"Leap Day in the Square" by Erynn Mangum

About this book:

  “Lucy McGrady only wants two things - to open up her cotton candy truck in time for her town's Leap Day in the Square celebration and to never see Ben Wilson again. And yet, somehow, these two things seem mutually exclusive.
    Lucy has spent most of her adult life trying to forget high school, thanks to Ben. Starting up her cotton candy truck, the Farmhouse Floof, is a dream come true and it seems like everything is finally going her way. Until the new health inspector comes over and it's none other than Ben Wilson. What could the Lord possibly be wanting to accomplish in this situation?
    On top of everything going on with the Farmhouse Floof, there's also the new Bible study on forgiveness Lucy's sister is dragging her to, weekly family dinners with her extremely tight and usually overly-nosy parents and sisters, and just when it seems like nothing can get worse, insert a stray cat.
    Lucy's about to discover that while sometimes the Lord works in mysterious ways, sometimes He just has to plop her right in the middle of the impossible to redeem everything that was broken and fix the unfixable.”


Series: Book #1 in the “Holidays in Hillview” series. 


Spiritual Content- Many Scriptures are read, quoted, mentioned, discussed, & thought about; Many Prayers, Thanking/Praising God, & Blessings over food (including one that Lucy calls disrespectful and she isn’t surprised she didn’t get an answer); Going to church (including a time Lucy is unable to focus on the sermon) & a Bible study (which Lucy doesn’t want to go to for different reasons but goes to a handful of times and does the lesson book at home; The lessons and pastor’s message are often shared); Quotes by Saint Augustine, C.S, Lewis, Lewis B. Smedes, & Jean Sophia Pigott are read in a Bible study, mentioned, & thought over; Many talks about God, Jesus, forgiveness, a Bible study, sin/sinners, & not being enough, but being enough in God; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Lucy feels like she isn’t good enough and struggles with that thought which has affected her Bible reading; *Spoilers* Lucy has the feeling of not being good enough again and then hears the still, quite voice of the Lord saying “Because you’re not. And that’s okay. Because I am.” and she realizes she has let others determine who she was instead of who God says she is *End of Spoilers*; Lucy recalls her friends calling her parents “stricter than God”; Lucy thinks that if she was Moses, she would have added in an Eleventh Commandment (“Thou shall not hide thy dimples underneath thy scowl”); Many mentions of God, Jesus, forgiveness, & peace; Many mentions of Bibles, Bible reading, & Bible studies; Many mentions of churches, church going, services, pastors, sermons, & hymns/worship; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of those in the Bible; Mentions of Christians, becoming one, & being one; Mentions of sins & being a sinner; A few mentions of Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan; A couple mentions of Heaven; A couple mentions of being Blessed; A couple mentions of a children’s ministry at church; A couple mentions of testimonies; A mention of Dallas Theological Seminary; A mention of a prayer request; A mention of something smelling like Heaven;
             *Note: Lucy’s sister says that some lies are not sins, but Lucy argues that lying to your sister in church counts as a lie; Lucy thinks “hell hath no fury like the older sister of one scorned”; Lucy thinks her sister looks like an angel; A mention of Cupid.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘crappy’, a ‘holy smokes’, a ‘idiot’, a ‘ticked off’, a ‘what the heck’, two ‘dumb’s, three ‘gosh’s, three ‘stupid’s, and ten ‘oh my gosh’s; Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Lucy lies a couple of times to her family (to hide her feelings or that she’s gotten enough sleep when they ask); Lucy’s sisters mention about killing Ben and burying his body in their family’s acreage because of what he did to her (which Lucy gets concerned one sister might do this); Mentions of selling organs on the black market (which is what Lucy thinks her sister’s fiancé does); Mentions of poison; Mentions of bullies, mean girls, & their pranks; Mentions of hatred; A few mentions of potential kidnappers & being kidnapped; A few mentions of smoking; A few mentions of lies & lying; A couple mentions of World War II & Nazis; A couple mentions of jail & felons; A couple mentions of possible car accidents; A couple mentions of gossip; A couple mentions of “animal jails” (animal shelters); A mention of a Russian mob; A mention of thieves; A mention of serial killer movies; A mention of a con man;
             *Note: Lucy struggles with feeling like she isn’t good enough; Lucy and her sisters were bullied in high school about being from a “white trash house” and their lack of money; Lucy has kept from her family about most everything that happened to her in high school, but tells them all of it half-way through (*Spoiler* A girl named Carla and her boyfriend, Ben, with their group would make fun of Lucy by making snide comments of her family’s lack of money and her clothes which made Lucy feel like she wasn’t good enough; Their comments and pranks escalated when a comic was started at a school about her being a superhero with a hand making an ‘L’ for loser on the cape and they all dressed up as her for Halloween with raggedy clothes; She verbally tore into them and Ben left her notes of apologizing in her locker; Eventually and after sharing more notes back and forth, Ben asked her to go to prom and she said yes, but when she got there, he was dancing with Carla and made an ‘L’ for loser aimed at Lucy; *Major Spoilers* It turns out Carla left a note for Ben and signed it from Lucy where it said she would never date someone from a broken family like him; Lucy is stunned by this information and promised it wasn’t her; He apologizes for what happened and that despite not knowing the Lord then, knew what he was doing was wrong; She sobs at the emotions and things that her teenage-self had to face and they choose to start over *End of Spoilers*; Mentions of the foster care system & an implied bad experience; Mentions of movies, TV shows, actors, books, & fictional characters (Pirates of the Caribbean, Marvel movies, Ben-Hur, Angels in the Outfield, The Princess Bride, That Thing You Do, Seinfeld, The Andy Griffin Show, MythBusters, Psych, Chad Michael Murray, Michael Buble, Count of Monte Cristo, Lion King characters, Daffy Duck, the Joker, Mrs. Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, Jedis from Star Wars, Jack Sparrow, & Mary Poppins); Mentions of bands, singers, & songs (Eagles, Michael Buble, Michael Jackson, Hanson, N*Sync, Aerosmith & Cupid Shuffle); Mentions of Hallmark movies & HGTV; Mentions of brand names & items (Pyrex, Dr. Pepper, M&Ms, Uggs, Tupperware, & iPhone); Mentions of car brands; Mentions of social media platforms & websites (Instagram, Facebook, Amazon, & Google); Mentions of places (Hobby Lobby, Goodwill, Cracker Barrel); A few mentions of Halloween;  A couple mentions of Disney; A mention of ESPN; A mention of Olympic athletes; A mention of the YouTube channel Dude Perfect; A mention of MLM candles; A mention of the grim reaper.
 
