by Crystal Caudill | Nov 30, 2024 | Reading Challenge
It’s another month our challenge: Unlocking Ecclesiastes 3. I’m so excited to join you again this year with guest reviews from our reading challenge participants. If you want to submit a review for upcoming months, feel free to email me using my contact form. If you are looking for suggestions as to what to read each month, may I recommend joining my Crystal Caudill’s Reading Friends Facebook group, or visiting Avid Readers of Christian Fiction or Inspirational Historical Fiction Index. I’ll also include a short list at the bottom of this post.
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 available from my prize shelf can be found here.*
Unlocking the Past: Ecclesiastes 3
Just as Ecclesiastes has two opposites in each verse, most months will leave you with two options to choose from.
“For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.”
November Verse: A time to love and a time to hate.
Challenge Theme: An enemies-to-lovers book
December Verse: A time for war and a time for peace.
Challenge Theme: A book set at the end of a war
Fiancé Finale
by Angela Ruth Strong
Review by: Crystal Caudill
So I might have stretched the boundaries of this month’s challenge, but even though it was a second chance romance, Nicole did start out with not liking Charlie for the way he broke her heart. One of my favorite things about the book was the fact Charlie was neurodivergent. It’s not a hero-type you usually see, but Angela did an amazing job with it. His character was so well done in the way that he sees things as black and white and emotions are difficult to feel or understand. His journey to understanding what love really is and demonstrating it was one of my absolute favorite arcs for a RomCom. Angela Ruth Strong writes RomCom with depth, and I think she’s ruined me for any other type of RomCom. Also, Nicole is believable, a pastor’s kid who has suffered at the hands of a father who made poor decisions but refused to acknowledge them, and had to find her way to forgiveness in order to find love for her father and for Charlie. It was a beautiful story that needed told. I highly recommend the entire series, especially this one.
Genre: RomCom
Plot Overview:
Charlie Newberg is sure about one thing: Nicole Lemaire is the woman God wants him to marry. There’s a slight problem, thoughmdashhe’s already left her once. The day before their wedding. To make a documentary.
But he’s got a plan. The marketing firm she works for is the ideal choice for promoting his new film. Collaborating will give him the perfect chance to propose again, so he conspires with her boss to make sure she runs the campaign for the same kind of documentary Charlie left hermdashbasically at the altarmdashfor.
Despite Nicole’s resistance, the two work well together. But Charlie’s going to need more than teamwork to convince the jilted bride to give him a second chance. In fact, he might need to fall in love in a way he’s never really understood.
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. 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.
*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:
- The Portrait of Loyalty by Roseanna White
- All Things New by Lynn Austin
- Escape to Paradise trilogy by MaryLu Tyndall
- Daisies Are Forever by Liz Tolsma
- Springtime of the Spirit by Maureen Lang
- Traces of Mercy by Michael Landon, Jr. & Cindy Kelley
What did you read for the challenge? What were your thoughts on it? Would you recommend it?
by Crystal Caudill | Nov 5, 2024 | Reading Challenge
It’s another month our challenge: Unlocking Ecclesiastes 3. I’m so excited to join you again this year with guest reviews from our reading challenge participants. If you want to submit a review for upcoming months, feel free to email me using my contact form. If you are looking for suggestions as to what to read each month, may I recommend joining my Crystal Caudill’s Reading Friends Facebook group, or visiting Avid Readers of Christian Fiction or Inspirational Historical Fiction Index. I’ll also include a short list at the bottom of this post.
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 available from my prize shelf can be found here.*
Unlocking the Past: Ecclesiastes 3
Just as Ecclesiastes has two opposites in each verse, most months will leave you with two options to choose from.
“For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.”
October Verse: A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
Challenge Theme: A mute/deaf character or a character who advocates for others
November Verse: A time to love and a time to hate.
