"Daughters of Irin" by Claira Teichroeb

About this book:

  “When her land's enemy, Farria, captures Princess Quarralia of Irin, she is given a marry King Byron's wicked son, Prince Cort, thus ensuring Irin to King Byron's family forever, or be killed. Panicked, Quarralia feels trapped, until she meets the mysterious Eirian.
    Eirian is an orphan. Living with only her wolfdog, Galt, she proves intelligent and resourceful. When she learns of Princess Quarralia's part in King Byron's scheme, she knows she has to rescue Quarralia.
    A harrowing escape, hunters on their tails, and clashes between the girls ensue. But what is the significance of the scrap of poetry Quarralia holds, and then there's the question nagging her at every turn: who is Eirian?”


Series: As of now, it seems to be a stand-alone novella.


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are remembered; Many prayers & thanking God and Jesus; ’H’s are capital when referring to God; Eirian & Quarralia both ask God why something is happening, but feels peace at times that He has a plan for each of them; Scripture comes to Eirian & Quarralia’s minds as if God was talking to them a few times; Many mentions of God, Jesus, and being a Christian; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; A few mentions of events in the Bible; A couple mentions of not being afraid of death because of going to “somewhere far better”; A mention of a miracle; 
             *Note: Quarralia’s father isn’t against Christianity, but he has said that he “certainly would never fall for such foolishness”; Mentions of legends/rumors of ghosts; A couple mentions of some believing a girl with two different colored eyes is a witch; A mention of a unicorn; A mention of a symbol of good luck.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: Five ‘stupid’s; Eye rolling & a bit of sarcasm; Quarralia avoids lying; Being chained up and locked in a prison, Being slapped, Being drugged with a dart, Passing out, & Pain (up to semi-detailed); Remembering a kidnapping & being held at sword-point; An animal/pet is threatened to be killed; A maid is ordered to bury a newborn baby that is believed to be stillborn (there is concern that an enemy could get the infant’s body, so the maid is told to bury her where no one will find her; The baby is still alive, however, so she does not); Eirian makes sleeping darts and uses them on others for her safety (up to semi-detailed); Quarralia steals a horse (for safely getting away from a dangerous situation); Mentions of wars, deaths, executions, & hangings; Mentions of a kidnapping, bandits, ransom, & threats; Mentions of criminals & prisons/jails; Mentions of stealing; Mentions of an older girl abusing a young girl (slapping and bruising her); Mentions of pipes & smoking; Mentions of the possibility of a wolfdog (Eirian’s pet) being killed by others; A few mentions of a possible murderer & thinking someone is going to kill another through poison (does not happen, it is a misunderstanding); A few mentions of rumors & gossip; A couple mentions of a possible stillborn baby (some believed a baby was stillborn, but others do not); A couple mentions of a horrible orphanage with children being whipped and screams; A couple mentions of a rumor about a young man drowning a hound for the “pleasure of it” and snatching peasant children to hang them by their ankles from trees in the forest; A couple mentions of alcohol (implied) & a drunk; A couple mentions of hatred; A mention of someone throwing wolfdog puppies into a river to drown them and only one surviving; A mention of the possibility of a horse being eaten by wild animals; A mention of vomiting. 
 
 
Sexual Content- N/A.
 
-Eirian, age 15/16
-Quarralia, age 15
               1st person POV switches between them & 3rd person of Eibhlin (prologue only)
                                                        151 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

This was a pleasant surprise! I wasn’t sure what I would think of this novella, but I really enjoyed the setting (non-magical fantasy) and the main characters. The world and history was explained well, so I didn’t feel lost with not enough information or overwhelmed with too much information. The faith content was strong throughout the book, which was also really nice to read. No romance makes this suitable for younger ages and while it wraps up everything with a bow, I think it could have another story in the world someday if the author decided to do that. Overall, I quite enjoyed this story!

 

 

See y’all on Monday 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.

