"Lost in a Book" by Becky Melby

About this book:

  “Hannah Prentiss has her hands full running her restaurant, the Hot Spot, but she always makes time to help someone in need. So when her best friend, Lacy Minyard, mentions that her husband is struggling to step away from his bookstore, Legend & Key, to be home with Lacy and their newborn, Hannah volunteers to work at the store. But Hannah never could have predicted the mystery she finds between the pages!
    When Hannah and the bookstore's newest employee dig into a box of old books, they find an autographed photo of Judy Garland with a personalized note inside a 1945 edition of Black Beauty. But shortly after they discover the photo, it's stolen right off Neil's desk! As Hannah works to track down the thief, she soon learns that the photo once belonged to Neil's grandmother, and that this isn't the first time the photograph has been stolen. History is repeating itself, but this time it's up to Hannah to figure out why…and to make sure the culprit doesn't get away!”


Series: Book #16 in the “Mysteries of Blackberry Valley” series. Reviews of Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, Book #4, Book #5, Book #6, Book #7, Book #8, Book #9, Book #10, Book #11, Book #12, Book #13, Book #14, and Book #15!


Spiritual Content- Scriptures are mentioned, remembered, quoted, discussed, & thought about; Prayers;  Devotional reading; Talks about God, having faith, & trusting Him; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God, faiths, & trusting Him; Mentions of prayers, praying, thanking God, & blessings over food; Mentions of Bibles, Bible reading, Bible studies, & devotionals; Mentions of those & events from the Bible; Mentions of churches, church going, Sunday school, youth groups, church events, pastors, & sermons; Mentions of blessings & being blessed; A couple mentions of miracles; A couple mentions of Heaven; A mention of praise music; A quote by Charles Spurgeon; 
             *Note: Mentions of luck & being lucky; A few mentions of things tasting or sounding heavenly; A couple mentions of aliens.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘duh’ and two ‘stupid’s; Eye rolling; Eavesdropping; Grief (Hannah for her late mother); Mentions of deaths & grief (including Hannah for her mother); Mentions of wars & soldiers being missing in action; Mentions of a missing father (some think he has left his family, was a criminal, or was a spy); Mentions of stealing, stolen items, & thieves; Mentions of jails & arrests; Mentions of alcohol, bootleggers, & smugglers; Mentions of fires; Mentions of children having polio, going through treatments, solitary confinement, & life-long side effects; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of jealousy & hatred; A few mentions of men/fathers leaving their families; A few mentions of break-ins; A couple mentions of someone going into anaphylactic shock (Book #9); A couple mentions of a motorcycle accident; A couple mentions of gambling; A couple mentions of divorces; A couple mentions of a teen girl thinking about sneaking out and ditching school to visit a friend (which her mom wouldn’t approve of; it’s implied she doesn’t do it); A mention of a murder mystery; A mention of someone possibly being poisoned; A mention of smoking; A mention of a young boy having “some anxiety issues” after his father left their family; A mention of parents always fighting (due to money being tight); 
             *Note: Many mentions of celebrities, actresses/actors, movies, songs, & singers (Judy Garland, Margaret Hamilton, Audrey Hepburn, Doris Day, June Allyson, Van Heflin, Dinah Shore, Spencer Tracy, Mickie Rooney, George Clooney, Ethel Merman, Frank Sinatra, Fanny Brice, Johnnie Ray, ‘The Wizard of Oz’, ‘My Fair Lady’, ‘Boys Town’, ‘Hans Christian Andersen’, ‘Till the Clouds Roll By’, ‘I’ve Got Rhythm’, ‘My Old Kentucky Home’, ‘Get Me to the Church on Time’, ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’, & ‘Look for the Silver Lining’); Mentions of books, authors, & fictional characters (‘Anne of Green Gables’, ‘Heidi’, ‘Pollyanna’s Castle in Mexico’, ‘Black Beauty’, ‘The Wizard of Oz’, ‘Henry Huggins’ by Beverly Cleary, ‘My Friend Flicka’, ‘The Midnight Horse’, ‘Confusion by Cupid’, ‘Star Dream’, ‘Don’t Cry Little Girl’, ‘It’s a Date’, ‘Boy Trouble’, ‘The Choosing’ by Rachelle Dekker, ‘Murder on the Orient Express’, ‘Mrs. Mike’, ‘Breakfast of Champions’ by Kurt Vonnegut, ‘Atlas Shrugged’, ‘Mere Christianity’, L.M. Montgomery, Anna Sewell, L. Frank Baum, Lee Israel, William Faulkner, Margaret Mitchell, Ernest Hemingway, John Grisham, Nancy Drew, Bobbsey Twins, Scarlett O’Hara, Winnie the Pooh, Poirot, & Sherlock); Mentions of brand names (Butterfinger candy bars, Jell-O, Christian Dior, Coco Chanel, Maybelline, Monopoly, & Tiffany lamps); A few mentions of car brands; A mention of a website (Etsy); A mention of Boy Scouts; A mention of the polio vaccine.
 
