Review of The Making of Mrs. Hale by Carolyn Miller

About the Book ~

Marry in haste, repent in leisure - Mrs. Hale is about to find out how painful that repentance can truly be.

Julia Hale ran off to be married in Gretna Green, following romance instead of common sense. But her tale isn't turning into a happily ever after. Her new husband is gone and she doesn't know where - or if he's ever coming back. Julia has no option but to head home to the family she betrayed by eloping and to hope they'll forgive her. Especially now that she might be carrying a baby from her brief marriage.

For more information about Carolyn Miller and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

This story is beautiful on so many levels!

First of all, I loved seeing an elopement set in the Regency Era! I haven't seen that in a lot of books set in this era, so that uniqueness pulled me into the story immediately. The narrative also really swept me into the era, and the witty dialogue was just my cup of tea! The political intrigue and unfolding mystery resulted in a binge read to ensure the safety of these dear characters!

I also thought this was a good "married" story! I thought the author did a good job at portraying some of the problems a young married couple would have faced after eloping. Those complicated (in a good way!) family dynamics were painfully raw and infamously real, making the proverbial happy ending all the sweeter!

The author tackles some painful subjects in Thomas and Julia's story, such as betrayal, trust, and forgiveness. The life-changing power - and freedom! - of forgiveness will both challenge and encourage readers in their own relationships and walk with God. My heart connected to Thomas and Julia. Forgiveness and grace should be freely received and freely given, but their story shows how we are in a prison of our own making when we attempt to navigate life without these things.

Four Stars ~ The Making of Mrs. Hale should be added to the TBR pile of every Jane Austen fan! The Making of Mrs. Hale is the third book in Carolyn Miller's Regency Brides: A Promise of Hope Series, but I had no issues reading it as a standalone. However, now I am officially a fan and must get every book ASAP!

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Review of Mark of the Raven by Morgan L. Busse

About the Book ~

Dreamwalker. Nightwatcher. Lady of Ravenwood.

Lady Selene Has Come into Her Family's Power.

But Has She Inherited a Gift or a Curse?

Lady Selene is heir to the House of Ravenwood and the secret family gift of dreamwalking. As a dreamwalker, she can enter a person's dreams and manipulate their greatest fears or desires. Soon after the gifting, however, Selene discovers that the Ravenwood women have been secretly using their gift to gather information or to assassinate those responsible for the fall of House Ravenwood to the Dominia Empire hundreds of years ago.

As she becomes more entrenched in Ravenwood's dark past, Selene longs to find out the true reason behind her family's gift, believing that its original intent could not have been for such evil purposes, but she is torn about upholding her family's legacy - a legacy that supports her people. Selene's dilemma comes to a head when she is tasked with assassinating the one man who can bring peace to the nations - but who is also prophesied to bring about the downfall of her own house.

One path holds glory and power and will solidify her position as Lady of Ravenwood. The other path holds shame and likely death. Which will she choose? And is she willing to pay the price for the path chosen?

For more information about Morgan L. Busse and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

Since finishing Mark of the Raven by Morgan L. Busse, all I want to do is scream and fangirl at its awesomeness!!!

CAUSE IT IS AWESOME!!!

I'll say that again before this review is done. Just warning you guys. Hehe.

Mark of the Raven has it all! Assassins. Secret powers. A fascinating world. Political intrigue. A slow-burn romance that is sure to be among my favorites. And a Light so pure and holy that it makes your heart dance!

When Selene's power arrives in all its fury and glory, her preordained life begins. But as haunting secrets and powerful hatred are uncovered, Selene starts to question whether she can really take up her family's mantle. The push and pull of her heart felt so REAL! She wanted to save her sisters and help her people, but she questioned whether she could do it at the expense of her own soul. She hungered for something more, for Light. When her own brokenness and darkness seemed to proclaim that she was too much of a monster to save, I felt chills. Who hasn't struggled with this very question? Selene's narrative was powerful, but I also loved Damien! His love for the Light sprung from the pages, and just like Selene, readers will feel it pulling them in for more!

The world building felt organic, making me ask questions and giving me answers in all the right places. I want to know everything about the Great Houses and the gifts, and I have a feeling even more game-changing secrets will come to light in the next book. But more than anything, Mark of the Raven asks the question, Am I worth saving? I believe readers will discover God's heart for them on Selene's journey to discover the Light.

Five Stars ~ Mark of the Raven is a spellbinding start to The Ravenwood Saga! I will be marking off the days on the calendar until Flight of the Raven releases on April 30th, 2019. I would definitely recommend reading the series in order due to spoilers and the fact that it is AWESOME!!!

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Review of Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan

About the Book ~

In a most improbable friendship, she found love. In a world where women were silenced, she found her voice.

From New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan comes an exquisite novel of Joy Davidman the woman C. S. Lews called "my whole world." When poet and writer Joy Davidman began writing letters to C. S. Lewis - known as Jack - she was looking for spiritual answers, not love. Love, after all, wasn't holding together her crumbling marriage. Everything about New Yorker Joy seemed ill-matched for an Oxford don and beloved writer of Narnia, yet their minds bonded over their letters. Embarking on the adventure of her life, Joy traveled from America to England and back again, facing heartbreak and poverty, discovering friendship and faith, and against all odds, finding a love that even the threat of death couldn't destroy.

In this masterful exploration of one of the greatest love stories of modern times, we meet a brilliant writer, a fiercely independent mother, and a passionate woman who changed the life of this respected author and inspired books that still enchant us and change us. Joy lived at a time when women weren't meant to have a voice - and yet her love for jack gave them both voice they didn't know they had.