"Last to Fall" by Lynn H. Blackburn

About this book:

  “Bronwyn Pierce has poured everything into The Haven, her family's exclusive mountain resort in Gossamer Falls. But when financial discrepancies surface and the numbers suggest something far darker than simple mismanagement, she's forced to call on the one person with the skills to help Mo Quinn, a former Army Intelligence officer, her first love, and the last person she ever wanted to trust again.
    Mo has spent years avoiding the woman he once loved and the secrets that tore them apart. But when Bronwyn calls, he can't walk away--especially when it's clear someone wants her gone for good. As they dig deeper into the treacherous motives behind a blackmail scheme, their proximity reignites long-buried feelings neither of them is ready to face. And when the evidence points to an unexpected culprit, Mo faces an impossible trust the proof in front of him or trust his heart.
    With danger closing in and no one else to turn to, Bronwyn and Mo must break years of silence to uncover who's trying to destroy The Haven. They'll have to risk everything--including their hearts--to expose the truth before it's too late.”


Series: Book #3 in the “Gossamer Falls” series. Reviews of Book #1 Here and Book #2 Here!


Spiritual Content- Psalm 19:14 in the Acknowledgments; A few Scriptures are mentioned and prayed; Prayers & Thanking Jesus; 'H’s are not capital when referring to God; Bronwyn recites part of Psalm 23 in a “breathe prayer” (inhaling with saying part of the Scripture and then exhaling with the next verse); In a flashback chapter, Mo doesn’t think his prayers have worked but hopes that another’s prayers will work; Mo’s faith “took a nosedive” after Bronwyn ran away and while he still believed in God, he felt betrayed by both God and Bronwyn & has had to work on trusting God again; Mentions of God & Jesus; Mentions of prayers & praying; A few mentions of someone in the Bible; A mention of church; A mention of a couple leaving room for “the Holy Spirit and a few angels” to sit between them; 
             *Note: Mo doesn’t “throw words like evil around lightly” but a gathering of Bronwyn’s family makes his “spirit protest”; Mentions of luck & being lucky; A couple mentions of fate; A mention of someone getting “her zen on” at a spa; A mention of someone claiming to have seen a ghost.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘duh’, a ‘good grief’, a ‘for the love of all that’s holy’, a ‘screw’, a ‘shoot’, a ‘son of a gun’, two ‘screwed up’s, two forms of ‘ticked’, three forms of ‘shut up’, four ‘oh my word’s, seven ‘idiot’s, and ten ‘stupid’s; Some crude phrases such as “crawled up [someone’s] butt” and someone “ripping” someone else “a new one”; A few mentions of curses (including a mention of a young Mo using “vocabulary his parents would be shocked he knew” and how it doesn’t help him feel better); Eye rolling & Sarcasm; A drive-by shooting, Being shot at, Gunfire, Being grabbed, Being threatened with death, Injuries, Pain, & Blood/Bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Seeing someone shot & killed (barely-above-not-detailed); Many mentions of blackmail, embezzlement, money laundering, & threats; Mentions of murders, attempted murder, kidnappings, & attempted kidnappings (including those in Book #1 and Book #1.5); Mentions of deaths & a grandmother’s cancer spreading; Mentions of fights, deaths, & weapons (guns and knives); Mentions of someone trying to kill Bronwyn (possibly a family member); Mentions of a drive-by shooting, being shot at, weapons, gunfire/bullets, injuries, stitches, pain, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a mother almost dying from an allergic reaction to an antibiotic; Mentions of drug trafficking, drugs, a needle (implied drug use), drug dealers, alcohol, drinking, & a bar; Mentions of rehab (for alcohol or drug dependence & an eating disorder); Mentions of other crimes & criminals; Mentions of arrests & jails/prisons; Mentions of when Bronwyn ran away from home at age sixteen (see Sexual Content for more information); Mentions of manipulation (including from family members); Mentions of hatred; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of gossip & rumors; A few mentions of a solider dying overseas; A couple mentions of a child being abducted (Book #1); A couple mentions of stalkers; A couple mentions of divorces; A mention of alcoholics & meth users; A mention of brown nosing; 
             *Note: In a flashback chapter, Bronwyn says her parents shouldn’t have had a child since “they have no clue what to do with one”; Bronwyn comments about her family members being narcissists and psychopaths; Bronwyn hyperventilates (once, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of car brands; Mentions of fictional characters (Romeo and Juliet, Anne of Green Gables, Mary Poppins, Wonder Woman, Samwise Gamgee, Lucy Pevensie, and Captain America); A few mentions of brand name & items (iPads, Coke, Kool-Aid, Post-It notes, Band-Aid); A couple mentions of counseling and therapy (which Mo went to); A mention of the Oscar awards; A mention of Pinterest; A mention of Siri.
 
