"Harvest Day in the Square" by Erynn Mangum

About this book:

  “Allie McGrady has always sworn she would NEVER move back to her tiny hometown of Hillview, Texas, and yet, here she is - buying a house in Hillview. But this isn't an ordinary house and doesn't take long before Allie realizes that maybe she bit off more than she can chew with this particular fixer-upper. Add in the pressure to get it done before the town's annual Harvest Day in the Square and Allie is starting to panic.
    Enter Harris, a pastor at Allie's sisters' church. He is a lifesaver for Allie and ends up helping at the house as much as possible, which instantly turns Allie's sisters into a bunch of matchmakers. This is completely terrible because Allie really likes Harris as a friend only, so everything is now just awkward and awful. In the midst of all of this, Allie is confronted over and over again with her identity and who she is - not just to herself or others, but who she is to Jesus.”


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


Spiritual Content- Many Scriptures are read, quoted, mentioned, discussed, & thought about; Going to Bible study (x4, with lessons/conversations shared) & Bible reading; Prayers & Blessings over food; Many talks about God, Christians, & having worth in the Lord; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Many mentions of God, Jesus, God working on someone’s heart, how God views us, & Christians; Many mentions of churches, church going, pastors, Bible studies, & services; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of Bibles, Bible reading, Bible studies, & devotionals; Mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of sin/sinners; A couple mentions of missionaries; A mention of the Holy Spirit; A mention of Heaven; A mention of being blessed; A mention of a Christian school; A mention of rabbis; 
             *Note: A Bible study lesson comments about how meditation and manifestation is commonly said nowadays & the pastor discusses what the Bible really says about it (saying not taking advice or counsel from the wicked, but taking counsel from the Word of God); A couple mentions of luck & being lucky; A couple mentions of a house looking haunted; A mention of a horror movie with a ghost; A mention of a fate.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘crappy’, a ‘dang’, a ‘darn’, a ‘duh’, a ‘dumb’, a ‘holy cow’, an ‘idiot’, a ‘shoot’, a ‘what the heck’, two ‘good grief’s, three ‘holy smokes’s, four ‘stupid’s, five ‘gosh’s, and twelve ‘oh my gosh’s; Lots of eye rolling & sarcasm; Allie exclaims other phrases like “buttered biscuits” a few times; Mentions of a curse being written in graffiti (not written); Mentions of lies & lying; A few mentions of wars; A few mentions of injuries; A few mentions of a house looking like it belongs in a horror movie & people being murdered by a ghost; A few mentions of envy; A mention of hatred; A mention of gossip; A mention of tattoos; 
             *Note: Mentions of movies, TV shows, fictional characters (Cinderella, Gone with the Wind, Sleepless in Seattle, Zootopia, Lord of the Rings, Twilight, Pirates of the Caribbean, Wicked, Full House, Home Improvement, Psych, Home Town, Disney princesses, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Olaf, & Hulk); Mentions of brand names & places/restaurants (iPad, Sterno, Formica, Pyrex, Elmer’s Glue, Operation, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Goodwill, In-N-Out, & Cracker Barrel; Mentions of car brands; Mentions of social media platforms/websites (YouTube, ChatGPT, Facebook Marketplace, & Weight Watcher’s); Mentions of HGTV & Hallmark; Mentions of vampires, werewolves, wizards, & aliens; A few mention of celebrities and actors (Steve Jobs, Orlando Bloom, The Pioneer Woman).
 
 
Sexual Content- Two head kisses, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, and two border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kisses; Touches, Embraces, Dancing, Hand holding, Warmth, Flutters, & Nearness (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Blushes; Noticing & Staring (barely-above-not-detailed); Five ‘babe’s; Mentions of couples kissing, embracing, & showing PDA; Mentions of dates, dating, boyfriends/girlfriends, exes, & break-ups; Mentions of flirting, blushes, & winks; A mention of staring at lips; Love, falling in love, & the emotions.
 
-Alexandra “Allie” McGrady, age 30
                                          P.O.V. of Allie 
                                                        355 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

I cleared my schedule today to read this book in a few hours because 1- when your favorite author releases a new book, you should try to do that (10/10 recommended) and 2- I’m been so excited for this book and needed to know what would happen in it! 

