I’m surprised by how much reading/listening I’ve accomplished so far this month! Reviewing time, however, is in short supply. So here, briefly, are some of my thoughts about my six most recent reads. Read more about them at your favorite online retail or book cataloging website.
First in Danielle Grandinetti’s new Christmas Cabin novella series, The Baby and the Guardian is packed with tension as ex-sheriff Caspar’s remote cabin becomes a refuge for Eira May and the baby she has promised to protect. Caspar’s uncle, the local Judge and Eira May’s boss, knows what he is doing when he pushes these three together and I very much enjoyed this heartwarming work of Christian Romantic Suspense.
Pre-order a copy and start your Christmas novella reading season off right with The Baby and the Guardian, out July 16, 2024 from Hearth Spot Press.
Karen Witemeyer is an author whose books I’ll read without bothering to know anything beforehand. For her second Texas Ever After fairytale retelling, all I really knew was that If the Boot Fits is a Cinderella story. Asher being the ranch hand who crashes the party thrown by Cattle Princess Samantha’s father to find her a match was a pleasant surprise, and the author’s treatment of Asher’s stepmother was just part of this refreshing and uplifting take on a classic tale.
Full of everything you could wish for in a Historical Christian Romance with a reframed Cinderella story, I completely adored this very Texan romance. Book 3, Cloaked in Beauty, releases in December and I am looking forward to it so much that I almost pre-ordered it twice!
I’ve been focusing on reading more of the backlist books on my bookshelves and I’ve slowly starting making my way through Barbour’s multi-author Heroines of WWII series. Waiting on my shelf since 2021, The Cryptographer’s Dilemma is now my favorite of all I’ve read by Johnnie Alexander. Eloise is a charming heroine, a talented Navy cryptographer who is recruited by the FBI to join Phillip in tracking down a traitor. Traveling across the country on their way to uncovering a spy ring, their feelings grow for each other. Phillip is a little slower to grow on Eloise (and the reader) but when a secondary plot line leads to a side quest for Eloise, his support is crucial.
Exciting, entertaining, and an all around good read. I do love these multi-author series and the shorter (around 250) page count. Makes me want to read them one after the other, but like with many sweet things, moderation and pacing is better in the long run.
I’m so glad I’ve finally (with the help of library audiobooks) read two books by Jasper Fforde that have been sitting on my bookshelf for years – Early Riser since 2018 and The Constant Rabbit since 2020.
Early Riser’s protagonist is the unlikely Charlie (Wonky) Worthing, serving his first winter awake as a Consul and stuck in the dreaded Sector 12, where something generally bad seems to happen to him almost hourly in a world where human hibernation is the norm. The Constant Rabbit’s Peter Knox is somewhat similar though he has much more experience in his position as a Spotter, identifying problematic rabbits after the great anthropomorphic event that transformed many animals into nearly human forms – including his college crush and now next-door neighbor Connie.
Two very different stories, both set in Wales, that I find difficult to articulate my reactions to. I do think, though, that I will be quicker to reread Early Riser.
A Cameo for a Cowgirl is the first book in the Three Rivers Ranch series by Carolyn Miller. I’ve had my eye on her Regencies for some time, so having this Contemporary Christian Romance was not how I planned to start reading her books. And this is definitely a romance with the Christian aspect front and center, as actor Franklin James is dealing with the trauma of his past, the echoes of his Grandmother’s faith, and the firm beliefs of Cassie James, the woman managing her family’s movie set and quickly stealing his heart. As for Cassie, Franklin did not make the best first impression (oh, my, that first impression) and his lack of faith has her rejecting the attraction she begins to feel.
This has me tempted to give Carolyn Miller’s hockey romances a look-see, with characters that cross over from several books. I do like the James family. But her Regencies are what still really appeal as I’m more of a Historical reader.
Book details/sources:
Whether gifted or pre-ordered, a positive review (or any review at all, really) was not required. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Baby and the Guardian by Danielle Grandinetti (Christmas Cabin #1) | Hearth Spot Press, July 16, 2024 | ebook, 112 pages; gift from the author
If the Boot Fits by Karen Witemeyer (Texas Ever After #2) | Bethany House, March 2024 | paperback, 350 pages
The Cryptographer’s Dilemma by Johnnie Alexander (Heroines of WWII) | Barbour Books, 2021 | paperback, 256 pages; gifted by Barbour in 2021
Early Riser by Jasper Fforde | Hodder & Staughton, 2018 | hardcover, 402 pages
The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde | Hodder &b Staughton, 2020 | hardcover, 307 pages
A Cameo for a Cowgirl by Carolyn Miller (Three Creek Ranch, #1) | self published, June 14, 2024 | ebook, 230 pages; gift from the author
bookworlder 