"A Royal Redemption" by Melody Carlson

About this book:

  “Two princesses...one crown.
    The royal twins have battled it out for eighteen years, but Princess Heather was firstborn and now rules the Kingdom of Raspen. Meanwhile, Princess Rose is doing time in the dungeon. Caught in the act of usurping the crown—as well as her sister’s man—the second-born princess has time to think.
    After a failed scheme that sends her spiraling into despair, Rose has an epiphany. Before she can dwell on it, though, she learns that their kingdom might be in serious trouble, so with her sister’s help she dons a disguise and befriends a pair of cellmates, spies from an enemy country. Though Rose is only hoping to extract vital information from them, she ends up kidnapped when they make their escape.
    While Queen Heather tries to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom, Rose is forced into an adventure she never wanted, but which she’s determined to use for the good of Raspen and her sister. But with more enemies than friends and the threat of a wicked king hanging over her, Rose begins to worry that her redemption will do little to save her life.”


Series: Book #2 in “The Princess Wars” duology. Review of Book #1 Here!


Spiritual Content- A Scripture is quoted; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Going to a chapel to pray and light candles for others; Rose wonders about what happens after death and gets a sinking feeling that if God “really sat in heaven judging them”, He would be more likely to take Heather’s side than hers; Rose has never had an interest in prayer and even in church only pretended to pray, but starts to pray and attempt pleas to God; *Spoilers* When Rose thinks she may die, she tries to say her prayers like her mother used to; Towards the end, Rose thinks that she deserves the divine punishment for her sins *End of Spoilers*; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches/chapels; A couple mentions of thanking and praising the Lord; A mention of divine guidance; A mention of a miracle; A mention of the possibility of the Lord raining down judgement on someone; A mention of a mother frowning down on her daughter from heaven; A mention of a place feeling “like heaven” compared to another place;
             *Note: ‘Heaven knew’ is said once; Heather recalls her mother explaining that because of her and Rose being twins, they have a “spirit connection” and are able to have dreams about the other that would end up coming true (Heather is concerned one dream is a premonition); Heather comments on her seamstress’ abilities being like magic (though the seamstress says it is not magic); A dungeon cell is called “hell” and a “hellhole” once each; A couple mentions of an evil man.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: an ‘Egad!’, a ‘good grief’, two ‘give a whit’, three forms of ‘shut up’, and six ‘stupid’s; A few mentions of curses (said, not written); Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Sibling bickering & harsh comments (verbally and feeling hurt by the other); Being kidnapped (x3), Being attacked/grabbed, Being tied-up and locked up, Being knocked unconscious, Pain, & Injuries (up to semi-detailed); Rose wonders about dying (instead of being locked in a dungeon) & if starving to death would be painful (later, she wishes she was dead, but not truly; A bit farther in, she says her prayers just in case she does die); Rose is in prison/a dungeon for some of the book; Rose lies & deceives others to get her way; *Spoilers* About a quarter through the story, Rose realizes that she has been selfish and jealous & that Heather was born to be the queen; She tries to change and shoe her sister than she is sincere *End of Spoilers*; Many mentions of possible wars/invasions, attacks, treason, spies, & arrests; Many mentions of prisons/dungeons & prisoners; Mentions of deaths & grief (including from a plague; grief for a mother, parents, a wife, and an infant son); Mentions of possible deaths; Mentions of Rose impersonating her sister & threatening and planning to kill Heather (Book #1); Mentions of possible murderers (& someone wanting to slit the throat of another, but instead ties him to a tree for the vultures to get); Mentions of an almost drowning (Book #1) & a possible drowning; Mentions of kidnappings & a country planning to kidnap women from another country; Mentions of thieves, bandits/robbers, stealing, criminals, crimes, & bribes; Mentions of wine/alcohol & drinking; Mentions of nightmares (of a family member in trouble or dying); Mentions of lies, lying, deceit, & manipulation; Mentions of jealousy & hatred; Mentions of rivalry between siblings; Mentions of hunting; A few mentions of beatings & possible torture; A few mentions of weapons & someone being held at sword-point; A few mentions of injuries & pain; A few mentions of drugging someone with a sleeping draught; A few mentions of tobacco, smoking, & a pipe; A couple mentions of possible executions or exiling someone; A couple mentions of gossip & rumors; A couple mentions of eavesdropping;
             *Note: A group of people prefer to be called “travelers” rather than “gypsies” (though both names are used); Rose want to rebel over the thought of someone else making decisions for her & wishes to control her own life; Rose feels like she was a disappointment to her father and leaned into becoming superficial and spoiled because everyone expected her to be that way; Heather faces a couple of her council members talking down to her partially because of her age and gender; Heather comments on it being time for women to be “let into some other roles previously reserved to men” now that she is queen (adding that young women should be able to learn about the things that interest her and to use the gifts the Lord gave her); A mention of a young woman being unable to gain an apprenticeship with the “closed-minded old men” of her town.
 
