"Counter Attack" by Patricia Bradley

About this book:

  “Her next move just might be her last.
No sooner has Alexis Stone been sworn in as the interim sheriff for Russell County, Tennessee, when a serial killer dubbed the Queen's Gambit Killer strikes again--this time in her hometown. Pearl Springs is just supposed to be a temporary stop along the way to Alex's real dream: becoming the first female police chief of Chattanooga. But the killer's calling card--a white pawn and a note with a chess move printed on it--cannot be ignored.
   Pearl Springs chief of police Nathan Landry can't believe that his high school sweetheart Alexis (he refuses to call her Alex) is back in town, and he can't help wanting to protect the woman he never stopped loving. But as the danger mounts and the killer closes in, can Nathan come through on the promises he makes to himself to bring a killer to justice before it's too late.”


Series: Book #1 in the “Pearl River” series. 


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are quoted, mentioned, read, & discussed; Prayers & Thanking God; Reading Devotionals & Thinking on them; God tells Alex she is never alone when she’s in a dangerous situation (from Scripture); Talks about God & why He allows bad things to happen (Alex’s grandmother tells her to ask for God’s help); 'H's are not capital when referring to God; Alex has struggled thinking with God caring about her after her dad died when she was in high school & wonders if she has been wrong to make plans for her life without consulting with God (but convinces herself she’s on the right path; her grandmother talks to her about God not wanting her career to consume her life); Alex doesn’t think that God has given much thought to her dating life (her grandmother fusses at her for saying that); Mentions of God & Jesus; Mentions of Bibles, Bible reading, & devotions; Mentions of praying, prayers, & thanking God; Mentions of churches, church going, & a youth group; A few mentions of witnessing & someone accepting Jesus into her heart; A few mentions of those & books in the Bible; A few mentions of a bomber possibly hating Christians or Jews because he planned a bombing at the start of Passover (right before Easter); A mention of a Bible study; 
             *Note: A man at a bar asks if Alex would believe him if he says he’s a pastor, to which she replies that pastors in the Bible Belt don’t drink; A few mentions of the evil in the world; A mention of an online horror game’s world feeling satanic. 

 
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘confounded’, five ‘shut up’s, and eight ‘stupid’s; Some Eye rolling & Sarcasm; Shooting and killing criminals (involving guilt and it being done in self-defense; recalling it as well, up to semi-detailed); Fighting, Gunfire, Being tied in a noose, Being held at gunpoint, Being shot, being shot at, Pain, & Passing out (up to multiple times each, all being semi-detailed); Being drugged & kidnapped (up to semi-detailed); A fire & explosion (up to semi-detailed); The villain has created an online horror game about becoming a serial killer, leaves hints on how to murder those in the game, and those who win the game are rewarded with videos of the last victim’s deaths (making money off of the game and recordings; Alex and her team go into the game and have to “shoot” bystanders and see pictures of the murder victims, up to semi-detailed); The villain takes over Alex’s car by hacking it, nearly causing accidents (up to semi-detailed); Alex has the start of a panic attack (barely-above-not-detailed); Going to a bar (while Alex is undercover and she has a nonalcoholic drink; Nathan also has an nonalcoholic drink); All about many mentions of serial killers, murders, the victims, bodies, & deaths/murders (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of shooting and killing criminals (in self-defense and in protection of a child), gunshots, being shot, being shot at, being held at gunpoint, blood/bleeding, & threats (a couple deaths are called “suicide by cop” or “execution by cop”, up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of crimes, criminals, crime scenes, arrests, & jails; Mentions of a car being hacked, near accidents, a near death experience, a car death & death (Alex’s mother, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a noose & someone being set to hang; Mentions of kidnappings & kidnappers; Mentions of bombs, a bomber, a bombing, & a death; Mentions of a fire; Mentions of drugs, smoking marijuana, dealers, raids, & overdoses (slang is used as well); Mentions of a bar, drinking, & alcohol; Mentions of lies, lying, & deception (Alex says lying to criminals is fair game); Mentions of cheating; Mentions of nightmares; A few mentions of the death of a military man (a landmine) & the grief from his family; A few mentions of a stalker; A few mentions of burglaries & robberies; A few mentions of parents fighting & a divorce; A few mentions of throwing up; A couple mentions of Alex getting drunk after a bad break-up; A couple mentions of the possibility of a drink being drugged; A couple mentions of a possible divorce; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of a terrorist attack; A mention of DUIs; A mention of a drunk brawl; A mention of a bully; A mention of a rumor; A mention of betting;
             *Note: Mentions of Alex being subject to biases against females in the law enforcement field & her having to work hard to gain the trust of the male detectives in her office (she says she wants to make a difference for the women coming up in the department and plans to hire more female deputies); Mentions of car brands; Mentions of social media sites & other internet sites (TikTok, FaceTime, Google, DuckDuckGo, PayPal, & Netflix); A few mentions of a mentally ill man pulling a gun on a police officer and the officer killing him (it’s called a “suicide by cop” or “execution by cop”); A few mentions of brand names & items (Yeti, Dr. Pepper, & iPad); A couple mentions of Frankenstein & Dracula; A mention of Bigfoot; A mention of a Halloween party; A mention of a magazine (Architectural Digest); A mention of someone working their rear off.
 
