"Every Dog Has His Day" by Janice Thompson

About this book:

  “A Large Reward Is Offered for a Missing Dog
    Kick back with your faithful companion and relax with a small-town mystery in book 5 of the Gone to the Dogs series.
    Lone Star groomer, Triniti Nelson, adopts a feisty rescued dachshund, and the two are inseparable. . .until Texans quarterback, Corey Wallis, announces a large reward for his missing female dachshund. Suddenly all of Houston are on the lookout for the MIA pooch that bares a strong resemblance to Triniti’s new pup. Triniti contacts Corey, but soon Ginger goes missing and Triniti is convinced Corey and his agent took her for a publicity stunt. Then there is a reporter who could be trying to manufacture a great story or a cameraman seeking the big reward. Can there be a happy ending for Ginger?”


Series: Book #5 in the “Gone to the Dogs Mystery” series. Can be read as stand-alones, but would be most enjoyed if read in order. Reviews of Book #1 Here!, Book #2 Here!, Book #3 Here!, and Book #4 Here!

Spiritual Content- Prayers; Talks about God; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God & His timing; Mentions of prayers, praying, & prayer chains (including praying for animals); Mentions of churches, church going, pastors/reverends, services, sermons, & worship; Mentions of a ministry, ministry events, & outreaches; Mentions of blessings & being Blessed; A few mentions of those & events in the Bible; A couple mentions of godsends; A couple mentions of angels; A mention of a miracle; A mention of a testimony; A mention of Isabel not having strong ties to her Catholic upbringing; A mention of someone lighting a candle when praying at church; A mention of someone looking like they have a “saintly glow”; A mention of a convent; 
             *Note: A couple mentions of a cat being “demon-possessed”. 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: an ‘idiot’, a ‘gosh’, an ‘oh my gosh’, two ‘duh’s, two forms of ‘stupid’, and four forms of ‘oh my stars’; A mention of someone working “their tail off”; A little bit of sarcasm & eye rolling; Mentions of the deaths of loved ones and beloved pets & grieving (for a mom, a grandmother, for a wife, for pets; including one from breast cancer); Mentions of injuries; Mentions of stealing, a stolen dog, a thief, & a dog being kidnapped; Mentions of warrants, arrests, jail, offering to put a hit on someone, & probation; Mentions of drinking, drugs, & someone getting sober (Isabel’s ex-boyfriend); Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; A few mentions of a fire & it possibly being burned down by the owner on purpose; A few mentions of the possibility of a dog being hit by a car; A few mentions of dogs being injured; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of a possibly abusive dog thief; A mention of a hoarding case (of dogs); A mention of an online scam; A mention of a man going to bars and causing scuffles; A mention of gossip; A mention of vomiting; 
             *Note: Mentions of Isabel’s ex-boyfriend being the narcissistic abusive type & threatening her when they were dating (she has forgiven him for all of that but will not date him again); Mentions of a man leaving his wife and children (leaving them to fend for themselves and doesn’t pay child support, called a “deadbeat dad” by a few others); Mentions of someone lying about being a veteran; Mentions of sports teams; Mentions of brand names (Dr Pepper & Blue Bell Ice Cream); Mentions of stores and fast food chains (Walmart, Goodwill, Burger King, Taco Bell, & McDonald’s); Mentions of car brands; A few mentions of plays in school (Brigadoon & Macbeth); A couple mentions of Girl Scouts; A couple mentions of FaceTime; A mention of a band & a song (Bee Gees & ‘Who Let the Dogs Out’); A mention of a young woman’s father not being in her life. 
 
