by Crystal Caudill | Dec 1, 2023 | Book Reviews, Reading Challenge
It’s time for another month of the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge: Unlock an Adventure. I’m so excited to join you on an adventure this year with guest reviews from our reading challenge participants. If you want to submit a review for upcoming months, feel free to sign up for a month here and use the Google form to submit your review. As my time has become too limited to do a suggestions post each month, I encourage you to jump over to the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge page and ask for suggestions from there or from any of a number of amazing reader groups like Avid Readers of Christian Fiction or check out the Inspirational Historical Fiction Index.
*The list of prizes available from my prize shelf can be found here.*
November’s Theme: Archeologist or Paleontologist
December’s Theme: Christmas
Refuge for the Archaeologist
by Danielle Graninetti
I so wanted to be done with the book in time to write my own review. Alas, my life had allowed little time for reading, and I’m only halfway through (and definitely enjoying it). As a kindness to myself and y’all so I could get this post up, I’ve reached out to a fellow reviewer to ask if I could use their review of the book. Connie graciously said yes. 🙂 So without further ado, November’s Reading Challenge Review:
Review by: Connie Saunders – You can follow her on her Older & Smarter? Blog at https://connie-oldersmarter.blogspot.com/ or follow her on Instagram.
History, mystery, and romance! An introduction to intriguing new characters and a reunion with some that we’ve already met! Author Danielle Grandinetti invites us back to Crow’s Nest, Wisconsin and I’m so happy to return! The characters are appealing, the suspense kept me fully engaged, and there was also an inspiring faith element woven into the plot. What more could I ask for? How about an unlikely romance between a female archaeologist and a devoted son and uncle who longs to return to his work on a Western ranch? Is it possible for Cora and Silas to give up their dreams and settle instead for a future in Crow’s Nest…together??
Refuge for the Archaeologist is a great addition to the Harbored in Crow’s Nest series. It’s the second book of the series but don’t worry if you haven’t read the first. Grandinetti shares background tidbits to help you understand what’s occurred previously! I recommend this book to all who enjoy historical Christian romance.
I received a complimentary copy from the author and publisher. There was no obligation for a positive review. These are my own thoughts.
For Fans of:Â
Genre: Historical Romance, Depression Era
Plot Overview:
Lies, greed, and lost dreams chase an out-of-work archaeologist and an out-of-place cowboy. Visit small-town Wisconsin in this Depression-era amnesia romance.
Will uncovering the truth set them free or destroy what they hold most dear?
Wisconsin, 1930—With her health in shambles and her archaeological career on the line, Cora Davis retreats to Crow’s Nest and the home of her great aunt to heal. She doesn’t think much of the missing memories from between the earthquake that caused her dizzy spells and her trip home. Until she begins remembering the danger that sent her fleeing her last dig and the person responsible.
After a decade as a ranch hand, Silas Ward returned to Crow’s Nest to provide for the women in his life. That same protective instinct propels him to Cora’s aid. But when finances dwindle, the lies and greed of others threaten to ruin his family. Unless Silas can walk the thin line of compromise. A choice that might cost him Cora’s affection.
As winter’s chill threatens, will Crow’s Nest prove a refuge, or will both Cora and Silas have no choice but to sacrifice their chance at happiness to save those they love?
Welcome to Crow’s Nest, where danger and romance meet at the water’s edge.
Purchase Links:
Amazon | Author’s Shop | Barnes & Noble
Giveaway
For your chance to win a print copy, comment with what book YOU read for this month and you will also be entered into the year-end Grand Prize Reader Basket. 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 don’t the Rafflecopter widget.
*Open to all residents of the contiguous USA, legally able to enter, and an e-book format or Amazon Gift Card will be awarded to those outside that range who are legally able to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Recommendations for December:
- We Three Kings: A Romance Christmas Collection by Crystal Caudill, Cara Putman, and Angela Ruth Strong
- A Louisana Christmas to Remember by Morgan Tarpley Smith, Betsy St. Amant, and Lenora Worth
- Chiseled on the Heart by Elaine Marie Cooper, Cynthia Roemer, Candace West, and Kelly J. Goshorn
What did you read for the challenge? What were your thoughts on it? Would you recommend it?
by Crystal Caudill | Oct 31, 2023 | Book Reviews, Reading Challenge
It’s time for another month of the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge: Unlock an Adventure. I’m so excited to join you on an adventure this year with guest reviews from our reading challenge participants. If you want to submit a review for upcoming months, feel free to sign up for a month here and use the Google form to submit your review. As my time has become too limited to do a suggestions post each month, I encourage you to jump over to the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge page and ask for suggestions from there or from any of a number of amazing reader groups like Avid Readers of Christian Fiction or check out the Inspirational Historical Fiction Index.