 
Sexual Content- Three almost (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed) kisses, two semi-detailed kisses, and a detailed kiss; Remembering kisses & an almost kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Electricity/Shivers, Hand holding, Nearness, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Blushes & Winks; Noticing (including Alex’s legs, up to semi-detailed); Alex tells a man who is hitting on her (when she’s undercover) that she won’t be going home with him (and his personality changes then); a ‘sexy’; Mentions of prostitution, prostitutes, & them “working the streets” (a few were some of the serial killer’s victims, the slang term “hookers” is used once); Mentions of kisses, almost kisses, & kissing; Mentions of dating, dates, boyfriends/girlfriends, break-ups, & exes; A few mentions of Alex being hit on while undercover; A couple mentions of crushes; A mention of the victims not being sexually assaulted; A mention of some boys going to a youth group to check out the girls that are there; Love, falling/being in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: While undercover, Alex wears a short skirt and a low-cut blouse than what she normally prefers to wear; Mentions of that outfit & other similar outfits that her grandmother would hate (short skirts, skimpy dresses, & low-cut tops); A mention of cleavage; A mention of a man and his wife having problems (hinting towards the husband having interest in another woman). 
 
-Alexis Stone, age 34
-Nathan Landry
                                P.O.V. switches between them & someone else (x5)
                                                        384 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

{Add up to a full star for older girls interested in the law enforcement field}

This was my first book by this author and I have to say that it was different than the typical Christian Fiction Suspense books I’ve read throughout the years. I’ll admit to having to suspend my belief by the end because of all the near-death moments our main couple faces, but it wasn’t a bad story.

I totally called the villain, but I feel like it was a bit obvious if you picked up on certain clues and hints. I don’t play chess, so those parts were lost on me, but thankfully most everything was explained in a way that even non-chess players like me could understand. 

Second chance romances aren’t usually my thing, especially in this genre as it can distract the main couple from their mission of (usually) taking down a killer. While they were really battling their feelings for each other—especially him—it didn’t completely distract them from their jobs which I really appreciate. 

Even though this book was about a serial killer, I didn’t feel like it was super creepy (I would rank a few different books of Lynette Eason’s as the creepiest ones I’ve read), but when the online horror game parts came into play, that’s when the creep factor kicked in and I felt uncomfortable about reading about that kind of evil. I haven’t seen that particular kind of internet crime be mentioned in many (or any) books in this genre that I’ve read, so it was interesting, but in a horrible kind of way. 

I’m curious who the next book in this series will be about, as I don’t think that was obvious. (Maybe Mark?) I think it would be neat to see Alex and Nathan as the leads in the second book since there aren’t many connecting suspense/mystery series anymore. Regardless, I’ll be watching to learn more and possibly might read it as well. 

 

 

 

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.

"From This Moment" by Kim Vogel Sawyer

About this book:

  “How Long Will They Allow the Past to Steal Their Future?
   As someone who spent his entire childhood adrift in the foster-care system, Jase Edgar always dreamed of one day putting down roots and starting his own family. But when his fiancée is killed in a tragic accident, his plans and sense of purpose are shattered. An opportunity to serve as a youth pastor in Kansas might be his chance for a fresh start, but he can't seem to set aside his doubts long enough to fully embrace his new life. After all, how can a God who's supposed to be good allow such terrible things to happen?
    Lori Fowler is battling her own challenges. Due to a strained relationship with her father and a hidden eating disorder, she's never been sure she is worthy of love. She conceals her insecurities beneath her spunky personality, and even her best friend, Kenzie Stetler, a former Amish woman living apart from her family in the English world, doesn't realize how desperate Lori is for change.
   When a donation to Kenzie's weaving project leads to a puzzling mystery, the lives of these three people will intersect in ways no one ever expected. The journey will require courage … if they ever hope to release the past and move forward into a joyful future.”


