Authentically Izzy by Pepper D Basham review

Title: Authentically Izzy

Author: Pepper D Basham

Pg: 415

Series: Skymar 1

Genre: Christian Rom Com

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Authentically Izzy by Pepper D Basham is a rom com that is written in emails, letters and texts. As well as standard novel format. It’s also one they I listened to as well as read. I listened to the first half because it helped to make the emails and letters make sense. While reading the second half.

Izzy was an easy character to relate to. As a fellow book worm. But what made me love Izzy the most is that she had my career as a library assistant. That is the first time, I’ve ever seen it as a career in books let alone a rom com. For readers who don’t like love triangle there’s hints of one in the book, but it is only a hint. While most readers will easily fall for the guy Izzy’s falling for. But not me, I was falling for Izzy’s cousin Luke. What can I say I love a guy in flannel with a southern accent.

I enjoyed Authentically Izzy but I am looking forward to the next two, especially Luke’s 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.

 

The Mozart Code by Rachel McMillan review

Title:  The Mozart Code 

Author:  Rachel McMillan

Ch: 45

Pg:  354

Genre:  Historical Romance

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

 

Rachel McMillan has done it again. In The Mozart Code made me feel like I was in post war Vienna. I’ve always loved Vienna you can’t be a classical music lover and not love Vienna I loved getting to know Sophie and Simon better and it was nice seeing Brent and Diana again.

Rachel just has a way of bringing cities to life, and The Mozart Code she brought Vienna to life making it a character alongside Simon and Sophie. Sophie’s strong and resourceful and handy with a gun, but she’s also stubborn and feminine as well. Simon knows this and it’s what he admires most about her. Plus, I just love nerdy heroes and Rachel writes them the best. He’s a hero who knows the heroine can slay her own dragons, but it doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to be there with her.

Don’t let the setting and time period fool you it’s primarily a love story with only a hint of mystery.

 

 

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 Ice Swan by J'nell Ciesielski review

 Title:  The Ice Swan

Author:  J’nell Ciesielski

Ch: 33 Plus epilogue 

Pg:  400

Genre: Historical fiction, Historical romance   

Rating: 4.5 stars

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

 

The Ice Swan is the newest book by J'nell Ciesielski and is set in Paris during The Great War though we get one chapter in Russia.  Sventlana Dalsky is a Russian Princess who's also a Ballerina who has fled to Paris to escape the Red Army and the Russian Revolution with her sister and mother.  She ends up needing help, help that comes in the form of Doctor Wynn MacCallan and a a marriage of convenience.  She accepts.

This is the second book of J'nell's that I've read, and I haven't been disappointed yet.  She knows how to thread romance through a story without it being too much.   The Ice Swan to me was a bit of an Anastasia retelling but with a happier ending more like the animated movie from the 90s Though I wanted a little more Russia I understand why we only got a chapter. But I loved the Paris and later Scottish setting.    Not mention it had one of my favorite historical romance tropes marriage of convenience or as I like to call it marriage of necessity a trope I only recently discovered I loved and now I can't get enough of books with it.  The Ice Swan like most of J'nell's Ciesielski lean more towards main stream historical but they are clean no language and any implied steamy scenes are off the page and not mentioned.  The Ice Swan was a wonderful read and I look forward to J'nell's next book The Brilliance of Stars that proposes the question of What if the Winter Solider fell in love, what can I say that tagline has me hooked.



 

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. 

 

 

Beauty Among Ruins by J’nell Ciesilski review

Title:  Beauty Among Ruins

Author:  J’nell Ciesilski

Narrator: Kate Rudd

Ch: 27

Genre:  Historical Fiction

 Rating: 4.5 Stars

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

 

Beauty Among Ruins is my first book by J’nell Ciesilski but it won’t be my last. I listened to the audio book and it just added to the hero’s Scottish accent I loved it. Lily the heroine who even though she’s a socialite she strong willed determined and stubborn but I loved her. Both these characters have a lot to learn about themselves, each other and God.

Though Beauty among Ruins isn’t Christian fiction it is a clean read that has a beauty and the beast thread through it. Though set during WWI it’s behind the scenes so to speak because it focus on nurses, wounded soldiers and the great homes that become hospitals.

Alex was one of my favorite hero types, the scared and wounded stubborn who hides a heart of gold. I didn’t want the book to end but I kept listening because I wanted to know what happened.

 

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 London Restoration

Title:  The London Restoration

Author:  Rachel McMillan

Ch: 30

Pg:  315

Genre:  Historical Romance

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher:  Thomas Nelson

               

The London Restoration by Rachel McMillan answers the question I’ve always asked at the end of a book or when the movie credits roll what happens after the happy ever after or the wedding. This book focuses on the couple after the wedding and what happens after a couple separated by war are reunited

Not only do Diana and Brent have to figure out how to rebuild their lives together and separate but they have to come to terms with Diana’s secret life in the war. While around them the city of London figures out how to rebuild. And even through churches were bombed they weren’t destroyed.

I loved The London Restoration. A strong and capable heroine who still wants the hero in her life. And a redhead nerdy hero my favorite kind of hero. Brent is one of my favorite historical fiction heroes and the fact he’s nerdy professor with red hair doesn’t hurt. But he’s a flawed hero scares both inside and out from the war. Showing that even in WWII there’s no such thing as uninjured soldiers even the ones who never fired a weapon. Brent is showing symptoms of PTSD even if that wasn’t the name of it. Making him even more realistic and even more loveable in my opinion. And love Diana even more because she doesn’t run away.

