Jeni | StoryTimeReviews's bookshelf: clean-reads en-US Sat, 10 May 2025 21:59:43 -0700 60 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews's bookshelf: clean-reads 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Discovering Dahlia (The Blue Orchid Society #5)]]> 216338329 The Aurora, a luxury ocean liner that promises to revolutionize travel. The invitation list is Dahlia’s closest friends—the Blue Orchid Society—as well as a few influential individuals from her old life, whose presence will ensure the success of her endeavor. Unfortunately, not all have the best interests of Dahlia or her shipping line at heart.Lord Meredith has loved Dahlia since their first meeting. But after her fall from grace, she has evaded his every attempt to see her—until she extends an invitation to join her on The Aurora. Once aboard, Lord Meredith and Dahlia’s tentative rekindling of their friendship is interrupted when things begin to go terribly wrong. Mischievous dealings take on an ominous tone, and it’s clear that someone is intent on humiliating Dahlia again or worse—but she will not be sunk so easily.With Lord Meredith at her side, Dahlia is determined to discover the culprit. So intent, in fact, that she doesn’t recognize another threat looming until it’s too she’s in danger of losing her heart.]]> Jennifer Moore Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4
And Miles Ashcroft, Lord Meredith? The man has been in love with Dahlia since before her scandal. He’s patient, loyal, and just competent enough to know when to let the heroine steer the ship—figuratively and literally.

WHAT THIS BOOK DELIVERS
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4.33 Discovering Dahlia (The Blue Orchid Society #5)
author: Jennifer Moore
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.33
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/10
date added: 2025/05/10
shelves: audiobooks, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, mystery-suspense, regency-romance
review:
If you’ve ever wanted to sail a Victorian luxury liner, solve a mystery mid-voyage, and fall for a cinnamon-roll hero in cravats—Discovering Dahlia by Jennifer Moore is your ticket to the swooniest send-off to the Blue Orchid Society series

And Miles Ashcroft, Lord Meredith? The man has been in love with Dahlia since before her scandal. He’s patient, loyal, and just competent enough to know when to let the heroine steer the ship—figuratively and literally.

WHAT THIS BOOK DELIVERS

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<![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 6]]> 63027990 There is bedlam, and there is delightful bedlam.
This afternoon touched on the second, much to my pleasure.

The Year is 1884 and Emma M. Lion has, at long last, gained her majority. Entering a golden age of friendship with Pierce, Islington, and Hawkes, Emma is confident she will manage whatever comes her way. It is The Season she must help Arabella secure a husband, while navigating the threat of Aunt Eugenia, the unflagging adoration of Charles Goddard, and the amusing unpredictability of St. Crispian’s. But the secrets of her trusted friends are what might very well bring about disaster.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.

Readers have compared The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion to Jane Austen, P.G. Wodehouse, L. M. Montgomery, and Jean Webster.]]>
249 Beth Brower Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5
In ]]>
4.79 2022 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 6
author: Beth Brower
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.79
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/05/10
date added: 2025/05/10
shelves: 5-star-reads-2025, 6-star-favorites, classics, clean-reads, clean-romance, regency-romance
review:
This series should come with a warning label: “May cause attachment to fictional characters, spontaneous snort-laughing, & the uncontrollable urge to sigh dramatically while sipping tea and emotionally spiraling.�

In
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<![CDATA[The Rules of Matrimony (The Matchmaking Mamas, #4)]]> 217004404 An unexpected marriage. A forbidden kiss. A love worth fighting for.

London, England, 1823

Ian has vowed never to marry, steadfast in his resolve to shield himself from the heartache his father’s infidelity brought upon his mother. Instead, he dedicates his heart and soul to reforming criminal law with his Rebel group. A chance encounter in a country graveyard with the infuriatingly bold Miss Amie Tyler only solidifies his resolve to remain single. That is, until his life descends into chaos when rumors of his engagement—an engagement he had no part in or prior knowledge of—force him and the vexing Miss Tyler into a calculated marriage, a mutual scheme to protect Miss Tyler from her lecherous cousin and to save Ian from a political marriage he dreads.

Amie never imagined her unsophisticated life would lead to an entanglement with Lord Ian Reynolds. Living on her relatives� charity, she is resigned to remaining a wallflower. But when her mother concocts a wild lie of her engagement to Lord Reynolds, she chooses to trust a gentleman she hardly knows with her future. Amie is thrust into a whirlwind marriage and is overwhelmed to find herself falling for Ian despite their agreement to maintain their own separate lives and goals.

As they navigate their charade, Ian’s political ambitions clash with his growing affection for Amie, and Amie’s courageous attempt to help Ian’s family heal threatens to unravel their bond. However, a forbidden kiss and unexpected acts of kindness kindle the spark between them that neither can ignore. In a desperate race against societal expectations, the two must decide whether a future together is worth breaking their earlier vows of independence.
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304 Anneka R. Walker 1639933980 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.53 The Rules of Matrimony (The Matchmaking Mamas, #4)
author: Anneka R. Walker
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.53
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/05/09
date added: 2025/05/09
shelves: 5-star-reads-2025, 6-star-favorites, audiobooks, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, lds-authors, regency-romance
review:

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Never Doubt I Love (Calloway) 223229454
Alexander Bailey’s titled family is nothing more than a curse. As the younger brother of the corrupt Duke of Tipton, Alexander is in the distasteful position of complete financial dependence. So when he’s ordered to secure an entrée into the Calloway family, he has no choice but to obey. Scarred by personal loss, Alexander anticipates immunity to Olivia’s charms—but he’s underestimated her. In the company of Olivia and her family, Alexander feels himself coming to life again. And when he realizes his brother’s quarry has claimed his own heart, Alexander finally finds something worth fighting for. Because if anyone is going to marry Olivia, it must be him.]]>
256 Dana LeCheminant 1524428256 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 This book 4.40 Never Doubt I Love (Calloway)
author: Dana LeCheminant
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.40
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/04
date added: 2025/05/06
shelves: audiobooks, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, lds-authors, regency-romance
review:
This book
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Dottie's Tall Tales 231066448 Meet Dottie, a young girl who spins elaborate stories to hide a secret she's too afraid to share. With a wild imagination and tales of her adventurous mum, Dottie weaves a world of fantasy to fit in, but her friends soon begin to question the truth...
When Dottie finally opens up, she learns that being different is nothing to be ashamed of.

Dottie's Tall Tales is a heartwarming story about a young girl learning to accept herself, embrace her uniqueness, and celebrate the differences that make us all special.]]>
35 Vicky Phillips 1805880039 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5
Dottie isn’t just imaginative—she’s a walking story generator. One minute her mum’s exploring jungles, the next she’s launching rockets. But behind the colorful tales is a deeper truth she’s not quite ready to share. And when that truth finally peeks through? Let’s just say there’s a squeeze-your-heart-and-hug-your-book kind of moment.

And can we talk about the rhymes? They’re snappy, clever, and perfect for reading aloud (especially if you love a good dramatic pause before revealing a punchline).

WHAT I LOVED
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5.00 Dottie's Tall Tales
author: Vicky Phillips
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/05/04
date added: 2025/05/06
shelves: 5-star-reads-2025, arc, childrens, clean-reads, fiction
review:
If you’ve ever met a kid who could spin a tale faster than a hamster on a wheel—meet Dottie in Dottie’s Tall Tales by Vicky Phillips and illustrated by Shey Kolee.

Dottie isn’t just imaginative—she’s a walking story generator. One minute her mum’s exploring jungles, the next she’s launching rockets. But behind the colorful tales is a deeper truth she’s not quite ready to share. And when that truth finally peeks through? Let’s just say there’s a squeeze-your-heart-and-hug-your-book kind of moment.

And can we talk about the rhymes? They’re snappy, clever, and perfect for reading aloud (especially if you love a good dramatic pause before revealing a punchline).

WHAT I LOVED

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Lovely War 44107480
Aubrey Edwards is also headed toward the trenches. A gifted musician who's played Carnegie Hall, he's a member of the 15th New York Infantry, an all-African-American regiment being sent to Europe to help end the Great War. Love is the last thing on his mind. But that's before he meets Colette Fournier, a Belgian chanteuse who's already survived unspeakable tragedy at the hands of the Germans.

Thirty years after these four lovers' fates collide, the Greek goddess Aphrodite tells their stories to her husband, Hephaestus, and her lover, Ares, in a luxe Manhattan hotel room at the height of World War II. She seeks to answer the age-old question: Why are Love and War eternally drawn to one another? But her quest for a conclusion that will satisfy her jealous husband uncovers a multi-threaded tale of prejudice, trauma, and music and reveals that War is no match for the power of Love.

A sweeping, multi-layered romance with a divine twist, by the Printz Honor-winning author of The Passion of Dolssa, set in the perilous days of World Wars I and II.]]>
471 Julie Berry Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.23 2019 Lovely War
author: Julie Berry
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/19
date added: 2025/04/21
shelves: audiobooks, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, historical-fiction, wwii, 5-star-reads-2025, young-adult
review:

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The Warsaw Orphan 55004514
Using Sara's credentials to smuggle children out of the ghetto brings Elzbieta face-to-face with the reality of the war behind its walls, and to the plight of the Gorka family, who must make the impossible decision to give up their newborn daughter or watch her starve. For Roman Gorka, this final injustice stirs him to rebellion with a zeal not even his newfound love for Elzbieta can suppress. But his recklessness brings unwanted attention to Sara's cause, unwittingly putting Elzbieta and her family in harm's way until one violent act threatens to destroy their chance at freedom forever.

From Nazi occupation to the threat of a communist regime, The Warsaw Orphan is the unforgettable story of Elzbieta and Roman's perilous attempt to reclaim the love and life they once knew.]]>
416 Kelly Rimmer 1525895990 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.34 2021 The Warsaw Orphan
author: Kelly Rimmer
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/20
date added: 2025/04/20
shelves: audiobooks, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, historical-fiction, wwii
review:

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<![CDATA[Wormwood Abbey (The Secrets of Ormdale, #1)]]> 198096255
Wormwood Abbey isn't just full of curious beasts and ancient family secrets: there’s also a tall, dark, and entirely too handsome neighbour who is strangely reluctant for her to leave.

An unexpected bond with her prickly cousin Gwendolyn gives Edith a reason to stay in this strange world � especially when it turns out that Edith herself may have a role in guarding her family's legacy.

But not all of the mysteries of Ormdale are small enough to fit in her lap...and some of them have teeth.

WORMWOOD ABBEY, Book 1 of The Secrets of Ormdale, is a cosy gothic novel of mystery, dragons, and the perils of friendship, perfect for fans of EMILY WILDE'S ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF FAERIES and Maria Grace.

Preorder today to explore the hidden valley of Ormdale, the first in a new 5 book series!]]>
208 Christina Baehr Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.20 2023 Wormwood Abbey (The Secrets of Ormdale, #1)
author: Christina Baehr
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/14
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves: clean-reads, fantasy, fiction, historical-fiction, mystery-suspense, audiobooks
review:

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<![CDATA[Novel Threat (Pen and Dagger, #1)]]> 216314249 In a world of covert codes, two CIA operatives must infiltrate a New York publishing house, where every word on the page could be a weapon.

Brandon Hale, a seasoned CIA case officer, contemplates walking away from the covert world of espionage to embark on a quieter path in publishing. But his plan takes an abrupt turn when a critical source within the Labyrinth terrorist organization is assassinated, leaving behind a cryptic message about a New York publishing house. Rather than submitting his resignation, Brandon finds himself going undercover at Monroe Publishing to stop the next terrorist strike against the US.

Kimber Seidel, a CIA finance officer with secret aspirations of becoming a novelist, enjoys a serendipitous encounter with a handsome book lover like herself on her way home from London. Though she cannot reveal her true employment to her new friend, Brandon Hale, she can’t deny the instant spark that ignites between them. When Kimber’s manuscript is unexpectedly shopped to Monroe Publishing as a pawn in the CIA’s counterterrorism plot, Kimber must navigate the intersection of her literary dreams and her covert life as well as her deepening connection with Brandon.

Though each decoded message is leading Brandon and Kimber closer to the truth, it is also leading them into the line of fire, where the stakes are higher than anyone ever imagined.]]>
320 Traci Hunter Abramson 1639933840 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.37 Novel Threat (Pen and Dagger, #1)
author: Traci Hunter Abramson
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.37
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/21
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves: arc, christian-fiction, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, lds-authors, mystery-suspense
review:
If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if the CIA infiltrated the publishing world & paired a protective operative with a secretly-dreaming-of-being-published finance officer�
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<![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 5]]> 59058662 I took Treasure Island to church with me as a talisman.“What a lovely bible,� Mrs. Tribly said.“Isn’t it just?� I replied, hoping she would not ask me to read a favorite verse aloud.I do not believe the psalmist wrote,Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest,Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum.The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighbourhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s.Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be, which comprise a series of volumes. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.Readers have compared Beth Brower's writing to Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde, P.G. Wodehouse, and Charlotte Bronte.]]> 265 Beth Brower Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.77 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 5
author: Beth Brower
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.77
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/06
date added: 2025/04/06
shelves: 5-star-reads-2025, 6-star-favorites, classics, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, historical-fiction, humor, regency-romance
review:
Ever wish you could crawl into a velvet armchair in 1880s London, clutch a teacup, & eavesdrop on the sharpest, most unbothered bluestocking in fiction? You must meet
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What Does It Feel Like? 214312329
“What Does It Feel Like? is fiction, but it is my most autobiographical work to date. Eve’s story is my story.”—Sophie Kinsella

Eve is a successful novelist who wakes up one day in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there. Her husband, never far from her side, explains that she has had an operation to remove the large, malignant tumor growing in her brain.

As Eve learns to walk, talk, and write again—and as she wrestles with her diagnosis, and how and when to explain it to her beloved children—she begins to recall what’s most important to her: long walks with her husband’s hand clasped firmly around her own, family game nights, and always buying that dress when she sees it.

Recounted in brief anecdotes, each one is an attempt to answer the type of impossible questions recognizable to anyone navigating the labyrinth of grief. This short, extraordinary novel is a celebration of life, shot through with warmth and humor—it will both break your heart and put it back together again.

“Why did I write such a personal book? I have always processed my life through writing. Hiding behind my fictional characters, I have always turned my own life into a narrative. It is my version of therapy, maybe. Writing is my happy place, and writing this book, although tough going at times, was immensely satisfying and therapeutic for me.”—Sophie Kinsella]]>
144 Sophie Kinsella 0593977564 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.25 2024 What Does It Feel Like?
author: Sophie Kinsella
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/03
date added: 2025/04/06
shelves: audiobooks, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, inspirational, chick-lit
review:
What do you get when a rom-com queen trades glitter for grief—but still makes you laugh?
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<![CDATA[What the Silent Say: Inspired by a true story]]> 221645500 Wow! I cried more during this story than I ever have while reading. Emerson Ford’s storytelling is pure magic.� Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

Inspired by a remarkable true story and brought to life in cinematic detail, an unforgettable tale of courage, sacrifice, and the unbreakable bonds of family.

Florence, South Carolina 1944: Lieutenant Raymond Sellers bids farewell to his brother Jimmie, the weight of what lies ahead hanging heavy in the air. The brothers have always been inseparable—Raymond, the steady protector, Jimmie, the wild-hearted dreamer. But as Raymond embraces his pregnant wife Evelyn one last time, war is about to test the bonds of family in ways they never imagined.

As a summer storm shakes the windows, Evelyn brings her baby into a world at war. Across the vast Pacific theater, Raymond leads his men through brutal combat while Jimmie fights in the skies. One battle forces Raymond to choose between the family he promised to protect and the brothers he swore to never leave behind. Eighteen years later, a daughter finds a cache of letters in her father's desk and is shocked to find that some acts of courage echo across generations.

From the flowering dogwoods of South Carolina to the chilling trenches of Okinawa, What the Silent Say reminds us that even in our darkest hours, the human spirit has the capacity to endure. If you love anything by Kristin Hannah, Amy Harmon, or were moved by Band of Brothers, this book is a must-read.

