Can't Wait Wednesday! Jonas

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.

Fraser, book one, ended on a cliffhanger, and I am so happy that I do not have to wait months for the next in the series! Jonas releases April 4th.  It is at a special pre-order deal - see here.

About the book: Jonas

Jonas Marshall is done storm-chasing, plagued with the memory of a terrible accident that paralyzed a fellow chaser, so the last thing he’s going to do is run into more danger. Now, he’s just a simple weatherman deploying dirigibles in an experiment to track weather patterns in Slovenia.

As far from danger as he can get.

But danger comes knocking in the form of hiker in need of rescue, and he can’t deny that her companion—beautiful Sibba Kovac—is a great distraction from the guilt that haunts him…until she paraglides right out of his life.

Probably for the best.

But danger still won’t leave him alone when a storm knocks his dirigibles out of the sky, and he happens upon one that looks tampered with…

It is. And worse, it’s carrying what could be radioactive waste. At least according to EOD expert Sibba…who finds herself face-to-face with the rescuer she can’t forget. But she’s not looking for him—her grandfather is missing, and she’ll stop at nothing to find him.

When her missing grandfather leads to the threat of a dirty bomb, she’s the only one who can stop it. And Jonas is the only man brave enough to run into danger with her. But she doesn’t have room in her heart to love him—not when she lives with death in her periphery. Can the right man, at the right time help her see beyond her fears to a future?

And if they have a chance to save the world, can Jonas let go of the woman he loves?

The thrilling second book in the epic romantic suspense of the Minnesota Marshalls!

What are you waiting on this week?

Top ten Tuesday: Bookish People I’d Like To Meet

 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.

Oh, this one is easy.  Living in South Africa means meeting favourite authors personally is very unlikely to happen, so these are the authors I would love to meet (in no particular order):

1. Lynette Eason

2. Susan May Warren

3. Lisa Harris

4. Dani Pettrey

5. Jaime Jo Wright

6. Ronie Kendig

7. Natalie Walters

8. Roseanna M White

And two of my Goodreads friends which I met through our love of books:

9. Staci

10. Charlene

Weekend Wrap-up: March 5th

 

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

So only after 5 days of March behind us, my reading plans changed almost 180degrees with unexpected Launch team acceptances coming through.

Finished

(Reviews can be found under Book Review tag)

Currently reading

Next up:

A few options, some for review, some for challenges and some because it is a highly need to read:

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? 

I added a few ARCs this week:

Review: The Maid of Ballymacool

The Maid of Ballymacool by Jennifer Deibel
My rating: 💛💛💛💛

Rating 4.5

“I often will have a person or situation that won’t leave my mind, no matter what I do.” She hung her dirty apron on the hook and put on her serving one. “And I’ve found that if I use those as reminders to pray for that person, I learn later that there was a reason for it. An illness, an accident, an important item that had been misplaced and needed finding. That sort o’ thing.”

I have found a new historical fiction author to love and enjoy and in the setting of Ireland I have not yet read much about.

This was the first book I have read by this author, but I immediately placed her other two published books on my 2023 TBR priority list.

Michael was a hero who will steal readers’ heart – he sure did mine. Even though he came from the higher society, he was not scared to step in for those weaker and who can’t fight for themselves. The small changes he implemented made huge differences. There were quite a few instances where I was thinking, “Yes Michael, you tell her!” Brianna was the perfect female lead, with her soft heart and gentleness which creeped into your heart softly and left an impact.

Perhaps that’s why the Good Book speaks of faith as being a mystery. Brianna realized that at any given moment, she might be connected to countless others in faith through prayer, perhaps even united in their requests. And that was a great comfort to her tired and lonesome heart.

I also loved the strong spiritual messages included in the story and the continuous focus on God.

“Brianna Kelly, don’ let anyone tell ya that who ya are doesn’t matter. Everything ya do, shows His glory to the world. At least, it can if ye’ll let it. You are a daughter of the King, and it’s high time ya treat yerself as such.”

The mystery around where Brianna came from was also intriguing and even though I figured it out early on, I was kept on edge with wondering how everything will come to light.

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


View all my reviews

About the book:

Brianna Kelly was abandoned at Ballymacool House and Boarding School as an infant. She has worked there since she was a wee girl and will likely die there. Despite a sense that she was made for something more, Brianna feels powerless to change her situation, so she consoles herself by exploring the Ballymacool grounds, looking for hidden treasures to add to the secret trove beneath the floorboards of her room.

When Michael Wray, the son of local gentry, is sent to Ballymacool to deal with his unruly cousin, he finds himself drawn to Brianna, immediately and inescapably. There is something about her that feels so . . . familiar. When Brianna finds a piece of silver in the woods, she commits to learning its origins, with the help of Michael. What they discover may change everything.

Fan favorite Jennifer Deibel invites you back to the Emerald Isle in the 1930s for this fresh take on the Cinderella story, complete with a tantalizing mystery, a budding romance, and a chance at redemption.

