"A Gift in Time" by Shaen Layle

About this book:

  “It's opening day of Sarah Morgan's gifts and curiosities shop, Heavenly Presents. Not only are her family and friends there to support her new business, but a local television crew is on-site to interview her. Sarah decides her latest acquisition, an antique music box that supposedly belonged to Thomas Edison, is the perfect item to show off on television. They've only heard a few notes in the strange melody when an onlooker claims her great-grandmother used to play that same tune on the piano but was secretive about its origins.
     When Sarah discovers a hidden drawer on the box that requires a key to open, she is determined to unlock the box's secrets.
     Meanwhile, someone in the Port Huron community is also determined…to see Sarah's business fail.
    Can Sarah find out who is behind the troublemaking, or will she be forced to close the doors on her dream forever?”


Series: Book #1 in the “Gift Shop Mysteries” series.


Spiritual Content- James 1:17 at the beginning; Prayers & Thanking God; Church going; 'H’s are capital when referring to God; Sarah wonders why God would open doors for her dream, only to let her hopes be crushed by the negative things that have happened & wonders how He will make something good out of the situation; Sarah also wonders if God cares about the small problems in her life and while she knows the “pat answer” is “of course”, she doesn’t feel reassured; *Spoilers* Sarah soon learns that it’s true that God does give good gifts and brings good out of bad situations, even the small ones; At the end, Sarah knows that the next time she encounters hardship, she will hold tight to God *End of Spoilers*; Lorena believes that God brought Al (Thomas Edison) into her life and paired them together; Mentions of God, trusting Him, & Him bringing good out of every situation; Mentions of prayers, praying thanking God, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, church going, services, a pastor, a sermon; Mentions of Easter, Palm Sunday, & Good Friday; A few mentions of blessings & being blessed; A mention of mission work; 
             *Note: A couple mentions of luck.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a form of ‘dumb’; Many mentions of rumors & gossip; Mentions of deaths & grief (including a young woman for her mother and father & a husband for his wife); Mentions of a child nearly being killed in an accident; Mentions of complications from Addison’s disease (including seizures and possible death); Mentions of stealing, stolen items, crimes, & criminals; Mentions of intruders, trespassing, break-ins, & thieves; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of jealousy & rivalries (including sibling rivalries); A few mentions of the Civil War, battles, & deaths; A few mentions of injuries & blood/bleeding; A few mentions of teens playing pranks; A few mentions of manipulators & manipulations; A couple mentions of fires; A couple mentions of threats; A mention of scarlet fever; 
             *Note: In the historical chapters, Lorena has a different opinion than her father of what her future should be (finishing school vs wanting to go to a music conservatory) which leads to her commenting negatively on what others think of women (such as some men believing that all women have silly interests and ideas) and keeping secrets from her father such as writing letters to a young man through a maid in hopes her father will later change his mind about the young man (Lorena feels smothered by her father’s protectiveness and plans for her); *Spoilers* Eventually, her father makes it known that he is aware of Lorena’s secrets and steals an item that the man gave Lorena to keep them apart; The relationship between Lorena and Thomas Edison does not go further which makes her cry when he is cold to her; Later chapters show her married to another man and seemingly happy in the marriage *End of Spoilers*; Many mentions of historical figures (Thomas Edison, Mozart, & Beethoven); Mentions of car brands; Mentions of an opera and a song from it (‘The Bohemian Girl’); A few mentions of brand names (Doxa & Rolex); A mention of the YMCA.
 
 
Sexual Content- A little bit of dancing & hand holding (barely-above-not-detailed); A little bit of noticing a man’s attractiveness & blushing over it (barely-above-not-detailed); Sarah tells others that she doesn’t have time to date as she is focused on her store; A few mentions of dating; A couple mentions of chaperones & reputations; A mention of a woman being accused of being a home-wrecker; A mention of a cute guy; 
             *Note: A mention of Sarah noticing a “bit of weight redistribution” after turning forty.
 
-Sarah Morgan
                                P.O.V. mostly of Sarah 
          Mostly contemporary, but also eight chapters from 1862-1865, 1867, 1886, & 1947
                                                        252 pages

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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

The beginning of a brand new cozy mystery series by Guidebooks! While I was planning on waiting to start this series until I finished the “Mysteries of Cobble Hill Farm”, I looked ahead and decided to begin the series due to holidays/seasons mentioned in upcoming books. This was a promising start to the series, even if it wasn’t a new favorite mystery. It took me a bit to keep track of all the new characters and how they are connected, but that’s common when starting a new series so I just made use of the search feature on my Kindle. 😉 I did find some of the side characters to have too much high school drama for women in their forties, so I hope the series will have less of that as it continues. 