Readers are loving What the Silent Say:

My heart! My soul! 😭😭� When I tell you that this story wrecked me� it will rip your heart out and break it in two. I don’t think a book has ever made me feel this way� And the ending! Oh👏 My 👏 Gosh 👏 I cannot express how much I tried not to sob so I wouldn’t wake my family up.� Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

‘Fragile hope and self sacrifice mark the themes of this heartbreakingly beautiful book. The bittersweet tears that I bawled during the last part of this book were no joke� one of my favorite reads of 2025 so far!� Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

I could not put the book down and highly recommend this inspirational read.� Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

Exceptional historical fiction, made all the more remarkable by being based on fact� a memorable story which will, I’m sure, linger in my heart long after reading.� Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐�
‘I was caught in the snare of this story from the beginning� should be sold with a box of tissues attached.� Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

I absolutely loved this book� I will be recommending it to everyone I know.� Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

I loved this booka moving historical fiction book based on an amazing true story set during World War II� So captivating and I highly recommend this read!� Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

What sets What The Silent Say apart is its focus on a lesser-known part o]]>
390 Emerson Ford 1805089080 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5
What the Silent Say by Emerson Ford is the kind of book that doesn’t just tug your heartstrings—it plays a symphony on them. Based on a true story & told with jaw-dropping tenderness, it follows two brothers during WWII, a fierce & fragile love, & the kind of choices that stay with you long after the last page.

Raymond Sellers is everything you want in a historical fiction hero—loyal, selfless, & just trying to hold his world together across oceans, warzones, & time. Evelyn? A quiet storm of strength. Jimmie? A wild heart with a soul that sneaks up on you. And the ending? Haunting, hopeful, & absolutely devastating in the best possible way.

WHAT TO LOVE
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4.57 What the Silent Say: Inspired by a true story
author: Emerson Ford
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.57
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/29
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: 5-star-reads-2025, arc, clean-reads, fiction, historical-fiction, lds-authors
review:
Get your tissues ready—because this one? It’s coming for your heart, your soul, & possibly your entire emotional stability.

What the Silent Say by Emerson Ford is the kind of book that doesn’t just tug your heartstrings—it plays a symphony on them. Based on a true story & told with jaw-dropping tenderness, it follows two brothers during WWII, a fierce & fragile love, & the kind of choices that stay with you long after the last page.

Raymond Sellers is everything you want in a historical fiction hero—loyal, selfless, & just trying to hold his world together across oceans, warzones, & time. Evelyn? A quiet storm of strength. Jimmie? A wild heart with a soul that sneaks up on you. And the ending? Haunting, hopeful, & absolutely devastating in the best possible way.

WHAT TO LOVE

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<![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 4]]> 56553921
The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighborhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be, which comprise a series of novella-length volumes. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.]]>
208 Beth Brower Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.75 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 4
author: Beth Brower
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.75
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/24
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: 5-star-reads-2025, 6-star-favorites, classics, clean-reads, fiction, historical-fiction, humor
review:

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<![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 1]]> 48667408 “I’ve arrived in London without incident. There are few triumphs in my recent life, but I count this as one. My existence of the last three years has been nothing but incident.�The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighbourhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s. Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House. Readers have compared The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion to Jane Austen, P. G. Wodehouse, L. M. Montgomery, and Jean Webster.]]> 121 Beth Brower Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.33 2019 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 1
author: Beth Brower
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/10
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: clean-reads, fiction, historical-fiction, 6-star-favorites
review:

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<![CDATA[The Fur Trader's Lady (Ladies of the Wilderness, #1)]]> 223120575
Reid McCoy has worked hard for fifteen years to become a shareholder in the North West Company and is on the brink of realizing that goal. Taking Charlotte into the interior will not only put her life at risk, but it could also jeopardize his dreams. Honor bound to repay his debt, his only option is to have Charlotte dress as a man and enter as his assistant clerk.

With Charlotte’s guardian close on their trail and a personal rival willing to do anything to keep Reid from becoming a shareholder, they will embark on an epic journey that will test not only their strength and endurance, but their hearts, as well.

Christy Award winner and bestselling author Gabrielle Meyer presents a new and thrilling historical adventure series set in the heart of the North American wilderness.]]>
392 Gabrielle Meyer Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4
Lady Charlotte Fairfax isn’t waiting around to be rescued. On the run from a ruthless guardian, she makes a daring escape—disguising herself as a man and persuading rugged fur trader Reid McCoy to lead her into the treacherous wilderness toward her betrothed. But deception comes at a cost, and survival is only half the battle.

What follows is a high-stakes, frostbitten journey of survival, deception, faith, and one seriously inconvenient romance.

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4.46 2025 The Fur Trader's Lady (Ladies of the Wilderness, #1)
author: Gabrielle Meyer
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/08
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: arc, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, historical-fiction, christian-fiction
review:
The Fur Trader’s Lady by Gabrielle Meyer throws you into a canoe and paddles you straight into the rugged 19th-century fur trade—where love, danger, and faith collide in the most breathtaking ways.

Lady Charlotte Fairfax isn’t waiting around to be rescued. On the run from a ruthless guardian, she makes a daring escape—disguising herself as a man and persuading rugged fur trader Reid McCoy to lead her into the treacherous wilderness toward her betrothed. But deception comes at a cost, and survival is only half the battle.

What follows is a high-stakes, frostbitten journey of survival, deception, faith, and one seriously inconvenient romance.


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<![CDATA[A Game of Hearts (The Cartwells, #1)]]> 61409925
Marigold Cartwell has only one goal: to defeat her long-time rival on the archery field. She knows she can outshoot irritating, cynical Tristan Gates, but the local bowmen’s society—the one he belongs to—refuses to allow women to compete. Spurred on by their rejection, Marigold decides to start a new society. Naturally, it has only one rule: no men.

Tristan Gates is used to Marigold Cartwell always getting her way, so he is far from surprised when she forms her own society. He knows how relentless she can be, something he learned firsthand facing her at the targets. But Tristan has enough worries of his own, what with his bachelor uncle falling in love with a fortune hunter. He has no time to entertain Marigold’s ambitions.

However, after a visit to the seashore ends in disaster—and scandal—Marigold and Tristan soon realize how little they know about each other. The strained tension between them quickly turns to simmering attraction, but an important archery competition looms ahead. Lines are drawn all around them, with Marigold and Tristan on opposite sides, and neither can afford to lose. Yet winning might be the very thing to tear them apart.]]>
Joanna Barker Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 Oh, bookish friends, 4.39 2022 A Game of Hearts (The Cartwells, #1)
author: Joanna Barker
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/17
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: 5-star-reads-2025, audiobooks, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, lds-authors, regency-romance
review:
Oh, bookish friends,
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The Paris Agent 62197599
Determined to find answers, Noah's daughter Charlotte embarks on a quest from their cozy home in Liverpool, leading her to the incredible lives of two ordinary women—Chloe and Fleur—who transformed into fearless spies on foreign soil. But as Charlotte unravels the heroic exploits of these women and their connection to Noah, she inadvertently stumbles upon evidence of a double agent lurking disturbingly close to home, drawing her into a treacherous web of secrets and unearthing a shocking story from those final days of the war.

Once again, Kelly Rimmer takes readers on a gripping journey, one that threads the lives of two remarkable women into the fabric of history, unveiling the power of courage, family and the indelible mark left by the darkest era of human conflict.
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368 Kelly Rimmer 1525826689 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.07 2023 The Paris Agent
author: Kelly Rimmer
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/08
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: audiobooks, clean-reads, fiction, historical-fiction, mystery-suspense, wwii
review:

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<![CDATA[A Time Traveler’s Masquerade (McQuivey’s Costume Shop, #1)]]> 216656322 Romance blossoms when Isla Crawford steps into McQuivey’s Costume Shop in London and is swept back in time to 1605, where she and Lord Bancroft attempt to thwart Guy Fawkes’s Gunpowder Plot.

One moment, Isla Crawford is inside McQuivey’s Costume Shop trying on a Jacobean-style gown for the parliamentary Autumn Ball, and the next, she is standing in an unfamiliar garden, barefoot, coatless, and at the mercy of a fierce storm. Confused, she seeks refuge in a Tudor manor, where she discovers that she has inexplicably traveled back to 1605, mere weeks before the culmination of Guy Fawkes’s infamous Gunpowder Plot.

Simon Hartworth, Lord Bancroft, finds his orderly seventeenth-century life disrupted when a mysterious woman appears on his sister’s doorstep during a storm. Intrigued by the stranger’s quirks and bewildering speech, he feels compelled to protect her and heed her warnings about a fatal plot against Parliament. As Simon is drawn into Isla’s dangerous scheme to stop the evildoers, he can’t help but also feel drawn to her.

With seemingly no way to get back home, Isla uses her twenty-first-century knowledge of the past to try to thwart Guy Fawkes and his coconspirators without altering the course of history forever. She and Simon must race to unravel the threads of the treasonous plot even as they wonder how their hearts will navigate their deepening connection and the seemingly insurmountable four centuries that separate their lives.]]>
296 Sian Ann Bessey 1639933824 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5
And let me tell you—Sian Bessey’s Time Traveler’s Masquerade delivers. Every. Single. Page.

What’s a modern woman to do when she crash-lands into a political powder keg of historical treason? Clearly, get mistaken for a spy, stir up some romantic tension with a nobleman named Lord Bancroft (swoons guaranteed), & try not to wreck the timeline.

Here’s what made this time-travel tale unforgettable:

MOMENTS TO WATCH FOR
� Time-travel via dressing room door? Yes, please.
]]>
4.46 A Time Traveler’s Masquerade (McQuivey’s Costume Shop, #1)
author: Sian Ann Bessey
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.46
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/23
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: 5-star-reads-2025, arc, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, lds-authors, regency-romance
review:
When you walk into a costume shop looking for a ballgown & accidentally time-slip your way into 1605 England without your phone, your coat, or your sanity intact� you know it’s going to be a wild ride.

And let me tell you—Sian Bessey’s Time Traveler’s Masquerade delivers. Every. Single. Page.

What’s a modern woman to do when she crash-lands into a political powder keg of historical treason? Clearly, get mistaken for a spy, stir up some romantic tension with a nobleman named Lord Bancroft (swoons guaranteed), & try not to wreck the timeline.

Here’s what made this time-travel tale unforgettable:

MOMENTS TO WATCH FOR
� Time-travel via dressing room door? Yes, please.

]]>
<![CDATA[The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride]]> 39665277 234 Joe Siple Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5
At 100, Murray McBride has outlived everything—his wife, kids, baseball career� even a good steak without restrictions. Grumpy & done with life, he meets 10-year-old Jason Cashman, a kid with a failing heart & a bucket list that could melt the iciest soul. What follows is a heartwarming, hilarious & deeply moving journey of friendship, second chances & life’s unexpected surprises—no matter your age.

WHAT TO LOVE
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4.61 2018 The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride
author: Joe Siple
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2023/12/26
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: 6-star-favorites, book-club, clean-reads, fiction, humor, inspirational, 5-star-reads-2023
review:
Some books whisper their way into your heart. Others kick down the door, settle in & refuse to leave. The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride by Joe Siple? It does both. This story grabs you by the soul, makes you laugh, makes you cry (ugly cry alert) & leaves you staring at the ceiling at 2 AM, contemplating life.

At 100, Murray McBride has outlived everything—his wife, kids, baseball career� even a good steak without restrictions. Grumpy & done with life, he meets 10-year-old Jason Cashman, a kid with a failing heart & a bucket list that could melt the iciest soul. What follows is a heartwarming, hilarious & deeply moving journey of friendship, second chances & life’s unexpected surprises—no matter your age.

WHAT TO LOVE

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<![CDATA[Traitor in the Scottish Isles (Roxburgh Scions)]]> 223433378 An intercepted message. Missing MI6 agents. And a traitor hiding in plain sight.

To receive her inheritance and escape a scandal not of her making, wealthy socialite Cairstie
Henderson moves to a small town in the Scottish Isles, far from the city lights and runways she
frequents. There, she encounters the Irish spy responsible for the public breakup that made her
the laughingstock of the Scottish Borders.

Sheridan, a hardened MI6 agent, is on an undercover assignment to locate missing operatives and
the mysterious traitor passing top-secret information to the Chinese. Unfortunately, there’s one
Cairstie Henderson knows his true identity—and she detests him.

But when Cairstie surprises an intruder, she seeks the one man who can protect her, Sheridan.
Over time, these opposites give way to attraction that eventually blossoms into love, but with a
dangerous criminal stalking their steps and intrigue around every corner, will Cairstie and
Sheridan obtain their happily ever after, or will they end up dead?]]>
308 Paige Edwards 1966494009 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.62 2025 Traitor in the Scottish Isles (Roxburgh Scions)
author: Paige Edwards
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.62
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/28
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, mystery-suspense
review:
If you like your romance with a side of danger, espionage, & a setting so atmospheric you can practically feel the mist rolling off the cliffs,
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Deep Water 176443368
Six hours.
One marathon swim.

That’s all Tully Birch needs to get her life straightened out. With the help of her best friend, Arch, Tully braves the waters of Lake Tahoe to break the record for the youngest person ever to complete the famous “Godfather swim.� She wants to achieve something no one in the world has done, because if she does, maybe, just maybe, her mom will come back.

The swim starts off well—heart steady, body loose, Arch in charge of snacks as needed. But for Tully, all that time alone with her thoughts allows memories to surface. And in the silence of deep waters, sadness can sink you. When the swim turns dangerous, Tully fights for her survival. Does she keep going and risk her own safety and Arch’s? Or does she quit to save them both, even if it means giving up hope that her mother will return?]]>
224 Jamie Sumner 1665935065 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.16 2024 Deep Water
author: Jamie Sumner
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/23
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: audiobooks, clean-reads, fiction, mental-health, middle-grade
review:

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<![CDATA[Friendshipped (Getting Shipped! #1)]]> 59735640 Can you keep a secret? ... I'm in love with my best friend.

There are three things you should know about me.
I hate running. No, really. I only run when someone's chasing me, and thankfully that's never happened.
My ideal Friday night includes pizza, The Princess Bride, and dancing with abandon.
And, I'm madly in love with my best friend.
That right there, that's my secret.

Trevor, and I grew up next door to one another. Yes. He's the boy next door. Even now, we rent opposite sides of a duplex, and we work across the aisle from one another at the Corn Corners Tribune. Basically, there isn't a part of my life Trevor hasn't touched. I take that back. Me. He hasn't touched me.

He's made it clear we're in the friend zone and whatever feelings he had for me were a passing thing for him, while mine keep growing like a Chia pet on a humid summer day in the midwest. Unruly, and apparently pointless.

So, now I'm resigned to get Trevor out of my system once and for all.

If only Trevor would see me as more than a friend ... But, unless he shows me otherwise, I'm going to have to do what it takes to move on.]]>
325 Savannah Scott Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 3
Lexi and Trevor have been best friends forever—neighbors, coworkers, and obviously meant for each other. But in their tiny Ohio town, Bordeaux (pronounced Bored-Ox)), they both refuse to risk their lifelong friendship for something more. Enter meddling friends & family, a dating app, and the return of Trevor’s high school flame, and suddenly, their unspoken feelings aren’t so easy to ignore.

Trevor agonizes over every disastrous date Lexi goes on (seriously, these dates are comedy gold), knowing that one of them might actually stick. As jealousy and longing build, he hatches a last-ditch plan to finally win her heart—despite his past failed attempts.

Once the romance kicks in, it’s pure swoon, but getting there? I wanted to grab these two by the shoulders and yell, ‘just admit it already!!� The slow burn and miscommunication drag a little, and some humor leans into sitcom territory. But the payoff? Utter sweetness.

If you love friends-to-lovers, small-town charm, and laugh-out-loud moments, Friend(Shipped) is a feel-good must-read!]]>
3.66 Friendshipped (Getting Shipped! #1)
author: Savannah Scott
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 3.66
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/01
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: audiobooks, chick-lit, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, humor
review:
Everything you crave in a rom-com—Friend(Shipped) is adorable, lighthearted, witty, and full of feel-good charm!

Lexi and Trevor have been best friends forever—neighbors, coworkers, and obviously meant for each other. But in their tiny Ohio town, Bordeaux (pronounced Bored-Ox)), they both refuse to risk their lifelong friendship for something more. Enter meddling friends & family, a dating app, and the return of Trevor’s high school flame, and suddenly, their unspoken feelings aren’t so easy to ignore.

Trevor agonizes over every disastrous date Lexi goes on (seriously, these dates are comedy gold), knowing that one of them might actually stick. As jealousy and longing build, he hatches a last-ditch plan to finally win her heart—despite his past failed attempts.

Once the romance kicks in, it’s pure swoon, but getting there? I wanted to grab these two by the shoulders and yell, ‘just admit it already!!� The slow burn and miscommunication drag a little, and some humor leans into sitcom territory. But the payoff? Utter sweetness.

If you love friends-to-lovers, small-town charm, and laugh-out-loud moments, Friend(Shipped) is a feel-good must-read!
]]>
<![CDATA[Juniper Bean Resorts to Murder (Happily Ever Homicide, #1)]]> 102777361
There’s just one problem: she can’t seem to stop killing off her main characters.

