Books on My Spring 2023 To-Read List

 Oh my goodness this year has already started off being a fantabulous book year! Here are some spring releases that I am REALLY excited to read!

His Only Son Movie Trailer

 

 

About HIS ONLY SON

His Only Son recounts one of the most controversial moments in the Old Testament—when Abraham was commanded by God to sacrifice his son Isaac on the mountain of Moriah. While traveling to the place of the sacrifice, alongside Isaac and two servants, Abraham is flooded with vivid memories from the years he and Sarah spent longing for the son they were promised—the son he must now lay upon the altar.

 

 

 

I am curious to watch this one!

#HisOnlySonMIN 

 

 

The Journey: A Music Special from Andrea Bocelli Trailer

 

 

 

 

 Combining world-class musical performances with intimate conversations across the awe-inspiring Italian countryside, THE JOURNEY: A Music Special from Andrea Bocelli is an exploration of moments that define us, songs that inspire us, and relationships that connect us to what matters most in life. 

Join in a sacred pilgrimage of hope, beauty, and song with this special theatrical event opening on Palm Sunday and continuing through Holy Week: April 2, 3, 4 & 6. In addition to Bocelli, you’ll hear Michael W. Smith, Tori Kelly, Tauren Wells, TAYA, and many others in amazing musical performances across majestic locations. 

Get your tickets at TheJourney.movie. 

#TheJourneyTBNMIN

 

 

 

 

Remember Me Review

 

 About the Book

 Addie Bryant is haunted by her past of heartbreak and betrayal. After her beau, Isaac Hanson, left the Yukon, she made a vow to wait for him. When she's sold to a brothel owner after the death of her father, Addie manages to escape with the hope that she can forever hide her past and the belief that she will never have the future she's always dreamed of.

Years later, Addie has found peace in her new life as a photographer, training Camera Girls to operate and sell the Brownie camera. But during the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Expo in Seattle, Addie is reunited with Isaac. And when her past catches up with her, Addie must decide whether to run or to stay and face her wounds in order to embrace her life, her future, and her hope in God.

Bestselling author Tracie Peterson pens a tender tale where forgiveness, faith, and love conquers all. (Goodreads)

BUY HERE

My Thoughts

It has been years since I read Tracie Peterson's Alaskan Yukon Quest series and I was so excited to read another story that starts in Alaska. This book was very interesting to read with the many historical tidbits woven throughout the pages. I loved the Alaskan history but also the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Expo, of which I knew nothing about whatsoever. Addie's character was so well written and I appreciated her strength and how she grew and overcame obstacles. I struggled with Isaac's character and I never really grew to love him to be honest. He assumed too many things and was far too pushy for my liking. I still found this to be an enjoyable read tinged with mystery and romance and how Christ can heal past trauma to give us hope for a future.

Four Stars. 

"I received this book from Bethany House Publishers for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."

The Metropolitan Affair Review

 

 About the Book

 For years her explorer father promised Dr. Lauren Westlake she'd accompany him on one of his Egyptian expeditions. But as the empty promises mounted, Lauren determined to earn her own way. Now the assistant curator of Egyptology for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lauren receives two unexpected invitations.

The first is her repentant father's offer to finally bring her to Egypt as his colleague on a new expedition. The second is a chance to enter the world of New York's wealthiest patrons who have been victims of art fraud.

With Egyptomania sweeping the city after the discovery of King Tut's tomb, Detective Joe Caravello is on the hunt for a notorious forger preying on the open wallets of New York's high society. Dr. Westlake is just the expert he needs to help him track the criminal. Together they search for the truth, and the closer Lauren and Joe get to discovering the forger's identity, the more entangled they become in a web of deception and crime.

In this rich 1920s tale, bestselling author Jocelyn Green invites you into one of New York City's most esteemed museums, where a young woman discovers secrets, betrayal, and romance. (Goodreads)

BUY HERE

My Thoughts

Jocelyn Green has written some terrific historical fiction so I knew that this story would be a well researched adventure. I LOVED visiting the Met when I was in New York and while this is set in a much different time it still helped me visualize it more clearly. It is an incredible place and it was really interesting to read about a very small part of the Egyptian history and imagine the inner workings of the museum. The setting is fantastic and the central mystery that runs throughout the story is well done. I did have a hard time connecting with the main characters. Lauren is an independent woman and I appreciate her perspective. The relationship with her father is a key part of the story and I found that to be interesting. I enjoyed the history and much of the sleuthing for counterfeit art. While this isn't my favorite book by this author I know many will love it!