 
Sexual Content- A forehead kiss, three not-detailed kisses, and three barely-above-not-detailed kisses; Some touches, embraces, hand holding, & nearness (barely-above-not-detailed); A teen boy is smitten with an older girl (he is sixteen and she is eighteen), but she doesn’t feel anything except friendship towards him; Mentions of dates, dating, boyfriends/girlfriends, & break-ups; Mentions of flirting, crushes, & being smitten; Mentions of romance books; A few mentions of married and engaged couples sharing kisses; A few mentions of a teen girl calling a man “dreamy”; A few mentions of teen girls being interested in boys; Some love, being in love, & the emotions;
             *Note: A couple mentions of hormones after giving birth.
 
-Hannah Prentiss, age 36
                                P.O.V. of Hannah 
                                     4 Letters from 1953 
                                                        271 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

After finishing the previous book in this series, I’ve been looking forward to reading the next book. Not really because of the mystery (though it was interesting), but because of the changes happening in Hannah’s life and her friend group. The last chapter made me tear up at its sweetness and ended wonderfully. This series has had a great cast of side characters with all of Hannah’s family and friends and have made this series so much more enjoyable. I did get a bit lost at times with all the different characters introduced (and their funny double letter names like DD, BB, JJ, and KK), but still enjoyed this book overall.

 

 

See y’all on Monday with a new review! 

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

"No Lost Love" by Becky Melby

About this book:

  “Valentine’s Day is approaching, and Hannah Prentiss can’t wait to celebrate the romantic holiday with her boyfriend, Fire Chief Liam Berthold. That is, if they can find the time. With Hannah’s restaurant hosting both a private luncheon and a special Valentine’s dinner for her customers, and Liam being suddenly called away to attend a conference, it doesn’t look promising.
    But there’s more going on in Blackberry Valley this winter. When firefighter Archer Lestrade tells Hannah and Liam that he has been receiving a series of strange and possibly threatening photographs, they rally to his side and undertake an investigation. Working together, can they figure out what the photos mean, who sent them…and most importantly, why?”


Series: Book #9 in the “Mysteries of Blackberry Valley” series. Reviews of Book #1, Book #2, Book #3, Book #4, Book #5, Book #6, Book #7, and Book #8!


