"Shadows at Dusk" by Elizabeth Goddard

About this book:

  “Montana Detective Trevor West is desperate to learn what happened to his sister, who went missing in Alaska over a year ago, leaving nothing but a few photographs as clues to her whereabouts. At the advice of Police Chief Autumn Long, Trevor enlists the help of an experienced bush pilot. If Carrie James can't help him find the places in the photographs, no one can.
   But Carrie has her own agenda. Grieving the death of her closest friend and the only person she could trust, Carrie will help Trevor find his sister on one condition--that he help her track down her friend's killer.
   As the two close in on the answers they crave, they'll face dangers and connections they could not have imagined. They'll have to learn to trust one another--and face the dark secrets of the past--if they are ever to discover the truth and bring a killer to justice.”


Series: Book #2 in the “Missing in Alaska” series. Review of Book #1 Here! 


Spiritual Content- Isaiah 43:2 at the beginning; A couple Scriptures are read & remembered; Bible reading; 'H's are not capital when referring to God; Prayers; Both Carrie & Trevor have a faith; Mentions of God & His creation; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of missionaries; A couple mentions of a Bible; 
             *Note: A mention of someone’s eyes having darkness and evil in them; A mention of a man looking evil.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blast’, a ‘shoot’, a ‘shut up’, a ‘stupid’, a ‘wimp’, and nine forms of ‘idiot’; A mention of curses (said, not written); Sarcasm; Near death situations, A plane crash, Almost drowning, Being pushed out of a plane, Being attacked, Being abducted (and also attempted), Being held at gunpoint and knifepoint (and holding others at gunpoint), Being shot at, Shooting, Gunfire, Fighting, Knocking someone out, a Fire, Pain, Injuries, Blood/Bleeding, & Remembering and Nightmares of past events (semi-detailed); Seeing bodies & someone shot (up to semi-detailed); Trevor is trying to find his sister that went missing a year prior & tries to hang onto hope that she’s still alive *Major Spoiler* She was left to die in a cave by someone who didn’t want her snooping around their illegal activities *End of Spoiler*; Carrie comes across a beloved friend’s body (we see her rocking the body and her grief on-page as well as her remembering seeing it and imaging others ending up like his body, up to semi-detailed); Carrie helps someone who has signs of sepsis (up to semi-detailed); Trevor wants to knock out & punch a few bad guys (because of what they’ve done to those he cares about); *Spoiler* Towards the end, Carrie believes that Trevor might have died and cries/grieves for him, but doesn’t give up on finding him alive *End of Spoiler*; Many mentions of deaths, accidents, murders, murderers, bodies, & how the murders happened (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of criminals/fugitives, crime scenes, contraband items, thieves, stealing, threats, & whistleblowers; Many mentions of missing family members, deaths and their potential death, & grief (including Trevor for his missing sister, parents for a daughter, a woman for her sister, & a man for his wife); Many mentions of shooting, being shot at, being held at gunpoint and knifepoint, gunfire, being attacked, fighting, beatings, knocking others out, injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of plane crashes, explosions, near deaths, & deaths (including a couple attempted murders, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of someone being pushed out of a plane & her recovery (attempted murder, up to semi-detailed); Mentions of radiation poisoning, hazardous waste, potential deaths from it, & explosions (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a fire & it being a trap (luring someone out/attempted murder); Mentions of the possibility of being murdered and buried & buried alive; Mentions of abductions & being a prisoner; Mentions of an abusive husband; Mentions of break-ins; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; A few mentions of a car accident & death (*Spoiler* Trevor’s wife *End of Spoiler*); A few mentions of a stalker; A few mentions of arrests; A few mentions of cons & a conman; A few mentions of throwing up; A couple mentions of wars; A couple mentions of drugs & being drugged; A couple mentions of rumors; 
             *Note: Mentions of car brands; A few mentions of celebrities (Tony Stark & Bear Grylls); A few mentions of brand names & items (iPad & Jell-O); A couple mentions of the phrase “time heals all wounds” (which upsets Trevor); A mention of a singer & song (“Only the Good Die Young” by Billy Joel).
 
 
Sexual Content- A cheek kiss, a forehead kiss, three semi-detailed kisses (one forced/unwanted), and a border-line semi-detailed // detailed kiss; Remembering kisses (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to kiss & embrace (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Electricity, & Warmth (including warmth for survival, up to semi-detailed); Blushes; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of kisses, kissing, & nearness (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of girlfriends/boyfriends, dating, & dates; Mentions of flirting; A few mentions of a wife cheating on her husband with his best friend (*Spoiler* Trevor’s wife *End of Spoiler*); A few mentions of jealousy; A mention of a man making a pass at a woman; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: Carrie kicks a man in the groin in self-defense; A mention of an alpha male.
 
