July-September Round-Up

Here it is, the end of another quarter! I have to say, my round-up posts have become some of my favorite posts to write, because I love looking back at the past three months and remember all the books I read and just what I loved about them. This quarter, I’ve read a decent number of books, even though it isn’t quite as many as I’ve read in the past. Despite that, I’ve read a bunch of fantastic novels, and I’m excited to share them with you!

My Bookshelf: Twilight at Blueberry Barrens by Colleen Coble

“I need you to keep these girls safe…”

Kate Mason has devoted herself to caring for her family’s blueberry barrens. But after her fields stop producing fruit, she’s forced to come up with alternative ways to make a living.

Renting out the small cottage on her property seems and obvious choice, but it won’t be enough. When entrepreneur Drake Newham shows up looking not only for a place to rent but also for a nanny for his two nieces, it’s almost too good to be true. And maybe it is—because Drake brings with him dangerous questions about who might be out to kill his family.

The more time Kate spends with Drake and the girls, the more difficult it becomes to hide her attraction to him. But a family crisis isn’t exactly the ideal time to pursue a romance.

Meanwhile, Kate learns that her uncle—in prison for murder—has escaped. Add to that a local stalker who won’t leave her alone, and Kate is looking over her shoulder at every turn. With threats swirling from multiple directions, she wonders if her blueberry fields will ever flourish again…or if this twilight is her last.

Top Ten Tuesday: Fall Reads

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is all about books that are on my fall TBR! I love this topic, because I always enjoy talking about books I’m looking forward to reading, and I’ve got some great books on my list for the next couple of months! So, let me tell you all about the books I’m dying to read!

Must-Have October Releases + A Linkup

I can’t believe it’s almost October already! This year just seems to be flying by, and now I find myself counting down the days to my birthday, even though I feel like my last birthday was just days ago! The best part about this month is that there are TONS of fantastic books coming out, and since it’s my birthday month, I deserve to purchase as many of them as I want. I mean, it is my birthday, after all. And these are quite a few books that I just have to have. So, let me tell you all about them! Oh, and as always, if you want to see any of my full reviews of some of the already-released books I mention, just click on the coral colored titles!

The Measure of a Lady by Deeanne Gist

Rachel Van Buren arrives in Gold Rush San Francisco with two wishes: to protect her younger siblings and to return east as soon as possible. Both goals prove more difficult than she could imagine as her brother and sister are lured by the city’s dangerous freedom and a missionary-turned-gambler stakes a claim on her heart. Rachel won’t give up without a fight though, and soon all will learn an eloquent but humorous lesson about what truly makes a lady.

Speak Politely. Even when you’re the only respectable woman around, protesting the decadence of a city lost to gold fever.

Dress Modestly. Wear you sunbonnet at all times. Ensure nobody sees your work boots muddied by the San Francisco streets.

Remain Devoted to Family. Protect your siblings from the lures of the city, even against their wishes.

Stand Above Reproach. Most difficult when a wonderful man turns out to be a saloon owner.

Rise Above Temptation. No, not even just a little kiss…

When these rules become increasingly difficult to uphold, can Rachel Van Buren remain a beacon of virtue in a city of vice?

My Bookshelf: Just a Kiss by Denise Hunter

Riley Callahan’s plans to reveal his secret feelings for his best friend are ruined when his life is drastically altered in Afghanistan.

Watching the love of his life falling for his brother was enough to send Riley straight to boot camp. But over a year later, he’s officially a marine, and Beau and Paige are no longer an item. When Riley’s tour in Afghanistan is up, he intends to confess his feelings to Paige and win his best friend’s heart once and for all.

But all that changes when an IED takes the life of a comrade and leaves Riley an amputee. Now he’s heading home, injured and troubled. His plans to win Paige are a distant dream. She deserves so much more than the man that’s left. All he can do now is put some healthy distance between them. But upon his return he discovers his family has arranged for him to stay with Paige.

Paige is a nurturer at heart and happy to take care of her best buddy. By all appearances he’s adjusting miraculously well to his disability. But as the days pass, Paige begins to see that the smiles and laughter are just a mask for the pain he’s hiding. He has nightmares and mood swings, and his unwavering independence keeps him from accepting help from anyone, including her. To make matters worse, her job is in serious jeopardy. The animal shelter that she’s poured her heart into has lost its funding, and she has three months to come up with the money needed to save it.