 

Three Stars.

 

"I received this book from Bethany House Publishers for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."

The Cairo Curse Review with Celebrate Lit

About the Book

Book: The Cairo Curse

Author: Pepper Basham

Genre: Christian Fiction / Historical Fiction / Romance / Adventure / Mystery

Release date: February 1, 2023

 

Clue meets Indiana Jones with a fiction-loving twist only Grace Percy can provide.

Newlyweds Lord and Lady Astley have already experienced their fair-share of suspense, but when a honeymoon trip takes a detour to the mystical land of Egypt, not even Grace with her fiction-loving mind is prepared for the dangers in store. From an assortment of untrustworthy adventure-seekers to a newly discovered tomb with a murderous secret, Frederick and Grace must lean on each other to navigate their dangerous surroundings. As the suspects mount in an antiquities’ heist of ancient proportions, will Frederick and Grace’s attempts to solve the mystery lead to another death among the sands?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

 

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor with southern Appalachian flair. Both her historical and contemporary novels have garnered recognition in the Grace Awards, Inspys, and ACFW Carol Awards. Her historical romance, The Thorn Healer, was a finalist in the 2018 RT Awards. Her historical romance novels, My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge and The Red Ribbon, and her contemporary novels, the Mitchell’s Crossroads and Pleasant Gap series, showcase her Appalachian heritage, as well as her love for humor and family. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist to about fifty more, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.

You can learn more about Pepper at her website http://www.pepperdbasham.com or connect with her on FB, IG, or Twitter

 

Read an Excerpt from the Book!

February 1914, Havensbrook

 

Gunfire erupted from outside, sending Frederick Percy, Earl of Astley, leaping from his chair. The seat crashed against the floor behind him in time with another shot. What on earth! He grabbed the first weapon-like item he could find—his grandfather’s cane—and dashed toward the sound, nearly colliding with his butler moving in the same direction.

“Did you hear the gunfire, Brandon?”

The older gentleman’s brows rose as high as they could go without becoming part of his snowy hairline. “Indeed, my lord. From the south garden, if I guess correctly, sir.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Frederick tapped the cane against the floor and took a step in the direction of the garden door. Then stopped, a sudden sense of dread forming a lump in his stomach. His butler’s response was much too cavalier for an emergency. “Have you seen Lady Astley of late, Brandon?”

“Not since after breakfast, sir.”

“Well, then.” Frederick returned to his office for his own pistol and prayed whatever inspired a gunshot near his home would prove more benign than dangerous. After surviving several near-death experiences over the past Christmas season, Frederick was quite finished with drama for a while. Though drama seemed to follow his new bride in spades.

He met the butler back in the hallway.

“Might I offer an insight, sir?”

Frederick pivoted in his approach to the door and turned back to Brandon. “Insight?”

“Yes, sir.” The man released a deep sigh which pulled his pristine posture into a slight slump. He then sent Frederick a look which somehow inspired a grimace before Frederick even heard the man’s words. “Her ladyship was speaking with Mr. Blake after breakfast, sir.”

“Mr. Blake?” Frederick rolled his gaze heavenward, the tension in his jaw uncoiling into a slight annoyance that manifested in an ache over his right eyebrow. He loved his cousin. There was no man Frederick trusted more. But for some reason, the idea of Blake and Grace together followed by the sound of gunfire did not bode well.

For anyone.

“About pistols, my lord.”

And the answers emerged, along with an increased throbbing in Frederick’s head. “Thank you, Brandon.”

Setting a slower pace, he moved toward the south side of his manor house, another shot reverberating nearer. Within a month since Christmas, his American wife had learned how to drive the car and throw knives, two skills she appeared to excel in more than knowing the fashion of the season or how to address the complicated hierarchy of the aristocracy. His lips almost split into a grin as he recalled her stumbling over addressing the Duke of Westonbridge two weeks ago by calling him “Your Honorable Lord” and then in quick correction, “Your Grace, or at least I hope you are since I fumbled your title so atrociously.”

