Category: Book Review

11 November 2024

Book Review | Matchmaking the Cowboy by Emily Conrad

Rodeo star Hollis Price has returned to Redemption Ridge to take over the family ranch after his father’s death, and hopefully rescue it from financial ruin.

Dr. Lucy Aveline is the local veterinarian who visits when his father’s favourite horse is unwell. Lucy soon realises they are being set up, and decides to take matters into her own hands by setting Hollis up with one of her friends.

Lucy is an intelligent woman (which is something I always like), but who is man-shy after her last relationship ended badly when she realised she was dating a controllilng narcissist.

Hollis isn’t looking for love—he’s more interested in saving his horses, including the horse now owned by Lucy’s ex. There’s always something attractive about a man who loves animals, and thefact Hollis lovesJesus as well makes him a loveable and believable hero, and the perfect match for Lucy.

Matchmaking the Cowboy was a fun Christian romance, and I love the way Emily Conrad wove in the faith aspects. They were realistic without being overbearing, and added to the plot and characterisation.

Matchmaking the Cowboy is part of the new Christmas in Redemption Ridge multi-author series. Like the other Redemption Ridge stories, it is a standalone story in a shared setting that features some shared characters. People who have read the whole story will recognise characters from previous books, but readers who are new to the series won’t miss anything.

Recommended for Christian romance fans, especially those who like Christmas stories and small-town settings and a healthy dose of humour.

Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review.

About Emily Conrad

Emily Conrad writes Christian fiction. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and two 60+ pound rescue dogs. Some of her favorite things (other than Jesus and writing, of course) are coffee, walks, and road trips to the mountains.

Find Emily Conrad online at:

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About Matchmaking the Cowboy

What’s a little covert matchmaking between friends?

Lucy Aveline’s ex has a knack for making her feel small and helpless. She’d avoid him entirely, but he still owns a piece of her heart in the form of the pets he purchased for her but kept for himself. She visits Rosie and Jasmine when she can, vows to avoid another controlling boyfriend by staying single, and focuses on her large animal veterinary practice. Or that’s the plan until some longtime family friends attempt to set her up with former rodeo star Hollis Price. Lucy convinces them to drop the plot only when she promises to find Hollis a good match herself.

Hollis is more concerned with surviving his first Christmas after losing his dad than with finding love. Dad’s champion horse is aging, and rumors started by an unhappy client threaten the horse training business Hollis inherited from his father. When the kind and talented Lucy offers friendship, he accepts simply to add cheer to the season.

It’s not long before his interest in Lucy deepens, but so do problems at his ranch. Saving his father’s legacy begins to look as impossible as earning Lucy’s trust. Especially when her ex continues to use her love of animals against her and she won’t stop pushing her single friends at Hollis long enough to notice she’s the one he’s falling for.

Return to Redemption Ridge, Colorado and enjoy the faith, friendships, and forever-afters in this Christian Christmas Romance.

Find Matchmaking the Cowboy online at:

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4 November 2024

Book Review | Across the Ages (Timeless #4) by Gabrielle Meyer

Caroline lives two lives. In 1727, Caroline Reed lives in South Carolina with her grandfather, her only relative, who wants to marry her off to the governor’s son. In 1927, Caroline Baldwin is the youngest child and only daughter of preacher and prohibitionist Rev. Daniel Baldwin.

Caroline has no idea why she has two lives.

What Caroline doesn’t know—but the series reader does know—is that she is going to have to choose one of her lives on her twenty-first birthday. That knowledge provides an additional degree of tension, particularly in the second half of the novel.

Her 1727 self finds a letter from her long-lost mother, and discovers she left South Carolina and headed to Nassau, Bahamas. She runs away and finds herself in the company of a handsome pirate. In 1927, she is being pursued by her brothers friend, a policeman, and trying to ensure her brothers don’t destroy her father’s ministry with their lies and crimes.

I loved Across the Ages.

(I loved it so much I actually read it twice in three days.)