 
Sexual Content- A nose kiss, a not-detailed kiss, and two border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kisses; Touches, Embraces, Dancing, & Tingles (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); A couple men are called “hunky” a few times; Mentions of boyfriends/girlfriends, dates, dating, exes, & break-ups; Mentions of crushes, blushes, & flirting; A handful of mentions of seeing married and engaged couples kiss and embrace; A few mentions of an engaged couple being very blushy and embarrassed when the topic of their future kids come up; A few mentions of a woman stealing another’s man; A couple mentions of sexual harassment and being hit on in the workplace; A couple mentions of kissing; A couple mentions of women swooning over a handsome man; A mention of a teenager getting a girl pregnant and them getting married after the baby was born; A mention of a man cheating on his wife; Some love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: A mention of a granddaughter sharing a hotel room with her elderly newlywed grandparents and it being awkward; A teasing mention of Isabel’s parents saying that she’s an only child because “they kept at it until they achieved perfection”.
 
-Isabel “Izzy” Fuentes
                                  1^st person P.O.V. of Isabel 
                                                        251 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating- 

Let’s make something clear: I don’t like football. Not even a little bit.
But you know what I love? 
Janice Thompson’s books. 

There’s just something about them—especially this series—that just makes my heart sing with joy. I was giggling out loud many times. The Texas charm and Texas pride makes my Texan roots beam. I love this friend group soooo much. I just want to wiggle my way in, they’re so much fun and truly care for the rest of the group. 

I’ve said it before, you know I’m enjoying a mystery or suspense book when I’m not trying to figure out who did it—I’m too busy enjoying the story and characters and will figure it out when they figure it out. That was completely how I was with this book because I was just happy to see this friend group again and see the couple from the first book’s wedding (!!). I nearly cried happy tears with everyone at the wedding because it was just so sweet to see it and feel like I was apart of it.  

The romance and the faith content was light, but it worked well for the plot and just the natural-everyday-normal that this series has been highlighting so well. I honestly adore it a lot (if that wasn’t obvious). 

Oh, what more to say? While I’m super excited for the next book in the series, I’m also super sad that it will be the last book in the series, because if it wasn’t clear enough, I love these characters and friend group so much. This book almost feels like the final book for these characters, though, as the next book is about characters we haven’t met before. Maybe that’s a reason I cried at the end of this book, because it felt like a bittersweet goodbye. Readers who have loved a series like this will know this feeling, I’m sure! 
 

 

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.

 

"Safe All Along" by Katie Davis Majors

About this book:

  “As a missionary, wife, and mom of fifteen, Katie Davis Majors knows how hard it can be to receive God’s peace instead of giving in to fear and worry. Family emergencies, unexpected life-shifting events, and the busy rhythms of family life have at times left her reeling. 
   In Safe All Along, Katie offers reflections and stories from around the world and from her own kitchen table about her personal journey toward living from a place of surrendered trust. Every chapter leads us deep into Scripture as we learn what it looks like to break free from anxiety and take hold of peace.
   Rich in biblical explorations of lament and praise, forgiveness and hope, service and surrender, Safe All Along asks, What practical choices can we make to experience the peace Jesus promised amid disappointment and uncertainty? How can we live with joy and confidence even when we’re pulled into the rapids of life?
   Our God has promised us a peace that transcends all understanding. And we can accept His promise, trusting that in Him we are safe all along.”


Series: A non-fiction book. 


Spiritual Content- Each chapter starts with a Scripture and has many Scriptures referenced, quoted, and/or discussed within the chapter; About half of the nineteen chapters end with prayers; All about God, Jesus, trusting Him, knowing Him, making time for Him, being honest with God, anxiety, peace, & laments; 'H's are capital when referring to God (unless the Bible version quoted does not); All about many mentions of those & events in the Bible, books of the Bible, Bible reading, & Bible studies; Mentions of prayers, praying, praising, & worshiping; Mentions of Heaven; Mentions of churches, church going, pastors, & church events; Mentions of hymns & worship songs; Mentions of missionaries, missions, ministries, & service; Mentions of blessings, being Blessed, & miracles; Mentions of sins; A couple mentions of youth groups & Sunday school classes; 
             *Note: Mentions of the enemy’s lies; Mentions of idols (anything that turns our eyes from Jesus) & fake god statues; Mentions of Christian pastors & speakers (Curt Thompson, J. I. Packer, John Piper, Robert Murray M’Cheyne, Jim Elliot, & C. S. Lewis); A handful of mentions of contemporary Christian authors (Tara Leigh Cobble, Morgan Harper Nichols, Ann Voskamp, & Dr. Bryan Loritts).
 