*The list of prizes available from my prize shelf can be found here.*
October’s Theme: Medieval Setting
November’s Theme: Archeologist or Paelontologist
Lord of Her Heart
by Sherrinda Ketchersid
Review by: Crystal Caudill
Every once and a while I want to enjoy a good medieval read. Usually, I just reread Lori Wick’s The Knight and the Dove or a fairytale retelling, but it was nice to step into a new story. This story had elements that I love from multiple other stories while still holding its own as a unique story.
The characters made you want to keep reading to see exactly what would happen. Jocelyn has the courage to disguise herself as a boy, going so far as to cut her hair. The author did a realistic job of the challenges and the weaknesses a woman would face trying to pose as a squire–a very physically demanding job. Then you have that gallantry and chivalry of the knight, Malcom, with realistic flaws. He was a hero you could cheer on, and at moments want to slap the sense into. The secondary characters were entertaining and supportive of the main characters.
I love how this story has a knight, jousting, subterfuge, and a bit of mystery and danger. It has definitely been added to my reread pile.
For Fans of: a good medieval story with villains, plots to overthrow, jousting, and a love story that extends into the marriage afterward.
Genre: Historical Romance, Medieval England, 1198Â
Plot Overview:
Lady Jocelyn Ashburne suspects something is amiss at her family’s castle because her father ceases to write to her. When she overhears a plot to force her into vows—either to the church or a husband—she disguises herself and flees the convent in desperation to discover the truth.
Malcolm Castillon of Berkham is determined to win the next tournament and be granted a manor of his own. After years of proving his worth on the jousting field, he yearns for a life of peace. Rescuing a scrawny lad who turns out to be a beautiful woman is not what he bargained for. Still, he cannot deny that she stirs his heart like no other, in spite of her conniving ways.Chaos, deception, and treachery threaten their goals, but both are determined to succeed. Learning to trust each other might be the only way either of them survives.
Purchase Links:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Giveaway
For your chance to win a print copy, comment with what book YOU read for this month and you will also be entered into the year-end Grand Prize Reader Basket. 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 don’t the Rafflecopter widget.
*Open to all residents of the contiguous USA, legally able to enter, and an e-book format or Amazon Gift Card will be awarded to those outside that range who are legally able to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Recommendations for November:
- Refuge for the Archaeologist by Danielle Grandinetti
- A Time to Weep by Tracy Higley
- The Curator’s Daughter by Melanie Dobson
- Echoes Among the Stones by Jaime Jo Wright
- Among Sand and Sunrise by Stacy Henrie
- The Metropolitan Affair by Jocelyn Green
- The Secrets Beneath by Kimberley Woodhouse
- Where We Belong by Lynn Austin
What did you read for the challenge? What were your thoughts on it? Would you recommend it?
by Crystal Caudill | Sep 30, 2023 | Book Reviews, Reading Challenge
It’s time for another month of the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge: Unlock an Adventure. I’m so excited to join you on an adventure this year with guest reviews from our reading challenge participants. If you want to submit a review for upcoming months, feel free to sign up for a month here and use the Google form to submit your review. As my time has become too limited to do a suggestions post each month, I encourage you to jump over to the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge page and ask for suggestions from there or from any of a number of amazing reader groups like Avid Readers of Christian Fiction or check out the Inspirational Historical Fiction Index.
*The list of prizes available from my prize shelf can be found here.*
September’s Theme: Time Travel
October’s Theme: Medieval Setting
In This Moment
by Gabrielle Meyer
Review by: Charity Henico, @Charity.Book.Escapes on Instagram
What if you had three different lives, but you could only finish out one? And YOU had to choose which one that would be? That’s Margaret/Maggie/Meg’s dilemma in In This Moment, which is the second book in Gabrielle Meyer’s Timeless series. She’s living three different lives, in three different eras, at the same time. When she turns 21, she has to choose which life to keep.Â
I really can’t talk much about this book, as I don’t want to give anything away. But hear me out here: when each chapter is so poignant, so moving, that you have to set the book aside for a few minutes to take it all in before reading the next one, and when an author can put you smack dab in the middle (well, the beginning) of the Civil War, World War 2, AND September 11? You know you have yourself a good book. Not even just a good book, but a must-read book.
