Top Ten Tuesday: Books with Character Names In the Titles

 Join in the Top Ten Tuesday fun! Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Here is the first 10 books I've found with the character's name in the title in my unread books:

1.  Missy's Murder

2.  The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn

3.  Ben In Love

4.  Newton and Polly

5.  Blue like Elvis

6.  Sarai

7.  Dear Kate

8.  The Pepper in the Gumbo

9.  Jane by the Book

10.  Falling for Zeke

Review: More Than Meets the Eye

More Than Meets the Eye by Karen Witemeyer
My rating: 💛💛💛💛

Not only does this story have the banter, fun and humour I've come to love about Karen Witemeyer, but I there was also loss and emotional baggage the characters had to work through. The opening of this story was heartbreaking.

I loved that this story included characters with imperfections - not only emotional but some endured physical challenges as well. Evie was such a strong character, remaining positive about life even after all the heartbreaks and rejections she experienced. I adored her pet pig Hezzie and how Evie even managed to get a smile out of serious Zach.

“No matter how many people reject or betray you,” she said, her voice soft yet intense, “if you have even one person in your life that you can count on—really, truly count on—you can overcome any obstacle.” She stepped closer to him. “Trusting the wrong person might lead to temporary heartache, but trusting the right one provides a strength that can fuel you for a lifetime.”

The character growth developed well in this story, with Logan learning about true forgiveness and leaving justice to God. But the antics of Evie made for a fun read and the added mystery/suspense thread was quite the adventure.

The romance was sweet and not overwhelming to the rest of the series and we were spoiled with two romance stories.

I loved all of the characters, but I loved Zach the most and looking forward to his story - I just have a feeling there is a lot more to this serious, "dangerous" man who gave up everything to protect his family.

God saw me. He cared about me. And he was showing me how to leave the darkness behind and enjoy beauty once again.

View all my reviews

About the book:

Many consider Evangeline Hamilton cursed. Orphaned at a young age and possessing a pair of mismatched eyes--one bright blue, the other dark brown--Eva has fought to find her way in a world that constantly rejects her. Yet the support of even one person can help overcome the world's judgments, and Eva has two--Seth and Zach, two former orphans she now counts as brothers.

Seeking justice against the man who stole his birthright and destroyed his family, Logan Fowler arrives in 1880s Pecan Gap, Texas, to confront Zach Hamilton, the hardened criminal responsible for his father's death. Only instead of finding a solitary ruthless gambler, he discovers a man not much older than himself with an unusual family. When Zach's sister, Evangeline, insists on dousing Logan with sunshine every time their paths cross, Logan finds his quest completely derailed. Who is truly responsible for his lost legacy, and will restoring the past satisfy if it means forfeiting a future with Evangeline?

About the author:

Also see:  Author Discovery: Karen Witemeyer

For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. Recently voted #1 Readers' Favorite Christian Romance Author by Family Fiction Magazine, Karen is a two-time winner of the ACFW Carol Award and three-time RITA® finalist. Karen is a firm believer in the power of happy endings. . . and ice cream. She is an avid cross-stitcher, and makes her home in Abilene, TX with her husband and three children.

Monthly Recap: January 2022

 

 

 I first saw this monthly reflections idea on: Christian bookshelf reviews

I had a great first month of reading in 2022:

What I've read:

Paperback:

What I would like to read in February:

Currently Reading:

Upcoming reads (hopeful):

Did I buy any new books?

Bad month for buying:

Paperbacks:

Kindle:

Did I read everything I wanted too?

Yes for all planned kindle books, but these audiobooks was carried over:

ARC/Netgalley update:

ARC/Netgalley books downloaded this month:

ARC/Netgalley books read and reviewed:

How was your month?

Weekend Wrap-up: January 30rd

 

 It’s Monday! What are you reading? is hosted by Book Date.

Reading is going a bit slower with my sons back in school and early wake up means no energy for night reading.