As the weeks wear on with the two in such close proximity, Paige’s feelings for Riley begin to shift into unchartered territory. Why is she suddenly noticing his corded arm muscles and the way his lips curl at the corners? Will she be able to deny her feelings for another Callahan brother? And will Riley let his heart heal so he can let Paige in?

Top Ten Tuesday: Last Lines

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is actually about all things audio, but I have some unfinished business I have to attend to. A couple of weeks ago I posted a First Lines post, which was all about the first lines of some of my favorite books on my bookshelf. Not long after I wrote that post, I got the wonderful idea to write another, only with one little variation. I wanted to list the last lines instead of the first. So, as soon as I found a TTT topic I wasn’t completely in love with, I decided to write my Last Lines post in its place. So, here we are! I hope you enjoy!

Thoughts on Anxiety + A Linkup

This post is a little bit all over the place, but as I didn’t have anything else on the agenda, I thought I would share some of the thoughts I’ve been having this past weekend. I just got back from a week-long trip to the beach Saturday afternoon, and I’ve been absolutely dreading going back to reality. In a way, I’ve already had to since I’ve had homework to do, but I’m really hating the fact that my somewhat hectic schedule picks back up today. Anyway, one of my homework assignments was on a few verses from Philippians 4, including the verse commanding us not to be anxious about anything, and that hit me hard. I am a terrible worrier, and I’m constantly fretting over homework assignments, and my lack of time to get things done, and how my money seems to disappear before I’ve even made it, but that isn’t how God wants me to be.

My Bookshelf: God Bless Us Every One by Eva Marie Everson

Charlene Dixon—called Charlie by family and friends—is devastated at the recent loss of her job. For the last five years, the twenty-seven-year-old has blossomed as the activities director of an exclusive all-girls school. But when a misunderstanding with the headmistress leads to a pink slip right before the holidays, Charlie packs up her dreams and returns to her grandmother, Sis, who raised Charlie as her own in the mountains of North Carolina.

When Charlie arrives—broken and confused—Sis immediately puts her granddaughter to work behind the scenes of the local school’s Christmas play, A Christmas Carol. Charlie doesn’t always like working with Dustin Kennedy, the drama teacher, but Sis encourages her to take a deeper look at why the book by Charles Dickens had been written in the first place and what it could teach Charlie about the needs of people in their own community.

God Bless Us Every One is the first book I’ve ever read by Eva Marie Everson, and I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed this cute little novella very much, especially since it was set at Christmastime. I loved how there were excerpts of A Christmas Carol at the beginning of each chapter, as it was super cute and it really tied together that whole theme of the story. Christmas is my favorite time of year, and I absolutely love Charles Dickens, so that made this story all that much more lovable to me.

Charlene—Charlie—Dixon is a wonderful character who seems to be doing well despite her somewhat troubled past, until the loss of her job sends her back home to her Grandmother, whom she calls Sis. Though she loves her hometown, the surprising return of two people from her past—one loved, the other unforgiven—turns her already spinning world upside down. It will take the help of her grandma, a few old friends, and an old Charles Dickens novel to help Charlie see just what life—and Christmas—is all about.

All in all, I really enjoyed this novella, although there were just a couple of things that bothered me about it. Charlie’s story with Dustin developed just a bit too quickly for me, while the rest of the book moved somewhat slowly. I know there’s only so much you can put into a novella, but I just wish where would have been a little bit more going on. Other than that though, I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to reading more of Eva’s novels in the future!

Happy reading!

I received a copy of this book through the Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for only my honest review.

To see where I’m linking up, check out my Where I Party page.

All credit for the italicized synopsis goes to Eva Marie Everson and Abingdon Press.

My Bookshelf: A Lady Unrivaled by Roseanna M. White

Lady Ella Myerston can always find a reason to smile—even if it’s just in hope that tomorrow will be better than today. All her life everyone has tried to protect her from the realities of the world, but Ella knows very well the danger that has haunted her brother and their friend, and she won’t wait for it to strike again. She intends to take action…and if that happens to involve an adventurous trip to the Cotswolds, then so much the better.

Lord Cayton has already broken two hearts, including that of his first wife, who died before he could convince himself to love her. Now he’s determined to live a better life. But that proves complicated when old friends arrive on the scene and try to threaten him into a life of crime. He does his best to remove the intriguing Lady Ella from danger, but the stubborn girl won’t budge. How else can he redeem himself, though, but by saving her—and his daughter—from those dangerous people who seem ready to destroy them all?

