Review: In This Moment

In This Moment by Gabrielle Meyer
My rating: 💛💛💛💛

In this moment was a great Christian Time Travel story. This is the second book in this series, but I am expecting this series to be one of the best I have read. It will be best to read the series in order, since each generation follows in the second book, and it will mean unwanted spoilers!

I loved how, in this series, the main character lived in three different time periods, and all in the same location of Washington DC, linked via politics, medical and major events. In book one, the time period choice for Libby was in a way forced on her, where in In this moment, Maggie really were able to choice where she wanted to remain.

Each period had its challenges, a family figure close to the main character and a love interest.

Most of all, I loved how the author showed the challenged of the main character to not take matters in her own hands, but truly wait on God’s timing for her life. It would have been so easy to change events or history to fit into her plans, but by waiting on God, everything turned out perfectly.

With twists and turns and three different paths and possible ending, this story will keep readers engaged right till the very last page!

*I listened to the audiobook on Everand.*

Review book 1: When the Day Comes 

View all my reviews

About the book:

Maggie inherited a gift from her time-crossing parents that allows her to live three separate lives in 1861, 1941, and 2001. Each night she goes to sleep in one time period and wakes up in another. Until, that is, she turns twenty-one, when she will have to forfeit two of those lives--and everyone she knows in them--forever.

In 1861, Maggie is the daughter of an influential senator at the outbreak of the Civil War, navigating a capital full of Southern spies and wounded soldiers. In 1941, she is a Navy nurse, grappling with her knowledge of the future when she's asked to join a hospital ship being sent to Pearl Harbor. And in 2001, she's a brilliant young medical student, fulfilling her dream of becoming a surgeon, yet unable to use her modern skills in her other paths.

While Maggie has sworn off romance until she makes her final choice, an intriguing man tugs at her heart in each era. The mysterious British gentleman. The prickly, demanding doctor. The charming young congressman. She's drawn to each man in different ways, only complicating the impossible decision she must make, which looms ever closer.

With so much on the line, how can Maggie choose just one life to keep and the rest to lose?

About the author:

Gabrielle Meyer grew up above a carriage house on a historic estate near the banks of the Mississippi River, imagining real and make-believe stories about the occupants who had lived there. She went on to work for the Minnesota Historical Society and loves writing fiction inspired by real people, places, and events. She currently resides in central Minnesota on the banks of the Mississippi River, not far from where she grew up, with her husband and four children. By day, she’s a busy homeschool mom, and by night she pens fiction and non-fiction filled with hope. Learn more about Gabrielle and her writing by visiting www.gabriellemeyer.com.

Book Spotlight Friday! One Last Chance

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 My Head is Full of Books 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.  First Line Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Reading is my Superpower that asks you to share the first sentence of the book you're reading.

I was surprised and loved that Burke. Eve and Rembrandt from the Rembrandt Stone series made an appearance!

One Last Chance

About the book:

Axel Mulligan was built to be a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. He swam fast and endured long, a miracle for those in peril--until a tragedy sent him home to Alaska. Now, three years later, he's not going to let the past repeat itself. As an Air One rescue swimmer, he'll do anything to save lives--including sacrifice his own.

He expects to do just that while trying to rescue a group of tourists from the icy waters of the Gulf of Alaska. But if not for the voice on the other end of the ham radio, he might have given up and let hypothermia win. That voice awakened something in his heart, and he sets out to find the woman it belongs to.

Flynn Turnquist is not who Axel thinks she is. A national wildlife researcher, she's deep in the bush, tracking wolf pack patterns. Or is she? In fact, she's a former cop, tracking down a serial killer. She nearly had him--until he escaped into the wilds of the Alaska bush.

When Axel finds Flynn and discovers what she's really up to, it stirs up a terrible nightmare he's been dodging for years--the kidnapping and death of his own cousin. Worse, he's led the killer right to her doorstep. Now, it's a race through Alaska to stay alive. And when tragedy strikes again, he must choose between rescue or redemption.

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Book Beginnings

He was tired of the river winning.

Friday 56

Yeah - I'll help you find Kennedy, or the serial killer. Both. Whatever.

My thoughts so far

Looking forward to reading more!

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Can't Wait Wednesday! You're the Reason

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 is beautiful. The story releases June 25th.

About the book: You're the Reason

How could she ever love the man blamed for her brother’s death? A novel of Redemption, Forgiveness, and Unrequited Love in this Home to Heritage novel.

