Book Review: I See You’ve Called in Dead

April 1, 2025 / Kristi / Leave a comment

I See You’ve Called in Dead
by John Kenney

My rating: 2.5 / 5
Genre: Contemporary fiction

After a failed blind date, obituary writer Bud Stanley gets drunk and publishes an outlandish, completely fictional obituary…for himself. The company he works for suspends him and then finds out they can’t fire him, because the system thinks he’s dead. Meanwhile, Bud starts to attend funerals of strangers, prompted by an intriguing young woman who suggests that it might help him learn how to live.

I requested this book on NetGalley because it was listed as humor/satire. Between that and the premise, I thought it would be somewhat lighthearted (or at least darkly humorous) and involve a lot more of what would happen in a situation where his job wanted to fire him but couldn’t. Neither of these things is true. There are a few witty or snarky comments here and there, and I did note at least one scene with satire, but overall, the book is mostly slow and depressing. And his job is so in the background that he only goes there a few times throughout the book. I know that I am the absolutely wrong audience for this, though, so I am not going to spend a lot of time describing what I didn’t like about it. Bud is reeling from a nasty divorce (his wife cheated on him in a particularly bad way), which explains his mental state. However, he’s surrounded by pretty good friends who are giving him some great advice. Yet he mostly just floats through life, not really taking charge at all. His mom died when he was a teenager, which is also something he doesn’t seem to have fully processed and dealt with, even though he went to therapy for a while. Maybe he stopped too soon.

The book is full of introspection and discussion about deep topics, during which Bud often responds flippantly and makes me want to smack him. There’s also a lot of description, which I tended to skim. Overall, the book is about someone halfheartedly trying to find the meaning to life, so if that interests you, you might like this book a lot more than I did. I know, though, that looking for the meaning of life without God (not that there’s never any mention of God in this book, but He certainly isn’t seen as the answer to Bud’s problems) is completely pointless. And, though there were a few decent moments, “pointless” pretty well sums up how this book felt to me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Zibby Publishing for providing me a copy of this book to review.

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Book Review: The Shingle Weaver’s Picnic

March 14, 2025April 26, 2025 / Kristi / Leave a comment

The Shingle Weaver’s Picnic
by P. C. Smith

My rating: 2.5 / 5
Genre: Historical fiction

It’s 1941, and 7-year-old Annie Elizabeth Jordan (known as Cricket) is going to stay with her grandparents for the summer alone for the first time, since her mom is about to give birth. Amidst the uncertainty and confusion of the war that has already cost Cricket dearly, a tragedy rocks her grandparents’ small Pacific-northwest town.

Before I get into the actual review, I feel the need to give some warnings up front. From the synopsis and at least some early parts of the book, I got a kind of To Kill a Mockingbird feel, so I was completely caught off guard by the extreme language and sexual content. Specifically, there are multiple rapes described in varying levels of graphicness, at least one quite graphically. It’s really bizarre, in fact, considering the amount of prayer and references to God in this book. Cricket’s prayers are sweet and could make the story come across as Christian, but it’s not too hard to see that it’s shallow at best.

Now to the story itself—I have to applaud the author for the depth she put into it. The story is told in snippets of Cricket traveling to and then spending the summer with her grandparents, mixed with fairly in-depth backstories of different characters as they’re introduced. Some of these characters are seemingly minor, and at least at the time we read about their lives up until the point that we meet them, we have no idea why they’re important. It is an…interesting pacing choice. Then, as if because Smith understood the possible issues that would arise from this style, she ends a lot of chapters with a reminder that something terrible is coming to keep the suspense up. This might work for some people, but it was just a little strange to me. Especially since the official synopsis tells us what that event is going to be (though not all of the details, of course); it just takes quite a while to get there. I also feel like the title was fairly disconnected from most of the book.

