"Sofia's Tune" by Cindy Thomson

About this book:

  “In Sofia’s Tune, we meet Sofia Falcone, a young woman who has been living in New York only a short time when she is stunned to discover a family secret, one that soon sends her beloved mother into a mental institution. Scrambling to keep her job and care for her mother, Sofia is convinced confronting the past will heal all wounds, but her old world Italian family wants to keep the past in the past.
  During this time, she encounters Antonio, a Vaudeville pianist with a street-smart dog, seeking to discover why his father was mysteriously killed. Their crossed paths uncover a frightening underworld in Little Italy. Bringing the truth to light may cost Sofia’s mother’s sanity, Antonio’s career, and the livelihoods of countless immigrants. Change is on the horizon, but it may not bring what they expect.”


Series: Book #3 in the “Ellis Island” series. Review of Book #1 Here! and Book #2 Here!

Spiritual Content- A few Scriptures are mentioned & read; Prayers & Thanking God; Going to Mass & Church; Lighting candles; Many talks about God, prayers, & answered prayers; Most ‘H’s are not capital when referring to God; Antonio isn’t positive God hears their prayers, but hopes He does *Spoiler* Near the end he prays for God to forgive his disbelief *End of Spoiler*; Many, many mentions of God, Jesus, & talents from God; Many mentions of prayers, answered prayers, praying, blessings over food, thanking God, crossing, & lighting a candle for someone; Many mentions of churches, mass, & going to both; Many mentions of nuns, priests, confessions, sins and forgiveness, & a convent; Many mentions of Catholics, Protestants, Lutherans, Christians, & Evangelicals; Mentions of listening to God; Mentions of Bibles & Bible reading; Mentions of those & events in the Bible; Mentions of pastors & reverends; Mentions of blessings; Mentions of mission aid societies; Mentions of crucifixes & a rosary; Mentions of holy water & alters; Mentions of a Pope; A few mentions of hymns & worship; A few mentions of miracles; A few mentions of saints; A couple mentions of angels; A mention of Godspeed; A mention of a cross to bear;

*Note: Mentions of an evil eye & curses (Sofia doesn’t believe in them); A few mentions of demons; A mention of having a devil of a time; A mention of a hell hole.

Negative Content- Minor Cussing including: a ‘dash’, a form of ‘idiot’, a ‘what in blazes’, two ‘blasted’s, three ‘what the devil’; Antonio curses once (said, not written); A bit of eye rolling & sarcasm; Fighting, being hit, & pain (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of a murder, a bullet, mafia bosses, gangs, thugs/criminals, & threats (barely-above-not-detailed); Many mentions of a baby that died in an accident (barely-above-not-detailed); Many mentions of alcohol, drinking, drunks, drunkenness, & pubs/saloons/taverns/bars; Mentions of a husband beating his wife & her injuries (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of Sofia’s momma harming herself & being a danger to others (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of an asylum & cruelty rumors around it; Mentions of a woman passing out after falling in water (others think she was dead, she wasn’t; barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of violence, fighting, blood, & injuries (including harming one’s self); Mentions of prejudice; Mentions of prisons & trials; Mentions of debts; Mentions of smoking, cigarettes, cigars, pipes, & tobacco; Mentions of lies & lying; Mentions of gossip, rumors, & busybodies; A few mentions of salves & slavery; A few mentions of wars & battles; A few mentions of stealing & thieves; A few mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of cheating;

A mention of a president’s assassination; A mention of a murderer; A mention of a burglar; A mention of a witch & her broomstick; A mention of a dog that could have been ran over.

Sexual Content- a forced kiss and three semi-detailed kisses; A few touches & embraces (barely-above-not-detailed); Some Noticing & Smelling; A brute tries to corner/grab Sofia & she kicks him in between his legs; Another man touches Sofia’s waist & kisses her neck (he’s later fired and it’s revealed that he molested others); Mentions of a bawdy boarding house/house of ill repute; Mentions of a male impersonating a female in a show (he dresses up and goes by a female name; someone refers to him as a ‘her’); A few mentions of kisses & kissing; A few mentions of married couples kissing & blushing; A couple mentions of flirting; A couple mentions of a brothel; A mention of wanting to fall into a man’s arms; Love, falling in love, & the emotions.   

-Sofia Falcone

-Antonio Baggio
                                         P.O.V. switches between them.