 
Sexual Content- A cheek kiss and a barely-above-not-detailed kiss; Seeing an engaged couple kiss & embrace (no details); Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Warmth, Nearness, & Smelling (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Remembering touches, embraces, & warmth (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes & Winks; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); *Spoiler* After talking about past events, Lucy says it was good that she and Ben never went on a date because it could have led to them dating and he wasn’t a Christian then which could have changed things now *End of Spoiler*; A ‘babe’; Mentions of boyfriends/girlfriends, exes, break-ups, dates, dating, & asking someone out; Mentions of prom; A couple mentions of blushes; A mention of a heartthrob at school; Some love, the start of falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: A mention of unmentionables; A mention of butting into a conversation.
 
-Lucy McGrady, age 28
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                                        235 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

AH! That ending! Well, now I’m counting down the days to a book I don’t know when is going to be released—that’s just mean! 

 

Let it be known I don’t usually like the whole “misunderstanding-in-high-school-and-holding-onto-to-a-grudge-for-ten-years” trope, but this is one of my favorite authors, so I was going to read it regardless. This was a harsh misunderstanding though—Ben did something to Lucy in a way that truly hurt her and the effects of it have stayed with her all these years. It’s not serious enough to not wish for them to be together one day, but it’s enough to make me side with her sisters about off-ing him and burying him in their family’s acreage for the first while of the book. 

 

That said, when the conversation happened and everything is shared, it wasn’t a “misunderstanding” that I’ve seen in other books and would (quite honestly) roll my eyes at over the pettiness shown by the characters. Perhaps it’s because I felt Lucy’s pain or how the author wrote it, but I could understand her emotions and I’m really glad she wasn’t petty back to those who hurt her. I think that’s probably the main difference from other times I’ve read this trope before, the main girl there is usually insufferable and acts like she’s still in high school despite being in her late twenties. Lucy was definitely not this way and I greatly appreciated it and it made the story actually believable.

 

Just like for Lucy, it took a while for me to warm up to Ben. I do wish they would have talked about The Events™️ just a wee bit more when it all came to light, but I think the discussions that they had were shown well with their emotions and regret and moving forward. As I always appreciate with this author’s books and a reason why Erynn Mangum is a top favorite author of mine, there was a ton of faith content and the main character going about her life, but also going to church and a Bible study. There’s something about that that I just love to see, but especially in this book as it highlights forgiveness (despite Lucy not really wanting to hear about that topic) and that we’re not enough because we all need the Lord. Everything was so well done in the faith content and it felt like I was right in there with them in class. 

