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1 July 2021
26 June 2021
“His Mighty Acts” by Rebekah A. Morris
My Review:
A Favourite Quote: “I remember the verses we chose for our verses that first morning as a married couple. ‘Great is the Lord,... One generation shall praise Thy works to another, and shall declare Thy mighty acts.... The Lord is good to all: and His tender mercies are over all His works.’ Those verses are still true, dearest. I have seen horrors and tragedies, but I have also seen the hand of the Lord, and I’m sure that many years from now one generation will declare to another some of the mighty acts of God in this terrible war.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘He’s well, and he likes the ocean better than land because there are no mosquitos.’
“James burst into a hearty laugh. ‘What does he call those large ones that fly in the sky?’”
24 June 2021
“Owls in the Family” by Farley Mowat
My Review:
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “[The dog], the owls, my friends and I used to ride [on the car’s rumble-seat when we went camping]. Mutt always rode with his head and front feet stuck away out over the side of the car, while Bruce or I held onto his tail so he wouldn’t fall out on his nose.... Because his eyes used to get sore from the dust of the Prairie roads, Mutt had to wear goggles—the same kind that motorcycle riders wear. The sight of a goggled dog, two horned owls, and our prairie schooner used to make people in other cars take a long look at us as they went by.”
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22 June 2021
“Elsie’s Widowhood” by Martha Finley
(From Goodreads)
My Review:
A Favourite Quote: “‘And why shouldn't I be patient?’ he returned; ‘didn't Christ suffer far more than I do?’
“‘And he comforts you in the midst of it all, does he not?’ asked Mrs. Perkins.
“‘He does, indeed, ma'am.’
“‘I have always found him faithful to his promises,’ she said.
“‘And I,’ remarked another lady...; ‘strength has always been given me according to my day, in the past, and I am glad to leave the future with him.’”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “[T]hey ... sat in the sand revelling in the delicious sea breeze and the sight of the ever restless, ever changing, beautiful ocean, with its rolling, tumbling, dashing waves.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘And young Massa Jones, he preach bery nice sometimes, but sometimes it 'pears like he disremembers what's in de bressed book, and contradicts it wid some of his own notions.’”
19 June 2021
“The Harrisville Young Ladies' Band” by Isabella Alden
It isn’t until she confides in her cousin that Fannie realizes her approach to organizing a missionary support group has been wrong from the start. But with a few suggestions from her cousin, some hard work, and a good amount of devoted prayer, Fannie just may be able to make the club a success, after all.
(from IsabellaAlden.com)
My Review:
15 June 2021
“Courage & Corruption” by Sarah Holman
(The Tales of Taelis, Book 3)
by Sarah Holman
Synopsis:
Catherine is going with her mother and younger siblings to the mountains to hide from the coming war. While she fears what might happen she is looking forward to some time away from her twin brother, with whom she often fights. One foolish act changes all their plans, and one story caused not only confusion, but more fighting.
Christopher does not believe his father’s story that they are descended from royalty. He is sure the story his father tells cannot be true. However, he is forced to go to the mountain castle of Coraway along with his mother and siblings. Will his father ever see him as a man? Will he and his twin ever be able to stop fighting?
Little do Catherine and Christopher realize that they hold the key to Taelis’ future in their hands. Will they discover the truth before it is too late?
(From Goodreads)
My Review:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ & ❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎❤︎
5 stars & 5/10 hearts. Wow. What an amazing story. I really appreciated the lessons of this book. It is just full of amazing quotes. I related to Catharine & Christopher’s struggles so much... and I really enjoyed the medieval aspect. This whole series is just really good, but this book is particularly good. <33
A Favourite Quote: “‘That is why stories are so important[.] They remind us of our past and what we have been. They inspire us to press on to a better future. They teach us the consequences of our actions so we do not have to make the same mistakes over and over again.’
“‘Is that why you like to tell stories so much?’ ...
‘Yes[.] Every story I tell has a purpose. A story without purpose is like an army without weapons, useless and pointless.’”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘You should have been the oldest child.’ His hands dropped to his sides.
“‘I was born first,’ Catherine reminded him.
“‘I meant the firstborn son.’”
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8 June 2021
“The Secret of Red Gate Farm” by Carolyn Keene
My Review:
1960 EDITION REVIEW:
4.5 stars & 5/10 hearts. Well! That was intense, all right! THE most intense so far for sure. I enjoyed it though! Joanne and her grandmother were so sweet, and I liked Mrs. H. (Poor lady...) The story started off with a bang, which was enjoyable, and the mystery was really baffling!
2 June 2021
“Oh, The Fallen” by Abigail Kay Harris
When Matt Renicker joins the Army, he’s determined to give his best for his country and his Lord, even if it means risking everything he loves most. But when tragedy strikes on a routine patrol, more than one heart is left shattered and lamenting.
In the wake of a terrible loss, will those left behind find the strength to go on? Or will the faith, family, and freedom Matt fought to preserve be broken beyond repair?
My Review:
In the first place, I love military romances, but there are so few that are actually clean. Abigail Harris has filled this gap. Matt & Danny were just so sweet and so amazing. There was some handholding, hugging, kissing the top of her head; but it was all non-detailed and super sweet & clean. I also love military stories, and very few of those are clean either. Again, Abigail Harris fills the gap! The soldiers were all amazing and real but the story was totally clean and non-violent.
The writing style just… ahh... touched my heart… Chapter 1, with all the interaction between Zane & Matt, and all the backstory, was just so beautiful… and chapter 5 was so good… and chapter 7, oh maaaan—that one had me in tears!! There were so many other beautiful sections/paragraphs just scattered around. I loved it. So many gems. <3 It also made me cry almost every time I read it (which was like 50 times) and the dialogue is amazing!
