Book Review - The Collector of Burned Books

What is it about the written word that causes people to fear it? And what kind of beliefs must one have that they cannot stand against reading what is written from a different point of view? Roseanna M. White probes these questions in her upcoming release, The Collector of Burned Books, in which two literature professors in very different circumstances find themselves both thrown together and pulled apart.

Set during the occupation of Paris in 1940, Corinne Bastien and Christian Bauer find themselves on opposing sides politically. But despite the glaring differences, they find that free thinking and literature brings them together in a dangerous way. Bauer is assigned the task of library protector, including responsibilities at the rather curious Library of the Burned Books, a place with which Corinne is quite familiar. Though their political responsibilities are as different as darkness and light, their intellect and sensibilities find each other in the city filled with strife. White’s research shines in this novel, allowing the reader to see the contrasts and similarities in humanity through focused shaping of the setting and characters. The debates about literature, censorship, and free thought are well balanced and provocative, inspiring the reader to consider their own stance on the situation. The reader is reminded that there is often a very true person hiding beneath the projected facade. Though Corinne and Christian are the main characters, understanding and openness shine in their small corner of the City of Lights. The Collector of Burned Books is an enthralling read for its fiction, and an inspiring one for the light it shines on literature as a valuable conduit for thoughts and ideas.

The Collector of Burned Books by Roseanna M. White releases July 15, 2025 and is currently available for preorder from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine. 

Book Review - Sunrise Reef

If you are also a longtime resident of Hope Harbor, I welcome you home. If you are a visitor, I hope you enjoy your stay. In the decade since Irene Hannon released her first Hope Harbor novel, many people have found home in this place where hearts heal and love blooms. Some are characters in the eleven novels of the series, but many are readers who have fallen in love with the town and its cast of vibrant characters.

Sunrise Reef is the eleventh Hope Harbor novel and focuses on Bren Ryan, one of our favorite baristas at The Perfect Blend. With a past full of heartache, Bren has started to find healing in her new home. Everything seems well settled for her until the day she finds herself in need of a temporary home, accosted in the middle of the night, and opening her arms to a stranger who feels like a kindred spirit. Noah Ward has a laser focused plan for his visit to Hope Harbor, and the sooner he can convince his father to move back to St. Louis, the sooner he can end this faux vacation and get back to work. That laser focus is how Noah has climbed to success in his world and how he will achieve his goal. This naturally means that Bren and Noah inevitably collide in glorious fashion on a regular basis. Hannon takes this seriously and delivers one run-in after another that will have to make or break this opposites-attract couple in a cozy and adorable page turner that keeps all of Hope Harbor on their toes.

Not one to shirk her supporting character duty, Hannon creates a supporting cast like no other. A job partially done by the lovingly crafted characters of the previous novels, the supporting characters are rounded out by some new additions, including Emma Blair. Emma has been riding a wave of bad luck for several years and it seems to have run out when her car dies in Hope Harbor. Fortunately, it never seems to be bad luck for anyone to get stuck in Hope Harbor, and though I enjoyed the way Hannon developed her story, I do hope Emma gets her own book someday. Sunrise Reef is a charming addition to the Hope Harbor series, but I am not going to judge too harshly if you decide to read it as a standalone. It will flow just fine. However, for real richness, indulge in the series and build all that backstory that comes with a decade of knowing and loving the residents of this hopeful little seaside town with big heart.

Sunrise Reef, the eleventh novel in the Hope Harbor series by Irene Hannon, is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - The Voice We Find

When I received the review copy of this book, I quickly realized I had not yet read the first two books in the Fog Harbor Romance Series. While I am happy to report that The Voice We Find can be read as a standalone, I am also quite glad I took the time to binge read all three books in order last week. It makes certain things a bit sweeter to have the greater context. I also thoroughly enjoyed each intricately woven storyline and the tapestry they weave together. Nicole Deese has created these characters lovingly, with great depth. I convinced my soul sister to read along so we could shoot texts back and forth the way we did when we parallel watched Gilmore Girls and When Calls the Heart, and my favorite from her has been, “Tell me I’ll always love Chip.” I will resist the urge to tell you what I told her, as I recommend finding out for yourself.

The Voice We Find is, like every other Nicole Deese I have read, an experience with dear friends. Sophie Wilder is a brilliant stage actress whose star has fallen and must drag her disgraced self back to a home and trauma she has spent years avoiding. August Tate is still trying to find his footing in a world upended by tragedy, which is compounded by soul crushing shame. It is Chip that brings Sophie and August together with a business proposition that is like nothing either has ever imagined. While Sophie struggles to find her voice, August struggles to find his sister’s lost hearing, and Gabby struggles to be heard as she embraces the challenges of her new normal and meets them head on with grace and grit. The Voice We Find will have you cheering for beloved characters, rooting for the downfall of the villains, and searching out your own Twilight Theater experiences. The lessons learned by each are worth carrying close to the heart and the romance fermenting between Sophie and August will have you feeling just a bit tipsy with bliss!

