Star of Persia & The Runaway Bride {Double Book Review}

I'm trying out a new style of book reviews, so let's see how it goes and I hope y'all enjoy it!

Star of Persia: Esther's Story

I've always loved the book of Esther. It's such an incredible story of how God places you in certain places, at certain times, and for certain reasons. The story of Esther shows that perfectly. And I really liked how this book told her story.

I enjoyed how we were introduced to Esther before she was Esther, when she was Hadassah. I also liked the insights to Xerxes courts, the intrigue, and struggle. Esther's gentle ways are a breath of fresh air and it is really lovely to see how if you are a gentle and kind person, it really stands out.

Jill Eileen Smith's writing was really nice and it really drew me in. There was a really good intention to detail and she depicted things very well.

I did have a few problems. The first is while the writing was wonderful, sometimes I felt as if it dragged a little. Some of the characters were a little two-dimensional at times and it kinda threw me out. Since it does deal with Xerxes and his many wives, there is quite a bit of kissing and mentions of the marital embrace. It wasn't that bad and done in a tasteful manner, it just got kinda uncomfortable sometimes.

Overall, I did really enjoy this book. I liked the characters and the storytelling. The setting also really pulled me in and kept me interested. This gets a solid 3 stars from me.

I received a free copy of this book from Revell in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Runaway Bride

While this is the second book in this series, this reads like a standalone.

I also liked this book. I always enjoy those books about the heroes who are scared and eventually overcome those fears because it's so hopeful and if there is something our world needs it is definitely more hope. Arabelle was easy to admire and even though her past darkness haunts her, she stills finds it in herself to care for other people. Pete was another great character. Charismatic and kind, you can see how people were drawn to him, I loved the storyline of forgiveness.

I liked this setting. I honestly didn't know much about the bride ships. I knew that there were poorer women that would come in those ships but I didn't know about the middle/upper-class women who would also go. The part about the measles was also very intriguing.

One of the things that mainly bothered me was the content. It wasn't crude or anything but it did make me uncomfortable at certain parts. We learn about Pete's past struggles with sex and desire and he struggles to overcome those things when it comes to Arabella. And sometimes he does get carried away. There were a few points where I had to set the book down because it made me uncomfortable.

Something else that bothered me is how Arabella didn't seem to change much. Ultimately yes, she was a different person at the end than she was at the beginning and it was a very admirable change but she stays in that middle point for so long that it drags. She takes a step forward then a step back and it gets a bit tiresome after a while. There also seemed to be a minor plothole with that person Arabella thought she saw a couple times and was never mentioned again? Or maybe it was and I just missed it.

I did end up liking this book and besides some of the content, it did keep me drawn into the story and the setting. Another three stars!

I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Have and of y'all read these books? What did you think? Do you want to read them?

More Than We Remember {Book Review} | updates

Well, it's been a hot minute y'all. I am very sorry for essentially vanishing, but more on that at the end of this post. In the meantime, enjoy this book review!

One night changes everything for three women. . . .

When Addison Killbourn's husband is involved in a car accident that leaves a woman dead, her perfectly constructed life crumbles apart. With her husband's memory of that night gone and the revelation of a potentially life-altering secret, Addison has to reevaluate all she thought she knew.

Emilia Cruz is a deputy bearing a heavy burden far beyond the weight of her job. Her husband is no longer the man she married, and Emilia's determined to prevent others from facing the same hardship. When she's called to the scene of an accident pointing to everything she's fighting against, she's determined to see justice for those wronged.

Brianne Demanno is hiding from reality. She was thriving as a counselor, but when tragedy struck a beloved client, she lost faith in herself and her purpose. When her neighbors, the Killbourns, are thrown into crisis, Brianne's solitary life is disrupted and she finds herself needed in a way she hasn't been in a while.

As the lives of these women intersect, they can no longer dwell in the memory of who they've been. Can they rise from the wreck of the worst moments of their lives to become who they were meant to be?

Liked: I really enjoy those stories that have multiple storylines that all intertwine together. And while these three storylines are not so different, they still had that element of strings winding together. And it was pretty easy to follow. The strings never got tied in a way that left you confused, and everything panned out very well.

Liked: Christina Suzann Nelson did a really good job of rounding out her characters. They all had their strengths and flaws and it was amazing to read. I liked how the characters acted in very realistic ways and the characters helped make this story very good. It's a good tale of grace and our worthiness of it and the character being very three dimensional accentuated it.