Negative Content- Recalling almost drowning & the fear of it (from the author’s perspective, including it almost happening to her daughter as well, up to semi-detailed); Mentions of deaths of loved ones & grief; Mentions of crimes, violence, cattle raiders, being shot and killed by them, gunshots, & stolen cows and items; Mentions of arrests, beatings, torture, being stoned to death, jail, slavery, & slaves (in the Bible); Mentions of threats (in the Bible); Mentions of homelessness; Mentions of lies; A few mentions of injuries & pain; A few mentions of addiction; A couple mentions of abusive or toxic relationships; A couple mentions of animal sacrifice (in the Bible); A couple mentions of wine (one being a mention from the Bible); A mention of the possibility of finding a loved one’s body; A mention of war; A mention of bomb shelters; A mention of racism; A mention of jealousy; A mention of eye rolling; 
             *Note: Mentions of anxiety, depression, other mental illnesses, seeing a therapist, & taking medication (the author shares “I also want to acknowledge that you may be dealing with a clinical anxiety disorder, depression, or some other real, chemical mental illness. This is not the same thing as worry. There is a difference between situational anxiety or nervousness about the future and a true chemical disorder.” And “If you are struggling in a similar way, I am so sorry. I see you. This is not your fault, and it does not make you less faithful. There is no shame in seeking the help you need through therapy or medication or both. As I venture to share some things God has used to help me with my own battle with anxiety, I would never want to suggest that simply thinking differently or forming new habits will be a “fix-all.” He sends “fishermen” to help us on our journey, and therapists have often been mine.”); Mentions of social media & technology (iPhones, FaceTime, Siri, Google Maps, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, Airbnb, & Netflix); A few mentions of stories (Kroger, Target, & Tractor Supply); A few mentions of brand names (Lego); A couple mentions of Helen Keller.
 
 
Sexual Content- A couple mentions of affairs and marriage struggles; A mention of pornography; 
             *Note: A couple mentions of miscarriages & infertility; A couple mentions of nursing. 
 
-Katie Davis Majors
                                Non-Fiction 
                                                        272 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

Non-fiction books have always been hard for me to review—especially with ones like “Safe All Along” which hit so many cords in myself as I read it. There were so many parts I related to and honestly can’t put into words how I felt. Hence why non-fiction books are hard to review. I’d love to leave it just as “It was great. Related to about 80% of what the author was saying. Easy 4 stars.” But I suppose I ought to write a little bit more than that. 

I think my only real negative is that when most of the Scriptures are mentioned or quoted, the actual reference is marked as a footnote and they are all listed in the very back of the book. I would have preferred to have them right then and there within the actual Scripture and what Katie was sharing, personally. 

I’m touched by this book and heartened in a lot of ways, thanks to the author sharing her personal thoughts and struggles—but yet always pointing back to Christ and your relationship with Him. I love that and really enjoyed this book. 

 

 

See y’all on Friday with a new review! 

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Multnomah) for this honest review.

"Vivid" by Ashley Bustamante

About this book:

  “DANGER LURKS BEHIND EVERY COLOR
   When Ava Locke was five years old, she began a journey to join the Benefactors—the leaders of the magical continent of Magus. Twelve years later, she unwittingly started down the road to betray them.
   On Magus, where colors fuel magical abilities, yellow is banned in an effort to protect people from its mind-controlling capabilities. When a rogue Yellow magic-user named Elm escapes imprisonment, Ava becomes innocently fascinated with his story. Once this mysterious Elm shows up at her school, Ava pushes her interest to the next level by helping him evade the Benefactors. Ava grows increasingly conflicted as her intrigue leads her down a dark road of secrets about her world. As she learns more about Yellow magic’s potential to control its victims, Ava now must question whether her rash decisions are all her own or if someone else is pulling the strings.”