The Voice We Find, the third book in the Fog Harbor Romance series from Nicole Deese, releases on April 15, 2025 and is currently available for preorder from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - Break My Fall

Break My Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn is a return to Gossamer Falls and our friends, the Quinn family. This time, Dr. Meredith Quinn has seen and heard too much during her trips to neighboring Neeson in her mobile dentistry van, a fact that becomes painfully obvious when she finds herself stranded on the side of the road with an empty gas tank that should have still been full. It is a good thing Chief Grayson Ward is nearby to save the day. But why is he sticking so close to Meredith, especially when he keeps pushing her away? Drugs and trafficking run rampant in the county next door, but Gray has a problem with letting crime run amok on his doorstep. Fortunately, he has allies in his fight. Unfortunately, the woman he cannot let himself love is in the crosshairs of the worst of the perpetrators. And we all know what happens to those carefully constructed walls when the people who construct them find themselves in the line of fire.

If you read Never Fall Again, you are already a member of the Gossamer Falls community and are practically a Quinn, as well. Meredith and Mo, Cal and Cassie, Donovan and Gray are our people and we know them. Of course, we also know something has got to give between Meredith and Gray. And happy dance of happy dances, we get just that in Break My Fall. Blackburn’s characters stick with you; they are vibrant and relatable, and it is easy to want good things for them. The tension is very real, both in the romance and in the action of trying to keep headstrong Meredith safe when her primary concern is taking care of others. And the romance is so sweet. Maybe I am just a sucker right now, but I think it is more likely that this book is just one of the most downright delicious romances I have read in I don’t know how long. No need to worry, though… Mo keeps it from getting too sappy. Because that is just gross. (By the way, now that my hopes for Meredith and Gray are fulfilled, i have turned my sights on Mo and Bronwyn. Someone has some explaining to do there!) I like when characters from parallel storylines converge, and I have a great appreciation for the way Blackburn weaves in some beloved characters from her other novels to give this one some extra depth. Break My Fall absolutely earns 5 stars, and also a little heart in the margin of my book tracking spreadsheet!

Break My Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn, the second book in the Gossamer Falls series, is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - The Indigo Heiress

With vivid descriptions of the locations and characters that tug your heartstrings, The Indigo Heiress grabs hold of the reader and keeps us enthralled from page one until the very last. Laura Frantz pens a fully immersive experience, beginning with the Virginia plantation where Juliet Catesby and her sister Loveday carry out the work necessary to maintain the legacy of their ancestors. Managing the tobacco, indigo, and social responsibilities with grace, the sisters also carry on a secret work that puts many lives in danger. However, Royal Vale, their beloved home, is in an entirely different kind of danger. The kind that sees a marriage of convenience as the only option, amidst the struggles of a Virginia planter on the brink of a revolutionary war. Leith Buchanan, is facing his own struggles. The kind that can hopefully be swept aside with a marriage that will shift the gossip and provide a mother for his twins. There is no time for affection in his life, therefore a marriage of convenience will do. Unfortunately, the Catesby sister he has chosen is less than thrilled with this prospect. Affectations and misunderstandings abound as Juliet and Leith learn to lean on each other through the trials they face.

This is a book best read with tissues at hand. The misunderstandings that build walls between Juliet and Leith, and the wounds that lie beneath the surface, are sometimes heartbreaking. And they are written so well that the reader feels each hurt keenly. But fear not, because the joys are sweet as the sadness is bitter, making for a thoroughly enjoyable read.

The Indigo Heiress by Laura Frantz is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine. 

Book Review - The Christmas Tree Farm

Homecomings can be hard. This is what Maddison learns when she returns to her grandparents’ Christmas tree farm after several years away. Her younger sister, Addie, is not exactly excited to see her. The acreage burned in the wildfire has not been replanted to prepare for future seasons. And the people who have settled over on the Thompson place kick up a lot of noise and dust with their dirt bikes. Coming home is particularly complicated when the noisy, dusty people next door are Maddison’s first love and his daughter. Factoring in Addie’s insistence that Maddison may not interfere with her efforts to catch Gavin’s heart and the way he keeps looking at her, nothing is going to come easily this Christmas. What at first looks like a love triangle turns into a heaping pile of love spaghetti when Addie and Maddison’s mom arrives, then Gavin’s oldest daughter arrives with opinions about her father’s love life, and his younger daughter has an opinion of her own. Saving the tree farm and making up her own mind about the one who got away are all Maddison wants to do. In true Melody Carlson style, this complicated dish turns into a delightful Christmas dinner just in time for our favorite holiday season. Don’t miss your chance to cozy up with The Christmas Tree Farm and its complicated, but mostly lovable characters.