 
Sexual Content- A hand kiss, three not-detailed kisses, and two barely-above-not-detailed kisses; Some touches, hand holding, warmth, & nearness (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Heather wishes to marry for love, but knows that most royal marriages are more about politics (she wonders if it is unrealistic to believe that a marriage could be founded in love); Rose deceives a man by making him think she loves him (such as writing his name with hearts and casting shy glances); Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of love & wanting to marry for love; Mentions of being smitten with someone; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of large age gaps between couples (some unnamed in the amount of years and another that is twelve years; Heather says that if she loved a man, his age is “inconsequential”; *Spoiler* Rose ends up marrying a man twelve years her senior at the end of the book *End of Spoiler*); A mention of a bordello; Some love, falling/being in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: Rose dresses as a man for her plan to gain information from the spies (she wears a binding around her chest; *Spoiler* A man discovers she’s a girl and threatens that he’ll find out for himself if she doesn’t tell him the truth; Rose feels unsafe traveling with a man alone when he knows she’s a woman, but nothing happens *End of Spoiler*).
 
-Heather, age 18
-Rose, age 18
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                                        244 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

I had to reread the last chapter of the prior book to remember where this book would be picking up; I’m glad I did that because while the book somewhat explains and alludes to past events, I think it would be best to read them back to back, making it a very binge-worthy duology. 

 

I’ll say one thing: after reading Melody Carlson’s YA books for years, she sure knows how to write a teen girl that I would love to slap some common sense into. Rose was definitely this character and had me nearly banging my head into the wall with her thoughts and plans. Her 180 change was very sudden (even Heather comments in it) so while it was a bit jarring, it was also good to see and know that I wouldn’t have to put up with her hatefulness for the majority of the book. 

 

There are some…perhaps unrealistic events and conversations that happen, but it was overall fine. The ending took me by surprise as it felt out of left field, but alls well that ends well, I suppose? I feel a little meh about the romances, but they were clean and suitable for teens. 

 

I was bummed there was no epilogue, but I guess it wasn’t truly needed. I wouldn’t say this was anywhere near a new favorite duology of mine, though it wasn’t bad and I overall enjoyed it. I thinks ages 14+ that only want light romance elements would enjoy it the most.

 

 

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.

"Wolves in Sheep's Clothing" by Sandra Orchard

About this book:

  “In search of inspiration for a veterinary magazine article she’s been asked to write, Dr. Harriet Bailey comes across an interesting tale of a 1940s snowstorm, a flock of sheep, and a Yorkshire shepherd who never came home. As Harriet delves into the historical records to separate fact from fiction, she brings to light some long-buried secrets and begins to develop theories about what happened so long ago.
    But when a more urgent need arises, her search for the truth of the past is stalled. All over the Yorkshire countryside, flocks of sheep are dwindling, and it’s happening too often to be blamed on broken fences or carelessness of the owners. When she learns that Doreen Danby’s prize-winning ram, Prince Charming, is among the missing, Harriet realizes that the sheep are not simply wandering away. Someone is taking them, and she believes it is for a specific reason. Harriet will need all her skills to find the sheep rustler and recover the animals before more harm is done.”


Series: Book #9 in the “Mysteries of Cobble Hill Farm” series. Review of Book #1 Here, Book #2 Here, Book #3 Here, Book #4 Here, Book #5 Here, Book #6 Here, Book #7 Here, and Book #8 Here!


