"Worry Less, Pray More" by JoAnne Simmons

About this book:

  “Worry-Free Devotional Guide Offers Calm for an Anxiety-Filled Soul
    This purposeful devotional guide features 180 readings and prayers designed to help alleviate your worries as you learn to live in the peace of the Almighty God, who offers calm for your anxiety-filled soul. Inspired by this promise from God's Word: "Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life” (Philippians 4:6-7 MSG), Worry Less, Pray More reinforces the truth that with God, you can live anxiety-free every single day—whether you worry about your friendships, school, fitting in, the future, or something more.”


Series: No. A stand-alone devotional. 


Spiritual Content- Each devotional has a theme that is backed with a Scripture or two (or more), a bit of discussion, & a prayer; 'H's are capital when referring to God (but not in the Scriptures when the Bible version used does not have the ‘H’s capital); Bible versions NIV, MSG, NLT, and ICB are used in the devotionals; A prayer of salvation is written; All about many talks about & many mentions of God, Jesus, seeking a relationship with Him, & learning to worry less and pray more; Many mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of the Holy Spirit; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Mentions of prayers, praying, thanking God, & blessings over food; Mentions of Heaven; Mentions of church going & finding a Bible-teaching church; Mentions of being Blessed & blessings; Mentions of sin; A few mentions of miracles; A couple mentions of worship songs & ones that “praise God and share biblical truth”; A couple mentions of Christians; A mention of a Sunday school lesson; 
             *Note: A devotion quotes Matthew 18:10 and mentions that some people wonder if guardian angels are real, this devotion goes on to say that based on this Scripture, there are & quotes a few more Scriptures; A devotion compares God to the fake gods of the world (saying that “people often make fake gods because they don’t really want to serve or worship anyone but themselves”; Another devotion mentions not wanting to follow any type of false god that “will lead us into the ways of the devil”); Mentions of Satan/the devil (who “fights for our attention and wants to keep it on the world and meaningless things instead of on God and the truth He wants us to hear.”; There is also a devotional that talks about “why does evil happen” and the answer given being that “the whole world is under the power of the devil. But for all of us who believe in Jesus as Savior, we belong to God and the devil can never defeat us”); A mention of not worshiping celebrities. 
 

Negative Content- A devotion about the sudden loss of a loved one; A few mentions of lies & lying; A couple mentions of bullies at school; A mention of crimes; A mention of cheating; A mention of injuries; A mention of jealousy; A mention of peer pressure; A mention of gossip; 
             *Note: Mentions of social media (none are named) & how that and living in a world of unbelievers can sometimes tempt us to sin; A few mentions of makeup and that God doesn’t focus on outward appearance (makeup is neither implied as a negative or positive thing); A few mentions of devotions mention about how popular things in the world goes against the truth and guidance of God’s Word (no examples given); A devotion focuses on identity, saying that a lot of people try to “figure out their identity”, the author writes that “if we look to God, that’s where we find it! His Word is clear in Genesis 1 that God made people either male or female in His likeness”; A devotion focus on equality and that we hear that word lot, so it can be stressful to figure out who to listen to about it, so “we need wisdom about who alone gives real equality—it’s Jesus! There will always be bad people trying to say some groups of people are better than others. But don’t ever listen to or join them. In God’s eyes, because of Jesus, every single person is the same in value”; A mention of Guinness World Records; A mention of the slang ‘GOAT’ (“the athletes considered the greatest of all time”). 
 
 
Sexual Content- N/A.  
                                    Devotional 
                                           192 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

This is an encouraging little devotional. It gives ideas for other ways to add to your prayers and was good overall. It was pretty solid and had little-to-none of pop-culture or fluff within it, which I appreciate! There was a lot of good notes that I can’t say I’ve seen in other teen-age devotionals—and we all know I’ve reviewed a bunch of those—like praying for your parents, your extended family members, your country, and such. I will say that I’m not personally a fan of the versions used, but the point of a devotional is to get you in your Bible more, though, so it’s not a deal-breaker for me. 

