"A Very English Christmas" by Carrie Turansky, Marguerite Gray, and Carole Lehr Johnson

About this book:

  “Celebrate the Season with Three Timeless Tales Inspired by Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Beatrix Potter.”
 
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“Christmas in Tetbury” - contemporary story (Beginning, Ending, & In-between each novella)
 

About this book:
  “When Emma Grace Langley retreats to her grandmother’s antique shop in the snowy Cotswolds after heartbreak and job loss, she hopes to find clarity. Instead, she finds a collection of heirlooms—a portrait, a rare book, and a charming figurine—that unlock stories from the past. As each tale unfolds, Emma is drawn into the lives of three remarkable women whose lives were touched by England’s greatest storytellers.”


Series: Does not seem to be connected to any of the authors’ other books.


Spiritual Content- Prayers & Blessings over food; Talks about God, trusting Him, & praying; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Set during Christmastime; Mentions of God & Jesus; Mentions of prayers, praying; A few mentions of books of the Bible, Bibles, & Bible reading; Mentions of churches, church going, & services.
 

Negative Content- A few mentions of deaths & grief; 
             *Note: Many mentions of authors, books, & fictional characters (Beatrix Potter, Jane Austen, & Charles Dickens); A mention of a movie (While You Were Sleeping). 
 
 
Sexual Content- Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Emma’s boyfriend recently broke up with her; Mentions of dating, dates, boyfriends, & break-ups; Some attraction/possibly falling in love. 
 
-Emma Grace Langley, age 27
                                P.O.V. of Emma 
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“A Portrait of Faith” by Carole Lehr Johnson

 
About this book:

  “In A Portrait of Faith, dutiful daughter Violet Walford longs for a life beyond duty to her family. When she is asked to paint a portrait of lively Regency-era author Jane Austen, their unexpected friendship inspires Violet to pursue life and love with new courage.”


Series: Does not seem to be connected to any of the author’s other books.


Spiritual Content- Psalm 23:5 at the beginning; Prayers & Thanking God; Church going; A couple talks about God & His will; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Set during Christmastime & a hymn is sung; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers, praying, & thanking God; Mentions of church, church going, rectors, services, & sermons; A few mentions of blessings; A couple mentions of miracles; A mention of Heaven.
 

Negative Content- Some eye rolling & sibling bickering with mean/hurtful intent; Mentions of illnesses, mothers being unwell (including mentally and nervous disorder), & grief; A few mentions of gossip; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of possible alcohol drink at a party; 
             *Note: Violet’s mother stays in bed all day (*Spoiler, but mention of a baby’s death* due to the death of an infant after a difficult labor affecting her; Called “melancholia” and the remedy shared for this is “inhumane—leeches or an asylum” *End of Spoiler*) & Violet has been responsible for all of her siblings and household work from a young age; Violet struggles with being short tempered with her family members & wishing her mother would “pick herself up and dosomething”; Violet believes that her life is not her own due to caring for her family (and thus unable to have a life of her own or be able to get married); Violet’s father verbally lashes out at her and her siblings when frustrated (which causes her to use a sharp tone on her siblings as well; He later apologizes to her); Violet’s father’s behavior has no sympathy towards his wife because he believes that she could control her mood if she wanted & calls her selfish; *Spoilers* Halfway through, Violet’s little brother asks their mother why she hates him which causes Violet’s fury to rise and tell her mother to get out of bed; Her mother comes downstairs shortly after and tries to start being with the family more; Violet wonders if “perhaps being stern held the secret all this time. They had bowed to Mamma far too long.” and later apologizes to her mother for her cruel words, but her mother thanks her for speaking the truth she needed to hear *End of Spoilers*; Featuring & many mentions of Jane Austen (also a couple quotes by her are said/shared); Mentions of the death of an infant, grief, & the difficult labor; A few mentions of a mother thinking she’s being punished to having only daughters after being very disappointed when her firstborn is a girl; A couple mentions of sons being “esteemed” over daughters (which Violet thinks is unfair).
 
 
Sexual Content- Two barely-above-not-detailed kisses, and a semi-detailed kiss; Fingers to lips touches, Wanting to kiss, Staring at lips, & Thinking about being kissed (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Touches, Dancing, Nearness, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Blushes; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of blushes & crushes; Love, falling/being in love, & the emotions. 
 