Disliked: One of the things that I disliked, which I guess is the flipside of what I just said I liked above, is that some of the characters really sat wrong with me and I really did not like their behavior. Especially Emilia, who I felt sympathy for sometimes, but who generally really grated on me. And I think that attests to the way that the characters are well rounded that you can dislike a character and yet feel sympathy for them. Some of the other characters' behavior sometimes also kinda bothered me, so that wasn't that great.

-supposed drug use
-mention of suicide
-mentions of alcohol abuse
-one character is thought to have been having an affair
-death
-mention of child molestation
-some hospital scenes

A big theme in this book is grace and mercy, and who deserves it. Throughout the course of this book, you have Emilia almost solely focused on bringing Caleb Kilbourn to what she believes is justice. She pursues this like a hound and it's almost offputting because she decides right away that he is guilty and you wonder, "But what if he's not?" She seems to believe that he doesn't deserve mercy and two lines that come from her daughter kinda sums up what I wonder in regards to her behavior. "I bet Hannah doesn't feel like it's very fair that she's about to lose her dad because he was in an accident. . .so we should have our family, but Hannah doesn't deserve to have hers?" And that's something I wondered throughout the course of this book, especially how Emilia was very admirable in her determination to hold her family together: What about the Kilbourns?

A while ago in my literary analysis class, we read The Forged Coupon by Leo Tolstoy (which I 10/10 recommend) and we later had to write a paper on it comparing the natural and almost animalistic justice that prevailed in the first half of the story (a sort of 'eye for an eye' thinking) and the more divine justice that came to light in the second half, full of God's grace. While I was reading this book, I kept thinking about that natural justice vs. God's justice. It was very thought-provoking and I liked keeping that in mind as I read this book.

I'm giving this a rating of 4 stars and I would recommend this for maybe ages 13/14+

I was given a free copy of this book by Bethany House in exchange for my honest opinion.

Now for some personal updates. Oof, let's just say that senior year has been rough. There's a lot of stuff going on and time is like, "adiosss" and leaves. But I do still want to keep blogging and I have several books I have to review so I'm hoping on posting maybeee once a week.

I'm really sorry that I just left in November but things got really, really crazy then and it's been go, go, go ever since then (I actually haven't even been able to write since the end of November ;-;). But please let me know what y'all would like to see next, a general update maybe? I really do love y'all and I will try my hardest to keep on posting!

Hope's Highest Mountain {Book Review}

On her way to deliver vaccines to a mining town in the Montana Territory, Ingrid Chastain never anticipated a terrible accident would leave her alone and badly injured in the wilderness. When rescue comes in the form of a mysterious mountain man, she's hesitant to trust him, but the journey ahead will change their lives more than they could have known.

Liked: I really enjoyed these characters! All of them were very well fleshed out, even those who were only there for a little bit. Their backstories and flaws, as well as their attributes, were all very believable and they were a very enjoyable cast of people. Something funny that I enjoyed was that Micah called his daughter "Ducky" which is what I call my baby sister. And Handsome was a nice addition and I love that name for a dog. I liked how Beller didn't make Samuel too annoying. I find that some authors tend to make their younger characters a bit too childish, too annoying, or too grown-up. Samuel was a nice balance of what a young child actually is like.

Liked: Something that really bothers me in some stories is when one character goes through extreme heartbreak and pain and the other doesn't, making that other character rather unsympathetic to the first character's pain and thus making it very dislikeable to read. The fact that both main characters had suffered and could sympathize with each other made this story ten times better.

Liked: For some reason, I really enjoy those types of stories where the characters have to survive against all odds in the wilderness. Maybe it's just because I probably spend too much time inside (bugs and me no thanks), but when they are well done it is just a real page-turner and this was very well done.

Liked: I actually like insta-love (when done well) but this romance was a mix of slow and yet fast love? If that makes sense? Anyways, it was very well done and very believable.

Liked: I really liked how Ingrid wasn't very pushy of her faith on Micah, she let him re-discover God on his own time. She was still an amazing witness to the faith, and her faith was visible through her actions and words. Micah's coming to accept Christ again was also very well done.

Disliked: They ONLY thing that bothered me was the overuse of the phrases, "Oh Micah" and "Oh Ingrid". It's kinda annoying how much it was used. 

- people are severely injured
-past mentions of death

I'm giving this one a solid 4 stars and I would recommend it for people 13+

I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest opinion.

How are y'all? Ready for Nano?? Have you read this? Do you want to? What have you been reading lately? 

The Spice King {Book Review}

Gray Delacroix has dedicated his life to building a successful global spice empire, but it has come at a cost. Tasked with gaining access to the private Delacroix plant collection, Smithsonian botanist Annabelle Larkin unwittingly steps into a web of dangerous political intrigue and will be forced to choose between her heart and her loyalty to her country.

