Reading Challenge 2025: Tackle the TBR Pile

If you’re anything like me, you have a TBR pile that is bigger than you can hope to read in a lifetime. This is the year we’re going to try an tackle at least twelve of those books. Head to your shelves and find books that fit each month’s challenge.

This Month: December – Oldest book on your TBR pile

January – Genre you don’t usually read

The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today

by Mark Twain and Charles Warner

I’ve been wanting to read this one for research purposes for a long time, but the audiobook was dauntingly long when I didn’t have much time. I’m honestly still not finished, but I’m getting close. The Gilded Age definitely has all the Mark Twain I’ve come to expect, and the intro by Mark Twain makes it clear this is a satirical piece about the times, written with a co-author. It had lots of “main” characters and storylines that all converged. It was an intriguing listen, with much of the story focusing on the con of speculation, the poverty of the time, and the pursuit of the American dream of getting rich quickly. It was a clear view of the haves and have-nots. It was a good read for one time, but it’s definitely not one of my favorite Mark Twain books. I doubt I’ll revisit it, but I’m glad I read it at least once.

Genre: Satire (Contemporary at the time, historical now)

Plot Overview:

A satirical masterpiece that named an era—and still defines our own.

First published in 1873, The Gilded Age is a bold and biting political satire co-authored by legendary American writer Mark Twain and journalist Charles Dudley Warner. Set in post–Civil War America, the novel follows the Hawkins family and a parade of lobbyists, land speculators, and corrupt politicians chasing wealth and influence in Washington, D.C. and the frontier.

More than just a historical novel, The Gilded Age offers a scathing critique of greed, government corruption, and the illusion of progress—issues that remain deeply relevant in today’s political and economic landscape. Its themes of speculative capitalism, moral compromise, and institutional decay echo powerfully in the 21st century.

Giveaway – Marti was December’s Winner!

For your chance to win a print copy, comment with what book YOU read for this month. Use the Rafflecopter below for extra entries and to mark that you left a comment. Entries end on the 7th of each month at midnight EST, and the winner will be drawn sometime that week and notified by email. The winner will be announced on the Rafflecopter widget.  *Giveaway Policies can be found here.

What did you read for the challenge? What were your thoughts on it? Would you recommend it?

Find recommendations at Reading Challenge Recommendations, Crystal Caudill’s Reading Friends Facebook group, Avid Readers of Christian Fiction, or Inspirational Historical Fiction Index.

Don’t forget to comment at the bottom of the post for your chance to win a book off my prize shelf. *The list of prizes from my shelf can be found here.*

Reading Challenge 2025: Tackle the TBR Pile

If you’re anything like me, you have a TBR pile that is bigger than you can hope to read in a lifetime. This is the year we’re going to try an tackle at least twelve of those books. Head to your shelves and find books that fit each month’s challenge.

This Month: November – Award-winning book

Next Month: December – Oldest book on your TBR pile

We Three Kings: A Romance Christmas Collection

by Crystal Caudill, Cara Putman, Angela Ruth Strong

Yep, totally cheating this month because I JUST finished my draft mid-week and the first book I picked up to read during my sabbatical was a new release that I’ve been waiting for since I read the first book in the series. So I’m cheating and featuring the Christmas collection I was in with the amazing Cara Putman and Angela Ruth Strong. It really was a blessing to work with and learn from these spectacular women, and their stories were unique, and I enjoyed reading them. (Especially since they were the descendants of my characters. LOL) If you’ve read my Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age series (the one with the Secret Service operatives), you’ll see Josiah Isaacs as a side character in my award-winning story “Star of Wonder.” (Y’all, winning that award still makes me cry as that award is physical representation of God’s goodess, restoration, and redeeming of a horrible horrible horrible lots of horrible years in the midst of a horrible seven years of family medical trauma. I’m not tooting my own horn, because it still blows my mind that this story would win. It doesn’t makes sense to me. But God. And I am so thankful for His working and lavishing great love on me.) Okay enough with the asides.

If you like WWII-related stories, you will ADORE Cara’s as the hero and heroine work to identify and restore art stolen by the Germans to their rightful owners, set in a bomb-stricken town where loving and serving the community brings about a new love and understanding of Christmas.

