Go Big or Go Home by Scotty McCreery

About the Book
It was just a simple singing competition that would be fun to audition for. Who knew what kind of doors it might open for a sixteen-year-old from Garner, North Carolina.
Go Big or Go Home is the story of a kid with country songs in his soul. The special thing with Scotty McCreery, however, is that he has this God-given ability to sing those tunes the exact way they should be sung. Daring to enter the limelight at such a young age, Scotty finds himself embraced by the nation, and even overseas, as he competes on "American Idol". This is his journey from his North Carolina roots to winning America’s most popular singing competition and launching a musical career he had always dreamt about.
Go Big or Go Home narrates Scotty's journey from a kid imitating Elvis on the school bus to 30 million across America tuning in to see him win Season 10 of "American Idol”. Now as he completes his ground-breaking fourth album, Scotty shares a glimpse of where he came from and the impact his faith, family and friends have had on a humbled guy who keeps asking “why me?”

My Thoughts
I've been a fan of Scotty's music from the moment I first heard him sing. We didn't have cable so I didn't get to watch him on American Idol but when I discovered his debut album I listened to it on repeat and did the same when his second one released. From all the things I'd seen he appeared to be a genuinely nice person so I thought it'd be cool to see his journey through his eyes. And I was right. I was actually way more caught up in this book than I expected and I found myself reading chapter after chapter (while his music played in the background of course). It was fun to look up the different moments he talked about on YouTube and view them kinda seeing both sides of the story. It was so cool to get to know more about the guy behind the songs and he really seems like such a honest, humble, hard-working person. It's awesome to see someone using their God-given talent and giving the glory to Him for it! I definitely recommend this book for all the Scotty McCreery fans out there!

Meet the Authors
Scotty McCreery burst onto the national music scene in 2011 at age 17, quickly establishing himself
as one of country music’s hottest new stars. By age 21, the talented singer/songwriter has sold nearly 2.5 million albums and received both Platinum and Gold album certifications, debuted three consecutive albums at No. 1 on a Billboard chart, achieved three Platinum-certified singles and two Top Ten hits, toured with Brad Paisley, The Band Perry, and Rascal Flatts, headlined his own tours, earned industry and fan accolades, amassed more than three million followers on Facebook and Twitter, received more than 150 million YouTube views, and he’s just getting started!


Travis Thrasher is a bestselling author of more than 40 fiction and nonfiction books. He has written inspirational stories in a variety of genres, from love stories to supernatural thrillers, and collaborated with filmmakers, musicians, celebrities, and pastors on a variety of projects, including memoirs and novelizations. Before becoming a full-time author, Travis worked with New York Times bestselling authors for many years as the author relations manager at Tyndale House Publishers. Travis and his wife, Sharon, live in a suburb of Chicago and have three daughters.

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Under a Summer Sky by Melody Carlson

About the Book
High school art teacher Nicole Anderson is looking forward to a relaxing summer in Savannah, house-sitting and managing an art gallery for a family friend. The house is luxurious in a way that only old money could make it, and the gallery promises interesting days in a gorgeous setting. Yet it isn't long before her ideal summer turns into more than she bargained for: a snooty gallery employee who's determined to force her out, a displaced adolescent roosting in the attic, and two of Nicole's close childhood friends--who also happen to be brothers--vying for her attention.
With a backdrop of a beautiful historical city, incredible architecture, and even an alleged ghost or two, combined with the opportunity for romance . . . anything can happen!

Bestselling and award-winning author Melody Carlson invites readers to spend the summer surrounded by beauty and tantalizing possibilities for the future.

My Thoughts
This book took me quite awhile to get through, because honestly I just wasn't drawn into the story at all. I will start by saying that I absolutely loved the location. Savannah sounds so gorgeous and it has now made its way onto my list of places I want to visit. But besides the beautiful city it was set in, this book didn't have a lot going for it, sadly. Nicole was a decent character but she didn't have much of a backbone and was a little too nice which made her a bit of a push-over. Also she had little to no character development over the course of the book; she was basically the same from start to finish. And then there were the men. I felt like we barely got to know either of them. At the start, from what little we saw of them, neither was emerging as a clear favorite. But then suddenly Alex turned whiny and manipulative so obviously you wanted her to choose Ryan even though we never really got to know him well enough to see exactly the kind of guy he was. Bernie, Alex's daughter, was a nice enough girl, but I couldn't help feeling that she wasn't entirely necessary to the story and the time given to her could have been better spent developing the guys' characters.
Nicole spent her days working or playing tourist or being with Ryan, Alex, or Bernie. There wasn't a lot of substance to this but if you're looking for a mindless summer read this may be just up your alley!