-Carrie James
-Trevor West
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                                        336 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

{Add a star for Older Teens interested in law enforcement and/or Alaska}

Like I said in my review of the first book of this series, Alaska wilderness stories aren’t really my thing. I’m not sure if it’s the wilderness aspect or the fact I’m not made for cold weather (or a mix of both), but despite those reasons, I wanted to try out this second book since I’ve enjoyed a couple other books by this author before. 

The verdict? Not bad, but it’s definitely a three-star book for me, personally. I did find some parts to be a quite sad, though, I think I’m extra sensitive to others’ grief, especially regarding siblings. The author kept the plot moving and action-packed, which helped the book not feel depressingly heavy. 

One thing I liked was that we see the big betrayal for Carrie that’s mentioned on the back cover in the prologue, so there’s no wondering or hinting about what it was—unlike the prior book of the series with Autumn’s backstory. Now, that said, we are told a bit of Trevor’s past and it’s a bomb that’s just dropped on the page and it didn’t really add much to the story, in my opinion. On the note of Trevor and Carrie, I wasn’t a big fan of the romance, but I’m learning that I’m picky nowadays with the romantic content in my romantic suspense books. At least there wasn’t too many horribly timed kisses like I’ve ranted about before for this genre! I thought it was funny to see Trevor even think about a dangerous time not being the time to kiss her and also the comments about how they’re interested in each other, but haven’t know each other for long and in stressful situations, which isn’t the best for starting out on a relationship with someone. It felt like poking fun at all the books that do do that, which I honestly found humous to see. 

Overall, this wasn’t bad and while it was suspenseful, it had a major lack of finding dead bodies or gore/blood, which I appreciate. It might not be a new favorite for me, but I can see Older Teens that enjoy suspense and are interested in Alaska-themed stories enjoy this one. 
 

 

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.

"Children of the Shadows" by Erica Vetsch

About this book:

  “Detective Daniel Swann and debutante Juliette Thorndike once again team up to solve a dangerous mystery--while trying to keep their growing romance secret.
    Someone is preying upon the street children of Regency London. They seem to think no one will notice when urchins go missing--and even if they are noticed, who will care?
    Daniel needs to do something about the missing children. But with recent revelations about his past and an unexpected, somewhat unwelcome inheritance to deal with, this is a terrible time to dive back into the seedy underbelly of the crime world. Nevertheless, he's still a Bow Street runner, and his partner Lady Juliette is sensitive to the plight of these wayward youngsters. They're on the case, searching shadowed alleys and coal-drenched streets to find the missing.
   But the tangle of expectation and the dynamics of power cannot be easily ignored, even if there are children in danger. When Daniel's past threatens to overwhelm his future, he will need a miracle and the help of his friends to both apprehend the villain and unravel his tangled family web. And it may be that his new responsibilities demand that he leave the children of the shadows to their terrible fate--or lose everything.”


Series: Book #3 in the “Thorndike & Swann Regency Mysteries” trilogy. Review of Book #1 Here and Book #2 Here! (It is best to read them in order as they are connecting and about the same characters.) Mentions characters and events from the author’s other series “Serendipity & Secrets” and the novel collection “Joy to the World”. 