If you like rom-com with depth, Angela Ruth Strong’s story is perfect. This soon-to-be single mom is an event planner who is in need of kindness and a restoration of the Christmas spirit. Funny with depth, I love how Angela takes a hard thing and makes it beautiful.

Genre: Christmas collection spanning 1880s, Post WWII, and contemporary timelines

Plot Overview:

In this Christmas collection, Weise men still seek Jesus—and love

“Star of Wonder” by Crystal Caudill

The Christmas-themed maiden voyage of his family’s grand steamer ship was supposed to be Aldrich Weise’s chance both to instill investor confidence and to romance Celestia Isaacs. Instead, he must foil a criminal and leave his lady love behind forever.

“Beauty Bright” by Cara Putman

Lieutenant Charles Weise served as a Monuments Man after World War II and now works to restore stolen art to rightful owners. Captain Lillian Thorsen pairs up with him not only to return treasures but also to fix the war-torn lives around them.

“Perfect Light” by Angela Ruth Strong

Essential oils mogul Brendon Weise is drawn to Lacey Foster, the event planner for his huge Christmas lights festival. But when he inadvertently makes a spectacle of her on television, Lacey wants nothing to do with him. Will a chance to give gifts to those in need at Christmas be the key to discovering common ground—and maybe love?

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Giveaway

For your chance to win an e-book copy of We Three Kings or a book off my prize shelf, comment with what book YOU read for this month. Entries end on the 7th of each month at midnight EST, and the winner will be drawn sometime that week and notified by email. *Giveaway Policies can be found here.

What did you read for the challenge? What were your thoughts on it? Would you recommend it?

Find recommendations at Reading Challenge Recommendations, Crystal Caudill’s Reading Friends Facebook group, Avid Readers of Christian Fiction, or Inspirational Historical Fiction Index.

Don’t forget to comment at the bottom of the post for your chance to win a book off my prize shelf. *The list of prizes from my shelf can be found here.*

Reading Challenge 2025: Tackle the TBR Pile

If you’re anything like me, you have a TBR pile that is bigger than you can hope to read in a lifetime. This is the year we’re going to try an tackle at least twelve of those books. Head to your shelves and find books that fit each month’s challenge.

This Month: October – Title from a favorite author

Next Month: November – Award-winning book

Gallimore

by Michelle Griep

Review by: Crystal Caudill

I’m almost caught up with my Michelle Griep backlist. I can tell that this was one of her earlier books, as it lacked some of the typical elements I’ve grown accustomed to. However, it was a fun time-travel novel that allowed me a break from the normal. I love how Gallimore dealt with grief and allowing others into your life, all with the backdrop of a realistic Medieval setting–complete with smells and perhaps less than chivalric behavior. It was fascinating how she tied the past to the present and how echoes of the past affected the future relationship of the characters. It’s a quick read, and while I would love to have a longer version with more details to fill in some of the cliffhangers that jumped to the future and build in the romance of the present-day hero and heroine, it was still an enjoyable read.

Genre: Time Travel to Medieval England

Plot:

Jessica Neale’s faith is lost the day of her husband’s death, and with it, her belief in love. In a journey to find peace, she encounters a gentle, green-eyed stranger who leads her to the ruins of the medieval castle, Gallimore.

On his way to battle, Colwyn Haukswyrth, knight of Gallimore, comes face to face with a storm the likes of which he’s never seen, and a woman in the midst of it who claims to live centuries in the future. The Lady Jessica of Neale is an irksome, provoking bit of woman to be sure. And she’s about to turn his beliefs on end.

The product of a family rooted in pain and evil, Colwyn has focused on naught but himself—until Jessica. To a mysterious prophecy stitched on a tapestry, through the invasion of Gallimore itself, Colwyn and Jessica are bound together by a lesson in forgiveness and love—a bond that might be strong enough to survive the grave.

