It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #322

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished last week:

I read so much more this week than I realized! I last minute decided to join the #25infive readathon where you try to read 25 hours over the course of five days. All but the first two books I read during that, there would have been more but I DNF'd several and read bits from two non-fiction books as well! 

What I am currently reading:

I'm enjoying the two fiction books more than I anticipated, I have one I'm reading the physical copy of and one I'm reading on kindle. The Best Yes has definitely been challenging me in a good way and I am Louie's story in Unbroken!

What I hope to read this week:

The last of my red spine books I wanted to read this month! Hoping they're all wonderful!

On Magnolia Lane by Denise Hunter

About the Book
Falling in love with Daisy was easy for Jack. But finding the courage to tell her becomes problematic when his secret feelings lead to even bigger complications.
After two years of counseling sessions with Daisy Pendleton, Pastor Jack McReady has earned a permanent spot in her life as a spiritual leader—and nothing more. Jack would never risk losing her trust by exposing the depths of his heart, but he’s hopelessly in love with her.
Daisy loves her southern small-town life and her job at her family-run flower shop, but she doesn’t have the thing she longs for most: someone to share it with. Her recent foray into online dating has been a disaster—until she meets TJ.
Jack could kill his friend Noah for using his initials and some indistinct photos to set up a profile on the dating app Daisy is using. But when he’s finally afforded the opportunity to show her a different side of himself, he’s sucked into the plan before he has time for second thoughts.

Online, Daisy shares some of her greatest fears with TJ, but in person, Jack and Daisy are spending more time together. When a devastating family secret surfaces, Daisy knows that only her trusted friend and counselor can bring her comfort. Jack wants nothing more than to be both men for Daisy, but revealing his secret will prove to be the ultimate test of Daisy’s grace.

My Thoughts
Denise Hunter’s books never disappoint! I have been a fan for countless years and after binging reading the first books in this series on vacation this summer I have been anxiously awaiting Jack and Daisy’s story!
Poor Jack has been in love with Daisy for years but he’s convinced she will never feel the same so he does nothing about it. I felt bad for the guy, it wasn’t easy keeping his feelings hidden. While I didn’t necessarily agree with his use of the dating app to communicate with Daisy, I could understand why he did it. And he at least never lied about himself, just was vague about telling details.
He really was an admirable hero, always kind with gentle wisdom, and willing to help whenever and wherever.
I loved Daisy’s happy personality. She saw needs and was quick to find solutions and ways to meet them.
Jack and Daisy were a wonderful couple, it took awhile for them to realize that they were meant to be together, but in the end they saw things more clearly. I was so happy when they finally got on the same page.
I also enjoyed the side story of Daisy’s family history. She made some discoveries that changed a lot of things and it was interesting to see how everything played out.

This was a great conclusion to another fantastic series from Denise Hunter and I cannot wait to see what she has next for us!

Meet the Author
Denise Hunter is the internationally published bestselling author of more than 25 books, including A December Bride and The Convenient Groom, which have been adapted into original Hallmark Channel movies. She has won The Holt Medallion Award, The Reader's Choice Award, The Carol Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist. When Denise isn't orchestrating love lives on the written page, she enjoys traveling with her family, drinking green tea, and playing drums. Denise makes her home in Indiana where she and her husband are rapidly approaching an empty nest. To learn more about Denise, visit her website DeniseHunterBooks.com; Facebook: AuthorDeniseHunter; Twitter: @DeniseAHunter; Instagram: deniseahunter.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #321

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished last week:

Lots of wonderful Christmas stories by some of my favorite authors!

What I am currently reading:

Just started both of these this morning and already loving them!

What I hope to read this week:

Yes these are the same books from last week but a chaotic week and review books kept me from getting to them!

Hope you have a great reading week, thanks for taking the time to check out mine!

Leave your link below and I'll be sure to stop by!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #320

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished last week:

Finished off November with a bang! I was really hoping to get all of these read but I didn't think it was possible. I almost didn't make it but I read the four Courtney Walsh books in just under 28 hours finishing just in time! Those four and At First Glance were my favs this week!

What I am currently reading:

Hitting the Christmas books hard! One on my kindle and one in paperback, loving them both so far!

What I hope to read this week:

More Christmas books!!

Hope you have a great reading week, thanks for taking the time to check out mine!

Leave your link below and I'll be sure to stop by!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #319

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished last week:

A pretty great week of reading!