After accepting that a genre change is in order, Juniper sets out to do some research. What’s the best way to carry a dead body? How exactly does one pick a lock? Juniper is going to find out—with the unwilling help of her new roommate, Aiden.

But Juniper’s plans go haywire when she stumbles across an actual, real-life dead body—and before she knows it, she and Aiden are thrust into the middle of a murder mystery that seems suspiciously tied to Juniper’s past.

Who killed the girl in the woods? Can Juniper ever get the hang of mystery writing? And, perhaps the biggest question of all: Why the heck does Aiden look so good in a tweed jacket?]]>
368 Gracie Ruth Mitchell Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.02 2023 Juniper Bean Resorts to Murder (Happily Ever Homicide, #1)
author: Gracie Ruth Mitchell
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/21
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: audiobooks, clean-reads, fiction, humor, mystery-suspense
review:

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Night 1617 Night is the terrifying record of Elie Wiesel's memories of the death of his family, the death of his own innocence, and his despair as a deeply observant Jew confronting the absolute evil of man. This new translation by his wife and most frequent translator, Marion Wiesel, corrects important details and presents the most accurate rendering in English of Elie Wiesel's testimony to what happened in the camps and of his unforgettable message that this horror must simply never be allowed to happen again.]]> 120 Elie Wiesel 0374500010 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.38 1956 Night
author: Elie Wiesel
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.38
book published: 1956
rating: 5
read at: 2008/04/22
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: historical, nonfiction, biography, wwii, inspirational, clean-reads
review:
An incredible book but very sorrowful as it is a true story about the author, Elie Wiesel, who survived the concentration camp Auschwitz at a young age of 15. I bawled my eyes out. It's amazing to me how one can survive such inhumanity and find the will to live despite the abuse and the loss of all family members. I would not have the will to live and I think I would crawl in a corner and allow myself to die. However, I find such strength in reading about those who have beat the odds and gone on to live incredible lives. It is an inspiration of how we can rise above our trials and become a better person if we reach down deep inside ourselves and find the strength that is within us. It is an example and reminder that no matter what we go through there are others who have had it worse and yet rise above it all. This is a short book and can be read quickly, but it's impact is far reaching.
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Meet Me in Monaco 40651658 You are invited to attend the wedding of the century...

Sophie Duval of Grasse, France is a pragmatic young woman and highly respected parfumeur, whom many of the rich and famous of the Riviera have entrusted with the job of creating the perfect scent for them. As the Cannes Film Festival kicks off its ninth year, Sophie prepares to spend the tourist season on the Riviera where the wealthy will grace her shop with their presence, carrying their heavy purses along with them.

However, her summer plans change after one last, very familiar customer slips inside her Cannes boutique. With her blond hair tucked beneath a silk headscarf, the fine nose and large black sunglasses, the porcelain complexion, it’s impossible to not recognize her. It’s America’s darling, Grace Kelly. Miss Kelly, however, hasn’t come in for perfume, but to escape a photographer, hot on her trail. Just as Sophie hides Miss Kelly away in the back of the boutique, the photographer runs into the shop, camera tucked against his chest.

Struggling British press photographer, James Henderson, has arrived in Cannes to work the illustrious Film Festival. But in a twist of fate, he spots Grace Kelly strolling casually through a secluded arcade of shops. Seeing an opportunity to get the shot nobody else will have, James follows Miss Kelly into a small perfume boutique. But Grace Kelly is nowhere to be found and the shop owner won’t give anything away.

In spite of a brief and fractious exchange, Sophie can’t forget about the handsome photographer, James can’t forget the lovely parfumeur, and Grace Kelly can’t forget about Sophie’s kindness. From that moment on, the fates of Sophie, James, and a Hollywood icon are linked together in a story that will span three decades, tragedy, and love.

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384 Hazel Gaynor 0062885375 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 3.87 2019 Meet Me in Monaco
author: Hazel Gaynor
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2022/09/02
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: book-club, clean-romance, fiction, historical-fiction, clean-reads
review:

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The Last Bookshop in London 53331577 Inspired by the true World War II history of the few bookshops to survive the Blitz, The Last Bookshop in London is a timeless story of wartime loss, love and the enduring power of literature.

August 1939: London prepares for war as Hitler’s forces sweep across Europe. Grace Bennett has always dreamed of moving to the city, but the bunkers and blackout curtains that she finds on her arrival were not what she expected. And she certainly never imagined she’d wind up working at Primrose Hill, a dusty old bookshop nestled in the heart of London.

Through blackouts and air raids as the Blitz intensifies, Grace discovers the power of storytelling to unite her community in ways she never dreamed—a force that triumphs over even the darkest nights of the war.]]>
325 Madeline Martin 133528480X Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.07 2021 The Last Bookshop in London
author: Madeline Martin
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/11
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: audiobooks, book-club, fiction, historical-fiction, wwii, clean-reads, 5-star-reads-2023
review:

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Rebecca 17899948 Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again...

The novel begins in Monte Carlo, where our heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing widower Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal of marriage. Orphaned and working as a lady's maid, she can barely believe her luck. It is only when they arrive at his massive country estate that she realizes how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their lives--presenting her with a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their marriage from beyond the grave.

First published in 1938, this classic gothic novel is such a compelling read that it won the Anthony Award for Best Novel of the Century.]]>
449 Daphne du Maurier 0316323705 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 3 4.28 1938 Rebecca
author: Daphne du Maurier
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.28
book published: 1938
rating: 3
read at: 2023/12/20
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: audiobooks, chick-lit, classics, clean-reads, clean-romance, mystery-suspense
review:

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<![CDATA[The Kingdom and the Crown Set (The Kingdom and the Crown #1-3)]]> 1357824 0 Gerald N. Lund 1590386957 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4
Do you have a favorite Easter read?

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4.56 2006 The Kingdom and the Crown Set (The Kingdom and the Crown #1-3)
author: Gerald N. Lund
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/06
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, clean-reads, fiction, historical-fiction, inspirational, religious-spiritual
review:
I loved The Kingdom & The Crown series that is so perfect for commemorating Easter. Author Gerald N. Lund weaves a captivating story in this compelling historical fiction series about the life of Jesus who changed the world. The climactic events leading to Jesus’s ultimate sacrifice and resurrection is heartbreaking yet inspiring. Faith, forgiveness, and the enduring quest for truth is at the heart of the series.

Do you have a favorite Easter read?


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<![CDATA[The Murder of Mr. Wickham (Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney, #1)]]> 59089898 A summer house party turns into a whodunit when Mr. Wickham, one of literature’s most notorious villains, meets a sudden and suspicious end in this mystery featuring Jane Austen’s leading literary characters.

The happily married Mr. Knightley and Emma are throwing a house party, bringing together distant relatives and new acquaintances—characters beloved by Jane Austen fans. Definitely not invited is Mr. Wickham, whose latest financial scheme has netted him an even broader array of enemies. As tempers flare and secrets are revealed, it’s clear that everyone would be happier if Mr. Wickham got his comeuppance. Yet they’re all shocked when Wickham turns up murdered—except, of course, for the killer hidden in their midst.

Nearly everyone at the house party is a suspect, so it falls to the party’s two youngest guests to solve the mystery: Juliet Tilney, the smart and resourceful daughter of Catherine and Henry, eager for adventure beyond Northanger Abbey; and Jonathan Darcy, the Darcys� eldest son, whose adherence to propriety makes his father seem almost relaxed. The unlikely pair must put aside their own poor first impressions and uncover the guilty party—before an innocent person is sentenced to hang.]]>
386 Claudia Gray 059331381X Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 3.65 2022 The Murder of Mr. Wickham (Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney, #1)
author: Claudia Gray
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/28
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, audiobooks, clean-reads, fiction, historical-fiction, mystery-suspense
review:

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The Last Lifeboat 63212660
Inspired by a remarkable true story, a young teacher evacuates children to safety across perilous waters,in a moving and triumphant new novel from New York Times bestselling author Hazel Gaynor.

1940, Kent : Alice King is not brave or daring—she’s happiest finding adventure through the safe pages of books. But times of war demand courage, and as the threat of German invasion looms, a plane crash near her home awakens a strength in Alice she’d long forgotten. Determined to do her part, she finds a role perfectly suited to her experience as a schoolteacher—to help evacuate Britain’s children overseas.

1940, London : Lily Nichols once dreamed of using her mathematical talents for more than tabulating the cost of groceries, but life, and love, charted her a different course. With two lively children and a loving husband, Lily’s humble home is her world, until war tears everything asunder. With her husband gone and bombs raining down, Lily is faced with an impossible keep her son and daughter close, knowing she may not be able to protect them, or enroll them in a risky evacuation scheme, where safety awaits so very far away.

When a Nazi U-boat torpedoes the S. S. Carlisle carrying a ship of children to Canada, a single lifeboat is left adrift in the storm-tossed Atlantic. Alice and Lily, strangers to each other—one on land, the other at sea—will quickly become one another’s very best hopeas their lives are fatefully entwined.]]>
371 Hazel Gaynor 0593440315 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.25 2023 The Last Lifeboat
author: Hazel Gaynor
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/02
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, audiobooks, book-club, clean-reads, fiction, historical-fiction, inspirational, wwii
review:
In this gripping new novel by Hazel Gaynor, I felt like I had stepped aboard �
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The Healing Garden 209709266
Eighty-three year old Sam Davis has always wondered what happened to his high-school sweetheart. But instead of finding the means to track her down, he’s stuck in an assisted living center, reliant on others around him. His grandson, Wyatt, questions Sam’s memories, and it seems that he’ll never find the answers he’s been searching for.

Anita Gifford, single mom in her mid-30s, is reluctant to spend community service hours at the assisted living center in their town. But her fourteen-year-old daughter Carly has to work off her school suspension. So instead of a relaxing weekend after a long week of work, Anita takes Carly to the center where they meet Mr. Davis. An unexpected bond forms between the teenager and elderly man, one that might bring healing to the both families, past and present.

THE HEALING SERIES:
The Healing Summer
The Healing Garden]]>
230 Heather B. Moore Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.37 The Healing Garden
author: Heather B. Moore
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.37
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/05
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, arc, chick-lit, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, historical-fiction, lds-authors
review:

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<![CDATA[Up from Dust: Martha's Story (Women of the Way, #1)]]> 184493681
Twelve years later, when her friend's husband contracts a severe disease, they send for the new rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth. Martha recognizes the miraculous Healer from a story she heard many years ago, and the life-changing encounter reawakens Martha's hardened heart, even as she faces an unknown future.

With impeccable research and a keen eye for detail, Heather Kaufman delivers a moving narrative of Martha's life in this hopeful story of love, loss, and the promise of redemption.]]>
352 Heather Kaufman 1540903567 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.43 2024 Up from Dust: Martha's Story (Women of the Way, #1)
author: Heather Kaufman
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/04
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, audiobooks, book-club, clean-reads, fiction, historical-fiction, inspirational, religious-spiritual
review:

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<![CDATA[The Unassuming Curator (Georgian Gentlemen #5)]]> 75561716
Henry Buckland has a secret: he cannot discern the difference between certain colors. It’s a particularly difficult disability for the curator of natural history at the British Museum, but no more challenging than his repeated attempts to outmaneuver the machinations of the town’s most notorious matchmaker. At his parents� dinner party, he receives assistance in outwitting the persistent busy-body from a surprising source: the intriguing young lady he met on the country lane. As Emily and Henry become formally acquainted, they discover a shared love of science and nature that makes them ideally suited. However, Henry is not alone in his admiration for the young woman. As the competition to woo Emily escalates, so, too, do tensions at the museum. When an unexpected danger threatens Henry’s livelihood―and life―it appears he may not have the chance to win Emily’s heart after all.]]>
224 Sian Ann Bessey 1524423130 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.10 The Unassuming Curator (Georgian Gentlemen #5)
author: Sian Ann Bessey
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.10
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/16
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, historical-fiction, lds-authors, mystery-suspense, regency-romance
review:

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Miss Newbury's List 60439686 England, 1820

Rosalind Newbury is counting down the days until her wedding to the Duke of Marlow, a man she has only met twice. The marriage is more an agreement between two families and less a romantic connection between two hearts, but Rosalind becoming a duchess will elevate her family’s status to dizzying heights. And the duke is a kind man who will care for Rosalind, even if he doesn’t love her.

She only has three weeks before her life changes forever, and she knows exactly how she wants to spend her days. As a child, Ros was inspired by her adventurous Aunt Alice and created a list of ten things to do before her wedding day. So far, Ros has done none of them.

She is determined to tackle each item, though she’ll have to accomplish them all in secret. After all, a soon-to-be-duchess is not usually allowed to bury treasure in the pasture, eat sweets all day, or learn how to swim. She enlists the help of her best friend, Liza, who brings along her cousin, Charlie, a prodigal son-turned-boxer who has come to the countryside to mend his reputation and learn how to be his father’s heir.

Together, the three of them work to complete the list, and as each item is crossed off, an unlikely friendship blossoms between Ros and Charlie. The more time they spend together, the more Ros falls in love with this imperfect man and his good heart.

With the wedding looming, Ros must decide to either admit her romantic feelings for Charlie and risk her family’s future, or keep her promise to marry the duke and start a new life as a noblewoman.]]>
368 Megan Walker 1639930523 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.06 2023 Miss Newbury's List
author: Megan Walker
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/07
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, historical-fiction, lds-authors, regency-romance
review:

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<![CDATA[Calculated Risk (Triumph Over Adversity, #1)]]> 57430263 He carries the burden of his mistakes.

The wounds on Jason Gonzalez’s body are nothing compared to the ones on his heart. The former Marine avoids getting close to anyone new, especially his gorgeous next-door neighbor. Until he hears a scream coming from her house in the middle of the night.

Her enemies are too numerous to count.

Addison Foster escaped an abusive marriage and has become an advocate for others. When an intruder breaks into her home and nearly kills her, Addison is rescued by an unlikely protector. But the threats against her aren’t over and she needs help.

Danger around every corner.

Jason makes it his mission to keep Addison safe, but keeping her out of his heart proves impossible. As the threats increase, there’s no room for mistakes. Will his calculated risk pay off or will it end in tragedy?

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326 Lynn Shannon Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 From the get go, 4.48 Calculated Risk (Triumph Over Adversity, #1)
author: Lynn Shannon
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.48
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/19
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, audiobooks, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, mystery-suspense, religious-spiritual
review:
From the get go,
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<![CDATA[The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter]]> 36300666
1838: Northumberland, England. Longstone Lighthouse on the Farne Islands has been Grace Darling’s home for all of her twenty-two years. When she and her father rescue shipwreck survivors in a furious storm, Grace becomes celebrated throughout England, the subject of poems, ballads, and plays. But far more precious than her unsought fame is the friendship that develops between Grace and a visiting artist. Just as George Emmerson captures Grace with his brushes, she in turn captures his heart.

1938: Newport, Rhode Island. Nineteen-years-old and pregnant, Matilda Emmerson has been sent away from Ireland in disgrace. She is to stay with Harriet, a reclusive relative and assistant lighthouse keeper, until her baby is born. A discarded, half-finished portrait opens a window into Matilda’s family history. As a deadly hurricane approaches, two women, living a century apart, will be linked forever by their instinctive acts of courage and love.]]>
0 Hazel Gaynor 006269863X Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 3 4.03 2018 The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter
author: Hazel Gaynor
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/24
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, historical-fiction
review:

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Behind Every Good Man 202257499 A wronged wife goes toe to toe with her cheating husband at the polls in this hilarious and heart-lifting novel by the bestselling author of Don’t Forget to Write.

It’s a doozy of a bad day for Beverly Diamond when she catches her husband, Larry, in a compromising position with his secretary. What’s a DC suburban wife to do with a soon-to-be ex, two young kids, and no degree or financial support in 1962? Beat the louse at his own game, that’s what.

Larry runs the Maryland senatorial campaign for the incumbent candidate projected to win against his younger underdog opponent, Michael Landau. But Beverly has the pluck, political savvy, and sheer drive to push Landau’s campaign in a successful new direction, even if he already has a campaign manager who is less than pleased she has inserted herself into the race.

Now it’s rival against rival. She and Michael do make a great team…maybe in more ways than one. But with the election heating up, she needs to focus on one thing at a time. If Bev can convince Michael to go modern, pay attention to women’s issues, and learn how to dress himself properly, maybe she can show Larry exactly how much he has underestimated her their entire marriage—and make her own dreams come true in the process.]]>
349 Sara Goodman Confino 1662517726 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4
This book is more than just a political rom-com; it’s a brilliant concoction of humor, high stakes, & just the right amount of revenge. Imagine this: A savvy wife decides to sabotage her cheating husband’s political ambitions by aiding his fiercest rival. Intrigued yet? Oh, it gets better—because Beverly is about to show them all who’s boss.