Author Website: https://michellegriep.com/

Purchase Link: Amazon |  Barnes & Noble

Giveaway

For your chance to win a print copy, comment with what book YOU read for this month. You MUST comment on this blog post or your entry with be disqualified. Use the KingSumo App for your entry. Entries end on the 7th of each month at midnight EST, and the winner will be drawn sometime that week and notified by email.  *Giveaway Policies can be found here.

*Note: I am using a new platform.  KingSumo will also send you an email (check SPAM/Promotions) from Crystal Caudill that will ask you to confirm your email. I think you HAVE to hit confirm in that email for the entry to count. I will NOT be signing you up for any newsletters, etc. This is PURELY for the entry method and required by KingSumo and not me. I’m doing the best I can with what I’ve got. We’ll see how this goes . . . Thanks for your patience as I try to figure out how to move forward with options that don’t cost me an arm and a leg now that Rafflecopter shut down and Gleam ended up too expensive.

What did you read for the challenge? What were your thoughts on it? Would you recommend it?

Find recommendations at Reading Challenge Recommendations, Crystal Caudill’s Reading Friends Facebook group, Avid Readers of Christian Fiction, or Inspirational Historical Fiction Index.

Don’t forget to comment at the bottom of the post for your chance to win a book off my prize shelf. *The list of prizes from my shelf can be found here.*

Reading Challenge 2025: Tackle the TBR Pile

If you’re anything like me, you have a TBR pile that is bigger than you can hope to read in a lifetime. This is the year we’re going to try an tackle at least twelve of those books. Head to your shelves and find books that fit each month’s challenge.

This Month: September – New to you author

Next Month: October – Title from a favorite author

Their Burden to Bear

by Heather Tabors

Review by: 

“With rich historical details, a romance that is hard-won and beautiful, and unexpected twists, Taber has penned a debut novel that will leave you sitting not only in awe of her story-telling, but also in awe of the brave soldiers her story represents. Their Burden to Bear will leave you with a new and profound reverence for and understanding of the men who are represented by the Unknown Soldier and the men who served along those who never made it home and still remain unknown. This story will leave an indelible mark on you, and you don’t want to miss it.” – Crystal Caudill, Christy Award-Winning author and author of Written in Secret

Genre: Historical Romance

Plot:

Washington, D.C., 1921—In the shadow of Arlington National Cemetery, Elsie St. Clair yearns for her father’s approval and a love to call her own. When she’s selected as a companion to Phillip Pierce, a decorated Marine chosen to bear the Unknown Soldier to rest, she sees her chance to finally make her widowed father proud. But beneath Phillip’s decorated uniform lies a man haunted by the horrors of Belleau Wood—a hero whose most grievous wounds are invisible to the eye. As Elsie’s own scars from her father’s emotional abuse surface, she recognizes in Phillip a kindred spirit burdened by life’s cruelties. Meanwhile, the ambitious Lavinia, determined to claim Phillip for herself, strives to destroy their relationship in any way she can.

When her father’s abuse escalates, Phillip offers marriage as protection—a convenient arrangement with clear boundaries to shield her from harm and him from attachment. As they care for Elsie’s orphaned nephew together, what begins as a practical union slowly transforms into something deeper. But their fragile connection is threatened when Elsie stumbles upon mysterious ledgers and hidden documents that suggest her father is involved in something sinister. As Elsie fights for the love Phillip is hesitant to give, an anonymous blackmailer uncovers a secret from his past that could destroy everything he’s built—including his budding relationship with Elsie.

In a time when battle trauma was misunderstood and hearts were expected to silently endure, Elsie and Phillip must decide if they’re brave enough to lay down their defenses and share not just their burdens, but their love. With dangerous men closing in, mysterious connections to the Spanish embassy emerging, and secrets threatening to destroy them, they discover that our heaviest burdens were never meant to be carried alone. Set against the solemn backdrop of America honoring its fallen warriors, their journey proves that the most profound acts of courage often happen far from the battlefield, in the quiet surrender of a wounded heart.

Author Website: https://heathertabers.com/

Purchase Link: Amazon |  Barnes & Noble

Giveaway

For your chance to win a print copy, comment with what book YOU read for this month. Use the Gleam Widget below for extra entries and to mark that you left a comment. Entries end on the 7th of each month at midnight EST, and the winner will be drawn sometime that week and notified by email. The winner will be announced on the Gleam widget.  *Giveaway Policies can be found here.