 
Sexual Content- Two fingers-to-lips touches, multiple hand/finger kisses (one unwanted), two forehead kisses, a cheek kiss, two nose kisses, a not-detailed kiss, a few jaw/chin kisses, five border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kisses (including two when they were fifteen), a semi-detailed kiss, and a detailed kiss; Remembering kisses (up to semi-detailed); Seeing married/engaged couples kiss and embrace (including one person to tell a couple to “get a room”);  Staring at lips (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Cuddling, Hand holding, Warmth, Nearness (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to touch, embrace, & hold hands (up to semi-detailed); Flirting & Blushes; Jealousy; Being hit-on (unwanted and by slimy men); Noticing & Staring (barely-above-not-detailed); In order to protect her, Mo and Bronwyn sleep in the same house a handful of nights (a few times there is someone else there as well; Everyone sleeps in different rooms and nothing sexual happens); In two flashback chapters, Bronwyn and Mo hold hands (when they are thirteen) and have their first kiss (age fifteen); Bronwyn ran away from home at age sixteen due to family circumstances and because of an older man who complimented her (he is called a predator and a pervert) had “turned [her] head” (it’s said a few times that he groomed her, lured her, took her, and then deserted her; In a few flashback chapters, he winks at her and talks kindly to her; (*Spoilers* But two months after running away, she has learned it was all a lie and the man manipulated her with fake conversations and manipulated photos, so she ran away from him; Her parents never came for her because they didn’t want to offend the man who had a high status in Hollywood *End of Spoilers*)); A ‘hot’, two ‘strumpet’s, and five forms of ‘baby/babe’; Mentions of trysts, affairs, flings, & “hooking up” with someone (including a married man leading a younger woman up to a hotel room); Mentions of kisses & kissing (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of couples kissing, making goo-goo eyes at someone, & being “gross” about it (to the point someone tells them to “get a room”); Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of flirting & giggling and fanning one’s self after talking to a guy; Mentions of crushes & liking someone; A mention of Bronwyn being careful not to throw herself at Mo; A mention of a man leering at Bronwyn; A mention of “pillow talk” between married couples; A mention of a sugar daddy (used as a jab against a woman); A mention of romance novels; Love, falling/being in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: In a flashback chapter, Bronwyn thinks that her parents think of her as if “she was breeding stock instead of their flesh-and-blood daughter”; *Spoilers, but about an eating disorder* Bronwyn met Laundry when she was in rehab for an eating disorder (it’s said that Bronwyn nearly lost the battle and had nearly starved herself to death in seeking control of her life); Because of this, Bronwyn is careful not to skip meals and others make sure she eats *End of Spoilers*; In a flashback chapter, Bronwyn recalls her grandmother giving her a tiny cup of chocolate mousse because she says “girls had to be careful to never overindulge”; A couple mentions of rear ends & kicking someone’s rear; A mention of a woman’s curves.
 
-Bronwyn Pierce, age 33
-Montgomery “Mo” Quinn, age 33
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                                        354 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

Ever since reading “Never Fall Again”, I’ve been curious to what Bronwyn and Mo’s deal is about each other. You could tell there was a lot of backstory between them and in this final book of the series, we finally get their story. It’s messy. Complicated because of a family feud and also because of very poor choices on our main character’s parts. Like the second book in the series, I have mixed feelings on this third book.

 

I do think there were a few too many parts where Mo felt a little too unlike the broody, moody grump he was: he would share about his feelings with his cousins/sibling/friends in great length…so it overall felt a little cheesy and mushy for my tastes. However, I did like his protector vibe and how he still showed how much he liked her with actions rather than words (because they didn’t talk directly to each other for half the book, mind you). I felt similar to the male lead in the second book, Gray, with his “definitely written by a woman” lines. 