DIVE INTO
- A razor-sharp, no-nonsense heroine
- A richly detailed 1960s setting that leaps off the page
- Betrayal, infidelity, & enough twists to keep you on your toes
- A delicious dose of revenge
- Empowered women who take charge & refuse to back down
- A main character with grit & determination to rewrite her own story
- Political intrigue that’s equal parts thrilling & entertaining
- Romance that sizzles just enough to make you smile
- Unlikely alliances that’ll keep you guessing
- A redemptive arc that feels earned & satisfying

MY THOUGHTS ]]>
4.25 2024 Behind Every Good Man
author: Sara Goodman Confino
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/14
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: audiobooks, chick-lit, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, historical-fiction, humor
review:
Sarah Confino is back with another winner! If Don’t Forget to Write had you hooked, then clear your schedule for *Behind Every Good Man*. Trust me, you’re in for a treat.

This book is more than just a political rom-com; it’s a brilliant concoction of humor, high stakes, & just the right amount of revenge. Imagine this: A savvy wife decides to sabotage her cheating husband’s political ambitions by aiding his fiercest rival. Intrigued yet? Oh, it gets better—because Beverly is about to show them all who’s boss.

DIVE INTO
- A razor-sharp, no-nonsense heroine
- A richly detailed 1960s setting that leaps off the page
- Betrayal, infidelity, & enough twists to keep you on your toes
- A delicious dose of revenge
- Empowered women who take charge & refuse to back down
- A main character with grit & determination to rewrite her own story
- Political intrigue that’s equal parts thrilling & entertaining
- Romance that sizzles just enough to make you smile
- Unlikely alliances that’ll keep you guessing
- A redemptive arc that feels earned & satisfying

MY THOUGHTS
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The Frozen River 112975658 A gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history.

Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.

Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.

Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.]]>
432 Ariel Lawhon 0385546874 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4
In *Frozen River*, Ariel Lawhon takes us on an unforgettable journey to 1789 Maine, where midwife Martha Ballard battles the brutal elements and a gripping murder mystery. This book is a masterpiece of historical fiction that delivers suspense, emotional depth, and a touch of frontier grit.

Lawhon’s portrayal of Martha Ballard is nothing short of mesmerizing. Martha isn’t just a midwife—she’s a force of nature. With nerves of steel and a heart full of determination, she delivers babies, faces down the icy wilderness, and unravels a murder that threatens to upend her world. Martha is the ultimate frontier heroine, tackling challenges with a mix of bravery and intelligence that makes her unforgettable.

The frontier setting comes alive with Lawhon’s vivid descriptions. This isn’t a cozy historical novel; it’s a raw, unflinching look at life in a harsh, unforgiving environment. You can almost feel the cold creeping in as you turn the pages, and the sense of isolation and survival adds an extra layer of intensity to the story.

The murder mystery itself is a whirlwind of twists and turns. Just when you think you’ve figured out the truth, Lawhon throws a curveball that leaves you reeling. The suspense is palpable, and the plot twists come at you with the force of a snowstorm, keeping you hooked from start to finish.

What truly sets *Frozen River* apart is its seamless blend of historical fact and gripping fiction. Based on the real-life Martha Ballard, the novel offers a rich, authentic portrayal of the past while crafting a story that feels fresh and engaging. Lawhon gives Martha a voice that resonates with modern readers, making her struggles and triumphs feel both historical and deeply personal.

If you’re a fan of strong, complex heroines, historical dramas with real stakes, and mysteries that keep you guessing, *Frozen River* is a must-read. This book is a testament to Lawhon’s skill as a storyteller and a thrilling reminder of the resilience of the human spirit.

✨Rating: 4.5/5 � A riveting narrative with a pace that occasionally lags. If the pacing had been a bit swifter, this would have been a five-star read.

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4.37 2023 The Frozen River
author: Ariel Lawhon
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/10
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: audiobooks, book-club, clean-reads, fiction, historical-fiction, mystery-suspense, true-crime
review:
*Frozen River* by Ariel Lawhon: A Chilling Historical Thriller That Will Keep You On the Edge of Your Seat!

In *Frozen River*, Ariel Lawhon takes us on an unforgettable journey to 1789 Maine, where midwife Martha Ballard battles the brutal elements and a gripping murder mystery. This book is a masterpiece of historical fiction that delivers suspense, emotional depth, and a touch of frontier grit.

Lawhon’s portrayal of Martha Ballard is nothing short of mesmerizing. Martha isn’t just a midwife—she’s a force of nature. With nerves of steel and a heart full of determination, she delivers babies, faces down the icy wilderness, and unravels a murder that threatens to upend her world. Martha is the ultimate frontier heroine, tackling challenges with a mix of bravery and intelligence that makes her unforgettable.

The frontier setting comes alive with Lawhon’s vivid descriptions. This isn’t a cozy historical novel; it’s a raw, unflinching look at life in a harsh, unforgiving environment. You can almost feel the cold creeping in as you turn the pages, and the sense of isolation and survival adds an extra layer of intensity to the story.

The murder mystery itself is a whirlwind of twists and turns. Just when you think you’ve figured out the truth, Lawhon throws a curveball that leaves you reeling. The suspense is palpable, and the plot twists come at you with the force of a snowstorm, keeping you hooked from start to finish.

What truly sets *Frozen River* apart is its seamless blend of historical fact and gripping fiction. Based on the real-life Martha Ballard, the novel offers a rich, authentic portrayal of the past while crafting a story that feels fresh and engaging. Lawhon gives Martha a voice that resonates with modern readers, making her struggles and triumphs feel both historical and deeply personal.

If you’re a fan of strong, complex heroines, historical dramas with real stakes, and mysteries that keep you guessing, *Frozen River* is a must-read. This book is a testament to Lawhon’s skill as a storyteller and a thrilling reminder of the resilience of the human spirit.

✨Rating: 4.5/5 � A riveting narrative with a pace that occasionally lags. If the pacing had been a bit swifter, this would have been a five-star read.


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The Broken China Necklace 217152093
Jessica Lynn was a grief-stricken seventeen-year-old that spring of 1988. With her family forced to move to her grandparents' cattle ranch in Texas, she was frustrated with the cards life had dealt her. As if things weren't difficult enough, her life began to take even more twists and turns after a trip to Austin, a visit to a flea market, and the purchase of a mysterious necklace. The dreams started then... leading her back in time to the 1940's... to an unsolved mystery laced with racism, social injustice, a deceitful cover-up, and hints of possible mob activity. Will Jessica be able to unravel the clues and uncover the truth while simultaneously dealing with shocking realizations about people she loves and the small ranching community in which she now lives?]]>
351 Marla Melior Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.47 The Broken China Necklace
author: Marla Melior
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.47
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/05
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: arc, clean-reads, fiction, historical-fiction, lds-authors, mystery-suspense, young-adult
review:
If you’re looking for time travel, a murder mystery, & an emotional rollercoaster that’ll hit you right in the feels�
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The Wish Book Christmas 57239697 A holiday story that reminds us that sometimes the most meaningful gifts are the ones we least expect and don't deserve.

Best friends Audrey Barrett and Eve Dawson are looking forward to celebrating Christmas in postwar America, thrilled at the prospect of starting new traditions with their five-year-old sons. But when the 1951 Sears Christmas Wish Book arrives and the boys start obsessing over every toy in it, Audrey and Eve realize they must first teach them the true significance of the holiday. They begin by helping Bobby and Harry plan gifts of encouragement and service for those in their community, starting by walking an elderly neighbor's yellow Lab--since a dog topped the boys' wish list for Santa. In the charming tale that follows, Audrey and Eve are surprised to find their own hearts healing from the tragedies of war and opening to the possibility of forgiveness and new love.]]>
304 Lynn Austin 1496452526 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.10 2021 The Wish Book Christmas
author: Lynn Austin
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/10
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: audiobooks, christmas-books, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, historical-fiction, holiday
review:

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<![CDATA[Taken With Trouble (Caught in Chaos, #2)]]> 219544375
Being taken hostage by a criminal was not on my agenda for the week. The plan was to catch Liam Hawthorne, the billionaire con artist, and finally prove myself and gain the attention of my boss.

Liam caught me instead.

Forget the bounty, I’m killing him. However, it’s proving a rather difficult task–especially when he convinces me to help him.

He's trying to con me, but I won’t be falling for it.

Unfortunately, ignoring his flirtations and kindness is getting harder. It’s possible the conman is…more than he seems.

Falling for him would be stupid, especially with bullets flying and lives in danger. So why do I melt every time he touches me?

Only one of us will make it out of this mess a free person, and it’s going to be me.

Liam Hawthorne

I’ve stolen many priceless and beautiful things, but nothing compares to FBI Agent Serena Cruz. I rather enjoy the company of the feisty woman intent on killing me…clearly I’ve been on the run for too long. Or has pulling guns on someone always been this seductive?

I digress. I took her to save her, though she doesn’t believe that. I can’t say I blame her when there’s someone trying to kill us at every turn.

It’s all my fault. I tried to be better, but instead, I dragged her into this mess and now our lives are both in danger.

I was fine when it was only my life on the line.

Serena Cruz has stolen my heart.]]>
263 Jenessa Fayeth Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.38 Taken With Trouble (Caught in Chaos, #2)
author: Jenessa Fayeth
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.38
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/06
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: arc, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, humor, lds-authors, mystery-suspense
review:

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Miracle Creek Christmas 51253505
Former firefighter Mark Rivers has spent the last year recovering from burns sustained during a rescue operation. He’s been trying to piece his life back together but still struggles both emotionally and psychologically. When he meets Riley, he finally sees something that might bring some light back into his life.

When Mark asks Riley to work on a special nativity project, he finds himself falling for her quirky, unaffected ways. Riley doesn’t seem bothered by his scars, but is her affection for him real, or is this just another act of charity? One thing’s for certain, in a small town that views Mark as a fragile hero, it’s hard to pursue a relationship without everyone in his business. And although Riley has sincere feelings for Mark, is she ready to risk her heart?

Broken hearts and lives are mended as the town of Miracle Creek comes together to celebrate a Christmas to remember.]]>
368 Krista Lynne Jensen 1629727873 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 3.99 2020 Miracle Creek Christmas
author: Krista Lynne Jensen
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/06
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: audiobooks, chick-lit, christmas-books, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, holiday
review:

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The Rent Collector 13628812
The Rent Collector is a story of hope, of one woman's journey to save her son and another woman's chance at redemption.]]>
304 Camron Wright 1609071220 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5
The Rent Collector is set in Phnom Penh, Cambodia just after the decline of the Khmer Rouge regime in a place called Stung Mean Chey, a garbage dump covering over 100 acres. Here is where an impoverished, illiterate couple—Sang Ly and Ki Lim—live with their young son, Nisay. To survive, they pick through truckloads of trash everyday, looking for things they can sell. As you can imagine, the dump is filthy and dangerous, and life is uncertain. Nisay's health suffers from living in these conditions and gang violence is a heartbeat away. Sounds grim, but surprisingly enough the message running through this story is one of hope, determination and redemption.

Sang Ly and Ki’s Rent Collector, Sopeap Sin, is a bitter, crude, and loud alcoholic whom Sang Ly determines can read and she pleads Sopeap to teach her because she is convinced it will bring her son a better way of life.

The richness of these characters sweeps you through the poverty and violence of a war-ravaged Cambodia into the truths of life.

For Sang Ly, reading opens new worlds and ways of thinking. Sopeap teaches her: "We are all literature--our lives, our hopes, our desires, our despairs, our passions, our strengths, our weaknesses. Stories express our longing not only to make a difference today but to see what is possible for tomorrow."

I loved learning life's lessons through Sang Ly’s eyes. Sang Ly is talking to her aunt about her struggles and how she misses the province where she grew up. Sang Ly says it can't be right if fate tries to keep her in the dump. Her aunt says, "If it does, then so be it. But remember, the province, though beautiful, has its own pockets of ugliness. While the dump is ugly, it also has pockets of beauty. I think finding beauty in either place simply depends on where you decide to stand."

The quest for learning to read and improve her life, forces Sang Ly to act upon a hunch which ultimately brings comfort to her war-scarred teacher, Sopeap, and an appreciation of looking beyond the surface to fully understand others and to appreciate what you already have.

—ĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔ�
Rating is equivalent to TV-14 due to (V) war-related violence, gang beating, gang retaliation murder, and reference to an elephant being killed. (L) One mild swear word used three times. (S) A young girl’s period begins and Sang Ly must explain to her why it happens. The girl is hidden away or her brother, a gang member, will sell her into prostitution. The police are corrupt and will take bribes to sell the girl into prostitution themselves.]]>
4.22 2012 The Rent Collector
author: Camron Wright
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2018/10/06
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: fiction, historical, historical-fiction, clean-reads, 6-star-favorites
review:
To be honest, I didn't know how a story set in a Cambodian dump could really be as compelling and "life-changing" as many claimed, but how wrong my original assumptions proved to be. This book truly is a life-changer. It invokes such strong feelings of hope, joy, and love. It makes me view my own relationships with others in a whole new light. It makes you view your own world with more compassion and appreciation. I would recommend this book to everyone. You will be a better person for reading it and I promise you, you will not be the same!

The Rent Collector is set in Phnom Penh, Cambodia just after the decline of the Khmer Rouge regime in a place called Stung Mean Chey, a garbage dump covering over 100 acres. Here is where an impoverished, illiterate couple—Sang Ly and Ki Lim—live with their young son, Nisay. To survive, they pick through truckloads of trash everyday, looking for things they can sell. As you can imagine, the dump is filthy and dangerous, and life is uncertain. Nisay's health suffers from living in these conditions and gang violence is a heartbeat away. Sounds grim, but surprisingly enough the message running through this story is one of hope, determination and redemption.

Sang Ly and Ki’s Rent Collector, Sopeap Sin, is a bitter, crude, and loud alcoholic whom Sang Ly determines can read and she pleads Sopeap to teach her because she is convinced it will bring her son a better way of life.

The richness of these characters sweeps you through the poverty and violence of a war-ravaged Cambodia into the truths of life.

For Sang Ly, reading opens new worlds and ways of thinking. Sopeap teaches her: "We are all literature--our lives, our hopes, our desires, our despairs, our passions, our strengths, our weaknesses. Stories express our longing not only to make a difference today but to see what is possible for tomorrow."

I loved learning life's lessons through Sang Ly’s eyes. Sang Ly is talking to her aunt about her struggles and how she misses the province where she grew up. Sang Ly says it can't be right if fate tries to keep her in the dump. Her aunt says, "If it does, then so be it. But remember, the province, though beautiful, has its own pockets of ugliness. While the dump is ugly, it also has pockets of beauty. I think finding beauty in either place simply depends on where you decide to stand."

The quest for learning to read and improve her life, forces Sang Ly to act upon a hunch which ultimately brings comfort to her war-scarred teacher, Sopeap, and an appreciation of looking beyond the surface to fully understand others and to appreciate what you already have.

—ĔĔĔĔĔĔĔĔ�
Rating is equivalent to TV-14 due to (V) war-related violence, gang beating, gang retaliation murder, and reference to an elephant being killed. (L) One mild swear word used three times. (S) A young girl’s period begins and Sang Ly must explain to her why it happens. The girl is hidden away or her brother, a gang member, will sell her into prostitution. The police are corrupt and will take bribes to sell the girl into prostitution themselves.
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Edenbrooke (Edenbrooke, #1) 12820360
From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will Marianne be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke.]]>
264 Julianne Donaldson 1609089464 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.33 2012 Edenbrooke (Edenbrooke, #1)
author: Julianne Donaldson
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2022/04/16
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: clean-romance, fiction, humor, lds-authors, regency-romance, clean-reads, 6-star-favorites
review:

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<![CDATA[The Waiting: The True Story of a Lost Child, a Lifetime of Longing, and a Miracle for a Mother Who Never Gave Up]]> 19150950 344 Cathy LaGrow 1414391900 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.49 2014 The Waiting: The True Story of a Lost Child, a Lifetime of Longing, and a Miracle for a Mother Who Never Gave Up
author: Cathy LaGrow
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/16
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: 5-star-reads-2025, 6-star-favorites, audiobooks, book-club, clean-reads, inspirational, nonfiction, religious-spiritual
review:

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The Book of Lost Friends 53025903 A new novel inspired by historical events: a story of three young women on a journey in search of family amidst the destruction of the post-Civil War South, and of a modern-day teacher who rediscovers their story and its connection to her own students' lives.

