I am a huge fan of Denise Hunter. I love that a lot of her books are set in North Carolina and this book is no exception. Also if you have read her Bluebell Inn series then you will recognize a character in this book. Not only was I drawn into this book by the setting but also the storyline as well as the gorgeous cover. This book takes place by the beach in a town called Piper’s Cove. The main character, Sophie Lawson, has moved there in order to open up her very own bookshop which she has named Bookshop by the Sea. Due to her sister’s wedding to her ex-boyfriend’s best friend and also a hurricane canceling his flight, she gets stuck with her ex-boyfriend, Aiden Maddox. Unfortunately, Sophie also has a lot of family drama. Her entire family seems to think that she is their personal assistant. I really enjoyed this book but I will say that every time one of her family called her only to ask a favor I found myself wanting to jump in and say can’t you handle some things for yourself. I would definitely like a sequel to this novel and I would definitely recommend anyone who likes good beach reads to read this book.
Review of “Hope Between the Pages” by Pepper Basham
This is the first book I have read by Pepper Basham and it will not be the last. One of the obvious reasons I picked up this book is because it is set in North Carolina and more specifically at Biltmore Estates. But I also decided to read it because it has such an intriguing storyline. It is a split time novel. When reading this book, I also discovered to my delight that it is set at Christmas which is the best time to visit Biltmore Estates if you ever get a chance to go. I love how the author wove the two timelines together in this book. I noticed that one character’s name was mentioned in the wrong timeline once. That surprised me in a way because if I tried to write a split time book I feel like I would have done that more by accident. As I read this, I could picture myself in the places that were being described which is partially because I have been able to go to Biltmore Estates at Christmas as well as Biltmore Village. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in order to give an honest review.
Review of “Courageous Joy: Delight in God through Every Season” by (in)courage
This Bible study is the second of four within incourage’s courageous Bible study series. Like the first study it is also six weeks worth of study with five days of homework within each week. One of the things that makes this study different than other Bible studies out there is that each day starts with a story from a different person within the incourage community authors. Unlike other studies I have done in the past, this one does not have a section for the videos within the book. Also, the videos seem to be available for free through incourage.me/leaderguides for those to whom would like to lead a small group or those to whom would like to do this own their own but want to be able to watch the videos. Like the first Bible study in this series, Courageous Simplicity, this study asks some very thought provoking application/personal questions as well as the questions about what scripture is saying.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in order to give an honest review.
Review of “Abducted in Alaska” by Darlene L. Turner
This is my first book that I have read by Darlene L. Turner. However, it is one of many from the Love Inspired Suspense collection that I have read and I have enjoyed all the ones I have read so far. This novel is no exception to that. One thing I like about this book is the author does not make it a slow build into the suspense but instead brings the intrigue right from the very first page and it goes until almost the very end. The puzzle in this book was so good that I wasn’t sure I was completely right about the culprit until almost the very end. I will definitely be adding this author to my list of authors to read.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in order to give an honest review.
Review of “All that Really Matters” by Nicole Deese
I have read one novella and one other book by Nicole Deese. They were both really good and the book also dealt with a similar topic as “All That Really Matters” deals with. It dealt with adoption whereas this book deals with the foster care system. I really loved that book which was one reason I wanted to read this one. The cover and title of this novel also drew me to it. This story revolves around two main characters, Molly McKenzie and Silas Whittaker. The interaction between these two characters make the story come alive. You will definitely find something about one or both of these characters that you can relate to. Beyond the main characters in this book, I found myself annoyed with Molly’s boyfriend/manager. He was just too much about business and I found myself hoping she would realize that she needed to ditch him. As for other secondary characters, there were several that I thought could use a novel that tells their story. As you can tell, there is much to enjoy about this book. This author just does such a great job of drawing you into the plot and keeping you there until the very end. Then she leaves you wanting more in the best way and luckily two of the secondary characters will become main characters in her book that is coming out in Spring 2022.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in order to give an honest review.