Friday Fun - December 12, 2025

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, and First Line Friday.

This week I have two books to share with you.

I'm reading Home Free by Cali Black. This is the third and final book in her Home for Christmas series and it just released yesterday.

I am also starting Out of Time by Irene Hannon, the third book in her Undaunted Courage series.

        Book Beginnings on Friday     

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here are my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selections:

 Home Free by Cali Black:

"Mandy Bradford shifted uncomfortably.

I had to wonder why she was uncomfortable.

Out of Time by Irene Hannon

"Her dream sabbatical was not off to an auspicious start."

Again, I wanted to know what was not going as planned.

Now for:

The Friday 56 

The Friday 56 is normally hosted over at Freda's Voice. But Anne from My Head is Full of Books is taking over for a while. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here are my Friday 56 selections:

Home Free by Cali Black:

"She swallowed several times in a row, desperately wondering where all her saliva had gone. A man got out of the driver’s seat and moved toward the back of the van while a woman in full uniform complete with gun got out of the passenger side and approached her with a clipboard. Mandy met her halfway. 

'Mrs. Bradford?' The fierce-looking woman extended her hand. 'I’m Judith Lightfoot, Mr. Gray’s parole officer. There’s some paperwork here for you to fill out. Just sign at the highlighted portions and then I’ll go over the rules with you.'"

Out of Time by Irene Hannon:

"Natalie’s mug of tea froze halfway to her mouth. 'Near the house?'

'No. Deeper into the woods, in the direction of the lake. I thought you might have a clue who it could be.' 

Natalie set the mug back down. 'No, I don’t. No one should be roaming about on this property.''

Could it have been a neighbor, by any chance?'

'I doubt it. I don’t see them much, but we do chat on occasion. If one of them had a reason to come onto my land, they’d ask. Are you certain you saw a light?'

'Yes. It was like the ones I saw once in a while when Micah was still here. I always assumed it was him.'

'Late at night?'

'Yes.'"

Reviews:

No reviews this week as my computer is still being temperamental. 

Friday Fun - December 5, 2025 (a couple of days late)

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, and First Line Friday.

This week I have two books (but three stories) to share with you.

I'm starting an eARC of A Christmas to Remember by Penny Zeller. This book releases December 9th.

I am currently reading the novella collection titled Every Voice Heard, featuring three novellas about church hurt and abuse by N.Y. Dunlap, D.T. Powell, and Sarah Hanks. 

        Book Beginnings on Friday     

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here are my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selections:

 A Christmas to Remember by Penny Zeller:

"Sometimes God's tug on a man's heart was mighty strong."

This is a good thing. Though I wondered if this meant this particular man was being pulled by God because he wasn't following him. Or what exactly was going on.

Rapha by D.T. Powell, the second story in Every Voice Heard:

"Rebecca hurried toward the unmistakeable shrill of an irate customer."

Well Rebecca sounded like she could be having a better day.

For the Love of Truth by Sarah Hanks, the third story in Every Voice Heard:

"Candi shifted in her rolling office chair as she fumbled for an answer to the staff members' questions."

I wondered what kind of questions were being asked as she was fumbling and shifting. To me, it made it sound like she was agitated. 

Now for:

The Friday 56 

The Friday 56 is normally hosted over at Freda's Voice. But Anne from My Head is Full of Books is taking over for a while. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here are my Friday 56 selections:

A Christmas to Remember by Penny Zeller:

"She willed  herself to trudge to the door. She unlocked it, turned the knob, and opened it, not sure what to expect. While she may have imagined just about anybody to be standing on the porch, she hadn't anticipated Otis MaCallum. 'Otis,' she gasped. 'Is everything all right?'
'Hello, Belinda. Yes, everything is fine.' Snow crystals clung to his chin, and prominent dark circles shone beneath his eyes. He held Cow in his arms."

Rapha by D.T. Powell, the second story in Every Voice Heard:

"Gaps between several seated family members meant people were still missing. 

Rebecca opened a hymnal and held it up so Essie could share with her. 

The first three verses passed quickly. When they started the fourth, the door to the Sunday School wing swung open, and Josiah stepped through. Alone."

For the Love of Truth by Sarah Hanks, the third story in Every Voice Heard:

"Justice wavered, hand on the key in his car's ignition. His insides squirmed at the thought of walking through the doors of Impact Church again. He'd prefer to stay as far from that no-good pastor as possible. How could he stand to listen to the man preach the Word, knowing his life didn't align with the words spewing from his mouth? Attending service seemed like stamping the evil man with his approval. But he had to see Candi.