Finished

Currently reading

Next up:

What are you reading this week?

Review: To Steal a Heart

To Steal a Heart by Jen Turano
My rating: 💛💛💛

Rating 3.5

This was another entertaining historical, with a dash of humour with a dash of mystery and danger.
I did finished another story by this author right before this one, and enjoyed it a teensy bit more, but was still thoroughly entertained by this story and narrator.

Gabriella and Nicholas were great characters and I enjoyed the childhood friends being reunited after years story. I loved that this story was about redemption. Both Gabe and Nicholas managed to turn their lives around for the better.

Though I enjoyed Gabriella and Nicholas, I totally loved Daphne. Her innocence and focus on her notebook provided a few chuckles. I'm really looking forward to her story in book 2.

There was also a few animal characters which added to the fun - the gem stealing parrot, Pretty Girl, the sophisticated poodle, Precious, and Winston the pirate dog.

I enjoyed the mysteries - about the jewels and Gabe and Nicholas's pasts, the adventure and the danger at the end. The author also dealt with a bit more serious topics: street children being taken advantage off, high society members who wants to separate themselves from those deemed lower, without really thinking about the consequences to name a few.

A fun, lighter read.

*I listened to this on Scribd.*

View all my reviews

About the book:

After a childhood as a street thief, Gabriella Goodhue thought she'd put her past behind her until a fellow resident at her boardinghouse is unjustly accused of theft. In the middle of breaking into a safe that holds the proof to prove her friend's innocence, Gabriella is interrupted by Nicholas Quinn, the man she once considered her best friend—until he abandoned her.

After being taken under the wing of a professor who introduced him into society and named him as heir, Nicholas is living far removed from his childhood life of crime. As a favor to a friend, Nicholas agreed to help clear the name of an innocent woman, never imagining he'd be reunited with the girl he thought lost to him forever.

As Gabriella and Nicholas are thrown together into one intrigue after another, their childhood affection grows into more, but their newfound feelings are tested when truths about their past are revealed and danger follows their every step.

Publishers Weekly Starred Review

About the author:

Named One of the Funniest Voices in Inspirational Romance by Booklist, Jen Turano is a USA Today Best-Selling Author, known for penning quirky historical romances set in the Gilded Age. Her books have earned Publisher Weekly and Booklist starred reviews, top picks from Romantic Times, and praise from Library Journal. She’s been a finalist twice for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards and had two of her books listed in the top 100 romances of the past decade from Booklist. When she’s not writing, she spends her time outside of Denver, CO. Readers may find her at www.jenturano.com - https://www.facebook.com/jenturanoaut... , https://www.instagram.com/jenturanoau... or on Twitter at JenTurano@JenTurano.

Review: A Change of Fortune

A Change of Fortune by Jen Turano
My rating: 💛💛💛💛

Oh, this was such a fun read. I couldn't stop listening (the narrator did a great job by the way) because it was so entertaining! Eliza and Hamilton was great characters and I enjoyed their story, but for me the supporting characters made the book. Agatha was so entertaining with her adventurous spirit. And Piper and Ben had me laughing out loud so many times! I adored them.

And the mystery thread was also very intriguing.

I really enjoyed this light, humorous novel, with a splash of danger and mystery and looking forward to the rest of the series.

*I listened to this on Scribd.*

Review of Prequel 

View all my reviews

About the book:

Lady Eliza Sumner is on a mission. Her fortune was the last thing she had left after losing her father, her fiancé, and her faith. Now, masquerading as Miss Eliza Sumner, governess-at-large, she's determined to find the man who ran off with her fortune, reclaim the money, and head straight back to London.

Mr. Hamilton Beckett, much to his chagrin, is the catch of the season, and all the eyes of New York society—all the female ones, at least—are on him. He has no plans to marry again, especially since his hands are full keeping his business afloat while raising his two children alone.