September 2025 Reading Challenge

What did you read for the challenge? What were your thoughts on it? Would you recommend it?

Find recommendations at Reading Challenge Recommendations, Crystal Caudill’s Reading Friends Facebook group, Avid Readers of Christian Fiction, or Inspirational Historical Fiction Index.

Don’t forget to comment at the bottom of the post for your chance to win a book off my prize shelf. *The list of prizes from my shelf can be found here.*

Reading Challenge 2025: Tackle the TBR Pile

If you’re anything like me, you have a TBR pile that is bigger than you can hope to read in a lifetime. This is the year we’re going to try an tackle at least twelve of those books. Head to your shelves and find books that fit each month’s challenge.

This Month: August – Book published before 2020

Next Month: September – New to you author

October – Title from a favorite author

November – Award-winning book

December – Oldest book on your TBR pile

The Bartered Bride

by Erica Vetsch

2009 – original, 2025 – rerelease REVIEW

I’ve always enjoyed Erica’s books, and it’s nice to go back and read her backlist. This story was a real quick read, full of wonderful historical detail, a forced marriage story I could get on board with, and strong-willed characters. I truly enjoyed reading Jonathan and Melissa’s story. I loved seeing them come together, was sort of annoyed by the taking something out of context over-hearing breakup (but it fit the story), but loved how things came back together in a healthy relationship way.  I’m definitely looking forward to finishing the rest of the rereleased series after I finish drafting my current work in progress.

Genre: Historical Romance, American 1900s

Plot Overview:

A rebellious suffragette and a steadfast sailor—tied by duty, divided by secrets, and tempted by a love that changes everything.

A born sailor, Jonathan Kennebrae thrives in his role running his grandfather’s shipping enterprise. That is until his grandfather delivers a crippling ultimatum—Jonathan will marry Melissa Brooke or lose his inheritance and everything he’s worked for. Though Jonathan finds himself drawn to Melissa, he can’t help feeling his intended may not be who she appears to be.

Melissa Brooke is tired of being voiceless. She’s been the perfect daughter all her life, doing what she’s told for the good of the family. Except she has a secret. Melissa lives a double life, teaching literacy to struggling immigrant women and fighting for the suffragette movement. If she goes through with the wedding, she’ll be forced to abandon her life’s work. Yet refusing the union could cost her any chance at an inheritance to fund her cause. To make matters worse, she can’t deny the tender feelings blooming between her and her fiancé.

Originally published as part of the Kennebrae Brides series.

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Giveaway

For your chance to win a print copy, comment with what book YOU read for this month. Use the Gleam Widget below for extra entries and to mark that you left a comment. Entries end on the 7th of each month at midnight EST, and the winner will be drawn sometime that week and notified by email. The winner will be announced on the Rafflecopter widget.  *Giveaway Policies can be found here.

August 2025 Reading Challenge

What did you read for the challenge? What were your thoughts on it? Would you recommend it?

Find recommendations at Reading Challenge Recommendations, Crystal Caudill’s Reading Friends Facebook group, Avid Readers of Christian Fiction, or Inspirational Historical Fiction Index.

Don’t forget to comment at the bottom of the post for your chance to win a book off my prize shelf. *The list of prizes from my shelf can be found here.*

Reading Challenge 2025: Tackle the TBR Pile

If you’re anything like me, you have a TBR pile that is bigger than you can hope to read in a lifetime. This is the year we’re going to try an tackle at least twelve of those books. Head to your shelves and find books that fit each month’s challenge.

This Month: July – Book outside your normal genre

Next Month: August – Book published before 2020

Surge

by Voni Harris

Review by: Crystal Caudill

This military romance was certainly outside of my normal reads and genre. With all the mega-long names–ranks, call signs, and real names–and military jargon and acronyms, it was a little harder to follow than I’m used to. However, it was fun to get to know Delany, Garrett “Bear”, and, of course, the MWD (military working dog) Surge. From what I gather from normal military books, this was pretty standard in that there was a group of terrorists threatening to do massive damage (through poison) to the US population. A group of four with the MWD are pulled in to save the US, all while trying to overcome past personal hurdles and a distinct distrust and dislike of the two main characters. I can say military fiction probably isn’t something I’ll be reading much of, but I enjoyed reading my friend’s debut novel.

