Review: The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck by Bethany Turner

About the Book

Becoming a Christian is the best and worst thing that has ever happened to Sarah Hollenbeck. Best because, well, that's obvious. Worst because, up to this point, she's made her very comfortable living as a well-known, bestselling author of steamy romance novels that would leave the members of her new church blushing. Now Sarah is trying to reconcile her past with the future she's chosen. She's still under contract with her publisher and on the hook with her enormous fan base for the kind of book she's not sure she can write anymore. She's beginning to think that the church might frown on her tithing on royalties from a "scandalous" book. And the fact that she's falling in love with her pastor doesn't make things any easier.

With a powerful voice, penetrating insight, and plenty of wit, Bethany Turner explodes onto the scene with a debut that isn't afraid to deal with the thorny realities of living the Christian life.

Amazon / Goodreads / Barnes and Noble / Christianbook.com

My Review

Five Stars

I've heard so many good things about The Secret Life of Sarah Hollenbeck, so I couldn't wait to read it. Believe the hype, y'all. It's fantastic. This book was a breath of fresh air, one of the best romantic comedies I've ever read, and so much fun!

It was so funny! There were too many times to count where I had to set my Kindle down for a minute because I was laughing so hard. It deals with real issues, in real ways with, what I thought, humor and grace. It is one of the more edgy Christian Fiction books that I've read, but I loved that. It made it feel more real and relatable.

I really enjoyed the way it was written. It was very conversational, like a friend was telling me her story. Sarah grows a lot, spiritually and emotionally, from beginning to end. It was great to watch her transformation. The chemistry between Sarah and Ben was off the charts! They're so good together! The relationship developed really fast, which is usually a big turn off for me, but it didn't bother me with this book. It was perfect for this story and these characters. Piper was an amazing friend and I'm really hoping she gets her own story. (Please!)

I loved every second of this book and highly recommend it! I'm definitely gonna be keeping an eye out for any future books by Bethany Turner.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

To learn more about Bethany Turner, visit her website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Waiting on Wednesday/Can't Wait Wednesday: The House on Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that highlights upcoming eagerly anticipated releases.

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights and discusses the books we're excited about that we've yet to read. Generally, they're books that are yet to be released.

This week I'm featuring The House on 'Foster Hill by Jaime Jo Wright releasing November 21, 2017.

About the Book

Outstanding Debut Novel from an Author to WatchKaine Prescott is no stranger to death. When her husband died two years ago, her pleas for further investigation into his suspicious death fell on deaf ears. In desperate need of a fresh start, Kaine purchases an old house sight unseen in her grandfather's Wisconsin hometown. But one look at the eerie, abandoned house immediately leaves her questioning her rash decision. And when the house's dark history comes back with a vengeance, Kaine is forced to face the terrifying realization she has nowhere left to hide.

A century earlier, the house on Foster Hill holds nothing but painful memories for Ivy Thorpe. When an unidentified woman is found dead on the property, Ivy is compelled to discover her identity. Ivy's search leads her into dangerous waters and, even as she works together with a man from her past, can she unravel the mystery before any other lives--

including her own--are lost?

Why I Need It

It seems like I've been hearing about this book for a long time. It sounds super interesting and dual timelines always bring a neat element to books.

What book are you eagerly anticipating? Leave a comment below and let me know.

Top Ten Tuesday: Fall Covers

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

The topic for this week is Ten Books With Fall/Autumn Covers/Themes.

1. A Harvest Bond by Lee Tobin McClain

2. Buying Love (Maple Run #1) by Toni Shiloh

3. From the Start (Walker Family #1) by Melissa Tagg

4. Here to Stay (Where Love Begins #2) by Melissa Tagg

5. The Trouble with Cowboys by Denise Hunter

6. These Healing Hills by Ann H. Gabhart

7. Deadly Brew (A Dewberry Farm Mystery #3) by Karen MacInerney

8. Pumpkins in Paradise (TJ Jensen Paradise Lake Mystery #1) by Kathi Daley

9. Foul Play at the Fair (Celebration Bay #1) by Shelley Freydont

10. Green Living Can Be Deadly (A Blossom Valley Mystery #3) by Staci McLaughlin

 

Do you have any favorite Fall/Autumn Covers?

Review: Dangerous Illusions (Code of Honor #1) by Irene Hannon

About the Book

Trish Bailey is on overload trying to deal with a demanding job, an ailing mother, and a healing heart. When a series of unsettling memory lapses leads to a tragic death--and puts Trish under police scrutiny--her world is once again thrown into turmoil.

Detective Colin Flynn isn't certain what to think of the facts he uncovers during his investigation. Did Trish simply make a terrible mistake or is there more to the case than meets the eye? As he searches for answers, disturbing information begins to emerge--and if the forces at work are as evil as he suspects, the situation isn't just dangerous . . . it's deadly.

Bestselling and award-winning author Irene Hannon captures readers with a mind-bending story that will have them doubling back to retrace their steps--and figure out what they missed!

Amazon / Goodreads / Barnes and Noble / Christianbook.com

My Review

Four Stars

Trish Bailey has had a tough couple years and is devastated by a new loss, worrying that it was somehow her fault. Detective Colin Flynn's instincts tell him Trish is innocent of any wrongdoing, but he has to do his job and investigate the case thoroughly. She's been experiencing strange instances of confounding memory lapses, attributing it to the stress and grief. But could something more sinister be at work?

I always look forward to Irene Hannon's latest romantic suspense. She sure knows how to write compelling and unputdownable suspense. She has a way of crafting truly chillingly evil villains that set my nerves on edge. And this villain is quite horrible. The prologue definitely hooked me, but the pace was a tad slow for the first part of the book. But before long, it picked up. I thought I had everything figured out, but then there was a big twist that changed everything. I never felt much of a connection to the characters, but the mystery and danger kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. I really loved seeing some familiar faces from a couple of Hannon's previous series pop up.