Lisa Wingate brings to life stories from actual "Lost Friends" advertisements that appeared in Southern newspapers after the Civil War, as freed slaves desperately searched for loved ones who had been sold off.

Louisiana, 1875 In the tumultuous aftermath of Reconstruction, three young women set off as unwilling companions on a perilous quest: Lavinia, the pampered heir to a now-destitute plantation; Juneau Jane, her illegitimate free-born Creole half-sister; and Hannie, Lavinia's former slave. Each carries private wounds and powerful secrets as they head for Texas, following dangerous roads rife with ruthless vigilantes and soldiers still fighting a war lost a decade before. For Lavinia and Juneau Jane, the journey is one of inheritance and financial desperation, but for Hannie, torn from her mother and eight siblings before slavery's end, the pilgrimage westward reignites an agonizing question: Could her long-lost family still be out there? Beyond the swamps lie the seemingly limitless frontiers of Texas and, improbably, hope.

Louisiana, 1987 For first-year teacher Benedetta Silva, a subsidized job at a poor rural school seems like the ticket to canceling her hefty student debt--until she lands in a tiny, out-of-step Mississippi River town. Augustine, Louisiana, seems suspicious of new ideas and new people, and Benny can scarcely comprehend the lives of her poverty-stricken students. But amid the gnarled oaks and run-down plantation homes lies the century-old history of three young women, a long-ago journey, and a hidden book that could change everything.]]>
388 Lisa Wingate 1984819887 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.11 2020 The Book of Lost Friends
author: Lisa Wingate
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/16
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: audiobooks, christian-fiction, clean-reads, fiction, historical-fiction
review:

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I Must Betray You 56970272 Romania, 1989. Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe. Seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu dreams of becoming a writer, but Romanians aren’t free to dream; they are bound by rules and force.

Amidst the tyrannical dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu in a country governed by isolation and fear, Cristian is blackmailed by the secret police to become an informer. He’s left with only two choices: betray everyone and everything he loves—or use his position to creatively undermine the most notoriously evil dictator in Eastern Europe.

Cristian risks everything to unmask the truth behind the regime, give voice to fellow Romanians, and expose to the world what is happening in his country. He eagerly joins the revolution to fight for change when the time arrives. But what is the cost of freedom?

A gut-wrenching, startling window into communist Romania and the citizen spy network that devastated a nation, from the number one New York Times best-selling, award-winning author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray.]]>
321 Ruta Sepetys 198483603X Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.38 2022 I Must Betray You
author: Ruta Sepetys
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: 5-star-reads-2025, 6-star-favorites, audiobooks, book-club, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, historical-fiction, inspirational, middle-grade, mystery-suspense, young-adult
review:

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Once Upon a Wardrobe 57099601 Megs Devonshire sets out to fulfill her younger brother George’s last wish by uncovering the truth behind his favorite story. The answer provides hope and healing and a magical journey for anyone whose life has ever been changed by a book.

1950:Margaret Devonshire (Megs) is a seventeen-year-old student of mathematics and physics at Oxford University. When her beloved eight-year-old brother asks Megs if Narnia is real, logical Megs tells him it’s just a book for children, and certainly not true. Homebound due to his illness, and remaining fixated on his favorite books, George presses her to ask the author of the recently released novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe a question: “Where did Narnia come from?�

Despite her fear about approaching the famous author, who is a professor at her school, Megs soon finds herself taking tea with C. S. Lewis and his own brother Warnie, begging them for answers.

Rather than directly telling her where Narnia came from, Lewis encourages Megs to form her own conclusion as he slowly tells her the little-known stories from his own life that led to his inspiration. As she takes these stories home to George, the little boy travels farther in his imagination than he ever could in real life.

Lewis’s answers will reveal to Megs and her family many truths that science and math cannot, and the gift she thought she was giving to her brother—the story behind Narnia—turns out to be his gift to her, instead: hope.]]>
320 Patti Callahan Henry 0785251723 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.31 2021 Once Upon a Wardrobe
author: Patti Callahan Henry
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/22
shelves: 5-star-reads-2025, audiobooks, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, historical-fiction, middle-grade
review:

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Starfish 54458127 Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this debut novel-in-verse.

Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she’s been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules–like “no making waves,� “avoid eating in public,� and “don’t move so fast that your body jiggles.� And she’s found her safe space–her swimming pool–where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It’s also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie’s weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life–by unapologetically being her own fabulous self.]]>
256 Lisa Fipps 1984814508 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.43 2021 Starfish
author: Lisa Fipps
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/19
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: 5-star-reads-2025, 6-star-favorites, audiobooks, book-club, clean-reads, fiction, inspirational, mental-health, middle-grade, self-help
review:

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Embers in the London Sky 182093333
When German bombs set London ablaze, BBC radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood reports on the Blitz, eager to boost morale while walking the fine line between truth and censorship. But the Germans are not the only ones Londoners have to fear as a series of murders flame up amid the ashes.

The deaths hit close to home for Hugh, and Aleida needs his help to locate her missing son. As they work together, they grow closer and closer, both to each other and the answers they seek. But time is running short—and the worst is yet to come.]]>
391 Sarah Sundin 0800741854 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.16 2024 Embers in the London Sky
author: Sarah Sundin
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/18
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: audiobooks, christian-fiction, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, historical-fiction, mystery-suspense, wwii
review:

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Becoming Madam Secretary 56686543 She took on titans, battled generals, and changed the world as we know it�

New York Times
bestselling author Stephanie Dray returns with a captivating and dramatic new novel about an American heroine Frances Perkins.

Raised on tales of her revolutionary ancestors, Frances Perkins arrives in New York City at the turn of the century, armed with her trusty parasol and an unyielding determination to make a difference.

When she’s not working with children in the crowded tenements in Hell’s Kitchen, Frances throws herself into the social scene in Greenwich Village, befriending an eclectic group of politicians, artists, and activists, including the millionaire socialite Mary Harriman Rumsey, the flirtatious budding author Sinclair Lewis, and the brilliant but troubled reformer Paul Wilson, with whom she falls deeply in love.

But when Frances meets a young lawyer named Franklin Delano Roosevelt at a tea dance, sparks fly in all the wrong directions. She thinks he’s a rich, arrogant dilettante who gets by on a handsome face and a famous name. He thinks she’s a priggish bluestocking and insufferable do-gooder. Neither knows it yet, but over the next twenty years, they will form a historic partnership that will carry them both to the White House.

Frances is destined to rise in a political world dominated by men, facing down the Great Depression as FDR’s most trusted lieutenant—even as she struggles to balance the demands of a public career with marriage and motherhood. And when vicious political attacks mount and personal tragedies threaten to derail her ambitions, she must decide what she’s willing to do—and what she’s willing to sacrifice—to save a nation.]]>
544 Stephanie Dray Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 Stephanie Dray’s 4.48 2024 Becoming Madam Secretary
author: Stephanie Dray
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/10
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: 5-star-reads-2025, book-club, clean-reads, fiction, historical-fiction, inspirational
review:
Stephanie Dray’s
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<![CDATA[The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 2]]> 48677941
The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighbourhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be, which comprise a series of novella-length volumes. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.
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162 Beth Brower Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 It’s official: 4.59 The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 2
author: Beth Brower
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.59
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/01
date added: 2025/01/06
shelves: 6-star-favorites, classics, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, historical-fiction, humor, regency-romance, 5-star-reads-2025
review:
It’s official:
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<![CDATA[The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement]]> 203956674 America’s favorite government teacher offers thrilling, heartfelt stories of ordinary American heroes.Most pundits and historians sell a dangerously naïve version of the American story—either praising its most consequential figures uncritically or criticizing them unfairly.Sharon McMahon believes the truth is more human. In her debut book The Small and the Mighty, she tells the inpiring stories of twelve Americans--regular people with human foibles--whose extraordinary heroism in the face of mounting trials created the character of our country.With the same clarity and candor that's earned her millions of fans, McMahon follows the daughter of formerly enslaved parents who sparked a reformation in Black education, a Japanese immigrant who nearly died in combat and became a consequential Senator, and even the electrician who saved her husband’s life. Her unforgettable prose and meticulous research tell the story of America from the perspective of the unsung heroes whose devotion to their country will restore your faith in the American dream.The portraits of our nation’s most improbable champions, innovators, and rebels in this book celebrate the United States and reveal our common humanity. The Small and the Mighty is the encouragement we all need in an age of doomscrolling and division.]]> 320 Sharon McMahon 0593541677 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.43 2024 The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement
author: Sharon McMahon
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/02
date added: 2025/01/02
shelves: 5-star-reads-2025, audiobooks, clean-reads, fiction, historical, inspirational, nonfiction
review:

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Christmas Jars 923935 Where had it come from? Whose money was it? Was I to spend it? Save it? Pass it on to someone more needy? Above all else, why was I chosen? Certainly there were others, countless others, more needy than me...

Her reporter's intuition insisted that a remarkable story was on the verge of the front page.

Newspaper reporter Hope Jensen uncovers the remarkable secret behind the "Christmas Jars", glass jars filled with coins and bills anonymously left for people in need. But along the way, Hope discovers much more than the origin of the jars. When some unexpected news sets off a chain reaction of kindness, Hope's greatest Christmas Eve wish comes true.]]>
122 Jason F. Wright 1590384814 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 3.97 2005 Christmas Jars
author: Jason F. Wright
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/29
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: audiobooks, christmas-books, clean-reads, fiction, holiday, inspirational, lds-authors
review:

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<![CDATA[Yuletide Bride (Regency Christmas Brides)]]> 218332093 When a marriage of convenience becomes inconveniently complicated...

Mercy Caldwell, the vicar’s eldest daughter, has watched her younger sisters march down the aisle while she remains resolutely on the shelf. When a chance at matrimony arrives mere hours after her youngest sister’s engagement, Mercy seizes the opportunity—and the man she’s secretly admired for years.

Colin Birchall’s grand estate is crumbling, and his aunt’s generous inheritance comes with one he must be married by Twelfth Night. In Mercy, he finds the perfect candidate to meet his aunt’s exacting standards. It seems an ideal arrangement—until they’re forced to actually live together.

From differing views on marriage to clashing Christmas traditions, Mercy and Colin discover that convenience and compatibility are two very different things. But when Colin’s aunt arrives unannounced demanding proof of their love, they must convince her—and perhaps themselves—that their hastily forged union is more than just a festive facade.

Can Mercy and Colin turn their paper marriage into a love match before Twelfth Night? Or will their convenient arrangement crumble faster than Colin’s ancestral home?

Book three in the Regency Christmas Brides series,Yuletide Bride is a heartwarming holiday romance that proves love often arrives in the most unexpected packages—no bow required.

Other books in the Regency Christmas Brides
A Seasonal Pursuit by Rebecca Connolly
Rules of a Ruse by Laura Beers
Her Mistletoe Match by Anneka R. Walker
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244 Kasey Stockton 1952429560 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.34 2024 Yuletide Bride (Regency Christmas Brides)
author: Kasey Stockton
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/01
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, lds-authors, regency-romance
review:

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A Christmas Duet 205436000 A solo holiday trip inspires one woman to rediscover her passion—and remember that, sometimes, duets are more fun—in this romantic Christmas novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.

Hailey Morgan’s life has always revolved around music. She once had big dreams of composing her own songs, but the reality of life has led her to working as an assistant high school band teacher in Portland, Oregon. As the holidays approach, Hailey dreads the annual tradition of Christmas with her meddling family, where she’ll have to play nice while dodging their traditional expectations.

When Hailey’s close friend offers her family’s empty cabin for a rejuvenating solo retreat, Hailey finally decides to do something to make herself happy. However, her arrival in small-town Podunk, Washington, is anything but peaceful when she discovers the cabin is occupied by several wild animals. Luckily, Jay, the mayor’s son—who happens to be an incredibly charming former musician—is more than willing to help.

Soon Hailey and Jay are nearly inseparable, chopping down and decorating a Christmas tree, sipping hot cocoa in front of a cozy fire, and best of all, playing music together. Jay’s encouragement and feedback inspire Hailey to believe she might succeed as a songwriter after all. But even in her snow-dusted oasis, family holiday drama still finds Hailey, threatening her newfound peace and confidence, while she realizes Jay might be more than he presents himself to be. Suddenly her Christmas paradise has become a winter storm and Hailey must weather through the challenges to stand up for herself and embrace the holiday spirit.]]>
288 Debbie Macomber 0593725336 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 3 3.87 2024 A Christmas Duet
author: Debbie Macomber
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/02
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves: audiobooks, christmas-books, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, holiday
review:

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<![CDATA[Later On We'll Conspire (Christmas Escape)]]> 62347133 Everyone loves a Christmas surprise—just not when it's a spy in disguise.

Lacee:

I'll be home for Christmas...alone was the plan, but everything changes when I bump into a handsome stranger who always seems to be in the right place at the right time. So there's a new plan, a plan that involves a casual holiday fling. Merry Christmas to me.

But spending the holidays with Park Bradshaw in my charming hometown turns into Mission Impossible when I find out his knife skills go way beyond carving the Christmas ham.

Now I'm on the run, living out my own Christmas version of Die Hard, where making it home in time for Christmas is the least of my worries. I just want to make it home alive—and hopefully not lose my heart to the one man I'm not sure I can trust.

Because as the countdown to Christmas ticks on like a bomb, I'm left wondering which side he's on.]]>
338 Kortney Keisel Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 3.91 2022 Later On We'll Conspire (Christmas Escape)
author: Kortney Keisel
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/14
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves: audiobooks, chick-lit, christmas-books, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, holiday, humor, mystery-suspense
review:

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<![CDATA[The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right]]> 209720233 When a young woman trades places with her noble cousin, their innocent ruse leads to true love in this new Regency-era romantic comedy of manners from the author of Mr. Malcolm’s List.When Arabella Grant’s wicked aunt dies suddenly, both Arabella and her cousin Lady Isabelle cannot help but feel relieved. She’d made their lives miserable, and now Lady Issie is free to read to her heart’s content, and Bella is free from taunts about her ignoble birth. Their newfound freedom is threatened, however, when Issie’s great-aunt commands her to travel to London for a come-out Issie has never wanted. Issie, who is in poor health, is convinced she’ll drop dead like her mother did if she drops into a curtsy before the queen. So when her great-aunt turns out to be nearsighted and can’t tell the noble Lady Isabelle from her commoner cousin Arabella, Issie convinces Bella to take her place. Bella can attend all the exclusive entertainments that her lower birth would typically exclude her from, and Issie can stay in bed, her nose in a book. Bella agrees to the scheme for her dear cousin’s sake, but matters turn complicated when she meets the irresistible Lord Brooke. He begins courting her while under the impression she’s the rich and aristocratic Lady Isabelle, who, unlike Bella, is a suitable bride for an eligible young earl. And Bella, who is convinced that she has met “Lord Right,� worries what will happen when she reveals that he’s actually fallen for…the wrong lady.]]> 262 Suzanne Allain 059354966X Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 3.75 2024 The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right
author: Suzanne Allain
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/22
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves: audiobooks, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, historical-fiction, regency-romance
review:

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<![CDATA[Double or Nothing (Pride and Pranks, #2)]]> 60558526 My best friend’s older brother is back in town.

Do I care? Not one bit. Logan may have been my childhood crush, but I’ve always been little Tessa to him. Not to mention, he’s turned into a shallow flirt and I’m not looking to get played again.

What’s the problem, you ask? (Besides all the flirting.)

Thanks to a scheming mutual friend, Logan and I find ourselves embroiled in a bet of absurd proportions. Now, instead of ignoring Logan and keeping my heart safely locked away, we have a date every Saturday night and a kiss looming on the horizon.

And the line between us is getting� muddy.

As long as Logan stays the shallow flirt, I’ll be fine. My heart is safe from the player. It’s the man underneath giving me a run for my money.]]>
318 Cindy Steel Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5
The character development was superb—both for the main characters and supporting cast. The story is told from both Tessa’s and Logan’s POV. I loved that the author did this so we could also get into Logan's head and figure out what made him tick.

I couldn't get enough of this charming book. It hit the sweet spot, allowing for a wonderful and humorous escape that I finished within a couple of days.