Genre: Military Romance

Plot Overview:

Love and Betrayal in a Race Against Time

Delaney Thompson isn’t just a dog trainer—she’s the key to preventing a disaster. With loyal Military Working Dog, Surge, by her side, she’s ready to prove herself on her first mission…even without military training. Her goal? Help the intense Belgian Malinois track down a specific chemical linked to a dangerous terrorist group before it reaches American soil. But to succeed, she must navigate unfamiliar terrain and an even more unpredictable partner.

Garrett Walker is a seasoned military operator, driven by duty and haunted by tragic losses. Reluctantly, he teams up with Delaney, whose lack of tactical experience makes her a liability as he leads them across Southeast Asia. Yet Garrett knows that mission success and the safety of countless lives back home hinge on his leadership, the Malinois’s special scent training, and Delaney’s unique skills.

The stakes couldn’t be higher: if Delaney and Garrett fail to locate and secure the toxic chemical, hundreds of thousands of Americans could die. As they hunt down the terrorists, their objectives are clear—find the stash, neutralize the threat, and try not to get killed. But with mutual distrust simmering between them, their greatest challenge may be learning to rely on each other.

A gripping tale of suspense, betrayal, and unexpected romance. Dive into this high-stakes adventure where every moment counts…and falling in love might just be the most perilous move of all.

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Giveaway

For your chance to win a print copy, comment with what book YOU read for this month. Use the Rafflecopter below for extra entries and to mark that you left a comment. Entries end on the 7th of each month at midnight EST, and the winner will be drawn sometime that week and notified by email. The winner will be announced on the Rafflecopter widget.  *Giveaway Policies can be found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What did you read for the challenge? What were your thoughts on it? Would you recommend it?

Find recommendations at Reading Challenge Recommendations, Crystal Caudill’s Reading Friends Facebook group, Avid Readers of Christian Fiction, or Inspirational Historical Fiction Index.

Don’t forget to comment at the bottom of the post for your chance to win a book off my prize shelf. *The list of prizes from my shelf can be found here.*

Reading Challenge 2025: Tackle the TBR Pile

If you’re anything like me, you have a TBR pile that is bigger than you can hope to read in a lifetime. This is the year we’re going to try an tackle at least twelve of those books. Head to your shelves and find books that fit each month’s challenge.

This Month: June – Recommended by friend/family

Next Month: July – Book outside your normal genre

A Steadfast Heart

by Martha Hutchins

Review by: Crystal Caudill

Not only is Martha a friend, but her book was recommended by other friends who work with Sunrise Publishing. A Steadfast Heart is Martha’s debut novel, and it was a wonderful, unique working of a marriage of convenience/mail-order bride story. There wasn’t a focus on sexual tension at all, which was refreshing for this trope. There was a wonderful blend of adventure, romance, and characters who you could admire and root for. The children were adorable–and a bit of a handful for our heroine, Kaitlyn. This is probably my favorite mail-order bride story to read yet. I adored the characters, the struggles they had to overcome, and especially the blending of a family who had to learn to trust one another. I definitely recommend you check out A Steadfast Heart by Martha Hutchens.

Genre: Historical Romance, American Western

Plot Overview:

When his family legacy is on the line, rancher Drew McGraw becomes desperate for someone to tame and tutor his three children. Desperate enough to seek a mail-order bride. But when the wrong woman arrives on his doorstep, Drew balks.

Heiress Kaitlyn Montgomery runs straight from the scandal chasing her toward a fresh start on a secluded ranch. She strikes a bargain with Drew—a marriage convenient for both of them.

