Alexandra's Appeal: A Christian Romance (Dixon Brothers Book 3) by Hallee Bridgeman

 I was very excited to be part of the launch team for this book. I have never been disappointed in any book I've read by Hallee Bridgeman. This book was no exception.

It is the 3rd book in the series. I have only read the second book before reading this one, but that really doesn't matter as this can be a stand-alone book also.

The characters were very well developed and the story flowed well. You met characters from the previous books but they only add to the story, not make you depend on reading any of the previous books, though you would enjoy reading them also.

The story flowed well and had a unique twist in a Christian book. It is a good, clean story showing belief in God but not preachy.

The book I read was an advanced copy so I will not comment on the editing, it was still going through one more and that should fix the few problems I saw.

I would recommend this book to anyone that likes a contemporary romance that is well written and clean.

I give this book a 4 our of 5-star rating.

Pearl in the Sand by Tessa Afshar

 I requested and was granted a copy of this book through Netgalley.  This review is not required and is my own, unbiased opinion.

When I started reading this book, I kept thinking I had already read it. I then realized I had and that this is a revised version of the original book. I had read the original so many years ago I cannot tell you what the revisions are but, I did truly enjoy the book. I have always enjoyed anything by Tessa Afshar.

The book is a fictionalization of the Biblical account of Rahab, the harlot. Since she was from Jericho and married an Israelite we can assume she converted. She is also in the lineage of Jesus.

The story was very well written and all the characters were very well developed.  It was a believable account of how it might have happened. 

The editing of the book was very well done as well. That makes reading more enjoyable.

I would recommend this book to my friends.

Otherwise Engaged by Joanna Barker

 This was a light-hearted Christian romance, light on the Christian. It was entertaining and I enjoyed reading it very much. 

It was a good, clean read and not at all preachy. It flowed well, and the characters were pleasingly developed and mostly realistic.

I had not read anything by Joanna Barker previously and look forward to her next book.

I received this book through Netgalley in exchange for my own, honest review. 

Something Worth Doing by Jane Kirkpatrick

This book is a fictionalized biography of the suffragist Abigail (Jenny) Scott Duniway. She was on a wagon train from Illinois to Oregon in the 1800s. Her mother died and she had a great influence on Abigail. 

I enjoyed the first half to three-quarters of the book, but after that, it just seemed to run on and on. It didn't seem to change very much and I felt that a lot of the book could have easily been eliminated. A lot of it felt more like a history book of details and not truly a story.

The main character, Jenny, seemed like a very self-centered person. Her whole goal in life was to make women equal to men. This isn't a bad goal, but it seemed like it was put above everything, including her family.

The characters, in general, were not deeply developed. Abigail/Jenny was more developed than the others but even her character seemed shallow.

I thought this was going to be a Christian book since Revell is the publisher. I would not call it a Christian book at all. In fact, I was totally offended by Abigail continually saying "Holy cow chips". Only God is holy. Pray or church was rarely mentioned and I would not consider Abigail to be a Christian by the way she was developed in the story. This is my opinion and others may not feel this way at all.

Overall I would give this a 3 out of 5-star rating. I probably would not recommend it to anyone unless they were wanting to learn more of the Northwest's suffragist movement.

I was given this book to read and review through the Revell Reads Blog program. This opinion is fully my own opinion.

The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox

 I was excited to receive this book to read and review. I had not read anything by Ms. Cox so I wasn't sure what to expect. Not only did I enjoy the book, I  enjoyed the book very much.

The main characters were very well developed. Ivy is trying to figure out her life and her past, Harvey is trying to overcome his past. The other supporting characters were very well defined as well.

This book jumps back and forth in time, but it is not in an annoying way, it works very well. This book is one I did not want to put down and one that I also was sad to see come to an end. 

This book is a Christian book, but not in a preachy way. Two of the characters are a pastor of the church and his wife this book shows that we are all sinners and have our faults. I felt that the book shows the importance of leaning on your faith to help you in your everyday life. 