This is my first read by Cindy Steel and she wowed me that I want to read her other novels. I understand this book is part of a series, so I’m looking forward to reading the others. You can read my review of the first novel of the series, That Fine Line here ]]>
4.27 2022 Double or Nothing (Pride and Pranks, #2)
author: Cindy Steel
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/08/07
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves: chick-lit, clean-romance, fiction, young-adult, humor, clean-reads, 5-star-reads-2023, 6-star-favorites
review:
This may be my new favorite romcom read this year. A childhood crush, a hilarious run-in in the dark, plus heartbreak are all precursors to this entertaining, swoon-worthy, and hilarious read. From the first page on it's non-stop fun and laughter with plenty of playful moments and banters.

The character development was superb—both for the main characters and supporting cast. The story is told from both Tessa’s and Logan’s POV. I loved that the author did this so we could also get into Logan's head and figure out what made him tick.

I couldn't get enough of this charming book. It hit the sweet spot, allowing for a wonderful and humorous escape that I finished within a couple of days.

This is my first read by Cindy Steel and she wowed me that I want to read her other novels. I understand this book is part of a series, so I’m looking forward to reading the others. You can read my review of the first novel of the series, That Fine Line here
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<![CDATA[The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley]]> 63354446 She’s out to prove that there’sno such thing as choosing happiness.

Isadora Bentley follows the rules. Isadora Bentley likes things just so. Isadora Bentley believes that happiness is something that flat-out doesn’t exist in her life—and never will.

As a university researcher, Isadora keeps to herself as much as possible. She avoids the students she’s supposed to befriend and mentor. She stays away from her neighbors and lives her own quiet, organized life in her own quiet, organized apartment. And she will never get involved in a romantic relationship again—especially with another academic. It will be just Isadora and her research. Forever.

But on her thirtieth birthday, Isadora does something completely out of character. The young woman who never does anything “on a whim� makes an impulse purchase of a magazine featuring a silly article detailing “Thirty-One Ways to Be Happy”—which includes everything from smiling at strangers to exercising for endorphins to giving in to your chocolate cravings. Isadora decides to create her own secret research project—proving the writer of the ridiculous piece wrong.

As Isadora gets deeper into her research—and meets a handsome professor along the way—she’s stunned to discover that maybe, just maybe, she’s proving herself wrong. Perhaps there’s actually something to this happiness concept, and possibly there’s something to be said for loosening up and letting life take you somewhere...happy.


Contemporary Christian romance
Perfect for fans of Denise Hunter and Rachel Linden
Includes discussion questions for book clubs]]>
358 Courtney Walsh 0840712804 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.14 2023 The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley
author: Courtney Walsh
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/03/14
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves: audiobooks, chick-lit, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, humor, lds-authors, young-adult, 5-star-reads-2024, 6-star-favorites
review:

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<![CDATA[Across the Ages (Timeless, #4)]]> 209351104 384 Gabrielle Meyer 0764244205 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.59 2024 Across the Ages (Timeless, #4)
author: Gabrielle Meyer
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.59
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/16
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, audiobooks, clean-reads, clean-romance, fantasy, historical-fiction, religious-spiritual, 6-star-favorites
review:

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<![CDATA[A Cross-Country Christmas (Road Trip Romance, #1)]]> 59068107
Which is why she rarely makes the trip home to the Midwest for the holidays. After all, she has plenty to keep her busy—namely, her duties as a set decorator on a TV sitcom.

But this December, Lauren's brother and his wife are expecting a baby, so her brother arranges a ride home for her with his good friend, Will.

Unfortunately for Lauren, she’s been trying to forget college baseball coach and childhood crush Will Sinclair for more than ten years.

Now, thanks to her fear of flying, she’s stuck in a car with him from California to Illinois.

She’s circumspect and organized. He’s flirty and spontaneous.

She’s convinced that people don’t change. He’s trying to prove to her (and himself) that he has.

On this cross-country road trip, they’ll both discover that history doesn’t exactly repeat itself. . . but like any good Christmas carol, it does have a second verse.]]>
256 Courtney Walsh Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 3.93 2021 A Cross-Country Christmas (Road Trip Romance, #1)
author: Courtney Walsh
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/10
date added: 2024/12/10
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, 6-star-favorites, audiobooks, chick-lit, christmas-books, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, holiday, humor, lds-authors
review:

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Jacob T. Marley 11451071 These chillingly familiar words begin the classic Christmas tale of remorse and redemption in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Now R. William Bennett rewinds the story and focuses the spotlight on Scrooge's miserly business partner, Jacob T. Marley, who was allowed to return as a ghost to warn Scrooge away from his ill-fated path. Why was Marley allowed to return? And why hadn't he been given the same chance as Ebenezer Scrooge?

Or had he?

Written with a voice reminiscent of Dickens, Jacob T. Marley is a masterfully crafted story sure to become a Christmas favorite.]]>
202 R. William Bennett Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.15 2011 Jacob T. Marley
author: R. William Bennett
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2023/12/18
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves: 6-star-favorites, book-club, classics, clean-reads, fiction, historical-fiction, inspirational, lds-authors, 5-star-reads-2023, christmas-books
review:
� Ever wondered why Jacob Marley didn’t get the same second chance as Scrooge? Spoiler alert:
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Royal Duty (Royal, #5) 209239092


CIA operative Alan Neisler and his canine partner have been tasked with protecting the royal family of Sereno in the days leading up to the coronation. The job seems straightforward—until he finds himself diffusing a bomb the first day he’s on duty. When a second device is found at the family’s beach resort, Alan’s prime objective shifts to protecting Princess Victoria. As Victoria learns to trust Alan with her safety, sparks fly with the man who saves her life. Twice. But if they have any hope of making plans for a happily ever after, Alan and Victoria must outwit a deadly adversary who will stop at nothing to destroy the monarchy.]]>
280 Traci Hunter Abramson 1524425389 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.35 Royal Duty  (Royal, #5)
author: Traci Hunter Abramson
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.35
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/01
date added: 2024/12/03
shelves: chick-lit, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, lds-authors, mystery-suspense, young-adult
review:

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<![CDATA[Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance]]> 31847558
But there is more to Simone than the nineteen medals—fourteen of them gold—and the Olympic successes. Through years of hard work and determination, she has relied on her faith and family to stay focused and positive, while having fun competing at the highest level and doing what she loves. Here, in her own words, Simone takes you through the events, challenges, and trials that carried her from an early childhood in foster care to a coveted spot on the 2016 Olympic team.

Along the way, Simone shares the details of her inspiring personal story—one filled with the kinds of daily acts of courage that led her, and can lead you, to even the most unlikely of dreams.]]>
256 Simone Biles 0310759668 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.11 2016 Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance
author: Simone Biles
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/06
date added: 2024/12/03
shelves: audiobooks, biography, clean-reads, inspirational, nonfiction
review:

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<![CDATA[Hometown Vendetta (Luke Steele, #1)]]> 208140869 Marine Captain Luke Steele and FBI Special Agent Amberlyn Reiner must work together to unravel a deadly conspiracy before times runs out while also navigating their undercover fake relationship that is becoming all too real.

When a terrorist attack grips the nation, Luke Steele, a military aide to the president of the United States, is reassigned to track down the suspect because the alleged bomber was spotted wearing a state championship ring from Luke’s hometown. Luke has desperately tried to forget his high school years, but he can’t run from them now. Instead, he must face his most formidable assignment yet: leave his post by the president’s side, return to Pine Falls, Virginia, and face every demon from his childhood—including every person and every thought that told him he wasn’t worth anything.

FBI Special Agent Amberlyn Reiner has spent years tracking domestic terrorism. When she catches a break that could pinpoint the key player in the antigovernment group responsible for dozens of needless deaths, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get the information she seeks—even if it means going undercover as Luke Steele’s plus-one at his high school reunion. Though Amberlyn found Luke arrogant and aloof during their time together at Quantico, it doesn’t take long for her to discover that there’s much more to him than she realized. But even as the line between fact and fiction in their relationship blurs, the countdown to danger accelerates. Time is running out, and with the threat of another terrorist attack looming, the stakes are higher than ever.]]>
320 Traci Hunter Abramson 1639932984 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.38 Hometown Vendetta (Luke Steele, #1)
author: Traci Hunter Abramson
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.38
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/22
date added: 2024/12/03
shelves: arc, chick-lit, clean-reads, clean-romance, lds-authors, mystery-suspense
review:

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The Bletchley Riddle 205064698 This middle grade historical adventure follows two siblings at Bletchley Park, the home of WWII codebreakers, as they try to unravel a mystery surrounding their mother’s death.

Remember, you are bound by the Official Secrets Act�

Summer, 1940. Nineteen-year-old Jakob Novis and his quirky younger sister Lizzie share a love of riddles and puzzles. And now they’re living inside of one. The quarrelsome siblings find themselves amidst one of the greatest secrets of World War II—Britain’s eccentric codebreaking factory at Bletchley Park. As Jakob joins Bletchley’s top minds to crack the Nazi's Enigma cipher, fourteen-year-old Lizzie embarks on a mission to solve the mysterious disappearance of their mother.

The Battle of Britain rages and Hitler’s invasion creeps closer. And at the same time, baffling messages and codes arrive on their doorstep while a menacing inspector lurks outside the gates of the Bletchley mansion. Are the messages truly for them, or are they a trap? Could the riddles of Enigma and their mother's disappearance be somehow connected? Jakob and Lizzie must find a way to work together as they race to decipher clues which unravel a shocking puzzle that presents the ultimate challenge: How long must a secret be kept?]]>
392 Ruta Sepetys 0593527542 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.12 2024 The Bletchley Riddle
author: Ruta Sepetys
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/16
date added: 2024/12/03
shelves: audiobooks, clean-reads, fiction, historical-fiction, mystery-suspense, young-adult
review:

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<![CDATA[Living Lies (Harbored Secrets #1)]]> 43888374
Lane must work with Walton's newest deputy, Charlie Lynch, to uncover the truth behind the murder. But when that truth hits too close to home, she'll have to decide if saving the life of another is worth the cost of revealing her darkest secret.

Debut novelist Natalie Walters pulls you to the edge of your seat on the first page and keeps you there until the last in this riveting story that will have you believing no one is defined by their past.]]>
280 Natalie Walters 1493417851 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.38 2019 Living Lies (Harbored Secrets #1)
author: Natalie Walters
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/29
date added: 2024/12/03
shelves: audiobooks, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, mental-health, mystery-suspense
review:

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The Wise Man Returns 12067563 368 Kenny Kemp 1599554968 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.13 2011 The Wise Man Returns
author: Kenny Kemp
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/01
date added: 2024/12/03
shelves: religious-spiritual, fiction, 6-star-favorites, 5-star-reads-2024, christmas-books, clean-reads, historical-fiction, holiday, inspirational
review:

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The Lion Women of Tehran 199798217 A heartfelt novel of friendship, betrayal, and redemption set against three transformative decades in Tehran, Iran.

In 1950s Tehran, seven-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown. Lonely and bearing the brunt of her mother’s endless grievances, Ellie dreams of a friend to alleviate her isolation.

Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind, passionate girl with a brave and irrepressible spirit. Together, the two girls play games, learn to cook in the stone kitchen of Homa’s warm home, wander through the colorful stalls of the Grand Bazaar, and share their ambitions for becoming “lion women.�

But their happiness is disrupted when Ellie and her mother are afforded the opportunity to return to their previous bourgeois life. Now a popular student at the best girls� high school in Iran, Ellie’s memories of Homa begin to fade. Years later, however, her sudden reappearance in Ellie’s privileged world alters the course of both of their lives.

Together, the two young women come of age and pursue their own goals for meaningful futures. But as the political turmoil in Iran builds to a breaking point, one earth-shattering betrayal will have enormous consequences.]]>
327 Marjan Kamali 1668036584 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.47 2024 The Lion Women of Tehran
author: Marjan Kamali
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/22
date added: 2024/12/03
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, book-club, clean-reads, fiction, historical-fiction, inspirational
review:

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Christmas with the Queen 199531640
December 1952. While the young Queen Elizabeth II finds her feet as the new monarch, she must also find the right words to continue in the tradition of her late father and grandfather’s beloved Christmas Day radio broadcast. But even traditions must move with the times, and the Queen faces a postwar Britain hungry for change.

As preparations begin for the royal Christmas at Sandringham House in Norfolk, two old friends—Jack Devereux and Olive Carter—find themselves reunited for the festivities. A single mother, typist at the BBC, and aspiring reporter, Olive leaps at the opportunity to cover the holiday celebration, despite self-doubts. When a chance encounter with the Queen presents an exciting opportunity, Olive begins to believe her luck might change.

Jack, a grief-stricken widowed chef originally from New Orleans, accepts a last-minute chance to cook in the royal kitchens at Sandringham. When he bumps into a long-lost friend, an old spark is reignited.

Despite personal and professional heartache, Jack and Olive’s paths continue to cross over the following five Christmas seasons and they find themselves growing ever closer. Yet Olive carries the burden of a heavy secret.

Christmas Day, December 1957. As the nation eagerly awaits the Queen’s first televised Christmas speech, Olive decides to reveal the shocking truth of her secret, which threatens to tear her and Jack apart forever.Unless Christmas has one last gift to deliver…ձ�>
384 Hazel Gaynor 0063276216 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.00 2024 Christmas with the Queen
author: Hazel Gaynor
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/04
date added: 2024/12/03
shelves: arc, christmas-books, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, historical-fiction, holiday, netgalley
review:

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<![CDATA[Christmastide in Emerald Falls (Men, Mistletoe, and Marriage #1)]]> 215615202 The enchanting spirit of Christmastide might be exactly what they need to mend their hearts and discover a second chance at love.

Mr. James Bailey appears to possess all one could desire: wealth, a loving family, and a generous spirit. As the chilling winds of the Twelve Days of Christmastide sweep in, James embarks on a mission to aid the poor in his community with food and clothing amidst the harshest winter they have seen in his lifetime.

Miss Eleanor Dove left Emerald Falls two years previously due to a misunderstanding between herself and James Bailey. Now engaged to the Count of Montefeltro, she believes her heart is safe. But upon returning to Emerald Falls, she finds her memories tethered to the past and her heart immovably bound to her first and only love.

On the cusp of Twelfth Night, James discovers he has been swindled. His accounts have a deficit of eight thousand pounds, and he is facing debtor’s prison. With no apparent solution, fate intervenes, and James is compelled to confront the true essence of his existence and the profound impact of his deeds.

In a tale woven with love, loss, and redemption, Christmastide in Emerald Falls unfolds as a captivating exploration of the human spirit, reminding us that sometimes, the greatest riches lie not in material wealth, but in the depth and joy of our connections and the beauty of a life well-lived.

Christmastide in Emerald Falls is a clean & wholesome Regency romance.

Books in the Men, Mistletoe, and Marriage
Christmastide in Emerald Falls by Angela E. Johnson
A Lovely White Christmastide by Teah Kemp Weight
The Merry Mishap of Alfred and Clara by Amanda Panhorst
Mrs. Marley's Christmas Ghost by Courtney Willis]]>
200 Angela E. Johnson Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.38 2024 Christmastide in Emerald Falls (Men, Mistletoe, and Marriage #1)
author: Angela E. Johnson
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/11
date added: 2024/12/03
shelves: arc, christmas-books, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, regency-romance
review:

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<![CDATA[Faking Christmas (Christmas Escape)]]> 62005119 One little white lie.

That's all it took. Now I'm suddenly having to fake-date my work nemesis to get me through a week at a Vermont Christmas lodge with my family.

The problem? I can't stand Miles Taylor. Not only that, but I don't date people I work with. But I can handle it. I've had practice faking my emotions for years. So it shouldn't matter that Miles never lets me get away with anything. And that he happens to boil my blood hotter than a steaming pot of wassail. So when he throws his annoying grin my way or forces me on dates he knows I'll hate, I'll just grit my teeth and smile.

Or maybe not. Did I mention that Miles is the one person in the world I can't seem to fool?

When my emotions begin feeling less like a sham and his arms feel way too comfortable, it makes me think that maybe Miles had a plan of his own. And I'm starting to like it a lot more than mine.]]>
340 Cindy Steel Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.14 2022 Faking Christmas (Christmas Escape)
author: Cindy Steel
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/28
date added: 2024/11/28
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, 6-star-favorites, chick-lit, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, holiday
review:

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The German Wife 58939848
Berlin, 1930 —When a wave of change sweeps a radical political party to power, Sofie von Meyer Rhodes’s academic husband benefits from the ambitions of its newly elected chancellor. Although Sofie and Jürgen do not share the social views growing popular in Hitler’s Germany, Jürgen’s position with its burgeoning rocket program changes their diminishing fortunes for the better. But as Sofie watches helplessly, her beloved Berlin begins to transform, forcing her to consider what they must sacrifice morally for their young family’s security, and what the price for their neutrality will be.