Caroline was a great heroine. She’s intelligent, driven, and remarkably well-adjusted considering her strange life. She also has a strong Christian faith in both timelines, and trusts that God knows what he’s doing.

I loved the romance side of the plot. I’ve always had a soft spot for pirate stories, so enjoyed that side of the plot. I also had a lot of admiration for Caroline’s 1927 beau, who seems to be the only honest cop in Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Across the Ages is the fourth book in Gabrielle Meyer’s Timeless series, and it’s my favourite so far. If you haven’t read any of the Timeless series yet, this would be a good place to start because this is more of a standalone than the last two books (and because Caroline doesn’t her strange life, so it won’t matter if the reader doesn’t).

If you have read the previous stories, you will want to read this one. You’ll also want to read the series in order, because Across the Ages does have a few references to the characters from For a Lifetime. I’m hoping those references might be a hint as to who the next book in the series will follow …

If you haven’t read the earlier stories and you’re looking for a Christian historical romance with a dual timeline twist, checkout Across the Ages. Recommended.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Gabrielle Meyer

Gabrielle lives on the banks of the Upper Mississippi River with her husband and four children. As an employee of the Minnesota Historical Society, she fell in love with the rich history of her state and enjoys writing historical and contemporary novels inspired by real people, places, and events. The river is a constant source of inspiration for Gabrielle, and if you look closely, you will find a river in each of her stories.

When Gabrielle is not writing, you might find her homeschooling her children, cheering them on at sporting and theatrical events, or hosting a gathering at her home with family and friends.

Find Gabrielle Meyer online at:

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About Across the Ages

Caroline holds a deep secret. Existing in 1727 and 1927 simultaneously, each night she goes to sleep in one life and wakes up in the other. Searching for answers to her unique existence, Caroline stumbles upon a letter from her mother that hints at her own experiences as a time-crosser, sending Caroline on a quest to uncover the truth. In 1727, chasing the mysteries of her mother’s past, Caroline disguises herself as a cabin boy and joins a ship sailing for the Bahamas, her mother’s last known location. Amid treacherous waters, she crosses paths with Marcus Zale, a ruthless but handsome pirate, and finds herself caught in a web of secrets, deception, and unexpected alliances.

Meanwhile, in 1927 St. Paul, Minnesota, Caroline grapples with her other life as the daughter of a renowned preacher. Her two older brothers have strayed from their upbringing into the corruption rampant during Prohibition, and Caroline struggles to protect her parents from the truth that could shatter her father’s career. As her search for answers about her time-crossing leads her to the dangerous speakeasies of St. Paul, Caroline enlists the help of police officer Lewis Cager, a childhood friend. But when her family’s future is put at risk and loyalties are tested, Caroline is faced with a life-altering decision that could reshape her destiny.

Find Across the Ages online at:

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21 October 2024

Book Review | An Honorable Deception (Imposters #3) by Roseanna M White

An Honorable Deception brings back the Imposters, the secret private investigation agency created by Lord Yates Fairfax and his sister, Lady Marigold, their cousin Graham, and Gemma, the daughter of the family’s former steward.

The story starts with Yates in the church, meeting his prospective client under cover of the confessional box. But their meeting doesn’t go as planned, and his new client is shot as she leaves the church.

Yates takes Lady Alethia home to keep her safe, and places her in the care of his sister as they investigate who could have harmed Lady Alethia and the whereabouts of her missing ayah (nanny).

The story takes us straight back to the Fairfax family home in Northumberland, which gives us a chance to meet the menagerie again

That’s a lot of fun.

Lord Yates Merritt, next-door neigbour Lady Lavinia Hemming, and client Lady Alethia Barremore are all point of view characters, which provides the romantic tension: who will Yates choose? This could have been really awkward, but White handled it brilliantly and I was completely satisfied with the result.

And there was also the suspense element of the plot: who has kidnapped the ayah? Who shot Lady Alethia? What is the secret she’s hiding? These questions were all answered with perfect timing and the perfect amount of information.

Yes, I loved An Honorable Deception.

