by Crystal Caudill | Sep 30, 2022 | Reading Challenge
We’ve finished the ninth month of the Unlocking the Past 2022 Reading Challenge: Around the World. This month we traveled to Oceania, and my choice of story was A Girl’s Guide to the Outback by Jessica Kate Once you read my review, don’t forget to comment to be entered for your chance to win a copy.
*Want more interaction and/or suggestions each month? Join the Facebook Group. Want a bookmark with the monthly themes? Fill out this Google Form. Need a reminder on the details of the challenge? Go to the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge page.*
A Girl’s Guide to the Outback
by Jessica Kate
For this month’s reading challenge, I picked up A Girl’s Guide to the Outback written by Aussie native, Jessica Kate. It was a joy to get to experience Australia (or ‘Straya) through the eyes of a native. Between the landscapes, authentic Aussie lingo (translated seamlessly), peek into the grit it takes to run a farm in the outback, and the wide array of characters in the story, it truly felt like I’d made a trip around the world. Especially as the heroine was an American experiencing it for the first time The Aussie lingo was a delight to read and experience through the eyes of an American setting foot in the country for the first time. The characters were complex and real, and the storyline true-to-life. The wrestle of faith and growth in Christ with this book was well-done, not preachy, and oh, so needed.
I definitely recommend this story for those who want storylines that are rich with complex characters and transport you to another location. This was my first Jessica Kate book, but will not be my last.
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Rom-Com
Plot Overview:
How far will a girl go to win back a guy she can’t stand? This funny, sweet, and romantic story proves that opposites do attract—and that God has a sense of humor.
Samuel Payton is a passionate youth pastor in Virginia, but below the surface, he’s still recovering from the blow of a failed business and insecurities he can’t shake. His coworker, start-up expert Kimberly Foster, is brilliant, fearless, and capable, but years of personal rejection have left her defensive and longing for a family. Two people have never been more at odds—or more attracted to one another. And every day at work, the sparks sure do fly.
When Kimberly’s ambitious plans for Sam’s ministry butt up against his risk-averse nature, Sam decides that obligations to family trump his work for the church. He quits the ministry and heads home to Australia to help his sister, Jules, save her struggling farm. As Kimberly’s grand plans flounder, she is forced to face the truth: that no one can replace Sam. Together they strike up a deal: If Kimberly comes to work on Jules’s dairy farm and lends her business brains to their endeavor, then maybe—just maybe—Sam will reconsider his future with the church.
As Kimberly tries her hand at Australian farm life, she learns more about herself than she could’ve ever expected. Meanwhile Sam is forced to re-evaluate this spunky woman he thought he already knew. As foes slowly morph into friends, they wonder if they might be something even more. But when disaster strikes the farm, will Sam find it within himself to take a risk that could lead to love? And will Kimberly trust God with her future?
PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon | Baker Bookhouse | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | Book Depository | Bookshop.org | 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 October 7th 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 September’s Challenge? What do you hope to read in October?
by Crystal Caudill | Aug 31, 2022 | Book Reviews, Reading Challenge
We’ve finished the eighth month of the Unlocking the Past 2022 Reading Challenge: Around the World. This month we traveled to North America, and my choice of story was Love in the Bargain by Lucette Nel Once you read my review, don’t forget to comment to be entered for your chance to win a book from my prize pile.
*Want more interaction and/or suggestions each month? Join the Facebook Group. Want a bookmark with the monthly themes? Fill out this Google Form. Need a reminder on the details of the challenge? Go to the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge page.*
![Love in the Bargain by [Lucette Nel]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51UmbAS1wfL.jpg)
Love in the Bargain
by Lucette Nel
This book isn’t actually out until September 30th, but being a member of the author community has its perks. Lucette Nel weaves a unique and engaging marriage of convenience story. Both Micah and Amelia are desperate to have some control over their lives and futures. When Amelia’s grandfather offers an ultimatum of marriage or return to New York, she is determined to have a paper-only marriage with the man of her choosing. Although Micah is an ex-convict, he was once her friend and the only prospect that she can entertain being stuck with for the rest of her life. Besides, it will mutually benefit them as he is struggling to raise his orphaned niece and nephew. But nothing is as simple as it looks on paper. Micah has no intention of living in a loveless marriage, and though he is a patient man, Amelia is determined to keep him at arm’s length. When life-threatening dangers arise, it’s more than their lives at stake. Their marriage and hearts may not survive.
Love in the Bargain is a wonderful story of learning to release control and open oneself up to the vulnerability of loving another. I highly recommend this story for fans of historical romance, marriage of convenience, friends to more, danger-filled romance, and realistically flawed characters.