The Christmas Tree Farm by Melody Carlson is available now from your favorite local bookseller and online:

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Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - Meddling with Mistletoe

Desperation can make people do some remarkably bad decisions, and Whitney is desperate. She has flaked out one too many times for her parents to continue supporting her. Now she has to come up with the money to go to culinary school on her own; she is running out of time and all her hard work seems to lead only to more desperation. This creates an exciting opportunity for her friend, Aretha, who needs some help finagling her nephew into a romance that will turn his frown upside down. It is a tricky situation, but Aretha’s promise to fund the rest of her culinary school tuition is more than Whitney can afford to turn down right now. The big problem? The woman Aretha has chosen for Daniel is not the one who has fallen for him. Nor he for her. The bigger problem, however, is the fallout from the unraveling of their intricate plan to meddle with mistletoe. Now, both Whitney and Daniel must decide which future they will choose and who they truly want to be when the dust settles. Liz Johnson takes us back to the Red Door Inn on beautiful Prince Edward Island in the heart of the winter season to get to the heart of the mess Aretha has made by meddling in matchmaking. This sweet heat romance begs a bit of joy from the kitchen; I think it pairs well with a cup of coffee and a slice of pie, flannel pajamas, and a cozy blanket by the fire.

Meddling with Mistletoe by Liz Johnson is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Baker Book House        Christian Book        Amazon        Barnes & Noble        Walmart

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine. 

Christmas in July and Book Review - Christmas in Chestnut Ridge

There is a very good reason why Christmas in July is a thing. By now, all the strategies to stay near the air conditioner and limit heat sources inside the house have settled into daily routine. The thrill of summer has tamped down to a state of perpetual exhaustion from all the excitement with which we burst into the season and my mind is starting to drift from how much I love sundresses to how much I miss my sweaters and boots. Thankfully, Great American Family and Hallmark have come through with Christmas in July to pick me up out of my funk and give me a cup of cheer to get me through! Part of my CiJ routine also includes checking out all the exciting upcoming Christmas novels from those authors who are synonymous with the season. You know I can’t wait to get my hands on the latest tome of the most wonderful time of the year from Melody Carlson and Nancy Naigle. That’s why I am so excited to present to you my review of Christmas in Chestnut Ridge, Nancy’s upcoming release!

Christmas in Chestnut Ridge picks up where Naigle left off the story of friends Natalie and Sheila from Chestnut Ridge series book 1, And Then There Was You. There is enough backstory built in to avoid feeling redundant, but to allow the reader to pick right up with Christmas in Chestnut Ridge. Sheila is off kilter with the approach of the holiday season; her best friend has moved to a small mountain town several hours away, and her mother has been moved to a memory care facility. When Natalie invites Sheila to join her in Chestnut Ridge, it takes just a little bit of effort to pull her into the joy of the season. But it’s more than wrapping paper and bows when a little bit of flirting with the handsome fire chief becomes more than it was supposed to. The people of the small town work their way into Sheila’s life over the course of her stay, none more than Tucker, and she finds herself genuinely wondering if what she has sought for years is what will truly bring her joy.

Nancy Naigle writes small town charm like nobody’s business, and her books are written for the screen. Reading Christmas in Chestnut Ridge took me right to the cozy mountain town; I cast the movie in my mind as the characters were introduced and their relationships developed. I could smell the pine and taste the hot chocolate, the pecan snowball cookies, the chamomile tea. Naigle’s descriptions, character development, and relationships are on point. She writes complex relationships with authenticity, which allows the reader to relax into the story and simply enjoy. Christmas in Chestnut Ridge is an easy addition to your seasonal reading list… even when you’re only dreaming of the season!

Christmas in Chestnut Ridge by Nancy Naigle is scheduled to release October 8, 2024, and is available for preorder from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - Sandcastle Inn

Irene Hannon brings us back to Hope Harbor in Sandcastle Inn, the tenth book in her series. This installment brings us into the lives of veterinarian Matt Quinn and Vienna Price, a career driven go getter in limbo. In the wake of personal tragedy, Matt finds himself on a working vacation, unprepared for the amount of work it will take to help his sister Kay with her coastal B&B in need of renovation. He desperately needs a contractor and an advisor who is skilled in revamping boutique properties with an image problem. As usual, Hope Harbor delivers in spades, bringing Vienna into his orbit in a way that catches them both off balance.

