BLOG, Celebrate Lit Publishers, Favorite, Kindle, Purchase

Robbing the Races by Tabitha Bouldin Review and Giveaway

August 24, 2023 Babbling Becky L

First, I want to apologize for being late with this post! An unavoidable health crisis led to a short hospital stint while the Drs diagnosed an ongoing health issue. All good. So… we’re off to the races!!

About the Book

Book: Robbing the Races

Author: Tabitha Bouldin

Genre: ChristianHistorical Mystery, Fairytale retelling

Release Date: July 4, 2023

The Legend of Locksley might just get Robin and Marian killed.

Robin Locke’s career as a jockey is far more successful than he ever expected. When a groom is found dead in the stables, Robin sets out to right the wrongs of Locksley. Unfortunately, Robin’s rival is dead set on proving him guilty!

Marian Silvers sets out to find a once in a lifetime story that will ensure her career as a reporter withstands the masochistic attitudes of the paper where she works. As she and Robin dig into the groom’s murder, she finds another side to the legend of Locksley…a side he would prefer stay hidden forever.

While the murderer wreaks havoc in their small town, Marian and Robin find that all is not as it seems. And then they become the next targets. They just need to evade the killer long enough to bring him to justice… and perhaps find love along the way.

This 1940s Robin Hood retelling features swapped character roles and a race against the clock

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Tabitha Bouldinis a student at Southern New Hampshire University, where she is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s in Creative Writing. As a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), she works with critique groups and provides endorsements for other authors. Tabitha’s genre of choice is Contemporary Christian Romance which she describes as: Adventure with heart. Tabitha spent ten years working as a Medical Assistant before God opened the door which allowed her to become a stay-at-home-homeschooling-mom and author.

More from Tabitha

As a kid who grew up with Disney films, the Robin Hood cartoon fascinated me. I wanted to know what made Robin Hood such a cavalier thief. I understood his mindset of “steal from the rich and give to the poor” but why did he need to steal?

My uncle David had a saying for years. He’d say, “Steal from Peter to pay Paul and David stays broke.” What he meant was, no matter how hard he tried, he never managed to get ahead in life. Uncle David had a saying for everything and they always made sense in a convoluted sort of way.

In Robbing the Races, I didn’t want to try and persuade Robin that he had a right to steal, I wanted him to have a reason to think it was okay, then show him otherwise. I love heroes who need a little nudge back onto the straight and narrow. Robin sees families suffering, and when he can’t provide for them himself and he sees others who have an excess of money, he decides to take it to help the less fortunate.

Kind of like the two wrongs don’t make a right, Robin learns that his version of justice might help for a moment but that does not excuse his actions. He’s still wrong.

Robin is not the most forgiving character, but he was certainly fun to work with.

My Impressions

“I am the arrow of justice. Fired from the bow of truth.”

These 1940 fairytale retellings by Celebrate Lit publishers are really growing on me. Since I’ve always enjoyed Robin Hood, I had to get Tabiha Bouldin’s Robbing the Races. First, I have to say, you gotta love Robin with his love for reading!! Robin is racehorse jockey who must overcome an unsavory past to support his family and become the man God would have him be. But can he do both at the same time, or are some habits too deeply ingrained?

Then there’s Marian, a woman reporter, trying to break the glass ceiling in a man’s world of newspaper reporting. When she finds the story of a lifetime, will she share it, and lose a fledgling trust and love, or will she follow God and her heart?

It is fun to see how Bouldin uses and reassigns the Robin Hood characters to different personalities and places in this more modern tale. Bouldin builds up the suspense about Robin’s past until I am almost begging to be told! There is plenty of distrust and misadventure between the basic “good side” vs “ bad side,” but of course, with a very fresh horse-racing track.

I love the way Bouldin writes, as well. It’s just fun, and sometimes I had to stop to appreciate a sentence or two. “The truth of her statement chased the fear into the shadows and held it there, cowering.” or

“The panic turned to fury, the woman’s voice dropping to a tone colder than death.”

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Money and pride do not make the world turn. They bring you to your knees.”

“Man’s need for money drove them to the depths of depravity.”

“Don’t let them see your fear. Hold your head high, darling. Don’t let them shuffle you around like last week’s news.”

“How did a story with such pain and long-reaching heartache get told in less than a minute? Shouldn’t it take days to reveal?”

“Does a person ever truly get a fresh start?” “Only with God. The rest of us just try and forget.”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent!! Tabitha Bouldin’s books demanding room for thenmselves in my busy reading schedule!!

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 23

Texas Book-aholic, August 24

By the Book, August 25

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, August 26

Holly’s Book Corner, August 26

Connie’s History Classroom, August 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 28

The Book Club Network, August 29

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 30

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 31

Book Looks by Lisa, September 1

She Lives to Read, September 1

Blogging With Carol, September 2

Lily’s Book Reviews, September 3

Simple Harvest Reads, September 4 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

For Him and My Family, September 5

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Tabitha is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

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/27780/robbing-the-races-celebration-tour-giveaway

ARC, Biblical Fiction, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Publishers, Favorite, Kindle, Purchase

She’erah’s Legacy by Naomi Craig

August 13, 2023 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: She’erah’s Legacy

Series: Yahweh’s Legacy, #3

Author: Naomi Craig

Genre: Biblical Fiction

Releases: Aug 15, 2023

As tragedy ravages the camp, can She’erah step up and complete the outpost?

She’erah is a woman trying to leave her mark in a man’s world. Her vision and ability surpasses her father’s, yet she remains second-in-command as they are tasked to build Pharaoh’s outposts in Canaan. She knows she is worthy of the task, but her clan is skeptical.

The last place She’erah expects support is from her charioteer, but Lateef is the lone voice of encouragement. His integrity and steadfastness is a plumb-line in She’erah’s life and she can no longer deny her growing feelings for him.

