"Into the Starlight" by Amanda Cabot

About this book:

  “After more than a year in Europe, Joanna Vaughn returns to Sweetwater Crossing, her dreams of becoming a concert pianist shattered. As if that weren't enough, her husband, whom she married after a whirlwind courtship, has died. The only thing sustaining her on the journey back to Texas was the thought of her childhood home. But to Joanna's dismay, she's changed so much that the place she once loved no longer feels like home.
    After his fiancée married his partner and both blamed him for a patient's death, Dr. Burke Finley believes it's time for a change. A quick trip with his almost-aunt Della Samuels to Sweetwater Crossing turns into an extended stay to discover what happened to his uncle and her would-be husband. But the beautiful and musical Joanna makes it more than bearable.
    As the two join forces to help Della, there is no denying the attraction felt on both sides. But ghosts from the past are coming to call--and threatening to destroy any chance at happily-ever-after.”


Series: Book #3 in the “Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing” series. Book #1 Here and #2 Here! (Mentions the town from the author’s previous series, “Cimarron Creek”.)


Spiritual Content- A handful of Scriptures are mentioned & quoted; Prayers & Thanking God; Church going; Talks about God, dreams, & answered prayers; 'H's are not capital when referring to God; Burke doesn’t believe it to be true that everything is right with the world because God is in His heaven due to guilt of a past event, but starts to wonder if it could be true; Many mentions of churches, church going, services, sermons, pastors/ministers, hymns, & liturgy/benedictions; Mentions of God, His will, plans/dreams, & gifts from Him; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of those & events in the Bible; A few mentions of miracles; A few mentions of blessings & being blessed; A couple mentions of Jesus; A couple mentions of Catholic priests;
             *Note: A mention of someone’s body being near another in death but not in their spirit; A mention of praying for someone who commit a crime to be at peace; A mention of Joanna’s sisters telling her to follow her heart; A mention of a place almost being like a shrine to someone.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘dang’; Seeing two deaths/bodies (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Being held at gunpoint (barely-above-not-detailed); Pain, lingering effects from illnesses (scarlet fever and pneumonia), & doctor duties (up to semi-detailed); Grief (for parents and a husband, up to semi-detailed); Burke feels guilt over the death of a patient (*Spoiler* It was a morphine overdose and it seemed like he was responsible until the very end of the book when the truth comes out that it was not his fault *End of Spoiler*); *Spoiler* Joanna has a dream of her late husband saying farewell to her and she takes it as a sign to build a new life *End of Spoiler*; Many mentions of murders, murderers, deaths of loved ones, & grief (including Joanna for her parents and husband & events in Book #1); Mentions of & hints about domestic violence & a husband abusing his wife (Book #1); Mentions of wars, deaths, fighting, & battles; Mentions of deaths (including from scarlet fever, pneumonia, dysentery, from spoiled food, and a morphine overdose), illnesses, doctor duties, injuries, pain, blood/bleeding, & broken bones (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of fires, someone burning to death, & *Spoiler* faking a death *End of Spoiler* (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of criminals, thieves, stealing, & stolen items; Mentions of alcohol, drinking, breweries, & saloons; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of gossip & rumors; A few mentions of someone hanging for a crime; A few mentions of a murder that looked like a suicide (Book #1, borderline barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); A few mentions of threats; A couple mentions of slaves; A couple mentions of a bar fight & death; A couple mentions of pipes/cigars & smoking; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of someone looking at another like they suggested “she take an axe and murder her whole family”; A mention of someone being in so much pain that she was begging to die; A mention of a woman hating her marriage; A mention of wringing chicken necks; 
             *Note: *Major Spoilers but Mental Illness Note* A woman who is not mentally well (said as having “madness” and “disease of the spirit”) after committing murder years before this book, having a stillbirth, and then murdering her current husband, tries to murder Joanna; *Big Spoiler* Her parents are heartbroken by the thought of her hanging for her actions or having to be put into an asylum so they suffocate her to save her from “an unthinkable future” (justice is not served in the conventional way, but that her parents will have to live with what happened; up to semi-detailed) *End of Spoilers*; A woman says that second marriages are also “disappointing”, but Joanna tells her that she is mistaken (this is commented on a couple more times); Mentions of a stillbirth (Book #2); Mentions of two women being “moody”, being depressed somedays, and later called “disease of the spirit” and “madness”; Mentions of asylums; Mentions of vaccines & creating a one for pneumonia (Burke has this interest & they discuss it and how different Joanna’s life would be if there was one); Mentions of men holding women in low regard & not wanting to go to a female doctor or believing women should be doctors; Mentions of authors & books (classics); A handful mentions of the sisters bickering and finding fault with each other when younger (including two of them saying that their sister doesn’t have the same mother when upset with her, which she hated hearing); A few mentions of a young girl who some would call “simple” & how she doesn’t look like everyone else and is slow to learn; A few mentions of absences of fathers and the effect of it on children; A few mentions of a father trying to control his daughter’s life; A mention of the “memory problems that sometimes plagued older people”; A mention of a teacher saying that boys aren’t supposed to cry because it’s “a sign of weakness”; A mention of hysteria.
 