I knew which path I wanted Margaret/Maggie/Meg to choose pretty much from the beginning, but I still wasn’t sure exactly which one it would be until almost the last chapter! This book will keep you guessing until the very end, and you do NOT want to miss out!
Genre: Historical, Dual-Time/Time Travel
Plot Overview:
Maggie inherited a gift from her time-crossing parents that allows her to live three separate lives in 1861, 1941, and 2001. Each night, she goes to sleep in one time period and wakes up in another. Until she turns twenty-one, when she will have to forfeit two of those lives–and everyone she knows in them–forever.
In 1861, Maggie is the daughter of a senator at the outbreak of the Civil War, navigating a capital full of Southern spies and wounded soldiers. In 1941, she is a navy nurse, grappling with her knowledge of the future when she joins a hospital ship going to Pearl Harbor. And in 2001, she’s a brilliant young medical student, fulfilling her dream of becoming a surgeon.
While Maggie has sworn off romance until she makes her final choice, an intriguing man tugs at her heart in each era, only complicating the impossible decision she must make, which looms ever closer. With so much on the line, how can Maggie choose just one life to keep and the rest to lose?
Purchase Links:
Amazon | Baker Bookhouse | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook.com
Giveaway
For your chance to win a print copy, comment with what book YOU read for this month and you will also be entered into the year-end Grand Prize Reader Basket. 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 don’t the Rafflecopter widget.
*Open to all residents of the contiguous USA, legally able to enter, and an e-book format or Amazon Gift Card will be awarded to those outside that range who are legally able to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Recommendations for October:
- The Merchant’s Daughter by Melanie Dickerson
- Lord of Her Heart by Sherinda Ketchersid
- Valorous by Tamara Leigh
- Kingdom of Love by Tracie Peterson
- The Rose and the Thing by Joyce Brandt Williams
- Legend of the Guardian King series by Karen Hancock
- Enamored by Jody Hedlund
- The Knight and the Dove by Lori Wick
What did you read for the challenge? What were your thoughts on it? Would you recommend it?
by Crystal Caudill | Aug 31, 2023 | Book Reviews, Reading Challenge
It’s time for another month of the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge: Unlock an Adventure. I’m so excited to join you on an adventure this year with guest reviews from our reading challenge participants. If you want to submit a review for upcoming months, feel free to sign up for a month here and use the Google form to submit your review. As my time has become too limited to do a suggestions post each month, I encourage you to jump over to the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge page and ask for suggestions from there or from any of a number of amazing reader groups like Avid Readers of Christian Fiction or check out the Inspirational Historical Fiction Index.
*The list of prizes available from my prize shelf can be found here.*
August’s Theme: Bounty Hunter
September’s Theme: Time Travel
A Worthy Pursuit
by Karen Witemeyer
Review by: Crystal Caudill
Out of a need to have an audiobook to read this month, I had to abandon my original read in order to finish the reading challenge on time. Karen Witemeyer has long been a personal favorite–especially after her sweetness in sending my dying grandma a signed copy of Stealing the Preacher–the book we started to read during my goodbye trip. I can’t read a Karen Witemeyer book without remembering that sweetness and being grateful to the kindness she bestowed on my grandma. I now have that copy book, as well as the one we read together, as treasured possessions on my shelf. All the sentimentality aside, I knew that I couldn’t go wrong by picking up a book of hers that has long been on my TBR pile.
Karen never fails to bring humor, faith, and complicated characters to a wonderful story. They are light and airy while still being full of substance and the danger I crave. Stone and Lottie were two characters I thoroughly enjoyed. They were each strong individuals who sought to protect those who were defenseless, even at great cost to themselves and their reputations. Listening to the story as I prepared for a conference and tried to set my house to rights made the tedious tasks more enjoyable. I loved the antics of the children, Stone’s persistent calling of Dobbson as “gnome,” and the special talents of each character. Oh! And I LOVED all the ties to dime novels. I won’t give anything away where that is concerned, but I thoroughly enjoyed the real heroes of the West and not just their fictionalized versions. Overall, I definitely recommend this story for those looking for an exciting story with romance, laughter, danger, and a swoony hero.Â
For Fans of: westerns, swoony heroes, children in peril, bounty hunters, sweet romances
Genre: Historical Romance, Western
Plot Overview:
A teacher on the run. A bounty hunter in pursuit. Can two enemies learn to trust each other before they both lose what they hold most dear?