Liked: I really thought that the idea behind this book was really cool. You had a little bit of everything. Political intrigue. Check. Trying to expose the food industry. Check. Romance. Check. (I'll talk about this a little later). I really enjoyed how there were little all these miny sub-plots going on at the same time and they all flowed seamlessly into each other which was very nice.

Liked: I thought that all those informational tidbits we were given about the food industry a couple years after the Civil War was really interesting! Like, at that time, they were already substituting real ingredients for artificial. And while it wasn't like today, that was really cool to find out about.

Disliked: So, *hem* y'all know that I am a HUGE romance lover. You say romance, I'm there. Unfortunately, this romance has to get a pass from me. Annabelle and Gray meet ONCE (they do exchange a couple letters first but STILL), and then Gray is like, "Hm, I should get married. That one chick that I met that one team really seems cool. TIME TO INVITE HER TO MY PRIVATE ISLAND AND SHOW HER STUFF I DON'T NORMALLY SHOW STRANGERS CAUSE SHE WORKS FOR SOMETHING I DONT LIKE BUT OH WELL SHE WAS PWETTY". That really just was like, eh, no thanks. The beginning of their romance feels really forced? Like, sure, at their initial meeting there are those sparks but they should be developed further before you decide TO COURT HER. I didn't root for the romance till the end and usually they make eye contact and I'm like, "Y'all are gonna have beautiful children someday".

Disliked: The characters in this book were a little iffy for me. For example, I felt like Gray had two emotions: Softy and vulnerable, or judgy and angry. I kinda liked Annabelle, but sometimes I was like, "Sweetie no". I think Camden was trying to make Maude that character that is really down to earth and relatable, and she was at some points, but the whole thing with Elaine's wedding didn't really strike me as something a mother would do? And then I had a bunch of problems with other characters. I kinda liked Luke though.

Liked: I liked the ending haha. That might have been because I get really invested in books whether I liked them or not but THAT ENDING WAS GOOOD. I was gonna give this book two stars but that ending saved it.

So I had a really hard time getting into this one. If you follow me on Goodreads (which you should :P), you might have seen some of my updates where I said how I was enjoying the writing, but having a hard time getting into it. I was on page 292 of a 344-page book before I was really like, "Now I'm into it". I might have DNFed it if I didn't have to give a review and the fact that I like to finish all books I start unless I really HATE them or they have content that I really disagree with.

But to be honest, the fact that I struggled to get really invested in this book isn't really surprising? I've read two other books by Camden and one I was really meh on and the other one I hateddddd. So Camden's books are kinda a hit or miss for me. This one was a meh.

I can't remember the exact wording, but there is a mention of a guy playing around with girls skirts in the sense that he well....yeah.

A character goes to prison.

This is going to have to be a 3 stars from me. Like I said earlier, it was going to be 2 because I just could not get into it, but that ending saved it.

I would recommend this to people maybe 12+

I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest opinion.

Have you read anything by Camden? Are you interested in this book? What was the last book that was a 'meh' for you? 

King's Shadow {Book Review}

Two women occupy a place in Herod's court. The first, Salome, is the king's only sister, a resentful woman who has been told she is from an inferior race, a people God will never accept or approve. 

The second woman, Zara, is a lowly handmaid who serves Salome, but where Salome spies conspiracies and treachery, Zara sees hurting people in need of understanding and compassion. 

Powerful and powerless, Idumean and Jew, selfish and selfless--both women struggle to reach their goals and survive in Herod the Great's tumultuous court, where no one is trustworthy and no one is safe.

I really enjoyed the feeling of realism I got from this book. Hunt didn't sugarcoat the horrors or the good that Herod committed, and I enjoyed that (more on this part later). You could also tell that she researched a good deal for this book, and it really came off. You could vividly imagine the court intrigue and the simple life outside the palace. Something that I really admire is authenticity in books because it is something I really strive to insert to my own books.

Something that I mentioned in the previous section that I really liked was Hunt's perspective. It really made me think about the way I've always percieved Herod, and I liked that. Obviously, he was a bad person, but Hunt really showed all those things that lead up to that final decision that lead to the murdering of the innocents in Bethlehem. It actually made me feel bad for Herod, and that's when you know that the author really did her job well.

I didn't really dislike anything, but this isn't going to be a new favorite :)

There are quite a few mentions of lust, affairs, and married couples. But nothing too detailed or graphic.

