The Resurrection Project by Tanya Sparks Belvin

The Resurrection Project is the first book I have read written by Tanya Sparks Belvin and I look forward to reading more. This year I am on a journey to expand my genres, and this is the perfect book to dip my toes into science fiction. Though not a super in depth science fiction ( I typically think space or ultra dystopian) it had the perfect balance for someone wanting a light science fiction, if that makes sense. The character development is great. I loved getting to know Mamie as she is struggling to overcome her grief of losing her daughter and then finding herself separating from her husband. Also getting to know Ellen as she is working at this Resurrection Project as part of her clinical hours for school. As she processes her job and really dives into the whole idea of what the facility is really about, her world begins to unravel. I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline and setting. It was so engaging and had the right balance of medical, futuristic elements and romance to drive the story. The romance was perfect balance and nothing over the top. The perfect closed door romance. Tanya Sparks Belvin did an excellent job intertwining faith throughout the story. It left me with lots to think about and touched on some hard subjects and concepts while also staying close to truth. *I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. All opinions are my own.

Uneasy Street by Becky Wade

Uneasy Street is the sixth book I have read written by Becky Wade and will not be the last. This is book three in the Sons of Scandal series. I have thoroughly enjoyed this series. I could not put the book down. The character development was great. I loved getting to pull back the layers of Sloane as she dealt with her past. Getting to know Max more was fun. I enjoyed the overlapping characters in this series. The setting and storyline were good. I loved being back in small town Maine. The storyline was great. I loved that we got to revisit other characters from the series and ‘catch up’ on their life. I also liked the dynamic of trying to help Ivy find her biological family. It gave a fun dynamic to the story. The romance element was perfect. The friends to enemies to lovers was perfect. I loved the different dynamics that Sloane and Max’s relationship went through. I appreciated the closed-door element. Becky Wade did a good job incorporating faith throughout the book. *I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. All opinions are my own.

The Hunted Heir by Jayna Breigh

The Hunted Heir is the first book I have read written by Jayna Breigh and I look forward to reading more. It is the perfect debut novel. I loved the legal drama aspect. It caught me up from the very start. The character development was great. I loved getting to know the different characters throughout the book. Nona and DeMarcus both had such compelling stories and obstacles they had to overcome. Diving into lots of different elements, trauma, guilt, and life circumstances. I enjoyed the storyline and setting. The hunt for this mystery heir was a fun hunt, wrapped up in legal drama an history. I loved seeing Nona doing her private investigative work. While DeMarcus tried to work through the legal drama. The romance was the perfect balance of sweet, as Nona and DeMarcus slowly fall in love as they are pretending to be engaged to help each other out in their work life. The slow falling in love is perfect. Low spice and just the way I like my romance to be. Jayna Breigh did an excellent job intertwining faith throughout the story. I loved the coming back to faith and the process of dealing with their pasts to push forward to Christ. *I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. All opinions are my own.

Lullaby by the River by Temperance Johnson

Lullaby by the River is the first book I have red written by Temperance Johnson and it was quite a trill. I was not disappointed and look forward to reading more. I was drawn in from the very beginning and could not put it down. The character development was amazing. I loved getting to know Priscilla as she works through her rape, pregnancy and faith. There were many layers to help transform her as a person and character. I also enjoying getting to know Danny and the whole reason behind what makes him tick. The setting and storyline were great. It did deal with some hard issues-rape, and spiritual abuse. I loved being in the Amish community for this story. My family background is Mennonite, and though different, there are similarities. So, every time I read an Amish story I feel a connection. The storyline really kept me on edge at points. The romance was good. Dealing from a hard place of Priscilla being pregnant from rape, Danny was very sweet and gentle. Taking his time and not forcing anything but being emotionally there for Priscilla. Temperance Johnson did a great job intertwining faith throughout. Watching faith develop from a hard place. It was really well done and showed the redemption of our God. *I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. All opinions are my own.

Before the King by Heather Kaufman

Before the King is the second book I have read written by Heather Kaufman. It is the second book in the Women of the Way series and has become a must-read series for me. From the very beginning I was sucked in. The character development was amazing. Scripture doesn’t tell us much about Joanna. So, it was fun to explore what her story might have been like. Learning about how people were treated who had different illnesses during bible times interesting. The storyline and setting were great. It really brought the bible and Jesus to life. It was fun seeing what might have transpired from the little we know about Joanna. The romance was the perfect balance. I loved watching Joanna slowly find love with Chuza. It was a slow build and was very clean. Heather Kaufman did a great job intertwining faith throughout the whole novel. Which can seem easy to do when doing a biblical based book. It was very evident that a lot of research and time went into writing this book. I appreciate the work. *I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. All opinions are my own.