There is a little bit of a twist near the end, which kept it from being as predictable as I thought it might be by the time the actual “event” happened. It was a little underwhelming though. Also, Cricket’s prayers seem childish in nature, but some of the words and things that she seems to understand are too grown-up for her age. I was also a little confused by the “present time” that the book starts with, at which point Cricket would have to be in her 80s, since she was 7-8 in 1941, yet her baby brother, who was born around 1941, says he’s in his 50s. So maybe the “present time” is actually supposed to be the 90s, yet iPods and iPhones are mentioned. It was a minor thing, but it really confused me. On the other hand, for a book that, as far as I can tell, is self-published, it contained barely any typos and mistakes, which is refreshing. In the end, though, it just wasn’t for me. I would say that enough of that was personal preference, though, so if you’re interested in the book, check out the other reviews, which are all positive so far, at the link below.

I received a copy of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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February in Review

March 4, 2025January 4, 2026 / Kristi / Leave a comment

I read 12 books last month, pretty close to my recent monthly average. The page count was lower than average, though, due to a lot of shorter books last months. That doesn’t surprise me, because I definitely felt like I wasn’t reading as much throughout last month, for no particular reason I can pinpoint.

Here are the books I read in February:

Storm Warning by Linda Sue Park (4 / 5)
Midnight on the Scottish Shore by Sarah Sundin (5 / 5)
Do the Bright Thing by Bill Myers (4 / 5)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (3 / 5)
Storm Warning by Elizabeth Goddard (2.5 / 5)
Al Capone Does My Homework by Gennifer Choldenko (5 / 5)
Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls by Ann M. Martin (4 / 5)
Christy by Catherine Marshall (5 / 5)
Bittersweet Rendezvous in New England by Diane Green (2 / 5)
Hounded by David Rosenfelt (5 / 5)
Trust No One by Linda Sue Park (4 / 5)
Reclaiming Quiet by Sarah Clarkson (2 / 5)

This list includes 4 ARCs and 2 re-reads. My favorite book from February was Midnight on the Scottish Shore. I started 0 series, continued 6 series, and finished 0 series. My ever-changing short list of to-be-reads, as well as a flag for the book I’m currently reading and an ongoing list of those I’ve read and posted about can be found here.

I’m also keeping my Goodreads page updated with a more extensive list of to-be-reads. Despite my almost too-long TBR list, I’m always looking for more to add. Feel free to offer suggestions of your favorites or just recent reads you enjoyed.

Book Review: Storm Warning

February 15, 2025February 15, 2025 / Kristi / Leave a comment

Storm Warning
by Elizabeth Goddard

My rating: 2.5 / 5
Genre: Christian romantic suspense

Remi Grant has come to Hidden Bay, a remote resort where visitors come to watch storms on the coast, to try to recover memories lost during a traumatic event that seems to have left her a target by unknown persons. Hawk Beckett has come to Hidden Bay to forget a recent tragedy that cost him his job and the life of a friend. When a masked menace seems to be stalking Remi and Hawk saves her life multiple times, they realize that they may already be more connected than they realize.

The thing I liked most about this book was the setting—the descriptions of the ocean, forest, and storms were all really immersive. Unfortunately, I found the characters and story only okay. I didn’t get much of a feel for Remi’s character at all, and the only real personality I could ascribe to Hawk is that he’s protective (which is fairly standard fair for the MMC in a book like this). I do like that he’s trying to track down a certain person (don’t want to spoil anything) to try to turn him around (from the “dark side” as is so often said by different characters). The book takes place over only about 4 days, and by the end of the first day, which is quite a ways into the book, Remi and Hawk are already trying to talk themselves out of wanting a future with each other. It’s just too fast of a connection like that for my taste, though I understand that a romance book with such a short timeline would require a quick connection. I didn’t see that connection as natural, though, and besides, maybe in a case like this, it doesn’t always have to involve romance that is actually acted upon by the end of the book.

The writing is a bit stilted as well, both in the prose and in the dialog. I struggled a lot with the flow and pacing and ended up skimming a lot to get past multiple paragraphs that rehashed the same musings about Remi’s missing memories or Hawk’s difficulties. The book is billed as Christian, but it’s barely that. Not that I need every Christian-genre book to have some kind of strong message, but it’s mostly silent, single-sentence prayers every once in a while, pleading with God for other characters to be all right. Hawk, at least, does have a bit of a progression of his faith, but it’s fairly meager as well.