 

I loved seeing Lucy and her sisters and many of their conversations made me laugh out loud, so I’m so excited that the next book will be Dani’s story! I definitely need Sam’s ASAP, though! This is the problem about starting a series as it’s being released—you have to have patience and wait for the next book, something I still haven’t perfected in my many years of reviewing!

 

 

 

See y’all on Friday with a new review! 

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

"Road Trip Return" by Becca Wierwille

About this book:

  “Daniel likes his life the way it is.
    Simple. Predictable. And most importantly, just him and his older brother, Mateo. But as Mateo's wedding approaches, life is already changing. And Daniel worries Mateo’s fiancée, Skylar, will ruin everything.
    When Skylar disappears a week before the ceremony, Daniel’s concerns are confirmed. Skylar is trouble. The wedding must be stopped.
    Drawing on his twelve years of wisdom, Daniel vows to save his family from disaster. Even if that means traveling to Guatemala—the home of his father, and the last place he ever wanted to visit.
    Daniel must sabotage the search for Skylar before Mateo makes the biggest mistake of his life.”


Series: Book #2 in the “Road Trip Rescue” series. Review of Book #1 Here!


Spiritual Content- Jeremiah 29:11 at the beginning and is also discussed in the author’s note at the end; Prayers & Thanking God; Talks about God & His plans; 'H's are not capital when referring to God; Daniel feels like God’s plans for him and Mateo can’t include Skylar or their father because he doesn’t think they would be good for anyone, but hears a voice in his head that tells him that his plans might not be best either; Daniel prays for God to help him stop the search for Skylar, but hears a voice in his head to say a different prayer—and to ask God if he is doing the right thing and maybe even ask for forgiveness, but decides he can’t listen to that voice because of his plan; Later, Daniel wants to pray to ask God for help, but is too afraid how He might answer it; *Spoiler* Towards the very end, Daniel realizes that God has shown him that His plans are better than ours and that God has worked a miracle in his heart *End of Spoiler*; Set around Christmas; Mentions of God, Jesus, His plans, & forgiveness; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of a church, church going, & a pastor; Mentions of a nativity, Christmas songs, and Christmas trees; A few mentions of miracles; A mention of Bible reading; A mention of Heaven; 
             *Note: An old woman says “gracias a Dios” (Thank God) and seems sincere; A few mentions of a character from Veggie Tales; A mention of being lucky.
 