 

If you’re interested in this series, it would be best to read the prior two books in the series in my opinion because they are very intertwined with the characters, backstories, and inside jokes. There’s a lot that isn’t explained in this book that was explained in the other books. It took me a little bit to get into the story and try to keep everyone straight and all the family connections, but after a while, I stopped trying and just hoped for the best on remembering how everyone was connected. 😅

 

This book was mostly romantic, with not a whole lot of suspense. I think this is partially because that’s how this series has been set-up, but also because Mo does a lot of computer work to find out the bad guys rather than chase them down himself. I would put it at 75/25 on the romance vs suspense parts. The faith content was light throughout the book and I would have liked to see more of that from both Bronwyn and Mo. I found the ending to be a little unsatisfying and anticlimactic because the motives are explained as a catch-up for other characters rather than our main characters finding it out for themselves. I think this is a personal preference—or rather, something I don’t prefer—which is why I noticed it, but probably won’t bother other readers.

 

Little complaints aside, I did enjoy different elements of this book and read it within a day. The writing style flowed well and our couple was cute together (once they started talking—their friends/sibling/cousins have more patience than me for dealing with this for years). Because of mentions of an underage teen girl being groomed, seduced, and lured away, I would only suggest this book for ages 16/17+. There really aren’t many details about this which was good, but I wish it could have been a bit more of a warning about that happening rather than a “oh, that’s what happened. So anyway…”, which is what it felt like at times. There were a few crude comments I didn’t care for reading as well that affects the ratings I gave for this book.

 

 

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 (Revell) for this honest review.

"The Case of the Duct Tape Disaster" by Becca Wierwille

About this book:

  “A mess of duct tape. A missing dress.
Can Scout and Barnaby bring the dress destroyer to justice?
    Scout may be too young to be a Trailblazer camper, but she’s not too young to solve a mystery.
    When a handmade duct tape dress disappears from the craft shed, Scout is ready to investigate.
    Too bad the counselor thinks she’s just a kid.
    Along with her trusty canine sidekick, Barnaby, Scout is determined to crack the case—before the Camp Gala begins and the culprit gets away with it.”


Series: Book #3 in the “Scout & Barnaby Mysteries” series. Reviews of Book #1 Here and Book #2 Here!


Spiritual Content- 1 Timothy 4:12 at the beginning; A Scripture is quoted; ‘H’s are not capital when referring to Jesus; A few mentions of singing worship songs & listening to a Bible lesson; A couple mentions of Jesus and redemption; A mention of God using us to do big things; A mention of a Christian summer camp; 
             *Note: A couple mentions of luck & being lucky.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: Scout exclaims “pumpernickel!” three times; Some eye rolling (from Scout’s brother over her detective work); Scout chooses to ignore her brother’s “mockery” when he calls her “Detective Dictionary” (Later in the book, when he calls her that again, it isn’t done in mockery); Scout gets in trouble for opening another camper’s backpack without permission; All about & many mentions of a thief, a stolen item, vandalism, and/or a “crime scene” (where an item went missing and/or was destroyed); Mentions of deaths from a car accident & grief (two brothers who lost their parents when they were babies and are being raised by their grandparents); Mentions of pranks (where no one gets hurt; including pranks from Scout’s brother); A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of raccoon poop; 
             *Note: Scout is told that she’s too young to solve the mystery which upsets her and she tries to solve it anyway to prove she can help (her dad comments on her taking a break from mystery solving, but does not tell her not to do it, so she continues; *Spoiler* After solving the mystery, the girl apologizes for saying she was too young and Scout’s parents say they are proud of her for not giving up when it was hard *End of Spoiler*); Mentions of a brand name (Sour Skittles); A mention of a fictional character (Nancy Drew).
 
 
Sexual Content- N/A.
 
-Scout Bell, age 10
-Barnaby the Dog
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                                        174 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

Scout and Barnaby are on the trail of another mystery in this book and I really liked seeing their teamwork. I wasn’t sure what happened to the camp counselor’s duct tape dress, so it was interesting to follow the clues. 