Spiritual Content- A couple Scriptures are quoted; A few prayers; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of church going, church events, Bible study groups, a pastor, services, & sermons; Mentions of a pastor and who he is dating coming under close scrutiny by his flock; A couple mentions of those & events in the Bible; A mention of thanking God; A mention of a Christian man; A mention of a godsend; A mention of a youth group; A mention of Ash Wednesday; 
             *Note: At a village event, a “ghost” story is told (about a dog still seen and heard searching for his missing owner) & also referenced a few times later; A couple mentions of the possibility of “foreign powers” in a war “play[ing] God with the weather”.  
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘stupid’ and three ‘shut up’s; Some eye rolling; Being locked in a room, Being threatened (with harm and with farming equipment including the fumes of a tractor), Hearing gunshots, & Pain (up to semi-detailed); All about & many mentions of missing animals, the animals possibly being hurt or stolen, & rustlers/thieves; Many mentions of injured animals, diseases, & Harriet’s veterinary clinic treatments (including vaccines, up to semi-detailed); Mentions of deaths (including one from a heart condition); Mentions of World War II; Mentions of guns & gunshots (including the concern that a dog was shot); Mentions of stolen cars; Mentions of intruders & trespassing; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of a snowstorm that buried thousands of sheep, an epidemic of a disease, & grief/devastation following both; Mentions of raising sheep for their meat & some dodgy sellers (that butchered and sold meat under the table, which is illegal and dangerous); A few mentions of a possible assassin & spies (a rumor); A few mentions of jails/prisons; A few mentions of injuries & blood/bleeding; A couple mentions of a kidnapping/abduction (Book #3); A couple mentions of a dognapping (Book #5); A couple mentions of accidents happening to pets (a dog being paralyzed and in wheeled prosthesis & a cat being saved from a fire); A mention of a possible car accident; A mention of a young man’s father not being in his life; A mention of breweries; A mention of a pub; 
             *Note: A woman makes a comment about a woman having to give up her career when she gets married, but another says that nowadays no one expects a woman to give up her career unless she wants to and the couple can afford it; A few mentions of car brands; A mention of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.
 
 
Sexual Content- A forehead kiss, two almost kisses (barely-above-not-detailed), two barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and an accidental kiss on the lips (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Remembering a kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Wondering about a possible kiss (and then when it doesn’t happen, Harriet isn’t sure if she’s disappointed or relieved); Seeing a couple share a kiss (on the cheek); Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Butterflies, & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Winks & Blushes; Harriet catches herself grinning at Will like a “starry-eyed schoolgirl”; Harriet has a few moments of panic at the thought of what is developing between her and Will going “south” one day & also panics at the thought of being a pastor’s wife and what others will expect from her; Harriet and Will go on a date; Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of dating, dates, boyfriends/girlfriends, exes, & break-ups; A mention of flirting; A little bit of love, possibly falling in love, & the emotions.
 
-Harriet Bailey, age 34 (?)
                                P.O.V. of Harriet 
                                                        254 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

This one is definitely a favorite in the series for me! 

 

This book made me hungry with all the mentions of Yorkshire pudding! That fluffy bread-like food was a childhood favorite of mine group up and the only thing I miss since going vegan/plant-based almost ten years ago. 

 

I’m going to risk sounding silly when I say this, but I’m going to say it anyway: I didn’t realize how many different types of sheep there are! It makes sense there would be, but I had fun looking up pictures of all the different types and ranking them in order of cuteness. My new favorite? The babydoll variety! So cute! 

 

I wasn’t actually sure who the culprit was for the mystery, so I was actually very invested into this book because of it and also the developing romance between Harriet and Will. There’s definitely more romance in this book compared to the rest of the series with a few sweet and chaste kisses, but I still wouldn’t call it a “romance book”. I think most families would be okay with it for ages 13/14+, depending on the girl and the family’s view of romance content. Quite a few events from prior books are mentioned in this one as well, so best to read in order!

 

 

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.

"Warsafe" by Lauren Smyth

About this book:

  “Play. Win. Survive. 
    There’s one building on her island that Halley has never the Mercenary House. Perched atop a mountain, surrounded by unnaturally evergreen foliage, the House is rumored to be a breeding ground for criminals. Mercenaries are liars, cheats, spies . . . and maybe, depending on who you ask, killers.
    At the Warsafe headquarters in Seattle, Roscoe is beta testing the company’s new video game. It’s her job to track down glitches—but something is different about this one. Lurking behind the lines of malfunctioning code is a secret that threatens to drag her deeper into the game, forcing her to put her life on the line if she ever wants to come home.
    Worlds collide as Roscoe teams up with Halley to uncover the island’s secret and expose Warsafe’s designs. But some mysteries are better left unsolved. As traitor after so-called traitor is revealed to be on their side, they begin to Could Warsafe’s mission be critical enough to justify its cruelty?”


Series: No, a stand-alone novel. 