Series: Book #1 in the “Color Theory” series. 


Spiritual Content- A mention of praying that someone doesn’t notice something; 
             *Note: There are magic and spells in this book: Everyone is classified into a type of color magic (Red, Blue, & Yellow) and have a special stone they wear to be able to draw from it’s power; When all three color magics are used together, it creates White Magic; Those with Yellow magic are able to get into someone’s head and plant suggestions to do something (similar to mind control and are able to permanently destroy someone’s mind) and also do illusions; Because of Yellow magic users’ abilities they have been outlawed/banned; It’s said that any magic can be dangerous and throughout the book, there’s those who use it for good and for evil (and for self-defense and priorly used in a war); Ava casts spells for agility, strength, & healing (for herself and others, up to semi-detailed); A few mentions of Ava wondering if destiny or “the hand of a higher power” is leading her down a certain path (later she wonders if it’s fate, even though she’s never believed in it before, but there has to be “something stronger at work”); A few mentions of someone being called a demon or that a group of people were demonized or considered to be evil; A few mentions of a man being called a devil & evil; A couple mentions of magicians; A mention of Ava feeling “reborn” after healing an injury; A mention of Ava trying to find a “grain of enlightenment” in books about a topic; A mention of a devil-may-care attitude; A mention of playing the devil’s advocate; A mention of Mother Nature. 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dumb’, a ‘hush up’, a ‘shoot’, two ‘blasted’s, two forms of ‘darn’, three ‘drat’s, three forms of ‘idiot’, and ten ‘stupid’s; Eye rolling; Being tortured, Being attacked, Being held hostage, Fighting (including in a test, for self-defense, and fighting against a bear), Injuries, Pain, & Passing out (all up to semi-detailed); Vandalism, Stealing, & Lying (Ava to authority figures and to a school, *Spoiler* It turns out the adults at the school are lying about many things, so this behavior is deemed for the good *End of Spoiler*); Throwing up; Ava and some of the other Red Magic students have to cut themselves in a class to be able to learn how to heal (one girl struggles with it and passes out after seeing the blood, it’s said that “only in a healing class would this sort of mutilation ever be condoned”, border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Ava wonders if Elm is going to kill her (a few times including a fight scene of him forcing her to hold a knife to her chest and warning her about Yellow magic, up to semi-detailed); *Spoiler* Elm causes a woman’s (who was torturing Ava) mind to be destroyed (he didn’t want to do it, but lost control seeing Ava hurt; border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed) *End of Spoiler*; Mentions of a war, deaths, violence, & slaughters (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of murders/executions & a body-tearing spell (and someone seeing it happen to loved ones, Ava is shocked to learn about such a spell, border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Mentions of criminals, crimes, & attacks; Mentions of vandalism & a break-in; Mentions of fighting, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of someone being held hostage for years; Mentions of lies, lying, liars, & deceit; A few mentions of suicides (some believe they are caused by those with Yellow magic); A few mentions of rumors; A couple mentions of Red Magic users doing dangerous things and their bodies not being able to handle it (barely-above-not-detailed); A couple mentions of nightmares; A couple mentions of vomit; A couple mentions of hunting; A mention of a hanging; 
             *Note: Ava stays with a family on holiday break, but an adult at her school tells her that they’re only taking care of her because she asked (which hurts Ava and she thinks about it again later); It’s said in a book about Yellow magic that for “every good deception, there is an inkling of truth”; Mentions of prejudice towards those with Yellow magic & hatred. 
 