Acts of sabotage threaten the construction and the shaky foundation of She’erah’s pride. It’s up to She’erah to break generations of rivalry, distrust, and jealousy—if she can learn to rely on the strengths and abilities of those around her to help.

Will she learn to trust God and others before her life’s legacy comes crumbling down around her?

Get your book here:

About the Author

Stories of Belonging

Download your free novella at http://www.naomicraig.com

Naomi writes Historical Fiction set in Bible times.

She lives in a small town in the south-eastern mountains of Arizona

She is an avid reader, Pastor’s wife, and homeschool mom.

Naomi co-hosts the #BehindTheStory Author Interview Show over on youtube, and Biblical Fiction Aficionados Facebook Group.

My Impressions

“Wasn’t that just like Elohim? A juxtaposition of strength and gentleness, judgement and compassion, that compelled His people to Him.”

A woman builder in the time of the patriarchs? (I’d never noticed!) Women are mentioned rarely in Biblical genealogies, but when they are, you can be sure they were significant. While there is only one verse in the Bible that mentions She’erah, Naomi Craig does a masterful job of imagining what her life may have been like in her novel, She’erah’s Legacy.

I loved how Craig shows us that family issues that began with Esau and Jacob kept repeating through the generations. How sad that this is so often true even in today’s world, and what consequences it brings to Ephraim’s family as well. Now I am rewriting the story in my head, what-“ifing”: the story might have gone so differently if Manasseh and Ephraim had a better relationship.

She’erah has a highly intelligent mind and a very exacting plan for the towns she builds. Unfortunately, she fails to remember that just as she excels in this area, she equally needs her team who have strengths she doesn’t, and no one needs a micromanager.

Equality. Quite the buzz word all around in this book. Between male and female. Between siblings. Between workers. Between free and slaves. She’erah thinks she practices equality, and does so admirably in some instances. Like most of us, she has a few blind spots that only the Lord can smooth out. Sometimes He uses Lateef, sometimes her brother, but even sometimes those like Aleph who are in opposition against her.

So many scenes to love in this book! One of my faves is when She’erah discovers that she, in fact, decides to make Elohim her personal God. “Speak to me. Let the truth of Your promises penetrate my being. You have been the God of my family, but this day I choose You as my God. “

This novel has it all. Romance, family issues, work issues, equality, psychology, drama and intrigue, plus a ton of Biblical TRUTH for living !

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. I also bought a copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“I would ask nothing from you but that you live in wisdom and integrity. That your work ethic is as strong as your wills.”

“The mind doesn’t have any bearing over who the heart will choose.”…“The heart is the plumb line that squares you up to the one your soul chooses, not the mind.”

“He was a plumb line holding her straight and true.”

“Anything the Lord asks of you will have opposition. But if He is in it, all the pain and enduring that happens before you see it come to fruition is put there to reach His end.”

“Look up…Elohim is not dethroned because you took your eyes off Him.”

“The family of Joseph does not succumb to trials.” “When we are hindered, we look up and trust that Elohim is still working His plan. Even if it means we don’t see the results for years upon years.”

“You are still learning something. Sometimes Elohim uses our messed-up areas to show us we need to rely on His greater plans.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! Loss, Love, Betrayal, and Surrender all wrapped in TRUTH!!

Now I must hurry back and pick up the two books that come before this, Rahab’s Courage and Ezekiel’s Song! Bound to be equally good!!

ARC, BLOG, Kindle, Purchase

The Visitor Catches a Bouquet by Marji Laine Review

August 9, 2023 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: The Visitor Catches a Bouquet

Series: The Visitor Mysteries

Author: Marji Laine

Genre: Christian, Mystery, Suspense

Releases: August 11, 2023

Click below to get your book!!

https://www.amazon.com/Visitor-Catches-Bouquet-Contemporary-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0BQX3M49Y

About the Author

Marji Laine is a graduated home-schooling mom of four with her twin girls staying in the nest for a little while longer. She and her hubby of thirty-five years also share their North Texas home with a rescue pup named Rosie and their daughter’s newest addition, a shepherd-husky mix named Anastasia.

When Marji isn’t editing or publishing the books for her authors at Write Integrity Press, she indulges in penning her own mystery, suspense, and romance novels. She can also be found supporting a local ministry with its publishing needs or helping other authors through her freelancing.

She loves acting in musical comedy, has directed many stage productions, leads a ladies’ Bible study, and sings alto in her church choir. She prefers mountains to beaches, dogs to cats, NASCAR to football, Tex-Mex, Magnolia pie, white roses, all shades of blue and green, and Hallmark Movies and Mysteries.

You can find her at her website: MarjiLaine.com

My Impressions

“I have decided that until this matter has been resolved in a satisfactory manner, we will postpone the wedding.”

Last in The Visitor series, The Visitor Catches A Bouquet by Marji Laine is a light mystery and quick read. The books can stand alone.

I appreciated Mackenzie Chastain and her aunt Connie. I like how they are kindred spirits. They are also independent, curious, must-get-to-the-bottom-of-the-matter people.

That said, I was very discouraged that Mac’s Grandmother was allowed to rule her life.

Grandma is not only controlling, but she’s mean. While Grandma is not physically active in the book, her attitudes and directives affect much of the book. When Mac’s fiancé is arrested for murder, Grandma doesn’t choose to support Mac and Eric. Why does Mac’s family not intervene?

I found the mystery picked up speed and had twists in the second half. For me, the book was as much about relationships with irregular people as it was about the whodunit.

I received a copy of the book from the author. I also bought a copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“I suppose you know that your idol is nothing more than a common convict this morning.”

“What you build up inside all of your life sometimes comes out at times like these.”

“His voice had all the charm of a television disclaimer and with a dose of gruffness and a scowl that spoke of irritable bowel syndrome.”

“We can’t judge her heart… God can forgive even a murderer who is repentant. Look at the Apostle Paul.”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Great! A fun, light mystery that focuses on family relationships.