"Tari Faris delivers a masterful blend of romance and redemption in this compelling tale that will tug at your heartstrings and inspire your soul. A must-read for anyone who believes in the power of second chances." USA Today best-selling author Susan May Warren

She never intended to return to Heritage.

When an injury sidelines her, Grace Howell leaves her life as a ballerina and returns to Heritage, Michigan, to heal. Teaching dance is just a temporary gig, until she finds herself unexpectedly charmed by small-town life and her growing attachment to Seth Warner, a man from her past with a troubled history of his own.

He’s back in Heritage as a changed man.

The last place Seth thought he’d return is Heritage, but a felony record has narrowed his options, compelling him back to a community that hasn’t forgotten his transgressions. Dreams of starting a Ninja Gym give him purpose, yet it’s his entanglement with Grace—the woman he once let slip away—that ignites his desire to stay. Is this his chance at redemption and to live out the love he’s always harbored?

But can they forget the past?

When Grace’s old ballet company offers her a chance to come back, she’s faced with a heart-wrenching pursue the dream she’s always known or stay with the community and man that have captured her heart, even as that love is put to the test.

But has Seth really changed?

Seth’s world is rocked by a confrontation that threatens to pull him back into the world he’s tried so hard to escape. He must fight to clear his name and protect his future with Grace, proving that his commitment to change is more than just talk.
With their happiness hanging by a thread, the decisions they make will define their fates and the heart of Heritage itself.

HOME TO HERITAGE
You’re the Reason
Here With Me
Christmas With You

RESTORING HERITAGE
P.S. Goodbye (prequel novella)
You Belong With Me
Until I Met You
While It Was Snowing (novella)
Since You’ve Been Gone
Upon a Midnight Snow (Christmas novella)

What are you waiting on this week?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Was Super Excited to Get My Hands on but Still Haven’t Read

 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 all books which I really wanted to get and read as they were published, but for some reason, life got in the way (or other books):

1. The Lost Castle

I loved the first books by Kristy Cambron I have read and wanted to keep reading her books as it is published. Now I have a long list of published books to catch up with.

2. The Lawman Returns

I wanted to read all the books by one of my favourite authors and was excited when I got my hands on this series. Sadly, still unread.

3. Smoke Screen

Another favourite author I planned to read all books from!

4. State of Lies

This book looked like a suspenseful read and I can still not believe that I have not read it yet.

5. The Crushing Depths

Another favourite author I thought I would have read all published books to date. Sometimes I leave the books a bit because if it is read, I can not go back, and then in a blink of an eye, I need to catch up again!

6. Fragments of Fear

I heard great things about this book and was excited to get my hands on a copy...which remains unread.

7. On the Cliffs of Foxglove Manor

I love Jaime Jo's gothic stories and though I would have been all caught up with her books by now.

8. Dark Motives

I saw this book making its rounds and it intrigued me to buy it, just not to bump it up on my reading list!

9. False Pretense

Book three ended with some unanswered questions so I was excited to buy the fourth book in this series, and thought I would have finished this book by now.

10. Dead Reckoning

Another book on my backlist books to read list of authors discovered and loved. Hopefully I will get this one read in 2024.

Weekend Wrap-Up: May 26th

 

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

Spend a lot of time this weekend with family visiting from the UK.

Finished

(Reviews can be found under Book Review tag)

Currently reading

Next up:

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? 

Two ARCs this week.

Bought: Some Freebies

Review: When Hope Sank

When Hope Sank by Denise Weimer
My rating: 💛💛💛

This historical fiction novel about the critical time at the end of the Civil War with prisoners of war released from Andersonville flowed easily and Cade and Lily were characters I easily connected with.

Apart from the physical and emotional healing Cade was going through, there was also a danger and mystery thread involving Southern sympathizers who did not want to accept the end of the war.

The author also did a good job of showing different viewpoints of the people involved, those who supported the southern beliefs, those caught in the southern world but was behind what the north fought for, and the slaves caught om the middle.

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


View all my reviews

About the book:

Can Hope Resurface After Evil Tries to Drown It?
 
Introducing a new series of 6 exciting novels featuring historic American disasters that transformed landscapes and multiple lives. Whether by nature or by man, these disasters changed history and were a day to be remembered.
 
The Civil War has taken everything from Lily Livingston—her parents, her twin brother, her home. Now she works at her uncle’s inn and keeps her head down. Speaking up for her beliefs proved too costly in a part of Arkansas split by conflicting loyalties and overrun by spies and bushwhackers.
 