Some of the devotionals felt a bit young (for younger teens), but overall, I think it would work for all ages of teen girls. 

 

{A couple notes:

There’s more than ten mentions of school-like settings (& a few devotionals about praying at school), but they aren’t the only examples used, so I think this devotional could work for a homeschooled teen as well, though, some parts might not fit well. 

There’s a couple devotionals about praying for your country/state, it’s president/leaders, and politics and a couple that mention about the American flag or being American. The message is still true for those in other countries/states and the prayers would still stay the same.}

 

 

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.

"Malicious Intent" by Lynn H. Blackburn

About this book:

  “Her years of research and sleepless nights are about to pay off . . . if she can stay alive.
   Dr. Ivy Collins, founder and CEO of Hedera, Inc., is ready to begin clinical trials of her company's cutting-edge prosthetic. Her work has been praised by government, medical, and advocacy groups, and everyone hopes the device will be a success. Well, almost everyone. Someone is trying to sabotage Hedera and the launch, but to what purpose--and how far will they go to get what they want? 
   Meanwhile, US Secret Service Agent Gil Dixon can't believe he's finally been reunited with Ivy, his childhood best friend. Now that he's found her again, Gil intends to mend their broken relationship. But it will take all his skill to uncover the truth in time to save Ivy's life, her life's work, and the innocent lives caught in the crossfire.”


Series: Book #2 in the “Defend and Protect” series. Review of Book #1 Here! Mentions characters from the “Dive Team Investigations” series and does give slight spoilers from those books.


Spiritual Content- Psalm 19:14 is noted in the Acknowledgments; A Scripture is quoted in a sermon; Prayers; Church going; Talks about God & praying; When recalling being tortured, Ivy kept praying but was certain that God wasn’t going to answer her prayers, that she was going to die; 'H's are not capital when referring to God; Mentions of God & Jesus; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, church going, services, songs/hymns, a pastor, & a sermon; A mention of a Bible study; A mention of it probably being “extra sinful” to ogling a worship leader (Ivy noticing Gil); 
             *Note: A couple mentions of aliens.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dumb’, a ‘for crying out loud’, a ‘freaking’, a ‘screw up’, a ‘suckers’, two ‘crap’s, two ‘sheesh’s, three ‘gah’s, three forms of ‘shut up’, three forms of ‘ticked/ticked off’, three forms of ‘wimp’, twelve ‘stupid’s, and fifteen forms of ‘idiot’; A couple mentions of curses (said, not written); Sarcasm & Eye rolling; Shooting, Being shot at,  Seeing someone shot, Gunfire, & an Explosion (up to semi-detailed); Pain, Injuries, & Almost being kidnapped (up to semi-detailed); Just before the book starts, Ivy was held hostage & tortured in her own home (being stunned, fingers broken, slapped, being burned, and passing out; she also has to explain and walk through the events with the police, all up to semi-detailed; She was certain that she was going to die); Many, many mentions of deaths (including in the line of action), bombs/grenades, seeing others shot, being shot, shootings, shooters, gunfire, blood/bleeding, pain, & injuries (including recapping events from Book #1); Many mentions of Ivy being tortured, blood/bleeding, pain, injuries, passing out, shooting someone in self-defense, & the possibility of being killed (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of suicidal thoughts & someone almost deciding to end his life (the person went through therapy and found it helpful, *Spoiler* it was Gil, shortly after high school *End of Spoiler*); Mentions of finding a dead body, blood, & how it happened (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of kidnappings & attempts (adults and a child); Mentions of a child being drugged & threatened with losing a limb (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a work accident causing a man to lose a limb & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of violence, threats, ransoms, cyber threats, ransomware, & hackings; Mentions of thieves, stealing, stolen items, & betrayal (*Spoiler* Ivy’s mother stole from her and her friends, and Ivy is very ashamed by her mother’s actions *End of Spoiler*); Mentions of crimes, crime scenes, criminals, jail, arrests, & counterfeit money; Mentions of scams, a con-man, & a woman using people for her benefit; Mentions of drugs, addicts, being high, & a possible overdose; Mentions of cigarettes & smoking (& Ivy being burned by one); Mentions of nightmares; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of throwing up; A few mentions of car accidents; A few mentions of alcohol, someone being drugged (in his drink), & getting drunk; A few mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of tattoos; A couple mentions of someone being sideswiped by a car & killed (barely-above-not-detailed); A couple mentions of human trafficking; A couple mentions of bullies/teasing in school; A couple mentions of a gambling addiction; A couple mentions of cocktails; A mention of a murderer; A mention of war; A mention of Ivy’s biological father never being in the picture; A mention of partying & drinking; A mention of gossip; A mention of eavesdropping; A mention of a lottery; A mention of a wife getting ready to leave her husband; A mention of someone filing for a divorce; A mention of a man looking like he ran over a puppy (after hurting someone);
             *Note: Mentions of yoga (Ivy does yoga typically); Mentions of brand name (Apple products, Barbie, Coke, Band-Aid, & Geber); A few mentions of GQ magazine; A few mentions of an author, fictional characters, & a movie/book (L. M. Montgomery & The Princess Bride); A few mentions of sport teams; A couple mentions of car brands; A mention of Google; A mention of Uber; A mention of Comic-Con. 
 