Other books by Marji

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Publishers, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Purchase

Love Like No Other by Tabitha Bouldin

August 5, 2023 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Love Like No Other

Author: Tabitha Bouldin

Genre: Christian Contemporary Suspense

Release Date: June 27, 2023

Trying to overcome a past like hers might just help him overcome his.

Alicia Gray wants one thing: to prove her capabilities as a doctor. Maybe then she can escape the feeling that her mother’s abandonment was deserved. She’s never felt worthy and grew up in foster home after foster home, always being told that if she did better, if she was more amenable, she’d find her place. When she came to Suamalie, the last thing she expected to find was a man whose grumpy personality conflicted so piercingly with her sunshine demeanor.

Colin Tremblay was dishonorably discharged from his army medic position and sent home in disgrace after his twin brother stole from his clinic. Back on the islands, he’s bounced from job to job, never finding anything that satisfies him. To make matters worse, his twin niece and nephew convince him to spend his summer overseeing their camp activities while working alongside Little Miss Sunshine herself.

This grumpy versus sunshine romance is sure to send them both scrambling when Colin confronts Alicia’s need to please while she reminds Colin that not every bad day is a reason to run for the hills.

Take a trip to the Suamalie Islands where palm trees sway, the sand and sea pulse with life, and the people will steal your heart.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Tabitha Bouldin has a bachelor’s degree in creative writing/English from Southern New Hampshire University. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and started writing in 2015. When she’s not homeschooling her two boys, you’ll find her curled up with a book.

More from Tabitha

When it came time to write my Suamalie Island book, I knew it was time for me to head back to the place I love best. It was time to bring back the cowboys. Colin might not be a cowboy in his own mind, after all, he left the ranch and worked for years as an Army medic and wants nothing more than to help people as a way to make up for not being able to save his brother when he needed it most. Alicia, the island’s resident mobile doctor, feels the same way. You would think that these two would manage to get along since they both want the same thing. Not so. They disagreed on almost everything. From a personality perspective, they couldn’t be more different. Alicia is sunshine and rainbows to Colin’s storm clouds. The one thing they can agree on is helping others, and when things get tough, Colin is the one person who Alicia finds she can trust to follow through and not back down from the hard aspects life throws their way. And threaded through it all is Colin’s cowboy past and the heart that carried him across the battlefield and back to the islands he’s always called home.

My Impressions

“Was it wrong to be so agreeable? …to be a people pleaser?”

“Alone again. By his own choice. That’s what he wanted, wasn’t it?”

Alicia Gray is a young doctor who has escaped her background, determinedly becoming the most reliable person around. And cheerful. Miss Sunshine. Surely nothing about such a sweet, young thing could be amiss.

Now mix in a meeting and close working proximity with Mr. Negative, Colin Tremblay. Angry at God over a past that has twisted his future into hopelessness, Colin refuses to get close to anyone, whether family, friends, or beautiful doctors like Alicia Gray.

“Sparks flew up and away, tiny pinpricks of flame drifting in the wind. He felt like one of those flickers. There and gone, completely unnoticed by most and disappearing without leaving a mark on the world.” Interesting that the same fire that spiraled Colin into a depressed state caused Alicia to worship God. “The infinite possibilities. The vastness and immeasurability. I get shivers just thinking about it.” Life is more about how we react to circumstances than the circumstances themselves. Colin has yet to learn this, and that He needs God’s perspective on his life.

I loved how Bouldin includes a kids’ summer camp, two eight-yr-old twins, first aid, and hiking in the novel. Plus plenty of horses! And enough hurts that only the true Healer can cure.

If you like the opposites attract trope, smiley vs. grumpy, emotionally hurting kids, a slow-burn romance, then Love Like No Other is a book for you to check out!

I received a copy from Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own ebook. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“He was good at that. Casting shadows. Everywhere he went, the darkness prevailed.”

“It’s part of who we are to love so deeply that we hope even when we know that all hope has left us.”

“God is the only one who’s never left me, who’s loved me unconditionally.”

“No human is flawless. We’re born broken and only one thing can save us.”

“God was the God of second chances.”

“To be needed might be the greatest gift of all.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent! This novel resonated with me on several levels, which catapulted it into the “all the feels” category. People, finding their way, bumblingly, through life, finding Jesus to be the answer. Their life doesn’t get easier, but their attitudes change.

Blog Stops

The Book Club Network, July 28

Life, love, writing, July 28

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 29

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, July 30

Simple Harvest Reads, July 30 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 31

lakesidelivingsite, August 1

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, August 1

Texas Book-aholic, August 2

She Lives To Read, August 3

By the Book, August 4

Locks, Hooks and Books, August 5

Karen Baney Reviews, August 5

Babbling Becky L, August 6

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, August 7

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, August 8 (Author Interview)

Life on Chickadee Lane, August 8

Aryn the Libraryan, August 9

For Him and My Family, August 10

Batya’s Bits, August 10

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Tabitha is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

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/26d5a/love-like-no-other-celebration-tour-giveaway

BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, Purchase

A Mountain Too Steep by Robin Patchen Review and Giveaway

August 1, 2023 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: A Mountain Too Steep

Author: Robin Patchen

Genre: Women’s Fiction/Suspense

Release Date: July 18, 2023

A car accident that might not be an accident at all. A murderer bent on revenge. And a woman desperate to keep her family together.

She’s already lost her soul mate. She’ll do anything to protect her children.

For the sake of her kids, Camilla Wright managed to survive after her husband’s murder. When she’s awakened in the night with the news that her teenage son and nephew have been in a horrific car accident, she rushes to the hospital in a haze of shock and panic.

The boys were supposed to be skiing in the mountains east of Salt Lake City. What were they doing so far west? More alarming, the wreck might not have been an accident at all.