I loved Yates from A Beautiful Disguise, where we first met Lavinia. I love the characters and the way they mix skill, intelligence, humour, and a genuine Christian faith. I loved the way the romance worked out perfectly, even if it didn’t work out the way I’d originally anticipated.

An Honourable Deception is the third book in Roseanne M White’s The Imposters series, and I hope weget to see more of Yates, Marigold, and the rest of the Imposters. If you’re read White’s other historical romances set in England, you’ll recognize a few of the characters who pop up toward the end of An Honourable Deception, like Barclay. I’d love to read a crossover series Upstairs Downstairs or Downton Abbey style with Yates, Barclay, Mr. V, and their associates … hint hint.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for reivew.

About Roseanna M White

Roseanna M. White pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna has a slew of historical novels available, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to her new British series. She lives with her family in West Virginia.

Find Roseanna M White online at:

About An Honorable Deception

As the leader of elite private investigative firm the Imposters, Lord Yates Fairfax has made an art of concealing his identity. But when his newest client, the beautiful Lady Alethia Barremore, is shot while leaving their meeting, he throws caution to the wind and rushes to her aid. Though Lady Alethia thought she was only looking for her missing former nanny, she has clearly stumbled upon dangerous secrets.

Lady Lavinia Hemming suspects there’s more to her oldest friends than they’re willing to admit, and when she stumbles upon the truth that they’re the Imposters, she recruits herself into the firm. Happy as she is for the distraction of an investigation, Lavinia’s own family secrets continue to haunt her. And the one thing to bring laughter back into her life–her friendship with Yates–lands her squarely on the bad side of her best friend, his sister.

Tormented by a past that she doesn’t dare to voice aloud, Lady Alethia does what she can to help her handsome host, her new friends, and the investigators. But as clues lead them deeper into the darkest of society’s secrets, Alethia, Yates, and Lavinia soon learn anew that the gentry isn’t always noble . . . and truth isn’t always honorable.

Find An Honorable Deception online at:

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14 October 2024

Book Review | Wrapped Up In You by Jennifer Carr

Nash is about to head to college on a baseball scholarship when a senior prank goes wrong. His punishment is community service for the local youth club, where he is assigned to teach music—a punishment that turns out to be life-changing (in a good way).

Cassidy is Nash’s OurSpace pen pal (are people still called pen pals if they communicate solely through social media messaging, and using a handle rather than their actual names?). She’s a couple of years younger than Nash, and is pursuing a music career at the behest of her pushy mother.

The two hide behind the anonymity of social media to share their true selves, and I loved the way the author brought them together online while they lived their separate lives.

But when OurSpace goes the way of MySpace, their friendship effectively ends because they have no other sway of contacting each other—they haven’t even shared their real names.

That, of course, can’t be the end of the story …

The two meet in real life a few years later when they both earn a spot on a reality TV show searching out America’s next country music star. Of course, the reader knows who they are, but they don’t … (and that would potentially be a spoiler if it wasn’t included in the book description).

Anyway, that gives the story plenty of forward tension as we wait for Nash and Cassidy to discover what we already know.

The story takes place over longer time scale than most novels—years, rather than weeks or months—but that fits with the story, given their ages when the story started. It fit the characters and the story, and anything faster would have felt wrong.

I loved this story.

I loved the slow burn of the romance. I loved the longer timescale, and the way it gave readers the chance to watch Nash and Cassidy grow and mature, and turned what could have been an average young adult romance into a more powerful story.

Wrapped Up In You is the second book in a series. I haven’t read the first (Fall When You’re Ready) but didn’t think I missed anything.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Jennifer Carr

Having always enjoyed books, writing, and daydreaming, Jennifer wanted to know what it would feel like to combine the three and write a book. Once she started writing, everything changed. Within a matter of months, she had multiple projects started and found a love for writing in a way she never knew was possible.

Married to her childhood best friend and the mom of a creative daughter, Jennifer enjoys the quiet life on their farm in Alabama, baking, and reading romance novels.