Sandcastle Inn is a love letter from Hannon to anyone struggling with grief, shame, and family strife. She does not dance around the issues, and though it reads as fiction, she packs a great deal of truth and hope in the storyline. There is no doubt the longtime residents of Hope Harbor we have grown to know and love are patiently guiding forces along the way: Bev, Charley, Father Murphy and Reverend Baker, Floyd and Gladys. Their roles in this book feel like they were written just for this specific storyline, but anyone who has read any of the nine books before will feel the same way about each one. Hannon writes with such familiarity that this is not the first time I have caught myself longing for a vacation to this fictional seaside town, dreaming of a cookie from the jar on the counter at Bev’s Book Nook or tacos and a word of wisdom from Charley. If you are looking for the perfect beach read, your search is over!

Sandcastle Inn by Irene Hannon, the tenth in her Hope Harbor series, is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Baker Book House    Christian Book    Amazon    Barnes & Noble    Walmart

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - The Irish Matchmaker

An unmatched matchmaker and a farmer who does not want a match create quite the pair as the Lisdoonvarna matchmaking festival turns the Irish town and its residents on their ears. Catriona Daly and her father come from a long line of Irish matchmakers and it seems as though Caty is going to have her hands full making another match for a certain gentleman after the last one made for him did not stick. Caty would not mind being his match, but she also has a job to do. What Caty does not want is to be stuck in Lisdoonvarna for the rest of her life, and certainly not married to a farmer. Donal Bunratty has been married, but raising wee Sara and managing the farm since his wife passed has not left him inspired to seek another partner.

In her new release, Jennifer Deibel drops us right into the heart of the merriment. Her settings are lively and full of character. Her characters draw us in and bring us alongside them in the daily routines of life on the farm and in the town. We are partnered with them as residents and visitors alike search for a partner in life and, possibly, in love. Caty may be the matchmaker, but is she prepared for the match that finds her?

The Irish Matchmaker by Jennifer Deibel is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Baker Book House       Christian Book        Amazon        Walmart        Barnes & Noble        

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - Fatal Witness

Well, I don’t know how I missed the inaugural release of the latest series from Patricia Bradley, but somehow Counter Attack got right by me. This means I started her Pearl River series with Fatal Witness, which just released. It was written so that I do not feel like I missed anything by starting with the second book, but also so I am inspired to read Counter Attack next!

Artist Dani Collins remembers nothing about the early years of her life. She does not remember the parents who died when she was young, only growing up with Uncle Keith and always staying under the radar. But Dani has a grandmother who has not given up trying to find her, and a photo that was not supposed to be published is just the thing Mae Richmond needs to put her on the right track. Unfortunately, it is also the clue the killer needs to find Dani and Uncle Keith. Coming home means walking right into the line of fire and the protection of Mae’s neighbor, Russell County K-9 officer Mark Lassiter. Together, Dani and Mark race to unveil her memories and unravel the mystery before it is too late.

Bradley combines her trademark procedural precision with a hefty dose of romantic tension and an undeniable faith thread to bring this story of artist Dani Collins to life. The frustration of not being quite able to tickle the identity of the man who murdered her parents from her repressed memories, and of barely staying one step ahead of him as he seeks to silence her, keeps the reader engaged from the first word to the last. With a beautiful setting and well crafted support characters, Bradley had given us the gift of binge-worthy romantic suspense.

Fatal Witness, the second book in the Pearl River series by Patricia Bradley, is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

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Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.

Book Review - The Seamstress of Acadie

For those who revel in Longfellow’s Evangeline, Laura Frantz has delivered a sumptuous novel length romance set in the time of Le Grand Derangement and the turmoil of that event through the eyes of a young Acadian woman and a New England Ranger caught up in the madness of this mass deportation. With beautifully written prose, Frantz creates ties to the Galant home and surrounding lands which bonds the reader to Acadie and incites the proper heartache as Sophie’s family is rounded up among thousands of other Neutrals amidst the troubles between the French and British who covet their land. This is a book that will keep you flipping to the internet to refresh your history in a new light, personalizing the struggles that continued beyond being crammed into the dank, dark, unsanitary holds of ships with uncertain destinations and arriving to the consternation of locals who distrust and despise them based on their language. The character of William is crafted with great care, balancing the determination of a man set to avenge the brutal massacre of his family with that of one who is awakened and determined to make progress for the Acadians. Even the background characters, people and places alike, develop as driving forces in this deeply moving historical tale of home lost and found.

The Seamstress of Acadie by Laura Frantz is available now from your favorite local bookseller or online:

Baker Book House       Christian Book        Amazon        Walmart        Barnes & Noble

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me a copy to read and review. All opinions expressed here are my own and are completely genuine.