Facing the Dawn - Cynthia Ruchti

 

From christianbook.com:

"While her humanitarian husband Liam has been digging wells in Africa, Mara Jacobs has been struggling. She knows she's supposed to feel a warm glow that her husband is nine time zones away, caring for widows and orphans. But the reality is that she is exhausted, working a demanding yet unrewarding job, trying to manage their three detention-prone kids, failing at her to-repair list, and fading like a garment left too long in the sun.
Then Liam's three-year absence turns into something more, changing everything and plunging her into a sunless grief. As Mara struggles to find her footing, she discovers that even when hope is tenuous, faith is fragile, and the future is unknown, we can be sure we are not forgotten . . . or unloved.
With emotionally evocative prose that tackles tough topics with tenderness and hope, award-winning author Cynthia Ruchti invites you on a journey of the heart you won't soon forget."

This was well written, but such a hard read.  So much sorrow, with an even greater amount of healing.  But, oh, the sorrow.  And yet, amidst the sorrow, the author did a phenomenal job of pointing the reader to the only true Healer.

"I can't know the end of my story, God.  And I have to be okay with that, don't I? But I know your heart.  Verse-verse-verse Redemption. Sorrow-sorrow-sorrow-Jesus." 

Mara starts out as bitter as she believes her name implies, but just as the story of her biblical namesake, she finds love and healing in the people who still surround her and teach her that life is still worth living, and there is still hope to be found.

4 stars; the hope within was beautiful, but it was almost too hard for me to read.

You can find Facing the Dawn HERE. 
You can find the author HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

All That Really Matters - Nicole Deese

 

From christianbook.com :

"Molly's trendy fashion and beauty advice gains her a substantial social media following and an audition to host a makeover show for underprivileged youth. One problem: she has zero experience with kids in need! So she volunteers for a transitional program. Silas, the director, isn't impressed. Can she win him over---and discover what matters most in life?"

Oh my goodness, what an amazing book!  Such a deep commentary on today's attraction to social media and celebrity status and pretty things.  It seems so appealing and worth attaining, and yet there are so many more substantial purposes in life.  So many people more worth our time and talent and treasures.  SomeONE more worth our hearts.

Watching Molly's transformation from social media darling to a mentor of young adults in transition from foster care, was an amazing journey to follow.  Reading the foster kids' stories, which are likely close to many in real life, was heartbreaking.

5 stars!  This may be my favorite book so far in 2021! I really hope we get a sequel with Miles!

You can find All That Really Matters HERE.
You can find the author HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

The Kingdom of Ink and Paper - Matthew Newman

 

From Net Galley -

"Every book you’ve ever read. Every story you’ve ever heard. What if they were all true?

When high school student Will Morgan goes on a school trip to Boston, he doesn’t expect to witness a murder. But when best-selling novelist Arthur O’Neill is found dead, Will realizes there’s more to this writer’s books than just words.

After O’Neill’s death, Will receives a mysterious package: a copy of The Redstone Keep, one of O’Neill’s famous novels. Upon reading the book, Will passes out and is introduced to a man named Tam Desmond, The Redstone Keep’s protagonist. Tam explains that he is a resident of the World of the Written, a universe parallel to our own where everything ever published by humans comes to life.

Through his conversations with Tam, Will learns that something was targeting Arthur, and that same force is now after him. Armed with his new powers and a magical sword, Will sets out on a journey to solve the mysteries surrounding the murder; however, all the while, Arthur’s death may have just been the start of something much more sinister."

In my opinion the quality of this book was fair. While the plot and characters were interesting, it reminded me of Here There Be Dragons, and there were several smaller plot holes. In the story the characters gain their powers much too quickly, and there isn't much of a real challenge. However, I did like the involvement of Characters, or people from the story that the Writers are in. Overall I would say that there was not a lot of character development outside of powers/abilities. I would give Kingdom of Ink and Paper a 3 out of 5 stars.

You can find Kingdom of Ink and Paper HERE.

You can find Matthew Newman HERE.

The Prince of Spies - Elizabeth Camden

 

In this conclusion to the Hope and Glory series, Luke Delacroix has returned from Cuba and while trying to regain his health and strength, he is determined to take down the congressman who has been his family's nemesis for years - Clyde Magruder.  However, when he meets Marianne Magruder, the congressman's daughter, his agenda becomes cloudy.  Can he find a way to pursue his goals of food safety, without harming the woman he is falling in love with?