I don’t think the book was bad, exactly, but I’m learning that this sub-genre of books may just not be for me. It’s clean overall—no language and light on the violence—and though the Christianity in it is a little light, based on other reviews, I think it’s safe to say that if you’re interested in this type of book, you should check it out. There are plenty of reviews in favor of it, so be sure to read some of those too.

I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.
Publication date: February 18, 2025

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Book Review: Midnight on the Scottish Shore

February 8, 2025March 6, 2026 / Kristi / Leave a comment

Midnight on the Scottish Shore
Allegiance Under Pressure #2
by Sarah Sundin

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Christian historical romance

When staying in the Netherlands becomes too dangerous for Cilla van der Zee, due to her connections with the Dutch resistance, she sees a way out in becoming a spy for the Nazis, who will send her to Britain, where she can disappear. But in these dangerous times, nothing is as simple or safe as she hopes, and she’s captured upon landing. Naval officer Lt. Lachlan Mackenzie believes her to be the German spy she’s portraying and turns her into the proper authorities. As thanks for his actions, Lachlan is forced to work alongside the spy when she becomes a double agent for Britain’s MI5.

There was a lot for me to like about this book. The uncommon setting of the Scottish shore during WWII was brought to life well; the storyline about double agents was exciting and well-researched; and I genuinely liked both of the main characters, their personalities, backgrounds, and dynamics. So many heroines in books like this are demure, self-conscious, uncomfortable, etc., which is the exact opposite of Cilla. Not that the other type is bad, it just seems so common. Cilla may be a bit on the silly side, but given her situation and that of the world around her, that silliness is often just what was needed. And her transformation was one of the things I loved most about the book. Lachlan has his own journey, which I also loved.

Even though the connection between Cilla and Lachlan is inevitable, given the genre, I felt that the obstacles they had to overcome were greater than usual and found the progression (mostly) natural and enjoyable. I appreciated that it wasn’t the main focus of the story. This book is the second in a series, but you really don’t need to read the first book, Embers in the London Sky, (which I liked but not quite as much as this one) before reading Midnight on the Scottish Shore. I recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction from this time period in the Christian romance genre.

Thank you to Netgalley and Revell for providing me a copy of this book to review.

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January in Review

February 5, 2025February 4, 2025 / Kristi / Leave a comment

I read 13 books last month, a pretty average month for me, though a bit lower than average in page count. Still, there were a lot of great books in there, so it was a good start to the year!

Here are the books I read in January:

God Loves Me and I Love Myself! by Mark DeJesus (1.5 / 5)
Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie (4.5 / 5)
The Emperor’s Code by Gordon Korman (4.5 / 5)
Anchor in the Storm by Sarah Sundin (4.5 / 5)
Shatterproof by Roland Smith (4 / 5)
Unleashed by David Rosenfelt (4.5 / 5)
How to Thrive as a Pastor’s Wife by Christine Hoover (5 / 5)
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson (5 / 5)
Under Lock & Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian (3 / 5)
Made to Be She by Kristen Clark & Bethany Beal (5 / 5)
The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie (3 / 5)
United as One by Pittacus Lore (3 / 5)
Free by E.B. Roshan (5 / 5)

This list includes 2 ARCs and 2 re-reads. My favorite book from January (excluding re-reads and non-fiction, which are difficult to compare) was Anchor in the Storm. I started 1 series, continued 5 series, and finished 1 series. My ever-changing short list of to-be-reads, as well as a flag for the book I’m currently reading and an ongoing list of those I’ve read and posted about can be found here.

2024 in Books

January 3, 2025October 1, 2025 / Kristi / Leave a comment

2024 was a fairly standard year of reading overall, minus the push in February and March to read shorter books that were outside my norm, in order to get more entries into a local library reading challenge. But I kinda made up for that in April, when I burned out a little and read a lot less.