 
Sexual Content- Two hand kisses, an almost kiss, four nose kisses, seven forehead/hair kisses, seven barely-above-not-detailed kisses, three semi-detailed kisses, and a detailed kiss; Remembering kisses (barely-above-not-detailed); Lots of Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Warmth, & Nearness (up to semi-detailed); Remembering touches & embraces (barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to touch; Noticing & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes & Winks; Ivy & Gil sleep in the same house multiple times for her safety (nothing sexual happens; there is a comment of her thinking they don’t need a chaperone, but he says she hasn’t been paying enough attention if she thinks that); a ‘babe’, five forms of ‘hot’, and ten ‘baby’s; Many mentions of dating, dates, exes, break-ups, & boyfriends/girlfriends; Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of blushes & winks; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of a guy making the key to a girl’s apartment (we’re not told the reason why, but they are not a couple); A few mentions of couples kissing (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of Ivy’s mother having many boyfriends, but always keeping them away from Ivy; A few mentions of flirting; A couple mentions of human trafficking; A couple mentions of a staged kidnapping so the boyfriend can look like a hero to his girl; A couple mentions of a guy making passes at Ivy; A couple mentions of crushes; A couple mentions of a girl being boy crazy, even in elementary school; A mention of a man acting like he wants to make beautiful babies with a woman; A mention of Ivy’s mother sleeping around; A mention of staring at someone’s lips; A mention of a woman possibly being violated; A mention of a man not being a masochist; Love, falling/being in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: A mention of Ivy showing more skin than she’s comfortable with due to one of the men tearing her shirt when being tortured; A mention of underwear. 
 
-Ivy Collins
-Gil Dixon
                                P.O.V. switches between them & the villain (x4)
                                                        352 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens-

 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

Despite really struggling to understand what was happening in the first couple chapters, I did really enjoy this suspense novel. Much more than the first book in the series, for sure. 

It took about halfway through for me to like Ivy. I preferred Gil’s POV because he saw more in her than she did of herself. Plus he had it so bad for her. It was giggle worthy at times because of how much he likes her. The “he fell first and he fell hard” trope was in play in this novel and I’m always excited to see that trope. Add in the childhood best friends trope, and I’m totally okay with a the main trope being the second chance romance trope.

The pacing was well done, and the action was believable. There was a good amount of faith content and also none of the typical suspense tropes that I see much too often. (I’ve used the word ‘trope’ too much in this review already, my apologies.) 

I love the friendships and the importance of friends in this book. I think that’s the main reason why I enjoyed this book. They (especially at the end) were a well-oiled machine in making plans and all the details of taking a villain down. It was really satisfying, actually, to read about. Even if they were a bit too nosy at times, I liked their banter and caring for each other.  