Challenge Theme: An enemies-to-lovers book
A Thieving at Carlton House
by Erica Vestch
Review by: Crystal Caudill
The delay in this review just proves how crazy my reading life has been, but after many interruptions and long periods of not getting to read, I FINALLY FINISHED A THIEVING AT CARLTON HOUSE!!!! And I should have tossed aside all my responsibilities sooner. LOL Who needs clothes, food, doctor appointments, rides to and from school, or any other thing that stood in the way of my reading pleasure?
Sigh. I absolutely adore the fact that this new series is following Bertie and Philippa. Philippa is a former courtesan (aka prostitute who serves high-class clientele) who is working through the challenges of running a growing ministry that helps rescue women from a similar lifestyle. I love Philippa and her heart for women, and my heart aches as she wrestles to realize her worth not only as a person who can be loved, but as a child of God. Her struggle with forgiving her father is one that I think many of us can identify with, at least in the forgiving of someone who has done us harm–not for their sake but for our own. It’s a hard and difficult road to walk, and I loved walking that road with Philippa.
And then there is Bertie. Oh, good ole loveable Bertie, who has pulled the wool over everyone’s eyes. I am thrilled he gets his own series. That man has so much depth and it was good to see his internal struggle as he begins to come into his own and build his own team. I cannot wait to see how he grows and develops over the next two books . . . and, let’s be honest, how his relationship with Philippa will grow. I’m in a season right now where I am enjoying the romances that actually take several books to build, and this series is top of my enjoyment list. 🙂
I highly recommend this series from Erica Vestch.Â
Genre: Regency Mystery
Plot Overview:
The Home Office has asked Sir Bertrand Thorndike to head an investigation into stolen royal jewels. And as with everything concerning the Prince Regent, discretion is paramount.
It’s the perfect chance for Bertie to step out of his brother’s long shadow. Unfortunately, his superior, the Duke of Haverly, has a plan that makes him balk. In order to sell his cover, Bertie must play the part of a man looking for love, ready to reform his rakish ways.
Philippa Cashel escaped a life as one of society’s best-known courtesans and now devotes her time to helping other women in dire straits. Her hope is that laboring hard enough at her charity work will allow her to feel worthy of God’s forgiveness of her past. So when Sir Bertrand Thorndike approaches her about becoming an agent of the Crown, she is skeptical. Why her? She’s focused on getting her school for underprivileged women up and running, not on cloak-and-dagger skullduggery.
But when two of Philippa’s rescued girls become targets, Philippa risks partnering with Bertie to find the loot and stop a killer.
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. 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.
*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:
- The Letter Tree Rachel Fordham
- Counterfeit Hope by Crystal Caudill
- The Hart of Christmas by Latisha Sexton
- Red Siren byMaryLu Tyndall
- Dauntless by Dina L Sleiman
What did you read for the challenge? What were your thoughts on it? Would you recommend it?
by Crystal Caudill | Oct 1, 2024 | Reading Challenge
It’s another month our challenge: Unlocking Ecclesiastes 3. I’m so excited to join you again this year with guest reviews from our reading challenge participants. If you want to submit a review for upcoming months, feel free to email me using my contact form. If you are looking for suggestions as to what to read each month, may I recommend joining my Crystal Caudill’s Reading Friends Facebook group, or visiting Avid Readers of Christian Fiction or Inspirational Historical Fiction Index. I’ll also include a short list at the bottom of this post.
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 available from my prize shelf can be found here.*
Unlocking the Past: Ecclesiastes 3
Just as Ecclesiastes has two opposites in each verse, most months will leave you with two options to choose from.
“For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.”
September Verse: A time to tear and a time to mend.
Challenge Theme: A Tailor/Seamstress character
October Verse: A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
Challenge Theme: A mute/deaf character or a character who advocates for others
A Tailor-Made Bride
by Karen Witemeyer
Review by: Crystal Cauilld
This book was a reread for me, and I believe it was the first Kare Witemeyer book I ever read. I remember picking it up off my library’s new releases shelf and being hooked on her books from there on out. She is one of a handful of authors whose books I will purchase, even though I think I’m several series behind at this point. I adored how the beauty of life inspired Hannah Richards dress designs and outlook. She was a woman I could admire, with tenacity and kindness I hope to mimic in my life. And I LOVED Jericho/J.T.. He’s such a gruff but soft-hearted guy. This book was a great mix of humor, spiritual insight and growth, and sweet romance. I will always recommend Karen’s books!
