You truly cannot go wrong with a Jen Turano book! Immediately your cares will melt away and you know you will get in a great chuckle! I read this outdoors enjoying the sunshine and I am sure that my neighbors and people walking by thought I was crazy when I was reading this. I love this new setting of Chicago, typically we are in New York or Newport but this setting involving a castle was rather nice and quite adventurous, mysterious and overall fun! 

Drusilla Merriweather newly disengaged and without any money decides to head to Chicago and open an academy for young ladies to teach them how to be proper and have the etiquette required for high society. All things go array when the criminal underworld wants her house and ghosts seem to be in premises. I loved the characters in the story! To say they are quite eccentric would be an understatement. It is quite hilarious the antics they get into!

The love interest Rhenick Wittenbecker is so adorable! You can't help but fall for him and I am so glad that Drusilla finally sees that throughout the story but boy does she make him work for it! 

Seriously, if you enjoy Jen Turano books or books that will make you chuckle in the middle of a quiet moment then this is the book for you! 

I received this book for review. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are my own. 

Oh wow! This book was sensational! There was so much to love about this story.  I absolutely loved how Nicole Deese takes you on a journey with the the characters in her books and this story was no different. She truly writes with so much depth. This was a beautiful story full of family, faith, love and redemption. The characters were perfectly imperfect. Full of brokenness and we truly can relate to them. 

I was drawn into Sophie's story and felt for her and the way she grew up. Her family is definitely not the warm and fuzzy kind and her brother is something else. Read the story and you will see what I am talking about.  I really enjoyed August and his sister Gabby. Their story was unique and I really enjoyed their sibling dynamic. The way that this author brought the deaf community into the storyline was done beautifully and I really liked how it was a huge part of the story. I think this is the first story that I have encountered this. 

The faith in this book was continual and perfection. It is definitely the one thing that tied the entire storyline together and I was all for it. The redemption arc was was done so well. Get the tissues handy because if you are like me you will tear up more than once.

Overall, I absolutely loved this story and although part of a series, it reads a stand alone. 

I received a copy of this book for review. All views expressed are my own.

This story immediately grabs you and doesn't let go. Tessa Afshar does such an incredible job at truly capturing the opulence of ancient Persia. I always say that Biblical Fiction gives us the "what-if's" of what we are already reading in the Word. The author takes a story from the Bible and with their extensive research comes up with a story that is not only interesting but also filled with faith and lets you wonder if these scenarios could've really happened.

In this story we meet Roxhanna, a Persian woman, who is a noblewoman is impoverished by actions her father has taken. She is caring and has learned cooking skills from her grandmother. She wants to help her Jewish friends as an edict has been served by the King.  I won't tell you too much of the story but her transformation and growth in the story is amazing. We also meet Adin, the royal physician, who also helps not only Roxhanna with different things in her life, especially getting a position in the Queens kitchen. But let us not discount Adin so hastily, he may be considered the love interest for Roxhanna but he is so much more. He truly guides Roxhanna to see who God wants her to be and the path she should follow. He helps her be strong and rely on the one who gives strength. 

Did I mention this book is also about Queen Esther ? She is one of my favorite women in the Bible so it was neat to see another side of her (again another what-if) We see her as more than a queen but also a sister in Christ. Although her scenes were brief, they were powerful. We continue to see Esther just like we see her in the Bible, fighting for her people and we continue seeing her trust in God deepen. 

I really enjoyed the story and I cannot wait to see how the next book unfolds. If you enjoy biblical fiction and stories that are filled with faith then you need to add this to your list.

I received a copy of this book for review. All views expressed are my own.

If you are looking for a Victorian mystery with Gothic elements then this is the book to add to those TBR lists! I really enjoyed the leading female character being an Egyptologist. Ami truly captures the quirkiness of the character and she is truly full of charm although utterly bright and extremely passionate in everything that she does.  She just really wants to be seen for more than just a the daughter of an Egyptologist and professor and we see that develop throughout the story. 

The male lead character is also quite charming. Edmund is not your typical socialite. He wants to sell these artifacts to help out a friend. He falls for Ami and their relationship blossoms throughout the story. I love how he is with her and truly sees her for who she is and dreams to be. He doesn't want to take away those dreams from her but rather see them to fruition. 

Besides the romance which was super sweet and swoony at times, there is a bit of mystery that needs to be solved. Honestly I did not figure out the way the culprit came about until much later in the book. Which is good because it definitely kept the pages turning. 

Overall I really enjoyed the story and can't wait to see if we see these characters once more in the second book of this duology. If you enjoy romance, mystery and faith threads then this is the book for you!

I received a copy of this book for review. All views expressed are my own. 

Another amazing read by Jaime Jo Wright! It always amazes me how Jaime Jo writes such intriguing stories that are full of that creepy factor but also has a great faith thread that leaves you in thought long after you finish the book. This one was no exception. 