 
Sexual Content- Two finger-to-lips touches, a cheek kiss, two semi-detailed kisses, and a border-line semi-detailed // detailed kiss; Remembering kisses (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Warmth, Shivers, Smelling, & Nearness (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to touch & embrace (up to semi-detailed); Blushes; Noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Burke goes into Joanna’s bedroom despite if it was found out, there would be a scandal (not with sexual intention); *Spoiler* Towards the end, Joanna finds out that her late husband’s wife wasn’t dead like they thought and therefore because they were still married, Joanna and the man were not married; This makes their child she’s expecting illegitimate and Joanna is very concerned about others finding this out *End of Spoiler*; *Spoilers for Book #1* Emily’s late husband picked her as his wife so he would have blond children and when she didn’t get pregnant, he would beat her *End of Spoilers*; Many mentions of blushes, flirting, & infatuation; Mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of wedding nights & couples conceiving on their wedding night; A few mentions of siring a child; A mention of a chaperone; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: A couple mentions of a mother dying in childbirth; A mention of pain in childbirth; A mention of a nightgown for a wedding night.
 
-Joanna Richter
-Burke Finley
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                             Set in 1883 (Epilogue in 1884)
                                                        352 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

Like the prior books in this trilogy, this book has a sweet romance within some tragic and trying times for our main characters. 

 

They are pretty quickly attracted to the other but because of past experiences, they don’t act on those feelings and thus is felt almost like a slow-burn romance at times. 

 

It recapped enough about the prior books which was helpful as it’s been some time since the prior books were released! I did get some side character in the town confused though. 

 

I did like both of our main couple, but I didn’t care for a twist at the end of the book (a letter received). There was a bit of the message about following your heart, which I don’t like seeing in Christian Fiction, but there was some faith content to imply about God and praying over future paths and decisions. 

 

I really didn’t like how the ending went. It reminded me way too much of another historical fiction book I read recently-ish. Down to some eerier similarities. I really disliked the ending, it was borderline sad. 

 

The first two books in this trilogy had parts I liked and parts I didn’t love just like this final book, but I will say that these weren’t the normal Christian Fiction Historical book’s plots. There’s a lot of grief throughout them and yet slow and steady romances with some suspense of solving possible murders. Honestly, though, I am disappointed about this final book’s ending. It started out as a three star for my personal rating, but I had to drop it as the book continued.

 

 

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.

"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.

"After the Shadows" by Amanda Cabot

About this book:

  “Emily Leland sheds no tears when her abusive husband is killed in a bar fight, but what awaits her back home in Sweetwater Crossing is far from the welcome and comfort she expected. First she discovers her father has died under mysterious circumstances. Then the house where the new schoolteacher and his son are supposed to board burns, leaving them homeless. When Emily proposes turning the family home into a boardinghouse, her sister is so incensed that she leaves town.
   Alone and broke, her family name sullied by controversy, Emily is determined to solve the mystery of her father's death--and to aid Craig Ferguson, despite her fears of men. The widowed schoolmaster proves to be a devoted father, an innovative teacher, and an unexpected ally. Together they must work to unmask a killer and escape the shadows of their own pasts in order to forge a brighter future.”