Spiritual Content- 1 Corinthians 13:4 at the beginning; Scriptures are read, remembered, & discussed; Prayers & Thanking God; Church going & a sermon (including a quote by Elisabeth Elliot); Talks about God & patience; ’H’s are capital when referring to God; Hannah questions why it seems like some people were born blessed and others into adversity, thinking that it’s an age-old question she won’t have an answer to, but knows the true answer is that God is in control of everything, even the “things that don’t feel good”; Mentions of God, His timing, & having patience; Mentions of Bibles, Bible reading, & devotions; Mentions of prayers, praying, thanking God, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, church going, Sunday school classes, & pastors; A mention of Vacation Bible School; 
             *Note: A couple mentions of fairy pools; A mention of luck.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: Two ‘dumb’s and two ‘stupid’s; A couple mentions of curses (said, not written); Eye rolling; A cave-in due to an explosion, being trapped, & seeing a death (border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed); Seeing someone have an allergic reaction (anaphylactic shock, up to semi-detailed); Mentions of an explosion, cave-in, deaths and possible deaths, injuries, & pain (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of deaths (including from cancer) & grief (including Hannah and her dad for her mom/his wife); Mentions of fires & possible arson; Mentions of stealing, stolen items, & thieves; Mentions of a possible stalker; Mentions of threats & blackmail; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of needles and injections at a hospital (which Hannah avoids looking at); Mentions of poisons & possibly being poisoned; Mentions of a family kicking their daughter out due to her relationship with a man whose family they dislike; A few mentions of crimes & a robbery; A couple mentions of the Civil War; A couple mentions of the Great Depression; A couple mentions of lying; A couple mentions of nightmares; A couple mentions of the possibility of a puppy being hurt or killed; A mention of the death of a baby (no details, implied miscarriage); A mention of a car accident; A mention of murder shows; A mention of a divorce; A mention of jealousy; A mention of poker; 
             *Note: In the historical time period, a young woman asks a young man why men call boats and automobiles a ‘she’ and he responds “I suppose because they’re pretty, and if we’re nice to them, they do what they’re told and don’t talk back.” (which she smacks him for saying and he says that he doesn’t prefer that and wants a woman who speaks her mind); Mentions of car brands; Mentions of Romeo and Juliet; A few mentions of actors/actresses (Clark Gable, Irene Dunne, & Carole Lombard); A mention of a movie (You Can’t Take It With You); A mention of a song (‘Always,’ by Irving Berlin); In bonus content at the end of the book, there are mentions of the Hatfields-McCoys feud and murder & TV shows/actors/fictional characters mentioned (such as Family Feud, The Andy Griffith Show, Bonanza, The West Wing, NCIS, Bones, My Little Pony, Buster Keaton, Betty Boop, Elmer Fudd, Rocky and Bullwinkle, and the Flintstones).
 
 
Sexual Content- Two hand kisses, a cheek kiss, two forehead kisses, a not-detailed kiss, and two barely-above-not-detailed kisses; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, & Nearness (barely-above-not-detailed); Winks & Blushes; a ‘babe’; Hannah spends a night on Liam’s couch after a scary event (health-related); Many mentions of dates, dating, boyfriends/girlfriends, break-ups, & exes; A few mentions of couples kissing & kisses; A few mentions of crushes; A few mentions of jealousy; A mention of toes tingling; Very light love, falling in love, & the emotions.
 
-Hannah Prentiss, age 36
               P.O.V. switches between Hannah & a couple others (in the historical period)
                                        Ten chapters set in 1921 & 1931
                                                        281 pages
 
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

Because of a busy schedule, it took me a bit longer to read this book, but I really enjoyed it! I actually found myself super interested in the historical parts and the modern day mystery connected to it didn’t give away the ending to the historical timeline (which has happened before with other books I’ve read when it’s a dual time period book and the mysteries are connecting), so that was a nice surprise! My compliments to the author for that detail! 

 

While I still wouldn’t call this a “romance book”, it definitely had more romance in it with all the mentions of dates/dating and whatnot. But in all honestly, I expect that from a book set around Valentine’s Day and greatly enjoyed it! Hannah and Liam are really cute together and I was invested in both mysteries—I’m a little annoyed at myself for not figuring out the ending, but I liked it regardless. Another winner for the series in my books!

 

 

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.

"Family Secrets" by Becky Melby

About this book:

  “Welcome to Marietta, Ohio, where the past is never far away and the present invites adventure and intrigue. Bring together three reunited friends, a historic building-turned-inn, and mysteries past and present. Blend in the century-old story of Prudence Willard and her clandestine work with the Underground Railroad, and you'll begin to discover the Secrets of Wayfarers Inn.”

Series: Book #1 in the “Secrets of Wayfarers Inn” series.

