"No Lost Love" by Becky Melby

About this book:

  “Valentine’s Day is approaching, and Hannah Prentiss can’t wait to celebrate the romantic holiday with her boyfriend, Fire Chief Liam Berthold. That is, if they can find the time. With Hannah’s restaurant hosting both a private luncheon and a special Valentine’s dinner for her customers, and Liam being suddenly called away to attend a conference, it doesn’t look promising.
    But there’s more going on in Blackberry Valley this winter. When firefighter Archer Lestrade tells Hannah and Liam that he has been receiving a series of strange and possibly threatening photographs, they rally to his side and undertake an investigation. Working together, can they figure out what the photos mean, who sent them…and most importantly, why?”


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


Spiritual Content- 1 Corinthians 13:4 at the beginning; Scriptures are read, remembered, & discussed; Prayers & Thanking God; Church going & a sermon (including a quote by Elisabeth Elliot); Talks about God & patience; ’H’s are capital when referring to God; Hannah questions why it seems like some people were born blessed and others into adversity, thinking that it’s an age-old question she won’t have an answer to, but knows the true answer is that God is in control of everything, even the “things that don’t feel good”; Mentions of God, His timing, & having patience; Mentions of Bibles, Bible reading, & devotions; Mentions of prayers, praying, thanking God, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, church going, Sunday school classes, & pastors; A mention of Vacation Bible School; 
             *Note: A couple mentions of fairy pools; A mention of luck.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: Two ‘dumb’s and two ‘stupid’s; A couple mentions of curses (said, not written); Eye rolling; A cave-in due to an explosion, being trapped, & seeing a death (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Seeing someone have an allergic reaction (anaphylactic shock, up to semi-detailed); Mentions of an explosion, cave-in, deaths and possible deaths, injuries, & pain (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of deaths (including from cancer) & grief (including Hannah and her dad for her mom/his wife); Mentions of fires & possible arson; Mentions of stealing, stolen items, & thieves; Mentions of a possible stalker; Mentions of threats & blackmail; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of needles and injections at a hospital (which Hannah avoids looking at); Mentions of poisons & possibly being poisoned; Mentions of a family kicking their daughter out due to her relationship with a man whose family they dislike; A few mentions of crimes & a robbery; A couple mentions of the Civil War; A couple mentions of the Great Depression; A couple mentions of lying; A couple mentions of nightmares; A couple mentions of the possibility of a puppy being hurt or killed; A mention of the death of a baby (no details, implied miscarriage); A mention of a car accident; A mention of murder shows; A mention of a divorce; A mention of jealousy; A mention of poker; 
             *Note: In the historical time period, a young woman asks a young man why men call boats and automobiles a ‘she’ and he responds “I suppose because they’re pretty, and if we’re nice to them, they do what they’re told and don’t talk back.” (which she smacks him for saying and he says that he doesn’t prefer that and wants a woman who speaks her mind); Mentions of car brands; Mentions of Romeo and Juliet; A few mentions of actors/actresses (Clark Gable, Irene Dunne, & Carole Lombard); A mention of a movie (You Can’t Take It With You); A mention of a song (‘Always,’ by Irving Berlin); In bonus content at the end of the book, there are mentions of the Hatfields-McCoys feud and murder & TV shows/actors/fictional characters mentioned (such as Family Feud, The Andy Griffith Show, Bonanza, The West Wing, NCIS, Bones, My Little Pony, Buster Keaton, Betty Boop, Elmer Fudd, Rocky and Bullwinkle, and the Flintstones).
 
 
Sexual Content- Two hand kisses, a cheek kiss, two forehead kisses, a not-detailed kiss, and two barely-above-not-detailed kisses; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, & Nearness (barely-above-not-detailed); Winks & Blushes; a ‘babe’; Hannah spends a night on Liam’s couch after a scary event (health-related); Many mentions of dates, dating, boyfriends/girlfriends, break-ups, & exes; A few mentions of couples kissing & kisses; A few mentions of crushes; A few mentions of jealousy; A mention of toes tingling; Very light love, falling in love, & the emotions.
 