Genre: Historical Romance, Texas 1889
Plot Overview:
Driven to rekindle her relationship with her ailing grandfather, Amelia Scott returns to her childhood home. However, her unyielding grandfather is determined to control her future and poses an ultimatum. Marry and inherit the iconic Scott Hotel or return to New York penniless. Amelia is determined to stay, and formulates a plan to ensure proprietorship of her last connection to family. But love is not a part of the deal. She can’t risk another man having control of her.
Ex-convict, now town carpenter, Micah Kelly struggles to raise his deceased sister’s children. When Amelia proposes marriage without love as the answer to both of their problems, he knows better than to say yes. While partnering with his childhood friend may yield an answer to his monetary challenges, he cannot agree to a marriage in name only. His heart is already involved, and that always leads to trouble.
Circumstances put them together, and while they struggle within their new marriage, outside forces are determined to snatch the Scott Hotel from them. Even if it means killing them.
Purchase your copy at Amazon
Giveaway
For your chance to win a print copy from my prize pile (OR an e-copy of Lucette’s book), 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 September 7th at midnight EST, and the winner will be notified by email and 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 August’s Challenge?
by Crystal Caudill | Jul 31, 2022 | Book Reviews, Reading Challenge
We’ve finished the seventh month of the Unlocking the Past 2022 Reading Challenge: Around the World. This month we traveled to the Middle East, and my choice of story was The Esther Paradigm Since I didn’t get a chance to finish it yet, I’ve pulled on AmongTheReads to get the review posted. If you click on her link, you can see her FULL review and a ton of awesome quotes and pictures. Once you read her review, don’t forget to comment to be entered for your chance to win a copy.
*Want more interaction and/or suggestions each month? Join the Facebook Group. Want a bookmark with the monthly themes? Fill out this Google Form. Need a reminder on the details of the challenge? Go to the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge page.*
The Esther Paradigm
by Sarah Monzon
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Plot Overview:
Hannah Pratt dreams of starting a school for the Bedouin clan she grew up with as a missionary kid, and finally her hopes are coming true. But shortly after she returns to the desert from her college years in the U.S., she discovers her parents have received threats from their Muslim neighbors. As the danger escalates, Hannah finds she’s in the middle of a battle no one seems to understand. She must decide to what lengths she’ll go to stay faithful to the mission to which God has called her. Even if it costs her everything.
As sheikh, Karim Al-Amir feels the weight of responsibility as the leader of his people. When a mysterious illness ravishes the clan’s flocks and threatens to destroy their centuries-old way of life, locals believe the American doctors and their daughter, his childhood friend, Hannah, are to blame. Karim must do something to keep them safe—even if the only solution can be found within marriage vows.
In a society where the line is drawn between us and them, Christianity is outlawed, and foreigners are mistrusted, will their union heal wounds or inflict the final fatal blow?
The Esther Paradigm is yet another moving story by Sarah Monzon. This modern-day retelling of the Book of Esther was very well written. Not many stories have moved me like this one. It is the heartfelt account of a sheikh who carries the burdens of his people gladly and of a woman who struggles with feelings of not measuring up.
There was an amazing account of a sandstorm that had me wanting to wash dirt out of my teeth and rub the grit from my eyes. And the moving emotions of a lonely young girl trying to fit in to a new culture, seeing her romantic dreams of being a foreign missionary exchanged for disillusionment and then again for hope. The characters were very well developed, which is evident if you look at the details in the Character Spotlights that the author provided about Hannah and Karim. The portions of the story that were told “by” Karim used a voice that sounded like an Arab and not a Westerner.
The author told of Christian missionaries living with a Muslim tribe with the threat of persecution with great sensitivity and love towards the Muslim people. The story was obviously well-researched and included information on how God is working in the Muslim world. The mention of a dream of Jesus resulting in a heart open to hear the Gospel, though related to fictional characters, is something that really is happening around the Muslim world. I work at a Christian mission organization and have been hearing for years about this very thing happening. Just a few weeks ago I heard a story from a missionary in a Muslim country who heard from a student about a dream just like that. When he commented about how unusual that was, the student later told him that it really is not unusual, he had talked to at least 13 other people who had the same dream. 🙂
While there was a fair amount of time spent going over Hannah’s fears of what physical intimacy would be like, but there was nothing inappropriate or offensive about how it was done. I would not be concerned about my young nieces reading any of the story.
One of the issues that Hannah dealt with was a feeling of always being compared to others and found lacking. She struggled with the sense of not measuring up. The journey that she traveled in dealing with this was tender and touching.
Two quotes that I especially liked in the story, enough to make note so I could include it here is:
“If everyone only did what was safe, nothing would change.”
“But I read, soul open to any stirrings of the Holy Spirit.”