 

I love the big family with all the girls' chaos that is in this series—the McGrady family are just dears and I love being a fly-on-the-wall in their lives. Each girl (Sam, Dani, Allie, & Lucy) has their own personalities (with some that become even crazier when being highly over-caffeinated) and interests, but they are such good sisters to each other. Honestly, I’m pretty sure I will cry at the end of the fourth and final book when it releases because I just love this group so much. 🥹 Major props to Mama and Papa McGrady because they’ve raised some wonderful girls who love the Lord and each other. ❤️

 

I’ve loved seeing Harris in the previous two books of this series—the Bible studies they’ve all done together as he taught have me reaching to take notes—but getting to see him and his personality even more? Aww, yes please! Harris and Allie balanced each other well and she friend-zones him pretty hard, but I loved how it all worked out. Allie had one moment in this book that stressed me out with a bad decision/thought, but I could see where she was coming from when making it. Again, the ending was perfect in more ways than one—now I just need Sam’s story, especially after all the hints we’ve gotten! 

 

What else can I say? I laughed out loud multiple times, made lots of highlights at different parts I loved, sighed over the sweetest romance, and felt encouraged and convicted while reading the scenes of the characters at the Bible study. So, so, so many parts I enjoyed and I cannot wait for the fourth book—though, I think I need to reread all of the prior books again first so I can enjoy it even more!

 

 

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.

“The Honeyed Truth" by Sandra Orchard

About this book:

  “Something’s buzzing at Lavender Hill Farm—but it’s not the bees. When veterinarian Dr. Harriet Bailey-Knight joins a lively group of church seniors for a tour of White Church Bay’s must-see lavender farm, she anticipates a relaxing day among the fragrant blooms. But when one of the seniors remarks on the surprising absence of honeybees for such a beautiful sunny day, Harriet’s curiosity is piqued. She soon finds the bees aren’t gone…but something’s not right. Honey yields are mysteriously low, tensions are mounting among the staff, and the resident alpaca keeps escaping his pen. Can Harriet find the source of the issue before things get out of hand?
    Meanwhile, Harriet’s aunt Jinny has been acting strange lately. Every time Harriet tries to reach out, Aunt Jinny withdraws. Fortunately, healing—of both bees and hearts—can come in unexpected ways. Harriet is about to learn that even when life stings, a little honey can go a long way.”


Series: Book #22 (of 22) in the “Mysteries of Cobble Hill Farm” series. Click on the numbers to be taken to the prior books’ reviews: 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, Book #15, Book #16, Book #17, Book #18, Book #19, Book #20, and Book #21!


Spiritual Content- Proverbs 11:3 at the beginning; A couple Scriptures are mentioned and quoted; Church going & a sermon that discusses integrity; Mentions of God; Mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, church going, a pastor/vicar, sermons, services, & Sunday school classes; A couple mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; A mention of Vacation Bible School; A mention of a godsend; A mention of being blessed; 
             *Note: Religious phrases: ‘heavens’ is said once; Mentions of luck & crossing one’s fingers; A couple mentions of “ghosts” (a place offering ghost tours and a previous book’s prank); A couple mentions of a fossil called “devil’s toenails”; A mention of Mother Nature.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blasted’, a ‘dumb’, a ‘shoot’, and a form of ‘stupid’; Some eye rolling; Eavesdropping; Many mentions of possible sabotage, stealing, and criminal actions; Mentions of a fire, smoke, & potential danger; Mentions of injured or sick animals & Harriet’s veterinary clinic treatments (including animals in pain or scared, possible organ failure, & allergic reactions being mentioned and shown; barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of deaths of spouses & grief; A few mentions of eavesdropping; A few mentions of gossip & rumors; A couple mentions of terminal illnesses & someone dying; A couple mentions of lies & lying; A mention of a kidnapping (in a prior book); A mention of jail; 
             *Note: Mentions of fictional characters, plays, & authors (Peter Rabbit, Sherlock Holmes, Poirot, ‘Othello’, Shakespeare, & Agatha Christie); A few mentions of car brands; A couple mentions of songs (from ‘Phantom of the Opera’; ‘Yesterday’ by the Beatles); A mention of a TV show (Spooks).
 