 
Sexual Content- About seven hand/finger kisses, a cheek kiss, two almost kisses, and two barely-above-not-detailed kisses; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Warmth/Heat, Nearness, Smelling, & Butterflies (barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to touch (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Elm changes his shirt in front of Ava, so she turns around & contemplates taking a peek or not (she does not, but does blush over it happening); A handful of mentions of boyfriends/girlfriends & dating; A couple mentions of some girls finding Elm (who has Yellow magic) attractive and saying they would be fine if he put them under a spell; A couple mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of flirting; A mention of a married couple kissing; Some love, falling in love, & the emotions.
 
-Ava Locke, age 17-18
                                1^st person P.O.V. of Ava 
                                            304 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

{Ratings are based on content, not the magic elements as every family has different views on magic in books. Please do note our comment in the {} below on a possible trigger.}

I feel like I start off all of my YA Fantasy reviews with the word “interesting” in the first sentence, so I’ll try to avoid using it in this review. (Even though it fits perfectly.)

I love boarding school/academy books. I’m not sure what it is, but that instantly pulled me into this book and kept my attention. (The name Prism? As a school for learning about color magic? Brilliant. I loved it.)
There was some teen angst in this. That can be a positive or negative note for some. Some days I dislike it and other days I crave an angsty YA book. (Not sure why, actually. Hmm.) 

Ava didn’t bother me much, though, I wish she would have thought things and plans through a bit more before jumping in since she didn’t always make the wisest decisions, but she’s seventeen. And it’s a YA book. I kind of expected that and gave her grace in those moments. Though, this was definitely one of those books where I don’t recommend doing what she’s doing because some of it aren’t the best ideas (but they work out fine because it’s fiction), but it was entertaining to read about. 

There were a few parts where it felt like “magic” was the answer to how or why something happened, in the sense of things not being explained clearly. But I suppose that’s how it could be? It is magic after all. (The logical side of me wants real answers, though.)

I was a little disappointed that I was able to guess the twists I had heard other rave about, but I’ll chalk it up to reading a lot of dystopian books over the years. 

About 50% in, I sent a request for the second book in this series, so needless to say, I’m looking forward to reading the next book soon. I do appreciate that this first book didn’t end on a cliffhanger, but a “there’s more to come” style. 

 

{Trigger Note: There is one scene where those with Red magic have to cut themselves to be able to practice their healing magic. Ava has no problem cutting herself or healing the wound, but another girl struggles with it and Ava does the cutting for her. The girl passes out because of seeing blood and is treated by a Healer.}

 

 

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 Heart's Choice" by Tracie Peterson and Kimberley Woodhouse

About this book:

  “After witnessing a wrongful conviction as a young girl, Rebecca McCutcheon--the first female court reporter in Montana--is now determined to defend the innocent. During a murder trial, something doesn't sit well with her about the case, but no one except for the handsome new Carnegie librarian will listen to her. 
   Librarian Mark Andrews's father sent him off to college hoping he would take over the business side of the family ranch. Mark would rather wrangle books than cows, but when a patron seeks help with research in hopes of proving a man's innocence, Mark is immediately drawn to her and her cause. 
   In a race against time, will Rebecca and Mark be able to find the evidence to free the man before it's too late?”


Series: Book #1 in “The Jewels of Kalispell” series. 