Meet the Author
Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women and children. That's a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a "storyteller." Her novels range from serious issues like schizophrenia (Finding Alice) to lighter topics like house-flipping (A Mile in My Flip-Flops) but most of the inspiration behind her fiction comes right out of real life. Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, TrueColors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She's won a number of awards (including Romantic Time's Career Achievement Award, the Rita and the Gold Medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog. To find out more about Melody Carlson, visit her website at http://www.melodycarlson.com/

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

A Love So True by Melissa Jagears

About the Book
Evelyn Wisely has a heart for the orphans of Teaville and works at a local mansion that rescues children out of the town's red-light district and gives them a place to live. But her desire to help isn't limited to orphans. The owner of the mansion, Nicholas Lowe, is willing to help her try to get the women working in prostitution out of the district as well--if she can gain the cooperation and support of local businessmen to go against the rest of the community.
David Kingsman has recently arrived in Teaville from Kansas City to help with one of his father's companies in town. While he plans on staying only long enough to prove his business merit to his father, he's shown interest in Evelyn's work and is intrigued enough by her to lend his support to her cause.

They begin with the best of intentions, but soon the complications pile up and Evelyn and David's dreams look more unattainable every day. When the revelation of a long-held secret creates a seemingly insurmountable rift between them, can they trust God still has a good plan for them despite all that is stacked against them?

My Thoughts 
Melissa never fails to deliver a wonderful historical tale that sweeps me away to another time and place. I enjoyed Evelyn's character in the previous book and I was excited to get to know her more. I loved how selflessly she cared for everyone around her, and as someone who has a passion for children I especially loved having a character who shares that calling. She was always putting other's needs above her own and was willing to do whatever asked of her. As for David, he was a hero I couldn't help rooting for. Despite being ridiculously wealthy he never once acted like he was even one iota better than even those society deemed unworthy. He was always trying to find ways to help, even going above and beyond what was asked of him. Honestly David and Evelyn were an amazing couple, she had great ideas and he had the ability and connections to help make her dreams a reality. They complemented each other so well. We were kept guessing until practically the very end what Evelyn's secret was and to be honest I didn't figure it out.
It was great to return to Teaville and catch up with the characters, especially Nicholas and Lydia, and there wasn't a part of this book I didn't love! Lovers of historical fiction should definitely check this series out!

Meet the Author
Much to her introverted self's delight, Melissa Jagears hardly needs to leave her home to be a homeschooling mother and historical romance novelist. She doesn't have to leave her house to be a housekeeper either, but she's doubtful she meets the minimum qualifications to claim to be one in her official bio. Her passion is to help Christian believers mature in their faith and judge rightly. Find her online at www.melissajagears.com, Facebook, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #265

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished last week:

Enjoyed this one!

What I am currently reading:

Really liking this one!

What I hope to read this week:

I haven't quite decided! I'm going to be on vacation the second half of this week and I'm still debating which book(s) I want to take with me.

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!

With You Always by Jody Hedlund

About the Book
When a financial crisis in 1850s New York leaves three orphaned sisters nearly destitute, the oldest, Elise Neumann, knows she must take action. She's had experience as a seamstress, and the New York Children's Aid Society has established a special service: placing out seamstresses and trade girls. Even though Elise doesn't want to leave her sisters for a job in Illinois, she realizes this may be their last chance.
The son of one of New York City's wealthiest entrepreneurs, Thornton Quincy faces a dilemma. His father is dying, and in order to decide which of his sons will inherit everything, he is requiring them to do two things in six months: build a sustainable town along the Illinois Central Railroad, and get married. Thornton is tired of standing in his twin brother's shadow and is determined to win his father's challenge. He doesn't plan on meeting a feisty young woman on his way west, though.