The Prince of Spies was a very satisfying conclusion to this series.  I loved how different each sibling's story was, yet how they fit together as a family.  Besides the intriguing background of the regulations regarding food safety, it was super interesting to read about the planning and development of the National Mall.  I don't think I've read anything else set in DC during this time period, and I really enjoyed it.

I give this book 4 stars.  Elizabeth Camden has a knack for unusual storylines, and this was another one done well.

You can find A Prince of Spies HERE.
You can find the author HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book, via Netgalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

The Key to Love - Betsy St. Amant

 

From christianbook.com:

"The only thing Bri Duval loves more than baking petit fours is romance. So much so, she's created her own version of the famous Parisian lovelock wall at her bakery in Story, Kansas. She never expects it to go viral--or for Trek Magazine to send travel writer Gerard Fortier to feature the bakery. He's definitely handsome, but Bri has been holding out for a love story like the one her parents had, and that certainly will not include the love-scorned-and-therefore-love-scorning Gerard.

Just when it seems Bri's bakery is poised for unprecedented success, a series of events threaten not just her business but the pedestal she's kept her parents on all these years. Maybe Gerard is right about romance. Or maybe Bri's recipe just needs to be tweaked.

Novelist Betsy St. Amant invites you to experience this sweet story of how love doesn't always look the way we expect--and maybe that's a good thing."

This was a cute story, with some deeper meaning.  Is anyone's story as perfect as it looks?  Is being comfortable enough, or are risks necessary?  Should you believe in someone's take on love, or experience it for yourself?

I ached for Bri - all she wanted was to believe in her parents' perfect love story and experience it for herself.  She was clinging to the bakery as her safe place for memories of her mother.  But as all of those security blankets fell apart on her, she had to choose to look somewhere else for her security, and she had to choose a messy imperfect love. knowing there's only One who can love perfectly.  Her growth wasn't easy and she didn't necessarily go willingly, but it was important to see her finally realize that she'd only had a shell of what she was looking for when she tried to stay in her box.

3 stars; this story was cute, but a little light for me. 

You can find The Key to Love HERE.
You can find the author HERE. 

I received a digital copy of this book from the publishers, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

Dreams of Savannah - Roseanna M. White

 

I started this book really conflicted.  With the eye-opening chaos within the country over the last year concerning racial issues, I had a hard time with a book set in the south during the Civil War.  I didn't want to find myself sympathizing with characters who felt like slavery was okay, as long as they treated their own slaves decently, or who really felt like the whole war was over states' rights.  I should have known that Roseanna White would do better than that.  There are still stories to be told about the south, from both white and black points of view, and there had to be turning points for some to realize that the way of life they were used to was not the right way to live.  So, while this book still made me uncomfortable, I think it fell mostly on the side of highlighting just how wrong it really was.

4 stars - I almost put it down early on, but I am glad that I did not.  It's tough for me to read stories with characters who are just wrong, and refuse to open their eyes to what's right, but I was glad for those characters whose eyes were open to the people they had chosen not to see before.

You can find Dreams of Savannah HERE.

You can find the author HERE.

I received a digital copy of this book, via NetGalley, from the publisher, in exchange for my honest review.

Nicole - Sarah Monzon

 

This third book in the Sewing in SoCal series centers around Nicole, mother of Sierra, and outspoken environmentalist vegan.  She's just trying to raise her daughter well and to convince others that her passionate stances are valid, and maybe use her friends' insistence on matchmaking to her causes' benefits.  However, when Drew continues to show up in her life and push her buttons repeatedly, she may find that her passion has other outlets as well.

Nicole was definitely my favorite of this series so far! While I enjoyed Molly and Jocelyn, Nicole herself is so relatable - between her passion for God's creation, which comes off as radical environmentalism to some, and her vulnerability about her size, she is a well-crafted, deeply engaging character.  Drew was also an easy character to love, as the reader gets to watch him enjoy Nicole for every bit of who she is, and as he draws out what some see as her weaknesses, he frames them as strengths, and complements them with his own personality.  The multiple viewpoint format of this book really helps highlight the growth in the characters and their growing feelings for each other.  

I also enjoyed getting to keep in touch with the Sewing Circle of friends, as well as the men they've been adding to their group along the way.  They're such an eclectic collection, and I can't wait to see what happens with Amanda's and Betsy's stories!

I give this quirky, yet deep story 5 stars.
You can find Nicole HERE.
You can find the author HERE.  I love that she frames her writing as "Redeeming Romances."

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.