Just as Ecclesiastes has two opposites in each verse, most months will leave you with two options to choose from.

December Verse: A time for war and a time for peace.
Challenge Theme: A book set at the end of a war

January’s Theme: Newest Book on your TBR Pile

In an effort to just get this post out there to you who are patiently waiting, I’m calling an audible. I failed my own challenge. Between a killer deadline, a family emergency that immediately followed, I got nothing for you. BUT thankfully YOU can still tell me what YOU read for the last month of the 2024 challenge.

This year’s challenge focuses on whittling down your current TBR pile, so grab the book that is either the most recently released or the newest one you’ve added to your pile and get to reading!

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 20th 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

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

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.

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?

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.

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. 

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?

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.

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?

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.

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?

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.

July Verse: 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?

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.

June Verse: A time to grieve and a time to dance.
Challenge Theme: A book with a funeral or with a character who is a dancer.

July Verse: A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
Challenge Theme: Second Chance Romance or Family/Friend Reconciliation

A Midnight Dance

by Joanna Davidson Politano

Due to deadlines and family needs, I did not get my challenge book read, although I’ve made it 1/3 of the way through and have been enjoying it. So I snuck over to GoodReads and stole some reviews from friends. 🙂

Review by: Multiple people

“This book held within its pages as much grace and drama as ballet itself. Politano is an artist who painting pictures with her words and digging deep into far corners of every reader’s heart. I loved this unique view into the history of theater and ballet and how we can worship God in the form of dance. The mystery woven within kept me turning the pages until the very last with a satisfied sigh.” – Sarah Monzon

“Politano crafts the world of the Victorian ballet with depth and beauty. Her writing is evocative and immersive. All of her characters are well-rounded and layered, but this stirring story best highlights the faith of a young woman in a time when it was believed God and the theatre could never mix. Well-paced and thoroughly mesmerizing, I both savored and devoured every page.” – Stephenia McGee

“The prose of A Midnight Dance is gorgeous. There’s a lyrical flow to this book as graceful as a ballet itself. Highly recommended.” – Rachel McDaniel

Genre: Historical Romance

Plot Overview:

All theater romances are tragedies. Ella Blythe knows this. Still, she cannot help but hope her own story may turn out different than most–and certainly different than the tragic story of the Ghost of Craven Street Theater. Yet as she struggles to maintain her tenuous place in the ever-shrinking ballet company, win the attentions of principal dancer Philippe, and avoid company flirt Jack, Ella cannot deny the uncanny feeling that her life is mirroring that of the dead ballerina.

Is she dancing ever closer to the edge of her own tragic end? Or will the secrets that are about to come to light offer release from the past?

Mystery and romance make the perfect dance partners in this evocative story from fan-favorite Joanna Davidson Politano.

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 July:

• Counterfeit Love by Crystal Caudill
• Shadow of Truth by Susan Sleeman
• The Sea Before Us by Sarah Sundin
• The Metropolitan Affair by Jocelyn Green
• Curse of Misty Wayfair by Jaime Jo Wright
• Flight of Fancy by Laurie Alice Eakes
• Butterfly Palace by Colleen Coble
• “A Flood of Love” by Tracie Peterson in Serving Up Love: A Harvey House Brides Collection
• Remembered by Tamera Alexander
• The Lady of Bolton Hill by Elizabeth Camden
• A Life Once Dreamed by Rachel Fordham

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

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.

May Verse: A time to cry and a time to laugh.
Challenge Theme: A RomCom or a book that makes you cry

June Verse: A time to grieve and a time to dance.
Challenge Theme: A book with a funeral or with a character who is a dancer.

Loyally Luke

by Pepper Basham

Review by: Crystal Caudill

Hallmarky RomCom’s are not usually my thing, but this rough year has brought me to read a slew of them just because of how light and funny they can be. This one, though, took the cake. I got a kick of how pointedly this book played off of and lovingly made fun of the Hallmark movies. From the “Hallmark chime” that showed up at particular points in the story, the blatant pointing out and playing with famous Hallmark tropes, and Luke groaning over how his life had become a Hallmark movie, I couldn’t stop laughing (and cringing in a good way). What I loved most about this book, however, was how the characters dealt with life and each other in a realistic and soft way. Luke may have been a little too perfect, but what good Hallmark guy isn’t? LOL I loved Ellie’s arc and how Luke perfectly complimented her and helped her grow into the person she needed to be despite her past. So yeah, I’d recommend it. 🙂 Especially if you are a fan of the Hallmark channel, or even if you are more like me and roll your eyes at the Hallmark channel. 

Genre: RomCom

Plot Overview:

Sometimes love means embracing the good, the bad . . . and even the impossible.

Dear Reader,

My name is Luke Edgewood, and there are few things in life that I require. Mainly black coffee. And flannel. And lots of solitude. And my dogs, Chewy and Indie. What I don’t need is romance, so I have no plans to change my thirty-year-old bachelor status anytime soon.

But my youngest sister thinks that by accepting a short-term construction job in the small European country of Skymar, I’m going to follow along in her footsteps and discover my own romantic adventure. Nope. Bah humbug. The End. This time, her rom-com-movie senses are totally wrong.