I've decided to start being a bit harsher in my ratings. Here is my new system:

5 Stars: Amazing, new favorite

4 Stars: Really good!

3 Stars: Liked it

2 Stars: Meh, 'twas okay

1 Star: Did not like it

Anyways, this is a solid 4 stars!

I received a free copy of the book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest opinion

Have you read this before? Or anything else by Angela Hunt? Are you interested in reading this now? 

{Double Book Review}

Yoooooo. So imma backkkkkk

I thought I would ease back into blogging with these two book reviews. Enjoy!!

Wooing Cadie McCaffrey

After four years with her boyfriend, Cadie McCaffrey is thinking of ending things. Convinced Will doesn't love her in the "forever" way she loves him, Cadie believes it's time for her to let him go before life passes her by. When a misunderstanding leads to a mistake, leaving her hurt, disappointed, and full of regret, she finally sends him packing.

But for Will, the end of their relationship is only the beginning of his quest to figure out how to be the man Cadie wanted him to be. With the dubious guidance of his former pro-athlete work friends and tactics drawn from Cadie's favorite romantic comedies, Will attempts to win her back. It's a foolproof plan. What could possibly go wrong?

Bethany Turner is back with more of the heart and humor readers love. Anyone who enjoys a good romance or binges romantic comedies on Netflix will devour this delightful story

I really enjoyed the feel of this book. It felt as if I was reading a rom-com. As an avid romance lover, I really like rom-coms, and so the way this book was written made me feel as if I were reading one. I also love the camaraderie that all the characters seem to have with each other. Even though the plot revolves around the relationship between Will and Cadie, I loved seeing the way other characters interacted. Also, the fact that Cadie works at a place about sports and yet knows absolutely nothing about sports is amazing xD

Um so, I loved Will. He was great. I really liked his scenes and just his whole essence was amazing. I um *coughs* really think he deserved better but more on that later. I really enjoy those male characters who are funny but yet masculine? But yep, an amazing male character.

Can we just take a moment to appreciate how Will's friends help him? Because that was amazing. They kept me laughing and were honestly one of the only reasons why I didn't just chuck this book across a room.

So with that ^^ last line, ya know that there were some things that I really did not like about this book. Really, there is just one, but it's a major one: I did not like Cadie. I'm sorry, but the more I read, the more I started to dislike her. The way that she put all the blame on Will really upset me. I don't know, maybe it was because I loved Will so much that I really disliked her. She was one of those characters that you just wanted to reach into the book and give a real good shaking to. She was very self-righteous and maybe she did have a good reason for reacting as she did, but it made her (at least to me) really unlikeable.

One other little thing that kinda threw me off was the jumping between the 1st person and 3rd person perspective. And the then jumping back into the past. It was just a little jarring sometimes.

*hem* Now this is where we get to actually the main problem (besides Cadie) why I really did not like this book as I would have. The whole premise was centered around the fact that Cadie and Will.......yeahhhhhhh........Had I known about this, I would not have requested it and I was really shocked to find this in CF. It was handled very well, but it just made me really uncomfortable the whole time. I would not have read this if I had known what basically the plot centered around.

I really wanted to like this more, but just the fact that Cadie was so unlikeable for me and the whole premise is why I'm giving this

3 stars

I received a free copy of this book from Revell Reads in exchange for my honest opinion. 

The Number of Love

Three years into the Great War, England’s greatest asset is their intelligence network—field agents risking their lives to gather information, and codebreakers able to crack every German telegram. Margot De Wilde thrives in the environment of the secretive Room 40, where she spends her days deciphering intercepted messages. But when her world is turned upside down by an unexpected loss, for the first time in her life numbers aren’t enough.

Drake Elton returns wounded from the field, followed by an enemy that just won’t give up. He’s smitten quickly by the too-intelligent Margot, but how to convince a girl who lives entirely in her mind that sometimes life’s answers lie in the heart?

Amidst biological warfare, encrypted letters, and a German spy who wants to destroy not just them, but others they love, Margot and Drake will have to work together to save them all from the very secrets that brought them together.

