Please Return to the Lands of Luxury by Jon Tilton // Review

An unexpected treasure. A treacherous journey. A thrilling adventure that will shape her future.

Jane lives on an island of trash. And even though she has to scavenge garbage and deal with sinister robots, she still loves her home. It’s all she’s ever experienced, from her most cherished memories to her foggy past that she can’t quite remember.

But when a doll shows up in the latest batch of garbage, everything changes. Unlike the rest of the junk, the doll is in excellent condition, including its tag which reads, “Please return to Gloria Thatcher.”

Convinced it arrived by accident, Jane vows to return the doll to its rightful owner. There’s just one problem—nobody has left the island before, thanks to the tyrannical robots guarding the Docks, a dangerous place with a mysterious history.

Will Jane find safe passage to the Lands of Luxury? Will she uncover the secrets of her past? (from Goodreads)

My Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The second I found out this indie book was both dystopian and middle-grade, I knew I had to give it a shot. After all, those are all my favorite genres. 😉

The world building was a perfect mix of dystopian and realism, bringing to mind some of my favorite sci-fi tropes while still being its own original thing. I really loved Jane and her determination to deliver the doll, and when it became clear why it was so personal to her, well, it tugged at my heartstrings. Her friends were great supporting characters, and I liked how both boys had their own character arcs.

About midway through, the story took a more serious turn than I was expecting or prepared to handle at the time. I actually set the book down for a few days, determined to forget it and my disappointment, but after a while, I got up the courage to give it another shot, and I’m so glad I did.

The storyline I feared ended up being the most nuanced and beautiful thing ever, and I had actually stopped reading right before it got really good. I’m so glad I kept reading, and I’m sure there’s a lesson in there somewhere. 😉 It ended up tackling some pretty serious issues with grace, heart, and nuance, and there were some really sweet moments mixed in. (I can neither confirm nor deny that I cried.)

Favorite quote: Home still ruled her thoughts—both the good and the bad.

This is a fabulous debut novel, and I look forward to seeing what the author does next.

CW: disregard for human life, scary robots, amnesia, foster care themes, traumatic flashbacks, and fires.

Andromeda by Rachel Newhouse // Review

This is all your fault, Dad.

The year is 2076. Earth is ruled by a one-world government. In order to maintain unity, all citizens must deny their national, racial, and religious identities—or suffer the consequences.

After destroying the government’s superweapon, seventeen-year-old Philadelphia Smyrna leaps off a train in a desperate attempt to escape from prison. She survives, only to be kidnapped and held hostage by a politician from her past. He offers to set her free in exchange for a favor, but his terms seem too good to be true. Philadelphia soon realizes that her patronizing captor also has a deadly secret that puts them all at risk. With her former enemy Nic as her only ally, Philadelphia races to find out who’s really in charge—before her captor uses her to start a war. (from Goodreads)

My Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This series, y’all. It continues to evolve as our main character continues to grow, and I am here for it. 👏👏👏

Speaking of Philly, she’s going through a lot in this one. 👀 Some heartbreaking revelations and choices from the past book continue, and I loved seeing her utilize her voice, find a role, and fight back in her own way. Some of the emotional things she went through, though, were so real and hard to read. Especially in her relationship with her father. 😭 *dashes off to write a virtual reality fanfic where she finally gets to just rest*

The Nic and Philly dynamic just intensifies and grows even better. (I know which ship I’m supposed to like, but I’m inclined to refuse.) Their irritation with each other but surprisingly similar goals was fabulous. 😂 And THAT TWIST!! Everything is thrown into such a different perspective now. 👀 Wowza.

A few minor characters from the first book show up again, and it was so interesting to see a more nuanced look at those who left or were left behind. I’ll leave it at that. 😉

I really enjoyed this third installment in the series, and I can’t wait to read the fourth!

CW: Descriptions of sudden deaths (one a suicide) including blood, both in flashbacks and on-page. Emotional distress, censorship, mentions of healing wounds and bodily fluids.