 
Sexual Content- A hand kiss, three cheek kisses, a forehead kiss, three not-detailed kisses, and a barely-above-not-detailed kiss (all are between a married couple); Some touches, embraces, & hand holding (barely-above-not-detailed); Harriet witnesses a fifteen year old girl being smitten with an older boy (who is noted to be “close to twenty” and too old for the girl at “this point in her life”) and the girl sneaking around to meet with the boy; The girl’s parents do not want her going out with the young man and *Spoilers* it ends with her breaking things off because of him flirting with other girls and his actions towards animals; She has told her parents about it all and does receive a punishment because of it, but her parents are grateful she told them *End of Spoilers*; Mentions of teens dating, sneaking around their parents, blushes, & crushes/being smitten; A couple mentions of dates; A couple mentions of flirting; A mention of a kiss; Very light love, being in love, & the emotions (by a married woman for her husband). 
 
- Harriet Bailey-Knight
                                P.O.V. of Harriet 
                                                277 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

And just like that, the “Mysteries of Cobble Hill Farm” series is complete! This has been such an enjoyable cozy mystery series with incredibly light romance, faith content, and non-murder mysteries. I’m sad to say goodbye to Harriet and the rest of the group, but it was a good ending to the series. 

 

For this final book: I was quite interested in the mystery of the bees as a gardener and had some theories of my own. Harriet was a little too busybody-like in this with her snooping and eavesdropping which I didn’t love. Both her and Polly come up with stories as a way to gain information from others that while may not have been lying per se, it wasn’t exactly innocent either. 

 

Some parents of potential younger readers might want to be aware of the interest a teen girl has in an older boy. It’s implied he is an adult and she’s not, but it doesn’t continue for long. More about this is in the Spoiler in the Sexual Content section of this review.

 

Overall, I did enjoy this book and trying to figure out the culprit. It’s bittersweet to finish this series, but has been one that I enjoyed reading!

 

 

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.

"Taming Lady Temperance" by Karen Witemeyer

About this book:

  “When passion for justice conflicts with the heart, which will prevail?
    Noreen O'Sullivan is an enthusiastic member of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and believes herself called to defend the cause of prohibition. When she's invited to join the Secret Society of Spinsters, Noreen jumps at the chance to rally others to her movement and shut down the local saloon for good. However, her passionate campaigning often puts her at odds with the men around her—including the local deputy.
    Deputy James Paxton believes in preserving the peace, but Miss O'Sullivan has been disturbing his peace for months. If James wants to be elected sheriff, he can't afford to be seen as her ally. But when Noreen ropes him into helping her plan a temperance march, their growing closeness sparks unexpected feelings. Then tensions escalate at the saloon and accusations fly. James must choose between upholding his badge and protecting the woman who's captured his heart—knowing either choice could cost him everything.”


Series: Book #1 in “The Secret Society of Spinsters” series.