I read 153 books in 2024, hitting my Goodreads challenge of 150 books (which I raised from 140 in November when I realized how close I was) on December 24th. My total page count was 42,857, making my average book length for the year 280 pages.

Below are the books I read in 2024. The link is to my review for that book, and a link to the book on Goodreads is at the bottom of each review.

January

Open and Shut by David Rosenfelt (5 / 5)
A Beautiful Disguise* by Roseanna M. White (5 / 5)
A Winter by the Sea* by Julie Klassen (3.5 / 5)
Tasty* by Victoria Grace Elliott (3.5 / 5)
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen (3.5 / 5)
The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers by Lilian Jackson Braun (2 / 5)
The Lassoed by Marriage Romance Collection by various authors (3.25 / 5)
Joy in the Morning by P.G. Wodehouse (3.5 / 5)
Once a Queen* by Sarah Arthur (3 / 5)
The Traitor by Richard Paul Evans (1 / 5)
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (4 / 5)
Masterminds by Gordon Korman (5 / 5)
The Mistletoe Countess by Pepper D. Basham (2.5 / 5)

February

First Degree by David Rosenfelt (5 / 5)
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (4 / 5)
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson (4.5 / 5)
Hatchet** by Gary Paulsen (4 / 5)
Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton (5 / 5)
Storm Warning by Linda Sue Park (4 / 5)
The Raven by Mike Nappa (5 / 5)
The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen (3 / 5)
The Battlemage** by Taran Matharu (5 / 5)
The Giver: Graphic Novel by Lois Lowry, adapted & illustrated by P. Craig Russell (5 / 5)
Dragon and Herdsman by Timothy Zahn (4 / 5)
Escape from Warsaw by Ian Serraillier (3 / 5)
Into the Gauntlet by Margaret Peterson Haddix (4 / 5)
The Mating Season by P.G. Wodehouse (3.5 / 5)
The Summer of the Swans** by Betsy Byars (4 / 5)

March

Faith, Hope and Hilarity by Dick Van Dyke (3 / 5)
The Magic Factory by Morgan Rice (3 / 5)
Criminal Destiny by Gordon Korman (5 / 5)
Stars Beyond Realms* by Marie-Hélène Lebeault (2 / 5)
We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee (3 / 5)
The Outsiders** by S.E. Hinton (5 / 5)
Twister and Shout by Bill Myers (5 / 5)
Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary (5 / 5)
World of Warcraft, v. 1 by Walter Simonson (4 / 5)
Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Circus Clown by David A. Adler (4 / 5)
The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene (4 / 5)
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko (5 / 5)
Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman (4 / 5)
The Nazi Architects of the Holocaust by Corona Brezina (4 / 5)
A Noble Scheme* by Roseanna M. White (5 / 5)
Butterflies in the Storm* by Gary Warner (2 / 5)
Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie (3.5 / 5)
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore (5 / 5)

April

The Juliet Code* by Pepper Basham (3 / 5)
Bee’s Gift by Dana Romanin (4 / 5)
Embers in the London Sky* by Sarah Sundin (4 / 5)
Illusion** by Frank E. Peretti (5 / 5)
Dragon and Judge by Timothy Zahn (4.5 / 5)
A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure* by Angela Bell (5 / 5)
Anne of Green Gables** by L.M. Montgomery (5 / 5)
The Black Book of Buried Secrets by Mallory Kass (4 / 5)

May

Bury the Lead by David Rosenfelt (4.5 / 5)
The Captain’s Daughter by Jennifer Delamere (3 / 5)
The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene (4 / 5)
The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank by Ellen Feldman (3 / 5)
The Regency Brides Collection by various authors (3.5 / 5)
Dragon and Liberator by Timothy Zahn (4.5 / 5)
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (3 / 5)
The Last Man* by Thomas Goodman (3.5 / 5)
The Minor Miracle* by Meredith Davis (4 / 5)
Seeking Real Life Irish RomCom by Katie Nelson (2.5 / 5)
Payback by Gordon Korman (5 / 5)
Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell (review pending)
Tidemagic: The Many Faces of Ista Flit* by Clare Harlow (4 / 5)