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are remembered, mentioned, & quoted; Prayers; Talks about God, His will, praying, & callings; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Daniel has recently come to terms with the idea that God is a benevolent Father (Book #2) but thinks that following God isn’t easy; Mentions of God, Jesus, His will, & callings; Mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of churches, church going, services, & clergymen; Mentions of blessings & being Blessed; Mentions of abbeys & monks; A few mentions of Bibles & prayer books; A few mentions of Easter Sunday; A few mentions of sins; A couple mentions of miracles; A mention of a shelter for women where the women are taught Scriptures and a goal of the place being to “save their souls along with their bodies”; A mention of some scientists believing that “God and science are separate and science is the greater” (and a man who is challenging that view); A mention of Jesuits; 
             *Note: A mention of a place looking haunted; A mention of a place being cursed.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a form of ‘shut up’; A mention of damning evidence; A few mentions of curses (said, not written); Some sarcasm & eye rolling; Being thrown into jail; Many mentions of murders, murderers, seeing murders happen, the weapon used, & bodies (including in Book #2, up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of crimes, crime scenes, criminals, arrests, prisons, hangings/gaols, & pickpockets; Many mentions of missing children, kidnappings/abductions, & kidnappers (including in Book #1); Mentions of gangs/street mobs, thieves, stealing, & stolen items; Mentions of robberies, burglaries, & break-ins; Mentions of fights/brawls & fighting; Mentions of being drugged (children) & laudanum; Mentions of threats & blackmail (including a criminal threatening to kill a child if he doesn’t listen and the child being terrified, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of rumors & gossip; Mentions of alcohol, pubs/ale houses, drinking, & drunks; Mentions of pipes, cigars, tobacco, & smoking; Mentions of gambling & debts; A few mentions of a man being beaten to death; A couple mentions of an almost drowning (Book #2); A couple mentions of treason; A mention of a war; A mention of a massacre; A mention of assassins; A mention of a shooting & death (Book #2); A mention of a death of a woman’s first husband; A mention of the high mortality rate amongst those who live in the streets; A mention of a fire; A mention of child labor; A mention of a child (not) being beaten; A mention of jealousy; 
             *Note: Daniel has a strained relationship with his mother because she sent him away with a mysterious patron when he was young to a school (He always thought that she was paid for him to go away and that it solved her “problems” (See Sexual Content Note); He recalls his thoughts when he was a small child wanting to beg her to take him back and then angry words in university); *Spoiler* They have harsh words and Daniel tries to hang on to his old hurt, but towards the end, they have a conversation that is healing *End of Spoiler*; A man talks about a woman’s “delicate sensibilities”; Mentions of some in society believing they are better than commoners (including a man telling Daniel that he is his better); A mention of a cabbie possibly not liking a dark-skinned person riding in his cab (thought by a main character, and while never said one way or the other, I believe it has to do with the person’s place of employment instead).
 
 
Sexual Content- Three hand/palm kisses, four head/forehead/hair kisses, two not-detailed kisses, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, and three semi-detailed kisses; Wanting to kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Dancing, Hand holding, Tingles, Warmth, Nearness, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to touch & embrace (up to semi-detailed); Winks; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); *Spoilers for Book #2* It was revealed in the second book that Daniel is not an illegitimate child of a servant like he’s always thought, but that he is actually the legitimate son of a wealthy man and his parents were married; His biological father was threatened by his father to annul the marriage, however, he faked the papers and still got married to another woman while still legally married to Daniel’s mother (the second marriage thus being a bigamous marriage and his child from that marriage being illegitimate) *End of Spoiler*; Daniel & Juliette are caught in an embrace by one of her chaperones (the woman is very upset by this and Juliette is embarrassed by the woman making it sound like she’s a strumpet); Juliette says she would make her parents understand how important Daniel is to her if they didn’t approve of their relationship; Juliette wonders if a man was a client of a former prostitute (but then thinks that she may be doing him an injustice); Many mentions of illegitimate children & one not knowing who his father is for most of his life (also called “by-blow children” and “baseborn offspring”); Mentions of a woman who was a Cyprian/courtesan (prostitute) & now planning to help other women so they can “support themselves with selling their bodies to men in order to survive” (a couple other mentions of them selling their bodies to be able to eat); Mentions of kisses & kissing (including married and engaged couples kissing, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of reputations, chaperones, & scandals; A few mentions of a young woman running away with someone in her household’s staff; A couple mentions of seducing & not being seduced; A couple mentions of a loose woman; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of a woman “getting herself into a bad way” (pregnant); A mention of when a child was conceived; A mention of a man keeping a mistress; A mention of houses of ill repute; Love, being in love, & the emotions;}
             *Note: There is a conversation about there being some men who have “lascivious natures” when it comes to children, but usually being “gender-specific in their taste. If they seek to abuse boys, they don’t often have any appetite for girls” and vise-versa (This conversation sickens Daniel and he thinks that there’s “no legal punishment too harsh for men with such evil proclivities”); A few mentions of Daniel’s mother having the option to “end [her] pregnancy before [Daniel] were even born” (Daniel is hurt by hearing this, but she says she did not think about killing him before he was born, but did think about trying to find a better place for him than she could provide); A few mentions of butting into a conversation; A mention of a young girl not yet developing into womanhood.
 