The New Loneliness By Cindi McMenamin

The New Loneliness by Cindi McMenamin has come at the perfect time. Presently going through some different changes in life and shifting of environment this was encouraging and timely. I really enjoyed the layout of this book. Broken up into three sections focusing on reconnect with God, your heart, and others was a great focus. Each chapter had questions to go along with and lots of scripture to look up that went with each chapter. Also, a challenge to help you grow. Which is great tool for if you are going through loneliness. The content was pretty good. I was encouraged and felt like I was not alone in this season of life. I feel that anyone could glean something from this book. With self-help books, I am all about picking up what is useful to me in this season and leaving the stuff that is not as helpful. So, I don’t have anything negative to say, because I left what was not relevant to me on the table for others to gather from. My focus was not really focused on theological content. I am still working those things out for myself, so as always, there could be things that I don’t see eye to eye on, but I can overlook those minor things for a great harvest. Some of my favorite parts. I loved when she talked about how she calls her friend Armor Bearer- because she defends, encourages, prays and helps carry what is too heavy to carry alone. I love that description. What a perfect picture of friendship. That we are called to be each other’s armor bearers. But not everyone is qualified for that job. Cindi also touches on different kinds of friends and how in her other book she describes 5 types, but only talks about the 2 important ones-faithful friends and faith-filled friends. Sometimes a person can be both, but not very often, and to hold dear to those that are both. Through it all I was encouraged to self-reflect on myself and see if I am being that for others. I have also been reading the book of Job, which has been the perfect pairing with this book. Lots of reflection and examples to draw from. *I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. All opinions are my own.

Jack by Susan May Warren

Jack is not the first book I have read written by Susan May Warren and will not be the last. This year was the first time I have read anything by Susan May Warren, and I have fallen in love with all the different series. If you watch the tv show Tracker, then you will like this. An easy read mixed with romance and suspense. Though I am not sure I can wait for the next book in this series to come out. I just want to get to know all of the Kingston family (and I love their names-classic authors names). The character development is great. I loved getting to know Jack and the reason behind his actions. I loved getting to know Harper as well. And all the other bridal party members. Seeing Jack in action as he finds the missing bridesmaid helps us see a little bit behind the man. The storyline and setting were great. The King’s Inn is the picture-perfect location for the story. It was the prefect backdrop. The storyline is similar to the show Tracker which we have just started watching so I enjoyed reading this and watching the story unfold. The rekindling relationship between Jack and Harper is sweet and perfect. Nothing over the top, closed door romance. I appreciate that it was nothing spicy, just a super sweet romance. Susan May Warren did a great job intertwining faith throughout the book. I always appreciate when the author does a good job on intertwining faith. *I received a complimentary copy from the author and voluntarily chose to review it. All opinions are my own.

Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer

Across the Ages is the fourth book in the Timeless series written by Gabrielle Meyer. Let me start by warning you that if you start this series, you will surely be sucked in, all in. Which, if you ask me, is not a bad thing. You will get the honor of crossing time periods and going on some fun adventures. So, if you dare, open up these pages and have fun. The character development was fantastic. There was a lot of different layers of development going on throughout this book. The main character, Caroline had a lot going on that she had to work through. She did not have a ‘guide’ to tell her about her time travelling gift. Though, after going on a hunt for her mother, she does discover that there are more people in this world then her that time travels. I loved seeing Caroline’s development along with Marcus-Maxwell, revisiting Hope and Grace, as well as the whole time-crossing family. The storyline and setting were so great. I did not think anything could get better than the first three books in this series, but pirate ships and great Evangelist preacher with some mob ties thrown in there was perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed sailing the Gulf of Mexico on a pirate’s ship. The romance was the perfect balance and was nothing over the top. The perfect closed-door romance for me. Gabrielle Meyer did a great job intertwining faith throughout the book.

For a Lifetime by Gabrielle Meyer

For a Lifetime is not the first book I have read by Gabrielle Meyer and will not be the last, she has definitely become a favorite and a must read for this girl. From the very beginning I was swept into the storyline crossing timelines with Grace and Hope. The character development was amazing. It was fun getting to know the twins, Grace and Hope. They were certainly opposites. I loved seeing Hope’s heart change as she finds herself stuck in the one time period. Seeing the girls overcome their trials and get to meet their other time crossing relatives was fun. The storyline and setting were perfect. We just recently talked about the Salem witch trials and we are currently in 1920s in our homes school. So, it was perfect timing. Also, the Titanic has always captured my interested, so the mention of it was fun. That is how I thought the girls, or at least one of them was going to die. The storyline was great. 1692-what a dark period of time to live in. I also loved the female pilots. It was fun to be in the air with both Hope and Grace. I loved reading the authors note and seeing all the research that went into this book. The romance was the perfect balance and was nothing over the top. The perfect closed-door romance for me. Gabrielle Meyer did a great job intertwining faith throughout the book.

In This Moment by Gabrielle Meyer

In This Moment is not the first book I have read by Gabrielle Meyer and will not be the last. I look forward to reading many more of her books. This is book 2 of the Timeless Series and it is one of the top series I read this year. It will hook you from the start, and you might need to binge read this series. The character development was fantastic. I loved getting to see Maggie navigate the three different lives she gets to live. Watching her wade through grief but also trying to become the woman that God made her to be. Her calling to help others through medicine was very evident. I loved how she used each life to help further her knowledge. The storyline and setting were perfect. This year in our homeschool we have been studying 1850-present times so this book was all encompassing of the time periods we have been looking at. I loved that 2001 was included as well. Getting to look at the civil war, start of WWII and September 11th was fun. I loved seeing all the research that went into this book. It was very evident from the book. The romance was the perfect balance and was nothing over the top. The right amount of spice, close door romance for me. Gabrielle Meyer did a great job intertwining faith throughout the book.