Negative Content- Some pain & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); A near car accident with ice involved (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); A few lies & eavesdropping; Daniel feels sudden guilt when Skylar disappears because of his feelings towards the wedding; Daniel’s brother is very shaken when Skylar disappears; Daniel doesn’t want to search for Skylar and plans to sabotage the search because she has hurt his brother again, he doesn’t like the idea of it not just being him and his brother anymore, and thinks it will be the biggest mistake of his brother’s life to marry her; Daniel ignores the voice in his head to talk to his brother about the truth and his fears; Daniel tries not to lie to Mateo, but wants to stall the wedding long enough to make his brother see the truth (this includes him causing in inconveniencing ways like breaking the rules with TSA or turning off his brother’s alarm (which he realizes after doing it that it was wrong to do and tries to think of ways to stall without breaking the rules again); *Spoilers* A bit later he wanders off on purpose to try to miss the flight, feels guilt over the plan, tries to get back to his brother, and panics that his brother will chose Skylar over him when he saw that the plane had left already; They didn’t board and Daniel realizes that he shouldn’t have done that and feeling guilt like he is lying *End of Spoilers*; Daniel wants to keep his plan to cancel the wedding from his brother, which makes him doubt if he is actually doing the right thing if he has to keep it a secret; Daniel has a few opportunities to talk with his brother about his concerns and fears about the wedding, but does not; Daniel does lie to his brother and blames it on being Skylar’s fault that he is in this situation, but a voice in his head tells him that he can’t blame her; Daniel lies again to his brother and feels like he has bitten into a wormy apple and feels a lot of guilt which makes him feel sick and wanting to delay the flight back to miss the wedding; *Spoilers* Daniel sees Skylar and eavesdrops on her conversation, but doesn’t tell anyone because he wants his family to stay just the two of them; He plans to tell the truth after a couple more false leads so they can’t get back before the wedding; Daniel thinks that maybe he is the bad guy after realizing that he is hurting his brother; *Major Spoilers* Daniel tosses his, his brothers, and Kimmy’s family’s passports out the window as a final effort to keep the wedding from happening and feels sick to his stomach for what he has done; He tries to find the wallet with the passports and realizes that not only does he needs to stop the sabotage to do what was best for Mateo, he has also only been thinking of himself and what he wants; Towards the very end, Daniel confesses what he has been doing and his brother admits to knowing because he peeked at Daniel’s journal that morning before feeling guilty and closing it after seeing a few lines of what Daniel had written; Mateo asks why Daniel didn’t come to him and that he can always talk to him about anything before telling Daniel that he forgives him and that they will talk about it again later *End of Spoilers*); Daniel’s father left him and his brother after Daniel was born to go to Guatemala to “take care of some things” (which Daniel thinks was an excuse, but doesn’t care because he doesn’t need their father who is a stranger to him; Because of this, he calls his father by his first name; *Spoiler* Recently, their father contacted Mateo to reconnect with them after twelve years and Skylar went to find him so Mateo can have closure on his past before their wedding; Daniel eavesdrops and hears that his father is dead, and thinks that while he didn’t want to meet him, he didn’t want him to die; Daniel tries to forgive his father for abandoning him and Mateo and puts it in writing that he forgives him so then “it has to be true” but doesn’t feel better; *Major Spoilers* When looking for his brother’s wallet that Daniel tossed out a window, a man walks by and it is their father; It was a rumor that he had died and Daniel realizes that not only did their father make mistakes, Daniel has as well; The father says that after their mother died, he was lost and didn’t know how to be a father; Daniel tells him that he forgives him, but wonders why it still hurts and talks to Kimmy about it (Kimmy says that sometimes forgiving someone isn’t for them, but yourself and can help you feel free) *End of Spoilers*); Mentions of deaths & grief (including parents and Daniel’s mother who passed away after he was born); Mentions of Daniel wandering off (including the time search-and-rescue dogs had to be called and the event in Book #1); Mentions of a theft, thieves, & stealing; Mentions of poop, peeing, needing to pee, constipation, & throwing up; Mentions of spiders (including a giant one) & an awful smell; A couple mentions of nightmares; A couple mentions of rumors; A mention of a dog by lost by pet sitters (Book #1);
             *Note: Daniel has sensory sensitivity in crowds and with loud noises (because of this Daniel lost his cell phone privileges after he dropped it in the toilet and tried to flush it when it buzzed and scared him); Daniel feels an “itchiness” on his skin (he also describes it as “a bunch of invisible bugs are snacking on [his] brain”), his chest tightens, and his stomach also hurts when feeling guilt about trying to sabotage the search for Skylar; As his deception and secrets grow, Daniel feels sick; Daniel is worried that his brother will forget about him after he is married & that the wedding is a mistake; Kimmy no longer hides her arm after the road trip in Book #1 (Daniel notices that others are talking about her little arm and it bothers him because that’s how God made her; Daniel and Kimmy also talk about when her old friend made fun if her arm and how it hurt her); A couple mentions of car brands.
 
 
Sexual Content- A few mentions of dating, break-ups, & Skylar running off before on Daniel.
 
-Daniel, age 12
                                1^st person P.O.V. of Daniel 
                                                        210 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

I’ve been excited for this story since first reading “Road Trip Rescue” and wanting to see more of Daniel. Both this book and the first in the series have a solid middle-grade charm to them and I enjoyed seeing the characters grow—Daniel particularly in this book. 

 

I really felt for both Daniel with all the changes that are upcoming for him and also for Mateo with the hurt of Skylar running off. As an adult, I have to admit questioning the two of them together still, but hopefully it will work out for them and Skylar won’t be so…questionable on her quick decisions. 😅 I think for the middle-grade readers there are good lessons in this book (especially the ones that Daniel learns by the end!), but I would also suggest for parent or a trusted adult to discuss about Skylar going off and her lack of communication due to it not being the healthiest idea for her and Mateo’s relationship. I wanted to shake some sense into her, personally, and make sure she and Mateo have strong Christian couples in their lives to have as mentors. I hope we’ll see everyone again in the third book and I’m looking forward to reading it soon!

 

 

See y’all on Friday with a new review! 

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

"A Noble Friend" by Kendra E. Ardnek

About this book:

  “He'll follow her to the ends of the earth, even as she marries another. But what happens when her husband proves to be a monster?”


Series: Book #15 in the multi-author series, “Cornerstone”. It does not seem to be connected to any other books, however. A stand-alone novel. Click on the books to be taken to that review: Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, Book #4, Book #5, Book #6, Book #7, Book #8, Book #9, Book #10, Book #11, Book #12, Book #13, Book #14, and Book #16!