-Juliette Thorndike
-Daniel Swann
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                            Set in 1816
                                                      304 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

{Certain comments noted in the Sexual Content section have dropped the ratings for Older Teen Girls}

I have been greatly anticipating this book since I finished the second book over a year ago and sometimes the books you anticipated don’t meet those expectations. I’m thankful to say that this was a good conclusion to the series. *big sigh of relief* 

 

More so in this book than the prior books, I did feel a bit left out with the mentions of characters from the author’s prior series. My fault, I know, since I haven’t read those (they’re on my ever-growing TBR!) but I felt like I was missing the excitement of seeing characters again. I’m pushing that series up my TBR to hopefully get to in the new year. And then if I just have to reread this series after that? Oh, well, woe is me. ;)

 

Speaking of series, can there be a spin-off series about Uncle Bertie, Rosebreen, and Rhynwock? They stole the scenes they were in, and I want to see them again!

 

Throughout this trilogy, Juliette and Daniel were just so cute and good together, fighting crime and falling in love. In this final book, there wasn’t much romance, more case work which I found interesting, but I did miss seeing them together more. Because of the focus on Daniel’s cases, the romance definitely took a backseat at times—which I didn’t hate because I prefer a good light romance, but I was missing their cute moments together. Juliette really doesn’t get involved in the cases until 75% in, which was a bit disappointing, because she was an equal help in the prior two books and she kind of felt like a side character at times in this book. 

 

Like both prior books in the series, I love the vocabulary and phrases used. It gives the book such a different charm to it compared to many other regency books I’ve read. 

 

Birth secrets were finally revealed in the prior book and now are truly coming to play. There’s different angles to it which we see in the book and it was interesting how both Juliette and Daniel thought how it would help their relationship. There was only one way this book was going to end in my mind and I felt my blood pressure rising in the last 15 or so percent because of it. Daniel being a noble idiot made me want to scream into a pillow. So needless to say, I was stressed because of the rather rushed ending and having to take deep breaths at times, hahaha! 

 

While this book didn’t match up to my adoration of the first book (that bar is just too high!) this was still a good conclusion to a series I’m sad to see end and am overall satisfied by the ending. (Mainly not satisfied with the fact that it’s over. I like Juliette and Daniel too much!)

 

 

 

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.

 

"Race to Krakatoa" by J.D. Peabody

About this book:

  “In book two of The Inkwell Chronicles, Everett and his little sister Bea find themselves drawn even more deeply into the secret world of the Inklings, those who seek to protect the world's rapidly diminishing supply of magic Ink. When a miraculous new type of ink called Inkanto begins to appear around the world, initial celebration soon gives way to suspicions about its mysterious origins. As the race to find and control the world's supply of Ink intensifies, signs begin to appear that not is all that it seems. Will the siblings and their fellow Inklings be able to uncover the truth in time?”


Series: Book #2 in “The Inkwell Chronicles”. Review of Book #1 Here!