Spiritual Content- A couple Scriptures are quoted (which one character says the speaker is perverting their meaning); Some talks about God; 'H's are capital when referring to God; A side character (Cal) wears a cross necklace and talks a bit about his faith to others; A character tells another for “God to help” both of them because they won’t help each other; Halley sees a picture of a cathedral and notices the stained glass windows; Halley thinks that such a cathedral is only in a fictional world or some world that no longer exists where others worship God (adding that God is “some kind of divine entity who was still human enough, or interested enough, or something enough to wonder what His congregation was up to and present Himself at those events. Sometimes. Though people never admitted whether they could see Him or whether His presence was more like air or wind, undeniable but invisible. Because what would God look like if you could see Him? No one could say exactly, except that a God deserving of such a monument must be wonderful indeed.” She also adds that she knew some about religion and says it’s the “belief in something other than the Alliance as the determining factor of our lives” and that if groups tried to worship in her village, it would cause trouble like death or conscription; (*Spoilers* At the end, she visits the cathedral with someone and is taken back by it’s beauty; Cal tells her that religion to him is the “knowledge that something perfect exists. And if God is perfect, then He must have created everything, which means He must have meant for me to be alive.” And that his self-worth comes from that knowledge *End of Spoilers*); When someone dies, a character crosses himself and says “May God forgive him. He certainty needs it.”; Someone tells Cal that she sees a “spark of divine forgiveness” in him and that he is a “human who makes mistakes but looks remarkably like his Maker”; *Spoiler* At the end, one side character says she is now going to church because she was tired of not knowing where to direct her prayers and found out Who to direct them towards *End of Spoiler*; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers & praying (but most are not clarified towards Whom and is used more as a phrase; Halley recalls hearing the grandmas in the village praying for the Mercs to eat their food and die); Mentions of people being religious; A few mentions of thanking God (one said by someone whose faith we don’t know about & another telling a religious person to thank God for something); A few mentions of miracles; A few mentions of someone thinking another is in angel (in a moment of uncertainty); A mention of the Good Samaritan; A mention of the Rapture; A mention of thinking someone in speaking in togues (phrase used when unable to understand someone);  
             *Note: Phrases and adjectives like ‘miraculous’, ‘Heaven knows’, ‘for heaven’s sake’, ‘what on God’s green earth’, ‘unholy’ and ‘godforsaken’ are used up to a handful of times with some coming across flippantly or strange (due to the character not having a faith or because of the context the word/phrase it is used in; Such as Halley thinking the doctor’s medicine bordered on the miraculous, a place’s darkness and silence being deemed unholy, something happen at an unholy hour, Roscoe thinking her video game playing skills are “miraculously awful” and someone else’s is “miraculously skilled”, Roscoe thinking that a bad day must be a “godforsaken nightmare”, and Andy calling some expletives “miraculously creative”); Andy thinks that finding an alien via his (illegal) radio would be ideal to hear (to make a break in the science field); Andy thinks that Roscoe must be psychic for being able to keep calm in a questionable situation; Someone tells another that lying isn’t a mortal sin if “it’s well meant”; Mentions of ghosts & them haunting a place (Halley thinks the Merc building on her island is probably haunted with ghosts, but later tells herself that ghosts aren’t real; At one point, Halley thinks her and another character have died and are now ghosts); Mentions of aliens; A few mentions of the afterlife and the “road to eternity” (Halley thinking she’s not ready to go there or will have company to there); A couple mentions of someone “getting” hellfire & another paving the road to hell with good intentions; A couple mentions of the Stone Age; A mention of counting blessings [when committing a crime]; A mention of treating someone devilishly; A mention of a girl being as “beautiful as a Greek goddess”; A mention of fairies.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘crickets’, an unfinished ‘for the love of…’, three forms of ‘shut up’, six forms of ‘idiot’, and eleven forms of ‘stupid’; A few mentions of curses (including some that are said to be “miraculously creative”; all are said, but not written); A bit of sarcasm; Some lying (mostly about their conditions, but Andy also lies to get away from a police officer); Eavesdropping; A fire, Being grabbed, Being choked, Being tied-up, Being threatened with harm and death, Being held at gun-point and also threatened with a syringe, Holding someone at knife- and gun-point, Pain, Injuries, Having a concussion, Blood/Bleeding, Passing out, & Throwing up (up to semi-detailed); Drinking alcohol & feeling a hangover start; Seeing deaths/murders (and thinking others died), weapons used and aimed at others, other being hit/slapped, fighting, blood/bleeding, injuries, & pain (up to semi-detailed); Seeing someone have her arm amputated and the blood (which makes the viewer pass out, up to semi-detailed); Seeing someone who either jumped out a window (suicide) or was pushed (but will be okay; Andy is asked if the person had mentioned death or having problems; Andy also thinks he’ll never forget what he saw and wants to believe it was an accident, up to semi-detailed); In Halley’s world, there is a building where young adults fight and kill others (called Mercenaries or Mercs for short; Everyone also has enforcement chips implanted behind their ears; Everyone on the island is supposed to fall asleep exactly at midnight; Halley goes into a fight with a Merc and witnesses the fight and the Merc’s injuries, but never sees the attacker; The Mercs believe they are killing the guards they are fighting against); In Roscoe’s setting, she works for a video game company that has a “permadeath” game (meaning when an avatar is killed in the game, the player has to starts over with a new avatar) that is very realistic with their avatars killing guards and being killed; *Spoilers* About half-way through, Roscoe overhears that it isn’t just a game and the avatars are actually real people who are injured and can die; Roscoe feels major guilt and grief over the fact she has killed people through the game; Halley and a couple others find out that the guards in the games aren’t real and thus the Mercs haven’t actually killed anyone despite thinking so; A bit further in, however, there are some real people used for the guards for them to fight against (and kill) who were death-row criminals and going to die anyway; The motivation for the company producing and controlling all of this is to have it be a war simulator and has the Mercs fighting for other countries on their behalf *End of Spoilers*; Andy threats another main character with stabbing her, switches a car’s license plate to hide from the police, and later plans to steal a boat (but instead, he rents it); Andy’s friend brings alcohol over to his apartment and they drink together (Andy gets tipsy after the first sip, but has three cans of beer); All about & many mentions of deaths, killing, deaths, murderers/murders, fighting, weapons, & a video game with these elements (up to semi-detailed); Many, many mentions of weapons (guns and knives), injuries, bad burns, pain, blood/bleeding, & passing out (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of wars & potential wars and deaths; Mentions of torture & screams; Mentions of grief over deaths of friends; Mentions of gunshots, explosions, fires, & an assumed death; Mentions of possible electrocution; Mentions of thieves, stealing, robberies, & cheaters; Mentions of prisons, jail, & criminals; Mentions of lies, lying, liars, & deception; Mentions of rumors & gossip; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, getting drunk, drunks, & hangovers; Mentions of tattoos (which the Mercs have on their hands); A few mentions of kidnappings; A few mentions of drugs; A few mentions of throwing up; A few mentions of nightmares; A few mentions of hatred; A couple mentions of a person being called a “suicidal maniac” for his plan; A couple mentions of smoking & a nicotine addiction; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of axe murderers; A mention of British colonization; 
             *Note: Halley’s parents say hurtful words to her at a tense moment (which makes her want to cry, but she holds them back and another person stands up for her); Halley thinks that another character is bipolar and should tell him about the easy availability of psychiatric care (but doesn’t tell him because she doesn’t want to be rude); After hearing unbelievable news, a character almost hopes she’s on the way to a psychiatric ward and imagined what she heard (later she thinks again that she should be sent to a mental hospital); Mentions of prejudice from the villagers towards the Mercs (who they believe to be violent, liars, cheaters, thieves, and murderers); Mentions of brand names, games, & stores (Windows, Sega, Call of Duty, America’s Army, Monopoly, & Walmart); A mention of a book (“I, Robot” by Isaac Asimov); A mention of Albert Einstein; A mention of James Bond; A mention of a Noble Prize; A mention of a horror movie (unnamed); A mention of someone acting like a vampire; A mention of someone being treated as if they are a schizophrenic individual if they tried to tell the truth about a company.
 