Stone Hammond is the best tracker in Texas. He never comes home empty-handed. So when a wealthy railroad investor hires him to find his abducted granddaughter, Stone eagerly accepts.
Charlotte Atherton, former headmistress of Sullivan’s Academy for Exceptional Youths, will do anything to keep her charges safe, especially the orphaned girl entrusted to her care. Charlotte promised Lily’s mother she’d keep the girl away from her unscrupulous grandfather, and nothing will stop Charlotte from fulfilling that pledge. Not even the handsome bounty hunter with surprisingly honest eyes who comes looking for them.
When Miss Atherton produces documentation that shows her to be Lily’s legal guardian, Stone must reevaluate everything he’s been led to believe. Is she villain or victim?
Then a new danger forces Charlotte to trust the man sent to destroy her. Stone vows to protect what he once sought to tear apart. Besides, he’s ready to start a new pursuit: winning Charlotte’s heart.
Purchase Links:
Amazon | Baker Book House | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook
Giveaway
For your chance to win a print copy, comment with what book YOU read for this month and you will also be entered into the year-end Grand Prize Reader Basket. 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 don’t the Rafflecopter widget.
*Open to all residents of the contiguous USA, legally able to enter, and an e-book format or Amazon Gift Card will be awarded to those outside that range who are legally able to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Recommendations for September:
- When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer
- In This Moment by Gabrielle Meyer
- Jody Hedlund’s Waters of Time series
- Lisa T Bergren’s River of Time series
- The True Lies of Rembrandt Stone series by David James Warren
- Stephanie H. McGee’s Back Inn Time series
What did you read for the challenge? What were your thoughts on it? Would you recommend it?
by Crystal Caudill | Jul 31, 2023 | Book Reviews, Reading Challenge
It’s time for another month of the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge: Unlock an Adventure. I’m so excited to join you on an adventure this year with guest reviews from our reading challenge participants. If you want to submit a review for upcoming months, feel free to sign up for a month here and use the Google form to submit your review. As my time has become too limited to do a suggestions post each month, I encourage you to jump over to the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge page and ask for suggestions from there or from any of a number of amazing reader groups like Avid Readers of Christian Fiction or check out the Inspirational Historical Fiction Index.
*The list of prizes available from my prize shelf can be found here.*
July’s Theme: Heroines in Unusual Professions for Their Time
August’s Theme: Bounty Hunter
To Write a Wrong
by Jen Turano
Review by: Crystal Caudill
Jen Turano never fails to be witty, entertaining, and exciting. To Write a Wrong was such a fun story with its dime novel heroine writing during an era when female mystery writers were not accepted. With the hero also a mystery writer and her competitor at that, this story is filled with laughs, romantic tension, and even a murder case. I’d probably call her style light and comedic romantic suspense. How can a book be both comedic and suspenseful? Turano just manages to pull it off with moments of concern for the protagonists and a constant trying to figure out who is the “would-be” murderer, all while laughing at the awkward situations. It truly was just the read I needed, and I’m so glad that I FINALLY got around to taking this one off my TBR pile.Â
For Fans of:Â historical romances with a gallon of comedy and a quart of suspense, novelist protagonists, secret identities, light-hearted mysteries, and clean romance
Genre: Historical Romance
Plot Overview:
Miss Daphne Beekman is a mystery writer by day, inquiry agent by night. Known for her ability to puzzle out plots, she prefers working behind the scenes for the Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency, staying well away from danger. However, Daphne soon finds herself in the thick of an attempted murder case she’s determined to solve.
Mr. Herman Henderson is also a mystery writer, but unlike the dashing heroes he pens, he lives a quiet life, determined to avoid the fate of his adventurous parents, who perished on an expedition when he was a child. But when he experiences numerous attempts on his life, he seeks out the services of the eccentric Bleecker Street Inquiry Agency to uncover the culprit. All too soon, Herman finds himself stepping out of the safe haven of his world and into an adventure he never imagined.
As the list of suspects grows and sinister plots are directed Daphne’s way as well, Herman and Daphne must determine who they can trust and if they can risk the greatest adventure of all:Â love.