What I am currently reading:

I have technically finished this book already since I am posting this on Wednesday instead of Monday and it was a pretty good read. It was cool to catch up with the girls of the sisterhood!

What I hope to read this week:

Trying to end this month with a bang!

Hope you have a great reading week, thanks for taking the time to check out mine!

Leave your link below and I'll be sure to stop by!

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Small Business

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 love supporting small businesses, usually online through Etsy. As we approach Christmas I thought I'd share some of my favorites in case you're looking for great gift ideas!

#1. The Cozy Life book sleeves
I love these book covers, they're adorable, and they keep my beloved treasures from getting destroyed when I take them with me! I have so many of these and I can't stop buying them!

#2. CreateExploreRead bookmarks
Ever since I discovered these bookmarks they're all I use!

#3. From the Page candles
So many great candles from this shop! They have such amazing scents, and colors, and bookish themes.

#4. Canterbury Road Co candles
Another amazing candle shop. Her labels are gorgeous and she has such a great selection of scents.

#5. Lucy in the Sky prints
Her prints are absolutely stunning!

#6. Get Fictional candles
I wasn't sure about these candles at first since they were a little darker than my normal go to ones. But then I bought one and I was blown away by the rich, powerful scents. I've gotten more and love them!

#7. LemonCakes Candle Co candles
Yes I have a candle problem but this is another amazing shop!

#8. Novelly Yours candles
My first introduction to bookish candles and it's all been downhill since then.

#9. Fashion Street Apparel shirts
I ordered custom shirts from this shop and I adore the way the text was printed on and the shirt is extremely comfortable!

#10. Flickering Fandoms candles
Ending with another fabulous candle shop! I love that they have TV show related candles!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #318

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished last week:

Not a bad week of reading!

What I am currently reading:

Enjoying this one! Hoping to finish it soon!

What I hope to read this week:

Almost through my TBR for the month! Looking forward to them!

Hope you have a great reading week, thanks for taking the time to check out mine!

Leave your link below and I'll be sure to stop by!

An Hour Unspent by Roseanna M. White

About the Book
Once London's top thief, Barclay Pearce has turned his back on his life of crime and now uses his skills for a nation at war. But not until he rescues a clockmaker's daughter from a mugging does he begin to wonder what his future might hold.
Evelina Manning has constantly fought for independence, but she certainly never meant for it to inspire her fiancé to end the engagement and enlist in the army. When the intriguing man who saved her returns to the Manning residence to study clockwork repair with her father, she can't help being interested. But she soon learns that nothing with Barclay Pearce is as simple as it seems.

As 1915 England plunges ever deeper into war, the work of an ingenious clockmaker may give England an unbeatable military edge--and Germany realizes it as well. Evelina's father soon finds his whole family in danger--and it may just take a reformed thief to steal the time they need to escape.

My Thoughts
Oh where to even begin putting into words how much I adored this book?! Every time I think this author has written her best book ever she has to go and top it in a spectacular way. But regardless of the next masterpieces she creates I think this one may hold its spot as my favorite, because Barclay.
I loved Barclay in the first two books, the protective big brother watching out for everyone. But getting to really know him in this book made me just melt into a puddle. The way he sacrificed for anyone who needed something without hesitation or giving a thought to the personal sacrifice. Everyone knew to go to Barclay with problems because he would do whatever he could to solve them, whether giving the coat off his back or risking his life to save another’s. And his honesty was inspiring, it would have been easy to sugar-coat who and what he’d been but he never did. He may have not told Evelina the full story at the start but he never lied about any of it. I absolutely loved the way Barclay took people in like family, he struggled to provide for himself but that didn’t stop him from collecting siblings and then doing whatever necessary to make sure they were provided for. And he didn’t just take care of their physical needs he opened his heart and loved them like they were blood. Watching him interact with his various siblings, being protective, teasing, and just caring about every little detail of their lives, made me smile so much as I read this book. Honestly I could go on about Barclay for days but I suppose I should move on...
I loved Evelina as well, she hadn’t had an easy go of life, living through polio while her brother didn’t, learning to walk again, a distant and critical mother, a harsh aunt, and a painful rejection, but she stood resilient through it all. But with resiliency came walls, walls that Barclay seemed to easily get around, making her feel in ways she’d started to believe she was incapable of. I loved how accepting she was of Barclay’s unconventional family. Sure it surprised her at first but it wasn’t long till she was on the floor with them as if it were a normal occurrence.
Barclay and Evelina’s romance was lovely to watch unfold. It started as a ploy but quickly turned into something more. Barclay was the first to realize it and his steadfast devotion and patience while Evelina figured out what it truly meant to love and be loved was just another sign of the great man he was.