 

As a note about the historical chapters: I did have difficulty reading those chapters on my Kindle due to the font. I didn’t particularly care for the historical time period as the character then was deceiving her father about a relationship with a man and hiding about it from him. The man was Thomas Edison, who did not date a girl named Lorena according to some research I did while reading. I’m not really a fan of authors making up fictional events and love interests for an actual historical figure, so these parts weren’t the most enjoyable to read, personally. I preferred the contemporary time-period and meeting the woman who will be main character of the whole series. 

 

Overall, not a bad start to the series and I look forward to seeing what the future books will be about in the months to come. 🙂

 

 

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.

"Borrowed Trouble" by Shaen Layle

About this book:

  “The wedding of Harriet Bailey and Will Knight has finally arrived. Friends and family of the bride and groom have gathered, and the celebration couldn’t be more perfect—until the power goes out during the reception. When the lights come back on, Harriet’s family heirloom is missing! Could one of their friends really have taken such a special item?
    Determined to prove that couldn’t be true, Harriet and Will pause their honeymoon plans to search for the missing antique brooch. As they interview witnesses and possible suspects, they realize there is more history to the jewelry than they ever imagined. And what happens when other valuable items disappear? Harriet and Will must map out the truth before their honeymoon road trip takes another detour.”


Series: Book #15 in the “Mysteries of Cobble Hill Farm” series. Click on the numbers to be taken to the prior books’ reviews: 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, and Book #14!


Spiritual Content- Matthew 6:34 at the beginning & is remembered by Harriet as well; Prayers; 'H's are capital when referring to God; Mentions of God & His timing; Mentions of prayers, praying, answered prayers, & blessings over food; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Mentions of churches, church going, pastors, services, & ministries; A couple mentions of Heaven; A mention of a miracle; 
             *Note: Mentions of luck, bad luck, & a superstition.
 

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: Three ‘dumb’s; Eavesdropping; Fainting (barely-above-not-detailed); All about & many mentioned of missing items that were possibly stolen, stolen items, & thieves; Mentions of deaths, grief, & illnesses (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a war, a soldier missing in action, & deaths; Mentions of intruders, break-ins, robberies, & weapons; Mentions of sibling bickering/rivalry (between twin seven year-olds that stems from jealousy); Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of gossip & rumors; A few mentions of swindlers and pickpocketing; A couple mentions of injured animals; 
             *Note: Quotes from & Mentions of poems by Alfred, Lord Tennyson; Mentions of car brands & inventor; A few mentions of fictional characters (Agatha Christie characters & Spiderman); A mention of an athlete.
 
 
Sexual Content- An almost kiss, a not-detailed kiss, and five barely-above-not-detailed kisses; Touches, Embraces, Hand holding, & Nearness (barely-above-not-detailed); Will carries Harriet into their hotel room on their wedding night and they share a couple barely-above-not-detailed kisses before the chapter breaks and picks back up the next morning with them waking up to each other; A ‘babe’; Mentions of dates & dating; A couple mentions of a broken engagement; A mention of flirting; Love, being in love, & the emotions. 
 
-Harriet Bailey, age 35/36
                                                 P.O.V. of Harriet 
                    Mostly contemporary, but also seven scenes from 1850s and 1860s
                                                        252 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens- 

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

Definitely don’t look too close to the cover of this book or it will spoil the ending of the mystery! Because of this detail, this mystery wasn’t very exciting, but I was excited to see Harriet and Will’s wedding. 

 

I will note that I thought both Harriet and Will jumped to conclusions so much in this book, they could have been at one of those jump park places with all the jumping they made. I’m shocked they didn’t ruin friendships with their different questions and accusations. I think I would have been completely hurt in those people’s shoes or perhaps I’m just too not confrontational and can’t image accusing a friend of stealing from me, but they weren’t too hurt over it once things were explained. This is obviously a minor complaint, but it was overall a decent story. Not my favorite of the series, but not a bad one.

 

 

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.

"On the Right Track" by Shaen Layle

About this book:

  “Harriet Bailey gets a wonderful surprise when Ashley Fiske, her friend from the States, brings her young son, Trevor, to White Church Bay for a visit. Harriet cannot wait to share the village’s charms with her friend, but she never predicted they would end up solving a mystery together! An unpublished manuscript by a famous British children’s author named Adelaide Evergreen has turned up in Harriet’s aunt Jinny’s cottage. The book claims to tell the truth behind an infamous and mysterious railway crash that happened in White Church Bay in 1917, on the fringes of the Great War.
    As Harriet delves deeper into the mystery, it’s difficult to tell where literary license ends, and reality begins. And when it is revealed that Harriet’s relative may have had a hand in causing the train tragedy, the stakes become personal. Will she find the truth at the end of the line?”