-Violet Walford, age 24
                              P.O.V. of Violet
                                    Set in 1816
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

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“A Victorian Christmas Tale” by Carrie Turansky
 

About this book:

  “In A Victorian Christmas Tale, Clara Reynolds struggles against physical challenges and family expectations while falling in love with John, a writer with ties to Charles Dickens. Their work at the London Foundling Hospital brings healing, hope, and a Christmas transformation that would make Scrooge proud.”


Series: Does not seem to be connected to any other book.  


Spiritual Content- 1 Samuel 16:7 at the beginning; Many prayers & Thanking God; Talks about God, His will and direction, & praying; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Set during Christmastime; Mentions of God, His will, trusting Him, & the Holy Spirit; Mentions of prayers, praying, & answered prayers; Mentions of churches, church going, a reverend, & sermons; A couple mentions of miracles; A couple mentions of baptisms; 
             *Note: ‘Thank heavens’ is exclaimed one; Mentions of the ghosts in ‘A Christmas Carol’; A mention of luck.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blast’, A mention of a curse (said, not written); A bit of eye rolling; Mentions of rumors & gossip; A few mentions of an accident & death; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of a young girl being treated differently by other children because of her disability; 
             *Note: Clara has a “weak leg” that is “several inches shorter than the other” and has faced men who look down on her because of her “deformity” or like she is a “cripple”; Clara wishes her mother could be more understanding about her “defects”; Clara’s sister tells her to start making her own decisions and live her own life rather than follow what their parents want her to do (Clara thinks that it’s time to stand up for herself after this conversation); Mentions of prejudice towards orphans, those who don’t know their biological parents or could have been illegitimate, & those in the lower class; Featuring & many mentions of Charles Dickens, his books, & fictional characters.
 
 
Sexual Content- A forehead kiss; Touches, an Embrace, Warmth, Tingles (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing & Staring (barely-above-not-detailed); Clara and John go into a hotel to eat without a chaperone and while she’s nervous at first, she decides that because her conscience is clear, she’s going to stop worrying about what others think; Mentions of chaperones; A few mentions of a man possibly illegitimate; A few mentions of an unfaithful fiancé; Love, falling/being in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: A couple mentions of a mother passing away after birthing complications.
 
-Clara Raymond, age 24
-John Stafford, age 28
                              P.O.V. switches between them
                                            Set in 1843 
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New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

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“A Tale of the Season” by Marguerite Gray
 

About this book:

  “In A Tale of the Season, Edwardian heiress Arabella Graham escapes to the Lake District and meets a charming country veterinarian—as well as artist and children's author Beatrix Potter. With gentle wisdom and the peace of a country Christmas, Arabella discovers the joy of finding her own path.”


Series: Does not seem to be connected to any other book.  


Spiritual Content- Philippians 2:13 at the beginning; A couple Scriptures are quoted & thought about; Prayers; Church going & sermons; Talks about God & His plans; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Set during Christmastime; Mentions of God, finding your purpose from God, His will, & His plans; Mentions of prayers, praying, & thanking God; Mentions of churches, church going, vicars, services, sermons, & stained glass; A few mentions of a nativity; A few mentions of miracles.
 

Negative Content- Mentions of deception; A few mentions of taverns/bars & alcohol; A couple mentions of deaths & grief; A couple mentions of gossip; 
             *Note: Arabella wants a different life than want her parent’s want for her (such as living in the country instead of the city); Featuring & many mentions of Beatrix Potter, her books, & fictional characters; A couple mentions of daughters keeping their parents happy with a “mask of obedience”; A mention of Beatrix saying that marriage “in general is not for every woman”.
 
 
Sexual Content- Three hand kisses, a nose kiss, a forehead kiss, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, a semi-detailed kiss, and a border-line semi-detailed // detailed kiss; Remembering a kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Nearness, Warmth, & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Wanting to touch, embrace, & kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Some flirting & blushes; Noticing & Staring (including muscles, barely-above-not-detailed); A few mentions of kisses & kissing; Love, falling/being in love, & the emotions. 
 
-Arabella Graham, age 21
-Thomas Rowe
                              P.O.V. switches between them
                                     Set in 1906
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

 

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Overall Ratings:

Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

Unlike other novella collections I’ve read, this book had a contemporary story at the beginning, end, and in-between each of the historical novellas to connect them all together. I preferred the historical novellas compared to the contemporary one, but I think that might have been because the contemporary story seemed to be the shortest of the four novellas. 
 