-Hannah Prentiss, age 36
               P.O.V. switches between Hannah & a couple others (in the historical period)
                                        Ten chapters set in 1921 & 1931
                                                        281 pages
 
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

Because of a busy schedule, it took me a bit longer to read this book, but I really enjoyed it! I actually found myself super interested in the historical parts and the modern day mystery connected to it didn’t give away the ending to the historical timeline (which has happened before with other books I’ve read when it’s a dual time period book and the mysteries are connecting), so that was a nice surprise! My compliments to the author for that detail! 

 

While I still wouldn’t call this a “romance book”, it definitely had more romance in it with all the mentions of dates/dating and whatnot. But in all honestly, I expect that from a book set around Valentine’s Day and greatly enjoyed it! Hannah and Liam are really cute together and I was invested in both mysteries—I’m a little annoyed at myself for not figuring out the ending, but I liked it regardless. Another winner for the series in my books!

 

 

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 Case of the Midnight Mystery" by Becca Wierwille

About this book:

  “Unusual sounds. Strange footprints. Disappearing items.
    Can Scout and Barnaby solve the midnight mystery before campers are sent home?
    Scout wants to be a real camper, not just a helper behind the scenes. And this is the week!
   But strange things are happening in the girls’ tenting area. Noises in the night. Missing items reappearing in bizarre places. Bare footprints on the trails.
   With her dog Barnaby by her side, Scout is on the case. They must uncover the truth before the campers’ parents are called and Blueberry Creek’s reputation is ruined.”


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


Spiritual Content- 2 Timothy 1:7 at the beginning & is later discussed, thought over, and quoted; Scout wonders why God hasn’t given her what she needs to “crack the case”; *Spoilers* Scout realizes at the end of the book that she is not afraid anymore of what others think of her and likes who God created her to be *End of Spoilers*; Mentions of God; Mentions of Bibles, Bible reading, devotionals, & praise music; 
             *Note: A mention of ghosts. 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: two ‘dumb’s; Scout exclaims “pumpernickel!” four times; Scout eavesdrops on adults and other kids (thrice; there is no remorse by Scout over this); Scout later sneaks into another cabin to search for clues; *Spoilers* Scout is told not to stay up all night, but figures if she sleeps a few hours first and then woke up, that wouldn’t be disobeying (she struggles with it for a moment, but continues her search); Her mom later tells her that she was very brave, but that it isn’t safe to wander the woods alone at night and should have told an adult (which Scout agrees and apologizes for) *End of Spoilers*; Scout and one of her brothers pick on/tease each other a few times (including him calling her interest in being a detective “weird” and Scout thinks she should have expected this as “that’s how it was sometimes with big brothers”; Later, he is also rude to her and Scout is angry at him; Towards the end, *Spoilers* he helps her with the case by giving her a lead and at the end, Scout hugs him and says she’s glad he is her brother; Scout thinks that maybe it’s true that “family did not always understand one another. Big brothers sometimes picked on their little sisters. That didn’t mean they didn’t love each other.” *End of Spoilers*; Scout is concerned about what the other campers will think of her if she continues her investigation into the mystery, but decides she has to help solve it (she is still afraid of what her brother and other campers will say about her, though, *Spoiler* until the end when she realizes that she likes how God made her and she can be herself *End of Spoiler*); Mentions of missing/stolen items, pranks, & thieves; A few mentions of injuries & blood/bleeding; A few mentions of eavesdropping; A couple mentions of night terrors and screaming; A mention of criminals; 
             *Note: A mention of the camp not doing scary campfire stories because “things get out of hand”; 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 
                                                        178 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

This was another fun mystery for Detective Scout and her sidekick Barnaby! I enjoyed the first book more, but I actually wasn’t sure what the ending would be for this mystery, so I was curious and invested into the story. There was a little more sibling teasing with Scout’s older brother picking on her that some families might not like, but it does end on a better note for the two of them and I hope it will continue to improve as the series continues. Looking forward to reading the third book next month!

 

 

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.