Spiritual Content- Many Scriptures are mentioned, read, remembered, referenced, & quoted; Bible reading; Prayers & Blessings over food; Talks about God; Most ‘H’s are capitalized when referring to God; Mentions of God, gifts, & witnessing; Mentions of praying, prayers, & blessings over food; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of Bible studies, small groups, & support groups; Mentions of churches, church going, & pastors/reverends; A few mentions of Quakers; A Mentions of Christians; A mention of a hymn; A mention of baptisms; A mention of the Sistine Chapel;

             *Note: Many mentions of ghosts (and not believing in them), dead/lost spirits, & places that look haunted; A few mentions of a man humming in a place his believes there to be lost spirits; A few mentions of evil men; A couple mentions of Pandora’s box; A mention of a mug that said “sarcasm is my spiritual gift”.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘blah blah blah’, a ‘shut up’, two ‘stupid’s, and ten ‘dumb’; A short elderly woman (under five feet tall) is called a ‘midget’; Some eye rolling & sarcasm; Seeing someone have an allergic reaction (peanuts) & helping them (barely-above-not-detailed); Many mentions of wars, slavery, slaves, bounty hunters, & prejudice; Mentions of murders; Mentions of a man’s wife & daughter being killed in a drunk-driving accident; Mentions of injuries & being shot at; Mentions of the mob & organized crime; Mentions of break-ins, jail time, & prisons; Mentions of lies, lying, liars, & deception (in the historical diary parts, Prudence says that “deception was what God had called her to” in regard to the underground railroad); Mentions of rumors & gossip; Mentions of tattoos & piercings; A few mentions of thinking a note is a suicide note; A few mentions of a man losing a hand in an IED explosion; A few mentions of criminals, crimes, & crime scenes; A few mentions of gambling & poker; A few mentions of alcohol, drinking too much, & an AA meeting; A couple mentions of con-artists; A couple mentions of loan sharks; A couple mentions of pipes & smoking; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of drug smugglers; A mention of bootleggers;

             *Note: Many mentions of others grieving the loss of a spouse and/or child; Mentions of LuAnn’s father disappearing when she was young; Mentions of old songs, movies, TV shows, actresses, & fictional characters; Mentions of authors, books, & characters; Mentions of car brands; Mentions of brand name products (food & tech); Mentions of social media sites (Pinterest, Facebook, & Twitter); A few mentions of singers (Elvis, the Beatles, and the Piano Guys); A mention of Angie’s List; A mention of Steve Jobs; A mention of a Disney character; A mention of the Broadway play, Hamilton.

 

 

Sexual Content- Some Nearness & Smelling; Mentions of a lovers’ triangle featuring a letter from a married woman to another man that she would leave her husband for him, the possible affair, & a man receiving unwanted advances from a married woman; Mentions of LuAnn finding out her first love was actually a married man & the unfaithfulness; Mentions of dates & dating; A few mentions of kisses (most by a married couple); A couple mentions of blushes & a first kiss; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of some salesmen taking off their wedding rings when they meet with female clients; A mention of flirting;

             *Note: A couple mentions of a young woman being interested in a man’s muscles; A mention of a curvy figure; A mention of hormonal teenagers.  

 

-LuAnn Sherrill, age 63

                                P.O.V. of LuAnn

                                                        284 pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

I really struggled with this book, personally. LuAnn was super cynical towards Brad and while yes, she’s been hurt a few times before (a long time ago), has she treated every man like this since then? And then her “super close” friends are trying to push them together when it’s really obvious she can’t stand him? It was a bit much with that and all her fantasies and going off into historical la-la-land/romanticisms all the time, so I didn’t like her, sadly.

The historical (1850s) diary parts had a lot of “thee”s and “thou”s between a married couple that threw me off when reading, but maybe it’s historically accurate? Hmm. Don’t know about that.

(Also, just a note: You don’t “slam” an EpiPen into a person’s thigh. Which is what LuAnn does to a girl having an allergic reaction.) This was only one of the many things I found unrealistic.

I had the hardest time following the secrets of the different family trees and keeping track of all the people mentioned. I kind of gave up towards the end on keeping everyone straight.

Unfortunately, this first book was a major miss for me. I will try the second book in the series because I own it, but it’s unlikely that I’ll continue past it.

 

 

See y’all on Friday with a new review!

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