While Jeremy fights for his life, Camilla is running out of time to discover who lured her son and her nephew into the desert. With each new clue, the terrifying truth becomes clearer.

Her husband’s killers are closing in…

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Robin Patchen is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of Christian romantic suspense. She grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, the setting of her Nutfield Saga books, and then headed to Boston to earn a journalism degree. After college, working in marketing and public relations, she discovered how much she loathed the nine-to-five ball and chain. After relocating to the Southwest, she started writing her first novel while she homeschooled her three children. The novel was dreadful, but her passion for storytelling didn’t wane. Thankfully, as her children grew, so did her writing ability. Now that her kids are adults, she has more time to play with the lives of fictional heroes and heroines, wreaking havoc and working magic to give her characters happy endings. When she’s not writing, she’s editing or reading, proving that most of her life revolves around the twenty-six letters of the alphabet. Visit robinpatchen.com/subscribe to receive a free book and stay informed about Robin’s latest projects.

More from Robin

It was Monday, July 16, 2018, at about nine-thirty at night.

I was home with my husband and daughter, watching TV, when my sister called. Since my son was visiting her family in Utah, I rushed to pick up.

“Robin,” my sister said. “The boys have been in a terrible accident. They’re being life-flighted to Salt Lake City. They’re both alive. That’s all I know.”

My knees hit the floor. Then I was lying prone on my kitchen tile. Ninety-nine percent of me was thinking, Oh, God. Please, please…

Nine-tenths of one percent was thinking, Why am I on the floor?

And I’ll be honest. About one-tenth of a percent was thinking, When was the last time I mopped?

Such are the inner workings of a human mind in the midst of tragedy.

The next twelve hours were chaos. We needed to get from our Oklahoma home to Salt Lake as soon as possible. We found a flight that left at eight a.m. and booked it.

And then we waited.

While the minutes ticked past in slow motion, we got occasional updates on the boys’ condition. Joshua, my nephew, had a head injury and trauma to his gut.

Jacob, my son, had severe lung damage. Severe enough that, as soon as he arrived at the ER, they intubated him.

Both boys were transferred to the ICU and pronounced stable.

When my husband and I arrived the following morning, we saw Jacob. A tube down his throat. Tape across his face. Scrapes and cuts and bruises all over his upper body. One arm in a plaster cast from his biceps to his fingertips. Unconscious.

And then the hard part began.

The boys’ accident was such a unique and life-altering event in our lives. Watching a cherished child battle for his life, not knowing if he’ll win or lose, is like nothing you can imagine.

Or maybe you can. Maybe you’ve experienced something similar. People are in car accidents every single day. And motorcycle accidents. And other accidents.

And there are illness and addictions and mental health struggles. The list goes on and on.

If you’ve dealt with any of those, then your trauma was probably very different from ours. And yet, you and I could probably find a lot in common. The fear. The surreal moments. The pendulum swinging between hope and helplessness.

The constant litany of prayers.

We were fortunate. Our son and our nephew both survived and recovered. When we were on the other side, I knew I’d write about the experience someday.

And so…I did.

A Mountain Too Steep tells the story of two boys in a car accident in the middle of the Utah desert. The physical trauma the boys experienced is almost exactly what our boys endured.

The rest of the story is purely fictional, thank God. I like a little danger in my life—safe danger. Let’s leave the vengeful gang members in the realm of fiction, shall we?

I cried throughout the writing. And the editing. And the rereading. Even though five years have passed, the memories are still fresh.

Tears aside, I love this story. It’s about a woman whose husband was murdered, a widow who’s endured her own nightmare and who’ll do anything, anything, to protect her children.

I think you’re going to like it.

My Impressions

didn’t want goat feet. She didn’t want to scale mountains. She wanted a lush valley with tall grass and a pretty, meandering stream where she and her children would be safe. Was that too much to ask?”

What a soul-challenging book! A Mountain Too Steep by Robin Patchen is classified as Christian Women’s contemporary fiction with a side of mystery. Hmmm… How about romantic suspense, even though a marriage is involved?! From the opening paragraph, you know you’d better buckle your seat belt and hang on for dear life- because you’re in for the ride of your life!

Camilla Wright and her two children have suffered the loss of her husband and their father four years ago after he testified in a gang-related killing. Then, Jeremy, the 17-yr-old son and his cousin, are in a life-threatening car accident in the desert. When they were supposed to be in the mountains. Rev up for non-stop emotions, plus plenty of action!

I loved the realism. Many times Camilla realizes that this horrible new reality she’s been catapulted into, is too much for her. She’d like to curl up and give up, but then realizes that is not the choice she will make. She will continue the hard, tortuous journey, step by step, with God strengthening her as she goes. “Lord, help me go from strength to strength until I reach the end of this battle.”

Indeed, she finds hope in the fact that one day she will look out and see that she has crested the mountain. She knows where her power has to come from. “Scriptures she’d memorized over the years came back to her. She recited them silently, hanging onto God’s Word, the only solid thing in her life.”

I really couldn’t envision as I read how this terrifying mystery-light romance would end. Kudos for the way Patchen ties it together.

I also loved the way we learn about Daniel, the absent husband. Bit by bit we read his letters penned to his wife just before his death.

I also loved that though the viewpoint originally seems to place the failure of the marriage squarely on Daniel, slowly

Camilla surmises she contributed greatly to her marriage’s decline.

The ultimate underlying theme is doing the right thing, then trusting God with the results. So hard! We don’t always get the results we want.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Anybody who tells you sin isn’t fun is lying. It is. At least at first.”

“In repentance and rest is your salvation. In quietness and trust is your strength.”

“You, Miss Camilla, are a strong woman, not because you wield your own strength but because you know the One who strengthens you.”

“I was valued at work. I made a difference there. You didn’t need me. You managed our home with ease.”

“Jesus had carried her sins to the cross. She was meant to leave them there.”