A Very Bookish Easter // My Semi-Biased Review

Nyree moves when she loses her job, hoping to reconnect with herself and her grandmother in time for Easter, but when she stumbles upon a hidden garden, she discovers just how much she’s been missing.
The Prayer Garden by Kelsey Bryant, inspired by The Secret Garden

Felicity goes out of her comfort zone and invites Adam Moore to Easter service, but their business rivalry has him ready to prove her evangelization wrong.
Lilies and Thorns by Abigayle Claire, inspired by Romeo and Juliet

Samuel is haunted by his past and unsettled by the present, but as the Easter season begins, Ellie could show him what his future could be.
An Easter Canticle by Sarah Holman, inspired by A Christmas Carol

Addie hopes for a fresh start when she and her family move to the mountains to live with Grandfather, but some wounds seem too deep to heal, even at Easter.
Addie’s Mountain by Kate Willis, inspired by Heidi

Four classic-inspired Easter stories full of hope, faith, and the miracle of resurrection. (from Goodreads)

My Review 💖

As a longtime fan of my fellow anthology authors, I was very excited to read their stories, and they did not disappoint! Here are my (slightly biased) mini-reviews…

The Prayer Garden
This book was so beautiful, with quintessential spring vibes, natural Christian themes, and some really sweet relationships. Also, talk about a meet-cute. 😉 The end truly brought tears to my eyes.

Representation: depression, dementia.

CW: medical facilities, emotional distress.

Lilies and Thorns
I highly enjoyed the inherent drama of this one, lol, which is not usual for me. It started out seeming on the way to an expected, Hallmark movie place, but I’ve never been so happy to be wrong, and I’m a huge fan of where the story ended.

Representation: social anxiety.

CW: mentions of loss to cancer, dysfunctional family relationships, shaded truth.

An Easter Canticle
This one was much different than I expected, and I loved it. The “Scrooge” character was actually quite loveable, and I appreciated seeing him deal with the fallout of his life changes. The retreat center was a lovely setting, and I’m excited to read the other stories about it now.

Representation: mixed-race heritage, celiac disease.

CW: medical emergencies.

Addie’s Mountain
Ooo, that’s my story! I don’t have much to say except there’s a lot of spring vibes, some church trauma, a really cute neighbor boy, lots of baking, and a bookish main character (of course).

Representation: Jewish heritage, anxiety, chronic illness, deafness.

CW: anxiety symptoms including an attack.

Meant to Bee by Storm Shultz // Review

Can accidentally becoming a beekeeper lead to love?

Single mom Cordy Brown can’t catch a break. Not only does she lose her job, but the quaint English cottage she pools her savings to purchase is the very definition of a money pit. To top it off, a delivery man appears on her doorstep with a shipment of bees and announces she’s their new caretaker! Could life get any more complicated?

Ronan Thomson is only in England for one reason: to drag his underage brother back to Ireland for end-of-year exams. He quickly learns, however, that nothing about this will be simple and he finds himself holding a baby goat on Cordy’s doorstep. Falling for a beautiful American is easy. Ronan’s problems lie in the overabundance of animals, his stubborn brother, and the unexpected guest from Cordy’s past.

Can Cordy and Ronan overcome all the obstacles standing between them? After all, some things just feel meant to bee. (from Goodreads)

My Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This book… *sighs happily* From the cover inward, the cozy British town vibes were perfectly blended with the story of a woman struggling in life. I rooted for Cordy, grew frustrated with her at times, hung on every word of her learning beekeeping and other skills, delighted with her over Poppy, and waited with bated breath to see how she would handle forgiveness.

(Which, the forgiveness storyline was a breath of fresh air! It acknowledged boundaries and left no room for disrespect/abuse while encouraging to forgive. I haven’t seen another book quite this nuanced.)

The romance was super sweet. The story pacing did seem to speed up halfway through, but I grew used to it and loved every moment. I especially enjoyed how respectful yet honest they were with each other, and I was hardcore rooting for them.

Don’t get me started on how much I loved the pro-life after birth themes and the supportive side characters. 👏👏

CW: harassment, lying side character, judgemental local. Some kissing.

I can’t wait to read more of this author’s work, and I love the heart you can clearly see shining through every page. 💛

Manuscript for Murder by Chautona Havig // Review

Alexa Hartfield. Author, local celebrity, fashion connoisseur. She chose Fairbury for its close proximity to Rockland, its small town atmosphere, and its low crime rate.

Then someone made her life a literary cliché. A mysterious accident with a light bulb sparked an interesting idea for her latest novel—and for Fairbury’s new serial killer. The first replication infuriated her. The second left an even worse taste in her mouth. The third blasted more than her self-confidence, and the fourth beat her down so far she’s considering giving up writing completely.

