Thoughts of a Reader

I have read several books by Robin Jones Gunn and really enjoyed them which is why I was interested in this novel. I could really relate to Fern in this book because I also met my future husband and got married to him in my thirties. I really loved how she wrote prayers in journals and I may start doing that as well. This novel is one of those stories where even the secondary characters are my favorite. I cannot pick a favorite part of this book because I loved it all. I really loved that the book did not end when the trip to Africa ended but continued for a little bit so you could find out what more happened with Fern and Lily’s personal dilemmas. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone especially those who are not big into romance novels.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. The opinions in this review are my own.

This is the first book I have read my Lynn Austin. I really was drawn in by the cover of the book. It is divided into four parts and each part is named for one of the candles of Advent which I thought was really neat. The four parts are Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace. I felt like each part embodied the name of that part. This author did a great job of grasping my attention and heart for the characters from the very beginning of the novel. I could not pick a favorite character because I loved them all. The only thing bad that I even say about this book is that it did not last long enough. I wish it had been longer.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. The opinions in this review are my own.

This is a debut novel for this author. The book’s synopsis was what drew me to wanting to read it. It is in the contemporary genre written from two points of view. One from Aubrey and the other from her great aunt Daisy’s. I will say that this particular book read a little slower than I was expecting for a contemporary novel at first; however, there was some mystery to the plot that kept me interested in continuing to read it. The slow pace did eventually pick up and part of that I feel like was because the chapters became shorter. Another reason I feel the pace picked up was because I found myself more drawn into the story and what was happening with the characters. If you like books that show more of the vulnerable and honest side of humanity without a lot of romance, then I would say this book is for you.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. The opinions in this review are my own.

I have only read one other book by this author so she is a relatively new author to me. I am a big fan of Christmas books so I was excited to read this book. The characters in this book are really well written. This novel centered mainly around Daniel Franklin and Whitney Garrett. However, it also seemed to me that Daniel’s aunt, Aretha, played a major role in the book as well. There were several entertaining parts of this story. One of my favorite parts of this novel were the interactions between Daniel Franklin and Julia Mae. Another favorite part of mine was the scene with the turkey hat. I also really enjoyed all the spreadsheet talk that Daniel did because I love excel as an accountant. Overall, I would say this book was very enjoyable. I also felt that it was very original. I have not read a book with a similar concept before.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. The opinions in this review are my own.