“Justice matters. When we choose selfishness over justice, we’re lost as a community, as a society. Ultimately, I know my God is a God of justice. To deny justice is to deny Him.”

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magnificent! I just pre-ordered the next two Wright brothers novels, The Wright Heroes of Maine, books 1& 2, ( If they’re this powerful, I can’t afford to miss them!!)

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 24

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 25

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 25

Betti Mace, July 26

Texas Book-aholic, July 27

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 28

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, July 29

Blossoms and Blessings, July 29

The Book Club Network, July 30

Christina’s Corner, July 30

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, July 31

The Lit Lady, August 1

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, August 2

Lily’s Book Reviews, August 3

JESUS in the EVERYDAY, August 4

For Him and My Family, August 5

Books Less Travelled, August 5

Holly’s Book Corner, August 6

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Robin is giving away the grand prize package of a paperback copy of Vengeance in the Mist and a $75 Amazon gift card!!

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/26d50/a-mountain-too-steep-celebration-tour-giveaway

ARC, Barbour, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Kindle, NetGalley, PB, Purchase

Rebecca by Shannon McNear Review and Giveaway

July 26, 2023 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Rebecca

Author: Shannon McNear

Genre: Christian Fiction / Historical Romance

Release Date: July, 2023

A Native Princess Follows Her Heart

Immerse yourself in the “what if” questions related to the Lost Colony of Roanoke when a native princess meets an English widower.

Born the daughter of a Powhatan chieftain and a woman of unknown origins, Matoaka enjoys a carefree life. When strange men from across the eastern waters appear near her home, she regards them at first as a mere curiosity. Soon, though, she finds herself torn between friendship with one of their leaders and the opinions and politics of her elders. Drawn to a young Englishman, John Rolfe, who has lost a wife and baby daughter, she shares his griefs. . .and perhaps something more. Could she have a future among the English of Jamestown, accepting their ways and even changing her name? Could her fate be a part of the lasting legacy of the Lost Colony of Roanoke?

Author Shannon McNear portrays history with vivid authenticity.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Transplanted to North Dakota after more than two decades in Charleston, South Carolina, Shannon McNear loves losing herself in local history. She’s a military wife, mom of eight, mother-in-law of three, grammie of two, and a member of ACFW and RWA. Her first novella, Defending Truth in A Pioneer Christmas Collection, was a 2014 RITA® finalist. When she’s not sewing, researching, or leaking story from her fingertips, she enjoys being outdoors, basking in the beauty of the northern prairies. Connect with her at www.shannonmcnear.com, or on Facebook and Goodreads.

More from Shannon

Daughters of the Lost Colony—how are we at book 3 already? I’m both excited and nervous about this one, which features Pocahontas and the original Jamestown. Why did I choose her, and this place, when the overall series is about the Lost Colony?

Among their various other aims, the Jamestown colonists were charged with finding the Roanoke Colony. John Smith’s own reports reference this, and one can sense his discouragement and frustration over their inability to find answers on the fate of those who came to the New World before them. William Strachey, early secretary to the colony, stated that Powhatan (that is, the paramount chieftain often called by the same name as his people group) had slain the last known survivors of the Roanoke Colony. But nowhere is that claim substantiated.

There were no solid historical connections between the Lost Colony and Pocahontas—so I created a plausible fictional one in the form of Emme Merrimoth, a historically documented member of the Roanoke Colony who in book 1, Elinor, experienced the fictional adventure of being carried captive to the Powhatan nation. Where Strachey lists the names of the paramount chieftain’s favored wives, I put Emme in the place of the real-life Winganuske.

I knew the research would be challenging on this one. What I didn’t expect was to find Emme’s aspect of this story so compelling—or to fall in love with Wahunsenecawh, the great Powhatan himself. The name alone is intimidating, but you can find sound clips of how to pronounce it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Q_10PYf_0U and here: https://www.nameslook.com/wahunsenacawh/ (ignore the weird stuff and click on the little red arrows for different voices). There are at least five or six documented ways to spell it, and the one I picked is probably the most obscure. I had a year to get used to saying it, but repeat after me, slowly: wah-HUN-senacoh. Or wah-HOON-senacah, depending upon which rule you use for the U in Algonquian pronunciation, and how you interpret that “wh” at the end.

Names overall were an issue with this story. A few reviewers have already mentioned this difficulty. The thing is, in Native culture, especially what we know of the Eastern Algonquian-speaking peoples, a name wasn’t simply a casual identifier—it defined a person’s entire identity. We don’t know what most of the names recorded from that time meant, but we can be sure they weren’t chosen lightly, and they were valued by those who held them. Indeed, a change of name often accompanied a change of purpose. It has even been suggested that if the English had been paying attention, they’d have realized when Opechancanough changed his name shortly before the great attack of 1622, it signaled a critical shift in his attitude toward them.

So when you read this story, you may find it helpful to keep a finger in the cast list—or to place a bookmark on that page if you’re reading the Kindle version. Thank you so much, again, for taking this journey with me!

My Impressions

Rebecca, by Shannon McNear, is a very intellectual and scholarly novel of Pocahuntas, daughter of the highest Powhatan chief. McNear ties Rebecca to Roanoke and her Daughters of the Lost Colony by a rather surprising, seemingly unlikely, but possible connection. This book can be read as a stand-alone, but I am glad to have read Elinor and Mary first.

I found reading this novel challenging, but I was glad I persevered! The overall thought and story arc are beautiful! I must admit, McNear includes so many Native American names that are difficult to pronounce. The John Smith segment especially felt like reading a textbook rather than a novel. However, like assigned high school Shakespeare, one feels enlightened and much better informed afterwards. I was eager to find out the resolution to Pocahuntas’s decisions and the how relationship between the colony and the Natives would evolve.

I did appreciate how McNear alternates between the English POV and the Native POV. She does a great job making the reader feel sympathetic and understanding towards one way of thinking, than showing the reasonableness of the other view. Neither nation appeared totally good or bad, but rather as two opposing people grappling to find their way as they are suddenly in the same land.