Twenty years later, Jürgen is one of the many German scientists offered pardons for their part in the war, and taken to America to work for its fledgling space program. For Sofie, this is the chance to exorcise the ghosts that have followed her across the ocean, and make a fresh start in her adopted country. But her neighbors aren’t as welcoming or as understanding as she had hoped. When scandalous rumors about the Rhodes family’s affiliation with Hitler’s regime spreads, idle gossip turns to bitter rage, and the act of violence that results will tear apart Sofie’s community and her family before the truth is finally revealed.]]>
464 Kelly Rimmer 1525811436 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.35 2022 The German Wife
author: Kelly Rimmer
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/23
date added: 2024/11/23
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, 6-star-favorites, audiobooks, book-club, clean-reads, fiction, historical-fiction, wwii
review:

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One Foggy Christmas 221078645 What if the person you shared your life with couldn't remember you anymore?

Nash Carter is devastated when a skiing accident leaves his wife with severe memory loss, erasing him and their three-year marriage from her mind.

Not only is Nash a stranger, but Sadie remembers being in love with her ex-boyfriend and can't understand how she ended up living in a new city, estranged from her family, and married to a man she doesn't know.

It's up to Nash to win back his wife and prove that their love is worth fighting for.

Can Nash's unwavering devotion help Sadie rebuild what was lost, or will he lose her love forever?

One Foggy Christmas is a holiday romance that brings all the chemistry and tension without explicit language or scenes. ]]>
380 Kortney Keisel Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.36 2024 One Foggy Christmas
author: Kortney Keisel
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/16
date added: 2024/11/17
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, 6-star-favorites, chick-lit, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, humor
review:
What if the love of your life woke up & didn’t remember you? That’s Nash Carter’s heartbreak in
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<![CDATA[J.K. Rowling Collection 6 Books Set (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One and Two, Fantastic Beasts The Crimes of Grindelwald,The Original Screenplay,Quidditch Through the Ages and more)]]> 51296277 1055 J.K. Rowling 9123963468 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.04 J.K. Rowling Collection 6 Books Set (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One and Two, Fantastic Beasts The Crimes of Grindelwald,The Original Screenplay,Quidditch Through the Ages and more)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.04
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2007/01/01
date added: 2024/11/12
shelves: fantasy, fiction, young-adult, 6-star-favorites, audiobooks, classics, clean-reads
review:

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<![CDATA[Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster]]> 37811512 But when Nan gets stuck in a deadly chimney fire, she fears her time has come. Instead, she wakes to find herself in an abandoned attic. And she is not alone. Huddled in the corner is a mysterious creature--a golem--made from ash and coal. This is the creature that saved her from the fire.
Sweep is the story of a girl and her monster. Together, these two outcasts carve out a life together--saving one another in the process.]]>
400 Jonathan Auxier 073526435X Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.45 2018 Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster
author: Jonathan Auxier
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/29
date added: 2024/11/12
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, audiobooks, clean-reads, fantasy, fiction, young-adult, historical-fiction, 6-star-favorites, childrens, inspirational, mystery-suspense, book-club, middle-grade
review:

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Shepherds Seeking 217034766 32 H.B. Moore 1524427098 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.71 Shepherds Seeking
author: H.B. Moore
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.71
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/02
date added: 2024/11/03
shelves: christmas-books, clean-reads, fiction, historical-fiction, holiday, inspirational, lds-authors, religious-spiritual
review:

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<![CDATA[My Phony Valentine (Holidays with Hart, #1)]]> 90589067 A chance meeting. A hunky hockey player. A fake romance.
Hardly an ordinary day in the life of Poppy Hart.

My days usually consist of agonizing over my failing restaurant, worrying about my mountain of debt and nursing my broken heart.

Everything changes when I bump into a man in the coffee shop and claim him as my new boyfriend. To my absolute horror, he turns out to be hockey’s most renowned bad boy, Dallas Burke. To my absolute delight, he goes along with my story.

When his no-nonsense manager and meddling grandmother jump in the picture, they see a win-win solution for my failing restaurant and Dallas’s less-than-stellar reputation.

A full-fledged fake romance complete with contract negotiations, pretend dates and phony PDA.

But as I get to know the real Dallas Burke, who is not the man the press says he is, it becomes clear that if this isn’t real. . . someone better tell it to my heart.]]>
373 Courtney Walsh Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5
Poppy is a struggling restaurant owner who unexpectedly finds herself in a fake romance with hockey's notorious bad boy, Dallas Burke. Sparks fly in a whirlwind of contract negotiations, pretend dates, and phony PDA. As she navigates a web of deception, she discovers that the man behind the reputation may just be the one to mend her broken heart.

A lighthearted, funny read with great character development that will have you rooting for a love affair.

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4.24 2023 My Phony Valentine (Holidays with Hart, #1)
author: Courtney Walsh
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/25
date added: 2024/10/31
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, audiobooks, chick-lit, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, humor, holiday
review:
My Phony Valentine is exactly what my heart needed. This charming and funny romcom has unexpected connections, with the line between fake and real getting blurred, that left me rooting for a love story that defied all expectations.

Poppy is a struggling restaurant owner who unexpectedly finds herself in a fake romance with hockey's notorious bad boy, Dallas Burke. Sparks fly in a whirlwind of contract negotiations, pretend dates, and phony PDA. As she navigates a web of deception, she discovers that the man behind the reputation may just be the one to mend her broken heart.

A lighthearted, funny read with great character development that will have you rooting for a love affair.


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<![CDATA[My Lucky Charm (Holidays with Hart, #2)]]> 206111785 A humiliating break-up leads to an impulsive New Year’s Kiss with a complete stranger.
What could possibly go wrong?

It’s no secret that I love life. And Dr Pepper. But also, I love a challenge. . .

So when the coach of the Chicago Comets gives me the opportunity to help their star player, newly traded to their team, acclimate to life in Chicago, I'm all in.

I have to be. After my last job went up in flames, I have something to prove.

It turns out that the player, Grayson Hawke, is the rudest, most off-putting, reclusive guy I’ve ever met.

It also turns out that he is the beautiful stranger I kissed on New Year’s Eve.

I can do this job. I can do this job. I can do this job.

And I can. Really well.

I can make Gray’s life easier, show him all the reasons to fall in love with this city, and in the process, hopefully completely forget that the amazing kiss ever happened.

How hard can it be? We’re total opposites anyway.

I love people . . . and all their stories. Gray loves hockey . . . and nothing else.

I love to talk. Gray only stares.

I’m happy-go-lucky. Gray’s all work and no play.

There’s just one problem. The more time I spend with Grayson Hawke, the more I start to see that underneath his bristly, standoffish exterior, he’s nothing like the man everyone thinks he is.

And suddenly, all the reasons for keeping my distance, staying professional, and not falling for someone again. . . are impossible to remember.]]>
376 Courtney Walsh Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.35 2024 My Lucky Charm (Holidays with Hart, #2)
author: Courtney Walsh
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/03/05
date added: 2024/10/31
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, chick-lit, clean-reads, clean-romance, humor, holiday
review:
In a charming small town where grumpiness and sunshine collide, author Courtney Walsh weaves a tale of unexpected connections and the transformative power of love. I literally laughed out loud as
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All We Thought We Knew 209606292 She was so sure she knew her family’s story . . . Now she wonders if she was wrong about all of it.

1969. When Mattie Taylor’s twin brother was killed in Vietnam, she lost her best friend and the only person who really understood her. Now, news that her mother is dying sends Mattie back home, despite blaming her father for Mark’s death. Mama’s last wish is that Mattie would read some old letters stored in a locked trunk, from people Mattie doesn’t even know. Mama insists they hold the answers Mattie is looking for.

1942. Ava Delaney is picking up the pieces of her life following her husband’s death at Pearl Harbor. Living with her mother-in-law on a secluded farm in Tennessee is far different than the life Ava imagined when she married only a few short months ago. Desperate to get out of the house, Ava seeks work at a nearby military base, where she soon discovers the American government is housing Germans who they have classified as enemy aliens. As Ava works to process legal documents for the military, she crosses paths with Gunther Schneider, a German who is helping care for wounded soldiers. Ava questions why a man as gentle and kind as Gunther should be forced to live in the internment camp, and as they become friends, her sense of the injustice grows . . . as do her feelings for him. Faced with the possibility of losing Gunther, Ava must choose whether loving someone deemed the enemy is a risk worth taking, even if it means being ostracized by all those around her.

In the midst of pain and loss two women must come face-to-face with their own assumptions about what they thought they knew about themselves and others. What they discover will lead to a far greater appreciation of their own legacies and the love of those dearest to them.

Includes discussion guide for book groupsStandalone Southern, historical family drama about enduring hope amid personal tragedyClean, suspenseful historical fiction, perfect for fans of Susan Meissner or Lisa WingateDual timeline set during the Vietnam War and WWII.]]>
359 Michelle Shocklee 1496484185 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 " 4.25 2024 All We Thought We Knew
author: Michelle Shocklee
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/30
date added: 2024/10/30
shelves: audiobooks, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, historical-fiction, wwii
review:
"
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Only the Beautiful 56687771
California, 1938—When she loses her parents in an accident, sixteen-year-old Rosanne is taken in by the owners of the vineyard where she has lived her whole life as the vinedresser’s daughter. She moves into Celine and Truman Calvert’s spacious house with a secret, however—Rosie sees colors when she hears sound. She promised her mother she’d never reveal her little-understood ability to anyone, but the weight of her isolation and grief prove too much for her. Driven by her loneliness she not only breaks the vow to her mother, but in a desperate moment lets down her guard and ends up pregnant. Banished by the Calverts, Rosanne believes she is bound for a home for unwed mothers, and having lost her family she treasures her pregnancy as the chance for a future one. But she soon finds out she is not going to a home of any kind, but to a place far worse than anything she could have imagined.

Austria, 1947—After witnessing firsthand Adolf Hitler’s brutal pursuit of hereditary purity—especially with regard to “different children”—Helen Calvert, Truman's sister, is ready to return to America for good. But when she arrives at her brother’s peaceful vineyard after decades working abroad, she is shocked to learn what really happened nine years earlier to the vinedresser’s daughter, a girl whom Helen had long ago befriended. In her determination to find Rosanne, Helen discovers that while the war had been won in Europe, there are still terrifying battles to be fought at home.]]>
400 Susan Meissner 0593332830 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.42 2023 Only the Beautiful
author: Susan Meissner
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/23
date added: 2024/10/23
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, 6-star-favorites, audiobooks, book-club, clean-reads, fiction, historical-fiction, wwii
review:

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<![CDATA[The Gentleman's Confession (Matchmaking Mamas, #3)]]> 208026836 Inexperienced in love, Jemma seeks help from her best friend, Miles, unaware that he has secretly loved her for years.

Brookeside, England, 1822

Jemma Fielding has always considered herself an independent woman, but to honor her beloved grandmother’s dying wish, she makes a promise that she will marry and fall in love. To fulfill her promise, she turns to the Matchmaking Mamas Society for assistance and is paired with the charming Mr. Bentley. Though he is everything Jemma could hope for in a match, she is clueless about how to win his heart. Desperate to make a good impression, she seeks guidance from her dearest friend, Miles Jackson, a humble rector with a talent for understanding matters of the heart.

However, Miles’s secret affection for Jemma has spanned years, and teaching her to love someone else threatens to betray his own heart. Trapped by his own selfless nature, Miles fears he will never be more than a humble rector in her eyes.

Even as he gives Jemma lessons in love, Miles grapples with the challenge of convincing her that Mr. Bentley may be a perfect gentleman but he is not the perfect match for her. Will Miles’s advice in romance jeopardize their years of friendship, or will it reveal the attraction that has quietly blossomed between them, proving that this time, the Matchmaking Mamas may have made a mistake? Miles must decide if he’s brave enough to confess his feelings to Jemma before she is whisked away forever.]]>
288 Anneka R. Walker 1639933026 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.10 2024 The Gentleman's Confession (Matchmaking Mamas, #3)
author: Anneka R. Walker
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/16
date added: 2024/10/21
shelves: arc, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, lds-authors, regency-romance, young-adult
review:
If you love slow-burn romance, prepare for a deliciously frustrating (and swoon-worthy) ride!
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Making Faces 27237358 405 Amy Harmon Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.18 2013 Making Faces
author: Amy Harmon
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/03
date added: 2024/10/13
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, 6-star-favorites, book-club, chick-lit, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, inspirational, audiobooks
review:

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<![CDATA[Slow Dance in Purgatory (Purgatory, #1)]]> 41061153
'Slow Dance in Purgatory' captures the heart-ache of a love story where there can be no happy ending...]]>
232 Amy Harmon 1621125823 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.12 2012 Slow Dance in Purgatory (Purgatory, #1)
author: Amy Harmon
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/12
date added: 2024/10/12
shelves: audiobooks, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, fantasy, young-adult
review:

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<![CDATA[Snowdrops and Winterberry (The Gents, #1.5)]]> 212130409
Within the serene surroundings of Brier Hill, Adam and Robbie encounter Howard Simpkin, a charismatic gardener whose presence adds a touch of enchantment to their days. Together with the Jonquils, Robbie and Howard embark on a mission to rekindle Adam’s youthful spirit. Through games, toys, and even a whimsical April Christmas celebration, they endeavor to lift the weight of responsibility from the young duke’s shoulders.

Yet as Adam flourishes, Robbie finds herself torn between duty and desire. With Adam growing up all too quickly, Robbie must decide between her budding affection for Howard and her unwavering commitment to Adam’s well-being.

In this tale of love, sacrifice, and redemption set against the backdrop of Sarah M. Eden’s well-beloved Gents series, Adam and his caregivers discover that healing and happiness await those who dare to seek them.


Previously published as "The Holly and the Ivy"


“Memories of Christmas� by Chalon Linton


Judith Benson despises Christmas and has no interest in the season’s festivities. But when she catches the attention of a handsome viscount, her holiday humbug is put to the test.


“A Home for the Holidays” by Jennifer Moore


As Captain Edgar Bryant nurses his wounds from his time in the army, he finds unexpected relief in creating Christmas cheer alongside the sparkling Winnie Larsen.


“Lady Walmsley’s Christmas Surprise� by Karen Tuft


The holidays are approaching, and longtime widow Lady Walmsley turns to her staff for company—much to the dismay of her very proper butler, Foster. But what began as friendship just might end in love.


“A Gretna Green Christmas� by Alene Wecker


Since sharing a bumbling first kiss beneath the mistletoe years ago, Charles and Maria have been star-crossed. But this Christmas, love might finally be within their reach.ձ>
136 Sarah M. Eden 1524427160 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5
If that line doesn’t make you want to grab a tissue, I don’t know what will! This novella is heartwarming, tear-jerking, and filled with so much sweetness that I’m pretty sure my heart is now a puddle of mush. ]]>
4.30 Snowdrops and Winterberry (The Gents, #1.5)
author: Sarah M. Eden
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.30
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/11
date added: 2024/10/11
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, christmas-books, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, historical-fiction, lds-authors, young-adult
review:
“Family is who you choose…we have chosen you. That makes you family to us.�

If that line doesn’t make you want to grab a tissue, I don’t know what will! This novella is heartwarming, tear-jerking, and filled with so much sweetness that I’m pretty sure my heart is now a puddle of mush.
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<![CDATA[The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer, #1)]]> 5821978 276 Jenny Han 1416968237 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 3.77 2009 The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer, #1)
author: Jenny Han
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/04
date added: 2024/10/07
shelves: audiobooks, chick-lit, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, young-adult
review:
Ah, summer. A season of ice cream, beach days, and—for Belly Conklin—the annual pilgrimage to Cousins Beach. Jenny Han captures the magic of summer and the chaos of teenage emotions perfectly in
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Birds in Flight 122750405
In 1998, the American Jorgenson family had been on a year-long road trip in Australia. One humid, storming night, the mother - Elsa Jorgenson - vanished in an isolated stretch of Australian everglades. Elsa was never seen again.

That night, twelve-year-old Lily Jorgenson was left alone and terrified in the family camper—even her teenage sister Iris is missing. When Iris comes racing back through the rain, she refuses to tell where she’s been. Lily is certain her sister is hiding a dark secret.

24 years later, Lily is a travel writer living a settled life with her son in Pennsylvania, USA. Lily and Iris are estranged, with Iris’s secret having torn them apart. When floods dredge up their mother’s backpack from the everglades, tantalising clues are uncovered, and the police reopen the cold case.