"Anything" by Kristina Welch

About this book:

  “Two guarded hearts.
    He’s breaking down walls and she’s building them higher--
    A match made in Heaven, or a blueprint for disaster?
    After the fiery downward spiral of senior year, Kit Talbot crash-lands on a quirky college campus where traditions rule and dorm floors act more like family. It’s just weird enough to keep her mind off the wreckage she’s leaving behind.
    Enter Levi Whitaker, known as the swooniest guy on campus. Magnetic, confident, and far too much like the ex who sent her life into that PTSD-tainted nosedive. Levi seems to be everywhere, focused on her like she’s the only girl in the world--even indulging her sugar addiction with delivered treats. But Kit’s self-preservation instincts are sharper than ever, and she deflects him like Wonder Woman blocking bullets.
    That is, until Levi’s quiet faith and humble apology start to break down Kit’s defenses. He loves Jesus in the dreamiest way, looks like wow, and ... somehow triggers the flashbacks she fights so hard to avoid. Every minute with him is a risk she isn’t sure she should take. Should she protect them both from the chaos of her life or learn a bravery that feels irresponsible?
    As Kit fights to keep her life safe and manageable, she leans into her faith, clinging to the Bible verses God whispers to her heart. Clearly, he’s up to something, but the healing she prays for isn’t happening the way she wants.
    Why is God silent on the prayer she needs most?”


Series: Book #1 in the “Mayberry University” series. 