Series: Book #1 in the “Secrets of Sweetwater Crossing” series. Mentions the town from the author’s previous series, “Cimarron Creek”. 


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are mentioned, read, quoted, thought over, & preached on; Prayers & Thanking God; Talks about God & trusting Him; 'H's are not capital when referring to God or Jesus; *Major Spoiler* The murderer says that God put him on the earth to stop pain & gives too much morphine to elderly people to stop their pain as God told him that they lived long enough since the Bible says a man is only meant to live seventy lives, and so God gave him the power to do His will *End of Major Spoiler*; Many mentions of God, Jesus, God’s children, His plans, trusting Him, forgiveness, & having peace; Mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of prayers, praying, thanking God, & blessings over food; Mentions of blessings & being Blessed; Mentions of miracles & miracle workers; Mentions of sins (and some churchgoers not liking to hear about their own sins); A few mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; A few mentions of Christians & some not acting like Jesus would; A few mentions of public denunciation & how Emily’s father (a pastor) didn’t believe in doing that; A couple mentions of Christmas & Easter services; A mention of the nativity story being read at Christmas time; A mention of Heaven; A mention of a fire and brimstone preacher; 
             *Note: There is a pastor’s wife who is snooty & greedy; Mentions of a book about children and a witch in the forest (and when this causes a discussion, Craig says that’s it’s never too early to learn the difference about good vs evil, which causes a minister to agree but suggest reading “more appropriate books”); A few mentions of evil & an evil man; A mention of damning evidence; A mention of not being superstitious. 
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘stupid’, three ‘idiot’s, and four ‘dummy’s (most said by children referring to Beulah); A bit of sarcasm; Seeing someone who looks to have committed suicide (a family member, *Spoiler* Emily with her father, but she believes he was murdered, though no one will listen to her *End of Spoiler*, up to semi-detailed); Grieving (a mother, a father); Finding a body (barely-above-not-detailed); Craig goes into a saloon for answers and is offered a drink, but declines; *Major Spoiler* The murderer says that God put him on the earth to stop pain & gives too much morphine to elderly people to stop their pain as God told him that they lived long enough (he truly believes he’s acting on God’s command) *End of Major Spoiler*; Many mentions of murders, a murderer, suicides, their pain and unhappiness, & how it happened (hanging, gunshot, & overdose; including mention of those who commit suicide not being allowed to be buried in consecrated ground and the family being shunned by those in town, up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of deaths, bodies, fevers, & grieving (a mother, a father, a wife x2, a husband, a son, dear friends, & a close relationship with family members, up to semi-detailed); Mentions of an accidental death (from falling, Craig’s wife, which he saw happen, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a bar fight & death; Mentions of wars/revolutions (mainly the Civil War), battles, a plantation, injuries, & deaths (both physical and mental injuries, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of Emily’s late husband’s abuse & her injuries (physical and verbal abuse & keeping things from her to keep her totally dependent on him and keeping her away from anyone else, up to semi-detailed); Mentions of injuries, pain, & blood/bleeding (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of fires, smoke, & a home being burned to the ground (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of saloons, alcohol, drinking, hangovers, minors getting into a stash of alcohol, & an adult drinking too much (after his wife goes on a trip); Mentions of vandalism by two school-aged boys who were drunk; Mentions of violence; Mentions of jail & arrests; Mentions of nightmares & screaming; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of bullies & teasing (including towards Beulah, a girl who looks and acts different); Mentions of Craig not having the dunce stool in his classroom or using a cane and/or ruler on his pupils (he doesn’t believe in public humiliation or punishments like beatings, which cause some families to question his discipline methods); A few mentions of stealing & stolen items; A few mentions of smoking & a pipe; A couple mentions of a fever & bleeding someone (barely-above-not-detailed); A couple mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of eavesdropping; A couple mentions of a man trimming a horse’s hoof so much that it bled as a lesson to his wife to listen to him or else (barely-above-not-detailed); 
             *Note: *Slight Spoiler but Mental Illness note* The villain/murderer is revealed at the end to have a mental illness that was possible inherited from a family member *End of Spoiler*; Many, many mentions of prejudice towards a young girl who is called “simpleminded” (the parents don’t like her near their children (some acting like she has a disease or that children like her should be hidden away), and while some of the children ignore her, other children include her; Emily & Craig become her advocate and stand-up for her against those who are unkind and unchristian towards her; This is a major part of the book); Mentions of classic books & authors; A few mentions of Emily’s father not being her “real” father by others (he was her step-father and the only father she remembers); A couple mentions of some men believing that it isn’t ladylike for a woman to become a doctor; A couple mentions of some people in town believing that females are less valuable than men (which Craig disagrees with).
 