I’m not really familiar with Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, or Beatrix Potter as actual people (as opposed to knowing only a bit about their fictional works), so I’m not sure how accurate they were and can’t really judge those elements. I’m not one for adding fictional details for an actual well-known historical figure, personally, but that probably wouldn’t bother many readers. 
 
As far as the historical novellas, I personally found the first historical one (by Carole Lehr Johnson; featuring Jane Austen) a little…depressing. It had a melancholy feel to it because of the main character’s home life, responsibilities, her being a caretaker for her mother, and feeling trapped in her situation and duty for her family. Thankfully it ends happier, which was good because I struggled to finish it at times. ⭐️ 2 stars, personally. 
 
The second story was by far my favorite of this collection. It was a sweet one (by Carrie Turansky; featuring Charles Dickens) and had one of the sweetest male leads. John was such a dear and so was Clara! Their faiths were wonderful and this novella had such a sweet premise and message. 4 stars, personally ⭐️
 
For the final historical novella, this third story (by Marguerite Gray; featuring Beatrix Potter) was enjoyable, though it was mostly set in the summer. Only the last few of chapters were set during Christmastime. I liked both of the main characters well enough and liked the amount of faith content and discussions as well. 3 stars, personally ⭐️
 
This Christmas collection ended up being quite different than I was expecting, but still an overall pleasant and calm read.
 

 

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.

"Crooks and Christmas Cookies" by Stephanie Coleman

About this book:

  “Hannah Prentiss is thrilled to see her new friend, Amelia Jacobsen, transforming her mother’s old house into the bed-and-breakfast of her dreams. Amelia’s mother, Sally, was locally famous for the desserts she made—and for refusing to share her recipes. Hannah is helping her friend in every way she can, but when things keep going wrong, Hannah wonders if someone is trying to thwart Amelia’s dream.
    Can Hannah find the culprit before they take it one step too far?
    Meanwhile, Hannah is reminded how a thriving career can make dating difficult. She and Fire Chief Liam Berthold have finally admitted their feelings for each other, but making plans to actually spend time together is a whole different story. How can they balance both their busy lives and their growing relationship?”


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


Spiritual Content- Romans 5:3-5 at the beginning; A few Scriptures are remembered, quoted, mentioned, & thought about; Prayers & Thanking God; Church going; Set during the Christmas season; Talks about God; ’H’s are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God & spending time with Him; Mentions of prayers, praying, answered prayers, thanking God, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, church going, services, a pastor, & sermons; A couple mentions of blessings; A mention of a godly man; 
             *Note: Someone comments that she knows people say “the Lord won’t give us more than we can handle”, but feels like she’s at capacity; A couple mentions of Santa Claus; A mention of being lucky.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a form of ‘dumb’ and two ‘stupid’s; Some eye rolling; Accidental eavesdropping; Many mentions of thieves, stealing, stolen items, burglars, & break-ins; Mentions of deaths, cancer, dementia, & grief (including Hannah for her mom & another for her parents); Mentions of car accidents; Mentions of a missing person (possible kidnapping); Mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of threats; A few mentions of lies, lying, & liars; A couple mentions of World War II; A couple mentions of fires; 
             *Note: A comment from a young girl that if she “bothered with” marriage and having children, she might teach her child how to bake (like she was taught); A young girl slams her bedroom door when upset; Mentions of car brands; Mentions of fictional characters, books, & authors (Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew, & William Shakespeare).
 
 
Sexual Content- A few Touches, an Embrace, Warmth, & Winks (barely-above-not-detailed); Butterflies/Tingles, Nearness, & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes; Going on dates; Many mentions of dates, dating, boyfriends/girlfriends, relationships, break-ups, & interest in someone; A couple mentions of crushes. 
 
-Hannah Prentiss, age 35
                                P.O.V. of Hannah & another
                                   5 scenes set in the 1940s-1960s
                                                        269 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

This was a really cute Christmas cozy mystery! Cute title aside (actually, speaking about the title, I’m shocked Hallmark hasn’t used this one for one of their Christmas mysteries), it took me a while to figure out the culprit and I also enjoyed seeing more of the business aspect of Hannah’s restaurant and her friend’s Bed and Breakfast. This book did have the most romance out of the series so far with many mentions of dates/dating and Hannah’s interest in Liam (and vice versa), but it was still squeaky clean and safe for teens with not even a kiss (just butterflies and wishing to go on a date).

 

 

See y’all on Wednesday 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.