At once a fascinating historical novel and a glimpse into a writer's life, Becoming Mrs. Lewis is above all a love story - a love of literature and ideas and a love between a husband and wife that, in the end, was not impossible at all.

For more information about Patti Callahan and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

While The Chronicles of Narnia is a beloved series to me, I didn't know a lot about the personal life of C. S. Lewis (Jack), and I knew virtually nothing about Joy Davidman, so I was really excited to read this fictional account of their love story!

Yeah, I'm a nerd.

Patti Callahan's writing style transports you into this fictional account of history! The sensory details were so vivid that I could almost feel the damp dirt by the lake, taste the fresh (or dirty, depending on the location!) air, and smell the tobacco and books in Jack's office. Becoming Mrs. Lewis has a wealth of information, literature, and history tucked between its pages, making it a grand place for history geeks!

While I didn't know the tragic turn the story would take, I appreciated the "warts and all" approach to the picture painted of C. S. Lewis and Joy Davidman. So often beloved figures like this are imagined as perfect, so I liked that the author choose to show us struggles, temptations, and failures in a very realistic way. Joy Davidman's spiritual journey was empowering as she fully embraces God as her True Love in every way.

Three Stars ~ Becoming Mrs. Lewis is romantic blend of true love, literature, and England. However, if abuse, physical affairs, emotional affairs, or breast cancer are painful subjects for you, then I would advise caution, dear reader. Becoming Mrs. Lewis is a standalone, but Patti Callahan has quite the backlist of titles for readers to peruse!

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I received a copy of this book from the author/publisher. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Review of Swing by Kwame Alexander with Mary Rand Hess

About the Book ~

When America is not so beautiful, or right, or just, it can be hard to know what to do. Best friends Walt and Noah decide to use their voices to grow more good in the world, but first they’ve got to find cool.

Walt is convinced junior year is their year, and he has a plan to help them woo the girls of their dreams and become amazing athletes. Never mind that he and Noah failed to make the high school baseball team yet again, and Noah’s love interest since third grade, Sam, has him firmly in the friend zone. Noah soon finds himself navigating the worlds of jazz, batting cages, the strange advice of Walt’s Dairy Queen-employed cousin, as well as Walt’s own perceptions of what is actually cool. Status quo seems inevitable until Noah stumbles on a stash of old love letters. Each page contains the words he’s always wanted to say to Sam, and he begins secretly creating artwork using the lines that speak his heart. But when his private artwork becomes public, Noah has a decision to make: continue his life in the dugout and possibly lose the girl forever, or take a swing and make his voice heard?

At the same time, numerous American flags are being left around town. While some think it’s a harmless prank and others see it as a form of peaceful protest, Noah can’t shake the feeling something bigger is happening to his community. Especially after he witnesses events that hint divides and prejudices run deeper than he realized.

As the personal and social tensions increase around them, Noah and Walt must decide what is really true when it comes to love, friendship, sacrifice, and fate.

New York Times bestselling authors Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess (Solo) tell a lyrical story about hope, courage, and love that will speak to anyone who’s struggled to find their voice.

For more information about Kwame Alexander and his books, check out his website here!

For more information about Mary Rand Hess and her books, check out her website here!

My Thoughts ~

I fell in love with the lyrical, poetic writing style of this dynamic duo, Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess, in Solo...

And Swing did NOT disappoint! In fact, I think the authors raised their awesome bar to a whole new awesome level!

Swing follows the journey of best friends Walt and Noah from Noah's viewpoint. Their mission? Find their cool! Who among us hasn't tried to find their cool? I know I have! One of my favorite features was getting to see and study the artwork that Noah creates! Those details really pulled me into the story in a way that so few stories have. I also loved the jazz references. Whether you're a jazz novice or the Chairman of the Board to seventeen different jazz clubs, readers will find these references to be fun, inspiring, and profound! Walt and Noah's hilarious, awkward, and vulnerable moments will result in a ripple effect, encouraging all who read their journey to embrace a "hug life" philosophy!

The underlying message of Swing tackles some of the most painful social issues of the day. Race, prejudice, and division build until...until the reader closes the back cover with tears in their eyes. Swing took a painful subject and gave it a face and a name, hopes and dreams. And how can anyone not break when that is shattered? If only we could look at everyone like that...

Four Stars ~ Swing's powerfully poetic narrative will tug on heartstrings and hopefully inspire conversations. Swing is general-market fiction, but there are powerful faith/God messages mixed into the story. Swing is (to my knowledge) a standalone novel, but if Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess write another book, I'll read it. Period.

Disclaimer ~ In accordance with FTC regulations, I was offered a eBook copy of this book from the author/publisher. I also purchased my own hardback copy from Amazon. I was not compensated, nor was a positive review required. All opinions expressed are my own.

Any questions? Check out my Disclosures and Policies Page!

See you next time, and God bless you guys!!!

Hugs!

~V. Joy Palmer

V. Joy Palmer is the author of Love, Lace, and Minor Alterations and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is also an avid blogger and co-founder of Snack Time Devotions. In her spare time, Joy is an unprofessional chocolate connoisseur/binger, and she loves acting crazy and drinking coffee with the teens she mentors. When Joy isn’t urging the elves that live in her computer to write, she’s hanging out with her husband, their adorable baby girl, and their socially awkward pets.

Connect with Joy on her website, personal blog, devotional blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!