June

As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson (1.5 / 5)
Anne of Avonlea** by L.M. Montgomery (4 / 5)
The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore (3 / 5)
Lightkeepers by Kennedy Plumb (3 / 5)
Sudden Death by David Rosenfelt (5 / 5)
He Should Have Told the Bees* by Amanda Cox (4 / 5)
The Maze of Bones** by Rick Riordan (4 / 5)
A Dream within a Dream by Mike Nappa & Melissa Kosci (4 / 5)
Dog Day Afternoon* by David Rosenfelt (4.5 / 5)

July

Reflections of the Mole by Bill McDaniel (5 / 5)
The Bungalow Mystery by Carolyn Keene (4 / 5)
Elizabeth’s Playground by Dana Romanin (2 / 5)
Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie (4 / 5)
Last Girl Breathing* by Court Stevens (3.5 / 5)
Eléonore by Faith Rivens (3 / 5)
The Groundworld Heroes* by Adrian So (4 / 5)
The Mystery of Locked Rooms* by Lindsay Currie (2.5 / 5)
Anne of the Island** by L.M. Montgomery (4 / 5)
Starter Villain by John Scalzi (3 / 5)
Vespers Rising by Rick Riordan, Peter Lerangis, Gordon Korman, Jude Watson (4 / 5)
In the Nick of Time by Bill Myers & Robert West (4 / 5)

August

Dead Center by David Rosenfelt (5 / 5)
S. by J.J. Abrams & Doug Dorst (3 / 5)
The Mystery at Lilac Inn by Carolyn Keene (3 / 5)
One False Note** by Gordon Korman (4 / 5)
The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore (4 / 5)
Monster by Frank E. Peretti (4 / 5)
Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham (3.5 / 5)
Between Flowers and Bones* by Carolyn Leiloglou (4 / 5)
The Big Four by Agatha Christie (4 / 5)
An Invitation to Murder by Leighann Dobbs & Harmony Williams (2 / 5)
Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor* by Roseanna M. White (5 / 5)
The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line** by Rob Thomas & Jennifer Graham (4 / 5)

September

World of Warcraft, v. 2 by Walter Simonson (4 / 5)
Through Waters Deep by Sarah Sundin (3 / 5)
Anne of Windy Poplars** by L.M. Montgomery (3 / 5)
Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko (4 / 5)
A Thieving at Carlton House by Erica Vetsch (5 / 5)
Play Dead by David Rosenfelt (5 / 5)
The Sword Thief** by Peter Lerangis (4 / 5)
Kristy’s Great Idea** by Ann M. Martin (5 / 5)
The Medusa Plot by Gordon Korman (4 / 5)
The More the Terrier* by David Rosenfelt (4 / 5)
The Secret of Shadow Ranch by Carolyn Keene (3 / 5)
Wimpy, Weak, & Woke by John L. Cooper (4 / 5)

October

Nightfall by Jake Halpern & Peter Kujawinski (3.5 / 5)
The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie (3 / 5)
The Fall of Five by Pittacus Lore (5 / 5)
Beyond the Grave** by Jude Watson (5 / 5)
The Seat Beside Me by Nancy Moser (5 / 5)
New Tricks by David Rosenfelt (4 / 5)
A King’s Ransom by Jude Watson (5 / 5)
Anne’s House of Dreams** by L.M. Montgomery (5 / 5)
Clergy Couples in Crisis by Dean Merrill (5 / 5)
The Secret of Red Gate Farm by Carolyn Keene (4 / 5)
Unfixed* by Amy L. Sauder (2.5 / 5)
The Blunder Years by Bill Myers & Robert West (5 / 5)
I Think I Was Murdered* by Colleen Coble (4 / 5)
Hold Back the Night by Axel Blackwell (4 / 5)
Peril at End House by Agatha Christie (5 / 5)