The author notes before and after are extremely important to the understanding of this novel. Please don’t skip them!

The story of Jesus and His sacrifice is told very clearly and slowly as part of Pocahuntas’s religious education at Bermuda Hundred. It flowed very naturally as part of the story. I love Pocahuntas’s ( Rebecca’s) proclamation: “I have seen the spirits, but I have also seen your Christ, presenting Himself as the greatest of the spirits.”

Indeed, Rebecca realizes this is more than just a history of two nations sorting out ownership of a land. “Of a certainty, as she had suspected, this was more than one people sailing across yapám and making towns upon Tsenacomoco. It was one god supplanting another in a land where all had been settled for time out of mind.”

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. I also bought my own paperback copy for the keeper shelf. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Her real name—she had shared her real name with him. He knew the significance of such a thing.”

“It is my wish—my hope—to bring word of your Christ to my people, so they may also know. And perhaps it was for that very thing I was born and chosen.

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great!! It took quite a while to get into, but McNear has given me a much better understanding of the people of this time.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, July 27

Texas Book-aholic, July 28

Cover Lover Book Review, July 29

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 30

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 30

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 31

Alena Mentink, July 31

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 1

Connie’s History Classroom , August 2

For Him and My Family, August 3

Mary Hake, August 3

Holly’s Book Corner, August 4

Sylvan Musings, August 4

Tell Tale Book Reviews, August 5

Pause for Tales, August 6

Betti Mace, August 7

Books Less Travelled, August 7

To Everything There Is A Season, August 8

Lights in a Dark World, August 9

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Shannon is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon e-gift card and a copy of the book!!

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/26d59/rebecca-celebration-tour-giveaway

ARC, Barbour, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Favorite, Kindle, NetGalley, Purchase

Every Dog Has His Day by Janice Thompson Review and Giveaway

July 25, 2023 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: Every Dog Has His Day

Author: Janice Thompson

Genre: Christian Fiction / Cozy Mystery

Release Date: July, 2023

A Large Reward Is Offered for a Missing Dog

Kick back with your faithful companion and relax with a small-town mystery in book 5 of the Gone to the Dogs series.

Lone Star groomer, Isabel Fuentes, adopts a feisty rescued dachshund, and the two are inseparable. . .until Texans quarterback, Corey Wallis, announces a large reward for his missing female dachshund. Suddenly all of Houston are on the lookout for the MIA pooch that bares a strong resemblance to Isabel’s new pup. Isabel contacts Corey, but soon Ginger goes missing and Isabel is convinced Corey and his agent took her for a publicity stunt. Then there is a reporter who could be trying to manufacture a great story or a cameraman seeking the big reward. Can there be a happy ending for Ginger?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Janice Thompson, who lives in the Houston area, writes romantic comedies, cozy mysteries, nonfiction devotionals, and musical comedies for the stage. She is the mother of four daughters and nine feisty grandchildren. When she’s not writing books or taking care of foster dogs you’ll find her in the kitchen, baking up specialty cakes and cookies.

More from Janice

The Story Behind the Story

For years now, I’ve been in the dog rescue business. I’ve fostered close to 50 dogs—some from the local shelter, some from an amazing dog rescue organization called My Chi and Me, and some directly from the streets of Houston.

About a year ago, (around the same time I set out to write Every Dog Has His Day) I was given a tiny red dachshund to foster. If you know anything about me at all, you know that I’m head-over-heels in love with dachshunds, especially red ones. I had a female red dachshund named Sasha who lived with me for 15 years. She passed away in 2017, just after my mom died.

When this tiny red doxie came to stay at my house last year, I was tempted to keep her. But I’ve already got three dogs of my own. So, she went to my grandchildren, who live about 30 minutes away.

Here’s the fun part: I got to name her. I gave her the name Ginger because of her color. (Interesting irony: I’m allergic to ginger. Can’t touch the stuff!)

Now that she’s been in the family a year or so, she’s become my favorite grand-dog. Ginger stays with me a lot—when the family is vacationing, when she needs to socialize with my dogs, and when I’m lonely for her.

I love this little girl. She’s an absolute doll. Okay, she’s naughty as can be, but she’s a doll.

So, when I got ready to write Every Dog Has His Day, I decided to include Ginger as part of the story. Trust me when I say the real Ginger is a runner, just like the fictionalized one! If I opened the front door, she would run right out. And, just like the dog in the book, she probably wouldn’t come back.

Our Ginger doesn’t have a white patch on her paw. (Most doxies, other than dapples, are solid color.) But I needed to give my fictional Ginger a distinguishing mark so that the two characters (her rescuer and her owner) could end up squabbling over her.

As is the case in most of my stories, my characters end up romantically involved. Hey, dogs aren’t just great companions; they’re wonderful matchmakers, too! As of yet, the real Ginger hasn’t brought a love interest into my life. (Here’s hoping!)

I hope you enjoy Every Dog Has His Day. As you read about that tiny mischievous doxie, just know that she’s a very real little dog—one who climbed up on my kitchen island just yesterday and got into some carefully-wrapped treats I’d made for the grandkids.

Sometimes life really is stranger than fiction!

My Impressions

“Dogs were like that. They kidnapped pieces of our heart and kept them forever.”

Every Dog Has its Day by Janice Thompson may not be true-to-life, but it is a lot of fun and has all the elements that make me love it. Like its predecessors, Every Dog Has Its Day is clean, faith-based, set in a vet- combination rescue setting, and is hilarious. Plus, the book and series focus heavily on dogs and the people who love them. I’m in cozy heaven!

Isabel(Izzy) Fuentes narrates this book in first person POV. She is the clinic’s groomer, who fosters a lost dachshund. Trouble begins when the new pro quarterback in town , Corey Wallace, shows up to claim the dog, who isn’t microchipped and doesn’t like the man.