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. I finished both of them, but I haven't had the chance to write my review for one of them. Here's my review for the one:

Risking His Heart by Emily Conrad

As for the books I shared a couple of weeks ago, I'm still reading the one (Every Voice Heard which I shared above). I finished the other, but haven't gotten a chance to write my review because my computer is old and tempermental. 

I hope to have all these revews ready to share the links next week.

Risking His Heart by Emily Conrad Review

 

Risking His Heart by Emily Conrad is another wonderful visit to Redemption Ridge at Christmas time. I loved the two mysteries that the police were trying to solve and I loved the best friends to more romance. Just who was the burglar stealing the electronics from homes? And who was the Yeti stealing the Christmas decorations right out from under people's noses as it seemed he, or she, was doing? And were the cases connected or not?

I felt so bad for Neenah as the plans for her life were completely dashed when she was forced into early retirement from the police force. And suddenly, out of the blue, she was named guardian of a friend's teenage daughter. How could she continue to do what she loved? 

And then there is Cody. Her best friend and also police officer. Though he'd very much prefer that they were more than best friends. And he's also dealing with never feeling he's good enough for his father, the Chief. 

I loved their story and how they learned to trust in God's plan for their lives.

I received an e-copy of this book as a member of the launch team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.

Friday Fun - November 27, 2025

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, and First Line Friday.

This week I have two books to share with you.

I'm starting an eARC of Risking His Heart by Emily Conrad.

I read The Other Sister by Jessica R. Patch.

        Book Beginnings on Friday     

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here are my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selections:

 Risking His Heart by Emily Conrad:

"If good things come to those who wait, Cody was doing something wrong. ."

Sounds like things aren't going his way.

The Other Sister by Jessica R. Patch:

"Her eyes are vacant orbs that pierce my soul and chill my bones."

So, that was creepy. And I needed to know who exactly was narrating and who had such eyes.

Now for:

The Friday 56 

The Friday 56 is normally hosted over at Freda's Voice. But Anne from My Head is Full of Books is taking over for a while. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here are my Friday 56 selections:

Risking His Life by Emily Conrad:

"'Why did you never tell him about his dad?' Clara’s low question was barely audible over the whir of the ellipticals. 

'What’s to tell?'

 'That his dad threatened both your jobs to keep you apart.'"

The Other Sister by Jessica R. Patch

"Simple touristy things will never do for someone as sophisticated and cultured as Acelynn, but you can't come to Chicago and not visit the Navy Pier and eat Chicago pizza. That would be a travesty."

Reviews:

Last week I shared two books in my Friday Fun post. I'm still reading the one. I finished the other, but haven't gotten a chance to write my review because of being busy with holiday stuff. I also finished The Other Sister which I shared above, but still need to write my full review. I'll share them next week.

Friday Fun - November 21, 2025

Welcome to my Friday Fun post. This is where I share with three different book parties that post on Fridays: Book Beginnings on Fridays, the Friday 56, and First Line Friday.

This week I have two books to share with you.

I'm starting Girl Lost by Kate Angelo.

I'm also starting the novella collection titled Every Voice Heard, featuring three novellas about church hurt and abuse by N.Y. Dunlap, D.T. Powell, and Sarah Hanks. This collection releases on December 3rd.

        Book Beginnings on Friday     

(Please join Gilion Dumas for Book Beginnings every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires. Please remember to include the title of the book and the author's name.)

and

First Line Friday

(Please join Carrie for First Line Friday.)

Here are my Book Beginnings/First Line Friday selections:

 Girl Lost by Kate Angelo:

""Luna Rosati could disappear into any crowd, any city, any life."

Was there a reason she wanted to disappear?

Praise Through the Pain by N.Y. Dunlap, the first story in Every Voice Heard:

"Alexis slipped out of the practice room and into a wide hallway, as she stuffed a praise flag into her oversized purse."

I wondered if she wasn't supposed to be where she was, seeing as the author used the words "slipped out of" and she was stuffing the flag into a purse.

Now for:

The Friday 56 

The Friday 56 is normally hosted over at Freda's Voice. But Anne from My Head is Full of Books is taking over for a while. 

Rules:

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader
(If you have to improvise, that's ok.)
 *Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grab you.
*Post it.
*Add your (url) post below in Linky. Add the post url, not your blog url. It's that simple.

Here are my Friday 56 selections:

Girl Lost by Kate Angelo:

"'That’s not my department, Agent. I just report what I find. The rest is up to you.' Santos leaned back in her chair. 'But I will point out that these organs could fetch a price on the black market. Definitely the type harvested for organ trafficking.'

The word hung in the air."