Spiritual Content- Matthew 5:44-45 at the beginning; Many Scriptures are mentioned, quoted, read, discussed, & remembered; Many Prayers, Thanking God, & Blessings over food; Church going (including James being distracted once during the service); Many talks about God, Jesus, wives submitting to their husbands, praying for others (including enemies), salvation, & forgiveness; ‘H’s are not capital when referring to God or Jesus; Noreen has studied Scripture to find her answer on why God didn’t save her and her mom from her father’s temper & believes that while God does “intervene directly in people’s lives from time to time”, He also worked through humans (like prophets, warriors, and ministers), so she’s decided to be a warrior for His cause; *Spoilers* Towards the end, Noreen realizes that while she’s thought before that she and God must have different definitions of good, they she’s defined good as the absence of bad and assumes the verse in Romans must be referring to Heaven and spiritual blessings *End of Spoilers*; Noreen’s mother has begged her to “curb her defiant ways and practice biblical submissiveness” which Noreen notes that she’ll submit to God and to the laws of the land as the Bible says, but will not kneel to men because of society’s voting rules (adding that because of her father and step-father’s treatment towards her mother, Noreen will not partake in “blind submissiveness” like her mother has; *Spoiler* Towards the end, Noreen’s mother talks to the pastor about situations where obeying God and her husband conflict and is told that obeying God takes precedence *End of Spoiler*); Many mentions of God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, forgiveness, trusting God, & His promises; Mentions of prayers, praying, thanking God, & blessings over food; Mentions of Bibles & those and events in the Bible; Mentions of churches, church going, ministers/pastors, sermons, prayer meetings, Sunday school classes, & hymns; Mentions of blessings & being blessed; Mentions of sins; 
             *Note: Religious phrases such as “heavens”, “thank heaven”, “good heavens”, “heaven help him”, “heaven knows/knew”, “merciful heaven” and “for the love of Pete” are all said up to seven times; A saloon owner uses the event of Jesus turning water into wine against Noreen and her arguments against alcohol (which she responds with other Scriptures that back her opinion); Noreen calls alcohol “the demon drink” and feels like she can hear “the demons cackling over their victory” of someone being hurt by a drunkard; Towards the end, Noreen says she’s confronted the “demons” from her past; A man calls Noreen a “she-devil” twice; A couple mentions of luck & being lucky; A mention of a place looking “demonic” when on fire; A mention of a woman in the temperance union that Noreen idolizes and strives to emulate; A mention of “damning” evidence.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blasted’, a ‘Gads’, a form of ‘shut up’, a ‘stars and garters’, a ‘stinkin’’, a ‘thunderation’, a ‘what in tarnation’, three ‘good grief’s, three forms of ‘stupid’, and five ‘shoot’s; Eye rolling & Sarcasm; A fire, Aiming a gun at someone, Being arrested, & Being grabbed by someone with ill-intent (up to semi-detailed); Remembering verbal and physical abuse from a parent (barely-above-not-detailed); *Spoilers, but about a past death* Noreen tells James about when she was twelve and her father came home drunk one night: He was unable to get up off the barn floor and because she had come to hate him because of his abusive nature, she left him there and found him dead the next day, having choked on his own vomit; Noreen has felt guilty since that day like she murdered him *End of Spoilers*; Seeing someone who was badly beaten, injured, & bleeding (up to semi-detailed, *Major Spoilers* A girl who was beaten by her drunk father after trying to get him to turn away from drinking; This greatly upsets Noreen because of her own experiences, so she goes to the saloon to destroy the alcohol there and gets arrested for vandalism; The mother of the girl decides to leave her husband for a time with her, which starts a realization for the father about his actions *End of Spoilers*); All about & many mentions of Noreen being against alcohol (with both drinking and selling it) due to her father being an abusive drunk and seeing the harm it can do to a family; Many mentions of men/husbands/fathers becoming physically and verbally abusive when drunk, some beating their daughters and wives (including one near to death), a wife leaving her husband because of his abuse, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of crimes, criminals, jails/prisons, arrests, & possible hangings; Many mentions of alcohol, drinking, drunks, saloons, & hangovers; Mentions of deaths (including from illnesses and a possible murder); Mentions of wars, injuries, & men returning home changed (and not for the better); Mentions of outlaws, thieves, & stealing; Mentions of fires, smoke, arson, an arsonist, injuries, & vandalism; Mentions of fights, fighting, weapons, guns being aimed at others, & gunshots; Mentions of threats; Mentions of gambling & poker; Mentions of throwing up/vomit; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of gossip, rumors, & eavesdropping; A couple mentions of tobacco; A mention of jealousy; 
             *Note: Noreen has a strained relationship with her mother due to her mother not standing up to her step-father & him putting a divide between them (*Spoilers* Shortly into the book, Noreen talks to her mother and realizes that her mother made the best choice she could under the circumstances; Noreen’s step-father dislikes her protesting against alcohol due to his political aspirations and bans her from coming to his house, which her mother does nothing about *End of Spoilers*); Mentions of women wanting the ability to vote & have their voices heard (which Noreen thinks that all citizens deserve to be heard regardless of their gender, skin color, or financial status); Mentions of spinsters being treated with careless words and disdainful glances for never being married (including some insults on-page); Mentions of historical figures & books (Clara Barton, Charlotte Brontë, Susan B. Anthony, Jane Austen, Nellie Bly, Louisa May Alcott, Frances Willard, Dwight L. Moody, Doc Holliday, Big ​Nose Kate, & ‘Little Women’); Mentions of Shakespeare & his plays.
 
 
Sexual Content- Four hand/fingers kisses, five head/forehead kisses, and a detailed kiss (mentioning desire, one’s core being affected, and deepening the kiss); Wanting to kiss, touch, & embrace (up to semi-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Cuddling (for comfort and also falling asleep holding the other), Hand holding, Butterflies, Tingles, Warmth, & Nearness (up to semi-detailed); Remembering kisses & embraces (up to semi-detailed); Winks, Blushes, & Flirting; Noticing & Staring (including muscles, up to semi-detailed); James embraces and holds Noreen when she’s upset (twice; once he falls asleep for a moment as well, but then releases her so no one will see him “spooning” with her in the public place they are in); Mentions of kisses & kissing; A few mentions of reputations; A few mentions of flirting; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: Noreen is concerned at the thought of possibly being addicted to James’ smiles (because of her reasoning being similar to those addicted to alcohol would make).
 