Or maybe not. Because I’ve met a Grace Kelly look-alike who is annoying . . . until she isn’t. But she is impossible. As in, nothing can happen between us because she is a literal princess. Even though that’s easy to forget when we’re working together to restore a castle-like orphanage in a secluded mountain town and “forced proximity” includes a small closet, a secret one-hundred-year-old journal, and the tactile memory of an off-limits royal in my arms.

Basically, the whole situation has turned into an ooey gooey magical snow globe of romantic tropes complete with cute kids and an actual ball. Now, even my sentences are starting to sound like mush. Ugh. Send high levels of testosterone my way—I’m going to need it.

Loyally,

Luke

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 June:

• A Midnight Dance by Joanna Politano
• Hidden Current by Sharon Hinck
• The Dancing Realms trilogy by Sharon Hinck
• Until the Leaves Fall in Paris by Sarah Sundin
• The Italian Ballerina by Kristy Cambron

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

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.

April Verse: A time to tear down and a time to build up.
Challenge Theme: A book with characters or plots related to construction, remodeling, demolition, or architecture.

May Verse: A time to cry and a time to laugh.
Challenge Theme: A RomCom or a book that makes you cry

Engaging Deception

by Regina Jennings

Review by: Crystal Caudill

My MIL and I listened to this delightful tale while driving down to and back from watching the total eclipse. This book has long been on my TBR pile–the whole series really–and it was a joy to finally dive in. Olive was a wonderful character who, while reserved, was also interesting, had a wild/stubborn/brave streak, and was incredibly intelligent. The hero, Maxfield, was a loving dad running from his grief. The way both of these characters came together through architecture–at first as secret rivals–was a journey that was enjoyable, poignant, and had a depth I wasn’t expecting. The story was very well done, and I’m looking forward to reading Regina Jennings other books. I can’t remember if I’ve read her before, but this certainly won’t be my last.

Genre: Historical Romance, late 1890s to early 1900s, American

Plot Overview:

A lively competition draws her into her rival’s blueprints–and maybe even his heart.

Olive Kentworth has spent her life hiding her interest in architecture, even though she pores over architectural books and sketches buildings. When she accepts a job on a home expansion, it’s only because her cousin Amos agrees to pose as the builder. To further hide her involvement, Olive takes a position as a nanny–not knowing that she’ll be working for her idol, Joplin’s leading architect, widower Maxfield Scott.

Maxfield is intrigued by his new nanny–she makes his home and his life bearable again. His work, on the other hand, is a disaster. An untrained builder is remodeling a completed project of his. What’s worse, Maxfield’s current client wants changes to his plans because of that builder’s work.

As the architectural one-upmanship heats up, Olive’s involvement becomes harder to hide. Will the relationship between her and Maxfield survive, or will they both miss out on building something for their future?

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 May:

• The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh
• The Swindler’s Daughter by Stephania McGee
• Hadley Beckett’s Next Dish by Bethany Turner
• The Hart of Christmas by Latisha Sexton
• Playing the Part, Jen Turano
• Worthy Pursuit, Karen Witemeyer
• Husband Auditions or Hero Debut by Angela Ruth Strong
• Loyally, Luke by Pepper Basham

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

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.

March Verse: A time to kill and a time to heal.
Challenge Theme: A book with a serial killer or a character in the medical profession.

April Verse: A time to tear down and a time to build up.
Challenge Theme: A book with characters or plots related to construction, remodeling, demolition, or architecture.

Lost in Darkness

by Michelle Griep

Review by: Crystal Caudill, repost from 11/2021

If I were to describe this book in one word, it would be intense. Marvelously so. Michelle Griep has taken her writing to new levels in this gothic romance that leaves characters battling the monsters within . . . and without. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein had nothing on this story where the famed author makes several appearances. The story of Amelia Balfour, Graham Lambart, Colin Balfour, and Dr. Peckwood is sure to have your angst ratcheting tight all the way to the spell-binding ending, that while holding to magnificent gothic tradition, leaves the reader with hope for the future.

This was the most intense book from Michelle Griep that I have ever read, and to be honest, I was glad that I was listening to it as an audiobook and was forced to do thirty or fewer minute increments. The tension was so deep, so constant that my heart couldn’t take it all at once. I’m looking forward to reading it again soon, this time in one fell swoop. This is an unforgettable tale that will sweep readers away to a different time to face monsters that they might even see reflected in themselves.

I recommend this book for fans of Gothic romances, Frankenstein, obscure history, and deep truths discovered during trying circumstances.

Genre: Historical Romance, Victorian England

Plot Overview:

Travel writer Amelia Balfour’s dream of touring Egypt is halted when she receives news of a revolutionary new surgery for her grotesquely disfigured brother. This could change everything, and it does. . .in the worst possible way.

Surgeon Graham Lambert has suspicions about the doctor he’s gone into practice with, but he can’t stop him from operating on Amelia’s brother. Will he be too late to prevent the man’s death? Or to reveal his true feelings for Amelia before she sails to Cairo?

Purchase Links:

Amazon  |  Baker Book House  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Christianbook.com

Giveaway

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Recommendations for April:

• A Model of Devotion by Mary Connealy
• On This Foundation by Lynn Austin
• A Battle Worth Fighting by Sarah Hanks
• Daughtry House series by Beth White
• Lost Castle series by Kristy Cambron
• Engaging Deception by Regina Jennings

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