This cast of characters was on pointtttt. I really liked them all. I feel like if I had read the other series before reading this I would have liked the side characters even more. But even so, I really enjoyed reading about these people! (I couldn't put it down, I think I read it in two? days) They all felt very realistic to me, and their reactions seemed like what people would actually be like.\

I have an especial liking for books that are set during World War I. Especially when those books are about spies. (thinking about Far Side of the Sea also, great book). This whole spy, secrecy, and coding essence that you find in these books are really great, All of the books that I have read set during this period have been really good. You can really tell that White did her research. As a person whose ancestors have come from Spain, I really liked that Drake and Dot had Spanish heritage. And also liked the Catholic part, even though it took me a while to figure that out (I don't know if the author is Catholic, but my guess is not because of how little she really talked about their religion even though she says that the characters are Catholic indirectly. My guess is that she doesn't know THAT much about the Catholic faith if she isn't Catholic - and this is just a guess, I COULD BE WRONG - but as a Catholic, I really appreciate that she didn't talk too much about it if she wasn't sure. It is really frustrating when authors write about the Catholic faith without being Catholic or even taking the time to really check their facts and so write nonsense and make all the Catholic readers throw books across the room. Save books, don't write too much about the Catholic faith in fiction if you don't know what you're talking about.)

Ahhhhhh. My favorite partttttt. The romanceeeee. Something I really loved (no pun intended lol) about this romance is the fact that it was built up after a while. Sure, Drake instantly liked Margot but it wasn't let's-get-married at first sight as you sometimes find in books. Peoples do not marry after knowing each other for 5 days m'kay?

I really like it when books are witty (Again, thinking Far Side of the Sea) and the wit in this book was greatttttt. It really gives the book a nice touch. And the way that Margot deals with Phillip had me rolling and I can't wait for his book.

The only thing that bothered me was Margot -- but just a bit. Her attitude towards the other females (kinda looking down on them if they wanted to get married and stuff) and towards Drake (my boi) really made me want to smack her. But luckily she turned around before I really did not like her. Just wish that I didn't dislike as much for the first half-ish.

None that I can think of!

I didn't love it to death, but I didn't just like it. So let's compromise

4.5 Stars

I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest opinion.

So how have y'all been? What have you been reading? Did any of these books pique your interest? Think you'll read any of them?

Far Side of the Sea {Book Review}

In spring 1918, Lieutenant Colin Mabry, a British soldier working with MI8 after suffering injuries on the front, receives a message by carrier pigeon. It is from Jewel Reyer, the woman he once loved and who saved his life--a woman he believed to be dead. Traveling to France to answer her urgent summons, he desperately hopes this mission will ease his guilt and restore the courage he lost on the battlefield.

Colin is stunned, however, to discover the message came from Jewel's half-sister, Johanna. Johanna, who works at a dovecote for French Army Intelligence, found Jewel's diary and believes her sister is alive in the custody of a German agent. With spies everywhere, Colin is skeptical of Johanna, but as they travel across France and Spain, a tentative trust begins to grow between them.

When their pursuit leads them straight into the midst of a treacherous plot, danger and deception turn their search for answers into a battle for their lives 

Okay so, all of these characters were extremely well fleshed out. They all had complex backstories and felt very, very real. They all had fears and secrets. And no secondary characters felt like secondary characters (which is always a plus in my opinion). I really loved Jo and Colin, and them together. I really enjoyed how instead of getting info-dumped about their backstory and various secrets they had, we got them little by little which increased your interest and took this book to a whole new level.

Jo and Colin's banter was amazing. It was there when you needed it and one of the last times I had laughed or chuckled so much while reading a book was with A Noble Masquerade by Kristi Ann Hunter (and one of my all-time favorite books). I love it when the two main characters banter because I love writing it, so it makes me connect even more with the story.

Spies in World War I. A missing sister. A secret mission. Are people really who they say they are? If that doesn't pique your interest, then I don't know what will. I loved this plot so. freaking. much. As soon as you thought you had something figured out, it would turn out that nope, that's not true. The author gave you information, but not too much that you could figure everything out and that she could reverse easily and beautifully. It kinda reminded me of Sherlock Holmes, whom I love.

Yes, you all knew that this section was coming. The romance was squeal-inducing. Can't say so much about it because it is kinda a spoilery section but it is amazing.

To be perfectly honest, the most historical fiction I have seen or read during WWI is Downton Abbey. I am really glad that Breslin decided to set this book in WWI, which has (at least in my opinion) not as many books devoted to it than WWII. The carrier pigeons were so much fun as well as the other historical aspects.

Not gonna lie, I sat here for about ten minutes trying to think of something that I disliked about this book enough to include here, but there was really nothing.

One of the characters is an illegitimate child and there are several times when they are talking about how hard it was for them growing up.

Some flashbacks are rather intense for both main characters.

This should not surprise you AT ALL, plus, that cover is sooooooooo pretty

5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from Bethany House in exchange for my honest opinion.

Have you read this? Are you interested? What are some books you have read that are set in World War I?