Top Ten Tuesday: All Time Favorites

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is all about my all-time favorite books of whatever genre I choose! Since I mostly only read Christian Fiction, I decided that would be the genre I would talk about today, and I didn’t do a thing to try to slim down this topic. I just went to my all-time favorites list on Goodreads and went through it looking for books I absolutely LOVED, and then narrowed them down once I had a good list by remembering just what I thought about each book when I read it. Somehow it worked as I only have ten books on this list, and I can confidently say they are most likely ten of my absolute most favorite books. Check them out!

Whispers of the Bayou by Mindy Starns Clark + A Linkup

What mysteries lie hidden beside the dark water of the Bayou?

Swept away from Louisiana Bayou country as a child, Miranda Miller is a woman without a past. She has a husband and a child of her own and a fulfilling job in a Manhattan museum, but she also has questions—about the tragedy that cut her off from family and caused her to be sent away, and about those first five years that were erased from her memory entirely.

Summoned to the bedside of Willy Pedreaux, the old caretaker of her grandparents’ antebellum estate, Miranda goes back for the first time, hoping to learn the truths of her past and receive her rightful inheritance. But Willy’s premature death plunges Miranda into a nightmare of buried secrets, priceless treasure, and unknown enemies.

Follow one woman’s search through the hidden rooms of a bayou mansion, the enigmatic snares of an ancient myth, and the all-consuming quest for a heart open enough for love—and for God.

Currently—September

It’s September!!! That means fall weather is right around the corner, and I’m so excited! Now that football season has started I’m ready for all the cool fall breezes and leaves and fall decorations and everything that has to do with my favorite season of the year. Right now, it’s still pretty hot here, but I’m hopeful it’ll cool down soon! Now let me get to what I’m currently up to!

My Bookshelf: The Wedding Shop by Rachel Hauck

Two women separated by decades. Both set out to help others find their dreams when their own have crumbled.

It’s the early 1930s, but Cora Scott is walking in stride as a career woman after having inherited her great aunt’s wedding shop in Heart’s Bend, Tennessee, where brides come from as far away as Birmingham to experience her famed bridal treatment. Meanwhile, Cora is counting down the days until her own true love returns from the river to make her his bride. But days turn into months and months to years. All the while, Birch Good continues to woo Cora and try to show her that while he is solid and dependable, he can sweep her off her feet.

More than eighty years later, former Air Force Captain Haley Morgan has returned home to Heart’s Bend after finishing her commitment to military service. After the devastating death of her best friend, Tammy, and discovering the truth about the man she loved, Haley is searching for her place in life.

When Haley decides to reopen the romantic but abandoned wedding shop where she and Tammy played and dreamed as children, she begins a journey of courage, mystery, and love.

As Cora’s and Haley’s stories intertwine through time in the shadow of the beloved wedding shop, they both discover the power of their own dreams and the magic of everyday love.

Top Ten Tuesday: Time for TV!

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday is all about TV! It’s an open-ended theme, just so long as your topic has something to do with television, so I’m writing my post about book series I wish were also TV series! I could list so many books or series that I wish were either shows or movies, but I’ve somehow managed to narrow my list down to just ten series. Also, I would have added the all of the Baxter Family series but they’re already being turned into a TV show, and I’m so excited!! Anyway, I figured since that one’s already in the works I would mention some that aren’t but should be.

August Numbers and September Goals + A Linkup

It’s August!! And this first Monday of the month, I’ve decided to start a new tradition! I’m creating my own idea from some inspiration I got from Becky from byBMG and posting all about some of the things I’ve been up to over the past month and some of my goals for this one. So let’s get started!

My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade

Kate Donovan is burned out on work, worn down by her dating relationships, and in need of an adventure. When her grandmother asks her to accompany her to Redbud, Pennsylvania, to restore the grand old house she grew up in, Kate jumps at the chance.

Upon her arrival in Redbud, Kate meets Matt Jarreau, the man hired to renovate the house. Kate can’t help being attracted to him, drawn by both his good looks and something else she can’t quite put her finger on. He’s clearly wounded—hiding from people, from God, and from his past. Yet Kate sets her stubborn heart on bringing him out of the dark and back into the light…whether he likes it or not.

When the stilted, uncomfortable interactions between Kate and Matt slowly shift into something more, is God finally answering the longing of her heart? Or will Kate be required to give up more than she ever dreamed?