 
Sexual Content- A bit of noticing & blushes (barely-above-not-detailed); Seeing a couple kiss twice (once on the forehead and another on the lips) and thinking they are going to kiss at another time (but do not); Halley comments on a couple’s relationship (saying the guy being bad for a girl because he only ever thinks about her and doesn’t think straight when around the girl; also adding that he seems to think that his worth comes from what the girl thinks of him and Halley asks him what he will live for if it can’t be the girl he likes); A guy teases his girl about sharing a room together (implied with marriage); *Spoilers* A couple wonders if they actually love each other or have been programmed to, but still ends up together at the end because they chose each other *End of Spoilers*; A few mentions of falling in love; A few mentions of crushes; A couple mentions of dates; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of flirting; A mention of romance novels; 
             *Note: At their first meeting, Andy is afraid that Roscoe might “kick him where it hurts”. 
 
-Halley, age 17
-Roscoe 
-Andy, age 23
-Kazumi 
                                P.O.V. switches between them (Halley in 1^st, the rest in 3^rd)
                                                        304 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

{ Add up to a full star for Older Teens who are fantasy fans and/or have an interest in video games. }

This was really different than I thought it would be. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with this book because sci-fi isn’t really my thing and I’m not a video gamer, but I was game (pun intended 😉) to try it. 

 

We follow three main characters and while at first I was a little confused, you can quickly piece together the pieces and see glimpses of what is happening and how these three very different people are connected. 

 

Roscoe is a little crazy.

Andy is…nerdy and strange.

Halley—well, I liked Halley the most. She had her moments of ignorance, but I think that was more due to being trapped in an island and never thinking of going against what she’s been told. 

 

Interestingly enough, we see the most POVs by Halley so I would call her our main character, but as far as the actual events in the plot go, I would consider her a side character or just there to help. She doesn’t do much besides be there with the other characters when events happen. She doesn’t have the skill set for helping figure out what is going on nor to be able to stop it. I felt like this was very different from a normal plotline, but I didn’t hate the difference. 

