Category: Christian Fiction

This is the third book I have read by Shawn Smucker. Unlike the other ones, I do not feel as if I am coming into the middle of a story. However, I would have been a little lost had I not read what the book was about first. For reasons unknown to me, I feel like this book is reading slower for me than other books. I am thinking that one reason may be that it is written in first person. Also, every once and awhile the story goes back to the past without much warning. I know there is a lot of symbolism in this book but for some reason it’s going over my head. All that being said, it is still an intriguing book and quite puzzling enough to where I’m wondering what will happen. If you like thought provoking novels, then you will like this story.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in order to give an honest review.

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.

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.