My Thoughts
I absolutely love this author’s ability to make the more obscure parts of history come alive on the page. Growing up as a Christian and a homeschooler historical fiction was my bread and butter and I recall a decent amount of stories surrounding the orphan trains. But I don’t recall ever reading about the women who were placed out west to work. So the history nerd in me was soaking up all the little historical tidbits. But the fascinating time when the story takes place wasn’t the only thing I loved, every other part of it was equally rich and I was completely lost in the story. After meeting Elise in the novella that preceded this book I had already begun to admire her. Life seemed to have dealt her blow after blow but through it all she stood strong and was determined to do whatever necessary to keep her family together and safe. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to travel so far from your family at the time, when letters were the only form of communication and that could take weeks. But Elise was willing to make the sacrifice for the hope that she could provide a better life for her siblings.
Thornton couldn’t have grown up more different than Elise. He was the son of a wealthy businessman and had never wanted for anything. Though thankfully he hadn’t let that turn him into a completely stuck-up snob. Sure he was oblivious to much of what the poor had to go through but when confronted with his misconceptions he was willing to change. To the outside observer there were a million reasons why Elise and Thornton shouldn’t even speak to each other let alone fall in love but despite their differences they were exactly what each other needed. I loved how Elise constantly challenged Thornton to see things differently and how listened and then went and did something about it, he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.
The challenge issued by Thornton’s father was certainly out of the ordinary and it provided quite the interesting twist to the story.
So yeah, this book was brilliant and wonderful and I hated to put it down! I’m looking forward to the rest of this series!

Meet the Author
Winner of 2016 Christian Book Award for fiction and Christy Award for historical romance, best-selling author Jody Hedlund writes inspirational historical romances for both youth and adults.
Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).
When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

What Hope Remembers by Johnnie Alexander

About the Book
When Amy Somers loses her job as a lobbyist, she moves to Misty Willow, well aware that she's crossing bridges she'd burned years before. With all the mistakes she's made and the uncaring things she's done--even to her own family--she can hardly believe that happiness will find her, especially when Gabe Kendall, her first crush and her first kiss, rides back into her life atop a buckskin mare.
A former Marine, Gabe is at loose ends after serving a prison sentence for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He sees beyond Amy's hard exterior to the girl he once knew and loved, and he longs to see her open her heart. Yet with his vision clouded by shame for his past and fears about the future, he finds it difficult to see the path ahead.

But the memory of that long-ago kiss just may have the power to reignite a romance that brings out the best in both of them.

My Thoughts
This author is one that I forget how amazing their books are until I'm lost within the pages of the next book. But I'm glad that I keep coming back because she has yet to disappoint!
I'll be honest, I didn't like Amy at all in the previous two books. She was cold, calculating, manipulative, and in general not a pleasant person. There are few authors who can redeem a disliked character and thankfully Johnnie is one of them. After a wake-up call regarding her health Amy really begins to reevaluate her life, and not really liking the person she's become, decides to start to make changes. It was nice to get into her head and see the emotions she was experiencing when she did the things she did. While it didn't excuse them it helped to see that her actions came more from a place of hurt than malice. Amy was such a real character. She wasn't just suddenly perfect, the journey from who she was to who she wanted to become was slow and difficult and mistakes were made along the way. But I admired how she never gave up. The author handled the issue of her eating disorder with grace while also showing the very real struggles that those suffering from conditions like Amy's face. My heart broke for all the pain she'd endured in her life and I loved watching her rise from the ashes of it all.
Heath was awesome. As someone who was sentenced for a crime he didn't commit he could have been bitter and angry but instead he saw the way God used that time for good and was determined to make the most of his life. I loved the way he cared for his aunt, and their close relationship was beautiful. I also loved the way he interacted with Amy, being there for her when needed but never pushing her beyond what she was comfortable with. Their relationship blossomed slowly but beautifully and it was a joy to watch it unfold.
It was great to catch up with AJ and Shelby, and Brett and Dani, as well as the kids. I had a wonderful time getting to know this family and I'm sad to see this series end!

