Hope By the Book is hosting a 2019 Reading Challenge, which I discovered late in January. Luckily for me, a few of the books I’d already read fit in the challenge, so I decided to forge ahead and complete the challenge to the best of my ability. For this edition of Just Read, I wanted to provide an update on my progress in the challenge. Here are 7 of the 12 books I have read so far. (Want to try out the challenge for yourself? You can find it here.)
Just a quick note: While I want to be honest in my reviews, I also want to be positive. I haven’t loved every book I’ve ever read, but authors spend an incredible amount of time on their projects, and I think each one deserves at least a word of kindness.
Author’s Surname Begins with W: Falling for You by Becky Wade
This book is the sequel to True to You and is about Willow Bradford, a supermodel, who comes home to Washington to care for her parents’ inn. A young fan’s request for help thrusts Willow into the path of her ex-boyfriend Corbin Stewart.
What struck me the most about this novel was the growth of the two characters. Willow beats herself up for past mistakes, trying so hard to maintain the image of the good girl. Corbin is new to Christianity and is still growing spiritually. But it wasn’t just Willow and Corbin’s relationship struggles that drew me into this novel. Wade did a wonderful job weaving a decades-old mystery into the mix. Trying to solve that mystery not only forces Willow and Corbin to face their problems, it also provides a great background for some banter between the two.
HBTB Gold Star Review: A Bound Heart by Laura Frantz
This book has its own Just Read post. You can find it here.
As usual, Laura Frantz has written another novel filled with rich detail. There’s no rushed declarations of love but rather a carefully cultivated relationship based on a foundation of friendship. And thus my favorite quote from the novel: “Theirs had been a romance of restraint. Thwarted passion.” And the restraint was what I admired most about Lark and Magnus. They wait patiently for God’s timing, having learned their own harsh lessons in the past, having learned that when you put your faith in God, you begin to see the mountains He has moved on your behalf. And that is a lesson we could all learn.
Setting Outside U.S.: The Widow of Larkspur Inn by Lawana Blackwell
At first I was taken a bit off-guard because I thought this was going to be a romance. There is a romantic storyline, but the love interest isn’t introduced until about halfway into the plot. However, I enjoyed watching Julia Hollis try to adjust to her new circumstances. She’s a strong character, and I appreciated that while Blackwell showed Julia’s moments of weakness, Julia didn’t spend a lot of time complaining about her circumstances.
The secondary characters were just as enjoyable, and I loved the various subplots. Although I felt like the romance was rushed in the end, I was still satisfied with the conclusion. This is the first in a series, and I will definitely try to get my hands on the sequel.
HBTB Bookmarked Review: Romancing the Bride by Melissa Jagears
This book has its own Just Read post. You can read it here.
I love the marriage of convenience trope. Seriously, I can’t get enough of it. I think what I love most about it is seeing how different authors take it and do something special with it. And Melissa Jagears did just that. It’s real, it’s heartfelt, and it’s poignant. But it’s not all romance, pent-up feelings, and broken dreams. There’s mystery, intrigue, and a few laughs as Jacob tries to find cattle rustlers, stop a vandal, learn the truth behind Annie’s property, and corral a wayward pig. I highly recommend it!
2018 ECPA Bestseller: The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers
This book was amazing! A bit of warning though for those who are sensitive on this issue, there is discussion of sex. The characters’ struggles are real and their past sexual sin is something they both have to face. But I felt that while the discussion was frank, Rivers handled it in a tasteful way. This is not a subject we can ignore. Christians struggle with this every day.
That being said, Rivers’s characters are rich and developed. They have pasts: successes, failures; wins, losses; high points and low points. They aren’t cardboard cutouts or poster children for perfect Christianity. They’re flawed beings in need of grace like the rest of us. And that is a large focus of the novel. We see how God works all things together for good. I also really appreciated that after the novel’s conversion scene, the characters don’t act like everything is now perfect and there are no obstacles between Grace and Roman. The characters have clear discussions about the difference between being saved by Christ and living for Him.
Famous Event Setting: Secrets of Sloane House by Shelley Gray
This is the first book of a series set around the Chicago World’s Fair.
On the surface, it’s your typical novel about the differences between the upper class and lower class. But Gray includes characters from the uppercrust who are kind, honest, respectable people that remind the reader not all rich people are bad and not all poor people are saints. That comes in handy when the fate of Rosalind’s sister is revealed.
I enjoyed the mystery more than the romance, especially since there were times Reid Armstrong got on my nerves with his “I need to marry rich because my parents expect it of me” mentality. However, I did appreciate his realization that a person’s wealth doesn’t excuse their moral deficiencies. And in the Sloane family, there are several.
Three-Word Title: Blue Moon Promise by Colleen Coble
This novel felt a bit disjointed at times. I think there might have been too many plot points for me to keep up with. And there were times I felt like scenes ended a bit abruptly. However, I liked Lucy and Nate and wanted to see how their relationship would develop, especially since the idea of a proxy marriage is a bit foreign to me. It’s a decent book. I don’t regret reading it, but I’ve read better. In fact, I read the sequel, Safe in His Arms, and it was MUCH better. I think Coble is a good writer, it’s just that Blue Moon Promise wasn’t the best proof of her talent.
Interested in a book? Click on the picture to go to Amazon. As of this posting, several are available on Kindle Unlimited. And don’t forget to check out Hope By the Book’s reading challenge!
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