Spiritual Content- Many Scriptures are remembered, mentioned, discussed, & thought about; Many prayers (including Kit asking God to take away her memories of that night and wondering why God won’t remove her “emotional handicap”, see Negative Content Note below) & Thanking God; Talks about God & trusting Him; ’H’s are not capital when referring to God or Jesus; Kit often has Scriptures come to her mind after memorizing them as a child (usually relating to her prior thought, such as her thinking she needs to protect herself and then Psalm 62:6 coming to mind); Both Kit & Levi feel God/the Holy Spirit give them directions (such as to pray for someone); *Spoiler* Towards the end, Levi wonders if he has made Kit his anchor and prays God will be his anchor and savior instead *End of Spoiler*; *Spoiler* Kit prays at the end and gives all of her worries, nightmares, future, and Levi to God & feels lighter *End of Spoilers*; Many mentions of God, Jesus, & trusting Him; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of Christians, loving God, & faiths; Mentions of a chapel, church services, & worship; A few mentions of church going & youth group; A few mentions of Christian schools; A couple mentions of the Holy Spirit; A mention of a tent revival; Part of the song “How He Loves” by John Mark McMillan is quoted/remembered; Levi reads “Love Does” by Bob Goff and a paragraph from it is shared; 
             *Note: Kit uses an AI app to help her find a Scripture (and later uses the concordance in her Bible to find another one); Kit’s dad sends her a GIF of Jesus; Kit thinks that the Cookie Monster from ’Sesame Street’ is her spirit animal; Kit thinks of having a devil and an angel on her shoulder telling her conflicting advice (but thinks that their advice is switched); Mentions of luck & being lucky; Mentions of aliens; A couple mentions of someone being the “king of Zen”; A mention of someone being transformed by “Jesus-magic”; A mention of eating like a caveman; A mention of a relationship becoming an idol.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dumb’, a ‘pansy’, a ‘sheesh’, a ‘wimp’, two ‘shoot’s, two ‘wicked’s (as a positive adjective for emphasis), three ‘duh’s, four ‘idiot’s, six ‘stupid’s, and seven forms of ‘suck’; Levi thinks that “forever” is a “new kind of f-word” for him; A couple lies; Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Mentions of blackmail, threats, & criminals; Mentions of nightmares; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of rumors & gossip; Mentions of tattoos (including one with a connection to a Scripture); A couple mentions of a prank that Kit’s brothers did that could have caused a car accident; A couple mentions of poker games; A couple mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of divorce not being an option for a married couple (due to their beliefs); A mention of the death of a grandparent; A mention of a nightclub; A mention of alcohol; 
             *Note: Kit has PTSD after a near (sexual) assault & this plus anxiety and panic attacks are shown on-page with her remembering the guy’s words about his expectations and grabbing her neck, her jumping out of the car and running away from the guy, unable to have any guy touch her without fear and being taken back to that night and having her vision go black, panicking when it starts to rain/thunderstorm, flinching when she hears a car door slam, not sitting in the front seat of a guy’s car, & having nightmares of the night and what could have happened; Kit does not want to talk to anyone about it again after a bad experience with telling a friend (*Spoiler* who told Kit that she was asking for it and “didn’t even deserve flashbacks because nothing happened” to her, adding that it wasn’t fair Kit was spared when worse things happened to girls who don’t walk right into it *End of Spoilers*) (Kit not wanting to talk to anyone includes her mom because she doesn’t think she’ll understand or a counselor *Spoiler* but starts talking to a counselor towards the end of the book *End of Spoiler*); Because of all of this, Kit believes and says that she is broken and is ashamed that she was in that situation (someone tells her she isn’t to blame for the guy’s choices); Levi has a strained relationship with his father due to his father’s expectations and hates him for it; Kit uses an AI app to help her find a Scripture; Many mentions of pop culture references through mentions, quotes, and discussions of celebrities, singers, songs, TV shows, movies, fictional characters, & books (such as: Celebrities: Tyra Banks, Blake Lively, Marilyn Monroe, Brian Regan, James Dean, Simone Biles, Kristen Bell, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Fred Astaire, Liam Hemsworth, Will Smith, P.G. Wodehouse, King Charles, Emma Watson, Tom Holland, Audrey Hepburn; Singers/Bands: Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Stevie Nicks, Ben Rector, KJ Apa, Jon Foreman, NEEDTOBREATHE, Jordan Davis, Walker Hayes, Ed Sheeran, Forrest Frank, Adele, John Mark McMillan, Rich Mullins, Ben Folds; Songs: “Hips Don’t Lie”, “Never Gonna Give You Up”, “Up Again”, “I Knew You Were Trouble”, “Run the World”, “What My World Spins Around”, “New Money”, You Got It Bad”, “Thinking Out Loud”, “Sunday Best”, “Church Clap”, “Someone Like You”, “Come Fly with Me”, “You Don’t Know You’re Beautiful”, “Leaving on a Jet Plane”, “Perfectly Loved”, “Fancy Like”, “Delorean” (which Kit plays and thinks her mom would say it’s inappropriate); TV Shows: ‘The Office’, ‘Sesame Street’, ‘Baywatch’, ‘Psych’, ‘Suits’, ‘Gossip Girl’ (also including someone calling that show “trashy”), ‘Outer Banks’, ‘Gilmore Girls’, ‘Downton Abbey’, ‘The Chosen’, ‘Friends’, ‘Veronica Mars’, ‘Parks and Recreation’, ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’, ‘Bones’, ‘Jeopardy’, ‘Pushing Daisies’, ‘Alias’, ‘Saturday Night Live’; Movies: ‘The Swan Princess’, ‘Forrest Gump’, ‘Alice in Wonderland’, ‘Tangled’, the Marvel franchise, ‘Miss Congeniality’, ‘Hitch’, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’, ‘Brave’, ‘Encanto’, ‘Beauty & the Beast’, ‘The Lion King’, ‘Bruce Almighty’, ‘Twilight’, ‘Shrek’, ‘Jungle Book’, James Bond franchise, ‘Frozen’, ‘E.T.’, ‘The Notebook’, ‘Five Feet Apart’, ‘A Walk to Remember’, ‘Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!’, ‘Superman’, ‘The Matrix’, ‘Aladdin’, ‘The Sound of Music’, ‘La La Land’, ‘Back to the Future’, ‘Father of the Bride’, ’Toy Story’, ‘She’s the Man!’, ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘Up’, ‘Avengers’, ‘Avatar’, ‘Cinderella’, ‘Elf’, ‘Inside Out’; Books: ‘Shadow and Bone’, ‘Persuasion’, ‘The Fault in Our Stars’, ‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before’, ‘Harry Potter’, ‘The Hunger Games’, ‘The Five Love Languages’, ‘Winnie the Pooh’, ‘Pride & Prejudice’, ‘Love Does’ by Bob Goff, ‘Lord of The Rings’; Kit tries to do a better job at keeping the “questionable shows and movies at bay” when talking to her friends); Mentions of brand names (Kool-Aid, Tic Tac, L.O.L. Surprise dolls, iPhone, Disney, Netflix, Barbie, Twizzlers, KitKat, AirTags, Band-Aid, Rothy’s, Ferragamo, Neosporin, Laffy Taffy, Starburst, Ben & Jerry’s, Blue Bell Ice Cream, & Tom Ford); Mentions of places (IHOP, McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell, Home Depot, & Blockbuster); Mentions of car brands; Mentions of FaceTime; Mentions of mental illnesses & a parent having one (Capgras syndrome and taking antipsychotics); A few mentions of sports (NASCAR, NFL, & the Super Bowl); A couple mentions of horror movies; A mention of someone struggling with depression off and on; A mention of social media (Facebook); A mention of GQ; A mention of Halloween; A mention of a TikTok dance; A mention of acting like a zombie.
 