Spiritual Content- Many Scriptures are read, quoted, thought over, & discussed; Many prayers; Witnessing & Being witnessed to; Many talks about God, Jesus, having a relationship with Him, having faith, how just being good isn’t enough, & sin; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Church going, listening to sermons, & singing hymns; Rebecca went to church with her family and believes in God, but never head the reverend saying about having a relationship with God, so she is confused when it’s brought up; Marvella is determined that Rebecca gets right with God and is concerned about Rebecca’s soul and salvation (Rebecca wants to take time to read the Bible and ask lots of questions); Mark gives an analogy to Rebecca about how being good isn’t enough and on sin; *Spoiler* About halfway, Rebecca prays and makes the decision to follow Christ *End of Spoiler*; Many mentions of God, His will, & having a relationship with Him; Many mentions of Bibles, Bible reading, books of the Bible, & those in the Bible; Mentions of prayers, praying, blessings over food, & praising God; Mentions of churches, church going, church groups, pastors, & hymns; Mentions of someone going “home to the Lord”, Heaven, & hell; Mentions of miracles; Mentions of sin & being a sinner; Mentions of blessings & being Blessed; A few mentions of Christians & testimonies; A couple mentions of a godsend; A couple mentions of a heathen; A mention of Easter; A mention of Sunday school; A mention of Bible studies in college; 
             *Note: The villain acts the part as a Christian and comments on God; The villain calls his wife a “churchgoing, goody-two-shoes”; A man says that Godly women should be quiet and stay at home; A mention of Santa Claus.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘shut up’, a ‘sucker’, two ‘bah’s, two ‘blast’s, three ‘idiot’, and four forms of ‘stupid’; A few phrases like “by thunder”, “good heavens”, “oh my stars”, and couple other similar ones are used; Being held at knife-point (barely-above-not-detailed); In the prologue, ten-year-old Rebecca sees a man robbed, attacked, and murdered & another man blamed for the crime (she tells Mark about it and it’s bothered her for years as an innocent man was put in jail for it, border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); The villain kills someone (he likes the powerful feeling he gets from it, up to semi-detailed), plans to commit more murders if necessary, hopes a blizzard kills someone, & grabs a woman by her throat to make her pass out; Rebecca and Mark reenact the murder to try to find out who did it (fake, with coffee); Rebecca goes to hit an annoying man (but is stopped); The villain drinks, get a hangover, and gambles; Many mentions of murders, murderers, the weapons, the bodies, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of someone being near death (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of poisons, being poisoned, & a death; Mentions of someone being stabbed (in self-defense); Mentions of crimes, criminals, robberies, stealing, stolen items, arrests, jail, & a possible hanging (death penalty); Mentions of marriage scams (a man being married to many women for their money and either disappearing or killing them); Mentions of threats & blackmail; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, & saloons; Mentions of gambling; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of manure & urine; A few mentions of possible fires & planning for someone to be trapped and killed in one; A few mentions of gossip; A few mentions of throwing up; A couple mentions of grief (a man for his wife); A mention of tobacco; 
             *Note: Mark and his father do not see eye-to-eye and exchange a few harsh words (*Spoiler* By the end of the book, things have happened and discussions are had where they understand the other and are not upset at the other *End of Spoiler*); Mentions of books & authors.
 
 
Sexual Content- Staring at another’s lips (once), a chin kiss (from a married couple), a nose kiss, a neck kiss, two barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and two border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kisses; Wanting to kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, & Hand holding (including from the villain and his wife, border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Nearness & Warmth (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes & Butterflies; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); A handful of mentions of couples kissing (married and engaged) & the villain hoping to take his wife to their bedroom; A few mentions of reputations; A couple mentions of crushes; A mention of the (married) villain hoping a barmaid will sit in his lap; A mention of a bride wanting to keep herself pure for her wedding day; Love, falling in love, trying not to be falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: Both of Rebecca’s parents tell her not to fall in love with and marry the first man she meets, as they want more for her (they both tell her that they love the other, but married for the wrong reasons and thankfully God took their “blunders and turned it into something beautiful”); A man calls women the “fairer sex” and the “lesser sex” (he tries to have Rebecca enter a courtship with him, but would want her to quit her job, which she calls his words “antiquated” and is very annoyed by him); A man says that Marvella wears the pants in her family and Marvella thinks that she’s trained her husband well because he’d be a mess without her (her comments are meant to be humorous as she’s nosy and wants the best for others); Mentions of women at a Women’s Club meeting complaining about their husbands (A man talks badly about the women there and says that “their sole purpose in gathering is to complain about the very hand that feeds them.” And that they “complain about their husbands and families and bemoan their lack of power.”; When Rebecca goes to the meeting, she hears what he means and is confused by this and asks if this is what she has to look forward to, one of the women there says that it’s what married women do and adds “Women often bear a difficult like. That burden is especially hard when they’re poor, but that doesn’t mean marriage is horrible or that we are all miserable. Women are the glue that holds the country together. God made us that way. We are the nurturers, the encourages. Without us, men would wander around punching things and never get anything accomplished.”).
 