Spiritual Content- Everett & his family live in a vicarage as his father (Marcus) is a Reverend; Everett has the same nightmare often and wonders if it’s a sign like he’s heard about in Sunday School about “people [who] had visions of the future” (he discusses this with his father and his father says those are “prophecy or premonition” and has known people who have those dreams, but doesn’t think that’s what Everett is having; Later Everett still wonders if his nightmare was a premonition about a trip); Everett thinks back about a sermon his father gave about not borrowing trouble, but feels guilty because he wasn’t fully paying attention; Going to a church (to steal an item from there, see Negative Content about this); Mentions of churches/cathedrals, clergymen/ministers, church events, services, & a homily; Mentions of priests, popes, a pope releasing a peace dove, & thuribles with incense; A few mentions of those & events in the Bible; A few mentions of praying; A couple mentions of forgiveness; A mention of haughty eyes being used in reference to a Bible verse; A mention of the Bible; A mention of missionaries; A mention of wishing someone Godspeed; A mention of saints; 
             *Note: The special Ink in this story is what is behind all the greatest creative works (stories, paintings, music, etc.), that it unlocks someone creativity when used (in the first book it was also said to be the source of all the stories where good triumphs over evil); Ink is used in multiple ways, mainly for someone to draw something (typically in the air) to help them on their mission (such as creating stairs to escape, wearing different clothing to fit into a party, etc.); There is a new type of Ink called “Inkanto” that affects what a person uses it for & the person using it (A man says it’s “devilishly clever” and that one “has to admire it for that”, which Everett isn’t sure one should), *Spoiler* It’s not real Ink and created to destroy Ink and it’s users, and is also able to undo those who have been turned to stone or gargoyles; Everett is shocked that so many who believe in the true Ink would fall for the imitation Ink; *End of Spoiler*); “Blotters” are the villains in this story who are creatures that despise the Ink (since they hate all that is good and creative, they called it “the Stink” and their pupils change once they smell it), and some of them have batlike wings between their shoulder blades and can fly (others look like part dogs or beetles with many arms); Blotters also have “dye hounds” that are wolflike beasts that serve the blotters (some are blotters that upset those above them in rank and were put under a “spell”); Blotters and other creatures like them cannot enter into a house of worship as that is a safe place for those trying to flee from them (if they enter, they will instantly become gargoyles); The Blotter Queen is called “your wickedness” and “your lowness”; Blotters use salt crystals as a way to communication with the other like a phone (by tossing the crystals into a fire); Everett has sticks that are called “divining rods” or “dowsing sticks” and leads the person holding them to Ink or Ink traces (when he uses them, they tingle and lead him to the Ink quickly; At another time, those tingles are described as a “current”); Everett is able to go into books (called “Leap Reading”) and it happens a handful of times; When someone drinks Inkanto, it’s said that “Ink absorbed through the skin fights many evils”, but the Inkanto goes to someone’s mind and darkens it; There is a new character who is an elemental-class Fomentori which is said that “Ink is not only for writing. It moves the whole created order—the earth, the sea, the air. I find where it is moving and join it”; About ten things are described as “magic” or “magical” but are either not magic or not confirmed to be actual magic (used more of as an adjective for something unusual or unordinary); Everett and Bea are hypnotized by a villain and hears her voice in their head, telling them lies (which they start to believe until she is stopped); *Spoiler* Marigold, an Elemental Fomentori, goes into dormancy and turns into a seedpod when she’s used too much energy; There’s a goodbye scene before that is similar to a true goodbye, but it’s said she will be okay and wake up again *End of Spoiler*; Mentions of “Mind Murk” that Blotters use to make humans forget about them (we also see adults sprayed with it); Mentions of the Pantheon; A few mentions of spells (mainly being mentioned with Blotters being turned into other creatures, another thinking a spell is being casted on him, and hypnotizing being called a spell); A few mentions of the legend of the Fountain of Youth (said to have magic healing properties and that a Saint found it); A few mentions of a statue of a sphinx (it partially comes to life); A couple mentions of a mosque & singing that calls people to prayer; A couple mentions of gopuram & Hindu temples; A couple mentions of a book that features a spell and an evil witch; A couple mentions of some things being evil; A couple mentions of a comic book story about an alien attack; A mention of Inkanto being called a “miracle”; A mention of a book on Egyptian magic.