 
Sexual Content- Three head/forehead kisses, a cheek kiss, a jaw kiss, a neck kiss, three barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and a border-line semi-detailed // detailed kiss; Wanting to kiss (up to semi-detailed); Touches, Hand holding, Embraces, Flutters, Electricity, Warmth, Nearness, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to touch & embrace (up to semi-detailed); Flirting & Winks; Noticing & Staring (including at lips, his muscles/veins, and her hips, up to semi-detailed); Kit was nearly sexually assaulted after prom when her boyfriend at the time tried to take her to a hotel to get what he wanted (she had prior said no many times before to going there); Kit has nightmares of the night she was almost sexually assaulted and the dreams often to go what could have happened that night (no details); Kit notices that Levi is getting teased by the other guys for him chasing her, and while she wishes she could passionately kiss him in front of everyone, instead she whispers into his ear and her lips touch his ear (up to semi-detailed); Levi thinks about trying to forget Kit and distract herself with someone else that won’t send him mixed messages & tells a friend that Kit isn’t his only option (but he isn’t thinking of being serious with the other girls and knows a fling is a bad idea); Kit has a conversation with her mom about when she and her dad were dating and how their “Snowball Effect” of emotions lead into physical intimacy that was meant for marriage (adding that it caused physical bonding between them, but also emotional and spiritual bonding in special ways; Her mother still fights shame over those memories because of feeling guilty about doing things that God intended for her until after she was married; Kit’s mother also says that “the stuff between kissing and the finale” is “part of the glue that God gave for a husband and wife. To cement them together.”; Kit’s parents decided to not kiss again until they were engaged because that was the only way they could maintain their boundaries); *Spoilers* Because of this conversation, when Kit and Levi start dating, it’s implied that she asks for them not to kiss on the lips until they are engaged; The final chapter has them engaged and he asks if he can kiss her; They have an “intoxicating” kiss and Kit craves “something good, precious, sacred … a bit ahead of schedule” (referring to the conversation with her mom) *End of Spoilers*; Some of the girls call some guys a “snack” and “juicy”; Kit’s mom also calls her dad a “hunk”; Many mentions of dates, dating, boyfriends/girlfriends, exes; Many mentions of flirting, PDA, crushes, blushes, winks, & drooling over someone; Mentions of Levi attracting a lot of attention from girls, some girls touching him without his consent, & getting ribbed by other guys for not being able to get Kit to go out with him; Mentions of a serial dater & the guy having a new girl every week; Mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of girls being “all over” a guy; A couple mentions of Kit’s ex treating girls like they were “disposable”; A couple mentions of shirtless guys (including Kit thinking that Levi with no shirt is a “presumably glorious sight”); A mention of some girls being “easy” for a guy; A mention of being friends with flirting but no “benefits”; A mention of a fling; A mention of being boy crazy; A mention of having the hots for someone; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: Kit says she has a “woman-crush” on a character from a TV show (which is played by Meghan Markle); Mentions of figures, curves, & developing (which Kit thinks about that her developing curves lead to her sobbing in a gas station bathroom after the near-assault and being told how a “pretty face and a curvy body” would make her life ten times better); Mentions of girls comparing their looks to other girls; A few mentions of butts; A mention of testosterone; A reference to the ‘To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’ back-pocket spin (when a guy sticks his hand in the back pocket of a girl’s jeans).
 