Eliza's hapless attempts to regain her fortune unexpectedly put her right in Hamilton's path. The discovery of a common nemesis causes them to join forces and, before she knows it, Eliza has a whole retinue of people helping her. Eliza's determination not to trust anyone weakens when everyone's antics and bumbling efforts to assist her make her wonder if there might be more important things than her fortune and independence.

When all of Hamilton's and Eliza's best-laid plans fall by the wayside, it will take a riot of complications for them to realize that God just might have had a better plan in mind all along.

About the author:

Named One of the Funniest Voices in Inspirational Romance by Booklist, Jen Turano is a USA Today Best-Selling Author, known for penning quirky historical romances set in the Gilded Age. Her books have earned Publisher Weekly and Booklist starred reviews, top picks from Romantic Times, and praise from Library Journal. She’s been a finalist twice for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards and had two of her books listed in the top 100 romances of the past decade from Booklist. When she’s not writing, she spends her time outside of Denver, CO. Readers may find her at www.jenturano.com - https://www.facebook.com/jenturanoaut... , https://www.instagram.com/jenturanoau... or on Twitter at JenTurano@JenTurano.

Book Spotlight Fridays! More Than Meets the Eye

 

Book Beginnings and Friday56

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading. Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice and asks you to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your e-reader and share a non-spoiler sentence or two.

Karen Witemeyer's books is always stories I enjoy: 

More Than Meets the Eye

About the book:

Many consider Evangeline Hamilton cursed. Orphaned at a young age and possessing a pair of mismatched eyes--one bright blue, the other dark brown--Eva has fought to find her way in a world that constantly rejects her. Yet the support of even one person can help overcome the world's judgments, and Eva has two--Seth and Zach, two former orphans she now counts as brothers.

Seeking justice against the man who stole his birthright and destroyed his family, Logan Fowler arrives in 1880s Pecan Gap, Texas, to confront Zach Hamilton, the hardened criminal responsible for his father's death. Only instead of finding a solitary ruthless gambler, he discovers a man not much older than himself with an unusual family. When Zach's sister, Evangeline, insists on dousing Logan with sunshine every time their paths cross, Logan finds his quest completely derailed. Who is truly responsible for his lost legacy, and will restoring the past satisfy if it means forfeiting a future with Evangeline?

*************************************************************

Book Beginnings

Don't lose heart, children.

Friday 56

Taking away Eva's home might feel wrong, but taking it away from Zacharias Hamilton still felt incredibly right.

My thoughts so far

This is interesting and enjoying the dynamics of all the characters.  Reading is going slowly due to less reading time unfortunately.

*************************************************************

Review: The Bridge to Belle Island

The Bridge to Belle Island by Julie Klassen
My rating: 💛💛💛

This was a very interesting mystery which had me captivating and threw in a twist at the end I did not see coming - I had a strong suspect in mind from the start, so did not see that twist coming. There was a lot of characters to enjoy and a lot to also dislike. Benjamin had to deal with trust issues - more in his own judgement than others, and Isabelle had a difficult challenge to overcome - to trust God instead of this believe of a curse holding her captive. I wasn't 100% sure about the plot with the curse, but the author did a great job of bringing Isabelle to learn that God is more powerful than something that doesn't exist.

I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a good job with all the different voices and reading a very entertaining story, I just had a slight dislike on his voice for Isabelle.

*I listened to this on Scribd.*

View all my reviews

About the book:

After a humiliating mistake, lawyer Benjamin Booker resolves to never again trust a beautiful woman. When an old friend is killed, the senior partner isn't satisfied with Bow Street's efforts and asks Benjamin to investigate. Eager to leave London for a while, Benjamin agrees. Evidence takes him to a remote island on the Thames, a world unto itself, shrouded in mist and mystery. Soon he finds himself falling for the main suspect—a woman who claims not to have left the island in ten years. But should he trust her?