Series: No, a stand-alone. 


Spiritual Content- Isaiah 43:19 at the beginning; Scriptures are read, remembered, quoted, & preached; Many prayers & thanking God (including praying for a missionary); Church going & preaching; Many talks about God, trusting Him, Him filling us up, & praying; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Jase is angry at God for taking his fiancée, struggles with bitterness towards God’s plan and feeling empty, and asks God to prove Himself to him; Jase feels like he’s been anointed a few times (unsure of what that feeling is at first); Jase is the new youth minister for a group of high schoolers & there are a few of his lessons/teachings; Jase preaches one Sunday to the congregation; Kenzie was raised Amish, but left the church during her rumspringe because someone witnessed to her that salvation isn’t earned (unlike how she was raised with always trying to please God); Kenzie wonders if she should go witness to her family about grace; Many, many mentions of God, trusting Him, His plan, Jesus, & the Holy Spirit; Many, many mentions of churches, church going, Bible studies, Sunday school classes, youth groups, small groups, ministries, hymns, worship, sermons, & pastors; Many mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of Jesus’ sacrifice, Easter, & Good Friday; Mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of Bibles, Bible reading, books of the Bible, & other books that pastors use; Mentions of Christians & faiths; Mentions of Heaven; Mentions of missionaries, mission projects, mission trips, & witnessing; Mentions of testimonies; Mentions of blessings & being Blessed; Mentions of the strict rules of the Amish sect Kenzie grew up in (including that she could never go back to the “system of hoping to earn her right to heaven” and that she was taught that prayer is private, so that’s why she doesn’t pray out loud); Mentions of sins; A few mentions of accepting Jesus & being baptized; A couple mentions of a Christian radio station; A mention of a church camp; A mention of a wooden cross; 
             *Note: A mention of “sin’s damnation”; A mention of evildoers; A mention of public high schoolers facing the pressure to fit in and “adopt the popular belief systems instead of following God’s instruction, the general disdain toward Christian values, even from some of the teachers”. 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: an ‘ever-lovin’’, two ‘idiot’, three forms of ‘stupid’, four ‘sheesh’s, and six ‘dumb’s; Some eye rolling & sarcasm; A health condition & discomfort from it (Congestive heart failure); A bit of lying (Lori, who feels guilt over it); Lori’s father has belittled her since her mother passed away (emotional abuse) & since then she craves others’ praise; Grief (Jase for his fiancée & Lori for her mother and also the relationship she wishes she had with her father); Mentions of a car accident & deaths (Jase’s fiancée, he was in the car as well, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of grief (for a fiancée, a mother, and a wife); Mentions of alcohol, drinking, & drunks (Lori’s father since she mother passed away); Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of jealousy; A handful of mentions of sharks & nightmares from a documentary on them; A couple mentions of the death of an infant; A couple mentions of possible muggings & arrests; A couple mentions of breaking and entering; A couple mentions of fathers not being in the picture & a deadbeat father; A couple mentions of mean nicknames from children to a young Lori; A mention of the possibility of someone’s body being broken or mind changed after a car accident; A mention of starvation; A mention of thieves; A mention of rumors; A mention of a teen saying his mom would want him to run to the liquor store if he was old enough; A mention of gambling; A mention of cigarettes; 
             *Note: Lori binge eats when feeling emotional (happy or sad) and then gets mad at herself for falling to the temptation to over-eat again (this happens multiple times and she buys vitamins to help curb her appetite; *Spoiler* Toward the end, Jase and Kenzie helps her to realize that she can stop overeating with God’s help and she does well at it *End of Spoiler*); Jase was in foster care for most of his childhood due to his mother’s mental illness (he was diagnosed with OCD was in 7^th grade); Mentions of social media (Facebook, Instagram, & Etsy); A few mentions of brand names (U-Haul, Kool-Aid, & M&M); A few mentions of a basketball team; A couple mentions of a TV show (The Andy Griffith Show & I Love Lucy); A mention of a car brand; A mention of Prince Harry. 
 