November

The Revenge of Seven by Pittacus Lore (5 / 5)
Dog Tags by David Rosenfelt (4 / 5)
The Black Circle** by Patrick Carman (4.5 / 5)
What’s So Funny? by Tim Conway with Jane Scovell (5 / 5)
Mr. Lemoncello’s Fantabulous Finale* by Chris Grabenstein (5 / 5)
Anne of Ingleside** by L.M. Montgomery (4 / 5)
An Honorable Deception* by Roseanna M. White (5 / 5)
World of Warcraft, v. 3 by Walter Simonson & Louise Simonson (4 / 5)
The Clue in the Diary by Carolyn Keene (4 / 5)
Disney After Dark by Ridley Pearson (3 / 5)
Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie (4.5 / 5)
The Dead of Night by Peter Lerangis (4.5 / 5)
One Dog Night by David Rosenfelt (4 / 5)

December

In Too Deep** by Jude Watson (4 / 5)
Trust + Follow* by Maddie Joy Fischer (4 / 5)
The Seaside Homecoming* by Julie Klassen (4.5 / 5)
The Fate of Ten by Pittacus Lore (4 / 5)
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (4 / 5)
Nancy’s Mysterious Letter by Carolyn Keene (2.5 / 5)
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (5 / 5)
Leader of the Pack by David Rosenfelt (5 / 5)
Rediscovering Christmas* by AJ Sherrill (3 / 5)
The Viper’s Nest** by Peter Lerangis (4 / 5)
Christmas in Bethel* by Richard Paul Evans (2 / 5)
The Sign of the Twisted Candles by Carolyn Keene (2 / 5)
Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman (5 / 5)

This list includes 29 ARCs (marked with a *) and 20 re-reads (marked with a **). During the last year, I started 20 series and finished 12 series, caught up on 2 series (meaning the author plans to release more in the future), and decided not to continue 4 series (after being at least 2 books into the series). I currently have 13 series in progress. I also DNF’d 1 book (not listed anywhere in this post).

Here is a break-down of the ratings I gave (minus some re-reads whose rating I didn’t count again):
1 star: 1
1.5 stars: 1
2 stars: 7
2.5 stars: 4
3 stars: 22
3.25 stars: 1
3.5 stars: 12
4 stars: 50
4.5 stars: 7
5 stars: 40
Average rating: 3.9

I spaced on posting a top-ten post about my favorite books from the year, so I’ll just list my top 5 here (in order of when I read them, not of preference):
A Beautiful Disguise by Roseanna M. White
Masterminds by Gordon Korman
The Raven by Mike Nappa
Sudden Death by David Rosenfelt
Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Though I did read 150 books, I know that has a lot to do with the reading challenge at my local library early in the year. I’ll stick with 140 books for this year’s goal for the Goodreads challenge. This number is already only achievable if I read a lot of shorter children’s books, which is always my plan, just maybe not as many as I read last year.

My ever-changing short list of to-be-reads, as well as a flag for the book I’m currently reading and an ongoing list of those I’ve read and posted about can be found here. I’m also keeping my Goodreads page updated with a more extensive list of to-be-reads, if anyone is interested in that.

What did you read last year? Let me know in the comments, and even feel free to link to your own summary post!

December in Review

January 2, 2025January 2, 2025 / Kristi / Leave a comment

I read 13 books last month, which is right at what my monthly average ended up being for 2024. The number would have been much smaller, though, if I hadn’t had so much time to listen to audiobooks throughout December. Between Christmas (and Christmas prep) and a couple of longer/harder-to-read books, I got really slowed down in my normal reading time. Still, I hit my Goodreads goal of 150 books (which I raised from 140 in November when I realized how close I was) on the 24th.