Find Jennifer Carr online at:

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About Wrapped Up In You

Nash Montgomery is always up for a good time. But when a senior prank goes too far, his baseball scholarship is put at risk, threatening the future everyone expects him to follow. The consequences earn him community service at a local youth center where he discovers a passion that defies the path he thought had been laid out for him.

Cassidy is a talented musician trapped under the weight of her mother’s ambitious dreams for her. Desperate to carve out her own identity, she struggles to find her voice amidst the noise of others’ expectations.

Their worlds collide in Nashville when both earn a spot on Real American Country, a new reality TV competition for aspiring country stars. As they navigate the pressures of the spotlight, they’ll have to decide if they’re chasing their own dreams—or someone else’s. And along the way, they’ll discover that getting wrapped up in the right person can bring out the best in themselves.

Wrapped Up in You is a heartwarming tale about breaking free from the expectations of others, finding love, and discovering that the best path is the one you create for yourself.

(As Christians, we say the best path is the one God creates for us. That’s my one possible criticism of Wrapped Up In You: it’s clean young adult romance rather than Christian fiction.)

Find Wrapped Up In You online at:

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7 October 2024

Book Review | The Burning of Rosemont Abbey by Naomi Stephens

The opening of The Burning of Rosemont Abbey hooked me immediately: like many non-twins, I’ve always had a fascination for twins … and for their reputed mysterious connection.

This connection gives the mystery a unique twist.

Louisa Everly knows her brother is dead, which means she knows Inspector Malcolm Sinclar is mistaken in considering Paul to be the major suspect for the arson at the abbey. If Paul wasn’t involved, then who burned the abbey? And who murdered Paul?

Louisa feels she can’t tell anyone that she knows Paul is dead—they’ll simply think she is hysterical and won’t believe her. It’s a clever plot point and executed well.

That original premise gives the story a strong forward motion and kept me turning the virtual pages.

Louisa works alone and—reluctantly—with Inspector Sinclair, Paul’s childhood best friend. To Malcolm’s annoyance, she makes several discoveries that the police couldn’t have made, given they had already identified Paul as their key and only suspect. I liked the way Louisa thought and acted. She made intelligent deductions, in the spirit of Miss Marple and other famous fictional lady detectives.

Unfortunately, the story was marred by Americanisms that didn’t make sense in the context of the setting (England in 1956). For example, what colour are “eyes the color of money”? If you’re American, you might think the answer is obvious: green. But the character is not American (and nor is this reader). British money in 1956 was almost all the colours of the rainbow—red and orange and green and blue and purple and grey (but not yellow). Lines like this brought me out of the story.

I didn’t find the ending entirely satisfying or believable.

Sure, the evildoer has been set up as a character with some … let’s call them personality defects. The story did keep me guessing whodunit, which is essential in a murder good mystery. But I didn’t see the motivation for the crime, which affected the story’s overall credibility.

However, I have often found that I’ve read the end of mystery novels too quickly, which has sometimes meant that I’ve missed key points (like the character’s motivation). I did re-read the last quarter, and while that did make the motivation clearer, it still lacked the depth and sophistication I’d expected.

Overall, the characterisation was excellent, the plot was unique and engaging (except for the big reveal at the end), and the writing was solid, but the Americanisms were distracting and the ending didn’t deliver for me.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Naomi Stephens

Naomi Stephens is a bookworm turned teacher turned writer. She received a B.A. in English from Concordia University in Ann Arbor and an M.A. in English from Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne.

Her first novel, Shadow among Sheaves, was an Inspy Award shortlist contender and winner of the 2020 Carol Award in Debut Fiction. In bookstores, Naomi gravitates towards 19th-century British novels—the broodier the better (i.e., Jane Eyre)—but she can also be found perusing the young adult, mystery, and fantasy sections. Anything that keeps her turning pages past midnight!

Though she’s called many places home over the years, she currently lives in New York with her husband, her two children, and a rascal of a dog named Sherlock. When not writing or having adventures with her family, she can be found drinking tea, practicing photography, and pining for London.