 
Sexual Content- A fingers-to-lips touch, a cheek kiss, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, and a semi-detailed kiss; Touches, Embraces, & Hand holding (barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to embrace; Blushes; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); a ‘hot’; Mentions of crushes; Mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of a date & boyfriend; A few mentions of hand holding; A few mentions of blushes & winks; A couple mentions of married couples kissing; A couple mentions of making sheep’s eyes; A couple mentions of a teen saying a youth pastor is a “full meal deal”; A mention of a young man’s tone sounding bitter when the topic of having a wife and kids are brought up; A bit of love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: Jase is told not to meet any of the kids in his apartment or have the door of his office at the church closed to be safe (so no scandal is caused); Mentions of Lori’s weight (she calls herself pudgy, tubby, fat, a pig, and ugly (most of these are based from comments her father made to her)); A mention of puberty; A mention of hormonal teenagers. 
 
-Jase Edgar
-Lori Fowler, age 26
-Kenzie Stetler, age 28
                                P.O.V. switches between them & Merlin
                                                        352 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

I’ve read many books by this author before, but this was my first fully contemporary books by her. I’ve enjoyed so many of her historical novels, though, so I had high hopes for this one. 

I will say that I had a harder time in the middle of this book because of Lori. I really wanted to like her and wanted to see that her worth comes from God, not the size of her clothing, it just took a bit to get there. (Which is realistic, but I just wanted that happiness for her to come sooner than later.)
I felt for Jase and really liked seeing his point of view parts. The ending of this story seemed a little be rushed, but it still brought tears to my eyes. 

I would say that “From This Moment” is a hidden gem in the Christian Fiction market. It’s light romance and follows four different people that all have their own challenges and outlooks on life. Overall, I enjoyed it. 

 

 

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.

 

"A Mark of Grace" by Kimberley Woodhouse

About this book:

  “Ruth Anniston survived an injury that left her physically scarred, broken, and angry at God. Now she finds herself working behind the scenes as a kitchen supervisor at the El Tovar Hotel, hidden away from curious eyes. When money begins to disappear from the hotel, Ruth's entire livelihood is put at risk.
    Frank Henderson has at last succeeded in obtaining his dream job as the head chef at the El Tovar. But with the continuing thefts at the hotel, and his growing affection for Ruth, Frank's career--and his heart--are in jeopardy.
   As tensions run high, Ruth and Frank must work together to save the El Tovar and forge a new path for the future together.”


Series: Book #3 in the “Secrets of the Canyon” series. Review of Book #1 Here! and Book #2 Here!


Spiritual Content- Many Scriptures are mentioned, remembered, read, quoted, thought over, & discussed; Bible reading; Many Prayers & Thanking God; A hymn is sung; Many talks about God, questioning Him, grace, works, & faith being enough to have salvation; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Ruth prays honest prayers to God, including ones being mad and asking why her injuries happened (she feels bad after lashing out); Many mentions of God, His creation, questioning Him, grace, works, & faith being enough to have salvation; Many mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Mentions of prayers, praying, thanking God, & praising Him; Mentions of churches, church going, pastors, a sermon, & a hymn; Mentions of Heaven & eternity; A couple mentions of miracles; A couple mentions of blessings; A mention of a Bible study; A mention of Sunday school; A mention of sinners; 
             *Note: A couple mentions of a “miracle elixir”. 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dumb’, a ‘stupid’, and a ‘shoot’; A mention of a man cursing at others (said, not written); Some eye rolling & sarcasm; Almost being hit by a car; Pain & Injuries (up to semi-detailed); A man is willing to kill for his goal; Frank wants to punch a man (twice, but doesn’t act on it); Ruth feels unworthy because of her injuries & scars; Ruth is sold a product called a “miracle elixir” and thinks it’s helping her (there are some side effects, barely-above-not-detailed); Many mentions of the mountain lion attack (Book #2), Ruth stepping in the way of the mountain lion to protect someone, injuries, & scars (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of thieves, thefts, stealing, stolen money, & plans to harm a business; Mentions of a car accident, death, a major injury, & someone else being hit by a car (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of kidnapping, threats, & beating others up and starving them for information (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of crimes; Mentions of a con-man, his scams, & a product with narcotics; Mentions of a rockslide, someone being pushed off an edge, pain, injuries, blood/bleeding, & burns (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of grief (for a father and a husband); Mentions of food poisoning; A few mentions of bribes; A few mentions of rumors & gossip; A few mentions of a saloon & alcohol (Oliver drinks brandy); A few mentions of a cancer diagnosis; A couple mentions of slavery; A couple mentions of throwing up; A mention of a man being bitten by a dog; 
             *Note: A couple mentions of some men not being happy about Ruth having such a high role of management. 
 