"Eleanor Jo: A Christmas to Remember" by Eleanor Clark

About this book:

  “Little did nine year-old Holly know that her Grandmother would tell a story that would sweep her back in time to a special Christmas during the Great Depression when her Grandmother, Eleanor Jo, was a little girl. Eleanor Jo was eagerly awaiting her favorite time of year...Christmas! She knew times were financially hard for her family, but she was looking forward to all the treats, singing, and yes, the presents! Join Eleanor Jo as she discovers the true meaning of Christmas and experiences a Christmas family miracle that will impact generations to come.”


Series: While considered Book #7 in “The Eleanor” series, it is actually a bonus book and best read at least before Book #5. Reviews of Book #1 Here, Book #2 Here, Book #3 Here, Book #4 Here, and Book #6 Here! 


Spiritual Content- Set during Christmas; Many Scriptures are read, mentioned, & quoted (including Luke 2:1-20 in the story and in bonus content at the end); Many Prayers; Church going, Being in a church Christmas play, & Singing Hymns; Many talks about God, Jesus, Christmas, Jesus being the best gift, & Jesus dying on the cross for our sins; 'H's are capital when referring to God and Jesus; Eleanor Jo’s father tells her and her sister about Jesus dying on the cross for them & they both want to ask Jesus to live in their hearts (and he leads them into a prayer); In bonus content at the end, there is a pray shared to ask Jesus into your heart; All about & Many mentions of the first Christmas, Baby Jesus, & others in the Bible; Mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of prayers, praying, blessings over food, & praising God; Mentions of churches, church going, services, a pastor, a church Christmas play, & hymns; Mentions of nativity sets; Mentions of angels & Heaven; Mentions of blessings & being blessed; A mention of a miracle; 
             *Note: Eleanor Jo asks her father if the window display is magic, but he explains that while it looks like magic, the items run on tracks; Mentions of Santa, his workshop, & elves.
 

Negative Content- A couple mentions of the Great Depression; A couple mentions of a break-in; A couple mentions of jealousy; 
             *Note: Holly Marie is told about how her family almost lost her before she was born and how the doctors were afraid she wouldn’t make it, but they all prayed and received her as a miracle blessing; Eleanor Jo and her family go to Neiman Marcus to look at the Christmas windows; A couple mentions of Shirley Temple & a Raggedy Ann doll; A mention of a car brand.
 
 
Sexual Content- N/A.
 
-Holly Marie, age 8
-Eleanor Jo Bozeman, age 8
             P.O.V. switches between them (Holly Marie in Prologue & Epilogue only)
                   Set in present day (prologue & epilogue) & 1939

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating- 

What a precious Christmas story! This book fully featured the wonder of Christmas, but also the true meaning of Christmas and that the best gift we will ever receive is Jesus! This series has been so delightful and filled with faith content, strong Christian values, and also good lessons and characteristics for girls to learn.

 

 

 

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.

"Dastardly Deeds Down on the Farm" by Cynthia Hickey, Linda Baten Johnson, Teresa Ives Lilly, & Janice Thompson

About this book:

  “Four amateur sleuths muck and muddle their way through mysterious disappearances and deaths in the barnyard.”
 

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“Hog Wild” by Cynthia Hickey
 

About this book:

  “Shelby Dickens’ idyllic hog farm turns chaotic when her prized hog vanishes before the county fair. Racing against time, she uncovers rivalries and secrets, risking everything to expose the truth and restore honor.”


Series: Does not seem to be connected to any of the author’s other books.


Spiritual Content- A mention of a Scripture; Prayers & Thanking God; Church going; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God; A few mentions of prayers, praying, & thanking God; Mentions of church going, church events, a pastor, & youth group; A mention of a Biblical event; 
             *Note: A mention of (not) being superstitious; A mention of luck; A (teasing) mention of haunting someone; A mention of a haunted place. 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: four forms of ‘stupid’, Some eye rolling; A bit of lying & eavesdropping; Gunfire, Being shot at, Being held at gun-point (x2, including a dog being threatened to be shot), Being grabbed and held hostage (x2), Causing a car to wreck on purpose, Trespassing, & A fire (up to semi-detailed); Seeing a fight & Seeing someone shot (both in defense of another, up to semi-detailed); All about & Many mentions of a stolen animal, thefts, & thieves; Mentions of gunfire, being shot at, & threatening notes; Mentions of fires & animals being trapped; Mentions of injured or possibly injured animals (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of butchered pigs & blood (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of manure; A few mentions of injuries & blood/bleeding; A few mentions of arrests & jail; A couple mentions of possibly getting murdered; A couple mentions of teen parties (implied wild); A mention of deaths (of Shelby’s parents); A mention of vandalism; 
             *Note: A couple mentions of car brands; A couple mentions of a fictional character (Nancy Drew); A mention of Google.
 