PURCHASE LINK – Amazon
Giveaway
For your chance to win a book from my prize stash, 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 July 7th at midnight EST, and the winner will be drawn 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 June’s Challenge? What do you hope to read in July?
by Crystal Caudill | Jul 1, 2022 | Reading Challenge
Welcome to the seventh month of the Unlocking the Past 2022 Reading Challenge: Around the World. This month focuses on books that take place in the Middle East. While I will generally focus on Historical Fiction novels, I have included plenty of contemporary options as well. The majority of recommendations come from https://inspirationalhistoricalfiction.com/, other readers, or other authors. Especially don’t forget to check out my partner’s website, http://amongthereads.net/. The books aren’t broken down by country, but you can find all sorts of wonderful reads. If none of these suggestions appeal to you, I highly recommend joining the Avid Readers Facebook Group and asking for their recommendations. They are AMAZING and your TBR pile will never be the same.
Add your suggestions in the comments, and/or tell me what you are reading. Have you read any of these below?
Monthly Reminders:
*If you read a book for December, don’t forget to go to yesterday’s post to comment and get your name entered for your chance to win a print copy. (You’ll also earn your entry for the end of the year giveaway.)
*You can also join the Facebook Group. for more interaction and suggestions, or if you’d like a bookmark to remind you of the monthly challenges, fill out this Google Form.
by Crystal Caudill | Jun 30, 2022 | Book Reviews, Reading Challenge
We’ve finished the sixth month of the Unlocking the Past 2022 Reading Challenge: Around the World. This month we traveled to the Mediterranean, and I leaned on Among the Reads for this month and reviewed Daughter of Rome by Tessa Afshar Once you read her review, don’t forget to comment to be entered for your chance to win a copy. Don’t forget to check out her full review and all the awesome quote images she made here.
*Want more interaction and/or suggestions each month? Join the Facebook Group. Want a bookmark with the monthly themes? Fill out this Google Form. Need a reminder on the details of the challenge? Go to the Unlocking the Past Reading Challenge page.*
Daughter of Rome
by Tessa Afshar
Genre: Biblical Fiction
Plot Overview:
A woman with a devastating secret. A man bent on proving his worth. A chance encounter that catapults them into the heart of history.
When the daughter of a prominent Roman general meets a disinherited Jewish immigrant, neither one can dream of God’s plan to transform them into the most influential couple of the early church. Nor can they anticipate the mountains that will threaten to bury them. Their courtship unwittingly shadowed by murder and betrayal, Priscilla and Aquila slowly work to build a community of believers, while their lives grow increasingly complicated thanks to a shaggy dog, a mysterious runaway, and a ruthless foe desperate for love. But when they’re banished from their home by a capricious emperor, they must join forces with an unusual rabbi named Paul and fight to turn treachery into redemption.
With impeccable research and vivid detail, Daughter of Rome is both an emotive love story and an immersive journey through first-century Rome and Corinth, reminding readers once again why Debbie Macomber has said that “no one brings the Bible to life like Tessa Afshar.”
Daughter of Rome is an intriguing account of what the lives of Priscilla and Aquila could have been like. I was very interested in seeing the research that the author did to determine what type of environment they likely grew up in based on what we know from Scripture.
Aquila experienced firsthand the consequences of choosing to follow Yeshua. Not willing to deny his faith, he was disowned and lost his earthly inheritance.
Despite having been treated abominably by her brother, Priscilla treated others with kindness and compassion. One of my favorite moments in the story was when Marcus, a young boy Priscilla and Aquila took in, was helping minister to a woman who had come to them in terrible condition. When Priscilla questioned him about where he had learned to take care of someone like that, he replied “Don’t you know? I learned from you.”
I especially loved the way Priscilla was always caring for those in need, even at great cost to herself. She was constantly taking in “strays” and sharing all she had with them.
Another part I really enjoyed was when Aquila was getting ready for their wedding. He was so sweetly funny as he stressed over details and was so absent-minded!
There were many spiritual lessons learned along the way. Aquila had to learn to set aside his pride several different times. Priscilla learned forgiveness – for herself and for her enemies. Salvation was boldly proclaimed.
If you enjoy Biblical fiction, you are bound to enjoy Daughter of Rome.
PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon Baker Bookhouse Barnes & Noble Books-a-Million Book Depository Bookshop.org Christianbook.com Indiebound.org
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 July 7th 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 June’s Challenge? What do you hope to read in July?
![The Esther Paradigm (A Contemporary Christian Romance) by [Sarah Monzon]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/513vbajdREL.jpg)
3rd Century – Turkey
1000s – Turkey
The Power and the Glory Clint Kelly
1095 – Byzantine Empire (Ancient Turkey)
989 BC – Middle East/Yemen