 
Sexual Content- A fingers-to-lips touch, three cheek kisses, three head/forehead kisses, two barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and a semi-detailed kiss (a total of six are by married couples); Wanting to kiss (once, barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Nearness (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing; Ruth doesn’t think any man would want a woman like her (scared and broken); A handful of mentions of blushes, winks, & flirting; A couple mentions of jealousy; Love, falling/being in love, & the emotions.
 
-Ruth Anniston, age 34-35 
-Frank Henderson, age 37
                                P.O.V. switches between them, Oliver (x10), Charles (x6), & Emma Grace (x3)
                                    Set in 1909 (Prologue in 1894 and 1907 & Epilogue in 1914)
                                                        336 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

This final book is set two years after the prior book and I’ve so been looking forward to reading Ruth & Frank’s story! Frank is such a good guy. He’s fantastic in the prior books, but he really shines in this book. A male lead that encourages the main girl in her faith is something I always love to see. I would have liked to see a bit more of him and his thoughts outside of Ruth and being a chef, but it was still really good to see more of them both.  

There’s a slight mystery in this book, but we are quickly told who the culprit is in the story (by seeing their point of view). So rather than a “let’s find the culprit who’s stealing from the hotel” it’s a “let’s see how well our main characters do finding the culprit that’s stealing from the hotel”. I was a little bit disappointed that it was the second one, instead of the first, but I quickly got over that and wanted to see what would happen. 

I will say that the con-man was so annoying! I do wish that that part was handled quicker, but it made sense at the end. The ending was a bit rushed and more telling than showing (which I’ve fussed about with other books), but it was still a good conclusion to the series. The faith content is what really made this series stand out and I appreciate how clean it was throughout the series. It would be a series I would have no problem recommending to girls around ages 14/15, 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.

"Flight of the Raven" by Morgan L. Busse

About this book:

  “Outcast. Stragner. Lady of House Maris.
    Will her new life in a new land set her on a path from which she can’t escape?
   Selene Ravenwood, once the heir to House Ravenwood, is now an exile. On the run and free of her family's destiny, Selene hopes to find the real reason her family was given the gift of dreamwalking. But first she must adapt to her new life as wife to Lord Damien Maris, the man she was originally assigned to kill. 
    While adjusting to her marriage and her home in the north, her power over dreams begins to grow. As the strongest dreamwalker to exist in ages, her expanding power attracts not only nightmares but the attention of the Dark Lady herself.
    With a war looming on the horizon and a wicked being after her gift, Selene is faced with a choice: embrace the Dark Lady's offer, or search out the one who gave her the gift of dreamwalking. One path offers power, the other offers freedom. But time is running out, and soon her choice will be made for her.”


Series: Book #2 in “The Ravenwood Saga”. Review of Book #1 Here!