Find Naomi Stephens online at:

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About The Burning of Rosemont Abbey

Everyone in Wilbeth Green has something to hide, but she’s about to uncover their secrets.

1956: In a quiet English village, the smoldering ruins of Rosemont Abbey have set the residents’ tongues wagging, and everyone is quick to accuse troublemaker Paul Everly of the crime of arson. Paul has vanished without a trace, leaving only his plucky twin sister, Louisa, certain of his innocence. Fueling her conviction is an inexplicable connection–she felt her twin’s death an hour before the abbey went up in flames.

Armed with nothing but her wit and her keen sense of intuition, Louisa embarks on her own investigation, challenging the dubious townspeople and the disdain of her aunt and uncle. Even Inspector Malcolm Sinclair, once Paul’s closest friend, warns Louisa to abandon her pursuit. But Louisa is determined to solve a murder no one else believes was committed, even if it means unraveling secrets that could shake Wilbeth Green to its core.

Find The Burning of Rosemont Abbey online at:

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30 September 2024

Book Review | The Color of Home by Kit Tosello

The Color of Home is women’s fiction from two points of view.

Audrey is the twenty-eighty year-old interior design expert based in Silicon Valley, while Daisy is her great-aunt from Charity Falls, Oregon.

Daisy and her husband, Dean, are moving into an assisted living facility because Dean has dementia and they need support. Audrey takes two weeks off work and goes to help Audrey prepare their house for sale but ends up staying longer.

Audrey’s father died in a fire in Charity Falls thirteen years ago, and she hasn’t been back since. As is to be expected, somethings have changed but others haven’t, and there are a lot of memories.

Both points of view are told in first person.

The change in point of view was indicated by the name at the top of the chapter. I found this confusing at times. Because both points of view were in first person, it often wasn’t obvious which point of view the chapter was in unless I’d consciously looked at the chapter header (something I tend to skip).

I also mixed the names up a few times. Audrey feels like an “old” name to me, so I kept thinking that was the great-aunt. Equally, Daisy feels like the name of a much younger character, so I had to do a bit of backtracking when I realised I’d mixed up the characters in my mind.

I did wonder why the story needed two point of view characters.

It is clearly Audrey’s story, as she learns the oft-repeated lesson that we should focus on personal relationships over careers. In fairness, Audrey had come by this belief honestly: her mother is still alive but they have virtually no relationship.

Daisy clearly played the mentor role.

Her point of view provided the Christian input and gave insight to some of the stresses surrounding living with a spouse with dementia. These are important topics, and perhaps deserved a story of their own rather than being the filler in Audrey’s story (which didn’t have a lot to distinguish it from every other Hallmark-esque small-town romance).

The writing and characterisation are strong, the story touches on many important social issues.

Recommended for fans of issues-based Christian women’s fiction.

Thanks to Revell and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About The Color of Home

Audrey Needham, Bay Area interior designer to the rich and pretentious, is down to her last nerve. Her boss is impossible to please, her future is in jeopardy, and her great-aunt Daisy needs support as her husband descends into Alzheimer’s.

When Daisy enlists Audrey’s help preparing for a move to assisted living, Audrey risks her career to return to the idyllic small town of Charity Falls, Oregon, the summer stomping grounds of her childhood. But Charity Falls was also the place that broke her heart when her father was killed in a tragic fire at the Sugar Pine Inn thirteen years ago.

Despite Audrey’s intent to avoid emotional entanglement, the pull of home is hard to resist. Something should be done about the deteriorating inn. A local girl with an incarcerated father needs a friend. And handsome local do-gooder Cade Carter is coloring Audrey all shades of uncertain.

Join award-winning writer and debut novelist Kit Tosello in this lyrical and often humorous exploration of how God redeems brokenness and draws us to the life we’re meant to find.

Find The Color of Home online at:

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About Kit Tosello

Kit Tosello is an award-winning writer of small-town contemporary fiction with a big heart, as well as inspirational essays and devotionals. With her eye trained on the beauty hiding in plain sight all around us, she arranges words with tenderness, humor, and hope. When not writing, Kit can be found in the loose-tea shop she operates with her husband, exploring the great Pacific Northwest, or enjoying the “great indoors”–bookstores and libraries. Always with a matcha latte in hand.