Genre: Historical Romance, Western
Plot Overview:
Jericho “J.T.” Tucker wants nothing to do with Coventry, Texas’s new dressmaker. He’s all too familiar with her kind–shallow women more devoted to fashion than true beauty. Yet, except for her well-tailored clothing, this seamstress is not at all what he expected.
Hannah Richards is confounded by the man who runs the livery. The unsmiling fellow riles her with his arrogant assumptions and gruff manner while at the same time stirring her heart with unexpected acts of kindness. Which side of Jericho Tucker reflects the real man?
When Hannah decides to help Jericho’s sister catch a beau–leading to uproarious consequences for the whole town–will Jericho and Hannah find a way to bridge the gap between them?
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.
*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:
- Sheltered by the Doctor by Danielle Grandinetti
- The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen
- Sons of Blackbird Mountain by Joanna Bischof
- Saving Amelie by Cathy Gohlke
- Deadly Pursuit by Irene Hannon
What did you read for the challenge? What were your thoughts on it? Would you recommend it?
by Crystal Caudill | Aug 31, 2024 | Reading Challenge
It’s another month our challenge: Unlocking Ecclesiastes 3. I’m so excited to join you again this year with guest reviews from our reading challenge participants. If you want to submit a review for upcoming months, feel free to email me using my contact form. If you are looking for reading suggestions, I’ve cultivated a page just for that. (Note that it is still being updated throughout the year, so feel free to message me with suggestions.) I recommend you also checking Inspirational Historical Fiction Index or the Facebook Group Avid Readers of Christian Fiction or my Facebook group Crystal Caudill’s Reading Friends. I’ll also include a short list at the bottom of this post.
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 available from my prize shelf can be found here.*
Unlocking the Past: Ecclesiastes 3
Just as Ecclesiastes has two opposites in each verse, most months will leave you with two options to choose from.
“For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.”
August Verse: A time to search and a time to quit searching.
Challenge Theme: A mystery or a theme of someone searching for family
September Verse: A time to tear and a time to mend.
Challenge Theme: A Tailor/Seamstress character
The Lost Melody
by Joanna Davidson Politano
Review by: Crystal Caudill
Joanna Davidson Politano has long been a blow-my-mind-away, favorite author. Her gothic-feeling novels are always so steeped in God that I cannot help but sit in awe and wonder for long moments after. This book was no different, and yet so different. With a plot that takes place mostly in an insane asylum, the setting was unique. While heavy, it also had a beauty to it that I would never have expected. The characters were heart-rending, memorable, and cherished. Every person seemed so real, and each character gave a wholeness of understanding that I’d previously lacked. I’ve grown up surrounded by mental illness, treated and untreated. I know that people are so much more than the labels and struggles they face, but this also brought a new understanding and almost healing to some areas where I still struggle. I had to take the book slowly, but I cannot say enough about just how absolutely beautiful and human each character is–no matter their struggle. This is definitely a book that will stick with me for a long time. No wonder it won a Carol Award. I highly recommend this book to anyone I meet.
Genre: Historical, England 1885
Plot Overview:
When concert pianist Vivienne Mourdant’s father dies, he leaves to her the care of an adult ward she knew nothing about. The woman is supposedly a patient at Hurstwell Asylum. The woman’s portrait is shockingly familiar to Vivienne, so when the asylum claims she was never a patient there, Vivienne is compelled to discover what happened to the figure she remembers from childhood dreams.
The longer she lingers in the deep shadows and forgotten towers at Hurstwell, the fuzzier the line between sanity and madness becomes. She hears music no one else does, receives strange missives with rose petals between the pages, and untangles far more than is safe for her to know. But can she uncover the truth about the mysterious woman she seeks? And is there anyone at Hurstwell she can trust with her suspicions?