Here are the books I read in December:

In Too Deep by Jude Watson (4 / 5)
Trust + Follow by Maddie Joy Fischer (4 / 5)
The Seaside Homecoming by Julie Klassen (4.5 / 5)
The Fate of Ten by Pittacus Lore (4 / 5)
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (4 / 5)
Nancy’s Mysterious Letter by Carolyn Keene (2.5 / 5)
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (5 / 5)
Leader of the Pack by David Rosenfelt (5 / 5)
Rediscovering Christmas by AJ Sherrill (3 / 5)
The Viper’s Nest by Peter Lerangis (4 / 5)
Christmas in Bethel by Richard Paul Evans (2 / 5)
The Sign of the Twisted Candles by Carolyn Keene (2 / 5)
Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman (5 / 5)

This list includes 4 ARCs and 2 re-reads. My favorite book from December was Book Scavenger. I started 1 series, continued 4 series, and finished 2 series*. My ever-changing short list of to-be-reads, as well as a flag for the book I’m currently reading and an ongoing list of those I’ve read and posted about can be found here.

*This includes 1 series I didn’t reach the end of, but decided not to continue reading, after being at least 2 books into the series.

Book Review: Christmas in Bethel

December 26, 2024December 26, 2024 / Kristi / Leave a comment

Christmas in Bethel
by Richard Paul Evans

My rating: 2 / 5
Genre: Contemporary romance

Leigh Beth Stilton has been abused by men throughout her life and experienced many other horrors as well. She has plans to end her life on Christmas day, but after reading a book by an author she’s never read, she finds the strength to carry on. Fast forward ten years, and a chance encounter with “her author” leads her into a whirlwind of fancy dinners, expensive gifts, and a hectic book tour schedule. Beth and J.D. Harper form a quick connection, but the pain in her past threatens to ruin everything.

First things first—this is not really a Christmas story. It takes place from before Thanksgiving to after Christmas, and some festivities are involved, but they’re really just background. It’s really just a contemporary romance that happens to take place at Christmastime. Not a deal breaker for me, but it’s good to make sure potential readers are aware. Also, you might see this marketed as Christian fiction in some places. It’s not. I’ve only read a few of Evans’s other books, but I’ve never gotten the impression that he was a Christian author, or even a Christian who is an author. The book doesn’t mention God once, unless you count the explanation of the meaning of the word “Bethel” (house of God). The two main characters become fairly intimate pretty quickly, though it’s pretty vague whether or not they actually sleep together and there’s nothing graphic. And there is a minor character who is somewhat-subtly gay. None of these things would bother me normally, but when the book is listed as Christian fiction (at least on Amazon and NetGalley), it definitely confuses me.

As for the book itself, I found the plot to be shallow and a bit muddled, and I didn’t really connect with the characters. I questioned so many things while I read. For example: Beth’s first name is Leigh (presumably pronounced like “Lee”), but she goes by Beth. So why did she give her name as “Lee” to the barista at Starbucks? Why, to give her the coincidental chance to meet J.D. Harper (whose real name is Lee), of course…though that could have still been worked out without her using her first name that she never uses. And why didn’t Beth recognize J.D./Lee? Sure, his picture isn’t on his books, but apparently his visage is widespread enough on TV and the internet for him to be recognized like crazy when he’s out at restaurants and stores…yet Beth, who has been halfway in love with him for ten years, doesn’t recognize him? I have other examples, but I don’t want to extend the review too much or come across like I’m ranting.

Not a fault of the book, but I don’t really connect with the heavy abuse in both of the characters’ pasts. But more than that, I felt that the romance was hurried and lacked any depth. They connect quickly, but then Lee stars inviting Beth to all sorts of events and even to his home, with barely any time to get to know each other. I guess the romance is mostly supposed to be in Beth falling in love with Lee through his writing, but since we don’t get to read any of his writing, it falls flat for me. In fact, I’d really like to know…anything about his books, especially the one that saved her life. We get only brief glimpses and are basically told that he writes about love so poignantly that he’s a big-name author. Maybe a romance based around the impact of fictional books works for some people, but it didn’t for me.

When I started to realize the little twist that was coming, I thought it might go a different way, but in the end, I did appreciate the way this story ends. It wasn’t nearly enough to salvage the rest of the book for me, though. I also have realized that I don’t really care for Evans’s writing style—I thought before that it was just his YA style, after reading most of the Michael Vey series, but now I know it’s just his style in general. I don’t personally recommend this book for anyone, but if the synopsis sounds interesting to you, please check out other reviews at the link below. They’re way more positive than not (which is pretty normal for me).