-Kit Talbot
-Levi Whitaker
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                                        352 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

{ Trigger Warning: Flashbacks to a near sexual assault & main character has PTSD and anxiety because of it. }

For the first half of this book, I was a little leery of Kit. I wanted to like her, but I also wanted to tell her to pull herself together like Edna Mode to Mrs. Incredible. Perhaps that’s not the most caring or compassionate response to her trauma, but I knew she could have so much more peace by giving everything—her fears and concerns—to God. That’s a “pot meet kettle” thought somedays for me too, I know, but it was because she had potential and I wanted to see it! I wasn’t so sure about Levi for the majority of the book, but I think this was because the writing style of his chapters felt like out of a diary with gaining information on his emotions, so his parts felt a little off to me. Both of the main characters think about stupid ideas and also do some pretty stupid things that frustrated me (such as Levi agreeing that he could get any girl he wants and could hurt Kit like she’s hurt him (quickly realizing that’s not a wise idea, though) & then Kit also getting close to Levi when she notices his dorm mates are pitying and teasing him for chasing her). 

 

I do have to note that I was a little confused for the first bit of the book because in the prologue, we have Kit prior to leaving for college and then the book starts with her already there and having made friends. There was a lot about the college/campus life and traditions, the new friends’ and their personalities, and also a lot pop culture references that felt a bit thrown at me rather than explained. On that last part, there was a ton of pop culture references and discussions—some which were lost on me and others that added nothing to the book. I have family members who burst out into song, but I don’t know anyone who quotes as much TV and movies as these characters. Some of the shows and movies were a little questionable to have mentioned in a Christian YA/NA book, in my opinion—which Kit tries to not mention so many “questionable” ones, so I appreciated that at least.

 

I did liked different elements of the faith content. It was very repetitive, but I think that could be realistic for a girl in Kit’s shoes after going through traumatic events. There were a couple comments/parts I personally disagree with theology-wise, but I think it was mainly because there wasn’t enough explanation with them. I liked how the ending worked out in these faith moments and the growth for the characters.

 

Overall, I would say I’m a bit torn on this book. I liked the ending and different parts, but it also had some parts I didn’t care for either. I can see some upper YA-age readers enjoying it. I do appreciate the conversations about trusting God and seeing the characters work out that their relationship with the Lord should come before any other relationship. I also liked how the author handled the delicate topic of guarding your emotions (and kisses) from going too far while dating. There were definitely some positives for me with this book, but one I would really only suggest for girls ages 17+ and with the caveat that those who have been through a near sexual assault like Kit may find this book helpful or triggering, depending on the girl.

 

 

 

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 Queen of Lanaria" by Michaela Bush

About this book:

  “The ascension Evangeline never wished for. A battle against evil. One last chance to overcome.
   Grief-stricken and left with newborn twins, a country to rule, and struggling with doubt, Evangeline must be the strong yet compassionate leader Lanaria needs most. As she struggles to find balance, she and the others unravel the final plot against her kingdom, including a trusted ally who has been working against them long before the war began. She is determined to fight the battle not with force, but with the gifts God has given her and her allies.
    Will they find victory? Or will her people find their end?”


Series: Book #6 in the “Legends of Lanaria”. Reviews of Book #1 Here, Book #2 Here, Book #3 Here, Book #4 Here, and Book #5 Here!