I’m honestly bummed that I didn’t read this authors books in publication date order, because Sabrina just seems like the coolest and I think I would have loved seeing her and the others from the “Dive Team Investigations” series again. 

While typing up this review, I wasn’t sure on a personal rating of 3.5 or 4 stars, because I did really enjoy the story, but I think I’ll be going with a 3.5 due to the torture Ivy goes through before the book starts. If dwelt on too long, it can turn a sensitive reader’s stomach. I’m definitely looking toward to catching up on this author’s books and also reading Tessa’s story soon.

 

 

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.

"The Maid of Ballymacool" by Jennifer Deibel

About this book:

  “Brianna Kelly has worked at Ballymacool House and Boarding School since she was a wee girl and will likely die there. Despite a sense that she was made for something more, Brianna feels powerless to change her situation, so she consoles herself by exploring the Ballymacool grounds, looking for hidden treasures to add to the secret trove beneath the floorboards of her room.
   When Michael Wray, the son of local gentry, is sent to Ballymacool to deal with his unruly cousin, he finds himself drawn to Brianna, immediately and inescapably. There is something about her that feels so . . . familiar. 
   When Brianna unearths an intriguing silver platter in the woods, she commits to learning its origins. Could the handsome newcomer hold the key? If so, their discovery could change everything.”


Series: Mentions & features characters from the author’s other book, “A Dance in Donegal”.


Spiritual Content- A Scripture is mentioned; Prayers & Blessings over food; Thinking about God; Talks about God, His plans, seeking Him, prayers, & praying; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God (the Irish word ‘Tiarna Dia’ is used as well) & His plans; Mentions of prayers, praying, thanking God, & blessings over food; Mentions of church bells; A couple mentions of clergymen & nuns; A few mentions of an Easter gathering; A couple mentions of a woman crossing herself before and after praying; A couple mentions of a prayer for lost items (but the woman says it to Christ Himself instead of Saint Anthony); A couple mentions of being Blessed; A mention of the Good Book; A mention of hymns; A mention of Godspeed; 
             *Note: A few mentions of an old wives’ tale about a certain flower bringing evil wishes if brought inside a house; A couple mentions of superstitions & ghost stories;A mention of a “godforsaken” song; A mention of someone idolizing another; A mention of a place being hellacious; A mention of a rebel witch hunt. 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blast it’, a ‘bleedin’’, a ‘confound it all’, a ‘dumb’, two forms of ‘shut up’, four ‘blasted’s, and four/five forms of ‘idiot’; Sarcasm & Eye rolling; Being slapped, being threatened, passing out, pain, & injuries (up to semi-detailed); The headmistress of the school is belittling to Brianna & slaps her (multiple times); When she’s having a hard time, Brianna thinks of her family (who she doesn’t remember), but doesn’t do that often because it’s too painful (there’s a couple more mentions of Brianna’s sadness over this and her imaging her family); Mentions of a war possibly coming (WWII); Mentions of uprisings, rebellions, rebels, traitors/treason, civil unrest within a country, deaths/killings, seeing beatings, fights/fighting, screams, threats, & someone fearing of retaliation (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of fighting, violence, & threats (including a girl causing trouble); Mentions of Brianna being slapped, pain, & injuries; Mentions of a teacher berating his students, calling them demeaning names, & rapping the knuckles of a student multiple times; Mentions of thieves, stealing, & stolen items; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; A few mentions of slavery/servitude; A couple mentions of a school having controversy over serve punishments and treatments of its students; A couple mentions of tobacco & cigars; A couple mentions of throwing up; A couple mentions of dung; A mention of an unruly teen girl possibly needing a kick to her backside (to get her uncontrol); A mention of alcohol; A mention of the death of a beloved horse; A mention of hunting; 
             *Note: Mentions of an infant’s death from typhoid.
 