Emaciated in body but resilient in spirit, Lieutenant Cade Palmer is crowded onto the Sultana with other paroled Andersonville and Cahaba POWs for the journey north. But a fiery explosion on April 27, 1886, rends the steamer and empties two thousand men into the frigid Mississippi River.
 
Recovering from wounds that might end his career as a surgeon but clinging to his faith, Cade threatens both Lily’s defenses and her heart. How can she tell him she might’ve prevented the tragedy if only she’d reported a suspected saboteur’s claims? And when the man returns to town and encoded messages pass through the hotel, will Lily follow her convictions to prevent another tragedy?

Also available in the A Day to Remember
When the Waters Came by Candice Sue Patterson
When the Flames Ravaged by Rhonda Dragomir

About the author:

Denise Weimer writes historical and contemporary romance from her home in North Georgia and also

serves as a freelance editor and the Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books. A mother of two daughters, she always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

Review: Veiled in Smoke

Veiled in Smoke by Jocelyn Green
My rating: 💛💛💛💛

This was a story rich with historical detail, emotional challenges, and a murder mystery.

“There's beauty in the imperfect too. You are a God who uses broken vessels. You are not afraid of human limitations or scars.”

I always enjoy Jocelyn Green whenever I pick up a book by her, and always wonder why I wait so long to read her work. They way she pens the character makes me as reader feel like I am right there facing the same fears, struggles and emotional highs and lows.

Stephan was such a complex and heartbreaking character. His part in the civil war and the effect on him was hard to read but written in such an honest way. It is horrific how Asylums treated patients back in the day.

Nate, Meg, and Sylvie were great characters. I enjoyed each of their stories and their personalities were written so well. I felt along with them in their search for the truth and help their father, while facing their own consequences from the fire and trying to move forward.

I am looking forward to continuing this series.

“We can never be who we once were, because we keep changing and growing. We're not defined by our hurts, but by God's grace we can overcome them. We are transformed.”

*I listened to the audiobook on Everand.*

View all my reviews

About the book:

Meg and Sylvie Townsend manage the family bookshop and care for their father, Stephen, a veteran still suffering in mind and spirit from his time as a POW during the Civil War. But when the Great Fire sweeps through Chicago's business district, they lose much more than just their store.

The sisters become separated from their father, and after Meg burns her hands in an attempt to save a family heirloom, they make a harrowing escape from the flames with the help of Chicago Tribune reporter Nate Pierce. Once the smoke clears away, they reunite with Stephen, only to learn soon after that their family friend not only died during the fire--he was murdered. Even more shocking, Stephen is charged with the crime and committed to the Cook County Insane Asylum.

Though homeless, injured, and suddenly unemployed, Meg must not only gather the pieces of her shattered life, but prove her father's innocence before the asylum truly drives him mad.

About the Author:

Jocelyn Green inspires faith and courage as the award-winning and bestselling author of numerous fiction and

nonfiction books, including The Mark of the King; Wedded to War; and The 5 Love Languages Military Edition, which she coauthored with bestselling author Dr. Gary Chapman. Her books have garnered starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly, and have been honored with the Christy Award, the gold medal from the Military Writers Society of America, and the Golden Scroll Award from the Advanced Writers & Speakers Association. She graduated from Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, with a B.A. in English, concentration in writing. She loves Mexican food, Broadway musicals, pie, the color red, and reading with a cup of tea. Jocelyn lives with her husband Rob and two children in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Visit her at www.jocelyngreen.com. [Looking for the Media Kit? It's right here.]

Book Spotlight Friday! My Stubborn Heart

 

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 My Head is Full of Books 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.  First Line Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Reading is my Superpower that asks you to share the first sentence of the book you're reading.

I am enjoying Kate and her Gran in this contemporary story.

My Stubborn Heart

About the book:

A Sensational CBA Debut in Contemporary Romance. Kate Donovan is burned out on work, worn down by her dating relationships, and in need of an adventure. When her grandmother asks Kate to accompany her to Redbud, Pennsylvania, to restore the grand old house she grew up in, Kate jumps at the chance,takes a leave of absence from her job as a social worker, and the two of them set off.Upon her arrival in Redbud, Kate meets Matt Jarreau, the man her grandmother has hired to renovate the house. From the first moment she meets Matt, Kate can't help but be attracted to him--he's got a combination of good looks and charisma that draw and tug at her. But she knows there's zero chance of a romance between them. Matt's in love with his dead wife, and even if he weren't, Kate realizes that she's way too ordinary for him. For Matt Jarreau is no ordinary guy. Kate discovers that he was once a great NHL hockey player who left the sport when his wife--an honest-to-goodness former Miss America--was diagnosed with brain cancer. Matt's been hiding from people, from God, and from his past ever since. Yet Kate is absolutely determined to befriend him, to try to reach him, to help him in some small way.No, Kate's not looking for love. She knows better than that by now. But when the stilted, uncomfortable interactions between Kate and Matt slowly shift into something more, is God finally answering the longing of her heart? Or will Kate be required to give up more than she ever dreamed?