About the author:

Jennifer Deibel is a middle school teacher and freelance writer. Her work has appeared on (in)courage, on

The Better Mom, in Missions Mosaic Magazine, and others. With firsthand immersive experience abroad, Jennifer writes stories that help redefine home through the lens of culture, history, and family. After nearly a decade of living in Ireland and Austria, she now lives in Arizona.

Debut novel, A Dance in Donegal, releases February 2, 2021 from Revell. Follow Moira Doherty to the wilds of rural Ireland in 1921. Available for preorder wherever books are sold.

Review: Fiercely Loved: God's Wild Thoughts about You

Fiercely Loved: God's Wild Thoughts about You by Lisa Bevere
My rating: 💛💛💛💛

I enjoyed this 90-day devotionals about God’s love for me.

There were a few truths which stood out and made me remember of how God made and sees me.

*I listened to the audiobook on Scribd.*

View all my reviews

About the book:

These 90 devotions by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Bevere help you discover the beautiful truth of how God thinks about you. God doesn't just tolerate you; he loves you and wants you to know his wild thoughts toward you are full of love, joy, grace, and mercy. The psalmist David realized this when he wrote Psalm 139: "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand."

God loves you--fiercely. In times of uncertainty, we need some pillars we can build our lives on. You are loved. You are welcomed. You are wanted. You were always his idea and he has a plan for you.

Lisa Bevere shifts your perspective with daily boosts of courageous love, giving you a confidence grounded in both your identity and your relationship with your Creator. These 90 devotionals each include Scripture to guide you, encouragement to lift you up, and powerful declarations of truth to send you forth in strength.

About the author:

Lisa Bevere is a Christian author of the books Lioness Arising, Nurture, Fight Like a Girl, Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry, Out of Control and Loving It! Be Angry but Don't Blow It! The True Measure of a Woman, and You Are Not What You Weigh.
In addition to speaking at national and international conferences, she is a frequent guest on Christian television and radio shows. Lisa is also the cohost of the weekly television program The Messenger, which broadcasts to 214 nations. She and her husband, John Bevere, also a best-selling author, make their home in Colorado with their four sons Addison, Austin, Alec, and Arden

Book Spotlight Friday! Fraser

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.  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 delayed reading this one, because then I have read it...but didn't want to delay much longer!  

Fraser

About the book:

Fraser Marshall is pretty sure his career as a Spec Ops fighter is over. Yes, he’s gone into private security, working for Jones, Inc, but his last gig ended with him wounded and taken captive. And those wounds just won’t heal. The last thing he wants to do is stick around his family’s winery pressing grapes. But what choices does he have?

The answer comes via a panicked phone call from his kid brother, Creed.

Help, Fraser. I’m in over my head…

Yeah he is, because he’s run away with a princess, with her bodyguard hot on the trail. And said bodyguard, Pippa Butler is going to hunt them down, no matter the cost.

Even if she has to join forces with a bossy, arrogant former American SEAL. But Pippa has her own set of lethal skills, and if Fraser gets in the way, she’ll leave him on the side of the road. Still, maybe he’s not a terrible side-kick. He is handsome, and he makes her laugh…

No, no, bad Pippa! She has no room for a man—an American—in her life. And Fraser hasn’t ever considered slowing down. Even if Pippa has him wondering if there is a different future ahead.

But there’s more to the story than a Romeo-and-Juliet runaway romance. Princess Imani has seen a murder, and the perpetrator isn’t going to let her get away. Will Fraser and Pippa find the couple first?

And if they do, can they work together to keep them safe?

It’ll be tough if their hearts get in the way…

Dive into book one of the epic, romantic, globe-trotting suspense of the Minnesota Marshalls!

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

Book Beginnings

He might be the luckiest guy on the planet.

Friday 56

It wasn't exactly the worst day of her life, but it felt close.

My thoughts so far

We are going to the in-laws this weekend, but I am hoping to hide away in the room for some reading!  

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

Monthly Recap: February 2023

 

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

February was short for all the reading I planned, so I did not get to everything I wanted to read, but made a big dent in my TBR.

What I've read:

(Reviews can be found under Book Review tag)

Kindle:

Audio:

Paperback:

What I would like to read in February:

Currently Reading:

Upcoming reads (hopeful):

I have a lot planned for such a short month!

Did I buy any new books?

Bought:

I bought two in Feb.  One was 5 books for $0.99 and one a HIGH expected one:

Did I read everything I wanted too?

No, though there was some I caught up in Feb which I carried over from Jan, there was ones I wanted to read in Feb which I will have to carry over to March:

I also have a lot of books I need to catch up on for a 18 month challenge which started Jan 2022 and ending June 2023.  When I joined the challenge I was thinking, 2 books a month is do-able, but then in a blink of an eye, I got behind (the crosses are the ones I got this month):

Also, another Goodreads challenge to try and read 20 of my TBR books this year - knocked out one book in February:

ARC/Netgalley update:

ARC/Netgalley books downloaded this month:

After having a great first half of the month where I downloaded nothing, January ended up being a bit steep with ARCs.  Luckily not everything is due in the next month or so:

ARC/Netgalley books read and reviewed:

How was your month?