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘bah’, a ‘cursed’ (to describe something), a ‘good heavens’, a ‘stupid’, and four ‘dumb’s (including Blotters mispronouncing a word in another language and it sounding like they’re saying they’re dumb); A couple mentions of curses (said, not written); Eye rolling & Sarcasm (mostly from Blotters); The housekeeper, Mrs. Crimps, for Everett’s family used to be mean and he would call her “The Cramps”, but after the events of Book #1, she has become much nicer to the kids and apologizes for how she was; Some Blotters do name calling to others (“Dinosaur” for a Blotter with three horns on his head, “Dogface” for a Blotter with a head of a dog, and call other older women “old bat”s); An adult gets cut-off in the middle of his (history) speeches by another adult (multiple times with no apologizes or regret because the other knows he will talk too much); Being squeezed by a big bug & Almost passing out, Being trapped in a fire, Being kidnapped, Being locked in a room and threatened (twice), Fighting and killing bugs and other creatures, Being chased by an elephant (a very close-call) and swamp dragons, & Being chased by Blotters (all up to semi-detailed); A fire (up to semi-detailed); Nightmares (they cause Everett anxiety and his dad tells him to try to change the dream, up to semi-detailed); Seeing someone be knocked out in a fight (barely-above-not-detailed); A close-call with someone drinking Inkanto & getting fever-like symptoms (up to semi-detailed); A giant bird is injured (but will be fine, up to semi-detailed); The villain gasses a room of people and they pass out *Spoiler* This is part of his plan for revenge to knock out those who use Ink and create a fire that will take care of all of them *End of Spoiler*; A villain from the prior book tells Everett that he should have stayed dead (he attempted to kill Everett by throwing him out of a tree in Book #1); The main villain threatens our main characters, another adult human, & her minions with death or strangulation (up to semi-detailed); Some of the Blotters argue, hit/smack each other, & throw sand in the other’s eyes (we see this on-page); Everett gets a bit annoyed at Bea a couple of times (he apologizes for snapping at her once); Everett feels guilt for taking something out of a story when he Leap Reads (because it feels like he stole it; Other adults that are authors tell him that it’s his book and that it wasn’t truly stealing); Everett is stressed and has anxiety, thinking that everyone is counting on him to find new Inkwells (his dad and another adult try to talk to him about it not all being on his shoulders; Later he feels angry with himself and insecure when a plan of his doesn’t work out); Bea sees a painting of a fight where one person is trapped under another and there are bird circling him (barely-above-not-detailed); Bea is concerned that they have to steal from a church, but an adult with them says that “every utensil in the cathedral has been consecrated for a specific purpose, I can think of no more sacred mission for this pen than the one we are on.” and they take the item when the priest isn’t looking (Bea is told “well done!” by an adult with them); Blotters use Mind Murk to make someone pass out; Everett and Bea are told to stay at a place, but they sneak off to try to help the adults (*Spoiler* They end up kidnapped and realize that what the adult meant by it being dangerous *End of Spoiler*); Everett and Bea are hypnotized by a villain and hears her voice in their head, telling them lies (which they starts to believe until she is stopped); Everett and Bea are told that they can’t go on a mission, but the adults in charge let them go around with a friend to explore a new country (with a couple of rules); *Spoiler* Marigold, an Elemental Fomentori, goes into dormancy and turns into a seedpod when she’s used too much energy; There’s a goodbye scene before that is similar to a true goodbye, but it’s said she will be okay and wake up again *End of Spoiler*; Everett and Trey sneak off to go flying (they weren’t told they couldn’t and they do not get punished for it because they learn something important on the flight); Bea picks a lock and is able to get them out of a room a villain locked them in; *Major Spoiler* At the very end, Everett is thrown into a volcano by a villain & Bea sees this (up to semi-detailed); She and the another adults think Everett is dead until Bea notices a sound coming from the comic book Everett was holding and she knows that he’s “not really dead” (the book ends here) *End of Spoiler*; Mentions of break-ins, stealing, & thieves; Mentions of fires (including ones intentionally set by Blotters in Book #1 as well) & volcanoes; Mentions of Inkanto saying mean things to Bea (trying to turn her against her brother and others); Mentions of some who have used Inkanto getting a big ego; Mentions of lies & lying (including the vicar telling an untruth that’s as close as he could “bring himself to telling a full-fledged lie”, and someone saying that “the most powerful lies are those we wish very much to be true”); Mentions of pipes, smoking, & drinking pints (by adults); A few mentions of a villain throwing Everett out of a tree (Book #1); A few mentions of kidnappings (Book #1); A few mentions of prison; A few mentions of an injured bird & her pain (barely-above-not-detailed); A couple mentions of wars & fights/battles; A couple mentions of someone struggling with claustrophobia; A mention of Everett’s father being missing (Book #1); A mention of grieving a spouse (Everett’s father for his mother); A mention of a man stealing money from a church; A mention of jealousy; A mention of a rumor; 
             *Note: Mentions of authors & their books (including George MacDonald, Charles Dickens, Agatha Christie, J. M. Barrie, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Jules Verne, & Astrid Lindgren); A few mentions of body odor; A couple mentions of artists; A couple mentions of time travel in a book; A mention of a woman saying something is “predictable male behavior”. 
 