Meet the Author
Johnnie Alexander is the award-winning author of Where Treasure Hides and Where She Belongs, as well as an accomplished essayist and poet. Her Misty Willow Series was inspired by a 19th century house she lived in as a teen. Join her at www.johnnie-alexander.com to experience the love of random travel and the joy of treasured moments.

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

An Awakened Heart by Jody Hedlund

About the Book
Trying to heal the ache she feels in her empty life, wealthy Christine Pendleton decides to volunteer at Centre Street Chapel. Ministering to one of the most deprived parts of New York City, the chapel aims at making a difference in the lives of the impoverished immigrants flooding the city. After seeing firsthand the hopelessness of the poor women and orphans, Christine is convinced more can be done to help them.
Guy Bedell has been serving at the chapel and pouring his heart out for the people he's grown to care about. When Christine begins to challenge his methods and offers a new vision for reaching out to the community, can he trust that perhaps God has bigger plans in store for him--plans that may include this feisty socialite?

My Thoughts
This was a great prequel novella and got me really excited for this new series. Guy and Christine weren’t your typical historical hero and heroine since they were both a little older. But to be honest I kept forgetting that fact. They both had a passion for helping the lost and the poor though they had slightly differing opinions on how to go about it. I loved how they worked together, blending their ideas to do the best they could for those they were trying to help. They really were the perfect pairing, their individual strengths complementing the other’s weaknesses. We also got to meet the Neumann sisters and I’m excited to get more of their stories!

Meet the Author
Winner of 2016 Christian Book Award for fiction and Christy Award for historical romance, best-selling author Jody Hedlund writes inspirational historical romances for both youth and adults.
Jody lives in central Michigan with her husband, five busy children, and five spoiled cats. Although Jody prefers to experience daring and dangerous adventures through her characters rather than in real life, she’s learned that a calm existence is simply not meant to be (at least in this phase of her life!).
When she’s not penning another of her page-turning stories, she loves to spend her time reading, especially when it also involves consuming coffee and chocolate.

Top Ten Books With Summer-y Covers

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #264

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished last week:

It was a novella kind of week! I loved both of Susan's especially I'll Be There with all it's characters from so many series! I loved two of the stories in Right Where We Belong but the third was pretty awful.

What I am currently reading:

Enjoying both of these!

What I hope to read this week:

Not sure what I'll read next but with my schedule I don't think I'll read more than the two I'm in the middle of.

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!

At Your Request by Jen Turano

About the Book
After her father lost the family's fortune, Wilhelmina was cast out of the fashionable set and banished to the wallflower section. Taking a position as a social secretary to help support her family, she's mostly come to terms with her new status. But when her old friend Edgar returns to New York society for the first time since she rejected his marriage proposal, she's newly ashamed at how far she's fallen--and how hastily she dismissed him years ago. Her strategy is to avoid a face-to-face encounter at all costs, but he seems to have other plans. Will Edgar take advantage of their now reversed positions and make her regret her refusal, or is there still hope for a friendship between them--or something more?

At Your Request is an e-only novella that gives an exciting introduction to Jen Turano's new Gilded Age historical romance series, Apart From the Crowd! Includes an extended excerpt of the first full-length novel in the series, Behind the Scenes.

My Thoughts
As is typically the case with this author, this little novella brought a smile to my face. Wilhelmina and Edgar had a lot of history with each other and it provided a solid background to this quick little love story. I really liked both of their characters and it was fun to watch them get reacquainted and realize their feelings for each other that had been there all along.

It was nice to get a glimpse at the characters that will be center stage in the full length novels of this series. I’m excited to see what crazy adventures they will all get into!

Meet the Author

Jen Turano is a USA Today Bestselling author, known for her quirky characters and amusing story lines. Her novel, After a Fashion, was a Reviewer's Choice finalist with RT, as well as being named a top ten romance of 2015 from Booklist. Her book, A Most Peculiar Circumstance, was chosen as a top ten romance by Booklist in 2013, and Booklist has called her "One of the funniest voices in the inspirational genre." When she’s not writing, Jen spends her time outside of Denver, CO. She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jenturanoauthor/ or visit her on the web at www.jenturano.com. She is represented by the Natasha Kern Literary Agency.