Of course the duke had fallen under Grace’s spell within five minutes, as everyone else who met her seemed to do since she’d moved to his crumbling Derbyshire estate two months earlier. Well, everyone except the villainess who’d tried to kill them just before Christmas. But that was hopefully a distant story, and their next chapter would be a lovely, peaceful belated honeymoon—he increased his steps at the idea—with a little surprise tagged on for his lovely Lady Astley.

Frederick nodded a good afternoon to the police officer inconspicuously posted near the house so that Frederick’s mother could work out her sentence of house arrest in connection with his father and brother’s deaths. He released a sigh. No, she was no murderess, unless glares and harsh words counted, but she’d harbored information that could have protected others. The law had been gracious with her due to her age and status, merely revoking her freedoms from leaving Havensbrook, so his mother’s life stayed very much as it had since Frederick’s father’s death; however, the added blemish of “criminal” to her reputation ensured she spent her days away from the public eye.

And if the police officer appeared in no great distress over the gunfire, Frederick knew all too well what must be happening.

Just around the edge of the house, a large garden opened to the south, its walls still well intact, though ivy-grown and tangled. Another shot reverberated through the damp air, followed quickly by laughter and his wife’s exuberant exclamation of “I hit it.”

Frederick’s lips pinched into a frown. Why he ever expected his cousin Blake to mind Frederick’s subtle requests was beyond him! The garden gate stood open, welcoming him forward into an even more tangled array of vines and twined greenery, the winter roses, a remnant of the garden’s healthier days, sleeping until spring.

He hadn’t had the means to make things right with Havensbrook before but, with Grace’s wealth and her generous heart, he could now. Another way to make amends for the past, he hoped, though

God had already bestowed on him much more than he deserved.

His cousin stood to the right, hands on the hips of his gray suit jacket, but Frederick’s gaze followed Blake’s focus to the woman in the center of the garden. Her bright auburn hair was twisted up beneath a deep purple hat that matched her coat, both in contrast to her pale skin. Her laughter echoed toward him, so filled with joy and hope. Two things he’d thought lost forever before he’d met her.

Yes, God had given him much more than he deserved, and sometimes, he wondered if God had given him more than he could manage.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, February 23

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, February 23

Bigreadersite, February 23

By The Book, February 24

Just Your Average reviews, February 24

Remembrancy, February 24

Sylvan Musings, February 24

Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, February 25 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 25

Mary Hake, February 25

Worthy2Read, February 26

Christina’s Corner, February 26

Texas Book-aholic, February 26

Betti Mace, February 27

The Sacred Line, February 27

deb’s Book Review, February 27

Lily’s Book Reviews, February 28

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 28

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, February 28

Labor Not in Vain, February 28

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, March 1

Cover Lover Book Review, March 1

Daysong Reflections, March 1

Hebrews 12 Endurance, March 2

Wishful Endings, March 2

Melissa’s Bookshelf, March 2

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, March 3

Simple Harvest Reads, March 3 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Rebecca Tews, March 3

Connie’s History Classroom, March 4

Blogging With Carol, March 4

To Everything There Is A Season, March 4

Cathe Swanson, March 4

Tell Tale Book Reviews, March 5

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, March 5

Artistic Nobody, March 5 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Where Faith and Books Meet, March 6

For Him and My Family, March 6

Holly’s Book Corner, March 6

She Lives To Read, March 7

Splashes of Joy, March 7

Pause for Tales, March 7

Back Porch Reads, March 8

Blossoms and Blessings, March 8

Through the Fire Blogs, March 8

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Pepper is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

 GIVEAWAY

 

 

 My Thoughts

Oh what a story this book holds! I love Pepper Basham's writing and this story takes the reader on quite the adventure. It very much reminded me of the movie The Mummy and that made me smile the whole way through. We first met Freddie and Grace in The Mistletoe Countess so this book takes up a little bit after that one. Grace's character is truly one of a kind and she just made me giggle. I love the fun romance and the slight mystery that threads through the pages. The setting of Egypt is unique and I was excited for something new! While I didn't love this book so much as the first one it was still a fun read. 