The editing of this book was also very well done. I did not notice any errors at all.

My review is totally my own, unbiased opinion and the book was given to me in return for an honest review. I would recommend this book to my friends. I give this book a 5 out of 5 star review and am looking forward to more books by Amanda Cox.

The Shopkeeper's Widow by Izzy James

 

About the Book

Book:  The Shopkeeper’s Widow

Author: Izzy James

Genre:  Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: August 21, 2020

Delany Fleet, a widowed former indentured servant living in the colonial port of Norfolk, Virginia, dreams of having an estate of her own where she will never have to compromise her freedom.

When the only man she ever loved shows up with a load of smuggled firearms, Delany is forced to leave her home and her livelihood to protect her family and property from Lord Dunmore’s raids and the conniving plots of a man who claims to be her friend.

Now, with her destiny forever altered, Delany must find a new way to happiness. Can reconnecting with her husband’s family and a former love be the path that God has for her?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 My Review:

I loved this book. I felt like the characters were very well developed. Delaney is the shopkeeper's widow and she is trying to determine her place in the world. She does own the shop now but was also an indentured servant when she was a child so her place in society is limited, at least in her own mind.

Field is the other main character. He is the son of wealthy landowners and his place in society is established. Delaney has had a crush on Field since she was a child but Field didn't see her that way.

The other lesser characters were also well developed. Delaney's family by marriage, the man that does want to marry her and the villains are all well portrayed.

Delaney has to decide if she will stay in town and run her shop or if she will go to live in her country home when the British start to take over her town. Field is trying to smuggle things to his father and wants Delaney's help. Will she help him?

This is a Christian book and very well done. I enjoyed how faith is portrayed in the book and I did not find it preachy. It is also historical fiction and that was also very well done. I felt like it was a very good representation of the times.

My biggest disappointment was that it ended too soon, too abruptly. I have never read a book by Izzy James before and I hope this is not the last book of her's that I read. I would recommend this book to my friends. I give it a 5 out of 5-star rating. I received a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. This was given to me through Celebrate-Lit. 

 

 

About the Author

Izzy James grew up surrounded by history and story in coastal Virginia. She still lives there with her fabulous husband in a house brimming with books.

 

 

 

 

 

 

More from Izzy

Hello! My name is Izzy James. My new book is The Shopkeeper’s Widow. It’s about freedom and second chances. I learned quite a bit of history while researching and writing this book. Did you know that the first showers began to appear in the early 1760’s? I gave Delany one of them in Shopkeeper’s just for fun. It is not likely she would have had a shower at that time, but it is fiction and as such I thought it would be a fun detail to add. We do know that some people did rig up for themselves a semblance of a daily shower by using a bucket full of water suspended above them.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 29

Inklings and notions, August 30

Texas Book-aholic, August 31

For Him and My Family, September 1

lakesidelivingsite, September 1

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 2

Artistic Nobody, September 3 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

deb’s Book Review, September 3

Connie’s History Classroom, September 4

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, September 5

Jeanette’s Thoughts, September 5

Ashley’s Bookshelf, September 6

Connect in Fiction, September 7

Batya’s Bits, September 8

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 9

The Book Chic Blog, September 9

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, September 10

Musings of a Sassy Bookish Mama, September 10

HookMeInABook, September 11

Books I’ve Read, September 11

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Izzy is giving away the grand prize package of a a book, a can of tea and an Ingenuitea teapot!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/fff4/the-shopkeeper-s-widow-celebration-tour-giveaway

The Sea Before Us by Sarah Sundin

 I truly enjoyed this book. I read the series out of order and ended up reading this last. That meant I knew a lot of what was going to happen, but I still wished the book would have continued for a bit more.

I have always enjoyed reading Sarah Sundin books and this was no exception. They are Christian books, teaching things without being pushy. This book followed that pattern well.

The main characters were very well developed and the story flowed well. The editing was very well done.

I give this book a solid 4 out of 5 star rating and would recommend this to my friends.