-Rebecca Whitman, age 23/24 (?)
-Mark Andrews, age 28
                                P.O.V. switches between them, the villain, & Marvella
                                             Set in 1904 (Prologue in 1890)
                                                        336 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

After reading Kimberley Woodhouse’s “Secrets of the Canyon” trilogy and enjoying it, I was curious about this new book and the fact that that main girl is a court reporter. 

I’ll be honest (as always ;)) and say that it was a very predictable/simple plot, but that doesn’t make it bad because it was still a good read. 

I know there’s probably some who might not like all the faith content and discussions, but I really liked seeing Rebecca’s questions and her wonderings about God and what a relationship with Him means and enjoyed having good faith content discussed and shown. 

Mark & Rebecca were just cute together. I particularly liked how this book wasn’t insta-love/insta-attraction and how they both wanted to be “just friends” because they didn’t want a relationship at that time (and I know that’s a pretty common thing in romance fiction books, but I actually believed these two when they said that—unlike all the other couples—because it actually lasted half the book). This part and how they sincerely discussed God, encouraged the other, and didn’t focus on the other’s physical appearances makes me think that it would be okay for new teens as it shows a healthy friendship-to-more. There is the villain’s point of view (who is running marriage scams) and a murder, though, in terms of other content. 

 

 

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.

"Journey's End" by Renee Ryan

About this book:

  “Having grown up on the mean streets of nineteenth-century London, Caroline St. James is used to fighting to survive. So when her beloved mother―abandoned and ignored by her wealthy family―suddenly dies, the scrappy twenty-two-year-old devises a plan to right this terrible wrong. With nothing to lose, she sails to New York to find the man who turned a cold shoulder to her mother’s suffering: Caroline’s grandfather. To settle the family score, Caroline infiltrates her grandfather’s privileged world, hoping to sabotage his business from the inside. But as she sets her plot in motion, she meets Jackson Montgomery, a virtuous man who is struggling to recover from a family scandal of his own. As their friendship grows, and Caroline begins to piece together the motives that led her family to turn its back, she is forced to make a decision: Should she risk everything in the name of justice? Or can she look toward the future and let love and forgiveness guide her instead?”

Series: Book #1 in the “Gilded Promises” trilogy. 


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are remembered & quoted; Prayers & Thanking God; Talks about God & the Prodigal Son (a woman says she hates that story, but she’s missing the important part of it); 'H's are capital when referring to God; Caroline says she’s given up on prayer & thinks God has abandoned her (and calls Him a “vengeful, distant presence that allowed flagrant injustices in the world”; though she does yearning for having the faith others have and towards the end starts changing her thoughts on God); Caroline calls her friend naïve for being in God; Caroline decides that a good time to pray is when she feels attracted to Jackson; Mentions of God, faiths, & forgiveness; Mentions of prayers, praying, praising God, & thanking God; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Mentions of those in the Bible (David, Samson, & the Prodigal Son); Mentions of Christian & their Christian duties; Mentions of blessings & being Blessed; Mentions of sins; 
             *Note: A couple mentions of evil.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: Two ‘stupid’s; A couple mentions of curses (said, not written); Lies & Lying (and stretching the truth, done by Caroline); Caroline is determined to seek justice or revenge for her mother (she’s not sure which); Caroline tries to hit Jackson (who has her cornered) & later grabs a woman who grabbed her hair; Mentions of deaths & a murder; Mentions of gangs, crimes, criminals, jail, thieves, stealing, & pickpocketing; Mentions of gambling, gaming tables, & card games (for money, Caroline used to play and fleece others); Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of grieving (for a mother, for a daughter); A few mentions of wars; A few mentions of seeing someone threatened physically (up to semi-detailed); A few mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of drinking & alcohol; A couple mentions of blood; A couple mentions of cigars & smoking; A mention of an abduction; A mention of cheating; 
             *Note: Caroline feels like she’s been abandoned (by her mother, by her family, and by God) & thinks she’s all alone.
 