 
Sexual Content- A cheek kiss, a forehead kiss, two almost kisses (barely-above-not-detailed), and a border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kiss; Wanting to kiss (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Flutters, & Smelling (up to semi-detailed); Blushes & Winks; Noticing  (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of dates, dating, break-ups, & broken hearts; A couple mentions of flirting; A couple mentions of jealousy; Some love, falling/being in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: The love interest sleeps on Shelby’s sofa one night to be there to protect her; A couple mentions of a hog’s “harem” of ladies. 
 
-Shelby Dickens
                                1^st person P.O.V. of Shelby 

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

 

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“The Dark Side of the Moo” by Linda Baten Johnson
 

About this book:
  “Liv Olsen returns from university to her home at Friendly Farm—a place that lives up to its name until the dairy cows become seriously ill and the vet is murdered in the barn. Moo-sterious happenings keep Liv looking over her shoulder as she turns amateur sleuth.”


Series: Does not seem to be connected to any of the author’s other books.


Spiritual Content- A couple prayers; Church going; Mentions of prayers, praying, & a prayer chain; Mentions of church, church going, a preacher, & a sermon; A couple mentions of God; A mention of a pastor; A mention of a gospel radio station; 
             *Note: A mention of an alien.
 

Negative Content- Finding a murdered body (up to semi-detailed); Being grabbed & threatened (barely-above-not-detailed); All about & Many mentions of a murder, deaths of a person and sick animals, sick animals (cows), the killer, & the bird flu (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a death (of a wife/mother) due to cancer; Mentions of a fatal gunshot wound, blood/bleeding, & grief; Mentions of sicknesses, possible heart attacks, & a parent being in ICU; Mentions of jealousy; Mentions of a married couple having issues/secrets (which Liv does not think she’s the right person to give advice to the wife because she’s single) & possible up-coming divorce; Mentions of manure; A few mentions of jails/prisons; A few mentions of lies, lying, & deception; A few mentions of rumors; A mention of an attempted kidnapping; 
             *Note: Liv recalls struggling to let a certain guy lead her when they danced and wonders if it was because she wanted to “assert [her] equality” and valued her independence; Liv and her parents are strongly encouraged to get the flu vaccine (implied they do); Mentions of vaccines (for animals and humans) & wearing masks; A couple mentions of a band & song (Grateful Dead & ‘Sloop John B’); A quote from ‘Annie’; A mention of counseling; A mention of a car brand; A mention of a possible panic attack; A mention of a miscarriage & grief. 
 
 
Sexual Content- A hand kiss; Touches, Embraces, Dancing, & Hand holding (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of dates & dating; Mentions of possible affairs; Mentions of a man flirting and behaving inappropriately with married and single women (including when he was dating another woman or married; including trying to kiss a married woman); A few mentions of flirting; A mention of a couple sharing a kiss; Some love, falling/being in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: A mention of a woman’s “voluptuous” figure.
 
-Olivia “Liv” Olsen, age 28
                              1^st person P.O.V. of Liv 
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

 

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“Fowl Deed” by Teresa Ives Lilly
 

About this book:

  “April transformed her homestead into an egg farm, chicken-inspired gift store, and Airbnb, then hosted the local farmer’s market—all to keep the town’s realtor, Jeff Barr, plus the bank from taking over the property. But when Jeff is found dead by the chicken coop, April must solve the murder or lose it all.”


Series: Does not seem to be connected to any other book.  


Spiritual Content- A Scripture is remembered; Prayers; 'H's are capital when referring to God; April tries to talk to a friend about God, but the friend doesn’t think that God will care about her problem (April encourages her that He does); Mentions of God; Mentions of Christians & being a Christian; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of church, church going, church events, & services.
 

Negative Content- Finding a murdered body (up to semi-detailed); Being held at gun-point & Holding someone at knife-point (in self-defense, up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of the murder, the body, how it happened, murderer, & grief (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of stolen items & thieves; Mentions of arrests & jail; A few mentions of alcohol & drunks; A few mentions of rumors/gossip; A couple mentions of blood; A mention of deaths (of mothers, including April’s mother); A mention of suicide; A mention of nightmares; 
             *Note: Mentions of social media & websites (Facebook & AirBnB); Mentions of car brands.
 