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Book Beginnings

There once was a girl who'd been praying for a husband since fourth grade.

Friday 56

Matt's house was wonderful.

My thoughts so far

I am enjoying the interaction between Kate and Matt.

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Review: Saving Grayson

Saving Grayson by Chris Fabry
My rating: 💛💛💛💛

This was a beautiful but heavy/difficult story to read.

Readers meet Grayson at present day, where we see his challenges with Alzheimer and how it affects his current relationships. But we also meet past Grayson through his memories and road trip with a character who seems to be connected to Grayson but not definitive confirmed until the end.

The author did a great job of handling difficult topics in a sensitive way.

This was a story about consequences, regrets, reconciliations and above all forgiveness. Especially for those who remember when Grayson does not.

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


View all my reviews

About the book:

An inspiring fiction story from the bestselling author of War Room

Grayson Hayes doesn’t remember things as well as he used to, but he’s sure his time is running out. Diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, he realizes he has a small window of time left to right a terrible injustice—he just can’t remember what it is.

Convinced of the importance of his mission, he embarks on a journey to the small West Virginia town of his childhood hoping he can put together the fractured pieces of his memory and set things right. But as the past becomes more clear, he wonders if God forgives the sins he can’t remember.

A thought-provoking story with challenging themes, this book deals with issues likewhat it’s like to care for a loved one with memory loss,how to live when you feel like you’re losing yourself,what it is that gives value to a human life, andthe eternal power of forgiveness and second chances.Saving Grayson is a wrenching yet hopeful story of a journey to right unknown wrongs and of holding on to what you know even when it feels like everything is slipping away.

About the author:

Chris Fabry is an award-winning author and radio personality who hosts the daily program Chris Fabry

Live on Moody Radio. He is also heard on Love Worth Finding, Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, and other radio programs. A 1982 graduate of the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism at Marshall University and native of West Virginia, Chris and his wife, Andrea, now live in Arizona and are the parents of nine children.

Chris' novels, which include Dogwood, June Bug, Almost Heaven, Not in the Heart, Borders of the Heart, Every Waking Moment, The Promise of Jesse Woods, Looking into You, Under a Cloudless Sky, and A Piece of the Moon, have won five Christy Awards, an ECPA Christian Book Award, and two Christianity Today Book Awards of Merit, but it's his lyrical prose and tales of redemption that keep readers returning for more.

Chris has also published more than 70 other books, ranging from nonfiction and film novelizations, including the Kendrick brothers' War Room and Overcomer, to novels for children and young adults. He coauthored the Left Behind: The Kids series with Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye, as well as the Red Rock Mysteries and The Wormling series with Jerry B. Jenkins. RPM is his latest series for kids and explores the exciting world of NASCAR.

Visit Chris' website at www.chrisfabry.com.

Can't Wait Wedensday! One Last Chance

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 to continue this series. Book two releases June 4th.

About the book: One Last Chance

Axel Mulligan was built to be a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. He swam fast and endured long, a miracle for those in peril--until a tragedy sent him home to Alaska. Now, three years later, he's not going to let the past repeat itself. As an Air One rescue swimmer, he'll do anything to save lives--including sacrifice his own.

He expects to do just that while trying to rescue a group of tourists from the icy waters of the Gulf of Alaska. But if not for the voice on the other end of the ham radio, he might have given up and let hypothermia win. That voice awakened something in his heart, and he sets out to find the woman it belongs to.

Flynn Turnquist is not who Axel thinks she is. A national wildlife researcher, she's deep in the bush, tracking wolf pack patterns. Or is she? In fact, she's a former cop, tracking down a serial killer. She nearly had him--until he escaped into the wilds of the Alaska bush.

When Axel finds Flynn and discovers what she's really up to, it stirs up a terrible nightmare he's been dodging for years--the kidnapping and death of his own cousin. Worse, he's led the killer right to her doorstep. Now, it's a race through Alaska to stay alive. And when tragedy strikes again, he must choose between rescue or redemption.

What are you waiting on this week?