Spiritual Content- A few Scriptures are mentioned; Church going & a sermon; Talks about God & those in the Bible; Most 'H's are capital when referring to God; Joah feels ashamed that he forgot it was the Lord’s Day and goes to the chapel when reminded (he has difficultly focusing on the priest as he focuses on Aloise sitting up front, but hears some of the sermon); *Major Spoilers* There is a letter for Aloise from Bluebeard in the room he told her not to go into that says about the Lord giving “our father and mother in the garden” a rule and how he gave Aloise the chance, but proved to be like “our mother” to be “treacherous and willful” as his prior wives so she must share their fate (death); Aloise thinks that she should have obey him because of what the Word commands, but her brother says that the Word commands husbands to love their wives the way the Son loves His church and that only God has the authority over life and death; Joah also says that the Lord will not be mocked and will not allow evil to reign forever; When Bluebeard comes home, he finds out what she’s done and plans to kill her, while ranting about being surrounded by treacherous women and that she isn’t the saint he thought she was; Joah says that the Lord is not even as cruel as Bluebeard is because God sent His Son *End of Spoilers*; Mentions of God (also called the Author); Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches/chapels, the Lord’s Day, a priest, & a sermon; A few mentions of the Word; A mention of Christians; 
             *Note: Joah notes that Bluebeard does not look at Aloise with the “worship she is due”; Joah thinks of Aloise as an “ethereal creature”; A few mentions of a rumored curse/legend on Bluebeard that his wives will die until he finds the right one (which Aloise says that curses don’t really exist “unless one has really displeased the Lord” so she doesn’t believe this rumor); A few mentions of some believing that Joah was the son of a wind spirit or some mystical creature with how he appeared on Aloise’s family’s doorstep; A couple mentions of luck & being unlucky.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a form of ‘dumb’; Some eye rolling; Fighting & Seeing a death (barely-above-not-detailed); Joah thinks the greatest thing he can do for Aloise is to die for her and considers the thought to be an honor; *Major Spoilers* Aloise comes into the room her husband told her not to and finds miniatures of his past wives with red slashes through their necks and a lock of their hair (which Joah calls the room “clearly designed to intimidate and unnerve”); There is a letter for her from him that talks about the Lord giving “our father and mother in the garden” a rule and how he gave Aloise the chance, but proved to be like “our mother” to be “treacherous and willful” as his prior wives so she must share their fate (death); When he comes home, he finds out what she’s done and plans to kill her, but Joah and her brothers protect her and kill him instead (barely-above-not-detailed) *End of Spoilers*; Mentions of murders, deaths, threats, grief, & guilt (including from a bad fall, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of Joah being left on Aloise’s family’s doorstep underfed and half-conscious; A few mentions of hatred; A few mentions of people acting like whipped dogs or looking at another like “the worst dog to walk the earth”; A couple mentions of blood; A couple mentions of possible robbers attacking or a possible mountain lion attack; 
             *Note: Aloise makes a few comments about women like her being “traded and bartered for like sets of pretty dolls with no feelings”, how some men that would dismiss her protests as “silly female dramatics”, and another woman comments that men with power want “their wives meek and docile”; Joah is concerned that Aloise will be married off to a man who will likely be as cruel and demanding as her father & that her father only views her as a way to expand his riches and prestige; Aloise’s brother says that men have to protect women because “they are all to prone to death as it. It takes work to keep them alive.” and Joah frowns that that statement, but isn’t sure how to refute it.
 
 
Sexual Content- A blush; Seeing a married couple embrace and share two hand kisses; Joah is in love with Aloise, but tries to hide it because of their difference of status and believing he would be sent away by her father or her husband if they found out about it; When Aloise bats her eyelashes, Joah forgets how to breathe and later, also think of her as being “perfection itself”; Joah prays for resistance against the temptation of being with Aloise and tries not to imagine being anything more to her than just her guard; When Aloise pulls Joah into her bedroom to tell him something, he tells her it is highly inappropriate; Mentions of reputations; Mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of blushes; A mention of Aloise and her husband having bedroom far from each other; A mention of desire; Very light love, being in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: Joah notices that Aloise’s corset is pull too tight which has given her “unnatural curves”.
 
-Joah, around age 18 
                                1^st person P.O.V. of Joah 
                                                        104 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

When I first heard about this book, I was concerned for two reasons: 

1. The Bluebeard part of this story. I’ve read a clean fiction retelling of that one before and the original tale turns my stomach. (Plus I’m a dedicated rule follower and couldn’t imagine opening a door that I was specifically told not to go into.) This author kept that information much lighter than the original story, though, which was good and made it cleaner for sure! 