 
Sexual Content- Two fingers-to-lips touches, eight (barely-above-not-detailed) hand/palm kisses, five forehead/top-of-the-head kisses, an almost kiss, seven barely-above-not-detailed kisses, two border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kisses, and two semi-detailed kisses; Recalling kisses (barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Staring at lips; Recalling kisses, embraces, & nearness (in an affair, not our main characters, semi-detailed); *Spoiler* Magee was involved with a married man who promised her a job at his house as a nanny to his child by day and his lover by night; She didn’t care about anything else after their first kiss and has been bitter and feeling betrayed by him ever since he changed his mind *End of Spoiler*; Lots of Touches, Embraces, Warmth, Electricity, Nearness, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Blushes, Butterflies, & Winks; Noticing (including muscles, barely-above-not-detailed); Michael’s young cousin is infatuated with him & other girls think he’s her heartthrob; Mentions of an affair & adultery; Mentions of kisses & wanting to kiss someone; A few mentions of some men being much too interested in women & the consequences they have; A few mentions of suggestions of a young woman possibly doing something “untoward”; A couple mentions of Brianna not acting on any impulse regarding Michael or a man; A mention of a man making a comment about most men being willing to visit with a woman in his bed; A mention of a man forcing his advances of a woman; A mention of a man (not) taking advantage of a young woman (Michael doesn’t want to give that impression to Brianna); A mention of Michael being unsure how his (young, female) cousin will take a simple kiss on the cheek; A mention of flirting; A mention of a whistle (from a girl at the school to Michael); Love, falling in love, & the emotions.
 
-Brianna Kelly, age 20
-Michael Wray
                                P.O.V. switches between them & Magee
                                           Set in 1935 (Epilogue in 1939)
                                                      332 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

This was my first book by this author and it was pretty sweet. I was originally intrigued by it because of seeing somewhere that it was loosely inspired by Cinderella. A fairytale retelling in 1930s Ireland? Yes, I’m interested! 

Because of the fairytale retelling plotline, it’s definitely a simpler story and you’re quickly able to pick up on hints and guess some of the details to come, but I was personally okay with it. I did struggle at the beginning keeping my interest in the story (mainly due to that awful headmistress!) but as the Cinderella concept continued, I followed along better. I was pretty positive I knew how this book was going to go early on, but that was okay with me because of the fairytale-style storyline. 

I never really felt connected to Brianna or Michael but liked both of them well enough. He was just a good guy and I felt so bad for her. Their romance was very sweet and decently clean (quite a bit of nearness and attraction, but it was more in the sweet way than sexual tension, in my opinion. The main thing I would note on content would be the mentions of an affair & a woman recalling kisses and embraces from said affair). 

There’s a lot of Irish Gaelic which was interesting and I found myself looking up the meanings and pronunciations often. (I found the glossary after finishing this novel tucked between the acknowledgements & the preview of another book…oops.) I’m not familiar with Irish Gaelic or Irish history at all, so while I was a little lost at times, I found it interesting and paused to research different words and events. 

This was a pleasant, simple read overall and I enjoyed it. I’m curious to read the author’s other books, especially after meeting a couple from her first book in this story. 

 

 

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.

 

"A Match in the Making" by Jen Turano

About this book:

  “Miss Gwendolyn Brinley accepted a temporary paid companion position for the Newport summer season, believing it would be a lark to spend the summer in America's most exclusive town. She suddenly finds her summer turning anything but amusing when her employer expects her to take over responsibilities as an assistant matchmaker. Tasked with the daunting prospect of attaining advantageous matches for her clients, Gwendolyn soon finds herself in the company of Mr. Walter Townsend, the catch of the Season, but a gentleman Gwendolyn finds beyond annoying.
   Walter is reluctantly in search of a wife for his unruly motherless children. What he wasn't expecting was Miss Brinley, who turns his quest for a new wife into a complete and utter debacle.
   The more time they spend together throughout the Newport Season, the harder it is for Gwendolyn to find Walter a wife when she realizes his perfect match might be . . . her.”


Series: Book #1 in “The Matchmakers” series. 