 

There were some parts or comments that didn’t fully make sense to me (one example being that Halley has no religious background or really any knowledge about religion besides a very general thought, but then later saying that someone must be taking in tongues for all she can understand him), but that could have just been me and not fully understanding what was happening. 

 

As finishing this book, I almost wouldn’t call it sci-fi like I thought it would be. There’s no space travel or aliens (though some mentions of the later in a nerdy-scientific way). It’s more of a futuristic but yet modern setting. Roscoe and Andy live in our normal contemporary setting (down to the mentions of going to Walmart), but then Halley lives on an island with upgraded tech, no way to get off the island, and it being believed about young adults fighting to the death in a certain building. Quite a stark difference in lifestyles and how our main characters view their lives. 

 

I think this book wasn’t my cup of tea, personally. Those that like video games and the concept of a video game-like place probably would! I do have to note that I appreciate that while there’s mentions of violence and deaths, because we don’t have the POV of either character that’s really doing the violence, it’s not detailed. Like I said earlier, Halley is along for the ride and sees some of it based on being around those characters, but is not actually a part of it herself. This made a big different in terms of the details of the violence and didn’t make this book feel heavy like it could have.

 

 

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.

 

“The Angel of Second Street” by Barbara Tiffy Blakey

About this book:

  “How Can Compassion be Considered Wrong?
     When life is weighed down by challenges, pillars of enduring hope and love are always waiting to be discovered.
    Ida Dempsey has grown up in a privileged life of luxury thanks to her aunt and uncle. Although Second Street—where women of ill repute ply their wares—is off limits to respectable citizens, her heart of compassion compels her to frequent the area, hoping to make a difference in their lives. Ida has also befriended Qui Shau, a Chinese woman who keeps house for her family, but friendships between the whites and Chinese are taboo in Eureka. Ida tries to keep secret her forbidden compassion, but someone is watching and will use it against her.
    When Blaine Prescott meets Ida at a church picnic, his parents warn him away from any relationship with the young lady who has been seen on Second Street in the company of a Chinese woman. But how could such a kindhearted, lovely young woman be anything but good? But when riots break out in Chinatown and Ida disappears, Blaine will do anything to find out where and why she has gone.”


Series: Book #1 in the multi-authored series “Enduring Hope” and does not seem like it will be connected to any of the other books. 