 
Sexual Content- A few mentions of a woman developing romantic feelings for a man & her blushing; A mention of a book that has too much romance for Everett’s taste.
 
-Everett, age 11 (?)
                P.O.V. switches between him, Bea, & others (including villains and their minions)
                                           Set in 1952 (?)
                                                        368 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

Let me first say: That ending of a cliffhanger is quite mean. I would almost suggest for fans of the first book to wait for the third book to be released before reading this one! 

 

I was a little concerned going into this second book because I decided not to reread the first book before starting this sequel due to time constraints. Thankfully, because of the easy middle-grade writing style and storytelling, I had no difficulty following along and being reminded of past events in the prior book. Props to the author for that! 

 

As an adult reader, I will say that the villains are at the level of comic book villains in the sense that their plans easily fail and their minions are most-of-the-time buffoons. Personally, I found something’s to be a bit weird and that affected my personal rating (such as the head Blotter being a dung beetle and a good adult turning into a seed pod because of her Ink talent making her go into dormancy). But that said, it was still an entertaining and unique read.

 

Like the first book in the series, the faith content is light. In this sequel, there was an importance place on knowing what the real Ink is, rather than the one that’s being shared. There’s mentions of the real Ink not leading Everett and Bea the wrong way and it feels very symbolic of knowing the Truth. 

 

This series might not be a good choice for sensitive readers, but those who enjoy action and high stakes with some fantasy elements thrown-in will probably enjoy it the most. 

 

 

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 (Worthy Kids) for this honest review.

"Against the Wind" by Amanda Cabot

About this book:

  “Doctor-in-training Louisa Vaughn has no intention of remaining in Sweetwater Crossing. She's just there for a few days to help a friend. But she can't abandon the injured man she finds at the side of the road. Until his broken leg heals, she'll serve as the town's doctor and midwife. She may not be fully qualified yet, but surely she's better than nothing.
   Josh Porter's plans to win his grandfather's challenge and fulfill his father's final wish to gain full control of the family business hit a roadblock when he breaks his leg. But his enforced stay in Sweetwater Crossing gives him new ideas about the expansion of the company into new territory--ideas Louisa could help turn into reality.
   If only the town were more accepting of Louisa's talents! Someone is determined to convince her to abandon her dream of healing others. Can Josh help her uncover the person behind the threats before it's too late? And is there any future for them together when neither of them plans to stay?”


Series: Book #2 in the “Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing” series. Review of the first book, Here! Mentions the town from the author’s previous series, “Cimarron Creek”.


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are mentioned, read, & quoted; Prayers; Bible reading; Church going & Sermons; Set around Easter time; Talks about God; 'H's are not capital when referring to God; Louisa believes that God intends for her to be a healer; A voice (implied to be God) speaks to Josh; A mother who is grieving says that her grief is between her and “the God who won’t let me be happy” (there are no other mentions on her emotions towards God by the end of the book); Another mother says that God took away her daughter but gave her a second chance of happiness with another daughter; Mentions of God, Jesus, His plans, & His creation; Mentions of prayers, praying, thanking God, & blessings over food; Mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of churches, church going, sermons, ministers, & hymnals; Mentions of Easter, Jesus’ resurrection, Good Friday, & Palm Sunday; Mentions of blessings, being Blessed, & a Blessed event (childbirth); Mentions of miracles; A few mentions of someone seeing angels due to his fever; A couple mentions of Heaven; A couple mentions of signs from God; A mention of the Christian thing to do; A mention of sinners.
 

Negative Content- A mention of a curse (said, not written); Seeing the death of a young teen & Grief (up to semi-detailed); Being held at gunpoint, Being flung off of a horse, Pain, Injuries, a Broken bone, & Passing out (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of deaths, how they happened (including murders and accidents, Book #1), & grieving (including Louisa and Josh for both of their parents, a mother for her daughter and other mothers for their sons, a wife for her husband, a boy for his father, & a husband for his wife and son); Many mentions of injuries, accidents, pain, & near-death experiences (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a carriage accident & deaths (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Mentions of fevers, seizures, vomit, illnesses, blood/bleeding, delirium, & deaths (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of domestic violence, a man physically hurting his wife, & her injuries (*Spoiler for Book #1* Emily; She can’t talk about it with Louisa for half of this book, but does tell her that he was violent towards her and Louisa is shocked to learn this as she didn’t know but does remember seeing a glimpse of Emily’s bruises *End of Spoiler*); Mentions of stealing, stolen items, thieves, & horse thieves being hanged; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of injured animals; A few mentions of wars & deaths; A few mentions of fighting & fights; A few mentions of a storeowner cheating others; A few mentions of betting; A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of fires; A couple mentions of threats; A couple mentions of a saloon; A mention of it appearing like someone took their own life (Book #1); A mention of jail; A mention of a child being locked in a smokehouse when she misbehaved; A mention of someone rolling their eyes; 
             *Note: *Spoiler* A mentally unstable woman holds Louisa at gunpoint & locks her in a room with bees; Louisa is saved, and the woman is whisked away by her husband to leave to go to a place that treats “diseases of the mind” *End of Spoiler*; Louisa believes that her sisters are better than her at most things and that she’s lived in their shadows growing up (Louisa and Emily’s relationship is quickly improved at the beginning); Josh’s father pushed him to surpass his cousin, even if he’s the younger one (due to his father being the younger sibling and not getting a fair chance); Many men and women make comments to Louisa about women not being doctors (including blaming her for deaths, telling Josh he’ll be lucky to be able to walk again, that women are too weak and aren’t smart enough for being doctors, & a man says he would “let” his wife be a midwife but not a doctor; A woman tells Louisa that women are supposed to be a wife and mother so she should give up her fantasy, but Louisa believes God has called her to be a healer); Josh wonders if it’s true that females don’t crave adventure and new places like males did (particularly referring to horses); A young teen gets upset at his mother for not being able to give him what he wants (financially); Mentions of when Louisa had an allergic reaction to a bee sting as a child & her fear of them since; A couple mentions of a child with Down Syndrome being called “simple” by most.
 