Praise Through the Pain by N.Y. Dunlap, the first story in Every Voice Heard:

"She floated up the steps of a white gazebo. No. Danced. That was what she did: danced her way in and out of his reach. She moved with swift grace, then leaned over the rail, giving him a smile he could cherish. 'But I also meant what I said in my nephew’s room. If AJ didn’t like the toy, you’d have bigger issues on your hands than little ol’ me. He likes you.'"

Reviews:

Last week I shared one book in my Friday Fun post. Here's the link to my review:

Through Each Tomorrow by Gabrielle Meyer 

Two weeks ago I also shared one book. Here's the link to that review:

Love in the Castle Library by Ann Swindell 

Through Each Tomorrow by Gabrielle Meyer Review

 

I am absolutely in love with this series by Gabrielle Meyer. Each new book becomes my favorite. I just finished a reread of the first five books, seeing as I had forgotten quite a lot of details. Having all the stories and characters fresh in my mind really did help me enjoy Through Each Tomorrow all the more. The author has done a phenomenal job of weaving this entire series together. I have mentioned before how much I love that each book brings in new twists. I wasn't quite sure how she was going to have step siblings be the main characters in this book, but I loved it. And then she included another time crossing character who is in both timelines with Charles. That was just awesome. 

Charles Hollingsworth was originally introduced in book one as an older gentleman, so the reader already knows which path he is going to choose. Usually one of the things keeping me riveted to the story is needing to know WHICH time period the character is going to ultimately choose to remain in. But even though we KNOW in this book, there is still so much at stake and so much we don't know. And yes, it was more than enough to keep me riveted to this new story.

In Charles's 1583 timeline, the story is told from the point of view of his step-sister, Lady Cecily. She was very briefly mentioned in the previous book.  She lives in Windsor Castle as one of Queen Elizabeth's Maids of Honor. 

And then there is Drew, Charles's friend who lives in both timelines with Charles, even though they only KNEW each other in the one timeline until they meet early in the book in the other timeline. I actually liked Drew better than Charles for the majority of the book. But I admit, Charles had a lot of responsibilities pressing on him, and by the end of the story, I actually liked all the main characters. 

One thing that might be concerning is the deceit that takes place in the book. Without giving anything away, I will just say that their are consequences and the characters learn to lean on God and trust Him and His will. 

There is mention of adultery and out of wedlock pregnancy, but it is not seen as acceptable. 

There were awesome twists and reveals. And I just have to say, one of the things that I love about these books is discovering which past character or characters might make an appearance. 

I loved this book and can't wait for book 7. 

Love in the Castle Library by Ann Swindell Review

 

I absolutely adored this second book in Ann Swindell's In the Catle Library series. I was thrilled to once again visit the fictional European kingdom of Lethersby and get reacquainted with beloved characters from Christmas in the Castle Library. 

Love in the Castle Library is Delphine's story. She is the castle stewardess that we met in book one. It is also Jack Worthington's story, the British researcher who was hired to help unravel the mystery of the missing Queen Alma. The mystery that began to be unraveled in the first book. (So, yes, you do want to read this series in order.)

I loved getting to know Delphine better, and was instantly drawn into the relationship between her and Jack. A relationship that was to be professional, but the reader could see the spark between them from the beginning. A spark that neither of them wanted to acknowledge or encourage for various reasons. And yet when controversy comes up in relation to Delphine's job, their professional relationship soon becomes a fake dating relationship, making it even harder to keep their feelings in check. 

One thing I really appreciated in this romance was there was communication between Delphine and Jack. It drives me crazy when a lack of communication drives a couple apart and adds so much drama. But even more imporantly, both characters were learning to lean on God. Learning to trust him more. Faith and prayer and reading God's Word were very important parts of their lives. They were both Christian, but they both also had issues they needed to work through. Because Delphine didn't have a good relationship with her earthly father, it was causing trust issues when it came to her heavenly Father. Additionally, events in Jack's past had caused him to build walls around his heart. Walls that he was in no hurry to tear down. 

I love the way God worked in both of their lives. Not just in their relationship, but also in the way the details of the mystery of Queen Alma's disappearance were revealed plus how the controversy surrounding Delphine's job and live in the castle was resolved. 

I was also thrilled that the main characters from book one, Ellie and Mark, played such an important roles in this story. It was awesome to get caught up with them, along with the King and Queen of Lethersby. Plus we got to meet Jack's father, Kent, who was such a strong Christian, and an awesome source of wisdom and encouragement. 

And while we got some intriguing answers to the Queen Alma mystery, there are still unanswered questions which I can't wait to find out the answers to as the series continues. As the reader, I could see where a couple of things were heading, so I wasn't completely taken by surprise, but I loved the way the author brought everything together.  

Highly recommened!

I received a copy of this book as a member of the review team and was not required to write a favorable review. These are my own honest thoughts.