Lily returns to Australia, determined to force Iris to finally tell her secret - and to do that, she'll have to reunite with her. But when Lily unlocks the gut-wrenching events of the past, everything she thought was true about her family is about to shatter.]]>
390 Anni Taylor Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 3
The setup of this novel is undeniably gripping. Taylor masterfully builds an eerie atmosphere, particularly with the vivid descriptions of the sisters' unusual childhood in Pennsylvania, from their father’s controlling tendencies to their mother’s restless nature. The slow unraveling of their past—especially the night of their mother’s disappearance—keeps readers on edge, wondering what Iris has been hiding for so many years.

However, while the tension between the sisters and the mystery surrounding their mother is compelling, the pacing of the novel is uneven. There are moments where the narrative feels bogged down by too much reflection or unnecessary details, slowing the momentum just as it starts to build. Lily, as the primary narrator, often comes across as repetitive in her internal musings, which can take away from the intensity of the central mystery. Additionally, the resolution of the mystery, while satisfying in some aspects, feels rushed compared to the careful build-up, leaving a few lingering questions unanswered.

That said, the emotional complexity between Lily and Iris adds depth to the story, and the exploration of family trauma, memory, and forgiveness gives it heart. Readers who enjoy domestic thrillers with a strong emotional core will find much to appreciate in Birds in Flight—though the journey may feel uneven at times.

Content Warnings: No language. No sex or nudity. Family trauma, disappearance, emotional abuse, strained sibling relationships.]]>
4.16 2023 Birds in Flight
author: Anni Taylor
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/25
date added: 2024/09/25
shelves: audiobooks, clean-reads, fiction, mystery-suspense
review:
Birds in Flight by Anni Taylor presents a haunting family mystery that centers around the bond—both fractured and inescapable—between two estranged sisters, Lily and Iris. Their mother’s disappearance twenty-four years ago still lingers over their lives, with Iris harboring a secret from that fateful night. Now, with the discovery of a new clue, the sisters are forced to reunite and confront the dark truths about their past.

The setup of this novel is undeniably gripping. Taylor masterfully builds an eerie atmosphere, particularly with the vivid descriptions of the sisters' unusual childhood in Pennsylvania, from their father’s controlling tendencies to their mother’s restless nature. The slow unraveling of their past—especially the night of their mother’s disappearance—keeps readers on edge, wondering what Iris has been hiding for so many years.

However, while the tension between the sisters and the mystery surrounding their mother is compelling, the pacing of the novel is uneven. There are moments where the narrative feels bogged down by too much reflection or unnecessary details, slowing the momentum just as it starts to build. Lily, as the primary narrator, often comes across as repetitive in her internal musings, which can take away from the intensity of the central mystery. Additionally, the resolution of the mystery, while satisfying in some aspects, feels rushed compared to the careful build-up, leaving a few lingering questions unanswered.

That said, the emotional complexity between Lily and Iris adds depth to the story, and the exploration of family trauma, memory, and forgiveness gives it heart. Readers who enjoy domestic thrillers with a strong emotional core will find much to appreciate in Birds in Flight—though the journey may feel uneven at times.

Content Warnings: No language. No sex or nudity. Family trauma, disappearance, emotional abuse, strained sibling relationships.
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<![CDATA[Trust + Follow: A 60-Day Devotional to Know Jesus More]]> 209351070 224 Maddie Joy Fischer 1540904008 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.72 Trust + Follow: A 60-Day Devotional to Know Jesus More
author: Maddie Joy Fischer
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.72
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/22
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, clean-reads, inspirational, religious-spiritual, self-help
review:

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Jianetta's Secret 216739947
Drawn together in nearly hopeless circumstances, the two of them must decide between following their hearts or honoring their family names. Will Jianetta’s secret be uncovered, or will she lose it all, including her chance at an unexpected love?]]>
180 Margot Hovley Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.35 Jianetta's Secret
author: Margot Hovley
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.35
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/19
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves: clean-reads, fiction, historical-fiction, lds-authors, clean-romance
review:

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Husband and Wife 197483825
The Wife:

My husband and I are fighting for our lives in hospital after a terrible car accident. But despite my pain, all I can think about is what our families will find behind our front door. The scarf that has been all over the news, belonging to a dead young woman with honey-coloured hair. I have to speak to the police before my husband can�

The Husband:

I’m drifting in and out of consciousness, but when I hear my wife talking to the police, accusing me of the murder of an innocent woman, a cold fear grips me. I know I’ve got a temper. That I’ve not always been faithful. Will they think I killed her?

I think of my wife’s jealous streak, of the lies she’s told our loved ones. But if I tell the whole truth, they’ll look into her past. And that will destroy me, too�

Two people fighting for their lives. Two people with secrets to hide. Who will you believe?]]>
350 K.L. Slater 1837907811 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 3.87 2023 Husband and Wife
author: K.L. Slater
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/14
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves: audiobooks, clean-reads, fiction, mystery-suspense
review:

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<![CDATA[Twilight (The Twilight Saga, #1)]]> 41865
First, Edward was a vampire.

Second, there was a part of him - and I didn't know how dominant that part might be - that thirsted for my blood.

And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

Deeply seductive and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight is a love story with bite.]]>
498 Stephenie Meyer 0316015849 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5
Sure, it's all about sappy "love at first sight" and teenage angst, but hey, weren’t we all teenagers once, drowning in those same over-the-top feelings? I could totally feel the love the author was aiming for, and I think I might have developed a little crush on Edward myself. ]]>
3.66 2005 Twilight (The Twilight Saga, #1)
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at: 2008/05/28
date added: 2024/08/31
shelves: fantasy, fiction, young-adult, clean-romance, clean-reads
review:
So, I’d been avoiding this series for ages because, honestly, the idea of modern-day vampires wasn’t exactly calling my name. But after hearing everyone rave about it, I figured, why not give it a try? (I really should trust my stepdaughter’s taste more—every book she’s recommended has been a winner). This isn't Anne Rice, but it definitely "sucked" me in (yes, pun intended), and I ended up LOVING the book because it was just plain fun and delightfully mindless. I tore through it in a couple of days, and it was a real struggle to put it down—only the demands of motherhood could pry it from my hands.

Sure, it's all about sappy "love at first sight" and teenage angst, but hey, weren’t we all teenagers once, drowning in those same over-the-top feelings? I could totally feel the love the author was aiming for, and I think I might have developed a little crush on Edward myself.
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The Secret Life of Bees 37435 The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted black "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free. They escape to Tiburon, South Carolina--a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey, and the Black Madonna. This is a remarkable novel about divine female power, a story women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.]]> 302 Sue Monk Kidd 0142001740 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.10 2001 The Secret Life of Bees
author: Sue Monk Kidd
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2001
rating: 5
read at: 2009/09/16
date added: 2024/08/31
shelves: historical-fiction, fiction, 6-star-favorites, clean-reads
review:

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<![CDATA[A Groom of One's Own (Appies, #3)]]> 201779211 He always dreamed of getting married—but for love, not to avoid deportation.

Eli Hopkins has it all—almost. A hockey career with the wildly popular Appies. Teammates who are like brothers. The only thing he's missing is someone to share it all with.

Oh—and correctly filed visa paperwork.

Due to administrative error, Eli is about to lose everything.

Unless he can find someone to marry him in the next thirty days.

And he might have the perfect woman in mind. The only problem? He'd like to marry her for real, not simply for legal purposes.

Now Eli faces the challenge of winning over a wife who thinks the marriage is in name only...]]>
368 Emma St. Clair Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.20 2024 A Groom of One's Own (Appies, #3)
author: Emma St. Clair
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/24
date added: 2024/08/30
shelves: chick-lit, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, lds-authors, young-adult
review:

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<![CDATA[It's Not You: Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic People]]> 150245732
It’s not always easy to tell when you’re dealing with a narcissist. One day they draw you in with their confidence and charisma, the next they gaslight you, wreck your self-confidence, and leave you wondering, What could I have done differently?

As Dr. Ramani Durvasula reveals in It's Not You , the answer absolutely nothing. Just as a tiger can’t change its stripes, a narcissist won’t stop manipulating and invalidating you. To heal in the aftermath of their abuse and protect yourself from future harm, you first have to accept that you are not to blame.

Deeply compassionate and revelatory, It’s Not You examines how narcissists hijack our wellbeing and offers a healing path forward. Drawing on more than 20 years of studying, teaching, and helping clients navigate the landscape of narcissism, Dr. Durvasula unpacks the oft-misunderstood personality, showing how to identify the telltale signs that you may be dealing with a narcissist and protect yourself from their toxic influence. Along the way, you’ll learn how to become gaslight resistant, chip away at the trauma bonds that keep us stuck in these cycles, grieve the losses, create realistic boundaries, learn the fine art of discernment, and recover your sense of self after years of invalidation.

Healing and thriving after or even during a narcissistic relationship can be challenging, but it is possible. It's Not You shows that the first step is to stop trying to change the narcissistic person, stop blaming yourself, and start giving yourself permission to foster your autonomy and sense of self outside of this relationship.]]>
362 Ramani Durvasula 0593492633 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5
Have you ever felt trapped in the emotional gymnastics of a narcissistic relationship? ]]>
4.54 2024 It's Not You: Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic People
author: Ramani Durvasula
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.54
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/24
date added: 2024/08/30
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, clean-reads, mental-health, self-help
review:
I buddy-read this book with my daughter, & we both loved it! I took my time with this book because, let’s be honest, some nuggets of wisdom are too good to rush—like savoring every last bite of your favorite dessert.

Have you ever felt trapped in the emotional gymnastics of a narcissistic relationship?
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Drinker of Ink 199485037
“I only ever talk to this journal. Is there an alternate universe? Another planet? Please could you beam me up, Holy Father?�

Paris-born Vivienne Lebrun longs for a different life. One where she doesn’t attend college three thousand miles away from her family in New York City. A life where she is sophisticated and has kissed many men, both standing up and sitting down, like the lovers in Rodin’s sculpture. In that life, she would skip her final year of school and start writing books and working at a New York bakery. And her French mother wouldn’t (possibly, maybe) be dealing with the return of cancer.

In her real life, all Vivienne can do is obsessively catalog her longings in her journal. But as a new semester begins, she enrolls in a poetry class taught by Peter Breznik, a handsome Yugoslavian graduate instructor. In a heartbeat, she’s taken by his spell-casting blue eyes, his almost-smile, and his romantically-worn canvas satchel. Soon—though Vivienne suspects she’s stumbled into a dream—Peter is talking to her in chance library encounters about poems, future plans, and his violently unraveling country. And Vivienne is not just writing her fantasies, but wondering if she might (possibly, maybe) be singled out by the universe to live one.

Until struggles intensify for both their families—Vivienne’s mother’s health, Peter’s brother’s recklessness in war-torn Croatia—and they are pulled by demands beyond their control. Through distance and heartbreak, can Vivienne and Peter find one another and choose the life they had dreamed of together?]]>
331 Shannon Castleton Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.49 2024 Drinker of Ink
author: Shannon Castleton
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/03/03
date added: 2024/08/23
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, chick-lit, clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, humor, historical-fiction, 6-star-favorites, book-club
review:

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<![CDATA[A Proper Façade (Proper Scandals, #4)]]> 211514026
Nicholas Kendrick, Duke of Harrington, follows the rules of the ton meticulously. When he determines that Mercy is the ideal candidate for a wife, he marches dutifully toward her along the courtship path. Desperate to extricate herself from Harrington’s advances, Mercy concludes that there is only one course of action: she must push her intended into the arms of another woman. But when Mercy becomes acquainted with the man behind the proper facade, her plans come crashing down as she realizes that stiff and proper Harrington might be the very man she’s been waiting for. If only she hadn’t been so successful in her plot to thwart her chances with him.]]>
248 Esther Hatch 1524426474 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5
DIVE IN IF YOU LIKE:
- Regency romance (with all the elegant charm you crave)
- Dual POV (double the fun, double the feels)
- A meet-cute that'll make your heart do little cartwheels ]]>
4.13 2024 A Proper Façade (Proper Scandals, #4)
author: Esther Hatch
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/20
date added: 2024/08/22
shelves: clean-reads, clean-romance, fiction, historical-fiction, lds-authors, regency-romance, young-adult
review:
Looking for a story that'll have you grinning like a fool and clutching your heart all at once? *A Proper Facade* by Esther Hatch is the ultimate swoon-fest you didn’t know you needed!

DIVE IN IF YOU LIKE:
- Regency romance (with all the elegant charm you crave)
- Dual POV (double the fun, double the feels)
- A meet-cute that'll make your heart do little cartwheels
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The Night War 186872349 From the two-time Newbery Honor-winning author of The War That Saved My Life and Fighting Words comes a middle grade novel set at the border between freedom and fear in World War II France, at the Chateau de Chenonceau, where a Jewish girl who has lost everything but her life must decide whether to risk even that to bring others to freedom.

“We don’t choose how we feel, but we choose how we act.�

It’s 1942. German Nazis occupy much of France. And twelve-year-old Miriam, who is Jewish, is not safe. With help and quick thinking, Miri is saved from the roundup that takes her entire Jewish neighborhood. She escapes Paris, landing in a small French village, where the spires of the famous Chateau de Chenonceau rise high into the sky, its bridge across the River Cher like a promise, a fairy tale.

But Miri’s life is no fairy tale. Her parents are gone—maybe alive, maybe not. Taken in at the boarding school near the chateau, pretending to be Catholic to escape Nazi capture, Miri is called upon one night to undertake a deadly task, one that spans the castle grounds, its bridge, and the very border to freedom. Here is her chance to escape—hopefully to find her parents. But will she take it? One thing is certain: The person Miri meets that night will save her life. And the person Miri becomes that night could save the lives of many more.

In her return to the era of The War that Saved My Life and The War I Finally Won, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley brings a new and different story, one with a mystical twist, that explores a little-known slice of World War II history, a highly unusual friendship, and the power of choosing courage even when—especially when—there are no good choices to be had.]]>
288 Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 0735228566 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 4 4.03 2024 The Night War
author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/22
date added: 2024/08/19
shelves: audiobooks, book-club, clean-reads, fiction, historical, historical-fiction, inspirational, religious-spiritual, wwii, young-adult
review:

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<![CDATA[The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear]]> 56132724
The horrific conditions inside the Illinois State Hospital in Jacksonville, Illinois, are overseen by Dr. Andrew McFarland, a man who will prove to be even more dangerous to Elizabeth than her traitorous husband. But most disturbing is that Elizabeth is not the only sane woman confined to the institution. There are many rational women on her ward who tell the same story: they've been committed not because they need medical treatment, but to keep them in line - conveniently labeled "crazy" so their voices are ignored.

No one is willing to fight for their freedom and, disenfranchised both by gender and the stigma of their supposed madness, they cannot possibly fight for themselves. But Elizabeth is about to discover that the merit of losing everything is that you then have nothing to lose...]]>
540 Kate Moore 1492696722 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.29 2021 The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear
author: Kate Moore
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/25
date added: 2024/08/19
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, audiobooks, biography, book-club, clean-reads, fiction, historical, inspirational, mental-health, nonfiction
review:

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So True a Love 208146126 Danger and passion collide when a plucky young woman becomes embroiled in a Bow Street investigation alongside a handsome officer.

London, 1803

As the daughter of a renowned actress, Verity Travers is a privileged lady of high society —and the last woman one would suspect of working as a private investigator. But after one case nearly costs her everything, she makes the hard decision to hang up her hat and live the uninspiring life of a gentlewoman. However, when she and her dearest friend become victims of a harrowing armed robbery, Verity finds herself swept back into the clandestine world of mystery and crime as she seeks to bring the thief to justice. There’s just one complication: the persistent and dashingly handsome Bow Street Runner Nathaniel Denning, who always seems to cross her path.

Verity is confident she could accomplish her work quickly if only Nathaniel would stay out of her way. While she appreciates his keen mind and quick wit on a case, his interference is muddling her progress—and her heart. Focusing on the task at hand becomes more and more difficult as she constantly bumps into Nathaniel, who is determined to keep her out of danger.

When the two rival investigators learn they are both pursuing the same cunning criminal, they must figure out how to navigate the delicate dance of cooperation amid a backdrop of increasing peril and an irresistible passion that sets their hearts ablaze.]]>
256 Joanna Barker 1639932941 Jeni | StoryTimeReviews 5 4.31 2024 So True a Love
author: Joanna Barker
name: Jeni | StoryTimeReviews
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/06
date added: 2024/08/19
shelves: 5-star-reads-2024, 6-star-favorites, arc, clean-reads, clean-romance, humor, lds-authors, mystery-suspense, regency-romance
review:

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