As the clinic-rescue gains notoriety for not releasing the pup to its alleged owner, can Isabel and Corey reach a compromise without harming the clinic’s reputation or clientele? As Corey and Isabel get to know each other, an attraction develops, but will their different social statuses stand in the way? Or an unforeseen crime?

I loved being back in Brenham, Texas with the Lone Star Clinic crew. One of the neat things about this series is that, while it focuses on one couple’s story, other couples from previous books are highlighted and their stories move forward nicely.

And Grandma Peach and Hector, her terror of a cat, are a hilarious big part of this novel, too. So much fun!

One of the neat elements of this book is the relationship between generations, related or not. I could feel the love oozing out from Carmela, every time she cooked and turned on the football game.

If you love hilarious animal-based cozies, don’t miss this book!

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit via NetGalley. I also bought my own ecopy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“I knew this side of him, the happy, healthy side. But I also knew the other side. . .and it scared me to death.”

“When you loved someone, you did everything you could to bless them.”

“It’s easy to be believable when you’re telling the truth.”

“Grief was a fickle friend. It left its mark. But it also bonded you with others who were walking through it as well.”

“That’s what you heard with your ears,” I said. “But it’s what you hear with your heart that matters.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magnificent!! Dogs, a rescue, a vet clinic, a humorous cozy with faith, I’d be hard-pressed not to like this one!

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, July 25

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, July 25

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, July 26

Bigreadersite, July 26

Tell Tale Book Reviews, July 27

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, July 28

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, July 28

Texas Book-aholic, July 29

Locks, Hooks and Books, July 30

Blogging With Carol, July 30

Cover Lover Book Review, July 31

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, August 1

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, August 2

Mary Hake, August 2

She Lives To Read, August 3

Lily’s Book Reviews, August 4

The Book Nook, August 4

For Him and My Family, August 5

Holly’s Book Corner, August 5

Splashes of Joy, August 6

Pause for Tales, August 7

Labor Not in Vain, August 7

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Janice is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

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/26d51/every-dog-has-his-day-celebration-tour-giveaway

ARC, BLOG, Favorite, Kindle, Kregel, NetGalley, PB, Purchase

Hero Debut by Angela Ruth Strong Review

July 23, 2023 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Title: Hero Debut

Series: Love Off Script, #2

Author: Angela Ruth Strong

Genre: Christian Rom-com

Releases: Aug 29, 2023

“Another sparkling feel-good romance, brimming with perfect doses of heart and heat!”– Bethany Turner, award-winning author of The Do-Over

Gemma Bennett is the leading lady of her own life, and her true love is writing screenplays. With her trusty pink notebook in hand, she signs up for the Citizen’s Safety Academy to research her newest blockbuster hope, a rom-com with a police officer as the hero. And the fact that the handsome and heroic Lieutenant Karson Zellner is the one leading the training? Well, who can blame her for wanting to spend evenings with the man she swooned over months ago when he responded to a call at her apartment?

Karson already has his fair share of problems before Gemma shows up, and he’s not exactly a fan of the ditzy blonde who can’t seem to stay out of trouble. The last thing he needs is a damsel in distress to rescue; there are plenty of people in real need of his help. The fact that she seems to think his job makes him a superhero is just one more strike against her. This isn’t a movie, and he feels like the furthest thing from a leading man.

Gemma can’t seem to stop doing the worst, most embarrassing things at just the wrong time. And as time goes on, Gemma begins to realize that the scripts for a perfect screenplay and a real-life happily-ever-after are two very different things. Can she step out of her own way to find the hero her story needs?

Click below to get your copy!

https://www.amazon.com/Hero-Debut-Novel-Angela-Strong/dp/0825447933

About the Author

Angela Ruth Strong sold her first romance novel in 2009, and her books have since earned TOP PICK in Romantic Times, been a finalist for the Christy, won the Cascade Award, and become Amazon bestsellers. Her book Finding Love in Big Sky released as a movie in 2022. To help aspiring authors, she started IDAhope Writers where she lives in Idaho, and she blogs for Inspy Romance and My Book Therapy. Get to know her even better at http://www.angelaruthstrong.com.

My Impressions

“He’d become my hero when he came to my house to protect me…Is what brought him to me also going to separate us?”

Strong knocks it out of the park with Hero Debut!! The sequel to her popular rom-com Husband Auditions, this novel tells the tale of Barbie-like Gemma Bennet. Gemma enters Citizen’s Safety Academy looking for her screenplay hero, but she learns a lot in her disappointing search. Will her hero eventually emerge? Will she be prepared, or will they both cling to baggage of their perceived emotional pasts that threatens to draw the curtain early? I loved the title with its double entendre.

Written in 1st person POV, alternating mostly between Gemma and Karson Zellner, we traipse through a few weeks in the happy, but incident-prone life of Gemma. You’ll laugh uproariously all the way through this faith-based rom-com that delivers serious truths. You will benefit from the lessons, whether single or married for many years.

I loved that Strong shows us that even the protagonists we are rooting for, are not perfect. Perceptions of the past affect relationships, and two people going through the same event can experience it differently. Bravo for pointing that out!

Gemma’s roommates Kai and Charlie are present as a great foil, as are some special children. Then there’s Karson’s jovial former partner, Drew Harris. “He’s his own spotlight.”

Chock-full of quotes I will remember for a long time and pop references aplenty, I appreciated Strong’s outlook on life and even the rom-com category. She set the bar high for herself, then exceeded it, “Because the best romantic comedies have depth and meaning that make the humor poignant.”

I can’t wait for Charlie’s story, coming next as Fiancé Finale!

I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher. I also received an ebook copy via NetGalley. Plus I pre-ordered my own copy to give away. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“If you’re going to write about police, don’t romanticize our job. We give out tickets, we arrest people, and we use our firearms when needed. We’re the ones who show up after a crime has been committed. Nobody wants to see us. Though we risk our lives to protect the public, they often attack us for doing our jobs.”