Spiritual Content- Prayers; Visiting an abbey & a temple; A festival for the Light; Talks about the Light (God figure), praying to him, trusting him, & following him; 'H's are not capital when referring to the Light; Selene longs for the light, but thinks her soul is too dark; Damien shows Selene how he worships the Light with his gift; Selene asks a lot of questions about the Light (*Spoiler* she prays to the Light for others, thinking that is isn’t worthy of asking for anything on her behalf but maybe the Light would listen if she interceded for others; Towards the end, she asks the Light for help and the Light talks to her *End of Spoiler*); Damien protects Selene by calling on the Light; Selene wonders what happens to someone when they die; Mentions of the Light, having faith, & why he allows bad or sad things to happen; Mentions of prayers, praying, & Thanking the Light (mentions of prayers to the Dark Lady as well); Mentions of Damien’s time of prayer and offering his gift up to the Light (similar to worship); Mentions of monks, their chanting, an abbey, & a temple; Mentions of a pilgrimage; A mention of a man believing the Light exists but nothing more as he’s “seen too much darkness”; A mention of a blessing; 
             *Note: Each of the seven Great Houses have a special gift (some control water, others fire or the earth, and Selene’s house is able to get into others’ dreams) and some believe in gods of some form, the “old god/god of old ways”(called “the Light”), and others believe in “the Dark Lady”; The gifts each house has are from the Light to protect their people; The House Ravenwood’s patroness is the Dark Lady, who tries to chase after Selene in her dreams to keep her in her control (Selene wonders if she’s been punished for forsaking her house, but does not want to worship her; There’s a war going on inside of her to who she will choose, up to semi-detailed); To keep people from sharing house secrets, they are “bounded” to their house (and consort as well) and if they go to speak of the secrets with someone else, now words will come out of their mouths; Selene slips into others’ dreams, talking on the form of a raven and can change back into her human form; Amara has no interest in the Dark Lady or the Light, believing that religion was a foolish pursuit (*Spoiler* But goes on a pilgrimage to get to a place to murder someone and starts listening about the Light; She acknowledges the Light at the end *End of Spoiler*); Mentions of souls & some being dark and some being light; Mentions of the Dark Lady, the sanctuary for her in the Ravenwood home, & the dark priest receiving messages from her; Mentions of worship (a couple towards the Dark Lady and a couple towards the Light); A few mentions of people looking like spirits in the dream world; A couple mentions of seeing those who have passed on the other “side of the veil”; A mention of the Dark Lady being capable of many things and have power, but cannot give gifts; A mention of someone wishing for the Dark Lady to be with another on a trip. 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘by the Light’ (used as the beginning of a sentence), a ‘stupid’, a ‘who in land’s end’, two forms of ‘confound it/confound it all’, two unfinished ‘what in the…’s, two unfinished ‘what the—‘s, and fifteen ‘dart’an’s; A couple mentions of curses (said, not written); Seeing a loved one die (up to semi-detailed); Seeing a dead body (up to semi-detailed); Causing a death (via a dream and seeing the body in real life, Amara, up to semi-detailed); Fighting, Being attacked, Pain, & Injuries (up to semi-detailed); Being slapped (Amara, from her mother); Nightmares (up to semi-detailed); Social drinking (wine at dinners, both main characters drink, though Selene is careful to not drink too much); Selene has a dream where she’s standing on a cliff and a voice tells her to take another step and end it; Selene feels guilty keeping something from Damien (she tells him a few days later); A handful of lies (from Selene and Amara); Damien is grieving his parents and brother (recalling seeing his brother pass away, barely-above-not-detailed); *Spoiler* Selene grieves her sister *End of Spoiler*; Sibling rivalry (Selene & Amara); All about many mentions of nightmares & different things Selene has seen in them (including a man who was killed by a wolf, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of wars, fighting, & a razing of an empire; Mentions of deaths, assassins/assassinations, & drownings (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of bandits, attacks, fighting, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of threats; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of lies; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of alcohol & drinking; Mentions of deaths from a plague & grief/grieving (for parents, a father, a brother, and a sister); A few mentions of executions; A few mentions of a woman’s mind being shattered and her becoming “as good as dead” as she can’t do anything (Book #1); A few mentions of poison; A few mentions of throwing up; A couple mentions of slaves/slavery; A couple mentions of passing out; A mention of a plan being suicide; A mention of fires burning those who have died because of a plague.
 
 
Sexual Content- A fingers-to-lips touch, four hand (up to semi-detailed) kisses, three forehead/head kisses, a cheek kiss, two almost (semi-detailed) kisses, two barely-above-not-detailed kisses, six semi-detailed kisses, and two detailed kisses; Remembering kisses (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to kiss (up to semi-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Cuddling, Hand holding, Heat, Warmth, Smelling, & Flutters (up to semi-detailed); Remembering touches & embraces (barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to touch & embrace (mainly Damien towards Selene, up to semi-detailed); Blushes & Winks; Noticing & Staring (including muscles, barely-above-not-detailed); Damien walks in on Selene bathing (he doesn’t see anything because of her hair, barely-above-not-detailed); Selene & Damien share bedrooms (at first, one of them sleeps on the floor and a few other times, she falls asleep next to him in bed); About halfway, Selene wonders if she is ready to do more than just kiss with Damien (there are scenes of her thinking about it and if she’s ready; Later that chapter, there’s a fade-to-black scene of them going into his bedroom and the next chapter starts with them waking up in bed together, missing clothing; They continue to sleep in the same bed for the rest of the book); Mentions of an affair & an illegitimate child from it; Mentions of the main couple sleeping together (in the same room and bed, mostly blushing and being flustered when it’s brought up); Mentions of kisses & kissing; A few mentions of blushes; A few mentions of jealousy; Love, falling/being in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: A comment/misunderstanding of joining someone while washing up (didn’t mean it that way and so he awkwardly clarifies); Mentions of the main couple getting dressed & the other not being ready to see them in a “state of undress”; A mention of a woman’s curves; A mention of a group of men being coarse and vulgar. 
 