Spiritual Content- A couple Scriptures are discussed in a sermon & mentioned again later; Church going & a sermon; A few talks about God; 'H's are capital when referring to God; When Gwendolyn tells Walter’s children that they need to behave in God’s house (church), the younger two misunderstand and think that lightening will strike them if they’re not (she clarifies later that that isn’t what will happen & if they are accidently naughty, then they need to be sorry and really mean it and they’ll be fine with God); Mentions of a church, church going, services, reverends, & sermons; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of blessings; A couple mentions of hymnals & hymns; A mention of the patience of a saint; 
             *Note: A couple mentions of a reverend saying that a woman might be a man’s saving grace or that God brought them together. 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: three forms of ‘idiot’ and three ‘on my word’; Sarcasm & Eye rolling; Fighting & Pain (up to semi-detailed); Walter doesn’t know much about his children because it isn’t expected of gentlemen to take an interest in their children until they reach their majority; Mentions of a kidnapping, ransom, threats, & a child being held at gunpoint; Mentions of a near drowning & plans to act like a woman is drowning to attract the attention of a man; Mentions of injuries & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of jail & criminals; Mentions of a shark & a fish head (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of alcohol, drinking, & someone who drank too much; Mentions of a saloon & someone cheating at poker; Mentions of a casino, gambling, a gambler, debts, & threats; Mentions of prejudice towards the Irish & the lower-class; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of gossip, rumors, & eavesdropping; Mentions of a divorcee & society having prejudice towards her; Mentions of the possibility of the loss/death of a children’s pet (guinea pig) & it almost being killed; Mentions of children being unruly, fighting, & biting people; Mentions of pranks caused by children (including one that started a fire); Mentions of throwing up; A few mentions of an illness & death; A few mentions of a woman’s dress catching on fire; A couple mentions of nightmares; A couple mentions of fibbing/lying; 
             *Note: Gwendolyn decided that when she reached majority (became an adult), she wouldn’t embrace the “traditional roles expected of women” like pursuing marriage (she encourages Walter’s young daughter to try anything that interests her and don’t neglect not trying something because she’s been told it’s not for girls to do), *Spoiler* Towards the end, she realizes that she does want to be a wife and mother; She has a discussion with her mother who felt the same way before falling in love with her husband *End of Spoiler*; A few mentions of books (Frankenstein & Heidi). 
 
 
Sexual Content- A forehead kiss & a borderline barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kiss; Some touches & nearness (barely-above-not-detailed); Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing & Staring (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of kisses (mainly as greetings); Mentions of loveless marriages & some men just wanting a wife who they can “rub along nicely” with; Mentions of chaperones, reputations, & a young couple wanting to be alone together and steal kisses; Mentions of flirting, winks, & blushes; Mentions of jealousy; A mention of it being expected for a wife to provide her husband with an heir; A mention of a Casanova; Some love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: Mentions of a wife in passed away in labor; A couple mentions of a mother making her daughter’s dress have the illusion of her having curves to attract a man. 
 
-Gwendolyn Brinley, age 25
-Walter Townsend, age 33
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                           Set in 1888
                                                        368 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

Another amusing start to a new Jen Turano series! 

When I first heard of the plotline of this book—particularly the matchmaking element (because who doesn’t love matchmaking?)—I was instantly excited and eager to read it.

I think what was interesting in this book was that while, yes, it is a romance book and all about finding matches for others, it was super light on the emotions and romance for our main couple. Which I really like and as an added bonus because of that, could be great read for teens or even okay pre-teen readers (depending on her family’s views about reading romance books). Gwendolyn & Walter were acquaintances/friends first (though, he was instantly attracted to her, but there was no heavy noticing of the other or accidental touches) and I thought it made this novel to be a breath of fresh air because of that new friendship. 

I did find it hard to keep track of all the characters in this book, so I did make use of the search feature on my Kindle copy, but I’m looking forward to Adelaide and her many cats’ story next. 

Like every other book by this author, there’s humor and wit that made me laugh out loud and it was overall a really enjoyable read. I wouldn’t put it in my top three by this author—the bar is just set too high—but I’m definitely looking forward to the rest of the series as they continue. 