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are quoted, mentioned, & remembered; Prayers; Witnessing to others; Church going, singing hymns, worshiping, & trying to focus on the sermon; Many talks about God, witnessing to others, & His will; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Blaine has been praying for God to direct his steps to find the right woman to marry and shortly after meeting Ida, believes her to be the one; Ida desperately wants to share about Jesus with others, especially with the women of ill repute and the Chinese people she knows; Ida and Blaine both notice hypocrisy from others about helping missionaries in foreign countries, but not being willing to witness to people in their own area; Ida doesn’t like to “bother” her heavenly Father with every little thing in her life, but prays about an overwhelming event; Ida’s best friend reminds her that women can’t be preachers and later Ida pretends when alone in her church by reading a Scripture from the pulpit (she doesn’t want to get up in front of everyone and is very embarrassed by being caught by her reverend because “women were not allowed to preach!”, but he is kind about it); Ida is discouraged when her reverend says that God will use her in ways she is better suited for (compared to her hopes of witnessing to the prostitutes), but their next conversation is him apologizing for discrediting her; When at church, Ida wonders if her prayers will be more effective there or even in front of the altar; Blaine wonders if there are situations where God approved of duplicity (in terms of deceit and lies), but sincerely doubts it; Ida struggles with thoughts about Scriptures telling one to obey their parents when she is hiding her actions from her guardians; Blaine believes that Jesus is the answer to everything, including poverty and crime; Ida thinks that going against what Jesus has called her to do will grieve her soul and thus continues to do it even if it grieves her conscience to disobey her aunt; Mattie, Ida’s best friend, says she gets enough religion on Sunday in church; Many mentions of God, Jesus, witnessing to others and sharing the gospel, faiths, & God’s will; Many mentions of churches, church going, services, sermons, hymns, & a reverend; Mentions of Bibles, Bible reading, & Bible studies; Mentions of those, events, & books of the Bible; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of missionaries; Mentions of a Chinese gang forbidding for their people to convert to Christianity & possible persecution; A few mentions of a nativity scene; A few mentions of sins; A couple mentions of Christian denominations; A mention of the Holy Spirit; A mention of morning devotions; A mention of Sunday school; A mention of Ida making a “holier-than-thou” impression on some of the prostitutes;
             *Note: Ida’s best friend says she prays for finding a rich husband; Chinatown is called a pagan community twice; Someone says the Chinese has their own religion and it isn’t possible for a Chinese woman to understand Christianity as it will only confuse her because of her own religion; A few mentions of mythological creatures (nymphs, gnomes, and fairies). 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘balderdash’, a ‘blast it’, a ‘dumb’, a ‘stupid’, and two ‘idiot’s, A bit of eye rolling; Blaine thinks of a sarcastic retort to something his mother says, but chooses to reply with respect instead; Being hit, Pain, Injuries, Blood/Bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Ida lies & tells half-truths often because of her plans; Ida struggles with hiding her plans and her feelings from her aunt (which she wonders if that’s part of growing up and if so, she doesn’t like it; She thinks the deception of it all and disobeying doesn’t suit her and is unsettled by going behind her aunt’s back); Ida’s aunt forbids her to go to Second Street (known for prostitution) because it could shame their family if she’s seen there, so Ida has the idea to dress like the prostitutes to blend in with them (she keeps this a secret from her aunt and feels twinges of guilt; She wonders if the end justify the means and hopes it does; Later, Ida consoles herself that the greater good demands the skulking around; Her best friend joins her as well, but is more excited to toe the line and go to taboo places; Towards the end, Ida grieves going against her aunt, but the idea of going against what she believes Jesus called her to do would grieve her soul); Ida has not specifically been forbidden to visit Chinatown, so she ventures there (despite knowing it’s not a place for moral young ladies to visit); Ida’s cousin drinks from a flask and offers it to her (which she does not partake in); Mentions of deaths & grief (Ida’s parents); Mentions of a massacre (which killed women and children as well) & planned hangings; Mentions of gangs, rival gangs, violence, and shootings (which causes a death); Mentions of criminals, thieves/looters, & stealing; Mentions of a man drinking from a flask, drunks, saloons, & bootleggers; Mentions of lies, lying, & deceit; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of opium dens, gambling dens, & gamblers; Mentions of pipes & smoking; A mention of a woman threatening to drown herself in the sea (not seriously); 
             *Note: Blaine’s parents are against him courting Ida, but he continues on with that plan because he believes she is the woman God has for him; Blaine’s friend wants his help deceiving her parents, but she doesn’t think of it like that because they refuse her happiness because of their misconceptions and says it wouldn’t be her fault; Blaine recalls his mother saying that women who attend college are unfit for domestic life; Many mentions of prejudice (towards Chinese workers and prostitutes; There are talks from business men in the town about removing the Chinese people, burning down Chinatown, making it illegal to hire them, and making them board an outbound ship; Blaine doesn’t see the problem if the Chinamen do their jobs and handle things themselves as along as no one on the outside gets hurt; Towards the end, tensions continue to rise and the white townsmen call for the Chinese to be hanged; Blaine doesn’t understand how some of the men like his father can go to church every Sunday and still be so prejudice); A couple mentions of a book & a quote from it (Pride and Prejudice).
 