But the more Kaitlyn adapts to ranch life and forms a bond with Drew’s children and their enigmatic father, she realizes that this ranch is where she is meant to be. And then her past catches up with her…

This sweet historical romance is perfect for fans of the following tropes:

*ready-made family
*nanny/tutor
*single dad
*fish out of water

Purchase Links:

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Sunrise Publishing

Giveaway

For your chance to win a print copy, comment with what book YOU read for this month. Use the Rafflecopter below for extra entries and to mark that you left a comment. Entries end on the 7th of each month at midnight EST, and the winner will be drawn sometime that week and notified by email. The winner will be announced on the Rafflecopter widget.  *Giveaway Policies can be found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What did you read for the challenge? What were your thoughts on it? Would you recommend it?

Find recommendations at Reading Challenge Recommendations, Crystal Caudill’s Reading Friends Facebook group, Avid Readers of Christian Fiction, or Inspirational Historical Fiction Index.

Don’t forget to comment at the bottom of the post for your chance to win a book off my prize shelf. *The list of prizes from my shelf can be found here.*

Reading Challenge 2025: Tackle the TBR Pile

If you’re anything like me, you have a TBR pile that is bigger than you can hope to read in a lifetime. This is the year we’re going to try an tackle at least twelve of those books. Head to your shelves and find books that fit each month’s challenge.

This Month: May – Cover in your favorite color

Next Month: June – Recommended by friend/family

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey

by Abigail Wilson

Review by: Crystal Caudill

Oops! the month got away from me, and while I did read some books, none of them were really in a favorite color. So I went back and stole an old review. 🙂 But I LOVE the color of this dress on the cover, and I remember enjoying the book. I really need to catch up on Abigails backlist.

As many of you know, first-person perspectives are NOT my favorite. An author really has to engage me and make me forget I am in the first-person in order for me to really get through the story. That being said, I needed an audiobook to listen to on a road trip that would have a bit of mystery, danger, and romance. The blurb for this story intrigued me enough to make me willing to try and listen to a first-person point of view novel. (And I totally blame Erica Vetsch’s The Lost Lieutenant and The Gentleman Spy for sending me on a Regency binge.)

I was pleasantly surprised, enough so, that I am considering going back and listening to and/or reading the first two books in the series. Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey is a standalone book, although it is connected to other stories. I am sure there are little antidotes I missed by reading out of order, but I still found the story engaging and believable. While not always able to suspend the thought of being in first-person, I loved the unusual marriage of convenience story. Elizabeth and Lord Torrington proved to be unique characters who drew me in. Lord Torrington especially was an unexpected kind of man. I struggled to make him out just as Elizabeth did, but found him a hero whose company I enjoyed.

If you like the first-person point of view, marriage-of-convenience stories, mysterious heroes, danger, and mystery, I highly recommend this Regency story.

Genre: Historical Romance, England, 1815

Plot Overview:

In this new Regency romance, a young unwed mother must protect her heart from the charms of her convenient new husband, Lord Torrington. She is not, however, prepared to protect her life.

When the widowed Lord Torrington agreed to spy for the crown, he never planned to impersonate a highwayman, let alone rob the wrong carriage. Stranded on the road with an unconscious young woman, he is forced to propose marriage to protect his identity and her reputation, as well as his dangerous mission.

Trapped not only by her duty to her country but also by her limited options as an unwed mother, Miss Elizabeth Cantrell and her infant son are whisked away to Middlecrest Abbey by none other than the elder brother of her son’s absent father. There she is met by Torrington’s beautiful grown daughters, a vicious murder, and an urgent hunt for the missing intelligence that could turn the war with France. Meanwhile, she must convince everyone that her marriage is a genuine love match if her new husband has any hope of uncovering the enemy.

Determined to keep her son’s true identity a secret, Elizabeth will need to remain one step ahead of her fragile heart, her uncertain future, and the relentless fiend bent on her new family’s ruin.

Giveaway

For your chance to win a print copy, comment with what book YOU read for this month. Use the Rafflecopter below for extra entries and to mark that you left a comment. Entries end on the 7th of each month at midnight EST, and the winner will be drawn sometime that week and notified by email. The winner will be announced on the Rafflecopter widget.  *Giveaway Policies can be found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What did you read for the challenge? What were your thoughts on it? Would you recommend it?