Monday, September 18, 2023

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Fall 2023 To-Read List

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.

These are the books on my Fall priority list - and for the first time ever, it will be fall and not spring so for :-)

2. Iris

6. The Warsaw Sisters

7. Creed

8. The Lawman Returns

9. Fragments of Fear

10. Hidden Legacy

Weekend Wrap-up: September 17th

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

Finished a few good ones this week.

Finished

(Reviews can be found under Book Review tag)

Currently reading

Next up:

Again might change depends on my mood:

What are you reading this week?

Blog Posts Recap:

Here is my past week's Blog Posts.

Top Ten Tuesday

Can't Wait Wednesday

Book Spotlight Fridays!

Saturday Series Discovery

Adding to the Bookshelf:

Which Avid Reader do not add to their shelves! I try to limit mine to review books since I have so many owned on my TBR to read. So did I add to my shelf this week?

One ARC this week:

Tuesday, September 12, 2023

Can't Wait Wednesday! The Warsaw Sisters

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.

This cover drew my attention immediately. This releases November 2023.

About the book: The Warsaw Sisters: A Novel of WWII Poland

On a golden August morning in 1939, sisters Antonina and Helena Dąbrowska send their father off to defend Poland against the looming threat of German invasion. The next day, the first bombs fall on Warsaw, decimating their beloved city and shattering the world of their youth.

When Antonina's beloved Marek is forced behind ghetto walls along with the rest of Warsaw's Jewish population, Antonina turns her worry into action and becomes a key figure in a daring network of women risking their lives to shelter Jewish children. Helena finds herself drawn into the ranks of Poland's secret army, joining the fight to free her homeland from occupation. But the secrets both are forced to keep threaten to tear the sisters apart--and the cost of resistance proves greater than either ever imagined.

Shining a light on the oft-forgotten history of Poland during WWII and inspired by true stories of ordinary individuals who fought to preserve freedom and humanity in the darkest of times, The Warsaw Sisters is a richly rendered portrait of courage, sacrifice, and the resilience of our deepest ties.

What are you waiting on this week?

Review: Where the Last Rose Blooms

Where the Last Rose Blooms by Ashley Clark
My rating: 💛💛💛💛

Oh, what a captivating southern dual-time story. The narrator pinned down the Southern accent brilliantly and I could see and feel the Southern Charm.

Both timelines were very enjoyable, but I think the modern story line spoke to me, mainly due the struggles Alice experienced in her relationship with God and not seeing healing as she wanted and prayed for.

This was a strong finish for the series and my favourite of the three stories.

*I listened to the audiobook on Scribd.*

View all my reviews

Review book 1: The Dress Shop on King Street

Review book 2: Paint and Nectar

About the book:

Alice runs a New Orleans flower shop alongside her aunt, but thoughts of her mother, who went missing during Hurricane Katrina, are never far from her mind. After getting off on the wrong foot with a man who comes to the shop, Alice soon realizes their worlds overlap--and the answers they both seek can be found in the same place.

In 1861 Charleston, Clara is an abolitionist, unbeknownst to her father, who is heavily involved with the Confederacy. She attempts to assist an enslaved woman reunite with her daughter, and a dashing Union spy is just the person to help them. But things go very wrong when Clara agrees to aid the Northern cause by ferrying information about her father's associates--and her own fiancé.

Faced with the unknown, both women across the years will have to dig deep to let their courage bloom.

Review: Expired Vows

Expired Vows by Lisa Phillips
My rating: 💛💛💛

I love romantic suspense; it is my favourite genre and I have read a lot of books in this genre. So, I usually expect a lot from new to me suspense authors.

This story kept me engaged and suspense was felt throughout the story. I did figure out who the stalker was and a major twist very early on before the late reveal to the readers. I think if I was kept guessing more and only figured it out a bit later, just before the reveal, I would have given it one more rating.

The emotional side of the story was done well with the difficult subject of people needing to adjust after brain injuries.

