Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for this ARC and gifted book of A Love Discovered by Tracie Peterson. All opinions are my own. 

This was my first Tracie Peterson book, and I wasn’t sure what to expect since I know she’s a popular Christian historical fiction author. 

I loved how she weaved Christian faith elements throughout the story naturally. It didn’t feel preachy, and I loved seeing the characters grow in their faith. 

Another aspect I loved was the friendships formed throughout the story. These characters experienced so many difficult circumstances, so it was nice to see them come together to encourage and be there for one another. 

The relationship between the two main characters was beautiful, and I love how they learned to communicate with each other and build each other up. It was nice to get both of their perspectives in the story as well as a third point of view from some side characters. 

I do feel like the pacing was a bit slow at times, but then it was a lot faster near the end. One of the most unsatisfying things about the story was the ending. I can see how some readers will really like it, but that ending hurt me and felt unnecessary. 

Overall, I would recommend this story to those who love slow burn historical fiction stories with strong faith elements. 

Thank you to PRH Audio and Berkley for this gifted audiobook of The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton. All opinions are my own. 

This book was absolutely delightful! 

I don’t think I’ve ever read another book quite like this one. It was hilarious, whimsical, and utterly bonkers. 

The characters were so likable, and they had amazing banter. I also loved how the author was able to include magical elements that didn’t seem weird at all. 

This was such an easy book to listen to because the narrator did such a great job with the different characters. I loved her accent and appreciated how she told the story. You honestly can’t go wrong with a book narrated by Elizabth Knowelden. 

I honestly would recommend this book to everyone, and I’m excited to read more books by India Holton. 

Thank you to Libro.fm and Harper Muse for this ALC of Unsinkable by Jenni L. Walsh. All opinions are my own. 

This story was fascinating, and it’s amazing that it’s based on events from history. 

Dual timelines are hit or miss for me, but it worked so well in this story. Sometimes with dual timelines, I end up preferring one over the other and become uninterested in the other timeline. That was not the case with this story at all. Both timelines were equally riveting. 

One timeline follows Violet Jessop, who is an actual historical figure that survived multiple sinkings aboard different ships. The second timeline is about Daphne Chaudanson, who represented the many women who were undercover special operatives during World War II. 

I really felt for both characters and the many tragic and difficult experiences they faced. The author made me care about both women, and I wanted the best for each of them. 

This book really shined as an audiobook because both narrators did an excellent job telling their stories. 

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction books. You won’t be disappointed! 

Thank you to Valentine PR for this ARC of Tempting Promises by Corinne Michaels. All opinions are my own. 

I’ve read some of Corinne’s previous books and really liked them. While I haven’t read the first two books in the Whitlock Family series, I still enjoyed this book. 

This story had entertaining characters that didn’t always get along but really loved each other. I loved seeing how the Whitlock brothers interacted with each other and their families. 

The tension between Charlotte and Rowan was so good, and they both had so much passion for each other and their jobs and hobbies. 

This book is spicier than some of her other books I’ve read, so I did end up skimming those parts just because I’m not a fan of that much spice. If you like spice, then you’ll love this book. 

Even though I haven’t read the other books in this series, this book alone made me love these characters, and I definitely could see myself going back to read the first two books. 

There were so many scenes filled with sexual tension, but my favorite scenes were the ones where Rowan was being super sweet and thoughtful. While he was good at trying to hide those parts of himself, he really was such a kind and thoughtful friend. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this story and would definitely recommend this book to those that like fun and spicy romances. 

Thank you to Bethany House Fiction for this ARC of A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure by Angela Bell. All opinions are my own. 

What an excellent debut! This book is an absolute delight with a menagerie of animals, an adventurous European scavenger hunt, and a delightful cast of characters. It’s also a faith-filled story that is heartwarming and full of character growth. 

There were so many fun elements to this story. The number of different animals and all the sticky situations they found themselves in was hilarious. Mrs. Stanton, the protagonist’s mother, was so endearing, and I loved her care for all animals and for everyone she encountered. She was also super protective and full of wisdom. I really enjoyed all her interactions with Clara (the protagonist) and Arthur (the apprentice/love interest). 

Both Clara and Arthur were interesting characters. I loved their interactions and how much each of them grew throughout the story. While I do think Clara was pretty mean to Arthur to start with, I did understand why she acted that way. Arthur was so patient towards her, and I found him to be so charming. 

Grand (Clara’s grandfather) was so sweet and quirky. I loved how he cared for everyone and didn’t pass unfair judgments on people. The scavenger hunt he set up was so fun and interesting. He was such a brilliant inventor, and I looked forward to learning about each of his creations. 

One thing I really appreciated about this story was how the author included faith naturally throughout the book. Some of the characters had such strong faith and were amazing mentors to the younger characters. I loved seeing how the characters grew in their faith throughout the story. 

Overall, this book was such a great read. I highly recommend it, especially if you enjoy historical fiction stories set in 1860s Europe. It’s full of adventure, family, and a slow burn romance.