Pg: 203

Series: Christmas in Snox Hill

Genre: Rom Com Christmas

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher: indie

I mean what’s not to love about Christmas with the book next door when that boy is guy who’s a former Marine turned small town cop. Jack has his work cut out for him to win over Robin. A widowed single mom who’s sworn off dating cops. But that’s where the magic of Christmas and a sweet little girl to make things happen.

I received a copy of this book from the author I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

 

Absolutely not in Love by Jenny Proctor review

Title: Absolutely Not in Love

Author: Jenny Proctor

Ch: 23 plus epilogue

Pg: 326

Series: Sweater Weather 7

Genre: Rom Com

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher: Jenny Proctor Creative

Just when I thought that Colby Knight from Flirtation or Faceoff by Leah Brunner would be my favorite fictional hockey player. Jenny Proctor writes Felix Jamison. I mean who does love a guy who can play hockey, cook reads and loves classical music. He’s the swoonist hero in the sweater weather series.

 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Sweater Weather Series books 3-6 review

 

Title: Can't Help Falling 

Author: Courtney Walsh

Ch: 39

Pg: 360

Series: Sweater Weather book 3

Genre: Rom Avon

Rating: 4 stars

Can’t help falling was my first Courtney Walsh book and even though I don’t love the best friends brother troupe. I did enjoy this one and I guess it helped that the story line was realistic, but I do have to say that it was one meet cute I wouldn’t to happen in real life.

Title: Faking the Fall

Author: Julie Christianson

Ch: 44 plus epilogue

Pg: 318

Series: Sweater Weather book 4

Genre: Rom com

Rating: 3 stars

I have to say that this one was my least favorite of the series, but I still enjoyed the story. I just wasn’t a fan of either the heroine or the hero. But I was still a sucker for the Harvest Hollow setting.

Title: Easy as Pie

Author: Carina Taylor

Pg: 242

Series: Sweater Weather book 5

Genre: Rom Com

Rating: 4 stars

    Even though I’m not a huge fan of friends to more troupe I enjoyed this one. Mainly because I got to read a female mechanic in a rom com. And written in such a way that the guys in the town aren’t afraid to let her work on their vehicles, it was a refreshing change.

Title: Not So Fictional Fall

Author: Savannah Scott

Ch: 32 plus epilogue

Pg: 336

Series: Sweater Weather book 6

Genre: rom com

Rating: 5 stars

One of my favorite romance tropes is marriage of convenience and it’s rare in contemporary romance. But Not So Fictonal Fall by Savannah Scott book six in the Sweater Weather series gives me that. And in a way that is well done and in a believable way.

Beneath A Peaceful Moon by Debby Lee review

Title: Beneath A Peaceful Moon

Author: Debby Lee

Ch: 36

Pg: 254

Series: Heroines of WWII book 10

Genre: Christian historical fiction with a hint of romance

Rating: 4.5 stars

Publisher: Barbour

I understand why authors writing WWII fiction tend to stay away from stories from the south Pacific and the Marines because of what the US did to end the war. But by not writing those we are missing indigenous readers from seeing themselves as heroes and heroines in WWII fiction. And let’s face it without the Code Talker s we could have easily lost the war.

Debby Lee was the perfect author to write this book, being indigenous herself. She brings to love Mary Wishram a Yakima tribal member and military truck driver. And John Painted Horse a Navajo who goes on to be a code talker. She did an excellent job balancing facts with emotion and this ended up being the second book in this series that I loved. And her author note at the end adds to the story. I look forward to more books by Debby Lee and more WWII fiction focusing on the Marines.

 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt review

 

Title: The Warsaw Sisters

Author: Amanda Barratt

Ch: 37

Pg: 384

Genre: Historical fiction WWII fiction

Rating: 4.5 stars

Publisher: Revell

I’m not going to lie The Warsaw Sisters by Amanda Barratt is one of the most emotional WWII fiction novels I’ve read. And it’s the first one I’ve read set in Poland. As well as the first one that touches on the polish resistance and smuggling Jewish children out of the ghetto.

The book is told from the points of view of sisters Antonina and Helena. It’s emotional as the war does it’s best to tear them apart. But even apart the reader can tell the bond of sisterhood is still there.

While I don’t agree with choices both sisters made in their personal lives. I love the choices they make in regards to helping the Jews Antonina and Poland Helena. This one is worth reading. But have your tissues handy. Even though the sister’s faith isn’t on every page you can see God working throughout the story.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher as part of a blog tour  I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.