The characters were awesome. Zane was a wonderful father and soldier. Frisco was my favourite—I related to his guilt, frustration, and uncertainty, and his plight wrung my heart. Burns is horrid at times, and yet he is so sad and hurting that you can’t help but love him. Even Sean, whom I didn’t care for too much for some reason, I still loved. Danny was so, so lovely. And Matt… well… Matt is just perfect. <33
And the ending. The ending is so, so perfect, guys. I. am. in. awe.
Overall, it’s an absolutely heartwarming and adorable story and I am SOOO eager for the next books in the series. <3
Also I LOVE THE COVER.
A Favourite Quote: “Each one was silently heartbroken for the old man who was seemingly alone. But then, Zane hadn’t been alone since the day, so long ago, when he’d walked through a burning fire of war and fallen into his Heavenly Father’s loving embrace—the embrace which had carried him and his through the years, the pain, the joy, and his past, and hadn’t let him go even in his grief for his wife and now his son. It was a grief his Savior knew and understood well and that broke His heart even now.”
*I received an ARC of this book from the author in return for an honest review. These are my own opinions.*
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abigail Kay Harris is a daughter of the King with a personal degree in book-nerdiness. A sister to seven, her passionate love of the written word and deeper meanings hidden in normal things leads her to spend her time reading, writing, using sarcasm, and defining obscure words. When she’s not chasing words, she enjoys watching shows, classic romance movies, tea, sunrises, and the outdoors, especially mountains, beaches, and forests.
Follow/contact links:
Email: abigailkayharris@gmail.com or readreviewrejoice@gmail.com
BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE
MAY 27th
Jaybird Summers | Shelf Control: Interview
MAY 28th
Madeline Clouse | Simply Madeline Eve: Review
Natalie Claire | Kenmore Pines: Review
A.M. Heath | Author A.M. Heath: Spotlight
MAY 29th
Anna Grace | Anna’s Ideas: Interview
MAY 30th
Gina Holder | Gina Holder, Author and Blogger: Interview
MAY 31st
Esther Jackson | : Review and Interview
Ryana Lynn Peterson | Life of Heritage: Review and Guest Post
Grace A. Johnson | Grabbing with Grace: Interview and Review
JUNE 1st
Rachel Rossano | Rachel Rossano’s Words: Interview
Kelly Barr | Kelly F. Barr: Interview
JUNE 2nd
Katja L. | Old-Fashioned Book Love: Review
ENTER THE GIVEAWAY
Enter to win the grand prize, a paperback, or ebook of Oh, The Fallen!
Grand prize includes:
A silver star necklace
A key chain with the cover
A paperback of OTF
Sticker
Bookmark
eBook of Oh, The Lamented upon release!!!
First prize:
A paperback of OTF
eBook of Oh, The Lamented upon release!!!
Second prize:
eBook of Oh, The Fallen
eBook of Oh, The Lamented upon release!!!
Do stop by Abigail’s blog on release day for lots of fun, including the cover reveal for Oh, The Lamented!
1 June 2021
“A Shield & a Refuge” by Angie Thompson
Blenwyn Osheen is no stranger to hard work and trouble, but the children's fascination with their father's anxious forebodings is a problem she doesn't know how to solve. And so is the kind surgeon who insists on treating her like an equal instead of a servant.
When a particularly disastrous day rocks their world, is there anything Blenwyn can do to protect the family she loves as her own? Can she somehow stop the children's headlong rush into danger? And when a hand is reached out to help her, will she choose to trust her head or her heart?
A novelette (approximately 1 hour average read time)
~~~
The Quiet Valor series follows a diverse group of women seeking to live with strength and courage in a torn and broken world. Because its author can't do anything the easy way, she describes its genre as Victorian era kingdom adventure with a dash of sweet romance and just a hint of steampunk.
My Review:
A Favourite Quote: “‘We have to do something.... We promised.’
“‘And who expects you to do anything tonight?’
“‘I— ... No one.’
“‘Then of course you’ll do something. When you’re ready. But you’ll have to work carefully, not run headlong into danger.’”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “I buried my face in my hands and sobbed for a country not my own which now rested under a tyrant’s thumb, for villages I had never seen that now lay in piles of rubble and ash, and for the children I loved with all my heart who had lost their innocence much too soon.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘Dinner’s ruined, and half of our supplies. I’ve no idea what we’ll have for supper, and I don’t dare use the stove, and I haven’t even finished hanging out the wash.’ Likely none of that explained to him why I was on my knees scrubbing the kitchen floor, but the thought of tracking back and forth over the pasty mess to finish the rest of my work sent a shiver up my spine.”
*I received a copy of this book from the author but I was not required to write a review. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.*
29 May 2021
“The Graham Quartet & the Mystery of the Day Maid” by Rebekah A. Morris
by Rebekah A. Morris
5+ stars & 7/10 hearts. I loved the first Graham Quartet book and eagerly looked forwards to reading this one, confident I would love it even more. I was not disappointed. The characters are amazing—Lt. Ashwood, Agent Johnson, & Mr. Rhodes are awesome; and you get to see the characters of Elsa, Matt, Selena, and Tim better. There was a little more lying than last time—sometimes at places where a sentence/word left out would have made them speak the truth while not disclosing what they couldn’t. I didn’t quite get the whole why-they-had-to-talk-with-their-dad part but I’m not complaining about it—it’s nice to see kids who are respectful and obedient. The mystery was more mysterious than last time, and the ending was much more exciting! I also liked having the time period clearly established, and knowing I had guessed right. ;) I am eager to read this aloud to my 13- & 8-year-old brothers—they loved book 1 and they’re so eager for this book, and I‘m sure they’ll love it!
*I received a copy of this book as a personal gift from the author. I was not required to write a review. This are my honest opinions.*