The cast of characters was again vast, due mostly in part to the beautiful family Barclay started and continually added to. I loved catching up with Rosie and Peter, Willa and Lukas, and seeing more of Margot. Evelina’s father was also a wonderful character. I really wish this series could be epically long and that each sibling could get their story because I just don’t want to say goodbye. Basically I loved every single thing about this book and this series and while I’m sad to say goodbye I can’t wait to see what else this brilliant author has for us!

Meet the Author
Roseanna M. White pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she's homeschooling her two children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of nine novels, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to her new British series. Roseanna lives with her family in West Virginia. Learn more at www.roseannamwhite.com.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #317

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished last week:

A pretty good week of reading! Two TBR reads knocked out and a highly anticipated new release!

What I am currently reading:

Not a bad read, almost done.

What I hope to read this week:

TBD

Hope you have a great reading week, thanks for taking the time to check out mine!

Leave your link below and I'll be sure to stop by!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #316

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished last week:

I had a fantastic week of reading-almost a book a day! I finished all the books from my October TBR just in time! My favorite read was definitely Wait for Me (finally Pete and Jess's story) but In Too Deep and Life After weren't far behind!

What I am currently reading:

Started this one this morning and so far it's pretty enjoyable!

What I hope to read this week:

This arrived on my porch today and I almost dropped everything to read it but I think I'm going to be good and finish my current read first. I'm hoping to read more than this but I'm not sure which book(s) from my TBR I want to tackle next!

Hope you have a great reading week, thanks for taking the time to check out mine!

Leave your link below and I'll be sure to stop by!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #315

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished in the last two weeks:

My sister was in town last Monday and I forgot to post last week's so I'm doubling up! I loved Hidden Peril, and Count Me In, but When You Look At Me was my absolute favorite!

What I am currently reading:

Not loving this one but speed reading through to say I read it.

What I hope to read this week:

Last two books from my October TBR, not sure if I can get them read or not but I'm gonna try.

Hope you have a great reading week, thanks for taking the time to check out mine!

Leave your link below and I'll be sure to stop by!

Romancing the Bride by Melissa Jagears

About the Book
Marrying a stranger to save a ranch is one thing; losing the land on their wedding day is another.
Desperate to keep the ranch where three of her children and a husband lie buried, Annie Gephart must marry or sell. Which of the few bachelors in town would consider a surprise proposal to wed a plain widow with a rebellious daughter, a spirited boy, and unpaid taxes--without laughing in her face?
Jacob Hendrix has never fully let go of his ranching dreams despite ending up as a small Wyoming town's marshal. The job wouldn't be so bad, except he's more errand boy than lawman. When Annie proposes marriage without a single coquettish bat of an eyelash, can he commit himself to a woman he hardly knows for a choice piece of property he'd be an idiot to pass up?
But taxes aren't all that threaten Annie and Jacob's plans. Cattle rustlers, crumbling friendships, and wayward children make this marriage of convenience anything but. When they lose what they've sacrificed everything to save, will the love of a stranger be enough?

Romancing the Bride is the first book in the Frontier Vows Series by award-winning Christian romance author Melissa Jagears. If you like heartwarming marriage-of-convenience stories, you'll love this sweet romance filled with endearing characters.

My Thoughts
I’m always a sucker for a marriage of convenience story and the fact that it’s by an author I love just makes it even better!
Annie had endured so much loss in such a short time and my heart broke for her but I admired the way she was able to stay standing through it all. Her pain definitely caused her to have walls up and to be closed off a bit and it was nice to see her start to let people in.
I absolutely loved Jacob! He selflessly gave of himself, loving and caring for Annie, Celia, and Spencer with no strings attached even when it was hard. The way he patiently pursued Annie, letting her set the pace of their relationship was wonderfully sweet. Things repeatedly didn’t go according to his plan, whether with his new family or his job as sheriff but he was not a man to give up when the going got tough and he persevered until the end.
I like how there were many strong biblical principles woven throughout the story, ones that we can all learn from.

This book was a wonderful read and I look forward to the rest of the series!

Meet the Author
Much to her introverted self's delight, ACFW Award winner and double INSPY finalist Melissa Jagears hardly needs to leave her home to be a homeschooling mother and novelist. She lives in Kansas with her husband and three children and can be found online at www.melissajagears.com, Facebook, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #314

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished last week:

Didn't enjoy The Frontiersman's Daughter as much as I thought I would but it was still good. Romancing the Bride was a great marriage of convenience story!