Four Stars. 

" I received this book from the publisher for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."

Under the Cover of Mercy-Based on a True Story

 

 

About the Book

 Can one nurse on a mission of mercy and rebellion turn the tide of WWI?

November 1914

The Great War has come to Brussels, the Germans have occupied the city, and Edith Cavell, Head Nurse at Berkendael Medical Institute, faces an impossible situation. As matron of a designated Red Cross hospital, Edith has sworn an oath to help any who are wounded, under whatever flag they are found. But Governor von Lüttwitz, the ranking German officer, has additional orders for her. She and her nurses must also stand guard over the wounded Allied prisoners of war and prevent them from escaping.

Edith feels that God called her to be a healer, not a jailer. How can she heal these broken boys, only to allow them to be returned to the hands of their oppressors to be beaten again?

So when members of the Belgian resistance, desperate for help, bring two wounded British soldiers to her hospital in secret, she makes a decision that will change everything: she will heal the soldiers, and then attempt to smuggle them out of the hospital to freedom.

With her loyal friend and fellow nurse, Elizabeth, by her side, Edith establishes her hospital as a safe house for the resistance, laboring tirelessly to save as many soldiers as she can. Working under the watchful eyes of the German army, Edith faces challenging odds and charges of treason—which carries the death penalty if she is caught—as she fights alongside the resistance to bring—and keep—hope to her small corner of a war-torn world.

Based on a true story, Under the Cover of Mercy is the remarkable account of one woman who defied an entire nation in order to heal those who needed her help the most. (Goodreads)

 

Releases April 11th! 

Pre-Order HERE!

 

My Thoughts

This book really starts off right in the thick of things for a nurse during the Great War. My goodness but these souls were brave! The life of Edith Cavell is one that I really didn't know anything about so I was pretty clueless on what would happen as the story played out. What she went through is astonishing and needs to be better known. My favorite part was how she encouraged those around her and she did the hard things. She was in charge but she worked right alongside the other gals and made the tough choices. She saved many lives and it was most interesting reading about the Belgian resistance. This story is well written and wonderful historical fiction. I am thankful that Rebecca Connolly took the time to shed a light on Edith so that we can remember the brave women who went before us. 

Four Stars. 

 

" I received this book from Shadow Mountain Publishing for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."

The Weight of Air Review

 

About the Book

 In 1911, Mabel MacGinnis is Europe's strongest woman and has performed beside her father in the Manzo Brothers Circus her entire life. But at his unexpected death, she loses everything she's ever known and sets off in the company of acrobat Jake Cunningham for America in hope of finding the mother she's just discovered is still alive.

Isabella Moreau, the nation's most feted aerialist, has given everything to the circus. But age and injury now threaten her security, and Isabella, stalked by old fears, makes a choice that risks everything. When her daughter Mabel appears alongside the man who never wanted to see Isabella again, Isabella is forced to face the truth of where, and in what, she derives her worth.

In this evocative novel from Kimberly Duffy, the meaning of strength takes center stage as the lives of three circus performers become entangled beneath the glittering lights and flying trapeze of Madison Square Garden. (Goodreads)

BUY HERE

 

My Thoughts

Days later and I am still thinking about this story....what a story! This is Kimberly Duffy's best novel yet and I really enjoyed it. I couldn't put this book down and the more the story progressed the more surprised I was at how well it was written. I loved the time period and the circus setting. While the entire book is not about the circus it is a big part of it and I think it is fascinating. There is romance (quite a lot more romance than I was expecting), an underlying mystery, high stakes performances, and a lot of emotional baggage. I love Isabella's character and her broken journey. I love Mabel's character because it is unique and fresh. Jake Cunningham is a hero I adored getting to know. All in all this is a fantastic read that deals with some very difficult topics including mental health,  postpartum depression, death, suicide, and abandonment.  I really loved this story and the only thing that I didn't like per se is how selfishness in marriage is handled at the very end. I could read this book again and probably have even more thoughts just because there is so much between the pages. I highly recommend! 