 

 

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.

"The Architect" by Jonathan Starrett

About this book:

  “There's a golden rule in Phantom City: "No one about when the Zeppelin is out." But one night, twelve-year-old Charlie Crane comes face-to-face with the Zeppelin, and instead of finding trouble, she is awakened.
   Determined to find the truth in a city plagued with lies, Charlie, along with a quirky band of unlikely heroes, works to free the people of Phantom City from the clutches of a shadowy, evil villain. Helped by a mysterious Architect who only communicates over radio and telephone, Charlie wrestles with two big questions: Can she trust a guide she can't see? And is the truth actually worth the trouble?
   Filled with sinister schemes, bumbling superheroes, unexpected friendships, and plenty of humor and plot twists, The Architect keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Boys and girls alike will be fascinated by the unique world of Phantom City, with its steampunk and Gotham City-type elements and will quickly find themselves cheering for our heroes in their fight against evil.”


Series: As of now, no. 


Spiritual Content- This book has a slight allegory in it with “The Architect” (being God), his Blueprint of Tomorrow ((plan) which some believe is a hope for a better tomorrow, but is also called a bedtime story for children), trusting him, finding the Truth, & waking up to find it; 'H's are not capital when referring to the Architect; The Architect talks to both Charlie & Sneed; Charlie has the mission to tell the truth and have others learn about the Architect; *Spoiler* The physical form of the Architect is a balloon salesman called “Patches” who belches once, but is decent help for Charlie and the rest of the group *End of Spoiler*; A couple mentions of some thinking it’s foolish to entrust your destiny to someone they’ve never met; A mention of praying; 
             *Note: The mastermind of the deception is called “the Projectionist” who wants to take everyone’s future and conquer the Architect; Seeing the Cardinal (superhero) punish the criminal/villain “Father Foul” and punches a hole in the confessional box while commenting “Father, forgive me, I have committed a…Cardinal sin.”; A mention of the phrase ‘thank my lucky stars’; A mention of the phrase ‘hocus-pocus’; Mentions of a villain being dressed as a wizard & telling people to “despair at my dark magic”; Mentions of a lucky penny; A couple mentions of devilish smiles; A mention of someone looking like a magician; A mention of someone looking ghostly; A mention of an angel; A mention of a superhero saying that he’s someone’s guardian angel; A mention of Santa Claus; A mention of a fairy elf. 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blah, blah, blah’, a ‘heck’, a ‘hooey’, a ‘moron’, a ‘sheesh’, a ‘shoddy’, a ‘shucks’, two ‘dum-dum’s, two ‘dummy’s, two ‘jerk’s, two ‘turd’s, three ‘dumb’s, four ‘yeesh’s, five ‘dope’s, five forms of ‘idiot’, five forms of ‘shut up’, nine ‘stupid’s, and ten forms of ‘what/how in blazes’; Exclamations like ‘good grapes’ and ‘good gravy’ are said; Name calling (from adults to kids, adults to other adults, and kids to kids) with words like ‘baby’, ‘Bozo’, ‘dope’, ‘dumb’, ‘dum-dum’, ‘dummy’, ‘featherbrain’, ‘idiot’, ‘jerk’, ‘moron’, ‘stupid’, & ‘wench’; A child with glasses is called ‘Four-Eyes’ sixteen times by an adult (even though he’s asked him not to called him that); The phrase “for the love of all that is good and decent” is said once; A mention of curses (said, not written); Sarcasm & Eye rolling; Disrespect for authority & mocking others (some of the adults in this story aren’t good influences or good people); Wanting to push a villain over the edge to their death & being pushed yourself (up to semi-detailed); Being threatened with harm, being shot, & death (adults to kids); Being choked, being kicked/beaten (both by adults to children), fighting, knocking others out, pain, & causing pain for others (by grabbing their arm (twice), barely-above-not-detailed); Being shoved into a trunk (barely-above-not-detailed); Seeing fights, explosions, a fire, & others being knocked out (up to semi-detailed); Charlie is zapped by the Zeppelin balloon & passes out (painful, up to semi-detailed); There is a green gas/fog released (by an authority) that makes people forget their memories & it used on others on purpose when they find out too much; A villain says he has killed people to get others to listen to him; Mentions of the Zeppelin (a doomsday blimp) that sucks up victims in its tractor beam & how no one has survived it (either abducted or killed, based on rumors); Mentions of slaves (those who have been affected with the green gas and have lost their memories) that are forced to make more of the gas (including being chained up) & being haunted by seeing it happen in front of you; Mentions of crimes & criminals (including a knight fight & stolen purse); Mentions of grenades, bombs, explosions, weapons (tommy guns), & gunshots; Mentions of injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of lies & lying; A few mentions of killing & deaths/dying; A few mentions of the smell of a dead cat in a dumpster (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of blowing raspberries (at people and as pranks, including by Charlie); A couple mentions of adults slapping other adults; A couple mentions of the “superhero” dunking a villain into a public toilet; A couple mentions of gossip & rumors; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of possibly drowning; A mention of murder mystery books; A mention of jail; A mention of a bully; A mention of alcohol; A mention of diarrhea; A mention of poop; A mention of a dog peeing; A mention of someone wetting their pants; A mention of someone going potty in their pants; A mention of needing a new pair of underwear after a scare; A mention of the sound of passing gas; A mention of creating rude noises from a balloon; A mention of a belch;
             *Note: When a villain is knocked out and someone asks if they’re alive, someone else says “I think so, unfortunately”; A few mentions of Sinatra; A couple mentions of Little Caesar pizza; A mention of Bigfoot; A mention of Halloween. 
 