“We find what we look for… And I prefer to look for the beauty and joy in life. It’s out there.”

“There are three types of people in this world. Sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs.”

“Her eyes are on me, scratching the itch of my heart.”

“Nobody is a hero all the time. We’re just all in training.”

“I don’t know if you believe in God, but His love is the only perfect love. It’s the kind that redeems when the love we’d hoped to get from other people lets us down.”

“I’ve never been in this much trouble before. I make Ramona the Pest look good.”

“I really like this thing called gratefulness. It not only helps us endure situations we never would have planned for ourselves, but it enables us to turn our sorrows into joy.”

My Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Such an excellent, fun rom-com! Strong writes some of the best!!

ARC, BLOG, Celebrate Lit Tour, Kindle, Purchase, Wild Heart Books

A Summer at Thousand Island House by Susan G Mathis Review and Giveaway

July 19, 2023 Babbling Becky L

About the Book

Book: A Summer at Thousand Island House

Author: Susan G. Mathis

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: July 25, 2023

She came to work with the children, not fall in love.

Part-nanny, part entertainer, Addison Bell has always had an enduring love for children. So what better way to use her creative energy than to spend the summer nannying at the renowned Thousand Island House on Staple’s Island? As Addi thrives in her work, she attracts the attention of the recreation pavilion’s manager, Liam Donovan, as well as the handsome Navy Officer Lt. Worthington, a lighthouse inspector, hotel patron, and single father of mischievous little Jimmy.

But when Jimmy goes missing, Addi finds both her job and her reputation in danger. How can she calm the churning waters of Liam, Lt. Worthington, and the President, clear her name, and avoid becoming the scorn of the Thousand Islands community?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than twenty-five times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has eleven in her fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Peyton’s Promise, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Rachel’s Reunion, Mary’s Moment and A Summer at Thousand Island House. Her book awards include three Illumination Book Awards, four American Fiction Awards, two Indie Excellence Book Awards, and four Literary Titan Book Awards. Reagan’s Reward is a Selah Awards finalist. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Colorado Springs and enjoys traveling around the world but returns each summer to enjoy the Thousand Islands. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.

More from Susan

BEHIND THE SCENES AT A SUMMER AT THOUSAND ISLAND HOUSE

I’ve been writing about the Gilded Age for several years now. A Summer at Thousand Island House is my eleventh published story, and I had so much fun creating it. The American Gilded Age was a time of rapid technical advances, industrialization, and thousands of new inventions from about 1870-1910. Mark Twain coined the term in his 1873 novel The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today that satirized the era of social problems that were masked by a layer of thin, gold gilding.

It’s a fascinating time in history, especially in the Thousand Islands. I grew up just twenty minutes from the Thousand Islands in upstate New York. Actually, half of the 1,864 islands are in NY and the other half in Ontario, Canada. All of my books are set during the Thousand Islands Gilded Age, when the wealthy came and scooped up the islands and built lavish summer homes, mansions, and castles.

It was an era of economic growth and wages were higher than Europe, so massive immigration drew about twenty million to the U.S. shores. Unfortunately, it was also a time of unequal distribution of wealth where the rich got richer and the poor working class suffered.

Many young women worked as servants until they married, and that’s what my stories are about—those nameless, faithful women who cooked and cleaned and served tables for the rich and famous. These “downstairs” women had fascinating stories to tell, and I plan to tell many of them.

All my novels are based on a specific place in the Thousand Islands and are the true stories of the owners of that island. So, my plot is generally true. There really was an entertainment pavilion on Staple’s Island where the patrons of Thousand Island House enjoyed all kinds of amenities, including a daycare. And US Presidents, including President Grant and President Chester Arthur (whom you meet), vacationed at Thousand Island House.

Then I overlay the storyline of the fictional servants to create the story. This makes my stories a bit more challenging, but I love a good challenge. Addison Bell cares for children. Liam Donovan manages the pavilion and Navy Officer Lt. Worthington, a lighthouse inspector and single father, comes and goes.

And all of my Thousand Islands’ stories have hope as the central theme. Hope for a better future. Hope for love. Hope for healing. A Summer at Thousand Island House also focuses on healing broken hearts and embracing God’s redemption.

Mathis’s attention to detail and rich history is classic Mathis, and no one does it better.—Margaret Brownley, N.Y. Times bestselling author

My Impressions

“Please, Lord, may this summer change my life.”

Be careful if you pray that prayer! You don’t always know what you’re asking for! Addison Belle certainly did not! But she was hopeful for something bigger and better than her life so far.

Susan K Mathis takes us back in time to the Thousand Islands of New York during the Gilded Age. Addi Belle is the female protagonist of A Summer at Thousand Island House. She comes from a rural background to be a daytime recreation teacher for young children, 4-8 yrs old, of the hotel’s clientele.

Addi does a marvelous job of teaching and training the six young children she has each day. While she takes her responsibility to educate, recreate, and train about God very seriously, most consider her a glorified babysitter.

“As far as your duties, you are required only to keep the children safe and quiet.”

This is her boss, Liam Donovan’s job description for her. He is quite delighted to see her teacher qualities of compassion and redirection in play. Others, like Miss Gert, hold a grudge against Addie and do everything they can to cause trouble. Still another character causes considerable trouble by his own selfishness and inability to consider the needs of others.

I enjoyed the attraction for each other that Attie and Liam fight. However, knowing the strict rules against male/female fraternization among staff or among staff and guests, I have to wonder about whether an attraction could really develop into something more.

I also wondered, as a former elementary teacher, about whether 4-8 year olds could truly guess at the meaning of the daily quotes Addie uses.

All in all, though, a fun story. I received a copy of the book via Celebrate Lit. I also bought my own copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.