 
Sexual Content- Three hand kisses, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, and two border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kisses; Remembering a kiss (up to semi-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Warmth, Smelling, & Nearness (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to touch, embrace, & dance (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Noticing; Josh doesn’t believe in love, only in marriage being beneficial for both families; Mentions of kisses; Mentions of jealousy; A handful of mentions of a young teen girl (age 15/16) getting pregnant by a man who left after he got “what he wanted” from her & her having to give up her baby; A couple mentions of men leering at Louisa; A couple mentions of blushes; A mention of a young woman conceiving a child in only one night; A mention of a dalliance that resulted in an illegitimate child; A mention of chaperones; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: Louisa helps deliver two babies and there’s mentions of blood, screaming, & pain (semi-detailed) *Spoiler, but Important Trigger* One goes well but the second is a stillbirth; Another one that Louisa does not help with ends with the mother and baby dying (all are up to semi-detailed) *End of Spoiler*; Louisa’s midwife mentor told her that some “young mothers did not always make the best parents”, adding “they’re still children at heart, if sometime goes amiss, they’re less able to handle the grief”; Mentions of mothers and babies dying or possibly dying in childbirth (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Mentions of some believing that a woman is too old to have her first child & Louisa thinks that while “older women were more likely to have a difficult time during their pregnancy, but that didn’t mean they shouldn’t have children”; Mentions of a woman believing she’s barren *Spoilers* Emily; her first husband told her that he could have one (though she didn’t know how he could be sure) so it was her fault they couldn’t have children; At the end of the book, she shares she’s pregnant with her new husband *End of Spoilers*; A few mentions of some women telling a petite woman that she’ll have a hard time in labor because her husband is tall; A mention of a woman who has had three miscarriages.
 
-Louisa Vaughn
-Joshua “Josh” Porter
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                             Set in 1883
                                                        368 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

{Trigger Warning: Side characters go through deaths of their children & major grief}

 

For the first half of this book, it was much calmer than the prior book, which was nice. It was very sweet and a good read—particularly the first half. I say that, because in the second half of the book there is a lot more about death and grieving that could be hard for some readers. A part of life, yes, but everyone has different topics they can handle and topics they cannot—and sometimes things hit closer to home some days than other days. This was still a really good book, I enjoyed it much more than I was expecting to, actually. But I do want to give that warning that there is sadness.

 

I think this is a series that you’re going to have to read in order or you will get lost. I was struggled to remember everyone and events from the prior book, so I had to skim parts of it and reread my own review because events were hinted at in the beginning of this book, but not explained fully. There’s also a lot of different characters mentioned and I had a harder time keeping up with everyone and how they are all related, so I made use of the search feature in my e-book copy. 

 

One thing I was concerned about going into this book was Louisa. She was quite harsh towards Emily in the first book, but I’m glad that the sisters made up very quickly into this bookLouisa felt like a completely different person in this book, but that could be because of grief and her anger cooling down after leaving.

 

It may be an odd thing to note, but I liked Josh’s marketing skills and how his eye was trained to set up merchandise. The business information and parts were really interesting to me. (I’m a nerd, I know, I know.) He’s a good guy—a gentleman even, but has been raised with the concept that romantic love is only for fairytales, not real life. Oooh, I was so looking forward to seeing him eat those words! Hahaha! The romance was very sweet clean, and innocent. May be a little cheesy, but I’m okay with that!

 

The ending was pretty typical for Christian historical fiction, but that doesn’t mean it was bad. It’s just a plot line I’ve seen many times before. That said, I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series, the middle sister’s, story when it releases and possibly even reading a few other books by this author as well in the meantime. 

 

 

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.