On Belle Island, Isabelle feels safe and leads a productive life, but fear keeps her trapped there. When Mr. Booker arrives with news of her trustee's murder in London, Isabelle is stunned. She has not left the island, yet she has a recurring dream about the man's death. Or is it a memory? She had been furious with him, but she never intended...this.

When a second person dies, and evidence shockingly points to her, Isabelle doesn't know who to trust: the attractive lawyer or the admirer and friends who assemble on the island, each with grudges against the victim. Can she even trust her own mind? While they search for the truth, secrets come to light and danger comes calling.

About the book:

Julie Klassen loves all things Jane—Jane Eyre and Jane Austen. A graduate of the University of Illinois, Julie worked in publishing for sixteen years and now writes full time. Three of her books, The Silent Governess, The Girl in the Gatehouse, and The Maid of Fairbourne Hall, have won the Christy Award for Historical Romance. She has also won the Midwest Book Award, the Minnesota Book Award, and Christian Retailing’s BEST Award, and been a finalist in the Romance Writers of America’s RITA Awards and ACFW’s Carol Awards. She blogs at http://www.inspiredbylifeandfiction.com.
Julie and her husband have two sons and live in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota.

Can't Wait Wednesday! Malicious Intent

   Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights and discusses the books we're excited about that we've yet to read. Generally, they're books that are yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Excited for the 2nd book in the Defend and Protect series, coming March 2022: 

About the book: Malicious Intent

Dr. Ivy Collins, founder and CEO of Hedera, Inc., is ready to begin clinical trials of her company's cutting-edge prosthetic. Her work has been heralded by government, medical, and advocacy groups and everyone hopes the device will be a success. Well, almost everyone. Someone is trying to sabotage Hedera and the launch, but to what purpose--and how far will they go to get what they want?

Meanwhile, U.S. Secret Service Agent Gil Dixon can't believe he's finally been reunited with Ivy, his childhood best friend. Now that he's found her again, Gil intends to spend the rest of his life with her. But it will take all his skill to uncover the truth in time to save Ivy's life's work, her own life, and the innocent lives caught in the crossfire.

Perfectly balancing chilling suspense and uplifting romance, award-winning author Lynn H. Blackburn delivers a story of revenge, greed, and overcoming that you won't want to put down no matter how late it gets

What are you waiting on this week?

Top Ten Tuesday: New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2021

 

 Join in the Top Ten Tuesday fun! Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

I've discovered 32 new authors in 2021!  So quite a task to select the top ten.  I will focus on those authors where I immediately added all their books to my TBR and also managed to read more than one book from (I might end up with more than 10):

Time Travel:

1.  David James Warren

This author is actually a collaboration of three authors.  I devoured the 6 books they published in 2021: The True Lies of Rembrand Stone Series

Suspense:

2.  Elizabeth Goddard

I've enjoyed the Romantic Suspense books I've read and aim to read her backlist as soon as possible.

Contemporary:

3.  Nicole Deese

After discovering this author, I've read a total of 5 books from her list in 2021.

4.  Tammy L. Gray

After reading the first book by her, I've read another and added almost all of her books to my list.

Rom-Com:

5.  Jen Turano

I've only read one novella by this author, but hope to read more of her books in 2022.

Historical:

It is no surprise that my favourite genre is Suspense, so it is a surprise that I've found three new historical authors I added to my long TBR list.

6. Heidi Chiavaroli 

Well, this is time-slip actually, but I really enjoyed the two novels I've read in 2021.

7. Joanne Bischof

Her writing was beautiful and her heroes different but dashing!

8. Abigail Wilson

I enjoyed her Regency mystery and looking forward to getting through her backlist in 2022. 

Male authors:

I always love discovering male authors I enjoy and can recommend to my husband:

9. Tom Threadgill

After reading two of his two novels, I went and bought his first series straight away!

10.  James R. Hannibal

Secret missions and spies!

And what do you know! I managed to limit it to 10!