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for providing me a copy of this book to review.

Find out more about Christmas in Bethel

See what I’m reading next.

If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!

Book Review: The Seaside Homecoming

December 6, 2024 / Kristi / Leave a comment

The Seaside Homecoming
On Devonshire Shores #3
by Julie Klassen

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Christian historical romance

Spoiler notice: The following review may contain spoilers for the previous books in the series, starting with The Sisters of Sea View.

Two years past, eldest Summers sister Claire left her family in disgrace and spent those two years as companion to an elderly relative. Now that the older woman has died, Claire can’t help but want to be near her family again, though she knows at least some of them won’t want to see her. When she ends up as a partner in a boarding house that rivals her family’s, it threatens to make the rift between her and her family worse. Meanwhile, she also has to learn to run a boarding house and deal with the secretive and suspicious man who owns it.

The wrap-up to this main series was almost everything I wanted it to be. The author did a great job of setting up certain elements to provide emotional climaxes to at least two of the story arcs contained in this book. I enjoyed this book a good deal more than the previous two in the series, I think mostly because the annoyances and pet peeves I had with them were not an issue here.

I think that a little more time could have been spent exploring the character of the boarding house owner, William Hammond, since he seemed to have a fairly deep background of which we only get glimpses. Or maybe the reason it felt shallow to me was because I didn’t fully understand his past or because things were hinted at or presumed by Claire that ended up being incorrect, and so it felt like there was more to know than there was. I don’t know for sure, but this is overall not a huge deal to the greater story. It only stands out to me because of his role in the book.

Anything I felt was still missing from the story will hopefully be part of the related Christmas book that the author mentions in the author’s note (coming out in September 2025), and I look forward to reading that next year. As for this series, though 2/3 of it was rocky for me, I think the conclusion made it all worthwhile. I suppose this book could be read as a stand-alone and only one real aspect would be harmed by a lack of past knowledge (besides the two sisters that have already found love and gotten married, there’s Sarah’s inner turmoil about a particular man she rebuffed), but I think that Claire’s homecoming wouldn’t be as emotional without the build throughout the series. Based on past experience, I have good reason to believe that most fans of Regency-era Christian romance will enjoy this book and series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bethany House for providing me a copy of this book to review.

Find out more about The Seaside Homecoming

See what I’m reading next.

If you’ve read this book, or read it in the future, feel free to let me know what you think!

I See You’ve Called in Deadby John KenneyMy rating: 2.5 / 5Genre: Contemporary fiction

The Shingle Weaver’s Picnicby P. C. Smith

My rating: 2.5 / 5Genre: Historical fiction

Storm Warningby Elizabeth Goddard

My rating: 2.5 / 5 Genre: Christian romantic suspense

Midnight on the Scottish ShoreAllegiance Under Pressure #2by Sarah Sundin

My rating: 5 / 5 Genre: Christian historical romance

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Christmas in Bethelby Richard Paul Evans

My rating: 2 / 5 Genre: Contemporary romance

The Seaside HomecomingOn Devonshire Shores #3by Julie Klassen

My rating: 4.5 / 5 Genre: Christian historical romance

I See You’ve Called in Dead
by John Kenney

My rating: 2.5 / 5
Genre: Contemporary fiction

The Shingle Weaver’s Picnic
by P. C. Smith

My rating: 2.5 / 5
Genre: Historical fiction

Storm Warning
by Elizabeth Goddard

My rating: 2.5 / 5
Genre: Christian romantic suspense

Midnight on the Scottish Shore
Allegiance Under Pressure #2
by Sarah Sundin

My rating: 5 / 5
Genre: Christian historical romance

Christmas in Bethel
by Richard Paul Evans

My rating: 2 / 5
Genre: Contemporary romance

The Seaside Homecoming
On Devonshire Shores #3
by Julie Klassen

My rating: 4.5 / 5
Genre: Christian historical romance