Find Kit Tosello online at:

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23 September 2024

Book Review | The Christmas Catch by Toni Shiloh

Yet again, Toni Shiloh has produced a near-perfect Christian romance with The Christmas Catch.

Teacher Lucille “Bebe” Gordon is the solo mom of seven-year-old Hope. She’s happy with her life, and her main regret is that her ex-husband refuses to have anything to do with their daughter.

Her peaceful world is rocked when wide receiver Jahleel Walker, the boy next door who was her childhood best friend and high school boyfriend, returns home to recover from a football injury. They haven’t seen each other in twelve years, but sparks soon fly.

The Christmas Catch was originally published in 2017 as A Sidelined Christmas. The author’s note at the end makes it clear there have been some changes–I get the impression this version has more of a Christmas flavour.

The writing was excellent. There were some great lines, and I loved the voice. If I “hear” the character’s voices when I read, I usually hear them in a Kiwi accent. Yes, even when I know the book is set in the USA. But something about Toni Shiloh’s writing ha me hearing the characters in a Southern accent that sounded a lot like Georgia.

But the best part was this was a Christian romance with the emphasis on Christian. Bebe is making every effort to live out her Christian faith, particularly when it comes to her daughter. Jay has a few challenges, not least his father (the pastor of the only Protestant church in their small town), and there’s no question his faith is important to him.

Overall, The Christmas Catch is yet another fun Christian romance from Toni Shiloh. Recommended for fans of small-town Christian romance and sports romance.

Thanks to Bethany House and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Toni Shiloh

Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian fiction writer. Once she understood the powerful saving grace of the love of Christ, she was moved to honor her Savior.

She writes soulfully romantic novels to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness.

Before pursuing her dream as a writer, Toni served in the United States Air Force. It was there she met her husband. After countless moves, they ended up in Virginia, where they are raising their two boys.

When she’s not typing in imagination land, Toni enjoys reading, playing video games, making jewelry, and spending time with her family.

Find Toni Shiloh online at:

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About The Christmas Catch

Sidelined with a career-ending injury, NFL wide receiver Jahleel Walker is forced to return to his hometown of Peachwood Bay, Georgia, to heal, despite his rocky relationship with his father. Nothing shocks him more than running into his high-school sweetheart, Lucille “Bebe” Gordon.

Bebe Gordon came home to Peachwood Bay three years ago with a divorce certificate and her daughter, Hope. When Jahleel returns–for the first time in eight years–all the memories of the past come rushing back.

The connection between them is still strong, but Jahleel has no plans to stay in Peachwood Bay, and Bebe can’t risk him leaving her again. Will Jahleel and Bebe take a chance on love or let life sideline them at Christmas?

Find The Christmas Catch online at:

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17 September 2024

Bookish Question #349 | Who are your favourite historical fiction authors and why?

I am so glad this question is phrased as a plural, because that means I can have more than one favourite historical fiction author.

There’s no way I could choose just one!

So I have chosen five. I’ve also chosen a favourite book I think you should start with if you haven’t read their work before.

Elizabeth Camden

Elizabeth Camden’s novels are mostly set in the USA during the Gilded Age. I enjoy Elizabeth Camden’s novels because she tends to write intelligent heroines who can think for themselves, and who often have an unusual career for the time.

If you haven’t read any of Elizabeth Camden’s novels, I recommend With Every Breath, in which the characters are trying to find the cure for tuberculosis.

Christine Dillon

Christine Dillon’s first published books were contemporary Christian fiction, starting with Grace in Strange Disguise. She’s now moved to Biblical fiction, which is what she started writing. I love her books because of their depth in terms of plot, character, and Christian principles.

If you haven’t read any of Christine Dillon’s books, I recommend Plagues and Papyrus, a unique take on the familiar story of the ten plagues of Egypt.

