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A Counterfeit Wife (The Sirens #1) by Paulett Golden
J’non decides to follow her mistress’s plan of marrying the man her mistress was arranged to marry. Trevor is in need of a dowry to save his newly inherited estate. Neither of them expected to find love.
4 STARS | Genre: Clean Historical Romance | Age: Adult (18+) | Buy: BookShop.org
Personal Review:
I had no idea what to expect here. I read somewhere the author claims to write historical romance for the intellectual and, I have to say, that is an apt description. I was so glad I read this on my Kindle so I could easily look up all of the words I didn’t know.
I really enjoyed the story of this book. The idea of an impostor wife that falls in love with the man she was “arranged” to marry was promising and I really enjoyed it. I was a little worried in the beginning as there was a strange kissing scene and the start of them having feelings for each other felt awkward. But I enjoyed the character growth of both of them so much, and seeing how their quirks complemented each other and were admired by the other was so sweet and fun.
My only problem with the book is all of the business talk. That’s a personal preference. I rotated through feelings of boredom because of the business dialogue, to anxiety because I was so nervous about Trevor finding out his wife wasn’t his wife, to heart flutters because they were just so stinking sweet to each other.
Overall it was a great comfort read and I hope the author’s other books are just as clean as this one.
Pagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of our Church Practices by Frank Viola and George Barna
Learn how modern church practices have their roots in pagan practices and are a departure from apostolic teachings.
3 STARS | Genre: Christian Nonfiction | Age: Adult (17+) | Buy: Bookshop.org
Personal Review:
This is a very interesting topic to me. I loved the historical information provided. I wish I had time to go back and read all of the footnotes because I’m sure there would be some gems there.
As much as I loved the historical information and the proof that many of our modern practices were formed from tradition rather than Scripture, it felt like half of the book was just Viola complaining. I appreciated the clarifications he provided in the Q&A sections, but I still felt like each paragraph was half historical and half complaining.
I also feel that the solution he suggests, of allowing a gathering of the church to be a spontaneous event where Jesus Christ is the leader of the meeting, is kind of ambiguous. I can understand the concept of this idea but it is really hard to wrap my head around practically. I mean, someone has to schedule the meeting and decide where to meet and set an example of how to engage with each other and what types of creativity are welcome. A meeting can’t be completely spontaneous. I would enjoy seeing the type of meeting he goes to in person to have a clearer picture.
All in all, I am glad I read this as it really gave me great perspective about the systems we follow and the hierarchy implemented in the church. But I was a little disappointed with the tone of the book overall.
Brevity: A Flash Fiction Handbook by David Galef
A book full of short chapters, each focusing on a different type of flash fiction with exercises and examples to study.
4 STARS | Genre: Writing Nonfiction | Age: Adult (16+) | Buy: Bookshop.org
Personal Review:
This was a great little introduction to all of the interesting and powerful stories you can produce in 1,000 words or less.
I especially liked some of the examples provided. Those stories are still rolling around in my brain and have just proven the effect that flash fiction can have on a reader.
Learning to write is going to be a slow process for me (but one I’m very interested in) given my limited time and leftover energy, but this book was not short on inspiration. I hope to stick with it and use the categories Galef provided to guide me in pursuing this new hobby.
The Grace Legacy (The Legacy Series #1) by Malory Ford
Karissa Jones is hiding from her father and his band of outlaws. Matthew has been chasing the Jones’ gang and is about to catch up with them. They work together to catch the gang.
3.5 STARS | Genre: Christian Historical Romance | Age: Adult (17+)
Personal Review:
I am learning that I’m not a huge fan of books set in the historic south. So the lower end of the star rating is for all the cowboys and outlaws, etc. But I rounded up for Goodreads because the story itself was pretty cute and I really liked the main girl.
And despite them being cowboy-ish, I really did like the main male characters Matthew and Jake. They were gentlemen and provided safe places for Karissa and her sister to work through their issues with their brothers and dad.
Overall I enjoyed it but it was honestly a little too heavy for me. And that’s just the mood I’m in (needing lighter, funnier stories at the moment), so I plan to continue the series when I’m in the right mood!
Happy reading!
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