Four Stars!

" I received this book from Bethany House Publishers for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."

Cold Light of Day Review

  

 About the Book

Police Chief Autumn Long is fighting to keep her job in the quiet Alaska town of Shadow Gap when an unexpected string of criminal activity leaves her with a wounded officer, unexplained murders, and even an attack on her own father. Despite her mistrust of outsiders, she turns to Grier Brenner, a newcomer who seems to have the skills and training Autumn needs to face this threat to her community.

Grier is in Alaska for the same reason so many others are--to disappear--when Chief Long enlists his help. He emerges from the shadows and proves his mettle, but his presence in her life could be a deadly trap for them both. If his secret is exposed, all will be lost. And he's not sure even Autumn could save him.

As the stakes rise and the dangers increase, Autumn and Grier must rely on each other to extinguish the deadly threats. (Goodreads)

 BUY HERE

 

My Thoughts

I was excited to discover a new series based in Alaska! I haven't read this author before that I can recall so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. The first part of the book starts with a bang and the suspense is on. Both main characters have a lot of baggage and things to work through and the murder mystery is intriguing. I loved the setting as Alaska is such an interesting place and is perfect for a suspense novel. As the book progressed it got a bit slow for me and to be honest I ended up not fully invested. I so wanted to love this story but I just didn't. I know many other people will but it just wasn't for me. After the first few chapters it just fell a little flat. But this author is popular and many will enjoy! 

Three Stars. 

" I received this book from Revell for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."

What Happens Next Review

About the Book

 Popular podcaster and ex-reporter Faith Byrne has made a name for herself telling stories of greatness after tragedy--but her real life does not mirror the stories she tells. When she's asked to spotlight her childhood best friend's missing-person case on her podcast, she uncovers desperate secrets and must face the truth before she can move forward. (Goodreads)

BUY HERE

My Thoughts

I could not put this book down. From the first page to the last I was totally captivated in trying to solve the cold case that had me rather stumped. I loved how this story is told from multiple points of view and Heather's mother is such a unique character I really loved reading from her perspective. There are so many things happening within the pages of this book. Family issues, grief, regret, forgiveness, and mystery. I did feel like the ending came a bit too soon and perhaps could have been fleshed out a bit more but I really loved this book and I can't wait to read Christina Suzann Nelson's next novel. She has such talent for writing heartfelt and honest stories. 

Five Stars. 

"I received this book from Bethany House for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."

The Last Chance Cowboy Review

 

About the Book

As a midwife, Catherine Remington is successful in bringing new life into the world, but she's failed one too many times in finding true love. When she's accused of a murder she didn't commit, she's forced to flee and decides to run away to Colorado to honor a patient's dying wish to deliver a newborn infant to his father.

The repentant prodigal Dylan McQuaid is finally back in Fairplay. Elected as sheriff, he's doing his best to prove to the town he's a changed man and worthy of their trust. When a woman shows up with an infant son he didn't know he had, Dylan is left with only complicated choices on what to do next.

Having grown attached to Dylan's son, Catherine doesn't want to part ways with the infant, but what she doesn't bargain for is how easily she'll fall for the charming rogue, or how quickly her past will catch up with her and put their love and lives in danger.

Bestselling author Jody Hedlund brings her Colorado Cowboys series to an adventuresome close with this page-turning Western romance. (Goodreads)

 

BUY HERE

 

 My Thoughts

We have finally gotten Dylan's full story! I have been eager to read more about Dylan so I was excited to read this book. The first few chapters of this book really irritated me. How everything plays out is entirely ridiculous and I was really ticked at Catherine because of her blatant dishonesty. I was even more ticked at Dylan because of his actions! BUT as I continued to read I started to see growth in the characters and was hopeful that they would get their act together. There are many twists and turns and I loved visiting the rest of the McQuaids in this book. I love that my hometown of Como is mentioned in the book and the entire setting of course is wonderful as I know it so well! All that to say that I did end up enjoying this story and Hedlund wrapped up the series nicely. 

 

Four Stars. 

 

" I received this book from Bethany House Publishers for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review."