 
Sexual Content- A fingers kiss, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, and a borderline barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kiss; Recalling a kiss (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to kiss & touch (barely-above-not-detailed); Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, Warmth, Shivers, & Smelling (borderline barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Noticing; Because of her late husband’s actions and words, Emily fears men & flinches when they get close to her; Mentions of a man beating his wife for not giving him a son & her feeling like a failure because of his words and actions (barely-above-not-detailed, *Spoiler* Emily, who says he treated her like a broodmare *End of Spoiler*); Mentions of barren wives feeling guilt & that “no man could overlook” it (Emily especially feels this way as she thinks she’s not fertile); Mentions of a woman having many gentlemen callers at all hours of the night; Mentions of kisses & touches; A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of flirting; A couple mentions of blushes; A couple mentions of chaperones; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: A few mentions of “women’s work” & work that men believe is suited for a woman to do; A couple mentions of some people in a town believing that a husband is “justified in disciplining his wife any way he chose” but the wife’s family protected her and wouldn’t let him in their house; A couple mentions of babies that died at birth or didn’t make it past infancy; A couple mentions of being childless breaking a couple’s hearts; A mention of a woman bitterly saying that she’s not meant to be a mother (because of her age); A mention of a woman’s curves; A mention of breeding horses to look a certain way. 
 
-Emily Leland, age 24
-Craig Ferguson
                                P.O.V. switches between them 
                                          Set in 1882-1883
                                                        345 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

{Trigger Warning for those sensitive to suicides and/or grief}

When I first started reading this book, I was concerned. Concerned because the first 70 or so pages are heavy with grief. I was honestly a bit worried how it would affect me, but I continued on to hopefully see happiness be restored in these characters’ lives.

I’m glad I did. 

This is my first book by this author, despite having some of her other books on my TBR for much longer than I’d like to admit. After reading this novel, I definitely plan to continue this series and while waiting for the next book to be released, see about reading some of her other books in the meantime. 

I think this cover is perfect for this story. The dark blue and overall ambience of the cover implies a deeper story within the pages. There’s a lot of heartbreak our main characters have gone through and continue to go through just in the first handful of pages. It was really hard to read at first, honestly. 

I would definitely put a trigger warning for this book as it deals heavily with suicide and grief. 
I liked both Emily and Craig, but it was hard to see the damage that has been done to Emily from her late husband’s actions and words. I wanted to give her a hug so bad. 

Time passed pretty quick in this book (over half a year in total), which is nice. It actually didn’t make their relationship or feelings for the other feel fast, which was interesting. It worked well and I think I was wanting to see happiness and would take any morsel I could get from these characters. (Side note: It was nice to see a widow man’s perspective and it not having him longing for female nearness/companion like most others I’ve read in a similar situations do. Points to Craig for that!)

I absolutely loved how Emily & Craig became Beulah’s advocates. Emily was so passionate and while kind, firm about the matter that Beulah should be treated like any other children as she’s God’s child, just like them. 

There’s a bit of a murder mystery, but it’s someone dear to a main character, so it’s more than just a sense of justice, but a determination. 

As the book continued, I was easily able to predict early on what would happen and was right on the dot, but that didn’t bother me so much, because I just wanted answers and justice. I will say that the ending wasn’t my favorite murderer/killer reveal I’ve ever read, as it felt similar to many other suspense books I’ve read. I did knock off a .5 star on my personal rating for it. 

I wasn’t sure what to expect this is new-to-me author, but I was pleasantly surprised. Despite being about a woman who was abused by her husband, murders/suicides, and a few other topics, it was all kept lightly mentioned on the details that could have bogged the book down more. I appreciate that and that all of those parts were more of a hint, than giving actual details, most of the time. 