Review: The Snake and the Spider

The Snake and the Spider by Karen Kingsbury
My rating: 💛💛💛💛

Firstly: This True Crime story is not for sensitive readers.

Second: This is true crime, so no happy ending.

The author did a great job with telling the story of the disappearance of two teenage boys, the affect on their families and the search to find out what happened.

Snake and Spider was one of the worst criminals out there and what they did and thinking it was ‘nothing’ was quite disturbing.

It was sad to see that some people took advance of a family’s desperate need to find their child.

View all my reviews

About the book:

It began with a teenager kissing his mother good-bye. It ended with the discovery of human bones in the Florida underbrush. Two Michigan teenagers were enjoying their dream vacation in Daytona Beach, Florida. Then, along came a spider and a snake....

Spider was a bone-thin loser. Snake was the real thing- pure evil and armed to the teeth. For the two teenagers, these madmen planned a night of lingering, inhuman terror.

Investigators were left with a twisting trail of clues and lies that led from the blazing Florida heat to the stark chill of a morgue. The frantic families of seventeen-year-old Jim Boucher and nineteen-year-old Daryl Barber were left with a living nightmare of false leads and fading hopes...until the whole shocking truth finally came out about the two innocent young men and two deadly predators who called themselves...The Snake and The Spider.

About the book:

About the author:

Karen Kingsbury, #1 New York Times bestselling novelist, is America’s favorite inspirational storyteller,

with more than twenty-five million copies of her award-winning books in print. Her last dozen titles have topped bestseller lists and many of her novels are under development with Hallmark Films and as major motion pictures. Her Baxter Family books are being developed into a TV series slated for major network viewing sometime in the next year. Karen is also an adjunct professor of writing at Liberty University. In 2001 she and her husband, Don, adopted three boys from Haiti, doubling their family in a matter of months. Today the couple has joined the ranks of empty nesters, living in Tennessee near five of their adult children.

Review: Single Sashimi

Single Sashimi by Camy Tang
My rating: 💛💛💛

This was another fun story in the Asian world. Though I did struggle to connect with Venus and Drake and their story, I did how they both grew through this story, especially after they started working with the youth.

What I'm taking away from this story is, no matter how many plans we have for ourselves, God's plans is sovereign and we need to include Him in our questions and decisions.

Book 1: Sushi for One? 

Book 2: Only Uni 

View all my reviews

About the book:

The third book in the Sushi series reunites four cousins---Lex, Trish, Jennifer, and Venus---for romance with the spice of ginger.
In the world of video games, innovation is king. And Venus Chau has been reigning queen, one of the high-powered developers in the industry. But Venus also has a reputation for not being the easiest person to work with. After her massive weight loss at age twenty-five that turned her from a geeky blimp into JLo, CEO Drake Yu tried to force her to use her looks to benefit his company, and Venus has never forgiven him.
Now Drake needs her expertise for his sister's startup and is asking for a second chance. Grandma bribes Venus to do this favor for Drake's wealthy family with an introduction to an investor for Venus's game development company. They form an uneasy truce for the next few months.
But one wild youth group, a two-faced assistant, and Grandma's determined match-making threaten to make them both fail---or go insane. And Venus discovers that even a wounded heart can undergo a beautiful transformation ...

About the author:

Camy writes Christian romantic suspense, contemporary romance, and cozy mystery as Camy Tang and

Regency romance under her pen name, Camille Elliot. She grew up in Hawaii but now lives in northern California with her engineer husband and rambunctious dog. She graduated from Stanford University in psychology with a focus on biology, but for nine years she worked as a biologist researcher. Then God guided her path in a completely different direction and now she’s writing full time, using her original psychology degree as she creates the characters in her novels. In her free time, she’s a staff worker for her church youth group and leads one of her church’s Sunday worship teams. She also loves to knit, spin wool into yarn, and is training to (very slowly) run a marathon.