All of Rachel’s books are awesome but The London Restoration shows that her authors heart is with historical romance and I for one can’t wait for The Mozart Code and any other historical romance from her.

 

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

OF Literature and Lattes review

Title:  Of Literature and Lattes

Author:  Katherine Reay

Pg:  336

Genre:  Women’s fiction

Rating: 3 stars

Publisher:  Thomas Nelson

I’ve come to the conclusion that Katherine Reay’s books at least the physical version are hit or miss for me. However I have discovered that I prefer her books on audio to print. To me women’s fiction is better on audio for me.

Of Literature and Latte is the companion novel to The Printed Letter Bookshop. I wouldn’t consider it a sequel it has some of the same characters as the previous novel but the two main characters in this book are new characters.

However there’s slight spoilers for secondary characters in this one who were main characters in the first one. So if you don’t like any spoilers then I recommend reading The Printed Letter Bookshop first.

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 Dating Charade Review

Title:  The Dating Charade

Author: Melissa Ferguson

Pages: 336

Genre: Christian Fiction, Rom Com

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher: Thomas Nelson  

     I’m not going to lie the first thing that drew me to this book was the Brady Bunch feels.  Cassie and Jett have an awesome first date but when they each end up with three kids each they hide the kids from each other. Thinking that the other didn’t want kids.  

     They go through the charade pretending that nothing’s  changed. But like any rom com chaos happens. I didn’t know how would feel about this book because Rom Com’s in book form have been a miss for me here lately. But after reading this one I’m willing to get back into reading them. The Gatlinburg setting was neat and not something that I remember reading in books before, and it was neat to read a book set in the place that we went on family vacations when I was child. I also look forward to reading future books by Melissa Ferguson.

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

The Painted Castle review

Title:  The Painted Castle

Author: Kristy Cambron

Series: Lost Castle Book 3

Pages: 381

Genre: Christian Fiction/dual time

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher:  Thomas Nelson

The Painted Castle is third and final book in the Lost Castle series by Kristy Camron. This is a multiple time period novel. We have Kiera Foley in the modern day, sister to the heroes in the first two books in the series.  Amelia Woods during WWII and Lady Elizabeth in Victorian England.

I love novels that take place in multiple time periods especially when the stories intertwine with each other like they do in this one. I also like that this book wrapped up the series as a whole at the end of the book. Even though each book focuses on different characters it is still best to read the books in order otherwise you will be spoiled for previous books.

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

The Printed Letter Bookshop review

Title:  The Printed Letter Bookshop 

Author: Katherine Reay 

Pages: 324

Genre: Christian Contemporary fiction 

Rating: 4 stars 

Publisher:  Thomas Nelson 

Books by Katherine Reay are either hit or miss for me, with more books being misses.  However, that was not the case with The Printed Letter Bookshop I don't know if that's because of the sitting of the book or the fact that I listened to it on audio. Madeline Cullen has inherited her aunt's bookshop, but it's a bookshop that's more in the red than the black.  Her two employees Janet and Claire  were loyal to her aunt Maddie and all they see in Madeline is a niece who never visited.   Madeline doesn't want to keep the bookshop she wants to sell it as soon as possible and get back to life as a lawyer.  But it seems like nothing wants to go her way. 

I loved the small-town bookshop setting as well as the people who popped in and out of the bookshop.   The bookshop was a character in its own right in the story.  I am a sucker for stories set in a bookshop the better if it is in a small-town.   

After enjoying this one on audio I think I going to listen to the rest of her books that I haven't read on audio to see if the audio version makes it easier to read. 

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.

Love and Other Mistakes review

Title:  Love and Other Mistakes 

Author: Jessica Kate 

Chapters: 44 plus epilogue 

Pages: 352

Genre: Christian Contemporary, Christian Contemporary romance, rom-com   

Rating: 4 stars 

Publisher:  Thomas Nelson 

Love and Other Mistakes is the first book by Jessica Kate that I have read.  It's basically a rom-com in book form. But a Christian rom-com. It's an enemies to friends trope that is actually well done.   Natalie Groves life hasn't gone the way she thought it would, first, her fiancé left then they find out her father has cancer.  Now seven years later she has a chance to follow her dreams, but the only job that she can get to work around her internship is as a nanny to her ex-fiancé child.  Jeremy needs someone to help with his infant son and his niece he just didn't expect it to be Natalie. Both Natalie and Jeremy have different views of the past and neither one sees it the exact same way.   Jeremey was a bit of a bad boy growing up and couldn't seem to measure up to what his father wanted, who just happens to be the chief of police.   As the daughter of a law enforcement officer, I know that that can sometimes be hard to do.  

From the first chapter of this book I was hooked I kept reading I just had to know what happened.  My favorite character in the book I have to say had to be Jeremy's son with Natalie being a close second.  The characters grew and changed over the course of the book and that was great to see.  Most of the characters were different at the end of the book than they were at the beginning but not all. And just the same with life not everyone changes for the better or even grows.

I look forward to reading Jessica's next book and I would love for this one to become a movie because we need more Christian rom-com. 

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.