                                              Set in 1903
                                                        412 pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

Like the two previous books in this series, there was a lot of historical content that was really interesting in “Sofia’s Tune”. The romance thread was very light and really only touched on (though they kissed a few times which felt out of the blue for me because of those reasons), but it was overall pretty clean in that regard. 

I liked seeing all of the Spiritual Content, but I will say the book felt a little long at times and there were some parts I wasn't a fan of. 

See y’all with a new review on Friday!

*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.

"Under a Summer Sky" by Melody Carlson

About this book:

  “High school art teacher Nicole Anderson is looking forward to a relaxing summer in Savannah, house-sitting and managing an art gallery for a family friend. The house is luxurious in a way that only old money could make it, and the gallery promises interesting days in a gorgeous setting. Yet it isn't long before her ideal summer turns into more than she bargained for: a snooty gallery employee who's determined to force her out, a displaced adolescent roosting in the attic, and two of Nicole's close childhood friends--who also happen to be brothers--vying for her attention.
   With a backdrop of a beautiful historical city, incredible architecture, and even an alleged ghost or two, combined with the opportunity for romance . . . anything can happen!
Bestselling and award-winning author Melody Carlson invites readers to spend the summer surrounded by beauty and tantalizing possibilities for the future.”


Series: Book #3 in the “Follow Your Heart” series. (Review of Book #1, Here! and #2 Here! But can be read as stand-alones.)

Spiritual Content- A couple Scriptures are mentioned & quoted; A few prayers & thanking God; A few talks about God; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, church going, & sermons; Mentions of blessings & being blessed; A few mentions of religious paintings; A mention of a godsend; A mention of a miracle;

*Note: Nicole goes on a ghost tour (up to semi-detailed, but not truly scary); Many mentions of haunted houses and places (but not like at an amusement park), ghosts (some believe there are ghosts, but Nicole doesn’t), & ghost tours; A mention of feeling odd supernatural effects at a place.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘idiot’ and six form of ‘stupid’s; Some sarcasm & eye rolling; A party with adults and alcohol, only some young teens get into the vodka & get sick (barely-above-not-detailed); Drinking champagne; Many mentions of divorces, going through one, & parents fighting; Mentions of wars, battles, & deaths; Mentions of slavery & slave labor; Mentions of a house party with alcohol, shots, & a girl who had alcohol poisoning; Mentions of alcohol poisoning & throwing up; Mentions of alcohol (beer, wine, vodka, & champagne), a pub/brewery & drinking; Mentions of a possible break-in, a robbery, & intruder; Mentions of teasing, bullies, mean girls, & hatred; Mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of a murder & suicide with the son finding his parents’ bodies; A few mentions of a fire & deaths; A few mentions of injuries; A couple mentions of a suspicious murder; A couple mentions of thieves; A couple mentions of pierces & tattoos; A couple mentions of lies & lying; A mention of poison; A mention of horror films;

*Note: Going to & Mentions of Starbucks; Mentions of celebrities (Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway, Adele, & the Kardashians); Mentions of brands (Range Rover, Mercedes, BMW, Hermès, & Ralph Lauren); Mentions of vampires; Mentions of the Munsters; A mention of Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean.

Sexual Content- two barely-above-not-detailed kisses and a semi-detailed kiss; Touches & Embraces (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing & Smelling; a ‘hot’ and two ‘hussy’s; Many mentions of crushes, dating, dates, boyfriends, girlfriends, breakups, & exes; Mentions of noticing & attention; Mentions of falling [in love with] for someone; Mentions of flirting; Mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of a couple who was pregnant when they got married; Attention from two guys; Love, falling in love & a bit of the emotions; 

            *Note: A few mentions of a skimpy nightgown & a man’s whistling at Nicole; A mention of a young girl wearing a bikini.

-Nicole Anderson, age 29
                                        P.O.V. of Nicole
                                                        300 pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

The beginning held my interest, but as the book went on I started not enjoying it as much. My main problem was that the romances felt forced. Especially with that ending—it was very rushed and quite honestly just faded out as you read the last bit. No exciting big moment, at least, in my opinion.

I did liked Nicole at first, but during her interactions with the brothers, I was shaking my head at different parts. I don’t feel like she had a connection to either of them, honestly. I enjoyed the art gallery parts and found myself wishing there was more of that.

It was a decently cute read—there were a lot of mentions of ghosts and haunting houses that some might not like however—but I didn’t find it to be the author’s best or anywhere near her best book(s).  

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.

*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Revell) for this honest review.