Gabrielle Meyer

Gabrielle Meyer is a prolific author who is probably best known for her many Love Inspired titles or her American Brides series. But I discovered her through the absolutely brilliant Timeless series, featuring women who live in two (or three) times at once …

This is a series that’s best read in order, so you will want to start with When the Day Comes.

Carolyn Miller

I have always had a soft spot for Regency Romance (blame Georgette Heyer!), but there were many years where it was difficult to find any good Christian titles. There are a lot more choices now, but Carolyn Miller remains my favourite because her novels have a strong Christian thread.

If you haven’t read any of Carolyn’s Christian Regency Romances, I recommend starting at the beginning with The Ellusive Miss Ellison, the first in her A Legacy of Grace series.

Roseanna M White

Finally, I have always had a fascination for codes and investigations, so I’ve loved all Roseanna M White’s spy and cypher stories, especially The Number of Love, the first in her Codebreakers series.

However, my latest favourite Roseanna M White series is A Beautiful Disguise, the first in her Imposters series.

What about you? Who is your favourite historical fiction author, and why?

16 September 2024

Book Review | Lumen (Nightingale #2) by JJ Fischer

Lumen is the second book in JJ Fischer’s Nightingale trilogy, based on the Hans Christian Anderson story (which I’ve never read, which means the entire story is new to me).

I read and enjoyed the first book, Calor, which introduced us to Sephone, a slave with a gift for changing (and healing) people’s memories. Calor shows her meeting a ragtag group of characters, who she falls in with as they search for a rumoured Reliquary that will help Dorian forget his past, and perhaps heal their broken world.

Calor introduced Sephone’s strange world – and the people with their strange gifts – gradually.

Lumen, as the second book, can’t and doesn’t. Instead, we’re immediately introduced to Sephone, Dorian, Cass, Bear, Bas, and Jewel, a wolf who seems to have strange powers of her own. It’s a lot to take in.

As Dorian leads the travellers through the land in his search for the Reliquary, we meet other characters. Lots of other characters. There is also a lot of politics which I found hard to follow the first time I read Lumen, and no easier when I re-read it.

It could be that I found it difficult because it’s more than a year since I read Calor, because I’m not normally an epic fantasy reader, or because I don’t know the source story (I’ve considered reading it, but that might give the plot away, and I don’t want that).

Maybe this is a series best read back-to-back (which means now is a great time to start reading).

Lumen is well-written with a fascinating premise (a world with people with strange gifts), and the story has some clear Christian images, like life beginning in a Garden (with a capital G), a mysterious group called the Three, and a possible saviour figure. I am definitely engaged in the story.

While I found parts of the story confusing, with too many characters and too much politics, this isn’t the first trilogy I’ve read where the second story was weaker than the first. The end did leave me wanting to read the final book to see how the story ends. Memoria releases in December, and I’m looking forward to it.

Recommended for young adult fantasy fans, especially those who like to see the Christian links in the story.

Thanks to Enclave Publishing and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About J J Fischer

J. J. Fischer’s writing dream began with the anthology of zoo animals she painstakingly wrote and illustrated at age five, to rather limited acclaim. Thankfully, her writing (but not her drawing) has improved since then. She is a clinically-trained psychologist but no, she cannot read your mind. When she isn’t killing defenseless house plants, pretending she can play the piano, eating peanut butter out of the jar, or memorizing funny film quotes, she and her husband David are attempting to prevent their warring pet chickens from forming factions and re-enacting Divergent. Honestly, it’s a miracle she finds the time to write any books.

Find J J Fischer online at:

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About Lumen

What if erasing the past cost more than you were willing to pay?

Having narrowly escaped their enemies, Sephone, Dorian, and Cass continue their search for the elusive Silvertongue, the only one with knowledge of the Reliquary’s whereabouts. But time is running out for Sephone, and with Dorian accused of high treason, the quest takes on a new urgency.