Purchase Links:
Amazon | Baker Bookhouse | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook.com
Giveaway
For your chance to win a print copy, comment with what book YOU read for this month and you will also be entered into the year-end Grand Prize Reader Basket. 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 don’t the Rafflecopter widget.
*Open to all residents of the contiguous USA, legally able to enter, and an e-book format or Amazon Gift Card will be awarded to those outside that range who are legally able to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
What did you read for the challenge? What were your thoughts on it? Would you recommend it?
Recommendations for August:
- The Bounty Hunter’s Bargain by Lucette Nel
- A Match of Sorts by Lucette Nel (A female bounty hunter!)
- Claiming the Bounty Hunter’s Heart by Clari Dees
- A Worthy Pursuit by Karen Witemeyer
- Her Secret Song by Mary Connealy
- Claiming Her Legacy by Linda Goodnight
- The Bounty Hunter’s Baby by Erica Vestch
by Crystal Caudill | Jun 30, 2023 | Book Reviews, Reading Challenge
It’s time for a new season of the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge: Unlock an Adventure. I’m so excited to be joining you on an adventure this year with guest reviews from members of our reading challenge participants. If you have a review you’d like to submit for upcoming months, feel free to sign up for a month here and use the Google form to submit your review. As my time has become too limited to do a suggestions post each month, I encourage you to jump over to the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge page and ask for suggestions from there or from any of a number of amazing reader groups like Avid Readers of Christian Fiction and you can visit Christian Historical Fiction Index.
*The list of prizes available from my prize shelf can be found here.*
June’s Theme: Treasure Hunt
July’s Theme: Heroines in Unusual Professions for Their Time
The Maid of Ballymacool
by Jennifer Deibel
Review by: Crystal Caudill
This was my first Jennifer Deibel book, but it will not be my last. I was thoroughly transported to early 20th-century Ireland–so much so that after listening to the audiobook, my accent was slightly altered for days. Oops. The mystery surrounding Brianna’s life was enjoyable and had several twists I hadn’t expected despite having a good idea of where things were going. The spiritual thread was natural and refreshing. The romance was sweet in ways that become even sweeter as more of the story was revealed. The characters were multi-layered, real, and became some of my best friends. When you are an avid reader (and now a writer in my case) it becomes harder and harder to find stories that just completely absorb you. This one did, and I’m looking forward to reading through Mrs. Deibel’s other books. Â
For Fans of: Irish settings, family mysteries, historical romances that make you feel a part of the world, spiritual threads that refresh and make you think without hitting you over the head
Genre: Historical Romance, early 1900s
Plot Overview:
Brianna Kelly was abandoned at Ballymacool House and Boarding School as an infant. She has worked there since she was a wee girl and will likely die there. Despite a sense that she was made for something more, Brianna feels powerless to change her situation, so she consoles herself by exploring the Ballymacool grounds, looking for hidden treasures to add to the secret trove beneath the floorboards of her room.
When Michael Wray, the son of local gentry, is sent to Ballymacool to deal with his unruly cousin, he finds himself drawn to Brianna, immediately and inescapably. There is something about her that feels so . . . familiar. When Brianna finds a piece of silver in the woods, she commits to learning its origins, with the help of Michael. What they discover may change everything.
Fan favorite Jennifer Deibel invites you back to the Emerald Isle in the 1930s for this fresh take on the Cinderella story, complete with a tantalizing mystery, a budding romance, and a chance at redemption.
Purchase Links:
Amazon | Baker Bookhouse | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | Christianbook.com
Giveaway
For your chance to win a print copy, comment with what book YOU read for this month, and you will also be entered into the year-end Grand Prize Reader Basket. 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 don’t the Rafflecopter widget. (This month’s giveaway will be drawn later as I will have limited internet connectivity until the middle of the month, meaning my response comments will also come at the middle of the month.)
*Open to all residents of the contiguous USA, legally able to enter, and an e-book format or Amazon Gift Card will be awarded to those outside that range who are legally able to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Suggested reads for July:
Courting Misfortune & Engaging Deception by Regina Jennings
Angelinga’s Resolve by Cindy Ervin Huff
Enduring Dreams by Sandra Ardoin
The Icecutter’s Daughter by Tracie Peterson
To Disguise the Truth by Jen Turano
A Model of Devotion by Mary Connealy
What did you read for the challenge? What were your thoughts on it? Would you recommend it? Any suggestions for July’s book challenge?