2. Male Lead is in love with his foster-sister-like-friend who has just gotten married to another man. There’s a lot to unpack in that sentence but it was mostly the “married to another man” and Joah following her as her guard that made me nervous. Thankfully, though, he does not act on his feelings for her—even prior to her marriage because of the status difference—but especially not when she’s married because he doesn’t want to cause gossip or harm her reputation. I was nervous about a potential cheating element, but was very relieved that there wasn’t any on her part or him trying to tempt her away. It’s a touchy line and I’m glad that it wasn’t crossed. 

 

We don’t get her POV, just Joah’s which I think worked well enough for the story. It would have been nice to see someone else’s perspective like Aloise’s just to see how she views everything that is happening, though. Within the first two pages I was thinking, “you got it bad for her, bud” and that was Joah’s whole personality, but to be fair, when the Bluebeard guy was introduced, I agreed with Joah that that guy was suspicious. 🤨

 

I think for me this was a miss because I don’t care for this fairytale in general and how Scripture was twisted by a villain. The ending had a promise of hope for the main characters, though, which was good, and I hope it works out for them!

 

 

See y’all on Friday with a new review! 

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

*I received this book for free from the Author for this honest review.

"Hope's Enduring Echo" by Kim Vogel Sawyer

About this book:

  “Geology student Leo Day has been waiting for a big find to prove his career path is worthy to his father. While riding the train along the Arkansas River in Canon City, Colorado, Leo spots a young woman waving at the passing cars holding something that looks like a piece of fossilized bone. He catches up to the girl after leaping from the slow train and his pulse gallops when he recognizes it as a rib bone from a smaller dinosaur species, most likely a Allosaurus. She confides she’s found several similar bones, and he asks her to show him where.
    Whether it was loneliness or boredom that led Jennie Ward to leave the water line and escort this stranger to the place where her daddy’s border collie had unearthed several bones, she couldn’t say, but she enjoys visiting with him. Could he become the friend she’s been praying for? As he leaves, he promises to return soon and asks if she’ll be his guide. She has little time for socializing, given her responsibility to the water works due to her father’s injury and aftermath, but the opportunity to gain a friend is too hard to resist. She agrees.
    As the weeks pass, Leo, a man longing for a father’s approval, and Jennie, a girl trapped by her loyalty to a despondent father, become friends and confidantes. And God’s plan for both Leo’s and Jennie’s futures will unfold like an excavation of dinosaur bones.”


Series: As of now, no. Seems to be a stand-alone novel.


Spiritual Content- Psalm 40:1 at the beginning; Scriptures are mentioned, remembered, thought over, quoted, & discussed; Many, many prayers & thanking God; Feeling peace; Church going, sermons, & singing hymns; Many talks about God, prayers/praying, having Hope, & creation; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Jennie has prayed for her father to get better for over a year, but hasn’t lately because she thinks that if God hasn’t answered them by now, He wasn’t going to (adding that her Mama could “waste her time imploring Him”, but Jennie was done); Jennie does a prayer that has a hint of sarcasm to it and thinks that if God was as forgiving as her Mama said, He’s understand “her momentary lapse into bitterness”; Jennie has been taught that Someone was always watching over her and that knowledge has curtailed her yielding to many temptations over the years, but wonders that if God isn’t answering her prayers, if He’s even paying attention to her and if she even has to behave then, but decides she won’t deliberately get up to mischief whether God was watching or not because she doesn’t want to hurt her Mama; Jennie feels as if it would be selfish to pray for her own silly emotions when her parents need the prayers more in her eyes; Leo plans to visit the different churches in town as he hasn’t experienced other denominations’ services and thinks it could be “interesting and enlightening”; Jennie and Leo both have a moment where they don’t pay attention during a prayer or sermon because of other thoughts and feel ashamed; Leo considered skipping church for hunting dinosaur fossils, but ultimately to still go to church; All about many mentions of prayers, praying, answered prayers, thanking God, & blessings over food (including Jennie and Leo praying for and with each other); Many mentions of God, His will, peace, having hope, & not holding on to bitterness; Many mentions of churches (including different denominations like Presbyterian and Baptist & a home-church service), church going, services, worship, hymns, sermons, & ministers; Mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Mentions of Jennie’s family doing a home-church most Sundays with just the three of them; Mentions of faiths & sharing it with others; Mentions of God-given talents; A few mentions of miracles; A couple mentions of the Holy Spirit; A couple mentions of Christians; A couple mentions of blessings & being Blessed; 
             *Note: Leo hopes to one day help prove that the earth is thousands of years old and not millions like some of his professors teach (when his father asks him what eternal good is Leo doing, Leo wants to respond that he truly believes that he could “do eternal good by disproving scientific theories that discredited creationism”; *Spoiler* Towards the very end, Leo’s father realizes he was wrong to push Leo down the route of his choosing and says he will cheer Leo on in his determination to align his findings with biblical truths *End of Spoiler*); Leo discusses with Jennie about creationist views and evolution views (including how the Great Flood effected things, how evolution is a theory, and Scripture talking about giant creatures); *Spoiler* Claude lashes out at Leo and Jennie when he thinks Jennie has learned evolution thoughts from Leo and bans him from their home *End of Spoiler*; ‘Heaven only knows’ is said once; Mentions of evolution, eras, & fossils of prehistoric creatures like dinosaurs and trilobites; A mention of Santa Claus.
 