 
Sexual Content- A hand kiss and a forehead kiss; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Blushes & Winks; Noticing & Staring (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of dates & dating; Mentions of crushes, swooning, blushes, flirting, & a flirt; A mention of a woman’s “lover”; 
             *Note: A mention of a woman dating a man much older than her (which makes April wonder if the woman “went for” older men).
 
-April Rein
                              1^st person P.O.V. of April 
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

 

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“Searching for Sunshine” by Janice Thompson
 

About this book:

  “Jessie Kingston responds to an ad to breed her thoroughbred mare, Cosmic Sunshine, with Derby winner Like the Wind. But this opportunity of a lifetime turns disaster when her horse goes missing while in the care of the breeder.”


Series: Does not seem to be connected to any other book.  


Spiritual Content- Prayers; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God & His will and plans; Mentions of prayers, praying, a prayer chain, praising God, & blessings over food; A few mentions of churches, church going, & a pastor; A few mentions of blessings & being blessed; A couple mentions of miracles; 
             *Note: ‘Heavens’ is sighed or exclaimed four times; A mention of a “demon-possessed” cat. 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘duh’, a ‘good grief’, and two forms of ‘oh my stars’; All about a missing/stolen horse & the thieves; Mentions of threats; Mentions of a nasty divorce with the husband not being a good guy (abusive, but not said how he was abusive); A few mentions of margaritas & a drunk; A few mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of rumors; A couple mentions of swindlers; A couple mentions of the possibility of a horse being hit by a car; A mention of a death (of a wife); A mention of gambling (meaning to take a risk, not actual gambling); 
             *Note: Mentions of car brands; Mentions of places & restaurants (Walmart, H-E-B, IHOP, & Whataburger); A few mentions of brand names (Dr Pepper & Blue Bell Ice Cream); A mention of a song (‘Jailhouse Rock’).
 
 
Sexual Content- A barely-above-not-detailed kiss; Touches, Hand holding, & Nearness (up to semi-detailed); Noticing (up to semi-detailed); A few mentions of dates & dating; A few mentions of jealousy & making someone jealousy on purpose; A couple mentions of cute guys; 
A couple mentions of couples share a kiss; 
             *Note: Many mentions of breeding horses, studs, a mare’s heat cycle, & watching the process.
 
-Jessie Kingston
                              1^st person P.O.V. of Jessie 
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

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Overall Ratings:

Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

Hog Wild - 2 stars, personally ⭐️ I didn’t feel connected at all to Shelby, but I felt bad for her because of Big Red (her prized hog) was missing. She did jump to conclusions and accusations very quickly, though, which made her a difficult main character to read about. The ending was a little dramatic for being a cozy mystery, but I was glad everything worked out for Shelby.

 

The Dark Side of the Moo - 2 stars, personally ⭐️ This one started out not too bad, but all the flu/vaccine/mask comments got a little tiring. I did like Liv as a main character; she had a good head on her shoulders when it came to the investigation. The ending was pretty sudden though and then there was a quick time skip that jolted me out of the story. I was confused at the end because some details weren’t clear or shared (such as whose lipstick was on the murdered man’s shirt or who bought the other half of the vet business). Also, the comment from the love interest about wanting to marry Liv, but not being ready to talk about having children with her was strange to me. 

 

Fowl Deed - 3 stars, personally ⭐️ The main character talks to the reader in this third novella which was a fun addition to the story if not a little quirky. I really liked that April prayed often throughout the story and as she was snooping to find the murder becayse it felt natural and you could tell her faith was important to her. I was suspicious of the love interest, but I think that’s just because he was kind of strange anyway. A bit rushed there at the end, but it is a novella, after all.

 

Searching for Sunshine - 3 stars, personally ⭐️ The one I was looking forward to the most out of this collection and it was definitely a fun read. I was glad that this one (and the first novella) of this collection weren’t murder mysteries, but this final book also didn’t have any intense or hair-raising moments which made it more of the cozy mystery feel I prefer to read. The romance moved a little fast for my tastes, but it was overall cute and reminded me a lot of the “Little Red Truck” mysteries series by this author with the Texas setting and Southern charm throughout the plot.

 

Overall, there might have been a couple misses for me in this novella collection, but I did enjoy the last two stories! 

 

 

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 Advance Reader Copy e-book for free from the Publisher (Barbour) for this honest review. Some minor details listed in this review may have been changed in the final version of this book.