I did like the romance developing between the two main characters. There was enough of a back story to make the pace reasonable.

I did wish for more information on what happened between Jaime and Logan but was left with wanting more.

This was an entertaining story with a well balance mix of suspense, romance, and deeper emotions.

*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.*

Last Chance Fire and Rescue
Book 1: Expired Return
Book 2: Expired Hope
Book 3: Expired Promise

Book 4: Expired Vows

View all my reviews

About the book:

Fire. Family. Faith.
Last Chance Fire and Rescue

She sees the promise of freedom. He vowed to always be the hero.

EMT Trace Bently came back to Last Chance County to escape his past. After the loss of his wife, he gave up a promising career as a police officer for the chance to save lives every day as part of the Fire Department. When a hostage situation demands the help of a local counselor, Trace realizes the past he left behind has found him. He’s being given a second chance to save the life of someone he cares about.

If he can face the grief he buried.

Family Counselor Kelsey Scott has to secure this grant or admit failure. She can’t afford to lose any more pieces of the life she wants because of her own choices. When Kelsey becomes the target of a series of dangerous attacks, Trace steps in determined to protect his wife’s best friend. This hero breaks down all her resistance, but Kelsey can’t risk her own heart.

Even if it’s what will set them both free.

Another thrilling installment in the Last Chance Fire and Rescue series.

About the authors:

Words hold meaning and power when they are strung together strategically and that was enough for me to fall in love. To this day, I don’t remember which author came to our school or any part of his presentation, but I was able to see that writing books was possible!

From penning my very first story on a small white, hardcover book titled The Three Little Frogs and the Mean Moray Eel to writing play scripts with friends and acting them out, I’ve always been fascinated with imagining something and bringing it to life. I’m happy to say my writing skills have improved since that first story and the wise decision was made to put my acting ambitions on hold.

Fast forward to college, and I graduated with a degree in professional writing and library science. For a season, I worked as a middle school librarian, surrounded by books all day. Now I have the privilege of creating stories the Lord has placed on my heart for others to read!

I’ve now written for a variety of publications including Live Original by Sadie Robertson, Sunrise Publishing, and Love Inspired Suspense.

With a smoothie in hand, peppermint oil diffusing, and sunlight streaming through my writing nook window, there’s enough motivation to keep me going.

But the best part is knowing I get to write for the Lord. I’m always in awe of how God orchestrates our gifts to bring Him glory. There’s nothing sweeter than using the words He’s given me to point others back to Him. My constant prayer is this: Lord, even if this story only impacts one person, it will be worth it. And He has been faithful to specifically answer that request time and time again. I’m excited to see where the Lord leads in the years to come as I write, and I’m grateful to have faithful reader friends like you to journey with!

Thank you for your support!

A British ex-pat who grew up an hour outside of London, Lisa attended Calvary Chapel Bible College where

she met her husband. He's from California, but nobody's perfect. It wasn't until her Bible College graduation that she figured out she was a writer (someone told her). Since then she's taken the Apprentice and Journeyman writing courses with the Christian Writers Guild, and discovered a penchant for high-stakes stories of mayhem and disaster where you can find made-for-each-other love that always ends in happily ever after.
Lisa can be found in Idaho wearing either flip-flops or cowgirl boots, depending on the season. She leads worship with her husband at their local church. Together they have two children--a sparkly Little Princess and a Mini Daddy--and two bunny rabbits.

Monday, September 11, 2023

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Character Relationships

Here is a few relationships I adored while reading:

1. Trainer and dolphin in Distant Echoes

2. Trainer and dog in Beowulf: Explosives Detection Dog

3. The Metcalfe family starting with Stone

4. The Marshall Family starting with Knox

5. The McKenna family starting with Submerged

6. Group of friends When the Smoke Clears

7. Present time and Pastime Rem Cast the First Stone

8. Group of Orphans becoming family The Negotiater

9. Neigbours going from strangers to more A Novel Proposal

10. Friends set in the regency era The Lost Heiress