I really enjoyed the dual timeline and I must say I was not expecting the storyline in the 1910 timeline to go the way it did! I absolutely was enthralled and could not figure out the culprit for the life of me. In present time Predicament Falls we encounter some unique circumstances with the characters and similarities but I have to say I knew who the culprit was sooner than expected and I wasn’t even disappointed. It still had me going and I wanted to know the “why” behind it all.

As always the faith thread is what gets me with Jamie's books. This one dealt with fear, anxiety and grief. But it was great to see how the characters developed and grew in knowing that if they gave everything to God, His mercy and grace would cover them and be there for them when they surrendered everything to Him. 

Overall I enjoyed this book and I cannot wait for her next one! If you are looking for a great mystery that will give you the creeps and have you stay up all night to find out what happens then you did need to grab this book!

I received a copy of this book for review. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

If you enjoy stories that are set in the Biltmore Estate then you don't want to miss out on this one. The author has delved into the history of those who lived and worked there. It truly captivates you with all the details she provides not only about the workforce but also regarding the Vanderbilts, especially the favored daughter Cornelia.

This is a slower paced story and the timeline does move back and forth without much notice so its a bit hard to decipher  but stick with it and I promise you will enjoy it. It did take me a while to get into it but once I did I was a bit hooked. The characters are full of depth and are also very flawed. Some will take some time to truly love but once you do, you will enthralled with them. 

Lorna goes through some hard lessons but she does learn throughout the story and with that we see her grow in faith and in turn we see God's forgiveness, restoration and hope. God's timing is truly perfect. 

Overall I enjoyed the story and if you enjoy historical fiction you will enjoy this one as well!

What a great second book in the Treasures of Earth series! I have to say that if this is the first book you pick up from the series you will be okay. I felt like this read as a stand alone except for the introduction to the "Bone Wars" in the first book. This book starts off with a bang and has you turning pages the entire time. 

Martha is a paleontologist. She grew up admiring her father's work in paleontology and dreaming of one day pursuing the career. She accomplishes this with some obstacles still obstructing her way. She is definitely a strong female character who is trying to figure out the pull between religion and science. Jacob is our leading man and he is strong in his faith. Together they make a great team. 

Listen, this story is full of all the perfect elements... there is history mixed with science, romance, faith, suspense and a mystery that I did not expect at all. Seriously I did not see it coming at all. Seriously I cannot delve into it more because I don't want to give anything away. 

Overall I really enjoyed the story. I think the growth of the characters was realistic and the way that Martha realizes what is truly important in life will resonate as you are reading the story. The ending was good but I am wondering if we will see these characters again in the next book... 

If you are looking for a new series to start I definitely recommend this one!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

 What a beginning to the powerful story of Martha. The past couple of years I have enjoyed reading Biblical Fiction. It’s always interesting to see how an author captures the essence of a Bible story and Heather Kaufman did such an excellent job. She truly gives you a peek at the what-if questions that surround the relationship between Jesus, Lazarus, Mary and Martha. 

Goodness this book definitely tugged my heart. I teared up at the heartache that Martha goes through in this story and it gives you a possible idea why she may have been so frustrated with Mary. I thoroughly enjoyed the growth that we see in her throughout the book and how we see her eyes open to who Jesus truly is and we see her faith grow. The characters that help her do so despite them being fictional were so great in aiding her belief and strengthen my faith as well. 

Goodness the portrayal of Jesus was beautiful and I couldn’t help imagining what it would be like to physically sit near him and be in his presence. 

If you enjoy biblical fiction and authors like Connilyn Cossette and Tessa Afshar I definitely think this book and author need to be added to your TBR list! 

WOW... this book had be enthralled from the very first page. It was like a Dateline Cold Case show but in book form. Let's see if I can tell you about this book without giving it away...

First of all this is my very first book by this author and I was completely impressed. The characters are so real and believable. They can truly be your next door neighbors type of familiarity. The story is being told in three different perspectives but you can follow easily and not get lost. We see the story through Faith, Dora and Heather. 

Faith is a middle aged woman who is recently divorced and trying to cope with her daughters being shared with their father. She is a mystery podcaster and out of the blue she hears from her friend's sister to see if she can help solve and shed more light into Heather's disappearance to bring closure to the mom. 

Dora has been living in a standstill since her daughter went missing and she has definitely let life pass her on by. She has become somewhat bitter at God and her family. My heart ached for her. I just could not imagine going through what she has gone through. 

Heather brings us to the past throughout the story and we catch glimpses of the 80's. She was spunky and quite the character. I really enjoyed getting to know what that summer was like for her. 

The author truly makes you second guess yourself and work in trying to figure out who might be connected to Heather's disappearance. I have to admit I had a few guesses but none were correct. It was a bittersweet story but definitely a page turner. The faith thread was light but it was there and very different for each character. 

Overall I thought this was a great story. Definitely one of those that will keep you up because you want to find out what really happens!! I can't wait to see what this author writes next!

I received a copy of this book for review. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.