-Selene Maris, age 19
-Damien Maris, age 24
                                P.O.V. switches between them, Amara (x7), & Lady Ragna (x2)
                                                        396 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

 **

My personal Rating- 

**Due to a fade-to-black scene, this rating is a case-by-case bases. See below.

This book definitely toed the line for me, personally. 

While I’m interested in the plot and this world (the author has made it well, it’s very fleshed out and detailed), this book went past my comfort zone on some elements. Mainly the romance and the Good vs. Evil fight.

Let’s discuss the second one first: Because of the Dark Lady is chasing Selene in her dreams, it kind of felt like a spiritual warfare book, which I’ll admit, I typically stay far away from those kinds of stories. I can handle all kinds of suspense books, but spiritual warfare is my personal tipping point. 

Secondly, the romance: There’s a fade-to-black scene of our main couple and while they’re married at the time, I still don’t need to know about their kissing leading to the bedroom. It’s an unpopular opinion, but one I stand firm on. I think it rubbed me the wrong way even more because they were not equally yoked then and being lead by their emotions and feelings for the other. I wish that would have at least been touched on, but no. (Side note: If you loved the whole “River of Time” series by Lisa T. Bergren, you would most likely be completely okay with how it’s handled in this book. I wasn’t a fan of that series because of the marital content. This book had it milder and less comments/suggestions. I’m not a fan of either way, though, so there’s that.) Damien and Selene are cute together, but there’s quite a bit of tension now that they’re married. 

So, opinion thus far on this series? Hmm. I see why so many love it. It’s fleshed out and captivating. But this book definitely goes right up to the line of what I’m comfortable with in both the spiritual warfare and the romance. 

 

 

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.

 

"In the Shadow of the River" by Ann H. Gabhart

About this book:

  “If all the world's a stage, Jacci will play her part. She only hopes her story does not turn out to be a tragedy.
    In 1881, Jacci Reed is only five years old when a man attempts to kidnap her from the steamboat her mother, Irena, works on. Badly wounded during the confrontation, Irena takes Jacci aboard the Kingston Floating Palace, a showboat tied up beside them. There, Jacci's actor grandfather tends to her mother, and Jacci gets a first taste of the life she will come to lead.
    Fifteen years later, Jacci is an actress aboard that same showboat and largely contented with her adopted family of actors, singers, and dancers. Especially Gabe, who has always supported her, and the gruff grandfather she has come to know and love. Jacci's mother has been gone for years, but the memory of the altercation that ultimately took her life--and the cryptic things Jacci has overheard about her past--is always there, lurking in the back of her mind.
    When someone on the showboat tries to kill Jacci, it's clear her questions demand answers. But secrets have a way of staying in the shadows . . . and the answers she craves will not come easily.”


Series: As of now, no, a stand-alone. 

