Tuesday, February 26, 2019

The Secrets of Paper and Ink by Lindsay Harrel

About the Book
Brought together by a charming bookstore in England, three women fight to defy expectations, dream new dreams, and welcome love into their lives.
As a counselor, Sophia Barrett is trained to help people cope with their burdens. But when she meets a new patient whose troubles mirror her own, she realizes she hasn’t dealt with the pain of her recent past. After making a snap decision to get away for the summer, Sophia moves overseas to an apartment above a charming bookstore in Cornwall, England. She is hopeful she will find peace there surrounded by her favorite thing: great literature.
Bookstore owner Ginny Rose is desperate to save her business without asking for help from a husband who’s decided to take a break from their marriage. Ginny never imagined she’d be solely responsible for keeping afloat her husband’s dream, but the unexpected friendship with her new renter has her feeling more optimistic. Between the two of them—and Ginny’s brother-in-law, William—the bookstore might stand a chance.
Then Sophia finds a notebook in the bookstore that contains journal entries from Emily Fairfax, a governess who lived in Cornwall more than 150 years ago. Sophia learns that Emily harbored a secret passion for becoming an authoress—as well as a deep love for her childhood friend, Edward, whose station she dared not dream to touch.
Eager to know more of Emily’s story, Sophia goes on a quest—dragging Ginny and William with her—to discover the heart of the woman behind the beautiful entries. Soon Ginny’s need to save the bookstore becomes more than a way to save her marriage, and Sophia finds new purpose of her own. Together they find that sometimes both heartache and hope can reach across the centuries.

My Thoughts
When I read this author’s previous book last year I was absolutely blown away! It was one of my absolute favorite reads from 2018 and the story stuck with me the way few books do. So to say that this book was one of my most anticipated reads for this year would be an understatement! And this book lived up to and exceeded my every expectation! It was beautiful and amazing and I was completely lost in this fictional world from beginning to end. I loved everything. The characters were wonderfully written in such a way that I felt their emotions along with them. And I dare you to find a more utterly charming setting than a bookstore in England!
There were so many things that in the hands of others could have gone horribly wrong, having essentially three stories in one, doing the time split, dealing with difficult subjects, but Lindsay Harrel wove it all seamlessly into this beautiful story!
Each of the three heroine’s stories were unique but still connected and it never felt like anything was lacking. I was equally invested in the lives of all three of them, never rushing through one to get back to another. Also the travel between the present day to the 1800’s was never jarring, it just all flowed together. And she handled the hard topics of things like abuse and unfaithfulness with grace and respect.
I loved watching each of these women grow, discovering more about themselves and God. And it was really cool to see the way God used them to help each other in ways only He could have orchestrated.
I am a diehard romance lover but with this author’s books I never feel like romance is the main purpose of the story, and to be honest I love the way she does it. The romance is there, and it’s happy sigh worthy material, it’s just that the actual story, the characters journey, is what drives the book forward. And the romance just quietly slips in, joining the flow of the story.
In short this book was everything I wanted it to be and so much more! It’s definitely going to be one of my top books for this year and I can already tell it’s going to stick with me just like the previous novel.

Meet the Author
Lindsay Harrel is a lifelong book nerd who lives in Arizona with her young family and two golden retrievers in serious need of training. She’s held a variety of writing and editing jobs over the years and now juggles stay-at-home mommyhood with writing novels. When she’s not writing or chasing after her children, Lindsay enjoys making a fool of herself at Zumba, curling up with anything by Jane Austen, and savoring sour candy one piece at a time. Connect with her at LindsayHarrel.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. 

Monday, February 25, 2019

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #330

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished last week:
This week was a much needed, wonderful week of reading! The novellas were cute, Castle on the Rise was fabulous, and A Season to Love was absolutely amazing!

What I am currently reading:
Just starting this but I already love it!

What I hope to read this week:
Last books from my February TBR! I've heard great things so I'm hoping I love 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!

Monday, February 18, 2019

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #329

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished last week:
I had high hopes for these two, but unfortunately LLAMA could have used a few minor alterations and while The Lost Castle was well written and really good, the three timelines got a bit confusing.