 

I was very excited to see the preview for the next book in this series, “The Case of the Ice Cream Incident”! I don’t know when that one will be releasing, but I look forward to reading it when it does!

 

 

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.

 

"The Cookbook Clue" by Elizabeth Penney

About this book:

  “While springtime rainstorms and floods keep everyone in Blackberry Valley on alert, Hannah Prentiss is happy to stay warm and dry, joining her women’s church group on a new project. Well-known chef and professor Julia Miller is sourcing family recipes for a new Kentucky-focused cookbook. To Hannah’s surprise, tucked among the pages of her great-great-aunt Mabel’s handwritten cookbook is a reference to a sixty-year-old mystery. In 1965, a tornado struck Blackberry Valley, and the church’s golden altar cross hasn’t been seen since.
    Hannah decides to piece together the past and find the missing cross. But her attention is soon diverted to a more pressing issue—Julia’s husband disappears while on a cycling adventure. With a record storm barreling down on Blackberry Valley, can Hannah wade through the clues and find the answers before tragedy strikes?”


Series: Book #10 in the “Mysteries of Blackberry Valley” series. Reviews of Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, Book #4, Book #5, Book #6, Book #7, Book #8, and Book #9!


Spiritual Content- Proverbs 3:5-6 at the beginning and is later quoted; A few Scriptures are read, quoted, remembered, & prayed; Prayers; A man sings part of a hymn; Many mentions of churches, church going, church events, & pastors; Mentions of God, His plans, His grace, & being forgiven; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of Bibles, Bible reading, devotionals, & witnessing; Mentions of redemptive stories and people finding God after making bad choices prior in life; A couple mentions of miracles; A mention of someone in the Bible; A mention of a godly woman; A mention of Sunday school; A mention of being blessed; A mention of sins; A mention of something tasting “heavenly”; 
             *Note: Mentions of luck & being lucky.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘wimp’; Some eye rolling; Going through a tornado, intense flooding, a near car accident, & helping rescue someone (up to semi-detailed); Finding someone who has passed away (from a heart attack, barely-above-not-detailed); All about & many mentions of stealing, stolen items, thieves/looters, & criminals; Many mentions of tornadoes, flooding, damages, evacuations, missing people, & people being rescued; Mentions of deaths & grief (including Hannah’s mother from cancer); Mentions of arrests & jails/prisons; Mentions of rumors & gossip; A few mentions of a possible kidnapping; A couple mentions of possible danger with armed men; A couple mentions of lies & lying; A mention of the Civil War; A mention of a murder case; A mention of a car accident; A mention of a fire; A mention of a business being sabotaged (Book #7); 
             *Note: Mentions of car brands; A mention of a book (‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’).
 
 
Sexual Content- Two not-detailed kisses and three barely-above-not-detailed kisses; A married couple shares two kisses (no details); Some touches, embraces, hand holding & nearness (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Some noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of boyfriends/girlfriends, dates, & dating; A mention of a kiss; Love, being in love, & the emotions; 
             *Note: As a note for parents of younger readers possibly interested in this series, Hannah and Liam do spend some time alone together in her apartment (on the couch) and talk (nothing sexual happens besides an embrace and her curling up against him; Their ages are 36 and 38, respectively).
 
-Hannah Prentiss, age 36
               P.O.V. switches between Hannah & Mabel (in the historical period)
                                        Fifteen scenes set in 1965
                                                        276 pages 
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

While not my favorite of the series, it was good to see Hannah and her friends again! I’ve lived through a few floods, so it was a little unnerving to read about, but it added a bit of suspense towards the end to an overall calm mystery. I did figure out instantly where the cross was, so that was a bit of a disappointment. 

 

If I could nit-pick one thing, there were quite a few conversations that felt like info-dropping such as the history about a type of food or its ingredients. Because of this, those parts felt like stilted and like a Wikipedia page. It wasn’t completely distracting, but I did notice it a few times.

 

 

See y’all on Wednesday 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.