 

 

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.

"Sincerely Yours" by J. Kirkpatrick, A. Cabot, L. A. Eakes & A. Shorey

About this book:

  “Four unexpected letters. Four intrepid women. Four lives changed forever.
Spanning a century and a continent, these romantic novellas will lead you on a journey through the landscape of love. Four young women find their lives altered after each receives a letter that sets her on a new path. From a Hudson River steamboat to a lush drawing room, from a carousel carver's workshop to a remote hospital, you'll be swept into the lives of women who are making their way in the world and finding love where they least expect it.”


 Series: As of now, no.

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Book #1:

“Moonlight Promise” by Laurie Alice Eakes

“Camilla Renfrew is a highborn English lady fleeing false accusations when she runs smack into love on a steamboat bound for the new Erie Canal. But can this unexpected attraction survive the treacherous journey?”

Spiritual Content- 2 Corinthians 12:9 in the beginning; Prayers are said & Faiths grow stronger.

Negative Content- N/A

Sexual Content- 2 Semi-detailed kisses

-Camilla Renfew

-Nathaniel Black
                                         P.O.V. switches between them

                                              Set in 1825
                                                        103 pages

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New Teens-

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My personal Rating-

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Book #2:
“Lessons in Love” by Ann Shorey

“Marigold Montgomery Bentley writes marriage advice for Kipler's Home Weekly even though she is single. Everyone assumes from the initials that "M. M." is a man. When the editor asks to meet Mr. Bentley, can Merrie come up with a ruse to keep her writing job?”

Spiritual Content- 2 Corinthians 12:4-6 in the beginning; Prayers & Scriptures are said.

Negative Content- N/A

Sexual Content- 1 semi-detailed kiss and two not-detailed kisses.

-Marigold Bentley

-Colin Thackery
                                         P.O.V. switches between them

                                              Set in 1858
                                                        94 pages

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New Teens-

High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

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Book #3:
“One Little Word” by Amanda Cabot

“Lorraine Caldwell will lose her family fortune to a reckless cousin if she doesn't marry quickly. When she learns her long-lost brother is alive, she hopes she's found the answer to her problems. What she finds instead is a mysterious carousel carver who turns her life upside down.”

Spiritual Content- Psalm 32:8 in the beginning; Talks about God’s Hand & His Gifts.

Negative Content- N/A

Sexual Content- Two not-detailed kisses.

-Lorraine Caldwell

-Jonah Manderley
                                         P.O.V. switches between them

                                              Set in 1892
                                                        94 pages

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New Teens-

High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

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and Book #4:
“A Saving Grace” by Jane Kirkpatrick

“Grace Hathaway must rescue a dear friend from a remote and notorious clinic that promises healing but delivers only heartache. In a place laced with deceit, where lives hang in the balance, whom can she trust to help her?”

Spiritual Content- Isaiah 49:10 in the beginning; Prayers are said & Hymns are sung.

Negative Content- Dr. Hazzard tricks & starves her patients.

Sexual Content- Sam Hazzard flirts with Grace; Three not-very-detailed kisses.

-Grace Hathaway
                                         P.O.V. of just Grace

                                              Set in 1911
                                                        86 pages

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 Pre & New Teens-

High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

 

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Overall Ratings:

Pre Teens-

New Teens-

High School age Teens-

My Personal Rating-

I don’t normally read novella because they’re normally short & rushed...Two and a half of the stories in this novella collection didn’t feel like novellas. Let’s break them down;

The first book, “Moonlight Promise”, was pretty good, I liked it but it felt like a novella.

Book Two, “Lessons in Love”, was my favorite because of the writing style and it felt (in a good way!) a lot longer than 94 pages.

Number #3, “One Little Word”, was my second favorite because I enjoyed reading about the making of the carousel.

And the last book “A Saving Grace”'s story-line was just plain odd to me. Find out at the end of that novella that it’s based on the true story! Say what?! Creepy!

These novellas gave a little bit size taste of the author’s work were you can read them and decided if you want to read more of that author’s work. Like me, I’m looking forward to reading Ann Shorey & Amanda Cabot’s other works soon!

See y'all tomorrow with another 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 review.