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. 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.
*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:
- The Seamstress of Acadie by Laura Frantz
- The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron
- Love from Afar by Penny Zeller
- After a Fashion by Jen Turano
- A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer
- A Heart Most Worthy by Siri Mitchell
What did you read for the challenge? What were your thoughts on it? Would you recommend it?
by Crystal Caudill | Jul 31, 2024 | Reading Challenge
It’s another month our challenge: Unlocking Ecclesiastes 3. I’m so excited to join you again this year with guest reviews from our reading challenge participants. If you want to submit a review for upcoming months, feel free to email me using my contact form. If you are looking for reading suggestions, I’ve cultivated a page just for that. (Note that it is still being updated throughout the year, so feel free to message me with suggestions.) I recommend you also checking Inspirational Historical Fiction Index or the Facebook Group Avid Readers of Christian Fiction or my Facebook group Crystal Caudill’s Reading Friends. I’ll also include a short list at the bottom of this post.
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 available from my prize shelf can be found here.*
Unlocking the Past: Ecclesiastes 3
Just as Ecclesiastes has two opposites in each verse, most months will leave you with two options to choose from.
“For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.”
July Verse:Â A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
Challenge Theme: Second Chance Romance or Family/Friend Reconciliation
August Verse: A time to search and a time to quit searching.
Challenge Theme: A mystery or a theme of someone searching for family
A Gilded Age Getaway
by Stephenia H. McGee
Review by: Crystal Caudill
I’ve been enjoying Stephenia’s Back Inn Time series in between longer books. I especially adored this one because it wasn’t just a romance. It was a second-chance romance between a married couple who didn’t quite realize how much their marriage needed saving. Fiona is a mom of young ones who often feels like she’s going it alone. Tyler is a loving husband and dad who struggles to be present for his family has he manages his family’s company and tries to support his wife and kids in the way they deserve. I think every family probably walks through this season of marriage, and it was such a breath of fresh air to not only enjoy and benefit from Stephenia’s wise growth of the characters but get to do it set against the backdrop of the most extravagant ball ever thrown. Equal parts exciting and impactful, this is a story I recommend for those unmarried as well as those married. It’s a realistic look at the hardships of marriage with children and the necessary fight for each other. It’s so easy for the exhaustion of parenting and providing to chip away at our relationships, and this just brought an often quiet topic to the forefront. I adore Stephenia for doing this on a regular basis.
Genre: Time Travel – Gilded Age
Plot Overview:
Can one magical night of glamour in the past save their future?
When Fiona Robinson imagined her life with Tyler, she dreamed of a grand adventure. Together. But after a decade of marriage, suburban seclusion, and stress from his job, she’s let the strain of being a stay-at-home mom of two toddlers squeeze all the fun out of their relationship.
With pressure mounting at work and his homelife growing stale, Tyler’s fighting to recapture the joy in his marriage. But he can’t seem to do anything right, his job’s drained his energy, and his wife no longer resembles the fun-loving girl he married.
Then Fiona’s mother presents them with an anniversary weekend getaway at a seaside B&B, and they hope it can rekindle their romance. But they never could have imagined their room would transport them to the Gilded Age in New York! Now, can one night at the famed Vanderbilt ball reignite their spark, or will they be stuck in a future neither of them expected?
Purchase Links:
Stephenia’s Store | Amazon |  Barnes & Noble
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.
*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 August:
- The Peasant King by Tessa Afshar
- The Lady & the Highwayman by Sarah M Eden
- Rock Harbor series by Colleen Coble
- Mark of the King by Jocelyn Green
- Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
- Trapped by Irene Hannon
- The Land Beneath Us by Sarah Sundin
- Blue Moon Promise by Colleen Coble
- A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure by Angela Bell
What did you read for the challenge? What were your thoughts on it? Would you recommend it?