As secrets from each of their pasts drive a wedge between them, Sephone invests all her hopes in finding her homeland, Lethe—where her family may yet be alive. But nothing about Lethe is as she expects, and disappointment, betrayal, and danger await her at every turn.

When the truth about the Reliquary’s curse comes to light, the fragile bonds between the unlikely companions are tested like never before. Meanwhile, Dorian faces a terrible choice: to save the life of one who is beginning to mean more to him than the past he’s so desperate to forget, or to save his beloved Caldera from dangers outside and within.

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9 September 2024

Book Review | The Blooming of Delphinium (Moonberry Lake #2) by Holly Varni

Moonberry Lake florist Delphinium Hayes has a gift, a strength, and a problem. Her gift is her empathy and care when it comes to dealing with difficult people–specifically, the seniors who have invaded her store. Her strength is her knowledge of flowers and their meanings, and her problem is that the bank is about to foreclose on her store and home.

Oh, and Delphinium has synesthesia.

This is a plot device I can only recall reading once before–Kaleidoscope Eyes by Karen Ball, which I loved because of the unique plot device. In Delphinium’s case, she can smell a person’s essential essence or personality. (I don’t know if this is a real variant of synesthesia, but it’s a fascinating plot device).

There were a lot of things to like about The Blooming of Delphinium.

There is some lovely symbolism in the title, given the story is literally about small-town florist Delphinium thriving—blooming—as she encourages the town’s senior population in her shop.

I liked the fact the story was written entirely from Delphinium’s point of view, which gave the story more of a women’s fiction vibe. Introducing a second point pf view (or more) would have given the novel more of a romance vibe and would have given away important aspects of the story.

I loved the way the story wove in the seniors from The Gardens, showing both their foibles and strengths, and reminding us of the challenges of growing older:

I especially loved the humour woven throughout the plot. For example:

There were a few things I didn’t like so much. Delphinium has a tendency to let her emotions get in the way of logic which made her seem immature at times. The writing was occasionally less than polished.

But the thing that bugged me most was the lightweight faith content. Lightweight isn’t necessarily bad, but it can annoy me where there is a romantic element and one of the romantic partners (in this case, Delphinium) clearly isn’t a Christian. I was looking forward to a conversion scene (I can’t remember when I last read a good conversion scene) but was disappointed.

Despite that, The Blooming of Delphinium is an enjoyable story with a unique premise and some solid views on how society deals with the elderly.

The Blooming of Delphinium is the second book in Holly Varni’s Moonberry Lake series, following On Moonberry Lake. I haven’t read On Moonberry Lake and didn’t feel I’d missed anything. There was one scene that introduced Cora, the main character from the previous book, but this is definitely a standalone story.

Thanks to Revell and NetGalley for providing a free ebook for review.

About Holly Varni

Holly Varni is the author of On Moonberry Lake. A native Minnesotan of strong Norwegian descent, she was raised in the Lutheran Church that Garrison Keillor made a career depicting. Though she, her husband, and their three sons live along the Central Coast of California, her beloved Midwest roots continue to haunt everything she writes. She hosts the Moments from Moonberry Lake podcast, where she shares more stories of her beloved characters.

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About The Blooming of Delphinium

As far as hidden talents go, Delphinium Hayes is blessed with one of the more unique ones. With the slightest passing whiff, she knows someone’s most admirable or weediest characteristic. This peculiar perception never fails to give her an advantage in life–until she meets two men who turn her world upside down.

Mason McCormack has agreed to help her with a group of seniors who have taken over her flower shop as their hangout. But his assistance is not without its price, and Delphinium agrees to compensate him with beautiful bouquets that seem to possess a bit of dating magic.

Elliot Sturgis, director of The Gardens Assisted Living Facility, is determined to discover why a group of his residents keeps sneaking over to Delphinium’s shop to play poker in the walk-in refrigerator. He soon finds himself as enchanted by Delphinium as everyone else. But his devotion to following the rules and maintaining order does not endear him to the shop’s owner.

Sparks fly as opposites attract and love finds a match in Delphinium’s Flora Emporium–even for those who resist it the most.

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