Who is killing Fairbury’s citizens, and furthermore, why and how are they using her novels to do it? (from Goodreads)

My Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Is there a way to sue for sleep loss? This book was too good, too suspenseful, and too intriguing for me to stop reading, and I must protest by reading the rest of the series. 😤😉

Only Chautona Havig could take a quirky, unique character living every author’s secret dream and imbue it with such deep themes while making it still quite fun. My heart broke as each new layer of Alexa’s backstory and complicated relationships was revealed. I enjoyed the detailed fashion and writing moments, everything about Joe, and how open-hearted Alexa was despite people’s opinions of her.

The mystery was both haunting and fascinating (hence the stolen sleep), and there was one moment that really, really shocked me.

I’m not usually one for series, but I’m hoping to try the other books in this one. 😉

CW: stalking, child neglect, chronic illness, negative family interactions, infertility and a hard backstory to it. Murders happen throughout the book in various ways, including an explosion, but with no graphic details.

A Proxy Wedding by Toni Shiloh // Mini Review

Saying I Do was more than they bargained for.

Carly James values loyalty and friendship above all. So when her best friend calls asking her to be a proxy bride, she says, ‘yes.’ How hard can it be to say ‘I do’ so that her best friend can be with the one she loves? Only, Carly never counted on the feelings that began to swirl around with the proxy groom.

Damien Nichols likes life lined up from A to Z, but when his best friend calls in a favor, disorder begins to reign. Instead of taking a quick flight to the proxy wedding, he has to take a road trip with the proxy bride. Carly’s free-spirit attitude bumps heads with his meticulous approach to life. As Damien discovers the woman underneath the carefree façade, his emotions become involved. (from Goodreads)

My Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Not gonna lie, the concept of a modern proxy wedding (??!) drew me in immediately, and I knew my favorite author could pull off something fabulous. It ended up being so cute and sweet with a surprising amount of character development, arc, and relationship testing in such a short novella. I really enjoyed it. 😉 Definitely like a Hallmark movie, in all the best ways.

CW: Mentions of relational trauma from a family of origin and an ex-spouse. The main characters have strong chemistry that is often in their thoughts but it is handled well and never crosses a line.

Should We Tell Her? by Lillian Keith // Review

“Mommy’s in Africa,” You kept saying, and you smiled for the first time since Mom hadn’t come home.

And suddenly, I didn’t want that smile to disappear. I didn’t want to hear your pleading voice asking over and over when Mom would come home. And I didn’t want to see the disappointment in your eyes anymore.

When summer turns to tragedy, twelve year old Aspen and her younger sister Wren struggle to cope. But how can they when their youngest sister can’t understand what is happening? Will they be able to pull together to help each other or will they fall apart?” (from Goodreads)

My Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover onwards, this book was adorable and heartfelt. I was especially delighted by how many illustrations there were (#illustrationsarecool), and they set the tone for the book perfectly.

I really liked the second person point-of-view of the story, and the main concept was properly well-meaning, sweet, and double-edged. Some of my favorite moments were when Aspen realized how important the postcards were to her and why. 😭😭 And any scene in the art shed was great.

I also loved how cute everyone’s names were. 🥺

I spent a lot of the story very frustrated with the adults, but I ended up really liking how that turned out. 😉

CW: Discussions of a traumatic accident (not detailed) and possible death. A few scenes of emotional distress, PTSD, and hospital setting. The story concept is based around a well-meaning lie that is flawed but ultimately justified.

Altogether, I really enjoyed this sweet read, and I think anyone who loves close-knit family stories will too. 💙💜

I need a fairy garden now.

Crook Q by Rachel Newhouse // Review

I don’t want to kill anyone.

Believing the chaos of her adventure on Mars is behind her, 17-year-old Philadelphia faces a restricted but uneventful future as an unskilled drone in the United’s workforce. But before she can receive her assignment, government officials show up in the dead of night and violently whisk her and Cea away to solitary confinement. The girls soon realize they’re being held hostage to bribe Dr. Nic, Cea’s wickedly genius brother, into resuming work on the infamous superweapon “Red Rain.” Their only option is to escape.

Thrust into the streets with a gun she’s afraid to shoot, Philadelphia realizes her battle with Red Rain is not over—and this time, turning it over to the authorities is not an option.