What I am currently reading:
Really enjoying this collection!

What I hope to read this week:
I need to read Castle on the Rise for review so I'm hoping the three timelines in this one are a little easier to track. The other two are purely pleasure reads I'm hoping to get to this week!

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!

Wednesday, February 13, 2019

Christmas With Cocoa by Cleopatra Margot

About the Book
Robin McKay is determined to save the struggling Animal Shelter and head her hometown's local Christmas event. but when plans go awry and Nate Ashford, Robin's former best friend, are factors at play, will her Christmas wish come true?

My Thoughts
I love getting to support authors, especially as they are starting their published journey so I jumped at the chance to read this cute Christmas story from a fellow bookstagramer.
The author did a great job of crafting the small town (based on her own hometown) with all the quirks that come along with small town living. I really enjoyed getting to visit Believe through the character's eyes.
The hero and heroine were fun. Their childhood friendship was developing into something more and it was sweet to watch.
There were some things that weren't exactly my favorite, like the corny jokes (and their explanations), but that was a quirk of the characters so it made sense that it was there, Overall though it was a sweet holiday story and I look forward to seeing what else the author has in store!

Meet the Author
I’m sixteen and live the good life in Nebraska with my parents, two younger siblings and our dog, Rosebud. I enjoy writing – like, a lot – but other areas of interest include arts/crafts, playing games with family, being outside, traveling, and trying new things. -taken from the author's about page on her website.

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




Tuesday, February 12, 2019

Between Two Shores by Jocelyn Green

About the Book
The daughter of a Mohawk mother and French father in 1759 Montreal, Catherine Duval finds it is easier to remain neutral in a world that is tearing itself apart. Content to trade with both the French and the British, Catherine is pulled into the fray against her wishes when her British ex-
fiance, Samuel Crane, is taken prisoner by her father. Samuel asks her to help him escape, claiming he has information that could help end the war.

Peace appeals to Catherine, but helping the man who broke her heart does not. She delays . . . until attempts on Samuel's life convince her he's in mortal danger. Against her better judgment she helps him flee by river, using knowledge of the landscape to creep ever closer to freedom. Their time together rekindles feelings she thought long buried, and danger seems to hound their every mile. She's risked becoming a traitor by choosing a side, but will the decision cost her even more than she anticipated?

My Thoughts
I really wanted to like this one. I have been a fan of this author since her debut and have read and loved almost all of her books. But sadly this one just wasn’t my cup of tea.
The author’s ability to extensively research, once again shone through giving me a new look at a time in history that I really only knew from one side. Everything was vividly described from the Mohawk customs to the war.
I really didn’t love the characters and the choices they made. There were hard circumstances thrown at them but I felt like things could have been handled better.

There were some shocking twists and revelations throughout and at one point I almost hurled the book across the room. This isn’t your typical happily ever after read, things are real and rough. And while this book wasn’t one I personally loved, so many people have been gushing about it and I encourage you to check out more reviews!

Meet the Author
Jocelyn Green is the award-winning and bestselling author of numerous fiction and nonfiction books, including The Mark of the King and A Refuge Assured. Her books have garnered starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly, and have been honored with the Christy Award and the Golden Scroll. Jocelyn lives with her family in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Visit her at www.jocelyngreen.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. 

Monday, February 11, 2019

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #328

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished last week:
Really enjoyed A Return of Devotion, wasn't a fan of Between Two Shores, and The Last Summer was amazing!

What I am currently reading:
Enjoying this cute read!

What I hope to read this week:
Was in a bit of a historical slump after reading 5 in a row so I took a little break. These time-split novels should be the perfect way to ease back in!

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!

Monday, February 04, 2019

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #327

Hosted by: The Book Date

Here is what I finished last week:
Pretty great week of reading! I closed out January with four books to make my goal of 31 books in the month and then binge read the Elizabeth Camden books this weekend.

What I am currently reading:
Just started this one this morning. Looking forward to buddy reading it with a friend!

What I hope to read this week:
Hoping I enjoy these two!

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!