Negative Content- Pain, Injuries, & Being caught in a hailstorm (barely-above-not-detailed); Jennie, Etta, and Leo all try to avoid lying to each other and others (some half-truths and fibs are said still with guilt and asking God for forgiveness; Leo grapples with his conscience about keeping the Ward family’s secret); Mentions of an accident, injuries, & pain (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of the passing of a beloved dog from old age, finding him, & grief/sobbing (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); A few mentions of eavesdropping; A few mentions of mummified remains of cats being used in science; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of a cigarette; A mention of hunters; 
             *Note: After Jennie’s father fell and broke his leg two years prior, he hasn’t been the same and his wife, Etta, is his caretaker while Jennie does his work for their living; Jennie struggles with a “tumble of emotions” like “resentment and worry and sorrow and sympathy” when thinking about her father and how he is now; Jennie feels guilt over her father’s accident (*Spoiler* As it happened the one day she wasn’t with him and her mother and her found him hours later with a broken leg *End of Spoiler*); Jennie’s father interrupts, snaps, and is unkind to Jennie and Etta at times because of his “woebegone attitude”; Jennie’s father, Claude, tells Etta that she should have given up on him months ago and that he is worthless and a burden to her (She is hurt by this as she loves him and promised before God to be faithful whether in sickness or death and tells him so); Jennie feels guilt for wanting her father to be hurt (emotionally) like he did to her and asks God to forgive her for the thoughts; Jennie has a fear that she might not have much more time with her father if he doesn’t get better because it seems as if he is withering away; *Spoilers* After Claude bans Leo from their home, Jennie struggles with the temptation of still meeting with Leo because her father didn’t exactly tell her not to see him, but is reminded by her conscience to honor her father and mother which she does despite the temptation to do otherwise; At one point, Etta goes to the outhouse and sobs over Claude and his harsh words & prays after *End of Spoilers*; Leo thinks that Claude may have ‘melancholia’ (which the discussion questions at the end of the book call it depression) and shudders when he thinks of the “treatments” available for it (such as being shocked with electricity or removing a portion of the brain; Leo does not share about this with Jennie); *Spoilers, but also a mental illness* After contacting the doctor at an insane asylum for a possible evaluation of Claude, he is upset at the thought but Jennie says that “we need a different kind of doctor to make us well when our minds are sick. Folks who are stuck forever in sadness have a sickness in their minds. The sickness is what makes them feel sad all the time. They need a doctor to help them.”; A bit later, Jennie tells Leo that she wishes there were medicines for “sicknesses of the mind” and to “cure endless sadness” which Leo says that maybe there will be someday *End of Spoilers*; Leo and his father have a strained relationship because of Leo not following in his father’s footsteps as a minister and his father disapproving of his career choice (Leo thinks often about wanting to be recognized by his father and gain approval from him; *Spoiler* Towards the very end, Leo’s father realizes he was wrong to push Leo down the route of his choosing and says he will cheer Leo on in his determination to align his findings with biblical truths *End of Spoiler*); Many mentions of mental illnesses (called “mental diseases”, an “imbalance somewhere in the brain”, and an “illness of the mind” throughout the book), psychiatrists, & an insane asylum (Leo is also concerned that Claude could become violent to Jennie and Etta & share with his family in a letter that Claude is emotionally unstable, which could be perceived as “harsh and critical” but he wants his parents to understand the problem so they can specifically pray); Mentions of schoolmates and professors ridiculing Leo for his interest in paleontology and/or having a creationist view; A few mentions of books and fictional characters (Pinocchio & Oliver Twist); A mention of Leo always thinking that dish washing was a duty for girls as his mother and sisters saw to the cooking and cleaning up at home, but washes dishes himself as a job at the hotel.
 