Crook Q is the second novella in the Red Rain saga, a fast-paced Christian sci-fi series for teens and adults. (from Goodreads)

My Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Red Rain was a staple of my teenage hood and the catalyst for my love of indie novels, so I was over the moon when the author relaunched the series and announced numerous sequels. It’s been a long minute since the first book released, so I wasn’t expecting the *exact* same tone, but this did take a little while to adjust to.

Philadelphia is still such an interesting main character to follow, and in this installment, it was evident she’s still coming of age and torn between her dad’s principles and her brother’s ideals. The little bit of added backstory gave me so much sympathy for Dr. Smyrna and understanding of his passivity. I also loved how even though she isn’t super skilled at anything yet, it’s really her heart and courage that matter. I look forward to seeing her grow.

Some of the back-and-forth action and her more fragile emotional state (#trauma) did wear on me to begin with, but in retrospect, it fit the story and the last third or so picked up and made up for it. 😉

Ephesus and Cea were boss as usual, and I’m becoming more intrigued by Dr. Nic. It was also amazing to see a few side characters reappear and how they worked into the story. And can I just say that Philli’s relation to her Bible in this is such a cool contrast to the first book? I may be reading too much into it, but that felt like an amazing demonstration of faith. There’s much less faith content in this book than the first one which was thick with references to Revelation, but it was still present.

CW: strong negative emotions, kidnapping, danger, death off-page, injuries described but not graphic, description of cleaning up blood. A man beats up a teenage girl.

Altogether, I’m very happy to have read this, and I’m excited to continue the series.

The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie // Review

There’s a serial killer on the loose, working his way through the alphabet and the whole country is in a state of panic.

A is for Mrs. Ascher in Andover, B is for Betty Barnard in Bexhill, C is for Sir Carmichael Clarke in Churston. With each murder, the killer is getting more confident — but leaving a trail of deliberate clues to taunt the proud Hercule Poirot might just prove to be the first, and fatal, mistake. (from Goodreads)

My Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is only my second Agatha Christie read, and it’s made me a forever fan. I can’t believe I went so long without reading her work.

First, a couple things that make her stand out in the genre. I highly appreciate the respect for life in a genre centered around death. The way side characters interact around it, we have a chance to care about the victims personally, and Poirot himself is filled with dread for the inevitable next murder… these were all especially evident in this book. I also enjoy the collaboration with other detectives/officers, and I appreciate the author’s (if somewhat flawed) attempts to speak differently regarding race, prejudice, and stereotypes of all kinds than many works of the time period.

This book was an absolute delight. I tried and failed a few times to solve the mystery myself, but was rewarded with something much more twisty and satisfying than I could have guessed. (I even fell for the accomplice storyline…) Poirot shone, and his team of amateurs was equally interesting.

I finished reading this in the middle of a stormy night which was the most deliciously spooky and cozy thing. 🧡 I’m ready for autumn and more Agatha Christie books now.

Gift from the Storm by Rebekah A. Morris // A Review

(admit it, you knew I had to talk about this book)

One cold, dark evening a young stranger appears outside the Morgan home with two small children. Injured and on the verge of complete exhaustion, she will only say that her name is “Amy.”
Where did she come from? Who is she? And what has she been through? Dr. Justin Morgan and his family look for answers as they struggle to minister life and health to the needy ones in their midst. (from Goodreads)

My Review

I fell in love first with the author’s writing style, then with the vibey cover, and then with the story. (I even read it aloud to a sister right after finishing it, it was that good. 😉 ) Since then, it’s become one of my top favorite indie books, and I talk about it often on my blog and to anyone who will listen.

The cozy, sometimes Christmassy (yes, I’ve chosen to obsess over that part 😉 ) mountain cabin setting was so accurate and beautifully descriptive, it made this country girl right at home. I loved all the characters (Justin the most of course), and Danny was hilarious.

Amy was a very interesting main character. I hadn’t read many books with the amnesia trope (still haven’t) at this point, so I was completely drawn in by her struggles and the slowly unfolding mystery. I loved seeing the Morgan family support her so well and how their ordinary faithfulness and family culture was used by God to bless her so mightily.

My favorite scene was when Amy is holding a glass of water. *chills*

CW: danger, amnesia, grief, off-screen death, speculation about if a character is an unmarried mother.

This intriguing, cozy, and wonderful Christian mystery is forever a favorite. 😉

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