 
Sexual Content- A (semi-detailed) hand kiss, two almost (semi-detailed) kisses, two barely-above-not-detailed kisses, five semi-detailed kisses, and two detailed kisses; Remembering kisses & almost kisses (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to kiss (up to semi-detailed); Touches, Nearness, Embraces, Dancing, Warmth, Shivers, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Blushes; Lots of Noticing (up to semi-detailed); Jackson is almost engaged to a woman and starts feeling concerned what he doesn’t feel passion for her (after meeting Caroline) & tries to keep his thoughts only on the original woman (as he feels like Caroline is tempting him); Caroline tells Jackson she has other dresses to wear in case he wants to kiss her and if her dress gets wrinkled; A young woman tells Caroline that she wants to be swept away by a man and passion; Two ‘harlot’s; Mentions of a married man running off with his sister-in-law & the man embracing his flesh; Mentions of a young woman running off with a man to get married; Mentions of temptations (Jackson thinks of Caroline as a temptation and rousing the wrong emotions) & passion; Mentions of kisses, kissing, & almost kisses; Mentions of reputations & a couple being alone together in her bedroom (Caroline & Jackson, but nothing happens besides a kiss); A few mentions of a wife becoming bitter and hating all men after her husband’s affair; A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of adultery; A couple mentions of prostitutes & a mother having to turn to “other more horrible pursuits” to be able to feed herself and her daughter; A mention of some women might not minding a “little rule-breaking every now and again, especially in the areas of kissing and…whatnot”; A mention of a man’s possible “love child” (illegitimate child); A mention of a maid possibly receiving requests from male guests that were unpleasant; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: Caroline wonders what it would be like to be loved unconditionally; Jackson, Caroline, & another man are determined to not have love be a part of their marriages as they’ve each had unsetting events in their pasts; Caroline calls Jackson her “rock” towards the end.
 
-Caroline St. James, age 22
-Jackson Montgomery, around age 28
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                            Set in 1901
                                                        336 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

Despite really being interested in this book, I did have a bit of a hard time getting into it. I’m not sure if it was my tired brain, the writing style, or a mix of both, but I didn’t get stuck into this plot like I was expecting. 

Caroline & Jackson were basically instantly attracted to each other (which I’m not typically a fan of), but when identities are revealed, it turns into almost an enemies-to-more trope. This book really highlighted why I’m not a fan of that trope, I kept thinking, “if they would just hurry up and realize how good they are for each other, they would be an unstoppable team!” I want the cute, giggle-worthy romance, not the going back-and-forth about not falling for someone because of whatever their flimsy reasoning is. 

That trope also added in more sexual tension and this story definitely had more than I prefer to read, which lowered the ratings for BFCG’s target ages. 

It was…interesting in a way because Jackson (when reading in Caroline’s POV) came across as almost a brute or aggressive masculine in a (I hate to say it) predator (as in cat and mouse) way. I honestly didn’t find him romantic in that point of view. But then in his point of view, he’s aware of something he had said coming across the wrong way and just honestly feels sometimes like a different person? It was odd. So their romance wasn’t that romantic to me because of those reasons and how he kept getting into her personal space.

 

 

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.