 
Sexual Content- a cheek kiss (barely-above-not-detailed), a nose kiss, four head/forehead kisses, two blown kisses, two barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and a semi-detailed kiss (which makes Ida think afterwards “So that was kissing. No wonder people did it” and wishes to “explore this kissing thing” with Blaine again; Later, her aunt who witnessed the kiss tells Ida that she is too young for such things and makes Ida promise her not to let that happen again); Wanting to kiss & Thinking about kisses/kissing (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Cuddling/Snuggling (including falling asleep next to each other on a couch over night), Hand holding, Tingles, Warmth, & Nearness (up to semi-detailed); Winks & Blushes; Noticing & Staring (barely-above-not-detailed); Two ‘hussy’s; Ida thinks her father might have been a “rogue” based on the way her aunt avoids talking about him (*Spoiler* Ida was conceived out of wedlock and Mrs. Prescott holds this against her, adding to Blaine that no one knows what blood flows in her veins and will be passed on to her children; *Major Spoilers* Towards the end, she finds out that her mother is still alive and is a prostitute; Ida is very upset and feels like her life is a lie *End of Spoilers*); Ida asks Blaine if he has ever visited Second Street (known for the red-light district) and he has not; Ida has the idea to dress like the prostitutes to blend in and not be noticed (so she won’t bring shame to her family) and her best friend joins the plan, asking if they can show cleavage (which makes Ida blush; Later, her friend says they are “missionaries with cleavage” and they try on their form-fitting dresses which makes Ida blush and Mattie proclaim to liking the bare shoulders; Ida feels older and less innocent in the dress, which she doesn’t understand because it’s not like she’s done anything impure in her life; Mattie says one of the prostitutes is jealous of the two of them because they aren’t “droopy” anywhere like her; Mattie comments on the prostitutes covering up with a lot of make-up and Idea says they are covering up the wrong thing; Ida wears her “provocative” dress and does a “sultry sashay” like she’s seen the prostitutes do; One of the prostitutes asks if Ida is working around the area); Ida’s aunt, uncle, and reverend are concerned about her being exposed to the seedier side of town and her innocence being tarnished; Ida only goes to Second Street in broad daylight (because her “timidity disallowed going at night”) and doesn’t see any men; When referring to the prostitutes’ “work”, Ida stumbles and is awkward when referring to it; Ida’s best friend is also interested in Blaine and Mattie asks if she can have him (it causes a rift in their friendship for a bit); Many mentions of the women in an area known for prostitution, brothels (including one with the name “Joy Emporium”), the women (who have fake names like “Delight” and “Midnight Joy”; Ida comments she would have a Bible name and her best friend offers “Jezebel”), & them working at night and sleeping late into the day; Mentions of the prostitutes being checked for health concerns every two weeks, conditions such as “syphilis” and “gonorrhea” (which Ida does not know what those are), some of the women receiving pills to “set herself right” after missing their monthlies (which Ida isn’t sure what that means either and asks her best friend about it), & women lifting their dresses for a doctor (which makes Ida think that the others might be right and she’s too young to see this); Mentions of women having to turn to prostitution because of desperation; Mentions of out-of-wedlock pregnancies & unwed mothers (one says that her baby is her biggest blessing);  Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of the men (also called “clients”) who visit Second Street and the women there; A mention of a woman being found beaten and having torn clothing outside of an opium den; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: Blaine has to change his wet clothes, but a female friend won’t leave the room and turns around instead which makes him unable to change his britches; A couple mentions of a mother nursing her baby; A couple mentions of scandalous dresses with high slits; A mention of modest, virtuous women not visiting men in their private rooms; A mention of a theater not being of a burlesque nature or of otherwise questionable on moral grounds.
 
-Ida Dempsey, age 17
-Blaine Prescott, age 24
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                       Set in 1884-1885
                                                        256 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

You could say this book was a wild card for me. I’m hesitant about reading books that deal with prostitution because that always adds in some sexual content and sexual innuendoes; but on the other hand with this book, I was interested in seeing Chinese characters in a Christian Fiction book. It’s unfortunately not the most positive representation or treatment, but our main characters are determined to do right for the Chinese workers and the prostitutes in their town even when prejudice runs rampant. 

 

As far as our main characters: Ida feels like God has put not only the Chinese workers on her heart, but also the prostitutes. I mean this as nicely as I can say it: Her heart was in the right place, but her brain wasn’t fully in a logical place. Her first idea is to blend in with the women of ill repute is to dress like them and go to town during the day. Thankfully, nothing happens to her, but there’s so many ways this could have gone wrong. It was good to see the final plan and how it impacted not only the women, but also Ida and her best friend. It took some trials and errors on Ida’s part, but that final idea was a better one. 

 

I will note that Ida is seventeen and she felt every bit of it. I don’t mean to say that rudely, but it’s a fact that she’s been coddled by her lavish lifestyle and act very young for most of the book. Perhaps that’s an element of her child-like faith and these experiences will grow her, I’m sure, but she had her moments of being a teeny-bopper that made me cringe. 

 

With Blaine, it was very much love at first sight for him and yes, they were definitely cheesy together, but I really liked that they both had strong faiths and encouraged each other to pray and seek what God has for them to do. Overall the plot-line was pretty simple with a basic writing style, but it had some cute parts and strong faith content. 

 

I will say that while the prostitution parts were lightly handled in regard to the details of their actions and “work”, I found it sad to see a doctor hand the women pills that would take care of the problem interfering with their periods. Ida isn’t sure what this all means, but because we can read between the lines to know it’s a birth control pill that will kill a baby, it’s not commented upon negatively or frowned upon. Yes, that’s life and it happened in this setting, I’m sure, but for a Christian Fiction book to just brush it under the rug really disappointed me. Compared to the other Christian Fiction books I’ve read that feature prostitution, this was definitely on the lighter side, but it’s still not one I would recommend because of Ida’s actions. She means well but has little tact or grace when handling what she thinks she’s been called to do. 

 

The ending was really rushed and a bit choppy. An event that is shared on the back-cover doesn’t happen until the last five percent, which felt added in at last minute for some additional angst/grief for the couple. Not a bad story as a whole, but not one I’m going to highly recommend.  

 

 

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 (Barbour) for this honest review.