Lovers of romantic suspense are sure to enjoy Dangerous Illusions.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

To learn more about Irene Hannon, visit her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Week in Review: October 2-6, 2017

Week in Review is where I recap posts from the previous week and preview what's to come.

Monday, October 2

Review: A Dangerous Legacy by Elizabeth Camden

Tuesday, October 3

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Boyfriends

Review: Written in the Dust (Backroads Book 2) by Christian Coryell

Wednesday, October 4

Waiting On Wednesday/Can't Wait Wednesday: Bones to Pick by Linda Lovely

Thursday, October 5

Review: A Harvest Bond by Lee Tobin McClain

Friday, October 6

Book Beginnings + Friday 56: Written in the Dust (Backroads Book 2) by Christina Coryell

Coming Up Next

I've got a review coming up Monday for Irene Hannon's newest release. Top Ten Tuesday is all about Fall/Autumn covers. I'm featuring a dual timeline mystery for Can't Wait Wednesday. Thursday's review is for a hilarious new romantic comedy and, as always, I'll have my regular Book Beginnings + Friday 56 post.

What have you read this week? What are you reading next?

Book Beginnings + Friday 56: Written in the Dust by Christina Coryell

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice and asks you to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your ereader and share a non-spoilery sentence or two.

This week I'm featuring Written in the Dust by Christina Coryell. It just released this Tuesday and it was AMAZING! (You can check out my review for it here.) This is book two in the Backroads Series and, I didn't think it was possible, but Written in the Dust is even better than the first book. I thought I'd share the Beginning and 56 with y'all today. I really loved how this beginning echoes back to the beginning of Written in the Stars, but with a completely different feel, this time with more hope.

Book Beginning

Dust

Brooke turned onto the gravel road directly behind another car, not even trying to distance herself. The cloud of orange-brown grime rolled from the tires, coming up to greet her like a gritty whirlwind of dirt. She tried to stare through the fog of earth, unable to get a clear view. Squinting behind her sunglasses, instead she focused on the blur of the dirt-smudged white car in front of her, but she didn't slow her vehicle.

Wrapping her fingers around the crank on the driver's side door, she rolled the window down, letting the dusty air penetrate the interior of the truck. She'd need a shower, but she didn't care. The warm air crept into her lungs, the orange fog swirling so thick she could taste it.

Friday 56 (56% on my Kindle)

He probably wouldn't have visited the back eighty today, given his headache and the fact that he'd spent time with the cows yesterday afternoon. And if she hadn't come back, he'd have spent his day watching baseball on television and nursing his hangover. But she did come back, and having her as far away from civilization as possible could only be to his advantage. If she couldn't stalk away from him, that was even better.

About the Book

There are two basic types of people you’ll come across in small towns. Planters have the land in their blood and want to stay forever. Dreamers long for the day they will finally escape. Holly Christian? Definitely a planter. She’s never considered leaving for greener pastures, but it’ll be a whole lot easier to move forward when people finally stop telling her that will never happen. Thank goodness she has an ally in Hunter Pearce. He has no desire to leave now that he has what he’s always wanted. Well…almost. The words he can’t take back are still clinging closer than a humid summer afternoon.

Then there’s Gatlin Moore, who leans more in the dreamer direction. He used to imagine a future away from his hometown, but circumstances changed his plans long ago. Now he can’t stop thinking about bringing some of his dreams back to life, namely the ones that involve Brooke Langdon. Breaking up in their small town was hard, but getting back together might prove impossible. She may not be around long, unless she rediscovers what she used to love about the place. Putting her future in order by piecing together the past could mend her heart…or break it for keeps.

Welcome to Hope Canyon. This is our backroads story.

What have you been reading lately? Leave a comment below and let me know.

Review: A Harvest Bond: Sacred Bond Series Final Novella by Lee Tobin McClain

About the Book

Widower John Moretti feels like a kid again. Healthy living, working his Pennsylvania farm, and mentoring troubled boys have brought him back from grief and illness into a whole new life.

Emily Stern has recovered from losing her husband too young, and she can’t wait to get started on her dream: creating a rural retreat for struggling midlife women. The farm she’s inherited is the perfect place, so much so that she’s willing to move across the country to make it happen.

But when Emily arrives at the Covenant Farm, she’s shocked to find her long-ago love, John Moretti, living there… and contemplating very different plans for the place. Forced to compromise by staying at the farm together, they quickly realize there’s still a spark between them. But only John knows what else stands between them: a secret that could break Emily’s heart.

Jump into the final novella of the Sacred Bond series… a touching love story about sowing, reaping, and gathering in the harvest.

Amazon / Goodreads / Barnes and Noble / Kobo

My Review

4.5 Stars

Oh goodness... I loved this novella! It was such a heartwarming story! A Harvest Bond was the first book in the Sacred Bond series that I've read and even though it's the conclusion to the series, I was never confused. I think it stands alone great. It did make me really interested in reading the previous books, though.

This story is centered around an older couple, which I really enjoyed. You don't find that often, so I thought it was very refreshing. John and Emily are at odds with each other over the direction they think the farm should go. They have really awesome ideas that would help a lot of people, but their plans are so different. It was great watching their interactions.

A Harvest Bond features an endearing love story that I enjoyed very much! I'm excited to check out the earlier books in this series!

I received a copy of this book from the author. All thoughts and comments are my honest opinion.

To learn more about Lee Tobin McClain, visit her website, Facebook page, and Twitter.