-Noreen O’Sullivan, age 27
-James Paxton
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                          Set in 1894
                                                        330 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

Karen Witemeyer’s books often have a bit too much romance for my tastes (or just more than I would suggest for teen readers), so they are usually a hit or a miss for me, but I was curious about this book because of the plot and main character’s convictions. Since it was the start of a new series, I thought I would try this one out.

 

I liked Noreen’s passion for the temperance union and alerting others to the evils of liquor. I’ve often said that if I lived in that time period, I would have been a member as well due to my own strong opinions against alcohol. She had her fiery passion for the issue, but had to learn about not being such a clanging cymbal about it because it could push others towards what she’s promoting against.  She couldn’t quite see the forest for the trees, but thankfully she has wise friends (including James) that help her in that regard. There was a lot of wisdom shared at times that made both Noreen and James become stronger in their beliefs and have great character development. 

 

I do want to note that the two of them fell for each other super quick—to the point it was a little ridiculous how fast they were attracted to each other and getting butterflies at the other’s nearness. Because of this and some events in the book, it felt very typical/cliché and standard for the genre. 

 

The faith content was very strong and I really enjoyed seeing the couple discuss their faiths, what was important to them, and also try to lovingly make the other aware of something that was important (mostly him to her about her the clanging cymbal mentality I mentioned previously). 

 

While there was only one kiss (on the lips) in this book, it was a bit long and detailed—and mentioned certain words I don’t love seeing in a Christian Fiction book, so this part and all the other romantic feelings the main couple have for each other are why I’m not highly recommending this book despite mostly enjoying it. I think it was a little too much in the romance regards for those under 16/17, personally. It will depend on the girl, of course, but I would share caution with this book due to the romance and tough topic of domestic violence.

 

 

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.

"These Moments Between Us" by Grace Schlabach

About this book:

  “Stay-at-home wife, homeschool mom and gardening enthusiast, Franny Ancrumb finds herself embarking on new life adventures. Not only is she dealing with her new identity of entering her middle age years, but she is also trying her best to keep her coming-of-age daughter, Lindsey, from flying the coop too soon. Surprised with a very energetic border collie puppy on her birthday, she thinks she has found the perfect solution to help her daughter see that summers are for fun, not studies.
    Lindsey Ancrumb just wants her mom to understand she is ready to make something of herself. She knows God has given her the dream of becoming a doctor like her father for a reason. Meanwhile she is dealing with the competition of both a know-it-all younger sister, and a best friend who is graduating a year early to start her college career. To make matters worse, a trouble-making puppy has entered the equation and is taking up a lot of the family’s time, making Lindsey feel invisible and causing further strife between mother and daughter.
    Can this mother-daughter duo find common ground and remember that these moments between them are to be cherished as a gift from God?”


Series: Book #1 in the “Moments in Maplecreek” series.


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are read, remembered, quoted, mentioned, & referenced; At the end of the book, the author’s husband asks the reader if they will be in Heaven someday and how to get there (with many Scriptures referenced and quoted); Many prayers, thanking God, and blessings over food; Church going & church events; Witnessing to someone; Talks about God, Jesus, trusting His leading, & His plans; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Set during Easter & Christmas; Many mentions of God, His creation, His timing, Him leading others, & having peace; Mentions of prayers, praying, thanking God, & blessings over food; Mentions of Bibles, Bible reading, Bible studies, & devotionals; Mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of witnessing to others; Mentions of churches, church going, church groups and events, pastors, sermons, services, & hymns; Mentions of blessings & being blessed; Mentions of Easter & Christmas; Mentions of VBS; A few mentions of mission work; A couple mentions of Christian role models; A mention of Christian novels; 
             *Note: A woman shares with Lindsey that she grew up in church, but came to believe that church was full of hypocrites (including one who said she was “bound for hell” due to not going to church) and that God didn’t come looking for her (a main character witnesses to this woman and invites her to the family’s church; *Spoiler* The woman comes to their church and later accepts Jesus as her Lord and Savior *End of Spoiler*).
 