 
Sexual Content- An 11-year-old newsboy called Charlie ‘baby’, ‘sweetheart’, & ‘dollface’; A man tells a woman that his longs for her “warmth and companionship”; A few mentions of an 11-year-old boy saying he can’t die because he’s never kissed a girl; A mention of a damsel in distress kissing her hero; A mention of seeing a couple kiss; 
             *Note: Sneed kicks a man between his legs to be able to get away from him; A couple phrases are said (“slap my bottom and call me a baby boy” and “butter my buns and call me a biscuit”); Mentions of the superhero (The Cardinal) wearing his underwear over his tights (there is also an illustration showing him like this) & Charlie teasing him about it (an adult yells at her saying that it’s body armor); A mention of someone saying (after being sat on) that he was too close to the other’s butt; A mention of someone’s outfit being stained with sweat “in all the worst places”. 
 
-Charlie Crane, age 12
                                P.O.V. switches between Charlie, Sneed, & others
                                                        240 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

{ Those in Public School & used to reading secular books may enjoy it more. }

This was…interesting.

And I mean “interesting” in a way that I don’t have the most positive feelings on this middle-grade release. To be honest, I don’t think I would have enjoyed it when I was in the target market and I wouldn’t give it to my own kids one day. 

But first, some positives:
I like the message of digging into things because things aren’t always what they seem. I liked the allegory, which is a bit shocking, I know, as I’m typically quite fussy, I’ll admit, about allegories. It worked well with the message of waking up and seeing what’s going on around you. 

Now my not-so-positive notes:
My main problems with this book would be the lots of unexpected name calling (including adults to kids), potty-humor, and disrespect for authorities/adults. These elements really soured the story for me. Had it been less frequent or even not there at all, I believe I would have enjoyed it much more. The unique setting of steampunk meets superheroes meets kids trying to save the world was an interesting combination and I don’t know how well it worked. The pacing was rushed in parts that it should have been developed and explained more…had it been so, it could have been a better 300+ paged story that set the stage for all the details for a reader to feel more immersed into the plot. 

It kinda just felt…silly. Now, truthfully, this could be because I’m out of the target market. I wish I had liked this one more as there isn’t much Christian Fiction for middle grade readers being published these days.

 

 

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 (Tyndale) for this honest review.