Spiritual Content- Scriptures are mentioned, remembered, & quoted; Prayers; When Jacci asks Gabe if he prays, he replies not as much as his mother thinks he should, and Jacci says “but don’t you think that’s something you have to decide to do for yourself? Not something that your mother wants you to” (he responds “I guess” and asks why she’s thinking about prayer); A woman suggests for Jacci to ask God for a sign on a decision; Talks about God, His love, trusting Him, believing Him, & praying; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God & being forgiven; Mentions of prayers, praying, answered prayers, & thanking God; Mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of Heaven; Mentions of a church, a sermon, & preachers; Mentions of miracles; Mentions of blessings; A few mentions of Bibles; A mention of a baby being abandoned at a church; A mention of church music; A mention of someone believing that God could have sent an angel to help someone; A mention of the sin of “conceiving a child out of the legal bonds of marriage”; 
             *Note: Jacci thinks a loved one who passed away helped her in a hard moment (as if the person was right there, encouraging her); A mention of someone passing away being in Heaven with the angels; A couple mentions of a woman claiming an item is demon possessed (teasing); A mention of a place being as hit as Hades; A mention of “demons of the unknown” in someone’s mind. 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘freaking fishworms’ (said as a response to a shocking event), a ‘shut up’, two forms of ‘idiot’, and two ‘stupid’s; A bit of sarcasm; Being held at gunpoint, Being pushes, & almost drowning (semi-detailed); Pain, Blood/Bleeding, Injuries, & Passing out (up to semi-detailed); The death of a loved one & Grief (for a mother, up to semi-detailed); Panicking about a loved one possibly drowning (up to semi-detailed); Seeing someone shot & Blood/Bleeding (up to semi-detailed); A child aims a gun & shoots someone (in self-defense, recalling it as well, barely-above-not-detailed); Jacci wonders at one point if it would be easier to drown (than to go through something); Many mentions of lies, lying, & deceit; Mentions of an explosion & deaths; Mentions of a gun, shooting someone, someone being stabbed, a death, pain, passing out, injuries, & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of threats of someone being a hanged (for criminal actions); Mentions of kidnappings & attempts; Mentions of threats & a child possibly being harmed; Mentions of possible fires, explosions, & drownings; Mentions of deaths & grief (for a lover, a wife, a mother, & a daughter); Mentions of gambling & a gambler (he calls himself a “honest gambler” and gambles often, a woman says that “we’re all gamblers in this game called life”); Mentions of drinking & a tavern; Mentions of nightmares; A few mentions of a suicide & someone planning a murder to look like a suicide; A few mentions of a dead body floating in the river or being caught on something (barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of rumors & gossip; A couple mentions of throwing up; A mention of woman hoping her life would end after the death of her lover; A mention of someone threatening to shoot another; A mention of jail; A mention of a possible divorce; A mention of smoking; 
             *Note: *Big Spoiler* When Jacci finds out about her biological parents, she is shaken to learn it and worries that she’s put others in danger, but still considers the family that’s raised her to be her family, whether they share blood or not *End of Big Spoiler*; Mentions of fathers being in and out for their children’s lives (one says “only when it suited us and didn’t interfere with what we wanted to do”). 
 
 
Sexual Content- A fingers-to-lips touch, a hand kiss, two cheek kisses, three head/forehead kisses, an almost kiss, a border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kiss, and a semi-detailed kiss; Recalling kisses (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, & Nearness (including unwanted/forward ones); Noticing; *Spoiler* Jacci was born out of wedlock and given up by her biological mother *End of Spoiler*; Mentions of a child born out of wedlock & illegitimate children being blamed for their parents’ sins (the mother’s friend snaps at her about getting pregnant, but the mother of the child says that “when you fall in love, you’ll understand how such feelings can attack you and cause you to stumble”, that she doesn’t “regret the love that made this baby”, and that the baby is innocent; Later, it’s said that the couple “succumbed to the joys of love with no thoughts to the consequences” and that “their love had already been planted…she was with child”); Mentions of kisses, kissing, & embraces (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of reputations; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of a crush; A few mentions of “fallen” women; A few mentions of “love scenes” in a play; A couple mentions of a man “embracing” a woman (when it’s desired by her); A couple mentions of blushes; A mention of a man saying that “the way to parenthood, that two becoming one, is a treasured part of marriage”; A mention of a woman allowing a man into her bedroom & another thinking that it’s “little wonder” why she’s pregnant if she does that; A mention of a man taking responsibility if he gets a woman in the family way & protecting the baby; A mention of a marriage of convenience couple sharing a bed or not; A mention of an affair; A mention of shapely teenager getting wolf whistles; A mention of two men fighting over a girl; Love, falling/being in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: Mentions of a labor, the mother having a hard time (including her wondering if it would be better to die), & breastfeeding/nursing (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of young children dressing up as the opposite gender for a play (done purely for pretend). 
 
-Jacci Reed, age 20
-Gabe Kingston, age 28
                                P.O.V. switches between them & Irena
                                            Set in 1896 (The first eleven chapters are set in 1881)
                                                        342 pages

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

This was my first historical book by this author (I read a mystery by her years ago) and I’ll be honest and say it wasn’t my favorite. It felt super slow and the back-cover blurb gave away a lot of the book. 100 pages for the events in the first paragraph, 150 pages for the next, and the final paragraph being covered in the last 80. Plus, we’re told the same events from three different people at three different times.

Jacci and Gabe were cute together in the last 80 or so pages. But I will say that there was a part that made me a bit uncomfortable and that was when Gabe is recalling first started to love Jacci, when he was 13 and she was 5. He admits to being too young then to know what love was and was waiting for her to grow up, but cares for her now—but not like a brother like she’s always thought. She says she’s loved him since she was five, but that falling in love was different. 

Overall, this book was on the cleaner side (especially considering the amount of mentions of a child conceived out of wedlock), but there were a few suggestive comments about intimacies. 
 

 

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.