Negative Content- Some eye rolling and sarcasm; A bit of sibling bickering/jealousy between Lindsey and her little sister (but Lindsey prays to do better); Lindsey feels competitive with her best friend at times & aims to make her jealous (regarding school plans, but later realizes that while their competition has made Lindsey excel past her own goals in an effort to top the best friend’s actions, she feels bad for thinking like this and prays about her pride while also thanking God for her best friend); A scene of an injury with pain (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of sick pets, concerned owners, & treatments (including antibiotics); A few mentions of someone abandoning a pet rabbit in the forest; A couple mentions of children being chased and bitten by loose dogs; A couple mentions of bullies; A mention of the possibility of a dog being hit by a car; A mention of rumors; 
             *Note: Franny struggles with the idea of Lindsey growing up and leaving home for college (this includes hoping to convince her not to take her school plans so seriously and enjoy the summer; Franny starts to pray about it after realizing she’s been selfish regarding all of it); Lindsey feels like she’s drifting apart from her mom and feels like Franny is holding her back from her goals (this causes Lindsey to be smug a couple times when she gets to start working on her goals with her dad because it bothers her mom); Lindsey resents the puppy for stealing her mom’s attention from her; Lindsey finds some things about her family embarrassing (such as having to dress in color-coordinating outfits for Easter, but *Spoilers* by the end of the book, she plans doing it because she knows it makes her mom happy *End of Spoilers*); Mentions of actors, movies, and books (Roy Roger, ‘Lone Ranger’, ‘It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown’, & ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’); Mentions of car brands; A few mentions of brand names (Cool Whip, Benadryl, & Airbnb); A mention of a public figure (Annie Oakley).
 
 
Sexual Content- Three forehead kisses, four not-detailed kisses, and three barely-above-not-detailed kisses (all kisses except one are done by a married couple);  Some embraces (between a married couple, barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; A bit of noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Two ‘hot’s; One of Lindsey’s friends is boy-crazy & she talks about a hot guy a couple of times and flirts with him (Lindsey does not have an interest in dating or boys right now as she’s focused on her schooling and does not feel mature enough to pursue a real relationship); *Spoilers, but about a light romance* Towards the end, Lindsey meets a new guy at church and blushes around him; They become very good friends and in the epilogue, he proposes to her after they’ve been dating for some time *End of Spoilers*; Mentions of dating & boyfriends/girlfriends; Mentions of blushes; A few mentions of crushes; A mention of flirting; 
             *Note: A couple mentions of Franny’s figure (when referencing how she dresses age appropriate and modest).
 
-Franny Ancrumb, age 39-40
-Lindsey Ancrumb, age 15-16
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                                        320 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

In all my years of reading and reviewing, I think I’ve only seen a main character with my name (and the correct spelling of it) twice before this book—so I’m up to three times now, which is more than keychains I’ve ever found with my name on it, haha! The Lindsey in this book is fifteen and wanting to plan for her future, but her mother (Franny) is having a hard time with her oldest growing up. We see both of their perspectives and it’s a very “slice-of-life” style plot-line with the book really being about their lives, interests, and just them going through their day-to-day busyness. 

 

There was a lot of information about characters and side characters shared that while didn’t feel like info dumping as I read, there were quite a few parts that I didn’t find relevant to know all the details about a side character’s life. It definitely wasn’t info dumping, though, as it was written more like a friend was catching me up on the life of another friend’s family…but I’ll admit that I wasn’t super interested in those moments, so the book’s plot felt a little slow. That works great if you want a slower paced book that isn’t highly plot-driven, but is about the characters and their lives. The title is actually a great nod to this as it really is the moments between Franny and Lindsey, our main characters and a mother and her daughter. Because there wasn’t much happening in the book besides their daily lives, I did find myself a bit bored. I think this was more of a me thing than the book’s fault. There were also a lot of “I’m proud of you” speeches or just conversations that went on for a while plus a lot of saying a character’s name often in conversations, which felt a little awkward at times. 

 

It felt a bit like a Guidepost mystery, but without the mystery, if that makes sense? A very small town, cozy, lots of details kind of plot. Plus strong Christian faith content throughout the book that felt natural for the main characters—which was lovely to see! I think those wanting a calmer book featuring a mother and daughter and their relationship would enjoy this book. I personally really enjoyed how clean it was and all the faith content. :)

 

 

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.

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