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.

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. 💛

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.

A Smol Christmas Giveaway

Christmas just keeps getting closer, my jollies, and to celebrate I’m giving away a very cute bundle. 😉

Prize includes: Sincerely, Jem paperback, a book sleeve from Needle X Stitch Co., a (very) small illustrated copy of The Nutcracker, and chocollllllate

International alternate prize: 2 author-written ebooks of your choice

Entry options:

1. Comment your favorite Christmas tradition
2. Comment whether you love or hate snow
3. Blog your Christmas book recs (link back to this post)
4. Follow this blog (comment “done!”)
5. Share this giveaway (link back or comment)

(For more entry options, go to my IG post)

Prize ships to US only. International winner will be awarded alternate prize and another winner drawn. Giveaway also runs on Instagram. Giveaway runs 12/12 through 12/17.

Merry entering. 😉

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.

A Very Exciting Cover Reveal!

(First things first, thank you to everyone who helped celebrate Rebekah last week and entered the giveaway! A winner has been chosen and displayed on the Rafflecopter, and Rebekah will be contacting her soon. 😉 )

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Lately, there have been some very exciting things in the works. Some very bookish pastel things. 👀 I’ve been getting to experiment with graphic design for the best reasons possible, and today I finally get to share one of the projects with you. *squeals and dances like a small chipmunk*

Are you ready?

You may think you’re ready, but are you actually sure? 😉

Okay, I’ll stop teasing…

A Very Bookish Easter anthology arrives early 2023! (Go mark it as TBR on Goodreads. 👏) Five classics-inspired stories set during Easter with themes of hope and redemption from some of my favorite indie authors ever. 😉

Yours truly also gets to participate this time around, and absolutely can’t wait to share my story with you. 😉 It’s inspired by Heidi by Johanna Spyri and my own experiences growing up in a small, rural town. I don’t have much to spill about the story yet, but the characters are absolutely adorable and I hope you love it. 😁

Have a great week!

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. 😉

Add on Goodreads // Buy on Amazon

(Don’t forget to enter the ebook giveaway!)

The Key to Extraordinary by Natalie Lloyd // Review

Everyone in Emma’s family is special. Her ancestors include Revolutionary War spies, brilliant scientists, and famous musicians–every single one of which learned of their extraordinary destiny through a dream.

For Emma, her own dream can’t come soon enough. Right before her mother died, Emma promised that she’d do whatever it took to fulfill her destiny, and she doesn’t want to let her mother down.

But when Emma’s dream finally arrives, it points her toward an impossible task–finding a legendary treasure hidden in her town’s cemetery. If Emma fails, she’ll let down generations of extraordinary ancestors . . . including her own mother. But how can she find something that’s been missing for centuries and might be protected by a mysterious singing ghost? (from Goodreads)

My Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This beautiful, beautiful book left tears in my eyes and a feeling of home in my heart. I soaked in every gorgeous word, every “spooky” encounter, every message of treasure and destiny and love. ❤️

I kept reading over some passages because they were so beautifully written, and part of me wants to journal some of the best quotes. The characters were very sweet and quirky, and I would like a Grandma that cool and tough, please. Also, I’m going to need my own “kitchen ghost”. 😂😂

Speaking of ghosts… They play a big role in this story but it’s not dark or terrifying in the least. Instead it’s more like a metaphor for the ancient, enduring memory of small towns and the comforting feeling of having your history near. I loved it.

One of the best portrayals of grief and coming of age I’ve ever read.

CW: death, graveyards, ghosts. Mentions of the Civil War and slavery. A boy has a near-death experience.

Absolutely recommended. ❤️

Kate’s Case Files by Sarah Holman // Mini Reviews

(prepare yourself for infite fangirl mode) (are you ready?) (I love this series)

This series fits the perfect balance of clean fiction, hard topics, intense action, Christian themes, and entirely lovable-to-the-max characters. I read the first few in a row, and then have been reading the others as they come out. My siblings helped me complete the series in paperback, just in time for the new release. 😉

Here are my mini reviews…

1.

Started off with a literal BANG and catapulted me into a world I never want to leave. I loved the characters from the beginning, and their quirks made them memorable and lovable. Also, SPY STUFF.

2.

All the political details were insanely interesting and the ship (you have to ship them, sorry, I don’t make the rules) gets even cuter. Pretty insane climax too…

3.

A big one for character arcs and a more subtle but interesting case. 👏 I also love how each book brings a city I don’t know much about to life.

4.

(Can we appreciate the gorgeous colors of this cover??!) This one is set in my home state, which was absolutely fabulous and made me connect to the high stakes of this one a lot more. Some tougher life topics are handled in this one, but with so much grace.

5.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, yessssss. Also some scenes that made me declare this probably a favorite of the series, though I probably say that about each one at some point in time, so my fangirlness cannot be trusted. 😛

6.

Another gorgeous cover, and they look absolutely adorable, arrrghhh. (Sorry, the shipping just gets worse.) This one was a gamechanger, for better or worse, depending on what you think of some bold story choices. It was so tragic but so healing, and I’m happy to have read it.

7.

Better come soon!!! *does fangirl grabby hands*

Have you read this series? Which book is your favorite?

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Enter the giveaway, booknerds! It ends soon.