What I am currently reading:

Finishing this today and I'm absolutely loving it! 

What I hope to read this week:

Excited for this new Jenny B. Jones story that I'm sure will make me laugh out loud!

Hope you have a great reading week, thanks for taking the time to check out mine!

Leave your link below and I'll be sure to stop by!

Top Ten Tuesday: Longest Books I've Read

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.

#1. Les Miserables by Victor Hugo-1,463 pages

#2. Harry Potter #5-7 by J.K. Rowling-734, 870, 652, 759 pages

#3. Operation Zulu Redemption by Ronie Kendig-633 pages

#4. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas-608 pages

#5. Little Women by Loisa May Alcott-586 pages

#6. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas-560 pages

#7. Insurgent & Allegiant by Veronica Roth-525, 526

#8. Reached by Ally Condie-512 pages

#9. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

#10. A Heart Revealed & A Hope Undaunted by Julie Lessman-503, 505 pages

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #313

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished last week:

Loved both of these so much!! 

What I am currently reading:

Not loving this one as much as I thought I would based on all of the other books I love of this author.

What I hope to read this week:

So excited for this one!!

Hope you have a great reading week, thanks for taking the time to check out mine!

Leave your link below and I'll be sure to stop by!

Enchanting Nicholette by Dawn Crandall

About the Book
In this captivating novella by Dawn Crandall, Nicholette Everstone is already a widow at the age of twenty-two: her husband was murdered on their wedding day. She has just returned to Boston after two years of mourning in Europe. Although her husband was loving, the marriage was an arranged one, and Nicholette would like to wed again--this time for love...and to someone safe

As she acclimates to life in Back Bay again, Nicholette meets someone she can't help but fall for. But when she learns of the danger and sacrifices Cal Hawthorne takes on for the safety of others, will her heart be strong enough to keep her fears of "what if" at bay?

My Thoughts
I was absolutely enchanted by this gorgeous story (pun completely intended)! I only just discovered this amazing author at the beginning of this year. And after devouring each of her four previous novels at the speed of almost one a day I not-so-patiently awaited this story. When it arrived I scrambled to finish my current read so that I could dive into this beauty!
It was everything I wanted it to be and more. I didn’t feel like I knew Nicholette all that well from the previous books, she was just kind of there and then when tragedy struck she wasn’t. But in this story we not only got to know her but come to love her as well.
And Cal. I was entirely charmed by this hero, every time he opened his mouth I melted. He’d been practically in love with Nicholette for years but respectfully stayed away when it seemed like he couldn’t have her. Then she waltzed into his life again, unattached, and I loved watching him slowly pursue her. From their very first reintroduction they had a connection that went well beyond the physical and it was beautiful to watch their relationship unfold.

This story, like the others before it, was purely beautiful from beginning to end and I couldn’t love it more if I tried!

Meet the Author
Dawn Crandall’s debut Gilded Age Victorian romance, “The Hesitant Heiress,” was a 2015 ACFW Carol award finalist in the debut category and received the 2015 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, the 2015 Write Touch Reader's Choice Award and the 2015 Romancing the Novel Reader's Choice Award. Her follow-up novel, “The Bound Heart,” received the 2016 Laurel Award from Clash of the Titles. Dawn earned a BA in Christian Education from Taylor University. She’s been balancing books and babies lately as her two sons were both born as the four books of her Everstone Chronicles series were being released from Whitaker House from 2014 to 2016. Dawn lives with her husband and two young sons on a hobby farm in her hometown in northeast Indiana.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I Want to Meet

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.

Thanks to CFRR I got to meet quite a few of my favorite authors, but there are still so many I'd love to meet! First I will share ten I hope to meet soon and then as a bonus I'll share some of the ones I have met!

#1. Julie Lessman

#2. Roseanna M. White

#3. Joanne Bischoff

#4. Dani Pettrey

#5. Denise Hunter

#6. Lindsay Harrel

#7. Sarah Sundin

#8. Karen Witemeyer

#9. Erynn Mangum

#10. Jenny B. Jones



AUTHORS I'VE MET

#1. Susan May Warren

#2. Melissa Tagg

#3. Dawn Crandall

#4. Kristi Ann Hunter

#5. Pepper Basham

#6. Katie Ganshert

#7. Ronie Kendig

#8. Courtney Walsh

#9. Jen Turano

#10. Becky Wade