Series: Book #8 in the “Mysteries of Cobble Hill Farm” series. Review of Book #1 Here, Book #2 Here, Book #3 Here, Book #4 Here, Book #5 Here, Book #6 Here, and Book #7 Here!


Spiritual Content- Luke 8:17 at the beginning; A couple Scriptures are quoted; A few Prayers; Most 'H's are capital when referring to God; Church going (once, which Harriet struggles to pay attention to the service and when asked her thoughts, says it was encouraging even though she didn’t fully absorb the message); Mentions of God & His paths for us; Mentions of prayers & praying; Mentions of church, church going, a hymn, services, & a sermon; A couple mentions of miracles; A mention of providential interference; A mention of the song “God Save the King”; 
             *Note: It’s noted that a deceased person had “flown to the arms of heaven”; A man thinks he is looking at an angel when he sees a beautiful woman.
 

Negative Content- Some eye rolling; Being threatened, Being chased, Being hit and knocked unconscious, Being trapped in a fire, Pain, & Injuries (up to semi-detailed); Seeing someone become unconscious after falling and hitting their head (barely-above-not-detailed); Seeing a train crash (up to semi-detailed); All about & many mentions of World War I, a train crash and accident, spies and sabotage, & someone profiting by selling goods on the black market; Mentions of deaths (including from a car accident and a respiratory illness) & grief (including from a wife for her husband and young son for his father); Mentions of a recent near-death experience (Book #7); Mentions of Canary Girls during World War I, chemical exposure, & illnesses (including a fatal liver illness); Mentions of explosives, working in a TNT factory and the dangers, & near deaths in the factory; Mentions of a fire & someone being left to die in one; Mentions of stealing, stolen items, thefts, thieves, & break-ins; Mentions of forgeries, bribery, threats, & manipulation; Mentions of trespassing; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; A few mentions of criminals; A few mentions of two dogs fighting & being aggressive; A couple mentions of dead bodies and a mortuary; A couple mentions of jail & arrests; A couple mentions of stalking & stalkers; A mention of a cat burglar; A couple mentions of gossip; A mention of jealousy; 
             *Note: Mentions of actors/actresses & a movie (Rex Harrison, Audrey Hepburn, & My Faith Lady); Mentions of car brands; A few mentions of Jane Austen; A couple mentions of Florence Nightingale; A couple mentions of Houdini; A mention of someone suggesting that another should be committed to an asylum.
 
 
Sexual Content- A few touches, embraces, flutters, warmth, & blushes; Some noticing (barely-above-not-detailed); Harriet and Will recently admitted to feeling more than friendship for each other; Mentions of dates, dating, & boyfriends/girlfriends; A few mentions of two young men eyeing a young woman with interest and her not being interested in being a trophy for them to compete over; A couple mentions of blushes; A couple mentions of a “hunk/hunky” man; A mention of making eyes at someone; A mention of flirting; A mention of jealousy; Very light attraction & the emotions of possibly being more than just friends with someone; 
             *Note: Harriet thinks that a young boy will change his attitude about romance in a few years (as he currently says “yuck” about it); A mention of a married couple having a “notoriously independent relationship”.
 
-Harriet Bailey, age 34
                                P.O.V. of Harriet 
                                                        245 pages
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Pre Teens- 

New Teens-

Early High School Teens- 

Older High School Teens- 

My personal Rating- 

While this book was overall clean, my personal rating was affected by my enjoyment level of the book and plot and also the writing style not being my favorite. 

 

This one was very jumpy in terms of the writing style and because we just launch into the mystery and new characters introduced, it felt off to me. So that was a bummer. I wasn’t quite sure why I was supposed to care about the train crash? It’s suddenly introduced and Harriet gets wrapped up in the document about it, but I don’t feel like there was enough prior explanation about it and the importance. 

 

There were notes from 1917 but I’m not clear if it was supposed to be the document/report that was found in the present day or if it was a nod to almost a dual-time novel. If it was supposed to be the document/report that was found, it was written half like a fiction book and half like a newspaper article, so it was a little strange. 

 

Harriet didn’t act like herself in this book—which always happens once a Guideposts series in my opinion because of all the different writers. She got so distracted with the mystery that she forgot about her clinic for one, which she’s always put the clinic and her clients at the top of her priorities no matter what is going on in the prior books. She also did some things that felt out of character. I would say it was 80/20 on the mystery to the animal/vet parts when it’s usually 60/40 or vice versa. There’s only one mention of Maxwell and Charlie even! 

 

This eighth book does reference events in the prior book but does not name or give anything away, really. This is most likely because of the different authors and overlapping deadlines/writing. 

 

It was a clean mystery and I think others will probably enjoy it more than me, but it definitely wasn’t my favorite of the series.

 

 

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.