Spiritual Content- Three Scriptures are shared at the beginning of the book; Scriptures are referenced, mentioned, quoted, & remembered; Many prayers; One character calls God “Dhia” as that is His name in her country; Witnessing to others; Talks about God & His will; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Isla asks why God didn’t smite the villain and why innocents have to die; A character feels like she can’t control anything & the Lord talks to her and brings to mind a few Scriptures; Many mentions of God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, God’s will and timing, prayers, praying, praising/thanking God, & blessings over food; Mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of witnessing to others; Mentions of blessings & being blessed; Mentions of a character having dreams/visions she and others believe are warnings from the Lord; A few mentions of healing through prayer and the Holy Spirit; A few mentions of eternity; A few mentions of miracles; A mentions of a prophecy; A mention of fasting; A mention of a bishop; A mention of a cross necklace; 
             *Note: “For heaven’s sakes” is said once; The villain is called a ‘witch’ (in another language); Someone believes another character is cursed due to her deformity (calling her “that cripple”); A few mentions of witch hunts; A couple mentions of the villain’s group who attempted to resurrect demonic entities/presences in a cave; A mention of gods; A couple mentions of some believing that a country is cursed (but was actually others poisoning them); A mention of liars from Satan; A mention of witchcraft; A mention of witches being outlawed in Lanaria; A mention of pagan beliefs; A mention of a tower having “demons of its own” after prior events (Book #1 and Book #5); A mention of death’s sickle-scythe visiting everyone one day or the next.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘shut up’, a ‘hang it all’, three forms of ‘dumb’, and three ‘stupid’s; A mention of curses (said, not written); Some eye rolling; Stabbing someone & Being attacked/choked (barely-above-not-detailed); Remembering battles/fighting & killing (up to semi-detailed); Remembering pain & passing out (barely-above-not-detailed); Grief (for parents and what could have been, border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); A character beheads someone (off-page) and brings the head to her leaders (barely-above-not-detailed); Isla feels like others would be safer if she stayed away, believing that destruction follows her; Two characters feel guilt over being unable to stop the villain in the prior book; All about & many mentions of the war over Lanaria, assassinations, deaths and possible deaths, executions (beheadings with a guillotine and hangings), murders (by slashed throats), possible slaughterings of those during the war (including children), dead bodies, screams, & grief (including for parents; all border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Mentions of plagues, losing family members to it, & grief; Mentions of a kidnapping of an infant (Evangeline when she was a baby); Mentions of blood/bleeding & injuries; Mentions of weapons; Mentions of stealing, stolen items, & thieves; Mentions of nightmares (including of see loved ones’ dead bodies); Mentions of manipulation & abuse (Book #1); Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of alcohol/wine & someone getting drunk; A few mentions of children being sold as slaves, tortured, & slaughtered by the villains; A few mentions of threats; A few mentions of hatred; A few mentions of rumors; A mention of the villains sacrificing babies for their wicked desire; A mention of poison; A mention of eavesdropping.
             *Note: Evangeline hyperventilates (once, barely-above-not-detailed); Evangeline was raised believing that she had been discarded by her parents and that no one would love her unless she did what another asked; Mentions of parents neglecting one of their children (including Isla having a strained relationship with her father because of this); A few mentions of the villain having a “depraved” mind and her “sickness of mind”. 
 
 
Sexual Content- Married couples cuddle/embrace and share some kisses that have no details (four head/forehead kisses, two cheek kisses, and four+ kisses; Also one cheek kiss from a couple not married); Isla feels disgust from seeing men scouring her figure; A mention of a young man not doing anything inappropriate with the girl he likes; A mention of a blush; 
             *Note: A woman comments to Evangeline that she is frumpy and hasn’t lost her childbearing weight yet (which causes Gabriel to stand up for his wife).
 
-Evangeline
-Gabriel
-Horace
-Isla
-Nicolas
-Asta
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                                        229 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating-

Oh, how I’ve anticipated this final book and how bittersweet it was! The previous book caused me a lot of emotions, so I was nervous about this last book, but also excited to see the Light win in every way. The growth from all of these characters—but especially Evangeline; I felt so proud of her!—was so heartwarming and also so impressive from a technical standpoint with the depth of their fears and concerns with also trying their best to hold onto hope when that’s the only thing they can do. 

 

I was a little confused at times while reading, but I think that’s mainly because it’s been a while since I’ve read the prior books (mainly books 2-4) so those details about the other countries were a little fuzzy. 

 

Based on the acknowledgments at the end of the book, it sounds like there might be a spin-off series one day about the next generation of these beloved characters and all I can say is: yes, please!

 

 

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.