 
Sexual Content- A hand kiss, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, and a border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kiss; Wondering about a possible kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Etta also kisses Claude on the forehead twice & cuddles into Claude in their bed once (barely-above-not-detailed); A few Touches, a couple Embraces, Flutters, & Nearness (barely-above-not-detailed); A few blushes; Some noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Claude makes a comment about Jennie and Leo wandering around without supervision (which Leo tries to tell him that nothing like that has happen and Jennie is very hurt by her father’s accusation; *Spoiler* Later, Etta allows Jennie and Leo to wander the hill again because she trusts them and can no longer trust Claude’s “ability to make rational decisions” *End of Spoiler*); Some young men corner Jennie and make her uncomfortable with their “overly friendly advances” (Leo doesn’t think they meant harm, but scares them off anyway); Etta thinks about how Jennie hadn’t reached the age of noticing boys when they moved to town, but that apparently Jennie isn’t indifferent and Etta thinks Jennie is smitten with Leo; A few mentions of flirting; A couple mentions of handsome men; Very light love, falling in love, & the emotions (Jennie tries to guard herself the majority of the book from having more than friendship feelings for Leo because he will only be there for a summer and reminds herself about it a few times; She also makes a vow to herself to not let her “silly emotions” interfere in their budding friendship);
             *Note: A mention of Leo looking at the end of a pup to find out the gender.
 
-Jennie Ward, age 17
-Leo Day
-Etta Ward
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                            Set in 1915
                                                        352 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

Full disclaimer: This book made me want to cry at about sixteen different parts. 🥲😭🥹

 

It almost felt like a YA Historical novel with Jennie being seventeen. The mother-daughter relationship between Etta and Jennie plus their conversations were so good to see. I’ve commented on this before in another book by this author, but it’s so nice to see a parent who is active in their young adult’s life and not only caring for them, but also praying hard for their grown child. 

 

The faith content was outstanding in this book. Incredibly strong and incredibly prevalent throughout it. Despite her father being a bear about different things, Jennie honors and obeys both him and her mother. She’s tempted to not listen to their words like most teens might be, but prays about it and does the right thing. Having been a caretaker to a family member for nearly a year this book went with some emotions I’ve felt, but other emotions I could understood in a way that only one who has walked this path could, despite my family’s situation being different from the Ward family. In a way, it felt a little unnerving to read, like it was almost too raw to read and I was encroaching on their private lives. But in another way, I understood. I understood where they were coming from and how the path to healing isn’t as easily as we hope or pray for. 

 

The romance was very light and definitely not the main focus of the book. You could argue the romance is basically non-existent because of the age difference with Jennie being only 17 and Leo is in college. That age gap doesn’t personally bother me in this historical setting and how they don’t even share a kiss or any romantic feelings in that way until the final chapter which is partially set a year later. He treated her at first very brotherly, but then they became close friends. The ending had me squeeing in delight! 🥹🥹🥹

 

Leo might be threatening Emmett from “The Librarian of Boone’s Hollow” for my favorite male lead by this author. The way he encouraged her, talked with her, prayed with her (!!), and was her friend which gradually lead into possible more was absolutely lovely and so heartwarming. 

 

I grew up loving to learn about creation science and going to lectures in that field, so many parts of this book reminded me of what I learned then. Despite having very little (more like a small percentage) of interest in dinosaurs and being a little bummed at first this book would have the topic (as I’ve seen it a handful of times before in recent years in the Christian Fiction market), I ended up really enjoying those parts and how it was all connected back into the strong faith themes and conversations. Leo was so passionate about it and the connection to creation—which that was pretty frequently mentioned and discussed which this book have the most about creation science or biblical creationism compared to the other ones I’ve read. 

 

One thing I greatly appreciated about this book was that there were no villains/antagonists in it. No person causing trouble or drama, just characters I could cheer for and hope with. I can’t say I see that much and it was very refreshing. 

 

Often when I’m reading, my mind will jump to predicting what will happen in this book—and usually I’m right. Interestingly enough, though, with this story most of my fears of potential events didn’t happen. I was perhaps waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak, but it didn’t happen. The ending of this book is a bit opened ended—it truly could have a follow-up novella or epilogue at least!—but it was wrapped up beautifully and realistically. Our trials and troubles don’t wrap up within a month or three hundred pages, so it makes sense that everything this family is going through wouldn’t either. That said, I wasn’t upset about how it ended and honestly had to wipe away my tears multiple times while reading.

See y’all on Friday with a new review! 

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Waterbrook Multnomah) for this honest review.